On Saturday afternoon, Billy Te Kahika Jr was the star attraction at an Aotea Square rally replete with Covid-19 conspiracy theorists. How did a blues musician end up New Zealand’s premier peddler of conspiracy nonsense? David Farrier went searching on the most powerful disinformation network of them all: Facebook. Read more from David Farrier on … Read more
The rumour that electrified New Zealand over the weekend was largely spread through Facebook-owned platforms. Duncan Greive asks how the government can continue to pay the social media giants to clean up messes they create. Yesterday David Farrier’s Webworm newsletter ran an interview with the probable source of the vile rumours that infested the country … Read more
The racist and untrue rumour about the source of the latest Covid-19 outbreak in New Zealand began life as a much less inflammatory post on Reddit. It was deleted after a few hours, but the damage was done. Here, the man who started the rumour speaks for the first time. Last week, when a cluster … Read more
For years, people have been sending David Farrier photos of his stock model doppelgänger – a man who appears in every advert under the sun, from gynecological practices to 3-for-1 pizza deals. So Farrier decided to track him down. Every week I get a message from at least one person: “David, is this you in … Read more
Summer reissue: What’s it like to wait over a decade for a new record from one of your favourite bands? David Farrier writes about the joys, perils and embarrassment of being a Tool fan in 2019. This was originally published on 3 August, 2019. Before you say it, let me: Tool fans are the worst. … Read more
The online magazine that boasted a bigger Instagram following than most New Zealand media has abruptly come to an end. So what was Auckland Mag? Why did it exist? And who was its mysterious founder Dan Rolph? David Farrier investigates. The reply from Dan Rolph at Auckland Magazine came quickly. It came quickly because it … Read more
What’s it like to wait over a decade for a new record from one of your favourite bands? David Farrier writes about the joys, perils and embarrassment of being a Tool fan in 2019. Before you say it, let me: Tool fans are the worst. “You tall faggot!” a Tool fan yelled at me during … Read more
After watching a mind-bending film about a dying magician that reminded him of Tickled, David Farrier interviewed the director, only to have his interview disappear. This has never happened before. I’ve never lost audio from an interview, and it’s the most frustrating feeling I’ve felt in years. I can see it sitting right in front … Read more
David Farrier dives deep into the Hotel Bed Jumping Community on Instagram and is quickly told: ‘Should you pursue with your article and publish it we will be taking action’. He chose to pursue the article. I’m a big fan of Instagram, and an even bigger fan of what Instagram influencers are getting up to. And recently … Read more
The bizarre story that started back in 2016 just won’t leave David Farrier alone. The saga now includes the courts, the police and a very stylish velvet suit. It’s just over a year since I wrote the conclusion to my Bashford Antiques saga. That four-part series focussed on an Auckland antiques store that had turned … Read more
Since writing about adults with fetishes exploiting children on YouTube, David Farrier has become familiar with the reality for kids on the wild west of YouTube. He explores the troubling subculture of videos targeting children created by adult hypnotists. “Um… goodbye YouTube. I’m serious. I have to delete my channel because of perverts,” says James … Read more
Two years after David Farrier helped to unearth the exploitation of children on YouTube, the sexualisation of children on the platform continues – and NZ companies are inadvertently appearing alongside it. Oskar Howell reports. New Zealand businesses are advertising their goods and services alongside softcore pornographic videos on YouTube; they just don’t know they’re doing … Read more
Erin, Eliza, Taika, or Colin. Which New Zealand social media influencer gives you the best bang for your buck? One recent study reckons it has the answer. According to one well-known specialist agency, $10,000 will buy you anywhere from seven to 20 posts from as many as 14 paid influencers. The variation in posts is … Read more
An artificial intelligence bot called Zach is creating a stir in the medical community. A doctor in Christchurch is teaching it to write patient notes. An Otago professor has it interpreting ECG results. But AI experts are not convinced. David Farrier goes in search of Zach. This post was originally published 6 March 2018 Last … Read more
After writing about fetish videos involving kids on YouTube two years ago, the problem has only got worse, writes David Farrier. Way worse. When will Google do something about it? Editor’s note: While we have endeavoured to protect the identities of the children involved, we recognise that by publishing this story their privacy may be … Read more
Earlier this year David Farrier captured video footage of a man engaging in a musical performance in front of two dogs who were in the act of making love. So Farrier went in search of the New Zealand hero who played the ukulele to two horned up doggos. In early May, I was showing a … Read more
Tickled co-director David Farrier becomes suspicious about yet another website that is very quick to point out that it is not porn. Definitely not porn. Update, October 30 – Splat! HQ has been in touch with the following response: With regards to the “This is not an adult website” statement we had on our site. Yes, … Read more
Our two favourite frenemies still have a lot of shit to work through. Watch round 1 here.
It’s our hour-long finale with live music, numerous guests and hot, hot curry. What could possibly go wrong? We’ve arrived at the grand finale of The Spinoff TV! If the last 15 weeks have been a roller coaster, tonight’s episode is the big twisty corkscrew part where all the money falls out of your pocket … Read more
The Spinoff’s not at all embittered or deranged reporter Hayden Donnell talks to David Farrier about his Dark Tourist series for Netflix the time David failed to show up to his wedding. The career of New Zealand journalist David Farrier has skyrocketed since the release of his acclaimed documentary Tickled. Last week his new series for Netflix, Dark … Read more
David Farrier has slowly been going crazy trying to get an answer about who’s actually behind the odd film festival that might not even play your stupid film anyway. Sometimes when you write something saying something is possibly a little bit bad, people get in touch saying you are bad. “Well, y’know, once it’s published … Read more
The “Auckland International Film Festival” is Definitely Not the “New Zealand International Film Festival”, mmmkay? David Farrier attempts to work out what’s going on. Another year, another film festival or film awards. But it all gets a bit confusing when you live in Auckland, New Zealand. Last year, it was the “New Zealand Film Awards” that … Read more
In the new film Isle of Dogs, David Farrier says director Wes Anderson has produced his most artistic, political and detailed film yet. My introduction to Wes Anderson came back in 2001, when I rented The Royal Tenenbaums from Video Ezy in Tauranga. I was blown away by this utterly bizarre, beautiful thing I … Read more
David Farrier talks to one of the most wildly enigmatic frontmen in music, Maynard James Keenan, and his partner in crime Billy Howerdel about 18 years of friendship, music, and being very, very enigmatic. Back in the late 90s, Billy Howerdel was hard at work on a highly anticipated new Guns N’Roses record. After working … Read more
The department has confirmed it will look into the charity status of Terrible Foundation, following revelations in the Spinoff around the strange story of a purported supercomputer-powered artificial intelligence revolution in Christchurch The Department of Internal Affairs has launched an investigation into the Terrible Foundation, the registered charity linked to Zach, a supposed pioneering artificial … Read more
Eighteen months after David Farrier first reported on the strange antics of Bashford Antiques, he returns a final time to bid it farewell. Catch up on parts one, two, and three of the Bashford Antiques saga. It was shocking, seeing that removal truck in the driveway. I pulled over immediately and hopped out of my … Read more
Seven years after first interviewing him about having sex with a dolphin, David Farrier reconnects with Malcolm Brenner for an update. “When I went to Floridaland in November 1970, I had absolutely no intention or inclination to have sex with a dolphin.” I’ve never been more annoyed at not thinking of an idea first: get … Read more
Earlier this week David Farrier lifted the lid on the very strange case of the Christchurch AI that would supposedly revolutionise global medical practice. What has he discovered since? Since writing about Zach, the AI that increasingly appears to be neither Artificial nor Intelligent, all the main players have fallen strangely silent. Associate Professor Pickering … Read more
Last night David Farrier took himself to see one of his non-musical heroes, X-Files star David Duchovny, play music. Here’s what happened. There was a moment towards the end of David Duchovny’s concert – his first gig in New Zealand, and his first time in New Zealand – that beautifully summed up the whole night. It … Read more