What: VICELAND
Where: SKY Channel 13
When: Today, 1pm
Why: Because it’s AWESOME!

VICELAND is a brand new TV channel to New Zealand which will be available exclusively through SKY. Overseen by Oscar®-winning film director Spike Jonze I can guarantee this is something you need to witness. The 24-hour channel will feature all-new shows covering culture, music, sports, fashion, technology and more.

The thing I love most about VICELAND since the moment I started watching it was the perspective. These are real people, finding real stories and most of the time you’re experiencing what they are finding in real time. The programs are raw, authentic, interesting and relevant to a world that is changing quicker than ever before. The thing that excites me the most about VICELAND is that there are no filters. What you see is what you get. Now more than ever I think it’s important that we understand censorship and the fact that certain parts of society aren’t always represented in the media. VICELAND is giving the people a voice. No matter race, gender age, religion we are all people and finally there is a platform that isn’t afraid to say f*ck or discuss how weed and alcohol are quite often present at high school parties.

Did you know Tokyo has a gay district? It’s not something I had ever thought about but now that I know it exists it makes sense. Why would there not be a gay district in Tokyo? How are you expected to know about something on the other side of the world when it currently isn’t getting exposure? VICELAND is getting you to these locations and is allowing you to explore them from the comfort of your lounge or bedroom.

Gaycation is a series which follows Ellen Page and her best friend, Ian Daniel as they set off on a personal journey to explore LGBTQ cultures around the world. Weed and alcohol are two things which are prominent at almost every high school party. It’s not really what parents like to hear but it’s the truth and personally I think it’s better to talk about these things and understand the effects they can have on you rather than pretending they’re not there. Balls Deep is a series dedicated to finding out what humanity’s deal is, Thomas Morton hangs out with different groups of people and gives their lives a try.

It’s 2016 and it’s safe to say that almost every teen uses the internet daily. While it’s all nice and fun to share photos on Instagram there’s another side of the internet that some people don’t even know about. Every day terrorists and governments are hacking emails and social media accounts trying to get information. Cyber War is a series in which Ben Makuch travels the world to meet with hackers, government officials, and dissidents to investigate the ecosystem of cyber warfare.

Episode 1 of Gaycation sees Ellen Page and her best friend Ian Daniel exploring the LGBTQ culture of Japan. In the episode they visit a gay district of Tokyo. In the first episode Ellen explains that Gaycation is all about joining the celebrations, documenting the struggles, feeling the love, the hate and telling the human stories of the LGBT community around the world. I found it encouraging that Ellen admitted “This my first time in the gay district of Tokyo. In the past I was too closeted to come to the gay area.” Sexuality is something that people come to terms with in their own way at their own time. I like the fact she isn’t afraid to talk about the journey. It isn’t always as easy as coming and being completely ok with it. One of my favourite people Ellen and Ian meet along the way is the owner of one of the gay bars. They talk about how the gay scene has changed in recent years and he sums it up perfectly “What doesn’t kill you makes you gayer.” Same-sex marriage is currently illegal in Japan and the LGBT community still face social stigmas. Sexuality is complex at the best of times and in some ways location is a defining part of being able to express your sexuality. Personally I am super interested to see how other areas of the world accept sexuality into their societies.

Episode 1 of Balls Deep sees Thomas Morton visit a town in Indiana called Gary. In the episode Tom befriends a local student called Keith and attends the last week of school and experiences prom night. “It’s been a decade and a half since I graduated high school, I’ve got no idea what kids get up to these days.” This is a first-hand look at what goes on in prom night. You see prom in movies all the time but is it a real representation of what is actually going on or is it Hollywood’s depiction of “the most important night of your school career.” We meet some of Keith’s friends and see them prepare for the big night. It’s interesting to see the perspective in this episode where at some schools auto class is seen to be a waste of time. For these boys auto class could be their ticket out of Gary. It is an opportunity for them to contribute and be a part of society. Gary is a contrast to New Zealand where most kids finish 13 years of school in Gary, “Some kids don’t even make it to 18.” Balls Deep will definitely be a thought provoker. How did Gary go from being such a thriving place to being so derelict? Why do the “gifted” kids have so many more opportunities than the regular kids? Humans deserve the same opportunities no matter what their background is right? Unfortunately this isn’t the case.

We live in a digital world but how often do you think about cyber security. I know personally that I don’t think about it much at all. The truth is every day, people’s information is being stolen, identities are being used and sometimes victims have no idea this is going on. Cyber security is a massive part of the world as we know it today. It’s got a presence in wars and has been a prominent issue for many years now. Cyber War delves into the digital realm and explores just how much cyber security can affect the world that we live in. It is somewhat alarming to think that in the future, entire wars might be run completely online. As technology develops and we rely more on it the threat of hackers becomes more and more imminent. Ben Makuch, explores the future of hacking, spying and online warfare. Again it’s a show that makes you think. It makes you question how much trust we put in technology. While we sit and worry about how much information we have shared online it is somewhat reassuring to know there are government departments, companies and individuals who are dedicated to fighting cybercrime.

I love the way that VICELAND makes you think about life from a different perspective. We are all so engrossed in social media and celebrity news it’s refreshing seeing real people exploring real things happening in the world around us. I am a strong believer that knowledge is power and this most definitely is the beginning of further understanding of this world and what goes on in it. VICELAND launches on SKY, channel 13, today at 1pm. ENJOY!