It’s been controversy upon controversy for the talkback station in recent weeks, so Alex Casey embarked on a Magic Talk marathon to find out what the hell is going on. It has just gone past 6am on a Friday morning. My eyelids are firmly welded shut, the sparrows have barely begun farting, and yet we’ve … Read more
It’s been controversy upon controversy for the talkback station in recent weeks, so Alex Casey embarked on a Magic Talk marathon to find out what the hell is going on. It has just gone past 6am on a Friday morning. My eyelids are firmly welded shut, the sparrows have barely begun farting, and yet we’ve … Read more
Breakfast TV news is back for 2021, and Tara Ward got up early to watch. “Thank god it’s almost Christmas,” John Campbell said during the opening minutes of Breakfast’s premiere episode of the year. “2021’s been rough so far. I’m buggered”. We’re all buggered, to be fair, but I’m worried that John’s peaking too soon. … Read more
A recent survey showed millennials are having less sex than older generations. AM Show host Mark Richardson claims it’s because millennials “take all these booty shots” and “photoshop themselves on Facebook”. I was going to write a thesis rebutting all of Richardson’s strangely aggressive and contradicting claims about millennials’ sex lives, but I’m busy doing other things.
Our pop culture superfans at The Real Pod look back at the local celebrities who defined the last decade in Aotearoa. If there’s any group of people we can turn to in these uncertain times, it’s celebrities. And lucky for us, New Zealand suddenly seems to have heaps of them. The definition of celebrity has … Read more
Sound the alarm, evacuate the building and douse the entire city of Auckland in flame-proof retardant, because The Block NZ is back, and this season is: Firehouse! The Block NZ returns tonight for its eighth glorious season, which Mark Richardson promises will be “the most challenging season of The Block, EVER”. Exsqueeze me, Mark Richardson, I sat through two episodes last … Read more
Alex Casey woke up at 6am this morning to flick between the first episode for 2019 of both The AM Show and Breakfast. Here are some of the highlights. Nothing captures Monday morning ennui like The AM Show. “Welcome back my friends,” belts out prog rock band Emerson, Lake and Palmer, “to the show that never … Read more
Duncan Greive watches The Block’s final nail and asks what this strange show tells us about New Zealand in 2018. 1) Auckland property is definitively chilling the hell out It was never intended to be a quasi-documentary about the other side of the housing crisis (the side where people made heaps of money flipping homes), … Read more
“All the teams want is a happy ending,” Mark Richardson announced, as he welcomed us to The Block NZ 2018 live auction. Speak for yourself, Mark Richardson. Tara Ward recaps. I’ve watched over 54 hours of The Block NZ to get to this point. It’s auction night: I want drama, I want tears, I want The Wolf … Read more
Jane Yee and Alex Casey from The Real Pod spent an afternoon at Hobsonville Point to bring you this harrowing report. The Spinoff TV airs 10.45pm on Three, click here to catch up on ThreeNow
New Zealanders have woken up to a topsy turvy world this morning, with normally annoying commentators Mark Richardson and Mike Hosking talking a lot of sense, reports Hayden Donnell. Stash some canned food under your bed. Fashion your garden implements into makeshift weapons. Sprinkle the blood of a lamb or goat over your home’s threshold. … Read more
The Spinoff’s editor reviews the last seven days in New Zealand news, sorting out those riding high from those who wish they could crawl back under the bedcovers. The Spinoff TV, 10.45pm Fridays on THREE
The Real Pod assembles to dissect the week in New Zealand pop culture and real life, with special thanks to Nando’s. This week on The Real Pod, we are feasting upon the crucial final days of Survivor NZ alongside an assortment of snacks from The Food Show. Duncan and Jane recap the happenings on The Block … Read more
Reported comments by Waikato District Health Board interim chief executive Derek Wright and perpetual disappointment and retired ball man Mark Richardson have seen parents being told they need to tell their depressed children to harden up. Spinoff Parents editor Emily Writes wonders why old men are so committed to pushing children to their limits. Update: The … Read more
Breakfast carnage continues on Newshub as Mark Richardson and Duncan Garner tear chunks out of Mark Richardson and Duncan Garner Last week New Zealand had barely begun recovering from the sight of broadcaster Duncan Garner’s blistering attack on broadcaster Duncan Garner over free speech when broadcaster Mark Richardson stole his fellow broadcaster’s thunder with a … Read more
Yet another blistering AM Show attack as cricketer-turned-broadcaster condemns cricketer-turned-broadcaster Earlier this week high-profile broadcaster and host of the AM Show Duncan Garner launched a blistering attack on high-profile broadcaster and host of the AM Show Duncan Garner over his role as Chief Constable in the Speech Police. Not to be outdone, his co-host, Mark … Read more
Listen to Alex Casey, Leonie Hayden and Michele A’Court tackle the past month in women, news and popular culture, with thanks to our friends at The Women’s Bookshop. This month on On the Rag, we’ll be stirring the cauldron and murmuring about witch hunts, lighting a candle for the plight of the old white man and … Read more
Yesterday, Kane Williamson became the first New Zealand batsman to score 18 test centuries. But is he New Zealand’s greatest ever batsman? Cricket is built on statistics. It’s the backbone by which one era can be compared to another. It’s Bradman’s average, Stephen Fleming’s conversion rate, and for a very long time Martin Crowe’s 17 … Read more
The AM Show host claimed this week that while it is ‘hard work’ being a mum, ‘you can’t call it a job’. But should payment be the yardstick by which we measure work? Dr Jess Berentson-Shaw thinks not. Parenthood is no walk in the cricket oval. There are many parents who would agree that it … Read more
The Real Pod assembles to dissect the week in New Zealand pop culture and real life, with special thanks to Nando’s. This week on The Real Pod, Jane is away and things quickly fall into complete disarray. Madeleine Chapman joins Alex and Duncan as co-host to look at the past week in New Zealand, including a … Read more
Alex Casey checks in with the gang from The AM Show for their first show of the year. Awful. Hopeless. Horrible. These are just some of the words Duncan Garner used to describe his sleep last night, the eve before the return of The AM Show online, on radio, and on telly for 2018. Falling … Read more
Following a couple of weeks of controversial headlines, Alex Casey assembles a brief history of sexist drivel on The AM Show. Of all the soothing alarm sounds you could use to welcome a new beautiful day on Earth, Mark Richardson barking “a woman can do Dad jokes, which I’m impressed about” has got to be … Read more
Following Metiria Turei’s resignation as leader of the Greens, The Spinoff TV writers report back on how our news outlets and commentators reacted to the political bombshell/earthquake/catastrophe. “A catastrophic, disastrous result… an absolute political nightmare,” said a typically chilled-out Paddy Gower last night as he thundered out the news of his Newshub poll, and Metiria … Read more
The Real Pod team are back together to discuss the shambles that is Mark Richardson, mermaid costumes, and getting drunk with Hilary Barry. PLEASE NOTE: OUR GRAPHIC DESIGNER IS TOO GOOD FOR US AND THAT IS NOT THE REAL MARK RICHARDSON After many weeks apart, host Jane Yee is joined by Duncan Greive and Alex … Read more
Listen to Alex Casey, Leonie Hayden and Michele A’Court tackle the past month in women, news and popular culture. PLEASE NOTE: OUR GRAPHIC DESIGNER IS TOO GOOD FOR US AND THAT IS NOT THE REAL JACINDA ARDERN This month the gang is back together to tackle the past month-ish in New Zealand media, news and … Read more
The Spinoff Parents has taken positions before on serious matters around parenting. Today we are taking another position. After careful discussion with a diverse group of parents, our position is that Mark Richardson is being a massive tool and he needs to put himself in the bin and then be thrown into the sea. Here, … Read more
Human Rights Commissioner Dr Jackie Blue has some strong words for those asking about Jacinda Ardern’s intentions with her womb. As many women will have predicted, it was only a matter of time before media coverage of Jacinda Ardern’s rise to leader of the labour party was overtaken by discussion about her womb and whether she … Read more
Now that The Block NZ is back, Alex Casey recaps a marathon four hours of Mark Richardson television. Home renovation juggernaut The Block NZ returned this week, bringing with it two incredibly harsh realities. The first is that I’m going to feel very conflicted for the next few months as I wipe the mould off … Read more
Our resident Blockaholic Jane Yee recaps the highs and lows from week three of The Block NZ, including Benjam ‘Dylz’ Button and shocking banana experience. It’s bathroom week on The Block NZ, and it’s been bloody hard going. A million tradies, two million different types of tiles and three million visits from (and hugs for) … Read more