It’s a week of controversy: Rachel Dolezal, the white woman who says she’s black, is back in the public eye thanks to a Netflix documentary, The Rachel Divide. What trauma led to her fraudulent ‘transracial’ identity? And why does Rachel refuse to back down? We called up gal-dem deputy editor and Guardian writer Charlie Brinkhurst-Cuff to discuss the documentary - and whether or not Netflix were right to air it.
Also on today’s agenda: the glitzy annual Met Gala and it’s ‘Catholic’ theme, courtesy of Andrew Bolton’s ‘Heavenly Bodies’ exhibition. From Rihanna’s papal mitre to Lena Waithe’s politically charged rainbow cape, via Jared Leto dressed as Jesus (God complex, much?) the dress code might have been crassly interpreted and as camp as Christmas, but does that make it offensive? We run the full gamut of opinions.
Last thing - the Chuckle Brothers have not fallen out. We repeat: rumours of a feud are false.
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Links
The Rachel Divide review by Doreen St Felix for The New Yorker
https://www.newyorker.com/culture/culture-desk/the-rachel-divide-review-a-disturbing-portrait-of-dolezals-racial-fraudulence
The Rachel Divide on Netflix
https://www.netflix.com/title/80149821
Does Anyone Have The Right To Sex? By Amia Srinivasan, for The London Review of Books
https://www.lrb.co.uk/v40/n06/amia-srinivasan/does-anyone-have-the-right-to-sex
Sean Penn interview, by Emma Brockes for The Guardian
https://www.theguardian.com/film/2018/may/05/sean-penn-some-of-my-best-laughs-have-come-out-of-the-worst-reviews
You Think It, I’ll Say It, short stories by Curtis Sittenfeld
https://www.amazon.co.uk/You-Think-Ill-Say-Stories/dp/052552777X/ref=nodl_
Patrick Melrose, starts on Sunday on Sky Atlantic
How The Met Gala Guests Tackled “The Heavenly Bodies” Theme, by Osman Ahmed for Vogue.co.uk
http://www.vogue.co.uk/article/how-met-gala-guests-tackled-heavenly-bodies-them
Radio 4 Soul Music on God Only Knows
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0b01jsk
Abi Morgan’s Desert Island Discs
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0b01jsk
A Bumper Spring Book Special
An Author Special About Navigating and Embracing Failure with Elizabeth Day
An Interview With Director Dan Reed About Leaving Neverland
An author special with Fatima Bhutto on radicalism & what the West doesn’t understand about ISIS
A LIVE episode on Emma Thompson’s Open Letter & Discovering Self-Discipline
Separating the Intrinsic from the Extrinsic; & An Author Special with Candice Carty-Williams
The Complicated Case of Shamima Begum; & Why The ‘Tortured Artist’ Debate Should Be Retired
Valentine's Day, Liam Neeson's Race Row & A Most Literary Liar
Fyre Festival, Sex Education & A Bumper Book Chat
A Pretty Daft End to 2018
A Jolly Christmas Special
Why We Should Be Cautious Of Banning Songs; & The Internet’s Abuse Against Women
A LIVE Episode on 'Emotional Labour' - The New Gas-Lighting? - & How We Discuss Our Bodies on Social Media
M&S Undiesgate; Lena Dunham's Bare-All Interview; & The Missionary Killed By A Tribe
The Curious Case of Mrs Hinch; & Comedy's Diversity Issue
Collins Word of The Year; Iceland's Banned Xmas Ad; & Why Do 46% of Men Remove Their Body Hair?
A Deep-Dive Into The Epidemic of Anxiety, with Author Olivia Sudjic
We Talk Mini Skirts; Philip Green; & The Role of Injunctions in Modern Society
An Author Special with Lindsey Hilsum, On Marie Colvin and War Journalism
Why 1/3 of Gen Z Don’t Drink; & How Feelings Took Over The World
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