celebrities Archives - Queen's Journal

Celebrities don’t owe us an explanation of their sexuality

Written on March 9, 2021. Posted in Editorials.

Celebrities like Harry Styles and Taylor Swift have long been accused of queerbaiting, embracing gender fluidity without being openly queer. While it’s true these celebrities might profit off questions surrounding their sexuality, we must avoid policing people’s sexuality. Harry Styles is known for...

Stop criticizing Olivia Wilde over Harry Styles

Written on February 26, 2021. Posted in Lifestyle, Pop Culture.

Between his androgynous style and ambiguous song lyrics, Harry Styles has always been known as a rule-bender. Recently, however, Styles has gained acclaim for bending a whole new set of rules: those of a younger man dating an older woman. In January, the 27-year-old singer and actor reportedly started...

The public has no right to discuss Billie Eilish’s body

Written on October 16, 2020. Posted in Lifestyle, Pop Culture.

Earlier this week, Billie Eilish stepped out onto a sidewalk in casual clothes. Wearing a tank top and long shorts, the 18-year-old looked like every other teenager in the world. But unlike every teenager in the world, a paparazzi snapped a photo. In response to the image’s release, Twitter lit up...

What makes BTS stand out?

Written on October 2, 2020. Posted in Lifestyle, Pop Culture.

The South Korean boy band BTS, short for Bangtan Sonyeondan or Beyond the Scene, has been killing it in the music industry since their debut in June of 2013. They kicked off their careers as a relatively small K-pop group, but their new single “Dynamite,” released in August, hit number one in the...

What we can learn about white celebrity activism from Lea Michele

Written on June 29, 2020. Posted in Lifestyle, Pop Culture.

The death of George Floyd has forced even the most privileged people to confront the realities and persistence of anti-Black racism. The mainstream focus on #BlackLivesMatter (BLM) has pressured everyone from political leaders to social media influencers to publicly state their support for the movement....

The pandemic is exposing the weaknesses of celebrity activism

Written on June 1, 2020. Posted in Lifestyle, Pop Culture.

Celebrities are just like the rest of us—if you discount their privilege and ability to create meaningful change with enviable ease. Some are making meaningful donations during the COVID-19 crisis or raising thousands of dollars through charity initiatives, while others are singing covers of “Imagine.”...

Selena Gomez’s comeback album was worth the wait

Written on January 17, 2020. Posted in Lifestyle, Pop Culture.

With the release of her first full-length album since 2015, Rare, Selena Gomez has delivered an empowering message about loving yourself and removing toxic relationships from your life. The album’s title track, “Rare,” immediately offers an exciting start to the album’s trajectory. Gomez says goodbye...

Packing our 2019 pop culture time capsule

Written on November 29, 2019. Posted in Lifestyle, Pop Culture.

It’s hard enough to remember what we had for breakfast last week, let alone all of the crazy pop culture moments of the past year. To preserve and commemorate the best parts of the last 12 months, we decided to collect five mementos for our 2019 pop culture time capsule. We hope that when we eventually...

Apologizing to the women of pop culture

Written on November 22, 2019. Posted in Lifestyle, Pop Culture.

Women in pop culture have always been subject to overwhelming (and, frankly, stupid) criticism for absolutely everything they do. What follows is a list of women and genderqueer people that society tried to convince me were monsters by incorrectly labelling them ‘sluts,’ ‘traitors,’ and ‘idiots.’ Some...

Fashion and Duration on the red carpet in May 2020

Written on November 15, 2019. Posted in Lifestyle, Pop Culture.

This year’s Met Gala theme has successfully blown me away, just as it does every year I follow the iconic event. Last year, I spent what felt like endless months waiting to see how celebrities would interpret the “camp” theme on the Met Gala’s red carpet. Lady Gaga, Billy Porter, and Lena Waithe stole...

Film studios shouldn’t profit off dead stars

Written on November 8, 2019. Posted in Lifestyle, Pop Culture.

For someone who died in 1994, legendary British actor Peter Cushing did a remarkable job reprising his role as Grand Moff Tarkin in 2016’s Rogue One. But, of course, it wasn’t really him. The visual effects wizards at Industrial Light & Magic (ILM), combined with the motion-captured performance...

What the Felicity Huffman admissions scandal reveals about privilege in the education system

Written on September 20, 2019. Posted in Lifestyle, Pop Culture.

I grew up in Oakville, Ontario, a city ranked the best place to live in Canada in 2018. My high school had Smartboards, laptops, tablets, and all the rest. But most importantly, my teachers and counselors gave me the confidence and the tools to make it to Queen’s, launching me on a path toward a successful...

Sam Smith's non-binary identity deserves respect

Written on September 16, 2019. Posted in Lifestyle, Pop Culture.

While celebrities are most often thought of as figureheads reinforcing rigid standards of beauty and gender roles, they can also use their influence to help normalize less-accepted or misunderstood facets of society. Recently, Sam Smith did exactly that. In a series of Tweets sent out last Friday,...

Students share their most intense celebrity crush moments

Written on February 12, 2019. Posted in Lifestyle, Student Life.

While Valentine’s Day typically focuses on love with people we know, one of the strongest romantic connections many of us have is with our celebrity crush. Here are some students’ stories about their most intense shows of devotion for their celebrity crushes. *** “I’ve had an obsession with Shawn...

The global influence of K-pop

Written on January 15, 2019. Posted in Lifestyle, Pop Culture.

In the age of YouTube and Spotify, K-pop (Korean pop music) has become a global phenomenon that plays a remarkable role in the country’s growing economy. K-pop artists experiment with a wide range of musical genres, including electronic, hip hop, pop, rock, and R&B. Besides having catchy tunes,...

Golden Globes falls short with underwhelming award results

Written on January 11, 2019. Posted in Lifestyle, Pop Culture.

When Bohemian Rhapsody won the award for Best Motion Picture—Drama at this past Sunday’s Golden Globe Awards, the palpable shock coming from the show’s star-studded crowd summed up how the entire evening had gone. Award after award, crowd-pleasing nominees like A Star Is Born, BLACKkKLANSMAN, and...

Ariana Grande’s “thank u, next” embodies self-love

Written on November 6, 2018. Posted in Lifestyle, Pop Culture.

This weekend was full of drama surrounding Ariana Grande and Pete Davidson’s fresh breakup. Davidson jokingly proposed to musical guest Maggie Rogers in a preview for a new episode of Saturday Night Live and Grande responded in now-deleted tweets, saying, “for somebody who claims to hate relevancy...

The royal wedding of Princess Eugenie showcased celebrity glamour

Written on October 24, 2018. Posted in Lifestyle, Pop Culture.

A lot of people—my peers included—think the royal family doesn’t deserve all the press attention. As someone who woke up before sunrise to make tea and scones for Princess Eugenie’s recent royal wedding, I’m here to tell you the fashion, drama, and romance of the royal family is more entertaining...

Queen’s students share their wild celebrity encounters

Written on September 25, 2018. Posted in Lifestyle, Student Life.

For most people, getting the chance to meet a famous person sounds like a dream—but, under the wrong circumstances, that dream can easily turn into an awkward nightmare. The Journal asked Queen’s students to share their perfectly imperfect celebrity encounters, with star power ranging from Disney...

Social advocacy extends from playlist to poster

Written on February 9, 2018. Posted in Editorials.

What do XXXTentacion and Chuck Close have in common? Not only have they both been accused of sexual violence, but both have devoted fans who continue to consume their work. Actions matter. Buying into art created by harmful people legitimizes the behaviour of the artist. Advocating for those impacted...

Athletes shouldn’t be expected to be neutral

Written on June 26, 2017. Posted in Editorials.

Often known for their athletic ability rather than their way with words, athletes are taught to let their play do the talking. When it comes to politics, they are heavily criticized for transgressing the perceived boundaries of their profession. It’s time we recognize them as private citizens with...

When Harry met Meghan

Written on November 11, 2016. Posted in Lifestyle.

Nothing inspires me to hit the gym more than watching Kourtney Kardashian’s daily Snapchat stories of her breaking a sweat. While I’m not even a huge Kardashian fan, their use of social media is unlike any other. Originating directly from their hands, it allows me to feel a connection to them that’s...

Catfights galor(ified)

Written on October 4, 2016. Posted in Opinions.

Women’s representation in the media is much like a boxing ring. Imagine Taylor Swift in one corner and Katy Perry in the other. The media is both the referee and commentator, egging them on. Repeated instances such as the feud between Taylor Swift and Katy Perry represent a larger issue:...

You probably haven't heard but 'Brangelina' broke up

Written on September 23, 2016. Posted in Lifestyle.

They started dramatically and ended dramatically: Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie have filed for divorce. What did we do to deserve this? Angelina filed for divorce following a September 15 separation. I thought it was out of character for me to not get out of bed that Friday but it all makes sense now....

Inappropriate appropriation

Written on October 24, 2014. Posted in Opinions.

Tania Nguyen, ArtSci ’18 Cultural appropriation — and what it looks like — is a good thing to be cognizant of before dressing up this Halloween. Cultural appropriation is the act of thieving specific aspects from other cultures and framing them as your own. This trend has become pervasive within...

QJ Pop: A Swift ascension

Written on September 19, 2014. Posted in Lifestyle.

This year Taylor Swift became an icon — and she’s ready for it. Icons are rarely created accidentally. They’re manufactured through a slow deliberate project of branding, creation and intuitive marketing. In other words, you have to be smart. Much of pop iconicism is about embodying “the times” and...

Five things Zooey Deschanel taught me

Written on December 4, 2013. Posted in Lifestyle.

Positive space can start with yourself and your efforts. With the creation of hellogiggles.com, a site that caters to traditionally-female issues, Deschanel illustrates her ability to combat negative comments. She’s not one to stand by and let others absorb the spewing hate around her or narrow...

QJPop: Why I love Jennifer Lawrence

Written on January 28, 2013. Posted in Lifestyle.

She’s hilarious, she’s sassy, she’s down-to earth and she speaks her mind. She’s Jennifer Lawrence and I want her to be my BFF. For the 22-year-old, the odds are definitely in her favour seeing as she is literally the girl on fire in Hollywood right now. Sorry for the bad Hunger Games references,...

Tag: celebrities

The Journal, Queen's University - Since 1873

Get the App

Get the App