Weekend Argus Saturday 2022-03-19

Samkelo Mtshali samkelo.thulasizwe@inl.co.za THE fall from grace of English football giants Chelsea Football Club could be as spectacular as their rise from English Premier League also-rans into a European superpower in the mid-2000s. Russia’s invasion of its neighbour Ukraine has seen Chelsea’s billionaire Russian owner Roman Abramovich putting the Blues up for sale due to alleged ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin and the Kremlin and subsequently having his English-based assets frozen by British Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s administration. Meanwhile, for Chelsea the pain is also palpable as the club’s bank accounts have been frozen, and ticket sales (bar season ticket holders) banned; they will not be able to sign new players nor extend the contracts of incumbent playing personnel while Abramovich, 55, is still the owner. This has necessitated…

Shawn Mendes hopes to “influence culture” through his music. The 23-year-old singer felt inspired watching Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Dr Dre, 50 Cent, Mary J Blige and Kendrick Lamar perform at the Super Bowl in February, and is now more determined than ever to make a mark. He reflected: “For me, it’s not to be like, ‘I have to change the world’. I’m just saying, that’s where my ambition goes – to influence culture. I want to honour the opportunity that I’ve been given as an artist, to make something very true.” Mendes is working on a new album and preparing for his Wonder world tour. The Senorita hitmaker said he’s determined to make “authentic” music. He told Billboard magazine: “I never want to stop playing, even if I’m playing…

Rollo Ross Pixar Studios’ latest film, Turning Red, wants to break a taboo by addressing what a girl goes through during puberty, but with an analogy. Meilin Lee, voiced by Rosalie Chiang, is an overly confident student excelling in every field. But one night, she goes to bed and wakes up as a giant red panda. In this form, Meilin experiences many of the things pubescent teenagers go through: appearance of new hair, body dysmorphia, embarrassment about sexual feelings and heightened emotions. “It’s taboo for whatever reason because people don’t talk about it,” director and co-writer Domee Shi said. “It’s like the self-fulfilling prophecy. The fact that this is so shocking to be the first film to really talk about it is probably the very reason that we don’t talk…

Debashine Thangevelo debashine.thangevelo@inl.co.za When you want something badly enough, you go after it. And that’s exactly what Lorna Maseko did. Aching to get back to doing what she loves, she approached Rapid Blue and pitched an idea for a cooking show. They took it to the BBC, and several months later, the green light was given for Homegrown Tastes South Africa on BBC Lifestyle. As far as concepts go, this one stands out for how it explores the distinctly South African flavours and ingredients, while celebrating the chefs who come up with out-of-the-box ideas on traditional dishes. Maseko, who, following the release of Celebrate with Lorna Maseko in September 2019, ended up bagging the best celebrity chef cookbook and best international cookbook at the 2020 Gourmand Awards, is no stranger…

Lutho Pasiya lutho.pasiya@inl.co.za Food is a powerful thing. It has brought people together for centuries, between families, communities, and cultures. It has the power to connect people of different backgrounds. The sharing of food and recipes is nothing new, but recently there has been a shift in how we share recipes, as well as who shares them. The digital age has brought on the popularity of cooking videos. TikTok, in particular, with its unparalleled ability to create content that goes viral. The video-sharing app has been disrupting the food industry to the point of changing the way people eat. What are the causes of this success? It is short and simple videos made by ordinary people. Below we take a look at how TikTok has shaped how we view food.…

We always cherish expensive purchases. What is it that makes them worth it? Maybe it’s the pure extravagance of them. Maybe it’s the idea that even the most transient of such delights will endure in one’s memory. The rise of pre-owned luxury items is increasing at a fast rate because the idea is based on sustainability – it acts as a means of alternative fashion consumption, leads to digitalisation and has an advantage of affordability. Re-sale expert Namisha Gupta shares tips on how to sell pre-owned luxury items online. Sell items at the right price Everyone loves a good deal, especially when it comes to luxury items. In a world where there are plenty of places to shop, a good price is what makes some items stand out from the…