Jess Carniel

(she/her)
Netflix, 10play

‘Wog’ humour, tense US politics and real‑world monsters: what to watch in November

Standouts this month include the latest season of The Diplomat, addictive British reality TV and a political thriller starring Rebecca Ferguson.
Stefan Rousseau/AP/AAP

What does a king actually do?

Historically, a monarch was far more involved in governing than they are today, as many of their duties are now ceremonial.
Author and producer Judy Blume and actors Abby Ryder Fortson and Rachel McAdams at the premiere of Are You There God It’s Me Margaret in LA. Chris Pizello/AP

Even the word ‘period’ is now politicised. That makes Judy Blume’s classic ode to puberty especially relevant

Judy Blume’s Are You There God? It’s me, Margaret is a coming-of-age story about identity, relationships, and relationships with your own body. It’s frequently challenged – and enduringly loved.
A la mort de la reine Elizabeth II, Charles lui a succédé immédiatement. Charles III devient le roi d'Angleterre et du Commonwealth. Kirsty Wigglesworth/AAP

Quel roi sera Charles III ?

Avec le décès de la reine Elizabeth II, l'Angleterre, mais aussi l'ensemble des pays du Commonwealth ont un nouveau roi. La BBC a confirmé que Charles prendra le nom royal de «King Charles III». Charles…
Jarvis Cocker in the film clip for Common People. Screenshot from Youtube

My favourite album: Pulp’s Different Class

In Different Class, Pulp got fans singing and dancing to searing commentaries on class and privilege.
Ukraine’s Jamala reacts to winning the Eurovision Song Contest with the song 1944. TT News Agency

Along with soulful gazes and key changes, politics is never far from Eurovision

This year’s Eurovision had it all: geopolitical debates, a boycott threat, great music and a cracking Australian entry. Russia is outraged by Jamala’s winning song about the deportation of Crimean Tartars - but the contest has always had political nuances.
Australia’s 2016 Eurovision contestant Dami Im performing with Conchita and Guy Sebastian in Sydney earlier this year. SBS

How ‘Asiavision’ could be a boon for cultural diplomacy

Australia has struggled to forge cultural ties with the Asia-Pacific region. But SBS’s deal to develop an Asian Eurovision could change this - there is more to the event than music, costume reveals and wind machines.
Description: 2014 Eurovision Song Contest winner Conchita Wurst poses for a photograph in Sydney, Thursday, April 30, 2015. The Austrian performer and pop artist is in Australia to perform at the Logie Awards. () NO ARCHIVING. AAP Image/Dan Himbrechts

A song to unite? The gender politics of Eurovision still divide

Eurovision is popularly heralded as the song that unites Europe, but recent controversies about gender, social justice and human rights paint a different picture.

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