Monday, August 21, 2006

It Starts

I think I'm just not used to the style of journalism one finds in America, particularly in the New York Times. It's so self-consciously literary. I'm used to reading articles that print the facts in a detached, sometimes knowing voice; the N Y Times, meanwhile, seems to bring in Toni Morrison to report on tax cuts. Let me give you an example from the front page of today's edition, a story about paedophilic imagery on the internet. These are the opening lines:

"In the photograph, the model is shown rising out of a bubble bath, suds dripping from her body. Her tight panties and skimpy top are soaked and revealing. She gazes at the viewer, her face showing a wisp of a smile that seems to have been coaxed from off-camera."

What the HELL is that about? Worst of all, you can just picture the journalist thinking he's god's gift to journalism. 'Oh man,' he must think, 'with erotic language like this, the reader will feel aroused, and then when I deliver the sucker-punch that this girl is actually nine years old, just imagine the feelings of guilt that will pass through him! He will feel violated, as though HE is the paedophile!' etc etc etc. I don't really want to feel like a paedophile at 8 in the morning when I'm eating cereal and trying to find out the news of the day. God knows how the paper must report the war in Lebanon: "The Hezbollah explosives expert adjusts his eyepatch and waits, tense, like a grasshopper in the Tallahassee swampland. "It is a good day to die," he thinks, before looking up one last time at the sky." etc etc etc

Today was a big picnic for international students at Professor Freedman's house. Here's a picture for you:







We each had to describe ourselves in 5 minutes. I felt very sorry for the poor girl with the very bad stammer, the words just refused to come out and nobody really knew what to say. What CAN you say? "That's all right luv, we get the picture"? In true Peep Show style, the person after the stammering girl unintentionally said the worst thing possible: "Well I can say, without hesitation, that I am from Toronto!" I'm sure she didn't mean hesitation in that sense, but it sent a ripple of awkwardness through the circle.

For a glimpse of what students are paying $60,000 for, take a look at one of the Deans of the school hosting an interview (from Youtube.com)

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