GlamourandGrime

The tumbler glass of a Latte which I’d expected to get at least a half hour out of was very empty. The  Silence that surrounded us had sidled its way in the pub’s back door and wrapped itself around us – four friends whose conversation had hit a black spot.  Usually, our chatter couldn’t cease so this awkward moment was quite an enigma.

The catalyst of the problem, of course, was technology.   The smartphones were out; minds had drifted away to far-flung places like Twitter –  where Alex lives, to Instagram where David was checking how much love his pint of Guinness picture received and Tinder where Kevin repeatedly swiped right in search of true love.

What was the problem some of you may ask? My Smartphone was dead. I  was alone surrounded by friends online. What could I do, I’d already read the ingredients on the Heinz Ketchup sachet four times?

Although conversation, eventually, got going again. The horrific event got me musing over whether phones should be banned from social meetups?

Last year, Chris Rock divided opinion when introducing a ban on mobile phones on his tour.  The Total Blackout Tour saw the devices of fans locked away in special pouches for the whole event. Indeed, the famous comedian’s act was appreciated by many –  Singer  Amy Macdonald tweeted her support when attending the Glasgow Total Blackout event.

But not all gig goers agreed:

The fact is that phones have rapidly become a significant part of everyday life.  A recent survey in Ireland found that over 90 per cent of the population has access to smartphones – higher than the European average.  What’s more is the survey found that Smartphone users check there phone on average 57 times a day.

It’s obvious Irish people love their phones – may be more than anything –  but over 50 per cent of those surveyed believe they use their phone too much. However, more, stirring is the impact smartphones can have on sleep with more than 44 per cent admitting they check their phones during the night.

The love of smartphones is growing literally in the case of Aaron Chervenak who MARRIED his phone in The Little Vegas Chapel,  Las Vegas in 2016. The husband of a much-loved phone sees the marriage as an attempt to make a point about society’s growing devotion to and reliance on smartphones.

‘If we’re gonna be honest with ourselves, we connect with our phones on so many emotional levels,’ Chervenak stated in a video documenting his out of the ordinary wedding. He added, ‘We look to it for solace, to calm us down, to put us to sleep, to ease our minds, and to me, that’s also what a relationship is about.’

Now, I don’t think any of my friends want to marry their phones – mine dies so often it would be an emotional cartwheel – but I agree with Chris Rock’s actions and think that a similar policy should be taken when engaging with friends in conversation.

So wish me well in my attempt to introduce my new law – shutdown phones when meeting up. It’s likely I’ll have to take it to a referendum!

Black 47 takes the audience back to one of the most horrendous eras in Irish History. A period that would have a significant impact on Ireland’s future as well as its relationship with its then ruler Great Britain. The Great Irish Famine saw one million Irish starve to death and over 2.5 million Emigrate. Hence, it’s not over the top to say the trauma of 19th changed Ireland forever.

Immediately the title is questionable, the famine, 1845 to 1851, is not the main subject of Dubliner Lance Daly’s film. The hunger is a harrowing backdrop, the stage of what the director describes as a revenge thriller.

Therefore, what is important is how the 19th catastrophe is used as a setting for the thriller. The protagonist, Martin Feeney (played by James Frecheville), returns to Ireland after serving the British army as a Connaught Ranger in Afghanistan. On horseback, he comes back to Connemara in the midst of the famine and its devastation.

He’s soon hit by hardship inflicted on his family when finding the family cottage unroofed and a pig grazing inside it — a scene that has similarity to the classic Gladiator — a warrior returns to devastation.

Shortly after the discovery of his home in ruins, Feeney meets his sister in law Ellie (played by Sarah Greene), who tells how his brother was hung for resisting eviction by a vengeful judge; how his mother and remaining relatives were driven off their land to quake in muds and starve to death.

At first, Feeney has a logical plan of action. Like millions of Irish, he intends to emigrate with Ellie and her children to America. However, when he witnesses Ellie and her son being shot for refusing evicted from an abode they squatted in, his choice of action takes radically turn. In short, he’s had enough. He can no longer accept how Irish people are being treated and, hence, takes action into his own hands and declares: “The English cannot be forgiven.”

The picture is filled with an array of fine actors who give creditable performances such as Stephen Rea who plays Conneely. When Rea’s character chats at a Hotel fireplace with Lord Kilmichael (Jim Broadbent) who claims peasants have no appreciation of beauty, he gives an eminent reply: “Beauty would be held in much higher regards Sir. If it could be eaten.” Likewise, Barry Kehoe shows his talent when playing innocent Hobson.

The film’s setting catches the hardship of the famine. It gives a pertinent impression of what it was like to live in a country that was starving. Similarly, we get an apt example of the soup kitchens of the times unlike the renditions that are often seen in popular Irish comedies — there was nothing humorous about starving people having to change religion to receive some food.

As previously stated Black 47 is a thriller, but one which strikingly takes in the poverty, emigration, suffering and mistreatment of the Irish peasantry and for that it has rightly received great acclaim — the film, is the first to be set in the epoch of the famine, Plus, the story of Feeney’s revenge is equally stimulating. The result is Lance Daly competent mixture of history and fiction leaves the audience with something special.

This moment is SURE to go down in history!

Singer-songwriter John Legend made history this past weekend ( Sept.9 ) during his attendance at the annual 2018 Creative Arts Emmys in Los Angeles.

Attending alongside his lyricist, Tim Rice and musical composer Andrew Lloyd Webster, he took home the ‘Outstanding Live Variety Special’ award. John was the executive producer for NBC’s Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert.

“We put so much love into our performance”

“Even Jesus and Judas, a lot of their interaction was based on love, even there was some betrayal, even though there was some disappointment, and we put so much love into this”

“I’m so happy that we were able to do this and that you all love it so much and honored our show.”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by John Legend (@johnlegend) on Sep 9, 2018 at 8:22pm PDT

This solidified John Legend as the first black man to have won an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar AND Tony awards, also known as the ‘EGOT‘.

Legend has had bagged himself 10 Grammy awards in the past for Best R&B Artist and Best R&B Vocal Performance, amongst a list of others.

He won an Oscar back in 2015 for Best Original Song for ‘Glory‘ in the movie ‘Selma‘, directed by Ava DuVernay.

Just last year, he swooped up a Tony for co-producing of the best revival of a play-winning production, Jitney.

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Before tonight, only 12 people had won an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony in competitive categories. Sirs Andrew Lloyd Webber, Tim Rice and I joined that group when we won an Emmy for our production of their legendary show Jesus Christ Superstar. So happy to be part of this team. So honored they trusted me to play Jesus Christ. So amazed to be in such rarefied air. #EGOT

A post shared by John Legend (@johnlegend) on Sep 9, 2018 at 7:23pm PDT

Legend attended the ceremony alongside his wife, Chrissy Teigan, who was overcome with delight, taking to Instagram to share the special moment with fans;

View this post on Instagram

my incredible man. what a surreal life.

A post shared by chrissy teigen (@chrissyteigen) on Sep 9, 2018 at 10:33pm PDT

Other artists such as Common took to Twitter leaving the congratulations for  the star writing;

“Congratulations to my good brother @johnlegend for the achievement of a lifetime. EGOT! You are an inspiration brother and a true example of shining your light for good #Excellence,”

A massive congratulations from us all here at GlamourandGrime also John, what a truly legendary moment!

YouTuber and beauty guru Laura Lee is facing some serious backlash in the online community right now and if you havent already caught up with it all already, well we’ve got the tea!

The YouTube sensation, who boasts over 4mil subscribers, has been forced to defend herself after a rascist tweet was uncovered from 2012 in which she says

“Tip for all black people if you pull ur pants up you can run from the police faster… #yourwelcome,”

According to TheBlast, the major American cosmetics giant ULTA, has totally cut ties with her multi-million cosmetic company, Laura Lee Los Angeles. Laura had been planning the launch of a new product exlusive to ULTA stores over the past couple of months but that has also reportedly been cancelled. ULTA have released the following statement;

“We have decided not to move forward with the launch of Laura Lee Los Angeles. Ulta Beauty values equality and inclusivity in all that we do.”

Aswell as that, Laura also has collaborated with BOXYCHARM, a beauty-box subscription service, who have also terminated their contract with her. The president of the company even released a video on Facebook in which he announced they would no longer do business with her, ouch!

Other major sponsors such as retail giants Diff Eyewear and Morphe Brushes have also dumped the star with the same responses.

After a couple of days, Laura released a statement on her social media pages excusing and apologising for her behaviour.

pic.twitter.com/DRmHhZ0fVS

— Laura Lee (@Laura88Lee) August 14, 2018

However, as far as her fans were concerned, this didnt cut it!

Laura then decided to attempt an apology video named “My Apology” on her YouTube channel which gathered over 7mil views, but left fans totally unconvinced. The video was deemed completely ‘dis-genuine‘, ‘fake‘ and more of a ‘performance‘ than anything, as she cried “crocodile tears” for the whole duration of the video. Check out the video below for yourself and see what you think.

As a result of her poor attempts at winning the nation back, the future looks unclear for the star. Its been reported that she’s lost hundreds of thousands of subscribers and followers on her channel and social media pages as fans no longer want to support her which is totally understandable.

We get that people make mistakes but when you fail to be honest and make things right, that can’t be forgiven. Laura failed to put an end to all the gimics and to actually consider the feelings of all the fans she’s hurt who’ve made her who she is.

We do not tolerate rascism under any circumstances and no matter what the excuse, so for us, it’s Bu-bye girl!

Oh, the glittery glam, the fabulous fame, the mountainous money, makes stardom so sexy; doesn’t it? Celebrity status is dreadfully alluring; isn’t it? A champagne existence can be an intoxicating fantasy, but celebrity dreams can become nightmares.

Yes, being a superstar can be a priceless adventure, but likewise, it can carry an immeasurable debt — your privacy is lost forever. With fame ALL your confidential matters go global; your name gets 99,900,000 plus results on Google like that of Demi Lovato. Celebrity status, like tobacco, should come with a health warning, perhaps a picture of shaved headed Britney on every packet of fame.

Before you yearn fame, think of the problems you’ve experienced — mistakes made, arguments, friends lost, relationship breakups, and all the other challenges in life, now imagine all them challenges published in tabloids, magazines, shared on Twitter, discussed on Facebook? No that isn’t nice, but it’s a part of the game if one’s a VIP.

Last month, we saw a person hit the headlines for something thousands of people do every day. Why was this one person chosen for the headlines? Because she was a celebrity, a product of Hollywood, who was crashing and hence, would make big news.

Fame vultures announced the news of Demi Lovato’s suspected overdose, and consequently, the cameras circled to feast on her misfortune. Quickly word spread on Mass Media that the Texas singer, found unconscious in her apartment bedroom, had apparently overdosed on heroin. But, heroin being the catalyst of the overdose has been vehemently denied by those close to Lovato.

No Sirens Please.

“Wait. No Sirens Please” said the caller who rang 911 to report Lovato’s overdose — seemingly out of a desire for privacy in the emergency call which was later released to media. The caller’s request is proof of the desperate desire of celebrities to keep their issues private and away from the media. “No, no, this is a medical emergency. I don’t have control over that,” the dispatcher responded.

Lovato is a classic example of the pressure that comes with fame and how it impacts on a person’s life. Her first breakthrough came on that cuddly children show Barney & Friends when only 6. Yet, it was in her early teens that Lovato’s popularity rapidly grew; she entered the Disney sphere and starred in the movie Camp Rock. When the Movie hit the big screen, Lovato was only 15 and yet jumping up Hollywood’s glittering ladder.

Suddenly she found herself an idol for young adults, someone whose image was being painted as squeaky clean. In truth, the Disney star was suffering from depression, an eating disorder, self-harm, alcohol and drug usage. At the age of 18, she entered Rehab for the first time.

What makes life harder for celebs like Lovato is their battles with problems are always in the public eye — their issues are popular, you come become meat for panels on tv shows to discuss.

In November 2017, Lovato’s second documentary film aptly named Simply Complicated was released. The documentary opened with Lovato being simply asked: “How are you feeling?” The 26-year old’s response: “I actually have anxiety around this…interview”. A potent answer given her history. And when the interviewer asked why? Anxious Lovato replies: “The last time I did a long interview like this I was on Cocaine”.

In the gripping first half of the documentary, Lovato talked about her problems. How she felt a pressure to look at certain way, to sing music that she thought people would like, rather than the music she would like. She explained how she was being made into someone she didn’t want to be. How she was publicly being painted as someone’s whose life was perfect when really it was full of problems. Sadly, the second half of the documentary gives a typical Hollywood happy ending which now looks weak. Unfortunately, Lovato couldn’t keep to the script.

Lovato is an example of how a celebrity’s life can go off the rails. One can only hope she can recover; many famous have succumbed to death from acute drug use like Judy Garland, Peaches Geldof, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Michael Jackson, Heath Ledger, Marilyn Monroe, Jim Morrison, Prince, and Ike Turner.

When you are a celebrity you lose the full control of your life. You are put on stage and expected to perform flawlessly, and any mistake is going to be intensely studied — you’re always under a microscope. As a star you must entertain us every hour of every day, not just when singing or acting. Time to yourself is non-existent. And that’s the problem with being a star, you lose control of your identity. You become a product for the world to play with. Your life isn’t really yours anymore.

Sacha Baron Cohen’s new satirical vehicle Who is America? aired on July 15th last. It has been met with some mixed reviews – undeniably clever, adroit and often very funny – yet the Independent remarked ‘unveiling Republicans’ hidden racism always makes for entertaining moments, but it’s a bit like shooting fish in a barrel.”

The first instalment saw Baron Cohen play a character called Erran Morad, an Israeli anti-terrorism expert.  Morad confronts various congressmen and gun lobbyists and successfully advocates for ‘Kinderguardians’, a programme that purports to arm pre-schoolers with guns. The pasquinade seems to have gone unnoticed by most of the people interviewed. Yes, dark and shockingly funny. But was it just plain shocking?

There is something uncomfortable about satire in these dark times, bit like a scheduled colonoscopy or root canal surgery, essential but hardly enjoyable.

Back in 1998, Baron Cohen’s other character Ali G seemed just as punchy yet a little lighter maybe by virtue of the fact that the 90s offered a relative remission from wars and global unrest. Back then the biggest threats were probably acid rain and the ozone layer, remember them?

In the most recent episode, Erran Morad interviews former Alabama judge and Republican U.S. Senate candidate Roy Moore and demonstrates a new device invented by the Israeli army to detect paedophiles. A difficult subject to address, and hard to sit comfortably and luxuriate in the humour of it.

Perhaps the problem is that the truth nowadays is in fact stranger than the satire being presented? It seems that every day we are faced with a new situation in American politics and easier to think that the satire just writes itself.

This week, a new level of disturbance emerged where we are equipped with the following information that we can never unknow – that ‘Bigfoot erotica’ is a thing. What a time to be alive.

From my opponent Denver Riggleman’s Bigfoot erotica collection. pic.twitter.com/ELe0TWJh21

— Leslie Cockburn (@LeslieCockburn) July 29, 2018

Leslie Cockburn, a Democratic congressional nominee in Virginia and Denver Riggleman, her Republican opponent, are competing for a seat in the Fifth Congressional District of Virginia.

Cockburn accused Riggleman, in a tweet on Sunday night of “campaigning with white supremacists and being a devotee of Bigfoot erotica.” Yes she did. Riggleman admitted to indeed being the author of several publications on Bigfoot yet stated that in no way was the content of a pornographic nature.  The best team of comedy writers could not come up with that! It even surpasses the satirical inventiveness of Baron Cohen or Chris Morris of Brass Eye fame.

Satire and political satire have always been around – from Aesop’s fables – yes originally devised to address social, religious and moral issues in society – to Alexander Pope, George Orwell, even Jane Austen and a plethora of stand-up comedians.

None more apt, than the brilliant ‘Yes Minster’ and ‘Yes Prime Minster’ that have come to perfectly mirror Brexit.  One scene – originally from the episode The Writing On The Wall, which first aired in March 1980, sees Sir Humphrey Appleby (Nigel Hawthorne) attempting to explain Britain’s relationship with the European Union to government minister Jim Hacker (Paul Eddington):

We tried to break it up from the outside, but that wouldn’t work,’ he adds, before triumphantly concluding: ‘Now that we’re inside we can make a complete pig’s breakfast of the whole thing”

Stunningly accurate, don’t you think?

Maybe what we need is escapism, our TV viewing experience to be one of comfort and mollification, a soothing salve, a virtual hug from the world?  But for now, it seems that there is little difference between satire and reality.

Twenty years ago, my mother was killed in a car crash. A Ford Fiesta smashed like a coke can. The driver of the other car was drink-driving. I was ten when I shared an ambulance with him; he held his head in his hands. It was too late for regret. He should have thought about me, my dad, my brother, my sisters and, most importantly, my mother before he got behind the wheel. Since that night, I’ve known the dangers of drink-driving; it hurts me that some people don’t, it angers me that some of our Politian’s can’t accept the risks. Mam was only 47.

Earlier this month, I was delighted to see Transport Minister Shane Ross’s new road traffic legislation pass after months of filibustering and incessant debate. The bill does not change the parameters for drink-driving in Ireland; it changes the penalty. Someone who is caught drink-driving will now be banned from driving for 3 months—the previous punishment was 3 penalty points.

When the voting result was read out a justified round of applause erupted from the house and groups in the gallery reparenting families of victims of road traffic accidents—the bill passed 75-8.

“This is a sad day for rural Ireland,” roared Kerry TD Danny Healy-Rae, after the result was announced. He, one of the 8 that voted no, must have little solace for the 158 people who lost their lives in road-related accidents last year. Indeed, what makes Danny Healy comments cruder is the fact that the number of road deaths increased in Kerry last year (8), in contrast to Ireland overall where the number of road death decreased.

Indeed, in 2017 Kerry saw a 9 per cent increase in drink-driving detections. And yet with all these factors, it was the tiresome Healy-Rae brothers, Danny and Michael, who gave their all to delay the passing of the bill. They claimed that they were representing the people of Kerry and all those who lived in rural communities across the country. Nonetheless, it seemed they lacked insight into the dangers that come with drink-driving. In truth, it’s hard not see a connection between their views and the fact that Danny himself is a pub owner.

What the rural Ireland TD’s who opposed the new law should recognise is that there are more road crashes in rural areas when compared to urban parts of Ireland. They should identify the risk rate this presents to residents in their constituencies. They should appeal for more sufficient public transport in rural areas. For those who, understandably, want a drink in rural Ireland, they should seek the government to provide incentives for pub owners in rural Ireland, like the Healy-Rae’s, to offer transport to and from their pubs.

But instead of properly trying to aid rural Ireland, Danny Healy-Rae farcically proposed in 2013 that people in rural Ireland be given permits to have 2 or 3 pints in their local pub and drive home. It hard not to see this as an idea from someone who is more connected to the pubs in rural Ireland than the people–he’s more worried about pub earnings than a pub’s customers.

What those against the new punishment for drink-drivers, three-month driving ban, must recognise is that our neighbours, United Kingdom, have a much harsher sentence for drivers found over their limit (0.08% BAC or 0.05% BAC Scotland). Driving over the limit in the UK carries a maximum penalty of six months’ imprisonment, a fine of up to £5,000 and a minimum twelve months’ disqualification.

Why I Support the new road traffic legislation

People’s views on drink-driving scare me. An average of 180 drivers were arrested per week in 2017 on suspicion of driving under the influence. That’s 180 people a week putting their lives, and the lives of others at risk–what’s more horrifying is the fact that many others weren’t caught.

The attitude towards drinking and driving is wrong. When it comes to drink-driving, the question always seems to be “will I get caught?” Not am I breaking the law? Not am I making the roads more dangerous? Not could I crash? Some people seem to find the simple connection between drink-driving and road accidents too hard to make. Here’s a fact, alcohol is a factor in 38 per cent of fatal crashes in this country. And yet, Irish people continue to drink and drive.

Growing up, when a teen, I thought that drink-driving was something linked to Irelands older generations, that the more educated young had copped on to the dangers of drink-driving. Sadly, through friends and family, I realised my misjudgement.

A few years back, when I lived in a rural area, I saw a Facebook status announcing where the guards were stopping drivers on a nearby country road. I watched it get loads of likes. It enraged me and showed everything wrong with people’s opinions of road safety laws–they’re seen as a harsh punishment, not a precaution.

Nowadays, I live near a University and often find myself walking behind mobs of youthful students. One day, I overheard, a group of young males laugh ludicrously as one told the story of how a friend had driven home intoxicated from a night out. The aura of the conversation was the dangerous drink-driving was just “a bit of craic”. I felt like roaring out “he could have killed somebody” but I didn’t, and maybe that’s another problem, there is a fear of speaking out against these criminals. Yes, criminals are what drink-drivers are.

All the above is why I support Minister Ross’s new legislation. I see him as brave for there is no doubt some people in pubs, in both rural and urban Ireland, are spitting out expletives before his name. But the fact is 3 penalty points wasn’t a substantial enough punishment; 3 points was only a number for some.

I believe that the new three months off the road punishment for drink – drivers will lower the number of deaths on Irish roads. It will scare people away from drinking and driving. Yes, scare people who don’t see the perils of drink-driving, influence their actions even if it doesn’t change their view of drinking and driving.

And when the local Tommy is banned from driving for 3 months, I hope his local publican will see the importance of providing transport home for Tommy.

Finally, maybe the passing of the new road traffic legislation will make it easier to speak out against those who drink and drive. Give people like me the courage to inform, for example, a group of students laughing about a classmate’s drink-driving that their friend was an idiot who risked not only his life but more importantly the life of others, for instance, the life of a mother, a Mom.

Did it ever occur to you how different Snow White might be if she were say, African? Or if Harry Potter was a wizard from New Delhi? Or if Frodo Baggins was an Irish traveller?

A new report by CLPE (Centre for Literacy in Primary Education) in the UK shows that only 1% of black or ethnic minorities are reflected in children’s books, despite the fact that one third of school going children there are non-white.

A report from a few years ago said that not only should stories reflect the number of minorities but the quality of such, according to Farrah Serroukk who is directing the CLPE project. It is not about making young Zhang Wei show us how to work in the paddy fields but how about young Zhang Wei may be working in a playcentre in say Brighton, or a music shop in New Orleans or New York?.

From the children in the ‘Lemony Snicket’ books, to Greg in ‘The Wimpy Kid’ books, a majority of children feature white, probably middle class and usually western kids. Poverty is romanticised and used as a major plot device and linked to values of virtue; the poor Charlie who came good and earned a chocolate factory. Even the picture books reflect western concerns and values. Ok, it may be a story about a frog or a bear, but he probably lives in a semi-detached house in a village that could be anywhere in Dublin or Devon and educated at an English or American school. Eats honey, maybe marmalade on white bread. No kimchi or rice, no plum and ginseng lollipops from China or biryani cooked by the mammy bear, mammy rabbit or mother goose.

That being said, a few notable books in last few years have surfaced that have tried to include stories from different places around the world. One such book, very popular and jumped upon by pre-schools and primary schools alike, is ‘Handa’s Surprise’. It features an African girl who attempts to bring a number of fruits to her friend Akeyo, holding them on a basket on her head from the naughty animals of the African plains who keep stealing them.

Another notable one of late is by Chelsea Clinton called ‘She Persisted’. It plays the well-worn Clinton line of inclusiveness, liberalism and  feminism. This makes the book seem quite contrived and perhaps a cynical attempt to say, ‘Hey liberal people of Twitter! We are including women of colour and telling you how wonderful they are but hey, let’s ignore that race elephant in the room!’

Do children living and going to school in Seattle, Cork or Manchester feel the culture and heritage in the way the way their migrant parents did growing up in Africa, Poland or China? Usually the books about minorities don’t serve the ‘minority living in a new place’ narrative very well. Handa held a basket on her head to carry fruit across the African plains, but what if Handa held an iPad or a hockey stick in a London grammar school? Many Irish legends, like ‘Cuchulainn’ and the ‘Salmon of Knowledge’, hold huge significance for Irish people but we don’t fully identify with them – we are not hurling huge wolves and eating salmon from a river! – yet it is important to have them in the literacy canon of our minds. Other stories, like the Hans Christian Anderson and Grimm brothers, are part of our collective consciousness and most people can’t remember how we know the stories but we do but our lives as such don’t reflect the woods setting or concern of the people in those stories. Hey, when was the last time you met a woodcutter?

Perhaps really it is the story we identify with and not the characters? Most stories it is said are universal? Boy meets girl or Amari meets Ashanti, whomever. Evil is evil, heroism is heroism in whatever form, colour or place is it set. Sadly, we like our heroes white, and male and probably educated.

Maybe it is the publishing companies who are the real evil stepmothers here? They go for what sells. In the same way that the stories of Hollywood movies are sanitised and westernised (I can’t wait for the Hollywood movie next year with probably Tom Hanks and 12 American white boys to tell the story of the recent Thailand cave rescue mission!). Maybe all our stories are ‘cleaned and whitened’ through the Hollywood-ready machine. They may have little interest in being inclusive but perhaps a good story is revered above all else right? favouring the white, peevish starving child with probably perfectly annunciated vowels, akin to ‘Please Sir, can I’ve some more!’. Not to mention the other questionable conventions in children’s stories – evil people are almost always older, childless or very clever. Mothers are always kind, loving or probably dead and spoken about in the past tense. Wealth and money are equated with evil and the values of greed. The world of love in childrens book is a heterosexual one. So the story of Leo, a gay son of an Indian immigrant who becomes the most powerful man in Ireland, is unlikely to be found in the children’s book section anytime soon.

This week a crowdfunded balloon will be unveiled in London, as a protest to Trump’s visit there on Friday 13th July. The vast balloon, which is an orange 20 feet baby with tiny hands, is set to fly over London for the duration of his visit in an attempt to quite literally and figuratively send up the president.

As to be expected, the move has made some Trump allies and supporters rather inflated in their anger.  Piers Morgan tweeted: ‘The orange Trump baby balloon is a pathetic stunt that makes Britain look petty & puerile.’ Nigel Farage, given that he has such important issues to comment on now that Brexit is proving a Titanic success, had time to comment on the balloon saying said: ‘It is the biggest insult to a sitting President of the United States’. On standing, posing and dance-flossing presidents, he was unavailable for comment.

Speaking on Good Morning Britain, the Mayor of London Sadiq Khan did not object to the balloon, as he felt to do so would undermine the right for citizens to assemble and the right for them to protest. This is an unsurprising stance for him to take, given that Kahn has had several fractious interactions with Trump in the recent past. Back in June 20017, after the London Bridge terrorist attacks, Kahn released a statement saying that the British people would show resolve in the face of the terrorist attacks. On 7th June, Trump tweeted with a comment: “At least 7 dead and 48 wounded in terror attack and Mayor of London says there is “no reason to be alarmed?!”

Rather strategically, Kahn has been quite supportive of the balloon protest as he feels it is fair game for a public figure to be ridiculed. He has played a very safe game, looking like he is on the side of the ridiculed – saying it is not disrespectful but that he is merely upholding free speech and the right to protest – but it seems clear that he too is happy to be on their side of the ridiculers. Kahn, himself a Muslim, must feel that Trump has done his fair share of antagonising Muslim identity and most certainly, this has gone beyond the realm of ridicule.  It is fair to say that the tact balloon has been burst for Trump for some time now.

All the same, the baby balloon can be read as a wonderfully clever piece of art installation. Genius, a tribute to Trump! He seems to fit nicely with all the qualities of a big, orange balloon and in the words of Oscar Wild; imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.  Therefore, in an effort to be wholly respectable towards the 45th president of the US, it is fitting to merely list the features of the balloon, features that have drawn inspiration as a means of capturing the President’s spirit and essence:

It is orange

It is big, bold, ostentatious

It moves with the wind, depending on the mood it is in

It is full of hot air that has no effect on its function whatsoever

It has tiny hands

It has some features of a baby

It steadfastly clutches a smartphone

It is enraged

We have no idea really how it got there

The now ex-British Foreign secretary Boris Johnson, a flight away from going to some such location to (according to Danny Dyer) ‘Put his trotters up!’, was today referred to by Trump as a ‘great friend’. He may well be considered this week as someone who quite literally, exited the political arena before the balloon went up. Given the chaos that is Brexit, it is as good a reason as any to make a political move and at least it has been swift and decisive. Unlike the Brexit negotiations themselves.

What originally began as a crowdfunded project to get the balloon up and running, has swiftly gained in the region on 30k in donations from the public. The organisers have promised to use the extra money to bring the balloon on tour. Would you go to see the balloon to shake its (rather tiny) hand? Or should it go down like a lead balloon?

Scarlett Johansson has come under fire for her response to the news that she is to play a transgender man in upcoming film ‘Rub and Tug’, based on the 70s trans crime boss Dante ‘Tex’ Gill, directed by Rupert Sanders. Curious, as she is probably one of the most feminine females in Hollywood to be chosen to play the role, yet sadly still pipped actual transgender actresses to the post. Curious also as it is another blow to the idea of roles being offered to a diverse range of actresses. Her previous film with the same director, Sanders, also came under controversy as it showed Johansson playing a Japanese woman, based on a manga of the same name. The production people seemed it was ok just to ask Johansson to bob and die her hair black and voila! – Blonde Hollywood lady becomes Japanese!

In the wake of Weinstein, and the Me Too movement, one could be forgiven for thinking that Hollywood had learned something, had redeemed itself after the many admonishments, and learned new ways of doing trans (ahem, this time meaning transactions) but sadly not to be. One would have thought Hollywood would be on its best behaviour to be more inclusive; now that it had heard women’s voices more clearly and that gender equality was finally coming into play, that it might thoroughly welcome and celebrate diversity. But here is it not to be. The director’s choice to cast Johansson could say more about the cosiness and nepotism of their relationship, or maybe as a clever publicity stunt (hey, we are talking about it now, aren’t we?) or maybe to feature the film firmly in people’s minds before release as Ghost in the Shell didn’t do as well in cinemas. Recently, we had a few weak attempts at change – the tokenism of the recent Ghostbusters movies, a collective patting of the back for Hollywood. Aren’t we marvellous, we managed to cast all women! Hurrah for Hollywood!! (Now roll up a few burly agents, get the Champagne and the pretty women and we celebrate!!!)J

Johansson’s response from the storm she received from other trans actresses was ‘Tell them that they can be directed to Jeffrey Tambor, Jared Leto, and Felicity Huffman’s rep for comment’, naming other actors who played transgender roles. Apparently, no further comment has been made by Johansson’s press or agents. They are ghosts in shells on the issue. One thing is for sure, Hollywood came out of its little Neanderthal man cave for a short while to enjoy the view on a new society, one that was more open, more willing to question the old winks and ways of doing business. But it seems Hollywood took one look around at the new tools of change and went back inside.

In a time of changes, social shifts and trends over the last number of years, too many to comprehend – Brexit, the rise of Trump, the hipster beard, kale, quinoa and other superfoods (lauded at first and then probably swiftly considered a staple food), even the unfathomable rise yet popularity of Ed Sheeran – Wimbledon is one of those institutions that remains constant. The strawberries and cream, the BBC coverage, Pippa, Cumberbatch or maybe a Duchess or other making an appearance on Court 1, all sunglassed and attentive. George and Amal perhaps.

And there’s Sue Barker, still presenting with her oft stripy umpire co-ordinated outfits, or perhaps a green blazer, the colour of Centre Court grass. And the queues, but more importantly, the rules and etiquette of the queue. Two of the actual rules that have not changed for decades include: ‘You must not leave the queue for more than half an hour,’ or ‘Queue jumping is not acceptable and will not be tolerated’. And the more recent practices that have now been enveloped into tradition: the Pimms on Henman Hill, Henman himself, all suited, shirted and tied, no matter the weather, stoic yet safely jocular, not a hint of envy as he pundits upon multiple grand slam titles of the big 4 – Federer, Nadal, Murray, Djokovic, while the caption under his names ‘4 times semi-finalist’ appears. Unspeakable celebration of mediocrity – unspeakable because Wimbledon does not do shame! Like in the times of war, it soldiers on! The British way. Keep calm and carry on!

This year, with the sun setting on day 5, has seen a few shocks to the system already – a few hairs out of place, a few toes out of line. Earlier in week, Andy Murray – riddled with a hip injury since last year, one that he tried his best to pooh pooh and undermine, was not fit to play this year. But most shocking of all – the women’s game has been thus far topsy turvy – many of the top seeds knocked out well before the middle Saturday, or before you could say ‘My! I do declare, Princess Michael of Kent! Hit me over the head with a babalot’! Britain’s Johanna Konta was knocked out yesterday by Slovakian Dominika Cibulkova in the second round. Konta – an avid baker, yesterday managed to achieve the tennis faux pas equivalent of a soggy bottom – went to a 3 set game in the first round – a pattern that usually predicts an exit in the early rounds. Sharapova, Venus, Kvitova, Wozniacki all out. Let’s see what happens in the second week.

The SW19 tournament – so fervent in his prowess at holding up tradition – is almost the perfect place to welcome back its most famous sons and daughters of the game in recent times – Rafa (this time, minus Uncle Tony!) and Federer, Serena and Venus. Still amazing, playing their best tennis in years, maybe the best they have ever played. We relish the prospect of a repeat 2008 final between Fedal. Or maybe a Serena post maternity leave victory. The only small noticeable changes or kinks in the order of things, was the umpire calling ‘Advantage MRS. Williams’ at Serena breaking serve, under the eye of her husband, Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian in the VIP box. No modern Ms would do! Or the potential messiness of so many young children in the VIP box. Federer – his two sets of twins, his family of doubles, Mirka supporting without a fault. The women’s game, so unpredictable in this tournament, so hard to call that prehaps it mirrors the World Cup – the better teams out early in the tournament. Are we meant to finally champion the underdog? The sporting summer of ‘schadenfreude’ – savouring the pleasure in the better’s misfortune. Rather ironically, it is the Germans who have a word for this.

Though as far as Wimbledon goes, the minor foibles this year are about as upsetting an encumbrance as wiping dandruff off your navy Hugo Boss suit. Nothing ever changes really. Except for new balls please.

Black Panther. Where does one start to discussing the resounding success that is the latest Marvel superhero film? Its list of achievements continues to grow: Highest-grossing solo/non-sequel superhero movie, highest ticket resales for any superhero film, February opening weekend record. However, what it is perhaps most popular for is being the first black superhero film. Even before its release, it was expected that Black Panther would be a revolutionary film. But will it cause the turn in opinion and film production that we all hope for?

A few weeks after the release of Black Panther, it is safe to say that this film is a resounding success. This is despite the belief by decision-makers in the studio that black films, and indeed black leading roles, do not bring people to the cinema, especially in Asian countries and Russia where it is thought that “black films don’t travel well”. That myth was diminished by accumulating an opening weekend of $169 million abroad. We can also see how successful the film was by the general reaction of people online.

Before the release, there was an almost unanimous pact that Black Panther would not be illegally streamed/downloaded online. People flocked to the cinema to show the moguls they want more of these films and their reaction after seeing the film was fantastic. There are some things that Black Panther has done that are indisputable. For one, the film has encouraged young girls to become fiercer and strive for more male-dominated roles. Like the increase in girls taking up archery following The Hunger Games, it is expected that more girls will now look to the sciences for a career. This is not surprising considering the role of Princess Shuri played by Letitia Wright, lead scientist and the smartest individual in the Marvel universe.

It can also not be denied that Black Panther has added a bigger voice to the cry for more films with black leads. Actually, Black Panther probably provides the largest and most influential voice considering the widespread love for superheroes. Still, we should remember that Black Panther is not alone in its fight. Hidden Figures, Get Out, Moonlight can also be considered advocates for change. They also broke records but can we say they that any big change in the industry came about because of them? Black Panther has broken more records than one could have wished for but unfortunately, I don’t think it will be the sole reason for a turning point in Hollywood – if there will be one at all in the near future. The road is still a long and winding one. It is also not the only struggle in the industry. We still have problems of women being recognized for their work and the social community is also currently active in bringing change in this area. Can we fight two big problems together? Will one have to take a back seat to another or will neither make the progress needed or deserved? It is sad to have to ask these questions but it shows just how strong white, male-led Hollywood is.

Another question to be answered is “does it matter what the turning point is matter once there is a turning point?” Would the making of more films with black leads where we don’t use indicators of sales in countries with less diversity be considered a significant success? Or should the goal be that we stop asking altogether how and if a black lead film should be considered a success? Unfortunately, I don’t have the answers. All I have is the ability to ask questions, to fight individually for a more inclusive Hollywood and encourage others to do so.

Yet, don’t be discouraged. Black Panther may not be the sole turning point we all long for but it has been in gaining instrumental in garnering publicity and bringing an important issue to the forefront. All we need is to keep this up and soon more change will come.

It’s been called The Beast from the East, Snowmaggedon, Storm Emma and Ireland’s worst snow storm since 1982.

At first, people seemed a bit unsure of the weather warnings which isn’t surprising considering the amount of hype that went into Storm Ophelia back in October 2017 and it just ended up being a bit of a breeze.

Sure look, we all got a day off work so it was grand in the end but when the weather reporters started warning us all about this one, it’s natural that people were a little bit doubtful!

There is no way something with as dramatic a title as THE BEAST FROM THE EAST can ever live up to its billing.

— Conor Pope (@conor_pope) February 26, 2018

The Beast From the East actually sounds like a woman called Sharon from East Belfast who’d smack you for coming anywhere near her door just as Eastenders is about to start.

— Aíne Mag Uidhir (@ainemagu) February 26, 2018

If the Gaiety Panto isn't called Beauty and the Beast From the East this year, I'm emigrating.

— amy o'connor (@amyohconnor) February 28, 2018

But then, of course, the panic sets in and people all over the country started going crazy for one specific food item. Bread.

For some reason, the people of Ireland decided that if they were going to be stuck in their homes for about 24hrs, then they’d better stock up on the sliced pan.

Videos were showing customers ransacking the shops, buying three or four loaves at a time for only one day!

The storm is due to be over the worst by tomorrow but we are a nation of over-dramatic messers so naturally, the panic for bread went viral.

Just went to make toast and mam yelled "NO! That's the storm bread!!"

Everyone needs to calm down.

— Emma Ní Chearúil (@gingeripod) February 27, 2018

Irelands reaction to #BeastFromTheEast pic.twitter.com/dDVb8zQYGZ

— Dee (@deirdrenugent4) February 26, 2018

The amount of bread dealing going on in this country is out of hand something needs to be done about it #beastfromtheeast pic.twitter.com/GhJwLLKMhc

— Gary Spike OSullivan (@spike_osullivan) February 28, 2018

Selling this for €150… The last loaf left in Aldi earlier. DM with offers. #BeastFromTheEast #bread pic.twitter.com/rKDKn0QhbS

— Kevin O'Brien (@kevob777) February 26, 2018

Please check on your elderly neighbours, they may have some bread you could steal#BeastfromtheEast

— CrumlinShoppinCentre (@OfficCrumlinSC) February 28, 2018

Now, The Beast From The East has officially begun, most of the country is in a blanket of snow, businesses are closed and we all get the few days off work which is a nice touch so we can all thank Siberia for that.

But the Irish people do love to have a laugh so even in the worst of the storm, the hilarious weather tweets keep rolling in.

The South: “Cancel school, work and all public transport!”

The North: “Pour some salt on the doorstep and put your big coat on”#BeastFromTheEast

— UP NORTH (@up__north) February 27, 2018

The neighbours are excitedly flying a drone over their snowy back garden. Peak Dublin 8.

— Jennifer Stevens (@JenStevensDub) February 28, 2018

It's bin day and the bin men,  Have. Not. Been!. #SNOWMAGGEDON #binday pic.twitter.com/0YmzpxIKib

— Caught Jester (@brucedon5) February 27, 2018

You have to love a #snow day, just awesome!!! pic.twitter.com/QUD04C2khl

— Lewis Moody (@LewisMoody7) February 28, 2018

If there’s anything to be learnt from this it’s that we should always have at least 40 loaves of bread in the freezer just in case and twitter is the clearly the place to be in the event of extreme weather!

Now that we’ve arrived at February 2018, we’ve already been hit with some fantastic new game releases like Monster Hunter: World and Dragon Ball Fighterz but there are tonnes more great new games that are soon to grace our screens in 2018.

Here’s a list of the eight most anticipated game releases of 2018.

#8 Detroit: Become Human

This game is a PS4 exclusive and was announced at E3 2017.

It has said to be an incredibly emotional experience as you control different androids who are trying to make their way in the future metropolis of Detroit.

The game is based on making choices that will determine the fate of the character and of the city and it has promised to be a unique take on the technological future of our planet.

It has no exact release date yet but Sony have said that we can expect it to be released in Q1/Q2 of 2018.

#7 Spiderman

If you’ve seen any of the trailers for Spiderman yet then you will undoubtedly be excited for this major release.

Swinging from building to building with incredible graphics and high definition; this game is certainly not going to disappoint.

This is another PS4 exclusive as Sony seem to be on the ball this year!

However, this one also has no definite release date yet and they have just advised that it will be ready to play at some stage in 2018.

#6 Red Dead Redemption 2

This is the sequel to the extremely popular Red Dead Redemption which we all enjoyed back in 2010. This is an open world action game that takes place in the wild, wild west.

Hardcore fans of this game have been waiting for this sequel for a very long time and were very disappointed when the release date, which was initially 2017, was delayed for another year.

Currently, the release date stands firm at October 26th 2018 so let’s hope it stays that way!

#5 Far Cry 5

The Far Cry games have been a huge success so far for Ubisoft and now Far Cry 5 will be the eleventh instalment and the fifth main titled game.

In this one, you will take on a fanatical cult that are set in a small town in Montana, USA.

Ubisoft have said “It’ll be wild and it’ll get weird, but as long as you keep your wits about you, the residents of Hope County can rest assured you’re their beacon of hope” which sounds very promising to me!

This game will be available on March 27th 2018.

#4 Pokemon for Nintendo Switch

If you didn’t already have enough reasons to buy a Nintendo Switch, this game should be the icing on top of the cake.

GameFreak have confirmed that there is a Pokemon game in development for the Nintendo Switch.

We don’t know too much about it yet but we do know that this will be the first time in history that Pokemon is coming to a console and we couldn’t be more excited!

They’ve said that it could be released in 2018 so let’s keep our fingers crossed!

#3 State Of Decay 2

Okay so I’ll admit that the original State of Decay, although it was a fantastic game, did have it’s fair share of flaws and technical problems.

Despite this, the game had a great atmosphere with engaging characters and it had a unique level of suspense and tension.

It’s sequel is said to be a lot more polished and also it will have a feature that allows you to team up with up to three other players which definitely sounds very exciting.

It has no specific release date but it will be ready to buy in 2018.

#2 Sea of Thieves

This is a game that, personally, I am very excited by.

It’s due to be released on March 20th 2018 and it has been gathering a lot of attention.

It is a unique multiplayer game that will allow the player to take on the life of a pirate.

You will encounter exotic islands, hidden treasures, riddles and shanties and there will be other pirate crews that you can decide to befriend or you can also attack them and steal their coins and food if you’d prefer!

It will definitely be a riveting gaming experience.

#1 We Happy Few

This may be the first game on this list that you haven’t heard about yet.

You can currently purchase it in it’s early access form but the fully finished game won’t be released until April 13th 2018.

This game has been long awaited due it’s complete uniqueness.

You play as three interwoven characters in 1960s England. Only, everyone around you is on a drug called “Joy” that makes them happy as they gleefully gallop through the down trodden streets of a war-torn world.

If they catch you not taking your drugs, they will proceed to chase you down the streets and beat you silly.

You must progress through the city, picking up the pieces of your old life and trying to blend in with those around you.

This game will be absolutely phenomenal and many of us are counting down the days for the full release!

The Nintendo Switch has been on the shelves for almost a year now and it has already sold over 10 million units which means it’s set to preform leaps and bounds better than Nintendo’s previous console release, the Wii U, which has only sold 13.5 million units to date.

That’s 10 million people worldwide that have bought the Nintendo Switch since it was released in March 2017 and it has had some amazing reviews so far.

The Switch is different to every other gaming console on the market because it’s not actually a console.

Well, it is, if you want it to be but you can also use it as a portable handheld gaming device if you’d prefer.

So, if it’s a hot sunny day and you want to play your game in the open air, you can disconnect it from your TV and “switch” it over to it’s portable form and use it in your hands.

There is currently no other gaming consoles on the market that give you this kind of flexibility and Nintendo hope that the Switch changes the way people play video games in the future.

Not only is the Switch fantastically versatile, it’s also very affordable.

It costs around €300 for the iconic blue and red version which is much cheaper than the latest Xbox One X or PS4 Pro which both cost around the €500 mark.

It’s cheap and it’s changeable. This makes it a good console but what makes the Nintendo Switch a great console is the fact that is has the best games of 2017 and it has some new awesome games that will be released later on this year.

Nintendo is famous for being the genius minds behind the likes of Mario Kart, Super Mario Bros and The Legend of Zelda.

Many of us spent our childhood playing these games on the older consoles like the Nintendo 64 or the Gamecube but now these games are remastered in perfect HD graphics and are more fun and addicting than ever.

You can play these classic Nintendo games and you can also play the brand new releases like ARMs, for example, which is a very addictive boxing game where you challenge your friends to boxing matches using colourful characters with spring-like arms.

Also, the sequel to the 2015 smash hit “Splatoon”,logically named “Splatoon 2”, can also be played on the Switch. This is an incredibly fun multiplayer shooter game where, instead of bullets, the guns are filled with paint and you splat your enemies leaving trails and blobs of coloured paint everywhere.

Nintendo games are all about joy, happiness and colours which make them perfect family games.

They are easy to play and the controls are always very straightforward which makes it great for families with young children.

Of course, you’re not limited to playing only Nintendo games either.

There are tonnes of other major games that can be played on the Switch, like, Fifa 18, Doom, The Elder Scrolls, Minecraft and many many more.

The Nintendo Switch should be a no-brainer.

It is an all round great gaming gadget and can be a great fit for both adults and children and will always bring endless hours of fun.

Ever since Donald Trump won the presidential election in 2016 after what can only be described as the most scandalous campaign race in history, celebrities all over America have had an idea that they to, without any political experience whatsoever, could  also be “Leader of the Free World”.

Deep-pocketed actors and singers alike have decided that they would also want to follow in Trump’s footsteps and run for president in the next election which will take place in 2020.

This is a mere 2 years away so the next 12 months should be very interesting as this is the time when they will begin to announce their candidacy and start campaigning.

Some celebrities have had very welcome reactions from the public, for example, Oprah Winfrey has been rumoured to be “actively thinking” about running for president and this has stirred up some excitement since her acceptance speech at the Golden Globe Awards.

However, there are many other celebrities who have expressed an interest in the Oval Office that the world may have some reservations about…

Here’s a list of the top 5 craziest celebrities that we could see run for President of the United States in the year 2020:

5. Chris Rock

The comedian announced that he is throwing his hat into the ring on Twitter in 2016 when he said “I’m gonna run in 2020 wish me luck”.

He may have been joking but who can say?

Stranger things have happened!

4. Katy Perry

Katy may have also hinted at throwing her hat into the ring as well and it would likely be a glamorously sequined hat that shot out streams of whipped cream on demand.

The singer posted a very suggestive picture on Instagram back in 2015 hinting that she would be the 46th President of the USA.

Ms. Perry was actively campaigning for Hilary Clinton during the 2016 election, so who knows, becoming the first female president and running against Chris Rock could of been her “Teenage Dream”!

3. Ron Perlman

That’s right, “Hellboy” is also running for POTUS.

The actor announced this through a Facebook video in 2016 and also said that his slogan would be “Make America Great Again, Again”

Personally, I think it should be “I’m fireproof, America’s not” or “Didn’t I Win This Already?” but what do I know?

2. Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson

Rumours of a President Dwayne began in 2011 when he joked about it on Saturday Night Live but since then, the strikingly charismatic actor has said, as recently as December 2017, that he is “seriously  considering” running for president in 2020.

He has said that he would do it to “serve the people” but there is a chance that we may not see him in the 2020 election because of film obligations that he has up until 2021. Speaking to Ellen DeGeneres he said “it feels like the realistic consideration would be 2024”.

This is sad news as he could make a pretty solid President!

1. Kanye West

During Kanye’s 11-minute-long acceptance speech at the 2015 VMA’s , he announced to the world that he is intending to run for president in 2020.

He said that he “has a view for humanity”  and that he was not joking when he made this shock declaration.

The 2020 election would certainly be quite interesting with Kanye’s presence and, as Donald Trump has shown us, anything is possible in America!

If he doesn’t chose “Welcome To The Good Life” for his slogan, I will be thoroughly disappointed.