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EDITORIAL Thursday, 4th March 2021
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www.palatinate.org.uk/category/indigo/
FASHION 3 Prince: iconic, theatrical, genderless FEATURES 4&5 ‘The Coronavirus Tutoring Initiative’ and Facing uncertainty: self care to sourdough CREATIVE WRITING 6 “The Itch” VISUAL ARTS 7 Synaesthesia in art BOOKS 8&9 Women writers through the ages
FOOD AND DRINK
10 ‘What I eat in a day’ - What about it? INTERVIEW 11 “Are you wearing any underwear” FILM AND TV 12 & 13 The male gaze on queer cinema and Debunking Disney’s gender stereotypes MUSIC 14 ‘UK Hun’ - A queer cultural revolution? STAGE 15 Directing in a pandemic TRAVEL 16 Songs that bring back travel memories www.facebook.com/palindigo Follow us on Twitter and Instagram: @indigo_palatinate Have a question, comment, or an idea for a story you’d like to write? Email indigo@palatinate.org.uk Logo: Chloe Wong, edited by Adeline Zhao Cathedral Artwork: Anna Gibbs Front Cover: Jack Lines, edited by Adeline Zhao
Last weekend was the end of February which in the UK represents LGBT+ history month and in America is Black history month. In both cases we are given the opportunity to explore parts of history which are often left out from our curriculum and to celebrate the achievements of queer people and people of colour alike. This is crucially important to us, as we at indigo have a platform which we strive to use to give a voice to everyone in Durham, and aim to use our content as an opportunity to support those who are often silenced. As two queer people, this past month has been particularly significant to us, and we hope that the range of articles in this edition celebrating those who have traditionally been marginalised, is able to both encourage and uplift as many people as possible. We have procrastinated our dissertations by arguing over what the queerest cocktail out there is. Eventually we agreed that one drink wouldn’t be nearly enough to represent such an incredible and diverse group of people. However, a vibrantly colourful choice is the ‘five golden rings’ cocktail, made up of 2 ounces of tequila, 3/4 of an ounce of blue curacao, 3/4 of an ounce of pineapple juice and 3/4 of an ounce of lemon juice. Shake together, pour into a glass and add in some campari which will sink to the bottom. For some extra colour, add some frozen raspberries. For a nonalcoholic alternative, put 4 tablespoons of grenadine into the bottom of a glass and slowly pour in 400ml of orange juice down the side of the glass so that it begins to float and top with sparkling water. In this edition, Film and TV discusses lesbianism and the male gaze, Fashion looks at Prince and gender non-conformity and Music looks at the popularity of ‘UK Hun’. Meanwhile, Books discuss female authors who we admire and Interview thinks about gendered interview questions.We hope you enjoy it! Hugo Millard and Millicent Machell
INDIGO EDITORS Hugo Millard Millicent Machell FEATURES EDITORS Aadira Parakkat Elle Woods-Marshall Immy Higgins
CREATIVE WRITING EDITORS Jemima Gurney
STAGE EDITORS Charlie Barnett Issy Flower VISUAL ARTS EDITORS Carys Stallard Emma Tucker BOOKS EDITORS Millie Vickerstaff Sol Noya FASHION EDITORS Emily Potts Erin Waks FOOD & DRINK EDITORS Constance Lam Meghna Amin TRAVEL EDITORS Emma Johnson Gracie Linthwaite FILM & TV EDITORS Madeleine Rosie Strom Alex Rigotti MUSIC EDITORS Martha Lily Dean Katherine Pittalis INTERVIEW EDITORS Aimee Dickinson Claudia Jacob
FASHION Thursday, 4 th March 2021
Prince: iconic, theatrical, genderless
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Ava Sienna Cohen examines Prince’s gender non-conformity through style Ava Sienna Cohen fashion@palatinate.org.uk
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merican musician Prince (19582016) was known for his eclectic mixing of musical genres, his wide vocal range and his far-reaching falsetto. He created his own unique musical voice by seamlessly blending styles such as funk, R&B, jazz and hip-hop. And it is this act of blending styles that categorises not only Prince’s musical voice, but also the clothing choices that made him known as a fashion icon.
“I’m not a woman / I’m not a man / I am something that you’ll never understand”
everything he wore on an album cover, during performances, or at award ceremonies. During a performance in Los Angeles in 1985, Prince wore a suit accessorised with a pink feather boa. Over time, feathers have come in and out of fashion. However, they have always been associated with female trends and often with female burlesque performers. The suit itself, while tailored with a traditionally masculine cut, is rendered genderless. Despite its masculine tailoring, it is decorated with pearls and made from an iridescent, multicoloured fabric – and a quick search for ‘ruffle sleeves’ on Asos gives only options from the women’s section as responses. You would be hard pressed to find a male suit with ruffle sleeves in a high street shop. The feminisation of the suit and an un-
til the mid-19th century flares were a part of the British Royal Navy uniform. During the 1960s and 1970s both male and female artists were spotted in flares, and today they are often associated with the ‘wavy garms’ of a ‘basic white girl’. Therefore, the shape of this costume is historically gender fluid. With this in mind, we can turn our attention to the traditionally feminine sequins contrasting with the masculine haircut, shorter on the sides and long on the top, to create a genderless ensemble. When discussing Prince’s androgynous fashion, we cannot simply talk about the clothes, as Prince’s gender fluidity transcends clothing. On his self-titled album cover released in 1979, Prince is pictured without clothes, yet still appears androgynous. This is due to the combination of his moustache and chest hair, contrasted with the shaped eyebrows and voluminous, flowing hair.
Through his fashion, Prince was always reinventing himself. Yet there is one constant thread that runs through every look he produced; he wrote this himself in the song ‘I Would Die 4 U’, “I’m not woman / I’m not man / I’m something you’ll never understand.” Prince was fiercely committed to androgyny and gender fluidity in
done-looking hairstyle create the androgynous blend that categorises Prince’s style. Another stage costume, this time from a 2011 performance at Madison Square Garden, is comprised of a gold, sequined co-ord, paired with gold, heeled shoes. Prince was never one to shy away from gold sparkle, opting to wear a different gold sparkled co-ord to the 1999 ‘Diamonds are Forever’ gala fashion show. However, this image is a perfect example of the gender fluidity in Prince’s clothing. In fact, the flared trousers Prince wears here have a history of gender fluidity; un-
Although androgyny is a common thread in all of Prince’s looks, we cannot ignore the other major similarity: theatricality. Prince’s looks command attention. Whether this is through shapes, fabrics or colours, whether he is wearing flats or heels, makeup or no makeup, you cannot look away from what Prince is wearing. The singer, through his music and his clothing, made himself a sex symbol, and everything he wore was designed to attract some sort of gaze. However, we cannot look at Prince with a male gaze, nor a female gaze. Everything about Prince’s fashion, from his choices to our reactions to it, is completely and utterly genderless. Illustrations by Verity Laycock
FEATURES 4
Thursday, 4th March 2021
‘The Coronavirus Tutoring Initiative’ Hannah Barrow explains an initiative that seeks to help school students during Covid-19 Hannah Barrow features@palatinate.org.uk
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ith the news of school closures and exam cancellation school students this year have faced an entire year of disruption to their learning. Many pupils now face another period of online learning and uncertainty around their upcoming assessments. Although this is no ordinary time for anyone, for too many students the disparities in our education system have widened. An increasing attainment gap could affect their grades this summer and their subject understanding for future learning. Problems with the educational attainment gap is longstanding and the national school closures have called increased attention to the inequalities. Although exams may be cancelled, access to quality education is more important than ever. Even before the lockdown, disadvantaged students were 18 months behind their peers by the time they took their GCSEs. After seven years of minimal progress towards closing the gap, disparities widened again in 2018. The curriculum learning gap between disadvantaged pupils and their peers has widened by 46% since 2019. And we are yet to see the effects on examination results that school shutdowns and increased online learning will cause. [epi.org.uk/] New volunteer organisations such as Coronavirus Tutoring Initiative (CTI) are hoping to reduce the impact, tackling educational inequality through 1:1 tutoring. The initiative has matched over 2,000 GCSE, A-Level, and Scottish Highers students and delivered 25,000 hours of free tutoring to date. CTI is now trying to encourage more university students to sign up as tutor. To volunteer with CTI, you don’t need any prior tutoring experience. During the lockdown, I saw a school friend share on Facebook that they were tutoring on CTI, and I followed the link to their website (www.coronavirustutoring.
co.uk), where I signed up instantly. Soon after, the CTI team emailed me the students I had been matched with, and we have met (virtually) every week since then. As social interaction is becoming more scarce, connecting with a pupil (albeit virtually) provides a genuine form of connection in these challenging times. Sasha, a second-year Durham PhD student from University College, shared with me that hearing ‘how bright my tutee’s voice got when I complimented her on how quickly she was grasping
really complicated concepts’ was one of the best things from her sessions this week. The benefits of this connection are invaluable for these students in these uncertain times. For me, tutoring is not just about providing extra subject knowledge, but about communicating with these pupils, they are important and can achieve their goals. Seeing enthusiastic students eager to learn but limited because of institutional failures is demotivating and exasperating. Top-quality education is a fundamental right, but increasingly our system upholds it as a commodity provided only to those who can pay. Pupils’ responses to the ini-
tiative reflect this sense of enthusiasm for their education. Marian, a year 13 pupil, considers CTI ‘the most helpful form of teaching I’ve ever received’. She accompanies this praise with appreciation, adding, ‘I am truly grateful for this experience.’
“Access to quality education is more important than ever.” Access to tutoring may become crucial for A-Level and Scottish Highers students, as they are not eligible to access help from the recent government-funded ‘National Tutoring Programme’. Chloe, a Durham undergrad student from St. Cuthbert’s College, told me ‘tutoring with CTI has been an enriching experience’ adding ‘particularly seeing the progress that my A-Level tutees have made’. Chloe recognised that her ‘tutees struggled with many topics due to having to selfteach,’ especially because of the ‘lack of resources’ available to them. Chloe tailors her sessions to focus on ‘trickier topics’ to aid every student’s understanding and comments that recently the impact of tutoring is noticeable in their session: observing that her tutees ‘can now answer exam related questions with confidence’. The work CTI has pledged to continue to provide at the very least until the end of this academic year is as important as ever, despite the recent news of exam cancellations
.Image credits: CTI volunteers
FEATURES Thursday, 4th March 2021
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Facing uncertainty: self-care to sourdough Phoebe Abruzzese tells us about the ways she copes with uncertainty Phoebe Abruzzese features@palatinate.org.uk
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f there’s a phrase that best describes life at the moment, it’s ‘monotonous uncertainty’. The future seems foggy and ever-changing, with the only stable factor being the apparent bleakness of the months to come. Plans seem to disappear, the job market has all but evaporated, and everything we talk about is prefaced with ‘if we’re allowed to then’; ranging from post-exam pints to years abroad. 1. Take it a day at a time. The classic advice all your friends give you after a particularly sad break up rings true now, in Coronavirus times. Obviously, trying not to think about it isn’t a catch all to dealing with uncertainty, but it definitely helps. Try to make sure that how you feel today is your main priority. You don’t have to make the pandemic into an inspirational journey of self-improvement, where you master three new hobbies, write a book and start a charity – you’ve just got to take care of yourself
“Looking at something you’ve just made yourself truly does keep the existential dread at bay.” 2. Don’t believe everything you think. We all have a tendency to catastrophize, thinking about
the worst-case scenario until any hope we had has shriveled up. Last March, I read a broadsheet article about how in 2021 cash transactions would be illegal and the government would track your phone location to figure out who you’d been in contact with. Even though this has blatantly not happened, it still crops up in my mind from time to time, stressing me out about all the ways the pandemic could change the way we live. For me, the best way to deal with this is to act as a conscious check on my own thoughts, and debunking the silly ones when they come up, to stop me getting disaster burnout. 3. Help where you can. There aren’t many things we can control at the moment, so it’s important to feel like you are helping where you can. You can volunteer to deliver food and medication to isolating or shielding families, or work at a testing or vaccinating center – whatever makes you feel like you’ve got some control over the virus in your community.
4.Get creative. 2020 was definitely the year of new hobbies, from needlecraft to baking sourdough, and there’s no reason that should stop this year. Looking at something you’ve just made yourself truly does keep the existential dread at bay. 5. Go with the flow. Being a student is a kind of interlude in life – between the strict schedule of school and the strict schedule of a 9 to 5 job, and this is the most extreme version of that. Although I bet everyone would prefer a return to precedented, certain times, and would like to never receive another coronavirus update from the university, uncertainty is just a part of our life for the moment. Focus on the little things rather than the big picture. Life naturally ebbs and flows, so just roll with the punches and look after yourself, physically, mentally, academically and creatively in as many ways as you can. Image credits: Alfcermed via Pixabay
CREATIVE WRITING 6
Thursday, 4th March 2021
The Itch Ruhee Parelkar resists resolution in this deliciously disturbing creative piece Ruhee Parelkar creative.writing@palatinate.org.uk
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really cannot remember when it started. Maybe it was the day after Mother left? Or was it my birthday...? Well, it doesn’t matter anyway. What I do remember very clearly is that I just woke up in the dead of the night. Everything was eerily silent. Except for the wind. The wind seemed to have a mind of its own, singing a wailing lament, shrill yet sweet. Just as it neared its crescendo, I felt it for the first time.
a smile. Yesterday, when I felt the urge, I rushed to the mirror to see how I looked when I put up my façade of normalcy. My face was fixed into a grotesque expression and my body seemed to be on the verge of a convulsion.
*****
“It was under my very skin”
***** I thought it was a momentary feeling, but turns out, it wasn’t. It crept up on me at unprecedented hours. Sometimes, I’d go a whole day without even thinking about it, but then, all of a sudden, it’d jump right out and scare me like a demented jack-in-the-box.
***** I wish I could tell someone. But I can’t. If I do, they might send me away like they sent Mother. And I don’t think Father can live with that. Anyway, I did look this up on the net. Every article just says it’s in my mind. But my itch is different. It feels like there is a purpose to it. I wonder if I kept scratching away, would my skin all fall off? Would it be like a snake shedding skin? What if underneath my skin is something beautiful, itching to come out?
***** See, it all started with an itch. I could feel it on my skin, so I scratched a little. I thought it was probably a bug bite. But it just wouldn’t go away. I went at it with my short, stubby nails, scratching my forearm till I finally drew blood. As I saw my bedsheet slowly stain crimson, I almost laughed at how ridiculous I was acting. Staring vacantly at my arm, I finally arrived at the shocking realisation that the itch was not something corporeal. No. It was under my very skin. I know you probably think I’m making this up, but I swear I’m not lying. ***** Sometimes, I’m just sitting and doing my homework or reading and my mind just makes its way to the itch. I wonder about life without it. I feel like the itch has been a constant part of my life. I cannot think of a day where I wasn’t pushing down my impulses, curling my hands tightly into fists and forcing my face into
regular amount. It crosses my mind once or twice a day, but I think that’s about it. I have learnt to banish it to the deepest corners of my mind. I have chained it up and put up huge padlocks and thrown the key far, far away; I am its master now, it does not control me… And I’m starting to sound like a maniac now, but I promise I’m not one.
*****
Funnily enough, the only thought in my mind was that I looked so much like Mother. Baring my teeth, I acted as though I was a part of a conversation… just to see how it looked. I think if I position myself at a certain angle, I almost look like I’m normal. ***** I think I don’t even care about the itch that much now. I just think about it a
I’ve had enough now. I’ve been up all night and my entire body needs me to scratch at the itch. Every single cell in my body is screaming at me to just start scratching. I can feel it everywhere. I think if I start scratching away, everything is going to feel so good. I can almost sense the freedom I’m going to get. The itch will have no hold over me anymore. I’ll finally be in complete control. I’ll be normal again. My nails are long too now. I think I’ve been growing them out for this exact moment. I think it’s time now. What’s the worst that could happen? Illustration by Anna Kuptsova
VISUAL ARTS Thursday, 4th March 2021
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Synaesthesia in art Frankie Docker discusses the relationship between synaesthesia and art Frankie Docker visual.arts@palatinate.org.uk
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hen I was younger, I associated people with colours. For me, colours were a feeling unto themselves, the intricate layers of emotion that language has not yet welded into a tangible form. As I grew older, this feeling persisted, only I found colours developed a different significance, which I could only discover through maturity. That is not to say my relationship to colour responded to adolescent change, the emotional intensity that hormonal fluctuation necessarily evokes, rather it was a new understanding of life; a lens more experienced, more aware of the complexity of the world.
his works, not through colour, but music. Notably, he ruminated “the sound of colours is so definite that it would be hard to find anyone who would express bright yellow with bass notes or a dark lake with treble.” Blurring the senses into a melodious visual spectacle adds a whole new dimension to art. Take, for instance, Composition VIII, arguably his most famous work. Those sharp lines hint at a staccato, while the circle’s aura draws you in, as if returning to a chorus or a
Colours are now related with the patterns of my thought structure, the manner that I view people, which occasionally render my palette inert, for the hue appears almost too basic to represent that feeling attached to the individual. Although it appears peculiar, bemusing, or perhaps farcical, my condition, commonly known as synaesthesia - where separate senses blend together to provide an idiosyncratic emotional experience - has affected hundreds of thousands of people, including many cultural figures, particularly in the arts.
“for me, colours were a feeling unto themselves” Art is an inviting medium for those with synaesthesia. The reality of this knot of emotions seems fitting for the dynamism and scope the form can endure, in its endless variety of creative exploration. Wassily Kandinsky experienced synaesthesia in
comforting perfect cadence of finality. More recently, Melissa McCracken’s galactic artworks emerge from mu- sic’s stimulating effect on her mind, whereas Daniel Mullen delves into the subtle nuances of the geometrical simplicity of sound. Other artists with synaesthesia seem to have gone undiagnosed. Some postulate that Vincent Van Gogh had synaesthesia, since he reported to see each note of the piano as a different colour and in a letter recounted that “some artists have a nervous hand at drawing, which gives their technique something of the sound peculiar to a violin.”
Recently, I watched Jim Carrey’s documentary, ‘I Needed Color’, and noticed the incredibly intimate bond between his work and his emotional experience. Many have attributed this to recreational drug use, which it could be, as drug use and synaesthesia are related. Hallucinogens, such as LSD, connect the brain in a similar way, this sensation is attributed to receptors which are usually not associated fusing together to elicit a powerful synthesis of sensual responses. Synaesthesia is less potent, and far less euphoric, than the chemically induced buzz from other substances. However, it offers the same window into the synaptic capacities available to us. It is, for synesthetes, a creative slit where the unusual events of the mind unfold into sensational wonders, often irretrievable or unrelated to others.
“comprehending the ever-increasing complexity of the human condition ” Art’s unmatched ability to translate these discordant sensations into the visual mode is a testament to the genius of the canvas’ power. Artists’ paintings publicly display synaesthesia, which, on a wider scale to our perpetual fascination with comprehending the ever-increasing complexity of the human condition. Image Credits: ‘Unnamed Improvision II’ by Wassily Kandinsky, f_snarfel via Creative Common.
BOOKS 8
Thursday, 4th March 2021
Women writers through the ages In celebration of International Women’s Day, Books looks back at pioneering female authors Books contributors books@palatinate.org.uk
Flannery O’Connor – Issy Flower
Angela Carter - Charlotte Grimwade
lannery O’Connor combines many of the attributes that should make her internationally famous: a combination of sharp wit, brilliant imagery, the American Southern Gothic and Catholicism. However, outside of America (and the American Fiction module) she is rather forgotten, a footnote to our own guilty, conflicted Catholic Southerners, Graham Greene and Evelyn Waugh. O’Connor used her stories to highlight the process and experience of religiosity, being utterly unapologetic and passionate about her religion. The results are completely fascinating. The impact of her religious conviction on her vivid and vicious imagery suggests the strange connections between violence and religion, and her savage mockery of human foibles emphasises the American character and is also great fun. O’Connor deserves to be read in England outside of a third year university module – two great stories to start with are A Good Man is Hard to Find and Revelation.
Angela Carter is one of the most prolific female writers of the twentieth century, encapsulating second-wave feminism through her ground-breaking and often provocative novels, essays and short-stories. Carter began publishing her work in the 1960s but started gaining notable recognition after releasing The Sadeian Woman in 1978. Partly inspired by her time working in Japan, Carter used the text to contend with the impact of pornography on female sexuality and liberation. The Sadeian Woman was also the first non-fiction monograph to be sold by the feminist publishing house Virago, demonstrating Carter’s significance in exemplifying a distinct female voice within the literary world. However, it was the short-stories Carter released a year later that proved the most successful. The Bloody Chamber was a collection that emphasised the underlying darkness of fairy tales ranging from Little Red Riding Hood to Puss in Boots. Carter was fascinated by these traditional stories and the gothic elements she could incorporate into her feminist retellings. Whilst her later novels, such as Nights at the Circus and Wise Children, arguably reflected her growing interest in surrealism, the intensity of The Bloody Chamber resulted in it becoming one of her most recognisable and pro-
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“outside of America...she is rather forgotten” Jean Rhys - Millicent Stott Jean Rhys (1890-1979) was a novelist born in Dominica, a Caribbean island and famed for her eccentric, troubled writing and personal life. Her female protagonists, who draw parallels with her own experiences, often reveal a shattered image of womanhood, suffering alcoholism, alienation and relationship
breakdowns. She is also infamous for her rule-breaking, appearing in court on charges such as biting a policeman and arguing with neighbours. Her novels include Good Morning Midnight (1939) and Voyage in the Dark (1934), but she is best known for Wide Sargasso Sea (1966), based on the life of Bertha Mason, a character first found in Jane Eyre. In reclaiming the famous ‘madwoman in the attic’, Rhys offers a postcolonial, feminist critique of Bertha’s original depiction – of this, she said ‘I thought I’d try to write her a life’. Rhys’ novel draws upon her own life living as an outsider – between 1939 and 1966, she lived in poverty and fell out of sight to such an extent that she was presumed dead. Perhaps in reviving Bronte’s Bertha Mason in a new image, she was in fact resurrecting her own self and creative talent. Her reflections on imperialism, power and identity in this novel are intertwined effortlessly with a flowing, liminal prose, unique to Rhys. In her unfinished autobiography, published posthumously, she poses the reflection ‘I am a stranger and I always will be, and after all I didn’t really care’. Rhys’ life was complex and tragic, but her uncompromising, thoughtful literature remains relevant to this day.
BOOKS 9
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found books. Although Carter died in 1992, her legacy as an author who boldly embodied second-wave feminism’s exploration of gender, sexuality and female autonomy continues to this day. Her love of fantasy as a genre did not stop her from infusing her work with political meaning, often influenced by her own experiences with misogyny and oppression. Sappho – Katie Rutter Just as Homer was dubbed “the Poet”, Sappho was often called “the Poetess”, illustrating the immense popularity of her works in Ancient Greece. Sappho was born around 615 BCE and the earliest of her surviving manuscripts date to the third century BCE, however, only one poem has survived fully intact. Her work, written on papyrus, survived in disjointed and damaged fragments and has proven difficult to translate due to the lack of punctuation and the dialect used. Fragments of Sappho’s poetry survived through quotation in more recent works and more fragments were unearthed in 1898 and in Egypt in 1914. More of her work has been unearthed as recently as in 2013. Sappho’s poetry inspired what is now referred to as “Sapphic” meter and her lyrics focused on the difficulties of love and are addressed to individuals as she broke away from the masculine
literary conventions of epic or poetry addressed to the Gods. Many of her poems focused on the sensual and fiery love between women and this aspect of her writing has characterised her in the centuries following her death. So much so, that the word ‘lesbian’ is derived from her home of the island of Lesbos in Greece. Sappho also became associated with overt promiscuity and in 1073 Pope Gregory burned her work, illustrating the vast regressions in sexual liberty since the Ancient Greeks. However, it seems that Sappho’s poetry spoke about love universally and we can learn a lot about the flaws in placing binaries on sexuality and love and can appreciate the celebration of female desire in antiquity embodied by Sappho’s lyrics and her popularity amongst contemporaries.
“she broke away from masculine literary conventions”
Daphne Du Maurier – Miriam Shelley Daphne Du Maurier was a master of suspense. Her novels feature emotional landscapes and dramatic plotlines that completely captivate and engross the reader. She has received much critical acclaim for her most famous works, particularly Rebecca, which has been in print since it was first published. However, some of her lesser-known novels, such as Frenchman’s Creek, have often been overlooked and deserve more recognition, as they are just as striking, if not more so. Her work has had a great influence in popular culture, particularly in terms of film adaptations. The evocative Cornish settings for the majority of Du Maurier’s tales make it particularly difficult not to fall in love with her writing. Having lived in Cornwall for a significant portion of her life, many key locations in her novels were based on those she encountered herself, such as Manderley and the boathouse from Rebecca being based on locations just outside Fowey. Du Maurier had a knack for creating powerful, unruly female protagonists that steal the show in so many of her works; be it the troubled Mary Yellan in Jamaica Inn, the seductive, perplexing and arguably tragic Rachel from My Cousin Rachel, or even Rebecca herself, characters who all share experiences of misogyny and yet exert strength and eloquence in so many ways. Du Maurier is a wonderful twentieth-century female author and her work is not to be missed. Illustration: Adeline Zhao Image credit: Sol Noya Carreno
FOOD & DRINK 10
Thursday, 4 th March 2021
‘What I Eat In A Day’ - What about it? Constance Lam examines the impact of food YouTube commentary on body image By Constance Lam Food & Drink Editor food@palatinate.org.uk CW: Eating disorders, restrictive eating
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f you enjoy watching food videos as much as I do, your YouTube homepage may look a lot like mine. Populated with ‘What I Eat in a Day’ videos, I often live vicariously through these people in the moments right before a meal. In some cases, these ‘What I Eat in a Day’ videos can be a very relaxing way to unwind, offering comfort through the rhythms of routine. There’s a certain calming energy that can be derived from watching strangers eat on the Internet — something that I did very often while quarantining alone. I especially admire those who make adorable bento boxes and find time to cook a proper meal amidst a hectic workday.
“there’s a certain calming energy that can be derived from watching strangers eat on the Internet” However, sometimes you can have too much of a good thing. I can say with no hesitation that the pandemic has largely redefined my relationship with food: I am more conscious of what I consume and the way my body looks. At times, this new dynamic can be a double edged sword. While I try to avoid restrictive eating, watching food videos online sometimes elicits food guilt. For instance, when I watch vegan university students and YouTubers my age eat balanced, aesthetically pleas-
ing meals while I eat crisps alone in bed, it’s easy to fall prey to self-comparison. Following a huge influx of workout and weight-loss challenges on Youtube since the start of Covid-19, I felt more vulnerable to subliminal pressures about body-image. Everyone’s own relationship with food and exercise is different. Yet certain food videos promote a one-size fits all approach to dieting and weight loss — an approach that may be triggering or disquieting to viewers, especially those of an impressionable age. Recently, I stumbled upon the YouTube channel of Abbey Sharp, a registered dietician whose niche largely stems from her commentary on ‘What I Eat in a Day’ videos. With over 350K subscribers, Abbey’s channel has gained significant traction in the past year, especially since the start of Covid-19. Abbey has commented on the diets of several influencers and celebrities, including Emma Chamberlain, GRIMES, Trisha Paytas, and most recently, Jackson Wang. She reacts in real-time to the video, providing estimates on their daily intake of calories and macronutrients, and expressing concern when necessary. Part of Abbey’s appeal is that her commentary is backed with scientific evidence, yet she intersperses candid comments into her explanations, openly sharing her views on her favourite foods. Many of Abbey’s fans view her channel as a source of information to balance the misinformation about nutrition that exists in various online spaces. For instance, there are subcultures on Tumblr and Tiktok that glamourise eating disorders,
which has an especially pernicious influence on young, impressionable viewers, especially teenage audiences going through puberty. More often than not, influencers who are not health and fitness professionals may promote fad dieting, restrictive eating, binging and purging, framing it as a positive aesthetic transformation. In several cases, the same influencers will shy away from accountability when they receive backlash from their fanbase. Bearing this in mind, perhaps channels similar to Abbey’s, from the perspective of a health professional, function as necessary correctives to toxic attitudes towards food that may be spread online. However, the voyeuristic undercurrent of food YouTube videos may also promote forms of cancel culture. Commenters on YouTube may be compelled to send malicious comments towards influencers due to the content they upload about dieting. In some ways, the voyeuristic act of judging what others eat in a day may render viewers hyper-aware of what they eat, or send the message that it’s acceptable to openly judge other people’s life choices. That said, there is a boundary between online hate and constructive criticism, and the latter is crucial to combating misinformation. At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter what YouTubers eat in a day (forgive me for this). Though these videos can be calming, they may run the risk of encouraging comparisons, or intrinsically pressure viewers to eat and look a certain way. What matters most is building a healthy relationship with food and a support network that works best for yourself. Images via Constance Lam
INTERVIEW 11
Thursday, 4th March 2021
“Are you wearing any underwear?” It’s about time we tackled gendered interview questions Thalia Agoglossakis Foley indigo.interview@palatinate.org.uk
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ow do you balance your career and having a personal life? What do you look for in a man? What is your favourite position? These are just a few questions women have been publicly asked. Historically, women have been expected to be willing to answer invasive gendered questions. Whether in a court of law or on a late-night show sofa, this expectation remains. Over the past few years, female celebrities shutting down sexist questions has become more common and often gains viral recognition. However, this ‘trend’ seems contradictory. Certainly, these sexist questions being asked are largely an organic product of the misogynistic environment that is showbiz, but making the responses of female celebrities into a spectacle seems incompatible with their goal. These provocative questions are being asked, at least partially, for the purpose of evoking a reaction. Alongside applauding women for speaking up (undoubtedly difficult in itself), more pressure should be placed on the media culture that thrives from and encourages sexism. Jerry Penacoli, a notorious journalist who is known to ask overly “personal” questions, infamously asked Scarlett Johansson if she was wearing underwear in her Black Widow costume. With Penacoli’s self-proclaimed “pleasant yet commanding personality” (according to LinkedIn), he has gone on to win an Emmy. According to the entertainment industry, this is one of the many cases in which asking someone about their underwear is considered entertaining and not a case of workplace misconduct. At the 2017 Variety Power of Women New York luncheon, Blake Lively was asked about her favourite “power outfit”, a question which later made the headlines. She was there for her work with the
Child Rescue Coalition against child pornography. Beyond being an inappropriate question, questions like these trivialise the work female celebrities do. Male celebrities are also asked superficial questions, like Chris Hemsworth being asked about his workout routine and Jonah Hill being asked what it is like to be “the fat guy” in Hollywood. The entertainment industry clearly has a specific set of ideas as to how celebrities should look and act. Interviews about female celebrities’ actual achievements come second to “entertaining” interviews about their fashion. Female celebrities also face challenges when they do not conform to gendered stereotypes, especially in regards to academic background. A number of successful women in the entertainment industry are also academics, namely Mayim Bialik, Rebel Wilson and MeganThee Stallion. However, this information has to be sought out by finding articles like “30 Celebrities with Surprising College Degrees”. Women’s achievements are not reported enough, coming second to their personal life and appearance.
This is not an issue that women in the entertainment industry face alone. Women in the public eye, whether they are politicians or athletes, are interviewed from a gendered perspective. Serena Williams was once asked whether she was intimidated by her opponent’s beauty and if it meant she played badly because of her jealousy. This fixation on female appearance is also an issue in job interviews. From being asked about what their male partner thinks of the job to how they think that they would deal with a predominantly male working space, women are often asked invasively gendered questions. This is certainly not a recent phenomenon. A number of uncomfortable celebrity interviews have resurfaced, like Britney Spears being asked about breast implants as a minor in the 90s or Dame Hellen Mirren being asked whether her breasts make her a less serious actress in 1975. In the words of Mirren, these gendered questions are ultimately “boring”. It is time for the media to move away from a gendered perspective and develop a more dynamic understanding of personality. Illustration: Adeline Zhao
FILM & TV 12
Thursday, 4th March 2021
The male gaze on queer cinema Millicent Stott argues why it’s important for lesbians to take control of their narrative Millicent Stott film@palatinate.org.uk
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he over-sexualisation and objectification of women is nothing new – men have been utilising patriarchal power in the realm of arts and culture since the beginning of time. For queer women, the sexualisation and commodification of their personal relationships is violently obvious; it permeates into their romantic and personal lives. As a result, it is obvious that representations of women in same-sex relationships will not be represented in a natural, egalitarian light. As a queer woman, it is impossible to avoid the feeling that my personal relationships are watched, scrutinised and sexualised. Representations of myself in cinema, television and literature are often inaccurate, inappropriate and demeaning. I take issue with the heterosexual male directors who claim they are working hard to ensure cinema based on women’s same sex relationships is accurate – from this perspective, it is impossible to portray these relationships accurately and without ingrained prejudice. One example of a lesbian film criticised for its representation of young women is Blue Is The Warmest Color (2013), directed by Abdellatif Kechiche. This film, depicting a story of first love and connection between two female students, has been criticised for its sex scenes which are seemingly there to pander to the male gaze. Whilst it is sometimes easy to feel grateful for any representation in cinema, we should not be settling for damaging depictions of lesbians seemingly presented to fulfil a male sexual fantasy. Julie Maroh, writer of
the graphic novel which inspired the film, stated her disappointment in the scenes which she called “a brutal and surgical display, exuberant and cold, of so-called lesbian sex”. It is at once unsurprising and disheartening to note the famous films featuring queer scenes which are directed by heterosexual men. Films such as The Favourite, Black Swan, Colette, The Handmaiden, Disobedience and Carol were all directed by men. Similar to the problem of male directors overseeing representations of lesbian relationships, is the low number of lesbian actresses in many of these films. How can women’s relationships be fairly portrayed when there is largely only heterosexual input in film? This is not their lived experience. For many coming to terms with their identity and sexuality, films, television and literature are their main way to discover who they are, who they want to be and how the world will perceive them. Whilst some young women enjoy the range of representation film offers them, others feel uncomfortable about their portrayal in the media, leading them to repress their identity due to fear of ostracization. However, there has been a welcome move towards queer cinema directed by women and centring the female gaze. It is impossible to overestimate the impact multi-dimensional characters can have on young women discovering and exploring their sexuality. In presenting these relationships as threedimensional and genuine, we are sending out the clear message that queer women can take up space in society,
that they have the capacity to define what sex and romance mean to them. The arts and cinema have, now more than ever, an unfathomable influence over viewpoints and popular culture.
“Recent films directed by women present more truthful portrayals” Ensuring women’s queer relationships are represented with respect and freedom from the glare of a male director is crucial if we want to move forward as an accepting society. Moving away from tropes such as how a queer woman should look, act and present herself, with the inclusion of transgender and non-binary woman, is the only way to fully represent the wide scope and spectrum of sexuality in our society. There are, of course, some films which I feel have done this effectively. Recent films such as The Half of It (2020) and The Miseducation of Cameron Post (2018) are directed by women, and present more raw and truthful portrayals of women’s same sex relationships. In particular, a rise in portrayals of these relationships in historical settings offers comfort and a sense of belonging to those who have been told they have no history – these films offer us warmth, reassurance, and the knowledge that we have a shared past and struggle. The more we empower female and queer directors to tell their stories, the more we come closer to eradicating the violence of the male gaze, which no longer has any place in representations of our queer relationships. Image Credits: Suzanne Erler via Flickr
FILM & TV Thursday, 4th March 2021
13
Debunking Disney’s gender stereotypes Honor Douglas explores the history of gender roles in Disney and its impact Honor Douglas film@palatinate.org.uk
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t is universally accepted that parents have an overwhelming impact on their children, but how often do we explore the impact of other factors on a child’s upbringing? Disney films are a key feature in most households. With the introduction of the streaming site Disney Plus and a handful of lockdowns, there is more time than ever to divulge in a world of princesses and fantastical creatures. However, are these films really a good thing for children to grow up with? When the three most well-known Disney films came out, Snow White (1937), Cinderella (1950) and Sleeping Beauty (1959), the world was a different place. Women were still seen as homemakers and men as breadwinners, and this was presented on screen. It was accepted that the pretty, innocent women would be saved by the handsome Prince Charmings in Snow White (1937) and Cinderella (1950), and that a woman would do nothing but get drugged and wait to be saved in Sleeping Beauty (1959). These princesses were shown as helpless women in need of rescue by a man. For young girls watching, dreams involved castles and handsome men, while young boys could dream of saving others and having power. These stereotypes presented in the early Disney films set a damaging precedent that shapes young people’s understanding of gender roles in society.
“Even in recent films, men have an overwhelming number of lines”
To salvage this, Disney introduced a new age of female heroines. In The Little Mermaid (1989), Aladdin (1992), Pocahontas (1995), and Mulan (1998), women were finally given leadership roles and were shown as rebels to the previous domestic, relatively useless presentation of women in Disney films. While the commentary on these films was dissimilar from their male counterparts, with the New York Times calling Ariel “a spunky daredevil,” these films showed a real change in Disney. Similarly, the most recent decade of Disney films indeed shows a light at the end of the tunnel in terms of deconstructing gender roles. Films such as Tangled, Frozen, Moana and Brave offer young girls much more than castles and handsome men. Their female protagonists are inspiringly strong, independent and capable. Unfortunately, there are still gender inequalities presented in this new age of Disney movies, despite efforts. Women have less of a voice than men in these films, with women only speaking 32% of the time in The Little Mermaid 24% in Pocahontas, 23% in Mulan and 10% in Aladdin. In The Little Mermaid, Ariel literally sacrifices her voice, symbolising her intelligence and thoughts for a man. Even in recent films, men have an overwhelming number of lines, claiming 48% of Tangled and 59% of Frozen. Women had more of a voice in the earlier Disney movies than in these, maintaining 60% of the Cinderella lines and 71% of Sleeping Beauty lines. This overwhelming male domination in supposedly feminist movies is due to two reasons. Firstly, each minor character is a man. Think of every guard, doctor
and shopkeeper; all men. Secondly, these movies are filled with men complimenting women, taking up a lot of lines. Unfortunately, these compliments are mainly looks-based rather than focused on skills or personality—factors such as these deeply shape audiences’ views on gender roles. In films for older people, the debunking of gender stereotypes is clear. Gender limitations in sport are being challenged; Bend it Like Beckham (2002) shows women skilfully playing the traditionally male sport of football, while Billy Elliot (2000) shows a young boy demonstrating a talent for the historically female dance form ,ballet. Additionally, strength limitations in terms of gender are being challenged by the film industry; the presentation of a man as vulnerable in The King’s Speech (2010) is encouraging, and women in science are finally presented on screen in Hidden Figures (2016). Yet, by the time these films are suitable for children to watch, gender stereotypes will already be embedded. Children are not born thinking that girls like pink and boys like blue, or that women need to be saved by strong men. Instead, we adopt these ways of thinking during our upbringing, and Disney films have a part to play in that. While Disney seems to be on the right track in deconstructing gender roles, there is still a long way to go. For now, we, as a society, need to question whether Disney has the best films for the next generation to grow up watching. Image Credits: Carlos via Flickr
MUSIC 14
Thursday, 4th March 2021
‘UK Hun’ - A queer cultural revolution? Millicent Scott discusses the impact and popularity of the new Drag Race song, ‘UK Hun’ Millicent Scott music@palatinate.org.uk
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ith its snappy chorus and sugary sweet aesthetic, brand-new song ‘UK Hun’ has been unbelievably popular since its release a few weeks ago. If you’re anything like me, then you know the pain of having this deliciously camp, catchy and captivating tune on repeat in your head since it’s airing in episode 5 of Ru Paul’s Drag Race UK. Extravagant and hilarious, Season 2 of Drag Race UK has been a much-needed distraction for many of us as we hit yet another lockdown slump in the midst of the coronavirus crisis this year. But what has got us all talking this season is the RuRuvision song contest, which produced the much loved ‘UK Hun’ as this season’s queens fought to win with their own renditions of the song. The United Kingdolls, made up of drag queens Tayce, Bimini Bon-Boulash, Lawrence Chaney and A’Whora, ultimately won with their snappy verses and flawless choreography, and the song currently rests at number 27 in the official UK top 40. Last season saw The Frock Destroyers reach number 35 with their hit ‘Break Up Bye Bye’, but it is hard to contest the fact that ‘UK Hun’ has overseen an unprecedented level of publicity for Drag Race UK. The song has been the inspiration for memes, TikToks, and people have jokingly claimed it should be in the running for our next Eurovision song.
“it should be in the running for our next Eurovision song”
While the song is, on the surface, a lighthearted piece of fun, I can’t help but wonder how the immense mainstream popularity of this song will contribute to our notions of gender, sexuality and of course, drag. With lyrics of empowerment and rallying against the status quo, this song is seemingly the perfect way to wrap up more complex messages within a catchy tune and, of course, with a touch of humour and sparkle.
ence get to come closer to these struggles and the personal effects they have on individuals. It is a show where everyone is able to be unashamedly, unabashedly themselves. So, when ‘UK Hun’ soared in popularity, I was elated to think that more people would be drawn to educate themselves on these messages within a format that was non-judgemental and accessible. The song is of course hilarious – I don’t imagine any of us expected to have the infamous ‘Bing Bang Bong’ on a loop in our brains over lockdown. But each queen brings their own life and personality to the song, and lyrics like Bimini’s ‘Gender bender, cis-tem offender’ have become a staple on prints, mugs and other merchandise.
Ru Paul’s Drag Race UK has, I believe, been invaluable in opening a discussion around the LGBTQ+ community in the UK, as well as in providing a platform for some of our fantastic UK drag artists. While many of us watch the show for its hilarity, fashion and escape from the mundane grey of everyday life, each episode provides a few moments in which we get to see the queens vulnerable, discussing difficult expriences in their lives. Whether this is around gender identity, hate and abuse, or family estrangement, we as the audi-
The integration of this idea of moving away from the old-fashioned gender binary is inarguably positive; the song is helping to contribute to the normalisation of identity in all forms. Don’t let the easy-going, bubbly energy of this song fool you – ‘UK Hun’ is encouraging a conversation around self-love, gender and sexuality that needs to be had now more than ever. I strongly believe that to integrate modern, tolerant values i n a society so often hostile to those we see as different, we must increase diverse representation in our media. This season of Ru Paul’s Drag Race UK has done just that, with the popularity of this song showing us to be moving in exactly the right direction. ‘UK Hun’, though frivolous and playful, is contributing to a wider queer cultural revolution, and gives me much hope for the increasingly open-minded values of our generation. Image Credit: Harry Basson
STAGE 15
Thursday, 4th March 2021
Directing in a pandemic An interview with alumna Jennifer Lane Baker about her experience training to direct By Charlie Barnett Stage Editor stage@palatinate.co.uk
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onsidering a career in the arts is daunting. Even before the pandemic, childhood dreams of being an actor or director would be met with patronising smiles, coupled with the advice that, “you should probably get a ‘real’ degree first. Just in case.” Enter 2020. Governmental support took its time to materialise, and left a whole industry hanging in the balance. Nevertheless, the arts prevailed. To pursue a career in theatre requires a deeprooted passion and resilience, something that former student Jennifer Lane Baker has in abundance. Now completing her Master’s degree in directing at Birkbeck, I turned to Jennifer to find out all about her experience working in the pandemic, and how DST has shaped her as a creative. Jennifer attended Durham University between 2016 and 2019. She plunged wholeheartedly into the world of student theatre. Before arriving under the eaves of University College, she had already completed a foundation course in Musical Theatre. Durham’s appeal of “the range of student theatre” and three years of creative freedom meant that she could “meet great people and work on productions that [she] was really passionate about.” Durham provided Jennifer with enviable time to evolve as an artist, as she describes how “a university setting gave me the opportunity to freely experiment more than anywhere else. I learnt as much from the things I got wrong in DST, as the things I did right.” While here, Jennifer was president of Castle Theatre Company, and directed a number of successful plays including CTC’s Harry, and Jesus Christ Superstar. The most exciting part of Jennifer’s MFA is a placement year at the Curve theatre in Leicester. When I asked about the applica-
tion process, Jennifer explained that, “it was gruelling. It was over a whole weekend where I had to do four interviews and a workshop after a written application. But it was rigorous because they care about getting to know you and your tastes. I left feeling like I had got something out of the process, and that they had taken time to listen to me. I knew that if I had got a place on the course, they had taken the time to understand who they were getting.” Of course, after her first year, the pandemic sized elephant stumbled into the room. Despite this, Jennifer has been lucky to work on two in-person productions at Curve: Sunset Boulevard and The Color Purple. Jennifer describes rehearsals as “a mixture of the director staging the actors but also coordinating what shots and angles the cameras need to get.” Her responsibility in the shows was “keeping of track of what had happened and producing a technical camera script at the end of each day.”
“my hope is that things will evolve forwards” Research plays a key part in how she tackles texts. She describes how “every script is created in a culture, so you have to understand the rules before you break them.” Moving from university into the industry meant that Jennifer had to readjust some aspects of her thinking: “I spent time since I left university teaching myself to think more responsively and emotionally rather than academi-
cally, using images and mining information from the script or music.” Elements of the visual play a huge role in how she brings a production to life, using “pinterest boards and playlists,” to aid the rehearsal process as well as collaboration with designers. Jennifer believes that, “actors are your biggest resource in that they are so incredibly perceptive and creative. It’s important to leave space for that.” The conversation turned to what theatre might look like after the pandemic. Jennifer said, “My hope is that things will evolve forwards rather than backwards. I hope that this will have shifted people’s attitudes, especially since there’s been such a campaign from the people who have been excluded from government financial support to be included. I hope that stretches out to people who have been excluded, not just financially from theatre, but because of race, gender, disability.” She goes on to add, “I worry that financial constraint will mean that people will be pushing for less adventurous stuff, and what I think we can, and should be trying to do, is breaking down some of those boundaries. We’ve had such a mixture of freedom and constraint working with social distancing and online that we’ve had to throw the rules out the window, so I hope that attitude sticks.” Finally, she offered some advice for students thinking of pursuing further education in the arts or going into the industry: “Watch as much theatre as you can, big stuff, small stuff, stuff you think you’ll love, stuff you think you’ll hate. Read as much as you can: plays, books about theatre, books that aren’t about theatre. In my opinion, theatre is all about telling stories so if you’re engaging with as many forms of media that are telling stories, whether that’s podcasts, film, books, paintings, it will all make itself known when you’re working.” We wish Jennifer the best of luck as she moves forward with her degree and can’t wait to see what she does next. Photography by Mbili Munthali
TRAVEL 16
Thursday, 4th March 2021
Songs that bring back travel memories Mary Atkinson and Madeleine Rosie Strom reminisce on memorable holidays through music Mary Atkinson & Madeleine Rosie Strom travel@palatinate.org.uk
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e have all experienced the remarkable connection between music and our memories. You might have unexpectedly come across a song on a playlist that makes you recall a specific time, place, or event. The memory can be so vivid that you even relive the feelings associated with that moment, whether it’s a rush of adrenaline, or a sensation of complete calm.
along my trip, across many nations, and through many beautiful experiences. ‘In Colour’ and ‘I Like The Way’ can still make me feel the way I did that summer, living in wild vibrant colours, outside the black and white frames of our 2021 lockdown lives.” Mary Atkinson
Music can provide a welcome escape to far away climes, evoking nostalgia of past holidays. While we are unable to travel at the moment under the current restrictions, with a pair of headphones firmly planted on our heads, we can let our imagination wander from the comfort of our own sofas. “There are two songs in particular which take me back to Summer 2019 in which I travelled across Europe, beginning in Paris and ending in Copenhagen. The first song is ‘I Like The Way’ by Against the Current, a band I have supported since I was fifteen, meeting numerous times across the years. ‘I Like The Way’ stuck with me after a sweaty Milan club show in the early June sun. An anthem of summer and youthful freedom, this quickly became a backdrop for my summer of new experiences. The second song, ‘In Color’ by Hunger, I listened to increasingly after passing through Vienna, the city in which the band is from. Their electronic alt sound became background noise to the final cities on my trip, in particular my Copenhagen nights, spent with a group of newly gained friends, from various nations who made every moment feel like a scene from a coming of age movie. My heart was full even if Copenhagen was making sure my bank account wasn’t. The music I listened to that summer connected me to so many people
“In my last summer before University, I decided to bid farewell to A-Levels by travelling around Italy with my best friend from secondary school. Starting in Pisa and based in Florence, we spent our days exploring art galleries and museums, tucking into some exquisitely made pasta and, of course, seeing what the Italian nightlife was like. As soon as it became dark, with makeup slapped on and heels strutting the pavements of Firenze - we were on a mis-
sion: to find a club with a low admission fee and a sizable dancefloor. After many failed attempts, we stumbled upon Red Garter. Little did we know, that after every day of racking up our step count walking down hills and feeling ever so cultured, we would double these by dancing the nights away here. A bar, nightclub, restaurant and a karaoke haunt - this place had it all. On our first (of many) nights at Red Garter, as we patiently queued to perform a botched version of ‘Wannabe’ By Spice Girls, 3 Norwegian boys serenaded us with perhaps, the most tear-jerkingly romantic song of all time: ‘Kiss From a Rose’. We could not contain our laughter and ended up having a good old boogie with them on the dancefloor after.
“Norwegian boys serenaded us with perhaps, the most tear-jerkingly romantic song of all time” It had such a lasting memory that we even created a playlist on Spotify after our trip, with all the songs that had featured in Red Garter. I am ashamed to admit it, but I listened to ‘Kiss From a Rose’ so much after the holiday, it appeared in my most listened to songs of 2018.” Madeleine Rosie Strom Illustration & Images: Gracie Linthwaite