The Founder October 2022

Women, life, freedom

The case of Mahsa Amini shook the world when on September 16th she was murdered by the Iranian regime’s “morality police”. The young woman, only 22, was waiting for a train when she was detained and severely beaten by police for refusing to comply with Iran’s ruling on wearing the hijab, which has been mandatory since 1983.

On social media, the hashtag #MahsaAmini has trended on multiple plat forms including TikTok and Instagram while ex ceeding 1.6 million men tions on Twitter (as of Sep tember 18th) according to Reuters.

Iranian women have also cut their hair and uploaded videos doing so onto social media platforms in solidari ty with Amini and as a form of protest. Iranians have also taken to the streets to protest the repression of women in their country, with multiple people being killed and wounded since these demonstrations start ed.

This however is not an is sue unique to the Iranian people. Women globally have been protesting the killing of Mahsa Amini, chanting “zan, zendegi, azadi” which translates to “women, life, freedom”.

They too feel the burden of being women in a pa triarchal society despite being physically far away from the Iranian state. For centuries, women have been forced to hand over control of their bodies to men, with refusal to do so usually resulting in severe punishment, so that those in power may maintain this control.

A recent example of this is seen in the overturn of Roe v. Wade on June 24th 2022, which outlawed abortion in many states.

Brave New World by Aldous Huxley P.15

The monster in Netflix’s Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story P.5

KENZA

Source: Getty Images. An Iranian woman, Nasibe Samsaei, cuts her hair in support of protests in Iran

The Nord Stream sabotage: Geopolitical Cluedo

MAYA SINGHARAY| CONTENT WRITER

On Monday, September 26th, Seismographers on the Danish island of Bornholm between Poland and Sweden detected two sharp pressure drops. After military investigations, the Danes observed two leaks in the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines, which serve as Europe’s primary source of natural gas running from Russia to Germany through the Baltic Sea.

Swedish Authorities reported the leaks as products of three explosions, which caused a detectable earthquake of magnitude 1.8. Furthermore, an anonymous British security source claims that remotely detonated mines could have been responsible for this “attack” and that they could have been deposited on both pipes, months or even years prior, via the use of underwater drone technology. Key powers in Europe were quick to publicly conclude unanimously that the pipelines were sabotaged; howev er, this rather concerning turn of events has sparked a furious game of geopo litical Cluedo with the West pointing their fingers at Russia meanwhile the Kremlin points at the United States (US).

The Kremlin has an underwater tech nological advantage dominating in the Baltic, combined with its possession of the most potentially devastating Po seidon nuclear submarine (which has abandoned its latest post).

It circumstantially positions Moscow at the crime scene given that the EU was coincidentally inaugurating the “Baltic Pipe” in an attempt to substitute Russian gas for Norwegian. However, the Kremlin destroying the only strategic economic bargaining chip in the battle against sanctions is beyond questionable. On the other hand, the US has gained dominance in the European Liquified Natural Gas market since the sabotage with a reduction in competition. Furthermore, President Biden explicitly stated in a press conference, three months prior to the invasion of Ukraine, in the event of invasion, the US would swiftly “put an end to Nord Stream”.

This sinister turn of environmental terrorism, however, has left Europe perfectly divided and on the precipice of collapse as winter draws nearer.

The

Founder

Board

2022 - 2023

Editor in Chief/Deputy Editor

Ali Krausova/Chloe Boulton editor@thefounder.co.uk/deputyeditor@thefounder.co.uk

Managing Editor

Devesh Sood managingeditor@thefounder.co.uk

Publishing & Creative Designer

Alisa Khodyryeva designer@thefounder.co.uk

News Editor

Robyn Spink news@thefounder.co.uk

Features Editor

Daniel Pepin features@thefounder.co.uk

Opinon and Debate Editor

Joel Davies opinion@thefounder.co.uk

Lifestyle Editor Molly Ainley lifestyle@thefounder.co.uk

Sports Editor

Iman Ahmed sportseditor@thefounder.co.uk

Illustrator

Tabitha Turner illustrator@thefounder.co.uk

Arts Editor

Lily Birch arts@thefounder.co.uk

Literary Review Editor

Viktoria Praczko literaryreview@thefounder.co.uk

Music Editor Anna Armelin music@thefounder.co.uk

Film Editor

Jethro Robathan film@thefounder.co.uk

The Founder is the independent student newspaper of Royal Holloway, University of London. This means we are not affiliated to the student union or the college. We pride ourselves on our investigative journalism and aim to keep our readers up to date with news on and off campus. The views expressed in this publication are those of the author and not necessarily those of the Editor, particularly of opinion and debate pieces. Every effort has been made to contact the holders of copyright for any material used in this issue, and to ensure the accuracy of its stories.

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Missile strikes on Ukrainian cities in response to Crimean

ROBYN SPINK| NEWS EDITOR

Source: The Telegraph (October 2022)

Russian President Vladimir Putin has claimed that missile strikes on Ukraine’s capital Kyiv, along with other major cities, are in retaliation to the attack which took place on 8th October on the Kerch Bridge. The Kerch Bridge, which connects the Russian region of Krasnodar Krai to the annexed Crimean Peninsula, was a key route for Russian military supplies. It was inaugurated in May 2018 by Vladimir Putin after illegally annexing Crimea, describing it as “the construction of the century”. The bridge was hit by an alleged truck bomb, destroying two motorway sections of it into the sea, with Ukraine denying any involvement.

The significance of the Kerch Bridge for the Russian military and their access to supplies means that Russia may soon be unable to move troops into Ukraine and will be lim ited in their fuel supplies.

Vladimir Putin has described recent attacks on Ukraine’s energy, communications, and military infrastructure as a result of its “terrorist action” against Russia. 75 missiles were fired, with 41 being neutralised by air defence, into major Ukrainian cities, including Lviv, Dnipro, Zaporizhzhia, Ternopil, Zhytomyr and Kyiv. 14 people were reportedly killed, with at least 97 injured nationwide.

The Kerch Bridge has since partially reopened following the explosion, including the railway.

Iranian’s stand in solidarity for women’s right to freedom

NEVE WATSON | CONTENT WRITER

Commencing 16th of September, streams of protests have broken out in Iran which challenge the country's strict Hijab laws for women. Across the country, women have been removing headscarves and throwing them into bonfires in acts of defiance against the government. The unrest has surfaced after Mahsa Amini, who was detained for breaking Hijab laws, died following suspected acts of police brutality and torture.

The current law imposed on women in Iran states that women who don’t wear the Hijab can face a large fine or a prison sentence. The “morality police” have been established to enforce the manda tory Hijab and prosecute those who do not comply. Reflecting wider government agendas, the law aims to maintain distinct so cial order, within which women are expected to practise modesty and conservatism.

Protestors’ demonstrations reflect dec ades of discontentment with how leaders run the country, and the implications au thoritarian rule has had on women. The last two decades have seen vari ous movements challenging the way the country is run, with women calling for advanced rights and equality. Separating the recent movement from the rest is the convergence of both men and women, mobilising participants from all socio economic backgrounds, particularly that of the younger generation.

This round of protests has also seen increasingly poignant gestures of defiance which advocate for a reformed society which places freedom and equality at the forefront.

Iranian authorities have responded to the unrest thus far by media censorship to restrict communication between protestors. Social media platforms have been temporarily blocked for citizens and global connections have been cut off. Despite attempts to constrain the uprising by the Iranian government, the civil rights protests have spread worldwide. In cities all over the world demonstrations using the slogan “Women, life, liberty” have formed in support of Iranian protestors.

Why do my relationships keep failing?

ALICIA PRYOR | CONTENT WRITER

Relationships are fundamental to our lives. Whether it be with partners, friends, or family. The fact is that humans are social creatures, and we need connections to thrive. That is why it is a surprise that no one really teaches us how to navigate relationships besides, perhaps, the people who raise us. Most of the relationships in our lives succeed or fail through trial and error. Figuring out what we do and do not like about others, and perhaps what is right and wrong within our own behaviour.

The core elements of romantic re lationships are how we perceive ourselves, our partners and most importantly - how we attach to our partners. British psychologist John Bowlby first theorised that the way we attach to our caregiv ers, dependent on the opportunity for attachment and quality caregiv ing received as babies, strongly im pacts how we form and maintain attachments in our adult relation ships. When I could not place this staggering, overwhelming anxiety that told me to immediately leave every time I entered a relationship (or sometimes even before), I felt a sense of ruination.

I was destined to be alone forever, living out the rest of my life as a crazy cat lady. But despite feeling this impending sense of doom, I still wanted to figure out what was wrong within myself. Eventually, I discovered that what I had been feeling for years was due to my fearful avoidant attachment style. I felt a wave of relief when I could finally place a name on what I had been enduring for so long. Even though I did not know how to solve my issues just yet, there were resources and solutions to what I had thought was unfixable within me.

The four main attachment styles in mainstream psychology are as such:

1. Secure - Self-assured, direct, responsive

2. Preoccupied - Self-doubting, anxious, sensitive

3. Dismissive - Self-reliant, avoidant, distant

4. Fearful - Self-sabotaging, unpredictable, isolated

The history of the Unofficial Bridgerton Musical and Netflix lawsuit

LAURA BLOOMFIELD | CONTENT WRITER

The Unofficial Bridgerton Musical, created by Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear, started on TikTok in early 2021 (similar to the Ratatouille musical). Initially, Netflix was excited by the TikTok musical, tweeting that they were “absolutely blown away” by Barlow and Bear’s work. Bridgerton’s cast and author, Julia Quinn, also originally praised the musical. The musical was helpful for the show’s success as it increased its publicity.

This a problem for Netflix as Barlow and Bear did not have the intellectual property rights to Bridgerton, which is what led to the lawsuit.

On July 26th 2022, the company Barlow & Bear hosted a sold-out concert at the Kennedy Centre in Washington, D.C. The show featured the National Symphony Orchestra and Broadway performers.

Source: Instagram @markconlan

It is not impossible for people to become secure even with the most extreme case of insecure attachment styles. There is a vast amount of research on attachment styles spanning more than 40 years of development. With the help of therapy, or more easily accessible online resources (i.e. Thais Gibson on YouTube and the book Attached by Amir Leven and Rachel S. F. Heller), people with insecure attachment styles can better understand what it is that they have, and how to overcome it.

The most important steps to healing are to identify, acknowledge and want to change the way we operate in our relationships in a healthy manner. It may feel difficult or even impossible to heal at times, but there is nothing more rewarding than finally overcoming an obstacle in such a crucial component of human life.

Barlow and Bear recorded an album for The Unofficial Bridgerton Musical, which ended up winning a Grammy for Best Musical Theatre Album in 2022. However, this moved The Unofficial Bridgerton Musical from a TikTok creation to a profitable business (along with “An Evening with Barlow and Bear” performed at the Underbelly Speigeltent, Leicester Square on 22 November 2021).

Ticket prices went up to $149, increasing the opportunities for monetary gain from The Unofficial Bridgerton Musical. On July 29th 2022, Netflix sued Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear and their company for copyright infringement. The lawsuit stated that Barlow & Bear committed “blatant infringement of intellectual property rights” through The Unofficial Bridgerton Musical, which directly quotes from the television show. The lawsuit caused another in-person performance, which was scheduled for September 20th 2022 at the Royal Albert Hall, to be cancelled.

The lawsuit stated that “the copyright and trademark laws do not allow Barlow & Bear to appropriate others” creative work and goodwill to benefit themselves. Originally, Barlow and Bear were going to have an in-person charity show, which Netflix was aware of. Unlike the other in-person shows this would not have benefited them monetarily. A charity show would have also been similar to the charity performance that the Ratatouille musical did.

In the lawsuit, it appears that Barlow and Bear were offered the chance to negotiate a license for The Unofficial Bridgerton Musical that would allow them to have live performances. However, the license was declined. By pursuing with their in-person shows, Netflix said it “threatens” its plans to expand the Bridgerton Experience in the UK. Hence by performing their musical in-person, Barlow and Bear reduced Netflix’s profit from their official Bridgerton events.

On September 23rd 2022, the lawsuit was closed “with prejudice”, meaning that Netflix cannot refile the lawsuit. A reason has not been given for why the lawsuit was dropped.

Over lockdown, other musicals were created on TikTok, such as the Ratatouille musical. However, the difference between the Ratatouille musical and The Unofficial Bridgerton Musical is that the former did not pursue monetary gain - it was more a collaborative and fun lockdown pastime. Demonstrating the dangers faced by Barlow and Bear faced as they progressed beyond the safety of TikTok into the uncertainty of the commercial world.

The monster in Netflix’s Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story

Recently, a pair of Jeffrey Dahmer’s glasses have been sold for over £100,000 pounds. This comes after the recent release of the Netflix series Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story. And this is not the only thing the website “Cult Collectibles” sells of Dahmer’s either. One featured product is Dahmer’s kindergarten school project selling for about £4,000. There is an entire subculture based on selling and purchasing items related to true crime. True crime has become a commodity. A focus on the sensational details of the crime and killer with a significant lack of attention towards the actual victims.

This is the very case with Monster, wherein the focus is not on the victims themselves, but on a bingeable version of crimes committed. The site “Cult Collectables”, much like the series, does very little for the actual victims of the heinous crime, rather it profits off them. None of the money made on the site goes to the victims. rovided no support for Dahmer’s victims and their families. This is a symptom of a much larger problem of the commodification of trauma and victims. In the same week, Netflix also released a biopic called Blonde, which like Monster, has been called exploitative, shocking and, as Jack King writes for GQ, “little more than sluggish torture porn”.

Source: 1991 Mugshot of Jeffery Dahmer, Fbi.com, 2014.

KATHERINA HOI | CONTENT WRITER

Source: barlowandbear.com

Blonde tries to tell the story of Marilyn Monroe, but it loses itself in the fictionalised events it attempts to pass for truth. Like with Monster, in an attempt to entertain, the real horrors and stories of the victims have been lost.

The promotion for this series seemed more akin to fictional series than documentaries. With Evan Peters playing the lead (touching American Horror Story fans) his cult following will worship him in any role, even if it is Dahmer.

Already audiences have taken to social media to post selfies with promotional posters with “#Dahmer”. The serial killer who has ruined dozens of lives is being turned into a trend and a, very likely, Halloween costume.

The series itself has been criticised by the families of the victims. Rita Isbell, sister of Dahmer’s victim Errol Lindsey, states that she was never contacted by the show in her Insider article. Monster was upsetting for Isbell, stating “this show is about Netflix trying to get paid”. The dramatization of Dahmer’s crimes blurs the lines between entertainment and education.

The series itself appears now in the Trending section of Netflix, right next to Heartbreak High and Gilmore Girls.

In a series too close to fiction, a level of empathy and understanding has been sacrificed in favour of a cash grab. It is not an issue of enjoying true crime, it is an issue of companies profiting off a story that does not belong to them but instead belongs to the victims.

Are these apes not bored enough?

DANIEL PEPIN | FEATURES EDITOR

Source: @damienhirst, Instagram

Iam sorry to have to remind you, but NFT’s are still a thing. It is true that the public view on non-fungible tokens has drastically changed from when they first took the internet by storm in 2021 – popularised with the Bored Ape Yacht Club. They are now seen as a bad joke and a symbol of the “crypto-bro’s” fragile ego. However, the form of digital art has persevered and perverted like an oily stain on a white shirt. Turner prize-winning Artist Damien Hirst is known for his divisiveness and controversy within the art industry.

Making a name for himself in the midnineties and going to be a source of heated debate due to his provocative artwork such as a dead shark floating in formaldehyde and For the Love of God, a diamond-encrusted 18th-century human skull. Perhaps it should come as no sur prise then, that Hirst has attached himself to the NFT craze in a scandalous way. In 2021, he painted a new collection of 10,000 pieces entitled The Currency with every single piece having a digital NFT counterpart. When these artworks, many of which bore Hirst’s iconic dotted patterns, came on sale the purchaser was made to choose whether they wanted the physical copy or the NFT. This choice came as a price. Hirst promised that he would burn the physical version of every NFT copy sold. 4,851 pieces were chosen to be NFT’s. Damien Hirst is burning nearly 5,000 pieces of irreplaceable art. Hirst has come to his own defence on Instagram and claims that he is not “burning millions of dollars of art” and is actually transferring the value of the pieces to the NFT’s once the art is burnt.

This is extremely questionable logic. NFT’s are already heralded as the death of art by many people so it is a swift kick in the teeth to see them not only defended but promoted by a famous artist. A writer would not defend book burning. It is everything they stand against as NFT’s are to the true meaning of art. Defined by Oxford Languages as “human creative skill and imagination, producing works to be appreciated primarily for their beauty or emotional power”. Where is the emotion in a collection of pixels on a screen? Where can one find imagination and passion in that cold, blue light? Not to mention the obscene waste of money. Hirst’s decision to lean into a dying trend calls into question his authenticity as many believe this to be a publicity stunt or cash grab.

There is no doubt that NFT’s are a fad that is rapidly losing steam. The cryptothemed restaurant Bored and Hungry accepted cryptocurrency upon opening earlier this year yet no longer does due to their volatility after popularity crashes. The ego-stroking mad world of crypto and NFT’s is, thankfully, declining yet it is leaving devastating impacts on the art world on its way out.

OPINION AND DEBATE

From “most hated woman” to Queen Consort

OLIVIA SCATTERGOOD | CONTENT WRITER

From wicked stepmother to Queen Consort, how did Camilla Parker Bowles go through such a dramatic public relations transformation? Could the answer simply be in the turnaround of press portrayal or the work of the royal PR machine? Or has the public come to recognise a genuine likeability in the royal who was once dubbed “the most hated woman in Britain”? Older generations were introduced to Camilla through the infamous tragedy that was the marriage of then Prince Charles and Diana. Camilla was painted as the woman who destroyed the fairy-tale, but the truth is less straightforward. The reality is though, that Charles and Camilla had reportedly been in love years before Diana had been on the scene.

History has a way of repeating itself within the royal family as we can recall through the ill-fated relationship of Princess Marga ret and Peter Townsend, as both were forbidden to be together by the institution. Charles and Camilla suffered a similar fate. Their love affair began in the 1970s but came to a halt when Camilla was not deemed appro priate enough for a future Queen. Diana however, a 16-year-old girl when she first met Charles, was someone who the institution may have believed they could mould into their perfect queen, consid ering her young and impression able position.

The ending of these two love af fairs, separated by 30 years in his tory, are examples of when “the firm” has overplayed its hand in the personal lives of the royals, and how misery ultimately fol lowed.

Whatever the public may think of Camilla’s role in the past, she has ultimately brought some stability to Charles, and in turn, the stability of the monarchy, standing by her partner as he steps into his new role as King. This is vital if he is to fulfil his role to build and improve relations between the United Kingdom and the rest of the world. Camilla has not been idle either, as she has worked to support over 90 charities, including in areas of domestic violence, where she recently pioneered a scheme to provide toiletry bags for women who have undergone medical examinations for sexual assault.

The younger generations do not have the same emotional connection to the late people’s princess, so it may be argued they can face the new royal couple with a more objective viewpoint. It could be argued that while Camilla has not filled the position of “people’s princess” as Diana once did, she has an important role as the new Queen Consort in relation to Charles and the country, and that can count for much more.

We should rightfully call out the inappropriate and unbecoming behaviour of our national figureheads, but as a nation we should not always expect the perfect fairy-tale, and to be able to box real and complex people into strict roles based on events that happened over 30 years ago.

It is possible to view the story of Charles, Diana, and Camilla as a simple, yet complicated, love story, a storyline which is often repeated in the families of everyday people. Unfortunately for them, however, it must play out on the world stage, and perhaps through this mindset, the public view of Camilla Parker-Bowles has shifted through time.

Source: Getty Images

OPINION AND DEBATE 8

The EU’s “Let Them Drown” policy

HANA NABIZADA | CONTENT WRITER

Europe’s increasing hostility towards migrants seeking asylum has reached an alltime high, with their policies exacerbating the already deathly crossing migrants make across the Mediterranean Sea. This issue was brought to the attention of the world’s media once with the death of 2-year-old Alan Kurdi in 2015, but it has since slipped down the news agenda once again.

According to the Missing Migrants Project, nearly 25,000 migrants have gone missing or dead in the Mediterranean Sea since 2014. The biggest cause of death? Drowning.

The European Union and many European countries have abandoned policies that have led to more dangerous crossings, specifically abandoning search and rescue services.

According to a Human Rights Watch report, there are no EU ships patrolling areas where many boats enter distress and aerial surveillance is conducted not for the purposes of rescue, but interceptions and returns. The EU has gone as far as supporting Libyan forces in intercepting boats through the use of aerial surveillance and drones deployed by Frontex (the EU border agency), resulting in thousands of migrants being sent back to Libya where they ultimately face abuse, torture, and exploitation.

The failure of the EU and European countries in keeping their promises and international commitments made to aid and rescue migrants only allows for human rights abuses against them to be made easier. Agreements such as the Global Compact for Migrants, albeit nonlegally binding and five EU countries having not signed it, are not being upheld.

It is very clear that EU countries are not attempting to adequately “save lives and establish coordinated international efforts on missing migrants”, the eighth objective of the GCM.

The EU seems to be following a very similar approach to the UK made in 2014, in which the UK announced they would no longer be supporting search and rescue operations in the Mediterranean Sea. This unpopular policy was then dubbed the “let them drown” policy by British media, and rightly so.

It only makes one wonder how many more Alan Kurdi’s must be allowed to happen before the EU and the rest of the world realise the horrors of their policies.

Continued from the front page:

Women, almost overnight, had suddenly lost control of their bodily autonomy and reproductive health after five Supreme Court justices (four of whom were men) voted that there is no constitutional right to abortion access in the United States.

Refusal to comply with these new rulings varies by state, with Texas and other Southern states having some of the harshest penalties, including up to life in prison.

Inevitably, many women could also lose their lives as a result of illegal abortions which follow abortion bans due to doctors not wanting to risk their careers by performing them.

Some Western commentators have framed this as an issue of religion or “backwards Middle Eastern culture” which Iranians need to be “saved from”, but this is a misleading narrative. The real issue here is a pattern which can be seen globally.

The Iranian government must remove the laws which led to Mahsa Amini’s death and must remove their repressive morality police from operation, but why?

Because these laws and rules restrict women’s freedoms. As aforementioned, women in the US also suffer from repressive governmental control of their bodies which is something that Iranian women can also relate to.

Any state interference in a woman’s personal life has no place in modern society, and regardless of nationality, women must advocate for transnational feminism to liberate women from patriarchal practices which govern, oppress and exploit women globally.

Source: REUTERS, refugees and migrants awaiting rescue in the Mediterranean Sea

Miss ADHD’S myths

MOLLY AINLEY | LIFESTYLE EDITOR

ADHD is one of the most common neurodevelopment disorders today, with 2%-5% of children being thought to have it, however, the general public’s grasp on the realities of this disorder is limited.

With the research and expert knowledge of Richard Evans who is an educational expert and founder of The Profs, and my own understanding, there is an aim to debunk some myths. These myths are often spread due to a lack of education and information but also due to assumptions which can lead to incorrect rumours. It does not take very long to research any disorder, especially when using NHS websites, so I do advise all readers to not just inform themselves about ADHD but any disorder which affects their friends, family or those close to them. The simple act of knowing is the first step of support.

Mad myths:

1.

Only boys have ADHD

Although boys receive an ADHD diagnosis 4x more than girls in the UK. Girls do in fact have ADHD too, and often the symptoms appear differently. Despite boys often being more hyperactive physically, girls will feel this hyperactivity inwardly. It is more than often girls will be told their symptoms are anxiety or depression and therefore go undiagnosed.

2. ADHD is not a real medical disorder

Research has proven that people with ADHD have different brains, including differences in the production and performance of dopamine, norepinephrine and glutamate.

In addition, there is evidence to suggest it is hereditary.

I myself have heard people say “everyone has ADHD”/ ”everyone is a little ADHD” and both these comments (or those alike) undermine the severity of ADHD and the legitimacy of it.

3. ADHD is misdiagnosed

The symptoms of ADHD should be taken seriously as they have large effects on every aspect of a person’s life. The suggestion of misdiagnosis harms those who are seeking a diagnosis. There is underdiagnosis for girls, disadvantaged families and people of colour and this idea of misdiagnosis makes it even harder for them to access treatment.

There are many other myths concerning ADHD, however, by the time we would have debunked them all there would be a thousand more. I believe the only way to ever truly understand something is to extensively research and ask people (if they are comfortable) about it. Even then you will never be able to understand what it is like in their shoes.

If I could tell anyone who is trying to be there for someone with ADHD or be there for someone awaiting an assessment, it would be to be understanding, and I do not mean blindly. I mean remember they are human being who is trying. You are entitled to be frustrated, but more often than not with any neurodevelopment disorder, the person with it is 100% more frustrated.

If you wish to seek other myths in relation to this piece being debunked head to The Profs or email monisha@authority.com. Also, happy October. Have a spooky time and check on your friends.

Source: Illustator Tabitha Turner

How to deal with the change in seasons

CHLOE PLUMMER | CONTENT WRITER

The change in seasons from the warm and hazy summer to the cosy and brisker autumn is annually a shock to the system. There are so many positive connotations to the chillier season of autumn such as an excuse to drink more hot chocolate, wear warm jumpers and snuggle with a blanket rewatching comfort series.

However, with the days becoming shorter and the darkness slowly increasing in the morning and evenings, it is understandable that people do struggle with motiva tion or to get up and go. Here are some ideas to try and combat the effects of getting low in the au tumn months and navigate how to deal with the change in seasons.

1. Romanticise everyday things

Now this may seem like a vein or unrealistic way to deal with any seasonal depression that you may be feeling but honestly this can work wonders in terms of motivation. If you are a person that thrives off organisation, then make sure that your time is still valued in the autumn months.

The darker mornings are no excuse for letting go of any good habits that you have adopted this year. So, by making a realistic and rewarding list with some fun or enjoyable tasks as well will help the feeling of defeat in the darker months. If you are someone who needs a reward to motivate the execution of tasks, promise yourself a coffee from the library or spend some time making your favourite soup. The incorporation of positive rewards throughout the day will allow a balance of productivity and enjoyment, producing positive attachments to getting things done.

Source: Chloe Plummer

2. Watch your Sleep Schedule

This is crucial and probably the biggest to be affected by the change in seasons, due to the decrease in sunlight hours causing a slow in the body clock, a sleep schedule is imperative. Too much sleep can cause anxiety, an increase in napping and a lack of enthusiasm, whereas too little sleep can affect your attention span, eating habits and irritability. Improving your sleep schedule can prove difficult, however, there is technology available that can massively help maintain a good amount of sleep. There are lamps which mimic the sunrise, with a choice of what time the light slowly wakes you up in a natural way. As The Independent explains, natural light “increases the levels of serotonin in the brain”.

3. Move your Body

As the colder weather is amongst us, what better time to join a gym or a cycling group? Exercise is an amazing way to promote endorphins and act as a distraction from the gloomy weather, becoming active can increase confidence and improve mental health, it can also be a social and enjoyable idea to do as well. If you factor in about 3 hours of exercise a week your concentration can develop and can make autumn feel a little less daunting and tedious.

Weird Sensation Feels Good: The artistry behind ASMR

KAYLEIGH TAYLOR | CONTENT WRITER

ASMR, Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response, is the feeling of reactionary tingles as part of a “braingasm” to certain stimuli. Traced back to 2009 and the rise of online creators, ASMR has become a worldwide phenomenon that explores the influences on human emotion. James Taylor-Foster’s Weird Sensation Feels Good opened in Stockholm in 2020 but has moved to its new home at the Design Museum, where viewers are asked a question fast growing in the ASMR community – is ASMR art or a science?

Of all the expected things found in an ASMR exhibition, a lubricated, mechanical tongue dripping into a bucket probably is not on your list. This performative sculpture by Tobias Bradford is marketing attention to the gallery for its suggestive nature. Once viewers get over the artificial tongue drooling man-made saliva, the piece demonstrates how we, the emotionally advanced, are affected by the emotionless. The creation shows that human emotion can be subliminally manipulated using a variety of utensils, just as ASMR videos positively affect the brain’s response. Such exaggerated and experimental pieces enhance our understanding of the digital intimacy of ASMR (found in its positive and therefore vulnerable nature), and the frustrating emotional economy being built.

If the inanimate has this power, then, the focus on videos and their relationship to art is the main consideration of the Weird Sensation exhibit. One key moment is the Bob Ross room, an area dedicated to the repopularised artist gaining credit in the ASMR community, where viewers can watch ‘The Joy of Painting’ on retro TVs. The bean bags and headphones provided immerse the viewer into Ross’ world and provide the audio-visual definitions of ASMR as art, central to the exhibit’s claim.

Whilst Bob Ross creates tingles through his expression, his artwork creates its own ASMR due to the natural response we experience when regarding it, much like the fission created when we encounter visual and audio stimuli.

So, when did ASMR truly start if we have always had artwork? This is the only factor not considered by the exhibition. Whilst there are walls of logs presenting the first Wikipedia pages and Facebook charters dating 2012, the exhibition does not look further back into a world where ASMR’s online presence did not exist. If ASMR is a natural bodily response, then it has always been experienced and not just present in its commercialisation.

Addictive Beat by Boundless Theatre

LILY BIRCH | ARTS EDITOR

Ultimately, this narrower period of ASMR, and let’s appreciate this is a 40-year-span, gives enough exploration of how the mind and body is affected by the art created. There are plenty of videos littering the hall and, essentially, an ASMR heaven in the form of a cushioned cinema room documenting ASMR’s journey. And, if watching ASMR fails to convince you, the Meridians Meet studio allows you to produce your own ASMR with other gallery-goers. You can spend an unlimited time in the hall and the exhibition answers its question perfectly, that ASMR is art because ASMR is feeling, and this is a perfect conclusion to the exhibition.

Combining

live music with theatre, Boundless Theatre’s Addictive Beat is an immersive and provocative play, written by Dawn King, that explores themes of obsession and addiction to the soundtrack of an underground rave. The plot itself is driven by creating music and depicts the desires of Alex (Fionn Whitehead) and Robbi (Boadicea Ricketts) as they attempt to break through into fame with the innovative new sound they create together.

However, this drive for recog nition consumes their lives and they fall into an endless cycle of waking up, making music, burning out, and repeating as their once euphoric track turns wickedly addictive and danger ous. On September 23rd I went to South East London where Boundless Theatre was utilis ing a former mission church to put on their newest play. With the play being set in a club, the small, slightly dingy church was a perfect setting for recreating the feeling of being immersed and claustrophobic.

In addition, the audience stood for the show, to further play into the feeling of this being set in a club, but it also being a live gig too. The stage is placed in the centre with the audience surrounding, allowing more interaction between the audience and the actors as they push past and stumble through to reach different sections of the church. This decision paid off successfully as the audience danced along with the actors, when the DJ (DJ Anikdote) played songs, feeling what the characters felt when they created the ultimate club tune.

Source: @bobross_thejoyofpainting, Instagram

Source: ‘Fionn Whitehead & Boadicea Ricketts, Addictive Beat, Harry Elletson’

Before watching the play, I had a few expectations of what I thought it would entail, but it was a lot darker than I originally thought. Tackling themes of addiction and breakdowns was not something I thought would be explored. However, with the mention of binaural drugs, King had a very interesting concept to experiment with.

The play suddenly became slightly less realistic but was brought back by the two realising that they should choose the path of artistic integrity instead of commercial success. The play takes multiple twists and turns, going from innocent bonding between two childhood friends to an intervention that could change the course of their lives. With the amazing dedication of the actors and the musical atmosphere,

How pop culture changed Halloween

LILY BIRCH | ARTS EDITOR

At the mention of Halloween, the first things that come to mind are usually costumes, sweets, and parties; the origins of the holiday, however, were a completely different occasion to what we now celebrate.

Halloween is based on the Pagan festival, Samhain, where Celtic cults believed that Halloween was a night when supernatural spirits and creatures could return to earth from the dead. Some people saw this as a way to reconnect with their loved ones who had passed, whereas others were very cautious of this night; the latter mentality being that which has most impacted the modern tradition of Halloween.

People dressed up in disguise to escape the evil spirits and trick them into thinking that they were one of their own to avoid any bad energy. This is why people dress up for Halloween, but the idea of the ‘costume’ has evolved greatly throughout history. Before the 1900s, most costumes were homemade, and though there is little information about the designs, it is assumed that they were made from animal skin. With the intention of these costumes being to blend in with the spirits that were out to terrorise the living, they of course had to be scary. With masks made from animal heads and cloaks made of animal skin, this was undoubtedly the time in history when costumes were at their scariest.

The interpretation of Halloween taken by the Victorians began to steer away from the original tradition, and they dressed up in costumes for fun. With the rise of the gothic, costumes such as bats, witches, and skeletons became increasingly popular.

Despite Halloween primarily being a European tradition up to this point, migration patterns carried this holiday over to America where they embraced this tradition enthusiastically. The 1920s brought around a big change to Halloween and the concept began to be commercialised, and manufacturers realised that they could start making money around this time of year. This expanded the variety of costumes that were available, and spikes in politics and the introduction of pop culture into Halloween steered manufacturers in the direction of which costumes would be most popular in that year. was most popular throughout the year and took focus away from scary costumes.

The golden age of television meant that pop culture was a more prominent part of Halloween than ever before, in turn this increased the popularity of costumes inspired by the media that .

By looking at the most successful television series and films that have been released this year, it is fairly easy to predict which costume will be the most popular. Some of the predictions for the most popular costumes for this year is anyone from Stranger Things season four (most likely Eddie), anyone from the Marvel universe (usually being Wanda and Spiderman) and this year in particular with the release of Minions: the Rise of Gru, expect children dressed as Minions, everywhere. Despite not everyone choosing to celebrate the holiday, Halloween is still an interesting time to get creative and observe how other people choose to express themselves through a costume.

Source: Unsplash

Review of the vibrant works of Donatella Versace’s Spring Summer 2022 Runway Collection

CHLOE PLUMMER | CONTENT WRITER

The collection presented at Milan Fashion Week by Donatella Versace was nothing short of fashion perfection. The theme is clear: colour is back with a vengeance. Versace displayed every vibrant hue imaginable whilst still managing to avoid Barbie-tackiness, or overcomplicating the garments with busy patterns. The show inspired by the iconographic silk foulard just oozes excellence in runway fashion. Not only was there a contrast with each section of garments, but Versace offered such diversity with allusions and references that there truly was an item for everyone to adore.

Take look number 41, worn by the renowned supermodel Naomi Campbell.

It is a masterclass in colour blocking, the fuchsia and tangerine are married in a blissful way that is aesthetically satisfying and expected of the distinctive house of Versace. Accessorised with the white Greca Goddess bag, the colour blocking continues, with a matching pair of white strappy heels. The neutral accessories allow the garments to take centre stage. Furthermore, a carefully placed golden safety pin ties the whole collection together. Whether they are harking back to the times of the punk and grunge movement or a subtle reminder of the work that goes into constructing such runway ready outfits: Versace have made it clear that safety pins are making a comeback in the world of fashion.

Along with Naomi Campbell, Versace’s Spring Summer runway was saturated with well-known faces, with the likes of Gigi Hadid, Emily Ratajkowski and Dua Lipa gracing the catwalk. Opening the show, Dua Lipa’s first look was a feast for the eyes. Versace’s enticing play of a reconstructed blazer and pencil skirt was executed beautifully. Cut-outs are another trend in this show, with the sizeable peekaboo in the jacket flaunting Lipa’s striking figure. Paired with a pair of large gold safety pin earrings, it is clear once again that Versace was using these pins as a statement piece in the garment. Not to mention the makeup choices on each model pulled out the colours of the garments to further allude to a fun, bright and innovative show.

The foulards did play an integral part in the runway and this runway was truly a love letter to Versace’s roots, heritage, and ethos. The incorporation of the foulard reaches new heights, not only was the catwalk adorned in the silk scarves floating and cascading above the runway, but some of the pieces were also primarily made of these notable accessories. Take look 10, worn by model Yanani Barel, against a black trench coat, the vibrant patterns and regal colours speak out the central message of Versace. Heritage, colour and fun: amalgamated into show-stopping catwalk fashion.

Source: @versace, Instagram

REVIEW 14

Brave New World by Aldous Huxley

VIKTORIA PRACZKO | LITERARY REVIEW EDITOR

“But I don't want comfort. I want God, I want poetry, I want real danger, I want freedom, I want goodness. I want sin.”

Aldous Huxley’s 1932 dystopian novel, Brave New World, is set in AD 2540, depicting an artificially manufactured futuristic World State. Huxley’s version of the world presents a reality of a scientifically controlled environment that is governed by carefully crafted reproductive technology, classical conditioning, and various forms of psychological manipulation. Using sleeplearning and other types of invasive technological methods, Brave New World displays the possibility of an oddly terrifying world in which individuality and genuine empathy cease to exist.

Brave New World presents the reader both with a social critique and a moral debate, questioning whether comfort truly overrules one’s natural perceptions. While constant happiness may appear appealing, Huxley’s novel demonstrates that without a variety of emotions one could simultaneously lose their humanity and live in a form of selfinflicted vegetative state.

Source: Amazon

Huxley’s dystopia utilises two greatly contrasting populations to distinguish between the new world and the remains of the old one. By labelling members of the original world as “savages”, he illustrates them as alienated and with characteristics that modern society deems animalistic.Ironically, it is the “civilized” population that rejects human conventions and adheres to rules controlled by technological advancements. Huxley’s “civilised” characters regularly use drugs called “soma” to transform their unpleasant emotions into positive ones, consequentially eliminating all forms of individual thinking.

The novel also offers an insight into the functioning of a stable and balanced society, something that readers could have imagined but never experienced. Huxley’s presentation of the new world resembles a dream-like state of perfection, with each person having a fixed position and contribution towards a flourishing economy.

While that may sound inviting, those living in the “civilised” community are born into a certain class of the social hierarchy that they can never escape from. What is truly terrifying is that due to their “conditioning”, each member is content with their way of life despite it being unfair and inhumane.

Through John’s character (a “savage”), Huxley showcases how by valuing traditional ways of life, one is neglected and seen as an outcast of “civilised” society.

After encountering a “conditioned” psychologist, Bernard Marx, on his expedition, John is brought to the technology-dominated land where he is endlessly confronted by disgusted faces after revealing that he has a birth mother. While being at the modern facility, apart from Bernard, who recurrently fantasizes about a freer life, no one seems to understand John’s refusal to take “soma” and why he wants to preserve his own emotions. Bernard’s character reinforces how despite being “conditioned”, natural human impulses are stronger than any form of medication or technology.

Brave New World is a page-turner that both makes you wonder of future possibilities and reminds you of the freedom and control you have over your life.

LITERARY REVIEW

An unsettling “fly over the cuckoo’s nest”

ANNIKA SWANSBURY | CONTENT WRITER

With the recent passing of Louise Fletcher, it feels only right to look back at her iconic role as Ken Kesey’s antagonist, Nurse Ratchet, from his 1962 novel, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest Fletcher brought to life a literary villain whose influence can be seen in many other formidable female characters who hold authority over the world they inhabit. For Nurse Ratchet, this is the ward of an Oregon mental hospital, a microcosm of society, and a place where she is in complete control. Kesey repeatedly places her behind a glass window, where she is both safe from physical harm (until the glass is smashed) and can keep watch over her patients.

Ratchet’s positioning also encapsulates her role as creator and perpetrator of fear and control. The men cannot always see her but are aware of her presence and that they are under her thumb. Ratchet is an unjust, omnipresent God to these men, administering medications and encouraging them to report each other’s wrongdoings. She then utilises this information for discussions in talk therapy, sometimes even sending them to electroshock therapy should they step too far out of line. Her moment of triumph is sending the novel’s morally grey hero, Randal Patrick McMurphy, to receive a dose of electroshock therapy, an act that brings him down from his Christlike pedestal to a vegetative state.

Ratchet is undeniably scary, and Kesey purposely dehumanises her; emphasised through the Chief’s descriptions of her body and mannerisms. By likening Ratchet to a machine with wires and cogs hidden under her stiffly starched uniform, you could be forgiven for forgetting that she is simply a nurse trying to treat her patients. She may be domineering and strict, but she believes it is what is best for these men. An outsider to the hospital may see her methods as perfectly logical, as these men were considered ill by 1960s standards. However, as Kesey places us under the somewhat unreliable guidance of Chief Bromden, we have no choice but to see her every move as evil and calculated. By using Chief Bromden as his narrative voice, Kesey shows us the extent of Ratchet’s regime in a more metaphorical way.

Chief suffers from posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and frequently goes into “fog”, something that leaves the reader as unsure of their surroundings as he is. He also recalls delusions or visual hallucinations, such as Ratchet swelling in size as a projection of her rage and a physical reminder of the power she holds over the ward.

Many other elements along with these examples may leave a reader a little unsettled; this is, after all, considered a psychological thriller to some. Besides, if the illustrations Kesey includes to go alongside the novel are anything to go by, Cuckoo’s Nest is no walk in the park. Instead, it is a heartbreaking look into what fear and control can do to the human mind, especially when it is already unstable.

The Sandman by E. T. A. Hoffmann

EMILIE WILLIAMS | CONTENT WRITER

WithHalloween drawing closer, spooky stories and gothic fiction become popular reading options as the mythical tales and folklore within them are deeply rooted in this time of year.

Whilst scary stories and Halloween traditions are often perceived as childish activities, the history of these tales and the stories behind them are more shocking and gorier than the already juvenile presentation of Hal loween seen today.

The Sandman is a perfect example of a short story that explores the darker side of children’s tales and folklore. Published in 1816 by German author E. T. A. Hoffmann, The Sandman is told through a series of letters between the protagonist Nathanael, his fiancée Clara, and the narrator Lothar.

These letters follow the origins of Nathanael’s obsession and fear of the Sandman and describe the aftermath of its climax. As a child, Nathanael was told that the Sandman is a “wicked” monster that creeps into houses and throws sand into the eyes of children who refuse to go to bed, taking their bloody eyes and feeding them to his offspring who dwell on the moon.

Source: Alma Classics

Source: Louise Fletcher as Nurse Ratchet in the 1975 film

One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Getty Images

LITERARY REVIEW 16

This version of the fairy-tale is much more sinister than later adaptations which claim that the Sandman sprinkles magical dust into children’s eyes if they do not go to sleep.

Nathanael associates the frightening figure of the Sandman with his father’s mysterious friend Coppelius, who conducts experiments with his father once he has gone to bed. One night, Nathanael witnesses his father dying in one of the experiments and believes that it is Coppelius’ fault, ultimately strengthening his fear and belief in the Sandman. Unlike the expected progression of maturity, Nathanael fails to grow out of his childhood fear of the Sandman, resulting in problems in his relationships with Clara and Lothar.

Nathanael later transfers this fear onto a professor at his university named Coppola, believing that Coppelius and Coppola are the same person. Hoffmann intentionally gives these characters similar names to mimic Nathanael’s transferred fear and obsession with the Sandman. Readers may come across a similar difficulty as the characters become hard to differentiate throughout the story.

Hoffmann later introduces the subplot of Nathanael’s fascination for Olimpia, the humanoid doll created by Coppola. Her character represents elements of “the uncanny”, a psychological theory studied by Sigmund Freud.

Fear of the known and the unknown: John Wyndham’s The Day of the Triffids

SEB GARDINER | CONTENT WRITER

Science fiction appeals to our curiosity about the unknown. The idea that we may not be alone in the universe means that no story is offlimits, because there is no fact to correct it with – anything theoretically could be true. These ideas often manifest themselves in the darker side of extra-terrestrial life and play with our interest and fear of the unknown. Stories such as The War of The Worlds and Brave New World do not fall under our preconceived ideas of horror, rather they use our fascination with scientific possibility to make their stories as unsettling as any Stephen King novel.

John Wyndham was one of the best sci-fi-horror writers at playing with our curiosity. Much of his writing involves a supernatural being of some kind, though arguably none is more unsettling than The Day of the Triffids. The novel opens on a postapocalyptic Earth after a meteor has blinded the majority of the population. Bill, a biologist, has retained his eyesight as he was in hospital with a bandage over his eyes at the time of the strike. We follow him as he travels around dying London, everyone he comes across totally blind. The blind population is joined by the triffids, killer plants that have learned the ability to move and to stalk their blind prey.

Through Olimpia’s docility and odd human characteristics, Freud’s theory explains the experience of witnessing something strangely familiar yet creepy. When Nathanael learns that Olimpia is a doll, his madness increases and manifests in fits of violence.

Hoffmann’s version of the folklore tale is unanimously unique for its descriptive gore and violence, which is shocking for a story written in the early nineteenth century. His writing style is innovative and creepy, which plays on the readers’ own fears and discomforts. With repetitive symbolism of the eyes, shadowy figures, and the fear of the unknown, The Sandman is the perfect short story to read near Halloween.

Bill meets Josella, a young woman who was sleeping during the meteor shower, and the pair gain a following throughout the course of the novel. Bill suspects that the creatures pursuing them were manufactured by the U.S.S.R, bringing a strong sense of realism to the novel.

Published in 1951, this was Wyndham’s sixth novel, and the first published under his own name. At this point, proxy wars were leading to increased tension between America and the U.S.S.R, amid the Cold War. People worldwide were held by fear and threats of massdestruction. With nuclear arsenals being quickly developed, this threat could have easily become a reality. Wyndham’s novel appealed directly to this fear that the whole world felt.

Reading this today, without the threat of war, Wyndham still manages to unsettle us with his descriptions of the triffids. With the breadth of scientific possibility, and our imaginations, it at first seems odd to notice that a lot of horror characters take a human-like form, though this is really what is so unsettling – it is ingrained in our nature to be afraid of what is similar to us.

Source: Wikipedia

Plants, unresponsive and motionless, are brought to life by Wyndham. They slide across the floor, react against movement, and respond to pain. Wyndham makes the “unknown” “known”, by making the triffids so human, and with the context of the Cold War, introduces his readers to a story that feels more real than any horror story they have read before.

LITERARY REVIEW

Things Have Gotten Worse Since We

Last Spoke – plotless poltergeists and superficial spectres

HARRISON PITTS | CONTENT WRITER

This October I was searching for my regular fix of horror in preparation for Halloween when I came across Eric LaRocca’s Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke. An interesting premise for three self-contained scary stories and the captivating phrase “what have you done today to deserve your eyes” had me immediately sat down by candlelight, prepared for some much-needed seasonal fear. I was, however, to be sorely disappointed.

The tale aims to tackle enough subject matter to fill perhaps three or more separate stories but the decision to include all of this in one, leaves it stumbling across the surface, never fully sinking its teeth into the potential terror of its more exciting concepts.

The first and titular story starts strong: a couple meet on an online forum, and we follow their relationship as it rapidly blooms from a simple act of generosity into a nightmarish concoction of loneliness, coercion, and compulsion. While the heavy prose sometimes strays out of the constraints of a story told through email, its jarring depiction of a life spiralling into disfunction and isolation with enough body horror to make you nauseous was enjoyable and had me suitably horrified.

This overstuffed nature leaves the important passages of explicit horror vainly vying for enough space, resulting in a lack of clarity and tension throughout. This absence of closure feels less like the intentional, tantalising vagary of an M.R James story and more a result of biting off more than the word count can chew. LaRocca ultimately fails to earn any moments of tension that he strives for, often firing Chekov’s gun before it is even fully out of the holster.

That, unfortunately, is where the positives of this book end. Like a particularly hubris-ridden character in a slasher movie, LaRocca’s writing skills hit the chopping block shortly before the halfway mark. While the story sets out with lofty goals to explore complex topics of crises of faith and purpose, desire and worthiness, loss and reconnection, it ultimately falls short of satisfyingly engaging with the themes it raises.

The third tale, though not as badly written as the second, also fails to live up to the first. A possibly thought-provoking idea is hamstringed by an over-insistence to explain the relatively basic moral of the story. What could have been a disturbing extension of the all-too-common tendency to put up with discomfort and even abuse out of a perverse sense of keeping up appearances, is ruined by LaRocca’s failure to leave anything to the imagination.

All in all, that is the problem with these stories. There is no space provided by the author for us to conjure the nightmarish details ourselves or to populate the night with the faces that terrify us the most. Instead, we are spoon-fed a story which LaRocca himself may find disconcerting but lacks the necessary ambiguity to be universal. True horror need only set our own imagination in motion to unnerve and terrorise, LaRocca, unfortunately, fails to trust us with that.

Source: Unsplash

Society and the American Psycho

KENZA GARMZI | CONTENT WRITER

Moonage Daydream: A review

KAYLA TOMLINSON | CONTENT WRITER

Mary Harron’s cult horror-thriller American Psycho (2000), based on Bret Easton Ellis’ novel has long been infamous due to the controversial nature of the graphic violence found in it. The ending has also proved intriguing because of its ambiguity, and the multiple theories around it following its release. The film follows Patrick Bateman, an investment banker played by Christian Bale, and his journey through his double life as both a “yuppie” and a homicidal individual who struggles to hide his depraved fantasies from those around him.

American Psycho has always had a cult following yet its popularity has skyrocketed in recent years among a younger generation, many of which were not even born during the film’s release. TikTok especially has seen multiple scenes from the film being turned into popular audio being used by creators worldwide. Many videos also include some of the more satirical scenes which have since become viral memes, but why is a film released more than 20 years ago still relevant to today’s youth?

The movie follows Bateman as he interacts with the world around him, which is shallow and materialistic. He finds himself desperate to fit in by analysing what those around him are wearing and which exclusive restaurants and clubs they can get into. This is shown by a scene where Bateman’s girlfriend asks why he does not quit his corporate job when he hates it, and he replies, “because I want to fit in”. By conforming to the “yuppie” culture that surrounds him, he can mask his inner self to be more socially acceptable.

David

Bowie once spoke about how no piece of art could illicit the same emotion twice; one day, the shadow a tree cast in the afternoon sun could make you feel such serenity and happiness, while the next day, the same tree and the same shadow would make you feel the opposite.

His repressed rage and killing are seen as a metaphor for an inner self and feelings repressed in the name of being socially acceptable and fitting in. By doing this, he is frequently mistaken for other colleagues and is not even believed at the end when he admits the killings to the lawyer. He tries to blend in so with society yet is still ignored as a result of his desperation to conform and fit in with his peers.

The youth of today, especially young men who relate to the emergence of “incel culture” can relate to how Bateman navigates through his life throughout the film.

His need to hide his inner self and conform to a cold uncaring society feels like their reality. In my opinion, Harron (and Easton Ellis in the novel) uses dark humour to try and portray the people in the film in a satirical way, as some of the interactions within the film are over the top such as the infamous card scene. However, within these satirical portrayals of the lives of materialistic investment bankers and their equally materialistic girlfriends lies a truth about the superficial nature of our society. It gives a stark warning that this, along with consumerism and hyper-individualism, can lead to a loss of identity which is ultimately what leads Bateman into his descent of madness.

Source:

@moonagemov, Instagram

This analogy is how I would also sum up Brett Mor gen’s musical documentary about Bowie: Moonage Daydream.

Moonage Daydream is not your usual documentary. Morgen strays away from the “talking-heads” style of film-making others have relied on, seen in such films like Todd Haynes’ The Velvet Underground and Liz Garbus’ What Hap pened, Miss Simone. While both are remarkable films and explorations, Morgen adopts a style much more reflective of Bowie. Instead of having others talk about their interpretations of Bowie and his work, Mor gen gets it straight from the man himself. Moonage Daydream utilises hours of archival footage from con certs, interviews, and films, with interpolations of his paintings, short stories and of course, his music. To put it simply, it is two hours straight of everything Bow ie ever produced, presented in a chaotic, but fantastical fashion.

It is therefore hard to sum up what this film is and the effect it will have on viewers. There is something new to discover every time you watch it, whether that is fleeting references to Oscar Wilde and John Coltrane, or blink-andyou’ll-miss-it moments of film and cinema that Bowie both starred in and was influenced by. Moments in the film take on new meaning on a second watch, with the repeating clip of the eclipse in the film, first confusing, now is a sign of the film shifting into exploring a new era of Bowie’s career.

The eras themselves are explored perfectly too, with explanations from Bowie himself on the ideas and influences behind them. Through interview sound clips and footage, we are told his thought processes behind creations like Ziggy Stardust and his classic Heroes.

Source: Christian Bale as Patrick Bateman. @cclassisclass, Instagram

. We are shown concerts from each era and album with Morgen’s use of live audio and shots of screaming fans truly placing us in the crowd with them, making the film feel more like a concert than documentary at times. The music, of course, is a large draw to the film and both hard-core and casual fans of Bowie will enjoy the selection in the film.

Overall, to call Moonage Daydream a documentary feels a bit like a lie. It has been described as an “odyssey” through Bowie’s career and it certainly feels so. It is a true exploration of not only Bowie the singer, but also as the artist, musician, painter and actor. It both emboldens the myth of Bowie while destroying it, taking a look behind the curtain. It is my hope that future documentaries take inspiration from this style of filmmaking, in the same way

Source: @unboxingmovieswithme, Instagram

Avatar: The film with no cultural impact?

DEVESH SOOD | MANAGING EDITOR

In my eyes, there is no stranger film in recent memory than Avatar. Released 13 years ago, it was the result of an incomprehensible amount of time, effort and pure passion. A film that saw critical success, Academy Award nominations and held the title of highest-grossing film for 10 years straight. There was a period when the world was simply entranced. And then… rumblings, challenges; some labelling the film simplistic, others suggesting it to be contrived, telling a story of colonisation from the perspective of the colonisers. But the key phrase that came to the forefront about Avatar was this: a film with no cultural impact.

So, is this a film with no cultural impact? The answer is no. Avatar absolutely is not a film that had no cultural impact. While its writing may not be the strongest (something Cameron himself has recognised), and it may not be as quotable as something like Avengers: Endgame or even Cameron’s Titanic (previous highest-grossing films), it does thrive in one area. The one area that has cemented its legacy is worldbuilding.

When I heard about a re-release of the film, upgraded and remastered, I fully expected the idea to be scoffed at - to be sitting in an empty theatre, alone and having the time of my life. Instead, on its re-opening weekend, packed; I was shocked, caught off guard!

I half expected to find this statement as the film’s IMDb description considering how many times I have heard it. As someone who has loved the film for years, I must admit that I often found it difficult, and frustrating, trying to combat this remark. Even with it being such a bizarre title to hold, it is also the reason why I do not often have the urge to rewatch the film. The story it’s telling is definitely not new and not always told in the most effective way possible. For many, despite all the technology, simplicity still remains.

This is what has defined Avatar; the world of Pandora is so vividly realised that just a random few frames would be enough to recognise where it has come from. And this all is the result of the pioneers behind the technology. I hypothesise the reason this argument is even still around is because no other film has been able to utilise VFX (and 3D-CGI) to such success in the years since. There have been a lot of reports regarding the state of this industry and having seen the results of a project given actual time to be completed rather than rushed to meet a deadline simply exploits the waste of the artist's talents.

After holding that false badge of honour for all these years, it was truly a treat to see people finally taking their time to reassess. And for myself, to finally be exposed to the wonder that this film comes with when seen in IMAX 3D made for one of the most entertaining blockbuster experiences I have had all year. Seeing that sneak-peek at the end of the credits of the rerelease, it is rapidly becoming clear that we have something truly special awaiting us this December.

Modern Baseball’s Sports at 10

CHLOE BOULTON | CONTENT WRITER

The end of November will mark the 10-year anniversary of Sports, Modern Baseball’s debut LP. The album was released by Lame-O records and was received well by critics and fans alike.

At time of release, late 2012, the band were young, and up-and-coming on the rising Philadelphia emo scene. Members Brendan Lukens and Jake Ewald attended Drexel University together, and it was there they recorded Sports with the help of Ian Farmer, who later joined the band.

Two years later in 2014, Modern Baseball would release You’re Gonna Miss It All, the album that would solidify their place in the emo canon. You’re Gonna Miss It All was greatly successful and reached far more listeners upon release than Sports had done. For this reason, Modern Baseball’s debut is often overlooked. Over the past ten years, it has gotten the love it deserves but tends to live in the shadow of its follow-up. Sports is hidden in plain sight but remains one of the strongest emo records of the 2010s, and one of the best debuts in its genre.

Sports has a 30-minute runtime, so not long to make their mark, by any means. In the half-hour, they deliver 12 catchy and dynamic tracks each with the classic staples of any good pop-punk music: fast chords, incredible drums, and memorable lyrics.

It is Modern Baseball’s lyrics on this album (as well as those on their other LPs and EPs) that set them apart from the heavily saturated scene of the time. They came with a refreshing honesty that never wavered, the entire duration of the band’s time together. By establishing this as one of their biggest strengths from the very first opportunity, Modern Baseball were able to capture an enthusiastic and fiercely loyal fanbase.

It can be difficult to hear songs with such overt references to social media and not be slightly put off. It dates music, immediately, putting it in a certain place and time and keeping it there. Somehow this goes in the favour of Modern Baseball. Mentions of Facebook and Twitter, iPhones and profile pictures, only make the band’s lyrics that bit more earnest, that bit more genuine. These are university students in 2012, they are writing what they know, and we cannot hold this against them.

Sports tells stories of things we all know. The themes laid a foundation for Modern Baseball to build their career upon growing up, love, loss, changing, and frankly not being very cool. It was an excellent album 10 years ago, and an even better one now.

Musicians in the media: Kanye West locked out of Twitter

ANNA ARMELIN | CONTENT WRITER

In today’s modern climate of social media and connectivity, music artists become celebrities on a scale never seen before. With this celebrity comes huge responsibility, certainly to consider and protect the young generation with universal access to the internet and media platforms.

The influence held by an artist with a large following can be very powerful, with followers subject to the influence of the individual’s thoughts, opinions, and actions.

In recent social media activity, renowned rapper Ye (formerly Kanye West), sent an Instagram post suggesting fellow musician Sean “Diddy” Combs was controlled by Jewish people – a common antisemitic trope. Within hours, Instagram had removed the post and locked his account.

In response, Ye took to Twitter, where he posted a separate antisemitic Tweet that he would go “death con 3 on JEWISH PEOPLE”. Twitter, like Instagram, was quick to block the post and lock his account. Offensive posts such as these are nothing new on social media, but the impact on the millions of people able to access such comments in a matter of minutes is alarming. With the great number of platforms available today, social media companies are finding it increasingly difficult to censor and control their user’s behaviour.

Kanye West has a long history of misogyny, bigotry, and intentional provocation. Just a few days ago, he wore a White Lives Matter shirt at the Yeezy show at Paris Fashion Week and had several models, plus right-wing commentator Candace Owens, do the same.

Source: @dietrunrath, Instagram

For that public gesture to White supremacy, he was invited on Tucker Carlson’s Fox News show and applauded by numerous Republicans, even after the interview predictably went off the rails.

During his interview with Carlson, West wore an ultrasound pendant to signal his anti-abortion views. He pointed to abortion, and the singer Lizzo’s weight, and blamed both for “the genocide of the Black race”. Republicans and conservative talking heads cheered West for “spitting facts” and declared him “a cultural icon”.

West did not invent antisemitic conspiracy theories or the racist claim that Black women who end pregnancies are genocidaires or White supremacy. His words are indefensible, and at this point, so is giving him a platform, money, or the attention, he craves.

The power held by such a successful musician in the media is dangerous, and the accessibility of influencing such a large following one simple post is going to continue to be damaging for the world if the issue of censorship is not addressed soon.

Bristling with creative energy: Punch Brothers’ All Ashore

ESTELLE ALLEN | CONTENT WRITER

Released in July 2018, All Ashore is a Grammy-Awardwinning album by the eclectic New York acoustic quintet and band, Punch Brothers. Although often characterized as a bluegrass group for the connotations evoked by their instrumental line-up, (guitar, violin, mandolin, banjo, upright bass), the Punch Brothers have never hazarded their claim to any genre, instead preferring to let the music go where it often unpredictably does. The group generates a unique and genrebreaking sound through this album, which is as interesting to listen to as their beautiful lyricism. The pieces throughout the LP deftly balance thoughtful lyricism – vitalised by Chris Thile’s tender vocals – with complex and intricate instrumentals that perform with shifting tempo and swing, with all the intuition and spontaneity of a jamming jazz group.

The composition throughout follows the lyrical matter of All Ashore, which for Thile (singer and mandolin player) is a “meditation on committed relationships in the present day, particularly in light of the current unsettled political climate”.

All Ashore, therefore, serves as a space of tranquillity in the midst of political disquiet; the album takes the listener on a journey from the plaintive Gardener track to the jig-like, folk-leaning piece Jumbo which characterises and parodies in its tongue-in-cheek lyrics the experience of a privileged white American: “you oughtta know privileged is a pretty hard thing to be, you know?”. Some highlights of the album, include The Angel of Doubt and It’s All Part of the Plan which remain hugely relevant in these anxiety-provoking times.

The Angel of Doubt portrays a loving and calm narrator who wishes to “keep the demons at bay” of the listener. Similarly, It’s All Part of the Plan disregards negative self-thinking, assuring that everything is going to plan and celebrating freedom from these destructive thoughts. All Ashore is a hugely enjoyable, joyous, and relaxing listen and is a call to step back from the chaos of everyday life and remember the importance of being calm. The album serves as a celebration of love, beauty, musicality, and companionship in the 21st century.

Source: Kanye West on stage during the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards in New York, REUTERS

Source: Wikipedia

Happy-go-Haaland: The man who keeps on giving

IMAN AHMED | SPORTS EDITOR

Source: @mancity, Instagram

Dreams, debuts, and delivery are what fills the world of football. Millions across the globe work hard and hope that they will be one of the few that are selected. However, only a handful make it to the top, and those who make their mark, shine through.

If there was a word to encapsulate Haaland and his success so far, it would be this: goals.

On his debut for City, falling onto the same day as the opening day of the Premier League season, Haaland rose beyond the expectations many had for him, all within 45 minutes. Scoring two goals that led to the team’s victory against West Ham at his debut, to then securing seven other goals in his next four appearances within the same month, his triumph broke the competition’s records, previously held by Sergio Aguero and Mick Quinn. Haaland’s historic debut month at the club caused him to be awarded as the Premier League Player of the Month for August, becoming the first player since Bruno Fernandes to be awarded as such during their first month within the league. Since then, within 12 appearances, he has netted 19 astonishing goals.

Whilst his undeniable and whirlwind of success has left City fans astounded, others have not shared the same reaction. As a display of their anger, rival fans across the UK have taken measures to halt Haaland’s unrelenting scoring for City. Strangely and somewhat amusingly, this has taken form through the signing of several petitions ordering for his deportation from the UK, describing him as an issue for national security. It is unlikely any action of this sort will be taken.

The Premier League has welcomed a new star who has not only taken the UK, but the world by storm: Erling Haaland.

The son of former footballer Alfie Haaland (Nottingham Forest, Leeds United and Manchester City) and former heptathlon athlete Gry Marita Braut, the 22-year-old Norwegian had a lot to live up to. In spite of the pressure, he has made an identity for himself, one that goes beyond his family’s legacy.

From his youth career and into the beginnings of his senior career, he played for his hometown team, Brybe. In 2017, he moved onto Molde, and moved again to Red Bull Salzburg in 2019. Soon after, he played for the Bundesliga club, Borussia Dortmund, where he was awarded the Bundesliga Player of the Season within his first year due to his exceptional and consistent performances. Regarded as one of the best strikers within Europe having already succeeded various awards and broken many records, his reign has now begun in Manchester City, parallel to his father. And Haaland has not disappointed.

The power, pace, and potency of Haaland’s talent has not only transformed Manchester City, but the whole Premier League, and is dominating the football scene across the globe. Haaland’s future looks immensely bright if such form is maintained.

The Lacklustre 2022 Formula 1 season

ALANA STODDART | CONTENT WRITER

It is October as I am writing this, and the 2022 Formula 1 championship is rapidly drawing to a close. After the hugely dramatic finale of last season in Abu Dhabi, which hardly needs explaining, many looked to this season with hopes that it would continue the fiery, exciting drama that we saw evident last year. What has been delivered, however, I would describe as tepid at best.

We came into 2022 with huge regulation changes, and this meant that teams had to tear up what they already knew about the way their Formula 1 car worked and start almost from scratch. The new rules aimed to create closer racing, with cars being able to follow each other much closer for longer periods of time. Before, cars lost significant time when following in the ‘dirty air’ of another driver, making it hard to stick with them and make the overtake. The 2022 regulations mean the cars this year have a lot more downforce, sucking the car closer to the track, increasing pace, and resulting in better aerodynamic flow.

So, if at the start of the year we thought we would witness a much closer, and more exciting champi onship, perhaps han we have ever seen in F1, what went wrong?

Well, the assumption we made about having a greatly competitive season relied on the frontrun ners of 2021 getting much of their car design right. There are probably many factors that contribute to the mediocre performance of the Mercedes car this year, but ultimately, they just went in the wrong di rection with the design. It became clear very early on that Mercedes were not going to be as domi nant as we have come to expect; the car suffered from extreme porpoising (bouncing up and down), disrupting air flow over the car and costing them a disastrous amount of lap time. At the sixth race on the calendar, the Spanish Grand Prix, Mercedes fans were given hope with the upgrades that the team brought. This hope, however, was quickly dashed out as it became clear that there were still significant issues, with both cars continually fail ing to challenge Ferrari and Red Bull as we would have expected them to.

Source: Wikipedia

Mercedes’ failure to be regularly at the very front of the grid this year means that the championship was made far too easy for Red Bull. It looked for a moment as if Ferrari could really challenge, but unbelievably bad strategic calls after unbelievably bad strategic calls have stopped them in their tracks and it seems now that there is only one outcome on the table: Verstappen as the 2022 champion.

Why have Ferrari been making such catastrophic decisions this year? It was the case when Vettel was driving for the historic team alongside Leclerc, and yet no changes seem to have been made in the way they approach their strategy on race day. Does there need to be a change in the strategy department? Does there need to be a change at the very top? As an outsider it is very difficult to identify the internal issue, but it is certainly the case that something needs to shift. Otherwise, the team that have produced a very solid, wellperforming car this year are never going to properly challenge for the championship.

It has been a lacklustre season, one where the rivalries that were possible at the start have been thoroughly extinguished. Formula 1 will always have my heart, but I have to hope for a big shakeup in the sport soon.