CLANCY OVERELL | Editor | CONTACT
Leader of the Opposition, Bill Shorten has today made a bold attempt at winning over youth voters by posting his very first ‘NekNominate’ video – just 46 months after the brief viral trend rose to prominence.
It is not yet known which recent Melbourne University law graduate working as an advisor and confidante of the Labor-right identity was behind the idea, but it has caused collective groans right through his own party, and Australia as a whole.
The game became popular in early 2014, and as it spread it escalated, with nominees performing the challenge in more extreme circumstances, drinking more potent beverages or engaging in dangerous activities either during or immediately after consuming their beverage.
It was three years ago when Bill Shorten was was originally neknominated by Sam Dastyari, the Labor-right darling at the time but due to his newfound position as leader of the ALP, Shorten thought all that was needed to be elected was a squeaky brand. However in the post-truth populist political climate, this is no longer the case.
“I next nominate you Penny! [hahah]” said Shorten in a monotone voice that made him sound as though he was reading quite slowly from a teleprompter.
Neknominate, also known as neck and nominate, neknomination or neck nomination, is an online drinking game. The original rules of the game require the participants to film themselves drinking a pint of an alcoholic beverage, usually beer, in one gulp and upload the footage to the web. A participant then nominates another person to do the same, which has to be done within 24 hours.
It has been reported that Shorten latched onto this idea after seeing former Prime Minister Bob Hawke managing to remain relevant at the Sydney test last week, and demanded that his staffers find him a funny and relatable way to binge drink on camera.
His video, posted to Facebook last night has so far received 150 likes from mostly Labor staffers and friends of his wife.
