27 November 2013

THE UNIVERSITY OF MANITOBA STUDENTS’ NEWSPAPER

The porn issue

pages 9-17

Pornfluence

50 Shades of fail Paid a pittance BDSM misrepresented in awful novel

Making a living in adult film industry increasingly difficult

Rated XXX

Star****ing

page 10

page 11

page 14

page 15

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How might Internet porn shape sexpectations?

A survey of sex and censorship in literature

Brief peak at influential and infamous celebrity sex tapes

WARNING: EXPLICIT CONTENT AND NUDITY WITHIN Vo l 1 0 0 · N o 1 5 · N ov e m b e r 2 7 , 2 0 1 3 · w w w.t h e m a n i to b a n .co m

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Index

VOL. 100 NO. 15 November 27, 2013

Editorial

News

| pa g e s 3 – 5

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Inquiry into the death of Brenda Moreside

5

U of M sustainability series highlights ethical consumption

Comment

cover image

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Features

| pa g e s 1 0 – 1 7

| pa g e s 6

“Restricted” by Radish

Please contact designteam@themanitoban.com if you are interested in submitting a cover image.

| pa g e 9

Polar bears don't belong in captivity

10

Defining pornography

11

50 shades of stereotyping

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Food porn

Arts & Culture Science & Tech

| pg 7

19

Kicking down stereotypes

Diversions

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| pgs 18–20

| pa g e 2 1

Genetically engineered mosquitoes can help reduce malaria occurrence

Sports 22

| pa g e s 2 2 – 2 3

You stay classy, curlers

Toban Talkback

Q :

Laura Soriano

Murel Patricio

Mariana Moraes

“Dafoe library, second floor.”

“I prefer to study in my dorm room.”

What is your favourite place on campus to study?

Quinn Richert, staff

Facul t y o f Engine ering

“My favourite place is in the engineering building, fourth floor. It is quiet and not many people know about it. “

Zohaib Ali

A sp er scho ol o f business

“The Asper library. I have classes there so I don’t have to go far in order to get back for class.”

Facul t y o f Engine ering

Facul t y o f Engine ering

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Senior News Editor: Quinn Richert News Editor: Katy MacKinnon Contact: news@themanitoban.com / 474.6770

News

Inquiry into the death of Brenda Moreside 911 dispatcher acted “unprofessionally,” supervisor said Caleigh MacDonald, staff

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ov. 18 marked the beginning of an inquiry into the 2005 death of Brenda Moreside, an Albertan who was killed by her boyfriend after calling 911 and receiving no help from the police, aside from a followup phone call.

Stanley Willier stabbed Moreside to death in February 2005 after he broke into the home the two shared in High Prairie, Alberta. Moreside called emergency services for assistance before Willier entered the house, but was told by the operator that Willier could “do whatever he want[ed]” because “he live[ed] there.”

Responding to a tip, police found her body 12 days later, and, following that, arrested and charged Willier with second-degree murder. After he was acquitted, a new trial was

ordered and in 2011, Willier pleaded sees many cases related to accusa- as much as it can do.” a given time. guilty to manslaughter. tions of domestic violence, noted The Protection Against Family Information overload can have On Nov. 18 of this year, Shelly that such an inquiry could have a Violence Act in Alberta offers leg- a harmful effect on work. It results Forbes, a supervisor at the RCMP’s small effect on laws that regulate islation for emergency protection to in the brain allocating less time to Edmonton call centre, described police involvement in domestic vio- victims of family violence. each piece of information, indeciYen Tran, the dispatcher who dealt lence cases.

An average of 12 million 911 siveness, and refusal of new pieces with Moreside, as being “lackadaisi“My understanding is that there is emergency calls are made annually of information. cal,” “unprofessional,” in Canada. It is a dis9-1-1 Magazine suggested that “condescending,” and patcher’s job to contact information overload could be a “Information overload”: the brain’s “curt.” Tran conceded hang-up callers, deter- threat to dispatch operators. Former in her affidavit that mine which emergency dispatcher Steve Pendleton said, “To inability to process the amount of her langage was not service to contact, and assume that there are magic soluinformation received in a given time professional and she calm the caller—all tions to the problem is wishful handled the call as a typically in just a few thinking, but if we take the time to vandalism case rather minutes—whilst main- understand information overload, than a case of domestic violence. a zero tolerance policy in Manitoba,” taining a composed and professional effective solutions for minimizing A database check performed by Valgardson said. “If police receive a manner. it are available.”

Tran at the time of the call would call that tells them to respond to a The job can be a highly stressful The results of the inquiry, which have shown that Willier was subject situation in which domestic violence one, and makes its workers particu- was scheduled to conclude on Nov. to a prior assault complaint. is alleged, they have to go, and they larly prone to “information overload”: 22, as well as official documents Winnipeg defence law yer have to press charges if there is any the brain’s inability to process the pertaining to the court proceedings, Timothy Valgardson, who said he evidence of it. [ . . . ] The law does amount of information received in have not yet been made public.

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News

Senior News Editor: Quinn Richert News Editor: Katy MacKinnon Contact: news@themanitoban.com / 474.6770

U of M professor presents on Thirty Years War The forgotten figure of Jean Hoeufft Caleigh MacDonald, staff

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rik Thomson, associate professor in the University of Manitoba’s history department, presented a paper entitled “Arms Dealing, Finance and Diplomacy in the Thirty Years War” to a packed conference room in Tier Building last Wednesday.

The reading discussed attempted negotiations for peace during the war; more specifically, Thomson examined the pro-war impact of a merchant by the name of Jean Hoeufft.

At the time of the war, arms dealing was a highly lucrative business in Europe. Hoeufft, described by a contemporary as “‘a man capable of speaking and acting’ as well as ‘[having]

money to distribute to people should “When I’m doing research, particu- lies. He remains not much more than a tries undergoing civil war. there be need,’” was well-suited to the larly in the archive, it’s like there are mas- footnote in most historical accounts of Like Hoeufft, Bout made a fortune job. sive amounts of open channels, and each the war, however. providing the resources for waging His influence also extended well one you can follow and find a new thing,” “I guess historians tend to go towards war to military combatants that lacked beyond arms trafficking. Hoeufft Thomson told the Manitoban. vacuums where there are holes,” said the means to do so themselves. “Like played a key part in diplomatic nego“Some of them kind of wither out, Thomson.

Hoeufft, he definitely had his own tiations with numerous countries and some of them you can say, ‘Okay, this “And looking at the sources I was agenda,” Thomson said. “I don’t think their governments, despite having no guy, I can kind of figure out what he’s looking at, here he was playing this key he was doing it out of the goodness of official authority to do so. doing,’ but Hoeufft just keeps expand- role in the Thirty Years War, and no one his own heart, or for the greater benefit As Thomson’s paper shows, Hoeufft’s ing. I keep finding new ties to him and had written about him [ . . . ] When I of humanity.” presence upset the legitimate diplomats that he’s involved in different things. But first started looking you couldn’t find “The more I find out about [Hoeufft], to the point where one of them wrote to despite this, he’s really hard to find.” anything about him.” the more interesting he becomes,” he the French secretary of state of the time, According to Thomson’s research, Thomson compares Hoeufft to added. complaining that “[He was] at the point Hoeufft made a fortune from his dip- Viktor Bout, a Russian illicit arms dealer Thomson will soon be taking his of desiring, rather than fearing, banish- lomatic and business ventures, ultimately who became famous in the 1990s and paper to the American Historical ment from Court, from France, prison, becoming one of the richest men in early 2000s for his trafficking to African Association to- present to a broader and even death.”

Europe besides the various royal fami- and Middle Eastern militants in coun- audience.

United Nations director discusses international human rights with faculty of law Marcia Kran gives guest lecture at her alma mater Kevin Linklater, staff

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he faculty of law at the University of Manitoba welcomed Marcia Kran to the school’s Fort Garry campus last week, where she gave a lecture on the subject of human rights law.

Kran, a distinguished graduate of Robson Hall, was, until recently, director of research and the right to development division at the United Nations Office of

the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Geneva.

She spoke for an hour last Thursday to an audience of law faculty and students, covering topics relating to human rights law, including a history of the founding of the UN. She drew attention to the role that Canada played in its development, for example, in the drafting of

the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Rome Statute, which established the International Criminal Court.

“I invite you to think about how the body of international human rights law that has been developed so far, and how these norms and standards can be used in your future practice of law,”

Kran said.

Kran emphasized the importance of domestic law in strengthening international human rights law and vice versa.

“The maximum effect of international human rights standards can only be achieved if these norms and standards are implemented nationally through domestic legal systems [ . . . ] There is considerable experience within Canada regarding relying on international human rights in domestic courts.

International human rights law can be used to assist the interpretation of domestic law; there is plenty of basis to build legal arguments on this international human rights framework.”

Upon graduating with a law degree from the University of Manitoba, Kran worked as a prosecutor for the attorney general of Manitoba for six years, before undertaking a graduate degree in Sweden.

“My time studying in Sweden really enthused me about pursuing human rights work. And I continued from there, and did another master’s degree in Toronto in political science, so I am a political scientist and a lawyer, and I think that helps a lot at the UN, in understanding political elements, and being able to have a multidisciplinary take on things,” Kran told the Manitoban.

In addition to working at the United Nations, Kran has also worked on the domestic side of human rights law at the Department of Justice Canada in the legal policy section.

“When Canada ratifies international treaties, the national law has to be changed to be in compliance with these international obligations, and I specifically worked on changes in national criminal law in that regard,” she said.

When asked about Canada’s participation at the United Nations and the changes she has seen in recent years, Kran said Canada has not been

photo by mhM55

as engaged as it was in the past.

“Canada had such a good record at the UN, and not just in the human rights pillar – in peacekeeping, and in a host of other areas,” said Kran.

“However, recently I’ve noticed that Canada has not been as active as it used to be in a progressive way on human rights.”

Earlier this year, Canada clashed with the Human Rights Council when it brought forward concerns about Canada’s record. Iran and other countries with dubious human rights records were part of the council.

“It is important to remember that all countries are developing countries when it comes to human rights. No country is perfect. The human rights framework is not being perfectly or fully applied by any country in the world, and this is true for Canada as well. We must remember that, even if the issue is being raised by Iran,” explained Kran.

Kran was also in town to attend the Isaac Pitblado Lectures as a keynote speaker. The focus of this year’s series was on human rights.

The Pitblado lectures are a longrunning series dating back to 1960, and are collectively presented by the Law Society of Manitoba, the Manitoba Bar Association, and the faculty of law at the U of M.

VOL. 100 NO. 15 November 27, 2013

News

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U of M sustainability series highlights ethical consumption Discussing alternatives to free markets Kevin Linklater, staff

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he office of sustainability at the University of Manitoba continued its brown bag lunch seminar series last Wednesday highlighting different forms of ethical consumption, as well as the role that the Fort Garry BookStore plays in practicing ethical consumption.

Mark Hudson, assistant professor in the department of sociology and co-ordinator of the global political economy program, and Leta Beyak, manager of the U of M’s Fort Garry BookStore, led the discussion.

Beyak outlined the bookstore’s “no sweat” policy, which requires the store to source from suppliers that adhere to the Fair Labour Association’s Workplace Code of Conduct.

“This effort started back in the 90s, when students urged us, and we urged our administration, to implement this policy – to buy from suppliers that follow fair labour practices,” said Beyak.

During the discussion, Hudson fair trade was having in non-economic for ethical consumption, in that it has focused on the burgeoning fair trade terms. It gave producers a deeper sense the potential to change the way we see movement. He shared the insights he of political engagement and helped the products we consume. gained while studying the effect that build connections and networks with “One of the most promising aspects fair trade was having on coffee produc- other co-operatives in the countryside, of ethical consumption is that it might ers in the Mexican state of Chiapas, and the small premiums that they were offer a way for us to start thinking about outlining some of its shortcomings, earning through fair trade were put the processes that go into making the but also why he is hopeful about the towards very positive developments, products we consume, which might movement. like building schools and clinics.” have much larger political effects than “When we actually look at the The explosion of the fair trade move- the simple income transfer that it has transfer of income from the North ment in recent years has presented both from the global North to the global to the South, after the expenses that opportunities and challenges, as it is South.” these producers incur from switching now reaching more consumers and The U of M student group Engineers to organic production, and in becom- helping more producers than ever Without Borders had several of its members at the discussion. The group ing fair trade certified and so on, the before. additional income that they’re receiving “As corporations that are beholden is working to increase fair trade awarefrom engaging [in] fair trade is pretty to the profit imperative become more ness and the availability of fair trade modest.” and more involved [in fair trade], there products on campus.

Hudson stressed, however, that is an interesting incentive structure that Engineers Without Borders is lookthis is only one small part of what emerges, which is that they want to ing to eventually achieve fairtrade cerfair trade can do. maximize the ethical image, while min- tification for the U of M campus. Three “One thing imizing the ethical content – because other universities in Canada have such that struck the ethical content comes with costs. a designation: the University of British me was the As a result, the ethical content of all Columbia, Simon Fraser University, huge sub- these different labels generally erodes and the University of Guelph. stantive dif- as they grow,” Hudson cautioned. illustration by Heather Kat Cole ference that Nevertheless, Hudson sees promise

The Trans-Pacific Partnership and you Canadian expert concerned with TPP chapter on copyright, intellectual rights Marc Lagace, staff

O

n Nov. 13, WikiLeaks released draft text of the Trans-Pacific Partnership’s (TPP) chapter on Intellectual Property Rights. The document provides insight into the ongoing negotiations between the delegations from the United States, Japan, Mexico, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and six other Asian and South American nations.

The leaked chapter, in part, pertains to: trademarks; patents, with specific attention placed on drugs and biological patents; and copyright legislation and enforcement.

The TPP currently represents nearly 40 per cent of the world’s economy (a GDP of $27.5 trillion) and 792 million people.

“Joining the TPP is good news for hard-working Canadian families,” said Ed Fast, Canada’s minister of international trade, on Oct. 9, 2012 – the day after Canada formally joined the TPP negotiations.

“Opening new markets and increasing Canadian exports to fast-growing markets throughout the Asia-Pacific region is a key part of our government’s plan to create jobs, growth and long-term prosperity.”

There have been 19 rounds of negotiations; the first occurred in Melbourne, Australia in March of 2010. Canada has participated in the past five rounds of negotiations.

Canada is participating in ongoing TPP meetings aside from the negotiation rounds. The latest meeting

took place in Salt Lake City from Nov. 19-24 in reference to “chief negotiators and key experts.”

The leaked document has allowed experts in the field of international trade, copyright, and intellectual property rights to examine the impact of the trade agreements being proposed within the TPP. The language used in the agreement has raised concerns on the effect the TPP will have on Canadian sovereignty.

Michael Geist is a law professor and a research chair in Internet and e-commerce law at the University of Ottawa. On June 3, 2013, Geist spoke about the TPP in front of the House of Commons Standing Committee on International Trade. He outlined the potential damage the trade deal would have on Canadian copyright laws and other intellectual property issues.

Five months later, Geist’s suspicions were confirmed.

“We’ve now had a more substantive leak than when I appeared before [the House] that identifies specific country positions, and it’s abundantly clear that all the concerns around intellectual property were perfectly valid,” Geist told the Manitoban. “The only real good news that has come out of the leak is to find that in fact Canada has been, at least up till now, trying to stand up for a Canadian oriented position.”

“We’ll see how long that lasts, but it certainly was good to see in the

leaked documents that Canada is really adopting its own approach – sometimes with the support of others, sometimes not.”

Geist warned of the risk Canada faces if negotiators give in to the demands of the United States.

“From [the implementation of a] system that could lead to Canadians losing their Internet access based on allegations of infringement, to extensions on the terms of copyrights so that many works wouldn’t enter public domain for decades, to increased health-care costs through long extensions of terms of patents for pharmecuticals – there would be very serious implications for Canadians.”

Geist also challenges the notion ing on to the TPP would override put forth by MP Fast that the TPP Canada’s progressive laws regarding would open up new markets to intellectual property.

Canadian exporters.

“We tend to adopt a somewhat “Frankly, I don’t think it’s all that more flexible approach, a less restricsignificant.” tive approach than the United States.

Geist explained that Canada The truth is, we find ourselves ecoalready has well-documented trade nomically (when it comes to intelagreements in place with the major lectual property) typically in a similar participants in the TPP, specifically place as many of the other countries. the United States and Mexico.

The U.S. is a major net exporter of “The notion that this somehow intellectual property, so it uses trade offers us access to major new markets, deals as a major tool to try to ratchet most of the markets that we don’t up protection in other countries.” have trade deals with are relatively “There are few incentives in that small. The lone exception to that is regard for Canada, and that’s true Japan.” actually for most of the TPP.” Overall, Geist argued that sign-

Comment Editor: Katerina Tefft Contact: comment@themanitoban.com / 474.6529

Comment

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A short guide to using language thoughtfully

Things to keep in mind before you say “That’s so gay” Leah Borchert

I photo by angela england

Polar bears don’t belong in captivity Combating climate change the real answer to wildlife conservation Chris Hearn, volunteer staff

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hy do we humans love to kilometres away from their real, play the role of God or natural homes, and in completely Mother Nature? What gives us different climates. the right to decide the fate and The justification for easing future of every other living thing restrictions on taking polar bears on this planet? into captivity has been that climate Nature can take care of itself change has deeply affected polar best. It always has and always will. bears and they are facing hardAttempts by humans to change ships and death as a result. This and control everything else do not also leads to increased contact serve nature well. with humans, which often ends Case in point is a recent decision poorly for the bear. So, rather than by the Manitoba government to individual polar bears facing death, change restrictions on taking polar humans, in their infinite wisdom, bears into captivity. For 30 years, have decided that a life in captivity the law said that is far better for bears could only these bears in Is our solution be taken into the long run. captivity if they But is it? Is to a climate were less than a wild animal two years old. stuck in a cage crisis that we Well, no more. really better off have caused Zoos aren’t than one who exactly known dies because its really sticking as being the environment animals affected ideal home for can no longer any animal that sustain it? Polar by our mistakes ought to be out in bears do not fare into captivity? the wild. While well in captivity some zoos have because of what worked hard they are used trying to simulate natural envi- to in their native habitat, which ronments for the animals they man cannot effectively recreate. cage, humans cannot ultimately Is our solution to a climate crisis simulate what Mother Nature has that we have caused, and seem to provided. But we seem to insist be none too eager to fix, bringing we can do it and that what we are animals affected by our mistakes doing is right! into captivity?

The key words surrounding the If we really want to help, we justification for zoos are “conserva- have to deal with climate change tion,” “education,” and “research.” immediately. If we don’t effecAlthough there is some merit in tively tackle climate change, we these concepts—in the sense that will just keep sticking more and understanding other species, their more individual animals affected environments, and their plight by our environmental recklessness is important—the ideals can- into zoos while the rest of their not be fulfilled by sticking ani- species will die off. mals behind bars in a man-made environment, often hundreds of

have a lot of friends who regularly use terms like “that’s so gay” or “that’s retarded.” These friends are generally intelligent, compassionate people, who do not at all think of themselves as homophobic, ableist, or otherwise prejudiced. Many of them even think of themselves as allies.

Their general line of reasoning is that language evolves and these terms have taken on a new meaning, independent of the group of people they used to/also refer to.

They mean it as a joke. Their friends know they’re not prejudiced. Even some gay people say “that’s gay.” It’s not hurting anyone.

These reasons, among others, are so often used to defend the use of these phrases. While I—as well as many others—have elected to not use these phrases at all, I also recognize that there are many intelligent and caring people who choose to use them anyway, on the belief that they aren’t harmful.

I’m not going to try to talk anyone out of saying “that’s so gay.” I think some of the reasons/situations that someone might have for saying these phrases are legitimate.

What I want to outline is a short list of things to keep in mind if you do choose to use these phrases. This list isn’t for those who don’t care who they offend. This list is for the thoughtful and considerate. For the friends of mine who see no problem with playfully calling a friend a “retard” when they both know it’s just a joke. For those who have

thought it through and come to the is a bad thing to be. These associaconclusion that in certain circum- tions are forming in both the people stances, there’s nothing wrong with who use the terms and the people using this language in ways that who hear them, whether we’re some may deem offensive. aware of it or not.

And I’m not saying you’re necessarily wrong. I just want you to keep 3) People may assume some things in mind: that you have the prejudices that are implied 1) Know your audience. by your language.

If you want to joke around with Whether or not they’re right in your friends, make sure that you’re this belief, anyone who overhears all on the same page. You don’t you using a potentially offensive always know everyone’s circum- phrase may assume that you are, stances. There may be topics or in fact, homophobic, ableist, sexslurs that make people incredibly ist, racist, or otherwise prejudiced. uncomfortable, even if they don’t A friend of mine who often uses bring it up. Be especially wary of racist slurs “as a joke” was recently using these phrases in public, or shocked to find out that many of his around people you don’t know friends believed he was actually racvery well. You never know what ist. Even if people aren’t speaking someone’s been through, what up, they may be interpreting your their family situation is, and what’s use of these phrases to indicate caused or is causing them pain. that you actually do have negative beliefs about the referenced 2) Language does matter. groups.

A lot of people feel that when So there you have it. If you you say “that’s gay,” you’re not actu- choose to use these phrases, make ally referring to gay people; it’s sure that you’ve thought it through an entirely different word, in an and understand the possible ramifientirely different context. Language cations. Be aware of the context, and evolves, after all. But the reality is, recognize that you are participating the words that we use affect the in reinforcing negative associations, way we think. When we use a term even if you don’t mean to. like “gay” or “retarded” to refer to I’m not going to say that you’re something negative, we’re building a terrible person if you keep saying implicit associations between “gay” these phrases; I’m not even going to and “retarded” and negative things. tell you to never use them. Make Even if we don’t use the terms to your own decisions. But be aware refer to the groups of people, we’re that your words really do matter. still subconsciously reinforcing the Be careful how you use yours. idea that being “gay” or “retarded”

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Genetically engineered mosquitoes can help reduce malaria occurrence University of Minnesota researchers put together a system for testing the risks of genetically engineered insects Elizabeth Drewnik, staff

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enetically engineered (GE) biotechnologies are on the rise.

We are all familiar with the progress that has been made with genetically modified crops. Now advances are being made with GE insects. This biotechnology can aid in pest management, as well as more pressing issues revolving around human diseases caused by insects.

However, as with all technology, particularly one of such ecological magnitude, the product must be vigorously tested—by scientists, governments, and industry—in order to ensure as great an ecological safety as possible.

These tests are done using Ecological Risk Assessment, a series of specially designed framework trials for the evaluation of “undesired humanmediated environmental changes.”

Currently there are no standard “greater efficiency and effectiveness ways of evaluating biotechnology of control” with the GE insects like that of GE insects. Researchers than with previous methods.

But how is a genetically engifrom the University of Minnesota have been working on a way to neered mosquito going to help stop assess any potential environmental the spread of malaria?

The GE species of mosquito effects that may arise from the use of GE insects. Published in the sci- is intended to kill or replace the ence journal Ecology and Evolution, malarial mosquito population. One the paper stated “the purpose of this of the methods that can be used framework is to identify all poten- to accomplish this includes a neat tial ecological effects for a specific genetic trick known as “homing endonuclease genes.” Essentially, GE insect release.”

The study focused on the mos- this will allow for the GE mosquiquito species Anopheles gambiae, toes to “poison” the wild mosquiimportant for its role in contribut- toes with “bad genes” so that the ing to human disease. A. gambiae is malarial population is unable to a vector for malaria (the fifth-lead- procreate as effectively.

The current goal is to determine ing cause of death from infectious diseases). It carries the malaria- whether the ecological effects of causing protozoan parasites of releasing the GE mosquito species the genus Plasmodium, found into the environment will be posiendemically in Africa. Sadly, tive or negative. Even though these most deaths from malaria GE insects are not expected to conare experienced by children tribute to any new ecological effects, potential issues that may arise from younger than five years of age.

The overall desired effect their exposure to the environment is to reduce the occurrence of still need to be addressed. As of malaria. Previous methods, now, the “use and release of GE including the use of DDT insects is still in its infancy,” accord(a chemical toxin) and ing to the study.

This biotechnology is not only insecticide-treated bednets, have been used in limited to mosquitoes – in the U.K., attempts to lower mos- genetically modified olive flies are quito populations. But waiting for approval to be tested in neither method Spain. The male GM flies have a holds as great “female-killing gene” that will result a promise for in the death of female progeny, thus limiting the reducing the olive fly population.

Since these GE insects are rate of malaria infection as the becoming more common, Aaron David—the lead author—and his introduction of GE insects team are hoping that his research into the envi- initiative will provide enough guidronment. The ance for appropriate risk assessment study claims of future organisms. that there is illustration by caroline norman potential for

Science & Technology Editor: Tom Ingram Contact: science@themanitoban.com / 474.6529

Science & technology

Evolution’s hotspots Speciation occurs faster in unique Andean region Devon Hanel

B

iologists at the University of are a popular example of this phethe Andes in Colombia claim nomenon. A single species of South to have discovered one of the fastest American finches, with beaks suited evolving ecosystems on the planet. for consumption of seeds, began to This rapid diversification is taking occupy the islands and quickly—in place in the mountainous ecosys- geological terms—diversified into 14 tems of South America known as different species with beaks suited for different needs, such as conpáramos.

A páramo is a grassy area above sumption of leaves, or insects.

It is important to note that the the tree line. They can be found in the Northern Andes of Colombia, oldest of the islands in the Galápagos Venezuela, Peru, and Ecuador occur- is 4.2 million years old, a drop in ring at altitudes of 9,200-14,800 feet the bucket in evolutionary terms. above sea level. Santiago Madriñán, By comparison, it was only 2.6 milthe lead author of a new paper in lion years ago that the development the journal Frontiers in Genetics on of the páramo ecosystem became the evolution of plant species in the possible in the Andes, meaning the páramos, described them as “islands observed diversity emerged in this relatively short time period. in a sea of forest.”

Madriñán and other researchers Páramos have also been described as the “water towers” of South compared 13 different lineages and America, absorbing large quanti- examined the rate at which species ties of water through the soil during of plants had diverged from one the rainy season and then releasing another within these lineages. Using it during the dry season to nearby an average and then comparing to creeks. Páramos account for two other evolutionary rates elsewhere per cent of Colombian landmass in the world, they were led to conyet provide water to 70 per cent of clude that speciation “occurred more the population. These unique eco- rapidly in páramos than in any other systems have 3,431 different species hotspot on earth.”

The position of the Andes at of vascular plants, almost all of which are exclusive to the region. the equator (which provides large According to the new paper, these amounts of sunlight for energy), species are evolving at an unprec- as well as the cold temperatures and excess UV radiation, makes edented rate.

Evolution can occur at various for a unique climate. Madriñán speeds. The process of “adaptive believes this climate may explain radiation” is an example of rapid the speed of evolution in this ecoevolution. Adaptive radiation occurs system. Madriñán’s research on this when an ancestral population of a hotspot of evolution opens the door species encounters a new environ- for further research on the effects of ment, consisting of unfulfilled climate change on plant populations, ecological niches, forcing the rapid as well as the processes by which speciation occurs. evolution of many new species.

The finches found by Charles Darwin on the Galápagos Islands

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Nudes vs. porn The double-edged sword of sharing artistic nudes on the Internet Kara passey, staff

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am a fat, queer artist who makes art ize that is what I do.

“Non-sexual images being sexualized is involving my naked body and the naked This resulted in Facebook comments seriously one of the biggest issues within bodies of others. This territory wields a and private messages everywhere saying, the online body positivity community,” double-edged sword: While my work gives “omg boobs” and unwarranted advances says Crow. “People don’t want images of a lot of love and attention to “unconven- galore. A lot of dudes got blocked that them saying, ‘Hey, I feel shitty about my tional” bodies, and provides those seeking day. body, but here I am trying to embrace it acceptance with support, I haven’t mastered Fuming, this was possibly the first time anyways’ put on a blog filled with holes the art of protecting it from those who sex- I realized that I don’t take these photos being filled.” ualize—or even fetishize—it. for anyone but myself, and for people “[There is] nothing wrong with porn or My first experience of creepy backlash who view them as an act of self-care and the acts that happen in pornography, but occurred in February 2011, when a six-foot- acceptance. This is ultimately what “selfie” don’t force others to be a part of it. When tall full frontal nude painting of myself culture is: the subject is making an attempt someone reblogs a non-sexual image of me graced the cover of the Manitoban. The at having complete and total control over onto porn/fetish/bbw blogs, they are takpainting in question makes reference to the way the world perceives them. Selfies ing away that control I felt over my body baroque Catholic art, and without real- can be especially valuable in a world where and placing it under a different context.” izing it I painted myself in the typical fat, disabled, queer, trans*, and/or nonBut how can the artist fight this? It’s “male gaze” format – not that it justifies the binary people aren’t well-represented. naive to think that they can control all unsolicited attention I received for it.

When people non-consensually objectify aspects of their audience’s experience, Almost every one of my ex-partners— them—or even harass or belittle them—it but maybe there are some things they who still live in Winnipeg—contacted me takes all the power away. can control. to talk about my cover painting. Not in a Photographer Dayna Danger (daynadan“Congrats on making art and getting it out ger.com), a Winnipeg-born Metis/Polish/ there” kind of way, but in a “Hey, I saw Ojibwa artist currently based in Montreal, your boobs in a painting and now I want to involves nudity in a lot of her work and talk to you about them” kind of way. takes the context of its consumption very Fast forward a few years and I’m still seriously. painting nudes. My work progressed from “The amount of access to nude imagery just using myself as a subject to painting is infinite on the Internet,” says Danger. our most vulnerable parts, and presenting “Yet the stigma over the nude body has not them in a way that punches the “male gaze” decreased, especially when those bodies are right in its stupid face. Unfortunately, just deemed sexual.” because I approach my work differently “With [the existence of] revenge porn and now doesn’t mean it’s safe from those who the idea of someone turning your image into want to apply their own personal context a negative meme, I knew the sort of converto it. sations and considerations I wanted to have As you can imagine, working with Lauren Crow is a blogger (crowcrow. about the nude body; sexuality and presentanudes means I have a lot of nude photos. tumblr.com) and photographer (lauren- tion needed to be off the Internet. My photoPhotos people email me, ones I take of oth- crow.carbonmade.com) who makes work graphs need to be in a place where context is ers, and hundreds—if not thousands—of in an attempt to help others on their jour- present, be it a gallery or publication.” myself. Sometimes I take a photo and feel ney to body acceptance.

The line between art and pornography like painting it is unnecessary, and that “Media seldom represents bodies that isn’t straight or defined. The concept of the photo says so much on its own. Once tend to diverge from classic archetypes of making art inaccessible by keeping it off I took a photo of myself that I liked so beauty, fitness, and health,” says Crow. “As the Internet when its purpose is to help and much—that wasn’t even fully nude, mind a photographer, it is my belief that bodies heal raises problems on its own. you—and put it on Facebook. perceived to come in conflict with these Should the artist take full responsibility Before you judge me for posting a normative physiques are the ones worth for the context the work is viewed in? Is it vulnerable picture on Facebook, try to really seeing or at least seeing more of.” too much to expect courtesy and respect remember that being an artist is my fuckIn addition to having similar goals in from the viewer? How can we make the ing job, and anyone who is added on my our artistic practice, we have experienced Internet a safe and accessible space for convery private Facebook account should real- some of the same obstacles. versations about our bodies?

“[There is] nothing wrong with porn or the acts that happen in pornography, but don’t force others to be a part of it” – Lauren Crow

Managing Editor: Fraser Nelund Contact: me@themanitoban.com / 474.6520

Features

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Pornfluence How Internet porn shapes and can be shaped, for better or worse bryce hoye, staff

illustration by bram keast

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ou’re a young male. Your loins stir at a slight breeze. You might stand in confused arousal for a time contemplating such a zephyr’s mysterious ability to give you a raging 110 percent-er, eventually you hightail it back inside to the basement and fixate your sensory faculties onto the fleshy glow and inauthentic whimpers jumping off the screen of the family desktop.

Extrapolating wildly from my own

experience as a young man coming of age at the advent of Internet porn accessibility, this is what sex looks like to many within my cohort: anal and girlon-girl are par for the course; men and women (mostly white, some Asian) are jacked and tanned, shaved and bleached, plastic and enhanced, hung and buxom; women are subjugated to the point of humiliation amidst theatrical overtones of pain, and… ejaculate-to-the-face,

delete browser history, repeat.

How might routine exposure to what might be considered garden-variety porn of the day influence young men and, by extension, their relationships with young women and trans people? Could “the onslaught of porn [be] responsible for deadening [the] male libido in relation to real women,” as Naomi Wolf writes?

This is not to imply that some-

thing is inherently wrong with any of the aforementioned aesthetics or sexual practices, but young men aren’t instructed to view Internet pornography through critical lenses. The medium invites eyes to glaze over and focus on nothing more than the task in hand. Young men aren’t taught to approach Internet pornography ready to question or care about the modes of production, the (un)ethical treatment and compensation of actors therein, the fetishization of certain races or body types and the normalization of others, or the commodification of nude bodies as mere ejaculate receptacles.

Anecdotally, it seems that to speak critically of porn culture—how it might influence sexual expectations and negatively shape how young men view women—is to court controversy.

“When I teach [about pornography] in class, I have trouble getting people to take up the [anti-porn] side of the debate,” said professor Neil McArthur, Associate Director for the Centre for Professional and Applied Ethics at the U of M. “Generally I would say the trend is that pornography doesn’t have hugely negative effects, but I can’t say that the data is pointing all in one direction. [ . . . ] My suspicion is that it depends on whether you’re talking about the

population as a whole—for which probably pornography is not going to be that negative—or whether you’re talking about people with certain vulnerabilities, for which there may be a dangerous element in the mix.”

In other words, for those individuals with social isolation issues or preexisting sexist attitudes, ready access to all manner of Internet pornography might exacerbate the problem. For the rest of the population, perhaps consuming porn is not so bad?

“People use to say, ‘I hate rap music, it’s misogynist.’ Some rap music is misogynist; don’t listen to the misogynist stuff or try to change the culture of rap so it’s less misogynist,” said McArthur.

“Yes a lot of porn is misogynist; it’s obnoxious; but you just change porn – you focus on the good stuff. There are people out there that I know that are trying to make more positive or ethical porn. The solution may not be to be anti-porn but to be pro better porn.”

The Manitoban extends an open invitation to men, women, queer, and trans* individuals to contribute “anti-porn” submissions in the future. Email editor@themanitoban.com for more details Follow Neil McArthur www.morallust.com

Defining pornography An attempt to pin down an inherently slippery—and sticky—concept Tom ingram, staff

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illustration by bradly wohlgemuth

.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice Potter Stewart once said that he could not define pornography. “But I know it when I see it,” he famously added. Others have also remarked on the difficulty of coming up with a satisfying definition.

Why should this be such a difficult task?

Mostly, it is the same philosophical issues that arise when trying to define anything. But pornography touches some tender nerves – whatever you think of it, it’s clear that some pretty basic moral and legal questions are involved. It matters where we set boundaries, so the inherent difficulties in coming up with a definition are more poignantly felt.

I certainly cannot do any better than Justice Stewart in this short space, but a survey of some attempts at a definition might be instructive.

So, what is pornography? An answer that springs to mind immediately is: “Material that is intended to cause arousal for the purpose of masturbation.” There is wisdom in this answer; pornography is a way of viewing something, and many things can become pornography when viewed from certain angles. This definition will not stand up, however, because it invokes the problematic concept of intent.

Intentions are inaccessible. Nothing is because plenty of material we would conto stop me from filming a hardcore porno sider pornographic is produced without a and then claiming it was actually intended profit motive and available for free. as a study in suburban architecture and the One other frequently used definition of camera’s focus on a housewife and pizza pornography is “sexually explicit material delivery boy having disgusting amounts that is obscene.” Philosopher Roger Scruton of sex on the couch is a merely accidental defines sexual obscenity as a “depersonalfeature of the film. You may not believe ized” way of seeing human sexuality that me, but you have no way of proving me reduces sexual conduct to animal function, wrong. placing the body above all else. In literary Turning to that sexiest of all refer- or pictorial representation, obscenity is a ence works, the Stanford Encyclopedia of matter of perspective: while the “genuinely Philosophy, we find that “pornography is erotic” work of art gives you a first-person sexually explicit material designed to pro- perspective of a romantic encounter, an duce sexual arousal in consumers that is obscene—and therefore pornographic— bad in a certain way.” This definition is work takes the voyeuristic third-person a little hard to swallow, since it takes our perspective that emphasizes the body. naive answer and embeds a controversial This definition has the advantage of moral judgment in it. Many definitions pointing to specific features of a picture, seem to take this tack, since opponents of film, or literary work that would mark it pornography have a much bigger stake in as pornographic. But it also comes with a a definition. whole pile of philosophical baggage you According to the sociologist Jon Huer, may or may not care to import. pornography is essentially commercial.

This is as far as I can take you – you’ll Pornographers harness our sexual desires for have to go the rest of the way by yourself. monetary gain, and this exploitation is the While defining pornography is a hard defining feature of pornography. However, task, we have at least managed to lay a although the relationship between pornog- few things bare. In the meantime, I’ll be raphy, commerce, and commodification is in my bunk. interesting, it cannot be the whole story

VOL. 100 NO. 15 November 27, 2013

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50 shades of stereotyping E.L. James novels bad (not in a fun way) Katerina Tefft, staff

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ith all the recent hoopla about the the story he constantly pressures her into Fifty Shades of Grey movies currently doing things she isn’t comfortable with in the works, now is an important time to and that she does not enjoy. discuss some of the biggest problems with An example of this occurs when the E.L. James novels – specifically, their Christian presents Anastasia with a damaging misrepresentation of BDSM, contract detailing his demands for their (bondage, discipline, sadism, masochism). relationship. While contracts are a comNever mind the laughable prose; the inac- mon feature of BDSM—their purpose curate stereotypes and bad BDSM prac- being to formalize an agreement of rules, tices portrayed in Fifty Shades are not only goals, duties, and boundaries between offensive to the BDSM community, but partners—the problem with Christian’s also dangerous for readers who are being contract is twofold. newly exposed to BDSM and getting the First, the contract is all about his wrong idea of what it is all about. demands and his preferences; Anastasia One of the biggest problems with Fifty does not get any input, and although she Shades is its perpetuation of the mistaken tries to negotiate, Christian does not give belief that people who participate in an inch.

BDSM do so because they are psychologiSecond, Anastasia has never been in cally damaged. Titular character Christian any kind of BDSM relationship before Grey, who assumes the role of dominant (she’s never even had sex before); therefore, in his sexual relationship with protago- she hasn’t gotten the chance to explore nist Anastasia Steele, is self-described as and discover what she likes or does not “fifty shades of fucked up” from having like. She does not even know what half been abused as a child. This rationalizes the terminology in the contract means and not only his sexual preferences, but also has to look it up on Wikipedia. The fact his abusive, controlling, and stalkerish that her immediate reaction to reading up behaviour toward Anastasia, who hap- on this stuff is physical illness and the fact lessly spends the entirety of the novel try- that she does not sign the contract are big ing to fix him. red flags that this dominant-submissive This is a stereotype that wrongfully relationship is not going to be a healthy demonizes practitioners of BDSM. A one.

2001-2002 study in the peer-reviewed Another example occurs when Journal of Sexual Medicine concluded that Christian spanks her; there is zero plea“ BDSM is simply a sexual interest or sub- sure for Anastasia in this interaction. culture attractive to a minority, and for She describes the pain as “gruelling” and most participants not a pathological symp- the incident as a “merciless assault.” She tom of past abuse or difficulty with ‘nor- describes wanting to free herself or beg mal’ sex.” A 2013 study in the same journal him to stop. She later tells him that she felt found that BDSM practitioners were “less “demeaned, debased, and abused.” This is neurotic, more extroverted, more open not sexy. to new experiences, more conscientious, Now, importantly, BDSM can often be less rejection sensitive,” and “had higher about making your partner feel demeaned subjective well-being.” or debased. If this is what you are into, and The stereotype of the Christian-Grey- you have preceded this dom-sub dynamic esque damaged BDSM practitioner is a with open discussion about preferences, hurtful and inaccurate one that should boundaries, and consent, there is no probbe put to rest – not to mention that pop lem. But in Fifty Shades, this open and culture is already far too saturated with honest discussion is absent, and when stories that tell women they can fix their Anastasia tells Christian that she strongly abusers, a misogynistic trope with danger- disliked being hit, his response is to mock ous real-life consequences. her, to make her question her own feelings The Fifty Shades series also wrongfully by asking, “Do you really feel like this or conflates BDSM with abuse. It cannot do you think you ought to feel like this?” be overstated that BDSM is absolutely and then asking her to ignore her feelings not about abuse; it is about power, and by saying, “If that is how you feel, do you it necessitates a high level of trust, com- think you could just try to embrace these munication, and respect between partners. feelings, deal with them, for me? That’s This respect for boundaries and personal what a submissive would do.” preferences is entirely absent between Wrong, E.L. James. In a safe and conChristian and Anastasia, as throughout sensual dominant-submissive relation-

ship, nobody should ever be expected to do anything they do not want to. Again, BDSM is strongly predicated on respect and boundaries, as should be the case in every sexual relationship. In all varieties of sex, anything less than enthusiastic consent means no. Pressuring your partner into doing something they do not enjoy and disregarding their boundaries is abuse.

This lack of respect for boundaries goes both ways in Christian and Anastasia’s relationship. Even though Christian explicitly tells her from the get-go that he is only interested in a sexual relationship and does not want any kind of emotional commitment, Anastasia’s goal throughout the novel is to change that. She pressures him to stay the night with her numerous times even though he told her that this was one of his limits. The message of the novel is that it is okay to pressure someone into a monogamous relationship; it is not.

Another example of serious misrepresentation of BDSM in Fifty Shades is Christian’s complete failure to provide aftercare to Anastasia. Aftercare in an essential element of BDSM in which partners must immediately follow up with each other after any kind of play to find out how they are both doing—what they liked or did not like, how they are feeling—and to tend to each other’s emotional and physical needs by providing comfort, reassurance, and support. This is especially important in dom-sub relationships and for participants who are new to BDSM, like Anastasia. Christian’s immediate followup to play with Anastasia is abandonment or to otherwise act like an uncaring jerk. He even yells at her for yawning because she is understandably tired.

It is great that Fifty Shades has made both BDSM and erotica a little less taboo, but it is important to be aware that this series is not a good representation of a healthy BDSM relationship. Never mind BDSM; Christian and Anastasia do not demonstrate a healthy and respectful dynamic for any kind of sexual relationship.

Before engaging in any kind of BDSM play, do your research. Learn from folks who are actually involved in the BDSM community, not from Twilight fan fiction. Remember that BDSM may sometimes involve pain and debasement, but it should still be enjoyable; if you’re not having fun, you’re doing it wrong.

illustration by bradly wohlgemuth

It is great that Fifty Shades has made both BDSM and erotica a little less taboo, but it is important to be aware that this series is not a good representation of a healthy BDSM relationship

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Features

Managing Editor: Fraser Nelund Contact: me@themanitoban.com / 474.6520

Surveying research on the effects of pornography, with Dr. Neil McArthur: [1] Two studies by A. Barak et al. found that exposure to pornography had no discernible effect on attitudes towards women in general, the acceptance of rape myths, or tolerance of sexual harassment. (Barak & Fisher 1997; Barak et. al. 1999). Mahood et al. found that higher levels of exposure to pornography did lead to higher levels of acceptance of violence towards women.

(Mahood et. al. 2000). Older research has also suggested negative effects of pornography on attitudes towards women (Zillmann & Bryant 1982), acceptance of violence towards women (Malamuth & Chech 1981) and acceptance of rape myths (Allen et al.

1996). Zillman and Weaver linked the consumption of pornography to a general callousness towards women (Zillman & Weaver 1989).

A recent study suggests that pornography re-enforces sexists attitudes among those consumers who already have such attitudes – but has no measurable effect on others. (Hald et al., 2013). The most recent survey of the literature concludes that, as the use of pornography increases, the rate of sex crime decreases. (Kutchinsky, 1991; Diamond & Uchiyama, 1999; Diamond, 1999; Tovar, E. et al. 1999; Ng & Ma, 2001; Landripet, Stulhofer, & Diamond, 2006; D’Amato, 2006; Diamond & Kontula, 2009; Diamond et al., 2010).

illustrations by bradly wohlgemuth

VOL. 100 NO. 15 November 27, 2013

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Over 40% of Internet users admit to viewing pornography

Every second about $3000 is spent on pornography

70% of men age 18 – 24 view porn in a typical month

About 35% of all downloaded material is pornographic

1/3 people who view pornography are women

The least popular day for viewing pornography is Thanksgiving

Every second almost 30000 people are viewing pornography online

2.5 billion emails are sent each day that are pornographic in nature

There are 420 million web pages hosting pornography

20% of men and 13% of women admit to watching porn while at work

The average porn site visit lasts 6 minutes and 29 seconds

11 is the average age at which a child first sees porn online

Over 4 million websites are for viewing pornography, that’s about 12% of all websites

The online porn industry on average makes $2.84 billion per year.

About 25% of all search engine requests are related to pornography

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stats and information from: http://dailyinfographic.com/the-stats-on-internet-pornography-infographic http://www.familysafemedia.com/pornography_statistics.html

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Managing Editor: Fraser Nelund Contact: me@themanitoban.com / 474.6520

Fan-fiction erotica The strange world of strange worlds Caleigh MacDonald, staff

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creenwriter and comic book author Joss Whedon said, “There’s a time and a place for everything, and I believe it’s called ‘fan fiction.’”

He was right. Only in the world of fan fiction can you find a story in which Indiana Jones and a young Lord Voldemort do the dirty, or where the characters of the Sherlock Holmes stories are all lobsters having a knife fight over who rules the seven seas.

As a concept it sounds ridiculous, and yet fan fiction is a tradition that goes back years.

It was seen as early as the first publication of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes adventures, and became even more widespread during the 60s with the advent of Star Trek.

Today the Internet makes it even easier to find and distribute, giving life to massive websites that host such writings, which are regularly visited by thousands of users.

These websites contain thousands of fanwritten stories and drawings, of and about pop culture characters, often pairing them off with

each other in non-canonical romantic rela- most of the time. [ . . . ] It’s about more than tionships through a process called “shipping.” just the sex,” McRae added.

Frequently these stories also contain detailed Both girls agreed that with regular porn descriptions of sexual encounters between said there’s no real buildup or story. “The best you characters. get is, like, your stereotypical pizza delivery But why use characters from pop cul- man and babysitter,” said Hare. McRae added, ture? What is the attraction to fan fiction as “With fan fiction it could be 100 pages long, and a medium? nothing happens until page 99. They make According to Colleen Hare and Robyn you wait!”

McRae, regular readers and writers of fan ficAuthors themselves have expressed mixed tion, it starts with an attraction to the original feelings about fan fiction culture. piece.

George R. R. Martin said, “Every writer “When I first start liking a show I get needs to learn to create his own characters, attached to its characters, and then I want to worlds, and settings. Using someone else’s see what other people’s interpretations are of world is the lazy way out.” them,” said Hare. “I like reading about them, Neil Gaiman, on the other hand said, “As it’s easy to access fan fiction, and it’s free. [ . . . ] long as nobody’s making money from it that Often I find that the explicit fan fiction is better should be an author or creator’s, I don’t mind in terms of plot. Lots of times the [lower-rated] it. And I think it does a lot of good.” fan fiction is very “kiddie” and boring, so I Whether the authors like it or not, fan fictend to automatically go to the explicit section tion doesn’t seem to be a medium that is going because it has better storylines.” anywhere anytime soon.

“Explicit fan fiction is porn with [a] plot

"Today the Internet makes it even easier to find and distribute, giving life to massive websites that host such writings, which are regularly visited by thousands of users."

Making a living in adult film industry increasingly difficult Changing market realities hitting the porn business. Hard.

Kevin Linklater, staff

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ow much would someone have to pay you to film you having sex? For the average person, this number is probably going to be pretty high; but for the average porn star, this number is surprisingly low, and it’s getting lower.

We hear about famous stars like Jenna Jameson or Ron Jeremy both having a net worth of millions, but in the world of porn, only a small few ever reach this level of success. Most actors and actresses toil away without becoming rich and famous.

For the average porn star, pay is pretty modest. Even for in-demand female actresses or “models” (as they are called in the business), the going rate for a girl-on-girl scene is about US $800; for girl-guy it’s US $1,000, and for a scene involving anal sex it’s around US $1,200 – hardly a windfall paycheque. On top of this, agents will take 10-15 per cent of a performer’s pay.

In addition to reductions in pay, the volume of work available has also dwindled. A popular female performer will probably work at least 10 times each month, but for those not highly sought after, work can be harder to come by.

Even some high-demand female models are feeling the squeeze.

These models could at one time expect to make US $150,000 plus a year, but many are now facing substantial reductions in earnings.

Part of what makes this an increasingly difficult industry in which to make a living is simple supply and demand economics: there is a glut of talent available, and traditional revenue streams are drying up, meaning lower earnings for performers.

One high-end agent in the Valley reportedly receives around 500 inquiries a year from young women hoping to get into the business, and the Internet is giving away for free what people once bought.

For example, Vivid Entertainment, a large producer and distributor of pornographic films, had its revenue from DVD sales rapidly decline from 80 per cent to only 30 per cent of its overall sales between 2007 and 2012, as consumers increasingly get content for free online.

Being a porn star these days is truly hard work. On top of the actual performances, models must often undertake a whole host of other jobs in order to generate

income for themselves, including promotional activities and building an online presence with personal websites, social networking, or endorsing products.

The situation is quite similar to the problems faced by the music industry a decade and a half ago, but in that industry new revenue streams are starting to turn things around. Restrictions on mobile adult content are prohibiting a potentially lucrative new revenue stream for the makers of pornographic films. The porn industry encountered this same problem with cable and satellite providers in the 1990s, but that was overcome once the companies involved realized the enormous profits that could be had from making this content available to consumers.

In the meantime, the next time you download or view for free some adult-oriented content, do your part for the economy and consider buying it instead, and help to support an industry that gives it all, expecting little in return.

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illustration by bradly wohlgemuth

Rated X Sex and censorship in literature Carlyn Schellenberg, staff

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any acclaimed works of literature share the fact that they’ve been banned, at some time or another, in part for their sexual content.

Non-fiction American sexologist Alfred Kinsey’s frank conclusions in Sexual Behavior in the Human Male included the study of homosexual activity and bestiality, topics not openly discussed at its release in 1948. For example, the book offers information on “pre-adolescent sex play,” asserting that at this age, “erection and orgasm are easily induced [ . . . ] erection may occur immediately after birth.”

Although it was a U.S. bestseller, the non-fiction book— followed five years later by its female equivalent—was banned in South Africa and Ireland, and was highly controversial due to its candid observations of human sexuality. Many sexual behaviours were illegal at this time, and some disclosed to Kinsey about being sexual abusers. Allegations of Kinsey encouraging these behaviours arose in the 1990s: “The act of encouraging pedophiles to rape innocent babies and toddlers in the names of ‘science’ offends.” In 1995, an American politician campaigned at the U.S. House of Representatives for a bill—which was denied—to investigate Kinsey’s research.

Poetry Sex and rebellion found their poetic form in “Howl.”

Allen Ginsberg’s three-part poem deviated from traditional poetry in more ways than one. It strayed from the established notion of what poetry was. “Howl” includes lines such as, “who howled on their knees in the subway and were dragged off the roof waving genitals and manuscripts, who let themselves be fucked in the ass by saintly motorcyclists, and screamed with joy, who blew and were blown.”

An obscenity trial of the poem—against the original publisher of the poem, Lawrence Ferlinghetti—occurred.

Ferlinghetti won the 1957 trial; the judge found “Howl” to have “redeeming social importance.”

“Howl,” an embodiment of the Beat Generation, essentialized the emptiness and restlessness of American life, and is an exercise of free speech.

Prose Shielding children from each horrendous real life event’s respective literary depiction will not necessarily be beneficial; attempts to ban controversial material from schools are much too common.

Pulitzer and Nobel-Prize-winner John Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath was publicly burned and banned from schools and libraries just months after it was released in 1939. In the 80s and 90s, other complaints were filed; the bestseller’s detractors cited sexual references for their dissent.

Perhaps the most graphic scene occurs when a woman who has just had a stillbirth comes across a dying man in a barn and offers her breast for him to drink her milk. This passage is significant to the novel’s context, as numerous families were starving during the Great Depression.

Some schools in North Carolina have, in the past, banned Invisible Man, Ralph Ellison’s iconic 1952 novel. Invisible Man takes place primarily in New York City, as the AfricanAmerican narrator attempts to navigate around the racist and discriminatory forces content to keep him running.

The first chapter of the novel was published in a magazine in 1948. The publisher censored a suggestive sequence in which the narrator is aroused by the performance of a Caucasian stripper. The original scene is restored in Invisible Man. The previous bans in several N.C. schools are partly due to a parent’s complaint about the novel being “filth.” One sexually explicit scene involves a man describing waking up from a dream to his daughter having sex with him while his wife is sleeping beside him.

The erotic Lolita was banned in Canada. Vladimir Nabokov’s narrator has a sexual obsession with the 14-year-old “nymphet” Lolita, an “incarnation” of his lover Annabel, who died when Humbert and she were both Lolita’s age. The narrative may be most disturbing because the reader is stuck in the tainted and deranged perspective of the unreliable narrator, middle-aged Humbert, who claims Lolita first seduced him – and Lolita’s perception is not provided. The narrator’s ceaseless passion presented in constant sexual diction is transfixing: “Naked [ . . . ] spread-eagled on the bed [ . . . ] presented to me its pale breastbuds; in the rosy lamplight, a little pubic floss glistened on its plump hillock.”

The novel was banned from entering the United Kingdom, as well as France—for two years—and was labelled “sheer unrestrained pornography.” The controversy stemmed from its identification of Humbert as a rapist.

Even so, the novel earned a fourth spot on Modern Library’s 1998 list of the Greatest English-language novels of the 20th century.

Tampa, a novel likened to Lolita, was released this summer and is already banned in Australian bookstores. It is about a female teacher who has sex with her 14-year-old male student.

Author Alissa Nutting chose to be as explicit as possible; critics have described it as “disgusting.”

Last year, a Michigan school district attempted to ban the ever-challenged Beloved, Toni Morrison’s Pulitzer-Prize-winner.

This year, a mother in Virginia unsuccessfully campaigned to remove the novel from her county, citing its references to molestation and rape. For Nobel-Prize-winner Morrison, approaching 1800s slavery comes with scenes of male sexual assault in prison and of bestiality. On the 10th page, the novel reads, “they were young and so sick with the absence of women they had taken to calves.”

Dana Medoro, associate professor of American literature at the University of Manitoba, says of Morrison’s novel, “all the scenes of sexual violence are part of the history her book tries to mourn or represent about the institution of slavery [ . . . ] [Slavery] was also about rape and sexualized brutality and being psychically shattered.” In relation to bestiality, Medoro notes that Beloved “explores the treatment of African-Americans as livestock and as consumable bodies.”

White Oleander—Janet Fitch’s 1999 masterpiece—is a sober account of a girl’s experiences in various foster homes after her mother is jailed for murder. The novel has a number of sexually explicit scenes—including one in which Astrid performs oral sex on a teen boy in exchange for pot while babysitting—but nothing as notable as the sexual intimacy between 14-year-old Astrid and foster dad Ray. “Then he was kneeling in front of me, his arms around my hips, kissing my belly, my thighs, his hand on my bare bottom, fingers in the silky wetness between my legs, tasting me there.

My smell on his mouth as I knelt down with him, ran my hands over his body, opened his clothes, felt for him, hard, larger than I thought it would be.”

At my elementary school library, this novel was marked with an “X” on its spine, meaning my classmates and I had to get special permission to take the book out. A similar process now occurs at a school library in Alabama, as a result of a parent’s complaint in 2006 partly in regards to its sexual content.

The school decided not to ban the book altogether, because its “message of a brave young girl conquering difficult circumstances was an inspiration for children.” The book is on a “don’t read” list for Texas prisons, though.

Some parents protesting the accessibility of various books in schools have declared their children’s resulting nightmares as reasonable grounds for bans. Regardless of the shock evoked and “obscene” nature portrayed in these texts, these works have a necessary literary and historical role to play.

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Features

VOL. 100 NO. 15 November 27, 2013

Food porn Getting to the meat of the issue Katy MacKinnon, staff

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pluttering, crackling bacon on a skillet. Bubbling, melting cheese stretching from a pizza as you grab that first piece. Decadent cupcakes with sky-high frosting.

All captured in a photo by your smartphone. That’s right, I’m talking about food porn. #foodporn images are all the rage on Instagram and Reddit.

These incredibly appetizing photos make you want to reach through the screen and take a big lick.

There might even be some drooling involved. No judgment here.

What’s food porn to you might not be food porn to your best friend.

We all have our likes and dislikes, dietary preferences, and sizzling desires. That’s likely why the porn industry is so highly diverse.

But how did food porn come about? Why do we sexualize our food?

Mark Fry, assistant professor of biological sciences at the U of M, weighed in on the topic.

“Today more than other times in the past, our society accepts and encourages ‘pursuit of what makes

you, as an individual, happy and feel good.’ Given the feelings that we have about good food and good sex, it’s not surprising that they’ve merged into food porn.”

Food is one of the four “F”s in evolutionary biology: feeding, fighting, fleeing, and... reproduction. Maybe there’s a little biology behind food porn after all.

Dopamine is a neurotransmitter in our bodies that is involved in reward and pleasure. “[It’s] important for motivation, and ‘the wanting’ of sex and food, or drugs if you are addicted,” said Fry. The nucleus accumbens is an area of the brain activated during orgasm. Neurons that release dopamine are sent to this area, and are associated with feelings of intense pleasure. “[To describe the feeling in humans], one of my undergraduate professors told us to think about doing a few lines of cocaine, having the best sex of your life, all rolled up in a bucket of Kentucky Fried Chicken (not that I’d encourage

anybody to do cocaine or eat KFC),” said Fry. As humans, we like pleasure, and tantalizing images of food are just the start.

Nigella Lawson, food writer and television show host, is often labelled as the “queen of food porn” – a label she rejects. However, when looking at an image of Lawson with caramel slowly dripping down her face and hands, it’s easy to imagine where the name might have originated.

George Costanza from Seinfeld is fondly known for his arousal in the presence of pastrami.

Food bloggers worldwide celebrate lustrous creations through well-crafted imagery.

Foodporndaily.com, with the slogan “click, drool, repeat,” leaves viewers endlessly clicking through mouthwatering images – maybe even having a #mouthgasm.

Food and sex both activate pleasure centres in your brain. It’s really no surprise that food porn leaves you salivating for more. photo by katy macKinnon

Starfucking A brief look at influential and infamous celebrity sex tapes Marc Lagace, staff

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here’s never a genuine reason to give a fuck The resolution is so grainy, it could very well be about celebrities. For the longest time, my mistaken as a video of someone messing around celebrity pop culture news only ever came from in Minecraft (rule 34 check: Minecraft porn headlines on covers of glossy gossip magazines does exist). This one was also special because at the grocery store checkout. We obsess over it featured two celebrities. Anderson’s sex tape the celebrity culture we cultivate by tuning in with Bret Michaels, the lead singer of Poison, and consuming scripted reality television like it’s surfaced three years later, but that tape didn’t going out of style. There’s almost nothing that make the list, because Poison sucks. shows us anything actually resembling reality.

Except for Internet videos of celebrities Paris Hilton fucking.

I really hate to downplay all of Paris Hilton’s Just like reality television, celebrity sex great contributions to the arts and society, but tapes expose us to washed-up celebrities and/ Hilton will be forever remembered as that hotel or up-and-coming socialites seeking fame and heiress who somehow got famous for making a fortune. In both cases, they are made with a sex tape with her boyfriend. Hilton is described shoestring budget – not including any legally as a television personality, businesswoman, binding monetary compensation owed to the fashion designer, model, actress, producer, talent. They’re awful, and yet oddly fascinating DJ, author, and singer on her Wikipedia page. at the same time.

Clearly she must be too busy making business Here for your amusement, please enjoy this deals and writing books to continue partying rundown of some of the more infamous celebri- and stockpiling sex photos and videos in a storties who put the “star” in porn star. did “it” on age unit. That’s good to hear, because it means camera. made “pornographic” material. feature we don’t have to see or hear from her on televiin my impending deleted browser search history sion. Too bad there’s a gaggle of Kardashians shared intimate moments with the Internet: to fill the void.

Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee Largely because of how virility worked in the early-Internet days, Pam and Tommy’s boat adventure is arguably the most infamous celebrity sex tape. This thing is still kicking around the Internet, but is nearly unwatchable.

Fred Durst Remember Limp Bizkit? That sucks, me too. Incredibly, we now know that at least one person has agreed to have (recorded) sex with the lead singer of a band called Limp Bizkit.

True story about this one: It’s kind of ambiguous

whether or not it’s actually Durst through the first couple minutes of the video... until Durst, who’s filming from his point of view, flips the camera around for a tight close up of what I suppose we can assume is the face that Fred Durst always makes when he’s having sex. Sadly absent: his trademark New York Yankees ball cap. Go Red Sox! Kid Rock/Scott Stapp It appears that the actual video of this is miraculously untraceable through basic Google searches. Shot in 1999, the video features the two men enjoying the company of some groupies while on tour. Apparently Stapp decided to keep a copy of the tape, which he kept in his possession until 2002, when it was swiped during a house robbery. After Paris Hilton made sex tapes “hot,” the tape was released in an attempt to cash in on that sex tape media buzz. Or something.

Dustin Diamond Almost didn’t include Screech from Saved by the Bell’s sex tape. In the end I just had to, because it’s called Screeched: Saved by the Smell and features a scene in which Diamond doles out a dirty sanchez.

If you would like to learn more about celebrity sex tapes, you should head down to your local library and look them up on their computers.

Managing Editor: Fraser Nelund Contact: me@themanitoban.com / 474.6520

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Features

More than a feel-good project Local porn website Cherrystems promotes body positivity, inclusion, and ethical production Anastasia Chipelski, staff

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his is not quite a love story, but there are So far, Cherrystems has drawn a lot of many happy endings, and more to come. interest, and has attracted many models It’s the story of a little local porn site that to join in. was born out of a very uncertain relationship “I was first inspired to model for with the mainstream porn industry.

Cherrystems when I stumbled onto an ad Before she was “boss lady” of Winnipeg’s for a free subscription [ . . . ] I checked out own Cherrystems.com, Kate Sinclaire held the site and fell totally in love, not only with a somewhat conflicted anti-porn stance. the message promoted by Kate and the other “I was anti-porn [ . . . ] I still enjoyed it but models of unwavering inclusiveness and I didn’t want to allow myself to enjoy it and I self-determined sexuality and eroticism, wasn’t sure how to express myself and to feel but also by the gorgeously divergent—and good about my body,” Sinclaire said. sometimes weird as hell—aesthetics of all As many curious minds have done before, the photo sets,” said Collette.

Sinclaire did her research, looking for alterWhile the sets all have their own internatives on the Internet. She found Suicide pretations of sexy, it’s not all sultry bedroom Girls, but was not terribly enamoured with eyes and low lighting. Cherrystems is clearly it, or with any of the other niche sites that a venue for sexual self-expression, which can “pretty much all looked the same.” be tongue-in-cheek, but also a lot of fun.

When she stumbled on Courtney Personalities come through clearly in each Trouble’s site, NoFauxxx.com (now set, as every model retains complete creative renamed indiepornrevolution.com), she was control. “I wanted to make content that was “impressed by the concept,” but her desire to more positive and represented myself as a get involved was complicated by the tricky transgender woman,” said Caroline Fox. nature of working across borders. Still, the “Being [a part] of Cherrystems has helped idea stuck, and Sinclaire thought, “‘Hey, I’ll me gain a confidence to be able to organize just start my own idea, this’ll be so easy,’ and my own sets and projects, and put myself then it was not.” and my creativity out there.”

At its core, the idea is very simple. She Many of the models involved with the wanted to create an inclusive site that would site also value the community that’s grown “give other people the opportunity to feel up around it, as well as the body-positive great about themselves” that she had in doing outlook. Some, like Marie Prairie, were a preparatory photo shoot. However, build- just waiting for something like this to come ing a website from the ground up proved to along. be a bit of a challenge, especially when it “I had always been attracted to projects was being done entirely through volunteers that challenged me to use and explore my on donated time. body in ways which were new to me. I

remember being really relieved and excited that someone right here in Winnipeg had already started what I had dreamed of doing but had assumed I’d have to travel to accomplish.”

And still the entire site and all involved in it—models, web designers, photographers, designers, the boss lady herself—have been and continue to be volunteers. Sinclaire has never taken home a paycheque from Cherrystems, she says: “I definitely started it as a hobby, and it’s still a hobby [ . . . ] and that’s totally fine with me because it makes other people feel good in so many ways, either through photos, or the people or organizations that we assist with funding.”

While originally they hoped to make more sizeable donations, the proceeds from the site are distributed in smaller amounts towards causes such as Genderfest, bringing Courtney Trouble to Winnipeg in February, and providing consent workshops with educator Jayden Starr from Nov. 21-24.

Sinclaire is especially grateful for the surge in awareness of the work it takes to create porn, and the value of ethically-produced content, saying that “there are people who are more willing to pay for quality content, so that’s a good change.”

In the end, as well as for the models, Cherrystems is “for people who are conscious [ . . . ] that their performers are authentic people.”

“I checked out the site and fell totally in love, not only with the message promoted by Kate and the other models of unwavering inclusiveness and self-determined sexuality and eroticism, but also by the gorgeously divergent—and sometimes weird as hell—aesthetics of all the photo sets” – Collette, Cherrystems model

Arts & Culture Editor: Kara Passey Contact: arts@themanitoban.com / 474.6529

Arts & Culture

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A space to practise revolution Finding intervention, dialogue, and discomfort at Mapa Corpo 3.0 Anastasia Chipelski, staff

photo by Dr. Roewan Crowe

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t the very least, performance art creates a space of risk-taking, and at best, it sets the stage for a possible transformation. On Nov. 8, dozens of people came together at Urban Shaman Gallery to experience a performance piece called Mapa Corpo 3.0.

“The approaches of performance art, live art, action art provide an untamed, wild field for intervention and dialogue – where critical theory and radical praxis can meet. Mapa Corpo 3.0, by La Pocha Nostra troupe founder Guillermo Gómez-Peña and troupe member Saul Garcia Lopez was a radical intervention into the imaginary, offering a glimpse of what a transvaluation of values can look

like in praxis,” says Praba Pilar, one of needles bearing tiny corporate logo the organizers of the event. flags.

The “untamed, wild field” of this The audience was invited to place performance was enacted primarily on their hands on Garcia Lopez – at two stages. first, in a long gap as he lay covered On one stage, Guillermo Gómez- in flag-needles, and later, while others Peña spoke—both spoken word, and approached to remove them, symboliquestions for the audience about what cally decolonizing his body. the performance would contain, for Audience member Milena Placentile example, “With or without violence?”— was invited to hold Garcia’s head durand later staged tableaus involving audi- ing his long wait. ence members pointing a gun at him, “I’ve been thinking about this a lot, often locking eyes throughout. and my primary reflection is that the On the second stage, Garcia Lopez experience was a ritual more than a lay on a table, first draped in a sheet, performance – a ritual evoking space which was then gradually removed as to practice revolution,” says Placentile. an acupuncturist covered his body in “The performers, especially Saul, put

their bodies on the line for attendees to find and experience new modes of [to] engage in various types of decision- relating laterally to the ‘other’ in a less making and action.” mediated way.”

“For example, you’re a white man and Pilar also participated in the workyou’re invited to point a gun at a brown shop, and offered her reflections on the man. Do you accept? Participation, in process that followed. this case, could have been through “Guillermo Gómez-Peña and Saul refusal. The refusal to recreate centu- Garcia Lopez began the five-day perries of race-based violence. Or, you’re formance workshop with the concept of invited to hold the hands, or warm the ‘radical tenderness.’ I thought about and feet, of an artist enduring tremendous through this for the five days, in reladiscomfort so you can learn to provide tion to how we, coming from diverse comfort to a total stranger. Do you practices and backgrounds, could accept?” interact with each other. As the process “What I witnessed was a tremendous unfolded, we reach deeper levels of trust amount of discomfort in the audience, and begin to take more risks, crossing and that made me sad,” says Placentile. boundaries and borders and reaching “Were people erecting barriers by aes- out to each other for collaborative aestheticizing the experience instead of thetic decisions.” using it as an opportunity to interrogate Local performance artist Lorri their personal capacity for action?”

Millan, reflecting on the experience “For example, why did people take so of live performance art, says, “While long to remove the needles from Saul’s other forms of media communicate, body? [ . . . ] I know Saul is a highly there is something about being live in disciplined artist with experience in front of another person, or group of endurance-based performance, but people, that contains empathy and a what we had before us was more than true possibility of change.” a metaphor. We had an opportunity While in the midst of a performance, to estimate who might be willing to every moment is charged with this posdo what when shit gets real.” sibility of change – from performers After the performance, the audi- and audience, in every interaction. This ence dispersed, and the performers possibility is still held in every moment continued their work through the after the performance. The questions five-day-long Inter-Cultural Dialogue shouted by Garcia Lopez and GómezPerformance and Workshop. The work- Peña echo on: shop invited participants to “develop “With or without violence?” new models for relationships between “With or without curators?” artists and communities which are neiWith or without radical ther colonial nor condescending [ . . . ] tenderness?

A Cockroach for one and all Zine launch party includes and invites all to learn about feminist and environmentalist issues Anastasia Chipelski, staff

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cockroach may seem like an odd source of inspiration, given their reputation as pests. Meg Crane saw an ally in the lowly roach, and took its name for her zine, which will be launching on Nov. 30.

Cockroach zine is dedicated to both the feminist and environmentalist movements, who—according to Crane—share some surprising similarities with cockroaches.

“A lot of people have a really negative perception of both feminists and environmentalists, like they do of cockroaches. Another reason is that some say if there was a nuclear attack cockroaches would be the only living thing to survive. Cockroaches are sustainable and are survivors. Feminists and environmentalists put up with a lot of crap, but they still stick around.”

While the zine is specifically dedicated to feminists and environmentalists, Crane also values inclusivity and intersectionality, and hopes the launch party will help to remedy the alienation that some people may experience around these movements.

“For the launch event I’ve made sure to have volunteers and musicians of

varying ages and sexes to show that “Personally I think the best thing you everyone is welcome. There’s even going can do for the environment is become to be a colouring table for children so vegan,” says Crane. that parents are not excluded.”

On the Cockroach site, she elaborates, The launch will also include pad- citing reasons such as health, animal making and t-shirt-decorating work- welfare, and reducing the footprint shops, a clothing swap, and a “make of farming practices as support for a your own damn sandwich bar,” all of vegan diet. which are offered for free, with donaThe rest of the zine’s content will tions being accepted for Alpha House. be revealed at the launch, and Crane is Crane hopes that Cockroach zine will already looking for contributors for the help to build more of a zine community next issue, “which will be about sex.” in Winnipeg, as well as a community Above all, Crane loves the accesaround the zine. sibility of zines, and the obvious work “I would love to be able to publish an put into illustrations and personally issue every month and have events two relevant articles, all of which Cockroach or three times a month [ . . . ] The events will showcase. planned right now are a handmade gift “It’s an outlet for Winnipeggers who workshop on Dec. 21, a zine-making care about feminist and environmentalworkshop on Jan. 18, a panel discussion ist images. All they have to do is create about whether or not porn is feminist content and I’ll do the rest of the work on Feb. 15, and a t-shirt-cutting/deco- to get it out to the world.” rating workshop on Mar. 15.”

Crane is also publishing a fresh The Cockroach zine launch party vegan recipe on the zine’s website every is being held Nov. 30 at the HIVE Saturday, with treats like Peanut Butter at the University of Winnipeg Reindeer Cookies, Thai Coconut Soup, from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Check out and pancakes (all vegan) already posted cockroachzine.wordpress.com for for your enjoyment. Food served at your weekly recipes and more! events will also be vegan.

VOL. 100 NO. 15 November 27, 2013

Arts & Culture

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Kicking down stereotypes

Seeing the light in the “dark” continent Michelle Saromo, volunteer staff

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oming up at the end of November, Winnipeg-based non-profit organization Growing Opportunities International (GO!) will be hosting their fourth annual Listen Local! Grow

in rural communities in developing are longtime friends of hers, she was nations to motivate them to bring posi- still surprised to see some of their daily tive changes within their communities. experiences. She talked of firsthand They currently have ongoing projects in experience walking 10 kilometres with Rwanda and Tanzania. her friend to school.

Furst has had a warm, longstand“I went with her and I was just... I ing relationship with Tanzania. After have been [in Tanzania] for six years, graduating with a bachelor of education and I was overwhelmed,” she admits, from the University of Winnipeg in admiring her friend’s resilience. “She 1995, she was given the opportunity to walks two hours to get there, two volunteer in Tanzanian refugee camps hours to walk home in the hot sun through the Right to Play organiza- with no food, and then gets punished tion. Since then, she has made frequent when she’s there... Her experiences are trips back and spends most of her time incredible, and yet she’s still very posithere. tive and optimistic and just very happy The upcoming benefit concert will to have the chance to study.” feature two documentaries Furst filmed Seeing such experiences, though from her trips. The focus of the docu- uncommon in North American society, mentaries, says Furst, is to show the aren’t meant to widen the gap between positive side of Tanzania, a side that “us” and “them.” The documentaries are people who haven’t visited the country meant to reveal the light shining in often don’t get a chance to see. spite of the darkness. The negative per“I don’t think there’s an understand- ceptions that people outside of Africa ing that life is going on as normal. have of the “dark” continent—so There are houses, there are cars, there called by 19th century Europeans for photo by Amanda Furst are buildings, and there are people its unknown and mysterious, expanliving their lives just like us. I think sive hinterlands—cause people to stay Global! benefit concert at the West End because there’s that fear, it creates a away, but Furst hopes that “giving a Cultural Centre. distance between cultures.” name and face” to the people living in Founded by Amanda Furst and One of the documentaries features Tanzania will spark in people feelings Amanda LaBoucane, the GO! orga- Furst following the lives of four differ- of connection and familiarity. nization works with individuals living ent Tanzanians. Although the subjects The second documentary, aptly

titled That Was Garbage, features Tanzanians turning their garbage into durable, long-lasting products. Furst says they rarely ever throw things away, instead opting to reuse the materials. “[In the documentary] there were guys in Tanzania that take discarded tires that can’t be used again on cars and they turn them into shoes,” says Furst. “They’re excellent shoes. You’re never gonna wear out a tire. If a car can’t wear it out, your feet walking on it will never wear it out.”

Furst hopes that seeing such innovative ideas will inspire others in our culture to follow suit and be more resourceful. The greater hope is that by increasing awareness of people’s daily lives in Tanzania, it will diffuse the negative connotations associated with being labelled a “developing” nation.

The Listen Local! Grow Global! benefit concert will take place on Saturday, Nov. 30 at the WECC. The concert will feature hypnotist Jesse Lewis, music by local artist Elsa Kaka, two original documentaries, a silent auction, and more. Tickets are $20 in advance, $23 at the door, and are available at WECC or by emailing amandafurst@yahoo.ca

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Arts & Culture

Arts & Culture Editor: Kara Passey Contact: arts@themanitoban.com / 474.6529

Seeing beyond what you see Artist Philippe Hamelin showcases his exhibition, Feu Mirabel, for the first time Images provided by Dr. Melentie Pandilovski and Dr. Jennifer Willet

Together, science and art address our planetary psychopathology Winnipeg hosts the inaugural bioart exhibition of Toxicity Lukas Thiessen, staff

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his December, Winnipeg will host the premiere of an arts and sciences exhibition that will travel to many other countries. The exhibition, Toxicity, spawned from the academic work of Dr. Melentie Pandilovski and Dr. Jennifer Willet. Pandilovski is the director of Video Pool Media Arts Centre in Winnipeg and Willet is the director of INCUBATOR: Hybrid Laboratory at the Intersection of Art, Science, and Ecology, a branch of the school of visual arts at the University of Windsor.

In 2011, Willet was the director of BioARTCAMP at the Banff Centre, where participants explored the intersections between science and art in a fully functional biological sciences laboratory. Her work in this field began in 2004 at SymbioticA with Oron Catts and Ionat Zurr as part of the BIOTEKNICA project.

“This was a transformative experience for me – away from the realm of representation, towards the real manipulation of life towards aesthetic ends,” says Willet.

In 2012, Pandilovski was visiting Killarney Lake in Southern Manitoba and was struck by signs warning that cattle should not drink the water because it was contaminated. He decided to work on this project as part of the mission he was hired to undertake when he joined Video Pool: to expand avenues of artistic expression.

“Toxicity aims to stimulate crosscultural dialogue between artists, curators, academics, and the general public at the intersection of art, science, and technology,” says Pandilovski.

Pandilovski was already interested in how technological, scientific, cultural, artistic, environmental, ethical, and biological issues intersect. His critical theory resulted in a PhD thesis called The Formation of the Biopolitical Apparatus.

The pervasiveness of technology is affected by political systems, and Pandilovski emphasizes the role of artists in questioning the connections between these realms and the way policy-makers respond to their prevalence.

“To speak about globalism and not speak about capitalism, or bio-

capitalism [ . . . ] is ludicrous today.

[Capitalism] is the force behind [biotechnology]. Any analysis or critique of this is welcome in society.”

The Winnipeg christening of this exhibition will take place at the Plug In Institute of Contemporary Art. Earlier this year, Plug In hosted talks by artists Roy Ascott—who runs the interdisciplinary Planetary Collegium—and Eduardo Kac, who have done profound work across the fields of art, technology, and biology.

Toxicity includes a bioart workshop at Video Pool as well as a public symposium at Cinematheque. Another jewel in Winnipeg’s crown of extraordinary critics and practitioners of this subject will include Joe Davis, the father of bioart, who will be speaking at the symposium and screening one of his films.

Artists address the world differently than scientists; Pandilovski and Willet agree. The former refers to a long-standing tradition among the arts to think beyond the common bounds of cultural standards, while the latter celebrates artistic freedom in comparison to scientific restraints.

“In the sciences there is a standard of producing ‘objective’ and repeatable results based on scientific experimental methods,” says Willet. “Whereas in the field of bioart, practitioners are not bound by these types of goals.”

“The freedom to engage subjectively with biology and biotechnology produces unique results. Imaginative and unrepeatable results are celebrated in the arts and offer new perspectives that are unachievable within the sciences.”

The title of the show stems from the understanding that when any kind of production, including agricultural production, is increased, levels of toxins in the environment rise, and these levels affect both rural and urban populations. Pandilovski gives the example of how fracking in other parts of the U.S. and Canada affects indigenous populations in northern communities because of the flow of water from fracking sites northward.

Toxicity opens Dec. 6, 2013 at Plug In ICA, Unit 1-460 Portage Ave. in the Buhler Centre.

Lukas Thiessen, staff

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rtist Philippe Hamelin is entailed in this belief. moves audiences beyond their “All the new pieces for the show field of vision. He understands are black and white, so I could the concept of hors champ (French mix documents from the past for “outside the field”) to be more with documents from the presthan what happens beyond the ent. I was going with the colour camera lens. scheme of ashes.”

Hamelin says three-quar“Often, I’ll leave hints for some facts, but I’ll also leave the door ters of the works are new. One open for interpretation and I’ll piece was made earlier this year mix reality and lies,” says Hamelin. in September at the Jeux de la “For me, the notion of hors champ Francophonie in Nice, France.

He also says that the title isn’t just what I know outside the camera, but also allows the audi- isn’t what the exhibition is, ence to determine for themselves necessarily.

“I picked the title before I knew what is not there.”

Hamelin’s exhibition, Feu the work I’d produce.”

With video works (includMirabel—named after a gorgeous airport near Montreal which was ing TRR AMM, La Vie Modéle, once the world’s largest and is and Camouflage Bureaucratique), now merely a location for shipping two projected images (as yet cargo—questions the idea of real- untitled)—which show the face ity and the idea of a constructed of the same man before and after zone of human understanding. he shaved off his beard and had Initial efforts to bring the show his hair styled during the year to Platform were spearheaded by Mirabel opened in 1975—and a J.J. Kegan McFadden, who is on wallpaper hanging titled “Jungle,” leave while co-directors Collin Feu Mirabel invites visitors to Zipp and Derek Dunlop run the deeply question sensibilities and organization. sensitivities about what is real and The title of the show itself is what is not, and how we arrive at like the contents of an eerie and those concepts and who might magical suitcase: once you think be in charge of instilling ideas you have unpacked its contents, into us. something else spills out. The The airport itself is referred title is in memoriam to what the to as an example of the white airport could have been; it means elephant effect, but physically it The Late Mirabel in English. But resembles a gigantic black box. it is not a dead space, Hamelin These contrasts are not merely playful. emphasizes.

“What I wanted to reproduce— “Feu [which also translates to “fire” in English] also refers you know the movie Predator, you to something vibrant, alive, know, with Schwarzenegger?— intense.” well, in the early films, when it The sense of funerary respect attacks its prey it becomes slightly

invisible,” says Hamelin. “So the subject becomes slightly invisible but mimics its environment before an attack.”

Hamelin cautions the visitor to be wary of political situations, and be aware of who or what might attack us.

“In the world we live in now, the enemies and predators are invisible. They don’t come with armies and weaponry; they act by signing letters and they can be very destructive.”

Hamelin’s works combine 3D imagery with video technology and blur divisions between the virtual and reality.

The exhibition—stemming from the blurred boundaries of a dream airport, which occupies space—was made to be easily transportable for a single person by airplane.

“The way I work in general is often trying to create links or contrasts between nature and construction – how our own nature and our environment is transformed by every aspect of modern life and every system we build,” says Hamelin.

“The exhibition is about transformation and reproduction. The natural process of reproduction is to perpetuate a species. In the exhibition, it’s to erase or change the nature of something.”

Have your perceptual foundations shaken: Feu Mirabel is showing from Nov. 22 until Jan. 18, 2014 at Platform Centre for Photographic and Digital Arts.

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Graphics Editor: Bradly Wohlgemuth Contact: graphics@themanitoban.com / 474.6775

Diversions

Sports Editor: Marc Lagace Contact: sports@themanitoban.com / 474.6529

Sports

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You stay classy, curlers Roar of the Rings attracts top Canadian curlers, Ron Burgundy to Winnipeg Adam Peleshaty

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on’t act like you’re not impressed was considered the favourite to conquer, Manitoban teams is enormous. by the amount of talent on dis- but stumbled to only two wins. With For the men, 2010 Olympic gold play at the 2013 Tim Hortons Roar of returnees Jill Officer, Dawn McEwen, medalists Kevin Martin and John the Rings hosted at the MTS Centre and Kaitlyn Lawes, this team is now Morris are both skipping teams. Former Dec. 1-8. The competition includes sev- number one on the WCT’s money world champions Glenn Howard, and eral former national champions and list and the Order of Merit. They are Kevin Koe, as well as the reigning Brier Olympic medalists all vying to repre- also top in the Canadian Curling champion Brad Jacobs, and Ontario’s sent Canada at the 2014 Sochi Olympic Association rankings. However, in its John Epping, round out the field of Games. challenge.

Many curling For t he fans consider the women, the Whoever wears Canada’s colours in Sochi’s Canadian Olympic previous two Ice Cube Curling Center will bear the weight Curling Trials to Scotties chambe more difficult pionship teams of a nation that has medalled at every than the Olympic skipped by Olympic curling tournament since 1998 competitions Rachel Homan proper. The event and Heather is so prestigious Nedohin will that Ron Burgundy himself is bring- current form, the team has never won both be trying to qualify for Sochi. So ing his legendary anchorman presence any major national tournaments. will Stefanie Lawton’s team—ranked to help commentate the opening day Mike McEwen has skipped one of 3rd last season by the CCA—and draws with TSN. the most successful teams on the WCT Sherry Middaugh, who brings a A Manitoban team has never repre- over the past few years. Unfortunately, team as well as a wealth of experience. sented Canada at the Olympic Games, his squad with Matt Wozniak, and Albertan qualifiers Renée Sonnenberg but four teams are trying to use the brothers B.J. and Denni Neufeld, have and Val Sweeting will also skip their hometown crowd to their advantage. failed to win a provincial championship teams in Winnipeg.

Jeff Stoughton’s team consists of and remain in Stoughton’s shadow.

Whoever wears Canada’s colours Jon Mead, Reid Carruthers, and 2006 Meanwhile, Chelsea Carey’s squad in Sochi’s Ice Cube Curling Center Olympic champion Mark Nichols. They with Kristy McDonald, Kristen Foster, will bear the weight of a nation that are the number-one team on the World and Lindsay Titheridge are off to a poor has medalled at every Olympic curling Curling Tour’s (WCT) Order of Merit, start this season despite having been tournament since 1998. and won a WCT event in Saskatoon a top-ten nationally ranked team last The men will try to make it three last September. After coming up short season. Similar to McEwen’s team, straight gold medals after Brad in Nagano in 1998 by the late Sandra in the 2005 and 2009 qualifying trials, Carey’s is in the shadow of Jones. For Gushue in 2006 and Martin in 2010. Schmirler.

Stoughton’s team may finally break both teams, this may be the week they The women meanwhile need to break through in Winnipeg. step out. an Olympic gold medal drought. The Single tickets to the Tim Hortons Roar of Four years ago, Jennifer Jones’ team The competition facing the four only gold Canada’s women won was the Rings are still available. The entire

illustration by bradly wohlgemuth

event will air on TSN and TSN2. As mentioned above, Will Ferrell (as Ron Burgundy) will be pitching in on Dec. 1 for what will surely be a very classy evening of curling in Winnipeg.

Big win for Bison women’s hockey Team bounces back from shootout loss in rematch.

Marc Lagace, staff

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he Bisons went the distance in both their games against the conference-leading UBC Thunderbirds.

Manitoba secured three points at home, losing 3-2 in a shootout on Friday but getting redemption the following night in a 3-2 victory.

Manitoba opened the scoring on Friday night just over three minutes in. Rachèle Bosc forced a turnover, broke in alone on UBC goalie Danielle Dube, and scored her first

into overtime. Manitoba got a golden two goals with the main advanpower play opportunity to end the tage in the second period. Caitlin overtime period but ultimately could MacDonald restored the Bison lead not win the game. In the shootout, 1:12 into the second, with Meagan Thunderbird Christi Capozzi scored Vestby and Alana Serhan earning the only goal, securing a comeback assists on the play. victory for the visitors.

Just over 30 seconds after giving “We had chances at 2-0 to put them up the lead on a power play goal, away early in the second period, but UBC was forced to kill another penwe hit the posts,” said Bison head alty when Maggie Litchfield-Medd coach Jon Rempel. potted her sixth goal of the year to “We had two takeaways where we extend the Bisons lead to two. UBC were in alone on a goalie and we didn’t would score late in the third period, score on either of them. I think if we but Manitoba was able to fight off made it 3-0 there, the game might their comeback attempt and hold on have turned out differently. But that’s for the 3-2 win. part of learning.”

First-year goalie Amanda The following night the Bisons Schubert was solid in net for the goal of the season. twice. UBC got plenty of scoring were looking for better results.

Bisons, stopping 24 shots that night.

The Bisons were the stronger chances on Bison goalie Dée-Ana Kayleigh Weins scored the openWith the win, the Bisons improve team throughout the remainder of Marion, but were unable to capital- ing goal for Manitoba late in the first their record to 8-4-2, while UBC the period, playing physical and get- ize until midway through the second. with assists coming from Cassandra remains atop the Canada West ting on the puck. They outshot UBC After killing off a tripping penalty, Taylor and Sara Barnabe. UBC conference with 10-3-1. The Bisons 12-7 in the first, and continued their the Thunderbirds cut the Bisons’ lead would tie things up before the end of wrap up the first half of the season lead to two in the final minute of the to one. the period. Stephanie Schaupmeyer before heading into the winter break first. Kyleigh Palmer scored her teamUBC built on their momentum redirected a Capozzi shot from the at home, hosting the U of Alberta leading sixth goal of the season. and tied the game just under four blue-line in the final minute of the Pandas Nov. 29 and 30.

Manitoba had multiple oppor- minutes into the third. period. tunities to extend their lead in the The Bisons killed two penalties but The Bisons power play was the dif- photos by beibei lu second period but hit the crossbar didn’t solve Dube as the game headed ference that night. Manitoba notched

VOL. 100 NO. 15 November 27, 2013

Bison athlete profile

Sports

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Bison briefs

Second year athlete Gee-ef Nkwonta Mike Still, staff

GN: Not as good as I wanted. I was battling injuries and I feel like I underperformed. I was still hitting new bests, so it’s still an improvement.

It’s gonna keep going up from here.

M: Do you have any role models?

photo by beibei lu

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he Manitoba Bisons track and field team participated in their annual inter-squad event this past weekend. Second year athlete Gee-ef Nkwonta was competing in the long jump and triple jump. He took a few minutes away from the action to talk to the Manitoban.

The Manitoban: Did you do play any sports in high school other than track?

Gee-ef Nkwonta: The funny thing is, I didn’t even do track in high school.

They just brought me at the very last meet because they said they needed bodies and I ended up doing good in triple jump. I got third, so they brought me on. My main sports were actually basketball, volleyball, and handball.

M: Handball? That’s pretty interesting.

Can you tell me a bit about that?

GN: Our school just introduced it after basketball season. All through high school I did it, but I only got good in my last year. It’s important for reflexes – hand eye co-ordination especially.

M: Do you have any favourite sports teams?

GN: Golden State Warriors, no question.

GN: Even though he’s not my coach, Wayne McMahon is definitely my role model. He coaches the multieventers. He was actually the first one I talked to out of everyone at the U of M. He didn’t really tell me to come here, I just had a conversation with him and we just sort of clicked.

M: What are you studying at university?

GN: I’m actually waiting for my application back from kinesiology.

So hopefully that goes good. Right now I’m just in all the sciences and stuff that I need to get in there.

M: What are you career plans after university is over?

“I set really high standards for myself.

I’m trying to get to the CIS national championships, and to get ranked top twelve in the nation” – Gee-ef Nkwonta GN: My mind changes like every two weeks, but that’s typical for every university student. I was thinking chiropractic work; that’s where I’m headed right now.

M: What is your training schedule like?

GN: We’re actually here quite a bit.

It’s Monday to Thursday at 5 till M: Has that always been your favou- 7:30-ish, and then Saturdays as well. rite team?

We’re also lifting three times a week; either Monday, Wednesday, Friday, GN: The draft day, when Stephen or Saturday. Whenever you can fit Curry came into the league, I told it in. myself I would follow whatever team he goes on.

M: How does the team develop cohesiveness?

M: What are your goals for this season?

GN: Training a lot actually helps bring the cohesiveness. This year GN: I set really high standards for we’ve gotten really close really quick myself. I’m trying to get to the CIS – which is surprising. Our coaches national championships, and to get started doing some team building ranked top twelve in the nation. That stuff when we were outside training is my goal for the season and I think in the cold, of course that will bring it’s attainable by the way I’m progress- people together. Overall it’s looking ing. Just as long as I keep working as really good. The teams actually comhard, and my coaches are helping me ing together, and that’s good with a out, so it should be pretty good. hundred-fifty kids.

M: How did you find your first season went?

Marc Lagace, staff

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t was a busy weekend for Bison sports as everyone but the women’s hockey team was on the road. Here’s your recap of the past weekend’s road games:

women’s record to 3-5. They travel to Saskatoon next weekend.

Volleyball It was a weekend of redemption for the Manitoba men’s volleyball team.

Basketball They bounced back from a 3-0 (25-20, The Bison men couldn’t turn 25-16, 25-16) loss to Alberta on Friday, things around on the road. The with a thrilling victory in the fifth set team extended their losing streak to on Saturday. After dropping the first six, with a 62-51 loss to Victoria, and a set Saturday, the Bisons won the next 65-67 loss to UBC. Mike Holloway led two 25-11 and 25-22. The Golden Bears Manitoba in scoring against Victoria forced a fifth set, which the Bisons with 12 points, while Andre Arruda won 18-16. had a team-high of 18 points against Adam DeJonckheere and Devren UBC. Currently at 1-7, the Bisons Dear led the Bisons offensive with 16 will head into winter break after a and 15 kills respectively. Now 5-5, the pair of games against the University Bisons host the conference leading of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon.

Trinity Western to wrap up the first The Bison women also had some half of the season. trouble on the road, dropping their The women’s volleyball also split games against Victoria 59-43 and their series on the road against Alberta.

UBC 62-45. Freshman guard Sheree After leading the Pandas two sets to Carmona-Galdamez was the top per- one, Manitoba could not close out the former, scoring 26 total points over match in the fourth. Alberta jumped the two games. The losses drop the out early in the fifth set, and held on

for the victory 3-2 (25-20, 15-25, 22-25, 25-20, 15-7).

The Bisons did what they had hoped to do the night prior, winning in four sets 3-1 (21-25, 25-15, 25-21, 25-22).

Rachel Cockrell and Taylor Pischke led Manitoba with 32 and 33 kills respectively over the weekend. Now at 6-4 on the season, the Bisons will host Trinity Western Spartans to close out the fall portion.

Hockey Following a rough start to the season, the Bison men’s hockey team is riding a four-game winning streak after sweeping the UBC Thunderbirds on the road. Eleven different Bison players scored this weekend. Manitoba won 6-3 on Friday and 6-4 on Saturday. The wins boost the team’s record to 6-8, and will hopefully extend their winning streak against the high-flying Alberta Golden Bears, who are 13-1-0 on the season.