2021 Met Gala: Black is Fashion, but not on the Red Carpet
A night of opulence, glamour and of course, high fashion. For Meeting of Minds, I wrote about the best looks by Black women at the Met Gala.
Bashirat Oladele
Hello, my name is Bashirat and I am a culture writer based in London. I write about movies, TV, books, fandom and have keen interests in pop culture and cultural criticism. Aside from pop culture, I enjoy writing about fashion, social issues, politics and global affairs - centring stories beyond Anglophone and Western narratives. In particular, I enjoy writing about fandom because I love talking to people and hearing about what they love. After all, everyone's a fan of something!
I also write features, first person narratives and I'm experienced in conducting interviews. My work has been featured in notable digital publications like Teen Vogue, Refinery29, Stylist, Polygon, HYPEBAE and much more. It's also been featured in print for the I Paper and other formats. I also work with leading consumer agencies to create reports and case studies on current trends in society and consumer behaviour.
My hobbies include indulging in foreign media, endlessly scrolling through K-pop or high fashion twitter and being a professional stan. Besides that, I'm either watching something, writing or studying for a class.
Currently open to commissions - feel free to contact me.
From 'Grand Army' to 'Gossip Girl': The Importance of Representing Black Hairstyles on TV
For so long, Hollywood has had a problem with Black hair and for HYPEBAE, I wrote about the importance of representing natural hair and other Black hairstyles on the screen because our natural hair is worthy of being shown on screen.
Teenage Girls are the original Pop Culture Zeitgeists, but Misogyny ruins this
The consumer power teen girls wield is loved by brands, but loathed by society – why does society consider young girls intellectually redundant?
Lava: A Stellar and Charismatic Display on the Importance of our Names
A review of the latest play at Bush Theatre, Lava. A play about the importance of our names.
Black Women and East Asian Pop Culture
Adopting a multimedia format, I recorded a podcast episode with my friends who, like me, are fans of East Asian pop culture from K-pop, Korean dramas, anime, manga and webtoons.
K-pop Culture: The Power of 6.7 Billion Tweets
K-pop has become a global phenomenon, and the use of social media within its fan – or ‘stan’ – culture, has only amplified it. From Twitter to TikTok, fans and K-pop idols have harnessed social media platforms and are practically everywhere: think BTS, TWICE, Red Velvet, SNSD and more.
What the World Can Learn from ‘K-Pop Activists’
For The Spill, I wrote about K-pop Stan activism and the history behind fandom activism.
Why the YA dystopia craze finally burned out
For Polygon, I wrote about the death of the YA dystopia craze and what contributed to it.
The Real Reason Why Netflix's Blood and Water Was So Good
For Meeting of Minds, I reviewed the real reason why Blood and Water was so good. It told a human story with petty teenagers, it wasn't about race either. Teens were left to be teens without having adulthood projected onto them.
Disney’s coming of age shows were the ultimate cultural zeitgeists in the early 2000s.
Disney set a new precedent in the coming of age genre when Hannah Montana arrived on the scene but before Hannah Montana, Lizzie McGuire and That's So Raven pioneered the genre. In this piece, I cover how Disney pioneered a new genre, making these shows the ultimate cultural zeitgeists in the early to mid 2000s.
Netflix’s Whitewashed “Winx Saga” Loses the Original’s Power
For Teen Vogue, I wrote about the whitewashing of characters in the Winx Club and more generally, the underrepresentation of Black people and other 'minority' groups in the fantasy genre.
Maybe We Should Stop Romanticizing British Monarchy
Hollywood has a fixation with imperialism that needs to stop. This piece argues about the importance of remaining critical when watching scripted television about British aristocracies and monarchies in this op-ed.
We Need to Talk about Xenophobia in the Western Media
In November 2020, we learned that we live in a world where Justin Bieber can receive a Grammy nomination for his song ‘Yummy’ despite lyrics but where masterpieces such as ‘Blinding Lights’ by The Weeknd or ‘Map of the Soul: 7’ by BTS were completely overlooked. As usual, the xenophobia in the music industry is rife and nothing new.
Woke-Washing: When Anti-Racism and Sustainability Become a PR Stunt
We’ve seen brands go green for climate change, rainbow for Pride, blue for the Sudanese Revolution and in June 2020, black for Black Lives Matter. Businesses and influencers alike posted a black square on their social media accounts in an effort to raise awareness for the movement, and a sign of support and allyship - whether it was going to be life-long support or completely performative allyship was going to clear only a few weeks later. What does woke-washing mean in 2020?
The Best K-Pop Moments of 2020
Contributed to this Teen Vogue article about the Best K Pop moments of 2020. I wrote about BTS's relaxing show, In The Soop and about the powerful Hwasa's music video, Maria. In the midst of a pandemic, K pop has definitely had an impact on fans and brought about exciting moments during the year.
The Representation of Muslim Women on Netflix
Muslim women and girls have always been grossly misrepresented in the media for years. By reducing Muslim women and girls to specific tropes, focused solely on their religion and not their personal interests - there is no point in having these characters. In this piece, I explore a trend of how Netflix have displayed examples of Islamophobia through the movies and shows they have acquired.
Retracting From The Usual Glitz, The Glam And The Sweet, Sweet Romance, ‘It’s Okay To Not Be Okay’ Explores Mental Health And Autism
A review on the leading Korean drama, 'It's Okay to Not Be Okay' and how it tackles mental health and autism in the drama and how it is reflective of our society.
Watchmen's Yahya Abdul Mateen II and others feel pressure to change their name
In an industry that wants you to constantly change yourself, EMMY nominated Yahya Abdul Mateen II does not conform to this narrative. In this article for Digital Spy, I explore the significance of what is in a name and why this is important. In a similar vein, I draw on examples from US actors who have changed their names for the sake of Hollywood such as James Roday Rodriguez and the late Kirk Douglas.
Milan Fashion Week’s online collections demonstrate creativity in the execution
As Milan Fashion Week was the first of its kind to be held entirely online, I consider whether this demonstrates the creativity of high fashion brands or whether it still remains inaccessible to the majority of consumers.
