F RI DAY, SEPT EMB ER 13, 2019
ILLUSTRATION BY: ELOISE OWEN AND SAMUEL NELSON/THE HOYA
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FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 2019
THE HOYA
Brands Sell Expensive Stories to Younger Audiences
STEPHEN BOTSOE AND MICHELLE BROWN Hoya Staff Writers
Walking down Georgetown’s busy M Street, tourists and residents alike ogle and peruse the countless high-end stores that dot the street and purchase anything from Chanel makeup to Michael Kors handbags. These luxury stores found throughout the neighborhood encapsulate modern luxury retail culture — a lifestyle filled with decadence and glamour, but one that is affordable only to the few people with enough expendable income to indulge such expensive tastes. Modern luxury products now go viral often, confusing fashion writers with three-digit price tags for everyday items.
The summer 2017 release of new luxury products like Balenciaga’s Speed Trainers, criticized by one such writer as “a $700 sock with a sole,” raises important concerns about its practicality and wildly inaccessible price. Despite this pushback, the way in which the Speed Trainer dominated the market and generated massive social media hype suggests these brands are selling more than a structured handbag, leather belt or sock-turned-sneaker. Their products obviously communicate a wearer’s particular preference for elastic shoes, but they also tell a story of creativity and personal expression that brands work hard to sell as a fulfilling lifestyle, despite the fact that the meaningful experiences they advertise carry hefty, un-
realistic price tags. Despite the sustained appeal of names like Balenciaga, founded in 1919, fashion lines now rely extensively on generating social media hype to target a digitally connected and image-conscious audience that forges meaning and identity from its clothing, changing the strategies and markets of brands while still maintaining an exclusive and elite vision.
ALL EYES ON YOUNGER CONSUMERS
A 2019 report by Boston Consulting Group and Altagamma that surveyed 12,000 consumers in the 10 leading countries for luxury fashion sales indicates that these opulent brands have been immensely boosted by younger generations. The report predicts that millennials, those born from 1978 to 1992, will be responsible for 50% of spending in the personal luxury market by 2025. Social media buzz, online shopping and the effect of influencers make up some key trends that will continue to grow for at least the next six years and effectively reshape the luxury market, according to the report. By connecting to a growing urban and digitally savvy audience, brands like Gucci and Louis Vuitton have refocused their target audience to include younger people and have begun including streetwear trends and clothing into their marketing. However, what constitutes trendiness, determining the future of the luxury fashion industry, depends largely on the work that black people do as tastemakers for popular culture, according to
TOP: @BALENCIAGA/INSTAGRAM, BOTTOM: @GRLAGEORGETOWN/INSTAGRAM
Though many average users decry luxury product releases as nonfunctional or even not fashionable, the fact remains that these brands develop a passionate following that buys up entire stocks of high-end sneakers, glasses and bags.
Larry Taylor III (COL ’20), president of the Black Student Alliance, who personally incorporates luxury brands into his wardrobe. “You can look at Virgil [Abloh], who is the Men’s Artistic Director for Louis Vuitton, and think, ‘This man is a whole black man, and he’s putting on for the culture,’” said Taylor in an interview with The Hoya. “You have these high end brands like Louis Vuitton, Prada, Alexander McQueen and Gucci, even, shifting to urban clothing because that’s what’s hip, and that’s because, at the end of the day, black people make it hip.” Additionally, many companies have aimed to perfect the balance between exclusivity and transparency in order to successfully convince younger audiences that their expensive products come without environmental degradation. An industry webinar released by Nielsen, a market research firm, notes that the younger generation’s desire for sustainability and better business practices has also transformed the market. Seventy-three percent of consumers under age 34 reported being more willing to spend extra on a brand they consider to be environmentally and socially sustainable, according to Nielsen’s research.
A STORY SEWED IN CLOTH
Brand storytelling is a potent marketing technique for encouraging a relationship between the consumer and the logo on the product rather than the product itself. Companies seek to communicate to consumers their purpose and values to humanize their releases as a way to attract customers, according to Giulia Melidoni (COL ’22), who serves on the board of the Georgetown Retail and Luxury Association. “When a luxury brand is selling a product, it’s not all about the profit they will be making, but they are selling to their customers the story of the brand and its success. Luxury brands try to narrate the story of their origin, choice of craftsmanship, loyalty, excellence and premium quality,” Melidoni wrote in an email to The Hoya. “When GRLA invites speakers on the hilltop, these speakers share the stories of the brand they represent, bringing their vision to life.” In one recent campaign, Gucci released a collection of short films in collaboration with students from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts as a way to market its $790 extravagant Ultrapace sneaker. Each of the productions features young protagonists who find freedom and escape from mundane interactions through adventurous artistic and social endeavors. The four short films tap into subcultures and experiences to provide a sense of relatability and authenticity, or “brand belonging,” as the digital consulting firm Accenture Strategy terms it. Companies cannot easily fake this sense of authenticity; they have to take active, specific steps to curate it in a
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 2019 campaign, according to Emilia Ferrara (COL ’10), who teaches a course on fashion journalism and serves as editor for Capitally, a fashion and lifestyle magazine focused on sustainability. “When you look at Dolce and Gabbana’s ads, you can see that this notion of community and family is highly choreographed — it’s falsified — and it’s honestly pretty thrown together,” Ferrara said in an interview with The Hoya. “They could go even deeper, and look at the professors in that area, the bakery owners, the baristas and the people that you and I think of as our style icons because they’re in our midst and we know them” The collaborative fashion show between pop star Zendaya and Tommy Hilfiger at 2019’s New York Fashion Week is one example of a show that gets the portrayal of authenticity right by setting the personal brand, image and persona of Tommy Hilfiger aside and celebrating a different experience and narrative in the spotlight, according to Ferrara. The show took place at The Apollo in the New York City neighborhood Harlem, and Zendaya sought to reimagine the luxury brand to be inclusive toward women from all walks of life by booking models with diverse skin tones and body types, even though many of the line’s products range from $100 to $300, with some pieces going for over $1,000. “Designers are seeing the need to enter a cohesive world and sphere that already exists and belongs to an indigenous community, and showing it respect and being able to put on a show that brings those values to light and highlights them as opposed to trying to recreate them or rebuild them on a set,” Ferrara said.
INTERNATIONAL BRANDS, PERSONAL MEANINGS
For some Georgetown University students, their interactions with luxury fashion are part of larger elements of cultural identity formation. Using clothing to represent a larger lifestyle is not limited to the brand’s own work, but the reality that people’s choices to align with certain brands has class implications remains, according to Taylor. “There’s a class level to it, but there’s also a cultural aspect of it,” Taylor said. “I feel like that cultural aspect is supported not only by the fashion industry, but also like, hip-hop and music in general, just because I think that’s how certain people, including myself, find out about
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these brands.” Luxury clothing and fashion take on different meanings when considered within certain communities, and that importance can further encourage consumers to save up to make those kinds of expensive purchases, according to Taylor. “Within black culture in general, fashion is idolized. Most of the time it’s another form of art,” Taylor said. “When I started getting my own money, and was able to make my own purchases by myself, I think that was what allowed me to dive into what type of fashion I wanted to be a part of.” Despite the power and allure of high-end goods, an individual’s personal style and own sense of fashion constitutes the most important aspect of self-expression through clothing, according to Taylor. “People definitely feed into the hype of brands, but people also need to recognize that brands — no matter how high end they are — still release pieces of clothing that you could consider ugly,” Taylor said. “The brand is a bonus, but for me now, it’s more ‘So do I think this article of clothTOP: @GUCCI/INSTAGRAM, BOTTOM: @ZENDAYA/INSTAGRAM ing looks cool?’ I have to think about the longevity of A recent show by Tommy Hilfiger and Zendaya, above, at New York Fashion Week responded to consumers’ increasing desire for a believable, authentic campaign. it and the versatility of it.”
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FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 2019
THE HOYA
MOVIE REVIEW
‘This Is Not Berlin’ Vibrantly Depicts a Story of Self-Discovery Directed by: Hari Sama Starring: Xabiani Ponce de León, José Antonio Toledano SEAN FULMER Hoya Staff Writer
Evocative of recent masterpieces “Moonlight” and “Roma,” “This is Not Berlin” presents a brilliant coming-of-age story in Mexico City during the 1980s. Anchored by stunning performances and mesmerizing cinematography, the film amazes with a gorgeous narrative of exploring sexual identity and finding social acceptance in the margins of society. In this semi-autobiographical tale by Hari Sama, we are introduced to the main character Carlos (Xabiani Ponce de Leon) as he struggles to come to terms with his disillusionment with the fiercely heterosexual, masculine mainstream culture that he finds himself living in. However, Carlos discovers a different world when he is brought to the underground nightclub Azteca. Here, there is a thriving avant garde art collective and punk concert venue in which Carlos finds kinship and a sense of belonging. As Carlos and his best friend come to terms with their sexual identities, conflict arises between the two when their self-expression takes them in different directions. “This is Not Berlin” shares cinematic DNA with recent Oscar hopeful “Roma,” and not simply due to the fact that both take place in
Mexico City. Both films ground a touching semi-autobiographical tale of personal development in a backdrop of lower middle class Mexican society. Sama keeps his criticism of Mexican society subtle, which allows a beautiful story of personal growth and discovery to blossom and shine. The supporting acting performances are uniformly terrific, from the eccentric Nico (Mauro Sanchez Navarro) to Carlos’ best friend Gera (Jose Antonio Toledano). The cast brings each character to life and creates a believable portrayal of Carlos’ gradual exploration of the Mexico City underground. The entire setting and culture feels completely natural and reflects Sama’s draw upon his own life as the inspiration for the film. The supporting cast performs so well that they relegate Oscar nominee Marina de Tavira of “Roma” fame to a small and underutilized role as Carlos’ depressed mother. Instead of presenting an honest look at the complexities of managing depression while parenting, her mental status merely creates an opportunity for Carlos to experiment with prescription pills. Although promotional materials heavily feature her presence in the film, Tavira is not given enough material to shine as she did in Alfonso Cuaron’s masterpiece. Cinematographer Alfredo Altamirano shak-
ily lingers on his subject, a cinematographic move that harkens back to “Moonlight,” directed by Barry Jenkins. The camera lurches throughout the busy nightclub, sparking Carlos’ transformation in a manner that causes the viewer to feel intimately aware of their surroundings. The comparison to “Moonlight” does not stop at the gorgeous cinematography. Both films eschew the typical plot-heavy nature of coming-of-age stories and instead concentrate on the personal development that each protagonist endures as they grow and learn more about the world. Themes of sexual identity and social isolation reverberate throughout the two movies and perfectly encapsulate the casual, subtle homophobia that queer people face on a daily basis. In “This is Not Berlin,” Carlos experiences social exclusion due to small expressions of his sexual identity, which the film is careful to not exaggerate. Even the slightest declaration of a queer identity can result in complete segregation from straight peers. However, Sama avoids obsessing over the trauma queer people face. He allows them to experience pure joy and success, mostly within the safe walls of the nightclub. This approach is unfortunately groundbreaking by Hollywood standards, where movies about
marginalized groups often only get made when they heavily focus on misfortune and grief. “This is Not Berlin” is not without its faults. Specifically, Sama falters in his lack of scrutiny of the underground scene that Carlos finds himself immersed in. Although the art scene he joins espouses progressive rhetoric, they appear to confuse grandiose statements and selfdestructive behaviors for actual activism. It is unclear if the director intended the collective to function as a satire or if he genuinely supports their actions, which muddles the film’s clarity of theme. Furthermore, there is little to no mention of the AIDS crisis, which almost destroyed the LGBTQ community in the 1980s. Instead, Sama opts to idealize this hazy utopia of the nightclub; the film depicts the rampant drug use and casual sex present in the underground culture as free of real-life consequences. Despite the slight hiccups, “This is Not Berlin” offers an unflinching and personal depiction of one young, queer person’s journey of self-discovery. Sama welcomes the viewer into his own childhood and replicates his experiences of rebellion, sexual exploration and the euphoria of having a safe space to discover one’s true self.
SAMUEL GOLDWYN FILMS
“This is Not Berlin” offers a queer coming-of-age story that is both skillfully conceived and compellingly performed. The film blends social realism with self-possessed introspection to deliver an engaging tale that, despite some tonal confusion, ultimately impresses.
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 2019
THE HOYA
B5
MOVIE REVIEW
‘The Goldfinch’ Missteps With Poor Pacing, Slow Plot Directed by: John Crowley Starring: Ansel Elgort, Oakes Fegley, Luke Wilson ANNAH OTIS
Hoya Staff Writer
Director John Crowley’s $40 million film adaptation of Donna Tartt’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel “The Goldfinch” repeats its source material’s structural flaws and fails to offer an adaptation worth its runtime. Those who enjoyed Tartt’s epic tale of love and loss or the painting that inspired it all will be disappointed by the film’s poor storytelling and unnecessary length. The film’s protagonist is 13-year-old Theodore Decker (Oakes Fegley), a serious boy who loses his mother to a terrorist bombing at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and subsequently takes up residence with the pompous Barbour family on the Upper East Side of New York City. Theodore’s life takes a turn for the worse when his estranged father (Luke Wilson) whisks him off to Las Vegas in hopes of pillaging Theodore’s late mother’s bank accounts; this situation is only one of the hardships that will follow Theodore throughout his life. The ensuing months are fraught with child abuse, with irresponsible guard-
ians surrounding Theodore with self-destructive behaviors that haunt him later on. Life eventually brings Theodore back to New York, and at this point Ansel Elgort takes over from Fegley to portray an older protagonist. The transition is a relief because Fegley, a child actor, has to endure so much before the film makes the switch in actors that he appears completely overwhelmed by Theodore’s maturity, and the character ends up feeling inauthentic near the end of his arc of the narrative. Elgort deftly inhabits the role with more success than Fegley realistically could have, given his young age and the dark subject matter. Hovering in the background of Theodore’s traumatic life, which seems improbably plagued by just about every human vice and misfortune, is the artwork that gives the work its name: the 1614 Fabritius painting of a goldfinch chained to a cage. A series of flashbacks reveal how Theodore scrambled from the museum’s wreckage with painting in hand, intent on keeping one last reminder of his dead mother and the fated incident that sent his life in a tailspin. The painting ends up circling in and
out of Theodore’s life, and its location determines every new direction that he takes. Despite run-ins with the law and a serious abuse of drugs and alcohol, Theodore sees the work of art as one of the only constants in his tumultuous career and lifestyle, a theme that persists throughout the movie and ground its over-ambitious and expansive plot. The movie’s ending partially satisfies, but only comes after two and a half hours of moderately entertaining content. Tartt’s original novel spans over 700 pages and drags on at certain points, and viewers will quickly recognize that the movie mirrors the book almost completely, even its source material’s flaws. The filmmakers decide to transfer many of the flashback scenes present in the book as well. Unfortunately, these time shifts are poorly executed, and, as a result, the plot becomes fragmented and confusing. Following the book’s pacing so closely proves a fatal mistake for the film, as scenes linger too long and time starts to lose meaning as it repeatedly shifts from past to present. By packing so much content into the movie, some scenes start to feel unnecessary and bog the story down.
Audience members who make it to the closing scene at least receive gratifying moral lessons on life, death and immortality in one of the film’s stronger parts. “The Goldfinch” painting is an enduring masterpiece that survives each twist of the film’s plot despite all odds, and the film concludes by reflecting on the way the painting serves as an indifferent witness to so many of the film’s pivotal, often violent moments. Like the painting, Theodore also beats the odds by overcoming his childhood challenges and drug addiction; even the deaths he witnesses are ultimately treated as tokens of life’s transience in the film’s final moments. Here, a glimmer of potential sparks, but the sheer amount of plot that has to occur before arriving at this redeeming moment immensely dilutes its power. “The Goldfinch” may draw a few tears or incite musings on life and death, but it cannot lay claim to greatness. The movie’s nearly three-hour runtime might be better spent reading Tartt’s book or even taking an afternoon to enjoy paintings at the National Gallery of Art. As this film proves, a bestselling book does not necessarily translate into a hit movie.
AMAZON STUDIOS
“The Goldfinch” follows its source material without addressing the structural issues that arise when converting a book with over 700 pages into a concise, purposeful film. The movie eventually offers meaningful insights, but only after a convoluted plot that confuses with its excessive jumps in time.
B6
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 2019
THE HOYA
RECORD REWIND
After Identity Crisis, Taylor Swift Returns to Roots Ellie Yang “Lover,” Taylor Swift’s latest release, sees the megastar return to the never-ending love present in her early albums, veering away from the icy and tough persona curated on her previous release “reputation.” However, this renewed embrace of her famously bright persona doesn’t necessarily translate into a coherent artistic development. My column will take an artist like Swift and attempt to examine an album through the context of the artist’s discography and artistic identity. I believe music is a chain of interrelated releases, and no album exists in a vacuum. Swift’s discography largely maintained a coherent narrative arc, but things began to change after “Red:” a chic urban girl walks out of “1989,” which is replete with songs that illustrate dreamy romance in the metropolis of New York City. This emphasis on where the love stories happen
has drastically changed how Swift defines herself musically: She is now a big-city girl singing pop songs, not singing country songs about small-town romance like on “Love Story.” Three years later, in 2017, “reputation” added a new complexity to her image: Swift declares her rebirth and transforms into a fearless woman ready to confront all her detractors. With the ferocious thumping beat of “Look What You Made Me Do” and the bold demands of “End Game,” Swift further embraced the industrial sounds and unforgiving lifestyle of the modern city. Inconsistencies begin to seep out of the world of “Lover,” however, with the jarring transition from “reputation” and contradictions present on the album itself. To be fair, Swift does assert the same independence found in her recent releases, albeit through a completely changed sonic and visual identity. Declarative lyrics like “I promise you’ll never find another like me” and “I’m ready for combat” carry on the torch of self-love and confidence from her last album through the three lead singles. Likewise, album opener “I Forgot That You Existed” touches on the joys of being liberated from an unsatisfactory relationship that denied her self-worth. While the promotional singles continue to
highlight her confidence, “Cruel Summer” and “Lover” then hone in on her desires for reciprocated love. Throughout the album, happiness follows disappointment, followed once again by happiness. Here, Swift no longer claims the ceaseless confidence and ends up somewhere between her earlier pining for love and her later gradual refutation of it, leading to a slightly muddled persona when taken as a whole. By including all emotions she experiences from love in one album, Swift deprives “Lover” of a coherent message and paints a picture of an artist at a crossroads. Given the emotional rollercoaster throughout the album, Swift also hesitates to declare whether her happiness comes from herself or a relationship. The irony of such uncertainty is most evident in the music video of “ME!” While the song celebrates the individual with lines like “I’m the only one of me,” the music video features a narrative of two lovers’ quarrel, one that ends up pacified when Swift’s lover offers her a bouquet. Instead of a recognition that being alone could be sufficient, the narrative arc still ends up centering the relationship. Still, Swift’s newest iteration of her identity isn’t without precedent. If anything, Swift has left behind her bold statements
made in “reputation” and returned to some of the themes that defined her early albums. Because “Lover” focuses so deeply on her conflicted internal feelings and longing for romance, it could even fit between “Speak Now” and “Red.” By returning to her older styles rather than completely forging another new one, “Lover” uses this precedent to make more sense in context of her whole repertoire. Similarly, the new album cover and music videos extensively feature a bright color scheme that directly clashes with the edgy and rebellious attitude on the cover of “reputation.” Despite the dissonance from her recent releases, this aesthetic change harkens back to her earliest albums. These questions about Swift’s identity, though serious, do not diminish how much I enjoy some songs from “Lover.” Out of the album’s varied and realistic portrayals of the many facets of love, you just might find one that will help better your understanding of the fraught emotion. In that sense, “Lover” may fail to provide any cohesive message, but that exact failure lets the album appeal to fans of any one of Swift’s eras. Ellie Yang is a junior in the College. RECORD REWIND appears in print and online every other Friday.
BECOMING U
Interrogate Your Internalized Biases Nicole Marion As I’m walking back from the gym with my friend one humid March afternoon, our conversation about which boys we think are cute leads to a startling confession; my friend admits that she often feels pressured to perform oral sex to avoid doing anything more serious with a partner. When I question her further, she tells me that this act is never reciprocated and only expected from her. The poll quickly traveled to other girls in our friend group, and the results were mostly the same. Unwilling to have intercourse, many of my friends have resorted to participating in oral sex for nothing in return. As I reflect on this observation, I come to one conclusion: frequently, this pressure is not explicitly coming from the men they hook up with; it’s coming from an internal desire to please that has been instilled in women
for generations and manifests itself in many aspects of a woman’s social life. It’s almost too easy to blame the girls who make the same “mistakes” with men without addressing the internalized pressure placed upon women to please without reciprocation. Instead of dissecting this, though, people frequently feed into the discourse of blaming women for being either too desperate or not confident enough. I refuse to believe that the naivety of these women explains the constant fear and uneasiness that come with sexual encounters, especially when voicing their own concerns. Still, from an early age, the world around me has taught me to both sympathize with boys who rely on manipulation and only applaud the women who refuse to participate. The media paints a picture of good men who can’t love until they find a girl who is the perfect balance of willing and hard to get, opinionated but not too outspoken, a feminist but not a man-hater and sweet but not a pushover. The women he consistently takes advantage of in the process bear the brunt of the fault for any failure to maintain this balance. As I fell for the love story being fed to us, I began to accept the fact that maybe some women
simply are the more desperate ones. In the process, we contribute to a complicated system that, whether a woman gets labeled as desperate or not, she still ends up feeling isolated and ashamed of her experiences. I’ve been taught as a young woman that when other women get played, they should have known better — which is just a nicer way of blaming them for something that was not their fault. When she believes the lies a romantic partner tells her, I instinctively question why she allowed herself to be treated that way instead of recognizing she was simply trying to fit into a box that is impossible to conform to. Ever so sneakily, we are taught to validate men who play women and condemn the same women for not being able to strike the perfect balance of what their partner supposedly wants. As a result, you have women who believe that the only solution to these feelings of alienation is to keep giving with the hope that eventually, maybe, the system will work out for them. I’ve learned to stop judging myself and others when things don’t work out. Not all men are out to play, but that doesn’t make feeling disrespected or belittled by a player any less hurtful; recognize
that your feelings are valid, and that despite living in a world where you will consistently be blamed for emotional distress, these feelings are not your fault. It’s up to you to rewrite your own narrative. The advice I’ve gathered from my friends and own experiences has led me to focus on making decisions based on what I want, not what I think others want — and that applies to any gender, any time, any relationship. However, desires aren’t neutral, inevitable things; the system teaches us what to want, and we have to interrogate our own internalized pressures to know what we truly hope for. It’s okay to be a little selfish and ask yourself what you want out of any kind of relationship — whether it’s for one night or two years. Changing a harmful mindset takes time and patience, but it is possible. Throughout this column, I want to share my own experiences and mistakes as a way to either guide you or, at the very least, remind you that you’re not alone in struggling to achieve the so-called “perfect balance” in all aspects of life. Nicole Marion is a sophomore in the College. BECOMING U appears in print and online every other Friday.
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 2019
THE HOYA
B7
MOVIE REVIEW
MAGNOLIA PICTURES
The success of Janice Engel’s recent documentary is twofold: “Raise Hell: The Life & Times of Molly Ivins” at once solidifies the acclaimed political columnist’s legacy as a prolific journalist and memorializes her charisma, sharp wit and infectious humor. The captivating film is sure to inspire activists and change-makers alike.
‘Raise Hell’ Examines Molly Ivins’ Life, Legacy Directed by: Janice Engel Featuring: Rachel Maddow, Dan Rather, Harold Cook ZAIN SANDHU Hoya Staff Writer
Director Janice Engel’s latest documentary, “Raise Hell: The Life & Times of Molly Ivins,” enshrines the life, legacy and wit of acclaimed journalist Molly Ivins, a charismatic and confident 6-foot tall liberal woman from Texas, with a well-paced tribute film that captures the charm and moxie of its subject. The film boasts an impressive lineup of interviewed guests, including acclaimed journalists such as Rachel Maddow, Anne Lamott and Victor Navasky, as well as a rich array of people near and dear to Ivins herself. The resulting film presents a tableau that covers nearly every relevant aspect of the journalist’s life, while still maintaining the spark and energy she radiated to those around her. Engels uses the natural chronology of Ivins’ life to make up the bulk of the story line for the documentary, showing the journalist’s evolution from a child growing up in a wealthy conservative family into a staunchly progressive writer and advocate. Ivins’ political transformation is fasci-
nating to watch unfold, in large part due to the conservative nature of her home state, Texas. The film does a great job reminding its viewers that Ivins grew up in a place where the “American selfidentity was on steroids” — meaning, of course, that the political majority surrounding her at the time was almost entirely conservative. Forrest Wilder, an editor of the Texas Observer, drives this point home during the documentary by remarking, “Texas is more American than America is.” Thus, Ivins’ evolution towards a more radically left worldview is all the more enticing given the context in which she grew up. “Raise Hell” hits all the right landmarks in Ivins’ life — from arguing with her father about politics at the dinner table to moving all the way to Massachusetts to attend Smith College — to ensure this progression feels natural. The documentary also highlights Ivins’ intersection and involvement with the burgeoning civil rights movement in America during the 1960s. Working in Texas, a state wracked with institutional racism as well as one where the civil rights movement failed to gain a lot of traction, she defied the odds of her
upbringing by becoming an outspoken supporter of the civil rights movement through her cutting criticism of the Texas legislature. Engel’s juxtaposition of Texas’ conservatism with Ivins’ unabashed liberalism serves to show just how she used her education to help elevate silenced voices in light of systemic oppression. Ivins died in 2007 from breast cancer, but Engel does not let Ivins’ current absence impede on her ability to pay tribute to the famed journalist. The documentary is saturated with footage from throughout Ivins’ life — clips of her in interviews and talks, dubbed-over written letters and candid photographs of her from various eras of her life. Through these primary sources, we are given a window not only into the narrative arc of Ivins’ life, but into the charisma, quips and sense of humor that became so closely tied to her identity and her politics. Despite the sheer amount of material used to tell Ivins’ story here, the editing in “Raise Hell” remains impressive and fluid. Old video clips and archival material are interspersed with photos from Molly’s young adulthood and layered
with clips of current interviewees as well as Texan country music. Each interview clip links thoughtfully and purposefully to the next and weave together to form a 93-minute narrative that flows seamlessly. Though the source material already proves interesting, the pacing in this documentary lends itself to a certain momentum that prevents the documentary from dragging on. “Raise Hell” does not include many voices in opposition to Ivins’ politics or life journey. However, this doesn’t mean that the documentary’s portrait of her lacks depth. Engel still provides a holistic view of Ivins and her life. Most notably, her onscreen friends’ and family’s discussion of her struggles with alcohol helps humanize her without getting in the way of appreciation for her work. “Raise Hell” humanizes and pays tribute to the trailblazing Molly Ivins. Engel demonstrates a genuine appreciation for the journalist’s work without overfawning and romanticizing her impacts. The film serves as a reminder for why people loved Ivins so much during her heyday and introduces the journalist to a new generation of activists and change-makers.
B8
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 2019
THE HOYA
What to Do in DC
MUSIC
New Releases
ZAIN SANDHU Hoya Staff Writer
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ALLAN NAVARRO Hoya Staff Writer
ART ALL NIGHT: MADE IN DC
On Saturday, Sept. 14, Washington, D.C., will be hosting its annual free overnight arts festival. The Art All Night festival will run from 7 p.m. until 3 a.m. and will take place across eight D.C. Main Streets neighborhoods, showcasing the wide array of talent within the District. The festival will include music, visual arts, fashion, dance and other creative mediums.
CAMILA CABELLO ‘LIAR’
CAMILA CABELLO
Pop superstar Camila Cabello continues to release singles in anticipation of her long-awaited sophomore album “Romance” later this year. After a much publicized relationship with fellow pop star Shawn Mendes, “Liar” sees Cabello reflect on her inability to stop herself from falling in love and being swept away by her feelings over a jazzy latin instrumental.
JOHN MAYER ‘CARRY ME AWAY’
JOHN MAYER
Singer-songwriter John Mayer returns with the acoustic ballad “Carry Me Away.” In his second single released during a busy year of touring, Mayer ruminates to an airy beat on how comfortable and boring his life has gotten and how he wants someone to show him the way to new beginnings.
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ART ALL NIGHT DC/FACEBOOK
ORNAMENT: FRAGMENTS OF BYZANTINE FASHION
The Dumbarton Oaks Museum in Georgetown is hosting a new fashioncentered exhibit featuring the ornate textiles that belonged to the people of medieval Egypt in their graves. This collection of uncommon clothes and fabric sheds light not only on the people who wore them but on the customs of the time from which they were born as well. The exhibit will run until Jan. 5.
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@DUMBARTONOAKS/INSTAGRAM
DC WINE FEST: FALL EDITION
DC Wine Fest is an elevated wine-tasting experience taking place at the National Union Building on F Street. The festival, which takes place on Saturday, Sept. 14, celebrates some of the best wines from across the globe. Musical guests and other forms of live entertainment will play throughout the night to curate the best possible ambiance for the night. FAT JOE
ALESSIA CARA
FAT JOE, CARDI B AND ANUEL ALESSIA CARA AA ‘OCTOBER’ ‘YES’ The final track off her EP “This SumBronx rapper Fat Joe teams up with Cardi B and latin trap superstar Anuel AA on the crowd-pleasing club track “YES.” Employing a ringing trap beat, the track mixes Fat Joe and Cardi B’s Bronx heritage with a hard-hitting verse in Spanish from Anuel AA including lines referencing Pablo Escobar, making for an exciting and upbeat listen.
mer,” Alessia Cara’s “October” represents both the closing of the record and the end of her career-changing summer. The track is an emotional journey in which Cara contemplates everything that happened over the summer as an opening act on Shawn Mendes’ nationwide tour and reflects on how much she will miss the experience.
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DC WINE FEST/FACEBOOK
THEATRE WEEK 2019
Theatre Week is a 19-day celebration of the beginning of theater season in the area. Running from Sept. 10 to 29, Theatre Week is a great opportunity to experience D.C.’s diverse professional theater community and vibrant programming. There will be musicals, comedies, a kickoff party and more exciting events. All tickets are priced between $15 and $35 and are available at TodayTix. @SIGTHEATRE/INSTAGRAM
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 2019
THE HOYA
B9
ALBUM REVIEW
@APPLEMUSIC/INSTAGRAM
Shedding some of her older lyrics that romanticized troubling relationship dynamics and idolized problematic men, Lana Del Rey refocuses her lyrical talent to celebrate complex stories of loss, sadness and cautious hope. “Norman F-----g Rockwell” shows Del Rey at her strongest with a new look on life.
Lana Del Rey Reimagines Aesthetic for New Era ‘NORMAN F-----G ROCKWELL’
LANA DEL REY JULIANNA ALBUQUERQUE Hoya Staff Writer
Lana Del Rey’s sixth studio album “Norman F-----g Rockwell!” marks a watershed in the singer’s career and image. Featuring her typical dreamy, psychedelic sound and sharp yet escapist lyrics, Del Rey innovates her style and overall persona by revamping the subject matter of her songs. The record still latches onto the sweetly sad and darkly romantic ballads listeners have come to expect of the singer, but now they come with an interesting, apparent feminist twist. Gone is the woman who, on previous albums, has glorified and romanticized selfimportant, big shot men. The woman who once sang about “Dying by the hand / Of a foreign man / Happily” on “Salvatore,” a track from 2015’s “Honeymoon” and pleaded “I need you to come here and save me” in “Off to The Races” from her debut album “Born to Die” has disappeared from the album. Del Rey now seems to have discovered certain degrees of pride and self-worth in her own independence and femininity. Instead of submitting herself to these men’s whims and desires, she now subverts expectations by poking fun at their larger-than-life personalities.
She starts the album with this new attitude toward the men she once fawned over, cleverly discussing modern gender politics and female exasperation at men’s inability to hold themselves accountable for their own lives. “Goddamn, man-child,” she croons in the opener, “Your poetry’s bad and you blame the news.” The whole track contains thinly veiled insults toward ego-inflated men who see themselves as more than what they truly are. Paired with her soft vocals and slow rhythm, the meaning does not seem heavyhanded at all; it carries the message across simply and effectively. This more revolutionary angle to Del Rey’s songs comes after she herself has made changes to previous tracks with problematic gender dynamics: “He hit me / And it felt like a kiss,”’ she says in the song “Ultraviolence” from her eponymous third studio album. In recent performances of the track, however, she omits these particular lyrics, according to a 2017 Pitchfork interview. “I don’t like it. I don’t. I don’t sing it. I sing ‘Ultraviolence’ but I don’t sing that line anymore. Having someone be aggressive in a relationship was the only relationship I knew,” Del Rey said. Del Rey refreshes listeners, then, to see her
now embrace her empowered, independent self on tracks like “Mariners Apartment Complex,” in which she presents herself as an unapologetically complicated woman: “Think about it, the darkness, the deepness / All the things that make me who I am.” “Doin’ Time,” a cover of a Sublime song, perfectly merges the old and the new, putting a fresh spin on a staple song. What Lana Del Rey has done on this song translates well to the rest of the album — it is an amazing collection of current worries and desires crashing into her now-iconic old America lyrics and imagery. Politics have also played an important role in the singer’s shift in persona. Del Rey, who frequently used to perform in front of an American flag, has now modified her stage props, ditching the Americana visuals in light of President Donald Trump’s election. Political statements such as her subtle changes of aesthetic and lyrical digs, while not being the central focus of the album, certainly get their time to shine and make appearances on tracks like “hope is a dangerous thing for a woman like me to have - but i have it.” Del Rey opens up about being “a modern day woman with a weak constitution” when facing the current political atmosphere but
still having hope for the future and overcoming difficult times. The whole album’s lyrical, dreamy vibe is reminiscent of vintage classics, and teamed with Del Rey’s soothing vocals, listening to “Norman F-----g Rockwell!” in one go is a cathartic experience. The record finds its niche in that peculiar gray space between sad and tentatively hopeful, perfectly blending in melancholy, nostalgia and deep introspection when looking toward the rapidly incoming future. With their hollow beats, orchestral backing and languid vocals, the tracks mesh well with one another, but it may be difficult at times to discern one from the other. This interweaving of the tracks makes them lose their individuality, but turns the piece as a whole into complex tapestry. Listening to the album in one sitting invokes a trancelike atmosphere in which the world is narrowed down to Del Rey’s darkly fantastical daydream, one which now more than ever begins to anchor itself in the political and social landscape of reality. “Norman F-----g Rockwell!” deserves every ounce of praise it has received for showcasing Del Rey maintaining her own artistry while still updating it to be deliberately and cuttingly relevant for the music world of today.
THE HOYA
B10
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 2019
ART REVIEW
CONCERT REVIEW
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2019
THE HO
SMITHSONIAN AMERICAN ART MUSEUM
Glass artist Ginny Ruffner brings the Renwick Gallery’s latest exhibit to life by incorporating techonology into the experience. Encouraging the viewer to use augmented reality to fully explore the space, the novel exhibit adds a new dimension to the art world while maintaining the works’ aesthetic beauty.
‘Reforestation of Imagination’ Colors Art With AR TIMOTHY MCNULTY Hoya Staff Writer
Glass-sculpted tree trunks with bright, painted tree rings on gray rock formations fill a small exhibition room at the Renwick Gallery. Without the aid of the exhibit’s app, the room seems barren and as a whole underwhelming. The magic of the exhibit, however, lies in its use of augmented reality technology to populate the room with lush, imaginative plants, challenging the limits inherent in physical art installations. The exhibit, titled “Reforestation of the Imagination” opened in late June and runs until Jan. 5, 2020, represents the latest development in Seattle-based glass artist Ginny Ruffner’s expansive career. The exhibit combines her meticulous attention to detail with lush flora and fauna that only sprout up when digitally summoned by viewing the exhibit through a tablet or smartphone screen. AR technology relies on a visitor looking through their cellphone or museumprovided tablet to read specific patterns that then tells the device to render the plants on the screen through an app, and Ruffner has ingeniously painted these patterns into the tree rings that
decorate the stumps. Both the gray tones of the stone platforms and the crystallized glass stumps make the exhibit initially feel bleak and desolate; the room seems to have space for vibrant life until the visitors pass over each stump with a smartphone camera. The clear glass stumps paired with the warm and organic colors of the tree rings visually indicate the main tension present throughout the exhibit: the natural world intersecting with and at times becoming part of the manufactured world. Similarly, the 3D-modeled and digitally colored flora of Ruffner’s digital botanical garden are themselves fusions of the natural with the fabricated, seen especially in the plants the artist imagined with names such as pyrus fenestrata, or “pear with windows,” a pear with literal windows bore into its sides. The artist named every plant similarly, following Latin naming conventions to flesh out her reimagined natural world. Ruffner designed each AR plant, and prototypical sketches hang around the room and were compiled in a book that documents each plant’s name, tree ring pattern and 3D rendering. The exhibit showcases not only Ruffner’s technical
skill with glasswork, but also her dedication to worldbuilding and creativity even in such a relatively small exhibit. While examining each plant through the freeing lens of AR, the plants shed the limiting possibilities that would have constrained them if they had just been carved from glass. In a charming example of Ruffner’s creativity, one tall flower slowly blows a bubble that rises across the screen at disappears at its edge as the stem and leaves of the plant undulate slowly and consistently. In contrast to the monotone physical staging pieces of the exhibit, the digital plants, rendered in part by Seattle animator Grant Kirkpatrick, feature vibrant colors and lush leaves. Some even have textures overlaid on the flowers, giving the plants an otherworldly and alien feel. In moments like these, the novelty of the exhibit and potential for artistic innovation become clear. By playing with the natural and the artificial, the tangible and the digital, Ruffner creates a visually striking and engaging exhibit that builds upon her glasswork career rather than overshadowing it. In the same vein, however, the limits of the technology itself make up the ex-
hibit’s weakest moments. The tree ring codes prove finicky to capture in just the right light and from just the correct distance in order to get the digital plants to appear. Even once a plant manifests on the stump, the AR sometimes gets stuck recalibrating, making the plant jump around the screen unintentionally. Additionally, each tree ring only makes one plant appear. Even though the plant’s designs are intriguing and eye-catching, the one plant per tree ring code setup still leaves the installation feeling slightly sparse. Despite these technological limitations, the mere premise and innovation of the exhibit makes it worth a visit to the Renwick Gallery. Ruffner clearly crafted each plant with thoughtfulness, and she offers an exhibit that highlights the complexity and beauty of showcasing the natural world through a digital lens. The use of AR pushes the exhibit to occupy a daring space in art where installations no longer have to comply with the physical limits of their mediums; opening art to interact with the digital sphere fundamentally changes the potential of art exhibits by expanding the definition of what is possible for artists.
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 2019
THE HOYA
B11
ALBUM REVIEW
EARTHGANG Offers Novel Take on Atlanta Hip-Hop ‘Mirrorland’
EARTHGANG ALLAN NAVARRO Hoya Staff Writer
Atlanta hip-hop duo EARTHGANG fortifies its standing among rap’s most promising newcomers on its first major label debut, “Mirrorland,” with fun, bouncy bars over eclectic production with roots in funk music. EARTHGANG, composed of rappers Johnny Venus and Doctur Dot, has been recording and releasing music on and off since its inception in 2008. Inspired by 1990s Southern hip-hop, jazz, soul and funk, the duo has drawn comparisons to Atlanta rap royalty such as Outkast and CeeLo Green. In early 2017, the duo signed to the J. Cole-led Dreamville Records imprint and saw its stardom and impact begin to rise. Across 2017 and 2018, the pair released a bevy of EPs and singles, the highlight among which was “Meditate,” featuring fellow Dreamville signee J.I.D and putting both acts on the radar for casual and hardcore hip-hop fans alike. After the duo’s contributions to five tracks off Dreamville’s collective record, “Revenge of the Dreamers III,” earlier this year, “Mirrorland” represents EARTHGANG’s first proper long-form release and introduces two new exciting voices to the eclectic and diverse hip-hop landscape. The album’s single, “Proud of U,” fea-
turing fellow Atlanta rapper Young Thug, perfectly encapsulates the spirit of the record. The Venus produced track reflects on the love and pride both acts feel toward the women in their lives. In doing so, each artist uses high-pitched vocal inflections to punctuate a hook featuring a choppy vocal rendition of the song’s title. On the album, “Proud of U” is the final of a trio of tracks on the record with messages that spread fun and generate excitement. “Top Down” features a story of running away from the police and riding around the city unworried. In the middle of the tracks, “Bank” asserts both Dot and Venus’ aim for longevity in the hip-hop business, warning that their other contemporaries only look for short-term clout. One key theme that arises across the album is Dot and Venus’ eschewing of the hip-hop mainstream. Any one of their songs features their trademark warped vocal inflection, strange sonic choices and unusual lyrical content that makes them easy to distinguish, much like collaborator Young Thug’s own outlandish but effective artistic moves. Tracks like “LaLa Challenge” and “Blue Moon” do an excellent job of cultivating this unique sound while simultaneously calling back to the sounds of Atlanta funk and soul. By wearing its influences so clearly on its sleeve, EARTHGANG aims to act as a bridge between the sound of
older generations and the music of the future in a way that few other artists have accomplished. The latter half of the album is laden with features. The T-Pain assisted track “Tequila” is a party anthem with vocals reminiscent of something T-Pain would have released a decade ago. “Trippin” sees Dot and Venus riff about relationships gone amiss, featuring a Kehlani verse at the track’s closing. The rap duo benefits immensely from bouncing off the energy of its various A-list feature artists. These tracks do well to break up what can at times become a monotonous listen. While EARTHGANG positions itself solidly at the forefront of the avantgarde in hip-hop music, tracks on the album, especially in the closing half, begin to bleed into one another. While maintaining a distinct character throughout the record, the album forms more of a big-picture tapestry with each
track contributing to the last in new and novel ways. Some songs would not stand well on their own, but combined with the others they form a more coherent, if at times repetitive, picture of the group. In this way, the LP has a cohesive nature which is rarely seen in hip-hop today. Some of today’s biggest albums feature overblown track listings that seek to game the streaming algorithm, rejecting a cohesive narrative in favor of a massive album that will attract the most listeners. EARTHGANG aims to break up what has become the status quo with hip-hop on “Mirrorland.” Its implementation of daring production choices and vocal inflections achieves the goal of distinguishing itself from the modern hip-hop zeitgeist. While the album does overextend itself at points, “Mirrorland” serves as EARTHGANG’s first introduction to the hip-hop landscape and situates itself as a power-duo to look out for in the future.
@EARTHGANG/INSTAGRAM
EARTHGANG’s major label debut album, “Mirrorland,” introduces the duo to the mainstream hip-hop landscape with innovative musical choices. By blending the sounds of 1990s Atlanta hip-hop in the vein of OutKast with modern banging trap instrumentals and strange lyrical moments, EARTHGANG showcases its staying power across the album.
ILLUSTRATION BY: SAMUEL NELSON/THE HOYA