Why Britney Spears is ‘manic’ again, and the rise of weaponised pop psychology
From Princess Diana to Britney Spears, a woman in pain or dubbed 'tortured' by others, is one of societies favourite kinks. But, despite more supposed understanding of mental health issues, our love of pop psychology and self-diagnosis has become an addiction, one that's dangerously out of control, says Amy Kean.
The subtle damage of not giving a f*ck: how workplace bystanders are enabling bad behaviour
Speaking up can be hard, but is that why people are reluctant to do it, or do they just not care? Amy Kean examines whether a Richter scale for social issues would encourage us to make a stand.
shots Fired with... Vicky Quinn Fraser
shots' Culture Editor chats with book coach Vicky Quinn Fraser, who gets fired up about the state of the publishing industry.
“Positive vibes only!” Why tone policing can get in the f*cking bin
"Watch your tone, young lady!" It's what you might say to a cheeky toddler but, too often, the tentacles of the tone police are spreading into grown up conversation and debate. Amy Kean explores, via the British monarchy, business interactions and 1986 movie classic Labyrinth, how the over-policing of conversation is becoming an emergency situation.
Weird Seance summons… Lynne Parker
Despite the wealth of brilliant female comedians - think Katherine Ryan, Sara Pascoe, Jo Brand - many still think 'women aren't funny'. Lynne Parker [fourth from right], is the founder of Funny Women and a champion of female comedians. She talks to Amy Kean about why so many men (and too many women) think females aren't funny, the creativity of comedy, and her ongoing mission.
shots Fired... with Laura Blake
Kicking off our July Taboo Focus, shots Culture Editor Amy Kean, talks to presenter, DJ, comedian, actor and Twitch streamer, Laura Blake, about her anger at going through the wrong puberty and why transgender people are "the last taboo".
The war on girls: why can’t society take young women seriously?
In the battle of the sexes young girls are becoming the cannon fodder. Amy Kean examines why such an important part of our future is maligned and mistreated, their voices too often missing from the conversation and their fates decided by old men.
Weird Seance summons… stevexoh
As Amy Kean continues her search for some of creativity's weirdest inhabitants, she talks to artist and writer stevexoh about unusual names, unexpected journeys and uncovering the secret of living.
Are you an effective human? How tourists and monsters are making everything worse
Social media has a lot to answer for, not least the men (and it is mainly men) who champion social causes for their own benefit, and the users who pillage other people's beliefs to push their online profile. Amy Kean's had enough, and her only recourse is violence... but not that type of violence.
shots Fired... with Charu Malhotra
As Amy Kean continues to ask people what makes them mad, Charu Malhotra, Global Brand Manager for PA Consulting, gets riled up by the ongoing inability of some conferences to embrace diversity.
Weird Seance summons… Rob Mayhew
Continuing her celebration of all things weird and wonderful Culture Editor Amy Kean speaks to Rob Mayhew, Head of Influence at Fleishman Hillard London and a rising TikTok star, who brilliantly lampoons ad agency life and culture in his videos. They discuss seeing things differently, social media and salad cream.
shots Fired... with Nick Ellis
In the continuation of this new series, which sees Amy Kean speaking to people about the thing that really fires up their anger, Nick Ellis gets heated about how the ad industry takes people in, chews them up then spits them right out.
