Volume 13 Issue 6 June 2020
COVID-19 Explained: Stay at Home
What To Do After You Graduate What Persona 5 and Twitter Have in Common
THE KIDS
ARE ALRIGHT
LUKA PHELAN teams up with ALEX O'DONOVAN for a shoot at The Raven
FROM THE
Editor’s Desk... ...for one last time.
SOMETHING THAT HAS NEVER FAILED TO AMAZE ME IS JUST HOW MUCH THE WORLD CHANGES,
in ways both big and small, between the release of each monthly issue of Motley. Holding the position of editor gives you a unique view of that world, as you respond to those changes everyday. Something you don’t expect, though, is a global event that completely changes how we live and calls so much into question. For the past two months, the world has come together by staying apart, and we have all had to adapt our lives to protect everyone we know and everyone we don’t know around this planet we call home. I’m not afraid to admit that I have been struggling to put onto paper just how I feel about the entire situation, whilst also reminiscing and bringing to a close such a fantastic year for student journalism here in UCC. The first word that comes to mind when I think of both is ‘challenge.’ As human beings, everyday we are faced with different obstacles. Some are smaller and personal in scale, while others have a global impact. What
2 | JUNE 2020
obstacles both small and large have in common, however, is the way in which we overcome them. I look around the world today and feel incredibly inspired by those who are giving their time and effort to fight against the Covid-19 pandemic. The perseverance, determination and courage we have seen in the past few months have crystallised what it means to be human. The pandemic has shaken our society to its core, and unfortunately, so many people have been lost. To anyone who has lost loved ones or friends, the entire team here at Motley would like to send our condolences and best wishes to you and your families. I know these words probably feel quite distant and of little help in a time like this, but I hope that the warmth and positivity of this final issue of Motley for the year can help to give some respite from everything that is happening. Twelve months ago, if you had told me that in a year's time I would have had the pleasure of leading and working alongside such a passionate and talented group of young writers I would have laughed you out the door. I’m happy today to have been proven wrong. When I took over as Editor-In-Chief of Motley Magazine I was incredibly excited but also petrified, having the reputation of one of the most respected student publications in Ireland on my shoulders - quite big shoes to fill. However, I soon came to realise that I didn’t have to do it on my own, because I had the best team an Editor could ask for. Our editorial staff have been incredibly steadfast in their commitment to making this year Motley’s best year yet, and I am incredibly proud of everything we have
accomplished together. From our coverage of international events and politics to the abundance of creative, musical, and literary talent on our own front doorstep, Motley has served as a portal into both our own city and the wider world, which is something I am very happy to have been a part of. Thanks to the efforts of our team we have had an exceptional year, from being named Best Student Publication in Ireland by the Student Publication Association and earning nominations for Best Magazine Design at the National Student Publication Association Awards and Best Student Media Outlet at the 2020 USI Student Achievement Awards. It has been an incredibly fruitful time for us as a team. We increased our readership, introduced many new students to the wonderful work and creative talent of students here in UCC and completed a switchover to printing 100% recycled paper, a goal which had been taken up passionately by our entire team since day one. No final editorial is complete without acknowledgements of the work put in by our team this year, and for a sappy sentimental person like myself, I just have to do this. Our current affairs section has seen a fantastic response from those interested in the world around them, and I want to say thank you to our CA team led by Maeve McTaggart and Molly Kavanagh who led the charge, even in busier months. Features has been one of our most successful sections this year, and that speaks volumes for the fantastic work put in by the one-woman powerhouse herself, Méabh Lonergan. Thanks to our Entertainment ream. Fashion has been absolutely electric this year thanks to the dedication and creative genius of Paul McLauchlan. All of you are incredibly talented and I am very honoured to have been able to alongside you all for the past year. However, behind the scenes there are actually quite a lot of other people working to make Motley the best it can possibly be. Firstly, to my Deputy Editor Laurie Shelly for helping to keep the boat on course, and cleaning house when it came to the actual editing process. To our amazing in-house designer Tim Caruso who has taken Motley to an entirely new level when it comes to visual creativity. To our Public Relations Officer Matthew Moynihan, who took up the task of building a presence for Motley online, and developing our magazine as a brand. To our staff writers Sadhbh O'Sullivan, Kane Geary O’Keeffe, Niamh Browne and Alana Daly Mulligan, for giving me the pleasure of reading the most inspired and unique pieces of student journalism I have seen in all my years here in UCC.
This is an incredibly bittersweet moment for me as I move onto the next stage of my life, leaving Motley in the very capable hands of the next Editor-In-Chief, Matthew Moynihan. Although I am incredibly sad to be leaving Motley behind, I know that I have left it in the safe arms of a person who loves this publication just as much as I do, and I cannot wait to see what Matt and his team accomplish in the year ahead. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank one of the most influential people I met during my time here in UCC, former Motley Editor Lucas Brun, who took me under his wing as Entertainment Editor and showed me everything that student media had to offer, and I can never thank him enough for that. Everything I have accomplished this year is thanks to the hard work and dedication of those around me. I couldn’t have done it without the best team - no, the best family - a person could ask for. I am incredibly grateful for all the lessons I have learned, the skills I have developed and the experiences I will take with me as I move forwards. Looking back at the shy, uncomfortable, introverted person I was on orientation day in first year, I have come so far in so little time, and I also have student media and UCC to thank for that. To quote my favourite show Doctor Who, “you’ve gotta keep moving, so long as you remember all the people you used to be.” I won’t forget a single day of this experience. I will leave you to enjoy the long awaited final issue of Motley for this year. If you have any questions about student media or just want to stay in touch, my Twitter handle is @JournoManDan - never be afraid to DM me if you would like to talk! To end on one nerdy but incredibly poignant Doctor Who reference, “Motley... I let you go.”
DAN WEBB,
Editor-In-Chief Photo: Ronan O’Shea
|3
MASTHEAD Editorial Staff EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Dan Webb
DESIGNER
DEPUTY EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Tim Caruso
CURRENT AFFAIRS EDITOR
Maeve McTaggart
DEPUTY CURRENT AFFAIRS EDITOR
Molly Kavanagh
Laurie Shelly
FEATURES & OPINION EDITOR
Méabh Lonergan ONLINE EDITOR
Grace Byers
DEPUTY ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR
Cathal Donovan O’Neill FASHION EDITOR
Paul McLauchlan
PUBLIC RELATIONS OFFICER
Matthew Moynihan
Staff Writers Alana Daly Mulligan
Kane Geary O’Keeffe
Sadhbh Sullivan
Niamh Browne
Contributors JULIANNE POWER| EVE ROCHE | TONY O'HALLORAN | ALISHA JANE NAGLE | WARREN DALY AOIFE CORKERY | RYAN FLYNN | CLARE HURLEY | ALEX O'DONOVAN | LUKA PHELAN
Cover Photo LUKA PHELAN
This publication is made from 100% recycled paper. Motley welcomes letters from readers, emailed to editor@motley.ie. Motley is published by Motley Magazine, The Hub, UCC, Western Road, Cork. Printed by City Print Limited, Victoria Cross, Cork. Copyright 2019 Motley Magazine. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is strictly prohibited. All efforts have been made to ensure that details and pricing are correct at time of print. Motley magazine does not take responsibility for any errors incurred. This magazine can be recycled either in your green bin kerbside collection or at a local recycling point. Images Provided by Unsplash.com Vectors provided by Vecteezy.com and Freepik.com
4 | JUNE 2020
ISSUE No6 - JUNE 2020 MOTLEY.IE
CURRENT AFFAIRS
FEATURES
ENTERTAINMENT
FASHION
COVID-19 has dominated the headlines for months, but are all the facts true?
Graduating is uncertain, and even more so now. How can you plan ahead while keeping sane?
The 1975 played a headline gig in Dublin. Was it worth the hype? Spoiler: yes...yes it was
Luka Phelan returns to Motley and takes over The Raven with help from stylist Alex O'Donovan
P. 8
P. 18
P. 24
P. 27
PLUS 11. America's Aging Presidency Mave McTaggart
KOBE BRYANT
12. Remebering his legacy and exploring the way a nation grieves together
15. The Isolating Effect of Social 25. Media. Eve Roche 20. The Not So Lonely Planet. 26. Alana Daly Mulligan 23. Persona 5's Cyberbullying Problem Warren Daly
Hollywood's Horror Renaissance Kane Geary O'Keefe A Week in My Wardrobe Paul McLauchlan talks responsibility over sustainability
So, What's Next? BY SADHBH SULLIVAN
A
s each college year comes to an end, we inevitably reminisce on all we have done since we were landed back in UCC in September. Of our highest highs, and our lowest lows, our greatest achievements and our biggest flops. Although the year seems to pass in just the blink of an eye, a lot can happen in just nine months, especially during this period of our lives, where everything is malleable, and nothing ever quite stays the same. Many of us, and especially those of us in our final year, are beginning to prepare for something new as we look towards a fresh start outside formal education. Life has never been so uncertain and exciting all at once. Some of you already have a ‘master plan’ in place that will move you nicely into the next stage of your life, but some of you don’t, and that’s okay too. At this point in our lives, a new dialogue begins to emerge between our friends, families and peers. A whole new stream of questions are directed at us, ranging from, “are you going to do a masters?”
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and “do you have a job lined up?” to “when are you going to start making your millions?” and “what are you going to do next?”. These constant reminders of the changes that are taking place in life can be anxietyinducing at the best of times, but especially when you don’t have any answers for any of them. I guess that’s the joy of life. Although the immense level of change that we are faced with can be intimidating at the best of times, it also forces us to make decisions on things we may have been avoiding for too long, or things we might not have even considered before at all. We’re moving into a period of our lives where we can entirely choose how we spend our time, where we invest our energy, and to a certain extent where we live and what we do, without any major strings attached. It’s a time of risk-taking and trying out all the things you might have been afraid to do before, with no pressure to succeed, and in some cases, no major consequences of failure. Now is a better time than ever to move to that city you’ve been dreaming of,
follow through on the business idea that’s been playing on your mind, set up the café, find the perfect job, travel and explore. The world has always been at your fingertips, but especially now, as life branches out before you and you are met with no obligation to do anything in particular, but instead every opportunity to find what exactly sets your heart on fire When people talk about the Summer of their final year as being the ‘last Summer’ they’ll ever have, it seems like they believe that you will suddenly be forced to find a stable 9-to-5 job. It’s as though the realadult-life edition of the grim reaper pays you a visit at the end of August, and you’re whisked away into a life that you don’t necessarily enjoy or even want to be in. But the fact is that this is the best time of your life to do whatever-the-hell you want. It’s okay to not abide by the social convention to look for a stable job or life. Whatever you choose to do next, make sure it’s something you truly enjoy.
but first a word from our editors...
CURRENT AFFAIRS Edit
LET THE NEWS GO
FOR THE FINAL ISSUE, MAEVE MCTAGGART AND MOLLY KAVANAGH SHARE WHAT TO DO WHEN THE NEWS GETS TOO MUCH - AND WHY IT’S OKAY TO LOOK AWAY SOMETIMES.
From Brexit to Trump, to an election without an outcome, to COVID-19, Motley has never been short of stories to share or voices to tell them. It means the world to have been able to bring the world to UCC, to watch it play out in real-time from the pages of our student magazine. Thank you to the Motley team, to our contributors, and to all our readers online and in print who have kept the world turning despite the chaos. There is so much creativity, talent and hope within our campus community, and we are always grateful to have had the opportunity to help bring it to life.
With love,
Too Much News, Always and Instantly
It's OK to Not Be OK
It is easy to get caught up in your Twitter feed, in your group chats awash with newslinks and nervousness. It gets overwhelming sometimes, especially when COVID-19 seems to shed degrees of separation and the Dáil remains in stalemate. Let this be your sign: stop scrolling, turn the TV off, do you really need that podcast about crashing financial markets right now? Make a cup of tea, of hot chocolate, a glass of water - and watch an episode of wholesome, often arguably bad television. Love is Blind, Brooklyn-99, Friends, Queer Eye - Netflix surely has you covered (Alternatively: Disney movies always help).
For reasons unrelated to a negative news avalanche, you might be feeling down - and that’s human. Suggestions of exercise, new playlists and phone detoxes may seem pedantic at this time, but know that asking for help and halving the problem (however small you may define it to be) is the best one of all.
Repeated Negativity Makes Us Feel Unsafe
It's Possible to Overdose on the News
According to recent studies, a constant and repetitive stream of negative news induces what is known as “mean world syndrome” where danger and doom seems more impending than it really is. For clickbait, headlines and sensationalist tweets, negativity catches attention, instills panic and drives clicks. You can stay updated without having to drown in calls of the apocalypse. Take a breath and ask yourself if “there anything I can do about this right now?” - if the answer is no (and it will always be no), call a friend before putting your phone down, or type ‘good news’ into Google until you can smile again.
As you know from too many classes in a row, or those lecturers speak so fast your note-taking hand cramps, information overload is exhausting and can deplete your productivity levels when your focus is burning out. Don’t let yourself get buried in the bad stuff. In the same way you call it quits in the library when writing that assignment is doing you more harm than good, walk out of there. You can always begin again tomorrow. Go for a walk, some exercise or just open all the windows in your house and make a playlist of your favourite songs. Hit those high notes, too - Ariana who?
Maeve & Molly Current Affairs Editor
Dep. Current Affairs Editor
UCC NITELINE 1800 32 32 42
JIGSAW CORK 021 245 2500
CORK SAMARITANS 1850 609 090
CURRENT AFFAIRS | 7
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COVID-19
EXPLAINED MOLLY KAVANAGH CONFRONTS THE VIRUS AND CONFIRMS FACT FROM FICTION.
T
he first case of Coronavirus Disease 2019, or COVID-19, was reported by the World Health Organization on December 31st, 2019 in Wuhan, China. Since then, the virus has spread to over one hundred countries and has infected over one hundred thousand people. The current mortality rate is 3.2% as of March 3rd, 2020.
The current strain of Coronavirus is thought to have been transmitted to humans from chinese bats. Similarly, the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV) was transmitted to humans from camels, while the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-1 (SARSCoV-1) was transmitted to humans from civet cats.
What is Coronavirus Disease 2019, or COVID-19?
How does COVID-19 compare to the flu, SARS, or MERS?
‘Coronavirus’ is a term applied to a wide array of zoonotic viruses that typically only circulate among animals. However, when transmitted to humans, they can result in severe respiratory illnesses that exhibit symptoms similar to the flu. This strand of Coronavirus is considered a ‘Novel Coronavirus’ because it had not been previously identified in humans prior to December 31st, 2019. Its full name is Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), with COVID-19 being the name of the disease you are diagnosed with once being infected by the virus.
The SARS outbreak first occurred in China in 2002 and spread to twentysix countries, infecting 8,473 people and resulting in 813 deaths prior to being contained. The mortality rate (9.63%) was high, but the infection rate was relatively low. The MERS outbreak first occurred in Saudi Arabia in 2012 and spread to 27 countries, infecting 2,494 people and resulting in 858 deaths. Once again, the mortality rate was high(a frightening 34.35%), but the infection rate was relatively low. Seasonal influenza and COVID-19 display similar symptoms, but the World Health Organization
has warned that the viruses that cause these two respiratory illnesses are NOT the same and do NOT behave in the same way. In the 2018-2019 influenza season, over twenty-nine million Americans reported being diagnosed with the flu, resulting in thirty-four thousand deaths. Thirtyfour thousand deaths is, of course, undeniably tragic, but it proves that influenza’s mortality rate is very, very low. The only reason tens of thousands of people in America die from it each year is because the virus is heavily contagious. Thankfully, due to the influenza vaccine, fewer people are falling ill and the United States has managed to keep the mortality rate below one percent. Coronavirus, on the other hand, has a mortality rate of 3.2%, is as contagious as influenza, and does not yet have a vaccine. Because this Coronavirus has only recently appeared in humans, doctors and scientists know very little about the disease and therefore are unable to control it as effectively as they could influenza. The infection rate is steadily increasing, and with it so will the mortality rate - and it could be
CURRENT AFFAIRS | 9
years before a vaccine is developed. It is negligent and dangerous to claim that the coronavirus pandemic should not be taken seriously simply because less people have died from COVID-19 in the past three months than people have died from influenza in the past year. And even if COVID-19 did kill less people than influenza, it’s no excuse to not take precautionary measures that could potentially save lives.
What Are the Symptoms of COVID-19 and What Should I Do if I Have Them?
The HSE warns that it could take up to fourteen days for symptoms of coronavirus to appear in patients, but that the most common symptoms are a cough, shortness of breath, and a high fever. If you’ve recently travelled from a country affected by the coronavirus outbreak, or been in close contact with somebody else who has, you’re advised to call your general practitioner immediately. Close contact is considered to be “spending more than 15 minutes face-to-face contact within 2 metres of an infected person and/or living in the same house or shared accommodation as an infected person,” according to the HSE website. UCC student health services have asked students
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who are concerned that they might be exhibiting symptoms of coronavirus to call the office rather than physically coming in due to the risk of infecting other students. The HSE advises those exhibiting symptoms to isolate themselves from others by going into a room alone with their phone until further directions can be given by a GP or local emergency department.
How Can I Avoid Being Infected by Coronavirus? Contrary to popular belief, face masks and anti-bacterial hand sanitizer will not protect you from coronavirus. Antiviral wipes and sanitizer are your best bet, but purchasing these items in bulk is very detrimental to public health. If pharmacies and shops run out of these items and can’t restock, many people will be left without them and will therefore be more likely to fall ill. And if more people get infected, your likelihood of avoiding the disease will be lower, no matter how many antiviral wipes you use. The HSE suggests washing your hands often, coughing into a tissue or your sleeve, disinfecting frequently touched objects and surfaces, avoiding contact with sick people, and avoiding all unnecessary international travel (especially to heavily affected countries such
as Italy). If you are elderly or immunocompromised (or you LIVE with somebody who is elderly or immunocompromised) self-isolation and not leaving your home unless absolutely necessary is also an option. It’s also recommended to avoid areas or events in which there will be large crowds.
Is There Any Need to Panic?
Mass panic is never productive, but it’s hard to tell who is being overly cautious and who isn’t being cautious enough. Nonetheless, preventional measures are extremely important, even if you’re young and relatively healthy. Elderly people and those who are immunocompromised are extremely vulnerable, and for them, a certain degree of panic is probably warranted. If you frequent public spaces or aren’t being given time off by your university or place of employment, and you’re worried about COVID-19, purchase some antiviral wipes; stock up on food if you think you might need to self-isolate (as long as you don’t completely empty your local Aldi or Tesco). Do what you think is necessary, as long as it doesn’t put other people at risk. Coronavirus is a pandemic, and it deserves to be treated seriously.
A Country For Old Men:
America’s Aging Presidency “AGE WILL FLATTEN A MAN,” SAID THE AGING SHERIFF BELL IN THE COEN BROTHERS’ MCCARTHY-INSPIRED AND OSCAR-WINNING NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN. MAEVE MCTAGGART EXPLORES WHY IT HASN’T SUPPRESSED THE CHANCES OF THE 2020 PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES, BUT INSTEAD INFLATED THEM.
D
onald J. Trump assumed the presidential seat in the Oval Office ahead of his sixty-eight yearold competitor Hillary Clinton in late 2016. At seventy years of age, he was the oldest to ever do so. Whoever wins in 2020 will break the President’s record and become the oldest president in history - leaving Donald Trump the youngest man in the race. Now seventy-three, Trump is amongst his elders. Those likely to win the Democratic nomination, Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders, are seventy-seven and seventy-eight respectively, the selection of candidates differ only in ideology. Old, white and male - is this pattern of Presidential candidates going stale? The American affinity for older candidates is relatively unmatched, so much so it doesn’t seem random that voters just happen to choose candidates and a government nearly a generation older than the median voter age of fifty-seven. Neither does it seem logical to say with age comes greater experience; President Trump is the least experienced candidate in history and in fact, since 1996 the experience of sitting Presidents has been declining. Barack Obama served as senator for just three years before launching his campaign and George W. Bush was a governor for a mere five. Irrespective of what wisdom may come with age, it seems unlikely the American electorate are too attentive to what seats their Presidents have held before that of the Resolute Desk. Attached to Trump, Biden and Bernie is novelty the outsider, the “brother” of Obama, the socialist - and the electorate have always loved a show… just not too much of a show. Studies have shown that while people may gravitate towards the unusual out of curiosity, it is never truly “out with the old.” Known as the mere-exposure effect, people
show a clear preference for what is familiar - even when it’s a surprise. Think of your Discover Weekly playlist on Spotify, a weekly cache of personalised songs which take the effort out of hunting down new music that is never all really new to you. There’s a reason. Engagement for the Discover Weekly playlist on Spotify fell, drastically, when the original algorithm gifted users with unadulterated ‘new-ness’ every week, because the familiarity was gone. “It turns out having a bit of familiarity bred trust,” Matt Ogle of Spotify explained to The Atlantic. “If we make a new playlist for you and there’s not a single thing for you to hook onto or recognise… it’s completely intimidating and people don’t engage.” If the American electorate are offered a candidate like Beto O’Rourke, without the “mere exposure” which the American public had to Trump in his celebrity, to Biden in his Vice Presidency, to Bernie in his persistence to be heard despite rejection, then they don’t trust him - not old enough to be recognisable to the electorate. Was a Trump win really that much of a surprise? Or a result bred out of more TV exposure to the Republican candidate than Clinton ever had? The youngest and the oldest candidates have one thing in common - they can afford to lose. For the young, like Beto and Buttigieg, the name recognition they derive from a presidential bid can only benefit them and with careers only beginning to pick up speed, there is no major suspension of wasted time. For the older, like Trump and Biden, they are known, the strings tightened on the bulk of their careers and the financial means available to make a last ditch attempt for the White House in their retirement. The Twenty-Fifth Amendment is there for a reason, to provide means for an alternative in the event of the President’s incapacitation, whispers of which followed Trump’s early Presidency and still hang over Biden’s verbal gaffes and Bernie’s recent heart attack. But why not just consider the younger, novel candidate outside retirement? For familiarity can blind you too.
CURRENT AFFAIRS | 11
TALKING THROUGH
OUR GRIEF
Is there a right way to handle celebrity deaths?
MOLLY KAVANAGH TRIES TO ANSWER THE QUESTION WHICH THE MEDIA HAS BEEN TRYING TO ANSWER SINCE THE TRAGIC DEATH OF NBA STAR AND BELOVED SPORTSPERSON KOBE BRYANT. IT IS A CONVERSATION WHICH ARRIVES AFTER WE LOSE MANY OF OUR MOST BELOVED CELEBRITIES - IF NOT TO US, THEY ALWAYS ARE TO OTHERS - CAN WE SEPARATE THEM FROM THEIR SECRETS?
K
obe Bryant, a former professional basketball player and Los Angeles Laker, died unexpectedly in a fiery helicopter crash that claimed the lives of his thirteen year old daughter, Gianna, and seven other passengers earlier this year. Devoted fans immediately took to social media to offer their sympathies to Bryant’s wife, Vanessa, and their three young daughters. In a malstrom of grief, shock, and disbelief, several Twitter users took the oppurtunity to point out that one person was being left out of the conversation: the young woman who accused Kobe Bryant of sexual assault in 2003.
Kobe Bryant cultivated his alter ego, ‘The Black Mamba,’ in 2003 to assist in separating his professional career as a rising basketball star from his personal life, which was fraught with legal strife and frequent court appearances. The ordeal came to an end when prosecutors decided to drop all charges, with the accusation instead ending in an undisclosed settlement and an apology from Bryant. In a statement, Bryant said: “Although I truly believe this encounter between us was consensual, I recognize now that she did not and does not view this incident the same way I did.” Washington Post reporter, Felicia Sonmez, shared an article on Twitter that concerned the Kobe Bryant sexual assault case a mere three hours after his death - a reminder that many people, including some of Bryant’s critics, found incredibly innaproproate and disrespectful. Sonmez called the subsequent torrents of online hate, ‘eye-opening,’ but held firm in her belief that ‘any public figure is worth remembering in their totality, even if that public figure is beloved and that totality unsettling.’ This incident stirred a very complicated and sensitive debate about how we’re meant to remember and honor public figures who harmed people but also made significant contributions to our society and culture.
For survivors of sexual assault, watching millions of people lionize a man accused of rape is incredibly painful, alienating, and confusing. Watching a man earn millions upon millions of dollars and live a rather luxurious lifestyle, while your life has been irreparably damaged by the trauma he inflicted, must be excruciating. Watching America rally behind an accused rapist can make survivors feel as if their experiences, their pain, and their trauma are not important and therefore not worthy of discussion- simply because those discussions are uncomfortable to have and could tarnish a male professional athlete’s legacy. But what’s more important? Supporting survivors of sexual violence, or preserving a basketball fan’s positive, yet not entirely accurate, perception of their favourite player? There are two sides to the coin. The trajectory of Kobe Bryant’s career continued to only skyrocket following the case, and he went on to coach his daughter’s basketball team and proudly support organizations that facilitate the participation of women in sports. His cultural and societal impact is undeniable, and he’s long been an inspiration and a role model for aspiring athletes and young African Americans. Kobe Bryant, as a Los Angeles Laker, was part of a larger brand - his fans aren’t necessarily worshipping him as a person, but more so what he represented. His success most likely would not have been continued if the assault took place today. We’re in the midst of the #MeToo era, which has opened up a more nuanced dialogue surrounding cases of sexual assault that were perpetrated by prominent cultural figures, and the extent to which their victims are silenced. However, the #MeToo movement can occasionally fall into a rather reductive debate which, in the case of Kobe Bryant, is about whether or not you can mourn his untimely death while also supporting victims of sexual assault. #MeToo can also leave little room for redemption or forgiveness- but ultimately, whether or
not abusers are capable or deserving of redemption and forgiveness is a matter of individual opinion. So is it possible to reconcile the conflicting emotions surrounding Kobe Bryant’s death and subsequent remembrance? I think the answer is yes. I think we’re all capable of recognizing and acknowledging that although Kobe Bryant committed a heinous crime in 2003, Vanessa Bryant still lost both her loving husband and her young daughter in an undeniably tragic accident. And although Kobe Bryant did something terrible, his daughters still lost their devoted father and their sister. And many young African American children and teenagers lost a role model.
Denying Bryant’s cultural impact isn’t productive. Sexual assault victims, however, can not be ignored. Doing so would be grossly irresponsible. The best way to honor the survivors of sexual violence is to acknowledge that Kobe Bryant commited a crime, and that his success and fame doesn’t ‘make up for’ or excuse it. The situation can also provide more nuance to the discussions already happening in regards to sexual assault, in which we can raise even more awareness by acknowledging that even the people we admire and respect are capable of doing terrible things, and victims deserve to be listened to no matter what.
CURRENT AFFAIRS | 13
editor's note Dear (unfortunate) reader, For those of you that don’t know me, my name is Méabh and I’ve been the Features and Opinion Editor for this year of Motley. It’s been a big one. When I first got the role, I was expecting to have to write lots and beg for pieces even more. I was so, so wrong. Every month I was washed away by poetry, fiction, life stories, burning opinions, and even a review of certain UCC facilities... Features has been a rollercoaster and a half. For every piece that landed in my inbox that I was unsure of, three more came in to blow me away, and some, such as the Christmas Charity Piece, the Daragh Fleming interview, and Ciara Lone’s piece on anxiety, I reckon I’ll still be dwelling on in months to come. People submitted true-life pieces from the darkest of times, opinions surged with passion and some heartfelt poetry, and I grew myself too, as I tried to curate it all - including being in the uncomfortable position of cutting down someone else's words so that they’d fit on a page. I got the chance to see my photos in print and accompanying online articles, as well as my own writing. I also had to learn to conduct interviews pretty quickly, but it was something I enjoyed, and another skill in my repertoire. The whole experience was definitely a learning curve for me, but something I had the support of the whole team in. I’m rather sad to think that my Motley experience is coming to an end, but it’s been a good run. To whoever takes up my mantle: best of luck. Features and opinion editor is the best job going, no doubts about it, and if you have an eye for a good story, if you have a creative mind, if you have a collaborative mind and a will to make young writers do your best, this role is for you. With that in mind, I’d like to wish everyone a good summer. Whether you spend it working, travelling, pursuing your #CareerWoman goals, or taking a well earned break, I hope you have fun, relax, learn new things and get ready for the new fabulous new year of Motley coming your way!
Good luck, best wishes, and mise le meas,
Méabh Lonergan Features & Opinions Editor
14 | JUNE 2020
OPINION Has the increasing prevalence of automation and social media led to a demise in human interaction? EVE ROCHE TALKS US THROUGH HER FEARS ABOUT THE IMPACT OF TECHNOLOGY ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE WORLD.
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echnology is an ever-increasing part of our daily lives. We wake up and check our phones for daily news and updates, and I even find myself looking up the weather on my phone instead of looking out the window. We text our friends instead of meeting up with them, because somehow it feels the same, even though it really doesn’t compare. Why are we choosing to communicate through a screen rather than face to face? I feel that we are too enveloped in our phones and social media to notice life passing us by. Social media is a constant slideshow of memes, tweets and photos of girlos at their prinks. We must ask ourselves what the point is. To me, the fact that some people’s jobs consist purely of existing online is bizarre. Research has found that more and more children are vying for careers in YouTube rather than more traditional careers, such as nursing or teaching. In a way, it can be seen as a positive thing that we no longer rely on
television networks: if you want an audience, you can set up a channel on YouTube for free. However, Youtubers can work from home all day, maybe not partaking in human interaction. Does this damage our health? Watching bloggers can be a weird experience for me, because I watch them selling and promoting brands while wearing the fluffy pyjamas from their Penneys collaboration collections. We are becoming more conscious of sustainability and the impact our actions have on the planet, but these influencers and bloggers seem to be multiplying by the minute. Don’t get me wrong: I would be lost without technology and the internet. It struck me recently that before the likes of Google Books and JSTOR, people had to sift meticulously through books to get a quote or source for an essay that would only take minutes to find online. But what is the cost of this? The fact that you can get a whole essay done from the comfort of your own home or even watch a recorded lecture online can be seen as an advantage, but technically there is no need to speak to or interact with another human at any point during the day, and that worries me. Social interaction is necessary for us to function as human beings, and I ask myself if technology has a role to play in our attention-deficient and anxietyridden generation. We don’t even have to speak to shop workers anymore, as more and more retailers are making the switch to self-checkout systems. On the one hand, the introduction of self-checkout systems reduces jobs for people, but on the other hand, it also creates jobs for people in technology. However, many teenagers and young adults look to retail when they are starting to work and earn money - will it be harder for them to find jobs in the future? Imagining a world in 10 or 20 years’ time in which everything is done through an automated system and not face-to-face makes me incredibly sad. Human contact allows us to be more empathetic, build personal connections and grow in confidence. Having strong personal connections is essential to our physical and mental health. To quote Einstein - “I fear the day that technology will surpass human interaction. The world will have a generation of idiots.”
FEATURES & OPINIONS | 15
OPINION First Time Renters in Cork Face Far Too Awful Living Conditions BY ALISHA JANE NAGLE
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housands of us became renters for the first time September 2019, and thousands the year before that and so on. This is a completely new experience to us, whether we’re in student accommodation, in digs or if we’re in the private rental market. The last report Cork Simon did in November 2019 stated that there were over 400 homeless people in Cork at the time, men, women, children, but this doesn’t include students that have to couch surf just to educate themselves. That same month, UCC became the first university in Ireland to set up a food bank on college campus; this was after its decision to raise student accommodation rent by 11.5%. “The need for food banks on college campuses is indicative of the rising cost of living for students” said Naoise Crowley, the Student Union’s Welfare officer at the time. The SUSI grant that students receive has not increased since 2012 and therefore does not reflect the living costs students face today. For my first year of college, I travelled up and down everyday, 4 buses a day. I had absolutely no social life and it was exhausting. At this time I could not afford to live in Cork either in digs or privately and since it was a PLC there was no student accommodation. Then. when coming into UCC, I was living less than 45km from campus so it was extremely unlikely I’d get into student accommodation, even though I have a physical disability so traveling was hard and buses were unreliable, so this forced me into the private rental market. This is the case for a huge number of
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POPE'S QUAY COURT ON THE NORTHERN SIDE OF THE RIVER LEE IN CORK CITY CENTRE
students, they are forced to commute to college everyday on an unreliable public transport system due to the lack of resources the college has when it comes to accommodation. Another side of the housing crisis for students is that many of us are unwillingly shoved into unsafe living conditions. There are a wide range of these types of situations, such as having silverfish in the room, walls covered in mould or uncomfortable social conditions. Students all over Cork are paying high amounts of rent to be in these situations, and would even call themselves lucky because they have a roof over their heads. The Echo cited the average rent in Cork City as €1,372 a month; in and around the city center the majority of houses have two bedrooms so if a student was to rent one room it would cost them €686 a month - very few students make this much money due to being in college full time! How are we supposed to afford rent, nevermind utilities, food, and other expenses? When I first moved to Cork in September with my partner, we were paying more than €680 a month (including utilities). The only reason we could afford this is because he works full time. However, we lived in a very unsafe situation.. Our housemates, another couple, seemed relatively normal when I went to view the room - it wasn’t exactly a very clean house, but it would do. We were happy to have it, but once we moved in the problems started. I had never seen such a huge amount of drugs in my life - it was scary, and I was afraid of somebody overdosing at their huge parties in this small city house. I was lucky that I was able to move back home and travel to college again for a few weeks until we found somewhere better, but it got me thinking about the people who do not have that option. Many students in UCC are forced into situations like the one I was in. We need definitive action from a stable Government on our housing crisis. We need a rent freeze and lower student accommodation. We need compassion, for men, women, children, and students across Ireland - and we need it now.
POETRY
Sandcastles TONY O’HALLORAN
I dunked you beneath the waves and laughed as you threatened retribution. We were the couple sharing a sunny secret, cooked vegetarian lasagna, assembled flatpack without a single fight, found each other under that tree. Beneath your sheets I came to wonder what it all could be . You asked me to write so I wrote for you, inspired by American Townlands A friend’s suicide attempt dragged me back under the waves I soon learned winter rapids are unforgiving. You stood by me I wrote You stood by me I broke down when I couldn’t cry You stood by me I tried to stand by you. New Year’s came And so did hope I was filled with absolution But currents flow, one of us was always going to have to let go. I just didn’t think it would be you. The end seemed to arrive as the beginning once had. Unexpectedly, but unsurprisingly. The mood was terse before it was heavy, a slow push gave way to a slow flood of thoughts. Despite the demise I was relieved to see our struggles were the same. As we let each other go we held each other closely, far more closely than we could when we held on tight to our convictions, to our dreams, to the hopes we promised each other. Where once by on a hill or by a lake began our lives together lay the sad smiles of past lovers. My only grief was acceptance. I must have passed through the other stages as I tossed and turned in late mornings, through sundry alarms and no self blessings. I have no doubt I love you but more than the end, I feared the sad erosion. Sandcastles are built for the summer, for months they have weathered spring tides. Waves wreck our autumn defences as we hold back the tears in our eyes. Steeping back, we smile at our towers and hold hands as dreams wash away. FEATURES & OPINIONS | 17
Life After
COLLEGE BY JULIANNE POWER
THE BIG WIDE WORLD – IT’S A SCARY PLACE, ISN’T IT? ESPECIALLY IF YOU ARE A REALLIFE GROWN UP, SOMETHING I REGRET TO SAY I MUST SOON BECOME.
College life seems like the perfect bubble between growing-up and staying forever young – one gains independence, grows as an individual, learns a whole plethora of new things, but still retains a sense of youth, holds the ability to call up mom when the washing machine breaks, or stay up until 3am eating pizza with friends despite having class the next morning. Suddenly, however, it’s the Christmas holidays of your final year, and you sit down to dinner. Only this year, everyone’s eyes are on you, and you must face the dreaded question you’ve seen many before you experience; “So, what are your plans for next year?” The daunting task of choosing a college course all those years ago seems like a walk in the park now, and suddenly you find yourself wishing you could transport back to your first day on campus,
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when the end seemed light years away. The sense of structure and familiarity you have been guaranteed for many years is fading, and the responsibilities and realities of the ‘real world’ are fast approaching. If, like me, the thought of the future sets alarm bells ringing in your mind, and evokes thoughts of a full-blown quarter-life-crisis, just know you are certainly not alone. It is unsurprising that according to a CNBC report, many therapists in America have turned to the term “post-graduation depression” to describe this feeling experienced by so many. While this fear is valid and grounded in the fact that for most of us, the security which comes from being in state education since the age of 5 is slipping away, this does not mean we should not also be extremely excited about the future ahead of us and the diversity of opportunities open to us. When I told relatives a few months ago that I was considering taking a year out to save up money and really figure out what it was I wanted to do with my life, I was met with looks of shock, and exclamations that I “will never pick it back up if I stop now.” But taking a year out is a valid and good decision, for a lot of people. Taking time to make an informed decision regarding your future is a far better idea than rushing
into further education on a topic you are unsure of, or accepting a job offer for a position you do not feel truly passionate about. A year off gives you options - perhaps you want to work full-time, save up money and research all your possible pathways. Maybe you’ll travel, explore and experience parts of the world that cannot be appreciated with a mere weeklong holiday. What about learning a new skill, having the chance to give back and do charity work, or simply working on yourself as a person? The stigma surrounding taking a break after a long and taxing undergraduate course is one which should be broken, as more often than not it is the wisest, and the most rewarding decision in the long-run. Of course, if you are lucky enough to have already decided your path in life, a masters can be a great way to gain further knowledge on a topic or career you are passionate about. Aside from the obvious draw that comes with a masters - extending your time in college (everyone was thinking it), it also offers, as the name suggests, a chance to demonstrate mastery within your chosen field. If you do decide a masters is the choice for you, then you’ll be aware you have another big decision to face... which course suits you best. Sorry! There are, however, a large number of
resources which can prove useful in this decision, including FindAMasters, an Irish website which allows you to explore your options based on discipline, institution, location, course and study type, or gradireland, another website offering advice on funding, the benefits of further education, the areas of study available to you, and the career prospects they can offer. So if you are veering towards a masters, do your research, keep up to date with application dates and deposit prices, and most importantly, enjoy it! Conversely, you can face the big bad world head on, and go straight into work after college. While a daunting and sometimes unimaginable concept, it is financially a solid choice, and allows you to begin working your way up in your field of choice immediately. This means facing the dreaded interview portion of your life, where you must not only get your personality, skills and work ethic across in twenty minutes, but also prove that you are the best of a potentially very large bunch. And if I can give you one piece of advice, it would be to practice! In the mirror, with your best friend, with your dog, it really doesn’t matter, just get used to talking out loud, or more significantly, talking solely about yourself out loud. LinkedIn is also incredibly useful, offering a platform to meet
like-minded people with similar drive as well as potential employers, and create connections before you’ve even gotten off the couch. If the working world is the choice for you, it's time to pull out your finest ‘I’m a professional’ outfit, update your CV, and make connections anywhere and everywhere you can. Leaving college behind after what feels like only weeks, saying goodbye to the years that form us into the people we want to be, is undoubtedly scary. But it's also exciting, the possibilities are endless, and there is no right or wrong direction to take. As long as you remember to focus on what it is you want, and not what everyone else is doing, you’re bound to achieve, and have as much fun after college as you did during. Remember, if you love what you do, you’ll never work a day in your life!
FEATURES & OPINIONS | 19
T H E N OT S O LO N E LY P L A N E T BY ALANA DALY MULLIGAN
SH*T THROWING FLYING MONKEYS... THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE HOME! ALANA DALY MULLIGAN TALKS US THROUGH THE ROUGH LAST FEW MONTHS OF HER ERASMUS, AND WHY SHE DECIDED TO RETURN HOME. EDITORS WARNING: This piece references topics like depression and self-harm.
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’ve always loved The Wizard of Oz. I read the books and watched the film so much that it’s probably imprinted on my mind via process of osmosis. We can relate to Dorothy’s plight of wanting to feck off over a rainbow to something better, and then realising no matter how great the other side of the light refraction is, there is something about the feel of a sepia reel that’s just right. Long story short, year abroad didn’t work out for me. I ran home with my tail between my legs, seeking lots of help, working to figure out who I had been trying to find on study abroad, and who I was risking losing in that process. America has always been THE dream. I was looking towards sunny California, but my budget was not as enthusiastic about that, so Maine it was. I soon realised that America was not what the movies had told me, and understandably, I panicked. I cut myself off from everyone, not having a clue where the resources were or how to access them. I was caught up in the fear of being perceived as a failure, that I couldn’t just suck it up and do the year abroad, “be fucking grateful for the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” I told myself over and over again. I started self-harming, I stopped eating, I didn’t sleep, and when I did, I had horrid nightmares. I couldn’t understand why it was all going so wrong when I’d worked so hard to make sure everything went according to plan. So, I came home. Spent January wallowing in bed trying to recover from serious burnout and all the anxious and depressive episodes that comes with it. It was my poppy-field moment, and all I wanted to do was drown in the numbness.
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But every good story needs shit-throwing flying monkeys to appear and disturb the peace. I feel like I’ve lied to you, reader, built up your expectations of studying abroad over our time together, and I’d like to apologise for that. But I’m hoping there’s a happy ending or at least a new beginning for me, and a moral for you. If I hadn't gone on study abroad, I don’t know if I would’ve stopped to evaluate my happiness. I don’t know if I’d be around to write this now. I’m so lucky to have met the people I met, who kept me awake when all I wanted to do was suffocate in that poppy-field. Life is different now. I eat breakfast. I exercise every day, or I try to. A little pill helps me sleep and stops me feeling sad. Goodbye insomnia. I’m calmer now. I’m not as anxious. I don’t bite my nails. I breathe more, I cry less. I talk to a therapist every week. I’m learning to say no - I’m still working on that one. My body has a few new additions but they’re fading, slowly but surely, my skin is healing. I am healing. I’m exhausted from performing my happiness for other people’s comfort, so I’m going to be honest, because truth should never be entirely comfortable. I’m taking time for myself, and doing what I love for me, because that is enough. L’Oréal was right: I’m fucking worth it. And I’ve returned to my Kansas, my blank canvas for the next showreel. I will pick the colours. I will draw the frame. I am making the best of a less-than-ideal situation. I’m learning that home isn’t a place or a pair of open arms - happiness is entirely self-centred and we shouldn’t shame such important selfishness. I’m trying to find a reason to live again and remind myself that this little spinning ball millions of miles from the sun is filled with lonely people living lonely lives, just looking to be loved. And we should be a bit kinder to one another, or at least try. We’re gonna be okay guys.
POETRY
Morning Coffee M AT T H EW M OY N I H A N
I drink in your eyes like my morning coffee rousing myself from my monotonous slumber. I frantically boil the kettle of your affections over and over spent steam rising and dissipating in my lungs. I’m done with the instant formulation. I let your joie de vivre trickle through the filter, your caramel notes drip down into my mug. With a ravenous dispensation I drink you in again, you mark your territory – the stains of caffeine etched upon enamel. After we consume each other once again, what of us, my god, shall be left behind? Empty mugs, ash trays full to the brim and ruffled sheets our calling card. These tender moments easy living these fragments ink-bound by the bard. FEATURES & OPINIONS | 21
JUNE
ENTERTAINMENT Editor's Note
I think many of us have entire years where they feel they haven’t made a truly great decision. Not just a sound investment, but a decision that feels right and pure and satisfying from the time you made it to when its consequences cease. When Dan called me last July to tell me I could have deputy entertainment if I wanted it, I was right to say yes. Writing and editing this has turned my brain inside-out and introduced me to a new field that I’d never even considered. I knew I wanted to write. Now I know what I want to write and I never want to stop. And as it turns out, I’ve more debt to repay than the U.S Treasury. Thanks to Mike, Mark, Matt, Gary, EDEN and Craic Boi for giving us the time of day. Extra-special for Mike, for giving me quality mentorship when I was starting off. I still owe you a coffee. Thanks to Dan for playing a better hand of cards than James Bond in Casino Royale. Relieved gratitude to Tim for not taking me out back and putting me down (‘Tell me about the PPI, George’). Thanks to Niamh for knowing how pop music outside of Old Town Road works today. Thanks to Carly Fitzgerald, Cailean Coffey, Warren Daly, Julie Landers and Julianne Power. The contributors genuinely made the section and I’ve enjoyed reading every one of your pieces. And thanks to you for reading. I strongly recommend you follow the above’s Twitters/Instagrams. As long as they keep creating, you’ll want to follow where they’re going. And hey, maybe throw a follow at @CathalDON1 on Twitter. Can’t hurt.
And the beat goes on,
Cathal Donovan O'Neil Deputy Entertainment Editor 2019/2020
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WHAT YOU'D EXPECT FROM THE WORST OF TWITTER: PERSONA 5 PERSONA 5’S PROBLEM? CYBERBULLYING, WRITES WARREN DALY
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ersona 5 confuses me. Or more accurately, its reputation confuses me. Imagine if you were to wake up in a world where Ant-Man was not only considered the one of best super-hero movies but also one of the greatest movies ever. It’s a seven out of ten at best, but for some reason everyone hails it as a masterpiece. I’m a big JRPG fan, so I was hoping to add Persona 5 to my list of favourite games. But, despite its incredible amounts of style, there’s one flaw in particular that keeps me from loving Atlus’s glorified high-school simulator. The game just makes me hate people. The game features the public rather heavily. Throughout the game, you are constantly overhearing conversations on the subway or during your walk to school. Every night you see the comments on your organisation’s forum. These give you a good idea of the masses’ opinion of whatever is topical at that moment in the plot. The public are incredibly unlikeable. Being misinformed, opinionated and thoughtless, they will show no mercy in their judgement of every action you take as the Phantom Thieves. Over time, you do earn their temporary validation but it’s quite shallow. In fact, they are almost more obnoxious as they become an arrogant echo chamber. They are what you’d expect from the worst of Twitter. [Or just Twitter, heyo! - Twitterholic Cathal] As frustrating as they may be to watch, I must give the game credit in being so accurate in its depiction of the public. It had potential to pair nicely with the game’s core concept. Persona 5 has you exploring palaces, a physical manifestation of a warped person’s psyche. Each palace contains a treasure which, when stolen, triggers a change of heart in the palace owner. This concept is a
fantastic device that could allow the player to quite literally explore a person’s mind and philosophies. Coupled with its depiction of the public, the game could be a great dive into human nature. The thing is, it just isn’t. Nearly all the palaces you enter belong to unambiguously terrible people, so the morality of your actions and the villain’s are left very black and white. The metaphors employed are generally blunt. For example, in the palace belonging to a gangster, all of the people are just walking ATMs. The game then loudly explains that this is because he sees people as nothing more than a source of money. In the absence of nuance, the palaces instead just become a vehicle for power fantasy. They allow the teenage cast to fight against socially powerful people without risk. This isn’t a criticism, by the way, I enjoy a good power fantasy every now and then. But the game being a power fantasy means the depiction of the public no longer has a place. In fact, I would argue that it directly impedes the game’s goal. It is disheartening when every loading screen contains the most obtuse comments on everything that you’re doing. You’re trying to improve society as a whole but even after changing the hearts of monsters and highlighting atrocities, they don’t act any differently. Now they just claim online that they know you because they want Internet clout. This problem really rears its head in the run up to the final boss. The world is ending, Japan is about to be in a political crisis and you had to spend hours navigating one of the most tedious dungeons in the game, but the people can only respond with apathy as you try to save them. While there are plot reasons to explain this apathy, it doesn’t undercut how unsatisfying it feels. Before the launch of the game, Atlus said they wanted the player to feel a sense of catharsis from rising up against an unjust society. However, even if we want to change society, I think we still have an innate desire to be accepted by it. Persona 5’s society neither changes nor really accepts the player by the end and I’m left asking: What was the point?
ENTERTAINMENT | 23
REVIEW T he 1975 @ T he 3Ar ena
THE 1975’S RETURN TO THE 3ARENA WAS YET ANOTHER TRIUMPH, WRITES JULIANNE POWER
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he 1975 are a band who have long divided opinion. Very rarely does anyone come down in the middle with their stance on the Manchester born group, some viewing their music as overrated and pretentious, others considering it groundbreaking and potentially world-changing. NME has represented this conflict in a highly ironic way, gracing The 1975 with the Worst Band Award at their awards show in 2014, yet amazingly going on to award them the Band of the Decade Award in 2020. No matter what side of the divide people fall down on, however, the fact that they put on a spectacular live show is a point not up for contention, something they proved once again on March 3rd at their 3Arena gig. Standing amongst throngs of predominantly young audience members (unsurprising considering the band describe themselves as ‘millennials damaged by the internet’), the atmosphere in the 14,000 person venue was palpable. Anyone who had seen them before was ready for yet another visual, lyrical and performative masterpiece, newcomers to the band seeming to pick up the sense in the air that something special was about to happen. It was, of course, when The 1975 came out on stage that the real excitement kicked in, the room practically vibrating as the pre-show music cut off, and the lights went out. The iconic ‘The 1975’ song that opens each of their albums thumped through the speakers, the lyrics flashing on screen and the bass pounding through the crowd. The stage erupted into light, bathing frontman Matty Healy in shocking yellow tones as the concert kicked off with the suitably punchy People. The next two hours were filled with fan-favourite after fan-favourite, the group delighting original fans with debut album hits from 2013, including "Milk", "Menswear" and "fallingforyou". Unsurprisingly, the band’s Robbers, a non-single which has become something of a fan anthem since its release 7 years ago, was met with hysteria. The group even offered up two unheard songs from the upcoming album, Guys and If You’re Too Shy (Let Me Know), surprised to hear the crowd sing along as
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if they were old staples. Of course, they did not fail in providing even tag-alongs with something to enjoy, playing well-known hits such as Chocolate and Love Me, to the delight of those who only know the band from their regular radio airtime. The standout element of the band’s live performances remained the same—Matty Healy’s enigmatic stage presence. Matty displayed his infamous energy and abundance of confidence, making his way through the 25-song setlist with ease. He donned his well-known rabbit hat and stepped aboard a flat treadmill stage strip for Sincerity is Scary, delighting with his out-there dance moves during every single song, and caused the venue to erupt when responding to the classic Olé Olé crowd chant with “Shut up—this isn’t a fucking Charlatans gig!” The 1975 did not disappoint with the stage visuals either, the well-known boxes hanging over the stage, the large rectangles framing the band from three sides and the seemingly magic hole in the back of the stage all making a welcome return. Each song was accompanied with a different, equally intricate, background, ranging from the weird and the wonderful, such as the meme-overload of The Birthday Party, to the beautiful and sentimental in the nostalgic video camera footage of a young 1975 during Guys. Perhaps most striking was a Greta Thunberg speech, the crowd completely silent as her words flashed on the screen, the call for civil disobedience, for rebellion during this “ecological crisis” never more relevant, or impactful, than it is today. The concert ended with a bang, Matty asking the crowd for one more bout of energy as the beginning of The Sound blared throughout the room. Not one person remained still during these last three minutes, the whole crowd moving as one, a sea of bodies all jumping in unison. As the lights went down the atmosphere remained, the adrenaline and the excitement. No matter what your opinion of The 1975 may be, to see them live is to experience the pure joy of a band who consider, and care about, every element of the live concert experience.
The Unmarketables: A Horror Renaissance
KANE GEARY O’KEEFFE WRITES ABOUT A NEW WAVE OF HORROR FILMS THAT FEATURE TERRORS THAT RANGE FAR BEYOND THE CLASSIC JUMP-SCARE, AND DISCUSSES HOLLYWOOD’S INABILITY TO ADEQUATELY MARKET THIS SUB-GENRE
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ike it or not, horror has moved beyond the jump scare, and I believe we are in the midst of a much needed horror renaissance. Horror has always reflected the fears of our current times on the screen, be it through home-invading villains or science-defying monsters, and it has the power to draw out our innermost, often subliminal fears, and bring them forth onto the eyes of a terrified viewer. The past ten years has given us a slew of films that once again tap into subliminal human fears and basic human experiences to generate fright. The fact that this deep well of terrifying inspiration is only now re-surging has caused a rift between two distinct branches of horror cinema. The first being the horror film that clings to the jump scare, the mainstream “boo” horror blockbuster that audiences are comfortable with, and as such will see, because they know what to expect. A main example being the popular supernatural horror of The Conjuring universe films. Many of which, The Nun being a particular example, inhabit a ‘horror’ than can be boiled down to a character thinking they saw something. They look and see nothing there, then look away. They then quickly look back and the scary figure is now there. Loud noise. Scary. Aahhhh! I’m much more interested in the second branch, the new wave of horror bubbling beneath this moneyriddled surface. The films that take your innermost fears, and stretch them into a two hour anxiety-ridden, slowburning nightmare. Oftentimes these films take a universal human experience and create a terrifying ‘mood’ that constitutes the majority of the film’s runtime. Free from jump-scares, these films instead shroud the audience in a gloomy cloak of their own fears. Be it the grief of a loved one taking the form of The Babadook, depression disguising itself as an unknown horror of the woods in It Comes at Night, sexual anxieties
taking the form of a sexually transmitted monster in It Follows or the pain and fears of a relationship breaking down in Midsommar. These films all rely on powerful human anxieties to carry over their terror to the audience, rather than the typical jump-scare. This brings us to the problem facing these films at the box office. How does Hollywood market a mood, or an anxiety to an audience that craves a jump in their seat and the odd exorcism. The disappointing and frank answer is, it doesn’t. The marketing of these films is what’s crippling this new wave of horror. Anyone that takes a quick look at the audience and critical reviews of these films will notice a schism in opinion. It Comes at Night’s page on Rotten Tomatoes, for example, shows an audience score of 44% positive reactions, in comparison to a much higher 87% approval rate from critics, and it’s all down to marketing. The trailers for many of these films consist of scary music, quick cuts, and allusions to a film with many jump scares. Hollywood is marketing these films to the wrong audience. If someone is shown the conventions of a typical horror movie in a trailer, that’s exactly what they're going to expect. It’s also exactly why they’ll hate an oftentimes fantastic film. A mood piece without jump-scares is exactly the opposite of what Hollywood marketeers are trying to pass these films off as. In short, they’re more than what they seem, and much more than what Hollywood can seem to market. To keep any significant artistic movement going, it needs supporters. If people don’t see these films, and bring their anxious brilliance to mainstream audiences, this freshly terrifying flame could well die out. I’d highly recommend anybody reading this who has an eye for horror to check out these films without any engagement with marketing material, and with knowledge of their deliberate pacing. There are so many recent gems out there, and while Hollywood may deem them unmarketable, I consider them much more than watchable.
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A W E E K I N M Y WA R D R O B E BY PAUL MCLAUCHLAN
RESPONSIBLE EDIT I
’m sick of hearing the world ‘sustainability.’ I wonder as someone who not only works in fashion but, more simply, has Instagram and Twitter accounts, if it actually means anything. The conversation is not always welcoming. The conversation is not always comprehensive. The conversation is not always a conversation. Responsibility, however, that interests me. For this month’s A Week in My Wardrobe, I looked at my own wardrobe to put together what I called a ‘Responsible Edit’ which is a mixture of mainstream vintage, charity shop finds, and designer items. It’s as comprehensive a vision of ‘sustainability’ as I can conceive for myself. These purchases were decisions that buying new arrivals or from fast fashion e-commerce sites weren’t essential when it came to building an outfit.
Scour the vintage section
For my Monday classes, I wore a navy, black and white Fila puffer jacket (from a 2017 Village Hall kilo sale), beige Dickies flared workwear pants (from Topman’s vintage section - my favourite destination in the Cork store), and battered Converse.
Customise your clothes
On Tuesday, I chose my H&M striped shirt in shades of pink (from a charity shop) and Topshop high waisted trousers (from their women’s vintage section). The trousers were once beige but the oil from a kebab at Istanbul stained them beyond redemption. (I was inconsolable). So I dyed them black. When in doubt, dye your clothes black.
Spend your money wisely
For day three, I wore my go-to blue Eckhaus Latta highwaisted ankle-grazer jeans and leather loafers from Sebago. This outfit, while not sourced from a vintage section, is the product of hard work and money well spent. These are clothes that will stand the test of time and because of their elevated quality will last. These clothes, expectedly, flew under the radar. There was nothing too challenging about them. The puffer jacket and the jeans received compliments. I’d say where I got them, though, and that’s where things would get interesting. We’d trade notes on our favourite vintage spots and charity shops in Cork City or further afield. We’d assess whether the current state of influencer marketing is toxic for our physical environment.
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IRISH CANCER SOCIETY ONE OF CORKS MOST POPULAR LOCAL CHARITY SHOPS, LOCATED ON CASTLE STREET BY THE ROUNDY
Class was a big topic
The sustainability conversation often ignores the fact that not everyone is in a position to make the most conscious decision because it’s beyond their means. It ignores the fact that not everyone is comfortable with charity shopping where awkward sizing poses a threat to potential outfits -- look no further than Laura O’Sullivan’s brilliant article a few issues back about how thrifting is not in the favour of plus-sized shoppers. The conversations would conclude that we should promote mainstream vintage, charity shop finds, and designer items (that doesn’t mean these are without their ethical faults too), but we’re not in the position to a) dictate how someone spends their money and b) chastise someone if they want to buy a new dress for a night out. The only thing I can do is encourage them to also pursue alternative avenues but not stray into territory where one is left feeling guilty for buying one new item. I realised not long into my decision to stop buying clothes I didn’t need that when I slipped and treated myself to a new jacket or a new pair of shoes, that nothing is ever achieved through self-punishment but self-discipline. That’s the biggest issue with the sustainability conversation. Nothing is ever achieved through attacking someone’s actions or through virtue signalling. What we can do, however, is encourage each other to be better and make smarter choices. Our wardrobes, and the world, could use a lot more of that.
THE KIDS ARE ALRIGHT PHOTOGRAPHY BY
Luka Phelan (@luka.phelan)
M O D E L S Aoife Corkery Ryan Flynn Clare Hurley S T Y L I S T Alex O'Donovan C L O T H E S Stylist's and Models' Own S P E C I A L T H A N K S T O The Raven, Cork
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