Posted on 03/31/2010 3:56:18 PM PDT by LibWhacker
Few are laughing in Australia following Robin Williams' joke that its people are "basically English rednecks".
His remarks, made on The Late Show with David Letterman, prompted Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd to respond on a Sydney radio show.
"I think Robin Williams should go and spend a little time in Alabama before he frames comments about people being particularly redneck," said Mr Rudd.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.bbc.co.uk ...
I think its kinda funny but I’m a redneck.
“I think Robin Williams should go and spend a little time in Alabama before he frames comments about people being particularly redneck,” said Mr Rudd.”
Huh?
What does Rudd have against Alabama?
So does Foxworthy have another one now? “You might be a redneck if you like Vegemite.”
Alabama...? Well if that isn’t a British redneck thing to say! or maybe just an Australian jackass thing.
He’s so mad that he then says the same thing about those living in Alabama...ok then.
Y’know...I used to LIKE Robin Williams.
Now he’s gone and stepped on his crank with the old golf shoes with this one.
Maybe a bunch of us could be rednecks there. It’s for sure, none of us can throw rocks. All I need is a single link to one ancestor who was sent to Austrailia instead of the Colonies. I’d apply for an extended Visa.
Redneck is a compliment
There are good people in both Alabama and Australia, and there are rich and famous people who are, in reality, festering pustules of rancid vomit.
Hmm, he’s saying that if Robin goes to Alabama he’ll see that the ‘rednecks’ there are far inferior to the people of Australia. You Sir, owe Alabama an apology. You snob!
I think Kevin Rudd just stuck his foot in his mouth.
Robin Williams is an actor who has had little acclaim. His talents are beyond the norm. His personal life and views are of no concern to me, as long as he isn’t a left-leaning Michale Moore wannabee.
Give him credit where credit is due.
Few are laughing in Australia following Robin Williams' joke that its people are "basically English rednecks". His remarks, made on The Late Show with David Letterman...Too late to boycott Letterman, and Robin Williams hasn't been funny in over twenty years.
Hey, you might be a redneck if you laugh at redneck jokes.
One of the most redeeming qualities of a redneck.
I used to like him too, but he’s gotten very lazy since roughly time time of his deserved Oscar for Good Will Hunting. He is rarely funny or, in terms of results, talented anymore.
Just look at his last several years’ of film work, for example:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robin_Williams#Filmography
Other than the extremely dark One Hour Photo, none of it was both good AND drew much interest. (And even One Hour Photo didn’t do well, even for an arthouse flick.)
Oh, no doubt! The Oscar he got for “Good Will Hunting” was well deserved. His skills at improv are unmatched.
Far a time (during the Carter administration), he certainly made noises that he was a Republican. He doesn’t anymore. However, he hasn’t gone the way of Michael Moore.
Exactly.
Robin Williams says an idiotic remark insulting the people of Australia, and then the Australian prime minister makes an idiotic remark insulting the people of Alabama.
Robin Williams and Austalian prime minister Kevin Rudd are two peas in a pod....they’re both a couple of aholes.
According to Miss Manners, (Judith Martin in the WP), the only people who can make jokes about a certain group are members of that group. Hence, you have Eddie Murphy making jokes about blacks, Jeff Foxworthy making jokes about rednecks, etc.. What is taboo, is to make jokes about a group to which you don’t belong.
Hold on a sec skippy. The lowlife scumbag PM just insulted one of my states....and to this I hope all the mussie scum in that country continue their rape and murder! Go ahead mussies ...enjoy yourselves!!!! Go after all facets of Aussie life!
LOL! The PM of Australia said that???
Williams is just making a harmless joke. Rudd should have said, “Sounds like a harmless joke to me. I’d like to invite Robin to come visit us here down under for a bit of fun. THEN he can joke about us, ha ha!”
But that would require class and poise.
Can you imagine an American politician, in Rudd’s shoes, taking a shot at Tasmania? It’s rude and foolish and, above all, just unnecessary.
Hey, wait.
Tomorrow is April 1st......
I hope Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd will remember that a Southern man don’t need him around anyhow.
I’ll watch any movie with him in it, as long as I know he is still conservative. With his brains, I can’t believe he could be suckered in by his Hollywierd neighbors.
I’ve been a conservative for plenty of years. I just had no idea that that related to being a “Republican.”
I'm a mongrel. Therefore, I can joke about any group, ethnic or not.
I beat up on Norwegians because those herring shuckers always get a pass.
Except, Robin Williams is a comedian (of sorts) and making jokes like this is part of how he makes his living.
Rudd is a head of government in first world nation. He should know better and should act in a manner appropriate to his role. Rudd’s comments were completely unprofessional, Wheras Williams’ were entirely professional in the context of his role...
I thought Rudd may have meant that at first. But maybe he was just trying to say they are completely different kinds of people? So why would anyone compare rednecks and Australians? Kind of like comparing Norwegians and Apaches. Perplexing.
One thing is certain: Williams did most certainly mean what he said as an insult.
Hey...Norwegians deserve whatever comes their ways. They want to rape, pillage, and plunder, then they shouldn’t be surprised when the nights bring more than darkness....
Williams stepped on his crank years ago..........
I remember going to see the movie Muriel’s Wedding years ago. This is an Australian movie. Muriel was from a town called Porpoise Pit. One of my friends couldn’t get over that Australia had “white trash” too, referring to the characters from Porpoise Pit.
Whatever Oz has, some of it is my heritage, and I’d love to see how it fits in with my family line!!
I prefer Appalachian-American. Classy.
Vertical country William?
Hey, you might be a redneck if you laugh at redneck jokes.
One of the most redeeming qualities of a redneck.
Anybody calls me a redneck, I’m gonna take the shotgun out
of the rack in my truck and.......
The Aussies that I know here in Shanghai think it’s kind of funny and true! Australia started out as a penal colony for cryin out loud - they’re not Lords and Ladies down there!
What do you mean "tomorrow"? It's already April 1st in Australia and much of Asia!
At least Australia and the US - those redneck countries - have timezones unlike here in China, which is big enough to need 4 timezones but mandates just one...
LOL! The PM of Australia said that???
Yeah. Rudd's a drongo
For the record Williams was recently in Australia as a voice actor in Happy Feet 2. He was giving Letterman his view of Australia and Australians. It was funny and disturbingly accurate.
"I think Robin Williams should go and spend a little time in Alabama before he frames comments about people being particularly redneck," said Mr Rudd.
Ans Rudd is still a drongo
Precisely the point, my dear Watson!
April Fools Day. “:-D
Well, on his first album “Reality...What A Concept”, he out-an-out said he was Republican. AFAIK, he has NEVER said he was conservative. He might not be a liberal, but I suspect he’s more left-leaning libertarian. (Ooh, now THERE’S a mouthful!)
Disturbing in what way?
I’m an Australian – and I agree. We are proud rednecks. Unfortunately, our PM is leftwing metrosexual with no sense of humour.
In a “It’s funny ‘cos it’s true” way
>>>”One thing is certain: Williams did most certainly mean what he said as an insult.”
I briefly watched him on Rove McManus a couple of years ago on Aussie TV, and just switched to another channel because Williams came across as quite pathetic then. I think he has finally lost it. I guess Letterman is a good show to lose it on. As usual they can come out and relate to each other.
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