Digital evangelists have long said ‘The internet changes everything’. Sometimes they’re right. Mostly it’s hype. But one thing that does seem to be changing as a result of the internet is the ‘Aussie bloke’. VB is in decline, soccer is on the rise, Aussie bands play synthesizers as often as guitars, Bonds have moved beyond the blue singlet, and Aussie dads are globally ranked as some of the best.
We recently went to The Easter Show for the first time in 20 years, expecting to see what we saw before: a sea of blokes in trackydacks, Bonds singlets, Blundstones with pushed-down footy socks, beating their brats with dagwood dogs. Instead we saw blokes with hair gel, Ed Hardy T-shirts, cool shades, fedora-shaped hats, smelling of deodorant and genuinely enjoying time with their children.
What on earth has happened? Where is the Castlemaine cliché that once ruled the roost?
Well, we don’t know for sure, but we think the internet killed him. Australian men – especially those under 40 - are plugged into a global culture as never before. They’re crafting identities from bits and pieces found all over the world, combined with what they have here at home. They’re walking into hair salons with pictures of Cristiano Ronaldo and tattoo parlours with pictures of Tim Cahill. They’re emulating The Situation one day, Ben Cousins the next. They listen to Kid Cudi and AC/DC, and wine and soccer are no longer for ‘wankers, fags and wogs’.
Planner-extraordinaire Dan Pancras has worked in the UK, US and Australia on brands like Lynx, Levis, Telstra and McDonalds. He has a fascinating take on the globalisation of Australian maleness that is well worth a listen. Click here and enjoy it with a fine Pinot Noir.
