Lecturer in English and Creative Industries at the University of York.
Love Island, sharing the fate of many popular mass consumables, epitomizes the definitive break between high and low ‘culture’. Although I have yet to begin my protest to have Love Island screenings in the British Museum, Love Island is not a simpleton’s game by any means.
Humans have a particular penchant for ignoring information we would rather not hear. Intellectually we might know livestock emissions count for around 14.5% of total global greenhouse gas emissions. Or that Beef alone accounts for 60% of global deforestation. And yet, we all hate Vegans.
On 20th February, at a rally in Colorado, the US president Donald Trump bashed the Academy Awards’ choice of the 2019 South Korean film Parasite, directed by Bong Joon-ho, as winner of Best Picture, asking ‘what the hell was that all about?’
Don’t we all love food? It’s not just a luxury but a necessity of life, however we seem to take it to extremes with the sheer number of cookbooks published each year. According to Amazon’s bestseller list, they are already dominating this year’s sales, with 5 currently residing in the top 10.
My mum makes a mean Shepherd’s Pie. The revered pie sits in my mother’s house, in my mother’s dish, on my mother’s chopping board. For all intents and purposes, it is entirely my mother’s work. Except it isn’t.
With so many adaptations popping up on the world’s most popular streaming service, are new series based on books helping our book economy? On the other hand, when every other Netflix production is based on a book, how does this speak to the creation of new films and series?
Since before the launch of Pokemon Sword and Shield, there has been a lot of controversy over the decision to cut certain Pokemon from the game. This marked a first for the series, as in previous games all Pokemon were included.
Beth, or BooksNest as she is known online, is a successful book blogger who recently grew her Twitter account to 10,000 followers. BooksNest often reviews young adult fiction, though branches out into other genres too. I spoke to Beth about why she loves blogging and what she has gotten out of it.
Publishing is competitive, ruthless and inherently flawed. At the same time, rather frustratingly, there is no clear solution. But one thing is clear: although celebrities are convenient scapegoats, it’s not their fault.
Netflix’s Sex Education is created by Laurie Nunn. Her approach to sex and relationships discourse is refreshingly candid. Hormonal and inquisitive teenagers approach the show’s boy genius ‘sex wizard’ for advice. Otis has absorbed sexual health advice from his mother, a sex therapist. He dishes out guidance to the teens at Moordale High.
