12 April 2012

Jeez Mardi, way to sell your home to the world

12 April 2012 | johnboy

The SMH has a lengthy piece on the torrent of abuse unleashed on Canberra last night on American TV (and on Eleven last night too where it raised my eyebrows).

If Guy Pearce wants to slag us off I guess that’s fine, and who cares what Ajay Rochester thinks about anything.

But local girl “Mardi” seems to think the only thing worth doing in Canberra is going to Sydney.

Which suggests to me she really needs to get out more, or possibly stay there.

So does anyone know this woman (the one on the right)?

Perhaps Craig should at least make a visit before devoting his show to slagging off 300,000 people.

Here’s the full horror show:

If the embedded player isn’t working you can see it on Eleven’s catch-up site.

UPDATE 12/04/12 12:40: Multiple sources have confirmed it’s one Mardi Croke of Jerrabomberra, who frequently stars in the Queanbeyan Age on netball related matters. Trading up Quangers for Canberra just to slag it seems like an odd strategy.

UPDATE 12/04/12 13:37: And for those whom Eleven is not working we now have it via YouTube:

UPDATE: And now the magic of YouTube brings us Ajay and Mardi enjoying their three minutes and twenty seconds of fame:

UPDATE 12/04/12 16:14: The Canberra Times has had a chat to Mardi who now says it was Ferguson’s idea:

Part of me did get the guilts because I do love Canberra and I often go there for the beautiful restaurants.”

But Mardi says the whole thing was meant to be taken as a joke.

“It was all very quick, it was all very funny and it was all light-hearted and I just can’t believe it’s turned into this. I love a good laugh as much as anyone else,” she said.

…

Mardi now jokes she’ll be wearing her “I love Queanbeyan” t-shirt when she gets home after having to deny where she was from on US television.

“I’m a staunch Queanbeyanite and love my home town,” she said.

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dpm12:36 pm 17 Aug 12

enpointe said :

So why was johnboy watching a classy bit of TV like The Late Late Show in the first place? Surely “vibrant” Canberra had something better on offer?
RiotAct regularly puts the boot into “Qangers”, isn’t ironic that you so quickly “cry into your beer” when Canberra catches some humorous flack.

More importantly, surely you have something better to do than resurrect a thread that’s been dead for 4 months?
BTW, it’s not RA (JB) that might bag Quangers, but more likely some *posters* on RA. FWIW, Quangers people give it back too. No harm, no foul! So try not to take it too personally.
However, here’s a good example of us all geting along!
http://www.canberratimes.com.au/national/health/act-surgeons-cross-border-20120817-24cgz.html
Sounds like a great idea to me. Qbn hospital is considered underutilised, and Cbr overutilised, so sense seems to have prevailed.

Overall, Qbn vs. Cbr is just like the north/south Cbr debate (or Springfield vs. Shelbyville)!
http://www.canberratimes.com.au/act-news/canberra-is-a-divided-capital-new-figures-say-20120815-2499c.html
🙂

enpointe11:57 am 17 Aug 12

So why was johnboy watching a classy bit of TV like The Late Late Show in the first place? Surely “vibrant” Canberra had something better on offer?
RiotAct regularly puts the boot into “Qangers”, isn’t ironic that you so quickly “cry into your beer” when Canberra catches some humorous flack.

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johnboy12:15 pm 17 Aug 12

My heartfelt apologies for daring to be home at 11pm at night one night of the year.

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Postalgeek10:43 am 15 Apr 12

cleo said :

I had lived in Canberra for twenty years, it wasn’t a matter of choice, I found Canberra to be a sterile place, no atmosphere, boring, people very clicky, incestuous almost, while it looks pretty, it’s a Mickey Mouse town, most people are in denial what really goes on in this town.
You hardly see people in the streets, it’s almost deserted, you could shoot a cannon down the main street in winter, no body would notice.
When the kids grow up, they leave to move interstate, I laugh when people say it’s a great place to bring up kids, are they joking? There is a massive drug problem, most teenagers are bored out of their brains, no fun things to do. How many times can you visit the museum’s, not too many times.
I’m with Ben Dove # 43.
I was told once by a teacher when doing a Taft course that ‘it’s who you know, not what you know’ in Canberra, to get work, she was so right.
I await to hear from the incestuous lot, lol
And Yes I finally left Canberra or should I say escaped, now living in the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney, and loving it, people are so friendly.

So why are you posting on a Canberra-centric forum?

Jesus, you sound just like Frustrated. How passive are you that you stay for decades in a spot you hate, associating with people you don’t like, waiting for someone to entertain you which never comes?

Everyone has a choice. You might be weak, your mind might be closed, or the options might not be easy or appealing, but that doesn’t mean you don’t have a choice.

I’ve had the opposite experience, because I made the effort. I’ve met great people who help me out and I help them out, and I’ve had a ball.

My kids will be taught MTBing, kayak, camping, rollerblading, shooting, and any number of outdoor pursuits. We’ll go paintballing and we’ll go down to the coast for surfing. We’ll go skiing in Winter. And as they become teenages, they’ll know what to do with themselves in a town full of opportunity.

I mean FFS how pathetic do you have to be to look at all the people, groups, clubs, and activities in Canberra and say there’s nothing to do.

I don’t give a toss about what people think of the place or me, but it shits me that uninspiring people use blanket statements to dismiss the efforts of better people than them. There are a lot of good people in Canberra who do a lot for others.

cleo2:21 am 15 Apr 12

I had lived in Canberra for twenty years, it wasn’t a matter of choice, I found Canberra to be a sterile place, no atmosphere, boring, people very clicky, incestuous almost, while it looks pretty, it’s a Mickey Mouse town, most people are in denial what really goes on in this town.
You hardly see people in the streets, it’s almost deserted, you could shoot a cannon down the main street in winter, no body would notice.
When the kids grow up, they leave to move interstate, I laugh when people say it’s a great place to bring up kids, are they joking? There is a massive drug problem, most teenagers are bored out of their brains, no fun things to do. How many times can you visit the museum’s, not too many times.
I’m with Ben Dove # 43.
I was told once by a teacher when doing a Taft course that ‘it’s who you know, not what you know’ in Canberra, to get work, she was so right.
I await to hear from the incestuous lot, lol
And Yes I finally left Canberra or should I say escaped, now living in the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney, and loving it, people are so friendly.

Ben_Dover9:35 am 14 Apr 12

Ben_Dover said :

“Capital” carries some weight with it, Canberra does not have the weight, grandiosity, or substance, to live up to the name.

Except for one minor point, it is a capital.

It is, yes, in name.

In style, feel, size, history, facilities, renown, stature, gravity, and so many other ways, it is not.

These are not negatives, in fact for most who live here they are positives.

pepmeup9:15 am 14 Apr 12

People who call canberra the areshole of the world are obviously just passing through

Hixy8:54 am 14 Apr 12

I lived in Canberra from 1977 until 1992; most of that was being posted there with the Defence Forces. Perhaps the same reason “SnapperJack” feels trapped in the place. At first it was difficult because you have to be ‘in the know’ before you can really enjoy the place.

About the only thing I did resent about being a ‘Canberran’ was having self government forced upon us. Despite a referendum saying “NO” we were still forced to have it. I sold our house in Gowrie and moved to Queanbeyan in anticipation of the increases that would be forced upon Canberrans.

There is a lot to like about Canberra and there are plenty of things to do. I think what is needed is that people have to develop a wider range of interests and tastes. Just because Nirvana doesnt play at Bruce stadium every second weekend the place is not boring – you are.

I get the chance to go back and visit and I enjoy the experience immensely. However, I do see the limitations that self government has placed upon it. Nothing was ever a problem when the Federal government was handing out the money.

Holditz8:22 pm 13 Apr 12

EvanJames said :

I read the article in the SMH, and Guy Pearce’s diatribe, that started it, was noteable in how he couldn’t come up with any specifics about why Canberra was so awful other than the usual roundabouts chestnut. Sounds like he was driven through once, 10 years ago, and hardly noticed.

And now Guy Pearce has sucked it in and apologised for his comments.

I’m writing to sincerely apologise for the comments I recently made about Canberra on the USA talk show ‘Craig Ferguson’.

I’m such a twit for doing this and feel so embarrassed and mortified at what I said.

I regretted it as soon as I walked off the set. I stupidly ran with a joke which I took too far for no other reason than to get laughs and I know I’ve offended many Canberrans and Australians in general.

I feel horrible about myself for doing this and I’m truly very sorry.

The thing is, what I said doesn’t even reflect my true feelings. I actually really like Canberra, and in the few times I’ve been I’ve really enjoyed it and found it to be extremely beautiful, so I’m so sorry for being such a dickhead.

I have no excuse for doing what I did. I’m so proud of Australia and that I get to still WORK AND LIVE here and the last thing I want is alienate anyone or offend them.

Please accept my apology. I give you permission to abuse me in the street and tell me my films are crap…………

Again, my sincerest apologies,

Guy Pearce

http://www.canberratimes.com.au/entertainment/tv-and-radio/guy-pearce-im-a-dickhead-20120413-1wyik.html#ixzz1rulNgSJz

breda7:41 pm 13 Apr 12

I’ll bet Mardi can’t wait to get home. She’ll get a really warm welcome when she goes to the restaurant in Canberra. Her school must be thrilled that she’s hanging out with a positive role model like convicted fraudster Ajay and having it trumpeted all over the media as well.

milkman6:18 pm 13 Apr 12

Valleyboy said :

From across the border in Quangers, Mardi’s probably just envious of the bright lights of Canberra.

Oh wait … the brightest lights you can see from Jerra are those of the Alexander Maconochie Centre.

Bwahahaha!

The lights reflect beautifully off the surface of Lake Burley Griffin, which, incidentally, is filled with our piss and s***.

dan w11:54 am 13 Apr 12

Before deciding to cast the ‘boring’ or ‘nothing-to-do-here’ net over Canberra, one may wish to consider how that reflects on how informed or engaged you are in this city.

For a facts-based analysis of the level of bordem in the capital, please consider this by-no-means exhaustive list of options for you this weekend alone:
– get you feet squishy harvesting local wine at the Harvest festival with over 20 participating wineries, live music in the vines, fine food etc.
– sample some of the best beers from the region and around the world at the craft beer fest, including some from our multi-award winning local homebrewers – rated the best in the country.
– learn about the history and heritage of where you live at any one of more than 20 seperate activities (many with a variety of sub-activities) happening as part of the Heritage Festival from border-marker bushwalks, to tool-making and bush tucker sampling with indigenous rangers, to getting your frock on for the Jane Austen Fesitval Ball
– compete against more than 5,000 others in the Canberra Marathon.
– Find out just how world class the local music scene is by taking in a gig at the Front, the Phoenix, or the Basement (compare them to the musos they’ll play alongside from Sweden, Brisbane, and Sydney).
– Laugh at a live performance from one of the best comedians of our time – John Cleese (Monty Python, Fawlty Towers etc).
– Take in a special exhibit on top of the already impressive collections at most of our National Institutions.
– Check out some mint Italian cars on the lawns of old parli house.

… just starting to scape the surface here… and April is considered a relatively quiet period in Canberra.

Yep, we got no beach (forget Casurina Sands, Kambah Pools, Pine Island, and Point Hut Crossing). We’re instead surrounded by national parks no more than 45mins from your door, in which you can regularly hike, rock climb, mountain bike, paddle, fish, ski, and free fly, often with eagles.

IMHO boredom is a reflection of your willingness to open yourself to the experiences and positives that surround you. If you still don’t like what you find, keep exploring, or create something new. To complain is just…. boring.

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