Karen Wong
Karen is a pop culture enthusiast who is particularly obsessed with the horror genre. She has previously written on fashion, beauty and lifestyle but enjoys dissecting and contextualising popular trends across history and culture. She likes long walks among greenery, but not pina coladas, and especially hates getting caught in the rain.
15 Thoughts On Netflix’s Too Hot To Handle Season 2
Entertainment

15 Thoughts On Netflix’s Too Hot To Handle Season 2

I like my reality TV like I like my snacks – totally lacking in nutritional value but packing that sweet, sweet carb or sugar high. Which inevitably leads to a spiral of shame at the sheer gluttony but hey, #YOLO. Hence a reality show premise where hot single horny people are thrown together and then […]

I like my reality TV like I like my snacks – totally lacking in nutritional value but packing that sweet,

The Good, Bad And Ugly: 14 Years With The Kardashians
Entertainment

The Good, Bad And Ugly: 14 Years With The Kardashians

tFor the past 14 years, it’s been the Kardashians-Jenner world and we’re just living in it. I’ve never watched an episode of the Kardashians reality series. Yet by process of cultural osmosis, I can tell you that Khloé is the tall funny one; Kylie is the one with the lip fillers; and if your diamond […]

tFor the past 14 years, it’s been the Kardashians-Jenner world and we’re just living in it. I’ve never watched an

You Might Want To Turn On Spotify’s Private Session
Entertainment

You Might Want To Turn On Spotify’s Private Session

A text message reminded me how Spotify Private Session was a life saver. It started when I was head bopping to Olivia Rodrigo’s good 4 u when I received a WhatsApp text from a friend in Hong Kong. The message made me hit pause on the Spotify app and sit up straighter. For all the innocence of […]

A text message reminded me how Spotify Private Session was a life saver. It started when I was head bopping

Why You Need To Watch Promising Young Woman Right Now
Entertainment

Why You Need To Watch Promising Young Woman Right Now

 There is a scene in Promising Young Woman where a woman walking down a street has been catcalled by a bunch of construction workers. These bawdy men make suggestive comments about her state of undress. How the events of last night may have led to this walk of shame. It’s something many females have experienced, […]

 There is a scene in Promising Young Woman where a woman walking down a street has been catcalled by a

How TikTok Helped Me, A 34-Year-Old, Survive The Pandemic
Wellness & HealthEntertainment

How TikTok Helped Me, A 34-Year-Old, Survive The Pandemic

I opened a TikTok account because my boss ordered me to.  The year was 2020 and lockdowns had just started rolling out globally as the world grappled with the novel coronavirus that we would know as Covid-19.  Working in new media, there was no newer media than this short-form video app that was making headlines […]

I opened a TikTok account because my boss ordered me to.  The year was 2020 and lockdowns had just started

Seeing Red: A Way Forward For ‘Period Spot Checks’
Wellness & HealthLifestyle

Seeing Red: A Way Forward For ‘Period Spot Checks’

Over a month ago, Malaysians saw red with the breaking news of “period spot checks” happening in schools. Young female Muslims shared their shame at having to prove they were on their periods while at religious classes.  The outer labia was purportedly subjected to swabbing with cotton buds, prodding with fingers, or groping to prove […]

Over a month ago, Malaysians saw red with the breaking news of “period spot checks” happening in schools. Young female

Best Comfort Films on Netflix To Embrace During Lockdown
Entertainment

Best Comfort Films on Netflix To Embrace During Lockdown

As news of rising Covid-19 cases around Southeast Asia dominate the headlines and countries go back into some version of a lockdown, it’s never been a better time to reach for some good ol’ comfort.  Sink back into your comfy couch while dressed in your softest jammies and grab a bowl of your favourite soul-filling […]

As news of rising Covid-19 cases around Southeast Asia dominate the headlines and countries go back into some version of

What Hollywood Gets Right And Wrong About Mental Health
Entertainment

What Hollywood Gets Right And Wrong About Mental Health

One bright spark in the doom and gloom of 2020 was the global spotlight on mental health awareness. After years of glorifying positivity, often to the point of toxicity, it feels like we’ve turned the corner when it comes to normalising the ebbs and flows of our mental health. It’s really okay not to be […]

One bright spark in the doom and gloom of 2020 was the global spotlight on mental health awareness. After years

Satisfy Your Wanderlust During Lockdown Through These 6 Films
Entertainment

Satisfy Your Wanderlust During Lockdown Through These 6 Films

If you could go anywhere right now… well, would you actually? Everybody, on some level, misses traveling. Wanderlust abounds in a time of pandemic restrictions but with slow vaccination rollout and waves of Covid-19 infections, is it ethically right to do so? These are questions we have wrestled with in the past year and will […]

If you could go anywhere right now… well, would you actually? Everybody, on some level, misses traveling. Wanderlust abounds in

5 Southeast Asian Ethical Accessory Brands To Know Now
Beauty & Fashion

5 Southeast Asian Ethical Accessory Brands To Know Now

The best kind of accessories are those that hold meaning. It could be something thrifted, gifted, or even something shiny from the mall. But it’s in wearing and using these accessories that we encase our memories or emotions in them. In choosing ethically and sustainably-made accessories, you are carrying goods that are small but worldly. […]

The best kind of accessories are those that hold meaning. It could be something thrifted, gifted, or even something shiny

6 Sustainable Fashion Labels in Southeast Asia Leading A Fashion Revolution
Beauty & Fashion

6 Sustainable Fashion Labels in Southeast Asia Leading A Fashion Revolution

In 2013, over a thousand workers in Bangladesh died making the clothes we wear. The Rana Plaza garment factory disaster encapsulates the ugliest nature of fashion. Here’s the truth we couldn’t ignore any longer about fast fashion stores: there is a hidden cost to their cheap price tags. And it’s humans corralled away in large […]

In 2013, over a thousand workers in Bangladesh died making the clothes we wear. The Rana Plaza garment factory disaster

6 Films On Netflix You Need To Watch This Earth Day 2021
Entertainment

6 Films On Netflix You Need To Watch This Earth Day 2021

The very first Earth Day was celebrated 51 years ago on 22 April. Since 1970, there has been a growing movement championing environmental consciousness as the world continued to progress, often at the cost of Mother Earth. With this year’s theme of ‘Restore Our Earth’, all eyes are on the coming disasters of climate change […]

The very first Earth Day was celebrated 51 years ago on 22 April. Since 1970, there has been a growing

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