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TRINITYNEWSTWO 4

Inside: Why real men buy sandwiches according to Richard Armstrong, Food and Drink, p16

This is London calling Joey Facer talks to former BBC foreign correspondent David McNeil p10

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Trinity’s radio sensation Jonathan Drennan talks to College’s newest celebrity p3

The top 10 sexiest society heads revealed, p18

ISSUE

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Editor’s Notes

Elsewhere in the paper this week we have Sorcha Lyons’ top ten sexiest socity heads. With the egos normally associated with the head of any society in the equation this piece should entertain hacks and nonhacks alike. One piece of advice however: if you do see one of the ten around don’t mention it to them.

The further swell in ego may prove detrimental to their health.

On another brief note, apologies go out to Rosie Gogan-Keogh and Ben Eastham for mixing up their bylines in the last issue. Luckily great writing shines out no matter what name is above it.

Gearoid O’ Rourke

Jonathan Drennan talks to budding radio star Dr Patrick Geoghhhgh, p3

London Calling In this issue...

WHAT’SINSIDE

Twenty-one years is an awfully long time to be in the news business. It is particularly long if you have spent most of it trekking around the world to bring the news, as it breaks, to the millions of BBC listeners.

David McNeil has had a passion for news radio since he was a boy and if you read his interview on pages ten and eleven you will see that ths passion still continues to this day.

Another thing that struck us in the TrinityNewsTwo office was his voice. If ever you want to hear the quintessential rumble of an old school newsman just have a listen to this guy. He has a voice that could bring mountains to their knees and almost did just that to our intrepid writer Joey Facer.

Trinity’s unlikely star

Joey Facer talks to David McNeil former BBC foreign correspondent about Regan, the Lebanon and Princess Diana, p10

Oh rapture rapture!

Brendan McGuirk writes on the Dublins hottest secret gig, p4

Could you be no.1?

Sorcha Lyons lists Trinity’s top ten sexiest society heads, p18

€300 Oakley voucher giveaway courtesy of 53 Degrees North, Carickmines Retail Park Calling all students planning a year’s travel or a summer away. The first step before you embark on your fun filled journey is a trip to 53 Degrees North, Carickmines Retail Park where you will find an unrivalled selection of high performance, high fashion and lifestyle gear. From rough travel guides to rucksacks and ski boots to shades this specialist outdoors store has everything you need to get geared up for surf, ski, sailing or any aspect of your travels.

53 Degrees North stock over 50 top brands, including Roxy, Oakley, Animal, Nike ACG and Quiksilver, and boasts a range of products exclusive to the store like the much sought after Oakley Thump Pro Digital Music Eyewear! One lucky reader could be in with a chance to sport this stylish range of Oakley eyewear as 53 Degrees North and Trinity News are giving away a €300 voucher redeemable against any Oakley fashion or accessory item instore.

To win simply answer the question below: Q: Which Oakley eyewear is exclusive to 53 Degrees North?

Answers to competition@trinitynews.ie Closing date 28/1/07

Words: Jonathan Drennan

Dr Patrick Geoghegan is an unlikely radio personality. Shy and unassuming in person, the Trinity academic seems more comfortable talking about his passion for Star Trek and Newcastle United rather than his Sunday night History programme on Newstalk. However without realising it, Geoghegan and his UCD counterpart Lindsey Earner Byrne have managed the impossible: making their programme Talking History a success on a Sunday evening.

Geoghegan’s immersion into radio was purely accidental. After chairing a successful course that debated History’s most controversial figures, Newstalk 106 approached him to host a show that followed the same concept.

Geoghegan has no doubts that the show had the potential to be a success. “I think part of the success behind the show is Irish people really love history. We generally learn better when we’re debating. As a nation we love people going at each other so I suppose that’s what keeps it interesting.”

Geoghegan’s radio experience was minimal, yet he puts his teaching experience down as a main factor in his easy immersion into the job. “I love teaching, the way I’d chair my radio show is almost the same way I’d do my classes. We’re trying to carry out the show in an interesting lively way.” Geoghegan firmly believes in audience participation, be in it in the studio at Newstalk or in the more staid lecture halls at Trinity.

Geoghegan’s teaching career has been punctuated by moments of innovation. He is constantly looking for ways to aid his students in enjoying a subject that has become his life’s work. His teaching methods are as unorthodox as they are fascinating. He says, “I’ve had people debating historical points whilst in costume and I’ve also done things like playing a historical Who Wants to Be A Millionaire to aid concentration; students generally enjoy teaching more when they’re involved.” Bringing this fun approach to radio has been crucial to Talking History’s success, the show can now boast up to fifty texts from listeners in the space of only one hour – a figure previously unheard of for what is essential-

ly educational programming.

Whilst Geoghegan’s passage into the choppy waters of radio has been relatively painless thus far, he does point out that he has adjustments to make. Early criticism was centred on the presenters insistence on referring to Historical figures in the present tense. Inevitably mistakes have been made, yet Geoghegan’s feels this adds charm to his show.

He says, “On one show I introduced myself as my co-presenter Lindsey and in another I managed to completely cut the ads, but I really don’t mind if I make mistakes as it’s going to happen periodically and it’s all part of the entertainment for the listeners.”

Counting George Hook and the Provost as some of the show’s most vocal fans, the future looks relatively bright for Talking History. However, Geoghegan claims he has one remaining ambition for the show, getting the historical perspective of An Taoiseach. He says, “I have no doubt this would generate a lot of interest. I’m dying to interview Bettie Ahern, I know he has a genuine interest in history and he reads the books so I think he would be a perfect addition for the show.”

The timing of the break into radio has been perfect for Geoghegan: he is on research leave enabling him to give his full attention to his new job at Newstalk. The History department have been supportive, lending members of staff and students to fill vacant slots on the panel for the show. However, Geoghegan states that “teaching always comes first” and he might even have to shelve his radio career next year if time constraints prove too difficult. His appetite for teaching remains insatiable and he is looking forward to returning to the chalkboard by the next academic year. His latest teaching ambition is to bring the intensity of his radio and lecture debates into a competitive sphere. “I genuinely want to do a colours history debate. It would be me and my history students against UCD and I suppose that’s my main learning ambition at the moment.” Whether this idea comes to fruition or not, students will undoubtedly look forward of Geoghegan’s imminent return to their lecture theatres.

INTERVIEW

Trinity’s unlikely star

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AUDIOFILES

2007 What’s hot for the year ahead Words: Ben Eastham

We’re into its eighth year now and the ‘noughties’ has yet to produce a single pop-cultural movement to call its own; no sincerely original aesthetic to rival psychedelia, dub, punk, rave or hip-hop.

With what will future generations associate our decade?

Thus far we’ve had to endure a succession of past-glory-recycling fads: the ‘new rock revolution’; new Blues; the new Britpop (the Kooks et al); new new-wave. This rather depressing trend looks likely to continue into the New Year with the bizarre levels of hype surrounding ‘new rave’ ringleaders The Klaxons’ debut ‘Myths of the Near Future’. Despite the almost complete absence of anything remotely approaching ‘rave’ from their songs, The Klaxons have established themselves in the precarious position of media dar-

lings.

Yet anyone who saw them play at Crawdaddy a few months ago will be unsurprised by the swiftness of their inevitable fall from grace.

An infinitely more interesting proposition is the debut of skinny Londoner Jamie T, which moulds all the cosmopolitan sounds of his city – ska, hip-hop, garage rock, even folk – into a witty, bustling narrative. ‘Panic Prevention’ is occasionally ropey but always engaging, and testament to his talent that the singer/songwriter keeps it together by sheer force of personality. 2007 is a big year for Bloc Party, whose second album ‘A Weekend in the City’ could either launch them into mega-stardom or relegate them to Indie also-rans.

The initial signs are promising.

Their debut album was easy to admire but hard to love, but its lyrical abstraction and mechanical impersonality have been replaced by a more direct and engaging combination of words and music.

Lead single ‘The Prayer’, with its almost apocalyptic sense of inebriated paranoia, is a potent expression of what it feels like to be young in these troubled times.

Damon Albarn is no longer young and should by rights have retired to irrelevance like the rest of the Britpoppers, so it’s perhaps a damning indictment of the contemporary music scene that his new album may prove to be the most vital of the upcoming year.

Having assembled a rather impressive supergroup (the Clash’s Paul Simonon, Afrobeat drummer Tony Allen, hip-hop pro-

ducer Dangermouse) under the (admittedly rubbish) moniker The Good, The Bad & The Queen, Albarn has produced a stunning state-of-the-nation album.

The songs have a fragile beauty that undercuts their sharp, despairing satire. Current single ‘Kingdom of Doom’, with its references to megalomaniacal world leaders, unjust wars and an apathetic, toostupid-to-care public, is more relevant and more brave than the entire crop of derivative bands that threaten to overwhelm our musical sensibilities.

Yet hope remains. Years ending in seven are typically important ones in music: psychedelia emerged in ’67, punk in ’77, rave in ’87 (we’ll tactfully ignore ’97).

So could something surprise us this year? Your guess is as good as mine, but we can only hope so.

Sam’s Town

Permissions EP

Nervous System

The Killers

Channel One

My Device

When they released their debut album, The Killers were bearable only because they didn’t seem to take themselves too seriously. Brandon Flowers happily walked the streets of some big American city, looking both startled and smug when various strays started bellowing “I got soul but I’m not a soldier” at him and generally not leaving him alone. Their music was sellable, they all made friends with the usual bubble-gum T4 presenters, and the big label men were rubbing their hands together in expectant glee. In short, everyone was having a good time. But Sam’s Town has put an end to such rude joviality. It is a very, very serious album, combining the seriousness of U2 with, ahem, the seriousness of Bruce Springsteen. The lyrics are all ‘I went West to find the dream, but came back with nothing but sand and a bad cough’, and the music all big guitars and vaguely hopeful solos. Indeed, Flowers said in a recent interview “there’s nothing wrong with trying to make a classic record,” which means only one thing: Goodbye big label men, goodbye bubble-gum T4 presenters, goodbye American Dream.

The 10 worst cover versions ever Ronan Keating Iris Could it get any worse? Ronan Keating’s passive, whining voice turns what should be a good song into a sickening bland impersonation of what the Goo Goo Dolls created. Apart from instilling a desire to stick one’s fingers down one’s throat, this cover version is completely unoriginal in every way.

Kelly Osbourne Papa Don’t Preach Really, Kelly Osbourne is the last person who has the right to tell her father not to preach to her.

The fact that she has Ozzy for a parent is the one and only rea-

Form Dublin’s underground music scene emerges electro- rock enthusiasts Channel One, with their first EP Permissions. As a first EP, this is actually quite good. 22 minutes and 10 seconds later, 5 emotive tracks of electronic beats fused with live guitars, bass, drums and vocals are born.

‘Beneath a field of steel’ is certainly the best track on the EP, ambient synths, flaring drums and gentle vocals reminiscent of Depeche mode combine to give an electronic masterpiece. ‘Rhythm and purpose’, has a harder more industrial vibe to it that contrasts well with more melodic elements of the song.

Channel One are at heart a rock band mixing layers of synths and drum machines over what is ultimately a guitar and bass driven sound. This works really well for them and the Permissions EP is certainly only a taster of what is to come. This is an EP where ultimately the band are starting to find their proverbial composing and recording feet: its not perfect but its definitely worth a listen.

son that she ever got a record deal in the first place. Also, I would imagine it would take a lot more than teenage pregnancy to earn a lecture from a man who finds it impossible to string two words together.

Britney Spears I Love Rock ‘N’ Roll Her ridiculous attempt to cover the Rolling Stones “Satisfaction” was even worse, but at least no one assumed that she was the first to sing that one. Joan Jett did a far more inspired cover of The Arrows’ original back in 1981, but a surprisingly large number of people give Britney full credit for coming up with this song.

Girls Aloud I’ll Stand By You The Pretenders just did it so much better. Chrissie Hynde’s vocal ability easily surpasses the combined efforts of all five members of Girls Aloud.

Gareth Gates Spirit In The Sky It’s hard to tell if this cover of Norman Greenbaum’s classic was a joke or not. The fact that Mr Gates teamed up with the Kumars would suggest that no one was expected to take it seriously. However, the damage is

‘Nervous System’, the first LP from the Brighton three-piece My Device (recent winner of NME.com’s breaking bands of 2006, eh, ‘award’), has The Virus. Infected bands sound like the brainchild of a teenager awoken by a Bebo message alerting him/her to what music has managed to stay cool for the last five minutes. Mind you, it’s not The Killers, but it sounds so of the moment that though the ‘Band as Fashion Statement’ tag is probably unfair, it definitely reeks from being too in vogue.

On ‘Nervous System’ you have the jaded single coil twangy guitar, licks that refuse to last more than a bar and insist on repeating adinfitum, bass in the midrange, songs about chips and short change; y’know the usual Britpop 2.0 (Bloc Party, Artic Monkeys) staples. There’s nothing much else to say except that there is subtle American college Rawk vibe (think Weezer, Blink 182). It also has that annoying post “Is This It’ habit of all the bloody songs sounding the same.

The bland songwriting ensures this well-produced LP is average but The Virus makes it hateful.

done. He attempted to pass it off as music. Big mistake.

Atomic Kitten The Tide Is High It’s not that this was a particularly horrendous cover version, but rather that their bland take did more harm than good to the original artist. As if destroying a classic Blondie song wasn’t enough, they also mangled the Bangles “Eternal Flame” in 2001.

Samantha Mumba Body II Body Just because she changed the name and some of the lyrics it doesn’t make this an original song, merely a slimed-up version of Bowie’s “Ashes to Ashes”.

Presumably she thought that the original title was a bit too macabre for her pre-teen audience. Unfortunately, the upbeat effect was somewhat lessened when this cover became the background music to those gruesome road safety adverts.

Limp Bizkit Behind Blue Eyes The Who released this song in 1971. The original is much better, more ballad-like and thoughtful than the Limp Bizkit cover.

Fred Durst introduces a self-pitying, whining, emo undertone that

AUDIOFILES

In Review:

is intensely irritating.

Robbie Williams Mr Bojangles Unforgivably awful. Sammy Davis Jr produces a brilliant song. Robbie does a vacuous cover version that is fit to be used as torture music if played at high enough volume.

Daniel O’Donnell Only Sixteen When this middle aged, surgically-enhanced songbird released his “Teenage Dreams” album in 2005, most people were blissfully unaware that it existed. I, on the other hand, was working in a music shop where the manager insisted that we play it at least once a day. Hearing a 44 year old granny-magnet crooning “She was only sixteen” undoubtedly instils a certain sense of unease in the listener. Not the most appropriate choice, Daniel.

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6 The copycats Words: Mike Davies

AUDIOFILES

An argument has been raging across the music industry during the last year over copyright term for performers and whether or not it should be increased. At a time when we are seen to be entering the Digital Age, protection of musicians’ work is becoming increasingly fraught, and how this work is protected frequently debated.

The UK Government’s recent report – The Gowers Review of Intellectual Property – found no reason to increase this copyright protection. At the moment this stands at 50 years – less than the European average (75 years), the US (95 years) and all other Arts in the UK (life plus 50 years, now apparently called DEATH PLUS 50 years!). So why are people so

keen to rob musicians of protection and royalties they not only deserve, but need?

Vic Keegan in The Guardian lambasted the notion that copyright should be extended, concluding that we consumers are being ripped off by record companies and copyright protection.

“Talent is now starting to come spontaneously from below and being judged by its peers around the world rather than having to go through the rusting filtration plant of the quasi-monopolistic moguls of the music or publishing industries. The new digital giants, Google, YouTube, MySpace, Bebo, Flickr and the rest are operating in a different space and we will have to adjust.”

Yes, new artists are emerging

through the use of the internet and yes, this means more choice for us as listeners and record buyers; but what Keegan fails to comprehend is the basic need for these emerging artists to be able to protect the work they produce and be able earn a living from this work. If their music is freely open to all then we all lose out in the end.

Responding to Keegan’s article and the Gowers Review, Robin Miller (a UK record producer and artist) wrote that: “My relationship with a record company is not a pact with the devil. The record company is merely a shop window for my creativity. The partnership which counts is between me and those consumers who want me and others to create for their happiness. If they pay me a little I can carry on giving them good music. If they pay the record company the company can pay for new artists to develop. Like artists down the ages faced with fascist press telling us how to create and that we should no longer be paid, creators like me feel frightened and cornered.”

And this is the feeling that seems to be shared across the board by other musicians – if all other artists are protected and paid for their work, then why not us?

What’s the most embarrassing album you own?

Photos: Will Daunt

Ross Greham JS ESS

Ace of Bass, Ace of Bass “This is why i look ghostly today.”

Kitty Lyddon JS Theology

Slipknot, Wait and Bleed “When i bought this, i thought it was tribal music because of the masks.”

Sam Solnick SS English

Aqua, Aquarium “It made me feel sexy, i don’t care what you think”

Tom MorrisonBell JS English

Gala, Freed from Desire “Oh my God, I’m SO embarrassed.”

Catriona Gray

s d n u So Off There is a certain type of person who you really don’t want to have a conversation about music with.

No matter what you say, they know more than you, and have a particular disgust for almost any music that has been released in the last ten years, with the sole exception of one or two “serious” bands. This is irritating, but just about forgivable, when the person giving out is 65 years old and was (or at least claims to have been) a personal friend of Phil Lynott. But when the music snob in question is a 16 year old who was too young to remember the Spice Girls, extreme resentment begins to set in, immediately followed by an intense desire to somehow make them stop talking.

If you haven’t heard the entire back catalogue of Eric Clapton, talking to a music snob can be a particularly boring experience, leaving you with nothing but a rapidly developing inferiority complex. If you try to swing the conversation around to something you both have in common, it quickly becomes evident that they’re just not interested. They don’t want a pleasant chat about music. They want to annihilate you with their superior knowledge.

It could be interesting if they weren’t so narrow-minded. The music snob is unable to concede that there is more to the musical spectrum than rock or punk or whatever their particular penchant happens to be. The concept that there are, in fact, many different genres, all equally valid in their own way, just hasn’t occurred to these individuals. Why is it perfectly acceptable to revere The Clash but not Bananarama?

Especially if you haven’t even bothered to listen to the band you’re sneering at.

The most infuriating characteristic of the music snob is that their pearls of wisdom aren’t original and are certainly not up to date.

On retrospect it’s easy to pick out good artists. It’s much harder to say what’s happening now, to identify the good emerging bands, the ones that no one has heard of, the bands that, god forbid, haven’t been reviewed yet. Next time you get trapped in an enclosed space with someone who insists on telling you the in-depth history of The Kinks, ask them the name of their favourite new band. That’ll shut them up. Trust me.

Headlining the exclusive Irish launch of the brand new CocaCola and iTunes music partnership, the Rapture with support from Mullingar’s the Blizzards played to an enthralled crowd at the Village. Coca-Cola and iTunes have teamed up to create www.coke.com/music, a new platform for unsigned musicians to get heard.

On Thursday the 30th of November, a 300 strong guest list of adoring fans, media gurus, music industry’s elite and one lucky Trinity News writer witnessed an intimate performance of the Raptures newest material. Support from Ireland’s newest pop punk sensation the Blizzard was well received by the crowd but weak at the best of times as they played upbeat songs very reminiscent of the Futureheads, Franz Ferdinand and Maximo Park. Apart from questioning their originality, the Blizzards are good at what they do, as a band they’re pretty tight and they make nice use of vocal harmonies which adequately cover up lead singer Niall

Breslin’s limited range. I heard one onlooker coin the phrase Jock Rock, or Rock by Jocks in reference to Breslins rugby player appearance.

By the time the Rapture were ready to come on everyone was totally psyched and ready to dance their pants off. Walking onto the stage in the Village, the band members with their unkempt hairstyles, retro clothes and vivacious attitudes looked as calm and collected as could be. These guys are Pros, having toured with the likes of Mogwai, Interpol, Franz Ferdinand, the Von Bondies and the Cure in the past and more recently supporting the Killers on their European tour.

After an extensive wait following the release of their debut album Echoes in 2003, fans were eager to hear the Rapture perform their new material.

Their second full length album Pieces of the People we love was released on Universal Motown Records in September 2006. With production from Paul Epworth, Ewan Pearson

AUDIOFILES

En-raptured

Words: Brendan McGuirk

and DJ Dangermouse this is an album that promises a lot. And tonight fans were eager to get a first listen live.

They kicked the gig off with heaven the first track off echoes, spurring the crowd into one big heaving mass of dance. Despite this being a corporate gig, most real fans were delighted to be in such an intimate venue to hear the Raptures newest material and they weren’t disappointed.

Tracks like ‘Get myself into it’, ‘Pieces of the people we love’, ‘Whoo! Alright – Yeah…Uh Huh’ and ‘Don gon do it’ blew the crowd away, just looking around it was clear that everyone was really getting into it.

Funky bass lines, synths, sax and the rhythmic sounds of the cowbell blend perfectly together in unison creating a polyphonic masterpiece and an overall brilliant live performance. The Rapture are a band that you just can’t help dancing to! The interaction between bassist Matt Safer and front man guitarist/vocalist Luke Jenner is amazing, the way they swap

roles as lead vocalist on different songs really adds a lot to the dynamics of the music and their live show.

The distinctive and unrivalled sound of the Rapture broke onto the music scene with full force following the release of their track House of Jealous Lovers.

Since then acts like CSS, the Klaxons, the sunshine underground and new young pony club have all broken onto the music scene mixing up Indie, dance, funk and punk. Recently NME have even began an Indie rave tour which will hit Dublin in February. Although The Rapture are frequently referred to as Dance-punk, this is a genre that band member Mattie Safer rejects and is quoted to claim that “dance punk is dead”.

Whatever genre or subgenre critics try to lump the Rapture into, they still remain a funk revolution of modern times. The Rapture return to Dublin to play at Tripod on Harcourt street on the 3rd of March.

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THEBOX

8

The sun sets for good on Newport Beach Words: Darren Kennedy

The OC exploded onto US television screens in November of ’03 and caught fire like a Californian forest during a heat wave. The OC revived the teen drama genre and was hailed as the new Dawson’s Creek. It was also considered to be the long awaited replacement for Beverly Hills 90210, a show whose shelf life spanned the entirety of the 90’s

with a whopping 10 seasons and 291 episodes. Unfortunately, the OC was unsuccessful in its attempt to reach the same acclaimed stature that Beverly Hills reached and it won’t even be given the chance to make it to its 100th episode landmark.

Reports are rife that the cancellation is due to Mischa Barton’s granted request to be written out

of the show so that she could start booking more challenging bigscreen projects that would further here stature among the Hollywood elite. No good was ever going to come from the show killing off one of its two female leads but this, however, is only a contributing factor to the OC’s overall demise.

The root of the problem is embedded way back at the beginning of Season 2. Season 1 had a tremendous pulling power that attracted 10 million viewers. The momentum of such a dramatic opening season was unsustainable and ratings plummeted to 7 million during the second season.

The show’s continuing decline was realised when viewers amounted to fewer than 6 million during Season 3. The fall in the quantity of viewers was by all means a poignant reflection of the steep decline in the quality of the show and the sharpness of its script.

Others reasons for this sharp decline rests in the introduction of new characters such as Taylor Townsend, a girl who is just as annoying as she is beautiful. The audience were also gladly put out of their misery in Season 3 when the Marissa-adoring, emotionally complex Johnny was finally killed off.

The OC’s production company ordered only 16 episodes for this

fourth and final season, which has just begun to be aired on TG4 and E4. The previous three seasons all had at least 24 episodes to their name. When it was established that this newest season was only attracting 4 million viewers within the US, Fox brandished its hatchet and axed its former flagship series.

The creator of the show, Josh Schwartz, is quoted as having said that the finale “will deliver real closure to the series, to the story we began telling four years ago. It will be fun and emotional and I think really satisfying. It is the finale we always planned to do.” This, I’m sure, will bring some level of solace to the select few members of the OC faithful who have gone as far as creating and signing a “Save the OC” petition.

The OC launched the careers of its four leads: Mischa Barton, Rachel Bilson, Ben McKenzie and Adam Brody. The two girls are sure to go on to do bigger and better things on the silver screen and to establish themselves as bankable movie stars. Mischa already has made four films that are due for release this year.

Despite the girls’ promising future, my prediction is that Ryan and Seth have been too type-cast to find a huge amount of success elsewhere.

Words: Joey Facer

I am not usually a TV watcher.

With only two watchable channels at home, I seem to find other occupations. However, on a visit to the in-laws, the boyfriend and I found ourselves sofa-bound for the night. And what an eyeful of crap we glimpsed. Test the Nation, a show which has been aired in manifold forms in several other European states, presents an IQ test, differing in no conceivable way to any other IQ test, excepting that its creator, Dr Colin Cooper, thinks it the best (without substantiated reason). The test works by sitting through a gruellingly snore-worthy 70 questions and working out your eventual score based on your age. Which means anyone aged 70 or above is an instant genius just for turning on the television and working out the finer details of pen-wielding.

Bravo.

Excitingly, fixed position cameras mean the Trinity contingent of TV watchers gets more than a few lingering glimpses of the acclaimed Barry Murphy, Ents officer, mug. In fact, the whole SU

Breaking out

Words: Darren Kennedy

and their crew seem to be making up the entirety of the “Bebo generation” team. This does mean we get to know Dep Pres, Simon Hall, a good deal better. Our Simon reveals to us his startling statistics: more than 60 hours per week of “recreational computer usage” (fashioning The Record, one wonders?) as well as sending 300 texts a week. Interesting. At one point the host remarks that Simon is “excited – well as excited as a computer geek can actually get.”

That said, is it possible to bank on a certain result when the entire team (as far as we could tell) seems to be drawn from Ireland’s top University? Coming in second place, the Bebo generation did us proud, and were topped only by the Bankers – those people who fittingly have complete control of the university students’ finances.

Bebo-ers drew with the sports players, which was no surprise given the general make-up of College councils.

The high point for me had to be when renowned (?) Lecture Dr Colin Cooper from Queens

remarked that: “showering with the eyes closed can improve hand-eye coordination”. A silence bordering on excruciating ensued as viewers took a number of takes at the random masturbation joke on RTE1.

As well as boring final results RTE provides us with some other fascinating facts.

Such as Monaghan topping the charts, with Sligo, Dublin, Mayo and Cavan all sharing the low spot.

As a team, the boyfriend and I managed a collective IQ of 125, which leaves both of us dunces on a 50/50 split, but there just weren’t enough pens to hand for us to have a go separately.

Another one of those pesky factors which might influence the results of this tenuous test. Men bettered their better halves by four points (and this might be backed up by the fact that I had to count this difference on my fingers). The righties scored one on those left-handed freaks with 101 to their 98.

And meat eaters and vegetarians tied for their scores – schocker.

Aforementioned renowned Dr

The New Year will witness the return of the award-winning series Prison Break to Irish television, to the excitement of its many fans who have not already chosen to avail of the internet by downloading any of the dozen or so episodes that have been shown in North America since last August. Despite receiving mixed reviews from critics, the show has become immensely popular on both sides of the Atlantic since it premiered in August 2005 and has since been nominated for both an Emmy and a Golden Globe award.

The story is set in the fictional Fox River State Penitentiary in Joliet, Illinois. In fact, Fox River was previously known as Joliet prison, which closed in 2002 and where most of the filming for the first series takes place. Interestingly, the cell of Lincoln Burrows, a main character on the show, is actually the former cell of John Wayne Gacy. No, he’s not a cowboy, but an infamous serial killer known as the ‘Killer Clown’ who was executed in 1994 for the rape and murder of 33 males, most of whom he buried under his house.

Nice. Most of the production crew believe the cell to be haunted and, unsurprisingly, refuse to enter.

In the first season, we witnessed how structural engineer Michael Scofield deliberately gets incarcerated in Fox River in order to facilitate the escape of his brother, Lee Harvey Oswald-type loner Lincoln

Colin Cooper seemed unconvincing in his defence of his quiz.

Computer generated “morphs” of celebrity faces were slack, with the background colour changing to the celebrity’s that the original had been morphed with; leading to a 100% success rate on the part of the average, or even idiot, quiz-taker. When asked after this round by presenter Miriam O’Callaghan, posing also as complete airhead bimbo type who seemed to find challenging even those questions designed for six to seven year olds: “did you make certain parts of the test easier to give people a break?” Cooper blusteringly responds with “well, erm, yes, yes I did.” I’m tempted to agree with the comment of my flatmate’s girlfriend. When someone at dinner remarked they had scored in the top three percentile of the country aged 11 in an IQ test, she responded, “aren’t IQ tests completely discredited?”

Harsh, but hardly without foundation.

Burrows, who has been framed by a shadowy government organisation for the murder of the Vice President’s brother. He does this by using his tattooed body, which contains a blueprint of the prison and forming a shaky alliance with an assorted motley crew of criminals, including Chicago mob boss John Abruzzi and dangerous sociopath Theodore ‘T-Bag’ Bagwell. He remains determined despite encountering many obstacles, and the show has become notorious for its cliffhanger endings.

A sub-plot also revolves around family friend and lawyer Veronica Donovan, who seeks to find the truth about the entire situation despite the best efforts of some Secret Service agents, whose methods are slightly unconstitutional at times but who never have difficulty covering their tracks. When we last left Veronica, she was closing in on Lincoln’s supposed murder victim Terrence Steadman, who, we learn, is still alive for some strange reason. Meanwhile, Scofield had succeeded in escaping from Fox River with most of his gang but, as we saw, they missed their scheduled getaway plane. The next series revolves around the manhunt for the fugitives, which is led by ruthless FBI agent Alexander Mahone. Fans can expect more twists and turns in the new season.

THEBOX

Testing times for the nation

9

COVERSTORY

10

This is D London calling David McNeil worked as a foreign correspondent for the BBC for 21 years.

Here he recalls to Joey Facer his career highs and lows and tells us how to win in the world of journalism David Mc Neil

avid McNeil’s impeccable Queen’s English is extremely impressive. It is all the more impressive when he reveals his New Zealand birth and his father’s Scottish origins. McNeil was a flourishing Foreign Correspondent for the BBC, for whom he still works, for twenty-one years, but his career began in New Zealand.

Although McNeil passed the standard exam necessary to attend university in New Zealand, he chose to follow his dream and head straight into the career he knew he most desired – jounalism.

McNeil admits he baffled his parents on his choice, who had not had the opportunity to go to University themselves.

McNeil has trouble explicating the true reasons for his call to journalism, but hazards that as “New Zealand is a small country – it’s far away from everywhere”, perhaps this led him to aspire so fervently to a career in media, a form which connects people across the globe.

That said, McNeil first entered into radio journalism as the “office boy, making tea”, in the generic manner, but by age nineteen he was writing and presenting a jazz programme called “In the Swing of Things”. It seemed he was destined for DJ stardom before a friend who was setting up a news service on the local station approached him.

The two collaborated, and McNeil relates that he “found (this) niche” in news at this point.

The programme went on to become the biggest news service in New Zealand.

At twenty-one McNeil found himself “a big fish in a small pond-and I wanted to be a big fish in a big pond”. With this in mind, and with the boyhood dream of joining the BBC, a service he had been listening to all his life, McNeil set off for England with three school friends, using the excuse of “the 1966 World Cup”.

Generally though, due to its remoteness from Europe, McNeil tells me

New Zealanders tend to leave for a few years before returning. He gave himself two years to succeed in journalism before he would return to New Zealand. He never went back.

Although not an employee of the BBC after the first two years in Europe, McNeil had landed a job in a Swiss broadcasting service based in Berne, writing and reading news in English. Thankfully, the only language qualification was a reading comprehension of French.

Age twenty-five, McNeil finally applied for his first BBC job, and was hired as a holiday relief subeditor for the world service, based in Bush House, London. He worked here for three years before being headhunted by the BBC Domestic Service.

Although McNeil enjoyed his times at the BBC in all his capacities, he had “the travel bug” from dealing with world news. Wanting to “live and not just be a tourist” in foreign lands, he focussed on applying for the job of a foreign correspondent. Knowing the level of competition, McNeil decided to be strategic in his application.

Believing South America to e the least reported-on area he did his research by taking his yearly holidays travelling between Brazil, Uruguay and Argentina to show initiative. In his absence, however, several jobs opened up and McNeil applied for them.

He was hired instantly, and posted to the Middle East. He describes his first posting in Beirut as at that time “the Switzerland of the Middle East”, and “peaceful” up until the Middle East 1973 conflicts and the civil war in Lebanon.

McNeil and his wife found themselves living in the middle of a war zone. McNeil recalls an occasion when he was out with some friends and called his wife to check on her.

Hearing gunfire in the background he knew it wasn’t good news: Mrs McNeil confirmed this by warning him not to come home. McNeil’s response? “I went back to the bar.”

He remains laid back even when relating the most disturbing of stories.

From here, he spent three years in New York and three years in Johannesburg before spending two years in London, when he became the first person to interview the late Princess Diana.

McNeil describes Diana as “shaking with nerves” at the interview, as well as adding “she was not the beauty we have come to know-she had what we call puppy fat”.

Further to this, McNeil resided in Israel for two years followed by Washington for eight years. During his time in Washington McNeil covered the end of the Cold War machinations, travelling to meetings with Reagan and Gorbachev as part of the three hundred and fifty strong White House Press Corps. The summits about the arms race took him to conventions at Geneva and Moscow among oth-

Ronald Regan

ers, and McNeil found himself away from his family for up to ten weeks at a time.

In his twenty-one years as a foreign correspondent McNeil confesses you have to “subjugate everything else” to be an international journalist, including time with the family. To compensate, the McNeils, who now have three children, make every meal an occasion, as well as “observing holidays like Christmas diligently”. McNeil decided to leave the area of foreign correspondence when in the dangerous regions of Lebanon, saying “I was nearly forty and the nearest person to me in age was twenty-eight. It was time to move away.”

When McNeil returned from his last post he had begun working for Radio Five Live as a news broadcaster when a friend informed him of a vacancy at a University for an international news course. He now teaches a course titled: “The Foreign Correspondent”, whilst still reading the news today for BBC Radio 3 (at 1pm, in fact).

In spite of his aforementioned New Zealander origins, as well as his father’s reported strong Scottish accent, McNeil admits that “subconsciously I must have got rid of my New Zealand accent” for the purposes of broadcasting. He also tells me about the pronunciation department at the BBC who issue guides daily for pronunciation. McNeil praises the BBC, saying its organisation is unparalleled elsewhere in the world. The dedication to “quality

Princess Diana

“

It is a journalist’s perogative to report, rather than bleed all over the television screens

”

at every level”, McNeil says, often let to real “distress” at mistakes.

McNeil’s advice for aspiring journalists is to write as much as possible and to prepare thoroughly, in order to show that you have been serious about journalism for

some time. One interviewee he tells me about had stated he had “always wanted to be a political correspondent”; but when asked who he thought the best political correspondent of the moment was, he was unable to name even one. Employers, McNeil cautions, will simply conclude candidates of this kind are “playing games”.

McNeil’s other tips include in interviews always asking if the interviewee wishes to add anything else. He relates the tale of one colleague who was working with him in Johannesburg and called to Botswana to see how they were handling a recent influx of refugees. The District Officer responded favourably, but when asked if anything else was happening responded-“well, I thought you were calling to ask about Liz Taylor and Richard Burton”. He had just remarried the high-profile couple in a formal ceremony that morning. The journalist got an exclusive from one simple question.

He also enlightens me on the BBC’s first rule for interviewing: that you shouldn’t allow the interviewee to control the interview.

He tells me more about his interview with Diana. When handed, as he was, a page entitled “Agreed Questions”, he would in normal circumstances walk out, but the importance of the interview precluded this. He requested to ask one more question, on the age gap between Diana and Charles. Their press officer asked and reported they would rather not. McNeil, however, concluded

that “you don’t get sent to the Tower of London these days” and asked the question anyway, saying that they dealt with it very well.

When asked of his proudest moment, McNeil sagely responds it is the way he felt he dealt with the stress of his job. Living in the midst of conflict and being afraid can lead to a real strain, but McNeil came out unscathed.

His career highlight, he tells me, is reporting close to the truth.

He has always been dedicated to explaining in as clear terms as possible to let the listener make up their own minds. McNeil expresses concern over the prevalent “journalism of attachment” of today, where journalists take sides. McNeil believes it is a journalist’s prerogative to report, to be neutral, and to explain thoroughly and honestly, rather than “bleed all over the television screens.”

McNeil’s other pet hate is the idea of some journalists becoming celebrities: rather, they “should be conduits”, as anything less gets in the way of the job. He is also wary of prizes for journalism, as he fears it leads to journalists taking undue risks even on their lives to win an award.

On a positive note, McNeil describes his profession as a career in which one can never be bored, for though the techniques stay the same the story does not.

McNeil calls journalism a “university for life”, and based on this interview I am inclined to agree.

COVERSTORY

The Lebanon

11 11

12 Savagely

Seductive

SILVERSCREEN

Words: H u g h M c C a f f e r t y

In the opening scene of Apocalypto, a group of sixteenth century, forest-dwelling Mayan hunters crouch around the body of a tapir they have just killed, as various body parts are removed and shared out. One receives the animal’s heart, another its ears and a third, to his obvious dismay, its testicles. Encouraged by his companions, the unfortunate chap takes a bite and, as he starts to gag and cough (an unpleasant looking goo trickling down his chin), his fellow hunters descend into fits of giggles, rolling around on the ground, laughing at their tubby friend’s gullibility. At this point, one cannot help but wonder (with some degree of trepidation) whether Van Wilder: Party Liaison will sustain an enduring influence throughout the rest of the film.

Twenty minutes later, the same crew watch on as their forest village is burned to the ground, the shrieks of women and children filling the air, the dead bodies of friends and loved ones scattered here and there, before they are marched off to an unknown fate by a force of city-dwelling aggressors. This inconsistency of tone presents a conflict regarding the way in which one should view this film’s protagonists: are they lowbrow simpletons or noble woodsmen? Certainly, the lecture Flint Sky (Morris Birdyellowhead) gives to his son, and this tale’s hero, Jaguar Paw (Rudy Youngblood) about the freeing of one’s mind from fear, and the campfire stories of the wise village elder suggest that director and co-writer Mel Gibson would like viewers to favour the latter view. However,

this ambiguity is a problem that can be applied, in a wider context, to the film as a whole, as one asks whether this is simply an action movie or a more high-minded and thought-provoking affair that poses questions about the very nature of civilisation. My advice is to slip the brain into neutral before watching this film and enjoy it for the adrenaline-fuelled spectacle it is, rather than allowing tiresome ‘thinking’ to spoil the fun.

Apocalypto is certainly thoroughly entertaining. Its pace is perfectly pitched; it does not dwell too much on character development but, at the same time one finds oneself routing for Jaguar Paw as he struggles to evade his captors in his race against the clock to return to his village and save his young family from a horrible fate. Similarly, the film’s two main villains Zero Wolf (Raoul Trujillo) and Middle Eye (Gerardo Taracena) are suitably nasty individuals. Shot mainly in Mexico, the sets are marvellous; the lush backdrop of the forest scenes contrasting strikingly with the grey stone and white plaster of the city to which the captives are eventually brought. This is not to say that the said city is by any means dull; populated as it is by thousands of inhabitants, colourful, grotesque and often mesmerising.

The action set pieces are always engaging and the long chase which constitutes much of the sec-

ond half of the film, as Jaguar Paw escapes the city and flees back to his home and to his family, never loses the interest of the audience.

The dialogue is generally passable, however, when the script attempts to imbue proceedings with a deeper significance, one feels the need to tune out somewhat. One particular example is a scene involving an encounter with a young girl in the forest.

Complete with extreme close-ups and a swelling soundtrack, the smallpox-ridden child tells the Mayan soldiers that she can sense their fear and that the end of civilisation is at hand and so on and so forth. It is a totally pointless insertation, must like the quote which introduces the film, courtesy of W. Durant: “A great civilisation is not conquered from without until it has destroyed itself from within”. This is a fair point, perhaps, on Durant’s part but it is never quite clear what Gibson is trying to say in the context of an action movies.

Whatever the sentiments behind Apocalypto, it remains an effective as an action movie, and the score below reflects that it is being viewed as one. As a political allegory, however, it does not fare so well. When you are sitting in a dark theatre, munching on some popcorn and wondering just how gruesome Jaguar Paw’s next kill is going to be, though, that does not seem to matter.

with the leader, to a dawning realisation of his own complicity in the corrupt regime, and finally to complete terror when he becomes an enemy of the despot. Garrigan is himself a realistically imperfect man, vain and hedonistic, so his easy acceptance of the new power bestowed on him is as entirely believable as his seemingly wilful ignorance of the atrocities happening all around him.

The two lead actors, Forrest Whittaker and James McAvoy, are stunning in their roles. In recent interviews, Whittaker has spoken about the efforts he made to perfect his characterisation. It pays off; Whittaker is in turn a charming and benevolent leader and then a terrifying madman.

Academy Award nominations will follow.

Murderous Charm Words: C o n o r O ’ K e l l y

Idi Amin, the military dictator who ruled Uganda from 1971 to 1979, had a penchant for all things Scottish. He also presided over one of the most violent regimes in modern history - he sent upwards of 300,000 of his fellow countrymen to their graves, torture was commonplace and, on a more intimate note, ordered the murder, dismemberment and mutilation of his wife. For a film director, the challenge in communicating such a bloody story lies in accurately conveying its horrors while still reaching and entertaining a sufficiently wide audience.

In ‘The Last King of Scotland’ director Kevin MacDonald provides orientation for the audience by offering a portrait of Idi Amin (Forrest Whittaker) through the experience of fictional Scottish

doctor Nicholas Garrigan (James McAvoy). Garrigan is a feckless medical graduate, whose journey to Uganda as a missionary is motivated more by desire for adventure and fun than it is by charitable intentions. Soon after arriving, a chance encounter with the dictator, coupled with Amin’s own Scottish predilections, sees Garrigan appointed personal physician to the president and one of his closest advisers.

The fictionalised viewpoint provided by Dr. Garrigan in the film (based on the novel of the same name by Giles Foden), allows the director to successfully condense the atrocities of Amin’s regime, while also positioning a critical, albeit western, voice at its centre.

Garrigan’s experience in Uganda passes from an early infatuation

The

Final Cut January is in many ways a good month for the cinema-goer. With the Oscars just around the corner, the films that the major studios hope will reap coveted Academy Awards come February arrive on our screens. Added to this, blockbusters tend to be conspicuously absent from the cinema in the early months of a new year.

However, just because you can go see “thinking man’s” movies in January, doesn’t necessarily mean you’re testing your brain all that much. Last year’s Academy Awards were quite “political” according to most critics, with films such as “Syriana”, “Good Night, and Good Luck” and “Crash” all receiving nominations.

The ’07 awards, if the Screen Actor’s Guild nominations are anything to go by, will ultimately be just as “political”. Expect “The Blood Diamond”, “The Last King of Scotland” and “Babel” to feature prominently. However, just as Mel Gibson’s “Apocalypto” (review left) raises questions over whether to separate an artist’s morality from the movies, films on topics such as brutal dictators, the arms race and conflict diamonds ultimately pose similar questions, with the answers being much the same: raising an issue in film isn’t the same as trying to solve it. “The Blood Diamond” for one takes a highly complex issue, both in the context of its setting in Sierra Leone and also in the context of the international diamonds trade, and as Hollywood is apt to do, tries to narrow it down into handy bite sized chunks. War is bad; poverty is bad; treachery is bad.

The problem remains that too often films such as “The Blood Diamond” are wont to ride the wave of the “politically aware” film, and forget the fact that come the film’s ending they won’t be able to really test an audience: the sad reality is very few studios would even contemplate you leaving a film sorely unhappy at the state of world affairs- sugar coated reality always tastes better. So go see the films mentioned above when they arrive at your local cinema, but remember: going to see Di Caprio’s latest film doesn’t equate to an education on Africa or the world’s ailments- it’s just a stimulus for actually trying to change things if you really want to. Deep, I know. That’s the New Year for you.

Rocky’s Swansong Words: Jason Robinson

When I first heard that Sylvester Stallone planned on bringing out another, and final, instalment in the “Rocky” series, I, like many other cinema-goers, was suitably worried. Being a fan of the Rocky films, the thought of Stallone putting one last nail in the coffin of his iconic character was not something I was looking forward to.

However, despite the pessimism which has surrounded the sixth and final instalment in the Rocky series, “Rocky Balboa”, the newest and final outing for Philadelphia’s favourite son, ain’t all that bad. In fact, I guarantee you’ll leave the cinema smiling.

The basic premise of the film is quite simple: Rocky, aged and recently bereaved (yes, his wife Adrian is no more), is lured out of retirement to fight the current Heavyweight champion of the world, Mason “The Line Dixon” (Antonio Tarver).

The fight is billed as a “glorified sparring match” between two great boxers with Rocky hoping that he can prove himself to all his doubters with this his last chance in the big

arena. However, “Rocky Balboa” is not really a sports film -the series never really was either- and what we get is two things: an ode to old age and growing old well and; Sylvester Stallone giving his character Rocky the send off his original outings deserve. For the most part, Stallone pulls off these two things well and Rocky’s longing to prove himself with this his last chance of recognition is something every audience member will empathise with.

Of all the Rocky films, “Rocky Balboa” is perhaps the funniestPaulie (Burt Young), a softer, toned down version of what he was in the first two films, provides much needed comic relief when Stallone/Rocky (the line is never quite clear) goes astray and the element of homage to the first two films works well with flashbacks to Adrian (Talia Shire) and Rocky’s first awkward date back in 1975 and the early days of their relationship. All in all, “Rocky Balboa”, manages the unlikely feat of being equal parts brilliant and atrocious. The dialogue is

strained at numerous stages throughout and performance-wise, both Rocky’s son Rocky Jr. (played

by Milo Ventimiglia) and Mason Dixon(Antonia Tarver) are poorly cast and poorly used respectively.

But in spite of its faults, come the film’s trademark “Gonna Fly Now” song and Rocky’s training routine before the film’s climatic fight, Stallone has the audience where he wants them- rooting for the unlikely hero of Rocky, despite the film’s manifold faults.

During the course of the film, Rocky, in one of his many verbal outpourings, says “if you live some place long enough, you are that place”. The sense that Stallone acknowledges that his career has been bound by this one character is clear, but it’s also apparent that this is something he is happy to accept. Rocky’s closing words are “Yo Adrian, we did it” I don’t know how Stallone managed it, after two woeful films in “Rocky IV” and “Rocky V”, but “Rocky Balboa” is a fitting end to a surprisingly touching, and inspiring, saga.

SILVERSCREEN

n’s o s n i Rob n o s Ja

13

14 Coco Chanel’s secret

HIGHSTYLE

Words: Kerrie Forde

In general, people always say stick to what you love and it will take you anywhere. For Gabrielle Coco Chanel, her love of powerful men and acute desire to transgress her lower-class roots took her, and effectively, Chanel, to where it stands today. Chanel is an international powerhouse in Couture Fashion, whose influence and appeal as a world- wide brand is boundless. Anyone who truly loves Fashion, will look and find that it can take you on an unimagined journey into the vault of History. Coco’s personal journey, which puts her in the context of two Major World Wars, is a story worth writing about.

As human beings we tend to have an innate curiosity which compels us to delve into ‘Great’ people’s lives; so that we no longer differentiate between the Public and the Private. This perhaps seems more natural today with advances in media. For Coco Chanel her controversial affairs with High Profile men, including a High ranking Nazi official, meant that her personal life was thrust into the spotlight in an extraordinary way. This today isn’t a very well known fact, which makes it all the more intriguing. It is also evidence that Coco Chanel and the company comfortably survived the backlashes and criticism experienced

which dictated Coco’s fifteen years of exile. She seemed to be exceptionally skilled in manipulating her personal circumstances, so that her public persona would embody exactly what she needed it to.

Even today, there is a common misconception that Coco Chanel was herself born into aristocracy.

This is what she needed people to believe, and yet to take away her humble upbringing would undermine the extent of her achievement as she proved to be an extremely admirable and thrilling example of a very strong woman from her youth to her very final days. It is the very upbringing she took pains to deny, which allows us to understand her taste in men, clothes and even her career path.

I think it is interesting that she chose to pursue a life dedicated to fashion. Dressing up is often a tool for escapism; clothes allow you to be anyone you want to be.

Chanel is often hailed as the label which actually established a world of High Fashion.Coco Chanel’s outlook was modern: in her time, she was thinking about the duality of ‘comfortable yet stylish’ clothes for women, which is at the forefront of both High Street and Couture fashion today.

She incorporated the idea of ‘Simplistic but Bold’ fashion into the design and packaging of her

infamous No.5 perfume, which is reportedly sold every thirty seconds. Often described as a Feminist, there was method to Coco’s minimalist designs. She believed that females would be liberated by dressing in a ‘mannish’ fashion. She achieved this, for example, by replacing the corset with comfortable and casual clothing.

It is important to emphasise the personality and passion behind the clothing. In fact Coco Chanel is well remembered for her quotes, believing that “fashion is in the air, born upon the wind.

One intuits it. It is in the sky and on the road”. Fashion was something that seemed to come naturally to her. She was an embodiment of all that was new and inspiring. For those well-acquainted with Coco Chanel, the image of her they often have in their minds is a lady with that short, straight bobbed haircut, which was so dramatic and striking for her time. This hair-cut actually materialised because she accidentally scorched her hair with a curling iron before going to the opera in Paris. She apparently just went with the change and it took off, forging a major trend.

Coco’s upbringing was one of poverty to the extent that she is believed to have been born one of two illegitimate daughters, to the travelling salesman Albert Chanel and his lover in France.

When she was six her mother died. Abandoned by her father, she was forced to spend seven years in an orphanage where she learnt the trade of seamstress. In pursuit of success and acceptance into the kind of High Society which could afford to buy her hat designs and clothes she was careful to disguise this.

Interestingly, it has been noted that her birth certificate conveniently involved a misspelling whereby her name was spelt as ‘Chasnel’. Therefore, as few would have been able to pronounce her last name, it would have helped her dramatically to eradicate her ‘less than desirable’ background in the course of her life. By the time of the First World War, Coco had become a well established figure, mixing in circles with an artistic elite, such as Picasso. Stravinsky has been cited as one of her many lovers.

Her biographer, Janet Wallach,

has labelled her as being an inveterate snob throughout her life.

Coco became the mistress of a wealthy Playboy called Arthur Capel who enabled her in setting up a millinery shop in Paris. It is through these Powerful figures that she gained the appropriate clientele. Chanel’s perfume really took off when she became involved with Nazi officer Pierre Wertheimer, who was rumoured to be the first of her Nazi lovers.

He owned 70 percent of the company and his family still control perfume sales today.

The Second World War had a huge impact on fashion internationally and Coco Chanel was not excluded from this; it affected her brand both directly and indirectly. The German occupation of France from 1940-44 put the development of Paris’s own haute couture to a halt. It was the start of British and American fashion as both countries were forced to develop their own manufacturing industry, styles and cultivate their own designers. Coco was forced to close her boutiques in 1939 and served as a nurse during the Second World War. The Hotel Ritz remained her home even during the Nazi occupation of Paris, during which time she was criticised for Anti-Semitism, homophobia and for having a controversial affair with Nazi officer and intelligence agent Hans Guther Von Incklage.

Subsequently she was forced to go into exile in Switzerland until she returned in 1954 and was able to continue her career, paving the way for fashion today.

Coco Chanel escaped imprisonment and public humiliation.

Her main biographer Wallach has hinted that this perhaps can be attributed to Winston Churchill who had been a close friend to her, early in her career. She was buried in 1970 and her grave is surrounded by five lions.

Somehow she seemed to carve out a life for herself, so that she was always surrounded by grandeur and ever triumphant.

Coco Chanel was a feisty women who is notorious in her adamant response to accusations about her Nazi affiliations, ‘At my age, when a man wants to sleep with you, you don’t ask to see his passport’. She was a woman who determined her own fate.

Words: Nicholas Hamilton

And the winner is...

Words: David Lydon

Time sure does fly in the world of theatre, and the one thought on every student thesp’s mind this Term will be the Irish Student Drama Awards, or ISDA’s for short. Such insignificant events such as essays and scholarship exams will soon be brushed aside for an event that is the highpoint in the student theatrical year. Trinity’s own dramatic society Players has been very successful in previous years, winning several of the top awards as well as being in the running for every

major gong for as long as anyone can remember. Just like the Oscars, awards are handed out to the top Actors, Directors and to the best show. (Unlike the Oscars, all the shows are from Irish Universities and there are, unfortunately, no state-of-the-art goodie bags or red carpets.)

Such is the reputation of the ISDA’s, the Players committee will sit down shortly before the end of term and decide which plays from the last academic year will be sent to Belfast, this year’s host town. Subsequently, this term is packed to the rafters with potential highlights, with shows starting as early as week 2 and continuing, two a week, until week 9. So pop down to Players so that you can see some of the best student theatre of the year, and you might even see a show that goes on to lift the coveted Best play at the ISDA’s.

BACKSTAGE

Playboy of the eastern world

Few plays in the Irish canon come with as much baggage as J.M. Synge’s ‘The Playboy of the Western World’ –the cause of infamous protests when first performed at The Abbey in 1907.

So, what happens when a successful Irish company, Pan Pan, in collaboration with Chinese practitioners, translates Synge’s play into Mandarin, transposes it to modern-day Beijing, performs it there, and then brings it back to Dublin for a week, with the Chinese cast (and surtitles!)?

The answer is one of the most fascinating and entertaining cultural exchanges seen in the city for a long time.

Synge’s story, of a young man who is greeted with great admiration by a small community when they hear that he has killed his father, is intact but everything around it has changed unrecognisably: a ‘whore-dresser’ (or brothel masquerading as a hairdressers) on the outskirts of Beijing replaces the County Mayo shebeen, miniskirts and knee-high boots replace shawls, and er guo tou replaces poteen.

Pan Pan’s production draws attention to issues of cultural similarity and difference. From the moment Zhao Yingjun -every bit the slick Asian cosmopolitan, with his sun glasses and sports jacketputs his head round the door to enquire ‘where’s himself?’, it is apparent that the meeting of the two cultures (early twentieth-century Irish and early twenty-first century Chinese) produces some surreal and very entertaining results.

Equally as amusing as the way in which the original text has been retained, is the way in which it has been altered in parts to include modern Chinese idioms. The result is such memorable lines as ‘and

the whole body of you needing a wash like an Inner Mongolian sheep’ and ‘promise to Chairman Mao I wasn’t thinking of that’, and had audiences in Dublin roaring with laughter at expressions which must have been greeted with simple comprehension and unblinking familiarity back in Beijing.

It is not only the Irish and Chinese that are brought together by this new production, however.

Elements of traditional Chinese performance are also combined with witty references to contemporary popular culture. Karaoke features more than once, while the scene with Lala, in her mini-skirt and white boots, casually inflating an air mattress with a foot pump would appear to come from a television shopping channel.

The Mandarin translation is more condensed than the English text. While this helps to create an exciting fast pace, it is also a problem as it exacerbates the oftenencountered difficulty of trying to keep up with the surtitles while watching what is going on beneath.

The fast pace of the production is made possible by the energetic performances of a strong cast, and complimented by the dazzlingly bright, ultra-modern set design.

Whether or not they managed to decode the layers of meaning created by the production’s complicated international history, the audience nonetheless enjoyed an enthralling and highly entertaining performance. As ‘The Playboy’ approaches its centenary, there can be no doubt that Pan Pan have succeeded in bringing something completely new to one of the foundational works of twentiethcentury Irish drama.

College theatre for Hilary term Words: David Lydon This term sees Players jammed full of theatrical delights, starting as early as Week 2 with Tongue Craves the Taste by Brian Martin at 6pm daily. The following week sees the premiere of In Character

by Donal Gallery as well as a Centenary revival of J. M. Synge’s Playboy of the Western World.

Week 4 plays host to Edenstown, adapted from the film ‘Dogville’

by Alan Murrin, as well as Dylan Thomas’ classic play for voices Under Milk Wood. As for Week 5, there’s a distinctly international flavour as Belle and the Bete (en francais), and two Irish plays, Snag and Yeats’ Cathleen Ni Houlihan strut their foreign-lan-

guage stuff. Week 6 sees Willis Hall’s The Long and the Short and the Tall as well as Shirley Valentine

by Willy Russell. The following week bears witness to My Mother Said I Never Should by Charlotte Keatley as well as the traditional German Play. The event that is New Writer’s Week arrives in Week 8, with lunchtime sketches and two original shows, Rob Crowley’s Little Russian, and Think Tank by David Lydon at 6 and 8 pm respectively. Finally, Players will host its own Dance Festival in week 9, with a variety of expertlychoreographed events taking place.

15

16 Be a man, buy a sandwich

FOODDRINK

Words: Richard Armstrong

Sandwiches are amazing creations of bread and any filling under the sun. Delicious and interesting, they are things of beauty to be admired. They are also dead handy if you're hungry and in a rush at lunch. There are many places around college to go and grab a sandwich at lunch, but my personal favourite has to be a hidden treasure, O'Donovans on Pearse St., across the road from Goldsmith Hall. The “Tijuana Chicken” roll is just so amazing, you might die and go to heaven and not realise the difference. Hot chicken, bacon, cheese and spicy mayonnaise never tasted so good, and its only 3 euro. Also in the Pearse Street vicinity is the JCR, usually packed out at lunch, where it serves the “Whole Hog” sandwich. This seems instantly a good choice, a sandwich with a whole pig in it, however, be warned – it’s not quite that good,

and you'll be waiting an age to get your sandwich if you don't show up before the rush at lunch.

Sandwich places up the other end of college include Boland's, off Grafton St., which is famous for its soft rolls, Sandwich Symphony, on Dawson St., and of course O'Briens. All come recommended if you are in the mood for two slices of bread and whatever takes your fancy. If you are trying out Sandwich Symphony, remember to ask for the special and have it toasted – you will not regret your decision. O'Briens of course is a college favourite. They are literally everywhere, and do some seriously good sandwiches.

If you are in a serious rush, you may think of going to a Spar to grab a prepacked sandwich. This is a bad idea. Spar prepacked sandwiches are pretty rubbish.

However, be aware that Spar do some incredible sandwiches at

InReview:

Rogue, Dame St, D2.

Words: Gearoid Godson

their hot food counters – The chicken fillet roll with lettuce and tomato comes highly recommended. Also in this category of “ooh, I didn't realise they did good food at lunch” is Centra, which like Spar has an amazing hot chicken roll. Spar and Centra also do incredible breakfast rolls, stuffed with sausage, egg, bacon and cheese. Perfect if you don't have any milk in the fridge and you don't want to eat dry frosties.

Another place which may draw your attention is Subway, and if it does, say these words: “Footlong Parmesan and Oregano Meatball sub, with Cheese and BBQ sauce”. It is simply fantastic, but may leave you full for the rest of your life. Marks and Spencers do a huge range of sandwiches as well – all prepacked. Offering low cal sandwiches, calorie counters can be happy as M&S label their sandwiches with all nutritional

For those of us who crave a bit of variety when it comes to a night out, Thursdays at Rogue offers a different taste of Dublin nightlife to that already on offer from the gargantuan Tripod/Craw Daddy fare. It blasts some of the most original mixes of house, techno and electro from a variety of resident dj’s and special guests every Thursday.

The Backlash group (the people behind this night) was founded in 2003 to reinvigorate a dance scene which they felt had gone stale.

They now run several nights around Dublin.

Every week they provide clubbers with some of the biggest and best names in Dance music. In the last couple of years the club has played host to, amongst others, MSTRKRFT, Jacques le Cont, Hystereo and Mylo.

The club is based on two levels, both containing a bar, although on busy nights crowding around the bars can make moving around a bit of a chore due to the narrow nature of the club.

Despite this, unlike other Dublin clubs you will not be left waiting hours to get a drink. Not

information possible - just make sure you can understand the labels.

M&S sandwiches are great if you are picking a snack up for the bus home, especially the Chicken, Avocado and Bacon, which is just quality in a little cardboard box.

Another choice if you are in the mood for some sandwichy goodness is Lemon on Dawson St. Not just the home of crepes galore, it also does amazing toasted sandwiches, especially the club sandwich. Yum. However, be wary Lemon may cripple your bank account if you go everyday.

You may think “Oh, lah-deedah, going out for lunch every day”. These sandwiches are roughly 3 to 4 euro, but there’s always the stingy alternative, the tried and tested favourite. Buy some bread. Buy some sandwich filling. Mix thoroughly. Enjoy.

bad value either, pints of Fosters are 3.50e, bottles of Tuborg 3e and for the ladies, a glass of wine is 3e. The Upper bar has a very chilled out vibe with resident dj s playing sets at a respectable volume allowing for conversation.

Once you head downstairs however you can forget about making conversation as this is where the guest dj’s strut their stuff. The dance floor is on this lower floor, and although quite small it never seems uncomfortably full, allowing you to dance the night away.

The staff at all times are top notch, the Bouncers even accepting my Trinity ID becasue I had forgotten my Drivers licence. One complaint I have heard is about the queues for the toilets on busy nights, however, all in all Rogue offers a completely different night out for those of us who have become a little tired of the usual scene on a Thursday. If you head along with a good group of friends and an open mind I doubt you will be left disappointed. It is a perfect way to meet a different crowd and perhaps to sample completely new music.

Words: Hannah Mole

Are you a passive or an active eater? Do you even know what these terms mean? Perhaps not considering I recently invented them in a bid to classify the ways in which we live, however they do have legitimate definitions and signify existing concepts. A passive eater is one who eats to survive. That is purely to survive. He is the one who “forgets” to eat.

The infamous student diet fits the category of passive eating. For something which sustains and essentially enhances the very basis of our existence, the passive eater often ascribes to food with an extraordinarily modest significance. The active eater on the other hand, although perhaps not

overtly conscious of this definition, eats to enjoy. He rarely “forgets” to eat and feeds in such a way as to simultaneously take the utmost pleasure in both the consumption of his food and the subsequent physical and mental benefits of such. The active eater has a kind of respect for the quality of his life that the passive eater lacks.

Often as not it is largely, though not exclusively, a cultural divide which separates these two categories. It is often noted that those living in more hospitable climates indulge in a better diet and take more time over the experience of eating. Aside from the opportunities for dining ‘al fresco’ bestowed by the affable weather conditions,

crepes most of which are available hot to enjoy ‘al fresco’ Irish style with the optional accompaniment of hot organic apple juice complete with a shot (or two) of whiskey in case you can no longer locate your fingers from being overly enthusiastic with the fruit samples.

The shopping experience itself then becomes active, through an awareness of what you are buying with regard to taste, freshness and purity and the knowledge that you are genuinely valued customer. The fullness of the experience for the consumer, the trader, the earth and the produce itself-in regard to that which previously existed as an animate being-is complete.

Thus we come to the moral aspect of the Organic debate.

That is, a reciprocal respect for the earth and nature in general, and thus a sense of our place in it.

The stereotypical self-deprivational element of such a lifestyle is today a rarity, the focus being, as we can see in the Dublin food markets, more on respectful hedonism than extreme self-sacrifice.

The self is as equally important as the other and the effects of being an active eater positively impact on physical and mental health through an array of manners from increased concentration and energy levels, to shinier hair and teeth, to stronger immune systems!

Bon appetite!

Locations and details of other Dublin markets in city centre and Greater Dublin available at: http://www.bordbia.ie:8124/go /Consumers/Buying_Food/farmers_markets/fm_market_listing. html

FOODDRINK

Mark it in your diary

the variety of fresh produce available in such locations is often hailed as the reason for such habits. There is a popular misconception that such mouth watering delicacies are unavailable in the colder and wetter Northern ‘duvet environments’ of Ireland and the U.K where we must make pathetic attempts to import (and thus destroy) those foods which we briefly romanced on holiday.

Following an indulgent experience of being the privileged guest of a family of ‘active’ Mediterranean eaters, I decided to take my life(style) into my own hands and, set out in search of the means to actively exist in Dublin.

Wandering into the historically humble surroundings of Meeting House Square nestled in the confines of ‘Dublin’s Cultural Quarter’ aka Temple Bar; it takes the best part of five seconds to become gluttonous. Apart from inspiring deadly sins however, here is the active eater’s heaven. The quality and variety of edible materials on offer could give any continental market a run for its money. How apt, for the real hindrance that many cite as an object to active eating is price, which, when coupled with a little organisation, considering the location is, in reality reassuringly reasonable. Much of the merchandise is organically and Irish produced, fish, meats, cheeses, vegetables, breads; you name it. That which is not organic is however fresh, tasty and by and large hand produced: cakes, pastries and sweets abound and there is also a healthy contingent of international treats such as sushi, Mexican soups, Indian curries, Oysters (Irlandais!) and French

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18 Trinity’s

Course: Off books (BESS) Relationship Status: Taken

sexiest society heads

Whether big or small, college societies are an intrinsic part of our college experience. This issue, Trinity News Two looks beyond the surfaces of these groups. To paraphrase Oscar Wilde, college societies exist only as a concepts – in the real world there are only individuals. Trinity News Two has delved deep into ‘college society world’ to bring you the list to end all lists. Here it is- hundreds of emails have been sent, hundreds of spies have been planted, hundreds of hours have been spent compiling the top ten sexiest society heads. Enjoy.

Physically: Daire is working puppy dog chic- big brown eyes and pouty lips, which is cute-but the reason he bulldozes onto the sexy list is purely to do with his unbelievable power. The man knows Al Pacino and ehGerry O’Connell.

Fantasy of the week: sex with Daire Hickey in the chamber on that big wooden table. On that point sir…

Words: Sorcha Lyons

Course: Senior Sophister Music Education Relationship Status: Taken

SEXLIVES

Hugh Lydon DU Orchestral Society

Course: Junior Sophister Psychology Relationship Status: Up in the air

Kylie L’Estrange DU Psychology Society

Daire Hickey University Philosophical Society

Course: Junior Sophister Classics Hitting all the right notes is head of the orchestral society Hugh Lydon. This is the type of guy you can take home to meet your parents- he’s dashing, charismatic and warm. Lydon teeters on the line between proper Hugh Grant-ish charm and rugged unadulterated sex appeal. He has a fire in his eyes: when asked what he gives to the members of his society, he replied “the ability” to keep calm under pressure. He is the perfect sexy man: strong, stable and on top of all that, he’s got rhythm: loving it.

We were first drawn to L’Estrange by her name… quite possibly the sexiest name in Trinity College history. The girl behind the name does not disappoint. L’Estrange’s sexual allure comes in her party girl persona- she’s bursting with energy and fun.

As head of the Psychology society – L’Estrange is well versed on recent psychological findings. She revealed to Trinity News that: “99% of Trinity Students are bringing sexyback, I’m part of the 1% that sexy never left”.

Relationship Status: Up in the air

Stephen Murphy SUAS

Head of the SUAS society, Murphy is a humanist: he cares about other people, he’s selfless and dedicating his free time to helping us to help others.

He’s also 6foot tall with floppy hair and a smile to help African children for.

No wonder SUAS is so successful in Trinity.

Sinead O’ Sullivan Food and Drink Society

Course: Junior Sophister French and Drama Relationship Status: Taken

O’Sullivan commands a certain amount of respectalthough she is pretty and stylish, she carries herself and her committee with an air of class which is as sexy as it is refreshing. As head of the Food and Drinks society, she is probably up to speed with the most potent aphrodisiacs available, and after this mind-blowing sexual feast- she’ll get up and make you a cup of tea. What a woman.

Relationship Status: Up in the air

Mary Clarke

Andy Flaherty Trinity Access Society

Course: Senior Sophister Film Studies Relationship Status: Taken Cheeky Chappy Andy Flaherty is the head of the Trinity Access Society. He’s all about getting to know people and getting along with everyone. We like Andy because he’s a downto-earth sexy guy- he likes a good film and is close to his mum. He always looks like he has just fallen out of bed with his big dopey eyes and his mumbling sexy undertones. Andy is rugged, unpolished and effortless. We love a bit of rough.

Clarke storms onto our Sexy List as we’re too afraid to leave her out. The woman is terrifying. Fiery and determined, she demands respect. Men quiver in the wake of this awesome species of womanhood- therein lies her appeal. Satisfying our inner need to be dominated, Clarke is more than willing to step up in the bedroom and take charge- the result, we imagine, is something which is hot, wicked and barely legal.

Course: 4th Year Phd Experimental Physics Relationship Status: Up in the air

Martin Djiango DU Afro-Carribean Society

DU Law Society

Martin waltzes around House 6 with a laidback attitude and the widest smile this side of the campanile. As a 4th year PhD student, Martin is that little bit older- full of rich experience and wisdom- such as “You don’t feed the chicken the day after market”.

This djambe playing cheeky man is a bit of a player but we just can’t keep our eyes off him.

SEXLIVES

Course: Senior Sophister Law

Course: Senior Sophister Music Relationship Status: Taken

Claire Butler DU Christian Union Ian Lahiffe College Singers

Lahiffe is a poser. He makes it into the top ten purely because of this. He’s cocky and cheeky and confident- he’s the boy your mam tells you to stay away from. Sipping drinks in Café en Seine, he is fit but my god, doesn’t he know it. Nonetheless, seeing him, baton in hand, conduct the singers in St. Patricks’ Cathedral was the most sexy society head performance of 2006. We want to make sweet sweet music with him. We know we shouldn’t, but we can’t resist.

Course: Junior Sophister Drama and Theatre Studies Relationship Status: Taken

“Man looks at the outward appearance but the Lord looks at the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7b). When asked about her sexuality Butler replied- “It’s great to be sexy- my sexuality is god-given and god-lived”. Let’s be honest, we’re not too sure what any of this means but we do know one thing- we want her. We want her because we cannot have her. She is dripping with pure, butterwouldn’t-melt, virginal sex appeal. We want her NOW in the mediation room of the Christian Union.

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Words: Joey Facer

V

Scarlett Johansson

ENDNOTES

HOT

Faceoff

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Miss Scarlett is something of a new fish, but having been hailed by many as the next Marilyn Monroe, a look she herself seems to be aspiring to, she is surely worthy of discussion. Johansson knew her calling from the start, training at a drama school, and poster-ing the walls of small girls everywhere with her performance in “The Horse Whisperer” long before those pesky boys got their hands on her. Magazine and cinema favourite,as well as endorsing Calvin Klein and Louis Vuitton, Johansson is also the spokesperson for L’Oreal.Johansson seems aware of the conundrum her campaigns evoke, remarking: “you have to decide where you draw the line between you saying, this is fun, pretty and fabulous, and being over-exposed.”

Speaking of over-exposure, Johansson in 2006 managed to pose naked on the cover of the February 06 issue of Vanity Fair, a move she believes has only lent her more credibility as an actress, and a human being. This clearly, however, raised her profile to the extent that she could gain further coverage for an anti-poverty campaign she also endorsed. We forget the name of it here.

On another note, Johansson has totted up her credentials for being the Renaissance woman du jour by aiding John Kerry in his 2004 presidential campaign. On the subject of politics, Johansson has remarked: “Whose life would I like to step into for the day? The president's. I could probably get some things done in the Oval Office.” Yes, I’m sure she could. Scarlett has made the quick and erudite realisation that sex can be used to sell anything, particularly itself.

Johansson remarks: “I have an obsessive character. I manicure my nails at three in the morning because nobody else can do it the right way. Maybe that's the secret to my success.” If you want something done in this world, Scarlett seems to say, do it yourself. Preferably blonde and naked.

Marlyn Monroe

Marilyn Monroe began her working life in a munitions factory, and it was pure chance that she was scouted by an army photographer and thence propelled into the world of modelling which began her ascent to stardom.

Like Johannson, Monroe infamously posed naked; however unlike her successor Monroe only did this when forced by financial constraint.

She wasn’t trying to grab headlines, merely make ends meet. And unlike Johannson, she did not shirk from exhibiting a full explanation for her actions, even adding “I did have something onthe radio”. Classy words, from a classy lady.

Monroe experienced personal problems, most likely to have been caused by her being propelled to stardom at such high velocity, something today’s young starlets are conditioned forwhat with every 3rd runner up of Big Brother being coddled by the press as a “celebrity”, and with “confess all” stories of celeb life more than preparing newcomers for the shock and inconvenience that accompanies fame.

Monroe’s directors from films of her mid to late career err between reporting of a comedienne of epic propensity and a late, unreliable, silly alcoholic or drug user. Her reliance on drama coach Lee Strasberg, who went on (fancy that) to inherit her estate, was also cause for complaint on the part of several co-stars. None of these legends seemed to have the respect for acting we expect of modern actors: then, it was a profession.

Monroe can be seen as being years ahead of her time for her endeavour to the cause itself.

Monroe once commented that “an actress is not a machine, but they treat you like a machine. A money machine”. These are cutting words from a veritable pawn: manipulated by society, by Hollywood, by her personal relationships and by delusions we can only speculate on, Monroe seems a soul doomed by her own success.

Twisted Tuesdays Citi Bar All drinks €2 It’s down with the kids

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New term, new start – cue many preachy parental lectures and tutorial guilt-trips. Get to those lectures, kids. Learning IS fun.

Sunday Times – bring on the fluff

Arts Block. Miracle of modern design. Weathered grey concrete has never looked so sexy.

You know when magazines have a big table of contents so you can easily locate that fascinating front page article and when you go to look for it there aren't any page numbers in the magazine? That's so not hot.

SU candidates already starting their campaigns. “Like, oh my gawd, he’s like, so going to run for dep pres.”

Zzzzzzzz.

Noticeboard hol Exams Revise for Sc rary is lib Being in the you get only cool if ns at the tio p em those ex end.

Mitten minders – keep those pesky things in check

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for / go to Volunteer n Dublin the Jameso al Fe Film stiv

Sunday Business Post. Snore.

Campanile.

Feckin’ eyesore.

NOT