The Chaser Report - The Chaser Annual: Satirical Standouts of 2024

Episode Date: October 24, 2024

Join us for a hilariously insightful episode of The Chaser Report as we dive into the highlights and lowlights of 2024! This week, our team dissects the most outrageous news stories, political blunders, and cultural moments that defined the year. From the absurdity of political campaigns to viral social media trends, we leave no stone unturned in our quest for laughs and commentary. With special guest appearances and our signature satirical spin, this episode is packed with wit and wisdom that only The Chaser can deliver. Tune in for a recap that’s equal parts funny and thought-provoking! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Chaser Report is recorded on Gadigal Land. Striving for mediocrity in a world of excellence, this is The Chaser Report. All right. Get ready to laugh. Because today, we're diving deep into the Chaser annual 2024. You know the Chaser read right. Yeah, I'd say pretty much everyone in Australia knows the Chaser. They're kind of like Australia's version of the Onion. Yeah, but way more focused on Aussie stuff, obviously.

I feel like there's got to be at least one shrimp on the bar. R.B. reference in there somewhere. Uh-huh. Probably at least a few. Well, they certainly got me laughing right from the beginning. Oh, yeah. What's that? The editor's letter claims they're going to ditch all their human writers and switch to AI. Well, that's Charles Firth for you. I always got to be pushing the boundaries. Yeah, but, I mean, there's got to be at least a little truth behind it, right?

Oh, sure. He says they're training their new AI, what is it, Chaser GPT, on a steady diet of Andrew Bolt's blog. Oh, wow. And also, Shurie Markson's Sky News segments. What a calm. They even calls it a rich library of satirical expression, which knowing the chasers probably dig in and of itself. Oh, 100%.

It's such a clever way to poke fun at those sources, right? You know, they're strong opinions. Yeah. They even said the AI crashed when it tried to analyze Adam Bant's smugness. Oh, gosh. That's got to be a jab at the Greens leave. I know. I literally snorted when I read that.

It's just so ridiculous. But it does kind of make you think. About what? I mean, can a machine actually get that level of humor? That's a great question. You know, that layered stuff that you need to understand Aussie culture and politics for? Yeah, I mean, that's a big question that I think

the chaser is kind of tackling throughout this whole annual. Okay, well, let's put their AI theory to the test. All right. Let's jump into some headlines. Sounds good. All right, this one is a doozy. When Farms are Ugly. says guy wanting to build a whole heap of nuclear waste dumps.

Oh man, that's got to be about Matt Kahnivan. I know, right? The senator who's like the poster child for nuclear power in Australia. Oh, and the uranium makeup incident. Unforgettable, really. I mean, it's funny, but it also touches on something pretty serious, right? Like, what's going to happen with energy in Australia? Yeah, it's a big debate.

And the chasers are just highlighting the irony, you know? It's a little late. Complaining about wind farms being an eyesore when you're advocating for nuclear waste dumps. Which come with their own set of problems. be real. Right. It makes you think about the trade-offs, you know, when we pick energy sources. It's true. Like, it's not just practical considerations. There's all

this other stuff at play. And they're making us think about it all through a ridiculous headline. It's the beauty of satire. Okay, this next one's a bit darker. Heroic. Scott Morrison leaves politics without ever shooting a protesting woman. Ooh. You know, referencing all the protests

when he was PM. Especially the ones led by women. Against, like, sexual assault and gender inequality and all that. Yeah. The chasers are basically saying it's heroic. He didn't resort to violence. It's like they're saying, wow, the bar's on the floor. Right. And it makes you think about how some leaders have reacted to protests. And other parts of the world, yeah.

So it's darkly funny, but also a critique of both Morrison and the wider political climate. All right. And how about this one? Albanyzi threatens to stop adding thank you notes in weapon shipments to Israel. Ooh, that one is timely. Given everything going on in the Middle East right now. It really is. It's a jab at Australia's relationship with Israel. Saying that a thank you note is basically all we do diplomatically. Yeah, like we're not taking a strong stance on the conflict.

They even make a joke about Albanese almost forgetting to add the heart hands emoji in a text to Netanyahu. Classic. How do they pack so much into one headline? They're masters of it. Look at these. Dutton slams Albanese for planning to increase the boats, talking at the new Navy vessels. And then there's calls for Barnaby Joyce to be put on a cashless welfare card after, well, you know. Another one of those incidents. They're giving us this whole rundown of Aussie politics, but it's actually funny.

That's the power of satire, right? It can make even the most frustrating stuff a little bit bearable. Exactly. And it's not just politics they go after. No. They love to poke fun at Aussie news and culture, too. Like what? Well, this one cracked me up. Godfrey's shut down leaves trail of bowling balls, unable to be vacuumed up.

Okay, that one is just silly. Right. But it does make you think about all those Aussie brands that are disappearing. It's a bit nostalgic. Like, remember when Godfries was the place to go for a vacuum cleaner? Yeah, it was an institution. And the image of all those bowling balls just sitting there. Too big to clean up?

It's hilarious. It's like a commentary on consumerism and all the junk we leave behind. Speaking of things, we'd rather not think. about what's that how about jet star introduces door stays on fee oh my gosh they're just taking the Mickey after that other airline had a door fall off mid-flight oh don't remind me it plays on those anxieties we have about budget airlines you know always trying to squeeze an extra dollar out of yarr like even basic safety features are going to cost extra soon I know they even joke about an oxygen

surcharge if the masks drop down oh come on it's funny because it's true and of course First there's the obligatory Adelaide dig. What's that? Pandas reject zoo deal after learning they would have to live in Adelaide. Poor Adelaide. Always the punching bag. But I mean, can you blame the pandas? Maybe they just wanted something a bit more lively.

Maybe they heard Adelaide's music scene is amazing. Or maybe not. Speaking of which, this one's a bit close to home. Scientists update the status of Australian music festivals from endangered to verging on extinction. No. Rising costs, same old lineups. It's a tough time.

time for Aussie festivals. That one stings a little... At least we can laugh about it, right? I guess so. And moving on to the media, the chaser goes after Peter Costello. How so? This headline,

Costello counters the perception. Nine has a problem with women by allegedly assaulting a man instead. Whoa, they did not hold back. It's a bold joke for sure, but it does bring up those issues of gender in the media. The power dynamics of that. Exactly.

And then there's the chaser reader poll. What is that? Oh, it's brilliant, pure satire. Like what? One question was, is King Charles III three children stacked on top of each other? And the results are even better. What are they? Bluey's dad wins as preferred PM.

Sunrise Cash Cow is the nation's favorite treasurer. They're not even trying to be realistic. And they present it all with these official looking graphs. Oh, wow. It's like they're satirizing polls themselves and how much we rely on them. Don't believe everything you read, especially polls, right? Exactly. Oh, and they also go after Scott Morrison's self-help book.

What? The plans for your good one? Yeah, the reviewer basically calls it unintentional comedy. No way. They said, no professional ghost writer would have written something like what has been published. Ouch, that's got to hurt. And they have a drinking game for how many times he says, how good? Sounds dangerous. The reviewer even compares the book to an undercooked chicken curry.

Oh, God, what a visual. I don't think that's what Morrison was going for. And apparently his biblical analysis is just as bad. Oh, no. Comparing it to Marvel movies and Game of Thrones. That's not very scholarly. They also point out that Morrison seems to be writing for Americans. Yeah, he uses terms like mall and the Fahrenheit scale for temperature.

Maybe he's planning his post-politics career in the U.S. Could be, but the reviewer ultimately concludes that the book just proves... Proof what? That sometimes people with public profiles should use ghostwriters after all. Couldn't agree more. And then there are all these little headline gems sprinkled throughout. Give me an example. Okay, how about?

Telstra reassures customers that staff cuts won't affect its four-hour hold times. It's like they're admitting their customer service is already terrible. And it can't get any worse. Maybe they should charge extra for a faster service. Oh, I'm sure they will. Then there's, oops. Elon Musk buys Foxtel for $44 billion. Another impulse purchase.

What's he going to do, force us to watch Foxtell in space? Honestly, who knows that guy. And speaking of Unpredictable, there's this. Trump to invent a brand new slur before the next debate. Is that even a joke at this point? It's sad but true. And then there's this. Aussie athletes travel down Sen in Ayaka Sub after rejecting French vessel.

That's in reference to the AUCO deal during the Paras Olympics. Yeah, yeah. It's just this funny image of our athletes crammed into a submarine. Trying to wave politely at the French. International politics, it's like high school drama, but with bigger consequences. Okay, you can't leave this one out. Healthy Harold caught doing cocaine at the Logies.

Our childhood hero, gone wild. The irony is too much. They even say the sunrise cash cow was the drug dealer for the Aussie media. Oh, my God. Well, that's about it for our deep dive into the Chaser Annual 2024. So we've got through a ton of stuff from the Chaser Annual 2024. It's been a wild ride. Political jabs, pandas hating Adley.

Seems like nothing's safe from their jokes. But it's not just about the laughs, right? No, definitely not. I feel like there's a deeper point to it all. Oh, yeah. I think what makes the chaser so good is how they mix the funny with actual social commentary. They're not just telling jokes for no reason. Right.

They're using satire to, I don't know, expose stuff, challenge things. Apocracy and all that. Exactly. Make people think about the status quo. So it's entertainment but with a purpose. Yeah, it's about making you think while you're cracking up. And that can be pretty powerful. Do you think satire can really change things, though?

Hmm. That's a good question. Or is it just like a way to vent and feel a little better about the world? I mean, one headline probably won't topple a government or anything. Right. They're not writing potency proposals as jokes. But I do think satire can make people question things. Things they might not have thought about before. Yeah. Plant those seeds of doubt. Encourage critical thinking. It's like sneaking in those ideas under the cover of humor.

Totally. And sometimes laughing is. the best way to, you know, break down those walls and get people to see things differently. It's certainly more fun than reading some academic paper. Oh, absolutely. And that's one of the chasers' best qualities. They can make serious stuff engaging for everyone. They make us laugh, but they also make us think, that's a pretty valuable skill. So if you enjoyed this deep dive into the Chaser annual, what should people do? Go check out more of their stuff. They're online. They've got podcasts, videos, all sorts.

It's not just about the laughs, though there will be plenty of those. It's about engaging with the world in a more thoughtful way. Sometimes a bit of satire can change your perspective, even spark a conversation. And those conversations can lead to positive change. Well, thanks for joining us on this deep dive into Australian humor and satire. It's been fun. Remember, even when the world feels like a bad joke, there's always a reason to laugh, think, and challenge the things that just don't make sense.