Opinion β βQueerbaitingβ creates unfair pressure on young celebrities
18-year-old actor Kit Connor announced he was bisexual this week, claiming that pressure from fans and the media had forced him out of the closet. Are we forcing celebrities out of the closet? It sounds like a bizarre question. Just a few years ago, being queer in the public eye...
Current in Media
Opinion β politicians should stop trying to be celebrities
Constant media coverage kickstarted the personalisation of politics, where leaders arenβt seen as representatives but more as βpersonalitiesβ that the public tries to know, relate to, and measure their own values against. Is this damaging? Yesterday, the wiser half of Britain collectively scoffed and eye-rolled after learning that its former...
Kevin Spacey has won lawsuit against Anthony Rapp
The juryβs decision marks a difficult turning point in the #Metoo movement. This week, as a jury concluded actor Kevin Spacey was not guilty of molesting Anthony Rapp β an assault that Mr Rapp alleges took place when he was just 14 β Spacey dropped his head in relief. Hugging lawyers...
Alex Jones to pay $965 million USD for Sandy Hook defamation
Infowars founder and right-wing conspirator Alex Jones has been ordered to pay nearly $1 billion USD in damages to the families of Sandy Hook victims, after years of abuse and harassment from his followers. Right wing conspirator and commentator Alex Jones has been ordered to pay $965 million USD...
Opinion β βKim, there are people that are dyingβ is a toxic mindset
The popular phrase has become a default when we β or others β complain about trivial things in our lives, but could this thought process be damaging? We live in the era of heightened global awareness, with the ability to know whatβs going on in virtually any part of the...
Scooby-Doo writers finally confirm Velma is gay
After years of speculation, βScooby-Dooβ has officially confirmed Velma is gay. If that news seems both obvious and overdue, thatβs because it is. In the new straight-to-TV film βTrick or Treat Scooby-Dooβ β the thirty-fourth of the series β show runners decided to give fans what theyβve been waiting for. A now viral...
Does Netflixβs βDahmerβ drama trivialise real tragedy?
Ryan Murphyβs drama adaptation of the Jeffery Dahmer case is a huge hit for Netflix. Despite seemingly well-intentioned studies of racial tensions throughout, the show still glamourises Dahmer and reduces real tragedy to convenient social media one-liners. Currently sitting at the top of Netflixβs home page, βDahmerβ dramatizes and follows the story of prolific paedophile, cannibal, rapist, and serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer, who murdered seventeen people over a thirteen...
Caleb McLaughlin opens up about racist βStranger Thingsβ fans
McLaughlinβs experience proves one thing: that whether young, old, or wildly successful, even those who seem untouchable still face racism. Weβre all guilty of mystifying Hollywood stars. We immortalise them, so much so that the death of a mainstream actor feels like the loss of a loved one. Their wealth feels untouchable β their fame endless. Of all celebrities, perhaps none are more beguiling than the child star. The ability to achieve...
Meg Thee Stallion launches mental health platform
The program, called βBad Bitches Have Bad Days Tooβ provides an expanse of resources for therapy services and mental health helplines. It also showcases organisations offering advice for Black and LGBTQ+ communities, with the hope of improving access to mental health care and removing the stigma around asking for help. Houston rapper and Grammy-winning artist Megan Thee Stallion practically invented the popular phrase βhot girl summer,β which encouraged women everywhere...
Opinion β why Halle Baileyβs portrayal of Ariel is so important
The new trailer for Disneyβs live-action remake of The Little Mermaid features a Black actress in the title role. Conflicting responses from young children and racist adults prove why Arielβs new casting is so important. Scheduled for a 2023 release, a live-action The Little Mermaid has created buzz since it was first announced in 2016. When Halle Bailey, a young Black musician β and five-time Grammy award winner alongside her...