Wall-E is a beautiful Pixar Disney film following the eponymous robot and his adventure to bring humanity back to Earth – but watching this film again in the age of Coronavirus brings some harrowing truths to the surface.
Set in the future but more relevant than ever today, WALL-E depicts a suffocated planet Earth – so strewn with litter humans have been forced to leave. As they float in space, robots have been left to clear up their mess back home.
Described as a romance set in a dystopian future constructed as a children’s tale, WALL-E hints at days to come. And they may be here sooner than we might have thought.
Wall-E Pixar
During the first months of lockdown, we saw our beaches litter-free for the first time.
Pavements and walkways were clean and pollution levels were at an all-time low. People were realising their appreciation for nature and the joy it brought them during their permitted hour of outdoor exercise.
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But a relaxation in the rules has brought a lacklustre attitude to our surroundings. The sunlight we had once soaked up from our windows or from a quick walk around the block suddenly became a calling card to race to the beach.
Within hours, tourist spots were overcrowded and left in a disgusting state – with locals forced to tidy the leftover piles of debris.
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It has become clear that some are fed up of finding litter strewn across their paths and walkways – with one nineteen-year-old sharing his despair at the scene of Formby Beach.
“It looked disgusting and I felt like I had to do something,” said Matthew Baines.
“I went to clear up on a number of occasions, but as an individual I collected around 10-15 bin bags full of rubbish.
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“If you bring things to the beach, you should take it home with you, you carried it on to the beach, why can’t you carry it off the beach?”
Matthew Baines @ Formby Beach
As well as the environment, WALL-E also deals with the elements of separation, dependency and affinity – three topics that have proven particularly prevalent during the past 100 days or so.
Humans in the movie are bed bound, glued to a screen and unable to do anything without the aid of a robot, whilst WALL-E himself longs for a physical connection.
In waking life, being without the ones we love for such an extended period of time has been extremely difficult – and many of us are still waiting for that first hug when this is finally all over.
Wall-E Pixar
Technology has helped us stay connected with friends and family, but mental health has been a huge factor for many – especially those who have struggled to find motivation to get out of bed.
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It it this growing reliance on tech for basic needs – such as turning on a light or winding up the blind – that WALL-E warns of.
Memes have circulated social media about whether we will forget how to socialise when we go back into society. But for all the romantics out there, Wall-E does offer some hope – suggesting that true love prevails any disaster and humanity can work together no matter what.
For an hour-and-a-half, sit down and watch WALL-E this weekend.
It’ll hit you harder now than it ever did before.
Wall-E is currently available to rewatch on Disney +
News
Social media beauty spots and selfies blamed for record rise in mountain rescue callouts
Daisy Jackson
There’s been a record rise in the number of young people needing help from mountain rescue teams – and social media has been blamed for luring unprepared people into potentially dangerous situations.
As well as these viral beauty spots – such as Mam Tor – the rise in call-outs has also been attributed to ‘poor-quality map apps’ which can stop functioning when in areas with poor phone service.
According to an exclusive report in The Guardian, it’s now tourists under the age of 24 who are most likely to need mountain rescue’s assistance while out walking.
The data provided by Ordnance Survey said that the number of call-outs from this age group has almost doubled between 2019 and 2024.
Overall rescues increased by 24% over a similar period.
A spokesman for Mountain Rescue said that young people are drawn to places like the Lake District after seeing images on social media, but are often not dressed or equipped properly for the conditions.
Nick Giles said people are often ‘too reliant on mobile phones’ and unprepared for the changes in weather and terrain that come with hiking.
Mike Park, chief executive of Mountain Rescue England and Wales, told The Guardian: “We know from incident reports that more and more people are tempted into risky locations by Instagram posts and the navigation apps being used aren’t always suitable for an outdoor environment.
“Add to that a tendency to follow popular routes online without knowing the hazards and context, and it’s not surprising that those likely to be relying most on their phones are the ones getting into difficulties.”
Before you head out on any hike or walk, you should make sure you’re prepared and equipped – see Mountain Rescue’s tips HERE.
Oasis classic voted the greatest British song of all time once again
Danny Jones
With the Live ’25 reunion tour this summer fast approaching, it’s fair to say that fans all over the globe are struggling to think about much else other than Oasis at the minute, so it won’t surprise you to hear that one of the greatest classics has been named the best of British song once again.
Oasis, Britpop fanatics and plenty more will already know the song in question, but the everlasting legacy of this tune remains extremely impressive, nevertheless.
We are, of course, talking about their 1994 hit ‘Live Forever’, taken from the seminal debut album, Definitely Maybe, an album absolutely littered with eternal gems from cover to cover.
It might not be the first time the iconic Manc anthem has earned the accolade, but it does feel like a more poignant time than ever to celebrate with the long-awaited gigs now just months away.
Voted for directly by Radio X (formerly XFM) listeners, the legendary Oasis tune has been the ‘Best Of British‘ yet again, with each year’s victor being chosen from a poll on a century of classic bits of music from UK artists.
Note that this isn’t just a second win either; it’s actually the third time in a row that the station has given it the top spot, not to mention naming 16 Oasis entries on the list.
Oh yeah, it also happens to be just the 10th anniversary of the now annual award, meaning ‘Live Forever’ boasts nearly a third of all Best of British wins to trophies to date – and believe us, you won’t hear any complaints from The Manc office or Audio North.
You’ll also be glad to hear that Manchester was the most heavily respresented city this year too, with bands like The Smiths, The Stone Roses, Joy Division and Oasis making up a total 39% of the vote. Because of course.
Radio X’s Managing Editor, Matt Deverson, said of the very easy repeat decision: “‘Live Forever’ had to be number one, didn’t it?
“And with Oasis dominating the 100 with 16 songs in the list, it reflects the growing excitement among Radio X listeners for what will be the biggest music and cultural moment of the year, from the biggest band in the world right now!”
Might as well watch the music video for the 100th time, then, eh?
Do you agree? Is ‘Live Forever’ the greatest British song of all time?
It is still a spine-tingling track even to this day, there’s no doubt about that, but more importantly where does it land for you?
We certainly have one our own thoughts on the best Oasis songs of all time that we’re sure some of our opinions will irritate you no end.
Fellow firm favourites that made it into the top 10 were ‘Champagne Supernova’, ‘Slide Away’ and ‘Don’t Look Back in Anger’; meanwhile, one of the newest and highest-ranking additions is Sam Fender’s hugely popular ‘People Watching’, the title track from his fantastic third album.
With everyone getting ready for one of the biggest music events in history and even rumours of a return to Knebworth swirling, summer 2025 is set to go down in the history books. We were also glad to see someone who was there at the very beginning is as amped up as we are.
Jess Walmsley -
4th July 2020 
