If you don't understand spaghetti on pizza, you don't understand politics
US late night show has sport with our prime minister – but the pineapple pizza is a serious business.
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Hawke’s Bay
US late night talkshow host Jimmy Kimmel has had some sport with our PM's now infamous pizza.
"We can be pretty hard on Donald Trump but they have a guy in New Zealand, the Prime Minister of New Zealand, a gentleman named Bill English, who I think is even worse and I'm going to show you why," Mr Kimmel said on his show last night, as the prime minister's Facebook post was displayed onscreen.
"He put canned spaghetti and pineapples on a pizza – this mother ... can I say the F-word?" he continued.
"That is so offensive, that is an act of war. I think he just declared war on Italy. And maybe Hawaii too. I don't know.
"Impeach that man immediately, New Zealand. This is why I've always preferred Old Zealand."
The pizza inspired 1000 jokes on local social media, too.
Some have questioned why media would cover it at all.
But if you don't understand the importance of the pizza, you don't understand politics.
Most New Zealanders aren't ideological.
If National loses in September, it will be because a portion of middle New Zealand doesn't quite click with Mr English and decides it's time the other lot had a turn.
John Key's doofusy humour made me cringe, personally, but it was a key part of the everyman persona that helped to three straight election wins.
Delivering a surplus and dangling tax cuts are important, sure. But it will count for nothing if Mr English doesn't tell better dad jokes and become friends with Mike Hosking.
On that front, the spaghetti pizza was probably a good start.
Somewhere, a team from Crosby Textor and English advisers are in a huddle, trying to figure out the PM's next Key-esque Facebook post.
POSTSCRIPT
This follow-up tweet is way over-thought:
Squeezed in a quick cooking lesson with @nadialimchef. She also takes a much better selfie than me. pic.twitter.com/V1D4sJNiXH
— Bill English (@pmbillenglish) April 9, 2017
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If you don't understand spaghetti on pizza, you don't understand politics
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