Navigating Dystopia: Met Gala vs. Rafah Invasion
This Week's Highlights, From Fragrance Launches to Protest Anthems
This Week: The Met Gala as Rafah Invasion Looms
Monday felt incredibly dystopian, with the Met Gala unfolding as Israeli occupation forces tightened their grip on Gaza's border with Egypt, leaving Palestinians in Rafah vulnerable to airstrikes and the looming threat of a ground invasion.
The timing is chilling - Israeli attacks during the Super Bowl, the Grammys, the Oscars, and now the Met Gala show these media events as deliberate distractions from the grim reality of Western imperialism.
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I came across the TikTok video above, which brilliantly draws the contrast between the Met Gala and the brutality in Rafah. It also features Palestinian-Canadian pop singer Nemahsis’ music (more on her below).
Bella Hadid’s “Orebella” Launch, Nemahsis in Attendance
Bella Hadid's newest endeavor, Orebella, has been a hot topic of anticipation. After teasing the launch for a while, it was finally revealed to be her own fragrance brand. Each fragrance is alcohol-free, featuring essential oils and clean ingredients, which was one of Hadid's focuses, as she is sensitive to normal fragrances. Bella Hadid’s Orebella fragrances are all $100 or less. Bottles are priced at $35 for 10ml, $72 for 50ml, and $100 for 100ml. Additionally, you can purchase a gold perfume stand, compatible with the 100ml bottles, for $35 on Orebella.com.
At the launch event for Orebella, I noticed Nemahsis in attendance! If you're not familiar with Nemahsis, I've featured her on TikTok before, and her music is simply captivating. It's heartening to see her support Bella's new venture, especially considering the challenges she's faced herself. Nemahsis was dropped by her label for courageously speaking up about Palestine.
I encourage you to sign up for Nemahsis's email list to stay updated on her music and to show your solidarity with her bold stance.
Macklemore’s Newest Track: “Hind’s Hall”
Just one week after pro-Palestinian protesters were forcefully removed and arrested from Hamilton Hall at Columbia University, rapper Macklemore has dropped a powerful anthem in their honor.
Titled "Hind’s Hall," the nearly three-minute track pays tribute to the name the protesters bestowed upon the building they occupied, honoring a Palestinian girl who tragically lost her life in Gaza amid the ongoing genocide of Palestinians.
Accompanied by a compelling video featuring footage from Gaza and college campuses, the song has resonated deeply, amassing over 16 million views on Twitter alone within a day and garnering praise across social media platforms.
In the track, Macklemore lauds the student-led pro-Palestinian protests. He condemns Israel's actions as apartheid and labels its “war” in Gaza as genocide. Furthermore, he lends support to the students' call for divestment from Israel while vehemently refuting claims of antisemitism associated with the protests.
Book Recommendation: Society of the Spectacle by Guy Debord
Guy Debord's insights on "celebrity" in Society of the Spectacle resonate in today's context. If you haven't read it yet, I highly recommend giving it a read. It’s a short text, though it can be dense at times, and you can find the whole thing for free here.
Debord dissects the concept of the "spectacle," revealing how the media, and particularly celebrity culture, is used to perpetuate consent to our own subjugation under capitalism. Here’s one of my favorite quotes from the text:
The celebrity, the spectacular representation of a living human being, embodies this banality by embodying the image of a possible role. Being a star means specializing in the seemingly lived; the star is the object of identification with the shallow seeming life that has to compensate for the fragmented productive specializations which are actually lived. Celebrities exist to act out various styles of living and viewing society unfettered, free to express themselves globally.
Ways to Take Action This Week:
Attend a protest near you. The Palestinian Youth Movement is keeping track of events.
Sign this letter to your congresspeople to end the US’s sanctioning of Israel’s abuses of Palestine.
Contact your lawmaker to support H.B. 2590, the “Defending the Human Rights of Palestinian Children and Families Living Under Israeli Military Occupation Act,” or the Palestinian Children and Families Act. SURJ is proud to endorse this legislation.
Thank You
Your support means the world to me. Having this platform to express my thoughts and share important issues with you all has been truly fulfilling.
Please take a moment to share your thoughts in the comments below, and don't forget to spread the word by sharing this newsletter with your friends and hitting the like button. Together, we can make a difference and help tip the cultural scales in support of a Free Palestine.
Thank you for being a part of this community!
In Solidarity,
illesha magdalena
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