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Freaks, geeks and things that are ‘so gay’

by on March 10, 2012 in Opinions

“What doesn’t kill you, makes you stronger,” or so my mother believes.

This cheery colloquialism is said in an effort to make horrible, hateful things that happen to you seem part of a greater plan and give hope that once you have pushed through the latest injustice, you will somehow emerge as some sort of super-human on par with the Hulk or Superman. The truth is that I have been hearing this saying all my life and am still waiting for my honourary super strength or, at the very least, a gold star.

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Bullies from the schoolyard to the MPAA: ratings controversy brings light to problems in Hollywood

by on March 10, 2012 in Opinions

No one likes to be bullied. It happened to many of us as young pups in the schoolyard, and it continues to happen, especially with the rise of cyber-bullying in the information age.

So it was natural that an intrepid filmmaker would have the desire to make a hard-hitting documentary on the subject of bullying. Unfortunately, it seems our desire to click our tongue at the young people of today is superseded by our pathological need to present a sanitized version of everything to our children.

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When wearing makeup becomes a problem: women shouldn’t use makeup as a security blanket

by on March 10, 2012 in Opinions

A morning fight with the mirror is a regular occurrence for university students. Whether it’s due to an all-nighter to finish that paper or becoming the beer pong champion last night, the person staring back at you the morning after often looks a little more haggard than you remember.

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What’s so wrong about the Lingerie Football League? It objectifies women, but the athletes know what they’re doing

by on March 9, 2012 in Opinions

It was announced earlier this week that Saskatoon and Regina will be the homes of Lingerie Football League franchises in the coming year.

This sport, in which (beautiful) female athletes dress in lingerie and play a modified form of NFL football, has been called demeaning to women, misogynistic and a poor representation of women’s athletics on many media comment boards since the teams were announced a few days ago.

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Is university the only road to success? Some reasons not to believe in post-secondary education, just in time for finals

by on March 8, 2012 in Opinions

Years ago I filled out one of those sociology surveys you occasionally get in lectures. One question asked me, “Why are you in university?” to which I replied, “It beats working.”

I still feel this way. Reading textbooks is at least one step above my last job: working in a kitchen. Sometimes I felt nauseous working there — partly because I was cutting up kidney meat while hungover.

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Vladimir Putin is ridiculous: the Russian strongman may win elections, but he is losing his mind

by on March 7, 2012 in Opinions

The votes are in and it looks like Russia, and the world, is stuck with at least six more years of Vladimir Putin.With another six-year term more than likely, that would bring Putin’s total time as Russia’s undisputed leader to 24 years, rivalling the reigns of Stalin and Ivan the Terrible.

“We have won in honest and fair combat,” a tearful Putin told supporters after the vote, despite rather substantial evidence to the contrary.

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The more the merrier? Polygamists may have the solution to romantic satisfaction

by on March 3, 2012 in Opinions

Polygamy is not something that one would expect to come up in an everyday conversation, but if it does, some of the subsequent sub-topics often include the notorious Warren Jeffs, sexual abuse of minors and brainwashing on various levels Yet with other exposure of polygamists in the media — such as TLC’s Sister Wives or Lisa Ling’s Spotlight on a Young Polygamist Family recently on the O Network — lines become blurred and one must consider that the extreme stories seen on the news may be the exception instead of the experience of the majority of polygamists.

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Bill C-30 is needlessly invasive: the government should not spy on our online lives

by on March 2, 2012 in Opinions

Free and unfettered access to the Internet is a no-brainer for our generation. Maybe not for our parents or grandparents, but at least for us.

With Bill C-30, currently before Parliament, the federal government means to stick its nose in our web browsers and violate Canadians’ privacy online.

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Giving victims a voice: university’s handling of New Year’s Eve assault too little, too late

by on February 29, 2012 in Opinions

There is something disturbing about the University of Saskatchewan’s treatment of reported sexual assault on campus.

Only one case of sexual assault has been reported on campus since the new year. That’s hardly an accurate representation of what’s happening to university students.

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The new hardcore: modern porn is awful and I can’t stop watching

by on February 26, 2012 in Opinions

The days of being handed a Playboy by your father when you reach puberty are long gone. Children today usually discover the Internet’s pornographic potential by age 11, and the relationship with porn is one that outlasts most others in men’s lives.

Despite its seeming ubiquity and variety, there is an inescapable truth about the erotic entertainment that comprises so much of the web: almost all porn available online is utterly wretched.

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