'Crazy Noonga' controversy - what do you think?

[isthisavailable]

Long story short: A Curtin Uni student (allegedly) created a personal website devoted to a telling the story of fictional Aboriginal character 'Nigel the Crazy Noonga'*. 'Nigel' generally likes to make phone calls to businesses - of course, they are prank calls by somebody who is neither named 'Nigel' nor an Aborigine. The site has been shut down (whether by the creator or by outside forces, the following article does not make clear), but the youtube clips remain online. Some academics and 'community leaders' have lashed out at the site and the youtube clips.

The portrayal of negative Aboriginal stereotypes has sparked outrage from the Aboriginal community.

Craig Somerville, lecturer at the Curtin University Centre for Aboriginal Studies, told 6PR he believed the material on the website had crossed the line between humour and racism.

"This is very nasty, rude and bad material," he said.

...

"Curtin prides itself on positive race relations and, if he has been using our resources, it is like accessing pr0n – it wouldn't be tolerated."

http://www.smh.com.au/technology/te...site-sparks-racism-outrage-20090924-g3mz.html

Youtube 'Crazy Noonga' (I recommend the 'Hospital' and 'Bunnings 2' clips) and listen for yourself, and then answer poll.

*Note that 'Noonga' is not a derogatory term but is in fact a term by which some Aborginal people in that part of Australia call themselves - or so I have read.

 

[CrazyQ]

As an outsider looking in, it seems alright.

 

[azreal]

Would there be a fuss if he did with a different type of accent...the ones I listened to were very tame, not really that funny. There is much better prank call stuff on youtube.

 

[Mr Shankly]

*Note that 'Noonga' is not a derogatory term but is in fact a term by which some Aborginal people in that part of Australia call themselves - or so I have read.

Yup, but just to clarify, the Noonga people are Australian Aborigines from the south-west of W.A. Their land extends from Perth to Walpole/Denmark, if memory serves. The spelling is often contested, though, some spell it Nyoongar, or Noongar. Useless piece of trivia: it means 'man'.

I'm at work at the moment and have not been able to view the youtube clips, so no comment.

 

[krusden]

Personally I reckon it'd be humorous.... but i am not easily offended nor am i aboriginal

 

[BigBadCam]

I spent years in the northern parts of WA and NT trying to help the cause of the Aboriginal people. When you get into the guts of things, the people often couldn't give a shit what people say or think about them. Politicised aboriginals in cities love nothing more than to get on their high horse and scream bloody murder, but in my mind these people are to blame for a lot of the problems in communities. They're the kind of people who think that just because they're Aboriginal that they automatically know everything about all things Aboriginal and know what's best for people living in remote communities. Say one thing bad about them and they sook and carry on.

I'm sure a lot of the Aboriginals I met in communities would probably be able to see the comedic nature of these prank calls as I know I can. I'm not racist in any way, but I still find them amusing... Some of them in fact are hilarous. I think the 'TOY YODA', 'GYM', 'BOTTLESHOP' and 'AUTOBARN' ones are the best by a mile! Very, very clever.

'If we cant laugh at ourselves, do we have the right to laugh at others?'

The biggest laugh I had up in the North was after Kevin Rudd's famous sorry day. Half the people in the community didn't even know it happened and when they did they didn't really care. A bunch of the kids who were a bit more world wise got on the net and bought themselves a shirt saying 'SORRY!' on one side, and 'ABOUT YOUR FACE' on the back and wore them for the next month. I still laugh when I think about those kids.

 

[Subaru Impreza]

I didnt find those clips very funny at all. I respect Aboriginal people, but I too find that a bad potrayal of Aboriginal people.

 

[BigBadCam]

I didnt find those clips very funny at all. I respect Aboriginal people, but I too find that a bad potrayal of Aboriginal people.

O really? I thought it was a good portrayal of Aboriginal people.

 

[Royal Flush]

I'm sure if they used a Borat Accent they would have been OK.
Sure they may stereo type and offend many Kazakstanians as incestous, sexually deviant and anti-simetic. But hey whats the big deal.

Showing my age I remember a program on MMM radio called the D-Generation.
They made prank calls with characters like
Wayne from St.Albans- bogan
Gino Tagliatoni - Wog boy petrol head.

funny funny stuff

 

[placebo]

Was it his own personal website and computer? If so then he should be allowed to say whatever the hell he wants.

 

[TheBeast]

These clips were not 'direct portrayals of aboriginal people,' but was merely poking fun at the sterotype. In this day and age, people are looking to take offence at every little thing, whether it be cultural, religious or race based. It's funny, though, how 'raciat comments' are considered the utmost crime, a felony if you will, only when it concerns Aboriginal people. I mean, no one is gonna lock me up if I say Asians have high IQs, Caucasians can't dance, the Irish are alcoholics or girls are smarter than boys, are they???

This whole 'politically correct' era has gone haywire, and I hope for the sake of Nigel, the noonga next door, that everything works out fine

 

[TheBeast]

These clips were not 'direct portrayals of aboriginal people,' but was merely poking fun at the sterotype. In this day and age, people are looking to take offence at every little thing, whether it be cultural, religious or race based. It's funny, though, how 'raciat comments' are considered the utmost crime, a felony if you will, only when it concerns Aboriginal people. I mean, no one is gonna lock me up if I say Asians have high IQs, Caucasians can't dance, the Irish are alcoholics or girls are smarter than boys, are they???

This whole 'politically correct' era has gone haywire, and I hope for the sake of Nigel, the noonga next door, that everything works out fine

 

[Brown Bottle]

I happened to be in Perth when Howard Sattler broke this story and played an excerpt from the Bunnings call. I struggle to find any humour in it but I'm not offended by it either. I just thought it was lame.

 

[Bennett.]

Nobody seemed to mind 'GUIDO HATZIS'. That's also racial profiling etc etc, but is it only valid for certain 'types' of people??

 

[isthisavailable]

Nobody seemed to mind 'GUIDO HATZIS'. That's also racial profiling etc etc, but is it only valid for certain 'types' of people??

That seems to be the long and the short of it.

 

[BigBadCam]

I hope we're allowed to post these...

[YOUTUBE]ZeY37t62D-g[/YOUTUBE]

[YOUTUBE]PDDc4MbPOFQ[/YOUTUBE]

 

[BigBadCam]

[YOUTUBE]PDDc4MbPOFQ[/YOUTUBE]

These three are the best ones.

 

[muckypup]

I am not really offended by any of the calls and sometimes they are funny but for some reason they make me feel uncomfortable. They have a massive 'dog whistle' factor. Maybe its because I always think of what the aboriginal people I know might think when they listen to this stuff.

On the positive I think it is really good that these things start a debate about what is acceptable. They won't be greeted with the same type of hysteria one day I'm sure. But for now the best way I can describe these videos is by linking to Hungry Beast on post race ... you have to watch right to the end to get what i mean.

http://hungrybeast.abc.net.au/stories/post-race-rules

 

[Faithful Hawk]

I am not really offended by any of the calls and sometimes they are funny but for some reason they make me feel uncomfortable. They have a massive 'dog whistle' factor. Maybe its because I always think of what the aboriginal people I know might think when they listen to this stuff.

On the positive I think it is really good that these things start a debate about what is acceptable. They won't be greeted with the same type of hysteria one day I'm sure. But for now the best way I can describe these videos is by linking to Hungry Beast on post race ... you have to watch right to the end to get what i mean.

http://hungrybeast.abc.net.au/stories/post-race-rules

Some of my closest friends are Aboriginal and one actually works high up in the Dept of Aboriginal Services and thinks it's hilarious. People need to take a hard look at themselves and stop trying to find something bad in everything. It's this negative mindset that is ruining our society.

I also agree with what BBC had to say about the people form the remote communities reaction to Kevin's Sorry speech, most could not care less. It's always the chip on there shoulder types that think the world owes them eveything that would take offence.

 

[yeah_nah]

How is this any different to Borat other than the fact that its an aboriginal?

I don't think its very good personally, the calls themselves are quite funny but the accent isnt the best.
The call to 6PR is gold though

 

[The Cranium]

At the end of the day...who gives a ****.....

The PC Nanny patrol have pampered to fringe groups supposedly representing those that this effects for too long.....ala Michael Mansell etc. What have THEY done for their communities that actually adds value to that community........

 

[matera_goal]

[youtube]ikQN4BvxYeM[/youtube]

This one burns them all. Not so much for humour, but for pure 'epic win' factor

 

[BigBadCam]

[YOUTUBE]HdjAPyBINV8[/YOUTUBE]

This one is good.