Having a song stuck in one’s head can be an excruciatingly irritating experience. Yet, over the past month, I have found myself delighting in the fact that Claire Ridgely’s lyrics, “All I ever wanted was a kick of serotonin” have not left my mind. This wildly relatable sentiment—particularly in today’s[Read More…]
Articles by Deana Korsunsky
Accessing local arts scenes—TikTok style
Most Montrealers are familiar with the vibrant, animated entertainment cornucopia that is its arts scene. With safety restrictions suspending live performances, artists have had to adjust to the hindrance of lockdown life. Creatives, however, are by no means taking a break from showcasing their art; from comedy to dance to[Read More…]
Wavelength Winter Festival kicks off with a virtual bang
On Feb. 20, Toronto-based music festival Wavelength welcomed virtual attendees to the first show of its series. The non-profit arts organization has celebrated emerging artists for over 20 years, featuring local performers at the forefront of its events. This year was no exception: Toronto-based Zoon and Montreal-based Maryze and Backxwash[Read More…]
Celebrating Black artists from Montreal’s music scene
Montreal is home to a famously vibrant music scene, one that is indebted to Black culture and music. Black musicians have made major contributions to the local music community, especially in the realm of jazz in the 20th century and continuing in all genres today. In honour of Black History[Read More…]
From the Faculty of Arts to Hollywood producer
A Scotsman, whiskey executive, McGill alum, screenwriter, and producer walk into a Zoom meeting—well, tune into a Zoom meeting. No, this is not a set-up for a fascinating punchline; it is a delightfully accurate description of The Queen’s Gambit co-producer, Allan Scott, who joined Television McGill’s (TVM) public Zoom Talk on Feb.[Read More…]
Caroline Monnet welcomed as McGill’s first Indigenous Artist in Residence
On Jan. 28, artist Caroline Monnet presented a virtual Artist Talk as McGill’s first Artist in Residence. Co-organized by the department of Art History and Communications Studies (AHCS) and the Indigenous Studies and Community Engagement Initiative (ISCEI), the event marked not only the beginning of Monnet’s residency, but also a[Read More…]
‘Bridgerton’ prioritizes aesthetics over sensitivity to sexual violence
Content Warning: Sexual violence. It is a truth universally acknowledged that Shonda Rhimes churns out hit TV dramas faster than you can say “Shondaland.” In collaboration with Netflix, Bridgerton is Rhimes’ latest endeavour in cultivating a mass fanbase—already charting as the number one Netflix show in 76 countries. The hit series[Read More…]
Stuff we liked this break
This holiday season was a weird one. With not much to do and three extra days not to do it, binging a new series on Netflix or getting lost in a good podcast wasn’t so much an option as it was a necessity. As always, the team at A&E took[Read More…]
The McGill Tribune Presents: THE BEST AND WORST OF 2020
TV SHOWS 1. The Queen’s Gambit Netflix’s smash-hit scripted limited series follows Beth Harmon, an enigmatic chess prodigy. The twist? Harmon has had a tranquilizer addiction since she was child, a plot point that carries both her chess career and the binge-worthy nature of the show itself. 2. Normal People[Read More…]
COVEN brings the witching hour to Twitch
In March of 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic locked down the world. As a result, eight months later on Nov. 28, I found myself standing alone in my room and being sworn into the COVEN by two drag queens on Twitch. “We are a coven. We are here to support each[Read More…]
What we liked during quarantine: Horror edition
Midterms, elections, pandemics—there’s a lot to be scared about right now. But living in a red zone for the past month, confined indoors, and toiling through online university has only made these spooky movies even scarier. Now is the perfect time to take a break from real world scares and[Read More…]
‘Emily In Paris’ is poised off of an idealized Paris
Netflix’s latest release, Emily In Paris, is a plethora of generic tropes, teeming with cultural stereotypes, questionable outfits, and overused plot lines that induce eye-rolls from even the most charitable of viewers. I binged it in two days. The show revolves around 20-something-years-old American marketing extraordinaire Emily Cooper, played by[Read More…]
‘Just For Laughs’ online festival finds laughter amidst a pandemic
On Oct. 9 and 10, Montreal’s annual international comedy festival Just For Laughs (JFL) debuted its first online and free iteration since its beginnings in 1993. Typically scheduled for two weeks every July, the festival was postponed to October due to the COVID-19 pandemic, shortening its usual offerings to two[Read More…]
Mark your calendars, Tanner Armstrong’s ‘Gay Agenda’ is taking over
When Tanner Armstrong, U3 Arts, joined TikTok, he did not expect to build a following of over 54,000, let alone an online 2SLGBTQIA+ community. Yet, when a comedic video he posted this past August went viral, the idea of a “Gay Agenda,” initially just a shared Google Calendar of comedic[Read More…]
Dancing with the starring suspect
“Dancing the Paso Doble with her partner, Pasha, it’s Carole Baskin!” boomed the faceless announcer of Dancing With The Stars. Cheers and literal roars erupt as the camera pans to a man in a cage, then, to a woman opening it. As the opening chords of Survivor’s “Eye Of The[Read More…]
Stand-up comedy in a stay-at-home world
The COVID-19 pandemic has halted the regular bustle of Montreal life, and with it, halted its entertainment industry. Cirque du Soleil was forced to lay off 95 per cent of its staff; music festivals, including Osheaga and Ilesoniq, were postponed; and even the world-famous comedy festival, Just For Laughs, was[Read More…]
What we liked this summer: Pandemic edition
With the start of virtual classes, it feels like we’ve been jolted out of a limbo. Still, with Netflix binges about to be replaced by Zoom classes, we can at least say that our five months indoors have given us plenty to watch, listen to, and read. The pandemic aside,[Read More…]
Creating laughter, and space, from silence
Montreal has always been a city that loves to laugh. It is home to the world-famous Just For Laughs comedy festival and has become a hub for open-mics, weekly stand-up series, and even the occasional underground show. It rarely matters what day of the week it is, for somewhere in[Read More…]
Canada’s literary rock star pays a visit to Montreal
Dark green lights illuminate the walls and ceiling. Hundreds of people cheer and applaud. “I’m sorry, this microphone must be broken,” a man in front of the audience exclaims. “I said we have Margaret Atwood here tonight!” The applause in response is deafening. On Nov. 12, critically acclaimed novelist, poet, and[Read More…]
Montreal does the Time Warp again
One rarely has the opportunity to throw toasted bread or toilet–paper across an elegant theatre venue—rarely, but not never. From Oct. 31—Nov. 2, Cinéma Impérial hosted its annual Rocky Horror Picture Show Halloween Ball, inviting audiences to partake in said toast and toilet–paper throwing mischief. The decades-old Halloween tradition drew[Read More…]
Man’s best friend and musical inspiration
I was six years old when I first heard the terse, yet bluntly delivered question: Who let the dogs out? It was the audition song of choice for the Big Bad Wolf on Shrek Idol, a post-credit interactive game on the Shrek 2 DVD. “Who Let The Dogs Out” by The[Read More…]
What we watched this winter break
Arriving home for winter break in the typical post-exam fugue tends to make the inevitable holiday burnout all the more severe. Everyone knows that those few weeks between semesters are best spent binge-watching movies in sweatpants and resisting the urge to hit refresh on MyCourses—at least that’s how we in[Read More…]
Montreal’s ‘The Dropout! Show’ series continues to impress
A heavy-metal concert venue might seem like an odd place to host a stand up comedy show. Juxtaposed with light-hearted laughter, however, the skulls embedded in Katacombes’ walls only served to enhance the already wildly-funny night that was The Dropout! Show. Thursday’s event was the eighth installment in a monthly series[Read More…]