Carolime Time

My dad and I just realized we both love the exact same ad: The incredulous fat kid with the red truck! I love him! Read the rest of this entry »

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As taken from the Globe and Mail: Signing protest letter was rash, Fonda says

I deconstruct the writing in an article from the Globe and Mail regarding the Toronto Declaration, the Toronto International Film Festival and the role of the Brand Israel campaign in TIFF 2009

My remarks are in italics. Please note the bold when reading.

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Some months back, my journalist friends and I noticed a trend with “internships.”

It was at the height of recession fear-mongering. Media agencies were dealing with their own financial reaction to the economy alongside the shift from traditional journalism to the web, desperately scrounging for revenue through new sources. So everyone was getting laid off. Everyone! I got laid off, of course, early on. I watched as friends started emailing back and forth seeking work. And I watched as the journalism job options dwindled, or rather, the job hunter market grew very saturated with journalists. The competition was a bit too fierce and intimidating for myself and others I knew who’d only been out of j-school for a year or so. I was lucky to have a little bit of experience from my communications position and my student days as a keener with the extracurricular work. However, I was no match for the journalists with 10, 15 years of experience getting laid off from their leading roles at major magazines and websites. Read the rest of this entry »

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I have been heatedly reading all the things said by our silly Immigration Minister, Jason Kenney, from his Twitter updates to his public statements. Though I am usually not impassioned by politics, I feel he is a threat to one of Canada’s major selling points, and one of the only reasons I was brought to this country—DIVERSITY. Oh, and freedom of speech. I officially have a vendetta against Jason Kenney, and put him at number 1 on my list of people that make me cringe and gag. Number 2 is Katy Perry. Their names even share a similar ring. Read the rest of this entry »

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Listing the concerts I’ve attended..I can’t offer a synopsis or recollections of all, as some have faded..but I can note the ones that stood out most. Those with stars beside them mean I have something to say for that event. So stay tuned!

Alanis Morrissette (1996, Toronto) w. OLP

~at the tender age of 11, I was hoisted onto my father’s shoulders to sing along to Alanis’  honest and often crass lyrics. I recall energy and anger onstage, and hearing my first vocation to music. She was an excellent role model for young women, not afraid of voicing her opinions or screaming in order to be heard. I loved the way she swept the stage. My Alanis days were such that I’d spend hours in my bed, staring at the ceiling and listening to words I sometimes didn’t understand (a la “You Oughta Know”..go down on you in a theatre?! huh?) and other times felt all-too-well (a la “Forgiven”) It was at this show that I first saw Our Lady Peace perform, as well as the Wild Strawberries. I remember being impressed with OLP, pre-Clumsy, mid-Naveed.

Edgefest 98 (1998, Toronto)

~ though Edgefest these days barely makes a dent in my music-going plans, this show was THE initiation into Canadian music coolness, for me. I remember the suspense being high, and waiting outside at 6am to enter the show because we were so excited. Honestly, we were first in line and chatting with security. I mean, not only was it the biggest summer music festival in the GTA, but it actually had cool bands–like I Mother Earth (Edwin era), Greenday (the first album I ever bought with my own money–tape, of course), Moist, Matthew Good, etc. At the time, these were all very important bands to me. And hey, I might not think all of them are cool these days, but I think I was on a good start for a 13yr old! It’s funny how sometimes you go to these huge festivals and your radar totally misses one of the opening bands, only to find yourself obsessing about them a few years, nay, months later. This happened in the case of Edgefest, and even the above-mentioned show re: OLP. At Edgefest, I didn’t pay any attention to Sloan and in the aftermath have come to respect them as a tried, tested and true source of good Canadian music that doesn’t go stale. I’ve still never been to a Sloan show. Anyway, I remember the crowning moment of the night was not when Billie Joe Armstrong mooned us (I have a vague recollection of this moment, in fact, it may not have ever taken place) but when Edwin from IME sang David Bowies  “I’m Afraid of Americans.”

It’s too bad his stuff wasn’t so great post-IME, or maybe post-2000. I also am not fond of Greenday’s post-2000 music–I can’t stand the song “Time of your Life.” Other reasons this show did NOT stay on my mind is because I was not a fan of Bif (ew), Creed and Tea Party (at time time). It seems recent Edgefest sohws have been hit and miss, with some excellent bands like Metric, Stone Temple Pilot and Hot Hot Heat mixed with other less-than stellar groups like Billy Talent and Simple Plan.

Christina Aguilera (1999, Toronto)*** I’ll admit she has a great voice, we had fab seats (7th row ACC) cause my aunt hooked us up for free

Our Lady Peace (1999) It took me awhile to like OLP after Naveed. I thought it was too clean, too pretty. But after this show, I had to admit they are talented. Raine Maida is quite the crooner, and I think their music itself will appeal to just about anyone–from the rock-loving sort to the soothing alternative ballad. In later years, I grew very fond of the song he did with his wife Chantal, “Can’t Make it Good.” They harmonize really beautifully on this song, and it’s a bit eerie the sort of darkness the song induces. Using some sort of old record player recording effect, it sounds like it was taped in a vine-covered Victorian mansion way out in the country. I always found the lyrics to OLP’s poetry-like, story-telling music very enthralling. I used to sit there with their album lyrics and listen while reading, making up my own meaning to the words. The show was good but it was long ago. Free tickets again, score:)

No Doubt (1999 or 1997, Toronto)*** Gwen Stefani was super cool at the time, jumping on top of speakers, holding the mic out for all of us to jump in, doing everything a young girl wants to do but not getting in trouble for it. Platinum blond hair, outrageous red pants and cherry lipstick, she made the show. The Tragic Kingdom album was something for all of us going through puberty, as I think she herself was quite young when writing the album. It was like reading Seventeen magazine. She wrote honest, confessional songs about drummer Tony and her infatuation with him, she talked about beating the system with “Just a Girl”..these were all very motivational for the young soul.

Warped Tour (1998 or 1999, Toronto)

Silverchair, Foo Fighters (2000?, toronto)

Blink 182 (2000?, toronto)

Tori Amos (2003, August, Toronto)***

Common, Jean Grae (2003, September, Montreal)***

The Dears (2003-2004ish, Montreal)***

Nelly Furtado (2004, Summer, Toronto)

Curiosa Festival (2004, August, Toronto)***

Interpol (2005?, Club Soda?, Montreal)

Finger Eleven (2005, September, Montreal)***

Think About Life (2006, Summer, Toronto Harbourfront)***

The Stills (2006, Summer, Toronto—twice—once at Mod Club, another time we performed on the same stage!)***

Socalled (2006? 2007? February, Montreal)***

DJ Carl Cox (2006ish, Montreal, Stereo)***Held in Montreal’s legendary dance club, Stereo, this was off the hook for all the revved up dancers. Some were, of course, on drugs. But others were just high on this DJs hard, edgy take on up and coming house music.

DJ David Guetta (2008, March, Toronto)***I recall having one drink at this event, held at Toronto’s least favourite venue, Circa, yet dancing unstoppably. Considered one of the world’s best DJs , Guetta made a LOT of waves throughout 2007 and 2008. He times his entrances and exits well, and the crowds love him.

Jamie Lidell (2008, June, Toronto)***

Nomadic Massive (2008, June, Montreal)***Alright, I saw Nomadic Massive randomly in the summer of 2008. It was a delicious night, the streets were crowded for the Montreal Jazz Festival, but there was something going on in hidden folds of the Les Saints, at St. Catherine and St. Laurent.

Rock the Bells: Immortal Technique, Mos Def, Cool Kids, Nas, Dead Prez, 9^th wonder (2008, August, NYC)***

DJ Kaskade (2008, August, Toronto, boat cruise)***

Virgin Festival (Moby, Oasis, Yoav) (2008, September, Toronto Island)***

DJ David Dresden (2008, October, Circa, Toronto)***

~A good friend got us hooked up with line bypass and comps for this show (thanks Rubeel!!) at Circa. Truthfully, I had ulterior motives for planning this night out—I wanted to pass some of my music by Dresden, of former Gabriel & Dresden fame. I was quite speechless the first time I heard “Tracking Treasure”, a masterpiece in electronic house history if you ask me, and was convinced I could be the next Molly Bancroft on one of their albums. Of course, the now-defunct Gabriel & Dresden is not producing anything together these days, except for some side projects that I can’t seem to gather info on. Anyway, I got to the party and my whole goal was to pass on my demo. Along the way, I hit up the dancefloor, which was spinning with heavy beats. Dresden only went solo about 6months ago, in May of this year.  To be completed  

Chromeo, Jamie Lidell (2008, October, Toronto, MUZIK—Red Bull Presentation)***

~A deep respect for the versatile Jamie Lidell led me to a last minute decision one Thursday evening to watch this truly talented individual for a second time. Set in Muzik Nightclub, this was an unlikely show.

Traditionally, the venue is reserved for the likes of pretentious party airs, would-be debutantes and bottle service a la top 40 weekend clubbing. I was pleased to hear the show would take place here, though, as it actually is one of the more physically beautiful venues in the city. High, domed ceilings and tastefully decorated spaces meant a very trendy, sexy atmosphere.

I wouldn’t have expected Jamie Lidell to be paired with Chromeo, otherwise spokespersons for hipster whims. I find Jamie Lidell to be a purist musically, even with his use of electronic samples and a looper delay pedal. Of course, you will soon realize I have an affinity for any artist that uses a looper delay pedal. Lidell effectively creates a sound onstage, using his DJ’d mélanges of beatboxed layers and orally constructed sound. I obviously love this artist. He did seem a little uncomfortable in this venue, especially compared to his more intimate, less glitzy show at the Opera House just 4 months before in Toronto, where I believe he really shone. Read above for my recollections on that performance. This is not a bad venue for performers, but I do think Muzik should be reserved for a certain style of musician. Fellow artists like [chilli] Gonzales and Peaches would do well in performing at Muzik, as they are less vocally based and Lidell’s latest album is far more soulful and R&B-centered than some of his electronic ventures and electronic partners in crime.

As for Chromeo, to be honest, I was not at all moved by their music and never have been able to listen to a whole album straight…however, I had fun dancing and they have a bit of an iconic presence onstage. They had sunglasses at night, and the whole shebang…they were fun, and so was the crowd I was rolling with.  

Feist (2008, November, Toronto, ACC)

~after listening to this woman non-stop for months on end, sometimes playing on repeat the same song (usually ‘intuition’ or ‘let it die’ or ‘limit to your love’ or..really, i could name every song), i procured tickets to her concert. ok, truthfully, my ex bought them for my birthday and we considered getting back together just for that night due to the excess of coupledom at this show. Feist’s performance was the sort where you’d need a shoulder to lean on. ACC only used half the arena, which made the setting a lot more intimate than expected.

With extremely dimmed lighting, I almost didn’t know anyone was beside me till I reached out and needed someone beside me. It was not a dramatic performance, but I think given the poetic  deference proffered by Feist’s lyrics, a delicious silence was created in the otherwise huge and hollow stadium. Her voice is like whipped cream, the real kind, cool and refreshing and enjoyed by the spoonful in private and when no one’s watching. So dark in that room, no one would catch a downpour of tears.

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I have been in Winnipeg for the past few days, and finally had the chance to watch a movie from the Aboriginal Film Festival that opened here on the 19th of this month. With the booming native population in Canada, and Manitoba in particular, I thought this would be the ideal environment in which to catch a film pertaining to this huge, complex community.

I saw “Older Than America, “ a film based on true events surrounding the controversial residential school system for which North American governments and churches were once notorious. Set in a reserve town in Minnesota, the community is a mix of natives and settler Americans. The storyline surrounds the dreams and nightmares of the main character, Rain, who is witnessing her mother’s painful residential school experiences. She is also seeing spirits, whom she mistakes for ghosts at first. Having lived through a residential school upbringing and later being placed in a mental asylum, the mother cannot offer any answers to Rain. She comes head to head with her Aunt Apple for her involvement in committing her mother, and the lingering presence of Apple’s priest-friend in the shadows. The film offers uninhibited finger-pointing at the Catholic Church for its involvement in covering up residential school abuse and crimes. Rain must face and conquer the secrets of her mother’s past. She must seek out the meaning to her dreams and encounters, and eventually faces the same doom as her mother.  “Older Than America” promises stirring, dark images of abuse and overt racism. At the same time, it is not overdramatic and unrealistic. The film embraces the subtle nuances of native culture and spirituality, from impromptu community social circles in someone’s front yard, to forgiveness circles and sweat lodges.

This is a really important film for Canadians and Americans to watch. The fact that history books were teaching me indigenous peoples are savages, at least ten years ago, is reason enough. Canada and the US, in addition, have only grudgingly adhered to Indigenous Rights (in the most basic form) as evidenced by a “No” vote during proceedings for the United Nations Declaration of Indigenous Human Rights last year. There is little notice or attention given to the indigenous experience. The term ‘residential schools’ is not clear to many North Americans today. We are very well-educated on major genocides everwhere else, of course, but I think it’s just as important that we become educated on a situation and community that is so close to home. It could spur a lot of necessary discource on why native people make up such a large number of homeless people on our streets. The fact that suicide is in abundance on reserves, with one quote stating tonight that Amnesty International believes the Native American suicide rate to be 6 times the national average, should be looked at more critically. I hear people scoff at native drug abuse, poverty, and laziness, without much understanding of the native struggles and oppression. When one Indian immigrant to Canada tried to remind me of this, I asked, how would you feel if your daughter was taken away from you to learn a different language and religion, and abhor all things you taught her?

This sort of experience is actually shared with those who have faced physical and  emotional abuse, as well as identity loss and transgenerational trauma that has carried on among indigenous communities today. During her Q & A following the film, lead actor and director Georgina Lightening referred to it as 500 years of genocide that has left a lasting effect. “Older than America” is an ideal introduction to the compleixities of the indigenous struggle, as well as the actual culture, though each differs according to community and tribe.

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While reading a Forbes article (via CBC) on attention span and 10 things that erode our attentive abilities, I found myself bombarded by advertisements that would not even let me read the whole article!

Talk about oxymorons!:

http://www.forbes.com/2008/10/15/short-attention-span-forbeslife-cx_avd_1015health_slide_4.html?thisSpeed=15000

It’s only been in the past few weeks that I’ve really come face to face with these methods of pop ups..they’re ads that are difficult to close and taunt you like a schoolyard bully waving his fist in your face.. seriously, these lingering ads have GOT to go cause I would rather go to an independent news site, I’d probably be safer there anyway!

I’m going to go try reading that article again once more..

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As one of my web entrepreneur friends put it, in terms of whether the public can weed through the garbage online and figure out where the truth lies,

“Generally speaking there is a 80 to 20 ratio on the Internet. 20% are intelligent and the 80% are computer illiterate. Thus they are idiots and will fall for any traps.”

It’s like today’s news media. How many people do I see feeding into every bit of the news, never researching their sources, never knowing how much spin there is in everything they’re digesting into their bloodstream?

One time, my aunt called me up, all gung-ho about putting her daughter into acting and modeling. Apparently, my cute and eager cousin was approached by a solicitor at a fair and told she should join their school and talent agency. The price would be upwards of $2000.00.

Seeing as I have a lot of performing experience, my aunt wanted my advice on whether the school is good or not, and whether her daughter was too young. Now, I’ve known fraud. When I was young, in pre-Google times, I researched fraud agencies myself, painstakingly following forums and links till I got to the core of a topic–only to discover I’d been approached by a fraudulent agency.

It’s much easier these days. I simply typed in the name of the performing arts school my aunt mentioned (I can’t remember it right now). The first link was the website of the company itself. The average web-user will click on this site and get buried in the content of the site, its testimonials, and registration page. I simply looked below the first link and came upon threads and comments revealing the company for all it was worth. I promptly called my aunt and told her that this was the case.

The thing is, not everyone will take the time or consider looking further in this manner.

Similarly, we read countless blogs on a topic, and think that because it’s written in blog-style and from a real, live person…that we’re not being tricked.

BLOGS ARE MARKETING TOOLS!!

i just had to say that out loud. it’s pounding in my head. where is quality writing?

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Due to a lack of time and perhaps valuable inspiration, I am posting this essay I wrote last year that I found while crying poverty…tee hee

—

Four years ago, in 2003, one could enter Concordia University’s pub, Reggie’s, and be greeted by a barrage of cigarette smoke, wafts of beer-laced breath, and colourful political banter. With eyes ablaze, accents in tow, and historical references galore, students would engage in debate over the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. The exaggerated hand movements and raised voices were not confined to youthful idealism, but would continue into the dark cafes and greasy diners, where vegans, artists, and refugees still gather to analyze government conspiracies and plot intricate performances garnered toward the attention of the public. An evening out on the town could consist solely of people watching, and eavesdropping, in this case. The passion bred in these actors is not written from fiction or for the entertainment of the public.

Perhaps it’s Quebec’s history of activism that breeds such fervent political and social awareness. The Quiet Revolution, language issue disputes, and student riots on tuition freeze are just a handful of the movements performed by citizens in maintaining self-rule and the freedom of thought, with many of the demonstrations conducted during these times leaving their mark simply due to their theatrics. This mentality of bringing change to ones environment seems to rub off even on the newcomers to Montreal, and those in transit.

A protest, also known discreetly as a demonstration, is defined by Wikipedia.com as a “relatively overt reaction to events or situations: sometimes in favour though more often opposed.”[i] The Wikipedia.com definition comes in handy solely because it is contributed to by those around the world who agree with its meaning, and protests have proven useful internationally. Rallies remain a means of expression and influence, for it is people and numbers that attempt roles as persuaders and changers of their environment. It involves direct action rather than promised action in the form of elected representatives and often-inconclusive legislation.

Montreal activists take demonstrations to all time creative highs, employing inexhaustible methods of performance and entertainment from all venues of art, technology, and traditional political maneuvers used in creating a bustle. There is no such thing as bad publicity is a common chant that rings through private meetings in activists’ living rooms. In the practices of German dramatist Bertolt Brecht, the suspension of disbelief is abhorred. It requires the surrender of the critical self to the entertained self, and forces the idea that something fictional is the truth. Surrendering to the suspension of disbelief opposes Brecht’s plan for the audience to defamiliarize themselves from the issue and look at it from a critical point of view[ii].

In the activist core, there is a distance between the victim and the sympathizer. The sympathizer is the activist. Though it is common for the person holding out flyers and marching with a poster to be directly affected by an issue, one aspect of Montreal’s political activism style is the tendency to defend an issue from a distance, and take on the role of saviour. This is due to the fact that the city hosts such diverse ethnic communities with roots and family in places with less autonomy. It is also aided by a large post-secondary student community that is mostly composed of youth from a more privileged upbringing.

In Brecht’s Epic Theatre, it is important to detach oneself as the actor from the topic. By retelling a true story in the form of a witness account, the audience is reminded that the performance is one created to educate and not to entertain[iii]. The clever thing about demonstrations and protests is that there is not as much necessity for the actors to break the tempting fourth wall. It is already understood by the public and viewers that the accounts they are witnessing, whether accompanied by theatrics or not, is in fact someone’s truth and opinion. The guerrilla aspect of taking the public unawares in an open setting allows for no opportunity to delve into suspended disbelief. Like Brecht’s use of alienation effects such as screens stating captions, performers in a street demonstration will hold up posters of propaganda and hand out flyers. The audience does not have to pay for a ticket to the show, and they do not sit in a theatre watching a stage. Real, live, unconventionally ready actors assail their viewers with ideas.

There are numerous similarities in the mannerisms of modern day Montreal activism and the methods utilized in Brechtian theatre. The alienation effect and breaking of the fourth wall are key in Brecht theatre and demonstrations[iv]. It allows for the audience to confront themselves with the truth of the matter. The techniques can backfire, though, when the public is exposed to advertised dramatics from an activist.

In 2005, for instance, Montreal writer and activist Yves Engler decided to call attention to the Canadian government’s involvement in the coup of Aristide, Haitian president, and training of Haitian police. At the Montreal Conference on Haiti, he approached the Foreign Affairs Minister Pierre Pettigrew with red paint, shouting “Pettigrew lies, Haitians die.” This hit national airwaves, while the basic link between the violent conduct of Haitian police and the RCMP was related back to Canada[v]. This sort of civil disobedience could lead to police intervention, but Engler later released two books and continued to write for the alternative press, along with the Globe and Mail.

This makes one wonder, is the message being set across to the public? True, it did reach national attention, and it did create a moment of confusion in a government setting on the contentious issue. But the question remains, will the public connect the dots? Pettigrew was not involved in a reenactment, and was not taking part in this exposé by choice. In this case, the theatric elements of the stage took precedence over the message behind it. It makes one cover their mouth with muffled laughter, but does it really create a stir to action? Pictures were taken of Pettigrew getting splashed with fake blood, but not enough was said about the reasoning behind it. The use of an object, here, is also uncommon from typical protests. The bare minimum is kept to in protests, with exceptions regarding posters and self-adornment. Messages are relayed via sound and visuals. This splashing of a prop, a fake blood, brings in a sort of dishonesty. It tarnishes the reputation of activism in that demonstrations typically speak the truth, and an unnecessary substance is being brought on the scene.

At the same time, there is an element of celebrity to these acts. Engler’s name has been all over the news, and his pictures have been seen in Montreal papers in regards to his arrests and suspension from Concordia University. In 2005, he released two books, one titled “Playing Left Wing: From Rink Rat to Student Radical”. The other was written about Canada and Haiti. “Playing Left Wing…” does raise some eyebrows, though. It outlines Engler’s switch from star hockey player in BC to star activist in Montreal. Born around approximately 1979, Engler offers a whole lot of aged understanding for a twenty-six year old. After his conversion from jock to radical, he was involved in the Netanyahu riot that took place at Concordia in 2001. Having been thereby kicked out, did Engler switch roles from one celebrity status to another? This is not to say that Engler isn’t truly interested in world affairs, and that he is an actor without a driving force beyond rebelling against the system. In “Playing Left Wing…” he admits that “…activism has required people who are willing to dream, to discuss and to act. Those who have done this have given humanity so much.[vi]” His ability to represent his beliefs is admirable. His ideals are strong, and for some, it’s just a matter of meeting their calling. It is important, though, to recognize the status given to the performers of activism.

Students and citizens are accustomed to raising their voices and making their message known. The outcome is often successful, and sometimes dramatic. The streets and public spaces become their stage. Elaborate sets are created and structures accompanied by poster propaganda are designed for viewers and passersby. The visual appeals of these assemblies draw crowds and interest, as questions and fascination with theatric elements such as makeup and costume create an audience.

Critical Mass is an international movement that began in 1992, in San Francisco. It is a gathering of bicyclists supporting the right to freedom of public space and the denunciation of cars, pollution, and automobile collisions[vii]. In the fall of 2006, Critical Mass Montreal organized a huge bike meet die-in for Car Free Day. A die-in is when protesters pretend to be dead in order to call attention to a problem. Footage of this event portrayed young people with torn clothing, pale powdered skin, and blood streaks across their face. This time, they were protesting the dangerous results of automobiles in their space. The streets were blocked off in the busy Rene Levesque and University area of downtown Montreal for a short period of time, and the actors lay down on the road while a man on a loudspeaker stood on a pedestal. These were not trained performers, but those who gathered monthly along with Critical Mass in solidarity with the movement.

The use of the body in the case of this Critical Mass performance is resourceful. It is not a risky space, in that the police have helped block off the roads for these rights of expression. It is in the practice of performing death and calling attention to a cause with such morbidity and realism. It’s not in the same style of Brecht or documentary makers, but it has its own advantages. It’s eye-catching, and personal, in that the victim of a car accident could be any of those bodies lying on the road. Some of the performers also chose to rest with their bodies frozen mid-action, entangled in their bikes. These tableaus, which included contorted faces, were moving and curious for the average person.

In Montreal, a typical Critical Mass callout is made for the last Friday of every month to cyclists and allies to take part. The number of people involved could reach a count beyond fifty. Police usually don’t interfere with the event, but keep a close watch. They are aware that the collective isn’t aiming towards anything hugely political. Certain forms of activism and protest are to make a statement rather than to invoke a serious change. Critical Mass is conscious that they will not force the withdrawal of technological forces from society, such as traffic lights and use of automobiles. It is simply to remind people to look at themselves more closely, and their rights.

In the performing arts, an actor is taught to dissect their script and character. The super-objective of the play and the minor objectives of the individual must be noted, as should the obstacles that prevent the character from receiving what they want. In a play, there are always things that stand in the way. It is this action that keeps the audience in tune with the events that take place onstage. Similarly, an activist or protest calls for a breakdown of a problem, and lay out on how to solve it. Some demonstrations are long-term efforts at swaying political or corporate entities, while others are enacted at the point of controversy.

There are certain issues that can surely be altered by narrowing in on the public, word for word. Besides the process of handing out flyers and yelling homemade chants, there is also the notion of direct persuasion. When attempting to change a government or corporation’s stance on an issue, it may involve gathering enough troops to write letters to a local MP. A huge goal of a demonstration is to garner numbers to take part in meetings and organizing. Existing members who’ve been involved in breaking down the problem and forming a plan of action will continue in public displays of embarrassment, which is sometimes all it takes to get the ball rolling. It forces a company or ministry of the government to appease the public when they start questioning loud and shameful claims made by protestors. These are also audience-interactive techniques that offer a closer look at our surroundings beyond the surface.

Since May 2007, the Coalition Against Israeli Apartheid (CAIA) has been gathering in front of Chapters and Indigo bookstores in Montreal. The owners, Heather Reisman and Gerry Schwartz, are donors to Heseg, also known as the Lone Soldiers fund. This is a section of the Israel Defence Forces military, which has been deemed one of the main problems for Palestinians[viii]. It is not surprising that so many of the Middle Eastern discussions take place in Montreal, where the Canadian Jewish population is second only to Toronto[ix]. The Arab community is estimated around one hundred thousand people, and added to by the steady flow of French-speaking North African and international Arab students[x]. Though neither community can be grouped into opposing politics, it is these blurred lines that can spark the uprisings where the numbers are large enough to make a difference.

These demonstrations in front of such a huge chain of stores could be highly detrimental to the corporation’s revenue. Over the picketing period in front of the store, which numbers more than two hundred locations across Canada, CAIA members and supporters approached those entering the store to educate them on Israel’s wrongdoings. They would tell them not to enter the store and to not buy items from the store until the owners withdraw their funding from Heseg[xi]. This sort of aggression could be considered excessive, but it only takes place in certain circumstances. The use of the storefront as a space to get the message across is brilliant in that they manage to develop a gathering from people who are indirectly involved in the problem they are addressing. Their audience is built specifically of those who can affect the issue of the Israeli military’s funding. With a shopper’s disdain, the store would feel the heat eventually and have to change its behaviour.

A performer is not someone who takes a script, memorizes it, and rehearses for weeks on end. Nor is a performance simply a matter of inducing laughter, tears, or a brainwave of philosophical thoughts. There are those who perform to entertain, and others who perform to educate. These two facets are interchangeable, complementary, and can form a goulash with other theatrical elements. Demonstrations and protests have existed from as far back as the 16^th century, and that’s only if western historical forms of revolution are being looked at. These risky endeavours, where ones reputation, future, and self are on the line, are investments. They can lead to glory, recognition, and a name that draws immeasurable results on an Internet search engine. But they can also be a step towards change, a self-gratifying reminder that time has not gone wasted.

Activism and protests are often viewed as hippy dealings, and of no use. However, if it weren’t for the inspired and imaginative techniques used by those who took on such responsibilities, the rights we take for granted today would not be as accessible. Consistent analysis of what works on the public, and what doesn’t, has allowed for complex developments in performance methods and human relations. The ability and choice to question ones environment, to discuss the politics and human rights violations of a society, and to strike back at them, has not always been present. In fact, without the investments of activism and its commitment to the stage, there would be far less breathing room, and even less space to perform our own personal, daily acts.

http://hsc.csu.edu.au/drama/hsc/studies/brecht/2758/Brecht.htm

[i] Wikipedia entry: PROTEST: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Protest

[ii] Dawson, Jeffrey. Brecht. HSC Online. http://hsc.csu.edu.au/drama/hsc/studies/brecht/2758/Brecht.htm

[iii] Dawson, Jeffrey. Brecht. HSC Online. http://hsc.csu.edu.au/drama/hsc/studies/brecht/2758/Brecht.htm

[iv] Dawson, Jeffrey. Brecht. HSC Online. http://hsc.csu.edu.au/drama/hsc/studies/brecht/2758/Brecht.htm

[v] 06/18/05. “Canada Acting Badly in Haiti, Protestor Claims”. http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2005/06/18/pettigrew-painter050618.html

[vi] Engler, Yves. Excerpt from book, “Playing Left Wing: From Rink Rat to Radical”. Fernwood Publishing Co, 2006. Found in Rabble.ca, “In His Own Words: If we had no activism”. March 02, 2006.

[vii] Montreal Critical Mass Website. http://www.crasseux.com/criticalmass/

[viii] Eichner, Itamar. “Pro-Palestinian groups call for boycott of IDF donor”. Ynetnews.com. 05/15/07. http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3400055,00.html

[ix] Statistics Canada 2001 Census http://www40.statcan.ca/l01/cst01/demo30b.htm

[x] Statistics Canada 2001 Census http://www12.statcan.ca/english/Profil01/CP01/Details/Page.cfm?Lang=E&Geo1=CMA&Code1=462__&Geo2=PR&Code2=24&Data=Count&SearchText=montreal&SearchType=Begins&SearchPR=01&B1=All&Custom=

[xi] Fraser, Dylan. “Demonstrators throw the book at Chapters.” http://thelink.theorem.ca/view.php?aid=39197

read comments (2)

Why are people so quick to refer to the veil as oppressive? Why can’t the Swiss foreign minister wear a veil when attending a meeting in Iran?

Sure, she disturbed a lot of Iranian feminists…but not all women who wear the veil are ’submissive’ or forced to wear it. I wouldn’t have thought all feminists had to be anti-Islam. I know of and have been told of a good number of women who’ve CHOSEN to wear the veil. Intelligent, educated women, women from the West and women from the East. Women who have the CHOICE have taken the veil to be representative of their identity, their morals, their religion, and their femininity.

It’s one thing that my mother was forced to wear a hijab when she visited the hospital in which she gave birth to me. My mother is not Muslim and has no attachment to its values.

Once, in Italy, my friend Amy and I were told we couldn’t enter a church (we were visiting alot of churches) because we were wearing tank tops…so I took her sweater from her bag and she waited outside. It’s a matter of respect. If the circumstances are not oppressive, then wearing a veil should not be considered so.

Swiss Social Democrat MP Liliane Maury Pasquier was quoted questioning why the foreign minister Micheline Calmy-Rey
wouldn’t side with the women who fight against wearing the headscarf. I don’t really get the justification behind this statement.

Ultimately, I just have to reiterate that the image of a woman in a headscarf is NOT synonymous with the image of an oppressed woman.

And I think racism is so sneaky these days, that it could very well sneak right past us and steal our cookies if we weren’t watching them closely.

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