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T H A N K YO U

from the Blaire team

We have never really been in favour of the ‘Letter from the Editor’. It might be due to the fact that we sometimes read magazines backwards, or maybe because we love the excitement of the unknown.

It’s like ignoring a blurb on the back of a book, or seeing a movie without watching the trailer. So instead of giving you a brief summary of what our magazine entails, we’re going to keep you in suspense whilst doing the page-flip.

However, just so you know, this month’s issue has a lot more attitude, character and bite. Be prepared for the unexpected, because team Blaire got shit done.

Sarah Long Creative Director

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Emily Eaton Editor

5 Tom Morphett

CO NTEN TS

8 MATT IRWIN PHOTOGRAPHY

james dean

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22 Lime Cordiale

24 Music reviews 26 CITY AND COLOUR

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F. Scott Fitzgerald

PORNOGRAPHY in comtemporary society

FINTAN MAGEE Male fashion

42 Hair trends 44

The Heels Trust

46 CHICK FLICKS VS GUY FILMS 48

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Film reviews

Books to anchor the soul

52 Literature reviews

54 How to Pick a Player 6

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Matt Irwin Photography

Iconic Australian Photographer Matt Irwin talks to Sarah Long about life, the power of photography, and how he made it to where he is now.

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irstly, we’ll start off with some background stuff. Describe yourself in five words or less.

Oh man, haha describe myself in five words or less?

Umm it’s hard not to be corny when you’ve only got five words to describe yourself. Umm creative, passionate, dedicated, haha they can’t all be like that, they all sound so awesome. I’m also unperfect. I think I just made a word up. I think that’s five words. Oh I guess I’m enthusiastic, which can sometimes be a flaw, as I like taking risks and that’s a part of entrepreneurialism.

But that has its pros and cons. So that will do. That’s a hard question, I like it.

Tell us about the day that you picked the camera up and decided to pursue it?

I first picked up the camera when I was about seven or eight years old. However, I wasn’t aware at the time of how powerful the artistic tool of the frame can be.

I was about 15 when I was like ‘oh wow I’ve got this frame that I can choose to edit the world’. So you start to have a play and realise that you can capture shots through your lens where something can look really cool, but then change the angle and it doesn’t look as impressive. So I just move the camera around and its like BOOM, I get the cool photo that I want.

I don’t remember what day it was, but it was about when I was 15 years old. I was given my first 35-mil camera. High school was high school. I never really liked it. Year 10 was when I realised that I was into visual arts, like filmmaking and what-not. I ended up at film school straight out of high school, however that was over in a year. So I have never studied a photography course. I had pretty much done everything I learnt in high school in regards to what a dark room and light room was. I like to think that framing 8

and seeing the world in a different way is inherent. Except for understanding the technical side, but it’s quite easy to pick up, as it all just comes together and eventually you don’t even have to think about the technical side because it comes naturally.

Is this what you had planned on doing all your life?

Or did you have a plan B, if your artistic photography did not take off?

I was lucky by the time that I was 19 or 20 I had started to produce my work. And I used to show it to my friends and give it to them. So then I thought that maybe I could actually make some money out of these photos. So I tried to get into St Kilda market and I didn’t get in the first time that I tried. So I went for Camberwell Market which was the wrong thing to do at the time, as it was more of a trash and treasure market. You would have to get there really early and set up with torches and I had this old guy come up to me and ask me how much my masking tape was, which was just used to set up my stall. And I was just like ‘that’s for my store man. I’m not selling that tape.’ My work was in front of the general public, and it was enough feedback to make me go, ‘ahh this is really positive’. So I just kept going. Eventually, $1 turned into $2 and $2 turned into $3. So it became this sort of thing where I was self-sufficient. I was making money by the time I was 19 or 20 years old.

Did you feel as though there was a market for your work when you initially began? Or did you create the market and how?

Yeah I totally did. I’m actually writing a submission right now for something, and I said that I saw >

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Melbourne in the late 80’s in a certain way and what I envisioned wasn’t what I was seeing represented in popular culture. The photos that were being taken were just on a bright sunny day at 12 o’clock with a harsh sun and fluoro colours and there was no move or depth about them. So I felt the market was there.

There was totally an opportunity there. I was not really thinking, that it would be where it is today. Initially, all I had was a black and white dark room, so all I was doing was black and white photography.

In the 80’s it was all about colour and I went in the other direction, partly because I had no choice and partly because I was determined not to copy anyone else. I wanted to create my own space and my own place. And because of that, I don’t go to exhibitions, because us photographers have photographic brains and I think we store images in our minds, therefore we end up subconsciously copying them, without even knowing. So it was really important for me to be doing my own thing, because that was the joy, the joy of being out there and doing my own thing, seeing something that I haven’t seen before. I pursued a story.

Back then; there was no digital photography because now there are so many photographers.

Photography was very expensive, so if you were no good then you would run out of money very quickly.

I had to invest in printing and paper, but it was fun and exciting and I couldn’t be luckier to see the world, interpret it and present and get paid for it. I like it and that journey.

You’re a bit of a multitalented man, also printing your own snaps. Are there any other hidden talents that you want to share with us?

Haha well I love music. I have written the odd song on the side. That happens a little bit. I wish I had more time for it. I never got past the first run of that. Some of my songs are ok though; one of them actually got played at my wedding. So yeah, they’re not terrible.

I don’t think ill be selling any platinum albums. The other thing that I’m most thankful for is my business brain. I don’t know where that came from. Both my parents never ran their own business. I’m very thankful for how that came about. I guess its all very logic, supply and demand. If you’re going to make something, you need to sell it for more than it costs to make. And don’t try to compete in a market where there are lots of people doing the same thing. That’s a very hard thing to do.

And how did you know that you weren’t competing in a difficult market?

When I was doing my marketing, I had a DAVID JONES guy come up to me and tell me that my pictures were brilliant and if they were on greeting cards, they would sell them. He gave me his card and off he went. DAVID JONES did take my cards and so did MYER and that was the beginning of my publishing. So everything was happening.

Where in Melbourne are your favourite places to shoot?

I’m drawn to the city and central surrounds of the city.

My aesthetic is very cinematic. I love the laneways and underbelly stuff as well. You kind of only find that stuff in the city. That’s where I’m mostly gravitated.

Whether it’s the plains of Mongolia or Dandenong Ranges, I can always capture something I love. All cities have their character. One of the most exciting parts of what I do is being able to walk around and see something and think that its awesome and then take shots of it. Whether it’s dumpsters in front of graffiti and the colours, or anything. I’m like ‘oh hello’ and I run around taking shots and get something amazing.

Where has your photography allowed you to travel and where have some of your favourite places been?

All the obvious and well-known places: Paris, London, New York, Beijing, big cities with amazing architecture. I also love the Mediterranean and other beautiful picturesque places. Its not about that though, its about capturing an image the demonstrates the juxtaposition of poverty and rich, its about the juxtaposition between new and old, just all interesting stories. It’s about the personality of the city and environment that I go to. I try to absorb that and hope that it comes out in the pictures. I try to tell a story of the environment. There are different styles of photography and I have been shy all my life, so I prefer to look at things at arms length.

So how do you feel about Instagram and how everyone now thinks that they’re a photographer?

Well, it’s hard to be completely overjoyed about it. I think that the politically correct answer would be, good on it and good on everyone for having a crack. > 11

And look, people come to my gallery and they tell me that they can’t take photos like this. And I tell them that everybody is good at something. So just give it a go. Look, what do I think? Yeah ah, it’s a hard question.

There are two sides. From a creative perspective, I think its great for people to be able to do all this and that’s great. From a photographer and ‘it pays my mortgage’ perspective, I have watched half of the photographers around me go broke, because digital photography literally means that people can pick up a camera and just do it from home and they don’t charge the same rates, which means that photographers are a dying breed. So, the same thing happened to graphic designers in the late 80’s when Mac’s were invented and everyone became desktop designers. And then it happened in the 90’s. Everyone was a web developer.

I think its great that everyone’s taking photos, because there’s lots of amazing photos to be taken, but I don’t know what will happen to the next generation of photographers and whether there will actually be any. I just managed to establish myself, just before the digital hit. Still then, it was never going to be easy for me. It’s just a bit sad. This is more so about professional photography. Monthly I receive emails from photography places and they’re informing us that they are shutting down and whether we want to buy their gear. Some of that is the GFC (great financial crisis), but this is a whole conversation in itself.

Rather than Instagram, which is social media, its more so digital photography that is killing the creative industry. No one will ever be able to make a living out of creativity, when everyone thinks that they can now do it. It’s affecting all of us.

What’s the most awkward/random photo shoot that you have been asked to do? Did you end up doing it?

I did do a photo shoot for a drag queen and his name was Tracy Tracyt. And I’m totally into that thing, it’s fine, it’s wonderful. But there was a moment when Tracy, who was a big woman/man, came up to me and said, ‘Hi, would you like me to make you wear tights.’ I was like, ‘No I’m alright thanks.’ That was a bit of a funny one. Shoots are generally dangerous, however.

Like hanging out of helicopters and it’s fun, but you do end up in some interesting places.

What else goes on in the world of Matt? Any other interesting projects?

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There are always things ticking along, like the annual calendar. It’s coming along nicely which I’m excited about. And I have a new book in the wings, which I’m excited to announce, however I cant say anything else at the moment. And, we are looking for a new gallery.

Ok now for the fun stuff, if you could exhibit your work anywhere in the world, where would it be?

I always like to do unusual things. I could put my work in the Louvre, Guggenheim or National gallery of Victoria. But why not get a big-arse projector and project it on the side of the rialto, lets do something awesome.

Or project it onto a cloud. I would probably try to do something like that.

If you had the opportunity to sit down with a famous person (dead or alive) to pick at their artistic brain, who would it be?

My favourite painter is Jeffery Smart, he’s now in his late 80’s and I admire his work. Film, Ridley Scott I would love to sit down with him. His movie Blade Runner was amazing. I also admire Steve Jobs; I have always followed his career. He is just incredible. He’s a great showman and a good laugh. I would be interested to have a conversation with him when his guard is down, because otherwise he seems like he could be an angry person. Add Bill Clinton onto the list, or even Hilary Clinton. I’m interested in business, entrepreneurs, visionaries and artists. So there are obviously a few people that I want to sit down with.

My art is just purely a way of expressing my place in the world and that’s what artists are. Artists love the world. They want to feel it, talk about it, understand it, share it and work out the meaning of life.

Let’s make it a dinner party of my favourite people.

There are too many people that inspire me.

If you were an inanimate object, what would you be?

A Spaceship.

Thank you Matt for taking the time to sit down and talk with us. We are huge fans at Blaire Magazine and it’s an honor to be featuring your work.

> Sarah Long

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www.mattirwin.com

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James Dean too fast to live

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orn in 1931, and gone by 1955, James Dean did very few things by halves. His notoriety and brand far exceeds the amount of work which he was able to produce during his short life. But it is his role in Rebel Without a Cause that he is most remembered for. In the film Dean portrays a rebellious teenager who was able to capture the moral decay of American youth. It set a precedent for how American youth were perceived to be in countless following films. The irony of this situation exists between the type of character he was, who he was perceived to be, and the man he was attempting to portray.

James Dean as a youth was an exceptionally hard worker, and it was his undergraduate studies which began to define him. Beginning with a major in pre-law, he eventually changed this to drama, and the rest is now history.

Whilst these achievements don’t look so different from many who were successful before him, it is more unique after taking into account the hardships which he faced as a child. His mother died when he was nine and he was sent off to live with his aunt after his father was unable to cope with raising him alone.

It has also since been reported that he was sexually abused by his pastor, two years after his mother’s passing.

The hardships he encountered in his life, as well as the ones acted out on the silver screen remain unseen by the majority of the public. James Dean was, and still is, the pin-up boy of Hollywood. He was the definition of everything that was cool. The leather jacket, the cigarette hanging from the bottom lip, the carefree attitude; it all added up to the man every boy wanted to be, and every girl wanted to be seen with.

James Dean was immortalised in film. He was

a lost soul, a depiction of how many of his teenage fans saw themselves and where they hoped to end up in life.

Yet, if any of them knew the man intimately, and of the demons which lay behind his cool performances, they may have thought differently.

How these personalities were able to marry up is a minor miracle in itself. The fact that they were able to come together in such a successful way is unbelievable. Many would argue that it is the path which majority of actors walk today, although there are very few who defined a generation as comprehensively as he.

Where would the T-Birds in Grease have been without his precedent? How would a current-day Zac Efron be able to portray his characters without the work that had been done before his time? James Dean has been responsible for a lot of assumptions which are made about the youth of today. The link is not always evident or conscious, yet is the most commonly sought after explanation as to why a troubled youth might be the way they are.

Dean portrayed the character he was in real life, whilst at the same time showcasing the family life he would have so desperately loved to have still had. It is a complicated web, and ironically we could not have had the celebrity we wanted, without first having the youth which we did not.

The final act of irony came in the shape of his untimely death. At the age of 24, Dean was tragically killed in a car accident. The same portrayal had already been a part of one of his previous works. In Rebel Without a Cause, Dean’s main rival is killed in a high speed driving game gone wrong. Whilst there was no game involved, it was the speed and power of the impact which ended the young star’s life.

It can only be imagined how much impact he could have had if his career had have been allowed to run its natural course. Or perhaps for the full impact to be felt, this tragic end was needed to further cement the fragility of youth.

Has his death warned future youths of the dangers associated with living one’s life in the ‘fast lane’ all the time? Or maybe it has taught us that life is the shortest thing that you will ever take part in, and to

enjoy every moment you have. Both lessons are valid, and it took one man’s life to teach a generation of teens that life is the most serious, non-serious job they will ever have.

James Dean’s story is not a happy one, but it is a successful one. That in itself is perhaps the biggest irony of them all.

> Mitchell Pascoe

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Lime Cordiale are an up-coming Sydney-based band with a distinct musical style. They deliver a fresh, exciting, pop sound. But what we really love about these guys is their individuality – including their fashion sense. Love and enjoy them.

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an you describe your music in five words or less?

Energetic. Gro0vy. Porno. Yeh! Uh!

friends and building a fan base in other cities so we need to keep coming back for them. And I’d also like to go platinum with our EP, get a personal assistant and be sponsored by Jeep.

Where did you get your band name? I love Coola Do you have anything else in the works for 2013? lime cordial.

Another festival perhaps?

Mum never bought us Coola as kids. It was the McDonalds of cordial. Maybe we reacted to that.

What bands influence you and your music/ sound?

The Strokes, Citizen Cope, Cosmo Jarvis and Amy Winehouse.

We love your recent single Bullshit Aside; it’s a great name. Can you tell us a bit about the making of that song (how long it took, what inspired your lyrics etc.)?

We wrote it in a cold warehouse in Redfern.

Louis had a broken leg and had been lying down for weeks. He had just had enough of that I think and got all sing singy with it. As he does.

You’re currently about to start your EP tour. Are you guys excited?

It’s great to see that tickets are selling. I love travelling to other cities, buying the shit you can’t in Sydney, eating in new restaurants and partying with people you don’t know.

What are you hoping to get out of this tour?

We’re just keen to build up a group of regulars in different cities. The red-hot spot for us is Sydney because we grew out of this city. We’re making

We’ll release our EP and then try and get another one happening. I’d like to get over to the US this year. Just do a shitload of shitty gigs. We have US passports so I feel like it’s necessary.

Have you had any crazy fans do anything really weird/crazy yet?

With the introduction of snapchat, we’re seeing all kinds of weird and sexy shit. Just lots of droopy boobs really... which I love.

You have a real distinct indie/hippy style, which is very sexy. Are you guys deliberately trying to create your own look as well as music? Because it’s working.

We’re the smelly shirt guys. Buy or find something that looks pretty cool and then just chuck it on.

If you guys could be a song title, what would you be?

Yankee Doodle.

For all the Blaire Magazine readers, are you guys single and ready to mingle?

Yep. What ya got? > Sarah Long 23

MUSIC

universus

SHOCKONE

Perth artist ShockOne is back, smashing up dance floors with his debut album Universus. Since storming the industry in 2009 with his self-titled EP, ShockOne’s screaming bass and heavy-handed beats have earned him a place as one of the country’s premiere bass producers. Intelligent control of his art allows ShockOne to drag us kicking and screaming across an intense range of sounds: a smashing drum and bass rollercoaster twirling with subtlety and surprise.

The epic ‘Chaos Theory’ has already hit number one on iTunes and is killing it in the clubs. As the opening track, ‘Chaos Theory’ sets up the looming assault about to take place. ‘Big Bounce’ jolts us out of our DnB trance, only to bounce back tearing and banging all the way back to the euphoric outro ‘Light Cycles’.

Universus is certainly a testament to the producer’s versatility. The album is packed with future festival favourites and exciting collaborations that threaten to be huge once let loose. > Melissa Richards

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cave rave CRYSTAL FIGHTERS I thought this album had something written in Gallifreyan as the cover art and I got excited. However, the Doctor Who fan in me was let down as it turned out to just be a pretty circular design. This is a pretty accurate depiction of the whole of the album. There’s an appearance of what you expect from the album, but it’s clear that those moments aren’t intended to be the high points. However, it’s moments like ‘Bridge of Bones’ and ‘Are We One’ that make up what I enjoy about the album.

It’s when Crystal Fighters move away from the indie-rock sound that they let loose masterpieces, clearly inspired by late 90’s house. I just wish that a little more focus was placed on these tracks. They deserve the spotlight, as they, for me, make Crystal Fighters stand out from every other indie-rock group out there. > Ronan McDonnell

comedown machine

overgrown

THE STROKES

The Strokes fifth album, Comedown Machine has not received favourable reviews. The criticism is unfortunately warranted: the album is not good. In fact, it’s weird. In the bizarre synthy Mika-esque ‘Happy Ending’, Julian sings, ‘I’m not awake anymore… show me where to go.’ That pretty much sums up the album. His confused state has resulted in a record that is as puzzling as it is uninspiring. Is this really the Strokes? Has someone kidnapped them and forced them to release this mess?

What happened to the kick-ass rock band who delivered the masterful Is this it in 2001? Comedown Machine is too casual and lacklustre. It lacks the grit and sexuality of the Strokes, which is a damn shame. They can do much better than this. > Lisa Matlin

JAMES BLAKE

UK artist James Blake is an electronic music producer as well as being a singer/songwriter. This talented individual’s newest studio album release Overgrown, contains some mind-blowing material, and proof that he is a true artist. The title track ‘Overgrown’, combines a mixture of folk music with Blake’s own style.

His use of a piano riff and raw vocals in between two tracks shows that as an artist, he is swiftly moving from his original style of synth into a more melodic and emotional album. > Perrie Kapernaros 25

CITY AND

COLOUR THE HURRY AND THE HARM Album review

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he Canadian singer-songwriter Dallas Green (better known by his alias; City and Colour) is back this June with his fourth studio album, The Hurry and the Harm. City and Colour is the solo project of the Alexisonfire guitarist, but since their final farewell tour last December, City and Colour has attracted both Dallas’ and the music industry’s full attention.

Released on May 31 in Australia, the new album went straight to the top of the iTunes chart in Canada, beating out big names like Daft Punk, Macklemore and the soundtrack to the hugely popular The Great Gatsby. The album has also received plenty of favourable reviews across many countries, Australia included.

The album itself picks up from the indie-rock and acoustic sound that Dallas had on his hugely successful 2011 album Little Hell. The biggest change in those two years is that the energy of the album has more of an upbeat, up-tempo vibe compared to the heavier sounds of Little Hell. The sadder melodies are out and are replaced with resonating soft rock anthems.

The Hurry and the Harm could almost be split into two separate albums. The first half of the album gives off a stronger, rockier vibe while the second half becomes softer and more reflective. Both sides of the album demonstrate the raw 26

emotion and warm vocals that fans of City and Colour have come to love and expect. The better tracks on the album are definitely ‘The Lonely Life’, ‘Of Space and Time’ and ‘The Golden State’. The standout song for me is the title track of the album ‘The Hurry and the Harm’.

The Hurry and the Harm is one of Dallas Green’s most successful releases to date. This is backed up by Dallas himself saying to Faster Louder’s Sarah Smith, ‘When I listen to this record, there’s certain moments in it where I think that’s exactly how I always imagined the song would be’.

City and Colour were in Australia last year playing as part of the line-up for Groovin’ the Moo as well as a series of solo shows across the country.

When he was asked about whether he’d be touring Australia for The Hurry and the Harm Dallas said, ‘I would come there tomorrow because I love it so much. So I hope it’s in January, and we’ll leave it at that’.

Regardless of whether City and Colour hit our shores early next year, we highly suggest you pick up or download a copy of The Hurry and the Harm as soon as possible.

> Spencer Hadlow

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The genius of

F. Scott Fitzgerald ‘Genius is the ability to put into effect what is on your mind.’ – F. Scott Fitzgerald

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t would be fair to say that the writer F. Scott Fitzgerald achieved this. Writing most of his work in the 1920’s, also known as the “Roaring Twenties” or the “Jazz Age”, Fitzgerald commented on the behaviours of the affluent in a time when partying, drinking to excess and cultural status were how a person defined themself.

Fitzgerald is best known for his novels such as The Great Gatsby, Tender is the Night and his short fiction such as The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.

He had also written for The Saturday Evening Post for seventeen years, publishing 68 stories throughout his career.

But the recognition of Fitzgerald, as with every generation, has once again been revived with the release of The Great Gatsby movie illuminating a well-known story to a new and wider audience. Gatsby is the story of a man’s absurd wealth, his lavish lifestyle, problems with women, and an unexpected death. So why now is Fitzgerald’s legacy revived again to such a tremendous extent? What is it about him that still captivates generation after generation?

It’s often been said of Fitzgerald’s work that he captured, if somewhat morbidly, the pursuit of The American Dream. This dream is based on notions of freedom, equality and the ability for all people to become successful. Whether “successful” means raising a family, becoming wealthy enough to live comfortably, or just being happy, it’s certain that if Fitzgerald was writing about this pursuit, he was writing about it with a scowl on his face and urgency in his pen-hand.

Tender is the Night, perhaps his most famous work after Gatsby, tells of the Nicole and Dick Diver who are married, successful, intelligent, and with plenty of friends to attend their dinner parties. They 28

seem like good people, deserving of their lifestyle, even if Dick is a little surly and Nicole can’t seem to plant her feet on the ground, but Fitzgerald doesn’t keep up this illusion. Swiftly he knocks them out from under their feet. As Dick has an affair with a very young actress, descends into a debilitating alcoholism and makes only feeble attempts to repair his destructive marriage, we are forced to see Fitzgerald’s image of this great “dream”. The novel plunges further into despair as Nicole is committed to various mental asylums after attempting to kill her entire family, and the money on which their lifestyle is dependent begins to dwindle.

And these themes weren’t separate from his other works.

Struggling with alcoholism himself, Fitzgerald often depicted the spiral down which one falls in the midst of this addiction. Gatsby’s world is filled with it, and The Beautiful and Damned and This Side of Paradise, his earliest works, are no exception. One of Fitzgerald’s most heartbreaking stories, Babylon Revisited has a father who, even after his marriage has been destroyed and he seldom sees his kids, still refuses to kick his drinking habit.

Next to alcoholism, destructive marriages ran throughout Fitzgerald’s work. His own marriage to Zelda Fitzgerald seems rather like one in his fictions; like the unending chaos between Nicole and Dick Diver, and Jay Gatsby’s tormented desire for Daisy Buchanan.

F. Scott saw Zelda as his muse. He would often take episodes of their life together and write it directly into his works, while even using her diary and letters a source for inspiration. He adored his wife, but his adoration often blurred the lines between the private and public, and the healthy and destructive.

Zelda and F. Scott Fitzgerald. Photo: Yale University Library

And this iconic coupling is also something generations refuse to let go. Zelda Fitzgerald’s book Save Me the Waltz has remained popular since its publication in 1932, and Therese Anne Fowler’s Z: A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald was released just this year. Fowler has written from the perspective of Zelda and the novel begins when she first meets F. Scott at seventeen, and ends with his death.

Glamour, glitter and the lavish lifestyle of the Fitzgeralds was reflected in the author’s fiction, and it is no doubt that the continued fascination and revival

of it is partly due to our own susceptibility to this lifestyle.

But the timelessness of both F. Scott’s work and his life is in his ability to recognise the dangers and the trappings of this glamour, to turn it upside down and shake it to expose what’s really happening behind such a privileged life. This is what was on F. Scott Fitzgerald’s mind, and that is his genius. > Tom Bensley 29

PORNO GRAPHY IN CONTEMPORARY SOCIETY

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mateur lesbians fist and lick their anal. Have I caught your attention? The name of that video certainly did whilst I was scrolling down the page of a well-known pornography Internet site. If you’re wondering whether I opened it, I did. As they say curiosity killed the cat and it’s safe to say that my pussy was shot down. How on earth does one get hard over watching a female lick another females’ poo particle rim-hole? Before fisting the shit (pun intended) out of it and making her ejaculate everywhere. If you’re getting turned on by this, then you’re a sick f**k, or maybe I’m on my own, questioning whether pornography has lost all sense of a filter.

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We can all thank or condemn some artistic, Italian dude living in Rome for inventing modern day pornography. Somewhere back in the 16th Century, he decided to engrave sexually explicit pictures and publish them. Since then, the penis and vagina have not looked back, well unless of course they’re looking at bum hole. However in stating this, porn was in fact filtered. Naked people were accepted, penetration to a degree was accepted and it was made exceptionally clear that all actors involved were already a part of the sex industry, therefore the performances had no influence on societies sexual expectancies.

Pornography soon took a turn during the French Revolution and was used against the aristocracy as political vengeance. Porn until then was only performed for the upper class. The political tactic later demised once royalty was beheaded, and pornography flourished amongst all classes. Kudos to the French.

Maybe that explains their flamboyant openness to sexuality.

At this point in time, the meaning of pornography was slowly diminishing between what it actually was and what impact that it had on society.

However, because it was something of the “unknown” people could not get their hands off it. Laws were laid (especially by the U.S), but for some reason the laws were just an incentive to continue sourcing out porn.

It’s kind of like putting a cookie jar out of a child’s reach; eventually he will get the cookie from the cookie jar.

It wasn’t until the 20th Century that pornography really excelled. Men’s magazines were being published and distributed worldwide. The distribution is what initially evoked a universal taste for sexually explicit content. However, even though there was a growing market for porn, everything was still censored and monitored.

X X X

The real deal-breaker between censored and tasteful (if you can call it that) porn, was the 21st century influence of the Internet. Ok, so now I have given you a brief history class on the founding of pornography, it’s now time to highlight the negative influence that the Internet has had on pornography in contemporary society.

I shall revert back to my previous statement, ‘amateur lesbians fist and lick their anal,’ or how about this one (it was a top pick on the website) ‘perfect, homemade, hairy whore takes it from behind with baseball bat.’

Besides the exemption of Hustler Magazine, which I don’t even think would have such “creative” dialogue; pornography is actually becoming a joke. Even though I became temporarily addicted to watching such absurd footage, I was momentarily desensitized to the realism of sex and the expectancies in the bedroom.

Now, I have heard males state that porn isn’t real and it’s all acting, so I questioned their obsession with it.

After all, if they know that the girl with a baseball bat is just a bit of unrealistic “fun”, then why the hell are they so immersed in it? So, instead of initially focusing on the problems that porn may be causing, I decided to direct my attention to the question of why men are so fixated on it.

Is it because online pornography has become a porthole of desire that men wish to become a reality? And, if that’s the case, then don’t we all wish for some of our deepest desires to become a reality?

What I’m trying to say is that there are people who deeply immerse themselves in the online pornography culture and hope for some element of it to become true.

Now boys, don’t get your knickers in a knot by my statement, as I’m not trying to generalise. All I’m saying is that there are people out there who don’t have filters and uncensored pornography feeds their unfiltered brains, which can lead them to stigmatise the act of sex in a negative light. This explains why the

answers to my research of asking different men were so varied. Depending on the genetic make up of a male’s brain, it will decipher their understanding of pornography.

Whilst some men don’t really see beyond the act of penetration itself, others take it to the extreme, which is why uncensored porn can provide them with the wrong idea to try and pursue their desire of animal porn, dominatrix, pedophilia etc, on someone or something.

Once upon a time, live pornography was a sexual act between two people. Not so long ago, or since online pornography has been created, the act between two has more so become an act of one penetrating into multiple holes. If you’re not catching my drift, then understand this. The majority of videos uploaded onto a popular pornography website are ‘blowjobs’ or ‘anal’ which involve women being objectified whilst either choking, or in awkward, yelling pain (men get turned on by this). As I said earlier, men understand that it is all acting, however when ‘homemade porn’ is also being uploaded of these women performing such acts on their men, it’s only human to begin to wonder why their own woman won’t do the same. I’m speaking on behalf of women, there’s no romance in expectancy, so how about you do something to earn your reward, just saying…

Anyhow back on topic, I ask all men this question; why aren’t there videos of women shoving men’s faces in their vaginas and telling them to suck it? Or ‘hot man gets down and dirty for woman’? Probably because the porn industry revolves around tantalizing the males taste buds. Which is why men enjoy watching the submissive woman perform such acts. It empowers the male and feeds his ego. All men thrive off an ego boost. And now that their ego is being challenged by women in the business world, they get their kick from a cheeky little porn fix (even though its fake) through the Internet.

Some of you are probably reading this and thinking ‘well I watch porn, just because I like watching sex,’ which is fine. Because that part of porn is hot.

However, if that’s the case for this group of men, then why can’t pornography revert back to something a > 31

little more tasteful? Maybe throw in some role-playing, or passionate, hot oral and sex between two people. It still delivers, minus the choking, yelling and painful acts that the woman has to endure.

The underlying problem with online pornography is that women are being exploited, and I honestly find it gross. This type of porn (penis penetrating three holes of an object) is pushing our expectancies in the bedroom where facts and figures have proven that men want more and women are becoming more insecure about their sexual capabilities. Men think its absurd that women find this certain pornography uncomfortable, however fail to forget the pressures women feel, if their men are getting a ‘fix’ on the computer, while watching another female perform such acts.

Pornography is slowly taking a turn for the worse and the more that we condone the pushing of boundaries in the sex industry, the more socially acceptable the exploited woman is becoming.

It would actually be a wise idea for the makers of pornography to stop investing their time in new and creative ways in which they can exploit a woman

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and her bits, and start considering the moneymaking opportunities in creating tasteful pornography, where women as viewers don’t feel so confronted by the penis. Not only will this induce women’s desires to have more fun with their men, but their confidence in the bedroom will also skyrocket. There is now a huge market in pornography for women. And women are the money-spenders of society. It’s only common sense for a shift in the sex industry to happen.

Just food for thought.

> Sarah Long

33 Tom Morphett

FINTAN MAGEE B

orn in Lismore NSW, Fintan Magee moved to Brisbane as a child and began drawing shortly after. In his early teens he was exposed to Brisbane’s graffiti culture.

Moving away from traditional graffiti in recent years, his guerilla murals often inhabit the isolated, abandoned and broken corners of the city. Mixing surreal and figurative imagery, his paintings are deeply integrated with the urban environment and explore themes of waste, consumption, loss and transition, and contain a sentimentality and softness that is influenced by children’s books.

He has exhibited throughout Australia and has been selected as a finalist for the Prometheus, Churchie and Lethbridge art prizes and received the people’s choice at the Cliftons art prize, Brisbane. In 2012 after a 4-week residency at ISAD studios in Jakarta, he was invited to collaborate on a large-scale installation with Indonesian collective Ruangrupa. The piece was included in the 7th Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary art at QAGGoMA.

His diligence, technical skill and progressive approach to street art make him one of Australia’s mustwatch emerging artists.

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y name is David Meadows. I’m a 22 year-old male who regularly assures himself that he dresses well, eats well, listens to only the best music and also regularly wonders why the hell I wore what I did, why I thought my hair looked good that way, and why the f*ck did I just say that? This piece was written as a way to stop you making my aforementioned mistakes, and point out safe but trendy male fashion.

Stre et Goth

Skingcraft

Street Goth sees top end fashion being fused with streetwear. Labels such as Alexander Wang, En Noir, and Skingcraft as well as the more readily accessible Cheap Monday and Blvck Scvle are just some of the brands leading the charge in this latest trend. In short, the clothing includes dark, simple cuts mixed with leather and glimpses of colour coming through with each layer. The more layers the better.

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Beanies or hats (exclusively black) are a good start.

They must have some form writing on it, A$AP Rocky’s Blvck Scvle collection, or a simple Carharrt piece is a good place to start.

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For a leather jacket, look no further than an Alexander Wang piece. Long, fitted and flowing jackets or drapes are also commonplace, but a black hoodie is also a good start. Underneath the jacket usually comes a black shirt stretching past the waist to create the illusion of a long mid-section. Leather shirts are great, for those who are confident enough to wear one (A$AP, Big Sean, Tyson Chandler) have been spotted wearing them. Create layers by experimenting with long shirts and short jackets, and short shirts with a longer shirt underneath are some ways to go about your get-up.

Black as the preferred colour for pants (surprise right). I prefer waxed denim and don’t think it will lose its appeal anytime soon, but once again it’s for the risktakers (remembering what I said in my second sentence). Leather pants by En Noir (and worn by Kanye West) are another option to up your Street Goth cred.

Finally arriving at footwear and with the culture having shot to the mainstream in America, the Yanks have and always will have a penchant for big colourful kicks, so no surprise it’s incorporated a lot into this style. However, there’s nothing to stop one from keeping it simple with a pair of Doc Martens or Chukka boots.

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Chukka boots (ASOS)

A$AP Rocky and the team repping the street goth style 41

to err is human...

to hair is divine

T

hroughout the fashion week, there seemed to be an emphasis on wearable locks.

Low maintenance and messy do’s were the go to for designers such as Calvin Klein, DKNY and Stella McCartney. There are so many things I am loving at the moment. Hair can be flyaway and “just woken up”, or you can go for the soft glamour curl, or, the structured vintage style (my favourite) which seems to be making it’s way back.

Choppy layers for long hair is almost a must, and if you don’t want do the full chop for a blunt fringe you can fake it by sweeping your hair up over the front and pinning it, as done by Prada, or grow your bangs right out and sweep to the side.

Ponytails were low and wide, braids and plaits were thick, textured and multi layered, the slicked back hair was very prominent. No longer ladies, will you be wearing your bun on top of your head; it will be heading south into a lovely little artistic bun at the nape of your neck.

Colour for me has always been a major thing. I have gone from red to pink to black, to chocolate brown, and to all shades of blonde, so it is so lovely to see that colour has made a splash on the catwalks and in our magazines.

The belayage has been taken to a new level.

Now we have what we call ‘mermaid hair’ or ‘my little pony’ hair. This is amazing as it incorporates not only one colour but a multitude of colours.

This looks amazing and brings out a creative side.

But the hot hair colour of the season is red! Any hue of red, be it light, golden or bright.

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Accessories are the hot thing this next season.

Everything from flowers and headbands to satin bows, to my favorite vintage inspired bandanna’s and head scarfs... thankyou Dolce and Gabana.

This I love, as it makes for an easy up do and always looks funky! So Ladies get out there and accessorize your hair!

And for the fellas...

It seems that the current trends for men are either the fully slicked down style or the rockabilly styles and cuts. Think the Elvis pompadour, styled quaff or wavy side-parted hair. This involves short or shaved sides and lots on top, in which you can leave long and fluffy or style down… (swoon).

To create this look you need to use pomade and/or a shine styling product and a thin comb.

Mind you, in saying this, it hasn’t been much of a change, according to some hair stylists, in the last 12 months. But you know, boys with rockabilly haircuts are kind of my fav.

There are so many different trends and styles and there is definitely something for everyone.

I am loving that vintage styles for both lads and ladettes, are making their way back into our world.

Be bold. Be individual. Until next time.

Charne xx

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In heels we trust...

The Heels Trust For many ladies, shoes are like a drug. Isn’t it better to be addicted to shoes than something like alcohol? Some might disagree (mostly our partners!) because our back pockets may become lighter with each pay week. What if I told you that this may not be such an issue with the newest online shoe business that we have stumbled across?

Amen to The Heels Trust who have swept us all up in a shopping frenzy here at BLAIRE Magazine, making it such a hard choice to choose what shoes we love the most! The idea behind The Heels Trust is to give their buyers the option to buy a few pairs of shoes within a budget, with bright colours, different sized heels, boots, stand out shoes and your more every day basics – they really do have everything that you are looking for.

Being a bit of a shoe-crazed girl myself, being given some shoes to trial out is something that I will never turn down, so with this I looked through the very easy to navigate website and clicked through the categories to find exactly what I needed to make my outfits stand out. Every girl needs polka dots in her life, with a cute flirty edge and a hot to trot heel the Butterfly pump is a pair of heels that will make any outfit stand out.

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Sailor Sundays This look is a little sailor, and good I say, because I have been looking for sailor pants for months now and right under my nose was this pair of Whitney pants from the collection over at Obsessive Creative Designs.

This outfit is great for many things but I wore it particularly down the foreshore for Sunday breakfast with my hubby! You can get these super comfortable pants from OCD on Facebook, the top is from Sussans and the heels from The Heels Trust.

Creative Corporate Being a corporate gal, this black work dress is pretty boring until you add accessories, the Butterfly pump just gives a little bit of a giggle to this your every day black dress, making it sweet and hot all in one – like the perfect cup of tea! Shop the look at Myers for the dress, ‘I Love Lola’ for the necklace (www.ilovelola.com) and of course, the heel from The Heels Trust.

> Adelle Cousins

Website: www. theheelstrust.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheHeelsTrust Instagram: @theheelstrust Twitter: @theheelstrust Got instagram? The Heels Trust may reward you for hash tagging #theheelstrust with their monthly specials.

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CHICK GUY FLICKS VS FILMS And why these boundaries shouldn’t exist.

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he other day, I came across a feed on Facebook where two females were trying to organize a get-together to go out and see a movie with their boyfriends. Female #1 suggested they go and see The Great Gatsby, which had opened that day, to which Female #2 replied, ‘oh, good luck getting our boyfriends to see that… It’s a chick flick.’ At that, Boyfriend of Girl #2 popped in and said something along the lines of, ‘yeah, no way are we seeing that, me and Boyfriend of Girl #1 have already decided we’re all going to see Fast and Furious 6.’ A small tiff erupted between the group whilst they argued over whether they were going to see Leo and Carey Mulligan romancing up the screen or Paul Walker and Vin Diesel driving cars and blowing up shit. Eventually, the conversation came to an end upon the discovery that Fast 6 wasn’t out until the following week. The two boys begrudgingly agreed to see ‘that chick’s film,’ as long as they got to go and see ‘the men’s film’ the week after.

these were reasons that someone didn’t want to go see a movie.

The thing that struck me about this conversation was, not only that Gatsby, my single most anticipated film of the year, was being referred to as a ‘chick’s film’ or that Fast 6 was labeled a ‘men’s film’, but the fact that

As a filmmaker and someone who has been a lover of film for as long as I can remember, naturally, I find myself indulging in movies every single day. Growing

Let me take you back to the early days of cinema.

When films were an emerging form of entertainment the idea of a ‘demographic’ or ‘target audience’ was practically non-existent. People simply wanted to be entertained by a picture, no matter the story, genre or subject matter. A night out to the cinema was a grand form of entertainment and all kinds of films were enjoyed by all kinds of people. Studios made films for the mass public; they didn’t make them for the enjoyment of one specific gender, or one specific market group of people. Sure, there were genres, but, whereas today a horror movie may be aimed at a male audience, or a romance film may be aimed at a female audience, or a fantasy film may be aimed at a child audience – in the day they were made for a human audience. Walt Disney once famously noted ‘I don’t make pictures for children, I make pictures for an audience.’

up, I’ve always been of the belief that any movie has the potential to be good, no matter its age, genre or market demographic. A good film is a good film, just as a good story is a good story – none of the other ‘specifics’ should matter. I’ve never limited myself as to what I’ll watch or enjoy and my list of favourite films is so eclectic that you probably couldn’t see a link or theme connecting any of them. The thing is, I don’t particularly enjoy any genre of film more than any other; I simply love films, full stop.

So, given my love and appreciation for the history of cinema, you can probably understand why I am so baffled by this group of people I happened to eavesdrop upon on social media, who were so arrogantly unwilling to see a given movie because of what we are lead to believe is its ‘target audience.’

For as long as I can remember, I have been completely open with the fact that I love the kinds of films that society thinks a straight male shouldn’t enjoy. I have no hesitation or embarrassment to tell people that, amongst my list of favourite films, beside some more ‘manly’ flicks like Pulp Fiction or Die Hard or The Shining, sit films like The Wizard of Oz, Breakfast at Tiffany’s, An American in Paris, Notting Hill, Romeo + Juliet, When Harry Met Sally and 50 First Dates. I have no trepidation in saying this, or having it put in print – because I simply love all kinds of movies. I love chick flicks as much as I love a good action flick. If any guy thinks he’s less of a man because he enjoys, or even watches a chick flick, he needs to seriously re-think his position on the matter.

And you know what, it works both ways too…

I recently caught up with a female friend of mine and we decided to watch a film together. I told her to choose any movie she wanted from my mass-collection of Blu-rays and DVDs spanning all genres and eras of filmmaking. To my surprise and absolute delight, the film she picked out was Steven Spielberg’s World War II epic Saving Private Ryan. Now, Private Ryan is one of my all time favourite films and considering it’s one of the most realistically graphic war films ever made, it’s the kind of film you would think a female audience would try and steer well and truly clear of.

This couldn’t be further from the truth – the excitement my friend expressed during the battle scenes

equaled that of an avid sports fan cheering on their team whilst watching a game on the television.

At first it was a bit of a shock, but then, I considered the way I act when I watch a “chick flick.” I laugh, I cry, I give myself up to the story. I invest myself emotionally, attaching my very psyche to those in the film – the ones longing for romance, longing for meaning and longing for that happy ending. I enjoy them the way anyone should, just as the way my friend was enjoying Private Ryan is the way anyone should enjoy a war epic. Who’s to say only females should enjoy a certain kind of film, and who’s to say only males should enjoy a certain kind of film. We don’t watch films because of our gender or our sexual orientation; we watch films because we are all people. We are all audiences who want to be touched and entertained by a story, no matter what it is.

In Dead Poets Society, Robin Williams’ character says to his class, ‘we read and write poetry because we are members of the human race… beauty, romance, love, these are what we stay alive for…’ I say, replace the words read and write poetry with the words watch and write films and you’ve got a pretty solid argument on your hands.

I’m not saying guys have to enjoy chick flicks, or gals have to enjoy action blockbusters, because everyone enjoys different things. I’m simply saying, don’t count anything out because you’re lead to believe you shouldn’t have a reason to like it – because you have all the reason in the world to. I’m saying, don’t judge a book by its cover… or more appropriately, don’t judge a film by its target audience. And on that I’d like to mention that a week after this initial Facebook feed, Female #1, who was so opposed to seeing the latest Walker / Diesel vehicle, posted a status simply saying, “Fast 6 was AMAZING!” Case closed.

> Dave Lee 47

FILM

A Round-Up of Films currently in Multiplex

by Nic Barker

the place beyond the pines Director: Derek Cianfrance Starring: Ryan Gosling, Bradley Cooper, Eva Mendes Running Time: 140 mins They just don’t make films like The Place Beyond the Pines often enough. Derek Cianfrance’s follow up to his 2010 masterpiece Blue Valentine is a moving and tremendously emotional story of fathers and sons, set across the span of 15 years and featuring incredible performances from its star studded cast. Bound for a high place on my best of 2013 list, Pines is the first masterpiece of the year and I can’t recommend it highly enough.

evil dead Director: Fede Alvarez Starring: Jane Levy, Shiloh Fernandez Running Time: 91 mins This re-imagining of Sam Raimi’s 1981 horror classic is a mostly pedestrian affair – it certainly looks nice and has a fantastically bloody final sequence, but the acting (save for the teriffic Jane Levy) is poor and the ‘scares’ are expected, tired and not remotely suspenseful. Worth a look for horror die-hards and fans of the series, but a mediocre experience.

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star trek into darkness Director: J.J. Abrams Starring: Chris Pine, Benedict Cumberbatch Running Time: 129 mins Abrams’ big budget sequel to his 2009 Trek reboot is a fun and engaging adventure full of great characters, engaging setpieces and just generally lots of fun. TV’s Sherlock himself, Benedict Cumberbatch, is magnificent as the mysterious villain John Harrison, and leaves an indelible mark on the proceedings. While it wraps up far too neatly and features tired plot contrivances, I was able to overlook those to have a really great time with this one. Bodes well for Abrams’ next task – Star Wars: Episode VII.

the great gatsby Director: Baz Luhrmann Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Carey Mulligan Running Time: 142 minutes I’m no Baz Luhrmann fan, having disliked most of his previous work – however, his latest is a film where his over the top and opulent sensibilities actually serve the material. Luhrmann weaves this tale of façade and lost love with the subtlety of a sledgehammer but his actors save him constantly. DiCaprio is just wonderful as Gatsby, and Australian Joel Edgerton proves why he’s one of this country’s best actors with a wonderful performance as Tom Buchanan. I expected to dislike this film and I ended up liking it a fair bit – though one success can’t get me back the five hours I wasted on Moulin Rouge and Australia.

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Books to

anchor the soul the self-help phenomenon

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ovels bring warmth to the heart that any passionate reader could agree with as easily as the love toward the existence of books themselves. Truly, the written word can be of the greatest power to those who leave themselves open-minded and engaged with the ability to enter the imagination. It could be through fiction, that a world, an entire dreamland, can be created and adopted into the reader’s mind. It could be through non-fiction, that the reader learns of the many various hardships and pleasantries that there is to life. Books offer a certain counseling that we cannot get in such true form when delivered by the verbal word or visual image.

Whilst some people much prefer the moving image to the written word, it’s completely saddening to know that individuals could be denying themselves the support that may lie inside the sentences of a certain author. Often, we find ourselves seeking the answers to advice that we’ve been long since forging in our minds.

Most of the time, they are left unanswered. It’s then that we further search for means to help form solutions to the questions we pose in life.

Generally speaking, literature can offer a lot more than a good “Once Upon a Time” chronicle or fantasy epic. They can offer a lot more than teenage supernatural love story between unlikely vampires and packs of wolves, whose abs are conveniently overly attractive (ahem, Taylor Lautner). Books offer more than just all these narratives, because they have the 50

possibility of offering your very own. You seek a life where you lead your own journeys, split your own paths and fortune and decide your own fates. You can do so with the aid of a good self-help title from amongst the motivational ranges in the local library or bookstore.

I’m not being sarcastic here; the power of this kind of book is completely underestimated, and it has only been in the past few months that I’ve realised the abilities they hold within their covers, to assist you in making the right decisions come vital choices in life.

These texts do not simply tell you ‘Yes’, ‘No’ or what direction to take. Instead, they offer explanations of the ways you are feeling and what those emotions are coming to mean. If you are one that struggles to make sense of the whirlwinds in your mind, especially the confusing aspects of a complicated love-life, troubled career conscience or even just the difficulties that can come of finding your own characterisation within yourself, then these books are completely ideal for you.

I found myself picking at the motivational/selfhelp section of my local bookstore, after I had awoken feeling too numb in both mind and body, to endeavour even bothering with the day. This had come after a train wreck in the ‘love’ department, which hindered my ability to be at ease with the person I was. I can’t thank myself for finding these texts initially, however.

Instead, I owe complete thanks to a friend of mine

‘The power of this kind of book is completely underestimated...’ (you know who you are), who forced Amanda Hooton’s Finding Mr. Darcy into my hands… literally.

What a brilliant text it ended up being. If you’re not a Jane Austen fan, the book may not be completely for you, but it puts everything into perspective with a no-bullshit kind of attitude – pretty much the whole “stop-being-a-princess-and-move-the-hell-on” kind of concept. After finishing it from cover to cover, I went in search of more for these new acquired tastes of mine.

What I found was inevitable – a whole range of titles to the very needs and desires that I had come to carry; love, life, passion, health, fitness, motivation, family, personal character, self-definition… they’re all out there and pleading for you to engage and endorse them. I can’t pledge to you the very importance that these books hold, they’re not for everyone, but I do highly recommend that you give them a chance (like you did with that guy that you shouldn’t have).

Here are a few titles to get you started: The Catch Finding Mr. Darcy – Amanda Hooton You Were Born Rich – Bob Proctor

Textbook Romance – Zoe Foster and Hamish Blake (yes, hilarious) He’s Just Not That Into You – Gred Behrendt and Liz Tuccillo The Power of Positive Thinking – Norman Vincent Peale The Art of Happiness - Dalai Lama

> Cassie McBlane

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we love

Literature

the fault in our stars

JOHN GREEN

John Green’s The Fault In Our Stars is an emotional whirlwind. Although, being a love story, it really couldn’t be any other way. The story’s complication comes in an impossible and irreconcilable form; protagonist Hazel Grace is in her late teens and has terminal cancer. Green’s narration is natural and inclusive, and there are bittersweet, insightful and comedic moments. There were times when I couldn’t stop crying, but I couldn’t stop reading. It was just too good to put down. > Ella Clarke-Schwarz 52

notorious nineteen

JANET EVANOVICH

Arguably the world’s worst bounty hunter, Stephanie’s luck appears to be changing when she receives the financially lucrative assignment to track down a conman awaiting trial for embezzlement, after he disappears from hospital. The trouble is, this conman doesn’t want to be found. A secondary assignment includes guarding her (mouth-wateringly sexy) mentor from a rival Special Forces adversary compounds Stephanie’s problems and level of mortal danger.

In Notorious Nineteen, Evanovich has delivered once again an uproariously funny comedic crime novel, including all of the favourite characters of the series in her inimitable blend of action, suspense, romance, mystery and crime. Evanovich has long been a force to be reckoned with, and Notorious Nineteen certainly upholds her reputation. > Sarah Duell

a dance with dragons

GEORGE R. R. MARTIN

If you haven’t already heard, there’s a series called A Song of Ice and Fire, or more commonly A Game of Thrones. George R.R. Martin’s latest book in the series, A Dance with Dragons is a must for your reading to-do list. This book has so much action in it, I’m surprised I can even fit it into my handbag. Winter may be coming, but Martin is still as ruthless as ever; intrigue, betrayal and tensions are sky high (for those of you watching the TV series, you ain’t seen nothing yet!).

I only really have one caution; in reading this, pace yourself, or suffer the consequences of prolonged suspense until the next book comes out. > Ella Clarke-Schwarz

the essential leunig MICHAEL LEUNIG Leunig’s daily cartoons have graced the pages of The Age for decades, presenting cartoons delivering a mix of bold, satirical, political, eye-opening and thought-provoking statements on current affairs.

In addition to this, Leunig is a globally celebrated artist, and The Essential Leunig provides a broad range of examples of his astounding work, that will leave you breathless and shedding tears of laughter and sadness simultaneously. Leunig’s work touches the heart of every person who sees it.

The Essential Leunig offers a beautiful and diverse range of pieces from the magical mind of one of Australia’s truly most talented and widely recognised artist/cartoonists, and is a must for every bookshelf. I personally guarantee you that your soul will thank you for it. > Sarah Duell

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How to

Cheeky Chapters

Pick a Player...

I

was at work, out back, doing my thing aka the dishes (fml), when a pommy accent in tradie gear stopped me in my path, ‘Can you believe that your bread man got bashed?’ I peered up from the soap suds beneath me and was stumped for words. Those words had just projected from blue eyes, tanned cheeks and a smile that made me crumble.

‘Our bread man was bashed?’ I responded. As he began to tell me the story, I couldn’t help but notice the chiseled definition in his biceps, while installing a safety camera. He stepped down off the ladder, adjusted his tool belt and said, ‘well, nice to meet ya.’

And that was it.

Before I even had the opportunity to start daydreaming about his long, hard, tool, he left out the back door.

I was that little kid, who had been robbed of my favourite ice cream, just before going in for a huge lick.

And quite literally, I was ready to have some skin on skin licking action.

So, without taking the impossible for an answer, I tracked hot, English tradie’s number down. While chasing his van along the street, I managed to get his number, which was imbedded on the side of the vehicle. Very gimp worthy. I have no shame.

The texting marathon began and not long after a few dates of being wined and dined with a LOT of cheeky banter; I was sitting on his penis for the fifth time in one night. He was abnormally good in bed and had the stamina of my $170 vibrator that sends currents through a bathtub of water. But what I loved most about the sex is that it just worked. It was like connecting two pieces of a puzzle together, before being overwhelmingly content.

It was funny, because unlike other times, I wasn’t worried about him doing the whole ‘I’ll call you’ after 54

the first sex session we had. He had this way of buttering me up and making me feel as though I was his dream come true that had just walked into his life.

After all, he enjoyed reminding me that I was a hot babe with a nice bum. Fair play to him.

Carl and I progressed at a rapid pace, without ever labeling anything. He spent most of his day in some form of contact with me. In fact, our texting was by far the most banter I have had with someone. He would tease and wind me up in very sexual ways (including the cheeky snaps). It was hot. I loved it.

It wasn’t until I was having coffee and goss with a pal one afternoon, that she began chatting about her man-friend and their morning together.

‘He is a dog.’ She grumbled. I stared at her with such confusion.

‘Babes, what happened?’ As she began to tell me, my jaw dropped.

‘He was in the shower and I checked his messages.

Some bitch called Anna had in boxed him saying that she couldn’t wait for him to penetrate his throbbing cock into her wet pussy.’ She burst into tears.

My suspicions began. We hadn’t yet had ‘the chat’ and it had been a solid three months. So I brought it up one night, after our usual kinky business and he danced quite conveniently around the topic, by manipulating the situation to make me feel like an idiot in questioning what we were. That was the game changer.

As every female does, we think. And now that I had something to think about, I was analyzing the shit out of my hot, English man-friend. I was the spy and he was my project. I can quite happily admit that I turned part cray-cray, whilst investigating the situation. But if I didn’t, I wouldn’t have found out the truth.

I initiated my investigation by re-reading all the texts that we had ever sent. It occurred to me that a LOT of our banter was about sex. There was no real depth.

It also occurred to me that he enjoyed having boy’s nights out on the weekends without replying to my texts and he spent a lot of time talking about himself and his physical assets. It’s a shame that that’s all he had to offer (cheap shot, I know).

I also replayed many verbal conversations in my head. The one that stuck out like a sore thumb was his story about cheating on his ex-girlfriend. She found out by checking his messages, before him completely denying the truth to her face. I don’t know why the rookie told me that story. Maybe he was demonstrating that he is open to talking about anything. Who knows?

So I did the dirty and while man-friend was dozing away, I stole his phone, read his messages to other girls, screen shot them, sent them to my phone, deleted the screenshots and messages that I sent to my phone, put his phone back on charge, suffocated his perfect face with a pillow (ok that bits not true), then drove home in a puddle of tears and potentially snot balls.

The icing on the cake was the aftermath. I dissected his inbox conversations with other chicks before showing them to him, which he had some sort of audacity to completely deny it. Sounds all too familiar right?

However, he begged for me to take him back. I broken-heartedly and stupidly kept dating him.

He met a girl a week later at a festival, hooked up with her that day and broke up with me.

The moral of my story isn’t to check your man-friend’s messages, because that’s just naughty. It is actually to read the play and understand the game. It’s very easy to fall victim of a cheeky smile and great banter, so when you’re confronted by this situation, there are a few traits that you need to be wary of.

Firstly, you must READ his game. His game is all about the sweet-talking, teasing, winding, or buttering you up. He will work hard to convince you he is your dream come true. Depending on his lifestyle, you may find that he is better at this sort of ‘chat’ through text message or phone, than in person.

Secondly, you must LISTEN to his game. He may appear to be a patient listener, but you will find that he rarely responds in depth to anything that you say. He will change the subject soon after you have expressed your thoughts, to something that is more interesting or relates to him. This will make him feel as though he is in control.

Thirdly, you must WATCH his game. The player is always good in bed and may even appear to know how to read your body, contributing to the illusion that you are meant to be together. If you encounter someone with these unusual skills, proceed with caution.

And lastly, which is most important, is to follow your gut instinct. It is a powerful tool that everyone has been gifted with, so use it wisely.

Good luck girlfriends.

> Sarah Long

So yeah, double SNAP for me. I got played twice. Such a dumb-arse.

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blaire.

EDITORIAL Emily Eaton Editor Sarah Long Creative Director CONTRIBUTORS Dave Lee Entertainment Spencer Hadlow Music Tom Bensley Life Cassie McBlane Life Melissa Richards Music Ronan McDonnell Music Perrie Kapernaros Music Lisa Matlin Music Charne Louise White Beauty Adelle Cousins Fashion David Meadows Fashion Nic Barker Entertainment Mitchell Pascoe Entertainment Ella Clarke-Schwarz Literature Sarah Duell Literature Photography Tom Morphett

Blaire Magazine is an Australian-based interactive publication dedicated to the arts and entertainment. Launched in 2012 as a blog project, Blaire’s initial success raised big interview and press opportunities, allowing for a relaunch in May 2013.

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