Hi Laughter Lovers!

If you watched the news as presented by the mainstream media you could easily have got the impression that Australia Day 2012 was all about angry people, police cordons, fleeing politicians, and a lost shoe.

In the interest of balance I want to tell you about my Australia Day experience which was, thankfully, very different and a lot more fun!

I had the honour of being Australia day Ambassador for North Sydney. For many years I have been lucky enough to be an Ambassador in different parts of the country and it has always been a delightful experience.

The highlight for me is always the Citizenship Ceremony during which we welcome people from all over the globe who want to make an official commitment to being Australian. At North Sydney we had folks from dozens of countries as diverse as Myanmar and Mexico supported by cheering friends and family. It was so touching to see these new citizens beaming with joy and wiping away tears as they proudly held their Citizenship Certificates. Truth be told even I myself had a manly glisten about the eyes.

In my Ambassador’s speech I always talk about the subject I am most qualified to talk about – the Australian sense of humour. This year is my…wait for it…30 year anniversary as a stand up comic. Yes, three decades ago - yes, I know, before some of you were even born - I stepped onto the stage at the Sydney Comedy Store barely able to breath from nervousness and told my first joke and got my first laugh as a comedian.

Since that night I have gone on to ply the craft of funny in every conceivable type of live venue, as well as through TV, radio, film, print and the internet. There are many things I know little about (including how to assemble a portable bar-b-cue, let’s not get into that now) but after all this time I do consider myself somewhat of an expert on what constitutes the Aussie sense of humour.

The key word I would use to describe the Australian sense of humour at its best is egalitarian. The attitude is ‘hey, we’re all basically the same, we’re all human, just get over yourself and relax about life.’ Here is one of the jokes I told my audience on Australia Day to illustrate the above view. It’s my version of a joke that was voted their favourite by thousands of Australians in a global research project called LaughLab. For me it perfectly encapsulates the flavour of Aussie humour.

Paul gazes dejectedly into a mirror at his naked body.

He says to his wife: “Look at me, I’m a mess. My face is wrinkled, my hair’s receding, my butt’s sagging, and I’ve got a bulging beer gut. Can you think of anything positive to say about my body?”

His wife looks up from her magazine and checks out Paul’s reflection.

“Well” she says “there’s certainly nothing wrong with your eyesight.”

This is a type of humour that encourages us to not take ourselves too seriously. Serious people lack the perspective that enables them to see that their point of view must be informed by consideration for the needs of others. Serious people focus on ego and miss out on expansion. Serious people are boring!

So come on Australia, let’s take a good look in the mirror at our national identity. There are certainly blemishes but there’s also a lot to like. Let’s keep Australia a country where everyone is treated fairly, where we work out our differences with words not war, and where we always remember to laugh. Advance Australia Funny!

Laughingly yours, Anthony Ackroyd  (-:

© Anthony Ackroyd 2012