Latest news with #ThePictureofDorianGray
NDTV
2 days ago
- Health
- NDTV
Shefali Jariwala Death Puts The Spotlight On How Youth Is The New Status Symbol
In the 1890s, renowned Irish author, poet, and playwright Oscar Wilde published his novel The Picture of Dorian Gray. The story revolves around a handsome but narcissistic man named Dorian Gray, who barters his soul to preserve his youthful appearance. While he remains outwardly beautiful, his inner self becomes increasingly corrupted by vanity and hedonism. The decay of his soul is revealed only in a painted portrait that reflects the consequences of his actions. Cut to almost five decades later, the book still remains relevant and raises a question that continues to haunt us. How far are you willing to go to look a certain way? Oscar Wilde's novel might have painted a dystopian world for his time, but today, it feels like we're living it. Youth, looking young, having a baby face, and ageing slowly seems to be the latest obsession for the elite, and there's no stopping it. Now, we're not saying that taking care of yourself is bad, but when it turns into an obsession like Dorian's, we might end up like him: dead. How Youth Is Becoming The Ultimate Status Symbol The death of actor-model Shefali Jariwala on June 27 has raised several questions. According to sources, one possible cause of her heart attack could be anti-ageing injections like glutathione and Vitamin C, which she may have taken while fasting - causing a drop in her blood pressure and leading to cardiac arrest. These drugs are neither FDA- nor Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation-approved for skin whitening, brightening or anti-ageing. Shefali's death has once again spotlighted the harsh beauty standards women are held against. In the 21st century, beauty doesn't lie in the eyes of the beholder - it lies in the hands of doctors. Biohacking. Supplements. Anti-ageing drugs. These terms have gained momentum over the past few years. Looking and feeling young is becoming the ultimate status symbol. From Kris Jenner getting a new face at 69 to Bryan Johnson, the infamous millionaire-turned-biohacker who does everything to reverse his biological age -- celebs' and social media influencers' obsession of looking young has led to a booming anti-ageing market. Data shows the anti-ageing market reached USD 122 billion in 2023 and is only expected to grow. This enormous market often influences people, especially women, to hold themselves to unrealistic beauty standards. Today, a 14-year-old starting anti-ageing treatments with retinol, documenting it all on social media, no longer surprises anyone. This trend has led to a phenomenon where Gen Zs are starting to look older than they actually are. But Why? These beauty standards and the need to look young are so normalised and ingrained in our brains that we rarely pause to ask the ultimate question -- why is looking and feeling 'young' so important? Neuroscientist Kumaar Bagrodia, founder of NeuroLeap and HALE, tells NDTV that in the modern brain, youth equals currency. "Neuroscience shows that youthful faces trigger key reward circuits -- like the ventral tegmental area and nucleus accumbens -- the same circuits activated by money, attention, and social validation," Bagrodia explains. He adds that the Default Mode Network (DMN), responsible for how we see ourselves and compare ourselves to others, is constantly processing social cues. In today's world, visual markers of youth signal power, vitality, and relevance. They tell everyone that we still belong. In parallel, the Salience Network (a collection of brain regions that helps identify and prioritise stimuli) tunes our attention to what society rewards. When filtered beauty, botox, and anti-ageing hacks dominate media feeds, the brain adapts and prioritises youth as a survival asset. "Looking young isn't just an aesthetic; it's a neuro-status signal. And in today's attention economy, youth wins the algorithm, the approval, and the influence," he adds. This obsession with looking young has not only created a multi-billion dollar market but has also led to a rise in anti-ageing treatments that, if not performed under expert supervision, can seriously harm your health, or even prove fatal. The Rise In Anti-Ageing Treatments NDTV spoke to various experts who all agreed that there's been a notable rise in anti-ageing treatments. "There has undoubtedly been a visible rise in demand for anti-ageing treatments. I have increasing numbers of patients seeking preventive dermatology, injectables like botox and fillers, and non-surgical procedures like lasers and RF therapy. Social media, increased awareness, and a desire to age well are strong driving factors," says Dr Chandani Jain Gupta, MBBS, MD, Dermatologist & Aesthetic Physician at Elantis Healthcare, New Delhi. Dr Ajay Rana, Dermatologist and Aesthetic Physician and Founder & Director of ILAMED, says this shift is part of a wider trend, "With advancements in cosmetic dermatology and a growing awareness of skin health, more people are turning to these treatments to address signs of ageing and maintain a youthful appearance." Dr Shweta Tripathi, Senior Consultant Dermatologist and Aesthetic Injector and Founder of My Skindom Skin Clinic, adds, "Everybody wants to look a certain way. Looking young is now accessible at your doorstep. People are extremely conscious about their fine lines and folds." According to experts, millennials and Gen Zs are increasingly starting preventive care early. Common treatments include: Botox, dermal fillers, chemical peels, laser resurfacing, PRP, and skin boosters Non-invasive options like HIFU (High-Intensity Focused Ultrasound) and Thermage for minimal downtime 'If Not Done Right, Anti-Ageing Can Go Dangerously Wrong' Dr Mahnaz Jahan Begum, Aesthetic Expert, Entrepreneur, Founder of Keradis and Medical Director at Aterm Clinics, Kolkata, says, "Anti-ageing therapies should always be tailored, monitored, and based on thorough diagnostics. What works for one body could be dangerous for another-especially if there are hidden heart issues." She highlights risks often ignored in casual or unmonitored settings: Hormone therapies like HRT or testosterone carry risks of heart attack, stroke, and blood clotting NAD+ infusions, growth hormone boosters, and metabolic enhancers can raise blood pressure and affect heart rhythm Stimulants for fat loss or energy can increase the risk of sudden cardiac events Dr Chandani Jain Gupta reiterates, "If anti-ageing treatments are not done correctly or by inexperienced hands, they can lead to serious complications like infection, scarring, or abnormal results." Dr Tripathi explains, "Injectables work on muscles and some fillers can migrate. If not done correctly, they can cause permanent damage." Dr Rana adds, "Poorly administered treatments may result in allergic reactions or unsatisfactory results. These are not quick-fix beauty hacks-they require clinical knowledge and precision." Biohacking: A Dangerous Influence On Younger Adults The recent explosion in biohacking trends; yet another anti-ageing treatment largely influenced by online content and celebrity wellness endorsements (read Bryan Johnson), has sparked concern. Today, the biohacking market is expected to reach USD 149.6 billion between 2025 and 2029, significantly impacting millennials and Gen Z, and their drive to look younger. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Bryan Johnson (@bryanjohnson_) Dr Begum describes biohacking as "a movement where people use science, supplements, wearables, and even prescription drugs to 'optimise' their bodies and slow ageing". But she warns that "there's a dangerous misconception that anything 'natural' or 'anti-ageing' is automatically safe". Dr Gupta notes that unsupervised biohacking carries several risks, including: Hormonal imbalances Nutrient depletion Sleep disruption "Anti-ageing treatments are no longer just about reversing time; they're about enhancing confidence, maintaining skin health, and ageing gracefully. But one must always follow pre- and post-care protocols for safe, long-lasting results," Dr Shikha Baghi, BDS, MDS, Founder and MD, Timeless Aesthetics, reminds us of the bigger picture as she concludes. The Fine Line The line between self-care and obsession is growing thinner, blurred by filters, pressure, and pseudo-science. While science continues to evolve and offer incredible ways to age gracefully, the cost of blindly following trends can be more than skin deep.
Irish Post
24-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Post
Writing desk and bed belonging to Oscar Wilde fetch high sums at auction
TWO antique items which once belonged to Oscar Wilde have fetched well over their estimated price at auction. A desk and a bed formerly owned by the Irish literary icon featured in Fonsie Mealy's Summer Fine Art & Antique Sale which took place on June 19. The Davenport desk, which was made in 1830, stood in Wilde's study when he lived at 16 Tite Street in west London's Chelsea. It is believed to have been where he wrote some of his most notable works. Despite an estimate of €8k the item proved popular among bidders and it eventually sold for €29k. The Davenport desk which belonged to Oscar Wilde sold for €29k at auction Dublin-born Wilde moved into Tite Street in 1884 with his wife Constance. They went on to have two sons whilst living in the property, where they remained until Wilde's arrest and prosecution for 'gross indecency' in 1895. During his time there, he wrote classics including The Picture of Dorian Gray and The Importance of Being Earnest. The desk was removed from the house by his friend, the artist Mortimor Menpes, shortly before the court-ordered auction of Wilde's possessions following his trial and imprisonment. So too was a French bed once belonging to Wilde's mother, which also went up for auction in this month's sale. A richly carved walnut and ebonised bateau bed, the item, like the Davenport desk, was removed from Wilde's house by Menpes prior to the auction of his possessions on April 24, 1895. Oscar Wilde's mother's bed sold for €15k at auction this month 'It was originally purchased by Lady Wilde (Oscar Wilde's mother) during a visit to Paris in 1878,' the auctioneers state. 'Believed to have been acquired at the Exposition Universelle - the Paris World's Fair of that year - the bed reflects the grandeur and decorative exuberance of mid-late 19th-century French design,' they add. 'The headboard is surmounted by an exquisitely carved coat of arms for the city of Paris, featuring the city's crest—a ship and three fleur-de-lis—topped by a coronet and framed by an oak branch with detailed leaves and acorns on one side, and a finely rendered stem of laurel on the other. 'Below this, a flowing scroll bears the Parisian motto Fluctuat nec mergitur ('[She] is rocked by the waves, but does not sink'), a symbolic and poetic touch befitting the Wilde family's taste for art, symbolism, and continental flair.' The bed, which had an estimate of €4k, sold for €15k when it went under the hammer at Fonsie Mealy's auction house in Co. Kilkenny. See More: Auction, Bed, London, Oscar Wilde, Tite Street, Writing Desk
Cosmopolitan
16-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Cosmopolitan
Kaia Gerber and Lewis Pullman's Complete Relationship Timeline
Kaia Gerber and Lewis Pullman have been dating for a few months now and—based on pictures of them making out in public this weekend (which we'll get to in a moment, ahem)—things seem to be escalating. So obviously it's time to obsess over every detail in timeline form. Starting with... Kaia and Lewis are spotted in Cabo, according to Deux Moi. Per the gossip account's website, "We might have just identified one of the mystery men in Kaia Gerber's vacation crew! A Deuxmoi reader spotted Gerber and Lewis Pullman at Ye Rustic Inn in Los Feliz with two other friends after her Cabo vacation." News of Kaia and Austin Butler's breakup drops after weeks of rumors. TMZ speaks to multiple sources who say things officially ended "around the end of 2024" and claim there is "no bad blood" between them. They also give the reason why Kaia and Austin split, saying "the relationship just simply ran its course." Lewis attends opening night for Kaia's play, Evanston Salt Costs Climbing. Kaia is spotted at Salazar for Lewis's birthday dinner, and they're photographed just say cozy. E! News speaks to an eye witness who says they "arrived and left together" and were "holding hands and very affectionate" all evening. People chats to a source who dishes on the relationship, saying "They've been spending time together the last few weeks. They're a cute couple and very low-key." Not to be outdone, an insider tells Us Weekly that Kaia and Lewis "have actually been together for a while now," and that they "started dating in early December" but kept the relationship "under wraps until the news of her and Austin's split came out." Apparently the duo "run in the same circle and have similar friend groups," and "started seriously hanging out" in December: "Kaia would make sure to be in a hat to try and be unnoticed, but they would be at their favorite restaurants, bars and clubs, holding hands and showing PDA. They were just frequenting crowds that didn't really know them." Lewis dodges a question about Kaia on the red carpet after ET asks "there's a certain brunette we would've liked to see you bring along as a date." His response? "Well, listen. We're all just lucky to be here on the carpet, hanging, looking forward to Thunderbolts*." Page Six reports that Kaia and Lewis were spotted at the Broadway performance of The Picture of Dorian Gray, and an exclusive source says "They are definitely together. Kaia sat resting her head on Lewis' shoulder throughout the performance." Kaia and Lewis are seen kissing at a Tyler Childs concert at the Hollywood Bowl in photos shared with Deux Moi: And that brings us up to date! We'll be updating it with the latest on these two.
Yahoo
14-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
NEWS OF THE WEEK: Sarah Snook has scooped her first-ever Tony Award
Snook's turn in The Picture of Dorian Gray won Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play at the 78th annual award ceremony. "This means so much for a little Australian girl to be here on Broadway," the Succession star said after her gong was presented to her by Keanu Reeves. The Antoinette Perry Awards for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as the Tony Awards, recognise the best of live Broadway theatre in the 2024-2025 season.
The Advertiser
12-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Advertiser
Theatre company's box office boost from bumper season
The Sydney Theatre Company has brought in record revenues of just over $47 million, thanks to hit shows including Julia, RBG: Of Many, One, and a West End season of The Picture of Dorian Gray. The company's 2024 financials released Thursday show this figure includes a big jump in operations revenue for the blockbuster year - including box office, touring, and royalties - to $37.7 million. The overall revenue figures are the highest in the company's 45 year history, and an increase of just over $10 million from 2023. More than half a million people saw an STC production during 2024, an increase of just over 260,000 on the previous year. The box office figures were helped by a return season of RBG: Of Many, One starring Heather Mitchell as US Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. The show saw a paying audience of 28,660 across 56 performances at the Sydney Opera House and another 46,784 on tour. The return run of Julia, starring Justine Clarke as former Prime Minister Julia Gillard, saw similar success with an audience of 22,781 across a 49 show season and 41,122 on tour. Kip Williams' adaptation of The Picture of Dorian Gray starring Sarah Snook, which toured to London's West End for an Olivier Award-winning run of 101 performances, attracted total ticket sales of 77,273. On Monday, the Succession star also won a Tony Award for best leading actress, for the play's hit run on Broadway. Despite the international success, the company posted an overall deficit of $565,759 for 2024 - but this was an improvement on 2023 losses of $1.8 million. The deficit was due in part to a hike in production costs, stagnant government funding, and a drop of about $1 million in philanthropic donations to $3.5 million, the company said. Artistic Director Kip Williams left the State Theatre Company in October 2024 and has been replaced by former State Theatre Company of South Australia artistic director Mitchell Butel. The company received $2.6 million in funding from Creative Australia and $570,000 from Create NSW. The Sydney Theatre Company has brought in record revenues of just over $47 million, thanks to hit shows including Julia, RBG: Of Many, One, and a West End season of The Picture of Dorian Gray. The company's 2024 financials released Thursday show this figure includes a big jump in operations revenue for the blockbuster year - including box office, touring, and royalties - to $37.7 million. The overall revenue figures are the highest in the company's 45 year history, and an increase of just over $10 million from 2023. More than half a million people saw an STC production during 2024, an increase of just over 260,000 on the previous year. The box office figures were helped by a return season of RBG: Of Many, One starring Heather Mitchell as US Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. The show saw a paying audience of 28,660 across 56 performances at the Sydney Opera House and another 46,784 on tour. The return run of Julia, starring Justine Clarke as former Prime Minister Julia Gillard, saw similar success with an audience of 22,781 across a 49 show season and 41,122 on tour. Kip Williams' adaptation of The Picture of Dorian Gray starring Sarah Snook, which toured to London's West End for an Olivier Award-winning run of 101 performances, attracted total ticket sales of 77,273. On Monday, the Succession star also won a Tony Award for best leading actress, for the play's hit run on Broadway. Despite the international success, the company posted an overall deficit of $565,759 for 2024 - but this was an improvement on 2023 losses of $1.8 million. The deficit was due in part to a hike in production costs, stagnant government funding, and a drop of about $1 million in philanthropic donations to $3.5 million, the company said. Artistic Director Kip Williams left the State Theatre Company in October 2024 and has been replaced by former State Theatre Company of South Australia artistic director Mitchell Butel. The company received $2.6 million in funding from Creative Australia and $570,000 from Create NSW. The Sydney Theatre Company has brought in record revenues of just over $47 million, thanks to hit shows including Julia, RBG: Of Many, One, and a West End season of The Picture of Dorian Gray. The company's 2024 financials released Thursday show this figure includes a big jump in operations revenue for the blockbuster year - including box office, touring, and royalties - to $37.7 million. The overall revenue figures are the highest in the company's 45 year history, and an increase of just over $10 million from 2023. More than half a million people saw an STC production during 2024, an increase of just over 260,000 on the previous year. The box office figures were helped by a return season of RBG: Of Many, One starring Heather Mitchell as US Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. The show saw a paying audience of 28,660 across 56 performances at the Sydney Opera House and another 46,784 on tour. The return run of Julia, starring Justine Clarke as former Prime Minister Julia Gillard, saw similar success with an audience of 22,781 across a 49 show season and 41,122 on tour. Kip Williams' adaptation of The Picture of Dorian Gray starring Sarah Snook, which toured to London's West End for an Olivier Award-winning run of 101 performances, attracted total ticket sales of 77,273. On Monday, the Succession star also won a Tony Award for best leading actress, for the play's hit run on Broadway. Despite the international success, the company posted an overall deficit of $565,759 for 2024 - but this was an improvement on 2023 losses of $1.8 million. The deficit was due in part to a hike in production costs, stagnant government funding, and a drop of about $1 million in philanthropic donations to $3.5 million, the company said. Artistic Director Kip Williams left the State Theatre Company in October 2024 and has been replaced by former State Theatre Company of South Australia artistic director Mitchell Butel. The company received $2.6 million in funding from Creative Australia and $570,000 from Create NSW. The Sydney Theatre Company has brought in record revenues of just over $47 million, thanks to hit shows including Julia, RBG: Of Many, One, and a West End season of The Picture of Dorian Gray. The company's 2024 financials released Thursday show this figure includes a big jump in operations revenue for the blockbuster year - including box office, touring, and royalties - to $37.7 million. The overall revenue figures are the highest in the company's 45 year history, and an increase of just over $10 million from 2023. More than half a million people saw an STC production during 2024, an increase of just over 260,000 on the previous year. The box office figures were helped by a return season of RBG: Of Many, One starring Heather Mitchell as US Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. The show saw a paying audience of 28,660 across 56 performances at the Sydney Opera House and another 46,784 on tour. The return run of Julia, starring Justine Clarke as former Prime Minister Julia Gillard, saw similar success with an audience of 22,781 across a 49 show season and 41,122 on tour. Kip Williams' adaptation of The Picture of Dorian Gray starring Sarah Snook, which toured to London's West End for an Olivier Award-winning run of 101 performances, attracted total ticket sales of 77,273. On Monday, the Succession star also won a Tony Award for best leading actress, for the play's hit run on Broadway. Despite the international success, the company posted an overall deficit of $565,759 for 2024 - but this was an improvement on 2023 losses of $1.8 million. The deficit was due in part to a hike in production costs, stagnant government funding, and a drop of about $1 million in philanthropic donations to $3.5 million, the company said. Artistic Director Kip Williams left the State Theatre Company in October 2024 and has been replaced by former State Theatre Company of South Australia artistic director Mitchell Butel. The company received $2.6 million in funding from Creative Australia and $570,000 from Create NSW.
