It’s finally happened: after months of discussion, Triple J officially announced today that it’s moving the date of the Hottest 100 away from January 26.
From 2018 onwards, the Hottest 100 will officially be counted down on the Saturday of the fourth weekend on January, with the Hottest 200 (those songs that *almost* made the cut) counted down on Sunday.
It comes amid an ongoing conversation around the Australia Day celebrations on January 26, which for Aboriginal people marks the start of genocide, state-sanctioned violence, and ongoing oppression.
Needless to say, plenty of people are absolutely stoked at this move.
https://twitter.com/Briggs/status/935008321597083648
https://twitter.com/Briggs/status/935025753753755648
https://twitter.com/nakkiahlui/status/935018771126788096
Great call by @triplej moving the Hottest 100 to make it inclusive of all Australians. Cue the white tears. And those people need to be educated so use the opportunity to do so. May I suggest by starting with the term ‘Recognition’.
— Casey Conway (@caseyconway_) November 27, 2017
Good on Triple J for standing up for our First People and changing the date of the Hottest 100 from Australia Day. When the community bands together peacefully, there is no injustice we cannot right. https://t.co/0SJgK4fz3X
— Richard Di Natale (@RichardDiNatale) November 27, 2017
Good move @triplej: The Hottest 100 won’t be held on Australia Day next year. Time to #changethedate https://t.co/JOEwzYnGuj @Greens
— Jeremy Buckingham (@BuckinghamJN) November 27, 2017
Finally. Any JJJ fans mad about this should know I’ve yet to meet a single musician played on that station who wasn’t in favour of this decision. https://t.co/eG7O4hoe1N
— Kelso Wrestling Fan (@sideshowkelso) November 27, 2017
proud of my old gang. https://t.co/1dUUMKcGn1
— Nina Las Vegas (@ninalasvegas) November 27, 2017
Big up J’s 👏 https://t.co/Tstrr2l6D8
— WHAT SO NOT (@WhatSoNot) November 27, 2017
GOOD SHIT TRIPLE J YOU LEGENDS
— Mitch Feltscheer (@mitchfel) November 27, 2017
https://twitter.com/staffo_sez/status/935007856222277632
https://twitter.com/ShaneLuder/status/935028444055740416
Of course, some people aren’t exactly pleased. Almost 65,000 people responded to the voluntary survey, and although 60% supported moving the date, 39% did not. (And 1% didn’t give a shit, which leads me to wonder why you were answering a voluntary survey about moving the date.)
Damn I love your music triple j but stop being such sissy lefties all the damn time
— Josh Coleman (@Josh99Coleman) November 27, 2017
https://twitter.com/legostormtroopr/status/935014147028164608
That’s all I can stand to put in this piece, tbh. There’s some nasty stuff out there, and shout-out to the Triple J team who’ll be spending the next 48 hours copping abuse for this move.
The move has also reignited calls for the government to move Australia Day to another, move inclusive day all-together. The conversation has ramped up in recent years, with several local councils announcing this year that they’ll refrain from Australia Day celebrations.
Following Triple J’s decision to move the Hottest 100, Reconciliation Australia reaffirms its position that January 26 cannot serve as an inclusive and unifying national day. #changethedate https://t.co/wHhHkVYvz4
— Reconciliation Australia (@RecAustralia) November 27, 2017
See? Moving Australia Day isn’t that hard. https://t.co/jRRQb2PfnF
— Jen Dudley-Nicholson (@jendudley) November 27, 2017
Little known fact: Australia Day has only been celebrated on January 26 since 1994. It’s really not that big a deal to change it. We’re not ‘destroying Australian culture’ or anything. We’ll still be bonded by a love of democracy sausages, a fear of swooping season, and a general distaste for anyone hating on Vegemite.
Of course, you already know that the aggressively right-wing lot will be bloody furious about the change. News Corps’ columnists – dead and alive – are probably rolling over in their graves right now.
The decision that will inspire a good half-dozen “PC-gone-mad, ABC-captured-by-commies” columns. It you keep quiet you can almost hear Andrew and Miranda furiously typing. https://t.co/O7w6QsGGuC
— Jason Whittaker (@thetowncrier) November 27, 2017
Communications Minister Mitch Fifield had already proclaimed himself “bewildered” by Triple J’s decision within minutes of the announcement, despite this being something long in the making.
“The ABC should honour [Australia Day] and not mess with the Hottest 100,” are the actual words of an elected official.
https://twitter.com/BevanShields/status/935019173620543489
Regardless – congrats to everyone who has worked so damn hard to make this historic move a reality. It’s time to go suck the dick off a cold one, ’cause you’ve bloody well earned it.
