HYPEBAE • 20th August 2021

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.

Meeting of Minds • 6th August 2021

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?

Meeting of Minds • 5th August 2021

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.

Meeting of Minds • 16th July 2021

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.

Container Magazine • 28th June 2021

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.

Polygon • 23rd May 2021

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.

Meeting of Minds • 20th May 2021

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.

Apartment Therapy • 28th April 2021

12 Books Penned by Muslim Authors That You Should Read Next

There is a lack of adequate representation of Muslims in literature, so for Apartment Therapy and in honour of Ramadan 2021, I compiled a list of 12 books by Muslims that represent the diversity of Muslims that are a must read!

Medium • 29th March 2021

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.

Teen Vogue • 25th January 2021

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.

Teen Vogue • 11th January 2021

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.

The Spill • 1st January 2021

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.

The Spill • 1st January 2021

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?

Teen Vogue • 18th December 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.

lappthebrand • 16th September 2020

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.

GenZournal • 26th August 2020

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.

Digital Spy • 11th August 2020

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.

The Boar • 6th August 2020

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.