Thursday, February 25, 2010
Friday, February 19, 2010
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
CreComm's Bachelor/Bachelorette Auction
Our very awesome CreComm Grad committee put together a great event as a fundraiser for us this past week. It was a blasty blast and we raked in over $700 beans! That beats the hell out of a bake sale any day. It was a great event and I was there to capture it all on video. Here are the highlights!
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
War of The Worlds
Probably the most well known radio drama of time is the October 30,1938 War of the Worlds broadcast by Orson Welles. It was a retelling of the HG Wells story about martians landing on earth and zapping us all into dust with ray guns. The radio drama started off like a regular newscast and, although prefaced with an introduction by Welles, if you were tuning in late it was very easy to assume that this was a real live broadcast. I listen to it every Halloween on Coast to Coast AM. If you have time, listen to it in it's entirety.
Saturday, February 6, 2010
Rebel Yell Magazine Feature Article
I thought I'd post the article I wrote for my magazine project.
Our magazine - Rebel Yell - is a magazine about activism. Exploring local and international causes around the world. For my article I wrote about how sometimes protesting can cross the line. I scored an interview with Shirley Phelps-Roeper from the Westboro Baptist Church and we discussed how the church goes about their protesting and if it's making an impact. I also spoke with Chris Vogel, a pro-gay activist, and founder of the Manitoba Gay and Lesbian Archive.
I'll warn you first, the language in this article is EXTREMELY OFFENSIVE and if you're sensitive to any kind of anti-gay sentiment I wouldn't read any further. It is also important to note that I DO NOT support any of what Phelps-Roeper is saying.
God hates fags. At least, that’s what the Westboro Baptist Church wants you to think.
The Westboro Baptist Church (WBC) was founded in 1955 by Fred Phelps and is still run by him today. The group is best known for the hate-based picketing of funerals of dead soldiers with signs that say “Fag Troops,” along with similar messages. These rallies are organized by Shirley Phelps-Roper, Fred Phelps’s daughter.
“Obey your God, that is your duty,” says Phelps-Roper, 52. “Fear and obey God, and give the glory of all his amazing works. Hurricanes, dead soldiers, that fag disease AIDS and decapitated Canadians.” That last part refers to the August 2008 beheading of Tim McLean on a Greyhound bus just west of Portage La Prairie, Manitoba. The WBC attempted to come into Canada to protest his funeral. Almost everyone was denied entry, although a few did get into the country, but none appeared at the funeral.
I ask Phelps-Roper to explain her motives for coming to Winnipeg. McLean was just a regular nice guy who had his young life tragically and horrifically taken away from him, no?
“I want to connect the dots for you,” explains Phelps-Roper. “Dot A, your rebellion against the commandments of God, to dot B, you beheaded and snaked upon the carcass of your fellow countryman.”
So just so we’re all clear now, Tim McLean was murdered because of his rebellious nature against the word of Phelps-Roper’s God. I wonder why that was never discussed on the news as a possibility.
Freedom of speech is a remarkable thing. It gives us the power to say whatever we want and is the backbone of any activist group. We wouldn’t have protests if free speech didn’t exist. This is what gives groups like the WBC the right to say the outrageous things they do. It is also freedom of expression that allows them to take their opinions to the street and have their protests, just like everyone else.
Therein lies the hypocrisy in their argument against homosexuals. Is it right to condemn them for using their freedom of expression by being homosexual? The short answer is no, but let’s put the wisdom of Phelps-Roper back into the equation.
“God gives both the responsibility and the right to do what we do. Homosexuality is an abomination,” Phelps-Roper laughed, then added, “You have two gay rights, AIDS and hell.” That certainly isn’t the same gay rights I’ve always heard about. I think it’s time we hear from someone on the opposite end of the spectrum for some clarity.
Chris Vogel, the founder of the Manitoba Gay and Lesbian Archive, played a big part in pro-gay activism in the 1970’s. Vogel, now 62, is a very friendly open-minded person who – get this – hates no one. Hopefully this is enough of a contrast. It would be easy to understand that as a gay man, he has faced some serous prejudice in his life. It must feel enraging to see signs that say “God Hates Fags.”
“It causes a slew of emotions. It makes me angry, and sad, I also think it’s humorous sometimes just because of how ridiculous these people are,” says Vogel. “However, it is also important to understand that what they do and say don’t matter, and that prejudice will go away one day.”
Vogel is soft spoken, but you can tell that he is still very passionate about gay rights. Surprisingly enough, he doesn’t think the WBC should be held back from getting their message heard.
“There is a time and a place, of course. Protesting the funerals of dead soldiers is a completely different animal than holding a protest in front of a government building,” Vogel says. “Let them protest to their heart’s content. If you’re a reasonable person, you’re not going to buy what their selling, anyway.”
I bring to Vogel’s attention Phelps-Roper’s belief that the WBC has “bound this generation to their standards.”
“These people are very closed-minded,” Vogel laughs. “The church does a lot of lying. They have to make up these ridiculous claims so that people will listen to them. The truth of the matter is, they’re the minority.”
We may think that homosexuals are a minority but the numbers of gay, lesbian and bi-sexual people are constantly on the rise. “Historically and socially everything is going right for the gay community,” says Vogel, “and no amount of closed-minded sign holders is going to stop that.”
Our magazine - Rebel Yell - is a magazine about activism. Exploring local and international causes around the world. For my article I wrote about how sometimes protesting can cross the line. I scored an interview with Shirley Phelps-Roeper from the Westboro Baptist Church and we discussed how the church goes about their protesting and if it's making an impact. I also spoke with Chris Vogel, a pro-gay activist, and founder of the Manitoba Gay and Lesbian Archive.
I'll warn you first, the language in this article is EXTREMELY OFFENSIVE and if you're sensitive to any kind of anti-gay sentiment I wouldn't read any further. It is also important to note that I DO NOT support any of what Phelps-Roeper is saying.
God hates fags. At least, that’s what the Westboro Baptist Church wants you to think.
The Westboro Baptist Church (WBC) was founded in 1955 by Fred Phelps and is still run by him today. The group is best known for the hate-based picketing of funerals of dead soldiers with signs that say “Fag Troops,” along with similar messages. These rallies are organized by Shirley Phelps-Roper, Fred Phelps’s daughter.
“Obey your God, that is your duty,” says Phelps-Roper, 52. “Fear and obey God, and give the glory of all his amazing works. Hurricanes, dead soldiers, that fag disease AIDS and decapitated Canadians.” That last part refers to the August 2008 beheading of Tim McLean on a Greyhound bus just west of Portage La Prairie, Manitoba. The WBC attempted to come into Canada to protest his funeral. Almost everyone was denied entry, although a few did get into the country, but none appeared at the funeral.
I ask Phelps-Roper to explain her motives for coming to Winnipeg. McLean was just a regular nice guy who had his young life tragically and horrifically taken away from him, no?
“I want to connect the dots for you,” explains Phelps-Roper. “Dot A, your rebellion against the commandments of God, to dot B, you beheaded and snaked upon the carcass of your fellow countryman.”
So just so we’re all clear now, Tim McLean was murdered because of his rebellious nature against the word of Phelps-Roper’s God. I wonder why that was never discussed on the news as a possibility.
Freedom of speech is a remarkable thing. It gives us the power to say whatever we want and is the backbone of any activist group. We wouldn’t have protests if free speech didn’t exist. This is what gives groups like the WBC the right to say the outrageous things they do. It is also freedom of expression that allows them to take their opinions to the street and have their protests, just like everyone else.
Therein lies the hypocrisy in their argument against homosexuals. Is it right to condemn them for using their freedom of expression by being homosexual? The short answer is no, but let’s put the wisdom of Phelps-Roper back into the equation.
“God gives both the responsibility and the right to do what we do. Homosexuality is an abomination,” Phelps-Roper laughed, then added, “You have two gay rights, AIDS and hell.” That certainly isn’t the same gay rights I’ve always heard about. I think it’s time we hear from someone on the opposite end of the spectrum for some clarity.
Chris Vogel, the founder of the Manitoba Gay and Lesbian Archive, played a big part in pro-gay activism in the 1970’s. Vogel, now 62, is a very friendly open-minded person who – get this – hates no one. Hopefully this is enough of a contrast. It would be easy to understand that as a gay man, he has faced some serous prejudice in his life. It must feel enraging to see signs that say “God Hates Fags.”
“It causes a slew of emotions. It makes me angry, and sad, I also think it’s humorous sometimes just because of how ridiculous these people are,” says Vogel. “However, it is also important to understand that what they do and say don’t matter, and that prejudice will go away one day.”
Vogel is soft spoken, but you can tell that he is still very passionate about gay rights. Surprisingly enough, he doesn’t think the WBC should be held back from getting their message heard.
“There is a time and a place, of course. Protesting the funerals of dead soldiers is a completely different animal than holding a protest in front of a government building,” Vogel says. “Let them protest to their heart’s content. If you’re a reasonable person, you’re not going to buy what their selling, anyway.”
I bring to Vogel’s attention Phelps-Roper’s belief that the WBC has “bound this generation to their standards.”
“These people are very closed-minded,” Vogel laughs. “The church does a lot of lying. They have to make up these ridiculous claims so that people will listen to them. The truth of the matter is, they’re the minority.”
We may think that homosexuals are a minority but the numbers of gay, lesbian and bi-sexual people are constantly on the rise. “Historically and socially everything is going right for the gay community,” says Vogel, “and no amount of closed-minded sign holders is going to stop that.”
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Zooey & Adam Private Screening.
I was invited this past Saturday to attend the private screening of Sean Garrity's new film Zooey & Adam. I'll be posting my review of it after it's released in the Projector.The film was
screened at University of Winnipeg's Eckhardt Gramité Hall. Myself and roughly 50 others gathered into the theater and at just past 7:30 Sean took stage and introduced the film. The theater was mostly filled with people from the Garrity camp. The actors who were in the movie, people who had helped him along the way and just close friends and family. It was a great opportunity for me to get acquainted with people who are in the industry I've dreamed about being in since I was a little kid.Sean was very humble when thanking everyone who helped and supported him while making the film and he seemed very genuine about how important they were in the films completion and success.
After that he screened the movie for us. All of us in CreComm have been talking about it since Sean came to the school and screened the trailer for us. I know a few of us don't want to go because they feel like it might be too intense and real for them and after having seen the movie I can say that, if you feel that way, don't go. The movie is great and the subject matter is very heavy, but for clarification let me just say this. The movie is NOT about rape, it's about the struggles that happen afterward with raising a child that may or may not be yours. To be fair though the rape scene is terrifying.
After the screening we all got up and left the theater and went outside to partake in some great food and drinks that we all provided FREE OF CHARGE. (Man I LOVE events like this!!) I got another chance to speak with Sean and told him what I thought of his movie, we chatted for a bit but there were so many people who wanted to talk with him that night so I made sure to not monopolize his time. It would have been easy though, Sean is living my dream.I also got a chance to talk with Tom Kennan (Adam) we spoke briefly about what it was like to film the movie, and how emotionally draining it was. They were all great people and it was a great event.
Lastly I'd really like to thank Anne Dawson, the ex-CreComm who put the whole event together. She gave me the press kit and a screener of the movie which was really awesome. She went above and beyond the call of duty and I thank her.
If you can get out to see it, I highly recommend going. Do it quickly too because the movie is only in limited release and end Feb 4.
Saturday, January 16, 2010
In The Chamber
For my creative writing class we had to attend a play put on by Theater Project Manitoba called In The Chamber. What the title means exactly I couldn't tell you, nor can I explain what the play really was about. I can however let you know what I thought about it.
The play starts out with a man and women wrestling for control of the covers (Has it ever occurred to couples that they can have their OWN blankets?) and then an oddly placed handjob scene that made no sense in context to what happens next. (Of course this might be just because I'm not the well versed in the nuances of theater)
The stage goes black and when the lights come back on we watch as a man goes through an epiphany moment as he records a video of a presentation he was going to do at a farm safety convention. He then goes into an hour long monologue about 15,000 pigs burning to death in a fire. It was a heartfelt and genuinely well acted speech, although I just couldn't find enough reason to care. The actor Gordon Tanner plays the part so well you'd think he wasn't acting at all.
-Intermission-
Lights up bring us into a restaurant scene where a man who just quit his job is giving a speech to his "friends" (Friends is in quotations because this again is really just a one man show and the people are represented by balloons). The man discusses the death of his son and the circumstances surrounding his death within the Health Sciences Center pediatric facility. His son, born with Downs Syndrome and a malformed heart, spent most of his life in and out of the hospital. The acting again is superb, and the actor Steven Ratzlaff makes me feel like he isn't acting at all. Unfortunately I really didn't care about the story and felt completely disconnected. The play ends with a waiter (played by Gordon Tanner from the previous act) talking with the man about a fight he's having with his wife, which in my mind is completely separate from what his previous speech was about. (again this may just be because I don't really read into what the script is deep enough to understand the underlying issues)
I'm torn. I loved the acting, hated the stories. I did like it but I know that the only way I'll ever see anything like this is if I'm forced to go or have to go for another assignment which is pretty sad.
Theater is not for me, but I really did give this one a try.
The play starts out with a man and women wrestling for control of the covers (Has it ever occurred to couples that they can have their OWN blankets?) and then an oddly placed handjob scene that made no sense in context to what happens next. (Of course this might be just because I'm not the well versed in the nuances of theater)
The stage goes black and when the lights come back on we watch as a man goes through an epiphany moment as he records a video of a presentation he was going to do at a farm safety convention. He then goes into an hour long monologue about 15,000 pigs burning to death in a fire. It was a heartfelt and genuinely well acted speech, although I just couldn't find enough reason to care. The actor Gordon Tanner plays the part so well you'd think he wasn't acting at all.
-Intermission-
Lights up bring us into a restaurant scene where a man who just quit his job is giving a speech to his "friends" (Friends is in quotations because this again is really just a one man show and the people are represented by balloons). The man discusses the death of his son and the circumstances surrounding his death within the Health Sciences Center pediatric facility. His son, born with Downs Syndrome and a malformed heart, spent most of his life in and out of the hospital. The acting again is superb, and the actor Steven Ratzlaff makes me feel like he isn't acting at all. Unfortunately I really didn't care about the story and felt completely disconnected. The play ends with a waiter (played by Gordon Tanner from the previous act) talking with the man about a fight he's having with his wife, which in my mind is completely separate from what his previous speech was about. (again this may just be because I don't really read into what the script is deep enough to understand the underlying issues)
I'm torn. I loved the acting, hated the stories. I did like it but I know that the only way I'll ever see anything like this is if I'm forced to go or have to go for another assignment which is pretty sad.
Theater is not for me, but I really did give this one a try.
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