10 Top Tips for New Students Are you ready?
High Standards Music
Music Stereotyping
The Illuminati Do you believe?
4
ISSUE
Where do you fall under?
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6. Check out the nightlife.
10 Top Tips for New Students: 1. Make sure you are prepared! ic diaries laptops, academ , ks oo b e ot n e eeks Purchas your first few w e ak m l il w is h ill be and books. T hassle, as you w ss le t lo a ty si at univer ry. l not have to wor il w d an ed is n orga
2. Students staying on campus – try to talk to people who are staying in the same flat as you.
d, plus eeded to unwin n is at h w is ty A good par le. nes of new peop you will meet to
7. Work hard.
degree ost out of your m e th e ak m to pay off in If you want u can. It will all yo as d ar h as k then wor the end.
8. Remember – always try your best.
worry u do this. Don’t yo if u yo lt u fa No one can Just do the best g. n oi d is se el e n about what anyo you have ill really feel like w u yo d an n ca you hing. achieved somet
9. When new assignments are set, start them immediately.
es for ly Facebook pag al m or n e ar e er Th d your mmodation. Fin ent the student acco form other stud in d an e ag p n accommodatio e staying. of where you ar
work idual student’s iv d in y er ev at I know th y to start nt, but please tr re fe if d is gy will te stra as possible. You on so as ts en m hieving the assign this will make ac d an ed ss re st be less deadlines easy.
going udents who are st er h ot t ee m course. Here you can ho are on your w or ty si er iv n ting. to your u of uni less daun s ay d t rs fi e th This will make
will ur life that you yo of s ar ye e re r degree These are th ant to finish you w u Yo k. ac b t never ge ity to look ass and the abil p l u sf es cc su a life!’ with best time of my e th ad h ‘I y sa back and
3. Log onto yougo.co.uk
4. Check out the university Student’s Union.
d sign taking place an e ar ts en ev at h t new Find out w great way to mee is is h T . es ti vi ti up to ac people.
5. Socialize.
d getting ean going out an m st ju ’t sn oe d ith your This shopping etc w a, em n ci e th to drunk. Go new friends.
10. Most importantly – HAVE FUN!
Issue 4
Contents 02
ts 10 Top Tips for New Studen
On the Cover
y 04 Modern Britain: Slaver Art Exhibition at Dance East
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Music Stereotyping
Are you ready?
High Standards Music
Music Stereotyping Where do you fall under?
The Illuminati
4
U ISS E
08
10 Top Tips for New Students
Do you believe?
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Stop and Search
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Poem: Why
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High Standards Music
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The Illuminati
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Letter to Artists
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te Amy’s Top 5 Tips to Finding a Da
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The History of Motown
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Movie Review: The Muppets
on for our Cover illustrated by Eva Avrill minati. Do you feature article about the Illu believe?
Contributors ordinator Darren Mann, VXM Project Co cer Claudia Parrino, Project Offi ment Tonia Wilson, Youth Engage rtoonist Stephen Chudley-Knight, Ca r
Shannon Noy, Page Designe Eva Avrillon, Illustration
Chase, Writer Nargiz F.M., Writer Amy Bell, Writer Lucy, Writer Sujei Miah, Writer
Romy Graves, Writer Shahan Miah, Writer Marcellus Hurd, Writer Becca Jackaman, Writer Daniel Lee Harvey, Writer
Maria Rodrigues, Writer
Thank You! on, VxM promotes media educati ction wisdom, participation, produ tar es and dissemination initiativ using geted at 16 to 25 year olds, foc ty. particularly on cultural identi
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Modern Britain Slavery
Nargiz F.M.
Have you seen ‘Taken’? Well, that’s not all fiction. People can’t get their head around the FACT that men, women and children around the world are bought and sold. Often called exploitation, people are forced to live in conditions that are the same to slavery, and have to work for little or no pay and are under the mercy of their ‘owner’ or ‘employers’. According to Human Right Act, every human being has a right for freedom and the exception is an arrest by law. NO ONE can take anyone’s freedom away. The home Office estimates that in 2003 around 4,000 women were trafficked in the UK for sexual exploitation, many very young who think are coming here to work as cleaners or Au-pairs. Statistics show that 45% of these young women are between the ages of 18-25. Human trafficking is a crime and has very negative effects on the victims. Protect yourself • Sounds obvious, but be sure not to give your address, personal details to people you don’t know well (remember the beginning of “Taken”?) • When going to job interviews with unknown companies, make sure they know you are arriving with your father/brother/friend even if you may not be. They may just be giving you a lift, but it gives a picture that you are not alone and everyone knows where you are in-
terviewed. • It is extremely rare, but taxi drivers have also been convicted in trafficking. So make sure you are safe when taking a taxi, and if anything report it immediately, even when you are already safe. You will save the next victim. You are on CCTV, remember?
If you suspect that someone is being exploited • Don’t go confronting traffickers directly. It is 100% safe to report it and the police will thank you. • You don’t need to be sure that the person is being exploited to report it. Suspicion is more than enough. • In an emergency call the police on 999, the Crimestopers anonymously (0800555111), or 119 anywhere in Europe. Do something • There are a few charities and foundations fighting/raising awareness of trafficking. The easiest thing you can do is to visit this group, created for students and young people on Facebook. http://www.facebook.com/StopStudent. Please invite all your friends to join the awareness group, be a part. Human traffick-
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ing and slavery is a huge issue these days in the UK too. Every voice counts! • You can also join one of the charities, such as Not for Sale, or Stop the Traffick. • If you are worried about a child being sexually exploited, call NSPCC 0808 800 5000, send a text to 88858 or email help@nspcc.org.uk
ously unimaginable horrific experience. She was forced to work on the streets, beaten up, forced feed and turned into someone who could not make own decisions. Sophie was a product and vehicle to make money. Sophie had been trafficked but it wasn’t till she was back in the UK that she realised she wasn’t the only person that this had
Sophie’s Story, extracted from The Sophie Hayes Foundation website:
happened too. Sophie’s story is a stark reminder that trafficking is not something that happens far away to someone else. It happens everywhere.
One night Sophie was out with friends, Kas started talking to her, he worked at a bar she went to all the time. He was very flattering and fun but she said no, she wasn’t interested in anyone at that time. However, over the years they developed a friendship, he accepted she wasn’t interested and what came out of it was an amazing friendship, after a couple of years they chatted regularly on the phone. One day she broke up with her boyfriend at the time and Kas had been there for her, understanding what she was going through and really listening. They had known each other for six years now and she trusted him as a best friend. He told her he was off to Spain for a holiday, and she should come along for a weekend to cheer herself up. Tempted by some light relief, some pizza and a chance to get away for a few days, Sophie said yes. About six weeks later he invited her to see him again in Italy. It was when she got to Italy that everything changed. Kas changed. He announced on her third night that he was in debt and Sophie must help by working on the streets to earn the money he needed to pay back. It was the start of a previ-
For more information go to: • www.nspcc.org.uk • www.sophiehayesfoundation.org If you suspect there may be trafficking going on, report it as a single call can save lives.
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The Maritime Festival By Amy Bell
Sixty thousand people flocked to the Ipswich Waterfront for one of Ipswich’s most popular summer events. The Maritime Festival featured enjoyment for all ages and fun for all the family. The sun was shining and everyone had a smile on their face. It was the perfect way to spend a summer’s weekend. Along the Waterfront were a large variety of stalls selling all different items from historical replicas to old-fashioned sweets. There were markets selling local produce and the finest beers. Battle re-enactments were the favourite amongst the children. The sound of guns firing thrilled the audiences. Some of the re-enactments included cutlass sword fights, drill and firing displays and Smugglers demonstrations. There were a number of
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presentations taking place. Some of which included life in the Royal Navy, World War Two and the 1940s. These presentations were educational and captivated many audience members. Hands on experiences excited the children. Some were given the opportunity of holding essential items that are used in the army. In addition there were Smugglers singsongs and a children’s mini theme park. Historic boats and old-fashioned vehicles were the highlights of the weekend. People were given a miniature taste of what maritime life was like many, many years ago. Overall, the Maritime Festival was a success and the weather contributed in making the weekend special and memorable. Roll on to next year’s Maritime Festival!
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H Musical EC c T SHALLOW
Lucy
H L AT TA DE E M
TREA
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LO
When people ask you what kind of music you listen to, what do you say? Do you say something that will appease them, or do you say what you really listen to and risk a clouded judgment at first impressions?
weird; it was just my thing. But kids had this seed planted in their brains, that if you’re not like them, you didn’t deserve to be treated the same – and this was only in primary school.
If you say chart music, people might think you’re a “chav”.
By the time I got to high school, I had started listening to rock music. I still liked the occasional song that was in the charts, given that the lyrics weren’t about sleeping with hundreds of people, going out partying or that it isn’t doused in autotune.
MAIN S
If you say to rock music, people might think you’re an “emo”. If you say to classical music, people might think you’re “boring” or “posh”.
So what kind of music is ‘the right’ kind of music?
I love rock music, but when I tell people that, they will often immediately think that you listen to heavy drums, thrashing guitars and screaming singers who sound like they’re throwing up.
OT H
But to be honest, the majority of the things I listen to are things like You Me at Six. (With the occasional Bullet for my Valentine and Lostprophets.) For most of my life, I had to endure bullying at school, and even out of school, for the simple fact that I refused to be like everybody else. I wore glasses, had curly hair, and was smart but shy. I loved being
STUPID
P
SAT WO
Because of my music taste, and only because of my music taste, I became bullied more – this time it was slightly more serious. It became tiring. Eventually, I had
Ster EMO
N H
N E y R
r t n u
o c
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OSER P O K N freak U ROC W P ANN to get the school involved to get them to back off, which they eventually did, which easily goes to show how little they cared about it in the first place; I was just an item of amusement to them.
The ironically hypocritical thing about it all was that some of those kids themselves listened to some of the artists I do. Does that mean they’re all Goths too?
And what about those who listen to chart music? People who don’t listen to that kind of music generally class those who do as “chavs”. With things like Flo Rida or JLS constantly popping up in the charts, some could argue that the majority of people who listen to that kind of music are associated with “chavs”. But the artists whom those pointing the finger listen to could have easily come up in
Y A G
CH
the UK Top 40. Admittedly, some of my favorite rock bands have made more than one appearance in the charts. So what’s actually classed as “Chart music”? It doesn’t matter if it’s chart music or not, it’s still just your personal preference.
I respect other people’s music taste, because I don’t judge anyone. I wait to see what kind of person they are, before I even think about making some sort of conclusion about whether or not I would like to further my friendship with them or not. Judging someone on their music taste is like judging them on what kind of shoes they wear, or what their handwriting is like; you just can’t tell what kind of person they are just because of one factor.
We may not realize, but whenever we meet somebody, our thoughts create their own judgment of that person automatically, which then leads to a disliking of them even if they haven’t done anything wrong. I respect those who always keep a clear judgment. The other day, I came across a man who looked like he had been living on the streets; I found out that he is a lovely person, who is well spoken and has good manners. Just goes to show that you really can’t judge a book by its cover – or its music taste.
AB
TAN ORSHIPER
reotyping
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and undercover about it.
! What is your name and age? Colin Williams, 47. What are your personal views on a stop and search? Good and bad, only if they do it right. Have you ever been stopped? Why? Yes because they thought I was doing drugs and carrying drugs. How many times have you been stopped? Was it awful? Did the police have the right to do so? Too many times! No! They didn’t have the right.
Do you think it’s good to target young males? I think it’s good if they’re doing it for the right reasons, but they shouldn’t judge all young males because they’re not all the same. What is your name and age? Shane Chambers, 28. What are your personal views on a stop and search? Fuck a stop and search init, if you haven’t even done anything. Have you ever been stopped before? Yeah. Why? Because I fitted a description.
How many times have you been stopped before? Why do you think some people are being In Ipswich I’ve been stopped 3 times. stopped even when they haven’t done Was it lawful? anything wrong? Yes and no. They’re judging people on what they see. They’re not judging whether they have any evidence or not. Do you think all communities in Ipswich are affected equally by this? Yes they are affected but some people don’t like and don’t trust the police. They need to do it properly so they can gain more trust. Do you think it’s different now to back in the days? It’s still all the same but they are sneaky
Did the police have the right to do so? Yes they did, yeah. Why do you think some people are being stopped when they haven’t done anything wrong? Because feds feel they are scared, so that brings their reason to stop people. Do you think all communities in Ipswich are affected equally by this? Yeah.
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High Stand by Maria Rodrigues
If you have not heard about this talented group formed by three young boys born and raised in Ipswich, you still have time to memorize their names because they came to leave their mark in the world of Hip Hop / Rap. They have been together for a long time and went to the same high school where started making music together as a group and since then they never stop. From the distinct characteristics of each result Perception, 16 unique blend of rhythms and sounds that wants conquer not only Hip Hop lovers but all music addicted in general. In a relaxed interview, which turned out to be more a conversation, Life White, BiiG and A.T Friso shared their dreams, thoughts and future projects. Why High Standards Music? BiiG: We had look for a lots of names and comes out high standards music because we try keeping our stuff in high standards, doing the best in what we do. What did music and hip hop mean for you? A.T Friso: Pretty much everything! It’s just the way to get ourselves
across, like our thoughts, feelings, the histories to tell, just everything really. From your first Album “Perception”, it is possible to see that you like to try different styles of music. Even the way that each of you sings is different from each other. What makes your differences work so well?
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dards Music BiiG: Give space to each other. For example AT. Listen different styles of music from mine but I can still work with him, because we kind accept that we not the same and we try emphasize in our differences instead of concentrate in what we all can do the same. What make you different from each other? Life White: The thing we’ve being through, so we talk about different things. My mom and dad used to listen soul, jazz, BiiG more R&B and A.T more rock.
man as well. A.T Friso: Andre 3000 because his music is so ahead of his time. If you listen to it now you get it but at that time I can imagine a lot of people thinking: who is this? It’s a good way take the music, for the future not just now. BiiG: It’s not really just a musician but Will Smith is a big reference to me because he proves that if you really want something you work out a way to get there anyway. What did your music say about yourself?
Someone or something Life White: Most of them in specific that inspire are my own experience you? I may change a few things and I kind over Life White: There is a exaggerate it but basically musician called Ryan my own experience. Leslie. He is very good in what he does; good BiiG: A lot of it is my musician and business personal experience but
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I try to make stuff that someone told me and try to imagine how they feel. That’s how we can make something that people can relate to.
ICR FM and Suck My Sound 101.4.
How is Ipswich and the hip hop industry receiving your music?
BiiG: We are not always making money. This is not a stadium income but they understand that this is what we want do.
Did you families support you?
Life White: They think we should follow A.T Friso: Same, try to say good stories as our dreams but at same time they still well. want us to get a full time job.
A.T Friso: Some don’t believe that something really good can come from where it comes so they wouldn’t just listen. BiiG: It’s a mix really. Some people love it and some are like I can’t listen to that. Some just don’t give us the chance, they would dismiss before even listen to it.
A.T Friso: They believe in us but they want us to have money as well. What you do in your free time? BiiG: We all have our own studio and we are contently in the studio making music or we are making some interview, photo shoot. All of our time is for music.
Life White: Other good is that we have been played on some radio stations -Hot24/7, Mix it up radio, BBC introducing, Social networks are a way to
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communicate with your fans? A.T Friso: Yes, we want them to know who we are as people and what we do as well.
A.T Friso: I got my work coming out as well, it’s an individual work. After that is Life white work in October.
Projects for the future?
How do you see yourself in five years?
BiiG: I just got a new music video coming out and it’s called ‘The Future’. It talks about where I want to be and where I want us to be as a group, just what I want in live really.
Life White: It could go really well or I am gonna be seating in the street somewhere but of course we see ourselves very successful.
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DEAR ARTISTS I always had this thought trapped in my mind on how conventionality can win over creativity and innovation. I know from a personal level, creativity can be something very hard to discuss with others. It is like dissecting the soul for everyone to see & opening up a door to a location that hasn’t yet been discovered. We become anxious in these situations; we have two options, either to see what is on the other side or to route around it to see someone else seize the opportunity. I believe in giving everything a go and then that way you don’t have no kind of regret. We are in a society where people can become easily manipulated and manufactured due to the outputs the media releases. People’s eyes and ears are like fast speed shutters flicking through content. They will only remain open if something caters to their individual tastes. However, it can lead negative paths as artists can become so persuaded by people’s pattern of conduct that they find it difficult to define themselves and as a consequence, they become artists of mass production. I find this to be the case of a lot of young artists within the top40 chart. I feel some of the major record companies are signing people in who are mouldable and open to their approaches on becoming a worldwide superstar. It saddens me when CEOs and music producers destroy the rich history artists have created in the past by replacing them with those who have materialistic and easy-to-persuade minds. The latter ones seem to be more interested in all the benefits that come hand in hand to be famous rather than having a genuine interest of producing art. The music industry has always been a complicated network to follow but due to the growth of technology and the development of social media sites, it has become a whole lot easier for us to get a panoramic view on what is happening and what is available out there. Artists respond to this, they mimic the trends and will create music that fit into the category as it has more of a chance of becoming popular. This also has an effect on the people that listen into it; they will filter their ears from any alien sounds that are different to the mainstream ones. I am happy to say that we still have many artists out there who will struggle physically and mentally in order to be at one with their art. This is a positive thing; we all need to experience high and low points in order to be in the right mind set. We need to be able to focus ourselves when experiencing great difficulties as well as great successes. However,
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there are individuals out there who haven’t yet to experience this. They have become manufactured and constricted, a puppet to the music companies and a puppeteer to the masses. They only know about the conventionality of the industry and do not make songs for people to relate to on a deep level. We connect with artists that produce music for every moment in our life and lyrics that we can transcribe to our memories and experiences. They’re overcoming the fear of being different. They’re using their art for biographical documentation, allowing others to seep through their stories and their thoughts. I have huge respect for it, no matter their genre or the personality of the individual, the point that they have leaped over a barrier and created this whole spectrum of innovative work for people to enjoy and devour is incredible. I love every factor art has to offer, I enjoy seeing close friends as well as complete strangers become connected to their passion and how they can continuously feed it with very little finance or none at all. The fact is creativity doesn’t come from the equipment we buy, the books we read, the landscapes we see. It’s from us, a deeply ridiculed thing that can be very hard to swallow but once it’s released, it can have a phenomenal impact. Yes, people imitate but no one can duplicate. Everyone offers a new explanation to what they are hearing and seeing but it’s the ones that understand what is out
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there and choose to do something that no one else is daring to do. This can only be accomplished once you’ve overcome these feelings of apprehension and anxiety. You can either be a trailblazer or a hitchhiker, the one that starts the trail for other people to follow or the one that gets assistance from mimicking things. Creativity is something of freedom, something we as individuals can only express and talk on our own accord. I can’t talk about yours but I can for mine, it’s something that channels through the mind and the soul. Freedom to me is not being hung up on anyone’s idea on how I should represent myself in society. Why do we need to regulate ourselves to fit into groups? Just be yourself, follow your thoughts, take note and acknowledge what is around you and always add your version to other people’s observations. It’s all good knowing these quotes but it’s even better when you can dissect it and understand the very reason on why they spoke of it in the first place. It’s the same in every branch in the media. We can create things that stand out in the crowd but you need to be able to support it with the stability of the mind, be able to talk and illustrate it like it was something to die for. Art is a painful passage to go through but it develops us and needs to recover just like us. We cannot keep it operational forever, we need to be able to sit back and keep this energy desirable and by energy I mean whatever keeps us going. I’m inspired when I see people strive for something, who get up every single day and take another step to reaching their goal. This is our golden age, our chance to do something that we truly believe in. there are structures out there, patter to read in order to reach some kind of creative liberation, but it doesn’t cater to what we are about individually. Do what you do, even if one or ten thousand people responded to it positively. The number does not matter. The fact that you’ve stimulated someone to appreciate and find homage in your work is something we should hold pride for. I saw a man the other day, really withered looking standing on a high plinth playing a guitar. People were dropping money in, obliviously without paying attention, until this old lady came along and thanked him for cheering up her afternoon. His face instantly lit up and began to smile as he played; something as little as that can make us whole again. Yours sincerely, DANIEL LEE HARVEY
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By Marcellus Hurd
Motown Records is a Detroit based music label founded by Berry Gordy Jr. in 1959. Some people say that Motown is a genre and, in some cases, this is very true as it has evolved into something quite amazing over time. In this article I am going to explain to you a bit about the evolution of Motown Records, and how the founder Berry Gordy made it into a music label worth millions of dollars.
Tamla Records was founded in 1959 by Berry Gordy. Gordy had decided that he wanted to try and make money from the music business, so he borrowed an $800 loan from his family. Gordy didn’t have enough money to buy big recording studios in Detroit, so he bought a small house on West Grand Boulevard, which would serve as the Motown headquarters until 1968. Gordy focused himself on getting music sung by black artists onto the pop charts; this however was very rare in the 1950’s and 1960’s. Tamla Records started signing and recording artists and in early 1960 they had their first hit with The Marvelettes Please Mr Postman. Tamla Records went on to sign
more artists and created more hit records. In 1960 Gordy established Motown Records, his company’s mainstream label that went on to sign such artists as The Supremes, Four Tops, Mary Wells, Jackson 5 and The Commodores. In 1962 Gordy established Gordy Records, his soul label which went on to sign The Temptations, Martha & The Vandellas and The Contours. In 1965 Gordy established his first British Label, Tamla-Motown Records, this label issued music from all of Gordy’s labels to the UK. Motown Records was now making more hits every week and certainly more money. Motown was most successful due to all of the talent around in the 50’s and 60’s in Detroit.
In 1972 Motown moved in Los Angeles, it is at this point in history that Motown changed forever. It no longer had that Motown Sound created in the basement of a house, Marvin Gaye playing the drums for artists or Martha & The Vandellas doing backup vocals. Motown was now a successful music business, though it still produced hits, its sound had changed. By the mid 1980’s Motown started losing money, in 1988 Gordy sold his ownership in Motown Records for $61 million. Design by Marcellus Hurd
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So what’s their game plan? Well, their game plan is whatever the Devil’s game plan is, but they don’t directly worship the Devil. They worship various demons, so say you have demons of lust, seduction and demons of control and of music and whatever. I don’t know, I don’t really know the facts, but their intention is to get the whole world to worship the same demons that they worship. So how have they infiltrated popular culture? How did you hear of them?
T
he Illuminati is supposedly “an ancient and shadowy group of elites who control nearly every aspect of life on this planet — from finance and government to religion and culture”. However, a skeptics view on it might be that the Illuminati was a “defunct German secret society of freethinkers, humanists and Enlightenment academics, founded in 1776 and infiltrated and shut down by Bavarian authorities about a decade later”. In modern contexts, the Illuminati, meaning the People of the Light, are a conspiratorial organisation which is alleged to mastermind events and control world affairs through governments and corporations to establish a “New World Order”. When the subject was brought up with the VxM Crew, here’s what they had to say – fearing death, they requested that their names were anonymous…
Mainly through the internet and through DVDs. There are a lot of things that have been explained through the internet and different films that kind of break it down, and it all just kind of makes sense. You know, you put two and two together and you get four. You’ve got loads of artists who have spoken out about it and loads of artists who have died over the years. Everybody kind of assumes whatever the media says and whatever is portrayed through the media. You’ve got things like, this person died of an overdose, and this person died in an accident, so on and so forth, but then, for instance, the Michael Jackson case, I saw footage of Michael Jackson onstage and he wasn’t the same Michael Jackson who was being shown on TV. Regardless if you believe in the Devil or the Illuminati, the truth is always dangerous, you know, hence the saying ‘truth hurts’… There
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are loads of small things that we don’t notice in music videos, in songs, and artists who have refused to do their work and have fallen off the map. We’re talking artists who were, like, massive, and were known world-wide and were at
doing. It’s still being done through music videos. You’ve also got symbols that are printed on t-shirts that people are wearing. In a more recent video, there’s somebody wearing a black jumper and it’s got an owl, but the owl is
the top of their game, and they refused to be a part of the agenda and the motive, and all of a sudden they fall off the map and you no longer hear from them.
illuminated, so it’s just like a white outlining of an owl, representing something that they worship in parts of America when powerful people get together and socialise and discuss things and whatever… There’s loads of stuff on the internet that exposed that.
Is this related to those singers who died at the aged of 27? Yeah, it is related to them. I mean, Lauren Hill wrote a song exposing them, and it’s referred to one of the most powerful songs in music, and she literally just sings her heart out about the fact that she refuses to be a part of the whole agenda. If I was a singer and I decided to follow (the Illuminati), what am I required to do? Singing about certain things, having certain images and certain things in your videos… It’s been going on for years; certain hand gestures that I’ve noticed in recent music, I went back and looked at old videos from other artists and I see the exact same hand gestures, and they’re not just like jazz hands or dance moves, but blatant gestures that people are
There are pictures of George Bush doing those signs, and pictures of Barack Obama doing the signs too. I don’t recall seeing any pictures of British politicians doing any of those signs, but they probably are. But remember, the whole thing is, it might not even be true, it might all be rubbish, but the key element is the fear factor, because they use fear to control the masses. There are examples of the public losing faith in the government, so they stage some kind of attack or an assault where the public feel unsafe, and then turn back to the government to do something. The government then come in and ‘save the day’, then they’ve got the vote again. It’s all a game to them. It’s all materialism and profit
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and control because, if everybody as equal, everybody had an opinion, that’s too many opinions, too much debate, too many arguments; you won’t achieve anything, you won’t get anywhere, and you’ve got other countries who have very, very strong dictatorships, strong governments, powerful forces, and the western governments always have to be seen to be ‘the prestige’. That’s why there’s so much w a r in
Africa, politicians in Africa don’t want to come forward, and those who do get all the artillery. War is the most profitable business ever; you won’t find anything more profitable. It’s not just about the war; it’s about the votes and the people who support it. It’s also about the ‘fear factor’, because if people are scared, they turn to the person, the organisation or the group that can look after them and make sure that they are safe – that’s when you get the vote, and that’s when you get to control everybody.
To turn around and say the Illuminati don’t exist and that they’re a myth, is a myth itself; maybe they do, maybe they don’t. So, the Illuminati is run only by an elite group..? These are people who have loads of money and you’re not actually going to get any dirt on these individuals to tarnish them. But to be honest, now all music videos and all music has a clear message, and it’s either about sex, teenage sex, drugs, partying, alcohol; there’s no constructive, no
positive, no role models. Absolutely none. The guys who are at the top of the industry, all they brag about is their money and the positions they are in, and they feed this false hope to the public and to the youth that the y can have the same but they can’t unless they go down that path. If you’re pre-
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pared to work hard and put in the work, have the work ethic of our forefathers, turn what you feel you deserve, then that’s different. But now it’s shown through media that you can become an overnight success and have millions, and that comes at a price. Nobody can become an overnight success without it coming at a price, so with the whole X-Factor thing, I’m not interested. I would never go on any of those programmes and go down that path because, for one, if you become an overnight success, you are not ready for the responsibility that comes with being that successful within such a short period of time. Plus money isn’t
an issue to these people. They can easily give you fifty million, and they don’t batter an eyelid. They don’t live in the same world that we do, and they don’t follow the same rules that we do, so it’s easy to tempt somebody with a million pounds and say “we can offer you the world if you’re prepared to sign this
contract”. It’s not taking creativity and hardness, and nurturing it and basically giving that to the public; it’s taking talent and using that as a tool to feed your message or whatever it is you want to feed and that’s what media is about, it’s about mind control. The news, the lot of it, so… and yeah, I believe it exists because, to say it doesn’t exist isn’t realistic, given everything that goes on around us, you know what I mean. There’s a lot of control in the world and
it has to be to keep everybody in form. With the Illuminati, all it is are people who know more and have more than the rest of the world. So, do you believe in the Illuminati? If so, do you agree with their fascist ideas and worlddominating power? Do you want in, or are you willing to fight the future? Or do you have an entirely different take on it? Leave us a comment on vxm.me.
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Amy’s
Top Five Tips
Date
to Finding a
1
Go out and socialize with other people.
2
Have confidence in yourself and be positive.
won’t meet anyone. It This is the starting point. Without doing this you ege/university or simply doesn’t have to be a nightclub. A pub, work, coll t special one. a walk in the park could lead you closer to tha
son.
3
After all, the opposite sex like a confident per
Have fun and relax. This will make it easier to meet and get a long
with new people.
4
Try going out on a singles night.
5
Most importantly, don’t be disheartened if you don’t find a date straight away.
ch is to find someone Most of you will have one thing in common, whi singles night online. who you can be happy with. Find your nearest
of a friend. Just know It could be the next person you meet or a friend ple, someone will come that as long as you’re out there meeting new peo w, but it’s true). along and sweep you off your feet (cheesy? I kno
27
The
Muppets
Review by Becca Jackaman
I am not that keen on sequels and reboots, but it seemed that now was the right time for a new Muppets movie. and his Muppet brother Walter, who used to watch the show as kids. Gary decides to take his long-term girlfriend, Mary (Amy Adams) on a trip to Los Angeles – but much to her dismay, invites his brother along too, to have a tour of the Muppets’ studio only to find it derelict and rundown. The trio learn that an evil man named Tex Richman has sold the Muppets’ theatre, and is planning to tear it down in search for oil, unless $10 million can be raised to save it. Cue lots of cheeky meta-references and celebrity cameos (what Muppets film would be without them?), as Gary and Walter travel around the world to find each and every Muppet character, before time runs out.
Walt Disney Pictures © 2011
I
t’s been sixteen years since ‘Muppets: Treasure Island’, so the kids who watched it then have grown up, and probably forgotten all about it. Meanwhile, the kids of today might not have even known who Kermit the Frog was (and were too busy updating their Facebook statuses to really care), if it weren’t for ‘The Muppets’. A simple title that (re)introduces the colourful, felt characters to the next generation. You’ve got Gary (Jason Segel – most likely chosen for the part, after his rather awesome, puppet-musical rendition of ‘Dracula’ in ‘Forgetting Sarah Marshall’)
It’s bright and brilliant, with the usual catchy music numbers you find yourself humming to yourself afterwards (that, and the unforgettable “Mah Nà Mah Nà” song that never gets old), but the great thing is that it’s so current. It shows us that, sure, the Muppets were old news, but after this, they’re new and fresh, and you find yourself wondering “how did I forget about these guys?”
Seriously, how did we forget about these guys?
Rating: 4/5
FULL CARTOON INSIDE!