GSM ed. 3 vol. 3 "Masculinity"

GSM Masculinity

E. 3 V. 3

MASCULINITY 4 Guild Biz

17 Pix - Equal Love

5 Education & Welfare

18 Educating Boys

5 Editorial

19 Campus Sterotypes

6 Contextulise This!

20 What I’d Change At ECU

7 Does Penis Size Matter?

21 Arts: short story

8 This Theme Is/n’t Offensive

22 Arts: interview

10 I Am A Man, Man

23 Arts: what’s on

11 Emotional Constipation

24 Books: reviews

12 The F-Word

26 Books: interview

13 Image: Domestic Violence

27 Film: reviews

14 Manly As Homo

29 Games: review

15 Brutes On Film

30 Music: reviews

16 Vox Pops

Editor: Tom Reynolds editor.gsm@gmail.com GSM - ECU 2 Bradford Street Mount Lawley WA 6050 Cover: Giselle Natassia (photographer), Adrian Rossetti (model),Tom Reynolds (director), Hannah Ridout (make up), Josh Chiat & Patrick Malborough (assistants) Design: Tom Reynolds Printed by: Images: Jodie Davidson (6, 7, 12, 18), Ali Alatas (16), Manuel Canal (10, 19), Ali Ghalib Al Ogaily (21), Michael Barlow (4), Giselle Natassia (17), D’Arcy Ellis (8), Jacky Le (11), Harry Brown (13), Evonne Lai (14), Camden Watts (15, 20) Editing Team: Aldy Hendradjaja, Dina Waluyo, Divya Jankee, Larry Fife, Asten Nunn, Rehana Badat, Julie Khan, Shaun Cowe, Adrian Rossetti, Delshard Mozhdehinia, James Blackburn, Evan Roberts, Kristian Guagliardo, Martina Elfinsson, Rosemarie Dale.

Want to get involved with our sections?

Arts: Aldy Hendradjaja arts.editor.gsm@gmail.com Books: Divya Jankee books.editor.gsm@gmail.com Film: Dina Waluyo film.editor.gsm@gmail.com Games: Chris Gibson games.editor.gsm@gmail.com Music: Shaun Cowe music.editor.gsm@gmail.com Photography: Ali Alatas photography.gsm@gmail.com Advertising: Tom Reynolds (08) 9370 6609 communications@ecuguild.org.au

About the cover: Some of you may find this edition’s cover bold and provocative, others will be uncomfortable picking it up. For “Drugs, Sex & Rock-n-Roll” (ed. 4 vol. 2) we published a cover of a woman in a stylistically sexualised pose. It was playful, but not pornographic. It was also our most popular edition. Ever since, I’ve been looking for a counter-balancing image: something that would invert the prioritisation of the male gaze and the utilisation of female sexuality. This edition’s cover isn’t as obviously sexualised – but it is sensual, and it’s similarly provocative. I wanted to present an image that clearly engaged with the idea that gender is a (largely) socialised construct, and our normative assumptions are prone to flux and contradiction.

Gendered symbols are identified by their context.

Although the image skirts the line of androgyny, Adrian still maintains an essentially masculine aura, drag make up and all. It’s an image that serves to undermine our assumptions about masculinity and compels us to identify what we would define as “masculine” or “feminine” both in the picture and hopefully beyond. – Tom Reynolds

The views expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the Editor, ECU Student Guild or the Advertisers. GSM is editorially independent. The Editor reserves the right to make changes to material as required. GSM reserves the right to republish material. Contributors retain all other rights for resale and republication.

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president Hello again fellow ECU’ers, I hope your studies are going well. This year I am studying Engineering and i’m loving the course, the staff are great and the course is well structured!

I hope your classes are going good too!

In and amongst our studies the Guild has been busy doing some work for you. Our International Food & Culture festival at Joondalup in April was a huge success with many countries being represented by many of your fellow staff and students!

We are working hard on new welfare services for the Guild, currently we are working on ‘Free computers for Students’.

We have started a program that provides free computers to students who need a basic working machine for uni purposes. In the program trial we believe it to be successful with 2 PC giveaways in our trial fortnight.

Shortly the program will go live.

Good news if you play PC games - your President has been busy upgrading the Guild computers to new quad core gear, some of which has been kindly provided by the President. We now have installed Call of Duty 4, League of Legends, Battlefield 2, Team fortress 2 - Counterstrike to come! happy procrastination!

end of semester party Saturday June 23 to buy tickets email social@ecuguild.org.au

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education vice-president There’s some good news for all of you who are politically minded: The campaign for refugee rights is coming to ECU! As I write this, a handful of students including myself are organising an ECU student branch of Perth’s pro- refugee campaign group, the Refugee Rights Action Network (RRAN).

The grass-roots campaign to end the mandatory detention of refugees in Australia is slowly gaining more supporters in Perth, especially on the campuses. Curtin, UWA and Murdoch have already established RRAN groups of their own, and now ECU is following suit. Refugee rights is one of the most important issues of the Australian political landscape, and one of the most appalling to learn about.

For the past 20 years the Australian government has practised the cruel and insidious policy of mandatory detention. Refugees are locked in concentration camp-like detention centres for up to 2 years, where they are at risk of suicide, mental illness and racist mistreatment.

The right to seek asylum is enshrined under international law. Every time the government locks a refugee up indefinitely for entering this country, it is committing a criminal act. Every time our politicians engage in their sick ‘race to the bottom’, they are giving a mandate to human rights abuse.

More and more students are outraged at the racism of the Gillard government regarding refugees. If you share this outrage, then its time to get involved with the refugee campaign! Join ECU RRAN! Find out more by emailing rran.ecu@gmail.com

social council One of the major events which the Social Committee wanted to accomplish this semester was the 2012 International Food and Culture Festival.

With the support of everyone at ECU Student Guild, ECU, United Macedonian Diaspora (UMD) and the City of Joondalup, and the opportunity to work together with a UMD representative to host this event was a great collaboration. It turned out to be a huge success just as we had hoped to achieve, with great entertainment and crowd interaction.

The event, held on the 19th April 2012, attracted crowds of people with an estimated attendance of up to one thousand people from all over the university and from around the State of Western Australia.

Numerous V.I.P. guests were hosted including Members of Parliament, the City of Joondalup Mayor Troy Pickard, other councillors, Chancellery staff of ECU and several Consuls from countries of consulate offices in Australia. This event displayed the great respect that we have for the multiculturalism at ECU, bringing people together in unity no matter where they come from.

Everyone in the Social Committee, other students and staff has contributed in helping out with the event. I would like to express my gratitude to all who have attended and supported the event.

I greatly appreciate it!

Kind regards, Hajira Allie Chairwoman of Societies & Activities ECU Student Guild

The community has been addressing the growing issues caused by bullying. We are aware that bullying occurs in kids’ playgrounds, inside and outside of secondary schools, cyberspace and the adult workplace, but what about at university?

University is no exception. The university environment is not always the safe haven we expect, populated by like-minded people.

It is identified as just another location in which members of the campus community may be victimised. Students can be overly competitive, intimidate, ostracize, harass and vie for popularity, and can even display elements of intellectual jealousy. Like any workplace, the university has an obligation to look after students.

Students do not always report bullying as some fear retribution or do not trust that the procedures of the university will be able to successfully resolve bullying issues. The ECU Student Guild would like to reassure students that there are policies and procedures to address these problems and students should feel comfortable that complaints are taken seriously and need to be brought to the attention of the University and Guild.

ECU Guild takes bullying seriously, and in investigating such matters it could mean serious consequences for the perpetrator.

If you believe you are the victim of bullying or harassment we would like to encourage students to take the following steps: Don’t remain silent.

I’m sitting in my office listening to Kanye with a couple of well-dressed ladies proofing through the pre-print and giving me their feedback. Some of the content they really like, some of it they don’t.

They don’t seem terribly oppressed by this edition’s misogyny, resentful about the lack of politically affiliated articles, or concerned by my homosexual agenda.

All of which are criticisms I received before this edition went to print, in fact, before even a single word of this edition had been written.

Haters are gonna hate. Take for example an email I received the other week from a young man who hadn’t written for us in over a year.

He promised that he wasn’t being homophobic before claiming that because “half the staff are gay” he simply couldn’t write for GSM because it was ‘know longer unbiassed’ (his spelling) and that I was abusing my power to push my causes. This lavender scare was news to my section-editors, all of whom had assured my they were cardcarrying heterosexuals. (Of course they are, I just use them to cover my real agenda of publishing articles that are totally gaybones).

Write down in a diary the date, time, place and description of the bullying event. Note the names and contact details of any witnesses. Keep notes on the personal impact the bullying incident had on you. Students can seek assistance by advising a Guild Education & Welfare Officer, your lecturer, trusted staff member, ECU Contact Officer, ECU Planning, Quality & Equity department (PQESC) or the ECU Student Complaints Officer.

If you feel that your problem is not taken seriously, don’t stop!

There are outside agencies such as the Equal Opportunity Commission (9216 3900) or the WA Ombudsman (9220 7555).

Continue to seek assistance until you find someone that will help you deal with your problem.

Bullying is about impact and perception, not about intention. An individual using bullying tactics needs to be reminded it is an aggressive form of persuasion to get their desired result.

If an individual is offended or becomes upset by an action, the matter needs to be taken seriously and dealt with accordingly.

ECU’s bullying policy is available online Rosemarie Dale ML Wed - Thurs edwelfare@ecuguild.org.au

Christian Dinse ML Mon - Tue edwelfare2@ecuguild.org.au

Georgia Thompson JO Mon, Tue, Thurs edwelfarejo@ecuguild.org.au

Dianne Webster BU Mon - Thurs guild.edwelfare.bu@ecu.edu.au

The week prior to this I was accused of running a “censored dictatorship” for rejecting ‘several well written articles about politics and social justice’. It’s true! I am the editor. Ergo, I edit.

Which is just another way of saying that I censor the crap, to make room for publishing the cream. An editor’s job is to assess all the submissions and decide what to publish based on the comparative quality - not ideological orthodoxy. The sad reality is that most political writing at the undergraduate level amounts to little more than self-congratulatory fapping in the wind. If you’d like to prove me wrong, my details are on the contents page.

Oh, and just for the record, everything in GSM is reviewed by students before publication. They’re named and shamed on the contents page of each edition. So there you have it. GSM stands accused of shoving its social agendas down your throat with one hand, and with the other we’re slapping everyone in the face with our flaccid irrelevance. Haters are gonna hate, no matter what you do. Enjoy edition three: masculinity, please direct your hate mail/ political fappery to editor.gsm@gmail.com Thanks to: Josh Chiat for showing me his penis, Adrian “the office bitch” Rossetti for volunteering to be our model, Kayt Davies for her continuing guidance, Kristian Guagliano and Paige Champion for their exceptionally well written submissions, Rehana Badat who roped in a substitute when she couldn’t make deadline, Camden Watts for providing last-minute illustrations, and D’Arcy Ellis for his pre-exam colouring of said illustrations, and finally Marnie “Hot Mess” Allen for making me soothing drinks when I was sick.

- Tom ‘T Bone’ Reynolds, Editor of Gay Sex Monthly

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Does size matter?

Penis size doesn’t really matter. If you want the short answer why, just ask a lesbian. But being one of the few (arguably the only; fuck what they say about dolphins) species on Earth that screws recreationally, the dick-size argument should not be a long one: the brain is humanity’s paramount sex organ.

Consenting adults use their brains to have compelling sex. Prioritizing brain over penis isn’t about reducing sex to a fucking suduko, it’s about recognizing that almost all the squeezing and pushing and humping and squirting is entirely the result of conscious volition. Your partner didn’t cum because you spent thirty minutes plunging eight inches of spongy, erectile tissue into him/her. S/he probably came because prior to doing that, you were finger-banging her/him or whispering stupid shit about wanting to screw her/ him forever/eat her/his crap/feed her/him noodles/whatever floats her/his fuck-boat.

Does having a foot-and-a-half-long lance guarantee good sex? Probably not at all. If ten inches of throbbing gristle makes you moist, hey, that’s your brain’s problem. Nobody’s judging. By definition, most men have a cock of average size, and most men have good sex and bad sex and average sex. But a well-informed, decently-groomed smart chap with a humble willy probably sets off waterworks much more frequently than some dipshit with a cock that looks like a shitty photoshop job. A brain can do a lot without a dick, but a dick without a brain is just bratwurst. And having a ten-inch bratwurst or a five-inch bratwurst don’t matter much: if it tastes like shit, nobody wants a piece of it Opinion by a Straight Guy

Does size matter? Well, as a woman in her early 20s, I can say that it does not matter to me. Most of my girlfriends agree. To all the guys who are out there: your penis is not the first thing a girls wants to know about you. Nor does your penis size determine your sexual performance.

While looks might be a pre-requisite for some, for most normal, well-adjusted females a ‘nice’ guy (and just so you know, no two girls will have the same definition of ‘nice’) is what we’re usually look for. Even when looking for a hookup, penis size is not that important. As long as you know how to use yours in a way that is pleasant for you and your partner, it’s all-good! It’s even better if you know how to use other appendages as well.

Ultimately, it’s a man’s self-perception that determines his confidence levels both inside and outside the bedroom. The confidence level of a guy, however, should not be centred on the size of his penis. If I ever come across a guy who is clearly insecure about him self, for whatever reasons, chances are I’m going to keep my distance.

So, guys, keep in mind it’s confidence and experience that count. On a side note can I just say that while size does not matter, your bush does. So to those of you who don’t shave, start! As Russell Peters says, it makes your penis look bigger and girls appreciate the effort.

Opinion by a Straight Girl

Of course penis size matters, and don’t be mollycoddled by any touchy-feely types who try and tell you otherwise. Big dicks have always been important: appearing alongside the bloated bellies of stone-age Earth-mother figurines are the epic dongs painted onto cave walls. These people had lifespans averaging into their early thirties, lacked medicine, agriculture, and lived hand to mouth. And yet they made idolising super-dicks a priority. Of course the fairly consistent depiction of boners (as opposed to long shlongs) raises the question – what was more important per se, the size or the strength of the wang?

Either way it was important that they looked big.

We don’t live in small mono-cultural tribes any more, and society’s ancient mosterdick ying has a corresponding and inverse contemporary micro-dick yang. True story: a couple of friends of mine went on a micro-penis forum (trolls will be trolls).

They actually got turned down repeatedly while offering “three inches of steel” because it was ‘too big’ (fetishists will be fetishists). Size matters. Even if it’s not about celebrating epic earth-shaking love poles, people clearly have certain sizebased preferences.

Size matters if it matters to you. There are support groups for men with small penises, and a roaring trade in pharmaceuticals and devices intended to bloat your boat.

There’s also millions being spent on surgical penile enlargement, which is the only proven method of enlargement.

This is achieved by cutting the muscle attaching the top part of the penis to the groin, which can add up to two inches – and also potentially cause impotency, and chronic boner bounce as the dick is now semi-detached from the body. To be honest though the only thing guaranteed to satisfy size hang-ups is self-esteem (or therapy).

Opinion by a Gay Guy

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“We equate masculinity and power with penis size,” says Ira Sharlip, a man with so many credentials behind his name that I can’t mention them because it would bore you to read them all.

Ira goes on to say that there really is no relationship between masculinity and penis size ... yet all of his patients want to increase their penis size. All of them! What is going on?

I suppose the question is: how big is big exactly? Here’s some data for you: the average size for an erect penis is between 12.7 cm and 15.4 cm. The average size for a flaccid penis is around 8.89 cm. Sexual health educator Cory Silverberg says that “One of the biggest sex myths for men is the notion that we are our penises, and that’s all that counts in terms of sex.” Do you agree? There is no doubt about it that penis size is a key factor that contributes towards a man’s self-image, and yet strangely enough – when the average man isn’t boasting about how massive his penis is to his fellow males, he is significantly underestimating the relative size of his penis.

Maybe a reason that men underestimate the size of their tackle is because they really have no idea what a ‘normal’ size penis looks like. In previous surveys when men are asked to guess how big a ‘normal’ size penis is—most guess wrong. As with any good psychological issue, it has been given a name: Small Penis Syndrome. This means that you believe that you aren’t a real man because you don’t have a big penis.

Many reasons are cited for the increase in men with Small Penis Syndrome. Some specialists say that adolescent boys brag (and lie) about penis size, and this makes every adolescent insecure about their own size because they have no comparison. Then they go out and watch porn and get a seriously distorted view of what a ‘normal’ penis looks like. The bad news is that perception doesn’t change with age. Older men are just as discontented with their penis size as younger guys are. You know what though ... men worrying about their penis size is not a new thing.

There are some concepts about penis size being related to masculinity that date back over many thousands of years. There is even proof that primitive cave dwellers recognised the link between strength, virility, power and fertility to penis size. Things were obviously different back then, though … and having what we now call ‘premature ejaculation’ was a good thing as you needed to get in and out before a) another man came along or, b) she woke up after having being hit on the head and was furious. The Kama Sutra (which was written sometime between 400 BCE and 200 CE) also acknowledges a man by his lingam (penis) size. You would be classified as either a hare man, bull man or horse man. Women were also classified as one of three things: doe, mare or elephant. Kama Sutra insists that the idea sexual partnerships are between doe and the hare; mare and the bull, and elephant and the horse. So basically, small with small, medium with medium, and large with large. Apparently there should be no sexual union between elephant and hare, or doe and horse ... er, why?

It is rumoured that Indian Sadhus used weights to make their penises larger, and apparently the Dayak men of Borneo pierced the penis and inserted items into the holes to stimulate their partner.

There is also the story of the Topinama of Brazil, who deliberately had poisonous snakes bite their penises so that it would enlarge for six months, ouchies! Considering the detailed history, it is really no surprise that today countless men place great importance on the size of their penis.

It’s obviously a serious issue but let’s look on the bright side. The owner of the world’s biggest penis is Jonah Falcon who has a 34 cm whopper, and there are people that suffer from what is called an inconspicuous penis, which is a form of micropenis. In some cases, the penis is connected to the scrotum, which actually pulls the penis inwards. There is also such a thing as a buried penis, which is where the penis is hidden below the skin. So, most likely, you are going to be somewhere between these two extremes. Be happy with average. Us women are complex creatures, and most data suggests that the importance of the size of a man’s penis rates much lower than a man’s appearance, personality and grooming. Also, 84% of women report that they are content with their partner’s penis size. So it appears that it is not her issue boys... it is yours.

Words by Asten Nunn Image by Jodie Davidson

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This theme is/

When I heard that this issue of GSM would centre on the theme of masculinity I thought to myself, ‘About fucking time somebody did that!’ But inevitably, when men and their identity are discussed in the media, there is a hysterical backlash from some more alarmist segments of the feminist population, who, with each passing year, seem to be moving closer and closer to the ideological position that uttering the word ‘man’ is grounds for sex discrimination against women.

I know, go figure. Nonetheless, this backlash happened, and it got me angry. I think I know why.

You see, once upon a time we men were happy little patriarchs.

We didn’t call ourselves that in everyday conversation, of course; that term got hurled at us later, like a grenade. We just followed the traditional ways of our fathers and their fathers before them, and for a long time we were too close-minded to question such things—probably because we were doing pretty damn well out of the whole thing. Men earned the most, had the best jobs, the best health, the best education, and, by far, the most rights. So the system favoured us men for a long time— or, let’s be honest, the straight, white men among us, and we went around oppressing anyone who wasn’t male, or straight, or white.

Eventually, the women of the world got a bit pissed off, and then a lot pissed off, and started this thing called feminism, whereby they wanted to be equal with the men who were ruling the roost—fair call, I’d say. And so they fought by marching and by campaigning, and eventually they changed the laws and even the language of the land, and have now helped lead the country as CEOs of banks and corporations (Gail Kelly, Vittoria Shortt), State Premiers (Kristina Keneally, Anna Bligh), a Prime Minister (Julia Gillard) and even a Governor-General (Quentin Bryce). Women, as a gender, are progressing in leaps and bounds, which is fantastic and must be supported—and yet, an enormous problem has gone overlooked.

The fact is our dominant cultural narrative has changed radically due to feminism. It used to be patriarchal: ‘men are better than others.’ The feminist movement fundamentally altered the system—correctly, I would agree, but it did it in the wrong way. In the feminist ideology, one’s worth and identity is derived from belonging to an oppressed minority group; and these minority groups define themselves against the traditional majority—the straight, white male. Patriarchy as the dominant school of thought was true once, for a long time, but no longer anywhere near accurate. Feminist values have overpowered patriarchal values in a number of sectors and industries, and have certainly become the dominant ideology in the arts, academia and mainstream media—and perhaps the public service too.

The message men receive about their identity is that they are oppressors and aggressors, and yet, paradoxically, the men reaching adult age in 2012 have never been in any kind of position of power to discriminate against women, nor have they ever lived in a culture that would allow such oppression, creating cognitive dissonance for men.

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We are constantly reminded of our supposed privilege and yet we have never lived any of it. Society chastises us for actions we have never done and scolds us for an identity we have never embodied. Worse, the system feminism has produced, far from being a gender-blind meritocracy, favours women in a number of ways and has wrought a problematic decline for men.

In many ways, feminism still operates as though it is a fledgling, factitious ideology fighting against the machine.

Academia is homogenously feminist—at least in the humanities. We have universities teaching Women’s Studies but not Men’s Studies; and these ideologies spread across multiple disciplines. We have universities, like ECU, holding special event lectures by female leaders and CEOs geared to a female audience, with no equivalent for men. Our university celebrates International Women’s Day with fanfare but makes no mention of International Men’s Day, let alone makes an event of it. There are multiple scholarships open only to female students, but nothing solely offered to assist male students.

And here is the problem: this kind of positive discrimination is served up under the guise of assisting the disadvantaged minority—women. However, we are no longer living in the 1970s. Female students now outnumber male students at university and they are performing better. Men are falling behind and becoming the disadvantaged minority, not just in education, but a number of areas. In health, for example, the life expectancy for males in Australia is now five years less than females. Men are also four times more likely than women to commit suicide, and are more likely to be victims of assault and violence. Workplace fatalities are almost exclusively male.

Rape against men is often taken less seriously than rape against women. Men are much less likely to retain custody of their children and can have unborn children aborted without their knowledge or consent. Violence against women is rightly seen as abhorrent and yet violence against men is often portrayed as humorous. In the media, and even in academia, misogyny is a crime punishable by social and professional opprobrium and yet misandry is widespread and used as a source of humour.

I don’t know what the solutions to all of these issues are.

What I do know is that they are real issues that affect all men and go largely overlooked by society and the media. It is no coincidence that there has been a perceived ‘masculinity crisis’ in the last two decades. Feminism has improved the lot of women, but inadvertently diminished the role and standing of men; it is very slowly beginning to do what patriarchy did to women: marginalise one gender by silencing its voice.

Where do we go from here? I don’t have answers, but I firmly believe that discussing maleness and masculinity in this issue of GSM—and in broader society—is a brilliant launch pad for getting a better view of what ails the male gender in the 21st century.

Words by Kristian Guagliardo

s/n’t offensive In response to Why ‘Masculinity’ As a Theme is Not Offensive, But Timely and Absolutely Essential, in this month’s issue of GSM. While some, such as Kristian Guagliardo, celebrated this month’s issue of GSM by focusing on the theme of masculinity, I was a part of the group that let out an audible sigh at the thought. I completely acknowledge that men as well as women have issues, but I don’t agree with the notion that we live in a matriarchal, male-hating world. If I can try and restrain myself from crying, menstruating or being generally “hysterical” I might be able to illustrate all the ways in which the term patriarchy still applies to 21st century Australia.

To begin with, let’s look at the black and white things that are easy to clear up. While Kristian was correct in his statement that men are more likely to be the victims of violence than women, he failed to mention that over 80% of these assaults are committed by other men. While men are being targeted it is the rest of the male population who are doing the targeting, not women.

The absence of Men’s Studies in universities was also falsely cited, with the University of Western Australia currently offering two branches of Gender Studies; studies of masculinities and studies of both genders. No Woman’s Studies is currently listed as being offered.

It was also mentioned that while we have International Woman’s Day no ‘International Men’s Day’ exists. I’m going to be bold and say that this is because we celebrate all that is masculine on a day to day basis.

To be honest, I don’t want an International Woman’s Day. I also don’t want a handful of names being thrown at me as proof that equality has been achieved and women can be content. The fact that we have a female Prime Minister and Governor General doesn’t detract from the fact that women occupy only 8.4% of Board Directorships in Australia as of 2010, or that as of 2007 the gender pay gap in Western Australia stood at a whopping 26.9%, the largest in the country. It is phenomenal that a select few have achieved so highly, but this is in no way indicative of the standing that women currently have within Australian society.

The notion that feminist ideas have overpowered the mainstream is absurd, to say the least. I can’t speak for anyone else, but when I look at movie posters, television shows, or advertising campaigns depicting women with large breasts and posteriors in minimal clothing I don’t chuckle to myself and think “Those crazy feminists! Look what their movement hath wrought!”

While feminist opinions are almost always expressed regarding mainstream media, the media itself is an undeniable product of the heterosexual male gaze, not a female one.

There was one point in particular that was made by Guagliardo that, to quote Peter Griffin, really “Ground my gears.” It was stated that “The men reaching adult age in 2012 have never been in any kind of position of power to discriminate against women, nor have they ever lived in a culture that would allow such oppression.” This brings me to discuss one of the most relevant and uncomfortable issues regarding gender – the rape culture we currently find ourselves in. The term ‘rape culture’ is controversial, but one I have no qualms in using. We live in a society where women are taught not to be raped rather than men being taught not to rape, where victims are blamed for their assault because of their attire or the amount of alcohol they’ve consumed, where coercion is seen by many as consent.

I am in no way suggesting all men are rapists or that it is a gender exclusive issue – it isn’t. Men are sometimes raped and women are sometimes rapists. However, the gendered nature of the issue cannot be ignored. In 2011 over 85% of all sexual assaults included female victims and one in five women are bound to experience some form of sexual abuse in their lifetime.

It is not always as extreme as rape, but I guarantee that if any male reader asks any female they know they will report that there has been at least one instance where they felt sexually vulnerable at the hands of a male. This may vary from a persistent male friend who was overly affectionate when they were clearly uninterested to catcalls while they were walking down the road. My most recent experience came while talking on the phone in an empty car-park after a night out with friends as a car full of men drove past me with their windows down and one proceeded to call out “I’ll fuck you up the arse, bitch,” to me. This encounter happened with no provocation (though I can’t really imagine what course of action would provoke such a remark from a stranger) as I stood alone and personally, I struggle to imagine a woman screaming out a remark of comparable threat to a male. Ask the women in your life and you’ll find that everything isn’t exactly peachy from our side, even after secondwave feminism.

I don’t believe that all men are evil and must be overthrown, but as a woman living in contemporary Australia I cannot find grounds for the cries of ‘misandry’ that seem to echo everywhere I turn. While men do face issues within society, I daresay they are not caused by a crowd of cackling women who gleefully look upon men as their humble servants as we sit in places of luxury without a care in the world.

Words by Paige Champion Image by D’Arcy Ellis

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“Iron Man is a superhero. Iron Woman is a command.” Or, if you’re talking to Margaret Thatcher and you wish to be a tad more respectful, you could just command “Iron Lady”. Man and his notion of dominance, size does matter, and sweeping chest hair in the wind, like the luscious hair of Thor, has long been embedded in the minds of humankind as the epitome of superiority. Folklores of old, steeped in tradition, tell of warriors, leaders, rulers and, even in more modern times, of philanthropists and entrepreneurs. The general notion fostered over time is that, while these men were out there building, ruling and being downright badarse, the women were at home, ploughing fields, raising future badarse men and very much knowing their place.

We see the pre-historic lines of masculinity and femininity being blurred, much like globalisation has blurred the lines of culture and international trends. With the movement in pop culture today, it is far more likely to pick the year in which the Dockers will win the Grand Final, than pick out an archetypal male among teenagers today.

Hell, delving into the glorious world of superheroes, most of the popular ones are male. Batman, Superman, Iron Man, Thor, The Hulk, Wolverine, Chuck Norris; each of them are men by biology, adored and idolised by males and females all over.

These are the symbols ingrained in our minds and even our parents’ minds. Masculinity has, for centuries, been the pure demonstration of dominance as evidenced by this fact. I have heard kids talk for years about who would win an epic pissing contest. The usual invites to this party are your stock-standard Supermans and Batmans. I have never heard any of them send out to Wonder Woman for this one.

Let’s move the Tupperware party onto the manly world of football. Rather, let me call it soccer instead of insulting the men of Aussie Rules. The sport with the largest audience in the world brings out fistfuls of handbags that make Vuitton look like cheap amateurs. What with diving, moaning and suspensions dished out for messing with a man’s hairstyle, it instils fear in me that one day, as soon as a soccer player goes down, the first medical help that gets sent on the field is actually the local hairdresser making sure not a strand of hair is out of place.

These notions, fuelled by generations of dick-measuring contests, have been challenged vehemently in recent times.

With the early movements of Women’s Lib factions, to the aforementioned Margaret Thatcher, women, as a gender, are dispelling of these notions. Yes, there are multiple differences between these factions; physical, emotional, mental and even menstrual. In my male opinion, Wonder Woman would take Spiderman, skin him alive and make a condom out of his skin (and a rather ineffective one at that.) Margaret Thatcher stood firm against the throngs of male bravado, to lead that incessant island of fishmongers who still harp on their former glories, and earn herself the moniker or “Iron Lady.” Men are not as dominant and brave as they were always made out to be.

With many young females today embracing the notion of lesbianism through their endless love-affair with Justin Bieber, or the males throwing back to the seventies with their apparent love affair with the sparkly disco ball that is Edward Cullen.

Picking out a male from that crowd, based on prior generations’ perceptions of masculinity, is nigh impossible.

I wonder what one-time American Vice-President, Aaron Burr, who lost his life defending his honour in a gun duel with American Secretary of the Treasury, Alexander Hamilton in 1804, would say about the way men deal with their problems in the current day and age. Today, we do it in the most epic manner possible: stare-downs and Miley Cyrus dance-offs. I don’t have an iota of doubt Burr is turning in his grave knowing that he could have duelled his way in an epic walk-off, to be the inspiration of Derek Zoolander.

Men have long since been men simply by defending their family’s honour, standing tall and not being afraid of the hair bestowed upon their chiselled chests. Unfortunately, we have become the blur that masculinity once was. We are in a time where men are men, not because of their looks and mannerisms, but only because of some shrivelled raisin in their pants. Men, what the hell has happened to you?

Word by Sikander Y. Joosub Image by Manuel Canal

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A friend of mine unexpectedly broke up with his partner not long ago. His girlfriend of two years didn’t see it coming. She was a mess. She couldn’t eat or sleep and she called off work for two days in a row. He wasn’t in great shape either and when I asked him about it, his eyes started to tear up. This is a big dude; mind you, a real guy’s guy.

As his watery eyes met mine, he cleared his throat and he said, “I reckon I should just go have a beer and get pissed at the pub. I’m a man; I don’t talk about my emotions.” He really said that. And sure enough, he did just that. We haven’t spoken about it since. I feel bad for him. Those are a lot of emotions to deal with – the loss of partner, friend and lover. There seems to be some imaginary barrier that prevents straight men to be able to process feelings and emotions in an open way. Well, unless it’s joy or fury over the last footy match.

His partner, erm, ex-partner and I spent the nights following the break up hashing out her thoughts and feelings. We drank tea, more often wine, and watched horrible romantic comedies to soothe her pain. (Side note: do not rent One Day - you will not get those two hours of your life back). We talked about her feelings and thoughts, helping her to find closure and make sense of a tough situation. From my experience, this is what women do. I wonder: how do men process these deeper emotions?

Have we pushed our men into an emotional corner? Has there been some unspoken mandate dictating that men are only allowed to express a range of three emotions: happy (at the match or the new Call of Duty video game), mad (at the match or losing the new Call of Duty video game) or drunk and ready to fight? Where do the rest of the emotions go, like sadness or vulnerability? How do they get expressed? Or rather, what happens after they repress them?

Is there some magical man vault somewhere high in the sky that holds all the unexpressed emotions of men everywhere? Or is this why we have seen a rise in drunken debauchery and general douchebaggery? And is this why there is so much homoeroticism on our sporting fields? (The last one may be unrelated but I’ve been curious all my life why professional sports are supposed to be a “straight” thing but have such strong homosexual themes.)

There has to be some middle ground where straight men have the freedom to be open with what they are going through. And I’m not talking about every single straight male turning into the weepy guy (we all know one), crying at the drop of a hat. We have to create and foster an environment where men are allowed to openly express and embrace their “softer” sides.

Come on people, it’s 2012.

What if the world really does end in December?

Wouldn’t it be better for everyone if we were a species of emotionally healthy people before closing time? So, let’s try something: the next time your boyfriend, best friend, colleague or classmate wants to talk to you about whatever – he’s anxious about a deadline, worried about the future, or crushing on a new girl, please just let him express himself.

Don’t tease him about acting “girly” or ask when he’s going to take up knitting.

Just let him be himself, his whole self.

It will take some adjustment, like an emotional course of Metamucil, but in the long run, we are all better when we are emotionally healthy.

Words by Julie Khan Image by Jackie Le

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Feminism is not a dirty word, so why has it suddenly become one? The new wave of feminism is upon us, and the modern day feminist is rejecting the old stereotypes. Embracing your inner feminist can be liberating for both men and women.

Modern feminists don’t burn bras, throw themselves under horses, or dress as men. They are making themselves heard with the one thing us women know how to do best; talking, and making themselves heard about the things they believe in.

Feminism is simply defined as; the advocacy of womens’ rights on the grounds of political, social, and economic equality to men. A feminist is any woman or man who believes women should have equal rights. Isn’t that everyone then?

In the past decade, an extreme and radical approach to feminism has morphed the original idea of feminism out of context. In the mainstream media the feminist is represented in extremes. They are thought of as a minority of undesirable women who are stereotyped as short haired, irrational, men hating extremists. This representation upsets me and is not a true and accurate depiction of a modern day feminist.

Feminists are all around us in the media, whether it be those advocating for further equality, or in representations in movies and television shows. The mocking and bullying of these feminists within the media is responsible for the way in which the modern feminist is viewed. Often they are seen as a ‘joke’, often stereotyped as spinsters, lesbians, men-hating, outspoken, loners. These representations have damaged all that feminism stands for, and have created a reputation that has been hard to shake.

Feminism also advocates for women’s rights in the Third World. This is known as human rights feminism. Many Third World countries are yet to embrace feminism as a broad social movement and women are still considered to be less than men within their cultural, political and economic systems. When we look at these countries, we can see what our own society could possibly look like if we never had the feminist movement.

When the history of feminism is looked in to, it’s hard not to form an extremist view of the predominant feminists in history. They may have gone about the whole equality thing the wrong way; blowing stuff up, chaining themselves to things, and occasionally burning the symbol of women’s oppression; the bra (ed. This never happened as is commonly cited, the women actually threw their bras into a bin – ironically the bra was also invented by a feminist). But in the end we got the result we wanted; equality.

If nothing radical was done, nothing would have changed.

It’s like the old saying: ‘’if you do what you’ve always done, you get what you’ve always got.” If the women hadn’t been extreme nobody would have taken any notice.

It is only when we relive this history we realise how far we women have come in this world. We now look back on the days where women were only receptionists and homemakers and think ‘whoa, what an injustice to women’. Look at us now, we are running the country, we are doctors, and lawyers, and teachers, we have the right to vote, and the right to speak on equal terms to any other member of society irrelevant of gender, race, or class.

Modern day feminists are all around us; they can be anyone who shares the same ideals to advocate for equality within our society. Any man or woman who is willing to speak out when they see injustice, or realises when something is out of line in the workplace or the schoolyard can be a feminist.

Once we were singing, ‘sisters are doing it for themselves’, and ‘I am woman hear me roar’. Now we sing ‘Who run the world? Girls’. I think this goes to show our place within society is one of equality. We no longer question what roles we should be playing, instead we play whatever role we feel like. We don’t ask how should a lady act, we act however we feel, without the implications of being questioned because of our gender. Liberating ourselves, free from the restraints of patriarchy, without having labels placed upon us; this is modern day feminism.

Words by Shannon Wood Image by Jodie Davidson

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“Domestic Violence” Harry Brown

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This may be due to the emergence of more homosexual public figures who are typically masculine. Sportsmen like Rugby player Gareth Thomas, cricketer Steven Davies, and soccer players Anton Hysen as well as David Testo have all come out as gay in recent years, following in the footsteps of Australian Rugby player Ian Roberts, who famously came out in 1995.

Qantas CEO Alan Joyce, a controversial figure, has nonetheless shattered perceptions of gay men in the business world, commanding a high salary and exuding a ruthless and powerful air in the public eye. Openly gay actor Neil Patrick Harris, meanwhile, has become a popular cult figure of masculinity, playing the womanising Barney Stinson on TV’s How I Met Your Mother.

Moreover, homosexual men have, for many years, described themselves as ‘masculine’ or ‘straight-acting’ in online dating profiles. Some academics and activists have taken issue with the term ‘straight-acting’, claiming that it is self-loathing or a symptom of internalised homophobia. I disagree with them: the term is not ideal, but I think it is simply a reflection on how much our society has separated the ideas of masculinity and homosexuality, rather than imagining that they might co-exist in one male body. Because of this schism, masculine gay men are left in the position of needing to redeem or prove their masculinity, and claiming to be like straight men, whose masculinity is less problematic. It is a simple way to communicate to their prospective partner just how manly they are.

A single word can conjure up a thousand different images.

Take the word ‘masculine’, for instance. What springs to mind? Pop-culture demi-gods like Chuck Norris, athletes like Dane Swan, or world leaders like Putin? Or maybe you just see disconnected images: tools, a football, beer, cigars, utes, tattoos, or guns? ‘Masculine’ tends to connote power, strength and competence.

How about the word ‘gay’? Do you see glowsticks and disco balls, cocktails and techno, Gaga and ecstasy, drag-queens and glitter? Kurt from Glee, Jack from Will and Grace, the whole male cast of Queer as Folk? ‘Gay’ often implies flamboyant, effeminate behaviours.

It’s interesting how mainstream perceptions of homosexuality are homogenised and divorced from masculinity. It’s also interesting to look at how bullshit that notion actually is.

Homosexual men have been historically been represented as an unusual breed of effeminate male; men who, if we believe our TVs, prefer to act like women. It’s a stereotype that endures and to an extent is accepted by many gay men.

I don’t understand this: to me, a bloke fucking another bloke is about the most masculine thing I can imagine. There’s nothing feminine about it: just an overabundance of testosterone, muscle, lust and aggression. How can a bloke who roots blokes be seen as any less masculine than his straight counterpart?

Sexual activity doesn’t dictate one’s behaviour or interests.

Despite the ongoing stereotyping, there are signs that many homosexual men are beginning to shun the socially-projected effeminate identity in favour of reasserting their masculine identity.

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Why do gay men feel this need to prove their masculinity?

I would argue that it is because of society’s conflation of sexuality with gender. Gay men are often viewed as effeminate and therefore ‘like women’. This may not bother some gay men; but it is clearly a concern for those many men who go to lengths to describe themselves on Manhunt or Grindr as ‘masculine’ and ‘straight-acting’. These men exhibit the same desire as most heterosexual men to be seen as masculine and as ‘real men’; they identify strongly with the male gender.

Once again, there are those who call this tendency ‘selfloathing’, but I believe they are grossly misinformed. It is much more self-loathing for a homosexual man to call himself ‘queer’. This trend has been popular since the 1990s, but far from being a reclamation of an epithet, it simply reinforces the heteronormative idea that homosexuality is unusual, weird, or a symptom of gender confusion. To call oneself queer is essentially to give up and accept the arguments made by homophobes, rather than arguing back and redefining homosexuality.

To those who say gay men can’t be masculine, or that they are inherently effeminate or queer, I say bullshit. Homosexual men are not queer; they are, like heterosexuals, bisexuals, transgendered folks and intersex peeps, totally, 100% normal. It would be of great benefit for gay men’s self-image and self-esteem to redefine themselves as such.

The bottom line is, then, that many gay men are extremely masculine. Gay men are sportsmen, businessmen, blue-collar workers, soldiers and world leaders. Gay men are strong, powerful and competent. The challenge, then, is to bring this perception further and further into public view and start showing the world exactly how masculine homosexual men are.

Words by Kristian Guagliardo Image by Evonne Lai

Since the dawn of time, the male has played an integral role in shaping the way our society functions. Their claim to fame can best be seen in personalities known as the Tough Guy, the Funny Bastard, the Piss Head and the out-n-out Psycho.

In a society run by media and pop culture, I thought I would choose five of the best male movie characters of all time.

These characters represent the full spectrum of butch manhood Dr. Hannibal Lecter Dr. Lecter can best be described as the creep who out creeps all creeps. Pretty much smarter than 99% of the world’s population, Hannibal is a renowned psychologist who is one of the few that cross that fine line from genius to complete fucking psycho. Held in a psychiatric ward in Baltimore, Lecter messes with the mind of rookie FBI agent Clarice Starling, who is trying to solve the case of Buffalo Bill (another top bloke). With a spine tingling demeanour, Hannibal has the ability to scare you to death (and possibly eat you afterwards).

Maximus Decimus Meridius This dude is the ultimate tough guy, someone you’d struggle to kill with an AK-47. Maximus got dogged hard by the Roman Empire, a balls out battle commander that was meant to be slaughtered, survived and ended up in slavery in a travelling gladiator roadshow. He pretty much destroys every person or beast in his path, including the ‘top dog’ of Rome at The Colosseum. The dude is so gnarley that he would leave a man like Mike Tyson pissing his pants and trembling at the knees. All hail the tough guy!

Tony Montana Straight Gangster, that is Tony Montana in a nut shell.

Escaping the shores of Cuba, Tony finds himself in Miami, a cocaine and hustling hotspot of the U.S.A. Tony’s philosophy is one of no bullshit. First you get the money, then the power, and finally the women. A man who tells the truth (even when he lies). His confidence and go-getting attitude take him to the top of the Miami cocaine game.

Unfortunately for Tony, once you’re at the top the only way to go is down. Unfazed by this, he racks the fattest line of blow ever and blasts his way into pure legend status. Say hello to my little friend!

Frank the Tank Frank is pretty much a caged party animal waiting to be unleashed. Rushed into a typically ‘white picket fence’ marriage, it was only a matter of time until the inner piss tank exploded back into the world. Ignoring the lures of a Saturday morning with his wife at the Home Depot (aka Bunnings), Frank’s plan of a tame Friday evening at his mate’s house warming party disintegrates at the lure of funnelling a beer.

One turns into ten and before long Frank the Tank is back with a vengeance, getting butt naked and running down the streets of his local neighbourhood. His lame marriage inevitably fails, and the king of kid brains rules it hard on the college campus for many a drinking session to come.

Michael J. Dundee Known affectionately to his mates as Mick, “Crocodile” Dundee was a man from Walkabout Creek Northern Territory that would make Bear Grylls look like a complete and utter rookie. Hearing reports of a wild escape from the jaws of a saltwater beast, Seppo journalist Sue Charlton arrives in Walkabout Creek to meet the man and write an article for her father’s paper back in New York, which is Mick’s dry humour, bush smarts and absolute Aussie demeanour basically charms the panties off young Sue. She takes him back to New York to ‘finish her article’, Mick’s first time in a city. Croc Dundee absolutely kills it, adapting his bush survival techniques to the urban jungle of N.Y. In the face of a hoodlum with a switchblade, he produces his fuck off hunting blade and scares the shit out of him in true blue Aussie fashion. Yeah Mick, that is a knife!

Words by Chris Gowe Image by Camden Watts

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VOX POPS

Name: Bianca Broekhuizen Age: 21 Study: Bachelor of marketing, advertising and public relations What do you think is manly?

Chivalry. Being a gentlemen.

Name: Ryan Hadji Age: 23 Study: Broadcasting and journalism What do you think is manly?

Footy, beers and sex.

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Name: Jackson Rush Age: 18 Study: Sound engineering What do you think is manly?

Moustaches

Name: Emma Aylward Age: 19 Study: Jazz Bachelor What do you think is manly?

Talent

Name: Dylan Gilbert Age: 19 Study: Marketing, Advertising and Public Relations What do you think is manly?

Being outdoors, musclier, hairy, fishing, beer, footy and meat pies.

Name: Sarah Dyer Age: 22 Study: Marketing, Advertising and Public Relations What do you think is manly?

Muscles, polite to women, playing footy and likes drinking beer with his mates.

Giselle Natassia has been taking pictures for GSM since 2011, and has contributed several covers (including for this edition).

She attended the Equal Love Rally on May 12 at the Stirling Gardens. The rally aimed to progress the campaign for the legalisation of same-sex marriage in Australia. Giselle’s work is also available on Facebook and www.gisellenatassia.com

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If you see a boy running around with a tennis ball, screaming, “I Choose You, Charizard!”, you’ll probably characterise this behaviour as “boys will be boys”. But being a boy is not a good thing when it comes to the education system. Across the board in all subjects, boys are falling behind. They don’t seem to handle written tests as well as girls in high school; while in primary school boys are two times more likely than girls to be diagnosed with learning problems and twice as likely to be placed in special-education classes. The number of boys declaring a solid dislike of schooling doubled in the last thirty years.

According to the stats, that isn’t simply just “the thing to say”. They really hate school.

Going back to the stats on learning problems, there are several theories that are discussed regularly – none of which are universally accepted. One theory is that boys are “too physical” when compared to girls. A boy under stress is more likely to react physically in an “inappropriate” manner. He might shuffle his feet, kick a nearby object (but not in aggression), or slam his book down onto his desk. Often they resort, especially in their early years at school, in behaving in a silly manner, making faces or noises. Simply a mask to hide their inabilities; it is unfortunate that they do not yet understand the disservice they are doing to themselves.

Let’s compare that to girls: a girl will slide quietly into the background, removing herself from the situation by her statue-like body language. It’s more likely for a girl to behave in a non-confrontational manner. Part of her behaviour is learned and the other is cognitive.

I believe that teachers make the difference.

That isn’t to say that teachers are to blame for the troubles in our society today (but it may be easier to do so), but they make a significant difference in how all children respond to learning, which will strongly effect their future lives. A child who feels that he matters in the class is going to do his best. A child who is made to feel foolish or unimportant in the class will fight back. Today, teachers don’t get much opportunity to teach as much as educate children on the things that their parents should be doing.

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Children vary in their maturity in every way from physical to intellectual to social, and teachers are expected to handle each of them and support them all at once. It can’t be done with a cookie-cutter plan; it needs attention to detail and careful deliberation on the part of the teacher so as to fulfil their needs. Acknowledgement of this is becoming more widespread: the Gates Foundation in the US has spent almost a billion dollars in the high school education system in the States to make boys’ education a priority, and there are programs out there to help boys learn better in school.

The problem can’t be solved overnight. Since NAPLAN (National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy), the education system has become obsessed with a quantifiable definition of academic success. We now know that boys learn better in co-education classes, but girls learn better at an all-girl school what should we do to accommodate both genders? Boys are different from girls in so many ways, and teachers need to learn how to bring out the best in every one. But it cannot be simply left just to the teachers; parents have to want to care about the upbringing of their children and be active in it.

Thirty years ago these gender positions were reversed, but significant investments in time, policy, and money have changed this. Perhaps the emphasis on girls’ educational needs has gone too far, because now boys are clearly lagging behind. For gender equality, this needs to be remedied: both need to be equal on the playing field. But we have awareness of this situation now. Awareness is the first step on the path to fixing it.

Perhaps the smart thing is to accept that boys and girls will learn differently, and that the education system needs to be altered to accommodate this. But funding, resources, re-educating teachers and parents on accommodating this....it’s too much work, right?

Words by P. McGregor Image by Jodie Davidson

Know Your Stereotypes There are a few male stereotypes on campus. I’ve decided to focus on what I think are the four main ones. The first male stereotype on campus would be what I classify as the “Chick Magnets”. Appearance wise, they are the muscle-bound dudes that make you stop and think ‘what do these guys have that we don’t have?!’ Basically, they seem to be moulded straight from the wildest dreams of “hot chicks”.

Not surprisingly, these types of guys are really sociable with a lot of so-called friends and acquaintances. They might not be the brightest in the classroom, but fret not, help is just a flick of a finger away. Other guys will be eager to help them to be associated with these cool guys, while the girls will do the same. Unsurprisingly, their confidence and self-esteem will be sky-high and they will get all the “hot chicks” and also all those invitations to hip and happening parties.

The second male stereotype on campus are of course the geeks.

They are usually characterised by being either extremely thin or corpulent in appearance, but contrary to popular beliefs, they don’t always wear glasses. Some of them don’t really look like the stereotypical geeks that everyone would have in mind (I surely don’t need to explain this in detail). However, one surefire giveaway would be the way they dress. The most common would be shirts bearing logos or references from video games and/or anime shows. Others can be found wearing strange and even weird jackets that can only be seen in video games.

They evidently spend more time on the internet than in real life, and they have much better knowledge about game worlds such as that of World of Warcraft compared to the real world.

I mean, picture someone who is able to pinpoint exactly which hole in some orc’s castle to drop into to find a special hidden elixir - but tell them to pinpoint Barcelona on the map and they will struggle. Some of them have even achieved mastery in fictional languages such as Elven or Mandalorian, just to name two. Of course, most of their friends will be on the internet as well, and the chance of them getting chicks, let alone the hot ones? It’s like trying to wish for snow tomorrow morning.

The third male stereotype on campus are the “Asian guys” (refering to guys from East Asia, mainly Chinese guys). I don’t know why, but these guys are always thought of as shy and low on confidence. Most importantly, they tend to be viewed as having extremely low proficiency in the English language.

While some of them tick those boxes, there are many who are not like that. Some are even the exact opposite, but stereotypes will be stereotypes. They are also thought of as only able and/ or willing to mix around with their fellow Asians.

In the ladies department, I have seen/heard many Asian guys who are eager to mix around and even get up close and personal with local/western women. However, due to unknown reasons, which this writer speculates might owe to the image of Asian guys being shy and low on confidence, it seems that, again, they have the same chance as praying for a snowy winter to come tomorrow morning...

The last male stereotype on campus would be the more, let’s say, delicate guys around. In my opinion, they are the most special and unique group of males around on campus. First off, their appearance can be described as oozing elegance and grace. Every single movement that they do, no matter how mundane and simple it might seem, is actually extremely smooth and delicate. It’s just like putting a string through the needle-hole in a very swift and yet precise way.

They are extremely flamboyant, with confidence levels that are almost limitless. It seems that the world that they live in is the performance stage for them. They are perennially performing, 24/7. They embody the arts, and in terms of the arts, they are those who have been enlightened. To them, there seems to be no such thing as the differences between on-stage and off-stage.

For them, the real world is an eclectic mix of Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake and the mundane daily activities, all seamlessly sewn together as one graceful combination.

Words by Alvin Foeng Image by Manuel Canal

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My Top Five Things I Would Change About ECU There are two things I especially like about Edith Cowan University. The first is that it’s the only Australian university named after a woman—that’s pretty dismal, considering even convicted fraudster Alan Bond has his own university. Hell, even Captain Cook has a university and he was a man who was neither Australian, nor involved in the country beyond mapping the southeast coastline. In fact, his greatest contribution to this country was inaccurately reporting on the “lovely” summertime weather and the abundance of fresh water in Botany Bay—two pieces of information that later contributed to the first colony nearly starving to death.

Secondly, I like that we’re an university of opportunity. Which is a nice way of saying ECU has low standards. If you’re the Facebooking type I recommend you look up “ECU memes,” alternatively, try “UWA memes,” which has a secondary obsession with ECU. The fact that Edith Cowan is so eager to take in as many students (or customers) as possible, regardless of academic performance, just contributes to the perception that we’re a superTAFE. Still, I’d rather be at a superTAFE that improves the life expectations for the traditionally marginalised, rather than one that deliberately reinforces the privileges and elite expectations of western suburb teens.

Anyway, being a begrudging optimist, here are my suggestions on how to improve ECU: 5. Too Much Grey Firstly, what the hell is with the colour coding of our campuses? Don’t get me wrong, Bunbury has a nice sandcoloured palette and Joondalup is like a quirky compromise between the UWA and Curtin campuses (although our library is a complete dog’s breakfast). However, if you’ve ever been forced to spend time at Mount Lawley on a cold and wet day, you understand bleakness as architecture. Grey buildings produce grey minds. The dated décor and cringe-worthy colour scheme of ochre red, dark blue and canary yellow only adds to the campus’s visual malaise.

4. Dedicated Teaching Areas There’s this fab new trend in office management called: “hot desking,” where staff are forced to share a single workspace by roster. It’s a trend that has infiltrated some faculties, forcing students and staff to hot desk their classrooms. Broadcasting for example has designated teaching areas, which provide a replica workplace to gain hands-on experience, mix with students within the department and witness the work of their peers. In contrast, journalism, public relations and advertising lack any kind of teaching space to provide the same benefits. Boo. 3. Common Lunch Hour Allegedly there is such a thing as the “common lunch hour,” it’s just that no student or staff member has ever heard of it. It might not seem like a big deal, having a couple of hours a week when everyone on campus has a shared lunchbreak, but it could make a huge difference.

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It’s about potential. ECU might be WA’s “Second biggest university,” (according to their telephone advertising) but students are split across three campuses and many study externally. A common lunch hour is about setting up a time and a space each week when enough students are free and at leisure to participate in community activities.

2. Late Classes Argh! I have never heard of any other uni running classes as late as they do at ECU. I understand the university perceives this as a positive innovation because it allows people to work during the day and study at night. However, I’m not convinced it’s that practical—people who are either hungry or waiting for dinner, or attempting to digest their meal, don’t do well academically. Not to mention the strain to stay focused after a day of working and the inclination to wind down after sunset.

Also, it seems a little dodgy to encourage students to wander about unescorted on semi-illuminated campuses at night. Just saying.

1. The Logo The thing that I loathe most about ECU is the logo. It screams “Corporate whore” (not that being a whore is bad, per se).

Universities are supposed to be dignified places that inspire higher aspirations. Our stubby box of a logo gives the impression that ECU is either a regional hospital or a suburban library. Look at WAAPA and blush, my friends! Our logo is literally a box crammed with words. It’s as if the designers just cut out the key words in their brief and glued them onto a sheet of paper. Even Notre Dame has a more dignified and inspirational logo. Let that sink in a moment. Either bring back the old logo or create something more inspired. There’s no halfway in brilliance.

Words by Rupert Voysey Image by Camden Watts

I’m your new Vice Chancellor, bitches

The Meclamaine I felt a chill and so alone. Black eyes with no light or life in them. His head turned down as he entered and walked towards me.

All energy left me and there was only dread.

Overcome by the power, I felt deep terror. I stood motionless. He was evil. Refined hatred in his eyes.

I could sense his negative energy as he walked up to me. My heart sunk. I knew he was just too powerful.

His presence, his shield: My senses were completely enveloped, this had never happened before! Why was he so different and how was he doing this to me.

It stood at the door now next to me. My head started to sink.

I caught it and stood fast, its slick black eyes glossed over me. I felt defeated. Yet nothing had happened.

I just wanted it to leave and he had done nothing.

He had to be a Meclamaine. I had heard of them from others but never seen or felt one. Meclamaine seek to banish all light, all goodness. We both stood motionless and looked through each other. I could do nothing but await his move.

The arm I had grabbed disappeared and my hand fell gently to my side. The sway of the carriage stopped. The light seemed to dull. We had arrived at the station. Time defied us both as if to hold the moment. With a gust of wind the doors opened He looked surprised that I had used the word. I said “I know what you are!” It replied, “Do you?”

I nodded and moved around to his side I felt more powerful by the second the blood running back into my face I scowled “You are darkness, you are born from the depths of evil I know you do not have a real form.”

It whispered, “Truly then you would recognise your own?” Its laughs echoed as it stepped out and was gone. With it left all ill feeling, sound returned, and so did the light. I breathed again.

Words by Neill Barry Image by Ali Ghalib Al Ogaily originally published on helium.com

His presence pierced me. The flesh on my body writhed as I felt the waves of power enveloping me.

I could feel only the power of his evil darkness.

An abyss of darkness within him. It was cold, bitter, sharp and had no end to depth. It shrilled the light and life from anything it contacted with. He raised his hand and pressed the button. The button illuminated and I decided to move away from the door.

He moved and then stood right beside me. With the station approaching he turned and whispered, “You’re alone!” he moved closer, so close, as he whispered to me “The dark is pain. I know you feel it.” I didn’t move. I couldn’t speak I felt completely paralysed. He stood toe to toe with me and looked into my soul as he said, “Yes, I am one”. Suddenly my arm shot out and I grabbed hold of his arm. It was empty? He was like an empty case.

Its body just a cover for a dark spirit. Bravado took me over. (“Your Darkness has no power over believers Meclamaine!”) as I felt my strength returning “Only fools would believe in you.”

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Arts How is a puppet show created? A few weeks ago GSM had an exciting opportunity to interview Michael Barlow, a director and writer in Spare Part Puppet Theatre, Fremantle, about his upcoming puppet show, Miss Lily’s Fabulous Feather Boa. This show is based on a children’s book under the same title

by Margaret Wild and will be performed on 9-21 July 2012. Michael is very kind to let us enter his workshop, where we could see firsthand the behind-thescene of a puppet show. What else did he tell us about puppetry?

Join us, would you?

GSM: Can you give us a summary of this show?

Barlow: The story is about the last Potoroo, the main character,

who believes that he’s the only one left of his kind. He’s not brave enough to look if there’s any more potoroos. He goes off to a holiday house which surprisingly turns out to be run by a crocodile, Miss Lily, becomes friends with her, and she helps him find his courage again.

In the evening Miss Lily’s performs an elaborate dance routine with a feather boa for her holiday house guests. So we have this Feather Boa that becomes the focus of this story and the Potoroo thinks that this Feather Boa is something wonderful, and he feels wonderful when Miss Lily throws the Feather Boa to him. So he starts to think that if he has the Feather Boa, he can do anything.

Now, in the book, the Potoroo thinks that way about the Boa and then steals a little piece of it. And then he feels bad about it, and so on. In our show, because it’s a puppet show, we want to find ways of expanding the visual part of the story and also the feeling of fantasy in the story—because that’s where puppetry really works.

As soon as you see the performers operating a puppet, there’s a fantasy at work there. It’s your imagination and it kinda relies on you too to think that the puppet is actually alive. I think that’s part of the pleasure of a puppet show.

GSM: Why do you only have three performers in this show?

Barlow: It’s very hard for a theatre company like us to afford

more than that, so it’s really finance. Artists don’t get a lot of money, but the cost adds up very quickly. So if you want to add another performer, it adds a large chunk to the cost of the show, and unfortunately we can’t always afford to have more.

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But it’s sort of an interesting thing, sometimes; it forces you to be creative. When you can’t just spend money, you have to think, ‘Well, I can afford three performers; what makes it interesting and how does it naturally work with three performers?’ If you have three performers, it’s no good pretending you have six, because it won’t work. People will be able to see that something is missing.

Knowing that there’s three performers influenced how we planned the production. It led me to decisions, like making just the central characters puppets and having this kind of mechanism for other characters. You’ll always see the performers: when one of the performers is doing the Potoroo, you’ll always see her operating the puppet. Then you’ll also see her doing the koala and the wombat at different times. It’s the style of the play, that performers are always present. So, in that way, it’ll fit together.

GSM: Did you ask Margaret Wild first when you wanted to adapt

her book into a puppet show?

Barlow: Yes. The process is that you contact the publisher, which is Penguin Books, and they will take your request to the author and ask them if they’d be willing or not. Fortunately Margaret Wild was willing. We had made a show based on her book once before—about ten, twelve years ago—so perhaps that might’ve influenced her decision. But I think most authors are a little more relaxed about it than you might expect. Their work is the book, and it’s still there, out in the world.

Nothing that you do changes their work. Authors don’t make a lot of money, so I guess it’s a little bit of extra income for them.

After you get a permission to make the adaptation, you submit the adaptation back to the publisher, and they show it to the author.

And they have the opportunity to say ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ or ‘It’s okay but I don’t like what they’ve done in this area’. Something like that.

GSM: Is there any message or lesson you want to tell your

audience through this show?

Barlow: I’m not really concerned about delivering a moral, partly because it is in the story already. I feel to emphasise it again wouldn’t be interesting. I think the audience can draw that from the story already, and I think that when art tries to teach a moral, it can be quite boring. And theatre for young people that sets up to teach is usually bad.

I think it’s really important to know what the overall theme for a show is, because you always have to have something that can test your decisions against. So you have to sort of think, ‘Is this supporting the overall theme of the show or is it going the wrong way?’ And I think as long as you have that in mind, that’s enough.

In this story, the Potoroo is quite scared of the world to begin with, and then, by the end of the story, he’s gone out and overcome being scared, and found his family. So he achieves the things in the beginning he’s afraid of doing, or afraid he won’t be able to do.

First he thought he needs the magic of the Feather Boa in order to do that, and then he discovers that he can do it just by himself.

So kids see this Potoroo character—the character that’s the most like them, that’s the most like a child in the story—so we hope that they identify with the Potoroo. And they see this character go from being a little bit scared—and maybe some of them are a little bit scared of something—to being able to overcome their fear.

Hopefully that encourages them to think that they can do that too.

Interviewed by Aldy Hendradjaja Photo with permission by Michael Barlow

What’s On

Arts

We’re at the end of the semester. The nightmare’s over and now you deserve a looong holiday (or looooonger, if uni allows it). Why don’t you visit some highlighted exhibitions and shows around Perth? Take a rest and enjoy them.

Trevor Richard: Recent Works 2009–12 Turner Galleries (18 May – 16 June) Australian artist Trevor Richards explores the use of colours, geometries and patterns in his paintings and three-dimensional artworks. Having exhibited in Perth for more than 30 years, Trevor is famous for his minimalist approach to paintings and you can expect to see some advanced skills in this exhibition.

Morning Melodies: Opera Concert His Majesty’s Theatre (Wednesday 20 June at 10.30am) Opera Concert will feature young talents from the Western Australia Opera 2012 Young Artists Program. With some inclusions of favourite scenes from Les Misérables, The Phantom of the Opera, Carmen and many more, this show will brighten your Wednesday morning into something wonderful.

Guy/Doll His Majesty’s Theatre (27–30 June) Guy/Doll will bring us in an odyssey to the world of pop and music theatre—but with one twist: gender bender. Meaning, the guys are only allowed to sing the gals’ songs and vice versa. Want to see a female Phantom of Opera? Make sure to put this in your calendar!

Black as Michael Jackson and Other Identity Monologues Blue Room Theatre (19 June –7 July) Combining humour and coarse language, Black as Michael Jackson is a series of monologues that play with the idea of identity and racism and what it is like to actually want to be proud of being Aboriginal. The emerging playwright Michelle White explores the questions of how identity is perceived in Aboriginal community and ‘what does it mean to be an Aboriginal person?’

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Books

Bitter Greens Kate Forsyth

The Wilmont Chronicles Paul Harrison

The Key Simon Toyne

After a series of scandalous relationships, the Maiden of Honour, Charlotte-Rose de la Force is banished to a convent to forever repent for her sins. In the nunnery, Sister Seraphina comforts Charlotte-Rose when she begins to tell a story of a little girl called Margherita living in Venice a hundred years earlier.

Seriously, this book is disgustingly delightful! Paul Harrison is one of the few authors who has challenged me with vulgar themes, even to the point I felt the need to stop to yack up. But this still wasn’t enough to stop me from reading.

Liv is in danger: The Church wants to kill her, while The Citadel of Ruin wants to imprison her inside an iron maiden. But Liv mustn’t die – if she does, the Sacrament, also known as Eve, dies with her and the world goes KA-BOOM.

From a third person point-of-view, we see the life of Milton Taylor, a ‘perfect’ son in a sheltered Christian family becoming overwhelmed by his overly active libido. Typical hormonal rage?

No! Taylor’s lust for Stacey Sommers spins off into unprecedented contexts and religious oddities that will send chills down your spine. Some will also be impossible to believe. I cannot understand whether some of the tactics used would actually succeed in real life.

Taking place in an alternative world where the modern Church serves under a Turkish city called Ruin, The Key is the second book of Simon Toyne’s The Sancti trilogy. The story gets interesting enough after the first half. Toyne writes the story well enough so you can feel the tension with every page you flip – except when The Ghost, a mercenary working for The Citadel, reveals his true identity.

Margherita is sold off by her parents at an early age for a handful of bitter greens. Selena Leonelli, a redheaded courtesan during day and a sorceress at night, becomes her new guardian.

Selena, who is desperate to maintain her appearance, temporarily delays her looks from aging with Margherita’s virgin blood.

The narrative is told from two different perspectives: Margherita’s and Selena’s. It also contains disruptions of Charlotte-Rose’s life in the nunnery and her times before that in the court. Kate Forsyth strengthens the authenticity of her story with heavy discussions of relevant religious obstacles that France faced at the end of the 17th Century.

It works to build a solid base for the serious situation Charlotte-Rose finds herself in as she enters the abbey.

The language in Bitter Greens is decadent and luscious, much like what you would imagine the nobles of upper class France would use. The atmosphere is enhanced by small phrases and words in both French and Italian, which makes it very effective.

3/5

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Review by Martina Elfinsson

The characters were generally believable. However, some such as Taylor’s parents should have had more layers to them, as they were what made him into the character he is.

The language was extremely vivid. It felt as if every human liquid - you name it - was coming out the book. It was like a one-way trip into psychedelia: everything seems right for a moment and then suddenly, blood starts spurting out from nowhere. But the technicality of the written skills is spot on, and that is expected of all good books.

Overall this book, even though it was quite graphic and stomach churning, was such a hidden diamond for me. It may not be for the faint-hearted, but I would recommend it to anybody.

4/5

Review by Jacky Le

I quite like The Ghost – he’s so mysterious and bad-arse – but the announcement of his secret happens so fast that I feel nothing about it. It is as if I’m reading a newspaper: ‘The Ghost’s identity is XXX. In other news...’ This could have been better. Each chapter is told from a different perspective. These ever-changing perspectives happen so often that I can’t relate to any of the characters.

The Key is a strong book, but I think there is room for improvement. Still, I recommend this book if you like religious-conspiracy fictions like The Da Vinci Code.

2/5

Review by Aldy Hendradjaja

Books

The Wolf Gift Anne Rice

The Younger Man Zoe Foster

The Hunger Games (trilogy) Suzanne Collins

The Wolf Gift follows the story of Reuben and his transformation from a handsome, rich and poetically tragic journalist into a handsome, rich, and poetically tragic werewolf. No wait! It’s a Morphenkind. Because Morphenkinds are nothing like those savage beasts that mankind has so unfairly vilified. These are different. They have feelings.

As the author that perhaps singlehandedly began the trend of the vampire wussification, you would think Rice was content to simply sit back and enjoy the havoc she has already wrecked on a certain, undead creature.

The Younger Man! The title seems selfexplanatory, right? It’s a story about a woman in her 30s hooking up with a man in his 20s! It sounds scandalous and exotic. Foster takes us into Abby’s world; Abby is the main protagonist and we get to know about her friends, her life and her job intimately. We see everything mostly through Abby’s eyes, with the author changing to a third person point of view occasionally.

This is young adult fiction at its generic best. Every year the government compels citizens from the regions to enter their children into playing a death-battle arena as punishment for a failed revolt. Katniss volunteers to take her sister’s place and wins – alongside Peeta. Their survival catalyses the discontent against the government and culminates in a victorious revolt against the government.

This book is an easy read: the style of writing is simple and contemporary to the language spoken by today’s youth. Abby is a relatable character to most women because at one point or another, we have been through what she has been through and we have felt what she has felt. It is nice to know we are not the only one struggling with relationship complications. The fact that it has some unexpected twists works in this book’s favour.

The language is clear and simple, and Katniss narrates a considerable amount of the story through introspection. The character development was at times weak, however considerable effort was made to redress this in the third novel. The second novel was markedly the weakest - for example at one point Katniss says ‘I don’t have time to think about boys, I’ve got a revolt to incite.’ Despite this, the dialogue was otherwise well constructed across all three books. My biggest gripe is the bewildering inability of Katniss to understand the obvious infatuation from Peeta, and her childhood friend Gale. Understandable given the novel’s intended audience, but confusing given her own character development.

Reuben is soft and introspective, romantic and poetic. Reuben has an old soul – one that shuns the conveniences of the modern world like television and female emancipation. Rice writes his character sympathetically, and while not completely unlikeable, he is honestly about a kilt and a non-fatal stab wound away from appearing on the cover of a Harlequin Romance.

The world in which Rice plays out this story is, as expected, reminiscent of her early romantic, gothic style. In Reuben’s world, people have names like ‘Marchent’, who, in turn, have rich eccentric uncles that like to travel the world 1850s style, no doubt to bring uncivilised African tribes glad tidings of smallpox.

It’s not, however, an irredeemable book. If you’re a fan of Rice’s sympathetically described writing, you might enjoy this. There is sex, romance, and tragedy. Occasionally, there are clever takes on the werewolf myth.

But let’s be honest about what this is: Interview with a Werewolf.

3/5

Review of Rehana Badat

However, while the plot is quite plausible, some events that occur in the protagonist’s life do not seem to be relevant to each other. The storyline is quite loose as Abby tries to deal with her feelings for Marcus, solve the problems between her two best friends and manage her own business. None of these three areas are really tied up together and the book, for me, had no conclusion. There were several loose ends that left me wondering what happened.

This book can be interesting for someone who likes reading romantic novels but it is definitely not one of the best I have read. If you have nothing to do, go for it, but with low expectations.

2.5/5

Review by Divya Jankee

There was an unnecessary expression of outrage amongst a few shrill critics who mutually stroked each other’s anxieties about depictions of children murdering each other in this series.

I can’t speak for the movie but the descriptions in the trilogy are milder than anything you’ll find in the news.

Kudos the Collins for examining the impact of trauma on Katniss’s psyche through the third novel.

4.5/5

Review by Tom Reynolds

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Books

Covich: It was both terribly painful and celebratory. I had to

relive each incident again and when I did this it acutely affected me. It was as if I was right back there, experiencing the terrors and the aftermath, especially keeping quiet about it all. The real celebration for me is that I’ve finally been able to tell the story I’d promised myself I’d write when I was eleven.

GSM: That’s taken a long time, Suzanne. Why did you wait so long?

Covich: Firstly, I was not in a strong enough financial

position to do this earlier. From the time I was thirty, I raised my four children alone, educated myself, taught English in WA high schools for about fifteen years and paid off my own home. I could only write without having to think how to survive.

Two ECU scholarships made that all possible for me. Secondly, I needed to use my anger at my parents to fuel my writing, rather than use it as a weapon to lash back. I wanted this story to be one that highlighted my skills as a writer too! I think I have done that.

GSM: There are a lot of stories about people who’ve survived

violent childhoods. Misery Lit comes to mind. Does your memoir fit this category?

Covich: No. I find memoirs that fit this genre terribly GSM catches up with former-ECU graduate and published author of the book ‘When We Remember They Called Us Liars’ (reviewed in GSM’s last edition), Suzanne Covich. She shares with us her experiences, insights and perspectives on child abuse, which is the key theme of her book. I would like to thank Claire Miller of Fremantle Press, who made this interview possible.

GSM: Hi Suzanne, thanks for taking time out for this interview.

Can you tell us what your memoir is all about?

Covich: Yes. My memoir is about an Australian country girl

who’s dux of her class every year at primary school, loves the country, reading, writing and singing, and always wants trousers with a fly!

She lives in constant fear of her violent father and finds many ways to escape, being the best at everything she can—especially at school. Huck Finn is her hero and she wants to run away as he did. She’s a tomboy, and even though terrible things have happened to her, she eventually strikes out a new life leaving all that she knows behind her.

GSM: Can you tell us about the kind of violence you lived with?

Covich: I certainly can. Apart from seeing my mother

repeatedly bashed, and my sisters, one of the most powerful incidents that I clearly recall is when our house burnt down when I was ten. I heard footsteps that night; I told others but no one believed me.

GSM: There are many painful incidents that you have written

about in your memoir. So tell me, what was it like for you getting in touch with these things?

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frustrating! I feel as if I want to jump into these stories and tell the kids to fight back. The covers of such memoirs immediately position reader to feel sorry for the victim: sad face, it’s tragic.

It’s not what I wanted on my cover and not what I wanted readers to experience! I loved Huck Finn and I wanted to write a story as creative and energetic as Mark Twain did—celebratory!

GSM: When did you first realise you were a writer?

Covich: I knew I was a writer when I was a child. I loved

writing. When I was eleven, I won second prize in a statewide writing competition run by the biggest newspaper. Before this, I’d already told all the kids they’d be reading my stories one day.

A long time ago, lots of writing, a few prizes and publication since my thirties, and here I am!

GSM: What advice would you give people who have gone through the same thing?

Covich: Speak up. Tell only those you fully trust and stand

strong. Never let anyone silence you. Never let anyone tell you that you have a mental illness or an anger management problem.

GSM: Would you say there is enough awareness in Australia about the issues you raise in your book and why?

Covich: Far from it, most of the information about children

violated within the home is stereotyped, primarily gleaned from psychology or social work textbooks, not memoirs.

I’ve never heard of such kids being high achievers and I pray for the day that the Human Rights and Equal Opportunities Commission appoints a commissioner to specifically deal with violations against our children. It has yet to happen. Children, not able to work or vote, it seems, do not really count.

Interview by Divya Jankee

Music Film

The Lucky One Director: Scott Hicks

Battleship Director: Peter

The Lady Director: Luc Besson

Picture this, Zac Efron in his underwear with co-star Taylor Schilling with her hand down his underpants and grabbing his arse 5/5! Movie review done and dusted…just kidding! Judging by what I just said, I might love scared most of the straight boys away. It is definitely a romantic chick flick!

When I first heard about Battleship my thoughts were “oh great just another action movie”. Then, I learned of its cast and the movie became slightly more interesting. I will admit that at first I only wanted to see Alexander Skarsgård in uniform, but the movie turned out to be quite interesting, albeit a bit cliché. Although they tried to put a unique twist on the alien invasion action movie, they couldn’t break away completely.

The Lady is a biopic film about a Burmese opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi (Michelle Yeoh). The story focuses on her political rise from being a housewife, married to a British professor (David Thewlis) with two sons in Oxford. Upon her visit back to Burma to tend to her dying mother, Suu Kyi is faced with the brutal uprising during a political reformation. The rest is history (as in, literally).

A fleet of alien battleships attack America. Because of course, if aliens ever invaded, they’d attack America *rolls eyes*. Like I said, cliché. It’s up to the navy to save the USA. Enter Alexander Skarsgård, Taylor Kitsch and Rihanna all looking hot in military uniforms, as they try to fight the alien threat with the fate of the world resting on their shoulders.

The film was a heart-wrenching tragedy because it is historically factual. The Lady’s profile in it was an inspiring one. Yet, Luc Besson failed horribly in presenting an up-close view of the story. Coming into the theatre after seeing the trailer twice, I expected to see Suu Kyi’s personal struggle in bringing change to Burma. I was terribly disappointed by the distant outsider point of view offered from my seat.

Logan Thibault (ZacEfron) is a U.S. Marine Sergeant who has served three tours of duty in Iraq and returns home with a good luck charm, a photograph that he found. He does not know who the woman in the photograph is. When he learns her name is Beth (Taylor Schilling) he ends up at her door. He takes a job at the family kennel run by Beth. At first she does not trust him, but as time goes by their romance develops.

Remember Zac Efron in High School Musical? He was just such a cute kid. In The Lucky One…hello man with tattoos, a beard, oh and did I mention the muscle? Both Zac and Taylor’s performance was brilliant; the chemistry between the two was intense.

I really enjoyed Taylor’s acting, her emotion range and her beauty; she is one exceptionally talented actress. The plot was cute but not original.

The Lucky One cannot be compared to The Notebook. You will not need a box of tissues. Yes, there is romance and drama, but it was not as intense and sad as The Notebook. I recommend this film to crazy obsessed Zac Efron fans and people who enjoyed The Notebook.

To all the boyfriends out there, take your girls (or boyfriends) to see this one.

4.5/5

Review by Aneta Grulichova

Battleship is Rihanna’s début movie, and although she was good, overall still I felt that she was trying too hard, especially at the beginning of the movie.

The dialogue was humorous but I didn’t find it very informative. It was otherwise a typical action movie. Containing, as usual, a great deal of explosions.

Peter Berg made a valiant effort to try and break away from the usual action movie norms but sadly he did not succeed. There were many great messages in the movie, such as never give up’.

To me the more powerful scene was towards the end of the film when it really did seem like all hope was lost. Overall, it was a good movie.

3/5

Review by Rae

Suu Kyi’s political decisions seemed like they came out of nowhere, and while I was reading further about Suu Kyi’s biography I found out that she was actually studying philosophy and politics she was no mere housewife and that didn’t come through on screen.

Another thing that bothered me was how over-scored the whole film was.

Towards the last third of the film the audience was introduced to a piece of music one can easily deem SuuKyi’s theme song but it was only played twice throughout the film. Besson’s The Lady is like a huge, elaborate, unfinished puzzle. You can see the big picture ... but it is missing a lot of pieces.

In any case, just rent the DVD. 2/5

Review by Dina Waluyo

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Film

Café de Flore Director: Jean-Marc Vallée

The Five-Year Engagement Director: Nicholas Stoller

The Dictator Director: Larry Charles

“Café maman?” If you’re like me, this is a little sentence that will get stuck in your head, with good reason.

Café de Flore, a post-modern FrenchCanadian production directed by Jean-Marc Vallée (C.R.A.Z.Y), will either challenge your ideas on love or reinforce them with an “ultimate baseball bat” effect (I mean no harm here). The movie contains many stories within a story that intertwine in a most interesting manner. By the time everything unfolds, you’re left speechless. A breath-taking, heartwrenching plethora of stories that unfold into the incredible.

The Five-Year Engagement is a romantic comedy starring Emily Blunt and Jason Segel. Tom Solomon (Segel) and Violet Barnes (Blunt) are a young, loving couple who get engaged on New Year’s. Violet is a psychology PhD who lands a post-doctorate psychology position at the University of Michigan.

Tom is happy to give up his position as a chef to move to Michigan.

For those of you who have seen the trailer, you know that this is the story of a dictator, General Admiral Aladeen, who goes to the United States to address the United Nations.

In the process, he gets his beard cut off, without which no one recognises him; he meets a girl who is his absolute opposite and goes through experiences that make him discover a new side of himself.

Antoine (Kevin Parent) seems to have found his soulmate, Rose (Evelyne Brochu) while his ex-wife, Carole (Hélène Florent), is left in pieces, suffering from depression and haunted by strange dreams of a monstrous boy.

Meanwhile in the jazzy Paris of 1969, Jacqueline (Vanessa Paradis) and her son Laurent (Marin Gerrier) struggle with Laurent’s Down Syndrome, yet they seem to live a wonderful life, dancing every day and every night to “Café”.

Foreign movies have the tendency to offer somewhat poor or sub-par translations of the original texts.

Unfortunately, Café de Flore does not escape this predicament. Luckily, you will find here at least one important clarification “Petit mongol”; she most definitely did NOT mean “Mongoloid”, but “little retard” (it’s a common Québecois expression, my dear friends!

The director isn’t prejudiced by the way).

4.9/5

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Review by Philippe Brissette

Nicholas Stoller is best known for directing Forgetting Sarah Marshall and Get Him to the Greek. His directing skills have let him down a little in The Five-Year Engagement. The film seemed to drag on forever... well, for five years. It was like writing an essay, just blabbing on and on, taking your time to get to your point. Jason Segel’s and Emily Blunt’s chemistry on the screen was cute but it was not magical, or like “I am so in love with you”. Personally, I did not like the relationship they had. By the way Jason Segel not only was an executive producer of the movie he also wrote the movie with Nicholas.

The soundtrack includes songs by Billy Joel, Amy Winehouse, The Swell Season and Van Morrison. I do not want to give too much away, but there is also an adult version of Elmo and the Cookie Monster. My housemate and I were laughing to the point where we were crying. It was probably one of the best parts. Overall I think it is an okay movie; there were many laughs, but it just really dragged on. I was disappointed because I really like Get Him to the Greek and Forgetting Sarah Marshall. Nicholas Stroller, you need to step up your game!

2.5/5

Review by Aneta Grulichova

The plot is actually very credible and the portrayal of Aladeen is extremely accurate to our perception of how a dictator should be. We are taken straight into the narrative from the very beginning and events move just fast enough to keep the audience’s interest at all times. The background music throughout is always very appropriate for the little ironical situations Aladeen finds himself in. Cohen’s performance draws you in with his shameless yet extremely compelling performance and makes you engage with him at every level. He undoubtedly is the star of the movie and overshadows everyone else’s performance.

However, if you are sensible to cheap sex jokes, stupid antics and very politically incorrect remarks and stereotypes Sasha Baron Cohen-style, steer clear of this movie. Outrageously caricatural, this movie is a laugh riot, with a well-thought out plot, entertaining situations, and surprisingly enough, some food for thought. Enjoy!

4/5

Review by Divya Jankee

The Sims The Sims 3 has been the best and worst thing that has ever happened to me. The best because it is a game where I can unleash my hidden fantasies and take risks that I would not dare take in ‘real’ life. The worst thing that has ever happened to me because I have lost many, many hours to the game. Hours that I should have spent studying or cleaning or working or whatever. It is addictive, and I mean extremely addictive. There is a little clock in the corner that runs on ‘Sim time’ which means that you can speed it up and you might go through weeks in a single gaming session. This is confusing because you lose concept of time in the real world and eventually you get tired and realise that it is 4am and you need to get up for uni in three hours, oops!

So, what is The Sims? It is a role playing game where you create a Sim (person) and live out a life. Firstly you get to pick out what you look like; my Sim is frikken gorgeous: tall, toned, big breasts, wicked fashion sense, long eyelashes and delicate features...perhaps a slightly tweaked version of myself...just slightly. That’s the whole point of The Sims you see. You get to imagine what life would be like if you—and your circumstances—were different. My Sim is a fashion stylist and is super creative. I get to dish out fashion advice, give makeovers, and I can even reject a client and tell them that they look like a llama.

Whaaaat?? Random.

You can also choose to be an actor, chef, tattoo artist, gardener, doctor, whatever you want. You train your little Sim with various skills and climb your way up the career ladder in no time. It is satisfying to become successful and constantly get offered promotions...stuff that doesn’t happen easily in real life. My Sim is also having an affair with a gorgeous married man named Bobby. We ‘woo-hoo’ (have sex) often and it is so good that flower petals fall from the sky and we lay in post coital bliss afterwards and chat.

Games

Now I have asked Bobby to leave his wife and he has agreed to go steady with me but is yet to move in. I went to his house and confronted his wife. I slapped her and we had a fistycuffs-scrap. She won. Bitch. See, this is stuff I would never do in real life, and it makes me happy that I can experience it without paying the consequences.

Well, I do pay to an extent. My neighbours don’t view me favourably now that I am a home wrecker. At least I’m hot!

There really aren’t any pivotal differences between The Sims, The Sims 2, and The Sims 3. The only difference is that the graphics get better and there are more options. Originally there were only a few ambition paths, and a few wardrobe choices, and a few of everything. Now there are many more choices and the city has grown considerably. You can buy expansion packs (I have them all) so that your Sim can travel to exotic locations, live a high end life or focus on your career. There is even an awesome nightlife pack that enables you to dress up and play dirty. You visit nightclubs in high rise buildings and need to charm your way past the bouncer in order to make friends with celebrities.

As a weird side story, you can also become a vampire and go around biting random Sims. I haven’t tried that yet as I like to make it realistic so that I can imagine how tremendous my life could turn out if I had the options that the Sims do. You can dye your hair to some crazy colour every day (which I would totally do if I could in real life).

You can be forever young and adjust the life panel so that you can stay a hot young thing indefinitely. You can also type in cheats aptly called things like ‘the motherload’ and ‘ker-ching’ and you instantly have $50 000. Nice. Oh yeah, you can have babies too. I had one...I named her Ava, but I got sick of her and locked her in a dungeon and removed the stairs. Something that you also shouldn’t do in real life.

Review by Asten Nunn

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Music

Greetings, fellow travellers, All great things must come to an end, or at least an intermission. This issue shall be the last time we get to see each other until next semester. We’ve shared so much, we’ve loved, we’ve laughed.

Remember that time I showed up at your house with biscuits and we danced to Katy Perry in our pyjamas?

Good times.

On a more serious note, and one that many of you have been following closely, last month saw a win for musicians and academia as a whole.

The Australian National University has reported to have backed down from their intentions to cut up to 150 staff members as part of a plan to save $40 million; a plan that would have seen 32 members of ANU’s school of music either fired or forced to reapply for their jobs. It’s just a small victory for ANU staff however, as staff cuts are still planned, with ten jobs under threat in the school of music.

In happier news, the West Australian Music Industry Association is currently holding a whole bunch of showcases of local, interstate and international artists as part of the WAM festival.

Celebrating the music industry’s tradition of ineffable drunkenness and whoremongering, the festival will be a chance to see some excellent live music that you might not have otherwise been aware of.

That’s all for this semester folks! I must return to my planet; my people need me. Enjoy exams and remember: we hate those other universities. Grrrr...

Shawn Cowe

Roxette Travelling

Slackjaw Fremantle’s Finest

Roxette, the Swedish pop band who hit fame in the late 80s with 33 charttopping singles and over $75 million in record sales, have returned to revive their legacy. Back with their second album since vocalist Marie Fredriksson suffered from a brain tumour in 2002, ‘Travelling’ is a collection of songs recorded on their recent world tour, which included Perth’s Challenge Stadium.

Slackjaw comes out swinging in his new release, ‘Fremantle’s Finest’, but the album quickly loses its momentum.

The first track “Timeless” starts off with a cool little drum groove in the intro and some polished rhymes over the top, while the music-to-vocal ratio is balanced nicely, meaning you can hear the underlying beat throughout the whole song. It’s a bit of a sticker and will have you toe tapping and drumming out the beat on the steering wheel. The problem with ‘Fremantle’s Finest’ is it just gets a little sloppy towards the end, which is disappointing after such a strong and catchy beginning.

‘Travelling’ consists of 15 tracks from the band’s back catalogue. Fredriksson’s voice is still as amazing as it was nearly three decades ago; working in harmony with fellow vocalist, Per Gessle. It was romantic each time they sung with each other. The album opens with “Me & You & Terry & Julie” composed with beautiful acoustic guitar melodies and lyrics. The recording quality was clear and well-mixed—nearly sounding like a studio album. However, having recorded in hotels, concert halls and stadiums gives the album a live show acoustic.

The most disappointing part of the album is the song selection. Roxette left out many of their chart-topping singles and crowd pleasers. Amazing hits such as “The look”, “Listen to your Heart” and “How do you do”, regrettably, did not make it on to the album. The only song that was worthy of the supergroup’s 80s epoch was “It Must Have Been Love”. Overall, the album was enjoyable and Roxette’s vocal melodies were excellent, but the lack of hit songs was disappointing.

2.5/5

The good times were not meant to last, and you can pick the exact moment when everything starts to go downhill for Slackjaw. Around tracks ten and twelve the rhymes become a little boring, and the mix become flat and bland; by track twelve you’re ready to turn it off. With such a promising beginning, it is disappointing to find Slackjaw ending with such uninspired and anti-climactic tracks.

3/5

Review by Aneta Grulichova

30

Slackjaw’s distinct lack of variation of tone and inflection in his vocal parts has, unfortunately, made the album a little montonous. A little more in the way of melody would have really knocked the album a step up. Luckily, Slackjaw’s variety in his choice of samples helps ‘Fremantle’s Finest’ hang in there; the mixing of his samples is well-balanced and pleasing to the ear.

Review by Paige Wittingham

Music

Place of Indigo Place of Indigo I was pleasantly surprised by Place of Indigo’s self-titled EP. From its sparse, minimalistic cover art, it’s difficult to imagine the full gamut of swirling moods and sounds contained within.

From the expansive synth sounds of “12:15” to the haunting and sombre feel of “The Drowning Dream”, there are few avenues of melancholy that Place of Indigo leaves unexplored.

The music itself carries much of the first half of the album, with plangent synth melodies occasionally interspersed with a minimalistic approach to vocals. Lyrical simplicity aside, it is only from “Another Lonely Face” that the slow build up Sam Joyce’s long, spacious vocal lines hit a climax that is eagerly anticipated. Joyce holds this climactic vocal style until the triumphant finish of “Purple Ceilings”.

While a distinctive and moving EP, ‘Place of Indigo’ is not for everyone. If you’re looking for catchy pop songs to sing along to in the car, this definitely isn’t for you. There’s a pervading sense of heaviness and emotion permeating throughout the entirety of the EP, despite containing a few tracks driven by more upbeat riffs.

You can think of ‘Place of Indigo’ as the new soundtrack to your next cold and rainy day, for rotation when the gloomy drizzle keeps you locked behind a window looking outwards.

Outside it might be grey and it’s downcast, but with music like this, you just might mind it a little less. Perfect for the winter months.

4/5 Review by Rehana Badat

Remember The Mexican Boy and Bear

Soma Heartcore British born MC Soma, is bringing some love into your life. With a truckload of cruisey tunes you can chill out or dance to, finding an occasion to pull it out is up to you. This is a versatile album that will fit the bill, regardless of occasion.

‘Heartcore’ is laden with heavy bass lines and sick, infectious beats. In a unique blend of UK and Aussie influences, Soma does his best to showcase his talents, amalgamating his dual nationality. An album full of surprises, Soma’s MC style is often similar to that of Australian hip hop artist, Drapht. However, the parallels between Drapht and Soma are only superficial. Both artists perform as spoken word set to music, but, unlike Drapht, Soma spits lyrical fastballs that have you grinning at his MC skills.

A clear-cut highlight of the album is “Lower class love – Parts 1 and 2, “in which Soma brings out a love ballad set to solid rhythmic beats and meaningful, realistic lyrics. “32 degrees”is just as amazing, featuring a cavalcade of local artists, including LSD and Smiley—this track is one to stick on repeat or crank up and cruise along the coast. Lastly, “Song for Perth” is a track that attempts to show Perth that some love is always a good thing.

Buy the album, play it and try to claim there isn’t a shitload of talent here. MC Soma, keep an eye on him, he’s heading for good things 4.5/5 Review by Paige Wittingham

Fans of indie rockers Boy and Bear were spared a downpour upon arrival at Fremantle Art Centre’s outdoor setting for the band’s Perth leg of their Remember The Mexican tour, alongside Tin Sparrow and The Jungle Giants.

Tin Sparrow started the night with melodies reminiscent of Edward Sharpe, particularly “My Own,” which incorporated haunting whistling and rhythmic guitar playing. The band’s set consisted of many laid-back songs that were comforting and insightful.

The crowd were appreciative as they were warmed into the evening with Tin Sparrow’s solid harmonies.

Next up were The Jungle Giants, that provided a greater range of music to get the audience’s blood pumping.

Songs like “Mr Polite” contained guitar riffs with more driving force, while the minimalist vocal melodies were a stand-out feature. By the end of The Jungle Giants’ set people were well and truly ready for the main event.

Boy and Bear were well received with applause even before the opening number. They played an extensive set that demonstrated why their star has been rising so rapidly. During their Crowded House cover of “Fall At Your Feet” the crowd were treated to music magicianry, as the band switched in and out of Neil Young’s “Heart of Gold,” tricking and treating the senses When the night came to an end with the stars above, audience members were humbled. A sense of joy and melancholy was left in the wake after the visit from the three wise bands.

Review by Jason Nguyen

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