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Increasingly referred to as the Internet’s new boyfriend, Oscar Isaac succeeds many of the most well beloved male stars before him. He joins the ranks of the magnificent Idris Elba, the gentleman of the decade Tom Hiddleston and perhaps the fairest of them all, Benedict Cumberbatch, whose ascent to fame was fuelled by his breakout role as everyone’s favourite sociopathic detective Sherlock Holmes.
Most of us were introduced to Oscar Isaac through his own lucrative role in Star Wars: The Force Awakens. The publicity from Isaac’s involvement with Star Wars has, in turn, shed light on some of his other talents. An old YouTube video titled “The Measure of Things,” published circa 2010, shows he can sing and play the guitar, maybe even well enough to give John Mayer a run for his money. Anyone who has seen the iconic dance scene in Alex Garland’s Ex Machina knows exactly how well he can “tear up the dance floor.”
He even took an adorable Star Wars themed picture with the charming child actor Jacob Tremblay of Room fame. And as a champion of bringing more representation to Hollywood films, it seems safe to say that Oscar Isaac is, for all intents and purposes, flawless. Or so the media would have us believe.
Celebrity crushes are not a new concept. We are all familiar with the trope of the shameless teenager who tapes posters of stars to their bedroom wall, and I’ll even admit that, to a certain extent, I embody the trope myself: there’s nothing quite like waking up every morning to Dane DeHaan’s smiling, autographed face in all its perfection.
However, as long as we can recognize and distance ourselves from society’s unrealistic expectations of the human ideal, then fangirling about someone every now and then is relatively harmless.
Nowadays, if you’re obsessed with someone or something, it’s become common to refer to yourself as their “trash.” But while there has been a great deal of talk about reclaiming the word “trash” for modern use, we cannot simply disregard its classist and racist historical context in regards to the less privileged, or the way it suggests our guilty pleasures demean us. Oscar Isaac may be the Internet’s new boyfriend, but that does not make all of us “Oscar Isaac’s trash.”
Feeding into our celebrity crushes allows us to temporarily evade the aspects of relationships that make them so painfully real: the possible rejection, the doubts of self-worth, the disappointment when others let us down and most of all, the heartbreak. We shouldn’t feel ashamed to fantasize about the celebrities we love, but we should be able to do so without compromising our own integrity. Let’s leave the trash talk where it belongs.
Photo Credits: Nathaniel Goldberg, Mario Testino
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Two weeks ago, the celebrity nude photo hacking took the internet by storm. Now the filth has settled and the masses have been taught for the umpteenth time that people shouldn’t be shamed for bearing their body. (That so many people still don’t get that message does not bode well for the future.) As we begin to forget, perhaps too quickly, about this invasion of privacy, consider what this means for your nude snap practices.
To repeat what many others have said, you’re free to do whatever you want with your own body. Do not let this well-publicized incident deter you from taking pictures but it’s important to make sure it is what you really want. There are many good reasons for taking a nude photo – as a means for maintaining a long distance relationship comes to mind, but your significant other asking for one is not one of them. Never feel pressured to take a naked picture. While these are tough waters to navigate as it may involve rejecting someone you love, these pictures are too intimate and powerful for them to be given out due to pressure.
So you’ve decided that you want to send this nude pic. The next thing to keep in mind is extra precautions you should take. While it shouldn’t be something you should be concerned about, these photo leaks have repeatedly proven that the world is filled with turds disguised as normal human beings. I’m hopeful that one day these people come to their senses, but for the time being, encrypt your files and set up strong unique passwords. Apple also has a nifty feature that requires a two-step security check for another device to access your account.
While I’m sure your nudes, in which your lips are pursed and your body is contorted for optimal sexiness, are so smoking hot that they should always be followed by flame emojis, the truth is that you’re no Jennifer Lawrence. There won’t be millions of perverts searching for your picture if it ever got leaked into the public and they are less likely to be leaked to begin with. There’s less risk associated with your naughty pictures, so there’s no real need to change your nude policy due to this event.
That being said, less people caring about your nude pictures also mean there are less people who care about you if they were ever leaked. You are sorely deluded if you think the FBI will open up an investigation for you if your pictures got out. This is not to say that you are responsible for what happens in the event that your picture makes its rounds in your social circle, but simply that what follows will likely take a big toll on you – and there’ll be less help than you expect.
Ultimately, nudies are such a strange and vulnerable form of self-expression in modern courtship that it would be a shame if anyone stopped because of this recent leak. Take these tips into consideration and continue to snap away in front of your washroom mirror. Just stop using that awful flash, it’s distracting from your good-good.
By: Ronald Leung
An Academy Award is certainly a fantastic achievement: to be declared the best in the highly-competitive film industry is nothing to scoff at. It’s understandable then, that the acceptance speech that follows can be dramatic, hilarious or overwhelming. Here’s a look at the five most memorable Oscar acceptance speeches.
Brody made history by becoming the youngest actor to win the Academy Award for Best Actor at the age of 29, so you can certainly imagine his excitement. He was so excited that he went ahead and planted an impromptu kiss on announcer Halle Berry that lasted quite a while. Berry, although quite shocked at first, clearly did not have a bad time herself.
Before Brangelina, Jolie also showed some mouth-to-mouth at the Academy Awards by kissing her brother. She added how she was “in love with” him in her acceptance speech. It certainly gave the audience a little pause.
Usually the emotion of winning an Oscar translates to a length acceptance speech, but not for Pesci. He takes the cake for possibly having the shortest speech in Academy Awards History: “It was my privilege: thank you.”
Garson was so surprised at winning that she hadn’t prepared anything to say – resulting in a rambling 7-minute speech. The Academy then imposed a 45 second time limit for all future speeches.
Brando famously snubbed the Academy by sending Native American activist Sacheen Littlefeather to refuse his Oscar. He wanted to protest against the stereotypical portrayal of the Native Americans, and also their unfair treatment at the hands of the US Government.
Some notable Democrats include power couples Jay Z and Beyoncé and Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith, who have raised millions for Obama’s campaign. Fashionable Obama supporters include Sarah Jessica Parker, co-designer of a “Viva Obama” shirt for the Runway to Win website, and Katy Perry, who has been rocking a ballot-inspired mini-dress with none other than Pres. Obama himself checked off. One of my personal favourites, Snoop Dogg/Lion posted his reasons for voting for Obama on Instagram, which included, “He mad cool yo” and “He wears a durag like me.” Even Kelly Clarkson is singing to the tune of “My Life Would Suck Without… Obama.” Lindsay Lohan has been flip-flopping in her support but technically isn’t even registered to vote. Political commentator Ann Coulter, proved that being PC isn’t her thing when she referred to Obama as a “retard” in a tweet following the final presidential debate. Donald Trump got in on the cringe-worthy action by requesting that Obama release his college records and passport information in exchange for a $5 million charitable donation. His video appeal is almost as questionable as Clint Eastwood’s bizarre ‘invisible Obama’ speech at the August Republican convention. My conclusion: maybe Romney should pay some of his celebrity supporters to keep their mouths (and Twitter accounts) shut.
Theresa Tingey
Hasheel Lodhia & Amanda Mihoub Wright
McMaster Debating Society
H: In almost every society, there exist celebrity role models. Particularly in North America, there are hundreds of celebrities that are looked upon by millions of people of all ages. It is even more evident that younger generations are constantly bombarded with impressions of what to be and how to act. However, with this power should come a high level of responsibility and consequence. Kate Moss, Whitney Houston (R.I.P.) and many other high-profile stars have a history of cocaine use. Lindsay Lohan, Britney Spears and several others have a history of drinking and driving. In many of these cases, little or no action is taken. They can expect fines (which don’t put a stress on their wallet in the slightest) and occasionally a custodial sentence. In the rare case that they are condemned as equals to the rest of society, their high-paid lawyers have no problem settling things out for them, and they continue doing what they do best – flaunting their lifestyle. What message does this send out to our youth? What internal and international image does it give of our country for placing people above the law due to their wealth and fame? Celebrities need harsher and more realistic punishments to show the public that their crimes are in no way acceptable.
A: I do not agree with Hasheel’s argument that celebrities, due to their status as “role models” and the fact that they tend to have more resources than the average person, should be punished more harshly. First of all, I take issue with the blanket use of the term “role model” when referring to celebrities. A role model is someone that people look up to, that they want to emulate in a positive way. Celebrities who have problems with the criminal justice system are not role models. These celebrities have displayed socially inappropriate behaviour, and even if they are not punished harshly for their offence, they are not given positive affirmation for their actions. In fact, it is always the opposite; their behaviour is deemed unacceptable. Also, though the media is a powerful force of socialization, people have many other influences in their lives, such as teachers, parents, peers, etc. It is more likely that a person steals a car because all of their friends are doing it than because they see a celebrity, who has done the same thing, receive a fairly light sentence for their actions. The celebrity is still being punished if they are fairly tried and convicted of a criminal offence. Celebrities aren’t the only ones with more resources than the average person. Wealthy people who are not in the public eye do too, and they also have access to better lawyers etc. Shouldn’t they be punished more harshly too, according to Hasheel’s argument? But, that doesn’t seem fair. This is a slippery slope, as every person is supposed to be equal in the eyes of the law.
H: Yes, celebrities who have problems with the justice system shouldn’t be considered role models, but the fact remains clear that they are. No pre-teen saw Lindsay Lohan in any less of a light after she got a DUI. Nor did their opinion change of her when she was given less than two hours of jail time, a small slap on the wrist, for a repeat offence (something that would not have been the case had any layman done the same). The purpose of the law is to reprimand those who have wronged society in a way that is proportional to the damage that has been done. I think it is extremely safe to say that an unknown homeless man doing crack in a back alleyway does not do nearly as much damage to society as a star of Jersey Shore snorting lines of coke on a hooker’s belly at a party, driving home drunk, feeling fly like a G6, and then having the details and pictures of their night plastered all over the media by the paparazzi. Yes, there are more influential roles in an adolescent’s life, such as parents and peers, but it is extremely ignorant to say that celebrities aren’t role models regardless of the bad personal decisions.
A: I disagree with Hasheel’s argument about the purpose of law. Laws are integral to the functioning of society; they facilitate social order. The concept of punishing someone in a way that is proportional to the damages that they have caused to society is not necessarily compatible with the idea of punishing celebrities more harshly for their crimes. The drug dealer who strategically befriends a vulnerable person just to hook them on drugs, or the drug cooker who actually created the drugs, is just as much, if not more, responsible for drug-related deaths and criminal offences than a celebrity who gets caught on camera taking drugs. Punishing a celebrity more harshly because they are in the public eye creates two different justice systems, which is detrimental to the functioning of society.
H: A celebrity is anyone deemed to be a national or international phenomenon, the world “celebrity” and “media” go hand in hand. The International Narcotics Control Board has openly stated that when celebrities take illegal drugs, it glamorizes them. Celebrities are not “normal” people. They are elevated above everyone else by choice. They enjoy greater benefits of society, but as a result, do more harm by condoning certain actions. However, it is not only the act that is important when deciding punishment, but the surrounding issues and context of the crime. A woman who takes drugs in front of her children is not only committing a crime, but setting a bad example, and should therefore be reprimanded further. Punishing individuals proportional to the damages to society is very much relevant to celebrities, who choose to live a life under the public eye. Just like how politicians are often scrutinized for their every action, past or present, the same goes for celebrities.
A: While some celebrities may glamorize drugs, others also demonstrate the horrors of addiction and drug use, and serve as powerful examples of the horrors of drug abuse. “Celebrity” is also a term that is hard to define; would it apply to everyone in the public eye? Locally known people as well as internationally known people? What about a popular teenager that everyone else in the school imitates? A two-part justice system would be difficult to implement; one could not come up with a fair criteria to make the distinction in every case between celebrity and non-celebrity, or to distinguish the level of influence that a particular person is exercising on others. It just simply shouldn’t be relevant whether or not a person is a celebrity or not; the punishment should fit the crime. When judges sentence a criminal offender, depending on the charge, there are certain guidelines that they must follow. The legal system has to remain fair and unbiased for society.
