In this weeks episode of Cracked, Luke and Alex dive deep into the concept of tall poppy syndrome and its omnipresence throughout the local arts and culture. Where did this phrase come from and why does everyone keep bringing it up?!?! When do valid critiques cross the line into plain old hating? And how can we tell the difference?
We explore how tall poppy syndrome can act as a cultural mechanism to protect privilege, blurring the lines between genuine critique and destructive commentary. It reminds of a very neoliberal cultural phenomenon of telling us to stay in our own lanes and if you wanted to succeed you should just work harder.
This conversation unpacks what it really means to be constructive in culture. Along the way, we spotlight a lineup of artists who navigate this very tension in their own work, or just stuff we've been enjoying lately - hear some great tracks from Lali Puna, Gucci Mane, Janet Jackson, Anysia Kim, and many more.
Cracked was recorded on unceded Gadigal land in fbi.radio's Redfern studio.