Having spent about half of my last 60 years in other countries, I’ve lost any sense of nationalism. That’s because one soon realises that in essence, everyone is basically the same.
So when I hear people say they’re proud to be a New Zealander, I flinch. First because of their language misuse, pride after all relating to accomplishment and simply being born is hardly an achievement.
On the other side of the ledger there’s two uniquely New Zealand occurrences that have made me embarrassed to be a Kiwi.
The first was the Jacindamania insanity (for which I don’t blame Jacinda) when the nation lost its sanity.
The old boxing adage, “the bigger they are, the harder they fall” springs to mind when having initially decided Jacinda was the second coming, this insanity then swung 180 degrees to equally irrational hatred, which prevails still today.
The other national embarrassment is the bloody haka.
If readers don’t share that antipathy (and I suspect most don’t) then I challenge them to try this.
The next time you’re watching the All Blacks haka, turn the sound off. Trust me, that will convert you instantly to my view of this massive embarrassment as you watch adult men, eyes blazing, infantile co-ordinated ape-like prancing, tongues out, reducing themselves to world class buffoons.
24 Comments
Totally agree, “a war dance” really!
The “bloody haka” is, as said, an embarrassment to all New Zealanders like tattoos and soon no doubt a bone through the nose of some. In years to come we will be a mélange of many people, of many countries of birth and ancestry, and with that, many like me will hope the haka goes into forgotten history.
For years I have felt the same ,it is totally cringeworthy. We don’t seem to be able to open a broom cupboard before having to witness this crass spectacle. The Haka was a promise of what was going to happen to who it was directed at . Put that in mind when viewing it and wonder why it is even done today.
Totally agree.
The country is almost at the stage that if someone (anyone) announced they were off to the supermarket to get the groceries, they would be greeted by by a large group performing a haka.
Rather than turn the sound off, I turn the whole television off. It’s over in a few minutes so just go and make a cup of tea or whatever you fancy, then switch back on. The accurate description in your closing sentence explains why.
re the haka – couldn’t agree more. An utterly embarrassing and insulting movement drill, meaningless and to be avoided anywhere, anytime!
Steve Ellis
Totally agree. I made a similar comment publicly after an event at the Olympics that saw a Haka post final.
My comment was along the lines of “Is there any possibility that a group of NZ athletes won’t perform a haka? ” As SRJ readers will guess the level of vitriol and faux outrage was immediate and sustained. Yawn.
The haka has had its time. When the world was a larger place and NZ was a part of an empire it made some sense. But now the pro sportspeople play on a different continent every week what’s the point? I always imagine the Aussie s dragging out a didgeridoo or the poms doing a bit of Morris dancing when I see the haka at a sports event now 🙂
Well put. It’s bad enough listening to that bloody “welcome to country ” crap everywhere, but I also can’t help but think that if NZ teams can haka, why can’t Scots do a highland fling, or Los Pumas the tango?
They could, but don’t want to belittle their culture and embarrass themselves…
Hear hear! The haka is so, so boring, primitive and over done, and it actually promotes violence!
Another “cringe” is our national anthem..just listen to it, it is “Twinkle twinkle little star” just to different words.
Stuart Mitchell
But the audience at the stadiums seem to enjoy it
I totally agree,it used to fill me with pride to watch the haka,but now it looks absolutely stupid, I now record all the big games and fast forward straight through kick off to miss all that rubbish,
Get rid of it.
Me too……..
Thank god for Fast Forward.
I follow the movie from that documentary a few decades ago that recorded Maoridom in the burbs, Once were warriors, as the haka precedes those same Warriors going into battle. My thoughts; most still are Warriors. Maori and NZ need to move on, it was a few centuries ago, let’s relegate it to ceremonial events once or twice a year. Its basic and barbaric.
I have witnessed many haka over the years and appreciate the emotion particularly at Tangi and such like. The All Blacks seem to have taken a leaf out of the Maori party playbook and gone full Bollywood. Embarrassing and cringeworthy
Totally agree on all counts. Good on you for speaking out, many NZers are now too frightened to say anything that could be construed as anti_Maori. ( and pretty well everything is construed as anti- Maori these days).
Given the terrible levels of domestic and other violence in NZ, haka (and anything else) that promotes and celebrates violence should be done away with.
Thank you for that Sir Bob, refreshing to read ! as well as the other comments,
For years I’ve felt like a lone voice against the Haka as used by our sports teams,Even when over the years TV and Rugby adverts for upcoming games only featured a Haka,…Bloody crazy
Not sure what today’s version is like,….I stopped watching a long time ago !
Keith H.
I despised Jacinda Ardern for her obvious vacuousness right from the start, so I don’t fall into either of your two camps. I did note the tendency to call her Jacinda mononymously, as if she was some kind of Elvis-like star. She must easily be the least intelligent/well-informed individual to lead New Zealand in modern times, with the possible exception of Hipkins, LOL.
There’s no doubt we punch above our weigh on the sports field, however one doesnt need the haka to do it..
Like the All Blacks and rugby, too much of a good thing no longer becomes a good thing…
Jacinda found that out the hard way, and like other things through lack of experience and incompetence has had her day in the sun; which has long set…
With bureaucracy relatively minor in sports, this could be a big part of the reason this country succeeds at it. Might I suggest too much bureaucracy could be the reason this country is failing in other areas. We need to find real jobs for the do gooders, including balance in decision making; rather than it be monopolized by those who don’t understand who pays the bills.
The haka is an anachronism whose time has long gone . Ditch it ! The All Blacks put more effort into the Haka than they do into the game.
Bob Jones is right . It is all quite infantile.
Hugh Perrett
I do not mind the haka but I do think it is done too often. In the case of the All Blacks I would prefer they did not do it every match but just on the odd special occasion. As a sign of respect for a long serving player who is playing his last game or something similar.
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