That Australians / Australia is an outback country always how it is portrayed in cartoons and some movies and that Australians (or as we call ourselves Aussies) are all idiots?

*Sighs* I go onto one of these well-known/popular creative sites such as DeviantArt or OverClocked Remix only to log into my accounts with messages from people all around the world asking the most absolutely IDIOTIC questions.

Here are some questions that I get asked daily:

"Do Kangaroos' really hop down the main street of Sydney?"
> Hell no, not unless any have managed to break out of the Zoo. The only place you'll find them is in the d*mn wild. Not near the CITY.
If you want them near a city, go to a hole known as Canberra.

"Do you guys really wear Khaki all the time, like the Croc Hunter did?"
> You must be stupider than the last questioner if you've sent me this one... the answer is obviously no. Mainly those who work in Wildlife wear Khaki but on November Fifteenth we now have a day called Steve Irwin Day where you either carry around something of a Crocodile OR you wear Khaki and any funds raised on that day goes to the various foundations he and his family have supported over the years.

"Do you guys really sound that stupid in real life?"
> What do you think? Sure some of us may have an accent but nobody over here honestly gives a cr*p about how we sound since we're living in one country. You would be surprised at how often idiotic people class those of higher intelligence as idiots...

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Do you absolutely know how these idiotic questions drive me absolutely INSANE?!

*Sighs*

I'm really starting to hate some countries as a ton of Americans send me random messages with all sorts of the aforementioned cr*p, lots of people from countries in Asia - mainly China send all sorts of cr*p... not to mention friends I have in various countries do this to p*ss me off (such as the friends in Sweden who speak English but want to p*ss me off even more so by posting the damn questions and other cr*p in SWEDISH). WHAT THE HELL?!

*Ahems*

Sorry, short rant as I have gone through a few hundred of these messages and other cr*p this morning.

This actually has plenty of capacity for debate, so I'll move it.

At the end of the day, it really just boils down the ignorance. I'm Irish, so I know exactly what it's like for people to lob pre-conceived notions on you based on your culture better than most. *laughs*

Sure, it's annoying, but I prefer to just educate those people instead of let it frustrate me.

*Laughs* Thank you.

That is correct, although I find some comments whilst I am trying to educate those who have placed idiotic stereotypes on myself quite frankly and bluntly, extremely offensive. I have been explaining about Australia to some of the people who have sent me various ridiculous messages only to have them call me a "Roo Monger" (for those who do not know the term, it basically means that they have said that I and all other Australians commit bestiality on one of our national emblem's animals - the Kangaroo).
It disgusts me for someone who has asked me a question, for me to reply quickly with an informative polite message only to be insulted furthermore and then harassed by this idiotic person's so called "friends" whom of which they have lied too about my reply.

It absolutely sickens me, sure us Aussies are known to make jokes about our Kiwi friends/neighbors (Kiwi's are people form New Zealand for those that do not know) about their love of their sheep, and they return the jokes. That has always been the way, I mean take a look at one of the original military forces - The ANZACs - Australian and New Zealand Army Corps.

Basically the gist of that small minor "rant" would be the point of - why bother asking an Australian your stereotypical questions to only insult them due to a person of being from a certain country or apparently "knowing" the past of the country.

Sure the factor of Australia originally being used as a Convict Camp from England, but not everyone here in Australia is actually descended from a convict, many people came from various countries at their own will and which is why Australia has always been a multicultural country, not to mention we practically live on jokes - we have a comedic television show where the members of it have harassed the former Prime Minister John Howard (this was before and during the election this year), have insulted and/or picked fights with members of the Government not to mention they created a fake motorcade and got past security to President Bush!

I mean hell, sure we laugh at most stereotypical ideas but it is just offensive to just continually pass on stereotypical relations to continue insulting and/or harassing various people on matters of which many do not know very little about and/or nothing at all.

I don't get that from people often, but it really shows how idiotic other people must be. What, all you out there are telling me you've never seen footage of "normal" life in Australia? It's exactly the same as everywhere else, except there is a great big patch of "nothing" in the center of the country. That's where the stereotypical Australians might live I guess.

I just find it amazing that they have no idea, or they're just being stupid of course. I don't take offense to it really unless it is actually taken to the point where they are trying to talk down to you.

I'm quite certain I saw on the news a few days ago that a kangaroo was hopping around the streets of America. Quite ironic.

I know exactly where you're coming from RedCloud. But honestly, the amount of stupidity around the world surprises me sometimes.

I saw that too and I thought the irony was positively HILARIOUS! ((Or what about the other animals escaping from the same zoo? That was hilarious too)).

I mean, the majority of us live around the coast, generally not in the desert areas unless they're part of the general mining community and the like. *Shrugs* I mean really, people should honestly think before opening their mouths sometimes.

Why do you assume that everyone assumes?

It may have something to do with the fact that nobody ever hears from Australia. I'm sure you guys have no nuclear programs or oil reserves, so you guys have no place in our media other than Finding Nemo, and that was only for storyline purposes.

I don't get anybody asking me things as stupid as that, but I've been to America and have had some pretty dumb things said to me. Not as much as I was expecting though. People here are always going on about how dumb Americans are. Although I went to California, which is apparently one of the more informed states.

I wasn't aware that we had a Steve Irwin day xD