Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s ‘Americanisms’ on display

Key Concepts

• Pronunciation of "important": The substitution of the medial 't' with a 'd' (e.g., "im-por-dant" instead of "im-por-tant").
• Americanisms: Linguistic borrowings from American English, specifically the pronunciation of "important."
• Diction: The clarity and distinctness of speech.
• Australian Content Quotas: Legislation requiring streaming services to produce and feature a certain amount of Australian-made content.
• "Daddy Government": A colloquial term implying excessive governmental intervention and regulation.

Complaints of the Week

Pronunciation of "Important" and Linguistic Degradation

Main Topic: The incorrect pronunciation of the word "important" as "im-por-dant" is highlighted as a significant linguistic issue.

Key Points:

• The medial 't' is being replaced with a 'd', a phenomenon identified as an "Americanism."
• This trend is becoming increasingly prevalent and is considered undesirable.
• Examples of similar Americanisms include "butter" instead of "butter" and "Italy" instead of "Italy."
• The Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, is identified as a "chief offender" for frequently using this pronunciation.
• A plea is made for the Prime Minister to revert to the correct pronunciation to set a national example.

Supporting Evidence/Arguments:

• The argument is made that this is an "Americanism" that Australia "does well without."
• The contrast is drawn with former Labour leaders like Bill Shorten, whose speech patterns (e.g., 'th' becoming 'v') are discussed, though not necessarily endorsed.
• Paul Keating is cited as an example of someone with "bad diction" who would not have spoken with such errors, despite his background.
• The pronunciation of "millionaire" as "millionaire" and "police" as a one-syllable word ("police") are also mentioned as examples of linguistic degradation.
• A general observation is made about a "general degradation in language" and a lack of effort in how people speak.

Notable Statements:

• "There is the pronunciation of a word that has really got on my goat. It's an important word and in fact the word I'm talking about is the word important." - Kell Richards
• "It's an Americanism. We shouldn't borrow this from Americans." - Kell Richards
• "The chief offender is our prime minister, Anthony Albanzi. Every important thing is really important." - Kell Richards
• "You would provide a lead for the nation, and we'd be really happy if suddenly you put the T back into important. You would make this nation proud." - Kell Richards
• "It does feel like though, Evelyn, that there's just a general degradation in language, you know, across the board." - Joe
• "I feel like after my uh episode here a few weeks ago where I mispronounced wombat, I feel like I feel like I don't I feel like I can't speak about this or I'm a hypocrite." - Evelyn

Government Legislation and Streaming Services

Main Topic: The introduction of new legislation by the Albanese government to impose quotas on Australian content for streaming services.

Key Points:

• The speaker expresses a belief that Australia "just don't have enough legislation here" and that "daddy government is not daddying hard enough."
• The Albanese government is praised for creating more laws, specifically targeting streaming services like Netflix, Prime, and Amazon.
• These services will be required to meet quotas for producing and featuring Australian content.
• This is presented as an extension of existing laws that already apply to Australian free-to-air channels.

Supporting Evidence/Arguments:

• The speaker's personal preference is to use streaming services "to escape the Australian rubbish" and avoid shows like "Neighbors."
• The underlying sentiment is that the government is over-regulating ("daddy government").

Notable Statements:

• "Look, you know, I think in Australia and I'm sure people at home would agree that we just don't have enough legislation here. There are not enough rules. Daddy government is not daddying hard enough." - Evelyn
• "Now, they have they are required by Albanesey's laws to create more Australian content. And you know what? I can't help but think, you know what? I go to Netflix. I go to Prime to escape the Australian rubbish. I don't want to watch Neighbors, okay?" - Evelyn

Synthesis/Conclusion

The discussion highlights two distinct areas of concern. Firstly, a critique of linguistic trends, specifically the Americanized pronunciation of "important," is presented as a sign of declining diction and a call for leadership in maintaining proper speech. Secondly, the introduction of new government legislation mandating Australian content quotas on streaming services is met with a somewhat ironic sentiment, as the speaker, while advocating for more government action, personally uses these services to avoid local content. The overarching theme is a commentary on language, regulation, and personal preferences in the Australian context.