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 'Chk chk boom' brings instant fame 

'Chk chk boom' brings instant fame

26 May, 2009 08:29 AM
The term "chk chk boom" is not just a flippant catchphrase - it's a demonstration of the explosive power of the internet and the modern phenomenon of instant celebrity.

Clare Werbeloff's infamous false description of a Sydney shooting to a Nine Network camera crew last week has been viewed hundreds of thousands of times on video-sharing website YouTube.

It has led to job offers, interview requests from the world's news agencies, and even a reference in federal parliament.

Even though she admits her eye witness account of the "fat wog" shooting the "skinny wog" was all lies, she has no regrets.

"It's been the biggest week of my life," the 19-year-old waitress from Sydney's northern beaches said.

"I've had fun and I didn't mean anything by it. It's just a bit of fun, so it will be a good story for the grandkids," she said.

Instant fame has been a wild ride, with 85 interview requests from the world's media in a day, Facebook fan groups and a host of internet entrepreneurs cashing in on the "chk chk boom" craze with a range of T-shirts, caps, a rap song and other souvenirs.

"I didn't think it would blow out of proportion like this and I wasn't thinking at the time. I didn't think anything would come out of it," she told the Nine Network's A Current Affair on Monday.

"Aussies love to muck around with each other. They love jokes and I just thought Australia would get it."

Ms Werbeloff, who now has a publicist to deal with the international interest, said she saw the TV camera in the street in the early hours of May 17 and ran to it.

"I'm not camera shy," she smiled.

After getting herself in front of the camera, she said: "There were these two wogs fighting. The fatter wog said to the skinnier wog: 'Oi bro, you slept with my cousin.' And the other one said: 'Nah man, I didn't for shit, eh', and the other one goes: 'I will call on my fully sick boys, eh.' And then pulled out a gun and went 'chk chk boom'."

She has been criticised for using the term "wog", but Ms Werbeloff apologised for any offence and defended her use of the word, saying her generation "don't really take offence to it any more".

Her clip even inspired an attack by Infrastructure Minister Anthony Albanese on federal Opposition Leader Malcolm Turnbull in federal parliament today.

"Last week, Clare Werbeloff shot to international fame after she went to extraordinary lengths to get herself in front of the camera ... to get that few minutes of fame," he said.

"But unfortunately when you look for the substance it wasn't there ... just like the leader of the opposition."

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comments


Date: Newest first | Oldest first
does anyone communicate in English any more?
Posted by dmacka, 26/05/2009 12:36:29 PM
Politics could be her future?
Posted by Steve Burgess, 26/05/2009 6:05:14 PM

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Photo: Channel Nine
Photo: Channel Nine

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