The superficiality when you may hear, “Can I have a chai tea matcha latcha latte,” is almost as superfluous as the exaggeration sounds. Of course, this is a hyperbolic extension of the real issue; one culture idealised and “Westernised” to become nothing more than a simplified idea with a complete loss of meaning (at least it might… Continue reading Colonialism on Crack
This infamous quote from 1984 is uttered by Julia when she offers the most critical evaluation of the psychology behind ‘The Party’s’ manipulation tactics. When Winston ponders why the people around him are so fervent with their zealous marching and obedience towards Big Brother, Julia exposes their passion and infatuation as simply “sex gone sour”. … Continue reading “You’re just sex gone sour” A commentary on the Dawah Brothers and their war on Hijabis
“Being born a woman is my awful tragedy.” Sylvia Plath journalled in 1959, four years before her death. “From the moment I was conceived I was doomed to sprout breasts and a womb and to adore men who are the enemies of my kind.” A year later, in 1960, poet Anne Sexton underwent an illegal… Continue reading The Womb is a Haunted House: Looking to the Works of Plath and Sexton as a Woman in 2025
In the 1995 cult-classic film, Before Sunrise, the main character Celine says: “You know, I have this awful paranoid thought that feminism was mostly invented by men so that they could, like, fool around a little more. You know, women, free your minds, free your bodies, sleep with me.” Although I am strongly opposed to applying… Continue reading Sexual Liberation or Exploitation?
High-profile comedians including Dave Chappelle and Kevin Hart have received backlash for performing at the Riyadh Comedy Festival. In a world that increasingly cares only about money, why do we still care? It’d take an impressive feat of mental gymnastics to view Western comedians’ performance at the Riyadh Comedy Festival as anything other than an… Continue reading The Importance of Comedy – Why Western Comedians’ Appearance at the Riyadh Comedy Festival Matters
On August 29th, 2025, American singer Sabrina Carpenter released her highly anticipated seventh studio album. Man ’ s Best Friend followed Carpenter’s highly acclaimed, fun, sexy, and humorous album Short n ’ Sweet, released only a year prior, launching her into pop stardom. Short n ’ Sweet debuted at number one on the US Billboard… Continue reading Sabrina Carpenter’s album Man’s best friend: New Wave Feminism or working for the male gaze?
Georgia’s parliament has approved a new law aimed at “family values and the protection of minors,” which includes significant restrictions on LGBT rights. The bill, passed in its third and final reading, grants authorities the power to ban Pride events, restrict public displays of the LGBT rainbow flag, and censor films and books containing LGBT… Continue reading Georgian parliament passes law restricting LGBT rights ahead of election
Queer East Festival: On The Road will head out across the country from September to December, offering its biggest tour yet and showcasing a remarkable line-up of contemporary feature films, documentaries and shorts as well as special events that highlight a wide range of LGBTQ+ stories from East Asia, Southeast Asia and their diaspora communities.… Continue reading Queer East Festival: On The Road
The United Nations verified 3,688 cases of conflict-related sexual violence around the world last year, a significant increase of 50% from 2022. This is certainly a vast underestimate of the true number of cases. A report by the UN secretary-general in April mentioned a number of specific countries where sexual violence – and conflict –… Continue reading In Myanmar’s brutal war, the military is weaponising sexual violence against women, children and LGBTQI+ people
The number of victims of femicide in Italy in in 2020 equated to a woman killed every three days, “Femicide is not a crime of passion, it is a crime of power,” wrote Elena Cecchettin after her sister was killed in November 2023. Italian student Giulia Cecchettin, 22, was killed allegedly by her controlling ex-boyfriend, Filippo… Continue reading Femicide in Italy: A modern phenomenon deeply rooted in the country’s cultural past
