Reasons I’m not a bogan
Someone asked if I’d be offended if I were called a bogan.
It’s hard to say yes without sounding arrogant or elite, or at least something resembling classist. But here’s a list. Call me what you will.
- I don’t like football
- I don’t drink iced coffee (that’s important in South Australia)
- I don’t drive with my forearm hanging out the window of the car
- I put myself through university
- I don’t drink to get drunk
- If I do get drunk, I don’t get loud or violent
- I don’t really care about how cool my car does or doesn’t look
- That said, I don’t drive a Commodore or a Falcon
- I don’t find commerical radio hosts at all entertaining, let alone funny
- I don’t have farmeville, mafia wars, or any of that rubbish installed on facebook
- I’ve studied, and read books in, French (and the French are like the anti-bogans (except in popular music))
- I try not to stereotype groups in society (by sex, age, race, sexual orientation, religion… with the possible exception of baby boomers)
- I try to keep an open mind and I’ll admit when I’m wrong (and sometimes it can be amazing to find out you were)
- I can’t stand anti-intellectualism
- I use words like “anti-intellectualism”
- I try not only to consume, use, buy, and watch, but to produce, create.
- I’m really good at grammar (which, alone should be enough).
Other than enjoying my FUIC, never reading in French (though tried to learn it in HS ['82-83]), and I’ve never used ‘anti-intellectualism’ in conversation (until right now!), we could be twins.
After spending quite a bit of time reading “Things Bogans Like”, I’ve realised that I’m a little bit bogan.
However, I think I gain a little bit of self respect by not being worried about my boganism. Besides, I think there’s one thing that separates me from the newly classed New Age Bogan.
I buy and do things because I want to, not because of some fad, or because I believe people will think I’m awesome as a result of buying or doing these things.