PHOTOS: 'Teapot tapes' leaked, nation falls asleep

By Duncan Wilson

A Hawke's Bay farmer was the first to stumble across the 'Teapot tapes' online, accessing the YouTube link through Twitter as he toyed with his Apple iPad 2 on the driveway. His wife found him snoring vigorously in one of his corn fields thirty minutes later.

Just minutes prior, the Tweets were alive to the sound of an Auckland cafe, plus whatever else you could hear over the industrious sound of a thousand chai lattes being simultaneously prepared with love.

As word of the tape-leak spread, the New Zealand economy noticed a downward spike on some of its graphs. This could only be caused by one thing: the workforce was falling asleep!

Scores of Kiwis were later seen dozing, failing to remain upright or simply fast asleep; the cause was quickly dubbed 'Teapot tape exposure'.

So powerful was the boredom-serum emitted by the 'Teapot tapes', that even those who have not heard the tapes were feeling their sleep-inducing effects by 1.30pm this afternoon. Scientists are currently estimating the tapes can force drowsiness upon any person within a ten kilometre radius of a computer that has the tape open.

As New Zealander after New Zealander began nodding off to 2011's answer to 'whale music', the best advice authorities have come up with is to remain alert, take regular breaks and think about all things but the tapes.

If you have an inkling that you might be about to think about the tapes, or come into range with them, the recommendation is that you only make motor vehicle journeys that are absolutely necessary.

Heard the 'Teapot tapes' and stayed awake? Tell us your amazing story below!