Criticism rained down on the 76th Primetime Emmy Awards this past weekend. Only six months after the previous Emmys in January, the ceremony felt repetitive. However, the Emmys have increasingly devoted airtime to recognizing marginalized communities; the Sept. 15 ceremony marked historic wins for Shōgun’s Hiroyuki Sanada and Anna Sawai,[Read More…]
Pop Rhetoric
‘The Bachelorette’ has lost the plot
Jesse Palmer’s piercing gaze finds me through my computer screen as he tells me, “Tonight we’re going to watch something that we have never seen before in Bachelor Nation history.” I groan. I’ve spent more hours of my life than I would like to admit watching ABC’s The Bachelor, The[Read More…]
Invasive fans have GOT TO GO!
Should rising artists expect the harassment that comes with fame? Chappell Roan, a 26-year-old rising pop artist from Missouri, thinks not. She’s not a human billboard, and as she has made abundantly clear in recent interviews and social media posts, she is not willing to tolerate obsessive fandom culture. The[Read More…]
Trigger warnings: Are modern audiences too soft?
Language is one of the most illusory human creations. We trust that words will remain objective and unchanging. Thus, we are often ignorant of the ways they can distort before our eyes. In a momentary sleight of hand, a word’s meaning can slip away, adopted anew by generation after generation.[Read More…]
Cash grab or uninspired choice? Deluxe editions of albums are both
Typically as an artistic or stylistic choice, deluxe editions of albums are released a few months or so following the initial album drop, expanding upon the original record with the inclusion of more songs. With (relatively) recent examples such as Olivia Rodrigo’s GUTS (spilled) (2024) and Tyler, the Creator’s CALL[Read More…]
Can Matt Champion move beyond his boy band past?
A quick look at the Y-intersection’s collection of baggy pants, tiny sunglasses, tote bags, and ironic baseball caps indicates an unspoken truth—many of McGill’s trendiest students may have been fans of Brockhampton in their heyday. The “best boy band since One Direction” was a groundbreaking force in hip-hop in the[Read More…]
It’s time to give complex women characters leading roles
In a recent interview with The New Yorker, acclaimed director Sofia Coppola argued that Apple TV+ executives slashed her latest project after finding the woman lead “unlikeable.” Known for her work on films such as The Virgin Suicides, Marie Antoinette, and most recently Priscilla, Coppola was set to partner with[Read More…]
An ode to Ayo Edebiri
From her roles in Bottoms to The Bear, 2023 was an incredibly busy yet successful year for Ayo Edebiri. Being Hollywood’s most in-demand young actress can’t be easy—but the people’s princess does it flawlessly. Her impeccable style and unparalleled work ethic have attracted the attention of audiences and critics alike,[Read More…]
Shake it off, assumptions and all
How much does Taylor Swift owe her fans? An opinion piece published in The New York Times on Jan. 4 theorized about Taylor Swift’s sexuality, evoking backlash from Swifties and non-Swifties alike. To put it frankly: Swift owes her fans nothing, and people shouldn’t speculate about others’ sexuality—celebrity or not.[Read More…]
Box office films are falling victim to misleading marketing
Hollywood has a marketing problem, and if recent films like Anyone But You and Mean Girls are any indication, their box office success will prolong the trend of deceptive advertising. The official trailer for Anyone But You is incredibly misleading. Instead of showcasing the rom-com’s plot and overall premise, the[Read More…]
