Vol.4, Issue 1
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the warehouse
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addiction
thewarehouse magazine.com
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{w}
the warehouse takes on
Photo: Nicole Small
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Photoshopping the Plus-sized World
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Djami Diallo
Photos: Jolianne L'A llier Matteau & Alexandre Chabot
{w}e are obsessed with skinny: skinny gadgets, skinny lattes, skinny margaritas, skinny jeans, skinny everything. But skinny does not suit everyone. As the plus-size modeling industry emerged, many thought the business and its skinny beauty myth would change. They were right.
By crossing geographic lines, the Dove Campaign publicizes that body image and beauty, self-esteem and identity are not just struggles of Western women. They are global issues faced by women regardless of location or culture.
Media-based ad campaigns are challenging regressive ideas and endorsing positive (read realistic) representations of body image for young girls. By calling for the inclusivity of body types across cultures, sympathetic groups are seeking to elevate young women’s sense of self. The Dove Campaign for Real Beauty is a relevant example of this effort. Launched in 2004, the campaign was motivated by statistics that confirmed women’s lack of self-esteem due in part to the absence of ‘real women’ in the media.
In a New York Times article, Eric Wilson tackled retouching gone too far. “Smile and Say ‘No Photoshop’” uses A-list celebrities like Reese Witherspoon and Gwyneth Paltrow to demonstrate how a few alterations dramatically transform a person’s appearance. Wilson was tapping into a longstanding debate, quoting photographer Peter Lindbergh:
They were, however, also wrong.
“My feeling is that for years now [retouching] has taken a much too big part in how women are being visually defined today. Heartless retouching should not be the chosen tool to represent women in the beginning of this century.” Wilson shows the evolution of digitalization, from a tool to create a sense of the supernatural to a technology that thrashes the boundaries of real in the depiction of women. Real, Wilson says, is a sought after quality in photography today. Yet, despite the blowback, unrealistic ideals are still crammed down women’s throats. In a society that is supposedly searching for authenticity, for some sense of itself reflected back in popular imagery, the continued obsession with skinny seems a little counter-intuitive. Even creepier, anorexic models are being photo-shopped, metaphorically and figuratively, to look larger. According to Molly McCaffrey, blogger
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of ‘I Will Not Diet’, reveals size 10 and 12 models are being padded – and stuffed in the hips, butt and chest – to give the appearance of curves. The average woman is too real for fashion: she has cellulite and her face is not perfectly angular. She has body fat too hard to suck in. Her body lacks the ideal absence of curves, a shape which is taken to represent ‘fat’. What are the implications of normal women being too normal for the fashion industry? Is plus-sized really so? And, when talking about women, where does ‘real’ begin? Part of the debate over photoshopping is our aversions to rolls, wrinkles and blemishes. Flawed beauty loses its aesthetic appeal. We hope that we too can attain these ideals. Still, we also
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want more accurate representations of ourselves in media. “Fashion magazines are always about some element of fantasy,” said Cindi Leive, the editor of Glamour, “but what I’m hearing from readers lately is that in fashion, as in every other part of our lives right now, there is a hunger for authenticity. Artifice…feels very five years ago.” With the recent ruling against stick thin, underage models walking runways of the world’s fashion capitals we might be on the verge of more change. In 2008, the French government banned the circulation of images promoting extreme skinniness. In Israel, where the latest ruling is in full effect, models must disclose their body mass index as
well as any digitalization process that might have been used to alter their appearance. When asked about the future of plus-size modeling, Franca Sozzani suggested that getting plus-size models in the mainstream and presenting them as they are is a battle akin to the race wars. “I don’t think we’ll see the same proportion [of plus-sized models as straight-size models.] Just like we don’t see the same proportion of white and black girls.” He concludes by calling on consumers to question the norms we are subjected to everyday: “They use curvy models sometimes, like a provocation. [Someday], we will stop to think, do you really want to go on with all these skinny girls?” {w}
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IN THIS ISSUE THE ARTS
10 Heels, Hearts & Wearable: Responsible Fashion 34 Immaculately Conceived: On Stage with Michaela Di Cesare
POPPING CULTURE
16 Still Fighting: Georges Laraque on Haiti and the NHL drug problem 20 The {Rebel} Report 22 You Label Whore!
FOREIGN AFFAIRS
26 Violence: As American as Apple Pie 31 The Internet: A New Opiate of the Masses? 40 Ensnaring Europeans One Burger at a Time
SEX & LOVE 36 Addicted to Desire
{a} WAREHOUSE
01 Touched Up 07 Editor's Letter 08 Founder's Note 09 Our Writers 44 The Community six
EDITOR'S NOTE
Photo: Jolianne L'Allier Matteau & Alexandre Chabot
Addiction is a peculiar condition: sometimes mesmerising and others grotesque. To be sure, an addiction – obsession stripped of melodrama – can boil blood and sharpen wit, but there is a dullness about it: the acts of an automat, inspired by fixation rather than passion. Nor are perceptions of addiction nearly as subjective as the era of political correctness would have us believe. The heroin addiction of a junkie is as banal as the image addiction of a label whore while the first love addiction of a teenager is as endearing as the inevitable self-pity addiction of a first broken-heart. What gives love and heartbreak their charm is the speed at which intensity eventually matures into experience, possibly wisdom, leaving behind a more balanced being. This refining process is, stated uncouthly, the essence of life. In the case of substance abuse and materialism, balance is abandoned in favour of mania, emptying the person of both meaning and health. Theirs is merely existence and a sad one at that.
Nietzsche once proclaimed, not without bombast, that indifference makes the angels weep. And while the declaration is convincing, he could just as easily have substituted indifference with addiction for each possesses a melancholic quality: motion without movement, eyes without sight, judgment without wisdom and action without purpose. It need not be so. Self-reflection, an ability all of us possess, is the antithesis, the antidote to an addictive state. Indifference may make the angels weep but reflection surely makes them shimmer for reflection is the mind’s attempt to bring equilibrium to an imbalanced state. Reflection helps us to move and to see; it allows us to sympathise and to seek. In short, it keeps the emptiness that escorts us into addiction’s macabre grip forever at bay. For those pursuing the introspective, the {w} offers our Addiction issue. For others, pass the dutchie on the left hand side. - Mohsen al Attar
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FOUNDER'S NOTE
Photo: Jolianne L'Allier Matteau & Alexandre Chabot
What are you addicted to? If I had to guess, I would stake this issue that you, the person beside you and the person cuddled up to them is addicted to more. More what you ask? More everything!
more freedom…
Uprisings in Egypt, Tunisia, Syria and Yemen brought us what’s being mislabelled The Arab Spring (most media prefer to avoid Arab Revolutions). These revolts have served as inspiration for similar revolts the world over.
more apples… (less berries)
iPod, iPhone, iPad, iPad2, iPad3 and the shadow of the deceased Steve Jobs.
more debt… For most.
more bonuses…
For the usual suspects.
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more me... (well, more you)
Good, bad or ugly, everyday people are now the story: the 99%, the 1%, the .1%, the Tweeting, the YouTubing, the Blogging, the Facebooking, etc. Never before have we been able to create as complete a self-portrait as we can today. We are the director, screenwriter, actor, producer, editor and PR firm of [insertname]. On 18th May 2012 Facebook went public. While the initial feeding frenzy has abated (understatement of the year!), the event marked a watershed moment that reflects how pervasive social media, and the vehicles that drive it, have become. Whether as propaganda tools for militaries, coordination tools for revolutionary movements, a platform for sharing information (from the mundane to the monumental) or simply as a forum through which we tell the world about ourselves, social media is perhaps the greatest vehicle through which we feed our addiction. It is the pusher that helps us get more us. - Kondwani Mwase
OUR WRITERS
Photo: Jolianne L'Allier Matteau & Alexandre Chabot
Michaela Di Cesare Michaela is a Master of Dramatic Affairs. Actually, she has an MA in Drama and is an award-winning playwright and actress. With odd turns of phrase and wit, Michaela both entertains and informs her audience.
Djami Diallo Djami holds a degree in English Literature from the UBC, where she explored her Caribbean and African roots. She has worked in various non-profit organizations for youth with disabilities and new immigrants. Her writing strives to bring attention to Africa, the Caribbean and issues that affect these societies.
Geoffrey Lansdell Geoffrey is our sports and culture columnist. He has written for AskMen and BleacherReport. He runs a sports blog called TheCanuckleheads and has published two sports books: Weird Facts About Curling and Alexander Ovechkin.
Tess Lin Known to eat cake for breakfast, Tess indulges the delightful things in life. Her fascination with charming trinkets drives her passion for fashion and travelling. Her goal is to enchant readers with vivid imagery from everyday scenes.
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Heels, Hearts & Wearable Art:
Responsible Fashion
the saboteur
Designer: Alejandro Mendoza Make up: Mika Holborow Hair: Tconcept Salon by Lisa Hobeck and Tommy Tang Photo: Nicole Small Model: Audrey Cybulka ten
On the 7th April 2012, Heels & Heart presented Nemesis: Good vs. Evil, their 3rd Annual Wearable Art Fashion Show. This year, the catwalk’s cause was the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society of Canada, “an organisation dedicated to funding blood cancer research and patient services to help those battling with blood cancers live longer, better lives” (from the show’s program). Set up in the trendy Mile End building Espace Reunion, the fashion show’s ambiance was modern, chic and meaningful—as though we had been transported to Manhattan’s meatpacking district for an intimate preview of the latest von Furstenberg or McQueen collection. A delectable array of candies and cupcakes, strewn along the bar, was of such aesthetic and gastronomic appeal that even the most body conscious fashionistas succumbed to its lure. A variety of smooth virgin cocktails were also available to provide audience members that high fashion – but ethical! – feel. A wide range of designers, from professionals to students in local career programs, presented collections attuned to the good versus evil theme. Some standout pieces were Justice by Rossi Kalkovska, All Flowered Up by Réjeanne Riendeau, Destroyed
Sternum by Alina Smirnova, David Abraham’s Maker and its accompaniment piece Taker by the {w}’s own Casey Watson. Unlike other fashion shows, by the end of the night, a panel of guest judges (including yours truly) were expected to select the three best pieces.. The other judges were Dinh Bà, a local fashion designer, Noëlly Sam, Fashion Editor-In-Chief at miss-sly.com, and Nicole Jones, the host of CTV’s City Lites. The top three spots were as follows:
Benamou’s goal was to highlight the reciprocal relationship between good and evil; moral judgment is little more than the privileging of one person’s preferences over another’s. Two models – Jeanne Montel and Marina Guba – boasting their complementary designs, were tied together by a train of fabric that shifted from white to black tones, progressing as we traversed their bodies. The models walked the runway in tandem, personifying the image of dark carbon pressurized into a luminous diamond.
3rd place: Long Live McQueen by Daian Tang.
1st place: Dark Flame Heart by Alejandro Mendoza.
The concept behind this design— which, at first glance, comes across as a blinged out and zombified Alexander McQueen—is the place of evil inside all of us. Each of us carries this duality within our beings, hence Tang’s choice of a rocking bodice featuring 1,184 authentic black crystals (that took 8 days to sew on!). The lovely Valeh Moayeri modelled the bodice. Paying her dues as an up-and-coming model, Valeh underwent an extensive makeup process including spray paint and contact lenses.
A sizzling Latin heat was apparent in Mendoza’s design. Audrey Cybulka sported a cage-like black bustier that transitioned into a flowing red skirt screaming, as she strutted, for a salsa rhythm to sway to. Unique among all the designers, Mendoza did not try to show a split between good and evil nor did he follow suit and suggest that one only exists within the other. Instead, he portrayed the true nature of the nemesis: good and evil shift effortlessly, even unperceptively between the two poles. Good and evil are elegant, well-dressed, and powerful manifestations of our mind who, when the music plays, dance together. {w}
2nd place: Diamond Purity and Heart of Coal by Alexis Johnson Benamou
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Designer: Alexis Johnson Benamou Make up: Lorie Hamel Photo: Nicole Small Models: Jeanne Montel (left) & Marina Guba (right)
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Designer: Daian Tang Make up: Lorie Hamel Model: Valery Moaye Photo: Nicole Small Black rhinestone beads provided by Jennifer Laoun-Rubenstein thirteen
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Georges Laraque on Haiti and the NHL drug problem An interview with Geoffrey Lansdell Photo: Ann Ward
Georges Laraque played 695 games over 13 seasons as an enforcer in the NHL. During that time, he racked up 1,126 penalty minutes and went to the Stanley Cup finals with Edmonton in 2006 and Pittsburgh in 2008. At 6’3’’ and 260 pounds, Laraque was an imposing figure on the ice and is widely regarded as one of the greatest heavyweight fighters the game has ever seen. Despite his fighting pedigree, Laraque, a Montreal native of Haitian descent, was a gentleman both on and off the ice. His contagious enthusiasm made him a fan favourite everywhere he played. But perhaps most significantly, Laraque has used his hockey as a vehicle for something greater than the game. Throughout his playing days, Laraque dealt with the pressures of being a professional athlete by dedicating himself to community work. In 2009, he went vegan after learning about animal abuse in the meat industry. And, since retiring from hockey in 2010, Laraque became involved in raising money to rebuild the Grace Children’s Hospital that was destroyed in Haiti’s 2010 earthquake. He has also branched out into politics (he is one of two deputy leaders for the Green Party of Canada) and business (he owns two raw food restaurants in Montreal called Crudessence and two gyms in Edmonton). The {w} sat down with Georges Laraque at his Montreal home, where he works during the hockey season as a commentator for the French sports network TVA. sixteen
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There are demons y o u h a v e t o f i ght . {w}: Before Ovechkin made leaping into the boards famous, you were known in Edmonton for the Laraque Leap. Did you patent that move?
different about the life of a fighter that makes it more difficult than say the life of a scoring forward or a puck-moving defenceman?
Georges Laraque: The way it happened, I was so emotional when I scored in Edmonton I leapt into the boards. When I scored again I didn’t do it. Then the fans said, ‘Why don’t you do it? That was awesome.’ So I did it every time, and the fans called it the Laraque Leap. It was kind of a signature move, and when Ovechkin started doing it people called it [his move], but they didn’t know I’d been doing it for years. People in Edmonton would say, ‘Hey! He took that from Laraque!’ But that’s probably the only thing he could take from me.
Laraque: Obviously the job of fighters is tough. There are demons you have to fight. But there are many players other than fighters who suffer depression. The life of a professional athlete is a pressured life. Patrice Brisebois in Montreal said that for years he was fighting depression because of the boos he was getting every time he played at home, and he almost killed himself. So this is something that everyday people with 9 to 5 jobs can’t understand, but everybody deals with the pressure differently.
{w}: Last summer, three NHL fighters died. Is it a coincidence that all three were fighters? Or is there something eighteen
{w}: Well, I know that in the case of Rick Rypien he sought help, and Vancouver was extremely supportive giving him two long-term leaves of absence.
The Canucks were very aware of his depression because it dated back to his junior days… Laraque: Actually with Rypien it had to do with his girlfriend who passed away. Ever since then, he never got it back together. That’s one thing people never talked about, but it was related. I don’t remember how she died, but ever since she passed away something inside him … he felt guilty and it was over for him. Belak was suffering depression too. In silence. His family didn’t even know about it. And that’s the thing with depression. You never know. You could be sad — take pills, be happy — and then the next day you make up your mind and just do something regrettable. [During Rick Rypien’s second season with the Regina Pats, when he was just 18, his girlfriend died in a car accident en route to see him play in Calgary.] {w}: You write in your book [Georges Laraque: The Story of the NHL’s Unlikeliest Tough Guy] that the NHL should institute blood testing for performance-enhancing drugs — including steroids and stimulants such as ephedrine. What other drugs the NHL should be looking at? Laraque: I said that because those three guys who died last summer, if we had blood testing, we would have been able to see what kind of drugs
they were taking. And we could have prevented guys suffering in silence from losing their lives. So I’m talking about all drugs, not just human growth hormone, but any drug that could be harming their lives. And peeing in a cup is not precise enough. We haven’t [introduced] any stronger measures to make sure more incidents don’t happen in the future. The only way we can do that is by blood testing. {w}: So whether it’s steroids or Prozac or cocaine… Laraque: Anything. Any of those substances could lead to suicide. {w}: A few nights after the earthquake in Haiti in 2010, you scored your one goal during your two years in a Habs uniform. It was incredible timing and you dedicated it to all Haitians. The goal must have felt like a Godsend. Laraque: Well, that was one of the only games that I really, really prayed to score a goal. And not because I hadn’t scored with the Canadiens. It’s just that the first game after the earthquake we had a minute of silence before the game, and I really wanted to dedicate a goal to the Haitian people. There’s a huge Haitian population in Montreal — over 100,000 — so I thought it would be really inspiring to dedicate a goal to them. So when it happened it was magical. That was the best and most significant goal that I ever [scored] in my life, and I’ll never forget it. {w}
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The {Rebel} Report
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A B C D E F G H I J K L M
cid ath salts rack extropropoxyphene
cstacy
luoxetine (prozac) HB
eroin
nhalants ellies etamine
SD eth
N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
icotine pium
ot aadka (Khat)
ohypnol
hrooms
obacco ltram (Tramadol)
alium ormwood (Artemisia absinthium)
TC aba (Methamphetamine)
anex
Need Help? If you are struggling with a drug addiction or substance abuse problem, contact Montreal’s Drug Help Line 1-800-265-2626 (toll free from anywhere in Quebec) or (514) 527-2626 (in Montreal) for bilingual, confidential and anonymous help available 24/7.
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You Label Whore! Tess Lin
Illustrations: Matthew Stubbings
I was born and raised in a middle-class family with a brand-conscious father: “If you’re going to buy designer wear” he would say “everyone better be able to see it”. Sorry Papa but whether it is Givenchy or Prada, most people wouldn’t know the difference –a dress is a dress and black shoes are black shoes. What will you have me do? Pull a Dana Wilkey from The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills and billboard my purchase: “Did you know? They were $25 000” – referring to her limited-edition Sama Pyramid of Diamonds sunglasses. That was so unVersace of her. Though perhaps Dana and Papa have a point, if others don’t notice what you’re wearing, maybe it’s not worth putting on. And so begins the life and times of the label whore. twenty-two
The term, label whore, suggests snobbishness toward the material things of life. It is to say, “Oh, I don’t have any cup of coffee, I only drink lavazza”. Preferences and tastes aside, if it is seemingly normal for everyday people to be obsessive-compulsive about a beverage, inductive reasoning tells us they are likely to be even more so regarding their wardrobe. Unlike our caffeine habits, this aspect of our lives is showcased to the world daily, which likely explains Papa’s words of guidance. Of course, the world is not particularly kind to the label whore. Often categorized as materialistic brandsnobs or, a little less charitably, rich bitches (though Papa would surely protest!), their superficial pursuit suggests a superficial purpose in life: to be a living, breathing advertisement. Shallow, yes, but since fame is the name of the game, bring on the Guccis.
Vuitton is a global fashion powerhouse. Whether featured on a pair of canvas sneakers or a speedy handbag, the nointroduction-needed LV monogram is the classic divinity vital to the everyday lifestyle of the label whore. Next is the Birkin, the ultimate jaw dropper leather handbag designed by Hermès. Available in a variety of colours including cherry scarlet, cool copper, deep charcoal and powder lavender, these ostrich, crocodile, and even lizard skinned darlings come with a whopping price tag of $5000 to
ly Overrated
And, while it’s easy to bash the label whore, think about what’s hanging in your closet. Whether you shop at Joe Fresh or Juicy Couture, you can probably think of a brand or boutique you adore. To mock someone for insisting on some brands over others is hypocritical; I would venture to say there is a label whore in all of us! Let’s look at some goodies practically orgasmic to us label whores.
$50 000! Serious label whores are known to take out mortgages to have this 30cm bag coddled around their arms. In fact, the current limitededition $2 million Birkin is bedazzled with 2,712 diamonds; that’s 90 carats and some serious bling bling!
They say French is the language of love and it starts with just two letters: LV. From its luxurious leather goods to ready-to-wear apparel, high-end jewellery to cheap knock-offs, Louis
Whether it is in the daylight or moonlight, nothing is sexier than a lady in red, so another must-have is the extravagant red-soled Christian Louboutin. Wherever the road takes
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you, these sky-high pumps scream, “Hello! My shoes and I have arrived”. Lucky for us many of these luxury brand designers rarely fixate on one area of fashion. Shoes, handbags, accessories, wedding gowns and of course ready-to-wear apparel – they conquer it all darling! If you think about it, shopping for labels is quite effortless: you see it, you buy it. The simple idea behind brand preference (prejudice) is designer worship. We devote ourselves and show our allegiance to the supreme fashion pimp(s) by only sporting their creations. Being a fashion whore then is not a choice; it is a faith, deeply embedded in the fibre of the individual. Hence when a label whore is coerced to part with their little Louis (Louis Vuitton that is), they are facing an existential dilemma.
Adorned in the finest fashion, how can there be anything unattractive about the label whore? Is it the constant flashing of pompously-priced goods that enrages some? I would argue, as would Papa, that bragging rights are well deserved! From Bebe tops to True Religions to Gucci totes, being a label whore doesn’t come cheap. So, when a friend shows off their new purchases, a round of applause is in order. After all, no one owns an Aston Martin and keeps it hidden under a blanket in the garage. These prized objects must be celebrated! Where affordability is a challenge and you have yet to find a money tree? Not to worry. Begin by taking baby steps into the world of product prostitution. There is no shame in announcing, “$3.99 on clearance at Old Navy”, because a label is still a label...right? You whore. {w}
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Violence: As American as Apple Pie Mohsen al attar
Photos: The U.S. Army - Flickr
Iris scan Pfc. Patrick Davis and Staff Sgt. Joshua Tyree, paratroopers with the 82nd Airborne Division’s 1st Brigade Combat Team, shield an Afghan’s eyes from bright sunlight as Davis scans his iris with a Handheld Interagency Identity Detection Equipment, or HIIDE, system during an Afghan-led patrol April 29, 2012, Ghazni province, Afghanistan. By scanning his iris and taking fingerprints using the same system, the soldiers can tell if the young man is recorded as having participated in insurgent activities. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Michael J. MacLeod)
Much has been said about the revolutions in North Africa and the Middle East. Most of it has been flattering toward Egyptians, Tunisians and others fighting dictators and laying down their lives for liberty. This is to be expected: revolutionary heroism is inspiring. Admiration of this heroism quickly breeds a longing for involvement, a longing which is precipitating louder and louder calls for humanitarian intervention: protecting civilians is both right and duty. Well-intentioned perhaps, at least by the general public, but the call for intervention is fuelled more by egotism – they need our help – than benevolence – how can we help them. The French and Brits are collaborating with the Saudis and Qataris, part of the satirically labelled ‘Friends of a Democratic Syria’ coalition, to intervene and overthrow Assad. [It would be interesting to determine how many of these friends are actually democratic themselves.] twenty-six
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There should be few out there, at least few who posses a minimal education and knowledge of history, who sincerely believe that the governments of France, Britain and the US are particularly concerned about Syrian lives. Yet, intervention plods forward: the Gulf States send weapons, Turkey permits the opposition to criss-cross its borders, and American special forces support on the ground. These efforts are modelled on the Libyan intervention, a great success as far as the West is concerned. But I wonder whether we should investigate this success? For instance, how do we measure success? • In terms of human lives? Prior to the intervention, the death toll in Libya was 1000-2000; by the end of it, ten times greater. • In terms of the nation’s future? The infrastructure of the nation including roads, water treatment plants, broadcasting networks, housing developments and even hospitals was obliterated.
Afghan graveyard Spc. Jon Saladin, a paratrooper with the 82nd Airborne Division’s 1st Brigade Combat Team, walks past an Afghan graveyard during a U.S. – Afghan patrol April 30, 2012, Ghazni province, Afghanistan. Saladin serves with Company A, 2nd Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Michael J. MacLeod)
• In terms of social cohesion? Ethnic cleansing is rampant as Black Libyans and Black foreign workers are hunted down and slaughtered like animals (oh, by the victors). • In terms of rights? Torture, arbitrary detention, and summary executions are carried out by what France, Britain, and Canada identify as the legitimate government of Libya. What is success then? Qaddaffi is dead. This is a peculiar yardstick.
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Factory Search An Afghan villager unlocks the door of a suspected homemade explosives factory for Spc. Timothy Rodgers, a paratrooper with the 82nd Airborne Division’s 1st Brigade Combat Team, May 4, 2012, southern Ghazni Province, Afghanistan. Pulling security for Rodgers are Afghan National Army soldiers with 6th Kandak, 203rd Corps. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Michael J. MacLeod)
And Iraq? Iraq was the jewel of the Middle East. Before the first invasion, it was the centre of education, medical care, sanitation, and industrial diversification. The UN sanctions decimated the welfarism that had been achieved. The sanctions also caused the deaths of over one million Iraqis, 500,000 of whom were children under the age of five, a ‘price’ then US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright described as being ‘worth it’. The latest invasion completed the devastation, resulting in the fracturing of the country along sectarian lines. Success? Saddam Hussein is dead. There is that yardstick again. The longing to participate in the heroism of revolution is precipitating the calls for intervention. Yet, there is no evidence that bombing a nation aids its people (which seems an odd declaration to have to make – does anyone truly believe that dropping bombs on people helps?). When all you have is a hammer, everything begins to look like a nail. And Westerners abandoned creativity a long time ago privileging the hammer over all other means of ‘assistance’. Malcolm X once said that violence was as American as apple pie and Martin Luther King described the US as the greatest purveyor of violence in the world. They were on the money as American history confirms that her people’s addiction to violence begins at birth, though they could just as easily have added France, Britain, and Canada to the mix (F-35s seem curious tools in the peace-making business). Western addiction to violence is doubly troubling for it is frequently directed against non-Westerners. No matter the context or the impact, Westerners
Scanning Spc. Jacob Tippmann, infantryman with Company C, 3rd Battalion, 66th Armor Regiment, Task Force 2-28, 172nd Infantry Brigade, scans an adjacent hilltop outside of Forward Operating Base Tillman. (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Charles Crail, 172nd Infantry Brigade, Task Force Blackhawk)
consistently find justification for conquest of non-Western territory and resources. As Samuel Huntington reminds us: ‘The West won the world not by the superiority of its ideas or values or religion, but rather by its superiority in applying organized violence. Westerners often forget this fact, non-Westerners never do.’ As declared in Kuala Lumpur before the latest invasion of Iraq, Third World governments ‘reject the so-called right of humanitarian intervention which has no basis in international law.’ The Third World knows all-too-well that humanitarian intervention only travels one way: ‘Nobody expects Bangladesh to interfere in the internal affairs of the United States. Nobody is going to bomb the United States to force it to modify its immigration or monetary policies because of the human consequences of such policies on other countries.’ Western
addiction
to
violence
is
exacerbated by Western narcissism. Westerners take for granted that they are presumptively on the side of democracy and decency – ‘they hate us because of our freedoms’ – despite history frequently proving otherwise. Overcoming addiction and narcissism will not be easy. Professor Jean Bricmont: ‘At the dawn of the 20th century, most of the world was under European control. This is no longer the case. Eventually, the West will lose control of the Arab world, as it lost in East Asia and is losing in Latin America. How the West will adapt to its decline is the crucial question of our time; answering it is unlikely to be either easy or pleasant.’ Like all addicts, the first step is admitting to the problem; the second is humbling oneself. Probably healthier if we not hold our breaths. {w} twenty-nine
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The internet a new opiate of the masses? Michaela Di Cesare
My mother is a 50 something first generation Italian-Canadian who, like many of her peers, doesn’t accept either cell phones or computers. Communication on the Internet is necessarily dubious just as answering a cell phone in her presence is necessarily rude. I’m not saying my mother is wrong to be cranky about mid-dinner texts, but where are lines drawn between new expectations in communication technology and old manners? Between techno habits and techno addiction? Is there even such a thing as techno addiction? thirty-one
users ar net e er
People struggling with Internet addiction report a compelling need to devote significant amounts of time
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• 80% of individuals aged 16 years and older used the Internet for personal use. • Overall, Canadians are experienced Internet users, with almost one-half of users (47%) having been online for 10 years or more. About three-quarters (76%) used the Internet at least once a day in a typical month.
4 in 10 non-users came from households in the lowest income quartile.
of I
51 %
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Int
He writes:
So maybe it’s not all telepathy and dandelions when it comes to Internet usage. But how much are Canadians really consuming? A 2010 Statistics Canada survey on the topic reported that:
.
80% of
A woman in a Youtube video about the coming 2012 apocalypse (or was it an alien invasion?) doesn’t believe we are facing a problem. In our natural state, she says, humans are actually supposed to be telepathic. Our growing dependence on the Internet and social networking is just our way of mimicking the need to be plugged in to every human at every second. Maybe gluing your smartphone to your temple is not so bad after all; we’re just trying to achieve an enlightened state! (No, the irony of consulting an Internet guru about techno addiction isn’t lost on me.) Dr. Howard Shaffer disagrees with our pseudo-prophet. Shaffer is a professor of psychology at Harvard’s medical school and is concerned that technology could be impairing some people’s lives.
to checking e-mail, participating in online chat rooms or surfing the Web, even though these activities cause them to neglect family, work or school obligations. These intemperate problems reflect a user's loss of control over Internet use, increasing involvement with the Internet and an inability to stop this involvement in spite of adverse consequences associated with such use.
ors eni eS
ve
et non-users ern ar t n
• Among Internet users, one-third (33%) went online with a wireless handheld device with nearly one-half (47%) coming from households in the highest income quartile. • Seniors accounted for about one-half (51%) of non-users. Nearly 4 in 10 nonusers (39%) came from households in the lowest income quartile. • A majority (58%) used social networking sites, including 86% of Internet users under the age of 35. Female users (62%) were more likely than their male counterparts (54%) to use social networking sites. It is interesting to note that, unlike many other addictions, techno addiction appears increasingly to be a rich man’s bane, with roughly 10% of Canadians still too poor to enjoy regular access to the Internet. And what about our youth and their potentially alarming rates of social media usage? In 2009 Dr. Lauren La Porta reported that:
58% o f th
lati on uses n e
o rk tw
sites
Now, lest I be called a hypocrite, I’ll admit my Facebook account and I have a pretty intimate relationship. I check up on her every day, I feel validated when my friends post positive comments on my work and I know way more about the lives of some of my acquaintances than I should. Does this mean I should seek help for addiction? I think, as with any other substance, moderation is key. I’ve put together a list of warning signs:
o pu
The psychological effects described by La Porta are particularly troublesome. This technology may be interfering with the normal development of a generation, prolonging the “normal” narcissism of adolescence and preventing the establishment of mature relationships. Rather than learning critical lessons about emotional sensitivity to others and reciprocity in relationships, our youth are creating alternate, solipsistic realities where they are the focus of attention. Those who do not agree are simply excluded from their inner circle. Thus, these technological advances may be fostering a sense of isolation, alienation, and (at worst) promoting
a tendency toward narcissism that may ultimately lead to an increase in violence and aggression.
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The amount of content on these Web sites is overwhelming and the time [spent] on them is on the rise. More than one-third of Internet use is devoted to social networking sites. We are now collectively spending 13.9 billion minutes on Facebook, and 5 billion minutes on MySpace. Twitter grew at a rate of more than 3700% in the past year, taking up 300 million minutes of our time.
• You interact with other human beings more frequently online, or via text, than you do in reality • You have a Dogbook account and post status updates and comments posing as your dog’s online persona • When you finally look up from texting you feel dizzy and everything’s a little too bright
Social Networking Sites Used by Genders
• You’re reading this article while sitting indoors on your laptop and it’s 26 degrees and sunny outside. (Doesn’t count if you’re at work!) In all seriousness, the human brain is wired for the possibility of, if not the propensity to, addiction. If we can become addicted to carbs, reality TV, eating toilet paper—or reality TV shows about people who eat toilet paper, then to dismiss the possibility of Internet addiction would be imprudent. Addictions have always existed as unhealthy coping mechanisms for the ups and downs of life. If a drug exists that not only alters reality, but presents an alternate version of it, developing an addiction may not be merely the stuff sci-fi dreams are made of. {w}
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Immaculately Conceived: On Stage with Michaela Photos: Samantha Garritano
1} Who are you? No really, who are you? I have been trying to answer that question artistically for years! Anyone who sees my show knows that I have written an 82-minute monologue in trying to answer this question. So the boring answer is: I'm an award-winning Montreal actress and playwright. 2} Why acting? I have had an impulse to create, tell and share stories for as long as I can remember. Sometimes I call it Only Child Syndrome. It's what I do. 3} How does your husband feel about the attention you get? I think it's hard for any relationship when one person has to give themselves over completely to and be vulnerable with other people. I mean, isn't that the definition of an affair? But my husband is the first person to acknowledge my craft and how in control of it I am, so he knows he's the only one who gets the really real me. He's so proud of me, never misses a performance and delivers muchneeded chocolate and water to my dressing room after every performance. 4} Hollywood or Stratford? I'm inclined to think both are probably pretentious, soulsucking places to be. Actually, I'll let you in on a little secret: every community of artists is the same way, just on smaller and bigger scales. Delusions of grandeur abound-- even in Montreal. At least Hollywood is upfront about how fake it is. 5} Chocolate or Vanilla? Chocolate! Vanilla doesn't count as dessert for me. Ever. Anyone who brings me a sweet without chocolate in it is asking for my wrath. 6} What do people not know about you? Geez. After this play? Nothing. If I had to say something, I'd say: I used to write rap songs as a teenager and honestly believed I could make a go of it. My first was called: The St-Leo Rap (for all my Italian peeps). {w} thirty-four
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Lola Vertigo
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When I was eighteen, I spent the summer working in a pub in central Dublin. My first true love was waiting for me back home in Canada. Of course I had sworn fidelity; our love was strong enough to keep me longing for him during these short summer months. Until I met someone. And the heart pounding weeks of anticipation made for fireworks when I finally gave in. Naughty? Yes. But oh so satisfying. I began to reconsider the model of true love or soul-mates. If we are only meant to commit to one person, then why do I want to have sex with a variety of people? Is monogamy the ideal, or are
am I simply fooling myself into believing it is? Whether it’s the chase or the conquest, getting it on can be rather addictive. Why? There is biology, the need to procreate, but with widespread access to (and use of) birth control, the making babies argument no longer has much thrust. We do it because of how it makes us feel. The brain’s pleasure pathways likely evolved to get us running after sex. To ensure to continuity of the species, sex has to feel good. And so it does. We may control our biological urges, but monogamy and marriage are just social
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constructs that keep us in check. Yet, a look at divorce rates – approximately 43.1% of marriages in Canada are expected to end in divorce – makes it clear that the constructs are not as strong as the urges. And in a time where most urges require instant gratification, and feelings of emptiness have become commonplace, is it any wonder we chase physical fulfillment? So why has it become more common for the young and not so young to hop from bed to bed? The simplest answer might be that a defining characteristic of our age is the expectation of happiness. Just a generation or two ago, life was hard: work was lethal, healthcare non-existent and plagues common. With simple survival a long shot, who had time for happiness? Now, however, we believe we deserve happiness. If we’re not happy, we search for things most likely to stimulate the pleasure pathways: food, alcohol and sex. Hollywood hasn’t helped. Despite widespread perception of promiscuity as bad, the film industry often makes musical beds look sexy. Miserable housewives find meaning in the arms of younger men; sensual young temptresses lure men away from boring wives; if everyone deserves happiness, then maybe the
beds of others are good places to look for it. I wonder, though, whether we’re any more promiscuous today than we’ve been in the past. Divorce rates did rise in the 21st century, but maybe it has more to do with changing social mores. Women used to depend on husbands as breadwinners, and thus lacked the will to do anything about a philandering partner. With more women in the workforce, ending relationships became possible for more people. Add to this the waning of religion in Western society, and there’s less stigma to sleeping around. People chase sex; it’s part of what makes us human. At what point the desire for sex becomes an addiction is anyone’s guess. Like with all urges, however, too much of a good thing, too much of an impulsive thing can be bad. Are we looking for love, or simply the next high? Perhaps, rather than chasing fictional happiness between the sheets, people need to reflect on what gives them real fulfillment. Does the coming and going of sex partners leave you feeling loved or lonely? If the former, then all power to you. For the rest of us, maybe we should be looking for happiness elsewhere. {w} thirty-nine
Ensnaring Europeans One Burger at a Time SANDRO LISI
Something’s happening in Europe that the vast majority of Europeans are unaware of: those traditionally slim Europeans are getting fat. Of course, this isn’t news to those of us on this side of the Atlantic. Weight gain in North America reached epidemic proportions years ago. But when we think about it today, it’s not particularly alarming, almost as if we’ve resigned ourselves to gaining weight – and then trying to lose it – at some point in our lives. Counting calories is as North American as apple pie, a practice unheard of in Europe, until now. Meet Gian-Carlo. He lives in any and all small towns in southern Italy. GianCarlo is 25 years old and has never forty
given a second thought to what he puts in his mouth: Mama makes breakfast, lunch and supper. Lately however, Gian-Carlo noticed that his jeans were getting tighter and his shirts no longer fluttered in the wind. What happened?
high salt and high sugar is winning over traditional fare and wreaking havoc on the European waistline. Like too many in North America, they are becoming increasingly addicted to engineered food.
Like most young and single youths in Europe, Gian-Carlo enjoys nights on the town with his friends. Postclubbing, the hunger pangs set in and he and his friends head to the nearest open establishment: the quintessential fast food joint.
On 16 November 2006, the World Health Organization published a report on counteracting rising obesity in Europe. Evidence confirms that the obesity epidemic has been spreading across Europe since the 80s, tripling with each passing decade. Nearly half of all adults, and one in every five children, are clinically obese. The numbers are staggering if we consider that in the 60s, the word obesity held little meaning in Europe.
The availability of fast food in Europe is nothing new. What is changing, however, is the collective European attitude toward highly processed junk (posing as food). The taste of high fat,
the 3rd annual
LIONS CUP
SUNDAY JULY 8 AT 12PM Pub Burgundy Lion, will be holding its 3rd Annual GOAL charity soccer tournament. Last year over $25,000 was raised with all proceeds going to local charities, and this year with the help of local sponsorship and celebrities we have set the bar even higher. More importantly there will be drinks, live music, a soccer skills clinic and pick-up games for all to participate in. For more info email: paul@burgundylion.com
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And before linking the absence of obesity to post-war poverty and food scarcity know that the WHO has discovered that being “overweight and obese most affects people in lower socioeconomic groups, and this in turn contributes to a widening of health and other inequalities.” Before the Industrial Revolution, girth resided with the wealthy, those who could afford to indulge in gastronomic decadence. Now, the tables have turned: those with less money are packing the proverbial pounds owing to the vast amounts of cheap, harmful foods only a drive-thru forty-two
away: a bag of apples costs more than a bag of chips; a bottle of soda more than a bottle of water. The report chalks up the epidemic to “changing dietary patterns, including increased consumption of energy dense nutrient-poor food and beverages, containing high proportions of saturated as well as total fat, salt, and sugars.” The WHO falls short of naming those producing “nutrient-poor foods and beverages" or questioning either the affordability or availability of junk over wholesome
fruits, vegetables and grains. In fact, the report places the onus for rectifying and reversing obesity on the education system, parents and the media. Media plays an enabling role in the spread of obesity. Aggressive marketing campaigns by food corporations and fast food chains aimed at children triggered a call from the WHO for a “reduction of market pressure” and for less sensational and more informative labels on food packages. Whether or not corporate food giants listen to a non-governing body like the WHO, is
Nutella is advertised by parent company Ferrero as “good for you”
anyone’s guess (though I wouldn’t bet a fat Frenchman’s belt on it). We can be certain, however, that they will give consumers what they want: claims of health, nutrition and tradition. For example, Nutella Hazelnut Spread (it’s called hazelnut spread and not chocolate spread because Italian law dictates that a product must contain a minimum percentage of cacao before it can be blessed with the chocolate moniker) is one of the biggest selling products in Europe. Gian-Carlo, GianCarlo’s Mama and Papa, and Italians in
general spread it on their cornettis in the morning with the French lathering their croissants. Nutella is advertised by parent company Ferrero as “good for you” because it’s made with “natural” milk and hazelnuts (and often pictured being served for breakfast by a doting mother to healthy-looking children). The staggering amounts of sugar, palm oil, and artificial ingredients – combining to provide children with a nutritious 32gms of sugar and fat in just two tablespoons of hazelnut goodness
– are of course left out of the ads. Fast food giants and global food conglomerates are assimilating the world into their business plan. Europeans such as Gian-Carlo, however, are taking notice and are much more aware of the assault to their the waistlines and health. The roots of European food traditions and their culinary ways of life run deep and, at least in Gian-Carlo’s case, are propelling him to choose a potato from his parents’ garden over fries from McWhatever. {w} forty-three
THE COMMUNITY
FEATURE collaborators Co-founders of La Garçonnière Studio, the photographers Jolianne L'Allier Matteau & Alexandre Chabot work and love each other in Montreal. The couple takes pleasure in illustrating the reality of contemporary society with a touch of irony. www.joliannelm.com // www.achabot.com
Kondwani Mwase {the stock boy} founder | publisher {e} kondwani@stockthewarehouse.org
Mohsen al Attar {the pacer}
managing editor {e} mohsen@stockthewarehouse.org
Lisa Chan {chinadoll}
creative lead {e} lisa@stockthewarehouse.org
Casey Watson {the art monkey} art director {e} casey@stockthewarehouse.org
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CONTRIBUTORS Djami Diallo Lola Vertigo Michaela Di Cesare Paulina Ignacak Geoffrey Lansdell Sandro Lisi PHOTOGRAPHERS Alexandre Chabot Jolianne L’Allier Matteau Samantha Garritano
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