AbstractIn 2003, New Zealand decriminalised sex work through the enactment of the Prostitution Reform Act. Many opponents to this legislation predicted that there would be increasing numbers of people entering sex work, especially in the street-based sector. The debates within the New Zealand media following the legislation were predominantly moralistic and there were calls for the recriminalisation of the street-based sector. This study estimated the number of sex workers post-decriminalisation in five locations in New Zealand: the three main cities in which sex work takes place as well as two smaller cities. These estimations were compared to existing estimations prior to and at the time of decriminalisation. The research suggests that the Prostitution Reform Act has had little impact on the number of people working in the sex industry.

First screened in 2007 on HBO television, Flight of the Conchords has received the best international reception of any New Zealand-based television comedy. The series shows the two Kiwis, Bret and Jemaine — a musical duo — bumbling their way through trying to make it in New York. The failure scenario could have led to the typical sitcom fare of conflicting personalities with specific character types as the butt of humour; however, Flight of the Conchords avoids this standard route, and this may partly explain its popularity. Details are provided of exactly how the series makes ‘good’ humour, with a beginning contrast made to the Australian television series Kath and Kim, which has ridicule at its heart. Turnbull (2004) has pinpointed some unease about comedy based on ridicule, and specifically identifies genre mixing as a source of concern in Kath and Kim. In contrast, Flight of the Conchords, while getting close to ridicule, successfully avoids condescension by a different mix of genres and material.