ABC star Greg Larsen's disgraceful comments as he calls ANZAC Day 'a jingoistic, nationalistic myth to get you to wave a flag and fall in line'
In the hour-long episode of his podcast The Greg Larsen Show, titled 'ANZAC DAY SPECIAL', Larsen said he wanted to 'stoke some controversy' and 'up his listener count'.
"Here's my hot take: I reckon I could beat all the Anzacs in a fight," he began.
"There, I said it. I reckon they're not so tough."
The self-described "leftie" quickly reversed his position, claiming he was joking about fighting the Anzacs.
'I don't hate the Anzacs, you know what, controversial for me to say… I like the Anzacs, I love the Anzacs," he said.
However, he went on to explain why he refuses to commemorate the national day of remembrance, which honours the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) landing at Gallipoli during World War I- a campaign in which approximately 8,709 Australians and 2,779 New Zealanders died.
"I believe, and I believe this firmly, that Anzac Day was invented as a jingoistic, nationalistic myth to get you to wave a flag and fall in line," Larsen said.
"And I believe that the very existence of Anzac Day as a commemoration is a slap in the face to everyone who died at Gallipoli.
"And laying a wreath while saluting the flag is the same as p***ing on the graves of the poor souls who died like dogs in the dirt for no good reason."
Larsen argued that the concept of a nation-state was "actually pretty new… we invented countries around 300 years ago".
He then launched into a nearly 30-minute tirade about nationalism and what he claimed was the true history of World War I, suggesting the Anzacs were "just killing people they'd never met because they were lied to."
"All of them were tricked, all of them were lied to, all of them were led to their deaths by the dog c***s that run this dog c*** nation," he said.
Larsen further claimed that the Anzacs form the "myth" underpinning Australia's national identity.
"Anzac Day is our myth," he said.
"Anzac Day should not be a day where we fly a flag, Anzac Day should be a day where we burn a flag."
Larsen, once regarded as one of the ABC's most celebrated comedians, has also appeared on Channel Seven and starred in the BBC One drama The Tourist.
During his time at the ABC, he featured as a comedian on Tonightly, appeared on Spelling Bee, and regularly served as a commentator across ABC radio and TV.
SkyNews.com.au has contacted the ABC and RSL Australia for further comment.
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