Um, my culture is NOT your gosh-darn sitcom. And that’s the most annoying thing, because that stupid Tree Fellers show is actually really good, and I’m conflicted. On the one hand, I have my strong Irish heritage. And on the other…a really good show. It’d be like if the best show on TV was mocking Australians, my current heritage. You start to justify certain things in your mind, and suddenly you find yourself on a slippery slope and everything is just fine, because it’s fun.
I mean, I also wonder how the tree removal companies in Melbourne feel about how their profession is being portrayed on the show. One the one hand, you’ve got all of them seen on the show being perfectly competent, and constantly grieved by the antics of the three tree fellers they’ve inadvertently employed. In fact, it’s implied that the only reason they haven’t been fired is due to the diplomatic problems it would cause. You know…the three of them being illegal immigrants from Ireland and all.
But then, the three of them do such a terrible job at tree felling that there has to be a bit of cringe from any professional arborists watching, sort of like how I cringe at the silly Irish things they get up to. So it’s a mixed bag. A mixed, hilarious bag of genuinely clever sight gags and some really excellent writing that’ll probably have the series picked up in America, and maybe even the UK. I suppose then I’ll be able to properly see what my Irish brethren think of it.
Maybe there’s some kind of forum where I can see the reaction of professional arborists working in Melbourne for comment, but then…who can really say what’s a blight against their culture? It seems to be an even split. Loads of people like the depiction of Irish people AND tree removal people. Maybe we’re just a small section of sticks in the mud.
-Saoirse