Category: Readers Articles of Interest

75th. Anniversary VE Day

A Personal Reminiscence

I was prompted, to put pen to paper, by the recent hype of the 75th anniversary of the end of WW 2, particularly the coverage of Captain Toms’ “100 years young”, raising £30 million plus for charity [ Isn’t he a marvel ], the Dan Snow BBC coverage of D-Day landings, WW2 history footage, etc. and lastly, the photo of Mike Tucker in uniform in the June “What’s On. I worked regularly with our uniformed lads and lassies during my career as an estate surveyor with the Ministry of Defence [MoD].

In 1970, I was posted from the Defence Land Agents [DLA] office, Dorchester to the DLA office in Dusseldorf which was responsible for the estate management of the military bases, airfields, married quarter sites, etc., in the north western part of Germany “policed” by the British Army of the Rhine [BAOR] area. At this time there was still two “wars/conflicts” in progress; the Cold War with Russia [Breznev, a hardliner, was the President at this time], its’ “Iron Curtain” allies and the conflict with the IRA in Northern Ireland.

During my first week, I had to attend indoctrination courses which involved the tactics of Russian/East German agent activities in Western Germany, particularly their movements, spying and possible infiltration by way of “honey traps”, etc. One eye opener of the course was the communication method of getting coded messages to their agents on the ground. This was done by a radio broadcast every day at exactly 10:00 hours from East Berlin by a female, nicknamed “Berlin Annie”. She would read out in a monotone staccato voice, a series of four numbers from 1 to 9: for example, zwei, sieben, acht, funf [ 2, 7, 8, 5 ] . drei, neun, eins, vier [ 3, 9, 1, 4 ] and so on for a period of about ten minutes. The agents would note these numbers and decode them into messages. By the time British Intelligence deciphered the messages, it was apparently almost too late to take any action.

The Russians were allowed to travel in vehicles in West Germany but they had to display a yellow background number plate with a number and Russian flag display with the wording underneath “SOVIET MILITARY MISSION BAOR” this was called a “SOXMIS” vehicle. If any of these were spotted during our travels around Germany we were to report the number and location immediately to the military police especially if the vehicles were in a restricted area such as a military installation, barracks, etc. As civilians, we apparently had the power to “detain” the vehicles by “boxing them in” !!!!!

As already mentioned, another “sinister war/conflict” was still continuing in Northern Ireland but the IRA were now expanding their operations outside of the UK – Several IRA activists were detained in Gibraltar about this time, for example. They were also now operating in Germany and the Netherlands. During 1972-1973, Dusseldorf barracks, where the DLA office was situated, was

subjected to periodic security alerts strongly tightened on intelligence of IRA presence in the area. Dusseldorf, the BAOR HQ at Rheindahlen and the RAF bases at Bruggen, Laarbruch and Wildenraath are closely situated to the Dutch border where British families often crossed to visit such places as Arnham, for example, and the nearest town of Roermond for its shops and cafes around its central square. It was here that the IRA targeted a cafe frequented by Brits and exploded a bomb which fortunately resulted in no serious casualties.

I had to travel to London on several occasions for meetings, briefings, etc. I always travelled on “Air Trooping” aircraft with military personnel on route to and return from Belfast. On one return flight back to Dusseldorf, I sat next to a corporal [Chris] who sat in the window seat. During our chats, he told me he was excited at returning, after six months duty, to see his three month old daughter for the first time. Half way into our flight, the captain announced that we were, for technical reasons, being diverted to RAF Gutersloh, an hour’s train journey to Dusseldorf and that relevant passengers would be given train passes and ferried on to the station. At this point, Chris started to become agitated, mumbling that he wasn’t going to see his first child. He eventually calmed down but on landing at Gutersloh, he suddenly tried to shoot out of his buckled seat shouting we are going to crash !!!. The reason for the outburst was the noise of the engine brake and he saw the wing flaps suddenly drop for further braking. This was obviously a case of PTSD [Post Traumatic Stress Disorder].

On the train from Gutersloh, I sat next to a Sergeant and his comrades who were also returning to Dusseldorf after their six months duty in Northern Ireland The train was travelling at a high speed when suddenly a another train passed us in the opposite direction, also at high speed, which produced a high sounded “WHOOOSH/THUD” which was frightening. The sergeant and several of his colleagues suddenly jumped into the aisle, taking up a kneeling/crouching position, holding imaginary rifles and furtively looked around the train. This was an eye-opener, witnessing the aftermath of what our lads had gone through and were still going through in defending our country and freedom. It is therefore disgusting that some have been and are still being persecuted for historical allegations of murder. Etc. It is understandable why our lads suffer from PTSD.

“Yn union”.

Twenty Years

PLAY HARD, WORK HARD

Twenty Years

2020 has been bizarre. From wildfires destroying much of Australia’s landscape, to floods which devastated much of South Wales to these unprecedented times – all within a handful of months.

It’s impossible to forget the pain and suffering so many have unfortunately had to face this year alone, with barely five months under our belts.

I can’t help, however, but contemplate the last twenty years of my life and hope for better days ahead. As dramatic as it seems, I think we’d all like for this year to be done with.

Twenty years ago, the world was celebrating a new Millennium. The world entered the twenty-first century, and within ten years, leapt to heights not many could predict.

I was born in May of 2000. Which means I’ll be twenty this month. But what a weird twenty years of life to have lived. Countless events shocking the world, to now, living through a global pandemic.

People my age have seen so much, and yet our lives are barely even beginning yet. We’ve seen war and terror attacks on our screens; we’ve seen political upheaval (and countless arguments over such upheaval); we’ve seen technological advancements so vast it’s often seen as surprising that I lived through a period of life where I didn’t have an iPhone.

Twenty years is a long time – but it’s also not. Not really. My life is only now really beginning, but I still don’t have many life experiences. Twenty seems so old, but also so young all in one go.

A few weeks ago. I was announced as the new Editor in Chief of my university’s newspaper. And yet in that same week I was hoping my Mam could ring the doctor for me. It seems so mind-boggling to me that I am gaining these opportunities to advance my career, but I still feel like a child.

There’s an expectation that by twenty years old you should have your life in order. That being in University or having a job or a family should mean that you’re an adult. But it doesn’t feel that way, really.

It feels a little as though I’m playing House. I know what I’m doing when it comes to Uni and the newspaper, but then, somehow, I still feel as though everything else is a big guessing game.

I’ve seen so much change in twenty years. Enough change that my ancestors would likely feel my twenty years was more than three lifetimes. Twenty years which feel like centuries, but also like no time at all.

I mean this generally of course – my lifetime is only so different to that of any other twenty-year-old. But these past twenty years have been rough, no?

It’s not all bad, of course. Although we’ve had some terrible times, we’ve had some advancements, too.

Opinions are evolving, and acceptance is more readily available. It would be naïve of me to say there is no evil in the world, or that prejudice is non-existent; but it is possible to say that the world has changed for the better and more people are having open discussions and checking their own prejudices.

Hard topics are being discussed, and topics such as women’s rights and reproductive health; mental health; racial stereotyping; gender norms; LGBTQIA+ rights, and the mental wellbeing of men are reaching new audiences.

Twenty years ago, it seems unlikely a popular television programme on a big American network, such as ‘Brooklyn Nine-Nine’, would have such open discussion about sexuality, racial prejudice, sexual harassment and even male mental health. The show takes place in a New York police department – an unlikely background for such open discussions to be had twenty years ago.

Twenty years ago, the world was a different place. It’s not the first time this has been the case, and it won’t be the last. But it has been remarkable to see. The world still isn’t a great place, but by some means it’s a better place than it was twenty years ago.

I don’t know what the next twenty years may bring. I don’t know whether the world will have bettered itself or deteriorated. Honestly, I don’t know if the world will still be here, given the threat of World War III at the beginning of this year.

Twenty years is a long time in the grand scheme of things.

I wonder what the children born in 2020 will have experienced by the time they reach twenty years old

 

 

“Invisible Invader “

 

INVISIBLE INVADER

All world countries are facing a tyranny,

A virus came without word.

With many dear souls dying,

An illness, new, unheard.

We don’t know how it travels,

Its shape or how it moves,

Well people only yesterday

Was living life with dues.

The following day are taken ill

An ambulance is called,

So suddenly become very sick

As family watch appalled.

A desperate journey quick and safe,

Driven with such flair,

They soon arrive at hospital wards

And taken through with care.

A building filled with dedicated staff

Their profession shines so bright,

They do their best to save the lives,

And work all day and night.

All our services are prepared, when called into this fight.

Our fire, police and deliverers

All professional, on duty, do things right.

The kindness spreading through the land

From strangers who all feel,

Are trying hard to ease the grief,

When hearing of loved one’s ordeals.

The scientists are searching to find a cure while

Governments are laying rules to keep us all indoor

Allowed out for shopping, a distance must be met,

Two metres between each person, a safety practice kept.

The younger generation call

With invasion fear – never known before

Are reassured by our Seniors

With their history …TWICE ENDURED!

This silent invader will do its best to spread

But Nation, stand firm! Obey the rules!

Soon this tyrant will be DEAD!!!

Maureen Richards

 

 

Dressing For The Occasion

Dressing For The Occasion

My fellow Image Consultants and myself recently followed in the steps of the gorgeous Amanda Holden to remind people to STAY AT HOME Easter Bank Holiday Monday. If Amanda could put on a posh frock to take her wheelie bin out, so could we. In fact, it’s amazing what you can do in your best dress!!!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Looking your best may be the furthest thing from your mind at the moment, but wearing an uplifting colour or a floral summer dress can really help to lift your spirits and bring you some hope and joy during this “stay at home” time.

Our HRH the Queen recently delivered a perfectly pitched, rallying speech to millions including the nation, the Commonwealth and indeed, the world and she wore a beautiful shade of emerald turquoise green.

Green was a perfect choice for this occasion as it represented nature, tranquillity, good luck, health and a sense of calm.

“We should take comfort that while we may have more still to endure, better days will return: we will be with our friends again; we will be with our families again; we will meet again.”

Nicole

 

 

International Women’s Day

International Women’s Day

It was recently International Women’s Day, so Happy International Women’s Day!

I have always been surrounded by incredible women. Between my Mam championing STEM and balancing a full-time career with twins, to my aunt who has raised my three cousins solo since they were young and doing so whilst starting her own business, to all of my cousins who are clever and brave and beautiful. To another aunt who, as a nurse, has spent Christmas Days caring for others, and another aunt who spends her life making everyone’s lives better by being attentive and caring.

To my Nana, whose life was spent supporting and caring for my dad and his siblings and attempting to better their lives and my Mamgu, who was a teacher and has travelled the world and who is always there to brighten my day with her stories. To my friends, old and new, who show me every day that the future truly is female.

I will always be surrounded by incredible women. Because I’m lucky enough to not only have role models within my own family, but also within popular culture. Between Greta Thunberg and Malala Yousufzai, Serena Williams and Taylor Swift, Stacey Dooley and Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka there are plenty of women to look up to.

I’m glad I have these role models. They’ve made me a better person. I’m keeping myself informed on important matters and I’m learning how to improve myself each day. I’m not perfect and I still find it hard to ask for help when I need it, but having the support of the amazing women around me and being able to look to these role models allows me to look to them for guidance and ways of improving myself.

I see the young women around me, and I have hope for the future. They are witty and bright and have the power to change the world if they want to. From my friends hoping to be doctors and save people, to those who want to pursue a career in teaching so that they can shape young minds. To my friends who want to be translators or writers or bankers or actors. To my friends who, like me, are pursuing a career in journalism and hope to change the world through the press and media.

They have the world at their fingertips, and I cannot wait to see them reach their full potential.

International Women’s Day is never about bashing men. It’s about celebrating the women who are often left in the shadows and don’t make it to the history books. It’s about celebrating the women who have survived domestic abuse and supporting their journey. It’s about remembering the young girls who are married before they even start their period; the ones who deserve change because they deserve better lives. It’s about remembering the women who have shaped the world without the world even knowing. It’s about celebrating the women who live with conditions like endometriosis and polycystic ovarian syndrome but remembering that often, their pains weren’t believed. It’s about remembering that most women aren’t believed when they report sexual assault. It’s about encouraging the new generation of women to break through glass ceilings and showing them, they have the power to do so.

Regardless of whether you were born a woman, if that is how you identify you deserve to have people use the correct pronouns and treat you with respect. Regardless of whether you are able to reproduce or whether complications mean it might never be possible or whether you never want children, you deserve to have your value seen as more than just your womb. Regardless of the colour of your skin, you deserve the same rights as anyone else. Regardless of any disability, you deserve to be treated with respect.

Being a woman can be hard. Between inequality and periods and misogyny, it’s a tough world. But women need to support women. Men need to support women and women need to support men, too. Everyone needs to support everyone. Imagine how much of a better place the world would be if we all supported one another in achieving our goals, instead of building up barriers and causing roadblocks.

Regardless of your gender, you have a right to equal pay and equal opportunity.

By Tirion Davies

 

 

Hoping For a Career in the Media

It’s not news that I’m hoping to follow a career in the media. Although I currently work for Cardiff University’s newspaper, Gair Rhydd, I don’t think I will pursue a career in newspapers.
But despite my aspirations to become a journalist, it doesn’t mean I can’t hold the media accountable. Recently, more so than ever, I’ve been more aware of the media’s perception of certain celebrities. The way some are attacked and vilified. How some media outlets will do everything in their power to gain a story.
With Taylor Swift’s tell-all documentary hitting Netflix at the end of January and with the recent and sudden death of television presenter Caroline Flack, it’s time we realise that targeting certain celebrities creates a mob mentality – and can often cause serious harm.
Most people by now will likely know I’m a big fan of Taylor Swift. Since her Fearless album, I’ve followed her career and enjoyed her music. I feel I’ve grown up with her and her music and getting more of an inside look into her private life in her documentary has been fascinating. I feel I relate inherently with the way she reacts to how others perceive her. She mentioned how she’d built her entire belief system on being liked. But when the world turned against her, she had to rebuild.
Taylor Swift has been criticised her entire career. Either because of who she’s dating or how she reacts to situations. She’s been scrutinised and clearly it meant she had to think about everything she did in her life. Which seems normal – to a point. It seems she put so much pressure on herself to be ‘perfect’ that she even considers her album Reputation a failure because of its lack of Grammy nominations – despite many, myself included, counting the album as one of her best.
The media has spent many of Swift’s years creating her as a ‘love to hate’ personality. During 2016, following Kanye West’s Famous song debacle, and Kim Kardashian West’s recording, the world quite literally turned on Swift. The media seemed to join in on this mass hatred of Swift, to a point where, when she was dealing with a sexual assault case, numerous media outlets were continuing to criticise her. Even as Taylor Swift was going through one of the hardest things anyone might have to go through, many media outlets were capitalising on her hardship.
I understand that the world has an obsession with celebrity culture, and that celebrities are seen as the ‘elite’. However, to an extent, the media can be perceived to be out for blood. I recently saw a viral video of Selena Gomez leaving a restaurant where she said, ever so timidly, ‘do you mind leaving me alone, please?’ to paparazzi. Their response was simply ‘we got here first, there’ll be more in a second’, but Gomez even mentioned how they were scaring her.
Of course, celebrities put themselves in a position where the world scrutinises them. It’s, unfortunately, part of the deal. However, there is certainly a point where things can go too far. And it often does.
Caroline Flack was charged last December with assaulting her boyfriend. Overnight, her life was upended. I sincerely believe that an abuser should be punished for their actions. However, the vindication Flack received during her assault trial was not the first time Flack was targeted by some media outlets.
As with many female celebrities, everything Caroline Flack did was scrutinised. It feels as though the media were thrilled when her assault charges hit the headlines in December.
Flack’s boyfriend dropped the charges against her, and yet the trial continued on (Flack was meant to stand trial next month). Although I believe assault trials should be carried through even despite charges being dropped – it’s notable that Flack’s trial was not dropped, when sadly, in most cases, the charges being dropped would mean the trial would be over. It seems like Flack’s trial not being dropped is in part due to the fact she was famous.
It seemed unlikely, due to her persona on ITV’s Love Island and BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing, that she could be an abuser. And in part, I think the media loved that. It was a story which seemed so unlikely – which meant it would sell.
Again, I’m not saying Caroline Flack’s abuse of her boyfriend ought to be excused. I am however saying that the way her trial and the allegations were handled seemed targeted in a way which was different from how abusers are often perceived by the media.
Of course, it is not entirely the media’s fault. In order to sell papers and gain more clicks to websites, you must make sure your content is what the public will want. If the world is hating a certain celebrity, the media will capitalise on this. It is both the media buying into this mob mentality which is harmful, but also the public’s creation of the mob mentality which can cause severe damage.
Everyone should be accountable for their actions. However, if these celebrities are being held accountable, then so should everyone else, and that includes the media, too.
No one else should feel like ending their life is the only way out of the hounding from social media trolls and the media.

By Tirion Davies

 

 

Happy New Year everyone!

Happy New Year everyone!

Since getting back into the flow of uni work, I’ve come to realise recently that just maybe some of my work-life balances aren’t as healthy as they probably should be.

These days, I wouldn’t dare submit an essay the day it’s due – I’m too worried something will go wrong and it won’t make it in. For some reason, I need for my essays to be submitted the night before it’s due (at the latest). For me, it’s a comfort to see it’s actually gone through and I still have a little time to change anything if need be.

You’d think submitting an essay two days before it’s due would be a relief – it is, but I still worry the link’s been lost or I’ve forgotten to add something and time after time I’ve resubmitted an essay three or four times because there’s just one more thing I think it needs.

I bet my parents are rejoicing (to an extent) when I tell them sometimes – my first year of GCSE saw me doing the bare minimum. I think part of it is me realising that the bare minimum for me is disappointing; it makes me guilty, because I know I’m better than that.

If I haven’t learnt my flashcards to the dot the day of the exam, I’m scared I’ll fail. My best isn’t always phenomenal, but I feel worse if I do badly and I hadn’t tried my hardest. Maybe it’s because I know that if my results are less than stellar, there’s no way anyone can tell me it’s because I didn’t try hard enough. It’s still gutting but at least I have the peace of mind that maybe I just can’t necessarily do that particular subject.

I think I have quite low standards for myself, too. It’s laughable how excited I get when I get good feedback on some work. I wrote the beginning of a script for this year’s module at the start of the year, and I still can’t stop fixating on the positive feedback. I’ve always been the kind of person who feels boosted by positive feedback. I’m petty enough that part of me wants to do better than the teacher thinks I can do sometimes (ahem, see History A Level Vietnam War coursework) but generally speaking, I can feel deflated if my feedback has no positives.

I guess part of me thinks I have something to prove. I’m studying for a degree in subjects I should excel at; I get worried when I don’t do as well as I’d like to.

It’s hard I suppose to fall out of old habits sometimes, even if they’re not as healthy as they should be. I don’t think I’ll ever be the kind of person who doesn’t need to check everything twice before submitting, which to some extent is a good thing – just maybe not when it’s quite so neurotic.

But maybe this next decade needs to be different. I’d like to learn to be (a little) more carefree with my attitudes to work. I don’t think submitting my essays a few days in advance is a problem, but I should definitely learn to be more conscious that as long as I’ve checked it to the best of my ability before submitting it, that it doesn’t need any more work.

I’d like to learn to be calmer when it comes to exams. There’s nothing I can do to change the outcome the second I leave the exam hall – whatever happens, happens. Funnily enough, the exams last year actually went pretty well (doesn’t mean I didn’t think about them throughout the summer). I’d like to learn to leave my worries on the exam hall floor.

I’d like to learn to see the positives of my work. To be able to say ‘Okay, this bit wasn’t perfect, but that’s fine’. I’d like to learn that perfect shouldn’t have to be the operative word every time. I’d like to incorporate more positive attitudes to my work. Perfect isn’t always necessary; I think for me, it’s probably too much to have to think of everything as perfect every time. I’d like to learn to look at my work and not be consumed by the negatives.

I feel like a hypocrite sometimes when I’ve said to others that they should be careful to balance their work-life time effectively, when I know I’m not necessarily doing the same. The title of this column could be considered an example of said hypocrisy.

Should probably start taking my own advice, soon.

Despite what I’d like to learn, one thing I have learned the past few months is that it’s okay for me to leave university with a 2:1 if it means I’m okay. A First Class, and that craved perfection isn’t worth risking my mental health.

As we head into 2020 and this next decade, I need to remember that my mental health is more important than being perfect.

By Tirion Davies

 

 

People With Power Get Away With It

People In Power Get Away With So Much

 

By now I’m sure you’ve all heard about the scandal surrounding Prince Andrew, Jeffrey Epstein and a trafficked 17-year-old. Prince Andrew has since stepped down from royal duties, but he’s not been completely cut off from the royal family. His family has refused to comment, and that in itself is evidence enough of his guilt. But Prince Andrew isn’t technically being held accountable for his actions; whether the allegations made by Virginia Roberts are true or not, Prince Andrew still maintained a friendship with Epstein. Yet, because of his status, he’ll stay on the palace payroll and soon this story will be buried.

It happens all the time. People in power get away with so much because they have the power and the money to make it go away. They become infamous, but that also keeps them in the spotlight for longer and further enhances their fame. Think about Bill Clinton’s affair with White House intern Monica Lewinsky; that’s all she’s ever known for, whilst Clinton maintained his beloved status as President. Lewinsky should never have had the affair with Clinton, yet she wasn’t the one that was married with a child. She wasn’t the President. But because of her lack of status and power in the debacle, she’s been vilified for her involvement.

There are plenty of actors who fit the infamous role; who’ve gone on to gain more roles possibly because it adds to the press of the project. When famed director Woody Allen was found to have been part of the many Hollywood big leagues to sexually abuse hundreds of people, some actually came to his defence. One of those being Scarlett Johansson, who’s surely used to controversy by now.

Johansson was first caught up in controversy when it was announced she would star in Ghost in the Shell, an English language adaptation of the popular Japanese manga comics. It was argued by many that Johansson’s role should be recast and played rather by an actor of Asian descent, as the series, and the character are Japanese. The problem was further exacerbated by Screencrush publishing a report noting that Paramount and DreamWorks had tested a post-production visual effects technology which was said to make Johansson appear more Asian. Although Johansson has stated she would never play a character of another race, she did have the option to drop the project and allow the studio to find a more suitable fit for the character. Ed Skrein, who was originally cast as Ben Daimio in Hellboy stepped down from the role after educating himself on the origins of the character, stating he didn’t want to ‘obscure ethnic minority stories and voices in the arts’ and noting, ‘I feel it is important to honour and respect that’ (the character was later recast with Daniel Dae Kim as Daimio).

Yet Johansson’s reputation seems untarnished. She was announced as the highest paid actress of 2019 and has two major films coming out within the next few months. However much I love Marvel, and although I believe Black Widow is long overdue, I’m aware that Johansson’s career should have

suffered a knock for the comments and controversies she’s been in the headlines for. Her status is continuously growing and she gets away with the comments she makes, even when they are comments which anger many.

In turn, Marvel have rehired James Gunn for the third instalment of Guardians of the Galaxy after his own allegations of sexual assault came to light. To an extent, it feels as though Marvel had set a stopwatch between firing Gunn and rehiring him for the amount of time they thought it might take for people to forget the allegations against Gunn. To an extent, it worked, and many have praised Marvel for reinstating Gunn’s title as director for the franchise. Again, a celebrity not being held accountable for their actions and rather being rewarded for their infamous controversies.

We hold celebrities on a pedestal in our society and it’s become incredibly damaging, because having money and status these days seems to exempt you from being held accountable for your actions.

There are plenty of working-class people who have had to suffer long sentences in prisons for crimes the rich are able to pay their way out of. Between the college admissions scandal in America when Lori Loughlin and Felicity Huffman were held accountable (for which Huffman served 12 of the 14 days she was sentenced to prison) and the Brock Turner case (for which Turner – who was convicted of three charges of sexual assault – was sentenced to only six months in jail following a $150,000 posted bail), the rich and famous get away with a lot.

Being held accountable for our actions is important. Arguably from the track record, more important for the rich and famous. Yet, if you have enough money and enough power, you can make anything disappear. The fact that scandals make celebrities infamous but somehow also richer is disgusting. Being a celebrity or having more money than you know what to do with shouldn’t exempt you from the law. If you make a mistake, you ought to be reprimanded and suffer like the rest of us.

Celebrity culture is far more corrupt than I think we often remember. Though that doesn’t mean that millionaires deserve a cop out clause.

They should pay their dues like the rest of the world.

By Tirion Davies

 

 

A Fan of Taylor Swift

Did you think I wouldn’t hear all the things you said about me?

If you know me well, you’ll know I’m a fan of Taylor Swift’s music. Since her Fearless album (the first album I ever bought) to her most recent Lover album, I’ve followed her transition from country music sweetheart to global popstar. If you look back over some of the titles of my blog posts, you’ll find many are either lyrics or titles from some of Swift’s songs. But the one thing above all I’ve been hyper-aware of over the past ten years is Taylor Swift’s battle with the media’s perception of her.

Despite many male celebrities – including Leonardo DiCaprio and George Clooney (and even Swift’s ex-boyfriend Calvin Harris) – having an endless list of girlfriends, Swift is continuously vilified for her relationships and branded a serial-dater. Why do the double standards exist for male and female celebrities?

Women in the music industry are watched constantly. Their male counterparts can get away with so much, and yet if the media tells us to hate a female celebrity – we do. Swift continues to earn backlash online, but often people aren’t sure why they hate her, other than because they’ve been told they ought to. Think about it – the world loves to hate Kim Kardashian because all we’ve ever heard is that she’s an awful person. Perhaps she is, but it’s rare that we question why we hate these female celebrities, and it’s often because of the media’s perception of them.

When the MeToo movement in 2017 reached prominence, and the world began to understand the true problem surrounding sexual assault, Swift came forward about a battle she’d been having for years regarding a DJ who touched her inappropriately a few years prior. Swift went to court against this man and asked $1 if she won the lawsuit. But even when Swift had been touched without her consent, she barely garnered support. She was still vilified and told she was ‘playing the victim’.

The world seems to love to hate Taylor Swift. Even when she announced in the summer and has since reiterated the fact that the former head of Big Machine Records (the label Swift signed to from the beginning of her career and until recently) had sold her masters and banned her from buying them back, many stayed silent. Even now, as she battles the rights to music, she herself curated and wrote, many men are refusing to stand in her corner. All because we’ve been told she’s awful.

How is it that we’ve let the media control our way of thinking and why is it that sources continue to attack certain celebrities? I’m very much aware that it causes a media storm, and creates views but as I’ve said before, these are real people with real lives. Although they have offered themselves up to media interpretation, the disrespect many receive, and the utter vilification goes beyond wanting likes on a

story. It’s damaging, not only to the vilified but also to those who read the stories. It’s causing a mob mentality against certain celebrities that is harmful.

Targeting one celebrity because it has become tradition isn’t a good enough reason. Not supporting them when the unimaginable is happening to them is disgraceful. I realise they are celebrities. But they’re also real people. Taylor Swift is battling to even be able to sing the songs she wrote when she was under Big Machine Records. Songs about life experiences she poured her heart out to make. Supporting the people who are stopping her from gaining back the rights to her songs just because you don’t like her doesn’t make sense. Because it’s not just her music she’s fighting for, it’s for the many who’ve had the same happen to them.

Why there are celebrities in the world we choose to hate, I will never know. You don’t have to say you like their music or the things that they do but admitting that the things that are happening to them are unfair is good. If you wouldn’t want it happening to you then why would you encourage it happening to someone else?

Swift seems to be handling the hate well – she’s had years of it after all. Between the lyrics of her songs and her attitude, it seems she’s taken the hate and manifested it into a don’t-care attitude. But she shouldn’t have to. No one should have to be so comfortable with hate that it becomes part of their every day.

Don’t hate these people just because the telly and social media tells you to. Encouraging their downfall reflects worse on you.

By Tirion Davies

 

 

Great Expectations

Great Expectations

There is an expectation which has fallen on the youth of today; that we must fix the problems our predecessors have caused. Between the likes of Greta Thunberg, the climate activist who made headlines after her recent speech at the UN, and Emma Gonzalez, the powerhouse who helped organise March For Our Lives on behalf of gun control last year, and Autumn Peltier, the Native American teenager working on behalf of clean water protection, the world has seen its fair share of young activists.

But my issue is that why should they have to fight the battles which should be fought on their behalf? In the words of Greta Thunberg herself in her speech at the UN Climate Summit earlier this month, “I shouldn’t be up here. I should be back in school on the other side of the ocean. Yet you all come to us young people for hope. How dare you!”.

Young people are losing their childhoods trying to undo the wrongs of the past, whilst the politicians who could be aiding them are either mocking them or are watching on in astonishment. And yes. It is astonishing that at such young ages, these young women are able to change the world. But it’s not their duty to change the world. Not yet anyway. It is their duty to gain an education and to learn and be free to explore who they are. The politicians watching them with starry-eyed gazes ought to be the ones protecting them. Protecting all of us – young and old.

Emma Gonzalez, a survivor of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in Florida in 2018 had to co-fund the gun-control advocacy group. Never Again MSD, had to help organise March For Our Lives and held a six-minute silence for the victims of the shooting (six minutes was the length of the shooting) before any changes at all were made. Florida Legislature finally passed a bill titled ‘Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Act’ thanks to the work of Emma Gonzalez and her co-founders; but she had to be the face of a generation at just 18 years old because the politicians she should be able to rely upon refused to raise their voices.

Greta Thunberg, at aged just sixteen is a face which is so recognisable. In August 2018, aged 15 years old, Greta Thunberg started spending her school days outside of the Swedish parliament in the hopes of climate change. Soon, many joined her call to arms, with the climate strike Fridays for Future being organised soon after. Following Thunberg’s 2018 United Nations Climate Change Conference, student strikes took place worldwide each week. She took a racing yacht over the Atlantic to attend the 2019 UN Climate Action Summit in New York, to demonstrate the importance of reducing emissions. But at sixteen, although she is undoubtedly an icon, Greta Thunberg should be enjoying her time with friends – not worrying about the fact entire ecosystems are collapsing.

14 year-old Autumn Peltier is an internationally recognised advocate for clean water. An Anishinaabe-kwe and a member of Wikwemikong First Nation, she is a water protector who has addressed the UN General Assembly on the issue of water protection. Having been nominated for an International Children’s Peace Prize in 2017, 2018 and 2019, Peltier is known for her activism. But she’s fourteen. She was thirteen when she first addressed the United Nations. She deserves a childhood where the people who are in power are protecting the issues she is having to advocate for – it’s their job; it was never hers.

Yet these young women have all earned backlash for their work recently. Greta Thunberg was attacked for her looks – it says a lot when the only thing they have left to go after is your lack of a smile when you’re talking about the fact Earth may become unliveable soon.

A Republican congressman, Steve King, attacked Emma Gonzalez for wearing a Cuban flag on her jacket, stating, “this is how you look when you claim Cuban heritage yet don’t speak Spanish and ignore the fact that your ancestors fled the island when the dictatorship turned Cuba into a prison camp, after removing all weapons from its citizens; hence their right to self-defence”. The badge worn on Gonzalez’s jacket was adopted in 1902, fifty years before the communist take-over and has since been used by anti-Castro exiles as a symbol of patriotism.

These are young women. Young women who deserve the right to go about their teenage years in the way I was able to. We shouldn’t still be looking to them to lead the way, when politicians and world leaders should have been doing their jobs a long time ago.

Pressure is having three essays due in a week. Pressure is having to cram for exams each day of the week. Pressure is performing in a school show or being the one to score the winning try on the rugby field against an opposing school. Pressure should not be having the eyes on the world on you at all times and holding the weight of the world on your shoulders. It’s too much pressure for anyone – especially when there are adults in the world who are qualified and being paid to share the responsibility between them.

Although these young women are icons, they are also children. Their jobs aren’t to fix the world.

By Tirion Davies

 

 

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