Tn2 Magazine - November 2017

NOVEMBER 2017

ART/ FASHION/ FILM/ FOOD/ GAMES/ LITERATURE/ MUSIC/ THEATRE/ TV

1

2

Tn2 Magazine Team HEAD EDITOR Lee Jones DEPUTY PRINT Sorcha Kelly ASSISTANT EDITOR Alexandra Day ONLINE EDITOR Alden Mathieu DEPUTY ONLINE David Donovan ART Alexandra Day Stacey Wrenn FASHION Caroline O’ Connor Christopher Cash FILM Robyn Mitchell | Alice Whelan Graham Kelly FOOD Enya O’Connell Hussey Mary Hartnett GAMES & TECH Sean Clerkin Sam Cox | Sam Hayes LITERATURE Sarah Upton | Mia Colleran MUSIC Aine Palmer | Cliona Lynsky THEATRE Amyrose Forder Lauren Boland TV Roxane Von Hurter Lily Casson SEX Maia Mathieu | Kyle Chambers Hazel MacMahon Copyedited by: Hazel MacMahon Enya O’Connell Hussey Alexandra Day

CO N T E N T S 04 Jumble

Features

07

24

Features

Reviews

34 Sex

07 Music

08 Film

10 Art

Aine Palmer talks to the chairperson of The Irish Composer's Collective.

Graham Kelly charts the rise and recent fall of Hollywood.

Alden Mathieu looks at the relationship between art and capital.

12 Lit

14 TV

16 Fashion

Naoise Osbourne investigates Sarah Upton talks to three Trinity the popularity of the 80s in experts about Swift 350. contemporary television.

20 Games

Megan Russell explores the relationship between fashion and subculture in our first photoessay of the year.

22 Food

Cover: Megan Luddy Printed by Grehans’s Printers

Sam Hayes explores gaming culture around the world.

Amanda Cliffe argues the case for independent coffee shops.

| CONTENTS

Layout & Design: Lee Jones | Sorcha Kelly Caroline O’ Connor Lauren Boland

3

MUSIC

Music For...

Blaring While You Clean the Kitchen

New Order - ‘Blue Monday’ This classic’s infectious drum beat and riffs are perfect for getting you off your arse when you’re full of carbonara and in the depths of a food coma.

Opting to cook a proper meal instead of the usual pasta has left you with a mountain of dishes, a messy counter and now you’re too full to move.

But music can help fix anything It can hardly be called a chore you have a bangin’ playlist to accompany you.

Worth the hype?

Dates

‘High in Antioxidants’ is plastered all over health foods, but the actual mechanics of how they work is a headwreck to explain if you don’t want to dive into chemistry. Simply put, there’s not much evidence that we need to seek them out — our bodies make them already, and a varied diet makes up for the rest. Taking antioxidant supplements is not advisable, as if only one

| JUMBLE

Kim Wilde - ‘Kids in America’ Featuring one of the best base drops in music history (don’t @ me), this 80s classic will have you feeling like a kid in America (wo-oah!) who

The Smiths - ‘What Difference Does it Make’ You know that feeling when you come home and the kitchen is a mess because you’re the only one who actually does anything? Why not voice your annoyance s by ironically blaring apathetic Morrissey until someone notices.

ABBA ABBA ABBA Anything by ABBA will turn cleaning into a chance to belt out ‘Does Your Mother Know’, ‘S.O.S’ or ‘Dancing Queen’. Your neighbours will probably thoroughly enjoy your performance of ‘Voulez-Vous’.

WORDS BY ELLEN PENTONY

type of antioxidant is present, it will become an oxidant itself and damage cells. You don’t have to worry about your dates though, as they contain a variety of antioxidants, in decent amounts.

The natural energy boost comes from the high (fructose) sugar content. Normally, the water and fibre content prevents a huge consumption of sugar, but, since dates are served dried, the water content is lost, so take into account that this wonder fruit can be 88 per cent sugar.

Dates may be higher in fibre than bananas and apples, but the high sugar levels mean that, as a fruit, they’re pretty average. But the hippies are onto something — dates are a perfect replacement if you’re looking for an unprocessed alternative to the white stuff.

WORDS BY ENYA O’CONNELL HUSSEY

Dublin Theatre Companies: Rough Magic Theatre Company

Who They Are: Founded in 1984, Rough Magic is now one of Ireland’s leading theatre companies. The company was founded by a small group of Trinity College graduates and presented its first season in Players Theatre in August, 1984. Over three decades later, Rough Magic has staged over 115 productions and toured Ireland, the UK, and beyond.

4

The Beach Boys The Beach Boys knew pop..They have a catalogue of bangers for getting you on your feet and over to the dishwasher. Have fun trying to do all the harmonies on Good Vibrations or letting the sink overflow as you daydream during ‘Wouldn’t It Be Nice’.

should really get back to their chores and clean the damn kitchen.

FOOD

In every attractive-vegan-New Age-woman’s recipe, dates are used to add sweetness, the natural way. “Full of antioxidants and a great energy booster”, Deliciously Ella claims as she shoves them into almond milk, protein balls, and brownies… but even I have fallen victim to this overpriced trend. Dates taste great. Like caramel, but a fruit, and healthwise, they’re not too shabby.

THEATRE

J U M B L E

Why We <3 Them: Rough Magic proves itself over and over again by taking on daring and adventurous projects. In 2017, it took to the Abbey Stage to produce Bill Whelan and Arthur Riordan’s The Train, a heart-wrenching musical celebrating the events of the legendary Contraceptive Train of 1971. The story portrays a group of 47 women who take a train to Belfast and return to Dublin with illegal contraception as a challenge to the Irish government.

The greatest of Irish fiction gives “a voice to what was previously unarticulated” (Linden Peach) and we love Rough Magic for doing exactly that. Also, on 6 November the company posted on their Facebook page to condemn sexual harassment in the theatre industry and share their hope that “tyrannous and sexist practices are at last being challenged as unacceptable; and that the monumental waste of energy, and dismal betrayal of talent that they represent, may soon become a thing of the past.”

What’s Up Next: Catch Mr Burns by Anne Washburn in the Project Arts Centre from 30 November to 9 December. If Rough Magic sounds like your cup of tea, you’re in luck they’re donating the entire Company Archive to the Library of Trinity College.

WORDS BY LAUREN BOLAND

FILM The Power of the Catchphrase: “You shall not pass” Gandalf ’s bellowing defiance encapsulated in this phrase has gone on to enter popular culture and to become immortalised in meme format. The wise wizard is the saviour prophetlike advisory to the hobbits on their dangerous quest in The Fellowship of the Ring. In this one dramatic scene he is seemingly removed as that source of security and the hobbits must go on to face their journey to Mordor alone.

The scene is part of the climax of the movie in which the fellowship must face down evil and escape the mountains to continue on their quest.

They encounter a Balrog, a gigantic horned creature with malicious intentions. They flee together across a chasm on a treacherous bridge, but Gandalf turns with courage to face the evil, telling the creature to “go back to the shadow”.

The beast is stunned by Gandalf ’s chanting and the power of his staff, which Gandalf plants into the bridge with impressive force. This is the iconic moment when he thunders “you shall not pass” with utter conviction.

FASHION

We are allowed a brief moment of triumph when the beast tumbles down into the unknown and Gandalf turns to march on, but the beast ensnares Gandalf and pulls him into the abyss.

Gandalf seemed invincible to the audience, having already escaped the treacheries of Mount Doom. “You shall not pass”, however, becomes the motif for the whole series of Lord of the Rings confronting darkness head on leads to certain victory.

WORDS BY ALICE WHELAN

Front Square Fashion: A/W Trends Red is the statement colour for autumn/winter this year, and English and History of Art Senior Freshman Anna Svalbe utilises bold, brash impact with a vintage wool coat. The pairing of red and pink this season forces us to deconstruct once-untouchable binaries of acceptable colour co-ordination. Wearing ‘60s blue denim jeans between colour blocking softens this approach to an intense use of colour, embracing the more natural looks seen on the runways this year, and rolling them up to showcase quirky or colourful socks is a trend quickly entering the domain of high street fashion. Slowly moving away from gaudy attempts to scream your point of view through your clothing under notable influences from celebrities like Lady Gaga, we are instead entering a more sophisticated stage of fashion, which can be seen in Anna’s outfit. Anna simply describes her style as “Minimalist and comfortable, with few accessories and as many vintage items as possible.”

Poetry Corner: Stories A pickled orange is not a fruit, unless you tell me so.

These lines along the sky carve heavenly spheres into the backs of fallen titans, hollow and soft.

Inspired by Emily Dickinson and her writing through self-expression, Christopher is an eclectic SF English student interested in individuality and those challenging convention.

These corn fields hand stewed in days labour and years prayers pattern, reflecting every tear lost from heavenly sorrow and every joy pinned in gold ribbon.

Extremity can be found in the depths of sea, waters found in every land of broken soil.

These fish speak sparsely, with thin fingers and muscled lips.

12th May 2017

WORDS BY CHRISTOPHER CASH

| JUMBLE

LIT

Trees painted in the wrong picture cluster in vibrancy, and reveal the plainness of the misty blues.

Trees stand righteous, tall amidst lonely street lamps, nature revels.

POETRY BY CHRISTOPHER CASH

Feeble blackbirds will arrange a noose for the duckling, a poor soul lacquered, rendered in oily clay and musty brine, a heart small but sweet as nectar.

5

WORDS BY CHOY-PING CLARKE-NG

ART

Artists On the Margins: Dave McKean

Cages is another one of his standout works — a graphic novel about several people living in a block of flats and how their lives intertwine. The panels on the pages often create the ‘cages’ characters are trapped in, and for some, liberation will come by the end of the novel. McKean flurries between paint, ink, photography and digital tablet, making this 500 page tome a beautiful read.

At 53 years old, Dave McKean’s latest book, Black Dog: The Dreams of Paul Nash came out last year, proving there are many more creations to come, and he deserves a warm audience waiting for them.

Although Dave McKean’s name may not be familiar, his work probably is. He’s the concept artist behind the Dementors in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. He’s done album art for Tori Amos and Alice Cooper.

Most famed of all are his collaborations with Neil Gaiman, as an illustrator for Coraline and The Sandman series.

TV

Relatable Character of the Month: E from Entourage

For all his petty moaning, mood killing and marrying Sloane, Eric ‘E’ Murphy brought something to Entourage that none of the other characters possessed: common sense. Facing a torrent of abuse from all the Hollywood big shots throughout the series, none stand out as well as when the not so thinly veiled “Harvey Weingard” singled E out for being “a little shit bag.”

Dublin’s Best Geeky Spots: Games Workshop

GAMES

What is often overlooked is McKean’s solo work, which spans illustration — including erotica, comics and tarot cards — photography, directing and music. He is one of the most talented artists alive, and his grotty surrealism is distinctly unique. A good introduction to him is the fantasy film MirrorMask. Written by Gaiman, it tells a story similar to Alice in Wonderland set in noughties Brighton. Despite being made on a tiny budget, MirrorMask is unlike anything I have seen, as a gorgeously eerie world comes alive under McKean’s direction.

With the advent of triple A computer games and blockbuster films, it is all too easy to leave our concrete world in favour of the digital. Bone-rattling sound systems and slick graphics bring to life what was before limited to writing and imagination. What if there was an alternative? A hark back to the days before digitalisation?

Set in the centre of town, this is what Games Workshop has to offer.

Primarily dealing in Warhammer figurines, the patient craft of model painting is fused with the strategic art of board games. Warhammer comes in two flavours; Age of Sigmar (fantasy) and 40,000 (science fiction). Age of Sigmar features figurines of dwarves, elves, dragons and orcs. For others, 40,000 offers space marines, bio-beasts, battle-suits and more orcs — only this time with tanks.

The figures themselves are expensive and so building up your own collection can be a daunting task. For those more interested in playing out fantasy scenarios, video gaming may remain your safer option. For others who want to take the time to design and paint their own models however, Warhammer is a great bet.

Games Workshop can be found at Unit 3, Liffey Street, Dublin 1

JUMBLE | 6

In a time when Harvey Weinstein is able to abuse woman for decades and no one says anything, we think of that time in Entourage when Harvey Weingard called defenseless but ever sensible and quiet E a “little fucking prick” over and over again. E was greeted with shouts of “do you know who I am,” “I’ll eat you alive, shit you out my tuchus and flush you down the toilet” and “you’ll never work again.” Sound familiar?

WORDS BY ROXANE VON HURTER

WORDS BY SAM COX

Whether used as decoration for your desk or as a relaxing way to spend an afternoon painting, the crew in the shop are more than happy to teach both design and how to play against others. There is also a solid community based around the shop. Even if you only nip in to admire the work of others, Games Workshop is a step into the realm of fantasy while leaving the computer at home.

In Dialogue With...

The Irish Composer’s Collective

It is this relationship with our successful artistic predecessors that is highlighted in the Irish Composer Collective’s (ICC) series, In Dialogue.

The series, which began in July and will finish in January, focuses on five works from a well-established composer. These five works become the centrepiece of a small series of events, including a talk exploring the instrumentation of the piece and work of the composer, a compositional workshop, and, finally, a performance in which five brand spanking new works are rolled out by members of the collective alongside a performance of the central piece.

The works under scrutiny, however, expand the typical notion of the canonical—modernist and postmodernist masters Stravinsky and Steve Reich are there, true, but so is Michael Kamen’s Brass Quintet and Peter Moran’s Bonang Quartet No. 1 for Gamelan. Although both of these works

The next instalment of the series takes place on the 21st November, and features the Earlsfort Brass Quintet playing Michael Kamen alongside new works. Concerts will take place every month until the final instalment in January, in The Woody Quay Venue. ■

| FEATURES | FEATURES

all at different stages in their careers. The only criterion for members is that you are a citizen or a resident of Ireland.”

can be considered seminal in their own sense, they expand the typically composer-centric canon in an interesting way. The newness of the works is similarly refreshing. In many programmes, Stravinsky would be the token ‘contemporary’ piece of the lot—It’s nice to see modernist art put in a context that exposes how well established truth is in it.

Of course, this all makes sense in a collective that exists to help Ireland’s young composers thrive. The ICC was founded in 2003, initially under the name of the Young Composer’s Collective. Although that has since changed, the structure of the organisation seems to suit the young or recently graduated. “A lot of our members are students or recent graduates, but not exclusively,” explains ICC chairperson Paul Scully.

“We have members of all ages and backgrounds, all at different stages in their careers. The only criterion for members is that you are a citizen or a resident of Ireland.” Unlike other organisations, such as the Association of Irish Composers (AIC) and Contemporary Music Centre (CMC), the ICC does not demand extensive experience as criteria for membership.

In a sense its operations sound utopian. Although an elected committee runs the collective, members are welcome to attend monthly meetings, and are granted an equal say in how things are run. The committee aims to run enough concerts to ensure each composer gets at least one piece performed a year. In order to choose who gets to have their work showcased at a concert, an open call is sent out and then names are essentially drawn from a hat. The workshops run as part of In Dialogue then give these composers a chance to fine-tune their works in advance of their premiere. “This collaboration between composers and performers is an extremely valuable experience for our composers”, Scully explains. The ICC demonstrates an essentially non-hierarchical, collaborative process that offers equal opportunities for its members. Funding from IMRO and the Arts Council allow the concerts and series to take place, keeping membership and ticket prices relatively low.

It is in this sense that In Dialogue most clearly veers off from Bloom’s Anxiety of Influence theorisations. Rather than offering an opportunity for artists to out-machismo each other, this is a thoughtful programme series that contextualises new artwork, while offering educational opportunities for composers and listeners alike.

PHOTO BY COLM KEATING

WORDS BY AINE PALMER

“We have members of all ages and backgrounds,

DESIGN BY ROBIN FULLER

I

n 1973, literary critic Harold Bloom articulated a new theory of poetry in his book, The Anxiety of Influence. Finding its basis in Freudian psychoanalytic theory, the book drew a parallel between the Oedipal relationship between the child and father, and that of young poets and the literary giants preceding them. Like the child, the young artist feels oppressed by the influence and power of the older generation. Only what Bloom deems the ‘strong’ poets, the Shelleys and Wordsworths of the West who secure a spot in the canon, are able to grapple with this crushing anxiety of influence, producing original work both in spite and because of it.

As a rule, I dislike Bloom on the basis of his canon-worship and antifeminism. This theory, however, does contain a few nuggets of interest that make it worthy of dwelling on before debunking. In the world of music criticism, the anxiety of influence is often used as a model to articulate and understand the music of Brahms, and all of those other poor postBeethovenian’s who seem to lurk under the shadow of the hero. It’s a compelling idea—we listen to the music (or read the poetry) of our time and both absorb its influence, and seek to reach out beyond it, stretching artistic parameters as we push ourselves towards a new modernity.

7

7

Art: Its Value and Worth

FEATURES | 8

What is the value of art?

Alden Mathieu investigates the relationship between art and capital.

I

tâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s difficult to discuss what makes art valuable and whether that value is natural or artificial, because there is no broad consensus on what art is, or how we determine what is art and what is not. The physical value of a painting is nearly nothing beyond the cost of the canvas, wood and paints that go into making it, and the financial cost of producing art is principally in the formal instruction and sheer time expended by the artist, both required to â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;passâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; various gatekeepers. Tertiary education will teach an artist how to hold a pen, a brush, a chisel; but principally it is a token of credibility and an opportunity to exhibit at lower levels, a stepping stone to break into the circle of galleries which cater to wealthy art collectors and prestigious museums. But what is it that transforms a hundred euros of supplies into a hundred million euros of art? And what makes one painting priceless and another one cheap?

“Meaning isn’t a useful metric for value, nor

is it synonymous with being able to understand the message, assuming one is intended.”

Technical refinement isn’t a decisive criterion either. Is Rembrandt or Jan van Eyck more refined than Paul Gauguin or Willem de Kooning; and if so, does that make Rembrandt or van Eyck ‘better’ than Gauguin or de Kooning? Elías García Martínez’s Ecce Homo was a more skilled though frankly boring representation of Christ, but Cecilia Giménez’s amateurish ‘restoration’ has created a lucrative tourist industry and provoked more discussion than Martínez’s original fresco ever did. Aesthetics become even more troublesome in abstract art. If a Franz Kline painting is similar to a painting by Congo the chimpanzee, do they have the same value; or is there some intrinsic quality added by Kline, a 40-something collegeeducated human, that Congo, a 3-year-old chimp, can’t replicate?

Perhaps the most meaningful and telling division is between ‘fine art’ - that is, what is approved of by a self-styled intellectual elite, which purports to judge its refinement, aesthetics and meaningfulness - versus ‘kitsch’ and decoration, designed for mass production or popular appeal, with the aim of being attractive and recognizable. Roger Scruton of BBC News sniffs, “Kitsch is fake art, expressing fake emotions, whose purpose is to deceive the consumer into thinking he feels something deep and serious.” Kitsch is art which isn’t; art is definitely aesthetically refined, except when it isn’t, and meaningful, except when it isn’t. Kitsch is labelled “fake” art, but the reality or fakeness seems to be entirely within either the observer or the often-inscrutable intentions of the artist.

WORDS BY ALDEN MATHIEU ILLUSTRATION BY KIM SHEEHAN-THOMAS

Shakespeare, himself a writer whose value has waxed over the centuries, claimed “A rose by any other name would smell as sweet,” but the fact that a painting can lose its monetary value instantly if found to be a forgery -without possibly losing any intangible worth it might have in its expression or skill -- suggests that value is connected to the market forces of scarcity and reliable branding. This also explains why prints, especially open editions, are nearly valueless in comparison to the original, despite the fact that the print may be a completely faithful replica; anyone can buy a print, but there is only one original. The trickle-down effect of popularity, the attempts of the lower classes to ape the cultural signifiers of upper-class intelligentsia, and the rise of inexpensive prints means that artists’ works may inadvertently jump the shark into ‘kitsch’ territory. Van Gogh’s The Starry Night, a painting he described as a “failure,” has become inescapable, an acceptably-sophisticated but accessible touchstone which crops up in everything from tattoos to shoes to mousepads. The Creation of Adam, a panel of Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel ceiling, is so instantly recognizable that any two hands reaching can evoke it. Frida Kahlo occupies a uniquely feminine niche in the transition to kitsch, in that it is her person which has become a kitsch icon instead of her work.

While mainstream popularity (or obscurity) should have no impact on a work’s intrinsic worth, it definitely impacts its social cachet. Writing for The Telegraph, Alastair Smart declares, “... Van Gogh’s art isn’t enough any more. Yes, it was unique, and brilliant in its day, but those boots, sunflowers and cypress trees have become rather old hat. They’re fit for greetings cards, fridge magnets and hotel-wall reproductions, but no longer for inspiring the wow factor.” That is, Van Gogh has become too popular to be good ‘art’.

Ironically, over-exposure itself breeds popularity. A study by psychologist James Cutting showed people preferred artwork they were exposed to repeatedly, simply because they were shown it repeatedly, which suggests that the ‘canon’ of art must cyclically generate kitsch as the most celebrated and popularly-embraced works become passé.

Fine art, like precious gems, is valued through an opaque, dealercontrolled market wherein a small group of wealthy collectors determines what is collectable. Art dealer Marla Goldwasser agrees that while it’s possible to buy paintings of equal quality outside the price-manipulated gallery system for vastly less, you “miss the investment value and social prestige of building a collection.” Essentially, the root of artistic value is in wealthy people possessing something others can’t, by virtue of rarity or cost. Perhaps, then, it would be more honest to acknowledge the role of consumerism and of class stratification in the distinction between ‘art’ and ‘kitsch,’ and to distinguish between the intangible ‘worth’ of a piece and its monetary ‘value’. While the ‘worth’ of an artwork may vary in subtle ways over time, its ‘value’ is definitely a product of fashion, strategic investment and what a small group of influential galleries and collectors decides merits collection.

Damien Hirst epitomizes this cynical, money-oriented, branding approach to art: his famous ‘spot’ paintings are valuable because they bear his name, but he doesn’t paint them. Robert Hughes has criticized him, especially regarding the now-infamous diamond-encrusted skull and the formaldehyde-preserved shark, for “’functioning like a commercial brand’” and suggested “both Hirst and his shark prove that art has lost all meaning separate from its price tag.” Germaine Greer praises Hirst for this in response: “His undeniable genius consists in getting people to buy them. Damien Hirst is a brand, because the art form of the 21st century is marketing.” Caleb Larsen’s 2009 sculpture A Tool to Deceive and Slaughter takes this to its logical extreme. A featureless black box, it “perpetually attempt[s] to auction itself on eBay. [...] If a person buys it on eBay, the current owner is required to send it to the new owner. The new owner must then plug it into ethernet, and the cycle repeats itself.”

“While the 'worth' of an artwork may vary in

subtle ways over time, its 'value' is definitely a product of fashion, strategic investment and what a small group of influential galleries and collectors decides merits collection.”

The works which trickle down to bourgeois collectors and mass popularity have value because because the upper-class collectors, auction houses and galleries have assigned them value. This value is divorced from the worth of the work as art, because the value of art as a product is in its branding, marketing, exposure and prestige. Influential galleries give art value by setting high prices without a clear logic, by manipulating the prices at subsequent sales and auctions, by strategically limiting who can buy them - Daniel “Harry Potter” Radcliffe was an inadequately-prestigious collector to buy a Jim Hodges work despite having the cash - and by blackballing anyone who won’t play by their rules. Whether art makes a sensible financial investment, it also serves a secondary function as a pass into increasingly exclusive social circles: “Jackson Pollock paintings essentially serve as the admissions ticket to one of the world’s wealthiest and most exclusive clubs.” The art people value is the art people are told to value.

Then the only comprehensible choice is to either acknowledge that art has precisely the value that a commercial entity says it has, or to embrace the fact that no one truly knows how to value art and that the price of art has no bearing on its worth. The only thing that transforms a hundred euros of art supplies into a multi-billion euro industry is what you can get away with, the smoke and mirrors that convinces people to pay the number on the tag. ■

| FEATURES

Meaning isn’t a useful metric for value, nor is it synonymous with being able to understand the message, assuming one is intended. Can we truly identify the message of Kazimir Malevich’s Black Square or what Rothko meant with his untitled colour-blocked canvases? It’s also not synonymous with anti-capitalism, anti-corporatism or being created purely for the sake of creating art. Some of Rothko’s most famous works in the Tate Gallery were originally commissioned for a Four Seasons restaurant; Andy Warhol’s Campbell’s Soup series relies on the branding of the soup; and virtually all fine art in the medieval period in Europe was commissioned by the Catholic Church or rich patrons with explicitly Christian themes.

9

the

of

RISE

H OL LY W

and

FALL

O OD

The Weinstein allegations are indicative of wider fractures within Hollywood: but how did a small farming village become the centre of showbiz and glamour - and can it regain that past prestige?

H FEATURES | 10

ollywood, California, is a city which is deeply ingrained in our consciousness.

The word ‘Hollywood’ invokes images of sun-scorched studios, rolling film projectors, red carpets and of course, that iconic sign, loudly broadcasting the region’s consequence to the planet.

This past summer I visited Los Angeles, and was extremely eager to observe Hollywood - that iconic pillar of Western culture - with

my own eyes. However, I was struck at how the Hollywood of our imaginations, curated through years of glamorised film and filtered photos, differs from the messy, tacky reality.

For a city that has led an artistic industry to the point where its own name is synonymous with success, it certainly seems to have lost its way in its own mythology. Perhaps that’s fitting for a place that has defined itself on fiction.

Yet there was a point, in the distant past, when Hollywood didn’t have those confused,

conflicting connotations it has now. Established in 1853, it became a fertile agricultural community, distanced from Los Angeles by seven miles of orange groves.

By the turn of the century, a population of about 500 resided in the sleepy village. But later that decade, filmmakers began to venture out to Hollywood, attracted to the West for its varying landscapes and simpler bureaucracy.

1910 saw the first feature filmed there,

The Golden Age of cinema arrived from about 1920 to 1950. During this period, hundreds of movies were being made each year, produced and distributed by the same studios which owned the cinemas in which exclusively their own films were screened. The major studios of the time are ones still familiar to the accomplished moviegoer today: Warner Brothers, Paramount, MGM, Universal, Columbia, Disney. The first Academy Awards were held in 1929, while the ‘Hollywoodland’ sign was built in 1923 to advertise a housing development, before being restored from disrepair in 1943.

With the introduction of sound in The Jazz Singer (1927), new genres arose such as musicals, westerns, and horror. Technicolor burst onto the scene in 1939, giving rise to iconic reels like Gone With the Wind and The Wizard of Oz. As the spotlight began to fall on the actors themselves, the most popular became superstars: John Wayne, Clark Gable, later on, Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor.

The 1940s saw production turned towards the war effort, with studios lending a hand with propaganda, documentaries, and educational features. Patriotism was celebrated, the enemy vilified. In the late forties, film noir skulked in, with 1946 marking an all-time peak in cinema attendance and profits.

In the following decade, however, television began to take over. Ticket sales dropped, the film industry was divided by a deep suspicion of Communist influencers, and anti-monopoly laws forced studios to separate themselves from their cinemas. Thus began a slow decline in Hollywood’s fortunes - made for TV films and formulaic thrillers abounded. Costs spiralled as more special effects were demanded, increasing numbers of studios began to produce overseas, and massive media conglomerates bought over others. Nowadays, Paramount is the only studio left in Hollywood. Although some production work is still done in Hollywood, the old relics of the Golden Age, such as the Walk of Fame which was started in the mid-fifties - are simply tourist draws for an area which has seen its defining core exodus to further flung parts of the Los Angeles region.

Today, Hollywood - the city - is a far cry from the mythological metropolis rising above the Californian hills as it appears in the imagination.

Strolling down Hollywood Boulevard, trodding over the faceless names of bygone eras, stifled in the humid Californian sun, I sometimes found it hard to imagine that this was the fabled home of icons like Gene Kelly, Marilyn Monroe, Audrey

Hepburn, and Walt Disney. People in character costumes vied for tourists attention (for a fee), the traffic was deafening and never-ending. I tried to envisage the creativity that had flowed within the walls of those decaying buildings, the glimmering eyes of hopefuls that had searched that same sign for inspiration, the Americana drop-top cars which had rolled down those palm-lined boulevards - all replaced by a dodgy, dingy reminder of past grandeur. Much like Buckingham Palace or the Eiffel Tower, or even - dare I say it - Temple Bar, it seems to be a rundown representation of a wider cultural keynote, rehashed for visitors who are hounded by gift shop owners, preaching Scientologists, and - of all things - other annoying tourists.

It seems that this dubious, seedy exterior is magnified when it comes to the inner workings of the Hollywood machine too. Recently the media has exposed dozens of accusations leveled at Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein, who allegedly sexually assaulted dozens of actresses.

Furthermore, his revolting misconduct went unreported for decades, despite the number of victims. According to The New Yorker, sixteen employees of the Weinstein Company “witnessed or had knowledge of unwanted sexual advances and touching at events associated with Weinstein’s films and in the workplace”. It’s not just the victims that remained silent either: “I knew enough to do more than I did,” the director Quentin Tarantino told the The New York Times.

“The image that

surfaces from the underworld of backstage Hollywood is one of a depressingly unequal archaism” The treatment of women in this industry has long been a disturbing debate: on the list of the highest paid actors from June 2016 to June this year, the first woman came in at a measly fifteenth - and far less than half the compensation of the highest paid man ($26 million to $68 million).

It’s the same old story with other minorities: in the top 100 grossing films of 2014, 72% of speaking or named characters were male, and 73% were white. The image that surfaces from the underworld of backstage Hollywood is one of a depressingly unequal archaism.

It is possible that this lack of social development is harming the creative process behind the scenes too: in 2015, six of the top ten, and 11 of the top 20 films were sequels. Disney has 14 live-

action remakes in development, with several already released. At the same time, in October it was announced that one of its original animated features was being cancelled. Even the blockbuster sequels aren’t guaranteed successes - Blade Runner 2049 only made $32.7 million on its opening weekend, far below expectations, and indicating its unlikeliness to profit on its $300 million budget.

The convergence of these deep-set fractures both within Hollywood and its audience have led to a public humbling of its image. According to The Guardian, Paul Haggis, an Oscar-winning director, recently fled California for New York, arguing that Hollywood “is a town run by a group of powerful corporations, the studios, and they inevitably want to make what they know they can sell. This means they often lag a few years behind creatively.” The article continues, stating that Haggis “said a desire to make grownup films had led him to leave Hollywood. The insular nature of Los Angeles both concealed bad behaviour like Harvey Weinstein’s and inhibited creative risk-taking.”

Despite the clear divisions simmering in the Californian heat, there are signs that ‘Tinseltown’ may be able to regain some of its former glory.

The strong growth of streaming platforms, which despite damaging cinema ticket sales, allows a greater audience for a film after it leaves the theatre. Platforms such as Netflix have demonstrated that original content can be extremely successful - ploughing $7 billion of an investment in original content in 2018 - and indeed, that consumers are prepared to pay for it. Meanwhile, Disney is showing that a major Los Angeles studio can compete, planning its own streaming service for 2019. Furthermore, advances in technology such as visual reality may provide a renewed interest in the cinematic form, as new, immersive creative pathways open up.

Hollywood itself has that privilege of being synonymous with film - it has the name, the money, the creative talent. The world’s eyes and cameras are constantly turned out West, at that beating heart. Hollywood itself is a brand, an idea: films from Singin’ in the Rain (1952), to Mulholland Drive (2001), to La La Land (2016) celebrate Hollywood, a character in itself. For all its flaws, I personally truly enjoyed my visit there, to see a place cast in such a prominent role in our cultural psyche.

Undeniably, within the city, there is a vast need for change. But there is also a will, and now, an open discussion. According to Tom Hanks, Weinstein’s “last name... will become an identifying moniker for a state of being for which there was a before and an after.” While time will only tell if this statement will hold true for the fortunes of the industry as a whole, it seems the sun hasn’t set on Hollywood quite yet. ■ WORDS BY GRAHAM KELLY

| FEATURES

DW Griffith’s In Old California, a Spanish colonial age adventure. Charlie Chaplin arrived in 1917, along with famed Douglas Fairbanks and Mary Pickford. By 1919, Hollywood was recognised as the centre of the new film industry and the flourishing prestige which accompanied it.

11

Swift 350 Three of Trinity’s experts shed light on their own relationships with one of our best-known alumni, and on why he still looms so large as a literary figure, 350 years after his birth.

T

his October 30th was the 350th birthday of Jonathan Swift; writer, satirist, poet, and one of Trinity’s most illustrious alumni. Swift350 is being celebrated across Dublin this year. Author of works such as Gulliver’s Travels, A Modest Proposal and A Tale of a Tub, Swift looms large, not only in the Irish canon, but across world literature as a whole, as one of the Brobdingnagian giants of prose satire. When read today in a world that is largely becoming more and more critical of its literature, Swift may seem to some to be increasingly relevant, a prophetic and keen observer of humanity and critic of its propensity for violence. To others he is now inexcusably out of step. We asked three of Trinity’s leading experts on Swift to explain their relationship with the Dean and why they find something in his work that is still worth studying.

“Swift challenges his readers by

Dr. Amy Prendergast, Teaching Fellow in

making us uncomfortable and asking us difficult questions about what it means to be human.”

Eighteenth Century Writing in the School of English Those of us working in the world of the eighteenth century frequently encounter the awesome figure of Jonathan Swift. Swift’s influence pervades many aspects of our academic lives, featuring across reading lists and conference schedules. Perennially linked to the wonderful and captivating Gulliver’s Travels, it is as a eighteenth-century poet that Swift most informs my own research.

company; it has made me very sincerely lament the many hours of my life that I have lost in insignificant conversation.” n

Reading parties, literary salons, book clubs, and societies were widespread in Ireland of the eighteenth century, and Jonathan Swift was at the centre of many intellectual gatherings of the earlier decades. The writer was closely connected with Patrick Delany’s literary gatherings in Delville, for example, fondly remembered by Mary Granville, later Delany: “I recollect no entertainment with so much pleasure, as what I received from the

Swift’s engagement with different forms of sociability continue to fascinate and excite, and to inform the writi n g s of those of us fortunate enough to spend our days alongside these figures. His biting satire, scatological poems, Irish pamphlets, and prose writings continue to excite debate and enthral readers. The conference held at Trinity to celebrate his 350th anniversary this summer echoed the emphasis placed on associational life within Swift’s own lifetime, drawing on the research of scholars from across the globe, who continue to celebrate Swift’s contributions to the literary landscape of the eighteenth century and of our own times.

The stereotypical poet of the Augustan period being conceived of as witty, urbane, and above all sociable, Swift’s writings illustrate and help to construct such conventions. Many of Swift’s poems are populated by a wide cast of intriguing characters and feature a conversational quality, frequent- ly remarked upon by students. Rather than exclusively composing and editing his works in isolation, Swift often joined with his fellow writers in gatherings involved the circulation of verse for discussion and comment. Such collaborative productions have long fascinated me, with their emphasis on people coming together to share ideas.

FEATURES | 12

ILLUSTRATION BY KATIE MURNANE

that

Literary salons differed from many other forms of associational life in that they were open to both men and women. As well as attending mixed-gender gatherings, Swift was also at the centre of Laetitia Pilkington’s memoirs, and the writer’s relationships with women have drawn much comment and debate. His in- teractions with aspiring poets such as Mary Barber remind us again of the networks of literary sociability that existed in Dublin at this time, and of Swift’s role in promoting the works of such women writers, through both encouragement and subscription.

Dr Jane Maxwell,

Head of the School of English

Principal Curator at the Library of Trinity

I wish I could say that the first time I read Swift it had a transformative effect on my life, but I cannot really remember when I first read his works. I do have a powerful memory of reading Gulliver’s Travels when I was taking postgraduate courses at Princeton. People talk about the book as a satire on human pride and pretensions, and it is that, but what most impressed me at the time was how Swift’s account of Gulliver’s voyages to the land of the tiny Lilliputions (six inches tall) and the land of the Brobdingnagian giants (40 feet tall) made the human body appear so fragile, so vulnerable.

On his final voyage, Gulliver reaches the land of the rational horses, the Houyhnhnms. Gulliver is persuaded by them that he has more in common with the other inhabitants of the land: the bestial, inarticulate Yahoos, and, as a result, he becomes filled with self-loathing. He is distraught when he is expelled by the Houyhnhnms he so much admires, and, when he does get home to England, spends a lot of time in the stables, trying to talk to his horses.

Swift challenges his readers by making us uncomfortable, and asking us difficult questions about what it means to be human. Some critics call Swift a misanthrope, but I don’t see that myself. He is certainly, at times, a very angry writer. His most notorious piece, A Modest Proposal, purportedly offers a way to solve the problems of Irish poverty. It is the blackest example of black humour in the English language.

College, and curator of the online exhibition “Discovering the Dean: Jonathan Swift, Trinity College and Dublin City” Jonathan Swift – why are we still talking about him?

Some historical figures become industries. Shakespeare is an obvious example. Jane Austen is another. Oscar Wilde and Samuel Beckett are simmering away nicely (I would put in an Irish woman’s name if could, believe me). Swift is not in those leagues which makes it difficult to understand why he is viewed with such fondness by individuals who will never read a word he wrote. What’s the big deal? It is all very well to say that Gulliver’s Travels has never been out of print since seventeen-twenty-whatever, but who is reading it apart from students of literature? It is mostly marketed for children now with all the politics, ladies’ bosoms, and lice left out.

Perhaps Swift’s reputation, in Ireland at least, rests on the mistaken idea that his Drapier’s fulminations against the English mismanagement of Irish affairs meant Swift was an Irish nationalist? “Were not the people of Ireland born as free as those of England” he thundered, to Irish delight.

Newsflash - he meant the English in Ireland.

“His biting satire, scatological po- “It was not a simple matter to dare

ems, Irish pamphlets, and prose to be different in the seventeenth writings continue to excite debate and early eighteenth centuries. ” and enthral readers.”

In his Latin epitaph, to be seen up in St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Swift wrote of his ‘saeva Indignatio’: his savage anger. As I’ve read Swift over the years and come to know his writing better, it seems to me that his anger at human cruelty and destructiveness — the heat of which still rises off the page centuries after his death — is his greatest gift to us.

Admittedly he was the smartest man in any room he was in (he may also have predicted internet search engines, of which more anon), and he was great company. He was also pro-female education, always a good thing, you might say. Well, yes and no. There is all that weird pinching of his women friends and name calling and the whole did-he-didn’t-he-marryStella business to navigate if his reputation is approached from that angle.

So why, oh why, do I admire him so much? Because I do.

Part of it has to be his moral courage. Swift was a deeply conservative man on most matters yet his hatred of injustice radicalised him, not only politically but socially. It was not a simple matter to dare to be different in the seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries. Early-modern society did not like change: the way things were was the way they should remain.

One thing known to be true was that poverty was caused by the laziness and moral degeneracy of the poor. Any scant assistance the destitute were shown had as its aim greater social control rather than budding humanitarianism. Those who could work were put to work; those who couldn’t – foundling children and the sick – were removed to institutions where they could die like flies without clogging up the streets. What I admire most about Swift is not that he always found this reprehensible but that he came to find it so. Swift originally had no objection to the contemporary attitude to poverty but came to recognise and speak out about the untenable position of criticizing the poor for not working when there was no work available for them to do. He had the courage and independence of mind to change his opinion when the evidence demanded it. It not as simple as it sounds.

By the way, the prediction of search engines occurs in Gulliver’s Travels.

Gulliver saw a computer, its surface covered with words on dice-sized pieces of wood. These were spun round, read and transcribed, by which means the ‘most ignorant’ people could write books ‘without the least assistance from genius or study’. Ouch. ■

| FEATURES

WORDS BY SARAH UPTON

Dr. Aileen Douglas,

13

Totally Tubular Stranger Things and the Rise of the 80’s in Television

A

s October drew to a close, Stranger Things fans everywhere settled down to submerse themselves in the strangely familiar otherness of this throwback phenomenon. When Stranger Things first appeared on our screens last year, the success that followed was, while unexpected, not unwarranted or undeserved. The kids were endearing and entertaining, the plot was thick and mysterious, and the setting was (mostly) bright and fun. While some things about season two seem a little rushed or unevenly resolved, much of what people loved about the first season returns. Eleven is back (spoiler), the Demogorgon has multiplied, and we’re still with the same rag-tag group of young heroes, who are once again trying to save their (almost lost) friend Will. And most importantly, we’re still in that era of big hair and even bigger monsters - the 1980s.

FEATURES | 14

Stranger Things’ 1984 setting is close enough to the present day to feel familiar, yet distant enough to still feel like an escape from modern life. But it’s not the first or only ongoing TV show which dives into the decade - it

joins Glow, The Goldbergs, Wet Hot American Summer, The Carrie Diaries and parts of This Is Us and Black Mirror to name just a few. Pop culture’s obsession with the ‘80s has lasted longer than the ‘80s itself. So what is it about the era that makes it so popular on screen?

Sometimes, the ‘80s are used as a vacuous, brightly coloured front, or an attempt to inject some vivacity and life into a largely two-dimensional plot (looking at you, The Goldbergs). The setting is a particularly recognisable period, and it provides a certain decoration dialogue can’t. In Stranger Things, however, the ‘80s setting makes sense. It’s almost part of the plot itself, acting as both backdrop to and facilitator of distinctive story arcs. It explains the supernatural knowledge of our sci-fi loving trio Dustin, Will and Lucas, for instance (Dungeons and Dragons hit shelves in 1981), and creates in Hawkins a sense of isolation, but also allows the viewers to identify with its fictional world. In the second season there are nods to similarities between political climates - namely in references to Russia and the Reagan-Bush election - as well as popular culture.

“Pop culture’s obsession with the

‘80s has lasted longer than the ‘80s itself” The technology of the ‘80s is also a feature of the series. The lack of technology is somewhat reassuring to a modern audience, offering an escape from constant live updates, likes and comments. The kids use walkie-talkies to contact each other, cycle everywhere and have to look up what Dart (that weird little slug-like thing they find and fondly name) might be in a stack of dusty books from the back of a library. The entire plotline with Nancy and Jonathan needing Murray the reporter’s help to get the truth out about Barb’s death probably wouldn’t have happened at all if the internet existed. It’s all very retro. Very other.

The ‘80s are frequently used in TV to spawn a sense of nostalgia - just look at Everybody Hates Chris or Freaks and Geeks. Stranger Things does this largely through reference to classics such as E.T., The Goonies, Nightmare on Elm Street, Poltergeist, even Pretty in Pink. Not all shows set in or made in the ‘80s, however, are equally nostalgic. Part of what made Stranger Things such a success the first time around is that the nostalgia it created was rooted in the characters and the actors; in the innocence, hilarity and vivacity they exhibited onscreen.

“There seems to be a consensus

that we can do a better job of recreating it nowadays, that we’re finally distanced enough from the time to use big budgets and better technology to its full advantage”

Stranger Things 2 (2017)

The Gang from Stranger Things (2016)

There is always going to be a disparity, however, between a show set and filmed in the ‘80s, and one filmed today. There seems to be a consensus that we can do a better job of recreating it nowadays, that we’re finally distanced enough from the time to use big budgets and better technology to its full advantage. Almost as if we can offer a clearer image of the ‘80s today than the ‘80s could. And for younger, modern audiences, who didn’t experience the ‘80s, it’s very easy to believe that the representations we see onscreen are accurate and fair, even when that’s not necessarily true.

Yet even the recent Glow - Netflix’s comedy-drama about an all-female wrestling squad known as the ‘Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling’ - is one show which has been widely criticised for heavily fictionalising the original series which inspired it.

Modern interpretation often threatens to show the ‘80s as a ‘better’ or ‘simpler’ time. Stranger Things does its best to tackle this. Last season, we were embroiled in a conspiracy theory that came from the top. No one could be believed, no one could be trusted - certainly not a better time.

“An era of big hair and even bigger monsters”

This season, the threat comes from within. The mind-flayer occupies Will’s body, “spying” on our team of Demogorgon-battling kids and their parents. Definitely not simpler.

‘80s culture has infused our TV, music, film, and fashion for years. Bands like Guns N’ Roses are still selling out gigs. Film is taking classics like IT and rebooting them. Even that menace of a fashion trend - ruffles - has made a comeback. Stranger Things is another product of this fixation. I don’t know if I would describe it as a revival of the era - the ‘80s have been “back” since 1999, and it doesn’t look like they’re going anywhere anytime soon. Stranger Things has certainly rekindled an interest in this age of VHS tapes, banging tunes, and perms so massive they were essentially sentient, but perhaps the flame of that iconic decade was never all that close to dying out. ■ Stranger Things 2 is streaming on Netflix now.

WORDS BY NAOISE OSBOURNE ILLUSTRATION BY JERIE MACAPAGAL

Poltergeist (1982)

| FEATURES | FEATURES

The Gang from The Goonies (1985)

15

FEATURES |

FEATURES | FEATURES |

16

I

reland has seen a dark and vibrant past of Skinheads, Hippies, Mods, Punks, Goths, Teddy Boys, Rockers, New Romantics, Skaters and Ravers. Each nugget of style has been reflective of a movement or feeling, whether it the Punks’ anarchic rejection of the establishment or the New Romantics’ flamboyant response to a new wave of music that grew from the neon lights of club life. Each decade has brought gangs of largely hidden cultures of youth identity and teen rebellion where, in a sense, the members adhere to their own dress code. Ireland has had a history of not only being oppressed by external forces, but of being emotionally suppressed as a nation. Its past is held down by restraints on expression of sexuality, gender and essentially the self. The 21st century, however, has brought about a new era of acceptance, culturally and politically. Ireland is finally letting out a sigh of relief from its norm of self-suppression and what has followed has been an outpour of colour, bare skin and individuality. This growth of acceptance has escalated even more so following the success of the Marriage Equality Referendum whereby the younger generations have found themselves more comfortable with their own identity and how they translate this through their own personal style. The new wave of fashion born from this is a mixed and matched resurgence of recycled past subcultural trends. Rather than latching onto a particular look, there has been a newfound fluidity amongst this modern subcultural style, allowing individuals to hop from one decade to the next. Perhaps this fluidity has generated from our generations ever-evolving understanding of gender, sexuality and identity.

Life and fashion are irrevocably intertwined, and with Ireland’s progression as a nation, the style of its youth is influenced by a new age of acceptance.

REFLECT || FEATURES FEATURES

WORDS & PHOTOGRAPHY BY MEGAN RUSSELL

17

FEATURES |

18

19

| FEATURES

gaming around the world: A Dynamic industry So rarely in video game journalism are there explorations into the global landscape of the games industry itself. Deputy Games Editor Sam Hayes investigates the cultural resonance of gaming around the world.

japan In recent years much criticism has been leveied against the Japanese games industry by prominent developers such as Jonathan Blow (Braid, The Witness) and Keiji Inafune (Mighty No. 9) for its over reliance on cinematic spectacle and their inclination to hold the player’s hand a shade too tightly. There are exceptions to this rule however. Games such as Dark Souls and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild prove that Japanese developers are capable of creating games that neither condescend nor confuse.

A notable trend is the strong focus on portable consoles such as mobile, the 3DS and the PS Vita in Japan due to the limited size of its metropolitan apartments and the absurdly long hours that many young people have to work.

Unsurprisingly then, the hybrid Nintendo Switch console has been a roaring success.

The size of Japan’s city’ buildings has also been the reason why Nintendo consoles from the GameCube onwards have been so compact, often being the smallest in their generation.

Another interesting trend in Japan has been the huge increase in the popularity of dating simulators. With many young people unable to create a healthy work life balance, many seek to bond with digital companions. To the western populace this may seem like something out of a sci-fi film but in Japan this is a common occurrence.

FEATURES | 20

usa In the eighth generation of consoles, the two most common structural forms of games made in the USA are currently the customizable sandbox games in the vain of the Elder Scrolls, Fallout or Minecraft, or the service games such as Overwatch, World of Warcraft or Telltale games’ catalogue. Sandbox games account for many of the single player games produced and focus on player expression and creation. They typically feature massive worlds, which are becoming easier to churn out thanks to advancements in development technology in the last few years.

They play on two fundamentally American sentiments — the will to define one’s own identity and the desire to supersize everything.

Service games, by contrast, are predominantly, though not exclusively, multiplayer. It is the preeminent distribution model of the competitive genre. It helps to maintain engagement within a game’s competitive scene by changing the status quo and consequently keeping the game fresh. Alternatively, developers such as Telltale Games have used this model to create serialised narratives.

Telltale Games also typically have an emphasis on player choice similar to the sandbox games.

A final noteworthy mention is the popularity of shooting mechanics. From Call of Duty to Overwatch and even Battlefield from the European studio Dice, the sale charts demonstrate that American gamers can’t get enough of shooters.

europe It is easy to look at the European game industry and claim that the games produced by triple A developers differ little from those in North America. This however, is a fallacy. The first distinction that one can make is one of customizability. Many American games either contain customisable protagonists, such as in Bethesda games, or invisible protagonists such as those found in first person shooters.

European games have a stronger focus on character. From Just Cause to The Witcher, European games typically feature a protagonist, such as Rico Rodriguez or Garret from the two aforementioned games. As well as that, trade mark games from French publisher Ubisoft are third person action games, which typically put more of a focus on the main character than first person fair.

Sales-wise, the persistent difference between Europe and America is FIFA. The popularity of soccer in the region has allowed FIFA to edge out popular western genres such as shooters.

Games also appear to have a longer shelf life in Europe. For example, Grand Theft Auto V has featured in VG chartz’s top 10 for new game sales every year since its release, as opposed to the US where it sat at 16th by its third year. This means that despite many European developers’ reluctance to adopt the games as service distribution models, it could prove very successful in the region.

“It is clear that the best days for the art of video games are ahead of us yet, and as more and more countries develop their gaming cultures, the number of genres we enjoy and the unique stories players and developers are telling will only grow.”

Brazil is the current leading figure in the Latin American game industry and the 13th biggest video game market overall. There are, however, multiple hurdles the industry must jump through. Brazil has a longstanding history of video game piracy. Nowadays, many consumers are starting to come around to the notion of purchasing games legitimately, with retailers spreading across the country — such as UZ Games which grew from 11 branches in 2008 to 70 in 2013. Due to the country’s high import taxes, many purchase their games online through foreign digital stores such as the US or Portuguese Google Play, PSN or Xbox Live stores.

This is often done using physical vouchers, which are cheaper to import than boxed games.

A current trend among Brazilian independent developers is the creation of games targeted at the Chinese market. Being another rapidly growing market, many Brazilian developers intend to fill the niche early, and possibly attract investment from Chinese companies to create a mutually beneficial arrangement that could help the growth of each country’s respective industries.

Ireland Ireland is an interesting case study; it is a small nation with a small independent industry. While video games have been bought and sold in Ireland since the advent of the industry, Irish people have only just started making games in the age of digital distribution. The country is exemplary of many other small developed European nations, sporting a small but vibrant independent scene. Indeed, because of the independent nature of the Irish gaming landscape, it is difficult to identify any pervasive trends.

The narrative focused point and click puzzle game The Little Acre shares little in common with the addictive arcade skill game Super Hexagon.

Even aesthetically there is a huge contrast between the black and white notebook style of Guild of Dungeoneering and the psychedelic 8-bit style of Curtain.

While the game scene in Ireland is small, it is steadily growing a catalogue of critically acclaimed games. In fact the size of the scene is working to the advantage of the developers in it. One of the founders of ID Software (the creators of Doom), John Romero, has now set up a studio called Romero Games in Galway. He had this to say in an interview with Noclip, “it’s just like everyone’s helping everyone to try to become successful here”. ■

WORDS BY SAM HAYES

Gunman Taco Truck Romero Games

| FEATURES

Brazil

21

SPilling the beans on dublin’s coffeE Scene

C

offee is a beverage inextricably linked to student life. Typical sights around Trinity campus include sleep-deprived Arts students desperately gripping onto their skinny soy lattes whilst trying to make sense of life, or Hamilton students casually strolling to a lecture accompanied by a flat white.

For a tea-drinking nation, Ireland has changed significantly in the past ten years as more people are switching to coffee. According to Allegra (a foodservice consultancy group), over 60% of us drink coffee every day, and that figure only increases for students.

These beverages consumed by Trinity students and Dubliners alike are often purchased from global coffee chains such as Starbucks, Costa and Insomnia, which have proven very popular in Dublin, and Ireland as a whole.

Figures from The Independent indicate that Irish Starbucks now has more outlets per capita than any other country in Europe, with over 70 nationwide, 53 of which are in Dublin alone. Other massive chains in Dublin include Insomnia and Costa, which own almost 50% of the coffee market share combined.

Why are coffee giants so popular?

FEATURES | 22

Surely the number of coffee chains operating in Dublin reflects a public adoration of these multinational institutions – so what do people like about them?

One element is the personalisation of coffee – it’s no longer a simple espresso or latte; customers can order a multitude of beverages

with exceedingly long names – flavoured syrups, powders and additives can be mixed in to make the ultimate personal beverage. Most chains have also kept up with the times – soya, almond and coconut milk alternatives are now available at the cost of a supplement.

Familiarity is also a factor - everyone recognises brand names and will probably have a favourite drink that is consistently served. Starbucks in particular has been very clever in choosing the location of its outlets; often facing each other on opposite sides of the street.

“Why purchase something

you can also buy in an airport on the other side of the world when you could get a truly special beverage in Dublin?”

Another interesting argument is that unlike smaller coffee shops with limited menus, chains also cater for those who don’t enjoy coffee; they provide exotic beverages like ‘frappuccinos’, which come in many sweet flavours, usually topped with whipped cream.

Finally, Starbucks has cracked the social media craze. People LOVE seeing their names written on the cup, especially when there is a mistake in it or better yet, someone else’s name, which is followed by the inevitable post on Instagram/ Snapchat/Facebook showing off the coffee with the (mistaken) name.

Why independent coffee shops are worth a try

The abundance of coffee chains in Dublin makes it tempting to stick to them, but the city has a growing barista culture with lots of interesting independent coffee shops which are worth a shot! Here’s why.

Firstly, independent coffee shops are unique.

Why purchase something you could buy in an airport on the other side of the world when you could get a truly special beverage in Dublin?

Buying from smaller coffee shops not only promotes more diversity in the variety of coffee available, but also supports the local economy.

Whilst coffee chains often purchase fair trade beans, an advantage of smaller coffee shops (particularly in Dublin) is that they often use fair trade/organic coffee beans which have been specially picked for a stronger, distinctive flavour. Many shops will offer a ‘house blend’ which derives from beans of a specific region, giving the coffee a more intense flavour. Many Dublin coffee shops source their beans from small Irish roasteries where the beans are treated with love.

For many, coffee would be undrinkable without milk or sugar, and independant cafés often stock condiments of higher quality, purchased in smaller batches. They also tend to use fewer chemical additives in their drinks, which makes them healthier for the mind (and soul).

Last but not least - smaller coffee shops don’t necessarily mean higher prices, as you’ll discover in our suggestions.

WORDS AND ILLUSTRATIONS BY AMANDA CLIFFE

1.

Dublin Barista School Of all the coffee places in Dublin, this takes the biscuit on a number of grounds – its proximity to Trinity; located on South Anne Street, a 5 minute walk from the Arts Block. It’s accessible at all times, whether you’re too hungover to walk to the bus stop or fell asleep during lectures. In addition, the coffee is cheaper than most other shops – averaging just €2 for a latte if you show your student card.

Some really trendy cafés 2.

3FE Though a little bit of a trek for Trinity students, this gem situated in Lower Grand Canal Street is worth a Dublin has so many cute and cool cafés mention. It has been ranked one of the best cafés in the world and uses beans from its very own roastery scattered around the city centre. There in Dublin 1. Not only does it serve award-winning coffee, but it also boasts an impressive seasonal menu is such a broad range that you will undoubtedly find one that suits you. which changes every week.

3.

Cracked Nut If you’re still craving those tongue twister coffee names with special ingredients, why not venture to Camden Street where the Cracked Nut offers a range of exotic coffees including turmeric, charcoal and beetroot lattes, not to forget the infamous ‘blue latte’, which has always intrigued me.

4.

Network Are you an Arts Block lover? This is probably the most hipster café in Dublin. All the guys serving here have beards and probably play the guitar between shifts. The cups have edgy designs on them and the croissants are really nice.

Make sure to get there early!

5.

Science Gallery Not only is this very practically located, it serves a range of specialist coffees for true aficionados. In fact, the beans used here are hand roasted in one of Dublin’s few micro roasters, Cloud Picker Coffee, situated in the Docklands.

The list goes on and on; Kaph, Il Fornaio, Clement and Pekoe, Grantham’s, Coffee Angel… are all worth a visit!

The Expansion

of

Dough

Whilst coffee shops have been steadily proliferating in Dublin for a few years, donuts – coffee’s eternal companions – have exploded in popularity over the past year, with over twenty shops opening in 2017. What has triggered this donut obsession? Here’s a little history.

The Dutch were the first to fry balls of dough in animal fat and christen them ‘oil cakes’.

They were probably not quite as appetizing as the ones we have today.

As the centre didn’t cook properly, they were often stuffed with nuts, which may be the origin of the name ‘donut’.

1847: Trust an American ship captain, Hansen Gregory, to come up with a solution and punch a hole in the dough ball to ensure even cooking.

1920: Young Russian entrepreneur Adolf Levitt

invents the first donut machine in New York.

1930s: French baker Joe LeBeau sells his secret recipe for Krispy Kreme donuts to a shop in Kentucky.

Businessman Vernon Rudolph exports the brand to North Carolina where it becomes very successful.

1950s: Dunkin’ Donuts

creates fierce competition for Krispy Kreme, both of which open stores around the US. As competition heats up, brands become more innovative and start sassing up their donuts with fancy icings.

1988: The Rolling Donut sets up its first kiosk in Dublin, bringing the humble cinnamon donut to Ireland.

2012: Donuts enjoy a

surge of popularity in the US, particularly in Oregon, where social media sites such as Instagram push donuts to popularity with their colourful and appetizing decorations 2017: Dublin is encircled by dough; twenty new donut stores open across the city.

Success Story

The donut craze in Dublin has definitely been influenced by the US, along with other food trends like burritos and frappuccinos. What makes the Dublin donut scene interesting is that it is virtually free of the American donut chains. Instead, what has developed is an array of unique donut ‘boutiques’ selling artisan donuts with original fillings and toppings. These little rings of glory are no longer seen as Homer Simpson’s favourite treat but as works of art. They have proven to be popular among all age groups, particularly students craving a sugary fix at a modest price. As a student with a massive sweet tooth, I consider myself an authority…

The Rolling Donut Probably Dublin’s oldest donut provider, The Rolling Donut offers a wide range of these little delicacies. Old-fashioned ‘hot rings’ are sold from the original kiosk on O’Connell street, whilst more choice can be found at one of their two stores in Dublin, which also have vegan options available.

Boston donuts This relatively new brand has rapidly become a firm favourite in Dublin, with four stores across the city. The donuts here are truly scrumptious and come in lots of interesting and original flavours.

Revolution Bakery Though these donuts don’t yet have an official home, they are sold in a few bakeries across Dublin including Roasted Brown, Merrion Café and 3FE. Made with slow fermented dough, these are of excellent quality and also look fantastic. ■

| FEATURES | FEATURES | FEATURES

H i s to r y

A long time ago:

23

music

REVIEWS THE OOZ King Krule

●●●●●

To begin by making a radical statement, I claim that The Ooz is the most exciting album that has come out of independent rock in nearly a decade.

The most notable album to defy the blueprint of what it is to be an indie-rock album whilst still maintaining its heritage.

The Ooz (2017)

Archie Marshall, aka King Krule, has stated that the title “The Ooz” represents the disgusting

Marshall’s harsh growling British accent is a delightful change from the refined vocals that seem in vogue at the moment. Often his mumble can be difficult to decipher leaving us to fill in the gaps. On the song ‘Dum Suffer’ for example, King Krule sings the nonsensical hook “Dum Suffer” multiple times, but you wouldn’t be to blame if you heard “Don’t Suffer.” Marshall, it seems, is not just embracing his darker side but also trying to get us to embrace our ooz too. If I could suggest you check out one album this year, it’d be this.

While none of its inspirations are hard to decipher, these sounds come together like a collage that looks as a whole entirely different from its embodied parts. While someone might be able to hear some Tom Waits or Joe Strummer in a vocal line, nobody in their right mind would mistake this for a Tom Waits or Joe Strummer song. In fact nobody in their right mind would mistake this for anything as there is nothing that sounds quite like The Ooz.

TEN ADD TEN Scouting For Girls

●●●○○

Arguably the epitome of the bubblegum-pop days of the mid-to-late noughties sound is the fun, happy-go-lucky English pop-rock band Scouting for Girls. Remarkably, their self-titled debut is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year. To celebrate, the trio has come out with a new release consisting of ten of their best hits from their past four studio albums, along with ten tracks of brand new material.

REVIEWS | 24

The first half of the album is wave after wave of nostalgic hit tracks such as ‘She’s So Lovely’ and ‘Elvis Ain’t Dead’; songs that you can’t help but sing along with and long to be taken back to the simpler and happier times of 2007. The first ten songs are wonderful, serving as examples of near perfect pop songs. If they weren’t, it would certainly defeat the premise of greatest hits in the first place. However, what irks this writer about

the former half of the album is that it’s repetitious. Scouting for Girls released a greatest hits album in 2013. To release a greatest hits compilation only six years after a debut album would be slightly premature, but a second greatest hits album just four years later is overkill, calling into question how Scouting for Girls view their own work. If you listen closely, you may even hear the distant sounds of a cash cow being milked.

The track ‘Butterflies’ signals a transition from the hits to their newer material.

It doesn’t stray far from their classic lighthearted rhetoric. This is a common theme throughout the album. Their sound hasn’t gone through drastic changes throughout their career, leaving these new tracks to feel slightly stale. However, their new songs certainly show some signs of growth such as a broadening of their instrumentation, presenting an all-around tighter sound.

‘Dancing in the Daylight’ is their radio-friendly single. It’s a bouncy, undeniably cheesy track, a reassurance that Scouting for Girls still strives to create feel-good tracks that have gained their success in the past.

Although this album may have its flaws, it’s the perfect way for new listeners to explore what the band has to offer. It also gives past and present fans a convenient listening package that eases them into the territory of new material with hits that may indeed reignite their mainstream popularity.

WORDS BY CLIONA LYNKSEY

WORDS BY CONALL MONAGHAN

aspects of human nature. The mission of The Ooz, he says, is to try to convey through sound the mood of filing our nails, picking at our ears and scratching ourselves, the dark underbelly of existence. It blends sounds of disgust, anger and depression to create what is one of the bleakest records you’ll hear all year.

The whole album in a sense appears to be a contradiction. In one respect it wears its influences very heavily on its sleeve. At times, for example, Marshalls sings in a very obvious Joe Strummer growl, strums a very Pixie-esque guitar line and is accompanied by beats that sound like they’re straight off a Portishead record.

theatre THIS IS THE FUNERAL OF YOUR LIFE Project Arts Centre

●●○○○

Afterwards, the actors hand out streamers to each member of the audience. As we unroll them to their full length, Cray-Miller explains that “Your streamer represents your life, one end is your birth and the other marks your death.”

From there on, This is the Funeral of Your Life only further confuses and muddles its intentions. Philip Connaughton, a professional choreogra-

pher, dances wildly to the theme song of ER and ABBA in an attempt to convey the process of death. Lucy Cray-Miller sets up two tables, one with a loaf of bread and the other with a water basin and dirty dishes. She then invites two spectators onstage to make sandwiches and wash the dishes in a bizarre scene that portrays the preparations for an Irish wake.

Louise White spoke to RTÉ Culture about the inspiration behind this project, citing her own father’s funeral as the catalyst for her exploration of self-identity before and after death. This is the Funeral of Your Life attempts to ask the audience how they would imagine their own funeral, but fails to clearly pose the question. Death is a jumbled mess that few of us truly understand, and it is apparent that White has tried to represent this unknowing through dance, music, and acting. Unfortunately, it appears that none of these elements managed to succeed in provoking any lasting impression.

WORDS BY LEE JONES

WHAT PUT THE BLOOD Abbey Theatre

●●●●○

Frances Poet’s What Put the Blood explores Jean Racine’s Andromaque (1667), a beautifully written mimetic tragedy based on Euripides’ Andromache and the third book of Virgil’s Aeneid. Racine’s tragedies introduce some Aristotelian theories on tragic plot structure based on the Poetics. However, his tragedies also introduce positive tones, solutions and even romantic connotations. Thus, the tragic hero escapes from eternal suffering, and avoiding hamartia and katharsis. In other words, the character avoids their tragic flaw, therefore never passing through the vital process of purification. Similarly, in What Put the Blood, there is no violent action on stage, yet there are infringements on psychological theatre which descends from Racine. The lack of ‘acted’ violence makes the tragedy beautiful and not totally reliable.

The spectators arrive into an unsettling environment. Andromaque (Julie Rodgers) and Hermione (Lucianne McEvoy) are wearing wedding dresses covered in ‘blood’, though they are silent, apparently dead. They incorporate this element successfully through their lack of movement. There are chains on stage, loud rock music playing and the theatre

is darkened. When the lights are turned on, the characters ‘come to life’. This creates a sense of claustrophobia— ‘Can I get some air?’ is one of the first lines — and despair as they explain their perspectives ‘directly’ to the audience in monologue. The whole mise-en-scène resembled a slaughterhouse, which connects to the dialogue, as Andromaque says, ‘We are all animals’.

The pacing of the dialogue was rapid, as if the audience was torturing the brides to discover their secrets. We learn that Hermione wanted to marry Red, but Andromaque agrees to marry him so he would not kill her son. One wedding, one betrayal, two brides, one death. Hermione seeks revenge to such a horrific extent that it leads to her contemplate suicide.

These are irrational actions; the characters’ internal conflicts consume them. The performance makes us question if love exists in an environment where humans still behave like animals. The themes of love, nature of human psychic and law are noticed in the performance. The characters ask what would happen when law takes place, would man behave rationally or follow animal instincts? There is also a sense of existential crisis as the characters ask themselves ‘Why am I here?’

The performance was an hour long, fast-moving and absurd.

What Put the Blood ran during Halloween week, allowing the ‘real’ and theatrical atmospheres to combine well and offer spectators a peculiar, though worthwhile experience.

WORDS BY LARISSA BRIGATTI

| REVIEWS

The title of Louise White’s production at the Project Arts Centre connotes a grim narrative that may deter a lot of people from paying to see it. However, This is the Funeral of Your Life begins on an uplifting, and seemingly trivial, note. Michelle O’Rourke plays a classier version of “(I’ve Had) The Time Of My Life” from Dirty Dancing on the piano as the show’s sole actors, Philip Connaughton and Lucy Cray-Miller, dart around, asking the audience questions like “Do you have an innie or an outie?” and “Who likes sausages? Raise your hand!”

25

film HAPPY DEATH DAY Dir. Christopher B. Landon

●●●○○

Happy Death Day was everything I expected it not to be — it was good. Funny, action packed, and at times scary, this film was, at the very least, an entertaining watch. Less than amazing but more than tolerable, it will have you on the edge of your seat, and not just because you finished your drink too quickly and need to pee.

Featuring just the right amount of suspense, action and drama, this movie is an ideal watch for those who have trouble stomaching more intense Halloween horrors, but don’t want to miss out on the festive thrills.

Channeling a Groundhog Day-esque vibe, the film focuses on protagonist Tree (Jessica Rothe) and her attempts to solve the mystery of her own death, over and over again. Dying at least eleven times — my personal favourite being the petrol bombing of a police car — is bound to take a toll on you both mentally and physically, but our heroine copes with this in a pretty badass manner, using her unlimited lives to live her day to the full (cue naked strut across campus).

Set in an American university campus — the

opening scene taking place in a college dorm room post One Night Stand — the movie is definitely relatable. On the surface Happy Death Day appears to be just another scary movie to add to the Halloween releases, but it delves into deeper themes, such as discovering who you are as a person and who you want to become.

It can of course be faulted, as most scary movies can, for example the twist at the end is both unrealistic and inconsistent with the plot.

However, all in all, it is a good watch.

If you haven’t already seen Happy Death Day, I recommend catching it at the Savoy Cinema on O’Connell street. It is a ten minute walk from Trinity, and tickets are only €5 on Tuesdays as part of their student deal. If you’re based in Halls, then Rathmines Omniplex offers student deals with €6 tickets on Tuesdays as well.

WORDS BY MOLLY PETERS

SUBURBICON

Dir. George Clooney ●●○○○

I am disappointed to report that George Clooney’s latest foray into directing has proven a flop, to say the least. With a disjointed plot, and an unsatisfactory commentary on racism in late 1950s America, Suburbicon leaves much to be desired.

REVIEWS | 26

When we imagine 1950/60s American middleclass white suburbia, many thingscome to mind; a monotonous lifestyle, a white picket fence, a patriarchal family dynamic, juxtaposed with intense racism and classism. The first half of Suburbicon certainly captures this well. The film begins with a classic advertisement encouraging Americans far and wide to live in the peaceful, man-made paradise that is ‘Suburbicon’. It prides itself on diversity, introducing smiling families

from Minnesota, New York and Texas, who have their new home to thank for their happiness.

When a black family, the Myers, move into town, extreme intolerance boils to the surface as they are constantly berated and excluded from the community.

This was a promising plot to begin with, but the Myers family were reduced to a device to highlight the grotesque racism that characterised suburban society of the time. The family was boring, at least from the few snapshots we get of their life. It is evident their presence is there to act as an innocent contrast to the psychopathic white family that lives next door. While the wholesome Myers are being victimised, the Lodges, who are tangled up in dreadful crimes, attract little suspicion. Outside their picket

fence, their lives seem just as perfect as those from the opening advertisement.

The bizarreness of the Lodges and the everincreasing mystery that surrounds them grows tiring and unbelievable. The impressive cast did a relatively good job. Matt Damon and Julianne Moore carry the menacing duo, Gardiner and Margaret Lodge, well. However, they are granted superficial depth and we can delve only as far as their crimes permit us. The redeeming factor is the cinematography. The shots are all well framed and perfectly complement the mood of the scenes. The wide-angled view of Margaret in her kitchen making a poisonous sandwich fits so neatly into the stereotype that it makes what she is up to all the more sinister. Similarly, the aerial shot of Suburbicon, growing from one garden to capture the vast expanse of identical gardens and houses tactfully reveals the homogeneity of 1950s/60s American suburbia, bringing to mind Pete Seeger’s song “Little Boxes”.

Give Suburbicon a miss, it leaves a confusing sense of dread and regret of a wasted 1 hour and 45 minutes.

WORDS BY ROBYN MITCHELL

art A surprisingly delightful feature of the exhibition is the inclusion of glass cases displaying various objects relating to Burton’s endeavors. Aside from the typical letters and photographs, more unusual objects feature, including a strikingly large silver mace designed by Burton and the artist’s own death mask. The exhibition’s eclecticism is perhaps its strongest point.

Removed from its custom-built cabinet, ‘The Meeting on the Turret Stairs’ has been temporarily freed from the typical one hour, four days a week viewing time, and takes centre stage in the Pre-Raphaelite portion of the exhibition, proving a highlight of the curation. However, as the exhibition’s advertising boasts the inclusion of works by acclaimed Pre-Raphaelites such as John Everett Millais and Dante Gabriel Rossetti, the prospective visitor may be somewhat disappointed to learn that only single works by these artists feature.

FREDERIC BURTON: FOR THE LOVE OF ART National Gallery of Ireland

Despite his status as creator of Ireland’s most beloved painting, Irish nineteenth-century watercolourist Frederic William Burton is often a forgotten figure. While ‘The Meeting on the Turret Stairs’ has been widely acclaimed, his other works evoke significantly less recognition.

The National Gallery of Ireland’s latest major exhibition, Frederic William Burton: For the Love of Art, offers visitors an opportunity to discover the impressive career of this home-grown talent, alongside works of friends, contemporaries and masters.

Raised in Cork, Burton travelled extensively around the West of Ireland, which fostered a deep awareness of Irish history, culture, and tradition in the young man. He explored Europe before establishing himself in London, where he took inspiration from the work of the PreRaphaelites. Burton forged a revered reputation in the local artistic scene, eventually gaining a directorship of the city’s National Gallery.

Arranged mostly chronologically, the exhibition is divided into five sections, each displaying works from a different period of Burton’s artistic path. The layout is easy to follow and the collection is as extensive as the artist’s travels, comprising of over 100 works, largely by Burton himself.

In addition to his watercolours, the well-curated exhibition features preliminary sketches and alternate versions of numerous works, giving an insight into Burton’s artistic process.

Although, that hardly matters when the exhibition succeeds in highlighting the life’s work of this treasure of Irish artistic heritage. While Burton does not have the profile of Vermeer and Caravaggio (the previous subjects of the gallery’s major exhibitions), through its eclecticism, PreRaphaelite connections and sheer completeness, the collection should still feature enough points of interest to hold the attention of even the most casual visitor.

On display until 14 January 2018.

BEYOND THE THREE PERFECTIONS Dublin Castle Gardens

●●●●○

The modest size of the exhibition and the small number of artists displayed are not especially apt for supporting so general an idea. Furthermore, the painters do not follow the same paths in linking together poetry, calligraphy and painting.

The respective place devoted to these “three perfections”, as they were called during the Song dynasty in China, varies sharply from one body of works to another. Patty Hudak chose to use some calligraphic techniques in order to accompany poems by Yeats and Higgins. The main result is Sailing to Byzantium, a twentyfive-meter voile highlighted with black and golden acrylic. While impressive in itself, its decoding is so dependent on the text it adorned that the corresponding verses are also included on the wall.

Conversely, creating links between words and shapes does not matter to Wei Ligang. Even if his skill in resurrecting Chinese ancient calligraphy is unchallenged, most of his recent output turns away from decipherable characters to embrace abstraction. His Peacock series, mostly composed of jagged bright-coloured circles, is simply stunning. Interestingly, when asked about his work, Ligang takes pride in producing an abstract art more inspired Chinese classical art than Occidental modernism. It is therefore surprising that he is presented here as one of the spearheads of cross-cultural developments between China and Ireland.

However, even if the alleged reason to do so can be discussed, intermingling in the same room Ligang’s paintings with those of the late Patrick Scott is truly a great visual proposition.

The echoes are multiple and incontestable. Like the Peacock cycle, Scott’s Tangram series focuses on materiality and geometry. It seems that two artists who never collaborated nor met share a popular conception among twentieth-century artists; truly modern painting has much more to do with the magic of mathematics than with local languages and literatures. The “convergence” so widely emphasized by the curator might therefore be less a mix of cultures than the result of common asceticism towards the same goal; pictorial art strong enough to do without words.

WORDS BY LUCIE RONDEAU DU NOYER

If visited in a rush, Beyond the Three Perfections, running in the Coach House of Dublin Castle Gardens until December 8th, seems utterly conventional. Sponsored by the Office of Public Works, featuring President Higgins’ verses and aimed at celebrating diplomatic and intellectual exchanges between China and Ireland, the exhibition is meant to prove a continuing “crosspollination” between the two cultures.

| REVIEWS

WORDS BY AISLING GRACE

●●●●○

27

GUNPOWDER BBC One

TV

●●●○○

got to see what else he can do on the small screen. This is the story of the Gunpowder Plot, a conspiracy to blow up the Houses of Parliament known for spawning Guy Fawkes’ Night. Fawkes (Tom Cullen) is given only a peripheral role here, looming thuggishly up at the end of episode one. The challenge of the genre is to make inevitable history seem at least temporarily evitable, and this miniseries’ convincing dialogue and surprisingly gripping tone almost does the trick.

This dark, seventeenth-century historical thriller takes its lead from Tom Hardy’s Taboo and Peaky Blinders, bringing shady alleys and violence to period drama. There’s something of the vanity project to this threeparter - Kit Harington co-produces and stars as his own ancestor Robert Catesby, which I suppose is useful if you’re looking for semi-accurate onscreen historicity (take it with a pinch of salt, though, as Harington is also descended from Charles II). After seven years in the colossal ensemble of Game of Thrones who can blame him for wanting more input - though shouldering the burden of ‘white dude chosen one’ who rises from bastard son to showrunners’ avatar in one of the world’s biggest TV shows isn’t exactly a rough gig. With Thrones on its last season, it’s about time we

It’s 1605, Elizabeth I is dead, James VI of Scotland has become James I of England, and Protestant persecution of Catholics is escalating. We open on an excruciatingly tense twenty-minute scene in which, after taking mass in secret, Catholic Catesby and his family, including cousin Anne (Liv Tyler), see their home searched for signs of “rancid popery” – and it doesn’t get much more popish than finding a Jesuit in a trunk clutching religious artefacts. What follows are two gruesome torture-executions; if there’s one thing the series doesn’t obscure, it’s the horror of religious oppression.

Mark Gatiss reprises his role as Sherlock’s Mycroft – sorry, spymaster Robert Cecil – as one of the villains, while Harington plays up Catesby’s role as ringleader, loudly challenging judges and walking with a brooding, gruff stride only slightly marred by a furtive expression that says he expects to be accosted by Jacobean Vogue at any moment. I didn’t spend the entire time thinking Jon Snow had turned up on set after taking a wrong turn on the way to Winterfell, so I guess that counts as a win.

WORDS BY LILY CASSON

CHANNEL ZERO Syfy

●●●●●

A man returns to his hometown to determine if his brother’s disappearance is somehow connected to a bizarrely sinister children’s television show in Channel Zero.

If this sounds familiar to you, don’t be surprised. Syfy’s newest horror anthology show comes hot on the cult popularity of the “creepypasta”: online stories that touch on the terrifying elements of reality and the supernatural. With the success of FX’s American Horror Story, it’s a surprise that Syfy has been the only one to capitalise on this brand of storytelling - going so far as to do it better than the original.

REVIEWS | 28

Based on Candle Cove by Blank Label Comics’ Kris Straub, we follow psychologist Mike Painter (Paul Schneider) as he solves the mystery of his brother’s death. Reconnecting with his mother (Harry Potter’s Fiona Shaw) and childhood friend (Luisa D’Oliveira), Mike discovers that the same disappearances that ended in his brother’s killing are repeating themselves again. The only thing the victims have in common is that they have watched an unheard of show: Candle Cove. Featuring a grotesque cast of puppets with haunting catchphrases (“You have. To go. INSIDE!”) it’s clear that something creepy is going on. As Mike’s search continues, he alienates others, breaks countless laws, and almost loses his mind on the hunt for whoever, or rather whatever, is responsible for the death of these children.

Syfy has hardly been a reputable outlet for content in the last few years 28(their latest artistic endeavour being critically panned Sharknado 5:

Global Swarming) but it seems Channel Zero is the beginning of a boost for the network. With a 96% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and a 7.2 on IMDB, Channel Zero’s unsettling writing has not gone unnoticed by critics. Unlike its stylistic predecessors, it has not yet fallen into the trap of incessant gore and cheap scares. Director Craig William Macneill (The Boy, 2016) elicits stunning performances from the cast and constructs a version of reality so close to home it’s hard not to feel involved. His pièce de résistance, however, is a monster so skin-crawlingly terrible you’ll see it in your dreams for weeks.

With six episodes in the first season, and the second newly released, it’s the perfect binge watch for the Halloween season and beyond. This as yet uncovered masterpiece is beyond deserving of five stars. Horror has found a foothold in Channel Zero - and it hasn’t slipped up yet.

WORDS BY HIRAM HARRINGTON

LIT THE BEGINNING OF THE WORLD IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT Jen Campbell

●●●●●

The Beginning of the World in the Middle of the Night, a collection of short stories by Jen Campbell, has recently been published by Two Road Books.

This collection focuses on the conventions of the fairytale and turns it on its head in a interesting and refreshing way. Campbell uses these fairytales to give voices to the shadows, to those who are different, and also to shine light on the untold experiences of many, making it an extremely enlightening read.

One of the most startling aspects of these short stories is this very inclusion of untold experiences. “History has not been kind to those who are different”, Campbell has said speaking to her publisher, and it is clear that she is attempting to rewrite this troubling narrative. The epigraph, a quote from Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, illuminates the very hope of Campbell that those who were once labelled monsters, and “cut from all the world” as Shelley puts it, can grow to be celebrated and identify themselves in these stories. The collection includes those who are part of the LGBTQ+ community, as well as people with disabilities, and the collection’s true success lies in the fact that these aspects of identity do not wholly define the character. Each character is complicated and layered in many ways, which is crucial to the stories’ integrity and the enjoyment thereof.

The fact that these stories are presented in the fairytale format gives the reader a false sense of comfort which is destroyed utterly by their content. The narratives may start with the familiar “Once upon a time” but Campbell challenges our apparent ideas of what a fairytale means to us. The glass slipper and carriage is replaced by sexual assault at the hands of the Church and murder. An example of this is the short story ‘Animals’, which recounts a lover’s venture to buy a heart that will make their partner love them again, but is truly a story of murder due to heartbreak. These hearts may be “Bred to love. Built to last”, as Campbell writes, but it will never change their relationship. Like Frankenstein, Campbell creates something seemingly familiar to us but in other ways unrecognisable. The author uses the traditional method of storytelling to convey the issues that consume our society today.

The Beginning of the World in the Middle of the Night was published on 2 November 2017 and available in all good bookshops.

WORDS BY NIAMH KEATING

THE ROOSTER BAR John Grisham John Grisham’s latest offering, The Rooster Bar perfectly encapsulates his desire to let his writing evolve and keep his content current, never letting his high standards falter. Fans, new and returning, will be treated to a classic Grisham legal thriller that hits all the desired marks, but punctuates the expected with the fresh to create a novel well worth reading, indeed a perfect stocking filler.

With such classics as The Firm, The Pelican Brief, The Rainmaker and, of course, A Time to Kill under his belt, it’s fair to say Grisham knows what he’s doing. Always eager to keep his finger or his pen on the pulse, his latest subject matter could not be more topical. For this novel he tackles the student debt crisis and its associated scam operations. Grisham himself describes the central issue as “very timely, especially when used in the context of for-profit colleges”. He also notes that in the current economic climate, “student debt is at a crisis point”. — a very real reality for the three law students at the centre of the novel, Mark, Todd and Zola, who make the risky decision to drop out of their for-profit law school upon learning of the financial scam it is tied to. The titular pub is Grisham’s version of Central Perk, it comes to act as the location for morally and legally questionable activities of his characters, desperate to use what little legal savvy they have to climb their mountain of debt.

In his latest offering Grisham paints a marvelously detailed literary picture

where no character building stone is left unturned. Less than 10 pages in it becomes immediately clear why Grisham’s books have been given the Hollywood treatment with such re-occurring success. Every set, every shot and every character is already perfectly detailed in the pages, and this is just him getting started — once he’s set the scene he begins to fill it with the legal/illegal drama and fraught tension that he is so loved for.

The novel’s basis in financial facts means that the writing can be a little exposition heavy at times. But it is carried with masterful essence swiftly from chapter to chapter, character to character, through Grisham’s stylistic choice of a decidedly upbeat, almost bouncy tone of writing which makes for an easy and enjoyable read.

WORDS BY REBECCA WYNNE-WALSH

| | REVIEWS REVIEWS

●●●●○

29

GAMES

SUPER MARIO ODYSSEY Nintendo Switch

●●●●○

Super Mario Odyssey, one of the most highly-anticipated titles for the Nintendo Switch, has finally hit the shelves of game stores around the world. Nintendo have been hyping up the game all year, and pre-release reviews have been calling it a masterpiece. Does Odyssey live up to the hype, and is it a worthy successor to its Galaxy predecessors?

Nintendo have crammed so many new and exciting ideas into Odyssey, most notably the ability to take over certain enemies using Cappy, Mario’s new ghostly ally. Gone are the array of mushrooms and flowers of the past, in favour of this new take on power-ups. It’s given the franchise a much-needed refresh and allows for some unique level design. Odyssey is also incredibly open, with sprawling kingdoms unlike any other Mario game. The influence of Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is undeniable, as

Chrome Store/App Store

●●●●●

Information overload is a serious issue. Social media has become a plague, infecting every facet of our lives, and as our phones buzz away, our minds can constantly wander. Maybe I’m the exception and not the rule, but if you are like me and feel a pressing anxiety without your phone in arms reach, I direct you to this next app: Pushbullet.

REVIEWS | 30

Pushbullet is an app about connectivity. Founded in 2013 by Ryan Oldenburg, Andre Von Houck and Chris Hesse, the app started as a side-project to ‘bridge the gap between your phone, tablet and computer’. Set-up is easy: you install it on your laptop or desktop (Chrome

Odyssey feels quite similar to the classic Super Mario 64, as it contains many varied worlds, though it lacks a central hub. In general, the kingdoms in Odyssey are more aesthetically realistic than other Mario games, such as New Donk City, the Metro Kingdom’s skyscraper haven. The various kingdoms offer plenty of variety to the player, but also make the game feel a little bit scattered. Playing Odyssey doesn’t feel quite as cohesive as playing the Galaxy games, because the kingdoms feel completely unrelated to each other.

The plot of Odyssey is a little disappointing, given the fantastic storytelling seen in Super Mario Galaxy games. Bowser has kidnapped Princess Peach yet again (seriously Nintendo, move on

Web Store) and your phone (Apple or Android), sign in to your Google account and from there you’ll never miss a beat. Notifications you receive on your phone are ‘pushed’ to your PC, and are non-intrusively presented at the bottom of your screen. It also allows you to send SMS’s and to reply to messages from various apps, including Messenger, Viber, and WhatsApp, all without opening your phone.

The real beauty of this app lies in what you can do with it from a mentality and productivity perspective. Studying is a difficult endeavour for even the most devout of students, and the fear of missing out doesn’t make it any easier. This is where Pushbullet comes in. The user interface of the app allows you to easily filter which notifications are worthy of your limited attention, and those that are not are simply forgotten. When making the dreaded trip to the library, my first thought is to put my phone in my bag (or even leave it at home) and provided both my phone and computer are connected to the internet I can work happily without worrying about missed calls, crucial texts or the impromptu meander down to the pub with the lads.

Naturally there are some faults that are inherent to an app like this. On first setting it up it “pushes” every notifica-

from this) and is stealing various artifacts from different kingdoms for their wedding day. There’s almost no context for the plot in the opening of the game, and it doesn’t see much development as the player progresses through each kingdom.

Nintendo could have been better off leaving out the storyline entirely.

Despite the questionable plot, Super Mario Odyssey is a success for Nintendo, and is sure to become a classic. It’s a fresh take on the Mario franchise, and shows that Nintendo is open to experimenting with its most treasured intellectual property. I’m not convinced that it tops all other Mario games, but it’s certainly the most adventurous entry in the franchise to date, and that’s to be commended. Without a doubt, Odyssey is an essential purchase for every Switch owner.

WORDS BY RORY CODD

tion you get, which gets rather annoying until you finally prioritise and mute the unimportant ones. While the SMS texting is flawless, the reply feature to messenger apps aren’t quite as seamless and when the group chat gets particularly lit, you regrettably get every message pushed.

Finally, when you’re mid exam season, studying hard and then get that all-too-tempting notification regarding the pub, you may wish you hadn’t seen it. A certain degree of self-discipline is still required.

Out of 5, I rate this app five stars.. It does exactly what it says on the tin and does it well, there are no ads. While there is a premium version, it is absolutely not essential. The Google Play store rates it 4.5/5, the one caveat being expensiveness of premium, but at 1 million downloads it’s clear Pushbullet is a category leader.

WORDS BY CHRIS MCMAHON

PUSHBULLET

there are Power Moons and other collectibles to be discovered in every nook and cranny.

FOOD

Fish: In Four Forms

WORDS AND ILLUSTRATIONS BY HOLLY MOORE

Fish is fast.

We all live very fast lives.

Here are four flash formulas for fleeting eating: Fish in a Curl:

Use Dublin Bay Prawns. Not the ones flown in from the Pacific. That would be treason. Buying them frozen is fine - when fresh they go smelly very quickly. Decide how many you can afford, and gauge your mouth/ prawn ratio accordingly.

From Frozen:

Marinate them in lemon juice for half an hour as they defrost.

Then add to a hot, oiled pan and fry for 5-6 minutes until opaque.

Serve with something starchy, like warm buttery potatoes and something green, like cress.

For Fresh:

Heat your grill to high.

Lay their pink bodies on the rack - they will take 5-6 minutes to go opaque, size dependent. Season heavily with rough salt and pepper and eat with good crusty bread.

Fish in a Bed:

Fish in a Tin: Buy the tins of fish from sustainable sources - they will have a label flagging this.

1 small tin sardines ½ jar sun dried tomatoes 1 tin tomatoes 1 onion - Chopped to rings 3 cloves of garlic - grated to a crush 150g rice Fresh Thyme - several sprigs 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Gently sweat the garlic and onion until soft.

Add the thyme and tomatoes and cook until it smells sweet and you are tempted to test with a spoon.

Add in the rice and water to cover it just.

Stir regularly as the rice cooks - only add more water if needed.

Add the tin of sardines half way through the cooking of the rice.

Makes 2 lunches.

Fish in a Blanket: Batter has to be light, hot and crisp. Farmer Browns in Rathmines does an excellent job: they serve white flesh, just separating nicely within a generous coating of golden batter - so light that it’s almost tempura.

This comes beside a green puree, incredibly creamy yet still tasting of garden. There are other textural interests too: pickled pink onion and an iceberg lettuce salad, which is fine because, well, you know. It is fish and chips.

Fish ‘n’ chips at Farmer Browns, 170 Rathmines Road Lower is €17.50.

White fish and greens are very virtuous, so butter should be used copiously.

2 thick white fish fillets Rainbow chard - 4/6 stacks Butter - several knobs Garlic cloves - 4 grated

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

Pre-heat the oven to 200 °C. On a square of baking parchment, rub the fish flesh with butter or a good olive oil and squeeze the juice of a lemon over them.

Trap the juices as you tie up the parcel with string.

Bake for 12-15 minutes until the flesh flakes and is opaque. Meanwhile cut the stalks of the chard into 1cm lengths, and the leaf part much larger.

Melt a knob of butter in a little pan and add the stalks.

Add the leaves after a few minutes.

The greens are ready once tender.

Serve the fish atop the bed of greens. Crusty bread or warm potatoes appreciate the juices.

‘It’s ok to eat fish because they don’t have any feelings’ said Kurt Cobain. Not so: Fish is cold, wet and slimy. The story of fishing is even slimier. Fish trading is a bit nonsensical; much swapping of fish goes on, from one corner of the globe to the to the other, wasting precious energy. For instance, Ireland, our seaside isle, buys three-quarters of its fish from abroad, and exports the same fraction of its own.

But fish that comes from fresh water isn’t necessarily a more sorted story.

Farmed fish - unless organic, end up with lots of nastiness in its tight flesh - chemical residue, antibiotics, and heavy metals, which rather negates the benefits of fatty acids for your nervous system.

The best fish is local fish, bought in season. When shopping and eating, interrogate your fishmonger, question waiters and waitresses, and buy the lesser fried varieties: ling, coley, haddock, or pollock instead of cod, and gurnards, mackerel or pilchards for your oily varieties. Finally, look out for little labels like the blue dot from the Marine Stewardship Council, and use their excellent app to search for recognised sustainable products.

| RECIPES

1.

2.

31

3

fashion Very few people have not heard of that famous line uttered by Miranda Priestly in the film The Devil wears Prada: “Florals? For Spring?

Groundbreaking.” Designer Erdem Moralioglu turns this statement on its head. On Thursday, 2 November, a dainty-yet-sombre collection of dresses, suits, and accessories hit the H&M stores as part of the designer Erdem’s collaboration with the high-street retailer, proving once and for all that florals cannot only be limited to one season. As the opening scene in its Baz Luhrmann-directed campaign film goes, “Welcome to Reddham gardens, where it’s always spring.”

ERDEM x H&M

The collection seems to be largely inspired by English fashion before and during the turn of the nineteenth century. With the florals, tweed textures, and frilly accents, it’s almost as if the designer raided Miss Marple’s spring closet and turned all things twee into high fashion glamour.

Styles and attitudes that are youthful and modern collide with the long-forgotten opulence and wealth that were displayed by the upper-class in the early parts of the 1900s, making for an aesthetic that is difficult to refuse. The contrast between these two concepts is echoed in the collaboration between Erdem and H&M itself: a label that is designed for wealthier clients joining forces with a brand that is well-known and loved by younger, more economical fashionistas.

THE ACQUATIC DREAM OF THOM BROWNE

Spring/Summer 2018 Collection

It all started with a dream… This is the premise for the Thom Browne spring/summer 2018 fashion show, one of the most controversial and extraordinary of the season.

In the enchanting location of the Hotel de Ville in Paris, the American designer created a fairylike and ethereal atmosphere, evoking the pure fantasies of childhood. A constellation of beautiful and supernatural creatures, the show was articulated as a story, with different chapters and scenarios, recalling the dynamic that leads from sleep to dreams. In the room, a white big bed of chiffon and taffeta cradles two sleepy girls, modern Briar Roses dressed in haute couture, and, like a crescendo of underwater bubbles, they are led into the imaginary world of a fashion reverie.

REVIEWS | 32

The central salon, where the magic took place, was decorated with colour-changing spherical chandeliers, recalling the lost city of Atlantis, a watery symbolism which reoccurs throughout the show. To the nostalgic melody of The Little Mermaid’s 'Part of Your World', the show starts,

The Erdem x H&M collection marks the first time that Erdem has released menswear, which, for the collection’s runway, was mixed and matched with the womenswear line. Moralioglu explains that this is part of his mission of inclusivity for the collection, saying “Boys dressed up as girls, girls dressed up as boys... felt really inclusive.” While it may be less common to see men in ruffled, high-neck shirts, and gem-decorated earrings, it is worth noting that women have long been wearing tweed suits and silk pajamas that are supposedly made for men. This rather obvious choice aside, the extravagance of the collection ensures that it still manages to be a showstopper for any party or social gathering.

The price point of the collection is quite high, especially for regular H&M customers, with socks that cost €34.99 and scarves that cost €59.99.

However, Moralioglu justifies this by saying that he did not want to create fast fashion, even going as far as saying that he wanted to create the opposite of fast fashion, with pieces that would “feel relevant in 10 years, 20 years.” With the renewable fashion movement gaining more and more ground, this is perhaps the loudest message that Erdem has sent through its collection with one of the biggest fast-fashion retailers in the world.

WORDS BY DANIELLE OLAVARIO

and the runway is populated with dancing models and amazing dresses. The collection is a perfect balance between prèt – à – porter and haute couture, and the handcrafted clothes represent not only the extravagance of the designer, but also his ability to create original pieces for everyday life. Siren cut dresses and embroidered coats are alternated with alien dresses shaped like the melted mush of a destroyed sand castle.

A sensationally beautiful range of fabric was enhanced thanks to a cornucopia of vivid colours, from delicate and elegant pastels, to bright and flaming hues.

Closing with the cavalcade of a majestic and candid unicorn, the Thom Browne spring/summer show was an emblem of the powerfully imaginative world of fashion, where creativity is like a magical mechanism that triggers our hidden dreams and brings them to life. Between an aquarium and a planetarium, this show was the promise of an everlasting and inextinguishable beauty, the sign that a new avant – garde of designers is finally ready to emerge and shine in the Pleiades of a fashion universe.

WORDS BY ANNA MARIA GIANO

#MeToo Aoife Stephens offers her opinion on the viral two-word hashtag CW: Rape, Sexual Assault, Social Media

In the following days, thousands more have joined in, but this idea has been around almost a decade, started by US activist, Tarana Burke, who describes the movement as ‘empowerment through empathy’ explaining that there is healing amongst survivors in sharing their experiences and support with one another.

In the last few days, I have seen so many of my friends adding their voices to the online chorus of hundreds others. I have also watched people supporting and listening, while more still have needed to take a break from the onslaught of triggering details in order to take care of themselves. The numbers counted by Facebook and Twitter are staggering, but there are undoubtedly more who didn’t, or couldn’t say ‘Me too’. Those outside of the conversation may not have posted for a number of reasons: they may not be able to share that story with the world, they may not yet have even realised that the ‘uncomfortable situation’ they remember even amounted to assault.

“This is not the first time

that survivors of sexual assault and harassment have taken to social media armed with anger, hurt and hashtags, and I doubt it will be the last” The question has been raised about the repercussions of asking survivors to ‘out’ themselves to prove to the world that our suffering is serious enough to get the attention it deserves. It has been also argued that this puts pressure on people to acknowledge publicly their trauma before they might be ready. This issue of re-victimisation is real and there must be sensitivity in how we share and present material that can be extremely difficult to process, but also bearing in mind the solidarity and sense of ownership that can be found in telling your story, on your terms. This is not the first time that survivors of sexual assault and harassment have taken to social media armed with anger, hurt and hashtags, and I doubt it will be the last. #WhenIWas, #YesAllWomen and #IBelieveHer have all made waves but it’s disheartening to count how many of these similar campaigns have come and gone.

While it is easy to become cynical, there is a spin-off hashtag, which is more encouraging: #HowIWillChange. Where people, men in particular, post about how they will take action to challenge rape culture, citing challenging toxic masculinity, setting a better example for children around them and calling out demeaning or sexist jokes. This hashtag and also #IDidThat and #HimThough, aim to throw the shame and the responsibility back onto the perpetrators, where it belongs. It asks would-be bystanders to intervene and question the behaviour of others around them.

The issue of sexual violence is a gendered one, and while it is worth remembering that not all victims and survivors are women, that the conversation absolutely includes trans and non-binary folk, it is well established that men make up the vast majority of perpetrators. In a patriarchal society, they have the power to change the course of this narrative, and behavioural patterns in response to the outpouring of stories from those around them.

This is yet another vital, necessary conversation, gaining significant traction: however it must be part of a wider effort to combat rape culture on campus and across society. We must put the emphasis on creating an environment unaccepting of perpetrators as well as supportive and believing of those who choose to share their experiences of sexual violence. We must collectively make it clear that the situation as it stands must change. It follows that if so many of our loved ones are survivors, then we also know people who have violated someone’s consent, and that may even more uncomfortable. It is time to take the hashtags into our everyday interactions and create the atmosphere of consent we need and desire.

For survivors, though, the message is clear: you are not alone. We hear you, we are with you and we believe you.

Support Systems:

Dublin Rape Crisis Centre: http://www.drcc.ie/ 1800 77 88 88 Niteline: https://niteline.ie/ 1800 793 793 TCDSU Welfare Officer: welfare@tcdsu.org Student Counselling: www.tcd.ie/Student_Counselling/(01)8961407

WORDS BY AOIFE STEPHENS

The stigma of an issue like sexual assault is eroded by shining light on it, and the sharing of stories can be extremely cathartic for survivors.

It is great to see the solidarity and outrage, largely spurred on in reaction to the allegations against Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein.

However, it is not news that sexual assault is a massive issue. We know that most, if not all, of us have had these experiences: the guy in a club who won’t leave you alone, and keeps dancing on top of you until a friend manoeuvres themselves in between or you fabricate a boyfriend to make him leave you alone (girlfriends aren’t threatening enough). The boss who awkwardly hugs or suggestively brushes past you. That one friend who gets ‘handsy’ after too much alcohol.

Or worse, so much worse. Every story that is told is heartbreakingly familiar and one quickly realises that sexual harassment and assault are ubiquitous experiences, part of a web of inequality and permissive rape culture.

I have very mixed feelings on this topic, on

one hand I am thrilled that the issue of sexual violence is getting headline attention. However, much of my mind is preoccupied with reliving the trauma of my own experiences, and I have no doubt this is the case for many others.

While I realise that this movement has many positive impacts, social media is not a safe place for many with mental illness or trauma, but especially not for those who have experienced sexual assault. With every news outlet giving daily updates on the tweeting, pussy-grabbing megalomaniac across the Atlantic, and the weekly news about fallout from sex abuse scandals, largely perpetrated by rich and powerful men, whether in the entertainment world or in religious institutions, it is impossible to avoid the topic without living in a Wi-Fi-free cave. The conversation led by survivors though, is different, it takes some of the power back.

| RECIPE

W

e’ve all seen the hashtag campaign: it exploded after actor Alyssa Milano tweeted on the 15th of October: ‘#metoo Suggested by a friend: “If all the women who have been sexually harassed or assaulted wrote ‘Me too’ as a status, we might get a sense of the magnitude of the problem.”'

33

the collegiate kinkster Part two

"The deal with sexual fantasy is that it’s pretend. And when a fantasy is acted out, it’s done so between and among consenting adults" - Cheryl Strayed

S

hame. Judgement. Fear. There’s nothing that kills a sexy thought or encounter stone dead like that ugly little cocktail. Shame over what you want, judgement of yourself for it (or your lover(s) for wanting to share it with you), fear that you’re somehow gross or aberrant for wanting it. It’s a gut-wrenching cycle, so this month I want to offer you a hand through that crap.

Sex is where the primal stuff comes out, internalised or otherwise There are entire psych careers dedicated to figuring out the hows and the whys, but don’t let yourself get hung up on it. What gets you off is personal and it’s not something that other people should judge you for. There can be great emotional pressure from both ourselves and others about what’s acceptable to want, how and how often, but that’s all just more social control (rather than the fun kind of control!).

SEX |

Not every ‘dirty’ thought is something you might want to act on (either yet or at all), but that’s where the role of fantasy can come in. Your imagination - that powerful, private little theatre between your ears - is

34 La Nymphe Callisto, séduite par Jupiter sous les traits de Diane (1759)

the most potent aphrodisiac. There is absolutely nothing wrong with your thoughts and as long as there’s consent between you and your partner(s), there’s nothing wrong with what you do together.

Sexuality is fluid and constantly evolving and with the right partner(s), you can step outside yourself and explore taboo ideas, if you choose even the really murky, politically-charged stuff. Within kinky circles, sexual encounters are often referred to as ‘play’, or if they’re more elaborate, ‘scenes’. This idea evokes the theatrical, the make-believe and it’s pretty freaking liberating if you let it be. ■

FURTHER READING: http://therumpus.net/2010/05/dear-sugar-the-rumpus-advicecolumn-36-icky-thoughts-turn-me-on/ https://wearyourvoicemag.com/sex/ask-cam/askcam-respectablekink-ashamed

WORDS BY PEGGY SUE D. O’NYM

“Sex is where the primal stuff comes out, internalised or otherwise ”

CHECK US OUT ONLINE AT TN2MAGAZINE.IE editor@tn2magazine.ie /tn2magazine @tn2magazine @tn2magazine

35

36