A couple of days ago, a New Zealand research company – one used by a huge array of big business here – gave a speech to a broad marketing audience and said the concept of ‘tall poppy’ was dead.
They had the audacity to say this the day after Jake Millar committed suicide. The arrogance to say this when they reside in a country that continues to have one of the worst – if not the worst – youth suicide rates per capita on earth.
There are many reasons that contribute to the terrible suicide rate, but ‘tall poppy’ is, without doubt, one of them.
A significant one of them.
The biggest open – yet oppressed – secret in the country.
So to that company, I want to say this.
You are not just complicit to the problem, you are playing an active role in it.
By making statements like that, you’re placing all the blame on the people who felt they had no other choice. You’re telling parents their kids situation & context didn’t exist. You’re telling NZ, they can continue to look the other way. You’re telling the friends, family and colleagues of 26 year old Jake Millar, pictured at the top of this post, that the media who revelled in getting the nation to celebrate his business failure – and then attached all manner of additional negative personal narratives to his name = are blameless.
Do you realise what you’ve done?
Do you understand the implications of your actions?
You’ve just told the nation they can carry on as they are. That their perpetual and persistent judgement and abuse is simply ‘banter’.
How fucking malicious of you.
Be grateful I’m not calling out your name because what you did is shameless.
But let me reassure you, we will be chatting and I’ll be reminding you of your responsibility to the truth, not to making money from reinforcing a cultural narrative of denial.