The larrikin is the positive term used by people engaged in ocker chic to describe themselves or others and is seen in favourable contrast to the Bogan, which is thought of as being neither sophisticated nor reflective of Australian values.
The term "ocker" in its modern usage arose from a character of that name, played by Ron Frazer, who appeared in the satirical television comedy series The Mavis Bramston Show from 1965 to 1968.
[12] The machismo strategy to align white men behind right wing populism in the United States began with the Republican political operative Arthur J. Finkelstein in the early 1970s.
[13] Ocker depictions in cinema rapidly faded in the mid-1975s with softer characters emerging, played by actors such as Jack Thompson, Paul Hogan and John Hargreaves.
Hawke had cultivated an image as a typical union man that was very popular with middle-class voters as early as 1972 that carried him all the way to the prime minister's office.
[14] Prime Minister Paul Keating, who had come from a family that owned a large business and chose to live in an affluent part in an Australian Labor Party area, exhibited ocker chic by projecting a working class persona (drinking cans of beer in public and using tough talk) while also listening to classical music and collecting antique clocks.
Politicians, including former Prime Minister of Australia Kevin Rudd, will often take on "ocker" cultural elements such as slang to appeal to various audiences.