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"What has to happen?" Kyle Sandilands' controversial take after knife attacks

<p>Kyle Sandilands has shared his controversial opinion on arming security guards in the wake of two violent stabbing attacks in Sydney. </p> <p>On Saturday, six people were killed at the hands of Joel Cauchi who went on a stabbing rampage through Bondi Junction Westfield, while on Monday night, a teenage boy stabbed a bishop and a priest during a church service in western Sydney. </p> <p>One of Joel Cauchi's victims was Faraz Tahir, a security guard at the shopping centre, while another guard was injured during the rampage. </p> <p>In the days after the eastern suburbs tragedy, Kyle, who has a <a href="https://oversixty.com.au/health/caring/kyle-sandilands-family-member-among-first-victims-stabbed-in-bondi" target="_blank" rel="noopener">connection</a> to one of the people injured during Cauchi's attack, launched into a tirade live on-air, calling for security guards to be given firearms. </p> <p>"I saw the [NSW] premier [Chris Minns] last night on TV saying firearms for security guards are not on the agenda. And I was like, 'Well, what has to happen before a security guard can actually secure the place for us?'" Sandilands raged. </p> <p>"Every shopping centre and every school should have armed security guards, trained specialists, not just some guy getting a little firearms licence. I mean, proper trained."</p> <p>Most retail security staff in NSW are unarmed, with batons classified as prohibited weapons that require special licensing and training. </p> <p>"There's people that work at Westfield, for example, women that work in shops that have told their husbands, 'I ain't never going back to Westfield. I'm never going back to work again'," Sandilands continued, adding that those retail workers are "traumatised forever" following Saturday's stabbings. </p> <p>Sandilands' opinions have been echoed by fellow controversial broadcaster Ray Hadley, who on Monday demanded on his 2GB Sydney radio show that security guards be armed across the state.</p> <p>"For years I've been arguing that all security guards in the state in hospitals and shopping centres should be better equipped," he said. </p> <p>"And these poor security guards, unarmed, unable to do what they should do - protecting the people that they are there to protect."</p> <p><em>Image credits: KIISFM</em></p>

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Pauline Hanson slams Woolies' controversial Anzac Day decision

<p>Pauline Hanson has slammed Woolworths and their decision to not stock commemorative Anzac biscuit tins ahead of this year's Anzac Day. </p> <p>The supermarket giant has chosen not to stock the limited edition tins this year, after making the decision to stock Anzac biscuits all year round, and donating to the RSL in other various ways. </p> <p>In previous years, Woolies have sold the tins that feature designs commemorating different wars and conflicts and are collectable items, with a portion of the profits supporting the RSL to aid veterans and their families.</p> <p>The decision not to stock the tins has outraged Senator Hanson, who has decided to continue her boycott of Woolies, which began when the supermarket didn't stock Australia Day merchandise in January. </p> <p>“I haven’t shopped at Woolworths ever since they announced they wouldn’t be supporting Australia Day,” Senator Hanson wrote online.</p> <p>“Now that I have learned Woolworths has also refused to stock the RSL’s special Anzac biscuit tins, It reinforces my original decision.</p> <p>“If Woolworths isn’t interested in celebrating Australia and doing everything it can to support our veterans through organisations like the RSL, then I’m proud to continue to boycott Woolworths and I hope others will join me in taking their business elsewhere.”</p> <p>Some veterans have also shared their upset in hearing the news, as World War II veteran Jack Bartlett said he was “horrified” to hear of Woolies decision. </p> <p>“I collect those tins and value them greatly because of my association. I’m very, very sorry to hear that Woolworths won’t do it (sell them),” Mr Bartlett told 2GB’s Ben Fordham. </p> <p>“It’s such a small thing for such a big shopping conglomerate to do. I don’t think it’s very, very much to ask them to continue what they’ve done for some time."</p> <p>Woolworths have since responded to Senator Hanson's accusations, with a spokesperson telling <a href="https://www.news.com.au/finance/business/retail/woolworths-responds-to-pauline-hansons-accusations-over-stocking-of-anzac-day-commemorative-tins/news-story/92d04438600a19f61837026198c81b4e" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>news.com.au</em></a> that the supermarket giant was selling multiple items for Anzac appeals and has raised almost $13 million for the cause over the past decade.</p> <p>Woolies confirmed that while it will not be stocking the limited-edition tins this year, they will be selling Anzac Appeal badges and supporting veterans and the RSL.</p> <p>“We are the only supermarket to be selling the badges,” Woolworths said in a statement.</p> <p>“We sell Bakers Finest Anzac biscuits in our stores all year round, this product is endorsed by the RSL and generates revenue for the RSL to support veterans and their families. </p> <p>“We’ve been proud partners of the RSL for the past 10 years, supporting the ANZAC Appeal in April and the Poppy Appeal in November. Almost $13 million has been raised at Woolworths in the past 10 years for those appeals.”</p> <p>"This support continues in 2024, with Woolworths once again stocking ANZAC and Poppy Appeal badges for purchase, providing direct and crucial support to the veteran community nationwide."</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images / Shutterstock</em></p>

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Woolies store vandalised over controversial Australia Day decision

<p>A Woolworths Metro store in Brisbane has been vandalised over the supermarket giant's controversial decision to not stock Australia Day merchandise. </p> <p>The Woolies in the north-east suburb of Teneriffe was hit with a flare and graffitied with the message "5 days 26 Jan Aussie Aussie Oi Oi Woolies f*** u” on the side of the building. </p> <p>One local shared on social media that a flare was also set off at the front entrance, setting off the fire alarm about 5am on Monday morning, shortly after staff were seen cleaning the graffiti. </p> <p>Queensland Fire and Emergency Services confirmed three crews “responded to an alarm activation” at the store, where firefighters found smoke at the scene and ventilated the area. </p> <p>They left the vandalised store at 6am, where police took over the scene. </p> <p>“Thankfully no team members or customers were injured as this occurred before the store opened,” a Woolworths spokesperson said in a statement.</p> <p>“We’re grateful to the police and fire brigade who attended."</p> <p>“There’s no reason for vandalism and we’ll continue to liaise with Queensland Police.”</p> <p>The vandalism comes just days after the supermarket giant <a href="https://oversixty.com.au/finance/money-banking/woolworths-under-fire-for-dropping-australia-day-merch" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> they would not be stocking any specialised merch ahead of Australia Day. </p> <p>Woolworths shared that the reason for pulling Aussie decorations off the shelves was due to the “gradual decline” in demand for the merchandise over the years and “broader discussion” about the January 26th date and “what it means” to different parts of the community.</p> <p>“While Australian flags are sold within BIG W all year round, we don’t have any additional themed merchandise available to purchase in-store in our Supermarkets or BIG W ahead of Australia Day,” a spokesperson said.</p> <p>“We know many people like to use this day as a time to get together and we offer a huge variety of products to help customers mark the day as they choose.”</p> <p><em>Image credits: 7News / Shutterstock</em></p>

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Sydney Opera House at 50: a public appeal, a controversial build, a lavish opening – and a venue for all

<p><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/michelle-arrow-45">Michelle Arrow</a>, <em><a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/macquarie-university-1174">Macquarie University</a></em></p> <p>It is one of the most famous buildings in the world. It has an instantly recognisable silhouette that adorns tea towels, bottle openers and souvenir sweatshirts.</p> <p>Miniature versions huddle in snow domes. You can build your own from <a href="https://www.lego.com/en-us/product/sydney-opera-house-10234">Lego</a>. Bidjigal artist and elder Esme Timbery constructed a replica in her trademark <a href="https://recollections.nma.gov.au/issues/volume_7_number_2/papers/displaying_the_decorative">shell art</a>. Ken Done put it on doona covers and bikinis. If you search the hashtag on Instagram, you will see over a million posts.</p> <p>Fifty years ago today, after a prolonged and controversial period of construction, the Sydney Opera House was officially opened by Queen Elizabeth II in a lavish ceremony.</p> <p>Spectators carrying flasks of coffee and cushions watched from the sidelines. More than 2,000 small boats viewed the ceremony from the water.</p> <p>After the national anthem was played and nine F111 aircraft roared overhead, the crowd heard a didgeridoo and Aboriginal actor Ben Blakeney delivered a prologue “representing the <a href="http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article110753207">spirit of Bennelong</a>”.</p> <p>In her speech, the Queen remarked the Opera House had “captured the imagination of the world”.</p> <p>The opening festivities gestured both to Australia’s deep Indigenous roots and white imperial origins. The building itself symbolised a new era of state investment in cultural infrastructure. This was a hallmark of the “new nationalism” in the 1970s: the arts were regarded as essential to Australia’s newly confident sense of national identity.</p> <p>Today, the Sydney Opera House reminds us Australia can value culture for its own sake. But what did the Opera House mean to Australians when it opened 50 years ago?</p> <h2>Building the Opera House</h2> <p>The campaign for an Opera House in Sydney was initiated by Sir Eugene Goosens, who came to Australia as conductor of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra in 1947. He found a sympathetic ear in Joe Cahill, the Labor premier who committed Bennelong Point to the project and launched an international competition to design the building in 1955.</p> <p>This part of the story is well-known (indeed, there was even an <a href="https://www.theeighthwondertheopera.com">opera</a>). Danish architect Jørn Utzon’s bold, avant garde design won the competition and construction began in 1961, funded – in a democratic touch – by the NSW government’s Opera House lottery.</p> <p>Construction was plagued by difficulties and expanding costs. Utzon famously resigned from the project in 1966; Australian architect Peter Hall oversaw the construction of the interior.</p> <p>In spite of the jokes and doubts, by the time the building was finished, Australians had embraced the Opera House as their own.</p> <p>The Queen tactfully acknowledged the building’s construction delays in her speech at the opening ceremony, <a href="http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article110753207">suggesting</a> “every great imaginative venture has had to be tempered by the fire of controversy”.</p> <h2>Cringe and strut</h2> <p>As historians Richard White and Sylvia Lawson <a href="https://trove.nla.gov.au/work/35026797/version/50553486?keyword=symbols%20of%20Australia">note</a>, while the Opera House was intended for all performing arts, the centrality of opera – with its expense and small audiences – made a symbolic statement a “new, more sophisticated Australia” had arrived.</p> <p>As Australia sought to find an identity independent of Britain, the Opera House became a symbol of this new nationalist turn.</p> <p>Some fitted the Opera House into older narratives of Britishness: in his book Sydney Builds an Opera House, Oswald Zeigler remarked we needed to thank Captain Arthur Phillip “for finding the site for this symbol of the Australian cultural revolution”.</p> <p><a href="http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article110752757">Gough Whitlam declared</a> it was "a magnificent building, Our civilisations are known by their buildings and future generations will honour the people of this generation […] by this building."</p> <p>In spite of this, there was still cultural cringe. The <a href="http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article110753207">Canberra Times</a> reported the British media believed the Opera House was a sign that “the country had turned a corner artistically”. It was a telling sign of cultural cringe that their opinions were sought at all.</p> <p>The Opera House was part of an Australian cultural renaissance in 1973. The ABC broadcast an adaptation of Ethel Turner’s beloved Seven Little Australians. The bawdy Alvin Purple was a box-office smash. Patrick White became the first (and so far, only) Australian to win the Nobel Prize for Literature. The new wave of Australian drama was in full swing, and the Opera House’s opening season included a play by new wave star David Williamson alongside Shakespeare’s Richard II.</p> <p>Historians have nominated many emblems for the new nationalist mood (from the new national anthem to The Adventures of Barry McKenzie) but I would suggest the Opera House embodies it best: the soaring sails, the bold, rich colours of the interiors, and John Coburn’s glorious, confident curtains for the performance venues.</p> <h2>For the elite or for the people?</h2> <p>There were always objections on the grounds that government investment would be better focused elsewhere, rather than on a performance venue for “elites”. These arguments are wearyingly familiar today.</p> <p>Premier Joe Cahill rejected this charge from the outset: in <a href="https://mhnsw.au/stories/general/sydney-opera-house-the-gold-book/">1959 he declared "</a>the average working family will be able to afford to go there […] the Opera House will, in fact, be a monument to democratic nationhood in its fullest sense."</p> <p>Cahill’s insistence this was a building for everyone to enjoy and be proud of has been fulfilled by its creative use ever since. School children regularly perform; new audiences have been drawn by musicians of all genres, from punk to Prince. But the Opera House has also been a place for creative experimentation and innovative performance – as it should be.</p> <p>Today, 50 years from its opening, the Sydney Opera House reminds us the state still has a role to play in supporting the performing and creative arts in Australia. This radiant, soaring building belongs to all of us: a great reason to celebrate its birthday.<!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/213252/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https://theconversation.com/republishing-guidelines --></p> <p><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/michelle-arrow-45"><em>Michelle Arrow</em></a><em>, Professor of History, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/macquarie-university-1174">Macquarie University</a></em></p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/sydney-opera-house-at-50-a-public-appeal-a-controversial-build-a-lavish-opening-and-a-venue-for-all-213252">original article</a>.</em></p>

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Sam Newman backs down on controversial Grand Final plans

<p>Sam Newman has remarkably backed down on his plans to boo during the Welcome to Country acknowledgement at the upcoming AFL grand final. </p> <p>The former AFL star <a href="https://oversixty.com.au/news/news/sam-newman-encourages-aussies-to-boo-during-welcome-to-country" target="_blank" rel="noopener">made waves</a> last week as he called for footy fans to boo and drown out the traditional welcome by First Nations Australians, with many quick to call his plans "racist" and "disrespectful". </p> <p>Newman even seemed to <a href="https://oversixty.com.au/news/news/sam-newman-grilled-point-blank-are-you-a-racist" target="_blank" rel="noopener">double down</a> on his claims that the Welcome to Country was somehow more divisive that uniting, as some outraged Aussies even called for him to be removed from thew AFL Hall of Fame. </p> <p>However, the 77-year-old has now quickly back-tracked his statements, saying he will not be booing during the Welcome to Country at the AFL grand final on Saturday. </p> <p>"I wouldn't boo at the grand final, but it was just a flippant throw away line, I disagree with the Welcome to Country at the grand final," he said on his podcast.</p> <p>"My point is that every single thing you go to now, you go into a library, you go into anywhere at all, the whole thing starts with it."</p> <p>"The whole thing makes you feel guilty for being here."</p> <p>"When is it ever enough that we say 'hang on a minute, this is enough, how much further do we want to keep going?'"</p> <p>Newman again went on to say that he believed the Welcome to Country ceremony does not "unite us".</p> <p>"I said last week that we should boo the Welcome to Country, it was an extravagant statement."</p> <p>"(The Welcome to Country has) gone overboard and the social elites are only trying to placate their own white prejudice by feeling virtuous that they keep going on and on with this."</p> <p>"This is why I criticised the AFL, it's just become a minefield of nonsense, they've got to pull it back."</p> <p>"(It's) not uniting us, that is my point. Standing on the MCG on grand final day and saying 'you're welcome to the country and we give you permission to play on the ground', that's not uniting us."</p> <p>"That's showing the world that we are a divided nation, that's my point."</p> <p>Since Sam Newman's original statement, senator <span style="caret-color: #212529; color: #212529; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif, 'Apple Color Emoji', 'Segoe UI Emoji', 'Segoe UI Symbol', 'Noto Color Emoji'; font-size: 16px; background-color: #ffffff;">Lidia Thorpe has </span><span style="color: #212529; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Segoe UI, Roboto, Helvetica Neue, Arial, sans-serif, Apple Color Emoji, Segoe UI Emoji, Segoe UI Symbol, Noto Color Emoji;">blasted his comments, saying he is missing the point on what the Welcome to Country is about. </span></p> <p style="font-size: 16px; box-sizing: border-box; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 1rem; caret-color: #212529; color: #212529; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif, 'Apple Color Emoji', 'Segoe UI Emoji', 'Segoe UI Symbol', 'Noto Color Emoji';">"Sam Newman, I'm not sure why he's even in the news. He's irrelevant to any debate of the time," she said on <em>Today</em>.</p> <p style="font-size: 16px; box-sizing: border-box; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 1rem; caret-color: #212529; color: #212529; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif, 'Apple Color Emoji', 'Segoe UI Emoji', 'Segoe UI Symbol', 'Noto Color Emoji';">"It's about peace. The whole message behind it is respect."</p> <p style="font-size: 16px; box-sizing: border-box; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 1rem; caret-color: #212529; color: #212529; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif, 'Apple Color Emoji', 'Segoe UI Emoji', 'Segoe UI Symbol', 'Noto Color Emoji';"><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p>

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“You’re a flop!” Kyle Sandilands hits back at Dan Andrews’ controversial new policy

<p dir="ltr">Kyle Sandilands has called out Dan Andrews and the Victorian government, as they move to ban all new homes in the state from using gas.</p> <p dir="ltr">The state government is dubbing the move as a measure to reduce cost of living pressures, claiming households will save up to $1,000 off their annual energy bills while reducing household emissions.</p> <p dir="ltr">Upon hearing the news of the proposal, the KIISFM radio host branded the Victorian Premier “a flop” and the policy “some bull***t.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“I’m sick and tired of everyone thinking we’re idiots,” he said on <em>The Kyle &amp; Jackie O Show</em>. “These laws are for idiots. Losers are doing these jobs.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“They will be banning Bic lighters next, we will be rubbing two sticks together to get a cigarette lit.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“That government sucks ass. That wandering eyed flop down there can’t have the Commonwealth Games because he can’t budget, now he thinks ‘’Oh, I’ll get the woke losers to vote for me by getting rid of gas’. You’re a flop!”</p> <p dir="ltr">From January 1st 2024, planning permits for new homes and residential subdivisions will only connect to all electric networks.</p> <p dir="ltr">To encourage new homeowners to go all-electric and abandon gas, eligible new home builders, as well as existing homeowners and renters, can access $1,400 solar panel rebates and interest free loans of $8,800 for household batteries. </p> <p dir="ltr">All Victorian households and businesses are also eligible for gas to electric rebates to upgrade heating and cooling and hot water heaters.</p> <p dir="ltr">Minister for Energy and Resources Lily D’Ambrosio said getting Victorians on more efficient electric appliances would lead to big savings on bills, while also helping to reduce emissions. </p> <p dir="ltr">“We know that with every bill that arrives, gas is only going to get more expensive,” she said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“That’s why we’re stepping in to help even more Victorians get the best deal on their energy bills.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“Reducing our reliance on gas is critical to meeting our ambitious emission reduction target of net zero by 2045 and getting more Victorians on more efficient electric appliances which will save them money on their bills.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image credits: Getty Images / KIISFM</em></p>

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Controversial call on Ben Roberts-Smith

<p>Following the dismissal of Ben Roberts-Smith's defamation trial, politicians and defence experts argue that his belongings should remain in the Australian War Memorial until he is criminally proven guilty.</p> <p>The civil case saw Australia’s most decorated living soldier lose out to <em>Nine</em> newspapers due to claims he had committed war crimes, including a murder while deployed in Afghanistan.</p> <p>Amid the findings, <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/news/news/australian-war-memorial-urged-to-remove-ben-roberts-smith-s-uniform-from-display" target="_blank" rel="noopener">many have urged</a> Roberts-Smith should be stripped of his medals, including the Victoria Cross, and to have any mention of him removed from the Australian War Memorial.</p> <p>However, Liberal MP and former soldier Keith Wolahan argued that Roberts-Smith should still be featured in the memorial’s commemorations of the war in Afghanistan.</p> <p>He told <em>ACB TVs Q+A</em> program, “It’s a part of our history, but I think it should acknowledge the Brereton report and perhaps this defamation trial,”</p> <p>The Brereton report is the official inquiry by the Inspector-General of the Australian Defence Force that found a culture of unlawful killings, horrid initiation rituals as well as cover-ups within the Australian military during his time in Afghanistan.</p> <p>Wolahan said it may not be necessary to include references to the defamation trial until criminal investigations are finalised, saying that politicians should “stay out of criminal proceedings”.</p> <p>“Ben Roberts-Smith still has a right to appeal and there’s a question about whether there’s a criminal charge,” Wolahan said.</p> <p>“He’s entitled to the presumption of innocence and due process, but I think the Brereton report belongs in the War Memorial.”</p> <p>Wolahan is a three-tour veteran of Afghanistan and served as an operations officer, platoon commander and deputy chief of operations.</p> <p>The former captain added that the Australian Army “have to hold ourselves to a higher standard”.</p> <p>“When you look at the Brereton report, you cannot ignore it. Yes, it’s not at the criminal standard and that defamation trial was not at the criminal standard, but you cannot ignore the findings,” he said.</p> <p>The <em>Q+A</em> panel discussed the culture within the armed forces of the West, with war correspondent Michael Ware noting that soldiers must go to a “very dark place” to face war.</p> <p>“It says we’ve all participated in small war crimes, I know I’ve certainly seen my share of them,” he said.</p> <p>“And according to the laws of war, and I have to tell you, this is a harsh reality – we in the West – we kill children.</p> <p>“If an eight-year-old is placing a roadside bomb, a sniper can legally shoot that child.”</p> <p>He then argued that despite that, there is an even worse cultural issue within the Australian Army.</p> <p>“All that said, there is a line you don’t cross, you've got to have a moral compass ... it does appear to me that there was a culture that developed over a period of years within the regiment where this just became a part of the way they operated and Ben Roberts-Smith is not alone.”</p> <p><em>Image credit: Getty / Instagram</em></p>

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Alan Joyce preparing to sell controversial $20 million mansion

<p>Outgoing Qantas CEO Alan Joyce is saying goodbye to more than his long-time role at the airline as he prepares to sell his controversial harbourside mansion.</p> <p>The veteran airline boss purchased the gorgeous North Shore home for a staggering $19 million in May 2022.</p> <p>Soon after he was forced to launch a fierce defence of his excessive spending habits after Qantas announced a whopping $1.9 billion loss.</p> <p>The airline came under fire for poor customer service, extended wait times for flyers, and drama over lost bags and late flights, amid legal action over its move to lay off workers that lead to Joyce launching the defence of his own record as airline boss.</p> <p>He said he was tired of being forced to justify his professional and personal decisions.</p> <p>“Why is it relevant what I do in my private life? I’m not a public figure. People regard the CEO of Qantas as like a politician and it definitely shouldn’t be. It’s a business figure,’ Joyce told <em>The Australian</em> in 2022.</p> <p>“It’s been well reported over the years how much I get paid, so I do have the money because Qantas went to record profits and had a ­record share price.”</p> <p>According to reports, Joyce is set to sell his short-term blue chip pile in Mosman, overlooking Mosman Bay and move into a generous penthouse in The Rocks.</p> <p>It is understood that Joyce has undertaken some refurbishments on the Mosman home. That paired with the competitive market for prestige homes in Sydney means the home could sell for more than $20 million.</p> <p>The luxe home has been previously owned by former foreign exchange dealer Alison Ethell and her sister, Jane, since 1993 when it cost $1.25 million.</p> <p><em>Image credit: Getty / Realestate.com.au</em></p>

Real Estate

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Madonna releases “controversial” 20 year old music video

<p dir="ltr">Pop veteran Madonna has finally released the music video for her hit song <em>American Life</em>, 20 years after it was filmed. </p> <p dir="ltr">The video, which is arguably her most controversial yet, was originally set to come out in 2003, but was scrapped at the last minute due to overwhelming negative press. </p> <p dir="ltr">While the song itself was a wry look at Madonna’s own experiences of fame and success, the original video was instead a graphic commentary on the then-imminent American invasion of Iraq.</p> <p dir="ltr">Shot just weeks before the war began, the video shows Madonna and her posse of backup dancers all wearing army garb, preparing for a fashion show that sees soldiers walk the catwalk alongside victims of war.</p> <p dir="ltr">The “fashion” show is observed by disinterested fashion experts, who watch on with impassive faces as violence breaks out on the catwalk, with blood and guts spilling everywhere. </p> <p dir="ltr">Had it have been released at the time of growing tensions between the US and Iraq, the video would’ve been heavily censored, or even banned, due to the numerous graphic depictions of violence, with dismembered and disembowelled victims laying on the runway.</p> <p dir="ltr">In response to the outrage, Madonna said the video would never see the light of day. </p> <p dir="ltr">“I have decided not to release my new video. It was filmed before the war started and I do not believe it is appropriate to air it at this time. Due to the volatile state of the world and out of sensitivity and respect to the armed forces, who I support and pray for, I do not want to risk offending anyone who might misinterpret the meaning of this video,” she said in 2003. </p> <p dir="ltr">Now, two decades later, Madonna’s finally officially released the original music video on her official YouTube channel to mark the album’s 20th anniversary.  </p> <p dir="ltr">You can watch the video <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bZAMiK6ROZA">here</a>, but be warned that viewer discretion is advised. </p> <p dir="ltr">Despite the backlash that occurred when the video was first filmed, many fans are glad the unseen footage has finally been released. </p> <p dir="ltr">The video has racked up hundreds of thousands of views in less than a week, and multiple comments praising the pop veteran for her bold statement. </p> <p dir="ltr">One commenter wrote, “This video is not only iconic but also a powerful and still relevant message to this day. I'm glad it finally got an official release after all these years!”</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p>

Music

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How pink became fashion’s colour of controversy: a brief history

<p>From the blush pink of royal mistresses to the hot pink of tabloid party girls, pink has gained a reputation for being a provocative colour for those who dare to wear it.</p> <p>Despite its various shades and the complexities of its cultural significance, it is a colour that is often branded with the same connotations of feminine frivolity and excess – whether girlish and innocent or womanly and erotic. </p> <p>So much so that worshippers at a North London church were ordered to remove pink chairs after an ecclesiastical judge claimed that the choice of colour scheme could <a href="https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/church-sees-red-over-bright-pink-chairs-3trg9xpgk">“cause puzzlement”</a>.</p> <p>This pink panic invites the question: why is pink so controversial? </p> <p>A brief glimpse at its rather colourful history in the Western world reveals associations that both shape and challenge what pink means.</p> <h2>Pink’s past</h2> <p>According to historian <a href="https://thamesandhudson.com/pink-the-history-of-a-punk-pretty-powerful-colour-9780500022269">Valerie Steele</a>, the birth of pink in modern fashion began in the 18th century. By this period, pink had become the colour of choice among courtly elites of the Western world, including royalty and aristocrats.</p> <p>Developments in dye making and the French court’s penchant for cutting-edge garments provided the perfect pairing to begin pink’s success as an emerging fashion staple.</p> <p>Perhaps the most instrumental influence on pink’s power was Madame de Pompadour – the mistress of King Louis XV. She was often portrayed by the painter François Boucher sporting her signature pink gowns and shoes, most notably in his 1759 piece <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2001/sep/08/art">Madame de Pompadour</a>.</p> <p>In his 1758 painting, <a href="https://harvardartmuseums.org/collections/object/303561">Madame de Pompadour at Her Toilette</a>, she is shown applying rouge from a box of cosmetics – the blushed cheeks implying female sexuality. For Steele, the colour pink in this period becomes attached to both the frivolity of French high fashion and the eroticising of white femininity.</p> <p>From the 18th century court to the 20th century home, pink gained further traction in the 1950s. As British professor of design history <a href="https://books.google.co.uk/books/about/As_Long_as_It_s_Pink.html?id=By0qAAAAYAAJ">Penny Sparke</a> writes: “Linked with the idea of female childhood, [pink] represented the emphasis on distinctive gendering that underpinned 1950s society, ensuring that women were women and men were men.”</p> <p>Whether <a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&amp;rct=j&amp;q=&amp;esrc=s&amp;source=web&amp;cd=&amp;cad=rja&amp;uact=8&amp;ved=2ahUKEwjvufXu-vb7AhVJi1wKHY_RCrIQFnoECCYQAQ&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.lofficielusa.com%2Ffashion%2Fhistory-behind-jackie-kennedy-pink-suit-chanel-jfk&amp;usg=AOvVaw2gvTMarBjpgCPRBDcV2AwN">adorning first ladies</a>, Hollywood stars or housewives, pink in this era represented a traditional femininity grounded in fixed gender roles.</p> <p>Marilyn Monroe’s iconic pink gown in <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0045810/">Gentleman Prefer Blondes (1953)</a> paired with her <a href="https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/stars-9781838718374/">typecast “dumb blonde” film roles</a> and her <a href="https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/a-visual-history-of-marilyn-monroe-pin-up-icon_n_56ba8d67e4b0c3c5504f5ee4">pin-up past</a> work together to reinforce the star as a sex symbol to be desired by audiences. As film scholar <a href="https://www.routledge.com/Heavenly-Bodies-Film-Stars-and-Society/Dyer/p/book/9780415310277">Richard Dyer</a> argues, Monroe represented the epitome of sex in conversative 1950s American society.</p> <p>On the other end of the scale, the first lady of the United States Mamie Eisenhower – wife of president Dwight D. Eisenhower (1953-1961) – cultivated an image of the ideal housewife through her famous “First Lady Pink” looks.</p> <p>Her stunning <a href="https://www.si.edu/newsdesk/photos/mamie-eisenhowers-inaugural-gown-1953">1953 inaugural outfit</a> was a sparkling pink gown embroidered with more than 2,000 rhinestones. She was well-known for her love of all things pink and transformed the White House with this colourful décor, so much so that the household staff called it a <a href="https://www.nps.gov/museum/exhibits/eise/Mamie/personal_interests/EISE3765_scale4.html">“Pink Palace”</a>.</p> <h2>Punk and protest</h2> <p>Beyond the 1950s, pink moved away from its associations of conformity and took on a new purpose: resistance.</p> <p>Paul Simonon, bassist for English punk band The Clash, <a href="https://www.economist.com/1843/2018/09/20/in-the-pink-the-fashion-history-of-a-divisive-colour">famously said</a> that “pink is the only true rock and roll colour”.</p> <p>We can certainly see this in the way that punk musicians reappropriate the sweet and girlish connotations of pink to create subversive performances.</p> <p>For her <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/arts/pictures/image/0,8543,-10704677171,00.html">1999 performance at Glastonbury</a>, Hole’s Courtney Love – notorious for her raw and raucous vocals – unexpectedly swapped her rebellious grunge girl look for a pink costume of ballet slippers and fairy wings.</p> <p>Pink is also the colour of feminist activism. The 2017 women’s march saw protesters taking to streets in pink “pussy hats”. </p> <p>They were responding to <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/08/us/donald-trump-tape-transcript.html">a recording</a> of then president Donald Trump, in which he boasted about <a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&amp;rct=j&amp;q=&amp;esrc=s&amp;source=web&amp;cd=&amp;cad=rja&amp;uact=8&amp;ved=2ahUKEwiO4Z7P-_b7AhVMEsAKHdtLBAgQFnoECAoQAQ&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Ftheconversation.com%2Ffrom-chaucer-to-trump-sexist-banter-has-been-defended-as-entertainment-for-600-years-84804&amp;usg=AOvVaw0dCQPpZyNUtNJACNJ7CANh">grabbing women “by the pussy”</a>.</p> <p>This explicit connection between pink, female genitalia and activism is a feminist statement that emphasises women’s lack of autonomy over their own bodies in a patriarchal society.</p> <h2>Pink reclaimed</h2> <p>The connotations of pink are not fixed, but malleable. Whether worn by film stars, musicians or celebrities, the colour takes on new meanings through irony and reclamation.</p> <p>The 2001 film <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0250494/">Legally Blonde</a> subverts the gendered <a href="https://www.routledge.com/Neo-Feminist-Cinema-Girly-Films-Chick-Flicks-and-Consumer-Culture/Radner/p/book/9780415877749">“dumb blonde” stereotypes </a>associated with wearing pink by following the successes of a sorority girl who goes to law school.</p> <p>When Madonna donned her pink Material Girl look, she positioned herself as <a href="https://mcfarlandbooks.com/product/the-performance-identities-of-lady-gaga/">the new Marilyn Monroe</a>: a blonde bombshell for the era of Second Wave Feminism. She reworked Monroe’s tragic stardom into a narrative about female empowerment and survival.</p> <p>On TikTok, the <a href="https://www.refinery29.com/en-gb/2020/12/10217066/tiktok-bimbo-gen-z-trend">#Bimbo trend</a> involves feminine-presenting content creators finding inspiration in the once derogatory “bimbo” label. Their videos <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/mar/23/the-bimbo-is-back-and-as-a-feminist-i-couldnt-be-more-delighted">reclaim the label</a> as a playful aesthetic and a new feminist lifestyle.</p> <p>Despite its longstanding associations with feminine frivolity and excess, pink consistently proves itself to be a transgressive colour. It moves with the times and does not shy away from parodying its own past.</p> <p>If Paris Hilton’s <a href="https://www.vogue.co.uk/fashion/article/paris-hilton-versace-show">surprise runway appearance</a> earlier this year in sparkling pink Versace bridal wear tells us anything, it’s that pink should never be underestimated. It still has the power to shock, fascinate and make a statement.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Shutterstock</em></p> <p><em>This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-pink-became-fashions-colour-of-controversy-a-brief-history-196535" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>. </em></p>

Beauty & Style

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Streets on fire after controversial raising of retirement age

<p>French Emmanuel Macron has ignited a furious spark in the people of France with controversial new pension reforms - those that would see the country’s pension age raised from 62 to 64. </p> <p>The changes were reportedly pushed through their parliament without a proper voting process - it has been said that Macron employed “special constitutional powers” to see it through. </p> <p>Protesters flocked to the streets in response, with over 250 different protests organised nationwide, in a move that has been praised by union leaders. </p> <p>However, while hundreds of thousands of participants experienced peaceful marches through some of the country’s largest cities, tensions were high in Bordeaux, and the town hall felt the full brunt of it when it was set alight. </p> <p>While it is not known who was responsible for the fire, it was quickly extinguished. </p> <p>In Paris, where the majority took part in peaceful demonstrations, violence did rear its head, with a number of clashes between protestors and police officers breaking out - shop windows were broken, street furniture demolished, and fast food establishments attacked. </p> <p>It has also been reported that while police were the target of various projectiles, they made use of tear gas to push back those responsible for any rioting behaviour. And at Place de l’Opera, the location at which demonstrators concluded their march, the tear gas was back, covering a portion of the area in a haze of fumes.  </p> <p>The official demonstration in Paris - which had drawn people from all over the French social spectrum - was not the only one to take a violent turn, with the cities of Nantes, Rennes, Lorient, and Lyon facing similar fates. </p> <p>The protests, coupled with strikes and industrial action across the country, disrupted transport and prompted the cancellation of flights, with airport authorities claiming roll-on effects from the chaos. Protestors also succeeded in blocking off Terminal 1 of France’s largest international airport, the Charles de Gaulle airport. </p> <p>As to why the French had taken this approach to fighting the reforms, one demonstrator in Nantes summed it up by declaring “the street has a legitimacy in France. </p> <p>“If Mr Macron can't remember this historic reality, I don't know what he is doing here.”</p> <p>And as another told <em>Reuters</em>, "I oppose this reform and I really oppose the fact that democracy no longer means anything. We're not being represented, and so we're fed up."</p> <p>"It is by protesting that we will be able to make ourselves heard because all the other ways ... have not allowed us to withdraw this reform," another explained to <em>AFP</em>.</p> <p>The women on the streets were furious, seeing Macron’s move as one that targeted them in particular, especially those that had been forced to step away from their careers to dedicate their time to raising their children. </p> <p>As one social worker told <em>The Guardian</em>, “everyone is angry. Everyone thinks this law is unfair, but it particularly penalises women who are expected to produce future generations of the nation, and then find they are punished for doing so.”</p> <p>“They want to raise it to 64 today. Will it be 66, 67, 68 tomorrow?” a teacher implored. “They tell us life expectancy is longer but are we to work until we collapse and are carted off to the crematorium?”</p> <p><em>Images: Getty</em></p>

Retirement Life

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“I’ve written some real stinkers”: Billy Joel reveals controversial songs

<p>Singer and songwriter Billy Joel has revealed two non “woke” songs that may not have been written given today’s political climate.</p> <p>The Piano Man singer is one of the best-selling musicians to date, but the 73-year-old admitted in an interview with the <em>LA Times</em> that if he were to do it all over again, he would take away “at least 25 per cent” of his songs.</p> <p>“I’ve written some real stinkers I wish I could take back,” he said, citing ‘When in Rome’ from his 1989 album <em>Storm Front</em> and ‘C’était Toi’ from 1980’s <em>Glass Houses</em>.</p> <p>“I don’t even speak French, so I don’t know what I was doing. Sometimes I’d get six or seven songs I thought were pretty damn good, then there’d be a couple of squeeze-outs at the end just to fill up the album. I realise now I shouldn’t have done that.”</p> <p>Joel released 12 successful pop and rock albums between 1971 and 1993 but then stopped writing new material, save for <em>Fantasies and Delusions</em>, his 2001 album of classical compositions.</p> <p>Joel also told the <em>LA Times</em> that he didn’t make that decision “based on whether it was right or wrong”.</p> <p>“It just felt like it was time for me to stop writing songs,” he said. “I didn’t have the same motivation anymore. You need inspiration to create good new music, and if you don’t have it, don’t bother. Get off the treadmill, for Christ’s sake.”</p> <p>He was asked whether he considered “the current cultural and political climate” when organising a setlist, Joel said that it crossed his mind with a song such as ‘Captain Jack’, which references “the junkies and the closet queens”.</p> <p>“You mean are they woke? It crosses my mind,” he admitted.</p> <p>“But ‘Captain Jack’ has gotten real boring to me. The verse is just two chords over and over again, and it’s this dreary story of some suburban kid jacking off at home. My mind starts to wander during the song, so I don’t do it even though people want to hear it.”</p> <p>He agreed that ‘Only the Good Die Young’ was also a tough sell by ‘modern woke standards’. The song, featured on 1977’s <em>The Stranger</em>, was written from the perspective of a young man determined to have sex with a Catholic girl.</p> <p>The song has not aged well by today’s standards, with lyrics such as, “come out Virginia, don’t let me wait, you Catholic girls start much too late” and “they say there’s a heaven for those who will wait, some say it’s better, but I say it ain’t”.</p> <p>“It’s occurred to me recently that I’m trying to talk some poor innocent woman into losing her virginity because of my lust,” Joel said.</p> <p>“It’s kind of a selfish song — like, who cares what happens to you? What about what I want? But on the other hand, it was of its time. This was written in the mid-‘70s, and I was trying to seduce girls. Why bulls**t about it?”</p> <p><em>Image credit: Getty</em></p>

Music

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The Project apologise after controversial religious joke

<p>Hosts of <em>The Project</em> have issued a grovelling apology after a comedian shared a crude joke about religion live on air. </p> <p>On Tuesday night's episode, queer comedian Reuben Kaye was relaying details of the online hate he receives, particularly from the Christian community, when he made the <a href="https://oversixty.com.au/entertainment/tv/crude-religious-joke-on-the-project-sparks-wave-of-backlash" target="_blank" rel="noopener">X-rated remark</a>.</p> <p>"I think it's hilarious when someone messages me and says 'You have to accept Jesus' love or you will burn in hell', because I love Jesus."</p> <p>"I love any man who can get nailed for three days straight and come back for more,” Kaye quipped.</p> <p>Waleed Aly looked stunned by the joke, while co-host Sarah Harris burst into laughter.</p> <p>The joke prompted a wave of backlash online, with the Christian community demanding an apology from the panel show, while others called for the show to be cancelled all together. </p> <p>On Wednesday night's show, Waleed and Sarah spoke directly to viewers as they apologised for Kaye's joke making it to air. </p> <p>“During a live interview last night, our guest told a joke which we know was deeply and needlessly offensive to many of you," Waleed began.</p> <p>“We want to acknowledge the particular offence and hurt that it caused our Muslim and especially our Christian viewers. Obviously, I understand how profound that offence was.”</p> <p>Harris added, “Live TV is unpredictable. And when this happened in the last few moments of the show, it took us all by surprise, there wasn’t a lot of time to react in a considered way.”</p> <p>Aly then said, “We weren’t expecting a comment like that to be made and we acknowledge the offence it caused. We are sorry.”</p> <p>Some viewers were unhappy about the joke at the time, with one person writing on Twitter, “Absolutely disgusting comment about Jesus. He just insulted millions of people of faith.”</p> <p>According to the <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-06-28/census-2021-data-shows-a-changed-australia/101177152" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2021 Australian census</a>, Christianity is the nation's most common religion (declared by 43.9 per cent of the population), although the results also showed that Australians are increasingly unlikely to worship a god with the number of Australians who said they had no religion rising to 38.9 per cent (from 30.1 per cent in 2016).</p> <p><em>Image credits: The Project</em></p>

TV

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Queen Consort will NOT wear controversial crown at coronation

<p>For the first time in recent history, the queen consort will be wearing a recycled crown for the coronation rather than have a new one commissioned.</p> <p>Camilla will wear a modified version of Queen Mary’s crown, made by Garrad for the 1911 coronation and commissioned by Queen Mary, the consort of George V.</p> <p>In tribute to Queen Elizabeth II, the crown will be modified with the Cullinan III, IV and V diamonds, part of the late queen’s personal jewellery collection, often worn by her as brooches.</p> <p>Buckingham Palace has announced that the recycled crown will not feature the Koh-i-Noor diamond.</p> <p>The Koh-i-Noor diamond was seized by the East India Company in 1849 and presented to Queen Victoria, which featured in the late queen's mother’s crown in 1937.</p> <p>The Koh-i-Noor diamond is controversial in terms of how it was acquired and what it symbolises. A spokesperson for the Bharatiya Janata party of Indian prime minister, Narendra Modi, was recently reported saying it “brings back painful memories of the colonial past.”</p> <p>The last time a queen consort crown has been re-used was in the 18th century when queen Caroline, consort of George II, wore Mary of Modena’s crown.</p> <p>“The choice of Queen Mary’s crown by her majesty is the first time in recent history that an existing crown will be used for the coronation of a consort instead of a new commission being made, in the interests of sustainability and efficiency.” Buckingham Palace announced.</p> <p>It’s not the first time the Cullinan diamonds have been set into Queen Mary’s crown, Cullinan III and IV were temporarily set in the crown for the 1911 coronation, and the Cullinan V was added to the crown when it was worn as a regal circlet at King George VI’s coronation in 1937.</p> <p>In addition, four of the crown’s eight detachable arches are set to be removed to create a different impression from when it was worn by Queen Mary at the 1911 coronation.</p> <p>The design was inspired by Queen Alexandra’s crown, worn in 1902. It can be worn without the arches in the form of a regal circlet, which Queen Mary wore for the coronation of her son, King George VI, in 1937.</p> <p>St Edward’s crown will be used for the coronation of the king and has been returned to public display at the Tower of London after the modification work, Buckingham Palace announced.</p> <p>Queen Mary’s crown has been removed from display at the Tower of London to be modified before the king’s coronation on May 6 at Westminister Abbey.</p> <p>Image credit: Getty</p>

Beauty & Style

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Musician divides audiences over controversial Margaret Court slating

<p>Phoebe Bridgers has been both praised and condemned for her brutal slating of Margaret Court. </p> <p>The American musician was performing to a sold out crowd in Melbourne's Margaret Court Arena, when she took aim at the venue's namesake. </p> <p>The 28-year-old Los Angeles native condemned the 80-year-old tennis champion-turned-Christian pastor, who has in recent years become a vocal opponent of same-sex marriage and transgender rights. </p> <p>Turning to the crowd during the concert on Wednesday , Bridgers declared: “So, Margaret Court. F*** that stupid***, dumb*** b****. F*** that stupid c***. Change your name!”</p> <p>She then encouraged the riled-up crowd to chant “F*** Margaret Court!” before continuing, “I think hate is undervalued. I think it’s like a f***ing weird, white supremacist idea that hate is bad, or something?"</p> <p>“You know what I mean? It’s like hate is like what moves things throughout history. I hate that stupid b****!"</p> <p>“Hate is like how you protect yourself. What, are you never supposed to be angry, ever?”</p> <p>Phoebe's full rant was posted to Twitter and can be viewed <a href="https://twitter.com/ChrystalChristi/status/1623323236800036864" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>. </p> <p>The expletive-ridden tirade quickly went viral online, with Bridgers' fans and Court's critics hailing the move as "iconic".</p> <p>“It was the most beautiful moment of my life” one concertgoer raved, while another social media user posted: “Now I’m a fan!” as others called for the venue to be renamed Phoebe Bridgers Arena.</p> <p>While the reaction to the musician's protest was mostly supportive, a small group of Margaret Court sympathisers online slammed her on-stage chants. </p> <p>One person wrote, "Any clue why she’s saying f*** Margaret Court: a world famous tennis player who’s home was actually broken into this week?….. very vile."</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p>

Music

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"I want people to be afraid of the women I dress": the celebrated – and often controversial – designs of Alexander McQueen

<p>Alexander McQueen: Mind, Mythos, Muse was first conceived at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. </p> <p>That museum, like many around the world, is being <a href="https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/story/2022-10-13/lacma-funding-news-update-construction">completely redeveloped</a> to embrace not just spectacular new buildings, but new attitudes towards museum collections. </p> <p>Gone are the boundaries between materials, forms, cultures, nationalities and hierarchies of the arts. No more gallery of, say, “18th century North American silver” or “Medieval and Renaissance art in the European North”. Instead, arts from varied times, places and hierarchies all sit together. </p> <p>An exhibition of the work of Alexander McQueen (1968-2010) was an interesting response to this challenge of a new museum, which also highlighted the relatively late arrival of fashion as a category worthy of study in the global museum. </p> <p>It paired garments by McQueen – many specially donated by one woman collector – with the rich Los Angeles County Museum of Art collections in order to suggest the ways in which McQueen had generated his ideas. </p> <p>Now the exhibition has come to the National Gallery of Victoria, with most of the McQueens on display here donated by Melbourne fashion philanthropist Krystyna Campbell Pretty.</p> <h2>Flourishing postmodernism</h2> <p>This new show is extensive. We have 120 McQueen looks and 80 other works of art. Paintings and decorative arts star in this show, notably the spectacular Jean-Baptiste Greuze painting of a young French actress in Turkish-style dress, on loan from Los Angeles.</p> <p>The visual pairings, which range from 18th century English porcelain figures to lavish Russian gold-woven cloths, drive much of the tempo. </p> <p>Important loans from the Los Angeles County Museum of Art are joined by treasures from the NGV, including a spectacular Morris embroidered wall cloth and the Netherlandish flower paintings that contain within them the idea of memento mori – remember that you die.</p> <p>Lee Alexander McQueen was born in 1968, so he was young in the 1980s, absorbing all the flashes of art, design and culture in which postmodernism flourished. </p> <p>Working-class, McQueen did not first go to art school as his middle-class counterparts might. Instead, he apprenticed in Savile Row, the epicentre of bespoke British tailoring, mastering the cut of jackets and trousers.</p> <p>He became so technically proficient that when he applied to tutor technique at art school he was invited to enrol in a Masters. </p> <p>And so the celebrated – and often controversial – McQueen high fashion design was born.</p> <h2>An immersive experience</h2> <p>As well as new ways of dressing for women, McQueen gave us new ways of representing fashion: high concept runways, fashion films, live screenings and putting Paralympian Aimee Mullins on the runway, generating new modes of beauty.</p> <p>At the NGV we have a fully immersive experience and bold scenography.</p> <p>“Mythos” examines three collections through the filter of mythology and theology. McQueen loved to make the present strange by incorporating elements from religious practice, even prejudice, from the past. </p> <p>Everything from angels to demons, from witch burning to Catholic rites might be incorporated for design, fabrication or the runway. </p> <p>These go past simply being artistic source material to generate new ways of looking and appearing for women. “I want people to be afraid of the women I dress,” he said.</p> <p>This exhibition celebrates McQueen’s technical bravura across both tailoring and soft dressmaking, two categories of making clothes that were often conducted separate from the other in the west. </p> <p>Intimate backstage photographs are shown, indicating how the clothes were really worn by models and friends. Here the “muse” is no longer a house model or elegant confidant, but rather a whole set of cultural reflections.</p> <p>The third and final section is called “Fashion Narratives”. Here we see a visual imagination ranging across Siberia, Tibet and other exotic locales.</p> <p>McQueen might, in this section, be accused of cultural appropriation, but this would be unfair. </p> <p>Rather than appropriation, his fashion designs were about fantasy, and fantasy put to good ends, making things from gender to place to sexuality off centre or strange, so we are aware of the fragile accord we have between our identities and our appearances. </p> <p>As Catherine Brickhill, the first designer employed by McQueen to work on his label notes in the catalogue, McQueen, "delved deep into the differences between our culture and other cultures. It wasn’t cultural appropriation, but an openness to and curiosity to be explored and celebrated."</p> <p>Other narratives in this section include the most controversial ones that swirled around McQueen, notably <a href="https://blog.metmuseum.org/alexandermcqueen/tag/highland-rape/">Highland Rape collection</a>, in which McQueen suggested the appearance of Scottish widows during the Highland Wars in ripped and tattered clothes.</p> <p>It would be as silly to accuse McQueen of misogyny here as it would to claim Elsa Schiaparelli hated women for dressing them in <a href="https://spikeartmagazine.com/?q=articles/tears-dress-elsa-schiaparelli-and-salvador-dali">ripped dresses</a> suggestive of assault or accident in the 1930s. </p> <p>Instead, McQueen gives us clothes not just as theatre but as “choreographed deception”, in which male and female elements come together to cancel the other out.</p> <h2>Beyond good</h2> <p>In an era of increasing specialisation, vocational training and narrow fields of research and investigation, this exhibit shows us how a great designer goes beyond good.</p> <p>It shows us how his vision extended well beyond clothes to how they were imagined, and how women might imagine themselves, at all times.</p> <p>When you wear trousers with a very low rear; slip on a <a href="https://textilefocus.com/overview-digital-textile-printing-technology/">digitally printed</a> fabric or has allusions to nature – crystals, leaves, water; wear an asymmetrical outfit with slightly extended shoulders; don impossible shoes to your New Year’s party; or put on an eyeshadow that makes you look like a hummingbird: McQueen was there first. </p> <p>Alexander McQueen: Mind, Mythos, Muse is at NGV International, Melbourne, until April 16 2023.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p> <p><em>This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/i-want-people-to-be-afraid-of-the-women-i-dress-the-celebrated-and-often-controversial-designs-of-alexander-mcqueen-194731" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>. </em></p>

Beauty & Style

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Bob Dylan apologises over controversial detail in new book

<p dir="ltr">Bob Dylan has issued an apology to fans who paid hundreds for his new book and discovered that they were signed using a machine, despite being advertised as “hand-signed”.</p> <p dir="ltr">It emerged that the 900 copies of <em>Philosophy of Modern Song</em>, which set fans back $US 599 ($AU 895) per book, all included identical versions of the star’s singer after fans compared notes online.</p> <p dir="ltr">Taking to social media, Dylan addressed the controversy and explained that he used an autopen - a device that allows signatures to be printed on demand - due to the COVID-19 pandemic and health issues that prevented him from signing them individually.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I’ve hand-signed each and every art print over the years, and there’s never been a problem,” the 81-year-old <a href="https://www.facebook.com/bobdylan/posts/pfbid02smguWn7EsFwrKGqU8VkTyDr8LgoNeh5ogh6oCvQLDdkiPBLFw5R8woWwgKtw3dWRl" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote</a>.</p> <p dir="ltr">“However, in 2019 I had a bad case of vertigo and it continued into the pandemic years. It takes a crew of five working in close quarters with me to help enable these signing sessions and we could not find a safe and workable way to complete what I needed to while the virus was raging.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-5d4cef7c-7fff-194a-ab74-38151e1dc89c"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">“So, during the pandemic, it was impossible to sign anything and the vertigo didn’t help.”</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/Ck8noXItukF/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Ck8noXItukF/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Bob Dylan (@bobdylan)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">Dylan continued to explain that looming deadlines saw him consider a suggestion to use an autopen, which he was told was something done “‘all the time’ in the art and literary worlds”.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Using a machine was an error in judgement and I want to rectify it immediately,” he concluded.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I’m working with Simon & Schuster and my gallery partners to do just that.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Days earlier, the publisher issued a statement regarding the signatures featured in the books.</p> <p dir="ltr">Simon & Schuster confirmed that the books have Dylan’s “original signature” but that it was a “penned replica form”, saying that those who had purchased the books would receive an immediate refund.</p> <p dir="ltr">"To those who purchased the <em>Philosophy of Modern Song </em>limited edition, we want to apologise," the publisher <a href="https://twitter.com/simonschuster/status/1594437832726040576" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tweeted</a>.</p> <p dir="ltr">"As it turns out, the limited-edition books do contain Bob's original signature, but in a penned replica form. We are addressing this information by providing each purchaser with an immediate refund."</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-4c952972-7fff-3cdf-e673-044c8b68308f"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: Getty Images / Instagram</em></p>

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"It's going to lead to more crime": Controversial new law passes

<p dir="ltr">The ACT has decriminalised small amounts of nine illicit drugs, including cocaine, heroin and speed, making it the first Australian jurisdiction to do so.</p> <p dir="ltr">The Drugs of Dependence (Personal Use) Bill Amendment was first introduced into parliament in early 2021 by backbencher Michael Pettersson, with the bill being passed by the ACT Legislative Assembly on Thursday.</p> <p dir="ltr">"Today is an important day," Mr Pettersson said, thanking his colleagues for “voting a better way”.</p> <p dir="ltr">"Today's bill is not a radical revolution; it is a gradual evolution of our existing laws."</p> <p dir="ltr">The bill is an expansion of the existing Simple Cannabis Offence Notice (SCON) scheme, which has resulted in the decriminalisation of small amounts of cannabis since 1992.</p> <p dir="ltr">In 2019, the ACT passed a law that allows individuals to possess and grow small amounts of cannabis for personal use.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-25e2c906-7fff-5711-a4f7-130787e2aa99"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">"Today we have expanded that framework ... the many benefits of that scheme for many years will now be applied to a wider range of substances that will capture more Canberrans - with the ultimate goal of making it easier for them to access the help they need," Mr Pettersson said.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">Big day in the Assembly. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Canberra?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Canberra</a> <a href="https://t.co/fbV7TYZ1dg">pic.twitter.com/fbV7TYZ1dg</a></p> <p>— Michael Pettersson (@PetterssonMLA) <a href="https://twitter.com/PetterssonMLA/status/1583013847614468096?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 20, 2022</a></p></blockquote> <p dir="ltr">The new law means that people found with personal amounts of nine types of illicit drugs won’t be criminally prosecuted - avoiding up to two years in prison -  with police granted the ability to fine people in possession of drugs instead.</p> <p dir="ltr">People found with illicit drugs can also choose to attend a drug diversion program rather than face the $100 fine.</p> <p dir="ltr">However, the law changes don’t affect offences for trafficking drugs.</p> <p dir="ltr">The ACT government announced in-principle support of the bill in June.</p> <p dir="ltr">"Illicit drugs are harmful, and the ACT government will continue to take a strong stance against drug dealers. This bill does not change that view,” ACT Health Minister Rachel Stephen-Smith said at the time.</p> <p dir="ltr">“The government and ACT Policing will continue to work to reduce supply and prosecute dealers and traffickers through the justice system."</p> <p dir="ltr">Ms Stephen-Smith said that there was evidence to show that criminalising drug use doesn’t reduce drug use and that it should be treated as a health issue.</p> <p dir="ltr">"Treating drug addiction as a health issue improves outcomes for everyone in the community," she said.</p> <p dir="ltr">Following the change, the government said a 12-month implementation period would be used to train frontline workers, including police, and bolster oversight arrangements.</p> <p dir="ltr">Jeremy Hanson, the deputy leader of the Canberra Liberals, condemned the “radical” move, claiming that it would lead to more crime.</p> <p dir="ltr">"It wasn't taken to the community. It's going to lead to more crime. It's going to lead to more carnage on our roads," he told the <em>ABC</em>.</p> <p dir="ltr">"It's not going to change the number of people going into the criminal justice system, and it's not going to fix the problem that we have now, which is not enough people being able to access treatment."</p> <p dir="ltr">Despite this, evidence from Australia and other countries has shown that decriminalising drugs <a href="https://adf.org.au/talking-about-drugs/law/decriminalisation/decriminalisation-detail/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">doesn’t result in increased use</a>.</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-55b2cd54-7fff-8ecf-90cc-79405fa89749"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Getty Images</em></p>

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Why the 2023 Met Gala theme is already facing controversy

<p dir="ltr">The theme for the 2023 Met Gala has been released, and is already causing controversy both online and within the fashion community. </p> <p dir="ltr">The annual fashion event will coincide with the Met's exhibition titled Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty, which will feature 150 pieces of clothing alongside Lagerfeld’s original sketches. </p> <p dir="ltr">If you’re unfamiliar with Karl Lagerfeld, he has a long history in the fashion industry, culminating in being the creative director of Chanel, Fendi, and his own label.</p> <p dir="ltr">Despite his hefty influence on fashion, Karl has regularly been the subject of many controversies, which have prompted a wave of backlash over his glorification in the form of the Met Gala theme subject. </p> <p dir="ltr">In particular, his anti-fat language surrounding women's bodies has been called "cruel", as he even explicitly said, "no one wants to see round women" when the magazine Brigitte announced that it would use "ordinary, realistic" women over models in 2009.</p> <p dir="ltr">Other controversial comments include calling Adele "a little too fat," Heidi Klum "too heavy," saying Pippa Middleton "should only show her back," and adding that Coco Chanel wasn't a feminist because she "was never ugly enough for that."</p> <p dir="ltr">The designer also has a murky history with sexual assault, as he defended stylist Karl Templer after he was accused of sexual assault and said, "If you don't want your pants pulled about, don't become a model! Join a nunnery, there'll always be a place for you in the convent." </p> <p dir="ltr">He also previously said he was "fed up" with the Me Too movement, and sent flowers to accused rapist Dominique Strauss-Kahn.</p> <p dir="ltr">Lagerfeld also has a long history of racism, as he called Muslims the "worst enemies" of Jewish people in 2017 while criticising the acceptance of refugees in France, in comments that were reexamined after his death in 2019. </p> <p dir="ltr">When the theme of the 2023 Met Gala was announced to be centred around Lagerfeld, many critics took to online spaces to express their anger and disappointment.</p> <p dir="ltr">Actor and activist Jameela Jamil led the charge, saying, "This man...was indeed, supremely talented, but used his platform in such a distinctly hateful way, mostly toward women, so repeatedly and up until the last years of his life, showing no remorse, offering no atonement, no apology, no help to groups he attacked. There was no explanation for his cruel outbursts."</p> <p dir="ltr">"Why is THIS who we celebrate when there are so many AMAZING designers out who aren't bigoted white men?" </p> <p dir="ltr">"We didn't fight all this s*** just to throw it all away because some white guy made some pretty clothes for people's skinny [favourites]...come on now."</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p>

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Dumpster diver shows off controversial food haul

<p dir="ltr">A popular Australian TikToker has shown off the crazy amount of fruit and vegetables they have salvaged after going dumpster diving behind a supermarket.</p> <p dir="ltr">Luca Corby filmed a dumpster diving expedition in Canberra to prove just how much fresh produce gets thrown out each day, captioning the video: “Anywaysss f**k big corporations.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Corby and two friends donned head torches before heading to a nearby store and taking a look in the bins.</p> <blockquote class="tiktok-embed" style="max-width: 605px; min-width: 325px;" cite="https://www.tiktok.com/@weinerfingerss/video/7126803839470112001" data-video-id="7126803839470112001"> <section><a title="@weinerfingerss" href="https://www.tiktok.com/@weinerfingerss" target="_blank" rel="noopener">@weinerfingerss</a> Reply to @charliemaycraft anywaysss f*ck big corporations <a title="costoflivingcrisis" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/costoflivingcrisis" target="_blank" rel="noopener">#costoflivingcrisis</a> <a title="foodwaste" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/foodwaste" target="_blank" rel="noopener">#foodwaste</a> <a title="♬ original sound - Luca Corby" href="https://www.tiktok.com/music/original-sound-7126803845816781569" target="_blank" rel="noopener">♬ original sound - Luca Corby</a></section> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">“Food is expensive at the moment, so let’s go dumpster diving” they said.</p> <p dir="ltr">First off, the group managed to salvage a number of potatoes, carrots, leeks and a huge knob of ginger, which Corby estimated to be worth about $20.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Look at this lettuce, it is literally fresh. There is a couple of dead leaves on the outside but the inside is all fresh,” they said.</p> <p dir="ltr">The group also found rhubarb, mandarins, capsicums, oranges, grapes and asparagus.</p> <p dir="ltr">Corby filmed a follow-up the following day explaining once they came home, they washed all the fruit and vegetables and put them in the fridge.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Our fridge is stocked for the next week. Our groceries for this week were essentially free,” they said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“It’s crazy because we just went to a small supermarket, but you can imagine Coles and Woolworths would be throwing out so much stuff while families are struggling to buy fresh vegetables.”</p> <p dir="ltr">A few weeks earlier, Corby shared a picture of the huge amount of fresh produce their friend sourced after it was thrown out at a local IGA. </p> <p dir="ltr">The first video has clocked up more than 70,000 views, with many people shocked at how much fresh produce had been thrown away.</p> <p dir="ltr">“This is so heartbreaking to see. The food looks so fresh. People are struggling right now,” one person said.</p> <p dir="ltr">Another added: “Well done! It’s an absolute crime that those perfectly good foods can be thrown in the trash.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Both Woolworths and Coles have initiatives in place to reduce food waste in their stores. Woolies have implemented a Food Rescue and Recycling Program to help stores identify and divert surplus fresh food away from landfill. The discarded produce is instead used for things like hunger relief, animal stock feed at local farms and zoos, or for commercial composting.</p> <p dir="ltr">The supermarket giant works with OzHarvest, Foodbank and FareShare to make leftover edible food available to local hunger relief agencies.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-683be0c0-7fff-d166-eddc-fb93bd4590bd"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">Coles has also introduced its Together to Zero Waste initiative to help reduce food waste across its stores.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: TikTok</em></p>

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