Shona Laing — (Glad I'm) Not A Kennedy

JUL 01 1987 · 12:00

Shona Laing — (Glad I'm) Not A Kennedy (1987) Director: Bruce Sheridan Era: New Zealand Synth-Pop Breakthrough (1987) - Late-Cold War era New Zealand independent pop reaching international markets; nuclear anxiety and post-colonial identity define the cultural moment A rare example of politically substantive 1980s synth-pop from outside the Anglo-American mainstream, this video documents the intersection of New Zealand's nuclear-free movement, Cold War anxiety, and the country's nascent internationally competitive music video industry. Its confirmed director Bruce Sheridan went on to become a significant figure in film education, making this video a documented node between New Zealand creative industries of the 1980s and later institutional film culture. High archival and research value. Context: Released in 1987 during New Zealand's defining anti-nuclear moment — the country had declared itself nuclear-free in 1987 under the Nuclear Free Zone, Disarmament, and Arms Control Act. The song, written by Shona Laing after watching Edward Kennedy's 1984 Democratic Primary campaign, channelled anxiety about American political dynasties and Cold War nuclear brinkmanship. Its integration of JFK speech audio gave the track a documentary gravitas unusual for pop. The video's use of New Zealand coastal and brutalist architectural settings grounds the song's global political concerns in a specifically Pacific, post-colonial landscape, reflecting Laing's own experience returning home from London and finding New Zealand increasingly shaped by American cultural influence. Director notes: Confirmed sole director of '(Glad I'm) Not a Kennedy' per NZ On Screen's Bruce Sheridan biography and the video's own NZ On Screen listing. The clip is documented as mixing native New Zealand beach locations, brutalist architecture, and archival footage of US President John F. Kennedy — consistent with the song's lyrical interpolation of JFK speeches. Sheridan has co-authored academic work on New Zealand music TV and music video history, drawing directly on his personal production experience including this video. The video was produced for Pagan Records and later distributed internationally via Sony Music Entertainment NZ.