In the aftermath of the Cold War, scholars such as Francis Fukuyama argued that liberal democracy represented the final stage of ideological evolution, famously framing it as “the end of history.”  However, what was celebrated as the final and best form of human government began to buckle under its own contradictions almost as soon as the Berlin Wall fell. “The end” became the starting point for a new political reordering, characterised by the rise of anti-liberal and, eventu

There is a pervasive sense of societal fracture these days. Politics has become defined by dramatic narratives of battle  between the Greens and Reform UK based on story rather than rooted in reality. Culture seems increasingly guided by a furious rejection of tradition, establishment, and imperialist pasts, or a righteous confabulated nostalgia for them. Compare Kneecap with a far-right AI generated rapper , or indeed the culture of the Oscars with the culture of “Looksmaxxi

‘In a digital era, entertainment often becomes collective memory. Real names are not       fictional tools. They belong to real lives.’  – that was Daryl Hannah in an essay written in the New York Times last week, responding to Ryan Murphy’s  characterisation of her in his new show ‘Love Story’, which follows the life and death of Carolyn Bessette and John F. Kennedy Junior. Hannah , who gained worldwide attention from her role in the 1982 film ‘Blade Runner’, dated JFK Jr. o

Following in the footsteps of the Australian government, the UK government recently released its research briefing  proposing a ban on social media for children. The report identifies the rationale behind such a ban, citing obvious harms such as exposure to child sexual abuse images, pornography, sexual content, cyberbullying, self-harm, and violent material. It is perhaps surprising that it is only in 2025 that we are beginning to see meaningful legislation that actually reg

Last month, the BBC reported on a growing cluster of Instagram accounts posting AI-generated images and videos of women with disabilities  – including Down’s syndrome, amputations and even fabricated “conjoined twins” – in highly sexualised scenarios designed to attract followers and direct traffic toward monetised adult platforms. At first glance, these profiles might appear to be little more than another grotesque curiosity of the internet. Yet the phenomenon points toward

The prolonged war in Yemen, which has been locked in a stalemate for a decade, has now entered a new stage. The Southern Transitional Council (STC), supported by the United Arab Emirates (UAE), a major player in the war in Yemen, was able to successfully penetrate the regions of Hadhramaut and Al Mahra , effectively controlling the official borders of the former People’s Democratic Republic of Yemen (PDRY) – South Yemen. The STC has been the sole representative of the souther

One can only hope that the recent revival of 2016’s fashion trends and mood is ironic.  Throughout the 2010s, British fashion was largely casual, often erring on the side of slouchy. From all corners of the nation grandparents feigned concern for the chilly knees of their grandchildren and teens sported hoodies in heatwaves: ripped jeans and logo heavy sportswear dominated the period.  Vogue noticed, and they gave it a name. The 'casualification' of British fashion . The rise

In 2025, British actor Simon Pegg was interviewed in the Criterion Closet , a renowned series where notable people from the filmmaking industry are invited to browse and discuss their favourite movies. One of Pegg’s ‘closet picks’ was David Lynch’s seminal thriller Blue Velvet , a dark and unnerving mystery set in the heart of middle America. Pegg says that his daughter hated the movie when he showed it to her, but then spoke about how he was delighted that she didn’t like it

I first became a cinephile at a time when going to the movies was impossible.  Like many other people, I kept myself busy during the COVID-19 pandemic by indulging in the best, and worst, movies that streaming services had to offer.  It was my first real involvement with the ‘canon’ of Hollywood productions. I sobbed at The Pursuit of Happyness , cried with laughter at Mean Girls , had my breath taken away by Top Gun,  and couldn’t refuse the offer to watch The Godfather  wit

Season's greetings, Karl (and to you, my esteemed reader). There’s just something about self-verifying utopianism that doesn’t quite hit the spot the rest of the year , but it’s Christmas, so let’s cut Marx some seasonal slack. This isn’t solely an assault on the long-since-dead ideologue, but rather a repository of festive feedback, reflecting not only on Marx’s conceptualisation of surplus value and capitalism, but our conceptualisation of Christmas, too. Though undoubtedly

As hosts of the largest  political podcast in the UK, Alastair Campbell and Rory Stewart hold considerable sway over the British political consensus. They consistently interview  political figures of the same gravitas that one would expect on the BBC and Channel 4, and sometimes pose them challenging questions. They sometimes do live shows, but mostly provide analysis of current affairs from their cleanly-decorated studio, wearing expensive suits, and speaking with an air of

When searching for local classical shows, I came across a section in a Mozart concert’s description entitled “Your Brain on Art.” The section references studies that argue listening to Mozart enhances “spatial reasoning,” “cognitive performance,” and “ brain wave activity associated with relaxation and mental clarity.” The framing of music as a vehicle for self-betterment, a technology for improvement, speaks to the growing instrumentalization of aesthetics. Art no longer sei

Fun, smart, action-heavy, angry, and above all, politically aware are all accurate labels for Edgar Wright’s new film, The Running Man . Famous for his helm of cult-classic Shaun of the Dead , The Running Man  is Wright’s first Stephen King adaptation, whose works are genre-defining, many having been adapted into equally impactful films. The Shining , Shawshank Redemption , The Green Mile , and It  spring to mind, and while King is far from an apolitical writer, The Running M

Bucket hats, low-rise jeans, Oasis on tour, and Tony Blair’s face over our screens. Was it 2025? Or is it 1999? Trick question, of course, for it is both. It has not escaped the notice of many today that a tidal wave of 1990s and 2000s revival has hit us in the West in recent years. On an aesthetic level  alone, a new generation of adolescents have thrown themselves with abandon into the shibboleths of ‘90s/’00s fashion. From Vogue  to Elle  and far beyond, those who experien

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Glastonbury has become globally renowned for its music festival; a vibrant celebration of sound, spectacle, and social commentary. But...

You would do well to wonder why in the world I will be talking about Caspar David Friedrich, German Romantic Artist, most notably known...

Illustration by Will Allen/Europinion In Andor, the latest live-action Star Wars series to be churned out by Disney, there are no...