Borkowski Media Trends: Glastonbury, Reeves' Tears & MORE
PLUS: Ritz Carlton Megayacht | Is Corbyn back?
…live long enough to see yourself become the Vylan
Amid the usual technicolour love-in, Glastonbury this year was the site of an unusual cultural role reversal in which the vegan lefty woke brigade were cancelled by the right-wing free speech fundamentalists.
Leaving to one side any further discussion of the unpleasant culture war that has unfolded in the week since, the reputation fallout for those involved makes an interesting case study.
Glastonbury, for its part, is utterly unscathed. If anything the festival has probably strengthened its claim to be the beating heart of the UK’s cultural landscape. To be the platform for so many explosive political statements underlines its continued relevance.
Kneecap continue to gleefully double-down on the controversy. Despite the clamour for them to be pulled from the line-up, Mixmag reported that they drew their biggest crowd ever for their Glastonbury performance. Their status as unapologetic rebels has quickly become legendary to certain segments of music fans and they seem determined to ride it to the point of career-martyrdom and beyond.
Boby Vylan will be looking at them for inspiration. The punk-rap duo has experienced something close to cancel culture since their slot. The slew of condemnation that has befallen them has led to a police investigation, their agent reportedly dropping them, gigs being cancelled and their USA VISA being revoked.
That’s about as cancelled as you can get without being sent to jail. But here’s the thing; as long as you remain at large as a public figure, then the overwhelming majority of the time you’re not really cancelled, just corralled into a different niche – a smaller echo chamber. Russell Brand is still a successful broadcaster, just to a narrower audience.
By that logic, there are enough activist record labels, festivals and gig promoters, and more than enough music fans for Bob Vylan still to find an audience: as long as they remain free to record and publish music they will be back.
Reeves’ Reasons to be Tearful
Thursday morning’s papers were covered in images of Chancellor Rachel Reeves, puffy eyed and crying in the Commons. It's rare that we see politicians show such vulnerability in public, and reactions from both sides of the political spectrum, as well as the media has been surprising. Initial analysis pointed the finger of blame at Kier Starmer, with Rachel Reeves forced to sit and watch as the government’s about face on welfare reform pulled apart her credibility in front of the nation. Reeves and the PM both later clarified that the tears were related to a “personal issue” and a smiling photo op at a London hospital the next day was a clear attempt to point to the lack of conflict between the two.
Starmer remains forthright in his defence of Rachel Reeves, whether that is for his own benefit as his grip on public approval weakens, or comes from a true place of confidence in her role remains to be seen. But number 10 and number 11 seem to be taking the right communications approach to tackling what was clearly an unusual day in politics, with Rachel Reeves addressing the incident head on by saying in a broadcast interview, "I think all your viewers have had tough days, for personal reasons, for whatever reasons. I happened to be on the camera when I had a tough day." Of course, Rachel Reeves’ tough days aren’t everyone else’s and her actions make an impact on the nation as a whole, as demonstrated by the pound dropping and interest rates rising as what seemed to be her inevitable resignation looming.
One aspect of the incident which is likely to be analysed thoroughly by the weekend papers is the gender divide – with Amelia Gentleman in the Guardian already saying Reeves’ tears will help to destigmatise emotions in the workplace. It's hard to predict what the response might've been to a male politician crying on the front benches in 2025. Would it be praised as a sign of the increasingly fashionable “new masculinity,” or roundly shamed as an unacceptable sign of weakness from our leadership? Perhaps one for Sir Kier to try, if his race to the bottom continues.
Ritz Carlton Megayacht: cruising, or a sinking feeling?
What do Naomi Campbell, Tom Brady, Orlando Bloom and Martha Stewart all have in common? They have recently all been spotted aboard the Ritz Carlton’s new mega yacht.
An idea that seems to bring the luxury hotel into a new branch: yachting. It follows suit after the Four Seasons launched their yachting experience (which essentially is just a cruise ship for the ultra-rich) in February. Completely revolutionizing cruise ships, offering a week’s stay in a suite for £20,000 a week.
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Now, who is actually purchasing these luxury vacations and is there really a market? After the Ritz Carlton Yacht has officially launched and used celebrities to bait in potential new business, we have a few news articles showing what Orlando Bloom and Kate Hudson were getting up to while on board. However videos from empty ball rooms and Ellie Goulding singing, were what was left out of the press.
Thanks to social media, consumers can see in real time what the Ritz Calton yacht experience was like, and if you’re not Tom Brady or Kendall Jenner, it doesn’t pass the test. Will the PR strategy of Ritz Carlton Yachts gain a loyal customer base, or will it take a lot more than some celebrities partying on a boat with suites…
Somehow, Corbyn returned…
There's very little to be inspired by or excited about on the UK political scene right now. While Kier Starmer isn't the most dynamic or exciting personality to take office in recent memory, many were hoping some prolonged stability would be good for the country. However, with his popularity waning according to YouGov data, you'd expect the prospect of a challenge from Labour's left to provide a much-needed kick up the backside. Unfortunately it's anything but...
It's the former MP for Coventry South, Zarah Sultana who made the first move - announcing a new unnamed party co-launched by Jeremy Corbyn. The party promises to unite independent MPs, campaigners, and activists to challenge what they call a “broken” Westminster system and the two-party status quo.
However, the launch has been marred by confusion. Corbyn himself has stated he is still in discussions about his involvement, suggesting a lack of clear leadership or planning from the outset. This muddled messaging has muted the impact of the announcement and raised doubts about the party’s prospects.
History shows that new political movements like Change UK, have struggled without unity and a clear plan. While there is clear disgruntlement, and in many corners of the country - full-blown outrage and disillusionment among Labour’s left-wing supporters, this new party risks simply splitting the progressive vote further between Labour, the Greens, and itself. Without strong organisation and direction, it is hard to see this effort doing more than helping rivals like Reform.
“former MP for Coventry South”?… News to her constituents!