(New Zealand Culture SPIN) New Zealand Humour

A Good Joke

The Yarn

Perhaps the earliest comic tradition in New Zealand European communities was the yarn, an improbable anecdote told for amusement in the pub or the workplace. In sealing gangs, timber camps and other male-dominated communities, the best "yarn-spinner" was valued and admired.

Forgotten Silver

Confrontation - political correctness

Eating Media Lunch

Outsider humour

Out of the country’s migrant population and egalitarian tradition evolved a broad, self-mocking, anti-authoritarian strain of humour. Much Kiwi humour is also based on the immigrant experience and ethnic differences.


Bro Town - The Weakest Link

The Underdog

Amongst New Zealand’s best-known recent comedians is Billy T. James. His acts frequently depicted the triumph of underdogs over more polished and powerful figures in society. The same theme has animated the work of internationally successful comedy duo Flight of the Conchords (Jemaine Clement and Bret McKenzie). In their self-titled television show they portrayed gauche Kiwis struggling to make it in New York. A mock travel poster in the office of their manager, Murray (Rhys Darby), said, ‘New Zealand. Don’t expect too much. You’ll love it.’

Billy T James

The Big OE

Hurt Feelings

Some people say that rappers don’t have feelings
We have feelings (We have feelings)
Some people say that we are not rappers (We’re rappers)
That hurts our feelings (Hurts our feelings when you say we’re not rappers)
Some people say that rappers are invincible
We’re vincible (We’re vincible)
What you are about to hear are true stories
(Real experiences)
Autobiographical raps
Things that happened to us, all true
Bring the rhyme

I make a meal for my friends,
Try to make it delicious,
Try to keep it n______________,
Create wonderful dishes
Not one of them thinks about the way I f_____
Nobody c______________ the meal

I got hurt feelings, I got hurt feelings
I feel like a prize asshole
No one even mentions my casserole
I got hurt feelings, I got hurt feelings
You coulda said something n___ about my profiteroles

Here’s a little story to bring a tear to your eye,
I was shopping for a wetsuit to s______ dive,
But every suit I tried is too big around the thighs,
And the assistant suggested I try a ladies’ s______

I got hurt feelings, I got hurt feelings
I’m not gonna wear a ladies’ wetsuit I’m a man
I got hurt feelings, I got hurt feelings
Get me a small man’s wetsuit, please

It’s my birthday, 2003
Waitin’ for a call from my family

They forgot about me

I got hurt feelings, I got hurt feelings
The day after my birthday is not my birthday, Mum
I call my friends and say, “Let’s go into town,”
But they’re all too busy to go into town
So I go by myself, I go into town
Then I see all my friends, they’re all in town

I got hurt feelings, I got hurt feelings
They’re all lined up to watch that movie “Maid in Manhattan”
Have you even been told that your ass is too b___?
Have you ever been asked if your hair is a w____?
Have you ever been told you’re mediocre in b____?
Have you ever been told you’ve got a weird-shaped h_____?
Has your family ever forgotten you and driven a______?
Once again, they forgot about J
Were you ever called “homo” ‘cuz at school you took d_______?
Have you ever been told that you look like a Ll______?

Tears of a rapper
(Don’t want to make a rapper cry then watch what you say)
I’m crying tears of a rapper
(Pouring like the bullets of my AK)
Goldplated tears of a rapper
(These are the tears of a rapper now)
These are diamond tears of a rapper