What We’re (Still) Talking About

Sorry, Not Sorry! Baby, Baby Do Cry Too Much Of A Good Thing…

A video of the Dalai Lama, the most holy figure in Tibetan Buddhism, asking a boy to kiss him on the lips, sent shock waves across the internet. Shortly after planting a kiss on the child’s lips, he was seen asking the lad to suck his tongue. Many called this behaviour ‘inappropriate’, ‘scandalous’ and ‘disgusting’, suggesting it was paedophiliac. Following the uproar, the spiritual leader’s office issued an apology. However, some of his supporters justified his behaviour saying sticking

Japan's crying baby sumo festival returned for the first time in four years since the pandemic. The biggest event was held at Sensoji Temple in Tokyo, with smaller versions hosted at various spots across the country. The idea behind this tradition is that crying is believed to bring the infants good health. In Tokyo, the babes were made to wear ceremonial sumo aprons and held by their parents for a face off in the ring. The staff wore oni or demon masks, trying to scare

Netflix has, on multiple occasions, faced backlash for streaming historically inaccurate content. Most recently, after they released the trailer of their upcoming four-part docudrama, Queen Cleopatra . In it, Adele James, a black actor with mixed ancestry, is seen playing the role of the Egyptian queen, which has drawn criticism, reigniting the debate on Cleopatra’s ethnicity – Greek or not. However, we’re not here to discuss that. What we’re one’s tongue out is a common Tibetan cultural practice to show agreement or respect. The question isn’t if the Dalai Lama made a mistake but how far will we go to cover up mistakes committed by certain people so as to protect our beliefs. And that he can make mistakes goes to show he is human so, should we be holding him or any mortal being for that matter in such high esteem that we turn a blind eye to their fallibility? the children and, as soon as one of the opponents cried, he or she was declared a winner. While on the face of it, one might think of this practice as cruel, on deeper thought, it does make sense. We live in a culture where tears are still seen as a sign of weakness. But research has proved that crying helps reduce physical and emotional pain, promoting a sense of well-being. It’s time we normalised crying – and, like in Japan, from a young age. here to highlight is the latest trend of moviemakers jumping on the inclusivity bandwagon. While representation is important, where do we draw the line – a South Asian Velma in Scooby Doo, Michael Jordan as a black superman, a black duke in Bridgerton… it makes one wonder if what we’re seeing is just a conniving attempt at inclusivity to earn Brownie points (pun intended) from a wider audience.