Is mukbang content dangerous for creators and audiences?
As mukbang creators raise the stakes of their eating to compete for audience attention online, experts are worried about the consequences this could have on the mental and physical wellbeing of both viewers and stars. Mukbang videos – livestreamed or prerecorded video content of creators eating food and chatting to...
Current in Culture
Unpacking why everyone’s ‘very demure, very mindful’ online
Forget Brat summer, it’s time for another new trend. Hot on the heels of the brash and bold mentality that Charli XCX had us embracing with her latest album, its antithesis has blown up on TikTok, seeing users satirically favour modesty over lime green hedonism. I. Cannot. Keep. Up. In tangent...
What’s the meaning behind Banksy’s latest stunt?
The anonymous street artist has claimed credit for three consecutive animal-themed artworks in three days. One theory is circulating on social media that the ‘London Zoo’ collection (as its been dubbed) reflects the parlous state of the UK amid ongoing far-right riots nationwide. This week, a number of animal-themed artworks...
What is the recent obsession with ‘raw dogging’?
The colloquial phrase is popping up everywhere, despite its unfortunate origins. What does it mean and why can’t I have a wee on a plane? People keep telling me I’m ‘raw dogging’ the city because I refuse to carry a rucksack to work. Of the endless colloquial terms that seem to...
Kamala Harris’s unexpected cultural transformation
In an out-of-the-blue turn of events, Vice President Kamala Harris finds herself at the heart of ‘bratcore.’ Catapulted into this phenomenon by a blend of pop culture, political memes, and a concerted rebranding effort, it’s sparked criticism from sceptics and a cult-like devotion among her supporters. In the ever-evolving...
Why is The 1975 facing a lawsuit?
The British rock band has been sued for $2.4 million by Good Vibes Festival in Malaysia over frontman Matty Healy’s protest against the country’s harsh anti-LGBTQ+ laws last July. The organiser of Malaysia’s Good Vibes Festival has followed through with its threat to sue the 1975 and all its...
my stupid ‘incurable’ disorder(s)
one truly sh*t medical marvel. So, my name has once again popped up on the Wildcard rotation and to be honest I don’t have a tonne of topics I’d like to explore. However, yesterday evening the night sky was full of static again and my ears were ringing till my offspring woke me up early this morning. I guess I’ll just talk about that. Apologies in advance if this is lacking any...
Scientists are attempting to prove that we’re living in a simulation
Humans have questioned the authenticity of our existence for centuries, but former NASA scientist Thomas Campbell is aiming to ratify once and for all whether we’re living in a simulation. René Descartes in the 1600s came up with the immemorial Latin phrase ‘cogito, ergo sum’ – translated to ‘I think, therefore I am.’ Preoccupied with thoughts that his senses may have been fooled by an intangible faux existence, he posited that...
Meditating on our environment at ‘The River’
The latest in the Natural History Museum’s free contemporary art programme, The River – composed by acclaimed Norwegian sound artist Jana Winderen in collaboration with spatial audio expert Tony Myatt – explores the world below the surface of the Thames using underwater recordings, highlighting the importance of sound in this habitat and the impact that human activity is having on it. Lying on a beanbag at Jana Winderen’s The...
What happens to our online data after death?
Our digital footprints will long outlive us, inadvertently leaving our loved ones to tackle a privacy conundrum. Should we care? Fear of death is an existential crisis most people contend with at several stages of life. When getting our affairs in order, however, little thought is given as to what will happen to our digital data once our clogs are popped. When cleaning through the effects of a recently departed loved...
