In June, Britain voted to leave the European union. The Brexit decision was entirely understandable, wrote former NZ prime minister Sir Geoffrey Palmer. Across western democracies, some sense of democratic renewal is needed to avoid alienation Originally published on June 29, 2016 Brexit resulted in my view from a break down in accountabilities. It is … Read more
The June issue of North & South featured a cover story as old as time: ‘what the hell is wrong with millennials’? Two millennials had a read and What They Found Inside Will Shock You. First published June 16, 2016. The latest issue of North & South has done the unthinkable, and found a non-millennial … Read more
In August, the Herald ran a crazily racist opinion piece where an unnamed real estate agent criticised Auckland for being “unwholesomely Chinese”. Guy Williams went in search of the truth about the story, and ended up being sucked down a rabbit hole filled with intrigue, recriminations, and Winston Peters. First published August 16, 2016 Holy … Read more
It seems many mothers get smacked with a label no matter how hard they try to avoid them. Spinoff Parents editor Emily Writes talks about some of the labels she’s been given and how much she hates them. The first time I was called a Slummy Mummy I had to look up the term. I figured … Read more
Everybody wants to be like The Rock but what happens when you actually try and live like him? Madeleine Chapman was foolish enough to find out. First published May 18, 2016. Gym, movie set, movie set, gym, throwback Thursday, movie set, gym. Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s Instagram page is both inspiring and extremely repetitive. Whether … Read more
We wanted to better understand the changing New Zealand economy, and who better to explain it than superstar economist Shamubeel Eaqub. Below, the second of six short videos featuring Shamubeel giving it to us straight while sitting comfortably in a classic Kiwi chair. In this episode: a tour through New Zealand’s tumultuous economic history. First published … Read more
New Zealand is rightly proud of the multi-ethnic and -cultural society it’s growing into. But while Māori and Pacific representation has improved since the ’80s, our exploding Asian population remains near-invisible. Sonia Gray tries to find out why. Originally published May 17, 2016 Lately, I’ve been looking at the people around me and looking at … Read more
Hayden Donnell identified the people who did well, and the ones who got massively owned, in the Auckland local elections. Originally published October 8, 2016 Winners Chlöe “22” Swarbrick Chlöe Swarbrick, whose campaign cost roughly the same as the Goff campaign’s cheese budget, came third with nearly 27,000 votes. Despite being a complete political novice, Swarbrick … Read more
Chris Ingam is not the only parent who has the shits with Pixar after seeing the trailer for Cars 3. The graphic car crash that comprises the trailer suggests hero to many children Lightening McQueen has carked it. Chris asks the hard questions – can cars die and why the Hell do they need to … Read more
In October we invited you to lob your Auckland housing crisis questions at AUT professor John Tookey, an expert on the subject. Here he responds to a selection of the many questions he received, and explains why – spoiler alert – there are no easy answers. John Tookey is a Professor of Construction Management at … Read more
Brave scientist and television enthusiast Lucy Zee attempts to solve one of the last remaining mysteries of modern times: at what moment does Elliot in Mr Robot become irresistibly attractive? Originally posted September 22, 2016 There’s no doubt that Mr Robot is one of the most engrossing, trippiest shows of 2016. But apart from the intriguing storyline, … Read more
Community worker Ngaiterangi Smallman argues that the Moana movie is an opportunity Pacific communities should be grasping with both hands. First published on September 28, 2016. Two years ago I visited a Kohanga Reo (Māori-language preschool) in Tāmaki (Auckland) and enjoyed time with the mokopuna and teachers. The whanau had decorated the walls with cut … Read more
Miscarriage is a heartbreaking reality for so many families, Liv van Leeuwen writes of her devastation at losing three babies in one year. Content warning: Liv van Leeuwen talks about her experience of miscarriage in this post. If you have recently suffered a miscarriage this post may be upsetting for you. If you need support please … Read more
Fifty years ago, Peter Arnett became the first, and only, New Zealander to win the Pulitzer Prize, for his coverage of the Vietnam War. Ben Stanley met Arnett at his Los Angeles home – and learned about the silent season of our greatest newsman. First published March 22, 2016. Let me tell you a story … Read more
A Rihanna logo inspired by death metal bands featured prominently at the VMAs this year. David Farrier followed some rabbit holes to locate the designer behind the whole thing. Originally posted September 7, 2016′ One of the best things that happened at this year’s VMAs was this: Rihanna has always been pretty amazing, but seeing her … Read more
In late August we ran a piece by Joan Druett on her new biography of 19th century sea captain William “Bully” Hayes, who roamed the Pacific and New Zealand. Michael Field was among those who were concerned that it failed to properly address Hayes’s involvement in “blackbirding”; we asked him to write an essay in response to the … Read more
Who was Prime Minister John Key? A lovably uncool dad, goofing off on the breakfast TV couch? A proudly vicious parliamentarian, sticking the knife in at Question Time? A political genius with an uncanny knack for understanding voters better than they did themselves? Or a cautious conservative who avoided the real issues? Danyl Mclauchlan picks … Read more
Early in June the then prime minister told reporters there were plenty of (relatively) affordable Auckland homes on Trade Me. Madeleine Chapman searched the site to see if he was right. Originally published June 2, 2016 Asked yesterday about Auckland’s average house price nearing the $1 million mark, John Key was as upbeat as ever: … Read more
The Kaikoura earthquake wreaked destruction, tragedy and misery, but it also generated much scientific fascination. Including: what was going on in the Hikurangi Subduction Zone and those mysterious slow-slip events? Originally published November 23, 2016 A slow slip event off the east coast of the North Island, with an estimated equivalent impact of a M6.9 … Read more
Member of the Forever Hopeful Club, and author of a column on The Spinoff Parents about her journey trying to conceive, Kat McKenzie shares her tips for supporting friends facing infertility. Firstly, let me say that I know that navigating these issues with those you care about can seem like a minefield. It’s terrifying when someone … Read more
The most upbeat runner in the Auckland mayoral race enacted a weird half-withdrawal late in the contest. And it wasn’t for the first time, wrote a weeping Toby Manhire Originally published September 13, 2016 Nudges and winks to the electorate have become a familiar part of MMP politics in New Zealand, with messages beamed to … Read more
Ahead of the Ockham national book awards in May, Graeme Lay shuddered to recall the time the award for best novel went to a bogan – and Steve Braunias barges his way in at the end of the story, and adds a highly unusual postscript. Originally posted May 9, 2016 Book awards are wonderful. They’re … Read more
When Duncan Greive reviewed Filthy Rich earlier this year he was overwhelmed with messages from a depressed New Zealand TV industry. Here he summarises what they had to say. Part of an ongoing series assessing our publicly funded television. Read part two, comparing TVNZ with the BBC, here. Originally published February 29, 2016 A couple of weeks … Read more
Ever wondered how to sound like you’ve been hit by a log? Way back in April, actor Shawn Ashmore (Xmen, The Following, Animorphs) was doing the press rounds promoting the XBox time travel game Quantum Break. Shawn gave José Barbosa an exclusive acting masterclass. Originally published April 15, 2016 Phew. What a rollercoaster. But there’s more! … Read more
In September Disney once again came under fire for cultural appropriation, this time for the release of their Maui costume for kids. Madeleine Chapman explains why the costume might not be so bad. First published September 20, 2016. Update: Shortly after the publication of this article, Disney announced it was withdrawing the Maui costume from … Read more
It was a different, more innocent time, when a sex toy thwacking into a senior minister’s head made global headlines. Relive Steven Joyce’s great day in Calum Henderson’s frame-by-frame analysis of the 2016 Waitangi Dildo Incident. Originally published February 5, 2016 Steven Joyce speaks to assembled media. His hands clasped at his waist, leaving him … Read more
Disney’s Moana has had sold-out screenings across New Zealand since its Boxing Day release. Emmaline Matagi writes about what it was like to watch the film as the mother of a child of the Pacific. I am a woman born in the Pacific Islands, raised in the Pacific Islands, a migrant to Aotearoa and a … Read more
In 2016 the Spinoff launched the humbly titled ‘War for Auckland’ campaign. Here we republish the editorials, from June and August, that bookended the bellicose, unruly crowd-funded enterprise Announcing the War for Auckland Originally published June 27, 2016 War?! We know, we know. But what else would you call the vastly differing visions for Auckland … Read more
One of the most remarkable books ever written about crime, race, religious voodoo, and the New Zealand way of life and death is the Ngati Dread trilogy by journalist Angus Gillies. He self-published these three very strange and quite epic accounts of a five-year period (1985-1990) when there was a kind of Maori Rasta uprising … Read more