The practice of ghostwriting has been around for centuries—even before the official term’s coining. Back when the primary mode of communication was oral storytelling, people used ghostwriting to scribe Bible passages and transfer religious schools of thought onto paper. Today, the most common cultural association with ghostwriting involves celebrity memoirs,[Read More…]
Pop Rhetoric
AI in Music: Revolutionary or Robotic?
In recent years, the term artificial intelligence (AI) has become part of our everyday vocabulary. The emergence of ChatGPT in the fall of 2022 sparked both curiosity and concern for AI’s future across industries. Just four months later, Spotify introduced its AI-powered DJ robot which uses generative OpenAI technology to[Read More…]
How “girl dinner” could fight the patriarchy
Content Warning: Discussion of disordered eating “Girl dinner,” a recent TikTok sensation, reveals what’s lurking in the backs of refrigerators and cupboards at dinnertime when you have procrastinated grocery shopping. An experience resonating with people of all genders, it shows creators poking fun at makeshift meals. While “girl dinner” started[Read More…]
Pop Rhetoric: Twitter and the Gen Z-ification of SNL
I’ve never been a particularly avid watcher of Saturday Night Live. Like many people my age, my opinion of the show is mainly shaped by watching clips via Twitter, YouTube, and TikTok—I really only see the best and the worst of the series. But a few weeks ago, I enjoyed[Read More…]
In Defense of the Cinema: why your local movie theatre matters more than ever
Sparks have been flying in the film industry lately—but not in the romantic sense. Since May 2, thousands of screenwriters across the United States, represented by the Writers Guild of America (WGA), have declared a strike against major studios and streaming platforms. The issue on the table? What they describe[Read More…]
What’s on the marquee?
In an age of endless sequels and superhero movies dominating the box office, a select few repertory theatres remain in Montreal, working to persevere the rich history of film and expose audiences to a broader selection of films, from new indies to classics. Repertory cinemas, otherwise known as revival houses,[Read More…]
Pop Dialectic: To Ed Sheeran, or not to Ed Sheeran?
In defence of Ed Sheeran – Sarah Farnand When I was an angsty, emotional teenager, I regularly listened to Ed Sheeran’s music. My entire family found his music to be heartwarming and relatable. I won’t lie, when my grandma passed away, I may or may not have listened to “Visiting[Read More…]
Jena Malone does not owe us the name of her assaulter
This past week, The Hunger Games actress Jena Malone posted a photo on Instagram taken after wrapping up the last entry of the franchise, Mockingjay: Part Two. The photo, in which Malone is standing in a field in the French countryside, was captioned with a statement detailing her sexual assault[Read More…]
2023 Grammys: Historic wins, disappointing losses, and spirited moments
Packed with A to Z-list celebrities, the 65th Grammy Awards took place at Los Angeles’ Crypto.com Arena, hosted by comedian Trevor Noah for the third consecutive year. After the last few editions saw a disappointing mix of bad nominations and even worse wins (remember when Billie Eilish took home all[Read More…]
Celebrating Black Hollywood—even if the Oscars won’t
Ryan Coogler. Viola Davis. Keke Palmer. This sounds like the line-up for the next tear-jerking, mind-bending, oh-she’s-acting-acting film, right? Unfortunately, not. It’s a small—and I mean SMALL—portion of the list of Black actors left out of this year’s Oscar nominations and ensuing celebration. Maybe you’ll remember the hashtag #OscarsSoWhite, which[Read More…]