winter 2020 VOLUME13 ISSUE 2
MAGAZINE
staff RYLEE JACKSON
MAGGIE SCHMUTZ
ELIZABETH PEARSON
CRYSTAL LUGO
KYLA KWAN
KELLIE SASSO
Staff Writer Art Director
PR Manager
Editor-in-Chief Copy Editor
Photo Director
contributors Wenei Philimon, writer Alyssa Perrine, photographer Gema Alvarez, writer and photographer Mary Young, photgrapher
Sruthi Srinivas, writer Olivia Sullivan, writer Ryan Almazan, writer and designer Reilly Moss, designer
from the editor
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he winter issue is always a fun one because we have a chance to look back on the year and share our favorite things about the holiday season. However, this winter issue, we also have a story I believe a lot of college students will resonate with. Wenei Philimon, one of our contributors, explored the loneliness epidemic plaguing college students. I think if you asked people on the street, they would attribute a lot of that to technology and the sense of “isolation” we associate with it. I would have to disagree. If anything, technology and social media have helped me avoid feeling lonely in college. When I first moved here and didn’t have many friends, I used social media as a way to keep up with my friends back home. I also used my phone, something many see as isolating, as a tool to talk to my friends and loved ones throughout the day. Technology also helped me to make new friends at the university, and it helped us bond faster. I was able to friend someone on social media after one class and get to know them better through social media and conversations on apps. A study by the National Academy of Sciences also found that mindfulness apps, something only made possible by smartphones, helped people
complete mindfulness training, which helped them feel less lonely. I think one thing that is often overlooked and invalidated is the impact internet friends can have when it comes to preventing loneliness. As with anything, online friendships can become problematic if they’re used to replace social interaction. Still, online friendships can also help isolated people feel more connected to the world around them. Meeting people who have similar interests can be hard, but there are discussion boards and chat rooms online that can help people find other people who like the same things they do. There are even apps that aim to help people find friends locally, much like dating apps. Again, it isn’t a substitute for interaction in real life, but in my experience, it can help fight loneliness. When it comes down to it, I believe social media and technology have the ability to both help and hurt in the fight against loneliness, depending on how one utilizes it. If you’re using social media to replace face-to-face interaction completely, it's likely you’ll only feel lonelier at the end of the day. But if you use social media and technology to communicate with those far away and to connect to the people who matter to you, it may just make the big lonely world feel just a little smaller.
Maggie Schmutz Editor-in-Chief
about the magazine You hold in your hands the latest iteration of Insight Magazine. We hope that you will enjoy it. Not only is this issue the result of a tremendous amount of hard work, but it is also a representation of a student publication over a decade in the works (with origins as the Artemisia, the former yearbook of UNR dating back to the 1800's). Thank you for supporting us. We hope you enjoy it as much as we do. If you're interested in getting involved with us, visit insightunr.com > Get Involved. Photo by Kellie Sasso
corrections Insight Magazine works to correct any errors. If you find a mistake or misprint, please contact the editor at insighteditor@asun.unr.edu. Insight Magazine is proud to have placed tenth in the 2018 National Associated Collegiate Press Conference in the category of Feature Magazine.
photo by kellie sasso
CONTENTS The Loneliness Epidemic Reviews More Than Shreksdumpster Round 'em Up: Memes of 2019 What Even is my Humor? Sign of the Styles Underrated Holiday Jams The Double Standard in Race Dating
THE LONELINESS
EPIDEMIC Words by Weinie Philmon Photos by Alyssa Perrine oneliness is becoming an epidemic in America, most evident among college students. The American College Health Association and the National College Health Assessment ranked the University of Nevada, Reno, concerning loneliness on campus. They discovered that within the last year, 66.2% of its students felt lonely. “I mean, that's over half of our student body who feels lonely,” said Carla Franich, the operation and outreach coordinator at the University of Nevada, Reno’s Counseling Services. “It's kind of interesting because you see how students interact with each other. It's kind of hard to have that informal conversation because there's always this barrier in between. Like, there's either a student on their phone, or you see AirPods in their ears. It's not like you can just randomly walk up to them because you feel like you're inconveniencing them or you're disrupting them, whatever they're reading on their phone or listening to on their headphones. So it's kind of like everyone's in their own little world,” said Franich. According to the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, one factor that’s increased loneliness among students is social media. Researchers inferred that those who are constantly on social media feel more socially isolated. The Cooperative Institutional Research Program at the University of California, Los Angeles, documented a decline in socialization as social media usage increases. By 2014, about 38.8% of students stated they dedicated about five hours per week or less socializing.
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Franich stated that one of the unique things that make the University of Nevada, Reno campus different its large student commuter population. Due to the university having students commuting from various surrounding small cities, many students only come on campus to either work or to attend classes, which makes it challenging to have a sense of community on campus compared to those who live and work on campus. “When you're not connected on campus or feel like you have a community or a group of friends: it could be large, it could be small, it could be a faculty member, just someone that you feel like you've established a relationship with,” said Franich, “it impacts your retention or impacts the university's retention. We know that of all the factors, a big indicator of whether or not you will continue your education here is if you feel like you've established a community for yourself on our campus. In the division of Student Services, we work really hard in recognizing areas that students may feel intimidated by perhaps approaching a club or finding and making new friends. So, we like to do a lot of programming around ways, and students could start to form their community, start to feel connected, so they don't feel lonely.” One of the issues Counseling Services is having in combating this epidemic is when they do put on events, students tend to not show up. Franich stated that one of the ways to combat loneliness is for the student to recognize when they are showing signs of loneliness. Some of the symptoms are isolation and intentionally not participating in events they usually would partake in. “Whatever you can do for yourself, start to recognize why it is you're feeling lonely,” said Franich. “If you have to talk with someone to get some outside perspective, go do that. If you want to try and step outside of your comfort zone and participate in a club or organization, go do that. It just feels so much better when you form a community on campus. It just makes the whole experience of being on campus so much more enriching. Students with friends that have similar interests, you kind of are accountable to each other. Like whether or not you have a direct or constant interactions with each other, at least you're kind of going through it together. That's very helpful when you feel like perhaps you're going at it alone. It’s like just recognizing that no one is really alone, that there's always someone that you can reach out to. You certainly reach out to Counseling Services if you don't feel comfortable reaching out to anyone else.” Counseling Service and ASUN will be working toward combating this epidemic on campus through programs and extending their support to students. “Home Means Nevada” is a campaign that will launch to help make students feel more connected. Counseling Services is also available for same-day appointments for any student who may be dealing with loneliness from Monday through Thursday 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. “I just want to emphasize that feeling lonely is a common behavior. I mean, that's a common feeling, and it's okay to have that feeling, and it's okay to not want to feel lonely anymore,” said Franich.
7 INSIGHT
REVIEWS Living With Yourself
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Words by Maggie Schmutz hen I heard Netflix was coming out with a series starring Paul Rudd and co-starring Paul Rudd, I was immediately intrigued. The idea of an actor starring alongside himself wasn’t super groundbreaking, especially since advertisements for “Gemini Man” with Will Smith had started to appear before my YouTube videos. Still, Rudd’s “Living With Yourself” seemed much more my speed. In the show, Rudd’s character, Miles, is burnt out and tired of life because of his unsuccessful career and marriage. Fed up with the way his life is going, he turns to his successful coworker to ask for his secret. His coworker refers him to “Top Happy Spa” to receive a treatment that’s available by invitation only. He’s told little else about the spa and its treatments, but calls anyway and is told that it would cost him $50,000 to undergo the procedure that changed his co worker's life. Miles decides to take out all of his family’s savings to undergo the treatment. He later arrives with the $50,000 cash at a seedy strip mall. He’s about to leave when he sees Tom Brady leaving the Top Happy Spa, looking refreshed and carefree. Convinced by Brady’s demeanor, Miles decides to go inside. Though he’s told very little about it, he pays to undergo treatment and is gassed by two spa attendants. Miles wakes up in the middle of any claustrophobe’s worst nightmare: buried in a grave inside a sealed plastic bag, forced to claw his way out. When he finally claws his way out, he discovers he’s been buried in the middle of a forest in an unmarked grave. Miles walks for six hours to make his way home, trying to hitchhike along the way. When Miles arrives, he hears his wife speaking with someone upstairs. He grabs an ax from the garage and prepares to attack the unknown man as he comes downstairs, only to realize the man looks and acts exactly like him. Neither of them
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knows what’s going on and are convinced they are the real Miles. They later return to the spa, and it’s revealed that the Top Happy Spa has been experimenting with human cloning and memory transfer; the spa makes a clone of the patient and then kills the original person with gas and buries them in the middle of the national forest. The episode ends with the spa attendants offering to give them a 10% discount or 20% when they refer new customers for their troubles. The show only becomes more bizarre from there, but I won’t spoil it for you. The show's premise is interesting enough, and the idea of an actor starring alongside himself isn’t exactly innovative, but Rudd takes it to new heights. The two Miles interact realistically — well, as realistic as two of the same person interacting could be. Even when they disagree, it’s a comfortable, familiar sort of banter that showing a familiarity only clones could have. It’s like the conversations you have with yourself in your head. I do have some problems with the show, though. Some parts end up feeling rushed, and the characters come to terms with a lot to the weirder aspects quickly, which isn't realistic. Even when the spa is confronted, they don’t seem to mind admitting to illegal human cloning in about two seconds. I mean, there aren’t many other options, but they didn’t even try to hide it. The show is, in its defense, incredibly easy to watch. Unlike a lot of the shows and films I’ve seen produced for online streaming lately, each episode is about 30 minutes long. This means the whole eight episode season can be streamed in about four hours. Its twists and cliffhangers also make it binge-worthy, so maybe set aside those four hours if you aren’t good with suspense. If you’re looking for something with a unique premise to binge with some snacks, I would say that “Living With Yourself” is a must-watch.
Over the Top by Jonathan Van Ness
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Words by Rylee Jackson he ever-so radiant hair and grooming professional of Netflix’s “Queer Eye” and host of Funny Or Die’s “Gay of Thrones” takes readers through a whirlwind in his new, revealing memoir. Van Ness starts his narrative with growing up as a queer kid in his hometown of Quincy, Illinois and brings his story all the way to now—right at the heart of his mind-boggling success. Although “Queer Eye” does give viewers a glimpse into Van Ness’ irresistible personality and bits of his life experiences, this book dives much deeper into his unapologetic truth—grappling with his heartbreaking childhood trauma, which started him on his voyage to his own rocky path of selfacceptance. Although Van Ness has gone through bouts of uncertainty and inadequacy throughout his life, it’s clear he never let those situations diminish his zealous spirit. For those who follow him closely, it’s almost as if he’s speaking straight to you when reading—using his own vernacular of “gorgeous,” quite possibly his favorite word, and never failing to utilize his expertise of gymnastics and figure skating heroes when describing any life event. His way of tying all of his life lessons together to strengthen his purpose of helping others is uplifting and shines immensely in this effort, which is why “Over The Top” is a mustread.
Bojack Horseman
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Words by Sruthi Srinivas alfway through the series, I realized Bojack Horseman wasn’t going for any grand conclusion, and the titular main character, a washed-up celebrity horse, may never find what he had been looking for all along happiness. But the possibility of a bleak outcome hasn’t taken this show off of my “favorite television shows of all time” list, and if anything, the first half of the last season reinforced why it was there in the first place. The animation surpassed itself in quality, starting the first episode with a side-by-side chain of an update on all of the main characters’ lives in classic irreverent, absurd, and hilarious Bojack fashion. The transitions between episodes, the pacing, and the animal jokes were on-point as they always are. It was also nice that they expanded the settings to areas besides just the heart of L.A. (or Hollywoo without the D, since one of the great things about Bojack Horseman is its ability to maintain a joke); we got to see the animators take on Chicago and rehab facilities and spend more time with supporting characters than ever before. Yet, the aspect of season six that makes it one of the strongest seasons so far is the emphasis on character development and motivation. Bojack Horseman has never shied away from portraying the characters at their darkest and most vulnerable, pushing the boundaries beyond light-hearted comedy into the realm of the realistic human condition. And now more than ever, as the situations the characters find themselves in get more and more ludicrous, characters are forced to confront their own personalities and behaviors. We get a muchneeded background on why these characters have acted the way they have acted – and in the process, the audience is forced to look inwards and ask themselves what motivates their own behavior as well. The last episode left us on a cliffhanger that drove home this reflection, especially at the realization that everything may come crashing down. But even when/if it does, Bojack Horseman will continue showing that fall in an honest, sincere and ironically human way. And I can’t wait to be there for it. 9 INSIGHT
More than Shreksdumpster:
on being internet famous Words by Ryan Almazan Photos by Mary Young eneration Z is well-acquainted with the different forms of internet influencer, such as the Instagram model, the YouTuber, or the Twitter meme page. However, with the new short-length looping video app TikTok entering the mainstream in 2018, a new kind of influencer has risen. Sarah Lugor is a first-year student at the University of Nevada, Reno. On TikTok, she’s user “shreksdumpster,” with over 800,000 followers and over 24 million likes on the app at the time of writing. Lugor has an impressive Instagram following, too, with over 21,200 followers. She started creating TikTok videos, or "TikToks," in February 2019 as a creative outlet before quickly gaining massive popularity in June. "I started feeling when people recognized me in public. I would go to First Friday in Vegas before moving for college, and people would come up to me and say, ‘Hey, aren’t you that girl that makes videos on TikTok?’” said Lugor. “Once I moved to college and had people in different places recognize me, I started knowing it wasn’t just a local thing. That’s when it hit me that — woah — people actually watch me.” The sudden popularity changed the way Lugor presents herself now; she is a part of a new wave of celebrities, selfmade and born into the internet. However, this new internet celebrity status has motivated fans to post her address on her page, allowing the public to infringe on her privacy. Despite these negative aspects of being a rising internet content creator, Lugor still believes she has room to grow as a person. Becoming a public figure has motivated her to become a role model. “I think this has made me better in public, if that makes sense. It’s encouraged me to be a better influence on people because I do get recognized a lot more,” said Lugor. “When you’re a teenager, everyone around you does stupid things. You think, ‘Oh, I can do that, too,’ but in my head I think, ‘What if someone young and impressionable sees me like that?’ That’s not something that I want –I feel like it keeps me out of danger.” Off the app, Lugor pursues a bachelor’s degree in computer science & engineering. She is interested in cybersecurity. The intensive nature of Reno’s computer science program can sometimes coincide with influencer activities. For example, she was recently flown out to Miami for TikTok Creator Immersion Day, the platform’s first conference, which coincided with her assignments. “I had two midterms [the Monday after the event]. It was stressful having to travel,” said Lugor. “You just have to tell yourself, ‘Just do it, because you’ll be done soon.’ I was so stressed out trying to figure out how I gonna manage to get all of it done. You just need to believe in yourself. I used
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sarah Popular creator to have a more defeatist attitude, but now I’m more optimistic.” Although she devotes time and energy toward her degree, Lugor is still interested in turning her TikTok clout into an opportunity to break into the entertainment industry. “I did not realize how much I liked the entertainment industry until I went to L.A. to do a little project [TikTok] was doing,” said Lugor. “We were on an acting set, and I thought ‘This is so fun!’ They were doing my makeup, we were doing lines of free verse, doing improv and I thought this was actually great. Something in the entertainment industry would be so fun, and I love speaking in front of large groups.” Her choice to major in STEM surprised fans. While she went down the Advanced Honors Diploma track during high school, her fans didn’t know this until she shared footage of her at her graduation ceremony. At Bonanza High School in Las Vegas, where Lugor went to high school, white gowns are worn to signify that diploma. For Lugor, this became a question of how to balance being an online comedian with her academic pursuits. “[My fans] used to think I was dumb. It was the funniest thing. And then at graduation, I posted a video, and I was in a white gown. I got asked, ‘Why aren’t you in a yellow gown like everyone else? They said, ‘Sarah, you’re smart?’ Just because you’re an internet personality, doesn’t mean you have to give up on your educational goals,” said Lugor. During our conversation, one of Lugor’s fans noticed her and asked for a picture. The fan was flustered, but Lugor was warm and charismatic. Despite the changes in her life due to Tiktok, Lugor remains humble. “You just have to realize that the people that idolize you are also people. In my head, they’re people that like watching me, but I’m still just like them. There’s nothing that really puts me ahead of everyone else. It’s just that I put my life on display. I have my struggles, too, just like they do. I just try to understand that we’re
803.2K Followers
24.8M Likes
all on the same level,” said Lugor. Over the past seven months, Lugor learned to keep up with this following she’s gained, just like they keep up with her. Lugor’s short, one-minute-max videos reflect the rapidly-changing trends on the platform, while she balances her tastes in humor and content. “Sometimes I make a video, and I tell myself that I made this for my fans. I know they’ll love it, so I’ll continue to make it. Other times it’s just me being ‘haha, I’m funny,’ so that’s why I post it. I have a series on my account called ‘College Tips with Sarah.’ [My fans] really liked that series, and so I keep making those for them,” said Lugor. “You need to adapt and keep yourself updated on what the heck is going on because trends come and go like the wind.” The culture of the platform dramatically lends itself to constant change. The “For You”’ page is personalized but also randomized, leading you to popular creators that can have over 2,000,000 followers or to beginning creators that have around 100. The broad spectrum of TikTok creators is one Lugor connected to. While she noted that creators could be separated into different groups, the group she includes herself in is very supportive. “The internet has created a space for us to meet and create these meaningful relationships with these people that we’ve never even met but understand. It’s such a good feeling. That’s why the Creator Immersion Day was so fun. It thinks it’s so hard to understand that people in screens can exist in real life. These other creators and I can speak to each other like we’ve known each other for years, even though we’ve only known each other online,” said Lugor. The self-made nature of the rising internet personality and its endurance has only solidified its place in the internet culture. It proves that internet culture can be our culture, and it proves success is possible without corporations or managers. Sarah Lugor is an example of how far creativity and passion can take you.
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ROUNDING 'EM UP
MEMES OF 2019 Words by Ryan Almazan Illustrations by Maggie Schmutz hich came first: the chicken or the egg? Since the dawn of social media, memes have been the social staple of the internet. They often represent the whole of internet culture at the time, and 2019 is no different. To answer the question, 2019 kicked off with an ambitious egg on Instagram that made it its goal to create the most liked post on Instagram. At the time this was written, it had reached over 53 million likes on Instagram, achieving that goal. The internet is always rife with memes that correspond to current events, such as the Aunt Becky memes coinciding with Lori Loughlin’s arrest in a university admission scandal and “Euphoria” makeup memes popping up with the show. The rise of TikTok as a mainstream social media platform also impacted the landscape of internet meme culture. Formerly Musical.ly, the app is quickly taking the spot in pop culture that Vine once did four years ago. In the past, “hit or miss” memes invaded YouTube. Now, memes like the kombucha girl and more transcend the platform, expanding its reach.
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JANUARY
World Famous Egg This meme originated on Instagram as an account with only one post. It became the most liked account on the platform. You can even buy its merch online.
FEBRUARY
Nancy Pelosi Clapping In the aftermath of the State of the Union, an unexpected meme rose in the most unlikely of places: Nancy Pelosi’s seemingly sarcastic clap toward one of Trump’s statements. It launched several memes to indicate uninterested sarcasm and is considered to be one of the funniest moments of the 2019 U.S. State of the Union.
MARCH
Here’s the Motherf*cking Tea TikTok gained popularity this year, and one of the outcomes was the iconic “here’s the motherf*cking tea” meme. A girl drinking tea and obnoxiously knocking her phone but never actually spilling any tea became incredibly INSIGHT 12 iconic.
APRIL
Avenge the Fallen Posters This meme was the culmination of over a decade of Marvel Cinematic Universe movies. Twitter users ran with the series of promotional posters for “Avengers: Endgame,” which displayed the slogan “Avenge the Fallen,” and used the format for their own memes. For example, users photoshopped Ellie Fredricksen from Disney’s “Up” onto the poster in memoriam.
MAY
Game of Thrones The expansive Marvel saga was not the only one to see its end. “Game of Thrones” released its final season this year, but its poor writing and hilarious on-set photos helped it gain some unexpected attention. One example of this is the meme of Bran doing nothing while Sansa JUULs.
JUNE
“...unless?” The world is filled with endless, hopeless romantics, and the internet is no different. The text meme format: “what if we ______, just kidding… unless?” captures Gen Z’s funny outlook on approaching romance. This meme can be about anything from romantic undertones to platonic undertones, highlighting its universality.
JULY
Euphoria Makeup The smash-hit HBO series “Euphoria” took millennials and Gen Z-ers by storm with its depiction of high school through elaborate character stories. However, the show’s makeup looks became iconic for its unique style and sparkly allure. The over the top looks quickly became a meme.
AUGUST VSCO Girls
TikTok and Twitter went on the attack on girls who use the VSCO photo app. Framed as having specific characterizations — HydroFlasks, scrunchies, subtle shows of wealth, and overuse of keyboard smashes (“sksksksk”) — the nature of generality allowed parodies of the trope to shine.
WHAT EVEN IS MY
SEPTEMBER Area 51
Initially gaining traction way earlier in the year, the Raid Area 51 event was held in September. Receiving tons of media attention and causing a Nevada county to declare states of emergency, the event became iconic for Naruto runs and saving aliens.
OCTOBER Joker
“Joker” was highly controversial due to its political commentary. But for the lighthearted, the movie’s content became great meme material. Memes from this movie include the title character’s dance on a set of stairs and numerous shots of him staring at himself in the mirror.
NOVEMBER "OK BOOMER"
It’s known that boomers absolutely hate millennials. However, they aren't even sure who millennials are. They frequently end up lumping Gen X and Gen Z into the millennial category when ranting. Fed up with the generalizations and the rampant lack of generational accountability, young TikTok creators launched the dismissive ‘Ok boomer’ meme, signaling to older generations that just as they have ignored our achievements, we will ignore theirs.
DECEMBER Baby Yoda
Ever since “Star Wars: Mandalorian” released an image of the big-eyed, furry Baby Yoda, the internet has been swooning. But thanks to the internet, Baby Yoda has become an adorable meme, too. You can find Baby Yoda holding a White Claw or your favorite album on social media.
HUMOR?
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Words by Olivia Sulivan o matter what you find yourself laughing at nowadays, it’s clear that humor has changed drastically over the years. Social media’s rapid growth has connected people in ways that nobody would have ever imagined. With this sudden power to communicate with people all around the world, it is no wonder humor has become a staple form of communication that the masses use to form bonds with other web-dwellers. As the internet has changed and grown, so has humor. Our sense of humor that once consisted of thoroughly thought out jokes has since morphed into random sayings, simple jokes and reactionary pictures. One might chalk this up to humans becoming lazy, and our standards for entertainment lowering; however, another theory shows that this new wave of humor is not new at all. Dadaism came around during World War I during a time when sadness and anger ruled emotions. Everyone wanted simplicity again and to be able to take their minds off of the fear hanging over their heads. Dadaism has been described as a protest movement because it embraced a nonsensical way of thinking. Expressionism and Abstraction —two other prevalent artistic movements that would go on to contribute to popular culture — played the most significant roles in creating Dadaism. Artists who partook in Dadaism often rejected the norm and instead took a massive risk by creating the odd and uncouth. Dadaistic art was made irrationality, but it still managed to capture the hearts of many people. It being illogical was what drew people in, making it innovative. People were able to take an image with no tangible meaning and create their unique interpretation of it, much like what we do with memes today. All people wanted was simplicity and to be in control of their lives, and Dadaism did just that. This idea of wanting simplicity and power in our lives is not something that people today are unfamiliar with due to the ever-growing political tensions and various worldwide concerns. People are once again looking for a laugh anywhere they can find it, preferably one that can distract them from their troubles. People today are still looking for simplicity and power in their everyday lives. Dadaism has once again found a place in popular culture, though the circumstances are less than ideal. This movement has played a massive role in modern art and culture and can now even be found in today's most popular memes. So the next time you ask yourself, “what even is my humor?” as you laugh at yet another Tik Tok, sub-par meme, or reaction picture, just know that you have Dadaism to thank for it. 13 INSIGHT
SIGN OF THE STYLES: Harry Styles and “Fine Line”
Words by Crystal Lugo Illustrations by Reilly Moss hen the name “Harry Styles” is mentioned, the ears perk up. Whether you clung onto him during his One Direction years or have recently fallen in love with his solo work, his name is sure to cause some major perkin’ of the ears. It’s been an exciting year for the 25-year-old rockstar; from rubbing elbows with the likes of Van Morrison and the bewitching Stevie Nicks to hosting the Met Gala and Saturday Night Live, Styles seems to be on a roll with no end in sight. But there’s no roll without the rock, and he knows it. The English musician has been spending 2019 working on his sophomore album, “Fine Line” − set to be released on December 13. The musician’s solo debut album, elegantly and appropriately titled “Harry Styles”(2017), was an impressive start, stripping him from bubblegum boy next door to a 1970s rock star reincarnation. “Harry Styles,” infused with soft rock, psychedelic pop, and Brit-pop, and his single “Sign of the Times” presented a different side of Styles: a more mature and refined musician, finally free to experiment with themes and sounds, including drug use in songs like “Kiwi.” Due to his debut album’s success, many are questioning what’s next for Styles. What themes will “Fine Line” tackle? Will it match or defeat “Harry Styles”? Will it capture his affinity for classic rock? “Fine Line” and its process has been a bit under wraps; however, Styles sat down with Rolling Stone in August and revealed a few things in the article “The Eternal Sunshine of Harry Styles.” In the article, Styles discussed sex, psychedelics playing a “key role in his creative process,” his relationship with Stevie Nicks, spending time in Japan and his inspirations — which include Paul McCartney and Wings and Joni Mitchell. “In Tokyo I used to go to a vinyl bar, but the bartender didn’t have Wings records. So I brought him Back to the Egg. ‘Arrow Through Me,’ that was the song I had to hear every day when I was in Japan,” Styles shared with Rolling Stone. Aside from his idols influencing his work, fans can expect some songs about romance and heartbreak, too. After going through heartbreak of his own, his friend advised, “The best way of dealing with it is to put it in these songs you’re writing,” and Styles did just that. According to the article, “Fine Line’s”
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songs are “certainly charged with pain,” revealing an unapologetically vulnerable Styles — something fans have yet to see. “It’s all about having sex and feeling sad,” said Styles to Rolling Stone. To keep fans excited, the musician has used his Twitter account to hint at “Fine Line” through photos, links, tweets, his new singles “Lights Up” and "Adore You" and their music videos. “Kiwi walked so watermelon sugar could run,” Styles teased on his Twitter account in October. With a sold-out show at The Forum in Inglewood, California, which sold tickets for only $25, on December 13 and his new album dropping on the same day, Harry Styles has much to prove in what will surely be a rabbit hole of heartbreak, drugs and glitter —ending the year and starting the next on the most magical of notes. On November 14, Harry Styles announced his “Love on Tour” 2020 tour on social media. Styles will be performing 26 shows in Europe, beginning April 15 in Birmingham, UK and 37 shows in America, beginning June 26 in Philadelphia. Styles is set to announce South America, Asia and Australia tour dates in the near future.
tis the season for
Underrated Holiday Jams
Words by Rylee Jackson Illustrations by Reilly Moss his time of year is defined by many forms of celebration, but the one thing that truly launches our winter mindsets is the spirit of holiday music. Although we can’t get enough of the irresistible joy of Mariah Carey’s “All I Want For Christmas Is You,” and the heartbreak of Wham!’s “Last Christmas,” there are plenty of underappreciated songs that deserve some rightful shine. Here is a list of some unsung covers, originals and everything in between to boost up your gift wrapping, hot cocoa making playlist.
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Do You Hear What I Hear?” by Whitney Houston This immaculate cover of the classic ballad was initially featured on star-studded 1987 album “A Very Special Christmas,” which has raised millions of dollars for the Special Olympics and reappeared on Houston’s U.S. maxi-single for 1995’s “Exhale (Shoop Shoop).” Growing up singing gospel music, it’s no surprise Houston was entirely in her element throughout the entire duration of the song—serving as a precursor to the gospel-tinged soundtrack for “The Preacher’s Wife.” The song’s beautiful tone and emotive delivery is the true essence of Christmas magic, something only a vocalist like Houston can capture.
Christmas in Hollis” by Run D.M.C. With all of the classical and pop spins to our favorite holiday tunes, there seems to be a lack of hip-hop in the mix. This single by one of the most influential early hip-hop groups was also featured in “A Very Special Christmas” and is an essential upbeat piece to spruce up your holiday parties. Referencing the neighborhood in Queens the members grew up in, Jam Master Jay mixes the body of the song to Clarence Carter’s “Back Door Santa” while Rev. Run and Devastating Mic Controller give us many quotable verses about the holidays. Most importantly, the song references the greatness of holiday feasts—a topic often ignored in popular Christmas songs—as D.M.C. raps, "Mom's cooking chicken and collard greens/Rice and stuffing, macaroni and cheese."
Snow in California” by Ariana Grande Before the pop superstar’s more popular trap-infused “Christmas & Chill” EP in 2015, Grande released “Christmas Kisses” in 2013, which included a collection of holiday classics and originals shortly after the release of her debut album “Yours Truly.” The track depicts the feeling of dreading goodbyes with a long-distance
significant other after the holiday season. Although Grande is a powerhouse vocalist, her performance takes a break from showing off her wide range—sometimes a better option for a more stripped-down song like this. It’s evident that she was going for a smooth 90s R&B sound and who better to execute that lush feeling than legendary producer and singer-songwriter extraordinaire Kenny “Babyface” Edmonds.
All Alone on Christmas by RuPaul The drag phenomenon’s 1997 Christmas album “Ho Ho Ho” is bound to radiate the joy of the holiday spirit to the max. The collection consists of fun reinterpretations of classics in tracks like “RuPaul, the Red-Nosed Drag Queen” and “I Saw Daddy Kissing Santa Claus,” but also includes serious covers. Expressed as Mama Ru’s favorite Christmas song of all time according to a 2015 Twitter post, his version of “All Alone On Christmas” is one of the album’s highlights—implementing the classic winter bells and soulful background singers. Even though Ru relishes more in the dance music world and isn’t necessarily an esteemed singer, this cover proves to be one of his best vocal performances—being the reason for the season as always.
“Thank God It's Christmas” by Queen For a band as revered as Queen, it’s odd that their own Christmas song isn’t often considered a classic. This may be because of the release of Band-Aid’s successful charity song “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” around the same time or as lead guitarist Brian May has speculated, it may be because Queen never made a video for the song. Written by May and drummer Roger Taylor, the 1984 single has a magical aura to it – all due to frontman Freddie Mercury’s moving, theatrical vocals. The uplifting song reflects on the specialness of the holiday and how this time of year brings people close together, something almost everybody can count on.
Carol of the Bells a.k.a Opera of the Bells by Destinys Child Featured in their fourth studio album “8 Days of Christmas” in 2001, this track should be considered the blueprint for how a vocal girl group should operate. The album journeys through many R&B-infused originals like “8 Days Of Christmas” and savors in its outstanding covers, but ending with an acapella track was the perfect way to close. With the help of the extraordinary vocal production by Beyoncé herself, it’s a song that leaves you in awe and makes you want to take a moment to bask in all its glory.
15 INSIGHT
the double standard in
RACE DATING
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Words by Sruthi Srinivas Photos by Kellie Sasso hen it comes to interracial dating, we thought we’d gotten past all prejudice —that two people who like each other could be together without judgment. Yet by that logic, comments like “a white guy? Really?” and “I’m glad you’re dating someone ‘like you’ instead of an Asian guy again,” would be obsolete. But why aren’t they? As it turns out, while we’ve made giant strides in interracial dating since the 20th century, we aren’t nearly as progressive as we’d like to think. Our view of what’s acceptable and what’s not, already constricted, is often tighter for women making choices in their romantic relationships; in these cases, we’re quicker to disapprove
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of and dismiss the crossing of the sacred line between color. This is no secret, even if it has passed under the radar for years, but I’m not here to make a blanket statement. Since it’s a phenomenon worth examining, examine it we shall. In every dichotomy, there’s always a power struggle, and in the case of the division between woman and man, the power struggle has been on the side of man for centuries. The tides may have calmed down —at least in the United States—from those aggressive days of women essentially being equated to property, yet deep-rooted perceptions are much harder to shake off. Women of any group, whether ethnic, socioeconomic, or religious, are still subconsciously seen as “belonging” to the men of that group. For evidence, one need look no further than the rhetoric of men opposed to
interracial dating of any kind, which often comes dangerously close to or just straight-up states “they’re taking our women!” But on the flip side, men dating women outside of their race is looked at as normal and sometimes even praiseworthy, taking pride in that they were able to “catch” a white woman, a black woman, an Asian woman, etc. And there are more sickening interpretations of this when we pass the line of prejudice and arrive at racism — where it explains why women are judged more harshly than men, going back to ideas of cowardice. In a racist’s mental cost-benefit analysis, there is less likely of a cost when insulting a woman’s relationship than a man’s, mainly because there’s more likely of a chance that a man could beat them up. When they think in terms of only violence and potential violence, whether or not they express their hateful opinions is often dependent on the degree of harm to them that may occur as a result. Thus, playing on “out-dated” stereotypes and full-on race hatred, women of color may face the brunt of this hate because of their perceived meekness (in Asian women), perceived obligation to those in their minority and perceived inability to fight back as opposed to their male counterparts. A notable comparison is the reception between white women and women of color dating outside of their race. Take, for example, the Kardashians and how they exclusively date and marry black men, something they've discussed on "Keeping Up With the Kardashians." The opposite is happening for women like Meghan Markle, Serena Williams, Tamera Mowry and Constance Wu. The attack the latter women face for dating or marrying outside of their race comes from men of those race, yet they don’t see the hypocrisy in having a girlfriend of a different race themselves. We see these men passing by with often little
judgment for their racial preferences; if an Asian man, for example, were to say he preferred white women, there wouldn’t be a mob in sight —which is how it should be, no one should be criticized for preferences. However, if an Asian woman, at least in my observed experience, were to say she had a preference for white men, she’d face a barrage of analogies equating her to “falling for the colonizer,” or anything else that’s equally harsh and shaming. As someone who spent their adolescent years in a place with little well-rounded ethnic diversity —in the Southern Nevada suburbs —and moved for college to a place that, let’s face it, is arguably less ethnic diversity, my experience is pretty limited. I wouldn’t know how people react to interracial relationships in areas that are way more diverse such as central Jersey, or Dallas, or Los Angeles. While some people may criticize these relationships, I imagine this wouldn’t be as big of an issue if people were around people different from them more often. While I do not deny that there is a judgment on interracial relationships, the extent of judgment may be exponentially reduced depending on many factors, including communities and regions. It’s hard to pinpoint singular reasons or factors when it comes to the ever-living double standard — the byproduct of an old society still creeping into the new society we’ve created. It’s hard to blame single ethnicities or genders for the issue, as well. But beyond blame, beyond pointing finger and beyond judgment, it’s essential to acknowledge a continued existence. We can’t pat ourselves on the back for miles of improvement in racial relations when we’re not willing to go the extra mile to confront ourselves and others around us for limiting the progress. Because as cliché as it sounds, change starts from within. How ready are you to start?
17 INSIGHT
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