The Georgia Straight - Uprising - February 17, 2022

FREE | FEBRUARY 17 – 24 / 2022

Volume 56 | Number 2818

HEALTHY LIVING Food, wine, and weed

MOUNTAIN FILMS Fest celebrates 25th year

UPRISING

The media is getting an earful from angry convoy supporters and those who admire Justin Trudeau’s response

STEVESTON • CHINESE CANADIAN MUSEUM • CHARLES DEMERS • MARY’S WEDDING

FEATURE

Divisive political fight puts the media in the crossfire

CONTENTS

February 17-24 / 2022

2

COVER

Journalists are caught in the middle between angry supporters of the convoy and those who back the prime minister.

by Charlie Smith

By Charlie Smith Cover illustration by Shayne Letain

6

HEALTHY LIVING

Avocados have undergone an incredible jump in popularity during the past two decades, but health myths about fat content still persist.

By Martin Dunphy

9

ARTS

Comedian, author, and activist Charlie Demers has come a long way from being class clown at Burnaby Central Secondary School.

By Steve Newton

For nearly two years, downtown Vancouver has been the site of repeated protests by people who oppose COVID-19 mandates—and now they’re targeting the media. Photo by Janet McDonald.

W

hen hundreds of vaccinemandate protesters gathered on February 5 outside the downtown offices of CTV News Vancouver, Marcella Desjarlais had a message for them.

“I’m all for freedom,” the former People’s Party of Canada candidate, a.k.a.

Marcella Williams, said from the stage.

“I’m for truth and I’m for facts. And I just want to say, ‘The media sucks.’ ” It was one of several demonstrations held that day outside Canadian television stations with the theme “The Media Is the Virus”.

Desjarlais, a charismatic speaker, delivered a carefully crafted presentation intended to counter some of the widely reported descriptions of people attending these protests.

First of all, she pointed out that she’s a “First Nations woman” who has been speaking out since April of 2020. She also insisted that she’s not racist. In the last federal election, she ran for a party that wanted massive cuts to immigration. And she claimed that her movement is “not anti-anything”.

“We are for choice,” Desjarlais declared.

Last month, media outlets across the country reported Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s scathing denunciation of Ottawa demonstrators for the display of hateful messages at their event. This included the appearance of Nazi swastikas, Confederate flags, and blatantly anti-Jewish placards.

On January 31, Trudeau said that there was “no place in our country for threats, violence, or hatred”.

Five days later, Desjarlais described Trudeau’s words as “hate speech”.

“Trudeau—Trudy, as I like to call him— has gone all zero-tolerance tough guy on us in dismissing antimandate protesters,” Desjarlais told the crowd near the corner

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THE GEORGIA STR AIGHT

of Robson and Burrard streets.

Then she turned Trudeau’s words around on CTV News Vancouver, accusing it of writing hate speech targeted at “freedom-loving Canadians”. How was this done? By journalists reporting that the prime minister was “calling us misogynistic, racist Trump lovers”.

In doing this, according to Desjarlais, media outlets are creating divisions in the country.

“They are promoting their propaganda of separation,” Desjarlais said. “They are guilty of indictable offences and are liable to imprisonment for their hate speech and divisionary words that they are propagating daily in the newspapers, on the Internet, and on TV. “We will not stand for that, and that is why we are here today,” she continued.

Moreover, Desjarlais pointed out that the media keeps doing this in spite of the law that prohibits promoting hatred against any identifiable group. And she encouraged people in the large crowd to fill out “notices of liability” to media workers to make them aware of the consequences of their actions.

“Are the unvaccinated an identified group? Yes!” Desjarlais shouted to applause from the audience.

The next set of “The Media Is the Virus” rallies across Canada is scheduled for Saturday (February 19). In the Lower Mainland, it will take place in front of the Global News B.C. building in Burnaby.

By now, journalists are used to getting trashed by leaders in the movement to lift all restrictions in response to COVID-19.

The words “fake news” are no longer shouted only at reporters working south of the border.

But increasingly, media outlets are also

FEBRUARY 17 – 24 / 2022

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from page 2

coming under fire from the other side in the national debate over COVID-19 measures. After Trudeau announced that his government is invoking the Emergencies Act to deal with protests in many parts of the country, several media commentators expressed a fair degree of skepticism about the need for such a heavy-handed measure.

That prompted a social-media backlash from those who support the prime minister.

“If anyone other than a group of white supremacists were engaging in an antidemocracy, hate-fuelled convoy, they’d have faced consequences long before now,” tweeted Dr. Nili Kaplan-Myrth. “Perhaps #cdnmedia can stop saying this is about vaccines or trucks now. Emergencies Act is for anti-government threats.”

Another message on Twitter simply stated: “Excuse me, but perhaps #cdnmedia should actually introduce the Canadian public to the Organizers of the #TerroristTruckers that are holding Ottawa, hostage, refusing to speak to any mainstream media outlets.”

Then there are those in the medical and research communities who feel that too many journalists have given public-health officials a free ride in underplaying the impact of COVID-19. A growing number of physicians and researchers are characterizing this as an airborne vascular disease that initially presents itself as a respiratory infection.

These same doctors and researchers, some of whom are part of a groups called

Marcella Desjarlais speaks at many rallies held by those opposed to vaccine mandates.

Protect Our Province B.C., think that if reporters did a better job reporting peer-reviewed scientific papers about COVID-19, the public, businesses, and government officials might take more precautions.

In the meantime, some have argued over Twitter that due to the media’s negligence, public-health officials and provincial governments are getting away with describing COVID-19 strictly as a respiratory illness. This leaves much of the public under the mistaken impression that it’s like the flu—something that even Dr. Bonnie Henry raised in a January 28 interview on CBC Radio—rather than a disease that can cause disability, organ failure, and serious neurological problems many months and possibly years down the road.

The critics’ argument unfolds along these lines: by failing to make a big deal

about the science around COVID-19’s long-term effects in some patients, public-health and infectious-disease leaders across Canada have given governments a free pass to put a premium on maintaining economic activity. This, in turn, caused COVID-19 case counts to rise to dangerous levels in various waves.

As these waves gathered strength, governments then imposed lockdowns, which are very blunt instruments to limit social and financial damage from the pandemic.

Had a more strategic approach been employed—such as introducing portable filters and carbon-dioxide monitors in classrooms and advancing policies to encourage as many people as possible to work from home—case counts might not have shot up quite as sharply in previous waves.

I kept my mouth shut for most of 2020 because if you ever spoke up, you got into trouble.

– former mainstream-media worker Anita Krishna

For the most part, Canadian media outlets are not putting this on the public radar. You have to go to Twitter to gain these insights.

Moreover, lower COVID-19 case counts would not necessitate the types of heavyhanded lockdowns that have fuelled people on the far right, such as Desjarlais and other People’s Party of Canada members, to organize demonstrations and recruit new followers.

Indeed, it’s conceivable that if publichealth officials had done a better job containing the pandemic, there might not even be any of these large “The Media Is the Virus” protests taking place this month.

This, then, raises another intriguing question: if large numbers of the Canadian public come to a realization that publichealth leaders have disregarded scientific papers published in prestigious medical journals in responding to the pandemic, will this, in turn, bring the whole public healthcare system into more disrepute?

And will that only fuel more alienation?

FOR THE PAST couple of years, Canadians could complacently look to the U.S. as the place where democracy is in peril. Republican lawmakers in many states are introducing measures to make it far more difficult for poor, racialized people to vote. The upshot is that this could enhance the Republicans’ chance of winning back the White House in 2024, even if a majority of Americans would prefer that this didn’t happen.

Plus, many Republicans continue to insist, in the absence of any hard evidence, that the 2020 presidential election was stolen. One of the Republicans’ tactics in advancing this story line has been to

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THE GEORGIA STR AIGHT

FEBRUARY 17 – 24 / 2022

constantly disparage and discredit the U.S. national media.

By turning Republican voters against publications like the New York Times and Washington Post, anything these outlets report can be more easily dismissed as biased and pro–President Joe Biden.

But now in Canada, we’re facing our own democratic crisis. The prime minister is invoking the Emergencies Act—for the first time since it became law in the 1980s—to quell internationally funded protests aimed at thwarting trade with the United States and overthrowing the government. In Alberta, RCMP seized a large cache of weapons at the protest near the border town of Coutts.

And through “The Media Is the Virus” rallies and alternative platforms such as

BitChute, the hard-right People’s Party of Canada is convincing more supporters that they can’t believe what they’re seeing on the news.

At recent rallies in front of CTV Vancouver and Global News B.C., “The Media Is the Virus” organizers even brought along media “whistleblowers”. In front of Global, Common Ground publisher Joseph Roberts urged journalists to defect in the name of truth.

Outside CTV Vancouver, former entertainment and traffic reporter and morningshow producer Anita Krishna made the pitch that the mainstream media couldn’t be trusted in its coverage of COVID-19.

“I kept my mouth shut for most of 2020 because if you ever spoke up, you got into trouble,” Krishna said. “As soon as I started to speak up, I got suspended.”

She also claimed that Global News B.C. broke her heart with “bullshit reporting” on the pandemic.

“So don’t let anybody tell you that you are misinformed,” Krishna told the crowd.

When Indian prime minister Indira Gandhi imposed an 18-month state of emergency to quell disturbances in her country in 1975, it backfired on her less than two years later in the next national election.

Her once mighty Congress Party suffered its first electoral defeat, losing to Morarji Desai’s Janata Party—a coalition of opposing parties—for the first time.

It’s a lesson that Trudeau might want to keep in mind as he deals with the possibility of the People’s Party of Canada and the Conservatives ever setting aside their differences to defeat the Liberal Party of Canada. g

HEALTHY LIVING

Seniors in care drugged to much higher degree in B.C.

G

by Charlie Smith

race Hann has a long list of concerns about the challenges facing seniors in B.C., ranging from their housing needs to addressing their chronic loneliness. To Hann, trainer and manager of volunteers at the Jewish Seniors Alliance, seniors’ rights are human rights.

Also at the top of her worries is the overprescribing of antipsychotic medications to seniors in residential care. “We eventually lose some of our loved ones because they start fading away from us,” Hann said in an hourlong January 20 webinar hosted by the South Vancouver Seniors Network.

Statistics show that B.C. seniors in care are being given these pills at far higher rates than seniors in care in Alberta and Ontario. At the South Vancouver Seniors Network’s February 10 webinar, Hann had a chance to raise these concerns about antipsychotic medications with B.C.’s seniors advocate, Isobel Mackenzie, who joined the group that day.

According to one of Mackenzie’s reports, nearly one in three seniors in care were being prescribed antipsychotic medications in September 2020.

Will there be a time when we can say that… will not be given…?

– Grace Hann

In the preamble to her question, Hann told Mackenzie that “many, many residents are given their cocktails at 7 o’clock at night”, whereas others are receiving them in the afternoon.

“So instead of having physical restraints, we have medicine that’s restraining them,” Hann maintained. “So they become very lethargic. Relatives can’t interact with them.”

Hann acknowledged that antipsychotic medications are used to treat schizophrenia, but she questioned why they’re being dispensed to so many residents in nursing homes.

“Will there be a time when we can say that cocktail will not be given to residents?” Hann asked.

Mackenzie responded that antipsychotics are a “behaviour-altering drug”.

“B.C., for whatever reason, has always been less successful than other big provinces, like Ontario [and] Alberta, for example, in its use of antipsychotics,” Mackenzie said. “Our

Grace Hann of the Jewish Seniors Alliance says too many antipsychotics are being prescribed.

use has always been above the national average—and significantly higher than Alberta and a fair bit higher than Ontario.”

In a November 2020 report called Staying Apart to Stay Safe, Mackenzie revealed that there was a seven percent increase in the proportion of B.C. long-term–care residents who were dispensed antipsychotic medicines from March 2020, when the pandemic began, to the end of September 2020.

In the webinar, she attributed some of this to “culture and practice” in care homes.

“It is sometimes done on the auspices of the effect of this person’s behaviour on the other residents, for example,” Mackenzie said.

She added that she has seen families “get swept up in this” when they see a parent overly agitated. “The most immediate relief is the pharmacological intervention,” she said.

In other instances, care homes try to manage behaviour before it reaches a “tipping point”.

For the most part, Mackenzie revealed, doctors are prescribing antipsychotics based on input from nursing staff resulting from what they hear from care aides.

In many cases, Mackenzie said, the director of care will phone a physician and ask for an order of medications that can be dispensed by nurses in care homes on an as-needed basis rather than in a prescribed regimen.

Because physician visits to care homes dropped significantly during the pandemic, Mackenzie said that generally—though not exclusively—doctors are not seeing the patients in person who are receiving antipsychotic medications.

“That’s part of the problem, for sure,” Mackenzie said.

Hann said that this should raise “incredible red flags”, suggesting that dispensing antipsychotic medications to agitated residents is an “easy fix”. g

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HEALTHY LIVING

Myths busted about avocados’ high fat content

Not only are they safe to eat every day, but the fruit formerly known as the alligator pear is a superfood

Y

by Martin Dunphy

ou may or may not have cared that the Super Bowl took place last weekend (February 13), but if you were part of a COVID-safe watch party to mark that event, you were probably exposed to guacamole.

The creamy, savoury avocado dip—with added zing courtesy of lime, garlic, cilantro, onion, and other ingredients—has become a Super Bowl staple, and it is often also served in salads and as a vital ingredient in seven-layer dip.

Avocado consumption has soared in North America during the past two decades. In the U.S., during the lead-up to Super Sunday alone, consumption soared from 40 million pounds in 2003 to almost 80 million pounds in 2013 (according to Mexican marketing group APEAM) and more than 100 million pounds this year.

In Canada, avocado imports for all of 2020 were 106,660,000 kilograms (235,145,000 pounds), Statistics Canada says, about a 12 percent increase from the previous year.

(Most came from Mexico, with Chile, California, and Texas supplying the rest.)

More people than ever are eating avocados in dip, salads, guacamole, and on toast, yet health myths about the fruit’s high fat content persist. Photo by Wikimedia Commons/Popo Le Chien.

That’s a lot of guac and avocado toast being made from the simple fruit that used to be known as “alligator pear” because

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FEBRUARY 17 – 24 / 2022

of its pebbled green skin. And it is a fruit, not a nut, despite its large, nutlike pit and the fact that the word avocado comes from the Aztec word ahuacatl, meaning “testicle”. (Technically, though, the avocado is actually a berry and is in the same plant family as the cinnamon tree.)

Despite the avocado’s popularity, though, some myths about the fruit persist.

One is that you can’t or shouldn’t freeze them.

False. Cut them in half, peel, remove the stones, and put them in baggies with the air squeezed out. You can also mash them with a little lime juice, bag ‘em, and have them ready for a quick thaw and breakfast guac.

Another myth is that avocados should be kept at room temperature only.

False again. If you bought a dozen or so on sale and don’t want them all ripening at the same time, put them in the fridge to halt the ripening process. (Chiquita used

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More info at eatlocal.org

to tell consumers in its postwar TV ads to never refrigerate bananas, which was also false and designed to hasten waste and prompt more purchases.)

But one of the biggest whoppers out there is that the avocado’s fat content, which is quite high, renders them either unhealthy or makes it unwise to eat them more than occasionally.

About 77 percent of a typical avocado’s calories (250 to 300) comes from its fats, but they are mostly monounsaturates, the “good” fat. About 67 percent of the 22 grams of fat in a cup of chopped avocado, therefore, is unsaturated, with polyunsaturated and saturated fats comprising the rest.

The good fatty acids (mostly oleic, the main component of heart-healthy olive oil) that are present help your body absorb certain vitamins, some of which are contained in avocados in fairly high quantities, such as E, K, C, and B-6. The fruit is also an excellent source of thiamine, folate, niacin, riboflavin, and fibre, and it is very low in sugar, sodium, and cholesterol.

All in all, the sometimes maligned former alligator pear can probably be considered a “superfood” when you also take into account the presence of antioxidants like vitamins C and E and the fact that it is a rich source of minerals such as potassium, copper, and magnesium.

As well, plant compounds such as carotenoids (eye health) and persenones A and B (antioxidants that may be useful in preventing cancer and reducing inflammation) are present in avocados.

So unless you have a relatively rare allergy to avocados, you can probably safely eat one every day for the rest of your life.

(A 2015 study even showed that one a day can help reduce “bad” cholesterol levels in obese people.)

Guac on! g

HEALTHY LIVING

Dosage, toxin concerns with illegal weed market

J

by Carlito Pablo

ennifer Donnan isn’t sure if she has the correct answer to the question of whether or not the illegal cannabis market will eventually disappear.

Donnan is an assistant professor at the school of pharmacy at Memorial University in Newfoundland.

She is also a principal investigator with the university-based Cannabis Health Evaluation and Research Partnership.

Reached by phone in St. John’s, Donnan says she can only guess that the illicit cannabis market will probably continue to exist.

To illustrate, she pointed to the unregulated markets for alcohol and tobacco.

“I don’t think you’ll ever see it go away,” Donnan told the Straight.

“I think the goal is to make a regulated market mature enough that the majority of people are going to that regulated market for their purchases,” she added.

When Canada legalized recreational cannabis in 2018, one of the government’s three stated goals was to protect public health and safety. This was to be achieved by regulating the production and sale of cannabis in order for consumers to know what they’re paying for.

As Donnan noted, the “biggest risk of purchasing unlicensed cannabis is the uncertainty of what is in the package”.

“Cannabis is a complex substance that has several components, or cannabinoids, that have different impacts on the consumer experience,” she explained.

For example, Donnan noted that it is common for the strength of THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) or CBD (cannabidiol) to be inaccurate in unlicensed products.

“It takes laboratory testing to confirm exactly how much of each are in the cannabis that is being purchased, and there have been cases of inaccurate labels on unlicensed products leading to unwelcomed and unexpected effects,” she said.

A concern as well is that cannabis from the unregulated market may be contaminated with mould, unapproved pesticides, and heavy metals.

Another safety issue is consistency of dosage, which is important for edibles.

“Creating an edible like a brownie that has a consistent amount of THC across all servings is hard to achieve in a home kitchen,” Donnan said.

Donnan noted that many people are very sensitive to the effects of cannabis, so accuracy of dose is vital to avoid adverse effects.

The Straight sought out Donnan after the Journal of Cannabis Research published a paper on February 1, 2022, by Donnan and her colleagues at Memorial University’s school of pharmacy and faculty of medicine. The paper is titled “Characteristics that influence purchase choice for cannabis products: a systematic review”.

I don’t think you’ll ever see it [illegal cannabis] go away.

– Jennifer Donnan

Jennifer Donnan, an assistant professor of pharmacy at Newfoundland’s Memorial University, says dosage accuracy in cannabis, especially in edibles, is vital for some people. Photo by MUN.

For the study, the authors reviewed current literature on the different factors that affect purchasing decisions. They noted that although recreational cannabis has been legal in Canada since October 17, 2018, illegal sales are “still largely prevalent”.

The authors noted a 2021 study by researchers at the University of Waterloo that noted that only 48 percent of Canadians who purchase dried cannabis flower buy from the legal market.

The said University of Waterloo paper drew data from a survey done a year after legalization.

The same research also noted that legal purchases ranged from 41 percent to 81 percent of dried flower transactions across provinces.

It likewise stated that 59 percent of people who purchase legal dried flower live less than 10 kilometres from a legal cannabis store.

The study by Donnan and associates noted that price is often cited as an explanation behind the persistence of the illegal cannabis market. Plainly put, weed is cheaper in the illegal market.

The study included findings by Statistics Canada that from 2018 to 2019, the average price of legal cannabis in Canada increased from $9.69 per gram to $10.30. Meanwhile, the average price of illegal cannabis dropped from $6.44 per gram to $5.73.

However, the study also found from its review of literature that demand is “generally inelastic with respect to price”. This means that the whole story about price is not that simple.

“Generally, studies have found cannabis to be inelastic, which means that the quantity of cannabis people buy is not greatly impacted by price,” Donnan explained. She said people tend to buy the same amount of cannabis, whether it’s $6

per gram or $10 per gram.

“But this was only the case within a reasonable price range. Once prices get really high, the amount purchased does tend to drop,” Donnan stated.

In the study, Donnan and the coauthors also note that there’s much to be

known about other attributes that affect consumer choices. These include quality, packaging, and others.

Donnan said that because there are still many gaps in understanding consumer behaviour, it’s not easy to make specific recommendations regarding prices. She explained that legal cannabis has to meet certain regulatory standards, and achieving these benchmarks does “not come without a cost”.

Although it’s hard to know for certain what will eventually become of the illicit market, Donnan said, she is sure that having a regulated environment is a “positive thing”.

“We can look and explore what is being rolled out and say, ‘Okay, where can we tweak? Where can we modify to really optimize these policies and regulations?’ ” g

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7

WINE / FOOD

Low-sugar wines one way to follow up January

T

by Mike Usinger

here’s no point pretending otherwise: that was utterly hellish. But congratulations, because you not only made it through Dry January, but managed to stretch your straight month of misery into the fi rst two weeks of February.

Now it’s time to wave goodbye, at least temporarily, to your inner no-fun Chris Martin, and say “hello” to your old pal Keith Richards. Actually, maybe best to scratch that—human cockroaches are a rare breed, so unless you’re 100-percent certain you’ve won the gene-pool lottery, there’s no need to treat every day like Mardi Gras at Pat O’Brien’s in New Orleans.

And now that you’re ready to get back on it, it’s time to think about the other big lifestyle change you’ve made this year: getting fit.

As tasty as sugar might be—in ice cream, chocolate, cherry pie, and insanely delicious Cap’n Crunch’s Crunch Berries—it can become a problem for those glued to the couch seven days of the week watching Yellowjackets. Eat more sugar than your liver and muscles can store as glycogen and it ends up being converted to fat. Which is why, after a December that consists of mainlining eggnog, and subsisting on a diet of rumballs, shortbread cookies, and double-the-icing fruitcake, you end up looking like Kris Kringle’s more overweight brother come January.

For wine lovers, that means there’s a definite upside to steering clear of the port and ice wine when the Stairmaster comes calling at New Year’s resolution time. Both those admittedly magical offerings can have well over two grams of sugar in a oneounce serving, the problem being good

Jackson-Triggs, Bask, and Kim Crawford are three no-sugar wines that are guaranteed to appeal to those who like the idea of leaping out of bed in the morning for a five-mile run.

luck restricting yourself to a single ounce.

(For the sake of comparison, one ounce of Coke has a little over three grams of sugar, and we all know what your doctor says about consuming too much pop.)

One five-ounce glass of Chardonnay, meanwhile, typically has one gram of sugar, making one wonder why four of five doctors don’t suggest that as an alternative to soda pop.

Wines that tend to be higher in sugar include whites like Riesling and Gewürztraminer, and popular reds Cabernet and Zinfandel. As for the rest, red wines marked as dry (Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Shiraz) will typically have around one gram of sugar per five ounces.

Dry whites like Pinot Grigio and Viognier will, like Chardonnay, also have around one gram (or a touch more) per five ounces.

For those who are nothing less than militant about removing almost all sugar from their lives until they’ve got a six pack that would impress Hilary Knight, there are other options.

Low-sugar wines are now a thing, many of them actually targeting those who see the promise of a five-mile run followed by two hours on the exercise bike as an inspiring reason to get out of bed in the morning.

California’s FitVine for example markets itself as producing “Low Sugar Wines for Healthy People”. And just to make sure that message is driven home, FitVine’s labels feature an illustration of a dude out for a run with a bunch of grapes in one hand, and a glass of wine in the other.

Also from California is Un’Sweet, which comes in Pinot Grigio and Cabernet Sauvignon, and trumpets itself as “the zero-sugar

wine” in big letters on the label. Admittedly, that’s a better marketing ploy than “crazily chock full of sugar”.

Locally you’ve got options that are less in your face. Coming in at eight percent ABV, Jackson-Triggs Proprietors Selection Light Pinot Grigio sells itself as light but full-flavoured. While you’ll pick up on kiwi, pear, and crisp apple, the key word there is light, which isn’t always the worst thing when you’re making up for the excesses of the holiday season.

Kim Crawford Illuminate Sauvignon Blanc emblazons its bottles with the promise of “calories 70 per serving”, which rightly or wrongly assumes that you aren’t drinking out of an XL Kings Potteries Orgy Horn. And even if you are, the 7 percent ABV means you can probably have an extra horn or two without wanting to hit the nearest Plato’s Retreat. Whip up a charcuterie board (go for lean ham and kalamata olive instead of foie gras and double-cream brie cheese) and get ready for a decidedly tart wine with subtle passion fruit and no shortage of citrus.

Need something bolder, and not just where the alcohol level is concerned? Bask Pinot Noir clocks in at 12.5 percent ABV, and while on the decidedly light side of things, you’ll find it fruit-forward (with ripe cherries leading the charge) with washes of earthy tobacco.

As for the sugar, Bask has zero grams by design. But here’s something to keep in mind: if you’re blowing up like the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man again now that Dry January is in the rearview mirror, and you’re blaming the sugar in your wine for all the extra calories, it might be time to rethink your drinking habits. As hellish as that sounds. g

Seafood House reinforces Steveston’s stellar rep

T

by Charlie Smith

here are plenty of reasons why CBC fans voted Steveston as the best Metro Vancouver neighbourhood in 2020.

The fishing pier, the cool Fraser River breeze, the Gulf of Georgia Cannery, Garry Point Park, and the highly walkable small-town vibe in a beautiful setting all make this a popular spot for visitors.

But let’s not forget the area’s restaurants.

Whether it’s Ember Indian Kitchen, Baan Lao Fine Thai Cuisine, or Steveston Seafood House, Steveston can compete with the best dining spots in the region in a range of categories.

I recently paid a visit to Steveston Seafood House (3951 Moncton Street), which was founded in 1977 by Rolf Jung, according to the Richmond News. Lo-

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Steveston Seafood House has been serving hearty meals in Richmond for nearly 45 years.

cated in a picturesque 81-year-old building on the village’s main drag, it’s a great

FEBRUARY 17 – 24 / 2022

escape from the cloud of COVID overhanging our lives.

The room is subdued and elegant—not too dark and not too bright—with plenty of space between tables. There’s a subtle nautical theme, reflecting the area’s history, complete with cast-iron pipes.

Most people probably order seafood—after all, this is Steveston. But I opted for the succulent, juicy, and tender filet mignon ($37) with a flavourful Béarnaise sauce. It came with tasty roast potatoes, asparagus, zucchini, and red peppers. It followed a Caesar salad ($10) appetizer, which was generously sprinkled with addictive bacon bits.

My dining companion ordered schnitzel with seafood ($30), which came with the same set of vegetables as my main course. That was after a prawn-cocktail

appetizer ($16), which she enjoyed immensely.

The service was pleasant and efficient.

And the parking is free in the neighbourhood for anyone who drives.

The prices at Steveston Seafood House are not the cheapest, but they’re also not the most expensive. Given the quality of the food and the friendly and welcoming atmosphere, I certainly didn’t feel ripped off. Here’s another bonus. In 2020, the current owner, Shane Dagan, decided to donate five percent of all sales to the Richmond Food Bank at a time when he was only permitted to offer takeout service. Come to think of it, I actually felt good parting with my money there in light of what this restaurant did for the community in a very tough year. g

ARTS

Demers’s comedy career started with a little pee

C

by Steve Newton

harlie Demers didn’t waste any time getting known for his comedy chops. When he was two weeks old, his mom described him in her baby journal as “the little comedian” because he peed on the doctor.

“Obviously, it takes a certain kinda family to interpret that as comedy,” Demers says from his Vancouver home near Trout Lake, “but it quite literally has been a part of my identity ever since. As a kid, I watched comedy movies and comedy on TV, and as a teenager, I was right in that time when there was a lot of that inexpensive programming on A & E like Caroline’s Comedy Hour or An Evening at the Improv, so you could watch standups all the time.

So it’s always been a big part of my life.”

Not surprisingly, by the time he attended Burnaby Central Secondary School, Demers’s chucklesome antics had earned him the label of class clown.

“There are sort of two versions of the class clown,” he points out. “There’s kind of the mean-streak class clown, and I was always the kind of good-hearted class clown, and teachers liked me even though I was a handful in the class. I was voted the funniest person in my yearbook in Grade 12, so when I became a comedian, nobody was shocked. It was pretty much in keeping with what everybody expected.”

Inspired by the likes of John Candy, Charlie Chaplin, and Richard Pryor, Demers followed his comedy dreams to the point where he has opened shows for such heavyweights as Sarah Silverman, Marc Maron, Bob Odenkirk, and Hannibal Buress. He’s been booked to provide the laughs at a February 24 online fundraiser for Word Vancouver titled Nourished: Cooking, Comedy and Compassion, which will see him top off a night that includes cooking with Vikram Vij and a conversation on compassion led by Dr. Gabor Maté.

“Cooking and comedy are probably on the same plane,” Demers says when asked where he thinks comedy ranks among the three topics, “and then I think compassion is more of an ultimate idea that, hopefully, involves both of them. I would think cooking and comedy are a way of showing compassion, both to ourselves and others.”

Demers’s comedic talents were acknowledged nationally when, in 2018, the Junos brought back the Comedy Album of the Year award, which hadn’t been presented since Bob and Doug McKenzie won it for Strange Brew back in 1984. Demers’s 2017 album, Fatherland, was nominated but lost out to fellow Vancouver comic Ivan Decker’s I Wanted to Be a Dinosaur.

“Ivan’s a really, really close friend,” Demers says, “and if you’re competing with a friend for something, you always hope

Nobody was shocked when Charlie Demers went from being a class clown at Burnaby Central Secondary School to becoming a popular standup comedian, author, and political activist.

I would think cooking and comedy are a way of showing compassion.

– Charlie Demers

that you’ll have the awkward job of having to be the gracious winner as opposed to the awkward job of having to be the gracious loser. I got stuck with the awkward job of being the gracious loser, but if I had to lose, I mean, there’s nobody I’d rather lose to. He’s an incredibly, incredibly funny standup.”

Decker isn’t the only local comedian that Demers is quick to pile compliments on, though.

“I think Andrea Jin is a really smart and funny up-and-comer,” he says. “You know, she’s so new to comedy, in a relative way, and yet she just sounds like nobody else— she sounds like herself. And Jacob Samuel is just terrific. There are so many people here that make me laugh.”

Despite his enthusiasm for the performers on the local comedy scene, Demers is aware that the recent shuttering of popular venues like the artist-run Little Mountain Gallery have put a damper on things.

“The scene is kind of floundering,” he admits, “in the sense that we don’t have any comedy clubs in the city anymore.

Yuk Yuk’s is gone, and the Comedy Mix is gone. We’re hoping that that changes pretty soon, but for a city with no standing comedy club at the moment, it really is a remarkable place.”

Besides making a name for himself as a comic, Demers is an accomplished writer. He is the coauthor—with Canada’s first poet laureate, George Bowering—of The Dad Dialogues: A Correspondence on Fatherhood (and the Universe), a 2016 collection of epistolary nonfiction. He has also written two novels, 2018’s Property Values and 2020’s Primary Obsessions, the former having been optioned for development as a feature film by L.A.’s Pioneer Pictures, with a screenplay cowritten by Demers.

His third novel, Noonday Dark, is scheduled for release on May 8 and continues a series started in Primary Obsessions, which centres around Dr. Annick Boudreau, a psychologist and amateur sleuth loosely based on the real-life cognitive behavioural therapist Demers has seen for many years.

“My plan with the series is to do a book centred loosely on a mental-health theme each time,” he explains. “And so the first book, Primary Obsessions, was sort of based around OCD, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and [Noonday Dark] is a story about depression, with the plot kind of centred around a Vancouver civic-politics story.”

When he isn’t cracking jokes or writing novels, Demers also works as a voice actor, having lent his talents to the animated Netflix children’s shows Beat Bugs and The Last Kids on Earth. He is also known as a political activist, which makes one wonder whether the big political story of the day—

the Canadian trucker protests—might become fodder for his next standup routine.

“We’ll see!” he replies. “I mean, it’s funny, I was in Winnipeg working the Rumor’s comedy club during the first week of the truckers protest, and every night my emcees—like the opening act— they would try and joke about the truckers, because it’s this unavoidable topic.

And every night it was very thorny, because it’s not clear, actually, where a lot of the audience was sitting on what’s going on. So I’m still sort of figuring out how to talk about it.

“But that’s one of the great things about standup comedy and that relationship between a comic and a crowd. When you’re in a room with people during a show, and once you start making them laugh—once they trust that you’re funny—then you can get to a place where you’re allowed to start talking about stuff that you’re still trying to sort out. And, hopefully, by the end of the show you all get to a bit more clarity, together.” g Charlie Demers appears as part of a Word Vancouver online event, Nourished: Cooking, Comedy and Compassion, on February 24.

FEBRUARY 17 – 24 / 2022

THE GEORGIA STR AIGHT

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ARTS

LunarFest lantern inspired by fields in Philippines

T

by Carlito Pablo

here’s a piece of Danvic Briones in his lantern currently on display at Granville Island.

The colourful artwork is included in the Lantern City exhibit that forms part of this year’s celebration of LunarFest in Vancouver.

Called Wind Garden, Briones’s design depicts a young person running in the wind, hair flowing, with a kite. It’s an image of a girl, which the Delta-based artist modelled after his daughter’s likeness when she was little.

Wind Garden speaks about the exhilarating experience felt, especially by youths, whenever kites take to the skies.

It’s a joyful memory shared across places

and generations, and by Briones, as well.

He grew up in Angeles City in the Philippines, where he remembers wide, open fields with sugar cane growing near their home.

“When the weather turns breezy, usually around September, that means kite season has arrived,” Briones said in a phone interview with the Straight.

That was time for him and his friends to make kites with whatever materials they could find. Typically, they used old newspapers for the sail and tail, a midrib of dried coconut leaves for the spine and cross spar, and leftover steamed rice as paste to hold things together.

“Sometimes my mother would get upset when I helped myself to her sewing threads,”

Danvic Briones designed artwork for a LunarFest lantern at Granville Island based on his original work, Wind Garden, which shows a girl flying a kite just like he recalls seeing in the Philippines.

Briones recalled, laughing about what he used initially for his bridle and line.

His earliest recollection of flying handmade kites was when he was in third or fourth grade. As he progressed with his kite-making skills, he started using Japanese paper, which is lighter than print paper, and sturdier lines.

There were two ways to make handmade kites fly.

“You lay the line as long as you can, and your buddy at the other end would toss the kite up in the air, and then you start running,” Briones said.

But he preferred the other method.

“What I really liked best was just me, and I would start running with just a short length of the string, slowly unspool the line as I go, and watch my kite take flight,” Briones said.

It’s just like Wind Garden: with Briones’s kite floating in the air, his imagination begins to soar as well. “You just stare at your kite, and you don’t realize that it’s been hours already. You sort of ride along with it,” Briones said.

Briones didn’t know at the time that by freeing his mind, he was also opening it to a lot of ideas, a knack that let him develop into a visual artist.

He started drawing at the age of six, entered art competitions, finished a fine-arts degree at the University of the Philippines, and worked as a professional mixed-media artist.

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FEBRUARY 17 – 24 / 2022

Making a kite also taught him an early lesson about balance and how proper proportion is important in many aspects of life. “You have to get the balance right, or else the kite would turn left or right. If the tail is too short, the kite will keep spinning,” Briones said.

Briones and his family immigrated to Canada in 2011. He recalls going to Garry Point Park in Richmond once to watch kites.

In Wind Garden, part of his nostalgia is represented by the red, yellow, and blue colours of the kite, an allusion to the flag of the Philippines. There is also a flight of maple leaves that symbolizes Canada, his adopted home.

Briones originally carved Wind Garden on a wooden board, which he subsequently painted with acrylic and oil. The design was then reproduced for the Lantern City exhibit, organized by the Asian-Canadian Special Events Association at Granville Island’s Ocean Art Works Pavilion.

The exhibit’s theme is “Forever Young”.

Other lanterns on display there until February 21 are by Indigenous Taiwanese Rukai artist Pacake Taugadhu [Lrikulau (Clouded Leopard)], Squamish artist Jody Broomfield (Honouring the Spirit of the Children), Heather Sparks (Transformation), Quw’utsun artist Charlene Johnny (sxwut’ts’uli Hummingbird), and Cirque du Soleil (Alegria). g

ARTS

Mary’s Wedding shines a spotlight on young actors

FEB

25/26

Chooi Plays Mendelssohn* Fri, Sat, 8pm | Orpheum

Internationally acclaimed violinist Nikki Chooi makes his VSO debut. Robert Schumann’s Symphony No. 2, and a new VSO co-commission by Linda Catlin Smith are paired with BC-born Chooi’s performance of Mendelssohn’s exciting Violin Concerto in E minor.

by Charlie Smith

Nikki Chooi

Hear it. Feel it.

Lighting and set designer Lauchlin Johnston had to create many locations, including this barn on the Prairies, in the Donna Spencer–directed Mary’s Wedding. Photo by Firehall Arts Centre.

A

s someone who has devoted a tremendous amount of time advocating for the cultural sector during the pandemic, Donna Spencer knows how brutal it has been on performing artists.

The Firehall Arts Centre artistic producer is especially troubled by the impact of the pandemic on younger actors. Many have found it nearly impossible to find work in their chosen field after graduating from university or college programs such as Studio 58.

“Most actors have not been working in theatre because theatres have been closed,” Spencer tells the Straight by phone before a rehearsal of her company’s latest production, Mary’s Wedding. “There hasn’t been the opportunity to see these younger actors on-stage or in showcases.”

So when she had to postpone the Firehall’s coproduction of FADO—The Saddest Music in the World with Puente Theatre, she decided to stage a play that would feature young actors.

She chose Stephen Massicotte’s awardwinning Mary’s Wedding, a love story set in the First World War. “I was looking for something that we could do with two people—a two-hander that we could double cast in case something happened and one of our four artists got that dreaded virus,” Spencer says.

In her role as the director, Spencer cast Sarah Roa and Tanner Zerr, as well as Emma Ross and Jacob Leonard, to play the characters Mary and Charlie.

“It’s basically about young love and hope and looking to the future,” Spencer says.

“And, of course, what happens when the future doesn’t go exactly like one planned.”

She says that she first saw the play 20 years ago when it premiered at the annual playRights festival in Calgary. She

describes Mary’s Wedding as a hopeful story, noting that we all need some of that these days, as well as a little humour. The show also has emotionally wrenching moments, like when Charlie finds himself on a battlefield near the France-Belgium border.

Spencer sees parallels between what’s happening now and the magnitude of changes that took place in the era when Mary’s Wedding is set.

“There is a realization within the play that sometimes you have to give up on things that you believe—and see that things do change—and that you really are not in control of the world,” she says.

Spencer is particularly impressed by Massicotte’s script, describing it as “poetic”. She also loves how the story is told in a nonlinear way.

“The language is beautiful,” the director says. “I keep saying to my artists here, the actors, ‘Trust the words. The words will take you to the place that you need to be at this time.’ And I think that’s what happens.”

The Firehall Theatre was built in 1906 as Vancouver’s first fire station, so it actually existed at the time when this play is set. According to Spencer, the theatre’s black-box space really lends itself to this type of production. That’s because the stage is wide enough to create the flat landscapes of the Prairies and war-torn Europe, which come to life through Riley Hardwick’s sound design.

Spencer also credits lighting and set designer Lauchlin Johnston for “working his magic on creating a set that I can turn into all sorts of different places”.

“He’s also doing the lighting for it, so I think it’s going to be quite a beautiful piece to see,” Spencer adds. g The Firehall Arts Centre presents Mary’s Wedding from February 25 to March 13.

Mozart & Brahms* Fri, Sat, 8pm | Orpheum 18–20 Sun, 7pm | Bell Centre, Surrey FEB

THIS WEEKEND! Be moved by Brahms’ Symphony No. 2, and the lightning virtuosity of the VSO Concertmaster, Nicholas Wright, and Principal Viola, Hung-Wei Huang, in Mozart’s Sinfonia Concertante.

Hung-Wei Huang

Peer Gynt MAR

Thu, 2pm | Orpheum

3

Christopher Gaze

Edvard Grieg’s charming suite is now more famous than the Ibsen play it was written to accompany. Discover the full connection and the thrilling story behind the music.

Prokofiev & Grieg MAR

Fri, 7pm | Orpheum

4

Anna Rakitina

A first visit from Russian-born Anna Rakitina (Dudamel Fellow at the Los Angeles Philharmonic and Assistant Conductor of Boston Symphony Orchestra) and a return visit by a brilliant new artist on the Canadian scene.

Blake Pouliot brings passion and presence to Prokofiev’s Violin Concerto No. 2.

*Note: Large symphonic pieces require more musicians on stage. To keep the musicians safe and provide increased physical distancing on stage, the VSO has changed the programming of its Feb 18-20, and Feb 25, 26 concerts.

VancouverSymphony.ca FEB 18, 19 MASTERWORKS GOLD SERIES SPONSOR

BROADCAST MEDIA PARTNERS

FEB 18 CONCERT SPONSOR

MEDIA SPONSOR

604.876.3434

FEB 25, 26 MASTERWORKS DIAMOND SERIES SPONSOR

TEA & TRUMPETS SERIES SPONSOR

Concerts presented at 50% capacity, in adherence with Provincial Health Orders

FEBRUARY 17 – 24 / 2022

THE GEORGIA STR AIGHT

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ARTS LISTINGS ONGOING

TUESDAY, MARCH 1

SANKOFA: AFRICAN ROUTES, CANADIAN ROOTS Exhibition explores the relationships between traditional and contemporary African art and Black Canadian art. To Mar 27, Museum of Anthropology at UBC. YOKO ONO: GROWING FREEDOM, THE INSTRUCTIONS OF YOKO ONO / THE ART OF JOHN AND YOKO Exhibition underscores the cornerstones of action, participation, and imagination in the work of Yoko Ono. To May 1, Vancouver Art Gallery.

CANOE CULTURES :: HO'-KU-MELH Work of 20 Indigenous artists and carvers curated by Indigenous artist and cultural historian Roxanne Charles. To Jul 3, Vancouver Maritime Museum.

SHO ESQUIRO: DOCTRINE OF DISCOVERY Solo exhibition by designer, artist, and activist showcases meticulously crafted couture gowns, textiles, paintings, and photographs. To Jun 5, Bill Reid Gallery of Northwest Coast Art. SPEED AND SPLENDOUR: BY SEA TO ASIA Exhibition explores western perceptions of Asia through travel posters and ephemera from early- to mid-20th century. To Feb 27, Vancouver Maritime Museum.

THE CURIOUS INCIDENT OF THE DOG IN THE NIGHT TIME The White Rock Players' Club presents a heartwarming adventure based on Mark Haddon's bestselling 2003 novel. To Feb 19, White Rock Players Club. $15-28.

SEA SICK Alanna Mitchell's production about climate change and the state of the global ocean. To Feb 19, Historic Theatre. From $29.

SALT SPRING ISLAND NATIONAL ART PRIZE Biennial juried competition and touring exhibition of contemporary Canadian art. To Mar 11, Pendulum Gallery. Free.

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 17

d THE FAMILY OF Vancouver realestate marketer Bob Rennie has taken a big step toward making Vancouver home to Canada’s first major Chinese Canadian museum. It comes in the form of a $7.8-million contribution that the rennie foundation will make to the Chinese Canadian Museum Society of B.C. In addition, Rennie will part with the 133-year-old Wing Sang Building at 51 East Pender Street. The B.C. government announced on February 11 that it has provided the society with a grant of $27.5 million to help cover its planning and operating costs as well as buy the red-brick building. It will be home to the Chinese Canadian Museum, which is expected to open in 2023.

The Wing Sang Building was once home to a Chinese schoolroom in

SOVEREIGNTY Solo exhibition by photographer and mask-maker Duane Isaac. Feb 17–May 14, SUM gallery. Free.

THE PLAYGROUND Vancouver improvisors perform 70 minutes of comedy. Feb 17, 7:30 pm, The Improv Centre. From $20.

DESTINY, USA Pi Theatre presents a piece by Laura Anne Harris that weaves together three personal stories. Feb 17-19, Suite Genius. $25.

DALANNAH GAIL BOWEN African-Canadian/ Cherokee singer performs her Billie Holiday tribute.

Feb 20, 2:30 pm, Mel Lehan Hall at St. James. $20.

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 18

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 23

INTO THE LIGHT Step inside the ancient tale of the sea-monster Nian to gain a deeper understanding of Lunar New Year rituals and customs. Feb 18-20, Gateway Theatre. $18-28.

STAYED ON FREEDOM: A CELEBRATION OF BLACK HISTORY Performances by Marcus Mosely Chorale, City Soul Choir, Candace Churchill, Dawn Pemberton, Ndidi Cascade, and Will Sanders in honour of Black History Month. Feb 18, 7:30-9:45 pm, Christ Church Cathedral. $42.

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 19 FAN EXPO VANCOUVER Three-day celebration of all things pop culture features sci-fi, true crime, horror, anime, and gaming. Feb 19-21, 10 am–5 pm, Vancouver Convention Centre. From $32.

NOURISHING STORIES Storytelling and poetry workshop with Jane Wong. Feb 19, 1-3 pm, Richmond Art Gallery. Free.

BOWIE BALL 2022 Tribute to music legend David Bowie, with all proceeds to the B.C. Cancer Foundation. Feb 19, 7 pm, Rickshaw Theatre. $20 (plus service charge).

THE JAY AND SILENT BOB SHOW! LIVE Onenight-only comedy show featuring cult icons Kevin Smith and Jason Mewes. Feb 19, 7:30 pm, Vancouver Convention Centre. From $29.

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 20 A TRIBUTE TO JOHANNES BRAHMS Music of Brahms performed by pianist Jean-Sébastien Lévesque and violinist Victor Fournelle-Blain. Feb 20, 2 pm, Pyatt Hall. $15-25.

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MONDAY, FEBRUARY 21 FAMILY DAY AT THE RICHMOND ART GALLERY As part of the Richmond Children’s Arts Festival, registered drop-in art activities with artist Jeni Chen.

Feb 21, 11 am–3 pm, Richmond Art Gallery. Free.

ENSEMBLE Short films situated at the intersection between Black culture, costume, and dance, featuring work by Nick Cave, Steffani Jemison, Athi-Patra Ruga, and Rhea Storr. Feb 23–Mar 13, Polygon Gallery. By donation.

WASHED ASHORE Exhibition features nine giant marine-wildlife sculptures made entirely of waste collected from the Pacific Ocean. Feb 23–Apr 30, 11 am–7 pm, Metropolis at Metrotown.

DAVID GILLHAM & CHIHARU IINUMA Violinist David Gillham and pianist Chiharu Iinuma perform Mozart, Franck, and Wieniawski. Feb 23, 1 pm, Highlands United Church. $20.

TUNING New duet created and directed by Vanessa Goodman, featuring collaborating dance artists Alexis Fletcher and Ted Littlemore. Feb 23-26, 8 pm, Shadbolt Centre for the Arts. $15-35.

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 24 JOKES PLEASE! Standup comedy show hosted by Ross Dauk and featuring a variety of local comics.

Feb 24, The Beaumont. $18.

KIM'S CONVENIENCE A Korean shopkeeper grapples with a changing neighbourhood landscape and the chasm between him and his second-generation offspring. Feb 24–Mar 27, Stanley Industrial Alliance Stage. From $35.

BELIEVE, GHISLAIN BROWN-KOSSI Solo exhibition of new paintings by emerging Canadian artist. Feb 24–Mar 27, Jennifer Kostuik Gallery. Free.

STAND UP AT THE IMPROV Standup comedy showcase featuring international headliners and touring pros. Feb 24, 9 pm, Improv Centre. From $20.

FEBRUARY 17 – 24 / 2022

Chinatown, which Rennie has preserved within the structure, complete with the original blackboard.

“Our family’s duty to 51 East Pender has always been to be a good custodian and we are honoured and excited to have Vancouver Chinatown’s oldest structure now celebrated as home to the Chinese Canadian Museum for all Canadians to experience this piece of history and the journey of Chinese Canadians,” Rennie said in a B.C. government news release.

In the late 19th century, businessman Yip Sang built the Wing Sang Building to house his import-export firm, the Wing Sang Company. He expanded it as his business continued to grow at a time when Chinese Canadians were being subjected to tremendous bigotry.

Rennie bought the building in 2004 and spent more than $20 million restoring it. It become home to his realestate company and privately owned rennie museum, which held its first show in 2009, featuring artworks by Palestinian artist Mona Hatoum.

Since then, the rennie museum has exhibited the work of many other internationally renowned artists, including Kerry James Marshall, Barkley L. Hendricks, Yoko Ono, and Ian Wallace. g

by Charlie Smith

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 25 MARY'S WEDDING Story of love and survival weaves a theatrical spell of hope, regret, memory, and dreams. Feb 25–Mar 13, Firehall Arts Centre..

DAWN PEMBERTON Vancouver soul vocalist, with guest Hoodie Browns. Feb 25, 7 pm, Rickshaw Theatre. $16.50 (plus service charge).

CHOOI PLAYS MENDELSSOHN Violinist Nikki Chooi joins musical director Otto Tausk and the Vancouver Symphony. Feb 25-26, 8 pm, Orpheum Theatre.

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 26 CLEMENTINE - A (TRUE) STORY Puppetry and storytelling help young Clementine find the true meaning of love in a show for kids ages six and up.

Feb 26-27, Presentation House Theatre. $22/18/15.

RHAPSODY AND THE BLUES New arrangement of George Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue with Jazz Big Band. Feb 26, 7:30 pm, Kay Meek Arts Centre. $42-45.

SAFIA NOLIN As part of the Nouvelle Scène concert series, Le Centre culturel francophone de Vancouver presents Québecoise indie-folk singer-songwriter.

Feb 26, 8-10 pm, Studio 16. From $30.

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 27 SISTERS IN JAZZ DAY Jazz workshops and jam sessions with Jodi Proznick, Amanda Tosoff, Laura Anglade, and Virginia Frigault-MacDonald. Feb 27, 10 am–3 pm, VSO School of Music. $75.

CELLOBRATION! Israeli-American cellist Amit Peled performs with pianist Noreen Polera. Feb 27, 3 pm, Anvil Centre. $38 ($20 student).

KITS CLASSICS+WORLDS BEYOND Clarinetist Johanna Hauser, cellist Olivia Blander, and pianist Anna Levy perform works by Brahms, Sumera, and Bloch.

Feb 27, 4-5:15 pm, Mel Lehan Hall at St. James. Free.

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 28 DANCELAB STUDIO SHOWING: CALLE VERDE Performance by flamenco trio Calle Verde, composed of dancers Maria Avila and Michelle Harding and guitarist Peter Mole. Feb 28, 5 pm, Scotiabank Dance Centre. Free (register in advance).

DISCOVER DANCE! Intimate program features pianist/conductor Leslie Dala, countertenor Shane Hanson, and Ne. Sans dancers in excerpts of recent works to music by Handel, Bach, and Philip Glass.

Mar 1, 12-1 pm, Scotiabank Dance Centre. $15/13.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 2 GRUFF Carousel Theatre presents a family musical about immigration, friendship, sharing, and individuality. Mar 2-20, Waterfront Theatre. $24.

THURSDAY, MARCH 3 SOLEDAD O’BRIEN American journalist, entrepreneur, and author discusses the future of media. Mar 3, 6-7:30 pm, Robert H. Lee Alumni Centre, UBC. Free.

DANCE DOUBLE BILL: BLUE SPACE + MELON PIECE Solo dance works created and performed by Kelly McInnes and Arash Khakpour. Mar 3-5, 7 pm, Roundhouse Community Arts & Recreation Centre.

FRIDAY, MARCH 4 PROKOFIEV & GRIEG Young Russian conductor Anna Rakitina joins violinist Blake Pouliot and the Vancouver Symphony. Mar 4, 7 pm, Orpheum Theatre.

SATURDAY, MARCH 5 LEONARD SUMNER Indigenous musician from Little Saskatchewan First Nation. Mar 5, 8 pm, Chan Centre for the Performing Arts.

SUNDAY, MARCH 6 OMINOUS SOUNDS AT THE RIVER CROSSING (OR, ANOTHER FUCKING DINNER PARTY PLAY) Touchstone Theatre presents the world premiere of a provocative and darkly comedic piece of metatheatre, directed by Roy Surette. Mar 6-13, Performance Works.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 9 DAINA ASHBEE The Dance Centre and Vancouver International Dance Festival present Daina Ashbee’s latest work, J'ai pleuré avec les chiens. Mar 9-12, 8 pm, Scotiabank Dance Centre. $30/25.

FRIDAY, MARCH 11 ELISAPIE Montreal-based Inuk singer, songwriter, film director, and activist Ellisapie Isaac. Mar 11, 8 pm, Chan Centre for the Performing Arts.

MARIN PATENAUDE AND JUST A SEASON Double bill celebratiing the release of Just A Season's Leave To Come Home and Marin Patenaude's Sight Unseen. Mar 12, 7 pm, Hollywood Theatre. $20.

STEVEN PAGE WITH THE VSO Former Barenaked Ladies frontman performs solo tunes and BNL hits with the Vancouver Symphony, accompanied by guitarist-vocalist Craig Northey of Odds. Mar 12-13, 8 pm, Orpheum Annex. Note: postponed from original dates of Feb 14-15.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 16 HEY VIOLA! Vancouver singer and actress Krystle Dos Santos stars in a one-woman musical based on the life of Black activist Viola Desmond. Mar 16- 27, 7:30 pm, Anvil Centre. $25-35 (plus service charges).

THURSDAY, MARCH 17 MADE IN ITALY The Arts Club Theatre Company presents a play about a second-generation Italian teen struggling to find his place in Jasper, Alberta.

Mar 17–Apr 17, Stanley Industrial Alliance Stage. Note: postponed from original dates of Jan 13 to Feb 13. Tix from $35.

ARTS LISTINGS are a public service provided free of charge, based on available space and editorial discretion. Submit events online using the eventsubmission form at straight.com/AddEvent.

Events that don't make it into the paper due to space constraints will appear on the website.

ARTS

by Charlie Smith

SANKOFA African A frican R Routes, outes, Canadian Canadian Roots Roots

November 4, 2021 – March 27, 2022

Tuning spurs dancers’ voices to amplify body movements

Dancer Alexis Fletcher (right) commissioned choreographer Vanessa Goodman to create a duet called Tuning, in which Fletcher shares the stage with Ted Littlemore (left). Photo by David Cooper.

V

ancouver choreographer Vanessa Goodman has underpinned her latest dance production, Tuning, with some thought-provoking concepts. As an example, she tells the Straight by phone that human beings have some things in common with what’s going on inside devices that generate music.

“Technologically, we’re not so different than the conversations that are going on inside of these machines,” Goodman says.

“You know, how the information feeds in and is looped back out is similar to how we experience information. And as we process it, it loops back into the physical space.”

Tuning is a duet commissioned by former Ballet B.C. principal artist Alexis Fletcher, who performs alongside Vancouver dancer Ted Littlemore. Through the use of sonic devices, including vocorders, the dancers create a soundscape, employing their voices to amplify what their bodies are saying.

“My practice has been creating sound through looping devices—I guess I’ve been working with that for the last six years, on and off,” Goodman explains. “And it was really introduced to me by the incredible artist Caroline Shaw.”

Last year, Goodman and Shaw made great use of looping devices and microphones in their critically acclaimed production of Graveyards and Gardens.

In Tuning, Goodman wanted to work with someone also experienced in this area.

Littlemore, an accomplished musician as well as an imaginative contemporary dance artist, was an obvious choice. “Ted has a remarkable singing voice,” Goodman says.

According to Fletcher, who was also on the phone call, Tuning has brought together different parts of the Vancouver dance

community in ways that don’t often happen.

Fletcher was associated with an established, project-based company for many years, whereas Goodman and Littlemore struck out on their own through their own companies.

So for Fletcher, commissioning Tuning was “a milestone, careerwise, for me in terms of building my new path as an independent artist”. And she’s delighted that Goodman agreed to take on this project.

“We quickly realized through our conversations that we were both really interested in duet work as a form,” Fletcher tells the Straight. “It was something that I’ve always really felt drawn to, both as a performer and also as a viewer of dance.

“So we started to have some interesting conversations about the intimacy that can be created between two people in duet,” she continues, “and also the very specific journey that an audience member goes on when there are only two performers—especially when it’s a longer and more durational work like this one.”

Fletcher and Goodman also talked about their experiences of isolation and a lack of proximity to other people in the pandemic.

In creating this piece, Goodman felt it was imperative that relationships could be built within the room, in all sincerity, so that this could be reflected in the performances.

Fletcher says that this brings a “vulnerable, transparent energy” to Tuning. “So it really feels like the making of the work is also creating a content of the work,” she notes. g

Media Sponsor

Vanessa Goodman will present live performances of the world premiere of the full-evening show of Tuning at the Shadbolt Centre for the Arts from February 23 to 26. The February 23 performance will also be livestreamed.

FEBRUARY 17 – 24 / 2022

THE GEORGIA STR AIGHT

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CHILL.

Enjoy stress-free reading without the noise on CreatorNews.

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THE GEORGIA STR AIGHT

FEBRUARY 17 – 24 / 2022

MOVIES / BOOKS

Climbing fan built a mountain of a local film fest

A

by Charlie Smith

lan Formanek fell in love with climbing while growing up in Bratislava in what was then known as Czechoslovakia. He especially liked hiking with his parents in the High Tatras, which is Slovakia’s tallest mountain range.

“I was always dreaming of trying to live abroad,” Formanek tells the Straight by phone. “But that was difficult behind the Iron Curtain under a Communist regime.”

In those days, Bratislava was surrounded by factories spewing polluted air. No matter which way the wind was blowing, he would breathe it in whenever he was outside in the city. He dreamed of living in Canada, where he could experience incredible rock climbing in a pristine environment.

Formanek finally managed to achieve this after the fall of the Iron Curtain, moving to B.C. with his young family in 1992. He studied comparative literature and film at UBC for seven years, focusing on Italian, French, and Spanish cinema. At UBC, he deepened his affection for movies set in the mountains.

He also continued climbing. “I specialized in big walls in the Apps or the Dolomites or the Rocky Mountains,” Formanek says.

In 1998, Formanek combined his two passions—climbing and motion pictures— into the inaugural Vancouver International Mountain Film Festival.

“There are mountain-film festivals in

B.C. director Jennifer Abbott’s documentary on climate grief, The Magnitude of All Things, is one of more than 50 movies that will be screened at the Vancouver International Mountain Film Festival.

many other countries,” Formanek acknowledges. “The genre itself was born in Italy.”

The early years of his festival were tough.

Filmmakers would mail or courier VHS versions, which had to be copied or watched by the entire VIMFF team together. Once these films were approved, the director or producer then had to send a higher-quality betacam version. Sometimes they arrived late.

Formanek says that with technological improvements, including film-submission software and digital movies, it became easier to preview more films. Links could be

provided to those vetting the selections. And nowadays, there is no shortage of supply.

“It’s much easier to make films in difficult conditions,” Formanek says. “Before, to make a film on Mount Everest was a huge venture to carry all the film up. Now you can have a cellphone or a small camera and get great resolution.”

This year marks the 25th anniversary of the Vancouver International Mountain Film Festival, which will feature more than 50 films in a hybrid festival. From February 25 to March 6, there will be 20 in-theatre

screenings and workshops at the Centennial Theatre, Kay Meek Arts Centre, Presentation House Theatre, Rio Theatre, and Brewhall.

On opening night at the Centennial, VIMFF will screen the world premiere of “Njord”, about two explorers travelling 1,000 kilometres during the polar winter, and the world premiere of “Originate//Symbiosis”, featuring skier Michelle Parker heading to the Fairy Creek blockade. The other opening-night films are the skydiving-recovery story “Sixty Seconds” and B.C. filmmaker Jay Macmillan’s “Sonder”, in which he retraces his parents’ travels in Nepal before they died in a landslide there.

Other fest highlights include Jennifer Abbott’s The Magnitude of All Things, Jared Drake and Steven Siig’s Buried, and Tasha Van Zandt’s After Antarctica. VIMFF movies are online from February 25 to March 27, either individually or with a $90 online film pass providing access to all of them.

According to Formanek, contemporary mountain films are focusing far more attention on human angles, including mental health. “It’s less about the super-great achievements and more of the actual stories of people suffering and then accomplishing something,” he says. g The Vancouver International Mountain Film Festival runs in person from February 25 to March 6 and online from February 25 to March 27.

Expert explores impact of gaining a new identity

F

by Charlie Smith

or Canadian author Hal Niedzviecki, the smallest elements matter when he’s a creating a world within one of his novels. He wants to know what his characters are wearing. The smell of the room. The weather outside.

“You can’t conjure up that world without every detail being in play,” Niedzviecki tells the Straight by phone from his home in Toronto.

Often, people will wonder about a character’s motivations. Or the plot. But to him, writing is a methodical, moment-by-moment process. When he starts his books, he doesn’t know how they’re going to end.

“To me, it’s all about the details,” he says a second time.

“And the details will match the mood. And the mood is the kind of emotional backbone of the novel.”

Niedzviecki’s newest book, The Lost Expert, is about a young waiter, Chris, who finds himself thrust into fame after he’s mistaken for a major Hollywood action star named Thomson Holmes.

“The book is about lost people,” Niedzviecki explains.

“It’s about being lost—mentally, psychologically, and there are some physical moments where people get lost too.”

Chris’s parents are divorced. His mom has depression and his dad has found a new life, leaving Chris feeling rootless.

“He meets Thomson Holmes’s father and they have this great moment where they get along for the first time,”

Author Hal Niedzviecki is so concerned about the details that he wrote an entire screenplay for his newest novel’s characters.

Niedzviecki says. “There’s this incredible irony because the real Thomson Holmes is completely estranged from his father and the real Chris is completely estranged from his father. Yet these two suddenly find kinship with each other.”

This speaks to the core of Chris’s character as a young man with an incredible yearning for meaning in his life.

“The question is,” Niedzviecki adds, “can he find it by pretending to be someone else?”

In some respects, the author is also asking this question

about Hollywood celebrity in general. And as someone who briefly found himself once at the middle of a Twitter swarming, Niedzviecki understands how some people have a tendency to do a lot of public posturing through social media to present an optimal image of themselves to the world.

“So I wanted to explore that, in a way,” he says. “That’s part of the dynamic of our society right now, where so many people are pretending to be something else.”

In the book, he delves into this in scenes in which Holmes is accused of doing bad things to women. The compromises that some people are willing to make—and the concerns over Holmes’s bankability as a star—come to the forefront.

“You see people making choices that are clearly not about what’s right or the truth but about what they think is going to be advantageous for them or get them out of a tough spot—or advance their career,” Niedzviecki says.

“You know, it’s impossible to be any more cynical than I am at this point.”

Because Chris ends up acting in a movie called The Lost Expert, Niedzviecki needed to understand the actual film to be able to see the world through the character’s eyes. In order to do that, Niedzviecki ended up writing a screenplay by the same name, which appears in the book.

“I was halfway through this bloody screenplay and it was, like, ‘I’m going to write the whole thing, aren’t I?’ ” he says. g FEBRUARY 17 – 24 / 2022

THE GEORGIA STR AIGHT

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MUSIC

Clarity was a while coming for the della kit

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by Mike Usinger

their show.

When Lyrics Born and Joyo arrived they were so friendly and kind to me. I explained how badly I wanted to watch their show and that I was hiding in hopes to catch them. They told me not to worry about it, that I could sit on stage and watch them, and that they had my back. So there I was just 17 and sitting about two feet away from Joyo watching the best show of my life. At the time Joyo and Lyrics Born were so deeply in love and the way they supported each other and connected on stage was pure magic. Every note Joyo sang was powerful and perfect like it went straight from her heart to ours.

I remember wanting to sing just like Joyo and knowing how hard I would have to work on my voice to get to a place where I could sing so profoundly like that. Every single movement was intentional, and all of Lyrics Born’s stories were so deeply personal and authentic. I didn’t leave for the entire two-hour show. I drank way too much water and I remember having to pee so badly, but didn’t want to get kicked out of the club so I tried my best to ignore it.

When the concert was over I remember walking out of the club feeling like I was flying on a million rainbows—it was euphoric. That concert changed my life, it was a truly remarkable experience and I remember wanting to inspire my listeners someday in the same way that Lyrics Born and Joyo did.

hat’s In Your Fridge is where the Straight asks interesting Vancouverites about their life-changing concerts, favourite albums, and, most importantly, what’s sitting beside the Heinz ketchup in their custom-made Big Chill Retropolitan 20.6-cubic-foot refrigerators.

ON THE GRILL

the della kit

WHO ARE YOU

I am the della kit—I was born in Boston, MA to two jazz musicians, and was raised in the surrounding areas of Nelson, B.C. We landed there because my Pops helped to start Selkirk College’s Contemporary Music & Technology program in 1989. I have been singing and performing professionally since the age of 16, and I am now a full-time musician. I sing, write, produce, curate, and teach music. It is what I live for.

Over the last three years, I have been creating some of my best works. I describe my music as dreamy, expansive, dynamic, and playful while laced with evocative stories of healing and self-love. Feb 14, 2022, is the day I released my single “clarity”. It is a love song dedicated to all the artistic darlings who have been perplexed by creative chemistry and falling in love.

FIRST CONCERT

The first thing that comes to mind is a concert at Studio 80. This is the music venue at the college where my Dad used to teach.

I remember being very young, most likely four or five, and we would go there to watch the faculty and student showcases.

I remember being excited to go, not necessarily for the music, but because they always had a huge box of glazed donuts from Johnny’s Bakery at the front when you walk in. So whenever my folks said we were going to a concert I knew that meant donuts—well only one I suppose, but let me tell you that was enough motivation to get me out of the house!

My parents’ friends and other faculty members still tell me stories to this day of how I would fall asleep in the front row of these concerts, and back then—maybe in 1990—I don’t believe they had those cool noise-cancelling headphones for little ones. Reflecting on this now, I realize how obsessed I am with multi-sensory musical performances. Live music, plus the food, is the perfect combo.

My plan for the della kit is to tour with cinnamon buns, and ideally bake them in the venue, so when you walk in you feel soooo relaxed and cozy like you are in my living room. Some of my best concert memories to this day are when I was eating something delicious while enjoying amazing, live 16

THE GEORGIA STR AIGHT

TOP THREE RECORDS

In no particular order....

Artisanal waffles are much more than just a quick and easy breakfast food for the della kit.

My plan for the della kit is to tour with cinnamon buns, and ideally bake them in the venue, so when you walk in you feel relaxed and cozy like you are in my living room.

– the della kit

music! Thanks for the question! It all makes so much sense now ;) LIFE-CHANGING CONCERT

One of the first shows I ever played was opening for Lyrics Born and Joyo Velarde at the Fluid Lounge in Nelson. I believe this was 2004 and I got to sit in with a local hiphop group and sing one of my own original tunes. The club manager happened to be my

FEBRUARY 17 – 24 / 2022

step-sister’s dad (classic small town), and he was very strict about the rules around me being underage. I was supposed to stay in the green room until performance time, then leave immediately after my performance and miss the headliner. I am a big fan of Lyrics Born and was a bit of a rebellious teenager, so I brought with me a funky hat and sunglasses and decided to hide in the back of the green room until they started

Michael Jackson Off the Wall This is one of the greatest records of all time! I am a massive fan of Quincy Jones, and this album shares such a diverse range of genres and vibes with almost every tune a hit. I have listened to it since I was a kid and will forever be inspired by the songwriting, production, and performance of this record.

Cyndi Lauper She’s So Unusual The first cassette I ever owned. Cyndi Lauper is one of the most dynamic vocalists of all time, and I love how deep and poetic she is, yet pop-y and so accessible that lil’ six-yearold me was singing “Time After Time” into a spatula and bouncing off the living room furniture to “Girls Just Want To Have Fun”.

Jill Scott Who Is Jill Scott?: Words and Sounds Vol. 1 This is the album that starts my journey of claiming back my power as a woman. Jill is an incredible poet, singer, songwriter, and storyteller.

Throughout this record, she inspires me to stand up for myself as a woman and to see next page

feel comfortable about my sensuality. I appreciate how she has such a sweet sense of humor yet keeps it very real. I am a massive fan of Jill Scott and I would say she is one of my biggest influences.

ALL-TIME FAVOURITE VIDEO

SAVAGE LOVE

When an asexual says “no”, she means no

by Dan Savage

Nelly Furtado’s “I’m Like a Bird” This one is hard for me cuz, to be honest, I have never been a massive fan of music videos.

I grew up in a family with six sisters and most of my clothing was off the clearance rack or hand-me-downs, so I remember watching music videos and feeling very insecure as a teenager. I was flat-chested, had big old glasses, and didn’t learn how to love myself till my 20s. But I will say Nelly Furtado’s “I’m Like a Bird” would be my favorite. Not because of the wild special effects, but because I felt like I really could identify with her. I was a bit of a raver at the time this video came out, so her fat denim pants and Adidas sneakers, along with all of the cedar trees and nature, made me feel hopeful that I could be like her someday :) WHAT’S IN YOUR FRIDGE?

Premade pancake batter. I pretty much eat pancakes every day—some days I eat oatmeal or French toast, but I am 100% pancake obsessed. I no longer need recipes and often blend up leftover oatmeal with different gluten-free flours and oat milk.

I like to have the batter ready to go so I generally make a lot so I can have it ready to fry the next day. Amongst friends I am known for my pancakes and crepes­—it’s a part of my identity, lol.

Witches’ immunity brew. I grew up with a Stepmom who is very into holistic remedies and natural cures. One of the potions she introduced me to is packed with all the things to support our immune system when we might be feeling run down. Its base is apple-cider vinegar, then you blend together garlic, ginger, onion, habanero, turmeric, lemon, and honey. Then you strain out the pulp and can have the potion sitting around in the fridge for a good while. I usually plug my nose because it is so intense, and shoot it like tequila with lime after. It’s a good remedy for anyone who wants some healthy immune support.

Hot sauce. Oh my do I love my hot sauce— so much so that I used to carry a little bottle around in my purse because I am not down for Tabasco, and I need that Frank’s on my breakfast potatoes. I generally will have about five to seven different types of hot sauce in my fridge, Frank’s, sweet chili, Sriracha, sambal, and recently I have found some amazing Canadian-made habanero and jalapeño-based hot sauces that I am crazy about. Yet, after spending some time in Barbados this winter I will say that my ultimate favorite hot sauce is the Bajan hot sauce Delish with habanero and cucumber.

Yum, yum, yum! g Check out the della kit’s Instagram page at Instagram.com/thedellakit/.

When a cis man who describes himself as “very sexual” tells Dan Savage that he has fallen in love with a female friend who told him long ago that she was asexual and not interested in having a relationship, Dan’s answer is concise: no means no. Photo by Prostock Studios/Getty Images.

b I’M A VERY sexual cis male in his 30s.

Three years ago, I met this woman who just blew me away. She is eight years older, extremely beautiful, intelligent, and funny. I came onto her early on and she told me straight up that she was asexual. She likes kissing, cuddling, and solo masturbation, but that’s it. She says intercourse doesn’t do anything for her.

To keep a relationship alive in the past, she would go through the motions, but she has no interest in doing that anymore, so I moved on.

Since then, we got to know each other better and I have fallen in love with her. Last night, we had dinner and I started thinking aloud how we might make a relationship work. I suggested that I could watch her masturbate, and maybe we could have an open relationship. She said it was out of the question.

She admitted that when she first met me, she liked me, but now she loves me as a friend. She says there’s no chance that this could work and we should keep things platonic. She doesn’t even want to kiss and cuddle me, as she fears I would get “worked up” and she would have to reject me.

We got into an argument, and she got angry with me. I love her. I want to spend every moment with her. I sincerely believe we could make this work. How can I convince her?

- Sexual Man Into Loving Ecstasy

your answer, SMILE, and that answer—her answer—is “no”.

You already have

Even if he was in a convincing urinal costume…you did it.

– Dan Savage

b I’M A HORNY, divorced bisexual male.

Can you help me find females for regular phone sex? I masturbate every night and enjoy it much more if I hear a sweet voice on the other end of the line. I live in North Carolina, and I am usually freshly showered, naked, and erect between 11 p.m. and midnight. I time my orgasms for precisely midnight. Please help and find me a female to have erotic discussions with!

- Jerking About Conversations Kept Sensuous

Sir, this is a Wendy’s. (Full disclosure: this isn’t a Wendy’s. This is a sex-advice column, JACKS, and sex-advice columnists are not matchmakers. So you’ll have to find and/or hire a phone-sex provider on your own.)

b I’M NOT HAVING sex with my best friend’s husband, but we’re doing something my best friend would probably find objectionable: I’m letting his husband drink my piss. The first time it just kind of happened. We’re able to rationalize what we’re doing—my best friend isn’t into piss and I’m a “safe” person to do it with in that I’m not going to ask him for more—but it does involve putting my dick in the mouth of my best friend’s husband.

I was the best man at their wedding, and I feel guilty about this. I’m also married, but my husband and I have an agreement about outside games. Maybe I just need you to tell me to stop.

- Gay Urinal Is Lying To Spouse

answer: stop.

Second, the obvious follow-up question: how’d that happen, GUILTS? Unless your best friend’s husband was wearing a ridiculously convincing urinal costume at a Halloween party and you were on mushrooms, it didn’t just happen. You did it. Even if he was in a convincing urinal costume and you ate all the mushrooms, you did it. You won’t be able to stop doing this if you can’t be honest about how you started.

First, the obvious

b MY FRIEND STARTED dating a girl eight years ago in college and broke up with her

FEBRUARY 17 – 24 / 2022

see next page

THE GEORGIA STR AIGHT

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from previous page

a year later. They have no relationship at all now. They don’t even converse. I have been in love with the girl in question since the first day I met her. I was going to ask her out years ago, but before I could, she was dating my friend. I recently asked her out and we are now dating, but none of our friends from back then know.

I want to spend the rest of my life with her. I vibe with her like no one else. Do you think it’s right to be with her? Or am I doing wrong to my friend?

- The Bad Friend

up with this woman—the woman you want to spend the rest of your life with—seven years ago. He doesn’t own her; he doesn’t have eternal dibs; and if he can’t be happy for you, he’s not your friend.

And if you’re feeling like a bad friend, maybe backing up and rereading GUILTS’s letter will make you feel better.

Your friend broke

b MY PARTNER OF 20 years and I recently agreed to open our relationship. There’s an acquaintance I’ve had a crush on since high school. I don’t know his situation—if he’s partnered, monogamous, whatever—but we’re in touch now and I have permission to approach him. But I’m nervous his answer will be no, and my fun fantasies—fantasies I’ve enjoyed about him all my adult life—will be tainted by embarrassment.

The reward would be great, but the risk is huge. The possibility of a hookup with him IRL has been fuelling my desire, which my partner has benefitted from, and I’d hate to lose that. What do you think?

- Reliable Orgasms At Risk

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b DURING A RECENT Sack Lunch you spoke of a “zone of erotic autonomy” that we are all entitled to, even partnered people.

I think that should be a term: ZOEA. It’s already a legal Scrabble word, as I’m sure you’re aware, and I think ZOEA would be as useful as DTMFA or GGG. Here’s an example of it being used in a sentence: Husband: “Do you think of me when you masturbate?” Wife: “Mind your own ZOEA.” - Neologism Now Needed

a word—and, therefore, fair game in Scrabble (“a free-swimming planktonic larval form of many decapod crustaceans and especially crabs [with] fringed antennae and mouthparts”)—but words can have more than one meaning.

I think ZOEA (pronounced “zo-EE-ah”) is a nice addition to my collection of initialisms.

Zoea is already

b I’M A LATE-TO-COME-OUT lesbian and so is my sister. We both live in the same moderate-sized city in the Pacific Northwest and are currently both on the dating market.

The trouble I’m having is that the pool of eligible women in our city is small and the

Acknowledge the awkwardness, don’t be paralyzed by it, and block each other on dating apps.

Sexual fantasies are perfect; sexual realities are messy.

– Dan Savage

chances of us dating the same person seems likely, which makes me feel icky. I even matched with my sister on a dating app!

That experience prompted me to take a break from dating while I sort out a better strategy. I’ve been dipping my toes in the water of more national queer communities and want to attend The Dinah in the fall to connect with other womxn from outside our area. I don’t want to hold back, but getting too close to my sibling’s sex life just feels gross. Any guidance?

- Looking Everywhere Since Bursting Out

Get over it,

LESBO. It’s a small world, and the lesbian world is smaller still. Even if you restrict yourself to long-distance relationships, you’re probably gonna wind up dating someone your sister dated at some point. Hell, your chances of meeting a woman your sister dated at The Dinah are about as good as meeting a woman your sister dated on a dating app.

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b I’M A STRAIGHT 30-year-old guy. I live with my girlfriend of three years; we love and respect each other and have very good sex. Unfortunately, sex is very satisfying for me until I have an orgasm. My orgasms start well, but they fade out toward the end, leaving me disappointed, because I consistently have better ones during masturbation.

I have a plausible explanation: when I orgasm, I become very sensitive, and I cannot “spot reduce” the stimulation very easily during intercourse. I’ve tried thrusting less, coming outside, breathing to stay relaxed, with and without condoms, et cetera, but the end result is always the same. I still enjoy my sex life, but I’d like to be able to have my best orgasms while I’m with my girlfriend. Do you have any advice for me?

- Climaxes Underwhelming My Senses

a bit and see if that doesn’t improve things during partnered sex.

But if that doesn’t work, CUMS, you might wanna incorporate masturbation into your regular sex sessions with your girlfriend—not masturbation as foreplay, not mutual masturbation, but you-do-you-while-she-doesher and you watch each other. Having some of your “best” orgasms when you’re with her, even if you’re not touching her, may help you get to a point where you can have those orgasms when you’re inside her. g

Stop masturbating for

Follow Dan on Twitter @FakeDanSavage. Email: questions@savagelove.net. Podcasts, columns, books, merch, and more at www.savage.love!

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20

THE GEORGIA STR AIGHT

FEBRUARY 17 – 24 / 2022