A regular dickhead? Or something else?
Simon Bridges' retirement, and every other story we loved reading this week...
Kia ora and welcome to The Spinoff Weekend, your Saturday wrap-up of everything you may have missed across the week. Today, we’ll cover the anniversary of the March 15 terror attack, look at a strange cellphone promotion, and ask if poisoning pests is the Maori way. We’ll also examine the shock exit of Simon Bridges from parliament, pay homage to Choice TV as it winds up, take in the rise and fall of Dug the non-potato, and give you some must-see weekend TV picks. Relax and pour yourself a cup of Coffee Supreme. You made it. Welcome to the weekend.
-Chris Schulz, senior writer
Simon Bridges: Just a regular dickhead?
“At 45, [after] 14 years in parliament, it’s a good time for National, it’s a good time for me, and it’s a good time for my family.” They’re the words of National Party MP Simon Bridges, who shook parliament with his shock political retirement on Tuesday. In an interview with the Gone By Lunchtime podcast crew, Bridges denies any looming scandal, says it was time, and confirms: “I’m just a regular dickhead.” One person who isn’t celebrating his career is Sam Brooks, who reminds that Bridges voted against same sex marriage and the Conversion Practices Prohibition Bill. “As a queer person, it has been bewildering to see Bridges’ image rehabilitation go smoothly,” Sam writes in his compellingly personal piece, What Simon Bridges means to me. “Fuck the yaks, remember the votes of another regular dickhead.”
For more, Stewart Sowman-Lund wraps up the 10 defining moments of Bridges’ career in his piece, From slushies to scandals.
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A lot has changed since March 15 – but not enough
Three years on from the Christchurch mosque attack, Anjum Rahman says there’s still plenty of work to be done to prevent that kind of atrocity from happening again. “We need more urgency and in many areas,” she writes in a heartfelt anniversary piece imploring for more action. “That promise of change hasn’t yet come to fruition … we don’t need any more empty platitudes of sorrow on this anniversary. We need firm action and strong resolve. Across the board.” Meanwhile, Toby Manhire crosses the ditch to cover a new report into the Christchurch terror attack. That report, Islamophobia in Australia, says “the Christchurch massacre sparked a wave of online and offline hatred against Muslims”. You can follow Toby’s full coverage here.
Why is my phone company telling me off?
It’s the kind of advertising we rarely see: why is a phone company telling customers to use its products less? That’s what 2Degrees is doing with the creation of Real Mode, an app that offers users the chance to get off their phone and engage with real life. “We love devices, we think they’re awesome,” says head of brand Dave Pearce, who says the new campaign isn’t about driving sales. Instead, it’s about promoting balance, asking users to examine their own habits to discover if they’re healthy. “This is a nudge and a tool for people to think about how they’re using [their phones],” says Dave. It’s a good question, one you can answer yourself (go on — use your phone).
From our partners at Today FM: Today FM launches on Monday morning with an incredible lineup of shows from some of New Zealand’s favourite journalists. Tune in from 6.30am Monday for Tova, the long-awaited morning show hosted by ex-political reporter Tova O’Brien, with Mark Dye and newsreader Carly Flynn. O’Brien’s signature cut-throat interview style and journalistic eye brings you the news that matters most to New Zealanders. Later, join other big names like Duncan Garner, Leah Panapa, Mark Richardson, Lloyd Burr and Wilhelmina Shrimpton throughout the day as they delve into the big, and not-so-big, stories of the day. Listen to Tova, 6.30am-9am every weekday on Today FM.
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Is poisoning pests the Māori way?
“You are not Māori if you support 1080” is a message Tame Malcolm has had enough of. So he decided to unpack it. “What is it about the use of 1080 toxin that is deemed un-Māori?” Tame writes in his fascinating piece. He breaks down the arguments surrounding 1080 pest management and finds one of them particularly irrelevant. “Some say that adding a poison to our whenua is unnatural, and therefore un-Māori. But Māori history and culture has many examples of toxin use. Kawakawa, for example, was used to kill insects.” Tame lists other examples to prove his point, and says: “The most Māori way I can think of to manage pest animals is to put the needs of the environment above the needs and wants of humans”. It was one of our most popular stories of the week.
Here’s the incredible true story of the ACC
No, we’re not talking about the Accident Compensation Corporation. This ACC stands for the Alternative Commentary Collective, the rogue sports crew who describe themselves as “a clandestine P lab in the newsroom”. “We knew what we wanted and what our friends wanted,” founder Mike Lane tells Duncan Greive about how their brand of off-kilter sports commentary started. “And that was to follow the cricket, ball by ball — I still want to know what the score is, I still want to know the state of the game and a little bit of insight — but I’m actually not bothered by all the stuff in between. But really, you’re catching up with your mates telling yarns, telling stories.” Listen to Mike’s interview with Duncan Greive in The Fold.
Goodbye to Choice, TV’s quiet comfort blanket
On Monday, big changes are coming as Discovery replaces its lifestyle channel Choice with two news ones, Eden and Rush. Change can be a good thing, but this time, Tara Ward isn’t so sure. She loves the channel’s ability to provide comfort viewing at all times. “Whether it was 2pm or 2am, you could rely on Choice for a reassuring, informative watch,” she writes in her obituary. “Those hidden gems were what made Choice different. In a world where the other free-to-air networks try to impress viewers with the latest blockbuster series, Choice never pretended to be something it wasn’t. Yes, the shows were often years old, but in a world saturated with drama and decisions, Choice made watching television easy.” Tara pays tribute to Choice here.
Everything else we loved this week…
Dug the non-potato has made it to the New York Times. Alex Casey traces the potentially record-breaking vegetable’s timeline of triumph and tragedy.
Evan Rachel Wood’s two-part HBO documentary outlining sexual abuse allegations against Marilyn Manson is about to air. She talks to The Cut.
They have Culture Kings merch, they throw parties in Dubai, and they pissed off T-Pain. Josie Adams meets the men behind Trillionaire Thugs.
Eve Ainscow helped convict her former boss on sexual assault charges, but says she’s been blacklisted because of it. NZ Herald (paywalled) has the story of The young women, a film industry boss — and a fight for justice
With the Academy Awards a little over a week away, The Ringer examines why Dune (yes!) deserves to win the best picture award.
After 60 years in business, a West Auckland menswear store has called it quits.
Even here in New Zealand, Vladimir Putin’s nuclear threats are terrifying. The Atlantic examines why they’re a wake-up call for the world.
Former All Black Zac Guildford has been sentenced for stealing thousands from his grandfather and friend, using the proceeds to gamble. RNZ has more.
When Earnest Shackleton’s shipwreck was finally found, the man looking for it was staring at penguins, reports The New York Times (paywalled).
Finally, if you’re looking for a weekend binge-watch, you could try Uber’s story Super Pumped (Neon), or Theranos’ story The Dropout (Disney+), but my hedge fund bet is on WeWork’s story WeCrashed (Apple TV+). It’s a $47 billion Silicon Valley unicorn nightmare, with Anne Hathaway and Jared Leto in fine form.
