Liveblog: 2016 US Presidential Election
[liveblog]
Day: 8 November 2016
Does our health knead the Bake Off?
After being crowned the winner of the 2016 Great British Bake Off, Candice Brown spent a lot of time being interviewed and signing books, but soon went back to her day job as a Physical Education (PE) teacher.
A PE teacher as our national baking icon? I smell a soggy bottom.
Earlier this year, the government announced their plans to introduce a ‘sugar tax’ on soft drinks. As of 2018, drinks containing between five and eight grams of sugar per 100ml will be taxed at 18 pence a litre and drinks containing more than eight grams will be taxed at 24 pence per litre.
Regardless of the debates concerning this method’s effectiveness for curbing sugar consumption, particularly amongst children, this bill showed good intention from the government.
The move was made amidst a growing amount of public and academic pressure to act on the mounting evidence concerning the health dangers of sugar. It might well be said that this was the period that anti-sugar went mainstream. As Jamie Oliver punched the air in Parliament Square, the tutted tales of housewives and husbands across the country could be heard changing.
Sugar — speaking in the wider sense, from highly processed syrups to white flour-based carbohydrates, such as bread — has been linked to a myriad of health concerns. Through the development of insulin resistance, sugar is believed to be a major cause of obesity and type II diabetes. It has also been linked to heart disease, fat growth, and depression.
Furthermore, there is the question of sugar addiction. A 2007 study showed that rats make far more effort to re-access a sugar-laden solution than the cocaine equivalent. This is where the “sugar is eight times more addictive than cocaine” statistic comes from. But studying the addictive nature of sugar in humans is more complex. There are, however, some physiological tests for addiction.
One is tolerance — the ability for one to become adjusted to a harmful substance. Addicts adjust so that higher levels of the substance are required to ‘sufficiently’ raise dopamine (pleasure) levels. Brain scans of those with high and regular sugar intake match those of cocaine addicts. The second test for measuring addiction is withdrawal. Here, sugar addicts show classic symptoms: ‘the shakes’, light-headedness, fatigue, muscle fatigue etc.
At the scale of the body, the danger of sugar is clear. But this fails to consider the strength of the industry, its advertising, and the advice of governments and health organisations.
To think of Jamie Oliver, or any other figure of our generation, as the pioneer of anti-sugar would put us over two centuries out of time. In 1797, Scottish military surgeon John Rollo successfully treated a diabetes patient by advising a diet low in carbohydrates.
This remained as common advice until 1977. This was the year that the USDA (United States Department for Agriculture) updated its dietary recommendations. The document recommended an exclusion of fat from the diet, and the inclusion of starches, bread, pasta, and other carbohydrates. In the 16 years prior to this, cases of obesity in U.S. adults increased by two percent. In the thirteen years after the change, the figure rose by 7.8 per cent. This is just one example of where a government has offered the wrong advice.
To this end, it is concerning that the soft drinks industry helped to sponsor a recent Conservative Party drinks reception, of which the business secretary, Greg Clark, attended.
In light of what we know about sugar, let us come back to the Bake Off. Host Mary Berry’s ‘Perfect Victoria Sandwich’ on BBC Good Food contains 225 grams of sugar, “plus a little extra for dusting the finished cake,” and 200g of self-raising flour. It is a carbohydrate feast.
How innocent it seems: a calm Sunday morning, a cup of tea, Union Jack bunting draped across the room, and a delight of a cake just finishing cooling on a rack. But I strongly object to this wild combination of British identity with cake. Where was the national consultation? Just last night I sat down for a cup of tea and a small handful of almonds. I felt nutritionally enriched (or was it the self-righteousness?) and safe from deportation under a retroactive use of the Citizenship Test.
As well as what we eat, we should pay more attention to when we eat. Take, for another example, breakfast. At the end of the Second World War, the U.S. had a cereal and milk oversupply. In 1944, Kellogs began an advertising campaign to promote breakfast as the “most important meal of the day.” Most research suggests that breakfast (and surrounding advice for “six small meals a day”) stops the fat-burning process, reduces energy levels, and is nothing close to the natural way for a human being to eat. But let’s push that to one side: the U.S. had a cereal and milk oversupply after the war, and today many of us follow suit in eating breakfast, whether it is cereal or not.
The examples of breakfast and the USDA’s 1977 change in dietary advice demonstrate how subject we are to conforming to eating habits. In Britain, 15.05 million people watched the final episode of carbohydrate-infested baking competition. If we are going to take a stance on sugar, even the cosy corners of so-called national tradition have to be questioned.
The Accountant
Thanks to the confusing story line and rather unbelievable premise, The Accountant is a good choice of action film for those who do not like the genre. It follows autistic accountant, Christian Wolff — Ben Affleck — who makes a living working for large-scale criminal organisations; he also happens to be well versed in martial arts and cold-blooded killing. These narrative features however leave the film without direction or aim.
Ben Affleck puts forward a strong performance as a man for whom numbers make far more sense than human interaction, yet The Accountant differs no more than any other film about autism. The depiction of an autistic hero is a markedly positive feature but this comes at the cost of making the clichéd assumption that those with autism have a special ‘power’ or skill, which is clearly not the case for those who actually have the condition.
Additionally, there are a number of ‘reveals’ in the film, all of which the plot either hinges upon or are vital in tying up loose ends. Unfortunately, due to their integral nature to the progression of the film, they appear clumsy and forced.
Anna Kendrick is also featured as Wolff’s love interest. However, it seems, as with many other potential story lines, this narrative is not developed sufficiently. Had the makers of the film not been scared of including romance in the movie, it may have added greater meaning , and perhaps lessened the feeling that the feature is lacking in identity and direction. That said, this failure to fully commit to emotional and romantic story lines could be seen as intentional as to reflect Wolff’s difficulty in connecting with others.
However, this is not to say that film is so lacking in feeling that it is unwatchable; it certainly has a heart. Overall, it’s focus on human nature, and pressing questions about the importance of nature versus nurture makes it a reasonably interesting watch.
Inquiry adds to Olympic Stadium woes
West Ham United have not had the easiest of moves to the Olympic Stadium, and the situation is showing little signs of improving. On Tuesday, Mayor of London Sadiq Khan announced an inquiry into the rising costs of redeveloping the stadium. This has followed a disappointingly poor run of form which has seen the Hammers fall to seventeenth in the Premier League table a quarter of their way through the season, and an early exit from the Europa League to Romania’s Astra Giurgiu. Add to this the on-going controversy over hooliganism at games — reaching a flashpoint at United’s EFL Cup tie with Chelsea — and the optimism exuded at their goodbye ceremony at the Boleyn Ground now seems a very long time ago.
Various explanations have been given for the instances of crowd trouble at West Ham’s home matches. The layout of the stadium — precisely the placement in the stadium of away fans — has been given as one, along with inadequate turnstiles for away supporters. The ambiguity over whether West Ham — as tenants — are responsible for security, or if its the responsibility of the Stadium’s owners or the Metropolitan Police, has also proved troubling. West Ham vice-chairwoman Karren Brady has had to issue a statement calling on a “five-point security plan”. The plan includes “Creating more distance between opposing fans to prevent missile throwing” and “employing the enhanced tactic of issuing a group of stewards with handheld video cameras”.
Of course, as has been pointed out, the elephant in the stadium is that there would be little need to debate the layout, policing, stewarding, or turnstiles, had fans not turned to violence. David Hytner of The Guardian has said that “It is remarkable how so little of the discussion is given over to the basic requirement for adults to behave in a socially acceptable manner” and it is certainly a point worth making. It also shows how large a problem this is, and how it’s unlikely to be resolved for some time.
Further embarrassment for the operators of the stadium came this last week, when Mayor of London Sadiq Khan ordered an investigation into the redevelopment the Olympic Stadium. This was after it had emerged that the cost of converting it to a joint football/athletics stadium had risen by around 50 million pounds. The original cost — as former Mayor Boris Johnson had announced in 2015 — was projected to be £272m but recent estimates put the figure at £323m.
Despite now largely being used for West Ham United football matches, the stadium is still publicly owned, and so the majority of the costs were funded by public bodies. West Ham will not be the focus of the inquiry, as they are not the operators of the Stadium, but will still not welcome the prolonged controversy their new home has attracted.
This is not the first time that the new Mayor has raised concerns with some infrastructure legacies of his predecessor. In September Khan announced that there would be an inquiry into the “Garden Bridge”, over whether the £60m of public money granted to the controversial project was worthwhile.
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan (right) with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry Photo: U.S. Embassy London@flickrIt is also not the first publicly-backed major football stadium to go over budget. The Football Association had originally earmarked £757m for the construction of the new Wembley Stadium, but as the project went on, the costs eventually rose to almost £1bn and problems meant the arena opened a year after it was planned to.
The amount of money that circulates in the British football economy — which has greatly increased this year with the £5bn TV deal coming into effect — makes it hard for many to understand why public money is used to help fund such projects, and Sadiq Khan would have been under considerable pressure to investigate the overspend.
City Hall will be hoping that the newly renamed London Stadium will be as much of a commercial success story as a multi-purpose venue as Wembley. The stadium has arguably its biggest showpiece event since the Olympics with the IAAF World Athletics Championships taking place there next September, which officials will hope will put some doubts over its future to bed.
It is also worth remembering that the Millennium Dome used to be considered even more of a waste of taxpayers’ money, and now — as the O2 Arena — it is one of the most iconic and successful venues in the world. An example the London Stadium will hope to emulate.
In Defence of Paul Pogba
The explosive growth of football in the past two decades has had huge effects on the way the media and fans view the game. Two of the biggest impacts have been money and patience.
You used to be able to pick up ‘world class’ talent for the snip of £30 odd million (see Wayne Rooney). That same amount of money was spent by Tottenham Hotspurs over the summer to pick up Moussa Sissoko. Now, while Sissoko is without doubt a capable footballer, he is not regarded as a ‘cream of the crop’ type player.
Paul Pogba, on the other hand, is. He cost Manchester United a world record £89.25 million, and there seems to be very little patience going around for the young Frenchman.
A key criticism focussed at Pogba has been his price tag and the failure to live up to it. The thing is, nowadays, in buying a footballer you are not just buying what the player is going to give you on the pitch, you are buying a brand.
Manchester United is the most commercial football club in the world, most recently signing off a partnership with Milly, who will now be the club’s global “mattress and pillow partner”. Ridiculous, right? Well, not really.
United have successfully expanded as a corporation in the last three years to ‘world domination’ levels, which is ironic as the football being played at Old Trafford has gone through its worst stint in two decades. United are expected to overtake Real Madrid as the world’s richest football club in this financial year. If United are still growing in such a negative football climate, surely they are doing something right in terms of marketability? Suddenly the deal with Milly does not look so silly.
Anyway, without getting too side-tracked, United were not just buying Pogba’s ability for £89 million, they were also buying a marketable icon who can push the club into a new economic stratosphere. In the first three weeks after the transfer was made official, United’s “Pogba 6” shirt sales made almost £200 million.
While obviously most of that money went to Adidas and not United, that kind of marketability makes the club look very attractive for sponsorship; it is no wonder that Adidas’s kit deal with United is the most expensive in history.
There is also Pogba’s personality which is expensive. The confident, outgoing and humorous Frenchman knows how to run his self-image on social media and is one of the most influential footballers, in that aspect, in England.
His mocking videos with Zlatan Ibrahimović and Jessie Lingard draw particular attention from youthful fans and, again, increase his and United’s market value.
Mino Raiola also had a very important role in the transfer price, as you would expect from one of the most infamous football agents.
In a recent interview with the Financial Times, Raiola hinted at receiving a fee in relation to third-party ownership (which was banned in 2015) of Pogba. According to the Mail Online, this fee could have been up to £20 million, although it is not certain if this was paid by United or Juventus.
Buying a player in the modern football environment is not simple. Therefore, when your classic football cynic turns around after Pogba misplaces a pass and mumbles, “well that was not worth £89 million”, you can look at him in dismay, shake your head and list the above reasons. Alternatively, if you want to keep your social life, you can growl at the TV and shake your fist at the absurdity of modern football.
Investment in footballers, like in a car or a fancy jacket, is about long-term quality.
If your car decided to disintegrate after a quick trip to the shops, or your jacket caught fire after wearing it to the pub once, you would not be a happy bunny. The same can be said for footballers. Juan Mata cost Manchester United £38 million in the January of 2014. If you had asked a United fan if he had been worth it six months later, the simple answer would probably be ‘no’.
However, fast forward to present time and Mata has sufficiently paid off his debt to the club: two beautiful goals against Liverpool in Steven Gerrard’s last ever game against United (famously known as “Juanfield”), an equaliser against Crystal Palace in the FA Cup Final which the Reds went on to win and, most recently, a goal to knock City out of the EPL Cup add up to more than enough goodwill to justify his fee.
Pogba, likewise, if assessed now, is not worth what United have paid for him. Only time will tell if the Frenchman was worth the record transfer and so patience must be preserved if a logical judgement is to be made.
The fee United paid for Pogba’s on-the-pitch-footballing value is probably closer to the £50 million mark. With that, if you compare Pogba’s stats for the season so far to those who have been praised for being in good form (in this case, I chose Eden Hazard, Philippe Coutinho, Mesut Ozil and Kevin De Bruyne), you will find that the Frenchman is not too far behind the best creators in the league.
Per game, Pogba is fourth (out of the five) in key passes and chances created and third for successful take ons. The Frenchman has also played the most accurate through balls in the entire league. What makes those stats even more impressive is the fact that Pogba starts much deeper in midfield than any of the comparative players. Because of this deeper position, Pogba also has to produce a defensive display, and he comfortably beats Hazard, Coutinho, Ozil and De Bruyne in interceptions, tackles and clearances.
Now, if you think those defensive comparisons are unfair because that is not the comparative players’ roles, let us parallel Pogba with N’Golo Kanté, Jordan Henderson, Francis Coquelin and Fernandinho.
Per game, the United player is last when it comes to interceptions but has won the fourth most tackles and the most aerial duels by a distance.
These comparative players, like the attackers, have all been individually praised for their good form this season. It seems baffling, therefore, to slate Pogba for ‘not being up to the task’ when he is doing two players’ jobs in one, and still keeping up stats with some of the best in the league.
Enough of the stats. Pogba’s performances against Manchester City and Burnley at the end of October alone should be enough to illustrate how good a player he is. Only a fantastic Willy Caballero save could stop the Frenchman from scoring against the ‘noisy neighbours’ and Pogba should have had at least three assists from the Burnley game, if it were not for Ibrahimović’s woeful finishing.
Pogba’s two goals against Fenerbahçe at Old Trafford were written off because they were in the Europa League but the second, in particular was, a strike fitting of Cristiano Ronaldo or Gareth Bale.
Pogba has the talent, and at the tender age of 23, the Frenchman is only going to get better in the next five years. If anything, it is United who are doing their world record transfer a disservice, rather than the other way around.
Live: George the Poet
23rd October at Band on the Wall
8/10
As we walk into Band on the Wall the atmosphere is relaxed, people mill about with their drinks and there’s no great feeling of anticipation of the act to come. This isn’t surprising. The London born rapper-poet performing tonight has only one EP and a number of singles available to listen to. And, given the variety of style and subject of his available music, it’s safe to say the punters here tonight don’t know what to expect from George the Poet.
The lights dim and the crowd turns its attention to the stage. Accompanying band, The Composers, take their place in front of drums, keys, and bass and begin to play a building jazzy backing. George Mpanga’s voice comes through from offstage, setting the scene for the show. As the music builds he walks onstage smart and smiling and the night begins. Opening with brand new track ‘Wake Up’ George the Poet’s careful and considered delivery is enthralling. He appears to speak directly to the crowd and it is hard to turn away for a moment.
Despite playing some previously released tracks, the show focused on following a narrative rather than performing hits. The result of using this format was an interesting and engaging spectacle. George confidently weaved between songs and poems tackling different issues from Brexit, through unplanned pregnancy to climate change, directing his listeners to take action through a variety of social activism organisations. The gaps between songs were hardly identifiable as Mpanga talked to the audience with such flow and rhyme that it could have been meticulously rehearsed.
Musically, The Composers and George the Poet complimented each other well, each giving the other space to exhibit their respective huge amounts of talent. The instrumental hip-hop and jazz was the perfect backdrop for Mpanga’s casual but melodic spoken word. As George the Poet jumped from topic to topic, transitioning between them with ease and charm, it’s not hard to see why he’s being billed as one of the best upcoming political spoken word artists around.
How to get published in literary journals
Submitting your work to a literary magazine can be daunting — I certainly felt out of my depth when I began a few years ago. However, through sending my work out, being an editor at a magazine, and finally starting my own, I’ve learnt a huge amount about the process, and in this last year my acceptance rate has skyrocketed. Hopefully my advice will help you find success, too.
The first thing to do is pick the magazine and the work you’re going to send them. Check if there is a theme and stick to it. If the issue you’re aiming for has the theme ‘Love’, don’t call your poem ‘Love’ – in fact, try to avoid having the word in the title at all. They will likely have a large number of submissions that do this and they don’t want their contents page to be too repetitive.
Secondly, format your work correctly. Unless the magazine’s website says otherwise, single-space poems and double-space fiction, with fiction give a word-count. Do everything in Times New Roman, size twelve. Insert a page break between each new piece by clicking “Insert” then “Page Break” on Word; don’t just keep pressing Enter, as this can screw up the formatting in the long run.
Next, onto the actual submission. Most magazines operate online these days, so you’ll probably be either emailing your work or uploading it to a submission manager (usually Submittable). Emailing is usually pretty simple. Do try and find out the editor’s name, rather than just saying, ‘Sir or Madam’. Try to sound friendly but professional and don’t gush too much about how much you like the magazine; just say it would be great or an honour to see your work there. With Submittable, follow the guidelines carefully, as they vary from magazine to magazine. Sometimes they’ll want your submission to be anonymous, so make sure you remove your name from both the document itself, and the file name.
They’ll often ask for a third-person biography. If no word limit is give, I’d keep it around eighty words. Only go ‘quirky’ if the magazine looks like the sort to want that — otherwise just calmly list the places you’ve been published and any other relevant information, for example any work or volunteering you’ve done in the arts sector.
Then you wait. Maybe you’ll get an acceptance, which is wonderful. Maybe you’ll get a rejection, but then at least that poem or story is free to send elsewhere. Stay positive and always work on honing your craft. I hope this advice was useful — my magazine, if you are interested, is Foxglove Journal. I would love to hear from you!
Review: Eimear McBride at The Manchester Literature Festival
On Thursday the 20th October The Centre for New Writing, in partnership with Manchester Literature Festival, hosted Eimear McBride in conversation with John McAuliffe. McBride is one of today’s most captivating authors; her debut novel A Girl is a Half-Formed Thing won the 2014 Baileys Women’s Prize for Fiction and her latest publication, The Lesser Bohemians, has been shortlisted for The Goldsmiths Prize 2016. Following questions from McAuliffe and the audience, McBride spoke compellingly on a range of topics from memory and masculinity to modernism.
McBride’s passion for the power of story-telling was clear in her answers; her discussion of The Lesser Bohemians as addressing the ‘forgotten history’ of many Irish immigrants who came to England and settled happily, reminded audience members of the importance of continually retelling and rewriting the past. The Lesser Bohemians, McBride explained, achieves this through a narrative in which the characters “find ways in which they can live with their own vulnerability”and become at peace with their identities.
McBride described how, as a drama school graduate, she uses her knowledge of acting techniques to create true to life characters, a process that works in tandem with her stream of consciousness style. Commenting that she aims to “make language do what the actor’s body does”, McBride provided a fascinating insight into her method of presenting our complex, messy and fragmented interior worlds on the page.
This formal experimentation has often led to comparisons with modernist literary giants such as Joyce, most notably by Jacqueline Rose but also by audience members at the event. McBride’s response was intriguing as she problematized how critics have difficulty in finding ways to talk about her work without referencing Joyce, despite many differences between them. She expressed a profound desire for her writing to stand on its own, outside this critical culture of comparison and categorisation, prompting thought on the language used to discuss new and experimental writing.
McBride discussed further frustrations in the reception of her work, particularly the trouble she faced getting her first novel published, suggesting “that big commercial publishers still operate with a very limited sense of what is appropriate and saleable as ‘women’s fiction'”, to use Dr Kaye Mitchell’s words, Senior Lecturer in Contemporary Literature and Co-Director of the Centre for New Writing. The large turn out and warm reception of McBride at events, like Manchester Literature Festival, demonstrates that readers do not share this limited perspective, and are excited by innovative and experimental fiction.
As Mitchell notes: “McBride’s work is a vibrant example of the novel’s continuing capacity for reinvention and innovation” and thus it is of vital importance that the Centre for New Writing and Manchester Literature Festival continue to provide a space for readers to connect with and celebrate writers at the cutting edge of their trade. It is clear that McBride’s work reveals the importance of retelling and rewriting stories for both the characters in her novels and her enthralled readership.
The lessons learnt from Jailbreak
“You’re travelling 30 hours as far as you can from Manchester without spending any money? Are you crazy?”: My mum asked. Truth be told, at this point I was beginning to believe I was. My partner and I were sitting at Edinburgh airport with tickets to Palma de Mallorca, when a mere twelve hours ago we had been roaming disheartened through Manchester. We had been convinced we would not leave the UK, perhaps not even Manchester. And now we were in Scotland, about to go to Spain. The whole thing was surreal.
If I were to describe Jailbreak in one word it would be “rollercoaster”. Never in my life had I passed through all of life’s most extreme emotions in such a short space of time. There were moments of intense despair, discouragement, frustration, and anger when things did not turn out how you expected them to. However, there were also moments of explosive excitement, happiness, relief, and hopefulness. We had travelled through 3 countries in 30 hours. We had talked to hundreds of strangers, explaining our situation. We were dizzy from the fast pace of events. It almost felt impossible to keep up.
But you had to keep up. When you remembered that you were not simply doing this as an insane personal challenge, but as a challenge to fundraise, you pushed forward. And the more you pushed, the further you went, the more you strove to fundraise. Every time a stranger told you what you were doing was amazing and for a good cause, you felt a new wave of motivation to continue. Every time a stranger rejected you, sometimes even, “not buying it” (this actually did happen), you kept on, determined to prove them wrong. Fundraising is never easy, but when you witness first-hand the universal kindness of strangers you don’t mind putting yourself through it. What’s more, when it’s done with organisations such as RAG, it’s not only rewarding, but fun. The experience gained is invaluably unique.
When people asked why I had signed up for this I told them that if not now, when? When else would I have the chance to spontaneously travel whilst simultaneously fundraising for Francis House Children’s Hospice? I’ve never been one to use the expression ‘YOLO’, but in this case, it seemed to fit perfectly.
Becoming a vegan, part two: leading a more globally conscious diet
Cutting down on meat and dairy can really help the environment, but there are many obstacles that seem to face the new vegan.
A big issue surrounding the vegan diet is the level of nutrition obtained from food. However the key is to follow a balanced, healthy diet catered to your personal needs. Advice from a nutritionist is recommended for someone looking to drastically change his or her diet. Supplements, readily available on the high street and endorsed by doctors, are a popular option, for example. However, it’s not as hard as it may seem. Here are some essential tips for someone looking to cut down on their meat intake:
Get high levels of protein from soybeans, lentils and garbanzo beans. A surprise candidate for protein, containing around six times the amount of protein than brown rice, is oats. It’s not a shock then that porridge is the saving grace for a low-budget, protein-packed student diet. Spinach, cheaper and easier to keep when frozen, is rich in protein. Or if you miss the meat-sensation, try out tofu, which can be found cheaply in Chinatown, and seitan, often used in restaurants to add a sense of wholeness to a meal.
Get your iron from whole grains and legumes, not red meat. Enhance iron absorption with sources of vitamin C, like citrus fruits, strawberries, broccoli, peppers, cauliflower and leafy greens.
Opt for slow carbohydrates like sweet potato, barley and brown rice to avoid fluctuating sugar levels. And if you have the time, boil dried beans for a few hours, or leave overnight, for even better benefits than tinned beans.
The vegan diet is usually considered boring and inaccessible but being vegan doesn’t mean sacrifice or suffering, it could open your mind up to new ways of cooking. There are now plenty of great sources of recipes online. Baking without butter, eggs and milk has never been so exciting. Check out some household vegan names; Minimalist Baker and Vegan Richa for their ideas on how to impress even the Mary Berry traditionalists.
Leading a lifestyle of the 1% doesn’t have to isolate you nor carry with it a hefty price tag. Our very own Withington, south of Fallowfield, boasts an array of restaurants to suit all cravings. You can get a tasty curry from Sanskruti near Ladybarn Park, delicious tofu or even crispy ‘duck’ pancakes from Lotus, and Fuel offers the best fry-up for those lazy Sunday mornings. If you’re in town, a heart-warming meal out in the Northern Quarter is also affordable at Soup Kitchen, which offer lunches between £4 and £8.
An important concept to take on board is eat local and don’t waste. Carting over vegetables from South America, importing almonds from California and extracting quinoa from Bolivia also have their negative impacts on the environment. Britain has a lot of great produce too so eating our own seasonal vegetables, choosing local, organic farmers and buying British is very important.
What’s most shocking is that if waste were considered a country, it would be the third biggest emitter of greenhouse gases behind the US and China. So investing in a tub for leftovers, sharing your meals with flatmates or more simply cooking the right amount of food can help too.
We don’t all need to go on a meat and dairy detox, but why not get creative in the kitchen or try out some alternative food spots in Manchester? It’s never been so easy to make a difference.
Perfume: necessity or luxurious extravagance?
Marilyn Monroe, the beautiful bombshell and world-famous actress, knew how to work the press. She drove them wild with tantalising titbits that screamed every bit the sex-goddess reputation Monroe possessed. In a 1960 recording, only released in 2013, Monroe discussed the demands of the press: “You know, they ask me questions. Just an example: What do you wear to bed?” And she did not disappoint: “so I said ‘Chanel No. 5,’ because it’s the truth!”
Whilst Chanel’s brand manager probably wept for joy over the find of such a recording, it raises another question: just how necessary is the perfume in our make-up bags?
The recording of Monroe exudes her startled innocence. She saw no extravagance in her choice of nightwear; it was simply a statement of fact. Many women swear by their scent of choice, seen as just another element to their daily make-up routine. It is as much a staple as a slick of red lipstick.
In reality, however, it’s a relatively bizarre notion: you are tailoring your scent; sharing an artificial aroma; impressing upon people a fragrance shared by many others across the world. To think we personally spend hundreds of pounds on these elixir bottles of scented liquid seems mad, especially when propelled to buy these scents from their advertising campaigns. Do we really subconsciously believe we will embody Keira Knightley’s confidence whilst straddling a motorbike in a beige leather jumpsuit or Charlize Theron’s sexual allure whilst ripping off pearls, simply by sharing their perfume?
When also confronted with a limited student budget, our luxuries are the first to take the financially imposed hit. A Superdrug find replaced my Mac bronzer too soon into my first year at university and when purchasing mascara, the lowest price always prevails, despite my fear of my eyelashes falling out. My perfume also took the hit but rather than give it up completely, I only spritz on special occasions and hold out for the annual Christmas present for a new bottle of my favourite perfume.
From a young age we learn to love sensuous fragrances, playing through our mother’s perfume collections or buying our first body mist from Claire’s Accessories at the age of 12. The search for our favourite scent starts early. I for one follow not only in my mother’s footsteps but Monroe’s too, opting for the classic scent of Chanel No. 5.
Despite its age, the perfume remains loved 95 years after its first release. It is the epitome of a timeless classic, as is consistent with the entirety of Chanel’s work. Launched by Coco Chanel herself, the brand insists the scent remains extremely true to its original form from the 1920s. It is historical.
Whilst Chanel’s advertising campaigns may have us believe we share our scent with women of today, from Gisele to Nicole Kidman, we share our choice of perfume with hundreds of thousands of women over the last century, including the designer herself. The perfume may be a luxury, but one imbued with memories.
Designer Jean Paul Gautier once said “perfume is the most intense form of memory.” Whether referring to the lasting impression you leave when meeting someone new, or perhaps a memory of your mother’s perfume, maybe even the memories of women throughout history sharing the enjoyment of one scent, his point is that of a fragrance’s personal significance.
Whilst perfume may technically be unnecessary, it is a luxury we often struggle to sacrifice. Our chosen scent, selected over years of abusing testers in shopping centres and purchased by scraping funds together, is an extension of us. And besides, apparently it’s a solid way to make an impression. However, as Monroe teaches us, that may solely be dependent on how you wear it.
We should stop using the word “race”
When you first registered for the University of Manchester, you all gave some important information to the University, and your ethinic group. I realise that this seems normal for people from the UK.
Personally, this was a first. In France, where I am from, the state isn’t allowed to ask you this information, and surveys on it are forbidden. Thus, I didn’t even knew what to choose. As far as I know, I’m white but my father is from Morocco so if I let my beard grow a little, perhaps most people would differ in opinion on my ethnicity. More importantly, I don’t know because I don’t care. I opted for ‘white’ because I’m French and in Manchester I won’t tan that much. I know I’m not the only one bothered by this.
Even worse than asking for this information (which shouldn’t be relevant to the University, anyway) is the use of the word ‘race’. The idea of race, as we socially construct it, is not only about small differences but about superiority. The idea of a hierarchy is implicit in the word ‘race’. Moreover, it forces you to identify yourself with some kind of group. However, since this is a widely accepted term to use in the UK, it would be wrong to accuse someone of using the term ‘race’ as being a racist.
But you might ask the following question: if there are genetic differences between humans and these differences are structured geographically, why would talking about race be an issue for concern? There are differences among populations. For example, if you are northern European you are more likely to be lactose tolerant than someone from Polynesia.
We need to acknowledge these biological differences because otherwise we could expose ourselves to practical errors. For instance, some medicines are not recommended if you are from a certain region, because people indigenous to a region may typically not be adapted to certain drugs.
But then, why use the word ‘race’ when we have the words ‘population’ and ‘ethnicity’? It is a bit odd to keep this word. I’m not a strong advocate for political correctness, but the word ‘race’ is not about politics — it’s about a biologically-unfounded division of humanity. And this false division can spill over into questions of ethnicity. To put it one way, why does the university need to know my ethnicity and not about my lactose tolerance? This is a characteristic I inherited from my parents and that differentiates me from other people of different geography and genetics. If they need my race because they need to be able to identify me, then they could ask me about others things.
The problem is this: if we consider race to truly exist within humanity, we give support to racist behaviour. When we argue that there are differences among people, and that those differences are sufficient to create groups, some people (falsely) conclude that racial superiority exists. They do this by adding value to one of the differentiating factors of that group, and by making the confusion between ethnicity and race that I have previously mentioned. If we want to eradicate racism, we need to stop using the word ‘race’ first.
Sadly, the University of Manchester frequently uses the word ‘race’ in official documents, such as in its Equality and Diversity Policy, and on its website. Indeed, many institutions are still using it in the UK to some extent when the word ethnicity is instead required.
Now, I know it is not the goal of the University to divide us in any way — on the contrary, even. We all saw that new video that quotes the poem We Belong by David Gennard. The first lines are:
“I belong in a place where they are wise,
Where I matter, not because of who I am,
Here, where the educated learnt to rise.”
This is a good message. But if this message is truly the direction that the University associates itself with, why do they ask for my ethnicity upon registration?
If we let the word race abound, we let racism abound too. There is, of course, a difference between using the word ‘race’ and being racist. But if we stop using the word, we stop giving a justification to the actions of racists. We can differentiate people genetically and acknowledge that certain characteristics are more present in one population than in another one. But ask any biologist, this is due to natural selection and its creation of populations that suit their environments well. Those differences are not enough to use the word race when talking about humans. And none of these differences imply superiority — they are just present because your ancestors needed them.
Many wars have been waged and genocides committed because of this idea of race. Erasing this word whilst acknowledging our genetic differences and natural abilities is a good idea. But if we understand the term as a social construction, then we can see that this is not an attempt to censor, as there is nothing to censor in the first place.
Black Mirror Series Three
The long-anticipated third series of Black Mirror was released on Netflix in October 2016, and reactions have been as divided as expected.
One of the main criticisms that Black Mirror has faced since its release in 2011 is that it can, at times, come across as a heavy-handed attempt to warn against technological advancements, social media and the true evil that lies within human beings. Perhaps I’m simply far too cynical of the show, but I feel that this criticism is more than fair. Brooker is always keen to emphasise that the show’s intention is not to simply finger-wag at technology, and yet this is exactly how the new series feels as a whole. The show speaks for itself, no matter how much the production and publicity team try to convince us that we’re watching and understanding it wrong. The main problem with the show is that it is so incredibly obvious in its message. Black Mirror is a little bit like Orwell’s 1984 — poignant and impressive when you first read it aged 16 — but much less insightful as time goes on.
Black Mirror at its best is interesting, subversive television which makes worthwhile viewing even for its harshest critics. Black Mirror at its worst is cringe-inducing, with poor dialogue and a complete lack of faith in humanity and technology — an attitude that is never going to endear itself to the younger audience. For me, the pilot episode of series three, ‘Nosedive’, was the worst possible way to introduce a new series. The problem with parodying social media, Instagram, and the narcissism and falseness involved in all of these is that they already parody themselves in the real world. Any semi-intelligent person can look at the Instagram of someone whose life appears to be perfect and know that it isn’t real life. Nobody really, truly bases their entire self-worth off these apps, because in general humans are self-aware enough to know that yes, social media is a huge part of day-to-day life, but no— it is not the be all and end all. It is this sort of attitude that makes Black Mirror appear clumsy and unrealistic. The ideas and critiques feel dated at times, and at other times remind me of the sort of warning videos that I was shown in school about protecting myself online. “Cover your laptop camera!”, “don’t cyber-bully people!”. We’ve all heard it all before.
Another problem with the latest Black Mirror series is that it is also blazingly clear how much money Netflix has pumped into the show. This has had a detrimental effect on the quality of writing and given the show a false, all-American glaze. The exact glaze that it intends to critique, some may interpret this as further adding to the authenticity of the dream-like dystopia projected, but in my opinion it is overbearing. As observed by a friend of mine, Black Mirror was at its best when it was a distinctly British show. Now it comes across as far too glossed, too Hollywood, and it has (for the most part) lost the ability to connect with the viewer through the premise that the same terrible situation or event or misunderstanding could happen to them. Netflix may as well make some spinoffs of The Truman Show while they’re at it.
This being said, there were some excellent moments in Black Mirror. If you can forgive the clumsiness of drone bees, (did anybody hear, the bees are going extinct? Well, now you know!) refugees made to appear un-human and a desire to eradicate undesirable genetics then the series does have its moments of greatness. ‘Playtest’, episode 2, is genuinely quite terrifying. The genuine humanity in episodes 3 and 4— ‘Shut Up and Dance’ and ‘San Junipero’ respectively— certainly had the desired emotional impact that other episodes failed to induce. Yet these episodes were still somewhat predictable, and all too easily forgotten.
Black Mirror has had its day, and I think that with each series the heavy-handed predictability of each episode has only increased further. Black Mirror was once a sickeningly honest glance to the future, to the moral deterioration of society that could one day become a reality, but it is now a parody of itself that is going nowhere fast. Somewhere deep down, I was hoping for Black Mirror to be as striking, emotive and original as it once was, yet I am not surprised that the third series did not fulfil these hopes.
Overall rating for the series: 2.5/5
Netball’s unbeaten Wednesday
A textbook BUCS Wednesday for UMWNC saw an incredible six wins from six, with five teams progressing to the next round of their respective cups and all the squads being collectively awarded the ‘Club of the Week’ accolade by the AU for the second week running.
After a couple of league losses this season, the fourth team began their cup campaign in some style against Liverpool John Moores 3s. A flying start saw the girls in purple surge into an early 8-2 lead and their performance only continued to improve as the match went on. Despite playing away from home, Manchester were the better team throughout, thanks to the accuracy of their shooters and good fluidity through the centre court. This — combined with excellent play from the defensive unit — put their opposition under huge pressure, creating multiple interceptions and turnovers. The final score ended 39-22 in Manchester’s favour and a special mention goes to players of the match, Kate Lynch and Ella Marshall.
Taking on Huddersfield 2s, the sixth team, yet to lose a match this season, also began strongly. A competitive match, Manchester had to play their best to ensure victory and they did exactly this, with the defence working well to force errors in the circle and on their opposition’s centre pass. In the second half Huddersfield began to tire and Manchester capitalised on their superior fitness levels to earn a 34-22 victory. Fay Hully was awarded player of the match for her superb shooting.
Also unbeaten in their three games so far, the fifth team took on Bradford 2s at the Armitage Centre, subsequently stamping their authority on the Northern Conference Plate competition. It was a result that was never in doubt; an excellent start only helping to secure an inevitable victory. Manchester’s strong defence conceded only ten goals and player of the match, Anna Staton, played well at both C and WA, effectively controlling the movement of the ball through court. All three of the team’s shooters helped score a huge eighty-six goals, contributing to an incredible score-line which earnt them the ‘team of the week’ accolade from club captain, Alice Brown.
The third team made a long journey to Sunderland worthwhile, securing a 45-30 cup win against the latter’s first team. It was a similar story to many of the other teams’ victories this week and a match in which all the regular training and early morning fitness sessions seemed to pay off. As the game wore on, Sunderland’s fitness levels dropped dramatically and their play became scrappy allowing Manchester to increase their lead, thanks in part to the copious amount of interceptions and tips from player of the match, Kate Fifield.
After a loss away from home last week, it was a return to the Armitage for Manchester’s first team, who took on newly promoted Worcester in the Premier North League. Not knowing what to expect from their opponents, the girls in purple made a steady start to head into the break up by six goals. They continued to extend their lead throughout the rest of the first half but a sloppy third quarter saw Worcester reduce the deficit back to twelve with fifteen minutes remaining. Although victory was almost guaranteed, Manchester saved their best quarter until last with the defensive duo of captain, Claudia Payne and player of the match, Honor de Winton, creating plenty of turnovers which the centre court and attacking players converted. It was a solid team performance, with all nine players in the squad taking to court to record a 61-39 victory.
Last, but by no means least, the pressure was on for the second team to complete an unbeaten netball Wednesday. Travelling to Bangor to take on their first team, it was once again a case of a dominant defensive performance from Manchester. Despite struggling to maintain momentum for the duration of the match, Megan Woodworth made a real impact in the centre of the court and player of the match, Jojo Madden, combined well with the shooters to create an impressive lead, which Bangor never threatened. A 57-37 cup victory rounded off an incredibly successful day and one which the club will be hoping to emulate many more times this season!
Live: HONNE
26th October at Gorilla
7/10
For those of you who aren’t fluent in Japanese, HONNE means a person’s ‘true sound’ in terms of their deepest desire. What better name for a band with a niche in definite baby-making music?
The London-based duo have just finished their US shows and popped back to the UK for a few gigs before the final stretch of their tour in Asia. Fans who have seen HONNE before will be amazed by how far they have come. From small gigs in obscure venues to sell-out shows in staple cities, with full lighting, sets and band, the pair have definitely found their place on the stage.
James and Andy have come a long way since their first stellar EPs which came out back in 2014, and unsurprisingly some of these tracks made their way onto their debut album, released last July. They have found a way to mix soul and electro with some punchy guitar riffs to introduce classical love ballads into the 21st century.
Of all the gigs in their UK tour, Manchester was definitely the one to go to: the crowd knew every word, and you could tell the band were touched as they humbly stated how so far Manchester was ‘the best gig on the tour’. A serenade-style start to ‘The Night’, which was then quickly brought to life with bass, was certainly a highlight of the show but the quality of the riff in the closing number of ‘All in Value’ was up there too.
Older tracks off earlier EPs such as ‘Top To Toe’ and ‘Loves The Jobs You Hate’ were played to an audience who couldn’t get enough of HONNE, and their music which warms the soul.
However, there is no doubt that ‘Woman’, released for International Women’s Day 2016, was the track of the night. The audience were encouraged to put arms around each other as the stage cleared, leaving just the duo in a clean and touching tribute to women everywhere.
Not only was their performance enchanting but it was taken further by their angelically-voiced female backing-singer, Naomi, who took over parts in ‘Someone That Loves You’ and ‘No Place Like Home’. It’s hard to watch a HONNE performance and not fall in love. This winter, they’ll be the cosy gloves to your frozen fingers and there’s no denying that, whatever the weather, HONNE will definitely keep you ‘Warm On A Cold Night’.
Review: Doctor Strange
A classic American superhero film produced by Marvel Studios, Doctor Strange can be enjoyed by an audience of all ages. Starring Benedict Cumberbatch as fictional superhero Doctor Stephen Vincent Strange, the film really does offer something for everyone.
The fourteenth film of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Marvel-obsessives will find themselves frothing at the mouth. But the great thing about Doctor Strange is that the audience can watch it is a stand-alone film and still understand the plot in all its complexity.
Doctor Strange is an arrogant neurosurgeon who loses the use of his hands in a car accident. After weeks of unsuccessful self-experimentation on his hands, Strange hears about a man named Jonathan Pangborn: a paraplegic who was able to walk again, mysteriously defying the laws of modern science. Intrigued by his remarkable story, Strange meets Pangborn (Benjamin Bratt) who directs him to a secret compound in Kathmandu, Nepal known as Kamar-Taj. Sceptically, Strange travels to Kamar-Taj and meets a sorcerer, “the Ancient One” (Tilda Swinton), who teaches mystic arts and confirms she had taught Pangborn. Desperate to heal his hands, Strange begs to be taught by the sorcerer. Reluctantly, the Ancient One agrees and so Strange’s mystical arts tutelage begins.
At the heart of the film is a concept known as the Astra Plane. Popularised by neo-Rosicrucianism and Theosophy during the late 19th and early 20th century, the Astra Plane is an intermediate plane of existence between earth and heaven. In Doctor Strange, the Astra Plane specifically refers to the realm of minds, which individuals can access by projecting their minds onto this realm. Moreover, the film seeks to destabilise Cartesian subjectivity.
“I think therefore I am” are the famous words of 17th-century French philosopher René Descartes, alluding to the idea the mind and the body are separate. The film, however, suggests that the body and the mind are intrinsically linked. The film also makes constant reference to a “multiverse”, questioning the notion of a singular universe but instead suggesting infinite possible universes exist.
The most powerful scene in the film is the scene in which the Ancient One is dying. As she is dying, the Ancient One’s Astral projection (basically her “spirit”) floats off to talk to Strange, also in Astral form. With time seemingly frozen, the two characters look out over the skyline of New York. In contrast to the fast-paced, heart-racing and action-packed scenes that dominate the bulk of the film, this scene is somewhat more sombre. Strange is keen to help the Ancient One survive but the Ancient One is resistant. Instead, she turns to Strange and says (to paraphrase) “death is what gives life meaning… knowing your days are number”.
The main villain in the film is Kaecilius (Mads Mikkelsen) is obsessed with the idea of immortality, describing time as prison within which we are all trapped. But the film reminds us that life is precious and it is this fragility that makes special moments all the more special. Although this message may be slightly cheesy, it’s a nice thought.
Critics have pointed out that Doctor Strange has the classics flaws of an MCU film. The story is generic. The villain is arguably underutilised. There is also a love story between Strange and former-lover now co-worker at the Hospital Christine Palmer (Rachel McAdams) which isn’t fully developed. But Doctor Strange’s cinematography is excellent, especially during the final scenes shot in Hong Kong which successfully encapsulate the vibrancy, dynamism and ambience of the city. Benedict Cumberbatch’s performance is as slick and flawless as you would expect. Overall, Doctor Strange is great MCU production starring a great cast with a heart-racing plot, cloaked in some interesting philosophical themes.
Review: The Walking Dead SE07E1
Quite simply, this is by far the most shocking hour of television I have ever watched.
The much anticipated season premiere was filled with twists and turns from start to finish, not allowing you to even draw breath before the next game changing moment had taken place. From the outset we knew this was going to be an episode intended to tug on the heartstrings. The tense ending to Season 6 had already set this up where one member of the group was brutally murdered by the newest antagonist Negan (portrayed exquisitely by The Good Wife alum Jeffrey Dean Morgan), along with his companion Lucille, the barbed-wire bat. The question on everyone’s mind though, who?
This question is comprehensively answered half way through the episode as Abraham savagely gets beaten to a pulp in what has to be one of the most brutal death scenes known to TV. No harrowing music, no slow motion montage, just the sound of brains on bat accompanied by uncontrollable crying. It was at this point I thought to myself, have they gone to far? Then after what happened next I knew they had. In what was another shocking twist in the story, Negan picked a shock second victim, the beloved Glenn. Seeing the character that we’ve come to know and love be diminished to a literal and clearly visible pile of mush on the floor was where this has surpassed the category of drama or suspense, perhaps being closer to becoming unnecessary psychological torture for the audience.
Whilst The Walking Dead has always been proud of pushing the boundaries of violence on TV, something I appreciate adds to their unique aesthetic, this was a completely different level. It was simply distressing for the viewer, but both in a positive and negative way. In terms of storytelling it was shrewd, you were always gripped and sutured into the narrative, never given a minutes rest and your attention was held to the end. However, this made it seem like the constant barrage of deplorable acts was merely there to keep the viewer present and spark controversy by leaving the audience with their jaws on the floor. It left Rick and the group of survivors so completely devoid of hope that you almost don’t want to tune in next week as you sense more of the same barbaric torture.
Nevertheless, despite some of these more controversial events from the season premiere there’s still hope that next week brings some much needed order and structure to the chaotic proceedings. So, yes, I will continue to watch and love the show, even if the thought of Glenn’s stammering caved-in face keeps me up at night.
3/5
Review: What We Do in the Shadows
Directors Taiki Waititi and Flight of the Conchords alum Jemaine Clement continue to rejuvenate the New Zealand film scene with this comedy-horror collaboration that tells the tale of four vampires living in a shared house in Wellington, New Zealand as they prepare for the annual “Unholy Masquerade”.
The genius of this mockumentary is how the absurdity and complete illogicality of the situation is still so relatable to most people. Living in a shared house where not everyone gets along is something most people will have encountered at some stage of their lives. It just so happens that these housemates are up to 8,000 years old and consume human flesh.
The three vampires Viago, Deacon and Vladislav (real life friends Waititi, Jonathan Brugh and Clement) have tremendous chemistry together as their distinct personalities bounce off and compliment each other very well. The fourth, Petyr (Ben Fransham) a Count Orlok lookalike who is the eldest and creepiest of the house, adds a wildcard element of unexpectedness to the story that produces some of the most laugh out loud moments of the film. A cameo from Rhys Darby as the leader of a gang of rival werewolves (“not swearwolves”) only enhances the film. It leads to some of the most hilarious improvised back-and-forths that I have seen from a modern comedy in a while, even adding a layer of nostalgia for Conchords fans longing for that reunion. The film also manages to live up to the horror element of this genre mix, something that is often forgotten. This is probably most vivid when the vampires feast upon the innocent folk of Wellington’s mundane nightlife scene, the detail in which it is shown both comedic and gruesome with burst arteries galore.
What really impresses with this film is Waititi and Clement’s blending of British and American humour in what can best be described as The Office meets The Munsters. The dry whit of all characters (human or otherwise) is highly reminiscent of the Merchant-Gervais rapport and even the subtlest layer of satire has the potential to leave you gasping for air. The Americanised over the top physical humour is also effective and taken to the upmost extreme, with housemates literally flying across the room at one another over who will wash the dishes, or a fleshed out bat fight across Wellington between the vampires.
The only real criticism of this film is that it may have worked better as a 30-minute sitcom pilot. This is purely from a selfish standpoint though — I was craving more and felt like there was so much more they could have told. It is testament to the power of Waititi and Clement’s storytelling that I could’ve happily binge-watched 100 episodes of these delightfully dark and diverse creatures.
Overall, “Shadows” still has more than enough compelling content to keep any comedy fan laughing for the majority of the 85-minute run time and can certainly cement itself as a cult favourite for years to come, if not a standout comedy.
5/5
Black Mirror S3E04 — San Junipero: Review
The latest season of Black Mirror, Charlie Brooker’s satirical sci-fi anthology series, boasts a diverse range of brand new and, at times, unexpected concepts; all equally terrifying in their alarmingly plausible examination of our collective technological fixation.
San Junipero, the season’s fourth episode, is no exception to this, as where the other episodes tend to present a moral ‘take home’ message, often sending viewers into a state of cynical unrest, this episode instead opts to focus on raising what are perhaps more ambitious questions than any previous episode.
The thematic existentialism, beautiful visual style and grandiose ideas of this particular instalment felt particularly interesting to discuss, especially as it marks a step away from the usual grim satire which laces Brooker’s writing. I advise against reading any further if you want to avoid plot spoilers.
We first meet our protagonists in the throes of the relentless party atmosphere of the titular ‘San Junipero’ in 1987, immediately recognisable from the expert 1980s costume and set design which colours the vibrant and atmospheric backdrop of the episode.
The story centres around an unexpected connection between the shy and sexually inexperienced Yorkie, and seasoned San Junipero ‘tourist’ Kelly, and the nature of their initial meeting, the town itself, as well as their respective backstories.
Much like the characters themselves, we are kept in the dark for much of the episode as to the existence of San Junipero and the presence of its inhabitants. It quickly becomes apparent that Yorkie (Mackenzie Davis) and Kelly (Gugu Mbatha-Raw) only visit San Junipero on a weekly basis as part of an augmented reality scenario they have signed up for in their real lives. The majority of the episode is left vague in terms of how this augmented reality fits into the overall narrative and why it exists, with Brooker’s writing intelligently hinting at different possibilities and allowing viewers to speculate throughout the course of the episode. It is only later that we discover San Junipero is in fact an artificially-created reality in which those seeking nostalgia or respite are allowed to be mentally transported to for a limited amount of time each week.
With this premise, the audience is never quite sure of the characters’ intentions or why they find themselves in San Junipero, with Brooker building towards conclusions in an unpredictable, yet calculated way.
The subtle 80s synth score aids the strange and beguiling atmosphere of the location wonderfully, which combined with the soft pastel colour palette only adds to the magnetic, dream-like allure of this alternate reality as a place of reminiscence and escapism for those whose current situation leaves a lot to be desired.
Brooker also pointed out the significance of the same-sex couple featuring in a 1980s setting, which of course wouldn’t have been deemed as acceptable as in the present day, which enhances the idealistic feel of Yorkie and Kelly’s alternate life even further.
The unprecedented popularity of San Junipero with fans of the show is hugely interesting, with some viewers even suggesting the possibility of a standalone series stemming from this new universe, pointing out the multitude of doorways and curiosities within the fabric of the episode.
On a surface level, this episode offers a seemingly more positive outlook than is typically expected from Black Mirror, yet upon looking beneath its exterior, it is clear to see that Brooker and episode director Owen Harris have created something truly multi-faceted, offering two richly developed characters, each with their own personal tragedies, and questioning the glossy ideal of eternal life.
In true Black Mirror fashion, however, the potential cracks and disadvantages to this technology are never too far away. Is immortality really such an ideal? Does the beauty of life live in its ephemeral nature?
This, of course, is for each individual to decide, and perhaps the biggest success of what is one of the most inventive episodes of the show to date.
Top 5: Film Podcasts and Shows
As busy students, tuning into live radio can sometimes be problematic with all the ‘hard studying’ we do. Yet, whether it is in the morning whilst eating your Weetabix, or in the evening winding down after a busy day, these film podcasts are the perfect antidote to boredom and stress. From the likes of Mark Kermode to Kirsty Young, the array of vernacular articulation on offer is too splendid to bypass. Listen, enjoy, and remember: Hello to Jason Isaacs.
5.
The HOME Film Podcast:
With HOME’s senior visiting curator, Andy Willis and their Artistic Director, Jason Wood, each month the two deliver an in-depth look into the calendar of films ahead in the coming month. What makes this podcast a necessity is the shows academic edge. Both presenters constantly show an encyclopedic knowledge of film and a deep understanding of the preferences of HOME’s audience. Whether it is a feature debut, an auteurs latest release, or a piece of film from world cinema, their picks are always reflective of a constant change in the cinematic landscape. With honesty and sound filmic articulation, the podcast is short, sweet, and looks confidently ahead to arthouses must see films.
4.
Sight and Sound’s The Mixing Room: Conversations about Cinema:
As well as being a magazine, the nation’s best film magazine also verbalises itself in podcast form. Similar in academic style to the formerly mentioned HOME Podcast, Sight and Sound’s The Mixing Room is a round-table discussion between the S&S film critics, who explore new films and trends in the industry. Like the magazine itself, what is produced by the discussions is thoughtful and at the pinnacle of film analysis and discussion.
3.
Desert Island Discs:
Although not specifically a film podcast, the BBC’s Desert Island Discs comes in on this list. If you are like myself and can only spare a few hours a week to listen to shows, then the shorter podcast version is for you. With previous guests such as Tom Hanks, Mark Rylance, Steve McQueen, and Dustin Hoffman, the show makes guests discuss eight songs which they would take to a hypothetical desert island. Varying from on the bone intimate discussions on the person’s life, or recalling their childhood, Kirsty Young constantly pushes the envelope of what it is to be a radio presenter. Regardless of prestige, the show is authentic in its discussion of life, stardom, and the artist in society.
2:
The Next Picture Show:
Drawing away from the shores of the UK, one finds the American The Next Picture Show to be well worth your time. As a biweekly discussion from the former editorial team of The Dissolve, they inspect how classical films have influenced and shaped modern releases. Scheduled into an hourly discussion on one classic text to a follow up show in a compare and contrast episode, the selection of films is impeccable. With previously discussed films like The Neon Demon and Suspiria, L.A Confidential and The Nice Guys, and also Barton Fink and Hail, Caesar! one simply cannot criticise their spectacular selections.
1.
Kermode and Mayo’ Film Review:
The daddy, the godfather — the pièce de résistance as some would call it — Kermode and Mayo’s 5 Live show, aka Wittertainment, simply cannot be beaten. Aside from its detailed reviews, the cultist aurora that orientates the show places it in a league of its own. With its own Wikipedia in Witterpedia and even its own app, iWittr, there is something magical about the show’s appeal. With extra discussions bookended in the podcast, Mark Kermode and Simon Mayo ramblings on music, film, and life itself are a welcomed sound on long commutes or during essay writing season. How do you listen to the show? You just listen to it.
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