Speaker A
Omaru, the picturesque town with an ugly secret. They can't pronounce their own name. Omaru is actually pronounced Omaru, but the locals won't admit it.
A comedic exploration of Oamaru, NZ, where locals refuse to pronounce their town's name correctly, revealing cultural quirks and racial tensions.
Ask about this video. Answers come from its transcript only — with the timestamp, so you can check them.
Generated from the transcript and can be wrong — check the timestamp.
Key Takeaways
- Local traditions and habits can strongly influence language use, even when incorrect.
- Racial and cultural tensions exist beneath the surface in small communities.
- Efforts to correct cultural mispronunciations may be met with resistance but can foster awareness.
- Acknowledging privilege and historical context is important in understanding community dynamics.
- Humor can be an effective tool to address sensitive social issues.
What the video covers
- The video investigates the town of Oamaru, New Zealand, focusing on the locals' refusal to pronounce the town's name correctly.
- Host Guy Williams recounts being booed for pronouncing 'Oamaru' properly and vows to expose the issue.
- Interviews with locals reveal a mix of humor, denial, and racial undertones surrounding the pronunciation debate.
- Alan Dick, a former radio host, discusses local attitudes and admits to personal shortcomings related to race and privilege.
- The video touches on New Zealand’s colonial history and ongoing racial issues in a candid, satirical manner.
- Guy attempts to complete three missions: getting his grandson into a good school, learning local customs, and teaching correct pronunciation.
- Locals often say 'Omaru' instead of 'Oamaru' out of habit, convenience, or resistance to change.
- A Nahu representative explains the pronunciation issue as ignorance rather than racism, emphasizing fear of offending.
- The video blends humor with social commentary on race, identity, and cultural preservation in a small town.
- Despite resistance, the host encourages genuine effort in respecting correct pronunciation and cultural sensitivity.
Chapters
- 00:00Introduction to Oamaru's pronunciation issue
- 00:58Interview with Alan Dick about local attitudes
- 01:54Discussion on racism and white privilege
- 02:50Host's attempts and challenges with pronunciation
- 03:20Humorous farm visit and local customs
- 04:32Locals defend their pronunciation habits
- 06:52Nahu representative explains pronunciation context
- 07:35Closing reflections and social lessons
Full Transcript — Download SRT & Markdown
Speaker A
Then in 2019, this became personal. It's great to be here in Omaru. [cheering] The crowd booed me for even trying to say the name of their town correctly.
Speaker A
Just cheering your own name. What the [ __ ] big carrot. [ __ ] you're right.
Speaker A
I was humiliated. I swore that one day I would return to Omaru and expose these [ __ ] to the world. Today that day [music] has come. First stop, a Dick.
Speaker A
Former Talkback radio host and admin of an influential local Facebook page, Alan Dick. A Dick, I presume.
Speaker A
A Dick. [laughter] Nice to meet you. A big Dick. Yeah. Well, nice to meet you, Mr. Big Dick.
Speaker A
It's a privilege and an honor. So, what do the locals call the town we're in right now?
Speaker A
Omaru. It's Omaru. Omaru. Omaru. Omaru. They just won't be told. Might you say that the locals here are the R word?
Speaker A
That's a pretty strong and unkind word. They're No, sorry. They're racist. I've asked that question a number of times on my Facebook page. Is Omaru racist? And the answer is no. Yeah, of course it's no because [laughter] because I don't I don't
Speaker A
and all the white people from Omaru said no and I said case closed. I don't know why old people were so scared of the R word.
Speaker A
Racist is just got such unpleasant connotations. New Zealand has unpleasant history. We came here, we murdered people, we stole land, we put huge populations in jail, and we're still just hanging out like everything's cool. Who wants to go to
Speaker A
the 660 concert? No, we need to sort out the genocide. You know, that's crazy.
Speaker A
I am actually ashamed of myself for not persevering with a simple thing like, oh, Omaru, you're not likely to run to these people at the supermarket or down at Scots. And so what you're saying is you're a coward racist. I'm a
Speaker A
coward. I was I was critical of I don't think you're a racist, by the way. But I think there's parts of you that will be racist just like there's parts of me that are racist that we need to work on. You know,
Speaker A
uh, look, Alan, you're not the perfect specimen. You've probably [ __ ] up many times.
Speaker A
Don't make don't make me get your old Talkback radio tapes, mate. I never really had any complaints. And of course you do, 'cause all the people listening were white and they don't know [ __ ] they're idiots.
Speaker A
I would think the majority of Kiwis, their apathy overwhelms them. Yeah. And and that's called white privilege.
Speaker A
Privilege is the ability to avoid things that don't affect you. And race issues don't affect you as a white New Zealander. So you can go [ __ ] it. I can't pronounce the name correctly. Too hard.
Speaker A
I try. I mean, you tried for about a week and a half. Yeah. No. Yeah, I tried for I still try.
Speaker A
Don't worry, mate. We're all white here. I'm doing [ __ ] all as well. Don't worry.
Speaker A
You don't have to. It's goddamn disaster out there. So, you had a mission which was to say, "Oh, I'm going to do it correctly." It was part of my mission. The main part was getting was getting my grandson into
Speaker A
a good school. There's no good schools here. White Tech Boy is a very, very good school.
Speaker A
For what? Fisting a cow. No. No. No, here's a question for you country folks.
Speaker A
Who jerks off the bulls? We're thinking about this in the van the other day.
Speaker A
How about horses? Whose job is that? And how do I get that job? Am I right? They pay me. I was doing that for free. It'd be so good.
Speaker A
You'd have to use two hands. [laughter] You'd have to. One hand wouldn't get the job done.
Speaker A
I would wear rubber gloves. Alan, you came here with a few missions. You wanted to get your grandson into a good school.
Speaker A
I did. You wanted to jack off a horse. Yes. And you, um, you wanted to pronounce correctly. I absolutely failed miserably at that.
Speaker A
And I'm going to, um, finish what you started. Help the locals pronounce Omaru correctly.
Speaker A
It's your mission. My biggest tip would be to wear something bulletproof because they're not going to be pleased with you.
Speaker A
Alan moved here with three goals and he'd only accomplished one of them. So I headed to a farm to jack off a horse.
Speaker A
Let's see what we're packing down there, big fella. And then back to Omaru to teach the locals how to say the name of their own town correctly. Pauline, I'm Guy. Nice to meet you.
Speaker A
Yes, good. Just going for a fist bump. Yeah, I've been here all my life.
Speaker A
Okay. I was looking for a fist bump. That was my main thing. What's that? What do you mean?
Speaker A
Fist bump. Close your fist. Nice. Whereabouts are we right now? In Omaru. Where are we right now?
Speaker A
Omaru. Wrong. Omaru. Are you sure that's how you say it? Yes. I've lived here all my life.
Speaker A
We always say Omaru. You don't go to Auckland and call it Auckland, you know.
Speaker A
Well, just call it Oakland. Yeah, I know. We'll just call it Omaru. Well, I don't be bothered with change.
Speaker A
I just say [laughter] How could How come you could say that correctly? Well, probably 'cause I'm brown.
Speaker A
I don't know. Something like that. Why are you saying it like au? Is that how you're supposed to say it?
Speaker A
Oh, I just call it [ __ ] town. [laughter] Omaru. Say or like a rowing or?
Speaker A
No. Like a rowing or Why no? The locals say Omaru. Yeah. Why do the locals say Omaru?
Speaker A
Because it's easier. No, because they're racist. I just don't like it. Are you racist?
Speaker A
I'm [ __ ] moldy. Oh, yeah. Play that now. [ __ ] racist. Well, okay. Yeah, I am racist, but not to moldies.
Speaker A
Yeah. [screaming and groaning] Wait. Okay. Who are you racist to? Everyone else except for moldies.
Speaker A
[laughter] Are people racist here? In my first week, I got called a black monkey.
Speaker A
[ __ ] Yeah. In a Countdown car park. Why? Oh, I don't know. It was like a little like a little ranger kid with a mullet.
Speaker A
[laughter] I was going to say something but then it said Gun City on the back of the card and I was like stay away from that.
Speaker A
What if people pronounce your name Pauline? Would it be a bit screwy? Or is it a bit screwy to pronounce Omaru?
Speaker A
Oh get off. I got you there, didn't I? I got you there, didn't I? Pauline Margaret, an old dog. You can't teach her new tricks.
Speaker A
Well, I've said it that way my whole life. It's Omaru. Yeah, I mean, but you've dressed that way your whole life. It doesn't mean you shouldn't change immediately.
Speaker A
Been Omaru forever. Peter, are you a little bit brain damaged? No. Are you embra? No, I'm not.
Speaker A
Are you not? I'm not. Where's your mom from? I'm Where's your dad from? That doesn't sound good.
Speaker A
Are your cousins? No, they're definitely not a cous. What's your dad's last name? Where?
Speaker A
What's your mom's last name? Where? Wait. [laughter] Hoya. Anyway, wait. What was that? It was a Hoya. Do you not know what a Hoya is?
Speaker A
Of course, I know what a Hoya is. What's a Hoya from? It's from sex.
Speaker A
There's no way you've had sex. [laughter] There's no way. You're saying your name wrong. I've been here for six years. Don't [ __ ] fight.
Speaker A
Learn. No. Alan Dick was right. The people of Omaru were aware of the problem but couldn't be [ __ ] making an effort to change.
Speaker A
Discouraged and frustrated, I spoke to someone who knew the issue well. Nahu representative and speaker Justin Tipper. Can I swear?
Speaker A
You please yourself. It's [ __ ] weird that a town can't say its own [ __ ] name.
Speaker A
It's somewhat perplexing. Are the people here racist? I I don't think so. It's just a case of perhaps a little bit of ignorance. It's this is the way it's always been said, so that's the way we'll always say it.
Speaker A
But when you know how to say it properly, [music] do you still say Kim and be or do you say Kimber? [laughter] It's a little bit like that here, you know.
Speaker A
So if I was going to ask you a question, could I ask what the [ __ ] is the name of this place?
Speaker A
So the name of this place is O Maru. Ou or a maru. Place of mu.
Speaker A
Place of mu. There there's a lot of fear of getting it wrong. Well, that's what I hear. You know, people don't want to offend anyone. And look, my advice to people is if you make a genuine effort and you
Speaker A
miss the mark, people are usually pretty okay with that. It's just when you don'
Speaker A
That's that's what's disappointing. Justin taught me a valuable lesson. You don't need to force people to change.
Speaker A
You just need to encourage them to try. Optimistically, I headed back into town on the eve of Amadu's legendary steampunk festival. A festival celebrating a Jules Vern inspired fictional [music] future where conservative white people can release their repressed sexuality.
Speaker A
That is a horrific photo. What do you even take a photo of there? It's great to be here in Oraru.
Speaker A
Ouru, but to my surprise, these horny old people could actually say or Aaru. So steampunkers can say it correctly. Oh, definitely.
Speaker A
So are the steampunkers like a little bit more evolved? We try to be because we're from the future.
Speaker A
Originally from England, but I'm from Christ Church. No, I mean like from the future.
Speaker A
Sorry. Huzzah. What do you say? Huzzah. What does huzzah mean? It's just a steampunk thing. It means hello. Hooray.
Speaker A
Huzzah. Huzzah. Huzzah. Huzzah. HUZZAH. HUZZAH. HUZZAH. NO, not huzzah. Well, what are you saying?
Speaker A
I'm not saying anything. I am here to say you bombed last time you were here.
Speaker A
Oh, no. The fun of the steampunk festival is evaporating. The Oamaru steampunkers had given me a glimmer of hope that Oamaru might be able to pronounce their own name correctly, but that optimism was quickly crushed by some locals looking for a
Speaker A
fight. I actually say Omaru. And why is that? We're born and bred in Omaru.
Speaker A
Are you born and bred in Omaru? In Omaru. Born in Omaru. Born and bread in Omaru.
Speaker A
No, look. Come on. We'll come back a little bit. So, I I came here a few years ago.
Speaker A
Yes. And what happened? You actually bombed. I don't think I bombed. You bombed. You bottomed out.
Speaker A
No, I didn't. And I wrote um I wrote an article on stuff. I wrote an article on stuff.com.
Speaker A
I'm from Omaru. Yeah, I know. I have lived in Omaru and you're Tracy and I'm Tracy and I out of it and never got it back. But I mean, if I'm losing a crowd of [ __ ] is that a problem?
Speaker A
[laughter] I think they thought you were the [ __ ] you. Don't tell me I have to say it's something different.
Speaker A
You got to admit, it's a bit embarrassing to not know the name of your own town.
Speaker A
I'm not embarrassed at all. You should be. So, so you're upset that I pronounced the name of Omaru correctly?
Speaker A
Just get the name right next time you come. Which is Thank you. Maybe this Jamanji man was right.
Speaker A
You actually bombed. Maybe I'm not cut out to be the white savior this time.
Speaker A
Who's a I left the festival totally disheartened. And I was [music] about to give up all hope until through the darkness I saw a beacon of light.
Speaker A
Hello. How we going? What is this place? Northago Dance Association. Nice to meet you. I'm Guy.
Speaker A
I'm an Nice to see you, Anne. Thank you. What is this housey? Oh, bingo.
Speaker A
House. No, no, it's called bingo, though, isn't it? No, it's house. I know. We're in a house.
Speaker A
[laughter] It's called bingo the game. No, it's housey. But it's better known as bingo.
Speaker A
No, I've been doing it for 20 odd years. I don't how you don't know specifically how many years.
Speaker A
I had to ask the boss tonight how many years I've been doing it for.
Speaker A
Who's the boss? Ken sitting up there to call works the computer. Good to see you, Ken.
Speaker A
Yeah, good to see you, guy. You're Ken? Yes, I am. And you're running this show, are you?
Speaker A
Uh, well, Ann actually runs it. I'm just the boss. Well, Ann runs it. Y So, what do you do?
Speaker A
Well, I'm the boss. The boss of the computer? No, I'm the boss of the place.
Speaker A
And what do you contribute to this? Well, it wouldn't go if I wasn't here.
Speaker A
[laughter] I love this. This is so good. This is the best Friday night ever.
Speaker A
It's popping off. Big Ken, good luck for pressing the button. Yeah, got the finger going. The North of Targetago Dance Association Bingo Howy Night felt like an amazing dream and a welcome relief from my Omaru Omaru nightmare. Are you going to win tonight?
Speaker A
Oh, I hope so. Please, Lord. [laughter] We like winning obviously, but it's about the company we keep.
Speaker A
We have a good laugh. We come on a Friday night and we have something to eat.
Speaker A
You go on a big sausage. Yes. So, don't be jealous, guys. All right. [laughter] This sausage actually reminds me of a horse that I um service today.
Speaker A
I did. Why? It was a man's dream. I don't know. I don't know. Something to do. Help yourself.
Speaker A
How do you win at um bingo? Being lucky. [laughter] Well, you know it's calledier. I said it wrongly to rack you up.
Speaker A
It's not easy to rack me up. What about you? Bingo. Bingo. Bingo. Bingo. How do you know about bingo? [laughter] What do you mean? I don't know about bingo.
Speaker A
Yeah, everyone knows about bingo. It's a famous game. Who? No. Nobody says bingo. [laughter] We don't really call it bingo at all, you know.
Speaker A
What do you call that? Well, I'm actually very bored with it. I'm just filling in my life at the moment. [laughter] U filling in for what?
Speaker A
Normally, I keep dogs. No disrespect to everybody here, but I find dogs are more interested than human being. I've shown them all over the world and kept them for over 75 years.
Speaker A
Well, what happened to your dogs? Did you lose them? I've just had one put down.
Speaker A
Oh, I'm very sorry to hear that. Yeah, very bad. Do you want me to piss off now? Yeah, [laughter] you said that.
Speaker A
I said it. Oh, you're small. I'm so sorry. My bad. How's he rips? I was having a bloody good [music] time and I met some fascinating people.
Speaker A
You're a bodyguard to King Fis of Iraq. Yes. And what happened to him? He got assassinated. [laughter] Were you Was that on your watch?
Speaker A
No. Where were you? Thankfully, I was away because my You're not You're supposed to be bodyguarding him.
Speaker A
My My mate got assassinated with him as well. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh, man. That took a dark turn.
Speaker A
Yeah, there's always a dark side to these tails. But Mike was right. Even though I was having the time of my life, there was still a dark side. And how do you say the name of this town we're in right
Speaker A
now? Omaru. Omaru. Yes. Omaru. I don't say that. And where are we today? Omaru.
Speaker A
And where are we today? Omaru. And where are we today? [laughter] You guys are married and you're saying it in different ways.
Speaker A
The proper one is Oh, Araru. She knows. She's from Dublin. No, I'm from Belfast.
Speaker A
Oh, sorry. Oh, sorry. But I say Armaroo. Why? I don't know. Cuz everybody else does.
Speaker A
[laughter] Well, sheep me, baby. Is she? Yeah. What do you think of his pronunciation?
Speaker A
Rubbish. [laughter] You guys have been married 40 years and she can't even teach you how to say the name of your own town correctly.
Speaker A
No. No. I'll probably never learn it either. Why not? It's what I know, so I say what I know.
Speaker A
But could you learn something new? Do I want to learn something new? No. [laughter] It seemed that wherever I went, the message was the same. Most people refuse to sayu correctly, even though they knew they should. But there must be a way to
Speaker A
convince them. I entered an intense trance as my beautiful mind searched for an answer.
Speaker A
Anomaru. It's what I know. So I say what I know. You haveuar. But could you learn something new? I'm just an old dog. 24.
Speaker A
Do I want to learn something new? 959. Everybody else an old dog. You can't teach her new tricks.
Speaker A
I just call it [ __ ] Sheep army. Why would I learn? We learned a new fist bump though, didn't we?
Speaker A
Until bingo. No, it's house. The answer was there all along. Old dogs can learn new tricks, and I knew just the man that could help me. Right after, he tells me another horrific life story.
Speaker A
If you've killed another human being with a gun, how would you feel? I'd feel bad. Have you killed someone?
Speaker A
More than one. Wow. People have a hangup about women and children in warfare. You've got to think about this. A woman can shoot just as well as a man. And a child grows up to hate you and he'll kill you later on. So
Speaker A
what do you do? Once Mike the dog expert had finished being Mike the killing people expert, I could ask him the one question on my mind.
Speaker A
There's a saying in the dog industry which is called you can't teach an old dog new tricks.
Speaker A
To a point true. So if you had an old dog, could you teach it new tricks?
Speaker A
Yes, you can. Okay. So can I teach you a new trick today? Yeah, probably. or or like a rowing or hey, THIS WAS THE breakthrough I was looking for. It was time to treat the people of Oamu like the dogs that they were.
Speaker A
Mike the dog expert had learned how to correctly say oaru. If I could teach that old dog new tricks, I could teach anyone. And I'd do just that the very next day at the legendary steampunk festival parades.
Speaker A
Excuse me, guys. You're just marching on right through there. Nice to meet you, sir. What's your name?
Speaker A
Jake Vuvius. And what's your real name? K. The one rule is there are no rules and it's only as imaginative as your imagination.
Speaker A
Wow. And what is your character? This is I can't remember her name, but my imagination has seems to have let me down. Is your beard real?
Speaker A
My beard is very real. It's attached. Magic flying carpet sweeper from the back passage.
Speaker A
That sounds like a sexual double entre. No, no, not at all. And we shall take a trip to the back passage later on. Telly Ho. The one.
Speaker A
Telly Ho. Do you have like a steampunk butt plug? And what do we call these?
Speaker A
These are the nangs. For getting [ __ ] up. If it's not too much personal question, are you are you are you bound to a wheelchair?
Speaker A
No. So, you're just kind of appropriating wheelchair culture. Well, quite a few of us have.
Speaker A
Time to get on the nangs. [laughter] Hell yeah. HUZZAH. HUZZAH. HUZZAH. HUZZAH. WAIT, that was that was quite an aggressive bizarre with kind of like a Nazi salute going on there. The parade had it all. Fantastical costumes, furries, nangs, a 1992 Dihatu Centro,
Speaker A
that [ __ ] [music] from last night. You have bombed, and most importantly, me. Hello.
Speaker A
The entire town turned out for the big parade. This was my chance to put Mike's lesson into practice.
Speaker A
A woman can shoot just as well as a man. So what do you do?
Speaker A
No, not that. You can do it by sheer kindness. Really? Wow. I inserted myself into the festivities to spread the word of Aadu in a kinder, more gentle way. Aaru, the greatest CITY IN THE WORLD, WHICH worked pretty well
Speaker A
because the second best attraction was this van. Hello for it is me again. Turns out this parade is actually a loop. See you in a few minutes. HUZZAH.
Speaker A
UNFORTUNATELY, kindness and positivity can only go so far. It's Omaru. I think it's Ouru.
Speaker A
Not where I live. Where do you live? Deneden. I feel smart in Deneden. Very. [laughter] So, you're not going to say Omaru?
Speaker A
No. Why not? Because it's not the right pronunciation. No, that is literally the moldy pronunciation.
Speaker A
Do I look like a marau? So, I went back to my motel room and started making a steampunk dog collar to shock the kids.
Speaker A
This fantastical contraption [music] would give the wearer an electric shock every time they pronounce or amaru.
Speaker A
Omaru. What do I do? It's a pretty simple game, mate. You say what? I already got shock.
Speaker A
Just don't say anything until you've heard me say it. What is the main town in North Tago?
Speaker A
Omaru. [laughter] Uh, Omaru. Oh, this thing sucks. It's like stuffing up my brain. I think your brain was already stuffed though. Where are we today?
Speaker A
Omaro. Yeah. It's not good, is it? Pulse. Yeah. Or Aru. Omaro. Are you enjoying this a little bit?
Speaker A
[laughter] You're so goddamn inbred. You know, affected by electric shocks. Oh, no. We worked out I wasn't inbred.
Speaker A
He was the inbred. I'm not inbred. And after a slow start, things were starting to improve.
Speaker A
OH, NICE JOB, MATE. [ __ ] GOOD. OH, YOU'RE LEARNING. You're learning. This is real quick. And for the people who couldn't learn, everyone jump in the van. We got all the good stuff in there.
Speaker A
We got quad bikes, free beers for the lads, ns, you'll be excited about that, mate.
Speaker A
[ __ ] yeah. I ship them out of town to a place where racism would be more accepted.
Speaker A
Welcome to Otahi. [ __ ] Nah, just kidding. This is Christ Church. WE'RE RACIST HERE, TOO.
Speaker A
[ __ ] YEAH. And slowly but surely, I began to sense a change. It's lovely to be here in the beautiful city of Aaru.
Speaker A
[cheering and screaming] Not just in the town, but in myself. I learned that the best way to make a difference was through the power of sheer kindness. Also, a racism van and the electric shock dog collar. Because people are good and you can teach an old
Speaker A
dog new tricks. It wasn't 100% success rate. I'm going to be honest with you.
Speaker A
Hello. I've lived in Amaru Amaru for 75 years and it's always been Amaru. Yeah, but now it's Ouru.
Speaker A
No. What do you MEAN NO? BUT MOST people were really making an effort and there was only one way to make sure.
Speaker A
It's great to be back in Oramaru. [cheering] I did the best gig of my life and I fixed racism forever.
Speaker A
As a white savior, I had solved racism and helped finish the missions that Alan Dick had started.
Speaker A
[clears throat] Good boy. Gross. And as I tasted a sweet cup of Oamaru champagne, I couldn't help but feel like I'd left this town a little better than I'd found it.
Speaker A
Guy Williams, New Zealand today.
Topics:OamaruNew Zealandpronunciationlocal cultureracismcolonial historycomedysocial commentarylanguageNew Zealand Today
