Aren’t Can’t Don’t: As a formerly incarcerated person, I know that denying the right to vote violates respect for human dignity, sending the message that absolute rehabilitation is impossible, writes Awatea Mita. This post was first published 28 November 2018. It’s 11.00pm and I am returning to Auckland Region Women’s Corrections Facility as a “release … Read more
Angel, Dove, Mercy and the rest of the flock are back, as happy as ever in blue. Writer Anke Richter, a cult observer, watches Gloriavale: The Return. This was originally published on 14 May 2018. The best thing I could do to prepare myself for Gloriavale: The Return was to catch up on the latest … Read more
A scrap with Facebook over a copycat Stuff page reveals how fine the line is between combating fake news and straight up censorship. This piece was originally published on June 16, 2018 Fans of the meme page NZ Stuffed would have probably noticed over this week that the content had vanished from their Facebook feeds. … Read more
‘The world is divided into two principles: order and chaos. Order is male and chaos is female.’ Danyl Mclauchlan investigates the strange philosophy of number one best-selling author and thinker Jordan B Peterson, author of 12 Rules for Life. This article was originally published on February 8, 2018 Professor Jordan B Peterson is having a moment. I’d … Read more
Summer reissue: For a time in the late 2000s, youth of all backgrounds in this country began to dance. Don Rowe remembers the brief flash when techno became a unifying force in New Zealand. Originally published 7 July 2018 Since the beginning of time humanity has yearned to dance. From the cha cha to the … Read more
Summer reissue: Misleading remarks in the media erode public confidence in a pest-control tool we urgently need to save species, writes Nicola Toki, the threatened species ambassador for the Department of Conservation. This post was first published July 17 2018 Last Thursday night, Newshub led the 6pm news with a report about 75 kilograms of … Read more
Hundreds of New Zealand’s wealthiest investors gathered for 2018’s Flux Demo Day for a night of wining, dining, and million-dollar business investments. Jihee Junn went along to watch this year’s plucky startups pitch it out. This post was originally published 6 July 2018 “The first rule of investing is: don’t leave the table when the … Read more
Summer reissue: Through clever manipulation of scale and mythos, the latest iteration of God of War makes the most of Immanuel Kant’s theory of the sublime to deliver a truly beautiful game. Don Rowe travelled to Sydney to gets his hands on a preview. This post was first published March 19, 2018. German philosopher Immanuel … Read more
Summer reissue: High Court judge Justice Timothy Brewer asked a lawyer if she was making a “political point” by introducing herself and her client in te reo Māori. Sociolinguist Vini Olsen-Reeder unpacks the bias underpinning those comments. This post was first published 12 November 2018. Headlines about things Māori often seem to miss the point. “High … Read more
When you have a kid, words like ‘hangover’ and ‘holiday’ take on a whole new meaning. Mum Anna Gowan rewrites the dictionary for parents. Published 7 June, 2018. Fact: Kids give new meaning to life. “Yeah yeah,” I used to say upon hearing this. “I’ve seen the nappy ads and the cheesy photo shoots of … Read more
Last year Seven Sharp aired a segment warning against the left-leaning political extremist groups, aka meme pages, on Facebook. Madeleine Chapman expands on the report. This post was originally published on 28 February, 2018 It’s a dangerous world out there for young people. No one drives safely, everyone drinks too much, and there’s MDMA laced with … Read more
After the release of an Auckland Transport survey claiming two thirds of Aucklanders support more cycleways, Mike Hosking stepped into the ring to fight Statistics. Madeleine Chapman crunched the numbers. This post was first published June 20 2018 David v Goliath. Roe v Wade. And now, Mike Hosking v Statistics. These will be the battles … Read more
It’s a scandalous journalism drama, the darkest Marvel film yet, the thirstiest show on television and Queen Diva™ Mariah herself – it’s January on Lightbox. Press (binge from January 2) Is your New Year’s resolution to watch more classy TV? If it is, look no further than Press. If it isn’t, you better watch Press anyway. This six-part BBC series … Read more
Summer reissue: There was a lot of confusion from media and commentators earlier in the year about the cultural identity of then-newly minted National Party leader Simon Bridges and deputy Paula Bennett. Here’s a handy guide to tell if you, or someone you know, might have a touch of the Māori. This post was first … Read more
No-nonsense 31-year-old Māori/Samoan woman Monique Fiso is behind one of the most anticipated restaurant openings in years. Get ready, Wellington. This post was originally published 29 October 2018 Wood-fired kareao and asparagus with salted buffalo curd, pine dust and a pine needle vinaigrette. Kina panna cotta with smoked kahawai, green-lipped mussels, caviar and kawakawa oil. … Read more
Drug-testing group Know Your Stuff has warned that tests at five events in New Zealand this summer have found MDMA pills laced with bath salts or N-ethylpentylone, a substance linked to deaths overseas and hospitalisations in New Zealand. This follows Police Minister Stuart Nash this week saying, in the wake of stories around toxic drugs found … Read more
Secondary infertility is a hidden pain many families are facing. Gemma Bowker-Wright shares her story. First published 11 June 2018. “Will you have a second?” said the mother at Island Bay Park a few weeks back. She pushed a toddler on the swing while a baby slept in the front-pack on her chest. Her tone was … Read more
The new chief science adviser to the prime minister, Professor Juliet Gerrard, talks about diversity in science, the political hot potatoes, and what constitutes science. This post was first published Nov 13 2018 The biggest splash out of the office of chief science advisor to the NZ prime minister came in the final days of … Read more
The Jami-Lee Ross saga prompted many to draw parallels with Dirty Politics, the 2014 exposé of attack politics and tactics emanating from the then prime minister’s office. The author of the book argued in the Spinoff that it is a stark reminder that our politics remain at risk from the poison of dirty politics. This … Read more
Our experts think outside the proverbial box and serve up one leftfield prediction for the year to come in politics Alex Braae None of Phil Goff, Lianne Dalziel, or Justin Lester will face a challenger who gets within 20% of them in the mayoral elections. Madeleine Chapman Nikki Kaye will become leader of the National … Read more
In the middle of the last decade, one man dominated our local music television. Then he disappeared. Elle Hunt tracks down Joel Defries and talks to him about life as a Kiwi TV star, and what he’s been doing since. This was originally published 25 June 2018. Joel Defries was once a household name. Well: … Read more
People are loving Red Dead Redemption 2 and its ultra-realistic depiction of the wild west. Nothing says western more than shooting people’s hats off, so we’ve decided to attempt a hat shooting challenge. Our video journalist @morbid_slag_angel_69 takes up the revolver! This post was first published November 22, 2018.
The Real Pod assembles to dissect 2018 in New Zealand pop culture and real life, with special thanks to Nando’s. Happy New Year! Before you get started on those resolutions, why not join us in looking back at 2018 in reality TV? It’s time for the beloved* annual** Real Pod awards, where everything’s made up and … Read more
In 2018, rapper Mac Miller passed away from a drug overdose. James Roque writes about his passing, and the effect Miller’s music had on him growing up. This post was first published 8 September 2018. This morning the world awoke to the tragic news of the passing of artist Mac Miller. I found out after … Read more
The business of news is as dirty as the ink its printed in – or at least that’s what Press thinks. Sam Brooks reviews the news drama from the BBC, which drops on Lightbox today. There are no heroes in Press. Whether you’re Holly Evans (Charlotte Riley), the righteous news editor for the Herald, who chases up corporate cover-ups and … Read more
Bollocks to the official guidelines – if you’re expecting, and also expecting to vomit at any moment pretty much all the time, try these 10 handy hints. My first pregnancy, I was basically Paleo Pete. I ate great piles of silverbeet and broccoli. All of the poached eggs. Sometimes a bit of parmesan on top, … Read more
We love to hate the media but it’s social media we should be concerned about, writes Danyl Mclauchlan. This piece was originally published on December 9, 2018 About halfway through Before Sunrise – a 1990s romantic comedy that has the same significance for Gen-Xers as the Vietnam war did to the Boomers and Harry Potter does … Read more
This year Winston Peters finally took the reins of power, albeit only for six weeks of maternity cover. Ahead of Peters’ stint in charge, Toby Manhire surveyed a truly extraordinary career This story was first published on the Spinoff in April, and originally ran in Barker’s 1972 magazine. For someone who styles himself as a straight-shooter, Winston Peters … Read more
Creative Assembly released another spinoff to the Total War series, this time based around the Three Kingdoms War in China. Sam Brooks investigates why this period is a bizarrely popular one for video games. This post was first published January 12, 2018. Dynasty Warriors. Dynasty Tactics. Dynasty Wars. Destiny of an Emperor. And now, Total … Read more