Mount Hood

The Golden Globes and its miserable host

Written by: Jaylin Hardin | Sports Editor

The Golden Globes is an award ceremony held annually to recognize the achievements of actors, directors, composers and even the movies themselves. “Oppenheimer”, “Barbie” and “Killers of the Flower Moon” all walked away with awards this year.

The awards rewarded are as follows:

Best Drama — “Oppenheimer”

Best Actress in a Drama —  Lily Gladstone in “Killers of the Flower Moon”

Best Actor in a Drama — Cillian Murphy in “Oppenheimer”

Best Director — Christopher Nolan in “Oppenheimer”

Cinematic and Box Office Achievement —  “Barbie”

Other winners include Studio Ghibli’s “The Boy and the Heron,” Billie Eilish’s original song “What Was I Made For?” from “Barbie” and director Yorgos Lanthimos’ comedy “Poor Things,” starring Emma Stone and Mark Ruffalo. However, it is not the Golden Globe winners that have been generating a buzz on social media, nor is it Lily Gladstone’s acceptance speech, where she spoke in the Blackfeet language. 

Nope, everyone is worked up about Jo Koy and his “jokes” about “Barbie” and Taylor Swift — whose “Eras Tour” movie was also nominated. 

Koy’s monologue included the comparison of “Oppenheimer” and “Barbie.” “Oppenheimer is based on a 721-page Pulitzer Prize-winning book about the Manhattan Project, and Barbie is on a plastic doll with big boobies,” Koy said.

Almost immediately following the slight, he went after Swift, joking that the difference between the Golden Globes and the NFL was that the Globes showed fewer shots of Taylor Swift.

These “jokes” have taken precedence over the achievements of the directors and actors who worked tirelessly on these movies. Rather than celebrating the fact that “Oppenheimer,” a movie showing the horrific beauties of war, and “Barbie,” a movie celebrating womanhood, won in their categories, everyone is now focused on how much of an absolute joke the Golden Globes award ceremony has become.

These jokes have especially been met with criticism online, with many users saying that 2023 was the year for girlhood and that Koy watered it down to Swift being the star of the NFL and “Barbie” being simply about a plastic doll. “Barbie” and “The Eras Tour Movie” both were huge box office successes, as well as Swift’s Eras Tour garnering millions of dollars. Swift has indeed aided the NFL in their viewership — increasing 7% every week since she started to attend the games in support of her boyfriend, Travis Kelce. The NFL is now at its highest viewership since 2015.

Lily Gladstone received some buzz online — not as much as she deserved — for being the first Indigenous actress to win a Golden Globe for Best Actress. When she received her award, she spoke in her Native Blackfeet language. Language experts at Simon Fraser University and the University of Montana said that her speech translated to: “Hello my friends and relatives. My name is Eagle Woman. I am Blackfoot. I love you all.” Gladstone grew up on the Blackfoot reservation in Montana. 

Whether one follows the Golden Globes or not, what should be focused on is the achievements of these movies, and how they have affected audiences around the world. 

Contact the author at howlsports@wou.edu

Mixed feelings on Timothee Chalamet’s new movie

Written by: Claire Phillips | Entertainment Editor

Content warning: this article contains spoilers

Just in time for the holiday season, a sweet prequel, based on a beloved children’s novel by Roald Dahl, arrived in theaters in the United Kingdom Dec. 8 and the United States Dec. 15. French-American actor Timothée Chalamet stars as a younger version of “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’s” chocolatier, Willy Wonka. “So quiet up, and listen down. Nope, scratch that, reverse it,” as Wonka says.

The movie features talented actors, such as Hugh Grant, Olivia Colman and Keegan-Michael Key. Timothée Chalamet has acquired a fan base of young women from his roles in movies such as “Call Me By Your Name,” “Lady Bird” and “Little Women.” Word of Chalamet playing a familiar favorite spread quickly. However, some movie-goers had mixed feelings about the new take on the classic. 

“Charlie and the Chocolate Factory ” has already seen two adaptations, starring Gene Wilder and Johnny Depp as Wonka. Additionally, the original book has a sequel, and some fans were wondering why a prequel made it to the screen before an adaptation of the sequel did.

Lili Minato, a sophomore at Western, is a film fanatic and meticulously selects her movies. She proposed a thoughtful question in regards to the new addition to the “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” universe — “I think (prequels) can be done well… but if you want to make a prequel, is it needed?”

Perhaps the initial audience reaction to “Wonka” was due to its misleading advertising. “I thought it was weird that they didn’t (advertise) Wonka as a musical. People went and saw it, and were like, wait, why are they singing?” Minato said. 

Minato also commented that marketing the movie as a musical would have brought in more theater fans. “For some people, that sounds like the total package.”

The movie has an 82% on Rotten Tomatoes and it has many qualities that make for a great movie. With its vibrant costumes, catchy music and elaborate sets, it’s hard to look away. Elements incorporated from older movies such as “Annie” and “Mary Poppins” make “Wonka” all the more charming. For many musical fans, a new timeless classic has just been born.

8/10.

Contact the author at howlentertainment@wou.edu

“Down the Drain:” a biography of Julia Fox

Written by: Ruth Simonsen | Digital Media Manager

Content warning: this article contains spoilers

Julia Fox, once known as Kanye West’s rebound girlfriend, is best known for donning head-to-toe black latex outfits and hand-drawn eyeliner. In the media’s eyes, she was no more than arm candy to the controversial rapper. 

Since their split in 2022, however, her fame continued to skyrocket and she saw her following grow. Now, she proudly calls herself a female sex symbol, with her bleached eyebrows and lilting voice. 

Once Fox released her recent biography, “Down the Drain,” the world was surprised she was not always this famous.

Julia Fox spent much of her early years in the small town of Saronno in Italy. After moving to New York City to live with her father, her life quickly began to grow rockier by the day. Between her father’s verbal and physical abuse and her mother’s spontaneous wrath, Julia spent most of her childhood couch-surfing and searching for solace in any place that promised even the slightest bit of happiness. 

This mindset frequently landed her in unsafe situations — including a relationship with a controlling drug dealer who stalked and threatened her. However, through her ex boyfriend, she was first introduced to narcotics, many of which would haunt her for the rest of her life. 

The rest of her teen years were spent traveling between Italy and New York City — working as a dominatrix — then settling down as a sugar baby for an extremely wealthy client. Through this resource, she gained her footing by creating a clothing brand leading to a life of extravagance — only to realize she was the one truly being taken advantage of. 

As Julia continued to grow and age, she met and lost many people in her life. Between her near- death experiences and the deaths of many she knew and loved, Julia weaves a cautionary tale with heroin, its use and addiction, as one of the primary villains.

Now, at Julia’s celebrity status, I thought of her as another Kim K, Megan Fox or Hadid sister. I was quick to judge and even quicker to dislike. It was not until I saw an excerpt from her book that my curiosity was piqued. From there, it was pure, unabashed adoration of her and the life she persevered through. 

I found myself on an emotional rollercoaster, first laughing at her snark, then suddenly crying as she described her feelings and experiences of loss. Now, as she finally feels comfortable in who she is and the role she plays in the world today, she ends her biography with this: “Sometimes you just have to say f-ck it and throw your whole life down the drain just to see where you come out on the other side.”

9/10.

Contact the author at howldigitalmediamanager@mail.wou.edu

The Hunger Games renaissance

Written by: Jaylin Hardin | Sports Editor

Content warning: this article contains spoilers

“The Hunger Games” by Suzanne Collins was easily one of the most formative young-adult trilogies for teenage girls in the early 2010s — alongside Stephanie Meyer’s “Twilight.” The three-book, four-movie franchise was highly grossing all over the world, with the first four films grossing a whopping $2.9 billion on their own at the box office. 

However, it’s Collins’ newest novel-to-movie adaptation that is bringing “The Hunger Games” into a renaissance of popularity, fan edits and cosplays. 

“The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes” novel, released in May of 2020, follows a young President Snow when he and Lucy Gray Baird, the victor of the tenth annual Hunger Games, traverse through the games and the events that are caused in the aftermath. Young Snow and his fellow classmates at the Capitol’s top academy are tasked with creating spectacles of the tributes they are assigned to. Snow and his tribute, Lucy Gray Baird, slowly fall in love over the course of the novel, but this romance ultimately ends in tragedy, with Snow spiraling into the cold-hearted red flag the audience knows him as when Katniss Everdeen comes into play. 

The movie follows the book almost perfectly, with some omissions, but the movie’s release has released a shockwave of fan media.

In 2014 a compilation of Josh Hutcherson, the actor who played Peeta Mellark, photos to the song “Whistle” by Flo Rida was posted to YouTube by user MetroGirlzStation. This video has had a resurgence in popularity, especially on TikTok, and becoming a modern Rick Roll of sorts. 

Other fans have taken to TikTok and X — formerly Twitter — to present their theories about Lucy Grey and parallels between her and Katniss. One favorite theory among fans is Katniss’ relationship to Lucy Grey, specifically if she, Katniss, is the granddaughter of Lucy Grey’s sister, Maude Ivory. 

TikTok user LuckyLeftie is one of these popular theorists, gaining more than 885K followers and sharing lore information, comparisons between the books and movies and her own theories on the franchise. Her most viewed video, with 2.1M views posted on Nov. 11, discusses the Districts’ relationship with the Capitol and their reasons for why they rebelled. She is the top most followed and watched “Hunger Games” content creator.

Many people have compared this renaissance of the franchise to when the original movies were released. “The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes” grossed over $1 million at the box office, bringing the franchise to a value of $3 billion, and this success does not appear to be slowing down. With the amount of content being created on popular platforms, as well as Hot Topic recently releasing a “Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes” inspired clothing and accessory line, this renaissance will likely last well into the months ahead. 

Contact the author at howlsports@wou.edu

The comeback of Percy Jackson and the Olympians

Written by: Claire Phillips | Entertainment Editor

History was made on June 28, 2005, when Rick Riordan first published “The Lightning Thief.” In the last year, the author of “Percy Jackson and the Olympians” has released two new books belonging to the original beloved book series. Over the last 18 years, the series has grown to be 17 books long in addition to two trilogies that take place in the same universe.

To date, the “Percy Jackson” series has been adapted into two movies and a television series that is scheduled to air on Disney+ on Dec. 20. The series stars actors Walker Scobell as Jackson, Leah Sava Jeffries as Annabeth Chase and Aryan Simhadri as Grover Underwood. Trailers for the show depict the trio embarking on epic adventures, accurately mirroring the first book in the series.

Fans have ultimately been more receptive to the casting of the show than the original two movies, though the characters don’t exactly match their book descriptions. Lovers of the book series were disappointed by previous adaptations of the book series to see plot points erased and the characters inappropriately cast in the movies. 

As Riordan continued to expand his universe, he added more diversity to his book by including POC, LGBTQ+ and disabled characters. “Percy Jackson” fans are excited to see this diversity has carried over into the series as well.

Since the original “Percy Jackson” pentalogy was released in the 2000s, Rick Riordan has continued to write bestselling novels. “The Heroes of Olympus” continued the “Percy Jackson” story with a new cast of characters in the 2010s, and “The Trials of Apollo” took the point of view of one of the Olympians the previous series discussed. “Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard” and “The Kane Chronicles” followed Norse and Egyptian mythology, and were also adored by loyal Riordan fans, who dubbed their favorite author Uncle Rick.

Though Rick Riordan has claimed he is finished writing books in the “Percy Jackson” series, he released two new additions in 2023 — “The Chalice of the Gods” and “The Sun and the Star”. “The Chalice of the Gods” follows Percy as he navigates his senior year of high school. “The Sun and the Star,” co-written with Mark Oshiro, is the treacherous tale of demigods Nico di Angelo and Will Solace as they venture into the underworld.

“Percy Jackson” has continued to thrive due to its healthy mix of nostalgia, a connected fanbase and incredible writing throughout the years. Fans are expecting a bright future for both the books and the show. 

Contact the author at howlentertainment@wou.edu

Rick and Morty voice actors change for season 7

Written by: Sophie Taylor | Designer

Content warning: mentions of domestic violence

Rick and Morty. Since its initial release in 2013, averaging 1.52 million viewers per episode,  it is a cartoon loved by many. Its latest season, season seven, has created a lot of buzz since people started realizing that in this upcoming season, Rick and Morty would be voiced by different people. The show was created by Dan Harmon and Justin Roiland and Roiland has voiced both Rick and Morty for the past six seasons. 

In May 2020, Roiland was charged with two felony counts, one for domestic battery and one for false imprisonment, from an incident with a woman he was dating. After these charges, Roiland was dropped from Rick and Morty and other shows such as Solar Opposites. 

Now, with the man who voiced the two main characters in his show being fired, many are asking what happens next? As people began to find out Adult Swim and Hulu severed ties with him, they began to question who would replace him. Turns out, we wouldn’t have an answer until the seventh season aired Oct. 15 of this year. 

The search for the new voice actors took about six months, with thousands of applicants auditioning. Scott Marder, who helped Dan Harmon in the selection process, said that finding the right person to voice Rick took so long that they considered going global in their search. 

“No one sounded exactly like Rick. It was tricky,” he said in an interview with Lesley Goldberg at The Hollywood Reporter. 

It was also important to note that the voice actors were chosen so that fans couldn’t recognize the change in voices, unlike Roiland’s character, Korvo, who in the show was shot with a “voice fixing ray” altering his voice. 

After the voices were revealed, congratulations are due to Ian Cardoni, the new voice of Rick, and Harry Belden, the new voice of Morty. Fans have already started making comparisons between the old voices and the new ones; some have said they welcome the new takes on the characters, but others say that the “improvisational tone” that Justin Roiland brought to the characters just isn’t there anymore. 

Many fans are also upset that Sean Kelly, a voice actor who gained a lot of recognition for sounding exactly like Rick and Morty, was not offered the role of both Rick and Morty, similar to how Roiland played them both. Many comments on TikTok videos regarding the voice change are all about Kelly. Before the release of the new season, comments were begging for Kelly to be chosen. 

Even now, comments say Kelly was robbed and still deserves the part. As more episodes and seasons are released, fans will have to decide: is the show good enough to keep watching after such a big change, or is it not? 

Contact the author at howldesigner@wou.edu

Miss Americana and the heartbreak prince

Written by: Jaylin Hardin | Sports Editor

Taylor Swift is no stranger to rumors and speculation surrounding her extensive love life. No one among the Swifties — the name given to fans of Swift — is unaware of fans who ship Swift with her exes, friends and other celebrities. One of her newest vault tracks, titled “Slut!,” even speaks on speculation towards her relationships with her friends.

Her current relationship with Kansas City Chiefs’ Tight End, Travis Kelce, is currently taking the media, and Swifties, by storm. 

In his podcast with brother, Jason, Kelce revealed he had tried to give Swift a friendship bracelet with his number on it at her July 6 show, but was “butthurt” he had been unable to do so. Almost two months later, The Messenger reported that Swift and Kelce had been hanging out on the down low. A week after this report, Swift attended Kansas City’s game at Arrowhead Stadium against the Chicago Bears — a game they won 41–10.

Since then, Swift has been seen attending other Kansas City games — sitting with Kelce’s mom, Donna, and families of Kelce’s teammates. Swift and Kelce have also been spotted leaving Arrowhead Stadium together as well as at several prominent functions.

However, this relationship, not unlike Swift’s past albums, has been met with mixed reviews. 

Fans of Kelce, the Kansas City Chiefs and the NFL, have launched a slew of complaints, taunts and hate messages at fans of Swift, with many arousing the chant: “Kanye made her famous.” 

Fans have been recorded yelling at their televisions whenever Swift appears or upset that their girlfriends are now watching the games with them. Many have complained of “women invading a man’s space where they don’t belong.”

Swifties, on the other hand, have been dissecting the fledgling relationship, or as they call it, finding the invisible string — a reference to a song from her album “Folklore.”

One example Swifties often bring up is how Swift and Kelce both have their signature archer poses — Kelce performing after he scores in the game and Swift when she performs her iconic song “The Archer.” Many fans say the stars align because of Kelce’s birthday; a date shared with Swift’s grandmother, Marjorie. 

Others include lyrics from her songs “Daylight” and “Cornelia Street,” where she sings of her perception of love — “I once believed love would be burning red / But it’s golden like daylight” — and how all roads lead to Arrowhead Stadium: “As if the streetlights pointed in an arrowhead, leading us home.” 

Swifties often point to these two occurrences when referencing the colors of the Kansas City Chiefs and the stadium in which they play. 

The most favorite among Swifties is the iconic numbers of the couple, 87 and 13 which equal a nice and even 100.

Whether a fan of Taylor Swift or Travis Kelce, there is no denying that they are the current It couple of celebrities, and we will see if Swift’s newest romance ends in the manner of “Call It What You Want” or “champagne problems.”

Contact the author at howlsports@wou.edu

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