Nintendo’s Latest Installment of Animal Crossing: New Horizons Capitalizes Need
Now more than ever, people are relying on video games to pass the time and escape reality. The digital age provides a safe space that rests at the intersection of society and technology, creating a much needed safe space for those who find themselves in isolation. Nintendo’s latest installment of Animal Crossing: New Horizons capitalizes on this need.
With COVID-19 forcing social distancing orders to bleed into summer, those stuck at home have begun itching for something to do. Many have busied themselves with testing new recipes, dusting off the books on their shelves, and booting up those old home workout videos in an attempt to fill the passing hours. If there is one company that has benefited off of the people’s boredom, it is Nintendo. The multi-billion dollar video game company’s popular gaming system, the Nintendo Switch, has found itself as a commonplace commodity among American households.
For well over three weeks, the Switch has been consistently sold out in major retail stores. Originally priced at $299.99, new Switch consoles are now being sold on sites like Ebay for well over $500. On March 20, Nintendo released its newest installment of the Animal Crossing franchise for the Switch. Animal Crossing: New Horizons is a game where players become a resident on a small island alongside bipedal animal friends. They work to beautify and customize the island, creating the remote getaway destination of their dreams. Mixing cute aesthetics, endless furniture and clothing choices, and online features that allow players to connect with friends, the game has experienced a similar boom of popularity to the console it was released for. Originally selling for $60, a physical copy of Animal Crossing: New Horizons now sells for $94.99 on Amazon. Animal Crossing has created a safe haven for players among COVID-19 worries; each individual pixelated
island is its own world where people can meet up with friends and family without the fear of infection. In the weeks following the game’s release, people have held events such as weddings and graduation ceremonies in lieu of their cancelled real life counterparts. Couples have dressed their little villagers up and visited each other’s islands on mock dates. People are using the game in an attempt to maintain any form of fulfilling social interaction during this time of social isolation. What does this mean for the future? How will games affect the normalcy of a post-Coronavirus world? Despite the comfort Nintendo is currently providing many households, they have also created new questions with uncertain answers about how society will continue to intersect with increasingly normalized virtual realities.
Report: Nicolette Schneiderman
Say Hello To A New Form Of Live-streaming Thanks to Erykah Badu
Whether it involved reconnecting with old peers, performing, or even doing song writing battles, one artist who stood out the most was Erykah Badu.
Many artists have shifted to live-streaming platforms due to the pandemic. As all thing’s entertainment have been cancelled, many have tried finding a coping method and ways to shed light to their fans in this difficult time. Whether it involved reconnecting with old peers, performing, or even doing song writing battles, one artist who stood out the most was Erykah Badu. This pandemic did not stop singer-songwriter, actress and record producer, Erykah Badu as she is back and is more creative than ever! Erykah managed to pull off a stellar live stream music video with two other musicians. She is the first artist to charge a rate between $1-$3 to watch her perform live!
Not only did she have previous live-streams in her bedroom but most recently, she performed Apocalypse 3.1. While maintaining to focus on social distancing, she managed to have everyone on screen and separated in a colorful bubble. Her vision for this project was to show her audience an exaggerated appearance of how social distancing looks and how all three performers would have to perform live without any mistakes. Being in separate bubbles make things a bit harder as many factors may play by being separated the way they were (picture below). Many fans raved about her creativity, style and uniqueness. Artists such as Cee Loo Green, Keyshia Cole and Diddy have also shown their support for Erykah’s Quarantine Concert Series. Most recently, Erykah conducted a press conference via Zoom to speak on how her Quarantine Series began and how she was able to overcome some obstacles she faced. To learn more about her series and watch Erykah’s press conference, visit: https://baduworldmarket.com/pages/stream.
Credits: Instagram @erykahbadu
Report: Jessica Tamay
Everlane: A Story About Unionization During a Pandemic
What happens when unionization occurs during a pandemic?
In a fashion revolution where ethics and sustainability have become a trend, consumers must be wary of which brands falsely claim these terms. But that wasn’t the case for Everlane—the clothing brand that proudly promises on their website “Radical Transparency” by working only with ethical factories. How did it manage, then, to get into a scandal of unethical labor practices?
Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, many clothing brands have had to make hard decisions, many of which involve the laying off of workers. But with Everlane this involved firing, on March 27th, a sector of part-time customer service employees that had just recently unionized. This has confounded the reason for these employees’ firings, with many media outlets attacking the brand for its false commitment to ethical fashion. I have witnessed the scandal’s impact on the brand’s image by reading the comments on an Everlane sponsored video that attacked the Youtube creator for collaborating with a brand that has used the pandemic to union-bust.
Claims that Everlane had engaged in mitigation of unionization efforts before the pandemic are true. As Fashionista reports, the brand sent an email in December in response to the forming of the Everlane Union. The email denoted unions as negative entities that reduce transparency. Therefore, it comes to no surprise that these CX employees attribute their layoffs to their March petition for recognition of the union, and not to the pandemic. Everlane has publicly denied this.
Business in times when demand for clothing is low is undoubtedly hard, and Everlane has felt immense losses because of this pandemic. But it is incredibly worrisome that the pandemic could also be taken advantage of by firing people to ultimately prevent unionization. The details from both sides remain murky. I just hope that a company that fights for fair working conditions does not contradict itself where the rest of its employees are concerned.
Photo credits: Everlane Union GoFundMe and Everlane
Report: Jonara Jiménez
Celebrate Stephen Sondheim’s 90th Birthday with a Virtual Concert
Actor and Broadway star, @rauleesparza is putting on a virtual concert this Sunday April 26th. “Take Me To The World: A Sondheim 90th Birthday Celebration,” is being put on to celebrate legendary composer Stephen Sondheim’s birthday.
On March 22nd sensational Broadway composer, Stephen Sondaheim, celebrated his 90th birthday. Sondaheim is known for many exceptional musicals over a wide range of genres, including: Into The Woods, West Side Story, A Little Night Music, and Sweeny Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street.
Broadway star Raul Esparza is hosting a virtual concert, “Take Me To The World: A Sondheim 90th Birthday Celebration” on Sunday April 26th. This date also marks the 50th anniversary of the opening night of Sondheim’s musical, “Company.” This event boasts many Broadway powerhouses including: Meryl Streep, Audra McDonald, Pattie LuPone and Micheal Cerveris among many others. They will be performing many inspirational and iconic songs from a catalog of Sondaheim's work.
Raul Esparza explained the reasoning behind this once in a lifetime event, “The world is a hard place, and we are searching for something great...Stephen Sondheim is greatness personified.” Esparza also added that in light of all that is happening with COVID 19, “We may be far from Broadway right now, but Broadway is never far from us.”
This is a free live streamed event that can be found on Broadway’s website and their Youtube page at 8pm eastern time this Sunday April 26. Although this event is free, it also doubles as a fundraiser for Artists Striving to End Poverty (ASTEP). ASTEP partners artists with youth in need throughout the country to help them break out of the cycle of poverty. Tune in Sunday evening to experience a truly amazing concert and to support youth in poverty.
Report: Rebecca Vanderkooi
The Clark Sisters: The First Ladies of Gospel movie review
“Dear Twinkie, when your finances, relationships, and inner peace were attacked you cried, prayed and survived! Thank you for reminding us how to endure hardness as a good soldier”
The Clark Sisters: First Ladies of Gospel biopic premiered on April 11 on Lifetime. The Clark Sisters are an esteemed gospel recording group that have influenced both r&b and gospel music today. The biopic captures five sisters, Jackie, Denise, Elbernita (Twinkie), Dorinda, and Karen, from Detroit, Michigan, and their rise to fame. Growing up in the Church of God in Christ (COGIC), the Clark Sisters lived a very strict religious life that their mother, Dr. Mattie Moss Clark, made sure they would never depart from. To no surprise, the movie was highly anticipated by both the gospel and the “secular” world, as it was executive produced by Mary J. Blige, Missy Elliott, and Queen Latifah.
The biopic features live singing by the actresses, which made the story more genuine. As a fan of gospel music, there were moments when singing along seemed contagious. The music allowed the movie to progress fluidly and created the feeling that the viewer was right alongside the Clark Sisters on their journey. Since there were so many relatable aspects, it felt natural to root on their success, especially knowing that there were so many things trying to hold them back. This movie is a testimonial that everyone goes through struggles, no matter your background. From the beginning of the movie, it was undeniable that gender roles played a significant role in their world, specifically in Dr. Mattie Moss Clark’s life. There was a clear expectation of women; they were intended to take the back seat. Despite her musical success, Dr. Clark’s husband did not accept her desire to minister through music, to the point where she had to hide her gold records underneath her daughters’ beds. Since the Clark Sisters’ lives were so intertwined with their mother’s, the need for acceptance became an issue that they inherited.
The Clark Sisters performing at the Grammys was a monumental moment that validated their success and symbolized the evolution of gospel music. At the height of their career, it was evident that each sister felt that they had to please their mother. Despite that, the movie captures the importance of having a strong will and faith to overcome all the obstacles that present themselves. “Dear Twinkie, when your finances, relationships, and inner peace were attacked you cried, prayed and survived! Thank you for reminding us how to endure hardness as a good soldier”, says Christina Bell, who played Twinkie in the biopic. Amazing acting and singing were showcased, while promoting familial unity, motivation, and love. The Clark Sisters: First Ladies of Gospel biopic is a phenomenal story of resilience that everyone can relate to and take something from.
Report: Brionna Thompson
What Kind Of Detox Do We Really Need?
Brain Detox. Peace of Mind. Inner Harmony. Healthy Thoughts. Happy Mind.
We live in a toxic world. It seems that humanity has managed to destroy everything that once was valuable: tuna now has more mercury than protein, vegetables are full of pesticides, and you can kill a horse with the air in metropolis. It is believed that all these troubles come from a person’s selfish desire to live in comfort.
For the first time in history, new types of toxicity have arisen. Voila, three modern inventions that poison our lives:
1. Gadgets. Digital dependency is a neurotic need for new information and gadgets. It is promised to be entered in the register of the International Classification of Diseases. First of all, doctors are concerned that smartphones and other members of electronic family have a bad effect on the psyche. Anxiety about having to be in touch 24/7, depressing states that life on Instagram is not like reality are just the most obvious problems that we have while abusing digital world.
2. Information Age. The regime in which billions of people now exist is called information satiety. Like any satiety, it is fraught with health. Too much information causes cognitive overload and strains the nervous system. Anxiety and mental disorders are other symptoms of universal informatization.
3. Confined personal space. According to estimates by the UN Population Fund, by 2024, 8 billion people will simultaneously live on the planet, most of them in capitals and large cities. Unfortunately, living surrounded by millions is not as fun as it might seem. Crowding is associated with a high risk of nervous and mental illness, an increased risk of infection, and problems such as physical inactivity and sleep disorders due to noise and light.
Report: Olha Dzharyha
The Meme vs The Dater
The days of old school love are gone or at least it flies under the radar. Today, dating is like quantum physics.
The days of old school love are gone or at least it flies under the radar. Today, dating is like quantum physics. Everyone has been heartbroken at one time or another if not repeatedly. With this, we develop coping mechanisms to avoid dealing with the trauma or to make light of it. Everyone plays a game whether they realize it or not, with lack of trust, fear of rejection, and commitment issues, among many other factors we use sex as a defense and a weapon.
We use sex to get someone to be around long term and that’s all it becomes and we mask our true emotions secretly waiting for the other person to want more. Instead of relationships, we end up with situationships or a list of people we go to for different needs.
Each experience is made into a joke and becomes a meme on the internet. Meme culture has taken a large toll on the dating game as many people don’t have anyone to talk to about their situations with suitors or potential lovers and turn to social media to air out their troubles. We do this hoping to gain clarity from others beginning deep discussions and debates.
With each situation and moment in society, we get a new meme, it becomes a phenomenon as its something that a large group of people can relate to and laugh about. Currently, we are in a time of the Coronavirus also known as COVID-19. Everyone is to keep their distance from one another as this deadly virus takes its toll on the world as we know it. With that, schools and offices have closed and everyone is now working from home. Some are home with loved ones, parents with children, couples are together, and singles are alone.
Every situation is unique. Right now, we have government and state officials telling the public if they aren’t essential workers to stay indoors. This has left a lot of single people feeling lonely as no one can travel or go out to see friends and family. Thus creating a new meme of one person trying to get another to come over despite the deadly pandemic and another meme that reads “everyone is home quarantined and they have their phone so if they wanted to talk they would.”
This time is challenging people who are interested in the dating world to take a new approach and be virtual with phone calls, texting or having virtual dates. This forces people to rely on personality rather than looks and other physical attributes. It also makes sex a minor factor. Dating has now become a virtual courtship for those who are serious enough about it. To give someone long term consideration without the ability to invite a potential suitor or lover for what the culture calls “Netflix and Chill”.
Report: Josephine Coiscou
Can You Be Friend's with Your Ex's Significant Other
HBO’s series Insecure really shows how secure you have to be in not only yourself but your relationship.
HBO’s series Insecure really shows how secure you have to be in not only yourself but your relationship. When Issa (played by Issa Rae) discovers that her new bff Condola (played by Christina Elmore) is currently dating her ex Lawrence (played by Jay Ellis), things get interesting. While many like Issa can be secure enough in themselves to not be bothered, many become very insecure.
This dynamic took a deep dive into the process of a person going through seeing their ex with a new partner,specifically one close to them. You go through the crazy thoughts and the awkwardness especially when the new partner is your friend. I believe that as long as you're secure in yourself then you can definitely be friends with your ex’s significant other. Building relationships comes with obstacles and challenges. When it comes to dealing with an ex that you were once in a long time relationship with, you have to make sure you are secure in yourself. Knowing that you are one hundred percent over your ex and that you can move forward with a healthy relationship is the most important. So is a friendship with your ex’s partner possible then yes but as long as you are secure in who you are.
Photo Credit: Merie W. Wallace/HBO
Report: Maya Howard
Clothing New York City's Homeless LGBTQ+ Youth
In the present year of 2020, the coronavirus has scourged the world, and among those most vulnerable are New York City’s homeless youths, 20%-45% of which identify as LGBTQ+. Deeply sympathizing with their plight, the founders of the menswear fashion label Private Policy sought to aid this downtrodden population.
In 1990, the documentary Paris is Burning spotlighted the New York City drag ball culture, which was pioneered by the city’s black and Latino LGBTQ community. The documentary was filmed during the AIDS crisis, and many of the drag performers were homeless people who had been disowned by homophobic and transphobic families. Amazingly, members of a historically marginalized group’s profound sense of togetherness resulted in the creation of such an impactful contribution to the fashion world, as well as the mainstreaming of drag performances.
In the present year of 2020, the coronavirus has scourged the world, and among those most vulnerable are New York City’s homeless youths, 20%-45% of which identify as LGBTQ+. Deeply sympathizing with their plight, the founders of the menswear fashion label Private Policy sought to aid this downtrodden population. Collaborating with the Ali Forney Center, the largest homeless shelter for LGBTQ+ youth, designers Siying Qu and Haoran Li created the project #LoveAli. Private Policy is selling their own version of the traditional “I Heart New York” t-shirt for $80, with the proceeds going towards the aforementioned Ali Forney Center. A prestigious fashion label like Private Policy, which provides genderless clothing for both men and women, showing solidarity with the LGBTQ community is reflective of the social progress made since Paris is Burning. The film’s introduction of drag culture was integral to humanizing gay and trans people, as well as properly crediting them with their fashion innovations. Now, while there is still progress to be made, three decades of activism have led to outright, unabashed support from a plethora of public platforms.
Report: Nia Hunt
At the rise of Covid-19 many of us first questioned the timeline of fashion week and would we see the regular calendar continue - the question weighed over many of us for months! It was refreshing to see design houses and designers across the globe take advantage of the uncertainty and plow into production mode - thus my interest in Jerri Reid New York - The Black Designer based in Brooklyn New York wow’d instagram with his latest collection paying homage to the Black Is King film which debuted earlier this year in July. I was taken aback at quick of a turn round the young designer produced and released his well crafted designs reflecting some of the films most memorable moments.