Why ZAYN’s all-female band is so important
The singer has been praised for spotlighting the seven-women brand supporting on his latest tour. Zayn Malik’s decision to tour with a seven-woman band had people talking, and for good reason. While male-dominated lineups are the default in the music industry, this ensemble – featuring Molly Miller on guitar, Baby...
Current in Media
Wicked star slams ableism on social media
Marissa Bode has called out ‘very gross’ comments about her ‘Wicked’ character Nessa Rose, as internet trolls prove that – despite growing representation – disabled individuals are still pushed to the fringes. Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ll be well aware that Wicked, a movie adaptation of the award-winning...
One of the world’s greatest female footballers faces transphobic abuse
Barbra Banda’s mistreatment highlights the insidious misogyny and transphobia launched at women in sport. Barbra Banda, a Zambian footballer, was awarded the BBC’s Women’s Footballer of the Year last month. The prestigious award marked a milestone in Banda’s illustrious sporting career and should have been an opportunity to spotlight women’s...
Opinion – social media platforms will see a mass exodus in 2025
Social media hasn’t been around for long, with the first platforms emerging less than thirty years ago. In this short time, they’ve become a breeding ground for annoying bots, rampant online hate, and the poor mental health of their users. Will they survive another year? By now, anyone with access...
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...
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...
Musicians could lose €4 billion to generative AI every year
A first-of-its-kind economic study predicts that, in just four years, a quarter of music artists could see their earnings sabotaged by the rise of AI generated tracks. It’s getting harder and harder to trust the authenticity of ‘leaked’ songs from our favourite artists these days, and that’s all thanks to the rapidly improving capabilities of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI). In just a few minutes, the vocal likeness of top artists can...
Opinion – it’s time to abandon our ‘always on’ culture
While smartphones have granted humans the remarkable ability to stay in touch from anywhere in the world, we need to acknowledge the consequences of never getting a chance to properly 'shut off'. Throughout history, no other group of human beings have lived the way we do, that is, completely immersed in and unable to escape a culture of being ‘always on’ and ‘available’. The seamless connectivity offered by modern technology...
Whoopi Goldberg launches women’s sport network
US comedian and television host Whoopi Goldberg has launched All Women’s Sports Network (AWSN), a new 24/7 global women’s sports channel. Women have historically been excluded and discouraged from practicing sports. During childhood, girls constantly hear phrases like ‘you run like a girl’ and ‘you kick like a girl’ – phrases which are usually made to mock them. Despite efforts to stamp out damaging stereotypes, this level of discrimination against female athletes...
Are brands crossing a line in the pursuit of relevance?
The widespread mocking of Gary Barlow’s son proves that virality alone should not equate marketability. Oh boy, does the internet love a spectacle. Over the past week, a photograph of Gary Barlow’s son, Daniel, towering above his dad, went viral. The memes arrived shortly after, and overnight Daniel became a punchline feeding the algorithm’s endless appetite. Like most social media trends nowadays, viral content is a bit of an open season...
