Adam Goodes Victim of Tall Poppy Syndrome
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Indigenous AFL star, Adam Goodes, finds himself the victim of Australia’s very own Tall Poppy Syndrome (TPS). Aussie PM Tony Abbott guaranteed Goodes would fall victim to this curse by making Adam Austalian of the Year in 2014. Australians, generally, don’t like being told who to admire or appreciate, and when a currently playing footballer from a historically denigrated racial minority is elevated to numero uno, well we are witnessing the result.
I liken the situation to Australia’s first female prime minister, Julia Gillard, and just look at the mysogynistic back lash she copped. Similarly, when global climate change was trendy in Australia and PM Rudd made his undeliverable commitment to a solution to that, well again, the back lash from the conservative forces was profound. Women and green policies can have their fifteen minutes of fame in Australia, and maybe an Aboriginal sportsman as well, but the shadow side of this nation will have its revenge post-haste.
There is a nasty core of rascist, mysogynistic and conservative people inhabiting Australia, and they find their voice at times such as these. When they have a white, male, budgie smuggler wearing, hero in the lodge, the not so poor white trash of Australia has the courage to stand up for its beliefs. Minorities not keeping to their place beware, uppity women and indigenous sporting stars you will be heckled and booed.
Politically correct behaviour is only skin deep in this country. Tribal affiliations, like which footy team you barrack for, run much deeper, and stir the passions to let these folk vent their bile on those who dare to speak above their station in life. Aboriginal football players should not have any opinions apart from those which are footy related, in the view of these dinky di Aussies. The TPS curse seeks to cut down greatness in this country and direct our attention toward equitable mediocrity.
Now, we are hearing that Adam Goodes is a sook because he complains about being booed for a whole year at every AFL ground he plays on. Overweight white kids at the footy should be able to boo this dual Brownlow medalist freely, because that is the nature of the spectator at our indigenous game. Angry men and women should be able to boo this champion of the game because that is what we go to the footy for, to release our pent up frustrations. Well, maybe things have changed, maybe times have changed, and maybe that is not what footy is all about anymore.
What does Tony Abbott have to say about the treatment of his Australian of the Year now?
