Channel 7 and Anzac Day

[always right]

Personally I find people marching in the parade wearing footy jumpers or scarves more offensive than a one-off stuff up by channel 7. People need to wake up that the march is not about their footy team allegiances. It's bugged me for years.

[Sedat]

Personally I find people marching in the parade wearing footy jumpers or scarves more offensive than a one-off stuff up by channel 7. People need to wake up that the march is not about their footy team allegiances. It's bugged me for years.

That's another whole other discussion and one that has plenty of merit. But the last post is something very haunting and solemn, and it should never be trivialised, especially by a grubby TV network trotting out another shitty MKR promo for a millionth time.

[BulldogBelle]

I think this is another example of people 'searching' for ways to get offended! If you cared that much for the last post, you should have gone to a service or watched the ABC's coverage. I say this without cheapening the sacrifices/efforts of soldiers. Whether we observe or do not observe certain aspects of the day does not diminish the truth of those sacrifices!

[hujsh]

I think this is another example of people 'searching' for ways to get offended! If you cared that much for the last post, you should have gone to a service or watched the ABC's coverage. I say this without cheapening the sacrifices/efforts of soldiers. Whether we observe or do not observe certain aspects of the day does not diminish the truth of those sacrifices!

While I kind of agree with you I suspect we'll be on our own. But I'm not particularly sentimental and take a different view of the ANZAC mythology to most people

[Ghost Dog]

I agree that people just search for ways to get offended.
However on Anzac Day, which is why we have the holiday, if you asked someone ' what is the most important part of the day?' most are going to answer ' last post' or 'morning ceremony'. So it seems odd you would just switch to an ad for MKR during the defining moment of the day.
But commercialism rules! and MKR is essential to the fabric of our society you know.

[hujsh]

I agree that people just search for ways to get offended.
However on Anzac Day, which is why we have the holiday, if you asked someone ' what is the most important part of the day?' most are going to answer ' last post' or 'morning ceremony'. So it seems odd you would just switch to an ad for MKR during the defining moment of the day.
But commercialism rules.

Capitalism>Patriotism

[Ghost Dog]

Capitalism>Patriotism

If only our appetite for the Myer stock take sale could be channelled into our military ranks. We would have hordes of suburban mothers armed with bayonets ready to slay anyone in their path, unstoppable and foaming at the mouth.

[1eyedog]

I agree that people just search for ways to get offended.
However on Anzac Day, which is why we have the holiday, if you asked someone ' what is the most important part of the day?' most are going to answer ' last post' or 'morning ceremony'. So it seems odd you would just switch to an ad for MKR during the defining moment of the day.
But commercialism rules! and MKR is essential to the fabric of our society you know.

I think a large majority of people would say all the hours I don't have to be at work. Let's not beat around the bush, 99% of Australians are asleep at dawn.

[Ghost Dog]

I think a large majority of people would say all the hours I don't have to be at work. Let's not beat around the bush, 99% of Australians are asleep at dawn.

Point taken! I should have worded it thus. If you asked most Australians as to the most important part of Anzac day for people who care about it.....they would answer 'dawn service, blah blah'

[soupman]

I think this is another example of people 'searching' for ways to get offended! If you cared that much for the last post, you should have gone to a service or watched the ABC's coverage. I say this without cheapening the sacrifices/efforts of soldiers. Whether we observe or do not observe certain aspects of the day does not diminish the truth of those sacrifices!

I agree with you in a way, if you are looking to pay your respects do it properly.

However, the footballs version should also be respected, and not least by the broadcaster who is all to happy to use the ANZAC name to promote the game and drive up ratings along with ad revenue. If channel 7 are going to preach about the respect and honour of the ANZAC spirit and show the prematch ceremony then they have to do it properly. Either do it to the best of their abilities or not at all.

[Bulldog4life]

While I kind of agree with you I suspect we'll be on our own. But I'm not particularly sentimental and take a different view of the ANZAC mythology to most people

Could you elaborate on that hujsh.

[chef]

I think a large majority of people would say all the hours I don't have to be at work. Let's not beat around the bush, 99% of Australians are asleep at dawn.

Some of us are at work

[ledge]

Some of us go to the dawn service and see the footy and still want to see the last post in its entirety not interrupted.
It was a disgrace no matter what spin you put on it.

[hujsh]

Could you elaborate on that hujsh.

The self mythologizing we do at ANZAC Day. It was the birth of the nation, we were fighting for freedom, everyone soldier was a hero etc.

It's a part of who we are, but we build up the favorable aspects and ignore what's inconvenient. It's a nicer origin story than invading and killing indigenous people, it overlooks the pointlessness of WW1 (a common theme of returning soldiers is disillusion over why they were even fighting) and while there were certainly brave soldiers there were plenty of rapists, murderers and tons of racists in the lot as well (though finding a war where one side did not commit war crimes would be pretty damn hard).

Pretty much every nation has a version or two of this though.

Also it feeds into our habit of supporting troops at war and commemorating the dead but ignoring the living veterans who need help and suffer with mental heath issues.

Anyway that's just how I feel about it. I think I've potentially derailed the thread.

[F'scary]

The self mythologizing we do at ANZAC Day. It was the birth of the nation, we were fighting for freedom, everyone soldier was a hero etc.

It's a part of who we are, but we build up the favorable aspects and ignore what's inconvenient. It's a nicer origin story than invading and killing indigenous people, it overlooks the pointlessness of WW1 (a common theme of returning soldiers is disillusion over why they were even fighting) and while there were certainly brave soldiers there were plenty of rapists, murderers and tons of racists in the lot as well (though finding a war where one side did not commit war crimes would be pretty damn hard).

Pretty much every nation has a version or two of this though.

Also it feeds into our habit of supporting troops at war and commemorating the dead but ignoring the living veterans who need help and suffer with mental heath issues.

Anyway that's just how I feel about it. I think I've potentially derailed the thread.

When I was younger, I used to hold similar views...until I thought about how the blokes who went to the Kakoda Trail were just blokes like you and me who just walked out of their normal lives to defend our country.