The ABC from down under took major heat online this weekend after what many considered to be the outlet’s "woke" New Year’s Eve coverage.
"The ABC," an Australian broadcasting company with no relationship to America’s similarly titled network, generated holiday controversy on Saturday with its supposedly progressive and LGBTQ-themed New Year’s Eve show.
Local viewers took to social media to describe the broadcast as "woke" and a "disgrace."
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Fireworks light up the sky over the Sydney Harbour Bridge during New Year's Eve celebrations on Jan. 1, 2022, in Sydney, Australia. (Mark Evans/Getty Images)
With Australia being more than 12 hours ahead of the U.S., ABC Australia had already aired its 9 p.m. fireworks display by the time most Americans were up this morning. Before noon stateside, Americans could see that the Aussie network made sure that diversity and inclusion would pave the way for 2023.
U.K. outlet The Daily Mail reported on the woke themes found in the broadcast. It stated, "The show included singer Casey Donovan covering 2 Be Loved (Am I Ready) by Lizzo and a segment on Indigenous artists Carmen Glynn-Braun and Dennis Golding, who created of this year's 9pm Calling Country fireworks display."
In addition, the New Year’s show featured a tribute to late "Grease" actress Olivia Newton-John performed by a drag queen. The outlet noted, "Drag Queen Courtney Act performed songs by Olivia Newton-John and the Divinyls."
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A large group of Australian viewers complained on Twitter about the content, with many accusing The ABC of using the inclusive material to pander to a "woke minority" rather than appealing to the average Australian viewer.
One user referred to the coverage as being "just propaganda," tweeting, "Streaming the Sydney NYE fireworks via Independent/ YouTube at the boozer. The ABC stream is awful and just propaganda. BBC isn't showing it because it isn't depressing enough."
Another slammed the music, commenting, "That music for the 9pm NYE fireworks on ABC was not good. Sorry."
Light decorations installed for the coming new year in Moscow, Russia, on Dec. 22, 2022. (Sefa Karacan/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
One user asked, "Does the ABC know there are festivals outside Sydney and the gay community? You wouldn't know it watching on NYE. I reckon the Charter says something about all Aust's - they should read it sometime."
User River Everdeen asked, "#SydneyNYE could they have missed the mark more with the kids fireworks music selection? I’m sure many kids are saying WTF was that. It’s really not that hard~just get Bluey to sing baby shark then run TikTok vids."
She added, "save the obligatory woke snooze fest for the adults fireworks."
Aussie David Lester slammed the broadcast as "an [absolutely] boring 9pm display with [absolutely] boring, unknown ‘misic’, & with what is supposed to be a celebration for all, being hijacked by a woke minority. What an absolute disgrace, a display of the exclusion of the majority #nyeabc."
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Another Twitter critic called the show "unwatchable woke nonsense" and someone else commented, "Enough woke s*** for now. Mute …"
Yet another claimed that The ABC was appealing to the wrong audience with their broadcast, tweeting, "Looks like @ABCTV #SydneyNYE is trying to appeal to a younger audience this year, but they don’t seem to understand young people don’t stay at home on #NYE watching the #ABC."
Fireworks are launched from the Sky Tower on New Year's Eve in Auckland, New Zealand, Dec. 31, 2020. (Michael Craig/NZ Herald via AP)
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