The Big Smoke

1 week ago | thebigsmoke.com.au | Derryn Hinch |Deb Turney

In the same way that we beat diet culture and the “anti-fat” movement, I hope that we can start to tackle the “anti-ageing” discussions and start celebrating the passing of time, for those lucky enough to have it. Watching Season 3 of The White Lotus, the second thing I noticed (after Aimee Lou Wood’s perfectly imperfect teeth) were the foreheads of those three “best friends”. I’m ashamed to admit it but my female gaze had them under a microscope from the moment they came on screen.

4 weeks ago | thebigsmoke.com.au | Derryn Hinch |Alex Vickery-Howe |Loretta Barnard

As the former editor of The Sun, I find any form of media censorship intolerable. Imagine if the Bezos Creed catches on over here. To put this piece about media censorship into perspective, Ineeded to go back more than 100 years. Back in 1921, the esteemed editor of the (Manchester) Guardian C.P. Scott, said: “the voice of opponents no less than of friends has a right to be heard.” That should still apply. Obviously, sadly, these days it doesn’t.

1 month ago | thebigsmoke.com.au | Kerry Kingham |Catherine Fox |Tracey Clark |Jane Caro

Real progress for women in business isn’t about celebrating achievements, it’s about dismantling barriers. The time for symbolic inclusion is over—now it’s time to get to work. Every year, International Women’s Day (IWD) comes around with a new theme, new conversations, and a fresh wave of energy. But for many of us, the reality remains the same: same challenges, different year. (Or should I say same sh!t, different day.) It’s frustrating and often maddening.

1 month ago | thebigsmoke.com.au | Deb Turney |Paul Gregoire |Ginger Gorman |Bailey Mason

“Three Little Pigs”, this was not. The exhibition was supposed to be a protest against the treatment of pigs in Denmark…then we learned what types of animal cruelty this work of “art” was set to involve. Far from the storyline of the classic children’s tale, three little pigs in Denmark hit the headlines over the last few days for a very distinct reason. Art. But is it?

2 months ago | thebigsmoke.com.au | David Clarke |Vivienne Pearson |Alexandra Senter

Donald Trump’s self-declaration as “king” is fundamentally at odds with the principles of democracy, and the US must recognise the stakes. “CONGESTION PRICING IS DEAD. Manhattan, and all of New York, is SAVED. LONG LIVE THE KING!”–President Donald J. TrumpImage and caption posted to official White House social media accounts on Wednesday, 19 February, 2025 around 2:00pm Eastern Standard Time.