News
The McGill Daily, Thursday, October 22, 2009
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General Assembly loses quorum Students approve motions on employment, energy, pornography before assembly falls apart Courtney Graham The McGill Daily
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t the General Assembly (GA) Wednesday afternoon, attendees voted to encourage student employment in the Shatner building, reduce its energy usage by 40 per cent by 2015, and relax the SSMU Constitution’s attitudes toward non-oppressive pornographic material distributed by SSMU clubs and services. The first motion, pertaining to student employment, was drafted by SSMU VP External Affairs Sebastian Ronderos-Morgan, During the question period, Ronderos-Morgan stated that the motion was intended to institutionalize an existing – though not formal – policy of encouraging businesses in the Shatner building to employ students. Nobody opposed the motion during the debating period, and when voted upon, it was passed unanimously. More contentious was the motion proposed by VP Clubs and Services Sarah Olle which called for a professional energy audit and a 40 per cent reduction in the building’s energy consumption by 2015. Olle said that it provided a “reasonable goal which can be achieved” by the deadline, and noted that the target is based on the national average for energy consumption in student-run buildings.
Arts student David Lipsitz expressed concern that there was no mention in the motion or in Olle’s discussion of it of the financial implications of such an undertaking. “Even though the GA body may not be qualified to pass financial motions, I think it’s absurd that [VP Olle] is withholding information from us simply because she feels we won’t know how to make use of it, or that we are not able to make use of it,” Lipsitz said. This motion also passed, but with a clear opposition present. Olle was also the author of the following motion which proposed amending an article in the SSMU by-laws that bans the “marketing or distribution of sexist publications.” VP University Affairs Rebecca Dooley attempted to explain what was meant by non-oppressive pornographic material, citing “nonnormative queer porn, anti-racist porn...not the kind of porn that pops up in your email box by accident.” After a member of the audience spoke out against the motion, saying that “all porn is inherently degrading,” VP Internal Affairs Alex Brown responded that anti-racist and queer-friendly porn can offer an opportunity for young people to explore their sexuality. “It’s alienating to some of our members to say what they do or what they like is wrong,” said
Hristo Vassilev / The McGill Daily
Progress was slowed by the departure of voters. Brown. Despite a more vocal opposition, this motion passed. The final motion debated before quorum was lost demanded that SSMU install reading tables in Shatner’s washroom stalls. This motion failed, and subsequently many supporters of the motion chose to leave the GA, which led the already-dwindling audience
to lose quorum, just before several other motions were slated for discussion. The remaining motions – regarding Styrofoam in the Shatner, the SSMU lease in Shatner, seafood on campus, and McGill’s use of the self-funded tuition model – were tabled until the next GA. During SSMU President Ivan
Neilson’s executive report, those still present learned that in the coming weeks, McGill will be presenting its Revised Research Policy, which will include the information on military research addressed in the Winter 2009 GA, and which will be released and made public before the next Senate meeting on November 4.
PGSS moves to reform CFS in mass proposal Seven student unions claim CFS is tyrannical and litigious, CFS calls accusations malicious Erin Hale The McGill Daily
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even student unions across the country have collaborated to submit an extensive reform proposal to the Canadian Federation of Students (CFS), which will be tabled at its Annual General Meeting (AGM) in late November. The document – written by executives from McGill’s Post-Graduate Students’ Society (PGSS), the Concordia Student Union (CSU), the Concordia Graduate Students’ Association, the University of Regina Student’s Union, the Graduate Students’ Association of the University of Calgary, and the Alberta College of Art and Design Students’ Association – consists of 43 separate motions. The Kwantlen Student Association helped write and endorsed 26 of the motions. A list of grievances is also included on the first page of the omnibus motion, moved by PGSS, which explains the logic of the motion: the authors accuse the CFS of being tyrannical, anti-democratic, litigious, overly corporate and bureaucratic, and run by “out-of-touch exstudent politicos.”
Though PGSS has submitted a petition to defederate from CFS, PGSS VP External Ladan Mahabadi still felt taking part in the reform package was necessary. “Defederation is an open dialogue about the issues and our continued membership. This package is to serve as a memo to CFS executive and members to explain why we’re doing what we’re doing, regardless of defederation,” said Mahabadi. “The idea behind it is to be as constructive as possible – just to let [CFS] know the reasons we are not satisfied. The reform package does a fantastic job.” The reform proposal itself is divided into four sections: motions addressing accountability and transparency, structural reform, the membership of specific student unions, and the impeachment of two CFS and CFS-Services executives. Specific motions include calls for CFS executive salary disclosure, a conflict of interest policy, individual fee opt-out, and opening all CFS meetings to the press, which are currently restricted. CFS-Quebec (CFS-Q) branch also provided assistance drafting the proposal after it was mandated by members to help with the process.
“Officially the CFS-Q did endorse the proposal in its entirety…because of the current state of affairs. It isn’t a positive one, and it could be better,” said CFS-Q President Greg Johannson. “I think generally our relations [with the CFS] are perceived as an ‘us versus them’ dynamic, whereas the reality is that we’re all just trying to work together to make the organization better for its members.” CSU VP External Auob Muntasar said Concordia undergraduates have had problems with the CFS in the past, notably the interference of CFS executives in CSU elections. Muntasar also mentioned a perception that CFS lobbying campaigns were too weak and felt some of the reforms could rectify these problems. “The fact that it’s an omnibus is a lot to handle, but a lot of motions are dependent on each other. One small thing is not going to push the CFS in the right direction,” Muntasar said. Some of the motions call for CFS to cease its litigations with certain student unions like the Simon Fraser Student Society. Others demand that CFS recognize the right of student unions – like the Dalhousie
Graduate Student Association and the University of Prince Edward Island Students’ Association – to defederate from CFS in accordance with student referendums. In response to the reform proposal, CFS National Chairperson Katherine Giroux-Bougard has issued a letter to CFS members, criticizing aspects of the reform proposal that was distributed en masse by email. “Contained within these motions is a series of false and malicious claims about our Federation.... While the National Executive of the Canadian Federation of Students welcomes debate, I felt it necessary to respond to this attempt to undermine the ability of the Federation,” Giroux-Bougard wrote, later referring to the reform proposal as an “internal matter.” Her letter singled out the the PGSS for having led the initiative to bring the proposal to the CFS AGM. “The package is a thinly veiled attempt, by a member, to undermine the progressive work that the Federation undertakes, through a campaign aimed at discrediting the elected national leadership, humiliating the unionized staff, and
undermining the organisation and its work.” The proposal elicited a similar reaction from the Vancouver Island University Student Union (VIUSU). In a mass email to the recipients of an intitial email written by the PGSS to distribute the proposal, VIUSU’s executive criticized Mahabadi and the PGSS for emailing “a very select group of member local unions, non-member students’ unions, and other organisations.” “It is...disingenuous to claim that you wish the best for this organisation while presenting a series of untruths as fact, attacking our elected leadership and unionised staff, and generally undermining the organisation as a whole by sending this ‘package’ to various administrators – the very people we lobby and work with every day in an effort to improve the lives of our members,” the VIUSU executive wrote. “Our idea of ‘reform’ includes a process that is based on respectful, honest dialogue and debate. Perhaps the ‘reform’ needed in the student movement is a mechanism to prevent ideologically motivated ad hominem attacks wasting students’ time and resources,” the email stated.
4 News
The McGill Daily, Thursday, October 22, 2009
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Ask Diabetes plagues Kahnawake Poor sports facilities and funding push disease to twice national average Tell Demand Madeline Coleman The Link (CUP)
News reporting on local and international affairs, twice a week. news@mcgilldaily.com
www.oxfordseminars.ca
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nderfunded athletics facilities in Kahnawake are contributing to the community’s diabetes problem, according to Mackenzie Whyte, operations coordinator of Kahnawake’s Sports and Recreation Unit. “People have developed a more sedentary lifestyle,” Whyte said. “If there were more facilities, people would have access to a greater
range of activities and more possible times to do them.” Kahnawake is a First Nations reserve of about 7,000 located on Montreal’s south shore. Over 800 people, nearly 12 per cent of the population, have been diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes – more than twice the national average of 5 per cent. “It’s a lot of people,” Whyte said. A survey conducted for Health Canada’s First Nations and Inuit Branch in July revealed that while
Olivia Ferguson for The McGill Daily
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increasing numbers of First Nations people are aware of the programs promoting physical activity in their communities, few of them connect exercise with the prevention of diabetes. First Nations populations with diabetes are more likely to point to genetics or diet as the disease’s cause, according to the survey. The same survey reported that under half of the First Nations people surveyed rated their communities’ sports facilities as “good” or “excellent.” Whyte pointed out that even Kahnawake’s minimal facilities are better than most. “We’re unusual compared to other First Nations,” she said. “In other places, like up north, they don’t even have an arena at all.” Jun-Li Liu of Montreal’s Fraser Laboratories for Diabetes Research said that exercise is one of the most important factors in preventing or treating Type 2 diabetes, a disease that occurs when the body is unable to properly process insulin, which regulates the amount of sugar in the blood. “Exercise builds muscle and muscle is better at responding to insulin,” Liu said. “The bottom line is, if you’re afraid of becoming diabetic, you need exercise.” While Whyte admitted that healthy habits are the responsibility of the individual, she said the community’s athletics facilities would be hard-pressed to aid widespread health initiatives. Kahnawake’s Sport and Recreation Unit received about $12,000 of funding last year from the federal and provincial governments combined, an amount Whyte called “peanuts.” She said the recreation centre would have to expand its facilities if it wants to add more programs. “Sometimes people will come at night because they want to walk around the arena, but it will be crowded with kids,” she said. “They ask, ‘When will it be less crowded?’ and we have to tell them to come back during the day. We just need more room.” Whyte added that Kahnawake’s hospital has been proactive in organizing activities like walking groups.
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SPORTS again this Monday, October 26. Any interested contributors contact sports@mcgilldaily.com or stop by Shatner B-24
News
The McGill Daily, Thursday, October 22, 2009
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Gender neutral, but not equal Human rights lawyer Pearl Eliadis on the legal challenges women still face in Canada Pearl Eliadis is a Montreal-based lawyer who specializes in human rights and development. She has previously sat on the Ontario Human Rights Commission and served as president of the Equitas International Centre for Human Rights Education. Eliadis is currently the president of Shield of Athena, a local non-profit organization that provides legal assistance and social services to survivors of domestic violence. McGill Daily: What do you see as the biggest challenges or frustrations in human rights work? Pearl Eliadis: Something that has been an obstacle is that, although Canada is an actor in the international sphere, we have not [always complied with international norms]; and this has been an area of frustration for many human rights lawyers who are receptive to human rights arguments about issues here. That has happened over religious schooling in Ontario, where the UN issued recommendations around religious schooling, suggesting that it was discriminatory, [but] was completely ignored by the Harris government at the time. It’s also happened with the Bill-101 decisions here; issues around aboriginal women, particularly the disappearance of aboriginal women in western Canada; the difficulty outside of Quebec to see human rights and poverty as being related issues; and the conservative backlash against human rights. MD: What do you think are the main women’s rights issues in Montreal and Canada? PE: [At] the federal level, I think the Tories and Liberals are not doing a good job at bringing women
into politics. Meaningful access of women into policy and politics is a big problem in this country, particularly at the two major federal parties. Access of women to politics is an issue in Canada and an issue internationally…. One of the case studies I’m going to talk about on Friday is actually a Kenyan woman, who went into politics and was very badly beaten and attacked when it looked like she was doing well in her constituency. Access to day care is something that we had on the agenda for a little while, but with the Conservatives it has fallen off the table…. When the Conservatives start talking about giving money to women instead of day care, the problem is that [they are] not giving women the money that allows them to pay for a year of day care. [They are] giving them enough money to pay for one month of day care. I think that’s a major issue for women, and we have not been good in this country about moving forward on that agenda, I think this is fundamental to women’s equality. The third issue in Canada is the abandonment of the court challenges program, again unfortunately by the Tories. Most of the developments in terms of substantive equality in the women’s movement, many of them happen because the federal government had a program where law clinics and equality seeking groups could seek funding to challenge or to bring forward different progressive ideas of the law. That program has been abandoned, and that has affected our capacity to move forward on equality issues, including women’s issues. The fourth issue is the cur-
Rebeccah Hartz/ The McGill Daily
Eliadis critiques Conservatives for dropping the ball on women’s rights. rent attack on the Human Rights Commission. Many of the developments that we have had in terms of making workplaces safer for women, free of sexual harassments, and free of discrimination have happened as a result of the Human Rights Commission. The right wing has launched a successful campaign through bloggers to shut down the Human Rights Commission, because they fundamentally oppose equality rights. And the progressive left has been almost completely silent on this issue. I think that’s a direct danger to women’s rights. MD: How do gender-neutral laws perpetuate inequality? PE: When we talk about equality, we’re not talking about formal
equality; we’re talking about substantive equality. What I mean by formal equality is a rule that goes something like this, ‘Everybody who is going to work in this workplace has to work for three consecutive years, and if they take off more than two months at a time, then they’re going to be fired.’ Everybody’s the same, right? But what does this do to women of child-bearing age? So in fact, none of these rules are really neutral…. Gender neutrality is actually not the objective. The objective is making sure that from a qualitative perspective, you have social structures and laws in place that allow people – women, men, people with disabilities, and so on – to live ful-
filling lives. I challenge the notion of gender neutrality, because I actually don’t think there is such a thing. I think that a lot of the laws and traditions we’ve developed have been developed because we have a particular work ethic that came from the Victorian period and the early industrial age, and that has been changed by the reality of women entering the workforce. —compiled by Stephanie Law Eliadis lecture “Women’s Rights as Human Rights: How Are We Doing Today?” will take place at 11:30 a.m. tomorrow in room 202 of Chancellor Day Hall.
Canadian rivers in peril World Wildlife Fund report card recommends politicians evaluate hydro-electric policies. Kallee Lins The McGill Daily
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report released last Thursday by World Wildlife Fund Canada (WWF) has raised alarm about the state of Canada’s rivers. The report, entitled “Canada’s Rivers at Risk: Environmental Flows and Canada’s Freshwater Future,” assessed the water flow of 10 major rivers across the country in order to determine the extent of damage caused by increasing agricultural production, electrical generation, and global warming. WWF has assigned a report card grade to several rivers based on how severely water flows have been affected by overuse, as well as the expected impact on their future water flows. The Mackenzie River and the Skeena Rriver were rated as healthy since the water
flows of these rivers have not been noticeably altered, and the ecosystems that depend on them are stable. The South Saskatchewan River, the Saint John River, and the St. Lawrence River have been severely altered and are said to face a declining future. The report attributed many of these changes to the side effects of climate change, like melting glaciers, shifting precipitation patterns, and frequent droughts and floods. By 2050, WWF predicted that water flows from Lake Ontario to the St. Lawrence river could decrease by between four to 24 per cent annually, lowering water levels at Montreal by 0.2 to 1.2 metres thanks to the effects of climate change. The major recommendation of the report called attention to the use of hydro-electricity. As it becomes an increasingly appealing
energy alternative, WWF recommended that policymakers focus on improving the efficiency of existing electrical infrastructure rather than building new dams. It noted that new construction could cause significant alteration to water flows, and thus damage ecosystems. “We want government to ask what is driving the demand [for energy]; is it the level of consumption that is calling for a higher electrical demand, which could be monitored and controlled, or is it a response to the transition away from coal-fired electrical generation, as in the case of Ontario? Our perspective is to design and locate dam placement that mimics or respects water flow,” said Tony Maas, the WWF-Canada’s national advisor on freshwater policy and planning. Adriana Mugnatto-Hamu, climate change critic for Canada’s
Green Party, did not expect the Canadian government to heed the WWF report’s warnings. “I am very hopeful but to tell the truth, I kind of doubt it, particularly with the current government. This government has been almost in denial about climate change, and they are very tied to the energy operations of the tar sands…and that directly affects the Athabasca River,” said Mugnatto-Hamu. Save the River, an organization formed of both Canadian and American activists working to protect the St. Lawrence, have endorsed the report’s findings, and hoped that the WWF’s report will serve as a wake-up call to policymakers. Jennifer Caddick, executive director of Save the River, highlighted the impact the report may have on their initiatives. “We’ve been working for years now to develop a new water levels plan. We are
inches away from getting there… and we’re working with WWF to get this issue done,” Caddick said. The current treaty regulating water levels is over 50 years old and has allowed for excessive damming in the region, resulting in damage to 50 per cent of the St. Lawrence basin’s wetlands and watershed vegetation, according to Caddick. At least 20 per cent of all plant and animal species inhabiting the St. Lawrence watershed are listed as vulnerable, threatened, or endangered. Caddick hoped that the report will influence the policies of the International Joint Commission – a bilateral body that facilitates cooperation between Canada and the United States that works to prevent river degradation – to establish a new water level plan that would restore water flows to a more natural level.
Mind&Body
The McGill Daily, Thursday, October 22, 2009
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Burlesque struts its stuff Maddie Guerlain and Amanda Unruh Mind&Body Writers
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here’s a new hot number traipsingw around Montreal these days – whether in the form of a SSMU mini-course, an international festival, or a spectacle somewhere along St. Laurent, burlesque is taking the stage again as a popular form of art and entertainment. What exactly is burlesque, and where did it come from? Although commonly thought of as a striptease, burlesque is much more than pasties (those little nipple covers), tassels, and a pair of high heels. In fact, the term burlesque originates from British musical comedy shows in the 18th century, considered risqué for double entendres based on popular operas and art, and for casting females for male lead roles. Such entertainment was largely aimed at a middle class audience with knowledge of contemporary art and literature, on which the spoofs and satire were based. Burlesque is a type of entertainment based on exaggeration, satire, caricature, and “suggestive performance art,” according to Kittie, a British performer and founder of the popular web site, The Ministry of Burlesque. During the 19th and 20th cen-
turies, the term and its production changed shape in the American context, becoming more of a variety show with elements of striptease, and American burlesque remains distinct from the classic British variety to this day. Classical burlesque may be bawdy and suggestive, but it is American burlesque that really started to show some skin. Both genres, however, share the central goal of playing with conventional notions of theatre, teasing, mocking, and generally turning things upside down. While the two are often conflated, burlesque and striptease are not synonymous. American burlesque draws on the British history of satire and tease, occasionally making striptease into a satirical social or political commentary, and modern burlesque performances can greatly vary based upon the historical and cultural influences of each performer. According to Kittie, “At the risk of over-simplifying, although both focus on teasing, the differences lie in the intension of outcome and the levels of nudity, where the former [burlesque] rarely ends in actual nudity, and the intention is to entertain rather than to sexually arouse.” Montreal of the forties and fifties was known for its lively night scene, and in particular for one famous burlesque stripper, Lili St. Cyr – famous in particular for her
use of bubble baths as part of stage performances. Born in Minneapolis in 1918 as Willis Marie Van Schaak, she eventually made her way through Los Angeles, Montreal, Miami, Vegas, and finally back to Hollywood, where she died at 80 on January 29, 1999. From 1944 to the early fifties, St. Cyr was a regular performer at the Gayety Theatre, but the election of Jean Drapeau as mayor saw the eventual disintegration of downtown’s jazz clubs and burlesque nightclubs. Today, we seem to be in the midst of a Montreal burlesque revival. In September, the first Montreal Burlesque Festival took place with performers from throughout the international scene, including Miss Exotic World 2009, Kalani Kokonuts. According to their web site’s description, their shows are “more focused on the ‘tease’ in ‘striptease’ than the ‘strip.’ New Burlesque tends to put the emphasis on style and tends to be sexy rather than sexual, often involving humor.” The Festival even included a Lili St. Cyr Award for the most imaginative performance. Local performers included the (in) famous Michelle L’Amour, Miss Sugarpuss, Mademoiselle Oui Oui Encore, Scarlett James, Seksa Lee and L Diable (co-founders of Team Burlesque, a local troupe). Here at McGill, SSMU’s picked up on the burlesque trend by offering a nine-week mini-course
Sally Lin/ The McGill Daily
Montreal’s revival of a centuries-old sexy performance art
(among other dance courses such as ballroom, belly dancing, bollywood, breakdancing, hip hop, latin, salsa, and swing). In addition, JoyToyz has a six-week course in Striptease and Burlesque, taught by Velma Candyass, a member of the
cup grated parmesean cheese, 2 cans tuna, 1/2 cup breadcrumbs.
The budget bon-vivant Justin Scherer
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here is an ongoing contest between my friends and I about who can make the best tuna casserole. My recipe, I think, has emerged the undisputed victor, and you will find out why when you make it. You can double the recipe for plannedovers. Ingredients: 2 cups wide scoobi-doo or egg noodles, 1/4 cup butter, 1/2 cup chopped onion, 1/4 cup flour, 3/4 tsp basil, 1 1/2 tsp salt, 3 cups milk, 1/4
Method: Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Cook and drain noodles. In the meantime, melt the butter in a saucepan, sauté the onions until they’re translucent, blend in flour, salt and basil, gradually stir in milk, and boil the whole thing until it thickens. Remove from heat, add cheese until well combined, and put in an oven-safe casserole dish. Fold in noodles and tuna. Sprinkle the breadcrumbs all over the top until well coated. Place in the oven for 20-25 minutes or until brown on top. Enjoy! 2. Ricotta and vegetable linguine: What student diet would be complete without a hefty serving of pasta? To keep it healthy, you might want to substitute the linguine with healthier (and subsequently more expensive) soba noodles. You may also want to go with lower-fat ricotta cheese to keep tabs on your fat intake.
Dead Dolls Dancers and Travesty Theatre. To learn more about burlesque history, check out Kittie’s web site kittie. me.uk or Team Burlesque’s blog about Montreal events at teamburlesque.com.
Ingredients: 1 pkg. linguine, 1 regular-sized container of ricotta cheese, garlic, green beans, cherry tomatoes (if these are out of season/too expensive, use regular, fresh tomatoes cut into small cubes), salt and pepper to taste. Method: Boil water and add linguine. Cook until tender. In the meantime, cut the beans in half and sauté them with garlic in a bit of olive oil until they’re a bit more tender, but still crunchy. Drain the linguine when it’s done and leave a bit of pasta-water in the pot (approx. 1-2 cups). Put the linguine back into the pot with the pasta-water, and add the entire container of ricotta cheese. The water should bond with the cheese to make a creamy sauce. Now halve the cherry tomatoes and add them to the pot so they warm up in the creamy goodness. Add the green beans and garlic to everything else, mix everything up, and serve. Again, the pasta keeps in the fridge for a few days, so make a lot to have it later for lunch/snacks.
Commentary
The McGill Daily, Thursday, October 22, 2009
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Big-boned, pudgy, jolly, chubby, large… Deconstructing our fat-phobia
Radically reread
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at. Fat fat fat. Fat fat. FAT. “Fat” is descriptive. “Fat” has the potential to be empowering. “Fat” can be anyone. “Fat” is definitely and inescapably some. Hearing “fat” that many times in a row can be shocking. The way we silence this word, how we strenuously avoid saying it, is so profound that I can feel its dead weight in the pit of my stomach. When someone sees a person of size, “fat” hangs on the tip of their tongue, in the back of their mind. People attempt to replace the word with euphemisms, but because “fat” still hangs in the air around them, they can’t dispel its pressure. You’ve heard them all: big(ger), large(r), overweight, (kinda) chubby, curvy, heavy(-set), big-boned. Fat. This is the rhetoric of progressive folks concerned, at least in theory, with body-size oppression. It is also a sanitized version of fat-phobia. In this case, the censoring of a loaded word also indicates the failure to address the reality it describes. When society brands greed, over-consumption, and depravity onto fat bodies, fat people become the non-consenting representatives of the ills of an “affluent” society. When fat comes to figure as some-
thing that’s wrong – with a culture, with a people, with our bodies, with our habits – it becomes something to be rectified. And when its cure – thinness – becomes a commodity, you better bet your sweet ass that “fat as object” will eclipse “fat as lived experience.” “Fat” as a thing allows it to be shaved away, diagnosed, pathologized, detested, deemed immoral and excessive. In one fell swoop, millions of people get erased and dehumanized. Fatness is increasingly understood as a virulent epidemic plaguing North Americans. If you’re fat, you better lose weight, and if you’re thin, you better watch your weight. But why the strong focus on shrinking our bodies to fit a narrow ideal? Right, it’s that life-extending and life-improving equation: “thin equals healthy.” The well-intentioned innocence of this claim needs some doctoring with a good dose of contextualization. Let’s talk about fat, baby. Fat? Say goodbye to societal acceptance of horizontal stripes, tight clothes, bright colours, and baby-tees on your bod. Fat? Say hello to the disregard, discrimination, and misdiagnoses of health professionals who locate your
Olivia Messer / The McGill Daily
Lisa Miatello
Our society tries to euphemize the word “fat,” but we can’t escape it. health problems in your fat. Fat? Say hello to the same qualities being treated as incidental behaviour in thin people but as essential to your and other fat people’s characters. Fat? Say goodbye to stores that carry your size, chairs that fit your body, and planes that only charge you for one ticket. Fat? Say hello to the moralizing impositions of every-fucking-random-person-ever concerning the way you eat, dress, move about, think of yourself, and live. Fat? Say hello to being the poster child and target of a $45-billion industry that calls for the elimination of large sections of your body all in the name of “health.” Fat? Say goodbye to being thought of as normal, healthy, active, and intelligent upon first glance. Fat? Say hello to being pathologized, culturally
desexualized, ridiculed, and sentenced to an early death. The problem here is not fatness, nor is it fat people. The problem is a society steeped in fat-phobia and sizeism. It is a society that prefers to turn a profit off the “uncontainable” bodies of millions, rather than challenge the institutional, systemic, and cultural disparagement, fear, and erasure of fat people. An oft-repeated phrase in the fat acceptance movement is “correlation does not imply causation.” Fatness and unhealthiness may be associated, but they should not be conflated. When fat stands in for unhealthy, yo-yo dieting, Weight Watchers, and weight-loss surgery follow. These “health-improving” (read: sizereducing) tactics have proven to be harmful and ineffective in the long
run for the majority of people. Our focus needs to shift away from the rabid consumption of our physical, emotional, and mental energy in a wasted effort to get thin and toward the possibility of good (and bad) health at every size. To be sure, the parameters of someone’s size are largely genetically determined. Instead of scapegoating fat people, we need to turn our lens to profit motives as they manifest in and perpetuate a context of fat discrimination. There’s at least one thing that’s good about being thin: not having to deal with the heart-attack-inducing stress that comes from being fat in a fat-hating society. Lisa Miatello writes in this space every other week. Write her at radicallyreread@mcgilldaily.com.
HYDE PARK
Running out of time on climate change Aisha Parkhill-Goyette
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very great truth is fought with a great resistance. When we were told that we couldn’t fall off the Earth, we insisted that we could; when we were told that we weren’t the centre of the universe, we insisted that we were. When we were first told there were tiny little creatures that could make us sick, we laughed and refused to wash our hands. Today, some of us still refute the history of our own biology, as if evolution is something to be ashamed of. It seems almost part of human nature, history we are doomed to repeat. Any time science makes us reflect on ourselves, the issue becomes less of a scientific debate than a psychological struggle to deny what we don’t want to believe. Despite the abundance of evidence, we build controversy to mask the fact that what we are really lacking is the strength to conquer our fears, to face facts, and to adapt to another scientific reality. So here we are, right on cue, with
climate change: one more unpleasant issue that reminds us that we are not the centre of the universe, and that we have to stop acting like we are. This time around, however, it’s different. Science has caught up to us whether or not we’re ready to accept it. We’re running out of time. Climate change is not somebody else’s problem, sometime down the road. It’s everybody’s problem, right now, and if you think it’s only an environmental problem – think again. Climate change is not simply about penguins and polar bears; it’s about a global economy addicted to oil and the soldiers who die for it. It’s about farmers around the world losing their crops and their livelihoods to either too much or too little rain. It’s about oceans that have become so acidic that they can no longer stock the fish we need to eat or the algae we need to breathe. Climate change is more than the mild winters and rainy summers: it’s the increase in droughts, floods, and hurricanes that we keep pretending are acts of God when the responsi-
bility lies elsewhere. It’s about the spread of malaria-carrying mosquitoes in parts of Africa that were once too cold for their habitation. Climate change is all of these things. If you can’t see the connections, then you haven’t been paying close enough attention. Destructive environmental behaviour has dangerous and long-term repercussions. We no longer have the luxury of ignoring this painfully obvious logic because it is costing us too much. None of us are immune to the consequences of climate change; however, it’s those who least contribute to it that will suffer the most. Unless we acknowledge this, social justice will forever be lost in the growing poverty gap. We can’t draw borders on the global ecosystem any more than we can pretend that what affects you does not affect me. We are responsible not just to ourselves and not just to our children, but to the rest of the world. We are past the point of talking about climate change as if it were only an environmental issue. This is about progress and change;
it’s about an intellectual evolution. There is no other species on Earth working this hard to ensure their own extinction – why are we? The time has come for a technological and economic revolution. Countries around the world have invested responsibly in clean energy while we continue to play in Alberta’s dirty tar sands. Governments around the world have employed thousands in expanding clean energy sectors while our government bickers about the logistics of insuring the unemployed, and mumble tired excuses for all of their bad decisions. We have the tools we need for our own salvation – why do we cling to our caveman ways? Our leaders told us for years we couldn’t afford green technology because it would destroy the economy. Well, it collapsed anyway, and not because of change, but because of lack thereof – and the money we supposedly didn’t have to invest in a sustainable future was spent on bailing out a hopeless one. As a society, we are ready to indebt
ourselves for life to buy a house, but we won’t invest in our home for the sake of protecting life – why? The real inconvenient truth is that we are way past due for a revolution in our culture, and the really ugly truth is that we are endangering all life on Earth, and for some reason, we are choosing to do so. All revolutions start in the mind, and they spread by word of mouth. So grab your friends and get down to Parliament Hill on October 24. Canadians are standing in solidarity with the rest of the world for a peaceful demonstration of a powerful message because the fight against climate change is a fight for everything that’s worth saving. Our leaders will never learn to listen unless we learn to speak up – so come join us, and let’s make them listen. Aisha Parkhill-Goyette has a BASc in Biology & Environmental Studies from Guelph and is volunteer for C-Day: Fill the Hill. For more information, write her at aisha.goyette@ gmail.com.
8 Features
Fashion Week fury Kortney Shapiro deconstructs the spectacle, from glam styles to models’ sizes
The McGill Daily, Thursday, October 22, 2009
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f late, the fashion industry has been taking the heat for using models who are sickly thin, increasing societal pressures that ultimately contribute to eating disorders and negative body image. Filippa Hamilton, standing at 5’10’’ and weighing a svelte 120 pounds, was deemed too “fat” for allAmerican designer Ralph Lauren. “They fired me because I was overweight, and I couldn’t fit in their clothes anymore,” Hamilton told the New York Daily News on October 14. Just days before Montreal Fashion Week, the same distorted expectations were being discussed closer to home: the Quebec Minister of Culture and Communications and of the Status of Women Christine St-Pierre launched a voluntary charter aimed at promoting healthier body image in the fashion industry. “The point behind this is not to make thinness illegal, but rather…to introduce an appreciation of diversity,” St-Pierre told the CBC. Nevertheless, at Fashion Week, models were still skeletal, flaunting their ribs and their pubic bones as they padded down the catwalk. Sitting front row under the unforgiving lights, anyone could see that the women looked less like couture hangers, but more like hairless cats in stilettos. After picking up my press pass, I entered into a sea of bold shoulders and studded, potentially dangerous shoes. Culture kids flooded the showroom, with Barbie-like waitresses in pink frothy dresses holding trays of complimentary cosmetics. At a beauty bar, anyone could have his or her make-up touched up. Scantily-clad women were adjacent to patrons who brought their five-year-old daughters. The whole scene begged one to ask what message is being advocated, especially to the little girls present. Members of the media were given access to the media lounge, in which we sipped espresso and Guru energy drinks and uploaded photos onto the classic MacBooks laid out along the lacquered tables. There wasn’t a corner of the room free of corporate branding – visible evidence of the inescapable relationship between mega-corporation sponsors and high fashion. The industry has been McDonalized: it’s fast and everyone gets a shiny new toy at the end.
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ithin moments of my entrance, models began to appear on a revolving stage in the middle of the crowd, showcasing designer Andy Thê-Anh’s spring 2010 collection. Models sported strong side parts and structured garments, their outfits evocative of a high-class meeting between Madonna and Barbarella. Cone-bra-style separates littered the stage, as the bold-shouldered sylphs spun round and round. Leave it to a Montreal designer to take “clichés” out of Fashion Week and turn a potentially blasé show into
a spinning circus of curio charm. While sitting front row at the show of one of my favourite Montreal-based designers, Christian Chenail, Grace Jones’ “I Need a Man” came pummelling through the speakers as the plastic wrap was removed from the runway. The sounds in the room quickly changed from a ubiquitous whisper to a groovy hush. Although a number of the designers seemed perhaps too simple, “MUSE par Christian Chenail” was a delight for the eyes. Atop each model’s head was a mess of Marie-Antoinette-inspired hair, showcasing clothing that truly was for the masses. Let them eat cake? Rather, let them don an array of sporty and versatile separates suggestive of that laissez-faire Montreal attitude. The line emulated what Montreal fashion is all about: consumer-friendly products with an edge. Patterned tights, similar to those that are worn by so many young ladies at McGill, came in a variety of styles, as well as the vast array of vivacious colours – deep blues and cherry reds. Chenail played upon the fashion of opulent Versailles, customizing his pieces with attitude. By featuring structured corset tops and floral patterns on a number of dresses, the designer was able to encapsulate a perfect blend of old French glamour mixed with a modern edge. When asked what makes Montreal Fashion Week stand out among the rest, Chenail was quick to the punch: “Here [you have] a lot of great people. We need this fashion week!” Although not a detailed answer, it proves the simple desire of most Montreal designers: to showcase their creations to everyone regardless of background or occupation, and to allow each and every spectator to feel as though they are part of the experience. Chenail also offered a tip for being able to stand out fashion-wise during these tough economic times: “You need to find good pieces that will last. It’s better to find one nice thing that will last forever than 10 ugly things.”
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ver drinks in the designer lounge, fashion maverick and director of Dressed to Kill Magazine Patrick de Grâce and I shared a few thoughts on the importance of Fashion Week in la belle province. “I’ve been involved for the past few years,” he cooed, “you can see, there [are] more crowds, and [the] media are more aggressive. Everyone knows the designers better. It is [continually] building.” The general consensus on Fashion Week seems to be that, although it is but a few days out of the season, it’s a chance for both designers and buyers to come together under one roof and exchange their ideas and products. The natural French flamboyance so pertinent to Montreal style seems to have been diluted with a tablespoon of pomp and
All photos by Miranda Whist / The McGill Daily
ow that the designers have taken their final bow of the season at New York’s Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week, and with LG Toronto Fashion Week already half way through, Montreal’s Semaine de Mode, or Fashion Week, only had three days to make a lasting impression. On the eve of October 13, Montreal-based company Sensation Mode teamed up once again with Procter and Gamble for the 17th edition of Montreal Fashion Week, held at the Marché Bonsecours in the Old Port.
a pinch of brazen attitude – ingredients that lead to a successful fashion week. As for the events and glossy parties that come along with the week, one cannot complain. After the shows, media outlets flock to designers and their minions, who are hurrying about in an utterly hilarious manner, barking into Bluetooth headpieces, and positioning a horde of cameras in order to get “the best angles possible” of the designers and their entourage. At an after-party for eccentric Montreal designer Denis Gagnon, known for his unmistakable glasses (eat your heart out, Dan Levy) and laissez-faire attitude, the eye-candy was mouth watering. Girls with shaved heads, young men with eyeliner, and a group of overstated club kids taking risqué dancing to a whole new level…rather, intensity. Fashion Television correspondent and host of In Fashion Glen Baxter stood idly by, leaning on the banister. As I said hello, he coolly remarked, “I have several private showings tomorrow.” He then sighed as politely as he could. Amid the hustle and gaiety of it all, it was clear that the people in the room were there for the devotion of the city, and the deep-running love affair that they share for the creative class Montreal has produced over the years. Procter and Gamble Quebec public relations manager Manon Lapierre remarked over the music, “Ah, there is [such] a natural link between fashion and beauty. By showcasing [these] brands, it is a way to listen to the designers and buyers. It is a two-way communication.” And when asked why Montreal Fashion Week is so important for the city, Lapierre was quick to reply, “I am a Montrealer. It is always important to try new things and be on the forefront of fashion. It is really exciting.”
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t was hard enough to get more than PR fluff out of most of the movers and shakers. A lack of critical dialogue in the industry adds to the lack of sales many of these design houses experience in Montreal. The masses are left out of the equation. The insular relationship between designers and buyers excludes the consumers – the ones who indirectly finance the industry. Despite the waif-like models, pressures of unattainable beauty, and lack of critical discourse, Montreal Fashion Week is a way to credit artistic French talents who have made their mark within a thriving city, based heavily around a garment industry. Fashion Week showcases creativity in the form of entertainment. And at least I was able to reap the benefits of the corporate circus – I went away with enough free lipsticks to last me till next season.
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Culture
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Lukas Theinhaus / The McGill Daily
The McGill Daily, Thursday, October 22, 2009
Aging gracefully Dance company puts the young and the old on stage together to tackle issues relating to age Chelsea Blazer Culture Writer
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hat does it mean to be 78? How can we, as young university students, understand the issues that challenge the elderly? The Age I’m In, an innovative work by Australian dance theatre company Force Majeure, explores these questions about age from a variety of perspectives. The production had its Montreal premiere on October 14 at Place des Arts’ Cinquième Salle. Based around a compelling montage of over 80 interviews with Australian citizens, artistic director and choreographer Kate Champion’s latest piece reflects how aging affects human experience. The 10-person cast draws together a unique combination of performers, ranging in age from 14 to 79. Unlike most dance troupes, the cast is a mix
of professional dancers and regular people. As the audience witnesses the generationally diverse cast dance together on stage, one thing becomes clear: it isn’t how old you are, but how you experience your age that matters. The Age I’m In was created out of a project that aimed to map the Australian identity, also coordinated by Champion. The project’s original goals were translated into a universal work that captures many aspects of aging that people the world over experience. “I tried not to aim for Australians in particular,” says Champion. “I want everyone to feel as if they’ve seen a part of their own attitude on stage.” Clearly, this attitude has led to the performance’s success. Champion channels the voices of many different generations, which means that all audience members can relate to the dance they’re seeing. The performance does not tell the audience what to think, but leads them to reflect on the issues
brought to the surface. The first image we see in The Age I’m In is the full cast standing on stage, illuminating the variations in age, physical form, and life experience between them. These disparities elicit a harsh revelation of the inequalities present within society, and some of the differences that set us apart. The innocent adolescent versus the wise elderly person, the healthy versus the sick, and even the skilled dancer versus the newcomer, all become points of entry to larger questions of social segregation. The performance asks broader questions about age by challenging the audience with issues like loneliness, sickness, religion, and drug abuse. In one captivating scene, for instance, the digital screens that act as set pieces expose a young woman’s nude body, showing visible signs of breast cancer, next to another nude figure that has clearly undergone plastic surgery. Every age, it seems, has both benefits and
struggles. United by their movements, the performers create an atmosphere on stage that is built on acceptance. Champion compiled a cast of individuals that she claims “has such a strong and open-minded understanding of each other.” The choreography mirrors this feeling; the steps and the music speed up for the younger dancers, showcasing their technical virtuosity, and slow down in order to capture the courageousness and elegance of the old or less physically able performers. It is a piece, as Champion says, that “works for the strengths of the people.” The Age I’m In is not solely a dance performance; it incorporates multimedia elements like handheld screens and voice-overs from Champion’s initial interviews into the work. When asked about her decision to work with technology, Champion replied, “having the cameras adds a lot to our capabilities as
artists. It challenges our creativity and adds a testing dimension to the medium of dance.” Amusingly, she noted that the overall stress of the performance did not come from the experience of working with dancers of widely varying capabilities; it was the technology that was constantly on her mind. But it was worth the effort. The combination of dance and technology effectively brings together the multiplicity of real life experiences that were incorporated into the piece. Through its complex narrative structure and its insight, The Age I’m In brings attention to society’s perspective on aging and looks at it from a variety of viewpoints. The diversity of the performers gives a voice to age groups that are not always acknowledged in dance. Through her unconventional approach, Champion’s piece successfully moves toward the recognition and acceptance of age-based differences.
Culture
The McGill Daily, Thursday, October 22, 2009
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Cross-century scandal Victorian-era concerns find contemporary relevance in TNC’s Miss Julie Tiana Reid The McGill Daily
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NC’s most recent production, August Strindberg’s Miss Julie, opened last Thursday, October 15, before a full audience at McGill’s Morrice Hall theatre. You may have seen the sexy and intriguing posters advertising the performance around campus. A lot of us are quick to dismiss student-run theatre, perhaps because of past horrors of high school classmates’ on-stage antics, or thoughts that low-budget is synonymous with poor-quality. Nevertheless, Miss Julie, as directed by Rachel Paul, is worth a try. The play’s small cast allows for in-depth character analysis, but the production is first and foremost a social critique that examines the sexual, gender, and class struggles in the late 19th century, as well as the social consequences of sex. Miss Julie (Cece Grey) is a young nobleman’s daughter who seemingly has it all. On the night of a midsummer festival, she mingles with “commoners” and begins to flirt with one of her servants, Jean (Cory Lipman). Following this flirtation, Miss Julie embarks on a whirlwind adventure by playing around with the taboos of the age: she drinks beer at night alone with Jean, and begins to act out a set of behavioural stereotypes that were typically gendered male in the 19th century. She protests her ascribed social status through a captivatingly sarcastic tone, as a bossy and selfrighteous superior.
Courtesy of Maddy Werker
Contrasting with Miss Julie’s forceful, daredevil nature is another servant and Jean’s fiancé, Kristen (Rachel Penny), who comes across as satisfied with her place in society. A devout Christian, Kristen neither wishes nor is willing to rebel against her underprivileged rank. All three central characters, Miss Julie, Jean, and Kristen, give strong performances. But it is Jean’s character that dominates the play. At first, his boyish charm and good looks almost convince you to brush off his misogyny. More and more, though, his domineering antics stand out as he orders both female characters around without hesi-
tation. Towards the ending, Jean becomes little more than an overbearing, potty-mouthed chauvinist. Even so, Miss Julie scarcely objects. As Jean’s power increases, Julie also transforms, perhaps too suddenly, into a weak, childlike, and pathetic character, despite her feminist upbringing. At one point, she even says to Jean, “order me,” a moment sure to make the audience cringe. The play’s action unravels in a minimalist kitchen setting, an antique collector’s dream. Made up of shabby-chic furniture and kitchenware, the set is an ideal background for the domestic conflict
that is the heart of the play. There were, however, minor glitches in the technical aspects of the production; price stickers were not removed from the bottom of wine glasses, and Miss Julie’s train, though beautiful, was a bulky distraction. All the same, Miss Julie is an accomplished and scandalous play that will have you writhing in your seat. After all, it was banned in much of Europe when it opened in 1888. Although the play is set in the 19th century, it still offers modern audiences lessons to take away, particularly in view of the fact that
the double standards surrounding men’s and women’s sexual and social roles still exist. Miss Julie raises queries about women’s and men’s current roles, and questions “proper” and “indecent” sexual behaviour. TNC’s production invites you into a world where class and gender roles are powerfully inhibiting, and more importantly, into a world that has an alarming resemblance to the society in which we live today.
Miss Julie runs through October 24 at TNC Theatre, Morrice Hall, 3485 McTavish. For ticket information, email tnctheatre@gmail.com.
She got glam Johanu Botha The McGill Daily
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here are basic rock musicals, and then there’s Hedwig and the Angry Inch. More than just a show, it yanks you into a world where identities aren’t found, but created; where dreams are ripped apart and sewn back together with bloody hands. This is the world of Hedwig, forgotten transgender East German singer. Telling Hedwig’s story – with its many continents, sexual encounters, worldviews, and more – is not an easy task. But Players’ Theatre’s run of the show, which opened last ight does it effortlessly. Acting as the quintessential theatre critic, I strolled into the press preview with a slightly oversized blazer and a black notebook. The latter lay forgotten on my lap within the first 30 seconds of the performance. Once lead actor Max Zidel, as Hedwig, descended onto the stage, no one in the audience had time to take
notes. We were no longer near McGill campus watching a student production, but transported to a grubby venue somewhere, where Hedwig was about to unleash her autobiography. Written by John Cameron Mitchell, the story blends searing wit, Greek mythology, social philosophies, and age-old passions into a work that balances the all too human and the fantastical. Hedwig herself is but one piece of the puzzle that makes Players’ production great; without three other pieces, it would only be a shadow of its current form. The first piece is the heartbreakingly real character of Yitzhak, Hedwig’s on-stage partner. The production’s director, Jessica Kostuck, has given Yitzhak more character depth and importance than other versions of the show I’ve seen, a move I applaud. Elizabeth Conway is a first-year student who plays Yizthak like she’s a fourth-year theatre major. Her subtle background work and tingling vocals are rea-
son enough to go see the show. Moreover, she makes her character the perfect sidekick – it’s clear that Conway’s Yitzhak aches for Hedwig’s turmoil. She provides the sincerity that Hedwig can’t, and the audience loves her for it. The second piece of the puzzle is the vibrant band, which not only brings the house down with a pitchperfect glam rock performance, but does so while staying in character, communicating as a live band would. They are apt bookends for the show, blurring the line between our world and Hedwig’s. The third piece is one you may not see at first glance, but it is perhaps the most important. I’m talking about Hedwig’s other half, the being that the play’s whole journey is about. Whether this being is a successful rock star or whether he is in fact Hedwig herself is a question that drives the play, and the audience is left guessing its answer. The last time you see Hedwig is a poignant moment designed especially
Miranda Whist / The McGill Daily
Player’s Theatre stages Hedwig and the Angry Inch
for you to come to a conclusion. And I urge you, put yourself in the position to do so. Hedwig boasts an experienced production crew that has taken matches and made fireworks with them. The lavish costume design and set are fun, but the creative team took it up a notch: dispersed throughout the stage are TV screens, which are
constantly streaming footage that enhances the action. One almost needs a second viewing simply to take it all in. Go watch, and drag (mind the pun) your friends along. They’ll thank you for it. Hedwig and the Angry Inch is at Players’ Theatre (3480 McTavish, 3rd Floor) through October 31.
Culture
The McGill Daily, Thursday, October 22, 2009
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QWF to host panel on CanLit and lit crit Writers Out Loud discussion pays homage to the now defunct Double Hook Bookstore The McGill Daily
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his Thursday, the Quebec Writers’ Federation will hold a public discussion between literary critics T.F. Rigelhof and Ian McGillis, as part of its Writers Out Loud series. The event will mark the launch of Rigelhof’s new book, Hooked on Canadian Books: A Reader’s Guide to the Good, the Very Good & the Even Better Novels of 1984–2009. Hooked on Canadian Books is a celebration of Canadian authors writing in English who, according to Rigelhof, have the power to change a reader’s life. It is a return to reading’s passion, gusto, zest, and good humour, characteristics that have been lost, to a certain extent, in this new age of television, the Internet, and general digitalization. The book features 99 writers, all of them Canadian. This focus on Canadian literature is fundamental to both Rigelhof and McGillis’ work. Both critics are heavyweights in the world of Canadian literary review. Rigelhof contributes to The Globe and Mail and Dooney’s Café, has authored eight books (one a collection of essays on writing in Canada), and has served as a juror for, among others, the Governor General’s Literary Awards, the Books in Canada/ Amazon First Novel Award, and the Danuta Gleed Literary Prize. Based in Westmount, he is “first, last, and always a reader of contemporary fiction – especially Canadian novels.” McGillis, a regular contributor to the Gazette, also co-edits the Montreal Review of Books. He has gathered a cult-like following around his bestselling first novel, A Tourist’s Guide to Glengarry, and has two more novels in the works. He is especially interested in Montreal’s younger writers, particularly the Mile End community. The format of the event will be
CULTURE BRIEFS Finger-lickin’ good smut Lickety Split has earned a reputation for always doing things a little differently. Named Expozine’s Best English Zine in 2008, Montreal’s favourite smut zine has developed a knack for pushing buttons and boundaries, and, unsurprisingly, throwing a good party. This Friday, Lickety Split is kicking off a new monthly series of fundraiser-parties called Smut on the Dance Floor. Bringing the zine’s sex-positive attitude to WOOF Bar in the Village, Smut on the Dance Floor will feature a host of DJs, booths of both
both varied and concentrated, with a public conversation between the two critics lasting around 30 to 40 minutes. Topics to be discussed include Rigelhof’s reasons for writing Hooked on Canadian Books, the art of reviewing books for major newspapers as opposed to literary magazines, and the current state of Canadian fiction. Time will be dedicated to audience questions, and both Rigelhof and McGillis will be around for individual questions over coffee following the discussion. In the true spirit of supporting Canadian literature, Hooked on Canadian Books is dedicated to Judy Mappin and the staff of Montreal’s Double Hook Bookstore. From 1974 to 2005, the Double Hook Bookstore – named after Sheila Watson’s modernist novel, The Double Hook (1959) – was a proud bastion of Canadian literature, selling nothing else. Mappin opened the shop in 1974 with Hélène Holden and Joan Blake, and some credit her with single-handedly upholding the promotion of Canadian literature both in Montreal and abroad (the shop handled many international orders). By filling a shop solely with Canadian writers, the three women behind the Double Hook created a brand new attitude toward the promotion of this nation’s literature. It was no longer relegated to a single “Canadiana” shelf in corporate chain bookstores, but was upheld and celebrated in its own right. Since its closure upon Mappin’s retirement, the Double Hook has been much missed by both authors and readers. Hooked on Canadian Books (have you noticed the pun yet?) includes Rigelhof’s account of the place this unique bookshop occupied in shaping his reading, and through his recommendations, the spirit of the store will survive for future readers. “Between us,” Rigelhof says,
the kissing and “dirty photo” variety, peep shows, and, of course, dancing. Since Lickety Split is already famous for their outrageous launch parties, we feel that a monthly event hosted by them can only be a good thing. If smutty dancing tickles your fancy, visit licketysplitzine.blogspot. com for more info and, as an extra bonus, an infinite array of “cum/ come” puns. — Ian Beattie
Cinematic SPASMs Feeling understandably cheated in the wake of the Festival du Nouveau Cinema’s barrage of art house filmmaking, cheap exploitation flick enthusiasts needn’t despair – there’s an entire festival out there for you. Taking place from October 22 through 31, this year’s edition of the SPASM film festival promises to serve up an especially
Olivia Messer / The McGill Daily
Olivia Messer for The McGill Daily
Naomi Endicott
“Ian and I know about as much about [Canadian literature and the art of reviewing books] as anyone in the country.” This alone should be encouragement enough to any bibliophile to attend this event,
rich combination of B-movies, cheesy slashers, and shock comedies. This is not to deprive SPASM of its crossover potential. The festival’s main draw might just lie in its three short-film presentations, enticingly restricted to Quebec-made content. Divided into three categories – science fiction, suspense, and inclassables – these two-dozen or so short films will be screened over the course of three events, occurring between October 28 and 29. Readers split between vague temptation and skepticism, meanwhile, may find the burden of choice easier lifted than once imagined. Simply browse through SPASM’s film selection. Bikini Girls on Ice; Cabaret Trash; Burn Paris Burn. I’ve never felt more tempted to judge films by their titles. — Nicolas Boisvert-Novak
which promises to be an invaluable guide to readable, engaging current fiction from famous as well as uncelebrated authors. It might just change your reading habits forever.
The Quebec Writers’ Foundation hosts T.F. Rigelhof and Ian McGillis at 7:30 p.m. this Thursday, October 22, at the Westmount Library (4574 Sherbrooke O).
“Finish article Nim.” Nim Chimpsky writes for Culture.
You should too. “Write me write.” Tuesdays - 5:30 - Shatner B24 culture@mcgilldaily.com
14 Art Essay
The McGill Daily, Thursday, October 22, 2009
Maybe not with words Art Essay by Matt Kay
Compendium!
The McGill Daily, Thursday, October 22, 2009
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Lies, half-truths, and good ol’ fashion schoolin’
Let’s learn rhetoric!
with Télésphore Sansouci
Hey, you, yeah you, in front of me in class:
preterition
Brit. / pri t r n/ U.S. / pr d r ( )n/
Rhetoric. A figure in which attention is drawn to something by professing to omit it; an instance of this. (OED)
Ex. When drawing parallels between abortion and the Holocaust, I never said that women who get abortions are like Nazis! The nerve!
sophism
/ s f z( )m/
A specious but fallacious argument, either used deliberately in order to deceive or mislead, or employed as a means of displaying ingenuity in reasoning. (OED)
I CAN SEE YOU RIGHT NOW. AND I CAN SMELL YOU. AND EVERYONE ELSE CAN, TOO. So I just want to let you know: this classroom is not your home. I don’t even want to talk about the fact that you didn’t take a single note in class today, or the fact that you spent an hour and a half switching between Facebook stalking, perusal of Perez Hilton’s blog, and studying for some sort of brain class. I want to talk about the odours all of your activities emit. Let me be clear: you’re not smelly. I’m sure you smell fine. But can you please eat your fucking reeking salad somewhere else? The putrid smell of your vinegar dressing is incredibly distracting. Not to mention the time you licked your fork. Furthermore – your GUM. And your HAND LOTION. Okay, cool, you don’t want to take notes in class – can you at least not fill the room with various stinks? Let’s keep our toiletries and our meals in the appropriate place. We’re not in your kitchen, we’re not in your bathroom, so if you want to do that shit, do it at home. And while I’m at it – your Werther’s Original looks delicious, but is it really necessary to roll the wrapper up as nosily as possible? Stop it already! Fuck This! is a therapeutic anonymous rant column ’bout anyt’ing you want. Send your 200-word-or-less harangues every week to compendium@mcgilldaily.com. Anonymity is guaranteed, but nothing hateful – just frustrated!
Harebrained
Ex. Women of colour, poor women, and ethnic women get more abortions than rich, white women. Therefore, abortion is a form of racism.
falsehood
/ f ls-, f lsh d/
That which, or something that, is contrary to fact or truth; an untrue proposition, doctrine, belief, etc.; untrue propositions, etc. in general. (OED)
Ex. Abortion causes breast cancer.
genocide
/
n sa d/
Genocide is the deliberate destruction, in whole or in part, by a government or its agents, of a racial, sexual, religious, tribal or political minority. It can involve not only mass murder, but also starvation, forced deportation, and political, economic and biological subjugation. Genocide involves three major components: ideology, technology, and bureaucracy/organization. (Jack Nuson Porter, Harvard University)
Emily Jasper-Petry for The McGill Daily
Ex. Abortion is not genocide.
Unwashed and slightly eccentric Commentary editor seeks hilarious Compendium! contributors. No qualifications/purchase necessary; write to compendium@ mcgilldaily.com for more details. Camilla Grudova for The McGill Daily