Post by @joannaholman@aus.social

2026-09-09 23:28 UTC

Had a look at the #Melbourne Royal Show showbag selection for the year. Planning to do a longer mockery at some point if people would enjoy that once I get past the initial overwhelm of how badly they’ve enshittified what used to be a fun tradition (Cultural translation: showbags are themed bags of snacks, toys or product samples sold at our equivalent of a state fair)

Replies (4)

@isol@mastodon.au 2026-09-10 01:15

@joannaholman@aus.social The transition from "sample bags" (free, and containing actual products of value) to "showbags" (not free, and containing dubious items of questionable "value") was a major enshitiffication. 😢 (NSW Royal Easter Show is the context for my bewailing)

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@joannaholman@aus.social 2026-09-10 01:20

A side note on showbags, the one Australian company that hasn’t enshittified theirs is chemist warehouse. If they’re sponsoring a community event it’s worth seeing what they’re offering for free or cheap

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@imalcolm@mastodon.social 2026-09-10 00:42

@joannaholman@aus.social From distant memory, (back before my kids aged-out of going to the show with their parents...) the best value was generally the Bertie Beetle showbag - at least if you were after chocolate. (That chickens one is just so much slop. What is the point? Ugh.)

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@frogglin@theblower.au 2026-09-10 02:07

@joannaholman@aus.social Oh look, 3D printed dragons. How new and unique and not cramming every "craft" market and convention alley in the world. I hate them so much.

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