May AMA (+ Webworm Updates)
It's time for a semi-regular Ask Me Anything!
Hi,
One of my favourite things on Webworm is doing these semi-regular AMAs — which I’ve been doing for four years now!
In some ways they are daunting — I want to respond to questions with some thought and nuance, but also it can be fun just going with more unguarded-train-of-consciousness responses at times.
These AMAs are usually just for paying members (it keeps things more contained and sane) but for the first hour (starting… now) I am keeping this one open for both free and paid subscribers.
After that first hour (10am in New Zealand, 3pm PT, 5pm ET) I’ll lock this AMA just for paying subscribers, who are welcome to ask questions over the next few days — and I’ll keep checking back in to answer things as per usual.
To keep some focus I try to theme each AMA — and this one I’m here to answer any questions about the stuff I’ve made — and documentary, journalism and podcasting in general.
That includes anything about stories here on Webworm (like megachurches, Zuru and face blindness), or other stuff I’ve worked on like Tickled, Dark Tourist, The Tickle King, Mister Organ, Short Poppies and Dark Tourist. Maybe you want to talk Flightless Bird. And I’m happy to talk production, gear, structure — whatever.
Here are some previous AMAs I’ve enjoyed if you’re stuck on question ideas, or want to see how this works:
If you don’t have any questions or don’t care — that’s OK! Maybe you’ll find the discussion down below interesting.
As usual, stick to the Webworm House Rules.
See you in the comments — and now, some updates.
Bits & Bobs: Five Webworm Updates
1. Student Job Search Chaos:
After my piece last week about Student Job Search (SJS) in New Zealand, I heard a variety of stories from readers which act as a reminder to always do your due diligence with any job listed on SJS.
I’d argue if you run a website for students you should have some additional checks and balances — and a better way to engage with students — but hey, that’s just me.
Mark:
“A former colleague took a role from SJS when she was in university — this would have been maybe 10 years ago.
The job was advertised by a woman planning an art exhibition who asked students to submit photos of their bare feet (you already know where this is going). A list of poses was supplied, including full-body shots (clothed).
My friend complied, and a week later they were all over the biggest x-rated sites, including her full name.
SJS were not super helpful.”
Rebecca:
“I once took on a cleaning Job through SJS. As soon as I arrived, I realised the person whose flat I was cleaning was unstable. He told me a lot of upsetting things about how his mother treated him, there were beer bottles everywhere and broken furniture, which I was asked to clean up.
On the bed there was a huge pool of blood.
He told me this was from his partner’s period but in that instance I really genuinely felt afraid for my safety.
I was a young woman at the time and was really disappointed that SJS allowed people to walk into a situation like that.
Putting emotional harm aside, the health and safety hazards of that flat and the broken furniture were insane.
I didn’t know who to raise it with and didn't find that SJS had an emergency contact line or anything and so I didn't do anything about this experience.
But no, SJS is not safe for young students and I was put in a very unsafe situation by them.”
Olivia:
“It brought back a memory of a ‘job’ I secured through SJS when I was around 18.
The listing was doing ‘art modelling’ for an ‘art website’. I believe you got around $50 or so for sending through reference photos for the ‘art website’ to use. I applied for the job and was stoked when I got it!
The job emailed me and requested that I send at least 20 photos of my feet and hands in various positions. For instance, sitting kneeling on top of my feet, or having my toes scrunched up.
Being incredibly naive, I even got my dad to help me take these photos, and sent them through to await payment. Needless to say, I was not paid and emailed SJS to follow up.
They then sent me an email saying the listing had been taken down due to 'suspicious activity'. In hindsight, this was 100% fetish content that I had unwittingly sent to some random person who didn't even have the decency to pay me. God only knows where those pictures are now! It’s pretty wild that SJS presumably vetted this listing and didn’t think, ‘hmm, maybe this is a bit dodgy?’
Nice to hear they are still vetting their applications so thoroughly.”
Rachel:
“I have advertised for a nanny several times through SJS for our now eight year old. I always check social media and google for applicants to come up. There is absolutely no background search done on the employers by SJS, which I have always thought odd as I could be anyone with any history.
We communicated with our potential nannies and got them to come out to our place to meet us. Your article has alerted me to tell my uni-age children to check out employers thoroughly.”
2. Fake Seizure Guy Is Still Seizing
In October last year I reported on the saga of “Fake Seizure Guy” here on Webworm, talking to a variety of victims and discovering a story that stretched back over a decade. That later turned into a Flightless Bird episode.
Following that story the man was arrested, went to court once, then went straight back to his usual patterns. This photo was captured last week:
He is due to appear in a Melbourne court again this week. I will attempt to figure out what’s going on, and just hope that the city finds a way to offer this man the care he needs.
3. The White South African Crowd Are Back
I was puzzled last week when various social media accounts started coming at me for an episode of Dark Tourist that we released in 2018:
At about 16 minutes into the “Africa” episode of Dark Tourist on Netflix, I embed with the Suidlanders, a bunch of white Afrikaners incredibly convinced that the Black population will rise up and kill them all in a “white genocide”.
They were incredibly racist and quite annoying, and I joined them on a trial evacuation of the city, discovering that they were a bungling mess of religious fanaticism, racism and paranoia:
I got a lot of shit at the time from some white Afrikaners and their various supporters, but I wondered why this had all come back again. Of course the answer was that Donald Trump — despite halting all refugee programs and halting arrivals from other parts of the world — had decided to get on board with the false narrative that Afrikaner farmers are facing a genocide.
And yes, Trump just let a bunch of white South Africans into the United States as refugees.
White refugees. I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised. Trump’s whole thing is about the poor downtrodden white person — and of course he’s petrified of white people losing the power they hold in the US, too.
The world is a frustrating place right now. This struck me as fucking crazy back when we were filming in 2017, and now Trump is just echoing those fucking brussel sprouts here in 2025.
If you want some background on the history of South Africa, and some context around the “farm killings” you may be hearing about (again), I go into a bit of it in the episode, or today’s Daily episode has a 30 minute deep dive.
4. I’ve EP’d a New Documentary Called “Mockbuster”
I am excited for you to see this documentary that I EP’d, which will hopefully find a home at Cannes Market (part of the festival Pedro Pascal has been looking fabulous at).
As Deadline mentioned briefly, Giant — who released Mister Organ a few years ago — is behind the documentary which has been directed by a young filmmaker I dig, Anthony Frith.
Giant Pictures Brings ‘Mockbuster’ To Cannes
“New York-based Giant Pictures has unveiled a roster of new films, which are launching at the Cannes Market this week. Among them is Anthony Frith’s Mockbuster, a behind-the-scenes documentary about an aspiring filmmaker’s first film for b-movie studio The Asylum. Tickled filmmaker David Farrier is an exec producer on the pic, which is being made in association with several Australian funding sources.”
5. A Good Dog
Finally — as you may be aware, things are pretty awful in America right now.
Over the weekend, a bomb was detonated at a Palm Springs fertility clinic (the city I was in just last weekend visiting that Disney dystopia). Things are on high alert in general, so it was little surprise to encounter a few bomb sniffing dogs at a music festival I went to over the weekend.
My friend Ian is a dog guy, and I took this photo of the dog’s minders taking a photo of the two of them. Look, I’m not a big fan of the police but I am a big fan of dogs and I really like this photo and the relationship between everyone in it.
Okay — talk soon, and see you in the AMA in the comments below.
David.
I enjoyed your story and picture of the deer. I just moved to the glorious Maniototo and entered my photograph of a long dead Merino ram skeleton - mostly curled horns and a little remaining fleece in the landscape photography section of the A&P show. I stealthily watched people's reactions and the vast majority said "Eeeew". It was up against gorgeous landscapes of hoar frost and sprawling hills and valleys of the plain so no hope of beating those at all. I got first place.
I enjoy Flightless Bird and Web Worm. I think you think you know who your audience is but I think you'd be surprised. I'm a 66 year old female about to retire and 90 percent of the time I've voted Republican. No I did not vote for Trump this last time but the first time he ran I made that mistake. I digress. I love to listen to you. I can't say I share your taste in music but I love your investigative reporting. Do you think you'll ever make it to Atlanta?