Is ‘main character energy’ pushing us further into self-absorption?
It might be easy to feel like we are the brightest glowing star in this experience called life, but taking main character syndrome to the extreme can be detrimental. It seems like everywhere you look these days somebody is telling you to be a little more selfish. Instagram is filled with...
Current in Media
Jack White calls for labels to launch vinyl record plants
In a statement and video, Jack White urges record labels to get serious about vinyl production. He says that supply chain issues and manufacturing bottlenecks need to be addressed. Jack White has asked major record labels to begin building their own vinyl pressing plants, citing industry wide shortages and...
You Decide – is horror’s portrayal of ageing women problematic?
In the modern age of horror, elderly women playing the roles of ghoulish antagonists is fast becoming an obsessive genre trope. Many such films hold up in a commercial and critical sense, but is this perhaps indicative of harmful gender values still present within Hollywood? The Shining is one of...
Opinion – ‘Pam & Tommy’ helps and hinders female exploitation
The new biopic – shunned by its titular star Pamela Anderson – has raised the question: at what point should we stop reclaiming someone’s experience for entertainment? Lingering beneath its comedic overtone, Hulu’s new series ‘Pam & Tommy’ unpicks an ominous 90s mega-scandal: the theft and illegal distribution of Pamela...
Opinion – Kim Kardashian shouldn’t be telling us to ‘work harder’
When will famous billionaires realise they’re too out of touch to offer worthwhile career advice to the rest of us? I’m starting to believe the only thing worse than men spending millions to blast themselves into space for 30 seconds is the trend of famous, privileged white women telling normal...
Media is finally encapsulating the realities of being young today
Though some directors have been accused of virtue signalling their way onto the silver screen, there’s no question that Gen-Z’s hyper-awareness has made media the most diverse it’s ever been. It’s safe to say that representation on screen has notably increased over the last few years, though it hasn’t come...
How has Ukraine’s music scene been affected by the war?
Economies, oil prices, humanitarian aid, and many other services have been impacted by the ongoing Ukrainian and Russian conflict. Musicians and artists have asked for the right to protest on streaming services and indie labels could be irreversibly damaged. Ukrainian musicians and industry representatives have called for streaming services – such as Spotify and Apple Music – to approve the inclusion of political messages on album artwork. Those inside Ukraine...
NFT platforms tipped to disrupt the music industry
As popular streaming services like Spotify continue to take the lion’s share of revenue away from music artists, NFTs may help them regain control over their enterprises in the near future. In the future, the ability to listen to your favourite artists may depend on you finally wrapping your heads around NFTs. Sorry, but it’s for a good cause. If you keep up with any sort of industry news, you’ll already...
Gen-Z’s relationship with romance is a complex one
Is finding ‘the one’ possible? Gen-Z knows having a so-called soulmate requires continuous compromise - and many prefer to prioritise themselves first. Although abstaining from parenthood and marriage has been done by some members of older generations, no age group has been as collectively relaxed towards these milestones than Gen-Z. The act of breaking tradition has come to define the colourful, fluid, and socially conscious generation, so it’s unsurprising that ‘first...
Opinion – We need to improve our response to public breakdowns
If you’ve been on Instagram the last week, you’ll have seen Kanye West’s turbulent posts airing his private grievances. He routinely displays concerning behaviour, yet our collective response remains unhelpful. Kanye West is once again causing havoc online. It seems like every year – usually around the time of an album release – the producer, fashion designer, and rapper will take to social media to generate buzz. A few years ago he...
