Ben Pobjie is a writer, comedian and poet with no journalistic qualifications whatsoever. He has written for The Age, The Sydney Morning Herald, New Matilda, The Roar, and Crikey, among others. His latest book, Error Australis, is out in June 2016.
Posted
America will remain strong so long as its leader keeps challenging others to resist his creepy, crushing handshake, writes Ben Pobjie.
Topics: elections, world-politics, us-elections, popular-culture, offbeat
Posted
| UpdatedA new dating app aims to match lovers based on their mutual dislike of Donald Trump, slow drivers and butt selfies — it's going to change the world, writes Ben Pobjie.
Topics: popular-culture, relationships, internet-culture, social-media, offbeat
Posted
| UpdatedHala Snack Pack is one of many awful 'words' awarded honorary status by the Macquarie Dictionary in recent years. Until the dignity of the dictionary is restored, Ben Pobjie is enforcing a 'lexiban'.
Topics: popular-culture, offbeat, internet-culture, social-media, english, australia
Posted
| UpdatedAustralian history is full of great moments, which could serve as alternative dates for Australia Day, including April 7, when the most Australian movie ever made — The Castle — was released, writes Ben Pobjie.
Topics: federation, history, indigenous-aboriginal-and-torres-strait-islander, national-days, offbeat, australia-day, australia
Posted
| UpdatedAn Instagram account calling for 'nipple donations' seeks to smash sexist double standards on social media, writes Ben Pobjie. And we should all be terrified of what comes next.
Topics: feminism, youth, offbeat, internet-culture, social-media
Posted
Just when you thought 2017 was safe, the creators of Monopoly are putting the board game's iconic tokens to public vote. And Ben Pobjie, for one, will not suffer the indignity of going to Mayfair in a bunny slipper, Ben Pobjie writes.
Topics: games, popular-culture, people, internet-culture, social-media
Posted
| UpdatedThe test will determine whether a would-be citizen is a true-blue dinky-di fair-go larrikin bronzed Aussie, or an enemy of the state.
Topics: immigration, multiculturalism, federal-government, comedy-humour, offbeat, australia
Posted
| UpdatedAussie Jingle Bells, Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree, Santa Wear Your Shorts — they're appalling, writes Ben Pobjie. But Christmas wouldn't be the same without them.
Topics: music, popular-culture, christmas, national-days, offbeat
Posted
Does a man lose weight faster by walking the Kokoda Track, playing rugby, or quitting sugar? Ben Pobjie grills author of The Great Aussie Bloke Slim-Down, Peter FitzSimons.
Topics: non-fiction, men, diet-and-nutrition, mens-health, obesity, offbeat, australia
Posted
| UpdatedGone are the days when you could fire your shotgun at whim and be fat if you wanted to be, writes Ben Pobjie. It's time for Australians to fight back against the nanny state.
Topics: arts-and-entertainment, comedy-humour, australia
Posted
| UpdatedDo yourself and your kids a favour and drop the "Santa charade", writes Ben Pobjie. You don't have to be a Grinch about it — just tell them the truth.
Topics: children, parenting, national-days, religion-and-beliefs, offbeat, psychology
Posted
| UpdatedFrustrated by patronising patriarchal attitudes at work? Call the Australian Mansplaining Hotline and allow Ben Pobjie to advise you on how to be a bit less emotional about everything.
Posted
Because when the party is over, no one will remember the horses, but everyone will remember 'Wheelie-bin Girl', writes Ben Pobjie.
Topics: national-days, women, shame, journalism, horse-racing, australia
Posted
Men who have spent their lives feeling ashamed of their saggy sperm satchel no longer need to suffer, writes Ben Pobjie. Scrotox is finally here.
Topics: men, mens-health, sexual-health, offbeat, comedy-humour, australia
Posted
| UpdatedNew research shows humans intend to bully driverless cars into submission and Ben Pobjie is all for it. Cars cannot be allowed to develop self-esteem.
Topics: offbeat, computers-and-technology, information-technology, robots-and-artificial-intelligence, ethics
Posted
Ben Pobjie examines the dark history of the "maladapted jester" and calls for a policy of zero tolerance towards the looming, murderous "clownpocalypse".
Topics: human-interest, australia
Posted
| UpdatedFinally, there is a venue that caters specifically to the most physically stunning individuals among us, writes Ben Pobjie.
Topics: comedy-humour, discrimination, social-capital, offbeat, clubs-and-associations, internet-culture
Posted
Who knew there were such filthy-sounding destinations in Australia as Curly Dick Road, Glory Hole Cave and Intercourse Island?
Topics: offbeat, comedy-humour, internet-culture, australia
Posted
| UpdatedMen are less likely to buy products labelled "environmentally-friendly" and more likely to donate to environmental groups with masculine logos, new research shows.
Topics: comedy-humour, men, environment, recycling-and-waste-management, offbeat, research, australia
Posted
Who are these semi-toned Adonises the media is dubbing to have 'dad bods'? Fathers need realistic depictions of chip-eating dad bods, writes Ben Pobjie.
Topics: comedy-humour, popular-culture, men, family-and-children, exercise-and-fitness
Posted
| UpdatedMany people believe Australian history is a boring and colourless saga, but a closer examination shows it is full of comical characters and hilarious cock-ups, writes Ben Pobjie.
Topics: comedy-humour, history, 20th-century, 19th-century, people, arts-and-entertainment, books-literature, australia
Posted
In the corridors of power, trendy tonsures abound. Ben Pobjie asks what's behind the the latest 'it' do for Australia's political go-getters.
Topics: comedy-humour, popular-culture, offbeat, parliament, fashion, australia
Posted
Thanks to the good folk at Labor and their website - How To Talk To Your Liberal Mate - we now know how to make them see the error of their ways. But why stop there? This idea has loads of other applications.
Topics: government-and-politics, federal-government, federal-election
Posted
So the CIA "live-tweeted" the assassination of Osama bin Laden as if it were happening today. This is great! I can't wait for the Bay of Pigs version, or the 1973 Chilean coup re-enactment.
Topics: terrorism, unrest-conflict-and-war, government-and-politics, social-media
Posted
| UpdatedIn "cringe comedy", viewers want to watch comedians squirm their way through excruciating social situations, writes Ben Pobjie. After all, awkwardness is funny because it's true.
Topics: critique-and-theory, people, emotions, comedy-humour