Opinion – the earthquake magnitude scale shouldn’t be logarithmic
Full disclaimer: I’m no scientist. I’m a journalist trying to understand the logic behind measuring earthquakes logarithmically – meaning each whole number increase represents a quake that is 10x stronger – when this isn’t intuitive to the public. Shouldn’t we measure them out of 100 instead? In the early hours...
Current in Culture
Is this summer’s Love Island UK the most misogynistic yet?
The show’s male contestants have repeatedly bullied, belittled, and gaslit. On a show plagued by mental health crises and online abuse, how thin is the line between entertainment and intervention? I love staying in the loop. Maybe it’s the nature of my job, but keeping up with current affairs is...
Was Senegal’s short-lived wig ban an attempt to police women’s bodies?
The ban has already been lifted after drawing widespread public criticism. Last week, Serigne Fall Guèye, director of the Grand Théâtre de Dakar, introduced a swift and surprising ban on wigs, weaves, hair extensions and skin-lightening products. The move was officially framed as part of a cultural revival – a...
Understanding Africa’s cultural crescendo
Africa's creative wave is the strongest it's ever been, and the world is paying attention. As the pandemic ended, a global appetite for rawness and newness emerged, and Africa's artistic expressions are breaking away from the tired stereotypes to tell a different story, from the nightclubs of Lagos to the...
Superman ignites fury among right-winged Americans
James Gunn’s highly anticipated Superman film has not only revived the iconic hero but also ignited a political firestorm, particularly among right-wing Americans. The debut of the new Superman film last week sparked global excitement, with many reconnecting with their sense of childhood wonder. This did not go without a...
Fame doesn’t make people untouchable but neither should whiteness
More celebrities are facing the public consequences for their morally deplorable actions, dispelling the culture of idolatry that presents famous people as a moral guide. However, a culture of racism and misogyny is still allowing culpable white men to evade the consequences of their actions. Earlier this month, hip-hop artist...
What is the ‘Gen Z stare’ and is it a real problem?
Millennial TikTok users are taking to the platform to express their grievances about the conversation-halting deadpan look they receive while interacting with young people. Is this a real thing, and if so, what does it mean? It’s just another day on TikTok, and young people are being dragged for their apparent ‘lack of social skills’. Millennials are calling out what they’ve dubbed the ‘Gen Z stare’ – the blank faced, deer-in-headlights...
Isn’t it time for men to decenter women?
Many straight men struggle to form close relationships with one another without relying on a female intermediary. Perhaps it’s time for them to take a leaf out of women’s books and assume responsibility for dismantling the patriarchal systems which are negatively impacting their mental health. Whether you’ve been long acquainted with the idea, or you’re delving into ‘decentring men’ for the first time - maybe you even first came...
Are we getting the ‘decenter men’ movement wrong?
‘Decentering men’ is back with a vengeance, but is it really up to women to be rejecting these patriarchal systems of power disproportionately protected and maintained by those gendered as male? You might have first heard the term back in 2019, when Sherese (Charlie) Taylor coined it in her book entitled Decentering Men. Or perhaps you came across it in the more recent rhetoric online. In digital spaces, the...
Is Netflix’s ‘Shark Whisperer’ an inadvertent threat to shark conservation?
Ocean Ramsey’s new Netflix documentary highlights her conservation journey, but has also reignited debate within the scientific community about her credibility and actual impact on shark conservation. In a world where conservation efforts are of greater public interest than ever before, we’re not exactly short of wildlife influencers. One of them just got a Netflix documentary released called Shark Whisperer. The film follows internet-famous Ocean Ramsey and her journey in shark...
