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Australians are reading less than other countries, a new report shows. Why?

<div class="theconversation-article-body"><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/katya-johanson-425719">Katya Johanson</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/edith-cowan-university-720">Edith Cowan University</a> Recent international research shows Australians are buying and reading fewer books than people in many other countries. But why? A <a href="https://risebookselling.eu/consumer-behaviour">report</a> by the European and International Book Federation found that only 64% of Australians bought a book in the past year, compared to an average 72% of people across 19 countries. Similarly, 80% of Australians read a book in the past year, slightly below the international average of 85%. These differences are slim, but as book buyers and readers, we are among the lowest in the sample, alongside Aotearoa New Zealand, Finland, Latvia and the United States. The number of people who had read a book in the past year in Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom and Ireland all came in at over 90%. Local research also suggests reading rates in Australia are falling. Back in 2017, a Macquarie University study found 92% of us read books at least once in the previous year. By 2021, in the <a href="https://australiareads.org.au/research/the-national-reading-survey/">Australia Reads national survey</a> that figure had dropped to 75%. What’s behind these numbers? Price might be less of a factor than we often assume – and surprisingly, Australia’s dependence on cars could play a role. International examples showing how other countries protect and value their book cultures – from government policies to counter the strength of Amazon to public holidays for poets – suggest measures to actively boost our own could help. <h2>The price myth</h2> There’s a general perception that books cost too much in Australia. But they’re not necessarily more expensive here than elsewhere. Competition from online retailers like Amazon and increases in production costs globally <a href="https://www.ibisworld.com/au/industry/book-publishing/171/">have levelled prices internationally</a>. In fact, Australians often pay similar or less for books than readers in Canada, New Zealand and the US. Tim Winton’s new novel, <a href="https://theconversation.com/tim-winton-goes-cli-fi-his-dystopian-novel-juice-breaks-new-ground-to-face-the-climate-emergency-238769">Juice</a>, for example, has an Australian recommended retail price of A$49.99. It’s almost exactly the same price in Aotearoa New Zealand (A$49.81) and costs more in Canada (A$54.59). In the US, Juice is A$44.02, and in the UK, it’s A$43.07. While UK book prices are lower, this is mainly because books there don’t attract sales tax. The UK <a href="https://www.accountingfirms.co.uk/blog/are-books-vat-exempt/#:%7E:text=In%20the%20UK%2C%20books%20are,to%20most%20goods%20and%20services">made books exempt</a> from its value-added tax (VAT) applied to most goods and services – a deliberate decision to make reading more affordable. Pauline MacLeod, the children’s and young adult literature specialist at Brisbane’s Riverbend Books, told me children’s publishers are “trying hard to keep local books priced between $22.99 and $25.99”. Still, <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-australian-workers-true-cost-of-living-has-climbed-far-faster-than-weve-been-told-221590">in the current cost of living squeeze</a> books are a discretionary spend some cannot afford. <h2>Public transport is good for reading</h2> Interestingly, countries where <a href="https://www.statista.com/topics/8282/rail-passenger-transport-in-europe/#statisticChapter">more people use public transport</a> – like the UK, France, Germany and Spain – tend to have higher reading rates. It’s easier to read a book on a train than in a car, and these countries often have bookshops in train stations, creating a culture of reading while commuting. In contrast, car-dependent countries like Australia, the US and Aotearoa New Zealand show lower reading rates. Our reliance on cars might explain why audiobooks are more popular in Australia than in many other countries. <h2>A holiday for a poet</h2> In Ireland, where 91% of people have read a book in the past 12 months, there is a strong cultural history of storytelling. Reading is <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/books/article/2024/aug/20/we-all-read-like-hell-how-ireland-became-the-worlds-literary-powerhouse">supported by</a> an arts council providing grants and bursaries, and a healthy ecosystem of literary festivals and magazines, public libraries and bookshops. Australia has many of these things, but Ireland also significantly supports writers, with a tax exemption on artists’ income up to €50,000 (approximately A$81,500) and a basic-income pilot scheme granting 2,000 artists €325 (approximately A$530) a week. In France, where the government <a href="https://www.culture.gouv.fr/en/regions/drac-grand-est/services/idc/reading-book/Support-for-the-book-economy">actively protects its reading culture</a>, 88% of people have read a book in the past 12 months. In 2022, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/sep/23/france-minimum-book-delivery-fee-amazon">France introduced a law</a> to make French bookshops more competitive with online retailers like Amazon which often offer free delivery of books. By setting a minimum delivery fee for all online book orders of less than €35 (around A$57), the government aims to level the playing field for local booksellers. Perhaps unsurprisingly, only 5% of French people buy all their books online (as opposed to 12% in Australia). Australia has public holidays dedicated to sports, like the Melbourne Cup and the AFL Grand Final (both in Victoria). In Portugal, a national holiday, Portugal Day, commemorates the death of poet <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Luis-de-Camoes">Luís de Camões</a>, considered Portugal’s greatest. While 85% of Portuguese people have read a book in the past 12 months (exactly the international average), they consider reading as one of their hobbies (37%) and have bought a book in the past year (76%) at rates above the international average. Interestingly, just 32% of Australians said they consider reading a hobby, compared to 44% in Spain and 42% in the UK. Families, the education system and the media are also all key to inculcating this culture of reading, as is a strong local publishing industry. <h2>The way forward</h2> Local booksellers report declining reading rates in Australia, too. Robbie Egan, CEO of Australia’s peak bookselling industry body, BookPeople, told me: “The competition for eyeballs is real and it is fierce, and consumer discretionary dollars are scarce”. Industry leaders like Egan suggest we need a national campaign to promote the benefit of reading. We know from local research that <a href="https://www.bookpeople.org.au/images/BookPeople_Papers_Imagination.pdf">Australians value books and storytelling</a>. With increasing competition from other forms of entertainment and tighter household budgets, encouraging a stronger reading culture may be more important than ever.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/243272/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/katya-johanson-425719">Katya Johanson</a>, Professor of Publishing and Audience Studies, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/edith-cowan-university-720">Edith Cowan University</a> Image credits: Shutterstock This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/australians-are-reading-less-than-other-countries-a-new-report-shows-why-243272">original article</a>. </div>

Books

Freddy Krueger at 40 – the ultimate horror movie monster (and Halloween costume)

<div class="theconversation-article-body"><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/adam-daniel-301018">Adam Daniel</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/western-sydney-university-1092">Western Sydney University</a> Movie monsters have captivated audiences since the days of early cinema. They evoke fascination and terror, allowing audiences to confront their fears from the safety of the movie theatre or living room. Arguably one of the most enduring and captivating of these monsters is Freddy Krueger, the villain of the <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0087800/">A Nightmare on Elm Street</a> series who celebrates his 40th screen birthday this November. Memorably played by Robert Englund, Freddy quickly became a cultural icon of the 1980s and 1990s. Beyond his burned face and iconic bladed glove, Freddy’s dark humour and acidic personality set him apart from other silent, faceless killers of the era, such as Michael Myers in <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0077651/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_2_tt_6_nm_0_in_0_q_halloween">Halloween</a> or Jason Vorhees in <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0080761/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1">Friday the 13th</a>. Written and directed by horror maven <a href="https://theconversation.com/wes-craven-the-scream-of-our-times-46915">Wes Craven</a>, 1984’s A Nightmare on Elm Street garnered positive reviews for its innovative concept: Freddy stalked and attacked his victims in their dreams, making him inescapable and allowing him to tap into their deepest fears. The series (seven films plus a 2010 remake and <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0329101/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1">Freddy vs. Jason</a> spin offs) blended supernatural horror and surrealism with a dark and twisted sense of humour. <h2>Scary … but funny</h2> Humour was key to Freddy’s “popularity”. Both sinister and strangely charismatic, Freddy’s psychological torture of his adolescent victims often oscillated between terrifying and amusing. A famous kill scene from 1987’s <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0093629/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1">A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors</a> demonstrates this paradox. Aspiring actress Jennifer drifts off to sleep while watching a talk show on TV. In her dream, the host of the talk show suddenly transforms into Freddy, who attacks his guest before the TV blinks out. When Jennifer timidly approaches the TV set, Freddy’s head and clawed hands emerge from the device, snatching her while delivering an iconic one-liner: “This is it, Jennifer – your big break in TV!” Freddy turns his victims’ fears or aspirations – their dreams – against them. <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/dCVh4lBfW-c?wmode=transparent&start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe><figcaption>‘Whatever you do, don’t fall asleep.’</figcaption></figure> <h2>Creating a monster</h2> Craven has shared how the character of Krueger came to life in <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1510985/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1">Never Sleep Again: The Elm Street Legacy</a>, an oral history of the series. He described a childhood experience of seeing a strange mumbling man walking past his childhood home. The man stopped, he said, and looked directly at him “with a sick sense of malice”. This deeply unsettling experience helped shape Freddy’s menacing presence. The character’s creation also emerged from the filmmaker’s interest in <a href="https://www.iflscience.com/nightmare-on-elm-street-was-inspired-by-a-real-life-medical-mystery-60527">numerous reports of Southeast Asian refugees dying in their sleep</a> after experiencing vivid nightmares. In the film, Krueger’s origin story reveals him as a child murderer who was apprehended but released due to a technicality in his arrest. Seeking justice, the parents of his victims take matters into their own hands, and form a vigilante mob. They corner him in his boiler room and burn him alive. But Freddy’s spirit survives to haunt and kill the children of his executioners. <h2>Cultural repression, expressed on film</h2> Film critic and essayist <a href="https://www.cineaste.com/summer2019/robin-wood-on-horror-film-collected-essays-and-reviews#:%7E:text=Freudian%20theory%2C%20a%20crucial%20theoretical,the%20horror%20film%20perpetually%20enacts.">Robin Wood argued</a> horror films often bring to the surface elements society has repressed. These fears, desires, or cultural taboos are not openly acknowledged. But movie monsters act as manifestations of what society suppresses, such as sexuality, violence or deviant behaviour. American academic <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/01956051.1995.9943696">Gary Heba</a> argues Freddy is: <blockquote> an example of America’s political unconscious violently unleashed upon itself, manifesting everything that is unspeakable and repressed in the master narrative (perversion, child abuse and murder, vigilantism, the breakdown of rationality, order, and the family, among others), but still always present in the collective unconscious of the dominant culture. </blockquote> <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/UBrl4H0Uzng?wmode=transparent&start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe><figcaption>Actor Robert Englund calls Freddy Krueger ‘the gift that keeps on giving’.</figcaption></figure> <h2>The monster decades</h2> The 1970s and 1980s marked a golden era for the creation of horror film nasties like Krueger, Myers, <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0072271/?ref_=fn_al_tt_3">The Texas Chainsaw Massacre</a>’s Leatherface and <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0094862/?ref_=fn_al_tt_19">killer doll Chucky</a>. Since then, the landscape of horror has shifted, with fewer singular monsters emerging. The diversification of horror sub-genres (zombie virus horror, anyone?), the rise of psychological horror (<a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7784604/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_2_tt_4_nm_2_in_0_q_heredi">Hereditary</a>), and an emphasis on human-driven terror (<a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0416315/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_1_tt_7_nm_0_in_0_q_wolf%2520creek">Wolf Creek</a>) or supernatural forces all contribute to this shift. While modern horror continues to thrive, few characters have achieved the same iconic status as Freddy – although some would argue Art the Clown from the recent <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4281724/">Terrifier</a> franchise and the reinvigorated Pennywise from <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1396484/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_1_tt_6_nm_1_in_0_q_it">IT</a> could join this exclusive group. <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ZuYoEtEI_go?wmode=transparent&start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe><figcaption>‘Five, six, grab your crucifix.’ A 2010 Nightmare on Elm St reboot failed to fire.</figcaption></figure> <h2>Happy Halloween!</h2> Despite a <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1179056/">failed reboot in 2010</a>, the legacy of A Nightmare on Elm Street is strong, having influenced numerous filmmakers with its skilful mix of surrealism and slasher horror. However, it’s the orchestrator of the titular nightmares whose legacy is perhaps the strongest. With each Halloween, new fans choose Freddy for their costume. All it takes is a tattered striped sweater, a brown fedora hat, and a glove with sharp, finger-lengthening blades. Don’t forget makeup to re-create Krueger’s grisly facial burns. Sweet dreams!<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/240905/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/adam-daniel-301018">Adam Daniel</a>, Associate Lecturer in Communications, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/western-sydney-university-1092">Western Sydney University</a> Image credits: New Line Cinema - IMDB This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/freddy-krueger-at-40-the-ultimate-horror-movie-monster-and-halloween-costume-240905">original article</a>. </div>

Movies

Real estate agent flees the country after stealing from clients

A real estate agent from Melbourne has allegedly fled the country after reportedly taking off with hundreds of thousands of dollars she stole from clients and employees. According to <a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/real-estate-agent-debra-lawry-accused-of-stealing-hundreds-of-thousands-from-clients-and-employees/29121a3e-546c-44fe-8dff-70253c14a8b0" target="_blank" rel="noopener">9News</a>, Debra Lawry, who traded as Debra Watchman with Ray White Romsey, has been accused of stealing money from her clients and staff by emptying the company's trust accounts and telling her colleagues she was in hospital while actually flying to Europe at the end of last month. One of Lawry's alleged victims is primary school teacher Shay Preston, who had just sold her family home with the estate agency. While she got the deposit back from Ray White, the theft cost the single mum thousands of dollars in extra expenses in the meantime. "It was very hard, very anxious, very stressful," Preston told 9News. "It's been a very stressful month." While clients are among those who have been stolen from, employees have also been impacted and are allegedly owed tens of thousands of dollars in unpaid super, leave entitlements and commission, including from Ms Preston's sale. "I felt horrible, they have done, they were doing a job for us and regardless of who they were working under, they did a job," Preston said. Staff at the agency claim they discovered their boss had been trying to book long-term accommodation in Italy after they found her office cleared out. "I hope she steps one toe out of wherever she is and just they get her, because that's a lot of people that she's hurt," Preston said. In the lead-up to Lawry's disappearance, Consumer Affairs Victoria publicly announced it was looking to suspend or cancel her estate licences, alleging she had deliberately failed to comply with auditing obligations over the last four years. Image credits: Ray White

Legal

200-year-old message in a bottle unearthed

In a discovery that has the archaeology world buzzing (and possibly rolling its ancient eyes), a team of student volunteers in northern France has unearthed something rather unexpected during their dig at a Gaulish village. While they were hoping for the usual – ancient pottery shards, perhaps a coin or two – they instead stumbled upon what can only be described as the 19th-century equivalent of a DM in a bottle. The scene played out like a low-budget historical drama: volunteers painstakingly sifting through centuries-old dirt on the cliff-tops near Dieppe when, voilà! They found an earthenware pot containing a small glass vial, like something you might see in a vintage pharmacy, but with fewer essential oils and more existential surprises. Guillaume Blondel, the team leader and head of the archaeological service for the nearby town of Eu, was immediately intrigued. “It was the kind of vial that women used to wear around their necks containing smelling salts,” he explained, before casually dropping the bombshell: inside the vial was a note. Cue dramatic music. After what we can only assume was a long, suspenseful pause, Blondel and his team opened the note, which turned out to be written by none other than P.J. Féret, a 19th-century intellectual who clearly had a flair for both excavation and theatrics. The note, written with all the panache of a man who had just unearthed Caesar’s salad fork, read: "P.J. Féret, a native of Dieppe, member of various intellectual societies, carried out excavations here in January 1825. He continues his investigations in this vast area known as the Cité de Limes or Caesar’s Camp." Naturally, Blondel was floored. “It was an absolutely magic moment,” he said, no doubt imagining Féret winking at him from the beyond. “We knew there had been excavations here in the past, but to find this message from 200 years ago? It was a total surprise.” Local records confirm that P.J. Féret was indeed the real deal. He wasn’t just a dabbler in dirt – he was a notable dabbler in dirt who had conducted an earlier dig at the site in 1825. In a stroke of irony not lost on Blondel, he mused, “Most archaeologists prefer to think that there won’t be anyone coming after them because they’ve done all the work.” Féret, however, clearly believed in leaving a trail of breadcrumbs – or, in this case, a literal note in a bottle, just to remind future archaeologists that he got there first. Féret: 1, Modern Archaeology: 0. Of course, this whole affair raises some important questions: Did Féret expect someone to find this? Did he laugh to himself as he buried it, imagining Blondel’s reaction? Did Féret know how cliff erosion would eventually turn his humble Gaulish village into a treasure trove for future archaeologists? Or was he simply trolling them from the past? Whatever the case, Féret’s note may not have contained ancient secrets, but it certainly delivered some 19th-century sass. And if we’ve learned anything from this dig, it’s this: archaeology isn’t just about discovering the past – it’s also about being occasionally roasted by it. As Blondel and his team continue their emergency dig (which was ordered due to cliff erosion eating away at the site like a bad buffet), they’ve already uncovered a number of artefacts, mostly pottery, from around 2,000 years ago. But will any of them have the audacity to leave a note for the archaeologists of 2225? We’ll have to wait and see. In the meantime, Féret is probably laughing somewhere in the afterlife, shaking his head and muttering, “Amateurs”. Images: Guillaume Blondel / Facebook

International Travel

Readers response: What is one country you'll never go to?

When it comes to travelling, everyone has a list of places they are dying to go to. In the same token, lots of travellers have placed they have no interest of ever seeing. We asked our readers what country they will never go to, and the response was overwhelming. Here's what they said. Kathy Yeo - Saudi Arabia or any other country where women have few rights and are treated as possessions. Irene Dodds - USA. Jim Cormack - Indonesia, in particular Bali. Roz Eberhard-Swan - After 132 countries, I can say that I will never return to Russia, China & Cuba. And will now add Afghanistan to that list. Sadly, the USA also is now out of control with their gun laws and politics so probably unlikely to go back there either. Carole Harris - Russia. I have been and wanted to go back, but never will now. Kath Wilkinson - Afghanistan. Their treatment of women should turn anyone off! Karen Ambrose - Probably America due to their pathetic gun laws. Debra Joy - Spain. I'll never go while they still do bull fighting. Disgusting and abhorrent. George Quinn - Egypt. Never again! After 35 countries, it's the only place I never felt safe. Janice Brigg - Bali. Never been here and it is of no interest to us. There are so many other beautiful other places to visit. So far travelled to 58 counties. Image credits: Shutterstock

Travel Trouble

Farmer Wants a Wife star breaks silence after split

Farmer Wants a Wife fan favourite Farmer Andrew has confirmed his split from Claire Saunders after the pair cancelled their upcoming wedding. The pair, who met each other on the 2023 season of the show, initially shared that their wedding had been postponed in July for “reasons out of our control”. On Monday, Andrew confirmed that the relationship ended in a lengthy Instagram post. “It feels the right time to share what’s been happening in my life on the farm and beyond,” he began. “For someone who’s more used to being surrounded by sheep and nature than the buzz of social media, this is a bit out of the box. But here goes.” He explained that a few years ago he wanted to share the farm life with "someone special" so he decided to sign up for the show. “I never imagined meeting such an amazing group of women, each with their own spirit and story. It was exciting and humbling, reminding me of how important love and connection are,” he said. “Amidst it all, one extraordinary woman captured my heart, and we decided to give it a shot. “We moved in together, dreaming of a future where our love would grown alongside the farm. It was fast-paced, passionate and fun. He continued saying that life had other plans for them and despite their love and effort, "sometimes things just don’t work out." “Living together brought its own challenges, and we realised our paths weren’t meant to stay intertwined.” He said that while it was "sad" the relationship had to end, they gave it their all. “Though it didn’t lead us where we hoped, it helped us grow. It’s been a huge outlay of heart and soul. And while it’s painful to walk away, we’ve both emerged stronger, wiser, and more attuned to what really matters.” He then went on to thank his family, friends and followers who helped him through tough times, and shared his plan going forward. “As I move forward, I’m choosing to celebrate the love we shared, the lessons learned, and the strength gained. “No regrets, just gratitude. Now, it’s time to dive back into farm life. here’s never a dull moment with the challenges, adventures and pleasures that come from living and working on the land, and I look forward to sharing this journey, hoping we can all find inspiration," he ended the post. The former couple announced their engagement in March 2021, after Claire moved to Andrew's farm in Narromine, regional NSW. Images: Instagram

Relationships

"Enough is enough": Pauline Hanson calls for ban on Welcome to Country

Pauline Hanson has called for a ban on Welcome to Country ceremonies at events, after an unusual version of the acknowledgement was performed at the AFL semi-final on Saturday. Aboriginal Elder Brendan Kerin performed the unique Welcome at Sydney’s Engie Stadium on Saturday night, sparking widespread debate as Kerin tried to explain that the Welcome to Country ceremony is intended to welcome all visitors to the land they have gathered on, rather than welcoming people to Australia itself. He also added other seemingly divisive aspects to his speech, stating the ceremony was not “invented to cater for white people” and Aboriginal people have been conducting the ceremony “for 250,000 years-plus”. After the controversial Welcome, One Nation senator Pauline Hanson took to X to call the ceremonies “racially divisive” and declaring her belief Australians are “sick and tired of them”. “As I have said in the past, these Welcome to Country and Acknowledgement of Country performances are one of the most racially divisive features of modern discourse in Australia,” she began. “Australians are sick and tired of them. They are sick of being told Australia is not their country, which is what these things effectively do. Welcomes and acknowledgements deny the citizenship and sovereignty held equally by all Australians and they need to stop." Hanson concluded her post by stating: “Australians should not be forced to participate in or be subjected to these divisive performances. Enough is enough.” While many of Hanson's followers were quick to agree with her comments, others said that they have often observed the Welcome to Country be respected and applauded, and said Elder Kerin's version of the acknowledgment was "informative" and "really respectful". One person wrote, “This welcome to country will have annoyed all of the right people.” <p style="box-sizing: inherit; border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 24px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Image credits: Getty Images

Legal

"Best country in the world" crowned for the third year in a row

The best countries in the world have been ranked according to a new survey, with Switzerland taking out the top spot for the third year in a row. According to new data released by <a href="https://www.usnews.com/news/best-countries/rankings" target="_blank" rel="noopener">US News & World's report</a> in its annual Best Countries rankings, the small European nation has been dubbed the "best country in the world" for 2024. Among the top 25 list, 15 European countries nabbed spots, east and southeast Asia claimed four spots, and the Middle East took two spots, with North America and Oceania taking two spots each. The ranking was made based on the views of 17,000 people, who assessed how well each nation ranked on categories including power, openness for business and cultural influence. At the top of the ranking was Switzerland, which has been at the top of the table nearly every year since 2017, with the report saying the country was "bolstered by notable performances in three of the heaviest-weighted subrankings: quality of life, entrepreneurship and social purpose." Japan claimed second spot on the list for the first time, climbing four spots from last year's ranking, for its high rankings in the entrepreneurship and movers categories. Australia came in fifth place this year (down from fourth in 2023), ranking high in quality of life and social purpose, while New Zealand came in ninth place (down from eighth in 2023). Check out the top 25 best countries list below. 1. Switzerland 2. Japan 3. United Stated of America 4. Canada 5. Australia 6. Sweden 7. Germany 8. United Kingdom 9. New Zealand 10. Denmark 11. Norway 12. France 13. The Netherlands 14. Singapore 15. Italy 16. China 17. United Arab Emirates 18. South Korea 19. Spain 20. Finland 21. Austria 22. Iceland 23. Belgium 24. Ireland 25. Qatar Image credits: Shutterstock

International Travel

Parents' devastation after baby attacker flees the country

The parents of an infant boy who suffered severe burns after having hot coffee poured over him have spoken of their devastation after learning their son's <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/finance/legal/manhunt-after-stranger-pours-scalding-hot-coffee-on-baby-in-public-park" target="_blank" rel="noopener">alleged attacker</a> fled the country. The nine-month old baby boy was attacked while having a picnic with his mother at a Brisbane park on August 27. The man allegedly came up to the boy and poured a Thermos of hot coffee on the baby, burning his face and chest. The boy has since undergone three rounds of surgery to treat his wounds. On Monday, Queensland police said that the 33-year-old man accused of the attack has fled the country on his own passport a day before they identified him. The foreign national had travelled by car to NSW on August 28 before flying out of Sydney airport on August 31. Police said that a warrant has been issued for his arrest. The babies parents, who chose to remain anonymous, have spoken of their devastation. “It sounds like they were very, very close in catching him, and this obviously means that we’re going to have to wait who knows how long to get justice for our son,” the mother told the ABC. “It’s a bit heartbreaking.” She said the incident had left her living in fear and it would affect her mental health for the rest of her life. "Returning home I had panic attacks, and still continue to do so. I do feel relief that he's not in this country, in some sense, but I will always have fear and anxiety being out in public with my son," she said. "It should be a happy, joyful time. I'm a first-time mum and he's taken that away from me." Luka's father said his baby boy was in "good spirits" and didn't "want to sit still" despite his injuries. Queensland Police Detective Inspector Paul Dalton said the investigation was one of the most “complex and frustrating” he had been involved in. He said the alleged attacker was “aware of police methodologies” and was “conducting counter-surveillance activities” that made it more complex. “It wasn’t until September 1 that we were able to put a name to the face in the CCTV,” Inspector Dalton said. He added that it was still too early in the investigation to disclose the name of the suspect publicly as it could "jeopardise the integrity of this investigation and any chance of bringing this person to justice". “We will keep going until we find you, and I have not lost that determination,” Inspector Dalton said. “I’ve got 30 detectives working for me. They are devastated that they missed this person by 12 hours. I think only the family would be more upset about that.” He urged the man, who had been "coming and going" from Australia since 2019 on working and holiday visas, to return to Australia and come forward. “I encourage him to do that. There’ll be no judgment on you whatsoever,” Inspector Dalton said. Images: ABC News/ news.com.au

Legal

The important cause that brought Ally Langdon to tears

Ally Langdon teared up on Thursday's episode of A Current Affair during a heartfelt segment on organ donation. The host was discussing Jersey Day with Michael Gremmo, a father who had lost his 13-year-old son Nathan after he was critically injured when crossing the road in 2014. Nathan went on to become an organ donor - a decision that saved six lives, including a baby. Now his father is honouring his son's legacy by encouraging others to have the important conversation about organ and tissue donation with loved ones. "Nathan, as most organ donors are, are healthy, fit, young people and their lives are just taken from them," Michael said. "Dealing with Nathan not coming back, that's the hardest, but we wanted something positive to come out of a horrible situation." The A Current Affair host fought back tears as she recalled how her own sister's life was saved after receiving a pancreas-kidney transplant in 2014. "My sister is alive because of someone as special as Nathan and there’s not a day goes by that we don’t as a family think about them and think about their grief." “Thank you,” Langtold told Michael tearfully. Michael replied: “Nathan hasn’t died in vain. He’s given life. And you’ve got your sister here because of a generous donor. And it’s not just the donor, it’s their family too. When you’re in that situation it’s hard.” Langdon then encouraged viewers to "have the conversation" about organ donation with loved ones of all ages. "Tell your family your wishes, because the final decision is theirs," she said. Michael said despite his son's young age, Nathan had talked about organ donation and expressed his desire to be one before his passing. “It’s not a conversation you usually have or want to have with young children,” Michael said. "Nathan had actually had a conversation with us, he watched a program on TV and it was about organ recipients ... he sat us down and spoke to us about that. "And yeah, we just talked about what a wonderful gift that would be." Jersey Day falls on Friday August 30, during which students and employees at schools and workplaces across the country are encouraged to wear their favourite jersey and have the important conversation about organ donation with their loved ones. "It's not just the lives of the organ recipient [you save], it's the families behind that too that, you know, you don't realise how many people are affected," Michael said. "I suppose that's why Jersey Day is so special as it's about awareness and getting it out there and having that important conversation." To register as an organ and tissue donor, visit <a href="http://donatelife.gov.au/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">donatelife.gov.au.</a> Images: A Current Affair/ Nine

Caring

Q+A viewers stunned by "blatantly racist" question

A controversial question about the value of multiculturalism in Australia sparked a wave of heated backlash during a recent episode of ABC’s Q+A, with many questioning how such a query was allowed to air in the first place. The incident occurred on Monday night when audience member Jenny Carrol voiced her skepticism about the benefits of multiculturalism. Carrol claimed that the culture of the "original British/Irish majority" in Australia had been "demonised" over the past three decades. She cited the frequent vandalism of Captain Cook memorials as an example, questioning how democracy could function in what she described as an environment of "beating up the white guy". “Case in point," said Carrol. "Frequent vandalism of memorials to Captain Cook. How does democracy fit into this atmosphere of beat up the white guy?” she asked, later adding Captain Cook was “just doing a job”. The question immediately drew strong reactions, including a firm rebuttal from Youth Minister Anne Aly. Aly, who responded that multiculturalism is "the character of our nation", stated that it is not a policy that was imposed but rather an intrinsic part of Australia's identity. "Take a look around you. We are multicultural. It’s who we are," Aly responded during the live broadcast, noting that multiculturalism has brought "immense benefits" to the country. Aly, who migrated to Australia from Egypt as a child, highlighted the resilience and strength that diversity brings to democracy, rejecting the notion that the contributions of the British heritage are being undermined. The exchange also ignited a firestorm on social media, with many criticising the show's producers for allowing what they viewed as a "blatantly racist" question to be aired. One user remarked, "Slow clap to the producers for allowing a blatantly racist question be aired," while another questioned the vetting process, stating, "If that question was vetted then I’d like to know who’s doing the vetting." Dr Aly's response was widely praised online, with many applauding her for addressing the underlying racism still present in Australia. Adding to the discussion, Australian National University Professor George Brandis KC, a former Attorney-General and High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, asserted that it is possible to celebrate Australia’s multiculturalism without disrespecting its British heritage. Brandis expressed his frustration over the vandalism of Captain Cook statues, suggesting that rather than being ashamed of their British roots, Australians should take pride in them. “We want to be the best multicultural society that we can be," he said. "On the other hand, that doesn’t – at least to my mind – involve disrespecting the British heritage, which was a very important framing set of values for modern Australia. When we think of our legal system, our parliamentary institutions, our system of government, our commercial practices. “So many of the fundamental features of Australian society we owe to our British heritage. And rather than be ashamed of that, we should be proud of that ... It infuriates me when people vandalise statues of Captain Cook, and it angers me as much as I’m sure it angers you.” On the other hand, US author and New York Times best-seller Roxane Gay provided a different perspective, stating that Australia’s history is not complicated. Gay argued that acknowledging the injustices faced by First Nations people and immigrants does not equate to oppression of the British majority. She also criticised Carrol’s defence of Captain Cook, arguing that "doing a job" does not justify immoral actions. “Just because something is your job doesn’t mean you should do it," she said, “You have the power to say ‘No, perhaps I won’t steal this land’." The episode also featured a discussion on youth voting rights, with Professor of Politics at the University of Cambridge David Runciman advocating for lowering the voting age to as young as six years old. Runciman argued that if children are held to the same standards of responsibility as adults, they should also have the right to vote. This sparked a debate on the potential implications of such a move, with some panellists, including Minister Aly, noting the importance of engaging youth in politics through other means rather than solely focusing on lowering the voting age. The Q+A episode has since sparked a broader conversation on the state of multiculturalism in Australia, the legacy of British colonialism, and the role of youth in the country’s democratic processes. Image: ABC

Country boycotts Paris Games after being stripped of medal

The prime minister of Romania has vowed to boycott the closing ceremony of the Paris Olympics over what he described as “flagrant injustice” to two of the country’s gymnasts. Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu has called out the "scandalous situation" surrounding Ana Barbosu and Sabrina Voinea, who both missed out on medals after the women's floor routines. Barbosu was initially believed to have won bronze and was beginning to celebrate the win, when the judges then adjusted the difficulty of American gymnast Jordan Chiles' routine, bumping her up into third place and sending the Romanian gymnasts into fourth and fifth position. The president of the country’s gymnastics federation Carmencita Constantin told AFP she would file two complaints to the Court of Arbitration for Sport after both Romanian gymnasts left the competition in tears. Voinea, 17, who filed an unsuccessful appeal of her own, complained she had been unfairly penalised. Fellow Romanian gymnastics legend Nadia Comaneci chimed in on the controversy, urging a review of Voinea’s routine, after she claimed the athlete didn’t step outside the floor surface, an act she had been punished for. It comes as heartbreaking new footage of Barbosu’s medal being taken away emerged, after the final scores were updated and resulted in her coming in fourth place. As a result, the Romanian gymnastics team, who qualified for the first time in 12 years, left Paris without a medal after coming in seventh in the team competition. Prime Minister Ciolacu shared his upset over the loss, saying the athletes were treated "dishonourably" and would be boycotting the closing ceremony in protest. “I have decided not to attend the closing ceremony of the Paris Olympics after the scandalous situation in gymnastics, where our athletes were treated in an absolutely dishonourable way,” he wrote on Facebook. Romania also sent a letter of protest to the International Gymnastics Federation, after it was revealed that Voinea has now quit gymnastics after the dramatic Olympics loss. Image credits: Daniela Porcelli/SPP/Shutterstock Editorial <p style="box-sizing: inherit; border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-size: 18px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">

Travel Trouble

Brand Olympics: do the famous rings deliver value to host countries?

<div class="theconversation-article-body"><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/steven-greenland-2064">Steven Greenland</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/charles-darwin-university-1066">Charles Darwin University</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/robert-joseph-gill-1530152">Robert Joseph Gill</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/swinburne-university-of-technology-767">Swinburne University of Technology</a> The cost of hosting Paris 2024, the 33rd Olympics, is predicted to be <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/paris-lean-olympics-wont-blow-any-budgets-credit-rating-firm-sp-says-2024-03-11/">more than A$14 billion</a>. So what’s in it for the French? Will this oldest of sporting events shine for them, or as has happened with some previous Olympics, will it prove to be <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-08-07/what-japan-learned-from-olympic-white-elephants/100329488">a massive white elephant</a>? <h2>The power of the five rings</h2> The Olympic brand is <a href="https://olympics.com/ioc/news/the-olympic-brand-maintains-its-global-strength-and-recognition">massively powerful</a> and gives the host nation a global platform to strengthen their international reputation and standing. The Olympic brand heritage goes back 2,800 years to southern Greece, when games were held to honour the Greek god Zeus at Olympia. Starting in 776 BC, these ancient games were held every four years and continued for more than 1,000 years. <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/VdHHus8IgYA?wmode=transparent&start=11" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe><figcaption>The Olympics began as part of a festival honouring Zeus in the rural Greek town of Olympia.</figcaption></figure> The modern Olympics began in 1896 in Athens. Since then, the games have been hosted in 23 cities and 20 countries. Paris 2024 will welcome around 10,500 athletes from more than 200 countries <a href="https://olympics.com/en/paris-2024/sports">competing in 32 different sports</a>. Around <a href="https://www.euromonitor.com/press/press-releases/nov-2023/olympic-games-2024-set-to-boost-tourism-spending-in-paris-by-up-to-eur4-billion-euromonitor-international">4 billion people will watch on</a> around the globe. The Olympics’ five rings (<a href="https://discover.sportsengineplay.com/olympics/history-of-they-rings#:%7E:text=They%20first%20appeared%20in%201913,to%20accept%20its%20fertile%20rivalries.">created by Frenchman Pierre de Coubertin 110 years ago</a>) is one of the most recognised logos on the planet. It represents unity across the five continents (Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe and Oceania). It is this familiarity and <a href="https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/INTR-07-2018-0324/full/html">positive Olympic brand associations</a> – which include excitement, fairness and being elite – that some argue justifies the billions spent. Host nations hope this Olympic sparkle rubs off on their nation’s reputation – but that’s not always the case. <h2>Benefits of hosting an Olympics</h2> Broadcast rights, sponsorships and advertising from organisations that want to be associated with the Olympic brand can <a href="https://olympics.com/ioc/funding">generate huge revenue streams</a>. The Olympic brand adds considerable value for sponsors and advertisers, and there are also benefits that France (and the world) will gain long after the event. Responsible marketing and attracting sponsors that complement Olympic brand values can <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/0965254X.2023.2230487">promote positive, sustainable attitudes and behaviour</a>. Examples of this include promoting unity, a sense of national pride, and social and health gains from <a href="https://theconversation.com/does-sports-participation-boom-during-or-before-or-after-the-olympics-227773">increased sports participation</a>. The event also generates huge revenue from domestic and international tourism – 15 million spectators are anticipated for Paris 2024. Most are locals and domestic day trippers but <a href="https://www.euromonitor.com/press/press-releases/nov-2023/olympic-games-2024-set-to-boost-tourism-spending-in-paris-by-up-to-eur4-billion-euromonitor-international">around 3 million additional visitors</a> are expected in Paris during the games. Increased infrastructure and updated civil works as a result of the city getting ready for the Olympics provides many lifestyle benefits: a reinvigorated host city can benefit from upgraded transport, accommodation, hospitality, sports facilities and streetscapes. Other significant benefits relate to strengthening the host country’s geographic and cultural brand. For France, this includes reinforcing and promoting many of its registered geographic indicator products that relate mainly to wine, agricultural products and foodstuffs, as well as spirits and beers. Champagne is perhaps the most widely recognised geographic indicator product. It illustrates how connection to its place of origin assures consumers about regional and French cultural values and <a href="https://theconversation.com/whats-in-a-name-quite-a-lot-if-its-prosecco-parmesan-or-mozzarella-209505">the products’ characteristics and quality</a>. <h2>What about the pitfalls?</h2> Many Olympics have failed to turn a profit, meaning countries and citizens are <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/02665433.2019.1633948">left to pay off debts</a> for decades after the event (for example, Rio, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2016/jul/06/40-year-hangover-1976-olympic-games-broke-montreal-canada">Montreal</a>, Beijing and Athens). Also, many cities are left with <a href="https://theconversation.com/looking-back-at-the-olympic-venues-since-1896-are-they-still-in-use-229606">purpose-built infrastructure</a> created specifically for the games but left idle afterwards, including athlete accommodation, aquatic centres and major stadiums. What will determine the success of Paris 2024 and justify the massive investment in hosting the event? <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/_m1x5JaC37E?wmode=transparent&start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe><figcaption>Is hosting the Olympics worth the investment?</figcaption></figure> The success of the Olympics for the host is often determined by the financial revenue it can generate. The Olympic brand plays a significant role in generating this financial support. However, the brand’s reputation can be tarnished by issues leading up to and during the games, which may reduce the positive impacts. The Olympic brand’s reputation can be affected by issues like: <ul> <li> high-profile athletes and national teams cheating or doping </li> <li> world sporting authorities placing restrictions on competitors <a href="https://www.insidethegames.biz/articles/1143198/restrictions-transgender-paris2024-games">based on gender and status</a> </li> <li> incompatible sponsors jumping on the Olympic bandwagon. For example, manufacturers of harmful products whose negative brand associations could tarnish the Olympic brand, such as <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/0965254X.2023.2176532">soft drink and alcohol sponsors</a> </li> <li> negative publicity associated with unethical practices of host and participating countries <a href="https://www.adweek.com/brand-marketing/sports-politics-brands-volatile-mix-olympic-games/">with human rights issues</a>. This includes others using the event to publicise these </li> <li> politicising the event – including “<a href="https://theconversation.com/is-saudi-arabia-using-sportswashing-to-simply-hide-its-human-rights-abuses-or-is-there-a-bigger-strategy-at-play-208468">sportswashing</a>”, protests, boycotts and image protection, as seen with <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13216597.2017.1347101">China</a>, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/kidspost/2021/12/16/us-protest-olympics-is-nothing-new-politics-have-been-mixed-with-sports-decades/">the United States</a>, and <a href="https://olympics.com/ioc/news/declaration-by-the-ioc-against-the-politicisation-of-sport">Russia</a> </li> <li> unforeseeable events – the COVID pandemic delayed the Tokyo games and <a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/media-telecom/money-money-money-cost-tokyos-pandemic-delayed-olympics-2021-06-10/#:%7E:text=Organisers%20said%20last%20December%20that,has%20risen%20to%20%243%20billion">pushed the cost to A$18 billion</a> </li> <li> other negative associated risks for the host city such as <a href="https://theconversation.com/will-the-paris-olympics-be-a-terrorist-target-these-three-factors-could-be-key-229110">terrorism</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/extreme-heat-is-a-killer-for-outdoor-sporting-events-lets-plan-properly-to-keep-everyone-safe-229998">heat waves</a>, and civil unrest. </li> </ul> <h2>Fingers crossed for France</h2> With close to half the world watching Paris 2024, France’s National Olympic Committee will be anxiously hoping for positive outcomes to ensure a strong return on the A$14 billion invested. But since Sydney 2000, virtually every games host has suffered <a href="https://www.cfr.org/backgrounder/economi">significant financial blowouts</a>. For their sake, and the Olympics’ reputation, let’s hope the Paris games sparkle - or we may be left with a very limited number of potential future hosts with very deep pockets.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/228497/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/steven-greenland-2064">Steven Greenland</a>, Professor in Marketing, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/charles-darwin-university-1066">Charles Darwin University</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/robert-joseph-gill-1530152">Robert Joseph Gill</a>, Associate Professor in Media and Communication, Swinburne University of Technology, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/swinburne-university-of-technology-767">Swinburne University of Technology</a> Image credits: Artur Widak/NurPhoto/Shutterstock Editorial This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/brand-olympics-do-the-famous-rings-deliver-value-to-host-countries-228497">original article</a>. </div>

Money & Banking

"They lied": Kerri-Anne Kennerley blasts I’m A Celeb

Kerri-Anne Kennerley has opened up on her dramatic appearance on I’m A Celebrity … Get Me Out Of Here! last year, claiming that she was "lied to" ahead of her decision to sign up. Speaking to Tammin Sursok on her podcast, The Sh*t Show, Kennerly alleged that Network Ten made promises they couldn't keep. “[Ten] came to me and promised me this, this and this … and I had nothing else to do at the time,” the TV veteran claimed. “I got promised a bunch of stuff and they lied. And so instead of being in there, the three weeks I committed to, I got out in three days. They lied.” Sursok asked her to elaborate on the promises they made, but Kennerley refused. “I don’t want to go into it now. History. And I’m even dumbfounded that I said to myself after I’ve gone, oh my God. I avoided exactly what happened for 10 years. “ … If I had thought about it for one more nanosecond and the things that were said to me were not said to me, I wouldn’t have done it in a heartbeat.” Kennerley tearfully quit I'm A Celebrity last year after clashing with MAFS star Domenica Calarco, who she claimed called her "the most self-centred b***h” she’d ever met during an eating challenge. The TV veteran added that going on the show was the "dumbest" decision she has ever made. “Comes out as absolutely number one dumb and as backed by several of my friends – especially straight after [I left IAC], them going, ‘You didn’t tell us, we would’ve locked you in a room if you had said you were going’,” she admitted. “But I don’t know … I’ve always thought I was pretty bulletproof, and then you get wounded and move on. But no … dumb, dumb, dumb – and lies. That’s what I put it down to.” Images: Ten

Still fab after 60 years: how The Beatles’ A Hard Day’s Night made pop cinema history

<div class="theconversation-article-body"><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/alison-blair-223267">Alison Blair</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-otago-1304">University of Otago</a> I first saw A Hard Day’s Night at a film festival over 20 years ago, at the insistence of my mum. By then, it was already decades old, but I remember being enthralled by its high-spirited energy. A Beatles fan, mum had introduced me to the band’s records in my childhood. At home, we listened to Please Please Me, the band’s 1963 single, and the Rubber Soul album from 1965, which I loved. Television regularly showed old black-and-white scenes of Beatlemania that, to a ten-year-old in the neon-lit 1980s, seemed like ancient history. But then, I’d never seen a full-length Beatles film. I had no idea what I was in for. When the lights went down at Dunedin’s Regent Theatre, the opening chord of the film’s title song announced its intentions: an explosion of youthful vitality, rhythmic visuals, comical high jinks and the electrifying thrill of Beatlemania in 1964. This time, it didn’t seem ancient at all. Since that first viewing, I’ve returned to A Hard Day’s Night again and again. I now show it to my students as a historically significant example of pop music film making – visually inventive cinema, emblematic of a fresh era in youth culture, popular music and fandom. <h2>Beatlemania on celluloid</h2> A musical comedy depicting a chaotic 36 hours in the life of the Beatles, A Hard Day’s Night has now reached its 60th anniversary. Directed by <a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0504513/">Richard Lester</a>, the film premiered in London on July 6 1964, with its first public screening a day later (incidentally, also Ringo Starr’s birthday), and the <a href="https://www.discogs.com/master/24003-The-Beatles-A-Hard-Days-Night">album of the same name</a> released on July 10. The band’s popularity was by then reaching dizzying heights of hysteria, all reflected in the film. The Beatles are chased by hordes of fans, take a train trip, appear on TV, run from the police in a Keystone Cops-style sequence, and play a televised concert in front of screaming real-life Beatles fans. Side one of the album provides the soundtrack, and the film inspired pop music film and video from then on, from the <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0060010/">Monkees TV series</a> (1966–68) to the Spice Girls’ <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120185/">Spice World</a> (1997) and music videos as we know them today. <h2>The original music video</h2> Postwar teen culture and consumerism had been on the rise since the 1950s. In 1960s Britain, youth music TV programmes, notably <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0196287/">Ready Steady Go!</a> (1963–66), meant pop music now had a developing visual culture. The youthful zest and vitality of ‘60s London was reflected in the pop-cultural sensibility, modern satirical humour and crisp visual impact of A Hard Day’s Night. Influenced by <a href="https://nofilmschool.com/french-new-wave-cinema">French New Wave</a> film making, and particularly the early 1960s work of <a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000419/">Jean-Luc Godard</a>, A Hard Day’s Night employs <a href="https://indiefilmhustle.com/cinema-verite/">cinéma vérité</a>-style hand-held cinematography, brisk jump cuts, unusual framing and dynamic angles, high-spirited action, and a self-referential nonchalance. The film also breaks the “fourth wall”, with characters directly addressing the audience in closeup, and reveals the apparatus of the visual performance of music: cameras and TV monitors are all part of the frame. Cutting the shots to the beat of the music – as in the Can’t Buy Me Love sequence – lends a visual rhythm that would later become the norm in music video editing. Lester developed this technique further in the second Beatles film, <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0059260/">Help!</a> (1965). The closing sequence of A Hard Day’s Night is possibly the film’s most dynamic: photographic images of the band edited to the beat in the style of stop-motion animation. Sixty years on, it still feels fresh, especially as so much contemporary film making remains hidebound by formulaic Hollywood rules. <figure class="align-center "><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/604790/original/file-20240704-17-ov77mn.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/604790/original/file-20240704-17-ov77mn.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=453&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/604790/original/file-20240704-17-ov77mn.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=453&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/604790/original/file-20240704-17-ov77mn.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=453&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/604790/original/file-20240704-17-ov77mn.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=569&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/604790/original/file-20240704-17-ov77mn.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=569&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/604790/original/file-20240704-17-ov77mn.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=569&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" alt="A Hard Day's Night movie poster" /><figcaption>A new pop aesthetic: original film poster for A Hard Day’s Night. Getty Images</figcaption></figure> <h2>Slapstick and class awareness</h2> As with much popular culture from the past, the humour in A Hard Day’s Night doesn’t always doesn’t land the way it would have in 1964. And yet, there are moments that seem surprisingly modern in their razor-sharp irony. In particular, the band’s Liverpudlian working-class-lad jibes and chaotic energy contrast brilliantly with the film’s upper-class characters. Actor Victor Spinetti’s comically over-anxious TV director, constantly hand-wringing over the boys’ rebelliousness, underscores the era-defining change the Beatles represented. Corporate pop-culture consumerism is also satirised. John Lennon “snorts” from a Coca-Cola bottle, a moment so knowingly silly it registers as more contemporary than it really is. George Harrison deflects a journalist’s banal questions with scathingly witty answers, and cuts a fashion company down to size by describing their shirt designs as “grotesque”. And there is Paul McCartney’s running joke that his grandfather – played by Wilfred Brambell from groundbreaking sitcom <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0057785/">Steptoe and Son</a> (1962–74) – is “very clean”. Even the film’s old-fashioned visual slapstick still holds up in 2024. Showing the film to this year’s students, I didn’t expect quite as much laughter when Ringo’s attempts to be chivalrous result in a fall-down-a-hole mishap. In 2022, the <a href="https://www.criterion.com/">Criterion Collection</a> released a high-resolution restoration of the film, so today A Hard Day’s Night can be seen in all its fresh, black-and-white, youthful vigour. Happy 60th, A Hard Day’s Night. And happy 84th, Ringo. Both still as lively and energetic as ever.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/228598/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/alison-blair-223267">Alison Blair</a>, Teaching Fellow in Music, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-otago-1304">University of Otago</a> Image credits: THA/Shutterstock Editorial This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/still-fab-after-60-years-how-the-beatles-a-hard-days-night-made-pop-cinema-history-228598">original article</a>. </div>

Movies

Planning a country escape these school holidays? 4 ways to avoid clogging up the emergency department

<div class="theconversation-article-body"><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/katherine-riley-1499452">Katherine Riley</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-wollongong-711">University of Wollongong</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/rebekkah-middleton-314433">Rebekkah Middleton</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-wollongong-711">University of Wollongong</a> Winter school holidays are either here or coming up, depending on where in Australia you live. Maybe you’re planning a <a href="https://www.tra.gov.au/en/domestic/domestic-tourism-results">rural escape</a>. Rural tourism is crucial for job growth and sustainability of small rural towns. However, for rural emergency departments, <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/am/holiday-medico-shortages-in-rural-and-remote-australia/103266540">school holidays</a> are often the busiest times. No-one plans a trip to the emergency department on holidays. But if you need health care, there are often other ways of accessing it than turning up at a rural hospital. Here’s why it’s so important to leave rural emergency departments for life-threatening illness or injuries, and some other options for seeking care. <h2>We’re short of doctors and nurses</h2> The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare <a href="https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/rural-remote-australians/rural-and-remote-health">reports</a> a significant shortfall of nurses and specialist doctors in rural towns compared with staffing levels in big cities. This means many small rural emergency departments only have nurses on staff, with doctors on call or consulted remotely from a larger hospital. In a <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1755599X2300143X">study</a> published earlier this year, my colleagues and I discovered this dynamic was especially challenging for rural emergency nurses when critically ill patients presented. One nurse told us: "We need more staff. I mean, I look at these emergency TV shows, and you see them in Kings Cross at the big hospitals there or overseas, they get a phone call […] there’s a resus coming in. Everyone’s standing around the bed with all their signs on, the airway/circulation/team leader […] and here, we have two people. It’s just so different. It’s just a false sense of reality. It’s ridiculous." So emergency departments should be used for <a href="https://www.health.nsw.gov.au/Hospitals/Going_To_hospital/Publications/keep-ed-emergencies.pdf">emergencies only</a>. These include: <ul> <li>sudden collapse</li> <li>chest pain or pressure lasting more than ten minutes</li> <li>breathing difficulty</li> <li>serious mental health condition</li> <li>uncontrollable bleeding.</li> </ul> When emergency departments are used responsibly, this can reduce the pressure on staff. It ensures the most seriously ill receive the care they need promptly. <h2>What are my alternatives?</h2> Here are four ways you and your family can be better prepared for your rural holiday and avoid an unnecessary visit to the emergency department. 1. Pack your scripts and medical history summary Bring essential scripts and medications with you. This reduces the need to visit the local emergency department and ensures you have what you need during your stay. Do you have a chronic condition or have had a recent illness or surgery? Make sure you speak to your GP before you go. They can provide a medical health summary that includes your recent treatments and medications. Alternatively, if you have access to <a href="https://www.digitalhealth.gov.au/initiatives-and-programs/my-health-record">My Health Record</a>, ask your GP to prepare a shared health summary and upload it to your record. If you need medical care, this summary will assist in a timely assessment. 2. Call Healthdirect, NURSE-ON-CALL or 13HEALTH depending on where you are <a href="https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/how-healthdirect-can-help-you">Healthdirect</a> is a 24-hour telephone health advice line (known as NURSE-ON-CALL in Victoria or 13HEALTH in Queensland). By calling the relevant number, you will be connected to a registered nurse who will ask a series of questions and provide evidence-based advice and guidance. The Healthdirect website also offers an interactive <a href="https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/symptom-checker">symptom checker</a> to advise whether you should see a GP, go to an emergency department, or manage your symptoms at home (or in this case, on holidays): <ul> <li> <a href="https://www.healthdirect.gov.au">Healthdirect</a> - 1800 022 222 </li> <li> <a href="https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/nurse-on-call">NURSE-ON-CALL</a> (Vic) - 1300 60 60 24 </li> <li> <a href="https://www.qld.gov.au/health/contacts/advice/13health">13HEALTH</a> (Qld) - 13 43 25 84. </li> </ul> 3. Need a GP? How about GP telehealth services? For minor health concerns or non-urgent issues, <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/how-emily-took-advantage-of-one-of-the-few-good-things-to-come-out-of-covid-20240507-p5fpg3.html">GP telehealth services</a> are a remote-access option that can be used when away from home. Before you go away, check with your GP to see if they offer a <a href="https://www.health.gov.au/topics/health-technologies-and-digital-health/about/telehealth">telehealth service</a>. 4. Go to an Urgent Care Clinic The Australian government has funded the opening of <a href="https://www.health.gov.au/find-a-medicare-ucc/about">Urgent Care Clinics</a> across the country. These clinics provide medical assessment and care for urgent illnesses or injuries. They have been created as a solution to divert people away from busy emergency departments. But these Urgent Care Clinics are not suitable for people experiencing emergency or life-threatening conditions. Urgent Care Clinics are ideal for illnesses and injuries that would require urgent treatment such as gastroenteritis, minor infections, lacerations and back pain. Check <a href="https://www.health.gov.au/find-a-medicare-ucc">here</a> to find your closest clinic. <hr /> Please keep the emergency department for life-threatening illnesses or injuries, and if needed, call 000 for an ambulance immediately.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/232262/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/katherine-riley-1499452">Katherine Riley</a>, Lecturer, School of Nursing, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-wollongong-711">University of Wollongong</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/rebekkah-middleton-314433">Rebekkah Middleton</a>, Associate Professor, School of Nursing, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-wollongong-711">University of Wollongong</a> Image credits: Shutterstock This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/planning-a-country-escape-these-school-holidays-4-ways-to-avoid-clogging-up-the-emergency-department-232262">original article</a>. </div>

Domestic Travel

How holidaying in developing countries affects local inequality

<div class="theconversation-article-body"><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/alexander-tziamalis-333272">Alexander Tziamalis</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/sheffield-hallam-university-846">Sheffield Hallam University</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/yuan-wang-1360783">Yuan Wang</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/sheffield-hallam-university-846">Sheffield Hallam University</a> A few years ago, one of us (Alex) went for a vacation to the Dominican Republic. The motivation was similar to millions of other tourists every year: escape the daily routine, enjoy the sun and beaches, and gather some strength to face another cold winter. Unfortunately, a few things weren’t very conducive to a happy break. The staff at the mammoth hotel were making as little as US$1 (£0.79) for a 12-hour shift. Worse, most of them lived in a shanty town nearby. They had no sewers and no reliable electricity. The hotel also exploited its power over local farmers to procure food exceedingly cheaply. Schools were overcrowded and many children dropped out to work in businesses like these hotels and farms, perpetuating the cycle. This anecdotal picture is corroborated by the country’s economic data. Despite <a href="https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/NY.GDP.MKTP.KD.ZG?locations=DO">GDP growth</a> frequently above 5% each year, the Dominican Republic suffers from <a href="https://dominicantoday.com/dr/local/2023/02/17/dominican-republic-shows-a-high-level-of-economic-inequality-in-latin-america-and-the-caribbean/">substantial inequality</a>. The wealthiest 1% capture 30% of all income, compared to 18% in the US. But how bad is tourism for inequality in developing countries overall? <a href="https://shura.shu.ac.uk/31942/">Our recent research</a> has sought to answer this, looking at 71 countries around the world. The picture is complicated, but the overall results are not as bleak as you might fear. <h2>Upsides and downsides</h2> Clearly there are pros and cons to tourism. It makes holidaymakers happy while bringing people closer and promoting awareness of other cultures. It empowers communities and provides disadvantaged groups with opportunities, from the local artisan who can sell directly to customers, to women <a href="https://blogs.worldbank.org/psd/empowering-women-through-tourism-0">who would otherwise</a> be struggling to find work. Tourism sustains a lot of jobs and economic value overall, making it attractive to governments as a way of boosting growth. In 2019 there were a whopping <a href="https://www.statista.com/statistics/209334/total-number-of-international-tourist-arrivals/#:%7E:text=Despite%20the%20significant%20annual%20increase,lowest%20figure%20recorded%20since%201989">1.5 billion</a> international tourist arrivals around the world. They were serviced by <a href="https://www.statista.com/statistics/1268465/number-of-travel-and-tourism-jobs-worldwide/#:%7E:text=Despite%20the%20increase%2C%20the%20number,to%20320%20million%20in%202023.">nearly 300 million</a> travel and tourism workers, and the sector generated <a href="https://wttc.org/research/economic-impact#:%7E:text=In%202022%2C%20the%20Travel%20%26%20Tourism,%2C%20only%2014.1%25%20below%202019.">over 7%</a> of global GDP. On the other hand, tourism can <a href="https://www.theworldcounts.com/challenges/consumption/transport-and-tourism/negative-environmental-impacts-of-tourism">degrade the environment</a>. Witness the Inca citadel of Machu Picchu in the Peruvian Andes needing to <a href="https://www.machupicchutrek.net/how-many-tourists-visit-machu-picchu-annually/">restrict</a> the number of visitors, for instance, because the site was <a href="https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/d2f4fc1c7b314cc8a6c8af466cec0d24">getting damaged</a>. Equally, <a href="https://www.itmustbenow.com/feature/our-big-questions/exploitation-travel-tourism/">tourism is associated</a> with other <a href="https://www.cntraveler.com/galleries/2015-06-19/barcelona-bhutan-places-that-limit-tourist-numbers">knock-on effects</a> such as water scarcity, pollution, crime, sex exploitation and destroying tradition. But what about inequality? The tourism industry <a href="https://www.itmustbenow.com/feature/our-big-questions/exploitation-travel-tourism/">is frequently associated</a> with ridiculously low wages, long hours without a break, and unhealthy conditions for live-in staff. Dedicated trade unions often don’t exist, or they’re underpowered and cannot effectively protect workers. Tourism can also distort the economy. <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2022/aug/10/i-wanted-my-children-to-grow-up-here-how-airbnb-is-ruining-local-communities-in-north-wales">In the UK</a> for example, communities in many popular tourist destinations cannot afford to buy a home anymore. Yet when you look at how tourism affects equality overall, the existing academic literature shows conflicting results. A number of studies <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0160738316301281#:%7E:text=Findings%20confirm%20that%20tourism%20increases%20income%20inequality%20in%20developing%20economies.&text=The%20squared%20tourism%20revenue%20has%20a%20significant%20negative%20impact%20on%20income%20inequality.&text=Findings%20confirm%20the%20presence%20of%20Kuznets%20curve%20hypothesis.">find that</a> it worsens income inequality, while others <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0047287520954538">find the opposite</a>. If you were wondering about the Dominican Republic, there’s <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0047287518789272#:%7E:text=The%20results%20showed%20that%20income,in%20the%20distribution%20of%20wealth.">a study</a> showing that tourism actually has a negligible impact on inequality. <h2>Our findings</h2> Ours is the first study to <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/13548166231177106">look at the effect</a> of a few potential determining factors to try and gain a deeper understanding of the relationship between tourism and equality. These factors include the country’s level of economic and financial development, inflation rate and government policies seeking to redistribute wealth. Our dataset spans from 1996–2016. We would have ideally looked at even more than 71 countries, but others had to be excluded because good-quality data was unavailable. We found that tourism eased income inequality in lower income countries when it went hand in hand with redistributive policies. <a href="https://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:6nbn68M3_toJ:https://dailynews.co.tz/how-tz-could-attract-more-tourists/&cd=8&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=uk">Tanzania, for example,</a> gets 17% of its GDP from tourism. This has enabled the country to <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8121963/">significantly increase</a> its spending on health, education and infrastructure. In wealthier countries, the opposite was counterintuitively the case: increasing tourism exacerbated inequality when combined with redistributive policies. It may be that in places where education and infrastructure are already at high levels, improving them has less effect on inequality. Or it may be that improving the welfare system reduces workers’ incentive to upskill and seek better paid jobs in other sectors. These possibilities need further investigation. Our analysis also highlighted the importance of financial opportunities such as broad access to bank credit. All countries with more inclusive financial systems comparatively reduced inequality when they brought in more tourists. It might be that financial access enables a broader cross-section of entrepreneurs to set up or expand tourist businesses, with knock-on benefits to their communities. This is bad news for developing countries like India, Brazil South Africa and Barbados, where <a href="https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/press-release/2015/09/14/long-term-finance-shortage-post-2008-crisis-blunts-progress-in-developing-countries">it’s difficult</a> to obtain long-term loan, which usually come with onerous terms. Having said that, the benefits from financial access were more marked in developed countries. In such countries, it may be that this galvanises proportionately more entrepreneurs because they are not being held back to the same extent by other problems like corruption and poor education. When we looked at the effect of inflation, it worsened inequality in richer countries <a href="https://www.niesr.ac.uk/blog/unequal-impact-rising-inflation">like the UK</a> as tourism increases. We suspect that when inflation takes off in wealthier countries, it’s more difficult for tourism workers to renegotiate their wages quickly because employment contracts are more formal. Equally, poorer countries are often more used to higher inflation, so workers may be more adept at such negotiations. So overall, it’s not possible to say that increasing tourism widens or reduces inequality – it very much depends on other factors. But clearly tourism can be good news for inequality in poorer countries when it’s combined with redistributive policies and financial inclusion. This certainly won’t solve problems like worker exploitation across the board, but it does mean that holidaying in developing countries will often be helping them to become more equal over time.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/208690/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/alexander-tziamalis-333272">Alexander Tziamalis</a>, Senior Lecturer in Economics, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/sheffield-hallam-university-846">Sheffield Hallam University</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/yuan-wang-1360783">Yuan Wang</a>, Seinor Lecturer in Economics, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/sheffield-hallam-university-846">Sheffield Hallam University</a> Image credits: Shutterstock This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-holidaying-in-developing-countries-affects-local-inequality-208690">original article</a>. </div>

Travel Trouble

Young woman exposes "hate" response to Origin's Welcome to Country

The young woman who delivered the Welcome to Country at the State of Origin has opened up on the "overwhelming" response to it, revealing how she has "received a lot of hate". Savannah Fynn, 22, was invited to deliver the Welcome to Country and while it was generally well received, it also led to radio host Kyle Sandilands slamming the practice in general, saying the practice had become “overused and lost its impact”. Since then, Fynn revealed that she has received an overwhelming amount of hate online, with some even jumping to criticise her appearance. “I was just so worried I would stutter or mess up my words because I’d never spoken in front of that many people,” Fynn told <a title="www.dailytelegraph.com.au" href="https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/lifestyle/stellar" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-tgev="event119" data-tgev-container="bodylink" data-tgev-order="stellar" data-tgev-label="lifestyle" data-tgev-metric="ev">Stellar</a>. “But once I finished, I felt a moment of relief. I ran straight over to my nan, obviously one of my Elders, and I gave her a big hug and a cuddle. It’s definitely an overwhelming feeling, getting all this attention. It’s not something I’m used to at all." “I’m a very quiet person so this is a big change. Even though it’s all positive, I struggle with taking compliments and I get a bit shy. I’m kind of ready for it to die down!” “As sad as it is, being a lighter skin colour, I’ve received a lot of hate for that,” the 22-year-old university student said. “A lot of people have picked on the way I look, the way I speak, even coming down to having blonde hair. My hair is actually dark, I’ve just dyed it blonde." “I think people also get very confused as to what an Acknowledgement and Welcome actually is. We’re not welcoming you to Australia; obviously you live here." “We’re welcoming you to the traditional owners of that land and acknowledging the traditional land. And in terms of comments about overuse, I feel you have to respect everyone’s opinions, even if you may not agree." “Being a First Nations person, I find it wonderful seeing my culture embraced. But obviously you can’t please everyone.” Fynn is aiming to be a young role model and hopes to show “young Indigenous people that we can get up and speak”. Image credits: Nine <p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 24px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-size: 18px; vertical-align: baseline;">

Country singer dies aged 79

Country singer Kinky Friedman has passed away aged 79. A post shared on his social media account confirmed the news that he was surrounded by family and friends before his death. “Kinky Friedman stepped on a rainbow at his beloved Echo Hill surrounded by family and friends,” the post read. “Kinkster endured tremendous pain and unthinkable loss in recent years but he never lost his fighting spirit and quick wit. Kinky will live on as his books are read and his songs are sung.” The musician, whose real name is Richard Samet Friedman, developed a cult following for his unique and quirky approach to country and Western music. His first album Sold American was released in 1973, and he also toured with Bob Dylan on his Rolling Thunder Revue. Outside of his music career, Friedman was also a writer, penning detective novels and a working as a columnist for Texas Monthly. He published his first book Elvis, Jesus and Coca-Cola: A Novel in 1994 and ten years later published his second one, Kinky Friedman’s Guide to Texas Etiquette: Or How to Get to Heaven or Hell Without Going Through Dallas-Fort Worth. In 2006 he dabbled in politics, running for the Governor of Texas and received 12.6 per cent of the votes among six candidates. He also helped run the Echo Hill Gold Star Camp for children, with his sister Marcie. Kent Perkins, a longtime friend of Friedman, paid tribute to the musician on social media. “Somewhere in heaven,” he wrote, “I’m sure there’s a quiet corner with a big easy chair, a bright floor lamp, a big stack of biographical books, and a few old dogs wagging their tails to the faint smell of cigar smoke.” Image: Rick Diamond/ Shutterstock Editorial

Caring

Teen Elvis sensation to join best tribute acts in the country

In the bustling corridors of a regional high school in the Victorian town of Colac, where teenage dreams often centre around passing maths exams and surviving gym class, a baby-faced Year 10 student named Charlie Gaylard is gearing up for something far more extraordinary. With a swivel of his hips and a curl of his lip, this 15-year-old is preparing to dazzle audiences alongside Australia’s top Elvis tribute artists at the Cooly Rocks On nostalgia festival on the Gold Coast from June 5-9. The journey from classroom to the spotlight wasn’t something Charlie stumbled upon; it was a destiny orchestrated by a loving grandad and a bit of serendipity. Greg, his 73-year-old grandfather and manager, has been spinning Elvis records for Charlie since he was in diapers. "We have had a lot of time together since Charlie could walk," Greg explains. "We spent a lot of time in the car together when he was young, and all we would play was Elvis. I am from a family of Elvis fans, as we were all brought up in that era." "When he went to primary school in grade two, they had a talent quest, and Charlie decided that he wanted to go as Elvis," Greg continues. "He got up on stage and sang 'Hound Dog', and ended up winning 'St. Mary’s Got Talent'." "From day one, he concentrated on acting and dancing." Charlie’s final transformation into the young Elvis we see today started two years ago after he was mesmerised by Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis biopic. "He went and saw the Elvis movie," recalls Greg, "and then went back again and again, bought the CD, and never stopped watching it." After watching the film, Charlie then said to his grandad, “I want to give up acting. I think I can do Elvis just like Austin Butler.” Balancing school and his newfound passion, Charlie has become a sensation. His classmates might be studying biology, but Charlie’s researching Elvis’ dance moves and perfecting his rendition of “Jailhouse Rock.” The turning point in Charlie's journey came when renowned Australian singer Jack Gatto saw him perform on video. Recognising the teenager's raw talent, Gatto reached out to Greg. “We have to give this boy a go,” he insisted. It wasn't long before the one and only Dean Vegas – regarded as Australia's best ever Elvis impersonator – had flown Charlie and Greg to Brisbane so that Charlie could perform, resulting in an unbelievable response. And then – proving that three really is a charm – prodigious live show promoter Dom Arpa gave Charlie the go ahead to perform in three Elvis festivals. Grandpa Greg could not be prouder. "Everything has just blown me away. I’m truly flabbergasted," he says. "He was brought up in the Elvis world with me, but I didn’t teach him anything. Charlie does it by himself 100%." Retirement has turned into a second act for Greg, who now revels in every moment of this rock-and-roll adventure with his grandson. "Tis has come along and suits me perfectly," he says. "I love every bit of it, every aspect of it. I could have never wished for anything better, never." Now, with Australia’s largest nostalgia festival on the horizon, Charlie is set to bring down the house. Cooly Rocks On is expected to attract over 160,000 visitors, all eager to relive the golden age of rock and roll. Among the glittering lineup, Charlie Gaylard stands out as the fresh-faced teen who, with a little help from his grandad, is keeping the spirit of Elvis alive and well. Images: Supplied

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Teen Elvis sensation to join best tribute acts in the country

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