NZ comedian Joe Daymond is calling out the toxic habit we have of tearing each other down instead of building each other up.
Following NZ social media creator Jimi Jackson spending a day with US YouTube star IShowSpeed on Monday, Kiwis gave Jimi flack for introducing himself as one of the biggest content creators in NZ — with 1.3 million subscribers.
Taking to Instagram, Joe said that the response to that one interaction sums up the NZ attitude.
“I’m nearly 30, and [Jimi’s] been famous since I was a teenager,” Joe says.
“Only in NZ can you state a straight fact and get absolutely shit on for acknowledging that, just because it puts you in a light you supposedly shouldn’t hold yourself to.”
“That is such a f***ing New Zealand thing, and we wonder why our mental health stats are so shit. We wonder why our youth are leaving this country at record numbers…”
It’s because we don’t even treat our own well. We treat each other like shit, talk each other down, and then turn around and wonder why we all hate ourselves.
He goes on to say how damaging it is that we all think it’s “normal.”
“Nowhere else in the world hates themselves like New Zealand does, and New Zealanders do to each other.”
Heaps of Kiwis have jumped in the comments, agreeing with Joe’s message.
“Straight up, YOU hit that on the head,” one Kiwi commented.
“Everyone loves what you’re doing until you’re doing the thing. Tall poppy is actually insane here,” another added. “Where’s the love and support for each other?!”
A third said: “This idea of ‘being humbled’ is part of the problem. Humility isn’t about hiding your gifts/talent, insert parable here… We gotta be better.”
Many others mentioned UFC fighter Israel Adesanya taking aim at New Zealand’s issue with tall poppy syndrome back in 2020.
After becoming the first combat athlete to win Sportsman of the Year at the Halberg Awards since 1953, Izzy said: “We have this culture of tall poppy syndrome, which is messed up. Coming up in this country, I've seen it so many times."
“When you see somebody rising, you want to tear them down because you feel inadequate and want to call it humble," he added.
"I am extraordinarily humble, believe me, but you'll never know that, because you never get to know me."
“Understand this: If you see one of us shining, whether it be the netball team, the Blackcaps, the sailors, pump them up! Embrace them, because if they win, we win.
If I win, you win! Understand that.
We know it’s an issue, so how can we address it? We’ve gotta stop tearing each other down and start cheering each other on.
