Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
School balls are no different, and they've become big business in recent years. While friendship is valued a lot, I think like elsewhere in the world when people pair up and have kids especially their partner still becomes their priority.
School balls here, unlike American proms, don't require the boy to ask the girl to be their 'prom date,' and dream up of romantic, elaborate ways of asking the girl to be their prom date, either. School balls in Australia are full of girls who dance with each other, while the boys are off elsewhere. Just like it was at my Year 10 social and Year 12 graduation - none of us had 'dates,' we just danced around with our girlfriends, and complimented each other on our dresses/hairstyles. I still think that friendship is valued more than romance with the opposite sex in Australia - even when couples are living together and have kids, Australian women don't expect much in the way of romantic gestures. Whereas, in America, women are more likely to expect romantic gestures from their partners, just because it's more a part of their tradition and culture. So, on topic, Australian women are more likely to be 'girls' girls,' and American women are more likely to expect romantic gestures from their partners.
I think Aussie women have had to look to their girlfriends for company, having been to Aussie parties where the men are in one room talking a lot of bull and the women are in another.
Location: The western periphery of Terra Australis
24,544 posts, read 56,029,399 times
Reputation: 11862
Quote:
Originally Posted by goldfrapp
School balls here, unlike American proms, don't require the boy to ask the girl to be their 'prom date,' and dream up of romantic, elaborate ways of asking the girl to be their prom date, either. School balls in Australia are full of girls who dance with each other, while the boys are off elsewhere. Just like it was at my Year 10 social and Year 12 graduation - none of us had 'dates,' we just danced around with our girlfriends, and complimented each other on our dresses/hairstyles. I still think that friendship is valued more than romance with the opposite sex in Australia - even when couples are living together and have kids, Australian women don't expect much in the way of romantic gestures. Whereas, in America, women are more likely to expect romantic gestures from their partners, just because it's more a part of their tradition and culture. So, on topic, Australian women are more likely to be 'girls' girls,' and American women are more likely to expect romantic gestures from their partners.
I think these days it's not that different with American proms, it's more a sign of the times than anything to do with Australia, although you're right it doesn't seem we are very romantic in general. I do wonder how many people were conceived in the back of a panel van at the drive in...
I think these days it's not that different with American proms, it's more a sign of the times than anything to do with Australia, although you're right it doesn't seem we are very romantic in general. I do wonder how many people were conceived in the back of a panel van at the drive in...
Haha, that reminds me of the scene in Puberty Blues ('80s Oz film based on the semi-autobiographical book by Kathy Lette and Gabrielle Carey), where the boys actually smuggle the girls in the back of the panel van, at the drive-in, so they don't have to buy extra tickets! And the narrator says something like, "We thought it would something like in the Hollywood movies, where they say, 'Darling, I'll love you forever,' when really they were hiding underneath bits of carpet, smuggled in the back of the panel-van like illegal luggage! Haha... There's actually going to be a new adaptation of Puberty Blues soon - it's being filmed now.
But apparently, Australian men are doing really well in Hollywood now, so American girls seem to think they're the new 'Hollywood icons,' and keep going on about their accent. I think it's always like the 'grass is greener.' I don't think it works for Australian women, though - American men probably think we're too butch. English men don't seem to mind Australian women, though - they're used to butch women - I mean, they did have Margaret Thatcher as their leader for ages!
Location: The western periphery of Terra Australis
24,544 posts, read 56,029,399 times
Reputation: 11862
Quote:
Originally Posted by goldfrapp
Haha, that reminds me of the scene in Puberty Blues ('80s Oz film based on the semi-autobiographical book by Kathy Lette and Gabrielle Carey), where the boys actually smuggle the girls in the back of the panel van, at the drive-in, so they don't have to buy extra tickets! And the narrator says something like, "We thought it would something like in the Hollywood movies, where they say, 'Darling, I'll love you forever,' when really they were hiding underneath bits of carpet, smuggled in the back of the panel-van like illegal luggage! Haha... There's actually going to be a new adaptation of Puberty Blues soon - it's being filmed now.
But apparently, Australian men are doing really well in Hollywood now, so American girls seem to think they're the new 'Hollywood icons,' and keep going on about their accent. I think it's always like the 'grass is greener.' I don't think it works for Australian women, though - American men probably think we're too butch. English men don't seem to mind Australian women, though - they're used to butch women - I mean, they did have Margaret Thatcher as their leader for ages!
Ah yes, Puberty Blues...Speaking of which have you seen 'The F.J. Holden'? It's an almost semi-documentary type film of teenagers growing up in the Western suburbs of Sydney in the late 1970s. It's not the best as a movie, but really interesting as a look at how people actually lived and stuff back then. Not sure if you're old enough to relate but I guess some things don't change.
Yes Australians are the 'flavour of the month', and it seems American women love the accent and everything, although unfortunately I didn't get to meet that many when I went over there, partly because I was in a tour group. Next time. I think Americans in general are more into the whole Australian thing, women and men, while a lot of Brits aren't as enamoured with Australians since they're a lot more used to us. It probably works the same way, we're used to seeing Poms moreso than Americans.
Ah yes, Puberty Blues...Speaking of which have you seen 'The F.J. Holden'? It's an almost semi-documentary type film of teenagers growing up in the Western suburbs of Sydney in the late 1970s. It's not the best as a movie, but really interesting as a look at how people actually lived and stuff back then. Not sure if you're old enough to relate but I guess some things don't change.
Yes Australians are the 'flavour of the month', and it seems American women love the accent and everything, although unfortunately I didn't get to meet that many when I went over there, partly because I was in a tour group. Next time. I think Americans in general are more into the whole Australian thing, women and men, while a lot of Brits aren't as enamoured with Australians since they're a lot more used to us. It probably works the same way, we're used to seeing Poms moreso than Americans.
I haven't seen 'The F.J. Holden.' I'm in my thirties, so the first time I saw 'Puberty Blues' was when it was television in the '90s, and I was a teenager then. But I remember thinking that nothing had changed since the '70s when I was a teenager in the '90s! Haha...Yep, the more things change, the more they stay the same.
American women do love the Australian accent - there was a survey done at an American college that says 80 per cent of American women think the Australian accent is the sexiest. What’s the sexiest accent in English? | Matador Network
I really don't think American men like Australian women, though. I think butch qualities are far more attractive on men than on women! Haha...Yeah, the English are used to Australians, but I think that's a good thing - there's more of a mutual understanding and acceptance, especially about our sense of humour and idiosyncrasies!
I haven't met too many American women - there were only about three American women at uni a couple of years ago, and they seemed a bit stand-offish. Whereas all the other female international students, we were all bonding and helping one another with our work. I have met a couple of Canadian women - they were both very open and friendly. With the American women, it seems like a lot of them have this weird competitiveness with other women, especially in terms of vying for male attention. And that's probably one of the main differences. I actually was shocked by this article about this competitiveness - they call it 'sexual competitiveness' in America. Here's an article about it: “Tell Your Boyfriend I Said Thanks”: some thoughts on women’s t-shirts, class, competition, and sisterhood. | Hugo Schwyzer
Yeah, you know you're in Australia when you go to clubs, and it's full of girls dancing with each other! Haha...I will say that when you actually see 'couples,' it's more like they're 'best mates.' You often hear couples say that they started off as 'just mates,' and then, they ended up being 'best mates.' So, there's none of the sort of romantic dating rituals you often hear about from America. We're definitely more of a 'mateship' orientated culture!
Australia has what they call mates but too few friends maybe.
I hate to post this, but both American and Australian guys find themselves in pretty bad dating and marriage markets.
Paradises for males are elsewhere...very far from Australia or the US.
...You guys think you've got it bad....
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.