Americans are used to subpar humor designed for morons. They will not be able to comprehend the statistical density that IS Mr. Lilley and his social commentary.
They'll laugh at the Poo On You, but that's about it.
American network TV is complete *beep* but Summer Heights High and Angry Boys aired on HBO and were pretty well received by American audiences. While most networks concentrate on reality TV shows about dancing or baking cakes, HBO has been making intelligent shows for decades. HBO co-produced this series so they definitely felt it would appeal to American audiences.
shareJesus Christ, another self-loathing American that feels the need to degrade their country on the internet to prove how cultured/intelligent they are. We get it, russel. Your countryfolk are more intelligent than you give us credit for.
shareI think the OP is partially correct. I think many of the subtleties and details escape USA viewers which is really a shame. However, the acting and script are so good, the vast majority of Americans DO "get" the show, and enjoy it for what they can glean from it.
The following is what I realized I should do to get the MOST out of Chris's shows.
What I did not get I Googled. BTW, "So random" is more of a brat phrase than a regional one. Summer High Heights: Jai'me: "Oh, your bins are so random!"
I eventually got quite acute in hearing differences in regional dialects in Australia. Just like anywhere in the world, accents are race, region and education related...also sexual preference..LOL. Daniel talks like a poor country folk or Hillbilly would in the USA. Where as Blake speaks in an Aussie dialect like a Southern Cali dude would use. I think some subtleties like this are totally lost on USA viewers.
Remember, the entire ABC switch board lighted up the first night Angry Boys was shown. The vast majority of callers thought it was a real documentary. In the end, finally, most USA viewers DO get it and muddle through and enjoy the shows. Be better if they hit the internet.
If every USA viewer would do a tiny bit of Googling they would get so much more from the series. Just knowing class structure of Australia is so important for understanding a lot of the show. The genius that Chris does is show that their are IDIOTS in ALL of the classes in Australia...rich to poor, immigrants to natives.
I searched Chris Liley's real accent from interviews and compared that to his characters who ALL use a different accent and speech pattern. I unfortunately know many USA people here that think there is only one Aussie or British accent.
I was familiar already with 90% of Aussie slang. I looked up what I didnt know.
Recognizing every dialect and vocabulary word is not mandatory for enjoying the show. But is is necessary if a viewer is going to get the MOST out of what Chris Liley has to offer as an actor and writer.
Tracy Ulman rags on both USA and Brit characters and she seems to get her points across. Chris Liley can do similar.
Well, I didn't feel the need to use google to understand it. You could say the same of most television shows/ movies; extensive research will, presumably, help you "get" it more. Yes, some of the slang went over my head. But in the end it made me laugh and it made me think, as did Summer Heights High and We Can Be Heroes. Isn't that enough?
shareThat is right. Americans are morons. As we watch Angry Boys we won't comprehend the statistical density of Mr. Lilley and his dense social commentary on Tiger Mom's, Skateboarding Gay Style and Poo.
What must be realized is that American humor IS designed to chuckle at the irony of the unsophisticated inelegance and below par intelligence of russellsolomon, a Boer War product, who's cocksure attitude demonstrates that he is, indeed, an angry, angry boy!
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