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Irish Examiner
05-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Examiner
Aisling Rawle: 'I feel like we're living in The Truman Show'
Since the days of Big Brother, reality TV has been a world ripe for extreme behaviour — making it the perfect setting for a thrilling novel about what happens when the experience goes wrong. Irish author Aisling Rawle describes her debut, The Compound, as 'Love Island meets Lord of the Flies' and 'Animal Farm — but if everyone was hot and wanted skincare'. In the opening pages, its protagonist Lily — a young, attractive 20-something — wakes up in a large house surrounded by an expansive desert. She's willingly taking part in The Compound, a reality show that sees young men and women couple up and compete for prizes. But from the off, it's clear that life in the compound will be anything but easy. There are several striking things about Rawle. One is that she's so softly-spoken that my recording device barely picks up her voice in the busy cafe, but what she has to say about reality TV, materialism, and social media is deeply wise. The second is that she's not a die-hard reality TV fan. The third? She's not on social media. Despite this, the 27-year-old Leitrim-born, Dublin-based former English teacher (she's currently on a break to focus on her writing) is an astute guide to what reality TV can tell us about human behaviour. Aisling Rawle, author: "I woke up with this image in my head, which was the first scene of the novel: two beautiful women, walking around the house and finding the bodies of other beautiful women strewn around like litter," Photograph Moya Nolan The idea for the book emerged during Rawle's summer break two years ago. 'The first day of the holidays, I woke up with this image in my head, which was the first scene of the novel: two beautiful women, walking around the house and finding the bodies of other beautiful women strewn around like litter,' she says. 'I wrote that scene and then I wrote the rest of it in this mad rush. When it was finished, I knew so little about the publishing industry that I was brazen enough to reach out to an agent and she very kindly took me on.' The book was written in a six-week 'fever dream' and soon multiple publishers were bidding to publish The Compound in Ireland and overseas. The novel picks apart the 'extreme' gender stereotyping across many reality TV shows. 'While the girls are thinking 'who's the prettiest in the house?', the boys are fighting in the desert,' Rawle says of The Compound. 'I think that it is such a cruel aspect of dating shows and reality TV shows — the appearance of women is so scrutinised, and it's seen as the most important thing. I think we take it for granted. Even things like the Kardashian [family], it feels like so many conversations revolve around their relative attractiveness. They'll even do it amongst each other. I remember one viral moment of [Kim] Kardashian saying [to her sister Kourtney], 'you are the least interesting to look at'.' Aisling Rawle, author: 'While the girls are thinking 'who's the prettiest in the house?', the boys are fighting in the desert' Photograph Moya Nolan While watching Love Island during the pandemic, Rawle and her friends started to jokingly describe it as 'heterosexual paradise'. 'The heteronormativity is astounding,' she says with a baffled laugh. 'It does present the idea not only that the norm is heterosexuality, but that the people worth viewing are heterosexual.' She examines this in the novel, with readers guessing whether characters are really as straight as they present themselves. The book is set in the not-too-distant future, and hints at climate issues and ongoing wars. 'We don't know a whole lot about the outside, but it's burning and there's conflict and tension and Lily desperately wants to get away. To me, that didn't feel very dissimilar to the world today,' says Rawle. The producers in The Compound come off as manipulative, faceless people who push the participants to do terrible things. 'I wanted to put a little bit of finger-pointing towards the people who create these really toxic situations and pass it off as entertainment,' she says. As readers, we know the producers have the power, but we recognise that the viewers are culpable too. Rawle watched a lot of Love Island during the covid lockdowns. 'I think that reality television shows normalised having people that we don't know inside our house as entertainment, which I think probably also paved the way for influencer culture, which I also wanted to criticise a little in this book,' she says. Aisling Rawle, author: 'I think that reality television shows normalised having people that we don't know inside our house as entertainment, which I think probably also paved the way for influencer culture." Photograph Moya Nolan While she sees influencing as a valid way of making a living, the 'transactional nature' of it can feel inauthentic and lead to people second-guessing what is a genuine human interaction or not. 'We all know that social media is fake, and we've known that for years, but I think the more it creeps into our lives, the more we've normalised that fakeness is the exchange of reality,' she says, adding later with a laugh: 'I feel like we're living in The Truman Show … I feel like that's just the norm now,' referring to the 1998 film starring Jim Carrey about a man whose entire life is filmed. She says that with reality television shows, 'there is a strange line between entertainment and exploitation', something that Lily discovers in the house. In The Compound, the participants know that to win the approval of the producers and viewers they must adhere to certain rules. These reflect larger societal expectations on people, says Rawle. 'The three driving forces of the reality TV show were, the driving forces of young adult life. Which is, you have to find a partner, you have to get a house, and then you have to get nice things. That's what it means to be a successful adult. I wanted to turn that up to the extreme.' Aisling Rawle, author: 'Once someone is told they are 'stupid' — and I don't like that word — it is so incredibly difficult to unburden them, and you'll find adults who are 50, 60, 70, still having it in the back of their head, because someone told them [once] 'you're stupid'.' Photograph Moya Nolan Lily is a character who thinks a lot about how people view her, and adjusts herself to meet their expectations. But she also has negative ideas about herself, believing she is stupid. She sees her worth as being tied up in her looks. Lily's belief that she is stupid is something Rawle noticed in students: how judgement can have a lasting impact. 'Once someone is told they are 'stupid' — and I don't like that word — it is so incredibly difficult to unburden them, and you'll find adults who are 50, 60, 70, still having it in the back of their head, because someone told them [once] 'you're stupid'.' The competition in The Compound pits beautiful people against beautiful people, creating a hierarchy of attractiveness. Lily believes she has to be the most desirable person in the compound, and compares herself to everyone else, 'which I think is a horrible way to be', says Rawle. The book is written in the first-person so that the reader could potentially 'understand Lily's experience, but also feel removed enough that you would confront your own associations of judgment'. Aisling Rawle, author: 'It can be a very despairing place, social media.' Photograph Moya Nolan The book helped Rawle work through some of her own frustrations about the issues she explores in it. 'It was very cathartic,' she says. She never knew what the next scene was going to be, comparing herself to an 'evil producer' of the show. 'But I also felt like a viewer of the show going 'who's going tonight?'' The book is underpinned by Rawle's feminism. Growing up with a younger brother and older sister, she says her teenage feminist awakening was spurred on by books such as Jane Eyre. More recently, the novel Detransition Baby by transgender writer Torrey Peters further helped her ideas of gender evolve. Though she once joined Facebook, she isn't on social media. Why? While she says there is a lot of good on the apps, for her staying focused is a priority. She adds: 'It can be a very despairing place, social media.' This gentle refusal of social media is a sign of how Rawle is able to decide what social norms she does and doesn't want to take on board. Part of the book is influenced by her experiences of earning more money after college, and finding that 'life revolved around what was the next thing to purchase, which to me didn't feel like there was a lot of fulfillment or meaning in it'. The Compound by Aisling Rawle The characters in The Compound undertake tasks in order to win expensive items. The tasks can be deeply unpleasant but are seen as worth it because of the result. As someone in her late 20s, she is part of a generation dealing with multiple stresses, most notably the housing crisis. She feels extremely lucky to be able to rent on her own, but recalls teaching piano in the evenings while being a teacher by day. 'I knew teachers who would go home on the weekend and do carpentry jobs, or personal trainer jobs,' she says. Excitingly for an Irish author, The Compound is being published in America and was recently chosen for the Good Morning America book club for July. Rawle remains sanguine: 'The book was the success for me. Everything else was secondary.' While The Compound does end at a moment that's a good jumping-off point for a sequel, Rawle's next book is about something totally unrelated. 'It's funny, the protagonist of the next book is very superstitious, and I've become superstitious — so I'm reluctant to say too much,' she offers. It's an exciting time for Rawle, but she seems well capable of dealing with the whirlwind of publishing a book on both sides of the Atlantic. All that's left is to ask the burning question: would she ever go on a reality show herself? 'It's a definite no,' she says, laughing. 'You couldn't pay me enough!' The Compound by Aisling Rawle, published by Harper Collins, is out now Read More Diary of a Gen Z Student: The differences between Irish and Portugese men when it comes to flirting
New York Post
04-06-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Post
‘White Lotus' star Walton Goggins cries over Aimee Lou Wood feud rumors in bombshell joint interview
Rick and Chelsea are clearing the air. 'The White Lotus' stars Walton Goggins, 53, and Aimee Lou Wood, 31, addressed rumors about their alleged feud in a joint Variety interview published on Wednesday, June 4. 'There is no feud. I adore, I love this woman madly, and she is so important to me,' Goggins said. Advertisement About Wood, he added, 'This is Goldie Hawn. This is Meg Ryan. She can do anything, and she will. You watch what the next 20 years of her experience will be. I'll be on an island, I think Greece. But she's special. There is no feud. She is love and I know that I am that to her. We care about each other very deeply.' 12 Walton Goggins and Aimee Lou Wood in a Variety photo shoot. Dan Doperalski for Variety 12 Walton Goggins and Aimee Lou Wood for Variety. Dan Doperalski for Variety Advertisement Goggins and Wood starred as Rick and Chelsea, an ill-fated couple on vacation in Thailand, in Season 3 of the HBO hit 'The White Lotus.' Their co-stars included Jason Isaacs, Carrie Coon, Sam Rockwell, Leslie Bibb, Patrick Schwarzenegger and more. Each season follows a different cast of dysfunctional wealthy people on vacation at a branch of the titular resort. After Season 3 ended in April, the actors became surrounded by speculation that they were feuding. 12 Walton Goggins and Aimee Lou Wood in an Instagram post. Instagram/@waltongogginsbonafide Advertisement 12 Aimee Lou Wood and Walton Goggins in 'The White Lotus.' HBO The rumors were caused in part by their co-star, Isaacs, who hinted at behind-the-scenes drama during a March interview with Vulture. 'It was like a cross between summer camp and 'Lord of the Flies' but in a gilded cage. It wasn't a holiday,' Isaacs, 61, said. 'Some people got very close, there were friendships that were made and friendships that were lost.' Advertisement 12 Walton Goggins and Aimee Lou Wood in an Instagram photo. aimeelouwood/Instagram 12 Walton Goggins and Aimee Lou Wood in an Instagram photo from April. waltergogginsbonafide/Instagram Fans also noticed that Goggins unfollowed Wood on Instagram, fanning the flames of speculation. Regarding why he unfollowed Wood, he explained to Variety, 'When I left 'Justified,' I went up to Tim [Olyphant], and I hugged him and I said, 'I love you, and I hope I see you in rooms for the rest of my life.' I didn't talk to him for almost two years. I've done that with every single thing that I've done.' Goggins, who has been married to Nadia Conners since 2011, lost his first wife, Leanne Kaun, to suicide in 2004. Following that tragedy, he traveled to Thailand, which made 'The White Lotus' filming experience feel extra personal, he said. 12 Aimee Lou Wood and Walton Goggins in an Instagram photo. Instagram/@waltongogginsbonafide 'My catharsis in this experience was different than other people's, because of my history in this place. I knew what we had gone through, and I knew how close that we had gotten, and I needed to begin to process saying goodbye to Rick and Chelsea,' Goggins said. Per Variety, he started crying as he spoke. Advertisement The 'Fallout' actor added, 'And I knew that that was going to take a while for me, so I let [Wood] know, this is what I've gotta do. And she was extremely supportive about that.' 12 Aimee Lou Wood and Walton Goggins in 'The White Lotus.' 12 Walton Goggins and Aimee Lou Wood in 'The White Lotus.' Fabio Lovino/HBO After filming ended, 'I needed to just back away from everyone,' he said. 'I haven't spoken to anyone. I couldn't handle it. Judge me or don't. I don't give a f–k what you think. This is my process. Rick means everything to me, and Chelsea means everything to me. And so that's what I needed to do for me to process all of this.' Advertisement Goggins quipped that if he had been following Olyphant or his 'The Shield' co-star Michael Chiklis, he would have unfollowed them on Instagram as well after those respective shows ended. Wood said, 'I think it's such a comment on where we're at culturally. Why is everyone obsessing over Instagram? That is irrelevant. We don't give a s–te about Instagram. Why not have conversations about the story and Rick and Chelsea and enjoy it?' 12 Walton Goggins and Aimee Lou Wood in 'The White Lotus.' HBO Wood said that as she watched the feud rumors go, she wanted to correct people but knew her words would get twisted. 'Eventually I just started to sit back and watch these people making something out of absolutely nothing.' Advertisement Goggins said, 'If I may add, just to put this to bed? The following or unfollowing. I'm a grown-ass man.' The feud rumors were also ignited when The London Times published an interview with Goggins in May. In it, Goggins cut off the interviewer over questions about his relationship with Wood and abruptly ended the interview. Goggins told Variety that he refused to talk about Wood to The London Times because she wasn't there. 12 Walton Goggins and Aimee Lou Wood in an Instagram photo. Instagram/@waltongogginsbonafide Advertisement 'What am I gonna do, speak for both of us? Never.' Goggins also alleged that the Times reporter asked three different times about Wood and had a 'divisive nature.' He said that the final question compared Goggins' teeth to Wood's – whose teeth were the topic of an 'SNL' sketch that she slammed – and asked if they'd bonded over that. 'What he was insinuating, it was so disgusting. It was so appalling. I was flabbergasted. And I said, 'F–k mate, wow. I think we're done here,'' Goggins said. 12 Walton Goggins and Aimee Lou Wood in 'The White Lotus.' HBO Regarding Isaac's comments about the behind-the-scenes drama, Goggins and Wood both weighed in. 'We'd never lived on a set. This is the first time we were all experiencing basically a reality TV show,' Wood said. 'I think we both struggle with work-life balance anyway, so it's hard because there's not even separation in distance.' They explained that the entire cast got group meals occasionally, but they sometimes avoided them. 'I don't mean to sound like an a–hole, it's not method or anything, I just felt like I needed to stay in the space,' says Goggins. Wood said, 'Both of us would get overwhelmed.' The 'Justified' actor explained, 'But there were never any negative vibes' with the rest of the cast. Goggins and Wood also revealed that Rick and Chelsea had an additional sex scene that got cut from the finale. Goggins called it 'powerful,' while Wood called it 'delicate.' Referring to 'The White Lotus' creator Mike White, Goggins joked about the cut sex scene: 'F–k you, Mike! We want a director's cut!'
Yahoo
29-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Mom sparks debate over controversial choice about children at the playground: ‘I can't stand parents who do this'
This mom's not monkeying around — and she sure isn't swinging on the monkey bars, either. Amanda, a mom of three who goes by @ on Instagram, has the internet in a tizzy after posting a reel of herself sitting peacefully on a park bench, coffee in hand, watching her kids play — but not playing with them, originally reported on by Her stance? A one-word zinger: 'No.' The recent clip was a direct response to another video urging parents to get off their butts and into the sandbox with their kids. Amanda wasn't having it. 'I'm not saying to never intervene, play with, or support your kiddo,' she clarified in the caption. 'I'm just highlighting here that it's okay if you don't want to be the adult scaling the playground.' Translation? She's a mom, not a jungle gym. The take has sparked a tug-of-war in the parenting arena, with some calling Amanda a champion of boundaries — and others labeling her an absentee at recess. Amanda sees the playground as 'a space where they get to experience some freedom, explore, interact and engage with other children without their parents breathing down their neck.' And many moms are backing her up. 'I play every day all day. The park is the ONE TIME they are there to play independently and with others their age lol,' one wrote. 'Let them be bored. Let them get creative. Let them make new friends. Their parent is not their court jester. The playground is meant for kids to play, not parents,' chimed in someone else. Another preschool pro added, 'Kids need to come up with their own creativity sometimes. It's my job to have objects for them to play with, but it's their job to figure out what they want to do with that said object.' Still, some spectators warned against zoning out completely — especially when wild kids go full 'Lord of the Flies' on the slide. 'You don't need to play with the kids, but you do need to watch them,' one commenter snapped. 'I can't stand parents who sit on the bench staring at their phone while their kid is terrorizing other children.' This is the latest flashpoint in the modern parenting wars — much like Chelsea Lensing's wild viral hack to stop car seat whining by asking her kids, 'Did you bring a snack?' The economist mom went viral last month for turning backseat complaints into toddler teachable moments. The goal isn't starvation — it's self-awareness. 'She got really upset because she wanted a doll too,' Lensing recalled. 'I said, 'Did you bring one?' and she said, 'No. Next time, I'm going to bring a doll, too.'' Her method sparked a firestorm of its own, with critics calling it 'insane' for kids under 5, while teachers applauded it for building accountability.
New York Post
28-05-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Post
Mom sparks debate over controversial choice about children at the playground: ‘I can't stand parents who do this'
This mom's not monkeying around — and she sure isn't swinging on the monkey bars, either. Amanda, a mom of three who goes by @ on Instagram, has the internet in a tizzy after posting a reel of herself sitting peacefully on a park bench, coffee in hand, watching her kids play — but not playing with them, originally reported on by Her stance? A one-word zinger: 'No.' Advertisement The recent clip was a direct response to another video urging parents to get off their butts and into the sandbox with their kids. Amanda wasn't having it. 'I'm not saying to never intervene, play with, or support your kiddo,' she clarified in the caption. 'I'm just highlighting here that it's okay if you don't want to be the adult scaling the playground.' Advertisement 3 Amanda — a mom of three — brewed up a parenting brawl after posting a reel of herself sipping coffee on a bench while her kids ran wild on the playground without her. Instagram/@ Translation? She's a mom, not a jungle gym. The take has sparked a tug-of-war in the parenting arena, with some calling Amanda a champion of boundaries — and others labeling her an absentee at recess. Amanda sees the playground as 'a space where they get to experience some freedom, explore, interact and engage with other children without their parents breathing down their neck.' Advertisement And many moms are backing her up. 'I play every day all day. The park is the ONE TIME they are there to play independently and with others their age lol,' one wrote. 'Let them be bored. Let them get creative. Let them make new friends. Their parent is not their court jester. The playground is meant for kids to play, not parents,' chimed in someone else. 3 Amanda's parenting playbook has the internet split — some are cheering her for setting boundaries, others are booing her as a no-show at recess. Getty Images Advertisement Another preschool pro added, 'Kids need to come up with their own creativity sometimes. It's my job to have objects for them to play with, but it's their job to figure out what they want to do with that said object.' Still, some spectators warned against zoning out completely — especially when wild kids go full 'Lord of the Flies' on the slide. 'You don't need to play with the kids, but you do need to watch them,' one commenter snapped. 'I can't stand parents who sit on the bench staring at their phone while their kid is terrorizing other children.' 3 Not everyone's on board with the bench brigade — some say when parents clock out, the kids go 'Lord of the Flies' on the playground. unai – This is the latest flashpoint in the modern parenting wars — much like Chelsea Lensing's wild viral hack to stop car seat whining by asking her kids, 'Did you bring a snack?' The economist mom went viral last month for turning backseat complaints into toddler teachable moments. The goal isn't starvation — it's self-awareness. Advertisement 'She got really upset because she wanted a doll too,' Lensing recalled. 'I said, 'Did you bring one?' and she said, 'No. Next time, I'm going to bring a doll, too.'' Her method sparked a firestorm of its own, with critics calling it 'insane' for kids under 5, while teachers applauded it for building accountability.
The Herald Scotland
06-05-2025
- The Herald Scotland
Six-figure damages agreed over boarding school abuse claims
A civil trial, thought to be the first in Scotland involving pupil-on-pupil abuse, had been due to take place at the Court of Session in Edinburgh in early June. However, Digby Brown Solicitors, representing Mr Bell, said an out of court settlement for a six-figure sum has now been reached. Loretto School said that, in the school now, child protection, wellbeing and the happiness of all pupils is its 'top priority'. READ MORE: 'I was in flight mode. Now I'm in fight mode' Loretto pupil lifts anonymity to sue elite school for £1million NEIL MACKAY'S BIG READ: 'It was like Lord of the Flies' - Horrific accounts of abuse could be boarding schools' 'MeToo' moment Mr Bell, who is in his 40s and lives in Canada, said the abuse he suffered was 'life-changing' and previously described it as 'a cross between The Purge and The Running Man'. Speaking after the settlement was reached, Mr Bell, who has waived his right to anonymity, said: 'I entered Loretto as a tiny, defenceless, 10-year-old boy. 'I endured eight years of abuse, 34 years of post traumatic stress disorder, four and a half years of legal battle and, in the end, that little boy beat the system.' Loretto was one of a number of boarding schools investigated by the Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry (SCAI), which found that some children suffered abuse there. Pete Richardson, Head of Loretto School, said: 'We can confirm that the matter has been resolved in terms agreed with Mr Bell. Angus Bell took legal action 'Whilst we do not intend to comment on the detail of matters raised by Mr Bell, what has been averred in the court action is not congruent with our understanding of the experience of others at Loretto at that time. 'The whole question of behaviours in Loretto over the years has been considered in detail by SCAI. 'We continue to support the work of SCAI and, where wrongdoing has been recognised in the past, we have made an unreserved apology – we would encourage anyone with an interest in this matter to look at the excellent work done by SCAI. 'In the Loretto of today, child protection, wellbeing and the happiness of all pupils is our top priority.' The SCAI, which aims to raise public awareness of the abuse of children in care, is considering evidence up to December 17 2014, and which is within the living memory of any person who suffered abuse. Richard Pitts, partner at Digby Brown, who led Mr Bell's legal action, said: 'Angus has been strong, calm and resilient throughout his entire journey and I commend him for what he has been able to do because he has not just secured justice for himself – in all likelihood he has opened the doors to help others get the outcome they deserve, too.'
