Hippie Visual: The Art of Spiritual Journey towards the Establishment
by Yume Katsumi
“Drop acid not bomb.”
“Make love not war.”
Trump: a Superhero, a Sexist or a Stand-up Comedian?
by Pavla Wernerová
Even though Trump called media “the enemy of the American People” after his inauguration it is the media who are partly responsible for him becoming the President. Even though “of the 100 circular print newspapers,” only “ two endorsed him”, as the saying goes “even bad publicity is good publicity”. Nevertheless, there is a strong difference between how he is depicted in the left and right-wing media. As Margaret Sullivan, an editor of The Washington Post points out, news makes its way quickly through the media. Quite often, the news which is most bizarre and unbelievable is the news spread by Trump himself: “once the president tweets it, it’s undeniably news, picked up by everywhere and re-amplified — especially by right-wing sites”. Even though Trump’s comments are quite often based only on his personal feelings and his desire to express his thoughts on everything he can, his sources are usually unclear. Apart from his comments on the internet, his behaviour and his public speeches also add up to his public image in the media. How is Trump depicted in the American media? In particular, the liberal media, and what is his public image? Is he a superhero, a sexist or a stand-up comedian? And does he actually stay true to his words?
Post-Brexit Britain According to the Acting British Ambassador
By Markéta Šonková
On March 29, Theresa May triggered Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty. With such a step, she commenced a two-year process of the UK exiting the EU. This decision is also the result of last year’s referendum, known simply as Brexit, where the Leave campaign won by a slight, yet decided, margin. On April 11, the acting British Ambassador, Her Excellency Jan Thompson OBE, thanks to the invitation of the Student Section of IIPS, visited the Faculty of Social Studies, Masaryk University, and talked about Czech-UK relations and also about Brexit and the future of Scotland in the light of Brexit.
“My posting to Prague is definitely the nicest place I have ever been posted to”: Interview with Her Excellency Jan Thompson OBE
By Markéta Šonková and Anna Formánková
Her Majesty’s Ambassador Jan Thompson has been in the Czech Republic for almost four years. Although she has spent lengthy periods in tough places, including war zones, during her diplomatic career, her job in Prague is no walk in the park either: she has to make sure that the relationship between the UK and the Czech Republic stays strong while Britain transits from an EU state into a non-member state. The topics of Markéta Šonková’s and Anna Formánková’s diplomatic interview were not only Brexit, but also Shakespeare, the position of a woman in diplomacy, as well as why there are cats at the British Embassy in Prague. Keep Reading
MNMLSM
by Bára Skorkovská
The internet connects people, making the spread of new ideas and comparison of lifestyles easier than ever. But with all the new and exciting information comes the fear of being lost in the wide world, of being forgotten, and of not living life to the fullest. Many people spend the most productive parts of their lives working to acquire the money to enjoy the rest of it, only to discover that their life slipped between their fingers as they were working a dull job or spending money on useless items. Maybe because of this uncertainty and anxiety that affect mainly younger generations, the spread of alternative lifestyles is becoming a new trend. One of those is minimalism and the following article shall explain the art of letting go of the worthless to make space for things that really matter.
Fanart Activism: Fan Participation as a Tool for Representation and Diversity Awareness
by Tereza Walsbergerová
Watching a film or a TV show, listening to a podcast, or reading a book, every once in awhile there comes a
point when one thinks, “dang, I wonder if any character in this will ever look, feel or act like me.”. At that point, many turn to fanfiction – a great source of elaborate studies of minor and supporting characters as well as alternative scenarios or additional narratives that never “made it” into the original work. Often in tandem with fanfiction, one may also encounter fanart – certainly a more conspicuous kind of online fan participation. Not only is fanart more accessible to those who do not want to spend their evenings reading pages of text, but due to its visual character it has much bigger potential of becoming a special kind of sociopolitical activist tool by raising awareness about representation and diversity amongst fans of all ages from all over the world. This article focuses on this specific role of fanart by introducing three different artists and their works within three different American fandoms. Keep Reading
Life on Social Media: Instagirls and the Rise of Micro-celebrity
By Dominika Kováčová
How many ‘likes’ did my last photo get? Has the number of my followers increased recently? Which filter should I use in my Instagram Story? – does this sound familiar? If so, you may be on your way to becoming an online celebrity!
