The Puritan media commentariat felt angst and disgust after seeing “decadent and depraved” Melbourne Cup racegoers partying at Australia’s most prestigious horse racing event.
The Melbourne Cup is a horse race, similar to the United States’ Kentucky Derby, that serves as an excuse to get into fancy dresses, get smashed until you can’t stand, and just have a good time.
The cup, often called “the race that stops the nation”, is so ingrained into Australia’s psyche that even the entire state of Victoria even gets the day off from work, as it’s a designated local holiday.
The media commentators, however, missed the fun side of the event and decried the cup. American Ex-Gawker site Deadspin called the cup “decadent and depraved” in an article filled under “white people getting out of hand” category. It claims the event is an example of “just how out of hand the whites can get”.
Writer Billy Haisley also climbed on a high horse, suggesting it would be a mistake to believe America’s Kentucky Derby was more depraved and where “the true, beating heart of insane white people shit” happens. “You’d have been mistaken. It’s not until you see these photos of the Melbourne Cup”, Haisley added.
The Australian Daily Telegraph, meanwhile, said that women who had a few too many drinks at the race are “utter disgrace”, adding that they damaged the standing of women in the country.
“The damage you’ve done to Australian women will be much harder to repair than your hangover”, wrote author Anna Usher.
Unlike the shaming Media, Heat Street sees people having the time of their life:
