Friday 18th July 2025
Blog Page 580

Extinction Rebellion at Oxford Museum of Natural History

Charlotte Moberly
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Extinction Rebellion at Oxford Museum of Natural History

Extinction Rebellion Oxford and the Oxford Museum of Natural history held a joint ‘Art-Science extravaganza’ yesterday to raise public awareness of the climate crisis.

The event involved the Extinction Rebellion talk ‘Heading for Extinction – and what to do about it’ as well as other talks, workshops and performance actions.

Members of the public were invited to engage with XR Oxford members, OUMNH staff, climate scientists and ecologists to learn more about the climate crisis.

A Masked Intervention was also performed by XR Youth, Student and School Strike members. Different students wore half-face masks representing endangered British species, in an act designed to ‘communicate ecological breakdown in the British countryside.’

Outside the museum, XR worked with the Sumatran Orangutan Society to stage multi-media performance actions which visitors saw as they arrived.

A variety of workshops aimed at different age groups were also on offer, including one on the events of the Oxford Citizens’ Assembly, which was launched at the Said Business school on Saturday.

Speaking to the Oxford Mail, Steve Dawe, from Extinction Rebellion Oxford, said: “We agreed together to have this arts and culture event to highlight in many different ways the issues with climate change.

“It was aimed at all different age groups, those with the knowledge about climate change and those without much knowledge on climate change, children and young adults, as well as older adults.

“It produced a considerable amount of interest.”

Review – Awkward Conversations With Animals I’ve F*cked

Kate Whittington
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Review – Awkward Conversations With Animals I’ve F*cked

I’m sure that some have sat down to watch this one-man show under the assumption that the title is merely figurative. After all, phrases like ‘men are pigs’ and ‘going at it like rabbits’, which figure in our everyday speech indicate clearly the connections we continue to make between our own sexual desires and those of animals. But the show is exactly as described in the title. It’s no surprise that some have been shocked – director Katharine Armitage recalls a night in Edinburgh where a third of the audience walked out – but there was no visible outrage in the BT studio.

The play is set for the most part in Bobby’s (played by Linus Karp) room, with the BT’s studio rendered stifling by the invisible walls imposed either side of the rumpled bed which becomes the centrepiece of Bobby’s interactions. There seems to be a proportional relationship through which Bobby’s proximity to the bed and to sex itself coaxes his eagerness closer to confidence. When he leaves the bed and is forced to confront the reality of offering his guest cat food, or an exit out of the window, that confidence wanes. Karp plays these moments beautifully, releasing himself and the audience from an involuntary engrossment in the charade that these animals might provide more than a night of companionship. 

The most painful reality for Bobby is that they will never talk back, yet there’s a constant tension that a goat may really manifest before us. This is due in part to the script itself, which Armitage describes as a series not of monologues but of “failed conversations” and to Karp’s strong sense of the animals as real figures on the stage. Bobby’s belief that a dog might speak is as foolish as my own nervy expectation that the same dog might appear on the pillow. 

Karp is a method actor who envisions the animals as people. I find the play most unsettling when the interactions veer closest to being human and to human acts of consent and coercion. Animals cannot give consent. Bobby’s awkward suggestions of shared business ventures or running away to the wilderness together made my skin crawl – proposed with earnestness but full of desperation and uncomfortably familiar in their assertion of the extension of a consent not given. 

Despite this, Bobby is far from contemptible. He is saved from the audience’s disgust by his self-deprecation, his quiet revealing of a painful past, his tentative jokes. His honesty. His loneliness. The choices he makes because of his solitude are atypical but the emotions that propel them are easily recognised.

On his Crowd-funder page Karp writes that amidst “Brexit chaos and a continued struggle over LGBTQIA+ rights, this production puts a queer European centre-stage for our audiences”. I ask him if the show has been popular with queer audiences. It has, and Karp highlights father figure relationships as a prevalent issue in the queer community, which is explored in the play, as well as citing queer audiences as often being open-minded enough to take a chance on the production. There is no equation between queer sex and sex with animals, but the queer experience is often recognised.

As the play progresses, it becomes clear that Bobby cannot keep his passion under control: he leaves a private book at his workplace after storming out and suggests that his computer will likely be taken by the police. The sirens outside his window blare louder and louder. In these moments of intrusion, the simplicity and scale of the set is most effective as our perception of Bobby’s room as an impenetrable space that exists outside of human laws is fractured. In the final scene, Bobby speaks to an animal which stands in the centre of the audience. The script lagged slightly here, losing some of its tension through a somewhat lost sense of direction. Still, without an imaginary space to focus on as the target of Bobby’s anxious affection, I found the intimacy of the one-sided conversation almost unbearable.

In an interview with the Guardian, Rob Hayes, the author commented “You’re always going to lose people, and I think I’ve lost quite a few friends over this play, but I’m at peace with that”. After the show, I ask Karp and Armitage if have lost any friends over the subject matter. The answer is no. Karp tells me that a typical question to be asked is ‘Why bestiality?’ It seems to me that that is a question of lesser interest. The play is not really about animals.

Scottish access initiative launched by Brasenose student

Fraser Maclean
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Scottish access initiative launched by Brasenose student

A second-year student at Brasenose, Michael McGrade, has founded a project aiming to increase the number of successful Oxbridge applications from Scottish state schools.

The Clydeside Project provides prospective Scottish applicants with ‘mentors’ – current Oxbridge students who can answer questions and give advice about the application process.

Students from Scottish state schools are heavily under-represented at the University of Oxford. A recent Freedom of Information request submitted by McGrade shows that in the 2018 Oxford intake only 16 students came from Scottish state schools. This means that in the same intake, there were 13 English private schools that each sent more children to Oxford than the entire Scottish state school system. Eton and Westminster sent more than double.

Students from Scottish state schools are heavily under-represented at the University of Oxford. A recent Freedom of Information request submitted by McGrade shows that in the 2018 Oxford intake only 16 students came from Scottish state schools. This means that in the same intake, there were 13 English private schools that each sent more children to Oxford than the entire Scottish state school system. Eton and Westminster sent more than double.

McGrade, who is studying History and Economics, told Cherwell: “Every year just a handful of English schools are sending ten times as many students to Oxford as Scotland’s entire state sector. These figures reflect the failings of the university’s outreach efforts. Scotland does not even have a link college with Oxford, unlike every region in England.

“Free tuition can only be held partly responsible for Scotland’s poor Oxbridge record. Applications rose in line with England after the trebling of fees in 2012. The universities and UK government have nonetheless badly miscommunicated the English student finance system. Few in Scotland know that graduates repay as they earn.

“The goal of The Clydeside Project is to make Oxbridge a serious option for the many hundreds of deserving Scots who currently do not apply. Mentoring, provided through Access Oxbridge, will help those without the financial resources or family connections to assist their application.”

The project is accepting registrations from students who are keen to mentor applicants – and it has beenemphasised that students of any nationality can register. Those studying sciences are particularly encouraged to sign up.

More details can be found on the project’s website.

A conference to remember

Simon Hunt
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A conference to remember

After all this week’s political turmoil, it’s easy to forget that there was a Labour Conference taking place. I have not forgotten though, as I was fortunate enough to get a press pass for Cherwell and spent the week there. Four days at my first ever party conference were made even more exciting with access to the press and broadcast rooms, where I was sitting alongside the nations most revered (and most reviled) political journalists, commentators and broadcasters. I don’t think I could have chosen a more eventful first conference to attend.

There were three tensions in this conference which had to be resolved. The first was to finally settle the party’s position on Brexit and bring an end to the shadow cabinet’s “constructive ambiguity” position which had been just about coherent enough to unite (most) of the shadow cabinet. The second was to safeguard the Corbyn legacy: there was a realisation among his acolytes that Jeremy Corbyn would not open next year’s party conference as leader of the opposition, and if he couldn’t open it as prime minister, then there had better be someone fashioned in his image to take the party forward. The third – a product of the first two – was the threat that Tom Watson posed to the success of the conference: the deputy leader both readily criticised the party position on Brexit and was a serious threat to the Corbyn project.

The first tension manifested itself in the form of two different motions on Brexit which were put before delegates to vote on. Both involved the promise of a second Brexit referendum, but one included a condition that the party and its leader automatically campaigned for remain. Jeremy Corbyn, already only a “seven out of ten” Europhile (but by some accounts a seven out of ten Eurosceptic) was not keen to commit himself automatically to remain, not least because it would alienate Labour from one in three of its voter base. In perhaps not a gleaming example of the party’s democratic process in action, it was decided by a show of hands that the non-remain position did not carry, before Jenny Formby, the party’s General Secretary, advised the chair that she thought it had done, and so, amid consternation and calls for votes to be formally counted, the motion was then carried. By a rather circuitous route, the first tension had been resolved – for now.

The second tension materialised at conference with a bang in the form of what looked to be a secret plot (or as Watson called it, a “drive-by shooting”) to oust Tom Watson by abolishing the position of deputy leader. A party structure with a leader but no deputy to undermine him would safeguard the longevity of the Corbyn project. The move seemed sinister and contrived and, successful or otherwise, if put to a vote could have caused a major rift in the parliamentary party. Jeremy Corbyn stepped in to declare that he instead wanted two deputy leader roles, one man and one woman, to guarantee greater representation in the party. The more innocuous proposal was just about enough to evade full-blown party warfare, but it’s fair to say not everyone was convinced of its benign motivations.

The third tension, which the second had done nothing to ease, would come to a head at Tom Watson’s speech on the penultimate day of conference. Here lay an opportunity, in front of all party delegates and the country’s media, for Watson to sully Corbyn’s reputation and ensure that the mood at conference would be downbeat and fractious when he would take to the podium for his leader’s speech, scheduled for the following day. It seemed only a miracle could get the party out of this quandary. And a miracle was what the party got. In a flash, on Tuesday the Supreme Court announced their verdict (I will never forget hearing the collective gasp amongst columnists in the press room, watching the live stream), parliament would sit the following day, Corbyn’s speech would have to be brought forward and Watson’s cancelled. Before Watson could even open his mouth to protest, broadcasters and commentators had packed their things to head for College Green, and the news cycle had moved on.

I think it’s fair to say that none of the three central pre-existing tensions had been resolved by conference. But I think Corbyn can stride back into parliament in high spirits: the conference was brimming with opportunities for disputes to erupt into dogfights, and yet marvellously none of them did.

“Better for Oxbridge students”: Oxbridge only grad employment scheme launches

Lois Heslop and Sam Millward
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“Better for Oxbridge students”: Oxbridge only grad employment scheme launches

A start-up careers service claims to fast-track applications from Oxbridge students to internships in FTSE 100 and Fortune 500 companies.

Dreaming Spires, founded by a recent Oxford graduate, claims to “streamline the job and internship application process for Oxbridge students”, and to be “better for Oxbridge students”. The new service, launched this week, also claims that students from Oxford and Cambridge can upload their CVs and be invited directly to interview, cutting out the application process and the “noise” from applicants at other universities.

The Dreaming Spires website states that “for many of us, we applied to Oxbridge for the love of our subject, but also because of the career boost. Dreaming Spires is now here to fast-track this.”

Dreaming Spires has recruited Student Advisors across the Oxford colleges to advertise the “exclusive” service to undergraduates, branded as being “better for employers” on JCR pages. Allegations of elitism have been made online against the company.

A recent study by the Sutton Trust, entitled “Elitist Britain 2019” found that of 5000 FTSE 350 executives, 39% had been privately educated, compared with 7% of the general population, and 31% of FTSE 100 CEOs have attended Oxbridge.

In politics, of Johnson’s cabinet, 64% are privately educated and 45% attended Oxford or Cambridge.

The team and list of firms involved has not yet been released.

Dreaming Spires have been contacted for comment.

Interview: Jacqui Smith

Simon Hunt
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Interview: Jacqui Smith

I meet Jacqui at the Big Tent Ideas Festival, a day of political debate and discussion with MPs, academics and journalists held in Mudchute in South London. The former Home Secretary was appointed chair of the Jo Cox Foundation in May 2019. As is customary at all political events these days, before entering the venue I have to pass through a thorough security check, where a metal detector is passed up and down me, the contents of my backpack emptied out , each item individually inspected – a reminder of how much effort is now needed just to ensure MPs are able to engage with the public in safety.

Jacqui is speaking at a panel discussion on the abuse facing those in public life, alongside Angela Eagle MP and Lord Jonathan Evans. Among the ideas discussed on the panel was  Eagle’s proposal for an outright ban on all anonymous social media accounts,  given that these are disproportionately responsible for the proliferation of abuse. I ask Jacqui whether that’s something she supports: She seems reticent to endorse a full ban on anonymity.

“There might be circumstances like whistleblowing where anonymity is justified,” the former Home Secretary says. “What is not justified is hiding behind anonymity to commit criminal acts.”

The volume of abuse directed at parliamentarians has ballooned in recent years. Research by Amnesty International on online abuse in 2017 revealed the full extent of the problem. In the period January to June 2017, 8,121 out of 140,057 of all tweets mentioning @HackneyAbbott, the Twitter Handle of Diane Abbott MP were classified as abusive. Women and minority MPs are disproportionately affected: the shadow Home Secretary receives almost half of all abusive tweets directed at women MPs.

Some  rudimentary Twitter research confirms that the problem persists. [mi3] Just in September 2019 I found hundreds of abusive Tweets directed at Diane Abbott, who was called a ‘traitor’ 104 times, ‘fat’ 27 times, ‘ugly’ 20 times, ‘cow’ 18 times, ‘twat’ 18 times, ‘bitch’ 14 times, ‘pig’ 10 times. I also found over 100 tweets in the last 3 days alone calling Diane ‘thick’. It’s quite shocking to see how brazenly people are prepared to issue insults and verbal attacks on their representatives – I’m minded not to quote several full length abusive tweets as Amnesty have done.

But, I ask Jacqui, while social media has given a platform to those who wish to abuse MPs online, what difference would it make to shut them down? The people would still exist, they would still hold and express the same views, only it would be less visible to the rest of us as they go underground.

“It’s not just that social media is what people say face-to-face. Social media radicalises: it develops the attitudes not just facilitates communication.” Smith tells me.

“There is considerable evidence of a growth in intimidation, death threats and abuse. The business model incentivises this – there is a premium for agitation.”

Jacqui tells me the visibility of abusive online messages is causing those who work or want to work in politics to reconsider.

“What shocks me is the way in which verbal and physical abuse is so prominent – I’m really worried about that. I’ve spoken to people who say they want to step down. People who changed their roles because of threats and intimidation. People say it prevents them from coming forward.”

“Everybody has the right to demonstrate and protest – that is a healthy thing but not when it undermines the democratic system. One of the things identified is a view that the democratic system is illegitimate.”

This narrative of an illegitimate democracy was arguably what motivated the murderer of Jo Cox, who is alleged to have shouted “this is for Britain” before carrying out his attack.

The murder, which took place days before the EU referendum, was a great shock to both the country and to the world. This was the first time in over 25 years that a sitting British MP had been killed. I ask Smith whether the murder was a freak occurrence, or evidence of a much wider phenomenon. “What happened to Jo Cox is not a one-off. There has already been a plot to murder Rosie Cooper MP earlier this year which was stopped by the police.” Jacqui refers to the plot by far-right extremist who purchased a sword online and researched how to cut the jugular artery before his plans were thwarted by an informant. Renshaw was sentenced to life in May 2019. It is especially chilling to think that there is a real risk of future attacks.

Does the severity of the risk call for strong legislative change to mitigate the risk of further violence? Smith is clear that the Jo Cox foundation is not in the business of lobbying for changes to the law, or to make party-political points: “We don’t want changes in legislation but rather a joint standard agreed between all parties. The Foundation has three objectives; local communities that are engaged, cohesive and able to contribute to what’s going on; a national politics that is lively but also respectful and developing a fairer world.” A message which I think few can disagree with.

Ten top tips for new freshers

Jenna Colaco
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Ten top tips for new freshers

For many the prospect of starting university is daunting enough prospect without the additional pressure of attending England’s oldest university. This article is not at all exhaustive when it comes to advice I would give Freshers, but a summary of some things that would have been helpful to know before I started.

1) Freshers Week is not the be all or end all

Freshers Week (or few days in Oxford’s case) is thoroughly intense, not just in the sense that you are faced with many new people but also with the fact you are bombarded with so many different things at once. The prospect of calling a new place home, leaving your family and friends behind and starting a new academic challenge can be exciting but also overwhelming. The pressure to make friends instantly is high and you can often feel as though you are not doing enough to fit in. The reality is, a few days are not going to define the friendships you make in the three, four or more years that it takes to graduate. Yes, making friends is a great way of feeling more at home, but the friends you make in Freshers won’t necessarily be the friends you celebrate graduating with. I would take every day of university as an opportunity to meet new people and make new friends, colleges, courses and universities don’t have to be the limit of the friendships you make— there are thousands of people around you. 

2) Imposter Syndrome is common 

Unfortunately, many students don’t think they are worthy enough to be at Oxford and feel like an imposter— hence, imposter syndrome. The reality of this situation is that everyone has had to work hard to be here and you are no different. Interviews and exams are no easy feat and the tutors have chosen you as their pupils, that in itself should tell you that they want you to study here and believe you have the capacity to succeed. The majority of students do struggle with work sometimes and that’s normal. It’s also a sign that you are being challenged; rise to it because you are capable. 

3) First set of work 

For many students, tutors will set work and reading lists after summer. Do as much as you can! If you can’t do something, let your tutors know what you couldn’t finish and ask for help with it. You might be set an essay or problem sheet due for the week after Freshers which could be very daunting. It’s important that you try and complete it, but it by no means has to be the best piece of work you will produce during term. First pieces of work are usually a good opportunity to learn the do’s and don’ts so try your best, but don’t agonise over it. You usually have weekly deadlines so you have plenty of time to produce better work.

4) Buying resources 

There is absolutely no need to purchase lots of books – most college libraries stock multiple copies of common books. Also, a copy of every book on your reading list is usually found at the Bodleian Library, so even though it may seem intimidating, make the most of this space! If there is a book that you want and think will be beneficial for your college, suggest it to the college librarian and they may be able to order it in for you. Speak to your tutors about the ones you will need consistently throughout the year and buy those if you can. Certain colleges have book grants or money set aside for students who need financial support. 

5) Self-care is necessary 

Make sure that you have switched your GP to and Oxford doctor in case you have any medical problems during term. Check with your home GP if you have not got the recommended vaccinations before university. Also, familiarise yourself with where to access mental health advice if you need it; most people need someone to talk to at some point, within or outside of college. Plan your work and leave time in everyday to do something for yourself. You cannot work tirelessly the whole term – you will burn yourself out and be less productive. Some great places to go if you need a break from work and want to be out of colleges are: Oxford University Parks (lots of green space to walk around or go for a jog), Port Meadow (especially in summer, some people swim in the lake), an array of theatres showing student plays and an Oxford favourite— G&Ds (three great ice cream shops in Oxford).

6) The Oxford Jargon

When you arrive there will be a lot of Oxford- specific jargon, here is a list you may need in Freshers: 

  • Battles: your termly bill from college 
  • Pidge: a slot with your name on it where all your mail gets delivered to. Tutors also have them which you can submit your work to, usually via the lodge— you can have essays pidged to other colleges!
  • Sub-Fusc: Oxford academic dress, you will have to buy a gown after Freshers
  • Matriculation: official initiation into the University of Oxford where you become a student. You wear sub-fusc for this occasion. 
  • BOP: Big Organised Party, these are usually college organised parties which surround a theme
  • Crew Dates: usually centred around drinking involving members of different societies coming together to learn more about each other. The game ‘sconces’ is sometimes played which is the Oxford version of ‘Never Have I Ever’. 

7) Things that make your uni experience different 

Formal hall: Each college has the option of sit-down formal dinner where you are served three courses and have the opportunity to dress up. 

Balls: Oxford balls are very extravagant and momentous occasions – you usually have to save-up to go to them but they are the envy of many students from other universities. Some balls have access funds to help anyone struggling with ticket purchase. 

Matriculation: This initiation ceremony is a very quick process that can feel very tense.You are walked from college to the Sheldonian Theatre where the Chancellor of the university speaks in Latin, formally initiating you into the university. You can usually find many students celebrating after by chilling in uni parks still in their sub-fusc. 

8) Don’t feel pigeon-holed as a minority

Being a minority is difficult, whether you identify as Queer, BAME or have a disability. It’s really important that you don’t feel defined by your difference. Just because you are an ethnic minority doesn’t mean that you have to become the authority on all matters to do with ethnic diversity. It is not your job to constantly educate others if you don’t want to. It doesn’t mean that you have to run for BAME Rep on your college JCR Committee just because you are one of the few who can apply. It is daunting trying to break into spaces that do not visibly represent you, but have pride in your skill set and be brave. 

9) Managing your Finances 

It’s crazy seeing 000s in your bank account, but be very cautious how you spend your money. Some colleges set an early deadline for payments of battles so make sure these are paid on time. Food can be expensive so try not to eat out too much, and if you have a first year kitchen— make use of it! Apps such as Monzo have great instant notifications for spending and predict when you will run out of money. They don’t offer a free overdraft so it would be good idea to use a student account bank account to get your funds transferred into and use Monzo for you weekly/monthly budget so you consistently keep track of your money. You could also withdraw in cash your weekly budget and physically keep track of your spending. If you feel like just using your student account, try and get online or mobile banking so you can check your balance and transactions regularly. Make sure to ask you college for financial help if you need it: your education is a priority and you shouldn’t feel unable to do your academic work due to financial pressures. It’s also a great idea to access travel grants to fund trips, which saves you a lot of money. If you are struggling to pay for a laptop or tablet to help with your work, speak to your college’s academic office as they often have funds to help students with this.

10) Pressure 

University could be the first time you are exposed to many things e.g. alcohol. Many activities during Freshers seem to be focussed around drinking and it can be hard to see the others in between. If you want to drink, that’s entirely your choice and there are lots of options. If you don’t, many societies run events during Freshers and first week and many colleges provide a night-in as well. It’s common to hear that university is going to be the best years of your life, but they can only be so if you spend that time pursuing the things which you are genuinely interested in and if that means breaking away from the crowd— to it.

London Fashion Week Highlights

Georgia Corrigan
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London Fashion Week Highlights

This year the opportunity arose for me to attend the shows and presentations of some of London Fashion Week’s more independent and up-and-coming designers. Amongst the wealth of talent showcased this year, I noticed a vaguely discernible division of many of the brands I saw into two broadly perceptible aesthetic groups: on one side the streamlined, elegant, pastel-paletted workwear-esque delights of designers such as Shopyte (my personal favourite), Riona Treacy, Wen Pan, and Isabel Manns, and on the other the edgier (for lack of a better word), darker, more youthful, grittier, street wear-esque creations of the likes of Underage and Polish designer Pat Guzik. Perhaps this polarisation was as not as strongly pronounced outside of this small collection of designers, but the contrast of sartorial moods produced a refreshing interplay of light and dark from one show to the next, in what can feel like a very long week in the fashion calendar.

  • Isabel Manns
  • Isabel Manns
  • Guzik
  • Guzik
  • Underage
  • Underage
  • Wen Pan
  • Shopyte
  • Shopyte
  • Shopyte
  • Shopyte
  • Shopyte
  • Shopyte

All photos taken by Georgia Corrigan at the London Fashion Week 2019

‘Aim for Oxford’ access programme launched

Luke Dunne
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‘Aim for Oxford’ access programme launched

Applications have opened for a new, free two year programme run by St Anne’s and Christ Church which aims to increase the number of successful applicants to Oxford from state schools in the North East of England. 

The Aim for Oxford programme is open to pupils beginning Sixth Form. Up to 40 students will be selected based on educational achievement and social and educational disadvantage. 

The Year 12 program includes 1-to-1 meetings with selected participants to impart personalized academic feedback, information about higher education, an independent research project and a 4-night summer school. 

An Oxford University spokesperson said; “This ambitious and exciting new initiative will provide talented students from the North East with insights and the best possible support so that they can aim for Oxford. Through this new consortium approach we want to ensure that students from different backgrounds and regions are welcomed and feel at home in Oxford.

“This programme will help to support students in the North East to feel Oxford is for them, and will hopefully encourage more academically talented students from this region to study at the University.” 

Students who go on to make applications to Oxford in Year 13 will then be able to access interview preparation, an academic support allowance and a two night transition visit for each offer-holder. 

A statement from Christ Church said: “The North East of England is the most under-represented region at Oxford, and we believe deeply that diversity is essential to the flourishing of a lively academic community and to Oxford’s future as a hub of social mobility and intellectual exchange. Geographical diversity is something Oxford needs to continue to work on and we are excited to be part of that through Aim for Oxford.” 

Jennifer Yee, Christ Church’s Tutor for Admissions, added: “We hope will make a real difference for bright students from the area who might otherwise feel that Oxford is not for ‘people like them’. Studying here can be a truly transformational experience and it should be accessible for young people who are bright, committed and ambitious from every part of the country.”

Successful applicants from the first group of Aim to Oxford students will begin studying at Oxford in October 2021. 

100% That Bitch

Rose Shohet
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100% That Bitch

It was May Day afternoon when I clicked play on the movie ‘Someone Great’ on Netflix. It had come out a few days ago, but I’d been waiting for a day exactly like this one to watch it. The night before had been messy— to say the least— and I’d spent way too long at Fever, drinking way too many VKs. Sunlight was streaming through my windows by the time I’d finally climbed into bed after watching the choir at Magdalen Bridge. I needed something light and fluffy to nurse my hangover from the night before, and delay getting out of bed for a few more hours. The film, written by music journalist Jennifer Kaytin Robinson and based on her own experiences, turned out to be just what I needed. Not just because of the story itself, which ended up being much more emotionally poignant than has come to be expected from the average Netflix rom-com, but because of the soundtrack that accompanied it. More specifically, the breakup song Gina Rodriguez and DuWanda Wise passionately rap the lyrics to in the now-viral scene near the beginning of the movie. The song perfectly fit Rodriguez’ characters’ response to the breakup she was going through: it was bitter and angry and the singer was clearly upset, but she also knew her own worth, and there was a humorous touch to the memorable lyrics that allowed for an optimistic, empowering outlook on the situation. It really struck a chord with me, and as soon as I finished the movie, I googled the song: it was ‘Truth Hurts’, by Lizzo, an artist that I’d heard of in passing, but never really taken the time to listen to in too much depth. The rest of the day was spent with the song playing on repeat as I went about my day— I checked my last.fm profile out of curiosity, and discovered that I had in fact listened to it twenty-seven times. 

It turns out I wasn’t the only person the song resonated with. Just two weeks later, the song entered the Billboard Hot 100 at number fifty, only to snowball in popularity as the song became a popular Tik Tok meme, received increasing radio play, with a live performance at the 2019 VMAs cementing its current position as the number one song in the US, and the thirtieth most popular in the UK. According to last.fm, I have now listened to the song on Spotify over fifty times (my second most played song of all time), and I’m still not bored of it. When it comes to a song that’s as high energy and emotional as Truth Hurts, without taking itself too seriously, it’s no surprise that it blew up.

Listening back through Lizzo’s catalogue, it sounds like she should have been a hit-making sensation for at least three years. While ‘Good as Hell’, the song that introduced her to the world, is an upbeat anthem celebrating self-love and self-confidence, her talent and charisma is evident from the tracks she started self-releasing back in 2014. Her major-label debut ‘Cuz I Love You’, released earlier this year, is an eclectic collection of genre-bending tunes ranging from the raw and soulful ‘Jerome’ to the early-2000s hip hop infused ‘Tempo’ featuring Missy Elliot to the Aretha Franklin-inspired ‘Heaven Helped Me’, capped off with a flawless flute interlude. The album is an absolute joy to listen to from start to finish. Despite ‘Truth Hurts’ being a completely unexpected hit (it was first released two years ago to very little recognition), however, the song is, in my opinion, Lizzo at her absolute best. While other self-empowerment anthems in the same vein employ tired imagery and clichéd rhyme patterns (if I have to hear one more pop song rhyming “motion” with “ocean” I swear I’m giving up on the genre entirely), Truth Hurts employs details as specific as flirting with someone from the “Minnesota Vikings” while still coming across as relatable. The song, with its sheer energy and intense delivery, continues to captivate me with each and every play.

With the current pop music landscape largely dominated by lowkey, often melancholic trap-infused sounds, the sheer personality Lizzo exudes in her tracks constitutes a welcome breath of fresh air. I for one, can’t wait to see where her career goes next.

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