Reception Aesthetics and a Dangerous Comic Hero: Explaining the Joh-Show

Abstract

After nearly twenty years of Queensland State premiership and an abortive run for Canberra, the last curtain has come down on the Joh-Show. Sir Johannes Bjelke-Petersen was one of the longest serving premiers in Australia's history since federation. Despite the failure of this campaign this man was one of Australia's most successful politicians. He was premier of Queensland for almost twenty years, and he was the only National party leader able to govern a state in his own right.

In attempting to explain Joh's attractiveness to the Queensland population, some analysts pointed behind him to the "faceless men" (of the Gold Coast, of Japan, of the party machine). Others cite the internal bickering of the state A.L.P. However, I believe that the top rating Joh-show was a success for two major sets of reasons. First, the receptive preconditions for a successful populist leader existed (and still exist) in Queensland. Second, features of the Joh-show itself made it successful here.