Link: https://www.sbs.com.au/whats-on/article/why-housos-is-the-most-important-australian-sitcom-of-the-21st-century/uqx4ez9lt

This is SBS publishing an article about a show which they broadcast, so this could be considered akin to 'sponsored content' (advertisement).

Nevertheless, I don't think that detracts from Anthony Morris's article. I also note that this overall message, of working class depiction in entertainment media, has been echoed by proponents in community theatre, such as the New Theatre.

"The ideas of the ruling class are in every epoch the ruling ideas, i.e. the class which is the ruling material force of society, is at the same time its ruling intellectual force."

Is it any good? I just found a movie Paul Fenech directed in 98, Somewhere In The Darkness. I was looking for a series about the origins of Pizza that I thought he was in or made but I can't find it.

In my opinion, it's a bundle of fun and has its moments. Upbeat, ridiculous, impolite. Can't be taken seriously. Unpasturised - for better and worse.

It's blunt and crass, and doesn't shy away from a few occasional cheap gross-out shots, so if those aren't dealbreakers then give the first episode a watch and see if you think it's your flavour: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qr3WsMagX5g

I'd never heard of Somewhere In The Darkness, I've only seen Fenech's non-serious comedy work. I might give it a watch when I have an hour.

Thanks for the link, I've never heard of that movie and I just watched it. It's like a kind of time capsule in a way.

I haven't watched as much of it but it seemed like more of the same after Fat Pizza and Swift and Shift.

I can't stand this show, nor Kath & Kim and others along the same lines. It's possible to be low income without being cartoonishly cringe.

For sure. One could contrast it with The Castle - it still plays on stereotypes, trouble with the law, crude ignorance and making the most of modest situation, but with wholesome characters and much sharper political statements.

Housos and Fat PIzza are on youtube these days. I think they're fun. I grew up low income and knew a heap of people like those depicted in the shows.

Yeah, fair, but the characters are also partly for the comedy of it, although, i think, some of those characters weren't miles away from the real people 😆

I suppose Sea Change has pretty positive positioning of many low income characters... why yes, I am re-watching that currently.

How do you feel about Trailer Park Boys, IASIP, and Shameless? Not trying for a "gotcha" here, I'm curious how those two shows compare.

Personally I have no problem with those 3 because it's a type of low income person being caricaturized but I haven't seen either show you mentioned

Never seen them

That's the thing, I just don't see the comedy at all much of the time.

Sea Change was great. I rewatched the first seasons not that long ago. It sits a bit different being in Melb now than NSW when it first came out.

Yeah, i found houso's hard to watch. I just assumed i wasn't the demographic for this though. I's a little oldwr by the time Houso's came out, whereas the absurdity of Fat Pizza i think I's the right age group for at that time.

Sitcoms work because everyone knows someone who’s a bit cartoonishly cringe, whether scuzzy school friends, a faux-posh aunt or a linkedin lunatic boss.