Use of disposable vapes reportedly falls ahead of ban
E-cigarettes, more commonly known as vapes, have reportedly seen a decline in popularity ahead of the UK-wide ban that comes into effect at the start of June. From then on, disposable versions will no longer be available. The use of disposable vapes has seen a sharp decline in the...
Current in Media
The White Lotus is breaking the Hollywood pay code
Mike White’s hit show pays every cast member the same amount, regardless of role or experience. You could argue that all jobs, all workplaces, are built on hierarchies. But perhaps no more so than Hollywood. There are few other contexts in which all employees work on the same projects regardless...
UK calls for streaming services to share revenue into TV fund
MPs in the UK have called for platforms like Netflix to share some of their revenue to support high-end British TV. They warn that a lack of support could erode distinctly British content. A group of UK MPs have called for streaming services to contribute a share of their...
A Minecraft Movie’s meme-shaped success
Gen Z fans have propelled the eponymous film to ridiculous heights thanks to memes and theatre mayhem. Who would’ve thought a movie based on the most popular game of all time would be a smash hit? Honestly, not me. Unless you’ve just woken up from a coma spanning back to 2009,...
Understanding the body politic
As many people are becoming increasingly disillusioned by a tumultuous political arena and a lack of social mobility, many are turning towards the gym as a way to “cope” with capitalism and achieve objective “positive” results. In 1982, Jane Fonda’s at-home workout videos were released, becoming one of the most...
Opinion – The bashing of Meghan Markle has gone too far
The media loves a catfight, but its obsession with inserting them into Meghan Markle’s innocent home-making exposes deep-rooted biases. Ever since she entered the remit of the royals, Meghan Markle has been subject to relentless scrutiny. Never one to break a habit, the media has ensured that her latest venture,...
Is Netflix’s ‘Shark Whisperer’ an inadvertent threat to shark conservation?
Ocean Ramsey’s new Netflix documentary highlights her conservation journey, but has also reignited debate within the scientific community about her credibility and actual impact on shark conservation. In a world where conservation efforts are of greater public interest than ever before, we’re not exactly short of wildlife influencers. One of them just got a Netflix documentary released called Shark Whisperer. The film follows internet-famous Ocean Ramsey and her journey in shark...
News avoidance has become huge internationally
The percentage of people who selectively avoid news has reportedly reached 39% globally. This is an increase of 10% in less than a decade. Blissful ignorance or doomscroll-induced anxiety? Pick your poison. It’s no secret that the state of the world is causing mass panic. Cost of living is on a continual ascent, the climate situation is perilously grim, war crimes are occurring on a daily basis, the threat of terrorism...
Why has ‘Adolescence’ had such an impact?
The new Netflix limited series, following the family of a young boy who is arrested for murder, is already the most watched show in the UK and has infiltrated discussions in Parliament. Its success speaks to the insidious impacts of social media on a generation increasingly misunderstood by the world around them. ‘I want it to be shown in schools, I want it to be shown in Parliament. It’s crucial...
What’s all the trouble with Disney’s Snow White?
A live-action remake of the 1937 classic has been hampered with controversy from the start. But why is a story about a princess, seven dwarfs, and an apple causing so much drama? For better or worse, Disney has been churning out live-action remakes of its classic tales for the past few years – an effort to modernise now rather outdated, but still beloved stories for a new generation. Some have been...
