Lucy Zee

Contributing writer

Lucy Zee is freelance writer/illustrator and works fulltime as a creative producer for television.

Food
Oct 5, 2019

From egg pudding to taro slush: What's the tea on bubble tea?

The mind-boggling array of flavours, the suspiciously fat straws, the disconcertingly long queues... for the uninitiated, boarding the bubble tea bandwagon can be a daunting prospect. Fear not: Lucy Zee is here to walk you through it.

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Society
Oct 4, 2019

Admit it: Thin Lizzy is the best makeup you’ve ever used

Lucy Zee celebrates the little blue powder compact tucked away in every New Zealand makeup bag. 

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Society
Jul 23, 2019

Auckland Zinefest is amazine

From fine art school graduates to hobbyists, magazine-making talent from all over the city is showcased in Auckland Zinefest. Lucy Zee went along to check out the zines and meet some makers.

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Gaming
Jul 12, 2019

What it’s like to be a woman working in a video game store

Lucy Zee recounts the worst job she ever had: Working in a video game store. 

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Television
Jul 4, 2019

Throwback Thursday: Remembering the very strange Nad’s infomercials

Lucy Zee looks back on the late-nineties, early-aughts infomercial craze that was... Nad's It wasn't wax, it wasn't cream, so what the hell was it?

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Food
Jul 1, 2019

Power ranking the hosts of the Bon Appétit Youtube channel

If you're addicted to watching Claire whip up gourmet twinkies and Brad ferment garlic while you eat microwaved pasta in your pyjamas, then this is the list for you.

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Society
Jan 8, 2018

Summer reissue: I joined that dating app Attractive World and it’s even worse than you thought

Because dating isn't already horrible enough, an app named Attractive World recently launched in New Zealand aiming to make it worse.

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Television
Sep 15, 2017

Why are the Chanui ads so fucking weird?

Lucy Zee pours a cup of tea and delves into the creepy slow-burn that is the Chanui ad universe.

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Television
Sep 7, 2017

The Transforma Ladder was the pinnacle of infomercial innovation

Lucy Zee counts the many ways the Transforma Ladder infomercial impressed audiences everywhere, from its multitude of uses to its dapper salesman. 

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Television
Aug 25, 2017

Five iconic Kiwi brands Steve Hansen can shill for next

New Zealand's unlikeliest spokesmodel is at it again, fronting a strangely timely apocalypse-themed ad campaign for Tim Tams. But what other products should Steve Hansen put his unique talents behind? Lucy Zee has some suggestions.

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Society
Aug 22, 2017

I joined that dating app Attractive World and it’s even worse than you thought

Because dating isn't already horrible enough, an app named Attractive World recently launched in New Zealand aiming to make it worse. Current members decide whether prospective members are hot enough to be allowed in. Lucy Zee went undercover to see if it was as shitty as it looked.

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Television
Aug 17, 2017

Never forget the horniest biscuit ad this country has ever seen

Lucy Zee revisits the sensual 90s ad for Toffee Pops, starring Carlos Spencer and a whole lot of lust. 

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Television
Aug 11, 2017

The most memorable sex scenes in New Zealand television history

In this rare Spinoff sealed section, Lucy Zee rounds up some of the most memorable sex scenes in local TV history.

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Television
Aug 3, 2017

Throwback Thursday: Turns out the ‘You Only Wanna Be With 2’ ad is still an absolute banger

Lucy Zee remembers the iconic TV2 ad where a penguin drove a bus and Suzanne Paul had a garage sale.

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Television
Jul 26, 2017

Finding feminist heroes in after-school TV anime shows of the early 2000s

New Zealand was spoiled for choice of after school anime shows in the early 2000s. Lucy Zee remembers the female heroes who shaped her childhood.

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Television
Jul 19, 2017

Remembering the white men who tried to sell us stuff on TV

Everyone loves a nostalgia trip, remembering a time when the world wasn't melting so fast. Join Lucy Zee as she looks back at the white guys who were on TV way too much.

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Television
Jul 13, 2017

Throwback Thursday: In loving memory of Ride With The Devil

For years Lucy Zee thought maybe she had dreamed a hot and steamy TV series set in Auckland's boy-racer underworld. But it was very real, and there hasn't been anything quite like it since.

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Television
Jun 8, 2017

The delicious weirdness of the Magic Bullet infomercial

Lucy Zee remembers the iconic infomercial to end all infomercials.

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Television
Jan 3, 2017

Summer reissue: When was the exact moment that Elliot in Mr Robot got hot? A Spinoff science experiment

Lucy Zee attempts to solve one of the last remaining mysteries of modern times: at what moment does Elliot in Mr Robot become irresistibly attractive?

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Television
Dec 20, 2016

A handy Spinoff style guide to dressing like Chanel from Scream Queens

Lucy Zee salutes Chanel Oberlin of Scream Queens, the alpha of the comedy-horror series who never wears the same fur twice.

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Politics
Dec 7, 2016

John Key as a nude muse: an artist farewells her favourite subject

John Key was a lot of things to different people. For some, a hero. For others, a villain. And for illustrator Lucy Zee, a nude model.

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Television
Nov 3, 2016

Why the cartoons of the ’90s were more progressive than you think

Cartoons, whether they do so intentionally or not, play a large role in shaping the beliefs and prejudices of children. Lucy Zee looks back at the '90s cartoons of her youth and how they may have been more forward-thinking than they're given credit for.

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Television
Sep 22, 2016

When was the exact moment that Elliot in Mr Robot got hot? A Spinoff science experiment

Lucy Zee attempts to solve one of the last remaining mysteries of modern times: at what moment does Elliot in Mr Robot become irresistibly attractive?

Read on.

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