A new poem by Wellington writer Laura Vincent. Anecdotal happiness There was a story on the six o’clock news “Scientists have discovered that only bad things are happening now It seems nothing good will happen on a grand scale ever again” In their carefully region-free accent the newsreader continued: “Experts are still working … Read more
A War Story is one more attempt in a long line of art to make sense of 9/11 – this time from a uniquely Kiwi perspective. The coordinated terrorist attacks on September 11 2001 cut a razor-sharp divide between the relatively carefree time before and everything after, bleeding into the culture that stood on either … Read more
Laura Vincent explores the historic and pop cultural roots of Moira Rose, the narcissist soap actress and breakout character from the offbeat, beloved sitcom Schitt’s Creek. Who could have predicted Schitt’s Creek, that most low-key, questionably named sitcom, would bear such fruit in former daytime soap actress Moira Rose? Iconic is a word too quickly … Read more
Laura Vincent reviews Golden Boy, a new sitcom from Three skewering small town New Zealand and the colourful characters who populate it. From Twin Peaks to all the shows that copied Twin Peaks, small towns have long been fertile ground for television to explore the dynamics of a quirky, close-knit community. New Zealand has an abundance … Read more
A poem by Wellington writer Laura Vincent. ACTIVITIES You know when you’re not strong enough to articulate your feelings because all of your strength is being used for one thing and that one thing is ACTIVITIES endless ACTIVITIES when that person invites you to paper-mâché a to-scale volcano or to ride a bicycle … Read more
You’ve watched all twelve episodes of Fleabag three times now – where to from here? Laura Vincent has your next obsession sorted. It must be just splendid to be Phoebe Waller-Bridge in 2019, with absolutely everyone (including celebrities like Joss Whedon, Lin-Manuel Miranda and Minnie Driver) going mad for Fleabag, the show she created and … Read more
Obscure Tony awards performances, Twin Peaks and choreography videos – Laura Vincent’s YouTube Party of Five runs the full weird YouTube gamut. From ANTM to ASMR, YouTube has been crucial to my wellbeing, something I tell you with neither hesitation nor exaggeration for comic effect. In 2007 my flatmates and I would bond over slow-buffering … Read more
Before The Joe Rogan Experience, before even Fear Factor, Joe Rogan was an actor on a much-loved show called NewsRadio. Laura Vincent reminisces over the hunk before the era of podcasting. I’m an expert on Joe Rogan. You know the guy, right? If not from yelling enthusiastically at UFC cards you’ve surely heard of his podcast, The Joe Rogan Experience, … Read more
Laura Vincent farewells Wellington’s famous furry friend, Bernie the beautiful Bernese Mountain Dog. It’s true of Wellington that we have to talk ourselves up desperately to stay here. Yes the weather is garbage and there’s the constant threat of earthquakes and no sodding international musicians will perform here, but we’re still the coolest little capital … Read more
When asked if the killing of 50 people at an Orlando gay bar was motivated by homophobia, John Key claimed that he “didn’t know”. Laura Vincent knows. It’s a fact that 49 people lost their lives in the worst mass shooting in American history at a club named Pulse in Orlando, Florida. It’s a fact that this … Read more
With more television shows than we have time to watch, Laura Vincent searches for the rare on screen couples that are worth looking up to. “They have their problems, but they always work it out by the end of the episode” I was casually catching up with my two best friends, the three of us … Read more
From Beverly Hills 90210 and Sex and the City to American Horror Story and Glee, showrunners Darren Star and Ryan Murphy are behind some of the last quarter-century’s most fun television. As Murphy’s The People vs OJ Simpson hits screens and Star’s Younger returns for its second season, Laura Vincent looks back at two of … Read more
Laura Vincent runs a one-woman roundtable discussion, presenting evidence as to why her favourite show Pretty Little Liars deserves just as much attention as Game of Thrones or The Wire. It was sincerely and without hyperbole that I said, after watching the season six premiere of Pretty Little Liars, “that episode was literally better than any episode … Read more