On Australians Confused About Racism, Harry Connick Jr.
I don't know, Alex. Every Australian I know has thought the Hey Hey It's Saturday incident was offensive, outdated and embarrassing. I don't think it's fair or accurate to judge an entire country based on the idiots who post to YouTube (and in my experience on the site, they are mostly idiots).
Yes, there are racist Australians, just like there are racist Americans, racist Japanese and racist French. And given the different social and cultural histories of each of those places, that racism expresses itself in slightly different ways. In Australia, there are idiot television producers who think it's funny to televise a blackface routine on a show that, it must be said, doesn't have a terribly sophisticated audience - I'd say because Australia hasn't yet dealt directly with its racism in the same way the US has (to your credit). On the hand, we don't have people threatening to assassinate black leaders. Or actually assassinating them, for that matter.
There are people of all types in all countries, and there are plenty of antipodean equivalents to the audience who read The Awl. And even a few who do read it.
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On Americans Suddenly Not So Sure They Need That iFart Application
I don't know - I wouldn't call an iPod a "necessity" by any means, but I would choose it over any of the following: car, clothes dryer, air conditioning, TV set, microwave, cable, dishwasher, flatscreen TV.
Okay, maybe not the car - those things are worth shitloads of money - but I've gotten along just fine on public transport for years. So not 'necessary', you know. And the others definitely aren't.
Top pick? High speed internet, for sure.
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On Australians Confused About Racism, Harry Connick Jr.
This is true. Australian television does tend to suck.