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Irish Examiner
04-07-2025
- Irish Examiner
Diary of a Gen Z Student: The differences between Irish and Portugese men when it comes to flirting
'Stay away from those Portuguese boys', was the sage advice my father gave to me as he kindly dropped me to Terminal 1 of Dublin airport last week. Classic fatherly advice. And classic daughterly reaction: I laughed at him. I was going to Lisbon with one of the girls for a few days of sun and Aperol Spritzes. And spending evenings bar hopping in a city means that it's pretty difficult to avoid interacting with the opposite sex. Now, I wasn't born yesterday (it was 2004, thank you very much). So, I wasn't naïve about how these interactions may play out. And we all know that there are some stark differences between how Irish men and men from the continent attempt to gain the attention of someone they may find attractive. Throughout my trip, I was taking note of these differences. Here are my takeaways. In Ireland, alcohol is a necessary prerequisite for most romantic advances. A sober Irish person expressing any sort of attraction is a rarity. Instead, guys will tend to look nervously into their pint glass, waiting for the liquid courage to kick in. Alcohol is the perfect defence mechanism. If things go awry, 'Oh I didn't know what I was saying!' will shield the failed suitor from most embarrassment. But while most Irish people will require at least three drinks before they could even consider flirting with someone, the rest of Europe seems to wake up ready for action. Maybe it's all the espresso. Maybe it's the heat. But Portuguese men have no fear of rejection that I could detect. If you're walking down a nice cobblestone street, crowded with people going about their day in Lisbon, a Portuguese man will not be deterred by the idea of people witnessing his possible rejection. Being serenaded at 10am on a busy street was not on my Bingo card for 2025. Nevertheless, spontaneous serenading seemed to be a go to move for Portuguese men. I wish I was joking. In reality, I found myself oddly impressed with the confidence of these men. They were not concerned about any sort of rules for romance. Browsing in a shop, ordering a coffee, reapplying sun cream, burning my feet on scorching hot sand. Everything was an opportunity for love, I soon learned. One aspect of flirting by Portuguese men that I struggled with, was their approach to romance. Irish men don't tend to progress beyond the schoolyard stuff. In primary school, you're told that 'He's only being mean to you because he likes you'. And that's usually correct. I spent my youth assuming that boys would grow out of that stuff. However, I have been proven very wrong in this regard. I swear, if my hair was in pigtails, they would pull it and run away. Irish men will slag you for almost anything. Your accent, your secondary school, your tiny handbag, I've heard it all. A man trying to flirt by acting like he actually likes me? Now that's just weird. What do you mean, you 'like my dress'? You're not going to slag me? I don't know how to react to anything other than mild bullying. That's just how I was raised. Being too nice has got to be a red flag. Because all I'm thinking is, this niceness can't be genuine. You don't really care if I've got green eyes. Laugh at me for looking like I've never left the Pale, for god's sake! Basically, I was being forced to traverse some rocky terrain on my travels. Turning around to listen to a street performer, only to realise it was a man in flipflops, serenading you in Portuguese, ready to ask you if being from Ireland makes you British. Again, I wish I was joking. Sure, the cocktails were cheaper in Lisbon. But no six euro Aperol Spritz could fill the craic-shaped hole in my heart. I know I do a serious amount of complaining about Irish men in this column. And frankly, I think most of it is more than warranted. But you know when you're a kid, you beg your parents for a takeaway, and they inevitable respond by saying, 'We have food at home.' What I'm getting at is, maybe we should bring that kind of thinking on our holidays. They may be shy, but we do have boys at home. And they'll at least understand that compliments without slagging are just a little off-putting for the modern Irish woman. This has got to be some sort of Stockholm Syndrome… Read More Bernard O'Shea: Observe the Constitution of the Irish Family Holiday
Yahoo
18-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Madison Avenue Braces for the AI Apocalypse
Is the advertising industry staring down its 'let them eat cake' moment? Thousands of media and tech executives are descending on France for the annual Cannes Lions festival (June 16 to 20), where they will schmooze and sip Aperol Spritzes at parties, and perhaps commiserate in between panels at Meta or Spotify Beach, or on one of the dozens of yachts docked in the harbor. The talk of the town is what one veteran media exec frames as the 'insane chaos and disruption' that AI is beginning to unleash as the major ad agencies and buying firms slash thousands of jobs in the name of automation and consolidation. More from The Hollywood Reporter Battle of the Cool Kids: Inside the A24, Neon and Mubi Turf War Soapy "Verticals" Helping to Keep Hollywood Employed in L.A. As Film and TV Projects Leave RichCo vs. PoorCo: Not All Spinoffs Are Created Equal It already is being felt at the very top of the industry: Just days before the Cannes Lions kickoff, WPP CEO Mark Read revealed his intention to depart at year's end, reassuring staff that 'we are now leading the way as AI transforms marketing' and that the company is equipped 'to face the future confidently and capture the opportunities ahead.' And Omnicom and IPG are lurching toward a $13 billion megamerger, which is premised on creating an ad giant that will be 'poised to accelerate innovation and harness the significant opportunities created by new technologies in this era of exponential change,' as Omnicom CEO John Wren said when unveiling the deal. That exponential change, ad agency veterans say, is based on a few things: The practice of buying and selling, which was once hashed out in smoke-filled rooms and at glitzy events, is already increasingly automated, and AI will only turbocharge that as potential AI agents tasked with creating full media plans are deployed. On the creative side, AI will dramatically change the creation of ads themselves. Meta, for example, wants to have AI tech in the market allowing brands to create, target and deploy ads by the end of next year. Across the industry, tools are being developed that allow brands to upload images of their product, which can be quickly iterated into dozens of ads or video spots. The end result is a business that could be radically smaller. 'I'm afraid that in a couple of years, the big ad agencies will be a shadow of what they are today,' admits the former CEO of a top Madison Avenue firm. 'Nothing can match human creativity and experience, but from research to placement to creative, a lot of what the agencies have done can be replicated pretty well by AI.' Not everyone agrees that the end is near. And that includes Alex Schultz, the CMO of Meta. 'We believe AI will enable agencies and advertisers to focus precious time and resources on the creativity that matters. And we're seeing agencies using AI in a way that is aligned with this vision already,' Schultz wrote on LinkedIn last month. 'Advertisers, including our marketing teams at Meta, also rely on their agencies to make decisions across channels and across platforms. While we think there will ultimately be more automation in marketing, the role that agencies play is going to become ever more important through their ability to plan, execute and measure across platforms.' Still, the AI revolution is coming. Last year, Coca-Cola released an ad created using generative AI tools, and in June, the prediction market Kalshi placed an ad during the NBA Finals (on the YouTube TV stream, at least) that was created entirely using Veo 3, Google's new video generation model. Thomas Iljic, the product lead at Google Labs responsible for Veo 3, tells The Hollywood Reporter that when it comes to using the tech for advertising, it 'seems extremely promising, but I would say it's still very early in terms of gauging the size of the market.' While the ad business will face the brunt of disruption first, the media business writ large will have to grapple with the consequences — and what comes next. Everyone in Hollywood is aware of the threat that generative AI poses to production, but less focus has been placed on the disruption to processes. Meta and Google dominate digital ads, and when Amazon is added in, the three companies gobble up more than 60 percent of all ad dollars (excluding China), per Magna, and analysts see the potential for AI to further entrench the tech giants. 'A key risk we see for smaller platforms is the further entrenchment of large-scale platforms and the inability to compete on scale of capital, engineering resources and [first person] data,' Goldman Sachs' Eric Sheridan wrote May 7. Streaming services are among those smaller platforms, serving up digital ads to consumers. Tech giants have a 'very different cost model, and it's allowed them to plow revenue into AI, into ad targeting, into tech areas where I think traditional media is just slower to innovate,' says Kate Scott-Dawkins at WPP Media. But traditional media is giving it a go. Major media companies have already reorganized themselves to enable more automated ad buying and transacting, with data-heavy approaches, targeting, and guarantees. The scatter market that used to take place over games of phone tag now happens automatically in custom software. As the digital giants roll out more AI-driven ad options, streamers and publishers will have no choice but to follow. Of course, some streamers are already thinking about the looming disruption. At this year's upfront, both Netflix and Amazon unveiled AI-powered ad formats, that use the tech to blend an existing ad to whatever content the viewer is watching. TikTok unveiled its own AI ad format at Cannes Lions this week. Others will follow. But entertainment giants do have an ace up their sleeve: For major ad deals involving top brands, the human touch is likely to remain, and with live sports still among the most valuable content on the planet, those deals are unlikely to dissipate anytime soon. One ad sales exec predicts that companies will create more big, tailored bundles for clients that use sports as a hub, with other content like news and entertainment as spokes that can support it, and automated ad buying at the outer rim, more tailored to on-demand entertainment fare. But the not-too-distant future also carries with it enormous uncertainty around what content consumers will be watching, where they watch it, how ads are sold and consumed, and other big picture questions that would have seemed like science fiction not long ago. Creator-driven platforms like YouTube, Instagram and TikTok have disrupted the consumption of content, and the creation of content, and AI could further fragment that world. 'I think what maybe people aren't ready for, is what happens with the explosion of machine generated content or AI generated content, and to what extent do these platforms allow that to flourish,' Scott-Dawkins says. 'To what extent do they try and tamp that down to keep the sort of authentic, person-driven narrative that they've had with users historically?' YouTube CEO Neal Mohan, for example, took to the stage at Cannes Wednesday to announce that Veo 3 would be added to its Shorts platform later this summer, enabling easier, faster use of the Google AI tool. 'The possibilities with AI are limitless,' Mohan said. 'A lot can change in a generation. Entertainment itself has changed more in the last two decades than any other time in history. Creators led this revolution.' For what it's worth, one top tech exec says that while AI content on user-generated platforms is inevitable, human creativity is still likely to be what people engage with most, though it may be augmented by AI tools. The future of ads will likely be similar. 'Consumers already expect advertising to be relevant and engaging and buying experiences to be seamless; those expectations are only going to accelerate in the age of AI,' WPP Media CEO Brian Lesser said May 28 in connection with the launch of the company. Or as Apple vp Tor Myhren declared at a Cannes Lions event this week: 'The good news is AI is not going to kill advertising. The bad news is AI is not going to save advertising. We've got to save ourselves, by believing in what's always made this industry special: human creativity.' So it goes that perhaps it is the art of buying and selling ads that may itself by supplanted by AI, even if humans retain some semblance of creative control. JPMorgan analyst David Karnofsky, in a June 9 report, outlined discussions with media buyers who describe 'a Minority Report-esque world where advertising is personalized through virtual reality, digital, and physical media. Consumers may start to outsource purchasing decisions to AI agents (which we are already seeing in the clothing industry with Stitch Fix).' However even in that world outlined by JPMorgan where science fiction becomes reality, there is a silver lining for old-fashioned advertising. 'In this scenario, media buyers highlighted that AI buyers may understand a consumer's goals, budget, habits, and use that information to make decisions on your behalf and communicate with AI sellers — however, advertising would still play an important role in providing information that prompts consumers to highlight and update their goals/ instructions for their AI agents,' Karnofsky writes. No need to call that 1-800 number or visit that website, just tell your AI agent about that AI-created Super Bowl ad, and it will do the rest. This story appeared in the June 18 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. Click here to subscribe. Best of The Hollywood Reporter How the Warner Brothers Got Their Film Business Started Meet the World Builders: Hollywood's Top Physical Production Executives of 2023 Men in Blazers, Hollywood's Favorite Soccer Podcast, Aims for a Global Empire Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Business Insider
13-06-2025
- Business Insider
I traveled to Italy twice — once as a drinker and once sober. I preferred the latter.
I've been to Italy twice, each trip exactly two years to the day apart. While iconic spots like Rome's Colosseum or Florence's Piazza Santa Croce haven't changed at all, there's a lot about me that's unrecognizable since my first visit. In recent years, I've started therapy, abandoned toxic friendships, and embraced a consistent exercise routine. But one of the most notable changes I've made was my decision to stop drinking alcohol. I've been sober for about 600 days, and the idea of returning to the land of vineyards and Aperol Spritzes didn't worry me at all. Getting sober has changed everything about me, from what I put up with in relationships to how I parent. I have found traveling alcohol-free rewarding. During my weeklong vacation across Italy with my teenagers, I soaked in every single moment of the country's beauty, and never once missed alcohol. Here's why my weeklong sober trip was one of the most memorable vacations of my life. Embraced alcohol-free activities The trip across Italy started in Rome with stops in Tuscany and Florence before wrapping up in Venice. While there were wine tastings and Aperol Spritz signs everywhere, I found plenty to do that didn't involve alcohol. In Rome, we shopped downtown and visited St. Peter's Basilica. I soaked in architecture in Florence, attended a pasta-making class in Tuscany, and did everything from Venetian mask-making to a gondola ride in Venice, all booze-free. On my previous trip to Italy, everything revolved around my next drink, from buying bottles of limoncello on the Amalfi Coast to finding wine windows in Florence. Much of my initial trip to Italy was based on drinking. It felt great to be sober and focus on other Italian treasures, like gelato and pizza. Traveled with my kids My teenagers had never visited Italy, and I enjoyed seeing the country through their eyes. From my film-loving son's fascination with the Colosseum, which he'd previously only seen on-screen in "Gladiator," to my daughter's absolute delight at how delicious pasta tastes in Italy. Fully present and not impaired by alcohol, I made memories with my teens that I'll actually remember. Started my days early Because our trip was a guided group tour, we had lots of early-morning wake-up times for special access to things like the Vatican Museum or a bullet train ride from Florence to Venice. Waking up at 5:30 a.m. can feel overwhelming, especially if you've been throwing back cocktails the night before. Instead, I was in my bed each night by around 10 p.m., reading a book on my Kindle and drinking herbal tea in my pajamas. I'd wake up ready to take on whatever the day's itinerary had in store. On my previous trip to Rome, I remember visiting the Colosseum and feeling a bit hungover. I was stressed out by the heat and the crowds because I'd already started my day a bit under the weather. Sober mornings truly never get old, whether at home or while traveling. Stuck to a structured itinerary Alcohol is a huge part of life in Italy. I wasn't sure if it'd be tough to have a pasta dinner without my formerly beloved glass of red. To my delight, I didn't miss drinking. It helped that we were on a highly organized group trip with guides and a detailed itinerary. I chose the trip in part because I could see the itinerary in advance and knew that, while there were a few alcohol-related activities, the majority of the trip was about experiencing Italy's history and culture and trying lots of incredible food. Even in Tuscany, Italian wine country, I busied myself with a farm tour. While other travelers in my group tried wines. My choice to abandon alcohol had less to do with a "drinking problem" and more to do with wanting to eliminate anxiety, exhaustion, and health issues in my life. Plenty of travelers still include alcohol in their vacations, my husband included. Comparing my two trips to Italy — one when I had a vacation buzz going on most of the time and the other when I was sober and fully present — I'd take the latter any day.
Cosmopolitan
09-06-2025
- Cosmopolitan
Rhodes travel guide: Where to stay, what to do, and where to eat on the Greek island
It's no secret that Greece's waters are peppered with gorgeous islands that are home to sandy beaches and classic white stone building. In fact, one of the hardest parts about holidaying in Greece is knowing exactly where to go. As one of the biggest islands, Rhodes is an ideal choice for anyone looking to strike the perfect balance between sizzling on a sun lounger sipping Aperol Spritzes and putting on your cap and trainers for a bit of old-school exploring. From Rhodes Old Town, littered with quaint tavernas and old churches, to Faliraki, known for its high-octane nightlife, Rhodes is a Greek island which can, seemingly, do it all. Cook's Club Kolymbia has the typical perks of your standard all-inclusive, without the throngs of kids bagsying the best loungers or getting sand in your spicy marg. The five-star hotel is super luxe, with billowing fabric hanging from the ceiling of the bar, swimming pools that stretch for metres and metres (and metres!), and live DJ sets nearly every night. It's an ideal destination to feel well and truly spoilt, whilst also getting that 'value for money' feeling that so rarely comes with a summer holiday in peak season. The food at Cook's Club is also standout. With a range of different restaurants to try throughout the hotel, boredom of the same old all-inclusive buffet is out of the question. Hop from their Asian restaurant one night, to their alfresco pizza place the next, and of course, you'd be doing it all wrong if you missed out on dining at their classic Greek spot. It's not just dinner that'll lead to the happy food dance either, their breakfast buffet is extensive. Whether you're a sweet or savoury person first thing in the morning, Cook's Club have every preference catered to with meats, bread, yoghurts, pancakes, and eggs every way you can think of. The resort also boasts a tennis court, outdoor gym, and not one, but two swimming pools. And, if that's not enough, you can access Kolymbia beach on foot in just 5-10 minutes. The beach is fairly small, so probably not ideal for a long afternoon of sunbathing, but it's definitely worth wandering down to as you may spot a goat or two navigating the surrounding cliffs. Rooms start from £450, find out more here There is little you will be left wanting at the Mitsis. Much like Cook's Club, the resort offers a range of cuisines, allowing you to dine around the world during your stay. They have live entertainment most nights, so no matter whether you're on a family holiday or a much-needed girls' trip, the staff here will be sure to get you on your feet. They have plenty of room on their beachfront, so there's no dreaded rush to secure your sun lounger with a towel before the crack of dawn. Their beach bar is right next to a pizza oven too; ideal to sate the 4pm hunger sunbathing so easily brings on. Now, living in your swimwear, going from pool, to beach, to buffet all week might not be up everyone's alley, so if you're itching to get out and see some sights, the Mitsis team are also more than happy to arrange a tour or two for you. Lindos is only a short drive away and full of restaurants, bars, and hidden streets to get lost down... Rooms start from £177, find out more here Visiting a seafood restaurant when holidaying by the beach is a rite of passage, and the dishes being served up at Limanaki are definitely worth tasting for yourself. A special shout-out goes to the shrimp and scallop tomato risotto, a hearty, well-seasoned dish full of meaty and tender fish. Time your booking well and you can sit al fresco and watch the sun set behind the neighbouring mountainside - true holiday bliss. Ronda is the ideal lunch spot for chilling by the beach. The first impression of this restaurant is one of grandeur, as it's found a home in an old circular building with a vaulted ceiling, but if you continue outside and down the stairs it becomes the ultimate chill zone. The Japanese-inspired menu boasts great sushi with fish as fresh as they come, and what better setting to enjoy a few California rolls then chilling on the plush sofas listening to lo-fi hits? Holidaying in Rhodes and not visiting the Old Town is like going to M&S and *not* buying a pack of Percy Pigs… it would be rude not to. As a UNESCO World Heritage site, the cobbled streets of Rhodes Old Town are full of history. Give yourself a couple of hours to meander through the lanes, admire the medieval architecture, pop into local shops, and hop from cafe, to bar, to restaurant. There are a few museums you can visit, or even walk the ancient walls yourself, to really immerse yourself in the history of the place. Kallithea Springs is a blend of remarkable architecture and natural beauty. The unique balance that has been struck between structure and scenery is well worth a visit, as you'll find yourself wandering through arched buildings and tiled walkways before you take a dip in the crystal clear waters around. A good holiday isn't complete without a little exploration. The hike up Tsambika Mountain promises astonishing views and a feeling of accomplishment. I'd head up early to avoid the heat, especially if you're travelling in the height of summer. You might even want to set you alarms for the small hours, so you can catch the sunrise over Rhodes mountain range. The hike is easy enough to find as it is to follow, but make sure you bring enough water and follow a guide, as it can get seriously hot! Pack a picnic for the summit (points if you nicked it from the hotel buffet) and bask in your physical accomplishments - honestly, you might be one of the few people who actually gets their 10,000 steps on holiday! In need of a good night out? Faliraki is the place to go. Full of young groups and vibrant bars, letting off some steam is an easy feat here. Bounce from bar to bar chasing happy hour and two-for-one cocktails, until you end up heading to the club, dancing on a stage and meeting your new bestie in the girls loo. Or, if day trips are more your style, Anthony Quinn's Bay is just round the corner. Hop on a short boat trip, soaking up the sunshine and listening to the waves lap as you venture out of the bay. The crystal clear waters are a sight to behold in and of themselves, but the narrow bay is a great view to look back on. Lindos is another town worth a trip to. It's home to the classic white-washed walls Greece has become so famous for as well as local restaurants and quaint market stalls. The mainstay though, is at the top of a winding path (I'd opt for the donkey up to avoid the sweat!): a 14th-century acropolis giving Athens a run for it's money. The best time to travel to Rhodes is between May & October. This is when their tourist season is in full swing, and coming at the start or very end of the year may mean that certain hotels, restaurants, and bars aren't open. May-October is also when the weather is best. Rhodes has typical Greek weather: think dry and *hot*. It's the perfect escape from the UK's typically disappointing summers. However, if you struggle in the heat, it might be best to avoid late July and August, as it can reach up to 40-50 degrees and becomes difficult even for the locals. No one wants to spend their summer holiday in the shelter of their air-conditioned room! Unlike other, smaller Greek islands, Rhodes has an international airport, so you can fly directly from the UK, which takes around 4 hours. If you're lucky enough to be island hopping, you can arrive in Rhodes by boat, or take a flight from Athens which is only around 1 hour. Browse flights from the UK to Rhodes here
Time Out
05-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Time Out
Dimes Square is being turned into 'Spritz Square,' in honor of the iconic summer drink
Do you remember a few years ago when The New York Times tried to tell us that Aperol Spritzes weren't good? Well, clearly, I do, as I am still talking about it six years later. Personally, I love the bitter-leaning cocktail, particularly in the warmer months when I want equal parts interest and bubbles. I'm certainly not alone in my love affair, as the summery cocktail has slowly reappeared on menus (or really, they never left), primed and ready for a rooftop romp or an outing on a patio. Heck, even a European currency company started its very own tracker of where to find the cheapest spritz across the continent. Not to be outdone, Aperol's sister's spirit has something to say. Throwing its hat in the ring for the leading spritz of the summer is the Campari spritz. Made with Campari (duh), this version is a tad drier and more intense in its bitterness but still just as refreshing. Making its own stake on the season, the deep red liqueur is taking over a popular corner of Manhattan for a summer of spritz. This June, the iconic liqueur will be painting Dimes Square red, transforming it into Campari Spritz Square. Taking over 171 East Broadway, the aperitivo experience will offer curated food offerings, deals at local businesses in the area, and, naturally, spritzes. The two-day pop-up, taking place on June 14 and 15, offers two sit-down experiences in the micro-neighborhood. Each table will receive complimentary Campari spritzes, limited to two per person, paired with light bites and music from a live DJ. After you've properly been 'spritzed,' now is the time to shop, as the brand has partnered with three popular businesses in the area. Check out bespoke jewelry from Susan Alexandra, and vCampari-inspired art at the design shop-slash-gallery Coming fashion-forward clothing store, Colbo, will be hosting its own spritz-and-shop set-up with tunes, light bites and more chances to sip on the iconic cocktail. While the experience is complimentary, reservations are required. As of this writing, the event is currently sold out on Resy. But don't worry just yet, as more tickets are expected to drop next week. (Reserve your spot here.) Keep an eye out, so you can start your summer with spritz in hand.
