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there is always too much going on.
Hello honey! 🍯🐝
We’re back again with another Tuesday newsletter, and lucky for you all, I’ve been chronically online this weekend, which means this edition will be full of juicy juice.
I’m willing to admit that it could also be complete garbage – but who doesn’t love a little shake up from time to time? Variety is the spice of life, after all.
This week we’ll be spotlighting some news in culture (celebrities always give us something to talk about) and then we’ll move on to more serious topics because, well, it’s my job to be informed and these things demand to be discussed!
Let’s get into it.
🌟 The celebs are at it
Having your privacy and boundaries disrespected unfortunately comes with the territory of fame these days, but rapidly rising star Chappell Roan is not standing for it. Taking to TikTok, the singer called it ‘weird and abusive’ that random people are inclined to ask her for a picture or a hug while going about her day. While the internet largely agrees that stan culture is out of control, many say Chappell Roan should’ve concealed her identity if fame-driven attention would be this big of a problem for her. Sia, Daft Punk, and the M Huncho are examples of musicians who have done this well. Others say Roan has picked the wrong career, but that doesn’t feel entirely fair. Artists should not have to refrain from gaining success through their life’s passions over fears of being harassed in public. Perhaps it’s time audiences look at their own behaviours and put extreme parasocial relationships to bed? Celebrities are only human, and stalking, in general, is creepy behaviour, to say the least.
J.Lo has apparently donated $4.5 million to Palestinian aid – aznon global
Jennifer Lopez has been the subject of intense scrutiny as of late. Some might even go as far as saying she’s been “woman’d” by the internet. If she hops on an social media trend, the masses declare it is ‘so over’. When she mentions being a Latinx woman from the Bronx, the lasting authenticity of this declaration is questioned, with users reminding everyone that she’s been ultra-rich for more than two decades and has a (somewhat) questionable ability to speak Spanish. But Jenny from the Block might’ve just won back the public’s affection, following rumours that she donated millions of dollars to Palestinian aid. ‘Mi gente Palestino’ one X user writes, recognising J.Lo’s good deed while poking harmless fun at the star.
The Blake Lively backlash is in full swing – business insider
Speaking of being woman’d… it’s hard to believe one of America’s most likeable sweethearts could land herself in hot water, but you honestly can’t count anyone out in the age of social media. Blake Lively’s been criticised for her ‘tone deaf’ approach to promoting her upcoming film It Ends With Us, which covers a range of serious subject matter, including domestic abuse. Then, a journalist revealed Lively had assumed she was pregnant while on a PR tour in 2016. As it turns out, the journalist is infertile, admitting that entire interview made her ‘want to quit her job’… aaaaand it’s all been downhill from there. Some say this backlash was ‘a long time coming’ as social media users dig up old interviews that paint Lively in an unfavourable light. The moral of the story? No one is safe and the internet always has receipts ready.
🌍 On more important matters
Weeks of protests and doctor’s strikes have taken place in India in response to the brutal rape and murder of a trainee doctor, who was killed during her shift at the RG Kar Medical College in Kolkata this month. With global attention on the case, an additional ‘Reclaim the Night’ march was organised in the streets of West Bengal. Thousands of women gathered across the nation in an unprecedented move to demand stronger legal accountability for offenders and greater security measures for women at work, school, in public, and in their homes. On social media, Instagram posts and X threads have highlighted the chilling frequency of sex crimes in India, while pointing to the lack of systemic change resulting from previous incidents. The ‘Reclaim the Night’ march proves that India’s women are no longer willing to wait for justice – they are demanding it now.
Israel’s allies could be complicit in war crimes in Gaza – time magazine
In recent days, Biden said that pro-Palestine protestors ‘have a point,’ after they gathered outside the United Center in Chicago during a Democratic National Committee meeting. Meanwhile, a British civil servant resigned over concerns that the UK will be found complicit in aiding war crimes, stating that Israel is committing these acts ‘flagrantly, openly, and regularly’. It seems like shit is about to get real in the world of international politics, as the Israeli government continues to ‘make its own decisions’ when it comes to its ‘strategy’ in Gaza, while stoking the flames of a broader war in the Middle East. So far, Israel’s allies have been expected to play along, but the stakes have been raised as Israeli leaders express their expectation that the UK and US will join the fight if they move to engage in full-scale war. With the more than 40,000 Palestinians killed during the last 10 months, this tragic madness has to end somewhere – but it’s anybody’s guess when, how, or who will stop it.
The UK government will now treat misogyny as extremism – thred.
Gender-based violence is not exclusive to India, it is a global issue faced by women around the world. Over the last few years, UK leaders have been urged to address the country’s own growing list of cases involving violence against women. Now, home secretary Yvonne Cooper has vowed to crack down on the issue by placing misogyny in the category of extremism. This is part of Labour’s new approach to combat the stark rise in incel culture in digital spaces, which is leading to the radicalisation of young men. While it’s a relief to hear some action being taken, it’s unclear just how rigorous this new policy will be.
📚 Recommendations
That’s it from me! Thanks for reading and make sure to subscribe for the latest news on Gen Z and youth culture. Also, don’t forget to check out The Gen Zer for a weekly roundup of more trending insights, stories, and discussions.
