Latest news with #metaphor
Yahoo
27-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds journeys into zombieland
What does a zombie represent? Unlike werewolves, vampires, or Frankensteins, zombie stories are usually more about the humans living through them than the monsters themselves. Your classic zombie fable generally settles on the idea that it's the living who are the real monsters, not the living dead. But this week's episode of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds finds a slightly different metaphor to play around with. Here, the 'moss zombies' of the abandoned planet Kenfori serve as a metaphor for the past (literally) coming back to haunt the crew of the Enterprise. Even when our heroes think they've put something behind them, it turns out it can still roar back to life. That's especially true for Dr. M'Benga. Last season introduced the idea that the kindly doctor was also a brutal mercenary in the Klingon War—a history he was forced to confront when self-aggrandizing Klingon defector Ambassador Dak'Rah stopped by the Enterprise for an official visit in 'Under The Cloak Of War.' That episode ended with M'Benga killing Dak'Rah, an act he'd hoped would bring closure to his wartime experience. This week, however, Dak'Rah's daughter B'itha (Christine Horn) shows up demanding justice. (She's not mad her turncoat dad is dead, just disgraced because she didn't get to kill him herself.) Sometimes there are experiences that won't stay buried, no matter how hard we try. In that way, zombies are a fitting metaphor for M'Benga—and for Ortegas and Captain Batel, who are also grappling with their own haunting experiences that refuse to die. But, metaphors aside, do zombies feel like they have a place in the Star Trek universe? I'm not so sure. Though it's delightful to have Captain Pike openly call them 'the z-word' rather than dodge the term like The Walking Dead and 28 Days Later have done, falling back on such a classic monster feels a little cheap for a show about strange new worlds. I can't exactly explain why zombies don't feel Star Trek-y to me while godlike imps, Alien-homages, and even musical episodes do. But that is my gut reaction. Still, the upside of using familiar monsters like zombies is that there's more room for other stuff because you don't have to explain the rules of the villain-of-the-week. And though I'd say 'Shuttle To Kenfori' is more about revisiting the beats of 'Under The Cloak Of War' than adding something new to the conversation, it does so with a sense of style and conviction that helps paper over the weak spots. Or maybe it's just that it's so fun to spend time with these characters and this cast that even when I can see an episode's flaws, I usually still have an enjoyable time watching it. The best thing about 'Shuttle To Kenfori' is that it continues the ensemble vibes of the two-episode premiere. That starts in sickbay, where Batel is taken after collapsing in Pike's quarters. Though she'd been planning to take up a new Starfleet commission, it turns out her Gorn-related illness is back with a vengeance. M'Benga, Spock, and Chapel quickly get creative with their treatment plan. Her best chance is a special Chimera flower known for its 'biological uniqueness' (LOL) and ability to 'move invasive molecules through cell membranes.' The trouble is, the flower only grows on the planet Kenfori, which just happens to be in a restricted no-fly zone right on the border of disputed Klingon territory. To take a trip there would violate multiple treaties—so Pike decides that he and M'Benga will take a shuttle on an off-the-books mission that will hopefully go unnoticed by the Klingons. (Naturally, it doesn't.) While Pike and M'Benga get the bulk of the screen time this week, 'Shuttle To Kenfori' makes a point to keep checking back in on the Enterprise and the characters there too. Little moments like our new nurse (does he have a name yet?) giving Batel pain meds or La'An worrying about Ortegas ensure those characters still feel active even if they don't actually have much to do. Spock, meanwhile, gets woven into Batel's story after he mind melds to help alleviate her pain and accidentally spots a monstrous vision that briefly turns him violent. And Scotty provides some classic comic relief as an artificial-gravity mishap sends the crew floating. Ortegas and Una are the only bridge crew with actual arcs here. Ortegas' willingness to defy orders and provoke a Klingon battle cruiser earns her a two-week suspension from Number One. But the way this episode ensures we get at least a little face time with all of the main players is a great example of how Strange New Worlds is carrying on the ensemble legacy of the '90s Trek shows in a way Discovery and, honestly, even Enterprise never really did. There's nothing like a ready room debate to evoke The Next Generation in the best way. Speaking of character work, this episode's biggest new addition doesn't have anything to do with the Klingons or the Gorn or even the zombies. It's the (slight) retconning of Pike and M'Benga's relationship. During their away mission, the two banter about past missions and joke about his three(!!) ex-wives (and one annulment) in a way that takes them beyond just longtime colleagues and into true old-friends territory. It's a chummy connection that Anson Mount and Babs Olusanmokun sell really well. Where the first season of Strange New Worlds sometimes lazily fell back on making Pike and Spock the heart of the show à la Kirk and Spock in the original series, I like how these past two seasons have consciously tried to mix it up and find new dynamics too. When Pike accepted M'Benga's story about Dak'Rah last season, it felt like a captain dealing with a crewmember. Here he gets to reassure him as a friend. In fact, this whole episode is a chance to square M'Benga the Healer with M'Benga the Killer. As he puts it when B'itha demands the truth, 'A mass murderer gave me the opportunity to kill him and I did, willingly… Was that dishonorable? I don't know. But there was justice.' It's an explicit confirmation of what happened during the purposefully veiled scene in 'Under The Cloak Of War.' But as Pike reminds him, being a flawed man isn't the same thing as being a monster. Of course, you could also argue that this episode retcons in the Pike/M'Benga friendship specifically, so it doesn't have to grapple with how a Starfleet captain should deal with the reveal that their doctor committed an extrajudicial execution of a political ambassador—which feels like it would be a big deal for the honor-bond Federation. If Discovery was sometimes too obsessed with the rules and regulations of Starfleet, Strange New Worlds can be a little too quick to dodge an interesting moral debate in favor of a 'power of friendship' ending. Indeed, having both Pike and, to some degree, B'itha absolve M'Benga of his guilt over killing Dak'Rah risks cheapening the intentional emotional ambiguity of 'Under The Cloak Of War.' The more interesting wrinkle is how M'Benga's time in the Klingon War has given him an understanding of Klingon culture in a way that someone like Pike doesn't have in this era of Trek history. M'Benga agrees to B'itha's ritual combat (even if he ultimately decides not to kill her) and he understands what it means for her to sacrifice herself in order to earn a noble death worthy of Sto'Vo'Kor. That's an interesting perspective for a Starfleet officer to have in an era where Klingons are still very much 'the bad guys.' The other big swing 'Shuttle To Kenfori' takes is to give even more dramatic weight to Pike and Batel's relationship—a romance that always feels kind of grafted onto the series even though, to be fair, the pilot did open on their pairing. Here it turns out she's been hiding the swiftness of her impending death and her plan to turn herself into a human-Gorn hybrid because she thought Pike would make it all about himself. And she's right: That's exactly what he does—at least before taking her into his arms as they both admit they're scared. It's a bit of an odd scene to end on, mostly because this episode starts with Batel, then pivots to M'Benga, and then pivots back to Marie without really drawing any thematic parallels between the two. I guess you could say they're both afraid of becoming monsters or they both have to learn to trust Pike with their dark secrets in order to find peace. But I'm not sure 'Shuttle To Kenfori' totally weaves its disparate ideas together in the end. Still, I'm interested to see what will happen when Batel goes half-Gorn (or whatever that flower is going to do) and how the season will pick up on the Ortegas thread too. After last week's strong two-episode premiere, 'Shuttle To Kenfori' occasionally feels like a bit of a detour. But it keeps this season alive—and sometimes alive is all you need in a zombie story. Stray observations • I was trying to figure out if this episode's title is a play on something. Maybe the famed South Korean zombie movie Train To Busan? • I started rewatching Discovery after revisiting the first two seasons of Strange New Worlds and I'm so glad this show returned to the '90s Klingon look we know and love rather than the truly terrible revamp of Voq & co. • I also love the depiction of the Klingon shuttle, which is even more bird-like than their famed birds of prey. • I'm not sure the hair department has ever quite nailed the right look for Rebecca Romijn. And while it doesn't this week either (the braids look too much like a hat), I'm glad to see it continue to experiment! • It turns out B'itha was able to plant a tracker on M'Benga after he ate the olive on a drink a R'ongovian offered him. What a scheme. • Also, apologies if I'm getting the spelling of B'itha's name wrong. My screeners don't come with subtitles so I'm taking my best stab at Klingon there! • In case you need more of me writing about plant-related zombies, I recapped this most recent season of The Last Of Us too. More from A.V. Club Star Trek: Strange New Worlds boldly finding out if "puppet episode" still feels like a creative gimmick First Star Trek: Starfleet Academy trailer knows not to skimp on the Holly Hunter Staff Picks: A historical fiction podcast, and a drummer gone too soon Solve the daily Crossword
The Independent
14-07-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
In a deeply weird NATO presser, ‘Daddy' Trump made one announcement — and then another, and then another
In June, during a NATO summit in The Hague, things took a turn for the Oedipal when Dutch prime minister-turned-NATO chief Mark Rutte referred to Donald Trump as "Daddy". The remark came after Trump compared Iran and Israel to unruly children in a schoolyard fight, prompting Rutte to quip, 'Daddy has to sometimes use strong language to get them to stop.' Trump, naturally, ran with it, telling reporters, 'He did it very affectionately: 'Daddy, you're my daddy.'' Rutte tried to clarify later that he wasn't actually calling Trump his daddy, but merely making a metaphor about American leadership. The White House ignored the nuance entirely and leaned in, hard, by posting a video montage of Trump's NATO visit set to Usher's 'Hey Daddy (Daddy's Home)' with the caption: 'Daddy's home… Hey, hey, hey, Daddy.' Because we killed Harambe, this is the reality we live in July 2025. And today, Rutte and Trump met at 'Daddy's' White House to discuss the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine. Rumors proliferated before the two men appeared in public. It was said that the president's patience had worn thin with Vladimir Putin (the Russian premier 'talks nice and then bombs everybody in the evening,' Trump said at an earlier press conference in the Rose Garden, adding: 'There's a little bit of a problem there, and I don't like it.') The Russian strongman, known for jailing political activists and outlawing protest, had apparently 'surprised everyone' by turning out to not be a very nice guy after all. Trump is 'really pissed' about that, according to Senate mean girl Lindsey Graham. And then, at 11 a.m., a press conference began that featured all the Trumpian greatest hits: weird flattery, bombastic nationalism, random asides about Gazan real estate, quasi-romantic compliments about other world leaders, accusations of election-stealing from the Democrats, along with obsessive and repetitive insults aimed at Joe Biden. The gist: As expected, U.S. weapons will be deployed to Ukraine through a slightly convoluted method, and Europe will foot the bill. And large secondary sanctions on countries buying Russian goods and oil will come into effect in 50 days, in the hope of forcing Putin back to the negotiating table. 'We are very unhappy — well, I am — with Russia,' Trump said, before adding that Ukraine is 'not my war, it's Biden's war.' A few minutes later, turning to Rutte, he said, apropos nothing, that 'Mark' was 'just a highly respected, pretty young guy' who has had an 'amazing career.' As the highly respected, pretty young guy — who is 58 years old — nodded along with the U.S. president's increasingly coherent speech, Trump then cycled through claims that he had personally stopped a nuclear war between India and Pakistan, that his diplomacy with Rwanda had changed Africa, that the Gaza Strip was 'the worst real estate deal ever made' because 'they [presumably Israel] gave up the oceanfront property,' that he's beginning construction on the so-called Golden Dome, and that, when it came to Putin, 'I was the apple of his eye.' 'It's nice when the Nile River has water,' he said at one point, as Rutte continued to nod sagely. We have now seen a number of White House press conferences between Trump and world leaders attempting to remain cordial with him. I say press conferences, but really it's just a succession of people finding out that if you sit beside Trump and smile for long enough without contradicting him, he will keep pushing into freewheeling absurdity, and you will inevitably get hit with some of the splatter. So it was as Trump opened for questions at the end of his presser with Rutte and eventually devolved into a long monologue about Biden's use of an autopen. 'I hope you'll back me up in this,' he said to Rutte at one point, while claiming that America was 'dead' a year ago because of Biden and now we 'have the hottest country anywhere in the world.' Again, Rutte nodded. Wrapping up, Daddy rewarded Rutte by calling him a 'star'. If you think this is a deeply unserious way in which to approach a new weapons deal with Ukraine, a succession of global tariffs and a continuing conflict in which thousands of innocents have been killed, you're absolutely correct — and you're absolutely out-of-touch. Because this is modern-day diplomacy, baby. Putin's out; NATO's in, and Donald has a new apple of his eye. If Vlad wants to get back in the good books, he'll have to high-tail it back to Istanbul and promise he won't do a colonial invasion again.
Forbes
14-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Blockbuster 'Superman' Sparks Another ‘Woke' Debate—Between Ben Shapiro, Hasan Piker, Others
Whether 'Superman,' DC's new blockbuster that made a splash at the box office this weekend, serves as a metaphor for Middle East unrest has animated political figures on the right and left—from Ben Shapiro to Hasan Piker—despite the director denying any direct reference. Director James Gunn denied the movie is a metaphor for conflicts in the Middle East. (Photo by Samir ... More Hussein/WireImage) Samir Hussein/WireImage Left- and right-wing 'Superman' viewers have debated whether the conflict between fictional nations Boravia and Jarhanpur, in which Superman stops the more powerful Boravia from invading the poorer and largely defenseless Jarhanpur, is a metaphor for Israel and Gaza. Hasan Piker, a left-wing Twitch streamer and YouTuber some tout as the left's answer to Joe Rogan, suggested Sunday night that Boravia could be an analogue for Israel, noting the fictional country is depicted as a military power and ally of the United States, while comparing its attempted takeover of Jarhanpur to Israel's military campaign in Gaza. Piker objected to an earlier video by conservative commentator Ben Shapiro, who said the conflict portrayed in the movie does not compare to Israel and Gaza because it 'does not match up to the facts' and can only be seen that way by those with 'left-wing brain.' Shapiro said he does not think the movie has a political agenda, denying other theories the movie is pro-immigration, or offers commentary on Russia and Ukraine, saying these interpretations are caused by 'politics on the brain.' Conservative YouTuber Tim Pool also disagreed that the movie was a metaphor for the conflict in Gaza, pointing out the two countries are portrayed in the movie as a wealthier Eastern European nation and a poorer South Asian nation. Writer-director James Gunn has denied the movie is about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, though he has admitted it has political undertones. 'When I wrote this the Middle Eastern conflict wasn't happening. So I tried to do little things to move it away from that, but it doesn't have anything to do with the Middle East,' Gunn told Gunn said the movie depicts an 'invasion by a much more powerful country run by a despot into a country that's problematic in terms of its political history, but has totally no defense against the other country,' which he said 'really is fictional.' Gunn admitted the movie is 'about politics,' but said the movie is largely about morality and kindness. Gunn told previously sparked controversy after telling The Sunday Times Superman is an 'immigrant that came from other places,' stating 'Superman is the story of America.' What Have Critics Said About The Politics Of 'superman?' Film critic G. Allen Johnson wrote in the San Francisco Chronicle it is 'chilling how many scenes reflect current reality,' calling the Boravia-Jarhanpur conflict 'very reminiscent of the Israel-Hamas conflict.' William Bibbiani, a critic for The Wrap, said Gunn may have written a fictional conflict between made-up nations for the film, but 'but we know he's talking about' the war in Gaza. Mashable critic Siddhant Adlakha said the movie has 'unavoidable parallels' to Israel-Hamas. 'Superman' has been branded as 'woke' by some conservative critics over Gunn's immigration comments. A Fox News chyron that aired last week called the movie 'Superwoke,' as guest Kellyanne Conway said people 'don't go to the movie theater to be lectured to and to have somebody throw their ideology onto us.' Superman, however, has long been described by fans and critics as an immigrant. Central to his story is his birth on the dying planet Krypton and his arrival as an outsider to Kansas, and the creators of the comic, Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, are children of European Jewish immigrants. Frank Miller, a comic book artist who has written Superman comics, said in 2019 he aimed to 'portray Superman as the ultimate immigrant' in his comic series, 'Superman: Year One.' How Is 'superman' Faring At The Box Office? 'Superman' had a big opening weekend, grossing $122 million at the domestic box office and $217 million worldwide. The movie's success is a win for DC Studios, which has not had a box office hit in years. The studio faced back-to-back flops with 'Shazam! Fury of the Gods,' 'The Flash' and 'Blue Beetle,' as well as the critically panned 'Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom,' which had a moderate box office performance. 'Superman' received positive reviews, scoring an 83% on Rotten Tomatoes, making it one of DC's better-reviewed films in recent years. 'Superman' continues a hot streak for the summer box office, which has seen consecutive hits including 'Jurassic World: Rebirth,' 'F1' and 'How To Train Your Dragon.' Further Reading Superman's An Immigrant? Director James Gunn Faces Right-Wing Backlash For Claim (Forbes) 'Superman' Makes Huge $22.5 Million Debut—Can It Revive The DC Film Franchise? (Forbes)
The Guardian
12-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Missy Higgins: ‘Some people thought that line in The Special Two was about women syncing periods'
What's the most memorable, wrong explanation that you've heard for the meaning behind one of your songs? Some people thought that the line 'we'll bleed together' in my song The Special Two was about two women syncing periods. I always thought that was a quite funny and very, very literal metaphor. And probably the first time somebody had written a song about syncing periods. What's the best piece of advice you have ever received? My dad once said to me, 'You've done enough, you don't have to keep proving yourself.' I was in my 30s, I had kids, and I was trying really hard to keep my career going. I felt like if I didn't come up with any more music, I wasn't going to be able to respect myself any more. I hadn't proved myself worthy yet, whatever the hell that means. And dad said, 'You've done enough.' That made me really think about who it was that I was trying to prove something to – at what point I would be able to stop pushing so hard. It's OK to just live and release what you release. You're not going to be a failure if you stop releasing music. What's been your most cringeworthy run-in with a celebrity? My friend dragged me backstage once to meet Patty Griffin. I had specifically said to my friend that I really didn't want to meet her, because I don't like meeting my idols. But she just ambushed me at the end and said, 'Come back. She's expecting to meet you!' So she dragged me backstage and I just stood there. I was completely mute. I think I just mumbled something like, 'Nice to meet you.' I couldn't even look her in the eyes. Patty was lovely. She probably thought, 'What is this woman doing?' I swear I was the biggest fan ever. Your song Where I Stood was used in a bunch of big US TV shows in the 2000s. What does having your song in a Grey's Anatomy episode do to your career? That was back in the day when it was very, very exciting to get your song on an American TV show. There were all these artists that broke out that way – it was either from Grey's Anatomy or an Apple commercial. So my song got on Grey's Anatomy, but just as that was starting to become a little bit passé. [laugh] No one was that excited about it any more. It definitely did something – that song went gold in America, so it was very successful and I toured that album for like two and a half years. What are you secretly really good at? I've become very good at waking up very late and getting my kids fed, dressed and to school within about 45 minutes. Every morning, I'm really not sure how we manage it. Every morning, I say, 'I have got to wake us all up earlier.' Every morning, I get them there by nine o'clock. What is the strangest thing you have done for love? When I was in my early 20s, I sent my boyfriend at the time my song Ten Days. I wrote it for him, recorded it on CD and sent it because I was in the US and it was his birthday. But I also put an electric razor in there. When I think about that, I think it's just the most odd decision to put an electric razor in with a love song. I think a love song was probably enough. But he had a beard and I wanted him to get rid of it. It's completely contrasting levels of sentimentality. If you had a sandwich named after you, what would be in it? I'm pescatarian, but I love a vegan Reuben. I want the Thousand Island dressing, sauerkraut and the big rolls of fake meat. I'm often trying to find the best vegan Reuben in Melbourne. So I'd be that, with a cute little radicchio side salad. What's been your most memorable interaction with a fan? When I was living in Broome, I frequented this cafe where one of the waitresses came up to me and said, 'Oh my God. I'm such a big fan.' We got chatting and it turned out we knew all these people in common, and we were in the same friendship group in Broome. And I wouldn't usually start hanging out with someone who just told me they're a massive fan, but there was just something about her. Maybe it was because we were in Broome, and that's just kind of what you do. Anyway, we became great friends and we just went to the Maldives together. What book, album or film do you find yourself returning to, and why? I find myself returning a lot to Ishmael by Daniel Quinn. I tend to give that book to a lot of people too. It was given to me by a journalist in San Francisco. I was touring America at the time, and he said to me, this book will change your life. I didn't believe him but I didn't have anything else to read, so I read it. And it did change my life. It completely changed the way that I thought about western culture and modern society, the agricultural revolution and the Bible. It's one of those books that just blows open everything you thought you knew. What's been your biggest fashion crime to date? I wear slippers to drop my kids off – I'm committing my biggest crime every school day. Missy Higgins is performing at Wanderer festival at Pambula Beach, New South Wales, 4-5 October
Yahoo
22-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Pamela Anderson Says This One Place Is ‘Where Everything Came Back Together for Me' After Private Struggles
Pamela Anderson believes her Vancouver Island garden is like a "metaphor" for her life The Last Showgirl star's garden is now in its seventh season, currently harvesting beets, radishes and lettuce The garden was previously featured in HGTV Canada's series Pamela's Garden of EdenAccording to Pamela Anderson, her life is a lot like her Vancouver Island garden. 'The garden is such a metaphor: You can replant your garden every year, rotate your crops. I started learning a lot about it and thought, this is how I want my life to be,' the author and actress, 57, tells Architectural Digest. In 2020, The Last Showgirl star moved back to her family's long-held plot on Vancouver Island, British Columbia. Since then, Anderson has revealed that leaving Hollywood for her hometown was to help her 'Remember who I was.' In the process, she's discovered a passion for nature.'It started when I realized you could just eat blackberries off a bush or a crabapple in a tree. It was one of those aha moments, that food comes from the ground, comes from the earth,' the mother of two says. 'I realized, oh, I can have my own garden. When I moved home to restart, I instantly thought, I'm going to make an incredible garden.' The property, known as Arcady, has helped her move through an often complicated life: '[It's] where everything came back together for me. This whole new chapter? It started in the garden.' Now in its seventh season, Anderson's 'Provençal' garden grows everything from wildflowers to herbs and vegetables. Currently, her team is harvesting beets, radishes and lettuces while the Baywatch star is out on the road. But some of her favorite things to grow include roses and heirloom tomatoes. 'I love my Yves Piaget roses. I also harvest rose hips and make face oils and all sorts of beauty treatments out of them,' Anderson says. 'And I love my heirloom tomatoes — I have that vegan cookbook I put out last year. A great heirloom tomato salad—that's the perfect food.' But The Naked Gun actress isn't the only one who enjoys the garden's produce: 'We get to feed a lot of food banks, soup kitchens, churches, neighbors, and family and friends.'The Vancouver garden is far from traditional. Anderson described it as 'very volcanic,' like 'an interesting vortex.' Even her gardener says 'I don't know what's going on in this garden, but it's so happy.' 'There's just something about it — getting your hands dirty, even being barefoot in the garden — something about it connects me back to who I am,' she describes. 'That's where I found myself again, so it's very special.' Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. This is not the first time Anderson's garden has been in the public eye. The actress is no stranger to posting garden updates on her Instagram. The grounds were also featured in Pamela's Garden of Eden, a series which followed the star as she restored her family's Canadian property. However, Anderson revealed exclusively to PEOPLE that she felt 'exploited' while filming the first season. 'The first season, I was a bit of a mess,' Anderson said in November 2023. 'It was not my favorite time of life. I was in survival mode while writing my memoir [Love, Pamela], the documentary [Pamela: A Love Story] was being made, and I was an open wound when it was being shot. I just wasn't that happy with it.' "The second season is about redemption, authenticity, truth and self acceptance," she added. "I'm taking my power back, instead of giving it up. I took control of the show and figured out a way to keep to my vision, and turn it into a positive experience. I kept it real." Read the original article on People
