Click the image below or head straight here to enjoy a musical Christmas miracle courtesy of Anne Batley-Burton from The Real Housewives of Auckland. This content, like all television coverage we do at The Spinoff, is brought to you thanks to the excellent folk at Lightbox. Do us and yourself a favour by clicking here … Read more
Tis the season to be jolly? Oh fa-la-la-la-f**k off. If you hate Christmas, in-house therapist Ms X feels your pain and has some tips for getting through the season. Dear Ms X, I simply hate Christmas. I would much prefer if we went around singing summer songs, instead of carols. How simple would it be … Read more
Hera Lindsay Bird, middle-brow fiction, literary fiction, satire, and Harry bleeding Potter feature among the biggest-selling books of the year at the best bookstore in Wellington. 1 Hera Lindsay Bird (Victoria University Press, $25) by Hera Lindsay Bird “Way out in front,” says Unity supremo Tilly Lloyd. A book of poetry, way out in front; a … Read more
Recently the Media Design School held their 4th annual Girls in Games event. Targeting mainly girls in years 9-10, the extravaganza aims to encourage more female participation in the games industry. Ace coding educator Alice Gatland was in attendance and reports back in the form of a text adventure game. (If you’re using a mobile … Read more
In his final Monitor column for the year, critic Aaron Yap lists his 10 favourite shows from 2016. 10) Stranger Things In hindsight, there’s so much that irks me about this ‘80s sci-fi-horror pastiche. The all-surface, no-subtext aping of the movies it’s influenced by. The instant-cult memefication spawned in the wake of its popularity. Winona … Read more
Albert West goes sightseeing in Cairo, where the wonders of antiquity and the fragility of the modern world stand side by side. Omar led through an arcade of small shops to a large black door. Behind the door teenagers flounced across the bar with phones clamped to their ears. Others ignored them in favour of … Read more
Ever noticed that every summer news story is recycled from previous years? Former sadsack reporter Hayden Donnell designs a drinking game to improve, or at least anaesthetise, your holiday news reading experience. Soon everything will stop happening. The holidays will arrive in a blissful swirl of sunshine. Politics will retreat into its sooty tomb. Gareth … Read more
Lucy Zee salutes Chanel Oberlin of Scream Queens, the alpha of the comedy-horror series who never wears the same fur twice. The late 90s and early 2000s gave us the best teen films and TV shows of all time: Mean Girls, Clueless, Bring It On, Buffy and Sabrina The Teenage Witch. Sadly, in more recent … Read more
I have heard firsthand stories of the atrocities Syrians have witnessed, writes Jay Adams. Duff’s appalling comments are an insult to New Zealanders’ tradition of trying to make a difference in the world. We no longer grow up in a time when we’re only exposed to problems that affect our immediate community. Instead we all … Read more
What’s the deal with the lack of local music in the Top 40 this year? Robyn Gallagher looks at the handful of songs to make the grade in 2016 and asks – has the general public simply given up on New Zealand music? A strange thing has happened in the New Zealand top 40 chart … Read more
New Zealand’s social, cultural and economic pivot to Asia is well-documented, yet when we head off on an OE London remains the default destination. In the first of a two part series on The Asia OE, Duncan Greive speaks to a young New Zealand entrepreneur for whom Asia called and changed his life. Cowan Finch … Read more
The sudden appearance of two Banksy-style artworks on the walls of Tauranga buildings earlier this month ignited rumours that the mysterious graffiti artist could be in town. Don Rowe set off to uncover the truth. The first Banksy I ever saw was printed on a 100 baht t-shirt on Khao Sahn Road in Bangkok. I … Read more
Alex Casey chats to Chris Parker and Tom Sainsbury about putting on The Basement’s now-institutional Christmas show, and how to survive the holiday season. Unlike Santa’s darkest truth, it’s no secret that writers and performers Chris Parker and Tom Sainsbury are two of the funniest people in Auckland. At any given moment, their comedic powers … Read more
One good reason for keeping the belief in Santa alive as long as possible? The awesome power of The Threat of Santa. Simon Sweetman explains how, when it comes to kids at Christmas, a little psychological manipulation can go a long way. A Facebook friend posts that she’s angry and upset – some punk-ass little … Read more
As a nation, we pride ourselves on our creativity, but when it comes to translating great ideas into successful businesses, New Zealand is still trailing behind. Colenso co-founder and serial entrepreneur Mike Hutcheson looks at what’s going wrong. I believe innovation to be the realisation of creativity, but innovation is a two-sided coin: one side … Read more
It’s Christmas in Ferndale, which means thing have to go off a cliff one way or another. Tara Ward counts down the top 10 moments from last night’s finale. The Shortland Street 2016 cliffhanger hit our screens last night, and expectations were higher than Kirsty Knight’s fringe in the early ’90s. Alas, the television event of … Read more
No Man’s Sky was one of the most anticipated games of all time. Then it crashed and burned on launch, abandoned and even hated by players. This is the story of what happened next. No Man’s Sky was doomed from the start. Touted as the biggest game of all time – a space-based exploration title … Read more
The Spinoff’s hand-picked gallery of sagacious politics watchers cast their minds forward to next year, and gaze foolhardily into their crystal balls We asked: What are the issues upon which 2017 election year will hinge? And we beseeched: Given the unqualified success of predictions in 2016 politics, please give us a wild crystal-ball prediction for … Read more
As 2016 levers itself off the cliff, our writers put quill to parchment and look back over the past twelve months. The good, bad, rubbish, awesome and the henchest: we rank and rate it all. Best AAA Game Don Rowe: EA UFC 2 My key factor for deciding ‘best’ comes down to what did I … Read more
The Warehouse and Kmart are two of the busiest stores throughout the Christmas season. But which one is better? Madeleine Chapman dived deep into affordable late-night shopping and emerged with a scoresheet. We’ve all been there, desperately trying to find the last box of fairy lights because someone stepped on just one of the bulbs and … Read more
No-so-secret metalhead Emily Writes guides you through the best metal covers of Christmas classics. In the world of metal you’re classified by what you like – you can’t really just say you like ‘metal’, you have to specify your genre. And then chances are, especially if you’re a woman, you’ll be lectured in a blisteringly … Read more
Eva McGauley is a 17 year old with terminal cancer who has decided to use whatever time she has left to support young victims of sexual violence. She explains why. Please note: this article contains discussion of sexual violence in New Zealand My name is Eva McGauley and I’m 17 years old. I grew … Read more
The government has announced a new set of tax proposals aimed at getting multinationals like Apple and Facebook to pay more on their NZ earnings. But do they go far enough? And what about a diverted profits tax? Taxation expert Andrea Black breaks it down. Waking up on Wednesday morning I found I had emails … Read more
Our glittering garland of experts assess the performance of the political parties, the economy, the media and more – and attempt to sum up 2016 in a single sentence We asked: for each of the below, would you say they ended the year stronger, weaker, or the same as they started it? And how would … 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. What do a revolution in middle-class cooking, a re-energised and more professional … Read more
Nick Bollinger! He’s ace. He’s written about music with insight and feeling, and a lot of that stems from his background in bands. He recalls going out on the road with Rough Justice in this excerpt from his new, excellent memoir Goneville, which we totally recommend as a Xmas gift for the muso in your … Read more
Tara Ward has been mercilessly power ranking Shortland Street for the entire year of 2016. Here she collates her favourite moments, including bouncy castle woes and rude fridge magnets. Ding dong merrily on high, the Shortland Street Christmas cliffhanger is nearly here. Before we dangle our weary bodies over the cliff in readiness for tonight’s climactic episode, … Read more
A 1960s psychedelic poster featuring local musicians selling tea to teens? WTF? Henry Oliver investigates. In the late-sixties, young people everywhere were tuning in or dropping out, and dropping tabs, but apparently not drinking tea. Okay sure, the extent to which teenagers of the era were wandering the streets tripping balls are over exaggerated by … Read more
What gives people the idea that they’re entitled to comment on your weight, or your appearance, or your eating habits? Our in-house therapist helps one reader deal with the endless unsolicited opinions. Dear Ms X, I am in a bit of a rage and I need to work out why before I go all blood … Read more