22 West Magazine- 2024 Women's Issue

THE WOMEN’S ISSUE

MAGAZINE STAFF

Jensen Puckett Editor-in-Chief editorinchief@22westmedia.com

Gia Krupens

Managing Editor managingeditor@22westmedia.com

Caroline Bae Art Director artdirector@22westmedia.com

Alana Loinaz

Lead Copy Editor copyeditor@22westmedia.com

Tulasi Napolitani Distribution Manager distributionmanager@22westmedia.com

Panhavatey Bun

Advertising and Sales Manager advertisingmanager@22westmedia.com

Payton Smith Advertising Associate advertisingassociate@22westmedia.com

COVER DESIGN

Caroline Bae, Illustrator @eunhasumyeon

CONTACT US

Email: info@22westmedia.com

Mail: 1212 Bellflower Blvd, Suite 108 Long Beach, CA 90815

Disclaimer and Publication Information: 22 West Magazine is published using ad money and partial funding provided by the Associated Students, Inc. All Editorials are the opinions of their individual authors, not the magazine, ASI nor LBSU. All students are welcome and encouraged to be a part of the staff. All letters to the editor will be considered for publication. However, LBSU students will have precedence. Please include name and major for all submissions. They are subject to editing and will not be returned. Letters may or may not be edited for grammar, spelling, punctuation, and length. 22 West Magazine will publish anonymous letters, articles, editorials, and illustrations, but must have your name and information attached for our records. Letters to the editor should be no longer than 500 words. 22 West Magazine assumes no responsibility, nor is it liable, for claims of its advertisers. Grievance procedures are available in the Associated Students business office.

LETTER FROM AN EDITOR

When tasked with creating the cover for our annual Women’s History Month issue, one is faced with the impossibility of representing the incredible breadth of the women in history and the present day. The often tried-and-true method of relying on hyper-feminine symbols to convey feminism often alienates those who don’t particularly identify strongly with them - myself included. Obvious influences aside, this month’s cover pays respects to 22 West’s roots as an outlet for student voices as well as antiquated symbols of gender non-conformity. As innocuous as many of them seem, only through years of history has allowed their controversy to recede.

Inside this issue you’ll find accounts of women that inspire others, defy expectation, or simply ask for the peace of existing as a woman in today’s world. Check out our contributor page and join our Discord or contact a staff member if you would like to share your voice without the limitation of conformity.

Oftentimes you will find many fearful of the shift away from the status quo in gender and identity, and see it as some form of recent moral or societal failing. They fail to see the storied history behind such movements.

The truth is, we have always existed. We always will.

CAROLINE BAE, ART DIRECTOR

TSTARLETS VS THE STUDIO

WRITTEN BY GRACE MORCOS-HILL ILLUSTRATION BY JO LIN

ered to be the time period when the five production companies ruled the land of film and ran the entertainment industry like a machine, creating the Studio System. From Paramount, MGM, 20th Century Fox, Warner Bros, to RKO, each held the great power of vertical integration, allowing them to control every aspect of their films from the creation to the projection of them. Each studio had their own crews, contract players, and directors, who were all contractually obligated to only work for that studio and no one else, unless loaned out. It brought about some notable movies that are still iconic today and even created starlets like Judy Garland, Joan Crawford, Bette Davis, Rita Hayworth, and many others. With the glitz and glamor of Hollywoodland and the studio system, audiences were blinded to the darkness that lurked behind the scenes where many actresses fell victim to abuse.

With the use of strict contracts that lasted seven years, studios were able to control their female actors in the films they starred in, their physical and moral image, and their entire lives.

The studio system relied heavily on audiences seeing studios in a good light. During this time more than ever, the control of their actresses was crucial in order to keep up appearances. Throughout the history of the studio system, America went through a few economic hardships caused by events such as the Great Depression and World War II. Surprisingly, movie theater attendance skyrocketed during these challenging periods. Audiences began to flock to the silver screen to escape from their dreary lives for an hour or two. They would go see their favorite stars and starlets live the lives they could only dream of having. This is why stars were so important to the studio system’s survival: they were the ones who brought the audience to the theaters. Studio-heads needed their actresses

for the public to keep seeing their movies. To make sure these standards were met, studio-heads ensured that actresses were watched and managed in all aspects. Many of them were not allowed to date or marry the people they wanted to. In order to create more press for movies, studio-heads often forced their female actors to date other contracted members of the studio, whether co-stars or crew members, most of these arrangements advanced to marriage. This control didn’t just stop in starlets’ love life, but the studio’s took away the actresses’ rights to the autonomy of their bodies. In Gerald Clarke’s book “Get Happy: The Life of Judy

“Studio- heads needed their actresses to be seen as moral, clean, and beautiful in order for the public to keep seeing their movies.”

Garland,” he writes: “Despite all the eyes fastened on her [Judy Garland], she still managed to escape Will Wright’s and to find her hiding places in her studio dressing room for cookies, chocolates and candies. In desperation the studio finally brought out a new weapon…Metro added diet pills.” Judy Garland was only a teenager at this time and had already been put on multiple pills such as uppers and downers in order for her to keep up with her heavy work schedule. With the addition of the diet pills, Garland was able to lose weight at the cost of

both her mental and physical health, all in the name of the studio trying to make viewers happy. Many actresses at the time were also forced to receive abortions if they became pregnant out of wedlock, were having an affair, or if it were going to affect the filming of their next project. Some names include Judy Garland, Bette Davis, and Lana Turner. These women could either keep their jobs or keep their unborn babies. For financial reasons, they ultimately decided to keep their jobs, their free will completely taken away from them.

Another issue that actresses faced during the studio system was typecasting and aging out of roles. Typecasting brought about issues of how actresses lived their lives and how they were treated. Jean Harlow, for example, had in her contract that she was not allowed to get married. MGM feared that if Harlow were to get married it would tarnish the sex symbol that she was seen as in films. The studio only finally allowed Harlow to marry when it was to an MGM camera man. Type Casting also led to many women getting stuck in roles they couldn’t refuse. Joan Crawford was seen as the dazzling leading lady, Judy Garland and Shirley Temple were seen as the innocent childlike characters, and women like Mae West and Jean Harlow were shown as the harlots and “easy” women. Once you were seen as something it was hard to escape from that. All your roles would be essentially the same, and if they wanted to try different characters they were met with a no. As natural as aging is, it was something that worked against actresses during that time. If the studio felt that a woman had outgrown the role of being the love interest in films, they would replace her with someone half her age. This would often lead to female actors getting less and less roles, while their male counterparts were able to continue playing the leading man and love interest well into their 60s. This was an unfair double standard that created tension between

stars. Women who had given their lives to the studio system and had undergone so much exploitation and abuse felt like they were being thrown away and replaced with someone new and shiny. This cycle never truly ended, and we unfortunately still see female ageism in current pop culture.

Once you were signed with a studio, you weren’t allowed to leave that contract until it was over. With these contracts, a lot of young women were exploited by executives. In E.J. Fleming’s book he writes: “Thousands of beautiful women flocked to Hollywood to get into the movies. Many were put under contract… The option girls were often used for the benefit of management or their friends, a problem so well known that agents first had to represent the women as 18 so there wouldn’t be any statutory rape problems.” Most young women at the time were tempted with the promise of stardom to have a chance to be the next Loreta Young or May West, and executives took advantage of that to prey on young women. It also wasn’t only young unknown women who were prayed upon using the studio system, notable actresses like Judy Garland, Shirley Temple, and Ava Gardner were also victims of this system. Studios at this time “owned” their actresses, and they feared that saying “no” would cost them roles in successful movies. When actresses tried to stick up for themselves, they were made out to look like the villains. When Judy Garland finally decided to stand up to Louis B. Mayer, the head of MGM, by telling him to stop touching her breasts, he began to cry, and she ended up consoling him, creating a vicious never ending cycle of abuse. With the power that the studio system gave executives through the use of contracts, many women were forced into situations that they had to endure or else they would’ve been blacklisted, leading to even more abuse.

The studio system is usually associated with the Golden Age of Hollywood and most of us today look back on the movies produced during this time with technicolor glasses and nostalgia. The studio system also created an influx of money, allowing for new technology like sound and color to be created, evolving the film industry like never before. With the good that the studio system brought to the film industry, the dark that loomed behind the scenes for actresses of the time is something that can never be forgiven or forgotten.

WOMEN IN LAW

WRITTEN BY

MADELYNN DODDS

ILLUSTRATION BY COOPER JONES

“The confirmation hearing lasted for three days and was the first televised confirmation hearing. On September 21st, she was confirmed.”

Women have been disadvantaged in male-dominated fields since the beginning of corporate America. Up until the 1970s, women could not have their own credit card, take out a loan, or access to their money. They could not file for divorce until the 1970’s “No Fault Divorce.” California enacted no-fault divorce in 1969. Everything a woman wanted to do had to be through her husband. This is especially true in the legal field.

Sandra Day O’Connor is an American attorney, politician, and jurist. She served on the U.S. Supreme Court from 1981-2006. When she was sixteen, she attended Stanford University and graduated with a B.A. in Economics.

She attended Law School and graduated in 1952. She had trouble finding a job because of the sexism at the time. She eventually found employment in San Mateo, California. This employment came at a cost. She had no salary or office space. It was only after a few months that she began to have a small salary despite being in the top 10% of her law school class.

In 1981, Ronald Reagan began his campaign for the presidency. One of his promises was to appoint the first female in the U.S. Supreme Court. O’Connor was his first because of her conservative leanings. His supporters were cautious of his choice. Senators, including Don Nickles of Oklahoma and Steve Symms of Idaho, were also against Reagan’s decision. Conservative activist, Peter Gemma, called the confirmation “a direct contradiction of the Republican platform to everything Candi -

date Regan said and even President Regan has said regarding social issues.” Nonetheless, she was nominated on August 19th, 1981. “The confirmation hearing lasted for three days and was the first televised confirmation hearing. On September 21st, she was confirmed.”

In 1993, Ruth Bader Ginsburg followed her in becoming the second woman to be nominated for the Supreme Court. Ginsburg was nominated by President Bill Clinton in 1993 until her death in 2020. She had opinions authored in many cases such as United States v. Virginia (1996), Olmstead v. L.C (1999), and Friends of the Earth v. LaidLaw Environmental Services Inc. Ginsburg spent much of her legal career as a women’s rights advocate. O’Connor felt relieved she wasn’t the only woman on the Supreme Court. This was followed by the nominee Elena Kagan in May 2010.

Kagan was nominated by President Barack Obama and has served since August 7th, 2010. She is the fourth woman to be a member of the Court. She has written the majority opinion in landmark cases such as Cooper v. Harris, Chiafalo v. Washington, and Kiser v. Wilkie. She was the first woman solicitor general of the United States before being nominated. As of 2022, she is the most recent justice without any prior judicial experience. She was a professor at Harvard Law School and became the first female dean.

Women have long been disadvantaged despite these great accomplishments. There is still a long way to go to ensure true equality. These women are an example of what can be achieved.

fangirl BEING A

IS THE WORST THING A GIRL CAN BE

WRITTEN BY GIA KRUPENS

ILLUSTRATION BY GERRICKA

DACPANO

Here’s a universal truth: we’re all fans of something.

Maybe it’s a show, a sport, or an artist. Maybe it’s a book, a team, or a company. We all know what it’s like to love something. However, being a fan takes on a whole new meaning when the word “girl” is added.

According to the Oxford Languages Dictionary definitions found on Google, a fan (noun) is “a person who has a strong interest in or admiration for a particular person or thing.” Sounds pretty normal, right? No negative connotation associated with the word. They even cite “football fans” as an example for the term.

“Perhaps if we were able to share our love for things a little more freely, and everyone else was able to care a little less, we’d all be a little happier.

Yet somehow, when you Google fangirl in the same dictionary, you get a much different definition. Fangirl (noun) “a female fan, especially one who is obsessive about comics, movies, music, or science fiction.” A second definition uses the

word “overexcited” as a synonym to obsessive. The example sentence itself makes a good point about the terminology of the word: “Your average fangirl, despite the implication of the name, is a grown-up.”

Why is it that a fan can be one thing, but to be a fangirl is a completely different (and seemingly much worse) thing to be. “Obsessive” and “overexcited” have a much more negative connotation to them. The idea that fangirls are compulsively crazy has been the social standard for years in pop culture.

The origins of the word can be traced back to the mid-1800s and the fame of pianist Franz Liszt, who is now credited as the world’s first rockstar. Pianote. com claims that Liszt became so famous with his largely female audience that it led to the downfall of his relationships, causing him to leave performing altogether when he was 35.

This ideology of what a fangirl is has continued through decades. Think Frank Sinatra and Elvis Presley, both of whom were largely listened to by teenage girls and young women when they were in their prime. These musicians are regarded as some of the best to ever live, and yet their fans are just regarded as . . . well, crazy.

In a Rolling Stone interview that Harry Styles did in 2017, he comments on the credibility of young female fans. “Who’s to say that young girls who like pop music have worse musical taste than a 30–year-old hipster guy . . . Young girls like the Beatles. You’re gonna tell me they’re not serious? How can you say young girls don’t get it? They’re our future.”

Styles is right. There’s an unspoken different meaning when a guy says he loves the Beatles and

when a girl does. Whether or not you agree (or if you’re triggered by the word itself) it comes down to one simple truth: the patriarchy.

In our western, still male-dominated society, a man’s word holds more weight than a woman’s, and that’s proven in the demographics.

In 2022, The Hollywood Reporter released an article about the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences voters (a really long name for the people that vote for the Oscars). They found that –surprise – 67% of the voters are male. The Recording Academy voters (those who decide on Grammy winners) are a little better according to Billboard in 2023, but still not great with 58% male. Even in the sports world, ESPN reported in 2021 that a whooping 85% of sports reporters are men.

This isn’t just to throw basic statistics at you, but to actually show you the proof. Men are listened to more, they hold more influence, and therefore, they believe that their opinions matter more than women’s. When a man says “The Beatles are great,” it means the Beatles are great. But when a woman says “The Beatles are great,” it leads to a whole other barrage of questions: “Oh, really? Can you even name all the Beatles?”

“Name three songs- no, you can’t say “Hey Jude,” name three songs that only a real fan would know.”

“Do you even know what they sang on the Ed Sullivan show in 1964?”

Women have to prove themselves as fans of something for it to be considered real. And that’s not even considering the flip side of what it means when a fangirl loves a female celebrity- that’s a whole different level of misogyny.

If a girl can name any Taylor Swift song in three seconds, she’s obsessive, but if she tells you she’s a fan of The Smiths and can’t name all their albums, she’s not a real fan. If a woman cries while reading Twilight, it’s overemotional and dramatic, but if a man cries when his favorite team wins the World Series, it’s accepted. If a girl buys tickets to multiple Bad Bunny concerts, she’s an attached groupie, but a guy can buy season tickets to every football game and it’s normal.

There are different standards for things that are considered feminine or masculine. If you’re a girl that likes something that is considered girly, you’re

basic. If you’re a girl that likes something that’s considered masculine, you have to prove yourself as a fan (because yes, men will question if you can name another football player besides Joe Burrow if you say you like football). Either way, women can’t win. We can’t just like something to like it.

I’m not saying anything new here, and I’m not trying to get all preachy on you, but wouldn’t it be nice if it could all just . . . stop? Why do we as a society care so much about what kinds of things women are fans of? As exhausting as it is as a woman to have to defend the things she likes, isn’t it equally as exhausting to be so worried about what others

are spending their time looking at? It’s a lose–lose for everyone.

Shaming people for their interests isn’t doing anyone any good. Perhaps if we were able to share our love for things a little more freely, and everyone else was able to care a little less, we’d all be a little happier. Next time a girl tells you her favorite movie is The Notebook, instead of calling her basic just say “Cool!” and move on.

Let women be excited about things. Let women express their love for something without being labeled as obsessive. Let women be fangirls, and let that be okay.

WHERE ARE ALL THE WOMEN IN GAMING

Itend to be a little paranoid. I make assumptions about things and I see patterns in places that people don’t (or where they don’t feel like admitting they do). I thought I could familiarize myself with the gaming community, but I found that it was just as discomforting as socializing with any other usual groups of young men in school or a hobby shop. Not to say there are solely negative characteristics, but there is something about retellings of sex jokes, constant shit-talking, and strongly held opinions about someone’s competence as a player. I think that might be the extreme of it though— hopefully.

Noticing how emasculating and tiresome these habits can be, I thought: “Is this how it’s meant to be?” This behavior exists throughout the entire gaming community including Twitch, YouTube, and Reddit. I never believed that this is all the community had to offer. I have met good people, friendly people, and increasingly tolerable men as I have lingered: but where was that balance? Women, I thought, most likely enjoy video games as much as us, catch up on the gaming news, and have opinions they want to share. Turns out, unsurprising to myself, they make up 45% of the playerbase in the United States. So, in all of the tournament going and online co-op playing, where are our fellow players? Whenever I spot some of them, they are scarce.

I don’t think it is a question that can be answered directly, but there are several clues as to the best guess. The most obvious reason for this lack of presence is online harassment by men towards women. Several studies in recent literature have already accepted this as being a common result in the data. The data finds that the mere identification of the female voice in the game brings forth negative interactions from male voices. How do women cope or react to the general toxicity and

The mere identification of the female voice in the game brings forth negative interactions from male voices.

sexual harassment? By hiding their identity, gender swapping in-game, avoiding communication, and seeking social groups that are tolerable. This is not an invisible issue, except to a number of men in the community. The funny part is, in competitive games, even the men are harassed by their own gender if it regards their competence and achievement in-game. I strongly identify with this. I’m only one case but, coincidentally, I happen to mute my mic at all times—let alone for that one friend who sucks at the game as much as me. Frankly, I started doing this because guys would be critical of my skill or blame me for a loss, putting pressure on a simple match. I see it, a lot of women see it, and the rest of the community see it too.

While it would be easy to stay on those points and call out several players who may promote or deny this kind of aggressive behavior, I would also not like to make too many assumptions about this lack of presence. It was enlightening to find that women have different motivations for playing the game. One thing to note before speaking on that is that the 45% is only increasing, with a growing interest in gaming from what I assume is stereotypes beginning to shed, even if only a little bit. The literature has found that the motivations differ from men cross-culturally, sometimes inverting

WRITTEN BY ALBERTO JUAREZ

ILLUSTRATION

BY SERENA LOGAN

but always edging in a different direction. In the United States, the primary motivation seems to be to engage socially and maintain relationships (albeit through competition and achievements in these cases). I think this is agreeable. Remember that growing number of female players? It seems to be significantly tied to playing with male partners and family members. But even knowing that, shouldn’t there be bigger representation in Esports?

This has been my major concern having gone to dozens of Smash Bros. tournaments, as I feel like there are just so many people missing. I don’t know which of these studies applies as a total answer for this. Are women completely discouraged by the thought of aggressive behavior by men in a community dominated by them? Are they not as interested in achievement or competitive drive? Is it a mix of both? This may extend farther than Esports: is the lack of presence the same for other gaming functions such as conventions or arcade events?

I think any player would agree that we all want to be able to play together. Those who harass and deny women have probably been convinced by the usual stereotypes, not to mention the objectification of female characters by game developers among other things. I do believe that we have the power to confront this as long as we gain proper awareness and start to question these things. What I know personally, from experience and observation, is that the male community does not acknowledge this enough, much less look inward. I admit that I really don’t know much—but I would like to know where all our gaming sisters are, to be able to play with them and connect with those I believe have been missing from the community. I believe a complete community makes for a better community.

END OF THE MANUFACTURED WOMAN

The rise of modern feminism in film was a slow yet upward progression that came to the forefront within the last year. While film is meant to reflect our world and mirror how we walk, it always seems to fall a few paces behind. With the release of the cultural phenomenon, Barbie, followed just less than half a year later by the award-season darling Poor Things, the idea of what makes a woman reoccurred as a leading thesis in these films.

These films offer their audiences a strong take on feminism that is palatable to the casual viewer. Barbie didn’t shy away from acting as a Feminism 101 class, intended for audiences of any age. The story follows the titular character as she learns about the patriarchy that slowly morphs her world into one much like our own. Throughout the film, Barbie learns what it means to have a beating heart and what it means to live for herself while counteracting the societal standards that are presented by Gloria, who introduces the truth of reality to the doll. As the film hits a climax, the character of Gloria, a human woman surrounded by the Barbies, gives a speech about the crushing societal pressures that are presented to women of all kinds. She shares the story of womanhood, about how women must be perfect but never too perfect, yet if they do not reach a certain threshold of perfection then they shall be shunned. This is the message Barbie finds itself centering on. Barbie was already perfect while living in her own world, though once exposed to reality she learned to see herself as a flawed being.

A toy manufactured to be the perfect woman was not designed to be flawed. She was meant to be pretty- and to be pretty meant to be tall and skinny with blonde hair and blue eyes who could

do any job imaginable. This image was created in the late 1950s, and as times changed to reflect the modern idea of a perfect woman the doll also did. Today’s standards have shifted into a more inclusive way of seeing womanhood, and there is no right way to be the perfect woman. While Barbie can wear her stereotypical skin, which still empowers women of all walks of life, she can also look and act differently, molded by the girls who pick up the doll to tell her story. The idea of the film is that all women are perfect and powerful, and while the narrative can be a bit narrow by centering around the most socially acceptable Barbie, it is still a great place to start. The film may not have been able to balance all the stories of the dolls from all walks of life, but hopefully this stereotypical Barbie will open the door for those behind her. Meanwhile, Poor Things looks at womanhood through the eyes of Bella Baxter, a young woman who needs some growing up. The story is a play on Frankenstein, and Bella Baxter is The Creature. She walks like a tall child, plays with her food, pees her pants, and can’t form full sentences at the start of the film, yet she becomes an object of lust by those around her. As her mental state grows, she finds herself on a journey of liberation. Bella does not ever find herself living under the guidance of a maternal figure. Though she learns lessons from the women around her, she spends nearly all of her journey figuring out life for herself. Through this journey, she matures and finds herself to be a woman just like any other, despite her beginnings being created in a lab. Within the story, Bella was created out of pure curiosity and her life was meant to be a controlled one. With each step she takes to free her shackles of the lab, she also develops maturity. While

WRITTEN BY JESICA WELLS ILLUSTRATION BY PANHAVATEY BUN

her adventurous side is originally seen by the men around her as something alluring, once she wants to adventure outside of the men she’s been surrounded by for her entire existence, her desirability comes into question. Throughout her life on screen, it seemed as though she could never do anything right. Her character trope follows the “Born Sexy Yesterday” trope made popular by films like The Fifth Element where women who are infantilized are also the primary object of male affection within the same breath. The film actively attempts to break her out of this narrative, and once she matures she is no longer as desirable as she was, they even attempt to replace her. Once the past catches up to Bella, it is expected that she reverts into what she is no longer capable of being. Her story from start to finish was one of never quite being good enough, at least not until she stopped looking for approval from those who would never understand her.

While both films analyze feminism and do a good job of introducing it to audiences who might seek to develop their perspectives, they both only scratched the surface. As a challenge for Women’s History Month, I think it important to look at other works of feminist literature and filmmaking, especially where larger groups of women are represented. Even for other women, it is important to learn empathy for others, especially those groups that the film world is still dragging their feet on so all women can eventually have their time to shine, because just like the ones that have gotten their moments, they are perfect and they are powerful- and that is not something that can be manufactured.

“Her story from start to finish was one of never quite being good enough, at least not until she stopped looking for approval from those who would never understand her.”

WRITTEN BY

ERIC CEJA RUIZ

ILLUSTRATION BY

ABIHAIL ORTEGA

DID YOU KNOW THERE’S A TUNNEL UNDER OCEAN BLVD

Are you well-qualified to represent the LBC?

Lana Del Rey is, in fact. Did you know about the tunnel under Ocean Blvd? Lana Del Rey’s latest studio album, titled “Did You Know There is a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd,” pays homage to the Jergins tunnel around the intersection of Ocean Blvd and Pine here in Long Beach, California. In this album, Del Rey transcends her listeners by singing in a poetic manner that asks the world to not forget her like the tunnel under Ocean Blvd—a tunnel with Mosaic ceilings and painted tiles on the walls that were sealed by two man-made walls.

Well, great, now you know about the tunnel that sits underground not too far from LBSU. But who is Lana Del Rey? Elizabeth Woolridge Grant, but most of the world knows her as Lana Del Rey. The best way I can describe her is as a strong woman full of spirit and poetic talent who embodies all the best parts of a versatile musician. Her versatility can go from old Hollywood glamour to the new Americana while keeping her poetic and visual aesthetic authentic to herself. It is impossible to put Del Rey into a single genre; she has done it all from rock, pop, alternative indie, hip-hop, and now country while incorporating inspirations from Elvis Presley, Nina Simone, Frank Sinatra, Amy Winehouse, Bruce Springsteen, and many more. Alongside talented producers, she crafts musical serenades dealing with different themes that allow listeners to connect with her art.

Del Rey has been a major inspiration not just for her fans but also for other musicians. For over a decade, she has influenced a generation of musicians. Artists like Billie Eilish, Olivia Rodrigo, and Taylor Swift have praised Del Rey for the inspiration she has provided them. In their own ways, they have all credited her for the influence on the music they produce.Del Rey’s music has inspired a whole new genre of music, including those who don’t credit her directly, borrowing from her sound and style. Del Rey has paved a road for many musicians, and she has a track record to prove it… literally. Lana Del Rey was recently awarded the first-ever Music Visionary award at the 2023 Billboard Women in Music cere-

mony. Del Rey’s influence extends far beyond the music industry; she has created a wave of creativity in all facets of art, from film to fashion and to the fine arts. She has collaborated with designer brands such as Gucci and, most recently, Skims. Lana Del Rey’s records have been featured in plenty of films, TV shows, and even video games. Some of her most notable songs have been produced for films like The Great Gatsby, Disney’s Maleficent, and HBO’s hit show Euphoria. Her music has also been used a staggering number of times on millions of TikToks or across other social media platforms, featuring some of her songs like “Say Yes to Heaven,” “Summertime Sadness,” and “Margaret” from her latest album.

Her success spans over a decade, and more and more individuals are discovering her music and listening to her discography. Del Rey’s album “Born to Die” has spent over a decade on the Billboard 200 chart, a record accomplished only by one other solo female artist, which is Adele.

Despite Del Rey creating a blueprint for many mainstream artists, she is not widely known compared to those who have taken major inspiration from her. In fact, she has been nominated 11 times for a Grammy but is yet to be awarded one, which has left many fans questioning why. Many have speculated that the Recording Academy does not take Del Rey seriously as an artist. You see, Del Rey began her career as a musician long before her breakout in the early 2010s. Before finally adopting the name LANA DEL REY, she went by a few different aliases. Her first breakout song was “Video Games.” Del Rey praises her good friend Abel Tesfaye, notably known as “The Weeknd”, for the success achieved after he posted her song multiple times on his Tumblr page, reaching the ears of many. After this life-changing moment for Del Rey , new listeners began to ascend towards her music. Following this success, she released her album “Born to Die,” which continues to chart a decade later. However, her prime was quickly met with backlash. Critics and popular media outlets wrote long dissertations discussing why her music

was unoriginal and lacking creativity. During that time, it became a trend to hate Del Rey , but no matter the roadblocks she faced, she was able to power through. By creating a discography worth praising, Del Rey has shown the world time and time again that her music is crafted with love, tears, and joy, which provides a platform for self-reflection and appreciation.

Her latest album, “Did You Know There’s a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd,” offers listeners a close and intimate look into the mind of Del Rey and her life. The album seems to be a reflection of her life and how far she has come as an artist and as a human. Fans of all ages are able to experience the world through her poetry and emotions. It is as if she is sitting right beside you at the beach next to a crackling bonfire, telling you about the intricacies of life and love.

From personal experience, Del Rey’s music is so important and impactful because she has a rare ability to connect with individuals of all ages in an emotional and metaphysical way. Her melodies that add to her raw and emotional voice allow listeners to feel love, longing, nostalgia, and an overall appreciation for life. I have been listening to Del Rey since her “Born to Die” album, and I have continued to do so as I got older. As I do, I begin to find new meanings and appreciate her music even more. Del Rey is able to evoke a feeling in my friends and I that many other artists cannot accomplish.

Del Rey’s music is a beautiful sentiment for the world, and being alive in this time period right alongside her and experiencing her music with other fans for the first time is a privilege that not everyone will get to experience. Del Rey’s legacy is far from over, and with her country album titled “Lasso,” scheduled to release later this year, she’s bound to pave a new road. As someone who has never given country music a try, you better believe I will be listening as I drive down PCH, imagining I’m going down some country road in the outskirts.

WHY YOU HATE YOUNG GIRLS AND WHY IT’S NOT THEIR FAULT

WRITTEN BY CAROLINE SMITH

ILLUSTRATION BY MADISON HOIBY

Sometimes I wake up like twenty minutes before my alarm. I’m too awake to go back to sleep, but too tired to get ready. With not much to do but kill time, I’ll open up TikTok on my phone. Every once in a while I’ll find a funny edit or cat video to send to my friends. Maybe a sketchbook tour that gets me wanting to draw more. TikTok usually delivers some mediocre laughs, annoying ads, or horrifying peeks into the deepest chasms of internet anger and what it spells for our future too.

I’m so over hearing adults talk about how young girls are ruining makeup stores. If you don’t know (lucky you), there’s been a big discourse with TikTok users sharing how they can’t go into makeup and beauty stores like Sephora and Ulta because there are girls, anywhere from seven to fifteen, rampaging about. They’re using up the samples. They’re using their mom’s credit card to buy Fenty lip glosses. Someone sound the alarms! There are teenage girls buying makeup!

In response to this, there were a lot of staff from these kinds of beauty stores confirming on TikTok suspicions of the siege on Sephoras. This is going in tune with the continuing discourse on how Gen Alpha is the worst, and they’re all iPad kids that have stunted socialization from quarantine.

These kinds of rabbit holes usually just make

me turn off my phone. I need to see the sun. I need to talk to a real-life person. It’s exhausting to see how many people hate young girls. There is always something: Teenage girls are obsessed with Twilight, girls are obsessed with One Direction, girls are obsessed with The Beatles… Girls ruin culture! That’s what it sounds like to me. Simply, it is so easy to hate on young girls, because they are the hyper-feminine, seemingly powerless punching-bags for culture.

Why are girls invading the MAC counter? Well, some of you might have been a young girl once. What did you do for fun? You went to school, you went home, and you went to your after school activities. Sure, but where would you and your friends

go for fun? The mall? Where in the mall? Claire’s, Justice, Limited Too, Libby Lu, Bath and Body Works, Aeropostale, Hot Topic. All 2000s mall classics. Are all of those still in your local mall? If they are, do the products in the store still cater appropriately to children? Likely no.

There’s this idea of a “third space” in society. You have home and work, but the third space is somewhere in the community where you can socialize with friends and strangers, which is becoming less common as we all tend to spend more time in the first two spaces. There is this loss of “third spaces” for everyone, but especially children. Especially since quarantine. A kid only really has home and school. There are less and less safe spaces for kids

to be social and explore their identities. It used to be way more common to see the neighborhood kids playing in the street or at the park. It’s a space outside of family and school where they problem solve, communicate, and build experiences with friends. Arguably, the new third space is the internet. Which is potentially the worst possible third place. Sure they might be following their friends from school, but they’re not building new relationships or experiences. They are instead mostly watching influencers and YouTubers that might not even be catering to kids (that’s not to say that “kids content” on the internet is good either).

Tweens also don’t really exist anymore. 12-yearold me had American Girl magazines, Girl Scouts, AYSO, and Disney Channel to model those adolescent years off of. Now, algorithms on TikTok push kids to watch slime videos and beauty gurus explaining their 10-step skin care process. Tweens are becoming obsolete as you get more kids wanting to follow what adult influencers are doing. Social Media is putting middle schoolers on the fast track to adulthood, and that’s partially us adults’ fault.

Look, I get it. I worked with kids for three summers at a day camp. Starting in Summer 2021. I’ve seen those kids get pushed out of quarantine and online school into “the new normal.” They didn’t know how to socialize. They couldn’t share. They couldn’t spell their names. They cried for hours after their parents dropped them off. If we as adults are deeply affected by quarantine, they are even worse off. My coworkers and I were suddenly tasked with filling in for the lost time. I was dealing with the iPad raised Gen Alpha kids that everyone is terrified and annoyed with.

It’s easy to blame the parents–which they do bare the brunt of how they’ve raised their kid. However, and this may be difficult to hear, but it’s on us too. As a child is in development, they look to the world to learn how to be. You want to ask why kids aren’t reading? Why aren’t we? Why are little girls buying anti-aging cream? Why are we so obsessed with aging? I know we like to think that if you don’t have children in your life, you live in a completely separate sphere, but that is not true. My solution is going to be asking something from you, but I think it will do good. Those Gen Alpha

campers I worked with got better. Each summer I came back, the kids were doing better. Less breakdowns, less crying. More friendships, more teamwork, and more independent problem-solving. Simply through having real, in-person, screen-free, interactions with kids and adults. It’s hard work, but straight-forward. And the reward is so great. To see young girls be able to play, share, work together, have conflict and solve it is so uplifting.

This is my big ask: show kindness to young girls. To all kids. To teens. To people just five years younger than you. Try to understand them. Reimagine what life was like for you then. While you’re at it, show kindness to pure strangers of all ages. Give up your seat on the bus, help someone picking up trash, hold the door open. It’s so easy to think about yourself, but it only takes a little bit more effort to think of others as well.

And for those that have younger sisters, cousins, nieces, or daughters of your own: please spend time with them and give them the support and lessons they may be missing. Even if that means an age-appropriate, play-makeup kit.

“This is my big ask: show kindness to young girls.”

Who are they again? Mother Radio? Vroom Vroom? Femmebot? No, it’s

YUCK!

WRITTEN BY

JACKIE DEBLASE

ILLUSTRATION BY

LEYNA NGUYEN

“Originally, YUCK! was me and Sammie,” Kat Nunez begins, looking over to her co-host, Sammie Cortes.

“We’ve known each other since high school, and I’ve always wanted to do radio. When Sammie transferred, I was like, ‘OK, we finally have to do this’ because I didn’t wanna do it alone, and Sammie has good music taste.”

Kat has called Cal State Long Beach home since their freshman year, waiting for the moment when all the pieces would fall into place. So, when Sammie officially became a shark after transferring from Long Beach Community College, dreams of starting their own radio show, once tossed around during girls’ night, started to take root.

“Yeah, so I transferred in, and I was at orientation and we were just in a big lecture hall,” Sammie Cortes said.

“At COB,” Janice Diaz adds excitedly, like she knows where this story is going.

“Yeah, at the College of Business,” Sammie continues, “I was talking to the guy next to me and it was kind of like a snooze fest,” Janice laughs at this, supporting Sammie in her conclusion that this guy was in fact snooze central, “I was getting a little bored.”

through 22 West Media Radio.

Now, V.I.P passes for YUCK! are on sale, and luckily, we’re first in line.

“So, I turned to the person next to me who looked a lot cooler,” Sammie trails off, looking towards Janice.

“And it was me!” Janice says, a smile pasted on her face, while they all giggle in reminiscence. “I didn’t know anyone there, so I was just like I’m just gonna follow [her], she looks like a cool person.”

“And from then, it was just kind of natural to add Janice because we were all like best friends,” Sammie said looking over to her co-hosts.

“So, our second semester, Janice came on, and I think since then YUCK! has been at its peak.”

They were brought together by fate, forging their own path of artistic expression and musical remedies. Now, whether it be fate or determination, Sammie Cortes, Kat Nunez, and Janice Diaz have found their own version of Nirvana in the joyous birth of their radio show, YUCK!

In the studio, YUCK! invites emerging bands or solo artists to chat about their sound, what inspires them, and epic performance stories. From 2-3 p.m. on Mondays and Wednesdays, they offer a backstage pass into the minds of their talented guests

“Three lively characters, each with a different vision board, and yet they all share magnetic traits tying them together.”

A ‘Fitting’ Trinity, Fangirls with a Dream Mondays, we students all know it as the most dreaded weekday.

We start hitting refresh on our school checklists, sluggishly make our way to campus or stop for an espresso loaded pick-me-up to make it through the day. Meanwhile, YUCK! has already begun preparing for a day full of uploading, soundchecks, interviews, and much needed debriefs.

And of course, a Caesar salad from The Nugget for lunch is a must have for these girls.

Even with proper equipment right at their fingertips, there is no doubt YUCK! wouldn’t have the same vibrant, retro elegance without the brain and hearts of Kat, Janice, and Sammie.

Always looking to expand YUCK!’s creativity is Kat Nunez, 21. A 4th year marketing major and a public relations minor, and as creative director, Kat builds posts for the show’s Instagram — and might I say, they did a fantastic job on the posts for season 3!

A 4th year communications major and public relations minor, Janice Diaz, 21, fills the role as YUCK!’s dedicated research ‘girlie.’

“Janice has been known to dig up information that we didn’t even know was on the internet,” Sammie said with pure astonishment while Kat and Janice laughed.

Lastly, but most definitely not least, is Sammie Cortes, 21. She is a 4th year journalism major with a marketing minor who maintains the operations of YUCK!. When contacting prospective artists or managers, Sammie takes the lead as the quill of YUCK!.

Three lively characters, each with a different vision board, and yet they all share magnetic traits tying them together. It was clear from the

beginning, that to earnestly pursue their own radio show, becoming one collective brain cell was key to perfecting their digital platform.

Though, knowing these spirited individuals, that part came easy.

“We’re always on FaceTime,” Janice told me.

“Or just together,” Kat added.

“We’ll just be in a little circle, just on our laptops,” said Janice.

“Block[ing] everybody out, [it’s] just us three,” Kat said, smiling.

Personalized quips, inside jokes, seasoned laughter, and darling memories bounce between them as they remember the lifetime of YUCK!.

Their unnoticeable moments move like white-water rapids, from functional chit-chat to comic babbling, like one of those inflatable crowd spheres — you know, those giant orbs tossed out to the audience at music festivals or concerts — bouncing across a sea of people, sparks of joy electrifying you as the orb grazes your fingertips.

YUCK! holds an atmosphere of vulnerability for each other, leaving no one to tackle a problem alone, even if it’s just proper wording for an email.

“I think that nothing in YUCK! is fully independent,” Sammie said. “Everything needs a cosign, that’s what we’ve always called it. Decisions aren’t made by just one person because that’s just not how we work.”

and two blew by, pushing them to realize perfect timing and a fleeting opportunity was falling into

their laps.

“Very early on we were just not serious at all, Kat said. “We would just post memes on our page and call it a day.”

“I was a fan, I was a fan,” Janice said, trying to revitalize some season one appreciation.

It was clear from the start, and from Kat’s eye-catching designs, that interviewing bands and musicians gave them true creative flow.

For Kat, radio was always their end goal, but for Sammie and Janice, they never imagined enjoying the entertainment industry as much as they do now. They never imagined YUCK! would light a roaring fire underneath them.

“We kept hearing people and radio tell us that they saw potential in what we had going on, and for a while we kind of just shrugged it off,” Sammie began to tell me.

“I guess there was some shift,” Kat added, “when we were like, ‘Okay, we actually could do something with this and be a little bit more serious,’ and I think that started out with our first artist, right?”

Pleasure Pill, a San Diego based band with a static rock sound, was their first band interview of season 2, and, to quote Sammie, the band that “started it all”, allowing them to unleash their visionary ideas.

That first interview changed the DNA coursing through YUCK!’s veins, revealing the path towards

Ian Cobiella, followed Pleasure Pill in season 2.

“I think we were all fangirls growing up,” Sammie said about the concept of YUCK!, “[and] the signs were kind of there, like we just were fangirls of bands. So, I think this is just kind of perfect.”

So, of course, YUCK! kept setting up interviews. One of their favorite solo artists and human beings,

”Each member of YUCK! holds a unique reservoir of potential, but when they come together, their abilities converge, forming a galaxy of stars.”

‘Walking’ on Yuck!’s Wavelength

Each member of YUCK! holds a unique reservoir of potential, but when they come together, their abilities converge, forming a galaxy of stars.

Hints of purple beam through the darkness from Sammie.

Green streaks flow across the cosmos, brushstrokes from Kat and her gentle, creative hand.

Pops of magenta burst to life because of Janice, the missing puzzle piece completing their novel concept.

Together, these three fangirls continuously discover their potential through the universe of YUCK!

So, with nothing more than a fully-fledged idea, a digital camera, and a mic, Kat made their way down to 22 West Media — a student publication at CSULB — in hopes their YUCK!iest dreams would come true.

“I met the ex-general manager,” Kat began, “He was like you guys came at such a perfect time because him and his boss were talking about [how] we just need entertainment music people, and he was like you fell right into our laps.”

As avid radio-listeners may know, radio offers this unique feeling of nostalgia, especially for YUCK!’s generational audience. It can best be described as lying in the backseat of your mom’s BMW with manual windows and scalding hot leather seats, as

she turns the radio up loud. It is here where YUCK! feels right at home.

“I think radio is a lot more intimate than a podcast,” Sammie added, “You can only listen to it once and there’s something special about having people tune in to listen to you.”

“[It’s] authentic,” Janice chimed in behind her.

“Anyone can do what we do,” Sammie began, “We have something special, but we started off with nothing basically. We didn’t really know anyone; we didn’t have any strong connections. We had a digital camera and a mic.”

Thinking back to the beginning brought the softest laughter out of them. Sammie begins again, “A film camera, a mic —”

“— And a dream,” Kat added, finishing the thought with her.

“And a dream,” Sammie said contently.

‘Disorganized’ Perfection: A backstage Pass to YUCK!

With season four broaching the horizon, one project in particular has them very eager for what’s to come. Excitement radiated from Janice and Sammie’s smiles, with pure bliss covering Kat from head to toe, it was enough to even get me excited.

“Aw, it’s so good!” Kat began to say.

“I guess since we all love live shows,” Kat said, “we were like, ‘Okay, what if we got something deeper out of this?’ I was like, ‘Okay, what if we just do Backstage Diaries?’

To get the ball rolling, aforementioned favorite interviewee, Ian Cobiella, was the first to say yes.

“We recorded it, [and] we loved it,” Kat said, “Basically, we just take the artist, record them at sound check, interview them, we get to interview his managers, his opener as well, and just basically get a closer look into setting up for a concert.”

“His [Ian’s] was super fun and he was really open to letting us go, basically, follow him around with a camera,” Janice added. “And he had his at a church, which was also super cool.”

Though the labor and preparation of it all is grueling, it gave them something more.

“It’s so fulfilling,” Sammie began. “After our last Backstage Diaries, I remember leaving the venue and thinking, ‘I could do this forever.’”

“Yeah!” Erupted from both Janice and Kat, their mind’s wavelengths finding perfect synchronicity.

And if having Ian Cobiella wasn’t momentous

enough, Pleasure Pill, the very first band they interviewed on YUCK!, couldn’t resist the insider offer either.

“It was so cool to revisit the artist that basically started it all for us,” Sammie said.

With or without YUCK! — though I think we’d all prefer with — what they have seems to be written in the stars. An exciting journey with Backstage Diaries, fantasies of press passes, flights to New York City, and a plethora of YUCK!ffirmations — if you imagined the flame of a candle and a computer screen illuminating their faces as they manifest their biggest wishes onto a google sheet, then you nailed it on the head — are little fires leading them down the path everyone chases: enduring love for what you create.

“My mom literally tells me all the time,” Janice began, “‘I’m so proud of you,’ because I used to be so shy. YUCK! really helped me expand a lot more and talk to people and also just meeting them two has been awesome.”

If you ask me, this friendship seems sewn together by an invisible string.

“I think being in YUCK! has given me more confidence,” Sammie said, “because I know the two of these people believe in me and what I can do and I believe in them full-heartedly,”

“Cosign to what they said, for sure,” Sammie added.

“Cosign!” Kat and Janice say in unison.

happy never after

WRITTEN BY ALANA LOINAZ

I am not your average girl

I never dreamed of a prince

ILLUSTRATION BY KRIZZHA

DEE

Never checked the price of a pearl

I’ll only ask for necklaces

If I can get Saint Christopher ones

I tried to forget about you

Move on without ever looking back

But it turns out I need more than a train ride

To understand what made you be the reason for my panic attacks

I hate being that kid

Who doesn’t believe in shit

Who says happy endings don’t exist

And who can’t get around any love that’s above mid

You might call me dark

And I won’t say you’re wrong

‘Cuz if you see my birth marks

I’ll end up exposing you in a sad song

I love present tense

Dark and twisty ends

I won’t care for Cinderella

Unless she’s a close friend

You cared about me

My morals I bent

But here I am writing about something

That won’t ever make sense

Happy never after

‘Cuz we wouldn’t have made it anyways

Ten thousand miles apart

And it wasn’t even the distance who pushed me away

There is a monster clawing in her abdomen.

Its thunderous roars fracturing her ribcage and cracking her skin; It leaks through as the deep growl of a predator stalking prey.

Her beauty is derived from her deprivation.

Her skeleton bulges through her frail hide.

What must it be like,

To be so malnourished of that humanity and love

Which nourishes our souls?

Every year, the winter gets harsher.

So every year, the doe is a victim to and villain of the savage woods.

Deprivation breeds monsters, Monsters who invade and consume us.

She wrestles with the monster within her And remains weary of the monsters surrounding her.

The tigers, wolves, bobcats, foxes, alligators, and mountain lions

Stalk her every move

To ensure she remains loyal to their deal: That if she were to become like them, They would protect her

From predators like them.

She has eagerly accepted their wisdom.

The doe no longer eats grass and vegetation. She gorges on the flesh of animals, Of prey.

Maroon forever spoils her face, Forever drips from it.

Thud. Thud. Thud.

She is one of them,

Part of the notorious all-boys club.

She devours the innocent rabbit, the blind-sided bird, Licks their bones clean, And then repeats the process.

It’s difficult, living in the woods.

The bodies of all prey are scrutinized and assaulted by the predators, The voices of the prey are suffocated by the predators, The labor of the prey is exploited by the predators, The hopes and dreams of the prey are conquered by the predators.

But the doe devotes her unyielding support to them.

“Those prey were asking for it.”

“Didn’t those prey know better?”

“Prey are biologically inferior to the predator.”

“It’s the prey’s purpose to be used by the predator.”

She’s even started to savor the taste of meat.

To cosplay as the powerful predator,

To force her ownership over the prey’s entire being, To inflict her stifled agony onto others like herself.

What must it be like, to sacrifice your kind

For the appraisal of your hunters?

The predators laugh at her from afar, Waiting for the day she collapses from exhaustion And becomes their next meal.

Poor doe.

Poor, carnivorous doe.

Both hunter and hunted in this violent, chauvinistic terrain.

So emaciated she believes she has no choice but to wolf down her allies

For her own illusory advantage, her own tenuous welfare.

Always the player, never the victor.

Poor doe.

Poor, carnivorous doe.

WRITTEN BY DARYA JAFARINEJAD carnivorous doe carnivorous doe carnivorous doe

ILLUSTRATION BY SABA NABAEIGHAHROUDI

CONTRIBUTORS

Jackie Deblase, Writer

Madelynn Dodds, Writer

Seren Enriquez, Writer & Artist

Darya Jafarinejad, Writer

Alberto Juarez, Writer

Grace Morcos-Hill, Writer

Jude Sampson, Writer

Caroline Smith, Writer

Eric Ceja Ruiz, Writer

Jesica Wells, Writer

Gerricka Dacpano, Artist

Khrizza Dee, Artist

Madison Hoiby, Artist

Cooper Jones, Artist

Jo Lin, Artist

Serena Logan, Artist

Saba Nabaeighahroudi, Artist

Leyna Nguyen, Artist

Abihail Ortega, Artist