# Kevin Rudd, Australian Prime Minister, AKA Aussie Redneck Supremo **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [March 31, 2010, 6:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kevin-rudd-australian-prime-minister-aka-aussie-redneck-supremo/534432 "2010-03-31T06:00:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2010, 6:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kevin-rudd-australian-prime-minister-aka-aussie-redneck-supremo/534432/1 "2010-03-31T06:00:35Z")
> [@](#): > > AUSTRALIAN Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has hit back at a jibe by US actor/comedian Robin Williams that Australians are just “English Rednecks.” > > Williams, who recently toured Australia, made the comment while appearing as a guest on the popular “Late Night with Dave Letterman Show.” > > – snip – > > Speaking to Triple M radio show host Eddie McGuire in Melbourne on Wednesday, Mr Rudd said: “First of all, I think Robin Williams should go and spend a bit of time in Alabama before he frames comments about anyone being particularly redneck.” > > “That’s my first response.” [http://www.news.com.au/national/kevin-rudd-hits-back-at-robin-williams-redneck-jibe/story-e6frfkvr-1225848058288](http://www.news.com.au/national/kevin-rudd-hits-back-at-robin-williams-redneck-jibe/story-e6frfkvr-1225848058288) I lived ten years in Australia. Even became an Australian citizen. Still have lots of friends Down Under. Love the country. Love the people. Love the humor. Likes and dislikes as well. That’s life. For a Septic to be accepted in Oz, many might consider that to be a life accomplishment. My wife is from Alabama. Been there, many, many times. Got many, many friends (and relatives) in the Heart of Dixie. Love the state. Love the people. Love the humor. Likes and dislikes as well. That’s life. For a Yankee to be accepted in the South, many might consider that to be a life accomplishment. While redneck is considered a derogatory term in both Australia and Alabama, it’s plainly obvious that [fuckwit](http://www.pm.gov.au/Meet_the_PM/About_the_PM) truly is an Australian word of the highest political order. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2010, 6:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kevin-rudd-australian-prime-minister-aka-aussie-redneck-supremo/534432/2 "2010-03-31T06:07:46Z")
Ok, I don’t get it. Is Williams the redneck, or Rudd, or both? If both do they cancel each other out? What is it you think the 2nd link is supposed to demonstrate? Warning – it may be that I’m too much of a fuckwit redneck to understand what you’re saying. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2010, 6:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kevin-rudd-australian-prime-minister-aka-aussie-redneck-supremo/534432/3 "2010-03-31T06:17:05Z")
I might like to know what a “Septic” is, unless its disgusting and involves sheep. Then no. ---
**Author:** ![tavalla](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tavalla/32/89_2.png) [@tavalla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tavalla)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2010, 6:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kevin-rudd-australian-prime-minister-aka-aussie-redneck-supremo/534432/4 "2010-03-31T06:44:09Z")
‘Septic’ or ‘seppo’ is, in this sense, rhyming slang: ‘septic tank’ = ‘Yank’. ---
**Author:** ![Jump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/47e85d/32.png) [@Jump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jump)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2010, 10:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kevin-rudd-australian-prime-minister-aka-aussie-redneck-supremo/534432/5 "2010-03-31T10:35:01Z")
I don’t think Duckster gets it, Kevin Rudd was talking to an Australian audience about an American calling us rednecks. If someone in Australia were to make a joke where the punchline relied on an Aussie associating “Alamaba” with “red neck” then it’d work 9 times out of 10. It’s a stereotype that has been given to us from TV/films etc that we’ve imported from the US. ETA : I haven’t heard Robin William’s complete comments but I’m sure they were funny in the context he used them. Likewise, I haven’t read Kevun Rudd’s complete statements but they were also funny and relevant to his purpose. ---
**Author:** ![Gleena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b3f665/32.png) [@Gleena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gleena)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2010, 10:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kevin-rudd-australian-prime-minister-aka-aussie-redneck-supremo/534432/6 "2010-03-31T10:53:55Z")
> [@Duckster](#): > > While redneck is considered a derogatory term in both Australia and Alabama, it’s plainly obvious that [fuckwit](http://www.pm.gov.au/Meet_the_PM/About_the_PM) truly is an Australian word of the highest political order. Mississippian who lives in Sydney. I have to agree with Rudd. Seriously, dial back the offendo-meter. Makes you look like a fuckwit. ---
**Author:** ![Buckler\_of\_Swashing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Buckler\_of\_Swashing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Buckler_of_Swashing)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2010, 11:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kevin-rudd-australian-prime-minister-aka-aussie-redneck-supremo/534432/7 "2010-03-31T11:13:00Z")
So, you are offended by Rudd suggesting that people from Alabama are rednecks but it was fine for Williams to suggest that Australians are rednecks? I don’t think either statement was all that offensive myself, I’m just wondering why your anger is apparently directed at only one party in the exchange when both used essentially the same insult. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2010, 11:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kevin-rudd-australian-prime-minister-aka-aussie-redneck-supremo/534432/8 "2010-03-31T11:14:48Z")
> [@Gleena](#): > > Mississippian who lives in Sydney. I have to agree with Rudd. > > Seriously, dial back the offendo-meter. Makes you look like a fuckwit. Still I think KRudd could follow the same advice. It was the setup line for a bit Williams was doing. Surely even K Dog knows that Williams is a comedian. And you can’t take offence in one breath and in the next make some categorical insult about an entire US state. Politician = idiot. ---
**Author:** ![El\_Kabong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_kabong/32/496_2.png) [@El\_Kabong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Kabong)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2010, 11:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kevin-rudd-australian-prime-minister-aka-aussie-redneck-supremo/534432/9 "2010-03-31T11:25:38Z")
What I’ve been wondering is, if Australia is the Land Down Under, does that make Canada the Land Up Over? ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2010, 11:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kevin-rudd-australian-prime-minister-aka-aussie-redneck-supremo/534432/10 "2010-03-31T11:28:33Z")
Don’t you mean The Land Up Over, eh? ---
**Author:** ![Giles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giles/32/60_2.png) [@Giles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giles)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2010, 11:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kevin-rudd-australian-prime-minister-aka-aussie-redneck-supremo/534432/11 "2010-03-31T11:28:35Z")
[QUOTE=Robin Williams] … Australians are just “English Rednecks.” [/QUOTE] Isn’t Kevin Rudd missing the point of the insult? Isn’t the worst part of that not the “Rednecks” part but the “English” part? It’s not just that Williams compares Australians with ignorant Americans, but he compares them with Poms as well? That’s the sting in the joke. ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2010, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kevin-rudd-australian-prime-minister-aka-aussie-redneck-supremo/534432/12 "2010-03-31T12:44:55Z")
Wasn’t Kevin Rudd the bad guy in “Lethal Weapon 2?” ---
**Author:** ![Hal\_Briston](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a9a28c/32.png) [@Hal\_Briston](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hal_Briston)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2010, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kevin-rudd-australian-prime-minister-aka-aussie-redneck-supremo/534432/13 "2010-03-31T13:25:34Z")
> [@don\_t\_ask](#): > > Don’t you mean The Land Up Over, eh? Maybe the Land Over the UP? ---
**Author:** ![Jump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/47e85d/32.png) [@Jump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jump)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2010, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kevin-rudd-australian-prime-minister-aka-aussie-redneck-supremo/534432/14 "2010-03-31T14:04:52Z")
Some of you American’s see it a little different to how we do down in Australia (not that it’s a “thing” here)/ But our leader hasn’t had all the personal and media security that your guy does. I think he is routinely on talk radio shows and as far as i know takes questions every Friday morning on a “Good Morning America” or “The Today Show” type show. With all of this, you can imagine he discusses and comments on mundane things. I imagine the only reason this came up for Mr Rudd is that a host or interviewer asked him his opinion and he gave them his (planned) answer. If any American wants a better understanding of the casualty of Aussie politics, i suggest you sit through an ENTIRE hour of House of Representatives Question Time. ---
**Author:** ![elbows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b3f665/32.png) [@elbows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elbows)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2010, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kevin-rudd-australian-prime-minister-aka-aussie-redneck-supremo/534432/15 "2010-03-31T15:15:06Z")
Seriously, who are you pissed at? Robin Williams? The Pm? The redneck word? Being compared to a Yank? Alabama? Suggest you rewrite for clarity, and then resubmit. ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2010, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kevin-rudd-australian-prime-minister-aka-aussie-redneck-supremo/534432/16 "2010-03-31T16:27:46Z")
I think he’s angry about being a naturalized dual redneck, first to Alabama and then to Australia. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2010, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kevin-rudd-australian-prime-minister-aka-aussie-redneck-supremo/534432/17 "2010-03-31T17:19:04Z")
Who knew Alabama had a Prime Minister? ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2010, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kevin-rudd-australian-prime-minister-aka-aussie-redneck-supremo/534432/18 "2010-03-31T18:51:00Z")
> [@VinylTurnip](#): > > I think he’s angry about being a naturalized dual redneck, first to Alabama and then to Australia. Doesn’t sound very natural – sounds downright _un_natural to me. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2010, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kevin-rudd-australian-prime-minister-aka-aussie-redneck-supremo/534432/19 "2010-03-31T19:31:13Z")
Makes sense to me that Aussies are rednecks. I mean, the further south you go, the more rednecks there are. And Australia is, like, totally way south. Don’t even get me started on penguins, what with their igloos made out of beer cans. ---
**Author:** ![MaxTheVool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MaxTheVool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MaxTheVool)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2010, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kevin-rudd-australian-prime-minister-aka-aussie-redneck-supremo/534432/20 "2010-03-31T21:40:43Z")
> [@Bricker](#): > > Wasn’t Kevin Rudd the bad guy in “Lethal Weapon 2?” Well, he probably does have “Diplometic Immunity”. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kevin-rudd-australian-prime-minister-aka-aussie-redneck-supremo/534432.md?page=2)