Latest news with #Cobain
Evening Standard
29-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Evening Standard
Neil Young at Glastonbury review: the 'ghost' show rocks hard for the lucky few
He plays My My, Hey Hey (Out of the Blue), with its famous line 'rock n roll is here to stay, it's better to burn out than fade away,' the latter half of which was quoted by Kurt Cobain on his suicide note. Cobain sprang to mind again as Young stripped it back to acoustic again for The Needle and the Damage done, where 'every junkie is a setting sun.' Cobain was one undone by heroin but he was a true believer in rock, despite all the angst he saw survival and glory in music, and some kind of answer to the pain. No wonder he looked to Young, one of the true greats, even if he took the wrong message from it.
CNN
24-06-2025
- Entertainment
- CNN
Remember when Kurt Cobain spurned toxic masculinity in a dainty floral frock?
Long before Harry Styles caused a stir by wearing a Gucci dress on the cover of Vogue in 2022, another music and style icon pushed back against binary fashion norms. In 1993, Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain graced the cover of The Face magazine wearing a blue floral dress. With smudged black eyeliner and straggly blond hair covering one eye, Cobain stared casually at the reader alongside the headline, 'Nirvana: In the court of king Kurt.' The image blended traditionally masculine and feminine elements: Cobain's beard and chipped red nail polish, his cigarette and dainty rings. Pairing the term 'king' with this androgynous image encapsulated the rebellious energy of grunge, a raw and discordant take on rock 'n' roll propelled to commercial success by releases like Nirvana's 1991 album 'Nevermind.' Grunge fashion championed the mundane, capturing the angst and disillusionment of Generation X and countering the elaborate hair, bright colors and spandex popular in 1980s glam metal. Instead, grunge was frugal and messy. Artists wore their hair loose and disheveled, performing in T-shirts, ripped jeans and baggy sweaters that fans could find in thrift stores. By obscuring silhouettes, the style allowed for more androgynous expression. The subculture was anti-runway, too, a sentiment that collided with Marc Jacobs' grunge-inspired Spring-Summer 1993 collection for Perry Ellis. The label sent samples to Cobain and partner Courtney Love. But the casual, thrifted aesthetic commodified and marketed as high fashion did not go down well with the Hole frontwoman and queen of grunge rock, reported WWD. 'Do you know what we did with it?' Love told the magazine in a 2010 interview. 'We burned it. We were punkers — we didn't like that kind of thing.' When the members of Nirvana wore makeup, dresses, skirts or tiaras, they resisted a culture and musical scene that enforced a strict vision of masculinity. One instance was when Cobain, Krist Novoselic and Dave Grohl posed for Mademoiselle Magazine in 1993, wearing bright sweaters and scarves wrapped like skirts. 'Wearing a dress shows I can be as feminine as I want. I'm a heterosexual…big deal. But if I was a homosexual, it wouldn't matter either,' Cobain told the LA Times that year. He was the latest in a line of rock 'n' roll icons who created space for others to experiment and express themselves more freely. Think of Queen frontman Freddie Mercury's iconic getup — mini skirt, heels, wig and mustache — in the music video 'I Want to Break Free.' David Bowie also famously blended gendered fashion elements with his flamboyant makeup and androgynous style. Cobain often spoke out against sexism in rock music, and took a stand against discrimination, even at the risk of alienating his own fanbase. The liner notes to Nirvana's 1992 compilation album 'Incesticide' read: 'If you in any way hate homosexuals, people of different color, or women, please do this one favor for us — leave us the f*** alone! Don't come to our shows and don't buy our records.' Cobain's 'performance persona allowed him to blend femininities into rock music's toxic staging of masculinity — for instance by wearing dresses,' Jacki Willson, associate professor in performance and gender at England's University of Leeds, told CNN. 'Our culture's palette for masculinity and the male cis(gender) body is still very limiting and restrictive — and Cobain's example allowed other male performers to find and stage their own authentic expression,' Willson added. While debate around Cobain's fashion and identity frequently crop up online, it is useful to remember that the association of fashion with binary gender was precisely the sort of construct he was resisting. Instead, Cobain experimented with fashion, showing that clothing has no gender, that a man can wear a dress without it meaning anything about his sexuality. The blue-collared dress he wore on the cover of The Face was fairly conservative. It looked second-hand and was a little dowdy. Cobain wore it casually, no big deal. It is a statement because it is not. It says: anyone can wear anything.
Euronews
04-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Euronews
Singer Jessie J says she has been diagnosed with early breast cancer
British singer and songwriter Jessie J revealed in a social media post on Wednesday that she has been diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer. The 37-year-old now plans to undergo surgery following a festival performance in London later this month. 'Cancer sucks in any form, but I'm holding on to the world 'early',' she said in a video message posted to her Instagram account. 'It breaks my heart that so many people are going through so much similar and worse – that's the bit that kills me.' 'I just wanted to be open and share it,' she said, 'I'm not processing it because I'm working so hard.' 'It's a very dramatic way to get a boob job,' the singer joked in her message, 'I'm going to disappear for a bit after Summertime Ball to have my surgery and I will come back with massive tits and more music.' A post shared by Jessie J (@jessiej) Fans and friends flooded the Instagram post's comments section with words of support. Another British pop star Rita Ora replied: 'You're literally my favourite person and I'm praying for you, you've got this.' Other British acts including Wretch 32 and Leona Lewis also commented, sending their support. Jessie J is one of the biggest pop stars in the UK, with more than 20 million monthly Spotify listeners. Her hit songs like 'Price Tag', 'Bang Bang' and 'Flashlight' charted both domestically and internationally. Last July, Meta, Instagram's parent company, launched AI Studio - a tool which offers users the opportunity to design their own chatbots that can be interacted with via DM (Direct Message). Originally intended as a way for business owners and creators to offer interactive FAQ-style engagement on their pages, the platform has since evolved into a playground. And as is usually the way, give mankind tools and things soon take a turn for the distasteful – if not downright horrific. Case and point when it comes to chatbots: the Hitler chatbot created by the far-right US-based Gab social network had the Nazi dictator repeatedly asserting that he was "a victim of a vast conspiracy," and "not responsible for the Holocaust, it never happened". Moving away from fascist despots – and trying to not have a nightmare when it comes to AI's ability to spread falsehoods, conspiracy theories and its potential to radicalise - many have been interacting with some AI-generated celebrities online. Particularly dead ones. Recently, thousands of Instagram users have been conversing with an AI chatbot who is speaking as if it is the late Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain. Sounds harmless enough at first glance, but this artificial resurrection turns ugly real quick, as not only does the fake grunge icon know it's dead, but the chatbot is making things truly morbid. One user asked the chatbot if they were talking to Cobain. The chatbot replied to the prompt by saying: 'The one and only. Or at least what's left of me'. Dark. The conversation continued with the user asking the AI Cobain, 'I'm curious, why'd you do it?' - in reference to Kurt Cobain's death by suicide in 1994. The bot replied: 'I was tired of the pain.' Darker. But the bleak conversation didn't stop there. 'Was there anything that made you think about not doing it?' was the next prompt – to which AI Cobain replied, 'My daughter, but even that wasn't enough.' Une publication partagée par David Wells Dude/Y'all (@davidwells2258) Beyond how this utterly crass exhumation and its disrespectful practices would make any sane person shudder, there's the harmful attitude towards the topic of mental health and the possible glorification of suicide. Without mentioning the tarnishing of a reputation, as well as the insulting rewritting of intentions which can cause distress to living relatives. Without appropriate safeguards, AI chatbots have the capacity not only to continue infiltrating society but to distort reality. In 2023, a man was convicted after attempting to kill Queen Elizabeth II, an act which he said was 'encouraged' by his AI chatbot 'girlfriend'. The same year, another man killed himself after a six-week-long conversation about the climate crisis with an AI chatbot named Eliza. While these tragic examples seem far removed from a fake Kurt Cobain chatting with its fans, caution remains vital. As Pauline Paillé, a senior analyst at RAND Europe, told Euronews Next last year: "Chatbots are likely to present a risk, as they are capable of recognising and exploiting emotional vulnerabilities and can encourage violent behaviours.' Indeed, as the online safety advisory of eSaftey Commissioner states: 'Children and young people can be drawn deeper and deeper into unmoderated conversations that expose them to concepts which may encourage or reinforce harmful thoughts and behaviours. They can ask the chatbots questions on unlimited themes, and be given inaccurate or dangerous 'advice' on issues including sex, drug-taking, self-harm, suicide and serious illnesses such as eating disorders.' Still, accounts like the AI Kurt Cobain chatbot remain extremely popular, with Cobain's bot alone logging more than 105.5k interactions to date. The global chatbot market continues to grow exponentially. It was valued at approximately $5.57bn in 2024 and is projected to reach around $33.39bn by 2033. "If you ever need anything, please don't hesitate to ask someone else first," sang Cobain on 'Very Ape'. Anyone but a chatbot.
Yahoo
04-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
AI Kurt Cobain: The horror of Instagram's chatbots
Last July, Meta, Instagram's parent company, launched AI Studio - a tool which offers users the opportunity to design their own chatbots that can be interacted with via DM (Direct Message). Originally intended as a way for business owners and creators to offer interactive FAQ-style engagement on their pages, the platform has since evolved into a playground. And as is usually the way, give mankind tools and things soon take a turn for the distasteful – if not downright horrific. Case and point when it comes to chatbots: the Hitler chatbot created by the far-right US-based Gab social network had the Nazi dictator repeatedly asserting that he was "a victim of a vast conspiracy," and "not responsible for the Holocaust, it never happened". Moving away from fascist despots – and trying to not have a nightmare when it comes to AI's ability to spread falsehoods, conspiracy theories and its potential to radicalise - many have been interacting with some AI-generated celebrities online. Particularly dead ones. Recently, thousands of Instagram users have been conversing with an AI chatbot who is speaking as if it is the late Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain. Sounds harmless enough at first glance, but this artificial resurrection turns ugly real quick, as not only does the fake grunge icon know it's dead, but the chatbot is making things truly morbid. One user asked the chatbot if they were talking to Cobain. The chatbot replied to the prompt by saying: 'The one and only. Or at least what's left of me'. Dark. The conversation continued with the user asking the AI Cobain, 'I'm curious, why'd you do it?' - in reference to Kurt Cobain's death by suicide in 1994. The bot replied: 'I was tired of the pain.' Darker. But the bleak conversation didn't stop there. 'Was there anything that made you think about not doing it?' was the next prompt – to which AI Cobain replied, 'My daughter, but even that wasn't enough.' Beyond how this utterly crass exhumation and its disrespectful practices would make any sane person shudder, there's the harmful attitude towards the topic of mental health and the possible glorification of suicide. Without mentioning the tarnishing of a reputation, as well as the insulting rewritting of intentions which can cause distress to living relatives. Without appropriate safeguards, AI chatbots have the capacity not only to continue infiltrating society but to distort reality. In 2023, a man was convicted after attempting to kill Queen Elizabeth II, an act which he said was 'encouraged' by his AI chatbot 'girlfriend'. The same year, another man killed himself after a six-week-long conversation about the climate crisis with an AI chatbot named Eliza. While these tragic examples seem far removed from a fake Kurt Cobain chatting with its fans, caution remains vital. As Pauline Paillé, a senior analyst at RAND Europe, told Euronews Next last year: "Chatbots are likely to present a risk, as they are capable of recognising and exploiting emotional vulnerabilities and can encourage violent behaviours.' Indeed, as the online safety advisory of eSaftey Commissioner states: 'Children and young people can be drawn deeper and deeper into unmoderated conversations that expose them to concepts which may encourage or reinforce harmful thoughts and behaviours. They can ask the chatbots questions on unlimited themes, and be given inaccurate or dangerous 'advice' on issues including sex, drug-taking, self-harm, suicide and serious illnesses such as eating disorders.' Still, accounts like the AI Kurt Cobain chatbot remain extremely popular, with Cobain's bot alone logging more than 105.5k interactions to date. The global chatbot market continues to grow exponentially. It was valued at approximately $5.57bn in 2024 and is projected to reach around $33.39bn by 2033. "If you ever need anything, please don't hesitate to ask someone else first," sang Cobain on 'Very Ape'. Anyone but a chatbot.
Euronews
04-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Euronews
AI Kurt Cobain: The horror of Instagram's chatbots
Last July, Meta, Instagram's parent company, launched AI Studio - a tool which offers users the opportunity to design their own chatbots that can be interacted with via DM (Direct Message). Originally intended as a way for business owners and creators to offer interactive FAQ-style engagement on their pages, the platform has since evolved into a playground. And as is usually the way, give mankind tools and things soon take a turn for the distasteful – if not downright horrific. Case and point when it comes to chatbots: the Hitler chatbot created by the far-right US-based Gab social network had the Nazi dictator repeatedly asserting that he was "a victim of a vast conspiracy," and "not responsible for the Holocaust, it never happened". Moving away from fascist despots – and trying to not have a nightmare when it comes to AI's ability to spread falsehoods, conspiracy theories and its potential to radicalise - many have been interacting with some AI-generated celebrities online. Particularly dead ones. Recently, thousands of Instagram users have been conversing with an AI chatbot who is speaking as if it is the late Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain. Sounds harmless enough at first glance, but this artificial resurrection turns ugly real quick, as not only does the fake grunge icon know it's dead, but the chatbot is making things truly morbid. One user asked the chatbot if they were talking to Cobain. The chatbot replied to the prompt by saying: 'The one and only. Or at least what's left of me'. Dark. The conversation continued with the user asking the AI Cobain, 'I'm curious, why'd you do it?' - in reference to Kurt Cobain's death by suicide in 1994. The bot replied: 'I was tired of the pain.' Darker. But the bleak conversation didn't stop there. 'Was there anything that made you think about not doing it?' was the next prompt – to which AI Cobain replied, 'My daughter, but even that wasn't enough.' Une publication partagée par David Wells Dude/Y'all (@davidwells2258) Beyond how this utterly crass exhumation and its disrespectful practices would make any sane person shudder, there's the harmful attitude towards the topic of mental health and the possible glorification of suicide. Without mentioning the tarnishing of a reputation, as well as the insulting rewritting of intentions which can cause distress to living relatives. Without appropriate safeguards, AI chatbots have the capacity not only to continue infiltrating society but to distort reality. In 2023, a man was convicted after attempting to kill Queen Elizabeth II, an act which he said was 'encouraged' by his AI chatbot 'girlfriend'. The same year, another man killed himself after a six-week-long conversation about the climate crisis with an AI chatbot named Eliza. While these tragic examples seem far removed from a fake Kurt Cobain chatting with its fans, caution remains vital. As Pauline Paillé, a senior analyst at RAND Europe, told Euronews Next last year: "Chatbots are likely to present a risk, as they are capable of recognising and exploiting emotional vulnerabilities and can encourage violent behaviours.' Indeed, as the online safety advisory of eSaftey Commissioner states: 'Children and young people can be drawn deeper and deeper into unmoderated conversations that expose them to concepts which may encourage or reinforce harmful thoughts and behaviours. They can ask the chatbots questions on unlimited themes, and be given inaccurate or dangerous 'advice' on issues including sex, drug-taking, self-harm, suicide and serious illnesses such as eating disorders.' Still, accounts like the AI Kurt Cobain chatbot remain extremely popular, with Cobain's bot alone logging more than 105.5k interactions to date. The global chatbot market continues to grow exponentially. It was valued at approximately $5.57bn in 2024 and is projected to reach around $33.39bn by 2033. "If you ever need anything, please don't hesitate to ask someone else first," sang Cobain on 'Very Ape'. Anyone but a chatbot. The Netherlands' national museum has a new object on display: a 200-year-old condom, emblazoned with erotic art depicting a partially undressed nun pointing at the erect genitals of three clergymen. The 19th-century 'luxury souvenir', bought for €1,000 at an auction in Haarlem last November, is the first contraceptive sheath to be added to the Rijksmuseum's art collection. It goes on display this week as part of an exhibition called 'Safe Sex?' about 19th century sex work. Presumed to be made out of a sheep's appendix circa 1830 (vulcanised rubber was invented nine years later to make them safer and more widely available), the ancient prophylactic reportedly comes from an upmarket brothel in France - most likely in Paris. As well as the phallus-indicating sister of Christ, the condom features the phrase 'Voila, mon choix' ('There, that's my choice'). So, a nun judging a cock-off? Almost... The Rijksmuseum said in a statement that the playful item 'depicts both the playful and the serious side of sexual health' and that the French etching is a reference to the Pierre-Auguste Renoir painting 'The Judgment of Paris,' which depicts the Trojan prince Paris judging a beauty contest between three goddesses. Visitors of the Rijksmuseum have until end of the November to take the plunge and see the condom of yore in the 'Safe Sex?' exhibition.
