CULTURE  |  MUSIC

'Smile' and the collapse of Katy Perry

By Jonathan Pertile | September 21, 2020

All of this makes her 2010 album “Teenage Dream” feel like a long, long time ago. That album, released almost exactly 10  years before “Smile,” was supported by an unbelievable run of five chart-topping singles, a record that Perry shares with Michael Jackson. The stark difference between these two albums begs a simple question:  What happened to Katy Perry?

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CULTURE  |  MOVIES

"Tenet" and "Mulan" release to middling box office returns, mixed reviews and boycotts

By Ben Smith | September 19, 2020

How are movies coming out during a pandemic?

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RECESS  |  CULTURE

DC Fandome reveals what's in store for its beloved superheroes

By Devinne Moses | September 7, 2020

This year’s DC Fandome had these and more to get fans excited for what’s on the horizon for Wonder Woman, Batman and other loved DC superheroes and supervillains.

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RECESS  |  CULTURE

Why ‘Microsoft Flight Simulator’ couldn’t have come at a better time

By Devinne Moses | September 4, 2020

Travel won’t be the same for a while, but the release of “Microsoft Flight Simulator” on Aug. 18 is a breathtaking leap for virtual realism that serves as more than just a game.

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RECESS  |  CULTURE

A generation past hiding in the wake of #FreeBritney

By Jasmine Santos | September 3, 2020

Long before mental health initiatives made waves in mainstream media, Britney Spears was the voice that nourished the soul of a generation.

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CULTURE  |  MUSIC

The Killers’ 'Imploding the Mirage' is refreshingly optimistic

By Angel Chaudhary | September 3, 2020

This album marked a journey of letting go of the past and moving forward.

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CULTURE  |  FOOD

Snacking on a budget: The best snack options for Duke students

By Maddie Menkes | September 2, 2020

With COVID-19 precautions in mind, Duke encourages their on-campus students to only bring essential items. I consider snacks one of them. 

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RECESS  |  CULTURE

Of monsters and men: An ode to T-Pain

By Tessa Delgo | August 31, 2020

When I think of happiness, I think of T-Pain. I think of being eight and whirling around on rented quad skates to “Buy U a Drank (Shawty Snappin’)” at my hometown roller rink.

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RECESS  |  CULTURE

What's going on with Ellen?

By Derek Deng | August 31, 2020

The format of “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” is amusingly predictable. She brings someone onto the stage — preferably a child prodigy or a teacher in need of new classroom desks — and gifts them an impressive sum of money or a flat-screen TV.

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RECESS  |  CULTURE

‘Hamilton’ on Disney+ is a step in the right direction for musical theater

By Sydny Long | August 28, 2020

Before there was the professionally-shot production of “Hamilton” uploaded onto Disney+ to worldwide acclaim, there was “founding fathers slime tutorial.”

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RECESS  |  CULTURE

Recess summer quarantine roundup

By Recess Staff | August 24, 2020

Need any pop culture recommendations? In Recess’s summer quarantine roundup, you'll find what our writers and editors have been listening to, reading or watching since lockdown. Here are their recommendations:

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RECESS  |  CULTURE

Glennon Doyle's 'Untamed' finds power in the uncomfortable

By Bates Crawford | August 21, 2020

It is reductionist to say that self-help books are too regimented and clinical. Of course, there are books that enforce a “how to” tone or a certain sense of  “this is what you must do,” but many others are less instructive and more descriptive.

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CULTURE  |  MUSIC

Surprise album 'Folklore' is Taylor Swift's best yet

By Jonathan Pertile | August 11, 2020

“Folklore” is free to explore a vast array of settings and characters like a sonical storybook, earning itself the distinction of being Swift’s best album yet.

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RECESS  |  CULTURE POP CULTURE

Cynthia Salaysay’s 'Private Lessons' sheds light on a private epidemic

By Sibani Ram | August 11, 2020

With all the polish of a literary and the emotion of a classical musician, Salaysay weaves together a story so beautifully vulnerable it aches. 

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RECESS  |  CULTURE

Staff selections: The best of my quarantine watchlist

By Jack Rubenstein | August 1, 2020

Here are items from my own quarantine binging that I think can serve as a temporary distraction from the current moment.

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RECESS  |  CULTURE

'Waiting for Eden' is a devastating story about loving and letting go

By Bates Crawford | July 25, 2020

There are some books that beg to be finished in one day: they pull you in with heroic characters and moving stories and transport you to a world that is foreign but familiar. Elliot Ackerman’s “Waiting for Eden,” published in 2018, is exactly one of these novels.

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RECESS  |  CULTURE

The astronomical rise of esports

By Derek Chen | July 22, 2020

If you’re bored during quarantine and looking for a fun, popular and lucrative way to pass the time, consider picking up a controller to join the world of esports.

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RECESS  |  CULTURE

'Animal Crossing' and coping with pandemic stress

By Kerry Rork | July 21, 2020

As odd as it is for me to say, "Animal Crossing" provides a sense of stability in an otherwise uncertain world.

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RECESS  |  CULTURE

'Miss Juneteenth' is a timeless story embedded in modern America

By Megan Liu | July 13, 2020

“Miss Juneteenth” quietly discusses African-American embodiment in a modern, yet traditional world — a world that has consistently failed them.

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RECESS  |  CULTURE

The enduring relevance of 'Avatar: The Last Airbender'

By John Markis | July 10, 2020

When “Avatar: The Last Airbender” first aired on Nickelodeon in 2005, George W. Bush had just begun his second term in office, Mario’s “Let Me Love You” was the most popular song on the Billboard Hot 100 and YouTube was less than a week into sharing videos to the world.