"RAAF mad as ... at Shaun Micallef???" Topic

For those who don't know Shaun Micallef is an Australian comedian and tv host.

He has an ad on ABC tv for a new chat show. Loosely:

"In my new chat show I ask celebrity guests what they would take if their house was about to be destroyed.

Russell Crowe couldn't understand the concept, so we paid him a visit.

(Picture of bombed/collapsed house)

Thanks to the RAAF for the missile strike.

We hope to hear from Russell's agent soon"

That played for a week or two.

Today I noticed, again loosely:

"In my new chat show I ask celebrity guests what they would take if their house was about to be destroyed.

Russell Crowe couldn't understand the concept, so we paid him a visit.

(Picture of an excavator amid a house demolition)

We hope to hear from Russell's agent soon"

It appears to be a simple edit, not a reshoot or major edit, just switching the photo and cutting the line referring to the RAAF missile strike.

The line threw me a little when I first heard it. So this doesn't surprise me.

Anyone know the story?

Did the RAAF complain?

Was it because of the missile strike reference?

From memory he said RAAF, but it was definitely to do with the Australian air force.

PS

Maybe Russell complained?

The RAAF didn't want everyone to know they'd used their only missile and had none left

Don't know THAT story--but I could take a guess. The local Air Guard unit sometimes flies out of Baer Field (northern Indiana) to a firing range at Camp Atterbury (southern Indiana) to practice ground support. Every now and then you'd hit an article about some house near Atterbury sprouting suspiciously regular holes in the roof as some fighter jock got a little eager.

Haven't heard of an incident lately. I'd bet on an improved public affairs officer rather than a change in the nature of pilots. (It's my old outfit and I love them, but certain character types just go with certain military functions.)

OR, not for the first time, did I lack context? Crowe had an Australian home badly damaged by wildfires:
link

Possibly the RAAF was blamed for not delivering water? Or for starting the fire, though the article blames lightning strikes?

H, the RAAF can be a bit touchy about anything that isn't glowingly positive being said about them or written about them, or having their name/symbols being used for anything negative, funny or not to their liking. So they copyrighted their red rat roundels (I don't know why- scard they be used on bad model kits?), froth at the mouth if you call their hi-vis blue cam uniforms "Smurf Suits", and don't see why the irony of wearing hi-vis safety vests over smurf suits can make someone laugh.

So any or all of the above could apply.

Sounds like the RAAF and the RAF are very similar with regards to PR about them.

And I always wondered as well why go to extreme lengths to camouflage something then stick something high-vis on it?

What is the point?

Either make it all camouflage or all high-vis but mixing the two is just pointless as you're not achieving either aim.

I remember an episode of silent witness? Or was Midsomer murders?

Any way. An army base with guys in cammo and high vis vests Manning the gates.

Tax payers get to pay twice!

I would have thought a social media post with an RAAF high up apologising to Russell Crowe would have been better PR.

Actually, the organisation credited with the missile strike was the ADF, not the RAAF.

The first time I saw the original version of the promo I remember thinking, 'That's in really poor taste, Micallef', and wondering how it got approved. I had similar feelings about the Chasers' big gaff of many years ago, and that one resulted in their show being cancelled.

Along with editing out the reference to a missile strike they've also changed the destroyed home image from one that could very well be from a war zone, possibly Ukraine, to one that's clearly a home under demolition, complete with bulldozer so there's no chance of misinterpretation.

I'm sure the changes were a response to completely predictable public complaints, and nothing to do with ADF sensitivity.

And I always wondered as well why go to extreme lengths to camouflage something then stick something high-vis on it?

It's the RAN that put the reflective tape and big gold badges on their cams, BB. The RAAF cams are in various shades of blue, hence the "hi-vis blue cam uniforms". You can see how effective they are here:

link

But these days it's more about fashion than utility, and camouflage is fashionable here, even civvies wear it.

Thanks Henry.

I took note of the shows name, having seen the ad last night, but have forgotten.

I think the high vis thing goes way back.

Obviously red coats.

Also plane markings, especially Dday.

Chevrons in general (but not limited to!)

I think Japan probably did the best job on their ships in WW2.