When we all have personalised algorithms, how do we escape them?
Former Feed comedians Vic and Jenna, along with Yorta Yorta rapper Adam Briggs, may have made a video that escapes the echo chamber - it takes aim at apathy and seeks to dispel confusion in the lead-up to the Indigenous Voice to Parliament referendum.
The video, called Far Enough - Vote Yes, is an independent production and wasn't funded by the official Yes23 campaign or the government. It was written by Vic Zerbst and Jenna Owen, who you might recognise for their previous work on The Feed.
After five years as The Feed’s resident comedians, Zerbst and Owen parted ways with the broadcaster earlier this year to focus on other comedy projects. As a public broadcaster, SBS does not take a position on the Voice.
The video was first published to Briggs' YouTube page, where it currently has 249,000 views. On Briggs' Facebook page, it has more than 7000 shares and 100,000 views.
It's been reshared by the official Yes23 campaign on social media, as well as Hollywood stars Taika Waititi and Jason Momoa.
Zerbst and Owen both star in the video with Briggs. It came about after Briggs got in touch with director Nash Edgerton, who then contacted the writing duo.
"It was really collaborative, very creative, but also really beautiful on the day, knowing that everyone had given their time, no one was being paid, everyone was bringing their skills and expertise," Zerbst told The Feed.
What the campaign video hopes to achieve
The Far Enough - Vote Yes video takes aim at arguments made by both the progressive and mainstream No camps in the lead-up to the referendum.
The Yes campaign says the Voice to Parliament would allow First Nations people to be listened to by government and parliament on issues affecting their communities.
The mainstream No campaign - fronted by groups such as Fair Australia - has argued changing the constitution is legally risky, and that the Voice lacks detail and is divisive.
In contrast, members of the have argued the Voice would not go far enough in protecting First Nations sovereignty.
The video references both the idea that the Voice doesn't go far enough, and mainstream No talking points, like that it "could divide the nation".
Briggs questions both perspectives, saying, "It doesn't go far enough, but it also goes too far".
The goal of the video, Zerbst said, was to create something young people could share to "cut through a lot of the questions and a lot of the noise around what this debate has become".
Owen and Zerbst said the process of making the video was extremely collaborative. Source: Getty / Chris Hyde
"Also at this particular point in time, we just really wanted to deliver something that added a bit of hope and a little bit of impetus and a little bit of energy into the Yes campaign."
From You're the Voice to YES
Briggs isn't the first Australian musician to have publicly expressed their opinion on the referendum.
Singer John Farnham gave permission for his 1986 hit song, You’re the Voice, to be used to promote the Yes campaign.
It became the anthem for a nationwide television ad, which encouraged Australians to vote Yes and featured moments from the 1967 referendum, when Australians voted to recognise Aboriginal people and Torres Strait Islanders as part of the population.
Briggs is one half of Indigenous hip hop duo A.B. Original. The group has released a new single in support of the Voice, simply titled YES.
In the song, Briggs echoes the arguments made in the now-viral comedy video.
He raps, “Don’t know? F*** around and find out/Like ya searching for the best brunch spot near ya house, Google it.”
Fair Australia, one of the main groups advocating for a No vote, has been campaigning with the slogan "If you don't know, vote No".
Adam Briggs has been vocal in his support of the Voice to Parliament. Source: Getty / Morgan Hancock/AFL Photos
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese also made an appearance at the festival, and while casting his referendum vote on Saturday.
In September, Kelly, as well as musical acts such as Missy Higgins, Bernard Fanning and former Midnight Oil lead singer Peter Garrett .
Fighting misinformation with humour
Owen raised misinformation and "hysteria" as issues.
"Everyone seemed to be operating from a place of fear," she said.
"There was a lot of fear, and I think we just really wanted to give some clarity in this video."
In the lead-up to referendum day on 14 October, .
As for the video's reach, the fact that it's a comedy is important too.
"Humour allows people to engage with something, and allows them to want to share something," Zerbst said.
"There's no humour in the No campaign," Owen added.
"I think we were like, 'We need to have fun with what we're offering because what we're offering is the fun side'. It's hope, it's fun, it's unity."
How video reached the Hollywood stars
The video has been shared - widely. Owen described the fact it's been reposted by Hollywood stars Taika Waititi and Jason Momoa as "awesome".
"There was so much goodwill behind the video, and I think people really do want to share hopeful messages and messages that do let people in," Zerbst said.
It's also a reminder the "this debate is taking place on an international stage", and the rest of the world is watching.
The role of TikTok - and your algorithm
A focal point of the video is the idea that people who have questions about the Voice are not necessarily taking steps to inform themselves using the resources out there.
"I think that a lot of people don't go beyond [their] algorithm," Owens said.
It's something she says she's guilty of too. What concerns is her is the "weaponisation" of algorithms, which she compared to .
"It is about money, and it is about who's the best at using those platforms, and who can use those platforms," she said.
Zerbst added, "It's becoming more and more an uphill battle to stay informed and to know what is true".
Owen also pointed out the prominence of the No campaign on TikTok.
"I think you've got a lot of independent voices on the conservative side, on the No campaign, being able to put out their views on that platform, which has then going out to young people en masse," she said.
"And young people have missed out on the messaging of the Yes campaign."
Owen also said she thought "the best thing in the world is encouraging critical thinking based on real information".
It's "so much easier to be disengaged," Zerbst said.
"It's so much easier to not find out the facts in a world where there's so much information."
A key goal of the video was making it "easy" for viewers to get the facts to make an informed decision. And as well as information, what the duo hope the video delivers is a hopeful, "galvanising" message.
Stay informed on the 2023 Indigenous Voice to Parliament referendum from across the SBS Network, including First Nations perspectives through NITV.
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