Out Now: Werewolf 53 – Steven Joyce, Can He Fix It?

Enter The ‘Wolf

Hi and welcome to the 53rd edition of Werewolf in which we examine the myth and legend of Steven Joyce, the government’s alleged Mr Fixit and de facto Minister of Almost Everything. You might think that someone so central to the government’s day-to-day functioning would have been subjected to endless close evaluation by now – yet by and large, the mainstream media has taken Joyce’s claims to competency at face value. Hmmm. Mr Fixit? Minister Joyce’s sloganeering style, his attention span, non-stop busyness and self-proclaimed dis-interest in the wider contexts and consequences of policy may have something to do with the chronic need for corrective action. Mr Fixit, fix thyself.

Elsewhere in this issue, Alison McCulloch writes about how journalism routinely perpetuates the stereotypes that soon become our shared sense of history. That’s particularly so with respect to our perceptions of Gallipolli and other foreign wars – which, as she demonstrates, have been exalted at the expense of our understanding of the wars actually fought on New Zealand soil during the 19th century. In that respect, Alison’s article is a worthy companion piece for the brilliant 'Lest We Remember' story she wrote for Werewolf last year. In a related piece, Richard McLachlan examines the government’s inaction on climate change, and its attempts to muzzle the critics – such as Dr Mike Joy – of its failings on this front. Elsewhere, Olivier De Schutter outlines the benefits to self and to society of gaining a greater level of sovereignty over how we grow and consume our food.

In early May, Simon Denny’s art installation Secret Power will be unveiled at the Venice Biennale. In this issue, we attempted to interview Robert Leonard, the curator of Denny’s Venice work, about the art and its context. This month in his film column, Philip Matthews treats the 25th anniversary of David Lynch’s Wild At Heart as an opportunity to revisit the strengths and weaknesses of Lynch’s most forgotten film. Also, the alleged Golden Age of Television has now made blabbing about this or that television series a dinner party staple, and in this issue we examine the evolution of TV criticism into a team sport for couples. In his satirical column this month, the ever-patriotic Lyndon Hood puts forward a range of flag designs fully in tune with the spirit of New Zealand, 2015. And finally, in our music column The Complicatist this month we celebrate the career of the music industry’s only 81 year old bandanna-wearing martial arts expert, marathon dope smoker and all round musical genius, Willie Nelson.

Thanks once again to Lyndon for helping me post this 53rd issue online. If anyone out there ever wants to be involved and talk over some story ideas, contact me at gordon@werewolf.co.nz

Cheers,
Gordon Campbell
Editor, Werewolf

© Scoop Media