[csaa-forum] RE: wanting to be effluent

John Scannell diaspora at tig.com.au
Tue Oct 12 15:25:04 CST 2004


Indigo - I find your post really interesting...and confirms some of my 
suspicions...


Indigo Williams Willing wrote:

>RE: the whole freedom shopping/home renovations thing that Sally intially
>brought up - I agree with her on the consumerism rather than class link.
>The whole thing is perhaps most compelling because these forms of cultural
>consumption have become the true opiate for the masses (is this too
>neo-Marxist?). For example, while reality tv (a la Merlin on BB) and even
>brekky talk shows (hattie versus david koch) can get political, the home
>reno tv shows are safe and long advertisements for material goodies and
>property. But one could say the same thing about the popularity of 'high'
>and 'low' culture cooking shows, be it a Neil Perry special or Hughie's
>cooking adventures - another major Australian obsession outside of sport. My
>own concern is not so much where Australian tastes lie. What is troubling is
>a creeping suspicion there's a big electorate out there that that would
>prefer to see Latham (or Howard) pose with voters outside an expensive
>mansion or a surburban mall than outside Villawood Detention Centre or The
>Block in Sydney's Redfern.
>
>And did someone ask about the Chinese residents in Sylvania Waters? Diane?
>
>All I can say is that I hope they weren't the ones cheering on Howard
>throughout the election.  As far as the 'Asian' vote goes, there's a number
>of middle-class honkies (hong kong) and former middle class/then refugee
>vietnamese in Australia who are very disturbed by anything closely left
>wing. Read any number of such diaspora studies. This is understandable given
>that Communist China and Vietnam have not been kind to them in the past.  As
>for Families First - they might also appeal.  Believe it or not,
>Christianity has a 'groovy' and exotic appeal for some Asians in the same
>way that shonky Buddhism has somehow gained 'groovy' and exotic appeal for
>Westerners.
>______________________________
>Indigo Williams Willing (Thuy Thi Diep Huynh)
>Post-Grad Student, Sociology - current (UQ)
>----- Original Message ----- >
>  
>
>>    
>>
>>>What about all the new Chinese residents in Sylvania Waters? Where do
>>>they fit in your schema?
>>>
>>>
>>>      
>>>
>>Well it's the only hope in my books. 'Break the (Anglo) Generational
>>Curse' as evangelist Benny Hinn says.
>>
>>    
>>
>
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