ABC’s National Forum fails its first test on antisemitism
The ABC’s new flagship forum failed to interrogate key claims and perspectives on antisemitism, leaving major gaps in a critical national debate.
Recent articles in Arts
15 March 2026
Seven good films out of ten – a surprisingly strong year for the Oscars
For the first time in years, most of the films nominated for Best Picture are genuinely good. From Joachim Trier’s Sentimental Value to Ryan Coogler’s Sinners, the Oscars may finally be recognising cinema worth watching.
13 March 2026
Louis Theroux’s Inside the Manosphere exposes the business model of misogyny
Louis Theroux's new documentary highlights how online influencers are repackaging misogyny, anti-feminism and male grievance as self-improvement – building profitable digital communities that shape how many young men understand gender and power.
9 March 2026
An invitation to dance: How Bad Bunny builds a movement
Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl halftime show didn’t rely on argument or translation. By leading with joy, culture and curiosity, it quietly broadened ideas about belonging in the United States.
8 March 2026
Jimpa lovingly follows in the tradition of artwork about fathers who came out of the closet
Sophie Hyde’s film Jimpa explores the personal and generational impact of a father coming out, situating one family’s story within the wider history of gay liberation and changing identities.
7 March 2026
For 27 years, the Kyle and Jackie O Show indulged Australia’s most vulgar, sexist impulses
The collapse of the Kyle and Jackie O radio partnership highlights a contradiction in Australian media culture – a society that condemns misogyny yet rewarded a program built on vulgarity, sexism and humiliation.
1 March 2026
Michael Caine’s voice is iconic. Why would he sell that to AI?
Michael Caine’s decision to license his voice to an AI company is about more than technology – it's about class, identity and what happens when a culturally “enregistered” voice becomes a digital product.
1 March 2026
Lord of the Flies in the age of Trump
William Golding’s Lord of the Flies remains a bleak meditation on power, fear and civilisation. In today’s politics, its allegory feels newly unsettling.
13 February 2026
Saving Meanjin is a victory – sustaining it is the real test
Meanjin’s return to Brisbane under QUT stewardship has been widely welcomed, but it also exposes deeper tensions about arts funding, cultural value and what sustainability really means for literary journals.
31 January 2026
As Marmite Morrissey returns, let’s talk about the actual music
When news broke of a new Morrissey single and album (both titled Make-Up is a Lie), one thing was assured: it was going to get people talking.
25 January 2026
Song Sung Blue: a joyful tribute to enduring partnerships, grit and second chances
A new film inspired by a real-life tribute act follows two working-class Midwesterners who build a life and a stage partnership through hardship, music and resilience. With Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson at its centre, it’s a reminder of how powerful a hopeful story can be.
24 January 2026
Linklater and Hawke turn a broken partnership into riveting cinema
Richard Linklater’s Blue Moon uses Ethan Hawke’s portrayal of Lorenz Hart to explore the grief, jealousy and loneliness that can follow a fractured creative partnership. Patricia Edgar argues it is a sharp, claustrophobic film about talent, loss and the human cost of being left behind.
17 January 2026
Censorship doesn’t silence – it amplifies
Attempts to silence writers rarely erase them. More often, they expose insecurity, deepen division, and turn targets into symbols of resistance.
