Are musicians really touring less?
Both Miley Cyrus and Charli XCX have defended their shorter concerts and limited dates after backlash. Does this reflect a changing social contract between performers and their audiences? In the last few years, a pop star’s success has come to be measured in miles. The bigger the album, the bigger...
Current in Culture
Why are hotels trying to curb influencer culture?
A growing number of tourist spots are tackling content creators in the hopes of preserving the broader guest experience. But who will win? Taking photos of yourself has become a holiday rite of passage. We all love a pose before a sunset or a historic landmark, but influencer culture has...
Opinion – we’re still justifying misogyny under the guise of ‘comedy’
Shane Gillis’ uninspired, unfunny SNL monologue proves sexist humour is still shaping our social norms. Forgive me for thinking that as a society we’d passed the point of giving men a platform to call women ‘whores’. Turns out we haven’t. Not only did Shane Gillis have free reign to do...
Why Nigella Lawson’s Bake Off stint is already revolutionary
The new judge is dismantling diet culture with big bites and no nonsense. We need more of this on TV, now more than ever. I’ve always loved Nigella Lawson. I’m a fellow foodie, I’m a writer – which means I’ve devoured her written recipes as fervently as the dishes themselves...
You’ll own nothing and be happy: the subscription crisis
Gen Z subscribes to everything from music and films to software and storage, paying endlessly for things we never actually own. As ownership is increasingly replaced by access, are subscriptions making life more convenient - or creating a generation that pays forever and owns nothing? There was once a revolutionary...
Is it acceptable to bring an iced coffee into a job interview?
Recruiters are debating on TikTok whether it’s okay to bring iced coffee into a job interview, highlighting discrepancies in professional standards between different generations and industries. Would you bring iced coffee into a job interview? A debate has been underway on social media this week as Gen Zers and older professionals...
The rise of ‘thinkfluencers’ and why they’re everywhere
From Substack to explainer TikToks, everyone’s craving thought-provoking content. But is our hankering for brain food a reaction to AI or evidence of a deeper desire for fulfillment in the modern age? What is a ‘thinkfluencer’? Consider them the talking head in your pocket: a bastion of knowledge on often niche topics, sharing facts and figures with the help of a teeny tiny handheld mic. These types of influencers have...
Macklemore dropped from Ed Sheeran’s tour after ‘free Palestine’ speech
Rapper and musician Macklemore has been removed from Ed Sheeran’s ‘The Loop’ tour after making comments on stage regarding Palestine. He took to Instagram to explain and defend his position, arguing that ‘there is no neutral position between the oppressor and the oppressed.’ Macklemore has reportedly been dropped from Ed Sheeran’s ‘The Loop’ tour following his comments on Palestine during a recent performance. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UmSErSKL874 He had been the opening act for the...
Booking.com vulnerability exposed by fake Downing Street listing
Researchers from consumer group ‘Which?’ say they’ve successfully listed 10 Downing Street on Booking.com as part of a security test. The property was ‘available’ for two months before being removed. Fancy a stay on Downing Street? Consider yourself a future Prime Minister and need to trial run your accommodation? We’ve got you covered. Well, not really, but consumer group ‘Which?’ says it successfully listed 10 Downing Street on popular property and...
Can having tattoos still hold you back professionally?
If findings from recent research are anything to go by, the answer is yes. Around 60 million Europeans have at least one tattoo. Personal ink is hardly the taboo it was a few decades ago, but that doesn’t mean it’s warmly welcomed in the workplace. Dr Alyssa Grocutt spent several months researching tattoos, and found that employers are ‘still less likely’ to hire candidates with visible tattoos. Grocutt has hundreds...
