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By: Mahdi Chowdhury
Teacher: Ms. Lui
IDC 4U1: Media Studies
January 6, 2014
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Table of Contents
6 Events: GOING ON AT SCHOOL
7 Arts: THE BEST FILMS OF 2013
8 Arts: WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN WATCHING...?
11 Arts: POETRY
12 Cover: MALALA AND THE MACHINE
14 Op-Ed: WHERE I DRAW THE LINE WITH SNOWDEN
16 Fiction: THE CALL OF THE LOON
All illustrations, unless specified otherwise, are by Mahdi Chowdhury
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and it becomes a classic - misinterpreted by its
times. Nicholas Refn is honing into a new-
wave film grammar that's mythological,
haunting and overtly sexual.
THE WOLF ON WALL STREET
Its not Goodfellas. But its still Scorsese. This
film takes on a heightened cast of characters,
and its almost like an exploration of sin in its
purest form. An enjoyable death spiral with
pills, sex, violence, and the new record for the
use most [f-bombs] in a film.
THIS IS THE END
Everyone goes to James Francos house for a
party when the apocalypse happens. Its the
funniest movie Ive seen in a long time.
PACIFIC RIM
Its about giant monsters fighting giant robots.
Anything awesome that makes me feel like a
kid again deserves some attention
FRANCES HA
Shot in black-and-white, this is a film by Noah
Baumbach that I wanted to hate. But I
couldnt. To me, Frances Ha works so well
because it feels so human. A cool, rhythmic
story about peoples hopes, growing up, and
finding a place in the world.
Honorable mentions: Gravity, American
Hustle, Blue is the Warmest Colour, Before
Midnight, Upstream Colour, etc.
12 YEARS A SLAVE
Steve McQueens film about Solomon
Northup (Chiwetel Ejofor) - a freeman who is
kidnapped and sold into slavery - is brutal.
And beautiful. A rare, serious, and layered
film about slavery that matches the
importance of films like Schindlers List.
THE ACT OF KILLING
Joshua Oppenheimers meta-documentary is
surreal. The director invites Indonesian
genocidaires to act out their killings on
screen in their favorite genres. It becomes an
exploration of violence, national evils, and
the role of film as a means of self-discovery.
Its the greatest documentary Ive ever seen.
ONLY GOD FORGIVES
I just don't understand the response people
had to this film. It has its issues, but it runs
better on repeated viewings. Give it 10 years,
The Best
Films of 2013
Mahdi Chowdhury
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Funny Face by April Barrett
You're so cute that it looks out of place,
but I like you best with a funny face.
Hes Lost Much Sleep to Dreams by Mahdi Chowdhury
Hes lost much sleep to dreams.
Old dreams, dreamt at the breast of window panes.
When it snows, it snows for days.
Flakes of soft silver and white.
Paper by Johanna Clergy
The empty sheet waits with a quiet peace,
Like a smiling new house without owners,
Deep in its binder on potential lease,
Shifted between the slackers and moaners:
The cruel curse of conforming alike.
For he is replicable among all,
Dreaming of uniqueness with a pen's strike;
He wants only words a defining scrawl.
But then the words are tattooed on his skin
And he is left in the recycling bin.
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Tolerant education in Pakistan, and
many Islamic nations that marginalize
women, are essential to the improvement of
the human condition. But to what extent
does Malala Yousafzai actually represent
this will, in the eyes of our media? Critics
argue that shes become an unrepresentative
figure of the strife in Pakistan , and more
representative of the assumptions we have
about the other. The other has become a
muddy image of: Pakistan, Islam, Arab culture,
desert warzones, terrorism, disenfranchised
women in burqas, and so forth. As a leader of
social change, pragmatically for Pakistan, how
ethical is it to pin Western notions onto
Malala? Is Malala a moral consolation prize? A
way for us to look at our foreign policies, and
say yes, yes, were doing the right thing over
there? If Malala Yousafzai, instead of being
shot by the Taliban, goes to school, and barely
survives a U.S. drone strike: would we know of
her? Already, 197 children have already been
killed by these drone strikes. The purpose of
this paper is to discuss: how we ought to view
leaders of social
change; how
we ought to make foreign
policy, and if its ethical to superimpose our
beliefs on something, even if it can lead to
positive social change. The two philosophers
for the job are to be: Mills & Kant
Argument I: John Stuart Mills
Despite the view that our
embracing of Malala
somewhat justifies a negative,
non-analytic view of Pakistan,
it does emotionally centre on
an important issue: education
for women. Being unable to go to school is a
reality for many girls. Its difficult to find
honest gender rights under the Sharia Law.
The West on the other hand has been striving
for decades to equalize opportunities for
most of its peoples. If media can polarize an
idea that the West favours women, and
innate cultures of Pakistan hate women, its
easier to gain rhetoric to use coercive
measures in foreign policy. It is a light step
into propaganda. The end here is: womens
rights. While the means to attain it in
Pakistan can harm its overall image to many,
its real-world effects will benefit women. On
a spectrum of utility, abstract/impotent
stereotyping is less pragmatic than real-
world human rights. In Mills view of
Malala and
the Machine
A reflection on Malala Yousaf,
and the ethics of two philosophers
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view of utilitarianism this: a) satisfies the
low/medium-pleasure of being gratified for
being a saviour figure; and b) satisfies the
high-pleasure of doing actual good in the
world.
Argument II: Immanuel Kant
But when these implicit prejudices intensify,
and help justify actions like war, are we still
being ethical? In doing good (i.e. fending off
Taliban ideals, and giving women rights), we
are not doing so in good will. The end
results are desirable, but the means are
questionable. Sculpting this implicit image of
Pakistan through figures like Malala is an
inventive mean. Malala, and her family,
refuse to emigrate Pakistan and she stresses
the idea that U.S. intervention and drone
strikes are fuelling terrorism in her
country. Her criticisms of the West are
diluted by her incredible story, which
deserves to be told, but media representation
of the former is almost non-existent. A
Kantian approach to depicting leaders of
social change would be through pure
honesty. Applying his categorical imperative
to normative ideas like lying, or
misrepresenting show they are ethically
wrong. What if all our figures are
misrepresented? We would encourage and
discourage individuals and ideas off of
superficial images of them; unaware of
hidden agendas, or unrepresented virtues of
goodness. Therefore, we must not impose our
beliefs and prejudices. Humanitarian ends
can only be achieved through good will. This
means fully representing people like Malala,
and nations like
Pakistan. We ought to
look analytically at the
other end of our
foreign policies, and
discourage seeing
ourselves as a saviour-
figure.
Conclusion
In summary, Mills and Kant represent two
poles on a spectrum in how we ought to view
leaders of social change to make foreign
policy. Do we use inventive roles, like saviour
and the other? Or do we have to be totally
transparent and analytical before acting on
anything? Should the world be accessibly
black and white, or patiently grey?
1 Adam B. Ellick. "Pakistani Girl, a Global
Heroine After an Attack, Has Critics at
Home." The New York Times Online Article.
2 The New American Foundation. "Drone
Wars Pakistan: Analysis."
3 "Malala Tells Obama: 'End The Drone
Strikes'." Sky News UK Online Article.
- Mills Illustration from the Oregon Republic
Library website <http://www.oregonrepublicanparty.org/
sites/default/files/quotepics/JohnStuartMill.jpg>
- Kant Illustration from Vigo Schools website
<http://www.vigoschools.org/~mmc3/Images/
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Edward Snowden is facing espionage charges
for taking records from the National Security
Agency (hereafter NSA), revealing an almost
Orwellian web of surveillance on Americans
and foreigners. Its unconstitutional, and
furthermore hypocritical to call Snowdens
whistleblowing traitorous. But he should not
be vindicated. And thats where I draw the line.
Jameel Jaffer wrote an article for the New York
Times entitled End His Prosecution. I
disagree with Jameel Jaffers assertion that
[Edward Snowden] should be praised. It is
true that Snowden has come to be praised by
many, but even so his actions cannot be
justified or vindicated. If he had the capability
to unveil more information -- including some
that could risk the protection of U.S. citizens --
how can we be sure that he would not disclose
it? Perhaps Snowden would refrain, but what
evidence is there that others would not?
Snowden has become a problematic symbol,
and an unrealistic precedence for
whistleblowing. Spilling the governments
beans, becoming a national hero and facing
zero consequences is simply a dangerous
mindset to have.
An inspired new generation of whistleblowers
can easily fall into tunnel vision, absent to
consequences that befall themselves or their
fellow citizens. Snowden is a case of whereby
ends justify the means. If he leaked
information that left the state vulnerable to a
terrorist attack -- would he still be a hero?
Jameel Jaffer, End His Prosecution. NY Times
<http://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2013/12/19/has-
snowden-been-vindicated/end-snowdens-prosecution>
Where I Draw the Line with
Snowden
Mahdi Chowdhury
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I awoke to the sound that, in spite of its
familiarity, still stirs the deepest and most
complex emotions within me. It is a sound that
captures the most beautiful, the most terrible,
and the most powerful thoughts that I have
experienced in the eighteen years of my life, all
in one sustained cry. It is the call of the Loon.
I tumbled out of my sleeping bag onto the floor
of the cabin, blinking in the yellow-white light
of the moon, and pulled the door open, careful
to lift it up so that it would not grind against
the floor. I stepped out, and nearly lost my
balance on the rickety wooden board that lay
balanced between two rocks. Our porch.
The rains assault on the earth had ceased
hours earlier, leaving the rocks damp and slick,
but its sweet smell still hung in the air.
Through a miraculous combination of well-
placed steps and sheer luck, I managed to
grope my way down the rocks to the edge of the
water, where I sat down, wrapping my arms
around my legs and gazing out on the
motionless surface.
The Call of the Loon
Sam Clark
It was at times like these that I thought about
what I had left behind when I came to camp for
the summer, and the immense difficulty that I
had in leaving. I thought about her. Of course I
thought about her. She was a constant
presence, like a song that repeated itself
without end, of which I could never grow tired,
and whose beauty was never lost on me. Her
letters filled my pillowcase, and the pictures
that she sent were pinned up on the wall beside
my bed. I would pause before these pictures
every night, to admire the tiny lights that shone
from her eyes when she smiled, and the gentle
curve of her lips.
Again, I heard the strangely beautiful call of
the Loon. Again, it echoed across the bay and
faded into silence. The terrible sadness of the
sound reached within me, and threatened to
bare the passion that I had kept concealed for
months. But I could not cry, for I knew that
once the first tears fell, they would never cease.
They would fall in silent harmony with the
night, creating tiny ripples in the pools of water
at my feet, accompanied only by the Loons.
So I sat, shivering in the damp air and gazing
at the reflection of the moon in the water, while
the Loons narrated my story.
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