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This piece reviews the comedy series, ‘Hacks’ which armed with its reliable humour and eccentricity, challenges an ageist industry and audience. Hacks season 3 premiered in 2024. 

 

I love old people. I love movies about old people. Don’t get me wrong, I am not a gerontophile. I just find older people to be wittier, sassier, and snarkier than the rest of us. The years of experience living account for more than just joint pain and cataracts. I think it makes people more honest and carefree, for when you are 70, you have little to lose, the worst that could happen to you is that you could die and most 70-year-olds are dying anyway. ‘Hack’, a derogatory word, refers to an older person, past their prime, doing repetitive and mediocre work in a professional field. So, creators Lucia Aniello, Paul W. Downs, and  Jen Statsky chose to call their show about a 60-year-old, female comedian, ‘Hacks’. But Deborah Vance (Jean Smart), a steel-hardened, veteran stand-up comedian with 100 shows at Las Vegas’s Palmetto Casino is anything but a hack. Having cemented her 40-year-old career in comedy, Deborah saunters between the casino and paid appearances during the daytime, only to return to her cavernous mansion and dogs in the evening, take off her wig and gaudy outfit, and dine alone. She has paid a very dear price for success- years ago,  her husband, jealous of her comedic spurt, had left her and married her sister. But Deb isn’t lonely, she is quite happy celebrating Christmas with her house staff and manager, having cut off her sister from her life.  But despite her legacy, Deb cannot escape the fragilities of age and fears her career waning when the casino’s owner slashes her shows on Fridays and Saturdays every week. 

In a desperate attempt to freshen Deborah’s content, her manager Jimmy sends in a 20-something, unemployed TV comedy writer Ava (Hannah Einbinder) to Deb’s aid. They get off to a rocky start, scoff at each other, roll their eyes but eventually soften up. Ava is useful, she livens up Deb’s material, brings her to publicly apologise for her racist, sexist, ableist jokes in the past, and cuts down on the usage of her private jet to reduce her carbon footprint. Ava is young and was born in the age of cancel- culture and climate change activism. She makes Deb more relevant. She, in turn, learns from Deb how to be unflinchingly self-reliant to survive in a hostile world and carve her niche. They make a great team. Throughout the 3 seasons, Hacks has remained reliably, consistently funny. To watch Hacks is like watching yourself argue with your parents, both parties hold their ground, refusing to give up until one of you caves in. It is heartfelt and emotionally cumbersome at the same time. 

Because it is a 30-episode long series (that I binge-watched in 2 days), Hacks could devote a lot of time and screen space to developing well-rounded personalities of the supporting cast who are just as eccentric and geeky as the leads. Deb’s daughter (whom she named Deborah Vance Junior) is a self-absorbed entrepreneur who sells handcrafted jewelry, but because that makes her no money, she hires private agents to take ugly pictures of Deborah to sell to the media. Imagine! They have a difficult relationship. From Marcus, the CEO of her company to Kiki, her personal blackjack dealer, Deb has herself surrounded by a loyal tribe that keeps her from dying of boredom, or narcissism. She pays everybody a lot, a lot! Kayla, Jimmy’s bratty assistant is a joy to watch and at times,  I would find myself waiting for her to make an appearance, with little interest in Deb and Ava. That is the key to forging side characters, I’ve learned, that creators shouldn’t just sprinkle side characters to fill screen time, they should devote to them, traits and trajectories that make them a person in their own right, not just reduced to being the gay friend, or the black friend, or worst of them all, the fat friend. Tokenism is so last century. 

The supporting cast and leads, when Hacks won the Best Television Series- Comedy 

Image credit: Rolling Stone

 

I think it is hard to make a show about 2 women, harder if there’s an older woman, simply because an ageist audience does not want to watch a show about wrinkle cream, menopause, and lentil soup (it’s easy to digest). Old people are just not as visually pleasing, they walk slowly and slur. So, for Hacks to have won Primetime Emmys and Golden Globes and gotten a 99% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, it must have done a lot of things right. Another one of my dear favorite shows that has as in its lead a 64-year-old Julia Louis-Dreyfus (from Seinfeld) is Veep, a fictional political satire that traces the journey of the Vice President of USA, Selina Meyer (Dreyfus) and her team as she desperately claws at becoming the President. Her staff is dysfunctional and so is she. Veep was so, so funny, the outfits were so beautiful, it bagged so many awards. If you are chronically online and/or unemployed and can watch a 7-season-long show, then Veep might just keep you occupied for some time. 

It is important we make and watch more shows about old people. We cannot give up on people when they turn 60, they have too many remarkable stories to tell and too much property that they’re not taking anywhere with them. 

 

Read also: https://dubeat.com/2024/09/04/dub-review-angry-young-men-do-bhai-dono-tabahi-actualised/

Image Credit: Indiewire

 

Chetna Rani

chetna050804@gmail.com

Finally, after a long delay, an intense and fairly elongated wave of humid monsoons has hit the National Capital. It has brought several skin-related problems that need to be addressed.

Despite the declaration of a dry monsoon for North India, Delhi has witnessed several spells of monsoon rains. The students, who are exposed to the humidity for about 10 hours each day, have been complaining of skin and hair problems. These are triggers that need to be checked, before they shoot into major allergies or infections.

Aditya from Hindu College said, “My skin has become relatively more oily and my hair more sticky. With a busy schedule and packed timetable for college every day, it is increasingly difficult to take care of my skin properly. Plus my pocket money doesn’t allow me to buy expensive products, so I usually use milk and honey, and some besan to prepare a pack, that keeps the skin hydrated and also reduces the stickiness.”

Products like face masks, scrubs, face wash, face packs, shampoos and conditioners, and toners are helpful, but it becomes difficult for students to buy them from expensive, and upmarket brands. But as Kashvi, from Kirori Mal College suggested, brands like Khadi Bharat, MiniSo, and Patanjali provide quality products at much cheaper rates, and have a better and long-lasting impact (not to forget that they’re organic!). They help in controlling the sebaceous activity and reducing oiling on the skin.

The other option is home remedies. Popular belief associates home remedies for skincare to be a part of the knowledge of mothers and grandmothers. However, these home remedies have time and again proven to be effective. For the arsenal of the University students who want to take care of their skin, two essentials are haldi (turmeric), and rosewater. Rosewater is an amazing anti-oxidant and works as an amazing toner. Bottled rosewater can be used as a super cheap substitute. For those students who are inclined towards do-it-yourself options, recipes to make rosewater are available online, which are quite simple to follow.

Turmeric is known mostly as a spice for food, but people fail to realise that it is great to combat acne and pimples. To make a turmeric face mask, turmeric needs to be mixed with a liquid, like lemon juice, which acts as an astringent; raw honey, which is known for its antimicrobial properties; or milk, which can be used to brighten the skin. Use these face packs once or twice a week, and you will soon start seeing results. This is top-notch and, on a budget too, as the ingredients are already available in your kitchen, or in the local grocery store.

Turmeric is known mostly as a spice for food, but people fail to realise that it is great to combat acne and pimples. To make a turmeric face mask, turmeric needs to be mixed with a liquid, like lemon juice, which acts as an astringent; raw honey, which is known for its antimicrobial properties; or milk, which can be used to brighten the skin. Use these face packs once or twice a week, and you will soon start seeing results. This is top-notch and, on a budget too, as the ingredients are already available in your kitchen, or in the local grocery store.

 

Feature Image Credits: Stylecraze

 

Yaksh Handa

yakshhanda@gmail.com

 

 

Prabhanu Kumar Das

prabhanukumardas@gmail.com

A lot of students study last minute. However, it can get exhausting and stressful. Therefore, in order to cope with such a situation in a better way, here are some tips.

1. Pomodoro Technique
Pomodoro Technique is a technique developed by Francesco Cirillo in the late 1980s that requires the work to be broken into shorter stretches traditionally a 25-minute work. In the middle of these stretches, one is supposed to take 5-10 minutes breaks. After four Pomodoros, one is allowed to take a longer break. This increases the concentration and sitting hours of a student. It also reduces the work stress due to the frequent breaks. Since you are expected to work more due to last-minute studies, you will benefit from the technique.

2. Mnemonics
A mnemonic is any learning technique that aids information retention or retrieval (remembering) in the human memory. These become handy to remember something very quickly and for longer periods of time. One of the mnemonics is making an abbreviation of the keywords of the points you need to remember. Another can be the usage of a sentence containing the keywords. For example, “Memory Needs Every Method Of Nurturing Its Capacity” is a mnemonic for spelling ‘mnemonic.’

3. Summaries are okay
So, we know that often times we do not have enough time to read the entire text.  In that case, it is fine if you choose to read summaries from a reliable site. Some of us get paranoid about the fact that summaries are not the text themselves. We believe it does not contain everything. However, you need to reassure yourself that the summaries cut out on the useless details and give you the gist you exactly need at the last moment.

4. A friend in need is a friend indeed
There is always some topper friend who is so secure about herself that they will definitely go about helping everyone. It is a good idea to pester them or take advice from them. Do not be intimidated by their knowledge of the subject. Realise that your only objective right now should be to learn from them rather than to avoid them because they make you feel unprepared.

5. 10-year questions/companion
One of the safest ways to be comfortable with your question paper is to understand it’s pattern. It is inevitable for a few questions from the previous papers to be repeated in your paper this time. It is like a cheat code, when you know which question to focus on more, or maybe even prepare entirely. You will be able to even guess which questions may appear in your paper this time if you look carefully enough.

All the best for the regretful days, a stressful load of studies, promises of becoming better the next semester, ending up the same, and repeating the process.
Feature Image Credits: The Irish Times

Khyati Sanger
khyati.sanger@ymail.com

With summer approaching, the scorching summer heat is guaranteed to be hard on our bodies, our moods, and our electric bills. After all, this is the time we forgo memories of our cooler past, we put behind us the days when constant sweating was not part of our daily routine.

For those of us sweltering away in this part of the world, with no obvious escape in sight, consider some of the following to beat the Delhi heat:

  1. Hydrate: Drinking 1-2 litres of water is very essential, spruce up your water game by opting for flavoured water instead (Strawberry is highly recommended!)
Credits: gethealthyu.com
Credits: gethealthyu.com
  1. Streat Treats – Cool off with a Chuski and some Banta: This is time for the pocket-friendly experience we’ve all been waiting for. So whether you head to Prince Paan or India Gate, I assure you that the mind-numbing iciness of one chuski will keep you cool for the rest of the day.
Credits: indianstreetfood.com
Credits: indianstreetfood.com
  1. Shop Till you Drop – Head to the Malls: What better way to beat the summertime sadness than some retail therapy at the mall. Enjoy the air conditioning and check out the latest summer trends without having to worry about tan lines or sweaty faces. Head on to your favourite mall and catch the latest flick.
article-2its-shopping-time-pt-3-credits-mygola-com
Credits: mygola.com

 

  1. Splash About – Hit the Pool: There is no better time of the year than to attend/organise that pool party you’v been waiting for. Step out and dive into the pool for a cool, refreshing dip.
Credits: shutterstock.com
Credits: shutterstock.com
  1. Cotton and comfort: Make use of all the summer sales. Adopt the boho style of dressing with maxi dresses, tie and dye shirts for the girls and linen shorts for the guys!
Credits: shutterstock.com
Credits: shutterstock.com

 

Anahita Sahu
anahitas@dubeat.com

 

There are a few elements within the peripheries of life which are known to flourish magnificently in association. Food and happiness, heartbreak and ice cream, weekends and binge-watching, and University of Delhi and the fest season. With a multitude of colleges bringing forward numerous reasons to escalate excitement levels with intriguing competitions and enthralling events, have a look at the musts to guarantee a satisfying fest experience!

  1. Classes, Society, and Work Management

All fun and no work make Jack an even duller boy. Amidst the excitement to sway to the rhythms of fun, take a step back and engage in some Time Management 101. There are a plethora of legendary fests which wait for your presence, so juggle between events by squeezing in the occasional classes between fest and society meetings, and treat yourself to some fest-fun later!

  1. The Entry Logistics

With Facebook reminders of fests and events also come reports of buying passes in black or selling fake IDs. While some colleges relax entry restrictions, others tighten them to reduce the possibility of non-DU students getting into the realms of the fun which everyone is talking about. Find out about the requirements of your scheduled fest, and be prepared.

  1. Wardrobe Woes

As the weather transcends from the chilly winters to the warmly-pleasant summers, it is important to plan your outfits keeping the weather in mind and so as to not go through the ordeal of repetition. Keep up with the trends, do smart shopping, and go for outfits which are easy to handle and maintain!

  1. Get Ready to Roll

As you set the stage to make the best out of this period, make sure all internal matters are taken care of. Shield yourself from the cold, for a fever can put your fest plans to rest. Eat and drink at regular intervals so as to not tire quickly, and come prepared with some Chandler Bing-unlike moves to grace the DJ nights.

With the energy levels full to the brim, are you ready for the season of fun?

 

Image Credits: DU Beat

 

Saumya Kalia

saumyak@dubeat.com

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