Tess Holliday on the Cover of Cosmo

The 2018 October issue of UK Cosmopolitan magazine should not have sparked the potent level of controversy that it did. For starters, it appeared in exactly the same format as any other Cosmopolitan magazine cover (indeed, it was presented in the same way as most other mainstream magazine covers). The front cover featured a list of articles concerning the usual topics... fashion, beauty, dating and so on, that graced the glossy, interior pages of the magazine. The cover also boasted a glamorous cover girl in the middle of the page- like any other edition of the popular magazine. Nothing new. But this Cosmopolitan front cover set off a tsunami of dissension, a ripple of shock waves that emanated in the form of an angry debate. You might be asking, what on Earth could cause such drama? such immense contention? The answer: because they put plus size model Tess Holliday on the cover. 

For those who don't know, Tess Holliday is a UK size 26 model from America. Her cover girl status marked a significant milestone for Cosmopolitan UK as she was the first ever plus-size model to be featured on their front cover. For many, this was an incredible moment. A lot of young women read magazines as they are growing up, which often promote unrealistic beauty expectations, covers plastered with the latest, greatest manifestation of 'perfect'. Wafer thin models: impossibly perfect and impossibly skinny with impossibly long, blonde hair and impossibly straight, shiny, white teeth. In a society where an inordinate heap of pressure is placed on women to look a certain way, where young women are scrutinised from an early age and judged wholly on their appearance until they are trained to be self-conscious of how they look, it felt (and still feels like) a massive win to finally see some positive representation of a different body type. At the time of the magazine's release, some people rightfully revelled, happy that the magazine cover had an image that proves to young women that they don't have to be a size zero to feel beautiful. It acknowledged that there are many different body shapes and sizes, a new phenomenon for a lot of women magazines. Imagine an alien from a planet far, far away has to gather as much information on human beings as possible, ready for some tawdry intergalactic space invasion targeting planet Earth, and the only information they were given about the female species came from magazine covers. It's disconcertingly disturbing that before the front cover of Holliday, they would probably think that all women were the same skinny size and lithe, athletic shape... when truthfully this just isn't the case. 

It's really important that people- especially young, impressionable girls- are taught that they don't have to be skinny to be gorgeous, that they can love themselves no matter what. And this crucial lesson was finally, successfully shown with Holliday's cover.

However there were some people who chose to criticise. They saw Holliday's cover as an attempt to promote obesity and to encourage an unhealthy lifestyle. Their blatant outrage at the fact that Holliday graced a magazine cover was vociferous. The haters hid behind their computer and phone screens, taking to social media to lambast Holliday and the magazine itself for teaching young girls that it was 'desirable' or 'healthy' to be overweight. Of course this is ridiculous. It was not the magazine's intention to promote obesity or anything of the sort. Rather, they were trying to show young girls that they can still love themselves no matter what their weight is or whatever perceived 'imperfections' they have that society has labelled as 'wrong' or 'incorrect'.

I think that the people who possessed that wild, uncontrollable, utter rage at Holliday's cover conveyed a multitude of insecurities. Instead of painting Holliday as a villain, their hatred of her success simply showcased their own issues, speaking volumes more about their envy towards the woman who doesn't care what they say about her. Under the surface, their mean comments aren't even really about Holliday's weight or the stupid notion that the magazine cover was encouraging obesity. It was more the fact that Holliday was confident in her appearance and her abilities that wound the haters up. Holliday wasn't (and still isn't) ashamed of her weight. She isn't broken up over her size, she doesn't torture herself with harmful diets where you're only meant to eat 100 calories a day or something equally as moronic as that. Rather, she's a body positivity advocate.

The people that claim Holliday is trying to 'recruit' members to her 'obesity club' are the kind of people that are, in a sense, jealous of her confidence, poise and her unapologetic, unconditional love of herself.  

By Frances Hudson   

 

Why Homework Should Be Banned

I know I'm not the only one who feels strongly that homework should be banned. In fact I think if you were to go around surveying everyone on their opinion towards homework, the general consensus would be a resounding 'NOOOOO!!!!!!'. This, quite frankly, is because the majority of people hate homework. Yes, hate is a strong word- but I fear that it may be true when used in association with the word 'homework'. The evidence against homework is fairly strong: Children hate homework because it eats up the time that could be spent on doing actually enjoyable things, teachers hate homework because they have to spend hours marking piles of the stuff rather than doing what they actually want to do and parents hate homework because it takes up their time, leaves their children grumpy, miserable creatures and inevitably is used as a petty hierarchy system for the 'who is the best at parenting' competition in the school playground at pick-up time. Essentially, it's a lose-lose situation for everyone involved. Here's why:

Homework encourages a mindset which promotes overworking and places a heavy emphasis on the 'work' aspect of work-life balance. This is unhealthy, both physically and mentally. There is more to life than than just work, work, work. I'm not denying that work is an invariably essential element of life- you have to do it and children should be taught the value of work. But there are healthier ways to show the importance of work rather than setting children hours of homework on top of an already tiring six hours of school a day (not to mention the extra-curricular clubs students are expected to participate in as well). Everyone- including children- needs to have some time to rest. It's crucial for mental health. When you take into consideration the gruellingly long academic day and the accompanying piles of homework mounted on top, it becomes painstakingly evident that children aren't afforded much time to switch off. 

Arguably, it could be suggested that homework teaches discipline. However, it's also important to remember the fact that some children aren't fortunate enough to have access to the same resources that other children are privy to. Some parents aren't in the position where they are able to spend as much time and attention on helping their children with homework as other parents may be able to. This unconscious bias does affect homework grades and overall academic performance. Rather unwittingly, homework adds social and economic class into the equation of children's grades. 

And perhaps most potently, imagine being forced to spend your free time doing something that you passionately hated and that chipped away at your confidence. For some people academia is extremely disheartening and every minute spent with pen in hand, poised over a blank exercise book page willing the work to all make sense, heartbreaking. Obviously education is enormously precious and everyone privileged enough to be able to go to school should. Yet there comes a certain breaking point for those who know that academia is truly not for them when they have to give up their free time to do homework, when they could instead be doing something that is to them more productive to what they wish to do with their lives.

It's clear that homework has a lot of negatives. Should homework be banned? Well, it depends on whether or not you believe the pros outweigh the multitude of cons.

By Frances Hudson    

Notes On An Exhibition By Patrick Gale Book Review

 I loved 'notes on an exhibition' by Patrick Gale. I think it's an extremely well-written book. Not all the characters in the novel were necessarily likeable. In fact, as a reader, some of the character's dubious actions are difficult to agree with. However the characters were all written in a very authentic and real way, which allowed the reader a chance to sympathise with them and understand the choices that they made. Each chapter of the novel begins literally with a note from an exhibition regarding the main character's artwork (the main character is a successful artist and the book revolves around the trials, tribulations,events and impacts of her life). The following events of the chapter then all relate to whatever the note was, which was a very unique and interesting way to structure the novel.

The difficult theme of mental health plays a major role in the story. The author manages to tackle this theme with both the seriousness it deserves and eloquence.  

I don't want to say too much and give away the plot of the story. The intricacies of the book are certainly difficult to explain without giving away too much information so I'll just say this: the book is extremely enjoyable and I would highly recommend it to anyone, especially those interested in art or art history. Although the book is fictional it does contain 'characters' that are actually real life artists such as Dame Barbara Hepworth (although I believe the accounts with her character are purely fictional despite the fact that she is a real person). 

As for the novel's ending, it is a strange way to end the book. Ultimately it all draws to a satisfying conclusion. All the loose threads are tied up, no questions left to ask, no pernickety plot holes or unturned stones left... to an extent. However, not all the problems are fixed with a solution. Although all the characters are at a suitable point for the story to end, there is still so much more about them that remains unknown. Perhaps it doesn't make much sense for all this additional information about the various characters to be squished together at the end of the novel because that would probably feel very cramped and incoherent. It also wouldn't necessarily flow smoothly with the format of the novel, which jumps between perspectives of different characters at different times and different stages of their lives. However, it would be really interesting if there were to be a follow-up to this book, explaining what happens next and I would genuinely love to read that. 

By Frances Hudson 

  

The Patchwork Trend

 Social media is classically a reliable way of gauging current fashion trends. Chances are that if there's a particular outfit or style continually cropping up on your explore page or unabashedly splashed all over your Instagram feed, then it officially maintains 'trend' status. Trends are like narcissistic acoustic-guitar players who insist on playing covers of Oasis songs at parties... they like to make themselves known. They are not shy creatures. A sentiment proved by the recent 'patchwork' trend reverberating through the depths of social media, which is certainly no exception to this rule.

The patchwork trend is a culmination of a number of factors including the sustainability movement, the revival of Y2K style and the comfort we crave during this pandemic. There is no textbook patchwork garment either. In fact, the only qualification necessary for a garment to pass as a legitimate member of the patchwork genre is for it to consist of a mixture of different fabrics and colours held together by bright contrastingly-coloured thread. 

Nowadays, the importance of sustainability is paramount. Everyone is aware of the dangers facing our planet and even in a time where the fog of utmost uncertainty is shrouding the future, we at least know one thing for definite. Change has to be made in order to rescue the planet. The UN Conference on Trade and Development considers the fashion industry to be the second most polluting industry in the world, a statistic that makes the emergence of new trends feel futile and wasteful. However, this is not the case with the patchwork trend with it's penchant for upcycling. One of the major joys of the patchwork trend is that it can be friendly to the environment, if chosen it to be. The trend can easily be achieved via recycling old unused garments or leftover swatches of fabric. The trend's rampant encouragement to reuse and recycle old fabric and material can only be a good thing. Besides, it also permits the trend to be as accessible as possible to... well, just about anyone.       

In the time of lockdown, where our sartorial choices revolved entirely around comfort (hoodies, tracksuit bottoms, old jumpers littered with crisp crumbs and chocolate stains), it does feel somewhat alien to have to revert back to how things were before. Now that we're allowed to venture outside again, the thought of begrudgingly swapping our beloved leggings for some seemingly more fashion-centric  jeans, is not appealing. However the patchwork trend offers a solution to this problem. The trend comes in a range of different clothing options... jackets, dresses, skirts, trousers. On a smaller scale there are patchwork accessories as well: bags, headbands, scrunchies, handbags. The look is easy to achieve, catering to our lockdown mentality of comfort and ease, but alternatively looks well thought out and suitably put together.   

The patchwork trend, for some unknown reason, evokes a deep sense of nostalgia. Perhaps because of it's similarity to patchwork quilts that would not be amiss in a Grandma's house, transporting us back to our childhood. More likely, it is the undeniable links it holds to Y2K style. In a time where the future remains overwhelmingly uncertain, it is easy to find solace in trends of the past and it appears that this is what has happened with the patchwork trend.

It is clear that the patchwork trend is popular for a number of reasons. The question is what do you think about the trend? and will you indulge in it?

By Frances Hudson       

Faded Rainbows

 Faded rainbows  in the windows.                                                                                       Colourful inky drips dribble down the doors,                                                                         'thank yous' washed away with rain,                                                                                         float silently down the drain,                                                                                                   paper rainbows scattered on the floor,                                                                                    streets that are quiet,                                                                                                       reminiscing cheers, claps and joyous screams,                                                                       tokens of appreciation trapped in sound bubbles,                                                                      drift up into the atmosphere causing no troubles,                                                                   sliding out of our consciousness and away from our dreams.                                                     But we must not forget.                                                                                                                we must not allow the rainbows to fade in our hearts,                                                                   we must continue to thank our brilliant NHS,                                                                             and the fire service,                                                                                                      supermarket cashiers,                                                                                                              carers,                                                                                                                                          the taxi drivers offering up their cars,                                                                                            to take key workers to their destinations when they had no other form of transportation.           The rainbows can not fade,                                                                                                           It is our duty as a nation to ensure they do not fade and although we no longer clap on Thursday evening to show our gratitude,                                                                                                     we can still stand up for our national health service,                                                                    we can still thank our key workers,                                                                                              we can be proud, upstanding citizens with caring attitudes,                                                measuring our thanks in the length of platitudes.                                                                       After all, we need these vital services,                                                                                     they're essential to our wellbeing and health,                                                                        imagine only having them if you were imbued with a particular rank of wealth,                          we can't afford to lose them,                                                                                                      can't afford to distract ourselves with social media or reality TV when reality is staring us in the face and not looking too pretty,                                                                                                    no watching Love Island when this island that we live on is in desperate need of some love itself. It's important to not forget,                                                                                                           it's a difficult time- we're all doing our best,                                                                                but no matter what we must not forget,                                                                                        we must not let,                                                                                                                            the faded rainbows on our windows and our doors be laid to rest.  

An Original Poem By Frances Hudson 

  

 

Will The World Ever Get Back To Normal After Covid?

The Covid-19 pandemic has affected, in some format, everybody and everything. It has triggered an avalanche of devastating consequences. Shutting down businesses, locking everyone indoors, damaging jobs and economies, striking fear into the hearts of everyone worried about both their loved ones and themselves contracting the virus, sending everyone into corona-fuelled existential crises asking 'what next?' and perhaps more pertinently 'will the world ever get back to normal after this?'... I don't know the answer to the first question. I can't see into the future. There is no miraculous crystal ball able to warn us of what is going to happen next and even if there was, anyone who has seen the  'Back To The Future' films is aware of the danger of knowing our futures (as Doc avidly teaches Marty, it disrupts the space-time continuum). Despite not knowing the future, I do (obviously) know the past which provides some insight into the answer for the second question: will the world ever get back to normal? The long answer is complex and nuanced. The short answer is an almost definite no.  

The world will probably never resume back to complete normality... whatever 'normality' is anyway. What I mean is things may never return exactly, hundred percent back to the way they were before the pandemic. But that's not necessarily a bad thing.

The pandemic forced us all to step back from our usually busy, bustling lives and re-evaluate what really matters to us. Working from home of course led to a range of challenges and difficulties, but also enabled everyone to spend more time with their loved ones, in a period where connections with others was of the utmost importance. The lockdown has shown people the importance of spending time with loved ones rather then focusing only on work. And clearly work is important. We all need to make a living and support ourselves and our families in some way. It goes without saying that work shouldn't be neglected or ignored in favour of other more entertaining activities as that's just not a sensible thing to do... however the lockdown has shown the importance of achieving a healthy work-life balance and of making time for loved ones.  

Environmentally the pandemic actually resulted in some beneficial effects. Lockdown resulted in a decrease of carbon dioxide emissions, lowered pollution rates and an improvement in air quality. A sudden soar of wildlife encapsulated the world whilst tourists were away. The issues surrounding the environment, what with global warming and climate change being brought increasingly more to our attention, evidently call for action to save the planet. Immediate action. (There is, after all, no 'planet B'). It appears that the pandemic, however, has paved the first small steps towards a better environment.  

So no, things will most likely not return to the same, typical 'normal' we were acclimatised to before this devastating virus. Change is inevitable, and necessary. The future is uncertain but we know one thing for sure... that there is hope. Hopefully lockdown has permitted us the chance to reflect on the world we live in and how it works. Hopefully we will use the information and the experience that we have gained in order to create a better, brighter future. One where we care more for the environment and prioritise spending time with loved ones over slogging endlessly away at work.

By Frances Hudson      

'Eleanor Oliphant is completely Fine' by Gail Honeyman book review

Eleanor Oliphant is completely Fine' by Gail Honeyman is a deeply emotional book which I would definitely recommend. It follows our protagonist Eleanor- an outsider regarded by her co-workers as weird and strange- as she unknowingly suffers from severe loneliness. Eleanor leads a basic life... she goes to work, comes home and treats herself to the exact same two bottles of vodka to drink at the weekend every single week. Her existence is incredibly monotonous- she even wears the exact same outfit to work every day- and is profoundly alone. She has no friends, no family (aside from the uncomfortable calls from the sinister and creepy 'Mummy' which are the only slight difference punctuating Eleanor's drably repetitive life). At first it appears that Eleanor is content with her mundane life or that she at least doesn't mind the lonely, tedious nature of her day-in, day-out routine but then a series of events happen which end up flipping her life upside down. It's an emotional read... heart-warming in places, heart-wrenching in others. 

What's so great about the book, as well, is that all the characters feel real. I think that in many books characters can feel one-dimensional, as if the author has simply thrown them into the story to prove a point or fill a trope or just for the sake of it... and whilst it's true that not every single character has to serve a purpose, per se, sometimes it just leaves the reader questioning 'why'? plus it breaks the story up when this happens because the characters feel unrealistic and, worst of all, unrelatable. But this doesn't happen in 'Eleanor Oliphant is completely Fine'. All the characters feel very authentic, especially Eleanor herself whose particular personality and quirks are displayed in a very convincing manner which intrigues the reader and leaves them wondering why she is the way that she is. Furthermore I found the style of the writing in the book enjoyable. It manages to strike a fine line between humour and the discussion of serious topics (such as mental health) in a way that isn't too heavy but not too light-hearted or trivial either. The writing style is also quite seamless. One of the major plot lines in the book focuses on the mystery of Eleanor's past, and little indications as to what actually happened are fed to the reader throughout the book, but it's done in a clever, subtle way that doesn't feel like an onslaught of clues and it doesn't distract from other plot lines and aspects of the story. The mystery of her past isn't revealed to the end of the novel. As I was reading the story I did suspect some form of twist- partially because twists are kind of all the rage in books at the moment and partially because there was a genuine build-up in the story that led you to believe something shocking was going to happen- and I was right. There was a twist at the end of the book -as is the norm- but it was a genuinely surprising twist  that I didn't see coming. 

Overall this is a really gripping book. I struggled to put it down because I just wanted to find out what happened next. If you enjoy books that focus mainly on characters and emotions as opposed to intricate plot lines and events, then I would definitely recommend this book to you. As I said before the writing style is very smooth and seamless and I look forward to reading more potential books from Gail Honeyman in the future (currently 'Eleanor Oliphant is completely Fine' is Honeyman's only book). I think that this story is excellent and thought-provoking and one that I will return to time and time again. But don't just take my word about how great this book is... I'm clearly not the only one who has thoroughly enjoyed this novel if the multitude of praise from the book community alongside the multiple awards the book has won is anything to go by. 

By Frances Hudson