No Offence, But It's True

Local News, By burgjo, 17th September, 2007

First it was South Park’s Cartman warning other to “respect my authority”, then Bart Simpson invited teachers to “eat my shorts’’, and Kath and Kim’s all-purpose adjective, “noice’’, is still heard across the country.

Now children are repeating rude and racist phrases uttered in ABC’s hit TV comedy Summer Heights High, according to parents and teachers.

The ABC mockumentary is set in a fictional high school where redheads are described by Jonah as “rangas” – from orangutans. Jonah argues it’s all right to tell his teachers to “puck off” because “it starts with P, so it’s not rude”. He calls his classmates “homos” and has a “Dick-tation” graffiti tag.

Students are also imitating writer and performer Chris Lilley’s two other characters—stuck-up private schoolgirl Ja’mie and delusional drama teacher Mr G.

Plain-speaking Ja’mie ends each put-down with, “No offence, but it’s true”, and Mr G’s drama class holds a risque role-play called “slap the butcher”.

NSW Teachers Federation spokeswoman Diane Hague said teachers were not yet reporting an increased use of the terms. “It’s a bit early yet for it to be in wide use in the playground because the show has only been on a couple of weeks,’’ she said.

Its subject matter and post – The Chaser’s War On Everything timeslot is striking a chord with young viewers. Summer Heights High last week held on to most of its record-setting audience with 1.37 million viewers.

A week earlier, 1.6 million tuned to the premiere, making it the highest-rated new comedy for the ABC since Mother and Son debuted in 1992.

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