In the confused year that’s been 2020, there’s been no shortage of material for our comedians to work with.
From zoom slip-ups to that friend who suddenly became obsessed with QAnon, our comedians managed to make us laugh at the sheer ridiculousness of what was, for many, a really tough year.
But before we break up with 2020 FOR GOOD, let's look back on the year through the eyes of our comedians.
Love in the time of Coronavirus
It’s official, 2020 has pretty much killed romance.
During the pandemic, our comedy team showed that the sexiest thing you could do was wash your hands and follow the health guidelines.
Lockdown also saw the revival of the long-dead ex, who slid into your DMS and asked ‘how’s it going?’, all the while knowing that at the peak of the pandemic, a face-to-face chat wasn’t on the cards.
Or maybe your ex did show up on your doorstep when they were supposed to be in quarantine, leading you to worry, like our comedian Jenna Owen, that you were a ‘goner’.
Coming to terms with restrictions
During the peak of NSW’s lockdown, police were tasked with making sure people stayed at home - unless they had a valid reason not to do so.
But our comedy team reckons there was nowhere tougher to be a cop than in Bondi - which was declared as a COVID-19 ‘hotspot’ by NSW Health in April.
In Bondi, our comedy team joked, some people felt they were simply too rich to get COVID. While others believed the virus had no chance if you take care of your body and “nourish the soul”.
Toilet paper gate
Remember the great toilet paper wars of 2020 and the indignity of being warned not to use napkins and serviettes as an alternative?
Well, The Feed’s comedy team does. They captured the mad rush for the toilet paper that brought back many Australians’ animal instincts and saw people literally brawling over the scarce resource in supermarkets.
And as images of empty shelves hit social media, FOMO over toilet paper and other essentials so real that supermarkets had to place limits on specific items.
As our comedians Jenna Owen and Victoria Zerbst from the Freudian Nip raced into the supermarket to get the last rolls of the scarce supply, it was every ass for themselves.
Zoom meetings
From forgetting pants to being left on mute, old Zoom habits die hard. Our comedy team looked at what’ll happen when we’re all forced to return to the office again.
When our comedians ruled it’s too soon for everybody to return to work just yet, some of The Feed’s followers on Facebook agreed.
“I might just pretend I’m always muted when we go back to the office,” one person joked.
“I am dreading having to put pants on!,” another person added.
We feel you!
QAnon friend
As the QAnon conspiracy theory hit the mainstream in 2020, we all had that friend who had "been doing some research."
From anti-5g to anti-vaxxers, 2020 was conspiracy theorist’s galore.
But as our comedy team pointed out, there’s a fine line between “essential oils pyramid scheme bullshit” and Satan-worshipping cabal “bullshit”.
In the words of our comedians, “this Donald Trump’s gonna save the world from vaccine mind control shit, that is our line… That is too far.”
Gladys’ bad boyfriend
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian dealt us a bombshell this year: she’d been in a secret five-year relationship with former Liberal MP Daryl Macguire.
Mr Maguire was hauled in front of ICAC and accused of misusing his position in public office for his own financial gain.
The revelation shocked Australians as the Premier confessed she’d “stuffed up” her personal life but denied any wrongdoing.
Steven Oliver monologue
Amidst the Black Lives Matter protests, comedian Steven Oliver blessed us with an epic monologue on racism.
The demonstrations were sparked by the death of African-American man George Floyd who was killed after a police officer kneeled on his neck for nine minutes.
In Australia, the movement also pushed for police reform but emphasised the deaths of Aboriginal Australians in custody. According to The Conversation, there have been 432 Indigenous deaths in custody since 1991.
In Steven Oliver’s monologue, he astutely pointed out that if you’re tired of hearing about racism, just imagine how those who experience it feel.
“Now you’re probably thinking, Steven. Why do you sexy, gorgeous, beautiful black Aboriginal people always try to make us feel guilty”,” he said.
“We can’t make you feel guilty… We want you to feel compassion, empathy, understanding, human.”
How to mine a sacred site
Rio Tinto issued a public apology to Traditional Owners after destroying sacred rock shelters at Juukan Gorge that showed signs of human occupation stretching back 46,000 years.
In a sketch, our comedians showed that while blowing up the Sydney Opera House is ‘unthinkable’ to some mining companies, desecrating hugely significant Indigenous sites doesn't raise an eyebrow among some executives.
Referring to hypothetical plans to mine ground under the Opera House, our comedian Vicky replied “that place has been an Australian icon for nearly 47 years. That’s the age of a dad.”
The rock shelters are seen as one of Australia's most significant archaeological research sites and have been estimated to have a value of $132 million.
As a result of the destruction at Juukan Gorge, it was announced in September that CEO Jean-Sebastien Jacques and two other Rio Tinto executives would step down.
Puutu Kunti Kurrama and Pinikura Traditional Owners have welcomed an interim report from the parliamentary inquiry into the destruction of ancient caves at Juukan Gorge.
The full report will be released next year.
