Back to our Lorde, she seems to be a pretty phenomenal character and hopefully just shook off the criticism. I do feel for young people today - not just the stars but the future infamous too. I'm grateful I'm old enough to have done most of my stupid stuff before it was captured on the internet for eternal widespread viewing.
Lorde reminds me of another inspirational person who walks to the beat of her own drum, Australian actor Cate Blanchett. While on the red carpet at the SAG Awards last month, Blanchett had the camera winding its way up from her toes to her head to check her out. She challenged the operator - "Do you do that to the guys?"
Now, I'm not sure Greens co-leader Metiria Turei was another victim of tall poppy syndrome or simply the target of a parliamentary version of the high school movie, Mean Girls, when two National MPs tried to score political points off her wardrobe and her home. Turei, however, bounced back and kept playing the ball, not the man - a very Kiwi saying reflecting our sporting obsessions, although not really appropriate given the sexist flavour to these three examples.
How much will our adoration of the All Blacks influence a debate on a new flag for New Zealand? Is a black flag with a silver fern inevitable or can we come up with something that gels together our history, present and future? For me, the silver fern is very special but has become too commercial to be the banner for our country. I also respect the views of the RSA, which holds concerns about moving away from the flag under which New Zealanders fought and died. But the dominance of the Union Jack seems out of place with our society today - maybe it's time to become a republic under a new flag?
I liked the cheeky weather line in the Dominion-Post last week that read: "Fine in the west, damp out east. There's even wind to test out your new flag ideas. Maybe we could tackle child poverty after we've got the flag thing sorted."
Seems to me Prime Minister John Key's suggestion of a referendum on our flag in this year's general election is a distraction strategy. Mind you, maybe the fact our current heroes are young women, Lorde and Man Booker prize-winning author Eleanor Catton, means it is good timing for a debate on how we present ourselves to the world through our flag.
It prompts me to mention Key's 2009 words of support for the NZ Literary Heritage Trail, reprinted in an article in the weekend's Sunday Star-Times: "While our literary heroes may never challenge the glory and respect given to our All Blacks, we still need role models to inspire us."
Our patriotic fervour around rugby-playing role models is changing and that's a good thing. It's time to challenge our traditional views on teenagers, women's appearances and our heroes and find value in our diversifying global success.
Nicola Young is a former Department of Conservation manager who now works for global consultancy AECOM. Educated at Wanganui Girls' College, she has a science degree and is the mother of two boys.
