An Aussie writer has been hammered for her take on sport as she poured cold water on the Demons’ historic Grand Final win on Saturday.
Author Jane Caro’s tweet about the AFL Grand Final divided the country as she came under fire for her take on sport’s place in Australian culture.
Melbourne thrashed the Western Bulldogs on Saturday night to break a 57-year premiership drought, sparking emotional scenes of jubilation among Demons players and fans who had been starved of success for so long.
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But Caro clearly wasn’t watching. “Dear most Aussies, who are the Dees? What is the thing you all care so much about? Actually, no, please (PLEASE) don’t explain. This tweet is just for all those kids like I once was who could not give a toss & felt weird & had to pretend. It’s OK. One day you can just ignore it,” she tweeted.
Caro doubled down in several responses. One person said “you do not know what you’re missing”, to which she replied: “No. Lovely way to live, frankly. Have you read all of Dickens and Austen and Gaskell? If not, you don’t either. Such is life.”
In another reply, Caro tweeted: “I don’t like any sport. I don’t even watch the Olympics. I make no judgement as to which is good or bad. All equally incomprehensible to me.”
Caro also said “it can make you feel isolated when you don’t feel what everyone else feels” and “it’s an interesting ride being an Aussie who does not like sport. I feel your pain”.
Many responded positively to Caro’s tweet with their own shared experiences, but there was also a huge number of people who opposed her. Some took exception to what they claimed was a condescending attitude towards Australian sports fans.
Australia reacts to divisive tweet
Sports journalist Matt Gottlieb called Caro’s take the “most sneeringly snobbish thing I’ve seen on social media in a while”.
“I’m gonna turn up to the opera and loudly tell everyone that I don’t care about the opera because it’s important that people who like opera know that I don’t care about opera,” he tweeted sarcastically.
News director and podcaster Michelle Stephenson tweeted: “Dear most Aussies, who is Jane Caro? Actually, please PLEASE don’t explain. I will be bored immediately. Carry on and enjoy your sports and sports related celebrations.”
Journalist Blake Johnson put a unique spin on Caro’s take. “Must we yuck someone else’s yum?” he wrote.
Fellow reporter Ned Balme added: “Ah, the ‘sportsball’ joke. The go-to defensive mechanism for even the most worldly of wet blankets.”
Sports producer Kyle Pollard wrote: “Bizarre narrative to believe there’s some sort of chasm between sport fans and people who read books. Don’t like sport? Don’t worry about acknowledging it. Let people enjoy what they enjoy.”
Journalist Bernie Coen tweeted: “Ah your ignorance is bliss … thankfully we all aren’t as boring as single minded as you. I have many interests … You it appears only books and dismiss anything anyone else likes … Oh by the way 61 per cent of TV viewers were watching the AFL last night. So a few people enjoyed it.
“This woman seems to think if you do not read books but like sport it’s sad and ‘incomprehensible’. Why bag what other people enjoy. If we were all like @JaneCaro my god life would be dull. Thankfully we all have different hobbies!”
Jack Ryan joked: “Was gonna watch the big UFC fight today but wouldn’t want Jane Caro to spit on me, so reading Master Humphrey’s Clock instead. Really enjoying learning about the eponymous Master Humphrey and his clock.”
For all the backlash, there were plenty willing to support Caro. Author Tracey Spicer replied with a love heart emoji while Sunita Gloster tweeted: “Keep on keeping on @JaneCaro. Please.”
Another and documentary-maker Angela Pippos talked sense when she tweeted: “You can both like Jane Caro and disagree with her take on sport.”
Additionally, more than 1500 people “liked” Caro’s initial tweet.
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