It all depends on what basis you use for comparison. (Obviously!) I mean, we have a welfare state, we have a queen, we have scones (proper ones), we have cricket, but we also have dollars and cents, surfing, tans, perceived (but entirely fictional) classlessness, overinvestment in sporting achievements, etc etc etc...

True, but on the latter point, I'm not sure if that's so much a difference between us and Britain, or simply that we have sporting achievements. I mean, England still got pretty wound up about beating the German soccer team 5-1.

One of the (many) fascinating things about the latest Aussie Big Brother is that it's brought the latent class issues in Australian society bubblng to the surface.

One assumes you're being facetious about the 'fascinating' thing (I have reality television bigotry issues, I know, but I loathe Big Brother. Grettle whatsherface is the overly made-up undead.) But is this to do with the accent thing? I'd noticed they had, um, how to put this in a way that doesn't involve the word 'yobo'...a more varied selection of participants this year. Is there a lot of snobbery going on?

I am being utterly 100% unfacetious about the "fascinating" thing. And I love Gretel.

Yes, there's a certain amount of snobbery, perceived at least.

I am being utterly 100% unfacetious about the "fascinating" thing.

You're in intelligent company, at least. My brother also finds it intriguing, but I can't do it. Reality television makes me cringe, no matter the format (actually I have a weakness for the garden-makeovers, but don't tell anyone.)

I enjoy SFU a lot (though I haven't seen any of this season's episodes yet) for the same reason I like Sports Night-- it's a completely odd and utterly consistent world hatched in someone's head. I enjoy the hyper-reality.

Well, I know it can be offputting seeing critics have a mass orgasm over a show. But when I have watched Six Feet Under, more often than not I would come away at the end of an episode startled, shaken and moved. And that takes some doing. I don't have any grand analytical theories for this -- I only know it felt like it was cutting really close to the bone with me. Haven't watched the latest series -- it may have slipped.

As for subverting suburbia, the older I get the more I believe that every household, suburban or not, has its own particular horrors, regardless of how similar the houses look from the outside and how many of them have the same 4WD vehicle sitting in the drive.

And as for Aussie foreign policy -- I think it makes sense for them to ally themselves with the Yanks. Australia is a big vulnerable country with a small population -- it relies on having a big powerful friend, particularly as it fears Asian instability to the north. I think it's called being realistic.

Here in NZ, with our tiny armed forces and a left-leaning govt which tries to look like it's not kowtowing to America, we rely on the fact that we're so insignificant that no-one would threaten us; and the fact that Bill Clinton once had a really nice holiday here.

Mini-Meara

See, I thought that was Stupid Fucking Hat Girl - which is actually her legal name, though she had to be baptized Stupid Frickin' Hat Girl since her family's Mormon.

Watch your mouth when you talk about my Vi, Madrigal!

Kassto - Welcome! Where in NZ do you live. I was there 12 years ago (jeez! was it that long ago?) and absolutely loved it. A gorgeous country. I'm a big fan of much of the early Flying Nun music, if that means anything to you.

Fiona - I got your check the other day. Glad you were able to finally watch the tapes.

I tried to get into SFU. The psycho ex-GF was really into it, so I watched a few eps with her, but found I just wasn't caring about the characters. Of course, I felt the same way about the first half of S4 Angel....

Of all the foreigners I've met, I've found Australians to be most like Americans. Not the country or politics, necessarily. Just the personalities of the people.

But when I have watched Six Feet Under, more often than not I would come away at the end of an episode startled, shaken and moved. And that takes some doing. I don't have any grand analytical theories for this -- I only know it felt like it was cutting really close to the bone with me. Haven't watched the latest series -- it may have slipped.

I've heard the latest series is better, even from people who didn't much like S1 or S2. My best friend loves it, but it continues to leave me cold. I rather wish it didn't, as I'm running low on things to watch.

As much as I intake massive amounts of pure pop dreck, I'm notoriously picky what I watch outside of the mental popcorn.

The best TV show (short run) I've seen is probably The Newsroom. The early episodes ran as true to the tales of TV news I hear at the dinner table (husband's job, and in fact, today, I think the words 'dead people equals overtime' left my mouth), and the later stuff, when it just went into weird as hell mode, was fucking incredible.

I guess my problem with SFU is that even the messes feel sterile to me, devoid of the emotional truth I seek in fiction. I did try, honestly. It was like a blind date that didn't work out, no matter how much on the surface we had in common. I stare at it sometimes, wondering what went wrong, but I guess that ultimately, we weren't compatible.

Hi, Jon B. I've lived in Wellington for ages but am originally from the deep south. Yes, early Flying Nun -- I know it well. Was at Otago University for two years in Dunedin - home of Flying Nun, and attended a lunchtime concert by the Clean back before anyone had heard of them.The three band members played a lot of feedback-y guitarish noise while staring at their feet. The only people in attendance were me and a couple of Goth looking band girlfriends.

Was quite a fan of the CLean and Sneaky Feelings at one time but went off the whole FLying Nun sound in later years -- too depressing, brought back too many memories of dank student flats stinking of incense and dope. Now I prefer depressing American country music (yay, Gillian Welch -- she's my tagline).

am originally from the deep south.

Does that mean Mississippi or Invercargill?