The ethos that we should “carry on” erodes our moral compass and makes us unable to react appropriately when red lines are crossed, such as a slap in the face at a televised awards ceremony. — Once upon a time, there was a mild-mannered railroad employee who was very conscientious. Otto took pride in doing his job well. ‘Stay calm and get the job done’ was his motto. …

It’s ironic that an award for a film about toxic masculinity is getting less attention than an act of same. On the evening of March 21, 1994, a great injustice was committed. Nominated for an Oscar in the Best Director Category for “The Piano”, Jane Campion was seated in the…

Although the invasion of Ukraine is still in the initial stages, a look at the striking similarities with the US invasion of Iraq in 2003 can help us assess its illegality and significance. — Separated by almost twenty years, two acts of aggression have been committed by major military powers since the end of the Cold War. What do they have in common, and can lessons be drawn from a comparative analysis? Here are some ‘early days’ reflections:

Yes, his jokes are offensive but that doesn’t mean his contribution to the political debate isn’t valid. In a world where comedians occupy a special place in the democratic discourse, we dismiss Chappelle’s critique at our own peril. I did it. I finally caved and watched the Dave Chappelle special “The Closer” on Netflix. Like many feminists who consider themselves allies to Trans people, I held off because of the recent controversy, not wanting to add my .01 cents to the fortune of a possibly transphobic comedian. Then…

Chris Rock’s Netflix special is a brilliant critique of American society, of corporate hypocrisy, and of Will Smith’s marriage “I know I’m rich,” says Chris Rock, “but I identify as poor. My pronoun is BROKE!” Although the word “intersectionality” is never mentioned in the 69 minutes of comedy that Rock performed on Saturday night in his Netflix show “Selective Outrage”, this joke is dripping in the ideology. Rock is…

The decision by Judge Preska against Donziger shows once again that the US judicial system is broken and biased. “An astonishing lack of respect for the rule of law,” declared Judge Preska at the sentencing hearing on October 1, 2021. On this, everyone agrees. When I say “everyone”, I’m referring to Steven Donziger’s legal team, over 75 lawyer organizations(1), Amnesty International (2), the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention…

As a graduate, I see the recent hiring scandal at UofT Law as part of a long-standing policy of excluding diverse voices. There used to be an antique table in the foyer of University of Toronto Law School — a polished refectory table that taunted students looking to offload their heavy legal texts. The School administration didn’t want students to avail themselves of this obvious resting place, so it put up a…

The nefarious fight for YouTube supremacy you didn’t know about but should be afraid of — An internet popularity contest is going on these days that has no real importance except for the fact that it’s a struggle for global dominance. The contest is between a YouTuber called PewDiePie and a YouTube channel called T-Series. The former is a Swedish guy in a room making snarky…