Yellow Peril by Tze Ming Mok

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Yellow Peril: My black heart bleeds

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  • Charles Mabbett,

    Switzerland is brilliant at yachting though!

    Since Nov 2006 • 236 posts Report Reply

  • Tze Ming Mok,

    Switzerland is brilliant at yachting though!

    That most 'manly' of sports. Aren't the crew all New Zealanders? I don't follow the America's Cup either. I laughed my ass off that time the random Maori sovereignty dude broke into the case and gave it the bash in the 90s. God, I am a traitor!

    SarfBank, Lunnin' • Since Nov 2006 • 154 posts Report Reply

  • andrew llewellyn,

    I cared (although we Welsh are pretty well practised at losing so it stands me in good stead with my adopted country. )

    But the call for an independant inquiry is pretty ridiculous. How much money will be spent before the Inquisitor announces we lost because we didn't score enough points?

    Since Nov 2006 • 2075 posts Report Reply

  • Charles Mabbett,

    BTW - Really enjoyable post! Considering the case of the rise of the far right in Europe, New Zealand really has a lot to be thankful for. Go the Black Sheeps (could be a new name for the All Blacks).

    Since Nov 2006 • 236 posts Report Reply

  • Amy Gale,

    Pretty bad Herald article, though, isn't it? The main paragraph reads

    > Women's refuges say the demand for their services has been since
    > Sunday's defeat. "We've heard from police there has been an
    > increase in domestic violence and they're our biggest source of
    > referrals," said Catherine Delore, spokeswoman for the National
    > Collective of Independent Women's Refuges.

    1) has been WHAT?

    2) have they only "heard from police" that there has been an increase in domestic violence, or have they actually had an increase in calls/admissions?

    While it certainly seems _plausible_ that there _could_ be an increase in domestic violence, this article seems to be based on reporting at about the level of "I heard this thingy one time". Why can't they give numbers? Maybe with a measure of statistical significance?

    tha Ith • Since May 2007 • 471 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown,

    That most 'manly' of sports. Aren't the crew all New Zealanders? I don't follow the America's Cup either. I laughed my ass off that time the random Maori sovereignty dude broke into the case and gave it the bash in the 90s. God, I am a traitor!

    Actually, "random Maori sovereignty dude" captures the flavour of that event better than any description I've previously heard.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown,

    While it certainly seems _plausible_ that there _could_ be an increase in domestic violence, this article seems to be based on reporting at about the level of "I heard this thingy one time". Why can't they give numbers? Maybe with a measure of statistical significance?

    I've seen claims made either way on this issue, and I still can't really get to the bottom of it. There has not, so far as I'm aware, been a statistical study in New Zealand, so all the evidence is anecdotal.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Joanna,

    When I found out that the All Blacks lost I laughed and laughed and laughed, because I am so fucking sick of being told that all New Zealanders are behind the All Blacks. Um, no we're not, many of us would like everyone to shut the fuck up about it. And then I felt bad thinking about the refuges. And the only other thing that I will say on this matter, because I'm sure going on about how everyone is going on about it is pretty counterproductive as well, is howcome in all the polls and questioning and inquests as to why 'we' lost, there isn't an Option E: The French were better?

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 746 posts Report Reply

  • Joanna,

    so all the evidence is anecdotal.

    So it doesn't count if someone says "My partner beats me when we lose at the rugby" because that's just an anecdote?

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 746 posts Report Reply

  • Charles Mabbett,

    Mind you, wait until the Beijing Olympics if you want to see full blooded baying crazy one-eyed nationalism.

    I agree that's a pretty loose and unsatisfactory news story about domestic violence in the aftermath of the ABs' loss on Sunday. It doesn't really fulfill all the journalistic basics - who, why, what, when and how. The main one - how many?

    Since Nov 2006 • 236 posts Report Reply

  • Paul Campbell,

    My reaction was more along "thank god, ow all the hype can go away" sadly it's just metamorphised into hand-wringing

    It has brought back memories of feeling somewhat the same about the local team losing shield games when I was in high school - though it was a long time ago - it might have more been a case of schadenfreude aimed at the school bullies who really cared about it ....

    Dunedin • Since Nov 2006 • 2623 posts Report Reply

  • Jeremy Andrew,

    Its not that it doesn't count, but it isn't statistically rigorous.

    If the same number of women check into refuges after an AB loss as check in on every other weekend of the year, but some of those women say their partner beat them because of the rugby, does that mean there's less beatings for other "reasons" than for the rest of the year?

    Note the "if" at the stat of that paragraph - I have no evidence about anything either way, but neither does anyone else, or if they have, they haven't given it to the Herald.

    Hamiltron - City of the F… • Since Nov 2006 • 900 posts Report Reply

  • Tze Ming Mok,

    So it doesn't count if someone says "My partner beats me when we lose at the rugby" because that's just an anecdote?

    I think distinction we're drawing here is between qualitative and quantitative analysis. Just because the evidence is qualitative (oral police reports, 'anecdotal' evidence, frontline basic knowledge at refuges) rather than quantitative - exactly how many - does not mean it isn't evidence. But yes, pretty unsatisfactory news story.

    SarfBank, Lunnin' • Since Nov 2006 • 154 posts Report Reply

  • Amy Gale,

    > I've seen claims made either way on this issue, and I still can't really
    > get to the bottom of it. There has not, so far as I'm aware, been a
    > statistical study in New Zealand, so all the evidence is anecdotal.

    I'm appalled at the thought that nobody is keeping track of the numbers. How are they supposed to judge the effects of social policy, or to determine how many refuges to build, for example?

    I guess if there are no existing studies it would make a nice honors project for someone in criminology / women's studies / sociology / whatever. No need to thank me, just put my name at the top of the acknowledgments. No, you can't put me after your old gran who paid your way through university. Sorry, them's the breaks.

    tha Ith • Since May 2007 • 471 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown,

    So it doesn't count if someone says "My partner beats me when we lose at the rugby" because that's just an anecdote?

    No, it just means that no one has done the statistics to bear it out as a general claim. I've actually seen a claim that the opposite is true: ie, that domestic violence is worse when the All Blacks win.

    There's a blog post here about it which notes that similar claims around Super Bowl losses in the US weren't borne out by scrutiny. On the other hand, a Welsh study (which I can't find) apparently bore out the connection between sporting losses and male domestic violence.

    So ... I don't know.

    Sort of on-topic, check out this post on the blog of the Mild Greens' Christchurch mayoral candidate accusing me of selling out for appearing in the family violence ads. Apparently it hasn't done my "credibility" any good.

    The post is by one of his mates, but the candidate himself, Blair Anderson, has added a note declaring that reporting family violence is -- wait for it -- "narcing up".

    What. The. Fuck?

    (I responded yesterday, but my reply seems to still be awaiting approval)

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Che Tibby,

    it's anecdotal because there's no evidence to back up that particular myth of domestic violence after a game.

    a myth constantly perpetuated by people who dislike the sport.

    a proper analysis might provide evidence that a game loss isn't causal, but incidental to a situation in which domestic violence already exists.

    like jeremy says, there's probably already violence and the excuse this time was the rugby.

    the back of an envelope • Since Nov 2006 • 2042 posts Report Reply

  • Joanna,

    The post is by one of his mates, but the candidate himself, Blair Anderson, has added a note declaring that reporting family violence is -- wait for it -- "narcing up".

    I echo your what the fuck? The message that I've taken from the campaign - although granted, it's a message that's been pretty firm in my head since I was a teenager - is about speaking out if you're getting hit, or if you're doing the hitting, not about what the neighbours are up to.

    So Metro was "narcing up" when they accused you of earbashing?

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 746 posts Report Reply

  • Stephen Judd,

    This where I finally confess, having stayed PA-silent on the matter, that I could not, do not, will not ever give a toss about rugby, beyond enjoying a pleasant athletic spectacle. I loathe and detest the local cult, all the more so as it becomes yet another tool of corporate thought control. And my fervent hope is that the AB's lose, lose and lose again until we nationally decide to put our energies into something else, or at least until it's socially acceptable to say hey ho, it's just a game.

    I feel about the ABs as though I were in an Onion article. Area man indifferent to fate of area sports team. They are Area sports team.

    The only that comforts me is that it must be a wonderfully safe, pleasant and prosperous country we live in where there is nothing more important going on.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 3122 posts Report Reply

  • anjum rahman,

    i have to admit i was in the "thank god it's over" category when i heard we lost. i pretty much gave up on sport once the cricket match fixing scandals came out and now can never trust if a team is playing to win or playing to lose. i'll still watch tennis if i can though - it seems impervious to fixing cos the same guy/gal will keep winning most of the grand slams over several years.

    anyway, i'm now firmly in the "can we please stop hearing about it now" category. i know it was sad, but there are more important things happening in the world, and the swiss right-wing party is one of those. can we now spend hours & hours of media coverage on how awful (some of) the swiss are for behaving like this. oh and on domestic violence too - maybe some of the $50 million (or whatever the figure was) that was spent on our national rugby team could be diverted on researching just what happens domestic violence-wise after the major matches.

    hamilton • Since Nov 2006 • 130 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown,

    So Metro was "narcing up" when they accused you of earbashing?

    Did they? Must go look.

    I normally get Metro every month -- but last month, it appeared to have had its balls removed by ACP, along with the position of editor. It was just wall-to-wall lifestyle, and I put it back on the shelf.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • James,

    howcome in all the polls and questioning and inquests as to why 'we' lost, there isn't an Option E: The French were better?

    So glad you said that! I've been wondering exactly the same thing. Especially for Stuff's "whose fault was it?" poll.

    Even in the PA rugby-fan threads there seems to be a sneaking suspicion that, y'know, the French team was smarter.

    New Zealand • Since Feb 2007 • 34 posts Report Reply

  • Don Christie,

    French national anthem is probably the best in the world.

    Except for the bit where it goes all lame and slow, Even the French have trouble signing along to that bit.

    The Swiss, eh? Just quote the "Third Man" line from Orson Wells at them:

    "What have they invented..."the cuckoo clock".

    I have it on got authority that they didn't even invent that.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 1645 posts Report Reply

  • James,

    all the evidence is anecdotal

    Ok, here's another anecdote. About public violence, not domestic violence.

    Is is just me, or is Courtenay Place always a very unpleasant place after a rugby loss over at the stadium?

    New Zealand • Since Feb 2007 • 34 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown,

    feel about the ABs as though I were in an Onion article. Area man indifferent to fate of area sports team. They are Area sports team.

    But Stephen, and Anjum, you'll just have to accept that many people sincerely feel differently: love the game, get excited about it, and feel a sense of cultural attachment.

    The rugby threads here have been easily the most-trafficked for the month, and Monday was probably our biggest day for the whole of 2007.

    I'm also quite stoked about getting 200+ inbound links from the Guardian website!

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Stephen Judd,

    I always felt that strictly from an anthem perspective, "Deutschland uber alles" was right up there. I mean, the tune is Haydn, and the words are aggressively nationalistic.

    I've always felt that a nondescript, boring anthem is a mark of a country that has the right attitude in life.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 3122 posts Report Reply

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