February 2, 2021

The Concordian.

NEWS // Pre-Recorded Lectures / Racial Profiling / Australia vs.

Google / +

COMMENTARY // Katie Hammer Profile / Beauty Standards in News / Flex Culture / +

ARTS // Cujah / Cryptoart / Aanchal Malhotra / Ar(t) chives /

MUSIC // Are Album Reviews Necessary? / Alex Mav Feature / +

VOLUME 38, ISSUE 9 TUESDAY FEBRUARY 2, 2021

// theconcordian @theconcordian @theconcordian theconcordian.com

SPORTS // Skating in Parks / NHL’s Vicious Hits / Tim and Sid

News.

NEWS EDITORS Hadassah Alencar / @Hadassahalencar Juliette Palin / @PalinJuliette news@theconcordian.com

CONCORDIA

How an eConcordia lecturer is still teaching, even after his death An eConcordia class is continuing to use online course content developed by late faculty member Chloe Elek Contributor

Concordia student Aaron Ansuini was left shocked and confused last Wednesday when he tried to search for the email address of the man he believed to be his professor and instead found an “In Memoriam” page.

Ansuini is enrolled in “From Realism to Abstraction in Canadian Art,” an eConcordia course. The instructor for the course is Dr. Marco Deyasi, a current assistant professor of Art History, but the pre-recorded video lectures are by Dr. François-Marc Gagnon, former affiliate professor in the Department of Art History and founding director of Concordia’s Gail and Stephen A. Jarislowsky Institute for Studies in Canadian Art. Gagnon died on March 28, 2019.

Deyasi describes his role as “an instructor helping students learn from the pre-recorded material by giving them individualized feedback on their written work.”

Ansuini claims that he was never told that the man whose video lectures he had been admiring was deceased. The only email he had received in relation to the course was unsigned, and from a “do-not-respond” address, he said. At the time, he assumed that the emails were from Gagnon. Although the course outline says that Deyasi is the instructor of the course while the lectures are by Gagnon, it would still be possible to assume, as Ansuini pointed out, that the two educators are both alive and reachable, currently working together to co-teach the course.

When Ansuini wanted to ask Gagnon

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Graphic by Chloë Lalonde @ihooqstudio

about an art collector that he had mentioned in one of his lectures, he found himself unsure how to reach him. This led to him searching the internet for Gagnon’s email and discovering that he was dead.

“It was one of those moments where you’re like, ‘I can’t believe this,’” Ansuini said. “Like, am I being pranked? This is obviously not okay.”

Ansuini values communication with his professors.

“I really like engaging with my teachers,” he said. “I tend to just need that connection to the teachers so that they know what I’m communicating to them.”

“Not being neurotypical doesn’t always compete well with having multiple evaluators that you’ve never met,” he added.

“I definitely don’t think it’s very okay,” Ansuini said, addressing the continued use of Gagnon’s content after his death, without students being informed that he is deceased.

“Teachers aren’t comparable to textbooks or other reusable objects, and to compare the teacher-student relationship to something like that is pretty minimizing.”

After discovering that Gagnon was dead, Ansuini, stunned, tweeted about it. His tweets received attention from many people who were disturbed by the situation, including many university professors, teaching assistants, and other university and college students. His original tweet about the situation

currently has over 23,000 retweets and over 1500 replies.

Ansuini says that the replies on Twitter helped him realize that it was important to bring the situation to people’s attention. “[The] knee-jerk reaction is to feel a little scared, because, you know, I’m an ant in this enormous institution that’s probably not very fond of me,” he said. “The added perspective of other educators helped.”

Concordia spokesperson Vannina Maestracci told The Concordian that Gagnon developed the course some time before his death and that eConcordia courses were made to last a long time.

“Dr. Gagnon was an expert in his field and this course uses his lectures as a teaching tool — as other courses use textbooks or other educational material to support teaching,” she said.

Johanne Sloan, chair of the Department of Art History at Concordia, says that a biography of Gagnon, informing students of his passing, has been made available to students in the class within the past few days, since Ansuini’s discovery and subsequent tweets. “[Gagnon] was an extraordinary teacher … he was so able to immerse you in the topic, and he loved it,” Sloan said.

“It’s such a great benefit to be able to continue to offer the results of Professor Gagnon’s pedagogy and knowledge … it’s a gift, really, it’s his legacy that exists in this form.”

NEWS

Lawyer speaks out alleging Montreal police racially profiled his client following a stop and search over his jacket

“I’m confident that if [he] were white, that interception would not have been the same way,” said Fernando Belton

Hannah Tiongson Staff Writer On Jan. 17, Andy Basora was stopped by two police officers in front of his house in Villeray–Saint-Michel for wearing a red North Face jacket similar to one reported stolen over a month ago. A video of this incident was filmed and posted on social media, where it went viral.

Basora’s lawyer Fernando Belton explained that before the video was taken, Basora was walking home from the pharmacy with his brother when he saw a police car driving in the opposite direction.Then, the police car made a U-turn and approached Basora as he was entering his home.

The video begins with two officers approaching Basora. One officer, who wasn’t wearing a mask, tells him to follow them. When Basora asks why, the officer informs the young man that he is wearing a jacket that has been reported stolen. He then grabs him by the shoulder, brings him in front of the police car, and starts going through his pockets and asking questions.

According to Belton, the encounter last-

ed five minutes before the police officers realized Basora was not responsible for the theft. Belton claims that his client, who is of Dominican ethnicity, was subject to racial profiling.

“There’s the official answer from the police department, and there’s actually what you see on the video, which I think speaks clearly about the real motive of the interception,” Belton pointed out. “I’m confident that if Andy were white, that interception would not have been the same way,” he added.

In a Twitter thread, Montreal police explained that the jacket Basora was wearing is the same as the one stolen during a violent mugging on Dec. 19, 2020. The tweets also explain the events leading to the altercation with Basora and why one officer was not wearing a mask. The SPVM claims that some situations require “quick and immediate intervention,” and wearing a mask is not “always possible.”

The SPVM police did not return a request for comment.

Belton insists that the officers in the video, who are the same officers that originally re-

ported the robbery, had no reason to question his client.

“Does the police officer intercept every young person that they see with a red North Face coat? Which is, by the way, a coat that is really popular among the youth.”

He also highlights that the police officers violated his client’s rights because neither possessed a search warrant, which is necessary to stop someone. Belton emphasizes that there were no legal grounds for this interception other than an opportunity to profile a minority racially.

A recent report commissioned by the city of Montreal in 2019 shows striking evidence of racial profiling by the SPVM. The authors demonstrate that Indigenous people and Black people are between four to five times more likely to be stopped by the police than white people are.

Moving forward, Belton and his client are in the process of filing a complaint to the Quebec Human Rights Commission as well as one to the police ethics board.

CONCORDIA

Concordia’s Black Perspectives Office strives to empower Black voices and aspirations at the university

The office offers mentorship, scholarship, and wide-range supportive opportunities for Black students Hadassah Alencar News Editor Having started off as a pilot project, Concordia’s Black Perspectives Office proved a success in 2019 and was permanently installed as an advocacy and support office for Black students at Concordia.

Three-time Concordia graduate, Montreal Black activist and author Annick Maugile Flavien is the founding coordinator at the office, which aims to address and challenge systemic racism by representing, connecting, and supporting Black perspectives.

“Our students, our faculty, our staff need spaces to connect with one another,” said Flavien during an interview with Concordia alumni Josie Fomé, Montreal journalist and podcast host featured in Concordia’s 4TH SPACE in December.

In this space, Black students can freely express themselves. Flavien said, “We can kind of talk about their actual issues, or like what they really want to talk about, because they don’t have to check their Blackness at the door.”

Advocacy, funding Black student projects and education, and creating new resources for Black students is part of the work done in the office. All scholarships and funds, which range from $300–$2,500, include consistent mentorship with Flavien to help students fulfill their goals.

Last year, the office began plans to build the Black Mental Wellness on Campus project: a new bilingual mental wellness website, which will include different year-long programs on wellness education, such as skillshares, workshops, and events.

The website says the project will integrate and work with practitioners and individuals “who are dedicated to anti-racist and holistic mental wellness.”

This term, the focus will be towards creating a mentorship program with Concordia alumni, and improving mental health services, by hiring from the

Black community into the university and helping students find the resources they need.

Like everything else, the BPO services have moved online, and while that has presented many challenges, Flavien said students are working on innovative new ideas for Black initiatives.

“It’s been really exciting because students have a lot of energy and want to engage and are coming in with their ideas,” said Flavien.

One of these new projects was Concordia’s Black Student Union (BSU), which began at the beginning of the fall 2020 semester.

Historically, Black student unions began as a way to fight racism and discrimination on campus in the 1960s. Concordia’s BSU aims to continue that legacy, along with celebrating Black excellence, and supporting Black voices and initiatives on campus.

Flavien’s vision for the office is similar to the decades-old practices of BSU: to create a culture and system similar to Historically Black Colleges and Universities in the United States.

“It was just about creating a space in which I could be myself, and I could meet people from my community; I could collaborate with them, I can innovate with them,” said Flavien.

“I think that long term vision, I see the BPO being a theoretical as well as a physical manifestation of that dream.”

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News.

NEWS EDITORS Hadassah Alencar / @Hadassahalencar Juliette Palin / @PalinJuliette news@theconcordian.com

NEWS

Photo by Kit Mergaert

Google vs. Australia: the first battle for the future of the internet

Google threatens to remove its search engine from Australia Grayson Acri Staff Writer

Graphic by Taylor Reddam

It’s no secret that traditional news media has been having a hard time.

The balance of power between news sites and aggregator sites is a fight as old as the internet. In this effort, the Australian government proposed a law last year that would require companies like Google and Facebook to pay to link to news stories.

According to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), the goal of the law is to “address bargaining power imbalances between Australian news media businesses and digital platforms, specifically Google and Facebook.”

It includes a set of rules for the publishers and social sites to adhere to, including publishing “core news,” maintaining editorial standards and being primarily Australian in origin and intended audience.

However, Google did not take this lying down. About a week ago, a yellow warning sign appeared under the search bar in Australia that linked to an open letter from Google Australia’s managing director, Mel Silvia.

They are threatening to shut down Google search from the country if the proposed law takes effect.

Google argues in a statement that this “puts Google’s business in Australia — and the services we provide more than 19 million Australians — at enormous risks,” and this monumental shift to how the internet works would lead to unforeseen consequences.

Google representatives did not respond to The Concordian’s request for comment.

“Many countries are contemplating link taxes or other forms of revenue sharing,” according to Robert Fey, managing director of digital economy at the Centre for Interna-

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tional Governance Innovation (CIGI).

“In France, for example, Alphabet [Google] has agreed to negotiate licenses to pay for content,” said Fey. That French example is an agreement between news publishers and the Alliance de la Presse d’Information Générale (APIG), where publishers make a deal with Google to showcase their articles in search results for a negotiated fee, rather than just exposure. A similar program called Google News Showcase is in place in Germany and Brazil already.

The Australian law would force Google to pay for links to news sites, not for the content of the articles.

John Hinds, president of lobbying group News Media Canada, thinks that the Australian model may be the way to go, and stated that “it’s the most effective model because it also has a code of conduct that also deals with some of the advertising issues beyond simply the idea of paying for content.”

The click economy relies on big services such as Facebook and Google to get eyes on pages. It was a mutually beneficial partnership for years, as news sites relied on the coverage that Google and Facebook could give them. In return, pages like Google and Facebook benefitted from consumers using their platforms by both finding and sharing articles. Both publishers and social sites take in ad revenue from the consumer looking at their respective pages.

Delphine Halgand-Mishra, senior fellow at CIGI argued that, “knowing that this article has a production cost to bring reliable information, then it is only fair that the media get a portion of the ad-revenue the online service providers gained thanks to users reading the article and spending time on the platform.”

Fey added that “Google’s concern is likely that if it agrees to what Australia proposes other countries will follow. That boat has left the dock.

Google’s ultimatum is not in its best interest since, in the end, it would only lose market share if it begins to pull out of countries.”

This fight comes at a pivotal point in the information age (or misinformation age).

Traditional reporting has been falling on hard times since the internet became commonplace, not just in terms of diminished readership but also in the loss of advertising revenue. Ever since 2000, revenue for newspapers in both advertising and circulation has been unstable and declining, ad revenue dropping 44 per cent between 2006 and 2009 alone. Confidence in the news continues to be low, and layoffs in newsrooms only serve to compound the troubles.

The need for reporting did not go away, however, and reliable information has only since gone up in importance. The internet removed barriers to accessing information, while not proposing a way to pay for said information.

The path forward is not entirely clear now. These rules appear to be in defiance of net neutrality, the idea that the internet is a level playing field. Many different sets of rules are likely to be rolled out across the globe, with Australia and France perhaps only early forerunners of a larger movement.

“New problems could always arise from new legislation,” argued Halgand-Mishra.

“The devil is always in the details. No legislation is ever perfect. I think this legislation will mostly change the way Google pays news providers. Google will not pay in its own terms anymore.”

CSU

CSU Positions Book expiry A referendum question was passed for the points in the position book to expire after four years Fern Clair Assistant News Editor A referendum question was put on the ballot at the Concordia Student Union (CSU) meeting on Jan. 27 to remove the recent expiry date on positions in the CSU’s Positions Book.

Back in February 2020, a different referendum question passed, giving all positions in the book a four-year expiry date. This referendum question caused a lot of controversy, including a campaign against it, called Vote NO to ‘Democratise’ Positions Book.

A positions book is a common practice in student unions: it is an outline of the unions’ position on political, social, and student-life issues.

The CSU’s positions book varies from points such as the CSU being against unpaid internships to the CSU being against racism in all forms.

Referendums are held throughout the year, and students can add questions to the ballot as long as they gain more than 500 signatures from other Concordia students and present the question to the CSU. Then, it is voted on during the student election, and if it passes, the CSU is mandated to implement it. The next referendum is from March 16 to 18.

The four-year expiry date was brought to referendum by former councilor Danielle Van-

dolder-Beaudin, who tried to have a similar motion passed in 2019. According to an article in The Link, it would have revoked over 50 positions in the book, such as freedom of expression and Indigenous solidarity.

“This document represents our political beliefs, and this represents our student body. In 10 years, maybe that won’t be a general statement. We can’t assume things like that,” said Vandolder-Beaudin in the 2020 meeting.

Other counselors did not agree with the referendum question, such as former councilor Hannah Jamet-Lange, who said she did not believe that issues such as feminism and Indigenous solidarity should be regularly voted on.

During the recent CSU meeting, there was a similar divide in reference to the new referendum question that would stop the four-year expiry date.

Many councilors saw the four-year expiry date as a way to keep the position book updated and focused. While others, such as Harrison Kirshner and S Shivaane who presented the motion, saw this as a way to undermine minority groups in Concordia.

In the general election this past fall, students voted on 19 referendum questions, several being for the positions book: Indigenous rights, Anti-racism/ Diversity and inclusion, and Antisemitism/Holocaust denial positions. All position questions passed with an overwhelming majority vote.

“We have heard this is a problem from many,

many students,” said Kirshner at the CSU meeting on Wednesday, Jan. 27, explaining that many students were surprised the CSU didn’t already support these positions.

“It’s not a good look to say we’re fighting for Indigenous issues every four years,” said Academic and Advocacy Coordinator Sarah Mazhero, agreeing with Kirshner that constantly voting on positions can imply the CSU is questioning their legitimacy.

Councillor James Hanna believes that he has a way to please both sides when it comes to the four-year expiry date.

“I’d much rather prefer the position book to be transformed into something that is binding so the CSU can actually accomplish it,” said Hanna.

He explained that his current idea is to have open-ended headers, such as Indigenous solidarity and climate change. These headers would be permanent, creating an outline of how the CSU should take action.

Under these headers would be things such as actions that should be taken by the university, and organizations to support. These positions would expire after four years, as they change in relevance to the overarching issue.

While the policy committee will work on potentially implementing Hanna’s idea, students will vote on the positions book question during the spring election in March.

NEWS

New study shows COVID-19 could become as common as a seasonal cold

Scientists explain that Coronavirus is likely here to stay

Lorenza Mezzapelle Arts Editor “It’s important to put this on the table: this virus may become just another endemic virus in our communities, and this virus may never go away,” said Dr. Michael Ryan during a press conference held by the World Health Organization (WHO) on May 13 of 2020.

It is just shy of one year later and it still doesn’t seem like there is an end in sight for COVID-19. However, a new study published in the Science journal shows that the virus is likely here to stay.

As a matter of fact, four of the six types of coronaviruses that are known to affect humans are already endemic, according to a study in the journal Trends in Microbiology. These four viruses circulate freely and are just about as disruptive as a common cold.

But what does it mean when a virus is en-

Graphic by Taylor Reddam

demic and how does it get to be that way?

According to the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, “Endemic refers to the constant presence and/or usual prevalence of a disease or infectious agent in a population within a geographic area.”

Diseases that are usually present in a community — without causing disruption — are referred to as endemic or “baseline.” A disease can continue to circulate at this “baseline” level indefinitely, and continues to be considered endemic so long as its level of prevalence does not get any higher.

“Our model, incorporating these components of immunity ... suggests that once the endemic phase is reached and primary exposure is in childhood, CoV-2 may be no more virulent than the common cold,” states the abstract in the Science study.

That is to say, COVID-19 will still be contagious but won’t cause people to get as sick over

time, eventually becoming just another viral infection, as a result of herd immunity.

According to pharmaceutical company and developers of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, Pfizer, this type of immunity takes place when a greater part of the population becomes immune to a disease as a result of either vaccinations or immunity developed as a consequence of having contracted the disease.

However, according to a 2020 article published by the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, in order for herd immunity to be effective, approximately 50 to 90 per cent of the population must be immune.

That being said, with only 2.22 per cent of the Canadian population having been vaccinated with the first dose of either the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines and over 770,000 total confirmed COVID-19 cases in Canada as of Jan. 30, there is still a long way to go until herd immunity is achieved.

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Commentary.

COMMENTARY EDITOR Aviva Majerczyk / @aviva_majerczyk

FEATURE

What does a comedian do without their stage, according to Kate

Checking in on your friendly neighbourhood comedian Simona Rosenfield Assistant Commentary Editor

shift in perspective “I love lying about traffic, for towards working sure. Anything car-related.” smart. With a focus on vulnerabiliKate Hammer gives good advice. At ty, they see the ob28, Hammer is a well-known stand-up com- stacles that come ic, writer and performer in Montreal, who from identifying most notably wrote the sellout show The as an artist, versus Peers which ran at Montreal’s 2019 Fringe not. It can be hard Festival. Hammer’s been active, of course, when you haven’t until COVID-19 hit last winter. Since then, accomplished your fans and concerned members of society big project yet, can’t help but wonder: what have all these or when you face comics been doing without a stage and mic? scrutiny and constantly feel like you “My name is Kate Hammer, and it have to prove your has been seven days since someone last chops. This insecame into my face and screamed ‘It’s Ham- curity is commonmer time!’” ly known as imposter syndrome, Hammer captured an audience last and many artists year in New York City with this introduc- come head-totion, followed by some lunging on stage. head with it at some Clearly, they did theatre as a kid. point. Hammer’s tackling it head-on: “You’re Known for their ambition and busy not like an emerging or aspiring writer,” they schedule, Hammer has a new perspective continue. “If you’re writing, you’re a writer.” on work these days.

The comedy scene has also changed re“Instead of saying yes to every show cently. Online streaming services are investor trying to do as many shows as possible, ing a lot in comedy specials, with multi-miltake a step back,” Hammer says. “It’s that lion-dollar payouts for the first-tier talent, and mindset of working smarter versus work- five-figures for those second-tier comedians. ing a lot.”

Meanwhile, live comedy is no longer available This change of pace is big for Ham- with COVID-19 measures in place indefinitemer, who grew up on a Lutheran farm in ly. Alone, each of these changes would impact Stratford, Ontario that preached, “Eat what- a comedian’s ability to “work smart.” Togethever you want. Talk straight to God.” That, er, they’ve shifted the comedy world entirely. compounded with a strict farmer’s work Some artists adapted their stand-up ethic, “You can’t say no if you don’t feel well. structure to accommodate digital sets, like a Your livelihood depends on it.” Hammer Zoom game show or a podcast. Others, like is all about eating pudding, keeping your Hammer, zeroed in on their writing aspiraword, and investing in your dreams. tions.

The “work smarter” attitude serves “I think sussing out where you think your Hammer in their burgeoning career, as market is going,” Hammer says, “it’s always the they recount doing three shows in one night smart move.” during a snowstorm.

Working smart can be difficult to do when “It’s like a big sense of just doing it, no your upbringing set the standard for a hard matter how you feel.” On the snowstorm oc- work ethic, like Hammer. casion, Hammer leaned on their tried and true excuse for being late: traffic.

“I think the biggest thing is being These days, Hammer’s beginning a forgiving to yourself, because working master’s degree in TV Writing at Glasgow Caledonian University, and to that end, eight hours is bullshit. No one can work has moved and reshaped the direction of eight hours productively in a day.” their life. Hammer studied Creative Writing at Concordia University, where they “One thing that can be helpful is to know ran Concordia’s first comedy journal, The when you are most efficient and when you need Hindwing Press, and created and hosted … higher level concentration,” says Montrea monthly comedy show called INFEMO- al-based psychologist, Dr. Jade-Isis Lefebvre.

US that aimed to create space for non-bi- This tactic helps maximize productivity so you nary and female-identifying comedians in don’t have to work too hard, but instead lean on the stand-up community. your body’s natural rhythm to guide your workA lot of change came with Hammer’s flow. Dr. Lefebvre believes a key determinant for success involves “tailoring your schedule 6

Photo by Jeremy Cabrera

as much as possible to … when you’re at your highest performance, when you’re the most energized.”

Instead of eight hours of unproductive work a day throughout the pandemic, Hammer is doubling down on self-care, and they want everyone to engage in it, too.

“It can just be hard to remember to do good things for yourself,” Hammer says. “I think that’s the biggest weird thing about this kind of collective rut, depression, sense of selfloss, sense of world-loss.”

By going outside a bit, getting into cooking, and taking care of plants, Hammer creates space for “little ways of meditating without actually meditating” with all the extra time left over from working smart.

Dr. Lefebvre agrees. “Creative endeavours are really good for building mindfulness, for expressing yourself, for understanding yourself, and getting more insight.” She wholly endorses the practice as a viable way to manage stress through these difficult times.

But most importantly, Hammer wants to make you laugh, especially as we’re living through a global pandemic. Joking is an important way to process what’s going on personally and collectively. That said, it’s important to consider the impact of your jokes. You have to ask yourself, “Where’s this coming from and what’s your point with it?” says Hammer.

“So what’s funny about the pandemic?

Literally nothing,” Hammer says. “But everything around the pandemic, what’s happening with our actions and reactions, this shift in human behaviour and our needs — that’s hilarious.”

CULTURE

Spending money for money

Videos of lavish spending are all over YouTube, but why are they so popular?

Graphic by @the.beta.lab

Aviva Majerczyk Commentary Editor

trickled into wider popular culture.

Flexing has found a home for itself on YouTube with influencers making mass amounts of content specifically about their consumerist tendencies. Gucci shopping sprees, opulent vacations and closet tours filled to the brim with Birkin Bags have become a genre of their own, where influencers shamelessly flaunt the vast fortunes they have amassed on the platform.

“I just bought that private Island, land ho!“ yells a white millennial man in a khaki-coloured research hat, while gliding towards shore on a small boat. He flashes the papers to prove it, and later we’re told that the land cost $730,000.

To understand this pheWe’re now less than a minute into the video, aptly ti- nomenon, it’s important to tled “I Bought A Private take a look at the current inIsland,” by YouTuber Mrfluencer market to underBeast.

stand why creators would be MrBeast, a.k.a. Jimmy interested in producing “flex” Donaldson, has made a ca- content. reer off of this type of content.

A quick scroll through his YouTube page will show you dozens of titles reminiscent of the aforementioned private island video.

“I Spent $1,000,000 on Lottery Tickets and WON,” “Lamborghini Race, Winner Keeps Lamborghini,” “Spending $1,000,000 In 24 Hours” — the formula becomes obvious.

To those unacquainted, Donaldson’s content may seem like a mishmash of neon thumbnails and immature bragging.

However, MrBeast content is highly planned and researched and fits squarely within YouTube’s newest vice — flex culture.

The term comes from the idea of flexing — to show off or boast, first popularized by rap and hip hop artists before it

YouTubers now have more revenue streams than ever. Up until just a few years ago, Adsense — the Google program that allows YouTubers to make money from ads run on their videos — was the primary way YouTubers gained an income. But now that social media influencing is seen as a lucrative business, more parties are involved financially. Due to third party partnerships, which can come in the form of corporate sponsorships and affiliate links (not to mention income from merch and Patreon), creators are less beholden to their audience.

On the one hand, having multiple income streams can be creatively freeing, as ideally you would be less compelled to shape content simply around increasing

the amount of eyeballs you’d get on your ads. However, for many already ultra-successful creators, the cushion of third party income can diminish the importance of viewer satisfaction. In other words, if you’re already making hundreds of thousands of dollars from sponsorships, how many people like and comment on your videos really doesn’t hold as much weight.

Furthermore, many creators who make “flexing” videos are ones who rose to fame on the basis of their personalities alone.

While some gained their success through makeup tutorials, such as Jeffree Star, many have risen to fame through simply their demeanor and conventional attractiveness. The concept of “being famous for being famous” has existed since the reality TV boom, and arguably earlier. However, with the democratizing features of social media, the saturation of this type of celebrity is higher than ever.

So what do you do when you have achieved wild online success for no discernible talent and you have more money than you know what to do with? You make the money itself your content.

However, flex content doesn’t exist in a vacuum. Many of these YouTubers have young fans who have yet to develop a mature understanding of class and money. So, for these viewers, the sheer indulgence of these flex videos may just seem aspirational, not shocking.

Additionally, these sorts of

videos promote unhealthy views of consumption. Luxury haul videos, for example, normalize the mass consumption of unnecessary goods. While haul videos from fast-fashion retailers like H&M and Shein can be found all over the internet, they’re often slammed as problematic for their promotion of unethical brands. However, luxury brands’ practices can be just as bad, as they also outsource their production to countries with less worker protections. And that’s all before you even factor in the major price markup. Needless to say, no matter where you shop, “hauling” goods can never be sustainable.

Flex culture is not likely to go away anytime soon. As long as we live in a society with major wealth disparity, some people will have massive fortunes, and others will like to live vicariously through them. Many of us are financially suffering and trapped at home, where it’s easy to spend all day staring at social media. It could be fun in these times to escape into the lavish lifestyle of others. However, at the end of the day, it only serves to further the divide as these creators get richer and richer.

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Commentary.

COMMENTARY EDITOR Aviva Majerczyk / @aviva_majerczyk commentary@theconcordian.com

CULTURE

Girls, are you on-air ready?

Female broadcast journalists and their efforts to be noticed for their work

Nicole Alexakis Contributor It turns out that the “effortless beauty” exuded by female broadcast journalists takes a lot of effort.

Waking up and washing your face isn’t enough to be considered on-air ready.

As far as Laura Casella, anchor at Global News Montreal is concerned, “The Laura Casella who walks into work from bed with [her] hair tied up in a bun and no makeup … that Laura can’t necessarily go on TV.” For female broadcast journalists, physical appearance plays the biggest part in one’s success. These female anchors are the liaison between viewers and the news station, but their journalistic talents are often overlooked.

Laura Casella speaks on behalf of all female journalists when discussing how she wants to be recognized for her hard work and talent within her profession. She wants people to watch her for her stories, not her good looks or wardrobe choices.

“So, you noticed my hair but you didn’t hear anything I was saying? I want people to pay attention to the context of my story like they do with male anchors,” Casella adds.

Double standards between men and women are very prominent in broadcast news, according to Caroline Van Vlaardingen, anchor for CTV News Montreal. She believes that male anchors are easily forgiven.

Whether they are balding, carrying extra weight or even wearing the same clothing day in and day out, men are not criticized.

V a n Vlaardingen continues, “In fact, one Australian male anchor proved it by doing just that, wearing the same suit every day for a year while his female co-anchor changed her outfits every day, and no one noticed.”

8

have a lot of work done to maintain their desired look. Botox, consistent hair colouring and dieting are common ways that female anchors preserve the youthful look.

Kim Sullivan, weather specialist at Global News Montreal, states that she never felt pressured to look a certain way by the management at Global.

“In my first year at Global, I gained 40 pounds because I was going through fertility and never once did I feel that I had to lose it.”

On the other hand, Sullivan does feel as though she doesn’t fit the look of the ‘ideal weather woman’ but emphasizes that this was a pressure she imposed on herself.

“There’s one dress that all weather women have to have, so when I started my job at Global I bought it as a joke. It’s called the ‘weather girl dress.’”

There are underlying standards women must adhere to when considering a professional career in media. Huda Hafez, “Acceptance of aging among Journalism student at Concordia Univerwomen on the air is … a challenge,” sity, is an aspiring news anchor. Hafez exsays Van Vlaardingen. “The sad plains the criticism these women receive in irony of this job as a woman, is that regards to their appearance makes her unjust as you step into your most ex- comfortable.

“I want to be a hard core journalist, perienced years and feel your most confident, your body and face be- not a piece of eye candy. I’m definitely aware of what I’m getting myself into, but gin to show your age.” we are a growing society and I’m hoping According to Van Vlaardingen, women that things start and continue to change who gain weight or develop wrinkles as they once I get on the air.” age tend to disappear from high-profile onair jobs. Those that manage to stay on-air Karl Stefanovic conducted this experiment because his co-anchor Lisa Wilkinson was receiving unsolicited critiques from viewers on her appearance. After a year dressed in blue, Stefanovic wasn’t surprised to see that no one ever commented on his wardrobe choices. His experiment confirmed that he is judged on his journalistic talent while his co-host is not.

There are some observations that can be made among the female anchors at both Global and CTV News. To name a few, heavy makeup is an essential part of the ‘getting ready’ process, as well as tighter clothing.

Through observation of 16 women who appeared onscreen on Oct. 23 on CTV and Global News Montreal, every single woman was wearing makeup and jewelry. 75 per cent of these women were white and approximately 65 per cent were blonde and thin.

More than half of these women were under 35 years old.

Graphic by @the.beta.lab

Commentary.

COMMENTARY EDITOR Aviva Majerczyk / @aviva_majerczyk commentary@theconcordian.com

Irony culture will slowly kill you Aviva Majerczyk Commentary Editor In June of 2016, The 1975 came to my hometown. Virginia summers are oppressive, and the day Matt Healy and the band came to Charlotesville was especially so. After grabbing a few slices of pizza and stocking up on to-go cups of water to share amongst ourselves, my friends and I sat on the ground outside of the amphitheatre gates. In my American Apparel cut-offs, my thighs burned against the blazing bricks as we scarfed down our pre-concert nourishment and compared what songs we wanted to hear later that evening. I was filled with a mixture of unbridled excitement and agoraphobia-based anxiety that I have never experienced since, and likely never will.

Yes, this is partially because of the teenage hormones that spurred my fandom-like admiration of, well, almost anything. But there’s more to it.

I, like many other Extremely Online Zoomers, have become

irony poisoned to an extent to which I don’t believe I could publically get that excited about a piece of pop culture again, no matter how much it connected with me. Rather than genuine admiration for art and media, I, like many of my peers, hide my opinions behind a curtain of cynicism and mockery to the extent to which my true beliefs are muddled by my own posturing.

If I never express genuine excitement for something, no one can ever take away my fun.

This isn’t simply a necessary facet of exiting adolescence; the particular moment we’re experiencing right now has conditioned this all-encompassing cynicism.

As a generation that has only known a post-9/11 world in political and economic turmoil, how are we meant to react to the constant barrage of despair? You could put all your energy into rallying to change the world, but soon you’ll exhaust yourself anyway, and besides, how much could you ever really change?

In activist circles, there’s

Graphic by Taylor Reddam

the concept of burnout culture, which is “a response to prolonged stress and typically involves emotional exhaustion, cynicism or detachment, and feeling ineffective,” according to The BBC. Many activists start with lofty goals and quickly devolve to hopelessness and cynicism once they get a full view of all the cracks in the system.

With that, it’s so much easier to start from a point of apathy. It reduces the risk of getting your hopes up and inevitably falling short.

Some believe that irony culture, and its spawn cringe culture, are dead. But one long scroll on social media will tell you otherwise. For every “painfully” sincere teenager dancing on TikTok, there will always be five more making fun of them on Twitter or Reddit.

I often feel I need to put up the facade of irony when it comes to the media I consume.

I’ve always considered myself to be someone with good taste, and thus my personality became

Arts.

intrinsically tied with what I like and dislike. This is a precarious place to value your self worth, however, as taste is never objective, so a shot to a liking of mine becomes a shot to me, personally. So, better to never reveal these interests unless they have been crafted and vetted by what seems right to like, right? Instead, I’ll just make fun of the masses obsessing over whatever recently dropped on Netflix or Spotify. God forbid anyone call me a joiner.

But, at the end of the day, irony is really just insecurity dressed up in another form. It’s a manifestation of the anxiety that everyone is secretly watching you — and they’re laughing. It’s clinging onto a certainty that you’ll always be superior, even as the foundation starts to crack beneath you.

Unchecked, irony culture will slowly eat away at your spirit until there is nothing left but regurgitated Twitter discourse. As The 1975 said, sincerity may be scary, but try, for once, to let yourself have a bit of fun.

ARTS EDITORS Lorenza Mezzapelle / @lorenzamezzapelle arts@theconcordian.com

Decrypting crypto art: The new art movement on the block(chain)

How lucrative the rare pepe-making market is becoming

Elyette Levy Assistant Commentary Editor In November 2017, Leonardo da Vinci’s Salvator Mundi was sold at Christie’s, the biggest auction house in the world, for US$450.3 million. In October 2020, Satoshi Nakamoto’s Block 21 was sold at Christie’s for $131,250.

The former is the most expensive piece of art in the world. The second is the first piece of crypto art to ever be sold at a major auction house.

Cryptocurrencies have been having their moment for a while, with the 2018 Bitcoin mania (which, by the way, was created by the person under the alias of Satoshi Nakamoto) and the recent rumours that it could replace paper money once central banks inevitably

crash due to the pandemic. And because, of course, it wouldn’t be the internet without the idiosyncratic evolution of an underground subculture, there’s now also an increasing presence of crypto art in the crypto community.

I hear you asking: “What the hell is crypto art?”

Crypto art is a new movement that allows people to create digital art while guaranteeing official ownership of the piece with what crypto fiends call an NFT. NFT stands for Non-Fungible Token, which means something that is certified unique; it’s irreplaceable, which gives it a certain amount of intrinsic value. Since most online art can be replicated à volonté by just about anyone, making a piece of digital art an NFT, where the copyrights and ownership details would be stored on a cryptocurrency’s block-

chain, would give it the same amount of rarity as a physical piece of art like da Vinci’s Salvator Mundi.

The art can still be replicated, but only the person who has the token — the artist’s cyber signature on the piece, essentially — really owns it.

NFTs can have many forms. They can be specific pieces of artwork just like they can be collectible characters and games, like CryptoPunks — a bunch of punk characters that you can buy using Ether, a cryptocurrency— and CryptoKitties, which is kind of like Nintendogs, but with a digital cat that has a unique NFT genetic code and that you can breed with other cats to make another unique kitty.

Continued on page 11.

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Arts.

ARTS EDITORS Lorenza Mezzapelle / @lorenzamezzapelle arts@theconcordian.com

HISTORY

The Post Image Cluster presents Aanchal Malhotra

Reconnecting history through material memory

Ana Lucia Londono Flores Assistant Arts Editor The Post Image Cluster, a research centre at Concordia, had the pleasure to present its first speaker in their artist talk series, writer and oral historian Aanchal Malhotra.

Based in New Delhi, Malhotra graduated from the Ontario College of Art & Design (OCAD) with a BFA in Traditional Printmaking and Art History. Then, she graduated from Concordia University with an MFA in Studio Art. She is the co-founder of the Museum of Material Memory, a digital repository of material culture of the Indian subcontinent, promoting the preservation of material memory through objects of antiquity.

Having enjoyed learning

traditional print skills at OCAD, Malhotra decided to enroll at Concordia, as enrolling in grad school seemed like the most natural thing to do.

However, when she arrived at Concordia, she realized that the print program wasn’t as traditional as she had imagined.

That was at a time when the program was moving away from the traditional methods of printmaking to digital printing, videos and print installations.

“I was lost for a long time and I didn’t know what to do. I was just drawing a little bit because there was all this talk about research and I didn’t know the meaning of research in art,” said Malhotra.

Malhotra was overwhelmed as she didn’t understand the way that research could be included in visual art.

“Maybe it was just me, but I was resisting the box that I was being put into in my program,” she said. “‘Indian artists should make Indian art’ is what I was being told.”

Malhotra later realized she

My Wife’s (unlikely) Lovers

The amusing history of an 1891 painting of 42 cats Lorenza Mezzapelle Arts Editor

If you have not yet seen Carl Kahler’s My Wife’s Lovers, I urge you to do so.

Commissioned in 1891 by millionaire and philanthropist Kate Birdsall Johnson, the work features her 42 Persian and Angora cats. A mix of kittens and cats stand poised on Rococo furniture while others are sprawled against a lavish velvet curtain.

Painted by Austrian artist Carl Kahler, the work

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shouldn’t have felt that way as her work later revolved around India.

“I was resisting moving away from my traditional print media that I spent four years fortifying.”

Malhotra was able to find herself in her work as her art started to speak of her home.

She started doing bookwork.

More specifically, she made an installation of books she had made with traditional Japanese Washi paper. Her work started to include the skills she gained when she learned how to do paper and screen printing.

“I come from a family of booksellers, so books and readings were always in my blood, but writing was never included,” said Malhotra.

As part of the program requirements, she had to write a thesis. Malhotra didn’t know where to start. She decided to take a sabbatical year and returned to India. During this time, she worked at her family’s book shop, BahriSons Booksellers, which was set up in 1953 by her grandfather.

There, she encountered two objects that her great uncle showed her: These were the objects that his family migrated with during the Indian Partition of 1947.

This was the beginning of her research.

“I felt embarrassed since I was 22 at the time and didn’t know that much about the Partition of India and how it affected … my grandparents.”

The Partition of India occurred in 1947, two years after WWII, when the British withdrew from India after 300 years of occupation, and the land was divided into two independent states. This forced Hindus and Sikhs to the eastside of India

took three years to complete. According to the Portland Art Museum, this is supposedly because he spent months studying them in preparatory sketches and paintings.

The oil painting, which is 6 by 8.5 feet in size, and weighs roughly 227 pounds, depicts the cats to be larger-than-life. And yes, each and every one of the 42 cats, meticulously painted, belonged to Birdssall Johnson. Despite the Portland Art Museum claiming it to be a falsity, many sources such as Architectural Digest and Sotheby’s declare that the work depicts only 42 of the woman’s 350 cats.

According to an article in the New York Post, the elegant and collected cat that stands at the centre of the painting was a US $3,000 cat named Sultan which she bought during a trip to Paris.

According to many sources, such as the New York Post, it is rumoured that the painting was a gift from her husband, Robert C. Johnson, and that he chose the title My Wife’s Lovers. However, Dawson Carr, curator at the Portland Art

and Muslims to westward Pakistan. It is estimated that 14 million people were displaced and one million were killed during that time.

Malhotra went on an intensive journey. From India to Pakistan, and to England, she revisited the Partition through objects that refugees carried with them when they were displaced.

Her book Remnants of a Separation: A History of the Partition through Material Memory, published in 2017, tracks down history through various family stories that people shared with Malhotra.

Through interviews, she traces human history.

Malhotra was able to trace human memory through photographs of family members, objects such as jewelry, passports, certificates, and many other materials that people were able to share with her.

A particular object that was odd, but very significant, was the lock to a man’s house that was carried by his family during the Partition.

“People would lock their houses in hopes of returning one day to their home,” said Malhotra.

Her research helped her understand a part of history that she was unaware of. It also allowed her to make connections between her family’s story and other people’s stories.

Malhotra’s work is of great importance as it serves as a remembrance of the past and honours the many unheard voices that lived in through the Partition.

At the moment, Malhotra is writing an oral history on the impact of the Partition.

Museum states that her husband, in fact, died two years prior but adds that it is a possibility he had used the phrase to refer to her collection of cats in the past and that Birdsall Johsnon simply deemed it fitting as a title for the monumental painting.

Birdsall Johnson reportedly paid approximately US $5,000 in 1891 for the work, which is equivalent to around US $143,000 in 2021.

The work was estimated at a value of $200,000 to $US 300,000 by Sotheby’s in 2015 and sold at auction for nearly three times its estimate, at US $826,000 by an anonymous buyer in California.

If you didn’t think it was crazy enough that a lady paid over US $140,000 for a painting of her cats, just think that someone paid over half a million for cats that didn’t even belong to them. Another rumour even states that she left her cats over US $500,000 in her will.

My Wife’s Lovers has ignited many rumours.

Whether false or not, Birdsall Johnson has proven to be the ultimate crazy cat lady.

DIGITAL ART

deposit box at a bank.

For the most part, crypto artworks can run anywhere from $50 to $500,000. But it’s difficult to follow the value of these pieces because the value of cryptocurrencies changes so much, and there are so many sources claiming different values for the most expensive pieces of crypto art.

So far, a crypto photo of a rose,

museums, art buyers, and the like are deciding which types of art and which artists will be put under the spotlight, the internet is able to democratize the industry and give small artists the support and recognition they deserve. The web is also home to a wealth of different styles and themes of art.

Now crypto art is all fun and games, but this is the internet we’re talking about, and on the internet people just have Continued from page 11 to make things weird. Enter Graphic by Kit Mergaert the Rare Pepe Directory.

The Directory is a panel of “experts” who work to verify and approve user-submitted Rare Pepe artworks (which act and look similar to trading cards).

They have a list of specific criteria sold for $1 million, is said to to consider any submission, like

Another use for crypto be the most expensive piece of dimension specifications and art is what is called cold storage: crypto art out there. As a fast- how many shares it must have some crypto art pieces are paced business, it’s estimated had, to confirm the Pepe before available as physical prints that the crypto art market is worth their eyes is indeed rare. If feature a QR code, which Bitcoin well over $128 million, and approved, the new Pepe can then users can then use to store their it expanded by $8.2 million be bought and traded as an NFT. Bitcoin outside their crypto in December 2020 alone. As far as I know, there aren’t wallet. Since they’re transferring Some are seeing this as a really any practical uses to funds onto a physical, two- counterculture movement crypto art. But the concept has dimensional object — which against the traditional art world, been questioned by many as therefore can’t be hacked into — which has come to embody just another way for internet the art print then acts like a safety elitism and luxury. Where users to launder money more

Decrypting crypto art: The new art movement on the block(chain)

CUJAH Update:

to have a wonderful group of students who comprise our 2020-2021 board.”

Moreover, for the first time since it’s inaugural launch, their tenth A glimpse at what the annual edition of the conference will be held entirely online and their Concordia Undergraduate journal launch will not occur in-person.

Journal of Art History has “Although meeting in person is incomparable, there actually have been working on been many advantages to having the conference virtually,” said Valmestad.

“For example, Juliette Muth [CUJAH’s Lorenza Mezzapelle conference coordinator] has invited Arts Editor many speakers from outside of Montreal, There’s no doubt that Zoom university whereby normally, we wouldn’t have the makes it harder to engage in student life and funding to fly out speakers to the city.” feel like you’re a part of something.

In an effort to make students feel more involved and aware of what student clubs are up to, we’ll be conducting a series of interviews with various student-run organizations.

The Concordia Undergraduate Journal of Art History (CUJAH) is a student-run association that aims to showcase the talents of Concordia’s Art History and Fine Arts students via the publishing of an annual journal and an art history conference.

CUJAH aims to provide students with opportunities, both professional and academic, Many scholars and artists will be joining by offering a variety of workshops. from elsewhere, such as Dr. Sabrina Strings, “We also hold a variety of events throughout the year geared towards an associate professor of sociology at the supporting students in their academic University of California, Irvine, whose and professional development,” explained research focuses on how race, sexuality, Kari Valmestad, CUJAH’s Editor-in-Chief. and class are “inscribed” in the body.

“Another pro to having the Fortunately for the CUJAH, lockdown conference virtually is that anyone and work-from-home orders have not disrupted their process too much, seeing anywhere can attend,” said Valmestad.

Aside from their annual conference, that most of their work is done digitally.

“A significant adjustment, and a crucial CUJAH has been hosting a series of one, is that CUJAH implemented a board speaker events in collaboration with of directors for the first time in the student Concordia’s 4TH SPACE, a centre for group’s history,” said Valmestad. “This was a research and experiential learning, and very necessary amendment, and we are lucky Yiara Magazine, an undergraduate feminist

effectively. After all, the world of fine art is already used as a way to clean dirty money and tax evade through underthe-table payments and over appraisals; creating an art industry based on decentralized, anonymous payments seems like an obvious next step for the elite of the blockchain.

The rise in popularity and value of intangible art starts an important conversation about the reasons why we care about art in the first place. Salvator Mundi’s exorbitant price denotes the scarcity of original Leonardo da Vinci pieces, but what difference does it make when it’s possible to scrutinize the piece and enjoy it just as much as a JPEG file? Are we about to see higher and higher price records from digital pieces?

Most importantly, crypto art, as a prediction of what the future of art looks like, is an indicator that the barriers of entry to the art world have reached a tipping point. Just as we’re seeing in the rest of the digital world, the 99 per cent is taking art back from those who have capitalized on its captivity.

art publication based out of Concordia.

“Our first [event], which was on Jan. 13, was with the newly-hired art history professor Dr. Michelle McGeough who spoke about her research on Indigenous knowledge in art history and pushing beyond queering the art historical canon.”

The publication’s second webinar featured a conversation between artist and activist Esther Calixte-Bea and interdisciplinary artist Mahlet Cuff.

Viewers can watch recordings of both the first and second events on 4TH SPACE’s YouTube channel.

Their third and final event was moderated

by Manitoba-based artist and curator Genevieve Farrell. The webinar featured curators and programmers from artist-run centres VIE D’ANGE, Groupe Intervention Vidéo, and the Biennale d’art contemporain autochtone (BACA).

Despite most of their content being digital this year, the publication still plans on producing a print issue for their tenth annual edition.

“Having a printed version, I consider to be really important, as not only do the essays, artwork, and graphic design work look so amazing in print, but we also want to have physical copies circulating and available to file in our own archives and those of Concordia and the BAnQ,” said Valmestad. “We will also have a digital version so that it is accessible to anyone interested in reading this year’s volume.”

Those interested in an executive team position at the Concordia Undergraduate Journal of Art History can expect callouts within the coming months. Editorial positions will be opening in the fall semester.

For more information about CUJAH’s upcoming annual conference on Feb. 20-21, or to know more about them follow on Facebook and Instagram.

11

Music.

MUSIC EDITOR Louis Pavlakos / @louispavlakos music@theconcordian.com

THINKPIECE

Rethinking Reviews Album reviews don’t exactly serve the same purpose anymore and that’s okay Louis Pavlakos Music Editor The art of reviewing an album is criminally underrated. For every half-decent score given out to musical projects by outlets like Pitchfork and The Needle Drop, there’s a fountain of thoughts behind the arbitrary number meant to show why it was chosen. A 6.8 might look ugly as a number, but the review itself could very well be flattering and critical where it has to be. Let’s not forget a 6.8 is only mere decimals away from a seven, which most of us would consider to be a good grade.

Before the internet existed, the only way to get someone’s thoughts on an upcoming album was to read a magazine or newspaper’s review since they had received an advance copy of the project. The reviewer’s words mattered more as it gave the reader a unique view with which to approach the music. The score aimed to put this smorgasbord of thoughts on a scale that we could all perceive in our heads.

As we moved towards an era where consuming new music is instantaneous, we don’t need to hear the reviewer’s thoughts before jumping into an album because there’s no cost of entry once you have a subscription to a streaming service. If the newest Guns N’ Roses album came out in the 1990s (I’m looking at you

12

The Spaghetti Incident?), it cost between $15 to $40 to purchase the album’s CD or vinyl and listen to it. There was also a chance that the album might very well suck (it did). Who wants to spend money on an album they might never want to listen to again?

Today, that risk is gone. At midnight on a Friday, hundreds of new albums come out and all it costs to listen to these projects is time. Moreover, as reviewers tend to receive fewer advance copies of albums, the reviews only get published the Monday or Tuesday following its release as to make sure the piece is timely. Yet, as Pitchfork and The Needle Drop continue to give out scores we don’t agree with, the internet seems to completely disregard the actual opinion in favour of the arbitrary score.

When Pitchfork reviewed Taylor Swift’s Folklore, they had given the album an eight out of ten, but the review itself was glowing. The lack of inclusion in its famous Best New Music section and what some fans deemed a low score led to the doxxing of the writer, Jillian Mapes. The review was thoughtful and even critical at times, but that’s what constitutes a review – the good and the bad.

Aside from Pitchfork, the only other prominent reviewer is Anthony Fantano, the man behind the immensely popular YouTube channel, The Needle Drop.

Fantano’s reviews are fairly straightforward and sometimes absurd as he leans into his love for memes which makes his videos all the more engaging. But his reviews follow a formula that bleeds onto every genre of music he reviews. He mostly engages in a track by track breakdown and reviews the music solely based on what it is and how it sounds like, largely ignoring context leading up to its release.

Fantano is also known for his mostly harsh scores, giving artists like Drake and Future horrible reviews while giving industrial hip hop acts like Death Grips continuously glowing reviews.

He’s allowed to score things how he wants, but the problem here is that he’s been deified by his viewers. Every score he gives effectively lives rent free in the minds of whoever watches his content which leads to his followers becoming mini-Fantanos.

The 35-year-old YouTuber has long criticized his fans for doing this, though it keeps happening.

Album reviews and general thoughts on a project tend to change as we see someone in a higher position of power share their thoughts, often a week or so after the album has dropped.

Many YouTube comments and Twitter replies urge Fantano to review an album so that they can know whether they should defend it or crucify it online.

Over the years, I’ve come to watch Fantano less. Not because he’s necessarily bad at what he does, but because I too found myself becoming influenced by his arbitrary scores and methodical approach to reviewing. I found myself becoming less enthused

with albums I previously loved because he came in with harsh criticisms that I couldn’t defend.

But that’s where music becomes an infinitely personal experience.

We can love albums for their imperfections. Lil Wayne’s Tha Carter III was imperfect to a point where it’s a hell of a ride every time I listen to it, flaws and all.

Drake’s Views and More Life are deeply flawed albums but I still enjoy them regardless — people forget the skip button exists and you quite literally ignore the bad tracks much more easily than getting up and moving the needle of a record player onto the next track.

Music reviewing shouldn’t exist in a vacuum. It’s an opportunity as writers, thinkers or vloggers, to put out our thoughts on a body of work that will most likely be flawed. The scores we attribute them are not always a decisive reflection of our thoughts. Most scores will likely change after a few months of listening to an album because there’s always something new to think about.

Reviews are a deeply personal experience that will vary from person to person. The different opinions are what make reviews so intriguing to read. If everyone had the same thoughts on an album, we’d have the Kanye effect where you’d get roasted and berated for thinking My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy is anything less than perfect, which would be asinine. Reviews are a gateway into a person’s thoughts and should be viewed as such instead of just looking at the score and thinking every seven out of ten is the same thing.

OFFISLAND is turning his career on Meet the 19-year-old producer turned singer with his upcoming debut project, zero.five Victor Vigas Staff Writer Sometimes you need to turn the focus on your own craft and see it through. Coming off his debut project, zero.five, 19-year-old Alex Mavroudis flipped the switch from producer to artist under the moniker OFFISLAND. What started for Mavroudis at age 12 with Minecraft dubstep remixes on free softwares eventually grew into a curiosity for music making. When it came time for post-secondary, he attended Recording Arts Canada in Montreal to take up audio engineering and music production.

“I picked up mixing and producing because I wanted to make my own stuff,” said Mavroudis.

He asserts that his education in mixing gives him an edge as a recording artist, saying, “If you learn an instrument or a sound you don’t have to rely on a producer.”

With formal education finished, Mavroudis got to work in the Montreal scene, getting in the studio with artists like 3MFrench, nayil, and YNG Travs.

“I admire the people I’ve worked with a lot, these guys are all great and on their way up,” he said.

Having worked primarily in the Montreal trap scene, Mavroudis opted for a different direction on his debut project, zero. five, slated for independent release in February. With a trio of tracks varying from indie rock to psychedelic synth-pop, the variety is there, though it’s not something to hold against him.

“It’s not the first fully defining sound I am going to release,” he explained. “I would describe it as fluid and spacey.”

Through his three-song tracklist of “Burn Down The Bar,” “Cynical,” and “No Make Up,” Mavroudis wrote, recorded and mixed everything except the bass on “Cynical,” done with help of bassist Ilia Galanakis. There is room for comparison between the Mac DeMarco-esque “No Make Up.” He admitted he “Took heavy inspiration from ‘Chamber of Reflection.’

He’s a one man show but he’s insane at bringing a track to

Quickspins

VIAGRA BOYS JAZZ WELFARE RATING: 8.5/10 TRIAL TRACK: “AIN’T NICE”

The Stockholm post-punk outfit expands on their wildly eclectic sound, as their absurdist critiques become more focused on themselves.

Wesley McLean Assistant Music Editor On his fourth studio album, WondUp to this point, Viagra Boys’ music has been characterized by its extremely sa-

life — someone I look up to as a singer, artist, and producer.”

Even with a short tracklist of three songs, Mavroudis’ inspirations are still at the forefront of his creation. For “Burn Down The Bar,” he wrote the song based on a photo of his parents’ old car, the same photo used in the album artwork.

“I wanted to take the feeling I got from that photo and put it in the song,” he said. While the song is close to home, it’s a double-edged sword for the musician, adding, “I saw two young people partying having the time of their lives and I wanted to capture that, but it’s sad also because time catches up to you.”

When it comes to the future, Mavroudis’ plans are ineffable.

“It’s hard to explain what your vision is sometimes, with words,” he said. Without a set plan in mind, the artist is taking things as they come while navigating new sounds, saying, “I don’t think that far ahead, especially when it comes to making music. The next thing could be completely different.”

tirical tone, walking a very thin line between critique and comedy, occasionally stumbling fully into the latter. It’s this obnoxious yet endearing approach to social commentary that made their debut album, Street Worms, such an intriguing listen, and it’s something they’ve doubled down on with Welfare Jazz.

However, as much as this approach is used by frontman Sebastian Murphy as a means to assess and sarcastically deride the social world and its shortcomings, he’s begun to look inward, and begin assessing his own. Many tracks on Welfare Jazz see Murphy reflecting on himself and his relationships, satirizing his own actions and his behaviours, and he does so from the outset.

The album begins with the fantastic “Ain’t Nice,” a song that sees Murphy painting himself as a short-fused and opportunistic asshole, essentially telling his partner it’s his way or the highway.

The song’s refrain has him repeatedly, almost boastfully, growling that he and his behaviour “ain’t nice!” over an insanely infectious bass groove. The latter half sees the song devolving into a perfectly chaotic mess of Murphy’s raspy chants, horns, drums, bass and synth sounds creating a mosaic of aggression.

This unpredictable sonic collage is something that the band has also somehow made a part of their signature sound. They often fuse the more “traditional” post-punk and new wave aspects of their music with jazzy horn sections that often play like misplaced solos, thrown into the mix with heavy basslines and synth leads. As chaotic as it sounds, it often comes together seamlessly, as evidenced by the album’s instrumental-heavy cuts, such as “6 Shooter.”

This wide array of sounds and musical influences gets built upon even further as the album draws to a close. On the final two tracks, the band successfully add elements of country music to their genre-blending gumbo with the aptly titled “To the Country” and the Amy Taylor-assisted cover of John Prine’s “In Spite of Ourselves.”

Both tracks look at possible futures for Murphy’s relationship, though the forced southern drawls and almost mocking tone leave the latter feeling slightly insincere.

As a whole, it’s Viagra Boys’ unabashed approach to experimentation in their music that makes the band, and Welfare Jazz, so special. They create without seemingly any pressure to fit into any convention and always appear comfortable in the chaos, and they’re better for it.

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Sports.

SPORTS EDITOR Alec Brideau / @alecbrideau sports@theconcordian.com

RECREATION

Parks are packed with outdoor community rinks now open

Colder temperatures in January have allowed for outdoor skating Photo by Christine Beaudoin

Liam Sharp Assistant Sports Editor Up until the first week of January, many of Montreal’s ice rinks were closed, to the dismay of skating aficionados. While the city was able to install boards at most parks early in the winter season, flat ice never materialized due to inconsistent and mild weather conditions.

For the most part, skating was put on hold.

In recent weeks, however, temperatures have dropped to meet seasonal expectations, enough to finally support the upkeep of outdoor skating.

Sorbonne Park is a spacious public area that neighbours a public high school in Brossard. John*, a city employee who monitors activity there, said he was caught by surprise when the rink first opened.

“Within hours after the ice was made, it was packed with people,” John said. “It was clear from the beginning how much locals needed this to relieve their stress.”

According to the provincial government, site managers are responsible for determining the maximum number of people who can be admitted to the site at one time to comply with health measures concerning physical distancing and zero contact. In addition, they must facilitate the access to disinfection at site entrances, and must clean frequently touched surfaces.

Brossard has also installed several outdoor benches around many rinks this year to help people socially distance while gearing up, instead of relying on indoor facilities. City employees like John must ensure safety protocols are met by the locals, a process that proved to be rather difficult when traffic was abnormally high during the opening weeks.

“When the weather was nice, the park

14

had upwards of 50 people coming in and out, “John said. “At first, when the public was just eager to get outside, it was hard to manage everything at once.”

In the winter, a soccer field encompassed by an oval running track is made into an attractive skating ground. The park also has a separate ice hockey rink, a hill that suits tubing, and a playground for children, which makes Sorbonne a popular choice for Brossard residents looking to get some fresh air.

Hockey players will have to leave their sticks at home, however, as the municipality continues to ban the sport on community rinks until further notice. In order to minimize the temptation to form organized games, nets at community rinks have been removed.

According to John, he would have to warn people every couple of minutes to put away their hockey sticks and pucks when the rink opened in early January. After a couple of weeks, people eventually got the memo and the rink subsequently lost much of its appeal to hockey fans.

“I still see people playing with a puck every so often,” John said.

“Whether it’s in the oval track or hockey rink, unfortunately I have to enforce the rules and be the bad guy.”

Even the carrying of a stick or puck is forbidden, a notion that has sparked criticism from local hockey enthusiasts. John said that the rule is in place to ensure the proper management of activity in the park. Having individuals allowed to skate with a puck would create chaos that quickly escalates as surrounding people become encouraged to do the same.

“The disappointment from hockey players is well-documented, but Brossard believes

we need to stick to this protocol so long as the pandemic remains rampant,” John said.

When the rink is closed, the entrance is closed off with a metal chain, and there is no public worker to oversee activity. John added that residents will occasionally pack their hockey supplies and make use of the rink after hours to indulge in the sport, running the risk of getting caught by patrolling city employees.

“The city is handing out fines to people who play hockey when the rinks are closed,” John said. “I’ll usually give people a warning, tell them to put away their things and that will be the end of it.”

Fortunately, outdoor activities such as tubing, skating, snowshoeing, and cross-country skiing are still permitted so long as participants follow COVID-19 guidelines. John said that activity is still plentiful, as people continue to look for excuses to be outside, especially once school ends next door. On weekends, families with young ones continue to make use of the space that is often overlooked compared to the hockey rink.

“More so than in previous years, people are snowshoeing in the forest and making better use of the park’s hill to toboggan and sled,” John said.

The rink in Sorbonne Park is open weekdays from 3:30 to 7 p.m. and from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on holidays and weekends. *The name of this source has been changed for anonymity.

HOCKEY

NHL season: vicious hits

Could a condensed hockey season and a smaller number of opponents mean more questionable hits?

Maria Bouabdo Staff Writer This 2020–21 NHL season is different than any season we have ever seen before. That includes modified divisions, including the all-Canadian North Division, in order to abide by travel restrictions between the Canada–United States border due to COVID-19.

Each team is expected to play 56 games exclusively against their respective division teams.

This means that all American teams will be facing each team eight times, while Canadian teams will face their opponents nine or 10 times. This should be done in a period of five months, but could take longer because of postponed games due to COVID-19 protocols.

While this format should allow the regular season to be over by May 10, many questions have been raised about the short rest time for players, and the risk of injury.

This shorter season also means a lot of consecutive games between the same teams, which can create more tension between teams, compared to a regular 82-game season. This is looking a lot more like the playoffs; the rivalry, the hits, and the fights are all there.

There have been multiple cases of dangerous hits this season, leading to injuries and sometimes suspensions for the offending player.

The Montreal Canadiens and Vancouver Canucks faced each other for three consecutive games in Vancouver earlier this season. During the second game, when the Canadiens were up 6-3 with less than three minutes left in the game, Canucks’s defenceman Tyler Myers made a huge hit on Montreal forward Joel Armia and received

Graphic by Lily Cowper

a 5-minute major penalty and a game misconduct.

Armia was diagnosed with a concussion after the game, which raised many questions as to what kind of additional discipline Myers could get. The next day, the NHL’s Department of Player Safety announced that he would get none, as it was a “bodycheck.” This eventually led to Canadiens defenceman Joel Graphic by Arianna Siviria Edmundson and Myers dropping the gloves in the first few minutes of the third game, adding even more violence to the situation.

St. Louis Blues forward Sammy Blais also made a dangerous hit on Colorado Avalanche defenceman Devon Toews. On the ice, the call made was a minor elbowing penalty.

Toews left the ice after the hit, but later returned to the game.

However, the Department of Player Safety later made the decision to give Blais a two-game suspension for an illegal check to the head. The calls given to Myers and Blais — on the ice and from the Department of

Player Safety — were both different, which shows how hard it is to understand punishments of vicious hits.

Another big hit this season was Washington Capitals forward T.J. Oshie on Pittsburgh Penguins defenceman Marcus Pettersson, a few seconds after Oshie was tripped by Pettersson. The referees made the call on the ice for a major penalty, but then changed it to a minor interference after review. Oshie received no additional discipline.

Some might say that these consequences make sense, and some might argue they don’t.

While hits are an essential part of hockey, I think consequences regarding players’ safety should be more consistent, especially with such a condensed season where teams get even more competitive as they face the same six or seven teams for five months.

COLOUR COMMENTARY

The end of Tim & Sid

Seixeiro will be the new co-host of Breakfast Television

Alec Brideau Sports Editor Feb. 26.

Television and radio host Sid Despite Seixeiro leaving, the show Seixeiro left sports fans speechless will continue with Micallef and rotating when he announced on air on Jan. 21 co-hosts. Seixeiro is joining morning show that he was leaving Tim & Sid. Breakfast Television on Citytv as co-host.

Alongside Tim Micallef, Seixeiro has He will begin in his new duties on March 10.

“That show is very important to the been the co-host of Tim & Sid since 2011. fabric of the Greater Toronto Area,” SeixThe show began on The FAN 590, Sportseiro said on Tim & Sid. “It’s a part of peonet’s sister radio channel in Toronto, and was then broadcasted on Sportsnet televi- ple’s lives. It will give me the opportunity to sion from 2013. On air from 5 to 7 p.m. ev- do some stuff I could just not do right now, stuff that interests me.” ery weekday, it’s one of the most popular For tens of thousands of sports fans, sports talk shows in Canada.

Tim & Sid has been their daily evening renSeixeiro started in sports broadcasting at age 20. He has worked in the sports dez-vous for years. The way this show disindustry for 20 years, most of them on Tim cusses sports — sometimes in a serious way & Sid. His last show with Micallef will be on and other times with more fun and laughs

— has made it entertaining since it’s beginning. Micallef and Seixeiro have always been fun to watch, as they’ve complemented each other well as co-hosts.

Seixeiro will be missed on Tim & Sid, and despite the show still going on after Feb. 26, it will be different. It will take time for long-time followers of the show to get used to the new Tim & ... we shall see.

Graphic by Rose-Marie Dion

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Editorial:

Connecting with the campus community

When your classes take place through a computer screen, it can be difficult to feel connected with your peers and the Concordia community at large. Thankfully, there are still a number of Concordia events, clubs, and activities to get involved with, despite limitations brought on by the pandemic.

We’ve put together a short list of some of these events, all of which are happening in the coming weeks.

Each of these events is free, and can be accessed from the comfort of your own home!

Care Package from CUCCR - Attend care package making workshops co hosted

by The Concordia University Centre for Creative Reuse (CUCCR) and 4th Space — the upcoming workshop is all about sewing! Anyone can join the CUCCR’s Making group on Facebook for more details.

Time/Date: Feb. 8, 1 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.

Chat with Grandma - Engage in an active listening session with Kit, Micheline and Germaine over Zoom. The trio are passionate about mindfulness and have plenty of wisdom to share with younger generations — so pour yourself a cup of something hot and get to know them!

Time/Date: Feb. 10, 2 p.m. - 3 p.m.

The Expressions of Being Alone Join a session led by Debora Beatriz Rabinovich and Dr. Jade-Isis Lefebvre from Concordia’s Counselling and Psychological Services. This session will explore the distinction between solitude and loneliness, providing helpful strategies to coping with isolation during the pandemic.

about anti-Black racism initiatives, joined by community advocate Annick Maugile Flavien and journalist Josie Fomé.

Time/Date: Feb. 17, 5 p.m.

Running in Spirit - Take part in this movement club, which encourages members to take walks or jog in their respective neighborhoods. As the club is focused on both physical and mental well-being, members have the option of connecting before and after each outing over Zoom to discuss stress levels and mood.

Time/Date: Fridays, 12 p.m. - 1 p.m.

Time/Date: Feb. 12, 10:15 a.m. - 11:15 a.m.

Community Conversations: Let’s Talk About Race - Organized by Concordia’s Department of Political Science, these Community Conversations foster discussion about anti-Black racism. The upcoming event will feature conversations

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