FOLLOW | ContraPoints
Is our opulent culture the gateway to a new gothic renaissance? What’s up with masculinity at the moment? Is Gigi Gorgeous’ sperm bank experience the height of comedy? How do you spot a fascist? What is gender anyway? This YouTube channel has the answers, or at least the questions, and they’re delivered in a decadent, somewhat bizarre, but nonetheless compelling and nuanced performance by Natalie Wynn.
WATCH | Sense8
A brave matatu driver in Nairobi, a kickboxing Korean businesswoman, a proud trans hacktivist, a devout Hindu and pharmacist struggling to fulfil her families wishes, an Icelandic DJ, a German safe-cracker, a closeted actor making his way in Mexico, and a Chicago cop were born on the same day at the same time. This sci-fi series is a beautiful and suspenseful drama that avoids all tokenism with its dedication to empathy and human connection. Created by The Wachoswskis and J. Michael Straczynski, this two-season series survived cancellation due to the love of its fanbase who demanded closure. Watch it on Netflix now!
LISTEN | Ali Barter ‘A Suitable Girl’
I can’t explain to you the energy it takes to have to face these feelings every day. You can ignore me but I’m not the only girl who wakes up trying not to feel this way – from the song Cigarette
It’s like a 90s girl group turned grunge and decided to write a feminist album for the summer months. Expect sweet poppy vocals, grungy guitar hooks, and lyrics that are both sarcastic and heartfelt. Ali Barter has shared the stage with Canberra locals Moaning Lisa and earlier this year toured with indie rock artist Liz Phair, who shares her penchant towards blunt humour and societal critique. This album is both energetic, critical, dreamlike, and ultimately optimistic.
READ | We Were Feminists Once: From Riot Grrrl to Covergirl, The Buying & Selling of a Political Movement
Andi Zeisler, co-founder of Bitch Media, writes on the consistently adapting ways in which feminism throughout modern history is twisted by market forces and popular culture, creating new challenges for activists fighting misogyny. Can the shiny label of feminism adopted by fashion designers and celebrities pave the way for abortion rights or safety for trans women? Perhaps not. This book will inform, humour, and enrage you.
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