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Things Bogans Like: Tribal Tatts to Reality TV. by E. Chas McSween ... [Et Al.]
The word bogan has a bad rap; first impressions are still associated with flannelette, VB, utes and mullets. But this would be wrong. The bogan has advanced and needs new explanation, evolution has cursed (or blessed, depending on your thinking) us with a modern version. The bogan with money. The bogan with aspirations. The bogan with Ed Hardy t-shirts. The new bogan will not rest until it owns a plasma TV so large that Rove McManus becomes six feet tall for the first time. Today's bogan defies income, class, race, creed, gender, religion and logic. Now the bogan is defined by what it does, what it says and, most importantly, what it buys. Those who choose to deny the bogan on the basis of their stockbroking career or their massive trust fund choose not to see the real bogan. Many bogans are affluent and perhaps are working in that same stockbroking firm and sharing a Corona with you over Friday night drinks. They set themselves apart by their efforts to stand out by conforming as furiously, and conspicuously, as possible.
- GenresNonfictionHumorAustralia
256 pages, Paperback
First published January 20, 2011
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
January 29, 2011
Buying this book online, it arrived unexpectedly wrapped in a Twilight T-shirt. If you don't understand the link between bogans and Twilight, read on ;-)
I suffer from culture-cringe, so taking the mick out of bogans is perfectly fine; I do it often. So after encountering Things Bogans Like, I immediately subscribed and have been following it ever since. And because most, if not all, of the book's contents were originally published on the website, reading them later here in print isn't as fresh. There's a lot of repetition for those of you with short attention spans, which can be a drag for the more informed amateur boganologist.
But some content is still hilarious in its second viewing. The photos spot-on depict the bogan in its natural environment, partaking in its favourite activities. There's even a hint to make the concept of boat people more attractive (pages 166-168): If the illegal fishing boats [...] actually were full of hot Asian chicks [...], hordes of bogans would be strapping long range fuel tanks and floral bouquets onto their jet skis, and trying to intercept the vessels themselves.
But the real gold lies in the section on vampires (pages 252-254). [...] the femme-bogue becomes so engorged by the notion of abstinence that she is likely to proceed post-haste to the local glassing barn to gyrate wildly against anyone not smelling strongly of garlic. This demonstrates the dizzying power that sexual innuendo and metaphor have over the bogan's copulatory glands. Unfortunately, the bogan's inability to actually understand metaphor resulted in True Blood.
This tome works best as a coffee table book, or joke gift to confuse your foreign friends. They may not recogise the names of pseudo-celebrities mentioned within, but the context should explain much.
I suffer from culture-cringe, so taking the mick out of bogans is perfectly fine; I do it often. So after encountering Things Bogans Like, I immediately subscribed and have been following it ever since. And because most, if not all, of the book's contents were originally published on the website, reading them later here in print isn't as fresh. There's a lot of repetition for those of you with short attention spans, which can be a drag for the more informed amateur boganologist.
But some content is still hilarious in its second viewing. The photos spot-on depict the bogan in its natural environment, partaking in its favourite activities. There's even a hint to make the concept of boat people more attractive (pages 166-168): If the illegal fishing boats [...] actually were full of hot Asian chicks [...], hordes of bogans would be strapping long range fuel tanks and floral bouquets onto their jet skis, and trying to intercept the vessels themselves.
But the real gold lies in the section on vampires (pages 252-254). [...] the femme-bogue becomes so engorged by the notion of abstinence that she is likely to proceed post-haste to the local glassing barn to gyrate wildly against anyone not smelling strongly of garlic. This demonstrates the dizzying power that sexual innuendo and metaphor have over the bogan's copulatory glands. Unfortunately, the bogan's inability to actually understand metaphor resulted in True Blood.
This tome works best as a coffee table book, or joke gift to confuse your foreign friends. They may not recogise the names of pseudo-celebrities mentioned within, but the context should explain much.
February 14, 2011
Things Bogans Like contains reprints and a handful of new posts from the blog of the same name. The blog was established in 2009 by six men who decline to take credit but admit that it was inspired by the blog Stuff White People Like and given a decidedly Australian twist.
An Australian bogan has equivelents through out the world, trailer-trash/rednecks in the US and chav's in the UK. Once upon a time you were identified as a bogan by simply living outside of the metropolitan area of any capital city (usually to the west though to the east if you live in Perth.) However now it is a term that identifies a subculture rather than location and McSween and friends have taken it upon themselves to outline the indicators of bogan-icity.
Mostly these short diatribes are amusing and certainly not to be taken seriously. The authors have proved themselves to be astute observers of the population and it's hard to deny that many of us secretely consider that the parent of a child named Bacardee or Mersaydees is also likely to be wearing ugh boots outdoors with a knock off Prada handbag on her arm or wearing a wife beater while drinking imported beer. There is a ltlle bogan in everyone I think, I don't own anything from Tiffany & Co but half my electronics were purchased via Harvey Norman's various interest free loans.
The potential is there for some people to take offense, especially those for whom this runs just a little too close. I could only read Things Bogans Like in small doses because the humour wanes a little under the relentlessly elitist tone.
Unless you are determined to buy your own coppy of this glossy page paperback, you can save yourself a few dollars by reading the Things Bogans Like blog. How bogan are you?
An Australian bogan has equivelents through out the world, trailer-trash/rednecks in the US and chav's in the UK. Once upon a time you were identified as a bogan by simply living outside of the metropolitan area of any capital city (usually to the west though to the east if you live in Perth.) However now it is a term that identifies a subculture rather than location and McSween and friends have taken it upon themselves to outline the indicators of bogan-icity.
Mostly these short diatribes are amusing and certainly not to be taken seriously. The authors have proved themselves to be astute observers of the population and it's hard to deny that many of us secretely consider that the parent of a child named Bacardee or Mersaydees is also likely to be wearing ugh boots outdoors with a knock off Prada handbag on her arm or wearing a wife beater while drinking imported beer. There is a ltlle bogan in everyone I think, I don't own anything from Tiffany & Co but half my electronics were purchased via Harvey Norman's various interest free loans.
The potential is there for some people to take offense, especially those for whom this runs just a little too close. I could only read Things Bogans Like in small doses because the humour wanes a little under the relentlessly elitist tone.
Unless you are determined to buy your own coppy of this glossy page paperback, you can save yourself a few dollars by reading the Things Bogans Like blog. How bogan are you?
July 11, 2012
LOL! Classic tongue-in-cheek commentary on the distinctly Australian social class - "the Bogan".
Cracked me up...before you read it, just beware that there may be a little bit of Bogan in you...eeeek!
Cracked me up...before you read it, just beware that there may be a little bit of Bogan in you...eeeek!
October 6, 2025
this is a little bit outdated now but it was still good for a self-aware giggle. I'm glad to see we've moved on in some areas, but it largely remains familiar - felt like a pretty accurate representation of 2010. I did kind of lose interest in reading the whole descriptions though and just breezed through the headlines.
December 28, 2014
This is one of the most comprehensive anthropological studies I have come across. Well researched and obviously coming straight from the heart. Yes, it's a little mean and encourages heedless stereotyping...
I can say right away that if you identify yourself as a bogan you won't like this book. But then again if you're reading book reviews on Goodreads chances are you're not a bogan after all.
Australians who are tearing their hair out wondering how Abbott could have possibly been elected as prime minister should read this as research.
If you are dreaming of moving to Oz this book can give you some insights about a large segment of the Australian population.
And sure, it is not a serious book and thus not to be taken overly seriously. But it provides great comic relief and some food for thought for us intellectuals, hipsters and seekers of knowledge. I bet it would also be very popular if read out loud at a soirée between friends while listening to vinyls of some obscure post punk groups.
I can say right away that if you identify yourself as a bogan you won't like this book. But then again if you're reading book reviews on Goodreads chances are you're not a bogan after all.
Australians who are tearing their hair out wondering how Abbott could have possibly been elected as prime minister should read this as research.
If you are dreaming of moving to Oz this book can give you some insights about a large segment of the Australian population.
And sure, it is not a serious book and thus not to be taken overly seriously. But it provides great comic relief and some food for thought for us intellectuals, hipsters and seekers of knowledge. I bet it would also be very popular if read out loud at a soirée between friends while listening to vinyls of some obscure post punk groups.
August 30, 2016
steriotyping steriotypes. I enjoyed it but the book really has all the depth of a tv commercial. I preferred the followup. I did like the fact that financial status has no bearing on behaviour in certain cases. This is really a pick up, flick through and put down book, to be picked up multiple times until the novelty wears off. Based on an Australian steriotype but this can be found in most countries.
November 4, 2010
Fabulous. Funniest thing I've read in ages.
July 26, 2011
Hilarious! It's so funny, 'cause it's scary true.
August 9, 2011
This book is pretty much spot on and really funny.
May 9, 2012
Laughed but was offended at me laughing at such crude cultural cringe.?.
June 17, 2013
Loved it and the website is great too.
May 21, 2014
Dated hipster classism (sort of) that might have been funny five years ago.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews