The HYPE Issue 7

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Vol 20 Issue 7 6th February, 2019

The controversial career path of Azealia Banks

Music

Aoibhín Meghen looks into the tumultuous career of rapper Azealia Banks

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zealia Banks is in hot water with the entire Irish population after calling Irish women “Oompa Loompa looking” and tweeting a series of discriminatory comments.

The singer and rapper, originally from New York stormed off an Aer Lingus flight after an altercation with a flight attendant in which Banks says she was “treated like a wild animal”.

Banks was on her way to Dublin for a gig in The Academy on January 23 when she left the flight before takeoff.

She posted a number of videos after storming out saying she “had worked too hard in [her] life to be cornered by some ugly b**ch ... like these f**king ugly Irish women”.

Her concert still went on and Banks played to a sold out crowd at The Academy. However, the day after her concert it seems Banks may have taken her social media rants a step too far.

This time she took to the Instagram comment section asking the Irish population “Don’t you all have a famine to go die in or something?” and calling Ireland a nation of inbreds.

This isn’t the first time Banks has landed herself in hot water. She has had a tumultuous career from the outset.

Her debut single ‘212’ was released in 2012 and its explicit lyrics and catchy tune quickly launched Banks to the top of the charts and into the public eye.

It seemed that Banks was destined to be the next big star, she was outspoken, charismatic and had an undeniable talent for both rapping and singing.

However her first album, titled ‘Broke with Expensive Taste’ was not released until two years later in 2014 and

at this stage the hype surrounding ‘212’ had all but completely died out, leaving her with only a small remaining fan base to appreciate her new music.

There was also a new kind of pop star on the scene, one who kept their image squeaky clean and engaged directly with their fans through social media, developing a personal and meaningful relationship with them.

Banks, who is typically crude and outspoken, just didn’t fit into this new bubblegum persona.

Overall Banks’ online presence has been a lot more feuding than befriending.

She has attacked a number of her fellow musicians with Zayn Malik, Kendrick Lamar, Lady Gaga and Lana Del Ray, as well as many more, being called out by her at some stage.

Her feuding with Zayn Malik even led to Banks’ twitter account being suspended for a time following a string of racist tweets directed at Malik.

The artist’s most recent onslaught against Ireland begs the question of whether all publicity is good publicity. She may have built a career off of controversy but is alienating an entire country just a step too far?

There has even been a threat of legal action by a barrister in the UK who said Banks could be prosecuted under the Communications Act 2003 for her bigoted comments.

Despite her tweets Banks’ performance at the Academy in Dublin was completely sold out however many of her later UK dates still have tickets available.

It seems that now Banks is doing anything to grab the public’s attention and remain relevant but it’s not working anymore. Without the chart topping songs to back them

up her words fall on deaf, and worse still, angry ears.

The global domination of K-Pop Roisín Maguire talks how Korean music has taken the world by storm

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he Korean Wave, Hallyu, refers to the global popularity of South Korea’s cultural economy exporting pop culture, entertainment, music, TV dramas and movies including Korean pop.

K-Pop has become a truly global phenomenon thanks to its distinctive blend of choreography which is synchronized to perfection, addictive melodies and of course the very attractive South Korean singers.

Korean culture has becoming globally popular in the past 10 years and has hit the charts many times especially groups such as BTS and Wonder Girls who essentially had the first massive hit in 2009 with “Nobody” which was released in four different languages.

In 2018, Korean pop became a $5 billion industry. During the Olympic opening ceremonies on February 9, 2018, athletes marched in the Parade of Nations to the accompaniment of a select group of South Korean pop hits which was intended to show the world that Korea has fully integrated as a part of the global culture.

One very popular group is an all male group called BTS who even made it onto Irish headlines with the independent.ie who said that they credit their worldwide popularity on the universal themes of their music. If you search Korean pop online or on Youtube, BTS is most likely

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the first group to appear. This is because they are the first Korean group to be nominated for an American Music Award and they are known for their large social media following. Last year they were the most popular music group on Twitter, according to the Guinness World Records.

The band, made up of V, Jimin, Jin, Suga, Jungkook, RM, and J-Hope, took part in a sold-out talk at the Grammy Museum in Los Angeles and discussed their populari-

ty. Speaking through a translator, Suga said young people have similar experiences regardless of where they grow up in the world and they believe this is the reason for their fame.

BTS only debuted in 2013 yet they have produced six albums and their fans who are known as the “BTS Army” have been loyal since the beginning by lining outside ho-

tels and venues to greet band members.

It’s not only the male groups that are popular, with an all female group called Twice who rose to fame with their first ever single “Like Ohh Ahh” in 2015. With nine members and six albums under their belt, there’s a lot to keep up with when it comes to Twice. They are so popular that it only took 22 hours for their single “Likely” to reach 10 million views.

Big Bang are another major K-Pop group worthy of mention. The five-member group started in 2006 and are signed under YG Entertainment. In 2007, with their song ‘Lies’, Big Bang opened up what many have described as the “golden age of K-Pop”. The group now has 4.8 billion views on their Youtube channel and have won awards such as Best Worldwide Act, two Japan Gold Disc Awards, and an Artist of The Year Award among many others.

However, in March of 2018, Big Bang released a song called “Flower Road” with lyrics such as “this is not the end of us” which served as a final farewell from the Korean act to its fans ahead of a lengthy hiatus, as the band members serve in South Korea’s military. The title refers to a Korean term expressing a new, glorious journey and refers to the careers of the band members and lives of the fans.

Korean pop is still making waves globally and it is really only a matter of time before it is a regular appearance in the charts.

Music

How Chris Brown remains popular Sarah Barrett investigates why Chris Brown retains such a loyal fanbase after a series of controversies

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hris Brown started his musical career singing in a local church choir and participating in several talent shows. He signed to Jive Records in 2004 and released his self-titled debut studio album the following year, which reached number 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 list.

At the beginning, he flourished in the charts and attained impressive success, up until the incident with Rihanna in 2009 in which he was charged with assault. The domestic abuse case shattered his public persona and the media has cracked down on his public image ever since. Not one to be shy of controversy, he has been faced with multiple drug charges, he punched fellow artist Frank Ocean in the face over a car parking space, and most recently he was detained for a rape charge in Paris.

He has been involved in several beefs with other celebrities, including hip-hop sensation Drake. He has arguably become more synonymous for his beefing than for his music since he went from superstar to media bad boy.

The question remains, with all the negativity and heinous crimes, why has Chris Brown remained popular? Chris has been a central member of the Hip Hop and RnB community since the early 2000’s. Back then, one could not go in to a local nightclub without hearing one of his hits blaring through speakers like Kiss Kiss or With You. He became an icon known for his use of autotune and style meshing Hip Hop, RnB and Dance.

During the aftermath of the incident with his then girlfriend, Rihanna, Chris maintained a loyal fanbase who flocked to defend him. He has had a number of celebrities rooting for him. He tweets irrationally and makes cocaine

fueled content. Chris recently reignited his bromance with Drake having attended his New Years Eve party.

Focusing on his music, his lyrics are extremely basic and he never pens his own tunes. Last year in 2018, he featured on a song with Lil Dicky and starred alongside influencer, Kendall Jenner, who faced backlash for appearing in the video with him. With fans stating ‘’please don’t support an abuser’.

In June 2016, Irish fans of the singer watched him perform in the 3 Arena, onlookers reported that Chris was terrible vocally live, but an incredible dancer. Has his career become invincible? That literally nothing will shatter his reputation, to the point his PR team declare it irreparable. These days he relies heavily on features on other artist’s tracks, and other collaborations to stay relevant a n d keep his name in the public domain.

A s long as he puts out content, he w i l l always have fans. Careers don’t vanish just because consumers don’t like the artist or their wrongdoings.

As long as he continues to put out music, people will keep buying it.

There are no moral police in the industry who regulate who is or who isn’t allowed to be famous in the entertainment industry. Brown has ap-

peared in his own documentary on Netflix, Welcome to My Life, which features celebrities like DJ Khaled and Jennifer Lopez talking about him in a positive light.

As long as people continue to give Chris Brown a platform, he shall remain popular and relevant in music, continuing to win Grammys, release clothing lines, have nightclub appearances, rank at the top of the charts. A controversial character that still has appeal to mainstream audiences. Society will continue to separate the artist from his art.

Let me listen to Take That in peace Amy Donohoe explains why people should be able to listen to whatever music they like, without the judgement

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usic shaming is a concept that means you are criticising someone for having a different taste in music in comparison to your own.

As the Black-Eyed Peas once sang, where is the love?

At some point in our lives, everyone has listened to a song or an album that made them feel some sort of connection that words can’t describe. Music is powerful, and it’s also personal, one song could mean something else to somebody else, it just depends on what they’ve went through in life. We have songs that remind us of certain times in our lives, things like childhood, relationships and heartbreak. Music is there for us during the good times in life, and it is also there during the bad times.

Most people enjoy a specific genre of music, many are passionate about a certain artist, and some love so many different types of music. Music determines who we are, but not everyone respects each other’s music taste. The concept of shaming someone because of their taste in music is ridiculous. Of course, we all like different music, we are all different. We all like different types of food and we all have different style preferences. We are human.

The whole purpose of music is entertainment and enjoyment, but why are people being judged for expressing an interest in something that they enjoy? It is completely uncalled for to shame someone for such an absurd reason. It is not essential that you like the music that your friend likes, the world would be quite boring if you did.

Music is a “universal language,” it’s a form of art and like most pieces of art, it’s subjective. A person’s taste in music varies depending on many factors ranging from the type of music they were exposed to from an early age, their personal preference and their life experience.

We shouldn’t be stereotypical either, for example some may think it’s weird for a man in his twenties to be enjoying a Shawn Mendes song or for a teenage girl to be headbanging to Bon Jovi. This prevents people from being able to express themselves and it could hold a person back from the best form of self-representation and self-expression. Disagreement is inevitable, but when it goes further it could make people regret showing that part of themselves.

All of us have a “guilty pleasures” playlist that we would be absolutely mortified if anyone else heard it. If your music is on shuffle and you’re with your friends, you’ve constant fear that the likes of Westlife or High School Musical will start playing. We should be free without judgement to blast whatever we want. We should be proud of it and have the ability play the music without feeling humiliated.

Why do we judge for expressing interest in something they enjoy? Maybe it’s because the music we like is very special to us, so it’s difficult to understand why someone would choose something else. It is completely unfair to shame someone for celebrating something that encourages them to express themselves. If there’s a certain type of music that makes you happy, you should be able to listen to it without feeling guilty or embarrassed. Nobody has to like every genre of music, but, they should be respectful to other people’s taste.

Judging someone based on personal differences can be viewed as having a shallow ability to listen. Music serves as therapy in many ways. It can be used to cope with emotions. Music shaming is more than just being verbal; it can act as a personal attack on someone. We should stop shaming other people’s opinion on music.

Instead try, to understand why they’re attached to it.

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TV & Film

The Favourite, a favourite

The 10 Academy Award nominations for the deliciously dark tragicomedy is well deserved, writes Aoibhín Bryant

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orgos Lanthimos’ The Favourite dresses up a witty tragic comedy in a period drama. Set during the Georgian era, the plot follows two cousins, Sarah (Rachel Wiesz) and Abigail (Emma Stone), fighting for the affection of Queen Anne (Olivia Coleman), whose mental state rapidly declines throughout the film.

Set to the backdrop of the Spanish War of Succession, Queen Anne is riddled with gout and leaves the running of the show to her childhood friend, Sarah Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough. Abigail Hill, a former aristocrat whose future was swindled by her gambling father, returns to court to plea to her distant cousin, Sarah, for a job as a servant in the palace. However, Abigail slowly begins to move her way up the ranks by indulging in the Queen’s wishes, threatening Sarah’s position as the Queen’s confidante and secret lover.

Bizarrely, this is one of Lanthimos’ most conventional movies in comparison to both The Lobster and Killing of A Sacred Deer. Yet it still possesses a large range of quirks and is a divergence of the typical historical drama. The stiff and proper setting and costumes is contrasted with characters’ behaviour and dialogue, such as the word “vajuju” being used.

Each main actress delivers excellence in their respective roles. Coleman as delirious Queen Anne is brilliant, possessing a great comedic timing, which shouldn’t be a

surprise if you watched Coleman in Peep Show. She balances the comedy with her more melancholic acting, capturing the hearts of the audience as we learn about her various maladies. Queen Anne, who had 18 pregnancies in her lifetime, outlived all of her children and superficially replaced each one with a rabbit.

Rachel Weisz as the headstrong and calculated Sarah and Emma Stone as the ingenue Abigail have a great dynamic as they play out their contemptuous family relationship turned to a out-and-out rivalry. It is interesting to note that each male character is portrayed as more pompous and sillier than any of the leading ladies. The men are dressed up in bright colours with powdered wigs and coral blush while the womens’ wardrobe is more subdued with earthier tones and simpler hairstyles. Despite how at this time, men were the leading statesman and held greater power, the film tries to point that it was the women, such as Sarah and Abigail, running the show with their wit and charms.

The script was originally penned in 1998 by Deborah Davis and revised and updated by Tony McNamara, however it found difficulty in being picked up by major recording studios due to its LGBT subject matter and lack of leading male characters. The Favourite proves that although these might have been off putting to a mainstream audience even a couple of years prior, in 2018 with the emergence of the #MeToo movement and a greater acceptance of LGBT+ people, a film about lesbian royals can be a box office hit and scoop the most Academy Award nominations.

The Favourite is a must-see film to watch during Oscars season, incorporating witty and dark comedy alongside a

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Bizarrely, this is one of Lanthimos’ most conventional movies in comparison to both The Lobster and Killing of A Sacred Deer. Yet it still possesses a large range of quirks and is a divergence of the typical historical drama.

The stiff and proper setting and costumes is contrasted with characters’ behaviour and dialogue, such as the word “vajuju” being used.

dramatic tragedy that keeps the viewer on edge throughout the entirety of the film. Without spoiling, the final scene will leave the viewer perplexed and uncomfortable as they vacate the screening. This is one of Lanthimos’ greatest works and the dynamic between the three leading actresses helps this film truly come to life and excel in its field.

Will we be choosing Bandersnatch?

Joseph O’Gorman reviews Black Mirror’s attempt at a choose-your-own-adventure film

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andersnatch is the latest instalment of the award-winning science fiction anthology series Black Mirror. Bandersnatch is a ‘chooseyour-own adventure’ film. In the film, the viewer makes decisions for the main character, Stefan. Stefan is a young programmer who is working on developing a ‘choose-your-own-adventure’ novel into a video game in 1980s England.

The film gives you ten seconds to make a decision for Stefan. Once a playthrough ends, the viewer is given an option of going back and making a different choice. The average viewing is 90 minutes, though the quickest path ends after 40 minutes. There are 150 minutes of unique footage divided into 250 segments. According to Netflix, there are five “main” endings, with variants within each ending; such endings may be intercut with credits. Similar to other Black Mirror episodes, Producer Russell McLean said there are between ten and twelve endings, some of which are more vague as endings compared to others, and according to director David Slade, there are a few “golden eggs” endings that may take a long time before viewers figure out how to achieve them. No ending is considered “prescribed” over any other, according to executive producers Charlie Brooker and Annabel Jones, particularly as they felt some endings were not truly endings in the traditional sense.

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Due to the complexity of Bandersnatch and the effort required to make it, the fifth season of Black Mirror was delayed, though it is still expected to broadcast on Netflix sometime in 2019; Brooker compared the effort they had to make for Bandersnatch equivalent to four regular Black Mirror episodes.

The film is a postmodern work, which utilises free will, or the illusion of free will as its central theme. Ed Cumming of The Independent commented that it contains themes of “authorial control, free will and fate”. Beth Elderkin of io9 wrote that Bandersnatch is about the absence of choice, and Stefan’s life being outside of his control. Elderkin highlighted the “White Rabbit” ending, in which

Stefan finds his rabbit under his bed as a child and joins his mother in dying on the train, as the one point where “free will is celebrated instead of derided”. These themes of lack of free will, monitoring, and control, as well as it being set in the year 1984, led to comparisons to George Orwell’s novel, Nineteen Eighty-Four The whole ‘choose-your-own-adventure’ idea as a concept was quite polarising to audiences. Rachel Cooke of newstatesman.com, was not a fan at all; “The whole thing was tedious: confusing, repetitive, dilatory. Is interactivity one of television’s possible futures? Some think it might be. But I’m not convinced. Stop-start. Stop-start. It’s the TV equivalent of being stuck in heavy traffic.”

Many reviewers felt the gimmick of choices took away from the storyline, that it couldn’t sustain a proper Black Mirror episode, but on the whole the response was favourable from critics. While Bandersnatch may not be a new beginning for television as a whole, it will probably spark a new genre. Bandersnatch opened the door; directors, actors, and writers will see this film, and iron out the kinks in the system, and realise how to create better content for the format. Bandersnatch may not have been perfect, but it was innovative, and now that technology has been made mainstream, it probably won’t be long until the next ‘choose-your-own-adventure’ film hits streaming platforms.

Does Black Panther’s nomination lead to a new era for the Oscars?

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TV & Film

Aoife O’Brien looks into if the Academy’s attempt to remain relevant has succeeded.

fter 90 years of Academy Awards, a superhero movie has finally been nominated for Best Picture.

However, the nomination for Marvel’s Black Panther is not a step towards rewarding the increasing diversification in Hollywood or indicative of a move away from the trend of ‘Oscarbation,’ but a vain attempt by the Academy to placate audiences and retain viewership while still favouring traditional works.

This became clear when they announced the possible introduction of a new awards category for Outstanding Achievement in Popular Film in August of last year. The award would presumably have favoured movies that have grossed over $100m and was seen as an attempt to prevent more commercial productions from pushing into the big leagues and taking home accolades in the best picture and best screenplay categories, further emphasising the divide between the popular blockbusters and the more traditionally good productions.

After huge backlash the Academy finally decided against introducing the award but it sparked a conversation surrounding the need to find a place to acknowledge the achievements of popular films and recognise the changes in popular culture.

Within the confines of

the fictional African nation of Wakanda, Black Panther acknowledges and celebrates everything from traditional African society to African-American political debates, from the power and beauty of black women to the importance of preserving their cultural identity.

Having evolved from a discussion about the importance of representation and diversification in Hollywood into a ground-breaking celebration of black culture, it is about more than the latest superhero’s journey but points toward a future where this journey of black culture is immersed in everyday life.

However, despite receiving universal critical acclaim and grossing $1.23 billion worldwide, the hope that this was finally a film that could unite the elite snobs of the Academy with the masses was shattered when director Ryan Coogler was overlooked for Best Director and with his co-writer Joe Robert Cole was disregarded in the Best Adapted Screenplay category.

Having received a total of six nominations, missing out on these categories may not seem like a snub however, unlike any of the other contenders for Best Picture, all of its other nominations are in the technical categories, including production design, costume design, sound editing, showing an apparent lack of belief in Black Panther’s storyline and overall message.

However, given that the most-watched Oscars

ceremony ever aired 20 years ago, when Titanic won the award for best picture and similar peaks occurred with the nomination of the blockbusters Avatar in 2010, Gravity in 2014 and Moonlight in 2016 the need to include popular film in the ceremony is palpable.

With last year’s Oscars acquiring the lowest ratings to date with just 26.5 million viewers, making Black Panther the ‘token black film’ of the year is a convenient way to lift their ratings and take a step back from the #OscarsSoWhite image.

As a strong contender in the technical categories Black Panther has the potential to have a very successful Oscars without ever winning the award for Best Picture. By engineering the nominations in this way it does not foreshadow a change in the Academy considering more popular films for this award, but allows them to maintain a façade of inclusivity while allowing them to retain the most prominent accolades for more traditionally worthy Oscar films.

The Academy Awards will air on February 25, 2019 and Coogler’s film will be joined in the best picture category by BlacKkKlansman, B o h e m i a n Rhapsody, The Favourite, Green Book, Roma, A Star is Born, and Vice.

Ted Bundy 30 years on

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Caitlin Laird examines the recent hype around one of the most infamous killers of all time

etflix has once again released another popular crime documentary. ‘Confessions With A Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes’ was released on the 24th of January 2019 on the 30th anniversary of Bundy’s execution.

The documentary has been getting mixed reviews.

Some people are too scared to watch it, others think it is a good documentary that is brutally honest and compelling while others are left overwhelmed by just the amount of murders he actually committed.

For people that weren’t alive during the Bundy killing spree back in the ’70s, the show does a good job of portraying Bundy. Journalist Stephen Michaud and news reporter Hugh Aynesworth interview Bundy leading to the tapes where the audience can hear his thoughts and opinions of the murders and his life. It also shows video footage of Bundy in court and in prison.

The audience can get a grasp of what type of person Ted Bundy actually was and how he came to ultimately murder over 30 women. To look at Bundy, he was a normal, well put together individual who had a degree in psychology and was in the middle of a law degree. However, there was something deeply sinister lying beneath his clean-cut

exterior.

The tapes alone don’t paint the full picture for the audience. Although they allowed them to hear Bundy’s thoughts, it is from the pictures and video footage that they see how he was as a person. The way he acted in court was one prime example of who he actually was.

He would call out his own lawyers saying they weren’t good enough, which led to him representing himself and questioning witnesses on the stand. Video footage would show him sitting on his chair or lounging on the side of the table with a smile on his face with dark eyes.

Many people are told not to watch the documentary alone as it gives the details of his murders and it shows pictures in gruesome detail. The vibes which Ted Bundy gave off were extremely creepy and eerie. Everyone knows he is dead but it still would scare and haunt you to believe this man could commit such awful crimes. He was a rapist, a murderer and a necrophile.

When he was first sentenced to death the judge said “It’s a tragedy for this court to see such a total waste of humanity that I have experienced in this court. You’d have made a good lawyer. But you went another way partner.”

At one point in the documentary they spoke of his

emotions and how he couldn’t feel empathy. He had no remorse until the last few days leading up to his execution, where he confessed to the murders and apologised.

By this stage whatever Bundy said fell on deaf ears as people outside chanted “Burn Bundy Burn,” on the eve of his execution. A sense of relief came over people when he was pronounced dead.

There have been many men and women that have committed awful crimes, but Ted Bundy stands out from the rest as he was an in-famous killer who shocked and disturbed the world at a time when people trusted everyone and kept their doors unlocked at night.

30 years after his execution people are still talking about him and a movie called ‘Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile’ is set to come out this year starring Zac Efron as Bundy.

Should he still be getting this much attention after what he has done? Not at all, but that won’t stop people from binge-watching this documentary and going to see the movie that feeds into the fascination of Ted Bundy.

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TV & Film

Jon Snow knows something about Greek Mythology

David Kelly explores how Game of Thrones’ Jon Snow follows the journey of the classic Greek hero.

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ame of Thrones returns in April for its final season. The show is considered one of the most well-written pieces of fiction in history. This is partly due to its grand character arcs occurring across hours of screen time.

Game of Thrones employs techniques ranging from the Aristotelian Tragic Hero to ancient hero myths.

Jon Snow can be considered as a mythological or archetypal hero. There are several criteria involved in the ‘Hero’s Journey’ or the ‘Monomyth’. Essentially, the archetypal hero is an individual who begins in the Known, or Order, confronts the Unknown, or Chaos, with truthful speech and action, thus creating order from its pieces.

The archetypal hero is confronted with temptations and challenges during this confrontation and must overcome them with his gift of truth. The hero often suffers a tremendous loss during this confrontation, enduring a death and rebirth in the chaotic abyss.

This encounter with the abyss, and the subsequent rebirth, enlightens the hero with the wisdom of the Father, or culture. The Father exists in the underworld following his death at the hands of evil, to which he was wilfully blind. This transformation leads the hero to return home and embed his newfound wisdom into the world.

Jon Snow begins his journey at ‘The Wall’. In mythological terms, this is symbolic of the border between Order (Westeros) and Chaos (North of the Wall). Chaos is further symbolised in the Wildings, who Jon’s order, the Night’s Watch, are sworn to keep out.

Jon Snow is eventually confronted with these Wildlings, and beholden to his vows, infiltrates their ranks. However, he meets a manifestation of benevolent Chaos, in the Wilding, Ygritte. She tempts him away from his vows and tests his honour with wild and passionate love.

Jon just about resists these temptations, at great

personal loss, and returns to the Night’s Watch with a newfound appreciation for the Unknown. Not long after, he attempts to integrate the chaotic nature of the Wildings into the ordered society of Westeros.

This attempt is met with betrayal from his fellow brothers-in-arms. He is murdered by this manifestation of corrupt Order. This story beat draws on the mythological theme of the stagnation and corruption of culture.

This literal and symbolic death transforms Jon. He recognises the capacity of Order to denigrate into tyranny. Upon his rebirth, the corrupt aspect of Order is defeated by the newly integrated chaos, the Wildlings, and Jon is given new purpose.

This integration of wisdom is the Atonement with the Father. Ned Stark was a virtuous ruler, but he was wilfully blind to the existence of immortal evil present in society, causing his demise.

Despite being shaken by his death and resurrection, his sister Sansa returns, and guides him towards his home, where he must supplant the tyrannical ruler, Ramsey Bolton, and reorder society with his newfound wisdom.

His army is enlisted with truthful speech; Jon doesn’t lie to his followers, they follow him because they believe in him. He confronts the manifestation of tyrannical Order in the ‘Battle of the Bastards’.

However, he is almost defeated by this opposition.

A final step in the hero’s journey, as he attempts to return home, is the Gift of the Goddess. Sansa, another symbol of benevolent, nurturing Chaos, gifts Jon with more soldiers, and the battle is won.

Finally, the Lords of the North elect Jon as their king, in a mythological process known as the hierarchal organisation of the gods.

These ancient, archetypal themes are, in part, why Jon Snow is so popular. These themes resonate with people on a profound level, as they have been abstracted over millennia. This is the genius of Game of Thrones.

Fyre Festival documentary reignites tensions

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Roisín Phelan reviews the documentary about the infamous music festival

yre Festival, for many, embodied a dream come true. A luxury music festival on the white sand beaches of the Bahamas surrounded by the kinds of people you only ever get to see on television.

Unfortunately, for the thousands of ticket holders, this dream came crashing down as soon as they arrived.

The success and popularity of Fyre Festival in the months prior was extraordinarily notable. Excellent video production, sponsorship and social media strategies fed an idealistic product to the many consumers that bought in to it’s lure.

Videos featuring world class models partying on yachts and beaches, trademarked logos and subsequent promotional content were shared by social media influencers and stars such as Kendall Jenner.

This promotion led to a mass interest and obsession by the public. Tickets varying in price from $1,500 to $25,000 sold out nearly immediately.

It’s success is most intriguing as even up until the day of the festival, these images which were still being sold,

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consumed and glorified widely, were mostly fabricated and untrue.

Netflix’s new documentary entitled “Fyre, the greatest party that never happened” captures the online rise, and real life fall of the planned music festival Fyre which was organised by Ja Rule and Billy McFarland in 2017. The festival however, as the title suggests, never occurred due to mass negligence in promotion, sales and organisation, mainly by those in decision making positions such as Rule, and McFarland.

The main issue that the documentary focuses on is the lack of balance between expectations and the reality of the festival. Ticket holders paid thousands for private sea side villas and yachts, luxury camping, gourmet food and world class acts.

On April 27 2017, the first day, of the festival, staff knew that the site was nowhere near ready to house thousands of people, never mind in a ‘luxury’ accomodations.

Acts like Blink-182 had dropped out of the line up due to their concerns about the event. Staff were struggling

to complete construction of tents, stages, food stalls and bathrooms.

Ticket holders were immediately disappointed by their economy flights, and yellow school bus transfers to a populated village in the Bahamas, after paying for private jets and the use of a private island.

When they arrived at the campsite, chaos ensued immediately. One attendee William Needham Finley, described the scene via his twitter account saying, “So Fyre Fest is a complete disaster, Mass chaos. No organization. No one knows where to go. There are no villas, just a disaster tent city.”

The root of the disaster was inevitably, Billy McFarland.

From the onset McFarland, and Ja Rule had big ideas for Fyre, ones which would be costly but which they thought would earned back in ten folds.

However despite pumping millions into the festival, they were unable to fulfill the conditions and the ticket numbers they had sold.

McFarland admitted to resorting to defrauding investors of $26 million for the festival. He also admitted to carrying out a fraudulent ticket selling scheme.

McFarland is currently serving time in prison for his crimes relating to Fyre. Although, the blame is also being placed on those who promoted the event on their social media, as models such as Bella Hadid and Kendall Jenner are currently under investigation by the US Bankruptcy Court.

Fyre had failed to become the Festival it had promised, but it did succeed in demonstrating how powerful social media, and a talented promotional team can be.

Art & Music

Brian Eno’s 77 Million Paintings

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Donal Corrigan checks out artist Brian Eno’s exhibition

n a room just above St.Stephens Green, there lies an alien universe. Brian Eno’s 77 million paintings exhibition is currently on show in the Gallagher Gallery at R.H.A and it is a completely extraordinary sight.

At the top of a dark room there i s a 20 foot stain glass window that is constantly changing and reshaping into different patterns . The designs are composed of 296 paintings made by the world famous music producer.

Brian Eno painted them on to glass where they are now projected onto a wall. It is fed through a software that constantly splices them together and changes their shape. The exhibition is named after the 77 million possible combinations that the paintings can make up.

In typical Eno fashion he has composed a soundtrack along with the visual arts piece. The godfather of ambient music has composed a series of deep bases, natural sound effects and airy vocals which is played in accompaniment with the ever changing ocular scene. The ambient music draws you into the room and you can easily find yourself losing track of time in the immersive experience.

77 million paintings is an example of generative art.

This is art that has been created in part or in whole by

something that is not human.

Brian Eno fed his paintings in a software and the computer displays it’s own version of art. Each city that it is showcased has its own unique viewing because no screening is identical due to the software’s randomisation. A simpler example of generative art is wind chimes. A human has made the chimes but it is the wind that creates the music.

Eno uses generative art to interpret his understanding of natural processes.

Natural processes being orders in nature, such as photosynthesis , that create complex and unpredictable results such as plant life. This is reflected in the art piece where the software follows orders or algorithms to create unpredictable results, in this case one of 77 million art pieces.

It is quite a spectacular sight to see this complex idea being physically created right in front of your eyes before morphing into something completely new.

Nature is a prominent feature in the exhibition. As you walk into the room there is willow tree trunks that sprout up from the ground and stretch into the ceiling.

Also scattered around the room are piles of sand that change colour randomly from the lights that shine above them. The natural setting of the room provides a powerful

contrast to the electronic centre piece. It is a physical representation of ‘ algorithms ’ or orders of our world that produce nature and art.

The multi award winning composer studied both art and music in Ipswich. It was with difficulty that Eno picked music over art to focus on. However, all these years later he has combined his two passions with the 77 million paintings exhibition.

The piece was first exhibited in Tokyo in 2006 but has since travelled the world. In 2009 the art piece was projected onto the Sydney Opera House exterior and now it is on show for free in Dublin until February 24th.

The artist is often described as one of the most influential figures in modern day music. His collaborations in his career are filled with the biggest name in music such as David Bowie, The Talking Head’s David Byrne, Gorrilaz’s Damien Alburn and Jon Hopkins. He has co-produced some of the most important albums of the last half century such as U2’s ‘The Joshua Tree’ and Coldplay’s ‘Viva La Vida’.

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77 million paintings is an example of generative art.

This is art that has been created in part or in whole by something that is not human.

Take a chance on True Crime

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Orla Dwyer investigates the auditory world of murders

rue crime series and documentaries are truly having their moment in the spotlight. Netflix shows in particular have captured audiences and gripped them into the true crime genre.

Everything from The Ted Bundy Tapes to Making a Murderer have increased the demand for more and more from the world of true crime. Luckily, there is another way to get your daily fix of criminality through the true crime podcast.

Podcasts can be very off-putting and seem uninteresting. They are frequently quite long, rambling discussions, often between men who may not know exactly what they are talking about. True crime podcast does not follow this format. They are audio documentaries broken down into 40 or 50 minute pieces and crafted in an interesting and engaging way. They grip the listener and tell the story of a murder or other crime in a way that other media simply cannot manage as effectively.

They are truly a work of investigative journalism more than anything else. Podcasts like The Teacher’s Pet and In the Dark delved deeper into their respective cases than any previous police officer, journalist or lawyer ever did. In the case of he Teacher’s Pet, a podcast investigating the sudden disappearance of Australian woman Lynette Dawson in 1982, further analysis was made by police after the podcast was made which lead to the arrest of Lynette’s husband Chris Dawson.

A lot of The Teacher’s Pet is told through phone conversations and letters from the time read out by

voice actors. Although these could also be portrayed through television, it would be a lot more difficult to get every single person to agree to be on camera and the visuals would not be engaging enough for a true crime series because the incident happened so long ago.

Conversations are another huge aspect of the true crime podcast.

They often feature discussions between reporters and editors covering the case. The journalists casually discuss the case and decide their next moves. This really involves the listener in a way that television or print never could.

These in-depth podcasts have been quietly making moves in the background for years with a core listener base but have in no way the same reach as the serial killer documentaries hitting the headlines every other week.

This is not to say that true crime TV series and

documentaries should be replaced by podcasts. High profile cases such as those in the 2016 Amanda Knox documentary may suit television best due to the abundance of TV news footage available from the time.

However, particularly for smaller cases that occurred many years ago, podcasts are the perfect medium.

Closer to home, West Cork drew listeners into Audible last year with its 13-episode podcast about the murder of Sophie Toscan du Plantier.

The unsolved murder from 1996 gripped audiences and the podcast featured countless interviews with locals who lived there at the time and people who were involved with the case.

It is the perfect example of a stunning audio documentary split into podcast form and is a great stepping stone into the true crime podcast For fans of true crime, it’s time to get rid of the notion that podcasts are restricted to the pretentious. It is easy to knock them off in favour of Youtube or Spotify when stuck on public transport, but the true crime podcast is an excellent way to pass time and get a bite-sized dose of a gripping story without asking Netflix for help.

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Books and Theater

Sally Rooney’s Normal People is a millennial love story Aine O’Boyle reviews Sally Rooney’s much anticpated second novel.

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hrough a modern ‘tale of two worlds’, Sally Rooney elegantly intertwines the stories of Marianne and Connell in a complex and tumultuous love story that brilliantly highlights the innate human desire to be loved.

For anyone that hails from rural Ireland, Rooney’s depiction of small-town mindsets and social-structures will resonate as the two protagonists, living in a small-town satellite to Sligo, live two totally different existences.

Connell, arguably one of the most popular boys in town, could easily be a character in an American chic-flick.

Being the Irish equivalent to the classic American quarter-back of the football team, he is sporty, exceptionally handsome, academically superior to his cohorts and happens to fall for the wrong girl, who exists outside of his social sphere.

Within Rooney’s reality, Connell serves as a means to highlight the fragile nature of masculinity with good looks and status as a high achiever doing little to deter his suffering.

His debilitating anxiety and compulsive need to be accepted by his peers highlights how engulfed one can become by small-town mindsets and hierarchical social structures.

From his friends, of whom are the human embodiment of lad-culture, Connell lives a secret life, hiding everything from the fact that he likes to read in his spare time to his secret relationship with Marianne, who among her peers, is regarded as a cold and unlikeable person.

Marianne exists outside the social structures of rural Ireland, in a way she is too intelligent to find herself concerned with the opinions of others. All until she started to like Connell.

Suddenly things of which she would previously have considered to be trivial start to matter. She finds herself pondering upon whether or not Connell will invite her to

the Debs, only to be left disappointed and heartbroken.

For many, the naivety of Connell and Marianne’s relationship will resonate, it encompasses the passion,

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The reader bears witness to Marianne falling deeper and deeper into a spiral of self-hatred that leads her to expect the worst from people and allows her to engage in demeaning and oppressive relationships.

heartbreak and innocence of young love that many of us look back upon fondly, but that serves as a hugely formative experience for the future relationships we may engage in.

As their lives progress, both Connell and Marianne get accepted into Trinity College Dublin, marking a huge change in dynamics for the pair.

Suddenly Marianne finds herself surrounded by a group of friends, something of which she never had when she lived at home, and comfortably slots right in among the rich, upper class students of Trinity.

Despite her new-found confidence and social status, Marianne continues to struggle with an inferiority complex, she finds herself engaging in toxic relationships, in both a platonic and romantic sense.

Her lack of self-belief makes a difficult, yet realistic and gripping read.

The reader bears witness to Marianne falling deeper and deeper into a spiral of self-hatred that leads her to expect the worst from people and allows her to engage in demeaning and oppressive relationships.

She believes she is unworthy of being loved. The roots of this notion having been formed within her dysfunctional family life and her early relationship with Connell, wherein he kept his time with Marianne a secret from everyone else.

Rooney brilliantly intertwines the lives of Connell and Marianne, creating complex characters that are consistently drawn back to each other, regardless of their differing life experiences.

From beginning to end, an understanding exists between Rooney and the reader, that these two young lovers are simply meant to be together.

The reader feels caught within the battle that is Connell and Marianne’s relationship. Through their ups and downs, high points and low points Rooney creates an understanding with the reader, that these two young lovers are intrinsically connected.

Do you hear the people sing at the Bord Gáis Energy Theatre?

Ellen Fitzpatrick Irish talent brought the musical adapted from Victor Hugo’s “Lés Misérables” to life.

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t this point every theatre fanatic knows Les Miserables like the back of their hand, but the production at the Bord Gais Energy Theatre took the show to new heights.

Set at the end of the French revolution, ClaudeMichel Schönberg’s renowned musical tells the story of one man’s journey to self-redemption after 19 years of imprisonment and another man’s decline to self-destruction.

Jean Val-Jean (Killian Donnelly), who is on parole after stealing bread, promises to take Fantine’s (Katie Hall) daughter under his wing while running from Javert (Nic Greenshields), all while aiding in the many traumatic battles of the French revolution.

Although it was not the classic set, lacking the revolving turnstile, it was made up in performances. The musical numbers in the show were spectacular despite the minimal change in stage design.

The second the curtains were pulled; the audience knew they were in for a treat. Donnelly’s Val-Jean was nothing less than tremendous giving us a new dimension to the character. The passion and energy in his performance is hard to match for such a young performer.

Greenshields’ Javert was just another performance that blew us away, the touching moments of songs like Javert’s Suicide and Stars were performances that gave the Oscar nominated film a run for its money.

The classic love triangle between Éponine (Tegan

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Bannister), Marius (Harry Apps) and Cossette (Bronwen Hanson) was stunningly portrayed, with Cosette having an unusual sharpness to her character that made this connection to Marius more vibrant and alerting.

Katie Hall gave us a performance to die for, one that left the audience on the verge of tears and earned her a welldeserved standing ovation at the end. The vulnerability brought to the character was exactly what is expected from Fantine but hard to access as a theatre actor.

Thenardier and Madame Thenardier are always fun in this show, they constantly bring laughter and comic relief to this heavyhearted musical. Martin Ball and Sophie Louise Dann gave a hilarious and witty performance that left the audience with a sense of joy in a dark musical.

The Confrontation was one of the most powerful moments in this Tony award winning musical, as it proved that these actors have immense skills sets and are truly talented in this line of work.

However, there were issues generally. The show itself is one not to miss a second of, so it was disappointing

when the heating was on full blast and people were coming and going due to overheating.

The staff did deal with this in the best way they could, moving audience members to seats with better air conditioning or closer to the door. Some even got moved to the box at the front.

This performance made it feel as if you were watching it for the first time all over again, like they were brand new songs and a story so original and unheard before. Something new was brought to the fore, a classic transformed into a new definition of the word.

There was not a dry eye in the theatre, from start to finish we were reminded why this show is a fan favourite, and why these are such treasured characters.

There is not a bad word to be said about this show, from performances to costumes and set, this production of such a beloved piece of work was truly astonishing, one of the greatest shows to have graced that stage in recent times.

Health

Steroid users flood to MQI needle exchange Needle exchanges have seen a rise in steroid users come in in recent years. Eoin Harte went to Merchants Quay to investigate.

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teroid users account for almost one in ten people that avail of Merchant Quay Ireland’s needle exchange services.

Derek Parker, a psychiatric nurse who works for MQI, a charity that provides services for the homeless and drug users, spoke to The College View in November about his experience with steroid users in his line of work.

“So far this year we’ve dealt with 174 people coming to needle exchange for steroids. That would be just under ten per cent of all people who come for the needle exchange.”

In 2017, 210 steroid users availed of MQI’s services and were quite unlike the majority of people who come to MQI for help.

“Most of them are in work, most drive cars, most are not from areas of social deprivation. There’s various research around the first age when they first used steroids, I think the mean was in the early twenties,” Parker said.

“The majority of people come to use our needle exchange service but they also come for advice and information around steroids themselves. We carried out a report in 2014 as part of Merchant’s Quay to highlight this as an issue because we’d seen it as a growing trend.”

Most of the drug users that come to MQI for help would be using substances such as heroin and as a result of this, a separate clinic for steroid users was considered.

“Clients that came for steroid use wanted a separate stand-alone clinic. There was a perceived hierarchy among needle exchange users. The people who were coming to our needle exchanges for steroids viewed themselves very differently than the people who were coming for other drugs, such as heroin.

“We tried to establish a stand-alone steroid clinic very much based on what we saw. We went to Glasgow to

see the stand alone clinic there in the Glasgow Drug Crisis Centre, but unfortunately the uptake was very poor,” Parker stated.

MQI’s steroid clinic operated from Capel Street in the evening time, yet this didn’t suit most of those availing of their services and the stand-alone clinic had to shut down.

In recent years there has been a worrying upsurge among younger men coming to MQI for steroid advice, with many now in their twenties and some in their teens.

“We see younger people in particular, mostly younger males, adolescents who are under extreme pressure from a body image point of view. They were constantly trying to attain and achieve results that they see in magazines, they see online and on TV. “Obviously that has an impact on their self-esteem and also they see that they can try and reach those goals, which may be unachievable for them,” Parker explained.

MQI provides these users with clean needles, in an effort to lesson the chance of them contracting diseases, but providing users with information on injecting advice and the substances they are taking is also a major focus.

“One of the issues we have is if people are in big groups of people that are using steroids there can be a lot of misinformation.

One of the goals that we have in our needle exchange when we trained our staff for steroids was to improve the level and the knowledge that people are getting around steroid use.”

Steroids can be obtained in a number of ways, with many users getting the illegal substances from friends, personal trainers and online sites that sell anabolic steroids. As they are illegal in Ireland and throughout much of the world, counterfeit products are a common concern.

“A lot of steroids are bought online and are generally not pharmaceutical grade. Pharmaceutical grade ster-

oids are few and far between, people seem to be getting them from friends or colleagues or through the internet, where they could be being made in an underground lab that is unhygienic. There could be real problems around what’s actually in the vial.”

“People at times would have access to veterinary steroids which aren’t for human consumption and shouldn’t be used by humans. Then also I think a real risk is people buying steroids online are getting the counterfeit ones. You can pretty much be sure that what’s on the label is not what’s in the vial.”

Harmful physical side effects aside, the use of anabolic steroids can also have detrimental effects on users’ mental health. The stereotype that steroid users are overly aggressive is based in some fact, but anxiety and depression can also be caused by steroid use.

“Roid rage or aggressive behaviour I think is less common than having low mood or developing depression.”

“They’re off cycle and their testosterone is in their boots, their mood is low. A lot of the goals they have around body image and self esteem, being off cycle and having say, a reduced libido, erectile dysfunction. These are actual physical symptoms which are the exact opposite of what they were hoping to achieve.”

MQI take a non-judgmental approach with people that come to them for advice and help users with any personal issues they might have.

“I remember meeting one guy in particular who was very low because he wasn’t putting on the mass he thought he should be and he got very negative. It turned out he was using counterfeit steroids, and he hadn’t made positive changes to his diet and workout regime,” Parker said.

The use of anabolic steroids is a growing issue in Ireland. The Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA) in conjunction with the Garda Siochana and Revenue’s Custom Service detained 449,411 dosage units of illegal anabolic steroids in 2017. This is a significant rise from the 39,045 units detained in 2015.

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Health & Beauty

Are Cosmetic Fillers a dangerous fantasy?

Instagram is where trends are born and die. However, a ‘trend’ that seems to be sticking around for the long run is cosmetic fillers writes Ciara O’Loughlin

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nstagram is a fantasy, and for many people, it is a dangerous tool used for self-deprecating.

The site shows image after image of beautiful people with seemingly perfect lives. Girls with flawless hair hold Gucci bags while men show off their six packs and white smiles. Instagram is where trends are born and die. However, a ‘trend’ that seems to be sticking around for the long run is cosmetic fillers.

Cosmetic fillers, also known as dermal fillers are a non-surgical procedure that uses hyaluronic acid, a substance that is found naturally in the body, to plump lips and cheeks, fill creases and lines and enhance facial contours. Fillers can completely alter the shape of a face without going under the knife.

In May 2015, 17-year-old Kylie Jenner finally opened up about her lip augmentation. After continually lying to the public that her ‘plump’ lips were due to good makeup hacks she admitted to having cosmetic lip fillers. Surprisingly, the majority of the public didn’t slam the makeup mogul for altering her face at such a young age and for lying about it. In fact, it appears to be the complete opposite. In August of the same year, she launched a line of lip kits. Although, customers knew her lips were augmented they still wanted to buy her products and emulate her look. Today ‘Kylie Cosmetics’ is worth an estimated $900 million. Kylie has somewhat ‘normalised’ lip fillers and has undoubtedly had a huge contribution to their growth in popularity.

Leading cosmetic Doctor, Dr Frances Prenna Jones, said she noticed a surge in demand for lip filler in her clinic around the time Kylie admitted to getting them.

She also said that they have been on a steady rise ever since. “Women of all ages enter my clinic for cosmetic lip treatments; half want a “natural” aesthetic, while the other half still ask for a “Kylie Jenner” look” she explained.

Ireland is the number one country globally for carrying out the most online searches for lip fillers, according to research carried out by Cork University Hospital.

WhatClinic.com revealed that there was a 101 per cent increase in enquiries about lip injections across Ireland in 2016, compared to the year before. It also added that lip fillers were the most popular non-surgical treatment in Ireland.

Mark Doyle, a 21-year-old student from Dublin admits that he got lip fillers because they were a trend, however, he says that they have boosted his confidence.

“I got lip fillers because it was a trend going around. I did always want to get them done growing up, though.

My sister is a theatre nurse and did a course to certify herself in aesthetics so it was perfect being able to get them done at home” he explained to The College View.

Currently, in Ireland there are no strict regulations on who can administer cosmetic fillers. Only Doctors and Dentists can administer Botox, however, cosmetic fillers can be administered by Beauty Therapists who complete an unregulated short course. After two to three days they are let loose in the public by training establishments who have nothing but money in their eyes and zero guilt.

The Aesthetic training academy Ireland (ATAI) say that the biggest problem with these Beauticians administering cosmetic fillers unregulated is that they have no accountability. Technically, they are not breaking the law and if something goes wrong they will not be held accountable.

This is incredibly dangerous for the public as they may have no come-back. When a Doctor, Dentist, Nurse or regulated practitioner does

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wrong, they can be struck off from practising.

On the ATAI website they have suggestions on how the sector can be much better regulated. They explain that they believe that beauty therapists can learn how to administer cosmetic fillers, however, it must be safely and ethically done by completing a Level 7 qualification.

Currently, there are only two pathways to a level 7, according to the ATAI. One is a three-year postgraduate degree in aesthetic medicine and the other is an accredited, regulated, Level 7 qualification awarded by IQ in the UK. Last year, Vice journalist Jennyfer J. Walker, spoke out about her lip filler experience.

She went to a beautician who was recommended to her on Instagram through celebs Katie Price and Megan McKenna. She scrolled through the company’s impressive Instagram pictures and presumed if it was good enough for these celebs it was good enough for her.

Unfortunately for Jennyfer, her lips were lumpy and botched and nothing like she had desired. She explained that there was zero aftercare offered to her and that she could pay to have them dissolved if she wasn’t happy.

She pleaded that better regulations must be put in place in the UK to stop what happened to her happening to others.

Fillers are temporary and usually dissolve anywhere between four to six months.

Thus, they need to be topped up two or three times a year.

For an example of price, Therapie Clinic charge €195 for 0.5ml of cosmetic lip fillers and €295 for 1ml.

Léa Flanagan is a 22-yearold makeup artist from Dublin who flew to Newcastle last month to get cheek, chin, jaw and lip fillers done.

When asked what advice she would give to people considering getting cosmetic fillers she said “Think about it hard before getting them done and do your research on where to get them done, if it’s a cheap place then the product will most likely be cheap. If you do get them done remember that it isn’t permanent, if you don’t like it you can get it dissolved and it does break down”.

Both Mark and Léa said that their new look has boosted their confidence, however, it is undeniable that social media has had a part to play on their decision to get fillers.

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“Yes 100% [social media has made getting fillers more popular] because you do find yourself comparing yourself to other people, especially being in the beauty industry. Image plays a huge part” said Léa.

“Absolutely, social media has a part to play. Every blogger and influencer has them done. Kylie Jenner had a huge influence as well. It’s quite sad really when you think about it. I’m a boy, but some girls are starting to all look the same” Marc added.

Cosmetic fillers are an incredible advance-

Ireland is the number one country globally for carrying out the most online searches for lip fillers, according to research carried out by Cork University Hospital

ment in medicine and are a good alternative to going under the knife. However, it is important to note how unregulated they are in Ireland and what can go wrong.

Instagram is a fantasy and even the most beautiful people on the site don’t look like what they portray on their feed.

Health & Beauty

Are extraverts extra happy?

Is being an extravert better than being an introvert. David Kelly is here to explain the difference between personality types.

Extroversion is so tightly linked with happiness that scientists have proposed it be renamed ‘Positive Emotion’.

A popular personality test that assesses extroversion is the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI). This assessment was developed by a mother-daughter team based on personality types proposed by the psychoanalyst, Carl Jung. It is marketed as being able to capture a person’s unique psychological structure.

The test classifies people into 16 types, across four bipolar dimensions: Extroversion (E) versus Introversion (I), Sensing (S) versus Intuiting (N), Thinking (T) versus Feeling (F), and Perceiving (P) versus Judging (J). One result may be INTJ – Introverted/Intuitive/Thinking/ Judgemental.

However, there is very little scientific evidence behind the MBTI. The either/or logic of the test is extremely flawed. People are not either extroverted or introverted.

Most people fall someplace in the middle.

The most validated personality taxonomy is The Big Five. This includes the traits Agreeableness, Conscientiousness, Extroversion, Neuroticism and Openness-to-Experience. The most fleshed out traits in psychology are Extroversion and Neuroticism and are incredibly enlightening when understood.

Some scientists have proposed that Extroversion be synonymous with ‘Positive Emotion’. Extroverted people tend to report greater levels of happiness than introverts.

They are better at mood regulation, as they savour positive moods.

Why is this? As humans evolved in small, social groups in the Evolutionary Environment of Adaption, we have ‘a fundamental need to belong’. As Extroversion concerns sociability, and extroverts are more sensitive to positive experiences in social settings, the trait is heavily linked with positive emotion.

Social scientists performed an experiment to determine Extroversion direct and indirect effect on happiness. While Extroversion has a somewhat significant effect on happiness, it has a greater effect on social competence, which in turn has a great effect on happiness.

However, Extroversion does have its cons. While extroverts tend to respond optimistically to punishment, they also respond impulsively. Psychologist, John Brebner, described extroverts as ‘geared to respond’, while

introverts are ‘geared to inspect’.

A sub-trait related to Extroversion is ‘Sensation-Seeking’. Those high in this trait are compelled to seek new and exciting sensations and may take physical and social risks to do so. They are susceptible to boredom and disinhibited, which may lead to mistakes and regrets.

The biological origin of Extroversion is considered to lie within the ‘Behavioural Approach System’ (BAS) of the brain. This system motivates behaviour aimed at goal achievement and obtaining positive, emotional rewards. Extroverts tend to have a more dominant BAS, characterised by approach, whereas introverts’ BAS is characterised by avoidance.

Dopamine, the reward chemical, is fired in response to goal achievement and pleasure. This is why people use cocaine, it fires dopamine. Extroverts are more sensitive to dopamine production, making them outgoing and impulsive. Introverts, however, are less sensitive, therefore they’re less outgoing and importantly, less impulsive.

Douglas Holmes, a psychologist, performed an experiment that somewhat tested this hypothesis. When a person is exposed to a bright light, the pupils automatically contract to ward off the sudden increase of stimulation. Introverts’ pupils contract significantly quicker than extroverts, showing that even at the level of automatic response, introverts exhibit an avoidance tactic.

The BAS is associated with the left side of the brain, while the right side is associated with its counterpart, the ‘Behavioural Inhibition System’ (BIS). This system is tightly related to the personality trait, Neuroticism. This trait is one’s sensitivity to negative emotion; the susceptibility to anxiety and depression.

Whereas the BAS is characterised by sensitivity to reward, the BIS is one’s sensitivity to the threat of punishment. Those with a dominant BIS are more prone to anxiety and higher in Neuroticism, hence, negative emotion.

Being high in Neuroticism is associated with numerous issues, such as poor health, psychological distress, divorce and even life-threatening heart disease. However, neurotics do not necessarily feel less positive emotion, rather they specifically feel higher levels of negative emotion. It is possible to be an extroverted neurotic; a hysteric.

Research has been conducted to determine why neurotics experience more daily distress. Three main sourc-

es were found. First, Neuroticism tends to expose people to a great number of stressors, especially interpersonally. Second, neurotics have strong negative emotional reactions to stressors, with their reactivity being twice as important as their exposure.

Finally, 60 per cent of a neurotic’s distress stems from factors unrelated to exposure or reactivity. It appears that those high in Neuroticism just tend to have a general bad feeling that distorts their well-being. Additionally, happiness is partly a consequence of social skills, and Neuroticism impairs social skills.

Neurotics find it difficult to adjust their social behaviour to correspond to their situation and are oblivious to social cues. Scientists theorise that this may be due to a preoccupation with ‘hyperactivity’, a high sensitivity to signals of punishment and negative emotion.

Hyperreactivity is the first process is in what researchers call ‘a negative cascade’. This is a build-up and release of strong negative feelings in daily life. Hyperactivity comes first. Secondly, neurotics tend to experience negative emotion more frequently. Third, they tend to perceive the world negatively. Fourth, the negative emotion associated with one aspect of life spills over into other aspects of life.

Finally, neurotics find it difficult to cope with past problems, which results in unresolved conflicts causing more negative emotion. Inadequate coping strategies are common in neurotic people. When coping with stressful events, neurotics tend to employ ‘avoidant’ or ‘emotion focused’ coping strategies.

These strategies are characteristic of a dominant BIS, and include attempts to soothe fears, calm nerves, escape via drug or alcohol abuse, or simply by just staying in bed. Interestingly, research indicates that while neurotics employ anxiety-inducing strategies during exams season, they do not get worse results than those low in Neuroticism.

However, it’s not all hopeless. Neuroticism can be decreased in individuals. Clinical psychologists and counsellors have been decreasing the trait for years, often by large amounts in only four weeks. You can determine where you are on these traits at ‘understandmyself.com’.

Understanding where you fall is the first step to positive changes.

Nobody has a perfect personality, but you can certainly try.

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Health & Beauty

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Beauty Buzz: Mario Badescu Skincare Range

Aine O’Boyle gives us the low-down on the Mario Badescu skincare range

ince being established in 1967, the name Mario Badescu has dominated the world of beauty and skincare for over half a century.

In recent years, with the sudden surge in self-care beauty and skincare routines, it has earned its crown as a cult-classic alongside many other well-established beauty brands.

Upon first glance, its simple and effective packaging exudes a clean and fresh look with small white or clear pots set against pretty pastel pinks, greens and purples, giving the impression of a luxury product at an affordable price.

Within the world of beauty gurus and makeup artists, particular products have enjoyed the spotlight such as that of the Mario Badescu Facial Sprays that come in a variety of scents and colours, with ingredients ranging from rosewater to cucumber and green tea.

With two to three spritz’ of this magical spray, one will find their skin feeling instantly hydrated and invigorated.

This product is a godsend for skin that is crying out for hydration during the cold winter months. Its dual function means it can be applied before moisturiser for added freshness or even after makeup application to achieve the highly sought-after natural glow.

For those that have combination skin that can be dry in certain areas or oily and prone to acne in others, the enzyme cleansing gel is a holy grail. The

cleanser boasts a non-drying, non-foaming formula that is to be applied to damp skin.

Its gentle formula means it can be used twice daily and it is advisable to remove all traces of makeup before application so that the cleanser can unclog pores and work its magic!

Within the expansive skincare range, a number of slightly obscure products exist, one of them being the Silver Powder, with its main function being the reduction and extraction of blackheads and the minimising of large pores.

This product is as effective as it is interesting but

has a tendency to be very messy in both the process of application and removal.

When mixed together with a few droplets of water, the powder coagulates to form a paste of which is then to be applied to the T-zone and general problem areas.

The paste will then dry quickly to form a rough texture that feels almost like a light layer of cement. It’s important to note that this paste is prone to flaking and can make rather messy work.

For those that tend to suffer from acne, the Drying Lotion works brilliantly to deal with pesky spots overnight.

Pertaining to its name the lotion dries out spots but should be applied sparingly and with caution, as it tends to sting and can dry out large areas of the skin.

In terms of affordability, the Mario Badescu skincare range works perfectly for those who are trying to develop a skincare routine that consistently suits a multitude of skin types.

Miniature sets can be purchased for anything between €30-€40 ranging from the essentials to acne starter kits.

Double-Cleansing?

Is this just a another ‘trend’ or is there reasoning behind the newest skincare hype? Lorna Lawless investigates.

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ew year, new skincare? Cleansing should be the first part of everyone’s skin routine. We should all know this essential step, but did you ever think -is it enough?

Somewhere between getting caught up with ‘Shake and Shot’ masks, we forget the importance of cleansing our faces. There is absolutely no point in lavishing your face with some expensive luxurious moisturiser you just bought to treat yo’self, unless your skin is clear of the dirt so that it can soak it effectively.

You will be surprised what’s left on your face if you only cleanse once, try it – It can be frightening.

First of all, let’s point out a misconception, micellar water is useful to take off stubborn makeup as an initial first cleanse yes, however it is just as bad as a face wipe which causes your skin to dry out or even breakout.

According to ‘The Skin Nerd’ companies try to sell their micellar water as beneficial however they “bulk up their micellar water with drying alcohols, fragrances and harsh preservatives for the purpose of prolonging shelf-life”.

Throughout the day our skin is exposed to pollution and airborne bacteria so double cleansing is essential to scrub all that grime away. According to Dermologica.ie, double cleansing is

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cleansing the skin twice, first with an oil-based cleanser, then with a water-or surfactant-based cleanser. The first cleanse is designed to remove makeup/dirt but the second cleanse is where you treat or medicate your skin.

It is so important to use the first oil-based cleanser to take off all the surface makeup and using cotton pads to remove it rubbing carefully. It’s best when you can no longer see visible makeup on the cotton pads. Straight after it’s important to move onto your second cleanser which should have some sort of active ingredients to treat whatever it is your skin needs whether it be dehy-

dration, dullness or breakouts.

In order to get the benefits of the cleanser, it is recommended that you massage the water-based cleanser for at least one minute into the skin to ensure makeup removal. If you want to go the extra mile you can use a warm face towel to remove the dirt. If you want to save some money, you could choose an alternate pre-cleanse which is a microfibre mitt. ‘The Skin Nerd’ provides the perfect solution with her microfibre cleanse off mitt which is only €5.95 and is machine washable. It is suitable for all skin types and even removes waterproof mascara (tried and tested). If you use this mitt or something similar it should remove the surface makeup saving you money because you then only need one particular cleanser to treat your skin for your second cleanse.

Finally, please do not over-irritate your skin. Double-cleansing does not mean strip your face of all its natural oils. If your skin feels tight after this, it means its dehydrated and you have overwashed your face. It’s important to be aware of your skin natural oils and how essential it is to not over-scrub or over-exfoliate your skin. Don’t be afraid if your skin is a small bit oily it’s natural- use the correct cleanser for your skin type and your skin will remain balanced, hydrated and bright.

Travel

Wanderlust: Budapest Considering a trip to Budapest? Sele Clement will give you the lowdown on the beautiful Hungarian capital.

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udapest is a delightful and refreshing city to visit, with its beautiful architecture and lovely people.

Where most European cities have long been established Budapest stands out with its youthful city. The city was born in 1873 when Buda, Pest, and Óbuda were unified. Before this, the cities were developing separately for centuries so in comparison Budapest is a relatively young European capital.

There is a lot to enjoy in Budapest, excluding the obvious nightlife. One can gawk at the imposing architecture, take in the beautiful views and learn about the rich and recent history that has shaped the city.

Visitors determined to get the most out of their trip can be at ease, the city is easily accessible by underground metro, bus, trams and city bikes. To truly appreciate the landscape, traveling to the Buda side of the river is a must. The Pest side is mostly flat land so visitors only get a basic yet still gorgeous view of the Gothic and renaissance architecture. Buda is a lot more uphill. There is a lift which brings visitors to the stunning Mathias Church which is at the top of the hill, but before that, you should take in the view of the Danube river, the Szchenyi Chain Bridge and the other various outstanding buildings.

It’s hard to believe that Budapest has experienced many wars and invasions in its short yet dense history and has still managed to redevelop and stay such a vibrant and captivating city.

It could also be said that the inhabitants play a major part in the overall enjoyment of a trip to Budapest. Most locals are extremely nice and will do their best to help, the majority of them speak a high standard of English. Some of the locals even give free walking tour guides of the city, this is a must for getting to know the city’s past history and present-day geopolitics.

For a visitor who is not interested in the current affairs of Hungary, guides will recommend the best places to eat authentic Hungarian food. The spicy Goulash (soup) and smoky Hurka & Kolbász (sausages) are just a few of the tantalising foods available in close vicinity of the city.

Well-known food-joints such as McDonald’s and KFC are scattered around the city if you want to eat somewhere a bit more familiar. For those with a sweet tooth, Chimney cakes are a must. They are a sweet bread baked in a spiral and can be pulled apart and are often rolled in cinnamon, sugar, cocoa, nuts, or coconut flakes. They can even be filled with Nutella and ice cream at certain stands.

All these foods mentioned raise the question of how affordable is Budapest. Visitors can be relieved, The city is as friendly to a traveller’s wallet as it is to them.

The currency used in Hungary is the Hungarian Forints(HUF). €1 is the equivalent of 320HUF. Living on a budget is not hard, a day’s worth of eating out in student-friendly restaurants and stands will come down to less than €15 or 4,200HUF (This includes breakfast, lunch, and dinner). Accommodation is reasonable, at less than €20 a night per bed in a hostel. A 3-day travel pass can be used on the metro, tram, and bus, costing around €15 and is worth getting to fully take advantage of public transport in order to explore the city.

For places to visit, there is something for every traveller: the city has no shortage of attractions. Ice skating in the Varosligeti Rink is terrifying for beginners but thrilling all the same for the experienced and veteran skaters. Be prepared as they do not supply penguins to as-

sist beginners, apparently, the Rink can only give them to children. An unfair practice but yet yields the most laughs.

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“A boat party is an out of the ordinary bash and most take guests on a four-hour journey around the Danube river. It’s an event that can’t be missed if you enjoy getting ‘turnt up’

Evening time would be the best time to skate, the music is good, an abundance of people show up and the ice is lit up so well that you can’t help but show off your best moves.

For visitors who just want to unwind, the famous Thermal Baths are a necessity. Hobbling from place to place to escape the cold gets tiring. That’s where the baths come in as they will release every form of fatigue in the body. Budapest Baths are one of the top reasons Budapest is visited by hundreds of thousands of travelers. A visitor can experience massages, revitalise in the saunas and steam rooms (plus the cold plunge pools), do laps in the swimming pool, have a few beers at the cafe, laugh at the whirlpools (Szechenyi Baths) and fun wave pools.

After your time in the baths are up, you are left with a refreshing feeling.

For the night-crawlers out there, the city will not disappoint. A boat party is an out of the ordinary bash and most take guests on a four-hour journey around the Danube river. It can’t be missed if you enjoy getting ‘turnt up’.

Ruin Bars are also a good motive. They are a nice change in comparison to the standard bar or pub scene.

They are set in stone ruins and have all sort of eye-turning items littered around them. The drinks are cheap and the ambiance is rich. A great combination that will set up an unforgettable memory.

Undoubtedly, Budapest is a unique and endearing city. For any student who is considering this lovely spot for their next holiday, they can be rest assured that the city will welcome them. The city is affordable and easy to get around via public transport. The locals are pleasant considering the constant invasion of tourists but that’s a testimony to the allure of Budapest. If there is nothing on your calendar for your next holiday, consider Budapest. The onestop-shop for an exhilarating time with a sprinkle of foreign delights.

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Food

Grub Guide: Andersons Creperie

Have you found yourself in Drumcondra with a hunger for crepes?

Mikey Walsh could have the solution to all your problems.

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ucked down a side road just off the main road in Drumcondra, lies the quaint little creperie that is Andersons. Stood alone on the back street surrounded by red brick houses, the breakfast and lunch bar seats four outside under a small canopy.

On entering the establishment, one is greeted immediately by an array of cakes and bakes in a beautifully lit, curved glass counter to start the mouth watering, before being seated by one of the helpful, friendly staff.

Andersons Creperie in Drumcondra opened in 2006, three years after the original Andersons Food Hall & Cafe first opened in Glasnevin, and has been serving traditional crepes and galettes ever since.

The cafe has been a regular stop for those that find themselves hungry for good food on the northside.

The stylish, French bistro-esque interior is dotted with wine bottles on every available shelving space, showing off a well found respect for the restaurants French origin. The subtle lighting lent a delicate hand to the gentle ambience.

An open view of the kitchen gives a sort of self confidence to their food, there’s no hiding behind a door and customers can observe as their food is cooked and prepared and crepes are smoothed with precision over the traditional french billig crepe makers and flipped with skilled rigour.

Anderson’s offers a selection of galettes, crepes, toasts and omelettes on their breakfast menu.

Plenty to choose from and plenty for vegetarians, picky eaters and non-meat eaters, so there will be no problem getting a bit of grub.

The All Day Breakfast Galette is basically a full Irish covered in emmental cheese and wrapped up nicely in a perfectly cooked and slightly crispy crepe, topped with a lovely runny egg and served with a side of fried baby potatoes and tomato

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chutney. Enough for any classic fry lover to branch out into the world of hybrid international cooking, a mix of classic french and classic Irish.

For veggies the alternative to the above is the All Day Vegetarian Galette. A delicately crisp crepe filled generously with grilled peppers, tomato, baby spinach leaves and mushrooms all smothered with a heavenly helping of gubbeen cheese and topped with an egg.

For those with a sweet tooth, they’ve got it covered with a crepe filled with combinations that will get anyone salivating, like roasted pears, pecan nuts, mascarpone, salted caramel and fresh cream or roasted peaches, meringue pieces, white chocolate, fruity coulis and vanilla ice cream.

The quintessentially continental option to have wine with a lunch meal is also there with a wide selection of wines from across the world.

The menu is so vast with delectable choices it makes it difficult to choose, but it’s certain that one will not be disappointed with whatever ends up on the plate that lands on the table.

The pricing is very reasonable it’s well worth every penny for very decent food and an enjoyable chat. Averaging at about €10 per meal, it’s easy to get a lot more for less money than in other similar places.

Whether its a quick coffee or a proper bite to eat, it’s impossible to be dissatisfied. Andersons is a fantastic joint and should be bumped to the top of any foodies list of places to visit for fine food in Dublin.

Great staff, incredible food and the open plan environment clears the tables and opens it as a nice place to create free flowing conversation and a few laughs.

Atmosphere 9/10 Food 9.5/10 Service 8.5/10 Location 7/10 Value for money 8/10

A foodie’s guide to Prague

Are you interested in Czeching out Prague’s cuisine?

Roisin Maguire has the perfect guide for you.

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he city of Prague is a great example of a foodie getaway with food tours, hip hop restaurants and cheap beers at an affordable price. For example, the price of a beer is around €1.50.

Thanks to the Taste of Prague project and many websites advertising the best food available in Prague, this city is going through a revitalisation for cocktail lovers, foodies, beer enthusiasts and Instagram fanatics. There is something for everyone in Prague, the junk food lover, the vegan and the food photographer.

When it comes to eating a healthy breakfast to set you up for the day, a cafe called Cacao is a must try. It has many options from acai bowls, to juices, to avocado toast, mouth watering homemade bread and their popular dairy free latte therefore it is a great place for vegans and vegetarians.

Eska is a restaurant with a baker that brings together the traditional and the modern – on the plate and even the interior. According to the restaurant’s website, “We bring you food made of Czech ingredients with the daring conception of the head chef Martin Štangl. Enjoy breakfast, a working lunch or an intimate evening meal of several courses. When you leave we can offer you fire-baked bread and a take-away coffee. At Eska it’s pulsating with life the whole day”. Eska takes its inspiration from Nordic cuisine. The restaurant features vegetables hanging from the ceiling as decorations and is a Michelin star restaurant without the price tag.

Prague is possibly most popular for their Christmas markets in Old Town Square. These markets are famous for their juicy hotdogs, mulled wine, chicken skewers with Prague ham, sweet pastries, craft Czech beers and gingerbread.

A few must tries are halušky, a Czech dish combining cabbage, potatoes dumplings, and Prague ham, trdelník which is dough covered in cinnamon, sugar, and

nuts, served warm, and fresh spiralled potato chips.

However, it’s not just Christmas markets that Prague has to offer. The locals visit the Farmers Market on the riverbank which is open every Saturday.

The Náplavka market has a good variety of vendors selling premium baked goods, jams and spreads, meat, fish, cheese, and at least a dozen places serving up all kinds of food you can enjoy on the spot.

The largest and best-known outdoor marketplace in Prague’s Holešovice district, it is sometimes simply referred to as “Prague market”. There are a handful of stands selling Vietnamese food, kebabs and Czech fast food, and the large hall towards the rear of the market has perhaps the largest selection of produce in the entire city.

Sapa is another great example which is situated in the south suburbs of Prague and it is like a small Vietnamese city with about a dozen restaurants and bistros at Sapa, serving up Vietnamese favourites like pho soup and bún chả, which is a pork and noodle dish. It doesn’t give you much of a Czech experience however Vietnamese food plays a massive part in Prague.

In terms of the traditional foods that people must try in Prague, Koláče is very popular. The Czech kolač is a pastry filled with poppy seeds, fruit jams, nuts or sweet cheese. Most Czech families have their own secret koláč recipes which have been passed down through the generations and can be found in most bakeries in the city.

Prague is one of the best cities in Europe especially because of its affordable cuisine and markets that are always nearby. One of the best times to visit Prague for food fanatics is Christmas, however, no matter what the time of year, there is something for everyone in Prague.

Uncomplicated fashion

Fashion

Did you know Victoria Beckham released an unexpected collab with Reebok? Béibhinn Thorsch tells us about the collection.

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thleisure and streetwear have become the new go-to for seemingly uncomplicated fashion.

Clothes are designed for comfort and seamlessness, usually incorporating strong colours and breathable material.

With growing frequency, we’re now seeing typically higher class brands collaborating with typically smaller or more casual streetwear brands, or simply creating products of their own in a streetwear style (seen with brands such as Balenciaga, who have gained a recent following of streetwear lovers).

Streetwear, while originally being somewhat limited to skate and even surf culture in the 70s and 80s, has no become a movement of high-priced and over-hyped clothing. While the clothing remains simple, the emphasis has moved instead to simple nods to the high price of the products being worn. These nods include minimalistic logos and high quality of the product, which seem to suggest the product is easily attainable however it is truly an exclusive item. Fans of streetwear and its Hypebeast subset are drawn to the exclusivity and rareness of different items.

The latest and somewhat unexpected collaboration in streetwear has been between Victoria Beckham and Reebok (Reebok x Victoria Beckham collaboration). With prices for some items in the range reaching almost €400,

Beckham and Reebok are staying true to the triple-digit tag that draws in the hype culture however there are also slightly more affordable pieces available. Most of the line is unisex, something which is also appealing as there is a trend in streetwear of women wearing men’s-style street clothing.

The turning point for streetwear popularity came in the 1980s with the focus of sneakers and the beginnings of sneaker culture which grew into the streetwear scene we see today, and Beckham seems to have taken this on as well although Reebok does not have a notably high level

of popularity among sneaker enthusiasts.

The sneakers are on the higher end of the prices for this range however are more unique to Reebok’s style as they incorporate the Balenciaga-famed shoe with a sock attached, with the Reebok vintage classic trainer style with the sportier type rather than the chunky Dad-shoe trend inspired by 90s fashion. Technical design is a huge influence on this collection, as is seen through the bold straight style. While Beckham wanted the collection to be sleek and fashionable for any look, it is also practical as sportswear.

“These pieces can take you from the gym to the office, with the school run in between,” Beckham said in an interview with Refinery29.

Other pieces of note in the collection include the cropped cowl neck jumper which is currently sold out online, the seamless leggings and fitted tracksuit bottoms which have been hyped and a €300 backpack.

The look of the collection is somewhat futuristic, however fits in with the technology-related looks that are a subset of streetwear itself.

Although the collection is more expensive than most Reebok items including other collaboration ranges, it sold out upon release. The collection is still available on the Reebok website though many pieces are out of stock, and if you are able to afford the splurge it is sure to be good quality, and an important investment piece.

Brown Thomas Spring/Summer 19’

The show was held in the Grafton Street store where over 100 looks were shown by 26 international designers. Pieces came from New York, London Milan and Paris.

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s the spring is approaching new lines of clothing are filling the stores. Brown Thomas held their Spring Summer 19 fashion show on the 15thof January. The show was held in the Grafton Street store where over 100 looks were shown by 26 international designers. Pieces came from New York, London, Milan and Paris.

The show displayed a variety of looks, from tailoring to a more relaxed style. There were hints of the 60s, 70s and 80s throughout the different collections. Both men’s and women’s collections featured throughout the show.

The key trends for SS 19 came mainly from the 60s with different feminine floral designs and patterns. The show opened with 12 different looks from Prada and closed with Dior.

Dolce and Gabbana continued to bring their beautiful floral print into the spring summer collection with several flowy feminine dresses. The colour pallets used for these dresses are a combination of pastel pinks with touches of yellow, orange and red. Perfect for day and night wear.

Richard Quinn stood out from all of the other designers with his extravagant dresses. The 29-yearold from London brought two mesmerizing pieces to the show.

The oversized leopard print coat stood out because of its couture style. Both the “leopard print coat” and the “one shoulder tea dress” were two statement pieces of the Brown Thomas SS 19 show.

Another striking piece that stole the show was the red Tull dress from Dolce and Gabanna, different from their go-to looks the red tulle dress is perfect for a wedding, christening, communion or confirmation over the summer months. A timeless piece that really stands out among the crowd.

The Victoria Beckham and Balenciaga collections had stunning tailored pieces. Balenciaga’s tailored black and white gingham blazer paired with black slacks and a black T-shirt is a great look for work or an interview as it is both smart and elegant.

The Victoria Beckham pieces are dressier for

the likes of an event as opposed to work. The full-length trousers pieced with the white stripe top and red blazer is another great way to dress for an event for those who don’t like to wear a dress or skirt.

Minimalism was another strong look amongst the SS 19 collection, Jil Sander has a beautiful cream dress paired with a matching cream padded jacket and simple black barely there.

Minimalism is a great look for the spring and summer months. Summer coats were very popular throughout the collections. The popular summer floral pattern was carried through in the coats.

A simple piece that will last forever is always a must have in every wardrobe.

The women’s collections for SS 19 were all very exciting, with no doubt there will be similar pieces and styles brought through the high street over the coming weeks in order to create the look for less.

In the men’s collection, Gucci stood out with their velvet navy and red tracksuit. The tracksuit was paired with a white headband and matching chunky Gucci runners to complete the look.

“Quite a lot of Boho chic, quite a lot of military stroke safari themes for the season ahead. The dress is key and the dress is so so important this season” Said Shelly Corkery, fashion director at Brown Thomas.

Overall the Spring Summer collection 19 in Brown Thomas is very elegant and feminine whilst being diverse and having something for everyone.

Fashion shows and collections like this can be great inspiration for recreating a look on a student budget. All of the pieces from the spring-summer collections can be found on the Brown Thomas website.

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EXPOSURE

Head down: Taken by the John Lennon wall in the city of Prague, a beggar holds his hands out for passing tourists to give him some spare change. Credit: Michael Walsh

Make love not war: Wall graffiti in Prague, Czech Republic. Credit: Alison Clair

He needs a dollar: A busker plays his trumpet in a busy underfround in New York. November 2018.

Credit Cáit Caden.

Just hangin’: Fixing of the County Hall sign in London, UK. Credit Daria Jonkisz

Face Lift: This graffiti wall was named “the new face of Branimirova Street”, Zagreb, Croatia. Credit Alison Clair

Image Credits Page 1: Netflix, Page 2: GRMDaily.com, WikimediaCommons Page 3: Flickr, Órfhlaith Carragher Page 4: The Harvard Crimson, Variety.com Page 5: Fanpop.com, Nerdist.com Page 6: Gillian Hogan, Vanity Fair Page 7: Theimage.com, Medium.com Page 8: Good Reads, Kate Gilna Page 9: Dublinlive.com Page 10: Deirdre Kelly Page 11: Megan Hannan Page 12: HauteinTexas.com, Carrie McMullan Page 13: Lorna Lawless Page 14: Alison Clair, Alison Clair Page 15: Popsugaruk, Brownthomas.com.