December 11, 2025 • 31 mins
From geopolitical friction and climate chaos to a cost-of-living crisis and a haka heard around the world, 2025 has been a huge year for news.
Trump’s return sparked trade wars, artificial intelligence is getting, well, more intelligent, and we’re rounding out the year with no end in sight for wars in Ukraine and Gaza.
At home, Treaty principles were again put under the microscope, a huge blow for the New Zealand Police, and an end to a devastating saga in Marokopa.
All of that mixed with a TikTok blackout, an American genes ad, TV shows that sparked worldwide conversation about the manosphere, and a little monster named Labubu.
Today on The Front Page, our producers Richard Martin and Jane Yee are here to wrap up the year that was.
Follow The Front Page on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.
You can read more about this and other stories in the New Zealand Herald, online at nzherald.co.nz, or tune in to news bulletins across the NZME network.
Host: Chelsea Daniels
Editor/Producer: Richard Martin
Producer: Jane Yee
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:05):
Giuda.
Speaker 2 (00:06):
I'm Chelsea Daniels and This is the Front Page, a
daily podcast presented by The New Zealand Herald. From geopolitical
friction and climate chaos to a cost of living crisis
and consequences for a hukker heard around the world.
Speaker 3 (00:24):
Twenty twenty five has been a huge year for news.
Speaker 2 (00:28):
Trump's return to the White House, sparks, trade wars, artificial
intelligence is getting well more intelligent, and we're rounding out
the year with no end in sight for wars in
Ukraine and Gaza. There's a lot to un pack for
our final episode of the year, and who better to
join me for a breakdown than two people behind the
(00:48):
scenes of every episode you listen to or watch every day.
Today on the Front Page, our producers, Richard Martin and Jane.
Speaker 4 (00:57):
Yee are here to wrap up the year that what.
Speaker 1 (01:03):
So.
Speaker 3 (01:03):
Tom Phillips died after a shootout with.
Speaker 2 (01:06):
Police in September after one thousand, three hundred and fifty
eight days in the bush with his children. It was devastating.
It was a devastating end to a massive, near four
year long saga, but thankfully all three children were found.
There's an inquiry underway at the moment Jane. A whole
lot of questions remain about how he was even able
(01:28):
to evade police at the time with his three children
for so long. What do you make of these whole events.
Speaker 5 (01:35):
It was a really interesting experience for me, being relatively
new to the newsroom and that breaking in the morning
and us sort of going, hey, lets it down to
pure and see what's going on.
Speaker 4 (01:45):
It was a longer drive than we imagine. We got
down there and it was kind of it was just
quite a weird vibe. I found. It was a lot
quieter than I expected.
Speaker 5 (01:56):
I expected a lot of locals, a lot of police present,
none of that. It was just like PGG writes, and
was shut and there was some tape across the front door,
and that was that.
Speaker 4 (02:06):
It was very very quiet, and it.
Speaker 5 (02:09):
Seemed really in contrast to all the fervor of the
coverage that was going on and had been going on,
you know, throughout this time. But it's also, you know,
a strange story, because they'd be a sighting and then
there'd be a story, and then it would go quiet
for such a long time, and I guess in the
public you just sort of you forget about it until
it's in your in your face again and when you
(02:30):
read out how many days they were in the bush,
it's quite astounding.
Speaker 3 (02:34):
Yeah, it's incredible. It was four years nearly.
Speaker 6 (02:38):
Being there in the small town, you get the sense
that there was just this relief that it was over,
and like because we went into stores to talk to
people about it, and like no one really wanted to
say anything, because it's like the nature of it is that, like,
you know, there's not much else going on down there
for the last four years, and like I'm sure there
were seck of journalists and reporters and everything showing our
(02:59):
basketing quis about this thing. Also for so long, it's like, well,
I've got nothing else to say about it because we
don't know anything. And now that the story like finally
came to a close, I just yet got the sense
that there was just relief that they weren't going to
be bothered anymore about us.
Speaker 5 (03:16):
But also, I mean, the questions remain around if he
was helped. We can only we can only speculate until
you know, more information comes to light.
Speaker 4 (03:26):
Which could be along you know, a really a few time.
Speaker 5 (03:29):
If ever, certainly we know there are details that will
be likely to be suppressed and we may never know,
you know, so it's hard to you know, we're going
down there and applying our lens of what we read
the situation to be, but really unless those details come
to light, we don't actually know.
Speaker 6 (03:48):
How was it for you because that was your first time, Chelsea,
going down there, and you know, this is a story
that you've covered a lot closely than the two of us,
and the four years that he's been missing.
Speaker 2 (03:58):
Yeah, I think after four years, I kind of, you know,
I would always when there would be a sighting or something,
I would do crosses with ABC Australia and other Australian
outfits and UK outfits about this story because the rest
of the world really could not understand how he was
(04:19):
gone with his three kids for so long. And I
remember the day actually that it came out that he
was allegedly involved in an aggravated robbery and I nearly
fell off my chair because it's like, A it was
a new sighting of him, and B what do you
mean an aggravated robbery and that CCTV footage coming out
(04:40):
as well. I also remember distinctly the moment that they
were all seen by Peak Hunters together and that was
the first time that the mother had seen all of
her three children together, and the relief versus how scared
she was for their safety but also relieved that they
were still a lyve. That was a huge moment I
(05:02):
think as well of that story. So thankfully they all
were found by police as well in the end. Another
massive story this year, a huge blow for the New
Zealand Police after a damning report into Jevin mcskimming, a
former deputy police commissioner. Allegations from a woman were seen
to be ignored are The report said ambitions of a
(05:23):
senior police.
Speaker 3 (05:24):
Officer were put above the interests of a vulnerable woman.
Speaker 2 (05:28):
During the course of this investigation, of course, detectives found
child exploitation material and beastiality on his work devices.
Speaker 3 (05:38):
How do you think police.
Speaker 2 (05:38):
Handled this, Jane, and how do you think they handled
it in the aftermath as well.
Speaker 5 (05:43):
I can only come at it purely from a public
perception point of view because I'm not an expert in
this area. But distrust that something like this puts in
the police I think can't be overstated.
Speaker 4 (05:58):
Like it it is a huge As you say, it's.
Speaker 5 (06:02):
Difficult to know how you pr something I did notice
a lot of the rhetoric was around you know, let
this not detract from the fifteen thousand men and women
who are hard at work every day. And yes, while
that is true, I think you also have to very
much face hit on the fact that you know, this
was a shocking event, it was a scandal, It wonn't
(06:23):
handlebell And I'm kind of curious to see if there's
going to be some more threads that come out of this.
It feels inevitable there there will be.
Speaker 3 (06:32):
Yeah, I mean, because this hasn't happened.
Speaker 2 (06:33):
You know, this isn't the first time something like this
has happened with the police, Hey Richard.
Speaker 1 (06:37):
Yeah, yeah, I mean totally.
Speaker 6 (06:38):
And it's like, it is interesting to see how they
spend it each time, because I think that, like if
you watch the press conferences and everything that they've been
doing about it, they you know, you could say that
they've actually done a pretty good job of being like, yeah,
this was messed up, and you know that we've we've
dealt with it, we got rid of them, They've done
(07:00):
all this stuff. But then more and more that comes
out about the reports about how you know, the complainant
was prosecuted for harassment and all these things, and that
it's like, yeah, it's seeing the inner workings that it's like, oh,
this wasn't handled very well. And it's just there's always
a thing about like the fact that this guy felt
(07:21):
comfortable enough to access this sort of material on his work.
Speaker 4 (07:26):
Computer must have felt like quite invincible.
Speaker 1 (07:29):
Heye, totally.
Speaker 6 (07:30):
And it just shows and like this happens every time,
like so often when like you're a powerful man like
this is found to be doing something that like it
speaks to a culture of like how did you think
this was okay?
Speaker 1 (07:43):
How did you get away with this?
Speaker 6 (07:45):
What does it say about the wider culture that you
weren't worried about this?
Speaker 5 (07:48):
What's just truly out the gate for me is the
idea that you know, very very shocking, the you know,
the kind of stuff that he had on his on
his computer was on the cloud wear river that he
had been EXI saying through work wild to think that
their investigation that really really nearly didn't happen, the internal investigation,
(08:09):
if they hadn't happened, none of this, none of that
would have come out either. So you know, there's various
layers and levels here, and it's kind of not good
for anyone.
Speaker 3 (08:19):
It's just not well. Another massive scandal this year.
Speaker 2 (08:22):
Green Party MP and New Zealand's first non binary MP,
Benjamin Doyle, came into controversy this year when their private
Instagram account at Bible Belt Bossy Bussy Bussy was exposed
featuring the phrase bussy galore, captioning a slideshow that included
a photo of their child. Now this blew up online.
(08:44):
Winston Peters called them out online a triggered hate, including
death threats towards their family, their child, and they resigned
in September.
Speaker 3 (08:55):
First off, I mean, what do you make of this?
Speaker 2 (08:58):
And did you know the term bussy before any of
this came out?
Speaker 3 (09:02):
Because I did not.
Speaker 6 (09:04):
I had heard the term, But yeah, it is. There's
one side of this that it's just there's a very
strange world that we live in that you're hearing, like
Winston Peter's demanding explanations for what bussy is and things
like that, and so Benjamin Doyle having to come out
and do these press conferences explaining that bussy Galore is
(09:25):
a play on the pussy glore, the bond girl, and
that that's sort of an alter ego that they had
and all these things that it's like, it does sound ridiculous,
and I don't.
Speaker 3 (09:37):
Sounds ridiculous in retrospect, and.
Speaker 1 (09:40):
It felt ridiculous at the time.
Speaker 6 (09:41):
I don't think that Benjamin Doyle as any kind of
pervert or anything like that.
Speaker 5 (09:46):
There's certainly no evidence to that effect. Truthfully, it shows
to me just a generation to divide. Peter's trying to
figure out the Internet and like getting it wrong. But
they're being quite full on cons aequaenceance for an individual totally.
Speaker 6 (10:01):
But then at the same time, there is the thing
of like when you're a politician, when you're entering the
public eye, you do have to like go through your
social media. Like it's just a fact of the day
and age we live in that you have to go
through a social media the prefind to promit.
Speaker 5 (10:15):
There's also you know, I think about like my kids
in the way that they talk, perhaps some of the
young people in the office here, I think none of us,
none of us could be politicians if this is the
standard pint which we have to live because of the
amount of just stuff you say that is just in
the modern day vernacular, they're you know, out of context.
I'm I'm not defending anything that is legitimately offensive. But
(10:38):
you know, there's also this argument around Benjamin Doyle being
part of a certain community where the language is used
in a different way, and it's an internal kind of
understanding between people that like those outside of that community.
Particularly someone like Winston Peter's is just not going.
Speaker 2 (10:54):
To get a big one in New Zealand politics this year.
Let's talk about the Treaty principle spill. Obviously the huk
I heard around the world late last year, and then
this year several MPs that Awdiytt, Debbie Nadowapaka and were
suspended for twenty one days each MP Clark seven days. Previously,
(11:15):
the longest suspension for an MP had been three days,
and that was given to former Prime Minister Robert Muldoon
for criticizing the speaker. That was back in the eighties.
Speaker 3 (11:24):
Do you think that twenty one days was far too harsh?
Speaker 2 (11:27):
Yes, yeah, I think we're all in a creementer.
Speaker 5 (11:31):
I just don't see how you can objectively say something
seven times.
Speaker 4 (11:35):
You know, there's a lot of history.
Speaker 3 (11:39):
Seven times the previous record, it seems.
Speaker 5 (11:41):
A lot, and that the previous record was so long
ago as well, like it's really no one done anything
bad in parliament that is kind of you know, deserving
of a suspension for sitting.
Speaker 3 (11:55):
You know, do you reckon the do you reckon?
Speaker 2 (11:57):
The worldwide press of the Harker heard around the world
prompted such a severe warning or severe suspension.
Speaker 1 (12:07):
Yeah, I mean it did.
Speaker 6 (12:09):
But like it's interesting though, because like so much of
the response to I mean, I guess, you know, my
social media algorithms are different from other people's, but like
the things I was saying were all like, oh my god,
this is so cool. You know, Native New Zealanders are
like willing to stand up for this. But you know,
I'm sure there were people ar go on the other side,
(12:30):
but I think yet that there were a lot of
eyes on that. And what was the response to it
going to be? I think twenty one days? And so
the fact that it's seven times the previous record is insane.
But there's a lot of that sort of parliamentary stuff,
like because occasionally, you know, in the newsroom, we will
(12:51):
just have Parliament TV on in the background sometimesing and
you watch it and you actually sit down and watch it,
and there's a lot of like very sort of old
fashion and like the way that the amount of power
that the speaker holds, and like things like just insulting
the speaker can get you kicked out for three days
in the eighties. Is like, there's a lot of these
(13:11):
stuff that. Again, you know, you've said that we couldn't
be politicians, but I don't think i'd want to be,
to be.
Speaker 4 (13:17):
Honest, No, it sounds pretty it sounds pretty full on
the I think, you know, when we went to.
Speaker 5 (13:22):
The Privileges Committee and came you know, there's an argument
should the Privileges Committee be independent rather than parliamentary driven.
It feels to me back to your question about you know,
the global attention that was on this, again hard to
say is a fact, but the sense to me is
(13:43):
that like it was highly embarrassing, you know, it was
highly embarrassing for the speaker, you know, making a mockery
of the parliamentary process and so on, and therefore this
was the appropriate punishment. I tend to disagree. But the
other interesting thing was there was also a lot of
chat around. You know, they could have had a shorter
(14:06):
suspension had they apologized, and apparently it was just near
They were never asked to apologize. It was never suggested
in the Privileges Committee.
Speaker 4 (14:15):
Report that they should apologize.
Speaker 5 (14:17):
So again you've got to kind of weed away at
all the details and just see exactly what it is
that's going on.
Speaker 2 (14:23):
And this year, obviously, we saw US President Donald Trump
push aggressive tariffs, sparking trade wars and an America first mindset.
All the while he ordered slashes to federal spending through DOGE,
(14:44):
which is something that I just wanted to say, it's
so weird to think. He also exited the Paris Agreement,
wanted to take over Greenland, and backed his health secretary
when he linked paracetamol use pregnancy to autism.
Speaker 3 (15:01):
That's all they want the ball on the ballroom of
course as well.
Speaker 2 (15:06):
So first off, these tariffs obviously sent the world into
a tail spin. You know, leaders of every nation in
the world wanting to speak to Donald Trump about this.
What do you think that says about how the US's
influence is still quite big?
Speaker 6 (15:21):
Yeah, it's it is this annoying thing, Like you hear
the way that other countries talk about Donald Trump, and
it is like there's fear in it, you know, like
there's the thing just just sweet gone that the FIFA
at the drawer. They like made up a new prize
to be like and you get this that it's like
(15:44):
everyone just wants to keep them happy because the US
at the moment just feels so volatile and they're the
thing of the tariffs that like it was affected by
like personal grudges between Donald Trump and the world leader
of sending country that they would say, oh, well we're
going to do reciprocal tariffs or something like that, and
he's like, well, then I'm going to increase yours kids.
Speaker 5 (16:07):
Playing a board game, you know what I mean, And
they're making up the rules as they go along.
Speaker 1 (16:11):
It is.
Speaker 5 (16:13):
It's a wild world that we live in at the moment.
But I think you're being on. People don't necessarily necessarily
respect him, but they fear him because he does. He
does have power. And I think Donald Trump is far
more clever than people give him credit for. I think
he knows what he's doing in a lot of ways.
(16:35):
He comes across as you know.
Speaker 7 (16:40):
That he doesn't always know what he's doing, and you know,
and I think there is an argument there are people
talking about perhaps he's in cognitive decline.
Speaker 4 (16:48):
I think both things could be true. I think he can.
Speaker 5 (16:51):
Be very powerful and kind of know how to work people,
know how to divert the conversation and all of those
things for a specific purpose, not just because he's ant,
but because he knows what he's doing.
Speaker 4 (17:02):
But I think he can also can be a bit of.
Speaker 6 (17:04):
An idea well, Like the thing about him is and
that he knows how to work a crowd. If you've
ever actually sat down and watched one of his rallies,
like because the thing is that you you see all
these clips out of context and it's like, oh, he
said the craziest thing, and you know, a lot of
it is insane, but he has this ability to tap
(17:25):
into like exactly what a crowd wants to hear that like,
and you know, for editing purposes and things like that.
I've sat down and watched like a forty minute hour
long rally of his and the way that he plays
off a grad more, I would say, more so in
twenty sixteen twenty twenty, I think he has lost a
bit of his speed, which you know, whether or not
(17:47):
it's cognitive declined, it comes with aging and also the
stress of being president, I'm sure.
Speaker 3 (17:51):
And also not having to go on an election trail again.
Speaker 5 (17:55):
Really yeah, yeah, right, like you do as much as
you can be out there.
Speaker 4 (18:00):
As you like, because this is your last year.
Speaker 2 (18:01):
This is yeah, because we started off with the inauguration
this year, which seems so like so long ago. But
all of the tech bros in the front row, those
images of all of them, I mean.
Speaker 3 (18:12):
Do you reckon that they've all stuck around?
Speaker 1 (18:15):
Like obviously the famous one is.
Speaker 6 (18:19):
It's crazy to think that in twenty twenty five, there
was a period of about six months where I heard
the name Elon Musk every day and.
Speaker 1 (18:26):
It was like, oh, yeah, he's doing some other thing.
Speaker 6 (18:29):
You have to email Elon Musk five things you've done
that week? That like, it's crazy that all the stuff
was this year.
Speaker 4 (18:35):
But then email and five things you've done this.
Speaker 6 (18:39):
Because he was in charge of the shopping that you
had to you had to send through what what were
five things you you did in last week to prove
your productive because nothing, you know, promotes productivity by like
adding a useless bit of admin wik.
Speaker 1 (18:58):
Yeah. But yeah, there was like all these things.
Speaker 6 (19:01):
And then like the Doge contract because of things about
let because he was an elected official, there was like
all these different things about that. The contract was only
going to be for a certain amount of time, and
then when it finished, it seemed like they didn't end
on the best of terms, because you know, it ended
with Elon Musk just tweeting Trump is and the Epstein
files that's why they won't be released.
Speaker 1 (19:19):
Have fun with that, that's right. And then I think
that was later deleted, but was done. The damage was done.
And you know, obviously that's been another lot of the
big stories of the year.
Speaker 2 (19:34):
Now, a standout TV show this year was a four
part series.
Speaker 3 (19:40):
It was on Netflix. It was a drama. It was
called Adolescents.
Speaker 2 (19:43):
Not only for its performances and how each episode was
actually filmed in a single take, which is extraordinary if
you've watched it, I just couldn't believe that that was
a thing, but also for the conversations around you know,
its release social media role in youth radicalization, for example,
(20:03):
the manner sphere, parental blind spots. Also when it comes
to kids online, what do you guys make of those conversations?
Speaker 3 (20:12):
And Jane, this one's for you.
Speaker 2 (20:13):
Because you do have children of an age who are online.
Speaker 5 (20:17):
Yeah, yeah, and it's though they honestly could be anywhere
from two these days in Australia, they.
Speaker 4 (20:24):
Can still be online.
Speaker 1 (20:27):
No.
Speaker 5 (20:28):
Yeah, I've got a fifteen and a half year old boy,
so right in that space, and I haven't watched it,
and I've deliberately not watched it because I know it
will really disturb and upset me, and that, I guess
maybe makes me one of those people who has blinkers on.
But I don't feel like like I've seen the conversation,
(20:49):
and I don't feel like I need to watch the
kind of very harrowing thing to know what it's about
and to engage in the conversations around it.
Speaker 4 (20:59):
It's a little bit.
Speaker 5 (21:00):
Self protection really, you know, as a parent, you know,
I personally try to be very engaged in what my
kids are doing online.
Speaker 4 (21:07):
I'm not naive.
Speaker 5 (21:07):
And if I think there's a naivety in thinking that
you know everything, you don't and and you know, not
that we're a parenting podcast, but it is just that
classic like having the conversations with their children, making a
safe space to talk about just keeping an eye on
them and connecting with them is the best thing that
you can do. I think it was a very excellent
(21:30):
I understand it was technically excellent. Again, I am saying that,
but a very you know, a very timely release of
something that was that would have made a lot of parents.
Speaker 3 (21:43):
Oh yeah, sit up and take notice. It made me
very uncomfortable. And I'm not a parent at all.
Speaker 1 (21:50):
What about you, Richard, I'm also not a parent's.
Speaker 6 (21:55):
Yeah, it is interesting, like the whole manisphere thing, because
I do get exposed to some of that content.
Speaker 4 (22:03):
My children don't like, they definitely do and me.
Speaker 6 (22:06):
You know, like Charlie Kirk was, you know, obviously one
of the big news stories this year, and he was
a figure that I was very familiar with as someone.
Speaker 2 (22:15):
And you see, I didn't know who Charlie Kirk were
was before that day. And I was having a similar
conversation with my brother as well, and he knew because
his videos had come up on me.
Speaker 4 (22:26):
Yeah, isn't that scary in that.
Speaker 6 (22:28):
Like, depending on what social media I'm on, I would
get feared like Charlie Kirk owns liberals or liberals own
Charlie Kirk. That Like, if I'm on my TikTok algorithm
tends to be I guess more left wing, and so
it will be stuff where you know, you're Ben Shapiro,
Jordan Peterson Charlie Kirk are caught out in something, whereas
(22:49):
if I go on Twitter, it's like entirely look at
you know, facts don't care about your feelings, and all
the times that they're won an argument.
Speaker 4 (22:59):
And sometimes the same clip exactly just.
Speaker 6 (23:02):
Depending on who's posting it. Yeah, like yes, I know,
as you see. I've seen clips out of context from
you know, one of these Jubilee debate debate videos or
something like that, and then I'm like, who do they
think looks stupid?
Speaker 3 (23:14):
Yeah, to be like, oh okay, yeah.
Speaker 2 (23:19):
If there's one thing that is likely to end up
on a lot of twenty twenty five lists this year,
I think it's going to be this cute ugly monster
plushy la boo boo.
Speaker 3 (23:32):
You've heard of them.
Speaker 2 (23:34):
They were everywhere, and I think it brings up a
few good insights into like society, celebrity endorsements, consumerism, and
that kind of psychology like I need this because I
can't get it kind of thing.
Speaker 4 (23:46):
What do you think of them?
Speaker 5 (23:47):
I think I think they're quite cute ugly cute ugly,
but I feel like you ugly has been a thing
for ever, you know, in pop culture. But I personally
don't have a libo. The dairy near my house sounds
like La Booboo esque type candy type, you know, I
(24:10):
don't actually know what it is, but they're right by
the counter. You know, these these dolls, what do you
call them? They don't they they were around slashy. They're plushy,
so like they would have been sitting in pop stop
or whatever, selling just for a regular price until who
was it?
Speaker 4 (24:24):
Was it Rihanna someone?
Speaker 2 (24:26):
It was Rihanna, but it was also Jenny from Black
Pink I think as well, and a couple of other
celebrities also had them on their backs or something.
Speaker 5 (24:35):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, and then it just yeah, it just
started a whole thing, didn't it.
Speaker 4 (24:39):
I mean, there's no.
Speaker 5 (24:41):
It feels like if you're a manufacturer of something, it's
just as like gambling.
Speaker 4 (24:45):
Yeah, like he's hoping.
Speaker 2 (24:46):
Well, and also everyone's struggling with the cost of living
and having a really rough twenty twenty five, and you know,
if you can get some enjoyment out of.
Speaker 3 (24:54):
This little furry monster that cost you.
Speaker 2 (24:58):
I can't remember what they they cost about forty bucks
or something, and you get a lot of enjoyment out
of it.
Speaker 3 (25:05):
Then why not.
Speaker 2 (25:05):
But there was a lot of people criticizing people for
liking Laboo Boos as well, Yeah it.
Speaker 1 (25:10):
Comes out, it's funny.
Speaker 6 (25:11):
Like basically, everything I know about Laboober's I've learned from
Huge House.
Speaker 3 (25:16):
Will.
Speaker 1 (25:17):
But yeah, like, I mean, anytime.
Speaker 6 (25:19):
Some dumb little thing like this comes a fair essentially
fair comes along, there's going to be people that are
like against her. But it's like, yeah, that makes you
were happy for Like, it's.
Speaker 5 (25:27):
Pretty harnest, right, I think that I think the problem
really lies and when the value is so inflated that
like the poor little kid who has actually been collecting
them when they were just like nineteen ninety five at
pop stop and really wanted a particular one, but now
that one is worth you know, sixty thousand dollars, it
becomes a bit of a problem. It doesn't help with
the cost of living crisis.
Speaker 2 (25:46):
My next one just two words cold play kiss cam,
which is.
Speaker 3 (25:51):
Technically I think it's kiss cam one.
Speaker 5 (25:54):
Word or that's the big debate that everyone was talking about.
Speaker 1 (25:59):
Everyone was one.
Speaker 2 (26:00):
Ding where the kiss you know discuss.
Speaker 4 (26:05):
I mean, I you know what a great viral moment.
Speaker 2 (26:11):
Incredible, incredible moment, and then all of the videos of
people re enacting it as well.
Speaker 4 (26:19):
But I do like I'm maybe I'm just a bleeding her.
I feel it sorry for them.
Speaker 2 (26:24):
Do you have Do you have the right to anonymity
when you're at a concert with your lover?
Speaker 5 (26:28):
Well, I mean, you know that kiss allegedly, you know,
kiss cams exists, you know, phone social media exists, So
I mean, do you have the right to Sure, we
all have the right to it, but you've also got
to realize, like.
Speaker 1 (26:41):
We exercise that right, you know.
Speaker 4 (26:43):
But the I just think that in a these things
are never.
Speaker 5 (26:48):
As black and white as they seem, right, you know,
you don't know actually what's going on in someone's personal
life and the repercussions on family members, other parties. You know,
it's it's quite out of step with just someone having
you know, and a fear that can be yahretty pretty
detrimental to a family, to a relationship on the best
(27:10):
of days, litt alone having it become the biggest viral
moment in the world. Possibly ever, like, that's a lot
for people to deal with and possibly you know, yeah,
I mean I wouldn't want.
Speaker 1 (27:21):
My family finding out like Coldplow.
Speaker 4 (27:24):
Yeah exactly, That's what we're talking about Yeah, that was.
Speaker 3 (27:27):
It, but also the dosing online as well.
Speaker 2 (27:30):
I mean, immediately after that video came out, people knew
where the man worked. I think his wife was actually
asleep and woke up to messages because people.
Speaker 3 (27:39):
Had found them overnight. So it's like where do you
where does it end?
Speaker 6 (27:45):
Well, it's also like, I mean, the really interesting thing
about it as well is that like if they had
done nothing, no one would know about it, right, And
then it's like the straisone effect of like trying to
hide something only draws attention to it. And it was like,
just in the last couple of months, he's like announced
(28:05):
he's sewing coldplay or something along those lines, because.
Speaker 3 (28:09):
Chris Martin pointed.
Speaker 6 (28:11):
It out, and because there was also the thing about like,
oh is it defamation what Chris Martin said that, He's like, oh,
they're either you know, having an affair.
Speaker 2 (28:17):
Well, it's not defamation because it's true true.
Speaker 4 (28:22):
We did a whole episode on it.
Speaker 6 (28:23):
Remember, yeah, but yeah, and because there was all these
things about like what legal repercussions are there, but then
also there was like these things about like oh, there
and he had separated from his wife or like but
then obviously you know, anyone can just go online and
make this up. So I've seen a bunch of different
things that's actually they weren't together, or actually they had
been together.
Speaker 4 (28:43):
There's points, you know, like it gives way to the
point that we.
Speaker 5 (28:46):
Really don't know what's going on in people's personal lives,
and why do we feel like we have the right to,
you know, to cast moral judgment when so many of
the details are missing.
Speaker 4 (28:58):
Yeah, I mean that's a great viron my man, you.
Speaker 1 (28:59):
Know, hilarious.
Speaker 2 (29:03):
And last one, what is your major standout of the year?
Speaker 6 (29:08):
Yeah, top moments for me. I was trying to think of,
like if there are actually are only like like fun
news stories this year. I mean the Copley has came
was one that was.
Speaker 5 (29:16):
Like, Yeah, I mean we went in pretty hard on
Ike and that it was very recent, like literally last weekish.
Speaker 4 (29:23):
But I think I found it chronically hilarious.
Speaker 5 (29:28):
That there was no traffic, and I think it might
have been part of the media hype.
Speaker 1 (29:34):
Thing that we contributed to.
Speaker 5 (29:38):
We scared people away, We did too good of a
job for us, But you know, I think it's you know,
I'm I'm kind of a fan of AKA.
Speaker 4 (29:48):
I'm glad it's here.
Speaker 5 (29:49):
It was exciting to go and check out the story
ahead of time, to try and meet all you know,
that sort of thing. And to me, that's kind of
a little bit of a feel good story to.
Speaker 7 (29:58):
End what is otherwise been a pretty rubbish Yeah, all
things considered, I think, you know, I here is my
my big blue.
Speaker 6 (30:09):
Savior because because for me, like I'm a big sort
of like pop culture guy that like my like my
highlights of each year are like things like you know,
Oscar season and like I mean, I was a big
fan of Kendrick Lamher at the super Bowl that was
back in February, and yeah, you know there's been there's
been some good movies this year as well, one Bay
of Lafter another Listeners, and so it's like, those are
(30:30):
my highlights of the year personally, Well.
Speaker 3 (30:34):
Thanks so much for joining us.
Speaker 4 (30:36):
No, no, you don't get to do that.
Speaker 2 (30:38):
It was your highlight of the Chelsea obviously working with
you guys, and I know that you just wanted that
on tape. No. I think coming to work every day
and working on this podcast, I think I love what
I do and I love creating this for the audience.
And a big shout out to the audience and whoever's listening,
watching reading the article.
Speaker 3 (31:00):
We really really do appreciate it.
Speaker 1 (31:02):
Here, we do.
Speaker 4 (31:03):
We ended for all your heart Maneyah, thanks so much
for joining us.
Speaker 1 (31:07):
Chelsea, thanks so.
Speaker 3 (31:08):
Much for joining us.
Speaker 2 (31:13):
That's it for the Front Page for twenty twenty five.
We'll be back with new episodes in mid January. You
can read more about today's stories and extensive news coverage
at ends at Herald dot co dot nz. The Front
Page is produced by Jane Ye and Richard Martin, who's
also our editor.
Speaker 3 (31:32):
I'm Chelsea Daniels.
Speaker 2 (31:34):
Subscribe to the Front Page on iHeartRadio or wherever you
get your podcasts, and tune in over the summer, where
we'll be revisiting episodes from the past year.
Giuda.
Speaker 2 (00:06):
I'm Chelsea Daniels and This is the Front Page, a
daily podcast presented by The New Zealand Herald. From geopolitical
friction and climate chaos to a cost of living crisis
and consequences for a hukker heard around the world.
Speaker 3 (00:24):
Twenty twenty five has been a huge year for news.
Speaker 2 (00:28):
Trump's return to the White House, sparks, trade wars, artificial
intelligence is getting well more intelligent, and we're rounding out
the year with no end in sight for wars in
Ukraine and Gaza. There's a lot to un pack for
our final episode of the year, and who better to
join me for a breakdown than two people behind the
(00:48):
scenes of every episode you listen to or watch every day.
Today on the Front Page, our producers, Richard Martin and Jane.
Speaker 4 (00:57):
Yee are here to wrap up the year that what.
Speaker 1 (01:03):
So.
Speaker 3 (01:03):
Tom Phillips died after a shootout with.
Speaker 2 (01:06):
Police in September after one thousand, three hundred and fifty
eight days in the bush with his children. It was devastating.
It was a devastating end to a massive, near four
year long saga, but thankfully all three children were found.
There's an inquiry underway at the moment Jane. A whole
lot of questions remain about how he was even able
(01:28):
to evade police at the time with his three children
for so long. What do you make of these whole events.
Speaker 5 (01:35):
It was a really interesting experience for me, being relatively
new to the newsroom and that breaking in the morning
and us sort of going, hey, lets it down to
pure and see what's going on.
Speaker 4 (01:45):
It was a longer drive than we imagine. We got
down there and it was kind of it was just
quite a weird vibe. I found. It was a lot
quieter than I expected.
Speaker 5 (01:56):
I expected a lot of locals, a lot of police present,
none of that. It was just like PGG writes, and
was shut and there was some tape across the front door,
and that was that.
Speaker 4 (02:06):
It was very very quiet, and it.
Speaker 5 (02:09):
Seemed really in contrast to all the fervor of the
coverage that was going on and had been going on,
you know, throughout this time. But it's also, you know,
a strange story, because they'd be a sighting and then
there'd be a story, and then it would go quiet
for such a long time, and I guess in the
public you just sort of you forget about it until
it's in your in your face again and when you
(02:30):
read out how many days they were in the bush,
it's quite astounding.
Speaker 3 (02:34):
Yeah, it's incredible. It was four years nearly.
Speaker 6 (02:38):
Being there in the small town, you get the sense
that there was just this relief that it was over,
and like because we went into stores to talk to
people about it, and like no one really wanted to
say anything, because it's like the nature of it is that, like,
you know, there's not much else going on down there
for the last four years, and like I'm sure there
were seck of journalists and reporters and everything showing our
(02:59):
basketing quis about this thing. Also for so long, it's like, well,
I've got nothing else to say about it because we
don't know anything. And now that the story like finally
came to a close, I just yet got the sense
that there was just relief that they weren't going to
be bothered anymore about us.
Speaker 5 (03:16):
But also, I mean, the questions remain around if he
was helped. We can only we can only speculate until
you know, more information comes to light.
Speaker 4 (03:26):
Which could be along you know, a really a few time.
Speaker 5 (03:29):
If ever, certainly we know there are details that will
be likely to be suppressed and we may never know,
you know, so it's hard to you know, we're going
down there and applying our lens of what we read
the situation to be, but really unless those details come
to light, we don't actually know.
Speaker 6 (03:48):
How was it for you because that was your first time, Chelsea,
going down there, and you know, this is a story
that you've covered a lot closely than the two of us,
and the four years that he's been missing.
Speaker 2 (03:58):
Yeah, I think after four years, I kind of, you know,
I would always when there would be a sighting or something,
I would do crosses with ABC Australia and other Australian
outfits and UK outfits about this story because the rest
of the world really could not understand how he was
(04:19):
gone with his three kids for so long. And I
remember the day actually that it came out that he
was allegedly involved in an aggravated robbery and I nearly
fell off my chair because it's like, A it was
a new sighting of him, and B what do you
mean an aggravated robbery and that CCTV footage coming out
(04:40):
as well. I also remember distinctly the moment that they
were all seen by Peak Hunters together and that was
the first time that the mother had seen all of
her three children together, and the relief versus how scared
she was for their safety but also relieved that they
were still a lyve. That was a huge moment I
(05:02):
think as well of that story. So thankfully they all
were found by police as well in the end. Another
massive story this year, a huge blow for the New
Zealand Police after a damning report into Jevin mcskimming, a
former deputy police commissioner. Allegations from a woman were seen
to be ignored are The report said ambitions of a
(05:23):
senior police.
Speaker 3 (05:24):
Officer were put above the interests of a vulnerable woman.
Speaker 2 (05:28):
During the course of this investigation, of course, detectives found
child exploitation material and beastiality on his work devices.
Speaker 3 (05:38):
How do you think police.
Speaker 2 (05:38):
Handled this, Jane, and how do you think they handled
it in the aftermath as well.
Speaker 5 (05:43):
I can only come at it purely from a public
perception point of view because I'm not an expert in
this area. But distrust that something like this puts in
the police I think can't be overstated.
Speaker 4 (05:58):
Like it it is a huge As you say, it's.
Speaker 5 (06:02):
Difficult to know how you pr something I did notice
a lot of the rhetoric was around you know, let
this not detract from the fifteen thousand men and women
who are hard at work every day. And yes, while
that is true, I think you also have to very
much face hit on the fact that you know, this
was a shocking event, it was a scandal, It wonn't
(06:23):
handlebell And I'm kind of curious to see if there's
going to be some more threads that come out of this.
It feels inevitable there there will be.
Speaker 3 (06:32):
Yeah, I mean, because this hasn't happened.
Speaker 2 (06:33):
You know, this isn't the first time something like this
has happened with the police, Hey Richard.
Speaker 1 (06:37):
Yeah, yeah, I mean totally.
Speaker 6 (06:38):
And it's like, it is interesting to see how they
spend it each time, because I think that, like if
you watch the press conferences and everything that they've been
doing about it, they you know, you could say that
they've actually done a pretty good job of being like, yeah,
this was messed up, and you know that we've we've
dealt with it, we got rid of them, They've done
(07:00):
all this stuff. But then more and more that comes
out about the reports about how you know, the complainant
was prosecuted for harassment and all these things, and that
it's like, yeah, it's seeing the inner workings that it's like, oh,
this wasn't handled very well. And it's just there's always
a thing about like the fact that this guy felt
(07:21):
comfortable enough to access this sort of material on his work.
Speaker 4 (07:26):
Computer must have felt like quite invincible.
Speaker 1 (07:29):
Heye, totally.
Speaker 6 (07:30):
And it just shows and like this happens every time,
like so often when like you're a powerful man like
this is found to be doing something that like it
speaks to a culture of like how did you think
this was okay?
Speaker 1 (07:43):
How did you get away with this?
Speaker 6 (07:45):
What does it say about the wider culture that you
weren't worried about this?
Speaker 5 (07:48):
What's just truly out the gate for me is the
idea that you know, very very shocking, the you know,
the kind of stuff that he had on his on
his computer was on the cloud wear river that he
had been EXI saying through work wild to think that
their investigation that really really nearly didn't happen, the internal investigation,
(08:09):
if they hadn't happened, none of this, none of that
would have come out either. So you know, there's various
layers and levels here, and it's kind of not good
for anyone.
Speaker 3 (08:19):
It's just not well. Another massive scandal this year.
Speaker 2 (08:22):
Green Party MP and New Zealand's first non binary MP,
Benjamin Doyle, came into controversy this year when their private
Instagram account at Bible Belt Bossy Bussy Bussy was exposed
featuring the phrase bussy galore, captioning a slideshow that included
a photo of their child. Now this blew up online.
(08:44):
Winston Peters called them out online a triggered hate, including
death threats towards their family, their child, and they resigned
in September.
Speaker 3 (08:55):
First off, I mean, what do you make of this?
Speaker 2 (08:58):
And did you know the term bussy before any of
this came out?
Speaker 3 (09:02):
Because I did not.
Speaker 6 (09:04):
I had heard the term, But yeah, it is. There's
one side of this that it's just there's a very
strange world that we live in that you're hearing, like
Winston Peter's demanding explanations for what bussy is and things
like that, and so Benjamin Doyle having to come out
and do these press conferences explaining that bussy Galore is
(09:25):
a play on the pussy glore, the bond girl, and
that that's sort of an alter ego that they had
and all these things that it's like, it does sound ridiculous,
and I don't.
Speaker 3 (09:37):
Sounds ridiculous in retrospect, and.
Speaker 1 (09:40):
It felt ridiculous at the time.
Speaker 6 (09:41):
I don't think that Benjamin Doyle as any kind of
pervert or anything like that.
Speaker 5 (09:46):
There's certainly no evidence to that effect. Truthfully, it shows
to me just a generation to divide. Peter's trying to
figure out the Internet and like getting it wrong. But
they're being quite full on cons aequaenceance for an individual totally.
Speaker 6 (10:01):
But then at the same time, there is the thing
of like when you're a politician, when you're entering the
public eye, you do have to like go through your
social media. Like it's just a fact of the day
and age we live in that you have to go
through a social media the prefind to promit.
Speaker 5 (10:15):
There's also you know, I think about like my kids
in the way that they talk, perhaps some of the
young people in the office here, I think none of us,
none of us could be politicians if this is the
standard pint which we have to live because of the
amount of just stuff you say that is just in
the modern day vernacular, they're you know, out of context.
I'm I'm not defending anything that is legitimately offensive. But
(10:38):
you know, there's also this argument around Benjamin Doyle being
part of a certain community where the language is used
in a different way, and it's an internal kind of
understanding between people that like those outside of that community.
Particularly someone like Winston Peter's is just not going.
Speaker 2 (10:54):
To get a big one in New Zealand politics this year.
Let's talk about the Treaty principle spill. Obviously the huk
I heard around the world late last year, and then
this year several MPs that Awdiytt, Debbie Nadowapaka and were
suspended for twenty one days each MP Clark seven days. Previously,
(11:15):
the longest suspension for an MP had been three days,
and that was given to former Prime Minister Robert Muldoon
for criticizing the speaker. That was back in the eighties.
Speaker 3 (11:24):
Do you think that twenty one days was far too harsh?
Speaker 2 (11:27):
Yes, yeah, I think we're all in a creementer.
Speaker 5 (11:31):
I just don't see how you can objectively say something
seven times.
Speaker 4 (11:35):
You know, there's a lot of history.
Speaker 3 (11:39):
Seven times the previous record, it seems.
Speaker 5 (11:41):
A lot, and that the previous record was so long
ago as well, like it's really no one done anything
bad in parliament that is kind of you know, deserving
of a suspension for sitting.
Speaker 3 (11:55):
You know, do you reckon the do you reckon?
Speaker 2 (11:57):
The worldwide press of the Harker heard around the world
prompted such a severe warning or severe suspension.
Speaker 1 (12:07):
Yeah, I mean it did.
Speaker 6 (12:09):
But like it's interesting though, because like so much of
the response to I mean, I guess, you know, my
social media algorithms are different from other people's, but like
the things I was saying were all like, oh my god,
this is so cool. You know, Native New Zealanders are
like willing to stand up for this. But you know,
I'm sure there were people ar go on the other side,
(12:30):
but I think yet that there were a lot of
eyes on that. And what was the response to it
going to be? I think twenty one days? And so
the fact that it's seven times the previous record is insane.
But there's a lot of that sort of parliamentary stuff,
like because occasionally, you know, in the newsroom, we will
(12:51):
just have Parliament TV on in the background sometimesing and
you watch it and you actually sit down and watch it,
and there's a lot of like very sort of old
fashion and like the way that the amount of power
that the speaker holds, and like things like just insulting
the speaker can get you kicked out for three days
in the eighties. Is like, there's a lot of these
(13:11):
stuff that. Again, you know, you've said that we couldn't
be politicians, but I don't think i'd want to be,
to be.
Speaker 4 (13:17):
Honest, No, it sounds pretty it sounds pretty full on
the I think, you know, when we went to.
Speaker 5 (13:22):
The Privileges Committee and came you know, there's an argument
should the Privileges Committee be independent rather than parliamentary driven.
It feels to me back to your question about you know,
the global attention that was on this, again hard to
say is a fact, but the sense to me is
(13:43):
that like it was highly embarrassing, you know, it was
highly embarrassing for the speaker, you know, making a mockery
of the parliamentary process and so on, and therefore this
was the appropriate punishment. I tend to disagree. But the
other interesting thing was there was also a lot of
chat around. You know, they could have had a shorter
(14:06):
suspension had they apologized, and apparently it was just near
They were never asked to apologize. It was never suggested
in the Privileges Committee.
Speaker 4 (14:15):
Report that they should apologize.
Speaker 5 (14:17):
So again you've got to kind of weed away at
all the details and just see exactly what it is
that's going on.
Speaker 2 (14:23):
And this year, obviously, we saw US President Donald Trump
push aggressive tariffs, sparking trade wars and an America first mindset.
All the while he ordered slashes to federal spending through DOGE,
(14:44):
which is something that I just wanted to say, it's
so weird to think. He also exited the Paris Agreement,
wanted to take over Greenland, and backed his health secretary
when he linked paracetamol use pregnancy to autism.
Speaker 3 (15:01):
That's all they want the ball on the ballroom of
course as well.
Speaker 2 (15:06):
So first off, these tariffs obviously sent the world into
a tail spin. You know, leaders of every nation in
the world wanting to speak to Donald Trump about this.
What do you think that says about how the US's
influence is still quite big?
Speaker 6 (15:21):
Yeah, it's it is this annoying thing, Like you hear
the way that other countries talk about Donald Trump, and
it is like there's fear in it, you know, like
there's the thing just just sweet gone that the FIFA
at the drawer. They like made up a new prize
to be like and you get this that it's like
(15:44):
everyone just wants to keep them happy because the US
at the moment just feels so volatile and they're the
thing of the tariffs that like it was affected by
like personal grudges between Donald Trump and the world leader
of sending country that they would say, oh, well we're
going to do reciprocal tariffs or something like that, and
he's like, well, then I'm going to increase yours kids.
Speaker 5 (16:07):
Playing a board game, you know what I mean, And
they're making up the rules as they go along.
Speaker 1 (16:11):
It is.
Speaker 5 (16:13):
It's a wild world that we live in at the moment.
But I think you're being on. People don't necessarily necessarily
respect him, but they fear him because he does. He
does have power. And I think Donald Trump is far
more clever than people give him credit for. I think
he knows what he's doing in a lot of ways.
(16:35):
He comes across as you know.
Speaker 7 (16:40):
That he doesn't always know what he's doing, and you know,
and I think there is an argument there are people
talking about perhaps he's in cognitive decline.
Speaker 4 (16:48):
I think both things could be true. I think he can.
Speaker 5 (16:51):
Be very powerful and kind of know how to work people,
know how to divert the conversation and all of those
things for a specific purpose, not just because he's ant,
but because he knows what he's doing.
Speaker 4 (17:02):
But I think he can also can be a bit of.
Speaker 6 (17:04):
An idea well, Like the thing about him is and
that he knows how to work a crowd. If you've
ever actually sat down and watched one of his rallies,
like because the thing is that you you see all
these clips out of context and it's like, oh, he
said the craziest thing, and you know, a lot of
it is insane, but he has this ability to tap
(17:25):
into like exactly what a crowd wants to hear that like,
and you know, for editing purposes and things like that.
I've sat down and watched like a forty minute hour
long rally of his and the way that he plays
off a grad more, I would say, more so in
twenty sixteen twenty twenty, I think he has lost a
bit of his speed, which you know, whether or not
(17:47):
it's cognitive declined, it comes with aging and also the
stress of being president, I'm sure.
Speaker 3 (17:51):
And also not having to go on an election trail again.
Speaker 5 (17:55):
Really yeah, yeah, right, like you do as much as
you can be out there.
Speaker 4 (18:00):
As you like, because this is your last year.
Speaker 2 (18:01):
This is yeah, because we started off with the inauguration
this year, which seems so like so long ago. But
all of the tech bros in the front row, those
images of all of them, I mean.
Speaker 3 (18:12):
Do you reckon that they've all stuck around?
Speaker 1 (18:15):
Like obviously the famous one is.
Speaker 6 (18:19):
It's crazy to think that in twenty twenty five, there
was a period of about six months where I heard
the name Elon Musk every day and.
Speaker 1 (18:26):
It was like, oh, yeah, he's doing some other thing.
Speaker 6 (18:29):
You have to email Elon Musk five things you've done
that week? That like, it's crazy that all the stuff
was this year.
Speaker 4 (18:35):
But then email and five things you've done this.
Speaker 6 (18:39):
Because he was in charge of the shopping that you
had to you had to send through what what were
five things you you did in last week to prove
your productive because nothing, you know, promotes productivity by like
adding a useless bit of admin wik.
Speaker 1 (18:58):
Yeah. But yeah, there was like all these things.
Speaker 6 (19:01):
And then like the Doge contract because of things about
let because he was an elected official, there was like
all these different things about that. The contract was only
going to be for a certain amount of time, and
then when it finished, it seemed like they didn't end
on the best of terms, because you know, it ended
with Elon Musk just tweeting Trump is and the Epstein
files that's why they won't be released.
Speaker 1 (19:19):
Have fun with that, that's right. And then I think
that was later deleted, but was done. The damage was done.
And you know, obviously that's been another lot of the
big stories of the year.
Speaker 2 (19:34):
Now, a standout TV show this year was a four
part series.
Speaker 3 (19:40):
It was on Netflix. It was a drama. It was
called Adolescents.
Speaker 2 (19:43):
Not only for its performances and how each episode was
actually filmed in a single take, which is extraordinary if
you've watched it, I just couldn't believe that that was
a thing, but also for the conversations around you know,
its release social media role in youth radicalization, for example,
(20:03):
the manner sphere, parental blind spots. Also when it comes
to kids online, what do you guys make of those conversations?
Speaker 3 (20:12):
And Jane, this one's for you.
Speaker 2 (20:13):
Because you do have children of an age who are online.
Speaker 5 (20:17):
Yeah, yeah, and it's though they honestly could be anywhere
from two these days in Australia, they.
Speaker 4 (20:24):
Can still be online.
Speaker 1 (20:27):
No.
Speaker 5 (20:28):
Yeah, I've got a fifteen and a half year old boy,
so right in that space, and I haven't watched it,
and I've deliberately not watched it because I know it
will really disturb and upset me, and that, I guess
maybe makes me one of those people who has blinkers on.
But I don't feel like like I've seen the conversation,
(20:49):
and I don't feel like I need to watch the
kind of very harrowing thing to know what it's about
and to engage in the conversations around it.
Speaker 4 (20:59):
It's a little bit.
Speaker 5 (21:00):
Self protection really, you know, as a parent, you know,
I personally try to be very engaged in what my
kids are doing online.
Speaker 4 (21:07):
I'm not naive.
Speaker 5 (21:07):
And if I think there's a naivety in thinking that
you know everything, you don't and and you know, not
that we're a parenting podcast, but it is just that
classic like having the conversations with their children, making a
safe space to talk about just keeping an eye on
them and connecting with them is the best thing that
you can do. I think it was a very excellent
(21:30):
I understand it was technically excellent. Again, I am saying that,
but a very you know, a very timely release of
something that was that would have made a lot of parents.
Speaker 3 (21:43):
Oh yeah, sit up and take notice. It made me
very uncomfortable. And I'm not a parent at all.
Speaker 1 (21:50):
What about you, Richard, I'm also not a parent's.
Speaker 6 (21:55):
Yeah, it is interesting, like the whole manisphere thing, because
I do get exposed to some of that content.
Speaker 4 (22:03):
My children don't like, they definitely do and me.
Speaker 6 (22:06):
You know, like Charlie Kirk was, you know, obviously one
of the big news stories this year, and he was
a figure that I was very familiar with as someone.
Speaker 2 (22:15):
And you see, I didn't know who Charlie Kirk were
was before that day. And I was having a similar
conversation with my brother as well, and he knew because
his videos had come up on me.
Speaker 4 (22:26):
Yeah, isn't that scary in that.
Speaker 6 (22:28):
Like, depending on what social media I'm on, I would
get feared like Charlie Kirk owns liberals or liberals own
Charlie Kirk. That Like, if I'm on my TikTok algorithm
tends to be I guess more left wing, and so
it will be stuff where you know, you're Ben Shapiro,
Jordan Peterson Charlie Kirk are caught out in something, whereas
(22:49):
if I go on Twitter, it's like entirely look at
you know, facts don't care about your feelings, and all
the times that they're won an argument.
Speaker 4 (22:59):
And sometimes the same clip exactly just.
Speaker 6 (23:02):
Depending on who's posting it. Yeah, like yes, I know,
as you see. I've seen clips out of context from
you know, one of these Jubilee debate debate videos or
something like that, and then I'm like, who do they
think looks stupid?
Speaker 3 (23:14):
Yeah, to be like, oh okay, yeah.
Speaker 2 (23:19):
If there's one thing that is likely to end up
on a lot of twenty twenty five lists this year,
I think it's going to be this cute ugly monster
plushy la boo boo.
Speaker 3 (23:32):
You've heard of them.
Speaker 2 (23:34):
They were everywhere, and I think it brings up a
few good insights into like society, celebrity endorsements, consumerism, and
that kind of psychology like I need this because I
can't get it kind of thing.
Speaker 4 (23:46):
What do you think of them?
Speaker 5 (23:47):
I think I think they're quite cute ugly cute ugly,
but I feel like you ugly has been a thing
for ever, you know, in pop culture. But I personally
don't have a libo. The dairy near my house sounds
like La Booboo esque type candy type, you know, I
(24:10):
don't actually know what it is, but they're right by
the counter. You know, these these dolls, what do you
call them? They don't they they were around slashy. They're plushy,
so like they would have been sitting in pop stop
or whatever, selling just for a regular price until who
was it?
Speaker 4 (24:24):
Was it Rihanna someone?
Speaker 2 (24:26):
It was Rihanna, but it was also Jenny from Black
Pink I think as well, and a couple of other
celebrities also had them on their backs or something.
Speaker 5 (24:35):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, and then it just yeah, it just
started a whole thing, didn't it.
Speaker 4 (24:39):
I mean, there's no.
Speaker 5 (24:41):
It feels like if you're a manufacturer of something, it's
just as like gambling.
Speaker 4 (24:45):
Yeah, like he's hoping.
Speaker 2 (24:46):
Well, and also everyone's struggling with the cost of living
and having a really rough twenty twenty five, and you know,
if you can get some enjoyment out of.
Speaker 3 (24:54):
This little furry monster that cost you.
Speaker 2 (24:58):
I can't remember what they they cost about forty bucks
or something, and you get a lot of enjoyment out
of it.
Speaker 3 (25:05):
Then why not.
Speaker 2 (25:05):
But there was a lot of people criticizing people for
liking Laboo Boos as well, Yeah it.
Speaker 1 (25:10):
Comes out, it's funny.
Speaker 6 (25:11):
Like basically, everything I know about Laboober's I've learned from
Huge House.
Speaker 3 (25:16):
Will.
Speaker 1 (25:17):
But yeah, like, I mean, anytime.
Speaker 6 (25:19):
Some dumb little thing like this comes a fair essentially
fair comes along, there's going to be people that are
like against her. But it's like, yeah, that makes you
were happy for Like, it's.
Speaker 5 (25:27):
Pretty harnest, right, I think that I think the problem
really lies and when the value is so inflated that
like the poor little kid who has actually been collecting
them when they were just like nineteen ninety five at
pop stop and really wanted a particular one, but now
that one is worth you know, sixty thousand dollars, it
becomes a bit of a problem. It doesn't help with
the cost of living crisis.
Speaker 2 (25:46):
My next one just two words cold play kiss cam,
which is.
Speaker 3 (25:51):
Technically I think it's kiss cam one.
Speaker 5 (25:54):
Word or that's the big debate that everyone was talking about.
Speaker 1 (25:59):
Everyone was one.
Speaker 2 (26:00):
Ding where the kiss you know discuss.
Speaker 4 (26:05):
I mean, I you know what a great viral moment.
Speaker 2 (26:11):
Incredible, incredible moment, and then all of the videos of
people re enacting it as well.
Speaker 4 (26:19):
But I do like I'm maybe I'm just a bleeding her.
I feel it sorry for them.
Speaker 2 (26:24):
Do you have Do you have the right to anonymity
when you're at a concert with your lover?
Speaker 5 (26:28):
Well, I mean, you know that kiss allegedly, you know,
kiss cams exists, you know, phone social media exists, So
I mean, do you have the right to Sure, we
all have the right to it, but you've also got
to realize, like.
Speaker 1 (26:41):
We exercise that right, you know.
Speaker 4 (26:43):
But the I just think that in a these things
are never.
Speaker 5 (26:48):
As black and white as they seem, right, you know,
you don't know actually what's going on in someone's personal
life and the repercussions on family members, other parties. You know,
it's it's quite out of step with just someone having
you know, and a fear that can be yahretty pretty
detrimental to a family, to a relationship on the best
(27:10):
of days, litt alone having it become the biggest viral
moment in the world. Possibly ever, like, that's a lot
for people to deal with and possibly you know, yeah,
I mean I wouldn't want.
Speaker 1 (27:21):
My family finding out like Coldplow.
Speaker 4 (27:24):
Yeah exactly, That's what we're talking about Yeah, that was.
Speaker 3 (27:27):
It, but also the dosing online as well.
Speaker 2 (27:30):
I mean, immediately after that video came out, people knew
where the man worked. I think his wife was actually
asleep and woke up to messages because people.
Speaker 3 (27:39):
Had found them overnight. So it's like where do you
where does it end?
Speaker 6 (27:45):
Well, it's also like, I mean, the really interesting thing
about it as well is that like if they had
done nothing, no one would know about it, right, And
then it's like the straisone effect of like trying to
hide something only draws attention to it. And it was like,
just in the last couple of months, he's like announced
(28:05):
he's sewing coldplay or something along those lines, because.
Speaker 3 (28:09):
Chris Martin pointed.
Speaker 6 (28:11):
It out, and because there was also the thing about like,
oh is it defamation what Chris Martin said that, He's like, oh,
they're either you know, having an affair.
Speaker 2 (28:17):
Well, it's not defamation because it's true true.
Speaker 4 (28:22):
We did a whole episode on it.
Speaker 6 (28:23):
Remember, yeah, but yeah, and because there was all these
things about like what legal repercussions are there, but then
also there was like these things about like oh, there
and he had separated from his wife or like but
then obviously you know, anyone can just go online and
make this up. So I've seen a bunch of different
things that's actually they weren't together, or actually they had
been together.
Speaker 4 (28:43):
There's points, you know, like it gives way to the
point that we.
Speaker 5 (28:46):
Really don't know what's going on in people's personal lives,
and why do we feel like we have the right to,
you know, to cast moral judgment when so many of
the details are missing.
Speaker 4 (28:58):
Yeah, I mean that's a great viron my man, you.
Speaker 1 (28:59):
Know, hilarious.
Speaker 2 (29:03):
And last one, what is your major standout of the year?
Speaker 6 (29:08):
Yeah, top moments for me. I was trying to think of,
like if there are actually are only like like fun
news stories this year. I mean the Copley has came
was one that was.
Speaker 5 (29:16):
Like, Yeah, I mean we went in pretty hard on
Ike and that it was very recent, like literally last weekish.
Speaker 4 (29:23):
But I think I found it chronically hilarious.
Speaker 5 (29:28):
That there was no traffic, and I think it might
have been part of the media hype.
Speaker 1 (29:34):
Thing that we contributed to.
Speaker 5 (29:38):
We scared people away, We did too good of a
job for us, But you know, I think it's you know,
I'm I'm kind of a fan of AKA.
Speaker 4 (29:48):
I'm glad it's here.
Speaker 5 (29:49):
It was exciting to go and check out the story
ahead of time, to try and meet all you know,
that sort of thing. And to me, that's kind of
a little bit of a feel good story to.
Speaker 7 (29:58):
End what is otherwise been a pretty rubbish Yeah, all
things considered, I think, you know, I here is my
my big blue.
Speaker 6 (30:09):
Savior because because for me, like I'm a big sort
of like pop culture guy that like my like my
highlights of each year are like things like you know,
Oscar season and like I mean, I was a big
fan of Kendrick Lamher at the super Bowl that was
back in February, and yeah, you know there's been there's
been some good movies this year as well, one Bay
of Lafter another Listeners, and so it's like, those are
(30:30):
my highlights of the year personally, Well.
Speaker 3 (30:34):
Thanks so much for joining us.
Speaker 4 (30:36):
No, no, you don't get to do that.
Speaker 2 (30:38):
It was your highlight of the Chelsea obviously working with
you guys, and I know that you just wanted that
on tape. No. I think coming to work every day
and working on this podcast, I think I love what
I do and I love creating this for the audience.
And a big shout out to the audience and whoever's listening,
watching reading the article.
Speaker 3 (31:00):
We really really do appreciate it.
Speaker 1 (31:02):
Here, we do.
Speaker 4 (31:03):
We ended for all your heart Maneyah, thanks so much
for joining us.
Speaker 1 (31:07):
Chelsea, thanks so.
Speaker 3 (31:08):
Much for joining us.
Speaker 2 (31:13):
That's it for the Front Page for twenty twenty five.
We'll be back with new episodes in mid January. You
can read more about today's stories and extensive news coverage
at ends at Herald dot co dot nz. The Front
Page is produced by Jane Ye and Richard Martin, who's
also our editor.
Speaker 3 (31:32):
I'm Chelsea Daniels.
Speaker 2 (31:34):
Subscribe to the Front Page on iHeartRadio or wherever you
get your podcasts, and tune in over the summer, where
we'll be revisiting episodes from the past year.
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