Shrimp On The Barbie Facts For Kids

For the 1990 film, see The Shrimp on the Barbie. A screenshot from the famous advertisement.

"Shrimp on the barbie" is a well-known phrase. It comes from a series of TV ads. These ads were made by the Australian Tourism Commission. They featured actor Paul Hogan from 1984 to 1990. The full line Hogan said was: "I'll slip an extra shrimp on the barbie for you". The main slogan of the ad was "Come and say G'day". This phrase, and similar ones, are now often used to talk about Australia in movies and shows.

Contents

• What Does "Shrimp on the Barbie" Mean?
  • How the Ads Became Popular
  • "Shrimp on the Barbie" in Pop Culture
  • Shrimp and Prawns in Australia

What Does "Shrimp on the Barbie" Mean?

The word "barbie" is Australian slang for a barbecue. So, "slip a shrimp on the barbie" means to put a shrimp on the grill. This phrase often makes people think of fun outdoor parties in the sun.

However, Australians usually use the word prawn instead of shrimp. The ads were made for people in the United States. The word "shrimp" was used to make sure American viewers understood. This commercial became very famous. Even decades later, people still quote the "shrimp on the barbie" line to Australians.

How the Ads Became Popular

These advertisements started before Paul Hogan became super famous. He starred in the 1986 movie Crocodile Dundee. So, at first, Americans did not see these as celebrity ads. Hogan was not well-known in the United States yet. But his movie later made the commercials even more popular.

The ads were created by an Australian company called Mojo. They worked with an American company named N.W. Ayer. The campaign began on January 8, 1984. It launched during a big football game.

Before these ads, Australia was not a very popular place for Americans to visit. It was about number 78 on their list of desired vacation spots. But just three months after the ads started, Australia jumped to number 7! Soon, it became one of the top two "dream vacation" spots for Americans. It stayed popular for almost 20 years.

"Shrimp on the Barbie" in Pop Culture

The phrase has appeared in many movies and games. For example, in the 1994 comedy Dumb and Dumber, a character named Lloyd Christmas tries to talk to a woman. He thinks she is Australian, but she is actually Austrian. He says, "Let's put another shrimp on the barbie." She then turns him down.

In the video game Mortal Kombat 11, a character named Cassie Cage uses the phrase. She says it to make fun of Kano, who is an Australian character.

Shrimp and Prawns in Australia

Prawns are a popular seafood in Australia, especially around Christmas. However, seafood like shrimp and prawns are not as common in Australian meals as they are in the United States. In the late 1980s, people in the United States ate about 1.3 kilograms (about 2.8 pounds) of shrimp each year. This was the second-highest amount in the world, after Japan.