Welcome back to Papercuts, our monthly books podcast hosted by Louisa Kasza, Jenna Todd and Kiran Dass. Welcome to the final Papercuts for 2018. As always, we break down the latest book news, including Wellington’s LitCrawl, My Brilliant Friend on TV, and our old mate Jordan B Peterson visiting New Zealand next year. We announce … Read more
Only 25 shopping days till Xmas! Prepare NOW by windowshopping the week’s bestselling books at the Unity stores in Willis St, Wellington, and High St, Auckland. WELLINGTON UNITY 1 Becoming by Michelle Obama (Viking, $55) “I love it because it faithfully reflects the woman I have loved for so long”: Barack Obama. 2 Normal People by … Read more
Cardi B plays Bay Dreams festival in Mount Maunganui and Nelson just after New Year’s. What should she do while she’s here? What should she eat? We offer her some suggestions for her itinerary. Cardi B is coming! Cardi B is coming! One of the best rappers, best talk show guests, best Instagrammers, will grace … Read more
Want to avoid using electricity when the generators are burning environmentally unfriendly fuel, and save money at the same time? You now have that option. How much solar energy does it take to make five million cups of tea? 100,000kWh, in case you’re asked at the next pub quiz. It’s also the same amount of … Read more
New poetry by Auckland writer Steven Toussaint. Yes or No Are you happy with your service provider? Have you contemplated private piety’s competitive prices? Are you in the market for something like but not precisely eternal return? Have you been waiting long in our baffled room? … Read more
The hairiest show on TV (and online streaming services) is back, and there are legitimate questions to be asked – mainly, why is Ivar such a loser? But while Vikings characters may break our hearts, their beards are forever. The Spinoff’s resident facial hair expert Madeleine Chapman ranks them. You can watch all of Vikings … Read more
In a paper published today in the New Zealand Medical Journal, a University of Canterbury study has found that vocal fry is voluntary and is becoming common in some young New Zealand women. Fried things are delicious. But apparently fried lady voices are not. The study that’s causing such a fuss today isn’t talking about … Read more
From an academic suspecting foul play to the spooks blocking Huawei gear in the new broadband roll-out, China is suddenly in a lot of headlines. Don Rowe rounds it all up. “China’s covert, corrupting, and coercive political influence activities in New Zealand are now at a critical level.” So began Dr Anne-Marie Brady’s 2017 policy … Read more
Want to give to charity this Christmas? Hold the tinned tomatoes – here’s what they really want. Right now charities and community groups are being flooded with gifts, food and goods from well-meaning Samaritans looking to share a bit of Chrimbo goodwill. But the most valuable thing you can give to charity, it turns out, … Read more
Jackie Clark from The Aunties has one Christmas wish: before you give to charity, do your research. We are coming up to the time of year when people get into the spirit of giving. Although your heart might be in the right place, when you donate to your favourite charities this Christmas season, try not … Read more
Henry Oliver talks to The Beths’ Elizabeth Stokes and Jonathan Pearce about their love of Christmas and uncool music. It’s been a year for the Beths. Their album Future Me Hates Me was released to frenzied fandom around the power pop-loving world. Funny famous people tweeted about them. They toured relentlessly, spending tens of thousands … Read more
In the age of advanced genetics, whakapapa is a powerful tool against hereditary illness. Don Rowe talks to Dr Karyn Paringatai, the stomach-less doctor reconnecting whānau to save lives. Dr Karyn Paringatai has lived eight years without her stomach. After the organ was completely removed in 2010, Paringatai’s oesophagus was sewn to her small intestine, creating … Read more
The news that the recidivist drunk driver will not be jailed for his latest offence has prompted an outcry. But prison clearly isn’t working, writes Roger Brooking. Isn’t it time we tried something new? News that Gavin Hawthorn has recently been convicted of drink driving yet again has caused oodles of outrage in the media. … Read more
There’s a new movement in the dog community – veganism. But are dogs being forced to forego meat against their will? Emily Writes met some dogs to get into the (meat-free) bones of the matter. Buddy* is a six-year-old golden labrador. He’s extremely interested in balls and has a PHD in Owner Behaviour at Canine … Read more
Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Small scope of medicinal cannabis changes criticised, big chunk of cash for the West Coast, and Karel Sroubek speaks out. Patients undergoing palliative care will be able to use medicinal marijuana, without fear they’ll end up being convicted, reports the NZ Herald. The change has come out of … Read more
The swoop by Spark to secure rights to screen the rugby world cup in Japan means a decision to make about the combo in the commentary box. So who are the runners and riders to call Beaudy’s World Cup winning drop goal, asks Jamie Wall While it probably won’t be remembered as a particularly memorable match, … Read more
If you want to do gift-giving without hurting the world this Christmas, Sarah Paterson-Hamlin has the guide for you. This might be controversial, but I just don’t like getting or giving goats for Christmas. Not actual goats suffocating in Whitcoulls 3-for-1 wrapping paper in suburban Dunedin, but those cards that say ‘I bought a goat … Read more
What do the TV gods have in store for the sons of Ragnar Lothbrok, as season 5 of Vikings returns? Alex Braae recaps the first episode back. Perhaps fitting for a show about an era where murderer and plunderer were legitimate occupations, Vikings got a bit messy for a while there. The first half of … Read more
It’s our first shock elimination – and one that genuinely leaves the show worse off. Sam Brooks power-ranks episode four of House of Drag. “Skits are for scouts.” is one of the many pearls of wisdom that my mother gave me. Skits are sketches that weren’t good enough to be sketches, so they’re called skits. … Read more
Business is Boring is a weekly podcast series presented by The Spinoff in association with Callaghan Innovation. Host Simon Pound speaks with innovators and commentators focused on the future of New Zealand, with the interview available as both audio and a transcribed excerpt. This week he talks to entertainment powerhouse John Barnett. Outrageous Fortune, Sione’s … Read more
The Real Pod assembles to dissect the week in New Zealand pop culture and real life, with special thanks to Nando’s. This week on the Real Pod, Duncan phones in on the way to the Mediaworks launch, and delivers breaking news updates that are now definitely old news. There’s also a lot of hard-hitting news about big … Read more
The Basement Theatre Christmas Show is celebrating its tenth year as the most fun you can have in December. To acknowledge the achievement, Basement regular Sam Brooks spoke to the writers, actors and audiences from across the decade. Jacinda Ardern playing Helen Clark. Rose Matafeo playing Dame Kiri Te Kanawa. Chris Parker, for one brilliant … Read more
Book of the Week: Danyl Mclauchlan reviews a brilliant new biography of Friedrich Nietzsche, who declared, “I am not a man. I am dynamite!” It ended in Turin, on January 3, 1889 when Friedrich Nietzsche shuffled into the Piazza Carlo Alberta. Nietzsche was a sad, solitary figure; he spent his days in Turin’s bookshops, reading … Read more
As the debate surrounding the Auckland Pride parade continues to gather steam and rumours spread in all directions, here’s a guide to the issues, the history and the decisions that led to the fallout, by Sarah Murphy for RNZ. The LGBTQI community is not one community, but is many communities made up of people with diverse … Read more
The Consumers’ Right to Know (Country of Origin of Food) Bill passed in parliament last night, with support from all parties apart from Act. Here’s what it means for your supermarket shop. Sorry, I’ve missed all this, what are you on about? Back in 2016, then-Green MP Steffan Browning introduced a member’s bill that proposed mandatory country-of-origin … Read more
From a mostly-Māori rural community to the centre of one of the country’s biggest banks: in the latest episode of The Good Citizen, Fonteyn Moses-Te Kani tells Jeremy Hansen how we can do diversity better. Fonteyn Moses-Te Kani didn’t grow up thinking about diversity. She didn’t have to: the small community in rural Tairāwhiti where … Read more
Mediaworks launched their 2019 slate today. Sam Brooks has the lowdown on what you should be watching (and voting) for. 2018 is almost over and what a ride it’s been. Now, as we look ahead to 2019, who’s going to be dancing with other stars? Who’s going to be getting married at first sight? And … Read more
Two Auckland friends have combined their love of tea with their passion for te reo Māori – and turned it into a business. In India, chai wallahs are an institution — you’ll find one in every alleyway, on every street corner and railway platform, making and selling tea to thirsty customers. Half a world a way … Read more
The official history of New Zealand music is filled with songs by artists we all know and love. But what about the artists we’ve forgotten? Or the hits by our most loved artists that remain overshadowed by other, bigger hits? Henry Oliver traces an alternative history of New Zealand music via songs featured on the … Read more