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Comic Books and You

by Dylan Adamson on

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“People can hardly form sentences that make any sense anymore; they’re making nouns into verbs, and acronyming words out of the first letters of a lot of other words, and using words wrong all the time to mean things that they don’t. So I guess little pictures are about the only way we’re going to be able to tell stuff in the future, since most anybody can understand them.”

This spirited defence of the graphic novel medium comes courtesy of the unnamed “well-known and highly-decorated researcher of popular culture” sourced in the introduction to Chris Ware’s Jimmy Corrigan: The Smartest Kid on Earth.

Jimmy Corrigan was released in 2000 to near-universal acclaim. It was the first graphic novel ever to win the Guardian First Book Award. Following in the footsteps of masterworks Maus (1986) and Watchmen (1987), the success of Chris Ware’s tour de force was indicative of how graphic novels had entered the literary pantheon. Indeed, Jimmy Corrigan was first published in its complete non-serialized form by Pantheon Books, an American imprint which has published works by the likes of Noam Chomsky, Jacob Burckhardt, and Simone de Beauvoir.

Comic books, once sold alongside flavoured rolling papers in head shops across North America, were metamorphosing at the turn of the millennium. Though they had long been subversive—as any single issue of Françoise Mouly and Art Spiegelman’s RAW magazine (1980-91) can testify—the prevailing image of comics as lewd or childish works of non-literature was beginning to subside. Persepolis, Fun Home, Palestine, and a plethora of other graphic novel titles began to appear atop year-end literature rankings. These weren’t $2 stapled-together paperbacks to be found alongside superhero schlock—Joe Sacco’s Palestine is bound in a sophisticated mud-brown hardcover, prefaced with an essay by renowned cultural critic Edward Said. It retails on Amazon for CAD $39.69. This pioneering generation of graphic novels, distinguished from their comic predecessors by an air of hardcover legitimacy, redefined preconceptions surrounding the medium. The term “graphic novel” had entered our cultural lexicon. McGill’s English department even offers a course on them.

As early as 1989, Drawn & Quarterly (D&Q), a Montreal publishing press began to make a name for itself in the emerging field. D&Q began as a quarterly anthology, compiling content by mostly local artists. It has since become an independent publisher of graphic novels, supporting two Mile End bookstores.

Peggy Burns, D&Q’s current publisher, shared her experience working in the world of comics with The McGill Tribune.

“If you grew up reading comics, you associate them with having something in childhood that belonged to you, that was unauthorized, and was probably disapproved of by authority figures in some way,” Carney said. “[It] was bad for you.”

“I was a publicity director at DC Comics in New York City,” Burns said. “[While] I was there, I respected the superheroes as a tradition […] but I didn’t enjoy them as much as I enjoyed the Vertigo comics, [DC’s more adult, graphic content. [They] were more creator-owned [….] When there was an author behind the book, it was much more natural for me to promote it [….With the superheroes] it’s a team [….] It can all be a part of a bigger marketing initiative.”

Burns left DC Comics to work with D&Q founder Chris Oliveros in 2003. She was the company’s third employee, and Oliveris was then working out of a reclaimed dentist’s office. Her choice to relocate was due in large part to D&Q’s early roster of well-established artists—including Adrian Tomine, Chris Ware, and Joe Sacco—but also the hands-off policy that D&Q took with its creators.

More than 14 years and four office spaces later, D&Q has become a recognizable brand in its own right. D&Q’s progression from its humble origins to the two lavish bookstores it currently operates mirrors the evolution of the comic book medium.

Julie Doucet, one of D&Q’s top cartoonists, began her career photocopying handmade zines documenting her day-to-day life, which were mailed out to friends on a personalized subscription basis. D&Q is compiling the series—entitled Dirty Plotte—in a glimmering hardcover anthology to be published in Fall 2018. Burns detailed the efforts D&Q makes to preserve the hyper-personal, unauthorized quality of comic books’ roots, while working to legitimize graphic novels as a medium.

“I think it’s really about getting behind the artists,” Burns said. “I think if you’re 100 per cent behind your artists, you’ll always be cutting edge. Chester Brown, he did Paying For It, which is a memoir [about a man who frequents prostitutes], he’s always forcing us to reconsider what we might publish, understand through his eyes.”

D&Q works directly with artists, prioritizing their visions over editorial or marketing concerns. Julie Doucet’s brand of raunchy, explicit, feminist humour was unpalatable to most in the 1980s. Signed to D&Q in 1990, her early works are now at the forefront of recognized graphic novel artistry. D&Q prioritizes equal representation in the works they publish, and their construction of an inclusive graphic novel canon is worth getting excited about.

In her time at D&Q, Burns has strived to alter the traditionally male-dominated industry.

“It was a Boys’ club,” Burns said. “It [still] is a Boys’ club, but it’s becoming not a Boys’ club [….] My biggest concern with being a woman in comics is making a company that has other women in it. D&Q has 24 employees, and I would say about 75 per cent are female [….] It’s about empowering [women].”

While working tirelessly to feature female and other underrepresented artist perspectives, publishing houses like D&Q are bringing comic books up from strip mall basements and into New York Times listicles. The archetypal image of the ponytailed Simpsons’ Comic Book Guy is being supplanted. A greater diversity of graphic novel retailers and artists is emerging. D&Q firmly believes in the power of inclusivity, and building the graphic novel canon on these terms.

Like anything, however, canonization has its pros and cons. Sean Carney, associate professor in the English department at McGill University, fondly remembers the pre-graphic novel days of dingy storefronts, soda-stained pages, and action figure displays. He spoke of the nostalgic appeal of comics as an illicit art form.

“If you grew up reading comics, you associate them with having something in childhood that belonged to you, that was unauthorized, and was probably disapproved of by authority figures in some way,” Carney said. “[It] was bad for you.”

Comic books, as well as Carney’s engagement with them, have progressed in decisive, confusing ways. This semester, Carney is teaching ENGL 492: Image and Text, with The Graphic Novel as the topic of choice. No longer on the receiving end of his parents’ anti-comic lectures, Carney now delivers biweekly academic lectures on comics to an audience of millennials. Despite his own mixed feelings on the intersection of comics and academia, he believes that graphic novels offer something unique for students.

“As an academic, I don’t get a chance to do much reading during the school year, other than the reading that I have to do,” Carney said. “So it’s a manageable form of distraction, and it offers some very immediate satisfactions and pleasures [….] In a way, it’s too straightforward to warrant discussion, but there is something to be said for the pleasure of looking. And comic books are essentially an invitation to do that, at your own pace.”

The experience of reading for pleasure, at a personable, leisurely pace, is all but forgotten when October rolls around, only to be remembered with newfound excitement come May.

Elliot Sinclair, U2 Arts, is currently enrolled in Carney’s ENGL 492 class to fulfill the 400-level theory component of the Cultural Studies minor. His own experience in reading graphic novels aligns with Carney’s.

“It’s a different type of engagement,” Sinclair said. “[With graphic novels] you’re able to sit there and look at pictures. I find it less of a daunting task to start reading a graphic novel than to sit down and read a novel. It’s easier to motivate myself to read that kind of stuff.”

Many of the books in Carney’s course syllabus, such as Jimmy Corrigan, require meticulous attention to detail in order to fully experience the content. But, like going to an art gallery, it’s entirely up to you how long you choose to stay with each image. Carney views this subjective experience of pacing in graphic novels—particularly those inviting lengthy consideration—as a worthwhile respite from our relentless modern experience.

“You have to find time to relax,” Carney said. “[The] rendering efficient of our experiences automatizes them, it renders them mechanical. Everything has to be done efficiently, everything has to be done according to a time clock, everything has to be done as quickly as possible. And the experience of work like this is just to go contrary to that part of our modern experience. To get you to stop.”

Symptomatic of this relentless modern efficiency, our experience of time as McGill students is rendered in deadlines. One thing needs to be done sooner to make time for another thing that needs to be done better. Convoluted priority lists dominate our thought processes. The experience of reading for pleasure, at a personable, leisurely pace, is all but forgotten when October rolls around, only to be remembered with newfound excitement come May.

Throughout the semester, many students’ primary form of distraction is either making or enjoying memes, which share more similarities with graphic novels than one might expect. The components are already there: The image, the text, the layered irony, and the all-pervading existential dread. Ware is a meme-maker born 30 years too early. Carney is essentially a content aggregator—a FuckJerry, if you will. Perhaps our generational proclivity to these image-text combinations speaks to a terrifying decline in literacy, as Ware’s introduction and general scientific consensus would seem to attest. But, perhaps Carney is right as well. The world is asking a lot of young people these days. As a parent of a millennial, Burns sees graphic novels as a welcome escape for these overwhelmed youths.

“There’s so much pressure on kids to succeed that I do think we’re not as literary,” Burns said. “We also want our kids to have 10 after-school activities. And so then when you get to university, I do think students are attracted to the graphic novel class because it’s not going to take you three months to read the book.”

Sinclair recalls his first impression of graphic novels as a field of academic study.

“My knowledge of [graphic novels] wasn’t too [extensive],” Sinclair said. “I used to read comic books a bit when I was a kid [and] I had read Watchmen before, so I knew that I enjoyed them. But I had never looked at them from the literary perspective that this class offers. I always looked at them as something to be enjoyed rather than something to be analyzed.”

Elliot’s statement represents much of our generation’s engagement with comic books. Many of us recall comic books as a juvenile hobby: A relic of our parents’ generation, whose nerdiness we hold at arm’s length through stylized movies and TV shows. The Dark Knight made superheroes serious for us. Riverdale made Archie comics sexy. Graphic novels, though on the rise, are still in the process of infiltrating our cultural consciousness.

ENGL 492: Image and Text, despite its pretentious Cultural Studies course title, is a class about picture books. Across the street from the original Librairie D&Q, only a few doors down, D&Q has opened up La Petite Librairie D&Q, stocked entirely with graphic novels for children (also known as picture books). You could stumble into La Petite Librairie D&Q, and it would take more than a cursory glance to realize you’re in the wrong place. The books really don’t look that different.

But don’t we, as students, deserve to read a picture book once in a while? Maybe we’re dumber than our parents. Maybe this return to childhood things is indicative of our generation’s stunted development. Maybe it’s social media’s fault. But graphic novels have arrived, for better or for worse, and like social media, memes, Tasty videos, and an infinite number of other millennial fascinations, they’re here to stay.

Commentary, Opinion

EUS alcohol subsidy motion won’t change campus drinking culture on its own

by Gabriel Rincon on

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On Nov. 22, the Engineering Undergraduate Society (EUS) will vote on a motion to eliminate subsidies for “binge drinking” events. The events in question are those that last for more than one day, and that budget for over three drinks per person, such as Frosh or EngGames. For-profit events like Open Air Pub (OAP) won’t be affected. That’s a good thing, because otherwise the EUS would likely have a mutiny on its hands. The purpose of the motion is supposedly to stop promoting binge drinking, the logic being that a faculty subsidy represents a tacit endorsement of drinking culture. However, this motion can only be seen as a principled stance against students subsidizing other students’ liquor. Apart from that, the motion, if adopted, will have little to no effect on McGill students’ drinking habits. Changing that will require a broader shift in campus culture.

According to a 2004 Canada Campus Survey, 95 per cent of Canadian students consume alcohol, and 18.4 per cent drink heavily—five or more drinks in one sitting, for men, and four or more drinks, for women—at least weekly. It makes sense that drinking is so prominent in university: It’s a way to be more sociable and have fun. These are very powerful incentives to drink, especially at a large university like McGill, where it can be hard to get to know people.

However, there are many negative aspects to the binge drinking culture at McGill. First of all, university students who don’t drink find themselves left out of important social events that form the backbone of making friends and partying at McGill. Furthermore, the health risks associated with heavy drinking, such as depression, liver disease, and other potentially fatal injuries are well documented. But, the pressure to drink in social settings is often too great, as it can often feel like one has to drink to fit in. In practice, there’s nothing in the motion to counter the social pressure or to mitigate the risks of drinking.

Although students are autonomous adults—who have the right to choose to drink or not—the university should do more to promote responsible drinking practices.

Many students have taken the motion as an affront to their right to drink, but the motion is nowhere near comprehensive enough to stop binge drinking. Various profitable binge drinking events will still be sponsored. As for the currently subsidized events, students who want to partake will simply end up paying more for them if the motion passes, in order to keep them running. Thus, the motion is merely a symbolic stance against binge drinking, since it doesn’t stop funding all drinking events or attempt to limit alcohol intake. Binge drinking events will still be seen as desirable social events, and won’t be any more inviting to students who don't drink. The only issue the motion solves is that, if passed, Engineering students who don’t participate in binge drinking events will no longer be paying for other students’ superfluous consumption.

The motion’s drafter, Morgan Grobin, U3 Engineering, recognizes that it alone is not enough. According to Grobin, it will take a larger cultural shift to enact real change—and she’s right. Although students are autonomous adults—who have the right to choose to drink or not—the university should do more to promote responsible drinking practices. Efforts could start with faculty froshes, as presently, many students’ introduction to McGill is a week of events that glorify drinking. There are ways to make social events fun without placing such an emphasis on drinking, but again, this would likely require a cultural shift to decentralize drinking as the focus of many social events.

The EUS motion to limit subsidies for drinking events isn’t a paternalistic dry law. It’s simply trying to make the funding structure of binge drinking events more fair: Students who choose to drink should be doing so on their own dime. However, addressing the fundamental issues identified by the motion—inaccessible social events, and the glorification of drinking—will require a campus-wide effort to promote safer drinking practices.

 

Gabriel is a U2 Economics student at McGill and columnist at the Tribune. He loves cooking and sharing his food with his friends and family.

 

@mcgilltribop | [email protected]

 

 
Science & Technology

How e-Health can help new and expectant dads

by Kate Lord on

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Post-partum depression is frequently associated with mothers, but up to 18 per cent of men also report depressive symptoms during their partner’s pregnancy or in the months after birth. A decline in mental health attributed to the transition into parenthood can be found across genders for similar reasons, according to Deborah Da Costa, a researcher in the division of Clinical Epidemiology at the Research Institute-Montreal University Health Center (RI-MUHC) and an associate professor in McGill’s Department of Medicine.

“Both men and women go through an important transition as they enter the parenting role,” Da Costa wrote in an email to The McGill Tribune. “There are changes to personal identity, the couple relationship, work-life roles, etc. While most people can adjust well, some have a more difficult time.”

The internet holds many resources from many sources about pregnancy and parenting. However, a new study from the RI-MUHC found that most of the information available online is tailored to mothers, leaving expectant fathers without valuable resources to combat stress and ease the emotional burdens of becoming a parent.

“There is a lack of ‘father-friendly’ information that is easily accessible to expectant and new fathers,” Da Costa wrote. “It’s important that the information be credible and match [paternal] needs. More than half the fathers in our study felt the information [online] was unhelpful and 3 in 4 told us it wasn’t tailored to fathers.”

The RI-MUHC study investigated the areas of the parental transition that are of greatest interest to expectant or new fathers, including infant and child care, maintaining a work-life balance, improving sleep, managing stress, and supporting and improving their relationship with their partner. The study gathered information used to inform HealthyDads.ca, a prototype website that promotes the mental health of fathers and provides them with targeted parenting and pregnancy-related information.  

Along with the help of future studies, HealthyDads.ca also aims to incorporate specific topics that are particularly pertinent to gay men who are new or expectant fathers.

“[These topics] might include some of the challenges and benefits related to their selected pathways to parenthood (such as surrogacy, adoption, fostering) and how to cope with concerns or experiences related to discrimination and stigma,” Da Costa wrote. [These experiences] can impact them individually, as a couple, and as a family.”  

Websites like HealthyDads.ca, which provide health-related information without the active participation of a health professional, are a type of care often referred to as ‘e-Health.’ This new wave of technology and internet-based activity revolutionizes the way that patients interact within the healthcare system.  

“E-Health can play a very important role in removing some of the barriers to seeking and receiving help at the individual, provider and system levels,” Da Costa wrote. “E-Health is far-reaching (95% of Canadians under the age of 55 have access), easily accessible (24/7), [and] anonymous mode of delivering mental health information and evidence-based strategies to improve mental health.” 

The benefits of e-Health reach far beyond the fields of mental health. E-Health can be seen in the rise of telemedicine, where patients can connect remotely with medical professionals for diagnostic purposes through the use of technology—as well as in the increased use of smartphone apps and text messaging to receive health-related information and diagnoses. Even the enormous popularity of fitness bands, particularly those that monitor steps, heart rate, and sleep patterns, are evidence of the e-Health revolution.

“[E-Health] will have an extremely important role as part of a stepped care approach,” Da Costa wrote. “[However,] I don’t think it should replace more formal methods, particularly in more severe cases of emotional/psychological problems.”

Off the Board, Opinion

Growing pains

by Daniel Freed on

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Until this year, my university career had mostly consisted of evading responsibility and exhibiting a never-ending lack of foresight. Entering the Fall 2017 semester, however, I decided it was time for a change. Taking the biggest step I felt capable of, I bought a plant. Weighing in at approximately five pounds and standing at six inches tall, my brand new aloe plant would, theoretically, serve as a daily reminder that I was a functioning adult and member of society.

Miraculously, the plan worked. While tending to it was relatively easy and not at all time-intensive, it absolutely served its purpose. My mom had warned me that raising an aloe plant was difficult, and that even if I stayed on top of it, the plant would likely die alarmingly quickly. However, I was proud to prove her wrong. Every day, rain or shine, the plant’s leaves glistened as if it didn’t have a problem in the world.

This success, I would find out about a month into my venture, was because my plant was actually made of plastic.

When this discovery originally came to light, my rising sense of self-confidence crumbled to pieces; I felt overwhelmed with shame and embarrassment. I felt as though my tiny leafy friend had bitten my feeding hand. As I emptied the ever-rising pool of water from the bottom of my vase into my sink, I couldn’t help but feel as though my future in the world of adulthood was bleak at best.

Yet, in retrospect, this visceral reaction was foolish. Today, several months later, I look back at my journey with the plant fondly. If, in buying a plant, my goal was to learn a lesson, then a lesson I learned. University—and this stage of young adulthood we find ourselves in—is a time to learn from our mistakes.

As we navigate the landscape of higher education and newfound freedom, we inevitably face innumerable choices: Should you take an 8:30 a.m. class on a Friday? Should you add guac to your Quesada order? Should you swipe right? Should you buy your first plant? Although it’s easy to see each of these choices as lasting and impactful, it’s important to remember that, more often than not, their outcomes don’t matter.

I felt as though my tiny leafy friend had bitten my feeding hand.

What matters, rather, are the learning process and emotional growth that go into making each of those choices. It’s making a novel decision and understanding it as exactly that—new, untested, and, by extension, far too often bound for failure. Whether that Tuesday at Café Campus brings you an unforgettable night, or whether you end up freezing in line the entire time, ultimately, it’s not the end result that you carry with you moving forward. While my plant may have been artificial, my efforts and my care for it were not. I can proudly say that I learned a lot about responsibility, adulthood, and the deceptive realness of plastic along the way.

Since the tragedy of my precious, plastic aloe plant, I’ve bought a new one. This one, a much larger specimen that hangs from the ceiling in my kitchen, I can say with about 99 per cent certainty is real. Truthfully, there are things about this plant, much like my plastic plant, and even plants in general, that I will never understand. I haven’t watered it in weeks, yet I routinely check its soil and find it damp. While disorienting, I take this in stride. And, like so much else, I have no doubt that even if I slip along the way, this new voyage will turn into a valuable learning experience for me nonetheless. After all, these are not only the mysteries of botany, but the mysteries of growing up.

 

 

Daniel Freed is a U3 Cultural Studies and Communications student, and the Design Editor at The McGill Tribune. He is currently the proud father of a thriving, animate aloe plant.

 

@mcgilltribop | [email protected]

 

 

 
Basketball, Men's Varsity, Sports

McGill Redmen basketball fall to Concordia Stingers in Pots and Pans game

by Miya Keilin on

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McGill Redmen
58

Concordia Stingers
70

On Nov. 18, McGill’s Martlet and Redmen basketball teams faced off against their Concordia rivals in the annual Pots and Pans double-header. After cheering the Martlets to a commanding 93-66 victory over the Concordia Stingers, the crowd excitedly whacked their pans to inspire the men’s side, hoping for a McGill sweep. When the final buzzer went off, the Stingers topped the Redmen 70-58, but the raucous crowd never quit. Fifth-year guard and Redmen team captain Dele Ogundokun highlighted the immense support that the Pots and Pans games bring every year.

“We’ve had […] successful pots and pans [games] over the last two [years], great support from the community and the student body,” Ogundokun said. “We expected a great turnout and it was another one today.”

The Redmen scored first in the first quarter, ending a minute and a half of scoreless play, but it took another few minutes before either team started heating up. Every basket McGill scored was quickly countered by Concordia, with the back-and-forth quarter ending 19-15 in McGill’s favour.

Scoring was tough to come by to start the second quarter, too. The Stingers eventually found their footing, taking advantage of the Redmen’s offensive struggles and weak defensive play to dominate the quarter and take the lead. However, fourth-year centre Noah Daoust broke McGill’s scoreless streak to give the Redmen new energy toward the end of the quarter, allowing the Redmen to ultimately the game back up heading into the half.

Early in the third quarter, McGill fell behind but their aggressive defence kept the deficit small. Ogundokun gave the Redmen their first lead since the beginning of the second quarter with a three-pointer. But, after playing a strong final minute, Concordia claimed a 46-41 lead going into the fourth.

McGill came out hot to start the final quarter but cooled off quickly, letting Concordia pull away. The Redmen struggled to find a way to slow the Stingers’ offence and with less than two minutes to play, McGill was down by nine. That deficit proved insurmountable. Offensive woes and defensive missteps haunted the Redmen throughout the rest of the game, allowing the scoring margin to grow. Head Coach David DeAveiro plans to use the lessons from Saturday’s game to improve his team’s adaptability.

“I thought we struggled today, offensively, and a large part of that was [Concordia’s] defence,” DeAveiro said. “They went small on us and they were switching us [….] We’ll go watch video and we’ll get better.”

Following their loss against the Stingers, the Redmen fell to 2-1 in league play and now share first place in the RSEQ with Concordia and Laval. They look to reclaim sole ownership of the top spot in their upcoming game at Bishop’s on Nov. 25. Catch Redmen basketball at home again on Jan. 6 against the UQAM Citadins.

 

Moment of the Game

Down two with just seconds remaining in the second quarter, fourth-year guard Avery Cadogan raced down the court and tied up the game with a huge dunk as the buzzer went off.

 

Quotable

“I don’t think we played our best game today and they were really good [but] sometimes that’s basketball [….] You’ve got to face a little adversity if you want to be a national champion.” – Head Coach David DeAveiro

 

Stat Corner

The Redmen shot 22-56 (39 per cent) from the field and 5-21 (24 per cent) from three.

Album Reviews, Arts & Entertainment, Music

Album Review: Gucci Mane – ‘Mr Davis’

by Leina Gabra on

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Gucci Mane has been busy since his release from prison in May 2016. On top of his autobiography, clothing line, and marriage to Keyshia Ka’oir, Mane released five full–length musical projects in the last year and a half. The most recent of these is the long-awaited Mr. Davis, a star-studded album that delivers both Mane’s usual slew of instant party anthems, and a commentary on the good and bad sides of stardom.

This 17-track project is carried by the dark, entrancing beats crafted by star producers including Metro Boomin, Southside, and Nav, allowing listeners to enjoy a combination of powerful drum kicks and catchy hooks by Gucci and his notable slew of features. At times, the supporting hooks and verses from industry favorites like Migos, The Weeknd, Big Sean, and Nicki Minaj outshine Gucci Mane lyrically, especially in instant hits such as “I Get The Bag,” “Lil Story,” and “Make Love.”

Despite this, all of the songs on Mr. Davis feature amusing metaphors and beats that are sure to be party favorites for months to come. Standout single “I Get The Bag” includes a catchy hook and a danceable beat that come together to create a musical gem perfect for Gucci Mane and Migos fans alike.

Not veering far from his usual content, much of Gucci Mane’s lyrics in Mr. Davis concern money, parties, and self-congratulation. However, Gucci Mane also reflects on the struggles he experienced prior to stardom, including his incarceration and drug abuse in “Work in Progress (Intro)” and “Made It (Outro).” He also looks into his future, conveying his loyalty and love for his wife in “We Ride.”

Mr. Davis shows two sides to Gucci Mane: A rich rapper living lavish, but also a changed man who established his own business and is settling down with his wife. Supported by a talented group of producers and other artists, Mr. Davis signifies a triumphant Woptober for Gucci Mane.

 

Arts & Entertainment, Film and TV

Rap loses its rockstar

by Domenic Casciato on

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On the night of Nov. 15, Gustav Åhr, known by his stage name Lil Peep, was found dead inside his tour bus outside of a venue in Tucson, Arizona. He was set to perform in the second to last stop on his Come Over When You’re Sober tour, a 68-day tour spanning Europe and North America. First responders reported he appeared to have been killed by a Xanax overdose, but online forums quickly ignited with the rumour that Peep had been sold drugs laced with fentanyl, a powerful–and often deadly–opioid. Anyone familiar with Peep’s music was aware of his struggles with drug dependency, but the too-early death of the 21-year-old rapper was nonetheless disturbing and shocking for his fans across the world.

In the few years since Peep rose to prominence, he cultivated a deeply loyal, passionate fan base, and left a lasting impression on rap music. Largely credited by critics and fans alike as the pioneer of emo-influenced rap, Lil Peep was able to achieve a seemingly contradictory blend of modern trap machismo and early-90s alt-rock sappiness in hits like “Star Shopping” and “Crybaby.” Peep’s signature sound—angsty guitar strumming, rumbling 808 bass, trap-style drums, and remarkably catchy hooks—has been emulated by a long list of mainstream artists, including Drake, Post Malone, and Lil Uzi Vert. Peep’s influence was international; his following in Russia rivaled his American fanbase, and he even moved to London in June to deepen his connection with European fans.

Peep was on the come up, having gained the attention of a number of rap superstars, made appearances for labels at Paris Fashion Week, and hinted at plans to launch his own clothing line. Peep had only released his debut album, Come Over When You’re Sober, Pt. 1, in August, and its most popular song, “Awful Things,” neared 20 million views on YouTube in the days before his death.

 

Although his cultural innovations are not to be discounted, Peep will also be remembered as a warm and accessible presence in rap. In a genre typified by emotional detachment and toughness, Peep wrote songs about his emotional vulnerability and troubled relationships, while still hosting mosh pits at every show. His emotional subject matter balanced his braggadocio in such a way that, when he spit bars about expensive cars and drugs, it came across as playful rather than tasteless. His music was a home for many, and as alt-rock and emo faded into obscurity, Peep carved out a space where his fanbase—mostly composed of teens undergoing the sombre and occasionally depressing trials of adolescence—could feel welcome and understood.

Peep touched many with his music and presence. Vigils were held in many cities; artists including Post Malone, Diplo, and Pete Wentz offered their condolences following Peep’s death; and actress Bella Thorne, Peep’s ex-girlfriend, posted videos to her Instagram story mourning him. Although not noted as a champion of LGBT+ rights, Peep came out as bisexual amid a culture not known for its social tolerance, and his close relationship with fellow rapper iLoveMakonnen defied rap’s rigid social norms—much like Peep’s music.

Peep’s death has triggered an important culture-wide conversation about the glorification of drug abuse in rap music. Lil Uzi Vert, who is often credited alongside Peep with the creation of emo-trap, announced, in the wake of Peep’s death, that he has chosen to become sober.

Peep’s grapple with depression was heavily reflected in his lyrics. Although it is important to acknowledge the real and serious consequences that drug use can carry, the framing of this conversation around Peep’s death perpetuates victim blaming. Drug abuse in rap, Peep’s notwithstanding, is symptomatic of a larger struggle with mental health within the culture, and excluding it as a topic in these discussions following Peep’s death puts the culture at risk of losing more of its artists.

 

Editorial, Opinion

When educators are undervalued, everyone loses

by McGill Tribune Editorial Board on

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On Tuesday, Nov. 21, hundreds of thousands of Ontario college students returned to class as the province’s five-week college faculty strike finally came to an end. The 12,000 college faculty—including professors, instructors, counsellors, and librarians—had been on strike since Oct. 16. After all that, it’s hard to say who won. The striking faculty and College Employer Council never reached a deal, and it was provincial back-to-work legislation that ultimately put an end to the strike.

The immediate losers of the strike are clear: The some 500,000 students who lost a month’s worth of class. That meant losing a month of paid tuition, and of class time that could potentially result in delayed graduation. Students had no seat at the bargaining table, and virtually no power over the outcome, yet they were the most directly affected by the strike. It’s not hard to see why some students wanted to assign blame. While some called for solidarity between students and their striking professors, others criticized the faculty members who walked out of classrooms in the first place.

This apparent rift between student and faculty interests, and the events that produced the strike, point to a deeper problem for post-secondary institutions and students alike: Although education is seen as an essential service, and teachers in it as service providers, educators do not receive the correspondingly essential respect and benefits for their work. Moving forward, it is essential that post-secondary institutions have the necessary channels to address faculty grievances before reaching breaking points. This will help improve working conditions for educators and, correspondingly, the quality of education their students receive. Moreover, students and administrators must critically revisit the value they currently assign their teachers.

The striking faculty members’ key demands—increased job security through more full-time jobs, as well as control over course content and teaching methods—are absolutely valid. Prior to the strike, part-time contract instructors—who, in addition to being paid less, don’t enjoy the job stability of full-time or tenured professors—made up 70 per cent of the Ontario college workforce. The faculty union’s core demand to get that proportion down to 50 per cent was a response to the majority of Ontario college teachers currently being in precarious, low-paying job situations. That is something worth striking over, for both teachers and their future students.

 

Although education is seen as an essential service, and teachers in it as service providers, educators do not receive the correspondingly essential respect and benefits for their work.

However, whatever future classes have to gain from more full-time professors and teaching assistants makes little difference to the students who were out of class for a full month. Of course, the point of any strike is to highlight the value of a service, by taking that service away. This necessitates negative consequences for users of the service in question—in this case, students. The irony is that in reality, student and faculty interests ought to align, not conflict, because the demands that faculty were striking over stand to benefit students in the long-run.

The more fundamental and ingrained issue underpinning the strike is the way that students and schools currently view teachers’ work. Frequently, faculty put in extra and often unpaid time and energy to help students succeed. Discounting after-hours help or a Saturday-morning email response as merely part of the job description undercuts all of the professional and, often, emotional labour that come with being an educator. When that unfairness becomes institutionalized in the form of short-shrift contracts or inadequate pay, and reaches a point at which educators feel they have no other option, they respond through the only effective means of negotiation left to them—they go on strike.

As part of the Ontario government’s intervention, colleges have been directed to refund the most financially-affected students, using savings from the striking faculty’s unpaid wages. This is a necessity, but it is also a retroactive band-aid solution to a deeper problem. To prevent future students from becoming collateral damage in another long-winded strike, it is essential that post-secondary institutions—whether it is an Ontario college, or a university like McGill—have adequate complaint and response mechanisms for over-burdened or dissatisfied faculty. More fundamentally, it is essential that post-secondary institutions, governments, and students alike demonstrably value their educators, in order to proactively reduce the likelihood that their faculty feel the need to resort to a strike in the future.

 

Arts & Entertainment, Private, Theatre

‘Fables’ teaches us about the beauty in life’s relationships

by Samantha Ling on

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One of the most beautiful aspects of life is our ability to form relationships with the people around us. Whether they be platonic, professional, or romantic, these relationships shape who we are and determine who we will become.

Players’ Theatre’s production of Fables explores interpersonal dynamics. Canadian playwright Jackie Torrens depicts the story of a doctor and the relationships that he holds with various individuals in his life. Running from Nov. 15-18 and 22-25, the play follows the life of the doctor, his wife, and two of his patients as they deal with difficult times. The audience peers into the personal lives of these characters—the events that have haunted them, the thoughts they hold towards others, and their aspirations for the future. From overcoming self-hatred to dealing with hypochondria, Fables presents the struggles of each character as it sheds light upon struggles with mental health.

Directed by Filip Rakic, Fables is presented in two acts and uses the stage to portray three distinct settings: A doctor's office, a family home, and a local park. Characters move between these scenes as their relationships with each other face conflicts, grow stronger, and become more complex. We see the connection between the doctor (Thomas Fix) and his wife (Sarah Tiplady) shift as they re-evaluate factors that threaten their marriage via living room dialogue. The doctor’s relationship with his patient, Sid (Alexander Sitaras-Grasic), evolves through fear and ambition for the future. As action plays out in one of the three settings, characters not in the scene can be seen in character in the other two settings participating in day-to-day activities such as writing, drinking, or texting—the audience feels like a part of an ongoing conversation.

From the variety of liquor bottles on the living room table to the classic park bench upon which Lisa (Emily Sheeran) delivers a series of monologues regarding her traumatic past, the production’s set employs detail and adds to the life-like experience that the story tells. Furthermore, all four members of the cast excellently craft its characters by taking on specific mannerisms and maintaining them throughout the show. As Lisa, Sheeran adeptly speaks with uncertainty to display her regret about her past.

Rakic’s decision to largely focus the play on the characters’ monologues allows for the audience to see not only the relationships each character is involved in, but also the inner feelings that these characters hold toward each other and themselves. Fables’ strength is in its intimacy; watching the play is like listening to four new friends who will tell you about their lives, their fears, and their desires.

Rakic, the cast, and the crew have come together to put on a performance that reminds us how the people in our lives accompany us through even the worst of times. Though the play deals with several dark themes, it also uses humour to show the optimistic side of its unhappy characters. Beyond trauma, fear, and regret, Lisa manages to work in hilarious jabs at the doctor’s old age, and Sid constantly mentions his aspirations to make a career out of being a sperm donor. This combination of heavy and light-hearted moments make for a play that provides audience members with a glimpse into their lives and all the ups and downs that are involved.

Science & Technology

Project pollution: McGill professor highlights the risk

by Jade Prévost-Manuel on

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On Oct. 19, the Lancet Commission on Pollution and Health released a report identifying pollution as the cause of nine million deaths across the world in 2015. The report addressed the costs of water, soil, and air pollution to the global economy and public health, stressing pollution as an underreported and terribly severe contributor to the Global Burden of Disease (GBD).

The GBD is an epidemiological study of global health trends since 1990. It aims to understand global health by examining measures like mortality and life expectancy to see how external factors contribute to declines in the overall health of a population.

The staggering figures produced by the GBD’s rigorous research deem pollution a significant health risk. The commission states that 92 per cent of all pollution-related mortality occurs in low-income and middle-income countries—and particularly those experiencing rapid industrialization. Air pollution accounted for 6.5 million deaths in 2015, followed by deaths caused by water pollution, which came in at 1.8 million.

According to the commission, the impacts of pollution on health are unevenly distributed, with pollution disproportionately affecting the marginalized and the vulnerable.

Niladri Basu, an associate professor in the faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences and a Canada Research Chair in Environmental Health Sciences, calls this an unacceptable truth and an issue of human rights.

“We all have a right to a safe workplace,” Basu wrote in an email to The McGill Tribune. “We take this for granted in Canada but millions around the world can not say the same.”

Basu contributed to the Lancet Commission on Pollution and Health’s report, and said that the report will raise awareness about the link between pollution and health. He further commented on how pollution’s severity is underrepresented in the media.

“Many of our donor agencies and foundations are rightfully committed to global health, though few of them have realized the immense burden that pollution plays,” Basu wrote. “Our report shows that pollution causes three times more premature deaths than AIDS, TB, and malaria combined.”

Pollution harms health, but it’s also harmful to economies. Welfare losses due to pollution are estimated to cost more than US $4.6 trillion each year, about 6.2 per cent of global economic output. In middle-income countries that are heavily polluted and rapidly developing, up to seven per cent of annual health spending is allocated to cover the costs of pollution-related disease.

However, it’s not all bad news. The mission of the Lancet Commission is to inform economic and health policy makers worldwide about the burdens of pollution and to suggest affordable control solutions that focus on pollution prevention.

Pollution can be eliminated and the measures taken to do so can be cost-effective. In the past, high-income countries have been largely successful in managing pollution, and in the last 50 years air quality in Canada and the United States has improved immensely. Similar strategies at the level of policy can be applied to countries of all levels of income.

The report outlines six recommendations based on its findings, such as making pollution a high international priority and increasing the funding and technical support of pollution control.

As a professor, Basu is certain that education, empowerment, and the communication of scientific knowledge are long-term solutions to the pollution problem.

“The solution to pollution resides in transdisciplinary sciences,” Basu said.  “We need social scientists to link with natural scientists to link with engineers, public health officials, regulators, and so on. Multi-sectoral and multi-disciplinary partnerships are the only way forward [….] Pollution is preventable, and it can be done in a cost-effective and win-win manner.”

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