In the age of mass consumption, it seems as though plastic is inescapable. Looking around me, almost half of the random objects scattered on my desk are made of plastic: my calculator, a tape dispenser, a dried up glue stick, a used Amazon gift card, my hoard of pens, an old California Pizza Kitchen cup, my squishy cat stress toy… the list goes on and on. …
While sitting on the colorful carpet of my first grade classroom during storytime, a young, white classmate dramatically pulled his eyelids up towards his temple and turned to me.
“Why do you look like this?” he inquired. Though I was well-aware of what he was mocking, I was taken aback by his question and quickly turned red.
One side of me was merely confused.
“But I’m only half asian!” I thought to myself, “And the other half is white just like him!”
However, deeper within me was a sense of shame and helplessness. Growing up in a predominantly white town…
TikTok is arguably the most popular social media app developed in the past five years. Not only is it highly addictive, but it is relatively easy to use; you choose a song, take a video, and add any features you want: from stickers of smiley faces to filters that morph you into Santa Claus.
I downloaded the app a little more than half a year ago in a joking manner, as I only thought of it as a hub for middle schoolers to post cringe-worthy videos of themselves dancing to bass-boosted rap music. Fast forward to today, and I spend…
Those who watched Shrek as children often remember viewing the movie as yet another silly animation with quirky characters and an unusual romance. Although Shrek did feature a strange blend of fairy tales, the general plot was no different than your average children’s movie: an outcast sets out on a journey to save a damsel in distress, they fall in love, some petty conflict occurs, and they ultimately live happily ever after. However, watching the movie as an adult or teenager elicits a rather different response, for Shrek is full of hidden meanings and references. During my most recent watching…
“Only ONE size?”: What’s Behind the Brandy Melville Craze
In a cult-like manner, hordes of Nike Air Force 1 clad teenage girls scrambled around the SOHO Brandy Melville store snatching clothing off the shelves before rushing to the fitting room line that wrapped all the way around the wall. I clutched a tank top, a plaid skirt and a couple of dresses; I waited in the dressing room line while the strangely gorgeous employees took customers unwanted clothes. Finally in a fitting room, I put the clothes to the test.
The tank top? Kind of tight, but stretchy.
The dresses? They’re a little stiff on my ribcage, but I…
Zoe
Follow me on tiktok ❤ @zoebella0
