By April Alayon,Gary Lim and Will Ross
Sexy Librarian: What bestsellers like Twilight and Fifty Shades of Grey say about women and sexuality
Let me get one thing straight: I have never read nor seen Twilight. At the height of its popularity, I picked up the first book to see what the hype was about. Twelve pages were all I needed to know that I could not read any more poorly-written melodrama. But I digress. Despite my snide opinion, there is nonetheless something about Twilight that made the book reach the number five spot of the New York Times bestseller list within a month of its release. I don’t personally care about Team Edward or Team Jacob, but the fact that these “teams” even exist says something about the appeal of these characters: readers care, they empathize, they identify. Most importantly, for a character considered to be so shallow, the debates surrounding the protagonist Bella Swan are extremely dynamic and complex: is she submissive, or fighting for love? Is she a negative role model, or a strong one?
The general plot seems simple enough: Bella falls in love with Edward Cullen. She’s 17, so you’d think it was dramatic enough, but he also happens to be a vampire. I don’t know the logistics — I’m sure most Twi-hards could explain the nuances better than me — but the main problem appears to be inter-species dating, and how much more complicated consummating their relationship is. As long as Edward is a vampire and she is a human, he is capable of accidentally hurting Bella during sex (something about not knowing his own strength). Very long story short, she leaves her family, gives up life as a human, and eventually transforms into a vampire in order to be with Edward. One of the main criticisms of Bella’s character is that she has no ambitions and goals of her own, but rather only sees a future as defined by her relationship with Edward Cullen; despite his efforts to dissuade her, she insists on being transformed into a vampire in order to be with him. Another criticism — mostly made by feminist groups — is that Bella seems to always need a male figure in her life: she lives with her father, and then falls in love with the possessive Edward. When he leaves, she is drawn to Jacob, a werewolf. This cycle has led to the general belief that Bella is a submissive, dependent woman, and is not fit to be a strong role model for the young girls that make up the series’s demographic.
A blog titled Twilight Gurls: Because Twilight does NOT suck!, had a post that addressed this very issue. The evidence for Bella being a solid role model lies in her appearance, her popularity, and her willingness to fight for Edward. “Bella Swann is so pretty!!! that’s [sic] really good and it gives girls something to aspire to! [Bella is] inspiring girls to take better care of themselves and try to be prettier!!” writes a user that calls herself LizzieBella. “She teaches you about love…she shows how its (sic) important to be in love and all the things people do for love!” It is unclear whether this blog is satirical or whether it is written by true Twilight fans, but it nonetheless reflects the very real debate. Bella certainly does fight for love, and when you really think about it, it’s true that Bella is submissive and makes errors in judgment, but perhaps it is just that which makes her so real and relatable to readers. Literature has been filled with strong women who fight for themselves and uphold their pride, but the reality is, nobody does that on an everyday basis, making “weaker” female characters — though not the best role models — appealing because they are so relatable.
This brings me to what has been called the “Twilight for the grown-up set,” and the newest craze to hit the New York Time bestseller list: Fifty Shades of Grey. E. L. James’s erotic novel has topped the list for 19 weeks, with its sequels — Fifty Shades Darker and Fifty Shades Freed — at second and third, respectively, for 19 and 18 weeks. The premise follows Anastasia Steele, a 22-year-old college literature student. Anastasia is a blushing virgin when she stumbles into Christian Grey’s office. She is meant to interview him for her campus newspaper, but they end up engaging in a sexual relationship that would have been described as “kinky” or even “perverted” — that is, before Fifty Shades of Grey became a best-seller and brought the topics of bondage and other fetishes into the spotlight for housewives and young women alike. What is surprising about this book’s rise to mainstream is the extensive descriptions of the BDSM (bondage/discipline, domination/submission, and sadism/masochism) in which the couple engages. The steamy sex scenes are graphically described, bringing the book to the public’s attention. Ellen DeGeneres called this series “mommy porn,” referring to the assumed demographic of the readership: middle-aged, suburban mother and wives. James is herself a mother in her forties and, in an interview on The Today Show, she spoke about how a mid-life crisis led to Fifty Shades of Grey — and how the series started as a Twilight fan fiction, with the aforementioned series being a foundation for the characters in Fifty Shades. Recently, however, the publisher’s data (collected from social media, Google searches, and fan sites) revealed that a majority of readers are younger than the perceived age — usually in their 20s and 30s.
Certainly, the demographic of the readership is largely female, but that does not mean that it hasn’t sparked male interest. A blog on the Men’s Health website tackled the topic, and mused on why women were so swept away by the series. One of the comments — by a female — explained that it was because Christian made Anastasia feel like she was a goddess, but more interestingly, because Anastasia managed to “fix him” and rid him of the emotional baggage he had at the beginning of the story. It is interesting that a book like this, one that is not particularly well-written or insightful, could open so much discussion. For example, on askmen.com, a reader wrote in that he and his wife are reading the book together, and are using it as a starting point for discussion about their sexual fantasies. A recent article in the Georgia Straight addressed this as a positive effect of the books: they are a platform for discussion. The article argues that this book is not just an outlet for the fantasies of sexually repressed women; rather, it is responsible for making less conventional sexual practices that have previously been deemed “kinky” a topic of discussion for women of all classes, ages, and relationship status. “Mainstream pornography is generally made by and made for men,” Vancouver clinical counselor and sex therapist Teesha Morgan told the Georgia Straight. “Women are desire-seeking, sexually driven creatures as well. It just has to be packaged to them in the right way.” This corroborates the idea that discussion can and should be open on these topics, and that the gender differences lie not in what individuals want, but in how it is presented to them.
However, while both Bella and Anastasia are submissive, their love interests — Edward and Christian, respectively — treat them as if they are fragile, and take care of and protect the women. Because the characters of Fifty Shades are directly based off of Twilight’s, it’s not surprising that the relationships are similar. There is also a very specific balance in these relationships that draws women to these stories: the males are unquestionably dominant —women may feel much the same in their own relationships — but they are also uncharacteristically caring and protective. In the case of Fifty Shades, there is also forbidden eroticism. The character of Christian Grey never has to ask Anastasia what she wants from their sex life; instead, he is in control in every sense of the word. In fact, only several pages into the first book, the reader learns that he likes to have control over all aspects of his life. There are many — including Katie Roiphe in a Newsweek opinion piece — that believe that the appeal of these books lies in control. Proponents of this theory elaborate that, while the contemporary woman has a successful career and control over her life, she still fantasizes about being submissive in bed — a fantasy that is played out quite vividly in the pages of Fifty Shades. However, Anastasia says that, deep down, she just wants more affection and love. So, what is important is not that she herself is particularly drawn to sado-masochism. Rather, it is that she loves a man that is, and she is willing to engage in what makes him happy, making her even more of a submissive character than she already was. “Women have more sexual freedom and more power than ever before in our history,” feminist Katha Pollitt told Newsweek on the topic of Fifty Shades. “But that does not mean they have a lot of either, and it doesn’t mean they don’t have complicated feelings of guilt, shame and unworthiness.” Pollitt and many others have used this to explain female fantasies about sexual submission: it is about a dissonance between different social roles, and many of these women are more comfortable being pursued rather than the instigator. A character like Anastasia in a relationship like the one portrayed in Fifty Shades is exactly relatable to women that fit Pollitt’s theory: she is engaging in sexual acts that can be seen as deviant or wild, but the feelings of guilt and shame that Pollitt speaks of cannot be applied to the character or the reader, because somebody else that is initiating it.
When a book is as popular as Twilight or Fifty Shades of Grey, it is important to look at why; by finding recurring themes or characteristics, we can also find underlying topics and discussions in society as a whole. On the surface, Twilight is a mediocre book for preteen girls about adolescence and vampires. But its characters spark debate, and Bella’s merits as a role model are still unclear. Her submissive character and her relationship with the more domineering Edward is an important aspect of the series, and a jumping point for James to develop Fifty Shades of Grey. The latter eliminates the fantastical aspect of supernatural creatures, and extends the submissive female character into an erotic novel, which sparked discussions about sexuality among women who wouldn’t normally chat about bondage and sado-masochism. Girls and women should not necessarily strive to be like these characters, but should nonetheless observe and question their values and qualities.
SFU doesn’t need more parking lots
By Cedric Chen
In the recent debate regarding the new Student Union Building, it was suggested that it should reserve a space for building new parking lots. This may have been a good idea back in the 1990s and maybe even still in the 2000s, but now that we’re in the 2010s, that argument is running out of gas.
It doesn’t take a diploma or a certificate to understand that building more parking lots wastes space that could be used to build study spaces. There are indeed people complaining that the cost for parking is getting too high. However, compared to complaints about not being able to find a study space — and not just any space for studying, but a study space that can actually satisfy someone’s needs, complete with amenities such as power plugs — how often do you hear the complaints about parking spots? What we need is not a policy that binds new buildings with new parking lots, but one that binds it with new study spaces. On this matter, the University has messed up its priorities.
Nowadays, even high school or middle school kids know that cars that run on fossil fuel are a major source of pollution. What does this have to do with parking lots? Since electronic-powered automobile is far from popularization, building more parking lots means that there will be more automobiles that bring their pollutants up the mountain. To make things worse, SFU’s indoor parking lots are infamous for their bad ventilation, and trap the pollutants inside, only to be inhaled by unsuspecting students. Building new parking lots will only trap more pollutants, and give more people (as well as an already-very-sick planet) a living hell.
At this point, some people will want to jump out at me and yell: “You’re completely neglecting the rights of commuters!” But I’m not. Commuters have always had the option of taking public transit or car-pooling. I know that neither public transit nor car-pooling is perfect, but both of them are much greener than driving, consuming less fuel and emitting fewer pollutants. And have those who argue against commuter neglect been considerate at all? With one vehicle occupying the potential study space of three students who are still wandering around campus looking for a place, it sure doesn’t seem like it.
Building more parking lots in SFU is bad for the community, bad for the people, and bad for the planet. Attaching parking lots to new buildings would increase pollutants on the hill and take away valuable study spaces from students, making life on campus all that much worse.
Elderly man responsible for “bread epidemic” at local duck pond
By Brad McLeod — Bread McLoaf
SURREY — An elderly man was detained by the RCMP early Saturday morning in connection with a recent rash of illegal bread distribution among local birds at Surrey Lake Park.
Robert Moore, a 75-year-old retiree, has been charged with introducing a “banned substance” into the duck pond, which has been forbidden by local park workers who say that bread is responsible for a number of problems among their wildlife.
“Ever since the bread started flowing in we’ve seen a real change in our birds,” said one concerned parks worker. “Not only has the pond become crowded and dirty, but there’s been a shocking increase in the amount of bird-on-bird violence.”
Nearby residents have also been affected by what they describe as an unnerving change in the dynamics of the aviary community over the past few months.
“It started with just the ducks but now I’m starting to see all sorts of bread-eating fowl flying around the whole area,” said one upset parks-goer. “There are birds out here I’ve never even seen before. You know, loud, lazy, minority birds, just staying perched and squawking for handouts.”
Local park-frequenters have described the increase of feathered “bread heads” as turning the park from a nice family location into “like just about anywhere else in Surrey.”
“The duck pond used to be such a nice, quiet area. Now I’m afraid to go there,” said one man hanging out near the bushes. “It’s gotten so bad, I don’t even feel comfortable selling my crack cocaine here anymore.”
While most residents and resident drug dealers have only voiced anger towards the new clientele of birds, there are others who are actually looking out for the birds’ well-being.
“Bread can be very unhealthy for birds since it isn’t a natural food for them” said local veterinarian, Jill Smith “I can’t imagine what kind of a sick person or government conspiracy would have introduced it to them.”
Smith went on to give warnings about the frightening effects that bread has already caused in other inner city duck ponds including the birth defects of what she described as “bread ducklings”.
Although police have not yet proven that Mr. Moore in fact gave the bread away, the police have found the exact same brand of a so-called “wonder bread” in their raid of the man’s home.
The RCMP has stated that although it’s not exactly concrete evidence, they are pretty sure that it is enough to enforce the maximum punishment for this crime: a $20 fine.
Horoscopes: July 23rd
Aries (March 21 – April 20)
Good news! This week you can expect your baleen to absolutely overflow with krill. (Note: This week’s horoscope only applies to grey whales)
Taurus (April 21 – May 21)
Like the bull, this week you’re going to need to be strong, stubborn and adept at avoiding being stabbed by fancy Spanish men.
Gemini (May 22 – June 21)
Social awkwardness will ensue when you realize you’ve shown up to the party wearing the same outfit as everyone else. The grand exalted leader suggests forgetting about it with a nice glass of punch.
Cancer (June 22 – July 22)
Mars is retrograde in your sign this week. I saw it with a Walkman earlier, it’s been on a weird ‘90s kick this whole month.
Leo (July 23 – August 22)
Look, you didn’t hear it from the stars, but don’t be too “surprised” if it seems like everyone’s forgotten your “birthday party.” They did.
Virgo (August 23 – September 23)
Your loneliness will reach a tipping point this week when you find yourself moving furniture at 3 a.m. just so you can hear someone’s voice through the walls.
Libra (September 24 – October 23)
No, being locked in a cedar chest for 20 minutes is not grounds for childhood trauma resulting in vigilante crime-fighting. Besides, mothballman is a stupid name.
Scorpio (October 24 – November 22)
Your sign is in the rising House this week. It looks like lupus, but will turn out to be a South American frog parasite by the second act.
Sagittarius (November 23 – December 21)
More like Vag-ittarius, am I right? Dude, this week you’re going to be killing it! If you’re a woman, uh, prepare to have some very confusing experiences.
Capricorn (December 22 – January 20)
Avoid that butterflies-in-your-stomach feeling when public speaking by eating fewer caterpillars beforehand.
Aquarius (January 21 – February 19)
By failing to follow last week’s horoscope, you have rendered your lives and the lives of those in your district forfeit.
Pisces (February 20 – March 20)
Get ready to scale major obstacles! Be ready for a photo fin-ish!
(Submitted by Will Ross)
KPU senate should not ban recording of public meetings
At Kwantlen’s June 25 senate meeting, President John McKendry ordered Runner editor Matt DiMera to delete his audio recordings of the meeting and not to publish anything that was said in his reporting. The senate has no rules about electronic recording of meetings, but the presumption should be toward openness and transparency. The reporters weren’t breaking any rules or laws – they were merely doing their jobs as responsible reporters and student-citizens.
McKendry accused The Runner of not granting him “due process.” If public officials and elected representatives don’t want their words to be published in a newspaper, then perhaps they shouldn’t be saying them during a public meeting.
Runner reporters have been regularly recording senate meetings over the last year. They are open and public, and should remain so. The senate performs a vital role at KPU (and other universities). It is centred on principles like academic freedom — a close cousin of objective journalism.
For journalists, there is no difference between electronic recording and shorthand, other than the improved efficiency of the former. It is hard for reporters to keep track of every single word said by everyone present during a three-hour meeting using only a pen and paper. These recordings aren’t used for broadcasting, but to ensure the accuracy of quotes or statements made during these public meetings.
It was this accuracy that protected The Runner’s reporting during the Kwantlen Student Association (KSA) controversy last fall. We made many of these same arguments when the KSA went so far as to ban all electronic recordings of all public KSA meetings.
Many senate members, including faculty, staff, and student representatives, spoke in favour of allowing The Runner to continue recording senate meetings. During the meeting, the matter was referred to a senate committee, which will make a recommendation as to whether audio recordings will be allowed in the future.
It is imperative that Kwantlen students be given access to the KPU senate via their campus newspaper. Engaged, informed students are the lifeblood of Kwantlen’s vibrancy, as they are in any university. We urge the senate to stand up for academic freedom, openness and transparency, and to establish clear rules allowing the electronic recording of public meetings.
Altar Boyz: leave it at the altar
By Kelly Thoreson
Photos by Emily Cooper (Arts Club)
Running jokes wear thin on the soles without the support of a real plot to the production
Four young and attractive Catholic boys and one Jewish man form a boy band called the Altar Boyz and tour to sing about God and Christian values: it could have been a pretty good sketch on Saturday Night Live, but it leaves something to be desired as a musical.
Altar Boyz parodies both boy bands and religious tours with all of the trills, over-enthusiasm, and abs that are to be expected, and is jam-packed with energy and songs that will be stuck in your head for days. What it’s missing, though, is a story.
Sure, there is the plot wherein the Altar Boyz try to save the souls of the audience and come to some understandings about themselves. However, this story doesn’t develop until near the end of the show, and very few of the songs actually contribute to any kind of plot. It always feels as though you are waiting for the story to really “start” — even after you have left the theatre.
Where there isn’t story, there is humour. There are a few gags that the show relies on, including the aforementioned boy band and religious group parodies, the irony of the presence of a single Jew in a Catholic singing group, as well as Mexican, addict, and gay stereotyping. While the jokes might get you laughing the first time they come around, they are not grounded in the story or in dynamic characters and feel hollow.
There is so much opportunity for social commentary to make the humour and story of Altar Boyz richer, but it is a missed opportunity. The diversity of the Altar Boyz — with an out-of-place Jew, a Mexican immigrant without a family, a recovering addict, and what the audience assumes is a closeted gay member — appears to be token and only there for the laughs. This gimmicky feel to the characters makes the jokes feel uncomfortable at times, like the audience is laughing at them instead of with them.
The two actors that really pull off the laughs are Geoff Stevens, who plays the flamboyant character of Mark, and Jeremy Crittenden, who portrays Matthew, the leader of the Altar Boyz. Both performers keep their energy at the over-the-top levels necessary to pull off a parody of boy bands and religious tour groups, which was arguably the most entertaining aspect of the show.
Shallow script and empty humour aside, the harmonies and synchronized steps of the Altar Boyz were impressive, and they had me pumped for at least a half hour of the show. It was enough fun to carry me to the end of a particularly lengthy YouTube video, but definitely not to the curtain of a 90-minute musical.
Sacre Bleu: fun, but below Moore’s standard
Christopher Moore’s newest venture flops on inventiveness, but it’s saved by the little things
Sacré Bleu: A Comedy d’Art begins with the death of Vincent van Gogh in the countryside of France. Believed to have gone mad and committed suicide, his friends are troubled by the situation. Vincent had recently become deathly afraid of the colour blue and refused to paint with it.
A satirical take on the Impressionist era in Paris, the story turns to Lucien Lessard, a baker and aspiring artist in Montmarte whose father raised him with a strong appreciation for the arts. Lucien, along with his close friend Henri Toulouse-Lautrec, a fellow painter as well as Count, are convinced that van Gogh’s death was not a suicide and begin to seek the truth behind his death.
As Lucien and Henri get deeper into the history of the mysterious, twisted dwarf simply called The Colorman, they discover more unsettling details about their own lives and their friends.
Sacré Bleu: A Comedy d’Art is well-written and thoroughly researched, definitely Moore caliber. However, it falls short of the unstoppable praise that has characterized his past novels.
The characters are either loosely or fully based on historical truths. Lucien, the main character, is written with depth and his character feels authentic. Though most of the artists are seen only in passing, kept interesting only by the amusing personality tidbits thawt Moore includes.
The satirical elements are strong, and the humour is mild, save for occasional classic Moore-isms that came out of the blue and had me in tears laughing.
It’s similar to Fool, Moore’s 2009 novel loosely based on Shakespeare’s King Lear. Basing his novel on previous work or history seems to stunt Moore’s own creativity. As he explains in the afterword, “I simply set out to write a novel about the color blue; I can’t remember why now. When you start with a concept that vague, you have to narrow your scope fairly quickly or it will get out of hand, so very early in my research great bits of history had to go by the wayside so I’d have room to make stuff up.”
In the end, it is the small touches that count: the blue ink throughout the novel, and several dozen full-colour masterpieces from Monet, Manet, van Gogh, Renoir, Seurat, Michelangelo, and other renowned artists. Oh, and the ridiculous number of times the word “penis” is used.
