Kia ora, welcome to this week’s newsletter.
What do you think would happen if we let 16 and 17-year-olds vote? For a lot of grown-ups, the idea seems to conjure images of a Black Mirror style dystopia where election campaigns are run via TikTok and Jono and Ben end up becoming our prime ministers. A sobering thought.
But the truth about 16 and 17-year-olds is that they are often extremely earnest and the ones who voted would probably take the responsibility very seriously. Overall I think it would have a positive impact on our democracy. Just look at these guys:
The young members of Make It 16 have a lot of compelling arguments for lowering the voting age, and they’re campaigning so hard it’s going to the Court of Appeal. Have a watch of the documentary about it, and if you agree with them check out the petition they’ve just launched.
–Cal
This week’s new podcasts
The Real Pod [Apple | Spotify] welcomed the legend Cassie Roma to spill all the behind the scenes secrets from The Apprentice Aotearoa.
On When the Facts Change [Apple | Spotify], Bernard Hickey looked at the fading hope of housing affordability in Wellington and around the country.
On The Fold [Apple | Spotify], Duncan Greive caught up with James Roque to talk about selling his comedy special and guessing on The Masked Singer NZ.
On Business is Boring [Apple | Spotify], Simon Pound spoke to digital ad innovator Jane Ormsby about selling a fast growing company – twice.
Remember When… [Apple | Spotify] remembered the day a dress brought the internet together to debate what colour it was.
This week’s Dietary Requirements [Apple | Spotify] has been delayed because Simon is sick after pulling consecutive all-nighters watching cricket last week for The Offspin [Apple | Spotify].
Subscribe, listen, rate and review wherever you get your podcasts!
FIRST
Never forget when Ladi6 pulled off one of the great sustained comedy bits by guessing her friend Lisa the backing singer for LAB every single week on The Masked Singer NZ. On FIRST this week the Christchurch-born musician takes us back to her days in pioneering hip hop trio Sheelahroc, tells us about her racist dog and shares a childhood recipe for fried, sugared cornflakes that Nigella would be proud of.
Little Lunch
Alice says: “I would like to recommend Australian mockumentary-style kids’ show Little Lunch, available on Netflix. Following a bunch of crack-up Aussie primary school kids and what they get up to at morning tea time (or “little lunch”, as they call it across the ditch), it features perfectly timed pieces to camera by characters such as lisping know-it-all Debra-Jo, naughty, nit-ridden Rory, and weird but loveable Battie. I first started watching it with my nieces and nephews but now I think I enjoy it more than they do.”
YeeHawTheBoys Direct
Emily says: “I really, really love the YeeHawTheBoys Substack. I love Dan’s comics and I love reading the stories behind them – what inspired him and what the reaction was. I’ve enjoyed his stuff for years so it’s cool to be able to support him now. And I like getting the comics before everyone else does.” [You can read Dan’s 2020 comic ‘A yarn with Nan’ on The Spinoff here, and read the story behind it here.]
Heavy Metal Dinosaur Songs
Eli says: “This is a bit of a niche rec, but for anyone with small children who are into dinosaurs and prehistoric animals, have I got a playlist for you. If you can no longer take any mention of Dorothy the Dinosaur, and if you’re over the crazily off-time dino songs you get from Pinkfong, take a look at a little playlist called Heavy Metal Dinosaur Songs. I have never felt prouder than I did seeing both my kids headbanging and air guitaring to such tunes as ‘Velociraptor’ and ‘Pachycephalosaurus’. These songs will get stuck in your head a la Pinkfong, but I promise you won’t mind as much.”
Too Hot to Handle
Alex says: “I truly should not even be putting my name to this rec, but I would like everyone to be aware of how truly depraved the new season of Netflix's horned-up reality show Too Hot to Handle is. In season one, a bevvy of clueless oily hotties were invited to a luxury party house, only to be told that any kind of hanky panky would lose them money from the $100,000 prize pool. In season two, with the franchise known across the world, the show TRICKS contestants into thinking they’re on a show called Parties in Paradise, complete with a FAKE HOST wearing a HAWAIIAN SHIRT. While they partner up and start to show each other rude, there's a countdown in the corner till the SEX BAN, when it will be revealed that they are actually on Too Hot to Handle season two. Is this fine? Is this television? Is this a recommendation? I truly do not know about anything anymore.”
Find me a place to land
Sam says: “I would like to rec this very silly and extremely funny sketch from comedians/actors Annie Sertich and Mitch Silpa. It’s a very simple sketch about a woman auditioning to play what I have assumed, personally, to be the lead role of Sully Sullenberger. She consistently botches her audition by looking at the camera, changing wigs and laughing. I have watched it 50 times, sent it to about 100 people and I still can’t stop going back for more. Tight perm!”
Fumetan Ramen
Charlotte says: “Something I’m adamant about is that Christchurch’s food offering is thoroughly underrated. Riccarton Road spot Fumetan Ramen is a case in point, one of the many delicious, and interesting eateries the city has to offer. It's a reasonably new spot with an eclectic fit-out, and the ramen is really, really good. Rich, cloudy broth; bouncy noodles, tender chashu and multiple toppings to choose from. What’s best, at Fumetan, the typical spring onion topping is replaced by slivers of the scallion’s sweeter and more elegant cousin – leek. There’s even the option to add extra slivers of the stuff, and you should definitely take them up on that.”
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 👋