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| Amanda Keller |
| Shirl catches up with Amanda Keller and discovers her secret fetish — a love of all things kitsch. |
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Most people know Amanda Keller as the witty, mad-cap TV and radio star from programs such as Midday, Beyond 2000 and The Andrew Denton Breakfast Show. What a lot of people don't know is Amanda has a secret fetish that's a little unusual — a love of all things kitsch.
As a teenager, Amanda loved collecting kitsch. In hindsight, she admits some of her earlier purchases were cheap and ugly. Today she's more selective.
Amanda's work has enabled her to build a solid kitsch collection. As a presenter on Beyond 2000 she travelled nine weeks at a time and often picked up little momentos. As a result she has a collection of kitsch that spans the world. Of course all these items are small as they had to fit in her suitcase.
Coincidently, Amanda shares her passion with her husband of 10 years, Harley. The freelance TV director and producer was a keen collector before meeting Amanda, but together they have built a kitsch empire.
Amanda believes the appeal for collecting kitsch is finding the humour and social irony in what the ornaments represent. The most recent addition to her collection is a plastic fish mounted on a plaque. As if that's not kitsch enough, the mouth and tail of the fish move in time to the music "Take me to the River" and "Don't Worry, Be Happy". She picked up this treasure in Byron Bay.
At a Canteen Charity Auction the kitsch couple bought a pair of shorts belonging to Sydney Swan, Dale Lewis. Amanda believes she could have got them for free because she sees him at work every week, but then it was all in the name of charity. They also scored a gold framed dress worn by Miranda Otto in the film "Doing Time with Patsy Cline".
And it seems there's a kitsch gift for every occasion. To celebrate a wedding anniversary, Harley gave Amanda a framed original "Royal Family Mourning Stationery" from the death of the Duke of Windsor (Edward VIII).
Other items of interest in Amanda's kitsch collection:- Lucille Ball mug.
- Jesus and Mary figurines that electrically light up flashing red, including their hearts.
- Mr and Mrs Dwight Eisenhower commemorative plate that a friend bought back from the US.
- Three flying nun ornaments (as opposed to "flying ducks").
- Cane toad coin purse and key ring made from real toad.
- Ornate candelabra featuring a naked man and woman on the base. Amanda and Harley bought this one in Murwillimbah, Queensland.
- Plastic lamp with green base and clear shade, filled with water and plastic flowers.
- Stormin' Norman and General Colin Powell plastic dolls.
- Plastic flower photo frames.
- Andrew and Fergie teapot, bought while covering the Royal Wedding for Midday.
- Plastic banana tree that doubles as a Christmas tree and is still covered in fairy lights.
- Figurines of an Indian band standing along side the Beatles. This treasure was bought in Thailand and stands 8cm tall.
- Lampshade with a base resembling a traditional indigenous woman.
- Ceramic wind chime in the shape of a fish and approximately two feet long.
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