Culture
WTF Wednesday: Science reduced to Facebook personality tests
The National Academy of Science just published a study that shows what your Facebook ‘Likes’ reveal about your behaviours and personal life. The study released March 11 explains: “We show that easily accessible digital records of behavior, Facebook Likes, can be used to automatically and accurately predict a range of highly sensitive personal attributes including:… More »
Mess with our doughnuts, but leave Anne Shirley alone
Earlier this week, the American sitcom How I Met Your Mother dedicated an episode to Canada, with appearances by famous Canuckers like Stephen Page, Geddy Lee, Alex Trebek and Jason Priestley. Going north of 44 is not exactly uncharted comedy territory — writing rooms from The Simpsons to The Colbert Report have mined Canada’s perceived… More »
WTF Wednesday: Why Madonna has it all wrong
Let me preface by saying that I am a huge fan of pop music. I grew up obsessing over everyone from the Spice Girls to Sugar Jones, and while my musical taste has significantly changed since my preteen years, my appreciation for the smart and empowered females in pop has not. Take one look at Ellie Goulding… More »
WTF Wednesday: Brad Pitt is the first male face of Chanel No. 5 and it’s perplexing
Chanel No. 5 has long been considered the classic woman’s fragrance. She who wears the haute couture brand’s most famous perfume is effortless in her sophistication, beauty, and elegance. Becoming the face of a Chanel No. 5, I can only imagine, is a compliment above all others; to be considered for the job is, in… More »
Will the new Heritage Minute get it right?
My grandmother was the oldest of 13 brothers and sisters. One of my great-uncles was a brain surgeon—a colleague of Dr. Penfield’s, my grandmother would tell us proudly, never understanding why this fact was so entertaining to my brothers and I. But for anyone who grew up with Canadian television, the answer to this question… More »
Peruvian migrant van crash survivors speak out
The man stood at the front of the room, facing a crowd of curious people. He appeared calm, but there was a definitive sense of sadness below the surface. “Have any of you ever felt your life slipping away from your hands?” he told the audience in Spanish (through an English interpreter). “I have.” His… More »
“Politicizing” tragedy: discussing the Wisconsin shooting
A deeply disturbing attack on a Sikh temple in Wisconsin is shaking America right now. A “frustrated neo-Nazi” killed six people and critically wounded three before being shot by police himself. The temple attendees were preparing for their Sunday services before the shooting. Southern Poverty Law Center has released some new information about the alleged… More »
Yamantaka // Sonic Titan bring art to the Polaris Prize
As a former Polaris Music Prize juror, I still get phantom pain whenever the award shortlist is announced and the inevitable backlash begins (for well thought-out criticism read Josiah Hughes and Mark Teo’s essay, “Canadian Music is Boring,” in FFWD.) But I’m guilty of award bashing, too. After reading the shortlist, I immediately grumbled about… More »
You can keep your “all,” thanks. I don’t want it.
I sighed loudly when I read the “Why Women Still Can’t Have It All” cover line on the latest issue of The Atlantic (July/August 2012). When done sighing, I wondered what the “all” was now. I hoped the “all” was a nap because I was exhausted before I even opened the issue and read Anne-Marie… More »
Rolling Stone’s summer douche bag issue now on newsstands!
Oh god, not this joker again. These are the first words that enter my head when I see the new issue of Rolling Stone on the newsstand. The cover features a haggard Charlie Sheen. He looks like a cross between a chain-smoking bobble head and a contestant vying for first place in a Keith Richards… More »
