Brothels prepared for pilgrims

Here at the Corker office, we tracked a story circulated by the media that the brothels in Sydney had to increase staff numbers this weekend in order to deal with an expected influx of work due to World Youth Day.

By Lizza Gebilagin

We assumed there couldn’t have been any truth to the rumour, but being the curious journalists that we are (and here we use the term “journalist” rather loosely), we had to double check anyway. So we called four local brothels.

ESP Erotic Massage in Crows Nest said that they didn’t increase staff numbers, but suggested that the others might have done so. Club 121 in Darling Harbour, which is located right in the heart of where many World Youth Day events took place, didn’t increase staff numbers either and high-class joint Tiffany’s in Surry Hills, located on the pilgrim path for the final mass, refused to comment. The brothel in the midst of all the media coverage, Xclusive in Bondi, confirmed that they had increased staff numbers during the week because of an increase of patrons. But then admitted, “[The numbers increased] probably because we have just opened and we advertised a lot too.”

After the excitement faded and the rumour proved to be a dud, it didn’t make much sense anyway. How could pilgrims possibly pay for prostitutes when cab drivers were complaining all week that they didn’t have any work because kids were just catching buses? The pilgrims weren’t skipping cab rides because they were saving money to pay for booty. They simply didn’t have the money to spend. No money for a cab, means no money for ladies that charge by the hour.

Verdict: This rumour has been busted. Then again, there were 3,000 to 5,000 media here to cover the event, and we all know how sex-starved journalists can be…

Additional reporting by Michael Huynh

British India lose their innocence

Their eldest band member is only 22 years old, but British India are already looking back longingly on their “golden years”. Frontman Declan Melia explains.

Interview by Michael Huynh

“I think being 22 is such an interesting time in your life,” Melia says when describing the song “Golden Years” off their latest album release, Thieves.

“You move out and you’re faced with all these questions. You start to think about your future. Friends of mine are starting to finish uni and getting jobs and you start to wonder what your life is going to be like. People start to have less time for stuff and the innocence is gone – that’s what ‘Golden Years’ is about.”

Look out for the full feature and exclusive pics in Corker when Issue 3 comes out in October.

Photo by Ashley Mar

Gotham’s dark avenger delivers

Dark in character, imagery and tone, The Dark Knight offers entertainment with more depth and charisma than most comic films put together.

By Ally Lois

With all the hype surrounding the latest installment in the Batman series, it’s not surprising that the much anticipated sequel has broken box office records. Despite much of the publicity surrounding the film stemming from the tragic death of star Heath Ledger, the praise given to The Dark Knight is well deserved. [Read more]

Kevin Rudd - masked hero or super dud?

When Bruce Wayne returned to Gotham City, he donned the identity of Batman and proceeded to clean up the corruption that had infiltrated every last corner – from organised crime running the streets to the police, courts and corporations. Our new Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, has been tasked with cleaning up Australia after 12 long years of the Howard Government. And the same way that Batman became a symbol of hope for Gotham residents who had grown used to things being terrible for so long, Rudd’s entrance brought its own form of joyful optimism: a fresh take on the environmental crisis, peeling back the previous government’s industrial relations laws and finally saying sorry to the Stolen Generations. But while it’s nice idea that one masked man can single-handedly sweep away the rotten corruption of an entire city, that’s a comic book fantasy. Will Rudd really live up to all the lofty expectations we’ve placed on him? [Read more]