TWANGY GOODNESS:

Questions for Bret Mckenzie and Jemaine Clement: Dynamic Duo (Interview by DEBORAH SOLOMON, 3/01/09, NY Times Magazine)

Do you find it surprising that you’ve managed to have a hit television show in spite of your twangy accents?
Jemaine: In New Zealand, people don’t like the New Zealand accent, so we weren’t able to get a TV show there.

What do they watch in New Zealand?
Jemaine: American shows. Bret: They don’t understand their own accents, so they don’t talk very much.

What do Australians think of your accent?
Jemaine: They think our accent is crude. Bret: They do make fun of our accents when we’re there.

You first met as drama students at Victoria University in Wellington.
Bret: It started off as a punch-out. Jemaine: In the New Zealand tradition, we started off fighting like two Russell Crowes. Now we’re amicable rivals. Bret: In between fights we’d write comedy songs.

Is that a joke?
Bret: I don’t know.

Is it true there are more sheep than people in New Zealand?
Jemaine: Ten times more. But in America there are probably more ants than people. Bret: More cars than people.