Kettle Mag, issue 1 - America season by Kettle Mag

August 2015 America season

WHAT HAVE AMERICANS EVER DONE FOR US?

OUR FAVOURITE HOLLYWOOD STYLE ICONS

HAVE YOU SEEN THE COVER OF...

To launch Kettlemag’s US season which will celebrate and question all things American, Business Editor Kirstie Keate asks, “What have the Americans ever done for us?”

Ellie Ledra delves into the world of magazine covers, and shares some of her favorite iconic American magazine covers.

CONTENTS 4

What’s America ever done for us?

American Kids TV shows

To launch Kettlemag’s US season which will celebrate and question all things American, Business Editor Kirstie Keate asks, “What have the Americans ever done for us?”

TV Editor Alex Goode looks back fondly on her childhood in the States and remembers some of the children’s shows she used to love as part of Kettle’s season on America.

I say potato, you say... crisps? Let’s call the whole thing off.

A wry look at the confusion caused by the differences in American and British words and their meanings

The truth about Trump

As part of Kettle’s USA season, TV Editor Alex Goode looks at Presidential candidate Donald Trump, and what he’s really all about.

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EDITORIAL For a country that is so proud (and rightly so) of it’s cultural and technological exports... ...it’s sad that it seems unable to manage situations on it’s own shores.

Hello

ver the past few weeks we have been looking at all aspects of the US - the good, the bad and the down-right bizarre.

For a country that is so proud (and rightly so) of it’s cultural and technological exports - and given that it dominates the world both militarily and finacially, it’s sad that it seems unable to manage situations on it’s own shores. Racism, poverty, violence and inequality are rampant in the US and they are a stain on its global aspirations. Why should we pay so much attention to a country when it cannot even agree that the poorest member of it’s society deserve free access to vital healthcare or that it has a problem with gun control? To this extent, on page 10, George Carlsey-Bromilow looks at the appalling rate of gun crime in the US and Fiona Carty comments on the nation’s use of Capital punishment later on page 18. Hollywood is one of America’s greatest exports - Becky Parker on page 30 looks at some of Tinsel Town’s greatest style icons. Wen it comes to media, the United States has argualbly a freer and more varied press than anything ever seen here in the UK. - Ellie Leddra highlights some of the industry’s more controversial magazine covers. This dichotemy of America’s successes and failures make the country a fascinating place and a commentator’s dream. In our America season we focus on what goes into making this such a great country and what, if anything, we can learn from it.

LEON WINGHAM Managing Editor Kettle Magazine

Managing Editor Leon Wingbham

Contributors Kirstie Keate, George Carlsey-Bromilow, Alexandra Goode, James Donnelly, Alex Veeneman, Chloe Smith, Fiona Carty, Emma Jones, Kealie Mardell, Naomi Duffree, Emmi Bowles, Lauren Wise, Rebecca Parker, Ellie Leddra, Madiya Altaf, Holly Wade, Nathan Price

Deputy Editor Kealie Mardell

Photo Editor Nick Banks

Issue editor Kirstie Keate

Designer Christopher Wolsey

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What has America ever done for us? In celebration of Independence Day, and to launch Kettlemag’s US season which will celebrate and question all things American, Business Editor Kirstie Keate asks, “What have the Americans ever done for us?”

t’s Independence Day, the day on which in 1776, following the adoption of the Declaration of Independence, the US obtained independence from Great Britain. In those last 239 years the good old US of A has given us some great, and not so great, things. To launch Kettlemags US Season, I answer the eternal question, “What has America ever done for us?”

Clothes pegs

Starting with a fairly innocuous one, the beloved clothes peg. Slowly drifting out of fashion as busy lifestyles mean increased use of tumble driers and indoor airers, let us not forget the fond memories we have of nan’s washing on the line. Stiff, white sheets, billowing in the breeze, and the only time it was acceptable for granddad’s pants to be on display in public was all down to one David M Smith who patented the design of a spring between two interlocking wooden prongs in Springfield, Vermont.

The Simpsons

Talking of Springfield, though the fictional kind this time, would Sky TV be the success it is without the ratings these guys brought in? Starting way back in 1987 as part of the Tracey Ullman Show, their Halloween Specials are legendary.

Friends Bart Simpson - the anti -establishment hero has been entertaining audiences for almost 30 years.

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Whilst we’re on the subject of US TV, what wet, Saturday afternoon/recovery from a miserable break-up/day on the sofa would complete without a Friendsfest. For issues from infertility to sandwiches, what better company is there than Friends? And

whatever happens, they’ll “be there for you, when the rain starts to pour…”

NASCAR

One time you don’t want the rain to pour is at NASCAR, or The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, to give it its full name. I’m a big fan of stock car racing, and we do an excellent job of it in the UK, but if you want to see it done in spectacular fashion, you have to see NASCAR. Headquartered in Daytona Beach, Florida, it’s second only to the NFL in terms of US TV sports ratings. And trust me, once that intoxicating mix of the thrum of a finely tuned engine and the unique scent of the exhaust fumes it emits gets into your system, you’re hooked for life.

Telephony

Talking about being hooked for life, enter all you iPhone addicts. Not only did America, via Apple, give us the iPhone, but thanks Alexander Graham Bell, we also got the telephone. The first patent for the telephone was awarded in 1876 in the US to the rather mysterious sounding, “apparatus for, transmitting vocal or other sounds telegraphically...by causing electrical undulations”. Without the telephone, there would be no iPhone, and then how would we all play Candy Crush and Angry Birds?

Flight

Although while those angry birds fly thanks to Apple, humans fly thanks to the Wright Bros. Those magnificent men in their flying machines, who certainly did go up, up, up, up with their first flight on 17th December 1903, lasting 12 seconds and reaching 120 feet.

Perhaps America’s most frightening contribution to the world came during World War Two. The Manhattan Project, led by the US and supported by the UK and Canada, produced the first nuclear weapons.

Conspiracy theories

We might not doubt the claims of the Wright Bros, but there are plenty of stories we do doubt from the US which have given us some of the most spectacular conspiracy theories. From the suspected Kennedy involvement in the death of Marilyn Monroe to the rumoured Bush administration involvement in the 9/11 attacks, no conspiracy theorist’s repertoire is complete without a stock of political stories from the USA.

Jeans

Something else that isn’t complete without help from the US? Your wardrobe without a good, comfy pair of all American jeans. Patented by Jacob Davis and Levi Strauss in 1873, jeans are the one item of clothing that if worn with the right attitude, can get you in just about anywhere. Not only that, in times of dire straights abroad, they can even be used as a trading currency.

The Dollar

Also incredibly useful in times of dire straights abroad, the US dollar is the stock currency for economies in trouble. Sometimes it will get you more than using the local currency can thanks to its overall stability, which makes it an essential for any non-european backpacking trip.

Football

Wherever your back-packing dollar might take you, there’s one other currency that will see you make friends across the world, and that’s football. “What have the American’s done for football, apart from annoy everyone by calling it soccer” I hear you cry? Having indicted some of the top FIFA officials on corruption charges, they have at least started the process of facing

up to the inherent corruption in international football that has been the sports worst kept secret for years. Although, in typical British style, we don’t like to be too effusive with our praise. As one football supporter I spoke to said, “It’s a bit like World War Two, we didn’t really need them, but we’re grateful for what they did.”

Kenny Irwin Jr: NASCAR Photography By Darryl Moran

The Manhattan Project

Perhaps America’s most frightening contribution to the world came during World War Two. The Manhattan Project, led by the US and supported by the UK and Canada, produced the first nuclear weapons. You don’t need me to tell you how terrifying or destructive they are, instead I’ll leave it to J Robert Oppenheimer, one of the fathers of the atomic bomb. When reflecting on the first detonation of an atomic weapon he quoted words from the Bhagavad Gita saying, “Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds.” So there we have it, from the functional peg to the atomic weapon, that’s what America has done for us. But let’s not forget the final and most important gift they’ve given not only us, but the rest of the world, the unifying sport of American bashing. If all else fails, you can bet your bottom dollar (or last pair of Levi’s) wherever you are in the world, someone else will also want to bemoan their lack of gun control, use of death penalty, relentless commercialism, over enthusiastic greetings and general peppiness along with you.

Patented by Jacob Davis and Levi Strauss in 1873, jeans are the one item of clothing that if worn with the right attitude, can get you in just about anywhere.

But, who am I kidding, we (grudgingly) love them really, so happy Independence Day to all you Septic Tanks out there.

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The American history that led to #LoveWins

By George Carsley-Bromilow

The American Supreme Court gave a landmark ruling that finally made same-sex marriage legal throughout the country. Here we look at the history of how they got their and the response from those in charge.

n June 26, 2015 the Supreme Court in America ruled by a 5-4 vote that same-sex marriage is now legal throughout the country.

As an inevitable event in American history, this expansion of the right to marry now makes it so that every same sex couple can now get married. However, the fight to achieve this amazing result has been far from easy.

The History The history for marriage equality in America is a long one. So here is a long story made short. It was in 1996 when President Bill Clinton signed the Defence of Marriage Act that same sex marriage became illegal throughout the country. However less than 10 years later in 2003, Massachusetts began issuing same-sex marriage certificates following a judges ruled that their state constitution allowed gay marriage. This paved the way for a few other states to take notice and to also pass laws that allowed gay marriage in their respective states. California, being one of the states that allowed same-sex marriage, suddenly had a ban on the issuing of marriage certificates in 2008 when a state referendum deemed that it should not be legal. These restrictions on marriage equality lasted until 2013, when the Supreme Court had a challenge to the Defence of Marriage Act. This Act made it so that any same-sex couples that were married during this period where not given the same rights that straight couples received. However, after this was repealed the rights that same sex couples did not previously have were given to them. And this brings us to now. Where every state in America has to issue same-sex marriage licenses under the new law. Yet the potential new leaders of the county have something else to say on the issue.

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The Retaliation As expected, Democrat candidates praised the decision with Democratic hopeful Hillary Clinton (wife of the aforementioned Bill Clinton) tweeting that she was ‘[p] roud to celebrate a historic victory for marriage equality—& the courage & determination of LGBT Americans who made it possible. –H’. But many of the opposing Republican candidates expressed their objection to the new law. One such example is Mike Huckabee, the former governor to Arkansas, who showed his strong opposition to the ruling by stating that ‘[w]e must resist and reject judicial tyranny, not retreat’. A further example is Louisiana governor Bobby Jindal, who said that the decision ‘will pave the way for an all out assault against the religious freedom rights of Christians who disagree with this decision.’ Kentucky decided to not issue marriage certificates at all once the ruling was given, and turned away anyone, gay or straight, who wanted to get married. Therefore they were breaking the law and several court clerks who did not issue any marriage licenses have since been sued by gay and straight couples for not issuing a marriage licence because the new law conflicts with their religious beliefs. The clerks argue that since they have not issued a license to anyone then they cannot be accused of discrimination. Even members of the public showed voiced their opposition to the the ruling by stating that they were going to move to Canada or England. Bad news for them unfortunately that we have had same-sex marriage for quite a while now yet we seem to be doing alright.

What’s next?

…the decision ‘will pave the way for an all out assault against the religious freedom rights of Christians who disagree with this decision.’

Although this is a major step in the right direction for LGBT+ equality in America, and the world, there is still a long way to go. Homophobia still exits. Transphobia still exists. And the only way for the country to move away from this is for people to be educated and informed that being gay isn’t something that you choose. Being born as the wrong sex isn’t something that you choose. And that forcing someone to bury these feelings only does more harm than good. But with all that said, well done America and well done to the LGBT+ activists across the pond.

Louisianna Govenor, Bobby Jindal is not too happy about the decision. Image: Wikipedia

A protestor waves the raimbow flag outside of the Whitehouse. Image: Tony Webster

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5 American kids’ TV shows that have never left me TV Editor Alex Goode looks back fondly on some of America’s best kids’ TV shows.

eing born in the USA and then dividing my time between the UK and America, I have very divided memories about my television experiences as a child. Living in England usually meant school and studying, whereas spending time in America was always family-time, holidaytime and relaxation-time. Hence, as a kid, I watched a lot more American TV than British. As an adult, I’ve never been able to have the reminiscent chats with friends about our favourite childhood shows - because it turns out that the UK was totally deprived of some of the so-terrible-it-was-incredible shows that I indulged in as a child in the States.

Guys, you have no idea what you were missing.

Elmo’s World Everybody knows Sesame Street worldwide but who gives a damn about Big Bird when you can have a whole twenty minutes of Elmo? Elmo’s World was some other kind of special altogether and I’m sure most kids suffered through the rest of the programme just to hear that squeaky little voice sing his theme tune. Almost twenty years later and I still know all the words to that song. I kid you not. That show was everything because it made absolutely no sense. A real goldfish in a crayon world? Moving TV sets? An entire 2D set with doors that still opened? It was not right, not right at all, but that’s what made it oh so child friendly.

Right: Elmos doing his impression of Munch’s cream. Far right: Arthur, DW and rest of the crew.

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Dragon Tales This is another show I was addicted to mostly because of the theme tune. Those words will stay with me forever. This show was about a brother and sister who only had to rub their magic dragon scale to be transported to this bright and colourful land with friendly dragons where they went on all sorts of crazy adventures. The dragons made the whole deal - it was like junior Pokemon. I was so overly attached to Cassie it was ridiculous. Obviously, being a kids’ show, the series taught you all sorts of great lessons like learning to share and not to say mean things about each other but I’m sure I was addicted to the bright colours and loud music like some kind of terrible TV drug.

Arthur Arthur managed to make some kind of headway in the UK but it never had quite the influence that it did in the States. You graduated to watching Arthur once you felt a bit too old for Caillou and Bear in the Big Blue House but before you felt like coming to terms with the real world. The most amazing thing about this show is that the majority of kids don’t even register that the characters in the show are animals until it’s pointed out to them. That’s how real the characters seem to kids. Okay, so Buster has very evident bunny ears, but that doesn’t make him any less of a person, right? That show was addictive and, for the first time, we were all allowed to have a favourite. I liked Francine. Plus, do I even need to mention that theme tune? Hey! What a wonderful time today.

Dinosaurs Dinosaurs might be a bit of a cult TV show because even American friends of mine don’t seem to know it, which is bizarre because it is one of my earliest childhood memories as my brother was addicted. He had all the dolls and used to dress me up to match and sit me amongst them and then see if our mother could find me. Hilarious, I know. There was something a bit Family Guy-esque to Dinosaurs, like a slightly dodgy comedy masquerading as a kids’ show, with hidden messages just for adults. The puppets were downright scary in my opinion but it’s the kind of humour that keeps you watching for years, from kid to teenager. You know there’s a joke you’re not quite picking up but then, one year, you get it and life suddenly makes sense again. This one goes out to my brother, you devious smart ass you.

Mister Rogers’ Neighbourhood If you were privileged enough to watch this show as a kid, even if it was only reruns, you were probably left feeling like you’d just shared in a part of true American history. As corny as it was and as poor as the props were, this show was a staple of being an American child. It was kind hearted, sweet, morally right about absolutely everything and managed to simultaneously make you feel calm and guilty at the same time. We all should have grown up to be like Mister Rogers because he was an angel. The Neighbourhood of Make-Believe became some kind of weird and terrible metaphor for real life, but I’m sure it’s a lesson we’ve all forgotten over the years. Well, guys, when you’re feeling like it’s all a bit too much in the adult world, never forget that your Neighbourhood of Make-Believe is just around the corner. And may Mister Rogers be forever there, singing his song. Yes, he sang too.

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Gun crime in America and why gun ownership laws will not change despite the number of tragedies Guns in America. George Carsley-Bromilow the history of why it is unlikely to change anytime soon.

W control laws?

ith the spate of shootings across the USA over the recent years the laws surrounding the ease of avaliability and the use of weapons has been called into question multiple times. But why is it that after so much violence that the country refuses to make any changes to their gun

America’s love of the gun is most probably seen the best through their long history, from their war of independence to the Wild West to the shooting ranges of the modern era.

The right to bear arms or the right to bear arms? The biggest defence in not changing gun laws is that the right to own them is protected through the second amendment in the declaration of independence. The ‘right to bear arms’ has been the biggest challenge to advocates who say that the laws of the 1700’s need updating in 21st century society. Those with power, who support this right, say that 10

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the law does not need to change because if it did then they would be giving up their power and therefore be showing their “weakness” through their association that power comes with holding a deadly weapon. However, this has not stopped them from doing it in the past. In 1933 the 18th amendment, that prohibited ‘the manufacturing or sale of alcohol within the United States’, was repealed so that only ‘[t]he transportation or importation […] of intoxicating liquors’ was made illegal so that alcohol was allowed to be created throughout the country. If they have changed an amendment before then they can do it again. But, it may rob them of their perceived idea of “power” through their association of being masculine with firing guns like the cowboys did in the Wild West. And their insecurities of giving up this power causes them to force themselves more, which causes the advocates for gun control to force themselves more so it becomes an endless spiral until one big event breaks the spiral. But with so much gun crime lately, is that cycle close to ending? Chances are no.

The ‘right to bear arms’ has been the biggest challenge to advocates who say that the laws of the 1700’s need updating in 21st century society.

Guns don’t kill people, people kill people With the recent gun crime in America, the most recent being the Charleston shootings in South Carolina, becoming more common (or at least given more media coverage) it is causing organisations such as the NRA (National Rifle Association) to become more outspoken as to their belief that the country should become more armed in order for people to protect themselves. However, with more weapons becoming available than it is only more likely that gun related violence will increase.

Do you think that it’s possible that they overlooked that if guns become strictly controlled than gun crime would drop as it would become a lot harder for anyone to obtain a gun? America, we love you, but sometimes you make it very hard for us to do so. Just use some common sense once in a while, and see that some of the things that you do don’t make much sense. Gun crime in America and why gun ownership laws will not change despite the number of tragedies

This is easily seen from looking at statistics about gun crime in America, where it is legal to carry guns, and other countries like the UK, where it is illegal to carry guns. The Brady Campaign, an organisation formed to help prevent gun violence in America, conducted a study and found that ‘31 Americans are murdered with guns every day and 151 are treated for a gun assault in an emergency room.’ While in the UK, the Office for National Statistics found that ‘handguns were fired in 9% of the 2,130 offences in which they were used (197 offences).’

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No thanks, Obama:

The Pres and the press Nectia velisquo officto vel mintibus explibus, tet quam audignat od quam dem derumquibus nus sum et fugiae prestru ntioribusa dolori volorup taspiet anitas vel mo modianto blab iducita temp.

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The White House Press are clamouring for more transparency and access, as promised before Obama’s election, James Donnelly investigates the President’s relationship with the Press.

he Press have been the conduit through which leaders have spoken to their citizens since it’s inception. Through Print, Television and Radio, journalists have been the filter through which successive administrations have spoken. One such set of filters is the White House Correspondents Association, whom have recently demanded a set of ‘principles and practices’ when it comes to access to the President during public addresses. This comes off the back of increasing frustration towards Obama’s administration and their practice and process towards the White House Pres. They increasingly feel that they are navigated around or evaded, in favour of more direct address to the public, and it seems this may well be the case. The White House press often feel excluded from events and the Obama PR machine is the biggest propagator of messages and images. Peter Baker, a White House Correspondent for the New York Times states that “the people who cover the president know him the least”. The White House seems to take much of it’s communication in-house with a video-reporting operation which produces ‘West Wing Week’, the first Presidential twitter account, a youtube channel and 61 staff members working on press, media and message (more than many corporations) including former Chicago Tribune reporter David Axelrod as his main media strategist.

Where the previous Bush administration had largely relied on Fox News to be their mouthpiece, ideologically aligned and with vested personal interests being satisfied, Obama’s team all but do away with the Press, becoming content creators like Jack and Dean or Tyler Oakley, albeit with a tonne more money and pull. His team update twitter, post on facebook and make weekly videos. The press, conversely, haven’t adapted as well to modern telecommunications and for too long saw these emergent technologies as competition instead of something to adopt as part of their process.

Now, respected news sources become hostages to the “modern demands for a click-worthy story and a tweetable quote” A failing relationship Now, respected news sources become hostages to the “modern demands for a click-worthy story and a tweetable quote” tending to ask about headlines and repeating the previous question in different forms rather than delve into proper issues. Instead, the meatier stories related to the President come from external sources, with little knowledge of the initial though patterns. They can map the weather, but have no idea what caused the rain. Because they are no longer seen as necessary by the President, they no longer talk for him, he does. A recent study by the Columbia Journalism Review suggests that the relationship between the Press and the White House is at it’s worse in 50 years. They feel they are determined to hide themselves from the press, using their own, less accountable channels instead. This is because the White House argues the press sensationalise, which they do, and increasingly so in a world full of twitters and buzzfeeds. The Press argues that the White House plays with facts to push a narrative, which it does. Both arguments are valid

aren’t meant to be a filter, in the way Fox News is typically recognised, but as finders of truth. To investigate the official reasoning and deduce the agenda behind them. By circumventing the press, this administration has direct access to the people, with little to filter out the official ‘common sense’ that may be undemocratic. In an information vacuum, the “official story becomes the only story”.

Freedom of the press Indeed, a free press is regularly held as a foundation of modern democracy yet the Associated Press’ phone records were secretly obtained, individual Fox Reporters tracked and several government officials criminally charged with leaking classified information by Obama’s administration. The CEO of AP stated that this “chilling effect” seemed “tailor made to comfort authoritarian regimes that want to suppress their own news media”. James Risen, a New York Times reporter took the US government to court for demanding to identify his confidential sources, the supreme court declining his request, leaving him with no protection against being forced to do so. A Yemeni journalist who exposed his governments cover-up of a US missile strike that killed 14 women and 21 children was sentenced to 5 years in prison, following a sham trial with no substantial evidence. International pressure forced the Yemeni government to pardon him, until Obama rang the Yemeni leader and halted his release. Even abroad, the relationship between the White House and the Press is extremely onesided. Obama’s apparent war on the Press led Risen to refer to his administration as “the Greatest enemy of Press Freedom in a generation”. Whilst many will say that the White House Press Correspondents requests are too much, invading the privacy of a busy man or whining, it’s important that there are people who will watch the President very closely and try to make that stone bleed. This administration hasn’t sidestepped the media because it’s better than them, it’s done so to avoid it’s gaze.

The way both news and official narratives are received and translated have changed with the emergent technology at citizens hands. The lines between citizen and journalist have become increasingly blurred and many are just as likely to “process the State of the Union through your brother-in-law’s Facebook rants” as “the tweets of a few favourite reporters”. Where the previous Bush administration had largely relied on Fox News to be their mouthpiece, ideologically aligned and with vested personal interests being satisfied, Obama’s team all but do away with the Press, becoming content creators like Jack and Dean or Tyler Oakley, albeit with a tonne more money and pull. His team update twitter, post on facebook and make weekly videos. The press, conversely, haven’t adapted as well to modern telecommunications and for too long saw these emergent technologies as competition instead of something to adopt as part of their process. However, whilst Obama’s administration has been very clever and rode the zeitgeist of modern media technology to do away with the press, as a filter, there is another role that is empty, the watchmen. The Press Kettle Magazine

Meanwhile, in America: A new type of late night TV As part of Kettle’s USA season, Alex Veeneman explores the relevance of late night TV, and the current social media debate on the topic.

Letterman made the jump to CBS in 1993, and stayed there until his retirement this past May, ending an era of late night television that all Americans were accustomed to.

Carson, who had presented the programme since 1962, had based his version of the show on comedy, interviews with guests, and musical performances from the stars of the time. It was appointment viewing for millions of Americans who wanted to end their day, good or bad, on a high note, with a laugh or two.

As Letterman retired, there was a shift in how late night television was consumed. The appointment viewing it maintained was changing in an age where clips were being posted on YouTube and shared on social media. No longer did you need to stay up until 11:30 (or 10:30 depending on time zone) to watch - now you could go online the next day and watch selections from the night before.

he year was 1991. At a meeting of affiliates of the US network NBC in New York, Johnny Carson, its key late night star for 30 years, announced that the 1991-92 broadcast season would be his last as host of its flagship entertainment programme, The Tonight Show.

The trend of appointment viewing continued for many years, including the programme presented by the man who Carson wanted to take over from him, David Letterman. Letterman had his own programme following Carson on NBC, but jumped to rival network CBS after NBC went in another direction and gave The Tonight Show to Jay Leno.

The digital shift

As a result, networks are struggling trying to keep the programmes and personalities that have become household names intact. “People are just plucking your greatest hits, without having to sit through the rest of the show,” said Jimmy Kimmel in an interview with The New York Times. He presents his own late night programme, Jimmy Kimmel Live, on commercial network ABC. “There’s more focus on singles than on albums.” Yet, the social factor was front and centre, not just for Kimmel, but most notably for NBC’s Tonight Show franchise, and its current presenter, Jimmy Fallon. However, Kimmel noted there was benefit from the increased YouTube viewership, with items including ‘Mean Tweets’ taking prominence. “I don’t know that we would have been aware of how successful or popular those bits would be, until YouTube and the Internet reinforced that for us. Ratings are one thing – they’re an estimate. But with YouTube, you can look at the numbers. You can see exactly how many people watch

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something. We learned what resonates, and we started doing more of it.”

The viewer is in control However, the idea of viral does not distract from the central ideas. James Corden, the British actor and comedian who went to present The Late Late Show on CBS earlier this year, said the focus remains on the programme itself. “You cannot be chasing that, because it’s futile,” Corden told the Times. “On our show, all we try and do is go: Who’s on the show? What’s the most fun thing we can do tonight? And in that respect, it’s no different than what anyone making a successful late night show has tried to do.” This upcoming broadcast season features the return of Fallon and Kimmel to the 11:30 slot, as well as Stephen Colbert, who replaces Letterman on CBS. As the on air light goes on, the question of the relevance of late night TV in a digital age will continue to be debated, as American audiences consider whether to watch live or go online and view segments the next day. This debate also plays out in the UK and whether to watch EastEnders or Graham Norton live or catch up on iPlayer the next day. For now, the clear indication is that the viewer is in control. The question is, which button on on the remote will be pressed?

The now retired David Letterman, king of late night US television.

America in verse Kettle writer Chloe Smith on her favourite American poetry.

I’m currently doing English Literature at A-level, and hope to carry it on to degree level - so you would assume that I like poetry. You’d be right in that assumption too, because I do really love how one poem has the ability change perceptions and move people, and poetry is actually my favourite medium to write. But I do English Literature, not American Literature, so do I know any American poets? You bet! Fortunately my enjoyment of my college subject has led me to research - and discover - some great American poets. While there were many for me to chose from, here, in no particular order, are my favourite American poets, and why they made my list:

“Let him that is without stone among you cast the first thing he can lay his hands on.” Robert Frost Image: Wikipedia

Sylvia Plath I’ve yet to read a poet that has such rich ideas and language in their poetry. Plath’s work grips you by the throat and won’t let go until she’s taught you something about yourself or the world around you. That’s the only way I can describe her poetry, other than that her poems are so brutally honest and vivid that they are beautiful - with moments from Plath’s life often being in her poems. Morning Song is a good example of this, as it describes Plath’s hearing her first child cry after she was born. Plath also talks about themes such as death, feminism, the mind and motherhood with passion and precision, so you’re sure to find one of her poems impacting and moving. Her collection, Ariel is also one of my favourite collections of poetry (although her collected poems are a great read too.

Emily Dickinson Emily Dickinson is one of my favourite poets, as well as producing some of my favourite poems. Writing most of her word alone in her room and not sharing any of

it until it was discovered after her death, Dickinson has so much passion in her poetry. You can tell she wrote because she loved it. She had a real way with words and structure in her poetry, so that they’re not only interesting reads, but that most of her poetry leaves you feeling almost renewed - if only just because you can tell how much she put into every one of her poems. My favourite poem of hers is I heard a Fly buzz - when I died - because the language, symbolism, and the use of the dash at the end will always be brilliant.

William Carlos Williams While Williams’ poems are fairly simplistic, they really capture your attention and really make you think, which is what I personally think poetry should do. A few of my favourites from his poetry are This Is Just To Say and The Red Wheelbarrow - both of which use their simplistic nature to tell really textured stories, or statements, but leave you to make your own mind up about everything else. I really appreciate how Williams’ almost steps back, and lets his poetry and words speak for themselves, showing that poetry doesn’t always have to be loaded with metaphors to be really impacting.

Robert Frost I always remember the first Robert Frost poem I ever read. It was Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening, and it’s one of my favourite poems. Frost creates really vivid imagery, and in that poem in particular, I was whisked away to a snowy evening as I read. It’s not just that that lead me to loving the poem, though - the wording is so emotive that I tear up every time I read that final stanza. I really need to read more of Frost’s work, but even from the small amount of his poems that I’ve come across, I’ve learnt he’s a great poet! Kettle Magazine

Modern day migration; what’s it like to move to the US? Fiona Carty interviews her friend to find out what moving to the US is like.

lot of us have spent time day dreaming about living in a far off place, and we all have a list of destinations that we would love to go to. Some of us have even either experienced this ourselves, or through a family member or friend moving away. I have a friend Jo who moved to the United States in 2006, the day after our A Level results; I took this opportunity to ask her a few questions about her experiences and thoughts on living and adapting to the states (this also served as part of a much needed and long overdue catch up).

Why did you move to America? 16

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I moved with my parents. I had the choice to either stay or to go with them. I just couldn’t pass up on an opportunity to go on an adventure. So I decided to go with them.

What where the major differences you found? What was the hardest adjustment? There were a lot of differences. There was a lot of slang terms here that I didn’t understand at first. It was like being a child again relearning everything. (For more on this, check out our article on American/ English word clashes!) You would go to the store and not know what brand was good to buy and what was not. The food acted differently in your stomach. I would get

constant unsettled feeling. It took about a year for my metabolism to just. The hardest adjustment was getting use to people asking the same question again and again. “Where are you from? Cool accent. What brought you here? And why Maine?” I was never one for being in the centre of attention. When it came to shopping you could never tell how much you spent until you reached the register. All prices are labelled without tax. Tax was then applied at the register. Each state has different taxes. Maine sale tax is 5% on what you buy in New Hampshire there is no sales tax. It depends on the state so it can get really confusing.

Is there anything you miss? Of course, I miss many things. I find I miss the countryside the most. I miss the variety and diversity of walks you can do in England. I miss being able to go outside without being concerned about being bitten alive by Mosquitos or ticks in the summer or freezing to death in the winter. I also miss friends and family that I haven’t seen in a long while. The worst is when one of them gets married or a death. I don’t have enough money to go, so I watch from a distance a whole ocean apart. That can be the hardest part. Missing out on some of life’s important events of those you love. (Writers note: This feeling runs both ways, a strange ‘happy sadness’ comes with important events like weddings)

Do you have any advice for someone ho is thinking of or preparing to move abroad?

I miss being able to go outside without being concerned about being bitten alive by Mosquitos or ticks in the summer or freezing to death in the winter

Moving abroad is a very big step that will change you for life. I never realized that I would have a feeling of being between two worlds. I don’t fully feel like I fit fully in America but I’ve changed so much that I will never fit fully in England anymore. So if a person was thinking of moving abroad that is something they may have to consider. It’s very risky at first you don’t know if you are going like it and the question what if it fails. My advice is to do your research fully and have a backup plan in case it fails. Also to be true in your heart that is what you want to do because once you move there is no going back from that experience, the good and the bad. Moving away, no matter how far or close the distance, affects everyone around you. In this case, I knew from the day I first started talking to Jo that she was moving with her family to the US after A Level results, so we had two years knowing this was going to happen. To be honest, it doesn’t matter if the move is sudden or planned for a long time, the change is great and still feels the same no matter what the circumstances are.

How were you treated by the locals? The locals would see my family with interest and always wanted to know our story. It sometimes got us some special treatment like a free drink at a restaurant. When it came to my first job. I worked at a donut restaurant. Yes they found me as a novelty but I wasn’t allowed to do certain things. For example the drive through intercom. Reason being the Americans on the other side couldn’t understand a word I was saying. This was due to my accent mixed in with the use of my soft quiet polite English voice. To fit in American you have to talk louder and in their slang. That has taken some time and a lot of repeating myself.

Would you do anything differently? No, I wouldn’t do anything differently. It was all part of the learning experience. I like living here.

Do people still treat you differently now? No they are mostly really nice. In the 9 years since I’ve lived here I have learned the slang and now sadly speak more like them. I have an accent mixed with the British and American. So many don’t notice any more. The few that do want to know my story but that doesn’t happen much any more

Maine get pretty chill in the Winter. Image by Cloud203 Looking west across the Lighthouse in Bass Harbor, Maine. Image by Chris Potako

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Is the death penalty on its death bed?

Fiona Carty looks at the death penalty system in the United States and other countries, as part of Kettle’s America Season.

round the world the death penalty is a controversial subject; it is banned in 141 countries and others have not executed anyone for many years despite it being legal. In 2014 Amnesty International recorded executions happening in 22 countries, and the US was in the top five list of nations who committed the most executions, having executed 35 people in 2014. The method of execution varies from state to state, with lethal injection, gas chamber, electrocution and even hanging and firing squads. Lethal injection is the most common method, however in recent years

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this controversial subject has become even more controversial after an export ban from the EU has led to a shortage in the drugs used leading to a number of ‘botched’ executions.

Experimental Drugs The drug in question is called sodium thiopental, which is an anaesthetic, and after the 2011 ban companies around the world have gradually refused to sell the drug to the USA citing pressure from activists, fear of lawsuits and ethical obligations/ concerns. So what’s being used instead? Well, some states, like Oklahoma, who have switched

to a different drug, pentobarbital, which has been primarily used to euthanize animals and which is also now subject to a sales ban from the EU. Other states are effectively experimenting with combinations of the sedative midazolam and painkiller hydromorphone, a mixture that resulted in Dennis McGuire taking 26 minutes to die. In Arizona, Joseph Wood took almost two hours to die; in fact the process was so traumatic for all involved that an emergency appeal was launched to stop the execution during the procedure.

While many people would struggle to be sympathetic towards a convicted murderer, is this the right way to treat a human being? Prisoners on death row spend years waiting for their execution, so it would not be a big stretch to give them a life sentence, and we all know that life means life in America, where sentences of over 1000 years have been given out in the past.

Unfair System? Arguments against the penalty are also losing credibility, the claim that the death penalty is a deterrent is false as statistics show that states with the death penalty actually have a higher murder rate than states without. Despite there being legislation saying that offenders with mental illness cannot be executed there are plenty of cases of these rules being ignored (this actually breaches international law but Human Rights is a subject for another article), and what about the cases of the innocent being executed? There is also a proven unfair bias with those from poor or minority backgrounds more likely to be sentenced to death, it is also more common when the victim was white. Part of the reason is that poor defendants are unable to afford a decent defence unlike their richer counterparts, and another is institutionalised racism. However, it is important to keep in mind that the US is not the worst offender, China, Iran, Saudi Arabia and Iraq all executed more people than the United States. But, with the growing issues of the US being able to obtain the drugs needed for their executions, maybe they will joining the countries who have already abolished the death penalty.

The method of execution varies from state to state, with lethal injection, gas chamber, electrocution and even hanging and firing squads.

New electric chair installed in 1999 at the Florida State Prison in Starke, Florida. Image: Wikipedia Main image: Razor wire by Jason Scragz

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Made in the USA: The American Protagonists Kettle writers reveal their favourite protagonists from American literature.

hen you’re talking about the literary culture you’ve been brought up in, it can be easy to reel off a list of what might be called iconic characters. Even if you’ve never picked up Pride and Prejudice, you’ll likely be familiar with the brooding Mr Darcy. Romeo and Juliet epitomise the fated love story. Young people today have had their childhoods shaped by the stories of Harry Potter, ‘the boy who lived’.

But what about literature from further afield? For Kettle’s America season, I was interested to find out which characters from American literature had made a lasting impression on our writers. The responses were varied, from heroes to villains to alter-egos, and even one that doesn’t speak (guess who?), ranging from classics to contemporary novels, proving the diversity of American literature has been embraced in the UK (a great example breaking down cultural and national boundaries through art). So (X Factor voice) in no particular order, here are the best protagonists from American literature, selected by Kettle writers and editors.

Patrick Bateman, American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis Perhaps a somewhat unconventional choice, Bateman sees himself as a serial murderer, fantasising about, and perhaps committing (it’s left uncertain) sadistic violent crimes. Not your typical ‘favourite character’, then- he won’t steal your heart, and you won’t want to be his bestie. But it’s easy to see how a character with such an unnerving yet intricate psychology could capture the interest of a reader, especially since the novel is told from Bateman’s point of view, meaning readers play a part in attempting to navigate the uncertainties of his mind.

Yossarian, Catch-22 by Joseph Heller As a captain in the air force, Yossarian must deal with the paradoxical ‘Catch-22’ measures of the military that make it impossible to leave. As a character, he acts as an exploration of a double bind or logically irresolvable problem. However, eventually realising that he can escape the military and the Catch-22 plots, Yossarian is perhaps a character to be admired

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Lestat, The Vampire Chronicles by Anne Rice ‘Vamp-lit’ (is that a thing? It should be) is undoubtedly one of the defining genres of YA fiction in recent years. But, before Edward Cullen, there was Lestat de Lioncourt. Lestat embodies not only unique vampire qualities, such as telepathy and heightened sensation, but also a bewildering detachment from humanity and an almost adolescent dis-regard for rules.

Holden Caulfield, The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger Holden embodies teenage angst and a distrust of the adult world, epitomised by his aversion to anything ‘phony’. His coping method of choice is to run away and spend a week drinking and meeting girls. Some might see this as an all too clichéd depiction of teenage rebellion, but Kettle writer Chloe suggests this ‘lack of appeal’ may be ‘deliberate’- perhaps a way for Salinger to show that the difficulties of adolescence do not always make for charming teenagers. And let’s not forget, Holden’s caring relationship with his younger sister Phoebe makes him a character that stands for the importance of family and childhood innocence.

Moby Dick, Moby Dick by Herman Melville. Okay, this might seem like a slightly odd choice- it’s a whale (and not a magical talking whale, either). But maybe Moby Dick can be appreciated more for his role in the novel. The sailors’ revenge quest, of which Moby Dick is the target, allows the novel to explore thought-provoking themes, from nature and the ocean itself, to broader questions of God, perception and knowledge.

Rhett Butler, Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell Everyone loves a bad boy, right? Kettle’s video editor, Silvia, pinpoints Rhett as the character who sparked her ‘fascination with rogues and scoundrels’. A professional gambler enamoured with female protagonist Scarlett O’Hara, yet with a strong yearning for acceptance, Butler has a depth of character that goes beyond the typical loveable rogue.

Top: Tom Cruise as Anne Rice’s Lestat de Lioncourt in the film version of An Interview With the Vampire Above: A Catcher in the Rye Left: Joseph Heller’s Catch 22

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Henry Chinaski, alter-ego of Charles Bukowski Bukowski’s alter-ego appears many of his novels and short stories, and is a character through which Bukowski raises social and political concerns whilst also exploring the individual, as Chinaski must confront poverty, sexuality, the act of writing and the effects of alcohol.

Willy Loman, Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller ‘A truly tragic character’, according to Kettle’s film editor, Emily. The protagonist of Miller’s play is not always a particular likeable character, given his obsession with popularity and success, and the pressure he puts on his sons to follow his footsteps in business. Yet the tragedy Emily describes lies in Loman’s suicide, which seems to be Miller’s way of shifting at least some of the blame towards the expectations arising from the ‘American Dream’, rather than Loman himself, showing how the pressure to succeed in the American white-collar culture can cause personal instability and family breakdown.

Raoul Duke, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas by Hunter S. Thompson Yet another alter-ego for the author, Raoul Duke is a hedonist, usually always intoxicated by drugs and alcohol- think a contemporary American Dorian Gray. Despite his somewhat ‘anti-hero’ status as a violent substance abuser, Duke is driven by the idea of finding a counterculture to the American dream. If Willy Loman is a victim of the American dream, perhaps Duke can be admired for his shameless rebellion against it.

Scout, To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee A real feisty female character, Scout is hot-headed and desperate not to be singled out from her brother because of her genderQuote Kettle writer Becky, ‘everyone loves a spunky lil kid’. At times, this becomes a temper that often results in physical violence, but over the course of the book, readers see Scout mature as she begins to adopt her father’s compassionate approach, giving the novel a strong personal, coming-of-age element alongside its themes of injustice.

Jay Gatsby and Nick Carraway, The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald There’s no doubt these are controversial choices. One person’s hopeless romantic is another person’s deluded dreamer, and with Jay Gatsby, it really could go either way. Nick Carraway, the somewhat cold, judgemental and untrustworthy narrator, is perhaps not the most captivating character. Kettle writer Bridie, sees these characters as iconic American protagonists, not because of their individual character, but because they ‘epitomise the American Dream’ and ‘the bittersweet love/hate of the 1920s’

John Coffey and Paul Edgecombe, The Green Mile by Stephen King Working as a block supervisor on death row, Edgecombe discovers that one of the prisoners, John Coffey, has incredible powers of healing. Edgecombe also discovers Coffey is innocent, and wants to help him. Edgecombe and Coffey, then, are a duo that intertwine ideas of the supernatural with a much more human idea of an unusual friendship.

Sal Paradise and Dean Moriarty, On the Road by Jack Kerouac If you’re reading American literature to get a real sense of a distinct American culture, Paradise and Moriarty might be the pair to turn to; Moriarty’s free-spirited thirst for adventure and experience resonates the Beat Generation movement in American post-World War 2 literature. What’s more, their travels, detailed in the novel, are mainly autobiographical, Sal Paradise being an alter-ego for Kerouac himself.

Above: Christian Bale stars as the out of control, Patrick Bateman in the film version of American Psycho Left: To Kill a Mockingbird

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BECOME A KETTLE CORRESPONDENT Kettle is looking to add university correspondents to it’s “Student Life” section. If you fancy representing your university and reporting on from around your campus then please contact Hannah or Alex on

Image: Freepik

studentlife@kettlemag.co.uk

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The 21 best American craft breweries Deputy Editor Kealie Mardell shares her favourites from the American microbrewery scene.

n recent years beer in America has been a booming business, with the popularity of microbreweries growing exponentially into a subculture of craft beer aficionados. The Brewers Association alone holds host to over 2,600 US brewing members, with reports showing craft brewers produce 1 in 10 of every beer sold. Last year, of their top 50 overall brewing companies, 42 were craft breweries.

As we celebrate all things USA this month it was due time to celebrate my love of American beer. Fuelled by memories of my year in Southern California, with recommendations from my partner in beer-drinking antics, here’s 21 of our favourite American craft breweries - ranked alphabetically, because preferentially was too tough a challenge!

Anchor Brewing: San Francisco, CA

Dogfish Head: Milton, DE

Ballast Point: San Diego, CA

Firestone Walker Brewing Co: Paso Robles, CA

Boston Beer Company: Boston, MA

Flying Dog Brewery: Frederick, MD

Boulevard: Kansas City, MO

Founders Brewing Company: Grand Rapids, MI

Starting things off we’ve got one of America’s oldest breweries, dating back to 1896. They have a range of seasonal offerings and seven core beers, ranging from the original Anchor Steam to the latest Anchor IPA. Not just the home of craft beer, Ballast also has a distillery, producing their own vodka, rum, gin and whiskey. Brew Tip: Head straight for their award winning Sculpin IPA! Brewers of Samuel Adams beers, they produce over 30 distinctive styles of craft beer, winning more awards in international beer tasting competitions in the last five years than any other craft beer brewery in the world. Cheers to that! With their current portfolio boasting over 30 brews, this big Midwest brewery has something for everyone. Brew Tip: The Unfiltered Wheat Beer is a bestseller!

Brewery Ommegang: Cooperstown, NY

Ommegang specialises in Belgian-style ales and host a Belgium Comes to Cooperstown event every summer, offering beer sampling, food, live music and a bonfire.

Brooklyn Brewery: New York, NY

With a range of perennial and seasonal offerings inspired by brewing styles from around the world, their flagship brew is the Brooklyn Lager, an American Amber Lager.

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Proud to be a little unconventional, Dogfish Head brew strange concoctions, sell silly accessory, and even have their own music group, The Pain Relievaz. Brew Tip: 90 Minute IPA packs a punch!

Firestone are inspired by the British, from their oak barrel brewing system to imported malts and hops for an (almost) authentic British Pale Ale, the DBA. Worthy of a place on the list for their unique style alone, the eyecatching logo and packaging designs offer a taste of the interesting flavours that lie within. Brew Tip: Gonzo Imperial IPA delivers strong full flavours with a bitter coffee kick!

Founders brew with a simple philosophy: “We don’t brew beer for the masses. Instead, our beers are crafted for a chosen few, a small cadre of renegades and rebels who enjoy a beer that pushes the limits of what is commonly accepted as taste. In short, we make beer for people like us.”

Green Flash Brewing: San Diego, CA One of the newest breweries on the list, Green Flash was founded in 2002 in Carlsbad, before moving to San Diego. Brew Tip: Grab the Road Warrior, a limited edition Imperial Rye IPA!

Imagw: Allagash Brewing, Flickr

Lagunitas Brewing Company: Petaluma, CA Hailing from Chicago and residing in California, the Lagunitas IPA is one of my go-to drinks but they offer a whole host of ales, porters and stouts.

New Belgium Brewing Company: Fort Collins, CO Their flagship brew is Fat Tire, an amber ale, but they also offer year-round brews including Belgian style, IPAs and wheat beers.

New England Brewing Company: Woodbridge, CT

One of the pioneers of craft beer in cans, a trend which is now growing in popularity. Brew Tip: Brewed in a brewery not too far away and not too long ago... Imperial Stout Trouper.

Rogue Ales: Newport, OR

Rogue have their own farms where they grow the hops, malting barley, rye and other ingredients for Rogue Ales, Porters, Stouts, Lagers and Spirits. Their backlog of awards is nothing short of outstanding.

Rök House Brewing Company: Upland, CA One of the smallest of our microbreweries, their tap room has eight of their best brews on offer. Brew Tip: Hammer of Thor IPA which promises to turn even the most anti-IPA drinker into a hophead!

winners brewing their own beer which is bottled and sold by Sierra Nevada. Last year saw the Beer Camp Hoppy Lager, a hopheavy twist on the classic blonde lager. This year’s winners have been hard at work on their new brew and we can’t wait for a taste!

Ska Brewery Co: Durange, CO

A worthy contender for their style and character alone, from their True Blonde Ale, Steel Toe Stout and Ten Pin Porter and more, the legion of Ska is one you will definitely want to be a part of.

Speakeasy Ales & Lagers: San Francisco, CA

Born straight from the secret warehouse of the prohibition era, their trademark eyes beckon you into the depths of the Speakeasy revolution. Brew Tip: It’s a tough choice but I have to give it to Scarlett, that red rye lady has class and style - delicious!

Stone Brewing Co: San Diego, CA

If you’re ever in San Diego I recommend a visit to the Stone World Bistro & Gardens. The cheddar, garlic and Stone Ruination IPA soup and the Stone Smoked Porter Brownie Sundae are personal favourites from their incredible menu.

21st Amendment Brewery: San Francisco, CA

The home of eight unique hand crafted beers and great food, celebrating the culture of the great breweries of old, 21st Ammendment has been voted Best Brewpub, Best Burger, and Best Happy Hour by the San Francisco press. Cheers!

Sierra Nevada Brewing Company: Chico, CA Each year they run the prestigious Beer Camp competition, with

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I say potato, you say... crisps? Letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s call the whole thing off.

Image by Freepik

Naomi Duffree takes a wry look at the confusion caused by the differences in American and British words and their meanings

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Americans and their vocabulary can become a tad confusing. Okay I’ll be honest – it is more than a tad. Their vernacular is becoming more and more accepted by the British people as they cleverly spread it across the pond. But it’s not just the Americans themselves that are pushing this trend, UK companies are not off the hook. Mashable a UK “leading global media company that informs, inspires and entertains the digital generation”, has an audience of 42 million monthly unique visitors and 23 million social followers. Imagine all those people seeing the American spelling they insist on using. Come on… you do the math! I mean mathS. Someone pass me a rubber…an eraser…pass me an eraser.

Raising a smile On the less serious side the confusion over American definitions continues to keep us Brits highly amused. While at the airport an American friend at Heathrow shouted to his wife, “Don’t forget the fanny packs”, much to the amusement of surrounding Brits who may or may not have known he was referring to their bum bags. And no he wasn’t called ‘Randy’, which the Americans do insist on using to shorten Randell. Another smirk from the British contingency.

It reminded me of an American teacher of ours at sixth form telling us he had been to a wedding where he had, “picked up a creamy tart”.

It reminded me of an American teacher of ours at sixth form telling us he had been to a wedding where he had, “picked up a creamy tart”. Don’t ask me what the point of his story was because we all fell about into noisy hysterical laughter and he was unable to finish much to his bemusement. After all a tart is a tart in the U.S. Nothing more. A friend of mine in Florida informs me that whenever she talks of eating spotted dick amongst her native friends, they are filled with fear. Who wouldn’t be? Unless you’re a hungry English person on a cold November Sunday afternoon. Bring on that custard.

Putting your foot in it The food confusion is quite prominent between us and the U.S. According to David Holloway, food writer to the Alabama Media Group. “Jalapeños, bell peppers, celery and just about anything can be found in hush puppies.” Hold it. The only thing I like to find in a Hush Puppy would be a foot, surely? After all they did invent the first casual shoe in 1958. Not in America. The hush puppy is a corn fritter: “A small cornmeal dumpling, flavoured with chopped scallions, deep fried and served hot.”

But even they argue the difference between an American hush puppy and a corn fritter…although Mr Holloway states that for argument sake they are as good as the same. And don’t be ordering your good old fashioned spuds with your fritter as you read ‘potato chips’ on the menu…unless you want crisps. There is similar confusion with flapjacks, which to them are Scotch pancakes. Would you like those cold or broiled? (Grilled) At school they have a recess – we have a break. They use gum to stick things down – we use glue. They take vacations, we have holidays. The one that seems a total misnomer is their use of ‘freeway’ for motorway. For anyone who has used a motorway in the UK holiday season I think it is fair to say there was probably nothing related to ‘free’ about it. You were probably stuck in a queue and felt as free as a caged bird. In fact the only time I was able to cruise along a motorway recently was the M6 Toll road…which I had to pay £5.50 for…so nothing free about it.

Missing letters And what have the Americans got against certain letters when it comes to spelling? Take ‘u’ for instance (and it appears they have, right out of these words): Color, humor, favorite and dialog. Apparently the US spelling is closer to its Latin ancestory than our English spelling. They also like to leave out the ‘l’ as in jewelry and traveler. And when they do include the letters, they are in the wrong order! Take theatER, and kilometER. English spelling has it’s advantages. Check out ‘cheque’. Did you know it was worth so much more than the U.S variety? Well, in scrabble anyway, thanks to the ‘Q’. And when I say ‘Q’ I mean ‘Q’ not line! Schools with their cutting edge interactive white boards are a fantastic digital tool for children (not kids - we aren’t teaching goats here.) But why do all the games have to come with American accents? It’s hard enough to understand what is required in the phoneme games without having someone at the end saying, “good jab” (job) at the end of their perseverance. Of course we have a great relationship with our American cousins – and secretly we wouldn’t have it any other way. So pop on your sneakers, hit the sidewalk and go celebrate their different way of doing things with a cup of joe. You might like to read Emmi Bowles article about Starbucks name spellings while you are at it. Cheers!…Or as our cousins like to say, “To your good health.”

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Who is the King of Showmance, America or the UK? Sex & Relationships Editor Emmi shares her thoughts on who is the champion at creating showmances

one are the days of Cilla Black presenting blind date, but now we have a plethora of reality dating shows on our TV’s to occupy our time with. But who is on top when it comes to showmance? America or the UK? Here in the UK we have two types of dating shows. The big brother, stuck in the same place for weeks type of show, and the comedy dating game show. All of which have been big hits on our main TV channels – usually ITV.

Take Me Out ‘Blind Date’ will always be a classic, but now with a new take on comedy game show dating we have Take Me Out, hosted by Paddy McGuiness. With the girls in charge of who they want to date and a host with bucket full of terrible jokes, what more could you want from your Saturday night TV?

Ex on the Beach

But when summer disappears and we don’t have Take Me Out to catch up on, we are always able to switch over to our friends from across the pond. The US has similar shows to us, and even takes on an American version of our favourites. 28

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American romance TV Catfish and 90 Day fiancé, are just a few of the different ‘romance’ TV shows America produces each year. They follow the stories of heartbreak, deception, and the struggle relationships can face on a day to day basis. Reality TV is easy and usually cheap to make unlike Dramas, and the more we watch them, the more TV companies are going to push them out there. But the question still lies, who the King of showmance? America with their diversity of shows, or the UK with Paddy McGuiness and our big brother romance summer shows? Considering the majority of ‘showmance’ couples never stay together long after these shows end maybe nobody is the King of ‘showmance’. There have been five couples from The Bachelor who have stayed together. But with ‘Marriage at first sight’ being slated by viewers and the press maybe all reality romances are doomed and neither the UK or the US have managed to master the art of showmance and match making.

Image: Mark Sebastian

With Ex on the Beach about to start again next month, and Love Island finishing this week, we know that with Summer TV comes the week long dating games. Whether its arguments, friendships, back stabbing or sex; we can’t seem to get enough of watching people take part in reality TV during the summer months.

The American Dream: 5 of the best novels Lauren Wise takes a look at 5 of her favourite American Dream themed novels for Kettle’s US Season.

or Kettle’s last week in US Season, I thought I’d share my top five American Dream themed novels. My dissertation was in fact on The American Dream in mid twentieth century travel literature, so I didn’t find it too difficult to pick my favourites! And although we’re meant to grow to hate our dissertation topics, I can’t help but love the novels I wrote on, and how they map the changing American Dream through history. When you think of the American Dream, you might imagine white picket fences and a suburban family; however, these books tell the story pretty differently...

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald Many might now be more familiar with Baz Luhrmann’s 2013 film, but the novel is not to be overlooked. The description of Gatsby’s monstrous car is possibly one of the most beautiful and haunting in literature, and is a key representation of the destructive qualities the American Dream has to those who yearn after it longingly.

The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck Steinbeck’s most famous novel is a depiction of the desperation felt by thousands of migrants through the Great Depression. The reader follows the Joads’ struggle from Oklahoma to California, where they are hopeful to find a Promised Land. The journey shows that

the American Dream is not what is promised, but the unity created with other migrants, in hopes of finding it.

On the Road by Jack Kerouac Moving into 50s America, On the Road portrays the restless youths of a materialistic society, who hope to find more satisfaction in life than the mundane living their parents’ generation settle for. Kerouac takes the Dream to a more spiritual place, where self-realisation becomes the new Dream. This is explored further by Kerouac in The Dharma Bums.

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas by Hunter S. Thompson Thompson follows Duke and Dr Gonzo’s drugfuelled trip to Las Vegas, in a semi-autobiographical novel, which is definitely a different take on the American Dream! The book parodies the search for the Dream, and also serves as an introduction to Gonzo Journalism; writing news with an insider perspective, from a first person point of view.

The Road by Cormac McCarthy A newer vision of the Dream, McCarthy’s apocalyptic novel encapsulates societal fears of today, which are of self-destruction through the environment. In this book, contemporary society is much more aware of human’s impact on the natural world than it ever has been before, and the alienated individual must search for the Dream in the chaos.

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Our Favourite Hollywood Style Icons By Rebecca Parker

America month wouldn’t be complete without taking a look at some of the most beautiful and influential Hollywood starlets. From the 1940’s-1960’s a whole host of glamorous women made their name on the silver screen, each influencing the style of a generation of young females, something that is still noted today. 30

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Marilyn Monroe We can’t talk about Hollywood stars without mentioning Marilyn. The blonde beauty was a powerful sex symbol and still remains a cultural pop figure today. Her film roles including Bus Stop, which she was praised by critics for and secured a Golden Globe nomination and Some Like it Hot, where she finally picked up the prestigious accolade, secured her place as a true icon. Marilyn’s style is something that is still imitated today. Her curls and curvy figure were an enviable trait and she knew how to dress for her hourglass figure, whether it was that famous white dress or a casual sweater/capri pant look. She developed her signature style and taught us what real women wear. She also knew the power of a pair of high heels: “I don’t know who invented high heels, but all women owe him a lot.” Amen to that.

race Kelly was a Hollywood pioneer. Making her debut aged 20, her short but sweet film career saw her take the female lead in five films, including The Country Girl, High Noon, Dial M for Murder, Rear Window and High Society, in which she starred alongside the famous crooners Frank Sinatra and Bing Crosby.

Despite being a celebrated star, Grace’s style was best known for its simplicity. Her carefree way of dressing ensured that she was able to remain subtly classic. Wearing a range of Capri pants, dresses with nipped in waists and sunglasses, her style was sophisticated and elegant. Grace worked with directors and designers on her film costumes. Costume designer, Edith Head, was quoted saying: “I have never worked with anybody who had a more intelligent grasp of what we were doing.” Audrey Hepburn is renown for her role as Holly in Breakfast at Tiffany’s and her style was not too dissimilar. Pulled together and classy, Audrey made sure she never went out without looking polished, whether this was in a skirt and heels or a statement coat and sunglasses. Audrey said: “I believe in manicures. I believe in overdressing. I believe in primping at leisure and wearing lipstick. I believe in pink.” Her collaboration with Givenchy for the costume she wore in the film Sabrina paved the way for future collaborations and the introduction of Parisian style to America. In particular she championed the little black dress. The simplicity of the LBD, whether it be for work or paired with statement jewelry is the ultimate in understated chic.

Top: Marilyn Monroe in “That picture”. Image: Wikipedia Above: Timeless beauty, Grace Kelly. Image: Wikipedia

Photographer Richard Avedon made her his muse, photographing her on the streets of Paris as well as shooting for the cover of Harper’s Baazar numerous times throughout the 1950’s. Despite having worked with some of the biggest models, such as Suzy Parker and Dorian Leigh, he preferred to spend the time with Audrey and she too enjoyed sitting for him. Elizabeth Taylor first gained exposure in the film National Velvet before starring in Father of the Bride, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof and the title role in Cleopatra. Elizabeth’s biggest passion was for jewelry claiming, “big girls need big diamonds.” After her death her collection was reportedly worth $150 million. The book My Love Affair with Jewelry documents her collection, including gifts bought by her husband Richard Burton and the largest pair of perfectly symmetrical pear-shaped pearls in the world. As well as her love of jewelry, Elizabeth was a fashion icon throughout her career. She knew how to accentuate her face, chest and waist and helped to popularize designer Valentino. She was a pioneer of feminine tailoring and paired with her precisely applied eyeliner she influenced the cat’s eye look that is still as iconic today as it was then.

Left: Elizabeth Taylor smouldering on a beach. Image, Wikipedia Left: Audrey Hepburn. Image: Wikipedia

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‘Have you seen the cover of...’ For Kettle’s America Season, Ellie Ledra delves into the world of magazine covers, and shares some of her favorite iconic American magazine covers.

ave you heard? The print industry is ‘dying’. This, however, has been exaggerated. A survey conducted by Deloitte showed that 88% of people still prefer reading articles on print than digital, despite the survey showing that over 2,276 UK consumers (aged 14 to 75) owned a smartphone, 35% still liked to subscribe to a form of print. Though this could be easily argued against and most would say that accessing magazines via digital media is far easier, there seems to be a lasting impression with magazines.

of John Lennon promoting his part in the black comedy film, How I Won the War, to Kim Kardashian now gracing the cover, clad in a sailors hat, while musician Sinead O’Connor calls for boycott over the cover.

You could easily say magazine covers have come a long way; from 1967 when Rolling Stone published their first issue, a small image

These are my choices for what I consider to be iconic and somewhat debatable American magazine covers.

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Magazine covers can please, shock, impress and cause much debate when published. Due to how they look, what they are promoting or trying to sell, what gender/colour/race we can see and mostly, who is on the front of the cover.

We chose to run the cover photo because we felt it truly captured the horrific moment at the end of the race. When Time published an article about Attachment Parenting, Jamie Lynne Grummet (seen above) was an advocate and wanted to prove it, by posing with her 3 year old son. When photographer Martin Schoeller took the shot he explained his image; “When you think of breast-feeding, you think of mothers holding their children, which was impossible with some of these older kids,” Schoeller says. “I liked the idea of having the kids standing up to underline the point that this was an uncommon situation.” Although praised for her confidence of projecting the image, featured Grummet was quickly mocked, being called a ‘Milf’ and was harassed with lewd comments. Other women also felt they were being criticized by the magazine, hitting back and

explaining they were ‘mom enough’ and that Grummet didn’t truly represent the real woman. Although loved and praised now in modern day Hollywood, Ellen Degeneres’s 1997 cover could have quickly jeopardised her career. She was almost banished from the industry and didn’t work for 3 years after the cover was published. To come out as gay wasn’t just brave, it was unprecedented, especially as Degeneres was earning a living as a sitcom star. When her sitcom was cancelled, she soon turned heads and opinions when she brought The Ellen De Gegeneres Show into people’s homes. Fast forward to now, Degeneres is praised for coming out way back when. Since her acclaimed talk show went on air, she has

hosted the Emmys, the Oscars and has won a host of awards for her work. Just a few hours before Sports Illustrated closing deadline, the Boston marathon bombing occurred. Editors soon scrambled about to try and fit as much information as possible into the magazine, stories that could detail the fresh events. A few seconds after the blast, runner Bill Ifrig was knocked to the ground as the police rushed around him to help as well as control the situation. Managing editor, Chris Stone said; “We chose to run the cover photo because we felt it truly captured the horrific moment at the end of the race.” He added, “There’s a fallen runner, police with their guns drawn and loose debris from the explosion.”

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But more than 2 million copies were sold - making it the best-selling cover in the then 29 year history of the magazine.”

“This is it,” John Lennon told photographer Annie Liebovitz, “This is our relationship.” Named the highest rated cover since 1965, John and his wife, Yoko were photographed in their apartment by legendary photographer Annie Leibovitz. Although Leibovitz originally just wanted John to be in the shot, he insisted that his wife also be featured. A few hours later after the cover was shot, Lennon was shot and killed by Mark Chapman. The issue was put on sale a couple of months later and remains one of the highest selling issues. While the famous Rolling Stone image is sometimes called the final photograph of Lennon, it is in fact only the final portrait of him and Yoko together. When Glamour magazine ran a competition to find the top 10 college women, Katiti Kironde was found and named the cover winner. It was a first for Glamour and every other magazine, as Kironde was the first black woman to be on the cover of a major 34

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woman’s magazine. Glamour’s executive editor Wendy Naugle commented, “Before the issue hit stands, there were some fears this could hurt sales. But more than 2 million copies were sold - making it the bestselling cover in the then 29 year history of the magazine.” The cover did however received some backlash, with letters filing in with readers distaste for the cover. However the positives outweighed the negatives and Glamour was praised with women commenting how much they loved the cover and how they were grateful for it being published. In early 1966, America had little numbers of troops in Vietnam, legendary writer John Sacks became Esquire’s war correspondent in Vietnam. Sacks helped change public perception of the Vietnam War and was a landmark in the history of New Journalism. The cover and the main feature spoke about the soldiers of M Company. Among all of that insanity of real, live war, one sol-

dier threw a grenade into a hut that killed a seven-year-old Vietnamese girl. It was a combination of direction and literary journalism that brought the horror and the humanity of the war home. With 33,000 words, the cover is still the longest ever article published in Esquire. As far as magazine shocks go, heavily pregnant Demi Moore soon became the talk of the town, when photographed by Annie Leibovitz. At the height of her career, Moore was photographed in nothing but a diamond ring she was wearing. When the issue went to the stands, approximately 100 million people saw the cover. Vanity Fair received immediate backlash for their portrayal of a ‘pregnant sex symbol’ but Moore did not see why there was so much criticism, commenting “I did feel glamorous, beautiful and more free about my body. I don’t know how much more family oriented I could possibly have gotten.”

Since it was published, the cover has had lasting societal impact, encouraging more celebrities to pose in similar photographs, displaying their bodies. September 11th, 2001. The days that followed were filled with fear, sadness and uncertainty, and of course, it took a long time for America to recover from it. The cover was a collaboration between cartoonist Art Spiegelman and his wife Francoise Mouly and was hailed as not just iconic, but most famous covers of all time. The cover was inspired by Ad Reinhardt’s black-on-black paintings, so that the north tower’s antenna breaks the “W” of the magazine’s logo. Spiegelman wanted to see the emptiness, and find the awful/awefilled image of all that disappeared the on 9/11. Mouly wrote in honor of the 10th anniversary of the attacks that the cover “conveyed something about the unbearable loss of life, the sudden absence in our skyline, the abrupt tear in the fabric of reality.”

When Steve McCurry took the image of a young girl one morning in Pakistan, he didn’t know the lasting effect the girls green eyes would have on everybody that saw the cover. The girl was named as 12 year old refugee Sharbat Gula, who had seen Soviet helicopters destroy her village and family, forcing her to make a twoweek trek out of the perilous mountains of Afghanistan. The cover was such a success that the girls untouched image was has been used on rugs and tattoos, making it one of the most widely reproduced photos in the world. When Bruce Jenner sat down with TV Anchor Diane Sawyer, he finally confirmed to the world the secret he had been keeping for over 60 years, he identified as a woman. Always surrounded by the media, Jenner was a part of Keeping Up With The Kardashians, which remains as one of the most popular shows in America. However when he decided now was the time to transition

and become who he really wanted to be, he enlisted the help of Annie Leibovitz, who helped show who Jenner really was. The cover showed Jenner announcing herself as Caitlyn, the person she had always wanted to be. The cover spread around the world and Jenner was praised for her courage for finally speaking out about who she wanted to be and how she wanted to live her life. She was awarded with the Arthur Ashe award for Courage in July and thanked her fans, friends and family for their support. As you can see magazine covers have been getting attention as far back as we can remember. The amazing thing about magazines is that there will always be an opinion and a debate as to whether it is a good or bad cover. I don’t think the print industry is dying at all, at the end of the day we all have something to say and most of the time its influenced by whats printed in front of us.

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American Comfort TV: Friends The one with a look back

As part of Kettle’s America season and our segment on American comfort TV, Madiya Altaf looks at everyone’s favourite show, Friends.

e all have a TV show or series that we love, a show that we turn to when we’re feeling lost or sick or tired or heartbroken. Somehow, these shows manage to support us through difficult times in our lives, and we never tire of them. For Kettle’s Madiya Altaf, there’s still beauty in a classic show. We can’t focus an entire season on America without looking at the country’s longest running sitcom - Friends

Where it began Twenty-one years ago, a TV sitcom created by David Crane and Marta Kauffman graced our television screens and forever changed the way we live. Friends revolved around the lives of Rachel Green, Ross Geller, Monica Geller, Chandler Bing, Joey Tribbiani and Phoebe Buffay. All in their twenties, the show followed their lives in New York, from romantic and comedic to careerrelated escapades. 36

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I jumped onto the Friends bandwagon quite late in life. It wasn’t until I was sixteen that I was asked by my friend if I watched the show. Even then, it was less of a question and more of a confirmation. As in, ‘you watch Friends right?’ When I answered ‘no,’ I saw the horror appear in her eyes, which quickly vanished to excitement as she made it her life goal to make me watch all ten seasons. After multiple text messages (none threatening, of course) and constant nagging, I finally caved in and watched the first episode of Friends. And then, I was hooked. I watched it whilst having breakfast, in between my study breaks and during literally any free time I had.

A form of escapism The first episode then became the first season and, before I knew, it ten seasons had flown by and so had my GCSEs. We all remember how horrible GCSEs were and there was a huge pressure placed on students who didn’t do well. Teachers constantly reminded us that our grades would determine whether we would get in to col-

lege because, if we didn’t get into college, we couldn’t go to university. Whether it was during classes or assemblies we were constantly reminded of that same thing. Watching Friends became a form of escapism for me.

And, after all these years Comedy Central, who won the replay rights of the series in 201, play multiple episodes of the sitcom every day. And I watch them. But what makes Friends so current today, to the point where I still want to binge watch them after all these years? The main aspect of what makes Friends so popular, and what did it for me, is how relatable and likeable the characters are. We all have our favourite characters and they often become the reason why we watch a certain show. No matter how bad the plot is, or how much suffering the writers put our favourite characters through, we will always be there for them until the end of the episode.

Those unforgettable six Throughout the ten seasons we saw a development with all the characters. Rachel was at first portrayed as a spoilt daddyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s girl, and then transformed to an independent successful business women.

Chandler was arcastic, goofy and immature but then found a job he loved and was good at, married Monica and became a responsible father. Joey started off as a player and a starting actor but, through his crush on Rachel, started treating women differently.

Ross began as someone very whiny, thinking that everyone and everything

hated him. He was very self-centred and then he finally realised what he was missing all this time, ending up with Rachel.

Monica began by not having stuff figured out and was battling with OCD.

after being fired several times, she got a job as a head chef at a famous restaurant.

Phoebe was ditsy, childlike and weird and these qualities remained with her all through the seasons, although she certainly matured.

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Fundamentally, all TV characters have a quirk or trait that we can relate to, making us love them all the more.

Come and find us at the usual places...

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A brief history of F1 in America For Kettleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s America season F1 Editor Holly Wade takes a brief look at the history of the sport across the pond

1 doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t seem to have ever really taken off in America as much as in other places.

The sport is very much Europe based, the majority of the races taking part in this continent. Nearly all of the constructors are based within the UK, even the Austrian team Red Bull have their factory based in Milton Keynes. For American fans it can be pretty difficult to attend live races as itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s such a long way to travel for any event. Within Europe there are races in Britain, France, Germany, Austria, Spain, Hungary and Italy, all of which are relatively close together making it easier for fans to make the trip, or incorporate it within their yearly holiday. Even when there has been a race in America it can still be a long trek for anyone living on the opposite side of the continent.

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The inaugural Formula 1 World Championship was held in 1950 with six of the seven races held in Europe. The other was the Indianapolis 500 which had different regulations and was later replaced by what we know now as the United States Grand Prix. Over the years there have been numerous locations for the American Grand Prix with Sebring, Riverside, Watkins Glen, Phoenix and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway all playing host to the sport, often with huge gaps between each new venue taking over the contract. Jenson Button at the US Grand Prix drivers parade - image: McLaren F1 Jenson Button on track in 2012 - image: Wikipedia

In 1991 members of the International Auto Sport Federation decided to cancel the Phoenix contract in favour of a new South African Grand Prix. Formula 1 seemed to have fallen out with America as it did not return until 2000 where Indiana was the new host, but after only seven years it was once again cancelled after the Speedway and Formula 1 failed to agree on terms for the event. For the next few years there were plenty of rumours that the sport would return to Indiana, others revolved around a possibility of a New York race and even a circuit being built in New Jersey. Eventually a circuit was prepared in time for the 2012 season in Austin, Texas where it proved a huge success with a capacity crowd on the Sunday. The New Jersey race was put on the 2013 calendar but was abandoned after financial issues, though it has been planned for the 2016 season. Whether this comes to fruition remains to be seen. As Formula 1 looks to expand across the world and become even more of a global event than it already is it is crucial for America to be a part of the racing calendar. For young Americans who wish to move into F1 racing it is an immense task as there is still so little support for the sport over there, a move to Europe is pretty much essential for any career in F1. The race in Austin has thrived in the last few years and provided some fantastic racing action from collisions between Adrian Sutil and Sergio Perez to a desperate Jean-Eric Vergne making contact with Romain Grosjean as he struggled to prove his worth at Toro Rosso. This yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s race will be held again in Austin on 25 October and if it is to be judged by recent races then it will certainly be one hell of a spectacle. Kettle Magazine

The truth about Trump

Donald Trump on the campaign trail - but is he just being used as a pawn? Image: Gage Skidmore

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As part of Kettle’s USA season, TV Editor Alex Goode looks at Presidential candidate Donald Trump, and what he’s really all about.

his was a difficult article to write for three reasons. Firstly, I’m not someone who normally expresses their views on politics in any kind of loud way. Secondly, I am an American citizen with roots in the South. I can quickly count several members of my family who are Republicans, and will likely be rooting for Trump, and some part of me wanted to consider their feelings. And, thirdly, I know there are going to be people who read this article and agree with me, but that there will also be people who disagree. Generally, I prefer to write to inform or engage, not to provoke argument. However, none of that can hide the fact that I think Donald Trump is currently making a laughing stock out of America and the American people. I think most of us here in the UK and Europe are looking at him and scratching our heads as to how he can be so far ahead in the Presidential leadership polls. Unfortunately, Americans don’t give a shit about what we think. It’s been one of the biggest points of contention with Obama for many years - that he’s more popular with Europeans than he is in his own country. And even though Trump is quite clearly a racist and a radical, that doesn’t hide the fact that he is also currently a storming success.

Size, jealousy and poverty In order to begin to wrap your head around why someone like Trump is getting dangerously close to being President, you need to consider a few things. To us in the UK it is mind-boggling to think that someone of his status can make claims like he did about illegal immigrants and the Mexican community and still be so popular. But, in the same way that some people in this country will always side with UKIP, there will always be people in America willing to hear someone with loud and out-there opinions. And that’s on a much bigger scale. After all, America is roughly 37 times bigger than the UK. So, when you think about America in relation to similar problems that we face here in the UK and Europe, remember to scale it up. There will always be cause for jealousy in any country, largely because of money. Those who are poorer tend to resent the rich, even if that resentment is misunderstood. For years there have been racial tensions in America of all forms. Trump specifially is addressing the frustrated and angry poor, white Americans who are unemployed yet see many of their Mexican and Hispanic neighbours in full time work. That’s not to say that these immigrants are making millions - they’re usually the ones working outdoors in the impossible heat and doing the dirty jobs that nobody else wants to do. But Trump supporters, and Trump himself, turn a blind eye to the circumstances. On the most basic level, Trump is giving a voice to the thousands of people who blame immigrants for their own misfortune.

more practical sense. Palin was a pawn in a huge chess game, brought in only to appeal to the radicals and gain any kind of publicity, good or bad. Trump, on the other hand, is aware of how this move will boost interest in his brand, his family and their various business ventures and how it will continue to promote him even after he fails to win the nomination. Through this, Trump is getting his moment in the spotlight and a devoted following that will continue long after next year’s Presidential race. Websites like the Huffington Post have already written off his campaign, saying they won’t report it as news. But it might still be too early to dismiss Trump as a complete fool. You can be sure that he is hoping he doesn’t win, but that doesn’t mean American citizens aren’t genuinely hoping that he does. Aside from what that says about political education in the States, it also says that many people feel that they have no representation and no other choice.

Playing the game Trump’s claims and demands are tenacious. The most surprising thing is that everybody seems to know that, even Trump. There is no way that any political figure could make such claims and arouse such base racist anger without being aware of the damage they are doing to their public image. And, as much as many would like to label him an oaf and an idiot, Trump is neither. The savvy businessman built up a multi-billion dollar company and fortune from scratch, working hard to ascertain his success. He has a business mind, is a good negotiator and knows what he is doing. So why is he now throwing it all away on such an embarrassing campaign? From the beginning, it is clear that Trump knew several things. Firstly, that there are people out there unconnected to politics but who believe they deserve to have a voice. He has targeted these people and given them a chance to shout their opinions to the world for the first time. He also knew they would love the sounds of their own voices. Secondly, that people are angry enough to express extreme views. And thirdly, that he has no hope of genuinely becoming President. Trump may be obnoxious but it’s impossible to believe that he really wants the job. The responsibility, the stress and the sacrifices wouldn’t suit him. He would have to put others needs ahead of his own. He would have to understand things he cannot even pronounce. Yes, he’s a nightmare, but he’s not deluded. He knows he’s not the right man for the job. Essentially, Trump is being used as a pawn. The political powers behind every great candidate know a considerable amount more about the game and how to win the campaigns than the candidates themselves, and much of what Trump is doing and saying will be dictated by them. Like Trump, his advisors know that there is a large population of people in America willing to back the radical, and they are throwing everything into getting them to speak out and cause a fuss. After all, better to be remembered and not win than run a lacklustre and serious campaign and fade into the background.

Achtung, Donald. Trump’s Tweet backfires when it became apparent that the soldiers in the bottom right of the picture are actually WWII Nazis.

However, compared to the likes of Sarah Palin, Trump has a lot Kettle Magazine

America’s love affair with football As part of Kettle’s America Season, Nathan Price investigates how America caught the football bug. From the North America Soccer League to their recent Women’s World Cup victory.

t was always going to take a while with such a big country but America have caught the football bug. Okay, they’ve had to name it soccer and endure horrific moments like Diana Ross’ penalty malfunction but football in U.S.A is going from strength to strength. They can look at their World Cup winning women’s team, respected mens team and a MLS capable of pulling high calibre players. The MLS was the third highest attended sport in America last year, behind only the MLB and NFL. Despite losing Thierry Henry to retirement the league has recruited several big names to keep interest in the league. English icons Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard will become rivals again stateside, at L.A Galaxy and New York City FC respectively. Frank will be joined by ex Barcelona forward David Villa and bearded maestro Andrea Pirlo, as New York City look to secure a large fanbase. Though to find when football first started making waves in America, you’d have to look back further.

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North American Soccer League

Major Indoor Soccer League

The North American Soccer League formed in 1968 and became the first majorly successful football league in America. popularity peaked in the late 70’s as some of the world’s best joined the league. New York Cosmos in particular had Franz Beckenbauer in defence and Pelé upfront for their trio of titles in 1977, 1978 and 1980. The league also attracted George Best and Johan Cruyff, with wages offered much higher than in European competitions.

Adapting football to suit America’s fast paced needs seemed a sensible idea, thankfully along came the Major Indoor Soccer League. Made up of 15 minute quarters, the 6 a side game was fully enclosed (like hockey) allowing off the wall plays, normally reserved for school playgrounds. The frenetic, fast paced and skilful game took America by storm and again, the league attracted European footballers with attractive wage packets.

Unfortunately, all good things must end. Despite attendances showing the support available, particular in New York, the NASL folded in 1985. With it’s eyes seemingly too big for it’s belly, the NASL team’s player budget far outweighed incoming revenue. This proved to be their demise, Pelé’s retirement also not helping manners. Thankfully this wasn’t to be the end of football in the mainstream.

This lead to footballers who were previously unknown to Americans become heroes in the MISL. In particular, the Lord Of Indoors Slaviša Žungul. Žungul finished the MISL as the all time highest points scorer, featuring for New York Arrows, San Diego Sockers and Tacoma Stars. The striker scored 652 goals and got 471 assists in his time in the MISL, though his move there was incredibly controversial

Starting his career at Hadjuk Split, Zungul became a vital player for the team and a fan favourite. Due to strict Yugoslavian laws, the striker looked set to complete mandatory army service and be 28 before he could even consider moves abroad. Unhappy with unpaid wages and tempted by vast wage offers from America, the striker asked for permission to accompany his girlfriend on a business trip to New York. Unbeknownst to the club, Zungul had already agreed to play for New York Arrows. This caused mania back home, as FIFA banned Zungul from any FIFA events, meaning MISL was his only option. Despite attendances being solid for the league, averaging attendances of over 7400 for their 14 seasons, in the end the league again fell down to its financial difficulties. In 1992 the league folded, though indoor football would continue it’s popularity in America. The MISL has since been rebranded twice, though the latest incarnation folded in 2014.

World Cup 1994 On 4th July 1988, the U.S.A had more to celebrate than usual as they were announced as hosts of the 1994 World Cup. At first the decision seemed controversial, football’s greatest tournament heading to a country with no major national football league. What followed was one of the most memorable world cups to date, buoyed by superb support and some superb footballing sides. Starting with one of the craziest open-

ing ceremonies to date, including Oprah Winfrey falling over on live tv, though the real highlight was Diana Ross’ penalty. Set with the simple task of placing the penalty in the other direction from the goalkeeper, Diana completely missed the target. Cue the goalposts splitting up, set to break in two when Ross’ penalty hit the back of the net. You can watch the hilarious video on YouTube. When the tournament started, the action didn’t slow down. Diego Maradona featured in his last World Cup, finishing off a slick Argentina move before eventually failing a drug test and being kicked out of the tournament. Brazilian Bebeto celebrated the birth of his son by pretending to rock the baby, a celebration that would stay in the footballing world for years.

its first season until 1996, the MLS was formed as part of the bid to host the 1994 world cup. With America truly taken under the football spell, the MLS saw sizeable crowds in it’s first full season, with an average of over 17,000 per game. This was buoyed by a trend that continues in the MLS today, marquee foreign signings. Notably Colombian hero Carlos Valderrama. Though the first season also saw the emergence of young American talent, with Brad Friedel impressing massively in the early MLS years. Top: US football fans are known as the “American Outlaws” Image by Erik Drost Below: Diana Ross featured in the opening ceremony of the 1994 World cup. We can confirm that she is worse at penalties than Chrissy Waddle and Stuart Pearce put together.

Then there was the final, a Brazil team featuring Romario faced up against a strong Italy team. A 0-0 draw after extra time lead to the first ever penalty shootout in a World Cup final. After Brazil took a 3-2 lead after 4 penalties each, Roberto Di Baggio needed to score to keep his team in it. Unfortunately he produced a penalty even worse than Diana Ross’, scooping over the bar as Brazil won their fourth world cup. With attendances remaining the highest at a World Cup tournament, it was clear there was an audience for football in America. Then along came Major League Soccer.

The rise of MLS Founded in 1993, though not playing Kettle Magazine

With the size of America, a different format was required. A trip from Newcastle to Plymouth is long but has nothing on New York to Seattle. Due to this the league was split into the Eastern Conference and the Western Conference, with teams playing in their respective leagues to reduce travel times. Then the top 6 teams in each conference go through to the play-offs. The third placed team play the sixth and the fourth placed play the fifth in a single game to decide who gets through. The two victorious teams then play the first and second placed team in the league over two legs. Then the winners of that play each other to decide who wins the conference. Then the MLS cup is played between the winner of each conference. Simple, right? Despite the first season’s success, the MLS looked in trouble for the next few years as money problems and dwindling audiences plagued the league. With ambitions to expand the league briefly grew to 12 teams, though 2 folded in 2002. Since then it has gone from strength to strength, buoyed in worldwide status in 2007 by the arrival of David Beckham. Now the MLS finds itself with 20 teams, a string of high profile imports and a solid reputation for bringing through talent for the national team.

World Cup Successes In 2014 it would’ve been a sensible to bet against U.S.A getting out of their world cup group. In Brazil they were given the unenviable task of facing Ghana, Portugal and future champions Germany in a difficult group. What happened next would inspire Barack Obama to congratulate the team on their superb efforts. By beating Ghana, drawing to Portugal and losing to Germany, U.S.A did enough to get through. Where again, they were given a tough draw in the form of a dramatically improving Belgium side. With a 0-0 scoreline at full time the game ended 2-1 to Belgium, narrowly beating the brave American side. Tim Howard in particular impressed, registering the most saves from a goalkeeper in a world cup game. Though the mens side is only half of U.S.A’s world cup success. Despite the mens team only recently catching the attention of the world, the Women’s team have regularly been at the pinnacle of football. The National Women’s Soccer League includes some of the worlds best players and despite it’s small size, sees a high quality of football displayed and is respected worldwide. Then there’s the International side. The U.S.A Women’s team have been a dominant side since their formation, with their lowest ever FIFA ranking being second in the world. In fact they have regularly been the highest ranked in the world, only sharing that honour with a superb Germany side. The win in Canada displayed the years of hard work and skill possessed in the American team. Not only did they win in the final, they dominated Japan as they eased to a 5-2 victory, this was after already knocking out favourites Germany in the semi final. It was a great send off for top scorer Abby Wambach who lifted the trophy as possibly her last involvement for the national team. It was another victory that inspired the nation and should see Women’s football grow further in popularity across the pond. With America having the resources and nation size to breed a future team of world beaters, it could only be a matter of time before the men’s team repeat the women’s superb feat. Watch this space. 44

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Top: David Beckham ended his carereer at LA Galaxy. Image: Wikipedia Above: Sydney Leroux and Alex Morgan od the US Natioanl Women’s team.

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