Post-Colonial African Cinema Social Image and Community
Commentary 8
McGill Ghetto Rats
Hollywood Beauty Standards
Compendium! 11 Horoscopes
editorial board
3480 McTavish St, Room 107
Montreal, QC, H3A 0E7
phone 514.398.6790 fax 514.398.8318
mcgilldaily.com
The McGill Daily is located on unceded Kanien’kehá:ka territory
coordinating editor Andrei Li managing editor Sena Ho
news editor Adair Nelson
commentary + compendium! editor Arismita Ghosh
Youmna El-Halabi
culture editor
Evelyn Logan features editor
Elaine Yang
science + technology editor Vacant
sports editor Vacant
video editor Vacant
visuals editor
Eva Marriott-Fabre
Nikhila Shanker
copy editor
Luxe Palmer
design + production editor Vacant
social media editor
Lara Arab Makansi
radio editor Vacant
cover design Sena Ho
contributors
Nika Nikitenko, Eva Marriott-Fabre, Lisa Banti, Adair Nelson, Sainka Walia, Mara Gibea, Madeleine Le, Ingara Maidou, Evelyn Logan, Enid Kohler, Océane Holliday, Luxe Palmer
Resolutions of Resistance
2024 was anything but an uneventful year. We exited the year under the impression that global conditions have only worsened, with the ongoing genocide in Gaza, a bloodier Ukrainian struggle, growing financial instability, and the status quo of our democracy under threat. Every day seems to deliver another tragedy. For many, there exists only a dimly lit beacon of hope for this situation to improve.
The Daily’s editorial board, however, believes that the New Year offers opportunities for forward thinking. Optimism, if utilized properly, can be a powerful tool to fuel the existing networks in the community fighting for change. So, what are our resolutions in 2025?
In 2025, the Dailywill continue fighting for the people of Gaza and advocating for the freedom of Palestinians. We will use our platform to pressure not only McGill administration but also national channels for divestment. We will strive to ensure full recognition of the genocide Israel is committing. As a publication rooted in student life, we will be more proactive in amplifying the lived experiences of Palestinian students and others who have been silenced. We will prioritize conducting more interviews with Palestinian members of our community and using other platforms to elevate their voices. We will provide resources to organizations on campus that seek to mobilize around Palestinian solidarity, such as SPHR McGill.
Amid ceasefire negotiations, Israel has intensified its attacks in both Gaza and the West Bank. Nearly two weeks into 2025, over 500 Palestinians have been recorded to have lost their lives at the hands of Israeli forces. Canada has stayed silent, and the US reinforces its defence of Israel, as seen with the recent bill passed to sanction the International Criminal Court in light of their arrest warrants against Netanyahu. Despite these hurdles, progress is imminent. Power exists in the hands of students and activists who can invigorate the movement and force our governments to pay attention. We cannot let such violence continue to uproot Palestinian livelihood and must enter 2025 with renewed resolve to end this genocide.
In 2025, the Daily will continue to advocate for Ukraine’s sovereignty and for the withdrawal of Russian forces from Ukrainian territory. The future of the war on Ukraine has been unclear for several reasons. Since its onset in 2022, the war has become a burden for the Russian military, which has had over 400,000 soldiers either killed or injured in battle. US President Biden has targeted Russia’s oil industry in an effort to slow down the Russian economy and open up a pathway for peace negotiations. These new sanctions and weakened Russian forces have given the international community optimism for Russia’s full withdrawal.
incredible potential for positive change. In the coming year, the Daily will remain attentive to the complexities of this war and be an outlet for Ukrainian support.
In 2025, the Dailywill provide a platform for Syrian voices and closely track the rebuilding of community and culture in the newly liberated country. After thirteen years of severe repression by the Assad regime in their struggle for democracy, the Syrian people are now in control of their own statehood. The Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), rebel forces who led the fight against Assad’s regime, have seized control of the capital, Damascus, and have become the de facto governing authority in Syria. HTS has presented themselves as a moderate militant group, distancing their ideas from the political radicalism of Al-Qaeda, from which they branched off. However, the UN Security Council has designated HTS as a terrorist group, opening the possibility for future aggression and backlash from other countries, especially the US. The group has recently committed acts of terror against Syrian civilians, including the targeting and torture of vocally dissenting citizens, particularly women and journalists.
Additionally, HTS does not possess the resources to defend themselves against other militant groups, such as Turkish-backed rebels, and have yet to establish a clear plan for state-building. At the end of the civil war, HTS neglected to defend Syrian borders, allowing Israel to advance further into the Golan Heights territory, where Israel remains in control. The Syrian economy has been completely dismantled by war and famine and is now in need of restructuring, which requires organizational costs that HTS cannot afford to shoulder. The Dailywill not become complacent in the supposed resolution of the Syrian civil war and commits to remaining vocal about Syria’s continued struggle for stability. While there is still much work to be done, Syria’s initial liberation sheds a hopeful light on the outcome of other independence movements, including those of Gaza and Ukraine.
Finally, in 2025, the Daily promises to be a safe space for all communities who have felt threatened by the growing presence of right-wing sentiment across the world. Populist, conservative governments have begun to take root in countries such as the US, France, and even Canada, posing threats to free speech and fundamental human rights. Trump’s second ascension to power has further pushed North American popular sentiment towards anti-immigration and anti-abortion ideologies. Project 2025 has also given many people reasons to worry about the state of public education and LGBTQ+ rights. In Canada, with the recent resignation of Trudeau, as well as the rising favorability of Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre and his harmful nationalist policies, these anxieties have permeated our lives.
3480 McTavish St, Room 107
Montreal, QC H3A 0E7
phone 514.398.690 fax 514.398.8318
advertising & general manager
Letty Matteo
ad layout & design
Alice Postovskiy
Nevertheless, Russia continues to make slow but successful advances on Ukrainian territory. Ukrainian forces have lost over 43,000 soldiers, with an additional 370,000 injuries. US Presidentelect Trump has promised to end the war, but his current plans entail reduced military and financial aid to Ukraine. Russia has continued its media strategy of spreading misinformation in order to bolster its image in the US and turn public opinion away from Ukraine. In addition, Ukraine’s bid for NATO membership has been losing support among member nations. These factors point to an uncertain outcome for Ukrainians, though they may indicate
The culmination of these events makes it imperative that we as a student body continue fighting for the values we believe in, and the Dailycommits itself to becoming the backbone for student activism in the coming year.
The Resignation of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau Political opportunity or failure?
Nika Nikitenko News Contributor
On January 6th, Justin Trudeau announced his resignation from the position of Prime Minister of Canada, which he has occupied for the past nine years. This comes at a time when his support rates among the electorate, the government, and his own party are at their lowest. Canada is simultaneously facing increasing economic pressures from both within and out: the housing crisis, the carbon tax debate, and immigration — specifically, whether the Canadian housing market can accommodate high numbers of newcomers in its current condition. On top of everything, the events across the border, including tariffs threats voiced by Donald Trump and his statements about Canada joining the United States, pose significant challenges to the Canadian political landscape.
Governor General Mary Simon has granted prorogation at the request of Trudeau, which will suspend parliamentary activity and with it, any non-finalized policy until March 24. This gives the Liberal Party a little over two months to elect a new leader and face the imminent non-confidence vote. The leaders of the Conservative Party and the New Democratic Party have promised to initiate this vote in order to trigger national elections, which were
not to be held until October this year.
At the moment, Cabinet ministers in the Parliament continue to carry out their day-to-day operations, but new laws, including the nonconfidence vote, have been
Considering the current state of affairs, Canada’s internal battles, and mounting pressures exercised by Trump, what does this prorogation really mean?
frozen until the end of March.
Considering the current state of affairs, Canada’s internal battles, and mounting pressures exercised by Trump, what does this prorogation really mean?
First, it means that national elections will be held much sooner, giving the Conservative Party an advantage. In fact, polls suggest that if national
elections were held now, Poilievre and his party would have an upper hand.
However, some experts suggest that Trudeau could request a second prorogation, which has been done in the past by other political figures. This would delay the national elections, potentially giving the Liberal Party more time to reorganize in preparation to face the Conservatives on the electoral stage.
Second, it remains unclear how the new Party leader would be chosen, since the time to do so is limited. Normally, this process is carried out over a period of five months, which is not possible at this time without another propagation.
The candidates who have the potential to replace Trudeau include former Deputy and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland, who resigned from the Liberal ranks in December, triggering a wave of dissatisfaction with Trudeau’s leadership among party members. Mark Carney, former head of the Bank of England and Bank of Canada, is another potential candidate. He has stated that he is currently considering the possibility of running for the leadership of the Liberal Party. This statement has been met with a certain degree of skepticism about the viability of his candidature, due to the fact
Eva
Mariott-Fabre | Visuals Editor
that he has never held political office before.
It is clear that in the upcoming elections, the question of
The task at hand for the new Liberal leader would therefore be not only to regain the support of those who grew tired of the Liberal Party, but also to present the voters with a program that would address relevant, monumental issues faced by Canadian society.
foreign policy, relating to the United States in particular, will be one of the main concerns for the electorate. This is especially pressing considering the fact that Deputy Minister Freeland has resigned partly due to her disagreement with Trudeau regarding the appropriate response to the economic policies promised by Trump. Her harsh criticism of Trudeau has certainly left a mark, and the new Liberal leader will have the task of formulating a response that would be supported by their party members and the electorate.
Polls indicate that a majority of Canadians support Trudeau’s decision to resign, as well as displaying a general sense of weariness among the public when it comes to the ten-yearlong Liberal government. Some thus suggest that no matter who takes on the leadership position, the Liberal Party is doomed to lose the upcoming elections. The task at hand for the new Liberal leader would therefore be not only to regain the support of those who grew tired of the Liberal Party, but also to present the voters with a program that would address relevant, monumental issues faced by Canadian society.
Montreal’s Snow Wars: When the City Fights Winter
Inside Canada’s most expensive snow removal operation
Lisa Banti News Contributor
Montreal winters are not for the faint-hearted. With an average of 210 cm of snow falling every year, this city doesn’t just experience winter — it goes to battle with it. Clearing snow from every street, sidewalk, and alley is an operation of epic proportions. And with nearly $200 million spent annually in construction and plowing costs to keep the city moving, it’s not just a massive financial burden; Montreal spends more than anywhere else in Canada by far, nearly double what Toronto spends.
For Montrealers, snow removal is part of the rhythm of winter life. It’s the steady hum of plows at 3:00 a.m., the towering piles of snow at street corners, and the icy sidewalks that still somehow evade city crews. But behind the scenes of this carefully choreographed chaos lies a city grappling with mounting costs, environmental fallout, and an unpredictable future shaped by climate change.
Every winter storm triggers a city-wide operation, mobilizing thousands of workers and an army of machinery. Over 10,000 kilometers of streets and sidewalks must be cleared. But this isn’t just about shovels and salt — it’s about logistics on a grand scale. Trucks cart snow to dumping sites where it’s piled into mountains taller than most buildings, and the effort requires constant coordination to avoid bottlenecks and delays.
What’s the cost of this snowy dance? It’s not just the hefty annual price tag. Road salt, a staple of snow and ice management, seeps into the soil and waterways, disrupting ecosystems and contaminating local vegetation. Then there’s the waste left behind — oil, metals, and plastic particles trapped in the snow that ends up dumped into the environment.
But the biggest threat to Montreal’s snow strategy isn’t the snow itself — it’s how the snow is changing. Climate change is rewriting the rules of winter. While total snowfall might decrease in the long run,
the snow we do get is arriving in shorter, fiercer bursts. And it’s no longer just snow: freezethaw cycles are creating ice sheets that are tougher to clear and even harder to manage.
The city has started testing new ways to handle the pressure. Electric snow plows are rolling through neighborhoods as part of a pilot program to cut emissions. Scientists are experimenting with ecofriendly alternatives to salt. Advanced weather modeling systems are being used to
predict storms more accurately, saving time and resources.
These steps are promising, but they’re also just that — steps.
The question remains: how effective are these methods compared to what is currently used? Can they scale up to meet the demands of Montreal’s massive snow removal operations or are they destined to remain small-scale solutions?
How will they reshape the city’s ability to handle increasingly unpredictable winters?
For McGill students, this
But the biggest threat to Montreal’s snow strategy isn’t the snow itself, it’s how the snow is changing. Climate change is rewriting the rules of winter.
Courtesy of Lisa Banti
battle with snow is both a background story and a reality check. It’s about navigating campus during a storm, slipping on icy paths between classes, and realizing that the snow piles you climb over were part of a $200 million effort to make the city livable. But it’s also a chance to see how a city adapts to problems as big as the weather itself.
Maybe this is where the twist lies. Montreal’s snow removal isn’t just a story of trucks and salt. It’s about resilience, adaptation, and finding creative ways to handle challenges that cities everywhere will face as the climate continues to change. It’s a reminder that even something as mundane as clearing snow can reflect how a city fights to stay connected and move forward.
As winter rolls on, one thing is clear: Montreal isn’t backing down from its snowy foe. And in its determination, it’s carving out a blueprint for how cities can turn a battle with the elements into a story of innovation and survival.
A Year in Review: SSMU and the Increasing Disconnect Between Its Student Constituents
Students optimistic for future of democracy at SSMU for 2025
Adair Nelson News Editor
For many McGill students, SSMU is a mysterious entity in the background of student life, bringing life to student organizations and events. Maybe you’ve been in the SSMU building once or twice; maybe you voted in the organization’s Fall referendum; or maybe you’ve attended every general assembly since your first semester. Despite its large presence on campus, the internal processes of the university’s Student Society continue to be uncertain for many undergraduates – a governing body whose inner workings are largely unknown to those it represents.
While the organization thrives off of civic engagement and democratic participation, student involvement has waned as students critique SSMU’s lack of transparency and its inability to produce monumental change through legislation. At such a large institution, building a strong relationship between the organization’s board of directors and all of its students is a nearimpossible task. As questions of funding and resource allocation are raised by members in the midst of pushback against leadership, voter turnout has decreased by over 50 per cent between the Fall 2023 and Fall 2024 referenda. In 2024, the disconnect between students and SSMU became increasingly clear, leading members to wonder whether 2025 will bring new efforts by the organization to restore this essential relationship.
The past year was a whirlwind of activity in both pushback and progress for SSMU. The organization had a busy year, from fighting tuition hikes in February to dealing with legal issues on support for Palestine throughout the summer and into the fall – all while managing a deficit of up to 1.3 million CAD.
SSMU’s Fall elections, including the Fall 2024 referendum, general assemblies, and special elections, were definitely on students’ radar this fall. The Fall 2024 referendum gained attention after SSMU was unable to increase its membership fee for the fifth year in a row. 58.1 per cent of voters said “no” to an increase to the mandatory base fee for all undergraduate SSMU members, which would have increased the expense to 85.81 CAD for full-time students and 41.22 CAD for part-time students. According to SSMU, the fee would have allowed the student association to provide members with “assets of better quality” and
more opportunities for student success while also alleviating the pressures felt by inflation and allowing the organization to operate more comfortably within their budget. Students, already struggling with the increasing cost of living in Quebec, were apprehensive about a fee increase, the use of which was unclear due to the organization’s lack of transparency. McGill undergraduates are frustrated with how the organization’s leadership communicates with its constituency.
The year culminated with a Special General Assembly on December 5 regarding the removal of President Dymetri Taylor from office. In November, Taylor sent out an email that misconstrued the legal implications of the highly contentious Policy Against Genocide in Palestine, which has been under injunction since November 2023. This came weeks after McGill asked SSMU to sever its relationship with Solidarity for Palestinian Human Rights (SPHR) as a student club, claiming a violation of the Memorandum of Agreement between the University and the SSMU, which is still being debated between the two legislative bodies.
Ultimately, President Taylor was not impeached, but the issue was highly important to those involved in SSMU affairs and brought a large turnout to the event. For many in attendance, the assembly marked a turning point in SSMU’s relationship
students come together with the same goal,” a student wrote in a statement to the Daily. “I recognized a lot of people who don’t typically show up to events like this on campus, which I think sets a strong precedent for students engaging more with the SSMU
The SSMU is designed as a vehicle to enact change at McGill, but this only works when we take advantage of the organization’s dedication to hearing our voices and representing our opinions in university affairs. We cannot critique democracy
with McGill students. The Special General Assembly demonstrated unity among students in their desire to enact change at McGill.
“Being at the [general assembly] in December was one of the only times I’ve seen so many McGill
democracy in the coming semesters.”
As we enter the new year, SSMU has the chance to strengthen their relationship with the student body and be more transparent about the policies and inner workings of the institution. “I would like to see way
more transparency from SSMU this year,” another student wrote. “I like to think that I’m a student that’s very tapped into what’s going on, and still I feel so out of the loop. […] Since it’s such a big part of our student fees, information about what the SSMU is doing should be readily available.”
Representing 24,000 students is not an easy task, especially when the student body is incredibly diverse – in identities, fields of study, and desire to become involved within McGill’s legislative body. The SSMU is designed as a vehicle to enact change at McGill, but this only works when we take advantage of the organization’s dedication to hearing our voices and representing our opinions in university affairs. We cannot critique democracy while remaining apathetic and uninvolved in its processes.
SSMU will be holding its annual Winter General Assembly on Monday, February 3, at 6:00 p.m. in the third-floor SSMU ballroom on McTavish. This meeting will allow members to enact change by participating in direct democracy as SSMU executives outline their plan for the new year.
Sainka Walia | Visuals Contributor
7 January 13, 2025
McGill Student Promotes
Vietnamese Heritage
in Canada Through the Molloy Bursary
Canadian Studies Major Madeleine Le is Awarded
Mara Gibea News Contributor
The Molloy Bursary is offered by the board of the Canadian Immigration Historical Society (CIHS) to students studying Canadian history at the undergraduate level in Canada. It aims to shed light on the stories and immigration patterns of refugees and permanent residents by way of financially supporting the studies of Canadian history
[H]er efforts were dedicated to her father, especially as he has been supporting her post-secondary education.
among immigrants or those who come from immigrant families.
While only undergraduate students in their second year or beyond studying Canadian history at a Canadian university can qualify, new Canadian
residents are encouraged to apply by submitting an essay in either French or English.
In Madeleine Le’s case, she qualified as a first-generation Canadian student majoring in Canadian Studies and minoring in Political Science.
As a McGill undergraduate, she was introduced to the scholarship by the professor of her Canadian Political History class (HIST 370).
Edward Dunsworth is an assistant professor in History and Classical Studies, concentrating on the history of Canadian immigration, labour, and politics. After hearing Le’s family history of her father’s immigration to Canada, Dunsworth saw her as an ideal candidate for the bursary.
His premonition proved true as Madeleine Le was awarded the prestigious Molloy Bursary on November 30, 2024. Le dedicated her 1000-word essay to the sacrifices her father made to establish himself as a Canadian citizen and raise his family here. Her father, Hieu Le, was a Chinese-Vietnamese refugee who fled the Vietnam War at the age of five. During his escape, he was separated from his family at a refugee camp where he remained until the Anglican Church of Canada sponsored his immigration to Ontario. In her essay, Le explains how winning the bursary would mean more than
Le dedicated her 1000-word essay to her the sacrifices her father made to establish himself as a Canadian citizen and raise his family here.
Photos courtesy of Madeleine Le
fulfilling her financial needs to further her studies: her efforts are dedicated to her father, especially as he has been supporting her post-secondary education.
identity. The latter is especially important to Le and has inspired her to become involved in extracurricular initiatives such as the Canadian Studies Arts Undergraduate
In other words, by sharing her father’s biography with CIHS, Le was able to preserve Vietnamese stories of settlement in Canada while honouring the intersectionality of her heritage with Canadian identity.
Le’s essay also details the relevance of Michael James Molloy’s project “Hearts of Freedom and Flight to Freedom” to the story of her own family. Molloy’s project was based on research into Indochinese immigration in the 1970s and 1980s, with a particular emphasis on Vietnamese, Cambodian, and Laotian refugees. This diaspora would have included Le’s father. In other words, by sharing her father’s biography with CIHS, Le was able to preserve Vietnamese stories of settlement in Canada while honouring the intersectionality of her heritage with Canadian
Society (CSAUS), the McGill Pre-Law Society, and McGill’s North American-born Asian Association, through which she investigates history’s role in precedents pertaining to Immigration Law.
has greatly expanded the ability for stories of Canadian immigration to be shared, through his independent work, such as that in “Running on Empty: Canada and the Indochinese Refugees, 19751980,” as well as partnerships with the Hearts of Freedom project, the Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21, the Indochinese and Ugandan Asian communities, and the Flight to Freedom conference held by the Hungarian community. In light of Molloy’s significant contribution to the resettlement of Indochinese and Ugandan Asian diasporas in Canada, the CIHS bursary was named after him to further honour the promotion of Canadian immigration history in today’s political scholarship arena. For Le, Molloy’s work intersects heavily with both her field of study and familial history. She finds this dual significance reflected in the bursary, one of the few
For Le, Molloy’s work intersects heavily with both her field of study and familial history.
As the former president of the CIHS, a non-partisan organization composed of immigration history academics, Michael Molloy
available that promote the undergraduate scholarship of immigration history in Canada.
Immigration and ideas of home in postcolonial African cinema
Ingara Maidou Culture Contributor
West African cinema is defined by uncertainty – an uncertainty not understood as caution or trepidation, but instead by an understanding of the unpredictability that comes with taking a leap of faith. It is a quiet acceptance shaped by the ever-changing understanding of what and where home is.
These characteristics are a hallmark of Ousmane Semebene’s Black Girl (1966) and Djibril Diop Mambéty’s Touki Bouki (1973), two Senegalese films that explore the desire for a life abroad seen within many African communities.
When Black Girl’s protagonist, Diouana, steps off the boat in France, she only has a few moments to take the city in before the harsh reality of life abroad sets in. While Diouana comes to France expecting to work as a nanny for a couple, she is deceived into becoming their housemaid. She quickly learns that France is neither an escape nor her new home. France is ironing and laundry. France is cleaning the kitchen and bathroom. France is work.
Touki Bouki’s Anta and Mory are on the other side of the same dilemma. Dakar lacks opportunity, and the young couple can no longer envision a life of freedom at home. Therefore, with no money and unsupportive families, Anta and Mory connive to escape to Paris. Their desire to emigrate is not shaped by a lack of love for Senegal, nor is it determined by a measurable goal they hope to reach in Paris; it is simply the prospect of change that fuels their move.
Both Black Girl and Touki Bouki take place in the first
From Dakar to Paris
ten years of Senegalese independence from France, a time filled with uncertainty for what the future of the country might look like. Yet, this newfound independence makes the audience wonder why these characters would want to move to France after finally gaining independence from French domination. What pushes people to leave home without certainty of success elsewhere?
Franz Fanon first coined the term “colonial alienation of the person” in 1952 to describe the internalized inferiority complex of colonized societies. The term has grown to be incredibly useful when examining the ways colonized peoples internalize harmful ideas about their cultures, view their societies through a colonial lens, and measure themselves based on their proximity to whiteness. The term is additionally beneficial in explaining why the Occident is held in such high regard. It is a clear way to explain why Diouana, Mory, and Anta are sure that moving to France is the key to a better life. However, while useful, it is important to not solely rely on the sheer power of Western brainwashing when examining choices made by Senegalese people post-independence. It is important to also recognize Senegalese self-determination and consider the rational approach many people took to the issue of immigration.
For instance, France has had a presence in Senegal since the 16th century, with Senegal only becoming an independent state in 1960. Interestingly enough, many Senegalese academics actually advocated for assimilation instead of independence. This did not mean that people simply forgot about the barbaric nature of imperialism. The understanding of Western hegemony was precisely why a moderate approach for greater Senegalese rights was taken and can account for why so many immigrants decided to move to France. As Aisha Balabare Bawa states in the article
[O]ur attitudes toward what and where home is are variable and can always be subject to questioning.
“From Imperialism to Diplomacy: A Historical Analysis of French and Senegal Cultural Relationship”, the policy of assimilation was adopted by Senegalese activists and leaders as a way for the Senegalese people to gain equality with French citizens in a non-violent manner.
The pretence of a European life being the best one was not just a misaligned viewpoint – it was, and still is, regarded as the determinant of success. Proximity to European standards determines a nation’s stage of development and immigration to Europe is many Africans’ only way of picturing a life of stability. Whether one profoundly believes in Eurocentrism or not, its stark influence on our day-to-day lives is unavoidable.
As most of the film takes place in France, Black Girl explores Eurocentrism from an immigrant’s perspective. Halfway through the film, we see a flashback of Diouana telling her lover that she will soon be working in France. While skipping around the city, Diouana anticipates that her lover will claim that she is submitting herself to domestic slavery. Diouana shakes these concerns off, as nothing can dwindle her excitement. Through these brief scenes of her life in Dakar, it is made clear that Diouana has internalized the idea of a French utopia imposed on so many colonized peoples. After all, she is willing to abandon the only home she knows for a vague and empty promise of a better life. Yet, her blissful optimism is not merely a result of ignorance.
When foreign powers have
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/
controlled your home, an attraction to the thought of immigration is perfectly reasonable. Diouana is not a fool for accepting the world as it is presented to her. While she is not particularly displeased with her life in Senegal, France is portrayed as a paradise, and it would have been foolish of her not to capitalize on an opportunity promised to be thrilling. The isolation she faces in France was not just a result of her ignorance but also of the lasting impacts of colonialism. Her mistress promises her a better life abroad, in the same way that French dominance promised to make the African continent prosperous. Through Diouana’s disillusionment, Sembene illustrates the social and psychological manifestations of the Colonial alienation of the person.
On the other hand, Anta, the female lead in Touki Bouki, is a college student and belongs to a group of pan-Africanists. It would be naive to assume that her desire for a life in Paris with Mory is solely influenced by false notions of Western supremacy. In actuality, anyone watching Mambety’s depiction of Dakar through Anta and Mory’s eyes would come to realize that the couple deeply care for the city. For Anta and Mory, Dakar is driving in the sun and love on the beach. Their city is vibrant and marked with mischief. The love for Dakar seen in Touki Bouki is conspicuous, an aspect that, over time, complicates their decision to leave.
The root of Anta and Mory’s dissatisfaction is not with Dakar itself, but can instead
be attributed to the elitism and hypocrisy within post-colonial Senegal. The couple only begins to receive acceptance by their community when they are draped in expensive European fabrics. Moreover, Anta’s so-called revolutionary classmates harasses Mory for his workingclass status. While some traditional customs, such as animal slaughter and folklore, are still present in their society, the Senegal they once knew is changing. Like many immigrants, Anta and Mory come to the conclusion that they may not be able to grow with their home, so instead, they must leave it. Similarly to Black Girl, Touki Bouki highlights how a love for your country and a thirst for change are not mutually exclusive – our attitudes toward what and where home is are variable and can always be subject to questioning. France currently has the largest African diaspora in Europe. The leap of faith Diouana, Anta, and Mory take when choosing to immigrate to France illustrates the core of the African diasporic experience: immigration is not solely a decision based on disregard for one’s home. The insatiable drive to leave home in search of socio-economic stability is taxing, and the alienation one can face after leaving home is burdensome. Immigration is a heavy choice for many. Yet, Touki Bouki and Black Girl magnetically depict the flexible idea of home in a time struck by revolutionary change.
“3. La noire de” by Festival de Cine Africano Tarifa Tánger. Licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0. Licensed at
To Social Media or Not to Social Media
Is it even a question?
by Evelyn Logan Culture Editor
Idon’t think that I want to live without social media, but even if I did, I didn’t use to believe that it could be an option. Even though I use social media more than most people around me (I have a sticker on my laptop that says “chronically online”), I was under the impression that having social media was not optional. I assumed social media had become ubiquitous and that you had to have it in order to be a functioning, involved, and successful member of your community. I thought that it was solely social media, specifically Instagram, that made me aware of the general “opinion” or state of things in the world (like slang, trends, cultural shifts, etc.), and without knowing these things, there was no way that I, or anyone else, could be normal or cool.
This belief was entirely upended when I met Mara Gibea. Mara is an undergraduate student studying political science, and when I met her this past November, she did not have any social media. She only opened an Instagram account in late December of last year.
I trace social media’s influence on my life back to the COVID pandemic. I, like everyone else my age, was sequestered in my room for months, with one of the few things I could turn to being my phone.
Even though we are in a digital age, it doesn’t mean that we have to feel trapped or like we don’t have the ability to opt out, because we do.
Social media shifted from something I enjoyed partaking in to my only way to interact with friends and experience community. In that era of the internet age, we all had near-complete control over our image and how we were perceived.
“-Cores” and aesthetics became a focus of social life; we grouped ourselves into categories and became hyperfixated on what life was like outside of the digital world.
As such, my idea of “normal” was no longer solely constructed by my immediate community but in that digital space that I occupied, my little corner of the internet. So, when I met someone who chose not to allow their identity to be constructed on or by social media, I was shocked. She was so delightful, stylish, and funny! How did she manage to construct her identity without social media, when I felt like I owed so much of my identity to it?
I interviewed Mara via Instagram DM to pick her brain about all things social media.
Interview has been edited for clarity and conciseness.
Evelyn Logan for The McGill Daily (MD) : Why did you decide not to have social media? When we met, were you on a detox, or have you never had it?
Mara Gibea (MG) : I first got Snapchat and Instagram in the seventh grade at 12 years old – only three years after getting my first phone. I got it because a friend helped convince my mom to let me get it. As someone who was already hyperfixated on her appearance, social media expanded the areas that I compared myself to others: from looks, to academic performance, to friends and family. It felt like my life was not good enough on its own, and soon, I began relying on social media for my happiness, not only to keep in touch with others.
But keeping in touch with others is what I missed once
I deleted all social media platforms. This was in 12th grade at the age of 17. From then on, I was able to better control who I surrounded myself with, compared to when people would involuntarily pop up on my social media. I will admit – not having social media in my first year, especially during FROSH, was hard, because it felt like too much of a commitment to give my number to people who I met casually. But it helped me put myself out there more and make genuine connections! Even if I have a small friend group, I’ve honestly never been happier. This is why I redownloaded Instagram and TikTok, because I feel secure enough to not expose myself to things that don’t serve me. My accounts are to keep in touch with people I actually know now, instead of adding mutuals for more followers. Because of this, I feel more comfortable posting silly photos. In other words, taking a break from social media allowed me to maintain my authenticity once I got it back.
MD : Very interesting, because I’ve noticed that there’s been a shift on social media where people are now trying to appear more authentic and relatable rather than being entirely performative or fake. But still, I feel like this “authenticity” is a performance as well. Since coming back to social media, has the performative nature of it become clearer to you?
MG: I completely agree! I’ve noticed that some people are performative with their authenticity, as consumers have increased their demand for that kind of content. And it seems like, once again, performative vs. authentic sides of the content spectrum are becoming polarized. For me, I would say that while I can spot performative content that pretends to be authentic, it is still hard to do so, but that may also be because of the break that I took from social media. At the same time, this may be true for others who have not taken a break
from social media because nowadays, we consume so much short-form content that we don’t have enough time to process what we are watching and make an active decision on the content’s level of authenticity.
MD : I agree. Even though I spend so much time on social media, I still have to check myself when I come across something that’s meant to be authentic. When you weren’t on social media, did you feel out of touch with trends? Did it bother you?
MG : I didn’t feel significantly left out of trends because I noticed them manifesting around me in person, such as last winter with the colourful scarfs and now with the Arcteryx beanie. These are things I noticed before redownloading social media, so I didn’t necessarily need it to stay on trend, but if I had more niche trends that I was interested in, I feel like that would be heavily maintained through social media, especially if it’s not something you see dayto-day. However, in terms of vocabulary/slang, it sometimes felt awkward having to rely on my friends to explain to me what the new trending phrases would be, such as “demure.”
To social media or not to social media is a question! There are so many different ways to be online without being on social media, like reading blogs or finding interesting websites. Even though we are in a digital age, it doesn’t mean that we have to feel trapped or like we don’t have the ability to opt out, because we do. At its core, social media is supposed to help connect you with your friends, and if it starts to become a source of anxiety or deplete your mental health, you don’t have to partake!
DM conversations with Mara Gibea
Welcome to the Ghetto
Rats, once loathsome rodents, have become a symbol of home
Enid Kohler Commentary Contributor
Ithought it was a person at first. I was walking down the wooden steps of my new apartment with my garbage bag in hand, carefully tiptoeing around the remnants of beer cans and Solo cups littering the curb, crushed from hurried footsteps and throbbing bass beats of the night before.
As I neared the bottom of the stairs, I heard a rustling from the garbage bins at the base of my building.
Paper bags brushed against one another and the lid of a bin slammed shut. I smiled readily, eager to meet my new neighbours.
I approached the garbage bins but saw nobody. I frowned, gingerly holding the ties of my black garbage bag as I poked my head around the dark corner sandwiched between two brick walls. My sneaker slipped on the cardboard of an IKEA package, crunching against the concrete. A loud rip disturbed the quiet lull of the August evening.
As soon as I steadied myself, I saw them. Three, one by one, climbing out of the garbage bin, scurrying hurriedly along the base of the brick wall. Their tails curled neatly, their tiny feet flashing as their furry bodies ran past me. Astonished, I took a step back.
I had heard about the rats. As a ripe second year, I had just moved into my Ghetto apartment a few days prior. When I was touring houses in the winter of last year, my upper-year friends had warned me about the Ghetto rodents.
“Get ready for the rats,” one would say with a sly smile.
Another would laugh. “True. You can’t escape them, really. They’re everywhere.” I would shiver, exchanging a wary glance with my future housemates.
But I couldn’t help the way my heartbeat fluttered excitedly. There was something mature about the way my older friends talked about the rats, something so adult . Away from the cramped student residences of first year, upperclassmen had houses . They cooked pasta in tiled kitchens, hosted wine nights in each other’s living rooms, and dodged rats when they took their garbage out.
In August, when I mistakenly took the Ghetto rats for my new neighbours, I felt like I had officially been welcomed into a new community – one where furry bodies bonded fellow McGill students together.
In August, when I mistakenly took the Ghetto rats for my new neighbours, I felt like I had officially been welcomed into a new community – one where furry bodies bonded fellow McGill students together.
At a housewarming party in early September, I hugged friends I hadn’t seen in months, a warm feeling of comfort permeating the dimly lit room. We talked about our summers before moving to the more pressing topic at hand: “How’s your house?” The question
As I settled into a new routine over the autumn months, I learned to take my garbage out in the mornings instead of at dusk. The night belonged to the rats, when they nestled between apple cores and egg cartoons, ready to spring from the heavy lids of the garbage bins at any notice. I learned to stomp a little extra loudly on the last step of my stairs, knowing to wait a few moments for the rats to scuttle out of the corners before stepping onto the sidewalk. I knew to be extra cautious when I walked through the Ghetto the night before garbage day, sidestepping rodents buried along open trash bags along the curb. In a bizarre way, rats had come to dictate the structure of my life.
Last week, my friends visited from out of town. It was dark when they arrived, and I led them through the narrow roads to the base of my stairs. I warned them to walk heavily up the steps to prevent rats from scurrying into our apartment, and they shared a look of surprise, exclaiming that they never had rats in their suburban university town. Rats were “so city,” they said. I laughed out loud as I held open my door, acknowledging the banality of rats in Montreal. But I also felt a strange sense of pride. Rats, with their dirtied fur and coiled tails, had become
Rats, with their dirtied fur and coiled tails, had become intertwined with my everyday - familiar little creatures that now gave me a perverse sense of home.
of the hour. I spoke to my peers about their new homes, their Facebook Marketplace furniture, their scuzzy landlords. Each person had unique stories of how they had turned their new spaces into a home.
But the throughline of every conversation was the rats.
“Did you get the notice?” they asked, referring to the slips of paper many of us received under our wooden doors, notifying us of rodents in the neighbourhood.
“I didn’t, but I saw them last night. Ten, I swear, right at the bottom of my apartment,” a friend added. We all nodded together, laughing at the quintessential Ghetto ritual of meeting our rodent neighbours.
intertwined with my everyday –familiar little creatures that now gave me a perverse sense of home. I waited for the last of my friends to enter my doorway before following them inside. As I moved to close the door, I saw a small body hustle against the November wind, rushing into the crevices between the garbage bins. I smiled slightly before I shut the door.
Eva Marriott-Fabre | Visuals Editor
The Impossibility of Hollywood’s Beauty Standards
Reflecting on Demi Moore’s speech at the Golden Globes
Océane Holliday Commentary Contributor
The long-time debate on Hollywood’s superficial and inaccessible beauty standards has experienced a recent upsurge spotlighting Demi Moore, the star of Coralie Fargeat’s The Substance (2024). There has been a multitude of reactions, not only to her immaculate black-dress appearance at the SFFilm Awards, but also to her speech when winning Best Female Actor at the Golden Globes. After being one of Hollywood’s favourites in the ‘90s, Moore’s performance in The Substance brought her back to center stage, alongside questions on the hypocrisy of
“smart enough, or pretty enough, or skinny enough, or successful enough” in the industry. She then accentuates the need for women to “put down the measuring stick” and to stop comparing or conforming themselves to Hollywood’s surreal laws of beauty and perfection. She further emphasizes this in an interview with Variety by describing The Substance’ s contemplation of “women and their value diminishing as they age.” She then describes how her character Elizabeth gave great value to “everything external and how she then internalized it.”
While Moore affirms that she did not feel personally tied to her character’s journey, her own ageless looks seem instead to
Indeed, Moore’s words appear to tackle the industry’s demanding beauty standards; however, her smooth face at sixty-two seems to abide by them and confirm them... and money makes the process all the easier. While it is undeniable that Moore looks stunning, what I find the most striking is this out-of-reach and, dare I say, out-of-this-world pinnacle of surrealism and unfairness at which women’s beauty standards have risen. Instead of praising the natural beauty of women at any age, her tricenarian looks communicate unrealistic expectations for everyday women to stay forever young. To my eyes, it illustrates the toxicity of
Resultingly, such superficial, demanding beauty standards diminish the natural beauty of women at sixty.
Women too often are artificially defined by their outer image rather than by what really matters: their worth as a person and a professional.
and fresh blooming plant, and an older woman as une fleur fanée , a fading, wilted flower. Moore’s seemingly unwrinkled and tightly lifted face takes us away from the recent embrace of aging gracefully and brings us back to this impossible state of running against the clock. Always worried that our good looks will fade with age. Always worried that we will not be relevant anymore if we do not look twenty-five. Always worried that we will be replaced
addressing the same unfairness shows greater positivity towards her potentially surgically reinvented self. Many commenters highlight how “gorgeous,” “beautiful,” “amazing,” and “great” she looks, and some even express how the focus should not be on her looks, but on her acclaimed performance in The Substance . The latter appears to condemn this superficial hyperfixation people have with women’s looks at the expense of their professional value – in this case, Moore’s talent as an actress. Indeed, women are too often artificially defined by their outer image rather than by what really matters: their worth as a person and a professional.
These comments emphasize the contradicting space Hollywood women must navigate, where they are expected to respond to the assumption that movie stars must look glamorous and flawless, all while being criticized for it. How does one negotiate in this world? How can one make everyone happy? The comments supporting Moore also express how people should just leave her alone – it is her body and her money. She does not owe anything to anyone and should not be held accountable for doing what pleases her. However, did she lean on the likely shoulder of plastic surgery out of her own free will, or did she do so because of the conscious or unconscious influence of Hollywood?
I think it is important to remember that being a Hollywood star comes with a certain degree of responsibility. She is a woman whose fame has made her greatly influential. Her image is not neutral or innocent but carries the price of being looked up to and inspiring to many – whether for her success, her beauty, or both. Regardless of whether she wants to or not, Demi Moore’s professional and aesthetic decisions endorse certain life choices, and today it is the glamorization of an impossible youth.
WINTER CLOTHING HOROSCOPES
Aries (Mar 21Apr 19)
The Carhartt JACKET you found on Facebook Marketplace is your holy grail this winter.
Taurus (Apr 20May 20)
You’re keeping your feet extra warm with some fuzzy socks. Silly patterns are an added bonus.
Gemini (May 21Jun 20)
You love an oversized grandpa sweater: the uglier, the better.
Cancer (Jun 21Jul 22)
It’s hard to go wrong with a puffer jacket and you’re playing it safe.
Leo (Jul 23Aug 22)
It’ll be hard for anyone to ignore you in your fur coat.
Virgo (Aug 23Sept 22)
You’re embracing the dark academia aesthetic with a trench coat this winter.
Libra (Sept 23Oct 22)
Snow boots are for amateurs, you’re trudging through the snow in your Uggs.
Capricorn (Dec 22Jan 19)
It’s going to be hard spotting you this winter with your face buried in your fuzzy scarf.
Scorpio (Oct 23Nov 21)
You’re ditching the winter coat for a leather jacket. who cares about the cold?
Sagittarius (Nov 22Dec 21)
MAKE SURE TO KEEP YOUR EARMUFFS CLOSE FOR THESE TREACHEROUS WINDS!
Aquarius (Jan 20Feb 18)
You’re using this winter to show off all the accessories you crocheted.
Pisces (Feb 19Mar 20)
EVERYONE IS IN AWE OF YOUR PERFECTLY CURATED COLLECTION OF BEANIES.
