Pop Culture Archives

What Came First, the Egg or Instagram Stardom?

A humble single-celled egg has dethroned Instagram queen Kylie Jenner, making everyone who thinks social media is a place to show off the craft they’ve spent years perfecting, look like a giant self-promoting twit.

#VALUE! April 28, 2016

Pop Culture

Sexy Durga and the Censorship Siege of Regional Cinema

The Smriti Irani-led Information and Broadcasting Ministry's decision to exclude Sexy Durga from the International Film Festival of India holds no ground now. The Kerala High Court has ordered for the film to be screened.

Poulomi Das April 28, 2016

Pop Culture

18 Years of Legally Blonde: Can We Finally Give the Criminally Underrated Reese Witherspoon Her Due?

In her speech after winning the Emmys for Big Little Lies, Reese Witherspoon spoke of how important it was to “bring women to the front of their own stories and make them the heroes of their own stories.” Eighteen years ago, that’s exactly what she did in Legally Blonde. Witherspoon’s Elle Woods embodied the unspoken rules of sisterhood.

Kahini Iyer April 28, 2016

Pop Culture

Dear Bollywood, Why Are You So Star-Struck?

At a party thrown by Farah Khan, Ed Sheeran was seen awkwardly posing with people he had never met before. What’s it with our Bollywood actors metamorphosing into selfie-crazed fans the minute they spot a Hollywood celeb?

Arré Bench April 27, 2016

Pop Culture

The Great Millennial Fandom Will be Hashtagged

There was a time when fans built temples to their idols and stood outside their houses for hours on end. All that the millennial fan needs, though, is a broadband connection.

Poulomi Das April 27, 2016

Pop Culture

Nanette: Hannah Gadsby’s Angry Anti-Comedy is Perfect For the Age of #MeToo

In Nanette, Hannah Gadsby offers up her anger and pain on a plate and refuses to lace it with laughter. She deconstructs the hypocrisy of a joke and the manipulation of comedy. But, most importantly, she disallows a comedy special to reduce her life to a punchline.

Priyanjana Roy April 27, 2016

Pop Culture

Wonder Movie Review: The Kids are All Right

Wonder could have been a terribly one-sided triumph tale, pitting the helpless underdog against the insensitive bully. But, Stephen Chbosky’s inherent warmth makes it a much bigger lesson in kindness.

Poulomi Das April 27, 2016

Pop Culture

What American Sitcoms Taught India About Homosexuality

It was through American TV that many of us Indians got our first exposure to regular gay characters. With no real-life examples to know or understand from, watching amazing queer characters on screen like Jack McFarland from Will & Grace helped shape the idea of how similar they really were to me.

Runa Mukherjee April 26, 2016

Pop Culture

Deadpool: The Pansexual Superhero of the Queer Universe

Queerness and alternative sexualities are a routine part of the Deadpool 2 universe. I’m thrilled, because stories belong to all of us. We all desire identity and crave to see that identity reflected in the art we love. Enough with the heterosexual romance being rubbed in our faces, I say.

The Faunlet April 26, 2016

Pop Culture

Jurassic World and the Dawn of Dinosaur Dosti

With pet raptors and human cloning stretching believability in an already unbelievable series too far, the Jurassic Park franchise has become a badly written fan fiction version of itself, and The Fallen Kingdom is the franchise’s worst entry.

Dushyant Shekhawat April 25, 2016