Category: Entertainment

Lilly Singh, or Superwoman, as her 14.6 million YouTube subscribers know her, has been a social media influencer since 2010. Since then, she has quickly grown, with millions of fans across the world, to where she is today, a household name and NBC’s newest late-night talk show host.

While almost reaching 15 million subscribers is a feat in itself, becoming the only female to currently host a late-night talk show on one of the Big 4 networks might just be bigger. Singh will be replacing Carson Daly’s “Last Call” slot at 1:35 a.m. and it has been justly retitled, “A Little Late with Lilly Singh.” It’s currently set to premiere in September.

Singh started out creating content in 2010 with quirky commentary on everyday life and the relatability of being an Indian-Canadian woman. Some of her most popular videos are centered around fictional parental figures she herself plays, Paramjeet and Manjeet, and has react to trending and controversial pop culture content.

Singh has collaborated with celebrities of all kinds, including big names like Will Smith, Dwayne Johnson, Priyanka Chopra, John Legend, and Alicia Keys, to name a few. She also collaborates with other YouTube sensations like James Charles, Shane Dawson, and Liza Koshy. She includes these celebrities in her witty skits that comment mainly on modern women and the complicated twists and turns of modern relationships.

The important thing about Lilly Singh isn’t her social skills and celebrity connections, or even her relatability, it’s her position as a philanthropist. Singh is an activist that has been strongly advocating for important issues like ending girl-on-girl hate, anti-bullying lifestyles, and against sexist rules and codes.

In 2017 Singh was announced as a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador to advocate for children’s rights. She led a campaign called “GirlLove” which promoted the end of girl-on-girl hate. In the campaign she created a “GirlLove” rafiki bracelet and with the profits helped thousands of girls to gain rights to education in places like Kenya and India.

Singh time after time has proven to be more than a good character, but a just and well-rounded one too. Not only is she talented in her line of work, creating enjoyable and relatable entertainment for all kinds of people, but has left her mark on the world in more ways than one.

Lilly Singh has grown to be incredibly important in public eye, by becoming a role model for girls all around the world. It’s important to have women like Lilly in big, globally recognized positions like talk show hosts, that get broadcasted and reposted everywhere for everyone to see, to spread her success and existence. By showing there’s someone like Singh in such a revered position, despite being a bisexual Indo Canadian female, it shows girls all over that no matter their gender, sexuality, race and ethnicity, they too can be successful and help change the world for the better, just like Lilly Singh.

America

By Andrea Ayala

America, home of the brave and the free

America, you are proud and preach this for the world to hear

but yet easily criticize others who fail to imitate this

America, why do you turn your head away from actual equality and freedom

You sit there and watch as the streets are filled with the blood of your Brown and Black children

America, you preach justice but justice is never given

At least not for everyone

America, you pick and choose who gets to live a life of freedom and comfort but allow the other half to live in a world of barriers and mistreatment

America, why don’t you practice what you preach?

 

Identity

By Olivia Martinez

To the little girl unaware of her identity,

Her beauty of the culture from which she cultivates.

 

She will never believe her bronze skin is anything but a tan

Insecure that her knees will always be darker

And the closest color to her friends is that of the palm of her hand.

 

Her thick cocoa hair blazes her neck at recess,

only wish being for it to glow blonde

Freeing her neck and shoulders of rising temperatures.

 

Soon will she realize the porcelain complexions are

Envying her perfectly golden skin,

Admiring the fullness of her hair.

 

They long for her natural spanish beauty,

Craving for her identity.

 

Some Side

By Genesis Ellen

Once again he had found himself a spy

A steady wolf with an indignant eye

Latched to his pressures with a false alibi

A meek soul who’s ego had just gone too high

Puzzled by the vast inquisition that passed him by

An aged pretender still gripping to the sky

He’ll never make it without you or me

The silk caresses my shoulder blades

The way you love to do

It lays with meaning

Protecting me

 

Undressing 

By Olivia Martinez

Cotton on delicate skin

Replaces the hold i used to crave

 

Straps dig into my skin

It gets under just the same

 

Impale me with the underwire you robbed,

Trailing with meters and meters of elastic

Unaware of the consequences to come.

 

Fracture

By Genesis Ellen

 

Light stays waiting on the edge of my shadow

Close alongside with no room left to grow

Little do I know

 

With its lackluster mysteries driven through me in fear

Whispering my secrets for only us to hear

Across newly formed bridges of thoughts streaming in the ear

Ashamed, it is these bleak ideas, taking storage in the clear

 

For from mistakes that were swelled in the heat of their fury

I’ve learned ways to cross over in less of a hurry

And show once and for all, my shadow, that my soul’s no longer so blurry

 

Julia 

By Olivia Martinez

Look at us 18, and thriving

We take it day by day.

I love looking back,

Before braces,

Before boys,

Before i considered you a friend.

 

The baja to my blast

Family to my guy

Someone who was always there,

My light at the end of the tunnel.

 

Blink and we’re 800 miles away

Facetime every single day,

I’ll see you thanksgiving break.

 

 

Angel

By Genesis Ellen

Leveled out, upon the cool ground

Her wings lay lifeless and her breath makes no sound

Enormous intensity from this view she has found

Of her glistening city and the soul to whom she’s bound

 

Gazes burning deep across their faces

These moments near infinity form tension in their spaces

Fearing nothing more than to be human, the emotions she displaces

Rising near the white horizon, her fall nearly graced us

As she surrendered her life to far away places

 

Beneath her tears, a silver dream

Where all is secure and her soul needn’t scream

 

Anxiety

By Olivia Martinez

7:00 PM on a Sunday.

Im laying in bed,

netflix in reach,

Im clean and comfy and content.

 

I despise the way you work.

Inconsiderate to the way I function–

The way I live.

 

“When do I cross your mind?”

And no hesitation i respond

“Always.”

 

Your cycle is all too familiar.

I tend to look for someone to blame.

 

I’m drowning.

And the hand that helps

Holds the guilt.

 

“Get over it”

But it’s not that simple

 

I’m a slave for your artistry.

It’s hot and sticky,

Oxygen becomes thick.

 

You fill a 5×5 room

Floor to ceiling.

Im gasping for a breath

My oxygen is dropping

Yup, i die here.

 

Panic.

 

My suffering gives you a high

That i will NEVER understand.

The day that I overcome your power

Will be the first day of my life.

I will be living.

 

Honey

By Genesis Ellen

Deeply golden and sickly sweet

Forgetting is painful when the source made them complete

Shared in heat, it’s hard to beat

The emotions spill out now all through the streets

Forgetting hurts when the voices grow and your only choice is to delete

Fade it all out when you need,

But the dawn prevails and you soon retreat

Crawling to climbing swiftly up from your feet,

Knowing someday

That you will meet

 

Before watching Rope (1948), I had never seen a movie from that decade, or even close to it. My good friend is really into film, so because of her I’ve seen a lot of strange and unusual movies, Rope being no exception. It really is a great movie to watch if you’re into thriller movies or want to get a taste of what film was like in the ‘40s.

Rope begins as Brandon, played by John Dall, and Philip, played by Farley Granger, (who are implied to be in a relationship) strangle their “intellectually inferior” friend and old classmate David with, you guessed it, a rope. Right off the bat the main characters are unlikeable due to their inflated egos (more so Brandon since he’s more controlling and the mastermind behind the plan), and Brandon decided that just killing someone isn’t enough. His grand plan is to host a dinner party at their penthouse with all of David’s friends and family, serving dinner on top of his grave. This sets an intense and stressful tone for the rest of the movie.

Something really unique about the film is the way it’s shot and and edited. The movie takes place in “real time” as you’re watching it, and does a great job at making the experience immersive and feel as though you’re watching in on a dinner party gone wrong. Looking further into how the film was made, there were actually only eleven cuts in the entire film, which is incredible and a rare thing to see, even by today’s standards. It definitely achieves its goal of making it seem like a one take film.

The only set used in Rope is the penthouse Brandon and Philip live in, and because the movie is meant to be in real time, it doesn’t show any other location since our main characters don’t leave within the 80 minute run-time. A word used often in reviews to describe the feeling the set invokes is claustrophobic, and that’s probably one of the best words to describe it since it feels as though you, the viewer, is stuck watching in on a very sticky situation, and so are the main characters.

Rope does a great job at not only captivating the audience, but also keeping them on edge for the entire film. The movie’s concept in itself keeps the viewer on the edge of their seat, which makes it a great idea to base a movie off of. It’s a captivating film that keeps the attention of the viewer really well, and would be a great movie to watch if you’re into films and want to watch something experimental from the ‘40s.

Release

By Olivia Martinez

Your breath

Slowly, painfully, mindfully

Plummets into your lungs.

 

look up–

Back down,

Up again.

 

eye contact.

It Gets the point across.

 

Sit down–

And don’t slouch, you look weak.

 

painful breath.

You open your mouth,

nothing comes out;

Jesus Christ just say something.

 

Your heart is racing.

You’ll never be able to catch a breath,

A break, a second.

 

Release.

Its okay.

 

Here is Spring!

By Steve Khammao

Spring Weather Is Here,

Flowers Bloom, Bright with Color,

Allergy Season!

 

Not To Fear, Easter Is Here! (Support Pet)

By Steve Khammao

Easter Is Coming!

Have No Bunnies To Play With?

Substitute Hamsters!

 

A Fool’s Game

By Steve Khammao

Wear Green for Safety,

April Fools Is Coming Near,

Time To Get Pinched!

 

 

The first bit of information I heard about The Umbrella Academy was a volley of mixed reviews from my friends, who seemed go on and on about how weird it was. Weird, as it turns out, is not that far off from a perfectly accurate descriptor.

In all ten hours of season one, I had trouble deciphering what genre the show could possibly be categorized under. It could have fallen under anything from dystopian to thriller to drama to sci-fi to comedy to romance, and you’ll have a hard time believing me unless you sit down and dedicate yourself to Netflix’s newest addition for a whole week as I did. The Umbrella Academy is certainly a rollercoaster of entertainment, but is it worth the watch?

On October 1, 1989, 43 women across the globe gave birth simultaneously, despite not showing previous signs of pregnancy. Seven of these supernaturally gifted children are adopted by Sir Reginald Hargreeves, a strange and eccentric billionaire, into a makeshift family and fractured superhero team that he calls the “Umbrella Academy.” The show is based on Gerard Way’s comic book series of the same name, and follows the dysfunctional Hargreeves siblings on their rampant mission to solve their father’s death, define their identities, and stop the end of the world.

Imagine making yourself a smoothie using the most unremarkable foods in your kitchen, tasting it, and realizing that somehow, from all these mediocre ingredients, you’ve made a strange, but tasty, concoction that you can’t set down. This bizarre metaphor is the equivalent to my post-binge reaction to “The Umbrella Academy.”

Even after giving myself a few days to digest “The Umbrella Academy,” I still have trouble figuring out whether I truly liked the show for its good content, dealt with it for its dramatic flair, or put up with its weird bits and bobs until the end because I could never abandon any show, bad as it may be. I can’t say I was invested in any of the characters from the start either, and if I had been, and he or she had been played by a phenomenal actor or actress, then they might have been the only reason I continued watching.

There were no such characters. By the final episode, I found that the characters I ended up most liking were perhaps the ones I wasn’t supposed to like, and those I was supposed to like I ended up hating.

In truth, I don’t think any of the characters were meant to be liked. Creator Jeremy Slater made it clear from the start that the Hargreeves siblings were not without their flaws. With each passing hour, I grew more and more annoyed by Luther’s (Tom Hopper) need to constantly be the stifling good guy. I was irked by Diego’s (David Castaneda) unflattering melodrama. I despised Vanya’s (Ellen Page) dull and self-pitying disposition, and I just didn’t like Sir Reginald Hargreeves (Colm Feore) at all by the final episode. Performances aside, the general makeup of each character felt unappealing, worn, and frustratingly typical.

At times, the tone of the show bothered me nearly as much as some of the character development. There were scenes as slow and syrupy as a kiss-in-the-rain romance, and others that gave off the same brooding intensity as any procedural crime show on TV.

What bothered me the most were the action scenes; all 200, it seemed, of which never ceased to have a catchy, upbeat ‘80s or ‘90s rock song playing in the background as a donut shop exploded or a man’s head was shot clean off. If that doesn’t seem out of the ordinary, envision every action scene in the Marvel movies that had Led Zeppelin or “Mr. Blue Sky” playing in the background, condensed into a one hour episode. Having “Istanbul” by They Might Be Giants in one of the first action scenes of the season was exciting, because I do enjoy that characteristic of Marvel movies, but by the eighth, ninth, and tenth time, I was tired.

The biggest critique I have for The Umbrella Academy is pacing. Without giving anything away about the story, although I don’t know how I would be able to summarize such a crisis of plot holes, the show felt overcrowded. There were times I lost track of everything I was meant to keep track of in terms of significance to the plot, and even though one hour episodes seems daunting, each hour goes by quickly when there’s three hours worth of content shoved into that time frame.

The tone and approach to exposition was inconsistent, and the characters were at times almost laughably obnoxious. But The Umbrella Academy is not the worst show I’ve seen. In fact, despite all that I just covered, what worked about the series worked well, and what worked best were the performances. Yes, the entire story was completely haywire, and anyone who didn’t watch the entire show consecutively would have easily gotten lost among the crime-ridden and thrilling twists and turns. However, I found myself invested in this catastrophe of a plotline, somehow swept into the hurried yet brilliant character relationships by the actor’s convincing performances.

Ella Culleton (‘20) said on the show, “If you have free time and you’re not looking for a good show and you’re not looking for a bad show, you should watch it.” If what you want out of a TV show is enticing family drama involving estranged superheros and tossed up with rampant doomsday themes, no logic whatsoever, and a plot with a questionable amount of plotholes, then The Umbrella Academy might just be it. While I would not go as far to say The Umbrella Academy is a must-see, I do think you can watch it, find it somewhat entertaining, and then promptly move on with your life.

On March 8th, Marvel’s latest blockbuster movie was released, Captain Marvel.

Centered around Captain Marvel herself, the woman behind the suit, Carol Danvers, is a crime-stopping extraterrestrial Kree warrior that is stuck in the 1990s amidst an intergalactic battle.

When the movie was first announced in 2014, there was an overwhelming sense of excitement, as it was the first female-led movie to be produced by Marvel Studios. However, there was also controversy about how Captain Marvel was originally a man in the comics from the ‘70s and some superfans wanted to honor and respect the original comics.

Brie Larson, American actress known for her roles in Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, Room, 21 Jump Street, and her upcoming appearance in Avengers: Endgame, was quickly cast as Captain Marvel based on what Marvel producer Kevin Feige refers to as her ability to “balance the character’s vast powers with her humanity.”

As of early March, Captain Marvel has topped the box office, grossing over $760 million worldwide, becoming the biggest movie of 2019 so far. This is an incredibly big feat and critics are commending Larson, Samuel L. Jackson, and Ben Mendelsohn for their performances.  

While it is the first solo female superhero film since the MCU studio’s release of Iron Man in 2008, and I acknowledge how important, and almost unreal, that is, I don’t think it’s all that great.

I do believe we need equal gender representation in the film industry, especially in a franchise so massive as the Marvel universe, but I think people are giving Marvel too much credit.

Yes, Captain Marvel is a powerful, independent female superhero that will be a good role model and an inspiration to girls everywhere, but she’s also white, cisgender, and as far as we know, heterosexual.

One of the more interesting reactions after the release of Captain Marvel would be the overwhelming amount of speculation about Captain Marvel’s sexuality. Many fans claim Carol Danvers and her fellow Airforce pilot Monica Rambeau have a history, and it’s nearly confirmed with such an emotional reunion midway through the film. However, nothing is certain.

Of course, I want to believe that Captain Marvel is gay, I think that’d be wonderful, and I too saw the longing gazes held between Carol and Monica, but nothing is confirmed yet and her sexuality was danced around throughout the entirety of the film.

Everything released and said about Captain Marvel’s sexuality is all theoretical and desperate projections made by an audience that couldn’t be more clear as to what they want in a superhero film. Representation needs to extend beyond just white women, to women of color, to queer women, and to women, like myself, who are both, to help advocate for the modern ever-changing demographic of women of all types. And while Captain Marvel may have been a half-step in the direction of this goal, I don’t believe it was enough.

Artist Juice Wrld, age 20, broke out onto the mainstream scene when his album Goodbye and Good Riddance was released May 23rd, 2018, and soon his track “Lucid Dreams,” released May 4, 2018 went quadruple platinum while landing 12th place on the U.S. year-end Billboard top 100 in 2018. His second studio album titled Death Race for Love was released March 8th, 2019, featuring 22 tracks.

As an avid fan of rap and Juice Wrld himself, my first note on this latest album is that though there is a clear overall vibe to the types of songs included, Juice included a few that deviate a bit from his usual style, adding an ear-catching touch. Juice’s romance-related tracks on Death Race for Love are about being in love with his current girlfriend rather than heartbroken over exes as he has written about in previous songs.

In addition to these emotional tracks, Juice incorporates lyrical stories of his wealth, goals, and cars. With so many to choose from, it can be difficult with this album to pick out favorites, though personally I’d recommend “Desire,” “Syphilis,” and “Fast.” Juice ends his album with “Make Believe,” a song that seems to contrast the flowery feelings previously expressed about love on the album. With lyrics such as “…not afraid to die, as you can see; life isn’t real, love’s make believe,” Juice ends the album on a darker note that somewhat coincides with the album’s title.

With intriguing narratives and mainly mellow tones, as well as a few hard tracks mixed in, Juice Wrld has truly released an album his fans and others will enjoy, though possibly not to the extent of his first album.  

“Drip Or Drown 2”  is Gunna’s latest album released on February 22nd. This being his first solo album in over a year, people knew this project was not going to upset.

The 16-track album features famous artists like Young Thug, Playboi Carti, and Lil Baby, all of whom are from Atlanta, Georgia. It was produced by Wheezy and Turbo The Great, who are also from Gunna’s hometown of Atlanta, Georgia.

The project keeps a consistent tone of melodic rap through all 16 songs, with only a few being a little more slow-paced. Much like all of today’s great rap artists, Gunna uses ad libs throughout the whole project, similar to Migos, where the last word of every line is emphatically repeated.

With his consistent flow from chorus to free rap Gunna is right in there with modern day rap. And if regular rap listeners didn’t appreciate or know who Gunna was, they sure will now. Final review: 8.5 out of 10.