The race that stops a nation may not be our classiest moment. Every year there is video and photo evidence of drunken debauchery, often engaged in by well-dressed Aussies in fascinators and smart suits.
Australians are accustomed to the aftermath shots, have a little bit of a giggle at the photo of the woman in smart racewear and net fascionator humping a bin.
But this year the US, the land of Trump, has discovered our annual day of anything goes, and an opinion piece which labels the event as “decadent and depraved” may well have served as a tourism ad for Australia.
The article which compares the US’s Kentucky Derby with the Melbourne Cup, believes Aussies come out on top when it comes to total debauchery.
“There is a lot of booze. There is a lot of littering. There is a lot of smiling. There is, for whatever reason, a whole lot of falling/lying on the ground,” writes article author Billy Haisley, tagging his story “white people are getting out of hand”.
He goes on: “It’s not until you see these photos of the Melbourne Cup, Australia’s most drunken and depraved horse racing event, that you can really understand just how out of hand the whites can get.”
He then fills the remainder of the article with images like this:
And this:
And this:
The article has attracted a whole lot of attention with many Kentucky Derby goers a bit offended that Melbourne Cup could even be considered more depraved than them.
“Anyone who thinks this is MORE debaucherous than the Derby hasn’t done the Derby correctly. Or been invited to the right before and after-parties.Or done Oaks AND Derby both in one weekend. Tourists.”
Another proud Derby goer posted a video of herself mud wrestling at the race in a bikini.
Other commenters talked about booking flights and tickets for next year’s events. And many seemed suitably impressed and entertained by the photos.
This image of the seagulls made many think of Alfred Hicthcock’s The Birds.
He ended his article with a whole lot of other proud Australian moments with headlines like “Rugby Team Cuts Player For Photo Of Him Pissing Into His Own Mouth” and “Rioting Costumed Fans Halt Australian Darts Competition”.
What do you think of Australia getting that kind of publicity overseas – all publicity is good publicity or something that should cause us deep shame?
