JIM DAILAKIS’ REASONS FOR BEING (PT. 1 OF 4)

Kamala Appel: Hello everyone this is Kamala Appel, and I’m here with Jim Dailakis, and we’re going to be talking about how to live a healthy lifestyle, and learning from his journey. Jim please tell everyone a little bit about your background.

Jim Dailakis: Well let’s see; I’m a first generation Australian, born to Greek parents and I grew up in Australia for most of my life, but then moved to New York City in my 20s a few times. And I was supposed to be here for a three month stand-up comedy tour but that three months came up to…I think we’re coming up to 16 years.

Kamala Appel: Wow.

Jim Dailakis: Yeah, and that’s 43 states and 6 countries later. So I never in my wildest dreams thought this would happen; where I’d just travel around the world performing and just working on a film, on a one man show, and it’s just all been great. I’m living proof that you can have what you want. Just apply yourself and don’t be lazy, because I do that sometimes.

Kamala Appel: Well that’s interesting. So when you say Australian of Greek heritage it’s funny because it makes me think of Anthony LaPaglia when he was talking about being the Italian in Australia, because Aussies are known for being blonde hair, blue eyes.

Jim Dailakis: Oh yeah that’s all gone. Yeah we’re all…it’s more of a melting point per capita than New York City. Believe it or not there’s a lot of Asians, there’s more Greeks outside of Athens in Melbourne than anywhere else in the world; and a lot of Italians. I go back every year and every year it’s like I see a different culture has just entered into the country; so it’s just…now there’s a lot of Somalians, there’s…the idea and the stereotypical blonde, bronzed, blue-eyed Aussie hero on a horse with a big coat is really fading out.

Kamala Appel: That’s kind of cool. So, tell me a little bit about…I’m curious, this is just an additional question; do you see any differences in health and wellness in people’s mindsets in Australia versus in the U.S.?

Jim Dailakis: Definitely. When I first got here I was just blown away by how many pharmaceutical commercials…

Kamala Appel: When did you get here?

Jim Dailakis: Let’s see ’96. Actually I was…in the ‘80s I was here, but I was…more like for a couple of years and then go back and then another year and then go back. But, I guess ‘95/96 I came for the three month tour and I’ve been here ever since. But, what I notice more than anything is Australians are really into just relaxing. Being more into I guess sports; I think they tried cable back then and it didn’t take off that well, because no one…and I guess because of the climate too, no one really wants to sit and watch television; so that was something I noticed.

I also noticed that there was a lot more stress over here, and I noticed that there was the pharmaceutical commercials; I thought, “Wow, if I didn’t have something wrong with me I think these commercials are convincing me that maybe I’m losing my hair, I’m too fat, I have restless leg and I’m depressed.” So I just…because I don’t think and I think it’s still like that now in Australia, I think you can only advertise headache tablets. But Viagra ,and what not, you can’t advertise those- no.

Kamala Appel: Well yeah and I think also you moved here when something switched in with the generics in the ‘80s where…then all of the sudden the pharmaceutical companies were competing for generics, and they had to figure out a way to compete; so that’s one way…when I was talking to people in that industry they said the one way they could compete is to outspend the generic with advertising dollars.

So that advertising really didn’t start appearing even in the states until the ‘90s. That was when you moved.