# My lack of patriotism - I mute the national anthem **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 9, 2011, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-lack-of-patriotism-i-mute-the-national-anthem/577762 "2011-04-09T04:47:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**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:** [April 9, 2011, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-lack-of-patriotism-i-mute-the-national-anthem/577762/1 "2011-04-09T04:47:03Z")
I just watched the best racehorse on earth, Black Caviar, win the T J Smith Stakes at her first run in Sydney. While I was watching on TV the national anthem was sung before the race. Before it started I muted it. I realised I had done the same thing before the football last night and in fact do it regularly. I guess I just hate the song. It’s like the track you always skip on an otherwise perfect album, hearing it detracts from the pleasure of everything else. Does this make me a bad Aussie? ---
**Author:** ![Raguleader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/258eb7/32.png) [@Raguleader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raguleader)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2011, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-lack-of-patriotism-i-mute-the-national-anthem/577762/2 "2011-04-09T05:16:17Z")
You don’t like Waltzing Matilda?!:eek: (Yes, I know that’s not the anthem) ---
**Author:** ![Jeff\_Lichtman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jeff_lichtman/32/1531_2.png) [@Jeff\_Lichtman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jeff_Lichtman)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2011, 6:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-lack-of-patriotism-i-mute-the-national-anthem/577762/3 "2011-04-09T06:54:26Z")
**don’t ask** could love _Waltzing Matilda_ for all we know. Australia’s national anthem is _Advance Australia Fair_. Are most Australian sporting events preceded by the national anthem? In what other countries is this done? I thought this practice was peculiar to the U.S. ---
**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2011, 7:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-lack-of-patriotism-i-mute-the-national-anthem/577762/4 "2011-04-09T07:27:02Z")
I usually mute it too when I hear it, but not from lack of patriotism or dislike of the anthem. It’s simply that the performances are almost always terrible. ---
**Author:** ![Anticounterrevolutionary](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f04885/32.png) [@Anticounterrevolutionary](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anticounterrevolutionary)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2011, 7:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-lack-of-patriotism-i-mute-the-national-anthem/577762/5 "2011-04-09T07:56:54Z")
> [@don\_t\_ask](#): > > I realised I had done the same thing before the football last night and in fact do it regularly. > > Does this make me a bad Aussie? Do you mute your club’s song at the at the end of the game when they win? Yeah, you’re a bad Aussie. ---
**Author:** ![Lobot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ce7236/32.png) [@Lobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobot)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2011, 8:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-lack-of-patriotism-i-mute-the-national-anthem/577762/6 "2011-04-09T08:27:40Z")
> [@Anticounterrevolutionary](#): > > Do you mute your club’s song at the at the end of the game when they win? Yeah, you’re a bad Aussie. Come on. Patriotism is the antithesis of being a true Aussie. ---
**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:** [April 9, 2011, 8:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-lack-of-patriotism-i-mute-the-national-anthem/577762/7 "2011-04-09T08:29:29Z")
> [@Cunctator](#): > > I usually mute it too when I hear it, but not from lack of patriotism or dislike of the anthem. It’s simply that the performances are almost always terrible. Yes but I dare say your acuity when listening to vocal performances is probably a little greater than the average slob. And to answer **Jeff Lichtman** it seems to crop up at far too many televised events of all descriptions. It’s kind of expected now - fills in a few minutes of air time, provides a gig for some minor celebrity (today’s anthem was sung by a girl choir) often someone I have never heard of, sometimes a well known singer. ---
**Author:** ![Anticounterrevolutionary](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f04885/32.png) [@Anticounterrevolutionary](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anticounterrevolutionary)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2011, 8:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-lack-of-patriotism-i-mute-the-national-anthem/577762/8 "2011-04-09T08:33:41Z")
> [@Lobot](#): > > Come on. Patriotism is the antithesis of being a true Aussie. Gotta be patriotic about your sport. Especially when it’s all you’re good at. ---
**Author:** ![Essured](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/278dde/32.png) [@Essured](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Essured)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2011, 8:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-lack-of-patriotism-i-mute-the-national-anthem/577762/9 "2011-04-09T08:52:10Z")
Nope - you’re a good Aussie. Most of us don’t give two shits about the anthem, but still love the country! Just because we express / feel it differently doesn’t mean it isn’t just as real. And as **Cuncator** mentioned, most of the time the performance of the anthem at sporting events sucks dried dingo balls! ---
**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:** [April 9, 2011, 9:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-lack-of-patriotism-i-mute-the-national-anthem/577762/10 "2011-04-09T09:11:50Z")
> [@Anticounterrevolutionary](#): > > Gotta be patriotic about your sport. Especially when it’s all you’re good at. Ha well you are wrong there. We aren’t all that good at sport at the moment. New Zealand won the Rugby League Four Nations last year, we lost the Ashes and the Cricket World Cup, no Aussie side is any good in Super 14s, although we did beat Germany at soccer last week. ---
**Author:** ![penultima\_thule](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/penultima_thule/32/3833_2.png) [@penultima\_thule](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/penultima_thule)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2011, 9:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-lack-of-patriotism-i-mute-the-national-anthem/577762/11 "2011-04-09T09:54:01Z")
> [@don\_t\_ask](#): > > Does this make me a bad Aussie? Bloody unlikely. I don’t mute it, but I certainly don’t stand when I’m at home, don’t put my hand over my heart and under some duress might give the appearance of singing. I’ll leave that jingo stuff to the “Oi, Oi, Oi” crowd It doesn’t inspire me, nor affect my patriotism. ---
**Author:** ![Raguleader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/258eb7/32.png) [@Raguleader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raguleader)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2011, 10:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-lack-of-patriotism-i-mute-the-national-anthem/577762/12 "2011-04-09T10:12:26Z")
> [@Jeff\_Lichtman](#): > > **don’t ask** could love _Waltzing Matilda_ for all we know. Australia’s national anthem is _Advance Australia Fair_. > > Are most Australian sporting events preceded by the national anthem? In what other countries is this done? I thought this practice was peculiar to the U.S. Woosh. 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![Alka\_Seltzer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c89c15/32.png) [@Alka\_Seltzer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alka_Seltzer)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2011, 10:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-lack-of-patriotism-i-mute-the-national-anthem/577762/13 "2011-04-09T10:28:47Z")
> [@Jeff\_Lichtman](#): > > Are most Australian sporting events preceded by the national anthem? In what other countries is this done? I thought this practice was peculiar to the U.S. It’s very common for international sporting events to include singing of the national anthems of the participants or winners. It’s far less common to sing anthems at domestic events. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2011, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-lack-of-patriotism-i-mute-the-national-anthem/577762/14 "2011-04-09T14:01:38Z")
I always mute the American anthem, because it seems nobody can just leave the damn tune alone. It’s always sung by some wannabe diva who has to run up and down the scales searching for an emotion. ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2011, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-lack-of-patriotism-i-mute-the-national-anthem/577762/15 "2011-04-09T15:10:57Z")
With the exception of championships, some playoff games, or otherwise high-profile games, the singing of the anthem on US television is generally not even broadcast. It’s treated as a convenient opportunity to take a commercial break between the player introductions and the start of the game. ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2011, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-lack-of-patriotism-i-mute-the-national-anthem/577762/16 "2011-04-09T18:46:45Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > I always mute the American anthem, because it seems nobody can just leave the damn tune alone. It’s always sung by some wannabe diva who has to run up and down the scales searching for an emotion. In some cases, I think that the singer/musicians should be shot for treason. The Star Spangled Banner is an OK poem, but the music is a TERRIBLE piece to try to sing, and it only gets worse when a singer tries to put his/her spin on it. ---
**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:** [April 9, 2011, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-lack-of-patriotism-i-mute-the-national-anthem/577762/17 "2011-04-09T21:16:18Z")
> [@Lynn\_Bodoni](#): > > In some cases, I think that the singer/musicians should be shot for treason. The Star Spangled Banner is an OK poem, but the music is a TERRIBLE piece to try to sing, and it only gets worse when a singer tries to put his/her spin on it. I think Rosanne had it right. She butchered it, which it deserved. If only it had stayed dead… ---
**Author:** ![whiterabbit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/cab0a1/32.png) [@whiterabbit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whiterabbit)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2011, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-lack-of-patriotism-i-mute-the-national-anthem/577762/18 "2011-04-10T03:52:26Z")
I have the range for the Star Spangled Banner. Most people…don’t. It goes damn high. Just **SING THE DAMN SONG!** Getting through it is enough of a demonstration of your vocal abilities. Really. Should I ever sing it in public I promise no screwing around with it. I didn’t know Australia had the same problem with terrible anthem performances. My condolences. ---
**Author:** ![Cugel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cugel/32/1199_2.png) [@Cugel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cugel)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2011, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-lack-of-patriotism-i-mute-the-national-anthem/577762/19 "2011-04-10T04:09:33Z")
> [@Cunctator](#): > > It’s simply that the performances are almost always terrible. They used to have a live rendition before Canberra Raiders games. Woeful. I made sure I showed up as late as possible to avoid it. It was a season by season thing, but it seems to have been canned permanently, thank god. ---
**Author:** ![Philliam](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/philliam/32/3011_2.png) [@Philliam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philliam)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2011, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-lack-of-patriotism-i-mute-the-national-anthem/577762/20 "2011-04-10T16:19:46Z")
> [@Lynn\_Bodoni](#): > > In some cases, I think that the singer/musicians should be shot for treason. The Star Spangled Banner is an OK poem, but the music is a TERRIBLE piece to try to sing, and it only gets worse when a singer tries to put his/her spin on it. Lynn Bodoni & Chefguy both hit it for six. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-lack-of-patriotism-i-mute-the-national-anthem/577762.md?page=2)