Hypocrisy and faux outrage are new hallmarks of the right
There has been no escaping the news of the swift downfall of Roseanne Barr. In case you needed reminding, within hours of making racist remarks on Twitter about Obama’s former…
It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia: wildly offensive, wildly educational
Despite running the risk of being branded as a TV addict, this week I decided to write about another TV show. During the last year at university, the show ‘It’s…
I love to love Love Island
The end of exams, glimpses of sunshine and the revival of t-shirts and shorts can only mean one thing. While many of you may confidently jump to the logical conclusion…
Colour conscious casting should be prioritised
The premise of colour conscious casting came to many people’s attention through the success of Hamilton, the widely popular musical depicting the tale of US Founding Father Alexander Hamilton through…
Star Wars’ gender problem has less Leias than you’d think
In a somewhat unbelievable turn of events this week, the same day that Solo: A Star Wars Story hit cinemas saw the news revealing the focus of Star Wars’ next…
Authorship down: Lars von Trier and the abuse of ‘art’
Auteur-provocateur, filmmaker-troublemaker, artist-misogynist… if you’ve heard of Lars von Trier, you’ve probably got an opinion on the Danish director. Up to now, discourse on von Trier has existed in a…
Weinstein traumatised the world – and his wife
Just one week ago, on 10 May, Vogue released an interview titled ‘Georgina Chapman on Life After Harvey Weinstein’. Much controversy has surrounded its publishing, with many praising its…
Blade: the forgotten gem of black cinema
Since its release, Black Panther has been praised for its strong writing, clever expansion of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and memorable cast. This is deserved; Black Panther is arguably one…
Polanski’s expulsion is a good PR move, but not good enough
Rejoice! The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences – the Academy, to you and me – proudly proclaimed this week that they were expelling TV entertainer Bill Crosby and…
Netflix vs Cannes: The art of cinema, or defunct elitism?
Cannes: the crown of the French Riviera, upholder of the selfie ban, and guardian of cinema. Unsurprisingly, this prestigious film festival is also a particularly conservative institution – as evidenced…
Why is ‘The Virgin Bride’ still on a pedestal?
‘Just because you lost your virginity doesn’t mean you can go around throwing your cat at everybody!’ Emma Stone’s Olive Penderghast, the self-proclaimed ‘slutty’ version of Hester Prynne, spends the…
13 Reasons Why Not
When the first season of ‘13 Reasons Why’ was released on Netflix, it became one of those shows that was more obligation than choice. Everyone had binged it, everyone was…
Accusing someone on Twitter doesn’t make them guilty
In light of recent, mass, sexual allegations against Hollywood powerhouses Kevin Spacey and Harvey Weinstein, both have seen their reputation and careers left in tatters, becoming publicly condemned and professionally…
There remain a few respectable figures of authority in Hollywood
In little over a month since the Harvey Weinstein revelations surfaced, we have seen a scourge of further allegations – particularly in Hollywood, but also in various other professions around…
The politics of forgiveness
It seems now that not only are we living in a post-truth, post-science, post-genre age (thank you Beyoncé for that last one), we are also living in a post-Weinstein age….
House of lies: a fictional president is being held to higher standards than the real one
1. Double homicide 2. Involvement in multiple other homicides including those by his wife & Chief of Staff 3. Bribery & embezzlement of federal funds 4. Multiple claims of sexual…