It’s nice to be back here with you in 2023! I’m not going do a whole long intro, but I do need to start this lil rumination by making two things very clear:

1. I like Jacinda Ardern and think she is, overall, a good leader

2. No politician should have Stans (or even fans tbh)

I’ve been thinking about what legacy soon-to-be-former NZ Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern will leave. On her last day – 7th Feb – she’ll have had more than five years, almost two full terms, as the leader of a country.

Sometimes I do think we (as in, the world outside NZ) treat Ardern like she is a celebrity.

She’s famous-famous, way more than is normal for a politician from Australia or NZ. While celebrities can be judged on the general vibe of their influence, Ardern was not just an ~inspirational~ figurehead – she had real, tangible power in her hands. How do we evaluate the ‘success’ of people with both social influence and legit power, what metrics are we supposed to look at?

After two days of trying to puzzle it out, I don’t think people are going to love my answer. 

Here’s the stuff that goes in the GOOD column: Ardern undeniably showed the world that it is possible to hold an incredibly high position and lead with empathy, compassion, good humour and feminine strength. Even her decision to resign and the reason why were textbook examples of a leadership style we truly deserve more of; an antidote to the aggressive, power-hoarding leaders we usually expect.

Ardern steered NZ well through two huge crises: the Christchurch massacre and COVID-19. RNZ wrote that "her premiership has been marked by disaster and death" – the strength required to navigate that for millions of people is formidable. She officially declared a climate emergency, and committed to halve NZ emissions by 2030 under the Paris Agreement (an increase on the country’s previous target of 30%, but still less than the recommended 75%). Also, having a baby while PM and taking said baby to the UN general assembly? Very fucking cool and walking-the-walk.

But reading between the lines of the NZ coverage, it seems that Ardern’s government was not hugely productive in terms of policy. There isn’t a landmark legislation to point to, or a key indicator to show that life for New Zealanders improved in a significant way. Circumstance got in the way, maybe. COVID robbed her and all of us of two years – that’s a good chunk out of your six-year career. Still, legislation and its outcomes is how we measure the success of politicians – either passing lots of bills or really important ones. Julia Gillard managed both in a very short amount of time.  

When you really examine why Ardern is so globally beloved, it’s because of the example she sets. She changed expectations of who a leader could be and how they conduct themselves. Even the most pro-Jacinda pieces emphasise this aspect of her career. That’s wonderful and necessary… but is it too socially-focused to be the biggest achievement of a world leader?

A politician's power is not solely in providing a good example – it’s the fact that they literally get to make, break and change the rules that dictate how life works for the rest of us. Politicians don’t need to be cultural influencers, because they are literal decision makers. They have the most direct impact.

Do I wish more (especially Australian) politicians behaved more like Ardern? Please, god! I’m desperate for it. But if a fairy was going to grant me an actual wish, I would ask for the compassion to come through in the policymaking as well as their public presentation.

Hopefully this won’t be misconstrued as the same bad faith criticism of Ardern being peddled by conservative commentators. My beef is less with her, more with us – we could all think more critically about the impact of public figures and politicians. We need to make sure we’re not seduced by the idea that making real change is as easy as showing up with good intentions and respectful behaviour. 

If you're reading from NZ and have insight on all this, pls enlighten me via email! Either way, Ardern deserves a rest and a really good margarita.

– CrystalFounder & Chief of Everything at Zee Feed

Good stuff on Zee Feed rn:

I'm obsessed with this explainer-essay Simran wrote about Meta Cringe – which is best exemplified in the Shrek-themed raves taking place around the world. It makes a great case for being totally un-shamable in 2023. After all, to be cringe is to be free. CLICK HERE TO READ.

And a couple more:

Content I loved this week 💭

If you follow ZeeFeed on Instagram, you’ll know every Sunday I share content from around the web that made me think, smile, or have an ‘aha!’ moment. Here are this week's goodies:

Jacinda and the media: a very complicated relationship on The Spinoff"A huge contributor to what has made Ardern’s five years as prime minister feel much longer was the sheer volume of public communication she had to do in that time... The total length of time the average New Zealander has spent watching her speak must surely be orders of magnitude longer than any prior prime minister."

How chronic illness radically changed my view of womanhood on The Guardian"That we still regard discussing the physicality of womanhood as something as shocking proves how fragile our notion of femininity is in the first place."

You Need Help: You Fat-Shamed Your Beautiful Girlfriend on AutostraddleThis advice column on LGBTQIA+ website Autostraddle was misinterpreted by a lot of people on Twitter this week, but the advice is rock solid – about performative 'activism', fatphobia, self-perception, relationships.

The real horror in M3gan is not the homicidal murder-doll. It's children on All The Heterosexual Nonsense I Was Forced To Endure substack"I’m famous for once, after being introduced to my friend’s primary school aged child asking him “what he did”, as if we were networking at a conference. Why? because I panicked. And that panic is the horror that drives M3gan. The panic of someone handing you a baby out of the blue and telling you to support its head."

If you found this email thought-provoking, will you share it with a friend? Sharing helps us grow 🌱 and makes you look really smart.