Should we criticise musicians for entering high luxury fashion?
Frank Ocean’s $27,000 USD sex toy left many fans disappointed and muddled. At what point does a popular musician’s entry into fashion and other high-end avenues become exploitative? Frank Ocean unveiled a $27,000 USD male genital sex toy last year - complete with a nude photography demonstration, obviously -...
Current in Culture
KSI’s racial slur shows lack of understanding of South Asian hate
KSI’s recent use of a racial slur against South Asians and many responses shows a lack of education about its history, and many have even been forgotten. In a parody of Countdown, KSI chose to say a derogatory slur aimed at South Asians from his selection of letters. Although he...
NEOM provides fresh updates on its latest luxury island project
The Saudi-based architecture firm NEOM has gotten to work on a handful of futuristic projects in recent years. Now, it’s announced new details of its plan for Shushah Island. Those involved with urban planning are now faced with major challenges in light of our mounting environmental and resource crises. Experimentation, innovation,...
Stanford University students create ‘Rizz GPT’ for AR glasses
People are constantly finding new uses for ChatGPT, whether recreational or professional. The latest, has seen Stanford students develop a set of AR glasses which can provide automated conversation prompts on the fly. They call it ‘Rizz GPT.’ Typical advice for an important interview or date usually encapsulates something along...
Billy McFarland claims Fyre Festival II is ‘finally happening’
The serial fraudster is said to owe $26m for duping more than 100 investors in 2017. Five years on, he claims that a second attempt at Fyre Festival is ‘finally happening.’ Incarceration is supposed to be about rehabilitation, right? In the case of Billy McFarland - a man once compared to...
Is powdered beer the answer to alcohol’s carbon footprint?
A German brewery has developed powdered beer, a revolutionary new beverage that may change the way we consume alcohol forever. Instant drinks like coffee and - dare I say it - custard, have been around for years now. And while these powdered alternatives have revolutionised our daily lives, an alcoholic...
Re:Sound festival highlights homeless experiences
Re:Sound is a festival that aims to use music to allow audiences to rediscover their city through the eyes of those who have been homeless. The last performance of the opera’s national tour was on Sunday. The festival Re:Sound, run by charity Streetwise Opera, involves professional composers, designers, singers, and filmmakers working with those who have experienced urban homelessness to create micro-operas. Re:Sound has run for the last year in London,...
Opinion – Why BTS leader RM’s thoughts on colonialism are so important
‘In the West, people just don't get it’, Kim Nam-Joon, leader of world's biggest music group, BTS, exclaims when asked if the cult of perfection and over-achievement are Korean cultural traits. Here’s our attempt at an explanation. ‘Korea is a country that has been invaded, razed to the ground, torn in two. Just 70 years ago, there was nothing. We were getting aid from the IMF and the UN. But now,...
Is diabetes killing my sex drive?
Chronic conditions such as diabetes can have a severe impact on a person’s physical and mental health, but can they damage our ability to be intimate with our partners, as well as ourselves? My body image has drastically changed since being diagnosed with type 1 diabetes last year. Insulin injections have made my weight yo-yo up and down and produced bruises and bumps all over my body, while my hair has...
Opinion – Dating apps ruin the experience of falling in love
From selecting a potential partner based on vague information on a phone screen to the weighty implications of meeting within a platform designed to transform strangers into couples, have ‘dating apps’ taken the fun out of falling in love? If you met your significant other through close friends, family, or acquaintances, this article might not be for you. If you found your life partner on a dating app, this also...
