Peacock Magazine Fall 2015

peacock winter 2015

3 rue Eugène Varlin, 75010 PARIS

5 rue Duperré, 75009 Paris

peacock winter 2015 volume 5.1 Peacockplume.fr/Magazine

An anglophone magazine celebrating the vibrancy of youth culture in Paris

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Ariana Mozafari

DESIGN DIRECTOR Desiree Suhr-Perez

PHOTOGRAPHY DIRECTOR Carenina Sasha

STAFF WRITERS Ryan Blum Cody Campbell Alexandra Cohen Christina Gregory Carl-Johan Karlsson Pixie McLaughlin Jesse Merchant Ariana Mozafari Kendra Mills Alice Preat Jessica Romer Desiree Suhr-Perez Phoebe Todd

COPY EDITORS Ryan Blum Cody Campbell Christina Gregory Kendra Mills

FACT-CHECKERS Ryan Blum Christina Gregory Carl-Johan Karlsson Kendra Mills Alice Preat Jessica Romer

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Nicolas Nemtala Eric Pickersgill Esmay Wagemans

CONTRIBUTING ILLUSTRATORS Junkie Monkey Sérigraphie Montmartre

EDITORIAL ADVISOR Marc Feustel Cover illustration by Junkie Monkey with graphics by Carenina Sasha

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CONTENTS winter 2015 volume 5.1

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IN OUR OWN HEADS

10

BENEATH YOUR FEET

14

Is Headphone Culture Isolating Us From the World?

Discover the Real Underground of Paris

LA VIE SKATE

Skate Culture Gets the French Touch

38 04

14 18

LADIES IN LACE

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GIVE ME SOME SUGAR

30 32 36 38 40 42 44 54 56 64 72 74 78 80

The Seduction of French Lingerie Sugar Dating Makes Its French Debut

HOW TO EAT RIGHT IN PARIS Food for Every Diet

A TASTE FOR AMERICA

How the French Fell in Love With the Burger

DROP OF GOLD

Discover One of Paris’s Most Ethnically Vibrant Neighborhoods

WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE

Investigating the Migration Crisis

REFUGEE VS. MIGRANT

How One Word Can Change a Fate

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A LIVING HELL

The Disgrace of Calais

A LIFE SUSPENDED

The Hopeless Trap of the Calais Jungle

NO SURRENDER

An Open Letter To the City of Paris

PARIS: NOVEMBER 14, 2015 The Aftermath of the Attacks

WEB OF ADDICTION

Is Social Media a Drug?

(ALMOST) NAKED & FAMOUS

Is Instagram Censoring the Female Body?

HOLE IN THE WALL

An Art Project Takes on Freedom of Information

HOW TO GROW THE PERFECT BEARD Reclaiming the Bread from the Hipsters

WHO IS STAN SMITH?

Meet the Man Behind Your Favorite Shoe

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LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

M

y best friend and I were sitting on a heated terrace, eating a burger. We laughed awkwardly about the most insignificant things, trying to take our minds off the attacks that had taken place in Paris two days before. Suddenly, the manager of the restaurant told us he was locking us in because of reports of gunshots down the street. Numb, we cleaned up our trays and rushed inside. As we watched the metal curtain close over the restaurant’s glass windows, we grasped each other’s hands, trembling and breaking out into sobs.

Standing up to terror is daunting. The slogan “Même Pas Peur,” which could be seen across the city after the attacks, is noble, but a lie. People are scared. Even if we don’t admit it, going out for a drink, people-watching on a terrace, or getting ready for a concert do not feel the same anymore. Even though many continue to do these normal things, the unshakeable memory of what happened in those restaurants, bars and concert halls on November 13, 2015 is always present.

However, true courage manifests in the face of fear. When I see Parisians who continue to enjoy their way of life, when just a few weeks ago their friends or family could have been killed for partaking in these same simple pleasures, my heart swells with pride.

On the day of the attacks, we were applying the finishing touches to this issue of Peacock. The attacks changed everything. No one touched the magazine for days; working seemed ridiculous.

How could we finish a magazine about art, sex and youth culture while surrounded by a city in suffering?

We decided to stand up against terror by pouring all of our energy into releasing this issue.

The topics you’ll read about in these pages are the product of France’s free and democratic values. Even if these subjects are the very things that caused such anger and hatred, we must continue to celebrate our freedom. This issue shows off the cultural spectrum of Paris, from skate culture to gender equality in art, from the power of French lingerie to parties in the catacombs. Our feature package recognizes the plight of the refugees that are suffering through the worst migration crisis since World War II. We chose to make the city’s motto the theme of this issue: “Fluctuat Nec Mergitur,” which translates to, “She is tossed by the waves, but will not sink.” We mourn those who died in the attacks of November 13 while they celebrated their right to live freely. But we will not sink. w

Ariana Mozafari Editor-in-Chief

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in our own heads Is Headphone Culture Isolating Us From the World?

by Jessica Romer illustrations by Phoebe Todd

p

icture a world where the human mind, body and spirit are no more than communication vessels with worthless information and data constantly invading our entire central nervous system, leaving a wasteland of meaningless intelligence. Ray Bradbury famously did in his 1953 dystopian novel, “Fahrenheit 451.”

His vision has become our reality, “little Seashells, the thimble radios tamped tight, and an electronic ocean of sound, of music and talk and music and talk coming in.” Nowadays, a single subway or metro ride is proof that we are surrounded by “little Seashells.” A quick glance up from your smartphone between stops will reveal a menagerie of electronic headwear: white earbuds, street-smart over-the-ear sets, disc jockeys’ favorites, and chic, off-the-runway pieces.

“Nowadays, headphones are more than just for playing music; they’re a symbol of social status,” says college student Ellie Holtaway. “Having the right pair is essential.”

First developed in 1881, the headphone was initially used by telephone operators. Thirty years later, the Mormon fundamentalist Nathaniel Baldwin created a modern-like headphone which he sold to the US Navy. Baldwin didn’t see his invention as being very innovative and never cared to patent the gadget. It took 27 years for the headphone to gain a spot in the marketplace and another 40 for it to gain social popularity and relevance.

When it comes to the early days of the headphone game, Sony was the name to know. The Japanese company made headphones more than just a tool by marketing them as a lifestyle necessity and a fashion statement. In the 1980s, Sony was the formidable leader of the headphone industry, putting out the most revolutionary electronic headwear of the century with the famous and iconic Sony Walkman, which changed

the entire nature of headphones. Headphones became a mobile fixture of fashion and function, proudly sported by the trendiest of yuppies and the coolest of rollerbladers. Three years later, Sony released the first in-ear headphones, now referred to as earbuds, which were not only invisible while worn, but also removed the external pressure of the heavy, over-the-ear sets.

Since the explosive Sony Walkman, headphones have gone through their own evolution and reformation. The original over-the-head style has ebbed in and out of popularity throughout the years as newer, more versatile models have been created. Throughout the next two decades, Sony put out an array of over-the-ear and in-ear models, which propelled the headphone into the new millennium.

The meteoric rise of the smartphone has created a need for headphones for more than just listening to music – they are now used to make hands-free phonecalls, stream podcasts, and view videos. This new era beheld a great paradox: as audio quality improved, poor-quality headphones escalated in popularity. After years of growth and evolution, the headphone market has become dominated by cheap earbuds with terrible sound quality to accommodate the demand from smartphone owners.

At the same time, Bose put out the first mass market noise-canceling headphone, which spurred a new era of sound quality. The rise of Dr. Dre’s Beats brand a few years later breathed new life into the headphone game by combining style, quality and luxury to create a cool piece that stayed true to the aesthetics of old-time headwear, while embracing a modern and futuristic design. Beats galvanized the headphone market and prompted a resurgence of higher-quality over-the-ear headphones and, as a result, brands such as Frends and Marshall have also begun to offer new stylish and trendy headwear.

the evolution of headphones 1910

Nathaniel Baldwin created the first modern headphones set and sold them to the US Navy.

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1949, k120

AKG produced and popularized the first design focused headphones to hit the market.

1958, koss sp-3

John C. Koss revolutionized and dominated the industry with the first stereo headphones.

This growth in the headphone market has had consequences that extend far beyond fashion. The “little Seashells” constantly fixed in our ears provide us with the illusion that we are living in a reality different than our own. This has created a culture of absent, oblivious members, who are not connected to the world around them. Putting on a pair of our favorite headphones transposes us into an alternate dimension of our choosing. Stream an episode of “Mad Men” and you’re on Madison Avenue in 1965. Jam with Kendrick Lamar and you’re roaming the streets of Compton.

Hum along to Taylor Swift and you’re driving through your hometown on a summer night.

“When I’m on campus and I’m not in the mood to talk to other people, I’ll put on my headphones and pull out my phone to escape to somewhere else,” admits freshman college student Julia Yang.

Millennials’ dependence on technology is causing anti-social tendencies. According to research by the marketing company Koeppel Direct, the average millennial spends 18 hours a day consuming media from forums such as social media and streaming ser-

1979, sony mdr-3l2

The debut of the Sony Walkman introduced the need for portable headphones.

vices and checks his or her smart phone an average 43 times per day. One in two millennials watch at least one online video per day and 71 percent of millennials subscribe to personalized radio streaming services like Spotify or Pandora.

This disconnection and absence is making us miss out on valuable experiences in the moment, such as casual conversations, chance encounters, or the simple pleasures of observing the ordinary. As our lives are becoming more and more dominated by external media, headphones have become our preferred mode of personal escapism. q

2001, apple earbuds

The iPod changed the game by being sold with an accompnying pair of earbuds thus making it possible to be consitently plugged in.

2009, beats by dre

Dr. Dre and Monster repopularized overthe-ear headphones by focusing on deep bass and eSnhanced sound quality.

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18 PEACOCK

BENEATH YOUR FEET Discover the Real Underground of Paris

by Alice Preat

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aris is renowned for its iconic architecture and endlessly intertwining, charming streets. While the city’s surface has made it one of the world’s most popular tourist destinations, below ground the French capital shows a different face. While the catacombs – a vast network of underground tunnels and caverns running beneath the city – are evocative of Paris’s historical charm and mystery, and have become a vibrant part of the city’s contemporary culture.

The catacombs were created in the eighteenth century on the site of former quarries used for the mining and storage of stone. Constructed in the thirteenth century, these mines had been abandoned and closed off due to concerns about cave-ins caused by the poor digging techniques used at the time. The quarries were rebuilt in the late 1700s with the hope of solidifying weak foundations on the city’s Left Bank. At the time, they were converted into ossuaries as the city’s overground cemeteries could not cope with the mass of bodies and graves caused by multiple famines, diseases, and wars.

What was at first a simple idea to store remains inside of the consolidated mines soon became a law.

In the early nineteenth century, an architect took on the task of making what had become a huge space for the storage of remains a place to visit, but despite many Parisians’ interest in the catacombs, only a very small portion of the underground network was opened to the general public, and most entrances, tunnels, and caverns are still illegal to visit today. Like anything that is forbidden, this makes them all the more enticing.

The attraction to the catacombs goes far beyond an interest in ossuaries or the thrill of being underground in an illegal place. Today, this subterranean

network is a city of its own, regularly visited by the people who bring it to life, known as “cataphiles.” As 21-year-old Iheb Fehri, an engineering student and passionate cataphile puts it, “It’s Paris underneath Paris.”

The catacombs are organized in a way that mirrors the city above, with street signs that correspond to the streets overhead and shortcuts to get from point A to point B. Enthusiasts have also made maps that document the entire underground network of caverns, galleries and tunnels (or “streets”), which are accessible online.

The illegal catacombs have developed their own surprising blend of culture. People visit them to experience obscure street art and to attend wild parties. This underground space is frequented by a wide cross-section of people and vistors might cross paths with painters, sculptors, partygoers, guides, teachers, loners, gurus, students, and cult-followers.

Despite this diversity, there is a distinction between regulars and newcomers to the catacombs. Cataphiles enter on a regular basis and often become “unofficial guides” of this underground realm, taking on the task of bringing newbies down to the various underground caverns and monuments and making their descent memorable.

Others simply descend to practice their art on the walls of the caves or to explore new sections of the passages.

True cataphiles have made it their task to “guard” the illegal catacombs’ secrecy and mystery: this space is precious to them, as it is their chance to escape the world above and its norms, deadlines and responsibilities.

Discretion is an integral part of the cataphile identity. “No one communicates entrance locations,” says Fehri.

“You need to find them on your own, because the more they are known

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about, the more they are closed off.” Once authorities hear of manholes or electrical closets being used as access points, they will most likely shut them down.

Other access points will pop up to replace them, but no cataphile enjoys losing an entrance that they have grown accustomed to using.

For those who aren’t established cataphiles with a knowledge of secret entrances, there are several ways to get introduced to this underground world.

Thanks to a growing number of cataphiles willing to guide newcomers through their first descent, word of mouth is often the best way to find out about the illegal entrance locations. For those who want to explore on their own terms, there are many online forums with possible entrance locations, videos about the experience, advice, photographs, and even a complete map of the entire illegal section of the catacombs.

Most newcomers make the descent as a one-time experience, either for a party or because they know a regular who is willing to show them around. “Partying in the catacombs is like tasting the forbidden fruit,” says Pierre, a 25-year-old cataphile and young mechanic who asked for his name to be changed to protect his privacy. Once underground, partiers are beyond the reach of law. There are no police around to scatter parties, and no neighbors knocking on doors, asking to turn the music down. While this is liberating for some, there are also risks in stepping

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away from a supervised society. Beatrice Deveaux, a 21-year-old sculptor, says gravely: “I would strongly avoid the abuse of alcohol or drugs. There are still risks, and no one is there to help you.” Even without the use of drugs, it is not uncommon to hear of irresponsible new explorers having to call emergency services to come to their rescue. Fehri’s friend Amine, a 28-year-old cataphile who works in data processing, recounts a story of a girl who was injured and had to call an ambulance. “It always takes so long for them to find an exit from which they have cellphone coverage, and then it takes so long for the rescuers to get to the person who’s hurt.”

If the thought of being completely isolated from society doesn’t scare off adventurous youth, then getting to these obscure parties may make them reconsider.

“Expect to be wet, dirty, to crawl, and to reek once you get out,” says Pierre. As far as practical preparation is concerned, contrary to popular belief, boots are a no-go: some tunnels are filled with water – sometimes thigh-high – and rain boots will simply become soaked. According to Pierre, for a first descent, it’s important to wear old dirty clothes that will dry quickly, and to bring two good lamps with extra batteries, a few candles for ambience, and food and water.

Newcomers should be prepared for serious exercise – don’t expect an easy stroll. Some routes can be very physically demanding. Deveaux explains: “For

me, the worst part is always getting in. First, you have to make sure the entry hasn’t been sealed, and that you’re being discreet. Then, it’s a long descent along a cold, moist ladder for approximately eight meters.”

After entering the catacombs and finding a place to stand rather than having to crouch on all fours, there is much more to explore than passageways filled with bones and skulls. There are winding passages and large rooms filled with murals, paintings, street art and unique architecture. Some artists have become known for their work in the catacombs, like Jérôme Mesnager, a street artist whose trademark is stencils of white figures resembling artists’ mannequins. Psyckoze, a famous graffiti artist above ground, has also chosen the catacombs as his canvas. As for architecture, foundations aside, the larger caverns have been worked on by various cataphiles in order to make them enjoyable for visitors. Stone tables and decorations make the experience unique in each room.

Beyond the art they contain, the catacombs are brought to life above all by those who frequent them.

In Fehri and Amine’s experience, cataphiles are a unique community made up of all different ages, social classes and origins. “The only thing we have in common is that we’re ready to uncover the unknown,” they say. In the catacombs, people are free to shed their above-the-ground personas, and explore a different aspect of themselves that they might not be in

touch with in everyday life. As Fehri explains, “We all have aliases: you are not yourself anymore, you’re a new aspect of yourself that you’ve discovered down there, and you make your own identity.” Whether it is through the discovery of their ability to cope physically with the experience, or the thrill experienced by doing something illegal, many leave the catacombs having discovered something new about themselves.

As uncharted territories that lie beyond the eyes of authority, the catacombs are a playground for adrenaline junkies, pioneers and those who simply want to shed their quotidian personas. In the words of Fehri, “It’s a whole other world, really. A world with rules that are independent from everyday life: you do what you want, where you want, and when you want.” w

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la vie skate Skate Culture Gets the French Touch text & photography by Jesse Merchant

o

ver recent decades, skateboard culture has quietly been seeping into the Parisian asphalt.

Consciously or unconsciously, many young Parisians are influenced by the So-Cal skate scene; Californian apparel favorites like Vans and Supreme are as common among teenagers and young adults in Paris as ballet slippers and packs of Marlboro, and skateboards themselves pop up almost as often as scooters and mopeds.

And yet, the nature of Parisian architecture, weather and cultural identity, makes the city’s skateboarding scene a very different animal to its Californian cousin. While LA boasts prime skateboarding conditions, with its constant sunshine, urban sprawl, and wide roads, Paris’s intricate Haussmannian city plan, cobblestone streets, and crowds of leisurely strollers have forced skaters to get creative. So, while LA kids skate on beach boardwalks, Parisians can be found anywhere from a marble-laden museum to the steps of a manicured sports arena.

Californian skaters have loftier ambitions than their Parisian cousins – many of them aspire to turn professional. The intensity of the competition means that Californians immerse themselves completely in all things related to skate culture. In Paris, the attitude is more relaxed as the majority of skaters get on a board for fun. Regardless of a Parisian’s intention – to be featured by Vice, to pass some time with friends, or even just to get to work – they do not have to be a “skater” to skate. They are not precious or pretentious to get dirty on a board.

This is Paris skate life. w

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“SKATEBOARDERS JUST LIKE TO HAVE FUN, YOU KNOW? WE LIKE TO GET LAID, WE LIKE SEX, WE LIKE FOOD, LIKE ANYBODY. SKATEBOARDERS ARE EAGER FOR LIFE. THEY HAVE A BIG APPETITE.” Rémy Walter, founder of Paris Skate Culture

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GIVE ME SOME SUGAR Sugar Dating Makes Its French Debut

by Cody Campbell photography by Carenina Sasha

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he first thing that appears on Brandon Wade’s website is a quote in large, bright blue lettering that reads: “Love is a concept invented by poor people.” Wade, an entrepreneur and self-described relationship expert, is the founder and CEO of Seeking Arrangement, an online dating network “where beautiful, successful people fuel mutually beneficial relationships,” otherwise known as sugar dating.

The terms sugar daddy and sugar baby emerged in the early 20th century to describe a mutually beneficial relationship where one party – “the sugar daddy” or, much rarer, “sugar mommy” – provides financial support to their “sugar baby” in exchange for companionship. While the concept isn’t new, in the Internet era these sugar relationships have become formalized through online networks matching babies with daddies and making the parameters of these sugar relationships more or less explicit.

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In the U.S., the sugar dating scene is driven by websites like SugarDaddyMeet.com, EstablishedMen.com and SugarDaddyforMe.com. One of the most popular of these networks, Seeking Arrangement claims to bring together over 5 million users, over 4 million of which are sugar babies.

Sugar babies typically meet with several potential sugar daddies until they find a match, either entering into an exclusive relationship or juggling multiple daddies at once. According to Sugar Daddy Meet, sugar babies are “beautiful, intelligent and classy college students, aspiring actresses or models,” looking for wealthy sugar daddies, who can be doctors, lawyers, executives or entrepreneurs.

The perks for young women are often considerable: shopping sprees, dinner at Michelin-star restaurants, and trips to exotic locations are a few of the incentives that draw new sugar babies to these sweet relationships.

“I started because I wanted to have finer things,” says a French Seeking Arrangement member who goes by the name of Anna. “I enjoyed having the extra money, being able to treat myself every once in a while, without having to work. I like meeting new people, so it’s a win-win.”

Sugar dating is slowly but surely making its way into the public eye in the United States. With tuition fees and living expenses on the rise, in universities and colleges across the States it has become more accepted for young women to turn to sugar daddies to help pay off their student debts. According to Seeking Arrangement, students now make up more than 42 percent of the site’s total sugar baby membership.

Sugar dating is only beginning to take off in France. While Seeking Arrangement has moved into the French market with a translated website, participation on sugar sites remains low, and a significant portion of members hail from the U.S. Having moved to Paris from Florida two years ago, a student who uses the sugar baby name Ava has witnessed the slow rise in the French sugar dating scene.

Her unique perspective stems from her experience in both the American and French sugar game: “France is behind by a few years compared to the U.S., but they’re catching up.”.

While French dating culture actively promotes women dating men who are much older than them in age, the sugar dating concept is at odds with the French approach to financial independence. “Women in France should be financially independent,” expressed Lucille Béfort Pelloux, a French university student. “My mother, for instance, is completely financially independent from my father.”

However, with French unemployment at 10.7 percent, that independence is not easy to come by. While French university students do not face the same tuition as in the U.S., the double pressure of fees and living expenses often make paid employment a

necessity. For some, this can involve seeking out under-the-table income from informal arrangements like sugar dating.

The practice also seems to be a trend among young women with a taste for luxury. An 18-year-old French sugar baby that uses the name of Chloé sees her sugar daddy in exchange for expensive gifts, ranging from a fully paid apartment to haute couture brand clothing. “I usually see him two days a week,” reveals Chloé. “We go out to dinner and then go shopping, usually at Galeries Lafayette or some other high fashion area. Sometimes we go on vacation together, taking short cruises in the Mediterranean or trips to places like Milan or London.” Other babies, like Anna, don’t have a steady sugar daddy relationship. “I usually go on dates with men a couple times a month,” the 22-year-old Parisian explained.

However, many French users remain wary of sugar dating websites. “I don’t trust those sites,” a 54-yearold French sugar daddy who goes by Jean-Baptiste explained. “They’re dangerous to your social appearance; you don’t know what people might take from there and if they’ll pursue you in [real] life.”

These fears are compounded by scandals such as the hack of AshleyMadison.com, a website selling “infidelity and married dating,” that took place in August 2015 in which millions of users’ data was stolen and subsequently made public. According to Seeking Arrangement’s blog, 33 percent of member sugar daddies are married, and they estimate similar numbers for other sugar dating sites. This explains why many sugar daddies are so discreet about keeping their sugar business private. “I don’t need people outside of my arrangements knowing anything about it,” explained Jean-Baptiste, who is married.

Sugar babies in France only keep in touch with their communities through private, secretive social media accounts, and have found the sugar dating lifestyle completely different in France than in the U.SS. “Stateside, I had a lot more options,” Ava commented, “I could be more open about it. Here, I feel pressure to keep it hidden, to keep it a secret. There’s an underground to it – private social media, groups you have to be authorized to get into. If someone exposes you, it’s over, you’re done. You become a social outcast.”

“I wouldn’t trust anyone with this secret,” explained Chloé. “I don’t know how anyone would react, especially my friends. What if they’re disappointed in me?

What if they don’t accept it?”

When affairs are kept private, girls are often left alone in determining the course of the sugar relationship. In situations where desperation for financial perks is clear, the lines can easily become blurred.

Women who didn’t want to initially engage in sexual relations may end up having sex with their sugar daddy in order to keep the relationship going. “It’s a different world,” Ava noted, her voice lowering. “You need to protect yourself.”

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Because of this, websites like Seeking Arrangement advocate for protection of sugar babies. They provide background check features, letting babies know when potential daddies have past offenses including sex crimes, violent crimes, domestic crimes or assaults. The background checks aren’t mandatory, but highlight members that are more “trusted and viewed as safer companions.”

Despite concerns over data privacy and the safety of these arrangements, French sugar dating platforms continue to grow and some even see sugar dating as contributing to women’s empowerment. “I feel like I’m in control in some ways,” said Anna. “I’m the one being pursued. There’s a high price on me and someone is paying.”

However, the majority still view sugar babies as glorified escorts, or even prostitutes. “Is a sugar baby not just an elevated prostitute?” asked Mylena Rozec, a 20-year-old Parisian woman. “They just get to choose their daddy; they get to choose their money.”

Sugar baby Ava disagrees: “It’s a fine line, but there is a line. I’m not going to just go out and get paid to go around with people. Having just one daddy is ideal. There’s more to a relationship and lifestyle like that than just escorting.”

With the rise of sugar dating in France, these mutually beneficial relationships may one day be seen

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as normal. With more people coming forward and becoming involved in the community, sugar dating is likely to be discussed more openly, raising the question of whether a genuine relationship can come with financial perks or not. 0

by Alex Cohen illustrations by Desiree Suhr-Perez he City of Light, also known as the city of bread, cheese, butter and macarons, may not seem like the friendliest place for a vegan or gluten-free diner. However, with the increasing number of customers with dietary restrictions, chefs in Paris have begun to adapt their menus to cater to the greater demand for food that is free of certain ingredients, from meat to wheat, and from dairy to pork. Here are some diet-friendly eateries that cater to the vegans, vegetarians, gluten-free, halal, and kosher customers looking to have their restriction-free cake and eat it too.

VEGETARIAN

T

VEGAN

HOW TO EAT RIGHT IN PARIS 30

Food for Every Diet

LE POTAGER DU MARAIS

HOBBES

Seitan (not Satan) stew, veggie meatloaf, and vegan crème brûlée, all can be found at this eatery in the heart of the Marais.

24 rue Rambuteau, 75003 Paris

HANK BURGER

This little vegan haven on the corner of rue des Archives and rue des Haudriettes in the Marais provides leafier alternatives to the bacon cheeseburgers found on every Parisian menu. L’Allumé burger is highly recommended, a veggie burger with barbecue sauce, pickles, salad, and peppers.

55 rue des Archives, 75003 Paris

100 percent organic, vegetarian, and homemade healthy is what you’ll find at Hobbes. With a daily selection of lasagna, burgers, tartes, and chocolate fondant, you’ll always have something new to try on the menu.

31 avenue Simon Bolivar, 75019 Paris

EAST SIDE BURGERS

East Side Burgers serves vegetarian burgers and hot dogs, with a selection of vegan desserts. Don’t leave without tasting the carrot cake.

60 boulevard Voltaire, 75011 Paris

GLUTEN FREE

HALAL

KOSHER

BIOSPHÈRE CAFÉ

BALADNA

L’AS DU FALLAFEL

ESSAOUIRA

L’INTÉ CAFFÉ

This café is the answer to your gluten-free prayers.

Here, you’ll find pancakes, bread, and macarons, all wheat-free.

46 rue de Laborde, 75008 Paris

NOGLU

Yes, such a place does exist: a 100 percent glutenfree restaurant and pastry shop. Leave with a glutenfree belly full of beef, potatoes écrasés, and fluffy madeleines.

16 passage des Panoramas, 75002 Paris

Searching for Lebanese food? Look no further than Baladna for your fill of mezze and kebabs. With over 38 years of experience in the industry, the chef’s cuisine will transport you to Lebanon, without having to lose money on the airfare.

26 place Denfert-Rochereau, 75014 Paris Let your taste buds experience Morocco via forkfuls of couscous and tagine in this traditional Mediterranean restaurant in the heart of Trocadero.

16 rue Magdebourg, 75016 Paris

L’As du Fallafel is the king of kosher food in Paris. The restaurant is popular amon tourist and locals alike, with long lines regularly forming outside its doors. Don’t leave without trying the falfel, which won this restaurant its international fame.

34 rue des Rosiers, 75004 Paris Eat to your kosher heart’s content at this chich gatonomic restaurant located just steps away from the Palais de l’Elysée. Seasonal Italian specialties include pesto linguni, homemade ravioli, and fresh market vegatables. Leave some room for the triamisu.

22 rue Cambacérès, 75008 Paris

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A TASTE FOR

AMERICA

How the French Fell in Love With the Burger

by Christina Gregory

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urgers ranging from basic home-grilled to gourmet, grilled cheese sandwiches, wine from California, homestyle diner food including pancakes, pulled pork, and milkshakes, BBQ soul food, and every southern comfort food you can think of. This is American food and not only that, this is American food that you can now get in Paris. Among the French and their haute cuisine, American food has finally established a good reputation. But it wasn’t always like this.

The French are known for their classic and sophisticated cuisine, which has been highly regarded as one of the greatest culinary traditions in the world. However, over the past two decades, the French culinary scene has been changing.

Foods from all over the world have integrated into the Parisian food scene, where much of the innovation in French cuisine takes place. American cuisine has been at the forefront of this movement with new American diners, restaurants, cafes and bars opening up all over Paris.

This acceptance of American food is a relatively recent phenomenon. The first McDonald’s may have opened in France in 1972, but the fast food scene in Paris has never been highly regarded. Parisians, known for their haute cuisine, simply saw a majority of American cuisine to be of McDonald’s standard: fast food that had no place in France’s renowned culinary world.

Today, the burger has taken the city by storm. “It was just 5 to 6 years ago that burger mania hit Paris,” says Kate Hyde, the marketing, event, and brand manager of Frogburger, a bar specializing in beer brewing and pub food. Nowadays, burgers can be found on a range of menus within Paris, not only in restaurants and diners specializing in American cuisine, but in most French bistros and cafes.

But it’s not just the hamburger that has dominated the American food scene in Paris. One can find a range of American classics, from home-styled dining to upscale restaurants matching those in New York. It seems that every day a new American restaurant opens in Paris, boasting burgers, fries, ribs, milkshakes, or grilled cheese. Newly opened diners and even French cafes now advertise their classic “American”

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breakfasts and brunches, which have taken off rapidly in Paris.

Changing the Parisian take on American food hasn’t been easy. Restaurant owners needed to communicate to their clientele that there was more to American food than just McDonald’s. For Hyde, “it’s finding a way to make people understand that what you are offering is interesting, is artisanal, is from a quality source, is something they will like. It’s part of the experience for them, trying something that is a bit different to what they know.”

Not only do these restaurants appeal to the expats and tourist who want a taste of home, but now, even the French have a high regard for this new cuisine emerging in their city. French chefs are starting to adapt American methods of cooking into their own set of skills, and it is becoming more common to see American cuisine appearing on French menus.

Many of the French chefs who have studied American cuisine in the U.S. are realizing that in order to be successful in Paris, they need to adapt to meet French demands. One way of doing this is by pulling back from the huge portion sizes and heavy side dishes that often accompany meals in the United States, while still placing emphasis on the quality of the produce and the presentation of the cuisine.

Restaurants such as The Beast and Frenchie are perfect examples of this. Both are run by French chefs who studied in the United States and brought back the skills needed to make American cuisine authentic here in Paris. This search for authenticity has become a priority for those opening American establishments in Paris. “We upped our range and our game,” says Hyde, regarding the authenticity of Frogburger’s cuisine. “[We spent] a long time traveling to New York, Chicago, and London to test the burgers that were defining the craze.” Similarly, the owner and chef of The Beast, Thomas Abramowicz, wanted to bring back an authentic American menu for his restaurant and brought back a custom barbecue smoker and decided to import his meat from the United States.

American food, especially that of the South, also brings a certain feeling and atmosphere that appeals to the French clientele. “Some of my French clients tell me it is the best food they’ve ever tasted,” claims the Texan owner of Blues Bar-B-Q in Paris, Diana Darrah. “[It’s] warm, homey, friendly and casual.”

Darrah says that the American food craze is not just a generational trend either: both the young and the old in France have taken a liking to the cuisine.

Hyde agrees: “It’s not just cool kids looking for the new craze (although that definitely plays a part in it).

I think the American BBQ and Soul Food we’ve been serving hits a nerve with people. It’s so messy and kind of made to share, it’s a bit different but still familiar enough to take a risk on.”

Although the American food craze has taken off in Paris, some question whether its position in the

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French cuisine scene will last, or if it will just be temporary excitement. With so many American establishments popping up around Paris, competition is growing and the novel aspect of American cuisine in Paris is fading. But for now, restaurant owners are content and excited with how the French have reacted to American cuisine. As Hyde puts it, “We’re in a culinary capital of the world; we’re very proud to be a part of the merry-go-round of Parisian food and drink culture.” w

FIVE PLACES TO EAT AMERICAN frogburger, frogbeer, frogpub Try one of their award-winning beers, or take a tour of their brewery. While you’re there, order one of their classic pub items, such as burgers, ribs, or fries, and make sure to swing by when they show a big sporting event.

116 rue Saint-Denis, 75002 Paris blues bar-b-q Dine here for a home-style classic American meal: choose between ribs, burgers, fries, cornbread, mac ‘n’ cheese, and everything in between.

1 rue Sedaine, 75011 Paris le camion qui fume This group was the first establishment to bring the American food truck craze to Paris. The truck is known for serving up gourmet burgers and fries. Make sure to try their California burger or Bleu burger.

Find their location at lecamionquifume.com joe allen paris This restaurant, focusing on bringing upscale American food to Paris, serves New York classics in the heart of Paris. Choose between gourmet burgers, steak, ribs, and classic American desserts, such as New York-style cheesecake.

30 rue Pierre Lescot, 75001 Paris the beast For an authentic Texas BBQ, be sure to check out The Beast. The menu includes ribs, pulled pork, beans, mac ‘n’ cheese, buttermilk biscuits, and pecan pie.

27 rue Meslay, 75003 Paris

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Discover One of Paris’s Most Ethnically Vibrant Neighborhoods

by Ryan Blum photography by Desiree Suhr-Perez

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he Goutte d’Or neighborhood, or “Drop of Gold,” carries many stereotypes, most of which are far from accurate. In January 2014, after the Charlie Hebdo attacks, Fox News called it one of the veritable “No-Go Zones” where sharia law reigns and police refuse to enter.

Since the Industrial Revolution, this Parisian neighborhood, located in the 18th arrondissement, has been the quartier of mostly blue-collar workers and immigrants. Emile Zola’s famous novel, “L’Assommoir,” described the Goutte d’Or as an alcoholic plagued working-class slum.

If you visit today, however, you’ll find that neither account is accurate — although it can be a bit gritty. A quick Google search will tell you that the neighborhood is eccentric and “up-and-coming.” That much is painfully obvious.

Arriving at Barbès-Rochechouart metro station, the portal to the Goutte d’Or, you will see the Brasserie Barbès, which opened earlier this year. The restaurant is the very personification of gentrification: three ostentatious floors complete with an overpriced menu that prices out most of the neighborhood’s residents (the least expensive dish is 16 euros). The patrons sitting on the terrace are a stark contrast to the dozens of young men of North African descent loitering around the intersection outside the metro.

“It’s not for us!” laments Walid, a French national of Algerian descent who surreptitiously sells cigarettes in front of the metro. “They refuse to even hire people from the neighborhood to work as waiters there!”

Therefore, in a small effort to combat gentrification, this neighborhood guide seeks to highlight a handful of the Goutte d’Or’s more culturally diverse establishments, or the places where those who actually live in this spirited quarter go to shop, eat and socialize. If you’re tired of the soullessness of the duplicate cafés in SaintGermain-des-Prés and actually want to experience something different, then this guide is for you.

TEXTILE SOUVENIRS

Make sure to visit one of the many African fabric shops. Their fabrics are made when the cloth is brushed with hot wax and then dye, resulting in an incredibly colorful fabric that can be made into dresses, shirts or pants.

However, be vigilant; residents warn that many non-Africans have opened up shops and sell Chinese knock-off fabric.

Please, support your local wax shop.

Better yet, support Mariame’s!

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MARIAME’S BOUTIQUE

This tiny shop near the fish market has been selling fabrics for the last 24 years.

Moussa, the Malian owner, has an array of rich authentic fabrics for reasonable prices, with custom-made shirts and pants going for around 15 euros.

Do not visit if you are on a tight schedule, as Moussa enjoys speaking with new customers – for hours. Tell him the Texan sent you.

35 rue des Poissonniers, 75018 Paris

MARCHÉ BARBÈS

The Marché Barbès is a hallmark in this community. Shoppers come every Wednesday and Saturday from all over Paris to take advantage of the inexpensive prices.

The aroma of North African spices, freshly baked breads and various seafoods will accompany you as you scan the crowded market stalls for the perfect deal.

Haggling is often obligatory.

After shopping, you will probably have built up quite an appetite.

The Goutte d’Or offers a variety of ethnic cuisine, so step a little bit out of your comfort zone and try something new. I recommend two restaurants in particular: one West African and one Maghrebi that are my personal favorites.

LE SCHENGEN

It could never be made clear why exactly the restaurant was renamed “Le Schengen” (formerly Maimouna et Mandela), because this restaurant is as authentically African as they come. The ambience can be a bit boisterous in the evening, but it’s always lighthearted and welcoming.

Le Schengen has numerous Senegalese and other West African dishes. I recommend indulging on a huge plate of maffé (West African stew made with peanut sauce), served with chicken, beef or lamb and all for 6 euros. You should also try the Yassa Poisson, fish cooked with spicy lemon and onions.

A warning for the uninitiated: Be prudent with the piment (spices). Unless, of course, you enjoy the sensation of your mouth being on fire. For dessert, get the plantains (fried banana-like fruit).

48 bis rue Clignancourt, 75018 Paris

LA MÔME

This North African restaurant sits directly in front of the historic Saint-Bernard de la Chapelle church. This is the place to go for couscous. They have over 15 different types of tagine, including vegetarian. Also, don’t forget to try La Môme’s famous mint tea, which has a hint of clove.

To top it all off, the restaurant also serves their very own craft beer, aptly named: “La Môme.”

16 rue Stephenson, 75018 Paris

LA ROSE DE TUNIS

Technically, this Tunisian pastry shop is one street outside the borders of the Goutte d’Or. But you’ll quickly forgive me after taking a bite out of one of their delicious and fresh North African pastries.

This family-run business of more than 30 years claims to be the first “pâtisserie orientale” in Paris. The enticing choices are seemingly endless, but my favorites include the cornet aux pistaches, the cigare au miel and the coco cerise (diabetes included, free of charge).

7 boulevard Ornano, 75018 Paris

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welcome to the jungle As the world experiences the worst migration crisis since World War II, we look at the most hopeless refugee camp of them all.

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refugee vs. migrant How One Word Can Change a Fate

by Alice Preat & Desiree Suhr-Perez illustration by Junkie Monkey

legal definitions

Asylum seeker, refugee, or migrant? What do we call the people fleeing a crisis? This may seem like a trivial question of semantics, but these terms have profound implications for the people they describe.

Words are more than just labels — they can define an identity and provide legal recognition. The difference between a “migrant” and a “refugee” is a difference in hope.

Under international law, there is a distinction between asylum seekers, better known as refugees, and migrants. The United Nations Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees states that a refugee is any person seeking protection based on a “well-founded fear of being persecuted” by their homeland due to their immutable characteristics. A refugee is someone who cannot return to his or her country due to a fear of losing life or liberty.

On the other hand, a migrant, as defined by the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Migrants, is any person who engages in work in foreign state willingly and without intervention of external factors, such as the fear of persecution by their home state.

Under international law, an individual has to apply for refugee status in their first country of arrival and not in a country of their choice. This gives refugees two choices — either they become economic migrants with no entitlement to official documentation, or they remain undeclared citizens in hiding in the hope of reaching a final destination in which to seek asylum.

In the context of today’s crisis, all of those arriving from Syria should be considered asylum seekers or refugees under international law as they have no home state to return to nor access to protection from their state. Based on the international principle of non-refoulement, which forbids rendering a true victim back to his or her persecutor, it no longer matters what their economic status or privilege is, because at this moment they are now displaced citizens in need of protection.

the role of the media

The use of these terms in the coverage of the current crisis has been the subject of much scrutiny.

Although most European and almost all American news media have been using the word “migrants,” some outlets, such as the Deutsche Welle, the German international broadcaster, or Al JazeeraEnglish, the twenty-four hour current affairs TV channel operated in Qatar, have chosen to use the word “refugees.” Some have explained this decision publicly, like Salah Negm, the Director of News of Al Jazeera English, who has said in a TV interview with the BBC: “The question is, are they migrants and some refugees are among them, or refugees and migrants are among them. I think in the past year, actually, the weave changed. There are a lot of refugees, fleeing wars, fleeing conflict zones, fearing for their lives.” Indeed, it appears that this past year’s migration crisis and the war in Syria as well as conflicts in surrounding regions have resulted in a majority of refugees – rather than migrants, who are still present but in much smaller numbers.

Incorrectly referring to refugees as migrants conceals the underlying issues causing these people to flee their countries for Europe. Although there are migrants present, using this term to label all those attempting to cross borders today deflects from the true issue: conflicts in areas like Syria, and what our countries could be doing to remedy them. While the question of labeling victims of this crisis “refugees” or “migrants” might seem of little significance compared to the struggles that they have to face, it is important to recognize the power of these words in deciding their subject’s fate. w

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a living hell The Disgrace of Calais

by Ryan Blum photography by Nicolas Nemtala

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urning rubbish, overflowing portable toilets, contaminated water, rat infestations and more than 6,000 refugees and migrants squatting in decrepit tents. Welcome to Calais, France, the self-proclaimed “country of human rights.”

As the world’s sixth largest economy on the richest continent, the French government and the European Union are doing shamefully little to alleviate the suffering of thousands in the camp known as the “Jungle” – or as one refugee described it to me, “a living hell.”

The Jungle has existed in some form or another for the last 15 years, but the situation is worse than ever.

It is high time that the crisis be addressed. France must register and process those who are refugees and give them legal status in France, as per international law. Unfortunately, economic migrants – those not fleeing from war – may need to be sent home.

The Calais camp has become a major public health concern as the water in the camp has traces of E. coli and coliform bacteria, which researchers say is “indicative of fecal contamination.” Several cases of diarrhea and food poisoning, as well as an outbreak of scabies have escalated that concern.

Winter is fast approaching and most of the refugees in Calais are tragically unprepared. As the cold sets in, medical problems are sure to increase, with pneumonia a major concern.

Overstretched NGOs rely on private donations and an all-volunteer staff to provide the nourishment for thousands, with only enough resources to provide refugees with one meal a day. As the population of the camp increases, so does the desperation and competition for food; lines can take over an hour and fights break out regularly.

Providing food, shelter and medical care to thousands of refugees in Northern France is not the responsibility of NGOs and private individuals, it is that of governments. France and the EU have the structure and resources to address a humanitarian crisis of this magnitude, just not the will. A cynic might believe

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that the lack of funding is a deliberate attempt to create miserable conditions, to deter future refugees.

Calais residents complain of being set upon by gangs of desperate immigrants attempting to steal money or food. The local police claim that petty crimes, such as shoplifting, have increased dramatically. The Jungle itself feels lawless, as the police rarely ever enter.

The current situation is providing the extreme-right political parties such as the National Front all the ammunition they need to criticize France’s membership in the European Union. Weekly protests by the citizens of Calais have taken on a nationalist, maybe even racist tone. After the horrific attacks in Paris, claims were made that at least one of the attackers may have passed himself off as a refugee. However, the hard fact is that, at the time of writing, the only terrorists that have been identified have been French or Belgian nationals. Regardless, would we as a society expel thousands based on the actions of a few? It is important to remember that many of those living in Calais are fleeing countries where the savage violence the world witnessed in Paris has become an all too regular reality.

France, with EU support, must construct a proper camp that complies with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) international standards. This means providing food, water, housing and sanitation. Regardless of the cost, the alternative cannot be worse than the current situation: an anarchical shantytown filled with thousands of desperate men, women and children. If the governments do not act out of compassion, let it be for the sake of common sense.

Turkey, one of the countries that has borne the brunt of the Syrian refugee crisis, has constructed 22 camps serving more than 210,000 refugees. One camp, located in Kilis, provides the ideal example of how a refugee camp should be run: there is gated access where refugees come and go with ID cards, which are only received after a

fingerprint scan. Refugees run their belongings through X-ray machines and are monitored by police and private security as they pass through metal detectors. Shelters consist of heated housing containers — there are no tents, rotting garbage, or sewage.

In Calais, the UK and French governments continue to invest in more fencing at the Eurotunnel and ferry entrances in an effort to stem the tide of crossings to England. And it’s working. The number of successful crossings has decreased. However, this has had the adverse effect of causing the camp population to swell and conditions to further deteriorate.

What once could have been labeled a border security issue has now morphed into a humanitarian crisis of the first order in the heart of Europe.

The migrant crisis has shown how little solidarity there is in on the continent. While Germany expects to take in over 1 million refugees in 2015, others have closed their borders and refused to grant asylum to refugees. Over 100 years since the start of the Great War, Europe still finds itself unable to rise above nationalistic interests. The future of the European Union itself is at stake if member states do not come together to institute a common immigration policy.

Whatever those living in the Jungle expected when they fled from war and poverty, it likely wasn’t this – a putrid camp on Britain’s doorstep. Calais epit-

omizes a microcosm of misery and suffering around the world, it also symbolizes the tragic apathy and xenophobia that has consumed Europe.

From the ashes of the Second World War, when millions of Europeans were themselves refugees, the international community came together and signed the UN Charter. The preamble to the treaty lays out the reasoning for the founding of the United Nations: “To reaffirm faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person, in the equal rights of men and women and of nations large and small.” Seventy years later, despite the vaunted speech about Western Europe’s affirmation of human rights, the Jungle stands as a tragic monument to insincerity....w

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a life suspended The Hopeless Trap of the Calais Jungle

by Ariana Mozafari photography by Nicolas Nemtala

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he nightclub was the coolest spot in town – the deep thudding baseline of 50 Cent’s “Candy Shop” blared out from the sound system and the colorful strobes that could be seen from the outside drew the young men in. Inside, they smoked cigarettes, drank beer, and laughed loudly over the music. A bold few eventually mustered up the courage to put down their drinks and dance in groups. But here, things are not quite what they seem. The floor of the club is made of dirt, which is miraculously dry, considering the rain outside. The dingy plastic disco ball turns overhead, shining its red, green and blue lights to reveal walls and a roof made of quilts, which sag underneath the weight of the rainwater. And most striking of all, there isn’t a woman in sight. Welcome to the Jungle of Calais.

Located a few kilometers outside of Calais, a town of about 76,000 inhabitants in the north of France, the Jungle is a term that has for years evoked images of refugees living in the dirt in the minds of the French. As the world faces the largest migration crisis since the Second World War, the Jungle is now drawing international attention. Over 6,000 refugees – primarily men, but also women and children – pass their days waiting in this “camp” with the hopes of crossing the English Channel to find refuge in the United Kingdom. A shared belief reigns in the Jungle: that the U.K. is a land where immigrants can build good lives. The refugees here generally have no desire to stay in France, primarily because of the language barrier and their perceptions of disrespectful and rude French authorities.

“Never, ever will I speak the French language,” said Rekout, a 28-year-old refugee living in the Jungle who used to work as a chauffeur in Iraq. “I don’t like the French government. They’re very racist people, very disrespectful. The police said to me, go back to your country,

fucking black-haired people.”

There are no permanent buildings in the Jungle: just a vast sea of pitched tents sprawling across what used to be empty fields. Nature here has become overrun by excrement, used toilet paper, abandoned clothes and teddy bears covered with black mold, while rotting leftovers are the ideal playground for flies and rodents. The makeshift tents are plagued by rats, and inhabitants suffer from tuberculosis, scabies, and post-traumatic stress.

According to a Doctors of the World report, the conditions of the Jungle “far below any minimum standards for refugee camps.”

One of the Jungle’s denizens is a 24-year-old asylum-seeker from Iraq named Rommel, who, like many, prefers to keep his identity hidden in order to avoid complications in applying for asylum in Europe. Rommel speaks near-perfect English with an American accent.

Although his temporary home is nothing more than a plastic tent, he invites newcomers in with warm gestures.

“I’m sorry about the place, it’s a little bit messy,” he said, looking apologetically at the half-empty pots, ashtrays, and grown men sprawled out, either snoring or lackadaisically staring up at the plastic ceiling as cigarette smoke slowly drifts out of their open mouths.

Rommel was studying English Literature at the University of Mosul, a third language in addition to his native Kurdish and Arabic. He left his home after the Islamic State invaded Mosul, a city in northern Iraq, and tried to recruit him as a translator for the militant group. “At that time, I had to pay 2,000 dollars to a smuggler just to get out,” said Rommel. “You have to go through smugglers. And that sort of money, I just couldn’t.” In order to escape, he paid the smuggler with his pregnant wife’s jewelry, leaving her and his 8-year-old brother behind. Although leaving one’s family behind may seem

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cruel, women and children often leave the physically stronger man to make the risky and often deadly journey to Europe, with the hopes of being brought along legally once their husbands or fathers have been granted asylum.

Since then, Rommel’s journey in search of refuge has taken him across Turkey, Bulgaria, Greece, Macedonia, Serbia, Hungary, Austria, Germany, and finally, France, ending in a plastic tent a few kilometers away from the town of Calais. This epic voyage is typical for refugees escaping from the Middle East or Africa, who must traverse seas and several borders to reach the European nation they think can offer them a better life. Most of them aim for Germany, Sweden, the U.K. and France. These journeys may involve paying people smugglers to take them across borders in cars, cargo trucks or boats. When the situation becomes desperate, like it does in the Jungle, some secure themselves beneath cargo trucks or jump onto moving trains in an attempt to cross the border.

Rommel, like all of those living in the Jungle, came to Calais with the hopes of finding asylum in the United Kingdom. This shouldn’t have been an impossible dream: for the past 15 years, Calais – the closest point to Great Britain across the English Channel – has been the checkpoint for refugees continuing on to the U.K. In the past few months, the British government has been pouring money into Calais. These funds, however, were not designed to improve conditions in the Jungle, but rather, to keep refugees in the camp. Britain has pledged 22 million pounds so far to improving security measures in Calais and stop refugees from reaching the U.K. Part of these funds were used to build a 15-foot barbed-wire fence and increase police patrol in the area, blocking refugees off from the ferries and lorries that have served as stowaways for refugees for the past 15 years. France supports British efforts, as Nicolas Sarkozy signed the Le Touquet Treaty in 2003 committing the country to halt illegal immigration to the U.K. These measures have reduced the number of migrant attempts to the U.K. to between 100 and 200 a night, compared to the height of the crisis, when 2,000 attempts were made on two successive nights at the end of July.

Now they are stuck in their thousands, waiting in a field dotted with plastic tarps and makeshift tents.

While the French government is under immense pressure from humanitarian organizations and volunteers working in the camp to increase aid, it has done close to nothing. The state has pledged the most minimal of support, providing the Jungle with little more than portable toilets, electricity and water systems. The 500,000-euro project is a response to criticism from the United Nations, who described the conditions in the Jungle as an “intolerable human scandal.”

“To be honest, they’re assholes,” said Rommel, when asked about the French government. Iraqi chauffeur Rekout, also one of Rommel’s childhood friends, shared Rommel’s disappointment with the

French: “Nothing, nothing from the French government. Some volunteers bring things, but from the government, nothing, nothing.”

Many people spend months in the Jungle, either waiting for their asylum applications to be accepted, for nightfall to try to climb the barbed fence or jump onto a moving train, or for bones to heal from failed attempts at passage into the U.K. These refugees have turned their back on lives as students, fathers, mothers and professionals, and have left their friends and family to wind up in the sickly mud pit that is the Jungle. With conditions like those in Calais, it’s hard to remember what “normal” feels like. And yet, that sense of normalcy is vital. It’s a way for people to maintain enough dignity to feel human, in an environment that is profoundly inhumane.

The refugees here have started to build their own communities in order to recreate feelings of home while they wait to escape this French purgatory. Dutch photographer Henk Wildschut has been visiting the refugee camps surrounding Calais since 2001, and is surprised at the recent developments.

“I’ve never seen something like this before: the way they’ve created this whole infrastructure, the huge shops, all these private entrepreneurs who are creating their own life,” he said.

With no materials and hardly any infrastructure being provided by the French government, refugees resorted to building these businesses with what little materials they had: blankets and plastic tarps made for walls and roofing. The floors, if not covered by wood panels donated by volunteers, are dirt. Thanks to a few motivated refugees and additional building materials donated by volunteers, a variety of makeshift infrastructure is now available.

Mohammad is one of the founders of the Afghan Flag, a successful restaurant in the Jungle. He is only 22, but has been hopping from country to country for the past eight years ever since leaving SAfghanistan.

The restaurant opened around six months ago, just as other businesses began opening as well. “We came here, and there was nothing,” said Mohammad.

“No shops, no restaurants, nothing. We wanted to make this for our friends.”

The Afghan Flag serves traditional Afghan meals, complete with generous portions of rice, beans, meats, and entire baguettes. As is common in many restaurants and tearooms around the camp, chai and hookah are also available. Mohammad’s has become the talk of the Jungle for offering some of the best dishes. Meals are extremely cheap – one plate costs 2 euros – and as with many of these businesses, the intention is to provide a communal spot for people of similar ethnic origins, rather than to make a profit.

“We make a little bit, like 10 percent profit,” said Mohammad. “We buy shoes, clothes, things we need for going in the bus and train.”

During the day, refugees from various nations lounge in restaurants like the Afghan Flag. Men flick

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THAT SENSE OF NORMALCY IS VITAL. IT’S A WAY FOR PEOPLE TO MAINTAIN ENOUGH DIGNITY TO FEEL HUMAN, IN AN ENVIRONMENT THAT IS PROFOUNDLY INHUMANE. through Facebook while silently smoking hand-rolled cigarettes. In one Pakistani restaurant I visited, men would glance up every so often from their phones at the tiny television screening a romantic sitcom. They did not speak to each other. The only sounds that could be heard were the shouts of other refugees outside and the rumbling gas generator, providing the electricity for men to charge their phones. Although these restaurants bring a comforting piece of home to the refugees, they are really disguised waiting rooms, where the men idly pass their time.

The Jungle’s Eritrean “night club” is the center of attention after the sun goes down. With thumping music that can be heard from 20 tents away, young Eritrean men spend hours inside the bar, drinking beer after beer, cracking jokes, and dancing with new acquaintances when night falls.

These restaurants and bars reconstruct a little piece of home for refugees living in the Jungle. Being able to taste food that reminds them of their mother’s cooking and dancing to music that was popular at nightclubs at home are pleasures that refugees of similar backgrounds can share here.

The danger of racial and ethnic tension in a camp comprised of people from all over the Middle East and Africa is real, but while these “cultural” restaurants tend to be reserved for clientele from similar backgrounds, it’s not uncommon to see people visiting foreign restaurants and tearooms. “We have all different customers – black women, black men, Kurdish,” explained Mohammad.

Alongside bars and restaurants, refugees have opened convenience stores in even greater numbers, stocking items such as watches, sewing kits, candles, socks, headphones, knives, toothbrushes, soap, candy, soda, hand-rolled cigarettes and calling cards.

Asam, a middle-aged refugee from Pakistan, owns one of these stores. When I visited the camp, his store had only been open for two weeks. “You can see, everything is here, as a human requirement,” said the businessman, showing off his goods.

The store is located on one of the busiest “streets”

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of the Jungle, right next to a Muslim neighborhood.

The “streets” and ethnically divided “neighborhoods” of the camp are another way of keeping to a familiar urban structure, in order to avoid the feeling of chaos surrounding a muddle of tents. That morning, a large crowd of Middle Eastern men brewed chai in the cold air and blared an Islamic call to prayer from a speaker. Young children sat on bicycle fronts and yelled at people to clear the road as older children pedaled them through the slick mud. A few feet to the right of Asam’s store, leftover food rotted in piles, flies feasting on the chickpeas and curries. People coughed violently, and a group searched for someone to help a man with a broken finger. As Asam sold a 10-euro iPhone charger to a client, he explained that opening the store also allowed him to make a profit while he waits to hear back on his asylum case.

The small sources of comfort that refugees have constructed for themselves in the Jungle are not enough to make the camp a habitable place. According to Dr. Richard Dean, who travelled from the United Kingdom to volunteer at several refugee camps in the north of France, families are afraid of settling down in the Jungle. One is struck by the lack of females when walking through the camp; Dean says it’s because most women who settle here turn to prostitution.

“If they’re in the Jungle, they get in trouble,” said Dean. “Even if you come as a family, they’ll lean on people, and put pressure on people for money.”

Dean also vented his frustration with the lack of medical attention at the camp. The tents for medical and dental attention are new additions to the camp, as more volunteers have begun to appear with the rising media coverage of the Jungle in France and the U.K. The lack of sanitation facilities in the Jungle can also make it impossible for refugees to feel dignified.

Rommel said that to find a shower, his friends and he would sometimes walk to the beach, which is one hour away by foot. Although the pleasure of swimming in the sea may provide a sense of escapism for

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refugees, their trek to the beach is driven by the lack of critical facilities in the camp. “We don’t have any showers,” Rommel’s friend Rekout said, shaking his head. “I tell you, 10 days I go without washing.”

Caleb Stone, a 24-year-old volunteer from London, is another part of Rommel’s entourage. “Police brutality has gotten far worse,” said Stone, who has been volunteering at the camp for over two weeks.

“It’s been going on for quite a while.”

When the camp’s inhabitants do venture into Calais itself, to briefly escape from the squalid conditions, the welcome is rarely a warm one. Rommel says he hates the way he is treated as soon as he steps foot on the pavement. “They look at us like animals,” he said. The resentment toward these refugees, according to the townspeople of Calais, stems from a fear that the refugees bring crime with them to the city, and that France should not be taking care of them when Calais has one of the highest unemployment rates in the country (12.6 percent since 2013).

This resentment may manifest itself at the upcoming regional elections, as Nord-Pas-de-Calais-Picardie is the first region in history expected to vote for the extreme right Front National political party.

If anything, this distrust of the inhabitants of the Jungle has grown further after the Islamic State’s most recent terrorist attacks in Paris, in which one of the terrorists is suspected to have slipped through the borders with a group of refugees from Syria.

While many locals are hostile to the Jungle and its inhabitants, a handful of French volunteers have dedicated their time to offer help to refugees, sometimes in the most surprising ways.

Gil Galasso is a maître d’hôtel and a Meilleur Ouvrier de France – a prestigious award granted to individuals recognized by France as the best in their trade. For one week, he transformed a plastic tent into a school to teach refugees the culinary arts, including how to match French cheeses with the right breads, how to carve a chicken, and how to host a drinks party with the right hors d’oeuvres. Although these skills may seem preposterous in the midst of the Jungle, Galasso aims to prepare refugees, many whose educations were cut short, for future careers.

“We lack a labor force that is qualified in restaurant service, and we do not have a sufficient amount of waiters in French restaurants, whereas migrants would be happy to find such a position,” said Galasso.

Other French citizens have joined international volunteers to build more permanent housing fixtures for refugees. Sidonie Flahaut, a Frenchwoman who lives near Calais, had come to help put together these structures on a Sunday morning. She was volunteering with l’Auberge des Migrants, a French association created in 2008 to attend to the humanitarian needs in the Jungle of Calais.

“You can’t really stay indifferent to this: to have people, under the rain, with not many clothes on them, who haven’t really eaten well either …” Flahaut

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trailed off, looking around at the refugees of all ethnicities who were hammering away at the future shelters together.

Although volunteers, organizations and refugees themselves are taking action to tame the Jungle and make it more “livable,” compared to other countries, France’s pledge to equip the camp with toilets, running water, and electricity is pathetic. Even in countries with far less resources, refugee camps provide schools for children, permanent housing structures, and sanitation services.

Susan Perry of the American University of Paris specializes in international human rights law. Perry explains that under the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees ratified by France, the country is under no legal obligation to provide better assistance for these refugees. The Convention states that refugees must seek refuge at the first safe country they reach. To reach France, those from African and Middle Eastern nations have had to evade the authorities to avoid being registered in the immigration system of a nation where they don’t want to live. “France is not deporting the refugees, and they’re not persecuting them,” said Perry. “They’re just doing nothing.”

However, on an ethical and humanitarian level, and for the sake of its international image, Perry believes that it would be in France’s best interests to provide the Jungle with more resources as the fair treatment of refugees has generally resulted in refugees returning to their country of origin when conflict dies down.

“The more trauma they experience, the less likely they are to go back,” said Perry. The professor also said that the refugee situation Europe is seeing now is just a taste of what is to come because of climate change-related migration. “This is just the beginning of a massive human movement. This is, as the French would say, an avant-goût of what the world is going to look like in 20 years’ time.”

Many have simply lost hope. The Jungle has a way of wearing down even the most determined. Rommel confided, “I just need to get to the U.K., and feel like I’m a human. I’m not human here.” After epic journeys in search of a better life, some say that returning to their war-crippled nations would be better than waiting in a place like this. Mohammad from the Afghan Flag told me that continuing life in the Jungle would be worse than the prospect of returning to Afghanistan after eight years of seeking asylum abroad. “The end is nothing. I’m going back to Afghanistan. I’m tired. Each year, for eight years, we’ve been looking for a place to live. In Greece, it’s the Jungle. In Turkey, it’s the Jungle. Everywhere is the Jungle.” w

“LIFE IN THIS JUNGLE, IT’S MESSY. IT’S DEFINITELY NOT A HUMAN’S LIFE.”

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“THIS IS JUST THE BEGINNING OF A MASSIVE HUMAN MOVEMENT. THIS IS, AS THE FRENCH WOULD SAY, AN AVANT-GOÛT OF WHAT THE WORLD IS GOING TO LOOK LIKE IN 20 YEARS’ TIME.”

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no surrender An Open Letter To the City of Paris

by Olivia Kuczynski photography by Carenina Sasha

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’m scared. I’m not just scared of another terrorist attack on the city where I was born and raised. I’m scared of the consequences of the Paris attacks of November 13, 2015.

Over the past few years, I have witnessed a growing sense of xenophobia in France. My earliest memory of this goes all the way back to the presidential election of 2002. I will never forget the look on my mother’s face when Jean-Marie Le Pen, then leader of the far-right Front National (FN) party, made it to the run-off election against Jacques Chirac. My parents, well-integrated, white Polish immigrants with French passports by virtue of naturalization, suddenly felt extremely unwanted in the country they had always considered their home.

Although Chirac won by a landslide that year, the FN has since become one of the largest political parties in France, led by Le Pen’s youngest daughter, Marine. While this family business may sound quite charming, remember that this is a woman that once compared Muslims praying in French streets to Nazi occupiers – a statement she was put on trial for in October 2015.

The dramatic ascent of the FN and the solidifying support for Marine Le Pen’s candidacy to the presidency in 2017 speak volumes to the rising sense of racism in France – a hatred that is more often than not targeted at Muslim communities.

The Islamic State knew about this when they attacked France. They knew all too well.

So, I’m scared. Scared that Western citizens will begin to wrongfully associate every Muslim with the horrific ideology that the Islamic State defends.

Scared that the attacks will intensify the belief that there is an “us versus them” divide. Scared of a politics that will promote a war on terrorism, because that is a war that cannot be won by either side.

ISIS wants you to buy into Islamophobia, because it strengthens the idea of a clash of civilizations and legitimizes their war against the West. This can be seen in their attack on the 11th arrondissement, a young, ethnically diverse area of Paris that celebrates the amalgam between cultures. The xenophobic backlash and the segregation of societies is exactly what ISIS expects in their nihilistic narrative.

The issues that have given rise to the Islamic State go beyond the specific geopolitical and Sreligious

context of the Middle East. The roots of this organization feed on conditions of social injustice, bad governance, and segregating racism. The more we encourage these values within our countries, the more we justify the resentment that the Islamic State uses to gather new recruits and unite existing ones.

If we choose to inflict discrimination and seclusion upon the hopeless Syrian refugees who are fleeing their own homes because of incessant attacks and terror, we should not be surprised by who they might turn to.

By giving into Islamophobia, we give credence and justify the discourse of denigration exhorted by the Islamic State. I would argue that employing the rhetoric of warfare contributes further to this, since it deepens the notion that there are merely two opposing factions.

Religion is what you bring to it. It is socially, politically and economically dependent. I urge everyone not to succumb to Islamophobia, because Islam doesn’t inherently promote violence or peace. Violent dispositions will find their way to violent translations.

From the Buddhist attacks on Muslims in Myanmar to the Jewish “price tag” attacks in Palestine, extremism comes in all shapes and shades.

My last request is for people to stop telling me not to pray for Paris, for Beirut, for Kenya, for Japan and for the world. Prayers do not necessarily spiral into hateful religious ideologies and those who conflate the two fail to acknowledge the spiritual value of inner peace and its impact upon those afflicted. I will pray, I will meditate, I will hope. If I find serenity in my heart and soul by doing so, who are you to tell me that I am not accomplishing anything?

I am thankful for the people that still understand compassion and send their love, wherever they may be around the world and whomever they may pray to. They remind us that France will never be alone, will never be oppressed, and will never be sunk. It will stand as one. Today, more than ever before.

I look around me in the metro on my commute to school and I see the faces of resistance. They may well come from countries that aren’t mine and speak languages that a lifetime wouldn’t suffice to learn, but they all say the same thing: we will never surrender.

Suddenly, I am no longer scared. w

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photography by Carenina Sasha

The Afftermath of the Attacks

paris: november 14, 2015

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Pages 56–57 Le Carillon, 18 rue Alibert Pages 58–59 Lavatronic, rue de la Fontaine au Roi Pages 60–61 Le Carillon, 18 rue Alibert Pages 62–63 Le Bataclan, 50 boulevard Voltaire

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WEB OF ADDICTION Is Social Media a Drug?

by Carl-Johan Karlsson photography by Eric Pickersgill

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aniel is wearing a washed out t-shirt that reads “Stay Connected.” He chuckles when he catches me looking down at it: “I thought it would be suited for the occasion.” He looks nothing like what you would expect from someone who has spent the greater part of a decade glued to a screen, playing strategy computer games and online poker. He is in good shape, with well-cut hair and colorful tattoos on his forearms. “The nerd with an Iron Maiden t-shirt and greasy skin is a stereotype that may have been more adequate twenty years ago”, he says, “when gaming culture was isolated to a smaller community. Today, it’s so widespread I don’t even think you could talk of a stereotype.”

Daniel (last name withheld to protect his privacy) is one of a growing number of people getting treatment for Internet addiction. The recent spike in Internet usage linked to mobile devices has led to a global debate over the benefits of increased connectedness. Research shows that one in eight Americans suffer from problematic Internet use. While this suggests that these developments come at a price, questions have been raised over how this cost can be measured. Is this increased connectivity merely detaching us from the real world, or could the virtual reality that it creates be a valuable new space for social interaction?

Treatment centers for Internet addiction started to spread throughout Asia nearly a decade ago. South

Korea – one of the most connected nations on the planet – was the first country to acknowledge Internet Addiction Disorder (IAD) as a national problem. The first boot camp to treat IAD opened in 2007, where a combination of exercise and therapy aimed to help troubled youths. The program includes military-style obstacle courses, therapy sessions, and workshops to help better understand the nature of addiction. Some of these initiatives were fueled by public pressure following the deaths of several people in South Korea from excessive gaming, with heart failure stemming from malnutrition and exhaustion the presumed cause of death in a number of these cases.

Internet addiction centers spread throughout Asia, and soon to the rest of the world. In China, roughly 250 camps have opened over the last 8 years. In Europe, many addiction clinics are now expanding their scope to include Internet addiction, while centers focusing solely on Internet use are becoming increasingly common. The first U.S. Internet rehabilitation clinic opened in 2009 in Fall City, Washington. The ReStart Internet Addiction Recovery Program offers everything from family-assessment programs and inhouse coaching, to an on-site 45-day program.

Daniel remembers feeling nervous as he sat on the metro headed for the addiction clinic for the first time. “It wasn’t really my own decision to go, and I wasn’t sure if I really needed help. I know that sounds like traditional addict thinking, but I still hold today

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“IF YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT WHAT YOU CAN FEEL, WHAT YOU CAN SMELL, WHAT YOU CAN TASTE AND SEE, THEN ‘REAL’ IS SIMPLY ELECTRICAL SIGNALS INTERPRETED BY YOUR BRAIN.”

that most of my doubts were justified.”

Growing up before broadband existed, Daniel remembers spending most of his time outdoors.

He lived in one of the poorer suburbs in northern Stockholm, Sweden, where the only sources of entertainment consisted of a climbing wall missing half of the grips and a football field where the grass had stopped growing. Although Daniel’s family were lower middle class, and the suburb – with its gray houses and worn down sidewalks – was everything but ideal for a kid, he remembers his childhood as happy. “I spent half of my first 14 years on that field; always running, screaming, sweating, and I never felt underprivileged; I don’t even think I was aware of coming from a poor family.”

Daniel started spending more time in front of the computer in his early teens. He says that broadband added a new dimension to the Internet and made it more affordable. He started playing online games and poker, and later visited porn sites and live sex rooms. “Of course it led me to spend less time outdoors and with my friends from school, but I replaced that with friends I met online,” he said. Daniel spent more and more time online in high school, but it wasn’t until he started university that people began reacting to his habits. “Friends had been telling me that I was gaming too much, and my girlfriend told me – often several times a day – that I was neglecting her.” After a fight with his girlfriend that had been going on for over a week, Daniel eventually agreed to go see a therapist.

During the first session, the therapist asked him about his Internet habits and his background. He remembers trying to answer as honestly as possible, but also being aware of how strange his answers sounded coming from someone seeking help for an addiction. “I didn’t have any real problems as I saw it.

I had decent grades, friends, I had never been bullied, and although my parents are divorced, I was already an adult when they separated. I remember stating at the end that it was really my girlfriend who wanted me to go.” On his second visit, the therapist explained the characteristics of Internet addiction, introduced a plan to reduce his Internet use, while setting exercises in mindfulness and relaxation.

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“The doctor was very therapeutic and nice, but I still thought ‘why do I need this?’ Suddenly it seemed like it was clear to everyone – except for me – that I had an addiction problem.”

Dr. Stefan Sandström has 40 years of experience in addiction treatment and runs his own clinic in Stockholm, which also handles Internet addiction. He states that it does not differ much from other types of addiction, and that treatment is therefore similar. According to Sandström, the underlying factors for IAD are also often the same: young people have experienced some kind of alienation, while older people have marital problems or financial troubles.

The Internet becomes a substitute for the things they are missing.

The majority of Sandström’s experience relates to treating drug addiction. He says that long-term drug abusers stagnate in their personal development. They often wear the same clothes they did 30 years ago and follow the same trends. He believes the same to be true of Internet addicts. Many are in their teens – the very age at which you are supposed to adapt to adult life. By isolating themselves in front of their computers, their development is stalled, and they are likely to be at a severe disadvantage when entering the adult world. The deep immersion in the virtual world becomes “a type of handicap,” as he describes it.

This bundling of the treatment of Internet addiction into other well-established forms of treatment is doubted in some circles. Questions have been raised regarding the comparability of an addiction to drugs, which are both illegal and can be seriously damaging to health, with an addiction to an activity as anodyne and widespread as Internet use.

How many of us could be considered Internet addicts? Is fantasizing about the weekend’s upcoming gaming session comparable to restlessly anticipating Friday night’s first line of cocaine?

Daniel Kardefelt-Winther has a PhD in Media and Communications from the London School of Economics and Political Science, and is currently doing post-doctoral research on neurological aspects of addiction. When confronted with Dr. Sandström’s statement about excessive Internet use stalling de-

BELOW Syrian refugees gather around a camp in Calias, France.

BELOW Syrian refugees gather around a camp in Calias, France.

Photo by Sasha Sanchez

Photo by Sasha Sanchez

velopment, he says: “I wonder if he would see my development as stalled too, because playing computer games was what I spent most of my time doing during my teens.” Winther is critical of the clustering of IAD with other types of addiction. In his view, as narcotics are both illegal and physically harmful, it makes no sense to talk about Internet use in the same terms. For a drug or alcohol addict, the treatment goal will be to abstain or reduce consumption, which does not have to be the case for Web addicts. There is not necessarily a contradiction in letting someone keep their Internet use up while being treated, as virtual reality can be a valid coping mechanism. As with drugs, the Net can be used for escapism, but with the fundamental difference that Internet use itself is not physically harmful.

Winther describes a tendency within addiction research to make normal behavior into something abnormal and harmful. “There is an American researcher named Danah Boyd who explains that we interact pretty much the same way through the Internet as before. It is not the interaction that has

changed, but merely the space of interaction.” He says that the starting point in both research and public discussion is usually that increased interconnectedness is something negative, but that there is actually very little research to back this up. Instead, this presumption springs from a public moral hysteria that has existed throughout history. “I think it was Aristotle who said that the spread of the pen would be the end of mankind, as we no longer would have to remember things anymore.” According to Winther, changing social orders has always frightened people.

“The spread of comic magazines throughout the U.S. was seen as something promiscuous that harmed youngsters. After that it was radio, then television, and now the Internet.”

After a time, Daniel stopped going to his sessions.

He kept asking himself if the problem that seemed so obvious for everyone else was actually real. “I did reduce my Internet use, but mostly out of respect for my girlfriend who needed more attention,” he admitted. It was more the hostile sentiment toward Daniel’s Internet habits that eventually alienated him

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IS FANTASIZING ABOUT THE WEEKEND’S UPCOMING GAMING SESSION COMPARABLE TO RESTLESSLY ANTICIPATING FRIDAY NIGHT’S FIRST LINE OF COCAINE?

from many of his friends. “I would tell my friends – after having spent time the whole day with them – that I was spending the night gaming. The reactions were always negative, sometimes even condescending. If I would have said that I was going to a bar to get wasted, I don’t think anyone would have objected.”

Today Daniel regrets not having objected to the assessment of his Internet use. “I was told that feeling the need to look at your phone when waiting for the bus or standing in line is stressful and unhealthy behavior. It’s absurd. Look at this, for example.” Daniel points to the queue leading up to the café’s counter.

In the long line of people waiting to pay for their coffees, half of them are looking down at their phones.

“If that is stressful or unhealthy behavior, then the vast majority of the population in industrialized countries needs to see a therapist. How are we then to tackle this ‘problem’ when developing technology will lead us to be even more connected?”

The body of research on IAD has mainly been developed by people who were raised before the era of broadband and mobile devices, which begs the question of whether they are in a better position to assess the impact of Wthese changes, or are simply unable to fully understand their area of research. For Winther, despite twenty years of research in this area, the theory is astoundingly poorly developed. “We have not yet started asking the question: why are we behaving this way? Instead we have focused on trying to find parallels with drug addictions. I have even heard horror stories about kids being placed in discussion groups with heroin addicts to better understand their addiction.” He sees the research as partly to blame for the common public perception that the Internet is bad, and the moral hysteria it has entailed.

A growing sense of skepticism toward virtual life has been spreading among dedicated users of social media. In November 2015, prominent Instagram users Essena O’Neill and “Socality Barbie” announced their withdrawal from the platform. O’Neill – an 18year old Australian with over 600,000 followers – described Instagram culture as “a system based on social approval, likes, validation, in views, success in followers. It’s perfectly orchestrated self-absorbed judgment.” Portland-based wedding photographer Darby Cisneros created the Socality Barbie account – amassing over 1.3 million followers – to mock the Instagram trends she saw as ridiculous. While O’Neill and Cisneros make valid points by calling into question the construction of a perfect virtual life, their statements also constitute a paradox, as their messages have been widely spread through social media.

In October 2015, the American photographer Eric Pickersgill released the series “Removed,” which quickly became an online success. His photographs portray a series of everyday scenarios where portable devices have been removed from the images. He explains that his intention was never to cast a negative light on our use of devices, but yet the series has

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almost exclusively been read as critical. “My work exists for people on both sides [of the argument], and I do not at all want to make the statement that technology is bad.” He mentions an article in Wired criticizing his work. In the piece, Julianne Ross, an editor at MTV News and a feminist activist, writes in response to his images that it is worth considering how portable devices and social media divide our attention, but that the “glaring problem with all this modern handwringing, however, is its presumption that the complex, wondrous worlds behind our screens aren’t real.” Pickersgill, however, recognizes that “what is happening online is very real, it’s made by real people, and it should have real consequences.”

The scale and intensity of the response to Pickersgill’s work is symptomatic of a shift toward increasing interconnectedness and the fears that this ignites. As our experience of reality becomes increasingly virtual, are these fears becoming more entrenched?

The next technological revolution is likely to be reality glasses and goggles. Google has developed glasses that display information in a smartphone-like hands-free format where communication with the Web is done through voice commands. Oculus VR – a technology firm acquired by Facebook in 2014 – has developed a different type of goggles with a focus on the gaming industry, where the advanced display technology enables the sensation of actual presence.

During Facebook’s annual developer conference F8, held earlier this year, the Chief Scientist of Oculus, Michael Abrash, referred to the film “The Matrix” when describing humanity’s potential future. Quoting the character Morpheus when addressing the topic of virtual reality (VR), Abrash said, “If you are talking about what you can feel, what you can smell, what you can taste and see, then ‘real’ is simply electrical signals interpreted by your brain.”

Dr. Sandström claims that the development toward VR cannot be stopped, as the forces driving it are too strong to resist. In his view, the question of whether the development of VR should be considered “good” or “bad” is an existential one. “Some people argue that the meaning of life is to optimize pleasure. From this perspective, a virtual reality may not be a bad option; if we know how to stimulate the brain through technology, then we can live very pleasurable lives.”

However, he sees this pursuit of pleasure as coming at a price: “It’s easier to control us now than at any other point in history. Maybe this, in a way, is the end of humanity as we know it.”

This question of whether man is gradually ceding control to his machines is no longer the preserve of science-fiction. Mrigaen Kapadia, the founder of the mobile app start-up Mobifolio and the creator of BreakFree – an app designed to help people control their digital lifestyle – states that as long as we are unable to incorporate emotion into technology, the positive aspects of a move toward a virtual reality will be very limited. “Right now there is a very thin line

between us controlling technology, and technology controlling us,” he said. “People are just becoming aware of the downsides of Internet use, and as these become increasingly apparent, people will take more conscious initiatives to staying unplugged.”

While increased connectedness has been met with growing opposition, can “staying unplugged” be a viable option without completely alienating ourselves from the rest of society?

Daniel sees it as futile to resist a development that will happen whether we approve of it or not. His experiences from the rehab clinic made him more aware of the downsides of Internet use, but also of the false presumptions he sees the treatment as being based upon. “Everything has to be assessed with an open mind. What I experienced were people who had already made up their minds, and such attitudes are always harmful – Internet or no Internet.”

He points at the table next to us where a girl is hunched over while texting on her phone. Her hair hangs down on both sides of her face, creating a private space for her and whomever she is writing to. “Would she feel better sitting there without her phone? Possibly, but there are many people who would not be. I can honestly say that the Internet, and everything it has brought to my world, has made me happier.” w

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(ALMOST) NAKED & FAMOUS Is Instagram Censoring the Female Body?

by Phoebe Todd photograph by Esmay Wagemans

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hen porn is just a click away and where hyper sexualized advertisements grace our billboards, magazines, and our countless screens and devices, how do we approach the topic of censorship? Censorship has always existed, but as author Donald Thomas states: “The relevant question at any stage of human history is not ‘Does censorship exist?’ but rather, ‘Under what sort of censorship do we now live?’”

This generation has experienced radical change in terms of censorship and publication. The emergence of the Internet has completely revolutionized the way we access information, communicate, and share ideas and concepts. While an online network allows for a freer flow of ideas and ease of access to publication, users still face censorship – especially when it comes to social media. Instagram and Facebook receive a tremendous amount of attention for their community guidelines, a blurry set of parameters that govern what is and is not suitable for public viewing.

The problem of censorship comes clearly into focus in the realm of art. Contemporary art’s use of imagery follows no particular set of rules and many artists make use of difficult or taboo topics in their work. While some may intentionally be testing the limits of what is deemed to be acceptable, Instagram seems to have gotten into the habit of censoring art that isn’t all that controversial. Some of the images censored online don’t question profound issues, but instead have been removed due to the social stigma surrounding gender and the body.

In the 1930s, Frida Kahlo was creating art that was both very personal and direct. No topic was taboo – her work questioned issues of conception, abortion, sexuality, gender equality and politics, unsettling the art world in the name of personal expression. While staring at Kahlo’s self-portrait “The Broken Column,” the message of pain and anguish she conveys overpowers the shock of her exposed breasts. Compare her work to that of contemporary artists and the themes are similar, and yet these issues are still often subjected to censorship.

This year, at the 13th annual Frieze Art Fair in London, a set of realistic figurative sculptures by artist John De Andrea were on display. The sculptures were

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amazingly lifelike nudes. When an art fair attendee – the renowned art dealer Emmanuel Perrotin – posted a photo of the work on Instagram, it was removed due to nudity violations. Perrotin then restored his post with stars over the nipples and commented on the shame of the censorship.

Instagram’s restrictive guidelines claim that “nudity in photos of paintings and sculptures is okay,” and yet the company removed a post that was labelled as an artistic work. Seen in a museum context, this nude sculpture wouldn’t be considered offensive at all. The beauty of the work lies in its hyperrealism, however Instagram focused instead on the nudity of the female body. This raises the question of who is in charge of policing publication on the network, but also how social media defines nudity in itself.

“It’s hard to know the difference between a work of art and something pornographic, especially with arbitrary restrictions,” says James Alefantis, curator of Transformer, an independent gallery in Washington D.C. that has campaigned against art censorship.

“When you sign the agreement to go on Instagram, you agree to follow the guidelines. It’s something that they, [Instagram], have to take very seriously as an act of practice of thought.”

Censorship on Instagram extends far beyond nudity, however. This past May, a photo by artist Rupi Kaur was removed from Instagram twice for its explicit content. The photo didn’t depict any violence, sexual acts, or nakedness – which are all considered explicit – and yet it was still deleted. The photo was part of a series on shame and menstruation and depicted a fully clothed woman with a period stain. Instagram unknowingly carried out the exact act the artist was condemning: shaming women for their nature. Kaur responded very publicly with an essay, in which she stated: “I will not apologize for not feeding the ego and pride of misogynist society that will have my body in underwear but not be okay with a small leak.”

Gender-biased censorship on social media seems to be increasingly common, and it has given rise to notable campaigns like the Free the Nipple movement.

More than just an effort to promote nudity, the movement is driven by a need for respect and equality, and the right for women to not have to hide a body

part that men are allowed to show freely. College student Julia Madden strongly supports the movement: “Those who want to be topless shouldn’t be penalized for having mammary glands. Refusing to allow women to bare their breasts reinforces a paradigm in which the female anatomy is sexualized.” The goal of the movement is to break down the idea that the female body is seen as something inherently sexual, and should be held subject to society’s standards.

At times Instagram’s censors do seemingly little to protect the public. Rather, they draw more attention to what – and who – is being censored. Art is a field where free expression is encouraged and communication is vital. Jonathan Shimony, an art history and fine arts professor at the American University of Paris, strongly believes that: “We are all responsible for ourselves and should judge for ourselves what is acceptable and the only way we can do that is by making artwork public. Censorship is a way of infantilizing the population. People in power should not have the right to decide what is appropriate.” It is up to the artist to communicate intentions and ideas, and up to the public to interpret them. However, the public has to be able to see the art in order to make such a judgment.

In an effort to work around Instagram’s censors, artist Esmay Wagemans has created a latex suit that is form fitting to the point of mimicking a “Second Skin,” as the name of her project indicates. The revealing molded sculptures technically follow the guidelines of Instagram, but still show the female form in all of its detail. As Wagemans says, “Our society maintains the sexual objectification of the female body. Because of this, we keep linking the body to something sexual and experience it as something shocking.” She hopes to break down these barriers and change the perceptions we have of the naked body.

Perhaps Instagram’s censors will finally draw attention to our intransigent attitudes as a population. But until then, artists will continue to challenge authority and public perceptions, regardless of what the “community guidelines” of the era may be. w

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18 PEACOCK

HOLE IN THE WALL

An Art Project Takes on Freedom of Information

by Kendra Mills

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ext to the Centre Pompidou in Paris, a white pipe protrudes inconspicuously from the wall. Hundreds of people pass by it each day, unaware that it contains a flash drive, a small piece of an “anonymous, offline, peer to peer file-sharing network in public space” known as Dead Drops. The name of this network was coined in reference to the espionage practice of leaving a “dead drop,” where the two participants never meet, but rather communicate by trading information in a secure, secret location. Comprised of a series of USB drives physically installed in various public locations around the world, Dead Drops was created by the German artist Aram Bartholl during his residency at New York’s Eyebeam Art and Technology Center in October 2010. At the time, Bartholl implanted the first five USB drives in Brooklyn and Manhattan and launched a website with information on the project.

Dead Drops began at a time when heightened attention was being paid to data storage and protection, particularly in the U.S. In the context of growing concerns about privacy and data protection, the openness of the Dead Drops project was a radical gesture.

Bartholl doesn’t regard the project as an ideal means of information sharing, but rather as a vehicle for changing perceptions. According to his manifesto, “In an era of growing clouds and fancy new devices without access to local files we need to rethink the freedom and distribution of data.”

Professor Susan Perry of the American University of Paris has written

about digital technology and human rights and has used Parisian drops in some of her courses. Perry points out that the dead drops are used for quite different reasons. Speaking about the reactions in France and the U.S., she notes that “France has strong data protection; the people [using dead drops] here are engaging in alternative culture. In the U.S. people are also engaging in alternative culture, but also they may regard [them] as a safety practice.”

In her view, the Dead Drops project is more than a countercultural stunt.

It reflects a growing distrust of the current system of online information sharing and data protection. In their reliance on individual responsibility and collective participation, the drops are a subversive alternative to mainstream information sharing practices involving impenetrable terms and conditions that appear to be in a constant state of flux.

Currently around 1,800 dead drops have been installed around the world – from New York to Paris and London to Beijing – roughly half of which are still functional. To find or catalog a drop, users can log on to Bartholl’s online database (www.deaddrops.com) and search by city or area of interest. The site specifies whether or not the drop is operational and the creators of the drops sometimes give a description of their original content.

For each drop photographs and instructions are provided so that people know where to look, as they are often hidden in pipes, beneath stairs, or in the cracks in walls. In fact, Bartholl encourages users to be subtle in their

installations, as the intention of the project is not to disrupt the space in which it exists.

Beyond their symbolic value as a tool for digital activism, there is a quaintness to the dead drops that inspires whimsy in their creators and users. A young musician may upload his recent work to the drive, so that it will only be heard by a select few who recognize the value of something that has been so narrowly released into the world. A lonely traveler might write a letter to future visitors, describing his adventures and wishing them well. A bookworm might share a list of their favorite novels. One of the most common forms of upload to the drives are selfies taken as a way of asserting the user’s presence – a form of digital graffiti.

There is also an impermanence to these installations as the data they contain will disappear soon enough, whether from material erosion, bad weather, careless installation, angry passersby, or simply by the drives becoming infected with viruses or malware.

Perry notes that this risk of infection makes the dead drops something of an experiment that “requires an honor code.” In lieu of that, there is an online database allowing users to track any potential problems with each drop and the community may self-correct by removing the defiled drives.

Beyond viruses, the content of the drives can also be problematic. Earlier this year there was a minor uproar when police removed a drive in Germany containing plans to build a bomb and a recipe for crystal meth, as well as recipes for several poisons. To Bartholl, the lack of security was inherent to the project and worth the risk, as he was driven by the image of a person kneeling on some strange street corner with their laptop in order to connect with the city, its people, and the space, all via a flimsy USB drive.

The drops are inextricably tied to the place in which they are installed, with the data lodged in walls, sidewalks, and bridges, immovable until the drive is destroyed. As a result, the information and the experience contained on a drive are often tied to the drive’s geographical location. Some of the first drops were implanted on each of the Manhattan bridges and Bartholl has stated that he pictured the bridges alight with little flecks of information collected on his drives.

The content of the drive obviously doesn’t have to reflect its immediate surroundings, but it is interesting to note the ways in which they resonate: many of the installations contain information relating to local residents and their experiences. Small pieces of the city and people are brought into conversation with one another and Bartholl encourages users to install the drives in meaningful locations.

In June 2015 the Palais de Tokyo, the largest contemporary art space in Paris, collaborated with Bartholl to host an ongoing “exhibition” of his work consisting of an installation of four dead drops around the museum allowing audiences to visit and experience the project for themselves. For this exhibit – as for others – Bartholl encouraged visitors to bring their

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own artwork to upload and tell their networks that their work was being shown at the exhibition venue.

In fact, France was one of the first countries to embrace the Dead Drops project. Aside from the political ramifications concerning information distribution, the dead drops also imply a rejection of copyright laws.

Peer-to-peer file sharing is illegal in France, which makes the drops all the more edgy, although, for the most part, people share their own material – photos, music, art – so they haven’t attracted too much legal attention. At one time there were more than 30 dead drops around Paris, though less than 10 remain. The Palais de Tokyo drops were among the last installed and they are still operational. The other remaining drives include several highlights: in the first arrondissement there is a USB for collecting video games; in the Marais area, there is a drop with various flyers and invitations for gallery exhibits; another with an alarming collection of manga; several boast funky playlists for both English and French speakers.

Dead Drops has been likened to other projects that emphasize interconnectedness in different ways, such as geocaching or book-dropping, where a global network of people anonymously track and exchange objects or books. However, this is more than a sharing network, but one which treads the line between art and activism. Since its inception, the project was designed to communicate dissatisfaction with the current methods of online data sharing. In the context of the continuing revelations made by Edward Snowden on the state of online data use and misuse around the world, Dead Drops has never felt more relevant. w

creating your own dead drop 1. Read the Dead Drops Manifesto, found on the project website or at any of the active drops.

2. Get a USB drive.

3. Wrap it in plumber’s tape to seal it off for later installation.

4. Download readme.txt and the Dead Drops manifesto, which explains the dead drop ideologies and is found in various translations on the website. (Users are encouraged to continue the translation process).

5. Edit the authorship and date of the material you want to share and it to the drive.

6. Install the drive with fast-setting concrete in an area that can be easily accessed by someone with a laptop and make sure the USB is facing upwards.

7. Take three pictures, getting progressively closer to the exact location of your flash drive.

8. Submit your drop to the database.

How To Grow The Perfect Beard Reclaiming the Beard From the Hipsters

by Carl-Johan Karlsson illustrations by Topher McCulloch

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ince the emergence of the hipster, the beard has been in steady decline. Today, facial hair comes with a set of public presumptions; that you also drink Brooklyn Lager, drive a vintage moped, and only eat organic food. Until now, this arbitrary bundling of all bearded men into a single category has gone unchallenged – but it is time for a change. An awe-inspiring beard should be an unalienable right for all men. Our guide to the intricacies of facial grooming will allow you to take back what is rightfully ours.

THE TOOLS

Trimmer: Try to find a trimmer that cuts up to 20 mm.

If you are growing a full beard then scissors will eventually be needed, but a long-length trimming option will make the first two months of manscaping a lot easier. If you happen to share your pad with a lady, then consider choosing a trimmer that collects the hair for you. Travel enthusiasts and restless nomads should aim for a machine with a lithium-ion battery to avoid running out of juice mid-shave, and a waterproof option to facilitate cleaning will safeguard from hairy messes in your suitcase.

Beard and Moustache Brush: This will help you to keep your beard under control and also to apply wax or oil. A frequent use of wax eventually wears down the straws, so you may want to look for a 2-for-1 offer.

Beard Wax: There is a great variety of waxes on the

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market, offering different hold, scent and color. If you are uncertain of where your beard adventure is headed, then pick a medium hold wax without color. Scent is a matter of preference, but make sure to do an allergy test somewhere else on your body before you smear it all over your face.

Beard Oil: While there are seemingly infinite varieties of beard oils, don’t worry too much about it: they’re pretty much all the same. Do however show your beard the respect it deserves and pick an oil made from natural ingredients.

Shampoo and Conditioner: Yes, facial hair gets split ends too. You want to make sure to always condition your beard after washing it to ensure long-lasting quality. There are plenty of alternatives especially designed for the beard, but they are really the same as hair products so don’t waste your money.

THE STYLE

There are a few things you need to consider when picking your cut: what kind of growth you have, how much time you are ready to invest, and your facial-hair goal. Here are three essential beard styles to get you started.

THE FULL BEARD

For whom: A full beard is every pubescent boy’s wet dream. If respect and admiration is your goal, then you should start growing. Unfortunately, this cut is

very hard to pull off if you don’t have the right genetics or aren’t quite of age. For those of you who are almost there, but lack that little extra oomph, there are supplements that can carry you through those last yards; beard fillers, touch-up pens, and beard colors are available in most online grooming stores. A full beard is also a good option for round-headed folks as it makes your face appear somewhat longer.

How to: The tricky part here is the neckline, and mistakes can have devastating consequences. Trimming your neckline too high will give you that gang-banger look that most of us want to avoid, and trimming too low will make your beard look unkempt. The perfect neckline marks the end of your beard in a way that seems natural. This means trimming the beard from the top of your Adam’s apple, along the slightly curved line running below your jawline, to end right below your ear. If your hair is thinner on the upper part of your cheeks, then make sure to trim it down to create a distinct line.

Growing time: 4–6 months.

THE DEPP BEARD

For whom: This is the perfect choice for those who have yet to develop a proper beard – an excellent choice for teenagers and the face-follically challenged. The look only requires a little hair on the chin, and even a moped moustache will do. However, it is essential to clearly signal that your beard of choice is

a conscious decision, and not a result of sparse facial hair. This is done by keeping this little beard well in order, and trimming every other trace of hair on your cheeks and neck.

How to: The only part requiring some skill is the angle of the moustache. Focus on the negative space, and not the moustache itself – the space between your upper lip and the moustache should form a triangle.

Just make sure not to make it too broad.

Growing time: 1–2 weeks.

THE GURU BEARD

For whom: The ultimate choice for those who spend time in spiritual or drug-liberal circuits, play the harmonica, or like vegetables. This beard obviously requires presentable facial-hair growth, without the thickness of the full beard. This is the type of beard that will attract a lot of attention, while adding credibility to whatever you say.

How to: To achieve this sectarian style, all you really need to do is invest a lot of time in growth and maintenance. While you have to trim your moustache frequently, the beard can grow freely. However, be generous with conditioning, oiling, and combing – the magic of the Guru Beard lies within its shine.

Growing time: 2–3 years. w

PEACOCK 79

Who is Stan Smith ?

Meet the Man Behind Your Favorite Shoe

by Jesse Merchant illustration by Sérigraphie Montmartre

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lame it on normcore or on the cultural power of the contemporary hipster, but you cannot deny the prevalence of the new “it” shoe: the Adidas Stan Smith sneaker. Celebrities wear them with designer clothing to shop on Melrose, athletes wear them with sweatpants to and from the gym, and artists wear them with dad jeans to the Sunday market.

However, despite Adidas’s prominent marketing of the sneakerSS, most people do not know who Smith is or why his name is on their shoes.

For the better part of the 1900s, professional tennis was a sport played mostly by men in dress pants, leather belts, tucked in polo shirts, and flat shoes. However, by the 1970s, tennis fashion changed dramatically as players frequently opted for more comfortable outfits that granted them the ability to move more freely. This often meant players wearing very short shorts, high socks, and simple, white sneakers.

So, when Stan Smith rose to fame in 1971 as the number one tennis player in the world, Adidas took its first tennis shoe, originally released in 1963 and named after the earlier tennis professional Robert Haillet, and rebranded it around Smith. In 1978, the name stuck, and the shoe was a huge success.

Today, these shoes are still true to their original style; the silhouette, lining, and core colors all

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directly reference Stan Smith. However, there have been modern updates such as new detail colors in green, navy and red. The shoes featured illustrations of Stan Smith on their tongues have also led to an increased appeal to Adidas’s modern consumer. Stan Smiths can now be seen all over the streets of major cities, and while designers like Common Projects, Yves Saint Laurent and Raf Simons have all come out with luxury versions at higher price points, the Adidas Stan Smith remains the public’s favorite.

What does it say though, that the sneaker initially designed for tennis no longer serves that purpose?

Modern technology has allowed brands like Adidas to develop better fitting shoes with more support and lighter materials intended for the sport of tennis. Now, ironically, Stan Smith sneakers are purely worn for leisure. Even though the shoe may seem basic, Stan Smiths have truly stood the test of time.

So keep your pair around – Stan doesn’t seem to be going anywhere. 0