The Juice Media


The Juice Media is an Australian film and media company, that produces contemporary political and social satire.
They are known for their Internet series Honest Government Ads and Juice Rap News.
TJM has been at the centre of a number of political controversies including the use of the "Australien" logo that is at the heart of a Bill to change the Australian Criminal Code Act as well as the divisive Australia Day piracy video.

History

TJM was founded by Giordano Nanni, an Australian historian, author, satirist and video producer. TJM started publishing on YouTube in May 2008 with the first episode of Juice Rap News premiering on 4 October 2009. On 28 May 2016 Juice Media launched the Honest Government ad series with Visit Australia.
On 24 January 2017 TJM released the controversial Australia Day.

Controversy

Australien Coat of Harms

The Australien Coat of Harms was created as the backdrop to the fictitious Department of Genuine Satire for the Honest Government Adverts. There are a number of notable differences between the fictitious Coat of Harms and the Commonwealth Coat of Arms that it lampoons including:
In September 2017 TJM received an e-mail from the Australian National Symbols Officer requesting that the use of the satirical logo no longer be used as they had received complaints from the members of the public about the logo. 5 days later a Bill was proposed to Australian parliament to amend the Criminal Code Act 1995.
The summary for the Bill was stated as:
Amends the Criminal Code Act 1995 to: introduce new offences for a person recklessly or intentionally representing themselves to be, or to be acting on behalf of, or with the authority of, a Commonwealth entity or service; and introduce a new injunction power to allow authorised persons to seek injunctive relief to prevent a person from engaging in conduct in contravention of the new offences.
The case for the amendments to the Bill were presented in the Senate by the Attorney-General Hon. George Brandis QC
There were a number of public submissions to the Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Committee overseeing the proposed amendments. Among the submissions were pieces from Australian Lawyers for Human Rights and Electronic Frontiers Australia, both of which expressed concerns about the Bill regarding freedom of speech, the lack of safeguards, and ambiguous wording in the Bill which could result in legal action being taken against critics and satirists.
It is unfortunate that the Australian government cannot distinguish between impersonation and satire. But it is especially worrying because the government has proposed legislation that would impose jail terms for impersonation of a government agency. Some laws against impersonating government officials can be appropriate. But the proposed legislation in Australia lacks sufficient safeguards. Moreover, the recent letter to Juice Media shows that the government may lack the judgment needed to apply the law fairly.
This was a sentiment echoed by Adam Bandt MP in a speech to parliament in which he addressed the topics of freedom of speech and the rights to "mercilessly troll government".
Senator Nick McKim is on record as saying:
"Where does this leave satire in Australia? Does it mean that figures such as Shaun Micallef, The Juice Media and The Chaser team, as well as upcoming comedians, will have to think twice before they crack jokes lest they find themselves on the stand or in the slammer? As the government's then Attorney-General put it, 'The test of what genuine satire is will be, as I said, up to the courts.' Australian common law has never previously had to deal with defining genuine satire, meaning that satirists will be in the dark as to the potential limits of their jokes until a body of common law has been established."
If successfully passed those found to be in breach of the new amendment can face 2–5 years imprisonment
On 21 June 2018, the Criminal Code Amendment Bill 2017 was passed by both Houses and moved into law.

Australia Day (Piracy Parody)

On 24 January 2017 TJM released a parody of a well known anti-piracy ad, colloquially dubbed "You Wouldn't Steal a Car", called Australia Day. The video compared the celebration of Australia Day, the national day of Australia, to a number of infamous events in history. The events depicted include the "Final Solution" by Nazi Germany, dropping of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima and Sept. 11 attacks on the Twin Towers.
The video was released as part of the Change the Date campaign which calls for changing the date of Australia Day by Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander and wider community groups.
Many believe celebrating on January 26 is insensitive as the arrival of the First Fleet marked the beginning of a brutal history which saw mass killings of Indigenous Australians.
This video incited a great deal of debate, especially in social media, with a lot of negative sentiments expressed especially at the comparison of 26 Jan to other historical dates:
"I understand the sentiment, but these are really poor examples. Not one of these events resulted in the creation of a sustainable society/civilisation," Shaun Fielding said.
The National Australia Day Council said in response:
"Though 26 January marks this specific event, today Australia Day celebrations reflect contemporary Australia: our diverse society and landscape, our remarkable achievements and our bright future. It also is an opportunity to reflect on our nation's history, and to consider how we can make Australia an even better place in future,"
In 2017 the Australia Day celebrations in Fremantle, Western Australia were cancelled and replaced with alternative celebrations 2 days later on 28 January. This was seen as a litmus test for the #changethedate movement.

Juice Rap News

An internet based Australian satirical news show consisting of a rapped "news report" with social commentary using comical rap lyrics.

Honest Government Ads

The Honest Government Ads are filmed in Melbourne, Victoria. They are written by Giordano Nanni who creates the series in collaboration with Lucy Cahill. Actors appearing in the series are credited as Ellen Burbidge, Zoë Amanda Wilson and Matylda Buczko-Koren with Lucy Cahill also being credited with the voice overs.
These videos are a satirical take on Australian Government advertising. Each video targets a current social or political issue and highlights potential consequences of the Government's position and policy on that issue.
"And an increasingly popular way of sharing the ‘honest truth' about political events is through satirical videos, something that The Juice Media does brilliantly. They bring attention to the ridiculousness of political and worldwide events, not only by making people laugh but by being blunt about what is going on and how people are being taken advantage of. Not everyone agrees with their left wing politics, but it gets people talking."
In an Al Jazeera English article looking at Satire in the Trump era Giordano Nanni was included in the discussion talking about the use of satire to help keep governments honest.
As part of the Honest Government ad series TJM has published three ads which are mock tourism ads highlighting the history and ongoing effects of colonial rule in certain countries, including Hawaii and Puerto Rico.
TitleRelease DateCountryVideo
Link		Public ReactionBrief Description of Video
Visit Australia28 May 2016Drew attention to the dying Great Barrier Reef and the Australian Government's lack of detail provided to UNESCO's report on tourism and climate change.
Census Fail1 Aug 2016Satirised the security flaws which plagued the 2016 census conducted by the Australian Bureau of Statistics
We Tortured Some Kids18 Aug 2016Drew attention to Australia's treatment of juveniles in its onshore and offshore detention centres, particularly Indigenous youth.
Dakota Access Pipeline21 Oct 2016Covered the Indigenous resistance movement at the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation, North Dakota to the Dakota Access Pipeline.
President Trump16 Nov 2016Mock announcement by the outgoing Obama Government regarding the winner of the 2016 US Presidential election.
Adani Coal Mine4 Dec 2016Drew attention to Adani's Carmichael coal mine and rail project to become the world's largest coal mine which over 60 years will generate an estimated 4.7 billion tonnes of greenhouse emissions.
Centrelink Fail8 Jan 2017Video summed up the Centrelink debacle over auto-generated letters demanding back pay for the previous 6 years despite 1 in 5 not owing any money
Visit Hawai'i22 Mar 2017.Highlights the negative impacts of US annexation of Hawai'i..
Corporate Welfare31 Mar 2017Criticises the Australian Government's funding of the Adani coal mine with a public loan of close to AU$1 billion
Koalas & Trees10 Apr 2017.Partly funded by not-for-profit group National Parks Association of NSW, this drew attention to Regional Forest Agreements, drawn up between state and federal government, and the detrimental impacts on koala populations by industrial logging.
Visit Puerto Rico3 Jul 2017Highlights the negative social impact of American colonialism in Puerto Rico
Wealthcare1 Aug 2017Addresses the US Government's attempts to repeal Obamacare and promotes the adoption of Medicare for all
Marriage Equality Plebbyshite16 Aug 2017Covers the Australian Government's decision to hold a plebiscite to decide whether to legalise same sex marriage in Australia
War on Satire4 Oct 2017TJM's response to the government proposed changes to the Criminal Code Act.
The Great Australian Bight16 Oct 2017Draws attention to oil companies plans to drill in the Great Australian Bight.
Genuine Satire 22 Nov 2017Satire on the Australian Government's attempts to stop people from impersonating the Australian Government, by impersonating the Australian Government.
Net Neutrality10 Dec 2017Draws attention to the US Federal Communications Commission 's attempts to repeal Net Neutrality rules in the USA.
Charity Gag Law23 Feb 2018Covers the Australian Government's introduction of legislation targeting charities and community groups
Batman13 Mar 2018Looks at the by-election held in the Australian federal seat of Batman, Victoria
Aussie Arms Industry2 April 2018Satire about the Australian Government's ambitions to become a leading exporter of arms in the world. A Parody of Bunnings Warehouse called Pyney's Warhouse.
Trickledown Economics9 May 2018Highlights the issue of income inequality against the backdrop of the Australian Government's 2018 budget and the Royal Commission into the banking
Australia's Renewable Energy Policy28 May 2018Commentary on government policy regarding renewable energy and the refusal to adopt 50 per cent renewable energy target proposed by Australian Labor party
Visit the Northern Territory04 Jul 2018Looks at the government policy allowing Fracking in the Northern Territory and its environmental impact.
My Police State02 Aug 2018Highlights the creation of the Department of Home Affairs as well as recent changes in legislation that is centralising policing powers in Australia.
Article 1327 Aug 2018Commentary on European Union's Internet Censorship Bill which will impact European net neutrality
Anti-Encryption Law02 Sep 2018Deals with the Australian Governments attempts to introduce anti-encryption laws.
Government Corruption01 Oct 2018Commentary on Australian Government not wanting to implement a federal anti-corruption body.
Visit Timor-Leste28 Oct 2018Looks at the Australian Governments interaction with Timor-Leste and Australia's deals for their oil & gas fields.
Visit West Papua21 Nov 2018Looks at the Australian Governments interactions with Indonesia and West Papua and the Grasberg gold and copper mine.
Australia DayJan 20 2019A parody of Australia Day calling it Amnesia Day. The concept is about celebrating 26 January which celebrates the day that European colonisation of Australia began while ignoring the impact on Aboriginal culture.
The ABCFeb 06 2019A look at the benefits of ABC and the threats it is facing.
Australia's Refugee PolicyFeb 17 2019A parody inviting people smugglers to start sending more votes to distract people from the 2019 Federal Election. This is reminding people of what happened with the Children Overboard affair.
Climate Breakdown & Schools StrikesMar 14 2019A parody about the 2019 Federal Election and likening it to a weather report and looking at the Australian's Government stance on climate policy.
The EconomyApr 3 2019A parody about the 2019 Federal Election and the doublespeak used by politicians when it comes to economy and the budget.
Julian AssangeApr 15 2019VariousA commentary on the arrest of Julian Assange from the Ecuadorian embassy for extradition to the United States.
2019 ElectionMay 6 2019A commentary on the 2019 Australian federal election, highlighting the actions of the Coalition government since their election in 2013.
Preferential votingMay 13 2019A commentary on the nation's Two-party system, and how Preferential voting works in the Australian electoral system
Visit Australia! July 5 2019A commentary on the state of ecosystem and biodiversity loss in Australia, highlighting a lack of government action on climate change and habitat loss.