Eilish Joins “Bond” Soundtrack with “No Time to Die”

With the release of “No Time To Die,” the titular theme song from the upcoming installment in the “James Bond” franchise, Billie Eilish became the youngest artist ever to record a Bond song — a huge milestone for any singer (the most recent Bond theme singers were Sam Smith and Adele, to give a sense of the magnitude). Eilish and her brother-turned producing-partner Finneas wrote the song together. It demonstrates Eilish’s impressive vocal range, an emphatic response to those who accused the 1

2020 Oscar Nominations Disregard Year of Diverse Stories

This year’s Oscar nominations, announced on Jan. 13, once again sparked a wave of critique and frustration. Narrowly missing another #OscarsSoWhite scandal, the sole acting nomination for a person of color went to Cynthia Erivo for her starring role in “Harriet” (rather ironically, the Academy selected two actors of color, “Insecure’s” Issae Rae and “Harold & Kumar’s” John Cho, to announce the nominations). To put it in perspective, Scarlett Johannson alone was nominated for more acting statue

Why “Mindhunter” Should Be Next on Your Netflix Queue

Looking for a new show on Netflix this fall break? Try “Mindhunter,” but skip the first episode. The drama, which debuted on the platform in 2017, follows Holden Ford (Jonathan Groff), a young, brilliant FBI agent who comes up with the idea to interview America’s most notorious serial killers. It’s a tale inspired by the true story of the Special Agent John Douglas, who detailed his experiences in his memoir “Mindhunter: Inside the FBI’s Elite Serial Crime Unit.” Douglas, and in the dramatized

What We Can Learn From Instagram’s Latest Influencer Scam

I have long been intrigued by Instagram influencer Caroline Calloway, who boasts over 800,000 followers on the social media platform. Well before the 27-year-old Virginia native set the internet ablaze when her nationwide “scam” literary tour crashed and burned — Calloway had promised attendees that for $165 a pop, she would provide “personalized” care packages and provide tips on how to “cultivate creativity” and craft an Instagram brand — I often flipped through her Instagram page. As far ba

Exploring the Role of Pop Culture Figures in Social Justice Work

In Vogue’s May 2019 issue, cover star Kim Kardashian announced she was pursuing her dream to become a lawyer and would be taking the California bar exam in 2022. Though the reality star did not finish college, individuals do not need a law degree or a college degree to take the exam, according to California’s state laws. California is only one of four states that allows individuals to take the bar exam without attending law school. Kardashian has been participating in the California Law Office

Hulu’s “The Act” Thrills in Story of Sickness and Trauma

Starting on March 20, Hulu began releasing weekly episodes of “The Act,” starring recent Oscar winner Patricia Arquette as Dee Dee Blanchard and Joey King of “The Kissing Booth” as her daughter Gypsy Rose. Based on a real story, the show chronicles the poisonous relationship between the two women — one that ultimately ended in Dee Dee’s murder in 2015, ordered by Gypsy and carried out by her boyfriend Nicholas Godejohn (Calum Worthy). For years, Dee Dee claimed that Gypsy was seriously ill. W

National Book Award Finalists Discuss #MeToo

The college hosted a conversation with 2018 National Book Award for Fiction finalists Jamel Brinkley and Brandon Hobson on Thursday, Feb. 28. The conversation, part of the fourth annual LitFest, was moderated by Rebecca Carroll, a critic for the Los Angeles Times. LitFest is a three-day event in service of “illuminating great writing & Amherst College’s literary life.” The event began with the authors reading from their recently published works — Brinkley from his collection of short stories e

NETA: A Look at the New Option for Five-College Students

Following the legalization of recreational marijuana in Massachusetts during the 2016 election, New England Treatment Access (NETA), a marijuana dispensary, set up shop on 118 Conz St. in Northampton this past November. Since opening its doors, the dispensary has been selling its popular products, which include pre-rolled joints, chocolate “imported from Belgium” and drops to “infuse your favorite beverage” to customers ranging from five-college students to the mayor of Northampton. In fact, NET

Dueling Documentaries Introduce the Man Behind Fyre Fest

On Jan. 18, Netflix released its documentary “Fyre Fest: The Greatest Party That Never Happened,” to immediate fanfare. Just a few days before, Hulu, in a surprise move that was undoubtedly meant to rattle the streaming titan, dropped its own documentary, “Fyre Fraud,” about the disastrous music festival. The inaugural festival, branded as “Fyre Fest,” promised concert-goers a “luxury,” once-in-a-lifetime experience on a remote island (“once owned by Pablo Escobar”) in the Bahamas, an event that

Ariana Grande Pays Homage to Cult Rom-Coms in “thank u, next”

After much anticipation, Ariana Grande dropped her music video to her smash single “thank u, next,” a sweet, razor-sharp send-off to her exes Big Sean, Ricky Alvarez, Mac Miller and former fiancé Pete Davidson. The song, which has been sitting atop the Billboard Hot 100 for the past three weeks is a reclamation of a narrative that has been splashed across the tabloids and a testament to her perseverance. Over the past year, she has endured a horrific bombing at her Manchester concert that clai

Artist Megan Smith Leads "Queering Reproductive Justice" Event

On Friday, Oct. 26, the Women’s and Gender Center (WGC), in collaboration with the Mead Art Museum, hosted a day of art and activism with Megan Smith. Smith created the now-iconic bird image in 2011 for the 40th anniversary of the Hyde Amendment, a relatively unknown piece of legislation that blocks people from using federal funding, including Medicaid, to pay for abortions. Smith, who has the image tattooed on their arm, explained that they’ve always loved both the idea of flying because of