VOL.XXV, Issue 7, OTwo

Volume XXV, Issue 7 26th March, 2019

NICOLA COUGHLAN Theatre, writing, and Derry Girls

PLUS: THE FORMALITIES OF THE FAVOURITE WHY STUDENT THEATRE IS STILL IMPORTANT

ORLA GARTLAND: HER MUSIC, HER HIATUS, HER YOUTUBE GIVING THE THUMB TO THE U.S.

OTWO VOL. XXV ISSUE 7 CONTRIBUTORS

EDITOR Brían Donnelly

DEPUTY EDITOR Dylan O’Neill

ART & DESIGN EDITOR Fiachra Johnston

OTWO CO-EDITORS Clara Brannigan Tara Hanneffy

ARTS & LITERATURE EDITOR Heather Reynolds

GAMES EDITOR Ash Gomez

FILM & TV EDITOR Emma Kiely

MUSIC EDITOR Aoife Mawn FOOD & DRINK EDITOR Shivani Shukla

FASHION EDITOR Shane Cullen TRAVEL EDITOR Fiadh Melina Brosnan

ONLINE OTWO CO-EDITORS Adam Lawler Ash Gomez

CHIEF OF ILLUSTRATIONS Freya Williams

CHIEF OF PHOTOGRAPHY Alex Fagan CHIEF OF VIDEOGRAPHY Orla Keaveney

STAFF WRITERS Rebecca Sibley Anne-Marie Lyons Andy Prizeman-Nolan Dayle Nolan Jack Knowles Emma O’Regan-Reidy CONTRIBUTORS Hannah Ryan Murphy Steve Cummins Conor Halion Nathan Young A.E. Quinn Greg Price Jess Viola Paurush Kumar Cormac Lehnen Sinead Dunphy

LETTER FROM THE

CONTENTS Arts & Literature 5-7 Games 8-9 Film & TV 10-13 A Chat With...

14-16 Music 17-20 Food 21 Fashion 22-25 Travel 26 APERTURE 28

EDITORS

Hello all!

We’re back and well rested after a much needed two week break. As you can see above, Tara and Clara enjoyed some light and relaxing reading recently! We hope you’re ready for this issue, because it’s a good ‘un.

There are lots of excellent points being made in the Arts and Lit section this issue, as the articles look at poetical culture in Ireland, the importance of student theatre and the issue of representation in literature. There’s also a brand new, original poem! Games looks at the Battle Royale trend in gaming, as well as a new review and a look at the Kingdom Hearts franchise.

This month, our Film and TV editor interviews an up and coming UCD student actor, and analyses our favourite TV couples and the things that make film audiences tick when it comes to the cinema. There’s also pieces that look at the techniques employed in The Favourite, and fanfiction’s journey from page to screen.

We hope you’re excited about the centre interview this month, because we are. Can you tell? Tara sat down this month to talk to the one and only Nicola Coughlan, aka Clare from Derry Girls. They chatted about the show, obviously, but also her background in theatre, and the importance of using your voice in an age of influence.

The music section is jam-packed this issue, with TWO interviews (Aoife did not come to play). She interviews the spectacular Orla Gartland and the creative Belfast trio; Beauty Sleep. It still has all the usuals like gig guide and an anticipated Hozier album review.

The food section will have your mouth watering while tweaking your curiosity to try new cuisines. There’s a piece on alcoholic beverages around the world if you want to brush up on your general knowledge. This month our global cuisine of focus is Brazilian, which surprisingly has a lot of similarities to Irish food (yes, you guessed it: potatoes).

This month in fashion, there’s a well anticipated piece on Karl Lagerfeld, highlighting some of this man’s better achievements and some of his more controversial views. The fashion shoot, as per usual, does not disappoint. We also take a flashback to Sarah Jessica Parker’s fab fashion moments.

Our travel section has something special in store this month, as we welcome our new travel editor Fiadh to Otwo.

Our Fatal Fourway is something relatable.. We’re talking debs. Whether you loved it, or you still bear the physical or emotional scars, our editors tell their stories, Tara especially begrudgingly.

That’s all from us for this issue our lovely readers. Be sure to catch us next issue as Tara and Clara will emotionally embark on issue 8. We’re not crying you are. Actually, we are crying too.

Until next time,

-Tara & Clara xoxo

Mystic Mittens Aquarius January 20 - February 18

Mystic Mittens can see you making powerful decisions that will have an impact on thousands of lives in the next month. Good on you for voting in the SU elections!

Pisces February 19 - March 20

You used that two-week break to sleep in and watch Netflix, despite the promises you made about ‘studying’, and ‘reading’, didn’t you Pisces? There’s still time to mend your ways.

Aries March 21 - April 19

Mystic Mittens hopes for your sake that your birthday happened to be during the break, rather than after it, because that would be kind of rough. Enjoy it, regardless!

Taurus April 20 - May 20

It’s time to take responsibility, and make mature decisions over the next few weeks. What we’re trying to say is that leaving your stuff in the library while you drink coffee by the lake for three hours is NOT COOL.

Gemini May 21 - June 20

Have you ever considered taking up some extracurricular activities?

Makes you more employable or something, apparently. Social media stalking doesn’t count though, sorry...

Cancer June 21 - July 22

You do realise that people get a notification when you view their Linkedin profile, right? Not so smooth now, Cancer.

Leo July 23 - August 22

Final year project or dissertation getting you down Leo? Join the club.

Virgo August 23 - September 22 Don’t give into temptation to have a chat with your friend in the middle of the library, you’ll be about as popular as the bus drivers that don’t stop outside UCD.

Libra September 23 - October 22 We noticed you have yet to have a golden week, but you have plenty of time to hang out in the society offices. We’ll sip some tea, while you drink your instant coffee.

Scorpio October 23 - November 21

Keep scor(pio)ing those good grades. *Winks*; you see what we did there...

Sagittarius November 22 - December 21

The stars have aligned for you this month, we watched you skillfully avoid a St. Patrick’s Day hangover with your pint of Dioralyte, your Granny was right all along, get those electro-lights into you.

Capricorn December 22 - January 19

Mystic Mittens is judging how loud you’re playing your music in the library. NO ONE wants to listen to Pitbull, let alone secondhand.

Soapbox: The 10th circle of hell: The gym Hannah Ryan Murphy

Everyone loves the idea of fitness, but the thought of actually going to the gym is horrifying. Why would we tone up when we could stay at home and eat chocolate instead? Meanwhile, those few daring soldiers among us who manage to drag ourselves to the gym find that our bravery is rewarded by broken machines, crowded workout areas and dodging anyone we know who could see us red-faced. Here’s a few examples of those irritating instances in the gym that make us even less inclined to go than we already are (and that’s saying a lot).

First up we have the show-offs: they’re already shredded to pieces and they know it, yet they take up every machine for 20 minutes while a queue forms waiting for them to finish. Why do you need to spend approximately half my life span on the lat pulldown when your arms are already as thick as my neck? It’s just unnecessary.

Next, there’s those who take weights, and then go on their phone for 10 minutes. It takes so much effort for you to actually go to the gym during your tight college schedule, so the last thing you want is to wait around for someone to get off Facebook and finally use those 4kg weights you need to finish your workout (you couldn’t possibly just use the 5kg ones, you’ve already punished yourself enough by coming to the gym without making it harder than necessary).

Finally, we have something specific to the UCD gym: being on the cross-trainer and making awkward eye-contact with the person opposite you. This is more uncomfortable than it sounds – if you haven’t been to this gym before, for some reason they decided to position the cross-trainers directly opposite the bikes, so when you’re DYING on the eleventh minute of your aerobics workout (or let’s be real, the first), you get the added pleasure of looking directly into the eyes of a person who’s similarly sweating on the bike. So embarrassing.

Yes, obviously people can see you workout in the gym, but to get through it you need to be able to believe that you’re invisible, and this makes that impossible.

Well, there you go, these are the worst parts about going to the gym. Was writing this soapbox just an excuse for me not to go to the gym? Or did I do it to subtly brag that I must’ve gone to the gym many times to notice these things?

We’ll never know. But either way, the point still stands: can someone PLEASE move the cross-trainers to face the other way?! My thanks in advance.

OTwo

Alumni Corner: On Wednesdays, we distribute.

Steve Cummins, Deputy Editor Vol IX

Wednesday mornings were my favourite. You’d first drop a bale of papers by the blob. Hands would dart in. You’d spend five minutes watching the expressions. More drop-off points, more bales. More reactions. By midmorning you’d be in the student centre waiting for the roar from the Union President. If at least one story didn’t raise a reaction, it probably wasn’t a great issue.

This was 2002-2003. I was the University Observer’s Deputy Editor working alongside the brilliant Enda Curran (now Bloomberg). Second only to publication day was production weekend. You’ll have read about those in these pages before – insane three-day rushes of non-stop work.

There was elation in pulling together a great edition for 14,000 students.

There were challenges and mistakes too. But mostly my five years with the paper were marked by learning and great friendships.

I began writing for the University Observer in 1998. Getting to write about my passions, music and film, was thrilling. Seeing my name and my words in print is a feeling I’ll never get tired of. I was hooked.

My first piece was an album review. The New Radicals. First interview was with The Charlatans. By 2001, I was O2 (Otwo) editor under then editor-in-chief Daniel McConnell (now Political Editor with the Irish Examiner), before leading ‘the editorial team’ (in much-maligned t-shirts) alongside Enda Curran.

The University Observer fuelled a passion that became a career. While I officially studied arts, in truth, UCD was where I studied journalism. I spent more time in the newspaper’s office than in a lecture theatre. I was lucky enough to be part of an era that produced a slew of talented writers. We learned together. Many are now in the national media. At least one ex-theatre reviewer has made it to Hollywood (Chris O’Dowd).

I have since had the privilege to write about arts and culture for NME, Irish Independent, Irish Times, The Sunday Times, Hot Press, Nylon and RTE, among others.

I’ve also worked as a news sub-editor, an assistant sports editor, a reporter and an online editor. I’ve made radio documentaries and written on everything from construction to health. Such a varied career has been necessary. Few of us, circa 2003, foresaw the impact that the internet would have on journalism. There have been many positives, but the negatives have seen job opportunities squeezed and commissioning budgets cut.

So in these somewhat gloomy times, I look back on those years with fondness. I left the University Observer thinking I knew everything about journalism. I couldn’t have been more wrong. But the paper gave me a great grounding and even greater friendships. I look forward to being one of those hands, picking up an edition, the next time I’m through campus.

What’s hot, what’s not

Hot

Chocolate - Easter is approaching, and that means an

abundance of chocolate. Count us in! (P.S.: Easter egg donations welcome)

The Irish music scene - Lads, it is absolutely hoppin’. New releases from Hozier, Soulé, Jafaris and so many other established or newcomer artists. Honestly, check out the ‘This is Ireland’ playlist on Spotify for some inspiration.

The spring flowers in bloom - Daffodils, tulips and

bluebells, how could you not feel a sense of overwhelming joy when you see them.. unless you have hay-fever and then you’ll feel a sense of foreboding.

Not

Plagiarism - It is the policy of College that plagiarism is frowned upon. You know who you are, you don’t have anyone fooled. There isn’t a Tribuneal you can plead your case to.

The weather - Seriously. ‘Mad March’ would be a good name to describe the carnage that we have endured for the last few weeks. Four seasons in one is the latest trend, it seems.

Slow walkers - People walking at a snail's pace through the

connecting tube between James Joyce and Newman: seriously, it’s freezing in there, hurry up!

OTwo - Arts & Literature

Out of the classroom and onto the stage: Why student theatre is still important Fresh off their run on the Dramsoc stage,

A.E. Quinn discusses the importance of student theatre from the backstage perspective.

It is no mere fantasy that student theatre can launch the careers of future critically acclaimed theatre practitioners. Household names such as Conor McPherson, Marina Carr, Amy Huberman and the infamous Chris O’Dowd all got their start in the comforts of our own drama society here in UCD. These famous Irish actors, playwrights, costume designers and technicians all emerged from hours of work in Dramsoc’s old home in the depths of the Newman basement, equipped with the skills that would launch their careers within the theatre industry.

In a country with a lack of practical theatre courses, the job of training the next generation of practitioners often falls on the volunteers of student theatre societies, such as UCD's own Dramsoc and Musical Soc. From script to stage, these students gain access to skills

Dramsoc alumna Consolata Boyle has been nominated three times for the Academy Award for Best Costume Design. She started her career in the Dramsoc prostups department, before studying costume design at the Abbey.

Irish Times theatre awards nominee Colm McNally got his start with DU Players as their Technical Manager. McNally now works as a lighting and set designer with a number of production companies. With many other rising theatre practitioners surfacing from the dark dusty realms of student theatre, it raises the question; without these societies where would they learn these essential, overlooked skills?

Just as there is no shortage of actors, there is no shortage of practical acting courses. From level 5 diplomas to level 8 Bachelor degrees, if acting is the path you want to follow, and if student theatre were to disappear, there would

“Without immersing themselves in student theatre, where could the next Boyle, Carr or McNally appear from?” that some pay thousands to obtain. Often self taught through trial and error, student theatre thrives off the backs of the often overlooked departments of stage management; tech; design and construction (D&C); and props, costumes and make-up (Prostups). These people put in intense hours of hard labour to achieve directors’ visions, with often little award.

However, their rewards can often come after graduation. These students leave their time in the theatre with skills that they can apply to theatre practice on a national scale. UCD

remain other ways to pursue your passion, albeit in highly selective courses. Besides student theatre, where can those interested in behind the scenes learn their craft? Without immersing themselves in student theatre, where could the next Boyle, Carr or McNally appear from?

With only one BA option at The Lir in Stage Management and Production open to a mere sixteen students, where else can students train in the technical element of theatre? While there are a handful of courses in sound design, there is an obvious lack of courses teaching lighting

design across the country. These courses often focus on lighting design for gigs and concert venues. I’m not sure about you, but as a drama student I can tell you there is a huge difference between a lighting design for a gig and one for a stage performance. Therefore, The Lir becomes pivotal to Irish theatre as Ireland’s only professional doorway into the behind the scenes element of theatre practice for many aspiring designers and stage managers. With this constraint in place, there is a clear spotlight on student theatre as a teaching tool for the next generation of practitioners. Allowing the space for those first steps is crucial to future careers in the dramatic arts.

Maybe the lack of third level courses in these areas stem from the fact that these areas of theatre practice often go unnoticed and are under-appreciated. However, these departments are vital to the success of a production. Without all the elements of set, sound, lighting, costumes, props, and stage hands there would be no difference between a rehearsal and an actual show, a fact that is often forgotten.

Without current department heads passing on their knowledge from year to year, the development of vital skills is lost. Without an educator to share hands-on practical experience Ireland would not have its acclaimed theatre scene. Without student theatre as an institution of self-learning, some of Ireland’s most famous theatre practitioners would not exist. Without the volunteers of student theatre this imperative transfer of knowledge would break down and there would be no next generation for Irish Theatre.

5

OTwo - Arts & Literature

Poetry

Balbriggan Belle Jack Knowles

Tossed into a Blunt light Everyone expecting: Squeezing Eyes A Crying Mouth Kicking Feet And New World Shivers Instead— Stillness.

Waves Howling.

Harsh silt Wrapping around Soft skin As tears bury The dead beauty.

Winter waves Wash Across motionless fingers.

6

Representation matters, but where does it matter most?

Nathan Young looks at how the issue of representation differs with context, and how best to make art that reflects society.

At a meeting of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) in 1967, at the height of the civil rights movement in the United States, Nichelle Nichols of Star Trek fame was informed that a fan wanted to meet her. Having already said she was going to resign from the show, she expected to meet just another Trekkie asking her to stay. When the Trekkie in question turned out to be Martin Luther King Jr, however, she took the request to stay on the show seriously. Black women had been featured across American media before Nichols many times. Characters like Mammy from Gone with the Wind or Mammy Two Shoes from Tom and Jerry show how previous representations had been somewhat typecast.

Nichols character, Lieutenant Uhura, was the communications officer for a spaceship, someone with authority and expertise above many of the white men on board.

In 2017, almost 50 years later, there was controversy over the casting of Scarlett Johansson as Major in Ghost in a Shell. The argument boiled down to whether it was “yellow face” to cast a white woman in a role that had been previously depicted to be Asian. This, however, misses a point made by Mamoru Oshii, director of the earlier Anime adaptation, who pointed out that race isn’t part of the story, and that Major’s ethnicity could be changed without impacting the narrative. It’s not as if Johansson was going to “yellow-up” á la Mickey Rooney. If it wasn’t racist caricature, then, the issue must have been something else?

During discussions about representation, two different arguments are often conflated, leading to a lot of confusion. The first is simply about numbers, which is that minorities need to be represented more than they currently are. The second is that minorities’ stories need to be told. While not unrelated to each other, the distinction is obvious. It’s clearly not the case that Major, a cyborg cop from the future, is an authentic Asian story. In a

different world, casting a white person would have been uncontroversial, but Asians are underrepresented in Hollywood, even as a small minority of the American population; the real issue is a lack of representation.

The difficulty with the argument merely for an increase in representation is that it’s an aesthetic solution to a systemic problem. Much like gender quotas in politics or boardrooms, there’s no guarantee that having more representation simply as tokenism is going to change anything. In film and TV, it could mean more roles for the few minority actors

“The dif ficulty with the argument merely for an increase in representation is that it’s an aesthetic solution to a systemic problem." who are famous, or even that more people of colour become famous; but it potentially means relatively little for the average person of colour on the street. In literature it could mean the same, with writers simply including more women and minorities in their stories.

A part of the benefit in having more representation is to give young people something to aspire to, or at least the knowledge that they aren’t that different. This is especially for LGBT+ people who don’t, in their youth, have the benefit of being part of their community or the guaranteed support of their parents. Another question is how the stories of minorities are told to the wider culture. It is pivotal to any text that a reader can identify with, or at least understand, the characters, meaning a well written character who is a minority can introduce a wider audience to the struggles and experiences of said group, and, if successful, lead to material and real improvements in the lives of said minorities.

OTwo - Arts & Literature

Poetry: A window into the past, a door to the future

Conor Halion looks back at generations of Irish poetry, and the impact it has had on our national identity.

“Ainmhí mé, Ainmhí alta.” – Géibheann, Caitlín Maude. Words most of us would be familiar with from our study of Irish during the Leaving Certificate. Here, Maude defines herself, as an animal, a wild animal. It is only by defining herself that the poet can go on to define the world around her. Ireland’s emphasis on poetry, song, and spoken performance have been ingrained in our society from its very roots, with the fílí of the ancient tribal kingdoms of the Tuatha, being a member of the aós dána (the skilled people). Fílí, the Irish word for poet, occupied a key position in the court of the Rí, king. This may seem strange until one considers that fílí translates less as poet, and more as “seer”. It was considered an undeniable fact among the ancient Irish that the words of the poet had the ability to affect the outcome of the future.

If a poet composed a ballad about the victories and virtues of the king, then his rule would be prosperous; however, if the king insulted the poet, he could compose a nasty rhyme about his faults and personal characteristics, the words of the poet could then affect the future and ensure the downfall of the king. This is the earliest known version of the ancient form of combat known as “a disstrack.”

Yet poetry is not only focused on imagining the future, but also in giving voice to the past.

Paula Meehan once remarked that one of the key responsibilities of the poet is to act as a voice of “communal memory” and I believe this can best be seen with our national poet, W.B Yeats. September 1913 is seething with the frustrations of a generation who have watched their nation’s dreams be murdered in the interests of monetary gain, with Yeats remarking that “Romantic Ireland’s dead and gone. It’s with O’Leary in the grave.” But we can also see the past and future mingled in Yeats’ later poem, Easter 1916 wherein he documents the immediate aftermath of the

1916 Rebellion. Yeats gives mention to the rebels, such as Pearse and Markievicz, but also anticipates the bloody civil war between the Free State and the Republic; “A Terrible Beauty is Born.” Yeats himself was an avid supporter of the arts and would go on to help found the Abbey Theatre, and later he would even serve as ambassador to the Irish Free State.

Yet Yeats is not the only poet to enter politics. Our own president, Michael D. Higgins, has enjoyed a successful career as a poet, as well as a keen human rights activist.

It is not surprising that we have elected a poet to stand as the representative of our nation on the international stage, given the poet’s dual ability to give voice to the past, and embody our hopes for the future. Ireland is proud to be called home by a number of award-winning poets: Oscar Wilde, James Joyce, W.B Yeats, John Montague, Eiléan Ní Chuilleanáin, and Paula Meehan to name but a few. However, I would argue that no voice better embodies the present that is Ireland today than that of Emmet Kirwan, author of Dublin Old School among other works.

Originally running as a play before being adapted into a film, the work’s form evenly moulds old forms with new, as between conversations between characters about alcohol, drugs and plenty of profanity, the main character waxes an inner monologue which wouldn’t be out of place in The Divine Comedy. Regardless of your take on the film, one cannot deny that Kirwan has inherited the same role which Yeats occupied decades ago: giving a voice to his community, in particular, a generation who seem to have a phobia of being sober. To reiterate my opening statement about Maude, the Irish poet’s power lies in their ability to define themselves, and it is only by defining themselves that they can begin to give a voice to the world around them, and like their spiritual predecessors, the Fílí, even change it.

“It is not surprising that we have elected a poet to stand as the representative of our nation on the international stage”

7

OTwo - Games

What the battle royale trend reveals about society As yet another battle royale title is announced for release The battle royale trend has completely taken over video games. It seems as if every major franchise right now is considering dipping their toes into these waters just to capitalize on the temporary popularity.

It is definitely temporary, as all video game trends are. All we need is for E3 to shove battle royale so desperately down consumers' throats, that we all suddenly get bored of it. Battle royale will still exist in some regard, of course, just as it had for several years before PUBG and Fortnite made it huge. It will follow the path of all the video game trends before it: intense popularity, then overexposure, followed by disdain from the general public. It will then fade out of the limelight to find its place alongside every other genre in video games -- not overly present, but not completely absent either.

Video games are a constant roller coaster where trends hop on and off at intense rates.

Some notable trends in the past have been simulation, sandbox, and augmented reality.

Virtual reality is slowly climbing the ranks at the moment, and I predict it will be huge as soon as VR equipment is as accessible as other gaming technology. Even if it doesn’t become the next big thing, something else certainly will.

Although trends have been happening since games have been played, the battle royale one is particularly interesting. Most people don’t realize that this genre can largely be tied back to a 2000 Japanese film entitled Battle Royale. This film revolves around the Japanese government rounding up teenagers and forcing them to fight to the death for

6

Ash Gomez delves into what this video game trend reveals about its players.

being unruly. For a while, this film was notable because many people believed that The Hunger Games had stolen its premise.

Regardless of the originality of the idea, The Hunger Games was one of the first huge sparks for the dystopian movement. The first film was released in 2012, a year that remains significant because many people believed that the world would end during this time. Dystopian fiction was wildly popular because it was outlandish enough to be fascinating, but it was also easy to envision our world with this filter. In the case of The Hunger Games, the setting was meant to be in post-apocalyptic North America, which left many Americans feeling that the chaos could hit too close to home.

In the years prior to this, zombies had become huge through Left 4 Dead and The Walking Dead, so it was clear that dystopia was picking up speed. But The Hunger Games did not pin societal problems on imaginary creatures like zombies. Instead, it planted it firmly on corrupt governments. Suddenly, things felt a lot less fictional.

Around the time of its release, The Hunger Games linked up with another cultural touchstone of the time -- Minecraft. The modding community created servers usually called Minecraft Hunger Games in which players were spawned into a huge circle. When the match began, you had the option to either risk sprinting at the chests in the middle of the circle, or else run straight into safety with no items.

Many people argue that this was actually

the game that inspired the current battle royale craze. Although it did not feature a depleting play space, many of these servers forced the last ten or so players to teleport to a different area and fight to the death. So, the concept was pretty similar to what it is today.

What made Minecraft Hunger Games interesting is that it took away the political edge that this genre had. Suddenly, you were one of 24 players forced to fight, but there was no reason for it. It was literally just a game.

And this still applies to games like PUBG and Fortnite, which don’t focus on backstory at all. There is no sinister organisation or sadistic madman behind these battles. The reason all these people are fighting is left to the imagination or else disregarded entirely.

In a way, it feels as though we have moved on from our acceptance that we live in a dystopia. We no longer care how it happened, or how to fix it, because it is out of our control.

Instead, we need to survive. The actual battle becomes more interesting than the politics that created it. The focus is on becoming the victor and living to see another day.

The act of fighting a large group of people for no reason other than you have to would have been a shocking concept before the millennium. Even though these games aren’t actually that violent (compared to what’s on the market anyway), it is easy to imagine the outcry from the message these games are sending just a handful of years ago. But today, we have accepted our gravitational pull toward dystopia, because it has begun to feel familiar.

OTwo - Games

"Kingdom Hearts": A captivating series with a catastrophic plot

Fiachra Johnston takes a look at Kingdom Hearts’ timeline, which is anything but simple and clean.

Mild spoilers for the Kingdom Hearts games below.

With the release of Kingdom Hearts 3, the franchise that originally brought the Disney and Final Fantasy universes together has been propelled back into the limelight. At a glance, it’s easy to see why so many fans are eager to return to the series that defined a generation of gamers. The familiar characters weaved throughout gorgeous landscapes, both original and based on some of the many Disney franchises and Final Fantasy locations, appear to be the main reason that the series is adored. Topped with accessible gameplay and some stellar sound design, it’s no surprise that Kingdom Hearts 3 broke franchise sales records in both the UK and US. It’s not all fun, games, and getting goofy on Destiny Island though. The lens of nostalgia is strong, but it can’t hide everything wrong with the series; the most notable problem being the fact that most of the time no one knows what the hell is going on. Considering the amount of longform YouTube essays you can find that spend thirty minutes trying to explain the timeline of a 14-game series that’s

“The characters are so personable and entertaining that, despite everything wrong with the timeline, it’s hard not to get invested in Sora’s journey." somehow only just getting to its third main instalment, it’s safe to say that the storyline of Kingdom Hearts is convoluted. Its fans have even jokingly adopted the term “getting ‘norted”, to describe the trope of the main

villain, Xehanort, possessing or inhabiting characters throughout the games, something that has happened upwards of thirteen times.

Even with the main villain pulling double/ triple/quadruple duty, and everyone and their mother trying to explain what’s actually going on plot wise, the series has never strayed from being one of the most popular series in gaming.

In a modern time where the earliest KH fans are all grown up, and single-player titles like God of War show how a poor story can make or break a whole game, how is it that Kingdom Hearts has never really suffered commercially because of it?

You can really boil its continued success down to one simple fact: Kingdom Hearts is just plain fun. As said before, the stylish combat, compared to other JRPGs, is engaging and easy to pick up. The characters are so personable and entertaining that, despite everything wrong with the timeline, it’s hard not to get invested in Sora’s journey. Besides, it doesn’t matter how old you are -- fighting hordes of the heartless in a fantasy RPG setting with Goofy and Donald Duck is sure to fill you with some ridiculous sense of childhood wonder.

It’s a series loved by both hardcore and casual gamers, by Disney fans and JRPG purists, by young and old, because it goes all out. Even if that means a ridiculous story, everything else about the game is so stylised and unique that it is easy to overlook while you’re taking everything else in.

Kingdom Hearts will always be infamous for its timeline, there’s no doubt about it. But it is also known for breaking the conventions of its genre, inspiring fans from different generations, and featuring some of the most visually and sonically appealing gameplay of the era. This franchise has cemented itself into gaming and pop culture history. Truly, you only have to understand some of it, to enjoy all of it.

Resident Evil Review: A welcome return to a beloved franchise Greg Price Developer: Capcom Platforms: PS4, Xbox One, PC Release Date: Januar y 25th, 2019 Since its inaugural release in the year 1996, the critically acclaimed Resident Evil franchise – especially the early games – has revolutionized the survival horror genre with its unique gameplay and its uncanny ability to build tension. This is especially true of its earliest games, making the most recent remake of the classic Resident Evil II a title with much to live up to.

Much like the original 1998 version, the player can choose between the campaigns of two different protagonists, Leon S. Kennedy and Claire Redfield, as they attempt to escape Raccoon City, a desolate cityscape that’s become infested with ravenous zombie hordes.

Though the remake stays as faithful to the original as it possibly can, it eschews the patented fixed camera angles that made the early games so tense, instead opting for the more conventional,

“The game has accrued praise, from both critics and the public, for its update to the original game’s graphics.” streamlined over-the-shoulder approach of the latter-day releases. The game has accrued praise, from both critics and the public, for its update to the original game’s graphics. Also, as with the original, the game excels at balancing action and tension. In a nutshell, the 2019 remake of Resident Evil II is a solid, and most welcome, contribution to the franchise.

9

OTwo - Film & TV

Hugh Carr: Aisteoir, fuirseoir, gaeilgeoir Emma Kiely sits down with Dramsoc’s Trainspotting star and aspiring comedian, Hugh Carr.

Dramsoc most recently produced and staged an adaptation of Irvine Welsh’s bestseller Trainspotting, a cult classic film starring Ewan McGregor, directed by Danny Boyle. At the centre of it is gaeilgeoir and Donegal native Hugh Carr. Known to many as “that hilarious guy in my English tutorial”, I got to sit down with the aspiring actor and comedian to talk all things drama, film and comedy.

Everyone in UCD was talking about Dramsoc’s Trainspotting and it’s no mystery why. Hugh combined the perfect amount of comedy and drama to climb into the iconic shoes of Ewan McGregor and bring Mark Renton to the UCD stage. Hugh was quick to tell me that it wasn’t easy work, “it was so intense, emotionally and physically draining, but so worth it and I would 100% do it again.”

The role was perfect for him as he says that he enjoys roles that embody elements of both drama and comedy. He enjoys the gratifying elements of drama saying, “you do drama and it’s so rewarding”, but it’s clear due

Prior to starring in the play, Hugh says that he has loved the film since he saw it for the first time when he was sixteen and “just used the play as an excuse to watch the movie as much as possible. I just love it.” Heroinaddict Mark Renton was a far stretch from Hugh’s own character, who not having an indepth knowledge of drug addiction, said that “everything that I knew about drug addiction, it was from PSAs and school. That was the extent of my information.” The play shed great light on the issue of drug addiction, with Hugh making a speech after every performance offering details of charities and organisations that help addicts and reminding us that this is still a prominent issue, not just something that existed in 1990s Edinburgh. Prior to college, Hugh was with the Letterkenny Youth Theatre for three years and the National Youth Theatre for a year. You can check out some of his amateur short films, including the masterpiece “Piña Collider” which chronicles Hugh escaping from a killer coconut.

writing comedy “it’s better done in teams”, as getting a second opinion on jokes makes for better content. He also says that you have to suspend your attachment to the first draft and “be willing to kill your darlings.” Hugh is also an aspiring comedian saying “I love doing comedy so much, it is genuinely the thing I’m most passionate about.” He cites Lee Mack, Dara O’Briain and the rest of the Mock The Week cast as comedians he likes, and one of his posts on the “Ireland Simpsons Fans” Facebook page has accumulated over a thousand likes.

When discussing the correlation between his acting and his studies, Hugh attests that the study of theoretical drama is extremely beneficial to any aspiring actor, “I think it definitely helps you understand the technical side of it.” He says it also helps in gaining a more cohesive understanding of the original text, because “if I want to do this as accurately to what the author was intending, it helps to understand what they meant.” Hugh likes to

“Hugh’s talent is not just limited to acting alone. He also ventured into directing, having directed the Irish-speaking play An Triail with Dramsoc last year.” to his comedic-like demeanour and constant joke-cracking, comedy is his passion. Hugh has been involved with Dramsoc since his first year, beginning with The Freshers Project and playing Master Boyle and Tom in Philadelphia, Here I Come, although he claims the character of Garr in that play is one of his dream roles.

Photo: UCD Societies Council

10

Hugh’s talent is not just limited to acting alone. He has also ventured into directing, having directed the Irish-speaking play An Triail with Dramsoc last year. Hugh also dabbled in comedy, co-writing and directing the Dramsoc pantomime with John Sherry.

On writing comedy, Hugh noted that when

stay as true to the text as possible, wanting to preserve the authenticity of the original text in his performances saying “I take whatever is on script.”

In terms of his favourite works, Hugh states Every Brilliant Thing by Duncan Macmillan is his dream theatrical role: “It’s one of the shows I would love to do so much.” The play is a one-man show, usually played by a comedian, the original performer being comic Jonny Donahoe, who discusses all of the reasons why his suicidal mother should stay alive. Hugh says it is the perfect mixture of comedy and drama and is an interactive play, calling for the audiences to list out some of the reasons for the mother’s will to live. In regards to directing, Hugh says that Freedom Of The City by Brian Friel would be his dream directorial project.

I asked Hugh if he had to adapt a film for the stage, which would one would it be. He suggested Nicolas Winding Refn’s 2011 picture Drive saying “I think you could do something really cool and stylistic with it.” Resorting back to comedy, he says “I would love to see a stage adaptation of The Thick Of It, the British governmental satire show, that sort of pressure-cooker comedy.”

In terms of his next movements, Hugh will travel to Belfast with Dramsoc for another run of Trainspotting and will be in a production of another Macmillan play Lungs back in Donegal. Hugh will be studying a masters in Irish Literature and Culture in UCD, so you have another year to check out his brilliant performances and stomach-aching comedy.

OTwo - Film & TV

Love on the small screen: Television’s best couples Jess Viola reminds us of three iconic TV couples that stole our hearts through the small screen.

Television captures some of the most iconic relationships, as these couples have broken and warmed our hearts throughout the ages. They inspire us as they give single people hope that there is the perfect person out there and for those in relationships, they accurately portray all of the highs and lows that all couples go through. So, here are some of the greatest couples on television that always keep us coming back for more.

MARSHALL ERICKSEN AND LILY ALDRIN

BRITTANY S. PIERCE AND SANTANA LOPEZ

REBECCA PEARSON AND JACK PEARSON

Marshall Eriksen and Lily Aldrin, or better known as Marshmallow and Lily-pad, are the definition of ‘couple goals’ in the sitcom How I Met Your Mother. While Ted’s hopelessly romantic love life has not always been consistent, Marshall and Lily are a constant source of stable love on the show. From college sweethearts to lifelong soulmates, this couple have stood the test of time throughout nine seasons of the show.

Although they have struggled with setbacks in the past, such as Lily leaving Marshall for an art internship in San Francisco or Marshall’s hasty decision to take a judgeship in New York; they always manage to come out on the other side stronger. One of the most appealing attributes that Marshall and Lily share are their cheesy traditions. For instance, they always dress up in a couples costume religiously for Halloween each year. Some of their costume highlights include a pirate and a parrot, Sonny and Cher, as well as spaghetti and meatballs. If dressing in a goofy costume wasn’t enough to show their love, they also solidified their relationship by renewing their vows in the final season of the show. Marshall and Lily without a doubt portray a healthy and loving relationship that always keeps us viewers hooked.

In the musical comedy Glee, everyone’s ears prick up for Finn and Rachel. However, best friends turned lovers Brittany S. Pierce and Santana Lopez give them a run for their money. These two lovebirds met in their high school cheerleading squad and later became members of the Glee club, which is where their relationship really develops on a deeper and more sincere level. At first, they had a rocky relationship because Santana was in denial about her sexuality, so as a result of this, she was always cold to Brittney who was willing to be there for her through her identity crisis.

Eventually, Santana felt she was able to tell her friends and family that she is gay, due to Brittney’s constant encouragement and support for her. Even though these two were on and off again for years, when the show wrapped up, this couple were destined to have a happy ending as they wedded in the final season. Brittany and Santana are an adorable couple as they express their affection for each other through music and turned their strong friendship into a beautiful and loving relationship.

It was love at first sight when Rebecca and Jack Pearson met in the TV drama, This is Us. Their whirlwind romance has warmed our hearts for three seasons now as we watch their relationship develop deeper and deeper as each the show continues. One of the best ways that their relationship is captured is through the countless flashbacks that are had on the show. These display some of the most significant moments for these two, as the audience is able to see from the beginning how perfect Jack and Rebecca are for each other.

From their first date at the carnival, to raising their three children, Kate, Kevin, and Randall, this couple have been through it all as equal partners. Jack and Rebecca are equal in every way as Jack supports Rebecca in pursuing her singing career, with Rebecca being there for her husband through his addiction to alcohol and his P.T.S.D. from the Vietnam War. While their relationship is not always ideal, they work together to make it the best it can be. Rebecca and Jack showcase all of the positive qualities of a relationship, trust, cooperation, and most of all, unconditional love and are one of the most remarkable couples seen on TV today.

So, forget Jack and Rose or Sandy and Danny, TV is dominated by couples that love each other just as much we love them.

11

OTwo - Film & TV

AUDIENCE PSYCHOLOGY and

CINEMA

Paurush Kumar analyses the psychology behind what gets audiences into the cinema seat.

It is no secret that the film industry is driven more by financial profit than for an artistic purpose, which results in many low-quality films. Until the late 2000s, the box office collection was driven by stardom more than high-quality content, as was evident with the financial success of movies like Transformers or Disaster Film. These films were panned by critics but were box-office hits. This suggests that some audiences are more drawn to films

by Hollywood names and high production costs rather than high-quality cinema.

If we take into consideration Julia Roberts’ Wonder, which opened to positive reviews from critics, and consider Roberts’ previous films that won critical acclaim but failed to garner numbers at the box office, we could have said that Wonder too would be a box office flop.

But when it went on to garner $305.9 million, we saw that the reaction among the audience was positive and that they were enjoying the time and money they had invested in the film. Hence, it can be said that the film worked at the box office because of the content, and according to reports from Netflix, the film was a digital success as well.

This suggests that the audience is positively switching from high budgets and spectacle to content driven cinema.

More recently, the failure of movies like James Cameron’s Alita: The Battle Angel,

“We observe that the majority of bad movies that work at the box office usually belong to the comedy genre, a common genre which might work because the audience appreciates something that is brainless and relaxing after a tiring day at work.”

12

Johnny Depp’s The Lone Ranger, and Shah Rukh Khan’s Zero suggests that audiences have finally begun to attend more to quality rather than a-list names and big budgets. Delving into the psychology behind the audience stepping into theatres, the emotional and the logical investment of the audience is something that is absolutely necessary for a film to get individuals to the theatres. We observe that the majority of bad films that work at the box office usually belong to the comedy genre, a genre which might work because the audience appreciates something that is brainless and relaxing after a tiring day at work. Hence, success can be attributed to movies of a poorer quality because of the escape it offers to audiences.

One of the primary reasons is expectation.

When a bankable film star appears on the silver screen, people seem to have expectations from the actor which must be met. When these expectations are not met and the audiences are disappointed, there is no footfall, and the film is a box office flop. This may not be the case if the film never casted a noticeable star and no expectations were generated to begin with.

Similarly, one of the major reasons for the failure of sequels is the audience’s expectations. Highbudget sequels to the franchises The Hunger Games or Lord of the Rings, did not receive the same critical reception as the original movies because they have expectations that have

to be met and which are set by the original installments themselves. Hence, expectations are one of the major reasons why sequels might bomb at the box office.

Films with big stars might also flop due to average content; because when a punter goes to the cinema, they expect get the value of the heavily priced tickets. The recent debacles of The Mortal Engines and ‘Thugs of Hindostan’ suggest that some audiences are absolutely not willing to receive any kind of poor or mediocre content at a high cost and need enough entertainment that at least compensates for their ticket price.

With the failures of their respective movies, the stars are now keen to stick to the genre in which they have been appreciated the most, to avoid any kind of failure. This has proved successful in the case of Dwayne Johnson’s movie Jumanji (2017), which was very successful at the box office. Similarly, the success of small budget movies like Trainspotting, BlacKkKlansman, American Graffiti, The King’s Speech, and Whiplash suggests that the film audience may prefer content over star power while holding a preference to see ‘massentertaining’ movies once every so often, even when some movies with mediocre content succeeds at the box office.

OTwo - Film & TV

Fifty Shades of feeble: Fanfiction on the big screen With the trailer for the Harry Style fanfiction adaptation sending girls into whirlwinds, on the page.

Fanfiction has been a thing since classical civilisation (see Eugammon’s Telegony), and through highs and lows, has been of huge importance to internet culture on sites such as fanfiction.net and Wattpad. While a large section of this fiction is of questionable content, both non-sexual and overtly sexual, whole sagas of content have been created by fan-turned-authors simply because they want to.

It’s only with the advent of internet culture becoming more mainstream in the 2010’s that the problems of adapting these stories arises.

With the release of a trailer for After, based on a series of Harry Styles fanfictions already garnering criticism; it begs the question why these fanfiction-based adaptations, while commercially successful, are critically panned.

The most famous adaptation known to the public is the Fifty Shades series, based on a Twilight fanfiction written by E. L. James, and looking at the series, you can already see the pitfalls that After has already fallen into. With the characters based on other fictional characters, or real life individuals, the main characters don’t have particularly well-

Fiachra Johnston debates whether or not fanfiction should stay

developed personalities, mainly self inserts for the sake of investing. This might work for novels, but does not translate to a characterdriven romantic film.

Kate Gardner of The Mary Sue describes the case of both After and Fifty Shades as not only ruining the credibility of the amateur writer on fanfiction sites, but fanfiction in general: “The last thing anyone needs is another story glamorizing abusive relationships and depicting them as signs of true love. There are plenty of Goodreads reviews absolutely tearing the book apart, so let’s approach it from a new

level: It’s not a good look for fic culture.”

Fanfiction has its awful pieces of storytelling, but the adaptations we’ve brought to the big screen don’t really scratch the surface of the medium. Whole novels are published online for free, purely for the joy of writing, for the love of a character or franchise.

It’s disheartening to see some of the more stereotypical, problematic relationship stories rise to the top, while some never see the light of the camera. Given how poorly these adaptations have turned out however, perhaps that’s for the best.

The formalities of The Favourite With The Favourite regarded as one of the best films of 2018, The Favourite (2018) is not your average history of Queen Anne. Directed by Yorgos Lanthimos, who gained recognition for his film The Lobster (2015), his newest release locates his eccentric, deadpan filming style in a period piece.

Lanthimos doesn’t shy away from disconcerting taboos in both theme and form. The Favourite, in particular, acquires peculiar camera angles to Illustration: Siobhán Slater

Emma O’Regan-Reidy pinpoints why it is such a masterpiece.

evoke this tale of female desire and ambition.

When asked by the Guardian about the film’s subject matter, Lanthimos explained that “[it] was just reading about these people, these women, how they related to each other, their personal history, especially Anne’s,” which caught his undivided attention.

His fascinating use of camera angles to

capture wide shots of sprawling gardens and fish-eyed views of the Queen’s hallway, displays his interest in evoking tone rather than simply displaying history. Though the story is rooted in fact, following the love triangle that emerged between Queen Anne, Lady Sarah, and a prodigal cousin, Abigail; Lanthimos adeptly adapts the textbook story into a tantalising visual for the 21st century. An interview by the Guardian described the film as “a bold portrayal of female power, in which women’s emotional and sexual bonds with one another move the gears of history as much as the political manoeuvres of men.”

Lanthimos effectively creates a new space for this lesbian narrative to take place.

The fish-eye lenses enhance the anomalous story-line of a romance between Queen Anne and Lady Sarah. The bulbous lens accentuates this. The viewer is continually confronted by the leading ladies and the spaces which they occupy in new ways. In scenes particularly concerned with feminine power dynamics, the choice of a tilted camera angle forces the spectator to look up to the actresses, augmenting their authority. Later on in his interview with the Guardian, Lanthimos explained that his films are provocative “to provoke thought and discussion and, you know, shake people up to start thinking about things in a different way.

I’m interested in messing with what they think is the norm.” Lanthimos succinctly messes with the norm, creating a poetically strange film in The Favourite.

11

AN INDIVIDUAL, ON HER OWN Derry Girls’ Nicola Coughlan

Tara Hanneffy chats to rising star Nicola Coughlan about her theatre work and the runaway success of Derry Girls.

OTwo - A Chat With...

Nicola Coughlan, who some will know better as Clare from Derry Girls, claims that it was her line from series one, episode one, “I’m not being an individual on my own!” that really attracted her to the script. But from chatting to her on a quiet Friday afternoon, it becomes apparent to me that Nicola is every bit the individual. Her bubbly personality radiates even through the scratchy telephone line, as she fills me in on her background in drama. It’s in the family, it seems. “I remember seeing my sister (she was in secondary when I was in primary),” she tells me, “and she was in Calamity Jane, and I thought that’s amazing, I’d love to be doing that, it’s so glamorous and exciting!” We both chuckle at this statement, because as we’ll see later on, the acting world can be anything but glamorous at times.

Nicola had her first professional job at 9, “I was an extra in a movie and I was feeding swans, and I thought ‘this is great, I get to miss school, this is class.’” As is the norm for many budding dramatic artists, she was involved in Dramsoc, and the Musical Society while in college in NUIG. After that, “I did a foundation course at the Oxford School of Drama, and following that I did my Masters at Royal Birmingham Conservatoire. So it was a long process.”

Moving on to the most pressing matter at hand, I’m keen to chat to Nicola about her best known piece of work, the hilarious Derry Girls.

Set in Derry in Northern Ireland during the 1990s, the show follows the exploits of Erin and her friends as they navigate the most pressing problems of teenage life, all with the backdrop of the Troubles. Nicola explains that when she first got the script in 2016, she knew right away who she wanted to play: “I was always up for Clare, it was never a possibility that I would go for any of the other roles . . . I remember reading ‘’I don’t want to be an individual on my own’, and I thought that is so funny, and it’s very rare that [a script] jumps out at you like that . . . but I thought that really encapsulates what it’s like to be a teenager, there was something about that writing that was so sharp and clever.” Clare is a very relatable character for many; but Nicola was attracted to the role because she reckons that she’s nothing like Clare. “It’s fun because I like playing characters that I’m very different to, so when I went back to playing her for series two, it was brilliant because at some point you put everything [the costume] back on and you don’t look like yourself any more . . . and Clare feels like a friend to me in a kind of a strange way. But it’s fun to be back because you’ve only seen 6 episodes with these characters, and there’s so much more that you can imagine them doing, that you can see them doing this time round, but it’s really exciting.”

She knew when she read the script that Derry Girls was the job that she had “most wanted, ever”, but even then, nobody could have predicted what a runaway success the show would become. According to The Belfast Telegraph, Derry Girls was the most watched show in Northern Ireland since the beginning of records in 2002, with “an average of 519k viewers in Northern Ireland and 64.2% share of the audience.” The series has also been streaming on Netflix, and series two is now running on Channel 4, and is as popular than ever.

Nicola reckons that the success of the show is down to a number

of things. “Well, I think that you’re never going to have a good show without a good script - it was so solid, you couldn’t poke holes in it.”

She also says that “Carla Strong, our casting director, she always makes sure just get the right combination of people, because they saw a lot of different people for all of the different roles, and spent a long, long time casting, making sure that all the characters seem like they’ve been friends for years and years.” The casting has been a huge element of the show’s popularity, as well as the vividly written and portrayed characters that Lisa McGee, the show’s writer, has created. “What she has done so well is that she hasn’t written them as stereotypes, they’re all very well rounded characters; the fact that Clare didn’t come out until episode six, it really gave you time to learn who she was. It’s not like ‘oh here’s the gay character.’ And the characters are based on Lisa McGee’s real life friends, and I think that gave it a certain depth.” Ultimately, she believes that it comes down to the fact that “everyone loves working on the show; from the cast to the crew, to hair and makeup, we all really care about it and I think (I hope!) that comes across when people watch it.”

Nicola’s talents extend beyond playing a jittery teenage girl from Derry, as she has starred in the Hulu original show Harlots, a drama set in 18th century London, where she worked with big industry names such as Samantha Morton, Liv Tyler and Lesley Manville. “I was lucky,” she says, “because you worry that when you get one really great job that that’s going to be it, and you kind of think ‘I’ve tried my luck here, and

"She knew when she read the script that Derry Girls was the job that she had “most wanted, ever”, but even then, nobody could have predicted what a runaway success the show would become."

and I guess that’s it now’. I was lucky, I got cast in Harlots before Derry Girls had come out, so it was reassuring to me that I could play a different character.” After finishing playing Hannah in Harlots, she then moved on to working on a play, The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie at the Donmar Warehouse Theatre in London, which she says was “amazing.”

“I’d always wanted to work somewhere like that, so get that opportunity was incredible. I’ve been very, very lucky.” The mention of The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie brings us to a topic that I really wanted to chat to Nicola about: the issue of body-shaming in the acting industry.

In 2018, Nicola wrote an article for The Guardian in which she called out a theatre critic for constantly commenting on her physical appearance. When I ask her about this, her tone of voice noticeably changes, and the inflection indicates how strongly she feels about this subject. “That blew up in a way that was very unexpected.

The reviewer had come to a show I had done before in Edinburgh, called Jess and Joe Forever, and had written a similar review where he didn’t review my acting whatsoever, he only reviewed how I looked . . . then

when it happened again at the Donmar (during The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie), I thought ‘this is so reductive;’ I’d had to work way too hard to get to the point where I’m at . . . and I thought how disappointing it is to have a man come and then only say ‘well she’s a fat character, that’s why I don’t like her.’” Nicola took to Twitter in order to call out this behaviour, and says that the reaction it received was “a bit overwhelming”, because “when you stand up for yourself, you run the risk of people turning around and being very cruel, and there was that, but there was so much more support.” When The Guardian approached her about writing a piece for them, she decided that was the ideal platform to raise the issue. “I didn’t want it to be turned into something it wasn’t; what I’m trying to say is that the size of my body doesn’t have any relevance to my talent or my work . . . I think that people need to know what’s ok and what’s not ok - and just come and review my acting! If you thought my acting was terrible that’s perfectly fine, I wouldn’t be able to take issue with that, or if you thought my accent was off, of course you could say that, but it doesn’t matter if I was 20 stone or 5 stone, it wouldn’t make any difference to what kind of an actor I am.”

Nicola continues to use her social media platform to discuss a variety of social issues and topics close to her heart, and I asked her whether she feels that it’s important to use voice in an age of influence. “I think we’ve been given an incredible platform we never anticipated the level of success that Derry Girls would have, we couldn’t have dreamt it really. That comes with a lot of pressure on the side; people are looking at you for what you’re going to say. I try to make a rule for myself, I won’t comment on anything that I feel I haven’t informed myself about. I went from 800 followers on Twitter to 38’000 in a year - and I thought that if I could try and use that for positivity and if I can stick up for people; it’s very tough for people who are part of a marginalised group in society, and they’re being shouted down, but if I could add a positive voice to

that mix, I’ll try.”

Nicola’s success has rocketed very rapidly, but she’s not taking any of it for granted; she’s too aware of how much work it has taken to get here. “You’ve got to be very hungry in this job, if you don’t really want it, there’s 10 people standing behind you who want it more, so you have to be very tenacious,” she muses. “But rejection is also such a part of it, but I don’t know if people see that enough.

I get rejected from jobs all the time.

People always say ‘oh you must be fine now’, and no, it’s constant, there’s no ‘making it’.

I remember hearing Judi Dench saying that she was just happy that people were still hiring her, and that’s Judi Dench!” Despite this, something tells me that we’ll be seeing lots more of Nicola on the stage and screen in the future.

"If you thought my acting was terrible that's perfectly fine, I wouldn't be able to take issue with that, or if you thought my accent was off, of course you could say that, but it doesn't matter if I was 20 stone or 5 stone, it wouldn't make any difference to what kind of an actor I am."

16

Derry Girls series two is showing on Channel 4 now.

OTwo - Music

ALBUM REVIEWS

Photo: Austin Maddox

Meghan Trainor

The Love Train

Hozier

Wasteland, Baby!

These New Puritans

Emma Kiely

Cormac Lehnen

Jack Knowles

Let’s face facts, Meghan Trainor doesn’t exactly have a reputation as a songwriter that equates to that of John Lennon or Joni Mitchell. However, her latest EP of six songs, titled The Love Train doesn’t fail in serving you a few catchy songs to brighten up your Monday morning commute.

Fresh off a love buzz after her wedding to Spy Kids star Daryl Sabara, the songs epitomise the romantic genre, especially the second track 'Marry Me', which is accompanied by a music video of their wedding.

First is 'All The Ways', an uplifting pop tune recounting 'all the ways' her husband loves her. The song doesn’t have the most emotional lyrics but is a cute tribute to her relationship nonetheless. Second, is the aforementioned 'Marry Me' and then, 'I’m Down', a slower song but with a bop-along backtrack. Accompanied with a chorus consisting of a backing choir, it has slightly more substance than the earlier tracks.

'After You' serves as the ballad of the collection. With an emotional backing piano, it is the “slowest” of the songs. 'Foolish' restores the fun party theme and will surely pop up at many a girl’s pre-drinks Spotify list; a perfect background song for taking stories for Instagram. The EP finishes off with 'Good Mornin’, in which she is joined by her father Gary on the piano.

All in all, the EP is a sweet testament to young love and marriage and will fit perfectly to fan-made video edits of celebrities couples they ship; it's just not exactly Grammy-worthy.

After a five-year hiatus, Hozier returns with his highly anticipated second album. Pressure looms large after the success of his first release to create something that does not feel imitated yet embodies the magnitude of its forerunner.

So, does Wasteland, Baby! live up to his illustrious debut? Or does it fall asunder to the sophomore slump curse?

Hozier joins forces with powerhouse vocalist, Mavis Staples, on the opening track, ‘Nina Cried Power’. Charged with righteous political anger it carries the spectral presence of ‘Take Me to Church’ while also feeling like a transitional moment for the singer.

Hozier’s distinct voice and astute poetic lyricism shines through the 14-track record.

His religious and mythical references blend with his Cathedral-like voice that create a quintessential “Hozier” experience. Both delicate and boisterous Wasteland, Baby! is a well-crafted album that balances cohesion and variety.

A great album throughout with strong production value, its highlights include ‘Movement’, ‘To Noise Making’, ‘Shrike’, ‘Talk’, ‘Would That I’, ‘Sunlight’ and ‘Wasteland, Baby!’ which perfectly ends the album.

Hozier’s staple style is woven into the very fabric of his new project and breathes new life into his repertoire. With his roots and reverence in old school rock, gospel and soul, Hozier creates something meaningful and compelling, proving that he is a force to be reckoned with.

Sonic apocalyptic orchestral vibrations cut through Inside the Rose, the new nine-track album by experimental duo These New Puritans. There fourth studio album to date, that follows from their eerie cinematic album Field of Reeds; saw a shift in the band's musical style shifting from heavy drum pounding to a more hypnotic orchestral flow.

The new album was recorded between Berlin and London, with mixing in LA. The majority of the album was recorded in a former Soviet Union broadcasting studio in Berlin’s industrial suburbs. The release also follows the band having produced the music for a theatrical adaptation of Aldous Huxley’s novel, A Brave New World. The grimy industrial tones from Cold War Berlin and dystopian chills of Huxley’s novel form a harrowing atmosphere for the album.

The duo achieves this through release pulsating drums, sonic strings and wailing vocals that echoing throughout. The allusive lyrics and tone featured often in the work of These New Puritans are embraced once again.

Found in tracks such as the standout track ‘A—R—P’ with lyrics such as “this is not a dream/ this is really happening”, and on ‘Inside the Rose’, with lyrics expressing that “nobody knows.” The album serves as an expansion and development of the style of their music exploring new, but good, nightmarish sounds.

They certainly succeed in expanding their style and claim in ‘A—R—P’ “Let this music be paradise”.The album certainly acts as a brilliantly bizarre paradise.

Inside the Rose

17

OTwo - Music

Musical Misogyny - How the ‘Me Too’ movement is making us look at the music industry Sinéad Dunphy

Sexual abuse and intimidation have become commonplace in most industries but particularly in entertainment. In light of the ‘Me Too’ movement, many claims have been made against some of the most powerful people in the industry yet, not much has been done. The ‘Me Too’ movement came to prominence following numerous allegations against Hollywood executive producer Harvey Weinstein which served as a watershed moment. Countless women and men have since come forward in every industry to call out abusive and predatory behaviour from those in positions of power, and the music industry is no exception. Several music executives and artists have faced allegations of sexual abuse and harassment since the rise of the ‘Me Too’ movement. From Russell Simmons, Charlie Walker and LA Reid to R Kelly, Ryan Adams, and Nelly. Unfortunately, the accusations have had little legal consequences and therefore have affected little change.

A high-profile case preceding the popular rise of the ‘Me Too’ movement was that of Kesha and producer Dr Luke, whose record label she is signed to. In 2014, Kesha sued Dr Luke in an attempt to void her contracts with him, as she alleged that he “sexually, physically, verbally, and emotionally abused” her. Dr Luke

this toxic behaviour, including the lack of women in power to change the hedonistic, sexist environment of the industry. Female representation has historically been poor and despite some positive growth in the area, the figures still remain overwhelmingly unequal. An undeniable factor at play here is the gender bias against women in a culture which prevents women from succeeding and overcoming injustice. According to Billboard’s list of the 100 most powerful people in the music industry, only 17% were female, up from 10% in 2017. This is encouraging but women still have a long way to go until they’re on equal footing.

The corporate world of the music industry is dominated by male executives like Jimmy Lovine, David Geffen and LA Reid. Women like Julie Greenwald, COO of Atlantic Records and Ethiopia Habtemariam, President of Motown Records are paving the way for women at the top, but the industry remains a boys’ club for now.

The dismissal and disbelief of sexual abuse allegations in the music industry is no doubt perpetuated by our sexist culture. From misogynistic rap and pop lyrics (think Robin Thicke’s Blurred Lines), to the use of women as props in music videos, sexual abuse and objectification of women has been normalised.

"Female representation has historically been poor and despite some positive growth in the area, the figures still remain overwhelmingly unequal." countersued shortly after. Kesha’s appeal was dismissed by the judge who deemed the claims insufficient to constitute “extreme, outrageous conduct intolerable in civil society.” From dismissals to settlements, this is how it usually goes for powerful men who continue to excel in their careers with few consequences.

R Kelly was recently charged with sexually abusing four females, three of whom were underage at the time of the alleged crimes.

From his 1994 marriage to 15-year-old singer Aaliyah, to the 2002 child pornography charges and now this; Kelly has a long history as an alleged abuser. Yet his career has managed to survive thanks to his loyal fan base. Singer-songwriter Ryan Adams has faced multiple allegations so far this year from female musicians he was involved with both romantically and professionally. Women like his ex-wife Mandy Moore and musician Phoebe Bridgers, have accused Adams of emotional manipulation, wielding his influence in the music industry over them to get what he wants.

No legal action has been taken against him and while he has cancelled some gigs following the accusations, he will likely emerge unblemished from the situation, as most of us will forget about it.

There are many possible reasons for

18

Frank Benton of SHS University conducted research on the topic finding that throughout popular music videos, “misogynistic scripts are continually being produced that reinforce stereotyped misogynistic expectations by both men and women”. This is most prevalent in hip-hop. In the 100 most popular music videos on YouTube in 2014, there were 137 instances of misogyny in Hip-Hop videos.

These misogynistic displays are a product of our society but are now adding fuel to the fire, furthering the distrust and objectification of women.

Misogyny, sexual abuse and intimidation in the music industry are common but clearly, extremely harmful both to the victims and the audience. The music industry is merely a microcosm of society at large; reflecting our patriarchal norms. The industry selfperpetuates these problems through its power structures and messages portrayed in its art.

It’s a vicious cycle. Something needs to change, but what? Consumers and executives alike must take action. Consumers can have considerable power by choosing who to give their money to.

Equally, there needs to be a radical overhaul of the industry from within, purging its predators and abusers. Change is possible but only if we call for it.

OTwo - Music

Gig guide Rebecca Sibley SUNDARA KARMA 28 MARCH THE ACADEMY

A virtual chat with Beauty Sleep Cheylene from Belfast trio, Beauty Sleep, tells ever and the five items that define them.

Aoife Mawn their plans for the future, their best gig

You came together at a house party, how did you know that your different sounds and influences would all gel?

There was a lot of chat about music that night, so we definitely knew we had the same kind of influences! Also, me [Cheylene] and Ryan already knew each other and had written some songs prior to the party, so we already knew there was something interesting there.

We didn't overthink any of it though. I think at every point, me and Ryan writing songs; meeting Aimee and forming a band; it just felt right. We joke a lot about how we kind of tried to 'woo' Aimee into being in our band after meeting her, rooting through her Spotify playlists, liking her posts, orchestrating ways to hang out with her, I even think we cooked her dinner at one point!

Beauty Sleep recently performed at the Output festival. How did you find that experience?

It was amazing and hectic! A really packed out and lively show, lots of dancing! It was the first show we've played since announcing our album as well, so we were really excited to let rip with the new songs and got some really lovely feedback.

Who are your biggest influences, and which of them would you most like to work with?

We all love St. Vincent. She's such an inspiration!

If we got to make an album with her we wouldn’t know what to do with ourselves. Grimes, Tame Impala, Phoenix are all amazing as well, but influences and inspiration for our music come from everywhere, all our experiences and the awesome people in our lives.

What is the best gig you've played?

extra players and it was the first time we'd played some of the songs on the album, which was thrilling. Plus the whole night was an epic celebration. So much fun!

What's your plan for the summer? Are you playing festivals alongside touring the new album?

Summer plans are to play as many festivals as possible and enjoy ourselves as much as possible! We were in the studio so much last summer that we're really excited to be OUTSIDE this year, enjoying the release of our album.

Have you finished the album yet? How would you describe the sound?

The album is done! We're so excited and proud of it. It’s about being kind to yourself and others and trying to be a good human, which is why we called it Be Kind. We put in a lot of effort to explore and showcase as many sides of the band as we could, so hopefully it takes people on a journey. There's a lot of dreamy synths and groovy bass lines, a lot of harmonies and percussion.

What other Irish bands are you loving at the minute?

AE Mak, Pillow Queens, CATALAN, Girlfriend, Ryan Vail, KILMANANA, Son of the Hound... too many to mention, to be honest. This island is full of talent!

Finally, if I wanted to summon your spirit, what five items would I burn in my cauldron?

British four-piece Sundara Karma are bringing their upbeat but slightly cynical indie rock to Dublin this month for their first ever Irish headline show.

Touring off the back of the release of their latest album, Ulfilas' Alphabet, Sundara Karma has risen quickly from being a support act for bands like the Wombats to establishing its own well-deserved place in the indie scene. A band of talented twenty-somethings who don’t take themselves too seriously, Sundara Karma boasts a repertoire of seriously catchy tunes.

Tickets from €28.01 Check it out if you like: Catfish and the Bottlemen, Blossoms, Circa Waves

THANKS BROTHER 5 APRIL THE WORKMAN’S CLUB What’s in a name? For this Dublin-based duo, their name was derived (after much deliberation) from Peter Dinklage’s blasé response when one of the members approached him to express his love for Game of Thrones. However, this humble origin story doesn’t quite match their powerful sound which layers Róisín O’s fiery vocals over a rich and atmospheric soundscape. Even though they’re a fairly new band, the experiences of both members in previous musical careers has brought a maturity to their style that exceeds the handful of songs they’ve released so far.

Tickets from €14.50 Check it out if you like: CHVRCHES, Metric, MS MR

BEAR’S DEN 10 APRIL THE ACADEMY Bear’s Den may have moved away from the folksiness of their earliest music since the departure of the banjo player from the band, but even with the introduction of synths and drum loops they stay true to the emotional core that has characterised their music since the very beginning.

Still a band of sensitive folk-singers at heart, their time on the festival circuit has allowed them to develop a huge, stadium-filling sound, allowing them shine especially in their live performances.

Plus, sometimes the banjo makes a reappearance for their most popular songs.

Tickets from €24 Check it out if you like: Ben Howard, Mumford and Sons, Frightened Rabbit

Juno synthesizers, colourful bath bombs, gin, blueberries and a lot of curse words.

Best gig - our label’s fourth birthday party in Elmwood Hall last December. We put a lot of work into the production, brought in some

19

OTwo - Music

Why is Orla Gartland like this?

MusicianYoutube star Orla Gartland discusses with Aoife Mawn her hiatus, her tour with dodie and how YouTube is no longer a platform for the up and coming musician.

Amidst the carnage of the ‘UCD Power Outage of February 2019’, I managed to get a call through to Irish singer/songwriter Orla Gartland, who has just wrapped up the European leg of a tour supporting dodie, of YouTube fame. Orla herself also found her start on the platform, posting her first video aged 13, and it was through YouTube that the two became friends. While YouTube kickstarted their careers, Orla doesn’t see it as a viable option for up and comers; “It’s not what it used to be, I wouldn’t really advise new people to post on there anymore. There’s definitely a need for a new platform.”

Gartland took a three year hiatus from releasing music, coming back last year with new single ‘I Go Crazy’. This year, she released the first single from her upcoming EP, the relatably titled ‘Why Am I Like This?’, recounting her experiences with social anxiety. “It was a collection of stories I’ve saved over time,” she tells me. “I was on the Tube in London and I saw a girl crying. The Irish girl in me really wanted to go over to her and ask if she was okay, but I didn’t want to go against the London etiquette.” She references this instance in the song, describing how by the time she plucked up the courage to go and talk to her she was gone. The writing process, she mentions, took place over “a few sittings” and the song was initially “more wordy, with different verses.”

The single precedes her forthcoming EP, due to be released in May, with the next single coming the first week of April. She describes the EP as a “concept piece”, in which the four tracks all tie in together to tell a story. “The promo shots have been done in like a yearbook style, kind of going with the theme of the tracks; a very specific time in your life.”

Currently on tour with dodie, Orla remembers the Warsaw show as a highlight; “Poland is off the beaten track in terms of European tours, they’re so grateful when you do play there that they want you to feel all the love.” The fans have been a highlight of all the shows so far, she tells me, organising surprises amongst themselves, such as all wearing party hats at a recent gig. They play Vicar Street on Paddy’s day, and Orla says the touring team are expecting her to provide big things with our illustrious nightlife. “They’re all Brits so they’re all asking me where I’m taking them! I haven’t lived in Dublin since I was eighteen so I’m

struggling.” I suggest Workmans or Blackbird, but she reckons the tourists will want to go to Temple Bar, even if they do get robbed for a pint there. Either way, she misses Dublin for its nightlife. “I didn’t go out all that much, but I still miss pubs not closing before 11,” she laughs. “I also loved the Ruby Sessions in Doyles.”

Before her three year hiatus from releasing tracks, in 2015 Gartland was flying high with the release of her EP ‘Lonely People’ and the radio hit title track . When I ask her about why she took so much time away, she pauses before telling me about what made her realise she needed the break. “I was playing The Late Late Show, which made my granny very happy!

But as I watched the clock countdown before performing ‘Lonely People’ I just felt like the song wasn’t me anymore. I felt like the project ran away from me and all I wanted to do was stop, while everyone else wanted me to keep going.” It was this feeling of dissatisfaction that lead to her deciding to step back and “take stock”, she says. “You have to live life to have anything to write about, and that’s what I decided to do.” While she continued to play live shows, particularly in a supporting role, she stepped away from recording her own tracks, instead learning how to produce, and becoming more comfortable in that role.

“I didn’t think anyone would still be around when I came back.” she admits. She was wrong to assume so; ‘I Go Crazy’ has surpassed two million streams on Spotify.

Following the tour with dodie, Orla is embarking on her own tour of the UK and Ireland, supported by Tessa Violet. “I prefer playing smaller venues, even though that sounds like the convenient answer because we’re playing smaller venues,” she says. “It’s easier to connect with an audience that way; there’s not as much pressure.” She plays The Soundhouse, upstairs in The Wiley Fox, on April 11th (“Is it not called The Pint anymore? I really have been gone for ages!”)

Before we wrap up, I have time to ask her two all important questions. What five items would I have to burn in a cauldron to summon her spirit? A guitar, her journal, coffee utensils, sriracha sauce and her passport. As for her best dad joke? “What do you call a woman who stands between two houses?” Wait for it…

“Elaine.”

“...as I watched the clock countdown before performing ‘Lonely People’ I just felt like the song wasn’t me anymore. I felt like the project ran away from me and all I wanted to do was stop, while everyone else wanted me to keep going.”

20

OTwo - Food

Your guide to global cuisines: Brazilian Dive into sweet, salty, and savory flavours of the Brazilian kitchen with With the rise of immigration, there is a change in Dublin’s ecosystem, with an exciting plethora of new cultures, attitudes, and foods. Here are some ways to expand your palate while keeping under budget.

While Brazil itself is the fifth largest country in the world, throughout the country you can find the continuity of a simple yet delicious dish: rice and black beans. Often turned into feijoada with the addition of pork, this classic meal can be found almost everywhere. This

Summer Marsh

dish, while appearing plain to the untrained eye, is packed with high protein and healthy carbohydrates to keep you full the entire day.

Yet another even more versatile kitchen staple to have is tapioca. Made from cassava, tapioca comes as a white powder with a neutral flavour and low in calories. One way to prepare it is by pouring thin crepe-like amounts into a pan on high heat and cooking it like a pancake. Fill it with cheese and ham to have a savory treat, or to satisfy a sweet tooth, add

strawberries and cream. Apreciar!

What’s better than cheese and bread?

Brazilian pão de queijo, which literally translates to cheese bread! While Brazil shares Ireland’s affinity for dairy, they have gone a step further and created this masterpiece of a dish. You can try this treat on your own by stopping by a Brazilian market such as O Brasileiro Shop on Capel Street and Brazuca’s on Parnell Street, and snagging a bag of the pre-made flour. Add two eggs and some cheddar, roll into balls, and bake until it’s a soft gold for perfection.

Recreating these exotic dishes at home may seem intimidating but Irish and Brazilian kitchens can overlap in more ways than one.

Tea is loved internationally, and if you’re courageous enough to stray away from your Barry’s and Lyon’s, try Matte Leão and gain bragging rights about how cultured you are.

If coffee is more your style, pick up a package of Pilão and never sleep again. An article about Brazilian gastronomy cannot be complete without mentioning the king of all soda drinks: Guaraná. A can of this can double as an energy boost (and rumors say aphrodisiac). Sugary sweet, it epitomizes the alluring appeal of exotic treats.

While Brazil is an ocean away, you can explore its food culture through your kitchen.

Sweet, salty, or savory, you can find something to fall in love with in Brazilian gastronomy.

Drinks around the world

Greg Price explores the world of liqueurs beyond beers and whiskey.

Most alcoholic drinks – be it beer, wine, gin, vodka or whiskey – can be made almost anywhere without incurring challenges to their nomenclature. But, some drinks can only be produced in their country of origin.

France is known for its impressive output of fine wines. What people may not be familiar with is that it also produces absinthe, an extremely potent anise-flavoured spirit. Anyone who’s ever had sambuca will undoubtedly find the liquorice-y taste of ‘the green fairy’ very familiar. France is also known for its liqueurs, such as the herbal Benedictine and the orangeflavoured Gran Mariner, both of which are used extensively in cocktail bars around the world.

France does not hold a monopoly on European liqueurs. In addition to wine and grappa, Italy has an extensive laundry list of liqueurs that are produced all over the country.

The most popular is Campari, a dark-red bitter aperitif which is a vital ingredient in classic cocktails like Negroni. Another Italian liqueur that is often used in cocktails – particularly in American ones – is the almond-flavoured Amaretto. For something sweeter and fruitier, there is Limoncello, a lemon-flavoured liqueur.

Asian countries have their own national libations as well. Japan has sake – a rice wine – and a distilled spirit made from long-grain rice called awamori, which is indigenous to the region of Okinawa. South Korea has a ricebased distilled spirit, soju, which is very popular with both locals and tourists. The southern

Asian countries (such as the Philippines) share a colourless distilled spirit with India called arrack, which is most commonly made with either coconuts or sugarcane depending on the region.

Since the prohibition, the States has become renowned for their bacchanalian culture. Apart from bourbon and the many varieties of beer, the US is notorious for producing moonshine: a largely outlawed, high-proof spirit that is essentially unaged whiskey. Though reduced-proof commercial versions can be found in liquor stores, the most authentic moonshine is made independently (and illicitly) in rural areas like the Appalachian

Mountains or the East Texas backwoods.

South American countries also have their own national drinks. Brazil has a national spirit, Cachaca, which is made from fermented sugarcane and is the basis for the Caipirinha, the country’s national cocktail. Trinidad, an island off the coast of Venezuela, is home to the Angostura Bitters, which are the most commonly used bitters in cocktails, without which neither the Old Fashioned nor the Manhattan would be possible.

These exotic liqueurs are sure to make any party more cosmopolitan, with literally a world of possible concoctions.

21

REST YLED

REMAS TERED

Breathe new life into your wardrobe this spring with a collection of stylish staples

It’s time to talk about the elephant in the room: fast fashion. Each season we look at fashion weeks across the world to see the latest trends, with the expiry date on clothing becoming shorter each time. This issue of Otwo we’re putting the pause button on fast fashion, showing how to work with simple pieces in your wardrobe. This photoshoot was made possible with a helping hand from Dublin’s Siopaella, where founder and CEO Ella de Guzman is a big advocate of sustainable fashion. With three stores across Dublin and a website, there’s plenty of opportunities to grab a pre-loved bargain.

- Shane Cullen, Fashion Editor

Stylist: Shane Cullen Photographer: Alex Fagan Models: Emma Kiely, Emma O’ReganReidy

Clothing kindly sponsored by: Siopaella, 8 Cecilia Street, Temple Bar, Dublin 2. www.siopaella.com

OTwo - Fashion

THE HAND BENEATH THE GLOVES THE LEGACY OF KARL LAGERFIELD

Full of bon mots, controversial opinions and contradictions, Karl Lagerfeld’s legacy is almost impossible to dissect, If reports are anything to go by, the last Chanel show fashion legend Karl Lagerfeld worked on was a thing of beauty. Set in a wintry wonderland with garments that could only have been approved by the man himself, the elegant and poignant show carried on with admirable restraint. Celebrities chimed in with warm tributes to Lagerfeld, including Donatella Versace, Lily Allen, Florence Welch, Diane Kruger, Victoria Beckham, and Rihanna. The media, meanwhile, has been hemorrhaging think-pieces about his controversial less-thanbon mots. The dissonance between blind praise and critical lambasting would have anyone’s head spinning, trying to discern the truth of the man behind the shades, but it would never be easy to deconstruct the life and persona of Karl Lagerfeld.

Lagerfeld was most likely born between 1933 and 1938, his actual age still hilariously shrouded in mystery, and quickly went from innovating with Fendi’s fur, to taking a defibrillator to a flagging Chanel, a decade after the passing of their iconic founding monarch. He never had a signature style or garment one could credit him with birthing, but his presence at the summit of fashion and his consistency in creating line after line of spectacular fashion was legendary in itself. Just as consistent was his heightened projection

Acknowledging his influence and reputation, it is confusing for a man who had his finger on the pulse of fashion for the whole of his career to be so willfully ignorant in so many areas. The man made up for the lack of a distinct style by cultivating a wildly controversial and contrarian public persona, and it worked for him. The same man who once said that “the secret to modelling is not being perfect” also described women as “the most perfect doll[s]”, constantly degraded women’s bodies, called Adele “a little too fat”, insulted Pippa Middleton’s looks and was consistently islamophobic. He sketched an anti-semitic Harvey Weinstein caricature, used real fur until his belated conversion to faux in 2010, said that porn was for poor people… the list, unfortunately, goes on. PETA were most accurate when they, after pie-ing him in 2001, called him a “designer dinosaur.”

The idea of separating art from artist has allowed us to excuse the worst traits of the most influential artists because of how these very traits birth the most valuable art. This remains utter crap. Should Michael Jackson’s stunted, abusive man-baby tendencies be glossed over because they resulted in iconic music imbued with child-like wonder? Should Lagerfeld’s harmful beliefs be put down to simply being over the top, an attribute reflected throughout

“People are and always will be more important than art, especially when that art is funnelled through a blinkered and exclusionary vision” of self; with his affected uniform of slim black silhouettes, ever-present sunglasses, white hair and starched collars, he was a stretchedout high-fashion Tim Burton character ripe for parody and remained so until his death.

24

his design oeuvre? People are and always will be more important than art, especially when that art is funneled through a blinkered and exclusionary vision.

There’s also the possibility that Lagerfeld’s

Adam Lawler writes.

controversial persona was all an act, as he admitted in 2007. This would make sense and also make the situation a whole lot darker.

Lagerfeld’s success wasn’t an accident; he famously wanted to ascend to a place where he could exert power over the industry, imperiously looking over his kingdom with his beloved cat Choupette on his lap like a Bond villain’s pet. As The Guardian said, good taste can only take a person so far, and as with his slightly vulgar design excesses, he channelled a personality he knew would keep him relevant.

This may seem harsh, but Lagerfeld has always been a complicated figure to parse, perhaps existing in the shades between blinding white hair and void-black sunglasses.

The truth is, he was a mess of contradictions.

He used real fur but never wore it himself, and never ate meat. He was a man who bullied others for their looks while hiding his hands in gloves because his mother called them ugly when he was young. He was a man who harboured backwards views while preaching that fashion is “about all kinds of change” and ridiculing those who can’t get with the times by saying that “it’s not the days that are old, it’s you that’s old”. He was a gay man who was against marriage equality and harboured a tonne of internalised homophobia, allegedly swore off sex after his partner died of AIDs, yet hired high-class escorts because he didn’t like having sex with people he loved.

The most definitive thing to be said about Lagerfeld is that he was a fashion icon who was progressive at the time but no longer reflects the landscape of the industry, and should no longer be held to the standard of the picture of sartorial deity he painted for himself. If that self-portrait is to remain on the walls of the fashion hall of fame, stoic and refined in a gilded frame, let him at least appear with his gloves off.

OTwo - Fashion

Fashion Flashback: Sarah Jessica Parker

Red Carpet Review: The Oscars 2019

Emma O’Regan Reidy reviews Hollywood’s haute couture at the 2019 Oscars.

The outfits on the red carpet are arguably the highlight of any awards show and tend to be discussed more than the awards or the stars themselves. On Monday, 25th February, the 91st Academy Awards were held in Los Angeles, showcasing the latest and greatest fashion ensembles of the new year. From Tom Ford to Tiffany, this season’s red-carpet style was the best yet.

Pastel blues, dusty primroses, and mauve-y lavenders were popular colour choices of the evening. Laura Harrier and Charlize Theron both wore powder blue gowns by Louis Vuitton and Dior respectively, the cool hue supplemented by delicate silver jewellery and diamonds. Jason Momoa and Lisa Bonet not only synchronised their outfits in delicate pink tones but also paid tribute to Karl Lagerfeld in their coordinated couple attire. Momoa’s suit was a custom design by the late designer, and Bonet’s tea-length dress a latest selection from his Fendi couture collection.

Winnie Harlow was pretty in pink at the Vanity Fair After Party in which she wore a multifaceted tulle gown. Though not wearing a pastel, SZA equally impressed in a white, asymmetrical draped dress, accessorising with an ethereal messy bun and diamondencrusted choker. Albeit her and Kendrick Lamar’s nominated song, ‘All of the Stars’ was not performed or a winner of the night, she still exuded her usual dewy confidence.

Jennifer Lopez caught attention in a dazzling, fitted Tom Ford piece, composed

of embroidered mirror mosaic design.

Similarly, Emilia Clarke donned a cinched, metallic Balmain gown framing her figure with matching chain-linked jewellery. Kendall Jenner stole arguably the most attention in what W Magazine referred to as a “couture loincloth.” The barely-there Rami Kadi gown was composed of dripping black sequins detail, allowing the highest-paid supermodel of 2018 to show off both of her legs.

If anyone was going to dominate the Oscars red carpet, it was going to be Lady Gaga. Opting for a black Alexander McQueen gown with matching satin gloves, Gaga also wore a Tiffany diamond necklace worth $30 million. Cosmopolitan cites Audrey Hepburn as an undeniable influence for the star’s look.

Fortunately for the A Star is Born actress, teardrops don’t easily show on black.

Emma Stone arrived in avant-garde attire, perhaps emulating her uncanny role in Yorgos Lanthimos’s period-piece: The Favourite. The Louis Vuitton gown consisted of amber jewels, however the striking peaked shoulders may have been a bit of a reach. In regard to notable men’s pieces, Spike Lee, wore a bold, custom purple suit as a tribute to the late Prince. Billy Porter made an even more striking entrance to the Vanity Fair Party, wearing a courageous tuxedo dress. The piece was constructed with a 3-piece tux on top and finished with a dramatic, inky floor-length skirt, the perfect touch of drama for the Oscars.

“Opting for a black Alexander McQueen gown with matching satin gloves, Gaga also wore a Tiffany diamond necklace worth $30 million.”

Shivani Shukla Sarah Jessica Parker once said, “style is what you make of it.” This seems to have been the style mantra of the actress, who has always been associated with rather remarkable fashion choices. Be it her television alterego Carrie Bradshaw, with her bottomless trousseau of dramatic clothing, to the lavish red-carpet appearances, SJP has never disappointed in being the talk-of-the-town.

From her 90s debut walk down the startrail in floor-length chic maxi gowns that dominated that decade, to her appearance in an unforgettable nativity-scene headpiece at the 2018 Met Gala, she has always had something special in store.

Parker might as well be called the personification of New York City, with her iconic looks matching the city’s varied persona. She has worn every pretty-girl clothing, from summer-y pulled-out-ofthe-wardrobe gowns, to chunky pantsuits, and managed to look fabulous. Her style is dominated by oversized, chunky pieces on one hand; and flowing, shimmery numbers on the other. Both forms have lent her lean silhouette an almost second, larger outline.

Outrageous outfits like her extravagant headpieces for Met Galas befit her more

“Parker might as well be called the personification of New York City with her iconic looks matching the city’s varied persona” than any other actress known.

In stark contrast to ‘the SJP’ style, her everyday wear is focused on comfort and practicality. On an ordinary day, Parker dons the mom uniform of jeans and cardigans, yet manages to look as posh as ever. SJP is indeed a timeless fashion muse, and the fact remains: only SJP can combine an old-school mini-veil with a statement black dress at a funeral while looking sombre.

25

OTwo - Travel

GIVING THE THUMB TO THE U.S

Reggie Murphy gives an account of his eventful hitch-hiking adventures in the United States.

On 1st May 2018, a budding young traveller with a heart full of adventure and a mind void of experiences left his temporary home in Kingston, Ontario. 21 years of educational institutions and following a year of study abroad in Canada, our friend Reggie was excited to break from the system, even if only briefly. The journey followed him from Kingston, around the east coast of Canada, down to New York City, west to Montana, back to Calgary and west to Vancouver. Over the next six weeks he would meet over fifty kind souls offering their wheels to aid in his journey. He would sleep in urban forests, mountains, a native American reserve, a ranch and most importantly for the story to follow; an illegally docked sailboat in New York City.

Arriving in NYC a few days earlier, Reggie didn’t expect the city to be one of the pinnacle points on his route from east to west. Starting NYC on an interesting note, he stayed with a street poet called Bill, who made a living from selling poetry on the street off his vintage typewriter (the cliché of NYC is alive and well lads). However this story isn’t about Bill, it’s about a man Reggie met, named Dave, later to be coined Crazy Dave.

This online pitch would have Reggie sleeping on a private sail boat for ten days on the Hudson. Responding to the ad, Murphy cycled an hour across New York, reaching an abandoned rail track which led to an alley under a bridge (no red flags at all). As promised, there was Dave with his four sailboats, beers and a BBQ apparatus. The afternoon was spent drinking beers and jamming on Dave’s guitars.

Having nowhere to stay, Dave offered up one of his idle sail boats to Reggie who accepted the offer with the warm embrace of a toast to one another.

Days later, while the sun was beating down a scorching 30 degrees, the dynamic duo decided this would be the first day of Reggie’s sailing career. Ignoring the fact that the weather was to turn fierce after 5pm, the men were more concerned with having a good time.

An Australian girl, Ashley, whom Reggie had met in Canada some months prior joined them.

After a morning of preparation and getting the

26

cooler stocked, it was time to cruise down the channel towards the Statue of Liberty. Amidst a haze of boat engines, cans and the river breeze, Dave spoke up. “Hey man, you wanna try sail this thing?” He proposed to a tipsy Reggie, who nobly responded, “Well I’ve no idea what I’m doing but if you shout me commands I’m down.”

So Reggie manned the sails, dealing with the knots and being flung about by the waves bouncing off the boat. The two shouted back and forth, something not very different from a movie scene, catching only every second word or so. Some time passed as Reggie wrestled with the ropes, but to his surprise, they suddenly caught the wind and the boat cruised along with its mast standing proud. City skyline to the right, Statue of Liberty on their flank and…a huge black cloud in front of them.

“Help!” Ashley shouted towards the nearby island as the rest of the sky turned from a tropical paradise to a bitter black. The waves rocked the boat and the masts tipped almost parallel with the water. “GET THE SAILS DOWN! GRAB EM!” Dave screamed from the hull.

Reggie, the top sailor he was, struggled with the masts to bring them down and prevent the boat from tipping. The anchor was thrown over and suddenly the engine jammed.

They were stranded. Ashley continued her shouts for help but Dave silenced her and tried to think of a plan of action. Reggie sat quietly at the bow of the boat, wearing nothing but a pair of luminous green shorts, laughing at the ridiculousness of the situation.

After a distress call, an NYPD rescue boat came speeding towards the marooned boat. Words were exchanged and after a failed attempt for a tow, Ashley boarded their boat.

She grabbed her bag, stepped on to a boat rail, and like a fish out of water, floundered herself across the open water only to faceplant the deck of the NYPD boat. Blood fell from her scrunched face and the two men watched gobsmacked, but soon followed.

Ashley ended up with two stitches. Dave and his boat were safe. Reggie had himself filled with a lust for the adventures to come!

OTwo

Fatal Fourway Debs: best night ever or criminally overrated?

Aoife Mawn – Music Editor:

My Debs was a rollercoaster of emotions. Highs and lows all round.

First, I won Debs queen, a highlight of my secondary school career, and despite not getting a much wanted tiara, I revelled in my free shot and the drinks that were being handed to me as congratulations. While still on this high, we crossed the road from where we were having our meal to the nightclub where the rest of the party was going on. As I walked in the door, delighted with my new title, I spotted the guy I’d been seeing casually for a few months shifting my best friend’s brother’s date - in the doorway, for all to see. I stopped dead in my tracks and stared, but quickly composed myself and carried on with my night. In retaliation for this, later, I got with my long-time crush (who came out as gay a few months after). I also blew the entirety of my €70 budget, but found €20 on the dancefloor and €50 on the floor at breakfast. My night ended holding back my friends hair while she puked into her doggy bag on the bus. Was it the most eventful night of my life? Absolutely.

Heather Reynolds – Arts and Lit Editor: The Debs were the most criminally overrated night

of my young life. Under eighteen, living my rockabilly fantasy, and woefully sober (the venue didn’t stock gluten free beer, also, underage drinking is bad), it was far too long, far too warm, and the food wasn’t even good enough to justify the amount of time I spent explaining to the waiter exactly why I couldn’t eat the pasta dish. As the token sober person of the night, I broke up two fights, spent half the night walking people in higher heels to the bathroom or smoking area, and had to deal with every person I’d had a minor falling out with since Junior Infants wanting to “bury the hatchet” after they’d downed their fifth vodka cranberry. This included the twink who called me out publicly in a Paris underground for unfriending him on Facebook. Plus, my year was too coupled up for any single person to even attempt getting the shift without risking being called a homewrecker. After they finally freed us from the basement club we’d been locked in at five in the morning, the only thing in the complimentary breakfast I could have was coffee. It’s not an experience I’d relive again sober, much less for €75.

Emma Kiely – Film and TV Editor:

It’s a hard question to answer as it relies on one’s own expectations. I, being brainwashed by rom-coms and guy-gets-girl high-school films, thought that I would ride off into the sunset with the guy of my dreams after the debs. Not so much.

Around a week before the boy’s school debs I was asked to be a date, by a guy I had never even set eyes on before. He asked me because our dads were in business together and he must have had a creep on my Facebook page. I did think it a little odd but hey, any excuse to spend extortionate amounts of money on clothes and self-pampering, not too bad.

We met for the first time at his house on the day of the debs. He was nice, I was drunk. A perfect combination for plutonic comradery, but for romance, not the best vibe. Now, if my life was applied with the rules of films, we would have fallen in love at first sight, have a great night and ride off into the sunset. In reality, we parted ways after the dinner, and never saw each other again. The most romantic part of the evening was a handsome

Tara Hanneffy – Otwo Co-editor:

Ugh, the debs. To this day, I’ve never understood why some people always went to such extortionate lengths to get themselves invited to every debs in the county. And I’m being serious; there were some folk in my year at school that practically had a career as a debs date. Anyway, I’d easily call it the most overrated night of my life – I had more fun at Arts ball in first year. Understandably, I was really excited the first time around. I couldn’t wait to get dolled up, get loads of pictures taken, and dance the night away. Then I had to sit through the average dinner; watch people get escorted out for drunken behaviour FAR too early on in the evening; suffer many, many hours being locked in the Palace nightclub in Tullamore; listen to some guy drunkenly sob that he’d spilled his pint on a speaker and endure the stench of vomit in the bathrooms all night. I did all this sober, and the appeal very, very rapidly wore off. And the worst part? I had to repeat the whole sorry rigmarole the week after: same date, same venue. Same torture.

Illustrations: Samaneh Sadeghi-Marasht

27

APERTURE #7: “No school like the old school”

Submitted by: Fiachra Johnston

Submitted by: Ekaterina Gillen

Submitted by: Dylan O'Neill

Submitted by: Aoife Mawn Want to be in future installments of APERTURE? Check our Facebook page for each issue’s theme Submit your photos to design@universityobserver.ie

Submitted by: Doireann de Courcy Mac Donnell