Sunday Morning for Sunday 3 September 2023

8:10 Lorin Clarke: Would that be funny? Growing up with John Clarke 

Fred Dagg burst onto the scene and into our lives in 1974. The fictional character, created by John Clarke, epitomised the blokey, pioneering, Kiwi male. He was so beloved, that when Clarke died in 2017, his loss was felt acutely – both in Aotearoa and across the ditch. For many, it was they had lost a family member, for Clarke’s daughter, Lorin, that was reality.  

In a new memoir, ‘Would that be funny?’ Lorin tells the Clarke family story from the inside and reveals what it was like growing up with her famous father, the private man behind the satirist, and above all, the gift of being able to laugh at yourself. 

8:45 Rachel Cowgill: Has whistling gone out of fashion?  

One hundred years ago, it was common for streets to be filled with whistling – the crying call of milkmen and builders on construction sites, everyday people going about their business. It was so popular that in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, music halls would host professional whistlers – souffleurs – and bans on whistling had to be enforced in coal mines. Beyond the enjoyment of music, whistling was a means of communicating with your fellow sailor on the rigging, and – more grimly – your partner in concentration camps. So, what happened to this tradition? Professor of Music at the University of York Rachel Cowgill, says while the streets are now quieter, a keen core of whistlers remain. She speaks to Jim. 

9:10 Mediawatch 

Mediawatch looks at how the media handled the biggest opposition policy announcement so far in the election campaign - the National Party’s proposals on tax.  

Also: increased scrutiny of some of the candidates for a seat in Parliament  - which also sparked a backlash against the media. 

9:35 Calling Home: Rachel Bickler in Brussels 

She may have been born in Aotearoa, but it feels almost inevitable that Rachel Bickler would end up in Brussels – the heart of the European Union, where a two-hour drive in any direction means crossing a border. Born in Wellington, she spent most of her early years overseas – including 18 months travelling across Asia in an old army truck. Post-graduate law in Leuven, Belgium, led to a 30-year career specialising in European Union and competitive law, but after giving law a ‘good run’ she is now cutting vegetables for refugees in a community kitchen and drinking in the art, architecture, and rich history of Europe in a group, ‘Walkers and Talkers’. 

10:05 Howard Fishman: The mysterious disappearance of Connie Converse 

American folk singer Connie Converse was “the invisible woman of the 20th century”, despite being ahead of the curve in every respect. A precursor to Bob Dylan and an activist exploring critical race theory decades before it was conceived, Converse disappeared suddenly, and mysteriously, in 1974. Howard Fishman, musician and author of To Anyone Who Ever Asks: The Life, Music and Mystery of Connie Converse, says Converse was a pioneer but her work existed in a vacuum. Now that there is an audience for her, Fishman is on a mission to give Converse the recognition she deserves. 

10:30 Sean Lyons on smartphone security 

Increasingly, smartphone users are becoming aware, and with it, more concerned about the extent to which their phone is spying on them. Specifically, the gathering and monetising of personal data by their apps. While ‘Hey Siri’ might seem harmless, and helpful, warnings against using voice assistants are growing louder and technology analysts advising smartphone users that it might be a good idea to disable it. The cautions come amidst reports of Artificial Intelligence voice cloning being used to scam grandparents in Montreal, with scammers perfectly mimicking grandchildren in trouble. Joining Jim to discuss is Netsafe’s chief online security officer Sean Lyons. 

11:10 John F. Bradford: Tensions in the South China Sea 

New Zealand, a United States ally and China trade partner, is walking a tight rope as tensions between the economic superpowers ratchet up. A tightrope, that according to retired US Navy Commander John F. Bradford, could snap at any moment: “It’s business as usual, until it isn’t.” Bradford, co-author of America, Sea Power, and the World, claims that should China’s threats tip into conflict, the United States would be left with little choice but to respond with military force – lest it be seen as a weak actor by its allies. He says the future over the right to occupy territory in the South China Sea and Taiwan is problematic and unpredictable and maintains that a strong defence is the best deterrence to war. 

11:25 What I’m Listening To with Acushla-Tara Kupe  

Acushla-Tara Kupe’s acting career launched with a cult classic, starring alongside household name Temuera Morrison, in Fresh Meet. Ten years on, Kupe – Ngāti Maniapoto – has been cast in the leading role in The Gone, an Aotearoa-set crime drama and co-production between TVNZ and Ireland’s RTE. The cast includes an impressive array of actors from show such as Game of Thrones and Grey’s Anatomy, but it’s Kupe’s turn as Detective Sergeant Diana Huia that has everyone talking.  

11:50 Bryan Bruce: The Food Crisis 

We’ve faced several crises in recent years, but the one we’re currently eyeing might be the most troubling of all. In a new documentary airing Sunday night, Bryan Bruce asks the question, “Why does food cost so much, and what can we do about it?” His investigation takes him from the wheat fields of Canterbury to an ultra-high-tech indoor farm in South Australia. He talks to Jim about the reasons behind, and possible solutions to, The Food Crisis.