Insight Fall 24 Final

INSIGHT

The Spectacle Issue

Letter from the Editor

Insight’s theme this semester is spectacle, which appropriately summed up the last few months. This undeniable force shaped this year’s sports, politics, and pop culture, and our magazine staff was ready to dive in. I am grateful for the opportunities this past year where I was able to witness so many spectacles.

Covering the Paris Olympics and the Election as a journalist was monumental. Both events captivated hundreds of millions and were impossible to ignore, and attending games and rallies felt like a front row seat to history in the making.

Celebrity could be described as a type of spectacle, with the perfected facade being what is shown to the public. One artist in particular this year challenged these norms, raising questions of how much privacy these individuals get, while still being covered by spectacle. In November, Daniel Craig praised Chappell Roan for confronting and reprimanding the paparazzi amidst her meteoric rise, noting, “I really admire the guts to say those things.”

Witnessing spectacles is one thing; creating them is another. A few weeks ago, I worked as a gaffer for the Fall Dance Festival. Although I’ve attended

many performances on campus, I hadn’t grasped how much work was needed to create even the simplest lighting designs. Bringing that vision to life, just like this magazine, is only possible through a dedicated team and countless hours of hard work.

In "Nope", featured later in this magazine, Jupe Park asks, “Are you ready?” before unveiling an extraordinary event. As audiences of Jordan Peele’s film know, that answer was a resounding no. The spectacle was beyond anything that they could have possibly imagined. While many of the largest events of this summer and fall only occur once every four years, it can be difficult to imagine that next year’s spectacles will exceed this one. But who could have imagined Brat Summer occurring? I can’t even begin to imagine what spectacles will occur by my graduation.

Sincerely,

Jace Ouchida

This issue of Insight Magazine is dedicated to Dr. Todd Felts. He played an instrumental role in the education of many of our past and present staff members. Dr. Felts had a special way of making you feel seen and part of his community. He has attributed his mentorship, teaching and genuine positvity and excitement to the Reynolds School of Journalism, the University of Nevada, Reno and ever single student he taught. Dr. Felts will be missed greatly.

The INSIGHT Team

Summer Bakker Art Illustrator

Heather Saxe Art Director

Clayton Posey Photographer

Zoey Cambley Staff Writer

Lola Works Copy Editor

Jace Ouchida Executive Editor

About the Magazine

In your hands is the latest edition of Insight Magazine. Our hope is that you will see a reflection of yourself in these stories in some form, whether through the written pieces, photography, or designs. This issue is a result of a tremendous amount of hard work, collaboration, and love. It is also a representation of a student publication decades in the works (with origins from Artemisia, the university’s yearbook, dating back to the 1800s).

Insight Magazine is proud to have placed fifth in the category of People’s Choice and eighth in the category of Feature Magazine at the 2020 Associated College Press Journalism Convention.

Thank you for supporting us. We hope you enjoy these stories as much as we enjoyed creating them. If you are interested in getting involved with us, visit insightunr.com or our Instagram, @insightmagazineunr

Charli XCX dropped her album “Brat” on June 7th of this year, starting a fashion and music moment that lasted all summer long. This cultural reset blended chaotic party vibes with rebellious, messy and carefree attitudes. The bright green movement stood in sharp contrast to the hot pink, polished aesthetics of summer 2023’s Barbie trend, completely casting aside the “clean girl” aesthetic in favor of the messy, rebellious internet itgirl. Charli XCX herself described the “brat” aesthetic as “quiet luxury,” but also “trashy… like a pack of cigs and a Bic lighter” in an interview with BBC Sounds. The popular album carried a raw, hyperpop energy with themes

defended her creative vision but also modeled the “don’t give a f—” lifestyle that would come to define brat summer. The shade of green from her album cover became a signature visual cue for this movement. Its influence spread so widely that it became pasted onto public figures, effectively “bratifying” them and aligning them with the movement’s defiant spirit. Even Vice President Kamala Harris was swept into the trend, with her team using viral “brat-coded” visuals to promote her campaign through memes as soon as Charli called the presidential candidate “brat” in a Tweet. The ambitious attitude and aesthetic that began with Charli’s album art influenced more than just music —

of partying, romance and nostalgia wrapped in loud, synth-heavy beats. “Brat” was at once an album and a lifestyle. People received the album as encouragement to embrace a bit of feral late-night fun, and break free from the expectation to always behave in a socially-acceptable, restrained, and predictable way. The trend spread to social media where one of the songs on the album titled “Apple” became a viral dance on TikTok. Other social media sites, such as Instagram and X, spawned memes that further constructed what it means to be “brat.” If you’re still confused about the concept, picture this: a sticky, crowded club, smoky with the smell of Marlboro Lights (a

classic cigarette that has accompanied several other notorious pop culture movements), mixed with hints of cheap perfume, sweat and vodka. This atmosphere captures the chaotic and unapologetic energy that Charli XCX embraced when she faced backlash for the album’s minimalistic cover, a bright green square with only the pixelated word “brat” to break up the neon void. Initially, many people were not fond of the simplistic cover. She responded to the criticism through X, where she stated that: “The constant demand for access to women’s bodies and faces in our album artwork is misogynistic and boring.” By doing so, she not only

it took over fashion, social media, and even politics. The trend caught on in our community as well, with local music venues like The Holland Project utilizing brat-style branding to motivate people to vote in the November election. The brat summer lifestyle also aligned perfectly with the resurgence of the indie sleaze movement from the early 2010s. Indie sleaze music has been making a slow return, especially through artists like The Dare, a New York City-based DJ, singer and producer who collaborated with Chari XCX on “Guess” and emerged onto the music scene with his sleazy dance-punk electropop hit “Girls.” Both of these music artists have helped reanimate the grimy and glamorous

aesthetic. In 2024, this throwback to indie sleaze is more than just the revival of a style — it’s a commentary on how digital culture has evolved. Social media now plays a bigger role than ever before, plugging aesthetics, ideas and culture to millions. Today’s creators channel the raw, rebellious look to express themselves and connect to an audience nostalgic for a time when the internet merely served as a tool to capture the zeitgeist, rather than invent it. Old themes from indie sleaze reclaim imperfection in a media environment that thrives on filters and curation. The classy look is out and the carefree imperfect style is dominating the internet.. It’s everywhere, and it’s so Julia.

The Year of the Pop Princess

By Lauren Juillerat

This past year has been particularly transformative for the evolution of pop music. Newer artists like Tate McRae, Olivia Rodrigo, Sabrina Carpenter and Chappell Roan are redefining pop with new and familiar sounds, with each artist channeling 80s, 90s and 2000s pop rock aesthetics. These young artists are the pop princesses of Gen Z.

The idea of a ‘pop princess’ has previously been associated with a very specific set of marketable characteristics, from the way a pop star is supposed to look to the way she is supposed to sound. But McRae, Carpenter, Roan and Rodrigo are creating a new, down-to-earth brand of pop royalty for our generation.

Olivia Rodrigo exploded onto the scene in 2021 with “SOUR,” but her sophomore album “GUTS” solidified her as a defining figure of Gen Z music. She channels heartbreak, anger and empowerment through her relatable lyrics. Her song “All-American Bitch” resonated with angsty teens with lyrics like “I’m grateful all the time, I’m sexy and I’m kind, I’m pretty when I cry...”

The album sounds and feels more grungy and guitar-driven than pop music has been in a while, and this revival was intentional. Rodrigo’s persona is that of a young woman figuring out her life, which is something that resonates deeply with fans who want to listen to music that speaks to their inner emotions and experiences.

The rough, distorted sound of grunge has been used to express the struggles of being a young woman since the 90s when trailblazing bands like Hole and Bikini Kill helped define the genre. Grunge music was rooted in personal expression and real-life issues without neat resolutions. “GUTS” speaks to listeners who long for a less polished and more genuine kind of pop music, instead of your typical pop fodder to be played in the background.

Sabrina Carpenter’s slightly softer 2024 album “Emails I Can't Send” became one of her most popular musical feats to date. After years of balancing her acting and music careers, Carpenter finally emerged as a mainstream pop singer. Her music contains themes of self-doubt, resilience, and personal growth, tapping into themes that set her apart from the typical light and frothy kind of pop princess who avoids this kind of subject matter. Her unique style of slightly crass self-expression is refreshing in an era dominated by filters and fakery.

Carpenter gained a lot of traction on her “Emails I Can’t Send” tour, where she freestyled custom outros for her song “Nonsense,” tailoring them to the locations she was performing at. These simple but thoughtful lyrical changes made her fans feel more connected to her music wherever she performed. This sense of relatability is the common denominator of our modern-day pop princesses. The mainstream pop stars of the previous generation sang about glitz and glamor, but these new women embody grit and honesty in their lyrics.

Chappell Roan is perhaps the most rebellious pop

star of this new era. Known for her theatrical performances and bold queer anthems, Roan brings a fresh, playful energy to pop. Her songs, infused with 1980s nostalgia, touch on themes of freedom, love and identity that speak to her LGBTQ+ audience. Her music embodies the over-thetop, campy fun of pop with a modern twist, making her a standout voice in a crowded industry. Many look up to this fearlessly outspoken pop princess, who has encouraged significant changes in the way fans and media treat celebrities. While Roan digs deep into vintage, theatrical performances, Tate McRae has carved out her own alternative pop niche as a dancer and beat-driven songwriter long before releasing her 2022 album "I Used to Think I Could Fly." McRae’s music reflects the anxieties of modern youth, focusing on the struggles of growing up and becoming confident in oneself. In 2024, TikTok users referred to McRae as “the next Britney Spears” because of her intricate choreographed performances. Her tours have popularized her music and dancing, with many fans also noting that she “puts the pop back in pop star.”

The authenticity that these pop stars embrace has been a refreshing change to the pop perfection required of stars in the previous era. They do not shy away from emotional vulnerability or imperfection — they embrace it. Olivia Rodrigo’s lyrics about insecurity and jealousy or Sabrina Carpenter’s lyrics on heartbreak and humor feel like diary entries, relatable to a generation in pursuit of transparency.

Social media has played a huge role in this musical shift. These pop stars are able to engage with their fans directly and intimately on various online platforms. This kind of interaction blurs the line between artist and listener, creating a sense of intimacy that previous pop princesses couldn’t foster with their own fan bases on such a large scale. Fans aren’t just listening to the music — they feel like they are a part of the artist’s journey. The new wave of pop princesses no longer need to be airbrushed and flawless. Rather, they can show their struggles and embrace their imperfections, a vulnerability that has only expanded their audiences.

Roan brings boldness, Rodrigo channels angst, McRae embodies confidence and Carpenter balances glamor and candor. Together, these artists have created a new era of pop: one that is more inclusive, more emotionally nuanced, and more reflective of the complexities of the world today. The future of pop is in good hands — it is ready to break boundaries, redefine what it means to connect through music, and embrace authenticity.

By Eva Hopkins

We're all born naked and the rest is drag: a brief history of defiance and celebration

In the age of commentary on performative femininity and the idea of gender, fluidity and all, we cannot help but devote a part of our dialogue to drag. This art of exaggerated, stylistic gender expression has been one of the most underappreciated cultures since its emergence in the 1800s, but there is much more to know about this entertaining niche.

To understand how drag became what it is today, we have to take it all the way back to the late 19th century when William Dorsey Swann, an African American activist who was born into slavery, claimed the first “queen of drag” title. Swann often threw secret drag balls across Washington, D.C. in the 1860s, quietly birthing a new space where queer people could find community and solace. When arrested for cross-dressing, Swann stood up for his expression. This became one of the very first recorded acts of resisting arrest for gay rights in modern history. Following the impact it made in the East, drag began to spread across the United States.

From the age of 10, actor Julian Eltinge brought a personal touch to the stage as a female impersonator in the early 1900s. The 1930s ushered in the Pansy Craze, marking the beginning of popular gay nightlife with drag performance at its core. In the 1950s, drag reached the White House when performer Arthur Blake was invited to perform for President Franklin D. Roosevelt and Eleanor Roosevelt because of his famous impersonation of the First Lady. And in 1969, drag queens stood their ground for five days at the Stonewall Uprising in New York.

After the riots, no one could ignore the perseverance of the gay community in their fight for freedom. From the 70s onward, the rise of drag awareness was rapid. Movies like “Pink Flamingos” and “The Queen” brought drag to the silver screen, with the latter highlighting Crystal LaBeija, one of New York City’s first “Queen of the Ball” winners in the city’s growing Ballroom scene.

While some feel that drag is purely a persona, others have found a comfortable space to explore their own gender expression underneath stacked lashes and overlined lips. A solidarity between drag performers and gender-nonconforming persons has uplifted the community for decades, but nothing has done more to maintain this connection than Ballroom. This underground subculture within Latino and African American LGBT communities is one of the richest queer spaces of our day, extending a bridge between expression and competition. With style, expression and identity as their art, these dance and runway-style competitions allow divas to proudly display their attitude. Although

Ballroom is still a beautiful underground art space on its own, it has also been a huge inspiration for all types of mainstream media, music and dance, including the most iconic televised drag event of our time. I bet you know the one.

In the 1990s and early 2000s, drag became a household name as a new era of expression was ushered in by figures like the iconic RuPaul Charles, who changed the game forever. RuPaul is a legendary queen who made a name for himself in the queer nightlife scene of New York City in the 1990s before releasing his song “Supermodel” (also known as “You Better Work”) and becoming an outstanding queer beauty icon and activist. And in 2009, he debuted what remains the most iconic piece of drag media to this day: “RuPaul’s Drag Race.”

“RuPaul’s Drag Race” would forever alter the way the public viewed drag. It made it easily consumable, mainstream, and competitive on a high scale. The television show informed the way people saw drag, as there weren’t many representations of drag queens in the mainstream media at the time of its premiere. The show reached out to small, up-and-coming queens, giving them a platform with larger audiences than they had ever faced before. Almost all of the most famous modern queens were discovered on the show, such as Trixie Mattel, Alyssa Edwards, Adore Delano and Sasha Colby.

This new platform also gave creative young queens the space to express their art to its highest potential. The captivating looks, comedic and dramatic alike, are what has given drag such a big name in the past two decades. The subtler eyeliner and lower heels of the early days of drag gave way to an extravagant, flamboyant style of drag that has become a spectacle of its own.

In the modern day, drag queens are an active source of inspiration to artists, and are constantly referenced in the beauty world. Music industry icon Lady Gaga has drawn plenty of inspiration from drag queens throughout her career, and one rising icon is doing the same thing: Chappell Roan accredits most of her style to the art of drag, with her vivid eye makeup, vibrant costumes and extravagant performances that embody the beautiful defiance that has defined drag since its inception.

There is no shade to be thrown at people who consume drag-inspired media without knowing its history, but looking back allows us to give credit to the strength of the culture that gave us drag as we know it today: defiance from the mainstream, ranging from small lights in secret warehouses in the night to blinding spotlights on television sets.

This history is by no means limited to the places in which it was made — Reno has its own rich drag community and its fair share of publicly-sponsored drag events. Sunday Drag Brunches at the Nevada Museum of Art and The Emerson create their own buzz, and The Holland Project features some great shows of their own. Some smaller bars are joining the fun as well (5 Star Saloon has been doing this, though). With drag being more accessible than ever before, we can honor the rich history and the powerful performers who made it happen by enjoying a performance in our own neighborhood!

Post-pandemic, a new phenomenon has taken the world of music by storm: concert camping. While the idea of camping for shows is nothing new, there has been a sudden and intense increase in the extremes that fans will go to see their favorite artists front-row. Many have traced this change to the way social media romanticizes camping as part of the quintessential concert experience. In an age where you can barely see over the halo of phones above your head, filming concert videos is a rookie move — fans believe the only way to really see a concert is to be squished against a barricade, holding on for dear life. As more artists tour with general admission shows, the pressure to line up earlier and earlier — sometimes even days in advance — is rising. The result is superfans spending multiple nights sleeping in tents on cold concrete in some of the most dangerous cities in the world. Fans are putting themselves at the mercy of the strangers they camp with and the onlookers who walk by these musical encampments. But despite all of this, many fans believe these hardships are worth enduring for a two-hour show.

Don’t try to come between a fangirl and their

favorite artist — fangirls are simply a different breed. Jenny Melendez, a Marías stan, drove from Reno to Salt Lake City overnight for a show. She then camped in the August heat for hours on hours just to get barricade. To do some simple math, Jenny was awake for well over 36 hours… and the show hadn’t even started, AND she still had to make the 518 mile drive back home, which may have ensued some sleep deprivation-induced hallucinations — but she got back in one piece! For Jenny, it was worth it: she got to see The Marías center barricade, interact with the artist, purchase exclusive signed merch and hold hands with the lead singer. There’s also Gabrielle White’s experience, who arrived at what she thought would be an organized fan line for The 1975 concert in Downtown Nashville, but instead turned out to be a run for breast cancer. Eventually, once the runners had subsided, she plopped down on the concrete which would serve as her mattress that night. Oh, and did I mention that this mattress was one located in a city with a high crime rate? This, however, was just a small obstacle to Gabrielle — it would all pay off. That is, until the venue almost didn’t honor the fan

camping queue, threatening to mix attendees together in a random order. Thankfully, a representative from the band’s team ensured campers like Gabrielle that their spot would be honored. After all the chaos, Gabrielle stood at her beloved barricade, and all the worries of the day were lifted away as the band took the stage.

Why do fans like Jenny and Gabrielle deal with all the stress, sleep deprivation, and even danger? May I add, these girls’ stories are mellow compared to many other concert camping escapades. Getting barricade has become a hot commodity as the landscape of music has changed due to the lack of artist-fan connection during the pandemic. When the world shut down in 2020, music labels had to find a new way to market music, because in-person events and shows were out of the question. This shifted the focus onto artist communities and online connections, an approach that allowed artists to provide more down-to-earth authenticity and interaction with their fans. This made fan bases stronger, and in turn, resulted in successful music rollout plans powered through fan support. However, these online interactions also contributed to the rise of parasocial relationships where fans believe they have a close, personal connection with their favorite singers (and a new excuse to be closer to the singer both online and in person). When it comes to concerts, this kind of closeness comes from being at the barricade, which grants fans eye contact, physical touch and other artist interactions. Parasocial relationships have grown into a seismic issue, one that has even become dangerous and troublesome for the artists subjected to these one-sided relationships. For concert camping, though, it is the fulfillment of these imaginary relationships with their favorite artists that fangirls are willing to suffer for. Not every fan is inclined to be at the barricade because of a parasocial relationship with a performer, but it is a significant reason for why concert camping has gotten so big in the last four years. But it isn’t just the relationships with their favorite artists that these fans are pursuing — the camaraderie felt by fans all collectively camping (and struggling) together is one that can only be understood once you’ve been in that position. Twenty One Pilots fans Francesca Sanders and Eva Hawkins can especially relate. In 2018, Francesca embarked on a five-day camping expedition to see the Twenty One Pilots’ Inglewood, California show. With a sleeping bag, blankets, board games and extra clothing in hand, Francesca set up camp five days before the show at number

34 in line. On the third day of camping, an unusual car drove up next to the long queue of Twenty One Pilots fans, offering little baggies of an unidentified substance. From this experience on, Francesca grew closer and closer to her fellow campers, who no longer seemed to be strangers. The Kia Forum even offered the fans free tickets to a wrestling match the night before the Twenty-One Pilots show, assuring them their places in line would be secured. And of course, many took this opportunity to watch John Cena in action. For Francesca, the camaraderie and community of the campers made the whole experience worthwhile (on top of getting barricade).

From suspicious baggies to fans trying to fake injuries for ADA access, every instance “trauma-bonded” the campers together. After spending multiple nights sleeping on concrete, helping out one another, and being around the community 24/7, it is no surprise that Francesca came out of the concert with fortified friendships. Only experiences like this can bring strangers so close together. Eva Hawkins shared a similar experience when she saw Twenty One Pilots in 2024. Eva was heavily involved in Twenty One Pilots stan Twitter growing up. In this online community, she grew friendships with strangers on the internet, forged from the mutual love for their favorite artist. Eva is no longer a part of the online community, but the show gave her the opportunity to meet some of the friends she had made during her stint on stan Twitter. This camping experience united Eva with her once-strictly-virtual community. With her online community now in line with her, Eva got to experience the camaraderie of being part of the “rebellion” (fans of Twenty-One Pilots).

When it comes to concert camping, there are ups and downs. However, the ups seem to outweigh the downs for most aficionados. Whether it's the experiences with fellow fans throughout the camping process or the actual concert, the struggle has positive outcomes. It’s really no wonder why so many fans are regular campers. Having such good memories from concerts because of the act of camping has fueled fans to make camping a regular part of the concert going routine. There is no telling where the future of camping will go from here, but there are no barriers for dedicated fangirls united in community and camaraderie — only barricades.

No one expects a concert to turn into a war zone. All at once, chaos breaks out — shoving, screaming, throwing things — all for someone to hopefully sing your favorite song on a stage. How is it that we went from treating celebrities like gods on pedestals to treating them like they’re animals in a circus? Fan and stan culture are topics that have risen to popularity in recent years due to an uptick in negative experiences celebrities have noticed while inter acting with fans, raising questions about how so ciety has come to regard their humanity.

Crazed fans have always existed. Most relatively normal fans might occasion ally throw items onto stage during live performances, from handmade gifts to articles of clothing (especially underwear). The strangest and most extreme fans take it a step further, like the notorious moment when an Ozzy Os borne fan threw a live bat onto the stage, and Osborne bit its head off thinking the animal was just a rubber toy. The nature of this unfortunate incident has only evolved to fit into more modern, and some say more violent, examples. One of the most known recent incidents of fan behavior gone wrong happened on Bebe Rexha’s “Best F’n Night of My Life” tour. The concert ended early because the singer had to be rushed to the hospital after a “fan” threw a phone at her from the crowd, hitting her in the head during her performance. The night

started out with everyone enjoying the music, and ended with the musician black-eyed and bloody. This type of behavior makes it seem as though these singers are nothing more than zoo animals to launch peanuts at. Many forget that it is a privilege to be in a stadium, concert hall or theater, and they forget that all the excitement and awe of seeing their idols live comes with the acknowledgment of their humanity.

Though it doesn’t often seem like it, celebrities are human, just like the rest of us.

Celebrities today struggle to create firm barriers between their private life and what is seen through the public eye because of the immense exposure that social media creates. Everyone is equipped with a high-definition camera to record anything on, which means that anyone can be a paparazzo. Because of all of this, and because everyone just has to know what their favorite

celebrities are up to, celebrities’ private lives have become public spectacles. The way the public gets involved in the private drama of famous peoples’ lives looks a lot more like watching a sports game than what it really is: getting involved in the personal business of someone you don’t actually know. When celebrities try to maintain their privacy and push back against these toxic parasocial relationships, people often label them selfish or say that they are not built for stardom. It is made to seem that personal boundaries we would share with a friend or even someone we just met are off the table for people with large platforms. In recent months, the newest pop princess, Chappell Roan, has caused a ripple in the discourse surrounding the treatment of celebrities after she spoke out on how it doesn’t matter that harassing and stalking celebrities is accepted as a normal part of being a star, because this behavior is still unacceptable. On this topic, the “Casual” star said: “I don’t give a f— if you think it’s selfish of me to say no for a photo, or for your time, or for a hug. That’s not normal, that’s weird. It’s weird how people think that you know a person just because you see them online.”

Would you consider yourself a mean and selfish person if you were to decline to take a picture with someone who you don’t even know if they asked you to? Assuming the answer is no,

why should it be any different for someone like Roan? Does being in the spotlight mean that people have free reign to treat you however they want to? Aside from what they can gather from her music and what she has posted online or said in interviews, her fans barely know anything about her and her personal life. Celebrities don’t owe us anything, and they should

us the power to obtain knowledge so much faster than before. It can give us more information about someone and give us glimpses into their daily lives. However, it is only ever what the producer of the content wants us to see. With this far-reaching power, fans and audiences think they know everything there is to know about a celebrity. The artist stops becoming

ple. Not like gods, and not like animals. In today’s culture, anyone can get famous in a split second. That second should not determine one’s worthiness of respect or humanity. A world of being expected to sacrifice your personal boundaries or privacy for the comfort of others is a world no one wants to live in.

Saddling Up for Beyoncé’s Country Debut and the Roots of Racism that Trail It

By Zoey Cambley

B eyoncé took the saying “don’t mess with Texas” to an entirely new level with the release of her album “Cowboy Carter” earlier this year. Not only has this album become a big “f— you” to the country music industry and to those who have tried to confine her to one genre, but it has also highlighted how her Southern roots proclaim her as a country artist. “Cowboy Carter” is the second of a three-part project, with her album “Renaissance” being the first act of the series. “Cowboy Carter” has been a long time coming, especially after the backlash that Knowles faced after her performance at the CMA Awards in 2016 provoked some attendees to walk out on the show.

Critics say the album is tantamount to Knowles’ magnum opus, “Lemonade.” After her single “Texas Hold ‘Em” was released and had been No. 1 on Billboard’s Country Top Hits for seven consecutive weeks, anticipation for the album reached a fever pitch. In response to this accomplishment, Knowles said, “I feel honored to be the first Black woman with the number one single on the Hot Country Songs chart.” She continued with: “My hope is that years from now, the mention of an artist’s race as it relates to releasing genres of music will be irrelevant.” Knowles has always broken records and boundaries — this genre-bending musical feat is nothing new for the artist. After all, this project has been in the making for half a decade.

“ This album has been over five years in the making. It was born out of an experience that I had years ago where I did not feel welcomed... and it was very clear that I wasn’t. But, because of that experience, I did a deeper dive into the history of Country music and studied our rich musical archive. It feels good to see how music can unite so many people around the world, while also amplifying the voices of some of the people who have dedicated so much of their lives educating on our musical history.”

Daddy’s Girl

A Cosmopolitan article lays out the timeline of the father-daughter relationship of the Knowles family and the challenges they have faced over the years. In Beyoncé’s childhood, her father Mathew was rumored to have left and separated from her mother Tina several times. However, the family withstood the hardships and stayed together throughout the beginning of their daughter’s career. But

with multiple affairs and one love child with TaQoya Branscomb, Mathew Knowles’ indiscretions eventually broke the family up and Tina filed for divorce in 2009. Despite this, Tina Knowles stated, "We remain friends, parents, and business partners. If anyone is expecting an ugly messy fight, they will be sadly disappointed."

It is up to speculation to conclude whether it was the divorce, the mishandling of funds or the multiple affairs that drove Beyoncé to fire her father as her manager in 2011, but according to Knowles herself, it seems that it is none of the above. In an interview with Oprah Winfrey in 2013, Knowles said that firing her father was “one of the hardest things I’ve ever done.” She continues to speak fondly of her father and says that the split was a purely professional decision.

B eyoncé’s relationship with her mother has been strong since she was a little girl, and Tina Knowles has been known to be the biggest cheerleader for both of her talented daughters. When it comes to defending Beyoncé, Tina has shown that she is not afraid to speak her mind. After Beyoncé received backlash for her look at the “Renaissance” premiere, Knowles took to Instagram to defend her daughter: “Every time she does something that she works her ass off for and is a statement of her work ethic, talent, and resilience,” she continued. “Here you sad little haters come out the woodwork. Jealousy and racism, sexism, double standards, you perpetuate those things. Instead of celebrating a sister or just ignoring if you don’t like her.”

Daddy Alabama, Momma Louisiana

In her song “Formation,” Beyoncé depicts her geographical heritage as, “My Daddy Alabama, momma Louisiana / You mix that negro with the Creole make a Texas Bamma.” Proud of her roots, Beyoncé often pays homage to where she came from and how she is Southern throughand-through. Knowles grew up in Houston’s Third Ward, with her ancestors having settled in Freedman, Texas, which was a Black, French-speaking settlement. Growing up in this environment with its rich history of culture, music and activism, it is clear why Knowles has so much pride in where she comes from.

Tina Knowles often comments on her daughter’s cowboy roots. Knowles recounted, “When people ask why

is Beyoncé wearing cowboy hats? It’s really funny. I actually laugh because it’s been there since she was a kid. We went to rodeos every year and my whole family dressed in western fashion.” The association with Black folks and Southern pride is not often seen in mainstream culture, which is why people were skeptical of Knowles going full country. However, this notion is highly ironic once one learns the history of the cowboy.

A BBC article noted that the dissonance people experience when seeing Beyoncé as a cowboy is in part due to the fact that cowboys are usually depicted as white men. Francesca Royster, a professor of English and Critical Ethnic Studies at DePaul University, explains why: “The cowboy has been this heroic image to justify Western expansion, and it just seems necessary to make that figure white, even though there were always Black cowboys.” In the early 1800s, as many as one out of four cowboys was Black. According to an article published on Rancho Los Cerritos, the term “cowboy” originally referred to Black men — white cowboys were originally called “cowhands.” This pejorative connotation has a direct tie to how Black men were often called “boy” during slavery and throughout Jim Crow segregation. Due to entrenched racism, the Black cowboy was often left out of Western films, and by extension, music.

How the CMA Awards sired

“Cowboy Carter”

The controversial CMA Awards performance was the catalyst for Beyoncé undertaking the journey of representing the Black Cowboy. A Vulture article highlighted the entire event, from racist comments to the reasons why the stakes were always going to be so high for this performance. The 50th annual Country Music Awards in 2016, which was just days before the 2016 election, was the setting for this epochal performance. Robert Deaton, the executive producer of the CMAs orchestrated the show after he first heard “Lemonade,” which came out earlier that year, and admired the Southern influences in the album. Before Beyoncé agreed to sing at the awards show, she said, “I’ll do it if I can bring the Chicks with me.”

The Chicks (previously “The Dixie Chicks”) have had their own tumultuous history with the country music industry. Once America’s sweethearts, the Chicks were later exiled and blacklisted after one of the members, Natalie Maines, voiced disapproval of then-president George W. Bush and the Iraq war: “We do not want this war, this violence, and we’re ashamed that the President of the United States is from Texas.”

Requesting the Chicks to perform with her was a bold decision, but Beyoncé is known for being bold. Together they covered Knowles’ song “Daddy Lessons,” the Chick’s signature sound blending perfectly with Beyoncé’s dynamic voice. Combined with eccentric jazz brass instruments that

symbolize Creole roots, it was the perfect collaboration to piss off the traditionalists at the CMAs. The performance was at once captivating and controversial.

The Vulture reported that Tanner Davenport, co-director of the Black Opry music website, was in attendance and heard one woman shout, “Get that Black bitch off the stage.” Another attendee told Billboard, “I was sitting behind Alan Jackson, and he actually stood up from the front row and walked out in the middle of the performance.” The backlash got so volatile that the CMAs took the performance off their website. Natalie Maines addressed the CMA’s actions on “The Howard Stern Radio Show” in 2020: “They started getting racist assholes bombarding their website with comments and emails.... They took her performance down and caved to that bullshit! They got so much bad press for doing that, within 24 hours, they put it back up again.” The awards organization denied these allegations, saying that the temporary shutdown of the video was due to a maintenance issue.

“Cowboy Carter” is the New Sheriff in Town

Due to the extensive history behind the album’s inspiration and Beyoncé’s relationship with her culture, “Cowboy Carter” has been an intensely anticipated album, especially since the two singles, “Texas Hold ‘Em” and “16 Carriages” have been so well received. All I can say is that it measures up to the gold standard of country, which many critics have agreed upon. Pitchfork rated it an 8.4 and gave an in-depth analysis of the ingenuity of the album. Featuring iconic country figures like Dolly Parton and Linda Martel to innovative Black country artists like Shaboozey and Tiera Kennedy, Beyoncé’s inclusion of artists was less about giving these artists a platform and more about proving that country music doesn’t have just one face.

According to Pitchfork, “Cowboy Carter” plays out like a classic country murder ballad, the wronged outlaw returning to her dusty outpost to pop off her vengeance: lyrics like “Your bloodstains on my custom coutures,” perfectly embody the album’s revenge theme. From start to finish, “Act II” is a visionary masterpiece that maps the artist’s rich and complicated life story. Moreover, the decision in itself to use “cowboy” instead of “cowgirl” conveys the masculinity and power that Beyoncé has had to fight for. Throughout her discography, she has discussed female masculinity. Songs like “If I Were a Boy,” “Daddy Lessons,” and “Black is King” reflect on the balancing act that many Black women must engage in as both mothers and providers.

“Cowboy Carter” marks an important moment in Beyoncé’s legacy. Lyrics like these ones from “16 Carriages” illustrate how this album is the conglomeration of Knowles’ life story and the path she has begun paving for future art-

ists: “Had to sacrifice and leave fears behind / The legacy is the last thing I do / You’ll remember me.” Through redefining country music and casting light on the ways that genres can act as oppressive tools designed to keep people in a box, Beyoncé is doing her part to liberate the music industry. Her legacy is establishing that this ain’t a country album — this is a Beyoncé album.

By Zoey Cambley

W hat does the American dream look like today? Owning a home with a white picket fence and having 2.5 kids? Being a social media influencer or a Twitch streamer? Having equal rights? Being rich and famous? Having a gay son and a thot daughter? The most common depictions of the American dream involve being born into a lower class, pulling yourself up by the bootstraps and escaping poverty, or immigrating from an impoverished country and making something out of yourself in America. Either way, the American dream is hyper-focused on the idea of becoming self-made. Although the dream has lost much of its potency, over half of all Americans still believe that this past idea of the American dream is achievable today.

The term “American dream” was first coined by author and historian James Truslow Adams in his 1931 book, “The Epic of America.” Adams defines it as “not a dream of motor cars and high wages merely, but a dream of a social order in which each man and each woman shall be able to attain to the fullest stature of which they are innately capable, and recognized by others for what they are, regardless of the fortuitous circum-

stances of birth or position.” Since its invention, the American dream hasn’t necessarily been about set monetary gain, but rising above the station one was born into. There is no cookie-cutter image of success — rather, it is more about forging one’s own path and maximizing their potential as unique individuals. The idea of social mobility allows people from all kinds of backgrounds to dream of a future with more opportunities. However, obtaining this kind of mobility is almost impossible for those facing discrimination based on their gender, race and class.

In 1965, author and activist James Baldwin wrote the famous essay, “The American Negro and The American Dream” where he discusses the myths of the American dream and how this idea is impossible at the hands of the oppressor: “If the people are denied participation in it, by their very presence they will wreck it.” He argues that the American dream cannot exist for long if groups of people are deliberately excluded from it, so they should challenge the concept. He says, “Unless we can establish some kind of dialogue between

those people who enjoy the American dream and those people who have not achieved it, we will be in terrible trouble,” creating an interesting argument that acknowledges that the ideology of the American dream will always exist, but there needs to be more dialogue between those who have achieved the dream and those who haven’t. If this connection is cultivated then the American dream can return to its original meaning for all people to rise above.

Instead of driving the narrative of the American dream based on economic mobility, it is best to honor its original meaning of rising to a better place than one is born into, regardless of gender, race, and identity. I am living proof of the American dream that I have never believed in — I grew up low-income but have escaped my socioeconom ic status because of the college education that I was privileged enough to pursue. I have survived despite the systems of Amer ica, not because of them. I have endured the American dream to be able to have dreams of my own. Rather than striving for one Amer ican dream that is only attainable to a very small population, what if we instead honored Americans’ dreams? I believe that in order to have a reimagined American dream it is only achievable if we are all able to live out our dreams. I think Baldwin believed that, too.

they choose to, and having more than one dream allows everyone to accomplish this. As Baldwin noted, those who this dream is gatekept from will destroy it. But what if destroying it, or rather the idea that it has become, is the answer? Destroying this conception is what makes a new American dream possible — one where if someone chooses to be a teacher or musician or doctor or barista or influencer, there is no shame nor any barriers to prevent them from doing so. With the way the world is now, what if instead of pursuing the American dream, we reimagine it as anything we want? What is your American dream?

I think dreams can range from the traditional sense of wanting to settle down, and go as far as never settling down. The American dream can be finding a dream career, or steady work that offers you security so that you can pursue your true passions outside of it. It can be owning two cats instead of having two kids. Going viral online to never going on social media again. Or it could be something as simple as being able to live in a world where you can get slushies with your best friends at 2 AM or choose to go to grad school. A dream can be whatev er you like it to be — it doesn’t have to be this ultimate conclusion to your life, but rather a space to explore.

If dreaming is an individ ualistic pursuit, why do we often conform to the idea that we have to be tied to a totalizing view of one kind of dream? Everyone should dream how

Love in the Time of Spectacle

By Olga Guerrero Pena

In today’s world, love often seems like a performance staged by social media, dating apps, and societal pressures. What should be a deep connection has, for many, been reduced to a game of strategy where artifice is valued over authenticity.

As someone who believes in the transformative power of love, I hold onto the conviction that love is the profound admiration of another’s soul. But in the digital age, where swiping left or right has replaced getting to know someone in person, love often feels transactional. Instead of nurturing bonds in front of us, many chase an idealized partner, deluded by the idea of endless options. It saddens me to see how dating apps have made relationships superficial, yet I still hold out hope for a love that is felt rather than seen.

Contemporary literature explores modern love in a performative and detached way. Books like “Diary of an Oxygen Thief,” “Normal People,” and “All About Love” reveal how societal expectations, especially toxic masculinity, shape and distort the way we go about relationships. These texts show how love can feel shallow and how culture manipulates us into ignoring our true desires for connection and intimacy.

The Performance of Emotional Distance: “Diary of an Oxygen Thief” and the Cost of Disconnection

In “Diary of an Oxygen Thief,” the narrator confesses to emotional cruelty, hurting others before they had a chance to hurt him. This reflects a broader issue in modern dating: the fear of vulnerability. Love is increasingly seen as transactional, leading to emotional distance and games to avoid hurt. We never really avoid the hurt, though, because when we act like this, we leave others feeling used and discarded, and we leave ourselves no closer to experiencing love.

The overreliance on dating apps exacerbates this disconnection. These apps often don’t allow for authentic interactions, as we hide behind screens, crafting responses instead of reacting in the moment. We swipe, chat, and move on, rarely giving anyone a chance to connect with us. Like the narrator in “Diary of an Oxygen Thief,” many are afraid to expose vulnerabilities and engage in emotional cruelty for self-preservation.

Endless Options and Emotional Fatigue: “Normal People” and the Illusion of ‘Better’

Dating apps perpetuate the illusion of infinite choice, thus cheapening love and objectifying potential partners. This culture contrasts with the deep emotional connections depicted in literature, where relationships are intricate, marked by shared experiences and vulnerabilities. In novels like “Normal People,” love is a journey marked by both triumphs and struggles that deepen bonds. Unlike the shallow interactions common on dating apps, literature reveals that true intimacy requires time, effort, and a willingness to embrace flaws.

This problematic dynamic is evident in college culture, where many maintain “rosters” of potential partners, keeping interactions commitment-free. Situationships have become common, serving as a limbo of emotional confusion where neither party is willing to fully invest. The constant search for someone “better” leads to emotional exhaustion and makes the connections right in front of us invisible.

Buying into the illusion of endless options only leads to dissatisfaction. We are deluded into believing that something bet-

ter is always on the horizon, only to find ourselves further from what we truly want. “Normal People” reflects the struggle of how the desire for something deeper is often derailed by external pressures and the fear that love will somehow restrict our freedom.

Toxic Masculinity and the Show of Control: “All About Love” and the Fear of Vulnerability

Toxic masculinity is at the heart of much disconnection in relationships. Men are conditioned to see emotional intimacy as a loss of control, viewing relationships as prisons rather than partnerships. I’ve witnessed this in college relationships, where men treat women as objects, undermining the potential for genuine connection. This mindset perpetuates emotional detachment, leaving both parties unfulfilled.

bell hooks’ “All About Love” explores how patriarchy teaches men to repress their emotions, leaving them unable to engage authentically in relationships. This cycle damages both men and women, leaving partners feeling used and emotionally drained. Without vulnerability, love cannot thrive. Toxic masculinity suppresses this vulnerability, making it difficult to find love in a meaningful way. Modern relationships often become struggles for power, where emotional distance is valued over closeness. It is heartbreaking to see young women caught in the performance of toxic masculinity, believing they are working toward something meaningful when genuine connection is never the goal. Many women, including myself, have experienced these damaging dynamics, developing insecurities and sometimes resorting to self-harming behaviors. This toxic cycle can only be broken by unlearning these societal norms about relationships.

True Intimacy Beyond the Spectacle: Finding Connection Amidst the Noise

At its core, love is about truly seeing and understanding someone. True intimacy can be found in simple moments, like prolonged eye contact, where two people are vulnerable in silence. There’s no need for performance when there is a genuine exchange of energy.

The modern dating landscape complicates the search for intimacy. This culture, fueled by dating apps and toxic masculinity, reduces love to a mere spectacle. Despite this, I remain hopeful. As a hopeful romantic, I believe real connection is possible and inevitable, and that there is someone out there who values companionship as I do. This desire for deep companionship fuels my belief that love can transcend the superficiality of modern dating.

In the end, love isn’t about leveling up; it’s about appreciating the person in front of you. It’s about stepping outside the spectacle into vulnerability. This requires breaking free from toxic expectations and allowing yourself to connect deeply with another person. Love isn’t a performance for the world to see. It’s a sanctuary where two souls embrace their imperfections and find solace in one another. In this space, we can cherish the beauty of companionship, where the simple joy of being together quiets the noise of the outside world. It’s these moments of genuine connection, warmth, and respect that define real love — not the fleeting thrills of swipes, matches, and situationships that make up the spectacle of modern love.

The Paris Olympics: Setting Up the Stage

By Em Tomeo

“[Journalism] is one of the only majors that could put 16 of us in a house, who don’t know each other going into it, in a foreign country, completely out of our element, and we’ll all still be up way too late talking every single night,” said Clayton Posey around 1 a.m. on our first night in Paris, on the balcony of our Airbnb over a fourth (or maybe fifth) glass of wine.

We had found ourselves in Paris, France with the world just outside the gate of our Airbnb on 9 Rue Etienne Dolet. It didn't seem that long ago when we received the initial email from the Reynolds School that had invited students to apply in the summer of 2024 for an opportunity for real-world reporting at the Paris Olympics.

After either the first or second round of applications and interviews (or in the case of some of us, through the incessant petitioning of professors) the final 16 students chosen had made it to Paris.

The sheer abundance of stories possible in a place like Paris is overwhelming. It makes a reporter realize just how many nooks and crannies a photograph, anecdote or impactful story can be found in. Paris is a place that breeds creativity, and I wanted to find a story that captured just that.

Every journalist has a different reporting process. Some begin with an outline and fill in the blanks as their story unfolds, while others go with the flow of an interview and let the story write itself. Some are motivated by sheer willpower or copious amounts of espresso and/or Kong Strong, while others need a good playlist or a cigarette to get in the zone.

I decided that I would try a new process, so I set out and wandered the streets in hopes that a story would find me. And one did, not too long after I fulfilled one of my Parisian dreams: starting off the morning with a fresh baguette and a hot cup of coffee from an épicerie down the street.

After the breakfast outing, most of the other J-School students set off to

fulfill their own itineraries, packed with pre-arranged interviews, scoping out Olympic venues, visiting Disneyland Paris or trying to find the best view of the Eiffel Tower. Only myself and one other student, Cole Payne, had the particular motivation to stay at the Airbnb and flesh out story ideas that we had already come across in our journey to Paris.

If there is one thing that is true about journalism students, it is that we can talk. It makes sense with the basic criteria for a journalist: being extroverted and interested in telling stories. All this goes to say that very little time in the Airbnb was spent in silence or without collaboration.

Cole and I realized very quickly that little would be accomplished sequestered at our desks that afternoon. So, we set out in search of thrift stores in Kremlin-Bicêtre, where we were located. We brought no metro cards and no maps with us — only good walking shoes, a wad of euro bills and a set of lapel mics and recorders for interviews.

This area of Paris is far removed from the center of the city, which was decked out for the Olympics. Le Kremlin-Bicêtre is a neighborhood surrounding one of the larger hospitals of Paris. The neighborhood is filled with late-night, immigrant-run fast food joints, traditional boulangeries where the locals buy their 45 cent baguettes in the morning, tabacs selling packs of cigarettes, discount groceries, and a variety of bargain clothing outlets.

The first break in the façade of the quiet Parisian neighborhood that caught my eye ended up being the first story I found on the trip.

“Let’s stop in here real quick,” Cole suggested, pointing to a storefront marking the corner turn from neighborhood alley to busy market street.

The store was only slightly wider than its doorway that was propped open with a fan blowing inside to fight the Paris summer heat. It seemed bigger than the actual square footage of the building, with metal racks stacked with plastic bins ex-

tending the entrance of the storefront onto the street.

A sign above the traditional canopy that overhung the building read: “Repair Jeans Artisan.”

George Cohen greeted us at the entrance of the store in a mix of broken English, slowed French and some shared similarities of Spanish phrases. Sole owner and employee of the business since it opened in the 1970s, he spends his days artfully mending Levi’s jeans — and only Levi’s jeans.

Sewing, and especially mending, is a very overlooked craft, and a stereotypically feminine one as well. Cohen has created an innovative artistic approach to the process.

As Cole tried on pairs of denim pants, emerging periodically for fitting advice from the green-carpeted and curtained-off changing room made from plywood by someone whose craft was definitely not woodworking, Cohen politely attempted to make multilingual conversation by showing me some of his newest denim mends.

Flipping through jeans with impossibly seamless patches, visible only once Cohen pointed out the thread discrepancy on the inside of the pant legs, the first piece that struck me was not one of invisible craftsmanship. A phoenix, embroidered in the same thread as the jeans themselves, rose from a tear on the calf of a pair.

Cohen had mended the large and jagged hole in the pair of pants, which, as he explained in a mix of French and English, was impossible to do without stitch marks, by covering the area with a phoenix bird made of the same thread of the jeans. When worn, it would just look like a rough spot in the denim until seen up close, when direct light revealed the bird, its fiery wings spreading across the blue fabric.

I had Cohen show Cole the pair on his next trip out of the dressing room with a decided-upon favorite pair to purchase.

And suddenly, through a quick exchange of eye contact, we both realized that this would be a great opportunity for an interview. Before another second could pass, I pulled a notepad out of my purse and Cole procured a recording device.

Cohen loved our enthusiasm. He told us of his plan to continue working at his little shop until the day he dies. This wasn’t just work — it was a passion for him. He was exactly the type of business owner you would hope to speak to for a good story.

An invite to his workshop brought the three of us to the back of the shop, crammed into a hallway that did not fit two people abreast, stacked with jeans at various stages of the mending process. Cohen situated himself behind his wooden table cut to the size of his sewing machine, demonstrating how mending was done, looking up with a smile every few moments to see if we understood.

We left the shop with our bags one pair of jeans heavier and our reporters’ notebooks several ideas denser.

Cole and I finished the beers we had picked up to supplement our laughing conversation, jaunting down the Parisian street back to our ten-day place of residence. We returned just in time to catch the group getting dressed up to take touristy photos by the Eiffel Tower. We had enough time to don formal wear in nicely-pressed, silky fabric and join them.

While the black tie attire that often looks out of place on young adults looked even more out of place in a crowded subway car, the awkwardness was remedied as soon as our train emerged onto an above-ground track with the Eiffel Tower visible through a scratched window as we zoomed past.

Pushed up against a makeshift barricade and surrounded by the flashing lights of touring law enforcement cars and sightseers’ cameras, it was surreal to realize we could not walk by foot all the way to the base of the Eiffel Tower that night.

Closed off for the Olympic Opening Ceremony preparations, the barricade of metal fencing set up by the IOC held an aura of anticipation. We were held back from standing underneath the structure because the entire world was being held in suspense for the next day’s events. Still, the illuminating glow and lights twinkling for the first five minutes at the top of each hour held a kind of magic that was palpable from any distance.

The Eiffel Tower is a world monument that had never really appealed to me. I had never understood what was so special about it, or why people went so crazy to see it. After all, it is just a giant piece of metal, placed next to museums and historical streets that held some of the most intricate and impactful art in the world.

Seeing the Eiffel Tower in person emitted an entirely different reaction. There is something about the structure that you can feel as soon as it comes into sight. It is almost like it represents something greater than itself. It left our group standing in its shadow, unable to pull ourselves away.

The music of street performers busking to crowds passing by added to the environment in a background harmony perfectly curated to draw in tips out of appreciation. I found myself dancing to the music, joining a group of women laughing joyfully, cheetah print clothing and long necklaces twirling as we moved to the melody.

That music played in my ears the entire subway ride home.

9 Rue Etienne Dolet was already home. One night in and arriving at the difficult-to-open gate, walking up the cobblestones to the heavy wooden door and looking in through the glowing kitchen and parlor windows upon students in black tie and pajamas, holding glasses of wine and herbal tea, it felt natural. A place to relax, to be welcomed into a room of people who completely understood the preposterous awe that we all shared at being here, in Paris.

“I don’t want to leave.”

The sentiment was echoed with nods of agreement as our small group leaned over the stone wall of the bridge elevated across the Seine River.

If you squinted, you could find similarities in color in the aged stone of the Parisian architecture, the cloud-ridden sky, and the gradually flowing waters of the Seine. It seemed almost cliche that our last half-day in Paris would be a gray one.

With our departure time out of France being 19:45 that evening, those of us with less fear over missing the flight (and maybe a slight hope that we would miss the flight) had stored our bags at a local grocery store and set off to explore Paris one last time.

A cigarette on the street walking between French designer’s storefronts, a

fresh baguette split three ways, and the occasional “wait, let’s stop here!” for a souvenir made up of the late morning and early afternoon of our day.

Our phones began to buzz with messages and our watches pinged with alarms to get on the subway to Charles de Gaulle Airport and meet the rest of the group at the Air Portugal terminal.

Turning our backs on the view of the city and the streets that each had stories waiting down them felt like a heavy sigh coming out.

Just one more week in Paris and so many more stories could have been discovered. A few more days, and the most beautiful projects that lay dormant in the backs of our minds could have come into creation. Just one day longer, and who knows what tales we could have found within the winding streets? Just one more hour, and the photograph of the trip could have been captured. Give me one more minute here and I could give the world the break of a lifetime.

That right there is the most important and striking thing to come from the Paris Olympics J-School trip — the desperate call of “wait, give me more time”, that is coped with through realizing that not every amazing experience needs to drag on forever. Instead, it can inspire even more love and anticipation for the next. The time was there, and it is here now. Noticing that it is the present moment of a minute ago that we miss the most, and realizing that it can be missed less if we look at the now.

Those ten days in Paris, for every student in attendance, will make up many more memories than could possibly fit into the hours of ten days. That is because those days aren’t only memories — they are motivation.

"It feels good to get a win. Life has its ups and downs and we took an L yesterday, but we came back and fought hard and won, so it feels really good. We’ve got two games tomorrow against Germany and France, so we’ll only have a quick celebration tonight. If we play like we played today, we’ll get another win. I gotta come out to represent for Azerbaijan, that's the squad I’m rocking with."

- Tiffany Hayes, Team Azerbaijan

Interviewed by Lili Abel-Saurez after beating Team USA in women's 3x3 basketball at the Paris Olympics. Hayes is also No. 15 on the Las Vegas Aces.

by Brooke Germain

“Did she just get off work, or is she on her way to a casting couch?” is the question one of this year’s biggest trends in women’s fashion, the office siren, tempts onlookers to ask. I first saw this trend surface online last year, starting with what would become a signature motif of the look: Bayonetta glasses, which were once called “rectangular frames” before the internet renamed them after the titular video game character who sports these spectacles.

This trend used to only exist online, but this fall, the provocative office siren materialized on the runway. She represents a white-collar, post-pandemic fantasy, as well as a deeper desire for agency in America’s unstable political state. What place do pencil skirts and tailored twopiece sets have in a world where the number of people working from home is increasing, and the business professional dress code is becoming obsolete? Fantasies of the Workplace and the Present State of Office Wear

The office wear I noticed the most during this fall across several designers were spacious leather bags big enough to fit a computer inside, as well as khakis, collared shirts, trench coats, and structured blazers with matching skirts in either midi or micro-mini length (for the brave).

While Bottega Veneta and Yves Saint Laurent took a more nostalgic approach in their interpretation of the office siren, designer brands like Ganni, Max Mara, Mark Gong and Sandy Liang found ways to subvert the classic business look and modify it to play with the changing face of the job landscape, where someone can work remotely from virtually anywhere in the world.

Many of these looks were not purely professional. Peter pan collars and button-ups were paired with flip flops or summery bandanas. Bra straps peeked out from under white collar garb, and blazers were worn over hot pants. Wool jackets

were layered over silky and sheer fabrics typically seen in lingerie and sleepwear, and otherwise sober items like briefcases or sweater vests were injected with a sexy playfulness that is more characteristic to today’s fashion landscape.

It’s also important to note that most early adopters of the trend never actually intended to wear the look into the office at all. Because a lot of people don’t know this fact, many have criticized the look online without understanding that the style functions more as a clerical fetish than a practical work outfit. If you wore an office siren-inspired outfit into the office, you’d probably be meeting with HR very soon after.

The fading presence of the traditional suit and tie look from the workplace leaves room for people to desire a more powerful look outside of the nine-to-five. According to a 2023 report from Gallup, only 3 percent of workers continue to wear business professional attire. In a world coming out of a pandemic, the office siren’s incarnation on the runway represents a solidified desire to “dress up,” not just for work, but in day-to-day life.

The dominant trend of last year was the “coquette” aesthetic, a style characterized by bows, baby pink, and soft, feminine silhouettes. Sandy Liang and Simone Rocha were two of the driving forces behind this ultra-femme look, but the sudden shift in taste from girlish delicacy to shoulder pads can’t be overlooked — fashion exists in context.

This change in style from seraphic to secretarial could be attributed to a deeper need for agency that many American women may be feeling in today’s political and economic climate. Concerning current instability surrounding women’s reproductive freedom and the November election, it might be a comfort to dress like a woman who wields power, as the worsening state of women’s healthcare threatens to disempower women around

the country. The possibility of having a woman president may have also contributed to the popularity of the office siren.

The percentage of young women identifying as liberal has significantly increased, according to The Guardian. Young American women’s growing support for liberal ideas is reflected in a more executive aesthetic in women’s fashion. Even if the style is too immodest for a corporate job, the wearer still deserves respect, a notion very much supported by modern feminism. Unlike the more masculine-coded power suit of the 80s, office siren dress still retains some of the hyperfemininity of last season, instead of mirroring what someone might find a man wearing at his desk.

The look still imitates professionalism to some degree, in the way that an adult movie star might in a man’s boardroom daydream. It isn’t completely tied to female empowerment or to the male gaze, either, but exists somewhere in between. The office siren look was formed in the hope that women can be accepted as both overtly sexual and respectable at the same time, without shame.

A Casual Fashion Connoisseur’s History of ‘Office Siren’

Office wear is already beginning to diverge from its nostalgic origins. Fashion tends to backpedal on itself, especially in times of uncertainty. Y2K aesthetics had an explosive revival at the height of the pandemic, and I feel that this office chic look began to brew after the overturning of Roe v. Wade.

I watched the office siren start to take off when pictures of 90s Megan Fox in Bayonetta glasses circulated on Pinterest in early 2023. Then, in March 2023, the popularity of Miu Miu’s Fall Readyto-Wear collection accelerated the development of the look, with models donning gray sweaters tucked into stockings, glasses, knee-length skirts and sensible heels.

While these looks were smart, they weren’t quite as mature as the office siren, and several outlets dubbed them “geek chic,” a style I consider to be a nerdier predecessor of the siren. In September 2023, Doja Cat, known for being a “chronically online” celebrity, performed at the VMAs in a skirt suit and Bayonetta glasses. She was one of the first celebrities I noticed participating in the style, but when Bella Hadid started sporting the look in early 2024, the language of the trend was solidified: sleek hair, cinched blazers or button ups (al-

ways with the top unbuttoned), tight skirts (micro or pencil) and low-rise trousers. Glasses are optional (but preferred), and it’s best to stick to neutrals and solids, but pinstripe is acceptable. The closer you look to a sexed-up 90s secretary, the better. Would you answer the office siren’s call? Promotion Predictions

From here, I could see the trend developing into a more granola version of itself, where tailored trousers become long shorts and kitten heels are traded for sneakers or hiking boots. Another route I

would love to see is a move toward more romantic styles where the angular shapes of blazers and sheer fabrics are maintained, but lace is added, à la vampire. Office wear has begun to permeate college parties, and I have even witnessed “business sexual” as a dress code on a party invite. As a young person entering the workforce, I am excited to see the future of office wear and want to continue to see women elevating their day-today looks, and owning their sensuality despite unstable political circumstances.

Styles of DRAG

By Emma Christian

you about a few popular styles of drag and the feats that queens have accomplished through these styles. ageant. Comedy. Alternative. These might sound like cliques at your high school, but actually, they are three popular styles of drag. All of these subgenres of drag have different modes of styling clothing, makeup and even the personae that different performers embody. Each style is unique and adds to the cultural body of performance that is drag. Drag pageantry, for example, is more elegant and glamorous, often seen on the runway. Comedy drag tends to be more about creating funny characters through elaborate, playful looks, and alternative drag incorporates punk or goth elements. The names are pretty straightforward.

uPaul, who is also known as the “Queen of Drag,” brought drag into mainstream media and pop culture. This innovator has performed in many different styles of drag throughout his impactful career, which began in a nightclub in Atlanta and took off when he moved to New York. In the 1980s and 1990s, he described his style as “punk drag,” a description that suited RuPaul’s subversive and innovative position in popular culture as a drag performer when he first gained fame. At that point in her career, she wore big, blonde wigs and short, form-fit-

ting dresses, playing with the glamor and edginess that has defined her style since then. This era in RuPaul’s style was quick to shift after he gained more popularity and grew his platform.

RuPaul began filming his famous television show “RuPaul’s Drag Race” in 2009. In this show, RuPaul drags queens (see what I did there?) from all over the country to Hollywood, where they compete to become “America’s Next Drag Superstar.” While on-screen, RuPaul’s dress aligns most closely with the pageant style of drag. She still wears her big, blonde wigs, but in lieu of her signature short dresses, she often wears long, elegant ones, in keeping with the pageant style of drag. (Do you see why it’s called “pageant” now?) The dresses still have a tight fit but are floor-length and sequined, bejeweled, or otherwise fabulous. She has maintained this style throughout the many seasons of the show, which is still being made today.

As the name suggests, comedy drag tends toward over-the-top makeup and outfits. While other styles of drag focus on achieving more glamorous looks, comedic queens will use bright colors and funky patterns to create light-hearted and amusing aesthetics. The makeup is slightly less natural-looking than other drag styles, with many comedy queens drawing attention to their eyes with distinct, bright makeup. Many comedy queens also develop drag characters. Katya Zamolodchikova’s character, for example, is a Russian woman who was born in Ukraine but was raised in Moscow. Katya mentions the USSR frequently during her drag performances, which adds to her comedic delivery.

Z amolodchikova and Trixie Mattel are two of the most well-known comedy queens. These queens became popular after their appearances on season 7 of “RuPaul’s Drag Race.” Zamolodchikova participated in season 2 of “RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars,” and Mattel won season 3 of “All Stars.” Mattel and Zamolodchikova have become extremely popular on the internet,

bringing drag further into the spotlight of pop culture with their social media presences.

Queens like Trixie Mattel have very recognizable, personal drag styles. Mattel’s signature motifs include her voluminous blonde wigs and pink dresses. Her outfits have maintained a 1950s and 1960s style throughout her career. The most recognizable piece of Mattel’s drag style is her makeup, known for being very bold, with big lashes and thick eyeliner. She draws white triangles under her eyes and does not blend her concealer along her nose or cheekbones, which creates an exaggerated feminine facial structure. She also overlines her lips and angles her brows to achieve this effect. This makeup and fashion style helps to add to the comedic effect of her funny, blonde bombshell character. Comedy queens draw attention to every aspect of their looks — they definitely stand out. Every part of their drag looks are over-the-top, which adds to the comedic charm of their performance. The versatile Violet Chachki won season seven of “RuPaul's Drag Race.” Chachki became known on the show for her impressive runway looks and her ability to cinch her waist to the seemingly-impossible circumference eighteen inches. She found success in the fashion industry after her time on the show, becoming one of the few people to attend the Met Gala in full drag. Though her drag style is very versatile, most of her looks maintain a classy and glamorous aesthetic and highlight her slender figure. She is usually seen wearing sleek, black wigs, sharp eyeliner and red lipstick. Her makeup tends to have a more natural, glossy look. Chacki’s lipstick is shaped to accentuate her cupid's bow and she angles her eyebrows inward, with eyeliner that creates fierce and feminine fox eyes. She has participated in multiple fashion weeks, worked for Prada and appeared at the Met Gala, making her not only an influential figure in drag, but in the fashion industry overall.

“RuPaul’s Drag Race” has showcased many iconic looks, one being Detox’s black and white look that she showcased at the season 5 finale. Her entire body was painted light gray, and she used all-black makeup to create an illusion that makes it look like she stepped out of an old black-andwhite film. She wore a short, form-fitting black dress with bold silver jewelry. Her wig was also gray, allowing her to achieve a full monochrome look. Her appearance was so out-of-the-box and unexpected that RuPaul based a challenge on the look in a later season of “Drag Race.” Moments like this showcase the creativity that the drag community is capable of.

In recent years, there have been nearly two hundred incidents of anti-LGBTQ+ protests and threats targeted specifically towards the drag community in the United States. As drag and queer art continues to become more relevant in pop culture, there will be an increase in backlash. However, this is how change is made, and increased public exposure to drag will eventually result in more acceptance for the art and the queer community as a whole. It is inspiring to see how drag has become a prominent piece of pop culture, growing from an underground art form into the far-reaching source of entertainment that it is today. Positive media portrayals of drag like “RuPaul’s Drag Race” have enriched mainstream culture, being the site of creation of several new colloquialisms and viral memes. Drag is a very diverse form of entertainment and there is something for everyone to enjoy. It has become more relevant in pop culture than ever before and people are now appreciating everything the art form has to offer.

So We’re All Obsessed with Trad-Wives, Right?

By Ryann Casagrande

Trad-wives have taken the internet by storm, drawing followers in with freshly baked sourdough bread and offering intimate glimpses into their homes and lives. Whether they’re making ketchup from scratch in designer dresses or milking cows on private, multiacre ranches, these lifestyle creators embody exaggerated representations of once-traditional ways of life, divorcing themselves from the realities of the very people who consume their content. Despite the profound unrelatability of this lifestyle content, many of these trad-wife influencers have reached incredible levels of fame. Nara Smith and Hannah Neeleman are two such figures — it is practically impossible to avoid mentioning them in conversations about trad-wives (including this one). Neeleman has even been dubbed the “queen of the ‘trad wives’” in a now-notorious article by The Times. Both women have gained millions of followers, maintained consistent brand deals, and been featured in major publications such as Vanity Fair and The Times. Although these creators have undoubtedly garnered an impressive amount of attention, not all of it has been positive. These influencers have been criticized for romanticizing 1950s gender roles and household dynamics. Behind the facade of pretty

dresses and the aroma of homemade cookies, the lifestyle that people criticize these influencers for emulating only allowed women the option of being housewives. Basic liberties that would have allowed women to not have to depend on a man for their financial well-being were severely limited during this time, and for countless women, becoming homemakers was one of the only ways to secure economic stability. Internet trad-wives have been accused of erasing these darker realities to create marketable online personas. Additionally, social media users have expressed their personal feelings of alienation from this lifestyle content, a genre that often thrives on its ability to relate to viewers. While we see a range of this traditional performance online, the trend's consistency lies in the creator’s ability to raise the standards for domesticity and homemaking — what does it really mean to make something from scratch? Does cooking boxed pasta with a homemade sauce count, or do you have to make the dough as well? Why not go a step further and mill your own flour, while you’re at it? Smith and Neeleman are perfect examples of two opposite ends of the internet trad-wife aesthetic spectrum. Smith flaunts a life of luxury with her lavish gowns and pristine all-white kitchen, while Neeleman

fits the more rustic, all-American mold with her cozy farmhouse and cotton aprons. Though they may look very different, they have one thing in common: both of the lifestyles that these women represent are far from being attainable. One question remains, though: why are these women with such different images both labeled as trad-wives, when the standards of the traditional 1950s housewife were so uniform and unvaried?

While these women have become the faces of the trad-wife content niche, neither of them identify as trad-wives, and have even publicly renounced that label. In an interview with the Daily Mail, Smith categorizes herself as ‘a working mom.’ This checks out, as Smith has been working as a model since she was scouted at the age of 14, and undoubtedly puts a not insignificant amount of work into creating content and managing her monetized social media platforms, all while raising her three children. Similarly, Neeleman distanced herself from the label in an interview with Vanity Fair. She also puts in a lot of work building her tremendously successful social media presence to promote Ballerina Farm, the business that she runs alongsideher husband Daniel, with whom she shares eight children. B oth women are successful within their respective enterpris-

es and put themselves on equal footing with their husbands, two significant deviations from the expectations of the historical tradwife. Despite this, they are still seen as the faces of the genre, begging the question as to which aspects of their content place them within this box. It seems that the most (if not the only) “trad” thing about their content is how it is primarily centered around homemaking. While preparing meals from scratch or being an attentive parent are certainly not things of the past, the intensity with which influencers like Smith and Neeleman carry out these activities is mostly unattainable.

Many American families today are too busy to dedicate the amount of time, money and energy that goes into the level of homemaking that these women showcase through their content. Not everyone has time to make Cheez-Its from scratch — most people only have enough time to go to the store after their 9-to-5 and buy a box. This amount of childcare and domestic labor would require at least one parent to stay home, which is not a feasible reality for most as a staggering 78% of Americans are living paycheck to paycheck, according to Forbes Advisor. This also means food budgets are tight, limiting the

amount of fresh ingredients families can buy. The lifestyle of making three meals a day from scratch in designer gowns is far from feasible, which is why this standard of living feels traditional and distant. Considering their caliber of living — a supermodel husband, privately owned ranches, relatives with multi-billion dollar companies — these two women represent a level of wealth and security most could (and will) only ever dream of.

The unattainability of their lifestyles, though, is perhaps the very thing that makes people engage with their content, even if viewers are just there to hatewatch Smith’s cooking videos as she outlines her step-by-step recipe for healthier homemade Takis that still taste like the real thing (if not better), or Neeleman doing ballet in the excessively beautiful fields of her massive homestead and making delicious farm-to-table meals for her happy, not-so-little family. Perhaps it is not the trad-wife lifestyle that everyone is so jealous of, but rather the lifestyle of the rich and famous

that gives them the freedom to not only live beautifully, but to get paid for it. On that last note, I am going to watch Nara Smith make pasta from scratch while I wait for my Kraft macaroni to finish boiling.

Chasing T rends :

If you’re a fashion girlie, you’re probably aware of the resurgence of the infamous 2010s “indie sleaze” aesthetic. If this sounds unfamiliar, then picture this: fishnet tights, micro shorts on top of the fishnet tights, cheetah print everywhere, and messy, metallic makeup. If this doesn’t sound like your thing, maybe the viral 2020 “cottagecore” movement is more your style, with its softer aesthetic accented by frills, lace, and florals. Between these two viral fashion moments, though, countless other microtrends have caught on. But keeping up with the latest trends comes at a price: the rapid pace at which these trends cycle encourages rampant consumerism and perpetuates fast fashion.

Microtrends and Influencers

Short-form media like TikTok videos and Instagram

Reels have skyrocketed in popularity, leaving our attention spans shorter than ever. We are constantly being fed new inspiration for fashion and direct links to where we can purchase clothing. In this ad-driven media environment, it is easy to spend more money than you intended on clothing items that you would have never bought in the first place.

Just like our attention spans, the amount of time we have with these trends is getting shorter. The phenomenon of the microtrend directly contributes to overconsumption and is one of the main drivers of fast fashion. It is a vicious cycle — an influencer or content creator promotes a certain style or clothing item, we purchase the trending piece, we wear it for a short amount of time, and then eventually get bored of it after the next glittering microtrend takes its place.

Maybe it’s the cow print pants from 2020 or the “coquette” bow graphic shirt from last year. I can admit that this is true for me. But what if we don’t want to keep falling into this trap?

An Alternative: Thrifting/Second-hand Shopping

Shopping second-hand for your clothing is one of the easiest and most accessible ways to avoid overconsumption. While it is a budget-friendly alternative to buying new, thrifting can also be a thrilling adventure where you can discover hidden gems and express your individuality.

Thrifting has become a popular pastime, whether you’re sifting through racks at Goodwill or browsing through Depop on your university issued iPad in lecture. It’s all about the thrill of the hunt and the unique stories behind each find. Discovering a one-of-a-kind vintage piece for half the price of a mass-produced item is the real reward.

Don’t know where to start? Let me help! As a seasoned second-hand shopper, I have mastered the craft of finding the perfect pieces to complete a unique wardrobe.

First, create a mood board or a “thrift list.” Using a platform like Pinterest makes this process simple, and allows you to compile several outfit pictures to pull inspiration from when looking through the racks of clothes. This makes the thrifting experience less overwhelming, and keeps you focused on what to look for.

Second, select your scavenging grounds. The Greater Reno area has many to choose from. My two personal favorites are St. Vincent's Thrift Store and Savers, but the specific store you choose does not matter — if you have the eye and the time, great finds will come to you.

Third and finally, start your hunt. Remember to take your time, as it is key to search through as many clothes as you can. My favorite tip is to look at the tags, which will tell you

The Macro Impacts of Microtrends

By Summer Bakker

everything you need to know about an item. Valuable information such as the year the piece was made and the fabric it was made from can be found here. (Tip: many vintage clothes are made in the USA, which is a great indicator that the item is high quality!)

Although thrift shopping was initially viewed as a budget-friendly way to buy clothes, it has been brought into a new light and popularized as a way to find unique and vintage clothing. This makes it a great way to create your own personal style.

Style > Trends

The reason microtrends are often frowned upon is because many people buy brand-new clothing to engage in these trends from large companies with unsustainable business models, such as Shein or AliExpress. These companies catch on to microtrends and almost immediately start mass-producing them to push out to eager consumers. The vast majority of these products are cheaply made in factories overseas that have abusive labor practices. However, people are aware that these items will follow the pattern of going out of style within months, so they decide not to spend more money on a higher quality item that will last them significantly longer. Because these clothes are so cheaply made and have no real permanence, more and more of them head to landfills hardly any time after they are worn.

With its immense popularity, thrifting has become a trend in itself. If you are anything like me, every other video on your FYP is someone showing their thrift haul of the rare vintage finds they found that day. However, this is a trend that every fashion enthusiast should embrace. According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, 84% of donated clothing ends up in landfills. By reducing your consumption of clothing coming from fast fashion brands and only shopping at thrift stores, you can help reduce the amount of clothing being thrown away. This way, you are staying trendy while also giving beautiful items a second life in your closet.

Microtrends are not the villains of the fashion world (but the corporations that destroy the environment and exploit garment workers are). It isn’t evil to enjoy or even participate in these trends, either. However, it is important that we engage with these trends sustainably to avoid contributing to the vicious fast fashion cycle as much as we can. By being mindful of our purchases and considering sustainability in our decision-making, we can still enjoy fashion and style while minimizing our waste.

The next time you find yourself scrolling through your favorite fashion influencer’s posts and feeling tempted to click on their Amazon storefront to buy the exact piece they are wearing, ask yourself if you would be able to find similar (or maybe even better) pieces second-hand. And, you probably can — the quality of pre-loved vintage pieces is often much higher than those straight from the sweatshop. By thrifting your clothes instead of buying fast fashion, you can find unique and rare pieces that allow you to craft your own personal aesthetic and participate in the larger movement toward conscious consumption.

Fashion is an art form and it is meant to be enjoyed and celebrated. The clothes you wear should allow you to celebrate your beauty and individuality, and they should never come with unnecessary guilt. They should also never be something that you just throw away as soon as the next best thing arrives. With patience, responsibility, a little creativity, and a focus on sustainability, you can be chic and mindful — nothing is more stylish than sustainability.

In the Eye of Jordan Peele’s “Nope”

by Ryann Casagrande

Did you know that the very first motion picture was a two-second clip of a Black man on a horse? Nope — I bet you didn’t! In his 2022 sci-fi horror film “Nope,” Jordan Peele references this fascinating bit of film history in the electrifying introduction of Emerald Haywood, one of the main characters. She points out that we have “no record” of the jockey in the clip, illustrating a historical pattern of the erasure of Black Americans within the film industry.

Interestingly, the clip’s title, “Gardner at a Gallop,” refers to the name of the horse rather than the jockey, whose name is lost to history despite the techno-

logical breakthrough this clip represents. Peele explores this lack of recognition in “Nope” through the film’s protagonists. Otis “OJ” Haywood Jr. Daniel Kaluuya) and Emerald Haywood (Keke Palmer) are the heirs to Haywood Hollywood Horses, a family horse training business for animal stunt work. As the industry modernizes and the use of CGI animals begins to dominate film set, the Haywood siblings see their line of work quickly destabilizing. However, there is still some hope for the Haywoods as otherworldly activity suddenly strikes their ranch in Agua Dulce, California. Instead of cowering in fear from this unknown entity, the Haywoods

see this as their shot—the shot—to stay in the spotlight.

As we follow their quest to capture the impossible on camera, the story is carefully segmented into chapters that focus on the different animals that play a part in the story, from stunt horses and a chimp actor to the ravenous extraterrestrial creature that sets the story in motion. The progression of each animal's story is inseparable from the horror the Haywoods face, as the brutalization, consumption and sacrifice of these animals mirrors the dehumanization and violence marginalized people have been subjected to for the past 500 years at the hands of white supremacy. Last year, I had the privilege of attending a guest lecture here at the university led by professor Mikal J. Gaines, an English professor and Peele scholar at Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences. Gaines’ lecture “Black Looking and Being Beyond the Flesh in Jordan Peele’s ‘Nope’” elaborated on a powerful element unique to the art of film: the mysterious “gaze.” Whether this refers to the gaze of the film viewers, the directoral gaze, or the character gaze, analyzing how film participants are viewing the events of the film provides incredible insights into a film’s intention. Gaines focused on the idea of “the animal gaze,” a term he coined to explain a motif within Peele’s movies that is especially present in “Nope.” He describes “the animal gaze” as the way that non-human animals in films look at characters of color with a sense of familiarity or resonance, as both groups have been subjected to systemic violence.

We see this gaze most clearly represented in a harrowing interaction between Lil’ Jupe Park (Jacob Kim) and a chimpanzee named Gordy. In this scene, Park is a child actor working on a sitcom episode titled “Gordy’s Birthday,” which ends with Gordy becoming overstimulated and slaughtering everyone on set except Park. Park hides beneath a table, but it does not take long for Gordy to find him. However, when Gordy finds Park, he seems to calm down as he locks eyes

with the child, offering a fist bump. As Park returns the fist bump, Gordy is killed by emergency responders. Before Gordy’s demise though, a look of understanding passes between Gordy — a confused and overworked animal — and Park, an Asian child actor. Though Park is traumatized and Gordy has snapped, at this moment they seem to recognize the similarity of each other’s struggles in an intensely stressful environment where they are both treated as outsiders.

While “Gordy’s Home Incident” (as older Park later dubs it) is the film’s most blatant example of the animal gaze in action, this method of looking is most consistently utilized through the eyes of Otis Haywood. Haywood is a quiet, simple man dedicated to preserving his deceased father’s legacy and caring for his horses. He emphasizes the importance of the horses’ well-being on set and maintains an unwavering dedication to keeping them safe as the alien entity terrorizes their ranch. He values the bonds he has built with his horses, which are evident through the looks exchanged between him and his horses throughout the film. This pattern of human-animal connection, fostered through eye contact, deepens as the Haywoods and their allies try to capture the alien entity they’ve named “Jean Jacket” (after the horse Emerald never got to train) on film.

After devising a plan to get Jean Jacket on camera, we see a sequence of Haywood Jr. riding on his horse, Lucky, as they begin to participate in a sort of anti-gaze. Over the course of the film, Haywood realizes that Jean Jacket does not like to be looked at, noticing that it retaliates against those who meet its gaze by eating them. This realization allows him to get close to the monster while attempting this dangerous stunt, covering Lucky's eyes and averting his own gaze. As the two avoid making eye contact at all costs, they rely on each other’s communication in order to survive.

Playing into the anti-gaze, where does this put Jean Jacket, a creature with no desire to be met eye-to-eye? Jean Jacket, an animal with its “own rules,” as Haywood Jr. puts it, doesn’t have the same kind of familiarity with human characters that other animals like Gordy and Lucky do. As Jean Jacket rejects the gaze of human and non-human characters whilst terrorizing everyone in its wake, we can begin to see the ways in which Jean Jacket reflects

patterns of white imperialism. Jean Jacket, a creature from a foreign land, has no desire to be seen as equal to the Haywoods or other animals, mirroring the European belief of superiority in their conquest of Africa. Just like an imperial force, Jean Jacket ravages the Haywood Ranch of its resources, destroys the Haywood home, and maintains an insatiable hunger no matter how much it devours. The extraterrestrial threat had been looming over Haywood ranch for a long time, as the Haywoods discover Jean Jacket’s hiding place within an unmoving cloud, and Haywood states he had been “staring at the same cloud” for months. The longevity of this threat reflects how racism and white supremacy have been a constant, looming threat to people of color, no matter how hard we try to keep our heads in the clouds and ignore reality.

Throughout “Nope’s” progression we see the many ways the various animal characters either accept or reject familiar-

ity with our main protagonists. Animals like Gordy and Lucky reciprocate trust and understanding with our human characters and the hardships they face. Alternately, Jean Jacket reacts with hostility towards being met with a familiar gaze, striking a divide that parallels racially-motivated discrimination within film and modern human history as a whole. As the film wraps up, the last lingering frame shows Haywood and Lucky obscured by a cloud of dust. Juxtaposing this last shot with Muybridge’s “Gardner at a Gallop” Peele bridges a time in history where Black people were not recognized within the industry with two triumphant, contemporary characters, emphasizing how film can move forward whilst acknowledging the exploitative history that has made it so challenging to do so. As artists like Peele continue to create such monumental pieces of cinema, moviegoers will get to see film history being made in real time from the edge of their seats.

A SUBSTANTIAL STATEMENT — WE MUST STAY YOUNG

By Eva Hopkins

Spoiler Warning: This review discusses key plot points of the 2024 film “The Substance.”

CONTROL. YOUR. SELF.

Anti-wrinkle straws, Botox, fillers, Ozempic, vampire facials, laser treatments — every month there is a new tip or trick for how to look 20 years younger. This September’s skincare secret comes in a little green vial — but be careful, because there’s something much more intense than a simple skin tightening coming your way.

Coralie Fargeat’s 2024 film “The Substance” sheds new light on the anti-aging conversation in a gruesomely surprising way. The story follows the career demise of star Elisabeth Sparkle (played by Demi Moore) at the hands of her age and the extreme lengths she goes to achieve a full restoration of her youth and beauty.

When first announced, Moore’s role as Elisabeth was a talking point, as Moore herself has been oft-mentioned in conversations around plastic surgery in Hollywood. Moore has been an American beauty since the 80s, with her fresh face first catching eyes in “St. Elmo’s Fire” and staying consistent on our screens for years. Since the 2000s when she hit her mid30’s, she has received backlash for her, at that time, alleged plastic surgery. In a 2010 interview with Elle magazine, she opened up about her struggle with body obsession and how she used her body to measure her value. However, she stayed away from her face until more recently, when in 2021, she was all over headlines with talks of her failed filler and unrecognizable look. Moore is nothing but beautiful now, but she is still open about her

journey with plastic surgery. Despite her transparency, critiques of her possible Botox, facelifts and fillers follow her around to this day. Her beauty is undeniable, but it shows that even the most aware and elegant people can be subject to this obsessive need to keep looking “right.” And now, in 2024, she finds a possibly perfect role in Elisabeth, who struggles in a similar way, but takes a much more extreme path to fix it.

Elisabeth’s journey begins while at a routine checkup, when a nurse recommends a vague procedure to make her young again and gives her a business card. After some hesitation, Elisabeth decides to go through with the procedure, and wanders into a creepy storage space. A package awaits her. She takes it home and opens it to find a neon green serum, professional medical tools, and instructions. An agonizing transformation creates Sue (Margaret Qualley), the physical form of Elisabeth’s new self, born from her own DNA. What sets this film apart is this: Sue and Elisabeth both exist, sharing one consciousness through two bodies. Sue takes Elisabeth’s position on her famous exercise show, unbeknownst to everyone that she is technically the same person. But she won't be for long, and that’s where it gets interesting.

“Remember you are ONE.”

This repeated line from the film centralizes the entire theme that youth never leaves, but lives within. For years and years, women have been confined by the idea that their value lies in their youth, perhaps even more than their

beauty. After taking Elisabeth’s place on the show, Sue’s presence takes the program in a completely different direction — a faceless direction. Of course no one ignores Sue’s beauty throughout the film, but one of the most pivotal scenes is the 80 percent faceless dancing scene that pans up and down, getting uncomfortably close to her newly born body. Sue’s firm skin, toned legs and arms, and clear, smooth complexion are all the viewers can focus on. Our young bodies are revered, from the slenderness of our figures to the ignorance of our unaffected minds. We watch the crew and directors ooh and aah at her youthfulness, until she stops the dance abruptly after feeling a lump on her leg. Sue shoots up and out of character and demands her dressing gown. Any flaws are impossible — this is her perfect young body, and she starts to panic. Elisabeth’s consciousness fears that underneath it all, she’s still her.

To reflect on what this movie truly reveals about our society's obsession with agelessness, we must remember that our youth resides within us. When she first performed the procedure, the instructions specified that Sue and Elisabeth must each only stay conscious for seven days at a time, and that they must respect the balance between them. However, Sue realizes how much better her life is now that she can relive Elisabeth’s glory days, and does not respect this rule. She disobeys the rule, which causes the youth of Elisabeth’s then-lifeless body to slip away more and more. When the consciousness switches back, Sue’s actions devastate Elisabeth, and their delicate dynamic shifts from allyship to hatred. When the ashamed Elisabeth finally switches back, Sue sees the damage that Elisabeth’s depressed and angry life has done to their home and loses it. She takes as much time from Elisabeth as she can to sustain herself and lives in her body for three months, not realizing that the more she takes from Elisabeth’s body, the less she is left with. Basking in the glow of her success and her fame, until she starts to break down, her body starts to bleed and hurt. She needs to go back. She needs to switch.

Elisabeth awakes in a body that cannot even be described as human and is filled with rage. She hates Sue — this other person to her — but who she truly hates is herself for her decision, so she decides to reverse the procedure. But Elisabeth can’t even look at herself in the mirror, and with her deformed body and her painful age, Sue is the only beauty she has left. Halfway through the reversal, she stops, and Sue jolts awake. Elisabeth stumbles back in shock, looking eye to eye with everything she wishes she was, realizing it is no longer her. The third act of the movie separates the two characters and pits them against one another. This directional change ushers in the body horror this movie made headlines for, but also reveals the true sinister nature of Sue as a personification of Elisabeth's long-lost youth. Sue begins to violently assault Elisabeth, until Sue is all that is left. Succeeding over her aging self and now young forever, she has won. Never even fighting back, Elisabeth takes every

blow silently, her eyes glossing over with the memory of a life before this. The substance never truly gave her a second chance — only a chance to face her own self-hatred head on.

Aspirational ideals of beauty in the media are always centered around what naturally occurs in young women. When Elisabeth first went through with the procedure they told her numerous times to not forget that she is in control. It would always feel like someone else since it would be a new person with a new face but her brain was in charge. Only her brain obsessively missed her youth. At the beginning of the film, the reason Sue applies for Elisabeth’s old job is because Sue is Elisabeth. They are one and Sue is simply a vessel for Elisabeth to have what she so dearly wanted — her life back. However, the attention becomes intoxicating and her brain begins to split. She loses the memory of herself and her soul and becomes obsessed with the easy, perfect life she has as Sue. We do it, too.

Plastic surgery isn’t just for those in the public eye. Fillers and Botox are becoming increasingly normal, with women even younger than 18 going under the needle. Modern med spas are normalizing a little numbing here and a little plumping there to keep the 20-year-olds from getting their first wrinkles and to continue to look ageless. Although minor, the accessibility of these procedures is rapidly increasing and girls aren’t shying away from it. With celebrities like Kylie Jenner, who has had two different faces in the last decade in the public eye, plastic surgery is on girls' radar from an early age. Procedures as invasive as rhinoplasties aren’t unheard of for the developing faces of 16-year-olds. In a less invasive manner, every skincare imaginable is pushed on young women to keep their youth, with 10-year-olds using retinol and teenagers avoiding the sun for fear of wrinkles. At younger and younger ages, before it even starts to happen, the fear of aging is pushed onto girls.

As a society, we have developed such a combative relationship with age, a violent obsession that clings to the back of our minds — a bloody, personified youth in our conscience. Foreign fluids and tested toxins are injected into the bodies of our daughters every day. These inhuman, inorganic substances are robbing us of our own individuality. We gawk at it in the theaters with Fargeat’s revelation, but it is realer than it seems. Or maybe it isn’t. Maybe our skin really does rot after 30, and maybe we should hate ourselves for it. Maybe if it is not perky and shiny, it is worthless. One way or another, something is always wrong with us, and we have to fix it. Maybe we must stay young.

Live from New York: A Crumbling Empire

By Zoey Cambley

On October 11, 1975, “Saturday Night Live” made history when it aired on NBC as the first sketch comedy late-night television show. To honor this history, a new film called “Saturday Night” was released in theaters on October 11th, revealing the events that unfolded during the hour and a half before the first infamous episode aired.

There is something quite funny about watching John Belushi being portrayed by Matt Wood snorting coke on the big screen while sitting between your parents on your 22nd birthday, the very same day “SNL” first aired 50 years ago. As someone who grew up watching “SNL” with my mom who bestowed all of her “SNL” lore onto me, watching the movie with her felt cathartic. The film provoked the best kind of nervousness — the buzzing sensation humming under your skin right before you get on stage or the anxiousness and excitement you feel as the “ON AIR” sign lights up red.

Directed by Jason Reitman and featuring stars like Rachel Sennott, Lamorne Morris and Dylan O’Brien, the movie is, in my opinion, a certifiable hit. It pulls on every nostalgic heartstring, and the cast’s portrayal of the original cast is uncanny. The movie captures the frenzied, chaotic campiness of “SNL,” from llamas roaming around backstage to the stage floor literally being laid down brick by brick just moments before going live. But does the magic that the show once had still exist today, or is the legend of the show the only reason it is still culturally relevant?

From the beginning, “SNL” has always defied the boundaries of TV. The show was hosted by young comedians and had a rather diverse staff for the 70s, with an equal number of male and female cast members. Working tirelessly day and night until Saturday, cast members run themselves ragged crafting the best 90 minutes of comedy skits and pop culture parodies that they possibly can. “SNL” creator and producer Lorne Michaels said, “We don’t go on because we’re

ready. We go on because it’s 11:30. There’s no getting out of it.” Although this wouldn’t be my ideal workplace, it is admirable how the cast members dedicate themselves entirely to their craft.

“It’s in no way natural to be performing at 11:30 on a Saturday night in a skyscraper in Rockefeller Center, so to get comfortable, to get loose, to feel that it makes perfect sense, takes just doing it. Sometimes you blow a line, or that thing you’re completely confident about falls apart...That’s the resilience of the show and these people. You love it and you en dure it and you slowly but surely get bet ter.”

In recent years, “SNL” has been in its flop era. The jokes don’t land the same anymore because they’re primarily derived from short-lived trends, like Moo Deng (a pygmy hippo) or Sonny Angels (the little naked plastic doll who wears weird hats). The show is trying to appeal to Gen Z humor without actually having more Gen Zers on staff. The original “SNL” prided itself on having young, up-and-coming comedians to shake up the older generation’s standards of humor, but now they only play into these standards. As a result, “SNL” is losing the younger demographic’s attention, which they are going to need since they have alienated older audiences by relying too much on memes for the basis of their jokes.

A once-daring establishment, the show

has become diluted. It avoids more current political critiques and spends more airtime commenting on surface-level TikTok trends that lose relevance within a week. Because the content is based on such fast-paced trends, most of the skits are unmemorable at best, even if they have funny moments. People often remember John Belushi in a bee costume or Mike Myers’ iconic “Wayne’s World” sketches, but recent skits simply don’t have this kind of staying power.

However, there are some new cast members that give me hope for the future of “SNL,” and who delivered some of the best Weekend Updates I’ve seen in a while. Sarah Sherman killed her set about the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show, pointing out how it needs to show realistic undergarments — granny panties and all. But the cast member I am the most excited to see is Emil Wakim because his set mirrored the kind of humor from earlier seasons that addressed controversial topics head-on. Marcello Hernández is another cast member who is both bringing back the spark of old “SNL” and attracting new audiences with some of his Latino-inspired skits. But will these hot, goofy comedians be enough to keep “SNL” alive for the next couple

The “Saturday Night” film has reminded us of the early visionary practices that “SNL” used to employ. It isn’t enough to have once been iconic — a show can only stay relevant if it attracts new viewers, or maintains its existing viewership. It needs to stay relevant in a way that doesn’t betray the revolutionary practices that it started on. I think the chaos of “SNL” is alive and well, but the humor has slowly dissipated. The creativity and absurdity of iconic skits like “More Cowbell” or “Roseanne Roseannadanna” need to return to the show. However, back when the show first started in the 70s, everyone in the cast was doing cocaine to keep up with the demanding pace of the show. Since taking illegal substances is no longer an option for cast members, I think changing up the structure of the show might help with the current lackluster tone it has. We are in a media environment that is mostly quantity, and very little quality. Today, “SNL” needs to focus more on the quality of the content they produce rathert han how much content they produce, and the only way to do that without illicit substances is to either air the show every other week, or do shorter episodes with fewer skits. As a life-long lover of “Saturday Night Live,” I want to see the

Empowering Women and Shaping Reno’s Music Scene with Punk Rock Passion

WORM SHOT

By Lauren Juillerat

Without warning, bassist Cierra Randall yelled, “worm shot!” while watching A24’s “The Green Knight.” A short scene in the film featuring worms writhing in the soil sparked the idea that would eventually become the name of a rising local women punk rock band.

Formed in 2022, Worm Shot is a fierce, all-female band from Reno. Since their formation, they have quickly become a staple of the local music scene, known for their raw energy and unique sound. Now, as one of the mother bands of the Reno scene, Worm Shot's legacy isn’t just about their music — it’s about the thriving, supportive community they've helped build. Their fans are more than just supporters — they’re a part of the band’s extended family. They have grown from a garage band in 2022 to a household name in 2024, inspiring other artists and paving the way for new and upcoming bands.

With Baylor Luckey on lead vocals and rhythm guitar, Liv Rogers on guitar and vocals, Gina Hoàng on drums and Cierra Randall on bass, it’s refreshing to see passion from local artists creating edgy punk rock, let alone from an all-girl rock band. They currently have seven songs released on Spotify with some of their most popular hits being “Dream Girl” and “Honey, Do!” They have captivated the residents of Reno and won over the love of punk rock music enthusiasts in the local Reno scene.

The four “wormen” met through UNR and The Holland Project. Luckey initially reached out to Rogers asking her to join the band after hearing whispers throughout campus about how talented she was. Hoàng was recruited later by Luckey after mentioning that she was interested in learning how to play the drums. They soon began practicing together and creating songs, and it wasn’t long before they were asked to perform their second live show at the very venue they had all attended for years, The Holland Project. From the crowd to the stage, with only four months of band experience, the girls nervously played their memorable debut at The Holland Project, which became the first of many to come.

B eyond music, Hoàng and Rogers

showcase their talents as graphic designers, creating everything from personal art to flyers for local shows and logos for other bands. Their artistic contributions not only strengthen their ties to the local scene but also continue to act as an initiative to support other local musicians. The band also enjoys giving back by volunteering at local venues like The Holland Project, where they recently worked the door and snack shack for Band Day of Service on August 23. Worm Shot is more than just a band — they're community-driven.

“Dream Girl” is a literal description of each of these women, as they not only create catchy and relatable music for those who enjoy 90s rock and modern punk influences, but they also help out their local venues, events and community members. Their advocacy for the collective good has propelled them into the spotlight and made them a local music spectacle. Their catchy lyrics, once reverberating off the walls of Hoàng’s garage, have taken on a whole new sound as they boomed from the amphitheater speakers on the Grand Sierra stage at their September 11 show.

In their two years, Worm Shot has played at several local venues like The Holland Project and Fort Ralston, various house venues as well as the big stage at the Grand Sierra Resort, one of their most remarkable feats.

“ Thank you to everyone who has continuously supported us and has come to our silly little shows, we cannot thank you enough,” they wrote on their band Instagram after their big performance.

The band’s electrifying chemistry has also inspired other local bands such as Orrral Fixation, who look to Worm Shot not only as peers but as mentors. By supporting fellow bands through shoutouts and attendance, Worm Shot has fostered a sense of community that continues to elevate Reno's music scene. Their devoted fanbase, affectionately known as “wormies,” has grown right alongside them, a testament to the band’s ability to connect with people through both their music and their unwavering authenticity.

Contributors

Design

Isaac Martinez

Brooke Germain

Photography

Sara Ewing Garcia

Copy Editing

Samantha Wagner

Chappell Roan

Kelly Mader

Heather Saxe

Zoey Cambley

Lili Abel-Suarez

Daisy Partey

Cowboy Carter

Ora Harris

Paris Olympics

Tiffany Hayes

Styles of Drag

Bella Noir

Wish Me Luck

Riley Thacker

Corrections

pages 8, 9

pages 18, 32, 33, 34, 42, 43 page 43

Models

Chasing Trends

Summer Bakker

Lost In Translation

Averey O'Leary

Jerad Doré

Em Tomeo

Challengers

Eric Chernaev

Matt Long

Alexa Patton

Freshman Class

Baylor Luckey

Gina Hoang

Liv Rogers

Cierra Randall

Special thanks to Kyle Blomquist

Insight Magazine works to correct any errors. If you find a mistake or misprint, please contact the editor at @insightmagazine