Ita Buttrose, an Australian journalist and businesswoman, is probably best-remembered as the founding editor of Cleo, a high-circulation magazine aimed at women aged 20 to 40 that was ground-breakingly frank about sexuality. In its infancy it even featured nude male centrefolds.
In her new book A Guide to Australian Etiquette, Buttrose, twice voted Australia’s most admired woman, has identified moral chaos in supermarket aisles, elevators and on walkways.
The book is at its best when Buttrose scolds, particularly with a squeamish undertone:
Don’t wear singlet tops with trousers to the opera, theatre or ballet. Have some respect for the other patrons and don’t expose them to your armpits, especially hairy ones, as they can be particularly repulsive.”
When you make your way to your seat, you should face the people you have to pass. Don’t put your bottom in their faces.”
via Forget etiquette, now it’s Itaquette Lakes Mail
Graham Spicer is a writer, director and photographer in Milan, blogging (under the name ‘Gramilano’) about dance, opera, music and photography for people “who are a bit like me and like some of the things I like”. He was a regular columnist for Opera Now magazine and wrote for the BBC until transferring to Italy.
His scribblings have appeared in various publications from Woman’s Weekly to Gay Times, and he wrote the ‘Danza in Italia’ column for Dancing Times magazine.
