ICYMI: Serena Williams won her first title as a mother and one columnist wasn’t happy
13 January - 20 January
We’re not being too PC about te reo Māori. We’re worried. Kiwi food company Watties recently launched a campaign that deliberately misspelled place names in English and te reo. And while some found the ads humorous, those like Māori Language Commissioner Rawinia Higgins argue that in light te reo’s endangered status, we simply can’t afford to normalise misspelling and mispronunciation any more than it already is.
Revealed: New Zealand’s role in the new American war-fighting frontier – space. In our latest feature funded by The Spinoff Members, Ollie Neas reports on how the NZ Defence Force has become an active participant in US military-space war games, together with other Five Eyes partners. As the extent of involvement continues to grow, questions arise around the trade-offs, and the absence of any public debate.
Serena Williams won her first title as a mother and one columnist wasn’t happy. Veteran sports columnist Mark Reason – who is neither a mother nor a professional tennis player – had a few things to say about ASB Classic winner Serena Williams style of parenting. “Athlete mothers aren’t role models, says Reason. They’re too focused on being exceptional athletes that they ignore their children,” Madeleine Chapman points out in her response to Reason’s column. “In reality, Williams appeared to spend as much time with her daughter last week as the average parent would working a nine to five job.”
Just briefly, a quick word from Leonie Hayden, Ātea editor at The Spinoff:
In my work for The Spinoff I routinely ask myself two questions: who does this give power to, and who does this take power from? I’m incredibly proud to work somewhere that asks those questions of itself as a matter of course, ensuring we’re not adding to the harm that negative stereotypes can cause to entire communities, and that we’re regularly giving a voice to powerful, smart, kickass people that have been denied a platform for ages. We don’t always get it right, but we are absolutely dedicated to trying to be the best Treaty partner we can be. If that’s important to you, please support our members fund so we can continue to uphold this kaupapa and the mana of people everywhere.
Eight simple rules to make the most of a restaurant buffet. The buffet offers up a grand opportunity to stuff one’s face, but what is the best way to optimise your buffet-going experience and eat all the glorious things? The Spinoff’s senior content creator/buffet connoisseur José Barbosa offers his foolproof method for getting the best bang for your buck.
FOMO 2020 was more than just The Lizzo Show. “Seeing Lizzo at FOMO felt like going to a party at a flat I used to live in, and really loved living in,” culture editor Sam Brooks writes in his review of the festival last week. “The people are different, they’re having a bit more fun than I had, and they’re not there for the same reasons. But once I get over myself I can have some plastic cups of rose and remember why I loved the flat in the first place, even though now there’s new people sitting in my living room.”
