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Ben Elton tries too hard to be Australian

Last night, Ben Elton made his first appearance on channel 9’s “live from Planet Earth”.

He began with his signature sharp and accurate observations regarding politicians in Australia, and they were quite amusing. However, Ben, it seemed that you were making an excessive effort to fit in with the Australian vibe, and unfortunately, a lot of your ‘bits’ (ooh-er) ended up feeling a bit forced.

I’m not sure if Ben realizes it, but we Aussies typically aren’t too concerned about what you’re rambling on about. I’m certain a British audience might find it entertaining, but the ‘live’ studio crowd could only really connect with the sketches featuring the Australian comedians.

The sketches themselves were not particularly impressive either. The exception being the remarkable character named Elaine Front; she was fantastic. Ruby Rose appeared as a guest, and she brought genuine humor—truly an Australian.

As Ruby took her seat, Elaine Front remarked, “Listen love, I don’t really know who you are, I’ve never heard of you, but it says you’re a ce-lesbian.”

This prompted Ruby to clarify that a ce-lesbian referred to a celebrity lesbian…and then Elaine completely dominated the sketch, the interview, or whatever you wish to classify it as.

There was a guy in a gold bikini who wasn’t funny at all, and there was what Ben termed “a show within a show” called ‘Girls Flat’, I believe. I might not remember the exact title, but it bored me to the point where I couldn’t even bother to check my notes for the correct name. In this sketch, girls were portraying characters such as Amy Winehouse, Lady Gaga, and Beyoncé. While the writing was quite poor, the comedienne who played Amy Winehouse managed to deliver some humor. Nevertheless, the overall script left much to be desired. It seemed that Ben Elton attempted to replicate the chaos of the Young Ones with a set design resembling a kitchen or living area. But that style doesn’t resonate anymore, Ben. Times have evolved. Australia embraced the Young Ones, and guess what…we possess cars now. Honestly, it feels as if you think you can play outdated material for us, assuming we still lag behind the times. If it offends someone, it undoubtedly will be perceived as such.

Several years ago, perhaps around 8-10 years back, Ben Elton made a return to British television and was quite humorous. Although it wasn’t live, he was as entertaining, if not more so. Always on point, he had the iconic Ronnie Corbett cracking jokes in an oversized chair. The show found success—I’m unsure about the ratings, but it sparked conversations down at the pub, which is precisely what a writer or creator hopes for…to gain the approval of a notoriously critical audience.

However, Ben, it seems like you may have overextended your efforts to be Australian. You can’t say “we” when Australians understand you’re clearly a “them”.

You’ve done your research, no doubt. The term Bogen popped up…that’s right, just to prove you can fit in as an Aussie if you choose to, and we should welcome you because you uttered a term we hold dear.

When you started discussing people ‘fiddling’ with themselves, I must say I agree with a lot of your points, especially about the fact that every girl…indeed every girl has a tattoo just above their g-string knicker line.

But honestly, no one cares, Ben. That’s just how things are. Your commentary made you seem somewhat outdated…not vintage in the slightest.

The first show didn’t leave much to be desired, yet it has the potential to improve. Sometimes, these types of shows take a while for audiences to familiarize themselves with the characters and understand the overall layout.

I plan to tune in next week to see if the audience starts to warm up to you a bit more, and to catch more of Eeelaine Front…she was absolutely brilliant.

I’ll be watching you too, Ben… but when it comes to fitting in as an Ozzie, you need to truly be one of us before you begin claiming that you are.

by Sel Hurst

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