Remote wars

Geopolitical Battle Over The TV Remote Between Father
And Daughter

Sai Anwita Tippireddy, AIS Gurugram 43, XI C

Evenings in our living room feels less like family time and more like a political summit. Dinner ends, homework (almost) wrapped up, and Dad and I gear up for our own Cold War for the TV remote. No treaties, no compromises. Just shifting alliances, surprise attacks, and one unlikely superpower: Mom.

Mission 007
I give up before I begin as the remote,  who is even a better Bond than Daniel Craig, went undercover on me. Dad, too, is on a mission to catch the missing spy - but isn’t making a great effort either. Rather, he shouted at the screen. But alas, the TV didn’t believe in this kind of ‘remote working’ - just like my dad’s boss. If only volume settings were applicable on  dads! Enter my mother, a.k.a. Madam M, as she swiftly locates the remote, wedged between sofa cushions. Dad and I together make a dash, kicking off the ultimate remote war.

A failed escapade
I may have won the grab-and-go race, but life is no Aditya Chopra film. and dad is no Amrish Puri yelling “Jaa Simran jaa, jee le apni zindagi” at me. So, I obediently let go of Kajol… oh, sorry, remote. My wish to watch Stranger Things went unheard, so I try to stealthily sneak away to my room for some muted notes. But Dad - now wearing the full James Bond garb (sorry, Henry Cavill and all the other aspirants) - caught my attempt to slip away and insisted we watch the news together because, according to him (and him only), political landscapes fashionably strengthen family bonds. If only Sooraj Barjatya knew this, he would have named his film Breaking News and not Hum Saath Saath Hain.

Debate and dozes
Somewhere between debates, Dad nods off as gravity works harder than Arnab Goswami. Yet, every time I inch towards the remote, his spidey sense activates. Dad’s spirit matches the remote’s battery life: low energy, full control. And against my best intentions, I start to take interest. Dad asks for my opinion, and I rediscover that our family’s father-daughter UN runs not on resolutions, but peanuts for spicy debates. And as we talk instead of arguing, it’s worth every peanut shared.

The next news hour
Next evening, I sit with Dad as he cracks the Da Vinci code of channel numbers. Finally landing on news, he hands me a packet of Punjabi Tadka - peanuts sacrificed in yesterday’s summit. But I cannot complain. That debate saved me in class when asked about an upcoming parliamentary bill, and only I gave out a nuanced answer. The teacher, left impressed, forgot all about my homework. For a moment, Dad and I sat in perfect peace, co-commanders of the remote. Then Mom walked in. One glare, and both of us bolted. The remote war wasn’t over, but under a new management. And truthfully, both Arnab and Eleven have absolutely no chance against the righteous Anupama on Hotstar.

An eye for an eye

Album Review

Synopsis: Taylor Swift’s sixth studio album, Reputation, portrays an artistic shift with more self-referential lyrics about fame, public backlash and personal growth. It moves from anger and vengeance to vulnerability and hope. It’s initial songs centre on retribution against those who tried to damage Swift’s public persona. It directly addresses the controversies and feuds Taylor Swift experienced in the years leading up to its release, particularly the fallout from her public disputes with Kanye West and Kim Kardashian.  Instead of shying away from the negative narrative surrounding her, Swift leans into the ‘villain’ role the media had painted her. She explores this idea in songs like Look What You Made Me Do, where she confronts her critics and embraces a more edgy, assertive persona. Reputation is a concept record about reclaiming identity, responding to public ‘cancellation’ and the experience of being hopeful amidst relentless scrutiny and chaos.
Why is it worth listening: The album symbolises all the criticism she received and how she responds to it. It has a variety of songs with very different concepts and aesthetics, ranging from songs like Ready for it and Don’t Blame Me, to Gorgeous and Delicate. Musically it blends electrifying pop, synth pop, R&B, and elements of hip hop and EDM reinforcing the transition from old to new, reflected in both lyrics and style.
Favourite song: Look What You Made Me Do stands out as the best song of this album, being bold and ambitious and very different from her other songs, expressing the betrayal she felt and the vengeance she sought.
Rating: 5/5
Review by: Dakshika Singh AIS Vasundhara 6, VII A