Arts & Entertainment
The Arts and Entertainment section explores facts, news, and opinions on various media, including music, films, TV shows, books, podcasts, influencers, and more!
How gatekeeping hurts us
Gatekeeping refers to the act of controlling or limiting access to something, particularly in specific contexts where it involves guarding certain media and preventing others from engaging with it. With the rise of social media, fans have a big platform to share their favorite books and movies, receive recommendations, and grow fandoms. Unfortunately, many people use social media to allude to media they like with the intention of withholding the source's name from curious commenters.
Beyonce deserved Album Of The Year
On Feb. 2, 2025, Beyoncé Carter Knowles made history when her eighth album, Cowboy Carter (2024), won Album Of The Year (AOTY)— her first time winning this award in her entire iconic singing career. Beyoncé’s Grammy win polarized the internet as fans celebrated the long-deserved win, while others believed that other artists like Sabrina Carpenter, Chappell Roan, and Charlie XCX were “snubbed.” I understand the frustration of your favorite artists not winning a Grammy when they put their heart on their sleeve, but Beyoncé’s win was long overdue.
Fantastic movies about love
There are endless movies surrounding romance and love, which are perfect themes for the Valentine’s Day season. With so many choices, it can be hard to decipher which ones are worth watching. If you are looking for some recommendations, here are just a few of my favorite movies about love.
Criterion Challenge week six: Divorce Italian Style (1961)
The Criterion Challenge is an annual film challenge hosted by Letterboxd users. It features 52 weekly categories, and the goal is to watch a different movie from the Criterion Collection— a collection of over 1700 films— to fill each weekly slot. I am participating in this year’s challenge and most recently watched Moonage Daydream (2022) for week five, which I covered in last week’s article.
The Neon Genesis Evangelion (1994-2013) franchise and individuality
“Everything is simply a shape, a form, an identifier to let others recognize me as me! But then, what am I? Is this me? My true self? My fake self? What is it that I am?...” Neon Genesis Evangelion (1995), Shinji Ikari, the protagonist of the Neon Genesis Evangelion (NGE) franchise.
Make movie reviews fun again
Being a film lover can come in many shapes and sizes in modern society. Whether someone watches one to two movies a month or around one to two movies daily, the term “film lover” is self-proclaimed by both. The two ends of this spectrum should receive the same respect, but often, this is not the case.
My 2025 Grammy’s highlights
On Sunday, Feb. 2, the Annual Grammy Awards honored the top artists between Sept. 16, 2023, and Aug. 30, 2024. This era of music is noted as one of the biggest for female pop artists, including numerous groundbreaking works from artists. Nearly everyone there deserved a victory, making the sixty-seventh year of the Grammys a nail-biting experience filled with amazing performances.
TikTok is great, but let’s return to long-form content
On the night of Jan. 19, millions of Americans were under the impression that TikTok—a social media app that allows users to create and share short videos—would be banned in their country. This was a scary prospect for many: those reliant on the app for income, those who prioritized it to spread awareness of real-world issues, and to a lesser degree, doomscrollers— those who spend excessive time scrolling due to Tiktok’s addictiveness— and at times negative nature.
Ethel Cain’s Perverts (2025) and the role of the audience
On January 8 of this year, Hayden Anhedönia, better known by the stage name Ethel Cain, released her sophomore album titled Perverts (2025). The album consists of nine tracks with a run time of 90 minutes. It was a massive diversion from Anhedönia’s debut album, Preacher’s Daughter (2022), which had a decidedly narrative structure propelled by storytelling, lyrical aspects, and musical mood shifts over its 13 tracks. Perverts (2025) is an album full of ambiance, drone, and sparse yet selective lyricism.
Criterion Challenge week 5: Moonage Daydream (2022)
The Criterion Collection is an American film distributing company since 1984 that has produced and distributed over 1200 films. Although it is an American company, the collection holds many foreign movies. Not only does the Criterion Collection house 1726 movies, spanning decades, genres, and directors, but it also restores films, some even over 100 years old.
The controversy of A Little Life
Many books in the online community stir up debate, but none have been as controversial as A Little Life, a 2015 literary novel by Hanya Yanagihara. At a whopping 800 pages, this lengthy book follows the lives of four friends in New York City, flashing between their childhood and adulthood.
An almost complete review of Orange is the New Black (2013-2019)
Orange is the New Black (2013-2019), created by Jenji Kohan, is a popular seven-season show on Netflix. Each season contains 13 episodes that are approximately an hour long, making this a very bingeable series.
Media worth your time over break!
As the former Arts & Entertainment editor of The Lamron, I feel it is only fitting to end this semester with something more familiar: some media recommendations to gander over our prolonged —but very much needed— break. Without wasting another breath, let’s get into it!
Did “Glinda the Good” make an objectively good decision in Wicked (2024)?
Ever since the release of Wicked (2024), a movie adaption of the best-selling novel and Broadway musical, it is apparent that no one can suppress their inner theater nerd. Influencers are replicating the choreography on TikTok, popular clothing brands like Aerie are selling merchandise, and my roommate can not stop singing the high note of Act One’s finale, “Defying Gravity,” in the shower.
Fleabag (2016-2019) is a winter must-watch
For the unfamiliar, Fleabag (2016-2019) is a comedy-drama series written, created, and starring Phoebe Waller-Bridge. It was adapted to television based on a one-woman show she performed in 2013 at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. The show spans two seasons, 12 episodes altogether, and follows two differing but connected seasonal narratives.
Laufey: The perfect winter artist
Different people prepare for the cold weather in different ways. For some, buying new coats and fur boots is the pricey way to go. For others, a mantle of warm lights and chunky blankets is necessary to get their home in the holiday spirit. As for me, icy temperatures call for a new seasonal playlist— to be cliche: “when sleigh bells ring, it is time we listen.”
The problem with modern Disney princesses
What do Disney characters such as Rapunzel from Tangled (2010), Anna from Frozen (2013), Mirabel from Encanto (2021), and Moana from Moana (2016) all have in common? Not a lot —actually— except for being young, female, 3D-animated leads. These characters originate from different cultures and experience unique upbringings and family dynamics. With all that being true, why is it hard for many to distinguish between their personalities?
The steady decline of proper concert etiquette
Concerts have always allowed people to bond over their love for an artist or band and enjoy their live music. Over the years, popular artists have booked stadiums, selling thousands of tickets for each tour date. Naturally, this has decreased proper concert etiquette, yet people still preach how they are the “perfect attendees.”
Nostalgia baiting is not effective
Over the past years, I have seen countless movies and television shows from my childhood and tween years rebooted, remade, or adapted in some form. From the live-action versions of every Disney movie ever, which add no new substance and are just worse overall; to revisiting the icons of Nickelodeon and Disney television show fame, but now they are old and can swear— nostalgia baiting in the film and TV industry is worse than ever.
Arcane (2021-2024): An adaptation worth your time
If you have found yourself caught in a lull of things to watch, unsure of what new show is worth your time, or which of your favorites requires another mandatory rewatch, let me direct your energy to Netflix’s hit animated series, Arcane (2021-2024). This show is based on the hit role-playing game (RPG) League of Legends (2009) and just began airing its second and final season on the streaming platform.