On June 29, CTV National News terminated its contract with esteemed Canadian news anchor Lisa LaFlamme. LaFlamme has worked for the network––owned by Bell Media––for 35 years and was voted Best National News Anchor in April 2022. When news of LaFlamme’s termination came to light, dedicated viewers, journalists, and countless[Read More…]
Pop Rhetoric
The Met Gala 2022: Fundraising event or vanity circus?
The beginning of May marks both the end of McGill’s winter semester and the annual Met Gala, a fundraising benefit for the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute that has become known as ‘fashion’s biggest night.’ When the Costume Institute announced its Gilded Glamour theme this year, many expressed excitement[Read More…]
The enemies to lovers trope: Tried-and-true or time for something new?
From impassioned kisses in the rain to meet-cutes in high school hallways, romantic literature and entertainment have never failed to engage audiences through beloved clichés. One that continues to withstand the test of time is the enemies-to-lovers trope, in which two characters’ mutual hatred toward one another progressively transforms into[Read More…]
Disney’s support for ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill contradicts their alleged values
Considering that Disney owns a theme park that they call the “happiest place on Earth,” it is disappointing that the company currently supports several legislators who want to silence 2SLGBTQIA+ people and make Florida the most heterosexual place on Earth. Disney made headlines after the Orlando Sentinel and other news[Read More…]
Albert Camus: A visionary of pandemic-era life?
Albert Camus’ 1947 novel The Plague masterfully portrays the death and suffering that a fictional bubonic plague brings to the people of Oran, an Algerian city under French colonial rule. The events take place over many months, with protagonist Dr. Rieux working to both physically and psychologically help others suffering[Read More…]
While some see comedic actors as uncut for drama, their performances can become gems
Comedy is said to stem from tragedy, so it isn’t too far of a stretch to suggest that a great comedic actor could be an equally great dramatic actor. In fact, many performers have proved this hypothesis, from Adam Sandler’s tremendous performance in Uncut Gems to Steve Carell’s captivating role[Read More…]
The young adult dystopian genre is too close for comfort
When many think of the young adult (YA) dystopian genre, both in literature and in film, The Hunger Games immediately comes to mind as one of the defining trilogies of the category. The Hunger Games hit the big screen 10 years ago and made nearly $700 million in worldwide sales.[Read More…]
Wordle’s popularity is no puzzle
Sick of time-consuming crossword puzzles, or endless online games with thousands of repetitive levels? Wordle, the latest internet craze boasting roughly 3,000,000 daily players, might be your jam. The premise is simple: Try to guess a random five-letter word in six or fewer tries. Once users guess a word, the[Read More…]
2022 Oscar nominations: Winners, losers, and snubs
After yet another long and tumultuous wait, this year’s Oscar nominations have been released—and I, for one, am pleasantly surprised. With the past year yielding a wide variety of films from across the globe, the 94th annual Academy Award nominations recognized an impressive collection of well-deserving work. It can be[Read More…]
Fact or fiction? Creative liberties in biopics
Biographical movies are not a recent phenomenon. From Lawrence of Arabia to Malcolm X, biopics in modern cinema have consistently met commercial success, as audiences seem to have an interest in seeing the lives of famous figures dramatized. But there is always the risk of biopics misrepresenting the lives of[Read More…]
