Culture
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Studio Ghibli goes for global dominance
Are the best animated films made in Japan? With the first Studio Ghibli films moving to Netflix tomorrow, we examine why anime has become so popular and if it can ever surpass Disney.
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Adieu, EU – it was a fascinating 47 years
What is Europe? Today, history will be made as the UK leaves the European Union. Boris Johnson has hailed it as “a new era”. But Britain will still be part of a wonderfully varied continent.
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Sumo wrestler’s tears make waves in shock win
Are tears good for sport? A sumo wrestler has thrown tradition out of the ring. His tears of joy delighted his fans, but raised doubts about whether it is ever acceptable for athletes to cry.
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One woman’s fight to capture whiff of the past
Should there be museums for smells? As our lives move online and artificial intelligence takes over, some think it has never been more important to preserve culturally important aromas.
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Mystic lamb’s humanoid face shocks art world
Does restoration ruin art? One of the world’s most famous paintings has been described as “a shock for everybody” after a clean-up revealed a sheep with extremely human-like eyes.
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BBC in its current form ‘facing the end’
Should the BBC be another Netflix? Nicky Morgan, the UK culture secretary, wants a move to a subscription system, ending almost a century of public broadcasting funded by a licence fee.
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Trust is dying across the world, says survey
Whatever happened to good faith? People no longer believe that it is possible for institutions to do the right thing AND be competent. This is creating an unprecedented wave of cynicism.
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Comedy about Hitler leaves critics fuming
Is it morally wrong to make a comic film about the Nazis? Critics are passionately divided about Jojo Rabbit, the story of a ten-year-old boy and his imaginary friend – a goofy Adolf Hitler.
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And now for a new national anthem – for Mars!
Does Mars need a national anthem? Opera singer Oscar Castellino has just given the first performance of his composition, Rise to Mars!, written to encourage colonisation of the Red Planet.
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UK at loggerheads over Battle of the Bongs
Is Brexit worth £45,000 a bong? A campaign for the chimes of Big Ben to sound as Britain leaves the EU on 31 January appears doomed – though, for some, it remains a cause worth fighting for.
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Instagram ban for Love Island’s Molly-Mae
Are influencers undermining democracy? Molly-Mae is the latest to be censured for dishonest Instagram posts, yet more and more young people are turning to celebrities for information.
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Controversial film Joker set for bumper Baftas
Is Joker immoral? Now poised for ample awards, the deeply troubling 2019 film immediately inflamed debate over its depiction of extreme violence and worries about copycat behaviour.
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Flying reindeer and hallucinations in Lapland
Do we need to know where our myths come from? As Christmas Day approaches, we examine the mysterious origins of that much-beloved, white-bearded, reindeer-flying, gift-giver: Santa Claus.
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Record as five black women win beauty crowns
Is this progress? Five black women now hold all the world’s top beauty titles, a development which is being hailed despite the troubled histories and controversial values of pageants.
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Don’t lie about Christmas, warn psychologists
Should we stop telling children the Christmas myth is true? Santa Claus, the chimney and the reindeer: it is the story we all grew up with. But some experts argue these lies can be harmful.