The BRIT school and the importance of accessible arts education
This year’s biggest Grammys winners all hail from the same state-run Croydon school. Their stories are a ‘brilliant celebration’ of free arts education. What do Olivia Dean, Raye, and Lola Young all have in common? Yes, they all won Grammys at this year’s awards, and yes, they all hail from...
Current in Culture
What was Turning Point’s ‘All-American Halftime Show?’
Last weekend, the right-wing political organisation Turning Point hosted its own, alternative NFL Super Bowl LX halftime show in protest of Bad Bunny’s official stadium performance. The reviews were less than stellar. Turning Point USA, a right-wing political organisation founded by the late Charlie Kirk, has faced criticism and...
Saudi Arabia’s futuristic Neom project is being scaled back
The Neom megaproject, first announced in 2017, involved an ambitious plan to build a megacity that ran entirely on renewable energy on the edge of a desert. The project is now being scaled back over financial and sustainability concerns. Saudi Arabia’s futuristic city of Neom is officially in the process...
Why is Hollywood so obsessed with what women eat?
Jennifer Lawrence has consistently pushed back against the pressures of Hollywood and diet culture, yet it hasn’t been enough to stop the speculation and comments surrounding her body. Why are women put into different categories based solely on what they eat? Jennifer Lawrence first starred in the Hunger Games film...
Is the NFL taking a stance against Trump with Superbowl show?
The NFL chose known Bad Bunny and Greenday to perform at the Superbowl, two artists who are vehemently outspoken against Trump. Facing immense backlash from right-wing conservatives, the NFL remains unbothered. It looks an awful lot like an active stance against the Trump administration. On February 8th, Bad Bunny and...
Opinion – women are the villains of the Beckham family drama
From Meghan Markle comparisons to scathing ‘boy mum’ memes, why are we always so quick to assume that women are the problem? I was on my way home from work when Brookyln Peltz-Beckham dropped a 700-word (yes, I checked) bomb of an Instagram story this week. Frantically refreshing my Wi-Fi...
Is The Traitors a crucible for unconscious bias?
The show is beloved nationwide, and has since spread overseas. But the experiences of Black contestants consistently mirror everyday life. Are you affronted by the suggestion that The Traitors – arguably Britain’s most beloved TV show – has an unconscious bias problem? If yes, you’re probably ignorant to the ways in which racial bias constantly shapes society. By which I mean, you’re probably white. You may think this claim ‘too woke’, or ‘overblown’....
BBC set to make shows for YouTube in new deal
Amidst Trump’s legal threats and a waning Gen Z audience, the BBC is hoping to gain back some much-needed goodwill with a landmark new YouTube deal. The BBC has struck a deal with YouTube to make brand new content tailored specifically for the digital platform. It comes after months of turmoil for the BBC. Its editing blunder in November saw US president Donald Trump launch a multi-billion dollar lawsuit, and...
Is the ‘Wuthering Heights’ controversy warranted?
Literary purists are on the rampage over Emerald Fennell’s upcoming adaptation of the gothic novel. But why do modern takes on historic literature so often spark backlash? Wuthering Heights may be one of the most famous books ever written, but Emily Brontë’s singular masterpiece has proved near impossible to adapt for the modern age. Fraught with violence and deeply complex explorations of love, grief, class and intimacy, fans of the novel...
Has ‘Diary of a CEO’ flown too far to the right?
The popular podcast is receiving heat for a recent conversation around women and motherhood. It highlights how far the show has strayed from its origins. Stephen Bartlett is no stranger to controversy. When you head-up one of the biggest podcasts on the planet, that comes with the territory. And it seems Bartlett knows that – he hasn’t let criticism sway him from building a multi-million dollar empire that now includes...
