In Essences Rebecca Cobo

There is a Stinkbug in My Room By Woody Moore

There is a stinkbug in my room, Swooping near the light, Its buzz stuttering, when it hits the bulb. I hear the crash and see it fall Straightdown, But before it meets the ground It remembers how To use its tiny wings To float its bulky body and swoopsup. I wonder if, When it came to, it was scared, Because it didn’t know where It was or how it got there. Everytime it falls, I fear it will land on me. It’s not dead yet. Imagine, waking mid-air. It hasn’t stunk up my room yet, either.

I’m taking a shower. It takes its time, drowning, I crush it with the shampoo bottle. Now its smell Is all over me. I wonder if, to a bug, Days feel like years. I can feel it land on the back of my neck Just by thinking about it. I can feel myself squished and bleeding. I could also feel someone Rubbingmyback, kissingmyneck, But I’m feeling a stinkbug now - all its little feet. I hope the days just feel like days. I flush the stinkbug down the toilet. Sitting in my room, on the floor, Back to the wall, My carpet is dotted with both Identifiable and un-identifiable Objects. Paperclip, I have no idea Where you came from. I flushed it down, but today It’s back, humming at the yellow glow. I never use paper clips. Bits of paper. Fuzz. Guitar pick. Wrapper. Hair. Toenails. Clear and stringy. Black and crumpled. Little, round and white. Sometimes I don’t notice. Sometimes I don’t hear the Air-conditioning. Sometimes it’s all I hear. Even the sound of my breath gets all chalky, When the mood’s right.

In Essences By Rebecca Cobo

That’s Life: A Review of Joker by Susannah Cate

A scrawny man with straggly hair sits in front of a mirror. We can see his face is painted, and we sit forward in our seats. We move in closer as we hear over the radio that trash is piling up on the streets. Gotham has a garbage problem. But this man is probably only half listening, as we are, because he is also focused on the face in the mirror. He grapples with the face as though it were someone else’s, drawing up the corners of his mouth with his fingers into a horrible grin. But then he lets go, this particular scene over. This is just Arthur Fleck, and he’s harmless—for now. Here I’ll pause, and announce that it is with more than a little trepidation that I begin this review of director Todd Phillips latest film, Joker. I am aware of the controversy surrounding this super-villain-sized biopic, and I would be remiss if I did not acknowledge critics; the film is brutal, violent, and bears an uncanny resemblance to horrific real-life mass shootings. I do not mean to brush these arguments aside, or even argue against them, but rather to recognize them as legitimate, and then move beyond possible negative implications to discuss the elements that make Joker a film that keeps us talking. After the first introspective scene that forces us to imagine the thoughts running through Arthur Fleck’s mind, we begin to see these thoughts played out: in his delusions, his journal, and his condition that causes uncontrollable laughter at the worst

times imaginable. While Gotham is painted as a derelict city, Arthur becomes his own mirror for his home metropolis. He’s beaten up by a gang of children, and bruises populate his back. His mother urges him to eat, and the shirtless moments scattered throughout the film underscore her point. But though his mother also tells him he was “put on this earth to spread joy and laughter,” he is the perpetual butt of the joke. The camera forces us to sit with him as he is constantly misunderstood, moving in close to offer up the minutiae of his pain on a disturbing platter. And these jokes are often hilarious to the characters that enjoy them, but they make us cringe, sink back in our chairs, shake our heads, bite our lips. There is an intense sense of inevitability, and even predictability, and pervades the film, by virtue of our understanding that his man will become Batman’s homicidal arch-nemesis. I found myself wringing my hands with unease (and like, who even wrings their hands?). It was a movie-going experience that was both unpleasant and exceptional simultaneously. I left saying things like “that was amazing,” and “the scenes in the bathroom? The way the camera captured his transformative dancing? Incredible.” But as I watched I was severely disturbed and there were moments I had to look away. Outside the context of our world—which in many ways parallels Gotham and could definitely be compared in a different article which is definitely not this one—this picture does a great deal of work towards complicating our superhero dichotomy of good versus evil.

Lee Bertus Offers Advice

Dear Lee Bertus,

I’m just so enervated by the basic, run-of-the-mill, costumes that infest our campus every year. I refuse to buy one of those godawful polyurethane, mass-produced Halloween costumes that flood inundate F during Halloweekend. This year, I’ve decided to be an intern from The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou–Wes Anderson’s BEST film. But I’m worried that I’ll have to spend the whole night wasting my breath on these uncultured, inebriated, Marvel Universe-watching single-celled amoeba asshats. How can you NOT know about one of the greatest works of cinematography of the century? I swear, no one watches anything that isn’t Who-Loo or Netflicks anymore. Whatever will my taste-making, Sundance-film-watching, German-EDM-listening self do amongst all this culturally uncivilized garbage……

Signed, Better Than You (We had to cut this dude off here.. He went off for six pages and it made our editorial staff vomit. He also linked his VSCO account and his photography-dedicated instagram page that only featured photos of plastic grocery bags lying on street corners). Dear “Better Than You,” Quick question–are you a fan of David Lynch? It seems like you’re one of those guys… My first piece of advice would be to invest in some anti-inflammatory remedies (Tylenol, ice, a healthy dose of “getting shown up in front of the acquaintances you’re trying to impress”) to medicate your swelled head. To answer your question, I wouldn’t worry about explaining your costume to people. In all likelihood, you’ve sufficiently established a reputation as “that guy who unceasingly quotes Freud in order to upstage your classmates” among the narrow field of people that know you on campus. You’ll likely spend the entire weekend aimlessly roving F in the hopes that a single person will understand your costume. If someone happens to recognize your half-assed outfit (assuming you’re too self-involved to commit wholeheartedly to dressing up as someone other than yourself ), you will find ways to claim that they are a fake fan. Even David Lynch himself would tell you that Halloween costumes are about the joy of stepping outside of yourself–you clearly don’t wish to do so. In an ideal world, you would choose a costume that feeds the spooky–perhaps even kinky–side of your personality. That being said, I can safely assume that you have no spooky (or kinky) side. I’d still implore you to go with your costume of choice. I look forward to seeing you at F in your Wes Anderson costume, where you’ll undoubtedly be talking down to some poor freshman who’s just asked if you’re Shmee from Peter Pan. Fuck yourself, Leah Burtssss Dear Lib Haagen-Dazs,

Halloween is coming up. I’ll be honest with you; I’m a hardworking freshman who spends most of his time in Base Libs. I’m looking to finally get into the social scene at Davidson, so I plan on sticking close to my hallmates come Thursday night. However, they’ve been using some Davidson-specific terminology that I’m not familiar with. I want to make sure I know what I’m getting into, so I was hoping you could explain some expressions for me: “Going down,” “Down the hill,” “Going to F,” “Apartment-hopping,” and “Narnia.” Thanks so much for your help! I can’t wait to go out for Halloween.

Signed,

Perplexed Dear Perplexed,

I’m happy to help! Here are some definitions: “Going out” – This refers to the devoted romantic relationships that your friends hope to find on Halloween night. The phrase “Going out” is a shortened version of the colloquialism, “Going out with someone.” It seems that your friends would like to schedule an innocent date with a new friend. Perhaps they will find that friend while they are perusing the Davidson social scene! I wish them good luck. “Going Down” – This phrase is a not-so-innocent adaptation of the above phrase. I would suggest asking a parent or legal guardian about the meaning of this term. “Down the Hill” – This term is a subtle nod to the downward spiral (as in, “This is going downhill fast!”) which your roommates will experience with each subsequent hour they spend partying after 10:00 PM on Thursday night. I hope you are also prepared to experience this downhill journey! “Going to F” – (see “Going down”) “Apartment Hopping” – This phrase is a reference to the French art of “Parkour,” the internet sensation of 2004 (and it was in one of the Bond films!). It’s pretty impressive. The goal is to get from Point (A) to Point (B) as creatively as possible. If your friends plan to “apartment hop,” then it’s a safe bet that they’ll be jumping/climbing from building to building while they travel betwixt the various Halloween parties on Thursday night. Be safe, and make sure to work on your cardio! “Narnia” – This term names the mystical realm from author C.S. Lewis’s critically-acclaimed novel, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.” I’m not quite sure what your friends mean when they use this phrase, but I know that the novel is full of allegories for the biblical story of Jesus Christ. Whatever “Narnia” refers to, I’m sure it involves wholesome Christian fun! I hope I’ve helped prepare you for your Halloween-night adventures. Have a good time!

(Your Best Friend’s Name) and the (Month You Were Born) of the (First Initial) (Last Initial)

Month You Were Born: January-- Discovery February-- Rise March-- Inevitability April-- Attack May-- Ghost June-- Mystery July-- Menace August-- Doom September-- Vanquishing October-- Revenge November-- Return December-- Terror First Initial: A--Frantically Diligent B--Persistently Absent-Minded C--Obviously Fake-Woke D--Unconsciously Blunt E--Somehow Happy F--Suspiciously Polite G--Overbearingly Preposterous H--Unnecessarily Clueless I--Recreationally smoking J--Frequently “Tipsy” K--Fraudulently Self-assured L--Humbly Muscular M--Unknowingly Attractive N--Aggressively Mansplaining O--Worriedly Burned-Out P--Insidiously Masucline Q--Potentially Intelligent R--Effortlessly Successful S--Wholeheartedly Pretentious T--Constantly Scrutinizing U--Annoyingly Photogenic V--Tempestuously Hangry W--Initially Shy X--Overly-Passionate Y--Likely-Problematic Z--Unshakably Edgy Last Initial: A--Econ Major B--Former Pre-Med Student C--Guy on the Aux D--Domino’s Delivery Guy E--Stray Skunk F--Classical Art Connoisseur G--Future Consultant H--Self-care Advocate I--Indie Music Fan J--Base Libs Dweller K--Caffeine Addict L--Cardio Dance Participant M--Social Media Influencer N--Facebook Conversation Starter O--Campus Hipster™ P--Woodrow Wilson Enthusiast Q--Davidson Football Game Attendee R--Loud Person at F S--Nummit Darts Specialist T--Narnia Explorer U--Flickerball Referee V--Electric Scooter Rider W--Devil’s Advocate X--Game Changer Y--Wall Cockroach Z--Apolitical White Man