Ahh Singapore, home to incredible food, a glitzy nightlife scene and… the only Universal Studios theme park in Southeast Asia. Which is apparently why Australia’s newly-appointed High Commissioner to Singapore made a beeline for the theme park in a strange new video uploaded to Twitter.
Hodgman was the former Premier of Tasmania and landed in Singapore three weeks ago to take up his new post.
“As Australia’s new High Commissioner to Singapore, I think it’s really important on weekends to immerse myself in experiences and the local culture, so I can truly understand what makes this place tick,” Will Hodgman said.
“So… we’re at Universal Studios Singapore.”
Sunday fun in Singapore pic.twitter.com/nW9iHbGbcK
— Australian High Commissioner to Singapore (@AusHCSG) February 7, 2021
Not only do we get to see Hodgman ride the rollercoasters, catch a 4D movie and pose with mascots, but he also filmed himself hoofing down that iconic Singaporean specialty: a Dagwood Dog.
Not to mention the unexplainably uncanny colour palette and audio that would do well in a horror movie. The whole thing oozes cursedness.
People quickly pointed all this out.
Incredible Australian diplomacy on display here https://t.co/nE0VR9RUan
— Vincent Bevins (@Vinncent) February 8, 2021
An incredible cultural experience. https://t.co/uMVTSbu1C5
— Jordan Raskopoulos (@JordanRasko) February 9, 2021
love to “immerse myself in the local culture” in Singapore by visiting [checks notes] American theme park and eating a Dagwood dog https://t.co/fJTevmjygh
— Josh Butler (@JoshButler) February 9, 2021
Name: Will
Age: 45
Ethnicity: white
Looking for: women, 18-32, white
Likes: immersing myself in experiences and local cultures so I can truly understand what makes places tick
Dating me is like: a rollercoaster lol 🤣🎢🌭
6’1” in case it matters https://t.co/7uXWVd4NWp— Mairéad Ó (@ides_of_mards) February 9, 2021
We didn’t pay for your quarantine at a 5-star hotel for this https://t.co/PYEtwbbbUM
— Lim Jialiang (@lim_jialiang) February 9, 2021
New Australian High Commissioner immerses himself in local Singapore culture by visiting Universal Studios & eating corn dogs 😂. Therefore, Crocodile Dundee is an essential Aussie documentary 🐊🤠. Jokes aside, welcome @AusHCSG!
🇸🇬🇦🇺 https://t.co/aPREvSuQG2— Dhevarajan Devadas (@historyogi) February 9, 2021
Even a politician got involved, with Shadow Foreign Minister Penny Wong telling News.com.au that “it’s like a diplomat going to Rome and posting videos from Pizza Hut.”
“Nobody is begrudging Will Hodgman a weekend trip to Universal Studios if that’s his thing, but this just reinforces negative stereotypes that the Australian Government is ignorant about our own neighbourhood,” Wong said.
“Will Hodgman’s job is to improve Australia’s standing in Singapore and this just underlines why Scott Morrison should not have appointed an unqualified mate to such a serious job.”
The video was actually posted on Sunday, but Hodgeman posted a little follow-up Tweet on Tuesday following all the online attention.
Was being very tongue in cheek! I think we all can all do with a bit of lightening up these days.
— Will Hodgman (@AusHCSG) February 9, 2021
If it was really just a joke… go off, king. But many would argue that satire requires a clarity of purpose and target which, in this case, is not immediately clear. It’s also a pretty fkn strange impression to give as a newly-arrived diplomat.
Enjoy your Dagwood Dogs, Mr High Commissioner.
