fight club movie essay

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"Fight Club" is the most frankly and cheerfully fascist big-star movie since " Death Wish ," a celebration of violence in which the heroes write themselves a license to drink, smoke, screw and beat one another up.

Sometimes, for variety, they beat up themselves. It's macho porn -- the sex movie Hollywood has been moving toward for years, in which eroticism between the sexes is replaced by all-guy locker-room fights. Women, who have had a lifetime of practice at dealing with little-boy posturing, will instinctively see through it; men may get off on the testosterone rush. The fact that it is very well made and has a great first act certainly clouds the issue.

Edward Norton stars as a depressed urban loner filled up to here with angst. He describes his world in dialogue of sardonic social satire. His life and job are driving him crazy. As a means of dealing with his pain, he seeks out 12-step meetings, where he can hug those less fortunate than himself and find catharsis in their suffering. It is not without irony that the first meeting he attends is for post-surgical victims of testicular cancer, since the whole movie is about guys afraid of losing their cojones.

These early scenes have a nice sly tone; they're narrated by the Norton character in the kind of voice Nathanael West used in Miss Lonelyhearts. He's known only as the Narrator, for reasons later made clear. The meetings are working as a sedative, and his life is marginally manageable when tragedy strikes: He begins to notice Marla (Helena Bonham Carter) at meetings. She's a "tourist" like himself--someone not addicted to anything but meetings. She spoils it for him. He knows he's a faker, but wants to believe everyone else's pain is real.

On an airplane, he has another key encounter, with Tyler Durden ( Brad Pitt ), a man whose manner cuts through the fog. He seems able to see right into the Narrator's soul, and shortly after, when the Narrator's high-rise apartment turns into a fireball, he turns to Tyler for shelter. He gets more than that. He gets in on the ground floor of Fight Club, a secret society of men who meet in order to find freedom and self-realization through beating one another into pulp.

It's at about this point that the movie stops being smart and savage and witty, and turns to some of the most brutal, unremitting, nonstop violence ever filmed. Although sensible people know that if you hit someone with an ungloved hand hard enough, you're going to end up with broken bones, the guys in "Fight Club" have fists of steel, and hammer one another while the sound effects guys beat the hell out of Naugahyde sofas with Ping-Pong paddles. Later, the movie takes still another turn. A lot of recent films seem unsatisfied unless they can add final scenes that redefine the reality of everything that has gone before; call it the Keyser Soze syndrome.

What is all this about? According to Durden, it is about freeing yourself from the shackles of modern life, which imprisons and emasculates men. By being willing to give and receive pain and risk death, Fight Club members find freedom. Movies like " Crash " (1997), must play like cartoons for Durden. He's a shadowy, charismatic figure, able to inspire a legion of men in big cities to descend into the secret cellars of a Fight Club and beat one another up.

Only gradually are the final outlines of his master plan revealed. Is Tyler Durden in fact a leader of men with a useful philosophy? "It's only after we've lost everything that we're free to do anything," he says, sounding like a man who tripped over the Nietzsche display on his way to the coffee bar in Borders. In my opinion, he has no useful truths. He's a bully--Werner Erhard plus S & M, a leather club operator without the decor. None of the Fight Club members grows stronger or freer because of their membership; they're reduced to pathetic cultists. Issue them black shirts and sign them up as skinheads. Whether Durden represents hidden aspects of the male psyche is a question the movie uses as a loophole--but is not able to escape through, because "Fight Club" is not about its ending but about its action.

Of course, "Fight Club" itself does not advocate Durden's philosophy. It is a warning against it, I guess; one critic I like says it makes "a telling point about the bestial nature of man and what can happen when the numbing effects of day-to-day drudgery cause people to go a little crazy." I think it's the numbing effects of movies like this that cause people go to a little crazy. Although sophisticates will be able to rationalize the movie as an argument against the behavior it shows, my guess is that audience will like the behavior but not the argument. Certainly they'll buy tickets because they can see Pitt and Norton pounding on each other; a lot more people will leave this movie and get in fights than will leave it discussing Tyler Durden's moral philosophy. The images in movies like this argue for themselves, and it takes a lot of narration (or Narration) to argue against them.

Lord knows the actors work hard enough. Norton and Pitt go through almost as much physical suffering in this movie as Demi Moore endured in " G.I. Jane ," and Helena Bonham Carter creates a feisty chain-smoking hellcat who is probably so angry because none of the guys thinks having sex with her is as much fun as a broken nose. When you see good actors in a project like this, you wonder if they signed up as an alternative to canyoneering.

The movie was directed by David Fincher and written by Jim Uhls , who adapted the novel by Chuck Palahniuk . In many ways, it's like Fincher's movie " The Game " (1997), with the violence cranked up for teenage boys of all ages. That film was also about a testing process in which a man drowning in capitalism ( Michael Douglas ) has the rug of his life pulled out from under him and has to learn to fight for survival. I admired "The Game" much more than "Fight Club" because it was really about its theme, while the message in "Fight Club" is like bleeding scraps of Socially Redeeming Content thrown to the howling mob.

Fincher is a good director (his work includes "Alien 3," one of the best-looking bad movies I have ever seen, and " Seven ," the grisly and intelligent thriller). With "Fight Club" he seems to be setting himself some kind of a test--how far over the top can he go? The movie is visceral and hard-edged, with levels of irony and commentary above and below the action. If it had all continued in the vein explored in the first act, it might have become a great film. But the second act is pandering and the third is trickery, and whatever Fincher thinks the message is, that's not what most audience members will get. "Fight Club" is a thrill ride masquerading as philosophy--the kind of ride where some people puke and others can't wait to get on again.

Roger Ebert

Roger Ebert was the film critic of the Chicago Sun-Times from 1967 until his death in 2013. In 1975, he won the Pulitzer Prize for distinguished criticism.

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Fight Club (1999)

Rated R For Extreme Violence, Sex

139 minutes

Meat Loaf Aday as Robert Paulsen

Edward Norton as Narrator

Brad Pitt as Tyler Durden

Jared Leto as Angel Face

Helena Bonham-Carter as Marla Singer

Based On The Novel by

• Chuck Palahniuk

Directed by

• David Fincher

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• An insomniac office worker and a devil-may-care soap maker form an underground fight club that evolves into much more.
• A nameless first person narrator ( Edward Norton ) attends support groups in attempt to subdue his emotional state and relieve his insomniac state. When he meets Marla ( Helena Bonham Carter ), another fake attendee of support groups, his life seems to become a little more bearable. However when he associates himself with Tyler ( Brad Pitt ) he is dragged into an underground fight club and soap making scheme. Together the two men spiral out of control and engage in competitive rivalry for love and power. — Rhiannon
• A young man leads a pretty humdrum life assessing car crashes to determine if his automobile company should issue recalls to fix problems. He also suffers from insomnia and takes to attending group therapy sessions for people who have survived various diseases. There he meets Marla who like him attends these sessions though she is neither a victim nor a survivor. His life changes when he meets Tyler Durden on a flight home. Tyler seems to be everything that he's not and together they create a men-only group for bare-knuckle fighting. It soon becomes all the rage with fight clubs springing up across the country and the group itself becoming an anti-capitalist domestic terrorist organization. Tyler and Marla develop a relationship leaving him often on the outside of what is going on. He soon finds that the group is out of control and after a major self-revelation decides there is only one way out. — garykmcd
• An insomniac unnamed narrator needs a fantasy to escape from his deadly boring life, he tries joining a cancer support group however the only thing they do in the group is cry into each others chest, but then he is on a plane on his way back from what a viewer would assume is a business trip our unnamed narrator encounters Tyler Durden, a soap selling bad-ass who happens to run a secret fight club in the diner parking lot with his friend who follows 8 simple rules set out by Tyler, our unnamed narrator of course is taken into this scheme ran by Tyler. — ahmetkozan
• Posing as a pitiful sufferer during fruitless late-night sessions in highly addictive support groups for terminal illnesses, an unhappy insomniac struggles to find meaning in his mundane and dysfunctional existence. Then, a fateful encounter with the anarchist philosopher and travelling soap salesman, Tyler Durden, changes his life, as--for the first time in a long while--the bored white-collar worker reconnects with his inner self. Much to his surprise, the formerly depressed loner finds himself deriving pleasure out of pain through bare-knuckle brawls in the Fight Club: an underground society of men who yearn to free themselves from the fetters of a cruel modern life. Now, he is ready to wage war. Are violence and freedom the two sides of the same coin? — Nick Riganas
• We back out of the webbing of neurons and brain cells as the title credits appear, finding ourselves emerging from a pore on the sweat-glistened skin of the protagonist: our narrator ( Edward Norton ), as he looks down the barrel of a gun that's been stuck in his mouth. The gun is held by a man named Tyler ( Brad Pitt ) who checks his watch, counting down to 'ground zero' before he asks if the narrator has anything to say. The narrator mumbles through the gun before it's removed and says more clearly that he can't think of anything. As Tyler looks out of the high rise window to the dark city below them, the narrator recalls just how he met Tyler before stopping himself and bringing us to the beginning of the story. The narrator tells us he hasn't slept for six months. His job as a traveling product recall specialist for a car company doesn't help his insomnia since he must travel often, experiencing bouts of jet lag in addition to the everyday stress of his position, admiring the 'tiny life' of single-serving soap and shampoo at every location. If he can't sleep, he surfs the channels or browses through "Furni" (a parody of IKEA) catalogs purchasing the next piece of decor to add to his apartment; he's a self-proclaimed slave of consumerism. He goes to his doctor seeking help, but all the doctor will do is suggest an herbal supplement instead of drugs and that the narrator visit a support group for testicular cancer to see real pain. There, the narrator meets Robert 'Bob' Paulson ( Meat Loaf ), the 'big moosie' and an ex-bodybuilder and steroid user who suffers from an extreme case of gynecomastia due to hormone treatment after his testicles were removed. Bob is quite willing to hug the narrator in support. Stuck between Bob's enormous breasts, the narrator finally finds peace and bursts into tears. The emotional release allows him to sleep and he subsequently becomes addicted to support groups, mapping out his week attending different meetings and feigning illness. However, the appearance of a woman named Marla Singer ( Helena Bonham Carter ) throws the narrator's 'system' out of whack. He recognizes her as a 'tourist', having seen her at multiple meetings -- including testicular cancer -- and he is disturbed by her lies to the point where he can't sleep anymore. After one meeting, he confronts her. She argues that she's doing exactly what he does and quips that the groups are 'cheaper than a movie and there's free coffee'. Instead of ratting each other out, they agree to split up the week and exchange numbers. Despite his efforts, the narrator's insomnia continues. On a flight back from one of his business trips, the narrator meets Tyler Durden. Tyler offers a unique perspective on emergency procedure manuals in the plane and they strike up a casual conversation. Tyler is a soap salesman, if he's not working nights as a projectionist and slipping bits of porn between reels at the movie theater where he also works. The narrator arrives at the baggage claim to discover that his suitcase has been confiscated, most likely due to a mysterious vibration, before he taxis home. However, home, a fifteenth story condominium, and it's contents has been blasted into the night by what was theorized to be a faulty gas line ignited by a spark from the refrigerator. Having nowhere to go, the narrator finds Tyler's business card and calls him up. They meet at a bar and share a few beers. While the narrator laments losing his possessions, Tyler shares his philosophy of evolving beyond consumer culture and eschewing material gain. In the parking lot behind the bar where Tyler invites the narrator to hit Tyler as hard as he can. The narrator, though puzzled, complies and they engage in a fist fight before sharing a couple of drinks. The experience is surprisingly euphoric and the narrator and Tyler return to Tyler's dilapidated house where it's clear that Tyler is squatting. Tyler and the narrator engage in more fights behind the bar over the coming days and they soon attract the attention of other 'tough guys'. Finding their little fighting group growing, Tyler establishes a formal 'fight club' in the basement of the bar where they had their first fight. Membership quickly increases and Tyler and the narrator fashion a series of rules, the first two being the same: 'you do not talk about fight club.' The rules are consistently broken, with members inviting their friends to join them. Time and again, Tyler proves his insightful, if unorthodox and immoral, views on life. The narrator meets up with Marla by chance, telling her that he hasn't attended any other meetings because he's joined a new support group for men only. While he still treats her with mild contempt, it's clear that he considers her with interest. When she overdoses on Xanax, she calls the narrator who, tired of her rambling, sets the phone down without hanging up. He discovers later that Tyler picked up the phone, followed the call to Marla's home, and brought her back to the house where they engaged in vigorous sex, much to the narrator's disgust. The next morning in the kitchen, Marla finds the narrator, who is astonished to see her in his house. The Narrator's astonishment insults her and she leaves in disgust. After she leaves, Tyler enters the kitchen and joyfully reveals that he and Marla had sex the night before. He also gravely makes the narrator promise that he'll never mention Tyler to Marla. That night the narrator joins Tyler while he steals human fat out of the dumpster of a liposuction clinic. Tyler says that the best fat for making the soap he sells comes from human beings. Back in their kitchen, Tyler shows the narrator how to render tallow from the fat. After explaining a bit about the history of soapmaking, Tyler plants a wet kiss on the back of the narrator's hand and dumps pure lye on the spot, causing a horrific chemical burn. Tyler refuses to let the narrator wash the lye off his hand, saying that water will worsen the burn, and tells the narrator that the burn is a rite of passage -- Tyler has burned his own hand in an identical way and that the horrific pain will make him feel alive. Tyler also forces the narrator to accept allegiance to him and then neutralizes the burn with vinegar. Later, when they meet with a cosmetics salesperson at a department store, the narrator remarks that Tyler's soap sells for a very high price. The original fight club continues to gather more members until Tyler shifts its focus: their initial members are invited to the house but must stand on the front porch for three days without food, water or encouragement, after which they'll be allowed inside. They must also endure insults from existing members and physical hazing. After they're allowed to join the new group they are required to shave their heads. Tyler dubs them "Space Monkeys". Tyler sets them all to refurbishing the house, performing cleaning chores and cultivating whatever they can in the small backyard garden. Earlier, Tyler had also spend a significant amount of time building bunk beds in the basement for new members. With the narrator, he holds a college dropout ( Joon Kim ) at gunpoint and threatens to kill him if he doesn't pursue his dream of becoming a veterinarian. He allows Lou ( Peter Iacangelo ), the owner of the bar where their fight club is held, to beat him horribly before coughing blood all over him and demanding to stay in the basement. Horrified, Lou agrees. Tyler gives the club members a "homework assignment": they will all pick a fight with a complete stranger and lose. The narrator says it's a much harder task than anyone would think. Bob accosts people in a downtown plaza; another member antagonizes a priest with a garden hose. After a period of days, Marla leaves and Tyler introduces the narrator to his newest hobby: using his proficient skills in soap-making, Tyler has turned the basement of the house into a laboratory where he uses soap and other ingredients to make explosives. Tyler and the narrator continue managing fight club, but this time, at a much different frequency. Receiving flack at work, the narrator finally confronts his boss ( Zach Grenier ) with knowledge about substandard practice and negotiates to work from home with increased pay to keep his mouth shut. When his boss objects and calls security, the narrator beats himself up severely so that, by the time security arrives, they are led to believe that the narrator's boss assaulted his employee. Tyler eventually assigns homework to his recruits and preaches to them about the detriments of consumerism and relying on society and authority figures. He proposes to revert back to the time where a man's worth depended on the sweat on his back and where he only used what he needed. This philosophy evolves into what Tyler calls 'Project Mayhem,' and the fighting in basements turns into mischievous acts of vandalism and destruction. Their actions do not go unnoticed, but Tyler manages to show the lead investigator, a police chief, that the very people he's hunting are those that they depend on; waiters, bus drivers, sewer engineers, and more. They threaten the police chief with castration and the investigation is called off. While Project Mayhem grows, the narrator begins to feel more and more distant from Tyler and jealousy sets in, making him go so far as to beat up and disfigure one recruit ( Jared Leto ) because he 'wanted to destroy something beautiful'. As they walk away from this fight club meeting, Tyler drives the narrator and two members in a large Lincoln Town Car. In the rain, Tyler taunts the narrator, suggesting that he hasn't even begun to live his life to his fullest potential. When he allows the car to drift into oncoming traffic and the narrator grabs the steering wheel, Tyler scolds the narrator for being weak and pathetic. Tyler then admits that he destroyed the narrator's apartment. The narrator finally gives in, Tyler lets the car drift and they slam head-on into another vehicle. They emerge from the wreck with Tyler exclaiming that the narrator has a new life based on his living through a near-death experience. When Tyler disappears for a while, the narrator is left at home with an ever increasing band of Mayhem members who watch television and laugh at their publicized acts of vandalism. When the narrator demands to know more about their mischief, Bob tells him "The 1st rule of Project Mayhem is you do not ask questions." Bob is later killed during a botched sabotage operation and the narrator seeks to disband the group before things get out of control. He tries to find Tyler and discovers a list of phone numbers he recently used. The narrator trails the list all over the country, discovering that fight clubs have sprouted everywhere. At one particular bar, the bartender addresses the narrator as 'Sir' which prompts the narrator to ask if he knows him. The bartender, after being assured that he's not being put through a test, tells the narrator that he is Tyler Durden. In shock, the narrator returns to his hotel room and calls up Marla, asking if they've ever had sex. Though irritated, Marla confirms their relationship and states that she knows him as "Tyler Durden." Marla hangs up and Tyler suddenly appears in the room and confronts the narrator, telling him he broke his promise to not speak about Tyler to Marla. A few minutes of conversation confirms that they are, indeed, one person. The narrator has insomnia; he can't sleep so, whenever he thinks he is (or at random parts of a day), Tyler's persona takes over. The narrator faints at the epiphany. When he wakes up, he finds another phone list beside him with calls from all over the country. He returns to his home to find it completely empty but one bulletin board yields a display of folders detailing certain buildings within the financial district. He finds that each one has been infiltrated by members of Project Mayhem and that Tyler is planning on destroying them, thereby erasing credit card company records and 'wiping the slate clean'. In a panic, the narrator grabs all the information and reports himself to the local police. However, after telling the inspector everything he knows and being left with two officers, the narrator discovers that the officers are Mayhem members and they tell him that they were instructed by him to 'take the balls' of anyone who interfered with Project Mayhem...even him. The narrator manages to escape by stealing one of the officers pistols and runs to one of the buildings set for demolition. He finds an unmarked van in the parking garage filled with nitroglycerin and attempts to disarm the bomb. Tyler appears and goads him but the narrator successfully disarms the bomb. He and Tyler engage in a fierce fight which appears oddly on the surveillance cameras since the narrator is only fighting himself. The Tyler personality wins and reactivates the bomb and the narrator 'brings himself' to another building where they can safely watch the destruction. Back at the opening scene the narrator, with the gun in his mouth, mumbles again and tells Tyler, "I still can't think of anything". Tyler smiles and says, "Ah, flashback humor". The narrator begs that Tyler abandon the project but Tyler is adamant. He professes that what he's doing is saving mankind from the oppression of consumerism and unnecessary luxuries and that there won't even have to be any casualties; the people who work in the buildings are all Mayhem members, completely aware of the plan. Near breaking point, the narrator comes to realize that whatever Tyler does, he can do. He sees Tyler with the gun in his hand and realizes that it's actually in his hand. He puts it up to his own chin and tells Tyler to listen to him. He says that his eyes are open and then puts the gun in his mouth and pulls the trigger. The bullet shoots out of the side of his jaw and Tyler is 'killed' with a gaping wound to the back of his head. As the narrator recovers, members of Project Mayhem arrive with snacks and Marla in tow (Tyler had previously instructed her to be brought to them). Seeing 'Tyler's' wounds, the Mayhem members leave Marla alone with him to fetch some medical supplies. 'Tyler' stands with Marla and tells her that everything's going to be fine as the first detonation ignites the building in front of them. The others on the block soon follow suit and 'Tyler' takes Marla's hand in his and tells her "You met me at a very strange time in my life." They watch as the explosives go off and the buildings collapse.

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3: Fight Club ’s Critical Reactions and Cultural Contexts

• Published: August 2012
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This chapter explores the critical reactions to Fight Club (1999). Fight Club has a complex, postmodern approach to genre and narrative; it is a generic hybrid that resists categorisation and a narrative that avoids precise resolution. Critical responses were wide ranging but the most vociferous and aggressive were from renowned critics like Roger Ebert and Alexander Walker who found the film repellent and nihilistic. Many critics linked the film to an infantile reading of Nietzsche, which further raised the spectre of the Nazis and helped endorse the view that Fight Club was politically dangerous and morally repugnant. However, critical opinion was split, with some reviewers seeing Fight Club as a brilliantly effective critique and biting satire of contemporary life. The film also created censorship issues for the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) who insisted on minor cuts to two scenes of fighting. The chapter then considers the cultural contexts of Fight Club . In 1999, the fear of the ‘Millennium Bug’ was indicative of a general anxiety over many aspects of Western culture. These were focused on notions of gender and in particular male anxiety of emasculation and feminisation, as well as generational mistrust and unease.

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Luvenis Criticus

A philosophical analysis of fight club, tyler durden, and masculinity in the modern world.

"Fight Club," a 1999 thriller directed by David Fincher and starring Edward Norton, Brad Pitt, and Helena Bonham Carter, is a story about the mundanity of modern life and the psychological turmoil it causes. The protagonist, The Narrator (Edward Norton), leads a life filled with stress and anxiety, resulting in severe insomnia. From this suffering, an alter ego arises, Tyler Durden, who represents everything The Narrator desires to be but is not.

The philosophy behind the movie can be narrowed down to Nietzschean philosophy, specifically the conflict between the 'Ubermensch' (Greater Man) and the 'Last Man,' representing the class of people who have accepted the pains of the status quo and devolved into a 'passive nihilism.' In relation to reality, "Fight Club" represents a world in which disaffected young men and women live in an advanced world where most people work to consume things they do not need. The modern technology and comfort it brings allow for a sedentary lifestyle focused on short-term pleasure rather than long-term fulfilment through hard work. Young men, in particular, are severely impacted due to societal rules that discourage intensely masculine behaviour such as drive, aggression, and competition.

The Narrator, played by Edward Norton, embodies the archetype of the last man. Like much of modern society, he lives his adult years wasting away in an office, completing tasks for a boss he hates and void of true purpose. Arising from the pains of his life, he develops insomnia, which can be described philosophically as 'death anxiety.' The death of God and the concept of a supernatural being that saves one's soul has led modern man to experience a pathological fear of death. Humans have no way to satisfy a subconscious fear of death after abandoning the concept of an afterlife, so they seek to immerse themselves in the material world instead of distracting themselves.

The Narrator represents the average person today, a lifeless drone going through the motions of the day with little motivation, dreams, or drive. Despite living in an age where first-world people can go anywhere, see anything, and do almost anything, life still operates within the Pareto principle; 80% live simply as workers and consumers, and 20% operate freely or are in control of the 80%.

Like many young men today, The Narrator has been discouraged from engaging in his masculine urges, with societal rules and laws built over time to eradicate unique masculine behaviours such as aggression and competitiveness, as they are said to lead to violence. The technological world is incredibly fragile and relies on abandoning primal urges and natural needs. At one point, men would use a spear as their tool of choice, but now the computer does all the work for them, leaving them docile. Docility and the lack of masculinity due to rules have turned man from hunter to gatherer exclusively.

According to Friedrich Nietzsche, the concept of the 'Last man' describes people who are passive nihilists, do not take risks, break boundaries, or leave comfort and security with the goal of the betterment of their condition. Instead, they accept themselves as mediocrities with no desire. The decline of religion, specifically in the Western world, has created an absence of purpose, leading to indulgence in material desires or activities. The concept of 'Surrogate Activities,' as written by Theodore Kaczynski, states

'We use the term "surrogate activity" to designate an activity that is directed toward an artificial goal that people set up for themselves merely in order to have some goal to work toward, or let us say, merely for the sake of the "fulfilment" that they get from pursuing the goal.'

Said surrogate activities frequently tend to be self-destructive. Society often engages in acts that lead to gratification, as said but will also cause physical and mental damage. Individuals become their enemies within a community absent of famine, plague and war. The "Living for the weekend" culture prevalent among working people has ultimately led to excessive drinking and its consequences plaguing the class. Alcoholism, once a shared issue between the aristocrats and the peasants, has found itself to cause strife among the lowest rank. Unhealthy food has become the meal of choice for working people thanks to being easy to cook or buy. They are ultimately causing the poorest of society to suffer the most from obesity. The normalisation of Pornography has created a situation in which children aged 12 will, on average, be introduced to it and will soon engage in it for their entire life. Young men will find themselves suffering early from erectile dysfunction due to porn addiction and having a lower level of testosterone than their granddad. Real men, like the Narrator, are living lives of emasculation. They have lost their vigour and virility to modern consumerist culture and the toxic environment they must live in. The world of Fight Club is simply a mirror to our own.

Many men watching Fight Club become uncomfortable when they understand that the Narrator is more relatable than they want him to be. Much of Western Society lives simply as neutered animals, with limited human capacity to serve capital. Tyler Durden contrasts the Last Man concept and the Narrator. As already stated, Tyler is a creation in the mind of The Narrator. Tyler embodies the characteristics that The Narrator desires, physically fit, fearless, and dedicated to his beliefs. The purpose of this personality is to change The Narrator from the submissive 'Last Man' to a dominant Ubermensch, dedicated to the cause of freeing humanity from the chains of the capitalist system and the by-products of consumerism.

The hyper-masculine, dominant alter ego of The Narrator is introduced as Tyler Durden. Within our world, men that embrace natural masculinity are discouraged from engaging in society due to mass propaganda calling masculinity 'toxic'. 'Toxic Masculinity' as a concept is an organised attack by ideologues within academia to discourage men from embracing their true nature as men. This aims to subvert men away from ideologies that appeal to the male psyche, such as conservatism, in favour of ideologies that further the goals of an elite class. In this generation, young men are primarily influenced by social media and the internet. There is also a clear appetite among this demographic for content that promotes masculinity, for example Andrew Tate being propelled into the public sphere. His name became one of the most searched on the planet. However just as he reached his peak popularity, there was a coordinated ban wave across numerous platforms, specifically social media, but even email services. Tyler is a representative of masculine figures in the world. Estranged, cast out by the system.

As their relationship progresses, the Narrator gradually becomes more radicalised by Tyler's philosophy, and they create a Fight Club and recruit members. The purpose of the said club at face value was not to settle disputes or for competition but to awaken other men up to the Durden worldview. Men seek a sense of fraternity with like-minded individuals; however, since the Industrial Revolution, such groups have slowly been rendered obsolete. Men no longer have the time or energy to engage in such activities. The descent into 'passive nihilism' has also contributed to a lack of fraternal groups. Freemasons, Templars, and others believed in a metaphysical worldview and had a spiritual basis. With these beliefs, men could come together to meet their shared goals and benefit from each other's help and wisdom. This cannot take place in the workplace. Much of the population in the capitalist world care very little for the labour they produce. Tyler's club becomes a surrogate activity for The Narrator and the other disaffected young men, as it stimulates the primal desires of men and the innately violent nature that has allowed for the survival of humans. The men simulate our ancestors' activities for survival or initiation purposes. The fight club represents communities of eccentric young men that exist today. Due to tight media control, men who dissent from the system even without intending to harm anyone, are shut off from the mainstream platforms. They are forced to operate outside the system's infrastructure, which can be dangerous. This poses a problem because when ideas of traditionalism in terms of gender and dissenting political views are shut off from the conversation, it allows the radicalisation of many individuals that otherwise would not be if they were allowed to engage. The demonisation of these people leads to isolation, isolation is a breeding ground for violence. Young men need a platform to air their grievances.

Since enlightenment, humans has slowly begun to abandon the previous belief in a moral supreme being that helps guide us in our lives with its set rules, with the purpose of reaching the afterlife. Modern advancements in technology have not proven that God does not exist but have raised questions about the existence of God. A sudden drop in religiosity has left many wondering, is our life meaningless? The absence of the metaphysical leaves much of society falling into a sense of nihilism. Life does not have a more significant meaning or purpose. The consequence of this is the submission to material desires and pleasure, to remedy the existential fear that once we die, it is over. The nihilist world is one of carnal pleasure. One of degenerate social trends, the collapse of the family through anti-natalism, and hyper-consumerism. Many philosophers have created theories that attempt to form a solution to these issues.

Tyler emphasises the importance of coming to terms with the fact that man and God are no longer linked, and modern man must adopt a new sense of spiritualism. He uses the metaphor of fathers being our models for God. men use their fathers as the archetype of how to live. He creates a syncretism between living in your father's image and God’s. Due to the capitalist mode of production requiring men to dedicate most of their time and energy to the workplace, the father's influence is hindered. Fathers in many religions are valued as the link between their children and the metaphysical. Therefore, modern men and women suffer from spiritual crises. Moreover, the disconnect between Dad and Son leads to the emasculation of young men. Freud's famous idea of the Oedipus Complex states that the male offspring's belief in a rivalry between themself and the father is a necessary stage of development. However, the father and son must rekindle a solid relationship to complete oedipal development. Without this stage, being completed can lead to psychological problems in later life. In essence, Tyler uses this idea to explain the emasculated men issue.

The Narrator previously stated that he never knew his dad and wanted to fight him. Tyler, therefore, is seeking to remedy the damage from the Narrator not completing oedipal development; this may be through replacing his father with the image of Tyler. Many of today's men are suffering from the issues of absent fathers and the lack of belief in fatherhood. The rise of female empowerment has made the traditional family a tale of the past. Both social movements and capitalism have forced a disconnect between the son and the father. Long working hours give the father and son less time to build relationships. Female empowerment has given rise to high divorce rates. Prior to second and third-wave feminism, divorce rates were relatively low. In 1960 the rate was around 9.2 new divorces per 1000 people. By 1980 this was at 22.6% Wang (2020) . Data shows that women are more likely to initiate divorce, which increases significantly if the woman is educated, Wang (2015) .

The concept behind Tyler's philosophy in Fight Club is representative of how modern men are disconnected from their masculinity. The movie portrays The Narrator as a man lacking ambition, who seeks a male role model to better himself. This is a common experience among young men today who are in search of guidance in a world that often overlooks their needs. The crux of Tyler's philosophy is that men must rediscover their masculinity in a spiritual manner. This can be accomplished through activities that provide a sense of accomplishment and fulfillment, without resorting to the extreme violence depicted in the movie. Fight Club's message is deeply philosophical and reflects the difficulties faced by men in our society. It is crucial for young men to find an outlet for their thoughts and reclaim traditional gender norms and masculinity. This essay has used Fight Club and the ideas of various philosophers to delve into these themes and propose solutions on how men can rediscover their identity in a rapidly changing world. It is a call to action for men to take charge of their lives and find meaningful ways to engage with the world.

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Analysis of Themes in The Film ‘fight Club’ by David Fincher

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Published: Jul 30, 2019

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Works Cited

• Fincher, D. (Director). (1999). Fight Club [Motion picture]. 20th Century Fox.
• Baudrillard, J. (1994). Simulacra and Simulation. University of Michigan Press.
• McKechnie, L. E. (2002). Masculinity, consumerism, and the fight club. The Journal of Popular Culture, 36(3), 415-430.
• Kavadlo, J. (2008). "This is your life and it's ending one minute at a time": On masculinity, alienation, and violence in David Fincher's Fight Club. Journal of Popular Film and Television, 36(3), 130-139.
• Gildersleve, J. (2005). The face of violence: An analysis of masculinity and brutality in Fight Club. Journal of Gender Studies, 14(2), 163-177.
• Cobb, S. (2000). Anarchy and Apocalypse: Reading Fight Club. Journal for Cultural Research, 4(2), 211-228.
• Hoyer, M. (2006). De-realization and hyper-reality in fight club: Men, violence and post-modern identity. Amerikastudien/American Studies, 51(1), 75-92.
• Ford, J. (2005). The male protagonist as a decentered self in David Fincher's Fight Club. Journal of Popular Film and Television, 32(1), 2-10.
• Conrad, J. R., & Dixon, T. (Eds.). (2009). Film analysis: A Norton reader (2nd ed.). W. W. Norton & Company.
• Tasker, Y. (2004). Spectacular bodies: Gender, genre, and the action cinema. Routledge.

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Fight Club - List of Free Essay Examples And Topic Ideas

Fight Club is a novel by Chuck Palahniuk, which was later adapted into a critically acclaimed film directed by David Fincher. Essays could explore the themes of consumerism, masculinity, and identity crisis portrayed in “Fight Club,” analyzing the societal critiques embedded within the narrative. Discussions might also delve into the psychological complexities of the characters, the cultural impact of “Fight Club,” and its continuing relevance in contemporary discussions about masculinity and societal disaffection. We’ve gathered an extensive assortment of free essay samples on the topic of Fight Club you can find at Papersowl. You can use our samples for inspiration to write your own essay, research paper, or just to explore a new topic for yourself.

Fight Club Psychological Analysis

Introduction In Fight Club, the unnamed main character goes by the title the Narrator. He is an unattached, young man who is bored with his job and unsatisfied with his life. Initially dealing with insomnia, the Narrator seeks different pathways to fixing his inability to sleep and interact normally with society on a daily basis. His first successful lifestyle change was incorporating attending support groups. His ability to cry gave him the ability to sleep. He likes sticking to schedules. […]

Masculinities in Fight Club

Throughout our history, the idea of violence, heteronormativity, homophobia, and misogyny are popular among the masculine race. In the movie, Fight Club, this is especially prevalent. The film's narrative is structured around a sacred ritual that reaffirms heterosexuality and masculinity at the expense of violence and homosexuality. Heteronormativity is a system that works to normalize behaviors and societal expectations that are tied to the presumption of heterosexuality and an adherence to a strict gender binary. A fixed idea of masculinity […]

A Psychoanalytical Lens to the Film Fight Club

Films often have a basic meaning that is portrayed to the audience that can be easily interpreted. Underlying themes and smaller details throughout the film are often overlooked. These overlooked aspects of the film can be pieced together to create a new meaning of a movie that is personalized to the viewer's perception. By analyzing forms of entertainment through different lenses, viewers conclude a different interpretation of the original film. For example, the application of a psychoanalytical lens to a […]

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Media Analysis Fight Club

Fight Club is a movie by David Fincher starring Brad Pitt and Edward Norton that came out 1999 and is based off the book by Chuck Palahniuk written in 1996. The movie follows an unnamed insomniac narrator, called Jack in the credits, played by Edward Norton. Norton's character works as an automobile recall specialist and is often buying items out of magazines in his free time. Trying to find a cure for his insomnia he visits the doctor with his […]

Fight Club: Search for Identity

Fight Club is a famous novel by Chuck Palahniuk, telling the story of an unnamed protagonist, who has to manage the problem of insomnia. This novel has caused a lot of critical debates and controversies. The novel was characterized as revolutionary and cynical and it explores the theme of journey of the main hero towards his identity through his personality disorder. The protagonist is to manage various challenges in his life, his own emotional troubles, his homophobia, his desire for […]

Fight Club Movie Review

Fight Club is a 1999 film based on a 1996 novel wrote by Chuck Palahniuk. It was directed by David Fincher. The movie starred Brad Pitt, Edward Norton, and Helena Bonham Carter. Norton plays the unnamed narrator, who is sick of his job and slightly disconnected with reality. This is because he has narcolepsy. He then forms a 'fight club' with a soap salesman named Tyler Durden (Pitt). Tyler is almost like the opposite personality of the main character, he […]

The Society’s Obsession with Materialism in the Fight Club

Throughout Fight Club, we follow a story that is told by a narrator who battles his sense of self. By depending on different types of outlets and people around him, he starts to build his identity through them. The narrative crisis that evolves throughout this film is built on Corporate America and the amount of power it has to influence their consumers in everyday life. This is something the narrator is aware of, and takes full part in as he […]

Fight Club is a Story of a Man’s Struggle

When we invented fight club my life just seemed too complete, and maybe we have to break everything to make something better out of ourselves," said the unnamed protagonist. This specific line in the book really ties in with the theme of the novel, masculinity in modern society. Fight club appears as a reaction to this state of affairs, with the purpose of letting men to rediscover their true masculinity. The novel shares the struggle of a man (the main […]

American Beauty Vs. Fight Club

The year 1999 was a milestone and turning point in film history. Cinema attendance was up mostly at multi-screen cineplex complexes around the country. Including David Fincher's dark satire on manhood, Fight Club (1999) and Sam Mendes' suburban satire American Beauty (1999). Both movies played an important role in the film history. Making it one of the highest revenue contributors of the year 1999. With an upbringing performance of reality versus illusion. On the surface, American Beauty embraces the idea […]

The Loneliness in the Film Fight Club

In today's society, loneliness is something experienced by a vast number of people. The age of technology and consumerism have brought social isolation to many. The film Fight Club explores the loneliness of a man who was trapped in the confines of superficial societal values. The protagonist develops a mental illness from the isolation he endured. Due to modern communication technology, human interaction is dwindling. More and more people are spending less time with others and more time alone seeking […]

Robert Paulson Unveiled: Deciphering the Enigmatic Legacy Within Fight Club

In the cinematic realm of Fight Club, the name "Robert Paulson" resonates as a cryptic symbol, inviting exploration into its layered significance. This essay embarks on a journey to unveil the enigmatic legacy of Robert Paulson within the narrative of Fight Club, delving into the layers of meaning, cultural impact, and the indelible imprint left by this character. Robert Paulson, a seemingly unassuming character in the film, becomes a linchpin in the anarchic philosophy espoused by the eponymous club. His […]

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“Fight Club” Action Thriller by David Fincher Essay (Movie Review)

Introduction, the film’s zeitgeist, comparative characteristics of the film and the cognominal novel by palahniuk, critical reflections, works cited.

The movie “Fight Club” by David Fincher is an adaptation of the cognominal novel by Chuck Palahniuk which can be acclaimed as one of the most successful dramas released in 1999. This is no wonder as the film features outstanding play by actors, interesting and thought-provoking layout and good quality of its accomplishment. Overall, the film can be evaluated as a great piece of film-making art which seems to represent the themes revealed by Chuck Palahniuk in his novel even better than this great master of thought and word.

First of all, with regards to the film’s zeitgeist, it should be said that it fully reveals the atmosphere of 1990s which is shown in it with its spirit and general moods prevailing among people. According to Kavadlo (4), the peculiarities of this atmosphere are in ‘combining violent surrealism, suspenseful noir, and psychological twists’. The movie’s main protagonists oppose themselves to political, social and economic systems with all their contradictions and complicated issues. Pondering into the film’s ideas, the audience faces such critical issues as the search for the relief of stress and the use of violence for this along with the emersion of a variety of supporting clubs prevailing in 1990s.

Next, addressing the way the film reflects on the novel which served as its basis, it should be stated that even Palahniuk himself evaluated the work by “Fight Club” scriptwriters as very successful. The writer highlighted that the film’s story plot revealed the ideas he wanted to blow upon his audience even better than his novel. In particular, such ideas as the pursuit for tranquillity by means of causing pains to the others during the acts of violence along with the emphasis on self-importance and presumptuous spirit revealed in the character of Tyler Durden are related in the film. In addition, both the film and the book have a measure of ambiguousness and a twisted approach to understanding certain scenes in them. For example, the scene where the narrator and Tyler Durden are bathing suggests both homosexual implications and the meditation on whether women are worthy all the efforts they require on the part of men and the responsibility the relations with them involves.

Finally, reflecting on the film’s value, it appears that this drama can be marked as a strong address to a number of critical issues which are timely even nowadays. This film impels thinking about such questions as what is so special behind violence that so many people are interested in it and even want to take part in it. The film also encourages thinking of whether observing the pain of the others can be seen as a panacea from stress. The “Fight Club” movie impresses greatly and appears to be very engaging; it is mainly explained by the team of professionals busy in it; especially, the director’s cut and the incredible play by its cast including inimitable Edward Norton and Brad Pitt.

Concluding on all the information discussed above, it should be stated that the film “Fight Club” based on the cognominal novel by Chuck Palahniuk can be mentioned among the most successful drama films of 1999. The film relates the themes addressed by the writer in his novel even better than this great master of thought and word. In particular, such critical issues as the use of violence, being cruel, and observing the pain of the others are discussed in the movie to encourage the audience to revaluate their moral values.

Kavadlo, Jesse 2005, Stirrings Still. PDF file. Web.

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Fight Club (Film)

By david fincher, fight club (film) themes.

Jack's insomnia and lack of satisfaction in his life stem largely from his isolation. Never does he mention any friends in his voice-over, nor do we meet any. Jack has to attend support group meetings just to experience a human connection. He longs for a place where his feelings can be expressed openly, even if they are dark or sad in nature. He seeks a truth that he is not finding in his job or his day-to-day life.

Like Jack, Marla Singer suffers the same isolation. She doesn't appear to have anybody in her life who is concerned for her. She demonstrates that this isolation doesn't pertain simply to men in society, but to all. Unlike Jack, Marla embraces this reality for what it is. She is poor, living in poverty. She can't turn to a life of consumption to escape her reality because she cannot afford it. Her openness makes Jack uncomfortable. It's like looking into a mirror.

Emasculation

Fight Club presents the argument that men in today's society have been reduced to a generation that does nothing itself, but has become anesthetized with watching others do something instead. Masculinity becomes a brand, a means to sell products to men. "Being a man" then becomes owning the right watch or car instead of knowing who you are and what your values really are.

As a result Jack, Tyler, and the other members of Fight Club reject this spoon-fed approach to living and try to find themselves. By putting themselves through the experience of fighting and facing fear and pain, they hope to strip away the unnecessary and discover their true selves.

Consumer Culture

The film repeatedly critiques the values espoused by advertising: youth, beauty, power, and wealth. Tyler's philosophy contends that people work jobs that they don't enjoy to keep up the appearance of a life that "has it all." In reality these people are deeply unhappy, not simply because this lifestyle does not sustain them in a spiritual sense, but because they don't feel like they can talk to anyone about these problems. Instead, they continue to buy cleverly marketed goods to make themselves feel better.

Coming of Age/Identity

Although this theme traditionally reflects a character's passage through an ordeal in their late teens or early twenties, in the film Jack/the Narrator's ordeal takes place at the age of thirty, making it something of a pre-midlife crisis.

Jack has to come to terms with who he is and must take responsibility for his own lot in life. He instead subconsciously creates Tyler Durden , a charismatic but unhinged id that is free to do whatever he wants. Tyler allows Jack to reject society's expectations but also allows him to reject all responsibility as well. Instead of coming to terms with his place and learning about himself, Jack retreats into a false character, someone he'd rather be. When Tyler goes too far, Jack snaps back to reality and sees that he is losing himself to Tyler. He then must choose to both save Marla and himself from Tyler.

The fighting in the film is not presented as a solution to the character's problems, but is a means to reaching a spiritual reawakening. The fighting itself reminds the men that they are alive. As part of Tyler's philosophy, it also reminds them that they will die. As part of that philosophy, the men are seeking something of true value, instead of the value system handed down to them by advertising and society as a whole. Fighting is used as a path to reach the core of who they are. As Tyler says to Jack/the Narrator before their first fight, "How can you say you know yourself if you've never been in a fight?" While the fighting can be seen as an attempt by the men to reassert their masculinity, it is more of a rejection of what they have been told masculinity is by prior generations, their jobs, and mass media.

Lack of a Father Figure

In a key scene in the film, Tyler and Jack/the Narrator both bond over their recollections about their fathers. Both men state that their fathers were not a major part of their lives. Jack says that his father left when he was young. Tyler describes his father as a distant figure with whom he would speak on the phone roughly once a year, adding that they are members of a generation of men raised by women. With no distinct male role-models in their lives Jack and Tyler have largely accepted the role of men in society as it has been presented to them by advertising. The aim is to secure a good job with a good salary, get married, and have children. The men of fight club have seen an emptiness in this model and reject it.

Zen Buddhism

Some have seen Zen concepts in the film, particularly regarding breaking the cycle of suffering and the rejection of material possessions. In Buddhist teachings, the attachment to material possessions is what keeps a person attached to this world and prevents liberation. Without this, inner peace cannot be attained. In Buddhism there are generally three characteristics of existence : change, suffering, and a belief that there is no permanent self.

Jack is miserable in his life but is either unsure of how to change or afraid to try. Instead he buries sadness in what he calls the "Ikea nesting instinct," the need to continuously buy products as a means to demonstrate his "strength." Tyler shows Jack that suffering is simply a part of life, but is largely based on attachment to material objects. Jack demonstrates the absence of a permanent self when it is revealed that he and Tyler are actually the same person. Tyler is the persona that Jack wishes to have.

Fight Club (Film) Questions and Answers

The Question and Answer section for Fight Club (Film) is a great resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss the novel.

what made people to join with tayler

Tyler offers a way for men to reclaim their masculinity and identity. His followers feel emasculated and unable to understand their feelings. Through advertising and social manipulation, they have lost the ability to understand what it means to be...

Tyler complains that humans have lost value in society, yet the participants in project mayhem are known only bu number. What is wrong with his plan to change the world?

This is a paradox of sorts. I think that Tyler was trying to start a movement where men can discover themselves but in doing so they lose their identity to the movement itself. Their use of violence to change the world results in violence becoming...

WHAT IS THE FILMS INTERPRETATIONS OF EMASCULATION IN THE FILM FLIGHT CLUB?

This is a pretty involved topic. Fight Club presents the argument that men in today's society have been reduced to a generation of men that do nothing themselves, but have become anesthetized with watching others do things instead. Masculinity...

Study Guide for Fight Club (Film)

Fight Club study guide contains a biography of director David Fincher, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis.

• About Fight Club (Film)
• Fight Club (Film) Summary
• Character List

Essays for Fight Club (Film)

Fight Club literature essays are academic essays for citation. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of Fight Club directed by David Fincher.

• Restoration of Masculinity in Fight Club
• Fight Club: a Search for Identity
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Student's 19-word Fight Club essay given perfect grade by teacher

She's absolutely mastered this.

Jess Battison

Ugh, essays. Apart from the odd one or two people who seem to enjoy writing out words and words of work on a weeknight, essays fill the majority of us with dread.

Anyone who has had to sit and churn out one for school or university will know the pain of attempting to get every key bit of information into as few hundred words as possible.

Or even worse, having to waffle on for thousands of words about something.

Somehow students find the power to find ten different ways of saying the same thing in order to rack up that sacred word count.

But one pretty ballsy student decided to take a different approach for her essay about the legendary film, Fight Club .

She decided to write about the 1999 cult hit with Edward Norton and Brad Pitt , in which their characters decided to form a masochistic underground fight club.

And somehow, the student managed to do it in just 19 words - despite how much you might have to say about the film.

But what’s more incredible is that she managed to bag a 100/100 from her teacher for the ‘essay’.

Sharing this big win on X, Allison Garrett wrote: "The assignment description for essay 5 was to write a review of a movie that we had seen. The opportunity arose, and I took my chances."

So, what ground-breaking analysis did she demonstrate to earn such rave reviews?

Quoting the film's most iconic line, she opened her essay with: "The first rule of fight club is: you do not talk about fight club."

Adding at the bottom of the page: "That's it, that's my essay."

I mean, round of applause for the bravery there.

But she wasn't done just yet.

In the comment section, she wrote: "I cannot say that I am sorry because that would be a lie. Am I Proud? Yes."

And to prove that this was no joke, Allison also posted a screenshot of the comments made by her teacher after reading her 'essay'.

Now, most of us would be terrified after writing an essay like this, waiting to receive the mother of all bollockings from our teacher, but Allison's professor was just impressed - though they warned about trying the same thing with another member of staff.

They wrote on the comments section of the submission page: "I struggled over this grade for a long time. I finally decided you get a grade for a laugh and how relevant your review is for this particular movie.

"Let me warn you: do NOT try this kind of thing with other professors; they may not have my sense of humor."

Since it was shared, Allison's post gained a lot of attention online.

One person wrote: "I was always told life is about taking risks... I was scared to say the least."

Allison later added: "I got a 100 on the paper and passed the class with an A."

Topics:  Education , TV and Film , Twitter

Jess is an Entertainment Journalist with a love of all things pop culture. Her main interests include keeping up with the Twitter girlies, waiting for a new series of The Traitors and losing her voice at a Beyoncé concert. She graduated with a first in Journalism from City, University of London in 2021 and has previously worked at MyLondon.

@ jessbattison_

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