Opinion – Netflix fails to recreate the Stanford Prison Experiment
Hoping The New Stanford Prison Experiment on Netflix would offer real psychological insights? Expect to be disappointed by this flimsy reality show disguised as science. Ever since it was conducted in the 1970s, the Stanford Prison Experiment (SPE) has become something of a cautionary tale for psychologists. While it...
Current in Media
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...
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...
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...
Microdramas are fuelling exploitation in the entertainment industry
The booming world of rapid, vertical mini dramas has generated a multi-million dollar mobile entertainment industry. It’s also fuelled worker exploitation, low wages, and suffocating schedules. Is TV getting dumber? In today’s post-literate society – an era Rose Horowitch deftly explores in a recent piece for The Atlantic – how we entertain ourselves is a hot topic. From the second-screen problem to the rise of AI-generated content, the general consensus is...
How TikTok failed to take down Perez Hilton’s livestream
The celebrity blogger was hospitalised after allegedly harming himself on a TikTok livestream. Now the platform is reckoning with the consequences. Last Tuesday, celebrity gossip blogger Perez Hilton (born Mario Armando Lavandeira Jr.) appeared on a TikTok livestream naked, covered in a red substance that appeared to be blood, and holding what looked like a knife. As viewers watched on in horror, a concerned number called the emergency services who...
