Inside Banter Heroes are for the needy- we?’re Kiwis!
The dawn of Obama-rama has paved the way for scenes of mass jubilation and optimism- while in Wellington, the crickets chirp?… A simple comment from one of our street poll respondents really struck a nerve with me the other day. In voicing her opinion on new US President Barrack Obama, she concluded by admitting that she knew more about the Commander-in-Chief than our own Prime Minister. In truth, she is one of many who have been bombarded by the media exposure of this historic occasion in recent months. The hysteria is definitely warranted, yet the hype surrounding Obama has got me wondering if anything like this could ever be seen in New Zealand. While leaders such as Michael Joseph Savage, Norman Kirk and Richard Seddon are held up as exemplarily leaders of our country throughout history, there has yet to be any large scale rejoicing for any one politician in the same way. Even when Helen Clark became our first elected female Prime minister in 1999, there was mild celebrations but no real hoopla over what was, in fact, a truly significant event. Jolly good, we seemed to say- now get on with what you?’re there for. Are we simply a nation that doesn?’t care about handing out plaudits so readily? Take our own general election, where the slogan of the National party?’s landslide victory was ?‘it?’s time for a change?’- as if they were talking about their underpants. Certainly no ?‘Yes, we can?’, is it? Not to begrudge John Key at all- he?’s hardly had a chance to dent his chair in the Beehive (although he has probably begun a petition to have elevators installed in the halls of power.) But the fact of the matter is that despite a flaming surge of patriotism when we are on our OE or when we beat Australia in anything, any form of overt nationalism or deifying of individuals is something that Americans do, not us. Kiwis are seldom likely to hold anyone up on a pedestal. With a relatively small population it seems those who stand out too far are subjected to the scrutiny that keeps everyone on an even keel. The tall poppy syndrome that exists in New Zealand society ensures that wherever there?’s a donut, we will always point out the hole in the middle. In essence that?’s a good thing. It shows that regardless of class, job, or ethnic background, no one is considered above reproach.
