Hi David, I’m not surprised you feel so tired, you do hard tiresome work. I wanted to let you know that your newsletter helped me out of a very tired spot, I’m an ICU nurse you see, and I was working through the pandemic in Melbourne. Then I got pregnant, I couldn’t get home, my husband and I had our first baby by ourselves, in our 5km Melbourne radius. Then we got the golden ticket in the lotto. Once we arrived back in NZ I was very tired, New Zealanders had all sorts of covid ideas that had grown out of their privilege of having a lack of death surrounding them. I had PTSD. When I was up every night feeding my baby I would be glued to your newsletter, like a lifeline to all the sensible people in the world! I had so many arm-chaired and dangerous to binge to! My husband is so happy, my yearly Christmas present will be this subscription, he never has to think again! Thank you so much, you wont ever know how much you kept me going!
Nowhere near your traumatic situation - but I do the same with US news and the crazies there. Find sensible knowledgeable commentators & read/watch/listen to what they say, and be reassured that despite the media platforming of the crazies, there are sane sensible people doing the mahi to steady the ship! It has been a relief joining the "worms" and seeing Aotearoa-NZ continues to have such kind thoughtful people in times when it sometimes seems we are outnumbered (but not ACTUALLY... we just make less noise?)
Thank you for the work you did. My cousin is a nurse too (in the US) and honestly I have so much respect for all of you.
You're right, NZers did have a lot of covid ideas bourne from privilege. My mother passed from covid in the US in November of 2020 and the people here in NZ just couldn't understand. When lockdowns came back they were so frustrated and I was like "I heard someone die from this, you do not understand". To see people denying it after that is so frustrating. And you had to see it on a much broader scale.
So sorry for your loss. And then to have the grief compounded by a bunch of no-nothings. You are right - we have been massively privileged over here in NZ by not having a great wave of death sweep over us and our under-resourced heath system, and most people are unaware of just how bloody lucky we are unless they have family overseas who have been impacted. I hadn't thought about it in terms of privilege (more like being incredibly lucky with leadership and being at the end of the world), but you are right: privilege it is.
Same here. My brain can't handle much, and WW has been a great source of just the right amount of intellectual stimulation for me. And it's nice to be around kind, like-minded folk.
- Sean Plunket is giving Fox News Tucker Carlson knock off, it's yucky and gross. Throwing anything at the wall and weaponizing incompetence. Maddening.
-Just re-watched the Mister Organ trailer. I have every confidence that this will be the new "tinder swindler" "dirty john" " worst roommate ever" sensation in the US upon wider availability, I will be anxiously waiting to hype it up in all of my doc & true crime-y circles. ( The podcasting community is robust.)
Someone will be coming out VERY much on top, and rest assured it will be neither Mister Organ nor Mister phallic organ Plunket.
Loving you, David! Every webworm makes my day. Journalists are the best of all of us, you a prime example.
I will admit that when I first started traveling between America and New Zealand, I did hold it up on a Hobbit-inspired utopian pedestal. And years later I still maintain a deep love for the country that introduced me to pineapple lumps, mince pies, Country Calendar, and the idea that shoes can be optional. But. The more time I’ve spent moving between the two countries the more similarities I notice, especially in the media landscape and growing conspiracy theory fringe.
Back in May I struck up a conversation on a ferry to Port Chalmers with a man who proceeded to tell me, within five minutes of meeting me, all about Jacinda’s secret plan to hand the New Zealand government over to the iwi, which would then proceed to exert control over everyone’s lives. It felt like some real homegrown American racist bullshit, down to his exact phrasing. It was just transposed onto a different government and group of people than the ones I grew up with. This stuff is everywhere and it’s sad, I can only hope for you to continue to find the humor in the madness. Also, Sean Plunket is a dickhead.
You're so right. Nearly all of the worst CT's I've seen in NZ originated in the bad ole USA. I wish they'd come up with something original, to demonstrate that they have at least a tiny bit of a brain and imagination, but, alas, I guess most of the CT's on earth think with something else!
Oh boy, so many ppl here are scarily willing to jump onboard with the bullshit. Are they bored? Unwilling to believe our government might have a slant towards honesty? It's distressing, as a kiwi, that there are such gullible folk who can easily be enraged and feel so bitter.
And I’ve seen it all over - I very clearly remember going for my traditional beat-the-jetlag swim at Takapuna beach in early 2017, trying to feel far away from America, only to look up and see a great big Trump flag flying on someone’s house.
Sadly there are a bunch of angry ill-informed dinosaurs like Plunket in NZ, which is why Tamaki Makaurau/Auckland has ended up with the mayor it has. It's also why we need to platform people like David Farrier. Get over here David, we need you! Can't wait to see Mister Organ when it releases in NZ.
Thanks for the support, Leanne. It's so hard for a tiny doc to have any kind of theatrical life in NZ - so every ticket bought is a huge help. Really. THANK YOU!
I fear we might have voted in the same in Christchurch...our mayor wants to take his digger, dig a big trench in a part of the city flooding when it rains (due to high groundwater levels) and create a big health and safety hazard. Yes that did happen! I don't know much about Wayne Brown but from what I'm seen so far he seems like a giant egotistical plonker who is going to cause all manner of issues for the city. Hopefully not but let's wait and see....Efeso Collins would have been amazing!
I didn’t vote for him in Christchurch and unfortunately he seems like a Code Brown lite mayor. Seeing the debate between him and Meates - he’s just an idiot and has similar ideas to WB. And don’t get me started on their “fiscal responsibility” stuff when they voted to spend more on that ridiculous stadium.
I think he seemed more 'personable' than Meates but when you look at their experience and hear them debate it was a no brainer to vote for Meates for me. on Q+A Mauger had no actual ideas, rambled incoherently and said nothing useful. Unfortunately most voters probably don't watch Q+A....Like 'code brown', we all know what that means in Christchurch re QEII hehe (spoiler alert, it involves poo in the pool).
That’s exactly it. It seems like he just wanted to undo things. I haven’t met Mauger but I’d had a brief chat with Meates and he seemed like a good guy and the people I know who’d worked with him had positive things to say about him too.
He was held in very high regard by staff at the health board. To the extent they formed a guard of honour and gave him a standing O when he left the building, I'm told.
Code Brown! Ace... Our new mayor is a cross between snake oil salesman and amateur dramatic fanatic. We were presented with a ballot of old white dudes
I laughed so loud I frightened the sparrows outside on the deck. Remembering his shit show with Auckland hospital you have got it so right. Still giggling
As am I - the issue is voter engagement, which is an almost impossible issue to solve unless we go the way of Australia and make it compulsory to vote and give out sausages.
He was an appalling mayor for Northland - many anecdotes about that! However, we have just elected the wonderful young Moko Tepania as mayor with a majority of Maori councillors - sometimes good things happen.
Sean Plunket is irrelevant, racist, sexist and homophobic. You’re a better journalist than he ever was and he knows it. I’m sorry he’s attacking you, and the rednecks that support him.
Sean Plunket sees your actual journalism, achieved on tight budgets, through your own hard work and ability to engage the trust of others. Then he looks at his own work, which, despite the millions he has behind him, essentially constitutes picking over the leavings of other journalists' work, and bits of trash the public throw his way, lifting out the rankest lumps of fetid excrement he can find, and shouting as loud as he can "look at this piece of gold I found!" .
And then rather than giving up muckraking, he lashes out in bitterness at having sunk so low.
So, someone has handed him a piece of shit, and told him it's yours, but it's not. Whoever it actually belings to, Plunket is the one standing in the garbage heap holding up a piece of shit and trying to convince us it's gold.
I think that's why he loves Squawkback Radio so much. A bunch of preternaturally bored, tighty-whitey old moaners hand him nuggets of turds daily to polish.
I guess the way he polishes them is to swallow them whole, then gleefully shit them out and hold them aloft as the Holy Grail of 'investigative journalism'.
I’m sending you a virtual hug. I don’t understand how people can be so nasty, I don’t get it at all. What a vile person to do such things to you. After listening to you read your last news letter, I could hear the sadness in this one and feel your shoulders slumped. I can’t come to your Q&A for Mister Organ but I’ve booked in to see you for Arise. I’m flying up from Wellington specially for the night and can’t wait. Chin up, you are a good person!
We cannot wait to see you when you come home for a month.
Eat cheeseburgers, sleep in, hangout with animals.
Honestly, Sean Plunket is just the physical and philosophical representation of every shit nz person, including the reliance on a rich mate to fund his bullshit as no legitimate person or platform would. Bullies are so lame and its so disappointing you have to deal with this BUT at least you get to live life meaningfully. He couldn't even comprehend what that meant. Or at least he gets stuck on the "mean" bit haha.
Good luck. You are amazing David and let's be honest, Stephen Fry will never give a fuck about anything Sean does ❤
"You fucking brussel sprouts" is still my favorite insult of all time (mostly because I hate brussel sprouts) and I wish I remembered to use it ever. Sorry people are SUCH idiotic assholes.
I keep trying them because people keep promising me, "Oh but you haven't had them prepared like THIS! You'll love THESE!" And I am always at best, disappointed, at worst, nearly sick. Nope, they are not my jam.
Australians have a great saying that applies to Sean Plunket- 'carrying on like a pork chop'.
Whenever he posts something equally vapid, just think of him popping and sizzling and just generally making a lot of noise and mess, I swear it will cheer you up.
I hope if you have a Sydney premiere of Mr Organ you can make it over for another Q&A! You're rad too David, and Webworm is cool. I love supporting your work!
Take it from me, David, Sean Plunket is an arsehole. And I know him personally. He's been in court himself and LOST and yes HE is the one who has the anger problem and a huge chip on his shoulder. He's decided being a right wing supporter of conspiracy theorists is a money-maker, much like Trump when he pretends to be a Bible-wielding born again Christian among America's elite evangelicals. But he fools nobody except those who wish to be fooled and among those who're going to make money out of his tom-foolery. He's got a big mouth and often full of lies.
SP is the epitome of a troll. In every sense of the word - historic and present. Anyone who believes the gobshite that spews from him are below moronic. Don’t waste your energy on him or them David. Safe travels and keep being your wonderful, smart, creative self. Kia kaha.
Hi David, I’m not surprised you feel so tired, you do hard tiresome work. I wanted to let you know that your newsletter helped me out of a very tired spot, I’m an ICU nurse you see, and I was working through the pandemic in Melbourne. Then I got pregnant, I couldn’t get home, my husband and I had our first baby by ourselves, in our 5km Melbourne radius. Then we got the golden ticket in the lotto. Once we arrived back in NZ I was very tired, New Zealanders had all sorts of covid ideas that had grown out of their privilege of having a lack of death surrounding them. I had PTSD. When I was up every night feeding my baby I would be glued to your newsletter, like a lifeline to all the sensible people in the world! I had so many arm-chaired and dangerous to binge to! My husband is so happy, my yearly Christmas present will be this subscription, he never has to think again! Thank you so much, you wont ever know how much you kept me going!
I think I want to cry.
Further to this - THANK YOU for the work you do. Endlessly.
I love that line : "A lifeline to the sensible people in the world."
Nowhere near your traumatic situation - but I do the same with US news and the crazies there. Find sensible knowledgeable commentators & read/watch/listen to what they say, and be reassured that despite the media platforming of the crazies, there are sane sensible people doing the mahi to steady the ship! It has been a relief joining the "worms" and seeing Aotearoa-NZ continues to have such kind thoughtful people in times when it sometimes seems we are outnumbered (but not ACTUALLY... we just make less noise?)
Thank you for the work you did. My cousin is a nurse too (in the US) and honestly I have so much respect for all of you.
You're right, NZers did have a lot of covid ideas bourne from privilege. My mother passed from covid in the US in November of 2020 and the people here in NZ just couldn't understand. When lockdowns came back they were so frustrated and I was like "I heard someone die from this, you do not understand". To see people denying it after that is so frustrating. And you had to see it on a much broader scale.
Aroha <3
So sorry for your loss. And then to have the grief compounded by a bunch of no-nothings. You are right - we have been massively privileged over here in NZ by not having a great wave of death sweep over us and our under-resourced heath system, and most people are unaware of just how bloody lucky we are unless they have family overseas who have been impacted. I hadn't thought about it in terms of privilege (more like being incredibly lucky with leadership and being at the end of the world), but you are right: privilege it is.
I’m really sorry for your loss ❤️
Thank you <3 I'm so glad you were able to get back here!
Currently have PTSD and feel exactly the same way about this newsletter.
Nicky - I never would have imagined Webworm could help in ways like this, but it makes me so happy it has. Thanks for saying.
Same here. My brain can't handle much, and WW has been a great source of just the right amount of intellectual stimulation for me. And it's nice to be around kind, like-minded folk.
I hope you have good support and things get easier for you x
There are so many kind and encouraging comments her. I cried!
Damn you for making me blubber!
I haven't replied to them all because I'm overwhelmed. But I have read them all and they mean so much.
Could not have come at a better time.
david.
Plunket has no real credibility anymore. You have it in spades. Kia kaha.
IKR what the heck happened to Plunkett? What some people won’t do for commercial success! Have some pride, Plunkett man. Don’t go to the bottom.
I think lonely, and bored - and a little scared. But mainly lonely and bored.
He's already at the bottom, and has been there for quite a while. I don't believe he'll ever come back!
Kia kaha straight back - and thanks.
What she said! X
Hey David,
Some US perspective:
- Sean Plunket is giving Fox News Tucker Carlson knock off, it's yucky and gross. Throwing anything at the wall and weaponizing incompetence. Maddening.
-Just re-watched the Mister Organ trailer. I have every confidence that this will be the new "tinder swindler" "dirty john" " worst roommate ever" sensation in the US upon wider availability, I will be anxiously waiting to hype it up in all of my doc & true crime-y circles. ( The podcasting community is robust.)
Someone will be coming out VERY much on top, and rest assured it will be neither Mister Organ nor Mister phallic organ Plunket.
Loving you, David! Every webworm makes my day. Journalists are the best of all of us, you a prime example.
A devoted worm,
Kate
Actually that’s a really great way to describe him. He’s the Wish version of tucker Carlson 🤣
Thanks Kate - looking for a US home for this atm. We'll get there.
THANK YOU.
And your Tucker Carlson vibe is bang on. I'd add a little Alex Jones attitude in there as well, as far as performance and posturing go.
I will admit that when I first started traveling between America and New Zealand, I did hold it up on a Hobbit-inspired utopian pedestal. And years later I still maintain a deep love for the country that introduced me to pineapple lumps, mince pies, Country Calendar, and the idea that shoes can be optional. But. The more time I’ve spent moving between the two countries the more similarities I notice, especially in the media landscape and growing conspiracy theory fringe.
Back in May I struck up a conversation on a ferry to Port Chalmers with a man who proceeded to tell me, within five minutes of meeting me, all about Jacinda’s secret plan to hand the New Zealand government over to the iwi, which would then proceed to exert control over everyone’s lives. It felt like some real homegrown American racist bullshit, down to his exact phrasing. It was just transposed onto a different government and group of people than the ones I grew up with. This stuff is everywhere and it’s sad, I can only hope for you to continue to find the humor in the madness. Also, Sean Plunket is a dickhead.
You're so right. Nearly all of the worst CT's I've seen in NZ originated in the bad ole USA. I wish they'd come up with something original, to demonstrate that they have at least a tiny bit of a brain and imagination, but, alas, I guess most of the CT's on earth think with something else!
did you miss out the U and the N or is CT an acronym I dont know?
I'm guessing it's conspiracy theorist
Oh boy, so many ppl here are scarily willing to jump onboard with the bullshit. Are they bored? Unwilling to believe our government might have a slant towards honesty? It's distressing, as a kiwi, that there are such gullible folk who can easily be enraged and feel so bitter.
And I’ve seen it all over - I very clearly remember going for my traditional beat-the-jetlag swim at Takapuna beach in early 2017, trying to feel far away from America, only to look up and see a great big Trump flag flying on someone’s house.
Ugh WTF I’m so sorry
Sad
I love you bro. Hateful fuckers can get in the bin. Hope the people around you today make you feel less tired and good about yourself.
Get in the bin 😅
Sadly there are a bunch of angry ill-informed dinosaurs like Plunket in NZ, which is why Tamaki Makaurau/Auckland has ended up with the mayor it has. It's also why we need to platform people like David Farrier. Get over here David, we need you! Can't wait to see Mister Organ when it releases in NZ.
Thanks for the support, Leanne. It's so hard for a tiny doc to have any kind of theatrical life in NZ - so every ticket bought is a huge help. Really. THANK YOU!
I fear we might have voted in the same in Christchurch...our mayor wants to take his digger, dig a big trench in a part of the city flooding when it rains (due to high groundwater levels) and create a big health and safety hazard. Yes that did happen! I don't know much about Wayne Brown but from what I'm seen so far he seems like a giant egotistical plonker who is going to cause all manner of issues for the city. Hopefully not but let's wait and see....Efeso Collins would have been amazing!
I didn’t vote for him in Christchurch and unfortunately he seems like a Code Brown lite mayor. Seeing the debate between him and Meates - he’s just an idiot and has similar ideas to WB. And don’t get me started on their “fiscal responsibility” stuff when they voted to spend more on that ridiculous stadium.
I think he seemed more 'personable' than Meates but when you look at their experience and hear them debate it was a no brainer to vote for Meates for me. on Q+A Mauger had no actual ideas, rambled incoherently and said nothing useful. Unfortunately most voters probably don't watch Q+A....Like 'code brown', we all know what that means in Christchurch re QEII hehe (spoiler alert, it involves poo in the pool).
That’s exactly it. It seems like he just wanted to undo things. I haven’t met Mauger but I’d had a brief chat with Meates and he seemed like a good guy and the people I know who’d worked with him had positive things to say about him too.
He was held in very high regard by staff at the health board. To the extent they formed a guard of honour and gave him a standing O when he left the building, I'm told.
You mean QEPoo?
Remind me what happened with that?
Code Brown! Ace... Our new mayor is a cross between snake oil salesman and amateur dramatic fanatic. We were presented with a ballot of old white dudes
He's got form for that. Remember a few years ago when he dug up somwehwere in Linwood for the same reason?
Ugh yes Wayne Brown thinks being mayor is just writing letters to the editor. I’m horrified he got in.
He is fast becoming known as Code Brown in my part of Tamaki Makaurau....
I laughed so loud I frightened the sparrows outside on the deck. Remembering his shit show with Auckland hospital you have got it so right. Still giggling
:-D its very apt, is it not? lol
This is the best description I’ve heard yet
Also - democracy sausage!!
I shall never refer to him other than as that from now on. Fantastic.
As am I - the issue is voter engagement, which is an almost impossible issue to solve unless we go the way of Australia and make it compulsory to vote and give out sausages.
Have to say this is the first time I have voted in a local election, and that was because they have introduced a Maori ward in my town
Ex-Aussie here, my NZ voting days are very sad in comparison, I miss my democracy sausages and cake stall at every voting venue!!
He was an appalling mayor for Northland - many anecdotes about that! However, we have just elected the wonderful young Moko Tepania as mayor with a majority of Maori councillors - sometimes good things happen.
I'm in the next district down. Can we merge? Your mayor seems like a decent human - we need one or two here
Me neither.
Sean Plunket is irrelevant, racist, sexist and homophobic. You’re a better journalist than he ever was and he knows it. I’m sorry he’s attacking you, and the rednecks that support him.
And his sister is gay, so his homophobia makes him not a very nice brother either.
Sean Plunket sees your actual journalism, achieved on tight budgets, through your own hard work and ability to engage the trust of others. Then he looks at his own work, which, despite the millions he has behind him, essentially constitutes picking over the leavings of other journalists' work, and bits of trash the public throw his way, lifting out the rankest lumps of fetid excrement he can find, and shouting as loud as he can "look at this piece of gold I found!" .
And then rather than giving up muckraking, he lashes out in bitterness at having sunk so low.
So, someone has handed him a piece of shit, and told him it's yours, but it's not. Whoever it actually belings to, Plunket is the one standing in the garbage heap holding up a piece of shit and trying to convince us it's gold.
This comment made me smile a lot. You paint quite the image, and it's a fairly accurate one on Sean.
Thank you, Lucy.
I think that's why he loves Squawkback Radio so much. A bunch of preternaturally bored, tighty-whitey old moaners hand him nuggets of turds daily to polish.
I guess the way he polishes them is to swallow them whole, then gleefully shit them out and hold them aloft as the Holy Grail of 'investigative journalism'.
I’m sending you a virtual hug. I don’t understand how people can be so nasty, I don’t get it at all. What a vile person to do such things to you. After listening to you read your last news letter, I could hear the sadness in this one and feel your shoulders slumped. I can’t come to your Q&A for Mister Organ but I’ve booked in to see you for Arise. I’m flying up from Wellington specially for the night and can’t wait. Chin up, you are a good person!
Looking forward to seeing you in Aotearoa soon!!!
If people want to know more, How Now, BrownScouse? on Substack has an eye opening newsletter about the greediness of Plunket’s backers.
That sounds like an interesting read, thanks
Oh, BrownScouse is great! I found him on Instagram and then subscribed to his newsletter.
thanks for the tip. oof, white text on black makes my brain hurt. might have to copy and paste into word
Just read the first article on this and wholy shit. Would love to find out more
They have put up a second instalment too. So scary how rich people abuse charity status.
Have an amazing time in Philly.
We cannot wait to see you when you come home for a month.
Eat cheeseburgers, sleep in, hangout with animals.
Honestly, Sean Plunket is just the physical and philosophical representation of every shit nz person, including the reliance on a rich mate to fund his bullshit as no legitimate person or platform would. Bullies are so lame and its so disappointing you have to deal with this BUT at least you get to live life meaningfully. He couldn't even comprehend what that meant. Or at least he gets stuck on the "mean" bit haha.
Good luck. You are amazing David and let's be honest, Stephen Fry will never give a fuck about anything Sean does ❤
"You fucking brussel sprouts" is still my favorite insult of all time (mostly because I hate brussel sprouts) and I wish I remembered to use it ever. Sorry people are SUCH idiotic assholes.
It's that line from BIG MOUTH and it makes me laugh every time. Wish I could take credit for it. Just the perfect fusion of words.
The poor misaligned Brussel sprout. Wins the People's Choice Award for 'The Devils Serve of Vegetable ' every time.
They're actually very nice roasted with a bit of salt, pepper and then chuck over slivered almonds at the end.
All that aside 'you fucking Bbrussel sprout' is indeed an apex insult.
Fairy cabbages! 🤣
Too many childhood dinners of overcooked bitter brussel sprouts have forever ruined the vegetable for me ☹️
I keep trying them because people keep promising me, "Oh but you haven't had them prepared like THIS! You'll love THESE!" And I am always at best, disappointed, at worst, nearly sick. Nope, they are not my jam.
That’s what I thought too until I had them roasted as described above! Please try them one more time before giving up on them 🤣
Casserole is a good alternative for the pro-brussel sprouts among us
To use it in a sentence: Sean Plunket is an entitled, self-aware casserole who appeals to gullible casseroles
Australians have a great saying that applies to Sean Plunket- 'carrying on like a pork chop'.
Whenever he posts something equally vapid, just think of him popping and sizzling and just generally making a lot of noise and mess, I swear it will cheer you up.
I hope if you have a Sydney premiere of Mr Organ you can make it over for another Q&A! You're rad too David, and Webworm is cool. I love supporting your work!
Thanks Ang - hope to get it out further than those Brisbane Festival dates. Also thanks for the comical image.
Take it from me, David, Sean Plunket is an arsehole. And I know him personally. He's been in court himself and LOST and yes HE is the one who has the anger problem and a huge chip on his shoulder. He's decided being a right wing supporter of conspiracy theorists is a money-maker, much like Trump when he pretends to be a Bible-wielding born again Christian among America's elite evangelicals. But he fools nobody except those who wish to be fooled and among those who're going to make money out of his tom-foolery. He's got a big mouth and often full of lies.
SP is the epitome of a troll. In every sense of the word - historic and present. Anyone who believes the gobshite that spews from him are below moronic. Don’t waste your energy on him or them David. Safe travels and keep being your wonderful, smart, creative self. Kia kaha.