Sir Ed, cereal magnate? Sir Edmund Hillary’s many legacies, ranked

The memory of Sir Edmund Hillary is still fresh, but as the years roll by it may not stay that way.   Josie Adams ranks the ways future generations could learn about our national hero. As we head into winter and ski season I’m reminded of our country’s biggest snowbunny, Sir Edmund Hillary. We know … Read more

‘Wrap that shit up and move on’: Bailey Wiley on her creative process

She’s only 28, but Bailey Wiley already feels like an industry veteran. She’s been grinding away in Dunedin, Berlin, the US, and Auckland for years, and her latest EP is a smooth, personal reflection of these experiences. She sat down to discuss her new EP, the catharsis of Berlin, and the difference between her generation … Read more

It’s my birthday, and I’ll hate the Queen if I want to

It’s Queen’s Birthday Monday, but it’s not the Queen’s birthday. Josie Adams explains her personal vendetta against this holiday and the monarchy in general. Queen’s Birthday celebrations will be held today, at Queen’s Wharf. This is not Queen Elizabeth II’s real birthday, nor do I believe she’s ever set foot on an Auckland wharf. However, … Read more

Where to redirect your Drag Race energy now that it’s over

Season 11 of RuPaul’s Drag Race comes to an end tonight, leaving a void in the souls of its massive fandom. But don’t put away your merch money yet – there are plenty of local acts waiting to steal your heart. In the immortal words of Jasmine Masters, RuPaul has fucked up drag. With the … Read more

Let’s Get Inventin’ was the most hectic kids show of the noughties

Let’s Get Inventin’ was a late-noughties reality TV show that pitted children and scientists against common sense. Josie Adams looks back at what made it great. Our screens have played host to many questionable children’s television shows over the years: Bumble, Drew Neemia-era Sticky TV, and Worzel Gummidge Down Under are just three examples. But … Read more

I survived the Waiheke ferry

A watery war zone has emerged in New Zealand’s biggest city, with Waiheke-Auckland ferry cutbacks leaving abandoned souls desperate for home and hungry for retribution. Josie Adams risks everything to experience the nation’s most hostile ferry journey. The mood was set early on by cement walls and wire caging. Blocky orange fencing like industrial Duplo … Read more

Diseases not to die of, ranked

Whether you’re heading into rabies territory overseas or visiting the measles ward at your local hospital, there’s a shot for that. Without the wonders of modern medicine, many of us would never have reached adulthood. I can already see Darwinists raging against the biomedical machine and insisting that we cull the weak, so I’ve got … Read more

The quiet problem with New Zealand’s comedy audiences

This year’s International Comedy Festival was a roaring success, but some comedians have turned the spotlight on audiences. Are they too timid? Do our hecklers suck? Josie Adams sizes things up. When Netflix star James Acaster closed his last show of the Auckland International Comedy Festival, he ended with a confession: “This is only the … Read more