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Month: October 2019

The Caribbean Quarter: Sunshine Food in the Rainy City

Written by dominicfung on . Posted in Food & Drink.

Feel like getting a taste of the Caribbean without the £300 flight price tag? Look no further than Church Street in the Northern Quarter with not one, but two different spots to do the belly-filling with homemade sunshine food.

Jerk Shack NQ

With the slogan “From my Nana to the Northern Quarter”, Jerk Shack NQ is the first place that pops to mind at the mention of some proper Caribbean food. You’ll find their little space in the middle of the street along with the likes of McCall’s Organics and Northern Soul Grilled Cheese. Their iconic corrugated metal front, spray painted in bright red, yellow and green is a welcoming sight to see for any hungry traveller.

Their open-plan layout perfectly accompanies the home-orientated food style by giving you a super relaxed dining experience. The food is as fresh as it gets, all being cooked daily with the bubbling and enamel dinner plates giving you the perfect family feasting backdrop.

Ideal for the students, there are various deals including my personal favourite, the Chicken Split (pictured). £5 for a generous helping of shredded jerk chicken slathered over a dumpling (crossed between a baguette and a steamed bun) with gravy and slaw is something I just can’t bring myself to say no to!

Feel free to add on whatever else you’re craving too, whether that be some fried chicken, plantains or sweet potato fritters – Jerk Shack have you covered. As if all this wasn’t enough, there’s always a daily special on request so you’ll never get bored even after your 30th visit. In a rush and want some of this goodness to go? No problem, everything is available to takeaway too so head down over ASAP.

Eat and Sweet

In a more unassuming corner, the more observant will find the lesser-known Eat and Sweet just opposite Jerk Shack, under a tattoo parlour. Home to perhaps some of the best jerk chicken around, Eat and Sweet will sort you out from their own counter filled with drool-inducing chicken and patties.

Photo: Dominic Fung.

Having more of a resemblance to a takeaway, Eat and Sweet have only three seats and a bar to eat at which is more down-scaled than Jerk Shack. However, don’t let their plain appearance deceive you, as for what they lack in seating capacity they make up for in authentic food!

Getting the classic jerk chicken, rice and slaw combination, I never cease to be impressed by how easily the tender chicken slips off the bone. All the easier for me to toss it down my own gullet! The entire ensemble gets drizzled in a homemade brown gravy which is created with the remaining jerk sauce from the chicken along with some other secret ingredients. Whatever those ingredients may be, you’re left with a wonderfully salty and spicy experience with every bite as satisfying as the last.

Offering other traditional options like fried chicken, curried mutton and salt-fish, this might just be your next favourite lunch destination. Plus if you don’t feel like trekking to the Northern Quarter yourself, all this can be sent right to your door by Deliveroo.

Photo: Dominic Fung.

DeJa Review: 90s Disney

Written by williamjohnston on . Posted in Film.

When I visited Disneyland Paris for my yearly lads holiday, I was hit by the iconic legacy that it will always hold. I would go as far as to say that some of the greatest and most creative minds have passed through Disney, creating some of the most powerful and heartwarming films ever made. But Disney has more recently discovered a new hobby – one that is much more lucrative. Starting with Alice in Wonderland, followed by other high earners like the Jungle Book and Beauty and the Beast, Disney is now firmly established their quest to make live action remakes and I’m not sure how I feel about it.

I am going to believe them when they say that these remakes are simply a supplement to their upcoming plans for original content. For now, though, rather than complain about their money making tactics and lack of creativity in these remakes, we can just be hopeful, and trust that one day they will bring us something close to the magic of the 90s Disney renaissance.

It was in this era that Disney had a revamp of writers and decided to bring a bit of Broadway to the company. They used the classic formulas — such as the famous “I want” songs in the first 20 minutes of each film — to create childhood classics with strong stories and morals.

Here are my top 5 films from Disney’s golden-era:

  • Pocahontas: The empowering story of a native American woman who protects her land from English intruders. Okay, so the film probably couldn’t be made now as it ignores colonialism and its brutal reprecussions. It does, however, have a strong female character, remarkable and nostalgic wilderness animation, and some great music.
  • The Lion King: A classic. From the comedy duo of Timon and Pumba and the fierceness of Scar, to the gracious protagonist Simba, every character in this film has been carefully crafted.
  • Hercules: We follow the legendary Hercules on a journey of self discovery about his past. The beautiful song “Go the Distance” sets the whole film on course and the unique voice of Susan Egon is what makes the song “I Won’t Say I’m in Love”. Danny DeVito, playing a short, bald character (method acting in real life, Danny?) also adds a liveliness.
  • Beauty and the Beast: The remake will never come close to the glory of the original. The animation is gorgeous in this film, encapsulating the life of the village and the darkness of the castle. “Tale as Old as Time”, sung by Angela Lansbury, is stunning, and Belle in that yellow dress – honey, you have found your colour.
  • Mulan: A film following a Chinese girl as she illegally pretends to be a man to fight a war. It has cross-dressing, so that already makes it a brilliant film like Mrs Doubtfire (but with just a bit more war). Catchy songs and a lovely encapsulation of the culture. Also is Li Shang the first bisexual Disney character?! Represent!
Photo: David Prasad

Spooky songs to keep you haunted this Halloween

Written by Tara Bharadia on . Posted in Music.

There are plenty of classic and modern songs for this spooky season, but here is our list of the top tunes you can put on your playlist now and listen to all year long!

Dracula’s Wedding – Outkast (featuring Kelis)
Even the monsters under our bed get scared sometimes – they’re mostly human too guys! This electro-funk tune will resonate with all you vampires out there as the head honcho, Dracula, battles with his fear of love. After setting up her milkshake company, Kelis graces us with her smooth voice and has clearly done her homework when it comes to vampires, mentioning “silver bullets”, “stakes” and “van Helsing”. Andre 3000’s rap is littered with references to the blood-suckers but the track is also its own stand-alone banger with deep synth, punchy bass and timeless lyrics.

Somebody’s Watching Me – Rockwell
Despite being released in January, this creepy tune has become synonymous with Halloween. This song is written and recorded by son of Motown Records founder, Kennedy William Gordy aka Rockwell. The most surprising part of this track is that Michael and Jermaine Jackson are uncredited for their backing vocals (although instantly recognisable), due to being childhood friends of the musician. The song is the perfect mix of paranoid beats with a chilling overtone, while still being a funky bop. And while this one-hit wonder should have been able to deliver us more, we are sure the royalties earned during the month of October are enough for him.

Witchy Woman – Eagles
‘Hotel California’ wasn’t the only Halloween worthy song released by this famous LA band. This is the classic rock track had all the women in Don Henley’s life wondering and hoping that this song was written about them. It is believed now that the inspiration for this track is an amalgamation of women from go-go bars and Zelda Fitzgerald. With references to classic depictions of witches, as well as modern mentions of the occult and use of hallucinogens, this song covers all bases of everything ‘witchy’. Despite only just making it into the top 10 in the US, give this eerie and powerful tune a listen and we promise that you’ll be acing it on the air guitar in no time.

Sympathy for the Devil – The Rolling Stones
Although this song is written from the point of view of the Devil, this is probably one of the ‘easy listening’ tracks on this list. The light, samba, rock beats and numerous mentions of Lucifer and his tricky nature mean there is a lot to unpack with these lyrics. The way this song earns it’s creepiness is that Jagger stated “something very funny happens when we start that number” and the band took a 5 year break from live performances of this track when it was misreported that someone died during it, at one of their concerts. Despite the rumours, the composition of this gentle groove made it a perfect album opener, and it continues to be a stand-out record for the group.

Howlin’ for You – The Black Keys
Ever been in a funk because you’re pining over someone but feel like you keep messing up your chances? Well the Black Keys have got ya, with this bluesy, rock tune. With an instantly classic guitar riff, catchy beat and raspy vocals, this record is bass heavy and one of the bands stand-out tracks. So the next time you’re up late at night, waiting for that special someone to text you back – this track is great company, its totally gets you, doesn’t think you’re crazy for refreshing your messages every two minutes and understands when you feel like howling at the moon.

I Put a Spell On You – Screamin’ Jay Hawkins
There are very few artists who dedicate themselves purely to the genre of shock-rock, but with a nickname of Screamin’ and an penchant for releasing music in autumn – Jay Hawkins really paved the way for acts like Kiss and Alice Cooper. This tune is recognised by adults and children alike (even if it is the stellar Bette Midler version at first). What is so beautiful about this track is that it was originally meant to be a romantic blues song, but after he got drunk before recording, he ended up making this ‘weird version’ and didn’t even remember recording it!

She Wolf – Shakira
Disco? Check. Bass? Check. Eerie lyrics? Check. The ‘Hips Don’t Lie’ queen has had many hits, but ‘She Wolf’ is the perfect modern Halloween tune. Not only is there a complementary track in Spanish (‘Loba’), but the track had an amazing reception and reached many charts at number one. The tune is perfect for spooky season with its janky off-beat melody, but the origin story is just as spine-tingling. Shakira reported that she had a weird feeling all day, then got an image of a She-Wolf in her head and wrote the lyrics to the song in just 10 minutes – before she knew it she was ‘howling and panting’.

Have a happy Halloween!

Don Quichotte: Renewing old stories

Written by Shaheena on . Posted in Books.

Retelling stories can be a powerful art, made clear in Salman Rushdie’s recently released Don Quichotte.

Bringing renowned stories into a more contemporary context celebrates the interconnectedness of cultures. It also helps to directly broaden perspectives and stories to our contemporary setting(s).

Another book that does this is Kamila Shamsie’s Home Fire. Those having experienced existence on peripheries within society may have the best lens with which to do this. It is down to an acute awareness and sensitivity to experiences possible in the world today that these writers produce such contemplative stories.

Reflecting on old stories, like Rushdie does in Don Quichotte, makes apparent how celebrated Cervante’s Don Quixote remains in popular culture. Don Quixote has been the subject of narrative retelling, musical performances as well as movie adaptations.

Rushdie’s protagonist likens Cervantes’ in experiencing delusions and aggrandising oneself due to fantasies founded through modes of culture. Where Quixote has read one too many books, Quichotte is absorbed in a world of reality television; he also knows his films, soaps and late night television probably better than the back of his hand.

Capturing the zeitgeist of our contemporary era is a quest completed well in Rushdie’s novel. Sam Duchamp is the narrative persona for Quichotte’s tale. He is primarily a ‘mediocre writer of spy thrillers’, in a world where spy thrillers are less enthralling compared to accurately detailing the world at large.

The time period is characterised as ‘the Age of Anything-Can-Happen’. Rushdie is a master of hyphenised wording, characterising our contemporary era in a very poignant way.

The book approaches potentialities in world politics, domestic politics and technology with scepticism or hope, just to be surprised by the outcomes. Rushdie manages to situate the reader in a world where desensitisation to surprising outcomes is simply a textural quality of where we are. The world today is composed of events that we may not be able to envision before the fact – hence an ‘Age of Anything-Can-Happen’.

Quichotte himself travels across the US, an appropriate location due to the vastness of the geographical landscape on which to travel. It is also relevant in understanding  a constantly changing globalised world in which the US is a central player.

Characters use car, plane and foot to traverse this landscape: Quichotte’s car is a more practical and contemporary way to capture Quixote’s attachment to Rocinante. There are ridiculous situations Quichotte manages to work himself into in Duchamp’s America, a journey which proves hilarious as well as poignant and creative.

Without giving much away, Rushdie manages to translocate Don Quixote temporally and geographically, using Cervantes’ methods of storytelling, which were wildly innovative for its day. He manages to do this with a sensitivity and awareness that gives us a humorous, enriching and surprisingly relatable mirror, through which we can view our thoughts on the world today.

Salman Rushdie’s Don Quichotte was released 29th August 2019, and is available to buy online or in store.

Photo: Laura McLaughlin

Single Preview: TMI by Zkeletonz

Written by Tobias Soar on . Posted in Music.

Scary politicians, an overwhelming amount of information, and impending doom are all causes of our daily anxieties. Who’s to say we can’t meet the apocalypse without falling in love and having a dance? This is where the rising post-pop trio, Zkeletonz, come in with their new single TMI.

The three-man-band has steadily been making soundwaves in the past year; this summer they had a three-night residency at the Edinburgh Fringe for their ‘Apocalypse How?’ show, they’re supported by BBC Introducing, they’ve played Coventry’s Godiva Festival, and they show no signs of slowing down.

Gav, Ed, and Will describe their sound as “post-pop”, blending influences from Charli XCX, to Danny Brown, and even Daft Punk. It’s synth-filled dance-inducing goodness that never fails to make me smile.

Their latest single, TMI, might just be their best yet. Lyrically, Gav tells the story of a conversation with a girl in which he tells her he wants to escape our crazy reality to a neon post-pop dreamscape. “The papers say there’s no government anyway. TMI, let’s take a ride,” rings the incredibly catchy chorus. 

Sonically, a lush drum beat by Ed and an extremely catchy guitar riff by Will loop over and over, combining with sweeps into the chorus, creating a feeling of forward motion that doesn’t slow down. All this, by the way, is all Zkeletonz — every step of the way, from inception to production, the boys are in charge.

What really caught my attention about TMI, however, is the omission of a bridge. The song goes: verse, chorus, verse, chorus, and an outro which would easily fit into a Chromeo song. Forgoing the traditional three-minutes and twenty-second song length is a movement started by SoundCloud rappers and has taken the music scene by storm — this formula got Old Town Road to #1 across the globe, after all. In short, it ‘hacks’ your brain, making the song stick in your head and causing you to hit that repeat button over, and over, and over again, as you chase that feeling of closure.

I can’t get enough of the track, and you can be damn sure that I’ll dance through the end of the world as it plays in my headphones.

TMI will release on 31 October and is available to pre-save now. Zkeletonz will be playing a gig in London on 7 December, tickets are available on their website.

A Quick Tour of South African Food History and Culture

Written by Lerato Mokate on . Posted in Food & Drink.

There has been a steady rise in the popularity of African and African diaspora food in the UK, from Jamaican to Ethiopian, but how well do you know your boerewors from your bunny chow? Welcome to a historical and cultural snapshot of South African food. 

South Africa has a long and complicated history, differing climates and even 11 different official languages. Understandably, it has an equally complicated relationship with food. Sometimes described as ‘The Rainbow Nation’, South Africa is truly a melting pot, and the influence of colonisation and immigration is present in the food eaten across the country. Firstly with Portuguese visitors, to Dutch, British colonial rule and then Indian immigrants, each new visitor has left its mark in the food that we think of as culturally South African. 

Photo: Dina Holzapfel (pixabay.com)

The Portuguese and Dutch brought spices from the spice trade to the port towns of the country (e.g. Cape Town, Port Elizabeth and Durban) and the Dutch, as part of The Dutch East India Company, brought enslaved people from what is now modern day Indonesia, Malaysia and also India. The then enslaved Indonesian and Malaysian people brought their cuisine and spices to the western cape in the 1600s, and still exist today as the ethnic group of Cape Malay. This is believed to be the first Muslim community in southern Africa. Cape Town is not only home to much of that history and culture, but also to their food. 

Cape Malay food is often characterised by its use of sweeter spices and dried fruit like apricots and raisins in their curries. It’s the Portuguese influence that we have to thank for the cultural institution that is Nandos, originally hailing from Johannesburg. The Indian influence in Durban brought about the creation of bunny chow, a personal favourite of mine, which is, crudely put, curry in a whole or quarter loaf of bread. Almost similar to the Cornish pasty in origin story, it’s said that bunny chow was used as a way of eating on the go, and used to be wrapped in newspaper to take out and is intended to be eaten with your hands. 

Bunny Chow. Photo: Robert Rutherford, Wikimedia Commons

South Africa is undoubtedly a meat-eating nation. Fish is eaten widely, especially in coastal regions, but its the meat which is central to South African food – and it’s not just the usual chicken, beef, lamb and pork – game meats such as goat, mutton, wildebeest, springbok and ostrich could all make an appearance at a braai.

A braai is probably best explained as a barbecue, but is also miles away from the British idea of grilling meat over fire. Other staples at a braai include boerewors, a large, spiced, mostly beef sausage, and pap, which is a kind of cooked corn meal not dissimilar to cooked polenta or a thick porridge. Pap is the kind of food that everybody and their grandmother has an opinion on; some people love it, and some (like me) are less of a fan.

If you’ve got more of a sweet tooth, malva pudding is the way to go. It’s a baked, cake-based pudding sweetened with apricot jam. The closest comparison in the UK may be a sticky toffee pudding, but in reality, there’s nothing like it. Despite the apricot jam, it’s not really apricot flavoured. It’s served warm and soaked in a cream sauce. There’s often ice cream to go with it but if my family’s consensus is anything to go by then the only real companion for a malva pudding is custard. It’s one of those nostalgia inducing dishes, perfect for the colder weather.

Unfortunately South Africa is a little far for a trip over a long weekend but Google is your friend; find some recipes and try them out.

The Groundnut Cookbook: The Supper club that brought African food to UK mouths

Written by Elena Meritxell Bradley on . Posted in Food & Drink.

When thinking about Black History Month, specifically in relation to food, The Groundnut cookbook was my first thought.

Having bought it for £4 in The Works sale a few months ago, I have to shamelessly admit that I did so because of its beautiful colourful cover. Even more shamelessly, I have to admit that prior to reading this book I had absolutely no concept of what Western and Eastern African food is, apart from seeing Jamie Oliver’s renditions of Groundnut Stew from time to time.

This, to someone who avidly considers themselves a foodie, is quite disappointing, as there is a whole continent of food culture that is seldom spoken about by western, non-native people. So, in reading this book, I had my eyes opened and would like to share the beautiful ethos of it’s three authors; Duval Timothy, Jacob Fodio Todd and Folayemi Brown.

The three London men, with heritage hailing from Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya, South Sudan and Sierra Leone felt similarly to me. They too noticed that “for some reason, African food was off the culinary radar of most people in Britain.” This was the inspiration that led to the creation of ‘The Groundnut’, a bi-monthly supper club where the boys would create “simple, balanced and beautiful” food that was designed to be shared in celebrating African food culture. In the years following 2012, The Groundnut became majorly successful and so gave the men the opportunity to publish some of their supper club menus in their very own book.

 

The book details eight different menus, inspired by the food traditions of West and East Africa, along with a mantra of simplicity. The menus have multiple courses but instead of resembling the usual western idea of a tasting-menu, are actually closer to a lots of dishes designed to be shared in a relaxed manner. For example, in Menu one, there is a whole recipe on how to make the perfect fresh orange juice and plantain crisps. This is something that, at first, I scoffed at – thinking the book wasted it’s pages on recipes that were overly simple. However, once I’d read the philosophy behind the book, my opinion changed.

It became clearer that the ethos of the book really boils down to love for ingredients, and in this love does not discriminate from one recipe to another. Even a humble orange juice or iced-tea is given the same loving attention as the Jollof rice, which is something I really respect. On the topic of Jollof rice, this is a dish that was described to me by a lovely Nigerian-Mancunian girl I met in Freshers who told me I needed to try it. It’s essentially a flavoured rice originating from West Africa with a base of tomato, scotch bonnet and red pepper. The book has an incredible recipe for this.

One of my favourites from the book is a recipe for Avocado and Tarragon ice cream which is strangely creamy and smooth, as you half-expect to taste like guacamole, but is sweetened with sugar and sharpened with lemon to create a other-worldly ice cream experience. As well as this ice cream, the book also details ‘wot’, which is a onion-based sauce that is made with niter kibbeh, a spiced clarified butter to make a rich, caramelised sauce that can be eaten alone or with anything.

Avocado and Tarragon ice cream. Photo: Elena Bradley

The recipes are simple and include descriptions about the origins of the more traditional dishes and directions on how certain things should be eaten. For example, the men discuss how, to Westerners, plantains having black skins may indicate they’re over-ripe like the bananas we’re used to. However, for plantains which are more savoury than the typical banana, the blackened skin indicates the perfect level of ripeness, as frying or baking these plantains allow their increased sugar content to caramelise.

Apart from the recipes and beautiful ethos of this book, the photography is absolutely stunning. Think over-exposed, film camera shots with full artistic merit.

Overall, if you’re a foodie who wants to explore something different, give this book a go. Alternatively if you don’t buy into cookbooks or aren’t as interested in paper recipes – give them a follow on Instagram @thegroundnut, where you can see all the amazing things the men are doing to spread African food into Britain with love, light and happiness.

 

Live Review: The Magic Gang at YES

Written by lauradavies on . Posted in Music.

The Magic Gang performed a warm-up show in the pink room at YES to kick off the Neighbourhood Festival.

Due to being added to the line-up with short notice, the launch party created anticipation. It presented itself as a warmup for the bands next-day performance, to a no doubt larger crowd at Gorilla, compared to the 200 capacity Pink Room at YES.

The intimacy of the venue allowed the crowd to feel much more connected to the band than in most of Manchester’s other venues. As they opened with some of their biggest hits ‘Getting Along’ and ‘All This Way’, I think every member of the crowd felt a personal connection with the lead singer, Jack Kaye.

The consistent talking to the crowd also added to this, engaging the audience. Something that really shone from the outset of the performance was the love the band clearly have for performing, with the joy and excitement seen on the faces of all the members.

The Magic Gang’s new music was undeniably the highlight of the night; the excitement they roused from the crowd with classics such as ‘Jasmine’ was almost matched when they debuted the new melancholy hit ‘Death of the Party.’ Of all new songs played this track presented itself as the standout, with harmonies that could be easily picked up, commanding the crowd to sing along in the chorus. ‘Death of the Party’ encapsulated everything good about The Magic Gang, breaking away from the repetitiveness of their debut EPs and album, it offered a refreshing change.

‘What Have You Got Lose’ also deserves a mention, with bassist Gus Taylor leading vocals. This track had more of a chatty tone to it, again adding to the relatability of the band’s music.

The themes in The Magic Gang’s music are relatable to their millennial and Gen-Z heavy fanbase, who dominated the crowd in YES’s Pink Room, opening up mosh pits and sacrificing their drinks in order to have a dance. Tackling topics such as hopeless romance, moving back in with your parents and feelings of inadequacy, the band match the sentiment of their lyrics with an energised stage presence creating an atmosphere powered by mid-20’s angst.

Having initially appeared to have finished and left the stage after performing one of their biggest hits ‘How Can I Compete’, the band returned for an encore after chants from the crowd. They then ended the night with a rendition of ‘All That I Want is You’, a chilled and positive track that closed the performance on a relaxed note.

Despite the mellow feel of The Magic Gang’s music they never fail to put on an energetic performance and to an always-eager crowd, leaving us in excited anticipation for the release of the new tracks.

9/10

Live Review: The Psychedelic Furs at O2 Ritz

Written by Erin Botten on . Posted in Music.

“Manchester, you bunch of boring fucking bastards. One of the best tunes of the 80s.” Thank you Manchester man, you articulated my thoughts very nicely.

This statement wasn’t delivered by the band who, to their credit, were absolute professionals throughout the entire performance, but rather a disgruntled member of the audience. Disgruntled at the atmosphere of those in attendance and the lack of movement amongst our ranks. The crowd was dismally immobile, a shame at the best of times but exaggerated by the Furs’ own stage presence – mobile, engaging, enthusiastic. Everything you could possibly ask for.

This was Psychedelic Furs opening night of their European tour and they really deserved a better welcome. The support act, Wendy James of Transvision Vamp, played their part excellently, serving as the perfect warm-up for what was to come. Sharing many of the same punk influences and motifs as The Furs but with a more frenzied atmosphere, they were a terrific icebreaker. Their music, aggressive, comedic, melodic, compelled you to dance and Wendy James truly came across as somebody who was in their element. Fair play to them. This was the first sign, however, that all was not right. The audience was thin and not dancing. Forgivable for an opener but never a good omen; it was a real shame as the band’s enthusiasm warranted a more emotive response. 

So, the support wrapped up, we waited, I spoke to a middle-aged punk couple, the sound techies came out, all was well. Then the Furs emerged on stage to the sounds of ‘Dumb Waiters’, a relentless, post-punky demonstration of what they do best. The cries from the audience were rapturous and it seemed as though the event was in full swing. And then it stopped.

Once the initial excitement of their arrival subsided, the audience became dormant.; clapping at the end of tracks but not dancing. Of all the bands to attend and opt not to dance to, The Psychedelic Furs are a strange choice – they’re rocky, jazzy, funky, punky, chunky (they were actually all very slim), everything that you could ask for! 

On this note, fair play to The Furs for bringing to the gig what they did. They were the embodiment of high energy – all the more impressive when you consider their age (they’re all 60+)! It’s a good sign when the lead-singer, saxophonist and lead-guitarist are all competing to be the frontman of the group and this element of one-up-manship was certainly a force for good throughout their performance. In this vein, they appeared to be a group performing for themselves and nobody else and in all the right ways.

Having said this, I feel they could have opted for a few, higher tempo tracks for their openers as these didn’t come until later in the set which may have played a part in the unengaged audience but apart from this, the group were true showmen who had clearly honed their craft with years in the game. Just a shame about the audience. 

7/10

Plastic straws have their merits: let’s talk about disability and accessibility

Written by Aisha Al-Janabi on . Posted in Lifestyle.

As someone who is non-disabled, my awareness of accessibility is limited as it is not something I have to consider in my day-to-day life. It is an issue that is not discussed widely, meaning that we’re reliant on members of the disabled community, and individuals, to educate and raise awareness of it.

The media does not help either. If you were at the University of Manchester in October 2018 I’m sure you’ll remember the clapping-ban being passed, and the media storm that followed. Instead of starting a discussion about accessibility in society, students were accused by mainly non-disabled critics of being overly-sensitive because we’re the “snowflake generation.”

So, let’s finally have a conversation about accessibility.

I spoke to Kate Foy, who is the Disability Part-Time-Officer (PTO) at UoM as well as the chair of the Disabled Students’ Society. Kate and I quickly began having a conversation about accessibility and disability, where I scribbled more notes than I do in my lectures.

Because of this lack of awareness around accessibility, decisions are made without considering disabled members of society. One example that came up in our conversation was the recent choice for establishments to ban plastic straws. Great, we’re cutting down on the amount of plastic by not offering plastic straws, but we’ve ignored those who do need them.

I didn’t realise that non-plastic straws are not suitable alternatives for those who are disabled. If you have limited mobility, being able to change the angle of the straw is necessary, metal straws are also a health-hazard for those who have seizures, and allergens are also present in alternative and natural straws which are an additional risk. Interestingly, plastic straws were not initially used in cafés and bars. They were used hospitals in the 1930s, when they were first mass produced, as they allowed patients to drink lying down and being disposable meant the straws would not need sterilising like non-disposable alternatives. Removing plastic straws now means that people who need them have to ask, facing potential judgement while the rest of us feel smug about saving the planet. Kate questioned why the views of the many are outweighing the needs of the few.

We went on to discuss accessibility in society and on social media.

For me, the most obvious is wheelchair accessibility – however, Kate explained to me how vague simply putting ‘wheelchair accessible’ is. There are things to consider like: is the room layout easily maneuverable in a wheelchair? And are the corridors large enough to do so? Is the wheelchair ramp hidden at the back of the building, and covered in crap that should have been removed? And is the toilet accessible by a lift?

As a starting point, if you are planning an event, consider finding out more about the accessibility of the venue, and provide this information to your audience beforehand so the necessary preparations can be made.

Accessibility also means so much more than physical facilities. I asked Kate what an accessible event would look like for her, and she said that knowing how many people are expected to attend the event is useful information, and the sort of activities that are expected to take place. Also, making it clear there is someone who can be contacted to enquire about any additional access requirements.

Kate mentioned social media accessibility, yet another issue that hadn’t occurred to me. By making small changes to the way you post on social media, you can ensure that people with additional needs can also enjoy your content. Here are some suggestions:

  • Choose a larger font size
  • Use an image description: this is for individuals who use screen-readers which will describe the image out loud – Instagram has a built-in setting for this
  • Use closed captioning on videos
  • Don’t write #HASHTAGSLIKETHIS or #hashtageslikethis instead write #HashtagsLikeThis because it makes distinguishing words easier

These are just a few options to create a more accessible social media platform, and this is all extremely doable. There is plenty of information online if you’d like to find out more.

We live in an ablest society, one which discriminates in favour of non-disabled people, and a disablist society, one which discriminates against disabled people. So, please be pro-active when planning events to consider access requirements and be willing to learn and do some research yourself as to what can be done. And, if you get things wrong – don’t debate it. Instead be open to being corrected and listen to those who are experts by experience. Unlike during the clapping-ban debacle, where those who would benefit from the policy, such as those with autism and anxiety, were ignored.

This is a small insight into the conversation that I had with Kate, and there is still so much more to be discussed. If you have any questions, or would like to have training for your society, Kate offers presentations about becoming more inclusive to disabled students. Kate can be contacted via the Disabled Student’s Society University of Manchester Facebook page.

From the 22nd of November till the 22nd of December it is Disability History Month, and the Disabled Students’ Society will be hosting events. Follow their social media to keep up to date: Disabled Student’s Society University of Manchester and UoM Disabled Students’ Society University of Manchester on Facebook.

A PTO is a voted in member of the student body who represents liberation groups and challenges the university on these issues, as well as running campaigns. All of this is done alongside your degree. If you’re interested in becoming a PTO, elections will be held in January – keep an eye out on the SU website.

Siebbi @ Wikimedia

Review: The Irishman

Written by jamesmccafferty on . Posted in Film.

Martin Scorsese and Robert De Niro’s ninth feature film together, The Irishman, has been a long time coming. The pair last collaborated in 1995 for Casino and this project has been in the pipeline for the best part of a decade.

Based on homicide investigator Charles Brandt’s 2004 book I Heard You Paint Houses and produced by Netflix, it shows the life of Frank “The Irishman” Sheeran and his involvement in the mysterious disappearance of union leader, Jimmy Hoffa. Joe Pesci and Harvey Keitel are among the returning Scorsese collaborators, while Al Pacino makes his first appearance in one of the director’s films.

Epic in scope, with a 209 minute runtime, The Irishman follows Sheeran as he goes from being a truck driver to a hit man for the Mafia before becoming entangled in the corrupt dealings of Hoffa, played fantastically by Al Pacino. The primary events of the film are interspersed with narration from the elderly Sheeran and the story of a trip he takes with mob boss Russel Bufalino, portrayed by Pesci.

Many of the characters and themes sound familiar but nothing in this film feels remotely derivative. Standing in contrast to some of their previous work together, De Niro and Pesci give restrained and visual performances that highlight how emotionally closed off their characters become. Pacino’s performance, meanwhile, is full of energy and he effectively brings the charismatic Hoffa to life.

Both the actors and the technical personnel involved deserve particular credit for the “de-ageing” technology used throughout the film, which feels natural rather than distracting.

In her portrayal of Frank’s daughter, Peggy, Anna Paquin encapsulates the damage her father’s actions have done to the relationships with his family. Paquin has relatively few lines in the film, but the way she infuses them with emotion is so effective. The conversations with her father towards the end of the film highlight how Frank’s choice to distance himself from the pain of others has inhibited his ability to relate and empathise, even with his own daughter.

As is to be expected with a Scorsese picture, the soundtrack is faultless. While best known for his use of popular music, The Irishman has more in common with Bernard Herrmann’s rumbling Taxi Driver score than the dynamic soundtrack of Goodfellas.

On a visual level too, the film is superb. Beautifully sketching the time and location of its events, it knows when to utilise lively cuts and when to let the audience linger on a character’s face.

All of these elements are combined with an absolute brilliant script by Steven Zaillian; it utilises the extent of its runtime to build relationships even with peripheral characters.

Like The Godfather before it, The Irishman recognises that the story of the American Mafia is intrinsically linked to the story of the United States as a whole and is able to convey both stories in a manner that underscores the scale of the events yet never loses sight of the individual people at their centre. Scorsese and De Niro have produced a film that is not only among the best within their creative partnership, but among the best of American cinema.

5/5.

Review: The King

Written by Jasmine Bennett on . Posted in Film.

The new Henriad epic, The King, directed by David Michôd, is a vast, grand affair paying homage to the Bard.

Once more, Timothée Chalamet undertakes a role full of challenges and fleshed out characterisation with outstanding results. He shines from the start as a tricky young prince unwilling to inherit his destined position, before we witness his slow but sure ascent into kingship. In a similar fashion, Lily-Rose Depp snatches the crown in the last half an hour as the brilliant Catharine. With a derisive French accent full of mirth, she brings our new king down a peg in a moment of cinematic brilliance. The duo’s chemistry is evident despite the limited time spent together on screen, and they spark off each other with defiant brilliance. Another standout performance comes from Robert Pattinson as the slimy antagonist The Dauphin. He snidely snaps at Chalamet’s Henry in a low and evil French accent, causing you to wriggle at the unsettlingly sharp stare he treats the lens to. 

Criticisms are already being made of the film’s length, casting it as a long slog that ruins Shakespeare. I would suggest quite the opposite; by snatching the best of the Henriad, slicing it into this contemporary format and setting it against a crisply cinematic format, full of action and bloody gritty scenes, Michôd updates the plays for a new audience. The film is a Netflix release, and a quarter of Netflix users are aged 18-24. While we all learn about Shakespeare at school and the texts are accessible widely, people rarely indulge in the Bard as much as they used to. By creating this Shakespearean epic in the fashion Michôd has, he has dutifully contemporised the Henriad for a world of streaming without sacrificing its brilliance.

 

 

Another note must be made of The King’s astonishing cinematography. Right from the start, the film shows it truly is made for the modern age visually. It feels designed for Tumblr gifs and Twitter photosets, with each shot immersive and vast all at once. The opening scene is a dim but gorgeous sky hovering over a finished battleground where we are immediately shown the bloody, gritty nature of the film. The King is certainly not for the light-hearted, and over the two hours we are subject to much violence and horror. But that goes with the medieval nature, the current presentation of war in the likes of Game Of Thrones that has proved so popular. There’s no shying from the consequences in The King, and you see Henry wrestle with such a moral dilemma throughout. 

The King is a new form of Shakespeare adaptation, designed for the streaming age. It’s captivating and quietly classic, full of cinematographic excellence and a script made to be highlighted and stuck on bedroom walls. The star-studded cast is built to draw in the young, and I’d be interested to see how many youthful fifteen and sixteen-year-olds are dragged into the enriching world of Shakespeare that awaits them due to Chalamet’s exploration of his character. Overall, The King is a heavy film – you feel thought-filled post watch. Nonetheless, it is gritty, vast and theatric. It is everything one could want from a contemporary take on the Henriad, and Chalamet certainly is kingly. 

4/5.

Toronto Slutwalk photo:Anton Bielousov @wikimedia commons

Let’s break the stigma around casual sex

Written by laurenpoole on . Posted in Lifestyle.

It’s 2019: we’re no longer shy about sex. In fact, we’re obsessed with it. It’s in almost every piece of media we consume – even adverts for everyday products like perfume, are hypersexualised. We’re light-years ahead of the traditional values of the past and we have more sexual partners in our lifetime than older generations. The link between sex and reproduction is weaker than ever, and pre-marital sex, once unacceptable, is now the norm. At uni, thanks to the popularity of apps like Tinder and the prevalent drinking culture, casual dating and one night stands are common. So why are women still being shamed for having casual sex? 

Whilst sex, and casual sex, is not part of everyone’s student or adult experience, for those who do enjoy casual sex it does have its advantages. There are clear health benefits: sex can improve brain function and mood, boost the immune system, and regulate menstruation. On a more psychological level, I found having regular sex with multiple partners empowering, as it improved my relationship with my body and helped me explore my sexuality, learn what I like and don’t like, and become a better partner myself – all of which gave me a lot more confidence. 

There has long been a double standard in the way society treats male and female sexuality. Men who casually hook-up are applauded, are called ‘players’, or are simply being ‘lads’, whilst women are called ‘easy’, ‘sluts’ and ‘slags’. However, this is nothing new. Throughout history female sexual desires and needs were repressed in favour of the ideal pure, virgin woman, and women who did have pre-marital sex were considered dirty, and unworthy of marriage or respect.

‘Slut-shaming’ today is a similar idea, but watered-down. Women who have had multiple sexual partners are seen as ‘easy’ or ‘slutty’ for having had non-monogamous sex. Despite the progress we’ve made towards equality, this everyday form of sexism is still rooted in archaic, misogynistic ideas. In recent decades women have reclaimed ownership and control of their sexuality, realising that rather than losing some false idea of purity or respectability when we have sex, there is actually plenty to gain. 

However, despite the normalisation of casual sex, particularly within the student sphere, women still suffer the brunt of the shame attached to it. In a study of 832 university students, only 26% of women felt good after casual sex compared to 50% of men. When asked to give reasons for regretting casual encounters, men cited factors such as their partner being not attractive enough, whereas women primarily reported feeling ashamed. While men seem able to talk about their hookups without judgement, women often feel the need to give a pretext to their casual encounters in order to avoid it. At first, I felt I had to justify myself with things like: ‘I’ve just been through a breakup and it’s helping me move on,’ or ‘we’ve already been on a few dates.’ 

Here’s what I’ve learned: it’s your body, and you don’t owe anybody an explanation or apology for what you do with it. The stigma still connected to hookups is based in outdated and sexist ideas. Your sex life is your business, and you are free to enjoy and celebrate your sexuality however you choose. Sexual liberation is an incredibly personal and empowering thing and whatever it means to you don’t be ashamed to embrace it!

Activity trackers: a new potential solution for managing diabetes

Written by Zahra Salimi on . Posted in Science & Tech.

A new study conducted by researchers at the University of Manchester suggests that movement-monitoring devices, such as pedometers, are proven to be effective in managing diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.

This new project, funded by the NIHR School for Primary Care Research Evidence Synthesis Woking group, was published in the open-access journal JAMA Network Open on October 9th.

Researchers accessed data from 36 studies, using a total of 5,208 participants, making it the largest ever review of the short-term effects of wearable step-counting devices on the physical activity of adults with cardio-metabolic conditions.

Type 2 Diabetes is a metabolic condition resulting in high blood glucose levels in the body or, in medical terms, hyperglycaemia. This condition occurs as either the result of not producing enough insulin or because of the body’s inability to use the insulin that it produces (insulin resistance).

Patients diagnosed with diabetes often have symptoms and side effects such as an increase in blood pressure (hypertension), a heightened risk of blood clot formations (thrombosis) or developing cardiovascular disease, all of which are potentially life-threatening.

According to Diabetes UK, there are currently around 3.8 million people in the UK diagnosed with diabetes, with 90% having type 2. There are, approximately, an additional one million more people living with type 2 who remain undiagnosed. They also reported that the total number of people affected by diabetes would reach 5.5 million by 2030, meaning that the management of the condition will be an increasing concern to the wider public.

The results from this study indicate that the devices have proven effective, and have led to small-to-medium improvements in physical activity in diabetics. This is significant progress in comparison to previous studies on the effects of pedometers on physical activities in patients with chronic conditions.

Although the results seemed promising, a major limitation with those previous studies was that the effective intervention wasn’t specified. Thus, it lacks clarity, as there are various interventions involving step counting.

In regards to this new study, Dr Alex Hodkinson, one of the researchers on the project, said: “This study differs to earlier ones because it has looked at which types of interventions, using the two most common monitoring devices (accelerometers and pedometers), are most effective in improving physical activity among people with diabetes and cardio-metabolic conditions.”

He added: “We have also determined some of the key factors that moderate their performance, such as the ‘personnel’ involved delivering the intervention and participant level factors like ‘age and gender’”.

Additionally, the researchers found that, on average, the use of the tracking device increased the amount of physical activity in participants by increasing their step counts by approximately 1,700 steps per day. This amount was increased considerably when the use of tracking devices, including pedometers and accelerometers, was combined with face-to-face consultations with health professionals.

Regarding the results, Dr. Hodkinson stated: “Receiving feedback and support by healthcare professionals, even if this is brief and through telephone, internet, or apps, is critical for ensuring that patients achieve the greatest benefits by using these devices.

“Premature deaths could potentially be prevented by addressing very low levels of physical activity, more than any other risk factor such as smoking, alcohol or stress-related illnesses.”

He also added that the results still “remain below the targets set by clinical recommendations such as NICE”.

As previously mentioned, the incidence rate is only expected to increase over the coming years. It has been reported by the NHS that an estimated sixth of the organisation’s funding will be spent on diabetes treatment. Furthermore, this study is highly significant as it suggests a major improvement, and a more effective technique, for managing the condition in a more cost-effective and reliable manner.

Interview with Michaela Bennison of Lady of Jazz

Written by Anna Jin on . Posted in Theatre.

London-based actor and singer Michaela Bennison is the solo performer of Lady of Jazz, an upcoming musical set in the 1920s.

The play follows the life and career of the jazz singer Honey Grey, and is split into two acts. In the first act, the solo performer narrates her early life from the age of 12 to 21 and performs original jazz songs. The second act time-jumps to a few years afterwards, and Bennison performs both original songs and covers of jazz standards.

Lady of Jazz is Bennison’s first one-woman show. It is a musical boasting of a great selection of songs from the jazz era. The singer comes from a background of musical theatre, and told me that she thought that it was a fun experience to explore a different genre.

She described the musical’s structure and how it clearly showcased the genre’s progress in style and form, from the syncopated jazz of the 1920s to swing in 1930s.

Bennison praised the play’s writing and said that it has “wide appeal,” and is perfect for those interested in history and music. It tells a unique story about people of colour with a different spin. The plot is based on fact, even though the character she plays is fictional.

While talking about the challenges of doing a one-woman show, Bennison told me a funny anecdote about her accompanist Tony Pegler. He is the creator of the show’s piano arrangement and is the only other person onstage during the performance. Due to their natural chemistry, the audience have praised the interplay between them and thought it to be part of the play, even though, in reality, Peglar is purely a musician and not an actor. Bennison plays her part so well that her accompanist reacts to her performance, making the audience believe that it was rehearsed.

When asked about what drew her to this production, Bennison answered that it was the character of Honey Grey. Describing the character as a “realistic optimist” with a “get up and go attitude”, she found her to be very compelling and well-developed.

This is the one of the oldest characters Bennison has ever played. Being often cast as young, naïve characters in the past, she said that she loves the fact that Honey is complex and mature. The character speaks her mind and is confident in her sexuality.

Honey is mixed-race, and Bennison being mixed-race herself means that she can relate to the character. She emphasised that the musical is not a “race story” or a “woman’s story”, though the writing is informed by those aspects of her character. This is to be expected, as the play is set in 20th century America, a period where “race informed everything”. She is aware that often, when a play centres on a character from a certain racial background, it becomes the one thing that dominates her character and her story. For Honey, this is not the case; she owns everything about herself.

Come and meet Honey Grey and hear her story told in the musical notes of jazz. Lady of Jazz runs at the Hope Mill Theatre, Manchester from 11th – 13th November.

Althea Gibson at a parade following her Wimbledon singles win (1957). Photo: The Detroit Tribune @wikipediacommons

Althea Gibson: remembering the first black woman to win a Grand Slam

Written by Kate Jackson on . Posted in Sport.

In June 2019, Serena Williams, winner of 72 career tennis titles, including 39 Grand Slam titles, was chosen to be on the cover of the infamous American cereal box, Wheaties. Wheaties has been around since 1924 and, since 1934, is well-known for featuring prominent athletes on the cover of the box.

After being selected, Williams made sure to acknowledge the legacy of a woman that paved the way for black tennis players, Althea Gibson:

“In 2001, Wheaties paid homage to a true champion and an icon by putting her on the cover of a Wheaties box. Althea Gibson was the FIRST Black Woman tennis player to be on the box. Today, I am honoured to be the second.”

Not only was Althea Gibson the first black female tennis player to be chosen for Wheaties, but she was the first black female tennis player to claim a Grand Slam title. The opportunity to win 11 Grand Slams, giving others such as Serena Williams to do the same decades later, was down to her pioneering efforts in breaking down racial barriers in the sport. Her name, unlike Williams, has been largely forgotten, however.

Gibson began her career playing tournaments organised by the American Tennis Association (ATA). The association had been set up in response to the exclusion of black players in the United States Tennis Association (UTSA).

Gibson won her first tournament in 1941 (New York State Championships) at the age of 15. She lost the ATA National Champtionships final in 1946, but she won the first of her ten straight ATA National Championships a year later.

Gibson, with the help of civil rights activists Dr Huber Eaton and Dr Robert Johnson, eventually caught the attention of the tennis world. Alice Marble, reigning UTSA National champion at the time, wrote an editorial in 1950 addressing the segregation in the sport and the policy of the USTA to exclude black athletes:

“If tennis is a game for ladies and gentlemen, it’s also time we acted a little more like gentlepeople and less like sanctimonious hypocrites.”

The editorial caused shockwaves in the sport. The UTSA eventually relented to the pressure from Marble and invited Gibson to participate in the National Championships, now known as the US Open, just months after Marble’s letter.

Having finally broken through the racial barrier in the sport, Gibson went on to win five Grand Slam Singles titles. Her first title coming at the French Open in 1956, followed by two titles at Wimbledon (1957, 1958) and the US Open (1957, 1958). Gibson also won five Grand Slam Doubles titles in the same period, winning three in a row at Wimbledon between 1956 and 1958.

Unfortunately, tennis did not have the prize money that it does today, so, after barely making ends meet, Gibson retired from the sport in 1958. After toying with professional golf – again breaking stereotypical barriers in the sport – and the entertainment industry, Gibson’s problems with money continued.

Eventually an intervention from former doubles partner, Angela Buxton, helped her get the money she needed to enjoy the last few years of her life. Then in 2003, following on-going respiratory and bladder issues, Althea Gibson died aged 76.

Gibson’s legacy has come to the forefront again over the last few years, with Serena Williams and her sister, Venus, acknowledging the path that Gibson paved for them. Bob Ryland, a former coach of the Williams sisters, believes that Gibson would beat the illustrious pair today.

Gibson was inducted into the US Open Court of Champions in 2007, 50 years after her first singles title at the US Open and, just this year, a statue to honour her legacy has been erected at Flushing Meadows, the site of the infamous tournament. It is only the second monument at Flushing Meadows that honours a winner of the tournament.

Piccadilly Gardens taken over by Kurdish Protesters

Written by Aya-Zoe Atallah on . Posted in News.

Manchester’s Kurdish community gathered in Piccadilly Gardens to demonstrate against Turkey’s attacks on Northern Syria last week.

The protests follow America’s decision to pull troops from Syria, previously stationed to help the Kurdish-led area fight the Islamic State. Since this decision, the security at their border has been weakened and has enabled for Turkish military assault on the region.

It is estimated that around 250 to 300 people attended the protest in Piccadilly. Kurdish flags could be seen waving amongst the crowd, along with signs which included phrases such as, “Stop Kurdish ethnic cleansing,” “Your silence is killing us” and “Boycott Turkey”.

Since the protest, the UK has announced its decision to suspend the sale of arms to Turkey. Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab discussed the government’s decision: “The UK government takes its arms export control responsibilities very seriously and in this case, of course, we will keep our defence exports to Turkey under very careful and continual review. No further export licenses to Turkey for items that might be used in military operations in Syria will be granted while we conduct that review.”

The protest on October 12th, organised by Friends of Kurdistan Manchester, was one of many to take place around the world that day.

Kat Wright is one of the four to five thousand Kurds thought to be living in Greater Manchester. During the protests on Saturday, she told Manchester Evening News: “We are asking for the UK to stop the sale of arms to Turkey and we are calling on international aid for the region.”

Kurdish University of Manchester student Bayse Genc commented on the significance of the demonstrations: “These protests are really important in both drawing attention to the cause and showing solidarity with the Kurds, Yezidis, Assyrians, and Syrians whose lives are currently at risk.

“We can’t let the lives of millions of civilians be put at risk in silence, and there have already been casualties, including children and feminist activists, in the region. World leaders and governments must do more to avoid the resurgence of ISIS and the deaths of so many innocent people in their own land.”

Google funds notorious climate change deniers

Written by Ella Gerry on . Posted in Science & Tech.

A recent report by The Guardian has revealed that Google has made “substantial” contributions to over a dozen of the most notorious climate-denial organisations.

On the list of beneficiaries is the Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI), a conservative policy group instrumental in the decision to withdraw the United States from the Paris Agreement. The same group has also been critical of the Trump administration for not going far enough in dismantling many of the environmental protections established by the Obama administration.

Google, alongside fellow tech giant Facebook, is also set to sponsor the annual meeting of the State Policy Network (SPN) at the end of the month. SPN supports a variety of conservative groups, including the Heartland Institute – one of the most powerful organisations in pushing climate scepticism. Aside from suggesting that climate activist, Greta Thunberg suffers from “climate delusion hysterics”, the group claims that the economic impact of mitigating climate change will be worse for humanity than climate change itself.

In defence of the contributions, a spokesperson for Google said: “We sponsor organisations from across the political spectrum that advocate for strong technology policies. We’ve been extremely clear that Google’s sponsorship doesn’t mean that we endorse the organisation’s entire agenda – we may strongly disagree on some issues”.

Google has often been vocal in its apparent support for climate actions, calling for “strong measures” at the Paris Climate Conference in 2015 and sponsoring the Global Climate Action Summit in San Francisco last year.

The spokesperson for Google added: “Since 2007, we have operated as a carbon-neutral company and for the second year in a row, we reached 100% renewable energy for our global operations”.

This isn’t the first time Google’s support for such organisations has come into question. In 2014, when questioned about support for such groups, former chairman Eric Schmidt said that climate science deniers were “making the world a much worse place”, and inferred that Google’s alignment to such organisations was a mistake.

So, five years later, why is Google still funding climate deniers? Turns out the answer has little to do with climate science and a lot to do with the protection of a singular law – section 230 of the Communications Decency Act.

Established in the 1990s when the internet was still an unfamiliar place, the law provides legal immunity to companies, like Google and Facebook, for third party comments. In effect, Google is treated as distributors of content and not publishers. Exempt from liberal laws that apply to companies such as newspapers, section 230 helped establish the internet giant.

In recent years there have been calls for a revision of section 230. In particular, some Republicans, including Texan senator, Ted Cruz, have alleged that the law allows Google to maintain a bias towards Democrats. Revisions to section 230 could cost companies like Google billions of US dollars, hence the motive for cosying up to conservative circles is remarkably transparent.

Google’s success relies on support from across the political spectrum, evoking conflicting business interests and stated values when it comes to politically polarising issues like climate change. This leaves the company attempting to skirt around the issue with the unconventional claim that money does not equate to endorsement. This is an all too familiar tale: the blockading of climate action at the convenience and prosperity of big businesses.

Last month, over 2,000 Google employees joined global climate strikes and signed a pledge supporting climate action at the company. In a post on Medium, employees expressed the sentiment that “tech is not ‘green’”, referring to the revenue Google makes through licensing infrastructure, machine learning and engineering talent to fossil fuel companies. “By making extraction ‘more efficient’”, they said, “Google trades our collective future for profit”.

Boy stabbed on 142 Magic Bus on Curry Mile

Written by Serafina Kenny on . Posted in News.

A 17-year-old boy was stabbed on a 142 bus last Tuesday in an incident police are calling “terrifying” but isolated.

Police were called to the scene on Wilmslow Road – known commonly as the Curry Mile –  just after 4pm. The victim was taken to hospital with serious, but not life-threatening, injuries.

No arrests have been confirmed as of yet but Greater Manchester Police (GMP) say enquiries are ongoing. The incident is being treated as isolated and therefore presents no threat to the wider public, according to a GMP spokesperson.

Eyewitnesses reported a man in a balaclava getting onto the bus with a knife and then running off in the direction of Fallowfield.

The 142 Stagecoach Magic Bus where the stabbing took place was taped off from the public and passengers were “crammed onto another bus”, according to an eyewitness who said she was left “shaken” by the incident.

The stabbing occurred near the junction between Wilmslow Road and Claremont Road, minutes away from popular areas for student accommodation. A large section of the Curry Mile was closed in both directions while GMP attended the scene.

Speaking about the Rusholme incident, Detective Inspector Mark Astbury, of GMP’s City of Manchester Division, said: “This was a terrifying incident – not only for the victim but for those who witnessed it on the bus.”

The stabbing occurred just hours before the ‘It Doesn’t Have To Happen’ anti-knife-crime summit was due to take place at the Manchester Cathedral, and follows on from a suspected terror incident that occurred on Friday 11th October, in which three people were stabbed in the Arndale shopping centre.

Two young men were also injured in a separate stabbing on Tuesday 15th October in the nearby area of Longsight.

With six stabbings having taken place in the past week in areas frequently visited by University of Manchester students, students have been left concerned about their safety, .

“As someone who lives not far from the area, it makes me feel like I need to be more vigilant when I go out. The fact the police keep saying these incidents are isolated just makes me anxious as they seem to happen too often. After the past week it seems nowhere is that safe,” one student, who wished to stay anonymous, told The Mancunion.

Opinion: inclusivity in fashion needs to be sincere

Written by Alice Porter on . Posted in Fashion & Beauty.

Fashion brands are increasingly championing diversity, in their campaigns, on the catwalk and in their messaging. Historically as an industry, fashion has promoted one kind of look: white, slim, tall and able-bodied. However, as consumers become more politically and socially aware, fashion brands seem to be changing the type of image they project. But how much of this is sincere?

The fashion industry and everyone who is a part of it knows that it has a diversity problem, and they also know that for the industry – and their careers within it – to survive, that needs to change. Some people, I’m sure, want it to change because they want to see the world around them, and the people in it, accurately represented in fashion and are aware of how important this is politically. 

Others, however, are aware of how financially beneficial it will be for their brand to become more diverse and may only champion it for that reason. Although it may be a creative industry, fashion is kept afloat by capitalism and it’s undeniable that some brands are only superficially becoming more inclusive.

Because of this, it can be difficult to tell who is really sincere in their efforts to become more inclusive. A useful way to figure out who is truly genuine is by looking at their founders; are they speaking out, and maybe more importantly, financially supporting the issue? Or do they appear ambivalent?

But even this isn’t as straight forward as it seems. Recent controversy between Kerby Jean-Raymond, founder of fashion brand Pyer Moss, and the Business of Fashion (BoF), a prominent fashion news publication, exemplifies this. The BoF 500 Gala, hosted earlier this month, aimed to celebrate inclusivity but Jean-Raymond wasn’t so sure of their intentions, writing about a gospel choir at the event: “By replicating ours and excluding us — you prove to us that you see us as a trend. Like, we gonna die black, are you?”

He also later posted on his Instagram: “Diversity and inclusion is a trend for these folks. BOF 499, I’m off the list.”

Kerby Jean-Raymond clearly believes that BoF and this event are monopolising on the current trend for diversity rather than supporting it sincerely. However, Imran Amed, BoF’s Editor-in-Chief, wrote an article addressing Jean-Raymond’s comments, stating: “When we decided to focus our latest print issue and accompanying BoF 500 gala on inclusivity, we did so precisely because a superficial approach to inclusivity is indeed insulting – and wholly insufficient.”

Amed then continued to discuss his experiences growing up as “the only brown kid in his class”. So, here we have the exact evidence I suggested was needed to demonstrate a brand’s sincerity: a founder speaking out and investing in making their brand more inclusive.

But Jean-Raymond’s concerns are still valid. The fact that no one from the BoF team had noticed that using a gospel choir may be problematic suggests that their team is not diverse enough and that, perhaps, they’re not making an effort to be sincerely inclusive. So what do we do with these conflicting pieces of information?

Consumers shouldn’t have to play detective – much like when they do when it comes to sustainable fashion – in figuring out which brands are genuinely sincere in their efforts to be more inclusive, but it is becoming increasingly necessary. 

There is another question that this debate might bring up: does it matter if a brand is sincere? Maybe, as long as people see themselves represented, both in campaigns and product, it doesn’t matter if brands’ efforts are superficial, as long as they are happening.

It’s certainly a positive thing that the social and political landscape has changed so much that fashion brands feel the need to become more inclusive and diverse. But needing to is not enough. Measures need to be put in place to educate everyone who has a role within the fashion industry about why this is so necessary.

The people behind these fashion brands need to be genuine in their want to make their brand more diverse, in order to ensure that increasing inclusivity becomes permanent within fashion rather than just a trend. The appointment of Diversity Officer’s by brands like Chanel is a positive start in creating permanent change. But a start is all that it is. It’s great that brands are hiring one person who has specific knowledge on how to ensure they are being inclusive, but one person isn’t enough.

Realistically, everyone who works within fashion should be educated on this, because diversity in fashion isn’t just about having one black model and one size 12 woman (the UK national average is a size 16, FYI) in your campaign; it’s about everything from what’s being posted on social media, the clothes being designed and who they’re being designed for, the people working in the customer service teams and so much more.

There’s no conclusive way to decipher which fashion brands are genuine in their efforts to become more inclusive. As consumers, however, we have the power to demand that diversity within fashion is not just a fleeting trend by supporting the brands who seem to be at least trying, and boycotting those who aren’t even making an effort.