An Aussie comedian and former ABC star has gone on a shocking rant about Anzac Day, claiming he refuses to commemorate the national day as he considers it a ‘myth’.
Greg Larsen made the comments in an episode of his podcast, The Greg Larsen Show, uploaded from a Sydney hotel room on Thursday.
Mr Larsen, one of the ABC’s most celebrated comedians, has also appeared on Channel Seven and starred in the BBC One drama The Tourist.
At the ABC, he was a featured comedian on Tonightly, Spelling Bee, and regularly appeared as a commentator on ABC radio and TV.
‘So Anzac Day is here again. I want to stoke some controversy,’ said Mr Larsen in the episode.
‘Here’s my hot take: I reckon I could beat all the Anzacs in a fight.
‘There, I said it. I reckon they’re not so tough.’
He clarified that he was joking that he wanted to fight the Anzacs.
But Mr Larsen’s tone then became serious as he explained why he refused to commemorate Anzac Day.
Greg Larsen (pictured) billed an episode of his podcast, The Greg Larsen Show, as the ‘Anzac Day episode’ when he uploaded it from his Sydney hotel room on Thursday
Larsen (left) has been one of the ABC’s most celebrated comedians, appearing on many of their shows across TV and radio
‘I believe, and I believe this firmly, that Anzac day was invented as a jingoistic, nationalistic myth to get you to wave a flag and fall in line.
‘And I believe that the very existence of Anzac Day as a commemoration is a slap in the face to everyone who died at Gallipoli.
‘And laying a wreath while saluting the flag is the same as p***ing on the graves of the poor souls who died like dogs in the dirt for no good reason.’
Mr Larsen’s reasoning was that the concept of a nation state was ‘actually pretty new… we invented countries around 300 years ago’.
‘Australia’s myth is the Anzacs – that’s our myth, that’s where we believe the country was founded, and it wasn’t.
‘We believe that Australia grew up that day and that we became a nation on that day, and I believe that is all total f***ing horses***.
Vietnam veteran Michael von Berg MC OAM told Daily Mail Australia he was saddened by Mr Larsen’s comments.
‘Anzac Day for us is that one day where all services from the defence family come together to remember those friends we’ve lost, and I’ve lost a lot of them,’ Mr von Berg said.
Vietnam veteran Michael von Berg MC OAM told Daily Mail Australia he was saddened by Mr Larsen’s comments
‘Everybody’s entitled to their opinion, but I would wager his (Mr Larsen’s) is not shared by the majority of Australians.
‘His suggestion that it’s a “myth” – well you say that to the next of kin of all the service men that have been killed. It defies logic, basically.
‘He’s probably a comedian of no consequence and sometimes when you’re not getting good reviews or ratings you come out with something quite extraordinary to get some notoriety.’
Mr von Berg worried that Mr Larsen’s comments were part of a ‘left-wing trend of knocking anything of national importance’.
‘You’ve got people out there not gifted with a lot of knowledge or history. We all know Gallipoli was a mistake but that’s not the mistake of the soldiers who died there. Denigrate war, but don’t denigrate the soldier.
‘We’re under attack from all quarters from people who simply don’t love our country, our, flag, and our traditions, and it’s very sad.’
Mr von Berg was a platoon commander in Vietnam who was awarded a Military Cross for his actions in 1966.
His citation states that he ‘showed a complete disregard for his own safety’ to lead his troops in successfully driving back an enemy attack after they were ambushed in a ravine, saving their lives.
Daily Mail Australia has contacted Mr Larsen for comment.
