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VOICES
How Halloween Is A Casual Gateway to Racism: A guide to Avoiding Cultural Appropriation
ROKHAYA RODRIGUEZ Voices Editor
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Disclaimer: Cultural Appropriation is a delicate subject. This article is an opinion piece; in no way, shape, or form am I trying to speak for a group of people.
Before diving into the issue of cultural appropriation, I will provide some definitions that are not my own. The Cambridge Dictionary describes cultural appropriation as using a culture different from your own without respecting it, understanding it, and omitting some elements. Cultural appropriation can take many forms, such as hair, terminology, clothing, etc. Cultural appropriation is often confused with cultural appreciation. Appreciating a culture is rooted in learning and the desire to broaden your horizons, whereas appropriating a culture on purpose or ignorance is self-interest, as explained by Greenhouse. When addressing cultural appropriation, it usually refers to material culture. Culture can be compared to a gigantic bag that holds inside values, traditions, passed on oral traditions, and material objects. So, as my sociology teacher Laura Shea said, material culture is “the tangible aspects of a culture”. I Feel bewildered and conflicted when I come across white individuals and individuals who identify as white with Black braiding styles. I remember when in 2018, the internet called out Kim Kardashian for wearing Fulani braids. She only found excuses to defend herself without acknowledging the point of view of Black women. Isn’t it crazy how wearing Fulani braids was deemed fashionable by Kim Kardashian, yet Employers see black women wearing Fulani braids as “unprofessional” and “unkempt”?
Kim Kardashian is known for cultural appropriation. In 2019, she sought to release a new shapewear brand called Kimono Solutionwear. Many called her out for her actions since they disrespected the Japanese culture and the kimonos’ cultural and symbolic representations. Kim Kardashian was mocking an element of Japanese material culture. I cannot speak in the stead of Japanese individuals, but I can certainly acknowledge the many comments and remarks by Japanese people speaking against Kim Kardashian’s behavior. Celebrities like her seem to have a pass to do whatever they want; they receive backlash but never actual sanctions. The internet did not cancel Kim Kardashian as is frequent nowadays for celebrities.
Another example is Justin Trudeau, the prime minister of Canada, who did Blackface in 2001 at a Halloween party to impersonate Aladdin. Guess what: it happened twice! The first time was in Cegep. What kind of message did these images send? Many found it outright racist, as do I. Justin Trudeau apologized for his actions during his campaign; still, his apology cannot erase the mark of his actions. Therefore, Halloween seems to amplify the presence of racism through the use of culturally appropriated “costumes”. These racist acts make minority groups and cultures other than the dominant culture (western culture) feel oppressed and discriminated against.
Whether you enjoy watching spooky movies or celebrating Halloween, the festivities call for a code attire: Costumes! The focus may be to have a cool costume or make a group costume with your friends but think carefully before choosing one. For Halloween 2022, it is crucial to understand the cultural backgrounds of costumes on the market.
Here is a guide on: How to avoid cultural appropriation:
1. Ask yourself a few questions:
Could this costume be offensive to anyone?
Why am I wearing this costume? Is it only for my benefit or is it to gain popularity?
Would I be reinforcing cultural stereotypes by wearing this costume?
Am I uplifting people of x culture by wearing this costume, or am I reducing their voices?
Is my costume a form of cultural appreciation? If yes, is wearing this costume the best way of going about it? If not, then am I appropriating a culture? 2. Ask others for their opinions on your costume. 3. Research your costume on the internet before purchasing it or making your own 4. Stay away from a costume that could represent another culture from your own
Disclaimer: It is essential to inform yourself about cultural appropriation because you might learn that you have engaged in it. Many things seen as “trendy” can often stem from cultural appropriation. Therefore, it is crucial to inform yourself and educate yourself if someone calls you out and, most importantly, give credit to the culture.
In a diverse and multicultural world, it is vital to understand the different cultures and to see them as equal and not inferior since it is the backbone of interactions between individuals; it sets the tone for respect and cultural exchanges.
This Halloween, instead of wearing a costume because it looks cool, maybe you should think of people on the receiving end.
Sources for the ones who want to inform themselves: https://dictionary.cambridge. org/us/dictionary/english/cultural-appropriation https://greenheart.org/blog/ greenheart-international/cultural-appreciation-vs-cultural-appropriation-why-it-matters/ https://www.healthline. com/health/cultural-appropriation#if-someone-else-does-it https://au.reachout.com/articles/ why-cultural-appropriation-isnt-cool p
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The Black “Little Mermaid”: When Skin Tones Precede Innocent Fantasies
SOPHIE ANABELLE SOMÉ Staff Writer
Surprisingly enough, or not, commotion against Black women playing lead roles in movies is not an issue born today. It is an ongoing and perpetual battle that Black actresses must face. It is only as of September 9th, the release of the Little Mermaid trailer, that Disney counts two Black princesses out of 12 characters. The Princess and the Frog aired in 2009; Princess Tiana being the first Black princess presented on screen. At the time, Disney received backlash and multiple negative criticisms partly because of blatant racism toward Black women. Some individuals did not like the idea of a Black princess in Disney. Others within the Black Community criticized the company because a Black princess’s first appearance would involve her transformation into a frog. Other people thought that her Prince should be Black and that their love story should do due diligence to Black love.
Above all the criticisms and intolerance from the public, portraying a Black princess was about time for Disney. Representation of minorities matters since children who admire film fantasies want to be seen and represented as they grow alongside their role models. It is also important for adults or teenagers to see such representation on television. I, a West African woman, did not grow up with much infatuation for Disney princesses. First, I wasn’t being represented in those characters as much as I would have liked to be, and I couldn’t find a princess that deeply inspired me. Again, each story is different, and each person has a different experience to tell. However, seeing the trailer of the Little Mermaid on my Instagram feed filled me with warmth and comfort for all the little girls that would have another Black princess to look up to. Providing children with role models in the media that look like them can impact their self-perception as well as their world perception. So, the representation of minorities offers a new vision of beauty standards.
The second wonderful Black Disney princess is the Little Mermaid, played by Halle Bailey. Again and again, and sadly to no one’s surprise, negative criticism and controversy emerged after the movie trailer’s release. Many wondered, “Why is the Little Mermaid Black?” “Why isn’t her hair bright red?” Point given, I would have liked for Ariel to have long and bright red hair because I’ve always seen her in books that way. The real issue, however, is; Why does her appearance matter? Why should Ariel’s physical characteristics be permanently set in stone? She remains a mermaid, and no alteration of her hair could make her less uncanny or imaginary. Now, it seems like Halle Bailey’s skin color might be the problem. There is no other way to address people’s disfavor of her character than to point out intolerance and racism on their part. There is a clear line between dismissing someone for their acting skills as opposed to their skin color.
David Dennis Jr. beautifully said in a commentary on Andscape, “This is about white people who detest the notion of Black women centered in any story, let alone those that they’ve enjoyed as symbols of white pride”. Going from a character presented 33 years ago as white to a black character is a large step regarding representation. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Halle Bailey says about the movie, “it’s not just a story about her, you know, falling in love and loving a boy and wanting the above world. It’s more about what she sees in herself and what she wants for her future.” The main effect of the diverging controversy around the Little Mermaid is the effacement of the movie’s message of courage and passion.
Let’s ask ourselves, why Halle Bailey, a prolific and Grammy-nominated actress, is second-guessed in her ability to play the lead role of the Little Mermaid. Critiques towards the scenery, the costumes, the actors, or the visuals of the movies are welcomed and beyond appreciated. However, criticisms about the validity of the Little Mermaid or labeling her as “unrealistic” are blatant acts of racism. There should be no such thing as unrealism when it comes to imagination and fairy tales.
Sources:
David Dennis Jr. “The attacks on ‘The Little Mermaid’ and ‘The Woman King’ are unified by a disdain for Black women.” Andscape. September 20, 2022, https://andscape.com/features/ little-mermaid-woman-king-backlash/.
Entertainment Weekly. “Halle Bailey on ‘The Little Mermaid’. Youtube, 20 Sept. 2022. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9AfBlczOiMg p p
Another Article to be Forgotten
The Trendiness of Heart-Hitting News
EMMY RUBIN Copy editor
In 2017, the Uyghurs (aka Wiegers) were all over the news. The Uyghurs, as I’m sure you’ve read about in the News section, are a Turkish-speaking, Muslim ethnic group living in the Xinjiang territory of China that have been subjected to such grievances as religious restrictions, sterilization, and forced labor in concentration camps that go against every law of humanity. The ludicrous story of the Uyghurs’ treatment was the headline of every major newspaper, posted religiously on Instagram stories, and was heavily debated in most high school model UNs across the world.
If asked about their opinion on the state of the Wiegers in China in 2022, most people would respond with a “Huh?” and a scratch of the head, probably confusing the term used to describe a still brutally-suffering ethnic group with weebles, those dopey-looking toys from the 2000s that teetered over with the nudge of a finger and would bounce right back.
The only thing teetering over right now is the human race’s ability to empathize with another people’s persecution for longer than the amount of time it takes to scroll down a phone screen.
We haven’t always been like this. Back in the day, before faxing was obsolete and bigger hair equaled better hair, people consumed news and would hold on to it; they would hold it in their mouths and let their saliva break down all the nutrients it contained so that their bodies would be able to absorb it to the fullest. When there was a war, people would not shut up about that war until it was over or everyone was dead. When the hippies in the sixties were waving signs around with peace signs and rebelling against the police, they weren’t doing it to show off their super cool bell bottoms or their mood rings; they were protesting against the war in Vietnam. They wouldn’t stop protesting until it was over. Hasn’t anybody seen The Trial of the Chicago Seven?
According to second-year Literature student Naomi Labbé-Baddeley, there is such a ‘trendy’ mindset when it comes to crucial world news because “People struggle with separating what is real from what is fake on social media. Instagram has brainwashed humans into normalizing tragedies.”
Similarly, another second-year Literature student, Stefanie Capozzo, stated, “The internet has made it so that news spreads incredibly quickly. However, that also means that it dies quickly. Exposure to so much horror and bad news makes it easy to get disillusioned with the world and give up on caring altogether.”
One of the many growing disadvantages of being a technologically advanced society is that we are losing ourselves not only to the over-exposure of the world around us but to the world, as shown through our ridiculously expensive handheld technology. This same technology desensitizes us to the point where we start resembling the robots that we once feared would take over the world; efficient yet uncaring, the robots that are unable to grasp that sentiments such as grief and empathy are to be felt and shared and that history should not even resemble repetition.
We have a war going on right freaking now in case the general public has forgotten - the war with Russia in Ukraine - the one that everybody thought would unravel into WWIII. For about five minutes. And then everybody gave up caring - the support posts trickled away, and the community outreach programs dwindled until they virtually ceased. And yet, just because we’re no longer as concerned by the plights of others who live halfway across the world, people who we will probably never meet does not mean that they have stopped. Just because we’ve turned our heads away from the television doesn’t mean that Ghostbusters will stop playing.
The most recent update on the war in Ukraine is the killing of at least seven people in a Russian missile strike in the city of Zaporizhzhia in Southern Ukraine. So far, Ukrainian forces have rescued 21 people, but there are likely more deaths, as five people are still missing. The missile strike was a deliberate attempt to strike civilians to ingrain fear in the larger mind of the public as they were aimed at civilian dwellings.
By the time you pick up this paper and read this article, new atrocities will have already developed. There will be more than seven deaths. There will be more to grieve. But if no one is paying attention, if people have given up on caring about the truly heart-hitting news, then the only people who will remember the suffering and the lost are those that may not be remembered themselves. Most importantly, though: remember the Wiegers. p p
Say Yes to your Local Cafés
ASPEN CRICK Staff Writer
It’s that time of the year again. Time to fall in love with nice things: from pumpkin spice and cinnamon to hiding in local cafés as you’re soaking in the autumn weather. Before you hit play on “Sweater Weather” by The Neighbourhood, consider going to a café near Dawson rather than doing your typical Starbucks run. While adjusting to the aesthetic yet the chilly month of October, pull on your flannel for gay vibes, your Doc Martens to add to the look, and go get your daily dose of caffeine.
If you’re looking for a place to grab a coffee to go, super close to Dawson as it’s a 5-minute walk, Shaughnessy Café is my recommendation. From tasty pastries and excellent coffee to great service, they’ve got you covered. Not to mention the cozy atmosphere and excellent music selection. It is also a good spot for “dining-in”; however, good luck finding a place to sit during their rush hour.
“Students are back, and it brings a great vibe to the neighborhood,” said François Letendre-Joachim, owner of the nearby Shaughnessy Café, during an email Q & A.
Closer to Concordia but only about a 15-minute walk away, Myriade Café and Java U are both viable options. Disclaimer, they are franchises, but they are also within Montréal with one or two stores that aren’t. I think it’s important to note that both options, located on Mackay Street and Rue Guy, are LGBTQIA+ friendly.
Small businesses and cafés have suffered during the pandemic, so why not give them a hand while getting some kickass coffee? Even though sometimes going to a local coffee shop is pricier, the quality can be better. If you’re lucky, you might even get to know the cool staff working at said café!
I asked the owner of Shaughnessy Café: “What is something you find special about Shaughnessy Café and other local coffee shops?” Letendre-Joachim answered, “There’s this consistency in brewing great espresso and [filtering], which seems like a rare thing to come by these days.”
Besides offering great coffee, local coffee shops can be great spaces for creative work or same-old studying. Sometimes the typical study spots like the school library are not ideal. I personally prefer some background noise when doing my work. The cozy atmosphere and bustling environment of a coffee shop bring a sense of community and comfort. I can chat with the person making my drink. Then, they become an acquaintance of a sort when leaving the café. I recently went to Java U. It was a good experience; it was not too crowded, with music to vibe to and really nice employees. Although, I won’t tell you when I stop by, or it’ll always be crowded.
Seeing that others are enjoying simple pleasures such as getting their caffeine levels rightly balanced reminds me that a coffee break is better than no break. Students have little time to rest and pause, so why not sit down with a friend and enjoy quality time?
Overall, I hope your spooky season goes well, and you find your new favorite cup of Joe at a local café. p p
Life After Drugs
JOSEPHINE ROSS Editor-In-Chief
Author’s note: This article mentions drug use and suicide.
I was 14 when I smoked my first cigarette, a milestone that was shortly followed by my first time getting drunk. My brief stint as a stoner at age 15 led me to turn towards harder drugs by the time I hit 16. By 17, I was a full-fledged addict. I started trying to get sober before I had even reached Quebec’s legal drinking age.
To this day, it’s hard to pinpoint why I fell into addiction so easily. I have my theories, but above all, I think it was the disillusionment I felt upon entering the real world. As a kid, people told me that I was smart and that I would accomplish incredible things. When harsh realities hit, I wasn’t equipped to handle the blow. Failing to meet the ridiculously high standards I set for myself, installed there by the adults who believed in me, I entered adulthood totally unprepared, feeling inadequate and worthless. I wasn’t the gold-star student I was supposed to be, so I might as well become a drug addict instead. If I can’t be the best, why not be the worst?
I’m all-or-nothing in every aspect of my life, either giving my everything or giving nothing at all. I live at the extremes, unable to exist in-between polar opposites. I like to tell this story of a night when I impulsively announced, “Tonight is the night I will quit smoking!” I headed to the bar with friends, and after a few drinks, I smoked one, then another, until I caved and walked to the dep to buy myself a whole pack. Pack in hand, cigarette propped in my mouth, smoke filling my lungs, I thought, “Well, seeing as I failed at this, I might as well call my cocaine dealer.” I’ve known for a while that I’m not the type who can stop at “just one drink”. I wouldn’t go to the bar unless I was planning on coming home too drunk to walk straight. I never halfass anything, and that includes addiction. At some point, I decided that if I was going to become a drug addict, I had to do it right. I can recognize this logic as counterintuitive, but this irrational mentality was what enabled me to let everything else go and plummet into the abyss of drugs and partying.
I was in deep, deeper than anyone around me knew. I took pills offered to me by people whose names I could never remember. After my second overdose, I realized that I had taken enough to die three times over. I consumed recklessly and carelessly. While I was not actively attempting suicide, I didn’t care about the consequences of my consumption.
If my friends expressed concern for me, I would lie straight to their faces. I pulled out all the classics: “I can stop whenever I want; I have everything under control.” They didn’t believe me, but eventually, they realized that trying to help me was a futile gesture and let me be. It’s true what they say about being unable to help someone who doesn’t want to help themselves. I didn’t want to tell anyone how far in over my head I was because I knew that there would be no going back once I did. Once they knew that I knew, it would all be over. They wouldn’t let me get away with anything I was doing then. If I took so much as one line of coke at the bar, I would never hear the end of it. I wouldn’t have kept it a secret if I had been ready to give up the drugs.
While some friends stuck by me, many disappeared, which is something I can’t blame them for; drugs made me a mean, selfish, and destructive person. I might have been guzzling pills like they were Tic-Tacs, but I knew that this was becoming a problem. Despite my startling self-awareness, I was still somewhat in denial; some part of me still thought I could get myself out of this mess, that maybe it wasn’t as bad as I thought. I pushed away anyone who tried to deter me from my lifestyle. I distinctly remember receiving a phone call from a friend who I had unintentionally stood up to. I had gone out the previous night and awoken in a bed that wasn’t mine with a heavy head, the previous night’s makeup still clinging to my face. The friend told me that she was at the place we had promised to meet, she asked if I was coming, when I told her I wouldn’t make it she sighed and said: “Josephine, at some point you’re going to have to make choices.” The threat of departure from my close friends was a wake-up call.
I finally faced my drug problem head-on by telling my parents. After this, they placed greater restrictions on my liberties, for which I was simultaneously grateful and resentful. When I had to explain to my friends why I couldn’t go out anymore, I told them that my parents had found my stash in my desk drawers. I was embarrassed by the fact that I had lost control and that I needed to procure external help. They might have been addicts too, but they still maintained the illusion of control, which was something that I had forfeited.
I knew sobriety was the answer, but I was so scared of leaving a world in which I was a master only to enter one in which I’d be looked down on as nothing but a washed-up, teenage addict. I was great at having unforgettable nights, but I struggled with the forgettable yet necessary days in between these nights. I was worried that becoming sober would make me boring. Over the years of my addiction, I surrounded myself with individuals who built their existence around drugs and partying. Most of them had distant parents and a lack of a support system, which entitled them to the unrestricted freedom regarded as priceless amongst rule-breaking teenagers. I was envious of them, marveling at their stories of crazy drunken nights, bad trips, and encounters with the police. I dreamed of having stories like
that one day. It was only once I had those types of stories that I realized they were but the measly consolation prize for a life dictated by addiction.
Luckily, becoming sober didn’t make me boring, as I feared it would. In fact, I became a far more interesting and well-rounded person. When my existence revolved around drugs, I was exhausted all the time, either never sleeping enough or sleeping far too much. I didn’t eat properly. I was either too high or too low. I wasted so much time. I felt like I was constantly wearing myself out, doing too much, but I was doing nothing. I stopped reading, stopped writing, disregarded my studies, and isolated myself from anyone who didn’t support my acts of self-destruction. Only once I was sober did I realize how much I had been missing out on. The real world can and will run you down. I feel exhausted at the end of some tough work weeks, but never as much as I did on the Sunday after a bender. At the end of a hard work week, I have something to show for it. The same could not be said about the bender.
I knew sobriety was the answer, but I was so scared of leaving a world in which I was a master only to enter one in which I’d be looked down on as nothing but a washed-up, teenage addict. I was great at having unforgettable nights, but I struggled with the forgettable yet necessary days in between these nights.
I was envious of them, marveling at their stories of crazy drunken nights, bad trips, and encounters with the police. I dreamed of having stories like that one day. It was only once I had those types of stories that I realized they were but the measly consolation prize for a life dictated by addiction.
In the early stages of sobriety, and even now, I felt like I was playing pretend. Sobriety was an elaborate facade I was putting on, but it wasn’t who I really was. I could read as many books as I wanted, dedicate myself to my studies, and choose to spend my weekends in libraries and museums and cafés instead of bars. Still, a voice inside me told me I wasn’t worth that life; I didn’t deserve it. Despite all these changes, I was and would always be a wash-up drug addict - eventually, I’d have to return to my ways. I could pretend that I relished in bettering myself, but my former life would come calling back to me in a way I couldn’t refuse, and I would be back to snorting mystery powders in bar bathrooms with strangers. Of course, this isn’t true, but your mind will tell you anything to get what it thinks it wants.
I am virtually unrecognizable from the person I was two years ago. When I run into former friends and acquaintances from this period of my life, I know what they’re thinking. They never explicitly say it, but their gaze says, “What happened to you?” I think this reaction is two-fold. First, it’s genuine confusion, something I can understand. Even I look at myself and wonder how I grew out of the lifestyle that once held me hostage. Second, I know from experience how troubling it is to see someone who I considered a “low life” like myself exit addiction and reintegrate into society, becoming a functioning human being. There’s jealousy, a kind of competitiveness. It’s unsettling to see someone else succeed when you once considered them as “bad” as you.
I am not a licensed medical professional, but if you have found yourself in a situation similar to the one I was in two years ago, I’ll offer some advice. Tell someone; it’s the best way to hold yourself accountable for your actions. Download one of those sobriety tracker apps; I know they sound juvenile and patronizing, but the little number getting bigger on the screen every day can feel reassuring. Surround yourself with good influences, people who aren’t going to pressure you to consume. If you’re worried about your friends leaving once you get sober, maybe you should be more concerned about finding yourself some new friends. And most importantly: make a list of everything that addiction costs you. Whether it’s your academics, friends, family, or passions, addiction is a thief, and it’s vital you take inventory of what it’s stolen from you.
The way I’m writing this, in the present, looking back at the past and seeing all of it for what it was, it may seem like getting to this point was easy. It was by no means easy. I relapsed countless times, more than I can count. And it still isn’t easy. It’s hard to order when I go on first dates and order Coca-Cola instead of the gin and tonic that would alleviate the awkwardness of the gettingto-know-you conversation. It’s hard finding drugless activities to occupy my Friday and Saturday nights. It’s hard being an extrovert and feeling so dreadfully alone sometimes because most of the social spaces available to me as a young adult in 21st-century North America are based purely around consumption. Getting sober is difficult, and staying sober can be even worse, but it’s definitely possible and worth it. p p
