Six great reads: how to get a pay rise, Catherine Opie’s images of queer America, and the influencers saving pubs

1. ‘There is no shame in being vain’: the relentless rise of impossible male beauty standards

Alexander the Great, whose profile had Aristotle’s idealised wide-open gaze and resolute jaw. Composite: Guardian Design; PHAS;Universal Images Group/Getty Images

Men’s faces are under scrutiny as never before, with more men opting for cosmetic procedures than ever. What is behind this sudden and significant shift? Dr Fay Bound-Alberti, a writer and professor of modern history, drew a line from Alexander the Great to Jacob Elordi and … JD Vance.

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2. Where the magic really happens’: the influencers out to celebrate – and save – Britain’s ‘proper boozers’

‘It’s better to see a busy pub than a dead set of flats’: Proper Boozers’ most popular video, shot in the Palm Tree, east London, received 1.2m views. Photograph: Andy Hall/The Observer

About 366 pubs closed in England and Wales last year, and ever-increasing costs are making it increasingly difficult to run this most British of institutions. But a viral social media post can help. Last year, the owners of the Wheatsheaf in Romford, east London, took to social media to thank two accounts, Proper Boozers and London Dead Pubs, for featuring them: “The exposure it’s brought our family-run pub has been incredible.” Tomé Morrissy-Swan spoke to the Instagrammers setting out to save our boozers.

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3. ICE has detained this high-schooler for 10 months. Here’s what he and his classmates want you to know

Since Dylan’s arrest, other students have tried to process their anger and grief about what happened, while rallying support for their friend. Composite: Ellis Prep Academy

“I hope this comes to an end soon so I can be with you, and if it does not, I will carry you in my heart.”

Dylan Lopez Contreras, a student at Ellis Prep academy in New York City, was taken by US immigration agents in May last year. The Guardian’s Maanvi Singh invited him and five of his classmates to share their lives and dreams.

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Start by asking your boss what opportunities are available to you, career coaches advise. Composite: Guardian Design; MoMo Productions/Getty Images

There’s nothing worse than feeling as if you’re treading water at work. But there are many ways to progress your career without having to resort to shameless self-promotion. Career coaches told Sarah Phillips how keeping your boss happy, developing your own “personal boardroom” and asking for honest feedback can help you get the job and the pay rise you desire.

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5. ‘I’m dying for the day heterosexuals have to come out’: Catherine Opie and her astonishing shots of queer America

Not simply to shock … Catherine Opie’s most famous image, Self-Portrait/Cutting, from
1993. Photograph: © Catherine Opie/Courtesy of Regen Projects, Los Angeles and Lehmann Maupin, New York and Hong Kong

Famed for having a child’s drawing of a family carved into her back, the photographer has devoted her life to documenting queer America, from endurance swimmers to drag artists and her son in a tutu. Emma Brockes spoke to her ahead of her first major UK show.

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6. Her husband wanted to use ChatGPT to create sustainable housing. Then it took over his life

Kate Fox near her home in Clatskanie, Oregon. Photograph: Clayton Cotterell/The Guardian

Kate Fox says her husband, Joe Ceccanti, was the “most hopeful person” before he started spending 12 hours a day with a chatbot. He later took his own life. Ceccanti’s case is extreme, but as hundreds of millions of people turn to AI chatbots, more and more edge cases of AI-induced delusions are emerging. Varsha Bansal told the story.

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