For our second issue of the year, Catalyst revels in the writing and the art of all things obscure, underground, and extremely well-loved. The idea of ‘The Cult Edition’ is inspired by the phenomenon of the ‘cult classic’. That is, a film, a book, or an artist (among many other things) that has amassed a dedicated cult following. It is a phenomenon that brings together the hearts and minds of staunch fans alike, to band together and bask in elaborate subculture. Cult is enigmatic and mostly unpopular with mainstream audiences, often revolutionary or ironically enjoyed.
‘The Cult Edition’ is camp; it’s elaborate subculture; it’s subversion; it’s the unwavering defiance of the mainstream. You may love it, or you may hate it, or it may be so bad, it’s good – but that is the epitome of cult ephemera. Catalyst would like to welcome you to the B-side expression of the human condition.
[Catalyst 1988, Volume 44, Issue 8]
1 5 7 9 11 13 14 15 16 17 19 22 24 27 29 31 33 34 37 40 41 43 45
Meet RUSU How I Worship The Mutual Bowl mystery; a cult of living memory Witchtok: Are we doing too much? The Cult Of BookTok Dark Academia – A Re-Emerging Subculture The Cult Following Behind Fanfiction Flebag Feminism The Cult of K-Pop Multi-level Marketing – What is it and Where the Hell Did it Go? Cult Following: An Interview with Abby Strangward Compass: In Response to the National Student Saftey Survey ROSE TINT MY WORLD: FINDING COMMUNITY IN CULT FILM SCREAM My Favourite Cult Classic: Trainspotting Velvet Goldmine (1998): Cult classic 25 years after its release? The Movie that shall not be named Comic Life Young Urban Blak: A Year In Reflection Last month I moved states The Commodification of Keith Haring Rosé Calendar
Contributions Catalyst Issue 2 2022 Established in 1944 Contact catalyst@rmit.edu.au RMIT Media Collective, RMIT City Campus, Building 12, Level 3, Room 97 Printer Printgraphics Pty Ltd 14 Hardner Road, Mount Waverley, Victoria 3149 Australia Photographers: Erina Hoque Shriya Sudarsan Rao Jonah Epstein
Editors: Beatrice Madamba Savannah Selimi Jasper Riley Designers: Brianna Simonsen Cherry Lin Vivian Dobbie-Glazier News Officers: Mia Gregor Rafael Gerster Entertainment Officers: Sienna Taylor-Gibson Ruby Box Vivian Dobbie-Glazier Ruby Edwards Culture Officers: Stella Thomson Nishtha Sharma
Editorial Committee: Juliette Salom Stella Thomson Mia Gregor Sienna Taylor-Gibson Julianna Rajkowski Jean Wenjing Zhang Claudia Weiskopf Rafael Gerster Daniel Car Ruby Edwards Zoe Perks Alyssa Forato India Curtain Jonah Epstein Creative Writing Officers: Juliette Salom Claudia Weiskopf Julianna Rajkowski Zoe Perks
Catalyst and RMIT University Student Union acknowledge the people of the Woi wurrung and Boon wurrung language groups of the eastern Kulin Nations on whose unceded lands we conduct the business of the University. RMIT University respectfully acknowledges their Ancestors and Elders, past, present and future. Catalyst and RMIT University Student Union also acknowledge the Traditional Custodians and their ancestors of the lands and waters across Australia where it contacts its business.
• • • •
Coffee shops & eateries Live music & entertainment venues Professional & health services Supplies & groceries A unique and affordable shopping strip, just around the corner from the Brunswick campus.
Melbourne CBD commuters can catch the Upfield train from the city, the No.19 tram or use the Upfield Bike Path.
sydneyroad.com.au @sydneyroadbrunswick
RUSU works tirelessly each year to fight for your student rights, run campaigns and host amazing events for all RMIT students. After a successful start to semester so far, It’s time for you to meet some of the faces behind RMIT’s student union:
Meet RUSU
Adam Steiner (he/him) – President How exciting is it to be back on campus???
Adam Steiner
Hi, it’s your president Adam Steiner again writing to you after the most amazing time to start the semester at RUSU and RMIT. It has been an absolute privilege to have the opportunity to provide the students at RMIT with some great nights and big fun.
Sheldon Gait
We’ve had some incredible moments this semester so far; in the first week of classes we filled Bowen St for RMIT’s welcome week, partied together at the Welcome Bash with DJ Benson, educated ourselves about sexual health and safety during our “Let’s get consensual” week, played games of mini golf in a nightclub, celebrated the amazing diversity at RMIT and in Melbourne with our multicultural festival and went back in time on the Yarra as we sailed into the bay in our best 1920s attire. For me every event that we run is a highlight, there is nothing better than seeing people having fun because of the effort that you have put in. As I have reiterated before it has been a shitty two years and we at RUSU have put in tremendous effort to bring students back and nothing makes me happier than to see it paying off.
Shylicia McKiernan
Coming back from COVID as well, we at RUSU have made it known that student safety is of upmost importance, throughout “Let’s get consensual” week we spoke with hundreds of students about the need for and importance of safe practices regarding sexual health as well as the need for strong and well-crafted policy from RMIT in this area. It is amazing to see the tree full of pledge stickers from students, showing the need for an independent integrity unit at RMIT to ensure the psycho-social health of victims of harassment and assault.
Cult Edition
1
c.
Sheldon Gait (he/him) – General Secretary
Shylicia McKiernan– Indigenous Officer
Hi everyone, my name is Sheldon and I’m your RUSU General Secretary for 2022. A bit about me I grew up in regional WA before moving to Melbourne for Uni when I was 18 to study Construction management. I was the previous VE officer as well as being a club president, volunteer, and academic board rep.
Hello everyone! My name is Shylicia McKiernan, I am a proud Kulkulaig woman with very strong connections to Masig (Yorke) Island in Zenadth Kes (Torres Strait), I am also extremely humbled to be RUSU’s 2022 Indigenous Representative. I came into this role in late 2021 and it’s been an overwhelming experience being invited into the politics of university, I now realise there was a whole element of RMIT I was completely oblivious too.
In my role as Gen Sec I am the chief financial officer at RUSU managing all the finances, compiling agendas and chairing the board. One of my proudest achievements was campaigning for No Fails on Transcripts during the lockdown which we won!
Whilst in my role at RUSU, a huge priority is to make FNP and the wider BIPOC communities university experience as smooth as possible. Already since the return of 2022 study, a number of students from the BIPOC community have raised concerns with me about the reinforcement of racial prejudice in various courses, being tokenised by both classmates and teachers, as well as toxic allyship particularly when it comes to activism around First Nations justice issues. Being only a month into semester 1 and having spent a lot of time during this month decolonising various aspects and environments of the university, I have been shown how much work needs to be done.
The past months have been huge with Orientation. There were thousands of students coming to campus for the first time, not just first years but also second and third years. RUSU was present at all 3 campuses. We also planned and ran the Welcome bash, a huge music festival on campus for a thousand students with live DJs and free drinks. I have also been working on the response to the National Student Safety Survey which was released in March. This survey is a follow up to the 2017 Changing the Course Survey on sexual harm at universities. Our goal here is having RMIT Implement the recommendations of the KPMG report into a safer and more inclusive campus. This is from the University of Adelaide where the VC was ICAC’d after covering up sexual assault. At this point in time RMIT has not committed to a single one of the recommendations, in particular the independent integrity unit.
Unfortunately, it is not a task that can be completed in a day or by my lonesome – I need help. I need help from the RMIT cohort to question what we are being taught and whether that reinforces racial prejudice and stereotypes. I need help from non-Indigenous peoples to be willing to learn about First Nation justice issues and ready to speak on such issues, there needs to be healthy conversations, and such should not always have to be instigated by FNP. But I also need help from non-Indigenous folk to elevate FNP and their voices, but by no means does that mean to overpower and drown out the voices of FNP.
While it has been a busy start to semester, I’m keen to slip back into the regular routine and start being a student myself. I can’t wait to see you all around campus.
RMIT still has a lot of work to do, but particularly in terms of making it the culturally safe and respectful place I know it can become, and I am so eager to do everything that I can to assist this crucial change.
- Stay Safe
What have they been up to? Issue 02
2
c.
Bethany Shegog – Women’s Officer
Reggie Chang
Bethany Shegog
Sveiki! I’m Beth, I go by she/her pronouns and I’m the 2022 RUSU Women’s Officer. To portray my essence in a small paragraph is a mind bottling challenge. As I sit here writing this passage watching Phantom of the Opera for the hundredth time like the cultic musical fan I am, the things I like are a good place to start. Like many young people, I’m currently obsessed with film cameras. Gaining aesthetic pictures from a night out or capturing the warmth and greenery of a hike view. It’s a pleasant outlet in contrast to my degree. I’m currently studying a Bachelor of International Studies, making me your go-to-gal to debate politics with. My degree is probably the culprit in my ambitious, and potentially slightly naïve, belief that I’m going to tackle the world's problems. But alas every problem needs someone to solve it! Leading me to the role at RUSU.
Mark Morante
Patrick Pieciun
I embarked my role as Women’s Officer painfully aware of how patriarchy is entrenched into society but also how as young people, we have the capacity to change it. One of the biggest ongoing campaigns and goals I have is to have: free sanitary products on campuses, raise better awareness of women’s health and sexual health, and to campaign RMIT to review their sexual assault and sexual harm policies. I plan to kick those big ass goals but additionally I’m fervent about the more student community stuff. The Women’s Collective is my ongoing passion project encompassing bringing together female and non-binary identifying students to support one another. Successfully running a range of different events, making sure there’s always something for everyone! A way I wanted to ensure this is by starting the Women’s Collective Committee. Made up a diverse group of women to run accessible and fun events and campaigns.
Cult Edition
The long list of both stuff I am doing, done, or dusted would make this a little too long so instead check out the Women’s Department social media which features my attempt at photography or come chat with me at a RUSU event! You’re only issue you’ll find is getting me to stop talking.
3
c.
Reggie Chang (they/them)– Queer Officer Salutations all, I am Reggie, a queer non-binary person of colour who is one of your Queer Officers alongside Patrick. I come from a background as a public servant and advocacy leader in the out of home care space. Over the years I have fought fervently for new legislation and policy around increasing the out of home care age from 18 to 21 through the homestretch campaign and actively engaging in the fight for equality for all same sex attracted people for their own unified union. I bring forth all these experiences of my previous roles to the Queer Officer position at the RMIT RUSU student union, in hopes that I’ll be able to usher in better outcomes for our Queer Collective through policy and advocacy. I’m fighting for a better treatment of trans and gender diverse students and mature aged students, as I am one myself.
Mark Morante – Disabilities and Carers Officer Hello everyone! I am Mark Morante, and I am the inaugural Disability and Carers Officer this year. I am also a Social Work and Psychology student in my penultimate year of studies. I started volunteering with RUSU in 2018 and was first elected to the Student Union Council as a General Representative last year in 2021. Since the Disability and Carers department is a brand-new department this year, I have been focusing my attention on establishing a Disability and Carers collective and building the necessary relationships with stakeholders both internally and externally at RMIT. One of my key priorities for the upcoming months is working with RMIT in developing the upcoming new Accessibility Action Plan and ensuring that student voice and experience is properly represented in the new plan.
Patrick Pieciun (he/they) – Queer Officer Hello! My name is Patrick (he/they) and I’m one of the RUSU Queer Officers! I identify as a gay man and I’m very passionate about queer issues. As your Queer Officer, I plan to represent queer students and campaign for better representation and treatment at the university level. One of our biggest projects this year is to finally expand the Queer Lounge! With collaboration with the women’s department, we are moving the women’s lounge and knocking down the wall between the two lounges, making the QL bigger! We are also working incredibly hard to solve the issue of dead naming on student-facing platforms, such as Collaborate Ultra. We are working closely with everyone at RUSU and the RMIT DGSS team to find solutions to this problem ASAP. We also have a bunch of events plants this year, such as Queer Mixers, Coffee Catch-ups, NGV outings, Queer+ Women’s End of Exams Party and many more! I hope to see you there!
Issue 02
In addition to this, I have also been supporting the Welfare and International department with their activities and events for the past few weeks and will continue working with them. I have also been helping at many of the events held at RMIT, including the Welcome Bash and Boat Cruise. I look forward to continuing working to establish the Disability and Carers department at RUSU and RMIT, and to start regular social events for the collective.
4
c.
I am in a club I don’t remember joining As a member I am honorary I am Esteemed I am enthusiastic I wave my flag to the raging bull The crowd roars And I am Splattered Across them And without meaning I become Their mascot Can I yet remove this head? It is not fun anymore It is stifling It is hard to breathe in here
I am In a cult We worship You At all hours You are Our God The body and the blood Christ, we are painted in your colour Why? We cannot say It simply is the way My grandmother says She always knew There has never been a choice Is there something so starving in this illusion of control That crumbs can feed The gnawing soul?
How I Worship I am in a coven When were we taught witchcraft? Did I choose To make potions of the skin; of the heart? Choose to burn one day? Do I enchant you? Well I mean to I have been taught how Spread before a crowd Baptised And initiated To I hex you I am able These powers surge Everyone before me taught me just this The tacit implications of a hip bone, and I own You But you win every time You are free You become A toad in my eye It is my spell that makes you I could ruin you But you can leave If you please
Truly You are horrid Do you mean to be? Or are you Too A blood oath? Did you take it? Spit on the hand and shake? Reveal your truth and destroy me now And also with you I am so tired Of worship Pour the syrup down my throat and rid me of the chanting Quiet now It is incessant It has been Enough Too much and Too long My head pounds Let me out I am wearing red Clothes I didn’t buy Nothing fits Why did no one warn me?
We don’t talk about anything out loud When my God is gone
Sabrina Phillips Brash
image pairing
Who will I bend to? Who will bring me to my knees? Praising Praying Begging for mercy And I beg of you How did I end up On the ground?
If you’ve ever been rushing to catch a train at Flinders Street and attempted a sneaky shortcut through one of the station’s many underpasses, you may have accidentally stumbled upon Campbell Arcade; a dim, pink, forgotten stretch of tunnel that boasts a somewhat checkered past. Campbell Arcade is an often-overlooked subterranean stretch connecting Degraves St with the nearby metro. Opened in 1955 with the anticipation of the 1956 Olympic Games, the arcade sought to ease congestion into the subway and serve as a secondary entrance to The Mutual Store – Melbourne’s first and most glamorous department store. In true 50s style, the space was bedecked in pink art deco tiles and held aloft by a series of squat black marble columns. Spirits were high; businesses scrambled to secure tenancy of the shops lining the arcade, keen to capitalise on the anticipated foot traffic and the pull of The Mutual Store above. Almost immediately, the arcade was deemed a failure. Early projections from the city council had estimated around 20,000 people would pass through it daily. Two years later, only 2000 commuters patronised the shortcut regularly. In fact, a survey found that two of three regular commuters were not even aware of the tunnel’s existence.
Stepping into the arcade now feels like entering a dream land; somewhere you vaguely remember from childhood but would rather not dwell on. The unmistakable stench of urine permeates the air, forcing you to mouth-breathe for the duration of your stay. The low, claustrophobic ceiling and blinding overhead lights heighten the sense of trapped-ness, of wrongness.
A series of unfortunate events nailed the coffin shut. With the close of The Mutual Store in 1965 and a lack of promised business, the arcade’s quaint storefronts struggled to thrive. Then, with the devastation of a flood in 1972, it slipped into further disrepair. The subway slowly faded out of use and devolved into a refuge for rough sleepers who dared to endure the 24/7 fluorescents in favour of a dry night. While some rejuvenation came in the form of a heritage listing and the installation of glass display cabinets for the Platform Contemporary Art Group to house ever-changing exhibitions in, Campbell Arcade never truly flourished.
Cult Edition
The shop fronts that used to host milk bars, clothing boutiques and coffee stalls stand empty, abandoned. One lone zine store is a bright speck of life amidst the gloom. Graffiti covers most doorways, but it’s not the cool kind. The arcade is a place to hurry through, to avoid at night and tolerate by day. On a bright Tuesday morning, it is all but deserted.
7
c.
Claudia Weiskopf
Many have forgotten about Campbell Arcade, that much is obvious. But something fascinating is stirring in the cultural zeitgeist, reinjecting renewed interest into the tepid dark. Recently, Melbourne message boards and Tik Tok threads began to buzz with the urban legend of a secret hidden bowling alley left to rot beneath the bones of Flinders St Station and The Mutual Store. The entrance to this fabled venue? None other than Campbell Arcade.
The story ends happily. @stephislost eventually unearthed proof that the bowling alley existed; pictures of the Mutual Store’s facade with a sign reading ‘bowling alley in basement’, black and white stills of tweens hanging out there and, remarkably, a photo of an intact staff uniform worn by a local in youth. Dozens of people reached out in emails and messages, recounting the many happy days they spent underground. City plans were snatched from library shelves, blueprints dug up from archives. The myth was solved; The Mutual Bowl made the leap from legend to legit within weeks.
The mystery of the bowling alley, allegedly called The Mutual Bowl, resurfaced with a vengeance. Kicked off by Tik Tok user @stephislost, whose post about the place went viral, the myth of The Mutual Bowl spurred digital denizens on a spirited hunt for information, photos and evidence of its existence. During the initial investigation, opinions were mixed. Some claimed that the place never existed and was little more than an internet legend. Some claimed to have bowled there in the 70s, recalling the fact that lane 14 was warped. Some claimed that the bowling alley closed in the 80s and became a carpark. Some claimed it still stood but was walled off forever behind a blind alley.
Watching the mystery play out, I was reminded again of our city’s history; both remembered and unremembered. All it took was one video to capture an audience hungry for truth, and what power they held in their collective hands when push came to shove.
Melbourne is richer for the secrets hidden beneath its surface, as are we all for seeking them out.
Whether or not The Mutual Bowl actually existed, what truly mattered is that its skeleton had been dredged from the lake of legacy. Myth became material once more, and people were eager for proof. The cult of living memory was kicking, rolling over in its grave, eager to be released from obscurity. Nothing whets the appetite more than a mystery, and here was a mystery living just beneath the cobblestones, begging to be unravelled.
Issue 02
Sadly, the Campbell Arcade is under threat of demolition amidst the glossy promise of the new Metro Tunnel project. Melbourne could soon be robbed of another heritage-listed location, and in the face of development, I side with pink tiles and fat marble columns. If the hunt for The Mutual Bowl has taught me anything, it is this: we must not leave our legacy for the hungry wolves of time.
8
c.
India Curtain
Are we doing too much? If you haven’t seen the daunting term “Interact 3 times to claim” on your Tik Tok feed, we may be on different sides of the app. Lately, my entire feed consists of crystals, manifestations and manipulations. Speaking as someone who has never dipped my foot in these traditions, I find it hard to believe that so many people on this app have sacred abilities.
The most obvious culprit taking advantage of this ‘trending’ belief system is retail brands. Organisations like Urban Outfitters sold commercialised tarot cards, small businesses jumped on a new boom in the purchasing of crystals. TikTokers are selling “Baby Witch Starter Kits,” cauldrons, blessed sage and more. Like many other corners of the internet, people have learned to take advantage of people’s lack of knowledge for their own capital gain.
I know I’m not alone. The hashtag #WitchTok, as I write, has accumulated 24.7 billion views. For a lot of people, the notion of witchcraft is more than a passing manifestation to claim ‘a summer body in 2 weeks.’ Those who have studied spirituality and divination for years see WitchTok as a space to escape, and find those who are likeminded in their beliefs.
Honestly, while companies are capitalising from the generalisation of witchcraft, it’s also allowed people to come together and escape the everyday tragedies.
As we’re talking about a belief system that got people killed in the early years, I hate to admit that yet another cult audience has been exposed and commercialised for individual and financial gain.
I honestly think this is why it has gained such a noticeable occult following in the recent years, as it gives something new for people to place their beliefs in. If this is how we get through, and no one gets hurt, then continue to burn the sage and polish the crystals – because I’m all for it.
Now, I’m not saying everyone on TikTok is a phoney, as I’ve definitely seen heaps of harmlessly heart-warming witch behaviour in my late night scrolls. This modern occult ideology is known as Contemporary Paganism, which is an umbrella term for an array of witch traditions. It acts as a space for this community to come together and learn from each other. ‘Baby witches’ can learn about crystals, manifestations and spells. This surfaced on TikTok in a form of ‘cottage core’ inspiration, which then manifested into much more.
Cult Edition
9
c.
ah Sel imi
Savann
Abby Strangward
Issue 02
10
c.
Background image by Jonah Epstein
The Cult Of BookTok
Like several people who have become a part of this new BookTok community, my love for reading began with all the modern classics of The Fault in Our Stars, Twilight, Divergent, The Mortal Instruments and more of such. Recently I got to sit down and have a chat with a local BookTok creator herself, Claudia (from claudiatalksfilm on TikTok and claudiatalksbooks on Instagram) about the culture of BookTok and the effects it is having on book readers and providers in the world. We both dove into remembering the feelings of flipping through the pages, whether that be anger at the strangeness of the line or laughter at a unique interaction, or even just pure sadness of losing a loved character, just feeling like being in the moment with all these characters. An interesting part we also discussed was around time - how after growing out of the initial book obsessed phase of reading till early hours of the day, it was so difficult to find time to read and enjoy these books we were excited to get into.
Cult Edition
That is when this family came to light, with all different “niche cultures being embraced in various parts of TikTok, BookTok is definitely one of them.” The core of BookTok, of course, even though the stories change, it is still those core feelings we come back to, the connections we feel to these characters is what we have in common, without that there would be nothing to talk about, no memes to make, no recommendations to take into consideration, no completely absurd theories that make absolute sense to be drawn. To us it makes complete sense to get lost in a book for hours or even days at a time, despite this not being the norm for many people. We find strange comfort in the escapism of these rearrangements of the alphabet.
11
c.
Nishtha Sharma
However, the coin does have two sides and although BookTok can be an incredibly fun community there are also some issues that need to be addressed. Claudia and I were realizing that books we thoroughly enjoyed back as young teens “would now be seen as problematic and having too many red flags,” as that is where the culture is at. With good reason, as we are learning as a society to understand and become aware of those issues, However, this does not warrant the exemption of our feelings when we read those books, and even when we read them again and see those red flags, some part of us still connects to the young naive reader that just fell in love with the characters the authors brought to life. Claudia mentions the pressure she feels when creating, having to fit into categories and being sensitive when discussing the books, she might not like, because BookTok does not have the tendency to “take opinions seriously and disregard that every book is subjective to who reads it, some might love it whilst others find it boring.” Not to mention the new age of readers who are young teens are developing into their personal book connections whilst feeling they must keep up with all the popular books, even though some may be for adult readers as the authors are trying to gain a new audience.
But at the end of the day, it should be considered a fun pastime, nothing too serious or final. Books create a sense of joy and peace and create stories in our heads and evoke such emotions that we find ourselves coming back to time and again. So, enjoy it – fall in love with characters, moments, and life a little more, and
read, read, read.
Faye Romero
Dark Academia A Re-Emerging Subculture The air becomes crisper, and the leaves change colors. Sounds of coffee and tea poured into used mugs, and the drifting noises of murmurings and conversations fill the air like an old symphony. I sit somewhere undisturbed, taking it all in with a book in my hands. Time and consequence do not exist in this space— and that is all but a fantasy.
While dark academia started as an aesthetic in the mid-2010s at the social media site Tumblr, its resurfacing into a sub-culture was accredited to the pandemic in 2020. Students were sent back to their homes, and for most of us, continued schooling in front of a computer. Some also credit its reemergence to universities using degrees as a form of profit. This period created an illusion of what learning was supposed to look like— walking around archaic halls with a brooding and aloof fashion, and the insatiable desire for omniscient knowledge, without time and financial constraints. If I were allowed to talk prompts, dark academia—studying the classics and arts answered to, “If I had all the time in the world without consequence, what would I do?”
The appreciation of antiquities—ancient art and literature, leather-bound books and studying by the window. Whilst watching the rain outside with concerning amounts of coffee and tea. Clad in blazers, wooly sweaters, and loafers of neutral and earthly color palettes. Time is suspended inside old walls, and the outside world has no consequence. This is the fantasy colored by dark academia. The sub-culture defines itself as drawing the aesthetic of Oxford and ivy league institutions that perpetuate the romanticisation of the academia and learning. As well as combining the goth sub-culture, introducing its dark and sometimes morbid themes. Hence, the term dark academia.
Although its telling of stories do circulate on how the unquenchable thirst for knowledge can lead to obsession over something unattainable. After all, obsession over anything can lead to dangerous consequences. This painted fantasy is of course far from the truth. The sub-culture is criticised for solely focusing on classical studies— subjects historically taught only to the wealthy. Perhaps its cultish tendencies stem from the human desire to belong, or the thought of belonging to a world of elites and privilege.
One of the first and perhaps the most famous forms of media that pioneered dark academia would be the Academy Award winning film, the 1982 Dead Poets Society film. It introduces an eccentric English teacher and his journey in an elite allboys boarding school through his love of poetry. Donna Tartt’s The Secret History, published in 1992, propagated the sub-culture in the literary genre. It tells the story of six Classics students in an elite college, told in a reverse detective story (I will not go into detail about that).
Cult Edition
And yet the main drive of dark academia is learning just because. Its aesthetics perpetuate your wanting to know more. Only that you do not fall deep in the hole.
13
c.
Zoe Perks Fanfiction is a very divisive term. Some spit the word out as if it is villainous; others dance around the term and refuse to mention it in public. It’s society’s embarrassing little sister. However, there is an entire online world that worships fanfiction’s existence after carefully tending to it from a mere seedling to the jungle it is today. How did this happen, and why is fanfiction the Internet’s most popular secret?
These revelations tainted the series for many fans, and understandably so. It gave the once comforting world an ugly lens that was hard to ignore and not overanalyse. Enter: fanfiction. Of course there is no simple fix to such a serious issue, however fanfiction is a tool that gives fans the ability to rewrite some of the author’s wrongs by intentionally adding detailed plotlines on subjects or matters that were previously ignored. Take user MsKingBean89, who in 2017 on the popular fanfiction website Archive Of Our Own began posting a work entitled All The Young Dudes. This work of fanfiction, now finished, exceeds 188 chapters and is over 525,000 words long, almost six times the average length of a book. The work is explicitly queer, and an author’s note written at the start of the fanfiction by MsKingBean89 reads: ‘DISCLAIMER: I do not support JK Rowling’s disgusting transphobic views.’ The work has gained attention outside of the fanfiction circle, Slate’s culture writer Rachelle Hampton writing an article in late 2021 explaining why All The Young Dudes is better than any books in the Harry Potter series. It has its own cult following of dedicated fans separate to fanfiction’s own.
In its simplest definition, fanfiction is works of fiction created by fans of popular media, such as movies, books, and comics. It is a wide space of freedom and creativity that gives power to the fans, writing anywhere between single paragraphs to book-length works of fiction about their beloved characters. It allows fans, particularly those who are marginalised, to rewrite entire narratives and pursue plotlines that would never otherwise exist. Sometimes these scenarios appear simple, and maybe a little juvenile, yet its simplicity, freedom of creativity and range that makes fanfiction so appealing. Writers and readers alike can dip in and out of one shots shorter than a thousand words, or they can settle in for book-length works full of poignancy and emotion that often deepens the original work.
Fanfiction has the ability to bring strangers together and create communities over a single shared love. It brings joy, freedom, and comfort to both readers and writers. It is therefore no wonder why fans of fanfiction are so fiercely loyal to the storytelling medium that enables them to challenge and deconstruct conventional narratives.
Fanfiction is about a community reclaiming ownership and power. Let’s take Harry Potter for example. In recent years, the author has made horrific antitrans comments that have become almost as famous as the books themselves.
Issue 02
14
c.
Sienna Taylor-Gibson
Fleabag Feminism Much like the photo dump Instagram post, effortlessly casual and messy while meticulously formed to be perceived in a careless manner.
In a time where our identity is so intrinsically linked to our outward appearance and online persona, it seems we are no longer worried about the type of person we are, but rather the type of person we are perceived to be. This has seen the introduction of a new type of feminism -fleabag feminism – in which self-destructive behaviours are romanticised in the guise of the ‘not like other girls,’ trope.
This new wave of laissez-faire, or dissociative feminism, can be seen as a response to the hyper-optimistic feminism of the 2010’s ‘girl boss’ culture. Or maybe we love these unnamed narrators, who are complicated and often unlikable, because they add dimension to the previously onedimesional portrayal of women in the media, and create a complex female character instead? Or perhaps because of modern tendency of our lives to be constantly on-show, we no longer know how to leave our lives un-curated and un-fictionalised by the books, films, music, and television shows we identify ourselves with.
As if we are playing to an audience - or living our lives as part of a tv show the commodification and simplification of our lives to fit certain ‘aesthetics’ or ‘types’ has become a way to escape the ultimate disgrace of being ‘basic’. The newest evolution of the manic pixie dream girl - “not like other girls” is the Fleabag era. This is the easily digestible feminist who is just damaged enough to be interesting but not to be a mess - smoking for the “aesthetic” - and finding solace in the selfdestructive and unnamed narrators of Ottessa Moshfegh’s My Year of Rest and Relaxation and Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s Fleabag. She’s read Joan Didion and Eve Babitz, or at least she wants you to think she has by the way she looks, acts, and speaks. This is not linked to the content of these authors books in any way, rather what we perceive the type of person who would read these books to be; the pseudo-feminist intellectual who romanticises their self-destructive behaviour.
Cult Edition
15
c.
Ella Pilson
The Cult of K-Pop I was introduced to the world of K-Pop at the ripe and impressionable age of 13.
And that’s what K-Pop’s made of. It’s disappointing because it works, people skip tests, exams, work, just to vote for fan contests, to watch a music video get released. I mean, hell, to stream a music video multiple times just so it has a large number on YouTube. And that’s just the casual fans.
Of course, this was 2016, and I’d just spent the last year watching Yuuri on Ice, spending all my time on Tumblr and listening to Troye Sivan. I had been immersed in fandom for a little while at that point, it made sense I’d join K-Pop.
The ones who run fanbases dedicate a large percentage of their day-today activities on keeping the fandom informed. They translate every post, make infographics daily, updating how many streams a song/album has, how to nominate them for awards, anything to build the group towards more success. The leadup to a new album is always intense, with two gruelling weeks of goals (cross managed by fanbases for at least 20 countries, one of which representing them all to talk to the Korean fanbase), before the album is released, where voting to win awards is at its most important. It’s unpaid labour, and they adore it.
In the years that followed, I’d find myself unable to let go, it consumed me. First it was the music, then the shows, the movies, food, fashion and makeup. It was my entire identity. That’s the worst bit, that I lost every other part of myself, that at 18 I’d have to go and figure out my personality again, something I’m still doing at 19. K-Pop’s tricky, it thrives on building para-social relationships. I think honest to god the person who does it the worst is Bang Chan. He’s Aussie, which was appealing for a lot, including myself. But the livestreams where he sits in a room and chats (in English) to the audience, showing them glimpses of his childhood and interests through music and movie recommendations, is the worst compared to any other idol.
Whilst the industry often treats it’s artists like crap (trust me, as a K-pop fan, I know, you don’t have to tell me twice), the way idols build these relationships with their fans, whether intentional or not, and garner success from it, is ultimately worse for the broader community long term. But fuck, I’m not gonna pretend like Psycho by Red Velvet doesn’t go hard.
He acts like you’re his friend, and that’s worse than pretending he could one day be your boyfriend. So many K-Pop fans aren’t popular at school, struggling with friendship groups. Then comes a boy group with relatable interests like Anime, and they treat ‘you’ kindly. You want that. Craving friends is worse than craving a relationship.
Issue 02
16
c.
“Hey babe!” You can consider yourself lucky if you weren’t prey to the Arbonne girls flooding your DMs in 2019. It may have been a distant friend, or a complete stranger. They’d start off by complimenting your Instagram feed, a nice-yet-strange interaction. As you continued reading their message, their purpose became clear. “Have you heard of Arbonne?” They offered to help us along our health and wellness journey, to guide us in becoming Arbonne ‘consultants’ and starting our own ‘business’. This direct outreach, which Arbonne bases its entire business model off, is called multi-level marketing (MLM). MLM companies use direct selling techniques, building a network of independent distributors often known as ‘consultants.’ These consultants not only sell the products but try to recruit other members to join the chain through illustrating a fantasy of financial freedom. So, is it a pyramid scheme? You may be thinking multi-level marketing sounds little more than a pyramid scheme. In fact, they utilise the same pyramid structure to grow and expand. The slight difference between MLMs and illegal pyramid schemes is that an MLM will pay you based on your retail sales, regardless of recruiting new members. A pyramid scheme runs off continual recruitment of members who pay a fee – even if members need to buy the company’s products for the company to keep running.
Cult Edition
17
c.
Alyssa Forato
Direct selling has been around for thousands of years. Although the MLM business model has no recorded history of its origin, it is known to have started in the US. The MLM strategy evolved and grew because companies using this structure appealed to women wishing to enter the workforce and desiring independence from their husband and family. The unique business model promised stay-at-home wives and mums financial independence and flexible hours.
MLM companies use manipulation tactics not only to draw people in, but to place guilt and blame on their consultants for not generating enough sales. Not only that, but many companies will convince their marketers that to ‘move up’ in the company, they need to buy more products and recruit more people.
Think back to when you were a little kid, and your mum was either throwing Tupperware parties for all of her friends or asking Cheryl if she’d be attending Karen’s lingerie party. These ‘parties’ were just demonstrations that sneakily convinced other mums in the group to buy products to support their friends.
Although MLMs are still lingering around the consumer space, hopefully they won’t be around for too much longer. In the meantime, you may have to endure a few more “hey babe!” messages from those pesky Arbonne consultants.
In fact, 99% of people involved in MLM schemes do not make a profit and end up losing money, instead.
I don’t know about yours, but Tupperware parties are a thing of the past for my mum. In-house demonstrations seem to be a distant memory. So, where are MLM schemes now? Multi-level marketing seems to have faded into the shadows of consumer society. Don’t get me wrong, they’re certainly still around. Arbonne’s presence on social media is a prime example of MLM schemes in the present day. However, they’re nowhere near as popular as they used to be. According to Direct Marketing Association, MLM sales in the US have been on a steady decline since 2002. And it may not be a bad thing.
Issue 02
18
c.
Cult Following:
Connecting through Instagram on a shared love for writing, Abby from Melbourne met Kyla from San Diego and the rest is history. That history, you may ask? A digital sphere of expressiveness and a growing community of unique creatives, all existing under the mystical name of ‘Pure Nowhere’.
As well as receiving DMs from people expressing that ‘they’ve never felt so free in a room, or they’ve never felt so seen or surrounded by like-minded people’, Abby told me a story from when she truly realised the depth of what she’s helped create: ‘I was at a festival over New Years, and I was a little bit drunk, hanging out with strangers, and this girl turns to me and says ‘wait, I know you, your name’s Abby, you run this magazine!’. She was really young, had just finished high school, and she was like, ‘I found you guys and read the magazine, I’ve taken a gap year now and am starting a band with my friends, we’re having the best time ever. I didn’t think this was possible until I read your content’. It was surreal.’
‘At the start, it was very much a personal outlet. I would write a lot about my own life - I wanted a place for my writing,’ Abby explains the starting story to me, ‘For Kyla, it was always very music-centric. She wanted to get into her local music scene, she was obsessed with music. She wanted to feel like she was a part of it.’ Formed by writers from two different backgrounds, it’s easy to see how Pure Nowhere has transformed into what it is today - this kind of undefinable, unconfined space for angst and art to exist. Beginning as a blog, then a magazine, then a publishing house and production company, Abby adds that above everything, Pure Nowhere is about community.
Creatives are often told to stick to one thing and invest their all into it, whether it be writing, art, film or music. However, inspired by the purpose of building a strong community, Abby notes that, ’Any time we tried to take on a particular tone of voice or tried to be anything other than our rambling selves, it wouldn’t work as well.’ She adds that a lot of Pure Nowhere’s success has come from ‘being very authentic’, and that imbuing authenticity and openness, ‘has been the best way for us to develop a community and to continue growing.’
‘More than any direct output, we want to create community, we want to celebrate community, we want to bring people together and uplift young artists. And that’s driven every direction we’ve been in.’ Pure Nowhere’s Instagram is home to almost 14,000 followers, where their feed is flooded with Euphoriaesque film photography and musings on intimacy, friendship and youth.
Cult Edition
19
c.
Savannah Selimi
Abby’s an incredibly cool person. Through the way she talks about Pure Nowhere with such enamoring sincerity, I can tell that the space is as important to her as it is to the community around it. With a growing cult-following across the globe, Abby and Kyla’s project is still forever changing and flowing. This year they published Dakota Warren’s debut poetry anthology ON SUN SWALLOWING with major success, and have recently joined the band Vacations in documenting their US tour.
‘Pure Nowhere for us means those moments where the physical location doesn’t really matter, it’s very much the song, the place you’re at, the person you’re with or an experience. You’re just in this moment and nothing else matters. For us, we keep trying to create those moments, document those moments, just trying to connect to raw, true feelings and put that out in the form of art.’ And all these moments began from an Instagram friendship.
Issue 02
20
c.
Abby Strangward
Compass: In Response to the National Student Survey Content Warning: sexual assault and sexual harassment On Wednesday March 23rd the results of The National Student Safety Survey were released. The survey asked students to report experiences of sexual assault and sexual harassment at university. The findings of this survey were shocking. It found that 1 in 6 students have been sexually harassed since starting university and 1 in 20 students have been sexually assaulted since starting university. The survey also found that students who identified as women, who were LGBTIQA+ or who had a disability were more likely to experience harm. The results of this survey can be overwhelming and triggering. Further to this, the survey also found that more than half of students do not know where to go for help or where to report harm if they have experienced. We really want to get the word out that there are places you can turn to for support if you have experienced any kind of sexual harm. Where can I get support: Compass is RUSU’s welfare service, and it is staffed by Thea and Jenna who are social workers with many years of experience. The Compass service is a free and safe space for all students, you do not need to be a member of RUSU to access this resource. At Compass we provide students with support and information about relevant services both inside and outside of RMIT that could be of use to you. We are here to listen and help, so please reach out to us if you need to. You can arrange a time for an appointment via our email compass@rmit.edu.au RMIT Counselling is a free service for all students, you can book an appointment online https://www.rmit.edu.au/students/supportservices/health-safety-wellbeing/mentalhealth- counselling/counselling CASA House is an incredible organisation that provides counselling, advocacy and crisis response service for people who have experienced sexual harm and sexual assault. CASA stands for Centre Against Sexual Assault. You can also self-refer to this service. Ph: 9635 3610 or view information and resources on their website http://www. casahouse.com.au/ Would you prefer to speak to someone on a hotline service? You can contact the following services to speak anonymously to trained professionals. 1800 Respect ph: 1800 737 732 for people who have experienced sexual assault or domestic family violence or domestic family violence Q Life ph: 1800 184 527 Provides peer support for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and intersex (LGBTQI) people and their friends, families and allies.
Where do I go to report: If you want to report or talk to someone about your experience of sexual assault or harassment to RMIT, please contact RMIT Safer Community. This service is run by professionals who support students who have experienced harm or abuse. They can discuss reporting options with you and how RMIT can help to keep you safe during your university experience. They can also help refer you to specific counselling services. You can self-refer to this service by phoning or sending them an email. Ph: 9925 2396 safercommunity@rmit. edu.au If you would like to make a police report, you can do this by calling or visiting your local police station. You are welcome to take a support person with you, this may be a friend or family member. Find your local police station here: https://www. police.vic.gov.au/location
Overall, we want to remind you to check in with your friends after the release of the survey. Remember to take care of yourself and please reach out to Compass to ask any questions you may have.
Beatrice Madamba
Charlie Stamatogiannis
ROSE TINT MY WORLD: Recently, I had the absolute pleasure of introducing my friend Max to a film that I have seen no less than 30 times. A film that has given me the gift of songs to sing and costumes to emulate. A film that, in my hometown of Adelaide, has led me to become part of a local cult following, that to me feels more like a community.
Richard O’Brien (he/him), a non-binary person, was central to both the film and original musical’s creation as a writer and actor, which could shape how audiences today interpret the film. However, he has also expressed harmful TERF-aligned views, which make the questionable content appear much more sinister. Despite these problematic elements, Rocky Horror is generally regarded as a beloved part of queer culture and history. My personal view, which seems to align with the consensus of the trans community, is that the film’s language and the character of Frank-N-Furter can be forgiven, so long as future remakes, homages and runs of the stage production accept trans ownership. An example of this is a 2016 television remake starring Laverne Cox in the leading role.
If your experience is anything like mine, you’ll know that I’m referring to Jim Sharman’s infamous 1975 cult classic, The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Adapted from a stage musical, the film can be described as a campy, fishnetted tribute to ‘60s sci-fi that takes a dig at heteronormativity and purity culture, and stars the late, great Meatloaf in a minor role. At first glance, Rocky Horror is about the clean-cut, newly-engaged Brad and Janet, who seek help for a flat tire at a peculiar castle, inhabited by an even more kooky array of characters. The film’s influence on pop culture is wide-reaching; the costumes, ‘The Time Warp’, and Tim Curry’s iconic performance as Dr. Frank-N-Furter. It even spawned an homage in Shrek 2!
One aspect of the plot that is much more difficult to overlook, however, are the moments which blatantly violate consent. Disguised as Brad, Frank-NFurter makes advances towards Janet in a deceptive act of sexual assault. While Janet does eventually give her consent, it is not without some coercion. The same situation also happens to Brad, in a scene which has led to further criticism of the film for fulfilling the queer predator stereotype. Based on this alone, I can understand why some people, especially survivors of sexual assault, would not like or even consider watching the film. However, and I hope I don’t come across as dismissive in saying this, what I’m aiming to explore here is less Rocky Horror itself, but the cult following it has amassed since its commercial failure nearly 50 years ago.
There’s no denying that Rocky Horror is a inherently queer film that rejects all notions of respectability in favour of embracing sexual liberation and fluidity. However, its representation and treatment of trans identities is deserving of critique. For starters, the film uses severely outdated language. While some terms may have been used by trans people of the time, by today’s standards they are horrifically offensive, especially coming from Tim Curry, a cisgender man.
Issue 02
24
c.
Charlie Stamatogiannis
When I was 14, my best friend invited me along to Adelaide’s historic Capri Theatre for a midnight screening of Rocky Horror, which would be my first time seeing the film. They advised me on how to dress in the style of the “Transylvanians” (the ensemble cast), while they donned a string of chunky pearls, 5-inch glitter heels and their own, home-sewn green lab coat. I instantly knew that I had stumbled upon something special while we waited in the foyer; a packed room full of glittery, scantily clad attendees fizzling with an unmatched excitement that boiled over, causing strangers to spark conversations with one another and instantly connect.
Rocky Horror screenings occur every Friday the 13th, meaning there’s no real regularity to when they’ll happen again. I’ve been attending since 2018, and besides my costumes getting better, I’ve also noticed a consistent crowd of people each time. Of course, there are always newcomers, and I treasure being a part of peoples’ first ever Rocky Horror experience. That said, there truly is something beautiful about the people I see time and time again, and how at each screening we can instantly pick up where we left off, no matter how many months have passed. To me, one of the most heart-warming things about this community is how intergenerational it is. I think that’s partly why it has endured for so long, because as much as we welcome new folks, we also really admire the dedication of those who have been taking part for decades. As well as this, I think that for queer youth it’s a really great way to see and interact with their older counterparts. The AIDS crisis was horrific for those who felt its effects directly, no doubt. But it also robbed my generation of queer elders, leaving us without role models and essentially no hope for our future. The profound effect exposure to queer adults can have on queer youth can be summarised by a Rocky Horror quote: don’t dream it, be it. In this context, it means that there will come a day when you won’t have to merely dream of living as your most authentic self, and that you should have hope for a future where you feel comfortable and proud of who you are.
Before the screening, the host invited all those who wished to join them on the stage to sing and dance “The Time Warp”, followed by a costume contest. At first, I danced from the seats and cheered on my friend, but you best believe that every screening since I have relished being up on that stage. When the contest began, the host made their way to my friend, who ripped off their coat to reveal their mum’s lingerie underneath, in true Frank-NFurter fashion. To some, this could possibly seem a bit too provocative, and you might question the audience’s intentions behind the raucous cheering that followed this move. Rest assured, there is zero tolerance and room for people who violate other’s consent and boundaries, resulting in even the booing of certain guest hosts. I’ll admit, Rocky Horror is a confusing film to follow, and with my first viewing being at an interactive midnight screening, I had zero clue what I was seeing before me. In fact, it’s hard to even catch most of the dialogue, as a key part of the experience is audience call outs. And then there’s the prop kits everyone brings, as specific lines cue the audience to throw rice, toast and toilet paper. Despite my confusion, I did fall in love that night, and all I wanted was to become part of the shared intuition and passion between the audience members.
Cult Edition
If Rocky Horror’s not your cup of tea, I understand. I also sincerely hope that you find your own cult film to sing, dance and act along to, and throw bizarre objects at the screen while it plays. May 13th will be my first Melbourne Rocky Horror screening, and I’m optimistic that I’ll be able to dive headfirst into it and slip seamlessly into the community here too. So, with a jump to the left, a step to the right, and an overdue dust-off of my Magenta costume, I hope to see some of you there!
25
c.
Beatrice Madamba
SCREAM SCREAM SCREAM SCREAM SCREAM SCREAM SCREAM SCREAM
SCREAM SCREAM SCREAM SCREAM
“What’s your favourite Scary Movie?” A line made famous by the meta cult classic horror franchise, Scream franchise that has spanned five – soon to be six – instalments over a rich period of 25 years. Flashback to the 90’s where “horror movies were in a big slump”. Screenwriter Kevin Williamson isolated himself in a friend’s house in Palm Springs. In just three days, he had a completed horror script, then titled: Scary Movie. There was an instant bidding war for the script, and it was eventually bought by Dimension Films. It took a while to find a director. Some big names were considered, like Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez. Eventually, prominent horror director, the late Wes Craven, agreed to make the film after being inspired by a young fan he met at a convention. Scream is perhaps most well-known for the iconic Ghost Face mask. The mask was found, by pure coincidence, by creative producer Marianne Maddalena during a location scout. Although it was initially rejected, it reached a point where they were only weeks from filming and didn’t have a mask. So, Maddalena went back to that house and got the mask from the owner, and thus Ghost Face was born. The mask has had its own share of rich history, dating back to its initial inception in 1991. A mask known as “The
Cult Edition
27
c.
Daniel Viglietti
Peanut Eyed Ghost” as part of a line of Halloween masks called “Fantastic Faces”. It wasn’t until Scream made it a household icon, that the mask’s name was amended to become officially known as Ghost Face. Since 1991, the mask has gone through many different iterations, so much so that it has attracted the attention of many collectors, myself being one of them. The history of the mask is so rich that to go through it all, it would require its own article.
Scream was an instant success, and a second film was greenlit almost immediately, being released less than a year after the original. Scream 3 was intended to complete the trilogy, however almost 10 years later, a fourth film was greenlit and was intended to spark a new trilogy. Scream 4 did not succeed – as it was predicted to – and after the death of Wes Craven in 2015, the films were thought to be put to rest for good.
Scream had the guts to do what not many other movies would have. They took America’s Sweetheart, Drew Barrymore, and killed her off in the first 15 minutes of the film. Barrymore was initially signed on to play the lead, Sidney Prescott, but scheduling conflicts meant she couldn’t commit. So, she proposed the idea that she play Casey Becker.
After a poorly received TV Series, a fifth instalment was announced, with new directors Radio Silence, Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillet, taking over Craven’s legacy. The fifth instalment, simply titled Scream, was released earlier this year and was a major success, crossing US$100 Million at the box office in just two weeks, even surpassing Spider-Man: No Way Home for a short period of time.
Without Drew to play Sidney, the role was awarded to Neve Campbell, who has now become a household name herself. Courtney Cox completed the ensemble as Gale Weathers and David Arquette as Dewey Riley.
Naturally, it’s success led to the sixth film being confirmed with filming set to begin in 2022 and a confirmed release for March 31st, 2023. It’s safe to say that Scream reinvented, and breathed new life, into the horror genre. It was conceived at just the right time and got everything that it needed to right. It is still one of the most popular horror films to date, and it doesn’t show signs of stopping anytime soon.
The trio, now dubbed The Legacy 3, have appeared in every Scream film to date, and it would be impossible to make one without them. The film was topped off with a cast of iconic 90’s actors including Skeet Ulrich, Matthew Lillard, Rose McGowan and Jamie Kennedy.
Issue 02
28
c.
#4 #4 #4 #4 #4 #4 #5 #5 #5 #5 #5 #5 #1 #1 #1 #1 #1 #1 #2 #2 #2 #2 #2 #2 #3 #3 #3 #3 #3 #3 #4 #4 #4 #4 #4 #4 #5 #5 #5 #5 #5 #5 #1 #1 #1 #1 #1 #1 #2 #2 #2 #2 #2 #2 #3 #3 #3 #3 #3 #3 #4 #4 #4 #4 #4 #4 #5 #5 #5 #5 #5 #5 #1 #1 #1 #1 #1 #1 #2 #2 #2 #2 #2 #2 #3 #3 #3 #3 #3 #3 #4 #4 #4 #4 #4 #4 #5 #5 #5 #5 #5 #5 #1 #1 #1 #1 #1 #1 #2 #2 #2 #2 #2 #2 #3 #3 #3 #3 #3 #3 #4 #4 #4 #4 #4 #4 #5 #5 #5 #5 #5 #5 #1 #1 #1 #1 #1 #1 #2 #2 #2 #2 #2 #2 #3 #3 #3 #3 #3 #3 #4 #4 #4 #4 #4 #4 #5 #5 #5 Favourite #5 #5 #5 My
When I think of Scotland or heroin, I think of Trainspotting: Danny Boyle’s iconic cult classic that is still highly regarded 26 years after its release. It’s well known for its bizarre caricatures (Renton, Sick Boy, Begbie and Spud), unique British humour and iconic soundtrack featuring Iggy Pop, Underworld and Blur that captures the essence of the late 80s and early 90s in which the story is set. It’s action packed from start to finish, following the chaotic lives of heroin addicts as they navigate a drug deal for a wad of 16,000 Pounds to be split between each other. It intertwines realism and magical realism, with drug- fuelled hallucinations of the characters that brings the grim horrors of opioid abuse to life. Like when Renton eagerly climbs into a filthy toilet in search for his lost opium suppositories which becomes a fantastical journey to the bottom of the ocean. What really makes Trainspotting a cult classic is that it wasn’t expected to gain so much success. The film had a budget of 1.5 million Pounds which was below average for the time, with many shots filmed in only one take, which I find pretty impressive. Even with its thick Scottish accents and dialect, the film has managed to charm a wide audience that continues to grow. I think this is because the film is so distinct, with its grungy psychedelic appearance, its classic soundtrack and unique storytelling. Watching Trainspotting is an experience that impresses many, because it really hasn’t been done before. Filled with energy, the film provides a rather light-hearted perspective into opioid abuse until the moments of the film that are suddenly quite serious, providing a sobering depiction of what this lifestyle can really look like. While it lingers on this negativity, the film ultimately leaves me feeling fulfilled and optimistic, reminding me to
‘choose life’.
Cult Classic: Trainspotting
Ava Rossi
Carmen Mckenzie
cult classic 25 years after its release?
velvet goldmine (1998):
Cult Edition
Set in the glam rock scene of 1970s London, Todd Haynes’ brainchild Velvet Goldmine (1998) is loosely based off the outrageous lives of rock ‘n’ roll heroes David Bowie and Mick Jagger, with a hint of Lou Reed and Iggy Pop. The film stars Christian Bale as music superfan-turnedjournalist, Arthur Stuart, who gets tangled up in the lives of rockstars Brian Slade and Curt Wild, played by Jonathan Rhys Meyers and Ewan McGregor. The film is remembered as the criminally underrated musical drama that never truly received the praise and critical acclaim that it rightfully deserved, but it may just be a late bloomer... The film’s pulsating opening credit sequence parades a group of music-hungry teens running down the street to Brian Eno’s ‘Needles In The Camel’s Eye’, and the camera zooms in on an androgynous figure smoking a cigarette under their wide-rimmed black fedora. They turn their back and walk away as the title card— painted in a bold retro font of purple and orange hues— finally emerges on screen. This ultimately sets the tone for the rest of the film as it solidifies Haynes’ untamed exploration of the gender-bending glam rock era. However, was it perhaps too untamed for the time of its release?
31
c.
cassie nikoloska
Previous decades of glam/classic rock, hair metal, and the new romantics of the new wave craze, saw a world where everything was overtly extravagant and colourful. However, things quickly started to simmer down at the beginning of the 90s; a time when grunge was in its prime. Flannel-wearing frontmen like Layne Staley and Eddie Vedder inspired the new generation of embracing a more ‘DIY aesthetic’; everything was more acoustic and less over-the-top, including the fashion. But this did not stop Haynes from releasing the film near the end of the decade, which, by this point, (apart from acts like Prince and Placebo), was almost completely void of all the glittering frocks and stompy boots that this film so wonderfully flaunts. Velvet Goldmine goes down in history as a classic, but it still remains widely unknown to the general public and is therefore underground as opposed to films of a similar nature like The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975) or Cabaret (1972), both in which were released during the daring 70s. Perhaps Velvet Goldmine was too ambitious to be released at a time when sexuality wasn’t celebrated nearly as much.
Issue 02
This reminds me of the 1995 film Empire Records which flopped upon release, even though it ticks all boxes that makes it worthy of being a cult classic. The early 2000s were dominated by films that were similar to the style of Empire Records; upbeat rom-coms driven by a cool soundtrack. With this in mind, if Empire Records was released in 2000 instead of 1995—a mere 5 years later—it would have been up there with Almost Famous (2000), Freaky Friday (2003), and Suddenly 30 (2004) in terms of popularity and cult classic-ism. TikTokers are taking the term ‘roaring twenties’ quite literally as there has been a sudden comeback of pop punk music as of lately, with Gen Z acts like WILLOW and Olivia Rodrigo making this style mainstream for the first time in a while. Velvet Goldmine stayed an underground masterpiece for many years, and since underground work is becoming mainstream and ‘cool’ again, I am sensing a possible resurgence of this film where it becomes a cult classic. Velvet Goldmine could transpire as a laneway for queer audiences and rock ‘n’ roll lovers to express themselves in this new day and age, and I sure hope it does.
32
c.
Jake Maraldo
The Movie that shall not be named In recent times, however, people have warmed to Ishtar. All you need for proof of that is the Letterboxd page for the film to see that the critical consensus of 1987 has not remained consistent among the audience over time. I was briefly obsessed with this movie to the point where it annoyed my friends so much that when referring to Ishtar, it would not be referred to by name. Hence, it is the movie that shall not be named.
Ishtar is the film of Hell’s video store... A misunderstood classic that is so absurd that the absurdity can only be understood by watching it – something many detractors of Ishtar fail to do. The story of Ishtar’s production, like most cult movies, is greater than 500 words, and it is a long and winding tale that led to Elaine May unfortunately never directing a big budget movie ever again, Coca-Cola getting out of the movie business entirely, and a box office loss of $41m. The film is a comedy that tells the story of two terrible and inept singer-songwriters played by Warren Beatty and Dustin Hoffman, who end up getting gigs as lounge singers in Morocco. They first arrive in the fictional country of Ishtar, where they get involved in a Cold War-era standoff between left-wing guerillas, the CIA, and the Emir of Ishtar over an ancient map. This culminates in the CIA being blackmailed by the protagonists’ agent over this map, forcing them to help Shira Assel, played by Isabelle Adjani, lead social reforms in Ishtar and to promote an album recorded by the protagonists, along with a tour beginning in Morocco.
I implore people to see this movie if they are fans of bonkers and over the top plots which realistically make little sense, are ridiculous, and are most of all just a lot of fun. It falls into a grey area of so-badit’s-good and it not being as bad as those old reviews make it out to be. It may not be for everybody’s tastes, but it certainly is for mine and many others. If anything, watch Ishtar for the last five minutes. Beatty and Hoffman’s performance certainly does not disappoint in that portion of the film! Ishtar (1987) was written and directed by Elaine May.
The plot summary I have written does not do the movie justice in how bonkers it truly is. This movie just goes well and truly off the rails when they go to Ishtar. The movie was critically polarising upon release, with some being more generous than others. Roger Ebert claimed the movie was “dreadful” and a “lumbering exercise in failed comedy” but the same Roger Ebert also claimed The Phantom Menace was a 3 ½ star out of 4 movie.
Cult Edition
33
c.
Lauren Facci
Comic Life Despite these emotions not being with him presently, there is a hope and an understanding that they may eventually re-enter his life, and he is content with that.
Matt Maltese’s newest song ‘Smile in the Face of the Devil’ from his upcoming EP Quiet Recordings is a piano-centric track that, from the very first listen, carries a similar magic to the rest of his discography.
Having been a listener since coming across his 2016 EP In a New Bed, it’s so special to watch as Maltese gains the long-awaited recognition he deserves. ‘As the World Caves In’, a previously well-loved track from his 2018 album Bad Contestant blowing up TikTok serves as another reminder of the increasing power social media wields over the music sphere, particularly as Maltese embarks on a nationwide tour of the United States and completes the European leg of his tour later this year. This success, paired with Maltese’s infectious personality behind the music which he allows listeners to glimpse at through his social media presence, makes him all the more intriguing as an artist and puts a face to his witty lyrics.
The song embodies having hope in the face of hopelessness, listening to the words “shift your upper lip and smile” leading you to feel yourself mirroring this action, creating somewhat of a laugh at your own woes in sonic form. This thoughtful lyricism is something which Maltese has truly mastered as he navigates his career, immersing his listeners in human emotion to begin reckoning with their own. Maltese writes lyrics that could only evolve from living through bleak winters in London, littered with satire, irony and a self-loathing pity we all dabble in. What makes the way he writes particularly striking is his approach to capturing moments of life through his lyrics, delivering them in such a way where you can’t help but find them endearing. Who else would consider the phrase “live laugh love” for a song, let alone add it to a track with such confidence?
Pushing through at his lowest and finding the humour in life, particularly throughout the last two years of the pandemic, proves that Maltese is in control. He might not yet know the ins and outs of life, but he does know how to create a tune about the simplest of human experiences, to turn them into something truly captivating.
Beyond the occasional comical lyric, Maltese explores his own experiences through a plethora of songs about the absence and presence of love, about happiness and hope; there is beauty in the way he frames these feelings.
Issue 02
34
c.
Beatrice Madamba
Young Urban Blak:
I’ve always kept my ancestry in the back of my mind as a defence mechanism from stereotyping how the contemporary Aboriginal person looks and talks. This all began in May 2021 when I finally decided to enter the first Mob-Only space after years of second-guessing my grandfather’s culture so I could make others feel comfortable. It was YIRRAMBOI Festival’s Aretha Brown x This Mob Mural Painting workshop, and I hadn’t bought a ticket because I didn’t believe deep down that I was blak enough to be accepted into a space that was for people just like me. It was 10 minutes until the bus and after reconsidering in my head a thousand times, I ran, brave and unapologetically into the new world. On the bus I sat toying at a world where my fair skin, blue eyes and blonde hair was the product of colonialism, love and acceptance and not my own. I sat on the train reading through my family tree because I was that afraid to enter a space made for people just like me, the Young Urban Blaks, but I didn’t know that yet. The Ngarara Willim Centre at RMIT had existed long before I came to study here but for years I never showed to an event because I didn’t feel Aboriginal enough to go to the events for people just like me. I stepped into the door of the Signal Arts building and asked the receptionist at the desk if I could join without a ticket, I walked up the stairs and my attitude changed. My shoulders felt a little lighter when I realised that I was looked at welcomingly, and not ostracised by my community. It hadn’t occurred to me that it was the wider Australian population that didn’t acknowledge my existence, out of shame or out of silence, but the community of young bright and blak inner city mob that accepted me with open arms. Since I was a boy, I had been fascinated with the Sydney Swans. I was the only member of my Essendon/Collingwood family and they would still allow me to represent the white and red since I was five. It’s only until a decade later when
A Year In Reflection Cult Edition
37
c.
I look back on the jumper to how I felt at the time and realise it wasn’t the colours that fascinated me, it was Michael O’Loughlin, Adam Goodes, through to Buddy Franklin that gave me a sense of hope and awe as my heroes. 37 was painted across my cheek, 37 was the number of my AusKick jersey. I was a Goodesy kid, and no one could take that away from me.
Jasper Riley
In teenage years, I didn’t believe that I was blak enough to enjoy the revival of my culture. I internalised this anxiety until I had forgotten my totem, my spirits and my country. But at the drop of my shoulders in the Signal Arts building, my eyes widened into the greater world of acceptance of Aboriginality and not the world of skin shades. In the last month, I first stepped into the Ngarara Willim Centre and not a single look of distrust or judgement came my way. I found myself amongst the most kind-hearted individuals and the most beautiful of RMIT’s communities. After years of studying here the services and events available to lost young mob just like me, was something I’ve only realised existed. The Uni Sports Indigenous Nationals, monthly yarning sessions, scholarships, equitable learning services and weekly lunches was only the tip of the iceberg to a world that welcomed me with open arms. Now, I realise. I am a WurundjeriWoiwurrung man that stands on the shoulders of giants. My totem is Kurung, the creek, and I have begun to influence my culture into my own works where my bright beaming creek totem stands in solidarity with me, in the urban abyss watching, in my photographic work. Us Young Urban Blaks have a long way to go together, but it’s our journey hand-in-hand that will ensure cultural survival for tomorrow. I welcome all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students to have a small visit, pop your head in the door, and experience the acceptance I felt a year ago in the left door of Building 5. Come and walk alongside me, as we all try to find our place in the colony.
Issue 02
38
c.
Jasper Riley
Ngoon Godgin
[Thankyou]
Charlie Stamatogiannis
Last month I moved states
And now every dish and Dirty sock is mine To grapple with I decide when the sun is let in And where the dust can rest And what sounds are permitted To tiptoe around, At least those bound within My walls Some days, I even Waltz Time around the kitchen What I say goes, and whatever Glasses shatter Are all mine to dance on I calibrate the air I move through: The direction in which it ebbs and flows The pressure with which it oppresses my shoulders The coolness at which it slides past my skin I am the moth of my own chrysalis, And this has been a manifestation.
Issue 02
40
c.
The Commodification of
It’s March 6, 2020. One of my last memories before the world changes...
Or maybe Cotton On will launch a limited edition Keith Haring collection of definitely sustainable clothing made by workers who are definitely paid a living and fair wage.
I’m at the NGV with my friend Holly, engulfed in an air of pretentiousness and swirling wine glasses. People are packed close together. We take a seat on a hard leather couch, gawking at an untitled Keith Haring painting and feeling out-of-place, outcasted, outwitted by the South Yarra socialites and St Kevin’s boys-turned-filmphotographers that surround us.
Haring’s effervescent prowess began booming in the early 1980s. A member of the growing alternative art scene, Haring began drawing on empty advertising panels in New York subways. Sometimes illustrating over forty artworks a day, commuters began recognising Haring’s work and from these early, humbler days, he amassed a dedicated cult of admiring followers. From then, Haring’s work – bouncy, unique and provocative – began appearing in an abundance of exhibitions, galleries and murals around the world, including one here in Collingwood.
One thing everyone in the gallery has in common, is that we all stare and gawk. We take in. We notice and look at the Haring and Basquiat artworks displayed for our pondering amusement. These artworks, made with heart and fire and history and personality, hung on the walls of the NGV for people to simply look at and move past, move on from. There’ll be another exhibition in a few months’ time, and these people, including myself, will forget about Haring and Basquiat for a while, although they’ll still be floating in the ether of pop culture and the Internet. Still around not physically, but atmospherically and intellectually to use in arguments about how the art scene has gone downhill, or how queerness wouldn’t be what it is today without them both.
Cult Edition
Haring’s works had always commented on society in some way, whether it be on love, addiction or most famously, the AIDS crisis. Right up until his passing at thirty-one from AIDS-related complications, Haring constantly caught the attention of the public admirably, angrily, and awe-inspiringly. Pretty profound artist.
41
c.
Savannah Selimi image by Kim Dumayne
Which is why it leaves a sour taste when brands commercialise off his work and the meanings behind them. UNIQLO and Tommy Hilfiger did so a few years ago, now with Cotton On following suit. The styles are cute; vibrant colours and displays of beloved, immediatelyrecognisable designs.
This was to the dismay of members of the art community, who incited that he was ‘selling out’ or giving into commerciality over individuality. What can’t be debated, is that Haring’s work is loved because it’s his work; timeless, earnest and revolutionary in its own way. It looks good on a T-shirt and he knew it first.
But these artworks, immersed in social commentary and ideations on human nature, have been plastered on $35 T-shirts with the urgency of ‘LIMITED TIME!’ advertised next to them.
Perhaps art can exist multidimensionally. Maybe Haring’s legacy is solidified through an NGV exhibition, in a heritage-listed mural, in a charity foundation, and when you walk passed someone with a Cotton On jumper portraying those iconic doodles that can only belong to one artist.
When I told my friend who works at Typo that I was writing this article, she told me that eight-per-cent of the proceeds go to the Keith Haring Foundation. It still feels disingenuous to have the lifetime legacies of one of the greatest artists of all time belittled to cotton threads and point additions to your Perks card. It makes me wonder, how do the true cult fans of Haring, who have studied and admire his work profoundly, feel about this? Perhaps more context is needed to deepen that question. At the height of his success, Haring opened ‘Pop Shop’, his own merchandise store in New York, which sold clothing items depicting his art.
Issue 02
42
@dosomething
.melbourne
c.
Tagging. It strikes an image within the mind’s eye. Illegible scrawl of lines and scribble on just about any surface. It has always been considered a degenerate form of art. Gross, crass and done with little to no thought. However, this is a story of a writer who saw something different in tagging one lonely commute. It was a word on a wall. But not just one wall. Everywhere. Up and down the line. The fences. The sidewalk. The bins. The windows. The church.
Rosé
It was not just a mish-mashed doodle fest of various strokes. It had curves. It had flair. It had personality.
Vivian Dobbie-Glazier
The word in question? ‘Rosé’. This was nothing short of inspiring. It was clearly an artist on the precipice of breaking new ground within their field. More investigation needed to be conducted into who this person was. What drew them to designing this tag? Why did they pick the word ‘rosé’? How were the locations chosen? Nevertheless, the game was afoot. The mission began by interviewing various commuters along the tram line. After all, this was the line that was home to their artwork. Surely someone had seen something one night travelling home. Perhaps, the mysterious artist might even reveal themselves in these interviews. Alas, this process proved fruitless, laughed at, scoffed upon. Even ignored completely. No answers. Nobody cared. Although, it should have been expected. Throughout history the rulebreakers and the gamechangers in art are looked down upon by an ignorant public that do not understand them. Give it time. They eventually come around. There was no time for this writer though. Answers needed to be found and a deadline needed to be met. Other methods were instead adopted. Something more direct.
Cult Edition
43
c.
For seven nights straight this writer waited at each location. Waiting and waiting in that little hatchback. The streets were empty except for the occasional cat or fox wandering the streets. Nobody walking up to a wall to make their mark. The sounds of the night were nothing but the echoes of passing cars and crickets buzzing. Not the shaking of a spray can. Obsession drove this waiting and waiting at 2AM every night. There was determination for this to be an artist profile that would subvert, excite, and shock. However, entering that seventh night defeated was nothing short of disappointing. Driving back home and passing all those original ‘rosé’s’ that started it all, a thought sprung from the shadows. The statement had been made. The installation of their work had been completed so to speak. ‘Rosé’ had moved onto different things. It was now time to move on as well. A deadline was fast approaching. Now, this writer needed to make their point. It was a good thing the artist never revealed themselves. Truth is boring. At its core, there was a magic in the art they created. Straying any further from that would never meet expectations. What was that magic? It was what caught the eye about them in the first place. It was that little wink and nod to those travelling along the tram line to friends, to the 9 to 5s or to a class that made it a little more exciting. It was the truest essence of punk, niche and subculture. It was ‘Rosé’.
Issue 02
44
c.
May MON
TUE
WED
THUR
FRI
SAT
SUN 1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
23.
24.
25.
26.
27.
28.
29.
30.
31.
VE Smoko Breakfast Food With Friends
VE Smoko Breakfast Food With Friends
Stress Less Week VE Smoko Breakfast Food With Friends
Compass Market Place Welfare on Wheels
Welfare on Wheels
Welfare on Wheels
Welfare on Wheels
Chill n’ Grill Band Night 1 & Only
Chill n’ Grill
Chill n’ Grill
National Sorry Day Chill n’ Grill Petting Zoo for Stress Less Week
notes:
collage by Beatrice Madamba
Back page