#bogan pride

Alrighty then, Bogan Pride, let’s do this already. 

This little diamond in the rough is a creation of Rebel Wilson, who wrote and starred in the series. 

First of all, not everyone will possibly know what a Bogan is. 

bogan bəʊɡ(ə)n/ noun AUSTRALIAN/NZinformalderogatory an uncouth or unsophisticated person, regarded as being of low social status. "some bogans yelled at us from their cars"

Bogan Pride is a celebration of that culture where mullets rule, ugg boots are required footwear, and letting it all hang out is a state of being. This quirky little series is hard to compare to anything else. It’s just very Australian in its humour and I’m not sure all of the jokes translate to non-Australian audiences, but I think the general sentiment of the series comes across. Or maybe it doesn’t. I don’t know. It’s hard to be objective about how other cultures perceive your own. 

There is a definite pathos to the story of Jennie Craig (played by Rebel Wilson). She’s a high school student going through the normal challenges of adolescence. A crush on the school’s stud muffin who is totally out of her reach... or is he? After all, there was that time Jennie caught him stealing their TV. Surely that must be fate telling her something, right? Any romantic hopes she might carry about Nick are determinedly and continually dashed by the three mega bitches who make certain Jennie knows her place in the social pecking order. But Jennie’s quiet, indomitable spirit makes her like memory foam - sure, she might take a few hits, but her soft, pliant form always seems to return to its original shape despite the social poundings she might take. 

Her two besties, one a driven over achiever ultra Christian by the name of Amy Lee, and the other, a somewhat befuddled but ultimately kind hearted girl, Nigella, whose mother may or may not be suffering from Munchhausen by Proxy, provide support and companionship in what can be a turbulent home life for Jennie. 

She lives with her housebound, morbidly obese mother who desperately needs bariatric surgery to save her life, and this becomes Jennie’s mission in life, to try and raise the money needed for the operation. Her Aunt Bernice is little to no help in this area, as she seems to spend most of her time finding ways to exploit the mentally handicapped people in her care, while waiting for her husband to return from a cruise where he is definitely not exploring his emerging gayness... although most likely is exploring as many other men as possible in the process. 

And all this, gentle reader, is a musical. 

I know, kinda hard to imagine, right? With titles of episodes like ‘The Fugly Fringe’ (fugly means f#$king ugly, for those not in the know) and ‘The Need for Mongs’ (mongs is a horribly insulting term for mentally handicapped people and is short for Mongiloids), it’s hard to know how this piece of definitely unPC Australiana could do anything other than offend. 

Personally, I think it’s saved by its giant heart. Jennie is the kind of heroine you can get behind. She’s not your typical teenage hero who gets bitten by a spider and becomes amazing, or takes her glasses off and walks down a flight of stairs in heels and becomes the hot girl overnight. She’s just an overweight teenager whose life is kinda crap, but she never gives up on anyone in that life, and most importantly, on herself. She’s courageous in a way that doesn’t get highlighted very much in the depiction of courage that we’re bombarded with in the media nowadays. She just doesn’t give up. Every day is a new day to be seized and the way she goes about accepting what she can’t change, and working to change what she can is done with a kind of innocent energy that makes you want her to finally catch a break at some point.  

This opening scene is a musical number by the pool. It puts me in mind of those big MGM Esther William’s musical... on a much lower budget... and with a lot more pubic hair and referencing of tinea infections. Who says they don’t make ‘em like they used to?!

This is the kind of show you’re going to find delightfully quirky or just flat out weird and off putting. It’s hard to imagine a middle ground. If you’re easily offended, then this isn’t the show for you. Nothing is out of bounds. It’s kind of like Little Britain in that department. 

Anyways, I enjoyed this little show, made long before Rebel became famous, and was the basis for her American show ‘Super Fun Night’. That show didn’t manage to quite capture the heart of Bogan Pride IMO, but it did have its moments. I just found Rebel’s American accent too off putting to really relax into the show. 

If you want to watch the entire series and find out what exactly is the Parachute of Healing, and where a character called ‘The Two Toothed Whore’ fits into the whole story, then try out this link...

Watch ‘Bogan Pride’ HERE

The sea to the sand, the beer to my hand

The thong to my foot, the Rhonda to Kutut

The Kanga to my roo, the BB to my Q

The WI to my FI, the sauce to my pie

The Harbour to my Bridge, the lamingtons to my fridge

The heat to my rash, the grog to my stash

The Holden to my ute, Australia you beaut!