Tag: Arts

• What Lies Beyond the Iron Throne

  May 15, 2019 9:02 pm Comments Off on What Lies Beyond the Iron Throne

  “We have won the Great War; now we will win the last war,” – said by Daenerys Targaryen during the worst rated episode in the final season of ‘Game of Thrones’. Jamie Lannister has been reset to his factory setting as a ‘fuckboy’; Tyrion has never been more strategically useless since he became Hand of the Queen. As for Varys – he has stopped functioning as a Spy Master a long time ago; now he does nearly nothing but conspire against our Khaleesi. Nobody knows what happened in the producers’ minds. Maybe they simply gave up, putting a coffee cup in the show to mock us. People have started to question whether their favourite show will give them the truly epic battle and unpredictable finale that was promised.
  It’s 200 per cent reasonable to express our anger and concerns to HBO – yet I still have faith in the last two episodes, and especially in author George R.R. Martin who explained the ending of the book series to the series’ producers. I would never question his ability to articulate a finale we will never forget. After all, he is the almighty one true God of Death who can make both the Lord of Light and the Night King tremble. So, what might happen in the end? I think these three lines in the show are worth consideration:
  “I’m not going to stop the wheel. I’m going to break the wheel.”
  “Power is a curious thing […] power resides where men believe it resides. It’s a trick, a shadow on the wall.”
  “You say you can’t have children. But there are other ways of choosing a successor. The Night’s Watch has one method. The Ironborn […] have another”
  This first quote is said by Daenerys the Mhysa, to express her ambition on building a long-lasting dynasty in Westeros. The second is from Varys the Constructivist IR scholar, arguing that the nature of power is essentially a norm, an idea. Last but not the least, Tyrion discusses who could be the second in line to wear the crown.
  These quotes seem unrelated, but perhaps they directly foreshadow the fact that what lies beyond the ‘ugly old chair’ – the Iron Throne, a symbol of Monarchy – is a new, better political system, which might bring and end to the relentless ‘Game’ of Thrones for good. The ‘Throne’ has governed the world for a thousand years; it’s a game of aristocrats, a dying system which brings the public nothing but bloodshed and chaos. Such ‘chaos’ would eventually become a ‘ladder’ for people like Little Finger to take advantage of – but not people without a title or a castle to inherit. Most civilians in the show died for nothing, because they’re expendable. And it would be sad if such ‘wheel’ of ‘game’ continues to roll in the final episode. Varys has every right to pledge his allegiance to the “Good People of Westeros” – but his solution to switch to another candidate whenever needed is wrong. Tyrion is the only character to have truly foreseen the future by proposing a new mechanism to reduce current political carnage. Thus maybe none of the characters we have vouched for will sit on the Iron Throne. Or maybe something even better: there will no longer be a throne, only the relic of the Red Keep as a museum, to teach future generations a lesson – similar to the real-life ‘Forbidden City’ of Beijing. A more modernised democracy based on the voting system of Night’s Watch and the Ironborn may potentially be built in the end, to transfer the real power into voters rather than the ruler. Only in this way can we truly see the ‘terminal’ of the great power game and open a brand-new chapter of Republic.
  I mean it. If the Great War between life and death hasn’t already taught everyone the cost of the old Monarchy, why would we presume anyone can bring long-term peace and stability to us? Varys will die, Tyrion may die, Daenerys will never sit on the Throne as the prophecy implied in season two. Look beyond this show – think about what we have in the real world today: we have managed to (partially) shut the ‘power’ into a cage; made dominating politicians (like Kings and Queens) act as the servant and jester at times. But most importantly, we’ve made them disposable – because we as the voter are the guardians of power.
  Although many aspects of this world order are still far from ideal, we should appreciate the ‘Iron Price’ we have paid to enter this liberal era. Once upon a time, they wrote the Hammer of Witches and burned, skinned and drowned women alive. Later, they threw people into gas chambers and Unit 731 with racial pride. Then they assassinated writers, presidents, journalists, and labelled student upheaval as an ‘Anti-revolution Riot’. Our history isn’t less gruesome than the ‘Song of Ice and Fire’ written by Samwell Tarly. Whether in Westeros or on Earth, history progresses and evolves itself. And both histories shall sail towards a better tomorrow. The developing trend of human civilisation is that more and more ‘weak’ and ‘fringe’ minorities are gaining equal rights and individual freedom, desalting long-rooted discrimination, misunderstanding and invented superiority at the expense of their blood and tears. We will all continue to improve our existing era of history. This is my take-away from eight years watching GoT: I am ‘No one’ of house ‘Nothing’, and I bow to no one, I fight for all of us.
  Welcome to the ‘End of History in Westeros’. And welcome to 2019 AD.
  Haoyi is the PARSA Queer Officer of 2019.

  Haoyi Jason Zou

• Meet Me at the Vernissage

  May 13, 2019 1:59 pm Comments Off on Meet Me at the Vernissage

  With Vernissage My Heart, Austrian band Bilderbuch have released their weirdest and most wonderful album yet. Mizzy, pass auf!
  I first heard about Bilderbuch from a stupidly handsome Austrian backpacker in Peru. Mattias, who had two stories he liked to tell on rotation, enjoyed nothing more than to recount the time he went to a Bilderbuch gig and smoked a joint as long as his arm. The second story was about how he once greened out in front of a giant speaker blaring Bilderbuch (quelle surprise) and was woken up by the police a couple hours later. Mega geil, ja? Mattias was a bit of an airhead but he sure had good taste. Bilderbuch have been one of my favourite bands ever since.
  ‘Bilderbuch’ means picture-book in German. It’s a fitting name for a band that makes innocent, effervescent tunes about playing frisbee, drinking soda, tax evasion, and children smoking spliffs.
  But Bilderbuch were not always this ingeniously bizarre. After a few years dabbling in fairly ordinary rock, they rose from relative obscurity in 2015, when they released Schick Schock to the critical acclaim of German-speaking hipsters everywhere. It was time for Bilderbuch’s frontman, Maurice Ernst, to ditch the skinny jeans and kiss his side fringe goodbye. Bilderbuch said auf wiedersehen to their indie origins, and departed into something considerably more interesting.
  With every album since Schick Schock, Bilderbuch have incrementally cranked up the weirdness of their image. I like to imagine that we’re the frog and they’re the pot of increasingly hot water. With Schick Schock came the music video for ‘Maschin’. It features Maurice sitting in a bright yellow 1990 Lamborghini Diabolo, playing with its luxurious features, and stroking its shiny exterior with equally fluro yellow leather gloves. The music video for the single of their following album, ‘Bungalow’ from Magic Life, is intercut with images of Maurice seductively vacuuming, his bare chest smeared with oil. In the video for ‘Frisbeee’ from their latest album Vernissage My Heart, we have the entire band dressed as psychedelic cowboys playing space frisbee. What a treat.

  Musically, Vernissage My Heart is both a continuation and a departure from Bilderbuch’s earlier material. It’s considerably more guitar driven than the previous two albums, but retains their penchant for autotune and strange synthesised noises. It’s got a feel-good, melancholic, trip-of-a-lifetime air about it – a vibe that is only enhanced by the wacky videos and strange costumes. And, it’s funny. Bilderbuch play on phonetics to create what is essentially gibberish, even to those who Deutsch sprechen. As far as I can understand with my Intermediate German, the lyrics are a dadaist ensemble of words that don’t make much narrative sense but play with sound and meaning in a way that contributes richly to their unique image. With each album, Bilderbuch fixate on a few select themes. With Vernissage My Heart it’s frisbee, space, and memory cards. Bilderbuch have no comparison, and without a doubt, Vernissage My Heart will be one of my favourite albums of 2019.
  Despite their genius, Bilderbuch still only tour German-speaking countries. It seems the rest of the world has yet to get up to speed with Austrian pop. But, if we create enough of a following here in Canberra, maybe – just maybe – one day we’ll have the privilege of seeing them live in Australia. Kiffe und höre Bilderbuch! Wir lieben Bilderbuch!

  Maleika Twisk

• The Oscars as a Microcosm of Politics

  1:15 pm Comments Off on The Oscars as a Microcosm of Politics

  The Oscars, hosted yearly, have often been criticised by mass media and actors alike for its lack of diversity in award nominations. Since the election of Donald Trump, the Oscars have grown more political in nature. Many memorable speeches, given by notable figures in the film industry, were centred around tough criticism of Trump’s policies and behaviour through direct or indirect means – particularly on social issues such as gun reforms, sexual harassment (me too) and racial and religious diversity. This form of political speech has cemented the Oscars as a platform for leftist/progressive/Democratic rhetoric and issues for some, and a platform to address issues of social justice for others. Subconsciously or otherwise, this has not only made an impact on the nominations of films and actors, it is transforming the film industry as a whole.
  The result is evident through the nominations of the Best Picture award. That included ‘A Green Book’ (Winner) featuring Mahershala Ali who also won his second Best Supporting Actor award. Other notable titles were ‘Black Panther’, a movie that created a significant buzz regarding its mostly black cast represented in the appropriate environment, with attention paid to the minute details of African culture. ‘BlackKKKlansman’, was another movie that centred on issues of racial tension and who can forget ‘Roma’, featuring Yalitza Aparicio, the first Indigenous American to be nominated (and that too for her debut film). Alfonso Cuaron won his second Best Director award, being the fifth time the award has gone to a Hispanic American in the last six years. However, these accomplishments on their own are meaningless. It was only a few years ago where the Oscars experienced a complete uniformity of white nominations. The American political climate has had a profound and obvious effect on the Oscars and its nomination. However, the Academy still holds ultimate and unilateral authority to nominate whom and what films it wishes, despite the movement’s influence.
  While encouraging the appropriate representation in films, it is pertinent to view the increasing profitability of corporate morality, in times where addressing or not addressing social problems shapes public opinion. Film studios, like all other companies, are ultimately interested in their own financial gains. Given an opportunity for large-scale profit, it would be merely illogical to ignore such a profitable rhetoric where the mobilisation of forces surrounding issues of social justice, would only serve to benefit the film studio and build its reputation. Capitalising on social issues is not limited to the film industry. The NFL protests are a great example of this. Nike capitalised on this political environment through their ‘Believe in something. Even if it means sacrificing everything’ advertisement. As a result, Nike experienced a nine per cent stock increase and an increase in brand value.

  Giving coverage to minorities has become a focal point for profit. In the film industry, gambles taken on minority and female directors, actors and stories have generally been successful. A prime example is Patty Jenkin as director of ‘Wonder Woman’, featuring a strong female lead, Gal Gadot, and supporting actresses, Robin Wright and Connie Nielsen. The film emanated a strong form of female identity and was even praised by some for its lack of digital editing on thigh cellulite. The movie ended up grossing $821 million worldwide. The success of films promoting racial diversity, like ‘Black Panther’ or ‘Crazy Rich Asians’, grossing $1.35 billion worldwide and $238 million respectively only further cement to film studios the profitability of such films.
  The growing popularity of these films is undoubtedly affected by the political climate, however, the demographic changes in the world’s largest population of English moviegoers are likely also central to this trend. The composition of America is fundamentally shifting; non-white Americans are entering the middle class at higher rates. This economic progress allows non-white Americans to experience higher amounts of leisure time and consequently consume an increasing number of films. Simultaneously, it allows a greater opportunity for younger, non-white Americans to enter the entertainment world that is strife with difficulty and low pay, the Bureau of Labor Statistics estimating a median hourly wage of $17.49 for actors. This combination allows for a greater pool of talent of non-white descent to rise in the film industry to satisfy a new population of filmgoers that are hungry to see a reflection of themselves on screen.
  The Oscars today are shaped by resurgent progressive movement and a small scale model of the American demographic change.

  Shayan Lahijanian

• The Little Piper

  April 13, 2019 3:48 pm Comments Off on The Little Piper

  Why would anyone take up the bagpipes? Could it be a strange fetish for tartan? A disturbing obsession with guttural accents? A rebellious tween’s protest against classical music? For me, it was an eclectic mix of all three.
  My six year venture into the world of piping was a tumultuous one but one abound with new friendships, unusual discoveries and tartan-wearing. Just as I now begin university as a fresh-faced and somewhat innocent first year, discovering a new world of strange delights and people, my much more gangly 13-year-old self similarly stumbled down the school corridors for the first time.
  Having been traumatised by repeat viewings of ‘Mean Girls’, I was utterly terrified about high school. Will I be ostracised for not wearing pink on Wednesdays? Is ‘fetch’ even a thing that people say? Will anyone understand my ‘Mean Girls’ references?
  Luckily, I didn’t come close to meeting anyone who was the reincarnation of Regina George. What did unnerve me was the overwhelming diversity of opportunities at high school where every club and sport seemed to be beckon me to join. I could be a hockey player; join the Environment Group; even take up cross-country (that was a mistake)!
  But I was adamant that I wouldn’t do one thing: music. A series of disastrous recorder classes in grade four had been seared indelibly into my childhood memory: I was left with a puerile stubbornness that spurned anything that was associated with crotchets, semibreves, beats and finger-flexing.
  So how did I come to take up the most notorious of instruments? I wish I could say that I saw the error of my ways, came to realise the absurdity of my prejudice, spurred by an admirable desire to seek out the new and acquire the title of that fashionable adjective, ‘interesting’. Alas, my motivations were not so noble. In truth, it was a tatty flyer picked up near the toilets boasting ‘FREE PIPE LESSONS’ that changed it all. My inner scrooge was aroused: my time had come.
  Let it be known – the pipes are a formidable instrument. One must demonstrate mastery of one’s physical and mental self. For an individual with the attention span of a squirrel, it was a laborious task to learn to practice consistently. Not only that, it was a herculean effort to wield an instrument that was almost bigger than my five foot, two inches self.
  Missing even a few days of practice was disastrous. l, like Sisyphus, would find myself at the bottom of the hill having to push that boulder all the way back up. Arguably, Sisyphus had it easier has he wasn’t the one trying to blow a bagpipe for half an hour straight, all with the lung capacity of a small lunchbox.
  All pipers begin on a ‘chanter’ which is similar to a recorder but with a distinctly kazoo-like sound. *toot* *toot* I’d go. *toot* *toot*. Upon mastery of making baby elephant sounds, you graduated to the ‘goose’. I wish I were kidding. It was like a bagpipe but smaller. Consisting of a large fabric bag attached to a chanter, you squeezed the bag and it made honking sounds. Hence the name.
  Then, at last, the bagpipe. Dad was thrilled and I don’t say that ironically. He cried the first time I played with the band: I hope it was because of pride rather than the realisation that a quiet house would be a thing of the past.
  Music began to grow on me, and as an individual, I grew myself. Prejudice is born of ignorance and I had looked on in disbelief at all the students who were so passionate about music as to spend hours everyday after school in bands, and concertos or just jamming in the music school. Surely they could be doing something more useful? Then again, I had spent my afternoons watching videos of dogs singing karaoke on YouTube in those days. Bad times.
  While the pipes are not regarded as a particularly lyrical instrument, I came to see beauty and wonder of music through those hours spent playing Scotland the Brave and marching around. Music came to be a reprieve from the stress of high school and it is somewhat ironic that I often felt more calm blasting 100 decibel music than I might in the library.
  I was enveloped in a close-knit group of fellow tartan lovers where every Tuesday and Friday we, as a band, would religiously convene to practise. It was a beautiful community of people brought together by their ardent passion for music. The pipes, when played well, are a deeply moving instrument. While you may scoff at that (and I would have done so myself if I didn’t know better), the emotive power of the bagpipes comes from when there are many. Picture hundreds upon hundreds of pipers assembled on the steps of the Shrine playing ‘Amazing Grace’ en masse and my tiny 15-year-old self a mere speck in the throng. My spine always shivered when the drummers did their rolls, the enormous bass drums booming like thunder and the snare drums rattling like rain on a tin roof.
  As the years have gone by, I have found that I have changed: although I am now somewhat deaf, I’d say that my senses have been enriched. Music introduced me to a world of pleasant reveries, of connection and unspoken understanding. To plunge oneself into a whole new world and community is a terrifying prospect but rarely without its rewards. The thrill of Highland gatherings with its vibrant mix of pipers, drummers, terrier-owners, true Scotsmen and tartan-wearers was a welcome distraction from the drudgery of school life. While I might humbly confess that I look amazing in tartan, it is with no reticence that I proudly call myself a piper.
  We can only do ourselves good by going out there into the world and trying something new. With this said, the only question I now ask myself is this: why would anyone not take up the bagpipes?

  Sai Campbell explains the importance of bagpipes

  Sai Campbell

• Your Time is Not Yet Come

  April 10, 2019 3:16 pm Comments Off on Your Time is Not Yet Come

  Were you not born to set the world alight
  And turn the heads of those who turned away?
  The time is not yet come to leave the fight.
  Too often challenge sees the meek take flight
  And find themselves from dreams so far astray.
  Were they not born to set the world alight?
  Those mice who would not climb from covering night,
  Who willed no strength to brave the dawning day,
  Their time was come.
  They quit without a fight.
  In winter years of hardship, struggle, plight,
  Your kith and kin will ask you, old and grey:
  “Did you not burn and set the world alight?”
  Those marble busts of stoic men whose sight
  Of laurel wreath was never lost would say:
  “Our time was not yet come. We led the fight.”
  And so, I urge you, fallen there, in spite
  Of great defeat and bitter loss, to stay
  The course, my son, and set the world alight.
  Your time is not yet passed.
  Stand and fight.

  Anthony Moore urges you to stand and fight

  Anthony Moore

• How to ‘KonMari’ Your Home like an Environmentalist

  March 28, 2019 10:01 am Comments Off on How to ‘KonMari’ Your Home like an Environmentalist

  You may have caught up with the Netflix show Tidying Up with Marie Kondo over your summer break or at least have seen the subsequent memes pop up on your facebook feed. However, if you have not, it is a self-help style show inspired by the book The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up. In the 40-minute episodes the delightful host, Marie Kondo, helps people tidy-up their homes. She does this through teaching them the ‘KonMari’ method.
  The show and its tidying-up method have become a cultural phenomenon in the past few months. All over social media people have been posting about their efforts to KonMari their bedrooms, bathrooms, and kitchens and making memes saying things like “if your baby starts screaming, throw it away!” While this message is extreme, it satirizes one of the most prominent themes of Kondo’s method. That theme being the idea of having and maintaining a home where all of one’s possessions ‘spark joy’. The method has already received a lot of acclaim in popular culture as a great way to start off the 2019 year, but what about the environmental aspects of the method?
  Firstly, I am a huge fan of many aspects tied into Marie Kondo’s philosophy of tidying up. She emphasises valuing your possessions and treating them with care. For example, the gratitude she teaches alongside the act of folding clothes instills a sense that we should be mindful of the way we treat our clothes to her audience. If we expand this, we can be inspired to wash our beloved clothes according to the label and put them away carefully. Through taking these steps, we can extend the longevity of the pieces, meaning that we will need to replace items less often and thus lower our ecological footprint.
  Furthermore, if every piece in our wardrobe sparks joy, then we will want them to last and we will want to wear them. When clothes last a long time and are consistently worn it creates a cycle of slow fashion and stops the cravings to buy new clothes in a higher volume. Ideally, a person engaging with the
  KonMari method will absorb the implications of only wanting things that truly make them happy. They will come away from the show questioning any new purchases they make, asking the questions “does this spark joy?” and “will I enjoy owning this in the long term?” Kondo’s method applies to all of our possessions and not just clothing, making it an effective way to improve sustainability across all facets of life.
  Despite the environmental benefits the method does require some thought as one goes through the process of decluttering. This may sound a bit controversial but not everything in your house will spark joy for you, odds are your vacuum probably doesn’t spark joy but is probably something you should keep. When decluttering your possessions and considering “does this spark joy?” also feel encouraged to ask, “does this have a unique and important purpose in my house?”. Despite some perceptions, for the method to be effective it shouldn’t be used as an excuse to go on a shopping spree for new items that will spark joy while discarding perfectly useable products you already own i.e. towels, cleaning products, plastic bags.
  If as a result of the KonMari method you do reach a point where you have realized, “oh, I need a new coat. I shouldn’t have thrown out that old one,” or you do wish to replace your current coat with something that sparks more joy, I implore you to search second-hand sellers before rushing to fast fashion stores for a replacement. Maybe a fellow KonMari enthusiast is selling their coat, hoping that it will spark joy in someone else’s (and potentially your) life.
  The start of the university year is the perfect time for decluttering and organising our things. It is the perfect time for reevaluating what we value and what sparks joy in our lives. If we give this method a chance, it can also be the perfect time to create the perfect launching pad for an environmentally conscious year.

  Cathy Egan

• Be a part of art in Canberra Art, Not Apart

  March 14, 2019 8:19 pm Comments Off on Be a part of art in Canberra Art, Not Apart

  If you’ve moved to Canberra recently you’re probably becoming familiar with the pitying looks of friends from back home as they groan “but there’s nothing to do there”. There is a perception that Canberra is culturally backward and stagnant, cut off from the places where “things happen”. This couldn’t be further from the truth – Canberra’s arts and culture scene is thriving, supported by unique infrastructure such as the Canberra Glassworks and the ANU School of Art and Design, and amazing funding opportunities that just aren’t available in bigger cities like Sydney and Melbourne. Canberra’s arts sector may be smaller than those found in other parts of the country, but far from being a limitation, this has actually created a tight-knit community of art-makers, art-appreciators and creative types of all creeds.
  Admittedly, however, Canberra’s art scene can be inaccessible. A byproduct of the closeness of the community is that as a newcomer to the city or to the arts, you might feel like an outsider when attending art venues or events. There are plenty of ways to appreciate the great art Canberra has to offer, whether by paying a visit to the National Gallery’s impressive standing collection, checking out Enlighten, or even seeing an exhibition at the ANU SoAD Gallery right here on campus. However, none of these options give you access to the beating heart of Canberra’s art scene; they don’t allow you to meet people who share your passion, see art being made and make it yourself, be a part of something exciting and innovative. If you want to not just look at, but get involved in the arts ecosystem, a great opportunity is coming up on March 16th – New Acton’s Art, Not Apart festival.
  Festival Producer David Caffrey has described Art, Not Apart as a “reflection of local culture … like holding a mirror up to Canberra”. What he didn’t say, but holds true in my experience, is that the best part is that you can see yourself in that mirror, taking part in local culture. Art, Not Apart is essentially an anything-goes, all-singing-all-dancing crash-course in Canberra’s arts and culture scene. Participating in the festival last year showed me just how much an urban precinct can come to life. Every available space – from art gallery to community garden to lecture hall to private apartment – hosts boundary-pushing works. The focus is on performance, installation and interactive art, but many of the works featured defy these categories because they involve new and previously unimagined forms of art-making. This year Art, Not Apart looks set to deliver another indefatigably unorthodox program. The upshot of all this boundary-pushing and line-blurring is that Art, Not Apart isn’t too preoccupied with defining what’s art and what’s not; ultimately it’s about bringing people together – and this is an attitude we can all adopt to feel more connected to the community that makes Canberra a great place to live.
  When I moved to Canberra to start my undergraduate degree it meant leaving a great community of young artists in Sydney, and at first it seemed impossible to replicate that network in a new city which is so decentralised and bureaucratic. If you’re new (or not so new) to Canberra, it can feel like a place that takes itself pretty seriously – but I promise, you get out what you put in. So get out there, let your hair down, and get involved with the creative life of the city!
   
   

  Anna Stewart-Yates

• Weird Sh*t People Say on Dates

  February 14, 2019 10:30 am Comments Off on Weird Sh*t People Say on Dates

  Woroni TV wants to hear the best zingers you’ve been subjected to when on the dating scene for an upcoming video ‘Weird Sh*t People Say on Dates’! If you’ve heard anything great, hella cute, random or one-liners which you think would make students gag enter it below 👇👇🏻👇🏼👇🏽👇🏾👇🏿👇👇🏻👇🏼👇🏽👇🏾👇🏿

  Woroni Editor

• History Past, Present and Future at the Golden Globes

  January 9, 2019 2:55 pm Comments Off on History Past, Present and Future at the Golden Globes

  Hollywood’s prestigious awards season has kicked off with the 76th annual Golden Globe Awards on January 6, 2019. While not part of the elusive EGOT crown of awards, winning a Golden Globe is still highly respected in the film and TV industry and it is often seen as a foreshadowing of who will come out on top at the elusive Academy Awards later in the year.
  This year’s ceremony was hosted by odd couple Andy Samberg and Sandra Oh. Their opening monologue was filled with the standard amount of awkward banter as they pretended to roast famous attendees while actually complimenting them. But they eventually settled into their rhythm and chose to finish on a note of acknowledging the progress that Hollywood has made over the last year to improve onscreen representation. Oh said she had felt fear at the thought of hosting the ceremony, but eventually decided that “I wanted to be here to look out into this audience and witness this moment of change. Next year could be different. It probably will be. Right now, this moment is real.”
  Oh echoed the sentiment again when she won the award for Best Actress in a Television Series – Drama as Eve Polastri in Killing Eve, thanking her parents who were present at the ceremony and crying “I love you” to them in Korean.
  Bohemian Rhapsody and Green Book won Best Motion Picture – Drama and Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy respectively. Rather interestingly, they are both films based on historical events. They have also both triggered dissatisfaction from the families of the subjects of the films, Queen lead singer Freddie Mercury and African-American pianist Don Shirley, for not accurately portraying their stories.
  Continuing that trend, five out of six awards for acting went to portrayals of historical figures. The only exception was Regina King’s win for Best Supporting Actress as Sharon Rivers in If Beale Street Could Talk, which was based on the novel of the same name.
  The final season of The Americans was awarded with Best Television Series – Drama and the announcement of The Kominsky Method as the Best Television Series – Musical or Comedy prompted audience members to do a quick Google search to find out exactly what the new Chuck Lorre Netflix series was about.
  The Golden Globes’ split of the motion picture category in ‘drama’ and ‘musical or comedy’ still continues to baffle audiences each year. The Hollywood Foreign Press Association are not alone in dividing awards by genre. For example, the People’s Choice Awards has four genre awards for best movie – comedy, action, drama and family – as well as best movie overall. There are also awards ceremonies entirely dedicated to different genres, such as the Saturn Awards for science fiction, fantasy and horror films.
  However, the Golden Globes usually sticks out for its baffling categorisation of films. Just this year, Bohemian Rhapsody and A Star is Born were both of a musical nature (if not in the technical definition of a film where songs are used in place of dialogue to further the plot) yet were nominated in the Drama category. Four out of five nominees in the Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy are categorised as hybrid ‘comedy-dramas’ with the exception of Mary Poppins Returns which is musical fantasy. Other recent mismatches in the Musical or Comedy category were The Martian(winner 2015) and Get Out (nominated 2017).
  Perhaps the most memorable moment of the night came when the winner of Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama was announced and Glenn Close couldn’t wipe the look of shock off her face. Previously a two-time winner for her work in TV, it was her first win for film for her role as Joan Castleman in The Wife. The 71-year-old actress carried her joyous air of surprise right through her speech as she reflected on the role of women in society, “We are women and nurturers, we have our children, and our husbands, if we are lucky enough, our partners, whoever. But we have to find personal fulfilment. We have to follow our dreams. And we have to say I have to do that. And I should be allowed to do that.”
  Arguably the biggest success of the evening, Bohemian Rhapsody’s win was quite a shock since the film had only entered the ceremony with two nominations. By the end of the night it had won both its awards and set a record for the Best Picture – Drama win with the least amount of nominations in Golden Globes history.
  Box Office and popular culture hits Black Panther and Crazy Rich Asians unfortunately did not pick up any awards, again reflecting a rift between films that attract large audiences and those that receive critical acclaim. Crazy Rich Asians actress Michelle Yeoh did grace the red carpet wearing Eleanor Young’s famous emerald ring as in a twist it turns out that the ring was a gift she bought for herself which she then lent for use in the movie.
  Australian nominees included Troye Sivan for Best Original Song with “Revelation” from Boy Erased, Nicole Kidman for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama as Erin Bell in Destroyer and Tony McNamara for Best Screenplay with The Favourite but unfortunately no Australians took home any awards.
  Nominations for the 91st Academy Awards will be announced on January 22 followed by the ceremony on February 24, 2019.

  Julia Faragher

• The Best Albums You Might Have Missed This Year

  October 27, 2018 1:44 pm Comments Off on The Best Albums You Might Have Missed This Year

  We did it, team. We made it to the end of the year (sort of). Although 2018 has been fraught with increasing tensions between countries, an ever-revolving door of political scandals, and just about every natural disaster you can think of, it’s been a bloody good year for music. And I’m here to help you navigate the best stuff. Here’s my list of albums released this year that you may have missed and are now obligated to listen to.
  Sons of Kemet – Your Queen Is A Reptile
  I’ve only started to discover jazz this year, and Sons of Kemet provided the perfect introduction in the form of Your Queen Is A Reptile. Hailing from the UK, the band blends African influence with a classic jazz sound (and two drummers!) to create diverse soundscapes unrivalled by previous years’ jazz releases and breathes life into a genre so many are starting to forget.
  Best track: ‘My Queen is Ada Eastman’
  Mac Miller – Swimming
  I’ll be the first to admit that Swimming didn’t initially click with me. It was good, that was for sure, but not something I saw myself coming back to. So, when the announcement of Mac Miller’s passing came, I found myself wandering back and rediscovering the album in all its glory. Drenched in electronics and glistening with heavy bass lines, so much of the album connects personally with the listener. Mac’s signature singing/rapping style consistently outperforms itself as the record rolls on, and his more traditional incorporation of instrumentals creates a perfectly mellow atmosphere unrivalled by many hip-hop releases this year. Although Mac is gone all too soon, it’s nice to know he left such a fantastic album behind.
  Best track: ‘Self Care’ – “You never told me being rich was so lonely/Nobody know me, oh well/Hard to complain from this five star hotel”
  IDLES – Joy as an Act of Resistance
  Punk has been on its last legs for a long time now, but IDLES are here to tell you to take that thinking elsewhere. With Joy as an Act of Resistance, they prove there’s still life in the culture. Combining some of the catchiest bass lines of the year with genuinely confronting lyricism, IDLES dip into several genres to make their best work. Addressing themes of toxic masculinity, classism, and xenophobia, and mixed with a diverse combination of aggression and more aggression, it’s an album filled to the brim with on-the-nose one-liners and just pure fun.
  Best track: ‘I’m Scum’ – “Spit in your percolator/I am procrastinator/I over-tip the waiter/Sarcastic amputator”
  Noname – Room 25
  Never one to shy away from how she’s truly feeling, Noname holds her own in a genre dominated by male artists and proves that some of the best writing comes from the heart. Room 25 follows her brilliant Telefone mixtape by amping up the beautifully airy instrumentals, coupling them with almost spoken word-like flow to create a short burst of delightful energy. The introspection never feels forced, and almost becomes its own instrument in the sea of frenetic drum lines and measured bass playing. It’s glorious to hear an artist finally achieve their full potential, and I hope you love it just as much as I do.
  Best track: ‘Don’t Forget About Me’ – “I know my body’s fragile, know it’s made from clay/But if I have to go, I pray my soul is still eternal”
  Saba – Care for Me
  Finally, I cover an artist I truly hope is on the come-up: Saba. His unique blend of lofi with jazz-based hip-hop creates an incredible dynamic between instrumentals and lyricism all through Care for Me, and it results in one of the most enthralling listens of the year. Despite the warm surface of the music, the album conveys Saba’s battles with his demons, his close friends dying, and police brutality. But the at-times bleak lyricism is backed by chilled instrumentals, creating a dynamic unmatched by his contemporaries. It perfectly complements a rainy day, or even just a bleak one, but it warms the soul and leaves the listener hoping for a better future.
  Best track: ‘BUSY/SIRENS’ – “Surely deservin’ of all this lonely/You sad? Tell me, how you sad? You got all these friends, you got all these fans”

  Sebastian Lawrence