I'm getting sick of our country losing it's identity

[Roverlord off road spares]

over the last 2 days I have been getting advertising emails for local companies in Australia who are having Black Friday Sales.
as an Aussie Black Friday to me means death from devastating bush fires, nothing to celebrate really

But these sales reflect the sales for the day after Thanks Giving, which is a US holiday.
More dreck from America that seems to be infiltrating our beloved country. We now have halloween, what are we going to have thanks giving also?
When are we going to say enough is enough, we are proud aussies and stop being a wanna be Yankie [bigsad]
Soon we won't be wishing anyone Merry Christmas, it will become Happy Holidays.

Example for woollies and Connors clothing
.
Black Friday is an informal name for the day following Thanksgiving Day in the United States, the fourth Thursday of November, which has been regarded as the beginning of the country's Christmas shopping ... Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Friday_(shopping))



Date (https://www.google.com.au/search?q=black+friday+date&stick=H4sIAAAAAAAAAOPgE-LUz9U3MDIwSM_TkshOttJPLUvNKynWz8jPyUxJrLRKSSxJLQYA 75W69CcAAAA&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjr69mGg-neAhXafCsKHSN8CIYQ6BMoADAcegQIBhAG): 23 November 2018
146253

146254

[Tote]

I don't disagree but most of it is a (belated) reaction by our slack local retail community who have finally realised that the application of GST to consumer imports hasnt saved their business model. I've yet to see anything that is worth buying anyway and with the $AUD down overseas stuff isnt worth the effort either.


Regards,
Tote

[POD]

You're too late Mario. The younger generation now all go to the bathroom.

[bee utey]

Grumpy old men ranting about the country going to the dogs, again... [bawl]

[p38arover]

the $AUD

So that's a dollar Australian dollar? Why the repeat? I see often. [bigwhistle]

[Chops]

Grumpy old men ranting about the country going to the dogs, again... [bawl]


It seems the only ones who take pride in anything Australian these days are the “grump old men”,, so,, so be it.

[B.S.F.]

over the last 2 days I have been getting advertising emails for local companies in Australia who are having Black Friday Sales.as an Aussie Black Friday to me means death from devastating bush fires, nothing to celebrate really But these sales reflect the sales for the day after Thanks Giving, which is a US holiday. More dreck from America that seems to be infiltrating our beloved country. We now have halloween, what are we going to have thanks giving also?When are we going to say enough is enough, we are proud aussies and stop being a wanna be Yankie [bigsad]Soon we won't be wishing anyone Merry Christmas, it will become Happy Holidays.Example for woollies and Connors clothing.Black Friday is an informal name for the day following Thanksgiving Day in the United States, the fourth Thursday of November, which has been regarded as the beginning of the country's Christmas shopping ... Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Friday_(shopping))Date (https://www.google.com.au/search?q=black+friday+date&stick=H4sIAAAAAAAAAOPgE-LUz9U3MDIwSM_TkshOttJPLUvNKynWz8jPyUxJrLRKSSxJLQYA 75W69CcAAAA&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjr69mGg-neAhXafCsKHSN8CIYQ6BMoADAcegQIBhAG): 23 November 2018146253146254Bush fires? Surely you mean wild fires,.... Buddy?
.W.

[bee utey]

It seems the only ones who take pride in anything Australian these days are the “grump old men”,, so,, so be it.

Every new "Australian" tradition was once roundly mocked by the grumpies of the era. Take pizza, for example. Horrible wog food, what were these ghastly eye-ties thinking bringing their foreign muck into this grate country. Real men eat a Pie An Chips, drowned in Dead 'Orse.

Then those grumpies die off and a new lot whinge about a new lot of things they no longer control. Welcome to Australia, the ever changing country. [thumbsupbig]

As for Black Friday, it's just another excuse for the retail industry to shove useless crap in your face to try and make you feel inadequate. Similar to every other seasonal cash grab, Fathers Day, Mothers Day, Easter, Halloween, Christmas, need I go on. Smart people invent their own reasons to buy stuff and throw sales catalogues in the bin where they belong. Celebrate family, not consumer tat. Frankly, IDGAF. [biggrin]

[Grumbles]

'Take Away' food is now 'Take Out' food. [bighmmm]

[Roverlord off road spares]

Every new "Australian" tradition was once roundly mocked by the grumpies of the era. Take pizza, for example. Horrible wog food, what were these ghastly eye-ties thinking bringing their foreign muck into this grate country. Real men eat a Pie An Chips, drowned in Dead 'Orse.

Then those grumpies die off and a new lot whinge about a new lot of things they no longer control. Welcome to Australia, the ever changing country. [thumbsupbig]

As for Black Friday, it's just another excuse for the retail industry to shove useless crap in your face to try and make you feel inadequate. Similar to every other seasonal cash grab, Fathers Day, Mothers Day, Easter, Halloween, Christmas, need I go on. Smart people invent their own reasons to buy stuff and throw sales catalogues in the bin where they belong. Celebrate family, not consumer tat. Frankly, IDGAF. [biggrin]

Well I'm not having a black Friday sale[bigsmile]

I hate the term sale, many are just usually a con to get rid of slow moving stuff, Or it plays on peoples emotion thinking its genuine
I remember a retailer who used to put up a sale flag on a pole every day out side his shop. I heard customers ask the retailer when did the sale finish as they didn't want to miss out but at the time didn't have funds.

[Ferret]

...As for Black Friday, it's just another excuse for the retail industry to shove useless crap in your face to try and make you feel inadequate. Similar to every other seasonal cash grab, Fathers Day, Mothers Day, Easter, Halloween, Christmas, need I go on. Smart people invent their own reasons to buy stuff and throw sales catalogues in the bin where they belong. Celebrate family, not consumer tat. Frankly, IDGAF. [biggrin]

Says a grumpy old man. [bigwhistle]

Cyber Monday is coming up too.

[Zeros]

The sooner us grumpy old men realise that the continent of Australia is part of the global world the better.

'Our' separate identity as a nation was always going to be a short-lived notion, because it is stuck in the age of empire. Something which Britain is embarrassingly attempting to reclaim! (mostly voted for by grumpy old people).

We live in the world people. The younger generations are just moving with and creating the times.

'Our' identity is by definition in a state of perpetual flux.

[bee utey]

Well I'm not having a black Friday sale[bigsmile]

I hate the term sale, many are just usually a con to get rid of slow moving stuff, Or it plays on peoples emotion thinking its genuine
I remember a retailer who used to put up a sale flag on a pole every day out side his shop. I heard customers ask the retailer when did the sale finish as they didn't want to miss out but at the time didn't have funds.

Did you know that in French the word "sale" means "dirty" in English? Trufax. [bigrolf]

[d2dave]

I am one of these grumpy old men.

Mario, you have my support on this one.

[Zeros]

Who can name 5 uniquely Australian traditions or ceremony’s to celebrate that don’t revolve around colonisation or war?

[V8Ian]

Who can name 5 uniquely Australian traditions or ceremony’s to celebrate that don’t revolve around colonisation or war?
Drinking XXXX or Bundy, on any day that ends in a Ý. There you go, there's forteen. :tease:

[harro]

Who can name 5 uniquely Australian traditions or ceremony’s to celebrate that don’t revolve around colonisation or war?

The Chook Raffle[bighmmm]

[LRJim]

Bunnings snags
Meat pies at the footy
Denny Ute muster [emoji38][emoji38]

[dirvine]

Up sh** creek in a barbed wire canoe! (Bazza McKenzie)

[bee utey]

Who can name 5 uniquely Australian traditions or ceremony’s to celebrate that don’t revolve around colonisation or war?

That'll be events featuring the roughly five B's, booze, boats, briny, beaches, betting and brainless bravery.

1. Henley-on-Todd Regatta

2. Beer Can Regatta

3, Bird Man Rally

And a couple of others, maybe featuring camels, aka Boats of the outBack.

[akula]

The sooner us grumpy old men realise that the continent of Australia is part of the global world the better.

'Our' separate identity as a nation was always going to be a short-lived notion, because it is stuck in the age of empire. Something which Britain is embarrassingly attempting to reclaim! (mostly voted for by grumpy old people).

We live in the world people. The younger generations are just moving with and creating the times.

'Our' identity is by definition in a state of perpetual flux.

America is not the ‘global world’. However, it is the age of the (declining) American empire. From the frying pan into the fire.

[4bee]

Halloween was not initiated by the good 'ole US of A.

Just sayin'.


Halloween has its roots in the ancient, pre-Christian Celtic festival of Samhain, which was celebrated on the night of October 31. The Celts, who lived 2,000 years ago in the area that is now Ireland, the United Kingdom and northern France, believed that the dead returned to earth on Samhain

[Slunnie]

The real Australian culture started to die in 1788, not 2 years ago.

But thats when so many think it started to come alive with the introduction of Pommy and Christian culture, now thats real Aussie culture. Cricket, Rugby, and Christmas.

Ironic.

[Fatso]

The Chook Raffle[bighmmm]


Meat tray raffle at the Pub . [tonguewink]

[Zeros]

[bigrolf] anyone still worried about ‘our’ country losing its unique identity?

[laney]

I personally don't like sales at any time if a shop can cut it's prices by 40% and still cut a profit then how much of a mark up do they have we really don't need another reason to spend money.

[Zeros]

I personally don't like sales at any time if a shop can cut it's prices by 40% and still cut a profit then how much of a mark up do they have we really don't need another reason to spend money.

Well not if you grow all your own food. And you don’t want Netflicks.

....doesn’t everyone know that ‘sales’ are just advertising? They’re not really sales. The sale price is always the full price.

[Arapiles]

.
More dreck from America that seems to be infiltrating our beloved country. We now have halloween, what are we going to have thanks giving also?
When are we going to say enough is enough, we are proud aussies and stop being a wanna be Yankie [bigsad]
Soon we won't be wishing anyone Merry Christmas, it will become Happy Holiday


I'm generally relaxed about it, my grandad used to go off about jeans ... "horrible American stuff" etc etc.

But, I recently saw a book review in a bookshop (one of those little cards that they stick near the book) that referred to "rooting for the characters". I did ask if they had an American staff member who'd written the review but it was an Australian - the young woman I was speaking to seemed to not really know what the connotation was ....

[pop058]

I personally don't like sales at any time if a shop can cut it's prices by 40% and still cut a profit then how much of a mark up do they have we really don't need another reason to spend money.

Ever noticed that bed/mattress joints (40 winks, bedsRus, etc.) seem to have sales on all year round ??

[Eevo]

black friday sales in the US have some pretty decent deals.

black firday sales in aust i generally find are not as good value.

for companies though, they work! more sales, more revenue, more profit. as the manager of a company, you would be an idiot not to participate.

[V8Ian]

Ever noticed that bed/mattress joints (40 winks, bedsRus, etc.) seem to have sales on all year round ??
And Rugs a Million, who've been having a closing down sale for how many years?

[rick130]

Ever noticed that bed/mattress joints (40 winks, bedsRus, etc.) seem to have sales on all year round ??

My sister worked for a bed/mattress company at one point.
They would actually put the prices up and then 'discount' them.
Illegal, unethical, but normal practice in the industry apparently.

[DiscoMick]

A sale doesn't have to means stuff is cheaper, it just means they want to sell you stuff so they will have made a sale.

[Pedro_The_Swift]

And Rugs a Million, who've been having a closing down sale for how many years?
and it must've worked,, cos the NEW owner continues using it [bigrolf][bigrolf]

[Zeros]

My sister worked for a bed/mattress company at one point.
They would actually put the prices up and then 'discount' them.
Illegal, unethical, but normal practice in the industry apparently.

The free market growth capitalist economy is all about charging the highest price possible. If that involves pretending that the price could be higher ‘but we’re giving you a discount’ it’s just a strategy. Buyer beware. No point getting knichers in a knot over the price when this is the system we all vote for with our hard earned everyday as well as at the polling booth.

Sales only exist because we are suckers. They’re not really an opportunity for a bargain because prices are dictated by supply and demand. The price is just the price no matter how it’s presented.

I’m actually surprised there aren’t more ‘reverse sale’ pricing structures similar to the airlines. Whereby you get a lower price if you get in early and the price rises the longer you wait.

The growth capitalist economic ‘aspirational identity’ is actually the central focus of ‘our country’s identity’’ and there’s not much chance of losing that I’m afraid.

The majority of cultural occasions in Australia are focussed around the economy. The majority are also imported from elsewhere.

As such a young ‘nation’ Australia is yet to create its own identity IMO. Who are we beyond the economics of material consumption and commercial festivals?

[Pedro_The_Swift]

I'm not sure any ANZAC's would agree with you about lack of identity,,

and as for new traditions how about these guys?
https://proxy.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.sls.com.au%2Fwp%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2015%2F09%2Ftwocolumn-images-lifesavers7-1116x600.jpg&f=1

[Roverlord off road spares]

My sister worked for a bed/mattress company at one point.
They would actually put the prices up and then 'discount' them.
Illegal, unethical, but normal practice in the industry apparently.

A large floor covering retailer got sprung and fines many mons ago. they advertised a sale that was something like 50-70% off. ACCC fined them as they could not provide proof that they ever old those products for 50 to 70% more prior. Another floor covering retailer used to put Bait advertisements in the newspaper, claiming millions of $ clearance 100's of rolls of carpet normally $150 per metre now $15 per metre. When the bargain hunting droves came in to the store the customers wanted to see these bargains and were shown remnants pieces and off cuts rolled up, nothing to do a house lot. It peed off a lot of customers. The boss told the staff, it gets customers in to the store, it was their job to convert them into sales on the other products. Or seconds were sold to customers and customers were never informed. Competitors would complain to the manufacturers as they couldn't compete on 1st quality and real price.

[rick130]

It's funny, I find our country to be too money/wealth/materialism focused and yet I was watching a YouTube vid the other day of a US resident living and studying here and she found Australia far, far less materialistic than the US.
She was based in Newcastle and hailed from the US mid-West.

It was an interesting perspective.

In a similar vein, a German friend moved back there last year after living in Oz for a couple of years.
We were chatting on messenger-phone and it kept dropping out.
She appologised, saying it was typical, the German mobile phone system was crap (not a lot of 3G, let some 4G) and several generations behind here.
That shocked me.

We all need to step back a little at times to get perspective, to see the big picture.

[DiscoMick]

Yes, it's good to step outside the norm and learn how others see us.
When we lived in Thailand numerous Thais we knew were surprised that all Aussies weren't like the drunken sex-obsessed male ockers they were used to seeing behaving badly in Pattya and other fleshpits.

[ramblingboy42]

...you can add camp draft and bronco branding, purely Australian and growing in popularity every year.

[Arapiles]

Ever noticed that bed/mattress joints (40 winks, bedsRus, etc.) seem to have sales on all year round ??

I used to work in credit/recoveries for a big Australian company. One of our quite good clients was a rug store that was always being liquidated, shutting down, insolvent etc. So we eventually rang them - are you actually in financial trouble? Because if so, we'd like to know. And they actually laughed, just about rolling on the floor. No, was the answer.

[d2dave]

Halloween was not initiated by the good 'ole US of A.

Just sayin'.

Correct. Halloween did not originate in the USA, but trick and treating did.

[4bee]

Possibly, but not according to Wiki- wottsit.


In North America (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_America), trick-or-treating has been a Halloween tradition since the late 1920s. In Britain (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Britain) and Ireland (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ireland) the tradition of going house to house collecting food at Halloween goes back at least as far as the 16th century, as had the tradition of people wearing costumes at Halloween. In 19th century Britain and Ireland, there are many accounts of people going house to house in costume at Halloween, reciting verses in exchange for food, and sometimes warning of misfortune if they were not welcomed.[1] (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trick-or-treating#cite_note-AFP-1) The Scottish Halloween custom of "guising" – children disguised in costume going from house to house for food or money;[2] (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trick-or-treating#cite_note-guising_definition-2) – is first recorded in North America in 1911 in Ontario, Canada.[3] (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trick-or-treating#cite_note-Guising-3) While going house to house in costume has remained popular among Scots and Irish, the custom of saying "trick or treat" has only recently become common. The activity is prevalent in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland, Puerto Rico (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puerto_Rico), and northwestern and central Mexico. In the last, this practice is called calaverita (Spanish for "sugar skull"), and instead of "trick or treat", the children ask, "¿Me da mi calaverita?" ("Can you give me my sugar skull?"), where a calaverita (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calavera) is a small skull made of sugar or chocolate

[smilebigeye]

[101RRS]

True but the modern materialistic version of Halloween is totally US based.

[Geedublya]

...you can add camp draft and bronco branding, purely Australian and growing in popularity every year.

What's a bronco?

North American word for a wild horse (brumby) me thinks......


The Australian identity is being remade every day by the new immigrants and exposure to other cultures through the various media. Some countries that are insular don't have their identity changing, either due to a lack of new immigrants (think Japan) and/or authoritarian governments (North Korea).

I think I prefer our way.

[discoteck]

Boys , black friday sales means cheap deals on oil and filters for the landy, plus I got a great deal on a new tool box for xmas for my young fella.

[Erik68]

SUV is a sporty falcon or holden ute. Not some pumped up hatchback, I would love to see them get a yard of manure in the back.
Furphy is a lie that started in ww1 from takes around the water cart ,made by Furphy.
I always laugh when I see them advertising it as a refreshing ale.
The list continues. ..

[Fatso]

Strong as brick ****house . [bigsmile1]

[jonesfam]

If you don't think Austray has an identity you may be living in the wrong place?[smilebigeye]

[Zeros]

Nowhere has 'an' identity. All places are made up of complex multi-faceted identities. Diversity is the spice of life.

[Roverlord off road spares]

I read somewhere were someone was wondering when the politically correct get onto the "Black" part in Black Friday as it might often our coloured skin friends.[bighmmm]

[Nick S]

The way others see the Australian identity always interests me. I’ve spent about 4 months overseas this year with work and the things that often come up in conversation when people realise I’m from Oz seem to be:

Fantastic country, love to visit but too far away

Monster sharks, crocs, deadly snakes

Really tough on refugees/illegal arrivals

Hard drinking/partying

Great beaches and scenery

[DiscoMick]

Yes, I found living overseas gave a completely different perspective on Australia.

[Zeros]

Yes we should be utterly embarrassed of the image we portray to the world.

Unfortunately it closely resembles what many cling to as our core Australian identity.

How we behave as a country is how we’re seen by others. It can’t just be pushed aside as a misinterpretation.

Working in the intercultural sector and dealing with international projects and perceptions, I’m constantly having to explain that not all Australians are xenophobic bogans.

In many ways, the faster ‘our country’ loses its international identity as a bogan backwater that disregards human rights for the sake of dominant cultural expediency, with a smattering of beautiful beaches and good athletes, the better IMO. We are a lot more than that. But we need to grow up and behave like it.

[Bigbjorn]

I have found when overseas that many people are confused by my accent. They, particularly Americans, ask if I am English. They are quite puzzled when I tell them "No, and we don't particularly like the English."