Haka Hooha
OK, I’ve had enough.
The new AB haka is outstanding. There – I’ve said it.
It was obvious on Saturday night from the crowd’s reaction that I’m not alone. In fact, from the crowd reaction it is equally obvious that most people love it.
I agree entirely with the school of thought that Ka Mate is overdone – particularly by wannabees.
I love the fact that the new haka takes from a number of cultures yet still incoporates within Maori cultural norms (which is not the same as Maori Norms on Dancing with the Fading Stars). On top of that, you have the fact that not have the current group of AB’s shown appreciation for the legacy of the haka and the All Blacks, they have grown both.
The publicity is a typical media beat up. How really cares what the Featherston Rugby Club’s ex-committee man thought?
What intrigues me is the way the media treats us all like imbeciles.
How many times have we sat through the French singing their national anthem with passion? How many times have we compared the way the French embrace their national song compared to the way we typically mumble their way through ours?
So why haven’t – for comparison sake – someone in the media printed the words of La Marseillaise? It took me 2 minutes on Google to source the following (the first verse only):
Allons enfants de la Patrie
Le jour de gloire est arrivé.
Contre nous, de la tyrannie,
L’étandard sanglant est levé,
l’étandard sanglant est levé,
Entendez-vous, dans la compagnes.
Mugir ces farouches soldats
Ils viennent jusque dans nos bras
Egorger vos fils,
vos compagnes.Let us go, children of the fatherland
Our day of Glory has arrived.
Against us stands tyranny,
The bloody flag is raised,
The bloody flag is raised.
Do you hear in the countryside
The roar of these savage soldiers
They come right into our arms
To cut the throats of your sons,
your country.
Here’s the link to the above and another link to back it up.
A couple of questions.
Why is it OK for the French to sing about “slitting throats” but not for the AB’s to action something that may or not be about slitting throats?
Why hasn’t anyone in the media highlighted this?
Why didn’t the Featherston Rugby Club ex-committee resign after the French national anthem before AB matches?
It reeks of the same double standards that saw Ice-T made an international target of hatred for Cop Killer but Eric Clapton an international star for I Shot The Sheriff (and he stole it from Bob Marley too!!).
Please note – I haven’t used the r word either … which could be one of rugby, rednecks, and racism!
