That sunken-cheek coke glow

That sunken-cheek coke glow

by Adam O Reilly

I don’t advocate for the use of cocaine nor do I advocate against its use. That’s not my job. I merely observe. However, I will say that with some heavy users of the party drug it brings with it a particular glow. A radiance only associated with coke. A coke glow. Many people will have no idea what I’m talking about but for those of you that know, you get it. A cokey glow that I often see in both party girls and party boys (not limited to party they/thems) is something very endearing and I’m not sure why I find it so attractive, perhaps a question better left to a therapist.

The sunken-cheeks, the dewy coke skin and the “am I lost or am I exactly where I’m supposed to be” tired eyes. So hot. Now I don’t need to tell you that not everyone who rolls up a fiddy is pulsating with this blow glow. It’s special, not everybody has it. I’m guessing that it compliments an already well laid out bone structure. Keep that in mind. This isn’t a beauty tip. Timothèe Chalamet doesn’t look the way he looks because he does coke, he looks like that because his mother was a tortured French artist and his father was an adorable yet well endowed chinchilla. The coke just adds to that.

Coke is a vasoconstrictor which means it reduces blood supply to the cells in the body leaving your skin with less oxygen and nutrients to work with. No surprise it’s bad for you and can be dangerous. We’re not talking about ideals, in the twisted world of attraction we’re selling sex not cookies. I’ve often tried to research why we find drug users attractive in particular the psychology behind it. I searched for some kind of looking glass, something I could gaze into that would unveil more truths about me than the actual users. Alas, the internet has changed, now it locks up its secrets tight and if you search for anything drug related you are left with a sea of websites that aim to “raise awareness” on the dangers of addiction rather than exploration. I can understand that. I might even respect it.

What I do know is that beauty remains King. The most powerful universal currency, for now. I can’t explain the magnetism around the coke glow, scientifically, emaciated cheeks and hollowed eyes should be a turn-off in the natural world. It might be associated with a sickness that our brains hardwire to repulsion from eons of evolution. Instead maybe the inverse falls true, maybe the attraction is set in the unnatural world. Stigmas and taboos often go hand in hand with attraction as you well know. There is a lingering danger and beaconing darkness that might just make you feel alive. Tortured souls speak the same love language.

Yet these snow angels continue to walk among us. Posing more questions than answers. Maybe it’s the mystery of it all that encapsulates you. Mystery can be dark but a coke glow shines brighter.

Lana Del Rey snaps at Kim Kardashian’s husband

Words: Adam O Reilly

Kanye West took to the stage last Saturday on SNL to promote his new album ‘Yandhi’ where he performed his new admittedly catchy song ‘I love it’ accompanied with Lil Pump. It was an absolute **** show if I ever have seen one. It really looked like two drunk frat guys acting the fool while their friend recorded on Snapchat. The song contains so many cuss words that 90% of the lyrics had to be left out. The most alarming thing about the whole performance to me was that you can tell Kanye believes in his own legend. He truly believes that he is the greatest living artist.

After SNL finished filming Kanye kept the cast, crew and audience in their places while he went on to make a nonsensical rant about his support for Donald Trump. Everyone around him looked awkward, again Kanye is not the enlightened soul he thinks he is and like Trump meanders his speech as to sound profound while really holding down the base of a moron.

Where does the queen of sad-rock Lana Del Rey come into this? I’m getting there but first some back story. Del Rey and the Kardashian-Wests were once “friends”, I say friends in quotations because I can’t imagine they had anything in common except the fact they all needed oxygen to survive. However, Kimberly has been a fan of Lana’s for some time and was even surprised by Kanye at their wedding in Florence where he had organized for Lana Del Rey to perform and she did. She was offered a rumored $2.8 million dollars to sing at the wedding but turned down the coin saying she would “never charge a friend to sing at their wedding.” Supposedly Kim’s favourite song is ‘Young and Beautiful’.

The relationship remained strong, Kim and Kanye would post links to Lana’s latest albums on their twitter accounts and Kylie often has a LDR track playing in the background on her Instagram story.

The relationship between Del Rey and the king and queen of America’s dystopia turned sour only recently. Lana Del Snapped back at Kanye on a recent Instagram post where he donned the MAGA cap in a post about abolishing the 13th amendment (see below).

Not long after the exchange on Instagram Kim Kardashian unfollowed Lana Del Rey on social media. For the record, I am a fan of Kim Kardashian I think she’s a great business woman and probably the most influential reality tv star to have ever walked this planet. I don’t like that she unfollowed Lana Del Rey but I get it, that’s her husband at the end of the day and I imagine a simple unfollow is much easier than having to listen to Kanye drone on and on. Kim is also in a difficult position, she’s built a family with this man and after her previous marriage lasting 72 days she’s probably committed herself to going down with the MS Kanye into the icy cold waters of lake Delusion.

It’s so refreshing to see singers stand up to Kanye. I think most of them are complicit out of fear of being blacklisted by the successful rapper which is also understandable.

Anyway, power to Lana Del Rey and you can stream her latest track ‘Venice B*tch’ here:

Smoker with white teeth | HACK

words: Adam O Reilly

Disclaimer: it goes without saying smoking is BAD and will kill you, anyway here’s an article on keeping those pearls shining through the fog.

Disclaimer 2: i am not educated as a dental hygienist, nutritionist and lots of other things tbqh. My knowledge begins and ends with whatever the cast of the Real Housewives are up to on a regular basis.

So first things first let’s talk about my brushing routine. I have never used a teeth whitening kit and I don’t think I ever will. Smoking is already terrible for my oral hygiene and I don’t think throwing bleach on top of that will do me any favors in the long run. I just think teeth whitening is unnecessary pain that does more bad than good.

The brushing routine that stuck with me the most was when a dental team came to visit us in primary school (or maybe secondary school I can’t remember). They held a skull in front of the class and acted out the best brushing routine with a toothbrush which was a mood. They brushed in circular motions for awhile in the same spot and then swept down. So circular brushing for awhile and then just brush down and vice versa on the bottom teeth. To be completed all over the teeth and maybe get up there in your gummies if you have been up to some freak activity.

I don’t use an electric tooth brush. I’ve had several in the past but I just don’t buy it. I mean the minute you put on a bit of tooth paste and switch it on it just because a projectile. For me electric tooth brushes were never the way to go. Plus electric tooth brushes are to small for me, personally I like a big head.

It’s hard to judge how long I brush my teeth in one session but I don’t stand in front of the mirror mainly because I don’t like looking in the mirror or standing for more than 3 minutes at any one time. So I brush me teeth while sitting on the toilet. I personally spend a long time sitting on the toilet doing my buzinezz so I like to kill two birds with one stone and brush my teeth too. I know this sounds so nasty and you know, it probably is but for me it guarantees that I spend a good 4 or 5 minutes brushing my teeth.

I very rarely brush more than twice a day. Once in the morning and once at night, again usually about 5 minute sessions. I don’t know if there’s any science behind this but personally I feel like over brushing might be just as bad as underbrushing. Obviously I’ll make an exception if I have a meeting, interview or freak appointment coming up.

I don’t adhere to any particular brand of toothpaste I think essentially it’s all the same. Now I will say that I have messed around with the Beverly Hills Formula and loved the range but haven’t seen it in any local shops and didn’t love it enough to go order online. I have never tried the black charcoal toothpaste either that went viral for a quick minute, I’ve never had to.

Now, the real secret behind my white teeth is, and you’re not gonna like it, is a vegetarian diet. I haven’t consumed meat products in over a decade which I think has contributed greatly to my white teeth. If you do smoke on top of eating meat I’d suggest brushing after every time you consume meat especially red meat. Meat left stuck in your teeth rots quickly and is so not a good time for your little knashers.

While on the topic of diet I try to keep calcium levels up which are abundant in plant-based foods like leafy greens and tofu. I tend to lean towards natural mouth cleaners like apples, raw carrots and other fibrous whole veg and fruit. These foods also stimulate more saliva production which can help neutralize acid levels in my pie-hole. Also, a less acidic mouth can help reduce enamel erosion.

Maybe the most powerful tool at your fingertips is a light tinted moisturizer. I really like Dove’s fair to medium moisturizer, it’s not really like fake tan because it’s gradual and keeps your skin looking fresh. It counteracts that grey sickly look on your face you get from smoking especially in the winter. The whole point behind it is that giving your face just a slight glow will make your teeth look whiter by comparison.

Remember ladies, it’s all about perception.

The Mind of Jake Paul part 2 | REVIEW

words: Adam O Reilly

The second installment of Shane Dawson’s: The Mind of Jake Paul was uploaded today and the buzzword is sociopath.

Sociopath:

A sociopath is a term used to describe someone who has antisocial personality disorder (ASPD). People with ASPD can’t understand others’ feelings. They’ll often break rules or make impulsive decisions without feeling guilty for the harm they cause. 

People with ASPD may also use “mind games” to control friends, family members, co-workers, and even strangers. They may also be perceived as charismatic or charming.

As defined on http://www.healthline.com

In the first episode we heard Shane throw around the label “sociopath” when talking about the youngest Paul brother kind of off the cuff. However, in the latest episode Shane deep dives into the meaning behind the word and meets with fellow YouTuber/licensed therapist Kati Morton to get a professional insight.

The bulk of episode two revolves around Shane and Kati discussing what it means to be a sociopath and what kind of people are more likely to be sociopaths. Kati talks about why sociopaths could potentially make great YouTubers because essentially they are manipulators. Not only this, but Kati goes on to say that it’s likely that 1 in 25 people are sociopaths. Think about how many people are in your family, friend group or in your class in school and the likelihood is you know a sociopath even if you don’t know that they are one. Creepy.

The second episode is nothing less than stunning, Dawson proves time and time again that he is the master storyteller. While Jake Paul and Shane have yet to come face to face in the series, Dawson is laying down the groundwork for something we’re not prepared for. The episode is full of cut scenes and references to other online personalities and pop culture figures and it really makes you think. Episode two creates a chilling atmosphere and poses the question, is Jake Paul a sociopath?

Shane Dawson isn’t pulling any punches with the series thus far and only widens the rabbit hole for the rest of the episodes to come. It was controversial for Shane to get into bed with the Paul brothers and he did receive heavy backlash amongst fans online but thus far Shane has proven that the series isn’t merely a collaboration but an investigation. His thirst for the truth is palpable and enthralling and that’s what makes him so skilled at what he does.

So far Shane has set out to discover whether or not Jake Paul is a created persona or something entirely different, something darker. Whether or not you care who the Paul brothers are this series is set to look at something bigger, the darkest parts of the human spirit. Do not sleep on this series…

My rating of The Mind of Jake Paul part 2: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Catch up on the second installment here:

Shane Dawson’s Jake Paul series Review

Today Shane Dawson released the first installment in an eight part series revolving around one of the most controversial online stars on the planet, Jake Paul. The seed for Dawson’s new series was planted over two months ago after the YouTube star expressed an interest in doing a series on the younger Paul sibling over Twitter.

This is not the first series Dawson has done on a controversial personality. So far this year he has collaborated with Kathy Griffin after the Donald Trump severed head photo, Tana Mongeau after the TanaCon disaster and most recently Jeffree Star.

Let’s make one thing very clear, you should not dismiss Shane Dawson as “just another YouTuber”. Shane Dawson has completely flipped how online content is being created and whether he is being adequately credited for this move or not he is undeniably THE trailblazer when it comes to online content creation. Dawson’s content especially in the last year has surpassed anyone else working on the internet and arguably on television. Dawson has broke down all walls and has rewritten all rules for what YouTube can be. Every single one of his series which have been in released in 2018 are unlike anything we are seeing online AND on television. Shane Dawson has created a certain type of content which sees reality television tropes meeting traditional vlogging which not only breaks through the third wall but has created a hybrid never seen before.

The first installment in The Mind of Jake Paul is essentially a 40 minute recap of the various scandals Jake Paul has been involved in since his inception and dismissal from Disney. While Jake himself does not appear in person in the first episode the viewer is brought up to date on all of the Team 10 founder’s stomach turning behavior. Fans are of course eager to see Shane and Jake come face to face for the first time but the first episode nicely sets up a premise of what we can expect in the next seven installments.

Just be warned, there are a lot of dark things shown and talked about in the first episode and Shane himself is clearly not only nervous about the series but expresses a fear that he is in way over is head. And the thing is, he just might be. Shane doesn’t engage in scare tactics or “clickbait” in any of his series, he is always genuine and raw and does not promise a happy ending.

The premise of the series is outlined in the first episode. Dawson wants to find out if Jake Paul is a monster, a character or even something in between. What will make this series the hit that is destined to be is Shane himself. While we are all eager to see what Jake Paul has to say for himself, the real heart of this series will be seeing how Shane develops on his own journey down the rabbit hole. That’s why you shouldn’t swear off this series based on a dislike for the Paul brothers, the real star in this story is going to be Shane Dawson.

Watch the first episode of The Mind of Jake Paul here:

Nicki Minaj feat sex offender

Words: Adam O Reilly

Nicki Minaj is one of the most talented people working in the music industry, that I have zero doubts. Her flow, lyrics and presentation from the beginning of Nicki Minaj have been unparalleled and there’s no doubt she’s secured her place as one of the most talented rappers of all time. Onika Tanya Maraj started to gain notoriety as an artist after releasing her mixtapes; Playtime Is Over (2007), Sucka Free (2008), and Beam Me Up Scotty (2009). Nicki got her big break in 2009 when she signed with Young Money Entertainment and went on to release her first studio album Pink Friday in 2010.

Is this the beginning of Nicki’s fall

Nicki has got the talent and that’s something no one can take away from her but that doesn’t mean she’s invincible. In the last couple of months I’ve seen the cracks in her armour start to deepen and the public have finally decided to take interest. Scrolling through Twitter over the last couple of weeks I’ve seen pockets of an anti-Nicki movement that I can’t help but feel is about to snowball into something a lot bigger. It seems like people are no longer willing to turn a blind eye to the missteps Nicki Minaj has been taking essentially since the beginning of her career as we know it.

Nicki Minaj’s new collaboration with rapper 6ix9ine

Nicki has a new bop out with 6ix9ine. It’s great, everything with her name on it is usually feugo but it’s who she’s chosen to collaborate with that has the citizens of the internet stirring. ‘FeFe’ makes for good listening, it has a mellow beat which carries a trance vibe mixed with the clever lyrics we’ve come to expect from Nicki. But here’s the thing, 6ix9ine has a bad history involving minors. On February 21 2015 he uploaded videos of a 13 year old girl in various states of undress dancing for his friends and at one point performing oral sex on one of them. 6ix9ine didn’t engage in sexual activity with the child as per his videos but in the oral sex video he stood behind the child thrusting his crotch at her and smacking her butt.

So here’s the thing, we already know he’s trash but why is Nicki working with him? Why did Nicki give him his first Billboard top 10? I’m not trying to take away focus from what he did, he was sentenced to mental health treatment and community service and I have no interest in him at this point I hope he took the time to grow and realise the gravity of his actions. As for Nicki I don’t understand why she’s getting into bed with a roach. It’s not like these were rumours, there is literal video evidence uploaded by the rapper himself who admitted he knew the girl was like 13/14. In the age of the Times Up and Me Too movements Nicki Minaj remains in the shadows of ignorance or indifference as it may be. To me, Nicki Minaj always stood (past tense) as a figure of female empowerment in the music industry. Rap music has always been dominated by men but Nicki Minaj was one of the first female rappers to be able to stand shoulder to shoulder with the likes of Jay Z, Diddy, Kanye, Drake et al and be recognised as a formidable competitor.

People are upset with Nicki’s decision to support a sex offender. I get that, i can’t imagine it’s easy for abuse survivors who are fans of Nicki Minaj to understand her decision. It’s just a lot of mixed signals. So many of Nicki’s songs make nods to female empowerment, financial freedom and promoting your own power, so it’s confusing to see her work with 6ix9ine on a record. Is she just selling us an image because she knows that we’ll buy it or is that really who she is? I can’t help but feel that for all Nicki’s talents she’s always been held back by her own sense of entitlement and sense of ego.

https://twitter.com/thedonlady/status/1003145435329024000

She’s catching them while Nicki goes on tour with them https://t.co/UTHM0DOGJr

— pierce (@piercespears) July 27, 2018

Nicki Minaj live in Dublin

So where does this leave me? I’ve got tickets to her tour with Future coming up in March 2019 in the 3 Arena. Even though I’m sitting here and criticising her for collaborating with a sex offender I’m still paying money to go see her perform. Do I have blood on my hands now too? Not in the literal sense but I am willfully paying into the institution that is Nicki Minaj and therefore taking on everything she represents as a person. Would I buy a cake off anyone associated with the bakery who refused to serve that gay couple? No, so why am I willing to spend money on someone associated with a sex offender.

I don’t have a resolution to this. This blog post doesn’t end with a big revelation. It’s more of a self-criticism and an uncertainty about drawing the line when it comes to supporting an artist. I know I’m not alone in this either. I don’t want to get into the whole XXXtentacion drama but people’s (a lot of people) support didn’t dwindle after finding out he was abusive (understatement) to his girlfriend. Is it ok to separate art from the artist or are we all guilty by association? At what point do you abandon an artist?

Give Demi Lovato a break

Words: Adam O Reilly

Relapse

I was scrolling through Twitter when I came across the story of Demi Lovato apparently overdosing on heroin. Initially I had my doubts since the tweet was from TMZ but even so I knew it was unlikely that even TMZ would go for a story like this without good sources. I’m not a massive Demi Lovato fan or anything, I do however think she’s extremely talented and has some great bops. I was still shocked when I saw the headline, it felt like one of those pop culture moments that you just know is going to create big waves. A few seconds after reading the headline my initial thought was “is she going to die?”. She is only 25 and to think of someone dying that young is devastating.

The public “sobriety watch”

I knew that Demi Lovato was struggling with her sobriety for a few years. I remember reading about it and what struck me was the fact that someone so young was in a position that they needed that kind of help. I suppose it made me realise that I was being naive to addiction as a disease and how it isn’t restricted to a certain age group or that you had to be a certain age to really be an addict. I remember seeing pictures of Demi Lovato on Instagram with a group of friends where she was holding a glass with a straw and everyone jumped down her throat saying she wasn’t sober anymore. That must be hard, for someone who is trying to recover from addiction to be scrutinised for holding a glass. Later she clarified and said it was a red bull but should she have to do that? Should she have to nullify our doubts about her sobriety? I don’t think so, we all need to work on ourselves but how are we supposed to evolve when we have so many people just waiting for the first glimpse of a fall. I don’t think being a fan of an artist gives you the right to question their sobriety from a picture, in the very least I don’t think it’s beneficial for anyone. I have to believe that level of scrutiny can break a person. Demi Lovato must feel like her entire world is falling apart right now AND she has to listen to our commentary on her business. I guess that’s inevitable though, there’s definitely a price that comes with that level of celebrity. I think it’s important for us to try and perceive that, having your most vulnerable sides put under a microscope. It must be absolutely traumatic.

Raise your own kids

Another thing that bothers me about the Demi Lovato “sobriety watch” is the backlash she’s getting from people who are saying she’s setting a bad example for her young fans. If that was your initial thought I think you’re selfish. We (myself included) fail to acknowledge that she is still a living breathing person. We don’t know Demi Lovato, period. She exists to us a perception of the Demi Lovato that we have created by piecing together observations of her work and her online presence. I don’t see how it’s fair that we hold her to a higher standard than any other person. We tend to have notions about what “celebrity” really means and we have almost dissociated “them” from being human. If you are a parent your priority shouldn’t be to go out and bash Demi Lovato for relapsing, your job is to teach your child to be aware, understanding and compassionate. There are grown people tearing apart this young woman online because she’s not setting a good enough example for the youth. The hypocrisy, I have to laugh.

We love to see them fall

Demi Lovato didn’t grow up like the rest of us. Demi was a Barney and Friends child who eventually went on to work on the Disney Channel where she landed her first big role as Mitchie Torres in Camp Rock in 2008. I’m not oblivious to the advantages that that she grew up with that the rest of us didn’t but again being in the public eye from such a young age has to leave scars, scars which we are all to quick to either forget or ignore. Clearly living your life in the public eye from such a young age takes its toll and it isn’t unique to Demi Lovato. Child stars are notorious for crumbling in the media in later life, it almost seems unavoidable. We love to build these stars up just to watch them shatter into a million pieces. We love to watch their perfect lives turn into a train wreck with a media firestorm as the cherry on top. There is obviously something about a star imploding upon themselves that appeals to us. As far as I can figure some sick voice inside of us cheers when we see someone who we perceive has everything we could want hit rock bottom, like it makes us feel better about everything lacking in our own lives. This is certainly something I’d like to see change within myself.

Are we judging Demi Lovato harder because she is a woman?

Finally I can’t help but feel that Demi Lovato is being judged harder because she is a woman. Take Kurt Cobain for example, I think we cling to the idea that the Nirvana lead died a rockstar. He battled with his sobriety but it was acceptable because he was a ******* rockstar baby! I don’t think that females in the music industry are given the same pass when it comes to addiction. I’m not asking for people to glamourise addiction but I’m asking for people to recognise that just by being a woman in today’s society that Demi Lovato is set up for harsher criticism purely on the basis of her gender.

Britney Spears or The Pope?

Written by Adam Reilly.

Two of the most important living legends are set to embrace Ireland later this year. Both Britney Spears and Pope Francis are coming to Dublin towards the end of August. No statement has been issued from either camp whether or not the two religious icons have plans to meet.

Spears will be arriving in Dublin on the 20th of August bringing her Las Vegas residency show “Britney: Piece of Me” on tour before the final wrap up. Pope Frances will be arriving two days after Spears on the 22nd of August to peform at the World Meeting of Families with the theme “The Gospel of the Family: Joy for the World”.

It was a really tough decision for me. I knew I could afford to go to one show only. Would I go see the one that offerred enlightenment, a spiritual conection, and a chance to meet the closest living person to God or would I go and see the Pope?

I decided the only rational thing to do was to spend hours researching the career of both icons and draw bias and unfair conclusions:

1. Britney Spears has been turning out look after look throughout her career whereas the Pope wears the same unflatterring white maxi dress she got in Primark Vatican.

2. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Spear’s brings in over $50 million dollars a year from her perfume lines alone. However, the Pope’s signiture fragrance “Papal” has no actual scent but insists it was “blessed” by a higher power. It often has green algae growing inside of it.

 

3. After six nominations (including Best New Artist for 1999), Spears won her first GRAMMY for 2004 at the 47th GRAMMY Awards for Best Dance Recording for “Toxic.” Pope Francis doesn’t even have a Teen Choice Award…

 

4. At age three, Britney Spears started attending dance lessons in her hometown of Kentwood, Louisiana, and was selected to perform as a solo artist at the annual recital. Spears made her local stage debut at age five, singing “What Child Is This?” at her kindergarten graduation. During her childhood, she also attended gymnastics and voice lessons, and won many state-level competitions and children’s talent shows. Whereas Pope Francis has never recieved any professional dance training and is not flexible.

 

5. Isaiah 58:10 Feed the hungry, and help those in trouble. Then your light will shine out from the darkness, and the darkness around you will be as bright as noon. Not only does Britney Spears pay her taxes but she is also a charitable queen. Spears played a huge part in the establishment of a new facility, having donated $1 million to the Nevada Childhood Cancer Foundation through ticket sales from her “Piece of Me” residency. The Pope however does not pay taxes and demands you put money in a raggedy basket at last twice per sermon.

Reality TV: A Modern Artform

First published on Campus.ie 

Reality TV: A Modern Artform

by Adam O’Reilly, December 7, 2017 – 8:53am

There’s a lot more to I’m A Celebrity than you might think…

Whatever way you want to look at it, reality television is the most genious concept ever to take over pop culture. Our feelings about the new-age genre are essentially unimportant because the world is addicted. We may not know exactly why we find this form of entertainment so captivating but it’s undeniably an art form. Yes – an art form. The beauty about reality television is that the genre can be accessible to all television consumers regardless of their age or gender. Reality tv can manifest itself in an infinite number of forms whether that be a competition show like “I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out of Here” or a show documenting the lives of real people like “Keeping Up With The Kardashians”, there is essentially something for everyone. It’s the behind the scenes work carried out by the producers and the participants alike that truly makes reality television an art.

Firstly, every reality show worth its salt will have a “villain”. The villain plays a crucial role because so much of the storyline and drama comes from the villain’s interaction with the rest of the group. Every good reality show has one. The villain is an essential character if a reality show is to be successful, and it’s not just in shows focusing around groups like “Jersey Shore” or “The Real Housewives” but we’ll even have seen the role of the villain in shows like “The X-Factor” – without the critically cruel Simon Cowell the singing competition would fade into oblivion. Producers like to label participants with different roles so the show will naturally take the form of a scripted drama, almost like a hybrid of reality and fiction. Producers will sit down with cast members and tell them that they want them to take on the role of the villain and naturally, people jump at this opportunity because the villain is guaranteed more air time. For example, reality tv fans will remember the incident where Brandi Glanville from “The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” threw a glass of wine in the face of American soap actress Eileen Davidson for no fathomable reason. Later when quizzed on why she threw the glass, Glanville claimed that she was worried that the season had been really boring so far and she thought if she didn’t start some drama soon then the show would’ve been axed and everyone would have been out of a job. This insight into how cast members themselves are aware of the need for an exciting storyline really highlights how many unseen levels there are to a reality show. Just look at new father Gaz Beadle, him and his notorious parsnip have given Geordie Shore countless storylines in every season since the show’s conception in 2011.

The producers push cast members to sit down and talk about their feelings so that even the smallest altercation can get drawn out for an entire season if not longer. American reality television has mastered this concept. Any of you who watch American reality shows from “Wags Miami” to “RuPaul’s Drag Race” will notice that after every major fight one person will always extend an olive branch, for example, one will receive a text inviting the other to lunch often as soon as the day after the altercation. Why? Well producers push the cast into meeting up and offering the stars an opportunity to express their feelings which 9/10 times results in another fight and a deepening of wounds. This is great for producers because it means that they can draw out a storyline. Filming can cost thousands a day so a three minute fight is worth much more to producers than an 18 hour day of filming people around a pool. That way the producers can save money and the stars can shorten the amount of time they have to spend filming that day and go back to their normal lives.

Almost every reality show has a reunion after the finale which is usually broken into three episodes. The participants are contractually obliged to attend the reunion as it is a part of their filming contracts. A few days before filming for the reunion starts each cast member is sent a DVD summary of the season which they are obliged to watch. This is so that participants will see all the awful things said about them on the confessional cams to encourage confrontation at the reunion.

All this doesn’t mean that every reality show is entirely contrived and that you should cancel your Hayu subscription. While producers do like to help certain scenarios come to pass, a good producer will let the participants play things out on their own. Reality tv mogul Bravo’s Andy Cohen told “Attitude Magazine” that “It’s real. We cast very highly volatile, emotional, driven, opinionated women, and because of that, they go to town! And you sit down with them at the end of the season and they all have it out with each other…It’s really fun.”

People always play up for the cameras. You have to remember, at the end of the day, everyone is after a cheque. The stars who feature on reality television shows don’t always get paid the same amount and have to sign a non disclosure agreement about how much money they get. The people who get the most screentime will get paid the most, this really helps the producers get the most drama out of the group. The higher paid stars will be the ones who have a great storyline, a great shooting location and who add something more substantial to the show other than constant drama. Since you’re getting paid on the amount of time you spend on the screen you can understand why some people exaggerate their personalities. Take Paris Hilton for example, when shooting “The Simple Life” with then bff Nicole Richie, Hilton admitted that she created an exaggerated version of herself because it made good TV. She was right.

There are so many levels to reality television that we’re not always aware of. With clever producing work coinciding with the awareness of the cast, reality television is the theatre of millennials. My opinion? Reality television should have its own category at the Oscars.

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Could Oprah Really Be The Next President of The United States?

First published on Campus.ie 

Could Oprah Really Be The Next President of The United States?

January 22, 2018 – By Adam O’Reilly

 

Rumours were set alight yet again after Seth Meyers, host of the 89^th Golden Globes, joked about Oprah running for President of the United States. Meyers referred to a joke he made at the White House correspondents’ dinner in 2011 where he claimed that Donald Trump was not qualified to be president – which some believe drove Trump to run.

“Some have said that night convinced him to run. So, if that’s true, I just want to say: Oprah, you will never be president! You do not have what it takes. And Hanks! Where’s Hanks? You will never be vice president. You are too mean and unrelatable. Now we just wait and see.”

Although Oprah burst into laughter, she later went on to make a passionate speech about universal injustice. Oprah’s rousing message was not only more presidential than anything we’ve seen from the White House as of late, but it proved that Oprah2020 shouldn’t be considered out of the realm of possibility. The daytime mogul speaks with such a level of portrayed self-awareness to the point where she comes across as some sort of chicken soup for the soul prophet, and after listening to Oprah speech it’s not hard to imagine her campaigning for presidency.

Oprah’s arsenal doesn’t end with her thought-provoking public addresses, she has in fact featured five former presidents on her television show. She hosted a fundraiser back in September of 2007 for presidential hopeful Barack Obama at her home in California. Oprah then went on to be awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom – the nation’s highest civilian honour – by President Obama in 2013. The Obamas could prove to be an incredible ally to Oprah if she were to run. As if all this wasn’t enough Oprah, even has a bill named after her. In 1993 President Bill Clinton honoured Oprah by signing into law the “Oprah Bill.” This bill created a national database that allows people to search for child abusers.

Oprah’s connections aren’t limited to former presidents. Oprah has had seven princes, six princesses, one reigning queen, one former queen, one earl, one lord, one count, and one duchess from around the globe make a guest appearance on her show. The show has been filmed in 28 states and the District of Columbia, as well as in South Africa, France, Ethiopia, Poland, Denmark, Scotland, England and Australia. The show is estimated to have had a daily viewership of between fifteen to twenty million people per day in America alone, with the show airing in 149 countries. The Oprah effect has reached every corner of globe. Over twenty-five seasons, Oprah has received over twenty million letters via US mail from fans. If Oprah can inspire her loyal American fanbase to take pen to paper, then why not get them out to vote?

Winfrey’s net worth is estimated at around three billion so the Oprah2020 campaign would at least be able to part-fund itself which removes any added pressures of Oprah needing financial backers if she were to run for president.

While Oprah hasn’t made any public statements since the overwhelming reaction to her speech at the Golden Globes her long-time partner, Stedman Graham, told the Los Angeles Times that “it’s up to the people. She would absolutely do it.”

Oprah Winfrey is everything Donald Trump isn’t. Oprah has built herself up from poverty to be the only female African-American billionaire. Oprah too has mastered the business world while at the same time building fifty-five schools in 12 countries and donating over $250 million of her own money to charity. Oprah may be the best equipped person to heal the wounds that will be left behind by the Trump administration.

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