Some Mustachian truth from the Conchords

[Moustachienne]

This is from a nice interview in the Guardian, but even if you're not a Flight of the Conchords fan, all mustachians can appreciate their view that needing less money/fame equates more freedom.  We create our own "New Zealand" freedom by hanging around like-minded people on the forums and finding them in real life, no?

The irony for Conchords fans is that what makes them appealing is also what makes them elusive: they really don’t care about fame and fortune, which is why they walked away from their show at its peak and why they don’t do many tours. It’s an attitude that mystified the producers at HBO and one the Conchords put down to being from New Zealand.

“The first time I went to London and New York, I realised: oh my God, you need so much money to live in these places. Whereas in New Zealand, at least when we were growing up there, money was not part of the equation, not in the same way. So making money is not such an imperative part of life,” says McKenzie.
...

For a while, they lived in the US, but quickly realised it was better to be in Wellington. “In LA, you can get kinda swept up in the industry, like: ‘Oh I’m supposed to be doing this thing,’” says McKenzie. “Then you go home and it’s like …”

“You don’t have to,” says Clement.

Full interview - https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2018/jun/18/flight-of-the-conchords-were-retired-sex-symbols

[canuckiwi]

Having grown up in NZ at the same time as the Conchordes, I agree that having the latest, greatest stuff (toys, eating out etc) was not as important as going to the beach or playing sport with your friends. Pre-globalization isolation meant a lot of the latest stuff just wasn't available, so no one really thought or talked about it. Cheap global shipping and the internet means this is not really the same anymore.

Still, large North American cities are probably the easiest places to get caught up doing what other people think you should be doing. 

[Moustachienne]

Yeah, MMM references how his Canadian frugal middle class upbringing influenced his worldview and I'd bet there are many Americans with the same frugalish idea of what's "normal" or necessary due to similar backgrounds.  I'm a Canadian a few years older than MMM and like you (and him), we just weren't as bombarded with advertising and material goods as happened earlier in the States.  Heck, I even grew up in a northern town without live TV until my early teens.  It builds in some protection!

[claire.harris]

Thanks for flagging this, I missed it even though I'm in the UK!
I'm going to see their tour on Thursday next week, quite excited as don't often splash out on tickets for things, but these two are something special. So low-key, too.