Never Ask New Zealanders About The 1981 Underarm Bowling Incident

Never Ask A Woman Her Age; A Man, His Salary; New Zealanders about the Underarm Bowling Incident of 1981

This is a 3-panel meme following a common format listing widely recognized social taboos, then adding a niche controversial event as an equivalent taboo for a specific group. The first panel shows a cartoon businesswoman with text stating you should never ask a woman her age, a common well-known social rule. The second panel shows a cartoon businessman with text stating you should never ask a man his salary, another widely accepted social taboo. The third panel shows the flag of New Zealand, with text stating you should never ask New Zealanders about the Underarm Bowling Incident of 1981. This refers to the highly controversial 1981 cricket match between Australia and New Zealand, where Australia used an underarm delivery on the final ball to prevent New Zealand from hitting a game-tying six, an act widely considered unsportsmanlike that remains a sore point for New Zealand cricket fans. The joke frames this incident as an equally sensitive, off-limits topic for New Zealanders as the other two common taboos.

This meme was originally shared on Reddit, as noted in the provided source information. It remixes the popular "never ask X about Y" 3-panel meme template that exaggerates how sensitive groups are about specific topics to make a humorous reference to the infamous 1981 underarm bowling incident that is still culturally relevant in Australia and New Zealand.