Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern watches as Stephen Colbert flicks through his diary to schedule in his visit to NZ after she invited him again during her appearance on The Late Show in September this year. Photo / CBS
EDITORIAL:
Once upon a time, perhaps the highest-profile global exposure a New Zealand prime minister could have was at the United Nations in New York.
Ardern has now appeared twice on the same entertainment show with new host Stephen Colbert. The two clearly hit it off and, both times, Ardern invited him to visit NZ - even offering to pick him up at the airport.
This whole week, the fruits of this special relationship - Colbert's recent NZ trip - have been aired to his 3.5 million viewers in his "New Zealand week". They include Ardern and Colbert singing in a carpool karaoke rip-off, joking around at a low-key barbecue with the PM's partner, Clarke Gayford, and singer Lorde, and talking seriously about the swift enactment of gun legislation post the March 15 mosque attacks.
The jury may be out on whether it is becoming to watch our prime ministers goofing around in this manner. But regardless of whether you think the actual footage is quirky or irksome, clever or clueless, the phenomenal coverage - from the TV show, social media clips and comments, and press reports all over the world - shows the promotional caper is clearly a no-brainer.