There’s nothing better than reading US media reporting on some quirk of Australian culture like they’re observing an alien being in an enclosure. As a nation still suffering profound cultural cringe, we get all fuzzy when people from across the great big pond pay attention to us at all. The Melbourne Cup festivities, which provide ample opportunity for the world to see Australia in a way that perfectly aligns with their stereotypical understanding of how we behave.
US sports site Deadspin had a crack at the Cup, charitably describing it as a kind of antipodean Kentucky Derby – the debauched racing carnival lampooned by Hunter S. Thompson as “decadent and depraved” in what is considered one of the first and finest examples of gonzo journalism. The Deadspin article is fun:
The Melbourne Cup is similar to the United States’ Kentucky Derby, in that it is Australia’s most prestigious horse race. Also like the Kentucky Derby—both of which follow the proud British tradition of getting equal parts dolled and fucked up at horse races—it is a perfect event for young and old alike to don their finest of outfits and guzzle copious amounts of alcohol. The entire state of Victoria even gets the day off from work, since Melbourne Cup day has been decreed an official local holiday.
And how. News.com.au said this was a ‘slam’ of the Cup, which possibly belies how little they read Deadspin. Deadspin enjoy taking the piss and they are very good at it.
The reason these stories pop up is because stock image sites like Getty Images usually end up posting a lot more photos of people looking completely, irredeemably fucked up at the Melbourne Cup than they do the actual race. Case in point – the photos also highlighted in an International Business Times article:
Honestly, though, the Melbourne Cup at its worst really does not come even close to the Kentucky Derby. Case in point, at the Derby infield:
Look, at least we’re keeping up our international rep as a deeply debauched nation. Great! But we’ve got a ways to go.
Source: Deadspin.
Photo: Getty Images.
