Hera Lindsay Bird talks with George Saunders, author of Lincoln in the Bardo, the stand-out novel of 2017. This story was first published on 8 May 2017. I first started reading George Saunders because someone told me to. I don’t always read what other people tell me to read, because there are only so many unhappy … Read more
Three years after she was so dramatically unveiled as leader of Kim Dotcom’s Internet Party, Laila Harré has returned to Labour. In a frank and revealing interview, she tells Toby Manhire what went down in 2014, and why she’s decided to throw her lot back in with the party she first joined 36 years ago. … Read more
Alex Casey delves into the endless relevance of The Handmaid’s Tale, available exclusively on Lightbox. This story was originally published on June 8, 2017 I first encountered The Handmaid’s Tale during high school English. They were simpler times, when you could buy three full size (!) Moro bars for $2 at the tuck shop, and the world didn’t … Read more
Every time celebrity chef Pete Evans talks about his ‘wellness’ beliefs, scientists and doctors line up to counter them with peer-reviewed research and established facts. That’s because Evans’ ‘common sense’ sounds a lot like utter nonsense, writes Dr Siouxsie Wiles. This post was originally published on April 3, 2017. “What do you need a qualification … Read more
This year Toby Morris joined The Spinoff. In the first episode of his new cartoon series The Side Eye, he presents a 12 step guide to a perfect non-apology. This post first published October 27, 2017.
To celebrate the imminent arrival of the interminable summer holidays, Thom Adams has some science experiments designed to teach your children about the cold and heartless reality of the terrible world we’re stuck in. This story was first published on 8 November. A while ago I wrote an article about my experience running a school … Read more
The 10 best Kiwis of Snapchat as brought to you by auteur and comedian Tom Sainsbury. 10 Let’s be honest, 2017 was a pretty shit year for a lot of us. There was one demographic however who did really bloody well out of the clusterfuck that was Auckland city: landlords. And nobody captured just how … Read more
In our video series Kiwis of Snapchat, comedian Tom Sainsbury sources exclusive Snapchat footage of Kiwi citizens and luminaries making the news. In the first of our summer series, Kiwi battler Luke Haycook describes how he reached the first rung of the Auckland property ladder.
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
A Timaru woman made a citizen’s arrest on Christmas Day 2017 after a car attempted to pass her vehicle and three others on a blind corner. An isolated incident that should be treated as such, or more proof that incompetent tourist drivers are putting our lives at risk? First published on 28 December 2017 It’s … Read more
Simon Wilson eats at Pasture, the restaurant that cooks with fire and fermentation and a very singular vision. First published on 11 November 2017. This is what obsession looks like. Five very small, thick oval slices of a bird’s breast, skin on, in a row on a large plate, with a leg and a large … Read more
It may surprise you to hear that not every article published on the Spinoff is read by tens of thousands of discerning punters. Here are some of the (relatively) neglected crop that we think warranted more click-love in no particular order. 1. The Art of the Thiel Super-wealthy internet tycoon, Trump-booster and ordinary Kiwi geezer … Read more
Liam Maguren talks to the Mukpuddy team about season two of The Barefoot Bandits, Māori MacGyver in space and getting adults excited about cartoons again. Ryan Cooper, Tim Evans and Alex Leighton are a triforce that take the form of New Zealand animation studio Mukpuddy. I burned my shoes for them when I celebrated their history and the … Read more
Back by lukewarm demand On The ‘Reg is The Spinoff’s regular gaming session streamed live every Wednesday at 7pm on Facebook and Twitch. This highlights package sees José Barbosa and Madeleine Chapman playing Crash Bandicoot: the N.sane trilogy. First published on 7 November 2017. Now the new 2017 cleaned up version of the Crash Bandicoot trilogy is out, … Read more
Like the rest of the internet-having world, Sam Brooks has been listening to Lorde’s new album today. Unlike most of the world, he writes plays for a living. Here’s his interpretation of his favourite song from the album. First published on 16 June 2017. * The following is what happens when you sit in The … Read more
New Zealand has been living a lie. The Washington Post today revealed that Jacinda Ardern’s Labour-led government is in fact a facade for the “far right agenda” of Winston Peters. Duncan Greive details the shocking revelations – and the legislative programme of this terrifying coalition. First published on 9 September 2017. “A shadow is poisoning … Read more
Clicks and content, content and clicks: these are the videos that attracted the most eyeballs on friendly fledgling website ‘the Spinoff’ this year. 10 The original MacGyver is a stone-cold 80s classic, with a likeably earnest hero and a lot of heart. The reboot, which started screening on Prime all the way back in January? … Read more
Clicks and content, content and clicks: these are the posts that attracted the most eyeballs on friendly fledgling website ‘The Spinoff’ this year. 20 Parents in low income families are always being told that they’re making bad choices in the supermarket; many wealthy or comfortable families seem to believe they’d be better able to survive … Read more
‘Now I’m old and introspective and critical,’ writes Scarlett Cayford, ‘let me tell you why the young adult fiction penned by New Zealand women in the 90s is some of the best in the world.’ This story was first published 21 June 2017. When I think back to the first books I read, my first … Read more
Need a parenting hack? Spinoff Parents has got your back – sort of. Spinoff Parents editor Emily Writes shares the best (*mostly* best) reader brainwaves. This post was first published on July 11. “I bribe my child to behave in public so often that we’ve worked out how to do it through hand squeezes. Three … Read more
If robots are going to be the accountants, what is the point of getting a degree? Rebecca Stevenson reports on the future of work, and finds old skills are getting a new relevance. This post was first published on October 17, 2017. Late last month 100 New Zealand companies including Xero, Fonterra, The Warehouse, Spark … Read more
A moving short film to be enjoyed with your nearest and dearest this Christmas Day. To honour both the birth of Jesus and the retirement of Peter Dunne, we at The Spinoff have assembled a touching Christmas video for you to enjoy with your friends and family.
Dan Taipua explores indigenous ideologies in Taika Waititi’s Thor: Ragnarok, New Zealand’s highest grossing film of 2017. This story was first published on 31 October 2017. Without a doubt, Taika Waititi is the finest New Zealand filmmaker of his generation. At the time of writing, Thor: Ragnarok is the most critically well-received Marvel movie of all … Read more
In July, US Ambassador Scott Brown had what he probably thought was an interview scheduled with Kim Hill. What actually ensued was a brilliantly shady media boxing match. Sam Brooks gives his play-by-play. My prevailing memory of Kim Hill is from something I once taped on One, back in the dark ages where you would tape … Read more
Is Christmas Day the best or worst day of the year? Spinoff Parents editor Emily Writes has crowd-sourced a list of the characters you’ll break bread with today. Tis the night before Christmas, and your house is a mess. The kids have gone feral, and you’re not feeling #blessed. You’re starting to sweat about lunch the next … Read more
Who invented Kiwi Onion Dip, and why isn’t there a gold statue of that person on top of Mt Cook? Hayden Donnell goes on a wildly emotional search for an unheralded New Zealand genius. This post was first published February 20, 2017. The woman on the other end of the phone line sounded theatrically English, … Read more
As 2017 draws to a close, we ask eminent guest columnist Ernest Penman to reflect on the year that was. When I cast my mind across the year 2017 I am transported immediately to that moment, L’éphanie. Allow me to explain. I gently adjusted my fedora as I mounted the undulating Kmart snake, lining up … Read more
An essay by Welsh writer Rhydian Thomas on getting the bash, again and again, since moving to New Zealand. The moral of the story: fuck Hamilton. This story was first published on 15 August 2017. The truck pulls over at the end of the Tauranga harbour bridge and the driver’s out before any of us … Read more
From the genius that gave us Blade Runner, anthology series Philip K. Dick’s Electric Dreams has arrived exclusively to Lightbox. Alex Casey and José Barbosa try to piece together the meaning behind the unique, mind-bending tales. Contains spoilers and trippiness. This story was first published on October 19, 2017 Alex Casey: Hey José, how are you doing today? … Read more