A Very Woggy
Christmas
As far as institutions go, The Comics Lounge
pretty much stands alone as a Melbourne
comedy icon. Originally setting up shop at ‘The
Star and Garter’, the Lounge quickly outgrew its
original home to settle into what is now its home
base in Errol st. North Melbourne.
Christmas’ when he mentions that he believes
that ethnic comedy is being ‘killed off’.
It also could be because Australians are
factionalising into three separate camps: There
are those who are out and out racists who, to this
day have a problem with the changing face of
In the same respect, A Very Woggy Christmas Australia. There are those Australians who have
is an institution in itself. In its 14th year, it’s an an acute awareness of Australia’s racist past and
event which tips its hat to the strong relationship its current struggles and so overtly shun the mere
and history that Melbourne has with it with mention of race related humour. Finally, there is
Italian and Greek comics who began to educate a body of people who see race, acknowledge
‘Anglos’ about the new kids who were the new difference and recognise that diversity to be a
Australians.
reason to celebrate being Australian. It’s here, in
this third camp that Rossi hangs his hat.
A Very Woggy Christmas, at its debut, had a
whole suite of ‘wog comics’ to bring in. Joe Whether by design or not, the diverse acts that
Avati, a household name in both Canadian and have been part of ‘A Very Woggy Christmas’ has
Australian markets (Canada has a surprisingly been the thing that will see the brand remain
large Italian diaspora), George Kapiniaris, Tahir relevant for years to come. One could argue that
and Gabriel Rossi who is the brainchild of the the low rate of Italian and Greek comic enrolment
show.
in recent years would spell the end of a show
such as this, however the inclusion of ‘the other’
In addition, the brand has included names such has been the very thing which has seen the
as Neel Kolhatkar, Dilruk Jayasinha, Mayumi show thrive. I do believe it was this very strategy
Nobetsu, Umit Bali, Freda Deguise, Sam McCool that turned the Romans into a Mediterranean
and a whole host of emerging comedians who superpower! They’re at it again…
have not been typically classified as ‘wogs’.
This might be for a few reasons. There are a It seems that in 2015, ‘Wog’ does not have force
number of comedians who have stated that, it once had as a racial slur to Italians. You can
although being of European extraction, they do thank the comedians for that. The reclamation
indeed go out of their way to avoid performing of that word was taken on stage and delivered
in shows which highlight their ethnicity. This into the microphone for everyone to hear. It was
may be what Rossi may be referring to in our unapologetic, it was bold and it was hard for a
recent interview with the cast of ‘A Very Woggy lot of people to hear. It doesn’t have a history