Would you like a c**t with that? When a Coke promotion goes weird.
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According to my sources this Coke can was made as part of the “Share a Coke” promotion at the Bondi Junction Westfield sometime in October last year. It turned up on Facebook last night.
For many people in Darwin and the Top End “budju” is a word in common use, particularly among those of us who’ve been here for a while. Budju is part of the Top End Aboriginal vernacular lexicon. I’ve not found it included in any printed dictionary.
There are two main senses – meanings – for budju. In the more commonly used general sense it describes an attractive woman. In the historical and more particular sense it is used to refer to a specific part of a woman’s anatomy.
Budju is a word I would normally only use among close male friends and only rarely if women were present, and then they would have to be women that I knew well.
Its not hard to find out why we should be cautious with budju – here is the definition from The Urban Dictionary.
1. budju: Originally an Aboriginal translation for ‘vagina‘ the words meaning has evolved and can be used as social term to classify a good looking person. Geographically localised to Northern Territory Australia. ”Man!! Sheryl is a budju eh?“; ”That chick is one sik budju” or ”I have an itchy budju.”
And this is from The Online Slang Dictionary (note different spelling).
buju: Good looking person (Australian Aboriginal Slang) Derived from an Australian Aboriginal language it was also used as another word for vagina.
He/She is a real Buju.
See more words with the same meaning: vulva (‘vagina‘), female genitalia.
I’m curious about what checking, if any, was done before “Budju” ended up plastered along the side of a Coke can, but then again, if the deal was done at the Bondi Junction Westfield …
The “Share a Coke” campaign was, according industry source Australian FoodNews:
…a world-first Australian experiment, Coca-Cola is replacing the “Coke” branding with one of 150 of Australia’s most popular personal first names for its next summer marketing campaign. The company has allocated 268 million bottles and cans for personalisation. The campaign will include the use of Youtube and Facebook, encouraging people to promote the personalised bottles and broadcast their own names via SMS for display on a major advertising sign in Sydney’s King’s Cross. The heavy emphasis in this campaign on technology and social media is clearly targeted at young consumers and will be watched closely by the Coca-Cola headquarters in the US.
By mid-November Coke realised it was onto a good thing and extended the campaign. This is from Australian FoodNews again:
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Categories: Australian politics, Crime, Fun stuff, Northern Territory politics, Some places I've been, Stupidity, The Northern Myth
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I have only one thing to add:
That is all.
by fmark on Jul 16, 2012 at 7:34 am
Apologies, the image was stripped out of my comment, please see: http://wayfaringchocolate.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/IMG_3212.jpg
by fmark on Jul 16, 2012 at 7:34 am
Fmark – I’ll try to post the pic “in-comment” but in the meantime thanks for the tongue-in-cheek link …
by Bob Gosford on Jul 16, 2012 at 7:37 am
I think there is a lot of ignorance down south.
I remember getting in trouble with my boss for making trouble when I pointed out that “Koorie” is not a blanket term for all aboriginal people, and asking on an enrolment form “are you Koorie” was exclusive and would not tell them if a student was Indigenous unless they consider themselves Koorie.
I tried to point out that no Larrakeyah man would consider himself Koorie and that in WA its the equivalent of “coon” but I might as well have been talking to thin air.
The lack of research and respect from coke isnt surprising, they are just following suit. If government departments can run on ignorance, why not coke as well?
by murphy ms on Jul 16, 2012 at 8:05 am
murphy ms – quite right. Koorie (Koori) is a trem of self-identification used by Aboriginal people originally in the Newcastle area (Awabakal language = gurri).
To use it to refer to peoples from WA or NT is an insult – a bit like calling New Zealanders ‘Aussies’.
Try instead-
Anangu in northern South Australia, and neighbouring parts of Western Australia and Northern Territory
Bama in northern Queensland
Murri in southern Queensland
Nunga in southern South Australia
Nyoongar in southern Western Australia
Palawah (or Pallawah) in Tasmania.
Wangai in central Western Australia
Yolngu in Arnhem Land, Northern Territory
by Angra on Jul 16, 2012 at 10:02 am
It is ridiculous to expect any organisation to avoid every potentially offensive term in every language.
A Google search of Bidju returns 152,000 results. I didn’t waste my time looking for the highest ranking reference to NT vernacular terms. It certainly appears to be well known name/term among some cultural groups and it is a Cameroon place name.
If you wish to look for it; you can find offence in anything.
by Gavin (Gus) Kernot on Jul 16, 2012 at 1:33 pm
I recall ‘budju’ sensu lato being used around Alice Springs as well, which leads to a slightly off topic question – do you consider the Alice region part of the Top End? Or putting it another way, do you use ‘Northern Territory’ and ‘Top End’ synonymously? Many Alice locals that I knew would have taken umbrage at this suggestion.
by Mark Duffett on Jul 16, 2012 at 3:11 pm
I have received the following response from Michelle Allan at Coca-Cola:
Bob,
From the photo you have sent, it does appear the can is genuine.
I can confirm it was not printed as part of the 150 names in the Share a Coke promotion.
However, it may have been printed by an individual at our Share a Coke kiosks in selected shopping centres where during the promotion, consumers could get a customized 200ml can with the name of their choice.
These kiosks were closely supervised in an effort to ensure that potentially offensive terms did not appear on our cans. This moderation included a software program with a very long list of offensive names, including names with double meanings; additionally names of religious sensitivity were also excluded.
It appears in this instance this can was not picked up by our moderation process and we apologize for any offense this caused.
Michelle
by Bob Gosford on Jul 16, 2012 at 3:36 pm
There is at least one printed book that includes definitions of the word ‘budju’: Kidspeak – A Dictionary of Australian Children’s Words, Expressions and Games, published by MUP in 2000. I received a number of contributions from teenagers in Darwin who used the word as a noun for an attractive person: ‘I reckon that guy is a real budju’; as an adjective with the same meaning; and as a name for both the vagina and for sexual activity. It most probably derives from an Aboriginal language. The Dharuk language of the Sydney region has the word ‘budgeri’ meaning good, pretty.
June Factor
by June Factor on Jul 17, 2012 at 12:11 am
I have tracked the word ‘budju’ to Gurindji (main community of people live at Kalkaringi about 900km SW of Darwin). It ONLY means ‘vagina’ in Gurindji and not an attractive person. Gurindji mob are always a bit horrified to hear it used so freely in Katherine and Darwin.
by Felicity on Jul 17, 2012 at 8:12 am
Murphy MS,
You have at least educated me, a white fella from New South Wales. Given that Koori Radio, which sprung up from Radio Skid Row in Redfern Sydney, promotes itself as “Sydney’s only Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander full-time community radio station”, I had long made the assumption that the word Koori or Koorie was an acceptable and friendly word to generally cover Australian Aboriginal people.
Knowing that it is particularly offensive to Western Australians, or that Aboriginals in other areas do not identify with the term, is important, and I shall probably not use the word again (unless I encounter a context with someone who does identify with the word in a positive personal context).
Thank you, Kevin
by Kevin Tyerman on Jul 17, 2012 at 3:25 pm
Dear Bob…. and Michelle from Coke,
That is my can,.. I also had ‘Spunky’ printed on another can that day, at the promotional coke printing kiosk at Westfield Carindale, just before Christmas 2011.
I posted the photo to the Facebook group of ‘Budjus’ …and the photo has been copied a few times by people.
Michelle, the word is not offensive and if anyone would like to visit the Facebook page of ‘Budjus’ that was started by Kent D Rowe ….. you will truly get the real sense of the word today, as it is celebrated and commented on by all the Budjus, …
It was a word definately worthy of being in the top 150 names,.. as it is AWESOME!
P.s …I still have the cans! ….
by kennard tilsa on Jul 25, 2012 at 9:48 pm
….. and my other can I had ‘Spunky’ printed on …. let’s not get started on the various meanings of the word ‘Spunk’ …’Spunky’ …haaa haa …..It can mean a male ejaculated substance …. or a very good looking person !
by kennard tilsa on Jul 25, 2012 at 10:38 pm