Small pleasures in life are a necessity for us to get by, day by day. These are what make us human. There is pleasure all around us, in the little things we do every day. It is the sugar we add to our morning coffee, the romantic comedy you rewatched for the 10th time this year, the bittersweet kiss goodbye to your significant other at the end of the date. These are all mundane activities, but still make life a bit more pleasurable for us all.
Ovid once said “There is no such thing as pure pleasure; some anxiety always goes with it” .This is unfortunately true and I started to realise that pleasures come with a prejudice almost as if it is a tied package and one will always be self-conscious with what they consider something that they enjoy . We have all done it, we have judged someone for the interest that does not align with your own interests. Does that invalidate their pleasures? It should not matter if someone’s favourite artist is Taylor Swift or if their favourite movie is The Kissing Booth, (however, I am yet to meet someone who has said that is their favourite movie). If these things give the person small pleasures why does it matter to anyone else? With this in mind you should relent the anxieties that surround your pleasures and take pride in what satisfies you, because it is nobody else’s life but your own.
A bigger example of this prejudice can be associated with sexual pleasures. The “taboo” side of pleasure to some. If one person likes a man and another person likes a woman and they are able to pursue it happily, why judge them because it does not fit into your small minded ways. Sexuality is a free flowing and unconfined thing. People should explore their own sexual pleasures the way they choose to without anyone sticking their noses into their business. This also involves fetishes, if you don’t like one, there is a simple solution… don’t partake. You don’t have to put down other people for liking one thing just because you don’t. It’s simple, but unfortunately this judgement and guilt that follows kinks and fetishes is a tale as old as time.
But that is why we chose Pleasure to be the theme of this issue, so you can share all sorts of pleasures in your life without having the guilt drag you down.
In this issue we will be exploring the vastness of pleasure in art, media and in everyday life. It will touch on different genres that expose different aspects of pleasures including Sexy Drill and Lesbian Songwriters. You can see which songs us Editor’s choose as our favourite love ballads within this issue, co-ordinated by our Entertainment Editor Tess O’Regan.
Pleasure is not always sexual, our Current Affairs editor Adrian Quinn interviews Dr Kathryn Ledden from Trinity College Dublin to discuss medicalised Psychedelic therapy trials, and how it can be used as an aid for overcoming addiction or depression. But all must be done in moderation, and you can read about this in Adrian’s writing. Also in Current Affairs we explore how pleasure for some is at a cost of others, with a look into Pornography and also Prostitution Laws in Ireland.
We opened this issue to have an inclusion of pleasure through a creative lens as we have published a few contributed poems in our Features and Opinions section. You can read our Deputy Features and Opinions Editor Luca Oakman’s intimate and romantic poem “Your Writing On My Skin”. We also have other poems by contributing writers Simon Dishlieva and Rebecca Jane Parke. All exploring different takes of the word pleasure through their well-crafted words.
We want Motley to be a place where you can share your pleasures and to not carry the anxiety with it. It is a place for you to share what interests you and to not be judged as we hope we have created an accepting environment where your writing can flourish. So please if you have not yet written for us, feel free to do so before the college year concludes. We have two more issues left so keep an eye out on themes and send us your thoughts, ideas and words. As always I hope you take pleasure in the work we present to you in this month’s issue.
editor in-chief
LISA AHERN
Lisa is coming back to Motley after studying abroad in Boston for a year. She is in her final year of BA English and is returning to her Rory Gilmore wannabe role as Editor in Chief.
meet the TEAM
Tiernán Ó Ruairc, Deputy Editor In Chief
Tiernán Ó Ruairc is a final year history and politics student with an interest in current affairs, and is looking forward to another year at the Motley Magazine.
Adrian Quinn, Current Affairs Editor
Adrian is a final year arts student studying History and Economics. He loves music, cooking and playing sudoku whilst tanning on Mediterranean beaches.
Kate O’Hanlon, Deputy Current Affairs Editor
Kate O’Hanlon is a second year BA English student who loves to travel and go to concerts in her free time. She is also extremely interested in politics making her prefect for Current Affairs.
Tess O’Regan, Entertainment Editor Tess is returning to Motley this year while pursuing an MA in English Literature and Modernities. Always reading or watching something, Tess is particularly fond of the work of Cormac McCarthy, Hilary Mantel and Pat Barker, and will happily spend the rest of time rewatching The Wire.
Darren Keogh, Deputy Entertainment Editor
Meet our mature student Darren Keogh who is the Deputy Entertainment Editor in his final year of BA Arts studying History and English. He loves music, films, books and trying to find the cheapest vinyls around now that he is a student again.
Cian Walsh, Features and Opinions Editor
Cian Walsh is a third year History and Politics student. He wanted to get involved with Motley for the way it culminates a lot of the creative endeavours he has always had a passion for. Different avenues like poetry, short stories, opinions, etc. Besides that, he ’s also good at getting told he looks like any male actor with dark hair and sleepy complexions.
Luca Oakman, Deputy Features and Opinions Editor
Luca is a second year Arts student. One of their biggest passions is Ancient Greek Culture and Mythology. Stephen Fry’s books are some of their favourites. They have always loved reading and writing, hence they are excited to get started working for Motley as they one day want to pursue a career in publishing.
Stephen O Brien, Fashion Editor
Stephen is in Final Year of BA English. He is deeply interested in Pop Culture, including music, film, and fashion, and is even a member of the Pop Culture Society!
Sinead Sheridan, Deputy Fashion Editor
Sinead Sheridan 2nd year English Student. Sinead has a huge interest in fashion along with photography. Writers Sinead looks up to are Anthony Bourdain and Hunter S. Thompson
Ester de Alcantara, Graphic Designer
Ester is a second-year International Law student with a passion for graphic design. She loves books, movies, good music and Tom Hiddleston (mention him at your own risk). Will spend her free time making pizza and brigadeiro for her friends.
Brayden Spencer, Web Designer Brayden is a third year Digital Humanities and Information Technology student. Brayden is the Web Designer for this year’s motley team. Brayden is a tech geek and also a huge cinema and TV nerd!
Joanne Ryan, Social Media Manager
Joanne is a third year English and Politics student. She loves sport, coffee and film and she is looking forward to joining the Motley team as Social Media Manager
CONTRIBUTORS
FOUR - FEBRUARY 2025
CURRENT AFFAIRS ENTERTAINMENT FEATURES AND OPINIONS FASHION WHO REALLY PAYS FOR PLEASURE: A LOOK INTO IRELANDS SEX LAW THE PLEASURE GAME ETHEREAL WELCOME TO THE PLEASUREDOME; MACHINA’S FREEDOM FOR FASHION P. 5 P. 11 P. 21 P. 34
WHO REALLY PAYS FOR PLEASURE: A LOOK AT IRELANDS SEX LAWS
BY DEPUTY EDITOR IN CHIEF TIERNÁN B. Ó RUAIRC
In 1999 Sweden adopted a set of laws, which would later become known as the Nordic Model, which sought to put an end to sex work. Originally it was adopted to conform with the then popular “radical feminist” framework of thinking, which saw all forms of sex work as a form of sexual servitude. In the following quarter of a century another eight jurisdictions would implement this framework, in an attempt to curb the growth and power of the sexual service industry.
The Nordic Model focuses on the destigmatisation of sex workers, as a means to protect the people providing services from persecution. The framework surrounds the idea that all sex workers are victims. Therefore the Nordic Model, which is aptly called the ‘End Demand’ Laws, seeks to decriminalise the selling of sex, while criminalising the purchasing of sex and creation of brothels.
When implemented in Ireland, the law changed so that the selling of oneself for sexual service was decriminalised but the purchase of sexual services, which includes any form of bartering and even the promise of material compensation for sexual services, was criminalised under the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Act 2017. The new law criminalised brothels and any form of sex trade which involved multiple prostitutes providing services from the same premise,this strips the trade from one of its defining security features and further pushes the trade underground.
Most importantly and what is one of the cornerstones of the Nordic Model is the criminalisation of third parties controlling and or profiting from the sex trade. This is what falls into the initial Swedish and continued international response and war on human trafficking.
However, despite these attempts by governments to quell the negative experience of prostitutes and sex workers, organisations like Sex Workers Alliance of Ireland which effectively acts like a union for sex workers, has cited evidence which suggests that the Nordic Model does not in fact work. They claim that assaults on sex workers have increased by 90% since the 2017 Act which is backed up by interviews published in the Irish Examiner and The Irish Times. The reason behind this increase is due to the vulnerable position the criminalisation of the purchase of sexual services has left sex workers with a smaller customer base and it has forced the traditional screening procedure to be less stringent and or cut completely.
Furthermore, the murder of Geila Ibram in 2023 highlighted the dangers for sex workers. When interviewed following the murder Linda Kavanagh, of the Sex Workers Alliance of Ireland, said “[the client] is the one at risk of criminal prosecution. To get the client’s money, a sex worker needs to make him feel safe and deprioritise their own safety.” She noted that this further contributed to the reality that there are few genuine safeguards for sex workers in Ireland.
Habib Shamel was convicted for the crime in Belfast. It came to light during the investigation that the Gardaí had known of Shamel’s predatory nature and yet still failed to notify the sex work community, despite a system technically being in place for some time. For many this is seen as a symptom of the government legalising the trade which would provide workers with what Kavanagh described as basic human rights. Legalisation would of course also provide sex workers with the same workplace rights as a retail worker, which would therefore alleviate the violence and pressure felt and experienced by prostitutes.
The experience of sex workers is seen however not as an industry where men and women can come and go freely, as implied by a 26 year old interviewed on the anniversary of Geila Ibram death. She said that she went into the industry by choice because she “wanted to see how the other side lived”. This stance would run in conflict with the stance of course of the government and wider society that sex work and prostitution are in fact symptoms of other failings in the system, which include human trafficking and social decline.
While sex work is seen by a small minority as an empowering experience to do what they want to do with their own bodies, the reality that remains is that most sex workers are victims of human trafficking or are in this position because they were trafficked under the guise of “travelling to a better life”. It is this issue that the Nordic Model attempts to resolve. The argument against it remains that the selling of one’s body cannot be done in sound body and mind despite what a minority of women say about it being liberating.
In 2018 a case involving a Nigerian woman showed the issue with legalising the sex trade. The case was the first conviction under the new laws, two women had been trafficked to the country and promised legitimate work upon arrival until they were coerced into sex work. One of the victims said in her statement to the Gardaí that she had been made to have sex with up to five men a day. This contrasts majorly to the interview of a 26 year old woman talking to the Irish Examiner, who said she did not provide a conveyor belt service and that she had a small clique of clients, a luxury provided to her because she had the choice to become a sex worker. A luxury that wouldn’t be provided if the trade became legalised. The legalisation of sex work does not make the trade squeaky clean. Even in the De Wallen district in Amsterdam, where they are famous for their tolerance and protection of sex workers, there remains a massive issue with coercion and trafficking, while partly due to the cities port, while being only the 14th largest port in Europe still creates an opportunity for traffickers and criminals to go about their activities.
The legalisation of the sex trade would benefit some, but still risk endangering a large part of the people who currently are forced to work as prostitutes via coercion. Possibly the Nordic System is the first step in improving several systems, not least our social care to prevent people having to work in this industry out of necessity.
IN THE PORN INDUSTRY
By Deputy Current Affairs Editor Kate O Hanlon
The porn industry, it seems, is entirely invulnerable to criticism. Cancel culture has seeped into nearly every form of media and we have seen multiple industry giants become ostracised due to racial caricatures or sexual abuse scandals. And yet the porn industry, which is not only guilty of these moral crimes but practically founded on them, flourishes amid movements such as #MeToo and 4B. So how does this industry thrive? Are we too afraid to criticise due to fears of being perceived as puritans? Or does the reality of this inherently exploitative industry interfere with our own pleasure? If it is a matter of blissful ignorance, a plethora of former pornstars have come forward in recent years to share their experiences with us and change that.
It should be shocking to us that an industry such as porn is so mainstream, especially since many who have worked in it have spoken out against the abuse and sex trafficking that is so common during shoots. Shelley Lubben, a porn star from the 90’s, says that the industry traumatised her and has only gotten worse in recent years. Sex trafficking by definition is a form of human trafficking that involves the use of force, coercion or deceit to have a victim engage in commercial sex, and according to Lubben it’s an all too common practice in the porn industry. Porn shoots are often held in places like hotel rooms or on private property so there is no “government access”, so while they may not be directly breaking laws there is no one on these sets to aid actors in advocating for their own civil rights. Lubben says that because porn sets are usually populated by older men that the actors have never met before, so “of course we’re intimidated into doing scenes we don’t wanna do.” Because these actors’ agents don’t usually go to shoots with them they have to represent themselves, and since people can begin acting in porn as young as 18 this can be extremely difficult to do, especially at the beginning of your career when you don’t know normal set behaviour from coercion.
In an interview Lubben said “I can’t tell you how many times I’ve showed up and they said, ‘You need to do this scene,’ [and] I said, ‘No, that’s not what my agent said,’ or ‘That’s not what I was told to do,’ and they’re like, ‘Well, you’re gonna do it or we’re not gonna pay you, we’re going to sue you.’ And now with the Internet they tell the girls, ‘If you don’t do this scene, we’re going to send your porn to your family members, we’re gonna ruin your reputation, you’re never gonna work again, we’re gonna take away your finances, we’re gonna physically hurt you,’ or they threaten to sue them.
This is sex trafficking. Every porn star has been trafficked at least at once in the porn industry.” Obviously you cannot tell from sight alone if something is consensual and these are professional actors whose work likely wouldn’t be posted if it wasn’t marketable. Another ex pornstar named Monique Calderon-Remenda, who is also a care manager at Treasures.LA, has stated that actors suffer “horrific abuse” on porn shoots. Things might be out of frame or just not look the way it’s supposed to and so actors will endure extreme pain for hours on end trying to get ‘the shot’. Many porn stars have come forward saying that during some of their most notorious scenes they had blacked out, were in physical pain or considered what was happening to them to be rape.
However many actors continue to work because they may be lured in with exorbitant amounts of money and they know they will not only not get paid if they leave the shoot half way through, but they also will have endured the abuse for nothing. Porn actors may also feel trapped as due to having previously worked in the sex industry they may find it difficult to become employed in more ‘conventional’ jobs.
Governments have attempted to regulate the porn industry for years now but any kind of censorship comes with backlash. For example in India all pornographic videos were completely banned in 2015 but there was severe backlash with people like the novelist Chetan Bhagat writing that the porn ban was “anti freedom, impractical, not enforceable… let’s not manage people’s private lives”. The ban was partially lifted later in the same year,but went back into effect in 2018. However pornography is still widely accessible to people in India as VPNs are relatively cheap and there are no real legal repercussions for using one. A similar issue is being faced by the US government as they too have attempted to block porn sites. Both Pornhub and XHamster are now banned in 17 US states, with the most recent bans happening in Florida, Tennessee and South Carolina on the 1st of January 2025. The US government has said that these bans are in effect to prevent minors from being able to access pornographic content,54% of Americans claim to have been exposed to pornographic material even before the age of 13, but citizens have complained about this being “privacy invasion” and “anti freespeech”. Project 2025 aims to implement a “nationwide ban on all pornography” but again VPNs are cheap and easy to access.
Actors have also tried to protect and represent themselves by unionising and forming guilds such as the Adult Performance Artists Guild (APAG). However guilds such as this one have not amassed the amount of members that you would hope. APAG only has just over 1400 members as of 2022.The APAG not only represents pornstars but also strippers and prostitutes. Being a part of a group that is supposed to protect workers may actually get actors blacklisted from the porn industry, allegedly due to directors fearing that they may be ‘difficult’ to work with, which would be a crime if proven in most countries.
While some may call for the total eradication of pornography, that is difficult to achieve, especially in the digital age. It is difficult to ban porn altogether or discourage people from watching it, so many activists who have experienced the horrors of the industry firsthand are focusing their efforts on shifting the general public away from pornographic conglomerates and trying to promote more ethical porn consumption. For those who may not want to stop consuming pornographic content, there are sites such as Bellessa or Aorta films which prioritize safe working conditions and appropriate pay for their actors.
The Pursuit of Happiness: An interview with Dr. Kathryn Ledden
This month, I managed to talk to Dr. Kat Ledden of Trinity College Dublin where she works as a Clinical Research Fellow, investigating the effects of psychedelics in treating people with mental health conditions. As well as this, Kathryn is a co-founder of PsyCare Ireland Welfare and Harm Reduction and is a Director of Irish Doctors for Psychedelic Assisted Therapy. We discussed her current work in the field of psychedelics, what the future holds for psychedelic therapy in Ireland as well as PsyCare Ireland.
AQ: Can you explain to us the science behind psychedelics and how they’re used to treat mental health issues like depression?
KL:Sure. In terms of the science, we know that they act on certain receptors which affect different chemicals in our brain. So serotonin, for example, is one of the main chemicals that we think is involved. Another way that they can work is that they also induce neuroplasticity in the brain, meaning that the brain can approach issues more flexibly than say it would have beforehand. So another thing that I think is very important as someone who works in clinical trials, they can induce a very significant experience that has deep personal meaning. Besides that, we do also know that psychedelics can affect other mechanisms and other functions of our body. For example, the immune system is affected by psychedelics. There is a hypothesis that depression might be also partially driven by inflammation which could be linked to stress. It’s important to convey that they have complex mechanisms that we’re still trying to understand
AQ: You’re working for the Trinity College Dublin and Tallaght University Hospital Psychedelic Research Group (TTPRG). Can you tell us about the work that is going on?
KL: We have a number of different studies going on at the moment. We have some industry sponsored trials which are involving specific mental health conditions. We’re researching how psilocybin, for example, can help people with depression that haven’t responded to other treatments. Dr. John Kelly, who’s one of the lead investigators of the TTPRG, has received public funding to investigate psilocybin for cocaine use disorder. So that’s a really landmark moment. We’re also investigating psychedelics and the immune system in depression. This research, in conjunction with Prof Andrew Harkin and team will allow us to research individualised treatment options.
AQ: What are the aims of the TTPRG? What do you hope to achieve?
KL: The mission of the TTPRG is to realise the potential of psychedelic science and to address some of the individual and societal burdens of mental health and substance use disorders. How that will be achieved will be by bringing together researchers from a number of different fields as well as bringing in the perspectives of people who live with those conditions. Another key aim is to create patient centred world class research environments. Accessibility to these therapies is a really important aim of the research group. It would be such a shame if the people who really needed it the most, which are often the most socially disadvantaged people in society, couldn’t access it.
AQ: Psychedelics provide quite intense experiences. How do you go about ensuring that the patient’s experience with psychedelics is as positive as possible?
KL:It comes down to building a professional and supportive relationship with the person. Psychedelics can bring up challenging emotions, but a lot of growth can occur from this as well. It’s important that they trust the team, and the psychotherapist has a really pivotal role in that. Integration - taking the learnings of the experience back into everyday life - is crucial. We do a lot of follow-up with all of our participants to make sure that they are safe and feeling grounded.
AQ: What can be done to take away the stigma that is attached to psychedelic therapy?
KL: Psychedelics have demonstrated clinical effects across a range of mental health conditions, but more research is needed e.g. on long-term safety. They remain illegal in Ireland, but laws are changing elsewhere. For example, MDMA is being currently used in Australia for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.
BY CURRENT AFFAIRS
EDITOR
ADRIAN QUINN
There have also been ethical concerns about how psychedelic assisted therapy is conducted, including in some research trials. We need to establish standards of training and practice to protect people taking part in psychedelic trials as well as retreats. In addition, there are challenges in finding a way to research psychedelics balancing setting the ideal environment with scientific rigor. There is a lot of work being done to try and address these concerns and I am hopeful for the future.
TTPRG was founded last year at the same time as Ireland’s largest Psychedelic science event was held. What were the results of this conference? Do you have any intentions to host more in the future?
We received generally very good feedback and it was well-attended with a mixed audience bringing together all stakeholders - including members of the medical, mental health, legal, and scientific professions as well as interested members of the public and service users. There were excellent presentations on the latest research in the field, plus key discussions on what psychedelic assisted therapy should look like in Ireland and how it could be rolled out in a safe and timely manner. It was a real melting pot of expertise and gave a platform for people to speak and to be heard, and to build community. We’re hoping to do another conference in the future and make it even better!
You’re also a co-founder of PsyCare Ireland who provide support to those who may be having a difficult time with drug use at music festivals or music events. You were at District X and Fuinneamh this year. Can you tell us about the importance of the work that PsyCare Ireland does?
PsyCare Ireland is a grassroots initiative. It’s run entirely by volunteers who love festivals but who also know what it’s like to go through a psychological crisis at a music event or in any kind of partying setting. Compassion and empathy is at the core of what we do, offering a place of calm at busy events. We have seen how even a small gesture of kindness can turn around someone’s experience. We’re also there for the small number of people who find themselves in very challenged states for any reason. I think the importance of it really can’t be underestimated because we know that nearly 95% of people at music festivals are taking substances, and that’s from research by the HSE.
5 “Unknown Pleasures” band (3,8)
7 MTV awards ceremony (4)
8 “Around the World” duo (4,4)
9 “______ to the Pleasuredome” - album by Frankie Goes to Hollywood (7)
11 American wildebeest (5)
13 “Let me repeat myself…” (1,4)
14 Film with lots of action and a climax? (3,4)
16 Carbon gas with safety adverts featuring a canary (8)
17 Loki’s brother (4)
18 What things can be blown to, or the name of a local Cork band (11)
1 Common New Year’s resolution venues (4)
2 Teeth often removed (7)
3 Sexually attractive older men (5)
4 Artist’s application to canvas- Opal in it (anag.) (3,5)
5 Improvised music events- Jess is on Sam (anag.)(3,8)
6 Buffoons (11)
10 Pleasure-giving area on top of the vulva (8)
12 Found in showers (7)
15 Peaks (5)
17 Items of neckwear- Site (anag.) (4)
THE PLEASURE GAME
SEXY DRILL: A BEGINNER’S GUIDE
Drill music is one of the most versatile genres within rap, from its explosive beginnings in Chicago by the likes of Chief Keef and Lil Reese, to its bass-heavy UK interpretations. Now there’s New York drill, aggressively ingrained into the legacy of Pop Smoke. Across all of these regional variations, the realities of life and violence in poverty are expressed starkly within this genre. Experiencing this hardship doesn’t leave much time for pleasure – it’s hard to be joyful when your priority is on surviving on a day to day basis. Enter Sexy Drill, ushering in a new era of hedonist fun in rap.
Sexy Drill was founded by producer and rapper Cash Cobain in 2022. Taking the same hi-hat patterns of New York drill, adding some unique bass effects with soul and R&B samples, he constructed the blueprint. His lyrics reflect this smoother tone and they are largely dedicated to sex and fantasies. When describing Sexy Drill in an interview for MixMag, Cobain said: ‘Instead of rapping about killing each other, mine is about having a good time, having sex, meeting somebody you like and saying to them in all so many words what you want to do to them. It’s a groove where you can dance and move your body.’ The music comes out of a renewed period of sexual freedom. Locked indoors for years during the pandemic, the yearning for the nightclubs and night-outs of yore has set the stage for the sensual pleasure of Sexy Drill.
His partner in crime is Chow Lee, the self-proclaimed ‘sexiest n**** alive.’ His songs are a flurry of punchlines, each one made to make you blush more and more.In his song practice! Lee boasts; ‘She told me to take her on a date, I’m freaky, I order pussy at the steakhouse,’ amongst other vulgarities too hot to print. Even if these bars are tongue-in-cheek, a genuine passion shines through.
BY LEO TROY
On settings! he raps ‘But trust I’m a gentleman with it/And I love all my feminist women.’ He often puts the woman’s pleasure first, such as asking what the girl wants before sex; ‘Tell me how you wanna lay, you want me to eat it or you wanna make out?’ he croons in practice!. There is an emphasis on doing what the woman finds enjoyable in Lee’s song Ms. Beautiful V; “She told me she like it like that, okay baby, let me rewind it.’
Rap is a genre marred by misogyny and the objectification of women. It sadly is a pervasive theme in rap and doesn’t seem to be going away anytime soon. Sexy Drill puts an emphasis on mutual pleasure, flipping the history of rap on its head. A new wave of female rappers have also adopted this new sound, from the likes of Baby Osama’s autotune jams to Ilham’s sultry bops, who provide a sex-positive outlook from a female perspective that was previously lacking in rap music.
For a more mainstream example of this genre, look no further than Jordan Adetunji’s Tik-Tok megahit KEHLANI. The sound sticks close to the Sexy Drill playbook, with the patterned drums and the humming bass. The lyrics are tamer than Cash Cobain or Chow Lee’s horny hymns but are nevertheless playful and flirtatious. The opening line, ‘I like the way your body is,’ is certainly ambitious. The song has been nominated for a Grammy, but this isn’t the only way Sexy Drill has broken through to the mainstream.
Cash Cobain joined Ice Spice for her tour, who has previously remixed his biggest song Fisherrr. He has also produced for artists as big as Drake and PinkPantheress. This is only the start of his career and only the beginning of Sexy Drill too. It’s a new dawn for sex in rap, one of sensual, mutual pleasure. In the immortal words of Chow Lee; ‘Whatever it takes to make you happy, that’s my goal for me.’
MOTLEY’S FAVOURITE LOVE SONGS: A MIXTAPE
1. “Something” written by George Harrison, performed by The Beatles, from Abbey Road, 1969.
Written for George Harrison’s then wife, Pattie Boyd, “Something” is a masterclass (to this writer anyway) in simplicity. The lyrics are deceptively plain, eschewing metaphor. ‘Something in the way she moves,’ the song begins, ‘attracts me like no other lover,’ building to the emotional climax in the chorus: ‘You’re asking me will my love grow./I don’t know./I don’t know.’ The words are bare and honest, acknowledging their own inadequacy in the face of raw emotion. But as with all “Harrisongs”, where words fall short, the guitar is ready to swoop in, bridging the gap with a riff that cries out at the end of each verse and a solo that, with its bent notes and wide tremolo, expresses what language cannot. Not gentle in its weeping, “Something” is a duet of the brain and heart. Each listen is a pleasure.
– Tess O’Regan (Entertainment Editor)
2. “Candy” By Paolo Nutini, 2009
Firstly this song was recommended to me by someone who is very dear to my heart, so immediately this song is going to be a favourite of mine. However, the more I listen to the lyrics, I see how emotional and revealing it is about love. It is allegedly written about Nutini’s childhood sweetheart and girlfriend at the time,and describes the lengths he was willing to take for love. There is something so personal that is bared to us with the lyrics of this song. “Darling, I’ll bathe your skin/ I’ll even wash your clothes”. Acts of service to the person he loves are small tasks but show that he will do everything for this person just for love in return. Nutini concludes the song with this message that they were fated for each other and even the Gods and angels know that this girl is worth waiting for. The song also symbolises to me that love requires work, and time to flourish, making it realistic and relatable to listen to.
– Lisa Ahern (Editor-in-Chief)
3. “Stolen Dance” By Milky Chance, 2013. The song makes me reminisce of afternoons spent dancing with somebody I used to date, wooden spoon in hand singing along to the lyrics and throwing our hips and arms our offbeat because neither of us have a musical bone in our body. I know for us the song’s lyrics fit the relationship, the escape that we gave each other is replicated by the song’s lyrics. It’s a nice song that captures the smiley happy go lucky early days of a relationship, while the lyrics manage to speak to the melancholy after thoughts of a dead relationship as you look back at the absence of that person. In many ways it captures what love is. The lines “stoned in paradise, shouldn’t talk about it” seem to me to discuss the happiness felt towards the dying days of a relationship when you kind of stop fighting. Depressingly happy. Other than that I’ve no clue. I cannot comment on the intricacies of the chords or the musical style. Just that the song makes me feel warm and soft on the inside like jelly, which is probably why it’s so easy to dance to.
– Tiernán B. Ó Ruairc (Deputy Editor)
4. “Lets Get It On” By Marvin Gaye, 1973. When it comes to love songs, nevermind “Angels” by Robbie Williams, forget “I Want to Know What Love Is” by Foreigner, don’t even bother wasting your ear muscle on “(Everything I Do) I do It For You” by Bryan Adams, this is the tune to end all Love Songs and will destroy any thought one might have of not getting it on. Que, “Lets Get It On” By Marvin Gaye, all the way from 1973, this tune is a belter! From The opening intro, that wah-wah guitar riff and a slap of the high hats and snare drum, in comes Marvin Gaye with that sweet sexy mofo of a voice that no man, woman or beast could resist with these lyrics; ‘I’ve been really tryin’ baby / Tryin’ to hold back this feeling for so long, / And if you feel, like I feel, baby / Then come on, oh, come on, ooh / Let’s get it on’, You have to give credit to the man of soul, what more can he do to prove his sexual feelings for another woman through this song and in this way with such romantic, sexual lyricism. If you haven’t heard it yet, play it loud, play it proud and make sure to damage those speakers in the process. Marvin will compensate you for it!
– Darren Keogh (Deputy Entertainment Editor)
5. “Angeles” by Elliott Smith, 1997
Now for a more depressing turn from all these extremely wholesome and individually special expressions of love. Elliott Smith himself is a heartbreaking character and my god, he knows how to put that into his music. From his album, Either/Or, it’s a song that makes me picture a first meeting of two people where one finds themself looking into the million and one possibilities of their life going forward from that moment. Something in Angeles feels very hopeful. Despite their cynicism, the verses repeatedly end with the phrase “So nice to meet you, Angeles,” which I think lightens the overall nihilistic vibe of Elliott Smith’s music. It’s not like the other songs I considered for this article. Songs like Niel Young’s Harvest Moon, or Big Thief’s Simulation Swarm which I am greatly fond of, carry more consistent tones throughout. Whether it be Young’s distant lyrics where it seems he’s more planning on what to say to his love rather than the words he’s said aloud before, or Adrienne Lenker’s childlike and pure of heart vocals that cast a nostalgic shawl over her listeners, they both maintain that energy throughout each song. Angeles is a song about wanting to be everything for somebody you feel the world has and still is, letting down. It’s apologetic but makes promises to its subject. It sees where the world falls short, but hopes to be better all the same. It’s so nice to meet you, Angeles.
- Cian Walsh (Features and Opinions Editor)
6. “To Be Alone With You” by Sufjan Stevens, 2004
Like the rest of Seven Swans, this song is about Jesus Christ and Christianity, but it’s also not. Stevens has always toed the line between writing about homosexuality and writing about God. In ‘To Be Alone With You’, it’s both. It’s familiar love, it’s platonic, it’s erotic. Stevens longingly sings, ‘I’d swim across Lake Michigan,’ solely to spend a moment alone with his love. His voice shakes as he admits, ‘I’ve never known a man who loves me’. The whispered vocals emanate intimacy, and the directness in his singing shows that this isn’t a fleeting moment; he’s afraid and unsure in his performance, but he knows exactly how he feels. There isn’t a whirlwind of emotion or racing heartbeats, just a quiet declaration for his lover and his love. It’s melancholic and comforting, and relays back to the concept of God’s son sacrificing himself for every single person: it’s as beautiful as it is depressing. And in a way, that is what love is: grieving the living. Knowing your time together will be limited, and accepting that future suffering just to have this moment with someone. To me, this is the ultimate love song, and whilst ‘The Predatory Wasps of The Palisades’ off Illinois is perhaps the sweeter love song of his, this one just feels real. No bullshit or embellishments, just an honest song of unconditional love about a man, from a man.
- Stephen O’Brien (Fashion Editor)
7. “Work Song” by Hozier, 2015 Hozier is known for his captivating and ethereal voice. His songs always draw me in and I find myself closing my eyes and swaying to the rhythm, feeling the love and passion in his voice and “Work song” is no different. The mournful hymn “Work Song” from his self-titled debut showcases the earnest singer weaving an early 20th-century traditional gospel song into a chorus that transcends death. Hozier is so overflowing with love that not even death can separate him from his partner. Drawing on the timeless sounds of old-world gospel and soul, “Work Song” envisions a reality where love’s intensity defies mortality. Yet, his passion is so consuming that it leaves him unable to eat; ironically threatening the very life that fuels his devotion. For me, Hozier’s other-wordly songs pull me in and I can’t help but feel all the pain and love, the desperation of his love to defy death itself is heartbreaking, the profound, almost divine power of love that his music frequently honors.
- Luca Oakman (Deputy Features and Opinions Editor)
8. “Time After Time” by Chet Baker, 1956
The face of West Coast Jazz and one of the most gifted trumpet players to grace the scene, The “Prince of Cool” was one of the best when it came to love songs. Taken from his seminal work, Chet Baker Sings, it could have been just as easy to pick any other song from this album to include here - but, for me, it had to be “Time After Time”. The boyish fragility of Baker’s voice is perfectly suited to performing the vulnerable lyrics of this song. Accompanied by a subtle double bass and piano, the simple phrasing of the song really stands at the fore, despite its gentle delivery. At the halfway point, Baker, as is customary with most of his music, gifts us with his ever-smooth trumpet solo. The stripped back simplicity and melancholic tones really does poke at the sometimes felt feelings of weakness and idealisation that’s involved in love. Unfortunately, Baker, having his own personal troubles with drugs and marriage, met his untimely death in Amsterdam in 1988. While music can be analysed, this song’s emotional lucidity is perhaps best enjoyed without the dissection, and instead just listened to.
-
Adrian Quinn (Current Affairs Editor)
THE PLEASURE OF COLLECTING PHYSICAL MEDIA
BY DEPUTY ENTRETAINMENT EDITOR DARREN KEOGH
RECORDS/CD’S/CASSETTE TAPES:
Collecting music in physical format is more than just a hobby, it is a journey that enables you to find your spot in the music world and share that unique experience with others. Discogs.com is a great way to catalogue your collection. The catalog feature on the website allows you to organize your collection and it will also estimate the value of your collection, such as records, CDs and cassette tapes. One thing that collectors like the most is that your collection has a value from lowest to highest. These are automatically calculated by Discogs, these stats are based on the most recent sales history of the said releases in the marketplace. So if you have a high value collectables then you may do very well if you are willing to sell some wax.
What’s relevant with records is that credits from the band are displayed on the sleeve. Some bands explain where they recorded the album, who the producer was, who the engineer is and usually a thank you note is attached. There can be nice little anecdotes and stories shared in this way and this is something that is not available on any other streaming service. This brings an emotional element that some hold dearly from their favourite artist. Some wax nuts also love the ‘thrill of the chase’, tracking down that obscure release is just as exciting as listening to the record itself.
One very important aspect is that our ears are not made to hear digital music. Our ears are made to hear analog music. This comes from Vinyl and Cassette tape. This is the reason so many music lovers shift to collecting records as they initially sound better than digital streaming or CD’s. According to Blueaura.co.uk “Vinyl is analogue and emits not only the replication of live sound due to sound waves being physically engraved on it but offers a physical movement of the air when you listen to it. Digital recordings take these live music sessions and translate it to a series of ‘bits’. The difference between analogue and digital waves is that analog waves are smooth and continuous and digital waves are stepping and square.
When something intervenes with the original reverberations of a collection of notes as the brain seems to with digital, a part of the music is lost.” This makes the pleasure of listening and collecting even more crucial. So store them in your attic, convert your Dad’s shed, store them in those empty wine boxes your Mum seems to have so many of. Just buy them, your ears will thank you. And remember, no internet, no problem, just blast on that record and away you go
DVD/BLU-RAY/4K:
Ah the nostalgia of the DVD, this can often represent a connection with memories, when you were younger and you watched your favourite TV show or that fantastic movie you saw at the cinema and you just want to relive that moment over and over again, even as a comfort watch. There is a unique satisfaction to having your own physical copy of a favourite movie or series. Unlike digital streaming, DVD’s provide a tangible item you can swap with other collectors, and you can display and keep. Creating your own personal library is exciting and it reflects your tastes and interests. The special features have to be one of the biggest draws for collectors.
This is where the nerd kicks in. DVD’s will often include bonus content such as director’s commentary, behind the scenes footage, deleted scenes which can be hilarious and featurettes, all which may not be found on streaming platforms. The artwork is a major quality of the DVD covers. Many come as box sets and limited edition releases. Some of these have very unique artwork and this can make the experience of collecting and displaying them much more exciting. There is a great sense of independence from streaming services as DVD’s offer offline viewing which is appealing to people in areas with unreliable internet access. Ownership also ensures access to titles that might disappear from streaming services due to licensing changes. For many, collecting DVD’s is a way to honour their love of cinema and storytelling in a physical and meaningful way.
BOOKS/COMIC BOOKS:
The pleasure of collecting books comes from a deep connection with composition and a love for physical books that one can build a personal library with. They bring intellectual fulfillment as they are a source of learning and knowledge which can give another writer an inspiration to write their own story. There is also the physical beauty of the feel of the paper and some love the smell of secondhand as well as new books, with the visual appeal of the beautifully bound cover is refreshingly satisfying. Artistic covers can make for a great reason to collect, as some are drawn to the special edition releases, first prints and unique signed copies by the author. For some, collecting vintage books from antiquarian shops can feel like preserving a piece of history. This brings a sentimental value to the collector and can fuel the fire for the thrill of the hunt as searching for a specific title. Rare editions are a perfect addition to any collection and can be a rewarding experience. Visiting book stores and thrift shops can add that element of adventure to the hobby.
Comic books have a similar reason for collecting. The artwork has striking visuals that catch your eye as well as the narrative between the pages. Iconic characters allow fans to follow their favorite heroes as a physical object, feeling its pages, and seeing vibrant colours up close which create a tactile experience that is deeply satisfying. There is an investment value that fuels collecting also. Some comics, especially key issues which show first appearances of famous characters, can increase in value overtime and this adds a higher value to your collection. The history of comics is traditionally divided into four “ages” which usually reflect the shifts in storytelling overtime. The Golden Age (1938-1956) is usually the birth of the comic superhero genre with some basic storytelling. Depending on their condition they can go for very high value. The Silver Age (1956-1970) is where stories became more complex and focused on science fiction and social themes where the artwork became more sophisticated. The Bronze Age (1970-1985) began addressing more mature themes using horror and fantasy as their key genres. The Modern Age (1985-present) is a continuation of mature themes and dark stories with a more psychological depth added. Bagging and boarding your comics can further their value and keep them from bending or deteriorating over time. Have a look in your attic, ask your parents if they have collections of their own? You never know who might have some key issue waiting to be discovered.
2024 and the Lesbian Pop Renaissance
By Julie Cukier
“I could eat that girl for lunch, yeah she dances on my tongue, tastes like she might be the one,” Billie Eilish sings on the track ‘LUNCH’, from her 2024 album HIT ME HARD AND SOFT. After dealing with constant speculation about her sexuality for years, the artist released a song that very explicitly talks about lesbian oral sex, and promptly landed in Spotify’s “50 Top Global Tracks of 2024” playlist. Alongside Eilish, Chappell Roan casually alludes to lesbian sex with her “wand and [her] rabbit” (‘Red Wine Supernova’), and Girli makes innuendos as she sings about “sapphic celebration in your bedroom” (‘Matriarchy’). For years, pop music overwhelmingly focussed on male pleasure and heterosexual sex, and lyrics have often been filled with blatant misogyny, but the past decade saw a rise in the popularity of queer female artists, and 2024 seems to have really put the spotlight on them.
In the early 2000s, we got used to hearing songs by male artists, often featuring lyrics objectifying or slut-shaming women and glorifying sexual violence, with the likes of Eminem, Robin Thicke, and Jamie Foxx providing songs we would find in a “2000s bangers” playlist. For years, these artists seemed to dominate the field. They produced the songs that were played on nights out and that would bring everyone to the dancefloor, and, for many of us, would shape the beginning of our listening experience. Additionally, a lot of the popular party songs from those years that were written by women adhere to the male gaze, and rarely mention queer experiences. Even if the focus is shifted in, for example, Katy Perry’s ‘I Kissed a Girl’, you might wonder if lines like: “you’re my experimental game”; “it’s not what good girls do”; “ain’t no big deal, it’s innocent”; and “I hope my boyfriend don’t mind it,” suggest a onetime drunk decision taken to please a straight, likely male audience.
But times change, and so has the music industry. In the past years, women artists have gained popularity, even when they haven’t sung about sex, and, most importantly, there is increasing attention paid to queer music written by women. Ten years after Katy Perry’s hit, Janelle Monáe released ‘Pynk’, featuring lyrics such as: “Pynk like the lips around your-,” re-formulating Aerosmith’s song ‘Pink’ from 1997 in such a way that empowers women in their sexuality rather than objectifying them.
The same year, Hayley Kiyoko released her first album and King Princess became popular with her songs ‘1950’, ‘Talia’, and ‘Pussy is God’ – clear tributes to queer love and the LGBTQIA+ community.
It feels like, for the first time, the pop industry is making space for songs written by queer women, about queer experiences. 2024, especially, felt like a climactic year for music revolving around sapphic love. Openly queer artists like Clairo, Towa Bird, girl in red, or Pomme all released albums in 2024 and were strongly featured in music charts everywhere. Most importantly, they are not considered underground artists anymore; their music has become mainstream. It is played on the radio, and they headlined music festivals all throughout the year, with the crowds attending Chappell Roan’s sets even creating safety hazards on multiple occasions. In September, the All Things Go festival in Columbia did justice to its nickname “Gaychella” by featuring performances by MUNA, the Japanese House, Julien Baker, and Renée Rapp amongst others. At Coachella, one of the most popular music festivals in the US, Rapp also brought out the cast of the lesbian drama The L Word, and many of the previously mentioned artists’ sets featured covers of each other’s songs. Australian pop singer Peach PRC called 2024 a “lesbian pop renaissance”, suggesting that the changes we are witnessing in pop culture right now are both moving and important.
Queer musicians are singing about lesbian sex, comedy movies like Bottoms or Drive-Away Dolls feature lesbian storylines and shows like I Kissed a Girl present queer love and attraction in a reality TV setting, which has until now been gripped by patriarchal and heteronormative ideas of pleasure, romance, and women. The pop industry is shifting its attention and becoming more inclusive, and while there is still a lot to be done it feels like queer women are finally getting the representation we needed growing up. As Amy Spalder, who participated in I Kissed A Girl said: “There’s a tidal wave coming and hit me with it, baby…I’m ready for this sapphic wave.”
No More Pleasure in Vampires
The brooding, sparkling love interest which our teenage hearts throbbed over is often our initial association with the word “vampire.” The star-crossed lovers, Human and Monster, we have all seen it done repeatedly. However, Robert Eggers’ latest creation, Nosferatu (2024), escapes this romantic imagery that has been created regarding vampires and tries to make these monsters...well monsters again.
In classic gothic style the villainous figure always has a double meaning. The vampire, whether Nosferatu or Dracula, often symbolises the anxieties of the time in which it was adapted. Stoker’s Dracula represented the fear of sexual promiscuity and the spread of sexually transmitted disease. In Coppola’s 1991 adaptation of Dracula, the vampire symbolises the sexual temptations within a monogamous relationship. What does Eggers’ Nosferatu’s vampire figure symbolise?
Already there is an extremely wide range of theories concerning the symbolism and the meaning of this modern take on a classic story. Nosferatu (1922) is the story of Bram Stoker’s Dracula, but many details were changed to avoid a lawsuit over copyright, an attempt which failed miserably. The story surrounds the character of Ellen, who is inspired by Stoker’s female characters, Mina and Lucy. The setting has been transported to early 19th century Germany, rather than the late 19th century novel which takes place in busy London. Apart from changes like these the plot is very much the same to the original Dracula. Thomas, Ellen’s husband, travels to Transylvania to try to sell property to the dangerous and mysterious Count Orlok. Following these events, Orlok travels to Wisborg and plagues the town in search of Ellen.
We can see immediately a change at the beginning in Eggers’ version: Ellen is shown calling out for a companion to help evaporate the melancholy that swarms her mind. Orlok hears this call and uses her exposed vulnerability as an advantage for himself. He infiltrates her mind and she begins having fits as he possesses her body.
By Editor In Chief
Lisa Ahern
How Robert Eggers’ Nosferatu, Removes the Romanticised Version of Vampires and Creates a Scary Villain
Many people interpret this as evidence that Orlok is an embodiment of Ellen’s sexual guilt. However, an avenue I think we should explore is the fact that Ellen was a very young and vulnerable girl when Orlok first encountered her, and Eggers’ vampire displays many traits of a Sexual Abuser. From this perspective we will see how Eggers crafts a villain, escapes the latest cliché of the glittery starcrossed lover to make a truly terrifying demon.
Within Nosferatu, Orlok is seen more as a demon than a mere vampire, haunting the characters and spreading plague throughout the town using rats. He has also plagued Ellen for years psychologically. Each night she deals with her trauma, seeing him in her dreams. He preys on her as she sleeps. He haunts her marriage and all the relationships she has with her loved ones. As soon as Orlok finds out that Ellen has married and “moved on,” he lashes out an attack on her town. He is the presence that will forever haunt her. In one scene we see Orlok describe himself as an “appetite,” which defines Eggers’ demon perfectly. He spreads his shadowy grip wider and wider. He is never satisfied. This is a predator not a romantic hero!
The idea that Ellen was a victim of Orlok’s abuse as a child continues to be evident within her scenes with Thomas. Towards the climax of the movie, we are shown an intimate interaction between the couple. This is a powerful scene as it allows Ellen to reclaim sexual intimacy after her attacks, to take autonomy in her own body. During this sequence we hear Ellen truly break down to Thomas and she sobs “stay away from me. I am unclean.” She is completely scarred by this abuse and she starts to feel ashamed for what happened to her, even though she herself is the victim, showing once again that her mind is continuously plagued by her past with Orlok. By having sex with her husband, we see her make a declaration, reclaiming her sexuality as her own. It is a difficult scene but really shows Ellen trying to overcome the abusive power Orlok has over her.
When we finally see Ellen and Orlok meet in Germany we see the powers of an abuser come to light. He warns her that she has three nights to submit to her or she will lose the ones she loves. Through this method we see that she is being alienated from her loved ones. Slowly he is removing everyone she loves so that she has no other choice but to take the abuser in her company. This is very common within abusive relationships; the victim often has no one else in their life to turn to, due to this alienation. Eggers creates this scenario in a physical way rather than mentally, by killing off the characters one by one.
But why has Eggers created this narrative surrounding this century old character? Whether his name is Dracula or Orlok, the vampire has always been a predator, preying on blood. But in this post MeToo world, we are seeing other predator’s being recognised in everyday light. Now, we don’t know why Eggers added this layer to his version of Nosferatu, but it is no coincidence that the vampire has represented the contemporary fears and anxieties of past recreations of Dracula. We are living in the contemporary of Eggers’ Nosferatu and with more and more Sexual Abusers being revealed to what they really are—Monsters—it is hard not to see this movie as a call out for these affairs.
This film exposes the exploitation of the female body, which is nauseating but necessary to point out. There are so many moments that are so upsetting and hard to watch, but through these moments of horror we see reality. Every day people become victims of sexual abuse, just like Ellen. This abuse might not take the form of a bloodsucking demon, centuries old, but it is still a reality. It is truly horrifying to watch as Orlok manipulates and plagues this girl from a young age.
The villain of Nosferatu is not a romantic figure to lust over. He is a sexual abuser who we must fear. Sexual abuse is a real threat to us and Eggers is highlighting this. In the closing scene of the film we see Nosferatu’s naked body in daylight. The fantastic prosthetics show this rotting and bony body that is naturally not pleasant to look at. He is a demon that is haunting the characters of the story. He is this monster, who should have been dead for thousands of years, who preys on a young vulnerable girl that lost her mother and is in search of something to fill the void. Yes, the characters find a way to defeat this villain but at what cost? Ellen must sacrifice herself to distract Orlok with her blood. Some see this as a liberation for Ellen, but I see it as a sad and lonely end for her. She must sacrifice herself to the abuser. It has no happy ending, and that is the true monstrosity that Nosfertu represents.
A EULOGY FOR THE DIRECTOR DAVID LYNCH AND MY OWN PERSONAL CONNECTION TO HIS FILMS
By Fashion Editor Stephen O Brien
David Lynch was my primary school classmate, though this David Lynch was Irish, dark-haired, and a couple of months younger than me. I told him once that he shared the name of a famous movie-maker, though we were at an age where the only director I knew was James Cameron, and with my trouble distinguishing him from the then British Prime Minister, David Cameron, David Lynch became ‘the Titanic guy.’ Years later, I came across The Elephant Man on YouTube. The clips I saw terrified me. John Hurt’s portrayal of John Merrick haunted my nightmares, and that final scene of his bedridden asphyxiation felt like I had come across some deformed snuff film. After watching the movie I was again distraught, but this time due to the shame of my judgement towards the character; I was the monster, not him. It moved me, it was the first time I realised that art can evoke such extreme reactions, and it stuck with me for life.
Famous for his surrealist films soaked in dream logic and an obsession with Americana-based dichotomies, Lynch is heralded as one of the most influential filmmakers of all time. Eraserhead, Blue Velvet, and Mulholland Drive are some of his most renowned, although most know Lynch for Twin Peaks, a TV show from 1990 about the murder of a small-town teen, and the mysterious happenings that an FBI detective uncovers whilst trying to solve the question: ‘Who killed Laura Palmer?’ Those who have never seen his films still have Lynch to thank as his influence is widespread, you can see it in shows like Lost, Riverdale, and Desperate Housewives; without Twin Peaks, the format of long-form TV series, like The Sopranos or Breaking Bad, would probably not exist. It’s not just film that he influenced, however. The song ‘Wicked Game’ by Chris Isaak found fame through Lynch’s Palme d’Or winner Wild At Heart, whilst Moby’s career started by sampling Angelo Badalamenit’s ‘Laura Palmer’s Theme’ in his song ‘Go’. Lynch and music go hand-in-hand. His influence has been credited by musicians like Lana Del Rey, Phoebe Bridgers and Bastille. It was the latter that got me into Twin Peaks, as track 11 on their album Bad Blood derives its name from Laura Palmer.
His work was evocative and wholly earnest, David Lynch had a knack for prising out of an actor best performance of their career: Naomi Watts in Mulholland Drive, Laura Dern in Inland Empire, the entire cast of Twin Peaks. He could capture emotion in film unlike any other. Underneath all those beautiful shots of red velvet curtains, rosebeds and blue skies, Lynch possessed a deep understanding of the world, allowing him to see it in all its complexities. His films were as dark and horrific as they were empathetic and funny. He could make you laugh, cry, and cower all from one dreamy image.
The brutal violence and sexuality of Blue Velvet and Lost Highway harkens to the evil that lurks in the intimate, and the constant crescendos of emotion in Twin Peaks, that swell with Badalamenti’s iconic score, forces you to always acknowledge the raw, depraved tragedy that is the murder of a young girl. His emphasis on emotion over logic made critics like Roger Ebert originally disregard his work as unintelligible nonsense, though they would eventually relent by the time Mulholland Drive was released, a film I consider my favourite; Mulholland Drive spoke to me in a way few films have.
I was 17 years old and had all but officially dropped out of school. My life was a monotonous part-time job, and my only moments of pleasure were my escapades into the dreams I had at night. Vivid, beautiful worlds – lives that would fulfil me more than the dreary life I led. Each of those dreams would ultimately have that moment: the one where I realized the fabrication of my surroundings, leaving me grasping at synapses and falling back to reality. It would be crushing every single time. On a random night, I decided to watch Mulholland Drive. I knew nothing about the movie. Throughout the next two and a half hours, I was transfixed by the dazzling cinematography, the winding narrative that travelled between one-off characters and the main plot, and particularly by Naomi Watts’ performance. It was towards the end of the movie, though, that something felt different; the dream was falling apart. Behind the film was a mirror that reflected myself back at me. I saw myself in Watts, not in the ‘Betty’ she had been playing, but ‘Diane Selwyn’, the woman she actually was. Like me, Diane could only find release in her dreams, until even that was not enough anymore. I couldn’t stop crying. After that night, I knew I needed to fix my life, lest I suffer the same faith I witnessed. To some extent I believe that without Mulholland Drive, without David Lynch, I would not be where I am today – if I’d even be here at all. It was a buoy in the ocean that had flooded my existence, and I grasped it tightly.
The recent news of David Lynch’s emphysema-related passing left me paralyzed for an hour. For a brief moment, I felt like Diane Selwyn again. For years I dreamed of speaking to David, telling him everything that I’ve written here. I imagined his distinct, Jimmy Stewart-esque voice, saying my name, telling me how happy he was for the profound effect his art had on me. I knew he was old, but part of me thought I’d have the ‘future’: I’d find myself in LA and just so happen to bump into him at some diner, or maybe meet up at his brutalist house (seen in Lost Highway) for an interview. But that never happened.
It’s an embarrassing admission, but I sometimes saw Lynch as a grandfather figure – my paternal grandfather died before my birth, my maternal one was briefly in my life before he too passed, the fact that I never met Lynch didn’t ruin this fantasy. It’s a bit ironic then that my imagined grandfather, a man famous for his use of doppelgangers, copied my real ones with his emphysema. I wish he hadn’t died so soon, as I’m sure many do. He was one of the greatest minds of our time, but for me, it’s for my own selfish reason: I just wanted to thank him for being this figure throughout my life. I wish I had found his email, or contacted someone he worked with. I thought I had more time…
In saying this, though, David spoke incessantly about his love of Transcendental Meditation, and his belief in consciousness lasting beyond life; in a 2008 interview, he compared the experience of living to ‘a guy driving a very old car down to the junkyard, sitting in it for a while, then getting out and walking away.’ It’s a very Lynch way of viewing life, the idea of returning to the pulse is comforting. I hope that wherever David is, whether it be heaven or the Black Lodge, he’s sitting with Laura Palmer, with a limitless supply of coffee and cigarettes, smiling.
ETHEREAL
BY DEPUTY EDITOR IN CHIEF TIERNÁN B. Ó RUAIRC
You’re stood there in the doorway with your arms folded. Despite being sheltered from the little bit of rain spitting from the sky the wind still catches you, whipping at the loose fabric of your jumper. Stood there in one of two identical brown corduroy trousers you blend in with the browning brickwork behind you. Framed by the doorframe the hallway light distorts through the old glass in the transom window creating what can only be described as a halo above your head. The rain is soft but persistent, leaving me soaked from the walk here dripping down my temple and meandering down my cheek. There’s a knot building in my chest, disappointment in myself for having woken you up at this hour, the weight of it all keeps me stood there staring at you wide eyed as if you were a truck and I, a badger caught in your main beam. Nothing but shame, in my soul as you beckon me into your home.
Each step is heavy and feels tiresome, the journey up the three steps towards you feels like I’m approaching the throne of a queen who may swiftly end my life with one order. We embrace each other, I allow myself to fall into you, my weight forcing you to stumble back two steps. You always smell of Dior J’adore even at half one in the morning, it was only to cover the smell of fags, which was one of your signature things like making biscotti or dancing in the kitchen. We stumble into the front room, avoiding the stairs to the bedrooms upstairs. “You’d make too much noise falling up the bleedin’ stairs” you sneer as you stroke my head, which gently pulls and and drags the stubble on my head which for whatever reason I’d shaved.
Sitting there we sunk into the ancient couch, which didn’t reek of smoke despite the years of smoking that occurred in this room with its dulled wallpaper which presumably once seemed fresh and probably expensive. But tonight, right now I feel like the wallpaper as it stands today. Clinging to the wall but dampened and dull, and peeling at the edges.
You comically throw your hand down on the couch, palm up gesturing to me to take it, rolling your head as comically as you had thrown your hand down. Now hand in hand. Just the two of us, alone in this familiar place. “Why were you still up?” you give a faint squeeze to my hand but fail to answer the question. You change the channel to MTV80’s and we fall asleep, I want to say it was something nice like ‘Every Breath You Take’ but the reality is it was probably something obscure that MTV only plays late at night.
We’re awoken by the sound of the front door closing shut, and the beep of a car horn from outside. The telly’s still playing from the corner, the one o’clock weather report is drawing to a close with more rain still to come in the afternoon. Theres a fresh smell of fags mixed with the grease of a fry-up wafting through the house down the hallway, up the stairs and into the front room. Lying there in the deflated bosom of this rickety couch, the shame from last night still tugs at my chest, yet the warmth and calmness of your hand in my own brings some comfort. Nothing’s said as the weather wraps up and the ads start to roll. For a moment it feels as if we’re floating and that we are perfectly in sync. Like our hands clasped together have given us the ability to make our hearts beat as one.
My thumb brushes the top of your hand, soft and tender, any malaise left in me has now dissipated. You tuck your bottom lip and grin, you roll into me with your head on my shoulder and we mosey into each other. My head atop yours, you pull your feet up onto the couch and cover yourself in a blanket using your one free hand holding the end closest to me open offering the same heat and protection for me too. We sit lazily watching RTÉ daytime television though its more background noise than anything as our lips travel towards one anothers.
YOUR WRITING ON MY SKIN
Your hand moves slow, a whisper before it lands, pausing like a held breath, the first word of an unwritten verse.
Fingers glide, inkless lines drawn across my skin, each stroke a hidden phrase, every pause a confession
You trace longing into flesh, a language carved by devotion, where every touch confesses what words dare not say.
The curve of your palm spells tenderness, the press of your lips marks desire— a poem rising between us.
As our bodies speak, a rhythm builds, each subtle movement, a promise etched deeper with every breath.
Until love is no longer spoken but felt, written solely in skin, and sealed beneath a sweet kiss.
By Deputy Features and Opinions Editor Luca Oakman
Chasing the Daze
By Features and Opinions Editor Cian Walsh
Dating is perhaps the least pleasurable experience that I could have written about for this month’s issue. I imagine you’re surprised by that. You probably thought to yourself, “Cian, wouldn’t you find dating very pleasurable? You delectable, baggy clothed stud, you.”
In that case, I would tell you “Hey, I needed that. But no, dating is awful.”
The best date I’ve ever had was back in August. It was
In fact, she looked at me so sharply that even the legs of my chair felt like they were shaking and I couldn’t even begin to think of being anything else but me. I think that’s a nice baseline for pleasure. A blind willingness to enjoy the moments ahead while being caught in such a daze by the moments prior.
The idea of a daze feels like an honest way of describing pleasure. Perhaps it is mindless. Which is bizarre considering the exhausted lengths we go to achieve it. I feel, however, that we don’t often know when to stop working
I’ve heard of many instances of people on first dates where the night had gone swimmingly, but someone is still left with a sour taste in their mouth. They’re the kind of first dates that make you feel as if you won’t be on another for quite a while. Where do they go wrong?
I think often in dating culture, there’s the idea of the chase, which people romanticise heavily. I don’t think the chase is only specific to dating but regardless the two are often interlinked. Through the power of introspection, people can hopefully see where their dates go wrong. In the moment, people get caught up in pleasure. In the daze. It’s a dangerous place to be stuck in.
Sometimes the night is so perfect that you wouldn’t dare wish it to end. This is normal, human, and understandable. But every night has to come to an end. My perfect date ended around one in the morning outside Four Star Pizza while we waited for her bus to come. We often think the nights that turned into days are where real pleasure remains. It’s hard to give up that kind of feeling. The feeling that it might yet last another while. It’s a simple phrase and idea, isn’t it? “Too much of a good thing.” I’d like to believe that some good things need to end for better things to emerge. It took me quite a while to understand that, but thank god for it. It’s the reason I’m not talking about one good night I had last august but rather, the first of many amazing ones.
To the good people reading this, I wish to tell you only this. Pleasure is patience. When you’re in the daze, enjoy it. Embrace it, even. But we all have to snap out of it eventually. Trust me, it’ll only get better.
SALTWATER SATISFACTION: THE PLEASURES OF SURFING IN IRELAND
“You can’t stop the waves, but you can learn to surf” - Jon Kabat-Zinn
In the modern world, fleeting pleasures are easy to come by, but often they are void of satisfaction. For me and for an ever increasing number of Irish people, the ultimate pleasure and source of satisfaction is found through surfing. While this chilly windswept island may seem far removed from the sun-kissed beaches of Australia, California, and Hawaii, Ireland has waves to rival them all. Just not as often. Throughout the year, storms in the north Atlantic provide the perfect ground swells to get the beaches, reefs, and peninsulas of Kerry, Clare and Donegal pumping.
Surfing arrived on the Irish shores in the early 1960s, inspired by photos of Hawaiians surfing, Kevin Cavey brought the first surfboard to the Emerald Isle. Similarly in Rossnowlagh, Co. Donegal, Mary Britton ordered two surfboards for her hotel in the seaside town. Surfboards that became primarily used by her son Barry Britton. One of the patriarchs of Irish surfing, or as he jovially calls himself “Ireland’s Beach Bum”. What followed was a slow but steady rise of the sport’s popularity across the south and west coast of the country. In 1965, Kevin Cavey established Bray Surf Club. By the 70s, there were several clubs across Ireland in Tramore, Lahinch, Strandhill, and Bundoran. In 2024, there will be over 20,000 surfers in Ireland encompassing all levels of ability. While some surfers are better than others, that does not mean the pleasure derived from it is any different. As many surfers can attest, the ecstasy of your first wave is something that every rider is trying to recreate with each surf. The brief thrill is not the only pleasure provided by chasing the waves.
The rising popularity of “blue health” describes the holistic experience of getting in the ocean which provides stress relief and a mental reset. Surfing is the perfect balance between physical activity, meditation, and blue health. Surfing provides an isolation from distractions, you cast away from the shore and immerse yourself in nature with nothing but your board and a single-minded focus on catching your next wave.
The hard work you put in while being tossed around by the elements only makes the reward of a wave that much more satisfying.There is no feeling in the world that beats the content of a day spent in the water, warm food, hot drink and a cosy blanket become beacons of fulfilment, for they have been earned. There is no time like the present for prospective Irish surfers to take the plunge. Ireland has over 60 surf schools dotted around the country on some of Europe’s most pristine beaches. The sports rapid rise in popularity has made surfing increasingly accessible. The closest surfing beaches to Cork City being those of Garretstown and Inch beach, both of which host surf schools and are approximately 40 minutes drive from the city centre. For UCC students looking for an introduction into surfing then consider UCC’s very own surf club as a way of trying out the sport. The club has several trips every year to various keystones of the Irish surf scene such as the towns of Lahinch and Bundoran.
For the uninitiated, the cold water can be a turn off, but with advancements in wetsuit technology there is no need to fear the chill. Having the right gear is a must, but luckily, it can be provided by the surf schools for those looking to dip their toe into the pleasures of surfing. Surfing is so much more than just the act of wave riding, it encompasses personal growth, adventures of Ireland’s coast line and physical and mental wellbeing. So perhaps we should all be a bit of a beach bum and enjoy the pleasures of the Irelands perfect waves .
By Cian McDonagh
How Does Amsterdam Feel About Being Sin City?
By Staff Writer Lia Daskalopoulos
Amsterdam is a city heavily associated with sin, lust and pleasure. Due to its rather liberal laws and atmosphere, it is a top destination for tourists to, well let’s put it directly, consume narcotics, party and pay to have sex. It is considered “European Las Vegas” by some (looking at you, Irish and British tourists). As someone who spent three years living near De Wallen, more commonly known as the Red Light District, I’ve seen a lot of people come and treat the city center as an adult playground.
It is said that prostitution is as old as humankind. Founded in 1385, the Amsterdam Red Light District has since been notorious. From sailors waiting for their ships to depart from the Amsterdam trading port, to tourists visiting from all over the world, the area has been a popular destination for men seeking company for centuries. Most of the Red Light District is still clearly targeted towards a male audience. With ladies sitting behind the famous red windows waiting for their customers and buildings advertising peep shows alongside other sexual shenanigans, it is not really a place that is designed to appeal to women. Men roam the fully packed streets in awe, some pointing around and laughing, while others are too high to even register what is going on around them.
Some sex shops are embellished with pink and glitter all over, selling a variety of sex toys and lingerie, seemingly targeted towards women. I’ve seen countless young women walk into these shops, giggling. Places like these open a space for exploring female sexuality, something that has been systematically repressed in a myriad of cultures, including Ireland, and continues to be repressed in many regions of the world.
The Red Light area also hosts the Prostitution Information Center, which offers information about sex work by local sex workers to tourists, students and journalists alike, aiming to provide safety and respect for sex workers, and spread information about their legal rights.
Some women living and working in the area have created communities to take ownership of the neighborhood, stand up for sex workers and react boldly towards sexualization and sexual harassment prevalent in the area.
The current mayor of Amsterdam, Femke Halsema, has a relatively conservative take on Amsterdam’s sinful city center. Since she entered office in 2018, stricter rules have been enforced regarding the sale and consumption of cannabis, due to fears that large-scale cannabis sales to tourists contribute to money laundering and other organized crime. Although cannabis is illegal in the Netherlands, its sale and usage are tolerated within certain limits. Apart from closing coffee shops and banning public cannabis consumption in the old city center, Mayor Halsema has also proposed to move the Red Light District from De Wallen to Europaboulevard in the Amsterdam Zuid business district.
The New Red Light District, or “skyscraper brothel” as one could call it, would not only consist of hotel rooms, but also bars, restaurants and entertainment facilities. The relocation would supposedly make the city center more peaceful by centering sex work clients all into one building, with Mayor Halsema also claiming that the new building would make sex work safer for prostitutes.
However, the proposal has been met with a lot of backlash from Red Light sex workers, as well as Amsterdam locals, leading to an uproar and a petition to abandon the plans. Sex workers are concerned about displacement and safety issues - the Red Light rooms have a security system in place for the workers, and many workers feel that the large crowds of the city center deter crimes against them.
Although Mayor Halsema feels that the windows are humiliating to the workers, a sex worker told Time in a 2023 interview that she doesn’t feel that way. “We don’t mind, otherwise we wouldn’t be in the windows.”
The main reason for the proposal is to reduce the amount of drunk, reckless (British) tourists roaming the city center, disrespecting the locals. By the way, I’m not joking when I specifically point out the British. The government of Amsterdam launched a digital advertising campaign a couple of years ago called “Stay Away”, which aimed to discourage men between the ages of 18 and 35 from visiting Amsterdam from the UK. Unfortunately, the campaign was reported to be inefficient. “Looks more like a commercial to me”, an interviewee said in a 2023 BBC article in response to the campaign that highlights the risks of excessive alcohol and drug usage.
De Wallen and its businesses remain controversial amongst locals. Some believe that the sex and drug related practices should be suppressed and relocated, citing mass tourism as the main reason. Others believe that this is simply the current state of the city center, and that locals should accept the nuisance that comes with tourists bringing a hefty income for local restaurants, bars, coffee shops and other businesses operating in the area. Personally, I got used to the hectic flow of De Wallen pretty quickly. Yes, you do witness unusual things on a daily basis. Yes, street dealers would sometimes try to sell me cocaine while I was on my way to the grocery store. I would politely reply with “no thank you”, and they would wish me a good day. However, after several years of witnessing chaos on a daily basis, I was honestly quite relieved to relocate to the quiet, tranquil city of Cork.
To seek is to see…
By Simon Dishlieva
I see my life stripped still in vibrant colours, My skin is prickling with the memory of your glances last night. As the gin pierced my teeth with a soft recollection of the very dance I had forgotten, my thoughts grew suspended in a stillness I had scarcely known before. I can feel your eyes yet again they stretch in a dance upon my drifting body. And that’s us, we never fail to meet with shameless regards to that night some time ago when you pulled me for a slight exchange of playful recognition. You’ve seen us together before, yet now the thought of sharing our glances makes your heart skip past that coldness which has grown upon your fingertips. Who am I to say this?..
Good Vibrations
I watch it slipping behind the fiery clouds from the dusty windows of the moving car.
Listening to The Beach Boys after a day at the beach. Thinking wouldn’t it be nice when summer finds her way again.
My welly boots filled with sand in their crevices, From moments spent pretending to paddle in my bare feet.
The skin on my face soft and cold from the fresh seasonal sea air.
December days spent doing schoolwork and study. Only moments of respite from those days of dark.
I open my eyes, I must hurry to college, I change the song on my Spotify, Chappell Roan will get me there.
No time for nostalgia.
By Rebecca Jane Parke
Swinging Umbrella
Up and down, Up and down, As the asthmatic chest rises and falls, The umbrella went up and down.
The woman did not want her umbrella that morn, Unusually shaped to match the unusual weather, Alas gray skies Necessitate such things.
The lady had to go to town, Errands, The enemies of leisure, A day spent saying ordinary things, and making ordinary faces.
The girl needed more, So her umbrella swung, Like a child between parents who love each other.
Maybe no one would understand, But somehow they felt free.
By Rebecca Jane Parke
COMMUTER
CONUNDRUM
By Motley’s Agony
Aunt
Dear Motley, as a commuting student, I do not have the same opportunities as my peers socially. AKA, I cannot get laid with my parents around. It’s been almost two years in college and I have only had sex once. HELP — a very horny 2nd year
Dear reader,
That sounds extremely frustrating. If you live at home with your parents it can be very awkward to breach the topic of sexual intercourse. We would suggest having a conversation about boundaries and how you are a grown up, but realistically if you are writing to us then you have either already tried that OR you are never having that “talk” with your parents. Either way not to worry, for we have compiled a list of the best places to dance the devil’s tango on campus (take part at your own risk).
1. The Hub Bathrooms: Clean, spacious, and gender neutral……what more could you possibly ask for? Although we do ask that you keep the noise to a minimum as to not distract anyone working. As long as you get creative with the positions, you’ll be grand.
2. The Boole Bathrooms: we don’t need to elaborate on this one, it’s a rite of passage for many, and a classic for a reason. Just make sure to get busy either while lectures are on or after, don’t cause a queue for any other students.
3. Student accommodation; Now as a commuter it’s obviously a difficult predicament to be in, long hours, parents around etc. However, may we present the option of…getting with another student who lives in accommodation. Set those dating apps to within a few km radius, swipe away in the Boole, and who knows your match might just live in student accommodation! Dating a student who lives near college is the ultimate life hack for commuter students, you can get laid between classes, stay over and beat waking up at 6am for a 9am lecture. You don’t have to stand around waiting for the bus for hours, and if you are lucky they’ll let you crash there on nights out! For those whose hearts have been broken, do not fear, for the option of friends with benefits is always there. Although please make sure both parties are consenting in this and no one is being led on.
1. A quiet car park: now we at Motley aren’t exactly sure of the legality of this so exercise with caution, but if you or the other participating person can drive and own a car…just get cosy in there. Penetrating partner wears trousers with a zip and the receiving partner wears a skirt or a dress, and as long as you stay covered does it really count as public indecency?(we don’t know, can a law student tell us please and thank you?) Now, is it romantic? Not in the slightest. But you’re a commuter, if you live at home with non-chill parents you’re lucky to not be the 40 year old virgin pt 2 and with the way the housing market is going that’s looking more and more likely.
Western Gateway Bathrooms: this is an honourable mention for STEM students, because you guys deserve to get laid too! WGB seems to be a ghost town past five o’clock… would anyone really see you sneaking into bathrooms or a classroom?
One final honourable mention, for those who cannot get laid is, you guessed it, the Q2 nap pods. The nap pods have a rich, and sticky history of students utilising the nap pods to de-stress and self pleasure since 2021. This arguably horrifying statement came from UCC Confessions (RIP), but we can’t fault the logic behind it. Although we do seriously question–could ye not have a wank in the bathroom seriously lads?
(The above is work of satire, and names, courses etc are not real. This piece is written for comedic purposes only. Motley Magazine does nott condone public indecency or having sexual intercourse on campus. Motley Magazine also strongly recommends the use of contraceptives such as condoms to prevent STI’s and unwanted pregnancy. Always ask for consent before taking part in any sexual activity).
It’s a cold Thursday evening in Marina Park. A group of runners, all wearing blue, pass by on their way down the old railway track. The music of many languages and accents hovers around them, accompanied by the rhythm of their jogging feet. Friendly conversation is punctuated by bursts of laughter. The group is Sanctuary Runners(SR), and it’s how I like to spend my evenings.
I am an MA student of Early and Medieval Irish at UCC, and in recent months I have derived a great deal of pleasure from my participation in Sanctuary Runners, which is a non-political organisation, and aims to bring asylum seekers, refugees, migrants and all other Irish residents together through running and walking. It is not a charity, but rather a group built on the core values of “solidarity, friendship and respect”. The group uses these values to unite people through a shared interest in sport. SR welcomes people of all ages, abilities and backgrounds.
SR was established in 2018 by Graham Clifford and Clare Keogh, in response to the challenges posed by the world’s humanitarian crises. That same year, 200 people from the organisation participated in the Cork City Marathon. These numbers have since grown: SR had 1,200 participants by the next year. The organisation has spread beyond its Cork roots to encompass groups across Ireland, and has a developing presence internationally. There are already three groups established in London and more to come in Europe.
have taken pleasure in running as an activity for a long time now, having started as a teenager. However, until I became aware of SR, I had always ran alone. There is a simple joy to be found in running and is also an activity anyone can pick up without the need for many resources. It is a natural source of endorphins and serotonin and makes you feel better about yourself. I can attest to all this myself, running for me has even been somewhat addictive!. After running for so long alone,
TAKING PLEASURE AND REFUGE IN RUNNING: THE JOY OFFERED BY SANCTUARY RUNNERS.
BY MÁNAS Ó HAIRT
I I first encountered SR at last year’s St. Patrick’s Day parade. It immediately piqued my interest. I figured running is something I’d be doing anyway, I might as well join a club whose values I support. This was a decision I’m grateful for. My enjoyment of running, already considerable, has been greatly enhanced with my involvement in this group. Within two weeks of attending, I had made new friends from all around Cork, whom I would just not have encountered otherwise.
As someone who studies languages, I personally find happiness in the opportunities provided by SR to make friends with people of diverse backgrounds. On some occasions I’ve found myself speaking Irish, English and Dutch, while learning Xhosa and Arabic, all within the duration of a 40-minute run. This has enabled me to take a broader view of the world’s diversity, while sharing my own culture with others. Not only is this exchange a source of pleasure for me, but I feel a sense of great pride to be part of such a diverse group. An aspect of SR I appreciate is the group’s lack of further motives beyond its stated principles. I feel this openness allows each person to find their own causes for enjoyment in SR’s activities.
Omar, originally from Somalia, first became involved with SR in Dublin before moving to Cork. “Running in a group is like therapy, another world”, he says, “it offers psychological freedom, and it’s really good health-wise, which are [both] wonderful things”. Omar feels SR offers an antidote to some of life’s challenges: “we pass through a lot of loneliness, and running shoulder to shoulder with others helps people to forget their situation for a while”.
Omar also believes SR’s work can challenge the problems posed by isolation. “Many people are stuck at home, and this group gets you out of the house”. For Omar, SR definitely lives up to its name. The group provides the opportunity to find sanctuary from one’s problems in a fun and active way. SR also offers members a broad network of friends, and the chance to be part of a community, things essential to human happiness. Omar, for example, recently returned to Dublin to celebrate a fellow participant’s 18th birthday.
Manaia, a former UCC student from the United States stated that “having only moved to Ireland recently myself, finding SR was truly the best thing that could’ve happened to me.”, she says. For Manaia, the group’s inclusivity provides a great deal of enjoyment: “The community, inclusion and love that courses through the group is immediately evident and enduring.” Like Omar, Manaia finds refuge in the joy offered by the group.“Sanctuary really is a home away from home for myself and many others. It provides a place where everyone belongs no matter what and I believe that’s one of the most beautiful things anyone could ask for”.
For me, there is also a deep sense of contentment to be found in achieving things with others as a group. Finishing every run each week feels like a new achievement. I have never completed a run with the group without the feeling that I’ve done something good for myself and for others. I hope to take part in the next Cork City Marathon with the group for this reason. Previous participants have told me of their feelings of collective achievement while representing SR at the event, and this is a joy I wish to share.
SR are currently in the process of establishing society within UCC to broaden the organisation even wider. I encourage anyone with an interest in running or thinking of beginning to become involved with this community. “A Sanctuary Runners Society at UCC would enable students to demonstrate in a very practical way their solidarity with runners from all over the world” says UCC lecturer and SR organiser Angela Flynn.She also feel that a society like this would co align with the already in place structure within UCC. “The society would be well-placed to liaise with and co-host events with the Fáilte Refugees Soc and the Students’ Athletics Soc”. And of course, members of these existing societies will find a particularly warm welcome at SR.
I hope that new members will find their own reasons to take joy from running within our group. As we say in Irish, “ní neart go cur le chéile”: for me, this means the principles of friendship, solidarity and respect can only grow as more people bring their experiences to the group. The result of this will surely be greater enjoyment for all involved.
Welcome To The Pleasuredome; Machina’s Freedom for Fashion and
Expression
BY FASHION EDITOR Stephen O’Brien
Celebrating its second anniversary on St Stephen’s Day, Machina has been a staple in the Cork techno scene as a consistent event of note. Hosted at Dali, it first took place above Mason on Tuckey Street, before moving around until finding its current home in Nudes Craft and Cocktail on Lavitt’s Quay. It acts as a space for queer techno and expression through fashion; from a quote on their Instagram, Machina is a place “where someone in a suit can be dancing next to someone wearing a ball gag”. They’ve been host to multiple international DJs like KAVARI and Reece Spooner, but have also been a platform for Cork DJs to perform and gain traction . Every month the night is adorned with a distinct theme; ‘Bound’, ‘Killer Klowns’, ‘Choose Your Fighter’. This month’s theme was ‘Y2K’, so I dressed up and went out to speak to the creators, Jack and Hope about Machina, and chat with some clubgoers about their attachment to this integral part of the Cork queer scene.
What was the background behind creating Machina?
Hope: Jack and I wanted to emulate the fun we have when we go party in London. So many cool queer spaces there, where everyone is so free. Cork is our home, and we wanted to bring the party here! We’ve worked together for years, since I began Dali in running warehouse parties in the Marina, and he’s my best friend — so we know each other inside out, and grew the idea together. I think so many people want alternative spaces and weird parties to let loose now. We wanted to make a space where you can celebrate your queerness and express your sexuality. We also wanted a safe space, especially for women. So yeah we said “let’s throw one party” and we’ve never looked back.
How do you feel about the consistent success over these past 2 years?
Hope: Buzzed! It just keeps growing and gets more wild. Our January party just gone was insane. Jack looked at me super early, like 10pm and was like “this is too lit wtf!” I’d like to think our party not only gives a safe space for queer people and their friends, but also encourages newcomers who want to figure it all out and step into our world.
Do you have any future plans for Machina as a brand?
Hope: We’ve got some cool stuff coming for sure! Working on bringing more international DJs over to play, and keep pushing the wildness of the parties. Also want to get more of the Machina regulars who’ve followed us the last two years involved — we want to start a saucy photo series or somethin. Going to get a machina munch going too. I think a lot of us are so busy dancing we don’t actually get to hang out. So yes. Busy year for us!
CATHERINE AND LILY
C: My favourite part of my outfit is my handcuffs. The themes at Machina are really fun!
L: I love my carabiner. My favourite part of Machina? My girlfriend.
HANAAN
My favourite piece I’m wearing tonight is my tights. What I love about Machina is the music and the people, everyone is so open and lovely and friendly
ANNA, ROBYN AND NIAMH
A: My Damon Albarn top from Omighty. I love Machina cause it’s the only club [night] in Cork that isn’t lame. It makes me feel like I’m in a metropolitan city!
R: I love my boots! Machina is a safe space for public expression, and it’s unconventional compared to other clubs
N: I’m wearing Robyn’s bikini top. I love how versatile Machina is.
EDDIE
I’m wearing this bodysuit from my friend. I love going to Machina for the culture, the community: all these queers out! I’m glad we’re given the space.
MARAM AND MOREEN
Maram: My favourite part of my outfit is my hair! The music and the people is what I love about Machina. Moreen: I like my little Mary pendant. I love dancing at Machina: being able to dance and not feel creeped out.
SOFIA
My favourite thing I’m wearing is my leg warmers, custom made by my friend Stephanie. I love that in Machina, everyone respects no photography, and I’m free to dance without worrying about photographs
A Fashion Analysis
The captivating 1967 film adaptation of ‘Belle de Jour’ by Luis Bunuel conveys the complexities of sexuality through the protagonist Severine. The plot consists of a housewife leading a double life as a sex worker that quickly spirals out of control. The exploration of certain themes throughout the film can be clearly seen in the clothing worn by Catherine Deneuve’s character. The purpose of fashion in film can often be disregarded as not particularly important, due to its perceived minimal role in contrast to the characters, plot and storyline. Yet, there is so much that can be conveyed ,as fashion can serve as a metaphor or reinforce the implied messages of the story.
The renowned fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent met Deneuve two years before the filming of ‘Belle de Jour’. Their friendship quickly blossomed as Deneuve fell in love with his designs, so much so that she commissioned him to be her very own stylist in many of her films at the peak of her career. Her looks embodied the French ‘it girl’ aesthetic of the time. The 60s was a time that was dominated by boxy silhouettes, a great contrast to the previous decade’s cinched waists trend. The Mondrian Collection released in 1965 especially focused on this new loose fitting silhouette as it took inspiration from many art pieces deprived from the abstract and modernism genre. The painting ‘Composition with Red, Blue, Black, Yellow and Gray’ by Piet Mondrian was the focal point of the collection, as the piece can be seen on a shift dress that became instantly popular and is still recognised for its iconic design today. The 1920 painting and the original ‘Belle de Jour’ novel written in 1928 are perfect examples of the twenties being modernised to the sixties, a coincidence that works well for the wardrobe of this film.
The Mondrian Collection made an appearance in pieces like the iconic buckle shoes that were seen throughout the film. A tan coloured cape that can be seen as a piece that would be seen on a rich Parisian woman, which Severine was. This elegant piece which had a similar look to the tan jacket seen on Severine was definitely inspired by. Yves Saint Laurent modernised the original safari jacket by transforming it into a safari dress, a subtle change that created a modern outfit. The safari dress with a similar tan hue was complimented with a loose gold chain belt that enhanced the loose fitting silhouette. The high modest neckline and clean cut pockets clearly translated the rich housewife aesthetic.
Once Severine plunges into the life of a sex worker, she is laced with guilt. Her fantasies that once brought comfort are now plagued by shame. Her vision of mud thrown at her while she wears a pure white dress is symbolic of how her ‘innocence’ is rapidly unravelling. The white dress imitates the structure of an ancient Greek dress. The crisp white fabric is draped to perfection as it achieves the look of a Greek goddess.
In one of the last outfits shown, the shiny black patent jacket is a standout. It can be seen twice during the film and is styled in two different ways. The first time we see it, the jacket is styled with sunglasses and a black hat creating a disguise for Severine to go to and from the “whorehouse” without being seen. The second time we see it, she wears it with no accessories as she fully embraces her double life with a great sense of openness. The shame we once saw previously, barely exists now that Severine is completely engulfed by this new exciting life.
BY DEPUTY FASHION EDITOR SINEAD SHERIDAN
COLOUR ME YOUR COLOUR, BABY
PHOTOGRAPHER AND CREATIVE DIRECTOR: MATIJA ANCIC (@PIC_ON_IKON).
