Tattoos - any regrets?

In this article from the BBC website, visitors to the London Tattoo Convention are asked if they have any regrets. Lucy Townsend test runs a fake tattoo but finds she isn't ready for the real thing.

Warhol's images of women

In this article, Jonathan Jones argues that, far from being commercially driven and intellectually shallow, Andy Warhol's images of women are the result of his life long religious belief.

Is our culture too much in thrall to the glories of the past?

Are our most popular films, books and TV shows too entrenched in nostalgia? Read Robert McCrum and Boyd Hilton debate the state of British culture in The Guardian here.

Tattoos - are they art?

To coincide with The London Tattoo Convention being held this weekend, this article in the Guardian discusses why having a tattoo has become mainstream. Jonathan Jones asks if it reflects our need to escape into a fantasy world.

'Bad Education' (2004) - Gender, Orientation and Persona in cinema

Pedro Almodóvar is a Spanish film director, screenwriter and producer. Almodóvar is arguably the most successful and internationally known Spanish filmmaker of his generation. His films, marked by complex narratives, employ the codes of melodrama and use elements of pop culture, popular songs, irreverent humor, strong colours, glossy décor and "lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender" themes. Desire, passion, family and identity are among Almodóvar’s most prevalent themes. His films enjoy a worldwide following and he has become a major figure on the stage of world cinema. Read a review of his 2004 release 'Bad Education' here in Slant Magazine.

Stolen identities in film show us our true selves

Adopting another's identity is seen as a melodramatic trick of the movies, like the evil twin in soap operas – but aren't we all imposture experts? Take a look at Anne Billson's series in The Guardian on film here and consider the implications upon personal identity.

Role Models

For further consideration of what constitutes a 'role model', visit rolemodel.net here. There are a few examples and a list of questions to pose (in the student area).

Role Models - High Culture & Popular Culture

How many of these cultural icons do you recognise?

Would you consider any to be a role model for you?

'Mad Men' and body image

Lynne Featherstone, the Equalities Minister, stated that Christina Hendricks from 'Mad Men' was a better role model for women than the fashion industries preferred skinny young girls. In this article from The Guardian, Susie Orbach declares her support for the minister's views.

You can also see a fashion shoot that Christina Hendricks did for The Guardian magazine at this link.

'Tomboy'

In this article in The Guardian's Society section, Stephanie Theobald discusses the new French film 'Tomboy' (as seen at The Edinburgh Film Festival in June) and how it revived her own childhood experiences.