Latest Stories from Flo
Should cis-gender actors ever play trans characters?
Actor Park Sung-hoon has been criticised for playing a trans woman in the latest season of Netflix’s ‘Squid Game’. But those defending his casting say the issue of on-screen trans representation is more complex and layered than we'd like to think. Squid Game’s second season is one of the most hotly anticipated shows arriving this side of the new year. Since the trailer dropped earlier this month, fans have been...
Chinese blockbuster Her Story sparks feminist discussion globally
The last week of November saw an unexpected champion at the Chinese box office. But beyond the numbers, ‘Her Story’ has ignited debates about feminism, representation, and the global lens through which Chinese culture is often viewed. It’s unusual for a comedy drama, no less a feminist one, to smash records in China's film industry. For a country known for boosting high-budget action and sci-fi movies at the box office,...
Trans youth are turning to TikTok for support
In uncertain political times, America’s young LGBTQIA+ community are using social media as a vital crowdfunding tool. The day after the 2024 US presidential election, thousands of trans youth across the country woke to a sense of a dread. Iris, a 20-year-old Black trans woman living in Texas, was one of them. ‘This changes everything’ she told Wired. ‘If I stay in the state now that going to...
UK women less likely to receive CPR than men
A new study suggests a lack of CPR dummies modeled on women’s bodies is to blame. By all accounts, cardiac arrest is a condition that demands swift and decisive action. Every second counts. But for women who collapse in public, the timeline moves slower. A new study has built on existing evidence that determines women are significantly less likely than men to receive life-saving CPR from bystanders because people ‘worry...
How to navigate family politics this festive season
For many of us, awkward conversations have become a mainstay of winter gatherings. The festive period promises a lot: turkey, tinsel, and a soundtrack of perennial arguments. For a large portion of us, the season has become something other than a celebratory get-together and more of an endurance test, especially in recent years marred by political polarisation. So how do you survive these annual interactions without severing ties or weaponizing a...
Owner of the ‘UK Nightlife’ TikTok account has been arrested
A new era of public exposure has landed us here. A 27-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of stalking and harassment after covertly filming women on nights out and uploading the videos to TikTok and Instagram. The clips, often titled ‘Manchester nightlife’ or ‘Liverpool nightlife’ were uploaded daily, and featured women walking around the city unaware they were being filmed. Despite garnering millions of views, the account remained active for months...
Why Miss Universe has triggered a ‘wokeness’ debate
The beauty pageant is being hailed as the death of wokeness, and the result of the ‘Trump effect’. Victoria Kjær Theilvig, a 21-year-old Danish woman, is Miss Universe 2024. She’s blonde, blue-eyed, and undeniably beautiful – a fact that should been met with applause and little more. Instead, her win has ignited a cultural skirmish on social media, where far-right commentators have seized the moment to proclaim the supposed ‘end of...
The case for real versus artificial Christmas trees
It’s the festive debate to end all festive debates. But which tree really is better for the planet? For decades, the debate over real versus artificial Christmas trees has been the festive equivalent of pineapple on pizza. It’s divisive, personal, and a little exhausting. You might choose artificial trees for their convenience, cost-effectiveness, or the promise of a consistent aesthetic. Or, you may insist a real tree, with its scent and imperfections,...
What’s up with people hiring witches on Etsy?
The phenomenon isn’t as uncommon as you might think. Like many individuals, Riley Wenckus felt distraught and disempowered in the aftermath of Trump’s re-election. Wenckus was particularly furious at Elon Musk, the billionaire owner of X, and the key role he’d played in Trump's victory. So she turned to an unconventional solution: Wenckus paid $7.99 to an Etsy witch to curse Musk. In a viral TikTok, she shouted, ‘Elon motherf***ing...
Gen Z’s latest accessory? Ear plugs
The unlikely trend has made ear safety stylish. What’s the harm? The soundtrack of your teens and twenties usually involves crowded festivals, loud nightclubs, and headphones dialled up to high-volume. But Gen Z are starting to reject this cacophony with help from an unlikely accessory: the earplug. Studies have shown that for many young people, noise exposure poses a serious risk to the health of the ears and can even lead...
