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EDITOR
Hello Dear Readers, Thank you for taking the time to search out this magazine and give it a read. A lot of time, love and dedication have been put into creating this issue. I am new to the team here at Colosoul, and this is the first magazine that I have ever edited. It was a daunting job at first, and I definitely felt a bit out of my depth, however the people that I have gotten to work with have made this job a lot easier. I would like to give a big shout out to all the hardworking, passionate and talented writers, editors and designers who have helped me put this issue together. A special thanks to our CEO Tricia, for teaching me the ropes and helping me settle into my role. I couldn’t have done it without you all! We have a great variety of articles, and I hope you enjoy reading the work of our amazing writers. In this issue, we have an extensive review of a Grammynominated Australian band, a Halloween inspired piece on the horror classic The Evil Dead, and we delve into social issues from gender inequality to bigotry. We are always looking for new volunteers and submissions, from talented writers to photographers with an exciting portfolio. If you are passionate about working in a creative environment and want to contribute to our team, please contact us at volunteer@colosoul.com.au I hope you enjoy reading, and I look forward to bringing you the next issue towards the end of the year! Sarah
INDEX 10
ESHAY
16
RAW
27
BACKSTAGE : The ‘Behind the Scenes’ Performance”
28
THE SPARKS FORMULA
32
HALLOWEEN!
38
RULE OF ONE
42
PSYCHEDELIC, KALEIDOSCOPIC, TRANSDIMENSIONAL ‘MOTHERFUNK’
48
THE COST OF BEING FEMALE
52
BEAUTY REVOLUTION
56
OUR RIGHT TO BE INTOLERANT OF BIGOTS
60
THE REALITY COMPLEX
63
THE REAL END OF HISTORY?
66
CIGARETTE PLAIN PACKAGING SAGA
70
THE VISIBLE EFFECTS OF HIDDEN SUGAR
Publisher: Colosoul Group Inc. CEO: Tricia Ray Editor: Sarah Mozley Assistant Editor: Raoul Castel Head Graphic Designer: Leeanne Nguyen Assistant Graphic Designer: Amalina Osman Copy Editors: Bernadette Sanfilippo & Isadora Jarosek
Contributing Writers: Alfred Ashby, Chantal Chweya, Charlie Snedden, Grace Potter, Jess Antonia Lydia O’Brien, Joanna Delalande, Kate Oatley, Rachelle Erzay, Ryan Morgan-Kleinman & Sion Weatherhead
WHO WE SUPPORT: The Esther Foundation - Perth Halo Leadership - Perth Help Save the Kids - Thailand Fair Tradie Project - Uganda Extinction Sucks - Perth PMH Children’s Hospital - Perth OUR SPONSORS: World Online Print & Rise Solutions Find out more about what we do by visiting www.weare.colosoul.com.au CONTACT US: Editorial: editorial@colosoul.com.au Marketing & Advertising: advertising@colosoul.com.au Administration: hr@colosoul.com.au Volunteers: volunteer@colosoul.com.au SOCIAL MEDIA: Facebook: facebook.com/ColosoulMag Instagram: instagram.com/colosoulmagazine Twitter: twitter.com/colosoul_ THANKYOU TO: Exposed Concrete Care, Westbest Plumbing and Electrical, Dick Smith, GT Glass, Coateshire, Simon Rays Electrical, Fair Tradies Plumbing, CBD Refrigeration and Aircon, Dulux Paint, Elite Learning, Camera Electronics, European Prestige Auto Services, Truck Rentals, Ikon Glass for their time, financial donations and services in helping us to renovate our Creative space. The Colosoul Group Inc is a media and arts NFP organisation which serves as a banner to it’s other publications, it’s FoxFeet Fashion agency, business hub, and is a platform for events held during the year. These events support other NFP organisations which young people are actively involved in, to help others in Australia or overseas.
No part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or part without the permission of the publishers. The views expressed in Colosoul Magazine are the views of the respective writers and may not necessarily comply with those of the publisher and staff. Colosoul Magazine is a publication of Colosoul Group Inc. © 2015 Colosoul Group Inc. All rights reserved.
popping flavours in perth’s best popcorn!
interview by rebecca harris
advertorial
With many new enterprises popping up around Perth, none have made such an impact as The Pop Institute! Embodying corporate social responsibility through ethical production processes and the use of premium quality ingredients, The Pop Institute has contrived a natural, gourmet and delicious snack that can be enjoyed by all! Recently, I was fortunate enough to chat with the team at The Pop Institute to discuss the past, present and future for this popping enterprise!
4 weeks to ensure that our customers are sampling the freshest popcorn, compared to other preservative-riddled popcorn brands that last for months. We also hand- pack all of our products in ecofriendly bags made of kraft paper, lined with plant based lining, which will easily break down in your compost - which is great for the environment! We’re not supermarket driven but rather positioned in gourmet grocers/cafes and alternate channels to supermarkets.
Tell me about The Pop Institute.
What products & services do you offer and where can they be purchased?
TPI: The Pop Institute started off as a bit of fun where we just wanted to bring different flavours together and give the gourmet experience to people. We’re a young brand that started in 2013 at the Subiaco Markets and since then our products have been sold across various places in different areas around Perth. Our motto is creating flavours for your mouth to fall in love with!
Where do you want to see The Pop Institute in the future?
What makes you stand out from other popcorn brands? TPI: There is a real need for Australian crafted products and that’s what we’re trying to achieve by being 100% Australian made. Our products are made from nonGMO corn and our popcorn doesn’t contain any added preservatives. Because of8.this, our popcorn’s shelf life lasts about
new flavours such as Turkish Delight, Sea Salt & Vinegar & and Choc Caramel, so when those are perfected, we will make them available for purchase. We also do seasonal popcorns for Christmas and Easter and other special events. You’ll find our popcorn in gourmet cafes and grocers such as the Boatshed Markets in Cottesloe, Kirkwood Gourmet Corner and the Lunchbox on St. George’s Terrace to name a few, but we also venture out into the Southwest down to Caves House Hotel in Yallingup, Killerby Cellar store, (right next door to Cheeky Monkey Brewery), and we will soon pop our products into more key gourmet outlets in the region. We also do catering for corporate and special events and are able to do delivery within the Perth CBD.
TPI: Our popcorn comes in many different flavours. Our current standard range includes Sweet & Salty and Sweet & Spicy, from $5 each and our premium range includes our Salted Caramel, which is one of our popular flavours, which is sold from $7 per bag. We are still developing
TPI: Who knows where we will pop up? We enjoy what we do and seeing more people fall in love with our brand is really great and something we want to achieve! We’re just going to be humble and see where we go, one pop at a time! So forget that boring, overly salted stuff that passes as popcorn at the supermarket and cinemas and get your hands on the best gourmet popcorn out on the market - The Pop Institute…flavours your mouth can fall in love with!
l o f t u s r e c r e a t i o n a l
c e n t r e
H e a l t H c l U B TEAM & JUNIOR
SPORTS
BASKETBALL
VOLLEYBALL OUTDOOR S O C C E R NETBALL G R o u P
f I t N E s s
s E N I o R
E X E R C I s E
c n r
l o F t U S
l e e D e r V i l l e W W W
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S t r e e t
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W e S t e r n
V i n c e n t
a U S t r a l i a
l o F t U S r e c r e a t i o n c e n t r e
D V e r t
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9.
E ART
e shay Written by:Joanna Delalande Photography by: Henry Whitehead
Wade Taylor’s first solo exhibition Eshay deals with no small issue; it delves into notions of Australian masculinity and the “lad” culture young Australian men seem to have appropriated from Britain. A dozen canvases line the white walls of the Paper Mountain exhibition room, impasto and bright colours brightening up the otherwise bland and empty space. Sculptures of perfume bottles and hairstyling products are placed on a white stand, begging to be used. In the middle, a grass runway, and Adidas slippers placed before a wooden ladder on which a Nike bag and a pair of white sunglasses have been left behind. The result of eight to nine months of “bloody hard” work according to the Perth based artist. “It’s actually my first solo show,” Wade says. “I’ve done two other shows, one was a small group show and the other one last year was a show I did with my friend Carla Adams, but this is my first solo show.” Wade’s paintings are full of texture; thick layers of paint and visible brush strokes are a motif in his work. Another is his use of bright, fluorescent colours that give an almost hyper realistic look to the paintings. And though almost every painting features people, no faces are shown.
10.
11.
ART
Practically, the work shows strong technique and a style that suggests a pop art influence. “Painting is kind of like my natural habitat so I guess oil on canvas is my main medium,” the artist explains. “I guess I’ve always had a love for ceramics and pottery but I never really delved into it, but this show I tried my hand at that. I really enjoy that medium, so it’s something I’ll probably do later.”
12.
Conceptually, Eshay focuses on both the Australian identity and the male identity in an exploration of what it means to be an Australian male.
Mostly, it is a juxtaposition of the stereotypical Aussie male identity, the guy who works hard and whose everyday wear is a pair of board shorts and a singlet, and the “lad” culture we have adopted of the guy who wears product in his hair and buys branded clothes. The lad culture originated from 1990s Britain, a response to the pro-feminist “new man”. It was a cultural reaction that screamed “men rule” when everyone else said “girl power”, and endorsed heterosexual male relationships.
The lad is also preoccupied with high fashion brands, hair styling and cologne. This is where it gets complicated; how does the lad fit into the West Australian context, a context where the “bloke” (i.e. someone who does not care about what they look like and even less so about what they wear) is king. Yet the Australian lad is on the rise, and Wade’s show explores the disjuncture between that culture and the scene in which it is emerging.
As he says, his exhibition is about “portraying the world of a guy who desires certain brands, desires wealth, and I guess the show kind of explores how these aspirations contrast with the context in which they are often presented.” Wade says he came up with the theme of the exhibition quite early on and refined it over time. “I guess, first and foremost, I’ve always been interested in anything surrounding ideas of what it means to be Australian,” he says. “I’ve focused here on the idea of Australian masculinity and what it means when you’re a young dude trying to figure out who you are.”
13.
ART
This is the world he grew up in. He was born and raised in Perth, a world where Australian men are expected to be hardworking but laid back, yet young people are becoming increasingly aware of their image and physical appearance.
“It’s kind of like a world that I kind of grew up in, and it was always very familiar and I was always kind of around this sort of culture, so I’m casting a bit of a critical eye over it,” Wade says.
“I’m…really just hoping to shine a spotlight on the strangeness of it all and the jarring elements of that masculinity.”
Eshay does not pick a side, it is not judgmental, and it is not personal — Wade himself is not featured at all. Instead, it gives viewers an insight into this new Australian male identity, pointing out a phenomenon of which most of us would be unaware, and asks us to think about how the lad culture either fits in or clashes with the West Australian context and identity.
14.
“I’m just sort of recreating that world and hopefully people can draw their own conclusions from it,” Wade says. “Bringing these very familiar images that we all see on a day-to-day basis but rarely pick apart, and bringing it into the gallery so people can get what they want from it.” 15.
RAW PHOTOGRAPHY
“MY LIFESTYLE IS BIZARRE, BUT THE ONLY THING YOU NEED TO KNOW IS WHERE THE DARKROOM IS.” – Robert Mapplethorpe
Film photography is a dying art. It was a sad day when I went back to see my high school photography teacher and he informed me that darkroom photography had been taken out of the school curriculum. Young students will never really know where photography came from, or see a photograph magically materialise in a developing tray. These days everyone has a camera on their smartphone and is able to snap thousands of photos a day. Nowadays a photograph can be taken, filtered and uploaded onto social media, in as little as five minutes. I wonder if the youth of today would even have the patience to wait for the perfect print.
16.
I was introduced to film photography in the ninth grade (2004). I wasn’t the best student in the class but, from the first time I was shown how to develop film, I was in awe. And I picked it up quite easily compared to the other kids. The darkroom was a magical, stimulating room that I could escape to. A sanctuary if you will.
Once upon a time we lived in a world where film was our only photographic option. I’m sure people were beyond excited to receive a phone call from the pharmacy, informing them that their family holiday snaps were ready for collection. Then, later at home, they’d laugh at a thumb over the viewfinder, or be astonished at how a sunset picture had turned out perfectly.
Photos from a film camera were usually always kept. It didn’t matter how bad they were, or if twenty shots of the same subject had been mistakenly taken, a moment in time was captured and that was precious.
P H OTO G R A P H Y B Y: E r i n D a l y MODEL/MUA: Juliya Mcneill DESIGNER: Bojana Petrovich Designs W R I T T E N B Y: E r i n D a l y
17.
I am very fortunate to have regular access to a darkroom which, these days, is quite rare. Most people love the smell of freshly cut grass or brewed coffee in the morning. I love the smell of developer and fixer in a soundless space. I’ve been working in a darkroom for many years now, but every time I pull my developed film from the reel I am thrilled with excitement. The darkroom will forever be my happy place.
18.
When I was in college the best advice I was given was to make certain that everything was correct on camera so there was no need for post-production. I was advised to make sure that my lighting, composition and camera settings were all correct. As a result, none of my film photography is ever edited.
19.
23.
And that’s the way it will always stay. I love the raw beauty of film. I love when film frames accidentally overlap and become a new kind of wonderful. I love that when the fixer has had trouble reaching a particular part of the film, it creates a white smudge mess on a frame. If I could write my own definition for film photography it would read – raw beauty. #foreverfilm
25.
THEATRE
26.
B
AC K S TAG E The ‘Behind the Scenes’ PERFORMANCE
Have you ever experienced a theatrical performance without lighting? Without sound, audio/visual, sets or scenery? Without instruments or costumes?
Written by: Jess Antonia Lydia O’Brien
the
Actors often use elements of technical theatre to create powerful performances. In my opinion, these elements help audiences gain insight into underlying meanings and hidden messages. It’s incredible how much more powerful theatre can become when these technical elements are implemented.
This particular thought has been in my head since I was young. I would go and see West End shows with my family in London and marvel at the wonder of special effects. It was amazing how lighting could create different moods and atmospheres, and how sounds could immerse you in a world separate from reality. At the end of the show I’d find myself clapping for the “techies” rather than the stage performers. It’s what drove me to study drama and stage management earlier in life, and why theatre still remains a passion of mine today.
Consider, for a moment, that you are the playwright. You have written a love scene between two characters. Ask yourself, what lighting colours could you use to represent the characters’ emotions? What scenery could you use? What sounds can be heard in the background? Suddenly a tornado hits! Your sounds need to become harsh and violent - what can you hear? What special effects can you use to create this natural disaster? What lighting colours are you visualising now? Are your costumes becoming dusty and ripped amongst the chaos? Theatre has no walls (except the fourth), it is bound only by your imagination. There are NO limits. Now imagine that scene without any backstage assistance. It’s just your actors and the script…Do you see my point?
I urge you next time you see a play, concert or musical, to take note of each technical change. Realise that someone backstage is responsible for making each one happen. No lighting or sound cues have been pre-programmed, someone is backstage pressing buttons on a board to make them happen! It’s certainly no walk in the park. The backstage crew create an enormous portion of the play by inviting you into a visual world they have moulded over the course of many months. Credit where credit’s due. The actors get a bow, why not the crew?
I, for one, don’t think I’ve ever seen a performance missing ALL these elements and, to be honest, I don’t think I’d ever want too. Don’t get me wrong, there are some stupendous playwrights, dazzling actors and gutwrenching scripts out there, but I’m a strong believer that the ‘backstage performance’ is perhaps just as important as the one happening onstage.
27.
BOOK
THE
S PA R K S
f
W r i t t e n b y : J e s s A n t o n i a Ly d i a O’ B r i e n
28.
ormula HOW
has it not become boring yet? Nicholas Sparks, the author of bestselling novels like The Last Song and The Notebook, repeatedly uses the same formula to create his successful narratives. His tenth film adaptation, The Longest Ride, hit cinemas recently, continuing the long stream of book to film adaptations that began in 1999 with Message in a Bottle. Although Sparks’ literary formula has helped him publish books every year since 1996, he claims this “magical formula” is not new by any means. He explains, “I write in a genre that was not defined by me. The examples were not set out by me. They were set out 2,000 years ago by Aeschylus, Sophocles and Euripides. They were called Greek tragedies. These are love stories. They went from (Greek tragedies), to Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, then Jane Austen did it, put a new human twist on it. Hemingway did it with A Farewell to Arms.”
So, what is this phenomenal formula?
29.
BOOK
30.
Sparks has stated, in several interviews, that his books are not “romance novels”. He often dabbles in and out of genres, and threads through thrilling motifs and themes. He explains further by saying,
“IT IS ABOUT REAL LOVE, ON A NUMBER OF LEVELS.” In any love story there inevitably has to be a love interest. Sparks repeatedly lures his characters together and lets love tear them apart. Formulating a plot twist, and creating an air of tension, is common in any Nicholas Sparks novel. Often there’ll be something of great significance blocking the path between his central characters. Common storylines in the past have included surprising secrets, illness, and undeserved punishment. Sparks says the hardest part of writing his novels is finding the “primary conflict”, the reason the lovers are kept apart despite their indisputable compatibility. In Dear John, John must leave Savannah to go back and fight in Afghanistan. In The Last Song, Ronnie’s sharp and biting attitude, a symptom of her parent’s divorce, keeps her and Will at a distance.
In conjunction with suspense, conflict and the test of love, Sparks usually opts to include the passing of a central character. Often there is something bittersweet about the manner in which Sparks deals with death, and it typically includes a moral message. While readers are swept through the motions of life and love, most Sparks novels end with a quiet sense of tragic happiness. It can be difficult to avoid a cheesy ending when penning a love story, but Sparks usually brings back equilibrium and restores the final balance.
Nicholas Sparks has successful managed to find a literary formula that works well for modern audiences. His novels, although similar, subtly symbolise morality and relatable lessons. He states that,
“FAITH, FORGIVENESS, FAMILY – IF YOU GET IT JUST RIGHT, THESE ARE THEMES THAT TOUCH VIEWERS, BECAUSE THEY RECOGNISE THEM IN THEIR OWN LIVES.”
31.
H
A L LO W E E N ! Written by : Charlie Snedden
FILM
Images sourced from geektyrant
The time of year in which a minority of Australians rejoice and rush down to the shops in order to purchase all types of terrifying toys and deadly decorations. The rest of the country’s population scratches their collective heads and says
“Oh, right. That’s half a thing here now, isn’t it?” Personally, I love Halloween because it is an appreciation of all things spooky and scary and skeletons. So in honour of “Ookie October”, I thought I’d take a look at one of the most popular horror films ever made, also a personal favourite: director Sam Raimi’s The Evil Dead.
This is a film that spawned a franchise that has been going strong for over thirty years, so why did it hit audiences so hard and why did it continue hitting audiences hard enough to warrant two sequels, a remake, a stage musical (yes, that actually happened and yes, it was magical) and an upcoming TV series rather than just disappearing into obscurity like most of the “video nasty” schlock of the early eighties? Well, let’s take a look.
32.
33.
FILM
34.
On the surface of it, the film looks like nothing special. In fact, it looks downright generic. I mean, what’s the story? A group of kids in their early twenties go into an abandoned et cetera and are attacked by a supernatural et cetera – please slow down, all this originality is making me short of breath!
The dialogue is no better. The best-worst line of the movie occurs when the first creature makes its appearance and very blatantly points out that “one by one, we will take you,” as surely as if Optimus Prime were to look to camera and say “we will blow things up.” The dialogue isn’t helped much by the always-at-eleven acting of the human characters either. Even the most mundane lines are delivered as if the actors were standing across a busy road from each other. Some of the action also hasn’t aged well; there are various pratfalls, which seem as though they’d be more at home in a Three Stooges routine than a horror film.
Now, I know it seems that I’m trashing a movie I just named as a personal favourite, but in fact all the things I just mentioned don’t bring the film down at all. These issues all have a so-bad-it’s-good charm to them, one borne from filmmakers who love what they are doing and are attempting to make a great product unlike say, Sharknado, which just seems like a giant in-joke that’s being played to no one. Because the love and effort is so heavily felt, these issues are merely amusing and don’t distract from the film’s legitimately good aspects. So now, let’s talk about those legitimately good aspects, and what this film nails is what all horror films should aspire to create above all else: suspense and dread.
35.
FILM
FINALLY,
THE VILLAINS! Raimi has a knack for creating villains that may be somewhat cheesy when taken on their own, but are very memorable and completely work in the context of the movie they’re in (see the Spider-Man trilogy for reference). Ash’s possessed friends the Deadites exude so much manic personality with their ridiculous voices, jerky movements and gross, GROSS makeup. These aren’t a reflection of man’s own evil or symbolic of anything, these are the monsters under the bed, plain and simple. Sharpclawed, dead-eyed, cackling boogie monsters, and the sense of hopelessness the film creates is so grand it makes the creatures not only scary, but terrifying.
There’s a scene towards the end in which the main character, Ash, is surrounded by creatures taunting him. He takes a few steps backwards, grabs the hair at either side of his head and pulls it upwards, wide-eyed and mouth slightly agape with an “I can’t take this anymore” expression splattered over his face. That summarises the
experience of watching the movie for the first time in a few seconds. The Evil Dead is trashy, gory, and over the top, but there is sophisticated filmmaking where it counts, and so it has escaped the status of “video nasty” and earned its rightful place as a horror classic, one which finds its way into my DVD player every Halloween.
36.
37.
rule o
38.
of one FILM
REVIEW Written and Directed by Michael Rodrigues Review by: Alfred Ashby
“In a future Britain where every family is restricted to one child, a rebellious teenager must learn to work with his father to keep a baby hidden from the ruthless Agency of Population Planning.” Opening with a cacophony of CCTV images, and overlapping news anchor voices hinting at a dystopian setting and establishing China’s barbaric one child policy in near-future London, Michael Rodrigues’ science fiction short, Rule of One, is one of the most notable indie films of the year. The film’s tone is as grim as its theme. Population booms and political instability has lead to a U.K government restriction that prevents families from bearing more than one child. The brutal and relentless Agency of Population Planning, and their white uniform-clad Agents, reinforce this rule. Protagonist Dash Ravenwood is met with initial tragedy, when his mother passes away during childbirth. Although Dash seethes resentment towards his infant sister and mourning father, this must be put aside when the Agency comes knocking…
39.
FILM
Michael Rodrigues’ stellar writing is accentuated by his monumental direction. In collaboration with cinematographer Richard Dunton, and assistant director Nicolas Ravery, Rodrigues creates something that both haunts and thrills. Using 35mm film, and Hollywood-standard cinematography, an organic, “real feel” is conveyed through the screen. Parry Glasspool and Jonathan Hansler play Dash Ravenwood and his father Kit respectively. Glasspool’s portrayal of Dash is wonderful. The raw indignation he feels towards his family and the world surrounding him, is conveyed through powerful, explosive dialogue and subtly emotive body language. Glasspool’s previous acting credits are minimal - an extended role in Channel 4’s (UK) Hollyoaks, a television miniseries and another short - but his lack of professional experience is barely noticeable as he delivers a proud performance.
40.
Images sourced from www.michaelrodriguesfilm.com
Hansler’s depiction of Dash’s widowed father is brilliant. Maisie Todd’s costume designs, and Gini Godwin and Sophia Stocco’s production sets, give audiences an insight into Kit, even before he speaks. The loss of his wife, the burden of his daughter, and the fiery friction between he and his son, eventually push him to breaking point. Hansler handles this weighty, challenging role with tremendous ease. Darren Langford and Saria Steyl, who play Agent Swiss and Agent Leatherby respectively, deliver stunning portrayals of evil, conflicted characters that thicken this short with plot and realism. The film’s chilling finale is one that will be sure to have audiences thinking about the creepy, dystopian future of a nation that could quite possibly (under the right… or wrong conditions) transform into reality.
Rule of One attained official selections at the Sci-Fi London, Hampshire and Henley Fringe Festivals and an MA Showcase at Raindance. 41.
MUSIC
PSYCHEDELIC,
KALEIDOSCOPIC, TRANSDIMENSIONAL , Written by: Alfred Ashby
42.
'MO
OT HE RF U N K ’ BACK IN
May of this year, I came home from a menacingly stressful day of university and plonked myself down in front of my laptop hoping for some sort of aural massage to relieve me of the day’s tension. I was in London, the weather was miserable and my mood even more so. Not even the most niche indie playlists Spotify had to offer could save me. That is, until a blissfully
psychedelic piece of album art tugged at the corner of my eye. I instinctively clicked on it and was greeted by a Dolby Digital-style, electronic boot up noise and for the following sixty-nine minutes was taken on a musical journey of interdimensional proportions. I was listening to Choose Your Weapon, the second studio album from Melbourne-born four-piece Hiatus Kaiyote. Leading with guitar and vocals is the positively celestial Nai Palm, a twenty-something mostly self-taught musician who adorns herself in jewellery she crafts from trinkets gathered on the band’s adventures. The rest of the band is composed of Paul Bender’s bass slapping, Simon Mavin’s synth sizzling and Perrin Moss’ drum grooving.
43.
MUSIC
Shaolin Monk Motherfunk tails the album’s intro track and soothes you into a breathily vocalised chorus, then unleashes its true future soul roots in the verse, making some form of tapping/ snapping/dancing along to the rhythm near impossible. Just as you settle into one groove, Nai’s angelically unique but oddly familiar voice and the band’s incredible talent nudges you into another one entirely. The final synth/drum riffs are some of the best I’ve heard in a long time.
44.
Images sourced fr o m th ep l u s o n es . c o m & m el d ma g a z i n e. c o m . a u
This quality is something that Hiatus Kaiyote maintains throughout the entire eighteen-track album. Atari, Borderline with My Atoms and Jekyll emanate sass, confidence and undying musical talent. This is expertly contrasted by mini tracks like Creations Part One, Cicada and Only All the Time: Making Friends with Studio Owl (have you ever seen an album with more enticing track names?), which speak of delicacy, creative expression and a family-strong bond between bandmates.
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MUSIC
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The album (which, with some luck, I will try to move away from talking about now. Can you tell I dig it?) was previewed in November of last year – allowing fans to sneak listen at By Fire, Laputa and Molasses – and is a follow-on from the band’s spectacularly successful 2013 release of Tawk Tomahawk. This previous album gained them major props on social media from the likes of Erykah Badu, Flying Lotus, Q-Tip (who features on the album), Pharrell Williams and Prince. It was also nominated for a Grammy for Best R&B Performance in the year of its release. Despite losing out to Snarky Puppy and Lalah Hathaway’s Something, they still gained exceptional, well-deserved attention for being the first Australian band to be recognised in an R&B category at the awards show. When asked about this in November of last year and probed at whether she thought the band was doing something quite un-Australian she said, “That’s just it. Aside from indigenous culture here there is no identity, so there’s no real musical lineage that you have to adhere to. The natural expression of Australian culture is a fusion of everything. I don’t feel we’re alone in that.” In her mid-twenties, Nai exhibits a perfect example being wise beyond one’s years.
So – with two albums under their belt (each having been received brilliantly by critics, fans and fanatics alike) as well as two unbelievable tours and high praise from world-renowned artists, Hiatus Kaiyote are set to do big things. In a Blank Tape interview, when asked why she thinks the band has been so successful, Nai put it down to “the fact that we haven’t limited our creative expression to be more commercially accessible…the root of all success though is definitely pure intention with your art.”
I really think that even though they’re so profoundly talented, it’s this downto-earth realism that will cement Hiatus Kaiyote’s name in the history books as genre-spanning, heartmelting, consciousness-expanding musical heroes.
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SOCIAL
The push for equal rights between men and women has been a gradual process spanning centuries. Feminism fights for gender balance in a society that initially viewed men as being superior. While this opinion is changing and the developed world has advanced the push for women’s rights, many gender imbalances still exist that leave women at an unfair disadvantage. In terms of the cost of living, Australia is one of the most expensive countries in the world to live, with housing prices in Sydney outstripping those of New York City. The strength of the Australian dollar means that we are paying more for the goods and services that we consume. However, it has been proven that it costs women more to live than men due, in blunt terms, to vagina maintenance. While the price range for a twenty-four pack of condoms ranges from $10 - $25, depending on preference, a four month supply of the pill will cost women in Australia over $20, not to mention medical tests and regular check-ups. Female sanitary products remain the highest cost of vagina maintenance. When the Howard government introduced the Goods and Services tax, the list of exempt products left out female sanitary products, as they were apparently a “luxury item�. Women have recently come together to protest under the Abbott government to confirm that having your period is definitely no luxury, and are calling for period taxation to end so we no longer have to pay (as much) for a natural bodily function. Huffington Post estimates that the cost of our period, inclusive of birth control, pads and tampons, and additional costs such as new underwear and pain relief, is $18, 171.
THE COST OF B E I N G
FEMALE Written by: Grace Potter
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Due to societal expectations women will also spend more on cosmetic products to maintain appearance. This is an individual choice, however with the poor state of body image and confidence, not to mention a large percentage of males expecting their female partners to be as hairless as n e w b o r n b a b i e s , females feel constant pressure to live up to the standards set by male preferences. Females spend good money on shaving and waxing, makeup, hair products, perfume and accessories, to name a few. Additionally, personal upkeep services tend to cost more for women than men; the price difference between a male and female haircut is generally over $50 due to necessary styling required for female cuts.
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Not only does it cost more to be a woman with gender pricing discrimination, women are also earning less than men. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, a full-time working woman’s earnings are 17.1% less per week than a man. ‘“This persistent pay gap is both concerning and frustrating. And sadly, there is a pay gap in favour of men in every single industry,” said Helen Conway, Director of the Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA). “Some of the highest gender pay gaps are found in female dominated industries including health care and social assistance and finance and insurance services.” It is clear that, even in countries that claim everyone has equal rights, there is still a gender gap that values men as being more capable than women. Women’s rights have indeed come a long way, but a problem still exists as long as we are taxed for an uncontrollable biological function and not given equal opportunities in the workplace.
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b e a u ty
revo Written by: Jess Antonia Lydia O’Brien
W H AT
comes into your head when you hear the word ‘beauty’?
Hold your thoughts, feelings and images and let me try something. From here on in, do me a favour and forget everything that you currently know or have been taught about beauty. Forget that you “should”hbe a certain size. Forget that you “need” perfect skin to be seen as flawless. Forget about that fake tan that you “need” to glow. Men, forget about those “Men’s Health” bulky muscles that you “need” to be masculine.
I T S TA R T S H E R E . I want the definition of beauty to cover character and not just measurements and proportions. I am angered by the increasing amount of people losing self-worth and letting their confidence become crippled by the media’s outlandish remarks. I want to start…a beauty revolution. Imagine a free world in which you could wake up in the morning and not feel obligated to meet any standards. A world where you don’t fear being judged for the clothes you wear or the face you were born with.
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lu t io n The media is harmful in warping the minds of adolescents and adults to believe the perfect body or the perfect face is a fixed set of criteria. The phrase “beauty is in the eye of the beholder” used to be a comforting and honest saying. It made us feel like we could all be loved and that we are good enough for the people who surround us. When the media broadcasts titles such as “slim down for summer”, “improve yourself with plastic surgery” and “contour your features”, the phrase becomes irrelevant. We forget that people treasure us for so much more than just our appearance and suddenly, we feel a lot less valuable. Nobody should feel pressure to look a certain way just to feel happy or wanted. Beauty in the media is portrayed as one stereotype, bracketing off the perfect man or woman. If we fall short of these expectations, inevitably, we don’t feel enough.
But you are. You are enough. The following will help you believe me and understand why: The false images in the media portray unrealistic standards. Photos are airbrushed and photoshopped to perfection. You will never look like the models in magazines because most of them don’t look like that themselves! The images only provide damaging outcomes such as jealousy, low self-esteem and sometimes even depression. The bar is set exceptionally high and the bar itself is an illusion. It doesn’t exist. Beauty magazines promote self-hatred, low self-esteem and poor body image. In a humane world, there should be no correct answer to “What is beauty?” It is a common fact that what one person finds attractive, the next person may not. Yet the media tells us that one thing is pretty and the other is ugly. Nobody should be able to define what beauty is. So, what on earth gives us the right or royalty to believe that we can or should?
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On top of this, the media deliberately targets children and adolescents at a time when their brains are developing, their imaginations are vivid and they have a tendency to believe the unbelievable. At a young age, children may not have the ability to rule out propositions made by the media – it simply won’t cross their mind as they won’t recognise they could be false. If you’re told that “you can’t be beautiful unless you are slim”, the likelihood is you will take it as gospel. After all, when you’re a child your perception of the world is so pure and the world seems so good. Why would the media lie? But the sad truth is – they do. Constantly.
Studies show that persistent exposure to “ideal beauty” in the media takes psychological effaects in people of all ages. From distorted body image to low self-esteem, the results are devastating. The average consumer is exposed to 1,500 advertisements each day, and an average young woman will have received over 250,000 commercial messages through the media by the time she is 17. I think that is absolutely appalling. Advertisements erode one’s self esteem, and then within the same advert offer to sell it back to you one product at a time.
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The media poses an enormous threat to our people. It sells irrational messages in attractive packages, making it seem normal to change your image drastically or go to unhealthy extremes to achieve an ideal that was never actually set in stone in the first place. The media’s representation of beauty is clearly doing more harm than good. Do we really want to submit to a restricted way of life that causes us to be unsatisfied with the skin we’re in? I really can’t stand to see anayone else get affected by the ridiculous labels and branding given to people by the media. As cliché as it sounds, (I don’t even care anymore), everyone is beautiful. You just need to take the time to look.
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“People do have a right to be bigots, you know?”
SOCIAL
said the attorney general George Brandis in a sententious speech delivered in the senate back in March, of 2014. This incendiary quote ruffled a few feathers as you might expect, and it was an interesting suggestion to me as I’ve always debated with myself whether or not people should truly be allowed to express anything they want. First of all, I am strongly against racism, sexism or any form of sectarianism for that matter. What I am in support of is freedom. And freedom, I think, has had a long and dysfunctional relationship with bigotry. To allow people the freedom to express their opinion, in other words, to have true democracy, we must allow any form of opinion to exist. And to some degree, we must respect people’s opinions. But it is also implicit in the concept of freedom for one to be able to oppose an opinion, if they so please. That is the nature of a discussion. Take the same sex marriage issue for example. It is a topic that has had much resistance in many instances, but there has been growing support as times have changed. On the opposing side, however, we have someone like Katy Faust, owner of American blog “Ask the Bigot” (a site primarily against same sex marriage/parenting) who visited Australia recently. She is the daughter of two lesbian mothers and also a devout born again Christian.
OUR RIGHT TO BE
INTOLERANT OF
b ig ot s Written by: Sion Weatherhead
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Ms Faust suggested in the last few months that when people have an opinion against gay marriage, no matter how the argument is laid, people will come hurtling down on that person, limbs flailing, screaming “bigotry” and “ignorance”. The fact that the original person is attacked is unfair and Ms Faust claims these people are unaware of their own bigotry. The difference is, when people o p p o s e something such as same sex marriage, they’re n o t s i m p l y disagreeing, they are in effect supporting a movement that attempts to take away the freedom of that particular social group to do something that does not hurt anyone. And taking away someone’s freedom to do such things is an injustice.
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Images sourced from albumarium.com/media
SOCIAL
It is a ridiculous argument to say we are being intolerant of intolerance. If we were to admonish someone for saying “women should have no rights” are we being bigoted? ‘There are many things we shouldn’t tolerate. We do not tolerate theft. We do not tolerate violence. And we certainly do not tolerate murder. These acts might be ‘ok’ in the perpetrators’ ‘opinions’ so by that logic, would that make us all bigots? No. Because we are defending people’s freedom to keep their belongings, to stay unharmed, to stay alive.
IN OTHER WORDS, THERE IS A TIME AND PLACE FOR INTOLERANCE. Kim Davis, the county clerk in the U.S. who refused to handout marriage licenses after the legalisation of same sex marriage, is a prime example of someone who is taking away people’s freedom based on her own beliefs. Christians in support may argue that it is not an opinion when they say this is what God meant for us. But until proven otherwise, it’ll be treated as such – an opinion. Sure, we’ll tolerate your religious opinions, but we will not tolerate the bigotry of forcing that upon people. If we were to permit these types of behaviours we would have anarchy. Imagine the types of chaos a multicultural country would endure if all the people were allowed to enforce their own beliefs unto others?
We may not have “freedom of speech” in Australia specifically, but it is implied in our constitution that we have a right to political free speech, which isn’t quite the same, but it permits us to express our opinions on societal issues. To stimulate a healthy debate on these types of issues is essential to our progress as a society.
So yes, people have a right to express their differing opinions. I even encourage that. But if they support a bigoted cause or act upon bigoted views, they better brace themselves for a throttling, because we have every right to attack that opinion – and one last time for the cheap seats: that is not the same thing as bigotry, it is fighting for justice.
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Cue opening credits. This week on (insert CornyThemed-Title here), will Brad and Drew finally have the courage to make The Move? Will Joe make a comeback from last week’s baby bombshell? Will Judy and Doug’s marriage last the final weeks of the competition? Will Kym finally choose a baby name? Stick around after this 10 minute break to find out!
I have never truly been drawn to the mysterious appeal of the reality show genre. I admit I have watched a few episodes of The Bachelor, but who hasn’t? Free-to-air television lives on a stable diet of reality TV during the week.
Typically, reality television shows are characterized as an unscripted “reality”, depicted in multiple episodes that closely follow the day-to-day lives of a cast of unknown people, living in ordinary or extraordinary circumstances. Most include the ‘confessional’, a cheap yet effective method of story narration that documents reactions and/or opinions of the participants to create drama. Key elements seen in typical competition style reality shows include hidden cameras, elimination rounds, a panel of judges, and a prize in the form of a large sum of money. Since the early 2000s, reality TV has crept up the ratings scale, leaving the old, much loved, and now seemingly outdated drama to slowly creep away into the shadows. In its place now stands the anticipated reality show – almost soap-opera-like in all its glory – marked by epic emotional throwdowns, sexual dramas and moral conflict. It not only stands but saturates the airwaves, save for a few random Simpsons or Law & Order replays from six years ago.
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THE While many people mock reality TV shows for their frivolity, their incredible success requires us to take them seriously. Young people, specifically adolescents and young adults, make up a disproportionate amount of viewers of these reality shows and there is a real concern on the effect this may have on their attitudes and values in regards to ‘reality’. Studies have shown that young people not only gain knowledge of the social world from television programs but also have a tendency to emulate the behaviour displayed on them. In the essay “Reality TV as Advertainment”, June Deery offers the idea that reality TV is essentially the commodification of reality, of privacy and of diversity, and that through this commodification, reality TV is “the triumph of the market”. The consumers, AKA us, are purchasing a product that tries and succeeds to mislead us away from the fact that these “real” people and events are scripted and staged. In a sense, reality TV is an advertisement of various lifestyles that are not possible for 99% of us.
REALITY
C O M P L E X Written by: Rachelle Erzay Images sourced f r o m w w w. p exel s . c o m
In an article in the New Yorker, it was argued by journalist Jennifer Pozner that reality TV is specifically constructed to reinforce particular social norms. In this case, the depiction of ‘reality’ in numerous reality shows aired on television is a false representation of what is ‘real’ in society. This can range anywhere from relationships to lifestyle and sports. The lifestyles depicted in reality TV shows reinforce social norms that include the glamourisation of drug and alcohol abuse, vulgarity and materialism, patriarchal gender roles, negative body image, and the idea that everything can be made to become a competition. The social behaviour witnessed in these shows is essentially being sold to a younger generation as what ‘reality’ is made up of. Over the years, reality TV shows such as Keeping Up with the Kardashians, Real Housewives, Wicked Tuna, and Jersey Shore have been involved with charges of fraud. In some cases, contestants from particular shows have spoken up about what goes on behind the scenes, especially in regards to edited material where they are made to appear humiliated or have been exploited to a point where the portrayal of their character is made to create negative feelings towards them. Bachelorette Emily Simms from the 2015 season of The Bachelor Australia, told KIIS FM’s Kyle and Jackie-O that she was banned by channel ten to do interviews after she had revealed that producers edited her character to appear unlikeable. “I think it’s because you’re being honest about what goes on behind the scenes and they’re not liking it.”
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In an interview, pediatrician Victor Strasburger stated children viewing reality TV are “seeking and absorbing guidance for their rapidly evolving sense of personal identity, as well as their relationships with family, friends and the opposite sex… may be less likely than adults to see the contrived nature of reality shows, and are more likely to take the messages at face value.”
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The nature of reality TV may be laughable to some, or even in my case, the appeal just isn’t there. However, the message communicated by some reality TV shows may have a negative impact on the expectations of reality in younger people growing up in a society surrounded by constant competition and the need to prove yourself. So, when the over-the-top show host asks you to stick around, take that 10-minutes to ask yourself whether Kym’s baby name actually, truly matters.
THE REAL END OF POLITICS
HI S TO RY ?
W H Y Y O U S H O U L D N ’ T B E S AT I S F I E D W I T H L I B E R A L DEMOCRACY AS IT IS Written by: Ryan Morgan-Kleinman I mag e s sourced from n o s.tw nsn d.co
In the summer of 1989, with the suddenly rapid erosion of the Soviet Union nearing a cathartic climax and the last vestiges of world socialism appearing as dead and hopeless as the man who had predicted their inevitable success, political scientist Francis Fukuyama dared to ask the question: is this “The End of History?” This was no doomsday prediction. In fact, it was quite the opposite. Fukuyama posited that western liberal democracy (the fluffy, tolerant way of ordering society that we in Australia and the western world call ideological home) had triumphed above all else. The twentieth century’s grand and tragic flirtations with fascism, communism, and other forms of socialism were over, the Cold War was ending, and liberal democracy sat comfortably alongside the global market’s guiding affirmations. Human history, claimed Fukuyama, had reached a logical ideological conclusion, and not many saw reason to disagree. Over a quarter of a century later, we find ourselves in a much more problematic position. For a start, even Fukuyama himself no longer agrees fully with his assertion. The rise of Islamic extremism and other forms of religious fundamentalism across the globe (culminating in the devastating 9/11 attacks and the consequent wars in Iraq and Afghanistan) is just one of many signs that alternative movements have not ceased to crop up. History has carried on.
And more worryingly, our position in the West as masters of the present and the future seems increasingly precarious. Soaring university fees, sky-high house prices, a shortage of well paying jobs in many industries, rising poverty (especially amongst younger generations), and a toxic, almost hegemonic reliance on xenophobic scape-goatism all point to more fundamental problems in our current system.
SO WHERE DOES THIS LEAVE US? Perhaps it’s vtime we started being more critical of the form of political organisation that currently governs our societies. Maybe, instead of incendiary character attacks upon individual politicians (“Tony Abbott’s in budgie smugglers! EW?!”), we need to look closer at the systems that allow some of these deplorable individuals to flourish and succeed.
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Take some of the values of liberal democracy. Fairness, tolerance, freedom, acceptance, multiculturalism. Values that I’m sure the likes of Peter Dutton, Tony Abbott, or Malcolm Turnbull would condone without hesitation as being aligned to the Australian character. However, the forced detention of thousands of desperate refugees on Manus Island, Nauru, and remote Australian detention centres seems to contradict these values. Abbott’s persistent repetition of “we stopped the boats” serves as a centerpiece for his government’s achievements in office.
“The overwhelming message of our contemporary democracy seems to be “you must accept, tolerate, and be fair to all races and religions, but any other race, religion, or nationality that tries to come here and join in will be stopped in their tracks.”
Other western nations paint the same picture. Europe’s ongoing refugee crisis (while inspiring some genuine philanthropy and human kindness, it must be said) has brought out some of the worst Islamophobic, xenophobic and nationalist characters within many modern European states. This is nothing new. In September 2007, several Tunisian fishermen went on trial in Sicily for “aiding and abetting illegal immigrants”. Their crime? Helping a group of starving African families escape from a drowning rubber boat south of the island of Lampedusa, near Sicily. Most agreed the trial was staged as a clear deterrent to other fishermen and sailors that would be willing to help terrified men, women, and children facing death at sea. Once again, the message is clear: we believe in human rights and toleration, but not when it comes to those people.
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Far from being the rational and realistic society that many may claim, perhaps liberal democracy is in fact as Utopian as the socialist dreams of yesteryear, claiming to possess acceptance and multiculturalism that it cannot seem to achieve. More worryingly, it doesn’t even seem to need its own values in order to function. Frequently, huge decisions relevant to all our lives are carried out above our heads in a fragrantly undemocratic manner. Take the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP). Negotiated in secret between the US and the EU, the deal can potentially give companies the right to sue governments whose policies encroach on their success, while also weakening European worker’s rights and selling off areas of the public sector to American buyers. The recent TransPacific Partnership bodes very similarly for Australia.
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cI G A Tobacco kills!! This is a truth so clear that it should be shouted from the mountaintops and across the seas. Tobacco kills!! This is a truth so clear that it should be shouted from the mountaintops and across the seas. Tobacco consumption is so hazardous that, according to the World Health Organization, over 5 million people are killed by it annually. That’s an average of 1 person every 6 seconds. Cigarette smoke contains over 7,000 different chemicals, many of which are known cancer-causing agents. Ingredients include cyanide, mercury, lead, arsenic, ammonia, and formaldehyde. These are mindboggling facts that cannot be ignored.
The sad truth is, these deaths are easily preventable. The undertakings of international tobacco corporations should be condemned under the harshest possible terms, bundled up and thrown into the abyss of hell!! These corporations have sought to influence states to create policies that are favourable to their investment agenda. The juggernaut that is the Big Tobacco (the three major tobacco corporations in the U.S) is relentless in its bid to access international markets and challenge national public health laws and regulations.
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A RETT E PLAIN
PAC K AG I N G S AG A
Written by: Chantal Chweya
Thanks to the Australian Tobacco Plain Packaging Act of 2011, smoking has declined by 12.8% since this law took effect. Tobacco corporations have not taken to this well. In fact, Dr. Ranald, Coordinator of the Australian Fair Trade and Investment Network, reports that the Philip Morris Tobacco Company is currently suing the Australian government over its tobacco plain packaging legislation, using an obscure 1993 Hong KongAustralia investment treaty. Philip Morris is in fact a US-based company that could not sue under the USAustralia Free Trade Agreement because public opposition kept this clause out of the agreement. Philip Morris rearranged its assets to become a Hong Kong investor, in order to use an obscure treaty. This demonstrates how giant global companies can abuse such clauses in trade agreements.
It is well within the right of the Australian government to oppose clauses in trade agreements that allow foreign investors to sue governments. Dr. Renald notes that, “Big Tobacco continues to provide legal advice and funding to the Ukraine and Honduras governments, which have launched a complaint in the World Trade Organization (WTO) on the grounds that the Australian legislation is contrary to a WTO intellectual property agreement. WTO complaints must be made by governments not companies.’
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The Australian government is unyielding in embracing its right to regulate tobacco through the plain packaging legislation, as was recommended by World Health Organization. This opposition against investor-state dispute procedure should be maintained, as tobacco companies only seek profitability, and thus push for tobacco to be considered in the same category as other agricultural products during trade negotiations. This seems preposterous, and the debate they hold is rather narrow, noting the adverse effects of tobacco compared to those of sweet potatoes.
Instead of expelling their efforts in underhanded ways to sue governments and spend millions in litigation, tobacco industries should consider manufacturing products that are not fatal to consumers. This means finding alternative crops to grow, and many crops grow under similar ecological conditions. In fact, Dr. Virginia Li led a crop substitution initiative in the Yunnan Province of China. The Fielding School of Public Health reported that in 2008, most farmers in the area had substituted tobacco for flowers, vegetables, arrowhead and grapes. Interestingly, after three years the farmers had earned roughly between 20% to 115% more than they had farming tobacco.
The real question still remains: what fundamental benefit does tobacco smoking provide? A temporary therapeutic effect? An escape from the harsh pressures of reality? If so, does it take precedence over the severe health repercussions? Just as farmers and tobacco industries should find alternative crops to substitute tobacco with, consumers should find healthier habits to undertake. By adopting alternatives, farmers gain more profit, as do industries, and the lives of consumers are spared. As the saying goes, “Rome wasn’t built in a day�, and this would of course be a gradual development. Nevertheless, all countries should begin adopting the tobacco substitution initiative. Lets save lives!
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HEALTH
THE VISIBLE
EFFECTS OF Written by: Kate Oatley Images source d f r o m w w w. p exel s . c o m
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ONCE AGAIN
Jamie Oliver has us chewing on some hard truths about our diet. His latest documentary, Sugar Rush, takes aim at ‘free sugar’ and reveals just how much is hidden in seemingly healthy foods. We all know that soft drinks and cakes are loaded with sugar. One 600ml bottle of Coke contains 64 grams of sugar, more than twice the recommended daily intake. What is not so obvious is that even milk and bread contains sugar: one serving of Jamie’s breakfast of bran flakes, yoghurt, milk, and berries contained a huge 56.4 grams of free sugar.
Let’s be clear: not all sugar is the enemy. Naturally occurring sugar, found in fruit and milk, is essential for maintaining a healthy diet. On the other hand, free sugar – sugar that is added to food and drink, or found naturally in honey, syrups, fruit juices and concentrates – needs to be limited. Adults can safely consume 90 grams of sugar daily, but only 30 grams of this should be free sugar. This is where we are getting caught out.
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HEALTH Overindulging on sugar can have severe health effects. Some are easy to spot, such as weight gain from eating ‘empty’ calories lacking in nutrients. Tooth decay is a particularly bad problem amongst children, being the most common reason for five to nine year olds being admitted to hospital in England. However there are more unrecognised health effects, including mental health. The empty highs provided by sugar destabilise energy levels and can often result in fatigue and mood swings, contributing to a vicious cycle of eating more sugar in an attempt to offset these energy ‘lows’. One of the most rapidly increasing health problems in Australia is type-two diabetes, which occurs when cells do not respond properly to insulin and glucose builds up instead of being converted into energy. This ‘lifestyle’ disease is common in those who smoke, are overweight, physically inactive, and have unhealthy eating habits.
Unsurprisingly, Jamie Oliver is outraged that sugar, with such dangerous health effects, could be knowingly hidden in everyday foods, and has begun a petition to introduce a soft drink tax in England, even introducing one in his own restaurants and using the money to educate children on health and nutrition. Jamie’s tax is based on its Mexican predecessor, which reduced sugar consumption by 10% and raised 15 billion pesos for fresh water in schools. The reaction of the Mexican public indicates that, when the money raised is used effectively, the tax is widely supported.
Less controversially, more detailed labelling would go a way towards creating an informed public, outlining natural and free sugar content. In England, ‘traffic light’ labelling colour codes the quantity of key nutrients like sugar, salt, and saturated fat in foods to quickly indicate nutrient-value.
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OV E R I N D U LG I N G O N S U G A R C A N H AV E S E V E R E H E A LT H EFFECTS
By far the best way to avoid sugar is to not keep it in the house. Remove soft drink, and make real-fruit-flavoured water instead. Jamie Oliver recommends saving high-sugar foods for special occasions, and eating savoury food based around vegetables instead, to reduce sugar cravings. You can even trick your hunger by reaching for a cup of water, tea, or coffee, before reaching for the biscuits.
Ultimately, real change can only result from a global attitudinal change towards eating healthy food. In the meantime, checking the label at the supermarket is a quick way to understand how much sugar you are eating. Nutrition guides are handy, but they do not tell you how much sugar is ‘free’, so look in the ingredients lists for names like agave nectar, corn sweetener or syrup, dextrose, fructose, sucrose, glucose, and, molasses. The higher on the list the sugar is, the more of it there is in the food. In making food decisions, sugar is ok but balance is essential.
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