Island State of Mind a YouTube hit

MAN promoting Tasmania as being full of sexist inbred bogans says he loves his home state.

Kane Young

less than 2 min read

May 20, 2010 - 11:55AM

Despite the video, Dan Taylor says he's a proud Tasmanian.

A FORMER Tasmanian comedian is doing for the island state what rapper Jay-Z did for New York.

His tongue-in-cheek "tribute song" has become an internet hit.

Dan Taylor, originally from Burnie, released Island State of Mind on the internet this month and the song has racked up more than 82,000 views on YouTube and gone crazy on Facebook, The Mercury reports.

Based on the single Empire State of Mind by Jay-Z and Alicia Keys, Island State of Mind pays tribute to Tasmanian identities including David Boon, Ricky Ponting, David Foster, Princess Mary and even mentions Reggie Bird from Big Brother fame.

Warning: Graphic content

It features famous Tasmanian landmarks such as the Big Potato at Sassafras, the penguin statue at Penguin and Queenstown's gravel footy oval.

It refers to the Hobart Myer fire, roadkill on the Midland Highway, Chickenfeed stores and, of course, bogans.

"I'm very proud to be Tasmanian, but there's some aspects of it of course that you can always take the mickey out of," Mr Taylor said.

"A few people have taken the song the wrong way and been offended by it, but I tell them that I grew up in Tasmania, I love the place and I'm just having a bit of a laugh.

"I'm not seriously saying that we're all bogans.

"It's actually more of a tribute to Tasmania than anything.

"I think Tourism Tasmania should get on to it because it's more popular than any of their videos."

Mr Taylor, who works on radio station Nova 100 in Melbourne, wrote Island State of Mind while performing stand-up comedy gigs in the US this year.

"My parents are really proud that I'm a YouTube sensation, but I don't want to be the next Justin Beiber," he said.

"I've made about three new friends on Facebook, but that's about it.