Stuart Jeffries

The History of Advertising Trust’s 50th anniversary highlights the evolution of British advertising, from iconic campaigns featuring characters like the Gold Blend couple and Smash Martians to shifting regulations that reshaped cigarette marketing. The archive showcases how creativity adapted to constraints, how ads reflected cultural and social changes, and how emotional storytelling once defined the industry. Current concerns focus on the loss of narrative richness as data-driven advertising becomes dominant, while enduring brands such as Hovis and Heinz illustrate the lasting impact of strong creative campaigns.

A visual survey of iconic British advertisements from 1934 to 2008, including campaigns for Heinz, PG Tips, Hovis, Cadbury, Guinness, Levi's and Sony Bravia. The selection highlights memorable characters, comedy, animation, music, practical effects and nostalgia, while also noting changing social attitudes, such as the sexist domestic roles in the Mrs Oxo advert and the safety controversy that led to Tango's Big Orange Fella being banned.

Carlo Rovelli argues that rising mistrust among nuclear powers has pushed the world to unprecedented danger, intensified by recent attacks involving western-supplied weapons striking Russia and renewed calls for rearmament in Europe. He warns that current global leaders lack the restraint once shown during the cold war and believes fear, rather than genuine strategic necessity, drives today’s escalations across Europe and the Middle East. Drawing on historical examples ranging from the Cuban missile crisis to the Manhattan Project, he contends that misunderstandings and fear-fueled narratives have repeatedly brought humanity close to catastrophe. Rovelli urges political courage to prioritize global welfare over national power and calls for de-escalation rather than expanded military buildup.

French philosopher and sociologist Edgar Morin, who died at 104, is remembered for his transdisciplinary approach to understanding humanity, his concepts of polycrisis and complexity, and his critiques of reductionism in education and political life. A resistance fighter, prolific author and filmmaker, he challenged ideology, promoted dialogical thinking, and examined issues from antisemitism to global interconnectedness. His career spanned journalism, research at CNRS, and influential collaborations, while his personal history shaped his intellectual commitments. He remained active and outspoken into his final years.

Billy Dosanjh’s exhibition Paths You Walk at the New Art Gallery Walsall reconstructs mid‑20th‑century Sikh migrant life in the Black Country through staged photographs, films and installations informed by oral histories. His work highlights themes of alienation, labour, identity and racism while celebrating the resilience and community of Punjabi migrants. Dosanjh’s projects connect historical experiences to contemporary debates on race and far‑right rhetoric, and he plans future work in Stoke, Nottingham and on the 2005 Birmingham race riots.

Artists Hilary Powell and Dan Edelstyn are auctioning their past works, including the remnants of a van blown up for their film Bank Job, to raise funds for establishing a community-owned renewable power station in Clacton, the first constituency held by Reform UK. Their Method Art approach focuses on creating tangible social impact, drawing on influences from George Orwell and Viktor Frankl. The auction aims to support their relocation and filmmaking efforts connected to the project, while the actual power station would be funded through share issuance within a community benefit society. Their previous community solar initiatives in Waltham Forest have expanded widely, and the pair now hope to generate similar enthusiasm in Clacton. Despite political complexities and skepticism from institutions, they remain committed to advancing community energy models and engaging local stakeholders.

A filmmaker guides a journalist through Somerset’s Goatchurch Cavern to illustrate the creative and philosophical inspirations behind his documentary Underland, adapted from Robert Macfarlane’s book. The film weaves together stories of an urban explorer in Las Vegas’s storm drains, a Yucatán cave diver tracing Maya ancestry, and a physicist studying dark matter deep underground. Influenced by artistic constraints and previous collaborations with Macfarlane, the project emphasizes themes of memory, loss and humanity’s enduring draw to the underworld. A visit to the film’s symbolic Old Mother Ash tree highlights the intertwined presence of decay and renewal.

Jürgen Habermas is remembered as a leading philosopher and social theorist whose early confrontation with Germany’s Nazi past shaped his lifelong defense of Enlightenment principles, democracy, and rational public discourse. Influenced initially by Adorno and Horkheimer yet ultimately departing from their pessimism, he developed theories of communicative action and the public sphere that sought to revive the emancipatory potential of reason. His work spanned debates over German historical memory, European integration, and contemporary political crises, including disputes over Israel’s actions in Gaza. Celebrated for his commitment to democratic ideals and intellectual engagement, he continued writing into his nineties, maintaining a belief in the possibility of progress while acknowledging modern challenges.

A review of Justin Smith-Ruiu’s book On Drugs explores his use of psychedelics to challenge traditional philosophical frameworks, contrasting Cartesian rationalism with psychedelic dissolution of the self and cosmic consciousness. It highlights his engagement with contemporary philosophical movements, his argument that psychedelics can lift metaphysical veils, and his surprising turn toward Catholic ritual as parallel to psychedelic experience. The reviewer praises the work as an imaginative, mind-expanding contribution to philosophical writing.

A documentary by Brannon Carty explores the global community of adult Thomas the Tank Engine fans, highlighting how nostalgia, creativity, and a sense of belonging keep the childhood franchise central to their lives. Interviewees describe lingering social stigma around the fandom, yet recount how Thomas inspired filmmaking, online communities, and even involvement in heritage railways. The film traces the evolution of the brand, its appeal among people with autism, and the role of the internet and YouTube in sustaining fan culture. Carty discusses his own lifelong attachment to Thomas and outlines his upcoming projects while emphasizing the positive impact that embracing the fandom has had for many adults.

A series of TV highlights includes a documentary in which Mariska Hargitay explores the life of her mother Jayne Mansfield, anniversary coverage of Live Aid, new episodes of Love Island and Not Going Out, and crime drama Suspicion. Additional recommendations feature an Ian Wright documentary supporting girls’ football and film picks such as Oppenheimer and A Man Called Otto, along with listings for major sporting events across cycling, tennis and cricket.

Christelle Oyiri’s multimedia installation for Tate Modern’s inaugural Infinities Commission explores contemporary body image, digital self‑fashioning and the pervasive gaze shaping identity. Her bronze sculptures depict reimagined versions of herself, reflecting themes of cosmetic modification, technological transformation and mythic self‑projection. The work draws on influences from Caribbean heritage, music culture and artists such as Orlan and Kara Walker while addressing the legacy of colonialism and the contradictions between paradise imagery and socioeconomic realities. Through sculpture, sound and video, she interrogates how beauty standards, digital culture and historical power structures shape self‑perception.

Yoshitomo Nara’s rise to becoming Japan’s most expensive artist is traced through his punk‑influenced, emotionally charged imagery, whose wide‑eyed children convey vulnerability, rebellion and political unease. His work challenges Western expectations of Japanese art as purely beautiful or escapist, contrasting sharply with traditional exhibitions focusing on aesthetics. Influenced by rock music, personal loneliness and the trauma of the 2011 tsunami, Nara increasingly integrates anti‑war and anti‑nuclear themes into his practice. A new retrospective at the Hayward Gallery highlights both his distinctive visual language and his sustained engagement with political and emotional realities.

Examines Evan Osnos’s account of the rise of superyachts and what their expansion reveals about escalating wealth inequality and growing plutocratic influence. Highlights the dramatic increase in the number of billionaires, the luxurious excesses of modern yachts, and their role in shielding the ultrarich from public scrutiny. Connects this world of mobile privilege to broader political and economic power shifts, while noting the cultural lineage of conspicuous consumption described by Thorstein Veblen and the financial irrationality of superyachts as assets.

Adam Buxton’s memoir recounts misfired jokes, abandoned TV concepts, embarrassing encounters and deep‑seated insecurities with a mix of humor and vulnerability that ultimately proves unexpectedly engaging. Despite tangents about rejected Channel 4 pitches, musical idols and personal squabbles, the book’s self‑mocking tone and emotional closing tribute to his late mother create a surprisingly affecting and readable celebrity memoir.

A review of Rutger Bregman’s book Moral Ambition argues that it urges skilled professionals to pursue meaningful, socially beneficial work rather than morally empty careers. Drawing on concepts such as David Graeber’s “bullshit jobs” and examples of effective altruism, the book promotes using time and talent for large-scale global good. The reviewer questions whether readers truly want such moral pressure but acknowledges the idealistic call for action against major global challenges.

A review of Didier Eribon’s memoir examines his mother’s difficult life, her decline in an understaffed nursing home, and his reflections on guilt, class, and societal neglect of the elderly. Drawing on philosophical and literary influences, Eribon critiques systemic immorality in elder care and explores how social violence and class displacement shaped his mother's attitudes and his own identity. The book highlights the broader cultural fixation on youth and the marginalization of older people.

Cornwall’s surf culture is explored through a new exhibition tracing 100 years of waveriding, highlighting the region’s unique coastline, foreign influences, and evolving social tensions. Personal stories from surfers such as Charlotte Banfield and Robyn Davies illustrate surfing’s therapeutic and spiritual impact, alongside historical accounts of Australian lifeguards, surfboard artisans, and the development of local surf industries. The exhibition showcases notable boards, fashion innovations, and the sport’s transformation from countercultural pastime to competitive pursuit, while underscoring Cornwall’s enduring connection to the ocean.

Sarah Wynn-Williams’s memoir portrays Facebook, later Meta, as a coercive and morally compromised environment whose global expansion caused significant social harm, including facilitating hate speech in Myanmar and exploiting user vulnerabilities. Her account details gendered power imbalances, executive misconduct, and a corporate ethos prioritising growth over responsibility, with Mark Zuckerberg and Sheryl Sandberg depicted as central figures enabling the culture. The book argues that Meta’s rebranding has not changed its underlying practices and warns of heightened risks as the company moves into artificial intelligence.

Kathelin Gray recounts her decades-long connection with William S Burroughs while curating an exhibition of his late-life artworks at London’s October Gallery. The article explores Burroughs’s complex legacy, including the accidental shooting of Joan Vollmer, his compassion for vulnerable people and endangered species, and his experimental artistic techniques involving chance operations and gunfire. Gray highlights his early awareness of environmental destruction and belief in human potential for liberation, framing his work as newly relevant to contemporary climate concerns.

A scheme in East Yorkshire offers parents who park illegally outside schools the choice of paying a fine or writing punitive lines. While early reports suggest it may improve behaviour, the practice raises questions about effectiveness, dignity and unintended consequences. The piece critiques shame‑based punishments, compares them with other public‑humiliation measures and expresses scepticism that such approaches lead to real behavioural change.