Showing 1 - 10 of 28
When Labubu dolls transform into a protest symbol
Oped, Jackie Mansky, Published on 17/09/2025
» I was surprised to see Labubus, the mega-popular toy monsters with Puck-like grins, staring at me in the crowd at anti-ICE demonstrations in Los Angeles in June.
Trump's tariffs are not simply about dolls
Oped, Nancy Qian, Published on 20/05/2025
» In a famous scene from the hit American television series Succession, the savvy patriarch of a family-owned media empire is infuriated to learn that none of his children knows the price of a gallon of milk. He understands that such a disconnect between decision-makers and ordinary people is a recipe for failed leadership. Now, the same tension is playing out not on our screens, but in the White House.
How nations can counter Trump's trade trickery
Oped, Koichi Hamada, Published on 10/05/2025
» Much has been written about US President Donald Trump's disastrous "reciprocal" tariffs, which, despite having remained in effect for less than 24 hours, roiled the stock market, drove up Treasury yields, and caused the dollar to depreciate. In fact, the tariffs that have so badly undermined markets' faith in the US were never reciprocal at all: they were entirely unilateral actions betraying a fundamental misunderstanding of economics.
Sunscreen and our move towards a sun-safe future
Oped, Charlotte Mathieson, Published on 14/09/2024
» It's April 2000. I'm 14 years old, lying on a beach in the Bahamas, a bottle of SPF 20 at my side. I periodically check to see how my suntan is developing, watching with fascination as my pale white skin turns a deep, chestnut brown. Through the headphones of my Discman, Baz Luhrmann is telling the class of '99 to "trust me on the sunscreen". I nod along to the beat, oblivious to the irony. Luhrmann's caution is ahead of the curve.
We can always live in a dollhouse
Roger Crutchley, Published on 07/07/2024
» Thai tourism authorities are always quick to make the most of any new fad, which might explain the appearance of a life-sized Labubu doll on the front page of the Bangkok Post this week. Apparently, the mascot is part of a promotion to attract Chinese tourists. I confess to not knowing anything about the Labubu craze although the Post's doll correspondent informs me the designer doll is a "kind-hearted monster with pointed ears and serrated teeth". Hmmm.
Gap's Met Gala denim moment stunning, smart
News, Andrea Felsted, Published on 11/05/2024
» Among the many luxury brands showing off their lavish creations at the Met Gala this week were a handful of more mainstream names. One standout was The Gap Inc, which dressed actress Da'Vine Joy Randolph.
What 'Barbie' can really teach working-class men
News, Betsey Stevenson, Published on 14/03/2024
» Economists spend a lot of time talking about jobs. Work is not only how people support themselves financially, it can also be the way in which they contribute to society, create unique identities and find meaning in the world. When work disappears or shifts, people can feel as unmoored and confused as Ken in Greta Gerwig's Barbie, who had one last moment in the spotlight at this week's Academy Awards, when Ryan Gosling performed the Oscar-nominated song I'm Just Ken.
How two little piggies saved their bacon
Roger Crutchley, Published on 19/11/2023
» Following last week's gripping yarn concerning the rescue of Fiona, the loneliest sheep in the world, it seems only fair to report on another tale featuring animals in distress. My thanks to reader Paul Drew for alerting me to the saga of two pigs, Butch and Sundance, who became known in England as the Tamworth Two, belonging to the breed of that name.
What our faith says about us
Patcharawalai Sanyanusin, Published on 28/08/2023
» Everyone has the right to worship anything they believe sacred, and what they put their faith in says something about their nature as well.
Corporate responsibility in the age of AI
Oped, Maria Eitel, Published on 09/08/2023
» In the past year, a cacophony of conversations about artificial intelligence has erupted. Depending on whom you listen to, AI is either carrying us into a shiny new world of endless possibilities or propelling us toward a grim dystopia. Call them the Barbie and Oppenheimer scenarios -- as attention-grabbing and different as the Hollywood blockbusters of the summer. But one conversation is getting far too little attention: the one about corporate responsibility.