Magazine | Features

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Internet Trolls: Seeing the Funny Side

16th May 2013

People love to be angry.

People in cars, on tubes, on the street - they all love a good sigh or a shout. But nobody likes being angry as much people on the internet. Oh, they could rip your face off with their rage. That is, they could if you ever met them. Which you won’t.

I have now had my first experience of the internet trolling phenomenon. You know, that thing where people who live under bridges, with surprisingly strong internet connections, leave words of hate on websites in the hopes that it will make somebody cry.

Not long after publishing a recent blog post, somebody – known only to me as Anonymous - wrote a sweary comment to let me know that they d…

14th May 2013

The rebirth and publication of Spare Rib looks set to pit online feminism's 'clicktivism' against, I don't know what magazine based feminist activism is. Flicktivism? When Charlotte Raven announced that she would be reviving the magazine, defunct since 1993, the comparison between today's online feminism with its retweets and the idea of a magazine being passed around a women's group was made. However, the sharing aspect whether online or physical is one of many demonstrations of how Spare Rib enabled and inspired the current landscape of online feminism.

Spare Rib kick started an accessibility to feminism that people didn't have prior to its publication. F…

13th May 2013

According to one of my favourite websites, dictionary.com, the number one definition for the word ‘audition’ is this: 'a trial hearing given to a singer, actor, or other performer to test suitability for employment, professional training or competition, etc'. Perhaps definition number two could then read: 'a ritual humiliation given to a singer, actor or other performer to test gullibility for employment, professional training or competition, etc.'

Ask any actor what they feel is the least enjoyable aspect of their job and without hesitation they will say the auditioning (the penury may also score highly but that’s another feature)…

8th May 2013

It seems a long time ago now but on Thursday 7th March 2013, the eve of International Women's Day, we were busy raising money and awareness for Womankind Worldwide, a UK-based charity that supports women’s human rights around the world, with an extraordinary night of international comedy and discussion.

The evening featured a panel discussion about the place of women in society and how our humour defines us, and was followed by a showcase of some of the funniest women stand ups from around the world. Part of the new St. James Theatre Comedy Thursdays, no less than five continents were represented with comedy from North America, Australia, Europe, Africa, and Asia.

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8th May 2013

My nieces love One Direction. I say ‘love’. It’s more of a joyless, fact-based obsession to which I am now party, due to our undeniable DNA link and its consequent obligation. For no other reason am I familiar with song titles, lyrics and anecdotes, such as the time one of them walked into a glass door and shortly afterwards another one walked into the same glass door.

Video viewings are forced upon me during what used to be pleasant visits filled with colouring competitions and attempted makeovers (they have an uncanny ability to turn almost anyone into a plausible Amy Winehouse impersonator while aiming for Disney Princess). Time is instead spent forensically study…