Love gone bad, new love, the Māori way of life, and a Pakeha book about life on the marae: Talia Marshall makes the connections. February – Kua Mutu Funny, after such a bright start, how despondent and lonely our love had become, but we tried to repair things by going on a holiday late in … Read more
9.00pm (NZ time): Donald Trump has just appeared on stage in New York, saying he has received a call from Hillary Clinton conceding the contest. The Spinoff’s unrivalled team of experts have gobbled up all the available data and pooped them out like coffee beans from an Asian palm civet, to produce a live hazard … Read more
We have a word for children who have lost their parents, but no equivalent for parents who have faced the agony of losing a child. Tessa Prebble writes about the limbo of being a mother with no child to parent, 18 months after the death of her daughter Eva. What does it mean to be … Read more
The suicide helpline Lifeline Aotearoa has been providing essential support to New Zealanders in desperate need since 1964, but a catastrophic funding loss means the service is set to close in 2017. That would be a disaster, says Kristina Hard – one we can’t allow to happen, . In the early hours of the morning, a … Read more
We’ve heard from nearly every celebrity and their dog about which presidential candidate to vote for. But which box would some of our favourite TV characters be ticking tomorrow? Ron Swanson from Parks and Recreation “Ron would not like Hillary either. She is a career politician. Ron has no love of career politicians… he would certainly … Read more
An essay by Brannavan Gnanalingam about subtle racism in New Zealand literature. While Lionel Shriver recently caused a bit of a stink saying that fiction writers could put on a sombrero whenever they wanted, contemporary New Zealand writers appear to be terrified of entering into a sombrero shop in the first place. We’ll happily spend … Read more
Every month host Alex Casey is joined by comedian/writer Michele A’Court and Mana magazine editor Leonie Hayden to discuss what happened in the world of women over the preceding four weeks. Better late than never, they return with help from brand spanking new sponsor BON tampons and dressed by the costume wizards at First Scene. This month, our three raggers reflect … Read more
The Commerce Commission has rejected the NZME-Fairfax merger in a bold draft decision that plays down forecasts of digital doom. Is there any way back from here, asks former Herald editor-in-chief Tim Murphy. An early disclaimer: I merrily predicted on Day One and again as late as yesterday that the Fairfax-NZME merger would be approved … Read more
With the launch of our brand new music section, here’s what’s been happening in the music business this decade. Click here for more figures on music in New Zealand, thanks to figure.nz.
Last night’s LATE at Auckland Museum panel discussion delved into the relationship between artists, audiences and critics. Russell Brown reports on what went down – including some surprising revelations about how musicians respond to their harshest reviews. Surely, I thought, they’re not going to spend all night talking about the critics. But they did, and … Read more
Former Mediaworks news chief Mark Jennings writes on the background to the departure of TV3’s heaviest hitter, the huge hole it leaves, and the challenge ahead for heir apparent Duncan Garner. When Paul Henry’s expletive-laden interview appeared in the New Zealand Herald eight days ago it looked like a clear case of presentercide. By deliberately labelling … Read more
Well, not literally. But a 1976 NZ judgment involving PM Muldoon and a public servant has played a cameo role in the English High Court ruling that the prime minister, Theresa May, cannot bypass parliament in triggering the UK exit from the EU. Asher Emanuel explains. New Zealand, late 1975. A television ad warns that … Read more
‘Best Songs Ever’ features various contributors to The Spinoff Music assessing recent songs and singles. Little Mix – ‘You Gotta Not’ The latest Little Mix is a barnstorming ‘No Scrubs’-style anthem about men that still live at home, rumoured to be shots fired at Zayn Malik (er, again). It’s just unfortunate such a banger had … Read more
Inside the Lightbox is a sponsored feature where we pluck out shows from Lightbox‘s extensive back catalogue. This week, we offer up some healthy political alternatives to binge on before the American people decide on the fate of the world as we know it. Parks and Recreation Leslie Knope is what you imagined all politicians were … Read more
A personal essay by veteran journalist Chris Barton on what it’s like to be made redundant by the Herald – and his fears for any kind of intelligent, long-form writing in mainstream media. When the end came, in December 2012, it was brutal. I was called to a meeting in an editor’s office. It was immediately clear that, to … Read more
Deep in the bowels of the Internet, thousands of pitiful men are embroiled in a heated debate over the merits of two virtual women from the video game The Witcher 3. Hayden Donnell, a loser from Mt Albert, writes about how he almost became one of them. The beautiful gift of freewill, granted to all human beings, … Read more
Tara Ward brings you her rankings for Shortland Street last week, including the sad departure of Curtis, Halloween disasters, and way too much condensed milk. 1) TK’s fabulous Halloween tribute to…um, Cheryl West? It’s the halloween gift that keeps on giving. This is spectacular on a bazillion different levels, so feast your eyes, my pretties. Wait til … Read more
Emily Writes loves indoor playgrounds. Chipmunks, Junglerama, Jumparama, Laughalots – she’s never met a soft-play establishment she didn’t like. There’s just one problem: too many of her fellow parents don’t seem to understand the (unwritten) rules. So listen, she’ll say this only once… Oh Chipmunks, how I love thee. You are my office. You are … Read more
The Labour Party conference concluded with a fire-in-belly speech from Andrew Little. Toby Manhire went along to watch. While one nation in the continent of North America sucks up all the political oxygen on Earth, feeding a giant ball of pulsating fire, there is something reassuring about New Zealand Labour Party delegates gathering together on … Read more
Compiling the best reading of the week from your friendly local website. Scotty Stevenson: 48 hours drinking with rugby’s greatest losers “I walked into the sheds soon after, to sit and drink with losers. I walked down the long concrete corridor under the main stand, past the North Harbour changing room. Inside they were belting … Read more
Today is the final day of Perinatal Depression and Anxiety (PNDA) Awareness Week 2016. To mark the occasion, Anna Reed writes about anxiety in mothering, and the value of finding other mothers who are going through the same thing. Some days we don’t leave the house. My little boy whistles on my chest and bounces … Read more
The decriminalisation of abortion in New Zealand is long overdue – so why is nothing being done about it? Sarah Batkin attempts to contact all 120 of our MPs to find out who is sweeping this issue under the rug. On the New Zealand Parliament website, under the “Get Involved” tab, I’m informed that “our democracy works … Read more
The Spinoff and Spark proudly present the first episode of Pod On The Couch, a weekly podcast exploring music and the people that make it. First up: Leonie Hayden, Tigilau Ness and Graham Reid join host Duncan Greive to talk about a new tribute to Bob Marley. Stepping in for Spinoff Music editor Henry Oliver, Spinoff … Read more
Lack of libido is not just a female issue, says our in-house therapist Ms X – and doing nothing is only going to make the problem worse. Dear Ms X, My boyfriend and I have been together for two years now and we’ve stopped having sex as much as we used to – I’m talking … Read more
Key regulations aimed at preserving children’s connections to whakapapa and their culture are set to be dropped as part of a major shake up of New Zealand’s child welfare system. Kim McBreen explains why that’s terrible news for our most vulnerable Māori children. You may have heard the Crown have had a series of bad … Read more
Ahead of New Zealand’s 2014 ‘Moment of Truth’ election, millionaire Kim Dotcom launched the Internet Party, in an attempt to disrupt the political orthodoxy. Today, millionaire Gareth Morgan launched the Opportunities Party, in an attempt to disrupt the political orthodoxy. We asked Dotcom if he’d indulge our ‘slightly silly idea’ and offer some advice to … Read more
The Spinoff presents TGI Funny Girls, an exclusive look at a brand new Funny Girls sketch every Friday. If you thought The Notebook was Nicholas Sparks’ magnum opus, think again. His recent collaboration with Funny Girls brings us Autumn Leaves. It’s a little bit scary, a little bit romantic and funnier than anything ever made by … Read more
Millionaire investor and political agitator Gareth Morgan’s launch of The Opportunities Party has been welcomed with Donald Trump comparisons and terrible cat puns. Toby Manhire asks him what he’s up to. Iconoclastic economist, motorcyclist, political agitator and cat predator Gareth Morgan this morning announced a new political party, promising “the opportunity to get a fair … Read more
Alex Casey sits down with Roseanne Liang and Ally Xue of Friday Night Bites to talk about diversifying the typical Kiwi TV show, the legacy of Harold and Kumar and waiting for the boomers to die. Friday Night Bites is the new web series created by the all-Asian, all-female, all-star team behind Flat 3. Directed … Read more