 Owwww, the bloody sick kids of bro'Town are the most hilarious export from New Zealand since the homoerotic trilogy that was Lord of the Rings. An adult cartoon based on the stand up routine of The Naked Samoans, bro'Town has been called 'New Zealand's answer to The Simpsons,' but has also invited comparisons to Southpark for it's overt political commentary on the growing immigrant communities who live in inner city Auckland, and the fact that it employs the voice of five kids as a tactic to further comment on the racialized governing institutions they must all navigate as insider/outsiders in post colonial New Zealand.
For those interested in modern New Zealand's social/political policies regarding the native Maori, and specifically the minority communities that have sprouted in its urban centers, bro'Town is an armchair anthropologist's wet dream providing us with insights on what it is like to grow up a minority in urban Auckland. The series is rife with satirical references to New Zealand films such as The Piano, Once Were Warriors, and An Angel at My Table. They smartly employ Kiwi literary references as titles for episodes and local celebrities such as Scribe, Cliff Curtis, Sam Neill, and Lucy Lawless are often guest stars on the show. If you know nothing of New Zealand popular culture and politics the show may not be as ent ertaining but you will certainly learn a thing or two about Polynesian customs and cultural attributes. In short, it's probably the smartest adult cartoon on air anywhere in the world. And in our opinion bro'Town makes Southpark look even more amateurish than it already did. For that reason we have made the creators and producers of bro'Town our Artists-in-Residence, not that the distinction will net them much except our undying devotion to their series, but hey, that's something, right?
(We hope Jeff da Maori isn't somewhere exclaiming, "Not even, owww!)
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We asked the creators of bro'Town some hard-hitting questions, and here are their choice answers.
First and foremost: What’s pavlova?
Pavlova is an iconic meringue-like Kiwi dessert made from egg whites. It is usually served with cream and fruit - normally kiwifruit or strawberries. It was named after the Russian ballet dancer, Ánna Pávlova. Pavlova is one of Mrs Tapili’s specialties!
In bro’Town Series 5 she makes a special pavlova for Sam Neill, featuring a scene from the movie The Piano.
Why are you guys called “The Naked Samoans”? Why not just “The Scantily-Clad Samoans”?
OK (Oscar Kightley) To impress women. Naked is more hard core.
SL (Shimpal Lelisi) Sounds cool.
DF (David Fane) Cos under our clothes that’s what we are (also hairy).
The group started in 1998 with their first stage production entitled Naked Samoans Talk about Their Knives, the title was a play on the New Zealand movie Topless Women Talk about Their Lives (1997) - in which Shimpal Lelisi starred. The name ‘Naked Samoans’ stuck.
You’re actually not all Samoans. Has anyone’s feelings been hurt because of this generalization?
The only non-Samoan Naked is Shim. He’s Niuean.
SL Only if you wanna make something of it! We are all children of Te Moana Nui a Kiwa – Pacific Ocean.
Looking at your profiles on the bro’Town website, you guys are all Virgos, Cancers, Capricorns or Scorpios. (including Elizabeth!) Do you think that plays a role in how well you get on? Yes.
Or do you not subscribe to that New Age-y mumbo jumbo?
OK Yes, we do subscribe to it. You need Cancers to keep everybody happy, and Virgos to feel bad for everybody else. And don’t forget Chinese Astrology! Firehorse Films is named after Elizabeth’s birth year. Dave is a Firehorse too, and the group includes a rooster, a pig and a rat.
How did you all meet? (Perhaps at a Star Sign Compatibility Meet & Greet?)
Some met at school (Mario and Shimpal went to school together), others in their teens. Elizabeth and Oscar met when they were working at the Auckland Star (newspaper).
OK The great spirit brought us together, and we all happened to be from the same city.
DF I met them in a gay bar.
Outside of bro’Town, you all have your own individual careers as artists, performers and writers. In this context, can you talk about how your roots as Pacific Islanders inform, relate to, and inspire your own work in the larger cultural mainstream of New Zealand?
SL We are what we are and it is what it is.
As a Pacific Islanders and artists, have you felt a burden (imposed internally by your own communities or externally by society) to specifically represent your identity in your work?
SL We are Pacific Islanders and it’s in everything we do, whether people ask for it or not.
On to bro’Town…
Where and how was bro’Town conceived?
bro’Town was born in the year 2000 when a woman from the American network Nickelodeon visited New Zealand searching for new programme ideas. She contacted Elizabeth who had recently been to see her old friend Oscar Kightley in his hilarious play called “Naked Samoans Talk About Their Knives”. Elizabeth went home from the Nickelodeon meeting and wrote a list of programme ideas and at the top of the list was “animated Naked Samoans”.
By the time she got round to sending the list to Nickelodeon, the woman had left! But in 2001 Elizabeth’s good friend Kelly Martin got a great job as TV3’s Associate Director of Television, so Oscar and Elizabeth got together, worked out what characters would be good in the show, and pitched the idea to TV3, who loved it!
Three years of development and fundraising followed. The Naked Samoans and Elizabeth were joined by animation director Maka Makatoa and designer Ant Sang and we started our own studio - Firehorse Films!
All ethnicities are pretty much equally lampooned on the show, but Jeff da Maori seems to get a bit more of it. Is this a case of island-envy?
No.
Are the other PI’s jealous that as a Maori, he got bigger islands? Does size matter?
OK No, it’s cos none of us are Maoris, so they tend to get the most – but we try to be equal opportunity abusers. We’re not really jealous cos the islands may be bigger, but they’re colder. And size does matter – sometimes being smaller gives you power.
Is bro’Town racist?
OK No. In keeping it real we just are honest about everybody’s prejudices.
EM (Elizabeth Mitchell) We just want everyone to get along.
DF Yes, we honour Adolf.
Do all Polynesians like to eat Taro?
OK Not Maori – some people think it tastes like cardboard. (Elizabeth thinks it tastes like cardboard even though she is vegetarian).
SL Yep, but we eat bread and other stuff too.
What have you got against bloody thievin’ colonialists?
OK They stole all the land, and ruined the TV reception.
bro’Town features many world famous (in New Zealand) Kiwis. What is your personal favorite guest appearance on the show?
OK Prince Charles
EM Is too hard – Sam Neill is my current favourite.
MG (Mario Gaoa) Lucy Lawless, she smells nice.
DF Lucy Lawless – ‘cause I’ve had her, but don’t ask her she’ll just deny it.
What episode are you most proud of (or has been your favorite to work on)?
OK The first one, cos it was the first one. The Weakest Link. (Ep 1.6)
SL The Weakest Link (Ep 1.6)
EM A Chicken Roll on My Table (Ep 2.4)
MG Weakest Link – I was marvellous (Ep 1.6)
DF I’m Going To Limbo, I May Be Some Time (Ep 4.6)
Do you guys write bro’Town mostly together or separately? Who has the best typing skills?
EM Has been different every series – Series 1 was very collaborative, but since then there have been solo and duo efforts, with frequent group feedback.
SL Oscar, Elizabeth and Mario have the best typing skills.
If possible, can you pick a favorite bro’Town character?
OK Dad
EM Mack
SL Mack
MG Mack
DF Dad
Which of the bro’Town boys is most likely to find true love in the end?
OK You’d hope all of them – but it might be a rocky road for some.
EM I think Sione ‘cos he’s such a romantic.
MG Mack and Valea fall in love…
DF Jeff – everyone needs love.
bro’Town has had a lot of success worldwide. The most interesting event, of course, being that it was dubbed in Spanish. Felicidades! Have you seen any Spanish language episodes? What are your thoughts?
OK Hot chicks! Muy Bien!
EM Estoy muy contenta! Especially because we worked very closely with the translators at Cartoon Network to ensure the show stayed true to its origins and intent… and they’ve done an awesome job. Morningside pa siempre!
Who looks cuter in an All Black uniform: Tana Umaga or Dan Carter?
EM Oscar says Dan.
OK AB’s aren’t supposed to be cute, that’s why they are the best.
DF Tana Umaga God, Steve Price* God.
(* Steve Price is an Australian professional rugby league footballer who currently plays for the New Zealand Warriors in the National Rugby League (NRL). He made a guest appearance in the bro’Town Series 3 episode “I Still Call Australia Home… Oh”.)
What are your goals for the future of bro’Town?
OK/EM That it helps to make the world a better place.
DF That the world makes bro’Town a better show.
Does bro’Town purposefully utilize mainstream media as a conduit to address socio-political issues of race and class in New Zealand in order to challenge established cultural norms?
Yes.
Or are you guys just paling around?
OK Yes that’s what makes it so fun.
EM Our main aim is to make people laugh, but we have had many people tell us of instances of bro’Town bringing people together – what more could we hope for?!
In America, after hundreds of years of slavery, we are happy that an African-American has finally been nominated for the role of President. (We won’t officially apologize for the slavery part, but we’re happy for his nomination.) On a related note: What non-white ethnicity would you like to see become Prime Minister of New Zealand?
OK Look out for episode 4.4 – Vale Pepelo. Vote for Vale!
Do you do poos in the shower?
OK No. But we’ve found some people do.
Fill in the blank: Morningside for _______!
OK Peace.
EM Ever. Our Prime Minister Helen Clark, well our former Prime Minister (who will always be PM in bro’Town) got the catch cry slightly wrong. It means the same thing though – and Morningside’s her electorate!
MG President.
DF Gay guys whose name is Sione.
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Bonus Question for 20 points: Will your production company, Firehorse Films, be making your DVD’s available in US and Canadian formats so we don’t have to pore over our laptops late at night cursing our slow internet connections? … Pretty please?
bro’Town Series 1, 2 and 3 are available on NTSC and you can purchase them from our online store:
www.brotown.co.nz/shoponline.html - along with lots of other choice bro’Town merchandise!
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