Kai Cenat and the influencer charity controversy
Kai Cenat is under scrutiny again, but this time it’s not about setting off fireworks in his room or being shite at Elden Ring. It involves a school in Nigeria, and we’re trying to find the line between philanthropy and clout chasing. Earlier this year, Kai travelled to Nigeria with...
Current in Media
Cancelling ‘The Late Show’ is a sign of troubling times
Stephen Colbert’s exit marks more than TV’s end. It signals the unsettling ‘Trumpification’ of mainstream media under political pressure. CBS’s decision to cancel The Late Show with Stephen Colbert – a late-night institution that, in Colbert’s own words, ‘isn’t being replaced’ – marks the end of a 33-year legacy and a...
Bad Bunny redefines what it means to tour
Instead of travelling the world and to perform in a new city every night, Latinx artist Bad Bunny is telling fans to come to his home country Puerto Rico. Earlier this year, Bad Bunny released his massively successful seventh studio album ‘DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS’ (translated in English to...
Is this summer’s Love Island UK the most misogynistic yet?
The show’s male contestants have repeatedly bullied, belittled, and gaslit. On a show plagued by mental health crises and online abuse, how thin is the line between entertainment and intervention? I love staying in the loop. Maybe it’s the nature of my job, but keeping up with current affairs is...
Understanding Africa’s cultural crescendo
Africa's creative wave is the strongest it's ever been, and the world is paying attention. As the pandemic ended, a global appetite for rawness and newness emerged, and Africa's artistic expressions are breaking away from the tired stereotypes to tell a different story, from the nightclubs of Lagos to the...
Superman ignites fury among right-winged Americans
James Gunn’s highly anticipated Superman film has not only revived the iconic hero but also ignited a political firestorm, particularly among right-wing Americans. The debut of the new Superman film last week sparked global excitement, with many reconnecting with their sense of childhood wonder. This did not go without a...
Fame doesn’t make people untouchable but neither should whiteness
More celebrities are facing the public consequences for their morally deplorable actions, dispelling the culture of idolatry that presents famous people as a moral guide. However, a culture of racism and misogyny is still allowing culpable white men to evade the consequences of their actions. Earlier this month, hip-hop artist Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs was convicted on ‘two counts of transportation for prostitution’ As Combs’ prosecution shows, fame doesn’t always protect...
Isn’t it time for men to decenter women?
Many straight men struggle to form close relationships with one another without relying on a female intermediary. Perhaps it’s time for them to take a leaf out of women’s books and assume responsibility for dismantling the patriarchal systems which are negatively impacting their mental health. Whether you’ve been long acquainted with the idea, or you’re delving into ‘decentring men’ for the first time - maybe you even first came...
Are we getting the ‘decenter men’ movement wrong?
‘Decentering men’ is back with a vengeance, but is it really up to women to be rejecting these patriarchal systems of power disproportionately protected and maintained by those gendered as male? You might have first heard the term back in 2019, when Sherese (Charlie) Taylor coined it in her book entitled Decentering Men. Or perhaps you came across it in the more recent rhetoric online. In digital spaces, the...
Is Gen Z too emotionally literate to feel?
In the age of endless information, mental health awareness, and AI therapists, people in modern societies have never been more well equipped to understand their own emotions. But have we lost the know-how to be vulnerable with others? In 1971, the refrain “the revolution will not be televised” echoed from the stereos of vinyl record players as young people marched in the streets to challenge racial oppression and war. In...
