Darling Magazine

by Luiza Irulegui House of the Dragon is a prequel to the hugely popular show, Game of Thrones, and the second series in the universe created by George R. R. Martin.  Its first season aired in 2022 and was subject to much criticism online from fans of Martin’s fantastical universe. The major point for nitpicking argued by the fans was that the first series felt too fast-paced and that there was little to no time to sit with the characters in order to understand them and their motivations. Alongside the radical time skips and sudden recasting of some of the main characters, it left a bitter taste for many viewers. Fans had said that it was hard to care about the characters and what happened to them when, in the earlier episodes of the season, there were significant jumps between the episodes. The audience had to abruptly tag along with the new storylines, not knowing what happened in the lost period of time. Following the harsh criticism pointed out after the season one finale, the writ

by Isabelle Mabey Violence against women, spanning all ages, is often rooted in societal norms that begin in  childhood. From a young age, girls are conditioned to accept harmful behaviours as normal, while boys learn that cruelty towards girls is acceptable and carries little consequence.   This early desensitisation to aggression can evolve into more severe forms of harassment and violence as they grow older, coming in varying extremes and spanning everything from coercion to catcalling to sexual abuse.  Simultaneously, young boys are taught to suppress emotions, fostering loneliness and creating a gateway to radical ideologies that perpetuate misogyny.  Online communities further entrench these views, dehumanising women and reinforcing toxic behaviours. All the while the rise of public shaming, particularly through social media and viral street interviews, amplifies this degradation, turning women's experiences and vulnerabilities into spectacles for ridicule.  In a world where

by Chelsea Pujols  Pink outfits and pigtails adorned with a bow marked a return to girlhood. Exchanging friendship bracelets, listening to our favourite pop princesses, and purchasing soft toys have not only become intergenerational and trendy but are a way for women in their twenties to heal; a cute bandaid could cure almost everything. Like many girls, an oral history of childhood without the name “One Direction” mentioned is out of the question. Falling in love with five boys on the TV screen was a mandatory experience to  transition from child to teenager with positive, self-love anthems like  Little Things  and  Diana  guiding the way.  Lyrics echoed through our heads, saying “If I let you know I’m here, for you/then maybe you’ll love  yourself, like I love you.” They stood out in a time where body image issues ran rampant and beauty  standards grew more and more impossible with the rapid emergence of social media. Now hailed as the first boyband of the internet, One Direction cer

by Emily Duff and Rosie Deacon French filmmaker Coralie Fargeat recently released her new body horror,  The Substance . Starring Demi Moore and Margaret Qualley, it delivers a magnificently disgusting critique on the pursuit of beauty inevitably stripping you of yourself.  Winning best screenplay at Cannes Film Festival, the film is 120 pages of script - with uncommonly only 20 pages of dialogue. This leaves for an intense viewing experience, to say the least.  Whilst more obviously an exploration of the beauty standards placed on aging women, the focus is on the visuals and symbolism rather than the speech meaning many aspects are up for interpretation. With inspection of each detail, the discomfort of living in our bodies becomes striking.  Highlighting each element of the body, its sound design makes every pierce and crunch immersive between images of blood and ripped skin that leave you clenching your teeth.  Aside from characters' bodies visibly ripping apart, what surprisingl