大象传媒

Recently we discussed the sexist imagery and lyrics of pop singer Robin Thicke鈥檚 number one hit Blurred Lines. In the video topless, almost entirely naked girls are told they 鈥渒now they want it鈥� as they passively prance around him. It鈥檚 a big hit, but what is the deeper impact of such sexualised music and images?聽 Are songs like this making overly sexualised language and behaviour seem normal, and how is it affecting the lives of young people? We speak to a group of teenage boys and girls from Devas Youth Club in Battersea,聽London to hear their views on the language in the urban music they listen to and how it affects them. Can music really lead to negative attitudes, language, sexual behaviour, and even crime? To discuss the links, we鈥檙e joined by Music Psychologist Adrian North of Curtin University in Australia, and feminist writer Joan Smith.

WARNING: This piece contains some very strong language.

, Kath Mainland is聽sometimes called the 鈥渇irst lady of the fringe鈥� but in fact she鈥檚 been involved with many of Scotland鈥檚 major festivals and events, including聽the Edinburgh International Book Festival, the MTV European Music Awards in Edinburgh and the city's millennium celebrations.聽On the eve of the 2013 festival she joins Jenni to explain what it takes to run the largest arts festival in the world.
The takes place between 2 and 26 August.

It鈥檚 estimated that there are now 1.6 million refugees trying to escape the conflict聽in Syria which has claimed over 100,000 lives.聽Every day roughly 6,000聽more Syrian refugees cross the borders into neighbouring countries to live in camps like the Zaatari camp in Jordan. But because the聽conditions are so harsh,聽thousands of refugees are now trying to return home. They say that, despite losing relatives in the conflict, they prefer to go back to a perilous existence in Syria rather than endure the frustrations of life in a desert camp, where infectious diseases are on the increase and soaring temperatures are making life unbearable.
Angela Robson went to the Zaatari camp to meet the refugees trying to return to Syria.

Pictures by Simon Rawles

Today Virago republishes Nell Dunn鈥檚 1960鈥檚 classics, 鈥楿p the Junction鈥� and 鈥楶oor Cow鈥�. Praised and attacked at the time for their energy, candour and realism, Nell and Jenni are joined by author, Margaret Drabble to discuss the impact of these books.