Picture of Emanuel Hughes

Emanuel Hughes

Bio: Emanuel Hughes is a recent graduate of the Rocky Mountain College of Art & Design, having transferred from The Art Institute of Houston to earn his bachelor's degree in Game Art & Design. His passion for literature and creative writing was sparked by his love for video games, movies, and a wide range of books and magazines. Throughout high school and college, writing became a central focus in his life. Emanuel aims to further develop his creative writing skills and gain valuable experience through his internship at NYC Tastemakers, with the ultimate goal of applying his talents in a professional role at a major magazine publishing company or news media outlet.
Sports

The Ethics of Fan Behavior in the Age of Social Media

In the age of social media, the fandom has evolved from a passive pastime into a participatory — and often polarizing — arena. What once took place in stadium bleachers or postgame bar debates now unfolds in real-time across Twitter threads, Instagram comments and Reddit forums. But as the digital ...

Read More
Video Games

Are We Still Escaping or Just Consuming?

When “The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind” launched in 2002, it welcomed players into a fantasy land free from the burdens of reality — where one could explore uncharted lands without schedules, fees or a to-do list mimicking a 9-to-5. Two decades later, open-world games are no longer radical departures from ...

Read More
Sports

Olympic-Size Snub: Why Isn’t Bowling Taken Seriously?

In the hierarchy of American sports, bowling remains curiously sidelined — treated more as a party pastime than a legitimate competitive pursuit. This cultural bias, rooted in a cocktail of class perceptions, media neglect and the sport’s own complex identity, has long kept bowling out of the upper echelon of ...

Read More
Health and Wellness

The Medicalization of Weight and the Death of Diet Culture

The era of kale chips, waist trainers and detox teas may be drawing its final breath — replaced by a once-obscure injectable medication called Ozempic. Celebrities and social media influencers alike have helped catapult Ozempic and similar glucagon-likepeptide-1 (GLP-1) agonists into the cultural spotlight. Originally developed for diabetes management, these ...

Read More
Politics

The Impact Of Soundbite Democracy

In the age of 24/7 content and vanishing attention spans, political power is no longer measured in policy or public service — it’s measured in clips. Fifteen seconds. That’s the new length of a political legacy. A blink-and-you-miss-it gaffe. A staged zinger at a debate. A phone-recorded tirade at a ...

Read More
Movies

The Decline of the Third Act

The third act used to be where movies cemented their legacy. It was where stakes peaked, characters evolved and audiences left feeling fulfilled. Now, it’s where many blockbusters pump the brakes, drop a few breadcrumbs and cue the credits — just in time for a mid-credits scene to point toward ...

Read More
Sports

From Soundtracks to Signature Sneakers: How Athletes Became Cultural Icons

In the ever-expanding arena of pop culture, athletes are no longer confined to the court, field or ring. Today, their impact echoes in music, fashion and film — none more telling than the synergy of signature sneakers and unforgettable soundtracks. Before “Just Do It” was a mantra for millions, Michael ...

Read More
TV

Where Did the Sitcom Go?

HOUSTON — Once a cornerstone of primetime television, the traditional multi-camera sitcom — complete with its trusty laugh track and punchy one-liners — is slowly becoming a relic of the past. As audiences gravitate toward complex narratives and genre-bending comedies, the decline of conventional sitcoms says more about evolving cultural ...

Read More
Sports

The Power of Rebranding In The Olympics

As the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics draw nearer, the world’s most iconic sporting event finds itself at another crossroads. After a bold reinvention in the 2024 Paris Olympics, where breakdancing (As silly as it looks in hindsight) debuted and traditional structures were reimagined, the International Olympic Committee is doubling down ...

Read More
Movies

When the Director Becomes the Brand

The role of a film director is evolving beyond the confines of the editing room. Directors like Christopher Nolan, Quentin Tarantino and Greta Gerwig are no longer just behind the scenes — they are the brand. Increasingly, their names alone become the primary draw for audiences, sometimes eclipsing the very ...

Read More
Politics

The Struggle for Authentic Representation in American Politics  

In today’s hyper-strategized political arena, authenticity is often claimed but rarely preserved. Candidates speak of their humble origins, wear denim to county fairs, and roll out personal anecdotes as campaign soundbites — but beneath the charm offensive lies a sobering question: Do politicians lose their roots in the name of ...

Read More
Sports

Steroids in Global Athletics: Level Playing Field or Arms Race?

In the intricate world of international athletics, one truth remains: the line between peak human performance and pharmaceutical enhancement grows blurrier by the year. The fight against steroid use — anabolic-androgenic substances that build muscle and boost performance — is far from uniform across countries and sports and that inconsistency ...

Read More

Hey! Are you enjoying NYCTastemakers? Make sure to join our mailing list for NYCTM and never miss the chance to read all of our articles!