You have no authority here, Jackie Weaver
Things we're enjoying this week
Kia ora, welcome to this week’s newsletter.
The first episode of the new season of Scratched: Aotearoa’s Lost Sporting Legends came out yesterday, and it might be my favourite one yet. It’s the story of Meda McKenzie, who as a 15-year-old in 1978 got up one morning and swam all the way across the Cook Strait. She was in the water for just over 12 hours, her brother and dad bobbing alongside her in a dinghy.
That was just the start of an incredible run of unimaginably big swims for McKenzie. Probably the best one came in 1984, after fellow marathon swimmer Philip Rush had completed a double crossing of the Cook Strait and claimed it couldn’t be done by a woman. Meda McKenzie did it a couple of weeks later, just to prove him wrong.
She spent 24 hours in the water, and spent a night in hospital once she got back. She talks about it now like it was no big deal. But it was, and it’s an amazing story. You can watch it here:
–Cal
Best of the Handforth Parish Council Planning & Environment Committee Thursday 10th December 2020
Mad says: “There are going to be so many 2022 movies poorly using Zoom as a storytelling device, but Best of the Handforth Parish Council Planning & Environment Committee Thursday 10th December 2020 proves that greatness cannot be scripted. The Cheshire committee's monthly meeting requires no introduction. In fact the actual introduction is someone asking "when do we plan to start?" and someone else muttering "fuck off". Aaron Sorkin could never. Our protagonist is Jackie Weaver (not the actor) who is simply trying to keep the meeting together as a former(?) chairman wreaks havoc and his few supporters go full Gollum off-camera. It's regional news at its absolute best and better than anything your favourite political satirists could dream up. Read the standing orders. Read them and understand them.”
The Apology Line
Eddy says: “The Apology Line is a buzzy podcast about a guy in New York who creates an art project where you call an answering machine anonymously and apologise for whatever misdeeds/crimes that are on your mind. It soon devolves into a kind of safe space for terrifying people (Think Parler for serial killers). It’s a fascinating study of an artist who pretty much had one good idea, and his refusal to let it die even when he starts crossing every single boundary he had set for himself and the artwork.”
Final Mix
Anna Coddington’s new album Beams came out late last year, and in case you missed it, it’s really good. She tells Yadana Saw the secret of what makes it sound so good in the latest episode of Final Mix, as the pair go for a drive to road test a couple of the songs. Along the way they talk about everything from te reo journeys to learning karate to sexism in the local music industry. Essential viewing!
WandaVision
Sam says: “Despite being a part of the increasingly homogenous Marvel Cinematic Universe, WandaVision on Disney+ has to be one of the strangest things I’ve watched all year. It stars erstwhile couple Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen) and Vision (Paul Bettany) after Endgame, except they’re living in their own little American sitcom world, with each episode being set in a different era, moving from I Love Lucy style to, eventually, I think, The Office. I never expected the MCU to go anywhere near the realm of Twin Peaks, but it has, and I’m 100% here for it.”
Legion
José says: “WandaVision is the latest Marvel property taking up space in the subreddits at the moment. And rightly so – it's a fun, occasionally disturbing watch, but I think a lot of the celebration of its willingness to get weird is misplaced. Legion, the FX series helmed by Noah Hawley (Fargo), goes way more out there and then some. Based on a reasonably unknown character from the X-Men stable, the absolutely bananas series features musical numbers, Aubrey Plaza dance-humping a dentist chair, Jemaine Clement in a safari suit, a Pink Floyd torture scene... and that's just for starters. It's pure psychedelia, and as such probably the adaptation that best evokes the sensation of reading American superhero comic books.”
The Fold
Ali Mau launched the #MeTooNZ team at Stuff in 2018, about a year after the #MeToo movement had brought some of Hollywood’s elite crashing down under allegations of serious sexual abuse and misconduct. This week she joined Duncan Greive on The Fold to talk about the huge amount of work that goes into publishing these stories, like her recent reporting on the alleged systemic abuse problem in the local music industry. She also names the news director who laughed in her face when she asked for equal pay, and explains why John Banks’ recent racist outburst shouldn’t be a mark against the talkback format.
Framing Britney
Emily says: “Framing Britney is the new documentary from the NYT (you miiight be able to find it on YouTube) about the horrifying way Britney Spears has been treated in her life and the #FreeBritney movement. It's infuriating and heartbreaking and watching it feels like being repeatedly punched in the face. But I kind of think we do deserve to be punched in the face because Britney is an icon and she's been so betrayed by everyone. Also I've never liked Justin Timberlake so I felt validated there – what an asshole. Free Britney! ”
Business is Boring
Remember a couple of years ago when giving somebody a goat or a chicken as a gift was all the rage? It’s a good idea that last week’s Business is Boring guest has tweaked slightly to make it even better, by letting the recipient of the gift choose which charity to donate to themselves. The Good Registry’s co-founder and CEO Christine Langdon joined the pod to explain how – and why – it all works.
Tip Top Scoop Locator
Eli says: “After a very long and very hot day at the zoo, I was longing for a delicious one scoop ice cream treat. Sadly, fewer dairies provide this service now. In comes the Tip Top Scoop Locator – type in your location and boom! Every dairy with a scoop service pops up on the map. Very impressed.”
That’s all for this week! If you’ve got a rec to share or anything else to discuss please reply to get in touch. Share if you want, too! See you next Wednesday 👋