'It's just a job': Comedian Catherine Deveny claims 'ignorant and uneducated' war veterans DIDN'T 'serve' Australia and says being a soldier is no more dangerous than many other lines of work in 'disgusting' Anzac Day Twitter rant

  • Comedian Catherine Deveny has tweeted war veterans didn't serve Australia
  • Her disrespectful post on eve of Anzac Day said 'job' not particularly dangerous
  • She has been panned on social media for disrespecting the plight of soldiers 

Controversial comedian Catherine Deveny has claimed war veterans didn't serve Australia and were 'ignorant and uneducated'.

In a social media post on the eve of Anzac Day, the stand-up comedian and former television joke writer from Melbourne suggested diggers didn't deserve to be saluted for their sacrifice on the frontline.

'Why do people in the armed forces use the word "serve" to describe their work despite it being no more dangerous or prone to upheaval than many other jobs?,' she tweeted on Tuesday morning.

Controversial comedian Catherine Deveny has claimed war veterans in battle didn't serve Australia

Controversial comedian Catherine Deveny has claimed war veterans in battle didn't serve Australia

In a disrespectful post on the eve of Anzac Day, the stand-up comedian and former television joke writer from Melbourne suggested diggers didn't deserve to be saluted for their sacrifice

In a disrespectful post on the eve of Anzac Day, the stand-up comedian and former television joke writer from Melbourne suggested diggers didn't deserve to be saluted for their sacrifice

'It's just a job and work. Throw the term "serve" in the bin.

'It's part of the fetishisation of war and violence.'

The 50-year-old comedian, who was sacked as a Fairfax Media columnist in 2010 for wishing Bindi Irwin - then aged 11 - would 'get laid', was panned on Twitter for her remarks.

But rather than apologise, she doubled down and suggested other jobs were as equally dangerous as being a soldier in war, even though many diggers were conscripted into battle during the Second World War and Vietnam.

'Firefighters, paramedics, police, doctors, social workers, nurses, window cleaners, miners, arborists, labours, farmers, construction workers, people who work with those suffering severe mental illness, prison officers, roofers, teachers (in American schools), loggers, fishermen,' she said.

She went further and suggested soldiers were 'sucked in with the glamour of war and racism under the guise of patriotism'. 

'They were uneducated and ignorant. Most were up for an adventure and identity. That's why they went. For their own self-serving reasons,' she said.

They called her out for trivialising the plight of war veterans, who suffered from post traumatic stress, including the Battle of the Somme in 1916 that saw one million men killed or injured. A soldier is pictured during the Battle of the Somme

They called her out for trivialising the plight of war veterans, who suffered from post traumatic stress, including the Battle of the Somme in 1916 that saw one million men killed or injured. A soldier is pictured during the Battle of the Somme

Australia's involvement in the First World War, at the Battle of the Somme in France (pictured), demonstrated the young nation's commitment to global security

Australia's involvement in the First World War, at the Battle of the Somme in France (pictured), demonstrated the young nation's commitment to global security

Several people reacted to the tweet by pointing to Australian troops who had been tortured as prisoners of war after being captured by the Japanese in 1942, and forced to do hard labour on the Thai-Burma railway.

They also took her to task for trivialising the plight of war veterans, who had suffered from post traumatic stress and lost limbs in major battles, including the Battle of the Somme in France during 1916 that saw one million men killed or injured.

'It takes a lot of effort to concoct something as asinine as that statement,' Mick Snowden wrote.

'I can only assume you're desperate for some form of notoriety. Poor form.'

In an era when veterans of the Vietnam and more recent Iraq and Afghanistan wars have committed suicide and are continuing to suffer mental health problems, one man described her comments as 'truly disgusting'.

As veterans of the Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan wars have committed suicide and  continue to suffer mental health problems, one man described her comments as 'truly disgusting'

As veterans of the Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan wars have committed suicide and continue to suffer mental health problems, one man described her comments as 'truly disgusting'

This man suggested Catherine Deveny was seeking attention on the eve of Anzac Day

This man suggested Catherine Deveny was seeking attention on the eve of Anzac Day

Several men pointed out how Australians had been prisoners of war, after being captured by the Japanese in 1942, and forced to do hard labour with torture on the Thai-Burma railway

Several men pointed out how Australians had been prisoners of war, after being captured by the Japanese in 1942, and forced to do hard labour with torture on the Thai-Burma railway

'To the proud members serving, many of them don't just get up and go to "work",' he said. 'It is their every waking breath.' 

Australia has been involved in a series of major overseas conflicts since the Boer War at the turn of the twentieth century.

It was Australia's involvement in the First World War, at Gallipoli in Turkey and the Battle of the Somme in France, and later in the Second World War fighting in the Pacific and in Europe, that are best remembered on Anzac Day.

The comedian, who was sacked as a Fairfax columnist in 2010 for wishing Bindi Irwin (pictured with boyfriend Chandler Powell) then aged 11 would 'get laid', was panned on Twitter

The comedian, who was sacked as a Fairfax columnist in 2010 for wishing Bindi Irwin (pictured with boyfriend Chandler Powell) then aged 11 would 'get laid', was panned on Twitter

Rather than apologise, she doubled down and suggested other jobs were as equally dangerous as being a soldier in war

Rather than apologise, she doubled down and suggested other jobs were as equally dangerous as being a soldier in war

She went further and suggested soldiers were 'sucked in with the glamour of war and racism under the guise of patriotism'

She went further and suggested soldiers were 'sucked in with the glamour of war and racism under the guise of patriotism'