A bridge too far shows we’re not beyond the cringe

[Michael Shmith, Sydney Morning Herald, January 29th 2010]:

The ”cultural cringe” is the term devised by late Australian social commentator A. A. Phillips to qualify postwar Australia’s delusions of artistic inadequacy. Although it is 60 years since Phillips coined the phrase, and although it could be argued Australia has come a long way in establishing a self-sufficient cultural identity, enough elements remain to prove we are still looking over our shoulders instead of at ourselves.

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