Chat the Weird Out is one of New Zealand’s first tertiary education-based healthy relationship campaigns. Created by students and led by University of Auckland staff from Campus Life, it encourages students nationwide to engage in those awkward conversations that are essential for establishing boundaries in various relationships. It aims to empower individuals to resolve conflicts arising from miscommunication, catering to a youth demographic that has expressed discomfort with conflict and tends to prioritise other feelings over their own, due to Aotearoa’s people-pleasing culture.

With studies (Dungan & Epley, 2024; Kardas et al., 2023) showing most constructive confrontations often being anticipated to be much worse than they end up being, the goal for Chat the Weird Out was to provide our students tools to have those awkward, but very much needed, conversations. Ultimately, Chat the Weird Out is about demonstrating love for ourselves and others by learning to set clear boundaries, thereby improving relationships in ways we all deserve.

Should you have any questions, or would like to get in touch with the team behind the campaign please reach out to chattheweirdout@auckland.ac.nz

The Cricket

When silence calls, the cricket answers with a chirp that cuts through the quiet…

Based on the expression ‘crickets!’ which usually signifies ‘No response’ or ‘absolute silence,’ our main character, our cricket buddy, is that one friend who will call out the uncomfortable moments and the awkward unspoken truths.

Animated by Flux Media and voiced by the local comedian James Mustapic, our cricket is the perfect mix of energetic and awkward, almost stirring the pot to ensure those awkward silences transform into loud, respectful, and honest conversations.

The cricket is your best friend that calls you out when you keep your feelings inside for too long, they’re your own inside voice hyping themselves up before they address an issue that has gone for too long, they’re a little version of you making sure you set those healthy boundaries tell other people deserve but never make clear for yourself.

The cricket appears when nothing is being said, a herald in the stillness. They’re the filler when there’s nothing but awkwardness, the nudge that prompts a giggle or a gasp. They’re a constant reminder that it’s always best to Chat the Weird Out before things get weirder.

With a twinkle in their eye and a twitch in their antennae, they invites us to embrace the odd, the awkward, and the downright bizarre chats we should all have to make sure we feel understood and heard.