But what I’m grappling with, writes Nicola Gaston, is how optimistic we can afford to be about human behaviour For more 2018 revelations from New Zealanders in science and technology go here It’s been a slow realisation; I think it may have been creeping up on me for a while. But somewhere in late 2018 … Read more
Before the release of one of 2018’s best albums, Personal Best, Sam Brooks asked Chelsea Jade everything about her (and other people’s) music. This post was originally published 20 June 2018. It’s the rare unambiguously sunny morning in Auckland when Personal Best drops. I’m sitting outside a big building, waiting for an interview, long flowy coat on, … Read more
You hate the breaks in play that come with video technology in sport. But what if we got rid of it altogether? Alex Braae ponders the possibility. I used to play a lot of park cricket, never at a remotely high standard. Club cricket organisations wouldn’t bother giving us umpires. Players on the batting team … Read more
They said he couldn’t do it, but what else are you going to do in seven days? Sam Brooks watched 42 episodes of Outlander in a single week to catch up before the fourth season premiere. This post was originally published 4 November 2018. One week ago today I sat around The Spinoff’s story-pitching firepit, and … Read more
Since becoming an at-home father, Adam Mamo has been on a desperate search for his masculinity – after all, he keeps being told it’s gone missing. First published on 18 June, 2018 You needn’t look far back in time to when being a stay-at-home dad wasn’t really a thing. Early practitioners of this dark art … Read more
We asked former All Black great Bob Burgess to review a new book on his team-mate Keith Murdoch. But then we changed our mind, and asked his wife Linda Burgess to write whatever she wanted about rugby. This was originally published 8 August 2018. A rugby game lasts a whole day. Your father wears a … Read more
The Jami-Lee Ross saga was unique in New Zealand’s political history. Danyl Mclauchlan explains why. This post was first published Oct 20 2018 So much of what happens in politics never makes it into the media. Every now and then a journalist – out for an early run or stumbling home from a late night … Read more
Summer reissue: The go-to argument for many people spouting anti-Māori sentiment often starts with ‘… but Māori killed all the Moriori’. Researcher Keri Mills was eager for fellow Pākehā to do some reading before reaching for this lazy argument, sparking a major nationwide conversation. This post was first published 3 August 2018. Firstly, the myth. … Read more
To sleep or not to sleep? Madeleine Chapman stays overnight at Max Richter’s eight-hour show and realises how tired she is. This post was first published 17 March 2018. Being tired is a privilege that must be earned, and I earned it for the first time as a 23-year-old. I used to think being tired … Read more
Sometimes it pays to focus on the dark side of gaming. Hayden Donnell shares the harrowing story of his own crippling addiction to Dark Souls. This post was first published August 8, 2018. I’ve been going to therapy lately. A therapist will tell you many of your self-destructive behaviours can be traced back to seemingly … Read more
We ask Business is Boring host Simon Pound to pick out 10 episodes from the past year you should give a listen (or re-listen) to this summer. Read More: Reflecting on 100 episodes of Business is Boring We Compost on how it’s keeping tons of waste out of landfill Nine years ago, Steve Rickerby spotted … Read more
Sensors that turn the city into a ‘body’ which can detect its own workings. ‘Digital twins’ that are new improved versions of the original town. The sprint for the urban environment of the future is on, writes Mark Thomas. In his recent book The Fourth Age, technology entrepreneur Byron Reese says we will see more … Read more
Simon Day uncovers the fascinating history of New Zealand’s longest running music festival. Twenty years ago on the rugged cliffs above Karioitahi Beach, an hour south of Auckland, somewhere between 500 and 700 people gathered to spend two days celebrating the end of 1998 and the beginning of 1999. It was a wild bush trance … Read more
The prime minister delivered many speeches, but only one baby, in 2018. There was only one way to cover the leadup, and that was our liveblog, which became a minor global sensation. To enjoy it properly, please scroll to the end and read from bottom up. This liveblog was first published in June 2018 Updates … Read more
It’s the topic that always comes up after a few wines between mums: who’s having sex and who’s not? We present a no holds barred tell-all about the sexual experiences of mothers, curated by Spinoff Parents editor Emily Writes. First published 25 May, 2018. Is it really a piece about sex if I don’t say … Read more
In 2018, Leonie Hayden decided she didn’t want to each as much meat for the good of the planet – but also realised ‘flexitarian’ is a stupid word, and we’re all going to die anyway. A revelation came to me this year in the form of a New York magazine article titled The Last Conversation … Read more
It’s no secret that horror writer Howard Phillips Lovecraft had bigoted attitudes to race and class. Duy Le examines how these aspects of Lovecraft’s writing are critiqued in FromSoftware’s Bloodborne. This post was first published May 23, 2018. It’s not an exaggeration to say that many of HP Lovecraft’s works are subtly underpinned by his bigotry; … Read more
Pākehā life coach Sally Anderson came under fire for receiving moko kauae, as has the tā moko artist that gave it to her. Leonie Pihama looks at the difference between rights and privilege when it comes to wāhine Māori and moko kauae. This post was first published 24 May 2018. Over the past few days I … Read more
Welcome back to Waterdeep Mountain High, a Dungeons & Dragons podcast set in a below average school in the mystical land of Faerun. Kate, Forrest, Hillardo and Peng finally regroup, and set out to confront Principal Barilla and the remaining teachers once and for all. Someone will hurt a friend. Someone will die. Someone will … Read more
John Summers gets to grips with one of the year’s most popular books, a self-help guide to feeling good, deciding what’s really important in your life, and “banging blondes”: The Subtle Art of Not Giving a Fuck. First published on 21 June 2018. Surely weekends are the most stressful days of the week. The petty … Read more
It might seem unbelievable to today’s students, but it’s true: once upon a time students regularly drank in bars, lured there by cheap drinks and a crude culture of excess. Chelle Fitzgerald looks back on the student pubs Dunedin has loved and lost, and talks to Marc Ellis, the celebrity sportsman who tried to resuscitate … Read more
Inside a Facebook group where anti-vaxx propaganda is promoted as information for ‘informed consent’. Published 25 January, 2018 Not long after my son was born dry patches of irritated skin began to appear on his face. I lathered the little guy up with all types of oils and creams but nothing worked so, like most … Read more
In the first days of 2018, as she embarked on a critical year for her newly formed government, Jacinda Ardern hosted Spinoff editor Toby Manhire at her Auckland home. This post was first published Feb 1 2018 Mid-morning, Anniversary Monday, and Auckland is melting. “Yesterday, I was trying to write a speech, and it was … Read more
Week after week on Dancing with the Stars, David Seymour cheated eviction at the hands of the judges thanks to massive support from viewers, to the extent that he’s comfortably received more text votes than he did in the election last year. Anecdotally, much of his support is coming from young people. But why? We asked … Read more
When Don Brash was invited onto national television to speak about Māori language week this year, I decided I could speak about almost anything, writes Madeleine Chapman. This post was first published 10 September 2018. There are plenty of uninformed takes to be heard on the radio. People call into talkback and air an opinion … Read more
In an unassuming spot just outside of our biggest city, exacting standards and secret methods are producing some of the smoothest spirits you’ll ever try. This post was originally published 21 September 2018 Alex Kirichuk makes the world’s best booze, he says. It’s a bold claim for a tiny distillery in Puhoi, a historic village … Read more
It’s remembered as one of New Zealand’s best comic thrillers, but how did it happen? Joel McManus talks to director Robert Sarkies about his 1999 film Scarfies. This piece was originally published on April 15, 2018 An empty flat. A quarter of a million dollars worth of weed. A drug dealer that wants to kill you. … Read more
A chance encounter leads to a Christmas-phobe having a magical dinner with the first lady of New Zealand food. If you’re short on time, here’s all you’re really wanting to know: the food was amazing, and this is a family that truly enjoys spending time with one another. Back track #1: Christmas was not a … Read more
Every day in the lead-up to Christmas, the Spinoff has been swinging open the squeaky hinges on calendar doors to reveal a short, sizzling commentary on a weighty subject. Our arbitrary and strictly enforced word limit: 365. Today, to mark the birth of Christ, 20 Spinoff writers have combined to create the most nuclear take … Read more