KINGS CROSSFIT
Director’s Statement
As a long time (on and off) resident of Kings Cross I have seen it change rapidly over the past decade. But the shift began long before the dreaded lock out laws were passed.
There are many other aspects of contemporary society that have kept us from going out, far more than lock out laws. We live in a culture of convenience, the world can now come to our homes, food delivery, booze delivery, movie streaming, dating apps, even drug dealers deliver these days! People have abandoned nightlife as much as the Government of NSW has tried to quash it.
So when I hear people lament the demise of the "Old Cross" I wonder which one they are talking about? What is it they miss? Do they miss the opportunity to binge drink and go to strip clubs? Or, play-act as a supporting character in Underbelly for a night? Or are they missing the more cosmopolitan days of the cross pre and post war? I would say certainly not the latter.
The Cross was, (and still is to some extent), a place to come and indulge your basest instincts. But, if you strip back the flashing lights, booze and drugs you might see that this indulgence comes at the expense of others. But then you get to leave, and go home to your mundane suburban straight existence. You can ignore the organised crime, the illegal enslaved sex workers, the addicts and the homeless.
Popular culture likes to present areas like the Cross under the guise of "lovable aussie larrikin criminal" a character we see too frequently on our screens. It's the male equivalent of the "hooker with the heart of gold". We ignore the violence, and the victims.
Why do we choose to ignore this? Why don't we pause, and take a look at what it's really like? Take a good look at that darkness. And then ask ourselves why we are so drawn to it?