Melbourne Cup - Cultural Cringe?

[imastawka]

The race that stops a nation may not be our classiest moment. Every year there is video and photo evidence of drunken debauchery, often engaged in by well-dressed Aussies in fascinators and smart suits.

Australians are accustomed to the aftermath shots, have a little bit of a giggle at the photo of the woman in smart racewear and net fascinator riding a bin.

But this year the US, the land of Trump, has discovered our annual day of anything goes, and an opinion piece which labels the event as “decadent and depraved” may well have served as a tourism ad for Australia.

© Provided by Australian Women's Weekly

The article which compares the US’s Kentucky Derby with the Melbourne Cup, believes Aussies come out on top when it comes to total debauchery.

http://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/photos-of-melbourne-cup-%E2%80%9Cdepravity%E2%80%9D-cause-a-...

I know Aussies look at it as 'a bit of fun', but I'm cringing

after looking at the photos in the article. 

I just never gave it a thought that overseas countries might see our 'bit of fun'

I just thought they'd see the race and maybe the fashions.

[bright.ton42]

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@ecar3483 wrote:

I only had to read it once to see that he was having a bit of a lend, and I commend him for using "emotive words", because if it ruffled the feathers of the pearl clutching set, then it gave those of us who take a little more laid back view of life a laugh.

I'll tell you what, if, to paraphrase the article, bikini clad mud wrestling is allowed at the Cup, then I'll cringe.

🙂

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Good for you for being a little  laid back.  .  Funnily, I'm not one of the pearl clutching set whatever that is (sounds very 50s, lol)  and I'd rather see mud wrestling going on   than bogan jerks making complete fools of themselves and Australia.  Perhaps it also goes on with the Derby I don't know.    I must have a look   

[the_great_she_elephant]

Straya Day without the flags. 

[davidc4430]

people with no sense of self worth will allways be idiots.

but what angers me is the rubbish everywhere, disgusting slobs. just throwing or dropping their carp everywhere!

a great look for our beautiful country, not.

[icyfroth]

No wonder we're seen as "White Trash" and "Dumb Blondes" by our Asia Pacific neighbours, what with the drunken antics of of Aussie tourists in Bali and Thailand, and back here in Aus.

[lyndal1838]

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@serendipityricho wrote:

Lyndal -i refered to the Urban Dictionary.

Show Pony-----a person that shows off in the public eye------

Richo//.

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That is exactly what 4 legged show ponies do too......show off in public.  But they don't make fools of themselves as your 2 legged show ponies do.

[amber-eyed-girl]

I'll be honest...a few years back I had an invite into the Birdcage. The antics in there were no less stupid than those of the general public, but were considered acceptable as it was A listers doing it.

This year....I gave it a miss. But regretted it as the one I could have gone to had a pool 😛

[not_for_sale2025]

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@icyfroth wrote:

No wonder we're seen as "White Trash" and "Dumb Blondes" by our Asia Pacific neighbours, what with the drunken antics of of Aussie tourists in Bali and Thailand, and back here in Aus.

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I think we're seen as white trash, dumb blondes and a lot of other crass things by people from many other countries. And I doubt it's because of behaviour such as a woman pretending to ride a rubbish bin. The reasons are much more religious, cultural and political. The lady was having a bit of harmless fun on a very special day in our country. Who cares what they think - chill out.

[bushies.girl]

[debra9275]

looks like Gina Rinehart overdid it too

http://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/celebrity/private-sydney/melbourne-cup-2016-gina-rinehart-and-anthon...

we've been invited to the Birdcage before too Amber... everyone just eats, drinks, parades and is merry. I never saw anything much very untoward going on in there, most of the action seems to go on in the carpark I thought

[lurker172602]

I've got friends who go to the members carpark every year for the whole carnival. They are the biggest party animals I know