Found on Not Always Right

[samvara]

(Video Rental | Bremerton, WA, USA)
Me: “Thank you for calling [video rental store]. How can I help you?”
Caller: “Have you seen District 9?”
Me: “Yes, I have. Do have questions about it?”
Caller: “Is this some sort of Australian joke?”
Me: “I beg your pardon?”
Caller: “All this movie has been is interviews with government people and aliens wearing brassieres! Am I watching some weird special feature or is this some kind of Australian joke?”
Me: “Well, the movie is in a documentary style and that definitely sounds like the beginning of the movie. If you want, you can come down to the store and exchange it for no charge.”
Caller: “Thank you very much. Those Australians have a weird sense of humor, man. I should know…I used to be married to a Brit and they’re strange, too!”
Me: “All right, sir you have a good night.”
Caller: “OK. I will put in a decent movie now which is not an Australian joke.”

...government people and aliens wearing brassieres = Australian joke?

Comments

[ironed_orchid]

Maybe they thought the South African accents were Australian...?

[copracat]

LOL, snap!

[samvara]

Yeah, cos I once talked to a Dutch guy in a clown suit and he sounded kinda like me!

[copracat]

No, seriously, some people have as much trouble differentiating between Afrikaans, Australian and New Zealand accents as I do US and Canadian (that is the non-French Canadians, of course).

My gf tells me to listen for the vowels, particularly 'o', but I just can't hear it.

[samvara]

Which makes perfect sense, I wonder if you only develop an ear if it's relevant/necessary...

My step mother was Canadian and I have Canadian friends so I find it easy to hear. ditto my aunt's partner is Dutch and I work with a couple of South Africans so I get exposure... I love the sound of Afrikaans too by the way, it's almost as good as that really flutey British sound from around Oxford.

[copracat]

Maybe your caller confused the Afrikaans accent with the Australian accent?

[shrydar.livejournal.com]

As our American producer once exclaimed - "Those whacky Orstralians!"

[black-samvara.livejournal.com]

And here I thought we were merely famous for outdoor sex acts ;)

[ariaflame.livejournal.com]

What did Australians have to do with it anyway?

[black-samvara.livejournal.com]

No idea!

[leecetheartist.livejournal.com]

Might be for the same reason that I thought that the Australian character on Eureka was meant to be South African...

[black-samvara.livejournal.com]

*grins* would you be referring to Matt Frewer the Canadian?

[leecetheartist.livejournal.com]

Yes, perhaps I should have said the "Australian" character.

[black-samvara.livejournal.com]

I appreciate him for trying!

[justadecoy.livejournal.com]

I just looked him up and found out I had totally not registered Matt Frewer as Moloch in Watchmen or as Max Headroom when I saw Eureka.

[black-samvara.livejournal.com]

He is prolific!