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The Spinoff reviews New Zealand #1: Domino’s Korean Sticky Wings

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We review the entire country and culture of New Zealand, one thing at a time. Domino’s Korean Sticky Wings If you’re cheap and carb-friendly, you probably know that Domino’s is dominating the cheap pizza wars. Its pepperoni pizza is worth at least $2 more than the $5 it costs if you pick-up (though definitely not … Read more

A message from the future: The Project is going to be just fine

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Rumour has it that when Mark Weldon threw Campbell Live down a well, a tearful John Campbell cursed the 7pm slot on TV3: Road Cops, Come Dine with Me and Story have all met grisly fates there since. But last night Spinoff prophet Calum Henderson watched a live dress rehearsal for The Project, and predicts … Read more

We ask a midwife every embarrassing question you’ve ever wanted answered

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Spinoff Parents editor Emily Writes interviews a midwife and unwittingly reveals plenty of baggage from her own labour – mainly focused on how much she pooped. This is the fourth in a series of posts in which I ask health professionals questions about child health, crowd-sourced from you. Today’s interviewee is a lovely midwife who is remaining … Read more

Why Nickelback aren’t thaaaaat bad

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Pete Douglas investigates how the Canadian post-grunge monolith became the universal shorthand for all bad music, while all other comers fell by the wayside.    Last week, bearded hipster-king and early Elton John enthusiast (that new song sounds like an outtake from Honky Chateau) Father John Misty jumped to the defence of Canadian post-grunge whipping … Read more

WATCH: The Great Spinoff Mt Albert By-election Candidates’ Debate

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Watch an abridged version of The War for Mt Albert By-election Candidates Debate and read why the candidates think you should vote for them. Last night at Satya Chai Lounge, the most whispered-about bar in Sandringham, The Spinoff held a debate between the three leading candidates in the Mt Albert by-election – Jacinda Ardern of … Read more

The Port Hills fire makes it clear: Our Civil Defence is simply not fit for purpose in 2017

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As wildfire continues to ravage the Port Hills above Christchurch, questions are being raised about the scale and efficiency of the official response. When it comes to communicating with the public following a major emergency, why are the lessons of Christchurch and Kaikōura still unlearned, asks James Dann. Christchurch is flat and largely featureless, one- … Read more

‘You just got your ass nailed to the wall, sucker’: Suits’ Rick Hoffman on getting Litt up

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In New Zealand to promote the return of Suits to Lightbox, Rick Hoffman revealed the secrets of mudding, catchphrases, and his mysterious assistant Norma to Madeleine Chapman. The first ever episode of The AM Show aired on Monday morning, and its first ever studio guest was actor Rick Hoffman – aka the man we love to … Read more

Book of the week: The life of starving hysterical naked Allen Ginsberg

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David Eggleton surveys the life and times of the one and only Allen Ginsberg – the manic and delirious poet who dedicated himself to “writing down newspaper headlines from Mars”. Allen Ginsberg was born in 1926, the same year as James K Baxter, and just as Baxter rapidly became New Zealand’s best-known and most prolific … Read more

Revolution in pink: Kiwi photographer Robin Hammond on shooting Nat Geo’s remarkable transgender cover

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In January National Geographic, the venerable publication of geography, history and culture, achieved a milestone: the Gender Revolution special issue marked the first time a transgender person had featured on its cover. Adrian Hatwell talks to the photographer behind the cover, New Zealander Robin Hammond. When National Geographic‘s January 2017 issue went on sale late … Read more

Substance abuse affects 90% of prison inmates. Why are they being fobbed off with unqualified addiction counsellors?

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Addressing addiction issues in prison is one of the best ways we have to drastically cut reoffending rates. If only Corrections took the problem as seriously as it deserves, writes Wellington addiction counsellor Roger Brooking. In April last year, Radio New Zealand reported that the Corrections Department was paying for non-existent alcohol and drug counsellors. The … Read more

AMN8 Queenstown: ‘You followed your dreams and it all worked out’

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Three women at the forefront of nano science discussed their work and the hurdles they faced during the AMN8 conference this week. The 11-year-old girl in the front row raised her hand. “I have a comment rather than a question,” she told the panel of three women scientists. “I’m really impressed because you followed your … Read more

Fire in the Port Hills

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Christchurch is operating under a state of emergency as wildfires rage on the Port Hills. The Spinoff intern Alice Webb-Liddall writes a personal account of watching smoke wreath the city. Update, 8.45am: The fires that took hold in the Port Hills on Monday continue to burn this morning. Overnight the flames jumped Dyers Pass Road … Read more

New Zealand deserves better than fake news and clickbait, and we’re doing something about it

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Marianne Elliott of ActionStation explains why they’re launching a People’s Commission into Public Broadcasting and Media. In the wake of Trump’s victory, the world seems to have finally woken up to the dangers of getting our news via memes in our social media bubbles, and to the critical role of quality, independent journalism in keeping … Read more

Don’t beat yourself up! A message for non-breastfeeding mothers – and those who sit in judgement

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Breastfeeding is the most simple and natural thing in the world, right? Not if your baby is a poor latch, or you’ve had breast surgery, or have low milk production – or a ton of other reasons – it’s not. Amanda May has a message for all mothers, however they feed their babies. There is … Read more

Documentary makers David Farrier and Reggie Yates meet in a hotel and eat breakfast

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Tickled director David Farrier talks to Reggie Yates, the TV host turned documentary extraordinaire behind TVNZ documentaries Life and Death in Chicago and Extreme Russia, over breakfast in LA. Reggie Yates wants to meet for breakfast at a trendy boutique hotel called The Palihouse. He’s staying somewhere quite close, doing LA things like taking meetings … Read more

AMN8 Queenstown: taking the plunge from lab to marketplace

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As the government doubles down on trying to get good science into the marketplace, how are scientists preparing for the commercial world?  Do scientists make good businesspeople? Are they able, after a lifetime of studying in institutions to learn how to become a researcher, then turn their attention to putting that research into application? Can … Read more

Moana composer Opetaia Foa’i on the story behind the best soundtrack since The Lion King

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The Moana soundtrack can be heard anywhere; in Countdown, at the movies, blasting from the car next to you at the Royal Oak roundabout. Madeleine Chapman sat down with one of the men responsible for the movie’s music, Opetaia Foa’i, to talk Disney, collaboration, and knowing when to draw the line. I spotted Opetaia Foa’i in Ponsonby … Read more

The #realpod team return to tackle New Zealand pop culture, weird news and reality TV… weekly?!

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Jane Yee, Duncan Greive and Alex Casey have podcasted The Bachelor NZ, The Real Housewives of Auckland and Dancing With the Stars NZ. This year they hope to merge all reality coverage, bad NZ celebs and product reviews into one unholy rat king of a podcast. Introducing… THE REAL POD.  Episode one of Real Pod … Read more

AMN8 Queenstown: teaching science through a soccer ball, with a dash of apocalypse

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Bioengineer Albert Folch uses football to kick off children’s scientific curiosity. Charles Anderson watches the AMN8 guest work his magic at a Queenstown primary school. The children don’t seem terrified despite Professor Albert Folch just telling them that their planet will be vaporised. In a billion years or so, the sun will grow into a … Read more

The Smiths, part two: Zadie Smith gets an unfortunate attack of PC-gone-mad hiccups

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Elizabeth Heritage drags her feet through Zadie Smith’s latest novel, with its constant moralising about racism, sexism, class divides, feminism, religious fundamentalism, poverty etc etc etc. A cartoon in The Guardian last year suggested promotional stickers to put on novels. One of them read “By the author of a much better, more famous novel” and another “A bit like … Read more

Please tell me this is not all the Chris Warner Penis memes in one place

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The only place on the internet you need to be for the best ‘please tell me that is not your penis’ memes, inspired by what might already be the local TV moment of 2017.  All it took was one simple sync of Harry’s iPhone to the family iPad on Shortland Street to break both Chris … Read more

‘If you have the will, now there’s definitely a way’ – Aurora44 on Ashen, and how game design is growing up

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Cormac McCarthy’s The Road set the standard for our current film fetish for post-apocalyptic desolation. Ashen, the first game from Wellington-based Aurora44, looks to do the same thing with games. Don Rowe speaks to CEO Derek Bradley and Animation Director Simon Dasan about the maturation of game design. You might expect that a game developed in Avalon Studios, … Read more

Could these classic New Zealand films be rebooted for the small screen?

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Every person and their dog has made a film reboot for television overseas, so why hasn’t New Zealand? Aaron Yap picks some classic films that are due a television revival.  Confession: I don’t watch New Zealand television. It’s not that NZ TV sucks, although there is definitely an element of that. A huge one. I can’t … Read more

‘You need to eat nuts’ and all the other unwelcome advice I’ve had from dudes about my pregnancy

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Over the course of her two pregnancies Anna Gowan has received some pretty ridiculous – and unsolicited – advice from dudes. She shares some of the worst and asks: why exactly do men feel the need to weigh in? I’ve been given invaluable advice from men recently. What’s the best garden box to grow vegetables … Read more

AMN8 Queenstown: The NZ students uncovering the secrets of solar cell technology at Oxbridge

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Among the 500 delegates who have descended on the AMN8 conference in Queenstown from around the world are two New Zealand students who have taken their studies abroad. In his third blog post from AMN8, the advanced materials and nanotechnology conference hosted by The MacDiarmid Institute, Charles Anderson talks to them. Rebecca Sutton and Jesse … Read more

AMN8 Queenstown: The man who unboiled an egg: inspiring science behind the viral research

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The inventor of the Vortex Fluid Device tells Charles Anderson how the machine that famously converted a boiled egg back into its original state could have huge implications. Professor Raston is a panelist at this week’s AMN8 conference in Queenstown. The boiled egg has both blessed and haunted Professor Colin Raston. For the past two … Read more

The Great New Zealand Music bracket: Which decade is best? GRAND FINAL!!!

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While walking through the Volume: Making Music in Aotearoa exhibition at the Auckland Museum, Henry Oliver thought to himself: which decade had the best music? Rather than telling you his answer, he’s asking for yours. Final Round: which decade is definitively The Best? First, the results from last week’s vote: Top seed, the 2000s, continued it’s … Read more