Tim Blair

Hell, more scams but since they that is what they are about, why not just buy fast foods and be done with it. Face it, fast food chomping voters outnumber musical followers by some hundreds of thousands to one.

Mind, it's a great incentive to write a musical, even if it's a fizzer.... you still collect a bank account's worth of taxed money.

Now, for the next textbook case in the arts of Official Theft by Spring St. Communisto and their jolly band of well paid mendicants.

If we all stopped speeding Pandy would have to wear a cardboard belt.

Could Bracks possibly be promoting the show to interstate tourists, who would nip into Melba for the weekend and drop a bundle of cash in hotel and restaurant bills, as well as having a great time and thinking "Ah, that was the city where we had so much fun. Shall we go back one day?"

Or is that too much like a conspiracy theory?

The Producers beats the hell out of, say, Manning Clark's History of Australia, the Musical.

Remember that load of shite written to mark Australia's Bicentennial in 1988?

However it did manage to spawn one great piece of writing - critic Clark Forbes' demolition job on it.

Fork, you forgot to mention the inevitable speeding fines that the tourists will get slapped for (providing they drive). It's almost a stark contrast to south-east Queensland where it seems like I have to actually try to get pulled over for speeding...

Oh, and while my typing finger is still working, isn't this the same place where -- was it two days ago? -- people were sallying forth with solemn disquisitions on Godwin's law?
Because if that's the standard, this post violated it in its title.

Just saying, is all.

If only the Victorian Liberals weren't such pathetic losers.

Mentioning the Victorian Premier violates Godwin's law?

Possibly it should, but I think Bracks = Hitler definitely does.

*sound of crickets*

What the hell, Fork?

Ah, top comeback.

Mr Paint, meet Mr Corner.

All friends here.

Seriously, I love this blog, and only fools are a hundred per cent consistent. Still, two days is a quick turnover in anyone's language.

Fork, no one here is seriously comparing Steve Bracks to Hitler. Unless you of the opinion that Mel Brooks was also an early violater of "Godwin's Law."

In other words, ha ha to your little aborted fetus of a joke. You know, I think I am going to start comparing everyone to Hitler for no reason. I'm tired of this self-righteous waving of "Godwin's Law" by trolls.

heading in the age today:

"state produced $250,000 to promote Hitler musical"

whether the subby got all excited about leni's passing, or they were just trying to be ingenuous, it was bizarre.

not sure how Mel would feel about such a great musical being reduced to "Hitler Musical".

ahh what the hell, he'd probably love it.

would $250,000 not be a drop in Port Phillip Bay compared to the figures invested by state govts in little trifles like say, Crown Casino, or maybe a Grand Prix, a Commonwealth Games?

Somewhat OT - actually a lot OT but since you folks are talking culture perhaps you could help out this Yank. During the 50's an Australian ballet called "Corroboree" was recorded. My family played that piece so often that the record is now void of any music and I'm trying to find a replacement, preferrably on CD. I've found sections of Corroboree but not the whole thing. Is it available down under? If so, can you shoot the particulars back to me so that I can go about getting a copy. Thanks

Hands off the Grand Prix, chico. Some things -- things for the benefit of all humankind -- deserve state funding.

Chic,

Even if funding the casino and the GP are not a good use of taxpayers' money, that doesn't make throwing $250,00 away on advertising a musical that would do well on its own.

But one notices that the smaller states are always keen on spending taxpayers' money on promoting their states. It's a bit sad really.

Hey Andrea -- you a cranky sort of person, innit?

Hey Fork---

hyjy.,tgf.t97p;.igyb

Oops! Sorry there. The thought of bothering to reply to you made me fall asleep on the keyboard.

Very dutiful of you to struggle through and post regardless.

Humblest thanks!

Chic, stupidly wasting money on a dud car race does not justify another stupid waste. And Tim, if you can justify funding the GP how do you argue against a grant to design a women-specific surfboard or some such other nonsense (and yes, I remember that grant from when Bob was PM and he was trying to kickstart the economy by paying for things like a concrete footpath that went half way down my street).

ah toryhere, you always bring a smile to my dial:

a musical will "do well on its own", and a casino won't? that lil' riverside enterprise is generating more moolah than anything in the state. and how much tax-payer funding? i'm going to go very wide indeed and suggest it might be a little more than $250,000.

'course, unlike the 'Hitler Musical" tax break, the real figures will never be made public. least, not while we're alive.