Interrogating the Hickey
The humble hickey. An underdiscussed accessory, although I’m sure some would object to that characterisation. Admittedly, ‘accessory’ seems to afford hickeys far more stylistic merit than they deserve; they’re certainly not as visually interesting as a tasteful tattoo, necklace, or scarf
In Defense of Ketchup
‘Excuse me, could I have some ketchup?’ This is one of the most frequently used phrases in my life. I should probably learn to say it in other languages. ‘Disculpe, ¿podría darme un poco de ketchup?’ But, increasingly, I am questioning whether I should ask for
The MAGAfication of Minaj
Nicki Minaj, the queen of rap, once dominated headlines for good reason. In the 2010s, her fame was untouchable, supported unwaveringly by her fanbase, collectively known as ‘barbz’.. Some fourteen years ago, an adorably tutu-ed Sophia Grace Brownlee and her cousin Rosie sang Super Bass with all
What is Sydney Sweeney’s deal?
Not to be that person, but the first time I saw Sydney Sweeney on screen was in the 2019 arthouse film Clementine. She plays a young, frivolous girl who strikes a brief and homoerotic friendship with a woman who’s retreated into the wilderness. The film is, to my best recollection, an unsatisfying
Oxford: a place for lovers?
What makes a city feel romantic? Oxford, certainly, looks the part: honey-coloured stone, lamplit and cobbled lanes, churches, and spires—as much a living film set as a city, and directors have long agreed. From Brideshead Revisited (2008) to Saltburn (2023), Oxford has been a backdrop for romanti
England had no Empire.
I went to the Ming Tombs on a scorching summer’s day. On the outskirts of Beijing, between the mountains of White Tiger and Red Phoenix, lay buried the 13 Emperors of the Ming Dynasty. Tomb is too humble a name, really. They are cities for the afterlife, complete with gates, walls with batt
All-American Authoritarianism
Last month, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife were seized by American special forces and flown to New York, to face criminal charges which included allegations of narcoterrorism and drug-trafficking. Despite Trump’s precedents, this case is novel, and particularly startling
Clavicular and the Post-Political Right
Internet personality Clavicular wants you to know you’re subhuman. The twenty-year-old, whose real name is Braden Peters, is the most prominent influencer in the ‘looksmaxxing’ space online and has garnered more than 305,000 followers on Instagram in the process. Motivated by the goal