MONTY BENFICA | Amusements | CONTACT
A teenager from America has blessed the land of the long white cloud with one of the biggest internet celebrity events the small island nation has seen since the “nek minnit” guy.
Streaming sensation Speed touched down in New Zealand earlier last week to live-stream his experiences in the country. Since then, the 19-year-old has practically brought the country to a standstill.
“We’ve never seen anything like this. I don’t know what the hell this guy does apart from backflips and barking, but, man, the youth love him,” said NZ spokesperson Lloyd Barnes (49), who was quickly reminded by a colleague that they had seen something like this before.
“Oh yes, of course… nek minnit guy…”
The spokesperson was referring to the decade-old viral sensation of the man who said “next minute” with a funny accent. The clip took the world by storm and put New Zealand on the map for something other than rugby and being the film set for a famous trilogy from the early 2000s.
“Yeah, nek minnit guy really put us on the map,” Barnes added, gazing nostalgically into the distance. “Now it’s all TikTok and barking kids. I don’t get it.”
Speed’s arrival has brought fond memories for older residents, it has also reportedly added over 40% to the nation’s total GDP.
His presence has caused chaos, with crowds of teenagers swarming his Auckland hotel and shouting phrases no adult understands. “I don’t know who Speed is, but I put up a ‘Speed drank here’ sign, and business tripled,” said Raj Patel, a local business owner.
Many non-Gen Z New Zealanders are now calling on their government to follow Australia’s lead and ban social media for anyone under the age of 16, after witnessing how much influence a teenager – who they perceive as entirely talentless – can amass.
But the youth remain unwavering in their support. “He’s literally the GOAT,” said 14-year-old Mason Richards, moments before failing a backflip attempt.
Speed seems unfazed by his Kiwi fame. “New Zealand is chill, probably my favourite part of Australia,” he said on stream.
