Friendlyjordies

Jordan Shanks-Markovina (born 18 August 1989), also known online as friendlyjordies, is an Australian political commentator, journalist, stand-up comedian and YouTuber.

His content often discusses contemporary Australian cultural and political issues, involving self-described "lowbrow humour."

Shanks was born on 18 August 1989.

He graduated from Newtown High School of the Performing Arts, and later obtained a Bachelor of International Studies specialising in Globalisation Studies at the University of New South Wales.

Prior to becoming a YouTuber, Shanks was a model, appearing in magazines and advertisements throughout Australia and Southeast Asia.

Shanks' channel is primarily focused on comedy videos and political commentary, often in support of the Labor Party and critical of the Liberal and National parties.

Early in his YouTube career, Shanks made paid videos for the Australian Council of Trade Unions, GetUp!, and Greenpeace, after approaching them and offering to promote their cause.

Shanks' YouTube channel, created in February 2013, has over a million subscribers.

He has interviewed several politicians, including Jodi McKay, Tanya Plibersek, Kristina Keneally, Bill Shorten, Helen Dalton, and former prime minister Kevin Rudd.

Shanks has been involved in numerous legal disputes and controversies.

Notably, Shanks was sued for defamation by former New South Wales deputy premier John Barilaro after Shanks made numerous YouTube videos criticising him.

Additionally, there has been an arson attack on his home.

In 2016, he campaigned against the Sydney lockout laws.

Shanks has interviewed and filmed videos with former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd.

In 2019 and 2020, Shanks released multiple videos alleging that the then New South Wales premier Gladys Berejiklian was one of the main people responsible for increasing the risk of bushfires and the destruction of the koala population in Australia.

He created the Twitter hashtag #koalakiller, in reference to Berejiklian.

In 2019, Shanks published a video covering businessman Clive Palmer who was running in the 2019 Australian federal election.

There were existing allegations of financial irregularity in the liquidation of Palmer's company Queensland Nickel and alleged failure to pay the company's workers, which Shanks covered, alongside satirising Palmer's behaviour and appearance.

In response, Palmer threatened a defamation lawsuit, demanding A$500000 and that Shanks cease making public statements about him.

Shanks said he would not "capitulate" and released merchandise containing the statements in question.

Commentators noted that Palmer appeared to have created a Streisand effect.

Other commentators said that Palmer's legal threat was substantially similar to a SLAPP suit and that such threats had a 'chilling effect' on public interest reporting.

In 2020, The Daily Telegraph journalist Joe Hildebrand made a complaint to New South Wales police accusing Shanks of stalking and harassment.

The police laid no charges.

In July 2021, Shanks released an hour-long self-produced documentary entitled 'Blood water: the war for Australia's water', discussing floodplain harvesting in rural New South Wales and addressing allegations of corruption and mismanagement from local governments in the Riverina.

He exclusively interviewed Twitter commentator PRGuy who revealed himself to be Jeremy Maluta, circumventing an attempt by right-wing figure Avi Yemini to identify the owner of the account through legal action.

In May 2022, Shanks made a cameo appearance as a news reporter in an episode of Housos.

He also voiced several minor characters in the animated television series Koala Man in January 2023.

On 10 June 2020, Shanks released an interview with New South Wales Opposition Leader Jodi McKay, discussing topics including the state and federal governments' response to the 2019–20 Australian bushfire season, including widespread deaths of animals.

Shanks raised $300,000 for bushfire relief from his stand-up shows and sales of #koalakiller t-shirts.

In a political commentary video uploaded 29 June 2020, Shanks included an impersonation of John Barilaro, Deputy Premier of New South Wales, which Barilaro described as "very offensive" and "full of racist undertones".

Shanks subsequently filmed a video inside a rental property owned by Barilaro, accusing him of corruption and environmental vandalism.

In May 2021 Shanks published a letter sent by Barilaro in December of a threat to sue for defamation.

In response, Shanks turned up dressed as the video game character Luigi at a National Party event where Barilaro was giving a speech.

Barilaro lodged defamation proceedings against Shanks on 27 May 2021.

On 8 July Shanks' legal team responded by filing a truth defence, supported by an honest opinion defence for a subset of claims.

In June 2021, friendlyjordies producer Kristo Langker was arrested by officers from the Fixated Persons Unit (FPU), a specialised counterterrorism police unit who often targets lone wolf terrorists, established in response to the 2014 Lindt Cafe siege.

Langker was charged with two counts of stalking and intimidating Barilaro after Langker had approached Barilaro at a National Party event with Shanks and on another occasion, where Langker had approached Barilaro while Langker was heading to Macquarie University.

Langker's lawyer Mark Davis contested the police's accounts, and he denounced the timing of the arrest being soon after the defamation lawsuit commenced and criticised the use of the FPU.

In August 2021 it was revealed that Barilaro had been in contact with the FPU regarding Shanks for at least six months prior to Langker's arrest.