35 – A powerful pen – A Crime – A destination bakery
...and other recs this week!
Kia ora, welcome to this week’s newsletter.
For the pen to be mightier than the sword, you usually have to write something with it. But the pen in this week’s episode of The Single Object caused a national outcry and helped a young man avoid a criminal conviction, all without writing a word.
This was in 1978, the era of Dawn Raids, when police were overtly targeting Pacific Island migrants. After reading a news story about a young Pasifika man arrested for stealing a plastic comb from his employer, a University of Auckland law lecturer took the pen home with him at the end of the day.
The next morning, he handed himself in at the police station, “for the theft of a piece of property of my employer.” This is the story of that small but meaningful action.
This week’s new podcasts
On When the Facts Change [Apple | Spotify] this week, Bernard Hickey spoke to Girol Karacaoglu, head of the school of government at Victoria University, and University of Auckland business school economist Susan St John about why the government should be spending more on our health and happiness. On The Fold [Apple | Spotify], Duncan Greive spoke to TVNZ CEO Kevin Kenrick about the the proposed TVNZ-RNZ merger and the future of OnDemand. On Business is Boring [Apple | Spotify], Simon Pound spoke to Vanisha Narsey about starting an online platform making it easier to buy flowers. Remember When… [Apple | Spotify] took a trip to Waiwera Hot Pools and had a flick through the teen magazines of yesteryear. The Real Pod [Apple | Spotify] watched the first episodes of The Masked Singer NZ and The Apprentice Aotearoa. And Gone By Lunchtime [Apple | Spotify] postponed this week’s episode until Thursday. Subscribe now wherever you get your podcasts!
Conversations that Count – Ngā Kōrero Whai Take
In this first episode of the new season of Conversations that Count – Ngā Kōrero Whai Take, host Stacey Morrison is joined by Julia de Bres (senior lecturer in linguistics, Massey University) and Te Ahi Wi-Hongi (Gender Minorities Aotearoa), for a thoughtful and sensitive kōrero about the role that our language can play in fostering a more inclusive society. The three discuss shifting attitudes towards inclusivity, how a more thoughtful approach can help us move past colonial ideals, and whether they believe the future of our language is in good hands.
FIRST
This week on FIRST, Perlina Lau and Ally Xue from new TVNZ series Creamerie dropped in to tell us about the first time they met, the first time they acted and Ally’s unusual menagerie of childhood pets. Watch it above or get the (slightly longer) podcast version on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or your favourite podcast platform.
Mare of Easttown
Amber says: “Yes, Mare of Easttown, the prestige crime drama airing weekly on SKY/Neon at the moment, is yet another *dead girl* murder mystery. But it’s also Kate Winslet's career best performance, which almost makes up for that. It also features some very good drunk acting by the surprisingly charming Evan Peters, who fingers crossed doesn’t turn out to be the murderer.”
The Content Mines
Sam says: “The Content Mines is probably the best podcast out there for summing up internet culture at the moment, while also tackling all the Big Internet Issues at the same time. It’s hosted by Ryan Broderick (formerly of Buzzfeed, who currently writes the excellent newsletter Garbage Day) and Luke Bailey (digital editor of inews), and they manage to make some heavy stuff funny, dig into the wider implications of the seemingly fluffy stuff, and just make the hellscape that is online feel a bit more manageable.”
Baker’s Diary
Charlotte says: “Baker’s Diary is a jewel in the crown of the industrial Auckland suburb of Rosebank. Owner Tsuyoshi Goto wakes up ridiculously early from Tuesday to Saturday to bake Swiss breads, French pastries, New Zealand pies and Japanese treats. The first meal he ate on arrival in New Zealand in 2001 was a humble meat pie, and he was so enchanted by it that he went on to learn how to make them, working at bakeries all around the country. Everything is moreish at this spot, but the main reason I’d visit, especially on a rainy day, is for his delightfully squishy Japanese breads: there’s melon pan (melon bread), yanashoku loaf (soft Japanese-style white bread), kare pan (curry bun) and more.”
‘A Crime’
Toby Morris says: “I haven't been able to stop Big Red Machine's cover of Sharon van Etten's 'A Crime' from playing on an evil mind-loop for a week. It's from a really good album of different artists (including Courtney Barnett, Idles, Shamir, Fiona Apple) covering every song from van Etten's 2010 album Epic. Big Red Machine is Bon Iver's Justin Vernon and producer / The National guy Aaron Dessner, and they’ve taken the raw, simple (and beautiful) original song and dialled it up with a scorching second guitar and Vernon's dramatic falsetto. It's great, but I want it out of my brain now please.”
A Beautiful Day in the Neighbourhood
Justin says: “A Beautiful Day in the Neighbourhood (Neon) is based on the real-life experiences of Tom Junod, a magazine feature writer for Esquire interviewing American children’s TV host Fred Rogers. It's a bit hokey to start, but as a journalist I found it to be a great insight into a talented writer's process as he builds his story, even though he eventually unravels over the course of the movie. Junod’s feature is one of the best profiles I've ever read, and is an essential piece of additional content to consume after you've finished the movie.”
Welcome to the OC, Bitches!
Jane says: “Like the popular Office Ladies, Welcome to the OC, Bitches! is an episode-by-episode recap of The OC — named Best TV Show 2003-present by me – hosted by Rachel Bilson (Summer Roberts) and Melinda Clarke (Julie Cooper). Each episode Rachel and Melinda talk to someone from the cast or production and take us on a charming journey behind the scenes of those heady Newport days of hipster jeans, lip gloss and shady housing developments built on the Balboa Heights wetlands. It’s a must-listen for fans of the dramedy, and a great excuse for the uninitiated to dive into The OC for the first time.”
WIN a ticket to the VF48Hours Grand Final
We’ve been sharing selections from this year’s Vista Foundation 48Hours in the lead-up to the national Grand Final at The Civic in Auckland on May 22. Judging by the films that didn’t make the final, like this week’s charming space tearjerker from young Auckland team Lil Kings, the quality is going to be very high! If you’d like to see for yourself, on the lovely big Civic screen, we’ve got a double pass to give away – just reply to this email with the best thing you’ve watched this week.
That’s all for this week! Please reply to get in touch and share with anyone else who might like to subscribe too. See you next Wednesday 👋