Photo by Mustafa Omar on Unsplash For decades, the United States birth rate has been steadily declining. Economists often cite economic instability, shifting cultural priorities, and the soaring cost of living as key factors. Sociologists point to the growing acceptance of child-free lifestyles alongside expanded educational and career opportunities for women. Yet, to discuss birth...
Photo by Batu Gezer on Unsplash Scrolling through TikTok or Instagram Reels, it’s hard to miss the captions: “I’m just a girl 🥺” — as someone admits to skipping work responsibilities or spending the day in bed.“Girl dinner ✨” — a plate of crackers, cheese cubes, and maybe a pickle, framed like a quaint lifestyle...
Photo by Markus Winkler on Unsplash Baz Luhrmann’s Red Curtain Trilogy—Strictly Ballroom (1992), Romeo + Juliet (1996), and Moulin Rouge! (2001)—is an explosion of color, drama, and defiance. Beneath the glitter and spectacle lies something far more radical: a cinematic interrogation of gender, power, and performance. Each film takes a wrecking ball to societal expectations,...
Baz Luhrmann’s Moulin Rouge! (2001) completes his vibrant Red Curtain Trilogy, following Strictly Ballroom (1992) and Romeo + Juliet (1996). Where Strictly Ballroom embraced dance as its theatrical motif and Romeo + Juliet used heightened Shakespearean language, Moulin Rouge! explodes with music—specifically, the jukebox musical. A pastiche of glamor, melodrama, and spectacle, Moulin Rouge! leans...
Baz Luhrmann’s Romeo + Juliet (1996), the second film in his Red Curtain Trilogy, takes Shakespeare’s classic tragedy and throws it into the neon-lit chaos of modern-day Verona Beach. A dazzling blend of high drama, Catholic symbolism, Miami-inspired aesthetics, and MTV-era visuals, Luhrmann’s adaptation retains Shakespeare’s original language while reimagining the feud between the Capulets...
Baz Luhrmann’s 1992 debut film Strictly Ballroom isn’t just about glittery costumes, dramatic dips, and dazzling dance moves—it’s also a rich, satirical take on gender performance, conformity, and resistance. Beneath its comedic flair and theatrical style, the film presents a sharp critique of the gender roles embedded within traditional ballroom dancing and the patriarchal systems...
Photo by Tide_trasher_x on Unsplash “Camp” is one of those words we often hear but struggle to define. Is it glitter? Is it drag? Is it kitsch? Is it just bad taste turned good? The truth is, camp has a long, rich history that’s deeply rooted in queer aesthetics, theatricality, and a rejection of traditional...
Photo by Delia Giandeini on Unsplash Judith Butler’s Gender Trouble presents one of the most profound philosophical challenges to the traditional understanding of gender. Building upon Simone de Beauvoir’s foundational work, Butler delves into gender as a performative act, pushing the boundaries of the gender binary and asking us to reconsider how identity is constructed...
Photo by Emiliano Vittoriosi on Unsplash What does it mean to “become” a woman? Simone de Beauvoir’s famous line — “One is not born, but rather becomes, woman” — has never lost its relevance. But the more I sit with it, the more radical and heartbreaking it feels. In The Second Sex, Beauvoir doesn’t just...
On paper, Canisius University was everything I wanted: small class sizes, a strong communication program, and a mission rooted in Jesuit values—justice, service, and community. And for a while, it felt like the right place. I met professors who challenged me, friends who uplifted me, and classmates who taught me what solidarity truly means. But...