The Hype Issue 12

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Arts

Fierce competition at DCU Drag Race Gabija Gataveckaite runs through the glitz and glamour of DCU's Drag Race.

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CU’s annual drag race hosted by the LGBTA society this year was yet another sparkly, glitzy and fierce affair.

Being known in Dublin as the starting point for many of the queens who go on to work in queer and cabaret bars, this show sees the freshest talent compete for the crown.

Damoiseau, a drag king from France, took home the crown in The Button Factory after judges swooned over performances of Billie Jean and a contemporary ballet routine.

The performer attributed their biggest influence to be Dandy-like drag, referencing men of late 19th century Britain who took extreme care of their appearance.

Seven queens battle it out through a series of rounds on the night, with a panel of four judges then deciding on the top two.

Queens Nara Hope, Kara Kalua, Mommy Complex, Sapphire Sweet, Damoiseau, Kaya Duchanne and Crystal Knight took part in four rounds: a neon runway, talent showcase and a lip sync performance.

Judges Paul Ryder, Pixie Woo, Maura Darragh and Phil T Gorgeous gave their feedback to contestants throughout the night.

Mommy Complex, a bio-queen, meaning a female drag performer, and Damoiseau, received the coveted top two positions.

The queens then battled it out in a lip sync performance, like contestants do on RuPaul’s Drag Race and Damoiseau was crowned.

The show was hosted by Veda, who is a legendary queen with fiery red locks on Dublin’s drag scene.

Organised by DCU’s LGBTA society, this is the fifth time the society has hosted the race, which evolved from a drag event in 2013.

The society’s chair, Dean O’Reilly, explained how happy he was with how the turnout.

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It has been popularised in recent years thanks to RuPaul’s Drag Race, an American television show which sees queens perform in a series of challenges, almost like an X-Factor style format where a queen is eliminated each week by the judges

The haunting power of Billie Eilish Róisín Phelan reviews Billie Eilish's recent album release.

t only 17, Billie Eilish has become a saving grace of originality in the pop music industry.

Making no apologies for her fiercely unique sound and image, her album ‘WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO?’ has raced straight to number one on the iTunes chart.

However, with an overwhelming darkness in many of her songs, Eilish has faced criticism for romanticising mental illness, and attempting to capitalise on it. Others say her music is is an expression of her own thoughts and offers her listeners the opportunity to relate to her.

The album opens with a short clip of Billie joking about removing her invisalign and being ready to show the album. The last second of the clip is of her laughing, perfectly transcending into the following track, ‘bad guy’, arguably one of the strongest songs on the album, carried by a heavy and addictive beat.

This beat is one which transitions from the background to the forefront of the song during the chorus. It adds

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Although some criticise these songs for romanticising mental illness, the songs feel rather soothing and beautiful to listen to. Perhaps they offer a reassurance or calming quality to the millions of people who have listened to them thus far.

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“I was thrilled with how the event went, I couldn't have asked for it to go better. We sold more tickets than ever, we raised more money than ever, there were no venue cancellations or postponements like last year...everything was great. Couldn't pick a better event to end my tenure on.

Each year, the race is hosted in aid of an LGBT+ charity.

This year, over €3,000 was raised for the Transgender Equality Network Ireland (TENI).

“TENI is the only major organisation in Ireland advocating for trans people across the country,” O’Reilly said.

“Where trans rights are now are some 10-20 years behind LGB rights. Trans people cannot access healthcare, they fear being out in public, the trans community today is as underground as the gay community was in the 1980s,” he added.

Drag is a performance art, which sees both men and women dress up in clothing which is not typically associated with their assigned gender.

It has been popularised in recent years thanks to RuPaul’s Drag Race, an American television show which sees queens perform in a series of challenges, similar to an X-Factor style format where a queen is eliminated each week by the judges.

The increase in popularity of drag has not only been felt overseas, but in Ireland too and this was visible in the numbers that applied to compete.

“We pick seven people to compete each year and we were amazed to have 13 applicants, so almost half of people who applied did not get a spot. However, this doesn't mean their drag isn't good - it just wasn't their time,” O'Reilly concluded.

an element of fun and dance to the album. In the song Eilish taunts and teases her lover, questioning whether he's a “tough guy” while stating that she’s actually the tough one, or the ‘bad guy’ in the relationship, claiming that she’s the, “make your girlfriend mad type, might seduce your dad type.”

Songs like ‘when the party’s over’ and ‘you should see me in a crown’ were pre-released and widely enjoyed by listeners prior to the album . ‘When the party’s over’ is one of the saddest songs on the album, where we hear Eilish’s loneliest thoughts portrayed through her trademark gentle voice.

The darkest emotions are portrayed in songs such as ‘bury a friend’ and ‘listen before i go’ both which exhibit lyrics that could be considered to reference self-harm or suicide. ‘listen before i go’ is a particularly heart-breaking song, portraying a desperate need for care and redemption with the chorus featuring lyrics such as “sorry can’t save me now...sorry there’s no way out, but down.”

Although some criticise these songs for romanticising mental illness, the songs feel rather soothing and beautiful to listen to. Perhaps they offer a reassurance or calming quality to the millions of people who have listened to them thus far.

Eilish’s music, is far from typical and the second last song on the album ‘i love you’ displays this perfectly. It carries the familiar narrative of wanting to love someone

but knowing it won’t work, knowing your love is in futility.

However, Eilish’s interpretation of this narrative in ‘i love you’ is incredibly breath-taking and original with a building melody and lyrics that are both interesting and hypnotic.

The album overall features a lot of depressing, dark, edgy lyrics, which on their own are powerful but when paired the voice of a 17-year-old girl they are extremely shocking and well crafted.

Each of her songs are well produced, some more acoustic, some with heavy bass and beats. But at the end of the album it is clear that it is the haunting voice of Eilish singing her artful lyrics which makes her music and this album a recognisable statement.

Arts

Time to take out your wellies, it’s the Irish festival guide

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Aoibihn Meghan talks us through the hottest Irish festivals of the summer.

t’s almost that time of year again where we swap our winter coats for wellie boots and go in search of our favourite artists, only to find them in a field in county Laois.

In Ireland we don’t always get sunshine and blue skies but that won’t stop the summer days from being filled with a great variety of world class music.

There’s no doubt that Ireland has a great selection of music festivals during the summer months and the variety in genres provide something for everyone, whether you want to relax to some indie songs or rave to the latest dance anthem there's a festival for you.

Kicking off the festival season is Forbidden Fruit which is located in the Royal Hospital Kilmainham and has taken place over the June bank holiday weekend since the festival began nine years ago.

With the grounds of the Irish Museum of Modern Art (IMMA) as its backdrop, Forbidden Fruit is a weekend filled with top class music from the biggest names in dance-music and hip hop.

This year the lineup will not disappoint as Skepta kicks off the weekend headlining on the Saturday while electronic musician Mura Masa takes the stage on Sunday.

English rock group Elbow as well as the Swedish folk duo First Aid Kit will close the festival on the Monday, which is traditionally reserved for a more chilled experience in comparison to the intensity of the first two days.

If you prefer a festival with a bit of a twist then Sea Sessions is where you need to go.

The surf and music festival runs from June 21st to 23rd on Bundoran Beach in Donegal.

Regarded as one of the top surfing locations in the world, Bundoran has hosted this innovative festival on its gorgeous beach for the past eight years.

Tinie Tempah, Bastille and Dizzee Rascal are just some of the names that have played at Sea Sessions in the past and this year's lineup is no less impressive.

Sigrid, a Swedish singer who has recently come into the Irish charts with her song Strangers will be playing the festival. Clean Bandit will also be attending and the Irish

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There’s that Ireland has a great selection of music festivals during the summer months and the variety in genres provide something for everyone

indie-rock band Two Door Cinema Club.

There are also surf and skateboarding events as well as tournaments tag rugby, beach Olympics and beach soccer.

It’s a festival with a huge amount to offer in a beautiful part of the world.

However if you crave a seaside festival but you can't fathom a weekend in a tent on the beach then Beatyard is the festival for you.

Located in Dublin just a short DART journey away in the seaside town of Dun Laoghaire, Beatyard takes over the town for the August Bank Holiday weekend.

It is on Dun Laoghaire’s unused ferry port and its beloved pier that this chilled out, family friendly festival comes to life.

The festival’s connection with Eatyard, usually located beside the Bernard Shaw on South Richmond Street, means that Beatyard has a unique food and music experience right on the sea.

Groove Armada, CHVRCHES, and Jungle are all playing this year and the combination of great music and possibly even better food makes this a festival worth attending.

Also taking place on the August Bank Holiday is Indiependence in Mitchelstown in Cork.

This indie music festival features chart topping artists primarily from the English indie and rock scenes as well as huge a selection of up and coming Irish names.

The 2019 installment of Indiependence includes the bands Bastille, Catfish and the Bottlemen and Biffy Clyro as well as singer songwriter Gavin James.

For the more artistic of minds there is Body and Soul festival at Balinlough Castle in Westmeath running from June 21st to 23rd.

The castle grounds are transformed each year into a colourful, ethereal world of intrigue which can only be expected from a festival based around the summer solstice.

Body and Soul as the name may suggest is not just about the music. It showcases amazing food, outdoor spa treatments, immersive art installations, and spoken word performances all alongside alternative music.

Playing at this years festival are Modeselektor, a

German electronic music duo, The Blaze who combine music with film, and Santigold, an alternative dance musician, to name just a few.

Longitude is a relatively new festival, it only began in 2013 but it has grown over the last number of years with a maximum capacity of 40,000.

The festival takes place in Marlay Park, right in the South Dublin suburbs and this year it runs from July 5th to 7th with some of the biggest names in music playing.

This year’s headliners are primarily R&B artists such as Cardi B, Chance the Rapper, and ASAP Rocky.

This lineup is a far cry from the festival’s original image.

The first ever Longitude featured a lot more indie artists such as The Foals and Vampire Weekend.

Longitude has got a reputation as a festival for the younger generation of music lovers, with the Sunday lineup usually attracting a slightly older crowd.

This may be why there has been a shift towards rap and hip hop artists as these genres have taken over mainstream music.

And finally a summer wouldn't be complete without Ireland’s largest outdoor music festival, Electric Picnic.

It takes place on the first weekend of September as its usual location of Stradbally, Co Laois is taken over for a weekend of great music and eclectic art.

Electric Picnic attracts around 57,500 eager festival goers and this year the tickets sold out in 15 minutes, months before the lineup was even announced.

It is the biggest festival in the Irish calendar and the this year's lineup surely proves that. Electric Picnic 2019 will not disappoint its devoted Indie and Rock fans.

Headliners include haunting singer Florence and the Machine, The Strokes, The 1975 and, our very own Hozier. The festival will also host Billie Eilish, James Blake, Jess Glynne, and Years and Years.

Irish festivals really have something for everyone making the summer days even brighter.

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Make politics sexy again

Arts

Lucien Waugh-Daly explores how the fictional world of The West Wing influenced the 2020 Democratic Race.

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ake Politics Sexy Again: Has the fictional world of The West Wing influenced the 2020 Democratic race?

There are three distinct brands of politician currently enrolled in the battle to face Donald Trump as the US Democratic Party’s 2020 presidential candidate.

We have grizzled veterans with strong trade union backgrounds (Bernie Sanders, Joe Biden), figures of force and integrity against the bullishness of the incumbent. We have overqualified women of the senate (Kamala Harris, Elizabeth Warren), ready to paint themselves as competent and compassionate alternatives to the useless chauvinism of Republican Presidents past and present.

And then we have a more peculiar gang: white millennial men with an inherited arrogance of their own accomplishments; inexperienced in federal policy making but sure of their own greatness: namely sirs Beto O’Rourke and Pete Buttigieg.

Anyone with a Twitter account will likely have seen more of young Beto and Pete in recent months than they have of either Senators Harris or Warren, despite their near-equal polling figures.

This duo - one a failed Texas senate candidate, the other the mayor of an Indiana city called South Bend that most people outside the US have never heard of - have latched onto a media-friendly showman image that involves a great deal of rolled-up shirtsleeves, standing on diner tables to make speeches and making vaguely pointed insults about President Trump’s intelligence.

So, one could argue, they’re effectively white versions of Barack Obama, without any of the substance. From whence have they gained this sense of entitlement?

It’s quite possibly from watching too much of The West

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On The West Wing, politics was made sexy, and this appears to be the attitude figures like Beto and Pete are longing to return to. How can they, as presidential candidates, simultaneously be James Dean and Abraham Lincoln?

Wing, Aaron Sorkin’s seminal early-00s political drama that coined the concept of the ‘walk n talk’ to illustrate that it’s possible for Washington politicians to work hard for the good of the nation while also flirting wildly with their secretaries and making jokes about zoo animals.

The West Wing is an incredible piece of television; it’s entertaining and informative, hilarious and inspiring. It’s

also a profoundly unrealistic vision of government; particularly post-Trump; and this is clear in the opening minutes of its first episode, as one-time teen heartthrob Rob Lowe is introduced as Sam Seaborn, Deputy Communications Director for President Josiah Bartlet, leaving the apartment of a beautiful young student he’s picked up at a bar.

On The West Wing, politics was made sexy, and this appears to be the attitude figures like Beto and Pete are longing to return to. How can they, as presidential candidates, simultaneously be James Dean and Abraham Lincoln? Or, to use a very real example of a man who embodied both, how can they be the 21st century John F Kennedy?

What they’re ignoring, however, is that The West Wing finished before the political game changer that is Twitter was even invented; when Democratic voters still had attention spans greater than 10 seconds and a candidate was expected to unpack their agenda not in a tight 280-character byte, but in a smart and thoughtful speech; the kind Aaron Sorkin scripts so eloquently in every episode of the show - depicting his fictional president as not merely a president but a poet - and the kind an anti-intellectual like Donald Trump has never had any interest in pursuing.

Beto O’Rourke makes speeches, but his speeches are not full of substantive wisdom and historical context, they are shells of inspiration, a series of buzzy quotes readymade for the cover of Time Magazine but lacking any serious endeavour.

Perhaps, if he or his contemporaries are to truly inhabit their roles as new American heroes, they should do the obvious: hire Aaron Sorkin to write your stuff.

Jane The Virgin set to wow audiences in its final season Ellen Fitzpatrick reflects upon the TV comedy favourite, Jane the Virgin.

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V shows come and go, some stay on air for years, others get canceled after one episode.

There are shows that make us laugh, cry, and everything in between, but it is rare to find one that makes us do all of that.

Jane the Virgin has been hitting our screens for the last five years, and has brought its fans nothing but joy, but also a whole lot of heartbreak. Now that it’s on its final season, the show has become somewhat sentimental and valuable to its viewers.

Jane the Virgin first aired in 2014 and the whole audience was taken by storm with an abundance of lovable characters and bizarre plot twists. The show reflects on Jane’s life after she is accidentally artificially inseminated and becomes pregnant despite being a virgin. From there on, the story only grows into something more unusual, and unimaginable twists and turns take place.

The show is told through a narrator in the background, one who keeps the story light-hearted and optimistic and provides a huge amount of comic relief throughout each of the five seasons.Jane the Virgin is a drama-telenovela, basically a soap opera but taken to the extreme. It is cringey and over the top, but that’s what makes it so unique and worth the watch. The writers and actors know that it is so painfully bad that it's good, and that’s exactly what they’re aiming for.

Jane, played by Gina Rodriguez who won a Golden Globe for the role in 2015, is in a constant love triangle with fiance Michael, Brett Dier, and baby-daddy Raphael, Justin Baldoni. Romance is a constant battle throughout the show. Not only does Jane fall victim to this romantic whirlwind, but her estranged parents Xiomara and Rogelio also go through their ups and downs, along with her grandmother, or "abuela" as they call her, even

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Season four had, by far, the biggest and most unexpected twist in its finale, leading to huge questions being asked and even more crazy fan theories being created online. After this, fans are dying for even more and won’t stop until the drama is at its peak.

“I didn’t always know it was going to happen, but I knew there was a possibility because it’s a telenovela,” Jane the Virgin creator Jennie Snyder Urman told BuzzFeed News.

"As we move into our final chapters, it sort of sets things up in an interesting way for things to come full circle, feeling how things have changed, how things have not changed," she said.

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joining in on this.

Coming into its fifth and final season, Jane the Virgin has its eyes set on more drama and cliffhangers through out the entire season. After season fours’ agonising finale, the writers and Baldoni have said that fans can’t even begin to imagine the suspense that is in store.

“It’s going to be a lot of those kinds of moments, like, ‘No! Yes! No! Yes!’” Baldoni said on BuzzFeed News’ Twitter morning show AM to DM. “I think fans can expect a full and happy season with a lot of drama and a nice ending.”

Coming into its fifth and final season, Jane the Virgin has its eyes set on more drama and cliffhangers throughout the entire season. After season fours’ agonising finale, the writers’ and Baldoni have said that fans can’t even begin to imagine the suspense that is in store.

Arts

The Hills are alive with new beginnings Ciara O’Loughlin gives us a taste of what’s to come on The Hills: New Beginnings

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s Natasha Bedingfield said in the infamous opening tune to The Hills- “The rest is still unwritten”!

The LA cool girls are coming back to your screens to play out the story of their ‘unwritten’ lives.

However, there will be a Lauren Conrad webbed hole in the new spin off which will be called “The Hills: New beginnings”.

According to a People source, Lauren is “in a different place in her life” and doesn’t have the desire to return to the show. Kristin Cavallari also will not be on the reboot as she has her own show Very Caballari on E!, in which she is unable to break her contract.

However, you can expect to see most of the original cast! Stephanie and Audrina will be back along with Speidi and their 2-year-old son Gunner.

Brody Jenner will yet again be gracing the screens of reality TV along with his wife Kaitlynn Carter.

There will also be some completely new faces- like Mischa Barton. Apparently, in the original make of the show she was “around back in the day and went to all the clubs” so producers thought “she could make for good TV”.

Another new face is Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lees son- Brandon Thomas Lee. This won’t be the 22-year-olds first expedition on TV, he most recently appeared in Netflix’s Sierra Burgess Is a Loser.

According to Heidi’s Instagram they have been filming the reboot since August 30th, 2018. On this date on her

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Although, we can all look forward to the ‘slightly-scripted’ drama, it is doubtful that ‘The Hills: New Beginnings’ will have as big an influence on popular music as the original show. It was comparable to the Top of the Pops of the late 2000’s.

Instagram stories she posted a photo with the entire cast, and it looked like there was a camera crew in the background. Audrina and Stephanie have also been seen around L.A with a camera crew.

Although, we can all look forward to the ‘slightly-scripted’ drama, it is doubtful that ‘The Hills: New Beginnings’ will have as big an influence on popular music as the original show. It was comparable to the Top of the Pops of the late 2000’s.

So many musician’s careers were paved on The Hills including Lady Gaga, The Script and Sean Kingston.

Not only did The Hills have a huge influence on what Millennial’s listened to, it certainly had an impact on what they wore.

Headbands, plaid, oversized sunglasses, baby doll dresses, low-rise jeans and bubble dresses were all the rage due to the popular reality-drama. However, it is very unlikely that any of these trends (we hope) will be seen in the reboot!

So, when will slo-mo single mascara tears, drink-throwing and unlimited shopping on Rodeo Drive grace our screens again? Well, according to MTV it’s set too premier on the June 24th, 2019.

This was revealed at the 2018 MTV Video Music Awards where they played a teaser trailer, not long after some of the OG cast members reunited on the carpet.

Netflix’s Madeleine McCann documentary falls short of expectations

Emma Costigan examines Netflix’s portrayal of this generations favourite mystery It’s been 12 years since Madeleine McCann disappeared from the holiday resort of Praia de Luz. Since then, there has been a multitude of speculation as to what actually happened to the three-year-old toddler. The most recent media update is the Netflix series The Disappearance of Madeleine McCann.

The highly anticipated The Disappearance of Madeleine McCann snatched viewers’ attention from the second it was announced. However, the documentary is in itself, incredibly infuriating.

Perhaps one of the most discussed and theorised child disappearances in modern history, the flawed investigation enables everyone to have their own belief of what happened. This series was produced to scrutinise the media, parents and investigation alike, however, it fell far short of its hype.

Involving interviews with journalists that covered the case, police reports and more, it is clear that the producers of the series had an intention of how they would portray this timeline of events, but failed to follow through.

The eight-part series would have been more convenient and to the point, if it was edited down to a one-off episode of maybe an hour or two.

A considerable amount of time was dedicated to chasing dead-end suspects such as Sergey Malinka and Robert Murat. Some background of the village of Praia de Luz

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The aspect that predominantly jumped out to Netflix viewers, was that the McCann’s themselves played no part in the documentary.

is discussed, even though it has no relevance to the case.

And, Netflix provided no new facts, or clarity for their audience.

The aspect that predominantly jumped out to Netflix viewers, was that the McCanns themselves refused to play a part in the documentary. Kate and Gerry McCann subsequently lashed out at the series saying that it could potentially “hinder” the active investigation.

As a result of this, there is no ultimate viewpoint that the series stands by, providing a lot of loose-end speculation.

The inclusion of interviews with Portuguese locals and

police leads to the use of a substantial number of subtitles, which require a lot of determination to read. If you manage to stay focused long enough to read them, they really add nothing to the series in general.

The enormity of potential evidence and facts that the producers completely disregard, speaks volumes to the audience. The vibe from this, is that the producers scraped every ounce of information they could, that even slightly related to the case and threw it all into one timeline with insufficient regard for their viewers.

The Disappearance of Madeleine McCann is a series to watch if you are incredibly interested in true crime and can afford to invest your time in watching it. But, be warned there is a probability that throughout all of the irrelevant information provided, you will zone out and possibly hear crickets chirping.

There is no doubt that something awful happened on May 3rd 2007, in Praia de Luz. What, we may never know.

But this documentary doesn’t draw us any closer to a definitive conclusion.

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Arts

Grey's Anatomy tackles the tough issues Amy Donohoe discusses how Grey's Anatomy tackled the difficult issue of sexual assault.

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rey’s Anatomy has focused on many taboo topics over the years, and now they’ve taken to tackling the issues of rape and sexual violence in season 15.

The episode titled, “Silent All These Years,” features a scene where a sexual assault forensic evidence kit is administered, which was inspired by Christine Blasey Ford's testimony against Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh.

ABC initially rejected many detailed depictions of how precisely a rape kit is administered. Creator of Grey's

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It’s rare to get that kind of representation on TV that looks at the violence involved but also focuses on ways we can support and heal each other.

Anatomy, Shonda Rhimes, was unhappy with this and gave a “pretty passionate response” explaining the

importance of the episode. She said, “respectfully, I decline these notes,” and ABC understood that she was right.

In the episode, the rape victim (Abby) came into the hospital needing help but refused to reveal why she was hurt. The doctors asked, “Did your husband sexually assault you? Do you want to press charges?” and she refuses to answer.

After empathising with a doctor who was once in a similar situation, she eventually opens up and breaks down, wondering if a judge and jury will blame her for wearing a skirt a little too short at the bar that night, or for drinking a little too much tequila, and would a rape examination convince them she wasn’t flirting?

Eventually, she agreed to the rape examination. This difficult yet necessary scene showed Abby repeatedly saying “yes” at every stage of the invasive rape kit procedure, ensuring she gives her consent.

For several minutes, the camera focused on collecting her blood samples, strands of hair, and fingernails as we see all the bruises, scrapes, and bite marks. A doctor held her hand the entire time and tears streamed down Abby’s face.

After her surgery the doctors encouraged her to talk to

someone about what happened, assuring her that it isn’t her fault. The rape does not define her. She is a survivor.

When Abby had to go for surgery, a surprisingly rare decision occurred when many women lined a hallway in support her after the attack.

It was an incredible moment which also featured many female Grey's writers and Rhimes' executives, even the executive who flagged the scenes in the first place joined in solidarity.

There is also a memorable moment when a father (Ben) had to have the "talk" with his stepson (Tuck) about consent. Ben revealed that the first rule is, “If she says time out, you time out. No questions asked...She can change her mind at any time. It’s game over.”

It’s rare to get that kind of representation on TV that looks at the violence involved but also focuses on ways we can support and heal each other.

To be able to have a show display the kind of support that survivors deserve is so important.

Hopefully, the idea behind it can move from the screen and into our daily lives, especially in the #metoo era where people need a deeper understanding of how many different ways rape can impact the survivor and those close to them.

Arrested Development suffers its namesake

All good things must come to an end, Ryan Carrick shows that this applies even to beloved sitcoms.

It was announced that one of the most beloved sitcoms of the mid-2000s, Arrested Development, will not see the sixth season.

But does anyone care?

The show has returned from the dead twice now: in 2013, Netflix renewed it for a fourth season and for a fifth season in 2018. Perhaps, now it should stay dead.

With the first half of season five (released in May 2018, the second half being released in March 2019) dropping with a thud, and the second half making an equally underwhelming impact, why flog the dead horse that is Arrested Development?

Mitchell Hurwitz created the show, about a dysfunctional family, called the Bluths, that struggles to come together to recover from a financial scandal. It is a scathing satire of upper-class privilege, portraying the Bluth family as arrogant, self-absorbed and incompetent.

It became a cult favourite and critic’s darling due to its extremely clever callbacks, puns, double entendres and hundreds of laugh-out-loud moments.

These, combined with intelligently interwinding subplots, make for an incredibly special piece of entertainment.

Unfortunately, the series has not been the same since the original three seasons.

Arrested Development was given new life by Netflix in 2013 with an ambitious and experimental fourth season that was met with mixed reviews. The non-linear way in which the story was told during this season did not sit well with fans. A recut version was produced and put onto the streaming service in an attempt to return to the more familiar format.

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A controversial press tour for season 5 involved a New York Times sit-down in which Jessica Walter, who plays the matriarchal Lucille Bluth, talked about how Jeffrey Tambor, who plays the father George Bluth Snr., had verbally harassed her on set. This came months after Tambor was accused of sexual harassment while working on Transparent.

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It became a cult favourite and critic’s darling due to its extremely clever callbacks, puns, double entendres and hundreds of laugh-out-loud moments.

Some, but not all, of Tambor’s castmates defended him and he maintained his role on the show. However, it is very possible that the cast would not be too keen on the idea of reconvening for another season as a result of this controversy.

The first two seasons were certainly the peak of Arrested Development and it has been a slippery slope down to inadequacy since. It is a surprise that a fifth season was even made, due to the declining ratings since the first season, and the declining critical acclaim since the second.

Season 4 and 5 seem to be a desperate attempt at clambering back to the glory days. But the show isn’t the revolutionary comedy it was when it first aired on Fox in 2003.

The jokes are not as quick. Seldom during the final two seasons does a fan think ‘this takes me back to the Arrested Development of old’.

The dynamic between the manic and ridiculous characters that we once loved so much is fairly non-existent (mostly due to the fact that characters rarely share scenes together as a result of actor scheduling conflicts). The show has always used call-backs and has focused on being selfreferential, but now it seems forced, boring and almost solipsistic.

In retrospect, it would be no surprise if Hurowitz thinks, as his characters on many occasions, that he has made a huge mistake.

The Bluths might well be done for, but after the calamity that is season 5, will anybody miss them?

There’s a new Joker in town

Arts

After the trailer’s release Peter O’Neill looks at the promise and pressure of the new Joker film.

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hen the Suicide Squad trailer launched, it sent the internet into an excited frenzy. It seemed like there was finally going to be a new superhero franchise to rival the Marvel Cinematic Universe, whilst also focusing on a different aspect of comic books by focusing on the traditional villains in the story.

However, it’s obvious how badly the film failed, when despite having Warner Bro’s biggest ever opening weekend, no sequel is planned. Instead, we have Joker, a new film coming out this year.

The film stars Joaquin Phoenix as “The Clown Prince of Crime,” in what appears to be a typical origin story focus-

Credit: Adamsnerds

ing on his descent into crime. Aside from the acclaimed Phoenix, the film has a stellar cast lined up.

The cast list features Robert de Niro alongside newer actors from the excellent TV show Atlanta, which inspires hope that this will be a great addition to the genre. However, only time will tell, and Suicide Squad shows how a trailer can be a lot more promising than the finished movie proves to be.

To Joker’s advantage, the film will be compared to Suicide Squad. This will in no doubt benefit the film, however, it will most likely suffer when compared to Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight, released 11 years ago.

This new movie is going to have to be amazing for it to stand out from the shadow of Best Picture nominee, The Dark Knight’.

Heath Ledger’s performance as Joker in The Dark Knight not only gained him a Best Supporting Actor win but became the defining performance for the role.

At the end of the day, superhero movies probably shouldn’t be held in the same cultural world as larger pieces of fiction.

One of the reasons Nolan’s film is still so successful was that it differed from the CGI sludge punch-em-ups that feature in the later Marvel films.

Although not perfect, it’s an engaging action movie with great performances from brilliant actors such as Christian Bale and Morgan Freeman.

“

Ironically because of Suicide Squad, the character of the Joker has become, well, a bit of a joke.

Ironically because of Suicide Squad, the character of the Joker has become, well, a bit of a joke. For those whose brains have been fried by the ironic ‘Gamer Joker’ meme, it’s going to be really hard to take this movie seriously, even if it’s better than the previous movie from the DC universe. Even if you haven’t seen this variation of internet humor, most people will be aware of the “damaged” and “what are we?” jokes that followed the film’s release.

The film now stands along with XXXTentacion and The Nightmare Before Christmas as the icons of choice for “edgy” teenagers. Whilst that was profitable, it’s rare that something marketed at teenagers can achieve true greatness in the medium.

If it wants to stand apart from the previous two films, it needs to be something different. Directed by Todd Phillips from the Hangover Trilogy, maybe it will be.

The latest trend of live action remakes Aoife O’Brien discusses Disney’s box-office success in turning classic cartoons into live-action films

I

n Disney’s 1994 classic “The Lion King”, Mufasa urges his son Simba to “Remember who you are”.

Disney is taking this advice to heart as they prepare to re-release this classic, and many others, as liveaction remakes.

Director Tim Burton kicked off the trend of remaking animated classics as live-action films back in 2010 with Alice in Wonderland. For the most part, it has proven to be quite successful, with re-imaginings of Beauty and the Beast and The Jungle Book becoming sizable box office hits.

This is unsurprising when you note that Disney has

“

The current trend works in a similar way by taking tales as old as time which will appeal not only to children, but also a generation of adults. always depended on nostalgia. Its earliest animated successes were variations of stories everyone had been told in childhood including Snow White and Peter Pan. The current trend works in a similar way by taking tales as old as time which will appeal not only to children but also to a generation of adults with a nostalgic connection to the story.

Disney’s ticket sales have skyrocketed as a result of

live-action remakes. In the last decade, the company has released six remakes making more than $4.85 billion worldwide, according to ComScore data.

The Mouse House is continuing this initiative in 2019 with remakes of “Dumbo”, “Aladdin”, “The Lion King” and “Maleficent: Mistress of Evil”, despite the latter originally not been scheduled for release until 2020.

With the launch of Disney’s new streaming service Disney+ expected in late 2019, it appears that this fasttracking is an attempt to boost its stockpile of films.

Up until this point, Disney productions have been streamed by providers such as Netflix and Captain Marvel was the first film not licensed to any streaming services.

That means “Dumbo” and every other Disney movie that hits theatres from now on will likely follow suit. With 16 live-action remakes including “Pinocchio” and “The Jungle Book 2” already in production, Disney is really gearing up ahead of the launch.

However, while this strategy will almost certainly be profitable for the studio in the short term, by investing more and more into live-action remakes, Disney is moving further and further away from what makes it unique.

As children, the thought of seeing our favourite animated characters outside of their animated worlds was a dream, but the reality of live-action is that it is merely a poor substitute.

When Belle and the Beast had their iconic dance in the 2017 version of

Beauty and the Beast, we did get to see Belle as a reallife actress dancing in the ballroom. The Beast, however, is just a more complex animation of his original version.

Because our emotional attachment will always lie with the original, the dream is only barely realised.

While the live-action remakes will certainly increase numbers at the box office temporarily, it will not result in the production of films that will continue to generate revenue for the studio into the future.

It is modern classics such as Moana, and Frozen that will continue to make the company money and lead to the production of new merchandise for years to come.

Disney will need to look towards its next original movie to capture the hearts of the new generation of moviegoers.

7

Arts

Making money moves in the music industry Jonathon Lynam looks into the profitability of the music industry

A

fter years of decline, the music industry is finally finding its footing in the modern world of streaming according to the latest annual review from the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI).

In the latest review for 2018, the IFPI states that music sales from around the world generated $19.1 billion and means that the music industry is finally making more money then it was back in 2007 when it earned $18.4 billion. But despite this minor victory for the industry, it is still far from its peak at the beginning of the millennium.

According to the report released at the beginning of the month, 37% of the industry’s revenue came from the 255 million users of paid music streaming services like Spotify and Apple Music with this figure rising to 47% of the total revenue when you include ad-supported streams.

The music industry has changed a lot since 2007, Spotify had yet to even launch and wouldn’t do so for another year and the industry was believed to be dying after seeing revenues fall for three consecutive years in a row and continued to do so for a further four more years after that.

However, the music industry begrudgingly learned to adapt to its new surroundings and has embraced streaming after being backed into a corner by the digital world.

The music industry’s resurgence isn’t only due to the success of streaming but also the industry’s ability to adapt with performance rights also increasing steadily over the years from 1.2 billion in 2007 to 2.7 billion in 2018.

With these recent figures, there can be no argument that the music industry’s revenue resurgence is due to anything but the popularity of streaming and that the

industry is going in the right direction.

But despite this, the music industry is still facing serious problems, with the main problem being that for the majority of music artists, streaming services aren’t a reliable source of income.

Due to the pro-rata model used by the majority of music streaming services like Spotify to calculate royalties for artists many will still struggle despite what the global revenue figures may say.The pro-rata model means that instead of dividing up a users monthly subscription depending on who and how long the users listens to that artist, Spotify puts all the money minus their cut into one big pool and distributes it among all artists depending on where they fall in the overall play counts off the platform.

A report by Digital Media Finland in 2016 titled Pro Rata and User Centric Distribution Models: A Comparative Study found that under the current system songs recorded by the top 0.4% of popular artists on Spotify earn 9.9% of the money and called for a more user-centric model which gives the user “more direct power to users to target the money they pay for the service to the artists or tracks they favour compared with the pro rata model,”.

The user-centric model would mean that the distributive portion of your subscription to the streaming service would go to no one other than the artists you listened to compared to being dumped in a big pot to be divided among all artists.

This is unlikely to happen anytime soon, but fortunately for us, the music industry doesn’t seem to be going away just yet so there is still hope for your favourite smaller artists.

Credit: YouTube

“

With these recent figures, there can be no argument that the music industry’s revenue resurgence is due to anything but the popularity of streaming and that the industry is going in the right direction.

Basquiat’s legacy for underground artists Aine O’Boyle reflects upon the career of artist, Jean-Michel Basquiat

F

rom hiding in the shadows, producing art and trying not to get caught, Jean-Michel Basquiat is largely responsible for introducing graffiti artists to the world of the New York art scene.

With New York being one of the art capitals of the world, Basquiat’s legacy ensured a newfound appreciation for a generation of underground artists and allowed them to explore various mediums to exhibit their work.

Born in the 1960’s to Haitian and Puerto Rican parents and rising to fame in the 1980’s, Basquiat represented a figure of whom was very much definitive of the progression of an era. Much of his work is thoroughly expressive in nature, and mimics the political changes and developments taking place during this time.

His early work came in the form of poetry that was often dotted across buildings or train stations in downtown New York. His work was recognisable as it was signed with what is now widely known as his pseudonym, SAMO. “[SAMO] was supposed to be a logo, like PEPSI” Basquiat told writer, Anthony Haden-Guest.

In 1981, SAMO was traded in for the identification of the artist himself. Basquiat began to draw and paint, at first using materials he had salvaged himself, and then on canvas and paper.

His paintings are a social and cultural commentary of sorts. They explore race, alternative histories and artistic language in a way that had never been seen before.

Unlike many of the troubled souls of the art world, his early artistic works sold like wildfire, being largely influenced by the boom in neo-expres-

8

Credit: Christie’s Photography

sionism in the 1980’s.This new movement within the artistic realm reasserted the primacy of the human figure in contemporary art. Word had spread around New York that a new creative genius was on the scene.

The most formative period of Basquiat’s career commenced when he was a mere 20 years old. He created

“ His paintings are a social and cultural

commentary of sorts. They explore race, alternative histories and artistic language in a way that had never been seen before.

five key works of art that homed in on his own experiences in life and transcended to reflect the issues and concerns that affect all humans.

Many of Basquiat’s works are autobiographical in a sense and serve as a reflection of the artist himself. In his early work Basquiat appears to be developing his own sense of iconography that alludes to his own heritage.

Basquiat lacked any sort of formal training, meaning that much of his work was highly stylised. His art can be recognised by the appropriation of various cultures such as that of African American historical figures, jazz musicians and writers or even the motifs of African, Caribbean and Hispanic cultures.

In 1981, Basquiat asserted his power and influence within the art world by befriending Andy Warhol, beginning both a friendship and a mentorship that would last him until his untimely death.

The pair collaborated over a series of paintings between 1983 and 1985 that saw Warhol’s vibrant pop imagery layered with Basquiat’s wild graffiti.

Basquiat’s demise came about in conjunction with his lavish lifestyle. His meteoric rise to fame, the social life, the designer suits, the money and the luxury managed to creep up on him and in 1988 at 27 years old, the artist passed away following an accidental heroin overdose.

His legacy to this day remains. He is considered to be one of the most influential figures within the world of pop culture. Jay-Z, rapper and spouse of Beyoncé, famously referenced Basquiat in his 2013 hit, ‘Picasso Baby’, with the line “It ain’thard to tell, I’m the new Jean-Michel”.

Budget College Breakfasts

Lifestyle

Rachel Power talks us through quick and easy ways to get the most important meal of the day.

B

reakfast can steadily burn a hole in our pockets without us realising, with an average “cheap” breakfast in Dublin costing up to €15.

By a little bit of planning and variety in the cupboard, breakfast can be a cheap, cheerful way to kick the day off on the right note.

The Nutrition and Health Foundation manager, Dr Muireann Cullen said that “among college students, breakfast is the most commonly missed meal,” and the expense of it could be one of the main reasons for this.

“If you miss breakfast, you are more likely to crave high fat, high sugar foods later on as you become so

hungry,” she continued.

According to thesavvybackpacker.com, the average budget breakfast in Dublin costs roughly €12. That’s without adding tea or coffee, which average between €2 and €4, depending on the company and drink, bringing the total cost of a “cheap” breakfast in Dublin to roughly €15.

A 16 oz. cappuccino in Londis DCU will cost €2.90, throw in a croissant or a pastry and it will cost just shy of €5.

Instead of buying pre-made fruit and granola pots for breakfast, buy a variety of berries, fruits and granola and make up individual boxes for morning time. It’ll take a few

“

It’ll take a few extra minutes, but it could save a small fortune Credit: Sonja Tutty

extra minutes, but it could save a small fortune.

Another cheap and cheerful option is the range of deli products that are readily available around colleges. Avoid town because the price will increase, but stay locally and you’ll get deals like three small sausage rolls for a euro, or five hash browns for €2. They’ll give you a boost in the morning and keep you warm in the colder months of the year.

If fruit or hot food doesn’t tick the boxes for you, pastries like croissants and pain au chocolats roughly cost between €1 and €3.

An alternative option is ham and cheese toasties from the deli, which will only run you up €2.75.

Baguettes and rolls are available to buy for 80c in Tesco, Drumcondra Village. All that’s needed is any fillings that suit your taste and breakfast is complete for a relatively cheap cost.

Vegan and vegetarian options are more widely available in far more stores, making them easily accessible and enjoyable. Vegan French toast is simple and easy to make at home by using a few slices of bread, some flour and almond milk.

Pancakes are also cheap and quick to make if you have a mixer at the ready. Just put all the ingredients together and within 15 minutes of cooking, they’ll be ready to eat.

If you’re going for a vegan option, substitute normal milk with dairy-free such as soya or almond milk.

Tesco also offer a packet of 30 vegetarian sausage rolls for less than €3 to cook at home.

There’s a range of cheap options to make breakfast worthwhile when going through the stresses and struggles of college.

Black Market Makeup Scam

Following the break-in of one of celebrity Jeffree Star’s makeup warehouses, the topic of black market makeup is back on the agenda, Beibhinn Thorsch explains.

R

ecently Jeffree Star announced that his makeup warehouse had been targeted for a heist, ultimately resulting in the leak (and now possible early release) of his previously unannounced new product - a concealer called ‘Magic Star’.

In a video released on April 2nd on Star’s channel, he told the story behind some vague tweets he had released over the previous weekend.

“This past weekend something that I have been waiting for a few weeks to happen finally happened,” Star said in

“

Once images surfaced on Facebook of the products, it soon became clear that this heist had been part of a large scale blackmarket ring, which his video, before explaining that during his recent launch of his Blue Blood collection, one of his warehouses was broken into, and over $2.5m worth of products had been stolen.

The robbery had taken place two weeks before leaked images of the unreleased products surfaced online.

“It was a very professional job, it was a team of peo-

ple,” Star explained, saying that security footage had shown robbers coming in through the ceiling and eventually loading the products into the vans.

One entire shade (C5), out of the a set of 30 for release in the new concealer range, was stolen.

Once images surfaced on Facebook of the products, it soon became clear that this heist had been part of a large scale blackmarket ring, which had previously come to light. Brands like Anastasia Beverly Hills which some years prior, had been faced with the loss of $4.5m worth of products, have also been hit by these blackmarket groups.

Once the robbery has taken place, sellers who often had nothing to do with the robbery will begin to post asking if anyone would like to buy the products they have received from their ‘supplier’.

Jeffree Star said in his video that one person, who had taken a picture from a blackmarket dealer’s page and re-posted it in a makeup Facebook group, is now in jail

Credit: Pxhere

while the FBI work to track down the stolen products and the blackmarket dealers who were behind this heist.

Star has teased the possibility of releasing more skin products, as opposed to his usual lip products, palettes and skin frosts, for a few years now - however, had yet to officially announce a product of this kind. He says the product will be released officially at the end of April.

These types of black market rings differ from black market fake makeup, which instead of stealing products and selling them for similar pricing to what it may have been upon its official release, fake makeup mimics a product often using more dangerous materials and without health and safety testing as would be in a genuine product.

There are many knock-off makeup items and brands, with Kylie Jenner’s makeup brand Kylie Cosmetics, being among the most popular to replicate. These duplicates are incredibly dangerous due to the sketchy quality, often leaving rashes and even burns on the skin of the wearer.

Tips on avoiding being scammed into buying fake makeup products, or illegally obtained makeup products, can be summed up into being mindful and keeping common sense at the forefront of your shopping. If a price seems too good to be true, it probably is. If a product is coming from an unknown source or shared by the original suppliers or founders of the product, then be incredibly cautious and don’t take any chances. You may receive more than you bargained for when your skin breaks out in oozing burns or an investigative unit shows up at your door.

9

Lifestyle

E

The Beast Eatery Grub Guide Roisin Maguire explores vegan dining in The Beast Eatery.

ating plant based in Dublin city centre is in higher demand than ever before, therefore they city is changing to adapt to these demands. With restaurants like Token and takeaways like the McGuinness Takeaway, eating vegan fast food is becoming more and more popular. Another restaurant that has been brought to people’s attention is The Beast Eatery which specialises in comfort food on a plant based diet.

Beast is Ireland’s first vegan eatery and takeaway in Dublin by Moodley Manor. Mooney and Pedley started out five years ago as Moodley Manor, a company that makes vegan products.The Beast Eatery is featured, with many other favourites, on a website called Plant Based Ireland which makes lists of plant based restaurants in Dublin and in many other locations. Beast was formerly a chip shop located in Victoria Quay-now turned vegan diner.

Location is not ideal but it is central, it is a bus journey away from O’Connell street but certainly worth it. Outside, the neon sign gives light to a dark street located on the south side of the Quays. Customers can sit at L-shaped wooden tables where they can watch their meal being cooked behind the counter. The idea behind this counter

“ With restaurants like

Token and takeaways like the McGuinness Takeaway, eating vegan fast food is becoming more and more popular.

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Credit: The Beast Eatery, Facebook

was to create the feeling that customers are at a dinner party where they can see the host and interact with the host which creates a warm and welcome atmosphere.

On the Beast’s website, it gives an insight to the making of the restaurant. Moodley Manor was created by two people called Ais and Gav who describe themselves as “a bit alternative” and most importantly vegan food lovers.

After they met, they realised that eating vegan was not as easy as it should be so they started creating delicious vegan meals which can be bought online and delivered around Ireland, Northern Ireland, the United Kingdom and some European countries.

The couple make all their “badass food in Ireland by hand” with the same love as when they cook for each other, as described on their website. Beast Eatery was recently created as a new adventure for the couple which has been the biggest and best idea that they have had.

It is a huge undertaking for a small business like this to branch into having their first restaurant however it has proved as a success so far.

In the opening of the new location, they have given freebies such as €22 restaurant credit for €20, to €120 restaurant credit for the price of €100 which made for a successful launch for the new business.

Beasts menu, is small but tremendous with the highest price being €12 for most burgers. From breakfast burgers with their very own “Savage Sausages”, hash browns, “Badass Bacon”, and their home made 3am garlic slaw to wings made with vegan chicken strips coated in either hot sauce or garlic butter-there is something here for all eaters. Soy milkshakes of flavours- chocolate, banoffi, raspberry, caramel and strawberry and, of course, soft drinks and tea or coffee. Mouth-watering sides include their hand cut fries roasted in garlic oil to a level of crispy that is difficult to achieve with their harissa dips and “3am garlic mayo”.

Beast is closed on Monday and Tuesday and are open until 10pm every night apart from Sundays when they close at 8pm. They also do delivery which is very difficult for a small business like this. Moodley Manor’s website

“ The chilled and relaxed playlist created the atmosphere that all restaurants thrive for calm and free

also features their individual products that they sell, such as their garlic mayonnaise, more-ish mince meatballs, chick-hun, badass bacon, meat free moodley roast and boss burgers.

Beasts Facebook page is full of the new and wonderful creations that the couple are constantly trialling- their latest being vegan whiskey cheesecake. They have a very active social media presence on Instagram and Facebook with every post making people want to try every single item on the menu.

The price range is typical of a Dublin restaurant but you can always guarantee that you will leave feeling satisfied with the mammoth sized burgers they serve daily and the packed until overflowing tacos that they dish out which are so popular that there’s sometimes a shortage of ingredients.

The chilled and relaxed playlist created the atmosphere that all restaurants thrive for - calm and free. The only issue is that there’s not enough time to sample every item on the menu but the vegan butter chicken wings with hot sauce is top of the list.

Atmosphere- 8/10 Price- €€- 7/10 Location- 7/10

Life with less clutter

Lifestyle

Less is always more. Spring clean season is here and it’s time to declutter, shares Lorna Lawless

L

ess is always more. Spring clean season is here and it’s time to declutter.

Decluttering is a great way to make more space in your gaff, but also it’s great to give you some more head-space too. Without even realising it, our space being cluttered can cause more stress.

Waking up in a clean room already makes you feel like you’ve started out the day on the right foot. It’s time to get the big yellow skip out, and start getting rid of things that don’t ‘spark joy’.

If we own less, we have less debt, less to organise, less stress and in the end more money and time. When we think of the word declutter it can be overwhelming, and sometimes painful, because you start and all of a sudden you don’t know how to finish.

According to Psychology Today “clutter bombards our minds with excessive stimuli, causing our senses to work overtime on stimuli that aren’t necessary or important.”

It’s not usually the clutter that’s the issue, the space usually reflects what’s going on in your mind. The mindset that physically manifests as a floordrobe. When you start to declutter your mind, you’ll see your space go along with it.

We are all bombarded with thousands of ads on our Instagram feeds telling us all the stuff we need to buy to improve ourselves. The career books, the Pretty little Thing outfit you

“ Waking up in a clean room already

makes you feel like you’ve started out the day on the right foot. It’s time to get the big yellow skip out, and start getting rid of things that don’t ‘spark joy’.

have get or the new runners you need to add to your collection. Keeping a skirt “just in case” or for a “special occasion” which never seems to happen is why we have so many items in our room we don’t need.

Minimalism can be applied to our homes and our mentalities. It represents a more mindful way of living, one in which you analyse how everything in your life is affecting you and drop what no longer gives you beneficial factors.

The Minimalists Joshua Fields Millburn and Ryan Nicodemus two leaders of the movement toward simplicity said to mindbodygreen.com that “by clearing the excess from our lives, we free up time to focus on our values; and of course, health is a cornerstone value in living a meaningful life.”

If you are living in constant mess it may be a sign there is something going on with your mental health, the first thing you might want to do is sit down and evaluate why this might be happening. Think about why you’ve been feeling overwhelmed and why you are surrounded by mess. You could talk to a qualified professional that can help your sort out what’s going on in your head. A therapist, counsellor or even a GP can at least help point you in the right direction.

Some people just have an issue with motivating themselves to complete a task and need to take it on in smaller achievable goals. It’s a simple way prioritise your mental health by making time to clean your space.

The Best College Getaways

Aoife McMahon explains the best way to bag a get-away with college friends

P

lanning one night out with your college friends can prove to be an exhausting task, so planning what essentially is multiple nights out in a row, with the added difficulty of it being in a different country, can seem almost impossible. But just like with nights out in Town the best place to start with a college holiday is picking the destination.

For a lot of us college students we fall somewhere in between the categories of too old to enjoy Shagaluf and too poor to enjoy Paris. So, where’s the happy medium, well, the answer is a lot of places.

To start, there is the trusty Amsterdam. A gorgeous city where you can do a healthy mixture of sightseeing and seshing. You can start the day visiting the Anne Frank museum, (if you’ve booked your tickets in advance) the Van Gogh museum or the Banksy Exhibition in the Moco Museum and end it in Amsterdam’s famous Xtracold Ice Bar enjoying the unique nightlife Amsterdam has to offer.

It’s guaranteed to meet your high expectations.

Credit: pxhere

“ For a lot of us college students we fall somewhere in between the categories of too old to enjoy “Shagaluf” and poor to enjoy Paris.

For a cheap, close to home holiday look no further than Edinburgh.

I spent four days in this beautiful city, this January, and only spent €109 on flights and accommodation.

Edinburgh is home to lots of fascinating history and a guided tour around the castle is a must. You should also visit

Camera Obscura to see some trippy illusions or if you’re on a strict budget do the free Harry Potter tour, to see some of the JK Rowling’s inspirations for the book series.

While city breaks are easier to plan, if your group of friends are more into sun holidays, you should use sites like TUI, Kayak or Trivago and shop around for the best deals. Allow yourselves to be flexible with the exact area you want to go to, one town over could be significantly cheaper and taxis in other countries tend to be cheaper than in Dublin. Spain is great for hot weather and cheap food and drink.

If you’ve already been to places like Spain with family or are just looking for some place more original, try Bulgaria. Sunny Beach, a resort on Bulgaria’s black sea coast, is known to be a great value beach resort.

However, the area is also known for having wild nightlife, so if that’s not your cup of tea, you can visit their capital Sofia for more sightseeing at affordable prices.

However you don’t have to leave the country to find the best holiday destinations. Ireland is full of great places to visit. Go back to the Burren if you’ve not been there since that school trip in 3rd year. Or stay for a long weekend at one of Ireland’s many adventure centres where you can go cliff diving, abseiling, canoeing and have a night out all in the one day. You also don’t have to pay for flights which brings down your cost down dramatically.

Remember, if you’re with the right company, it doesn’t really matter where you go.

11

Lifestyle

Veganism- Healthy or unhealthy Róise McGagh questions the sustainability of a vegan diet

I

n recent years several bloggers have come out and stated that a vegan diet has had a negative impact on their health.

Youtuber Holistic Leigh, who has 3,000 subscribers, said she became vegan when she was studying nutrition for ethical and environmental reasons. She says in her video ‘Why I stopped being vegan and the diet I now follow’ that over time she gained weight, became very bloated and began to get bad skin.

Blaire White, a Youtuber with over 500,000 subscribers, came out and stated in her video ‘Why I stopped being vegan after 10 years’, that she had lost a lot of weight, became very lethargic and pale despite eating well. She went to a doctor for tests and was told she had extremely low levels of Vitamin B12 and D. James Bradfield is studying to be a dietician and doing his Masters in Cambridge University, he did his undergraduate degree in University College Cork and is currently on placement in Manchester in a diet clinic.

When asked if he thought a vegan diet was sustainable he said, “Technically it can be done. If you said to me, gun to my head, ‘Can it be done?’. The answer is yes. In practice, it can’t be done without either supplements or fortified foods.”

He said that the main things people will lack in that will cause subtle side effects are micronutrients like vitamin D and B12. “Irish people just don’t make enough vitamin D during the winter so we have to get it from our diet.”

“Vitamin B12 is basically impossible to get [on a vegan diet],” said James, “if you were to say that to a hardcore vegan they would say, oh you can get it from seaweed.”

However, in reality, it would take an unfeasible amount of the right seaweed to get enough B12 on this claim and there are no reliable sources of B12 in plants, according to Jack Norris, a Registered Dietician and coauthor of ‘Vegan for Life: Everything You Need to Know to Be Healthy and Fit on a Plant-Based Diet’.

“

Long term effects on sub sufficient Vitamin B12 are weakness and fatigue. With Vitamin D it affects your ability to absorb calcium and so can impact on your bone health later in life.

Long term effects of sub sufficient Vitamin B12 are weakness and fatigue. With Vitamin D it affects your ability to absorb calcium and so can impact your bone health later in life.

He said the when people ask what he thinks of going vegan his response is “it’s a difficult diet to follow and if you’re going to be that restrictive you have to be sure you’re getting those nutrients.”

James said he had noticed that food bloggers are having an obvious impact on people’s diets. He said it can often have a negative impact on people’s relationship with food and can normalise obsessing over what you’re eating.

“Nutrition’s a funny one in that way because everybody eats. I think everyone feels not only entitled to have an opinion but to broadcast it as almost fact because for them it is fact.”

“That’s where the danger is I think when people look at these role models and say, yeah I’m going to have a crack of that myself, with little or no evidence base really,” he said.

An easily led society

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Amy Louise Donohoe discusses the effects of social media.

t is difficult to imagine the modern world without computers, information technology, and the Internet because they already have an important place in the life of each person.

Social networks can be used as a tool for self-development. You can watch educational films, listen to good music, read interesting books, learn foreign languages and much more.

In social networks, influencers and bloggers discuss topics which may interest you, such as fitness, fashion or cookery.

But there are also negative aspects of social media. It has woven itself into the fabric of many people’s lives and although many people enjoy it, some aspects can be detrimental to our mental health.

Being regularly bombarded with images of perfect bodies, perfect makeup, perfect faces and the perfect life can leave people feeling down about themselves because we’re misled to believe that this is the reality.

Adolescent girls and young women are the most vulnerable and affected by social media, specifically when it comes to body dissatisfaction.

Research into constant exposure to images that portray slim body types and cosmetically-altered bodies found that girls and women who were exposed to these types of images rated significantly high levels of dissatisfaction in their own body.

Platforms like Snapchat, Facebook and Instagram, create an environment that is based on rat-

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ing people and earning approval through likes, reposts, and comments which creates a link between body image, self-esteem and social belonging.

Instagram has transformed many of us into actual role models with unparalleled power to shape the ways others interact with our world and sometimes we don’t take

Credit: Jason Howie

this role seriously enough. Instagram gives regular people power to shape the world, no matter how many followers you have, it’s important to use your account wisely as you don’t know who admires it and who is influenced by it.

In the Kardashian era, being famous for being famous

is incredibly trendy, and incredibly easy.

Influencers are essentially that. They are social media users who have established their social media credibility and they influence a large audience. Influencing has become a career where, depending on how many followers you have, you can earn hefty sums for posting a sponsored photo or Instagram story.

Selena Gomez posted a photo of herself sipping a bottle of coca-cola through a red and white straw as part of the “Share a Coke and a Song” campaign. The photo became the most popular image on Instagram. As a result, Selena’s 6.9 million likes and more than 170K individual comments made an incredibly successful campaign for Coca-cola.

But things can go wrong, Scott Disick posted an image of himself with the BOOTEA product. In the caption, he copied and pasted the instructions from the company that he received through email which included the time to post and what to write which all his followers saw.

This mistake gave both Scott and BOOTEA an unreliable reputation.

Being obsessed with all these influencers does impact our social interactions. We’re less mindful of the people around us as we’re too attached to our phones. As modern-day humans, we are put under pressure to be like these influencers.

We can’t help it but we are always on standby for the next big thing online, taking away from our normal lives

Lifestyle

Makeup for all Skin Types Kirsty Dowdall talks about the effects of makeup on sensitive skin and how to prevent irritation.

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hen you have sensitive skin, it can be a nightmare finding makeup that won’t result in dreaded contact dermatitis, aka an allergic reaction.

The never-ending cycle of having a reaction to new makeup products and then covering up with more makeup can be tiresome, leave you feeling like makeup just isn’t made for you and feeling like brands just don’t consider your skin type.

If you’re looking to perfect your base makeup look no further than The Body Shop Fresh Nude Foundation. This foundation is a godsend for any skin problems, it blends wonderfully, doesn’t clog pores or feel heavy on your face. I suffer from eczema and its gentle formula doesn’t irritate any dry patches on my face. You can get the Fresh Nude in any of The Body Shop stores or on their website for €25.50.

Before my foundation, I swear by using Credit: pxhere

The Ordinary High Adherence Silicon Primer. The primer is non-greasy, hydrating and smooths the skin while making the products on top last for hours. It primer doesn’t irritate any eczema I have on my face but it does help my foundation glide effortlessly over those dry patches. It’s also very affordable and will set you back less than a fiver.

For people who love to bronze and highlight their face, the Physicians Formula Butter Bronzer and the TheBalm Mary-Lou Maniser highlight are the best of the best. The Butter Bronzer has a gorgeous coconut scent which has never irritated my skin and it blends beautifully without being too overpowering. Physicians Formula is available online and the bronzer ranges from €13-€16.

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Mineral eyeshadows are typically recommended for people with sensitive eye areas but can include bismuth oxychloride which can irritate sensitive skin.

The Mary-Lou Maniser highlight gives a gorgeous subtle highlight when applied sparingly but builds up to an absolutely blinding glow that you could see from space. It has no fragrance and has always been gentle, even when my skin was very irritated. This highlight retails for €20 in most places.

As far as eye products go, I’ve been very lucky in that I’ve never reacted negatively to eyeshadows.

However, many people with sensitive skin have sensitive eyes and have to be careful about what they put around them.

Mineral eyeshadows are typically recommended for people with sensitive eye areas but can include bismuth oxychloride which can irritate sensitive skin.

When choosing eyeshadows, watch out for bismuth oxychloride as well as perfumes that could potentially be a disaster waiting to happen.

I think the key to enjoying makeup while keeping your skin happy is to make sure you read reviews by other people with sensitive skin before you buy anything. Makeup Alley is an app you can download with reviews on nearly every product you can imagine. You can filter those reviews by skin type and tone to really narrow your search down. You can also write your own reviews to help others.

Finally, keep a close eye on the ingredients listed on the back of your makeup, that’s what they’re there for. Listen to your skin and never continue using something if it doesn’t work for you.

Stay-Cation in Ireland

Orla Matthews discusses the best spots to visit in Ireland

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he ship has sailed on a J1 this summer; the beaches of Thailand are calling but your bank balance says nope not a hope! Even a backpacking trip around Europe is definitely out. It looks like you’re staying put on Irish turf, however that doesn’t mean that travel and adventure is off limits too. It’s time to consider a staycation.

Along with being budget-friendly, a staycation is the most sustainable way to holiday. No plane rides mean no excessive carbon footprint, no luggage allowance, or the general stress of airports. In many cases, you can bring your pet along too!

Keep it cheap, cheerful and adventurous by getting off the beaten tourist track and exploring some hidden gems. Book a hostel or grab that tent from the attic and don’t forget your student card to get discounted travel by bus or train to any one of the following destinations.

Achill

If you like an action packed holiday you can’t go wrong on Achill Island, with some of the most stunning beaches in the country there is surfing aplenty from regular to kite to wind take your pick!

Go Kayaking at Dugort or snorkelling at Keem bay, take a pony ride on the beach or a hike up any of the hills. Don’t forget your bike and cycle

the great western greenway into Westport.

The Beara Peninsula

Just south of Kenmare and a hair raising trip over the Healy Pass is the stunning Beara Peninsula.

Visit the hauntingly beautiful village Allihies or the tropical gardens of Glengarriff. Take a ride on Irelands only cable car out to Garnish Island. If you need to totally unwind, a meditation retreat at the Buddhist temple Dzogchen is just what the doctor ordered.

“ Besides being budget friendly it’s the most sustainable way to holiday.

The Antrim Coastline

If you’re a Game of Thrones fan, then a visit to the Antrim Coastline is a must! From Dunluce Castle and Ballintoy harbour to Castleward House and Gardens aka Winterfell and the dark hedges to a tour of the Titanic studios in Belfast, it’s time to channel your inner Jon Snow or Aria Stark and take an epic adventure north, preferably before winter!

Shannon Cruise

You and your friends can hire a boat on the river Shannon for as little as €40 each per night! Besides chilling with a BBQ, a few beers and a fishing rod there’s actually tons to do along the river from a visit to Clonmacnoise to Portumna Castle the Argina Mining experience or get adventurous at Lough Key and go zip lining.

Wexford

Fancy a retro holiday in a mobile home in the sunny southeast? With big sandy beaches you can chill, build sandcastles, kite surf the waves or body surf the dunes, volunteer at the seal rescue or play the slots and a game of crazy golf in Courtown, maybe a day trip to Wells house or Hook head with a spooky visit to Loftus hall? Or spend a day picking delicious strawberries.

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Lifestyle

The hype around yoga and meditation Mindfulness and meditation are the topics of discussion for Beibhinn Thorsch.

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oga and meditation go hand-in-hand as mindfulness, health, and relaxation techniques. While both are quite different, they are commonly used together to achieve their ultimate positive benefits.

Originally, yoga was used as a practice of self-observation to train the body and mind to become aware of its own nature, and ultimately reach higher consciousness in the individual. Nowadays yoga is touted as a method of increasing flexibility, aerobic capacity, and overall strength.

There is a general belief from both sides of the spectrum that yoga has many benefits no matter what you use it for.

Yoga uses breathing techniques incorporated into it from meditation practices, however meditation does not incorporate the movements and stretches of yoga. Meditation focuses less on the mind as a whole and more on an object, thought or activity, with the goal to train awareness and achieve a mentally clear and calm state. Meditation is often used as part of urges to achieve enlightenment - or self-realization.

Both meditation and yoga have been used to reduce stress, anxiety, depression and pain - and increasing overall well-being. Research is on-going into figuring out the official definitions of the health effects of the practices.

However the culture surrounding these originally very spiritual practices, famously used in Buddhism, Hinduism, and Islam (and to a lesser degree also in the Christian and Jewish religions) has changed. The culture has changed into instagram-central fitness gurus promoting the latest supplements, expensive leggings, and fancy water bottles and yoga mats.

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Ultimately the focus of meditation and yoga practices can be best used as personal self improvement, and figuring out what works for the individual rather than what the ‘professional’ says works best for them.

Ultimately the focus of meditation and yoga practices can be best used as personal self improvement, and figuring out what works for the individual rather than what the ‘professional’ says works best for them.

One of the pioneers of accessible and beneficial yoga is Adriene Mishler, who does YouTube videos and series’ on the practice including many guided meditations and yoga sessions. Mishler also does paid online courses. One of the main benefits of the service which Mishler provides for free is that her guided sessions often have specific aims for those dealing with very specific issues such as grief.

YouTube as a platform is highly accessible and cuts the cost of paying for a gym membership or weekly yoga class, and with so many videos to choose from with a variety of well-organized niche routines, and even monthly challenges to do yoga every day with Mishler, there is something for everyone here - far beyond LuluLemon outfits.

Meditation alone has long been pushed as a way to work through mental health struggles but also to achieve balance and better concentration in your life. One of the simplest ways of meditation is to sit comfortably, close your eyes, and focus all your attention to your breathing.

There are also different breathing techniques which claim to help different parts of the body and mind.

While all of these techniques that aid self care have become much broader and seem much more difficult to become involved with as pressure builds to do the activities ‘correctly’ - if you feel like something doesn’t sit right with you, then listen to your body.

Body art VS employment

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Kevin O’Meara talks about the effects of having tattoos in the workplace.

s recently as 20 years ago, visible tattoos were viewed as a significant hurdle in gaining meaningful, professional employment. A recently published study, jointly conducted by the University of Miami Business School and the University of Western Australia has suggested that this attitude has not just changed, but possibly inverted.

Tattoos, piercings and body modification, in general, have roots in many ancient cultures, yet still, they are often viewed in a negative light. Take Japan for example; ‘Traditional Japanese’ style tattoos are renowned the world over, yet due to their connection with the Yakuza in Japanese culture, Tattoos have always been a taboo subject. While Japanese society has grown more accepting of tattoos on foreigners, they are less forgiving

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to natives. Tattoos mean instant exclusion from any space where they may be visible, most notably in onsen, Japanese hot springs. Japanese tattoo artists have however continued to operate; That is until recently when a new law requiring tattoo studios to have a medical licence effectively shuttered the industry overnight, and forced those who continued to do so into criminality. This, of course, has led to the further sullying of tattoos in the broader public consciousness.

In western society, tattoos have undergone a much more brisk rehabilitation, with acceptance by the general public growing over the last 10-15 years, with most everyone knowing someone with at least one tattoo. The study showed that up to 40% of millennials and 20% of all adults in the US now have a tattoo. Lead study author,

collating the data upon the end of the study, it found that there was no distinguishable discrimination against those with tattoos and those without. What the study did show, however, was that in certain fields having visible tattoos or piercings may increase the likelihood of securing employment.

“ Tattoos mean

instant exclusion from any space where they may be visible In today’s competitive job markets, particularly those in the areas expected to see the most growth, i.e. the tech industry, landing and securing the best possible talent for an available role is crucial. Given this knowledge it is understandable why the big players such as Facebook and Google build campuses specifically designed to not just help employees relax, but also to increase the amount of time spent in the offices and most crucially, to allow room for creatives to think and make the leaps in logic and thinking that propel the industry forward. With clear links between self-expression and creativity, it stands to reason that if recruitment managers excluded this pool of applicants that they would effectively be settling for candidates of a lower calibre.

French continued “Given the increasing prevalence of tattoos in society – around 40% for young adults – hiring managers and supervisors who discriminate against tattooed workers will likely find themselves at a competitive disadvantage for the most qualified employees.”

A stress free exam season

Lifestyle

Kinga Piotrowska shares some tips on remaining calm during exam season.

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xam and assignment season is fast approaching and students are beginning to wonder, how am I going to do this? Stress and anxiety starts to kick in when assignments and exams pile up, until you eventually feel like giving up before you have even started.

There are ways, however, of reducing stress and helping you do the best you can.

First, take a deep breath and remind yourself of the common phrase “this too shall pass.” Focus on something positive that you’re looking forward to in the future. It could be a holiday abroad or simply a night out with your friends.

Remember, even though it can seem impossible at the time, especially when pressure kicks in, it will eventually be over.

Another thing that might seem obvious and you might be sick of hearing is that, sleep is your friend. It might seem like a great idea at the time, to get an extra hour of cramming in at 2am. There is simply no point trying to cram as much information as you can in when your brain is too tired to take any of it. Sleep, mindfulness and healthy eating can make a huge difference. There are a lot of apps and online articles that can help you reduce stress, such as the app ‘Calm’. It is designed to help you fall asleep and unwind, which is a great help if you can’t sleep, especially before an exam.

A great way of making sure you don’t miss an assignment, or a certain exam topic, is to separate them into smaller tasks and assign them for different days. Make a checklist for each day of the things you need to get done and only focus on that day alone. This helps your workload feel more manageable. Ticking off each thing you do is also a great idea, because let’s be honest, it’s really satisfying. If, however, your study plan or checklist doesn’t go as planned, leave a day with less things to do so you have the time to do it another day.

And finally, don’t be afraid to ask for help. Try being aware of your thoughts and when you are starting to feel more and more stress building up. Talk to someone, such as your friends and family and remember you are not alone in this. Sometimes having a talk or rant about a module or exam can help lift the weight of your shoulders and keep you going. Knowing that other people are in the same boat can be extremely reassuring. A little stress can help you get things done quicker, but the point is not to get too caught up in it. A little tip that might be hard to do, but that can help, is trying to enjoy parts of the exam and assignment season. Take in the satisfaction of completing an assignment on time, or the joy when a question you wanted comes up on an exam, because college doesn’t last forever, and this is all part of the experience.

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Try being aware of your thoughts and when you are starting to feel stress building up.

Credit: Pixabay

Festival Bum Bag Essentials Jenny Keegan shares advice on how to prepare for the summer

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s summer draws near, so do the festivals.

Whether you’re going to Electric Picnic, Sea Sessions or Body & Soul, bringing the right kit can make or break your festival experience.

So here is a run-down on what is essential to your bum bag (or rucksack if you can’t pull off the bum bag look, and let’s face it, who really can?).

Unfortunately in Ireland, the weather is never Coachella level perfect.

Throw in a funky raincoat, or at the very least a rain poncho, to stop the rain from completely washing off your glitter.

There are usually plenty to go around at festivals but shops such as Dealz usually sell a heap of them come festival season.

Never mind taking photos for Instagram, having a working phone is an important safety measure for you to stay in contact with your mates.

It’s easy for people to go missing at festivals so having a charged phone will always come in handy if you need to find your way home or get out of a dodgy situation.

Bring a portable charger. Festivals are long, and without plugs, they can be even longer. Most festivals have charging booths but even these can mean several phone-less hours, and at a price.

Penneys is your place for cheap portable chargers, however investing in good quality will result in better and longer lasting charge as well as durability for more than one festival.

Chewing gum, wet wipes or hand sanitizer is always a

good shout. Festivals are grimy and not the most hygienic so having something to freshen up with throughout the day is recommended.

Credit: pxhere

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Throw in a funky raincoat, or at the very least a rain poncho, to stop the rain from completely washing off your glitter.

Every year, loads of people get caught out for not having a good quality I.D. Issues with your ticket or being served may need you to prove your age and name. Having an Age Card or Driving license is better than an outdated student I.D. Also bringing your passport is not worth the risk, sure it only costs €10 to replace an Age Card!

Of course, you can’t get anywhere at a festival without money. But if you are just bringing your card, be warned: there is never a guarantee that there will be ATMs on site and usually you have to get up at the crack of dawn to avoid the queues for these.

Always have some cash on you in case your card gets stolen or there is simply no way of you accessing your money. Keep your cash and card safe and well hidden in your bag where no one can get at it without your noticing!

Most importantly: if you need any medication like an inhaler or insulin make sure you have them with you at all times and that you have enough for the duration of the festival. If you have a medical conditions such as epilepsy make sure you have your medical ID card with you should anything happen.

With these essentials and a groovy bum bag, the festival season is yours for the taking.

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EXPOSURE

Ruby, the Bichon-Frise enjoying her treat. Credit: Rachel Power Glasgow during a dreary spring. Credit: Sonja Tutty

DCU under construction. Credit: Brendan Fernando Kelly Palenque

A mechanic looking for the issue. Credit: Beibhinn Thorsch

A curious sheep in Toftir Village, The Faroe Islands. Credit: Sonja Tutty The Marque Hotel in Malaysia . Credit: Sonja Tutty Image Credits

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