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No gavels, no hearsay and lots of drinking: a law expert ranks legal dramas by their accuracy

<p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/dale-mitchell-1468293">Dale Mitchell</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-the-sunshine-coast-1068">University of the Sunshine Coast</a></em></p> <p>From Elle Woods in Legally Blonde to <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/10383441.2015.1087367">Jennifer Walters in She-Hulk</a>, Atticus Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird to Denny Crane in Boston Legal, our popular culture is often where we first see and witness legal practice.</p> <p>Sometimes this comes via the silver screen, other times television. But it would be wrong to think that all we see on legal television shows is accurate – even when it claims to capture reality.</p> <p>Most legal dramas are terrible at capturing the realities of law.</p> <h2>Not accurate: Law(less) and (dis)Order</h2> <p>Law and Order (1990-) innovated television drama by showcasing both the investigation of a crime by police, and then its prosecution in court. With its multiple spin-offs, including Law and Order: Special Victims Unit (1999-) and the shortlived Law and Order: Trial by Jury (2005-2006) (which had the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aolG65V1Dx8">best theme song of all the series</a>), the Law and Order franchise is a televisual legal juggernaut.</p> <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/aolG65V1Dx8?wmode=transparent&amp;start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></figure> <p>As with most serials, Law and Order presents the criminal justice system as moving quicker than you can say <em>dun dun</em>. This couldn’t be further from the truth. The mean duration of criminal law matters in Australian higher courts was <a href="https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/people/crime-and-justice/criminal-courts-australia/latest-release">almost one year</a> (50 weeks) across 2021-22.</p> <p>While <a href="http://classic.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/qld/consol_reg/ucpr1999305/s5.html">procedural rules in civil matters</a> require courts to facilitate the “just and efficient resolution of disputes at minimum expense”, in criminal law, speed and efficiency must not be prioritised over accuracy: a person’s liberty is at stake.</p> <p>Most criminal matters do not proceed to a full trial as an accused will often plead guilty to the charges. As a result, the matter proceeds to sentencing without prosecutors needing to prove the offence. The rates of this occurring are quite alarming. <a href="https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/people/crime-and-justice/criminal-courts-australia/latest-release">Data across 2021-22</a> reveals over 75% of defendants in Australian courts entered a guilty plea, and almost four in five criminal convictions (79%) resulted from a guilty plea.</p> <p><a href="https://law.unimelb.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0009/1705761/32_1_8.pdf">Research suggests</a> defendants plead guilty for a variety of reasons, including to avoid the cost of a trial and to receive a lesser sentence. <a href="https://theconversation.com/pandemic-pushed-defendants-to-plead-guilty-more-often-including-innocent-people-pleading-to-crimes-they-didnt-commit-165056">Data from the United States</a> suggests the pressures of the pandemic led to innocent people pleading guilty to crimes they didn’t commit.</p> <p>If Law and Order was a more accurate reflection of criminal law, matters would proceed immediately to sentencing due to guilty pleas. And should an accused be found guilty, a chunk of their sentence would be reduced by time served awaiting trial.</p> <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/60GV5lv8h3o?wmode=transparent&amp;start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></figure> <h2>Not accurate: Suits</h2> <p>Suits (2011-19) centres around law firm partner Harvey Specter (Gabriel Macht) and his mentorship of Mike Ross (Patrick Adams) – the “lawyer” who never graduated law school and provides legal advice thanks to his photographic memory.</p> <p>This is, obviously, a brutal ethical breach for all involved, and clearly fraud. In Australia, law students who present themselves to be lawyers are <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-09-07/law-graduate-jacob-reichman-fined-posing-solicitor-gold-coast/7824324">subject to sanctions</a> by the Legal Services Commission. They can <a href="https://www.lawyersweekly.com.au/biglaw/35821-fake-lawyer-cops-suspended-jail-sentence">cause harm to clients</a> who have hired their services. And the Legal Admissions Board may <a href="https://www.qlsproctor.com.au/2020/11/chief-justice-wants-answers-before-considering-lawyer-impersonators-bid-to-become-legal-practitioner/">deny their entry</a> into the profession.</p> <p>(Spoilers) Ross is eventually sentenced to two years in prison for this fraud, a similar sentence to <a href="https://www.law.com/thelegalintelligencer/almID/1202786675709/">a recent case in the United States</a>, but he only serves three months before solving a crime and earning early release. More unrealistic than this early release is that Ross does fairly quickly thereafter gain admission to the profession, which seems unlikely to occur so soon after such an act of fraud.</p> <p>While Suits has left its mark(le) on the popular imagination of law, it fails to address one of the primary duties of civil litigation: the duty of disclosure.</p> <p>The MacGuffin-ing of law is common in TV serials. It’s the “smoking gun” found on the day of the trial, or for the lawyers in Suits, the random document which shows up <em>during</em> the trial to turn the case - dramatically presented by our protagonists as they flail into court armed with this data sans ethics.</p> <p>This is not quite accurate.</p> <p>In adversarial legal systems like Australia, New Zealand, the UK and the US, civil litigation rules <a href="http://classic.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/qld/consol_reg/ucpr1999305/s211.html">require parties</a> to disclose to one another all documents in their possession or control which are directly relevant to a matter in dispute.</p> <p>This is a continuing duty, so if you discover such a document at any time during the case, it must be disclosed. While <a href="http://classic.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/qld/consol_reg/ucpr1999305/s212.html">exceptions</a> based on various privileges may apply, this essentially means civil litigation must be run in an “all cards on the table” manner. Randomly producing undisclosed material at trial requires the leave of the court and may result in orders of contempt and <a href="http://classic.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/qld/consol_reg/ucpr1999305/s225.html">cost penalties</a>.</p> <p>It’s not like the lawyers of Suits have ever really been concerned about ethics, though.</p> <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/wUh9jomHZp4?wmode=transparent&amp;start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></figure> <h2>Not accurate: How to Get Away with Murder(ing rules of evidence)</h2> <p>While most lawyers would support making it a criminal offence to critique Viola Davis, How to Get Away with Murder (2014-20) presents one of the most common offences within legal dramas: the haphazard approach to rules of evidence.</p> <p>Annalise Keating (Davis) and her ragtag team of morally illiterate law students (although I never see them studying?!?!) manipulate people to obtain evidence and then dramatically prompt witnesses on the stand to read this information into the record, or otherwise “sneak” it into the trial.</p> <p>This is not accurate. And it ignores the basic reality that so much of legal practice is about not just obtaining evidence, but ensuring that evidence is admissible in court.</p> <p>One of the most important rules of evidence deals with <a href="http://classic.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/cth/consol_act/ea199580/s59.html"><em>hearsay evidence</em></a>. A court cannot allow evidence to be considered if its reliability is unable to be interrogated. Witnesses can only present evidence that they saw, heard or perceived themselves. Unless an exception to the hearsay rule applies, such evidence would be inadmissible.</p> <p>Like in Suits, these approaches to presenting evidence may have serious implications. This poor trial management results in <a href="https://www.aic.gov.au/sites/default/files/2020-05/rpp074.pdf">delays to criminal trials.</a>.</p> <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/rMB_Gw5-T-I?wmode=transparent&amp;start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></figure> <h2>Accurate: Fisk</h2> <p>Fisk (2021-) follows Helen Tudor-Fisk (Kitty Flanagan), an established contract lawyer whose personal dramas lead her to move to the boutique Melbourne probate law firm of Gruber and Gruber (played by Marty Sheargold and Julia Zamero).</p> <p>Fisk excels in showing the importance of lawyer-client relations and the word-of-mouth that sustains much of small legal practice. It’s the anti-Suits, and Fisk is more powerful for it.</p> <p>The discussions of wills and estates and most basic legal principles in Fisk are mostly sound – and the show doesn’t need to get into “legalese” as matters are resolved out-of-court.</p> <p>This is a distinct reality of law: litigation is a last resort. Forms of <a href="https://www.qls.com.au/Practising-law-in-Qld/ADR/Alternative-Dispute-Resolution/Types-of-Alternative-Dispute-Resolution-(ADR)">alternative dispute resolution</a>, including mediation, negotiation and conciliation, have become the primary way of resolving legal disputes.</p> <p>Fuelled by <a href="https://www.ag.gov.au/legal-system/alternative-dispute-resolution/civil-dispute-resolution-act-2011">legislative changes</a> which require the exhaustion of alternative dispute resolution measures before proceeding to litigation, and a pursuit of reduced costs, the drama of trial is not something anyone should yearn for.</p> <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/N1Qt0Wo1gGo?wmode=transparent&amp;start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></figure> <h2>Accurate: Rake</h2> <p>Cleaver Greene, a character said to be loosely based on the career of a Sydney barrister, shows us the absolute madness of work as a “<a href="https://nswbar.asn.au/the-bar-association/senior-counsel#:%7E:text=Senior%20counsel%20are%20barristers%20who,a%20QC%20or%20queen's%20counsel.">silk</a>”. Rake excels at showing the reality of law. The show raises interesting and accurate questions of law (yes, it is true there is no <a href="https://opus.lib.uts.edu.au/bitstream/10453/18992/1/2011006119.pdf">explicit offence</a> of cannibalism in New South Wales) and presents Australian court process accurately.</p> <p>Thankfully, there’s not a gavel in sight. <a href="https://www.survivelaw.com/post/941-working-hardly-random-facts-about-the-gavel">Australian courts <em>do not</em> use gavels</a>, and their presence in legal dramas in Australian and UK courts shows a lack of attention to detail. The presence of the gavel as a symbol of justice is <a href="http://www5.austlii.edu.au/au/journals/NSWBarAssocNews/1994/17.pdf">an entirely American invention</a>.</p> <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/qWWI2EdOssk?wmode=transparent&amp;start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></figure> <p>Rake is accurate, in part, because the site of drama is rarely the courtroom, but rather Greene’s personal life. The accuracy of that element for law I will leave up to the jury. But with a <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/13218719.2013.822783">2014 study</a> finding 35% of lawyers engaged in hazardous or harmful drinking and another showing <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-08-15/study-finds-high-rates-anxiety-depression-in-legal-profession/11412832">high rates of anxiety and depression</a> in the legal profession, the evidence is compelling.<!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/212880/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https://theconversation.com/republishing-guidelines --></p> <p><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/dale-mitchell-1468293"><em>Dale Mitchell</em></a><em>, Lecturer in Law, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-the-sunshine-coast-1068">University of the Sunshine Coast</a></em></p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/no-gavels-no-hearsay-and-lots-of-drinking-a-law-expert-ranks-legal-dramas-by-their-accuracy-212880">original article</a>.</em></p>

Legal

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"Get my voice back": Kathy Griffin's intense pre-op drama

<p>Kathy Griffin has shared footage of her pre-operation appointment before she undergoes vocal cord surgery in an effort to save her voice.</p> <p>The American comedian took to TikTok to show fans the process of her surgeon sticking a camera scope up her nose and through to her vocal cord to get a clearer view of the damage.</p> <p>"First step is the numbing spray. Then the scope goes up the nose, down into the vocal cords!" she explained with captions.</p> <p>"As you can see, the left chord is paralyzed.”</p> <p>After she was instructed to make noises to test the cords, Griffin is seen following the doctor’s orders and watching her vocal cord movement on the screen.</p> <p>Griffin reflected post-operation in the same clip, with the 62-year-old lying in a recovery bed following the surgery.</p> <div><iframe title="tiktok embed" src="https://cdn.embedly.com/widgets/media.html?src=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tiktok.com%2Fembed%2Fv2%2F7242029180651687214&display_name=tiktok&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tiktok.com%2F%40kathygriffin%2Fvideo%2F7242029180651687214&image=https%3A%2F%2Fp19-sign.tiktokcdn-us.com%2Fobj%2Ftos-useast5-p-0068-tx%2F202ea4a9813e435c92a1c6996f018c11_1686166329%3Fx-expires%3D1686236400%26x-signature%3D%252Bk5fTTtG0O6jMWR7Pnky9ekvIlw%253D&key=5b465a7e134d4f09b4e6901220de11f0&type=text%2Fhtml&schema=tiktok" width="340" height="700" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></div> <p>"I just had my latest surgery on my left vocal cord, because I want to be in good shape for my big Vegas show," she said.</p> <p>"This is just part of my recovery post-lung cancer surgery," she added. "I'm cancer-free, so anyway a little scratchy today, but I'll be in good shape.”</p> <p>"I so appreciate you guys following along on my journey to get my voice back after lung cancer,” Griffin captioned the video, also sharing it to her Instagram.</p> <p>Griffin had part of her lung removed in 2021 after being diagnosed with lung cancer and was in remission four months later.</p> <p>Her latest hospital visit comes after she revealed her diagnosis of “complex PTSD” in early 2023.</p> <p>Griffin shared her diagnosis in a TikTok in April, asking her followers for recommendations on how to cope with anxiety and depression.</p> <p>"Let's talk about PTSD. Never talked about it publicly," she said. "You can laugh or whatever, but I've been diagnosed with complex PTSD, and it's called an extreme case."</p> <p><em>Image credit: TikTok</em></p>

Caring

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Cafe owner responds to extortionate avocado drama

<p dir="ltr">A Sydney cafe has responded after being slammed for their $10.90 side of avocado.</p> <p dir="ltr">Little Jack Horner, situated right in front of Coogee Beach, also charges $11.90 for halloumi and $9.90 for a side of bacon, all of which are meant to be shared.</p> <p dir="ltr">Cafe owner BJ McHatton spoke to <em>9Honey</em> about the avocado side dish that made waves.</p> <p dir="ltr">"The smashed avocado is portioned at almost one and a half avocados, as well as containing other ingredients to make it a dish, not just an avocado in a bowl," he said of the dish. </p> <p dir="ltr">"The price of avocados does fluctuate, two months ago we were paying double what we are today," he said, adding that the venue works with local providers who go to the market daily to provide them with quality produce.</p> <p dir="ltr">"Of course, this comes at a higher cost that allows us to have a quality offering for our customers.”</p> <p dir="ltr">He pointed out that this is the first price increase in 10 years, with "the hospitality industry as a whole all the way from the suppliers to the actual venues himself have seen prices explode over the last 12 months.”</p> <p dir="ltr">McHatton added that the cafe is in a prime location, with live music five nights a week, 160 indoor plants that are professionally cared for, and their efforts to support local teams, clubs, schools and charities all contribute to their prices.</p> <p dir="ltr">"Obviously, running a business of this size, and in this destination has a lot of associated expenses. All of this has to be taken into account when we set prices for our products.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Despite increased media coverage, McHatton says they haven’t received any backlash.</p> <p dir="ltr">"Obviously being on a few radio stations and covered by a few news stations it has generated some interest on those stories. However, after reading the comments, most of them are supportive. Most people genuinely seem to understand how hard running a business is the associated cost to come with running a business," he told <em>9Honey</em>. </p> <p dir="ltr">However, he expressed disappointment at the Google reviews that were allegedly left overnight by people who had never been to the cafe.</p> <p dir="ltr">"[It's] disappointing that people will go to the trouble of leaving a review having never actually experienced the venue. If anyone has ever been to our place, they know it's a lot more about an experience, which includes the food than just the food and the price," McHatton said.</p> <p dir="ltr">Other reviewers have dubbed the food “grossly overpriced”, with one reviewer revealing their Easter lunch of two breakfasts and fruit juice was almost $100. Another added that the prices were "pushing close to that of what you would expect for dinner," though they did say the food "was great".</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-58292ee2-7fff-ec9e-cede-50a6da2915f7"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image credit: Shutterstock</em></p>

Food & Wine

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Bridgerton – how period dramas made audiences hate the corset

<p>When you think of a corset, you might imagine period drama dames sucking in as they cling onto a bedpost as a feisty lady’s maid aggressively laces them in. Nextflix’s hot Regency inspired drama Bridgerton features similar such tortuous scenes.</p> <p>In the run up to the show’s second season, Simone Ashley, who plays the new heroine Kate Sharma, complained to Glamour Magazine about the <a href="https://www.glamourmagazine.co.uk/article/simone-ashley-bridgerton-interview-2022">horrors of wearing a corset</a>. She claimed that her corset caused her “a lot of pain” and “changed her body”.</p> <p>In the first season, Prudence Featherington (played by Bessie Carter) was tight-laced into a corset. Prudence’s mother urges her daughter on: “I was able to squeeze my waist into the size of an orange-and-a-half when I was Prudence’s age”. Rather unnecessary, when regency gowns fall from an under-bust empire line, which obscures the waist. Unlike their later Victorian counterparts, regency corsets focused on enhancing a lady’s assets, not shrinking her waist.</p> <p>This scene is ubiquitous in period dramas, from Elizabeth Swan fainting in Pirates of the Caribbean, to Rose DeWitt Bukater unable to breath in Titanic, and, of course, Mammy’s iconic line, “Just hold on, and suck in!”, as Scarlet O’Hara clings to a bedpost in Gone with the Wind. It may be on screen shorthand for the restricted lives of historical women, but it stems from a fundamental misunderstanding of historical corsets and women alike.</p> <p>After centuries of women (and some men) wearing corsets to support and shape the body, it was Victorian men who <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zNwTqanp0Aw">taught us to hate corsets</a>. Corset-related health issues were a myth, constructed by doctors, to promote their own patriarchal perspectives. So, you might be surprised to hear that period dramas are perpetuating Victorian misogyny.</p> <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/FZ7r2OVu1ss?wmode=transparent&amp;start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></figure> <p><strong>Medicine, misogyny, and the corset</strong></p> <p>The list of medical complaints that 19th-century doctors attributed to the corset seem unending. Constipation, pregnancy complications, breast cancer, postpartum infection and tuberculosis were all blamed on the corset. One Victorian doctor, Benjamin Orange Flower, author of the 1892 pamphlet <a href="https://archive.org/details/fashionsslaves00flow">Fashion’s Slaves</a>, claimed that “if women will continue this destructive habit, the race must inevitably deteriorate”.</p> <p>As science has developed, the medical root of these illnesses has been identified, and the corset’s culpability disproved. The corset offers an example of <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2019/nov/13/the-female-problem-male-bias-in-medical-trials">gender bias within medical research</a>. The many ailments of <a href="https://brightonmuseums.org.uk/discover/2016/04/22/inside-georges-breeches-the-health-of-george-iv/">George IV</a>, one of the many men to wear a corset in the 19th century, were never blamed on his corset wearing.</p> <p>Some corsets were even specifically designed to be healthy and supportive. Lingerie company Gossards published <a href="https://books.google.co.uk/books/about/Corsets_from_a_Surgical_Viewpoint.html?id=hztGtwAACAAJ&amp;redir_esc=y">Corsets from a Surgical Perspective</a> in 1909, which promoted the flexibility and supportive possibilities of the corset, which could “preserve the lines demanded by fashion, but without discomfort or injury”.</p> <p><img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/04/file-20220330-5868-a1x92v.jpg" alt="Regency stays sought to shape women’s breasts by separating and lifting them. V&amp;A" width="754" height="1005" /></p> <p><em>Regency stays sought to shape women’s breasts by separating and lifting them. Image: <a href="https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O138889/stays-unknown/?carousel-image=2010EE8174">V&amp;A</a></em></p> <p>But the hourglass shape of the late 19th-century period was not what women of the regency desired. They were only interested in their breasts, as <a href="https://www.yalebooks.co.uk/display.asp?K=9780300218725">Hilary Davidson has shown</a>. Breasts needed to be lifted and separated into two round orbs. Regency corsets (or “stays” as they were known) were often <a href="https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O138889/stays-unknown/">short, always soft, and never heavily boned</a>. Their purpose was bust support, never restriction. I wonder what regency women would have thought of modern bras with straps that pinch and underwire that rubs.</p> <p>Historical corsets were ingenious, light and bendy. Whalebone (which is baleen from the mouth of a whale, and is not actual bone) is wonderfully flexible, and moulds to the body beneath it – and many corsets were simply reinforced with cotton cording. Corsets reduced back pain from bad posture and <a href="https://museum.maidstone.gov.uk/staff-pick-pregnancy-corset/">had expanding portions for pregnancy</a>.</p> <p><strong>Historical myth making</strong></p> <p>The problem then in the depiction of corsets in period dramas is not “historical accuracy”, an idea <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=br_tGCadJPE">widely debunked by historians</a>, including Bridgerton’s own <a href="https://www.historyextra.com/period/modern/period-dramas-should-not-be-judged-on-historical-accuracy-say-historians/">historical advisor</a>. Bridgerton’s costumes are joyously reminiscent of designer <a href="https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/80018036">George Halley</a>’s highly embellished and brightly coloured empire line fashion designs from the 1960s. Bridgerton’s costumes are historically inspired fantasy.</p> <p>Bridgerton is to Regency England what Game of Thrones is to the Wars of the Roses, and there is nothing wrong with that. It is a fantastical reimagining, creatively inspired by the past. The idea that its costumes should be “historically accurate”, or that such an aspiration is even possible, is not what is at stake here.</p> <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/qYNCws-a6CQ?wmode=transparent&amp;start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></figure> <p>This is an issue of historical fallacy. Women of the past had agency over their bodies and how they were dressed. They were clever about how they achieved the fashionable proportions, padding out the <a href="https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O354882/bustle-pad-unknown/">hips</a> and <a href="https://risdmuseum.org/art-design/collection/bust-improver-6003412">bust</a>, rather than reducing the waist. Like the show’s famed dressmaker, Madame Delacroix, many of the professionals dressing them were themselves women. We strip away that agency and ingenuity when we assume historical women were passive dolls, dressed up and cinched in by a patriarchal society.</p> <p>For historical women, corsets were a support garment, which allowed them to follow the fashionable silhouette without having to diet, exercise, or have cosmetic surgery. It would be a refreshing change to see period dramas embrace this feminist history of the corset, instead of falling back on a misogynistic stereotype.<!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/180267/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https://theconversation.com/republishing-guidelines --></p> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/serena-dyer-1127384">Serena Dyer</a>, Lecturer in History of Design and Material Culture, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/de-montfort-university-1254">De Montfort University</a></em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/bridgerton-how-period-dramas-made-audiences-hate-the-corset-180267">original article</a>.</em></p> <p><em>Image: @bridgertonnetflix (Instagram)</em></p>

Beauty & Style

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“An embarrassment”: Ben Fordham weighs in on Will Smith drama

<p dir="ltr">Will Smith has publicly apologised to Chris Rock for <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/news/news/the-slap-heard-around-the-world" target="_blank" rel="noopener">slapping him</a> on-stage at the Oscars over a joke about his wife, Jada Pinkett-Smith.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Violence in all of its forms is poisonous and destructive. My behaviour at last night’s Academy Awards was unacceptable and inexcusable,” Smith wrote in a screenshot shared on Instagram on Tuesday.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Jokes at my expense are a part of the job, but a joke about Jada’s medical condition was too much for me to bear and I reacted emotionally.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-0abc6f8c-7fff-96cc-e912-16e0b28c2185"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">“I would like to publicly apologise to you, Chris. I was out of line and I was wrong. I am embarrassed and my actions were not indicative of the man I want to be.”</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CbqmaY1p7Pz/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CbqmaY1p7Pz/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Will Smith (@willsmith)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">The apology comes after the Academy of Motion Pictures and Sciences, the organisation that awards the Oscars, <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/entertainment/movies/could-will-smith-lose-his-oscar" target="_blank" rel="noopener">condemned</a> Smith’s behaviour and said they would investigate the incident.</p> <p dir="ltr">Others have also been quick to weigh in on the situation, with radio host Ben Fordham questioning how Smith was able to stay in the audience and go on to receive an award.</p> <p dir="ltr">Speaking on 2GB, Fordham questioned why Smith hadn’t faced any repercussions after he “belted (Rock) in the face”.</p> <p dir="ltr">“The best the Academy could do was send out a pathetic tweet … You absolutely condoned it. You let him return to his seat. You didn’t kick him out and you then handed him an award,” Fordham <a href="https://www.news.com.au/entertainment/awards/oscars/double-standards-ben-fordham-lashes-out-over-will-smiths-oscars-slap/news-story/ab86b57d23709fc4e9da0b9a7801af56" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>.</p> <p dir="ltr">“The double standards are extraordinary.</p> <p dir="ltr">“They lecture everyone else about how to behave, but when the bad behaviour happened on their stage it was a case of see no evil, hear no evil.</p> <p dir="ltr">“The Academy Awards are an embarrassment. They preach one thing and they do the opposite.”</p> <p dir="ltr">The radio host and journalist acknowledged why Smith would have been upset, while also pointing out that Smith initially laughed at the joke until he saw his wife’s reaction.</p> <p dir="ltr">“If that was said about my wife, I would have struggled to stay in my seat,” Fordham admitted.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I wouldn’t have belted anyone, but I can understand how rage could build when you see something like this happen to someone you love.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-be03ca59-7fff-b29e-20ca-27e3072a6e48"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">The slap has also prompted the resurfacing of footage showing Smith behaving similarly and slapping a ‘reporter’ in 2012.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">Y’all must’ve forgot <a href="https://t.co/OhGHFCOAbT">pic.twitter.com/OhGHFCOAbT</a></p> <p>— Jiles (@Jiles) <a href="https://twitter.com/Jiles/status/1508276702258024452?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 28, 2022</a></p></blockquote> <p dir="ltr">The star <a href="https://www.scoopwhoop.com/entertainment/oscar-2022-will-smith-slapped-reporter-for-kissing-him-old-video/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly</a> slapped Ukrainian prankster Vitali Sediuk, who was posing as a reporter when he attempted to kiss Smith.</p> <p dir="ltr">Luckily, the 2012 incident ended in apologies from the prankster - who went on to repeat the stunt with other celebrities - but the run-in between Rock and Smith hasn’t gone as smoothly.</p> <p dir="ltr">Rock’s joke during the awards ceremony referred to Pinkett-Smith’s shaved head.</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-3b7b138b-7fff-cd9e-5361-f77bfd0e237f"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">She was diagnosed with alopecia (the medical term for baldness) in 2018 and has since spoken out about her experience losing her hair.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Getty Images</em></p>

News

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Keep an eye out for these 5 films from the Byron Bay International Film Fest

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Though the <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.bbff.com.au/blog/bbff-returns-in-2021-with-a-special-edition-programme-of-inspiring-and-uplifting-films" target="_blank">Byron Bay International Film Festival</a> has ended for this year, that doesn’t mean you missed out on its offerings.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The nature of the Aussie film festival means that some films are already out, like <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.oversixty.co.nz/entertainment/movies/how-to-watch-these-5-short-films-from-the-byron-bay-international-film-fest" target="_blank">these five</a>, while others are screened ahead of their airing to the general public.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">With that in mind, here are five short films in this year’s programme that you’ll want to keep an eye out for.</span></p> <p><em><strong>Inner Portraits</strong></em></p> <p><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7846493/film-fest7.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/9a774b879fcb43b387b9f36e4c4c7414" /></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image: Supplied</span></em></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Photographic artist RJ Poole has made a rare appearance in front of the camera in </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Inner Portraits</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">. The short documentary sees the Lismore photographer become the subject, relating his experiences as a soldier in Australia’s SAS regiment during his youth, interspersed with some of his proudest work.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Having made its appearances at the Melbourne Documentary and St Kilda film festivals, the public release date for </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Inner Portraits</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> is yet to be announced.</span></p> <p><em><strong>Perfect Storm</strong></em></p> <p><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7846492/film-fest5.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/bdcaf3e26bb34370a115bc896af9df84" /></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image: Supplied</span></em></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Set on the wild coast of Auckland, </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Perfect Storm</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> follows one man’s enforced isolation from his loved ones during the pandemic. With a cast of just two, </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Perfect Storm</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> shows how coming home to oneself and the environment can be a silver lining amid loneliness.</span></p> <p><em><strong>CWA: Judgement Day</strong></em></p> <p><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7846495/film-fest11.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/c5d0bf976ef34c1f820e2d901c544d22" /></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image: Byron Bay International Film Festival</span></em></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Step inside the Country Women’s Association, an Australian icon and backbone of rural living, through </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">CWA: Judgement Day</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">. Set in a nondescript Canberra building, it follows a group of women gathering for a secret initiation into the world of judging for the CWA.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">With its world premiere at the Byron Bay film festival, this is one film to be on the lookout for.</span></p> <p><em><strong>The Handyman</strong></em></p> <p><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7846491/film-fest3.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/1c8c0bef92754c67b8d253ce9b322559" /></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image: Supplied</span></em></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">An Australian drama, </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Handyman </span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">starts with Evelyn (Alison Whyte, </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Dressmaker</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">) about to end her life, until she is interrupted by an awkward handyman (Nathaniel Dean, </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Alien: Covenant</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">). His need for work collides with Evelyn’s desire to make him leave, and she discovers that he has problems of his own to contend with.</span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Handyman</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> has been making appearances at film festivals around the world since its premiere in Cairo last year, with its public release date still to be confirmed.</span></p> <p><em><strong>Dandelion</strong></em></p> <p><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7846494/film-fest10.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/c9a2c329480442c5964d42fd16504ef9" /></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image: Supplied</span></em></p> <p><em><strong><span style="font-weight: 400;">Dandelion</span></strong></em><strong><span style="font-weight: 400;"> takes on the tough subject of loving someone and supporting them on their mental health journey with quirks and comedy, all while replacing the strong female character trope with a more nuanced, vulnerable protagonist.</span></strong></p>

Movies

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Wild Republic: The new drama thriller set in the Alps

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Dubbed the “<em>Lord of the Flies</em> for a new generation”, </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wild Republic</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> is the latest series to take inspiration from the classic novel.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The German television series starts with a bunch of juvenile delinquents who are undergoing an experiential rehabilitation program in the rugged German Alps.</span></p> <p><img style="width: 500px; height:250px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7843508/luis_zeno_kuhn-fotografie-munchen-03363.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/2e998bf45e6343b482cc559525562674" /></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image: SBS</span></em></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Following the sudden death of one member, the troubled youths face a tough choice: wait for the authorities to investigate the crime or take fate into their own hands and make an escape?</span></p> <p><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/tO0LVkF-Vuk" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Directed by Markus Goller and Lennart Ruff, the eight-part series tackles issues about how to survive, what choices are made, and at what cost.</span></p> <p><img style="width: 500px; height:238.57142857142858px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7843509/wild_republic.jpeg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/584d5f7e05394894bbb871d15f9e9387" /></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image: SBS</span></em></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The series is now exclusively streaming in German with English subtitles at </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.sbs.com.au/ondemand/program/wild-republic" target="_blank"><span style="font-weight: 400;">SBS On Demand</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image: SBS</span></em></p>

TV

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Ash Barty pulled into Osaka drama

<p>An American journalist has dragged World No. 1 Ash Barty into the current drama surrounding Naomi Osaka, claiming that Barty's press conferences are proof of racial bias within the media.</p> <p>Osaka withdrew from the French Open on Tuesday morning after boycotting press conferences during the Open sparked controversy.</p> <p>Osaka revealed that she would be taking some time away from tennis to focus on her mental health.</p> <p>New York reporter Chris Spargo believes otherwise, saying that the issue stems from much more than Osaka's mental health.</p> <p>“Take a look at the questions Ash Barty is asked in a post-match interview as compared to Naomi Osaka,” Spargo wrote in a now-deleted tweet. “Same journalists, same tournament.</p> <p>“This is just as much about race as it is about mental health, be it Venus, Serena or Naomi in the press room.”</p> <p>In the transcript, Barty was asked "Is thet hte best start you think you've had to a grand slam?" and "You're playing so well, what's the next step?" whereas Osaka was asked "You looked a bit nervous" and "Why was it intimidating to see Serena Williams on the other side of the net?".</p> <p>However, the transcript doesn't mention that Barty's questions were different due to her defeating Montenegrin Danka Kovinic 6-0 6-0 whereas Osaka's questions came after defeating Serena Williams, her tennis idol growing up.</p> <p>Spargo pointed out that he had to delete the tweet due to "ignorant and racist responses".</p>

News

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Nanny drama details revealed: Why Meghan and Harry couldn’t take it anymore

<p>Reports have revealed Meghan Markle and Prince Harry were “put off” hiring nannies after a bizarre “incident with a night nanny”.</p> <p>In the event after Archie’s birth, the couple hired help to aid in the toddler’s bedroom routine.</p> <p><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.mirror.co.uk/tv/tv-news/meghan-markle-put-off-childcare-24175073" target="_blank">According to<span> </span><em>The Mirror</em>,</a><span> </span>author of<span> </span><em>Finding Freedom</em><span> </span>and rumoured friend of Meghan’s Omid Scobie told Channel 4, they had to fire the nanny just days into their employment.</p> <p>“Very few people know the real story behind it,” he revealed on the broadcaster’s documentary<span> </span><em>A Very Royal Baby: From Cradle to Crown.</em></p> <p>“After Archie’s arrival, Harry and Meghan wanted some help to establish a sleep pattern. They hired a night nanny.</p> <p>“Whilst I can’t go into someone else’s employment details for legal reasons, it was an incident on one of the first nights that put the couple off from having a night nurse.”</p> <p><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7841450/meghan-markle-archie-harry.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/82abcc9c358e471c93aaede7febe2e9d" /></p> <p><em>Image: Instagram</em></p> <p>The incident reportedly scarred the couple and put them off of hiring permanent help.</p> <p>“Meghan and Harry were forced to let the nurse go in the middle of her second night for being unprofessional and irresponsible,” he explained.</p> <p>The royal pair then went on to hire another nanny but were reportedly so disturbed by their last experience that they the night nurse not too long after.</p> <p>The Duke and Duchess of Sussex reportedly then looked for someone in the day.</p> <p>“They moved onto number three. Which was a woman that worked for them for quite some time actually, until they moved to California,” Scobie said.</p> <p>“She helped them out on very much a 9-5 basis, and it was a great working relationship actually despite reports.”</p> <p>The royal family routinely uses nannies for day-to-day duties, and Prince William and Prince Harry are still very close to their childhood carer.</p>

Family & Pets

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“Rather hurtful”: Queen “doesn’t want to talk about” Megxit drama

<div class="post_body_wrapper"> <div class="post_body"> <div class="body_text "> <p>Queen Elizabeth II is reportedly so hurt by the drama surrounding her grandson Harry and Meghan that she hates it being brought up.</p> <p>“She generally doesn’t want to talk about it,” says one insider to<span> </span><em><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.vanityfair.com/style/2020/02/harry-meghan-royal-decision-queen" target="_blank">Vanity Fair</a>.</em></p> <p>“The Queen has been keen to get this resolved because she sees it is damaging to the monarchy and on a personal level, I think this has been rather hurtful for her.</p> <p>“She has got to the point where she doesn’t want to think about it anymore, she just wants it over and done with.”</p> <p>The Queen has had to walk the thin line between duty and family, and while she’s kept the door open for the Sussexes’ return, the Queen had no choice but to ban the couple from potentially exploiting their connection to the monarchy.</p> <p>“The Queen’s disciplinary power within her family is seldom mentioned and seldom used. The mere threat of her displeasure is enough to keep the troops in line most of the time,” explained former courtier Patrick Jephson.</p> <p>“When something more emphatic is required in defense of the dynasty, she does what’s necessary. People are reassured when she acts to protect the monarchy. It’s an institution that occasionally has to demonstrate robust self-belief to remain credible as a focus of national unity.</p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/B2bFlARniq9/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B2bFlARniq9/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by The Royal Family (@theroyalfamily)</a> on Sep 15, 2019 at 12:19am PDT</p> </div> </blockquote> <p>“Perhaps it’s her longevity but the Queen has a gift for keeping problems in perspective. Her instincts are humane, cautious and pragmatic.”</p> <p>Royal biographer Sally Bedell Smith said that the decisions the Queen has already made this year shows she is fully engaged in her role”.</p> <p>“For all the travails of last year and the early months of 2020, she continues to maintain her enviable serenity and carries out her duties in her unflappable fashion,” Smith said.</p> <p>“Of course these family crises have been challenging, vexing, and sad. But in removing Andrew from his public duties and negotiating the tricky departure of Harry and Meghan from royal life, the Queen was decisive and sure-footed.”</p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/B22CDh8njDM/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B22CDh8njDM/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by The Royal Family (@theroyalfamily)</a> on Sep 25, 2019 at 11:28am PDT</p> </div> </blockquote> <p>However, insiders close to Harry have said that he is disappointed to completely give up his royal duties, including his role with the military, but his independence is more important.</p> <p>He went into this knowing that he could lose his title, but his freedom is more important than any of that,” said a friend. “He and Meghan have a back-up plan in place.”</p> </div> </div> </div>

Relationships

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Duchess Meghan steps out in bold look for the first time since doco drama

<p>The Duchess of Sussex stepped out in public for the first since the airing of a controversial documentary, where she opened up about the pressures of royal life. </p> <p>On Tuesday night, Duchess Meghan, 38, attended the opening ceremony of the One Young World Summit at London’s Royal Albert Hall. </p> <p>The One World website noted the royal as a “long standing supporter” of the organisation since joining as a counsellor at the 2014 summit in Dublin. </p> <p>She attended the event without  her hubby, Prince Harry, to fulfill her role as vice-president of the Queen’s Commonwealth Trust. </p> <p>The former actress showcased her glossy locks and made a bold statement in a royal purple $50 dress - one royal fans saw before from when she was pregnant with her five-month-old son Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor. </p> <p>The long-sleeved, bright plum coloured number is from Babaton by Aritizia and was first worn back in January 2019 when she and the Duke of Sussex visited Birkenhead, Englandin. </p> <p>During the opening ceremony, the royal was announced as one of 70 counsellors to appear at the summit, along with fellow celebs, Bob Geldof and Ellie Goulding. </p> <p>Ahead of Tuesday's event, the<span> </span>Sussex Royal<span> </span>Instagram account shared photos and footage from Meghan's appearances at previous One Young World summit.</p> <p>In one video, the royal addressed an audience in Dublin. </p> <p>She spoke passionately about female empowerment and implementing change, regardless of how old you are. </p> <p>"I think what scares people is that the idea of female empowerment is somehow threatening," she said.</p> <p>"No, it's not! You empower the women, you're empowering the community."</p> <p>The Duchess also mentioned as a child she successfully petitioned for the wording of a TV advertisement to be changed, in order to reflect gender equality. </p> <p>"I think anything is possible, because with my small voice at 11 years old we could do it, so I can only imagine what all of you are going to be able to do," she said.</p> <p>Tuesday’s events follows after both the Duke and Duchess of Sussex made headlines for the release of the ITV documentary<span> </span>Harry and Meghan: An African Journey. </p> <p>Scroll through the gallery above to see Duchess Meghan’s bold purple look.</p>

Beauty & Style

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“What the hell” Ash Barty shook to the core over US Open drama

<p>Tennis star Ash Barty’s preparation for the fourth round US Open has been called into question after she was hit in the face with a shock to lower-ranking Chinese opponent, Qiang Wang. </p> <p>The Australian world no. 2 was far from her best on Sunday when she crashed out of the singles in a shocking 6-2, 6-4 loss. </p> <p>Barty hit 39 unforced errors and went on a 0/9 break point opportunities - just one day after playing a lengthy 150 minute doubles match while her opponent rested up. </p> <p><img style="width: 0px; height: 0px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7830255/ash-barty-1.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/d11e4719c9ee4a2fae8c06fe2caf1c1a" /></p> <p>Her love for doubles has been undeniable and it skyrocketed her into the eye of the public after reaching the finals of the Australian Open and Wimbledon back in 2013. </p> <p>The stunning defeat has resulted in a heap of criticism from a number of fans and experts with critics questioning whether her preparation for her big match against Wang let her down. </p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">Barty played 2.5 hrs of doubles yesterday, looked flat today. Maybe rethink strategy</p> — steven gardner (@supersteveg61) <a href="https://twitter.com/supersteveg61/status/1168200952442052608?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 1, 2019</a></blockquote> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">Ash Barty clearly out of sorts.. those doubles matches must be wearing on her <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/USOpen?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#USOpen</a></p> — Karthik K (@agentscorpion) <a href="https://twitter.com/agentscorpion/status/1168186376233390081?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 1, 2019</a></blockquote> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">I think the long doubles match that Ash Barty played yesterday is weighing heavy on her today. Down a set and a break to Wang Qiang.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/USOpen?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#USOpen</a></p> — Uday...💖💥 (@UdaySinghBhati6) <a href="https://twitter.com/UdaySinghBhati6/status/1168191925494546432?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 1, 2019</a></blockquote> <p>&gt;</p> <p>Barty is hoping to win this year’s US Open women’s double title with Victoria Azarenka as she did last year alongside Coco Vandeweghe. </p> <p>Barty and Victoria Azarenka won their doubles clash 12-10 in a nail biting third set tiebreaker, but viewers suggested she would have been better off resting</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">Am also 😳. Maybe Barty got tired from her doubles match so she couldn't play her best.</p> — mavymay (@mavvymay) <a href="https://twitter.com/mavvymay/status/1168220099192545280?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 1, 2019</a></blockquote> <p>target="_</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">Apparently Barty had a long doubles match yesterday. Maybe not feeling 100%</p> — Kirby Barkalot (@jrdn54) <a href="https://twitter.com/jrdn54/status/1168194657316036608?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 1, 2019</a></blockquote> <p>However, in typical Barty style, the Australian did not dwell on the difficult loss and instead reflected on an incredible grand slam season. </p> <p>"It's been incredible. Yeah, I mean, it's a tough day at the office today, but it's been a year where we've hit our goals. Obviously I would have loved to have kept going here in singles, but we've got an opportunity to do that in doubles," Barty said.</p> <p>"Knowing what it was like last year to be able to lift the trophy in doubles was really cool. To be able to have another opportunity to do that now, still being able to play in doubles, is a bonus.</p> <p>"We've had a great season in grand slams for singles. We've made the second week every single one, which has been really special.</p> <p>"Now we'll sit back, reflect, and look forward to a big couple months to finish off the year."</p>

News

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New details emerge from cruise drama

<p>Just when you thought the sorry saga couldn’t get any worse, <a href="http://www.oversixty.com.au/travel/cruising/2018/02/cruise-from-hell-passengers-reject-unacceptable-compensation-after-violence-breaks-out/" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>new details of the Carnival Legend cruise drama</strong></span></a> which saw passengers stuck indoors as violence broke out, have emerged, and it seems like there’s more to this story than we thought.</p> <p><a href="http://www.news.com.au/" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>News.com.au reports</strong></em></span></a> the group at the centre of the drama, which would go on to make news around the world for all the wrong reasons, consists of three families, “a large extended Italian family group with two sets of Italian grandparents, a Lebanese-Australian son-in-law and one Assyrian Australian friend.”</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">More than twenty members of the one family have been arrested, over a massive brawl on-board the Carnival Legend cruise ship. <a href="https://twitter.com/DougalBeatty?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DougalBeatty</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/9News?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#9News</a> <a href="https://t.co/0sbdYcKV1g">pic.twitter.com/0sbdYcKV1g</a></p> — Nine News Australia (@9NewsAUS) <a href="https://twitter.com/9NewsAUS/status/964401603607371776?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 16, 2018</a></blockquote> <p>Media reports have <a href="http://www.oversixty.com.au/travel/cruising/2018/02/cruise-from-hell-passengers-stuck-in-cabins-as-violence-breaks-out/" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>suggested that the cause of the initial drama</strong></span></a> was a group of “Aussie males” who stepped on the thong of an Italian-Australian female, which resulted in “niggling, pushing and shoving” ensued between the two groups.</p> <p>But reports have now revealed that the final clash between the family and security officers onboard was prompted by a staff ambush in one of the ship’s corridors.</p> <p>Damning video footage has been shared online, which shows young adults fighting with the ship’s pursers and other staff on deck, with women and men pushing and shoving.</p> <p>A spokesman for Carnival Cruises <a href="http://www.News.com.au" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>told News.com.au</strong></em></span></a> an investigation into the incident was already being undertaken by the cruise line.</p> <p>“An investigation into all aspects of the Carnival Legend cruise is currently being conducted and our intention is to allow it to run its course without further comment pending its completion,” he said.</p> <p>What are your thoughts? Do you think Carnival responded appropriately?</p>

Travel Trouble

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A look back at the fashion of A Place to Call Home and Love Child

<p>It’s no secret that we here at Over60 are huge fans of TV period dramas. From worldwide hits such as <em>Downton Abbey</em> and <em>Call the Midwife</em> to homegrown favourites like <em>A Place to Call Home</em> and<em> Love Child</em>, we simply can’t get enough of them.</p> <p>But it’s not just the gripping storylines and multi-faceted characters that keep us coming back for more – it’s their ability to stir up that nostalgic feeling and completely transport us to another time with stunning costume design.</p> <p>From the cinched-waists, tea-length skirts and perfectly coiffed hair characteristic of the 1950s (as seen in <em>A Place to Call Home</em>) to the go-go boots, short shorts and wild-print shift dresses of the ‘60s and ‘70s (perfectly captured in <em>Love Child</em>), we simply adore the stunning fashions from both shows.</p> <p>While <em>Love Child</em> sadly came to an end with its fourth season, we’re eagerly awaiting the next season of <em>A Place to Call Home</em>, which is set to air later this year <span>with Season 5 releasing on DVD in March.</span></p> <p>In the meantime, join us as we celebrate the iconic retro styles from these two beloved shows. Scroll through the gallery above to see some of the programs’ best looks and tell us in the comments below, what’s your favourite period TV series?</p> <p><em>A Place to Call Home S1-4 and Love Child S1-4 is available on DVD.</em></p>

Beauty & Style

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5 best true crime documentaries on Netflix

<p>There’s something so intriguing about crime documentaries. The subjects they depict are gruesome and terrifying, yet we can’t look away. Perhaps it’s our innate sense of curiosity that keeps us glued to the screen, or maybe it’s our utter disbelief that such horrible things can happen to good people. Either way, true crime books, films and TV shows continue to grip the attention of millions – and these are five of the best.</p> <p><strong>1. <em>Making a Murderer</em></strong></p> <p>This 10-part series, released in December 2015, quickly became a worldwide phenomenon. <em>Making a Murderer</em> follows the story of Steven Avery, a Wisconsin man who spent 18 years in prison for sexual assault and attempted murder before being completely exonerated in 2003. Two years later, however, he was arrested and convicted once more – for the murder of a local photographer. But did he do it? This story, which is still ongoing, will have you pondering that way beyond the end credits.</p> <p><strong>2. <em>The Jinx</em></strong></p> <p>In 1982, Robert Durst’s wife disappeared. In 2000, his friend, writer Susan Berman, was murdered. Then, just one year later, his neighbour was killed and dismembered. While he clearly had connections to all three crimes and was a prime suspect in each, Durst was never convicted – and the crimes went unsolved. The Jinx delves deep into his past, questioning every detail and every tiny piece of evidence. What is uncovered will leave you speechless.</p> <p><strong>3. <em>The Keepers</em></strong></p> <p>Sister Cathy Cesnik, a 27-year-old nun, was one of the most popular teachers at Archbishop Keough High School in Baltimore. One night, she went to a shopping mall and never came back. Two months later, she was found murdered. <a href="http://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/television/john-doyle-netflixs-new-true-crime-series-the-keepers-is-an-unsettling-stunner/article35010727/" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Described</span></strong></a> as being “more disturbing […] but just as gripping” as Making a Murderer, this series sets out to answer the question – what really happened to Sister Cathy?</p> <p><strong>4. <em>Monster: The Josef Fritzl Story</em></strong></p> <p>In 2008, the world was shocked and disgusted to learn of a young Austrian woman who had been held captive in a basement by her father, Josef Fritzl, who subjected his daughter to physical and sexual abuse. The most horrific part? Her captivity spanned a staggering 24 years, during which time she gave birth to seven children as a result of her father’s abuse. In <em>Monster</em>, rare footage and interviews with Fritzl’s family, victims and doctors to paint a picture of what drove him to commit such acts of terror.</p> <p><strong>5.<em> Aileen: Life and Death of a Serial Killer</em></strong></p> <p>Aileen Wuornos was known as “Monster”, a title which she well and truly earned. Dabbling in rather minor criminal activity from the age of 18, Wuornos soon graduated to much more horrific endeavours. Between 1989 and 1990 in Florida, she killed seven men, shooting them at point-blank range. She claimed to have been acting in self-defence, alleging the men either were succeeded or attempted to sexually assault her. After being convicted of murder, she was sentenced to execution. But things might not have been what they seemed…</p> <p>Are you a fan of true crime? What’s your favourite book, TV show or film from the genre?</p> <p><em>Image credit: Making A Murderer/Netflix.</em></p>

TV

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5 tips to avoid family dramas

<p>Easter may have come and gone but that doesn’t mean that “family events” have come to a stand still. While Christmas Day and Easter Sunday are generally considered the high-stress holidays, your weekend family birthday or BBQ celebration can be just as tension filled.</p> <p>Psychologists have found that one of the primary causes of stress around special occasions is family drama. Be it intrusive questions, uncomfortable political discussions or your cousin who always overdoes the “drink and be merry”, family gatherings have the potential to go down hill very quickly. Fortunately there are a number of key steps you can take to help reduce family stress and tension.</p> <ol> <li><strong>Anticipate triggers</strong> – You should know by now what’s most likely to cause your stress levels to skyrocket. Laying these out in advance allows you to plan and rehearse your response ahead of time.</li> <li><strong>Be willing to make a fresh start</strong> – The saying goes that you can’t choose your family. This could be extended further to include the fact that you can’t choose how you see them and what you’ve held onto emotionally over years of interaction. It can be very hard to move on from an unpleasant past experience, even years later. If you can, try putting your baggage to the side for the day and greet your gathering as a new interaction with new people. Be like an impartial outsider meeting your family for the first time. You’ve changed over the last 5/10/15/20 years and chances are good that they may have as well.</li> <li><strong>Find an oasis</strong> – Having a secret spot or activity to look forward to or retreat to if necessary can help release tension. Plan this in advance so you can remind yourself if/when things go south that you’ll have a breather soon.</li> <li><strong>Rely on comrades</strong> – Even if you don’t have a family member or relative you get on spectacularly well with, you’ll probably have one or two who are “neutral” territory and most likely want to avoid stress as much as you do. Make a beeline for them! If you are close with that person, explaining how you’re feeling and getting them onside to help navigate some of the “hot button” issues can reduce stress dramatically. A problem shared is a problem halved after all!</li> <li><strong>Be grateful</strong> – It might be difficult but focusing on the positive, even if it’s only a single thing, is the best thing for your body and brain. Gratitude is a powerful antidote to misery and stress. Utilise is when and where you can.</li> </ol> <p><strong>Related links:</strong></p> <p><a href="/lifestyle/family-pets/2016/04/how-grandparenting-today-has-changed/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>The new rules of grandparenthood</strong></em></span></a></p> <p><a href="/lifestyle/family-pets/2016/04/best-activities-to-do-with-grandchildren/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>10 of the best activities to do with grandchildren</strong></em></span></a></p> <p><a href="/lifestyle/family-pets/2016/03/100-years-of-family-dinner/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>100 years of family dinner in 3 minutes</strong></em></span></a></p>

Family & Pets