Culture
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Terror for teen heroes as Stranger Things returns
Is horror the best way to explore adolescence? After a two-year wait, Stranger Things 3 is here. It is the latest of many shows to probe teenage anxiety through darkness, death and monsters.
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Stormzy rocks at the ‘Greatest Show on Earth’
Do experiences matter more than things? According to millions of posts today, this year’s Glastonbury Festival will be the memory of a lifetime for many fans. Is this part of a deeper trend?
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Imagine there’s no Beatles. It’s easy if you try.
How would the world have looked without the Fab Four? That is the question posed by Richard Curtis’s new film, Yesterday. Pop, protest and the sexual revolution might have been very different.
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Lipman attacks ‘silly’ Rylance for BP protest
Are celebrity resignations a waste of time? Oscar-winning Mark Rylance has left the Royal Shakespeare Company over BP funding. Maureen Lipman says he will live to “kick his own britches”.
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Toy Story 4 explores what it means to be alive
Why are we alive? This is the surprisingly existential question posed by a new character in Toy Story 4, released today. The new film tells the story of a plastic spork that comes to life.
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Anne Frank: Portrait of an icon as a young woman
Should we all keep a diary? An important part of Anne Frank’s writing is that she captures so much of what it is to be a teenager, even with secret pages musing on puberty and prostitutes.
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1984 at 70: Still relevant says Orwell’s son
Even after a lifetime, can a classic still have a message? Few novels have had such an effect, with ‘Big Brother’, ‘newspeak’ and ‘thoughtcrime’ now firmly embedded in the English language.
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Sun, sea and scandal over Love Island return
Should we feel guilty about watching Love Island? The show has been under fire for lack of diversity and exploiting some participants. But millions find it offers harmless fun and escapism.
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Climate change, #MeToo and Game of Thrones
Blood. Ice. Death. Fire. Revenge. Last night, after eight years on our screens, the epic fantasy series finally reached its end. But what was Game of Thrones really about?
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Music, peace and a flicker of hope in Israel
Can Eurovision help solve the Israel-Palestine conflict? An absurd suggestion, perhaps. But, this weekend, all eyes are on Tel Aviv as it hosts the world’s biggest, glitziest talent contest.
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‘Idiot’ pro players accused of ruining Fortnite
Season nine is here, with new challenges to explore. However, some players say the game is being ruined by professionals who no longer play fair. Is there any point still trying to win?
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Reality TV probe as Kyle show is cancelled
MPs are to probe the reality TV industry after the suspected suicide of a guest who was publicly humiliated for lying on the Jeremy Kyle Show. A judge has called it “human bear-baiting”.
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Killing Eve’s murderous women break TV taboo
Today, female characters can be bold, brave and strong — but what about violent? Killing Eve, which dominated the BAFTAs, is a story of complex women who are as bloodthirsty as any man.
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UK’s Tutankhamun found behind Essex Aldi
The discovery of a “King of Bling” buried with his harp is testament to the riches of Saxon civilisation. Saxons permeated society at every level. Could we call this early pop culture?
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Leonardo: artist, scientist, hipster, genius
This week, 500 years after his death, we honour Leonardo da Vinci, the man who created flying machines, scuba gear and a tennis racket — as well as the most beautiful artworks in history.