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In recent weeks, the buzz surrounding popular social media app Twitter has been clouded by conversations about privacy and the right to freedoms. This has been spurred on by the announcement that Elon Musk is buying Twitter for $44 billion dollars with the aim of axing the censorship that is currently enforced on the site. Twitter claimed its censorship policy does not restrict users based … Continue reading A New Twitter?
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From 22 time Grammy winning sensation to being banned from the very same awards , how did Kanye West’s “greatest of all time” reputation take such a tumble into chaos? Tracing his career all the way back to his roots, we watch a mentally ill man with a fair share of personal trauma become less and less fit for a life of fame. So why do the media persist in portraying his character as a joke to the public? And – perhaps more importantly – is it such a laughing matter? Continue reading The Downfall of Kanye West
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“A new dawn has broken, has it not?” was Tony Blair’s first question to the country aftersecuring a landslide 179-seat majority in May 1997. Britain was buzzing; the Cold Warwas over, the country was experiencing a cultural revival with popular culturecelebrating this new sense of ‘Britishness’ (we all remember the significant culturalmoment that was Geri Halliwell in that Union Jack dress!) and the youthful, slick … Continue reading New Labour Revisited
The recent tragic events at Astroworld – Travis Scott’s annual festival in Texas – has left many questioning the responsibility of an artist for their audiences’ safety. People attending concerts expect and deserve not to worry about being in danger for various reasons, but should the finger be pointed at the performing artist? Continue reading A Performer’s Promise
You’ve probably heard of Sally Rooney, the mastermind behind Normal People, Conversations with Friendsand most recently, Beautiful World, Where Are You. At just thirty years of age, Rooney has gathered much critical acclaim and success, along with a lot of publicity and people have been eagerly awaiting her latest book and whilst it has been met with significant praise, discussion has also turned toward her decision not to translate the book into Hebrew. Continue reading Bookstore Politics: Sally Rooney’s Translation Trouble
With the occurrence of two protests against the formation of a pro-life society within the university, there has been discussion surrounding whether protest is an effective way to incite change. In light of the current status of protest in parliament, this conversation has never been more significant; The Police, Crime, Sentencing, and Courts Bill carries heavy implications for the future of protest in the UK. The current bill already aims to provide police with further powers to stop disruptive protests, but home secretary, Priti Patel, has recently made it known her intentions to amend this bill to include a travel ban on protesters with a ‘history of disruption’. This introduces another layer to the discussion; are non-peaceful protests justifiable due to efficacy? This article will address the political and social advantages and disadvantages of protest in hopes of answering these questions. Continue reading The Power of Protest
We’ve all listened to the Rolling Stones – Satisfaction, Gimme Shelter, You can’t always get what you want – nearly everyone knows them. Your parents love them! You’ve almost definitely heard them, even if you didn’t realise it. They are band that define “rock n roll” and enjoy their music or not, you’re bound to hear them again – they’re embedded in our musical fabric. Recently, one of their most controversial songs Brown Sugar was dropped from their set list following the announcement of an upcoming tour. First recorded in 1971, the highly problematic song discusses slavery and “how black women taste so good”. The sexism and racism in this song is rife and blatant and yet is has taken until now, 2021, for the Rolling Stones to question its appropriateness for performance. So much for progression. Continue reading Catchy or Controversial: Popular Songs with Controversial Lyrics
In a remote village in northern Turkey, five orphaned sisters are robbed of their childhood as they are forced into arranged marriages to cover up a so-called scandal. In the first and last scene of youthful joy and childhood innocence, the sisters play on the beach with their male classmates. Following this, the girls are scolded for “pleasuring themselves” by sitting on the boys’ shoulders and the already stifling home becomes a “wife factory” from which there is no escape. Forbidden from attending school, the young girls must stay at home, where they are taught how to cook, clean and sew by their female relatives. They are forced to parade around town in order to attract potential suitors and, one by one, the sisters are married off to older male strangers. Deniz Gamze Ergüven’s directorial debut explores the reality of child marriage in patriarchal societies and the yearning for a youth that is stripped away. Continue reading Child Brides and Virginity Myths: Sexuality and Suppression in Mustang
On the 7 June 2020, against a backdrop of conversations surrounding the treatment of Black people in light of the tragic death of George Floyd at the hands of police in Minnesota, protestors in Bristol graffitied, tied up and toppled a statue of Edward Colston, a slave trader whose fortune helped to build the city. The whole world watched as the bronze memorial, which had stood by Bristol’s harbour since 1895, was thrown into the water amidst cheering. Four days later, it was retrieved and put into storage by Bristol City Council, who later said they planned to display it, graffiti and ropes intact, at the city’s M Shed Museum. The news of the statue’s toppling was met with disdain by many, including Home Secretary Priti Patel, who branded the action ‘utterly disgraceful’, while others celebrated it as an act of justice. Continue reading Edward Colston: A Problematic Legacy in the People’s Hands
As the Covid-19 vaccine rollout takes place nationwide, concerns have been raised about possible side effects, particularly in the case of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine. According to Pharmaceutical Technology, twenty million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine had been administered by 12th April 2021. Seventy-nine blood clot cases were reported by the end of March, and of those cases, nineteen people died. The Gov.uk website tells us that the risk of blood clotting after a dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine in people over fifty or with underlying medical issues is ‘extremely rare’: approximately 1 in every 100, 000 doses. The same is said for those in the 40 – 49 age bracket. For those between the ages of 18 – 39, this risk is doubled to 1 in every 50, 000 doses, which has led to under forties in the UK being offered an alternative vaccine to mitigate this risk. The European Medicines Agency subsequently investigated the risk of blood clotting and determined that AstraZeneca is ‘safe and effective’. Naturally, in a period of great upheaval, people will experience worries about the various emerging vaccines, but the minute risk of blood clotting, is no reason not to get vaccinated. Having a vaccination is an important and overwhelmingly beneficial act, and will help to protect yourself and others, despite the scaremongering regarding AstraZeneca from anti-vax groups. Continue reading The AstraZeneca Vaccine vs The Pill: The Ongoing Neglect of Women’s Reproductive Health
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