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368 - Adelaide Fringe MBA VS Wankernomics: What's Plagiarism Between Professors?

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In 2021, Professor Sebastian Longsword debuted with his Adelaide Fringe MBA in a show called, Lunchtime MBA, in which he promised attendees could come for lunch and leave with an MBA in 60 minutes. Fast forward to 2023, and the blurb for Wankernomics by Charles Firth and James Schloeffel has it described as a 60-minute MBA. Is this plagiarism, is this the inevitability of great ideas floating to the top and conjealing on the surface of life, or does it signal something else?

In the Musical Pilgrimage, we have a classy piece of jazz by local outfit, Monsoon June, entitled Triangle.

And Steve plugs his 2023 Adelaide Fringe show: 100% MBA Success: Whisky And Trivia With Professor Longsword.

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Running Sheet: Adelaide Hills MBA vs Wankernomics: What's Plagiarism Between Professors?

00:00:00 Intro

A quick plug for Professor Longsword's Adelaide Fringe show, 100% MBA Success: Whisky And Trivia With Professor Longsword.

00:00:00 SA Drink Of The Week

No SA Drink Of The Week this week. It now an occasional segment when stellar beverages are discovered.

00:03:04 Professor Sebastian Longsword and Charles Firth

[Interview by Professor Sebastian Longsword from The MBA School Of MBA Credentials]

Hello. My name is Professor Sebastian Longsword from The MBA School Of MBA Credentials and I'd like to thank The Adelaide Show for making its studio available so that three grown humans can have a mature discussion about some prickly topics, as a model for the rest of society. By addressing each other with respect, I am certain we will finish debating as warm acquaintences, friends, or even lovers.

But first, I have a formal introduction to read. Initially, I was going to ask Associate Professor Chat GPT to do this, but then decided to ask my assistant, Ms Paige Turner, instead, because I find nothing is quite as confident and reassuring as her hand.

Let us begin.

In 2021, I debuted my Adelaide Fringe MBA with a show called, A Lunchtime MBA, in which I promised attendees could come for lunch and leave with an MBA in 60 minutes. Fast forward to 2023, and the blurb for Wankernomics, Solutionising The Corporate World by Charles Firth (from The Chaser) and James Schloeffel (frome The Shovel) describes itself as, and I quote, a 60-minute MBA. Is this plagiarism, is this the inevitability of great ideas floating to the top and conjealing on the surface of life, or does it signal something else? I have summoned my Fringe colleagues to get to the bottom of it.

Here are the link to the two 2023 Adelaide Fringe shows in contention:

My approach to this "difficult" conversation will be following some guidelines from the NSW Education Department. Their three points are:

  1. Have the conversation sooner rather than later (which I why we're about to get stuck right in)
  2. Allow time and space (which is why I've made sure we are each in a different state of Australia)
  3. Reflect (which is why I have a mirror in front of me)

Are you ready, Charles?

Charles, if I may circle back to 2021, what puzzles me the most about your decision to mimic my previous work, is that I distinctly remember cradling you in my bosom and laying a hand on your shoulder as I slipped you a shiny, fully-sized, MBA Business Degree. Is it this small act of tenderness that's played in role in crafting these hijinks with James?

As an aside, plagiarism detector dot net says 57% of your blurb is original and 43% has been plagiarised. What might surprise you is the sources it used for this report. The first was a site called estellar.com.au, the second was Bing, and the third was the New International Version of the Bible. Apparently, you got penalised for using the word, James. Did he steal his name from the Bible?

So, if you are claiming that this show, Wankernomics, is your own work, please show us your workings. How did it come about?

The ABC reported today that interest rates are expected to keep rising in 2023, not only making Reserve Bank Governor, Philip Lowe, the pinup boy in this month's Viagra Superstars Magazine, but it also means he would be the one with the hands pulling the leavers of Wankernomics in Australia. Are we right to admire Mr Lowe, or should we fear this currency cavalier?

I asked my MBA students to share their favourite terms, the ones that make their bosses smile and admire their white collar status. I think it's wonderful to know you've got a saying you can use to get you out of trouble, a bit like a shibboleth (which is another term from the bible, James):

  • Low hanging fruit. What are your thoughts about that?
  • It's a no-brainer.
  • Ducks in a row.

In my research for my original Fringe show, 100% MBA Success - Whisky And Trivia With Professor Longsword, I uncovered a term that I had thought was pleasant but sweet but is actually considered passive aggressive. It's the term, Kind Regards. Apparently, Regards means I despise you but I'll grit my teeth and smile at you condescendingly, whereas Kind Regards means, gloves off, you little twerp, I truly despise you and am dreaming of ways to bring you harm. You'll be pleased to know I have done semantic research and come up with a replacement, it is Gentle Love And Kisses. Who would you love to receive a letter or email from, that's been signed off with Gentle Love And Kisses?

And wouldn't that make workplaces warmer places to be?

If I may, I would love to test you with a question I'll be putting to my audiences, just to see if you really are MBA quality.

It's to do with coinhabiting office environments with other humans. Some of them speak loudly, all the time, robbing others of concentration. It's my contention that we can find punishments for these people while still keeping HR happy by staying within the guidelines of the 1949 Geneva Convention.

So, Charles and James, imagine the most annoying people you know, standing close by and carrying on with a loud conversation about football, the opera, or their child's report card. Which of the following punishments is NOT permitted by the Geneva Convention

A: Shoot them with a small calibre pistol, loaded with rubber bullets, and then lock them in the stationery cupboard until 5pm
B: Convene a court and try them for crimes against humanity, provided you select a fellow employee or manager to represent them
C: Lock them in boardroom for 2 minutes with Kyle Sandilands

Of course the answer is C because the Geneva Convention strictly prohibits torture.

Did you know two of our universities in SA are in merger talks - the University of Adelaide and the University of South Australia. And given how sharp you two seem to be, if we were to consider merger talks between my school and yours, what are your mandatory, non-neogiable requirements that you believe every business school needs?

Our mandatory items are twofold. A school hot tub for faculty meetings. And a school sommelier.

Have you any final thoughts or insights to share to encourage people to see your show, Wankernomics?

00:28:11 Musical Pilgrimage

In the musical pilgrimage, we have Triangle by Monsoon June.

Monsoon June is performing a few shows during the 2023 Adelaide Fringe, simply entitled Monsoon June, featuring songs from their latest album, Shadows.

Monsoon June: Phil Banytis composer/guitarist, Alex Mcleod saxophone, Spiro Kolovos bass, Zed Crawford drums.

They formed in 2018 and play contemporary, melodic jazz. Shadows, their latest album, was released last year.

They're playing at three different venues during the Fringe, in Prospect, Port Adelaide, and Brighton, with full details at adelaidefringe.com.au.

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