david f, it's all a bit 'pi in the sky'.

scribbler, Halloween originated in Scotland, based on the Celtic festival of Samhain. For some reason, Aussies think it is an American idea, like pies.

The sad fact is that we are saturated by American TV because we can't produce anything to match as our own TV is still mostly amateurish. Therefore, our kisd are growing up with Americanisms.

How about politics? We have the Labor Party when it should be the Labour Party.

I think, perhaps, the thing that makes Halloween an 'American' thing is the way it is taken overboard. It's not the concept of Halloween (or St Valentine's Day, for that matter) that I find frustrating - it's the manner in which it is celebrated.

Perhaps as a consequence of decades of relative affluence, the Americans have had the luxury of making everything enormous, sensational, extravagant and so on. While many American people are humble, humility doesn't shine out as a part of the 'American way'.

I see no one seems to share my view about the truly filthy things we adopt.
But it is not all bad American Negro's give us the best too.
Jazz Rock and Roll, and music others try to copy.
I recently explained to a young relation, no one had ever tried before, why we mostly dislike base ball caps on back to front.
He said it was just what it is, rubbish he never wants to be other than Aussie.
But room exists to talk, surely,about trash talking, the words I spoke of are a weakness, unneeded attempts to put maleness out there that does the opposite.

Labor is good branding. If you want to be the commonors party, it helps to mis-spell words.

I would have gone with layba myself. Layba for Straya!

mmmm beer wenches. Had them at the cricket for 1 year before the femo PC police stepped in.

Craac open a cowodi! As you do..

Aussie beer adverts are ten times more stupid than yanks. Then again you never hear the word mum in any advert without 'busy' before it. Appealing to the martyr in women or the inner bogan in men never fails

We've been influenced greatly
by American-made films, television programmes,
fashions, cars, fads and gadgets that have flooded
into the country. As a result -
Market research has shown that
one of the most effective ways for advertisers to
reach a male audience is to associate a product,
however remotely, with a seductive or smiling female.

Advertising directed at women, on the other hand,
shows females delighted beyond measure at the discovery
of a new instant soup, or thrilled into ecstasy by
the blinding whiteness of their wash. In fact, the vast
majority of television adds that use women models are
for kitchen or bathroom products.

A barrage of adds still portray females as simple-minded
creatures, bickering enlessly over which toothpaste or
fabric softener is better. The American influence lives on.

Still who can blame America. As Walt Disney once proclaimed:

"Girls bored me - they still do.
I love Mickey Mouse more than any woman
I've ever known!"

Houellie,

"...Appealing to the martyr in women....."

Excuse me, kind sir, but I think you'll find the Strayan pronunciation is "mada".

...all Strayan sheilas are madas : )