The sound of 50,000 Australians booing the Star Spangled Banner at WWE Crown Jewel in Perth last week has been echoing through my mind for days now. There’s something deeply satisfying about that collective “nah, get stuffed” moment that perfectly encapsulates how many of us feel about America’s relentless cultural evangelism.

The whole thing started because WWE decided to play the American national anthem at an Australian event, despite most of the wrestlers not even being American. When someone pointed this out online, the responses were fascinating - ranging from genuine confusion about why they’d do this, to tales of American anthems being played at speedway events and rodeos across the country for decades.

Yesterday’s anti-immigration protests in Melbourne’s CBD left me with a heavy heart and a lot to unpack. While I wasn’t there myself - frankly, the thought of encountering neo-Nazis on a weekend family outing doesn’t exactly scream “fun day out” - the images and stories filtering through social media painted a picture that’s deeply troubling for anyone who believes in the Australia I thought we were building together.

What struck me most was reading about families who chose to stay home for safety reasons, healthcare workers questioning whether they want to keep serving a community that seems to reject them, and immigrants feeling genuinely unwelcome in a country they’ve helped build. That’s not the Melbourne I know, and it’s certainly not the Australia I want my teenage daughter to inherit.

There’s something deeply satisfying about watching someone truly get Melbourne coffee culture, especially when that someone happens to be a WWE superstar turned Hollywood actor with 16 million Instagram followers. John Cena’s recent coffee commentary has been doing the rounds online, and honestly, it’s the kind of validation that makes this city’s caffeine-obsessed residents beam with pride.

What struck me most wasn’t just that he knew his way around coffee terminology - though his technical breakdown of flat white preparation was impressively spot on. It was the way he pronounced “Melbourne” without that grating American “Mel-bourrrrn” that makes every local wince. Small details matter, and Cena clearly paid attention during his time here.