The Weekend: When the tide turns
On Mike King, emporiums and broccoli haircuts
Kia ora and welcome to The Weekend with Madeleine Chapman
The window in which to “have an opinion” on an unfolding news story is shockingly small. Just as large newsrooms know that being “the first” to publish a breaking news story is often more important than anything written in it – ever opened a breaking news banner to see exactly one sentence with “more to come” underneath? – we, as an online magazine, know that there is huge weight in timing your opinion. And almost every time, it needs to be quick. A few hours is all you get to add to the conversation before people start to move on. It’s a recipe for disaster a lot of the time, forcing journalists (myself included) to churn out some regrettably half-baked thoughts in order to not miss the boat.
I first wanted to write something about Mike King in 2017. What I wanted to write wasn’t far off what I wrote on Thursday this week – largely concerns about the one-man-band aspect of Gumboot Friday and the apparent disregarding of the need for a multi-faceted, agile and diverse approach to mental healthcare in New Zealand. But it wasn’t the right time. I was sagely warned that all I would get was a lot of public hate and not a lot of conversation because King was really out there championing a good cause. I wanted to write something again in 2019, when King was named New Zealander of the Year, as it felt like the one-man-band had increased in public presence but not much else. I kept reading experts reminding us over and over again that there was no magical fix for mental health, and to believe there was would be dangerous for everyone. And I kept hearing people – including himself – say that King was the answer.
This year, after King’s Gumboot Friday $24m funding deal was finalised, I knew I should write something soon, but still couldn’t find the right time. Over the years I had met more and more people who had misgivings about the influence King seemed to have when it came to government direction and funding, and his minimising of the work that countless mental health organisations do year in and year out. It appeared the tide was turning.
Then he said something truly ridiculous on the radio. Something that even his staunchest defenders had to stop and question. I had always wanted to write a long, carefully worded article detailing my (and many others’) concerns about King but suddenly there was the window, and despite it only being a few hours since his remarks were reported, the window was already closing. King has been in the media for his remarks countless times. He’s also said ridiculous things before with no discernible change in his ability to solicit donations and funding for his charity. If I wanted to start a conversation, it would have to be right now.
It’s been less than 48 hours but readers have spent more time reading “The King and his god complex” than any other story published on The Spinoff this year. People are very interested in Mike King, whatever their opinions, and the feedback has been genuinely enlightening. It’s not a new thought or story, it just happened to be that now was the right time to start talking about it. I hope the conversation continues.
This week on Behind the Story
Last week, The Spinoff unveiled its top 100 New Zealand TV shows of the 21st century, sparking plenty of debate about what truly deserved the top spot. This week, The Spinoff senior writer and Top 100 listmaster Alex Casey is joined by a panel of TV fanatics – Kura Forrester, Rhiannon McCall, Stewart Sowman-Lund and Lyric Waiwiri-Smith – for a special Behind The Story recorded live event at Q Theatre in Auckland. Together, they'll unearth some beloved TV gems and make their cases for their all-time favourite local TV show, with the live audience helping choose a new winner.
Listen here, on Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.
Celebrate this festive season with a bottle from By The Bottle
Whether it’s something special for Christmas or a gift for a loved one, their range of organic, biodynamic, and small-batch wines, spirits, beers, and non-alcoholic beverages makes gifting easy. Shop online or visit their Mount Eden store to find New Zealand’s finest sustainably produced beverages. With nationwide shipping and click & collect options, giving the gift of something special has never been simpler (sponsored)
The true story behind New Zealand’s emporium empire
Up and down New Zealand, many men own many emporiums (or emporia). How curious, thought Gabi Lardies, a regular at Geoff’s Emporium in Auckland. Who is Geoff? And who are Ike, Arthur, David, Pete, AJ and Tom, and why do they also have emporiums?
This is the story of how a handful of mates, brothers and sons, many from Cambridge, left their day jobs to sell us almost anything at really good prices.
How the Gen Z broccoli haircut became big business for a teen barber
If you think Duncan Greive (45) has been looking a little different lately, it might be his new viral haircut. Almost every boy at Auckland inner-west schools (and now Duncan) seems to have the same haircut: clippered around the neck and sideburns, blowing out into a shaggy bowl on top. It typically requires wavy or curly hair, but it’s so popular right now that straight-haired kids are getting perms to achieve the desired volume. Duncan visited 15-year-old barber Ali, one of three teen barbers in Mt Albert who have capitalised on the Gen Z broccoli haircut trend to build businesses.
Alesha & Kensey | EP04: Home Education
Episode four introduces Kensey, who started slipping behind at school after repeated illness. Her mum Alesha remembers Kensey turning five and going to her first day of school as a huge milestone, but rather than let her fall behind, she dug deep and decided to do something out of their comfort zone. At the time however, all they knew of home schooling was what they had seen on Country Calendar. Now Kensey learns online and meets regularly with her local homeschool community. Their home education journey is just beginning, “we’ve just taken our jandal off at the edge of the river.”
Made with the support of NZ On Air.
Watch the fourth episode of Home Education here, or on Youtube.
‘I’ve masked my whole life’: Are autistic Asians slipping through the cracks?
Little is known about Asian autistics in Aotearoa, or even the wider New Zealand autistic population. We have no national registry or data set, and national studies including Asian autistics aren’t statistically significant and, therefore, difficult to draw conclusions from. Lots of stereotypically ‘Asian’ behaviour is similar to the traits of autism, meaning many Autistic Asians might be missing out on a diagnosis and support. Eda Tang set about untangling the diagnostic blindspots, cultural attitudes and social myths that Autistic Asians encounter.
The stories Spinoff readers spent the most time with this week
As above, my opinion on Mike King and his God complex
Megan Dunn opens up about her number one regret (a $100,000 student loan)
Anna Sophia’s brutal description of what it’s like to be working in mental health when you don’t have Mike King’s funding
Joel MacManus argues that Wellington City Council isn’t dysfunctional – they’re just politicians
Hera Lindsay Bird has advice for a lesbian(?) with a crush on a cis het man
Recommended reads for your weekend
TVNZ broadcaster Jack Tame reflects on his life in television, including a full circle moment with David Attenborough in this week’s My Life in TV.
Wellington's Wiri Donna shares her subtle yet chaotic perfect weekend playlist.
Novelist Brannavan Gnanalingam dissects the clip from the notorious bagpipe Ann Coulter’s podcast, which inspired his new book.
The sex scene of the year is from the very British, Disney-produced Rivals, writes Anna Rawhiti-Connell.
Toby Manhire presents uncomplicated, evidence-based advice on what and when politicians should post on social media.
Liam Rātana on the significance of the first official flag of Aotearoa.
Nervous about having the correct etiquette at a Pākehā funeral? We’ve got ya.
Shanti Mathias visits Christchurch institution Creative Junk, where cardboard tubes and curtains find new lives as artwork.
The Treaty principles are clear, writes Carwyn Jones. So why are politicians creating uncertainty?
Anna Rawhiti-Connell has noticed we live in a country with a very nice outdoors, but fees and bureaucracy make offering al fresco dining hard.
Want a spook with your pint? Paul Janssen has a handy guide to Aotearoa’s most haunted pubs.
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Reader feedback of the week
“Great story! RIP Aaron's Emporium of Napier, in which I spent many happy teenaged hours.”
“Part of the problem is that most of us think in words, but do feelings in ... feels? So I can be feeling a thing and the feeling is good and strong and clear and unambiguous, but unless I can find a word which is also good and strong and clear and unambiguous, then I can think about it in a good, strong, clear unambiguous way. Sexuality is like that for me, I feel what I feel, I have pants feelings and heart feelings and stomach feelings and as long as I just feel them and don't think about them they're clear and unconfusing. Then I try think about them and need to put words on them and suddenly everything turns to murky and confusing. So maybe it's not the labels that's the problem, is that that you're trying to think about feelings that our blessed language is lacking words for.”
“Mike drop.”
— bingbong
Thanks for reading.
— Madeleine Chapman
Thoroughly enjoyed your articles. Many thanks. Once another of my subs expires will subscribe.