ROISIN O
AIDAN GILLEN
JULIE LAKE
decriminalising prostitution
AMANDA PALMER PATRONAGE AND THE CHANGING FACE OF THE MUSIC INDUSTRY
LE GALAXI E DESIGNER EMMA MANLEY I S S U E N O1 S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 5
THE RISE OF THE INDEPENDENTS
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ISSUE No1 - SEPTEMBER 2015 CULTURE | NEWS | OPINIONS | FEATURES| FASHION MOTLEY.IE
BOOLE 200
DRUG CULTURE
ART REVIEW
AMANDA PALMER
Colm Cahalane argues that UCC’s George Boole 200 campaign excludes those trying the hardest to preserve his memory.
In a new feature, tries a new challenge every month. For September, Hannah Kingston is investigating over the counter legal drug culture.
The Glucksman’s Latest Exhibition: Boolean Expressions Review
Cathal O Gara chats to Amanda Palmer in this issue’s big feature
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I N T E R V I E W
A Conversation with Game of Thrones star, Aidan Gillen Orange is the New Black star Julie Lake lets us in on some Litchfield laundry room gossip Claire Fox discusses Autumn/Winter wear with designer Emma Manley Bohemian Expressions: 70s style from Miss Daisy Blue Leah Driscoll gives her opinion on Donald Trump’s election campaign Following the recently Amnesty scandal, we take a look at all the sides of the decriminalising prostitution debate Afterword with Roisin O
MOTLEY GOES ORANGE
J U L I A
“I have learned so much about the trans community since the show came out,” says Lake. “I feel like that just was not something people were talking about before Orange. My heart goes out to anyone who has had to hide who he or she is, and I hope that shows like Orange have inspired people to come out and helped others to have acceptance and compassion for Trans people.” According to Lake, Cox’s character is “super important” on fighting for equality. As for Lake’s own character, Angie Rice, is an impressionable former “meth head” who spends most of her time in the laundry room. “The best thing [about playing Rice] is just getting to be goofy and silly and make my friends laugh on set. The worst is looking like a hideous monster and having people think that is how I actually look. People rarely recognize me from the show because I look so different in real life. Even my cast mates – at the second season premiere and the SAG awards, were doing double takes trying to figure out who I was.”
W E S E N T E N T E R TA I N M E N T E D I T O R R I L E Y T O L I T C H F I E L D P E N I T E N T I A R Y T O C A T C H U P W I T H E V E R Y B O D Y ’ S FAV O U R I T E I N M AT E , J U L I A L A K E , W H O P L AY S L O VA B L E M E T H - H E A D A N G I E R I C E THE SHOW ON THE TIPS OF EVERYONE’S tongues right now is undoubtedly the Netflix original series Orange is the New Black, which this year released a third season. OITNB has taken the world by storm; proving that online series are certainly on the rise and a threat for their television counterparts. Since the show was first released on Netflix in July 2013, it has accumulated an extensive fanbase; one which only continues to increase. The series has racked up dozens of awards and stands alone as the most anticipated and celebrated online show. It’s a very exciting time in Julie Lake’s career, being part of one of the biggest shows in the world, so we had to find out how it all began for her. “I had done a ton of theatre in NYC with one of the writers on the show, and he told me that a role was opening up and helped me submit a tape to the casting director. I was cast off the tape. I originally thought it would just be one episode. It is crazy that so far it has turned into 4 seasons on a hit show.” Lake quit her day job as a secretary to pursue a full time career in acting and following meeting her fiancé after the second season, her life had significantly
changed in a short space of time. Without the show, Lake believes that she wouldn’t have had the confidence to be in the right place to meet the love of her life, so in a way prison has liberated her, well, metaphorically at least. One of the most amazing attributes of the show is surely its huge diversity in the cast she works with; ranging greatly in all respects from race, religion and sexuality. The show is a kaleidoscope of people from all walks of life and offers an accurate and unbiased view of society oftentimes not found in many other shows. “I think it is pretty clear from this show that viewers love seeing all different types of people on television. I actually think entertainment in this country is changing a lot, partially because of the success of this show. I know there was a huge push for diverse casting the pilot season.” While all characters in the show represent a different aspect of society and the discrimination that oftentimes comes hand in hand, none speak out for a more accepting future than transgender leading-lady Laverne Cox, whose voice has resonated with audiences worldwide.
here’s a lot of back story we have yet to discover about Rice; uncovering the backgrounds to inmates as the series progresses is one of the cleverest aspects of OITNB. Lake admits to creating her own history for Angie Rice while she waits for the writers to develop her character, but she wouldn’t tell us too much, claiming that it was her little secret. She does, however, think her back story is extremely dark and the goofiness of the character lends to her dealing with a past trauma. If while watching the show you are alone at home alone, watching Netflix with your cat, you may notice that Litchfield prison is a place of love and romance – well, romance may be pushing the envelope a bit but the love is still there. And with Angie Rice lacking a special someone in her life, we quizzed Lake about if she thinks her character would be compatible with any of the others. “Probably Lorna. I think Angie yearns for lots of love and attention because it is something she has never had before. I feel like Lorna’s intensity would make Angie feel super secure and happy. But that said, Lorna would never go for Angie.” She then added: “I think Angie is pretty much screwed in the romance department until she gets her teeth fixed.” Like every show we feel ourselves growing addicted to, we bond with the characters on an emotional level and more
L A K E
than anything we want the cast to be just as close to each other offscreen. Well rest assured, can put your worries to bed, as Lake admits that she loves the whole cast and that she is close friends with all the girls she shoots with regularly – Emma Myles, Kimiko Glenn, Taryn Manning and Abby Savage. “I am also tight with Eden Malyn who plays Sikowitz – we randomly took acting class together in LA at Lesly Kahn. We all might be going hiking together tomorrow.” OITNB fans can now sleep easy. When Lake isn’t spending time with her cast mates she’s planning her wedding and her “epic honeymoon in Argentina.” So if you are a fan from Argentina, Lake asks you throw some location tips her way. Wedding planning and filmABOVE: LOREM IPSUM ing aside, you could typically see CET SEQUA VON ET UP Lake in the Columbia University Library which she’s always sneaking BOTTOM LEFT: LOREM into and if you’re looking to run IPSUM CET SEQUA VON ET UP that into the star she told you can find her and the other cast mates together in restaurants that surround the studio where they shoot in Queens. She can confirm that after wrapping up shooting for season three right before Thanksgiving, the cast dived right into filming season four this June. Lake also talked about how a lot of the scripts come to them last minute explaining how “the Orange sets runs pretty last minute. For Episode two, we got the script forty-eight hours before we started shooting. But I would say we usually get it about a week in advance.” Before we let the mischievous meth-head go (her character obviously, in real life she is far too pretty to be a meth-head) we explained to her that the season three finale was met with a certain backlash due to its anticlimactic ending. “I actually have 4 more episodes to watch, so I cannot speak to the finale yet. I have been busy - do not judge! Also, it is hard for me to watch myself. I think because it makes me uncomfortable, I procrastinate watching a bit.” The season ended on a heart-warming note, seeing the inmates enjoying precious freedom in the neighbouring lake, which apparently was great fun to shoot. “The lake scene was an absolute blast to film. We played marco polo for like 40 minutes and I was laughing so hard I could not breathe. I felt like a kid again.” Orange is the New Black Seasons 1 – 3 can be streamed on Netflix now. Highly addictive. May result in emotional breakdowns.
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“I was cast off the tape. I originally thought it would just be one episode. It is crazy that so far it has turned into 4 seasons on a hit show.” JULIE LAKE P30
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STYLE EDIT 35 From beautifully perforated leather and silver jewellery to timeless and form-fitting A\W styles ON THE COVER 24 “It was a really organic combination because I had been toying with the idea of writing a book that connected street performing as a metaphor to everything else that has happened to me in my life
ROISIN O
AIDAN GILLEN
JULIA LAKE
decriminalising prostitution
AMANDA PALMER PATRONAGE AND THE CHANGING FACE OF THE MUSIC INDUSTRY
LE GALAXIE DESIGNER EMMA MANLEY I S S U E N O1 S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 5
THE RISE OF THE INDEPENDENTS
3
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WRITERS WELCOME Do you have an interest in Current Affairs, Entertainment or Fashion? Maybe you just have a strong opinion about something or want to get a kick start in journalism or media? All UCC students are welcome to have their voice heard and write for Ireland’s official Best Student Magazine!
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FOREWORD
EDITORIAL TEAM EDITOR-IN-CHIEF ELLEN DESMOND DEPUTY EDITOR HANNAH KINGSTON
ART DIRECTOR CATHAL O’GARA
CURRENT AFFAIRS FEATURES & OPINION ENTERTAINMENT & CULTURE FASHION & BEAUTY
EDITOR-AT-LARGE CLAIRE FOX
Dion Davis Rachel O’Shea Adam O’Reilly Rachel Muckley
HEAD STAFF WRITER Eoghan Scott STAFF WRITERS Hassan Baker Robert Byrne Leah Driscoll Sorcha Lanigan Adrian McCarthy Anna McCarthy Eoin McSweeney
MARKETING Alex Cregan
CONTRIBUTORS Caitlin O’ Reilly Peter Murphy Brian O’ Connor Eleanor Reid Miss Daisy Blue ONLINE TEAM Lewis Glucksman Gallery Colm Cahalane Debby Hayes Maria Hennigan Kayleigh O’Sullivan
ccess to education is a human right but many of us take it for granted all too often. According to the United Nations, 61 million children of primary school age do not attend school. 775 million adults worldwide are illiterate; almost 500 million of these are women. So if you’re reading this and you’ve just made it to UCC, congratulations! In the wider scheme of things, you really are one of the lucky ones, but that’s no reason to be condescending about the obstacles you have individually overcome to get here either. Freshers’ Week is one of the greatest weeks of the year, be sure to experience everything, put yourself out there and make the very most of it - you definitely deserve it. Of course, University isn’t for everyone, which many people find out the hard way a few weeks in. That’s perfectly acceptable. There are other ways to learn. As someone very clever once said, “it is our choices that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities.” At the end of the day, a degree is only a piece of paper. It’s who you are that counts the most. For those who choose to continue the journey through third level, you’re about to meet more challenges, more opinions and gain a broader perspective of the world than ever before. Universities bring people
ELLEN DESMOND EDITOR
FRESH WELCOME
SEPTEMBER: From Boolean Expression in the Glucksman to 70s fashion, we’ve got you covered in all things culture in this issue of Motley
ACCESS TO EDUCATION IS A HUMAN RIGHT BUT MANY OF US TAKE IT FOR GRANTED ALL TOO OFTEN.
together; very different people with very different beliefs and priorities, many of which you may previously have never encountered or even considered before. Most of the education you’ll receive here will happen outside the lecture halls. Having your mind open while encountering new perspectives is a very worthwhile way to get through University and learn to be a more understanding and accepting person. That’s what real education is about. Ensuring you don’t lose yourself along the way is another. Hopefully, by the time you graduate, the thing you’ll have learned the most about is how to be yourself. Since coming to UCC in 2012, I’ve tried to take every opportunity presented to me by the people and groups I’ve met here. It hasn’t always been easy, but it’s always been worth it. Though there’ll be more opportunities than it’s possible to take, try not to let too many of them slip away. Clubs, Societies, Peer Supporters and the SU hold this place together. There’s a reason everyone is telling you to “get involved.” September is a time of change, for everyone, and hopefully you’ll find an opportunity (or three) to grasp and become a part of making the atmosphere here. University won’t always be plain sailing, but we’re all in this together, help will always be given at Hogwarts to those who ask for it.
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Fiction
O P - E D AU G U ST 14 T H 2 0 1 5
HI MAX,
WHAT KIND OF IDEAS DO YOU HAVE FOR YOUR NEW
MONTHLY COLUMN? -MOTLEY EDITOR, ELLEN DESMOND
A U G U S T 1 7 TH 2 0 1 5
Max, Not sure if you got my previous e-mail. Deadline for your column was yesterday and I still haven’t heard from you -is there anything I can help with? E. A U G U S T 1 8 TH 2 0 1 5
Hey Ellen! How’s tricks? Sorry for the delay in getting this to you -article’s attached- ended up spending the week at the Rose of Tralee Festival. It’s just like Pride but without gimp masks. E. A U G U S T 1 8 TH 2 0 1 5
Max, I don’t think we could print this without being open to a libel case. Can you think of any way to make it less derisive? E.
‘AN INDIAN WAR WHOOP’
is this PC ? STET
ite rewr
N E W LY I M PA S S I O N E D M A N A B O U T T O W N M A X FA R R E L L T U R N S H I S P E N TO F L A S H F I CT I O N W I T H H I S F I R ST D I V E I N TO W R I T I N G Hemmingway??
CRIPPS HEARD THE FAINT SOUND OF AN INDIAN WAR WHOOP. It was strange, he pondered to himself, as he was sure that he had taken his medication before he brushed his teeth. His earphones were still in. He laughed uncontrolably at the realisation. ‘And that was Bamboo Banga by M.I.A. You’re listening to The Exploration Hour on CRZ fm, the only campus show that asks the hard-hitting questions like “Which do you prefer: ice-cream or sorbet?” -text or e-mail your answers in now.’ As far as Scripps knew, he was probably the only person on campus that listened to OAK University radio. He felt sorry for the presenter and pictured her holed up under some cold and shadowy awning by the Arts building, transmitting the day’s show from her macbook with a small microphone not dissimilar to the one Britney Spears used in her record-breaking sell-out tour The Circus Starring Britney Spears (Scripps never understood the pop icon’s insistence on wearing the microphone headpiece - everyone knew she lip-synched her performances and they unanimously agreed that mime artistry was definitely worth paying a month’s rent to see -why not own it?). Scripps found himself outside the Acorn centre, OAK’s hub for student activity. ‘What a perfect example of the capabilities of a postmodern approach to architectural design: a miniature glass city, Macondo’. As he gazed up towards the ordered mass of steel and glass, a banner unveiled itself in the corner of his eye - ‘CRZ fm: come visit us inside’. Scripps decided that
he had definitely not taken his pills that morning as it was very unlike him to take directions from dubious banners -particularly ones hung by people who piteously spend their time on macbooks under awnings. He considered himself an anarchist when it came to signposts., but not this time. He entered. Picture the scene: awningless, warm, state-of-the-art equipment, full-bodied microphones with a newly redesigned logo emblazoned on the side -it gave an immediate sense of ‘new money’. ‘How in the name of Zeus do you afford to operate such a costly non-for-profit venture?’ Scripps remarked indiscriminately and without invitation. The presenter looked at him, her piercing gaze was chilling. ‘We get more than six-figures of funding from the students, the broadcasting authority through TV license fees and various other sources in order to create specific types of programming related to Irish culture, heritage and experience, as well as to pay our full-time manager. We have a weekly listenership of over 10,000 and our station is broadcast over a 40 mile radius. We’re even hiring an intern through the unethical JobBridge scheme,’ she honestly admitted. ‘That’s strange,’ Scripps replied, ‘because I’ve lived in several places throughout the city and even in townslands 15 miles away and I could never pick up your station from near or afar. Are you sure it’s 10,000? That’s an almost unbelievable figure. It’s great that you have so many listeners that you can apply for funding which has an aim of promoting creative interpretations of Irish culture’. She cackled, ‘I know, right. Do you like sorbet?’. THE END
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Don’t give Up the day job!
S E P T E M B E R
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F E E L I N G
F R E S H
ABOVE: PROVISION PHOTOGRAPHY FOR UCC CANCER SOCIETY
MOODBOARD
STUDENT LIFE
ACCESSORIES
CLUBS AND SOCIETIES DAY Say what you want about ‘Clubs and Socs’ hacks they may be overly friendly and have questionable interests - but they’ve got themselves some skills and some chums to see them through. There’s everything from a Harry Potter Appreciation Society to a Fencing Club here in UCC. You can find out all about how to get involved on September the 8th (Clubs Day) and 9th (Societies Day), from 10am to 5pm. Usually, Clubs and Societies will gather at stands around Main Campus and in Devere Hall, trying to recruit new members and answer your questions. Don’t be shy – they need you as much as you need them. And there’ll be freebies…
FESTIVAL SOUNDS FROM A SAFE HARBOUR This one has been kept strangely quite so far but we think the PR will pick up soon. Sounds from A Safe Harbour is a festival of “music, art and conversation” launching in Cork on the 17th of September. It’s being curated by Bryce Dessner (of none other than The National) and sees live performances from names as impressive as Lisa Hannigan, Aaron Dessner and The Gloaming. Check out the Sounds from A Safe Harbour website for more details of a brand new festival happening in the heart of Cork.
EVENTS
STUDENT ROOM DECOR
CORK CULTURE NIGHT
There’s no reason your new student bedroom needs to be as grim as the rest of the house. Urban Outfitters is a goldmine for bedroom decor. These Metal Photo Clips can really brighten up rooms and apartments; especially if there are rules regarding hanging posters on walls. They come in at about €12 on Urban Outfitters’ website, but are very easy to make with some string, pegs and tacks from home.
Are you one of those cultured folks? The 18th of September is Culture Night - which sees hundreds of events take place across Ireland. Cork City, and UCC in particular, usually put on a good showcase or two, so keep your eyes peeled for events (or alternatively, just Google it). Cork Ignite is our pick of the night. It kicks off at 9.15pm as darkness falls. It’s an outdoor event by the river’s edge, which will see the College of Commerce light up with 3D projections and music. It’s been put together by some renowned artists like Simon McKeown, and the National Sculpture Factory. A nice way to start off a quiet night out!
STUDENT DISCOUNT NIGHT OPERA LANE
On Thursday 1st October, Opera Lane’s Student Bonus Discount Night takes place from 4pm-9pm. This one’s not to be missed as many of the shops will be offering a bumper discount for student card holders, as well as a live DJ, giveaways and competitions. Topshop are really trying to make raincoats a thing this year and we say why not jump on board? You’ve probably left your only raincoat in the mud at Electric Picnic but you’re going to need to invest in some sort of rainproof device for running around campus sooner rather than later. We recommend good quality ankle boots as a great investment for the semester to come too. Always go for quality on the rainproof footwear; Office is a great stop to cover you on A/W shoes.
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NEWS / CURRENT AFFAIRS
What we’ll be talking about in
YIKYAK APPS
SEPTEMBER
News and Current Affairs for when you need to sound knowledgeable
The Abortion Rights Campaign (ARC) and the coalition of prochoice groups in Ireland are gathering signatures to call for a referendum to repeal the 8th amendment ARC is a movement for choice and change in Ireland aiming to promote broad national support for a referendum to repeal.
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US ELECTION
CONOR McGREGOR
HILARY CLINTON
UFC
It’s odds on for all US Election candidates as the Iowa caucus takes place on February 1st 2016. For those of you that didn’t learn what the word ‘caucus’ was on House Of Cards (like I did), it’s when members of a political party chose whom they would like to run for office. President Obama is backing Hillary Clinton, but can the former First Lady of the White House become the first female President of the United States?
For so long, humility has been the star characteristic of Irish sporting heroes – but since Italia ‘90, this nation is short on a competitor that grips entire counties, and not just communities. Perhaps the tide is turning with the rise to prominence of Dublin-born Conor McGregor. McGregor’s mouth was getting him bookings, not his ability, until he finally backed up his talk when he took on Chad Mendes in Las Vegas back in July. He faces Jose Aldo in January; watch this space.
Move over Snapchat, Yik Yak is apparently a thing now. We’re enjoying the ironic ‘things to do when you first get to University’ posts. Wait - are they called posts on Yik Yak? Or, what, Yaks or something…? Someone help us out here.
The 8th Amendment WOMEN’S RIGHTS
The success of the recent Marriage Equality Referendum resulted in a whole new generation of politically savvy young people and equality activists. Having seen their work on one equality referendum pay off, a new issue gathering speed for many student groups (and other determined citizens) seems to be fighting for Abortion Rights for women. There’s going to be much discussion and debate on this issue in the academic year to come.
PREMIER LEAGUE FOOTBALL That eleven week football-free summer (which consisted of the Copa America, extended pre-season tours and the Women’s World Cup) has ended and football is ‘back,’ despite having never left your screens for longer than a short ad break. Jose Mourinho’s Chelsea side will be firm favourites for the league title, but an opening day slip-up against Swansea wasn’t the ideal preparation. The first few weeks of the Premier League season aren’t about performances – merely results – and the Blues of south London haven’t come firing from the start like many had expected. This title race promises to be far less of a procession than last year; one to really whet the appetite.
J-LAW ACTOR Jennifer Lawrence has recently been named the highest paid living actress of 2015, with an income of $54 million this year alone - not too shabby, J Law. Not too shabby at all.
FEMALE VIAGRA SPROUT PHARMACEUTICALS Sprout Pharmaceuticals has gained regulatory approval for it’s libido-enhancing drug for women and has since agreed to a €1 billion takeover offer. The first ever female viagra? It’s history unfolding before your very eyes.
SEX WORKERS RIGHTS AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL Amnesty International recently voted in favour of supporting the decriminalisation of all aspects of prostitution. This controversial decision has been both lauded and criticised by many of its members, with public figures such as Mary Crilly of the Cork Sexual Violence Centre opting to leave Amnesty as a result.
WHISTLEBLOWER FACES PENALTIES CHELSEA MANNING Chelsea Manning is serving a 35 year sentence for whistleblowing and leaking classified US government documents to WikiLeaks. She now faces extra penalties and possibly indefinite solitary confinement on four charges, which include possession of expired toothpaste and the Caitlyn Jenner issue of Vanity Fair.
YOUNG PERSON OF THE YEAR JOANNE O’RIORDAN UCC student and Cork disability activist Joanne O’Riordan recently won the JC International Outstanding Young Person of the World Award for 2015. You read that right - she’s officially the most outstanding young person in the entire world. You go Joanne, you go! 9
Reports of what some are calling ‘UCC’s Golden Boy’ are circulating campus in recent weeks. Motley can now exclusively confirm the existence of a UCC student with two straight years of perfect attendance. The suspect in question, who has yet to undergo forensic testing to prove if he is indeed human, is coincidentally a student of chemistry with forensic science. After months of trailing false leads and deadend investigations, Motley finally got the chance to speak with the controversial student. Amid claims of a miraculous two years of without a single break in attendance, Vincent O’Brien revels in his title. “It’s the highlight of my life. It’s the ultimate trump card in the shit slinging contest between me and my Arts friends.” Ruthless is the only word that can be used to describe O’Brien’s approach to college: While the best of us “Nobody gets in the way of my perfect atten- struggle to put down dance.” It is this cutthroat attitude that has set a golden week, Leah the 22 year-old apart from other students and reportedly allowed him to achieve what was Driscoll investigates rumors of completed previously thought to have been impossible. Reactions from fellow UCC students have golden years… been that of utter shock. One student remarks: “Two golden years? I’d have a better chance of shitting a garden gnome than attending all of my lectures.” Another comments: “Fair play to the lad, but like…does he know most of the lecturers put their slides on Blackboard?” Suspicions that O’Brien is weaving a web of lies grew stronger following his utterly preposterous claim that his class had a “surprisingly high attendance during R&G Week.” The image of a busy lecture hall during R&G Week verges on blasphemy, however he remains steadfast in his far-fetched claims. During interrogations regarding the veracity of his claims, O’Brien presents the evidence: “All you have to do is look into my eyes and see how dead they are to know that I went to two years of lectures.” However, further studies still cast doubts on whether O’Brien is human or machine, as he details: “I spent my evenings doing my volunteer work, my days in lectures and labs, and my weekends working.” At the very least, it is believed that O’Brien has been sent by the German government in an attempt to boost the Irish economy by improving general work ethic. His suspiciously packed schedule appears to be clear evidence of this. In a surprising revelation, it appears that this anomaly in attendance has genetic links, as O’Brien describes his own father. “He’s in his late 50s and he easily outworks me. He’d be up at 7 and working until 9 while I would be off having my evening nap. I would feel guilty if I didn’t go to all my lectures!” For now, it seems O’Brien is innocent until proven German. Motley will keep you updated on test results as they come.
PURE GOLD:
STUDENT CLAIMS THE IMPOSSIBLE
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GEORGE BOOLE TO RISE FROM THE DEAD FOR 200th BIRTHDAY BASH AS THE FUN GOES EVER ON FOR THE bicentenary of George Boole’s birthday, it appears we’ve officially had enough banter to rise the dead. Boole recently made contact from the afterlife via his latest technology; another one in the long stream of Boole’s discoveries that the majority of UCC students haven’t even vaguely heard of. “Party at mine Thursday of Freshers’ Week,” the message to University officials read, before ending, “Cheers for all the birthday wishes, I haven’t had time to respond to everyone yet.” Motley reached out to Boole through a Boolean Algebra themed ouija board and by blindly writing some binary things on computers. The so called King of Technology skyped us a day or two later, saying he has no idea what the fuss is all about. “My birthday’s not till November! This is too much you guys, you really shouldn’t have. You are all making so much noise with the excessive GB200 banter, I can’t even sleep,” he told us. “It’s too much. I just can’t take all the fun. I simply have to be there to see it for myself.” Boole was very excited for his gaff party, among other events lined up by the birthday campaign. In particular he looks forward to the Aula Max rave planned in November for the big day itself. Before he headed off, I showed him one of our Boole is Cool fan tshirts and told him there’s not a student these days who doesn’t wear one. He was very surprised to hear he’s become the sex symbol he is now recognised as.“The colour red makes me look terribly washed out though,” he commented, with a tear in his eye.
S T U D E N T ’ S
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QUERIES JOE KENNEDY Education Officer
It’s my final year of four years in UCC and so far I’ve always struggled academically. I really don’t want to mess this one up What’s the best advice you’d though...where can I get cheap give to a Fresher who has just educational support or grinds arrived in UCC for the first time? that will see me through the ”Get involved! Whether that’s last few hurdles?
e best place to look for Th grinds is www.grindscentre. com/ucc. If you think you need a little help, get grinds early - they’re not much use the night before an exam. Other than that just keep on top of your work and ask your I’m a new first year and one lecturer/tutor for feedback to week in I think I hate my course help you improve. with clubs, societies, being a class rep, the media, or just making new friends. You’re going to have an incredible few years here so make it count. Oh and don’t walk across the Quad!”
- what are my best options?
That’s OK, don’t panic. It is possible to transfer courses early in term. The best person to have a chat with is Noirin Deady, the 1st Year Experience Co-ordinator. I want to run for class rep but I’m not sure I’m cut out for it... what will it entail?
ere are two types of class Th reps - academic and ents. Academic Reps help their class with issues, liaise with staff and represent their class at Student Council which is where all the class reps come together to discuss issues. Ents Rep looks after entertainment for their class, so they’ll be organizing parties and class bonding. Both positions are great fun and a great experience, so why not give it a go?”
KATIE QUINLAN Welfare Officer What would you say to your Fresher self if you could meet her now?
Stop going straight home after your lectures and binge watching series in bed. Make plans with classmates, roommates or some people you already know in UCC. It wasn’t until second year I realised the wonder of sitting in Coffee Dock for hours drinking coffee. I would also give myself a huge lecture on joining societies and clubs; societies are the reason I now have so many amazing friends and refuse to leave this college!
I’m just about to start the second year of a three year course but I’m certain this is not the right route for me. I’m a bit of a I’ve made it to UCC having mess about it. Are there many routes or options for people like passed my repeats but my grant me or am I stuck?! renewal is still up in the air and It’s worth making an appoint- I’m confused by a lot of emails ment with the Careers Service from the college and SUSI. Where do I go to get support and to discuss what you’re interest- information on how to clear this ed in and your options. There’s grant madness up?
always options open to you and there’s no point being stuck in a course that’s not right for you, so make the appointment sooner rather than later.” I’ve just finished my first week of college. Do I head to the Old Bar, the New Bar or the Rock?
I think I have to say you should head to library! But you’d probably catch me unwinding in the Rock.
Throw me an email [welfare@ uccsu.ie] and we can set up a time for you to pop in and have a chat about what’s going on. Our job in the Union is to make it as easy as possible for you to get back here and finish that degree. I am freaking out about my new living costs and my landlady is totally unapproachable and overly demanding. Can you give me some words of advice?
Make sure that you’ve made some effort to communicate your worries to your landlady UCC’s an unreal adventure and it’s going to be some of the best however awkward she may years of your life. Things will go wrong along the way but there seem. If you’re getting no good are always people there to help, whether that’s the Students’ of her, again throw me an Union, staff or your friends. So enjoy!” email and we can have a chat. In all seriousness though, is there anything else you think we should know about?
Threshold are also in the city and are a pleasure to deal with; they’ll give you some really sound advice on how best to go forward! I feel really lonely and like I’m missing out on the Fresher’s Week buzz. I don’t really know anyone else here yet. What’s the best way to get involved and meet new people in UCC?
I’m gonna sound like a broken record but Clubs and Societies are key. Join one of those, run for academic or ents rep in your class. There’s a million way to make friends, it’s a case of actually doing something about it. In some ways, you have to become brave and put yourself out there a little bit. It’s worth it, I promise! I woke up in dire need of a chicken roll. I’m about mid way down Bandon Road. Centra, Daybreak or brave a walk to campus?
DAYBREAK. Never settle for anything less than a beautiful spicy chicken fillet roll with taco sauce, cheese and lettuce from Daybreak.
In all seriousness though, is there anything else you think we should know about?
Use the Union; we’re here to work for you so come see us with your problems, ideas or humorous jokes. Be yourself, I can guarantee you this is the one place where judgement is reserved. Also, make sure you do some work too (I sound like Joe). But seriously, have the craic but make sure your studies don’t suffer.
You can ask more questions and get to know the rest of UCC’s Students’ Union better over at www.collegeroad.ie.
IN 2015 IN CORK CITY, WE CELEBRATE THE BICENTENARY OF THE BIRTH OF GEORGE BOOLE, FATHER OF THE INFORMATION AGE. BUT ARE WE GOING ABOUT IT THE RIGHT WAY? COLM CAHALANE DISCUSSES HOW UCC’S GEORGE BOOLE 200 CAMPAIGN LETS DOWN A RICHER HISTORY PHOTOGRAPHY: OXFORD FILM & TELEVISION
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O P I N I O N ost people in Ireland carry a smartphone with them. Let’s think about what that means. Behind some of the technical terms associated with it are some incredibly powerful facts. For instance, the smartphone I own has a quad-core 2.5GHz processor. Meaning up to 2,500,000,000 times per second, per core the phone repeats a complex set of data processing procedures. Tiny tiny pulses of electric current in a system are our way of expressing information; truth and knowledge in mathematical or electronic systems. In each of these, trillions and trillions of little movements happening every second power the systems that define a modern civilization. We boil information down to its most simple form. Presence versus absence, truth versus false, 0 and 1. This binary logic that built the 21st century was built in Cork. University College Cork this year celebrates the bicentenary of the birth of George Boole, their finest ever lecturer, the father of modern computer science and electronic engineering as a whole. What the man represents, and his legacy, seems to have been entirely forgotten in the progress. There is a true simplicity in the middle of Boole’s complex study and idea; to represent the philosophical laws of thought in mathematical form. He also created a set of mathematical symbols that are used to create equations from information; these symbols, AND, OR and NOT are what are used in all electronics to compare and work with information; it’s all there ever has been and yet it holds unprecedented power. Boole’s mathematics and the underlying philosophy attached to them are the first things that anyone will be introduced to when they go to learn computer science or a similar field. Everyone knows that computers are based on binary, zeroes and ones, but not everyone knows what that means. This year so far has failed to inspire the difference – most students will tell you that they don’t see the significance of the campaign, despite it running for almost a year. The George Boole 200 campaign is a chance to use a historic moment to capture the soul of what makes our university interesting, and help push us forward. The problem is that, at times, the entire thing looks so horribly unprofessional and out of touch - not only with the subject matter - but culture as a whole. We’ve seen “Boole is Coole” t-shirts and ice bucket challenge videos pushed on students, while the more interesting events such as the inaugural lecture are kept for staff and visiting academics. It feels like the college’s history is being used as a cheap gimmick, and it feels like that to those working hardest to keep Boole’s legacy alive; from undergrad students to professors. I published a version of this article online in January on Medium. com. Members of the teaching staff of the Computer Science department, postgraduate researchers, and scores of students got in touch to say that they too felt left out by the campaign. I was told by people near the top that note would be taken of my concerns in how the campaign would evolve. But as we start this new semester, I feel like too many major opportunities have been lost. A major issue with the Boole campaign is that rather than broadening minds, it very often chooses to act condescendingly. Rather than
explain the importance of Boole’s binary logic, it assumes the general public doesn’t want to or need to know about it. Honouring Boole’s history by building a better future There are certainly ways that the Boole campaign can work towards doing good. UCC can use this year as a platform to campaign on how Ireland needs to lead the way in Computer Science education in Europe. By switching off outdated ‘ICT’ programmes, that teach people not much more than how to use spreadsheets and a word processor, and instead teaching people basic programming skills, we can encourage economic growth, increase gender diversity in our technical community and encourage useful life skills such as problem-solving. While UCC has made a start on this, through the Boole2School program, it’s unclear on if the single-day initiative will stand to create lasting change. Existing initiatives like Dr. Sabin Tabirca’s wonderful Munster Programming Training, where many Transition Year students are taught to code for the first time, should be expanded and developed. Meanwhile UCC Netsoc (society) recently published a statement of intent for the year on their website Netsoc.co. Their efforts show that there’s a strong student interest in technological education on campus. Yet, despite years of efforts, they haven’t been able to get space on campus to run their events, host physical servers on campus, or hold equipment easily. If UCC wishes to honour the spirit of Boole, they should consider backing organisations like Netsoc actively, and use Netsoc as a conduit to teach students about technology and computer science in an informal setting. As well as that, it should be interested in encouraging the use of technology in other society and student-led activities that tend to not involve it generally.
most students will tell you that they don’t see the significance of the campaign, despite it running for almost a year.
From A Safe Harbour DC, the founder of Cork startup movement BUILTINCORK, spoke highly of our local technical community in a recent open letter: “Ignore the hype from the capital, Cork is home to some of the most successful startups to ever come out of Ireland — Trustev, Treemetrics, Teamwork.com. Things also look very good for the future with businesses like Barricade.io, Konnectagain, Learnlode, Groupbooked and others starting to make big waves internationally and at home.” Yet, this diverse community of new, innovative technical companies too seems absent from the Boole campaign. In spite of some of the campaign’s biggest failures, the spirit of Boole’s innovations are alive and well in Cork. And by fostering and encouraging the spirit of student entrepreneurship, we can help to sustain it for even longer. 13
T R A V E L
The American Way Writing from a year studying abroad in Philadelphia, Eoin McSweeney gives you his first impressions.
IT’S NOT THE SAFEST PLACE FOR YOUR ARTERIES
What do you think of when someone says the United States of America? Freedom? The Empire State Building? The President? Or is it more WalMart, McDonald’s and obesity? Whatever it is, when you first step foot on these shores, it will always be a culture shock, no matter how many times you’ve watched In America. Therefore, I have compiled a list of observations I’ve made in my first few weeks in the US of A, should you ever have to make the harrowing journey across the Atlantic.
On our first shop we were in despair looking for the cereal aisle. When we did find it, the sight that met our eyes was horrifying. Shelf upon shelf of sugary balls of god-knows-what greeted us in various boxes of assorted colours. The animals on the front of favourites such as Fruit Loops, Frosties and Coco Pops stared back at us; their eyes welcoming, but you could tell that they had a hidden agenda. There was no Shreddies, no Weetabix and certainly no porridge. Eventually we had to settle for Honey Nut Cheerios as our healthy cereal of choice. And it is not just the cereal that is a heart attack waiting to happen. Every meal is lathered with cheese, corn syrup, sugar or salt. While this is delicious, you can feel your arteries crying out for help. Ever had Kraft Mac & Cheese? I rest my case.
YOU HAD BETTER TIP Or god help you. Even if your waiter spilled half your meal over himself, spat in your food and insulted your mother, you ALWAYS give a tip. And that’s not just for food servers. Bartenders, taxi drivers, cleaners and even dog walkers expectedly wait for their few extra dollars post-service. A number of people will make the majority of their wages through tips; which leads to the problem of the over enthusiastic waiter. Pot bellied, smiling and, most worryingly of all, happy, they will pester you until you have a wonderful meal. Assholes.
EVERYONE IS IRISH “Oh my god are you Irish? I have an Irish connection! My great great great grandfather’s best friend’s dog came from Ireland! He was from, how do you say it... Layoish? I’ve never been there but I heard it’s beautiful! Do you have leprechauns where you’re from?” The fear is real. 14
EVERYTHING IS BIGGER An obvious one, I know, but it must be mentioned. You can always tell when it’s an Irish person’s first time in New York because they walk around with their heads glued to the sky. As I stepped out onto the streets of the Big Apple after flying in, I couldn’t help but be in awe at the majesty of some of the buildings around me. But big doesn’t always equate to good. I pity anyone who has to drive on their immense network of unnavigable roads. And don’t get me started on their portion sizes. I’ve eaten more here than Henry VIII after a breakup. When ordering a medium sized drink in Wendy’s you receive a calorific monstrosity that’s larger than your head. Walmart is a modern day wonder of the world though, I’ll give them that.
PATRIOTISM God loves America... Well, according to America. It’s strange to see so many people be so patriotic when 90% of their ancestors arrived from foreign shores less than 300 years ago. Yet, American flags fly from every checkout in supermarkets, biased history lessons are free and various posters of uniform clad army personnel urge young men to fight for freedom. Why is America the greatest country in the world? Because Americans say so.
D I G I T A L
A GUIDE TO DELETING YOUR FACEBOOK FRIENDS If in Doubt - Hide From Newsfeed our Facebook friend counter is well over the 500 mark, yet can you list the names of even 20 people you know off the top of your head? It’s time you did a virtual clear out. This is easier said than done, as you now have to go through the tortuous process of deciding who is no longer worth the space on your newsfeed. Deleting Facebook friends is like brushing your teeth - you know you need to be thorough, but if you go overboard you’ll only end up with bleeding gums and a fallen out tooth, and in the case of Facebook cleansings you might have to deal with completely different types of fall-outs. To aid you in your social networking purge, here is Leah Driscoll’s definitive guide to removing the gunk and keeping the gems of your friend list. If you see the recently de-friended in public again: Play it cool, for the love of god. Realistically, they care about your life just as little as you care about theirs and so they most likely have not even noticed you erased them from your virtual world. Deny you ever did it if they ask you, and claim that you were never friends to start with. Happy cleansing!
The Greek gods have Zeus, the Facebook gods have Zuckerberg, and the latter has kindly provided us with the option of removing stupid people from your newsfeed without the permanency of deleting them altogether. Best people to hide from your newsfeed: Painfully pretty people: You don’t want to see them every day, but you definitely want to creep on the winners of the genetic lottery every once in a while. PDA couples: You won’t want to see their endless selfies and announcements of love, but you will want to check if they have broken up or even have a look at their wedding photos, depending on how things work out for the two lovebirds.
People looking to advance their career through Facebook: You will get endless invites to events you’ll never attend, and be asked to like countless pages. They’ll share statuses and fish for likes and you don’t want to see any of that. Don’t burn any bridges just yet though- should their career plans work out, they could be a pretty handy contact to have.
Anyone who has decided to start a Youtube channel: They have decided to start make up tutorials, or have joined the fitness craze on Instagram - unless their account is actually quite good, you may as well hide their mediocrity from your daily feed.
WHEN TO DELETE
If you wouldn’t say hello to them in real life
If you met them once and doubt you’ll meet them again
If you don’t care about their lives
Let this be the golden rule that guides you through the process. If you don’t know someone well enough to be comfortable saying hi, then why do you want unfettered access to their lives on Facebook? This rule tends to filter out secondary school classmates you never spoke to in the first place and other people you would really rather not speak to anymore.
Yes, drunken bathroom friend, it seemed totally natural to add you at the time and we really did think we would become the best of buddies, but sobriety and several months have made me realise that I neither know nor care who you are. Hit the unfriend button; there will be no hard feelings.
Do note that you have a real distinction to make here. There is a difference between being irritated by someone’s statuses, and genuinely not giving a shit about pointless statuses. In what may be a controversial piece of advice: delete the boring and keep the irritating. The irritating person may well become a great source of entertainment when some minor scandal most likely befalls them. You do not want to miss their online spat/eloping/short stint in prison. Think of your current irritation as an investment for your future entertainment. 15
M O T L E Y
THIS YEAR WE’RE TRYING SOMETHING NEW EVERY MONTH. FOR SEPTEMBER, HANNAH KINGSTON IS TAKING THE HIT AND INVESTIGATING CORK CITY’S OVER-THE-COUNTER DRUG CULTURE RUGS ARE BOTH A BLESSING AND A burden in the society we live in today. They ensure that many stay alive but they’re also responsible for an average of one death a day in Ireland. We’ve all heard of the classics, and the ones that seem too intimidating to even imagine taking. Mandy, cocaine, heroin, marijuana, meth, and the list goes on. Some of you may have taken risks and crossed it off a so called bucket list. Some of you may have decided that once was enough. Others are not so lucky. The truth is; people snort, smoke and inject these toxic chemicals everyday, to escape. People yearn to free themselves from the boundaries of their conscience. However, this is a mere fantasy which acts as a surreal prison to the grim reality of their lives. Today, getting your hands on all the “scary” drugs is not the vast undertaking one would think. What’s even scarier is that it is very possible for anyone to get their hands on their over-the-counter brothers; which are just as much of a risk. In July 2010, head shops were supposedly sent down after a string of high profile health scares and incidents related to “legal highs.” This Psychoactive Substances Ban made it illegal to buy or sell mephedrone, spice products and substances which mimic cannabis, cocaine and ecstasy. Ireland breathed a sigh of relief and that was that. Except it wasn’t. The criminalisation introduced in 2010 obviously did not succeed in eradicating the problem and today there is a growing issue of alternatively produced drugs being made available in Cork. People both old and young are purchasing “incense” to smoke in the hope of achieving that coveted high. On a Tuesday afternoon, I went undercover to investigate. The Funky Skunk in the city’s centre, is a former head shop and has been in the news numerous times. In 2012, Helen Stone, former owner, was taken into custody for the sale of MAM2201 or ‘Mad Alice,’ an illegal cannabis substitute. The case was adjourned. In 2014, Stone was convicted when 950 sachets containing various measures of Salvinorin A were found in her possession for sale, with prices varying from €20 to €60, depending on the quantity. She was charged €15,000. Still,in 2015 if I wanted, I could waltz down to The Funky Skunk and buy a bag of “Moonshine.” €15 would get me 2 grams, €10 for 1 gram. It’s all too simple. Today I realized the extent of the problem in a mere three hours of investigating. I started with the obvious and walked in with the intent to buy a bag. I thought it would be difficult, under the counter, hard to get; it wasn’t. I pretended to look at bongs as a frantic man ran in and asked was the stuff in yet; it wasn’t in yet. Next torpedoed in a woman asking why they didn’t have it in the shop on
T R I E S Shandon Street. “I need a joint, why don’t ye have it?!” she demanded. She left and I asked if they had “Firefly.” I thought knowing some lingo would make me seem like a regular. He said they didn’t have it but they did have “Moonshine.” I asked if it was good for smoking. “You’re not supposed to smoke it.” Do lots of people buy it for smoking? “I dunno love, it’s not my business.” What was interesting was the fact that I was told I needed an ID for when the delivery came in at five. Why did I need to be overage to buy this presumably innocent incense? Next, I walked to the shop on Shandon Street; blink and you’d miss it. I asked the girl behind the counter did they have incense for smoking. “It’s not for smoking.” Do lots of people buy it for that purpose? “None of my business.” A regular walks in with a buggy and buys two grams. I listen to the conversation that proceeds. The man talks of his friend that was pulled over for driving with a broken window; it had been broken by a rowdy group of boys looking for incense. The friend sped away scared and was later arrested for drunken driving. had no intention of buying this stuff, so it was time to wait. To wait for a new mate that could fill me in. I spotted a boy that must have been between 14 and 16. His accomplice, who looked about 12, waited around the corner as he went to get their “Moonshine.” I stopped and asked him if they had the stuff in yet. I told him my dealer was gone on holiday and asked if it was good. “It makes ya fierce paranoid, ya heart would be jumping,” he replied. I claimed that I usually smoke marijuana; was this the same? “No, it’s not like that at all, you’d be jumpy and off ya head, my brother sells hash if you’ve any interest in that though.” And how long would a 15 gram bag last I inquired. “I’ll be through this in half an hour anyway.” Ironically, I came across a group of baby faced teenagers. Their “dealer” must have been on holiday as well because they were trying to put their euros together to get “smoke” at five in The Funky Skunk too. Three hours, and over seven people jonesing for the joint-like substance, either that or they were very particular about which incense would liven up their living rooms... The fact is, although synthetic cannabinoids were created back in the 1970s, it is only since 2002 that they have been widely available to consumers. They are similar to cannabis in the way that they create feelings of euphoria, increased appetite, lethargy, red eyes, heavy limbs, paranoia. Negative effects include; heart palpitations, vomiting, dizziness and fainting, an intense fear of death, irrational behavior, panic attacks and psychosis. These drugs are just as detrimental as their highly illegal cousins, and the evidence is that they are often home-created with anything a producer can get their hands on - sometimes even making them immediately lethal to a consumer. They are causing as much damage as popular illegal drugs. They are being sold everyday under bad disguises because “They’re not for smoking” and “It’s none of my business.” It’s heartbreaking that little kids are getting their hands on it. It’s time for a different type of action against drugs, both big and small; there should be no grey lines.
DRUG USE INVESTIGATING\ BY H A N N A H K I N G STO N 16
BEFORE WE BEGIn OVER 100 VENUES AND 200 FREE EVENTS: THIS YEAR CULTURE NIGHT TAKES PLACE ON FRIDAY, 18TH SEPTEMBER. ARTS AND CULTURAL ORGANISATIONS OF ALL SHAPES AND SIZES EXTEND THEIR OPENING HOURS
OVERTURE TURN TO PAGE 20 FOR OUR REVIEW ON BOOLEAN EXPRESSIONS
LOCUS GROUP LAST YEAR’S CULTURE NIGHT SAW LOCUS FURNITURE MEMBERS GIVE WOODWORK DEMONSTRATIONS IN DOUGLAS VILLAGE SHOPPING CENTRE VISIT CULTURENIGHTCORK.IE TO KEEP UP TO DATE WITH ALL THE LATEST EVENTS LISTINGS
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E N T E RTA I N M E N T
&
C U LT U R E
ENTERTAINMENT EDIT SEPTEMBER
EDITED BY RILEY @RILEYREILLEY
I AM CAIT
It hasn’t been long since the world met Caitlyn Jenner and we’re still kind of obsessed. The reality docu-series currently airing its first season on E! is definitely something new. It’s a good watch and even features a few cameos of the Kardashian/Jenner girls but it seems to the lack the drama we’re all so thirsty for. I Am Cait undeniably conveys an important issue and Caitlyn has opened up the door for so much love to the Transgender community but while the show can be a bit of a tear jerker, it’s usually a little lackluster and dry. I like my reality TV like I live my life; trashy.
The RHOBH offers so much trash and drama to my life it could sustain me for months. Recently, however, Bravo confirmed that notorious “asshole” Brandi Glanville would not be returning to the show. If you take away the hilarious blonde-bombshell villain then you’re left with five boring women who pound back chardonnay and pretend they don’t know their husbands are having affairs. Brandi was at the centre of the drama this season and we don’t want to live in a world where there’s no one around to throw Lisa Vanderpump a smack.
Scream Queens
It’s less than a month to the two-hour premiere of Ryan Murphy’s new horror series Scream Queens and what a time to be alive. The first season will be centered on a series of murders involving the Kappa Kappa Tau sorority and basically consists of extremely pretty people like Emma Roberts, Ariana Grande and Nick Jonas trying to kill each other. The anthology series kicks off on September 22nd on FOX and will air on Tuesdays at 9:00 pm (ET). If it’s anything like its sister show, American Horror Story, we’re ready for a new TV addiction and I think we might have found it.
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Amy Beth Schumer is the Queen of Comedy right now and it’s just the beginning. There’s literally nothing not to like about Schumer; she’s a loud controversial self-criticizing feminist who echoes the late Joan Rivers. Her comedy skit hit, Inside Amy Schumer, is airing its second season on Comedy Central and is an absolute must see. The 34-year-old has debuted her masterpiece film Trainwreck, which she wrote herself, and follows the story of a young woman spending her days getting stoned, drunk and participating in serial one-night stands. Something we can all relate to...
One Direction Only a few weeks ago we said goodbye to Zayn Malik after he had the audacity to sign with RCA Records just like a “normal” twenty-something year old. This brought about a massive backlash from fans and former bandmates alike. As if this wasn’t enough to tear your heart into a million pieces, the news that the rest of 1D are going on a hiatus next spring has just struck the internet, and we’re all a bit of an emotional wreck. One Direction are such a pretty group of boys, who are improving sonically by the day. While they may have started out as a product of Simon Cowell, they have evolved into original artists, well, as original as boybands come. Are all boybands destined to be like our first true love who meant the world to us but inevitably disappear from our lives? I’m not ready to say goodbye.
M A I N P H O T O G R A P H Y: G E T T Y I M A G E S
The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills
AMY SCHUMER
O F F
T H E
R E C O R D
Jess Glynne, I Cry When I Laugh
Bon Jovi Burning Bridges
Lana Del Rey, High By The Beach
Words: Claire Fox
Words: Eoghan Scott
Words: Riley
While the name Jess Glynne may not immediately resonate with you, her powerhouse vocals undoubtedly will. Having collaborated with electronic group Clean Bandit on hits ‘Rather Be’ and ‘Real Love,’ Glynne has released her first solo album; a collection of uplifting dance tracks and pop ballads. ‘Strawberry Fields’ is a hypnotic techno introduction to this record followed by the plunging piano track ‘Gave Me Something’ which inspires feelings of hope and promise in the listener. The Londoner’s soulful vocals are revealed in ‘Ain’t Got Far to Go,’ which is another upbeat and vibrant modern pop song. Up next is stand-out, Number 1 single of summer 2014, ‘Rather Be’ which launched Glynne’s voice into global limelight and needs little introduction. In keeping with the dynamic and energetic vibe of the album, ‘Ain’t Got Far’ stands out from its predecessors with its hook fuelled verses and catchy chorus. A twist in the tale arrives with the captivating, ‘Take Me Home’ exhibiting the 25 year old’s vocal prowess. Her raw tones become wonderfully apparent as she sings ‘Would you take the wheel if I lose control?’ The record ends on a high note with Clean Bandit’s pulsating club tune ‘Real Love,’ sealing Glynne as a household artist in the UK and proving how pop can be edgy without needing to take your clothes off.
More than 3 decades into their career, the New Jersey stadium rockers have released 13 albums, with yet another on the way in 2016. Most casual music fans might be hard-pressed to actually put a name to any of these albums, but most of us would surely recognize some of their most famous singles. While never critical darlings, Bon Jovi have always been blessed with the enviable ability to craft hit songs, “Livin’ On A Prayer,” “You Give Love a Bad Name,” and “It’s My Life” are just three such examples. For diehard fans, Burning Bridges will likely come as a relatively satisfying release, if not a particularly exciting (or especially good) one. Singles “We Don’t Run” and “Saturday Night Gave Me Sunday Morning” present the band’s usual pomp and swagger, held together by moderately catchy hooks designed to ensure the gratification of fans, even despite this being their first album without regular guitarist Richie Sambora. Though coming across as especially workmanlike in places, the sound of a band steadfastly refusing to take any risks, Burning Bridges is another entry in Bon Jovi’s already large back catalogue. When all’s said and done, nobody but the already converted will be out to buy this album. Maybe one of the new singles will make it onto their next ‘Greatest Hits’ album, or maybe not… It’s probably the best one can expect though.
The second track to be released from the much-anticipated new record Honeymoon has landed, and it’s not quite a typical score from the siren of soul. While HBTB is still recognizably Lana Del Rey, the song is a hypnotic throw back to the pre-Lana days; where the singer went by the name of Lizzy Grant and the music was surrounded with a Hollywood noir aesthetic. The new track definitely gives off some Florida Kilos vibes but High By The Beach is the perfect blend of jazzy blues and hip-hop; a completely new arena for the ‘Video Games’ singer. Del Rey dropped the music video within days of the single but, while the song became an instant fan favourite, the video was quite lackluster despite the Brooklyn Baby looking like a vintage goddess. The hypnotic ballad ties in the boldness of the first two of Del Rey’s albums and the cinematic nostalgia of Ultraviolence. If you want to lose yourself in the darker side of alternative pop, then go get high by the beach.
The Libertines, Anthems for Doomed Youth Words: Eoghan Scott Anthems for Doomed Youth’s lead single ‘Gunga Din’ arrived in July; the first new Libertines material in ten years. Backed by a dub reggae beat along with a ramshackle, singalong chorus, it instantly signalled a creative rebirth for both Pete Doherty and Carl Barat, whose previous solo ventures have ranged in quality over the years - yet never reaching the promise shown throughout their early-noughties peak. Inevitably, the band will struggle with the weight of expectation that has built up in the intervening years between the release of 2004’s self-titled sophomore album and Anthems for Doomed Youth 11 years later. Produced by
Jake Gosling, best known for his work with One Direction and Ed Sheeran, and their first release on a major label (EMI), the finished product arrives as a far more polished affair than fans may be used to; this, however, does nothing to impede the quality of the album. ‘You’re My Waterloo,’ a fan favourite that remained unreleased for years, is given a new coat of paint and a beautiful piano-led backing that makes it a highlight of the album. Of the new material, ‘The Milkman’s Horse’ is a definite standout, showcasing Doherty’s lyrical prowess at very near it’s best, and built around a lilting melody that runs into arguably the strongest chorus on the album. For those who may be yearning for material more in line with The Libertines of old, ‘Belly of the Beast’ is an angry, energetic tune that seems almost destined to become a live favourite. Having left eager fans waiting for over a decade, The Libertines have somehow come back from the dead to release album no. 3. It’s no less than a miracle, and for even just that, their fans should be grateful. 19
BOOLEAN EXPRESSIONS
hat makes us human? Our consciousness? Our empathy? Our creativity? Whatever it is, we can rest assured that humans totally preside over the realms of both art and science. One could argue that computers surely can’t make art. But what if they could? Boolean Expressions exhibits at the Lewis Glucksman Gallery until the 8th of November. An exploration of the grey area between art and science, this collection of contemporary artworks investigates the ways in which mathematical concepts lead to the creation of art, and the ways in which scientific systems, methods and codes often support creative production. Art and mathematical science have danced together for centuries throughout history. As explained by Lord David Puttnam, when he unveiled this Glucksman collection; “We shouldn’t have to remind ourselves every five or ten years that science and art are indivisible. Every 20
innovation has been art interpreted and science generated.” It’s not a “far out” or overly-philosophical concept to grasp, and in the context of conceptual art in 2015, it’s actually quite a simple concept. One need look no further than the Renaissance masters to see the science behind art (and equally, the art behind science). Leonardo da Vinci was famed for the geometric composition of his paintings, as well as his sketches of mechanical constructions and technological ideas; ones far beyond the years in which he put pen to paper. The “true Renaissance man,” as he was known, didn’t just appreciate the relationship between art and science but in fact thrived on it. The love affair of art and science is a centuries old, symbiotic one Boolean Expressions toys commendably with this affair. The collection was curated by Fiona Kearney, in association with The College of Science, Engineering and Food Science, as part of University College Cork’s celebration of the bicentenary of George Boole’s birth.
Everyone who studies at UCC knows George Boole’s name, but few of us ever learn the information needed to consider just why Boole is made so familiar to us. Boole’s name has been preserved because his is a legacy that encompasses the era of technology, and his discoveries continuously influence the innovations we encounter every day; 200 years after he was born. All things considered, Boolean Expressions must have been a uniquely difficult exhibition to curate. With a large, warehouse-like space to fill, the Glucksman Gallery is a tough venue to pad out at the best of times. But when working with a collection composed of wires, numbers, rulers and interestingly, hazelnuts, this was never going to be a warm, cosy display. Upon first entering the gallery there’s an initial feeling of emptiness but attentions are soon caught and absorbed into John Gerrard’s ‘Exercise (Dunhuang),’ which is one of the highlights of the collection. The success of ‘Exercise (Dunhuang)’
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Contemporary Art and Mathematical Data At the Lewis Glucksman Gallery
Reviewed by Ellen Desmond
The standout piece is Aisling O’ Beirn’s sculpture in Gallery 2, ‘Entropy,’ which is based on Boolean algebra.
Though some of the smaller artworks will be lost to anyone taking a pit-stop tour of Boolean Expressions - as they need careful attention in order to be appreciated – overall, Kearney and her Glucksman coworkers have managed to create the sense of walking around inside a large (and very creative) computer system. The collection is a challenging one to the visitor; but it is a challenge to be lauded. From pieces meditating on Pythagoras’s Theorem to CAPTCHA codes, George Boole’s discoveries are a mere springboard for this collection. The exhibition dives much deeper than one man’s legacy, and much deeper again than a short article can hope to capture, but the innovation of the artists on display is arguably what Boole would have respected most. Looking at this collection it is evident that humans truly are “the music makers, and the dreamers of dreams,” but it’s not just up to us; art is around us in everything, and Boolean Expressions is just the tip of the iceberg.
is enhanced by the ringing silence of the Glucksman Gallery. This three screen simulation has been produced painstakingly with a highly labour-intensive approach. It “meditates on the human role within global networks of production.” It is hypnotic in an almost devastating way, as it shows a human avatar become lost in a network much larger than himself. The avatars are of Chinese factory workers, and their directions are controlled according to the algorithms used in GPS systems. Another eye catching work is Tatsuo Miyajima’s ‘Life (le corps sans organises) – no. 19)’. This piece is immediately intriguing on an aesthetic level but it is only upon reading up on Miyajima’s works that I truly appreciated the otherwise seemingly innocent collections of LED lights and circuits. A Japanese contemporary artist,
Mijajima has presented his famous LED numerals in several different constructs in “grids, towers, complex integrated groupings or circuits and as simple digital counters.” His numerical and circuit based artworks truly meditate on the dedicated repetition at the heart of computer science and mathematical data sequencing. It arguably points to an art created by computers, but of course it is the genius of Miyajima behind these works. The standout piece is Aisling O’ Beirn’s sculpture in Gallery 2, ‘Entropy,’ which is based on Boolean algebra. This domineering wooden installation occupies the largest space in the gallery and presumably in the mind of many visitors. The likeness of the artist and the scientist shines through this piece, as the production process behind it mirrors mathematical problem solving. ‘Entropy’ is an exploration of how physical forces acting on structures can be seen as political processes by the way they affect their stability; “The structure can always be rebuilt, but it will never be the same again.”
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ROBBIE BYRNE TALKS TO LE GALAXIE FRONTMAN MICHAEL POPE ABOUT BREAKING INTO THE FESTIVAL MAINSTAGE SCENE, KUNG FURY AND ALL THAT FACIAL HAIR
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I N T E R V I E W T’S EASY TO GET YOUR BAND NAME HORRIBLY WRONG.The Beatles is an idiotic name. Think about it; it’s just a dumb musical pun drawn from a species of insect. Now take Panic! At the Disco – why is that exclamation mark there, why? And why throw ‘disco’ into the mix when you’ve spent the past decade peddling a dilute brand of commercialized pop punk? And who could forget El Paso’s sole groove-metal quartet Pissing Razors, or 60s space-rock outfit Evil Edna’s Horror Toilet? But sometimes a band absolutely nails it. Conjuring images of neon skylines, 80s sci-fi and cosmic synth odysseys, Le Galaxie urges us to own the night. Still, if the band’s bearded frontman is to be believed, it’s a name born out of necessity. “We had spent six to eight months writing these instrumental songs when the opportunity arose to play in Dublin’s Voodoo Lounge,” Pope says. “After we took the owner up on the opportunity we were like, Jesus, we have no name, so on a whim we called ourselves Le Galaxie - after the first song we wrote.” That was 2008, and though the band released only two singles in the interim, including the vocoder-driven, indie brilliance of We Bleed the Blood of Androids in the midst of a cliché debut small venue tour slog, Le Galaxie were beginning to feel the momentum sway in their direction. “It really doesn’t matter if the venue holds 50, 100 or 1000, but when you sell out your first gig, I think that’s the sign that people like what you’re doing. For us, it was selling out our Laserdisc Nights II LP launch at The Workmans.” This wouldn’t be the first epiphany the band would have. Their second, at 2013’s Electric Picnic, was where I, along with thousands of other revellers, were exposed to the band’s live brilliance for the first time. “The best part was turning so many strangers’ heads,” Pope laughs, before pausing. “I swear our Facebook following had doubled by the next morning. Honestly, I hardly remember much of that night, but to have thousands of people around us was a special moment.” It was off the back of this momentum that Le Galaxie crafted the bulk of Le Club’s material. An early shoehorn for Irish album of the year, Le Club plays true to the band’s core strengths. Progressive, yet nostalgic twilight beats meld with Pope’s mechanized vocal delivery and a smattering of guest spots – succeeding where Laserdisc Nights II failed; by delivering an album laced with danceable synthesized gold throughout. It’s a brilliance emphasized by the LP’s immaculate production. Pope admits Le Galaxie hit the jackpot in bagging one time LCD Soundsystem member and in-house DFA producer, Eric Broucek. “From the outset he knew what to do with our sound. He wanted to make the album feel like we were playing in the same room as the listener, which was totally cool with us,” Pope says. “Although we had the writing and live aspects nailed, we’ve always struggled to capture our live sound in the studio.” Broucek’s influence is peppered throughout Le Club,
notably in the pulsing arpeggios of CNNXN. But despite his fame and know how, Pope notes that Broucek was a breeze to work with; “Eric is a really simple guy. If you’re an independent artist and he likes what you do, he’ll do it.” Fresh from playing Longitude and its UK sister festival, Michael Pope is just reeling in from a hugely successful, albeit hectic weekend. “It was our first time playing on the main stage of any festival. Just to see people come out and see us in the middle of the day was mind-blowing. We really tried to expand our set for it by bringing Senita and MayKay on stage,” he says, before moving on to how the outfit juggled performing in two separate countries one day after the other. “The night before mainstage at Longitude we played the Other Voices tent at Suffolk’s Latitude Festival - two completely different gigs. Between scheduling taxis for our guest vocalists and flights for our equipment, we had to deal with tension headaches - constant stress. It’s worth it though, especially when we meet people who never heard Le Galaxie six months ago.”
JUST TO SEE PEOPLE COME OUT AND SEE US IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DAYWAS
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HE BRAND OF 80S-INFUSED FUTURISM PEDDLED BY LE GALAXIE for so long is enjoying something of a renaissance of late, much thanks to the popularity of the Swedish viral sensation Kung Fury. So with a script seemingly pulled from Pope’s late night android fuelled lyricism, is he a fan? “I just couldn’t have taken Kung Fury seriously if it was another one of those poorly made b-movies. But seriously, the jokes are great and the whole thing just looks and sounds so cool. It’s one of my favourites.” With a major label record deal behind them, Le Galaxie are now setting their gaze across the pond, having already embarked on a small 2014 UK tour that ended in London’s NME sponsored KOKO venue. “The British crowds have been kind to us, they seem to be liking what they’re hearing so far,” comments Pope, hopeful for what the future holds as yet another festival season begins to wind down. As our own conversation draws to a close, I prompt Pope to impart some of his beard-growing wisdom onto us mere mortals. After all, the Dublin native sports the best facial hair in the business. “Advice?” Pope questions. “Right, first you’ll need to fight your way through the itchy phase. Second, look after your beard – buy decent beard oil. And third - third, always condition while showering; then and only then will your beard be as soft as a sheep coat.” 23
AMANDA
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PALMER WITH HER PIANO, UKELELE, #BROWSENFLEEK AND NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING MEMOIR IN HAND, JUNE SAW AMANDA PALMER RETURN TO THE STAGE AT DUBLIN’S ACADEMY. WE CAUGHT UP WITH THE BOSTON NATIVE TO TALK WRITING, PERFORMANCE AND MODERN ARTISTRY
“It was a really organic combination because I had been toying with the idea of writing a book that connected street performing as a metaphor to everything else that has happened to me in my life because it is such a wonderful rich metaphor. And when the Kickstarter happened -and then I battled controversy after controversy -that definitely stirred up a lot of material but it wasn’t until I did Ted Talks and then was chased down by a publisher that I actually lit a fire under my own ass -because writing a book is not fun…”
PROFILE T’S BEEN OVER A DECADE SINCE AMANDA Palmer gained success and acclaim as one half of the punk\ cabaret act The Dresden Dolls. Following a less than amicable parting of ways with her record label, Warner’s Roadrunner Records, Palmer found sanctuary in the ever-democratic crowdsourcing platform ‘Kickstarter’. It was on this platform that she managed to raise the enviable sum of $1.2 million in order to make and distribute an album (Theatre is Evil) with artistic license and freedom. Theatre is Evil was released to critical acclaim, with SPIN Magazine noting that “If Theatre is Evil does anything, it should make clear that Palmer’s not just a fundraiser par excellence but someone who’s energized enough people with her work to be able to create exactly the kind of record that makes people love music in the first place.” Since then, Palmer has returned to the crowd and is experimenting with financing her art through a different platform, Patreon, as well as finding time to write a best-selling memoir and return to touring.
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Your memoir, ‘The Art of Asking: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Let People Help’, deals a lot with your struggle for authenticity as an artist. Was it written as a reaction to some of your critics or had you been planning to write the book all along? It was a really organic combination because I had been toying with the idea of writing a book that connected street performing as a metaphor to everything else that has happened to me in my life because it is such a wonderful rich metaphor. And when the Kickstarter happened and then I battled controversy after controversy -that definitely stirred up a lot of material but it wasn’t until I did Ted Talks and then was chased down by a publisher that I actually lit a fire under my own ass, because writing a book is not fun… I sort of had to sacrifice almost a year of doing what I fundamentally enjoy - writing songs and playing and travelling and being with people - in order to write this book, knowing that it wouldn’t be particularly enjoyable, that I would have to sit alone at a desk for many many many hours, which I don’t love doing, in order to crank this out and I don’t think I would have done it if I hadn’t had the motivation of the Ted Talk and all the controversy behind me because I was really motivated to explain myself. I deeply wanted people to understand the context of why these things had happened -and that’s a much bigger motivator than ‘hey- I’ve had a kind of interesting life maybe I could write about it‘. It’s a much stronger fire to be deeply misunderstood but know that if you can explain the context to those that are misunderstanding you, you will be more connected to the universe. and that’s sort of the context that I wrote the book in -which is not to say that I wrote the book for my haters and my critics, but the TED Talks really worked wonders -feeling my soul being upon a world stage like that…let me tell you my story and maybe you’ll understand.
ABOVE ALTERNATIVE ARTWORK TO PALMER’S MEMOIR BELOW: PALMER WITH HER HUSBAND, CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED FANTASY AUTHOR NEIL GAIMAN
Was it a hindrance or a help having a best-selling author as a husband? In this case, it was absolutely a help. Neil says something very wise when he talks about writing which is ‘you never really learn how to write a book, you only learn how to write the book that you’re writing’. And some of that is applicable to the next time. Our marriage has absolutely been shaped by every project that we’ve worked on and Neil says that he wouldn’t have written his last book if I hadn’t gone off to make my Kickstarter album. I don’t even know if I would have done my Kickstarter if I hadn’t met Neil. Our life, our marriage and our story has really been glued together and impacted by every creative project that we’ve undertaken and vica versa… Neil could have not have been more supportive when I decided to write the book and when I decided to abandon our marriage - three straight months to go off without seeing him - and then he gave me the ultimate gift which is that he acted as one of my editors. And Neil Gaiman - I don’t think 26
there is a price-tag you could pay him to get him to edit your book. It’s not what he wants to spend his life doing. He took a full week out of his own writing schedule and out of his life to hack the shit out of my book. I think most good writers -and people in publishing might know this- but what makes a really good writer is the fact that they’re an excellent editor, and Neil is an excellent editor. He basically sat down with a hundred and fifty thousand word manuscript of mine and a pencil and just slashed the shit out of the draft. And genuinely helped me shape the book into being after I had written all the raw material. He can do that because not only is he a good editor but because he really knows me and understands the fundamental message that I was trying to get across -and he really understands books because he has had a passionate love affair with books basically since he could crawl.
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Was that important to you - to have someone who knows you edit the memoir rather than a stranger? Even though my publisher had provided me with a perfectly adequate editor, I not only asked Neil to edit the book but I also hired one of my friends, Jamie, who absolutely knows me inside out, understands my philosophy, helped me write my Ted Talk and is one of those people who is brutally honest with me about my work. I practically wouldn’t sign the book contract without getting permission to hire those close to me to police me and edit me and work with me and help me birth the book baby because it was too intimate. I was a little bit afraid that there would be too many cooks in the kitchen environment. In the end having three editors worked out magically. There were some spots in the book that I was aching to keep in and really didn’t want to cut and I had a consensus of three people and I knew if all three told me ‘you’ve got to cut this,’, no matter how instinctively and deeply I wanted to keep that thing in I would cut it. Sometimes even if two out of three suggested that I cut something I would cut… They all brought a really different element. Neil brought the element of ‘totalNeil-Gaiman-publishing-worldexpertise’ and an excellent keen eye for PR, Jamie brought a really incredible philosophical filter to things, and then the publisher’s editor Emily brought the aspect of ‘looking at the book from the outside world’ -as in this may be totally understandable to a DIY musician in Brooklyn but will Barb and Norah from Nebraska really understand what you’re saying here? The three of them as a team were fantastic.
A lot of writers use their work as a way of ‘working-through’ trauma and suffering. Was the writing process therapeutic? I’ve always taken comfort in sharing and airing out all of the darkness. The book was a really nice way of getting a lot of feelings off my chest. That’s something I’ve been doing for years through my song writing, through my blogging and even through my tweeting -I’ve always found a great deal of comfort in ‘working-through’ my feelings in public and with a community. Honestly, I’ve seen it before with music …but seeing it through the book is an experience. By sharing these things it does not at all have to feel narcissistic it can feel like a gift that I can give to other people that are going through similar things that have not been able to articulate certain experiences. It’s very easy for critics to target any person, particularly women who are vocal, open and opinionated… the flip-side of that is that I have never felt more connected to the universe and more connected to my community because all of the bridges that get built and the threads that get threaded together by writing about such personal stuff - that
P A L M E R feels so much more powerful than the critics yelling that I’m some narcisstic sleaze.
Along with the book and the tour, you’ve found time to guest-edit an issue of The Newstatesman with Neil, what was it like to be on the other side of the media? I’m a long-time reader and I found myself particularly inspired by Russel Brand’s guest-edit. I was invited to write a piece for that. When I bought the issue and read it I was blown away by the wonderful cohesiveness of how they structured and put together that entire issue thematically. A magazine, when it’s well done and well edited, can really be a work of art. Neil and I were very excited to do this together but we’re always very suspicious of collaborating with each other. We’re both such total control freaks. We definitely went through a dark night of the soul with this issue because we didn’t see eye-to-eye with everything, but 95% of the time we did and that’s one of those wonderful things that can strengthen a marriage which is you realise that there’s a lot of things that you can communicate without even speaking. Because we really are from the same planet. I think one of the things that really attracted me to Neil, besides his incredibly handsome British charm and all that, was his politics. He’s a freedom-fighter and he’s been really vocal about censorship since the beginning of his career and has been known to be an outspoken feminist - I found those qualities insanely sexy when I met him. The idea that Neil and I can sit down with this issue of the New Statesman and really gather up the best of the best of our friends who are writers or who are artists who aren’t professional writers but need to be given a platform to say what they need to say -especially by a publication as prestigious as the new statesman, it felt like getting the ultimate dinner invitation with extra invite power. It was just awesome. We’re really pleased with it. The cover is beautiful -it’s by Art Spiegelman- and the content ranges with everything from Stoya who’s a porn star who is also an excellent essayist and feminist… It’s the most eclectic incredible collection of writing and artwork. I am so proud of it.
Everything seems to be going pretty well in your life, are you afraid you might stagnate as an artist? I’m terrified - and not for no reason. I have definitely seen some artists and musicians stagnate and mellow into ‘uninterestingness’ after having kids and I feel like I am going to have to make a conscious and exerted effort not to. *Parts of this article were originally published as part of an interview on theoutmost.ie ‘The Art of Asking is available at all good book stores 27
L E A D N G P H O T O G R A P H Y: I Z A B E L E S Z C Z U T K O W S K A
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IN CONVERSATION WITH AIDAN GILLEN E O G H A N S C O T T C H AT S T O I R I S H A C T O R A I D A N G I L L E N , W H O S E C A R E E R H A S BEEN MOVING FROM HIT SERIES TO HIT SERIES -AND MUCH MORE IN BETWEEN HIS SUMMER, TRISKEL ARTS CENTRE welcomed celebrated Irish actor Aidan Gillen (Love/Hate, Game of Thrones) to host a screening of his favourite films from the 1980s. On the bill for the evening were David Lynch’s iconic Blue Velvet, Francis Ford Coppola’s experimental drama Rumble Fish, and the Talking Heads concert film Stop Making Sense. It’s no surprise to see the classic Jonathan Demme documentary – heralded by Gillen as “probably the best concert film ever” - featured in the lineup; since 2011, Gillen has served as the host of RTÉ’s alternative music programme Other Voices. His love of music, unsurprisingly, originated from growing up listening to Irish radio in the 1980s. “I grew up listening to most of what was out there at the time, basically whatever Dave Fanning would be playing. Big bands in my youth for me were REM, The Smiths, Aztec Camera, Prefab Sprout and The Go-Betweens.” As for recent releases, Gillen says he’s a fan of the Drays’ new stuff. “They’re fronted by Stephen Ryan, who used to be with The Stars of 28
Heaven; their new album is really good.” On screen, Aidan Gillen is perhaps best known to Irish viewers nowadays as criminal kingpin ‘John Boy’ Power in the acclaimed RTÉ drama Love/Hate. “Acclaimed” and “RTÉ” – words that rarely go together - are for once true in this case. Internationally, he’s famed for his turn as the calculating Master of Coin Petyr “Littlefinger” Baelish on HBO’s worldwide hit adaptation Game of Thrones. The truth is, most actors are lucky to inhabit even one such iconic role throughout their careers, whereas the Drumcondra native can boast not just these two impressive seminal characters but also his breakout role in the landmark British TV series Queer as Folk, as well as that of the ambitious Baltimore politician Tommy Carcetti in The Wire; frequently cited as one of the greatest television shows of all time. Despite seemingly managing to move at ease from one acclaimed role to another, Gillen asserts that his top priority is with always challenging himself and doing something new with every character. “I’m generally always looking for something that’s miles away from what I’ve just done. Taken out of
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chronological order, the roles I’m better known for have similar traits, but in practice I’ve always tried to follow something like The Wire up with something like Treacle Jr. Different scale, completely different character. Or from Queer as Folk to Buddy Boy. I’ve been lucky to find my way into four great TV series’ (Love/Hate, The Wire, Queer as Folk, and Game of Thrones) but there’s been loads of other interesting stuff too. And some rubbish.”
n January this year, Gillen starred as one of the most divisive figures in Irish politics, the controversial politician Charlie Haughey, in the RTÉ docu-drama Charlie. It was interesting to hear how he approached the portrayal of an iconic, public figure such as Haughey, in contrast to any of the numerous fictional characters he has played in the past. “Essentially, there’s not much difference; you’re still trying to just play a character. You’ll be judged on it a bit more, I guess, and with someone like Haughey, you’re never going to win them all. It’s tempting not to play those kind of parts, but at the end of the day who could turn down Haughey? I’ve often based characters or looks on real people that I know, but that the wider public wouldn’t.” Outside of his celebrated TV career, Gillen seems to transition regularly between smaller indie dramas and mainstream studio blockbusters. Rather than having any particular preference, he appears to enjoy having the ability to pick and choose between such films. “I like working both ends of the field – there’s a lot of freedom and fun to be had on the smaller stuff, but you can’t live on it. I think it’s important to get behind tiny projects, but to always be trying to make career moves. And I enjoy the process of trying to get people to see something like Treacle Jr or You’re Ugly Too and travelling to film festivals as part of that process. We had a great time in Kraków and Dublin with Treacle Jr; it managed to do really well at Dinard in France – won the main prize there – and in Milan, too.” Writer/director Mark Noonan recently spoke about how
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chatting to Gillen’s mother at the premiere of Treacle Jr actually influenced his decision to write the part of Will in You’re Ugly Too specifically for the actor. “There’s a story of my mother’s involvement in this role beLEFT GILLEN IN ing written for me, but I can’t HIS STARRING vouch for it’s authenticity.” ROLE AS LORD BAELISH IN He’s keen to discuss this new HBO’S GAME OF film, the indie drama You’re THRONES Ugly Too which has been drawing much acclaim and was reBELOW: GILLEN AS cently a big winner at the GalCHARLIE HAUGHEY way Film Fleadh. In the film, IN RTE’S POLITIGillen plays Will, a prisoner CAL MINI-SERIES ‘CHARLIE’ who is given early compassionate release to look after his orphaned niece Stacey. “It’s a low-key Irish drama, a bittersweet character sketch really. I liked the simplicity of the script and the prospect of sharing so much screentime with a kid (Lauren Kinsella); she does a great job by the way.” With his work on You’re Ugly Too finished, many Gillen fans will now be looking forward to his return on Game of Thrones Season 6. The show, having recently wrapped up what is undoubtedly its most controversial season yet, left millions of viewers across the world salivating for any small drop of information regarding the upcoming sixth season, which won’t be airing for almost a year yet (yeah, just let that sink in). Having been absent from the show for much of the last season, can we expect a big return from his character, the duplicitous and pivotal Petyr Baelish, in 2016? As expected (and with the possible threat of a massive lawsuit from HBO hanging over his every word), the actor gives nothing away. “Well, unfortunately, I’m sworn to secrecy on this one as all the content for this new season will be fresh and not, in fact, based on a novel given that the TV show has now caught up with the book...” FAR LEFT: AIDAN GILLEN HOSTED A SPECIAL SCREENING OF HIS FAVOURITE FILMS IN CORK’S TRISKEL ARTS CENTRE
“I’m generally always looking for something that’s miles away from what I’ve just done.
Game of Thrones Season 6 is provisionally set to premiere on HBO on Sunday, April 3rd, 2016. 29
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EVERY SENTENCE IS A STORY W E S E N T E N T E R TA I N M E N T E D I T O R R I L E Y T O L I T C H F I E L D P E N I T E N T I A R Y T O C AT C H U P W I T H E V E R Y B O D Y ’ S FAV O U R I T E I N M AT E , J U L I E L A K E , W H O P L AY S L O VA B L E M E T H - H E A D A N G I E R I C E HE SHOW ON THE TIPS OF EVERYONE’S TONGUES RIGHT NOW is undoubtedly the Netflix original series Orange is the New Black, which this year released a third season. OITNB has taken the world by storm; proving that online series are certainly on the rise and a substantial threat for their television counterparts. Since the show was first released on Netflix in July 2013, it has accumulated an extensive fanbase; one which only continues to increase. The series has racked up dozens of awards and stands alone as the most anticipated and celebrated online show. It’s a very exciting time in Julie Lake’s young career, being part of the hype surrounding one of the biggest shows in the world, so we simply had to find out how it all began for her. “I had done a ton of theatre in NYC with one of the writers on the show, and he told me that a role was opening up and helped me submit a tape to the casting director. I was cast off the tape. I originally thought it would just be one episode. It is crazy that so far it has turned into 4 seasons on a hit show.” Lake quit her day job as a secretary to pursue a full time career in acting and, 30
following meeting her fiancé after the second season, her life has significantly changed in a short space of time. Without the show, Lake believes that she wouldn’t have had the confidence to be in the right place to meet the love of her life, so in a way prison has liberated her, well, metaphorically at least. One of the most amazing attributes of the show is surely its huge diversity in the cast that she works with; ranging greatly (and proudly) in all respects from race, religion and sexuality. The show is a kaleidoscope of people from all walks of life and offers an accurate and unbiased view of society, oftentimes not found in many other shows. “I think it is pretty clear from this show that viewers love seeing all different types of people on television. I actually think entertainment in this country is changing a lot, partially because of the success of this show. I know there was a huge push for diverse casting the pilot season.” While all characters in the show represent a different aspect of society and the discrimination that oftentimes comes hand-in-hand, none speak out for a more accepting future than does transgender leading-lady Laverne Cox,
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whose voice has resonated with audiences worldwide. “I have learned so much about the Trans community since the show came out,” says Lake. “I feel like that just was not something people were talking about before Orange. My heart goes out to anyone who has had to hide who he or she is, and I hope that shows like Orange have inspired people to come out and helped others to have acceptance and compassion for Trans people.” According to Lake, Cox’s character is “super important” in fighting for equality. As for Lake’s own character, Angie Rice is an impressionable former “meth head” who spends most of her time in the laundry room. “The best thing [about playing Rice] is just getting to be goofy and silly and make my friends laugh on set. The worst is looking like a hideous monster and having people think that is how I actually look. People rarely recognize me from the show because I look so different in real life. Even my cast mates, at the second season premiere and the SAG awards, were doing double takes trying to figure out who I was.”
here’s a lot of backstory we have yet to discover about Rice; slowly uncovering the stories of inmates before their sentencing is one of the cleverest aspects of OITNB. Lake admits to creating her own history for Angie Rice, while she waits for the writers to develop her character, but she wouldn’t tell us too much, claiming that it was her little secret. She does, however, think her backstory is extremely dark and the goofiness of the character lends to her dealing with a past trauma. If, while watching the show, you are alone at home alone, watching Netflix with your cat, you may notice that Litchfield prison is a place of love and romance – well, romance may be pushing the envelope a bit but the love is still there. And with Angie Rice lacking a special someone in her life, we quizzed Lake about if she thinks her character would be compatible with any of the others. “Probably Lorna. I think Angie yearns for lots of love and attention because it is something she has never had before. I feel like Lorna’s intensity would make Angie feel super secure and happy. But that said, Lorna would never go for Angie.” She then added: “I think Angie is pretty much screwed in the romance department until she gets her teeth fixed.” Like every show we feel ourselves growing addicted to, we bond with the characters on an emotional level and more than anything else we want the cast to be just as close to each other
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off-screen as they are on-screen. Well, rest assured, Motley can put your worries to bed, as Lake admits that she loves the whole cast and that she is close friends with all the girls she shoots with regularly – Emma Myles, Kimiko Glenn, Taryn Manning and Abby Savage. “I am also tight with Eden Malyn who plays Sikowitz – we randomly took acting class together in LA at Lesly Kahn. We all might be going hiking together tomorrow.” OITNB fans can now sleep easy. When Lake isn’t spending time with her castmates, she’s planning her wedding and her “epic honeymoon in Argentina.” So if you are a fan from Argentina, Lake asks you throw some location tips her way. Wedding planning and filming aside, you could ABOVE AND BOTtypically see Lake in the Columbia TOM-LEFT: JULIE LAKE University Library (which she’s “I ACTUALLY THINK always sneaking into) and if you’re ENTERTAINMENT IN THIS COUNTRY IS CHANGING looking to run into the star she A LOT, PARTIALLY BEtold Motley that you can find her CAUSE OF THE SUCCESS and the other castmates together OF THIS SHOW.” in restaurants that surround the studio where they shoot in Queens. She can also confirm that after wrapping up shooting for season three right before Thanksgiving, the cast dived right into filming season four in June of this year. Lake also talked about how a lot of the scripts come to them with little time to spare, explaining how “the Orange sets runs pretty last minute. For episode two, we got the script forty-eight hours before we started shooting. But I would say we usually get it about a week in advance.” Before we let the mischievous meth-head go (her character, obviously, in real life she is far too pretty to be a meth-head) we explained to her that the season three finale was met with a certain backlash due to its anticlimactic ending. “I actually have 4 more episodes to watch, so I cannot speak to the finale yet. I have been busy - do not judge! Also, it is hard for me to watch myself. I think because it makes me uncomfortable, so I procrastinate watching it a bit.” The season ended on a heart-warming note, seeing the inmates enjoying precious freedom in the neighbouring lake, which apparently was great fun to shoot. “The lake scene was an absolute blast to film. We played marco polo for like 40 minutes and I was laughing so hard I could not breathe. I felt like a kid again.” Orange is the New Black Seasons 1 – 3 can be streamed on Netflix now. Highly addictive. May result in emotional breakdowns. 31
I N T E R V I E W
MANLEY MATTERS C L A I R E F O X C AT C H E S U P W I T H O N E O F IRELAND’S BEST DESIGNERS, EMMA M A N L E Y, A B O U T L A U N C H I N G L A B E L S AND WORKING WITH MCQUEEN ASSION, PATIENCE AND PERSISTENCE. According to Irish designer Emma Manley, these are the three fundamental qualities needed to succeed in the fashion industry. Considering the 28 year old set up her own label, Manley, at the core of the recession in 2010, it’s clear she possesses these qualities in bucket loads. Although the designer admits that Ireland’s economic instability “isn’t over by a long shot,” she believes if you can survive during the hardest of times, then you can definitely thrive during the best of times. Debuting in London Fashion Week in 2014, and with department store giant Arnott’s stocking her collections, Manley’s star is only set to rise. Things haven’t always been plain sailing for the Castleknock native, however. In her early 20s, Emma set out to New York, “the city of dreams,” to pursue her own dreams of becoming a fashion designer with VSL. This was a time that brought about its own set of challenges. But like everything in life, Emma grabbed it by the throat and saw the positives. “I was young enough at the time and there was a very last minute exit from someone, meaning I’d to go by myself. That was difficult but I have to say I like a challenge and I sort of made it my own. It made me reach out to people and made me develop in a way that perhaps, if I’d gone over with somebody else, I may not have had. So for me it was kind of ideal and went really, really well.” Jetting across the Atlantic from the Big Apple to London, Emma honed her craft under the creative genius that was, the now deceased Lee McQueen’s brand, Alexander McQueen. While many of Emma’s colleagues couldn’t handle the pressure of working in such a demanding environment, this experience only served to make the Dubliner more passionate about all things design. “It was a really intense situation,” says Emma. “You were just a cog on a wheel and you just kept going and going. It was a very exciting place to be but there was a lot of people who didn’t come back after their first week. It definitely taught me that I had enough of a love to keep going at it.” This love grew to such an extent that Emma launched her very own label in 2010 at the tender age of 23, an age at which most are backpacking their way across Europe or battling their way to the nearest night club. Knowing instinctively that she had “something different to offer,” Emma used her surname to create 32
the brand of her dreams. Manley, which is a play on words, fuses strong silhouettes with soft, feminine structures in order to get the best of both worlds. “What we try and focus on are really strong and contemporary silhouettes that are hard and soft at the same time but also really powerful and delicate,” says the designer whose adoration for her craft oozes out as she goes onto speak of their latest Autumn/Winter collection. “A/W has gone far more 3D for us .We’ve gone really bold on the colour and have really beautiful fuchsia and wine pops of colour, which a lot of people don’t expect for winter, but we think winter time is the time when you need a bit of colour in your life.” Dressing well-known Irish faces from Amy Huberman to Kathryn Thomas, Manley is of course a luxury brand, but a luxury brand at the accessible end of the scale - something which Emma prides herself on. “Some people think we are really expensive and say ‘it’s just a dress’ but I think when you look at and appreciate the craftsmanship that goes into it you will see that we are on the lower scale of things. I am only new on the scene and I want pieces to be affordable for people so they can get into the brand.” Another point of pride for Emma is Manley’s usage of Irish materials and the high quality craftsmanship contributing to the brand’s higher level in price. “I really do pride myself on using the best of the best when it comes to fabrics and we do all of our embellishment by hand, so we have to have a certain price point for our pieces and we accept that people have different opinions on us.” Perhaps what has made Manley such a success story is the business acumen that Emma has acquired over the years. Insisting that owning a brand “isn’t just about making pretty dresses,” Emma admits that business know-how is absolutely essential for keeping a label afloat. “Sometimes, people will think there’s huge glory that comes with owning your own brand where really, there’s a lot of hardship that comes with it too. There’s no such thing as a 9-5 job, five days a week for any of us. I think people just think it’s all very glamorous. We help make the glamour for people but we aren’t part of it. So I think it’s very good for people to know that because there is a false perception of the fashion industry out there.”
E M M A
M A N L E Y
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The button-down wool t-shirt is a 70s classic and with the decade back in fashion, Manley delivers a modern take with ease and fitting. (€162) This figure-hugging sand pencil skirt falls just below the knee and has a generous back vent to allow for ease of movement. It comes in a luxurious wool, silk and viscose mix: a timeless wardrobe staple that can be dressed up or down to suit the occassion. (€175)
MANLEY Style Edit
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F A S H I O N
V L O G G I N G
VINTAGE VIBES R A C H E L M U C K L E Y D I S C U S S E S V I N TA G E V L O G G I N G A N D I T S I N F L U E N C E S O N M U C H M O R E T H A N J U S T FA S H I O N reason to continue giving a voice to something that is so appreciated. What’s perhaps the most interesting aspect of reigniting a left behind beauty ideal is the fact that these YouTubers appear to adapt ‘vintage’ into their everyday lives, as well as in front of the camera. As has happened with vloggers who had the inkling to pick up a pin curl clip, you might well and truly find yourself adapting your whole life to reside as a screen siren, and not just wanting to look like one. This gives the whole purpose of the videos a higher significance by showing that these stand-out looks can face a modern society. Beginning their vlogging journeys with hair and makeup tutorials exclusively, slowly but surely (as the number of subscribers increased) many have given in to home décor, travel diaries, clothing collections, and baking recipes to compliment a retro taste. Who would have guessed that DIY victory rolls or breakdowns on original Revlon lipsticks would succumb to what it has… Nowadays, you can build a successful career from this, with the opportunity to travel the world to host workshops, meet and greets and conferences. And that’s exactly what Cherry Dollface has done. Speaking to the beauty guru earlier this month, the YouTuber told of the perks of the job and what ‘vintage’ really means to her. “Vintage styling has allowed me to travel the world meeting girls that want to stand out and be unique,” she said. “I have the lucky job of making them feel even more beautiful and glamorous than they already do!” To escape the premonition of a cult-like sisterhood of time-warped clones, that some will inevitably jump to, it’s crucial to mention that within this community there exists huge opportunity for personal style and originality. By simply watching a handful of videos from various YouTubers, you will quickly notice that different styles and objectives to vintage beauty are freely expressed. While some prefer the Ava Gardner formality and simplicity, others rock sleeve tattoos and rockabilly hair quiffs. Some remain strictly loyal to make up tricks from the past, others choose to mix and match between traditional and art deco-inspired looks. We must remember, these women are brave. And I say that without any hint of condescension. The point that they’re completely true to themselves with a look different enough to present an opposition to the pressures to conform to what is socially trending, is very admirable and shows great strength of character. Crucially, they’re saying that individuality is key and should be expressed without fear of judgement. Haters gonna hate, and all that… In any aspect of life, attempting to introduce something that is no longer or not yet considered the ‘normal’ way, is a thing to pay attention to. These are usually moments of social break-through and of change. So put your brave face on, the time has finally come. Forget smokey eyes and beachy waves, prepare to be busy setting finger waves and jiving to Bing Crosby.
HE YEAR MAY NOT BE 1942 but that hasn’t stopped the ladies who YouTube in the most glorious way possible - delivering authentic vintage beauty tutorials - from living it up like Grace Kelly is the current style icon and Teddy Roosevelt is still the US President. Every inch the pin-up gals of a modern time, they are here to take us way back into a bygone era. These vintage-beauty savvy vloggers, such as Lisa Freemont Street, Cherry Dollface, A Vintage Vanity and Ashley Marie to name a few, offer regular updates on hairstyling and makeup instruction inspired by the icons of times past. Think Rita Hayworth, Veronica Lake and Carole Lombard. The combination of barrel loads of setting lotion, over-night hair patterning and taking the ‘brows on fleek’ situation to a whole new level, means the ‘distressed’ look is not an option. Not in jeans, not in manes, and definitely not in peep-toe kitten heels - what would that even look like? Tutorials generally follow the whimsical path of a run-through of the technique or demonstration being filmed with a film noir filter and the sounds of Ella Fitzgerald playing over the scene. And the result is admittedly lovely. Although not culturally boasted in this day and age, the ever-expanding popularity of vintage beauty online may surprise you, and perhaps one reason for this is the fact that it offers both moderate and more intense looks; the former capturing a casualness more familiar to women of today. With almost half a million people subscribing to each of these online profiles, and taking an interest in this concept, it is enough to give these women a just
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photoshoot BOHEMIAN EXPRESSIONS Photographed at the Lewis Glucksman Gallery Creative Director: Rachel Muckley Photographer: Anna McCarthy Model: Kayleigh O’ Sullivan of Lockdown Models MUA: Debby Hayes
Clothes: Miss Daisy Blue, 70s clothing collection Shoes: Model’s Own Accessories: Stylist’s Own
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P O L I T I C S
TRUMP: CHAMP or CHUMP LEAH DRISCOLL ASKS IF AMERICA IS BEING TRUMPED E ALL KNOW HIM AS THE ONLY MAN OTHER THAN LORD ALAN SUGAR WHO IS ALLOWED TO FIRE PEOPLE FOR PUBLIC ENTERTAINMENT on his hit reality TV show The Apprentice. Coming in at 30 on the Forbes’ 2013 Celebrity Rich List, he is a Trump of all trades, acting as an international real estate mogul, owner of the Miss Universe Pageant and of his own menswear brand. Donald Trump has most recently pounced into the spotlight as the newest contestant in ‘Who Wants to be the President of the United States.’ We can compare the 2016 U.S presidential campaign to a game because, surely, if Donald Trump is allowed to participate, it can be seen as nothing more. Trump is a difficult man to take seriously. With an ego as inflated as his net worth, he regularly drools discriminating generalisations and dangerously uneducated opinions on everything from international trade RIGHT: DONALD TRUMP IN NEW HAMPSHIRE, WHERE HE IS POLLING SECOND AMONG REPUBLICAN PRIMARY VOTERS PHOTOGRAPHY: REMNICK
to climate change. A quick look at some of his stances is enough to provide a comedian with enough material to support a world tour, and you can be sure that script writers on Saturday Night Live are having a whale of a time teasing his every remark. Take for example, his strongly displayed and unabashed racism. Most notably, his opinion of Mexicans: “They’re bringing drugs. They’re bringing crime. They’re rapists.” Trump leaves no room for the imagination; he does not like Mexicans and has every intention of keeping them out of his country. “I will build a great, great wall on our southern border, and I will make Mexico pay for that wall. Mark my words,” he has publicly stated. He even bites the hand that feeds him as he moves his attack to China, a country to which the U.S is deeply in debt: “China is raping this country.” His opinion on climate change is just as laughable. Claiming a cold spell to be proof that global warming is “an expensive hoax,” he furthermore insists that Al Gore should return his Nobel Prize, after Trump experiences a chilly day in Los Angeles. Understandably, Trump is not short 39
D O N A L D
of critics. Several influential brands, ranging from NBC Television to Macy’s department store have cut ties with Trump in reaction to his comments on Mexico. Unsurprisingly, Mexico have pulled out of the Miss Universe Pageant in protest, and former Miss USA host Cheryl Burke refuses to be involved with the event in light of Trump’s recent statements. Not only is he slated for his controversial opinions, but also for the seeming lack of preparation for his campaign in the Republican primaries. He boasts this fact, claiming that it proves that he is not a typical politician as “no one puts words in my mouth.” What this instead results in is a litany of unsupported claims and plans on which he is unable to specify. One look at Donald Trump’s website will show a page barren of any details of his policies or specific plans should he actually succeed in gaining the presidential position. In short, Trump appears to be a racist, inept, power-hungry shit-talker. Which begs the all-important question: why is he succeeding? Opinion polls regarding Trump have done a full 180 in recent months. An ABC poll which had once shown 65% unfavourable rating for Trump flipped in early August to produce a 57% rating in his favour. Similarly, a Fox News poll previously finding that 59% of Republicans would never vote for Trump, has since seen that figure fall to 33%. Trump has not toned down his approach, but his popularity is steadily rising.
E HOLDS AN APPEAL TO A DANGEROUSLY LARGE AMERICAN POPULATION AND IS A LIVING, BREATHING CARICATURE; one who demands the attention of the public. The publicity his campaign has received, be it good or bad, has given Trump the edge over other Republican candidates. His views are so simplistic and extreme that in the eyes of some voters, they represent an achievable future. Trump’s appeal to right wing, dizzyingly wealthy voters is understandable. They are looking for a president with similar views and more importantly, similar interests, such as preserving 40
T R U M P
their own wealth and reducing government interference in the economy. While the support of the powerful and influential is a huge boost to Trump’s campaign, the real threat will lie in his ability to win over the affections of the middle class. The New York Times attempts to explain Trump’s growing appeal to the average citizen: “His seizing on trade and immigration in this ABOVE: SALMA HAYEK campaign has allowed Mr. Trump “…I see through the manipulation. We have someto tap into the economic anxieties thing to learn from this. of American workers who have lost That is that the educated out in the global economy, and to people or the people with capitalize on nativist fears.” History great human values have has shown that dramatic discourse to wake up, because they are under the illusion that and fear mongering can hold a most of this country is like huge influence over voters, and this them and sometimes they is exactly what Trump is hoping don’t even go to vote.” will happen. For every few of us who laugh at his exaggerated and often untrue claims, there is another who takes these subversive comments on board. Though the thought of Donald Trump as president may be laughable, his progress in this campaign is nothing to joke about. As the rest of the world watches, helplessly captivated by the events that will unfold over the coming year, one can only hope that more people like Salma Hayek speak out and bring the majority to their senses. On the topic of Donald Trump, she says to the L.A. Times: “…I see through the manipulation. We have something to learn from this. That is that the educated people or the people with great human values have to wake up, because they are under the illusion that most of this country is like them and sometimes they don’t even go to vote.” American voters need to stop teasing the threat that looms before them and instead face the very real danger Trump represents. Laughing at the ignorant attempts of a man vying for power is all well and good, but unless informed voters actually show up to the polls, it will indeed be Donald who trumps us all. 29
I B R A H I M
FREEING IBRAHIM: HALAWA’S OBSTACLES
SINCE AUGUST 2013, IBRAHIM HALAWA HAS BEEN A VICTIM OF A BRUTAL REGIME. HOWEVER, AS BRIAN O’ CONNOR ARGUES, THERE ARE STILL MANY OBSTACLES TO OVERCOME RISH CITIZEN, IBRAHIM HALAWA, WAS ONLY 17 years of age when he and his sisters were arrested in Egypt by the Sisi régime in August 2013. Their “crime” was quite simply expressing their discontent at the régime’s dissolution of what was considered one of the Middle East’s newest democracies. The Mosque they were located in, prior to their arrest, was the scene of a firefight between protesters and Egyptian security forces. Amnesty International claims that 97 people died as a result of the reckless conduct of the Egyptian security forces in the vicinity of the Mosque. While it is fortunate that the Halawas were not caught up in the firefight, the aftermath of the incident can only be described as tragic. It is one thing to arrest the Halawas for a crime which Amnesty have proven they did not commit, but it is a crime in itself to detain the Halawas under borderline medieval conditions, such as at Al Salam and Tora prisons. In these prisons the overcrowding is so chronic that one would find it difficult to lie down. While Ibrahim’s sisters were released three months after they were detained, Ibrahim still remains in custody. After two years of imprisonment, the now 19 year old from Tallaght, has had his trial delayed for the tenth time. This means that Ibrahim’s case will not be officially heard until October - at the earliest. Leaving this aside, while it is understandable to be outraged at the conduct of the Egyptian authorities, it is hard not to also feel disappointed at the outcome of the ongoing political relationship between Ireland and Egypt at this time. There are a series of issues that can be seen clearly. The Irish government’s diplomatic relations with Egypt are very different to that of the European Union. Though MEP Lynn Boylan (Sinn Fein) had the ability to express her support to the Halawas and Ibrahim by visiting Egypt, it was done as a member of an EU delegation. This representation by the EU could not be replicated by the Irish authorities - such as the Foreign Affairs Committee - on the same scale. Further tension is also added because the Egyptian authorities see anyone with Egyptian parentage as their citizen, while Ireland sees Ibrahim as an Irish citizen. The uncertain relationship between Ireland and Egypt has been described as comprising of “confusion and chaos,” by Senator Mark Daly. His efforts to represent the committee by attending Ibrahim’s trial in Cairo resulted in failure due to
H A L A W A
poor communication between the Egyptian and Irish authorities. As a result, only the chairman of the committee, Pat Breen TD, and one of his advisors have been granted permission to travel to Egypt on an official scale. It is difficult to speculate what is going on behind closed doors between the Department of Foreign Affairs, the Oireachteas Foreign Affairs Committee, the Halawa family’s campaigns, and the Egyptian Authorities. I would truly like to say that there is a positive relationship between all parties as they lobby to release Ibrahim Halawa, and to give him a fair and transparent trial. Yet, quite frankly, while this is a very sensitive case, in one of the most volatile regions in the world, it is hard not to feel disillusioned with how it is being handled. In recent months, other high profile prisoners, such as Peter Greste, have been released due to heavy diplomacy by the likes of the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade through Presidential Decree. While Ibrahim is not as high profile as Peter Greste, a way of getting a citizen out of a diabolical situation has been shown to the world and it would perhaps be worthwhile to pursue this route. However, there is one major obstacle lying in Ibrahim’s path: he’s still technically on trial. Because of this, he can’t be subject to Presidential decree which could release him. Thus, to realistically have Ibrahim extradited like his friend Peter Greste, he needs to be put on trial, have a verdict and not be subject to a retrial. After that, he can be released through the same mechanisms as Greste has been. To say that this is a legal quagmire, especially considering how many times his trial has been adjourned, is an understatement. Arguably, if all 15 members of the Irish Foreign Affairs Committee were to be allowed to visit Ibrahim directly and meet the relative authorities on a face-to-face basis, it could encourage a trial for Ibrahim at long last. A display of political unity would show the Egyptian authorities how determined we are to help our own citizens when they are in need. However, this is a major longshot as the Egyptian authorities’ communication with the Irish Foreign Affairs Committee is very poor, as has been shown by Senator Daly. Furthermore, the heterogeneous lobbying methods being applied by the Free Ibrahim campaign, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the Foreign Affairs Committee are not helping Ibrahim’s situation at all, as the conflict between megaphone diplomacy and backchannels is becoming ever clearer. Ibrahim Halawa could be starting his third year of third level education this September but instead he is trapped in inhumane conditions for a crime he did not commit. The fact that I am able to write this article without fear of repression is a right that I take for granted all too often. Cases such as that of Ibrahim show us that, in spite of Ireland’s problems, we have a lot to be grateful for and so not only is it our right but it is our duty to campaign for his release. Whatever the outcome of Ibrahim’s story in the months and years to come, let’s be hopeful that someday he will return home to Ireland as a hero of free speech and justice. 41
P A R T Y
P O L I T I C S
HAPPENING AT HOME:
THE RISE OF THE INDEPENDENTS WITH A GENERAL ELECTION AROUND THE CORNER, DION DAVIS EXAMINES THE INCREASING POPULARITY OF INDEPENDENCE TDS NDEPENDENT TDS HAVE BEEN AROUND FOR Since then, Renua has faced backlash from the media on the DECADES, OWEVER IN RECENT MONTHS THEIR party’s differing views during the Marriage Equality Referendum POPULARITY HAS OFTEN OVERSHADOWED and two of their general election candidates pulling out in recent the main political parties. Twenty-eight TDs in the curweeks. The silver lining in the scenario was that Creighton’s acrent Dáil are Independent or Others; this leap from the tions encouraged other TDs to be brave and consider setting up last election is set to increase again. The rise of a left wing their own parties. culture and Independent TDs is instilling fear and worry Other Independent TDs were praised this year for their couthroughout the Dáil chambers, as the possibility of an rageous actions in the Dáil and their initiative to go beyond their unstable government could be on the horizon. normal duties. Deputy Catherine Murphy was at the centre of a Deputy Mick Wallace and Ming Flanagan MEP are among political storm in the media. For those of you that nipped away the familiar faces of Independents. The Healy-Raes and Paul for a holiday, or didn’t look at the news for a few weeks, she Murphy might render familiarity for others. The Government caused quite a ruckus. Deputy Murphy used her Parliamentaare failing to win over voters and with promises to abolish water ry/Dáil Privilege during the Siteserv on-goings linked to Denis charges and reduce Income Tax; the public’s views are swaying O’Brien who has since been in the headlines regarding the case. towards these differing views. She exposed the favouritism given to O’Brien in the purchase Independent TDs have been topping the of Siteserv, yet freedom of speech and the press polls in recent months, with the latest result were questioned thoroughly in the ordeal. Cathfrom Millward Brown leaving them at 24% erine Murphy was praised for her bold move in on par with Fine Gael. Distrust and disinterest the Dáil Chambers and it encouraged various for the current government is working in their voters to change their views and turn to Indefavour, as they have no affiliations or strings atpendent TDs. tached. They hold no allegiance to the treaty or In recent months the formation of anothanti-treaty sides that two of the main political er new political party dominated headlines parties emerged from, nor do they have any past in the national papers. As a result of three participation in the Troubles. These candidates independent TDs coming together; the Soare solely off their own back. cial Democrats appeared onto the political We have seen the popularity of many Inscene on the 15th of July. The party stems dependents rise considerably as a result of the from the ideals of three major Independent LUCINDA CREIGHTON’S Marriage Equality Referendum, with Senator ABOVE: TD’s; Stephen Donnelly, Catherine Murphy NEW PARTY OF INDEPENDENTS ARE David Norris and Senator Katherine Zappone at SET CONTEST THE NEXT ELECTION and Róisín Shortall. “Openness, Equality the forefront of the fight for human rights. Both Senators were and Progress” are the pillars that the party was established praised in the media for their courage and opinions. Every party on. The trio will share leadership until a new leader is elected proclaimed that they supported this referendum, however few after the general election. On their newly designed website TDs and Senators released their personal views on the matter, as you can find a statement from the three reputable TDs to they were afraid they would lose voters in the upcoming election. entice voters near the new party; “We believe in an Ireland Speaking at the MacGill Summer School in Donegal, Enda where high-quality public services, strong communities and a Kenny said that a government formed of Independent TDs thriving economy combine to create a society where everyone would be “a political freak show, a government free-for-all, where has the opportunity to reach their potential. Together, we can it’s none for all and all for none.” Kenny’s words resonated with make this a reality.” the attendees at Glenties in Co. Donegal. Can they make it a reality? Will they gain seats or even power Renua launched on the 13th of March this year with a familiar in the next election? Only time will tell as a myriad of new parties face in the leading seat. Lucinda Creighton, ex- Fine Gael TD will form in the coming weeks. There is already talks of Anti Austook it upon herself to set up a new party formed of Independent terity Alliance and People Before Profit merging to form a new TDs to contest the next General Election. The party was off to a party in an attempt to gain more seats and voters. great start with a euphoric Creighton putting Renua on the poIf the polls are anything to go by (which they certainly weren’t litical map; introducing us to their party president, Eddie Hobbs. in the UK Election) then we can expect a new phenomenon; a This was the calm before the storm; party spokesman Terence Dáil of independents, a majority of independently minded peoFlanagan appeared days later on RTE’s Drivetime to speak about ple and policies – arguably an instability in the politics of the the party’s policies, those who tuned in recalled it as a “car crash” state. Our economy might be on the threads of recovery, but our interview as he was unable to answer any of the questions. Dáil could be about to be enter the storm. 42
S E X - W O R K E R S’
R I G H T S
ERADICATING EXPLOITATION:
PROSTITUTION IN IRELAND ELLEN DESMOND EXAMINES IRELAND’S SEX LAWS AND ASKS IF THE RIGHT MEASURES ARE BEING CONSIDERED
ECENTLY THE IRISH GOVERNMENT committed to introducing new laws surrounding the purchase of sex; this upcoming Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Bill intends to target the business model of prostitution. If successful, the Bill in question would also see the legal pressure shift from the sex worker to the buyers of sex. In many cases, the buyers are those fuelling crimes and violence against sex workers, and their business allows pimps and traffickers the opportunity to do the same. Currently, the purchase of sex is technically not illegal in the Republic of Ireland, nor is it illegal to sell sexual services. It is, however, an unusual law as many of the activities related to prostitution are seen as public offences. For example, brothel-keeping and curbcrawling are outlawed in Ireland. In 2008, it became illegal to buy sex from someone who had been trafficked. However, there is concern that this may be interpreted as requiring a conviction of a person for the trafficking offence before somebody could be prosecuted for buying sex from the trafficked person. Laws surrounding prostitution are difficult laws in a moral sense, as well as because of the ripple effect any decision will have on vulnerable women. While it is one of the most exploitative industries
in the world, and a patriarchy-infused institution that takes women’s rights for granted, to ban it outright ultimately affects many of the vulnerable women who sell sex as their livelihood. The reality is that prostitution is happening, and it’s not going to stop anytime soon. Lawmakers need to realise and acknowledge that in their considerations. Controversy: Amnesty’s New Policy Amnesty International recently voted on how they would campaign on the Government’s proposed plans to criminalise the purchase of sex. The agreed upon resolution was in the works for two years and recommends that Amnesty develops a policy that supports the full decriminalization of all aspects of consensual sex work. “Sex workers are one of the most marginalized groups in the world who in most instances face constant risk of discrimination, violence and abuse. Our global movement paved the way for adopting a policy for the protection of the human rights of sex workers which will help shape Amnesty International’s future work on this important issue,” said Salil Shetty, Secretary General of Amnesty International. This decision allegedly does not go against Amnesty’s ongoing efforts to tackle exploitation and trafficking, and takes the welfare of many voices into 43
SYDNEY: SEX WORKERS RALLIED AT THE SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE IN PROTEST AGAINST WHAT THEY CALL THE LEGAL DISCRIMINATION AND HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES THEY FACE
“ONE OF THE MOST PROLIFIC ANTITRAFFICKING GROUPS, THE TURN OFF THE RED LIGHT CAMPAIGN, BELIEVES THAT DECRIMINALISING THE BUYERS OF SEX WOULD INCREASE TRAFFICKING”
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S E X - W O R K E R’ S account. In support of Amnesty’s decision, sex worker Catriona O’ Brien recently spoke out on Twitter and in the media. She wrote in The Irish Times about the danger criminalising the purchase of sex has on those it aims to protect: “The Norwegian police told Amnesty they use condoms as evidence of sex work when seeking prosecutions. This is dangerous, as workers stop using condoms for fear it will result in police interrogation or the arrest of clients.” There are fears that prostitution could become more violent if a buyer is threatening a sex worker to keep quiet about reporting an incident. There are also those who argue that working in brothels at the very least guarantees the women some protection and support, but these laws could make buyers avoid brothels even more and potentially place women in dangerous circumstances. However, Amnesty has faced much backlash for this decision from prominent women’s rights and anti-trafficking activists. Among them, Mary Crilly, director of the Cork Sexual Violence Centre, has renounced her membership and support of Amnesty - as she firmly believes that men should not be given the right to buy sex. Perhaps most noticeably, Ruhama (a group supporting women affected by prostitution) denounced Amnesty’s decision. Would decriminalising buyers increase trafficking? One of the most prolific anti-trafficking groups, the Turn Off the Red Light campaign, believes that decriminalising the buyers of sex would increase trafficking, and so they and their 73 partners oppose Amnesty’s view and support the government’s plans. “We have been greatly encouraged by the level of local support and are now calling on politicians from all sides to unite and send out the message loud and clear that Ireland is no longer a soft target for pimps, traffickers and thugs.” The Turn Off the Red Light campaign believes that if prostitution was really a choice, it would not be those with the fewest choices available to them who are disproportionately in prostitution. “Such choices are better termed survival strategies,” they say. In other words, they believe it is the buyer of sex who is given all the choice in the situation and so they should be criminally responsible. “Once prostitution is legalised, pimps become legitimate businessmen, and the predatory purchase of another person for sex is now a legitimate business transaction. Women in prostitution should not be punished
R I G H T S for their own exploitation.” The Turn Off the Red Light campaign, and many former prostitutes and survivors of exploitation, fight for a law similar to that in Sweden. Among the most outspoken of them are Mia de Faoite who believes that the seller of sex should be decriminalised, and pimps, buyers, procurers, brothels or other sex businesses should be the ones to be criminalised. Adopting a law that secures this would be similar to the law currently in practise in Sweden. The Swedish see prostitution as institutionalized sexual oppression or as a human rights violation.
Choices Arguably, the majority of voices in this debate care deeply about human rights. Despite the ABOVE: SEX WORKERS controversy surrounding Amnesty’s RIGHTS RALLY IN TOdecisions, Amnesty International RONTO, CANADA. NINA have always been at the forefront CHOI SPEAKS AT ALLAN GARDENS PARK. of the fight for human rights. The IN 2013 CANADA’S varying opinions of people with the TOP COURT STRUCK same long term ideals and beliefs is DOWNPROSTITUTION LAWS, DECLARING what makes creating and acting on THEM AS UNCONprostitution laws so difficult and so STITUTIONAL AND dangerous. DISPROPORTIONATE PHOTO: MARK BLINCH, So, where does the safekeeping of CANADIAN PRESS the most vulnerable come into it all? 75% of women in prostitution became involved when they were children. 70% have spent time in care and 45% report experiencing sexual abuse during their childhoods. Once involved in prostitution, 9 out of 10 surveyed women would like to exit but feel unable to do so. Rachel Moran’s impressive book Paid For investigates and records an experience of prostitution at length. It is a key source when considering what will best protect those in most need of help and security within the sex industry: the women. Exploitation and trafficking aren’t going to be eradicated simply as a result of either the criminalisation or decriminalisation of any aspect of prostitution. In Moran’s book, she points to something that has not been discussed at all during this debate; finding viable alternatives for those in need and tackling the problem from its inception. She writes: “I hope I live to see government-funded prostitution alternatives programmes every bit as accessible to women as prostitution is, because only in a world like that would women and girls like my teenage self experience some of the ‘choice’ the world keeps telling us about.” 45
I N T E R V I E W
AFTERWORD
ROISIN O INTERVIEW: CLAIRE FOX
You played Indiependence and Electric Picnic this year, which festival is your favourite one to perform at?
Your single If You Got Love was released in April and got great radio play, do you have any plans for a second album?
I absolutely love Indiependence. I didn’t get to play there last year so it was great getting a chance to play this year. I absolutely love Electric Picnic but there’s something about Indie. It has that small vibe but it’s not tiny. It’s probably the second biggest festival in Ireland after Electric Picnic, but you still have that personal vibe and real countryside atmosphere which I really like. I’m from Dublin so I always love playing there and the Galway Arts Festival was amazing but Indiependence and Electric Picnic are the ultimate festivals.
I’m taking my sweet time when it comes to the second album. I went over to London to work with a producer called Elliot James. I got on great with him and recorded three songs that will be on the album. Hopefully when I get back from touring in Dubai I can get back into the studio and have the album ready for 2016; four years later after the first one!
There’s been a lot of talk about streaming and Apple Music in the media recently, are you a supporter of streaming as a means for fans to access your music? I am, yeah. I sort of feel at this stage and with the way the internet has come up over the last number of years that it’s sort of inevitable that streaming was going to happen. If my music is getting to people and people are listening to it, that’s a plus for me. Obviously, if they pay for it that’s great, but if it’s getting out there and people are enjoying it, I’m really happy with that.
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The second album can often be a tricky one to master, are you worried about how your sound will progress? I wouldn’t say I’m worried. My sound has definitely developed with the songwriting and arrangements. Even when I was over in London with Elliot I used electric guitars whereas I’m used to using acoustic instruments. So I can feel myself moving that way, I still love and always will love folk music, but the next album will be the next step to a rockier vibe and maybe more mature. I don’t know. I’m not worried about it. I think it’s just a natural progression when you grow older you grow as a musician too.
‘I STILL LOVE AND ALWAYS WILL LOVE FOLK MUSIC, BUT THE NEXT ALBUM WILL BE THE NEXT STEP TO A ROCKIER VIBE...AND MAYBE MORE MATURE...’
Your mother is obviously the famous Irish singer Mary Black, do you ever shy away from the fact that you’ve such a wellknown parent in the industry? I definitely do. It’s important for me to be judged on my own merit rather than people hearing who my mother is and making a judgement on me based on that or having never heard my music. I’m very proud of her. She’s an unbelievable musician and a legend in Ireland. I love that she’s my mother and I obviously wouldn’t change it. Her influence on me is there, undeniably, without me even realising it.
Male acts like Hozier, Kodaline and even your brother Danny’s band, The Coronas, are ruling the Irish Charts at the moment; do you think it’s harder for female acts to get noticed in the Irish music industry? Ah, I don’t know. There’s a lot of great Irish female artists as well like Wallis Bird, and Soak is coming up there. I don’t think about it, maybe it might be seen that way because there is less women in the industry, so ratio-wise it might look that way. I just see us as musicians, rather than a male/female issue.