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Sunday, August 16, 2026

Opinion

Opinion

Don’t kick celebrities out of politics

By Lauren Rousseau | Aug. 27, 2019

In today’s political climate, celebrities are more vocal about their political beliefs than ever before. It’s not uncommon to flick through a celebrity’s Instagram story and see them proclaiming their support or opposition to a position. You might even scroll past posts of one posing next to political candidates. Some believe that celebrities are getting “too political” or should “stay in their lanes.” However, is it really that much of an issue for celebrities to bring awareness to political issues? 

Opinion

The Mouse and the Spider

By Myles Gibbs | Aug. 25, 2019

In the expansive gallery of Marvel’s superheroes, there are few characters that even come close to the level of name recognition and reputability as Spider-Man. In the year 2018, he got an Academy Award-winning animated film, a game that set the record for sales of a third party game from Sony at 3.3 million copies and a role in the fifth highest-grossing film in the history of the world. It would be an understatement to say that the year 2018 was kind to his brand. Far From Home, which was released early last month, has even surpassed Skyfall to become Sony’s highest-grossing film of all time. It seemed like the property of Spider-Man had a bright future under the guidance of Sony and Disney’s Marvel Cinematic Universe – so it was a surprise to many when reports surfaced in late August detailing Sony and Disney’s disputes which would land it in very uncertain waters.

Opinion

The social media oligarchy banished Alex Jones. Who’s next?

By Cameron White | Aug. 25, 2019

Few tales are more perplexing than the Alex Jones saga. The eccentric, conspiratorial host of InfoWars seems to be at the center of virtually every controversy, from insinuating that the mass shooting at Sandy Hook was staged (and subsequently being sued for it) to sending child pornography, supposedly unknowingly, to the plaintiffs in a defamation lawsuit. 

Opinion

How to get more culture in a primarily white university

By Zora Viel | Aug. 25, 2019

UF isn’t exactly known for its diversity, but one would expect a bit more from the nation’s eighth best public university. With recognition across the country and students from all over the world, it would make sense that a school of this quality would represent the whole country. Unfortunately, the Gator Nation is not as culturally diverse as one would hope.

opinions
Opinion

Time doesn’t heal all wounds, and that’s OK.

By The Alligator Editorial Board | Aug. 25, 2019

Grief does funny things to you. Not the “ha ha” type of funny, but a “food doesn’t taste the same, and colors look different” type of funny. There are as many responses to grief as there are loved ones who have died. Some people throw themselves into their work, some throw themselves into their bed and some become obsessed with collecting Disney memorabilia. When Richard Kraft’s big brother David died, he responded in the latter way. Over two and a half decades, Kraft amassed a collection of more than 750 pieces of Disney history. He used to go to Disneyland with his brother and parents, and collecting the pieces reminded him of those happy moments. We all hold onto things that remind us of the loved ones we’ve lost, though such an extreme collection is rare. A less rare, but still unusual expression of remembrance is to have the ashes of a loved one turned into a synthetic diamond. Couples have even used such stones as their engagement rings or wedding bands. 

Opinion

Social media negatively influences back-to-school shopping

By Zora Viel | Aug. 20, 2019

I can’t deny that I love a good deal. When most people see a sale they immediately perk up, and probably spend a little more than they should. This, unfortunately, is especially true in retail shopping and many people don’t realize how affected they are by the advertising they see-especially online.

Opinion

The DOJ is nostalgic for shag carpet and transphobia.

By The Alligator Editorial Board | Aug. 20, 2019

The United States Department of Justice (DOJ) longs for a return to simpler, more ignorant times: when men were manly, women were womanly and you could tell what was between a person’s legs by whether they were wearing a skirt or trousers. Because in the olden days, that was incredibly important knowledge. You had to know what reproductive organ a person had so you knew how to treat them, how much to pay them, whether you were attracted to them, which bathroom they should use and whether or not to fire them. 

Opinion

Peter Fonda: The passing of an outspoken celebrity

By Jason Zappulla | Aug. 18, 2019

On August 16, 2019, actor Peter Fonda died. A member of a prominent acting family, Fonda is probably best known as a countercultural icon who starred in films like Easy Rider, which is about two motorcyclists traveling through the Southern U.S. However, as my only experience with Fonda is his role in Thomas and the Magic Railroad (likely not Peter Fonda’s proudest moment), I cannot give a proper obituary of the man, nor will I try to. Instead, I would like to focus on his political statements, which brought him a good deal of notoriety in his later years.

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