Why are people so accepting of a slap? ››Are toxic masculinity and violence acceptable now?
Matthew Fraser Editor in Chief like most of you did not watch last week's Academy Awards; however, just like most of you, I have seen the video of Will Smith slapping Chris Rock a million and one times. As the video spread like wildfire across the internet, everyone and their grandma had to throw in their takes, and I was quickly shocked to see the amount of approval for Will Smith’s actions displayed online. Anecdotally, I saw posts ranging from “This is what defending a black woman looks like” to “Comedians just got put on notice for how we will be responding to their hate and disrespect.” And I had to wonder if I had missed the part where we suddenly approved of violence and toxic masculinity. It seemed to me that not that long ago, the idea of a man lashing out and publicly fighting for his women's “honour” was considered disrespectful. A short time ago words were the ultimate violence, but now those same people are applauding violence violence? What happened here? It is lost on me how all of a sudden, Chris Rock who has largely been loved by audiences and generally avoided media hatred can suddenly be deemed an acceptable figure for a public assault. Even if I did buy the argument that the joke went too far—which I don’t—the idea that that joke warranted a slap is crazy. If that level of joke is deemed offensive enough to fight someone over then we are welcoming chaos in our midst.
Illustration by Athena Little
I,
And that begets my next issue: have people thought about the consequences of okaying slapping people who make jokes? Do we want to see a world where female comedians who make jokes about men get slapped for it? How about a white audience member slapping a black or Hispanic comedian for making a joke about white people? If we think those moments would be wrong then why are we seemingly accepting the slap Smith put on Rock? Some people may try to argue that we aren’t really accepting Will Smith’s behaviour, but I can guarantee that if an average human being slapped a coworker at a work conference they would be escorted out and fired. Will Smith got to return to his front-row seat and prepare for his speech later that evening. Hell, he even got a standing ovation after his award. But it makes me wonder if a section of society has changed its mind on toxic masculinity and bad behaviour. I remember
when the idea of excusing two boys fighting as “boys will be boys” was considered a horrific and unacceptable vestige of patriarchy and male supremacy. There was a time when violence was supposed to be something nearly inexcusable and that men had to learn that. I am not sure how or why that view of violence no longer exists or when that happened, but it seemed to change overnight. However, I am consoled by the fact that this like all Hollywood hooplas is unimportant and destined to fade as the next Hollywood scandal appears. Much like the Janet Jackson nipple slip before it, we won’t forget this but it won’t remain an important thing beyond a month. But for that month, I will enjoy all of the jokes at Will Smith’s expense that are coming. He deserves at least that much.
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news // no. 3 • Ukraine is faced with the trauma of war crimes as the world reacts to the news • Fresh leadership for the Conservative party ...and that's all, folks!
The horrors of war
››Ukraine is faced with the trauma of war crimes as the world reacts to the news Matthew Fraser Editor in Chief
s the war in Ukraine enters its sixth week, the accusations against Russia and its military have reached new heights as shocking evidence and claims emerge from the ground. A March 29 article from the BBC outlined which actions qualify as war crimes and asked if and how Putin could be punished for these crimes. The article was mainly oriented on the Geneva Convention, The International Court of Justice and the UN Security Council. Chiefly listed as war crimes were deliberate attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure, the use of banned munitions like chemical weapons, improper care for sick and wounded individuals or prisoners of war, genocide, torture and rape. Of particular note in the BBC’s article was the fact that Russia as a permanent member of the UN Security Council could veto any proposal to sanction it. On Sunday, April 3, disturbing images began to emerge from Bucha, Ukraine. The images appeared to depict civilians murdered while the city was occupied by Russian troops. Global News reports that 300 civilians have been declared killed thus far. In an effort to contain these deaths, a 45-foot long trench was dug next to a church in the city. Further reporting from Ukraine has stated that 410 bodies in towns surrounding Kyiv have been discovered and that the depth of trauma experienced by some survivors has rendered them unable to speak. Ukrainian prosecutor general Iryna Venedyktova has stated that 140 victims have been examined thus far as part of an ongoing investigation into war crimes committed. CNBC also reported that Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy referred to the Russian aggression as a genocide against the “100 nationalities” in Ukraine. In response to the emerging photos and revelations, EU leaders have expressed their shock at the images. Reuters reports that the president of the EU Council grouping the bloc's member states, Charles Michel announced that “Further EU sanctions and support are on their way.” Likewise, PM Justin Trudeau tweeted “We strongly condemn the murder of civilians in Ukraine, [sic] remain committed to holding the Russian regime accountable, and will continue to do everything we can to support the people of Ukraine. Those responsible for these egregious and appalling attacks will be brought to justice,” in response to a tweet by Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Jolie. On March 28, Global News reported on the accusations of sexual assault and rape levelled against the Russian army. In response, a Ukrainian MP named Inna Sovsun tweeted “ [The] Prosecutor General of Ukraine opened the first official investigation of the rape of a #Ukrainian
Photo by Anna Machuik
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woman in Brovary district committed by the #russian soldier. We heard rumours earlier, but this is the first time confirmed by the official complaint made by the surviving woman.” On March 27, The Guardian reported that Emmanuel Macron and other world leaders had responded negatively to brash comments made by president Joe Biden. In addition to previous comments from Biden calling Putin a “war criminal,” Biden also stated: “For God’s sake, this
man cannot remain in power.” This was seen by many—including members of the Kremlin—to be a direct call for regime change in Russia. In response to Biden's comments, Dmitry Peskov, a Kremlin spokesman stated: “Personal insults like this narrow the window of opportunity for our bilateral relations under the current [US] administration. It is necessary to be aware of this.” Finally, The New York Times reported that Russian troops have withdrawn from
the Chernobyl nuclear plant and returned control of it to the Ukrainian energy company, Energoatom. Reports by local news outlets have stated that many of the Russian troops were suffering from radiation sickness at the time of retreat, but this is currently unconfirmed. The Independent reported on April 1 that Russian soldiers had driven through the highly radioactive Red Forest without protection earlier according to Ukrainian workers in the area.
news // no. 4
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Fresh leadership for the Conservative party
Graphic by CJ Sommerfeld
››Here is to hoping that the third time is the charm
Matthew Fraser Editor in Chief
F
ollowing the February 2 resignation of Erin O’Toole, the Conservative Party of Canada has been gearing up for a new party leadership race. However, the candidates thus far have already begun to experience difficulties and spats between them. On March 31, CTV News reported that Conservative party affiliates and staffers had been targeted by fake campaign donation emails. Jean Charest, a current front running in the race, described the predicament as “an obvious attempt to create chaos.” Though the Conservative party (CPC) alleges that membership data was not leaked, former Erin O’Toole senior staffer Melanie Paradis publicly announced that she had received a fraudulent email thanking her for a $120 donation to a candidate she declined to name. As reported, hundreds of other individuals had had their information used by an IP address in Ukraine to send these fake emails.
Preceding the potential leak, interim leader Candice Bergen warned contenders to avoid smearing each other as “not conservative.” In an interview with The Canadian Press (quoted on March 24 by CTV News), Bergen encouraged candidates not to “wedge, divide and polarize” because the CPC “should not be doing the same thing we're criticizing the Liberals for doing." This followed notable attacks by Pierre Poilievre against other candidates including calling Jean Charest a Liberal due to his past with the Liberal party. However, this Liberal past seems to be a boon for Charest in surveys. A survey conducted by the Angus Reid Institute found that 37 percent of Liberals, 34 percent of Green party voters and 25 percent of NDP voters would consider voting for Charest. In contrast, 89 percent of Peoples Party voters and 80 percent of Conservative voters favoured Poilievre over Charest. Interestingly, a poll conducted by Nanos Survey found that of the 1,000 Canadians surveyed, 29 percent wished to see a more “socially progressive and more centrist on economic issues” Conservative
party. This was near perfectly counteracted by 30 percent of respondents who vowed to never vote conservative. In an interview with CBC News, president of the Angus Reid Institute Shachi Kurl explained that: “Poilievre is really the spirit guide of right-leaning and hard right-leaning voters in this country,” as seen by his appeal to PPC and CPC voters. In contrast, Kurl said Charest is getting “side-eye and a second look not only from a majority of past Conservative voters but we also see that two-fifths of past Liberal voters are saying, 'Yeah that guy appeals to me.'” In turn, this was interpreted to mean that a Poilievre led party would likely appeal to the base while a Charest-led party would have a better chance at expanding the party’s voting demographic. However, this is not a two-man race. Leslyn Lewis who came third in the last conservative election is making another leadership bid this year. In a CBC News article from March 8, Lewis may be best known for her social Conservative bonafide including her attacks on Justin Trudeau and her impassioned story about choosing
not to have an abortion while in law school. Additionally, she raised opposition to vaccinating children, alleged that the media wanted her to “sit in the back of the bus” and used an OP-ED in the National Post to say Canadian taxpayers were being called on to quietly fund a “socialist coup.” Taking a comparatively softer stance is Patrick Brown who spoke against candidates dividing the party during the leadership race. Global News quotes him as saying: “Conservatives deserve more than a leader who is an attack dog in opposition, but will never be prime minister because they’ve already turned off many Canadians.” In addition to his comments, Global News makes note of a recently-settled lawsuit Brown filed against CTV News following a sexual misconduct report. Finally, The National Post listed several “dark horse” contenders also making a bid for CPC leadership; the list includes Scott Aitchison, Roman Baber, Joseph Bourgault, and Marc Dalton among others.
A Poilievre led party would likely appeal to the conservative base while a Charestled party would have a better chance at expanding the party’s voting demographic.
Sports
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sports // no. 5 • Canada qualifies for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar • Canucks’ playoff hopes are bleak after back-to-back losses to the Blues ...and that's it!
Canada qualifies for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar
››Canadian Men’s National Soccer Team makes second Word Cup appearance in 36 years
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fter 36 years, Canada’s Men’s National Soccer Team has extinguished a longstanding negative cloud that had cast doubt about Canada being a legitimate competitor on the world soccer stage. Canada finally booked their ticket to the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar with a decisive 4-0 victory over Jamaica at BMO Field in Toronto on March 27. The Canadians played their final qualifying match on the road in Panama on March 30, losing 1-0. The loss was inconsequential as Canada finished in first place in the eight-team final round of CONCACAF qualifying. Sportsnet reported on March 30, that Canada’s record in the three rounds of qualifying was impressive (14-2-4). Also, the Canadians outscored the opposition 54 to eight. After the loss to Panama, Canada’s FIFA ranking dropped from number 33 to number 38—as reported by Sportsnet on March 31. In the final round of qualifying, Canada finished with a record of 8-2-4 for a total of 28 points—tied with Mexico (8-2-4 record). Canada won first place based on superior goal difference as reported by Sportsnet on March 30. With Mexico finishing in second place behind Canada, the US took third place with 25 points (7-3-4 record). Costa Rica finished in fourth place with 25 points (7-3-4 record) due to the US having a better goal difference. Sportsnet also
reported that Costa Rica will play an intercontinental playoff in June against New Zealand to determine who will join Canada, Mexico and the US in Qatar. Significantly, it will be Canada’s second appearance at a FIFA World Cup tournament since their first appearance at the 1986 FIFA World Cup in Mexico. It has been an exceedingly long 36 years for Canadian soccer fans. But now it is time to rejoice and celebrate this remarkable achievement by Canada’s Men’s soccer team. During the game against Jamaica, the first few minutes at BMO Field were sloppy due to the cold freezing conditions, which affected the turf. A sold-out crowd of 29,122 was not going to let the freezing weather affect them cheering for the Canadians. And Canada would strike first on a goal by Cyle Larin in the 13th minute—taking a beautiful pass from Stephen Eustaquio. BMO Field erupted in euphoria and the celebrations had started. Larin’s goal was his 24th goal for Canada as he extended his national men’s scoring record. Tajon Buchanan scored the second Canadian goal in the 44th minute. In the second half, Canada scored another pair of goals. David Junior Hoilett scored in the 82nd minute. Then six minutes later, Jamaica helped the Canadians—adding a cherry on top—by scoring on their own goal. After the referee blew the whistle to end the match, the incredible and unthinkable had been accomplished. Canada had officially stamped their ticket to Qatar.
Photo by Anna Machuik
Brandon Yip Senior Columnist
After the historic victory, Canada's head coach, John Herdman, was proud of what his team had accomplished. He understood the difficult history and lack of sustained success Canada Men’s NST has had since 1986. “I think this country, they never believed in us. Because we’ve given them nothing to believe in,” he said in a Sportsnet quote. “They believe now. And I think if we all get behind each other—this is the time for everyone to get behind football and unite. Because we can be a powerhouse. And it’s time.” According to CBC News, Herdman previously coached the Canadian Women’s National Soccer Team from August 2011 till January 2018—when he moved to coach Canada’s Men’s NST. Sportsnet also reported that Herdman, to prepare his players for the key match against Jamaica, held a special pre-game meeting inside the Toronto Raptors’ dressing room at nearby Scotiabank Arena. Herdman wanted to instill a “championship” atmosphere for his team. “And I told them there was a group of men that had made a decision to change their sport forever in that dressing room,” he said, referring to the Raptors’ NBA championship run in 2019. "And they (Herdman's team) made that decision tonight.” Canadian midfielder, Jonathan Osorio, who plays for Toronto FC, shared his thoughts about Canada solidifying their place in Qatar. "We are the best team in CONCACAF," he said. "Now people believe. And it's incredible how much people believe. And it's only going to get better. Now we want to go to a World Cup and really make a statement." Remarkably, according to Sportsnet, veteran captain, Atiba Hutchinson, is the only player on the current Canadian roster who was alive when Canada qualified for the 1986 FIFA World Cup in Mexico. Hutchison was only three years old when the Canadians were in Mexico, playing their three preliminary games in Group C. Unfortunately, Canada lost all three matches against France (0-1), Hungary (0-2) and the Soviet Union (0-2) and was eliminated from the tournament. As well, the Canadians failed to score a single goal while conceding five goals in their three matches. The 1986 Canadian World Cup team was a hardworking team with strong defenders and solid midfielders. However, the offensive part of the Canadian team was not their strength. Therefore, the team relied on playing a strong defensive system—and only going on the offensive at the appropriate time. But Canada did not pose an offensive threat at the World Cup in 1986. Scoring chances for the Canadians were infrequent in Mexico. The late Tony Waiters, who coached the 1986 Canadian Men’s NST at the World Cup in Mexico, conceded that Canada was an underdog from the beginning. In the 2006 TSN documentary, The Journey, Waiters discussed how he wanted to make sure Canada played hard and was competitive: “We weren’t [going to] win the World Cup. But what I didn’t want to happen in Mexico was for the Canadians to be embarrassed.” Canada now has eight months to prepare for the World Cup, which starts in November 2022. Canada had been without Alphonso Davies for the last six qualifying matches. The Athletic reported in March 2022 that Davies had myocarditis after testing positive for COVID-19 in January 2022. Davies, who plays for Bundesliga club, Bayern Munich, should be ready and healthy to play before the start of the World Cup, as the country rallies around this talented and offensively-explosive team—with solid depth in all positions. Canada is going to the 2022 FIFA World Cup. It is now official, finally, fait accompli after 36 long years. The celebrations have begun.
sports // no. 6
theotherpress.ca
Canucks’ playoff hopes are bleak after back-to-back losses to the Blues
Graphic by Martha Alejandra Espinoza
››Thatcher Demko makes another incredible “scorpion” save in Dallas
Brandon Yip Senior Columnist
T
he Vancouver Canucks’ playoff chances are about as good as Will Smith and Chris Rock filming an anti-violence commercial together. The Canucks lost back-to-back games to the St. Louis Blues. The first was a 4-1 loss in St. Louis on March 28, then a 4-3 loss again at Rogers Arena on March 30. The Canucks finished a four-game road trip with a record of 2-1-1. At the time of writing, the Canucks’ record is 32-28-9 and they have 73
points. Vancouver is fifth in the Pacific Division and are five points out of a Wild Card playoff spot. But on March 26, the second game of their four-game road trip, Vancouver was impressive in a 4-1 victory over the Dallas Stars. Notably, there were tense moments late in the third period with Vancouver holding onto a 2-1 lead. Dallas was on a powerplay, and the Canucks were under siege with their goalie, Thatcher Demko, making an incredible “scorpion” save. Sportsnet writer, Iain MacIntyre, described the play in his March 27 column: “...Demko looked beaten on a rebound but reached back with his right
pad and elevated it, like a scorpion’s tail, just enough to rob Dallas defenceman Esa Lindell of a tying goal during a frantic power play.” There were a few more Dallas chances in close, but the puck somehow did not cross the Vancouver goal line. MacIntyre again described the frantic sequence: “Twelve seconds later, with Demko now lunging around without a stick, Jason Robertson missed the net point-blank. Another dozen ticks later, Lindell had an open net and the puck again and somehow pushed his shot against the post while bothered from behind by Canuck Elias Pettersson. Then there were two more stickless saves by Demko on Robertson. Demko later described the sequence as ‘chaos.’ Sportsnet play-by-play announcer John Shorthouse had another description, in real-time: ‘This is crazy.’ It was. There is no way the short-handed Canucks should have survived those 40 seconds of chaos. But they did.” Bo Horvat later scored into an empty net followed by another goal in the final minute by JT Miller to seal the victory. Canucks coach, Bruce Boudreau, was once again impressed with Demko’s performance. “When he’s like that, the confidence on the bench and behind the bench is great,” he said. “You just don’t think that anything’s going to get in on him. And that’s what great goaltending gives everybody...the confidence to know that even if you make a mistake, he’s going to be there to back you up.” Boudreau also discussed that frantic Dallas powerplay. “I just kept waiting for it to go in the net, quite frankly,” he said. “I’ve never seen so many open nets a team miss in succession. I mean, Demmer was great, making great saves. But they did have some looks with no Demmer in the net. So when that happened, I thought: Okay, karma is with us tonight; we're going to sneak this one out.” Canucks’ defenceman, Luke Schenn, said after the second loss to St. Louis, it hurts their playoff chances—but he does not believe the season is over. “I wouldn’t say hopeless [that our playoff hopes are gone],” he said to the media as reported by Sportsnet on March 31. “It looks like a lot and a big task when you look at the big picture. But you focus on the next game. Vegas is obviously a team that is right ahead of us. That’s a huge game coming on Sunday, so we look forward to that one and go from there.” Schenn also says the team continues to struggle to play a full 60-minute game. “If we’re not at our best, you know, we’re not winning games,” he said. “We need to play a full 60 minutes. We’re not a team that typically puts up a [ton] of offence, (so) we need to play the right way and keep goals out of our net. We need everyone going.” Unfortunately, not everyone has been going. The Canucks’ poor starts and
inconsistent play are the reasons they will be on the outside hoping to make the playoffs. This is evidenced by the fact that Vancouver has only three wins in its last 11 games. And in those 11 games, the opposition outscored the Canucks 31 to 27. But what really hurt the team trying to stay in the playoff race and gain momentum, was a seven-game homestand in March—with Vancouver winning just two games (2-3-2). The Canucks’ home record has also been poor as they have a .500 record (14-14-5), in contrast to their road record (18-14-4). The Canucks, at times, have shown they have the potential to be a solid team. Unfortunately, it has not been seen enough. Other NHL news Sad news in the NHL as Sportsnet reported on March 28 that longtime Ottawa Senators owner, Eugene Melnyk, passed away at age 62 after battling a lengthy illness. The Senators released a statement mourning the passing of Melnyk, who had owned the franchise since 2003: “It is with great sadness that the family of Eugene Melnyk and the Ottawa Senators hockey organization announce his passing on March 28, 2022, after an illness he faced with determination and courage. Eugene never wavered in his desire and commitment to bring the Stanley Cup to the nation's capital. Under his ownership, the Senators played in the 2007 Stanley Cup finals and the Conference Finals in 2017. Eugene was confident the current team of talented players and coaching staff that he and his organization built will challenge for and eventually deliver on that championship promise.” NHL Commissioner, Gary Bettman, also issued a statement about the passing of Melnyk on March 28: “The National Hockey League mourns the passing of Ottawa Senators owner Eugene Melnyk. The words ‘passion’ and ‘commitment’ define the man who has owned the Ottawa Senators since 2003. Whether it was in the boardroom with his fellow governors, at the rink with his beloved Senators or in the community with his philanthropy, he cared deeply about the game, about his team and about bettering the lives of those in need, particularly underserved children, organ donation and, most recently, with his commitment to his parent's home country of Ukraine. “While successful in business, it was our game and his Senators that he was most passionate about. Eugene was often outspoken but he maintained an unwavering commitment to the game and his roots and he loved nothing more than donning a Senators sweater and cheering on his beloved team. On behalf of the entire National Hockey League, I extend my deepest sympathies to Eugene’s daughters, Anna and Olivia, his extended family, and all those who benefited from his generosity.”
Vancouver is fifth in the Pacific Division and are five points out of a Wild Card playoff spot. But on March 26, the second game of their four-game road trip, Vancouver was impressive in a 4-1 victory over the Dallas Stars.
Arts
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arts // no. 7 • ‘Turning Red’ review • Coda makes history at this year’s Academy Awards ...and that's it!
A metaphor for womanhood
Illustration by Athena Little
››‘Turning Red’ review
Jerrison Oracion Senior Columnist
I
n 2002, boy bands were at their peak so getting tickets to a concert involved lining up at the venue on the day of the concert or earlier. Fundraisers were common in schools, and digital technology was starting to evolve. That was my childhood as a fourth-grade student during that time and the social climate where I started to get interested in independent cinema. When Pixar announced that Turning Red would be set in Toronto, I was excited to see Toronto fully animated. Luckily, this was not the first time Canada featured in a Pixar movie; the Academy Award-winning animated short film Bao where a housewife takes care of a dumpling as if it was her child had the CN Tower being recognized easily. Directed by Toronto’s Domee Shi, both Bao and Turning Red take place in the same world and are based on her childhood. In Turning Red, Shi is presented
in the form of 13-year-old middle school student Meilin Lee (Rosalie Chiang). She is pushed by her mother Ming (Sandra Oh) to do well at school and maintain their temple. The temple is dedicated to her relative Sun Yee and is the biggest temple in Toronto. Like some parents, Ming does not know that Meilin and her best friends are huge fans of a boy band called 4*Town which is kind of similar to recent boy bands. Meilin has other feelings too that make her emotional and she wakes up the next morning as a red panda. This happened to her relatives before including her mother Ming; it is a vestige from Sun Yee to protect her family and because it is an inconvenience in today’s world, they must do a special ritual to seal the red panda in a talisman when the red moon appears which arrives in a month. Also, Ming does not allow Meilin to go to 4*Town’s concert at the SkyDome now named the Rogers Centre a day after her ritual. Simultaneously, Meilin and her friends try to keep the red panda under control as well as use it to raise money to get tickets to the concert that is going to change their lives.
Originally, the movie was to be released in theatres in line with the declining pandemic, however, Disney decided to still release the film on Disney+. The film tackles many aspects of growing up like family traditions and generational conflict. I felt the nostalgia of my childhood in the film and the detailed features of Toronto including the brick buildings and the streetcars add to it as well. I am not sure if I was happy with the end of the film where it could impact either her family life or personal life in the long term. Ming would be described as a powerful mom and her not knowing Meilin’s interests created more problems. Her also not allowing Meilin to see her favourite boy band provides commentary on the current music scene and the different challenges that different generations have to face. Interestingly, the songs by 4*Town were written by Grammy and newly Academy Award-winning singer Billie Eilish and her brother Phineas. Turning Red is a growingup story that shows that there should be a balance between family and friends and depending on your age it could make you feel old.
Confidence, supply and the fear of a coalition ››What does the newest deal between the NDP and
Liberal parties mean and is it outlandish? Matthew Fraser Editor in chief
T
hough voters and the parties they support may not always agree with what the opposition claims are imperative, it is generally accepted that the electorate wants their representatives to function and work to their benefit. With this belief in mind, on March 22, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and NDP opposition leader Jagmeet Singh announced an agreement called “Delivering for Canadians Now, A Supply and Confidence Agreement.” The agreement which was posted on the NDP’s website as well as the Prime Minister’s Government of Canada webpage outlined shared goals that the two parties would pursue which they believed would be beneficial to the people of Canada. According to Elections Canada, the two parties received roughly 50 percent of the votes in the 2021 election, making their agreement a likely representation of the will of voters. However, just because the numbers lean towards representation, it doesn’t mean that everyone will be happy. Chief amongst the naysayers is interim Conservative party leader Candice Bergen; in a heated and forceful media appearance posted by Global News, Bergen stated that “Canadians woke up this morning to the fact that they have been hoodwinked and they've been deceived by their Prime Minister.” In her attacks, she also described the agreement as a “Justin Trudeau power grab” that would “prop up Putin and Russia” and that Jagmeet Singh is “basically going to be the Deputy Prime Minister.” But is her fear-mongering and description true? And what does the agreement mean for Canadians in the near future? Of primary importance is understanding the difference between a coalition government and a confidence and supply
agreement. As described by CTV News: “A coalition government is when parties formally join forces to hold a larger share of seats than any other party and, typically, share governing duties.” As a result of this formal move to share duties of government, members of all involved parties hold seats in the federal cabinet. However, neither Jagmeet Singh nor any members of the NDP caucus hold seats in the current cabinet. In fact, Singh put it bluntly when he stated “This is not a coalition… Frankly, it wasn't offered, nor would I have accepted it.” Yet the agreement still exists and it does set forth goals and obligations for both parties. As CTV News reports, the agreement centres around the NDP backing the Liberals on budgets and through any votes of confidence until June 2025 in exchange for movement on issues the NDP has long held as priorities. These priorities—as written in the joint statement issued by both parties—include healthcare improvements; increasing housing and childcare affordability; climate change; worker sick leave and strike protection; reconciliation with Indigenous and Metis people; increasing taxes on wealthy corporations; and improving voting access. Supposing that the Liberal government makes good on its end of the agreement, the NDP’s 25 Parliament seats and votes will allow bills to pass unencumbered through the House with the alacrity of a majority government. This will also stymy any federal elections due to a vote of nonconfidence before the next planned election in October 2025. But the accusation levelled by Bergen that “82 percent of voters did not vote for a LiberalNDP government including millions of Liberal voters” can easily be challenged and disproven. Between March 23 and 25, the Angus Reid Institute
surveyed 1,602 Canadian adults for a randomized, representative sample. In their survey, they found that in total, 83 percent of Liberal voters support the deal with 43 percent doing so strongly. Alongside them, 75 percent of NDP voters supported the agreement with 32 percent doing so strongly. These findings were
echoed by Abacus Data which surveyed 1,500 Canadians between March 22 and 25 and reported that 74 percent of Liberal voters and 55 percent of NDP voters approved of the agreement. But opinion amongst various politicians is more tempered if not outright oppositional. Amita Kuttner, interim leader
the goals could have been so much more impressive. This is very disappointing.” Similarly, Kootenay-Columbia MP Rob Morrison (quoted in the Cranbrook Daily Townsman) echoed the interim Conservative leader in saying that Canadians now had an NDP government they did not vote for and a government that could not be held to account.
But Dennis Pilon, a political scientist at York University told CTV News “I find it weird to see the Conservatives call out this idea of a deal between the NDP and Liberals as something undemocratic or not on in terms of being proper… Unless the complaint is ‘I don’t like democracy, I would prefer that a group with fewer votes be able to run the show.’ I mean, this makes no sense, unless, of course, they object to the specific content of the deal — that’s different.” Yet his peer Chris Cochrane, a politics professor at the University of Toronto, see’s the deal differently, telling CTV News on March 23 that this could allow the Conservatives to paint the “NDP and Liberals as interchangeable.” As if that wasn’t enough, Professor Cochrane argues that the majority of the benefit of this deal may fall to the Liberals while it could be a “very big strategic blunder” for Singh and the NDP. And the idea of this being more problems than profits for the NDP was echoed by political commentator and pollster Nik Nanos who noted that should any political scandals occur for the Liberal government in the next three years Jagmeet Singh will be in the uncomfortable position of propping up the embattled government. Nanos then flatly predicted that there would be controversy in the upcoming years. This in turn leaves the NDP in the position not of leadership but as a handy support beam for the Liberal government. Though I doubt that Trudeau plans another controversy shortly, it is likely given the past seven years that another will rear its head soon. For Jagmeet Singh and the NDP, the goal may just be to position themselves as the drivers of progress in such a way that they curry favour with voters while sidestepping any pull the Liberal party may have towards tempering or moderating the progress the NDP has planned. A clever
political play could allow Singh to market any progress made as a trial run of an NDP government. Conversely, the Liberal party may be best served by claiming all popular successes that may come out of this collaboration as their own and offloading blame onto the NDP for any missteps. Though it may be nakedly Machiavellian to a keen observer, a little political backstabbing and scapegoating could keep the ever embattled Prime Minister relatively popular—or at least stave off serious unpopularity— long enough to find a more stable plan for the next election. Provided that global surprises like a pandemic or the invasion of a foreign country stay out of the way, this could provide an opportune and beneficial cooling off and rebuilding period for the Liberal party's image. Speaking of rebuilding, without the threat of an election at any moment, the Conservative party can also focus on finding a new leader and cementing their image going forwards. With the Liberals and NDP currently joined in an agreement, there is now a new space for the Tories to take in the centre-right of the political spectrum. If a Torie leader can make the opposition NDP and Liberal parties out to be the spendthrift and tax-heavy twins of Canadian politics, the case for a more cautious and conservative economic approach may just make itself. If a domestic or global recession were to hit, the choice would seem all the simpler for many voters as well. Regardless of the potential for scheming and future positioning, the confidence and supply agreement is not the herald of a carefree and easy coalition government. All federal parties will have to wait for the first real challenge to this agreement to see how well the two parties can negotiate or put aside their differences.
Though it may be nakedly Machiavellian to a keen observer, a little political backstabbing and scapegoating could keep the ever embattled Prime Minister relatively popular—or at least stave off serious unpopularity— long enough to find a more stable plan for the next election.
Layout by CJ Sommerfeld and Martha Alejandra Espinoza
of the Green Party finished off a statement on the matter by saying “Given three years of relative stability covering four federal budgets, this agreement could have set the course for a post-pandemic transformation to a greener and more just society. Instead, we get more incrementalism. We applaud the spirit of collaboration but
arts // no. 10
theotherpress.ca
Oscar Sunday is back?
Illustration by Martha Alejandra Espinoza
››'Coda' makes history at this year’s Academy Awards
Jerrison Oracion Senior Columnist
I
t has been slightly more than two years since the Academy Awards happened in person at the Dolby Theatre and when Parasite made history being the first nonEnglish film to win Best Picture. Last year’s edition was considered the worst edition of the awards given the fact it had the lowest ratings in its history. It was low-key because it happened in a train station and there was pandemic confusion during that time. However, they did emphasize movie theatres making a comeback and we got some highly anticipated films that were surprisingly great. The red carpet was finally rolled out again to celebrate those films at the Academy Awards this year and even brought back hosts including Regina
Hall, Wanda Sykes, and Amy Schumer; its theme was movie lovers unite. Out of the three hosts, Sykes was the funniest host and the only time that I was laughing a lot during the long broadcast was when Sykes dressed up as the Williams sister’s father from King Richard, Hall dressed up like Tammy Faye from The Eyes of Tammy Faye, and Schumer being SpiderMan from Spider-Man: No Way Home. Coda got Best Picture this year making it the first film that was released exclusively on a streaming service and the first film with a mainly deaf cast to win. I watched the film on Oscar Sunday this year and it resonated with me as it involves a girl living with a fishing family who is mainly deaf while working to pursue her career in singing. It also got Best Supporting Actor for Troy Kotsur who
is the second deaf person to get an acting award after fellow co-star Marlee Matlin and Best Adapted Screenplay for director Sian Heder’s script. The writing in the film looks good on the page without even showing it which works well in ASL and amplifies comedic scenes. This is a big win for Apple TV+ and an upset for Netflix which was trying to get Best Picture for many years. Dune got the most awards with six awards mainly in the artistic categories but some of the categories were not shown live to fit time for some of the performances. There was also a section where they showed the top five films and film moments of last year which wasn’t important since it only takes a few seconds for a winner to get to the stage. Other big winners this year include Drive My Car getting Best International Film
and Summer of Soul which showed the importance of archiving historical events directed by The Roots’ Questlove got Best Documentary. In acting categories, Ariana DeBose became the first Hispanic queer actress to get Best Supporting Actress for the new version of West Side Story, and Jessica Chastain got Best Actress for The Eyes of Tammy Faye. Will Smith finally won Best Actor for King Richard though he might lose it after slapping Chris Rock in the face when Rock made a joke about his wife Jada Pinkett Smith having hair loss. Despite not being injured by the slap, the joke went too far in talking about Pinkett Smith’s illness. This controversy led to the ratings of the award show going up and might have brought light to the diversity amongst Academy Awards winners this year.
Big winners this year include Drive My Car getting Best International Film and Summer of Soul which showed the importance of archiving historical events directed by The Roots’ Questlove got Best Documentary.
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Life & Style
life & style // no. 11 • A splash of culture • The first Chuck E. Cheese restaurant opened in San Jose 45 years ago ...and more
Bidets and other bathroom habits ››A splash of culture Morgan Hannah Contributor t’s my understanding that everyone’s first time with a bidet is uncomfortable and no one really wants to talk about it. Well, today I’m going to talk about it. And no, I don’t have an ass-up face-down kind of bidet story but I did have a fight with one and it isn’t exactly clear who won. The year was 2019, I boarded a plane heading to almost exactly the other side of the world: Indonesia. But first, a quick layover in Taipei. This is the point where I would like to address something: contrary to popular belief, toilets do not flush in the opposite direction due to the Coriolis effect. While the Coriolis effect is significant for natural weather phenomena, it’s not powerful enough to make toilets flush in different directions at different places on Earth. If ever you’ve seen a toilet flush “backwards”, it’s simply a result of the direction the water jets are pointing. Sorry. Back to my bidet story. Due to my determination to never use an airplane bathroom if I can help it, I held it in for all twelve hours of my flight from Vancouver to Taipei, which meant it was time to go now. Due to my urgency, it wasn’t until my ass was on porcelain that I realized I was sitting on a bidet-equipped toilet for the first time ever. This hi-tech toilet had a huge panel full of buttons and controls on the right-cheek side. The issue: there wasn’t a whiff of English or any cute little helpful icons. Only intimidating Mandarin Chinese. Hindsight is a cruel mistress, for at the time I was unaware that that panel controlled everything about the bidet: water pressure, water temperature, angle of attack, and duration of the spray. Much like a mini car wash, where my asshole was the muddy car, there was even a dryer function! Finally, I decided, “when in Taipei…” and pushed one of the buttons, only nothing happened. Or so I thought. Almost silent machinery was working “behind the scenes” on a bombardment of the most brutal kind. With precision accuracy and the firepower to outgun any man, a hard, fast, and freezing cold jet of water hit me squarely in the pink starfish! I roared in surprise and leapt off that bidet so quickly that a jet of water shot up out of the bowl after me, spraying me across the back of the shirt as I madly jabbed at buttons to diminish its power. While I was able to finally figure out which button brought the flow to a light trickle, I was subjected to the horrific reality that I had soaked a Taipei airport bathroom stall and myself, all the while wondering why in the world a bidet would have so many features and controls in the first place! What were they all for? And what would happen if the water shot "up there" a little too hard? Finally, I retreated onto the connecting flight, unsure of what was awaiting me the next time I had to go. But I was pleasantly surprised to find that Indonesia—weak
Illusration by Morgan Hannah
I
septic systems and all—did not have bidets, at least not in the traditional sense. Instead of a foreign panel that controlled the troops against poops, there was a spray gun alongside every toilet. It wasn’t long before I realized that this made a lot of sense.
Initially, the concept of squirting one’s butt afterwards was unfamiliar to me, but if you think about it from another angle, say you’re changing a baby’s diaper and you get a little poop on your arm, would you wipe it with paper or wash it off?
Perhaps the bidet is a bathroom habit that more North Americans could learn a thing or two about and take advantage of! Then, before you know it, you’ll also have had a strange encounter of the turd kind!
life & style // no. 12
theotherpress.ca
couchpotato.ca
YOUTUBE SPOTLIGHT ››Channels you will definitely want to check out
Morgan Hannah Contributor
T
hese days it seems as though everyone and their dog is either watching YouTube or creating on YouTube; after learning of the common feelings of burnout, insatiable demonetization, and low payout per view, I’m part of the latter group. If you are also a viewer rather than a creator, then have I got a list for you! Let’s show a handful of my go-to self-made celebs some love with a YouTube Channel Spotlight:
Photo by American Heritage Chocolate on Unsplash
Pro Home Cooks
This YouTube channel is new to me and really amazing! From the few videos I’ve watched, I’ve learned money-saving techniques for snacks and meal prepping as well as some fantastic recipes all while following the camaraderie of a group of boys as they become men. Eight years of video making and meal prepping, and the main character’s most recent videos are far more organized and informational, much like a cooking show on cable tv, and he even doles out simple relationship advice on the side. A memorable video mention is “Never Buy These 5 Store-Bought Snacks Again!” In this video, our host guides us through the making of homemade gluten-free “Cheese-Its” Crackers, dairy-free Banana Chip Ice Cream, Dragon Fruit Roll-Ups, “Energy” Balls, and “Cheezy” Popcorn. While all of these recipes are supremely easy and don’t require a how-to video on how to make them, the video really is a nice nudge in the right direction for taking control of your snacking habits and your wallet. I mean, why do we spend anywhere from three to eight dollars on MSG-loaded crackers made in a facility that most likely introduces them to a handful of undesirable contaminants when we can make gourmet crackers at home in bulk for a much lower cost? I don’t know about you, but I like the idea of a three-ingredient fruit roll-up and saving tons of money on ice cream!
Highly entertaining and addicting, BE AMAZED is a channel that is self-described to deliver “[amazing and] interesting bite-sized documentary-styled videos.” And they’re correct for the most part! From Top 10 type videos to facts about amazing mysteries, if it’s amazing, they’ll make a video on it. Most recently, I watched a video called “Strangest Last Meal Requests on Death Row”, which was exactly how it sounds: a Top 20 list of the weirdest or largest requests for final meals for convicted felons on death row. These requests ranged from thousand-dollar meals to a lump of dirt and were interesting enough to keep me watching until the end, as most of their videos do. Similar channels such as The Fancy Banana claim to deliver binge-worthy entertainment and educational videos, such as “20 foods you’ll never buy again after knowing how they’re made.” While that title is certainly entertaining and click-bait, some of the “facts” aren’t entirely factual and/or are sometimes outdated. For example, the previously mentioned video on 20 foods that you’ll never eat again claims that a lot of ice cream is made with propylene glycol, which they say is antifreeze… like the stuff in your car. However, propylene glycol is found in a ton of edible things as it is a thickening agent and the base for vape fluids and other preservative contents and not what you find in your car. That is ethylene glycol, an extremely poisonous chemical. Though they sound similar and they are related they’re still different. So, as with most things, when watching YouTube channels such as BE AMAZED and The Fancy Banana, make sure you take what they’re serving with a grain of salt. It’s simply meant to entertain after all.
Photo by Oscar Ivan Esquivel Arteaga on Unsplash
BE AMAZED
issue 27// vol 48
life & style // no. 13
Charlotte Dobre
MrBallen
If you’re a fan of the strange, dark, and mysterious delivered in story format, then MrBallen is the right YouTube channel for you! He has the ultimate storytime voice and a wide variety of entertaining and creepy videos to keep you on the edge of your seat… or more accurately, curled up in your bed and praying the ghosts and murderers stay away. Former Navy Seal, John Allen now tells creepy and mysterious stories ranging from historical legends and lastminute decisions to stranger than fiction, unsolved mysteries, backstories to disturbing photos, and missing 411. He tells all and leaves out no details, and if you’re in a crunch for time, MrBallen Shorts are the condensed versions of his dark stories so there’s no excuse to not catch up on all the disappearances, paranormal activity, and crime stories he has to deliver.
Photo by Ron Lach on Pexels Photo by Lucas Santos on Unsplash
Photo by Varun Gaba on Unsplash
If you love TikTok, drama, reaction videos, and all things petty, then you’ll love Charlotte Dobre. I’m not a fan of any of those things but somehow stumbled across her videos and stayed for her personality, the tv show cut-to style, and the giggles. Basically, Dobre’s content is compilation videos of her reacting to a particular topic, such as “Caught Cheating”, “You’re Not Ready for the Petty”, “Am I the Asshole”, and “Bridezilla Ruins Wedding.” Her fun, high energy, and entertaining personality shines through and occasionally there’s a live meme-like cut-to a moment from a well-known tv show to emphasize a point or add some humour. Charlotte provides a lot more content than just the aforementioned humour too, as she has admitted to feeling the pressures to keep creating constant content and keeping things fresh. An aspect that I thoroughly enjoy about Charlotte’s content is her realism and humanizing aspect; unlike most self-made YouTube celebs, Charlotte isn’t trying to fool anyone with an ultraglossy perfect image, instead, she highlights moments such as accidentally spitting when laughing, burping, loud seagull-like laughs, hissing, and furniture farts—there’s a recurring segment about her desk chair making foul fart-like noises.
Viva La Dirt League
A bunch of New Zealand nerds who play games and make comedy sketches about games make for an entertaining and highly successful bunch! Since 2011, Viva La Dirt League has been pumping out great videos such as Bad Therapist, D&D Logic, Dirty Gaming, Supercuts, Baelin’s Route, and Wildcard. If you’ve ever played a sandbox game like Oblivion, Skyrim or Grand Theft Auto, then you’ll love Viva La Dirt League’s content. Oftentimes they’ll portray the perspective of a bot or a built-in/background character gaining sentience or personality. Recently, the boys behind Viva La Dirt League created a Kickstarter page to raise money for a filming studio in Auckland, New Zealand as well as to fund new shows, updated shows, a greenscreen set, a D&D set and much more; they have been so successful and popular with their content and online reach that they’ve raised over two million dollars! So if you’re a nerd or into comedy and nerdy stuff, I highly recommend Viva La Dirt League.
life & style // no. 14
theotherpress.ca
Say Chuck E. “Cheese”
Graphic by Anna Machuik
››The first Chuck E. Cheese restaurant opened in San Jose 45 years ago
Brandon Yip Senior Columnist
F
or a child, having the freedom to play outside and run around at a playground is one of the rewards of pre-adulthood. Video games are another form of pleasure for young children. But imagine combining those pleasures into a restaurant setting where kids can wander, eat and play video games all day! That was the impetus for creating Chuck E. Cheese. This year marks 45 years since the first Chuck E. Cheese restaurant opened in San Jose, California on May 17, 1977. It was called Chuck E. Cheese’s Pizza Time Theatre. The creator and owner of this kids’ pleasure palace are Nolan Bushnell, along with his partner, Gene Landum. Bushnell is also the co-founder of Atari—and known as the father of electronic gaming. In 1980, three years after Chuck E. Cheese opened, Bushnell would introduce the now famous mascot rat named Chuck E. Cheese (formal name is Charles Entertainment Cheese). Bushnell believed it was important to have the mascot visible to children in his restaurants—adding to the overall joyful experience for families. “Kids may go to Disneyland every other year or once in five years, but there aren’t really any cartoon times with Mickey Mouse,” Bushnell said in 1980 as reported by sfgate.com. “I know there are an awful lot of kids who... identify with Chuck E. Cheese because they can go to a Pizza Time Theatre every few weeks.” In addition, Bushnell, on the official Chuck E. Cheese franchise website, stated why there was a need for a restaurant concept like his: “There’s a vanishingly small number of places where parents and children can have a fun night.” Notably, after the first Chuck E. Cheese opened in 1977, the franchise would open stores across the US. In
November 2021, The Detroit News reported that Chuck E. Cheese’s parent company went public in 1988. And later by 2005, the restaurant chain had increased to 500 locations. Interestingly, according to a July 2016 CNBC.com article, the original concept for the Chuck E. Cheese restaurant had a different name. The chain was originally called Coyote Pizza and Nolan Bushnell and his team believed that a coyote would be a great mascot. Unfortunately, a mistake would be made by letting Bushnell order the costume—as he recalled in a separate interview: “I purchased what I thought was a coyote costume from an amusement park costume vendor and had it shipped to the company. When it got here, it was obvious to everyone but me that it was a rat costume. Rather than get another costume, we decided that we would use a big rat as the mascot. Marketing didn’t like Rick Rats Pizza and came up with Chuck E. Cheese’s—as they called it a three-smile name.” However, during the early 2010s, sales had declined—leading to the company revising the Chuck E. Cheese character in 2012. The changes made were the removal of his 1990s fingerless gloves, sporty shorts and backwards hat. Chuck E. Cheese now had a rocker appearance with an electric guitar and jeans. The Detroit News also reported the rebranding of the most famous rat in children’s history generated some publicity—next to another famous rodent, Mickey Mouse—it did not solve the chain’s problems: “In 2014, CEC Entertainment was acquired by private equity firm Apollo Global Management in a leveraged buyout. The firm invested in an effort to make its 577 restaurants more palatable.” Furthermore, the COVID-19 pandemic also affected Chuck E. Cheese.
Since March 2020, when the pandemic began, many restaurants were closed for months. As well, there was a permanent closure of over 30 locations. In June 2020, the Associated Press reported Chuck E. Cheese had filed for bankruptcy protection. “The Chapter 11 process will allow us to strengthen our financial structure as we recover from what has undoubtedly been the most challenging event in our company’s history,” said David McKillips, chief executive of Chuck E. Cheese's parent company, CEC Entertainment in a prepared statement. But Chuck E. Cheese has adapted and survived. McKillips told The Detroit News in November 2021, that he credits the company’s longevity being due to its willingness to embrace and adapt to everchanging technology. “We keep embracing innovation decade after decade,” he said. “We don’t have ball pits anymore. But we have the greatest video games and arcade games and interactive dance parties.” Bushnell has received numerous awards and accolades for his contributions to the video game industry. A March 2022 article on businessofbusiness.com reported Bushnell was inducted into the Video Game Hall of Fame and the Consumer Electronics Association Hall of Fame. He later received a GDC (Game Developers Choice) Pioneer award. But the award was later revoked in January 2018, after allegations had surfaced accusing Bushnell of inappropriate behaviour towards female employees when he worked at Atari. The allegations against Bushnell occurred during the #MeToo movement. Bushnell addressed the allegations and issued an apology as reported by the same article on businessofbusiness.com: “I applaud the GDC for ensuring that their institution reflects what is right, specifically with regards to how people should be treated in the workplace. And if that means an award
is the price I [must] pay personally so the whole industry may be more aware and sensitive to these issues, I applaud that, too. If my personal actions of anyone who ever worked with me offended or caused pain to anyone at our companies, then I apologize without reservation.” Chuck E. Cheese has one restaurant in BC, located in Langley. Before that location, there was the extremely popular Chuck E. Cheese restaurant in Burnaby—situated west of North Road— between Austin Avenue and Lougheed Highway (south of The City of Lougheed Shopping Centre). The address was 9898 Government Place (the street no longer exists). In December 1983, an ad promoting the restaurant’s opening was featured in the Vancouver Sun. The restaurant closed in the 1990s. Lastly, Chuck E. Cheese continues to be a place for families and children to gather for birthday parties and other celebrations. For those who remember going to birthday parties at Chuck E. Cheese as a child, the memories are everlasting. Katie Dowd, the managing editor for sfgate.com, who grew up in Fairfield, California, offers the best insight and perspective into what it was like being at Chuck E. Cheese as a kid: “...[Most] kids I went to school with couldn’t afford big, fancy parties. So it was really splashing out when you got an invite to Chuck E. Cheese. This was the big time. Pizza, ball pits, arcade games I didn’t know how to play. And my god, it was chaos. Screaming kids pounding across dark carpet that was simultaneously hard and sticky. The world’s greasiest pizza coating everything with an oily film. And every few minutes, the walls [opened] and an array of confusing animatronic singing animals would emerge. For an anxious kid like me, it was an uncomfortable, pepperoni-scented sensory overload.”
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Illustration by Morgan Hannah
Morgan Hannah Contributor
is hiring! EDITOR IN CHIEF THE OTHER PRESS IS LOOKING TO HIRE AN AMBITIOUS, DRIVEN AND INSIGHTFUL EDITOR IN CHIEF TO LEAD OUR TEAM. THIS IS A FANTASTIC POSITION FOR BUDDING WRITERS, JOURNALISTS AND AUTHORS. The monthly salary is $665 after taxes Interested? Send your resume and cover letter to editor@theotherpress.ca