Staff writer Tara Ward has been writing about local TV on The Spinoff for over a decade. Today we published her Cover Story looking back at how Outrageous Fortune came to be, 20 years after the first episode aired on New Zealand TVs. Tara spoke to the creators, writers, directors and stars of one of New Zealand’s most beloved shows, and tells the behind the scenes tales of its journey to our screens. If you’ve never seen Outrageous Fortune, I’d suggest reading Tara’s feature and then pressing play on episode one. And if you’re a longtime fan, The Spinoff will have Outrageous stories running all week to celebrate its 20 year anniversary.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
--------
17:29
--------
17:29
Cover Story: Is everyone getting Botox without me?
Five years on from the Zoom Boom and in the middle of a cost of living crisis, Alex Casey investigates what is motivating women to get Botox.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
--------
27:37
--------
27:37
The rise and rise of Botox in Aotearoa
Senior writer Alex Casey has always been fascinated by the multi-billion-dollar appearance industry, both as a consumer and a journalist. Today The Spinoff published a Cover from Alex, headlined “Is everyone getting Botox without me?” Alex is 33 and looks 23, or so a Botox specialist said. But she’s been thinking about injectables and how they seem to be everywhere she turns. So she spoke to dozens of women about their decisions to either get Botox or stay away from it, as well as those who’ve administered them, with mixed feelings. The story is a thoroughly researched but also deeply personal feature about the decisions women must make about their bodies every day.
Alex appeared on Behind the Story to talk first-person feature writing, ageing and having your mind changed.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
--------
23:45
--------
23:45
The unreported reality for NZ veterans
Ātea editor Liam Rātana has reported two stories recently on the same topic, a topic that is so often ignored by both media and everyday New Zealanders: veterans. Our returned or retired army personnel are at the sticky end of almost every social measure: unemployment, mental health, suicide. But without even a national register of how many veterans we have, it’s even harder to tell the stories of a community that hasn’t been quantified yet. Liam’s work covers the recent Waitangi Tribunal hearings into the treatment of Māori veterans as well as a veteran group’s call to boycott the formal ceremonies of Anzac day.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
--------
17:40
--------
17:40
Why are big shows shorter in New Zealand?
Alex Casey is a pop culture writer and expert and also an incredible investigative journalist. This week she combined the two to investigate why popular global shows in New Zealand are just a little bit shorter than overseas in ‘Mystery of the missing minutes: Why are TV shows shorter in New Zealand?’ And what happens when the answer to a question is a little bit boring but you still want to write about it?
Plus, there’s wild chat about Lorde’s new album teaser and why it suggests her greatest ever work is about to come out.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Join The Spinoff editor Madeleine Chapman as she sits down with a staff writer or contributor to gain more insight about a big story on The Spinoff from the week.
Alongside getting the inside info, Behind the Story goes beyond the byline – enabling listeners to learn more about the amazing writers that make The Spinoff such a unique and important platform in the digital media landscape.
For The Spinoff editor’s thoughts on the week that was, as well as a handpicked collection of the week’s best reads, subscribe to The Weekend with Madeleine Chapman newsletter at thespinoff.co.nz/newsletters
New Zealand