Bogan

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Template:Original research Bogan (pronounced Template:IPA, to rhyme with slogan) is an Australian and New Zealand English slang term, at times derogatory, for a white working-class person, particularly a young male. Female adherents of the stereotype do exist, albeit with somewhat different, gender-specific characteristics.

Any discussion of the meaning of the term is likely to be controversial. Australians tend to have an image of their country as culturally egalitarian; by contrast, Britain and the United States are often stereotyped in Australia as obsessed with cultural and economic class respectively. The presence of an insulting stereotype for poor people is obviously in conflict with this self-image.

Like the British term chav and the American term white trash, the term is supposedly based on behaviour rather than class alone. It may be contrasted to the term 'povvo', which assumes that poverty as such is worthy of insult.

A person who uses the insult may draw a distinction between bogans, and more 'respectable' working class people.

However, only people who are perceived to be working class are called bogans. A person from a comfortable background who is violent, anti-social and unintelligent may well be derided and insulted, but not by being called a bogan. They may be told they are acting like a bogan, but not that they actually are one.

Further, the stereotype assumes a correlation between subcultural practices of particular working-class people (eg style of dress, accent, and musical tastes), and anti-social behaviour. It should thus be considered a slur.

The term, and the attendant stereotype, are far more acceptable in Australian culture than equivalent slurs. A person who used the term in the media, for example, would be unlikely to face similar consequences to if they had used a term such as nigger or kike. The popular Australian TV comedy Kath and Kim derived much of its humour from this stereotype. A TV comedy based on equivalent stereotypes of Aboriginal people, for example, would have been highly unlikely to be aired.

Contents

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History

The use of the word "bogan" as an insult originated in Melbourne, to describe people of the working class. Then the character Kylie Mole on the famed Australian television program The Comedy Company popularised the term as an insult for any friend she didn't like, and by 1991, the word was in the national dictionary project.

There are actually places in Western New South Wales that have "Bogan" in their name, including Bogan Shire, the Bogan River and the rural village of Bogan Gate. Despite the fact that their remote location fits some of the aspects of the stereotype, these places are not regarded as the source of the term. It is more likely that the sound of the word fits the humourous aspects of the stereotype rather than the people of this area being the epitome of bogans.

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Elements of the Stereotype

The bogan stereotype is essentially the same as the British stereotype of a chav or the American white trash, with some specific Australian cultural features.

The stereotype may be summarised as follows:

  • white
  • poor, particularly on the dole and/or living in public housing.
  • driving an old, Australian car such as a Holden Commodore, (particulary the highly prized artefact the VK or VL model) or the Ford Falcon, and highly interested in cars. Holden are a particularly highly prized brand of car among many Australians, (not just bogans) primarily due to nationalistic associations; they are perceived as Australia's only native automotive manufacturer. The term 'hoon' is similar to bogan, but particularly applies to young men who are interested in cars and drive in an anti-social manner.
  • interested in sport, particularly Australian Rules or Rugby League football, depending on which code is dominant in their area.
  • violent, anti-social, possibly criminal.
  • diet consists primarily of fast food, such as McDonalds. Four and Twenty meat pies are particularly prized, due mainly to nationalistic associations.
  • unintelligent, uneducated, anti-intellectual - more specifically, racist and homophobic. Generally also excessively nationalistic.
  • culturally blue-collar: having the 'broad' Australian accent associated with poorer and rural white people.
  • uses traditionally working class dialect terms. For example, a person may be derided for using 'youse' (plural form of 'you'), the distinctive pronunciation of 'nothing', 'something', and 'anything' ending with a hard 'k' sound, and pronouncing the name of the letter 'h' as 'haitch'. An excellent example of this being satirised is by the Melbourne-based comedian, Greg Fleet: "Is there sumpfink wrong wiff you mate?"
  • sexually immoral. This stereotype is particularly applied to women and girls, and is particularly associated with being a single mother.
  • a heavy drinker of pre-mixed bourbon and cola cans such as Woodstock & Cougar. A typical drink at a public bar would be a bourbon and coke, or 'Bundy' and coke (disparaged as "bogan juice"). 'Bundy' is a diminutive of Bundaberg Rum, a popular brand. Victoria Bitter beer is also highly prized, both because of its price and nationalistic associations.
  • Often (although not necessarily) prone to the use of marijuana. Although bogans are of course by no means the only (or even a primary) cultural group to engage in marijuana use, it is consumed particularly heavily by bogans living in semi-rural areas.
  • pretentious, vain, materialistic, ignorant, tasteless. The basic idea of this aspect of the stereotype is that the bogan attempts to imitate desirable characteristics of 'normal', wealthier people and fails due to their own ignorance. For example: giving their children supposedly 'classy' but actually ridiculous non-standard names such as Dakota or Mercedes; wearing designer labels yet still appearing ludicrous; having a comically fake tan in an effort to resemble a member of the jet-set.
  • there is a detailed stereotype of what bogans wear, which includes Moccasin-style slippers, ugg boots, tight black jeans, singlets, flannelette shirts (or black jerseys and jeans in Waitakere/West Auckland) and prominent tattoos, short, tight 'footy shorts', blue singlets and thongs/jandals (the footwear Americans call 'flip-flops', not the underwear) and sunnies. This can also include tracksuit pants in the case of younger male bogans, primarily due to their cheap price. Inappropriate/unseasonal nudity can at times also be observed, primarily among males.
  • there is a similarly detailed stereotype related to music, based around metal and Australian 'pub rock' - primarily Jimmy Barnes and his band Cold Chisel, particularly their song Khe Sanh, and AC/DC. Barnes is valued not only due to nationalistic associations, but also because, with such songs as Working Class Man, adherents of the stereotype presumably feel that he empathises with their typical reality and mindset. The drunk young man who loudly demands that a band 'play some Barnesy', or 'play Khe Sanh', regardless of the band's style, is a recognisable element of the stereotype. Other musical artists prized by bogans might include the Divinyls, (mainly among older adherents of the stereotype) the Choirboys, Noiseworks, the Screaming Jets, and possibly James Reyne.

The clothing and music elements of the stereotype were genuinely associated with a particular stratum of working class people at one time, perhaps the mid 80s through to around 1992 or so. However, the stereotype has lingered far longer than the reality which inspired it, as young working class people tend more towards an interest in hip-hop influenced fashion and music, and as metal and hard rock become associated with the more affluent 'alternative' subculture.

The bogan stereotype has no implication of religious fundamentalism, unlike the American equivalent white trash, although white trash is usually associated with low or no morals, a better equivalent would be redneck which is associated with conservative protestant religious groups.

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Location

The bogan stereotype is closely associated with location as the perception is that bogans live in the outer suburbs of metropolitan areas or in rural areas. As far as Melbourne is concerned, the outer suburbs of the northwestern rail corridor are the primary areas, including such suburbs as Broadmeadows, Sunshine, Diggers' Rest, and Sunbury. These are mostly semi-rural areas with a local economy revolving at least partially around the automotive and construction industries, and thus provide opportunities for unskilled employment. These areas are also almost entirely devoid of ethnic minorities. Given the abovementioned racism and excessive nationalism, adherents of the stereotype much prefer areas with this characteristic also.

The term westie refers to residents of the generally poorer western suburbs of Melbourne and Sydney, and of West Auckland in New Zealand. Westies are often stereotyped as being bogans. This term was even used in Canberra, where there is no distinction between poorer western and more affluent eastern suburbs.

The term chigger refers to residents of the poorer, housing commission suburbs of Hobart, namely Chigwell - from which the term is derived - and outer Eastern Shore areas including Bridgewater, Gagebrook, Claredon Vale and Rokeby. In recent years the term has been mostly replaced with bogan in day-to-day language.

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Use in Comedy

Given that it is so detailed, associated with mockery, and more socially acceptable than other stereotypes, it is unsurprising that the stereotype has been frequently used in comedy. Some examples follow.

In Australia:


In New Zealand:

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Applied to Celebrities

Some celebrities have been associated with the stereotype: essentially white males who are seen as working-class, particularly if they are accused of anti-social behaviour.

Examples include

  • Cricketer Shane Warne, with a reputation for thuggery and womanising.
  • Sam Newman and Eddie McGuire, former anchors of the Australian Rules-related television programme The Footy Show.

Foreign celebrities with a similar public image are often associated with the equivalent stereotypes in their countries - for example

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Use in the Political Sphere

Pauline Hanson was an Australian politician who was regarded by her political opponents, left-wing and centrist opinion, and the media as appealing to racism.

Ms Hanson cultivated an image as an outsider in the political system, more in tune with "ordinary" (white) Australians.

Ironically, given that objections to her centred around her assumed bigotry, criticism of her often had a strong cultural tinge, which evoked the bogan stereotype. Although the term 'bogan' was never used in the media in relation to Ms Hanson, the similar term redneck was.

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Equivalent Terms in Australia and New Zealand

Equivalent terms are:

  • Bevan or Bevin in Queensland.
  • Booner in Canberra.
  • Boy racer in the lower North Island of New Zealand is equivalent to 'hoon' ie it specifically refers to a young male who is interested in cars and who drives anti-socially. It is particularly used to refer to young men who drive toyotas, subarus, and other asian, or sporty cars.
  • Chigger in Hobart, referring to Chigwell, Tasmania.
  • Dubbo - more popular in the 1970s and 1980s. Like Bogan Gate, Dubbo is a real place.
  • Mish Rat - someone who has an appearance of living in low-income commission housing.
  • Ocker in most states of Australia is used to evoke a similar stereotype; however it does not have the same implication of contempt.
  • Scozzer in Geelong, and Surf Coast Shire, Victoria.
  • Westie in Sydney, Australia, and Waitakere (Auckland), New Zealand, though not exactly synonymous with bogan, refers to residents of the Western Suburbs who are typically stereotyped as being bogans.
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See also

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References

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External links

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