Does new music suck or is it society?
››I can’t be the only one who picks something old over something new Matthew Fraser Editor in Chief
s I was browsing through the internet, trying not to waste too much time, I stumbled on an article in The Atlantic by Ted Gioia. In it, Gioia lamented the fact that old music (technically anything older than 18 months), specifically, music from before the year 2000 was outselling and outpacing new music. This got me thinking and wondering if the problem was that new music just sucks. Maybe my advanced millennial age is showing and I just don’t get the newfangled Zoomer sounds, but the majority of new music I have heard just sounds Okay at best. Worst still is that even my old favourite artists have overwhelmingly started to make bad music too. I can’t be the only person who hasn’t cared for anything Kanye West has done post-2014. Periodically I hear new artists whose music I like, but overwhelmingly, they harken back to a sound or style from years gone by. Whether it’s Leon Bridges, The Black Pumas or Lady Wray, the new artists that I really enjoy sound like they could be old artists rediscovered. Even the rappers I like sound like they could be from an older era of hip hop. That’s if I’m not listening to old rap albums anyways. My recent Busta Rhymes discography binge and my Nellyville review tell me that the old school is still the gold school. That’s not to say that there are absolutely zero recent songs or albums that I like, it's just that I seldom find myself staying abreast of the newest artists and the newest trends. As my old, beloved artists release new music I’m always there to check it out, but usually only after revisiting their older efforts first. And in some ways, I’m not alone; according to Gioia’s article, investment firms are locked in bidding wars to pick up ageing musical catalogues. At the same time,
Illustration by Athena Little
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septuagenarian and older artists are seeing their music return to high demand. I have a hypothesis for all of this. Everything around us these days is based on materialism; the status of many people is determined by what it is they do and don’t consume. What if consuming media that isn’t attached to your era serves as an outlet or an escape from the drudgery of the current world order? In many ways, the hyper-produced music of today almost perfectly mirrors the overall consumerist society that we live in, but the strippeddown sound of “Play With Fire” by the Rolling Stones is the exact opposite of our current world and vision.
Matthew Fraser Editor-in-Chief editor@theotherpress.ca
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Jerrison Oracion Senior Columnist
Athena Little Illustrator
Brandon Yip Senior Columnist
Udeshi Seneviratne Illustrator
Jonathan Pabico Senior Columnist
But then again, maybe it's not all that complicated. Maybe we all are just streaming the music that our parents and older siblings listened to while casually appreciating the more contemporary art. Maybe the nostalgic boom that has pushed people to record collecting is just one of those weird things that happen randomly and without any sort of deep linage. Maybe this is all just chaos, and it’s Stevie Nicks turn now the way it’ll be Ludacris’s turn one day in the far-flung future.
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News
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news // no. 3 • New self-isolation rules and more to come? • What to do to celebrate the February month of reflection and education ...and that's everything!
Coronavirus Update Jerrison Oracion Senior Columnist
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fter a record-breaking month of case counts during the fifth wave of the pandemic, it might be ending soon because the Omicron variant has mild symptoms and a shorter incubation period. But the variant being easily transmissible led to hospitals almost being overwhelmed. While almost everyone can get a booster shot of the Coronavirus vaccine, you can still be infected though social distancing and wearing a mask helps. Almost two years since the first case of the Coronavirus was found in the province, the pandemic could possibly end this year though the Coronavirus will still be circulating in the air like influenza and the common cold. According to CTV News, that is why Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry is currently indicating we treat Coronavirus like the common cold. Also, this led to the guidelines of what to do when you get the Coronavirus and getting a test being changed.
If you feel unwell, you must stay home and not interact with anyone else until you are not showing symptoms. You can also use the COVID-19 self-assessment test which has been revised to include the severe symptoms of the Coronavirus. Currently, the province is prioritizing individuals that have health problems to get tested if they show symptoms so that they can be treated immediately. If you test positive for it and you are fully vaccinated, you now have to selfisolate for five days. In December 2021, TriCity News reported long lines at the testing centre nearby Coquitlam Station. However, anecdotal accounts received by the Other Press indicate these lines have subsided. As the number of cases is starting to go down, new mutations of the Omicron variant are starting to be found in the province and like all the variants of the Coronavirus, scientists and health experts are working to find out if it is more severe than the previous variant. On January 25, the Vancouver Sun reported on an Omicron subvariant known as BA.2.
Photo by Billy Bui
››New self-isolation rules and more to come?
Experts hope to head off the spread Omicron variant through new gym safety plans including limited capacity reopenings. Also, sports tournaments can now happen again with safety precautions still in place.
CTV News reports that the BC Vaccine Card will be still required in most places until June 30. Optimists hope that if the number of cases keeps going down, almost all the safety precautions will end and things should return to normal. Unless there are more variants, the Coronavirus Pandemic might end up being endemic.
Local and online events for Black History month ››What to do to celebrate the February Matthew Fraser Editor in Chief
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lack History month has officially begun and there are many local and digital events to participate in to celebrate. The national theme for this year's Black History month is “February and Forever: Celebrating Black History today and every day.” The Daily Hive announced the theme on January 21, a day used to commemorate and celebrate Lincoln Alexander. According to The Canadian Encyclopedia, Alexander’s career as a lawyer began shortly after he was honourably discharged from the military. In 1965, he would be appointed Queen’s Counsel in honour of his significant contributions to the Canadian legal field; the same year, he would enter politics. In 1968, Alexander became the first Black Canadian to sit in the House of Commons; subsequently, he would be re-elected four times, serving a total of 12 years. Lincoln Alexander passed away on October 19, 2012. The BC Black History Awareness Society has amassed a series of in-person and online educational activities for residents to experience. On Saturday, February 5, Dr. June Francis, Director of the Institute for Diaspora Research & Engagement at SFU and a Director of
Hogan’s Alley Society, will be hosting a Livestream talk on the: “History of antiBlack Racism in Canadian Schools and Universities.” The event, which will go from 1:30 pm to 3 pm will explore the historic ways in which inequity in the Canadian post-secondary system has contributed to and prolonged anti-black racism. Online registration is necessary for this event. Noted and highly regarded professor and public intellectual Dr. Cornel West will be delivering a lecture entitled “Being a Hope Amid Crisis” on Wednesday, February 16 from 5 to 6 pm. Throughout this talk, West aims to explore the combined effects of economic outcome, democracy and racial injustice in shaping the Black identity. West’s career spans more than three decades and includes notable books like Race Matters. In more recent years, he has lent his passion to cohosting The Tightrope podcast alongside Tricia Rose. Register online to gain access to this talk. On February 19, the African Fashion Week will hold its annual fashion show. The event will take place at the Newmont Stage Theatre. Founded in 2018, the event aims to showcase African fashion designers from across Canada, the US, the African continent and around the world. The about section of their website states that
the organization wishes to use its platform to “create progressive partnerships which will lead to collaborative business opportunities for our designers, models, and other fashion professionals.” Vancouver International Film Festival (VIFF) will be highlighting Who We Are: A Chronicle of Racism in America as their centrepiece for this year's Black History Month. The documentary, made by former ACLU deputy Jeffery Robinson argues that the economic shackles of slavery constitute the foundation of American power. The Broadway World describes the film by saying: “Robinson argues that the vested interests of white supremacy have conspired to choke off those ideals of liberty and equality espoused in the Bill of
Illustration by Athena Little
month of reflection and education
Rights whenever civil rights movements have threatened to upset the status quo.” For the musically inclined readers, Joy Bullen has teamed up with TD Bank to present Rashaan Allwood and Yanick Allwood and their suite of original songs and reimagined classics. The event will premier on February 1 but will be available to stream online, free of charge until February 28.
Sports
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sports // no. 4 • Bruce Boudreau becomes 29th coach in NHL history to coach 1,000 games • Islanders legend, Clark Gillies, passes away at age 67 ...and more
Why Francis Ngannou and Jake Paul are speaking out against the UFC ››Who would’ve thought Jake Paul would be at the forefront of increasing fighter benefits Mo Hussain Contributor n January 22, UFC Heavyweight Francis Ngannou successfully defended his UFC heavyweight championship in a highly-anticipated fight against contender Ciryl Gane. The anticipation not only stemmed from the two fighters being former training partners but also came from Ngannou’s contract situation with the UFC. The fight was scheduled to be his final bout in the organization if he were to lose the championship. However, since he successfully defended the title, he’s now under a “champions clause” which automatically extends his contract for another championship fight. But Ngannou is yet to sign a long-term deal with the company. Leading up to the fight, Ngannou refused to renew his contract and left a lot of money on the table. “By now, I might be down at least $7-million that I left on the table,” said Ngannou in a January 24 interview with Ariel Helwani. “Freedom doesn’t work with money, you give up one to get the other.” Ngannou mentioned how he thought the money was tempting, but the nature of how he feels the UFC limits fighters with their “independent contracts” is what bothers him. Ngannou has also previously expressed interest in being allowed to box while under contract with the UFC. “The contract is one-sided although you still don’t have nothing. You don’t even have health insurance while you’re putting your body on the line…[We have] no guarantees, which I understand for independent contractors, but treat me as such.” The UFC does provide health insurance for its active fighters if they are injured during a fight, or in the training camp leading up to the fight. However, the promotion has no health benefits program for inactive fighters past their careers. UFC President Dana White teased that something related to that will be coming “soon” back in July of 2021. All this talk about fighter contracts has been on the attention of celebrity boxer and YouTuber Jake Paul. Paul has been outspoken about fighter pay for quite some time and recently made a big investment to fight for that battle. He and business partner Geoffrey Woo put money into the UFC’s parent company Endeavor. Paul and Woo believe that the company “can drive long-term economic value by
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increasing UFC fighter pay & providing them healthcare. He recently appeared on ESPN’s First Take on January 27, to talk about the kind of impact he wants to have on the UFC: “I just so happened to not be beholden to anybody, a lot of these UFC fighters are beholden to Dana White. They can’t speak out against him so I’m using my platform because I’m one of the very few people who actually can,” Paul said. Dana White appeared on CNBC in July of 2021, alongside Endeavor CEO Ari Emmanual. White was presented with the fact that the UFC pays 18 percent of its gross profits to fighters. This was compared
to the 50 percent that other major sports leagues pay their athletes. Here’s what White had to say about criticism regarding how the company pays its fighters: “That’s been going on for 20 years, and it will be going on for the next 20 years. I don’t think you’re ever going to see a scenario where you see a fighter or anybody for that matter saying they’re overpaid.” He also talked about how he thinks fighters who contribute the most to revenue aren’t the ones who complain about fighter pay. However, this wasn’t entirely the case with the recent Ngannou situation. He is currently the number one heavyweight in the company and set a
record for the live gate attendance at the Honda Center. He was still dissatisfied with his contract situation. In that same interview, Emmanuel also chimed in saying that the UFC has supposedly increased fighter pay by 600 percent since 2005. Whether Ngannou and Paul end up getting their way in increasing fighter benefits, or if White and the UFC keep holding their ground remains to be seen. However, it will be very interesting to see how this situation plays out in the coming months.
The contract is one-sided although you still don’t have nothing. You don’t even have health insurance while you’re putting your body on the line...
- Francis Ngannou
issue 18// vol 48
sports // no. 5
Canucks preparing for ‘make up’ games in February
››Bruce Boudreau becomes 29th coach in NHL history to coach 1,000 games Brandon Yip Senior Columnist ebruary 14 is Valentine’s Day where happy couples will be celebrating the annual day of love by partaking in “make out” sessions. The Canucks, on the other hand, will be partaking in “make-up” sessions— as the team plays seven games in February that were postponed in December 2021. At the time of writing, the Canucks’ record is 18-19-5. They are ranked seventh in the Pacific Division with 41 points—five points out of a Wild Card playoff spot. Vancouver has several players still in COVID-19 protocol: J.T. Miller, Conor Garland and Bo Horvat. On January 23, head coach Bruce Boudreau announced goaltender, Spencer Martin, was placed in COVID-19 protocol as reported by The Canadian Press. In addition, goalie Arturs Silovs, of the Abbotsford Canucks, had tested positive for COVID-19. As well, assistant coaches, Kyle Gustafson and Scott Walker were added to the protocol list. The current pandemic issues affecting Vancouver have posed a challenging scenario for its goaltenders. Thatcher Demko and Jaroslav Halak are already in the protocol. Michael DiPietro started in goal against St. Louis on January 23 with UBC goaltender, Rylan Toth, recruited as an emergency backup. Sportsnet reported on January 25, that J.T. Miller and Spencer Martin exited protocol and returned to the lineup against Edmonton. Martin’s COVID-19 test was later revealed to be a false positive. Unfortunately, forward Tanner Pearson did not play against the Oilers—as he was added to the protocol list. Pearson becomes the 17th Vancouver player in the last six weeks to enter the COVID-19 protocol. Edmonton defeated Vancouver in overtime by a score of three to two at Rogers Arena. The Canucks were leading 2-0 on goals by Elias Pettersson and Tyler Motte. Then the Oilers started a third-period comeback on goals by Ryan McLeod and Leon Draisaitl. Connor McDavid later scored the overtime winner with 23.4 seconds remaining—after converting a backhand pass from Darnell Nurse. Two days before the Edmonton game, Vancouver lost to the St. Louis Blues by a score of three to one at Rogers Arena, despite the Canucks outshooting the Blues 39 to 17. Notably, the game was Bruce Boudreau’s 1000th career game as an NHL coach. At age 67, he becomes the 29th coach in NHL history to accomplish this feat. Boudreau spoke about his coaching milestone in an interview with NHL.com on January 23. “I think if anything it means acceptance, that I’m an NHL coach,” he said. “I don’t know if makes any sense to anybody else, but I mean I was 33 years basically in the minors (as a player and a coach). So to get this 1,000th game after not being in the NHL until you’re 53, I think is pretty cool that I finally feel like I’m accepted as a guy that’s been in the NHL for a while.” But Boudreau hopes he will achieve something that has eluded him as an NHL coach: winning a Stanley Cup: “The only thing left, to me, is winning a Stanley Cup and I can't even imagine what that would feel like because I dream about it every day.” Elias Pettersson spoke with the media on January 22 after the team’s optional skate. He said he feels more confident with his play and hopes to continue scoring and helping the team win more games. “I definitely feel more confident and more [like] me out there,” he said. “It’s been obviously a slow start. But I […] play the game that I want to play. I play with confidence. I’m making plays and I’m having more fun out there for sure.” At the time of writing, over the 42 games played this season, EP40 had 22 points (10 goals and 12 assists).
Graphic by Martha Alejandra Espinoza
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Vancouver has a seven-day break that coincides with the NHL All-Star Game being played in Las Vegas on February 5. The short respite could not arrive sooner for the Canucks. The team will use the brief time off to rest and hope players in the COVID-19 protocol are healthy enough to return to the lineup. Off the ice, the Canucks have added two people to their front office. CBC News reported January 24, Émilie Castonguay is the new assistant general manager (the first female to hold the position in team history). In 2016, she became the first female NHLPA certified agent in Canada. Castonguay will be playing a lead role in player contracts and negotiations—while also managing the CBA (collective bargaining agreement). Sportsnet reported January 26, Patrik Allvin was hired as the new general manager (12th GM in team history). Allvin was previously with the Pittsburgh Penguins organization for 17 seasons (director of amateur scouting and assistant general manager).
Lastly, the Canucks’ home game versus the Florida Panthers on January 21, coincided with the annual “Hockey Talks” at Rogers Arena as reported by the Daily Hive. The initiative began in 2013, in honour of the late Rick Rypien. “Hockey Talks” focuses on engaging discussions about mental health and ridding stigma. Rypien was a fan favourite during his five years in a Canucks uniform (2005 to 2010). Rypien had a well-documented battle with depression before dying by suicide in August 2011. Rypien’s brother, Wes, and longtime friend, Kevin Bieksa, participated in a pregame ceremony faceoff. The Canucks for Kids Fund posted on Twitter in support of “Hockey Talks”: “In honour of #HockeyTalks, we will be making a $20,000 donation to @KidsHelpPhone. Just this year, Kids Help Phone has connected with over 1,100 young people every single day. Thank you Kids Help Phone for everything you do, we are proud to support such important work.”
sports // no. 6
theotherpress.ca
Islanders legend, Clark Gillies, passes away at age 67
››Beloved power forward nicknamed “Jethro” was a key pillar in building the Islanders’ dynasty
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he term “power forward” has become synonymous with several NHL players: Bob Probert, Cam Neely, Mats Sundin, Eric Lindros and Todd Bertuzzi. But prior to those players entering the NHL, another player emerged to become one of the top “power forwards” of his era in the 1970s and 1980s: Clark Gillies. He was a key member of the New York Islanders, who won four consecutive Stanley Cups from 1980 to 1983. Gillies was big, tough, strong, and menacing—but he also demonstrated an ability to score goals. Born and raised in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan Gillies played junior hockey with the Regina Pats of the Western Hockey League (WHL). In three seasons with the Pats (1971 till 1974), Gilles played 201 games, scoring 283 points (117 goals with 166 assists). In his final year with the Pats, the team won a WHL championship and Memorial Cup title. In February 2000, the Pats retired Gillies’ number 9 jersey. The New York Islanders entered the NHL in 1972. The late General Manager, Bill Torrey, known as “The Architect,” wanted to obtain solid foundational pieces in building the Islanders franchise via the draft. Clark Gillies was one of those “foundational” pieces alongside Billy Smith, Denis Potvin, Ken Morrow, Bryan Trottier, John Tonelli, Bob Nystrom, Mike Bossy and Butch Goring (acquired in a trade). Other key players were Stefan Persson, Gord Lane, Bob Bourne, Anders Kallur, Dave Langevin, Wayne Merrick, Duane Sutter and brother, Brent. The Islanders drafted Gillies fourth overall in the 1974 entry draft. Gillies played 12 seasons for the Islanders (1974 till 1986). He retired at the end of the 1987-1988 season after playing two seasons with the Buffalo Sabres. Gillies has his name in several Islanders' records. He ranks fourth in goals (304), fifth in assists (359), fourth in points (663), fifth in games played (872) and seventh in penalty minutes (891). In 1996, his number “9” was retired by the franchise. In 2002, Gillies was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. According to an article in The New York Times, Gillies is survived by his wife, Pam Goettler Gillies, daughters Jocelyn Schwarz, Brooke Kapetanakos and Brianna Bourne—as well as eight grandchildren. Bryan Trottier, who was Gillies’ linemate, would remain close friends after the two men retired from the NHL. “Clark was the prototypical power forward before the term was used,” he said in an email interview with the Other Press. “He had great skills [and was a great passer and] playmaker [with a] heavy shot. [He loved to drive] the net […] He could do it all. We [rode] his coattails whether he realized it or not. Tremendous warrior, competitor [and] leader. He was also a big brother and the toughest man in the NHL as far as I was [concerned]. So, we all played a little bigger [and] with less intimidation. I know [Mike Bossy and I] worried less that someone was going to take liberties. He was a protector and kept [the] opposition honest and deterred any stupid headhunting. One hell of a policeman.” Trottier also said Gillies was a giant who had an even bigger heart: “[He was a] natural athlete. The greatest friend you could ask for and cared about us all as much as he cared [and] loved his family. Impressive in every aspect of life.” Another teammate, Butch Goring, shared a humorous story about Gillies. Today, Goring is the colour commentator for New York Islanders broadcasts on the MSG Network. In an interview with the NHL Network on January 25, Goring remembered Gillies being a prankster, who could deliver insults to teammates—while also willing to be
the recipient of an insult at his own expense: “But I used to call him, ‘Stupid’ and people would ask him, ‘Why does he call you stupid?’ He said, ‘I’m not sure. But even worse is, I answer!’” Lou Lamoriello, president and general manager of the New York Islanders issued a statement about the passing of Clark Gillies: “He epitomized what it means to be a New York Islander. The pride he felt wearing the Islanders sweater on the ice was evident by his willingness to do anything to win. Off the ice, he was just as big of a presence, always taking the time to give back to the local community. The New York Islanders have four Stanley Cups because of the sacrifices he and the members of those dynasty teams made for the franchise. On behalf of the entire organization, we send our deepest condolences to the entire Gillies family.” Retired Hall of Fame broadcaster, Jim Robson, was the play-by-play announcer during the 1980 Stanley Cup Final for Hockey Night in Canada on CBC (New York Islanders versus Philadelphia Flyers). Robson was sharing play-by-play duties with another Hall of Fame announcer, the late Dan Kelly until game six—when Kelly moved to CBS and Robson calling the game solo on CBC. And during game six at Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale, New York, Robson called the famous overtime goal scored by Bob Nystrom—to clinch the first of four consecutive championships for the Islanders. Robson recalled Clark Gillies’ impact as a player with his size and strength. “Clark Gillies was the perfect fit on one of hockey’s greatest forward lines
with centre Bryan Trottier and great goal scorer Mike Bossy,” Robson said in an email interview with the Other Press. “Clark was a big, intimidating winger who could play the game [any way] you needed to win. Off the ice, he was a friendly big guy they called [Jethro], probably named after a star on the TV show [The Beverly Hillbillies].” In retirement, Gillies maintained a strong presence in the Long Island community. He established the Clark Gillies Foundation to help children with physical, developmental and financial challenges. Emily Tyree, director of the Clark Gillies Foundation, said Gillies was a kind and generous man who was always willing to help others—and those acts of philanthropy and selflessness are his legacy. “That he never had to say no to someone who needed help,” she said in an email interview with the Other Press. “Whether there was a family who needed a handicap bathroom built for their disabled son or a group that wanted books for their Pediatric Cancer patients. It was never ‘we can’t help,’ Clark would always find a way.” Tyree said it is important to finish what Gillies had started as the foundation meant so much to him. “He had [so much] more [that] he wanted to do with [his foundation], so we will make sure we do it for him and children everywhere,” she said. Tyree said Gillies may be gone but his memory will live on in those he affected with his “larger than life” presence: “He will be sorely missed and we will live [every day] the way [he] would have wanted us to: full of love and laughter. Clark would want us to continue his mission.”
Graphic by Martha Alejandra Espinoza
Brandon Yip Senior Columnist
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Arts
arts // no. 7 • 'Drive My Car' review • Three video games with stunning visuals and scenery ...and that's everything!
A Multilingual Revenge Theatre Production on Film ››'Drive My Car' review Jerrison Oracion Senior Columnist
any parts of language are universal no matter how complex the language is; more importantly, all languages have themes that can be presented in a visual medium. Many plays and musicals are performed around the world in a variety of languages and recently, there were a few films that implemented sign language and made it part of the story like Sound of Metal and Eternals. They can also modernize them to make them resonate with more people which was the case for Anton Chekhov’s Uncle Vanya in director Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s breakthrough film Drive My Car. Based on a short story by Haruki Murakami, the film earned three awards at the Cannes Film Festival last year including the Jury Prize and Best Screenplay for Hamaguchi and Takamasa Oe’s script. It could be on track to get not only Best International Film at the Academy Awards this year but maybe also Best Picture mirroring the success of Parasite.
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Yusuke Kafuku (Hidetoshi Nishijima) frequently rehearses for Uncle Vanya in his Saab 900 Turbo. After his flight to a theatre festival is cancelled, he goes back to his apartment finding his wife, Oto (Reika Kirishima), having an affair with her friend Koshi (Masaki Okada). Two years after Oto passes away, Yusuke is offered to direct a production of the play in an international play festival in Hiroshima while a driver named Misaki (Toko Miura) escorts him during his time in the city.
He casts a diverse lineup of actors including a deaf girl named Yoon-a (Park Yoo-rim) playing Sonya and Koji as Vanya. With a running time of almost three hours, the film is presented in three acts. The first act is a prologue where we do not see the opening titles until almost an hour into the film. Although, One Cut of the Dead had a similar opening where we see the special within the film before the opening titles are shown. The second act shows Yusuke and
his cast working and developing how they are going to present a new interpretation of the play and the last act puts everything together with a few surprises. The longrunning time also made it as if I was watching a play comparable in length to the entirety of Uncle Vanya. There were also long scenes with conversations where the director makes you feel present with them through minimal cuts. You still feel Oto’s presence when Yusuke rehearses in the car. We also see a lot of aerial shots of Hiroshima and Tokyo when Yusuke’s car is driven around and sometimes goes on a loop. The film deserves more nominations than it has received, especially a Best Supporting Actress nod to Park Yoon-a who is very excellent in her performance. Instead of everyone in Drive My Car talking in one language, they talk in a specific language when needed or someone translates what someone says. But the story of an actor getting his revenge after his wife’s affair is still understandable no matter what language you are fluent in. I hope it gets a Criterion Collection release when it is released on Blu-ray.
Piece of art or video game backdrop? Ash Sabinin Contributor
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ideo games have come a long way since their creation and people continue to find ways to make them more aesthetically pleasing for the players. Below are some of the games that I found caught my eye when talking about the artwork that goes into them. Journey is a game that I downloaded on PlayStation 4 a few months ago and I found it to be absolutely breathtaking. With a very simple plotline, it really gives the floor to the beautiful artwork. There’s next to no text or dialogue in the whole game which creates a calm, self-paced game. The soundtrack mirrors the beauty of the artwork and paired together they create a beautiful setting that feels like a piece of cinematic art that should be viewed in a gallery. Your story begins in a seemingly endless desert and you’re travelling towards a mysterious mountain in the distance, although with no hints or cues as to where to go or what to do, this game can take a different form for different players. The character cannot speak yet they can create a chime noise which may affect certain environments and can be used to interact with other players as there’s no chat function to communicate in. It was released back in 2012 and
yet, 10 years later it's still such an intriguing game and I think it’s in part due to the simplicity of the game and the ability for the player to draw what they wish from the experience. Journey is a spectacular game that really allows the players to be in control of not just the plot line but also what message, if any, that they take away from the game. If you’re an avid gamer or into games with great visuals, you probably knew this one was coming. I would say it's near impossible to write about visually stunning games without mentioning Firewatch. While I haven’t played it personally, I’ve watched many play-throughs and even had one of the backdrops of the game set as my lock screen for a while. It was released in 2016 and people absolutely loved everything from its clever plot to the striking scenery. Firewatch was made by Campo Santo and follows the life of a man who works alone as a forest fire lookout. It’s a calm but lonely job, in a remote cabin, watching for signs of smoke or flames in the forest with his only communication being a walkie-talkie that connects him to his supervisor until some strange things start to occur. It’s a single-player, adventure game with countless twists and turns. The artwork is next level and uses beautiful colour choices that layer upon each other to create such a gorgeous landscape. It’s available on PlayStation, Xbox, PC and Nintendo Switch, but I
would recommend playing on whatever has the best graphics to really take advantage of all the captivating scenery that surrounds your character. Last but, most definitely not least is Abzu, a well-crafted game that explores the true beauty of the underwater world. This game was also released back in 2016 and features the same artistic director as Journey. From the very beginning, we dive into the beautiful deep ocean, slowly descending into the endless darkness where we eventually find enchanting scenes that showcase the wonderful nature of marine scenery. You can travel amongst the different areas and ecosystems to discover new species of plants and animals. This is a game that creates a sense of peace and calm in the player, presenting them with a small break from reality to scuba dive and explore a variety of eye-catching environments. Your goal, which is only a goal if you wish it to be, is to repopulate areas with animals that fled for reasons unknown. There is no push to follow any certain storyline which allows the players the freedom to explore as they please. Abzu’s setting is gorgeous but also potentially eerie depending on the person playing it so if you have a fear of the ocean, this may not be the game for you. However, there is no threat of death or failure so, for some it may be a good way to explore the ocean from the safety of their couch.
Graphic of Journey by Gamesnack via Flickr
››Three video games with stunning visuals and scenery
Black History in the era of Critical Race Theory ››Is there still room for America’s racial history?
As a result of the struggle to ban any and every speck of something that could be interpreted as CRT, many American states have made it virtually impossible to teach any part of Black history. Matthew Fraser Editor in Chief
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ust south of the border there is a war going on. It’s not the much anticipated and oft-discussed civil war that some members of the American population seem to call for, but a war over what and how things should be taught to kids. At the centre of this war is a previously esoteric and rarely discussed portion of American legal scholarship known as Critical Race Theory (CRT). Much of the hubbub surrounding CRT seems to be manufactured, created by a section of the American rights media system to both satisfy and horrify their base. But it’s the offshoot of that horrifying aspect that has been the most harmful. Through this fear, Republican politicians have been able to drive their constituents to the polls and motivate their base to action. In their essay for the Brookings Institution, Rashawn Ray and Alexandra Gibbons attempt to address some of the underlying fear that has made CRT so
powerful and evil to those on the right. Early on, the two states: “Opponents fear that CRT admonishes all white people for being oppressors while classifying all Black people as hopelessly oppressed victims. These fears have spurred school boards and state legislatures from Tennessee to Idaho to ban teachings about racism in classrooms.” It goes without saying that if you thought that your children were being taught that they are unwitting or even willing instruments of white supremacy you would jump to defend them against such indoctrination. Why wouldn’t a concerned mother who swears she doesn’t have a “racist bone in her body” not want to defend against this evil that’s being taught? Yet the problem is that CRT is not attempting to teach white children that they are hopelessly and permanently racist. In the manufactured outrage of the day, that is the catchiest way to protest the seeming loss of control that many Americans feel. In a nowviral video posted in November of 2021, an unnamed Virginia man states that CRT is
the most important issue in the Governor’s election being held. What caused the virality of the video was the man's subsequent inability to actually explain what critical race theory is or what few things he didn’t like about it. All he knew was the three words he wasn’t supposed to agree with. However, that is not to say that critical race theory is without any deserved criticisms. Josh Hammer sprinkled some good points into his ultimately misleading article on CRT in the New York Post. At one point Hammer quotes the habitually wrong and usually unhinged Ibram X. Kendi who proposes a permanent retributive form of racism to react to and “remedy” past discrimination. In Politico, Kendi argued that a Department of Anti-Racism should be made to root out racial inequity, thusly ensuring equality of outcome. Later in defending his DOAR, Kendi sarcastically remarked that his idea was fascistic, missing the point that implementing it would actually run quite close to the very authoritarian problem that most people detest.
a mandate for educators to teach historic moments of slavery, as well as the Chicano movements, women’s suffrage and civil rights” amongst other things. And all of this to what end? To “own the liberals?” Generally speaking, the goal is supposed to be to “protect the children.” As Kevin L. Clark points out in Essence, the books the group “Moms for Liberty” were trying to ban were supposedly unbelievably harmful to children, ultimately culminating in “resentment, shame of one’s skin [colour], and/or fear.” Additionally, the books would cause kids to “hate their country, each other and/or themselves.” So what were the books in need of banning? Martin Luther King Jr. and the March on Washington and Ruby Bridges Goes to School: My True Story amongst others. This is a situation where the obsessive and overblown fear of CRT will actually make the teaching about Black American history impossible if not a litigation-worthy offence. As I had said earlier, these moves run speedily in the direction of removing the violence that history is filled with just to prove a point. One part of the lawsuit cites “photographs of white firemen blasting Black children to the point of ‘bruising their bodies and ripping off their clothes” as a reason to ban the books, essentially admitting historic atrocity needs concealing for the protection of children. But this brings me to my greatest fear about these efforts to suppress, conceal or otherwise obscure these historical realities. What if there is a section of the American right that does not automatically identify with the white people who fought against racism? It should be common knowledge that in all eras where there were racists, there were those who opposed racism.
How would one teach about the Jim Crow south without risking discomfort? What are students supposed to feel but anguish when they read To Kill a Mockingbird?
Though history may have papered over them, there were undoubtedly people even in the South who opposed slavery. There were certainly those who throughout the civil rights era who knew instinctively or grew to realize that the racial injustices that were being perpetrated were wrong. Yet somehow, the white population that fears CRT has not been able to see themselves as part of the group of morally upright Americans; and frustratingly, I can’t fathom why. The Great American project—at least as I see it—is a long struggle against evil and towards universal liberty. Why is it then that the whites of today fail to valourize the freedom fighters of the past as part of their push against misleading children? Has this section of white America become so obsessed with the grievance narrative of the “Lost Cause” that they cannot fathom a way to claim John Brown as their own? Were the lessons of the United Daughters of the Confederacy so powerful that people cannot step away from their confederate flags and tell their children that had they been alive they would have marched alongside Martin Luther King? Why do they not see themselves as part of the good side of that history? As a distanced and largely unaffected observer of this war, I can’t imagine what it is that the opponents of CRT think they are gaining. I cannot imagine that history will be kind to them as time trots forwards. I can only expect that when future generations look back at those who fought with such vigour to prevent the history and context of the civil rights era from being shared, they will be saddened. If not, then maybe whatever these combatants desired has been won already.
Illustrations by Martha Alejandra Espinoza
But the constant bickering and back and forth on CRT has ultimately made it impossible for Black American history to be taught. Though I have argued previously— and I still stand behind the idea—that Black history month should be abolished, CRT and its detractors have made it so that even the most sanitized version of Black history is too radical. As a result of the struggle to ban any and every speck of something that could be interpreted as CRT, many American states have made it virtually impossible to teach any part of Black history. Florida man and Governor Ron De Santis has championed a bill known as the “Individual Freedom” bill. CBC explains that the bill would ban any teaching “about racism in U.S. history in a way that makes them [white people] feel ‘discomfort, guilt, anguish, or any other form of psychological distress on account of his or her race.’" However, the consequence of this bill is that it makes it impossible to teach students about the violence Martin Luther King endured as he tried to lead America towards racial equality. How would one teach about the Jim Crow south without risking discomfort? What are students supposed to feel but anguish when they read To Kill a Mockingbird? In an interview with ABC News, a 60-year-old Texas school teacher named Diane Birdwell acknowledged the wrongs her family committed in the past by saying: “I don't shy away from it because I accept the fact that it's part of my family's past.” In Birdwell’s case, these historic wrongs include both a Confederate fighter and a Nazi; and she works her lineage and its accompanying baggage into her lessons at school. Yet these historic truths will soon be considered unteachable due to an incoming law in the Lone Star state that “would remove
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Life & Style
life & style // no. 10 • Not all lawyers are maniacs that yell across courtrooms • Wally’s Burgers continues satisfying burger-craving fixes since 1959 ...and that's everything!
Three types of lawyers who usually don’t have to go to court ››Not all lawyers are maniacs that yell across courtrooms Mo Hussain Contributor t’s assumed that most lawyers spend their days defending or putting away murders, drug dealers, kidnappers, and all other sorts of criminals out there. However, many would be surprised to know that not all lawyers actually have to deal with criminals, let alone have to step inside a courtroom. As a matter of fact, many lawyers go through their whole careers without stepping into a courtroom because their law practice simply does not require it. Here are three of many areas of law where lawyers can blend in with the average office worker.
CONTRACT LAWYERS Lawyers who work in contract law rarely see the light of day, let alone represent their clients in a courtroom. Contract lawyers spend their working hours drafting, revising, and negotiating contracts for their clients. The attention to detail that this area of law requires is unbelievably high. Clients are typically paying big bucks to make sure whatever contract they're getting into suits their best interest. If a lawyer misspelled or misread a certain word in the fine print, that can make for some serious consequences for that lawyer’s client. Contracts involving millions of dollars usually get handed over to larger law firms, who will then have multiple lawyers look over contracts to make sure the fine print is ok.
REAL ESTATE LAWYERS With the booming real estate market in Vancouver, it might make sense to become a real estate lawyer soon. Real estate lawyers look over all of the documents relating to the purchase or sale of a home. This can include legitimizing homeownership through transferring title (ownership) between parties and making sure purchasing agreements line up to their client's interest. If the home is being financed through a mortgage, it’s on the lawyer to make sure that the mortgage documents are reflective of the deal between the home buyer and the financier. Plus, real estate lawyers are usually the final barrier that people have to go through to purchase a home, so they usually get to watch homeowners celebrate a special moment in most cases.
Illustration by Athena Little
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MERGERS AND ACQUISITIONS (M&A) LAWYER Outside of having the shortest abbreviation of any other kind of law, M&A lawyers arguably have one of the most intriguing yet complicated jobs of any lawyer. These lawyers deal with the legal aspects of one business acquiring the other, and in rarer cases, deal with two companies trying to merge. What’s intriguing about what these lawyers do is that they are more “on the offence” in their line of work than other kinds of lawyers. This includes lawyers that work in criminal defence, tax law, personal injury law, etc, where lawyers are supposed to either fix a negative situation that’s already happened or try to defend and mitigate any damage for their clients. Part of an M&A lawyer's job in most cases is to try and move the needle forward for someone to purchase a business or combine it with someone else’s. What’s complicated are the contracts that need to be drafted, and the amount of negotiation that goes back and forth between the two parties. In the case of an acquisition, the lawyer has to balance the interests of someone trying to get the most for their business, and the purchaser trying to get the best deal they can. In a merger, the lawyer has the even tougher task of making sure that both parties are on the same page before they combine their businesses. This includes looking over who will lead the company, what rights do they have, how much ownership should each party give up, etc. If you’re into high-stakes business, going into M&A may be for you.
issue 18// vol 48
life & style // no. 11
A bite from the past
Photo by Billy Bui
››Wally’s Burgers continues satisfying burger-craving fixes since 1959
Brandon Yip Senior Columnist
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urger places from the 1950s and 1960s are relics from a bygone era. Today, there are several fast-food chains available to satisfy your burger fix cravings: McDonald’s, Burger King, A&W, Dairy Queen, Fatburger and Five Guys. However, there is something nostalgic and appealing about an old-fashioned small burger eatery where you can sit and inhale the wondrous odours of hot onions and beef patties cooking on the grill. Notably, one burger place that traces its roots back to the late 1950s, Wally’s Burgers, continues serving customers tasty, delicious burgers hot off the grill; and made with fresh local ingredients. The original location opened at 2703 Kingsway in Vancouver by an Austrian immigrant named Wally Stritzel. He had taken over another burger place called Harvey’s. Several articles over the years about the famous burger eatery have written that it opened in 1962, but according to the current owner, Gord Bemister, the restaurant opened in 1959. Eating at Wally’s Burgers is an ethereal experience. One bite into their juicy burgers is a journey through time for your taste buds and mind, triggering memories of old-fashioned burger places. And the taste of their delicious burgers is euphoric bliss for your senses—especially your tastebuds. Wally’s Burgers was also famous for its prominent neon
sign that drivers and pedestrians could see heading east or west on Kingsway. Interestingly, a BC Lions home program from September 1966 showed Wally’s Burgers and Panasonic as co-sponsors of a CFL radio segment that aired on CKWX 1130. Wally’s Burgers would be the site for numerous car rallies. It was even featured in an episode of the Fox television series, 21 Jump Street, in the late 1980s. adding to the legend further, the restaurant even survived a fire in November 1995. According to a Vancouver Sun article in March 2008, Stritzel sold the business in the 1970s; the restaurant then changed hands numerous times during the 1980s and 1990s. Stritzel sadly had health issues including diabetes and passed away in December 1996 at age 62. Stritzel’s brother, Hermann, stated large burger chains entering the Vancouver market like McDonald’s were one reason his sibling sold it. “He sold out as soon as McDonald’s started building up,” he told the Vancouver Sun. “They built a McDonald’s at Kingsway and Victoria, he had a hunch [it would hurt business]. So he sold it.” But Hermann remembers how popular Wally’s Burgers was in its heyday. “It used to be the best in town,” he said. “Because everything was fresh, nothing was frozen. If he didn’t like the way the hamburger patties looked he’d send it back. The fries, the same way. He advertised his stuff as quality food, that’s why he built up his business [really] good. It was a gold mine at one time. Friday, Saturday night, that place was so damn packed.”
In March 2008, the Kingsway location closed to make way for condominiums. Several Vancouver news outlets did stories about the closure, showing customers lining up to order one last time from the iconic burger outlet. A piece of Vancouver’s past and cultural history was gone. Or so it seemed. A year later, Wally’s Burgers would be resurrected with new owner Gord Bemister. He reopened at Cates Park in North Vancouver (4131 Dollarton Highway). The location operates seasonally between May and September. Then in February 2010, Bemister opened his second location in Vancouver at Killarney Plaza (2661 East 49th Avenue). Bemister said he is familiar with Wally’s Burgers being a significant Vancouver institution for decades. “I lived on Price Street in the [1960s] and my parents would bring our family to Wally’s,” he said in an email interview with the Other Press. “Of course things were different back then as we didn’t get to go to a restaurant very often. I continued the tradition with my own kids.” Bemister believes it is important to carry on the tradition that Wally Stritzel created. “We’ve always tried to remain true to the original Wally’s including the famous wagon bun, the sauce and having the original burgers on the menu,” he said. “Our legacy is that we are family-owned and operated, we work closely with other family businesses such as our butcher and baker and we cook everything to order.” Bemister said when the pandemic arrived in March 2020, it posed many
challenges. He had to close his business for two months when provincial restrictions were imposed banning indoor dining. But two years after the pandemic started, Wally’s Burgers is open for business as usual via takeout and limited in-person dining. “We still do regular take out directly, but we also give customers the option to order for delivery and pick up through the [DoorDash] app,” he said. “We are also going to be offering delivery and pick up from [Skip the Dishes] as well. It would have started already but due to the [truckers’] situation it's delayed.” Bemister is grateful to his loyal customers who continue to patronize his establishment: “We are truly appreciative of all the support we received through [COVID-19]. The past [two] years was hard on everyone, not just restaurants and having loyal customers really makes the challenges worth the effort.” Lastly, Bemister is used to operating Wally’s Burgers with his family working hard alongside him. But if the “buns” were “turned” and Bemister was not wearing an apron with his hands holding a burger flipper, what would he order if he were a customer at his own restaurant? “My go-to [order] would be the deluxe wagon with cheese, a side of hand-cut [Kennebec] fries and either a chocolate malt shake or a beer,” he said. “I choose the deluxe wagon because Wally’s is the only place [where] you can get a wagon bun.” And that tradition and uniqueness alone is one reason Wally’s Burgers continues to be popular with burger lovers young and old.
Opinions
Have an idea for a story? opinions@theotherpress.ca
opinions // no. 12 • How I felt after three days with no social media • Famous couples keep wasting my time ...and that's everything!
How I felt after three days with no social media ››It’s not a long time,
Photo by Billy Bui
but something’s better than nothing
Mo Hussain Contributor
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ast Sunday, I decided to re-think my entire approach to social media. I noticed that I was getting too connected in all these different apps, but was ironically feeling more disconnected from where I was. I knew I had to change something related to my social media use. I didn’t decide to go cold turkey, as a matter of fact, I decided to keep Snapchat and Twitter. But I did decide that I would delete Instagram and TikTok for three days, and see how it went. WHY I DID IT The reason why I deleted Instagram and Tiktok off my phone was that I didn’t see them adding any sort of value to my life. I found it to be a waste of time. I don’t follow a crazy amount of people on Instagram to begin with, which meant that I would usually find myself spending a lot of time on its endless explore page algorithm, scrolling through dozens of useless photos, videos, and reels. Another thing was that most people whom I direct messaged can already contact me through call, text, e-mail, Snapchat, etc. Tiktok was an even bigger waste of time. Not only do I not use the app to communicate with anyone, but its explore page was just too much to handle. You’d think that 15-60 second videos wouldn’t take a lot of your time, but with TikTok’s algorithm, I found myself getting easily caught up. I decided to keep Snapchat because I found that to be a place where I could still communicate with my friends, but not get caught up in its algorithm. I also decided to keep Twitter just because I still needed some kind of connection to the world, especially since I write every week. However, controlling binges on that algorithm is definitely a tall task, so if you’re going to keep it beware of that. My social media detox strategy wasn’t perfect, but I wanted to cut off something rather than nothing and see where my life would go in three days.
THE RESULTS (SO FAR) It’s only been three days but I can say that I'm feeling a little bit better. The reason I say a little bit is because keeping those other apps can still take away time as you are using your phone a little more than you want. However, something is better than nothing and I found that my “social media routine” took a lot less time. This is where I’d go through each and every app every time I’d pick up my phone. Eliminating just two apps helped free up a little more time because now I had fewer apps to check. I also found that those apps tended to show manufactured versions of people a lot more than the other apps did. I’m not saying people on Snapchat or Twitter don’t put on a facade, but I found it to be more apparent on Instagram and Tiktok. So far, I’ve found that limiting my social media exposure to two apps is less overwhelming because of that reason. I’m not saying I've also turned into some productivity maniac either, but when you have fewer reasons to be on your phone, you're more likely to experience reality. I plan on going at least 30 more days without those two apps and then seeing how I feel from there. If I feel like I missed out on a lot, then I might try to set new guidelines which would allow me to check them but control my usage. If not, you might hear from me next month about how the 30 days went. At the end of the day, do what you think is best if you try this out.
issue 18// vol 48
opinions // no. 13
Famous couples keep wasting my time ››I really don’t care about these stars, do you? Matthew Fraser Editor in Chief here’s always some gossip or rumour about a famous couple running around the internet for people to speculate over. Most of the time, I can avoid getting entangled in it. Maybe I am lucky to have all my friends be above the fray and uninterested in celebrity gossip, maybe my lack of cable has meant that I never get a chance to be invested in the million and one Keeping up with the Kardashians reruns, spinoffs, and wannabes. But over the recent few months, it has been inescapable and almost entirely unbearable. It all started with the Will and Jada Smith shenanigans. There was the interview, there were the memes; you couldn’t go anywhere without someone trying to shoehorn the world entanglement into a sentence, it was ridiculous. But it didn’t slow down after that initial wave. Will Smith was quick to follow up with stories and rumours, heartfelt confessions and cryptic Tweets. My corner of the internet that is mostly overrun with American politics and Instagram models was suddenly a rest haven for Smith drama. The straw that broke the camel's back was one Will Smith announced that he had contemplated suicide when Jaden Smith filed for emancipation. Don’t get me wrong, men's mental health is clearly important, and I think that famous people like Will Smith talking about it is important, but the whole time this drama was going on, I kept waiting for them to announce a movie. I mean that drama clearly had to lead somewhere for money to be made right? However, the number one spot for most annoying couple clogging up my social media feed is a tie between Machine Gun Kelly (MGK) with his wife Megan Fox and the absolute dumpster fire that is the Kanye West, Kim Kardashian, Pete Davidson and some apparently famous women who I don’t care about’s love trapezoid. For some ungodly reason, there were like two months straight where every week there was a new thing about MGK and Fox. One week it was some weird pact they made, then the next week they were drinking each other's blood. I vaguely recall that one of the two threatened to jump off of something tall and land on something sharp if they broke up. If I am actually hallucinating that statement, it's probably because everything that came out about the two was so absurd that that sounds feasible. In fact, when Pop Crave tweeted that MGK designed Fox’s engagement ring to hurt her if she took it off, someone named Tayblesalt13 tweet quoted that everything they had learned about this couple was completely against their will and I completely concur. Then there is the Kanye West, Kim Kardashian, et al shenanigans. At first, it was kind of entertaining to hear about West’s dysfunctional nature once again ruining a relationship, but I stopped caring long before the media was done telling
Graphic by Anna Machuik
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me about it. Then, when Pete Davidson became involved, the theories, speculation, and vicarious pride us generally toxic men felt watching our bedraggled brethren flourish was kind of fun; until once again, I stopped caring before the media was done telling me about it. At this point, the relationship situation, monster thing that is the Kim
and Kanye love show is no longer fun but exceptionally anodyne. I really don’t think anyone cared about Kanye’s Pete Davidson diss, and I suspect even fewer people cared about Davidson’s response. Since so few people cared, why is it still clogging my news feed? Certainly, this algorithm is working for someone, but that someone isn’t me.
I have to say it, I’m tired of these famous couples clogging up my newsfeed and wasting my time-wasting time. I wish I could charge MGK/Megan Fox or Kim/ Kanye/Pete and the other connected peoples a bill for my squandered attention. Sadly, I’ll just have to make do with ranting in the pages of the Other Press.
At first, it was kind of entertaining to hear about West’s dysfunctional nature once again ruining a relationship, but I stopped caring long before the media was done telling me about it.
Photo by Udeshi Seneviratne
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