In the last two weeks, Australia has been swept up in controversy. I'm sure the off-the-pitch cricket madness has absolutely gripped the news cycle in the US and that you simply can't get enough of it, but no, it's not that. Perhaps it's Lleyton Hewitt playing until 4:45 in the morning in the Aussie Open??!? No, not that. Maybe some political scandal? Nope, all's been eerily quiet on the political front since the election.
Instead, a kid threw a party. And it got a little out of control.
That's it. Seriously, that's it. And this story has absolutely taken off here. Newspapers and magazines are putting it on their front page/cover, TV shows are devoting segments to it and this kid has become a star. All to his absolute delight. Which really isn't helping things.
I'd elaborate and could go on for hours, but even then, the video in the article here and the video here say more than I ever could. In particular, in the second video, I want you to take note of this kid's obsession with his glasses as well as to his all-time great response to the question, "What would you say to other kids who are thinking of throwing a party like yours?"
Ever since this story "broke", I've been at a loss for how to digest this. I mean, Australia -- a country of a little over 21 million people -- doesn't exactly produce too much "newsworthy" news. The newspapers are tiny and the national network news often does stories on the most random of events in the most random of places. Seriously, it sometimes comes across as your local community news. And in my four months here, I guess I've accepted that. But this (and then this!)... I mean, this takes things to a whole new level. And I honestly can't decide what's more ridiculous: this kid or the fact that this is actually considered to be a newsworthy story.
Instead, a kid threw a party. And it got a little out of control.
That's it. Seriously, that's it. And this story has absolutely taken off here. Newspapers and magazines are putting it on their front page/cover, TV shows are devoting segments to it and this kid has become a star. All to his absolute delight. Which really isn't helping things.
I'd elaborate and could go on for hours, but even then, the video in the article here and the video here say more than I ever could. In particular, in the second video, I want you to take note of this kid's obsession with his glasses as well as to his all-time great response to the question, "What would you say to other kids who are thinking of throwing a party like yours?"
Ever since this story "broke", I've been at a loss for how to digest this. I mean, Australia -- a country of a little over 21 million people -- doesn't exactly produce too much "newsworthy" news. The newspapers are tiny and the national network news often does stories on the most random of events in the most random of places. Seriously, it sometimes comes across as your local community news. And in my four months here, I guess I've accepted that. But this (and then this!)... I mean, this takes things to a whole new level. And I honestly can't decide what's more ridiculous: this kid or the fact that this is actually considered to be a newsworthy story.
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