Defending Champions

Kissinger Slanders Jewish Diaspora in Nixon Tapes

2010-12-14T07:28:00.000-08:00

It has been known for a long time that German-born American political adviser Henry Kissinger has long been a fascist and communist sympathizer, one who openly rubbed shoulders and enabled war criminals in China, Indochina, Chile, and many other nations, in the process becoming a war criminal himself. Yet, there was Kissinger advising the George W. Bush's administration, still lingering in Washington like a foul and rotten stench. In an article published this morning in the National Post, journalist Christopher Hitchens uncovers Kissinger on the now infamous Nixon tape recordings saying “the emigration of Jews from the Soviet Union is not an objective of American foreign policy. And if they put Jews into gas chambers in the Soviet Union, it is not an American concern.” I wonder how he'll slither his way out of this one...?

West utilizes his Power beautifully

2010-11-29T09:37:00.000-08:00

Make what you want of the outspoken and oft times controversial Kanye West however, when it comes down to his ability to dictate the musical landscape, he is as one critic put it, "genre defining". West is in a league of his own, just as Radiohead was when it released OK Computer in 1997 - destined to spend the rest of his career firmly entrenched in the driver's seat.

In his most recent stint on Saturday Night Live this past weekend, West delivered two powerful performances in a white set surrounded by dancers, while wearing crayola red clothing from head to toe. The image was stunning and arguably the closest example of performance art used in Hip Hop. West, in many ways, embodies aspects of a classical Greek God; at once lionized for his performance and demonized for his personality, which is why the metaphor of Classical Greece was so befitting a cultural icon such as himself, playing the role of the Demigod.

The lyrics to West's song Power read:

I’m livin’ in the 21st century
Doin’ something mean to it
Do it better than anybody you ever seen do it
Screams from the haters, got a nice ring to it
I guess every superhero need his theme music

No one man should have all that power
The clock’s tickin’, I just count the hours
Stop trippin’, I’m trippin’ off the power
(21st century schizoid man)

The system broken, the schools closed, the prisons open
We ain’t got nothin’ to lose, ma’f-cka, we rollin’
Huh? Ma’f-cka, we rollin’
With some light-skinned girls and some Kelly Rowlands
In this white man’s world, we the ones chosen
So goodnight, cruel world, I see you in the mornin’
Huh? I see you in the mornin’
This is way too much, I need a moment

No one man should have all that power
The clock’s tickin’, I just count the hours
Stop trippin’, I’m trippin’ off the power
‘Til then, f-ck that, the World’s ours

And then they (Go)
And then they
And then they (Go)
And then they (21st century schizoid man)

F-ck SNL and the whole cast
Tell ‘em Yeezy said they can kiss my whole ass
More specifically, they can kiss my asshole
I’m an asshole? You n-ggas gotÂ jokes
You short-minded n-ggas’ thoughts is Napoleon
My furs is Mongolian, my ice brought the goalies in
Now I embody every characteristic of the egotistic
He know, he so, f-ckin’ gifted
I just needed time alone, with my own thoughts
Got treasures in my mind but couldn’t open up my own vault
My childlike creativity, purity and honesty
Is honestly being prodded by these grown thoughts
Reality is catchin’ up with me
Takin’ my inner child, I’m fighting for it, custody

With these responsibilities that they entrusted me
As I look down at my dia-mond-encrusted piece

N-gga, no one man should have all that power
The clock’s tickin’, I just count the hours
Stop trippin’, I’m trippin’ off the power
‘Til then, f-ck that, the World’s ours

And then they (Go)
And then they
And then they (Go)
And then they
And then they (Go)
And then they (21st century schizoid man)

Colin Powells, Austin Powers
Lost in translation with a whole f-ckin’ nation
They say I was the obamanation (abomination) of Obama’s nation
Well, that’s a pretty bad way to start the conversation
At the end of day, goddammit, I’m killin’ this sh-t
I know damn well y’all feelin’ this sh-t
I don’t need yo’ p-ssy, bitch, I’m on my own d-ck
I ain’t gotta power trip, who you goin’ home with?
How ‘Ye doin’? I’m survivin’
I was drinkin’ earlier, now I’m drivin’
Where the bad bitches, huh? Where ya hidin’?
I got the power, make yo’ life so excitin’ (So excitin’)

Now this would be a beautiful death
Jumpin’ out the window
Lettin’ everything go
Lettin’ everything go

N-now-now this would be a beautiful death
Jumpin’ out the window
Lettin’ everything go
Lettin’ everything go

Now this would be a beautiful death
Jumpin’ out the window
Lettin’ everything go
Lettin’ everything go

You got the power to let power go

This brilliantly reflexive synthesis of performance and song should be celebrated, not hated.

On the 'Playground' at Toronto's Nuit Blanche

2010-10-09T10:03:00.000-07:00

Photos by Paul Eekhoff - http://www.pauleekhoffpicturelab.com/

It's been exactly one week since Toronto pulled an all-nighter for the fifth annual Nuit Blanche event sponsored by Scotiabank. Every year at the beginning of October, art-goers and party-goers crash the metropolitan area from sunset to sunrise (7pm - 7am) in search of inspiring installations and frankly, a good time. This year's installment drew approximately 1.2 million people out of their homes.

I had the pleasure this year of assisting my partner Sabrina Richard and her friend Sara Atrvash on their public sculpture Playground (seen above) located in Trinity Bellwoods. The sculpture, designed to invoke childhood memories and provide a reprieve from the grind of day to day adult life, was incredibly successful. Children were clamoring to climb it, while adults lined up to test themselves on the fifty foot long obstacle course. Made from powder coated aluminum cylinders joined together by Euroklemp fittings, the Playground is reminiscent of construction scaffolding slung around homes and skyscrapers - only its gold. Its precious sheen and scaffold-like structure function poetically as a metaphor for growth, maturation, and aging, each of which progress at a fluctuating pace, up and down, with unforeseen hurdles to be met with along the way.

Unfortunately, one of the downsides of installing - or in my case, helping to install someone's work - at Nuit Blanche, is that you invariably miss out on many of the other artworks/installations happening that evening. Nevertheless, though tiring, installing Playground was a wonderful experience and my personal congratulations go out to both Sabrina and Sara for their beautiful work!

The Milk's Gone Bad

2010-10-08T12:06:00.000-07:00

So we live in a generation coming to grips with the fact that nearly everything we've been eating for the past twenty to thirty years has been denaturalized and pumped with hormones, steroids, antibiotics, MSG, trans-fats, and various other forms of additives and preservatives. Collectively, many of us are trying to reduce our dependence on these foods in favour of organic products. While organic products are more expensive, particularly in Canada where they are not subsidized by the federal government, I cannot live with the fact that the products just do not seem to last very long. I don't drink very much milk, but when I do buy it, it goes bad well before its 'Best Before' date. I can't get this stuff to last 5 days, which is very frustrating. I and Sabrina however, will continue along this path toward salvation (ha ha ha!), trying to avoid spoiled milk whenever we can.

Brett Favre demonstrates how best to seduce female NFL sideline reporters

2010-10-08T11:35:00.001-07:00

Thanks for that demonstration Brett, what wonderful social etiquette you have!

Catch the...AIDS???

2010-10-08T11:31:00.000-07:00

You know what they say: Where there's smoke there's fire.

It appears as though Roberto Alomar, celebrated Major League second baseman and soon to be Hall of Famer, is running out of chances to disprove the allegations of his ex-wife, who claimed he knowingly had the HIV virus when he had unprotected sex with her. It is now being reported that Alomar's current wife, Maria Del Pilar Rivera Alomar, has filed for divorce on the very same grounds; alleging that her husband "knew prior to his first sexual contact with (her) that he was HIV-positive." If these allegations are in fact correct, it would be a devastating result for all parties and a tragic fall from grace for Alomar - one of the greatest second basemen to ever play. Unfortunately, Alomar may soon be added to the long list of professional athletes involved in unceremonious endings.

Lopsided federal subsidy to Quebec a common refrain

2010-09-08T21:03:00.000-07:00

Having lived in Montreal for three years after completing an undergraduate degree in '02, I got a sense of the contempt some (NOT ALL) Quebecois have for Canadians by gauging various opinions on the federal subsidy of cultural endeavors in the distinct province. I was dating a Montrealer at the time who was in the midst of her bachelor's degree at Concordia University and we got into an argument over the 'out of province fees' Canadian students from outside of Quebec are forced to pay to attend universities in the province.   Quebec university tuition for its residents is less than half of that which it charges to outsider Canadian students studying in the province.    While international tuition rates are common practice around the world, Quebec remains the only province in Canada to charge higher tuition to out-of-province students at all its post-secondary educational institutions.   It is an outright attack on the principles of a country in which all of its citizens should have equal financial access to a university education.

Furthermore, the fact that tuition is so low for Quebecers demonstrates the province's belief that it is not their responsibility to fund their educational institutions, but rather, Canada's, which many Quebecois want no part of, financially or spiritually.   My girlfriend at the time, was of the opinion that Quebec's position was in some way, morally justified, and that the rest of Canada remained indebted to them - that my angst was merely jealously.   I was not jealous however, I was upset. Why should a four year undergraduate degree cost over $20,000 in Ontario and less than $10,000 for Quebecers studying in Quebec?

Clearly the rest of the country was (and continues to) subsidize universities in Quebec and today, the trend is continuing with the proposal for a new NHL approved rink planned for Quebec City.   Why is it that in Vancouver, Toronto, Ottawa, and even Montreal, NHL rinks were built privately, but now Quebec City is clamouring for nearly fifty percent worth of federal subsidy to build an arena for a city that does not even have an NHL team? Worst of all, Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Co. seem interested. At all costs, I'm praying they stick a harpoon in this idea and spend the money where it might be useful. How about lowering tuition for ALL Canadian students studying outside of Quebec? That would be nice.

The fact of the matter is, this is a staid old game being played out here and it needs to be stopped. For a long time now, Quebec has been able to stand on its own two feet, and it is time that it does so. It is home to Montreal, one of the most culturally diverse and interesting metropolitan cities in North America that has raised international cultural sensations such as Leonard Cohen, Rufus Wainwright, Mordecai Richler, Pierre Trudeau and The Arcade Fire. If the province is as truly independent as it claims to be, prove it and stop crying loup!

Bombing the Museum at the Guggenheim, Bilbao

2010-09-02T00:42:00.000-07:00

I´ve spent the last week and a half or so vacationing in Spain with my girlfriend - a much needed break from the exhausting stress of completing my degree.

We´ve spent most of our vacation in Barcelona, but made short trips to San Sebastian and Bilbao to see Frank Gehry´s Guggenheim. It is a truly special building and is much more of a homage to the Spanish architect Antonio Gaudi than I had imagined. The Richard Serra ´The Matter of Time´ exhibition on the main floor is one of the most phenomenonologically challenging pieces I have ever come across. I am sure this is not news to many, as the pieces were installed along with the building in 1997, but I thought it worth mentioning since I had not ever visited Guggenheim in Bilbao.

Another challenging exhibition was the museum´s survey of artist Anish Kapoor. Developed at the Royal Academy of Art in London, the exhibition has traveled to Bilbao and been a smash success to gallery audiences for its ingenious use of materials, machinery, and space, which go as far as to physically assault gallery walls more commonly used for hanging and honouring works of art. Kapoor´s cannon, which violently fires globs of rich red pigment into a corner, asks us to question the very nature of the exhibition space and what it has evolved to commemorate over time. As Kapoor´s bloody red pigment smears against the walls and falls to the floor, I cannot help but wonder whether he is assaulting the history of the exhibition of historical and cultural artifacts, or more precisely, the nature of representation, which has often centered its own attack on those caught within the gaze. His is a violent performance that shocks us into questioning the purpose of the museum/gallery and the cause of the artist.

A-ROD Ain't No Baby Ruth

2010-08-16T21:34:00.000-07:00

To dope the racer is as criminal, as sacrilegious, as trying to imitate God; it is stealing from God the privilege of the spark.
Roland Barthes

Is there anything Roland Barthes hasn't commented on? In this instance, Barthes makes a very prescient observation regarding the competitive environment of athletics as it would unfold in the decades that followed. Barthes is quoted (above) in 1964, speaking about performance enhancement in relation to athletes. One of the reasons elite athletes are culturally revered is their 'super-human' or Demigod-like abilities; they can do things physically that the average person cannot and for this, we praise them. They elevate the games we played as children to such great heights they become an art form, rather than mere child's play. Most of us don't care whether our bodybuilding next door neighbour is juiced, or whether Sly Stallone injected his butt with steroids while training for Rock IV, but our sports heroes? God forbid!

Now, let me preface this by saying I am very much not a fan of Alex Rodriguez. Though he finally won a championship last year with the New York Yankees, for me, he is an incredible player who put his own personal/statistical accomplishments ahead of his team's success. I believe he would have been a great player without his use of PEDs, but he abused his privilege as a professional baseball player and for that, his statistics should be documented with an asterisk. Would George Herman Ruth be the historical figure he is today, had he abused PEDs in the 1930s? Imagine that, The Babe, a mere mortal.

That's more like it.

2010-08-06T10:17:00.000-07:00

It always seemed odd that when the Jays brought in General Manager J.P. Ricciardi in the fall of 2001, the team gradually got lighter and lighter - yes, I'm talking about skin colour. Though he was forced to trim payroll during his tenure, Ricciardi nevertheless reduced his Latin American scouting budget down to six figures (in baseball terms, that's a pittance), and sometimes - according to Ricciardi's former lieutenant Keith Law - withdrew money from that budget to pay signing bonuses to American college players. To the best of my knowledge, the only baseball player drafted by Ricciardi during his tenure that was not White, is Ricky Romero; the current ace of the Jays' starting pitching staff. Now, I have nothing against college players. When they become draft eligible, they're generally more advanced in the development and therefore, easier to project as players, unlike high schoolers who are more raw, but present a higher potential to become stars.

After jettisoning the future core of the Jays middle infield in Felipe Lopez and Cezar Izturis (both Latin American), Ricciardi let All-Star Carlos Delgado walk in 2004. He also traded African American Orlando Hudson after the gold glove second baseball jokingly called him "a pimp" in reference to his fancy suits. My detractors may point to the signing of African American center fielder Vernon Wells as proof that Ricciardi wasn't preferential to White players however, Wells' contract was more the result of then President Paul Godfrey's insistence then Ricciardi's. Other than African American Frank Thomas, I don't recall Ricciardi signing any players of colour during his eight year reign of incompetence.

What I am getting at is the fact that since Ricciardi was fired, the new Jays regime - under young G.M. Alex Anthopolous - quickly began drafting and investing in players from diverse backgrounds. They are plowing moneys into scouting staffs in Venezuela, Mexico, Cuba, and the Dominican. They acquired African American Fred Lewis off waivers from the San Francisco Giants, just traded for Yunel Escobar, are keeping Jose Bautista, signed Cuban shortstop Adieny hechavarria, etc... It's a new Jays philosophy that markedly different from that of the previous regime and harkens back to the Jays of the 80s and 90s who were stacked with Latin American All Stars like Tony Fernandez and Roberto Alomar.

In an article written by Toronto Star baseball columnist Richard Giffin, he talks with Blue Jays manager Cito Gaston about the culture change in the Toronto clubhouse:

Gaston has also been impressed with the changing culture in the clubhouse, going from solid, stolid, bland and boring to diverse, vibrant and multi-cultural.

“It’s good to see,” Gaston smiled. “You’ve seen it the other way. (This is) the way it should be. We’ve got a good clubhouse in there....

I'm NOT going to come outright and say Ricciardi was (or is) a racist, but his drafting record is suspicious at best.

Let's hope the new Jays regime stays the course and develops a championship caliber roster that is as diverse as the city it is home to.

BACK, finally!

2010-08-06T09:39:00.000-07:00

Hello everybody (if anybody is out there at all...),

My sincere apologies for the extended absence. I've finally submitted my thesis paper and after a requisite week's rest, I'm looking forward to contributing to Defending Champions on a regular basis for the foreseeable future.

Losing Iraq

2010-07-14T09:19:00.000-07:00

Today, the New York Times published a video piece about Iraq's Modern Art Museum. Since the war began, the museum's been left to rot, along with all the 20th century Iraqi artworks it houses. If it doesn't get any financial aid, much of the country's 20th century artistic and cultural heritage will be lost.

Semenya Normal After All; Shame on the IAAF

2010-07-06T12:28:00.000-07:00

It appears as though the 'restraining order' placed upon South African runner Caster Semenya will be lifted in the coming days. Semenya was suspended from competition in 2009 when IAAF officials ordered her to undergo controversial gender exams to determine whether she was indeed 'female' after dominating her competition as an 18 year old with above average race times at the world track and field championships in Berlin last year. The entire process has just reeked of both racism and sexism. Can you imagine Semenya being suspended for performing well if she was less physically developed, or if she had blonde hair and blue eyes? Semenya passed the doping tests at the time, which would have revealed abnormally high levels of testosterone if she were a cheat - it should've ended there. But, Sydney's Daily Telegraph broke with a story that the 800m champion had "internal testes" and had neither a "womb" nor "ovaries." The story caught fire around the globe, completely undermining Semenya's accomplishment, turning the young woman into some kind of museological freak show. Of course, because she's Black and a woman, how could she have possibly achieved a record time without some 'otherworldly' justification? The IAAF should be ashamed for the cruel manner in which they have handled this entire affair. Given their history, it's not surprising in the least.

TODAY is last day to see DEFENDING CHAMPIONS!!!

2010-06-26T09:46:00.000-07:00

Today is the very last day to see my Defending Champions exhibition.
I'll be at the gallery all day on Saturday June 26. Come see it if you haven't already had the chance!

Image Works Studio II
80 Spadina Ave., suite 209 (in the very deserted Toronto G20 zone....it's so peaceful down here!!!)
12pm-5pm

I would also like to take this opportunity to thank everybody who has come to see the exhibition. It's been great seeing you all -- merci beaucoup!!!

m

They did need Super Mario...

2010-06-25T11:07:00.000-07:00

As it turns out, my prediction came true. The Azzurri flubbed another match and are gone from this 2010 World Cup championship with a whimper. Uninspiring attack, except for Naple's Fabio Quaglierella, and a very porous defense was enough to send the 'defending champions' home! That miserable collection of strikers sure could have been improved by the likes of a Super Mario Balotelli.

Is anybody else attending the funeral?

Do the Italians need Super Mario?

2010-06-14T21:26:00.000-07:00

The 2010 World Cup is underway and the Italians, playing in the very weak Group F, nearly lost their opener against Paraguay, if not for an errant miscue by the Paraguayan goalkeeper. What was readily apparent about the 2010 edition of the Azzurri is that they came as advertised. They're slower than they were in 2006, when they won it all, and less gifted offensively. While the midfield remains incredibly solid with Daniele De Rossi planted in the middle, captain Fabio Cannavaro looks slow paced, and the starting strikers looked timid. Though he's only 19 years old, the very explosive and skilled Balotelli brings all the key elements that the Italians lack up front. While most claim Super Mario was rightly left off the squad due to his volatile personality, those critics should ask themselves how they might react at 19 with thousands of fans, and opposing players (see the vicious attack AS Roma midfielder Francesco Totti delivered on Super Mario), slinging racial slurs their way. Though it's very early, all I know is that after watching Italy eek out a tie today, I don't care how old or 'volatile' Super Mario is, it sure seems he would've been worth the risk.

DEFENDING CHAMPIONS exhibition!!!

2010-06-13T21:18:00.000-07:00

Come check out my thesis exhibition DEFENDING CHAMPIONS as part of Ryerson's University's DOC/NOW Documentary Media MFA festival.

Details:

Toronto Image Works: Studio 2 Gallery (80 Spadina, Suite 209)

Mon-Sat 12pm-5pm

email me at mlosier@ryerson.ca for more info or check out www.docnow.ca

A Long Time Coming...DEFENDING CHAMPIONS the thesis exhibition is UP!!!!

2010-06-12T00:24:00.000-07:00

Okay okay, I know. How long has it been? Five, six, weeks? Yes, the last few months I've certainly been neglecting this post and I apologize to all of you (that is of course, if anybody is actually reading this). I've been working day and night, pulling the pieces together for my thesis exhibition, Defending Champions: African-American Athletes and the Anthropometric Playing Field. Opening night came and went Thursday June 10th and it was an amazing turnout. Must have been at least 250 people passing through. The show is running until June 26 inside Toronto Image Works Studio II at 80 Spadina Ave.

Here are some images from the very arduous install; I'll be posting some images of opening night by tomorrow hopefully. Stay posted 'cause I'm back!

LOS Phoenix SUNS

2010-05-05T11:25:00.000-07:00

Grant Hill (left) and Steve Nash (right) in their new jerseys.

As a demonstration of solidarity with the Latin American community in Arizona, the Phoenix Suns will become 'LOS PHOENIX SUNS' in their Game 2 playoff tilt against the San Antonio Spurs. Suns owner Robert Sarver ordered the new threads this week and is using them to make a political statement in defiance of a new state law signed last week by Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer which specifically targets Latin American labourers in the state. The new law "makes it a misdemeanor for immigrants to be in Arizona without proper documents and allows police officers to request proof of status if there is a "reasonable suspicion" that the person is in the country illegally." It was designed by politicians to help curb the stream of illegal Latino immigrants into the state. University applicants have also been boycotting Arizona Colleges in protest of the prejudicial law. Good for Sarver and LOS SUNS, I hope they keep these uniforms on and stick it to Brewer and the state with a lengthy playoff run.

Philly Fan Tasered at Ball Game

2010-05-04T10:42:00.001-07:00

Intriguing thinking on Nike's part

2010-04-09T05:49:00.000-07:00

Anybody who's seen Nike's new ad featuring Tiger Woods can immediately sense its unconventional marketing approach. The commercial features narration by Woods' late father Earl, whose vocal likeness to his son's is unmistakable, and uses the parental figure to allude to both the golfer's very public indiscretions and his psychological makeup.

It's a reverse tactic on Nike's part. In many ways, the ad further exploits Woods' behaviour as a means to promote, well, Tiger Woods. It's also shrewd and well played, since Woods' currency as a 'refined' public personality - his past life - has run out. It'll be interesting to see how the public responds to it. To me, it's engineered to a tee; not unlike the material promoting Woods before his legendary public meltdown. "Woods the man" has always been controlled and calculated, much in the way that "Woods the professional golfer" has taken to the links. His public persona has always been manicured. What this commercial makes abundantly clear is that press conferences with the crying, confessions and hugging (of sponsor representatives!!!) are very much part of the act as well. It started with the shirtless tough guy photographs that Annie Leibowitz took of Woods for Vanity Fair, produced prior to the debacle and released afterward, and takes us to this point with Nike. Good times or bad, Woods will remain a sculpted figure in the media, it is who he is.

Neo-Nazi Afrikan Group fires warning shot at World Cup 2010

2010-04-04T14:44:00.000-07:00

Afrikaner Weerstandsbeweging logo

Eugene Terreblanche

As promised, problems have already begun for World Cup 2010 organizers as The Afrikaner Weerstandsbeweging (AWB), a South African White-Supremacist group formed in the 70s, is threatening racial violence at the tournament after their leader Eugene Terreblanche was murdered. Terreblanche formed the group in reaction to former South African Prime Minister Balthazar Johannes Vorster's liberal views. Strangely, Johannes was pro-Apartheid. I guess Terreblanche was seeking a more visceral control of the state from the country's leadership post.

81 Days before Kickoff

2010-03-21T13:06:00.000-07:00

With 81 days to go before the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa kicks off, hotel arrangements have not yet been made for the football squads... Disorganization indeed.

Stay tuned to Defending Champions for coverage leading up to the event.

In this Corner - up on the site...

2010-03-19T19:07:00.000-07:00

Up and Running

2010-03-17T18:23:00.000-07:00

Finally got my own website up and running... I've permanently placed the URL in my links section.

www.marclosier.ca

Research, process, new work, etc... Check it out!

On second thought...

2010-03-03T07:42:00.000-08:00

My previous post, and I know it's been a while, came not long after the start of the 2010 Vancouver Games. I was still seething over the event's opening ceremonies (I still think they were dreadfully embarrassing), not to mention the numerous technical gaffes that ensued due to the VANOC's noble insistence for a 'clean' Games. Still, just as Cito Gaston, skip of the Toronto Blue Jays, like to say "the Major Leagues is not the place to learn how to throw strikes." In turn, I must say that the Olympic Games is not the place to test your electrical Zamboni!

Nevertheless, there was much to like about the experience, most of it having to do with our athletes. Despite a shaky start and some awful alpine skiing, the Canadian team was full marks for their golden results, proving that the now infamous Own The Podium program did in fact work. I think history will be kind to Vancouver 2010. Looking back 20 years from now, I can't see anybody remembering much about the weather or the failed electric zambonis, choosing instead to remember how the Olympic Village rallied around the tragic death of an athlete, the courageous performances of a Canadian figure skater and Slovenian cross country skier, and the heart stopping hockey game between Canada and our neighbours in the United States.

I have to agree with Dr. Jacques Rogge, head of the IOC, when he said that "Vancouver was an excellent and very friendly Games", but I think in time, history will show that it was much more. I cannot see many other cities or countries for that matter being able to overcome some of the obstacles Vancouver had in its way.

To all the self-righteous British and Russian journalists who laid into these Canadian Olympic Games with their sharp blades, North American journalists will patiently wait your turn in London 2012 and Sochi 2014 to see how well you fare. In the end, it was the athletes who made these Games and uplifted our country, and that's the way it should be.

Who Can Resist?

2010-02-17T07:22:00.000-08:00

The 2010 Winter Games in Vancouver are in danger of gaining the infamous distinction of Worst Games Ever! I have to say, I'm not surprised. Not after the disastrous start this Olympics got off to with the death of luge athlete Nodar Kumaritashvils; a crash the Wall Street Journal claims was exacerbated, or perhaps even caused, by commercial interests within VANOC's to build the track in a high traffic tourist area near Whistler in order to maximize potential revenues for the facility once the games are over:

Wall Street Journal:

Tim Gayda, the vice president of sport for the Vancouver organizing committee, told the Vancouver Sun in October 2002 that the decision would make the track financially viable after the Games.
"In order to make this thing financially sustainable, we want it someplace where people will pay top dollar to go whipping down this thing in both summer and winter," Mr. Gayda told the newspaper. The luge and bobsledding federations, he added, were "pushing us to look at options at Whistler."

The problems only start here. I don't care what anybody says, the opening ceremonies were an unmitigated Western Canadian influenced disaster. No mention of Ontario or its diversity, barely a sniff of Quebec, just a hop, skip, and a jump from the West, to the Prairies, to the Maritimes, heavily laden with First Nations symbolism. Now, I'm all for inclusiveness, but in my dictionary, inclusiveness means 'inclusiveness'. The rest of Canada, not to mention THE WORLD, should never have hit the sack after the opening ceremonies thinking Canada's diversity was derived solely from White English culture and First Nations culture. Where was Donovan Bailey? Where were the East and South Asian influences that have shaped Vancouver into a so-called world class city, worthy to host the Games? Where was French-Canada? Where were the country's great Caribbean and European influences?

What does it say about VANOC when they spliced together a 20 minute dance sequence in the wheat fields of the Prairies, but there's no mention of the skylines from our great cities? I just can't resist: It says Unsophisticated and corny. This, not to mention the unmitigated logistical disaster that has become of the competitions. I can't seem to watch a speedskating or skiing event without having to wait out delays because there's no snow, or the zamboni is broken. Is it a coincidence that Vancouver is the mildest city - temperature wise - to ever host the Winter Games?

Stands to reason Alex Bilodeau was the first Canadian to win gold here in Vancouver - at least someone is speaking up for Quebec.

2010-01-27T07:39:00.000-08:00

"Finally, tonight, the Winter Games. Count me among those who don’t like them and won’t watch them ... Because they’re so trying, maybe over the next three weeks we should all try too. Like, try not to be incredulous when someone attempts to link these games to those of the ancient Greeks who never heard of skating or skiing. So try not to laugh when someone says these are the world’s greatest athletes, despite a paucity of blacks that makes the Winter Games look like a GOP convention. Try not to point out that something’s not really a sport if a pseudo-athlete waits in what’s called a kiss-and-cry area, while some panel of subjective judges decides who won ... So if only to hasten the arrival of the day they’re done, when we can move on to March Madness — for God’s sake, let the games begin."

That was the ever 'too' outspoken American sportscaster Bryant Gumbel prior to the opening of the 2006 Winter Games in Turin, Italy. This is unfair, but the emergence of African-American speed skating sensation, Shani Davis, reminded me of Gumbel's foolish words. Don't blame me, blame Gumbel. By all accounts, Davis seems like a nice guy trying to stay focused on his quest to become the first African-American to win a Gold medal in the Winter Olympics. I'm just wondering whether Gumbel will tune into this year's edition of the Winter Games in Vancouver...? I know I will tune in to see Davis, and I will also be watching the Canadian squads, and other athletes from other countries, from various ethnicities.

Arenas fires Washington Bullets

2010-01-04T22:04:00.000-08:00

'What'd I do now coach?'

Just when the dust had begun to settle from New York Giants Wide Receiver Plaxico Burress' (accidentally) self-inflicted gunshot wound to his leg last year, NBA guard Gilbert Arenas has stirred the pot once again. The Washington Wizard pulled two handguns on teammate Javaris Crittenton in a heated dispute over a supposed gambling debt Crittenton had incurred during a card game on a team flight.

I really don't want to spend much time on this one except to say that I hope NBA Commissioner David Stern throws the book at Arenas. Make an example of him, because the NBA cannot afford another similar occurrence. Arenas has to be suspended at the very least for the remainder of this season. And if it were up to me, I might suspend him for life for putting other players in harm's way.

From every angle, this looks terrible. From a league perspective with regards to marketing, professionalism and sportsmanship. Furthermore, racially, as there countless young upstanding Black basketball players who will inevitably feel the racist tremors from the shock-wave that Arenas' embarrassingly idiotic actions will invoke in the United States. You know, they'll go something like: "Oh, the NBA has gone too Hip Hop" or "Just more Black men shooting at each other". Way to go Arenas!

Doping the Sweet Science

2009-12-31T07:15:00.000-08:00

So long as Filipino welterweight boxing champion and living legend, Manny Pacquiao, disagrees with the drug testing procedures his slated opponent Floyd Mayweather Jr. insists he adheres to, this bout will not happen. Mayweather Jr. and Sr., their entourage, even Oscar De La Hoya, claim 'PacMan' is doping. Standard doping tests for professional boxers include urine samples before and after fights however, Mayweather Jr. is demanding that Pacquiao agree to Olympic style drug testing, which includes random blood and urine tests that would commence once the contracts are signed.

Pacquiao meanwhile, refuses to agree and has since filed a defamation suit against Mayweather Jr. and his group for damages to reputation. Good for PacMan. Here we have a multimillion dollar athlete, who grew up without a high school education, and he has since passed his high school equivalency exams, and enrolled into Notre Dame of Dadiangas University so he can obtain a university degree for his post-boxing political career. Mayweather's claims therefore, are certainly damaging to Pacquiao's 'from the ground up' reputation.

Without a hint of naivete from yours truly, I am well aware there's a chance Pacquiao is doping, but there's also a chance most other professional athletes are as well, Mayweather Jr. included. Just because Oscar De La Hoya, and a handful of other of Pacquiao's Mexican chumps say he doped (because he spoon fed them the meaning of 'whoop ass'), does not legitimize their unsubstantiated and harmful accusations. If Mayweather is scared, and he should be, he should reconsider fighting PacMan, instead of smearing him.

Torn Muscles

2009-12-30T13:55:00.000-08:00

So we have officially moved into our new place. It took roughly 12 hours this past Monday December 28th, but it's finally over. As for the daunting task of unpacking and setting up our new pad, well it seems mild and painless compared to the grueling affair me, Sabrina, and - thankfully - Greg went through a couple of days ago.

First, U-HAUL (I'll never recommend them) completely F*&^%^' up our reservation. They claimed to have sent us a last minute email on Sunday at 3pm notifying us of a transfer of pick-up locations. Needless to say, we never received the email, so we ended up at the initial location at 10am only for there to be no moving van for us. From there, U-HAUL sent us across the city to a most inconvenient location. We managed to wrestle a discount from them, but they pretty much strong armed us as we had to move that day no matter what. Two hour later and two hours late, we finally had our moving van and were ready to go. We spent the next three hours shuffling up and down the stairs, loading our belongings into the van, and the next 3 hours unloading it. Simply put: BRUTAL.

All I can say is that it never hurts to have some good friends with you in a move. If it weren't for Greg, me and Sabrina on our own might have run out of steam.

In any case, at least our new place has a nice deep bathtub for me to soak my torn muscles in...

Moving...

2009-12-27T20:35:00.000-08:00

My apologies for the extended absence. First, the holidays and Christmas came around (a belated 'Merry Christmas' to all of you who celebrate!), and now, we're moving. I cannot wait to be in the new place, but tomorrow is going to be hellish... up and down the stairs in our building for a good three to four hours! Ugh.

I'll be back soon with some things to say about Jersey Shore and the delayed Pacquiao/Mayweather Jr. fight.

I think Mayweather is scared...

I smell a smear campaign...

2009-12-15T22:19:00.000-08:00

Tiger Woods, coincidentally, is being linked in media reports to a Toronto doctor currently under investigation by the FBI for prescribing PEDs... This one smells a bit fishy to me, any thoughts?

More in the coming days...

Living and Dying by the Sword

2009-12-12T18:46:00.000-08:00

I made a conscious decision to avoid commenting on the Tiger Woods situation until things settled down. I just had this feeling this story was going to take six or seven twists and turns before the general public had any idea what exactly had transpired.

First off, let me just say that adultery or cheating among pro athletes is nothing new, I mean, it's practically a birthright. The only reason we hardly ever hear about it is because the professional newsmedia doesn't report on it unless law enforcement officials get involved in the process. So while Tiger Woods secretely managed to tally up twelve (!!!) or so 'goomars', this probably never gets out unless his wife, Elin, chases him through the neighbourhood with his own nine iron - which she did.

It really isn't that difficult that take a stand on this one. Tiger screwed up, plain and simple, and he deserves what he's getting. His squeaky clean image has been micromanaged ever since he broke onto the PGA tour, becoming the first ever pro athlete to make a $ 1 billion. And how did he do it? Well, he's a pretty phenomenal golfer, but even as the top player and earner on the tour for the past decade, his tour earnings don't even come close to what he makes in sponsorship deals; on TV, in magazines and newspapers, online, and on billboards that me or you couldn't avoid if we tried. So when the tables are turned, why should Tiger be able to turn it off? In this day and age when superstars like Tiger top up their sponsorship deals because of intense exposure provided by new internet technology, they simply live and die by the sword. Plain and simple, suck it up Tiger.

Who does your Hair?

2009-12-07T06:48:00.000-08:00

"From a photo of an insane woman, to show the condition of her hair."
The expression of the emotions in man and animals -- Charles Darwin

Chris Rock, wearing a wig and starring in his documentary Good Hair.

Baptist Minister, Civil Rights Activist, and Democrat Al Sharpton

"The state of her hair is a sure and convenient criterion of her mental condition" explains Dr. Browne on page 296 of evolutionary scientist Charles Darwin's work The expressions of the emotions in man and animals.

If you've seen Chris Rock's documentary Good Hair, you'll quickly come to the realization that 'hair' is still a critical tool used to evaluate class and social status; at least according to the African-American community who together form the subject of Rock's documentary. Why else then would so many Black women in America (and in Canada too, I've seen it!) spend thousands upon thousands of dollars trying to either straighten their natural hair with chemicals, or have professionals stitch weaves and extensions onto their heads? There is absolutely no doubt that Darwin's research (shown above) racializes natural Black hair by associating its physiognomy and texture with this woman's mental status; just another example of how Social Darwinism privileges European ideas of status and aesthetics. And there is no way Darwin would ever have associated straight blond hair with mental illness.

Rock's doc fairly plays both sides of the fence though, before ultimately coming to the conclusion that while racism in mainstream American media exacerbates the pressure on African-Americans to straighten their 'Black' hair, the real blame rests on the shoulders of the Black communities in the U.S. and abroad. Democrat Al Sharpton, whose chemically 'relaxed' hair is all natural and a significantly cheaper alternative to the hair weaves Rock's investigation really targets, doesn't mince words. According to Sharpton, while the pressures on African-Americans to straighten their natural hair may be a burden, putting food on the table and paying for your child's education comes first. Sharpton believes African-Americans need to take ownership of the situation by either choosing more affordable solutions to style their hair (aka: The Al Sharpton 'relaxer') or by using their buying power to solely purchase hair products from African-American owned companies. Because when Black women in the U.S. are spending upwards of $3000 every few months in order to modify their natural hair, this money goes to companies with no significant investment in the African-American community, which essentially undermines their potential to control the marketplace as the primary purchasers of hair extensions and weaves in the U.S.

Gay Pride from the Mountaintops of MLSE

2009-11-25T18:50:00.000-08:00

"I hope the day comes, and soon, when this is not a story." - Maple Leafs GM Brian Burke

Unfortunately however, it still is a story, but thanks to the bold and courageous step forward made by Brendan Burke, son of Toronto Maple Leafs President and General Manager Brian Burke, others facing similarly difficult choices can follow his lead. Yesterday afternoon ESPN published a story by staff columnist John Buccigross about Brendan and how he came to tell his family that he was gay. His story bears resemblance to many 'coming out' stories in which he feared losing his family's love and acceptance once he revealed to them his secret.

What makes Brendan Burke's story particularly important however, is that no male professional athlete has ever been openly gay during his playing career. And while Brendan never made it as a professional, he is
the Student Manager for the hockey program at Miami University in Ohio and his father Brian is Czar of the highest profile NHL team on the planet. Compounding that, his dad is known to be a proponent of fisticuffs and in-your-face blood 'n' guts hockey - a hyper 'masculine' brand of the game that has typically incurred homophobia, which has driven many gay men from the sport. But Brian says "I had a million good reasons to love and admire Brendan. This news didn't alter any of them." To hear that kind of sincerity in conjunction with any father-son story is heartwarming, but to hear it shouted from the mountaintops at Maple Leafs Sports and Entertainment, purveyors of an NHL culture that has typically frowned upon homosexuality within its closest circles shows real character and integrity.

When interviewed together on TSN tonight, Brian was asked if Brendan's decision to come forward will help other openly gay athletes and sports employees find employment in the NHL. Burke maintained that while he could not speak for other organizations, he said the Toronto Maple Leafs would always make room for talented employees, regardless of sexual orientation. It is great to know that while the Leafs may not have won the Stanley Cup since 1967, at least they are leading the charge for moral victories.

If anybody thought they recognized Brian and Brendan Burke during last year's Gay Pride Week festivities, they were not mistaken. The Burke tandem was there arm and arm, supporting the cause.

Defender Telegraph, page 6, No. 001

The Defending Tribune Project beginning to Take Shape

2009-11-23T21:46:00.000-08:00

Jack Johnson with his wife - approximately 1911

Jack Johnson, Chicago, 1910

Harlem Globetrotters, 1930

"I was a ring scientist, in a day of ring laborers."

Jack Johnson

This may be my final blog posting before I begin assembling The Defending Tribune Project - due early next week in Databases, Archives and the Virtual Experience of Art with Prof. Vid Ingelevics.

Heavyweight boxing champion Jack Johnson was a very prominent cultural figure in the early 20th century, particularly in Chicago, where his 1910 victory over Jim Jeffries made him a star within the African-American community. Johnson was a lightning rod for controversy everywhere he went. Whether it was his racial taunting of White opponents, his relationships with White women, his reckless driving, or his fervent spending, Johnson made waves no matter what.

Strictly in terms of athletic performance, Jack Johnson in many ways helped develop the ingenuity that has become synonymous with African-American athletic performance over the course of the past 100 years. In a racist world where - morally and financially corrupt - White officials frequently snatched would-be winning performances from the hands of worthy Black contenders, Johnson developed a battery of counter-punching strategies as a means for overcoming racial bias in the ring; because "if he kept order in the ring he was lazy" and "if he damaged his opponents he was a brute" (Chicago's New Negroes, D. Baldwin).

By 1930, Johnson's crafty athletic strategies were being employed by the likes of The Harlem Globetrotters, who were actually from Chicago. The Globetrotters transformed modern basketball into artistry by speeding up passing, racing up and down the floor, and running up scores so a late foul call by racist officials couldn't jeapordize a victorious outcome. Many of these strategies echo the early efforts of Jack Johnson, who looked for and succeeded in finding ways to overcome a racialized playing field. And many of these developments took place in early 20th century Chicago, the apex of the Great Migration, which is why Chicago is going to play such a key role in the next step of my thesis work.

Look for Platinum Palladium prints of Jack Johnson, The Globetrotters, and the Chicago American Giants Negro League baseball team in the near future.

Defender Telegraph, page 1, No. 001

Fox Sports Suspends Broadcasting Buffoons

2009-11-22T22:15:00.000-08:00

I couldn't help myself from piggy backing on Globe and Mail columnist Jeff Blair's current bloggage regarding the suspension of NBA broadcasting tandem Ralph Lawler and Michael Smith by Fox Sports Prime Ticket. Last Wednesday, Lawler and Smith referred to Memphis Grizzlies' centre Hamed Haddadi, the NBA's first Iranian-born player, as 'Borat's older brother'. (Catch the clip here.) These two buffoons are expected back on the air Monday night when I'm assuming they will be issuing a formal public apology at some point during the Clippers' game with the Timberwolves. In any case, good on the L.A. Clippers and Fox Sports for sending the right message quickly and decisively.

The NBA plays out on a global stage and if people want to encourage the growth of basketball abroad, it's important that xenophobic elements such as Smith and Lawler are snuffed out immediately. Nobody wants to hear old White guys uttering racial slurs disguised as jokes anymore.

Here's their exchange as posted by Jeff Blair:

Ralph Lawler and Michael Smith are apparently how you say “Don Cherry” in American. The Los Angeles Clippers suspended the announcers for a game Friday after an insipid exchange Wednesday night focusing on Memphis Grizzlies Iranian centre, Hamed Haddadi. Courtesy of the L.A. Times, here is the latest instalment in Stupid Announcer Tricks:

Lawler: “Hamed Haddadi. Where’s he from?”

Smith: “He’s the first Iranian to play in the NBA.” (Smith pronounced Iranian as “Eye-ranian,” a pronunciation that offended the viewer who filed the initial complaint with the Clippers Fox affiliate.)

Lawler: “There aren’t any Iranian players in the NBA,” repeating Smith’s mispronunciation.
Later in the 40-second exchange, Smith asks Lawler:

Smith: “You’re sure it’s not Borat’s older brother?”

Smith: “If they ever make a movie about Haddadi, I’m going to get Sacha Baron Cohen to play the part.”

Lawler: “Here’s Haddadi. Nice little back-door pass. I guess those Iranians can pass the ball.”

Smith: “Especially the post players.

Lawler: “I don’t know about their guards.”

Defender Telegraph, page 7, No. 001

Black Face Reflects Sad State

2009-11-22T14:25:00.000-08:00

Mad Men's Roger Sterling singing in black face.

French Vogue toe testing minstrelsy with runway models covered in black makeup.

Ted Danson, or should I say 'Sam Malone', has yet to escape infamy for his turn in black face in the 90s.

American Apparel says 'why not' and tries their hand at it.

The use of black face has been prevalent in a variety of media over the past year. While some examples are clearly more flagrant than others, I found the diversity of its recent use something worth discussing. Above, I have posted four very different uses of the offensive performance trope; three current examples and one older one...

1. Mad Men's head advertising honcho Roger Sterling performing at his wedding;

2. French Vogue's controversial photo spread, which subverts traditional notions of minstrelsy by associating it with European aristocracy;

3. Ted Danson's turn in black face in 1993;

4. American Apparel, once again tasteless.

Since Mad Men is a representation of American history on American television, its use of black face, though shocking, was effective and meant to remind people of this awful past. Just as Mad Men inventively reinterprets sexism in the workplace, it is doing the same here in the form of a tragic racial faux-pas.

French Vogue meanwhile, is completely subverting the traditional use of black face by associating it with European aristocracy, rather than American minstrelsy or Southern performance. It is a take that is certainly aimed at provoking people's sensivities but, I am not sure it is quite as offensive as people have made it out to be. There is nothing in particular that links it to African-American culture. Still, couldn't French Vogue have found some hot models of colour instead?

Finally, the most offensive interpretations of black face posted here have to be Ted Danson's and American Apparel's. Both are American entities and both are performing in jest. But how does one see the humour in using dark makeup to demean both skin colour and racialize performance. The strangest part of white supremacist interpretations of minstrelsy is that deep down, there appears to be a love affair with African-American culture. This infatuation expresses itself through perpetuation of Black Face in White American culture. Unfortunately, the underlying affect is shameful. Moreover, whatever sympathies for Black culture White Americans feel they reveal in Black Face are done so in a mocking and disrepectful fashion and will therefore, always be hollow.

So no, I do not "see the humour in it" as Danson declared back in '93.

Defender Telegraph, page 4, No. 001

The Chemical Shipment Has Arrived...

2009-11-22T13:57:00.000-08:00

The chemicals have arrived, I repeat, the chemicals have arrived!

I received my first batch of Platinum/Palladium chemicals late last week and I'm preparing to begin printing with them very shortly. The package, which I ordered from Bostick & Sullivan in Santa Fe, New Mexico, should produce up to 35 8"x10" prints for my upcoming Chicago project. This project will respond directly to my earlier boxing book In This Corner and will employ the iconographic prestige of the Platinum/Paladium print to counter the boxing cyanotypes featured in my piece last winter.

I will be making my way to Woolfits Art Supplies on Queen St. West to pick up a stack of Arches Platine paper in order to begin. Though I am certainly anxious about learning how to print Platinum/Palladium, the challenge it presents is very exciting. And of course, I am greatly looking forward to being back in the dark room for hours on end...

Defender Telegraph, page 4, No. 001

Big Crowd at XPACE for Foucault project opening!

2009-11-22T13:29:00.000-08:00

I feel very fortunate to not only have been able to attend my opening, but also to have such great friends and family supporting me through it. I must admit, I was a bit concerned last week when my bout with swine flu dragged me closer and closer toward opening night on November 20th. But, it all worked out and I had a great time sharing it with all of you! Big Thank-you to Sabrina for keeping up with the cold compresses, advil, gravol, soups, and long nights, and thanks so much to everyone who came out!!!

[Plus, I'm pretty sure XPace made a killing at the bar, making them a happy bunch as well!]

Defender Telegraph, page 5, No. 001

EDITORIAL: Get your H1N1 Vaccine!!!

2009-11-21T19:18:00.000-08:00

With all the talk these days surrounding the overall effectiveness - and potential side effects - of the H1N1 vaccine, Defending Champions Editorial is siding with Health Canada and suggesting Canadians get themselves vaccinated for swine flu. Our very own Marc Losier contracted the virus last week, and although he survived it and is now back up on his feet, it did keep him in bed for an entire 7 days before he could attend his own gallery opening for his artwork Foucault en valise.

On Wednesday November 11th, Losier woke with a fever, migraine, and body aches. His symptoms would worsen over the course of the week as he developed severe dizziness, nausea, and diarrhea. Because he was not aware that he contracted the virus until the following Saturday, it was too late to administer anti-virals, forcing Losier to fend off the flu at home with healthy doses of chicken soup, Advil, Gravol, and Gatorade.

Though this post falls outside the usual boundaries of a Defending Champions post, the editorial staff here felt compelled to stress the importance of the H1N1 vaccine, not only as a means for staying healthy, but also as way of containing any further spread of the swine flu. It is only November and the real flu season does not begin until after Christmas, at which time it is expected that over 30% percent of Canadians will contract the virus.

While Losier was advised by Telehealth Canada that he contracted a non-threatening case of H1N1, it did knock him out for a whole week, caused him to lose 6 pounds, and pushed the deadline for Defending Champions' surprise incarnation at semester's end. Suddenly, it makes one understand why severe cases of H1N1 have been so perilous, and reinforces the necessity for an effective vaccination protocol and responsible decision making on behalf of the general public. Please, choose wisely.

With files from Marc Losier and editorial staff

Defender Telegraph, page 2, No. 001

Say it ain't so Sammy

2009-11-12T03:44:00.000-08:00

"It's a bleaching cream that I apply before going to bed and whitens my skin some," Sosa said. "It's a cream that I have, that I used to soften (my skin), but has bleached me some. I'm not a racist. I live my life happily."

Sammy Sosa showed up to the Latin Grammy Awards in Las Vegas last week raising more than a few eyebrows. The lovable former Major League slugger, shunned for his use of performance enhancers a few years back, was always more amiable than his one-time big-boppin' counterpart Mark McGwire; another PED abuser. Still, the condition he came to Nevada in was completely bizarre. A European company has asked Sosa to 'try out' their new skin bleaching product, which they claim functions as a skin moisturizer to lessen the effects of sun damage and soften the skin. What they forgot to mention was that it would considerably lighten the aforementioned slugger's face, giving him an almost Casper-like quality; "mirror mirror on the wall, who's the fairest of..." Okay okay, we got it already.

Interestingly, it does not appear as though the European company has any interest in selling or promoting their totally racist product outside of Sosa's native Dominican, since laws governing both beauty products and procedures in parts of Latin-America are not nearly as strict. And even though Sosa acknowledges he is using a 'skin bleaching' product, he does not see a problem with it, claiming "I'm not a racist". Say it ain't so Sammy. What are the millions of your fans back in the Dominican gonna think of you when come home looking like some French Count? They are going to think you've been had.

Sosa is free to do as he pleases and accordingly, he is apparently in negotiations to become the skin product's chief spokesman. Anything for money I guess.

Defender Telegraph, page 8, No. 001

Coming Attractions...

2009-11-06T22:39:00.000-08:00

FOUCAULT EN VALISE

Installation by Marc Losier

Opening Friday November 20th @ 7pm

Drinks from 7-10pm!!!

XPace Cultural Centre, 58 Ossington Ave.

(On display until December 12th, 2009)

Transported within a vintage grey suitcase is an unusual assemblage of seemingly everyday objects; a stack of postcards documenting a dialogue between two men, a rotary telephone, a container of microscope slides, a series of manila envelopes, an office stamp, and a portable light box. This display of items has combined to create Foucault en Valise - an installation that documents a fictitious time in the life of French theoretician Michel Foucault, through his dialogue with real life documentary media professor and artist, Edward Slopek.

Defender Telegraph, page 5, No. 001

Flu Shots for Big Shots

2009-11-06T17:52:00.000-08:00

Apologies for my absence from Defending Champions in the past couple of weeks - school's been a grind!

Okay, back to it: It's official, we have a full-blown influenza pandemic on our hands, what with the H1N1 flu virus descending upon us globally. Ever since SARS, scientists have been warning us about the potential of a virus such as H1N1.

This year, it finally began in Mexico City, when the Mexican government stalled on banning travel in and out of the country - most likely for fears it would devastate tourism in the Latin American destination, which it did. I should know myself, being one of the people who CHOSE to reschedule my vacation back in May. If I wanted to, my girlfriend and I could have stayed the course and visited Diego Rivera's murals with a face mask on. I'm serious, an Aeromexico flight official told me there was no problem at all in the Distrito Federal (Mexico City) and that their government had not issued any warning; all this while the World Health Organization was raising the H1N1 influenza pandemic in Mexico City to a phase 6 - its highest stage. As a result, the virus is spreading all over the globe, from the Ukraine all the way to Western Canada, where 20 people have died from H1N1 in Alberta alone.

To make matters worse, people are now fighting over the vaccine, which is in short supply, since our imbecilic Harper-led government was caught flat footed on this one. Still, it's nice to know that the Calgary Flames' entire hockey organization, as well as their families, secretly budded the long vaccination lines this past week. So when fellow Calgarians suffering from H1N1 are watching TV from their hospital beds, they can count on the Flames being on Sportsnet West. That's real Canadiana for you!

Jarome Iginla and Olli Jokinen celebrate after getting vaccinated.

This is appalling and there's no way around it. And it has to be embarrassing for the Flames, since the Alberta health authority has fired both officials responsible for this covert operation once news broke of it earlier this week. The matter is now considered 'closed', but this is simply another example of the growing divide between the 'haves' and 'have-nots'. Sure, athletes at the front line for surgeries, MRIs, and X-Rays is nothing new. But to cut a vaccination line WITH YOUR ENTIRE FAMILY in the midst of a full blown influenza epidemic, in which every Canadian citizen is at risk, is downright ignorant. Most of all, it is just another example of wealthy Big Shots bending the rules. Ugh.

Defender Telegraph, page 2, No. 001

2008 Toronto Summer Olympics...???

2009-10-21T17:41:00.000-07:00

Just a quick thought about the failed Toronto bid to bring the Summer Olympics here in 2008. At the time, I was convinced that then-Olympic Committee President Juan Antonio Samaranche's pressuring to bring the games to China was an effort on his part to cement his legacy - and I do still believe this to be true. However, with the news coming out yesterday via the memoir of a Chinese Beijing bid official that some backroom IOC (International Olympic Committee) politicking ultimately secured the 2008 Games for China, I must say I'm not surprised.

The Globe and Mail's James Christie writes that current IOC President Jacques Rogge's ascension to the Olympic throne was orchestrated with Chinese support in exchange for the keys to the 2008 Summer Games. Clearly the millions upon millions spent on what appeared to be a winning Toronto bid, were of absolutely no consequence to IOC officials. Just another sign of how corrupt the Olympic establishment really is. History has proven that the Olympics are fraught with politics and though the organization's gotten better at minding its paper trails, the 'games behind the Games" continue to be played. I did not write this post to opine the failed Toronto Olympic bid, although a victory would have secured a much more sophisticated waterfront for Torontonians! I simply wonder what it would truly take to win one of these competitions when it seems the IOC usually has its mind made up before the bidding even begins. Vancouver 2010, you have some explaining to do...

Defender Telegraph, page 6, No. 001

Musings about Nationalism in Italian Football

2009-10-21T17:13:00.000-07:00

Member's of Italy's national football squad posing for Dolce & Gabbana

Since Italy recently qualified for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, I was reminded of a thought I had a number of years ago...

Back in the summer of 2003, I backpacked around Europe for nearly 2 months. I made my way through London, Copenhagen, Amsterdam, Paris, Dijon, slept on the beach in Biarritz, San Sebastien, Barcelona, and Nice before making my way to Italy in cities like Florence and Rome. The trip gave me a real sense of European Nationalism. Why? Because each place I visited employed different customs, phone systems, languages, and ultimately football strategies. Just like hockey here, European football or soccer as Americans and Canadians refer to it, is a religion. And while sports fans treasure their league teams, they live and die with their national squads - the teams which ultimately represent the countries in European and World Cup Championships.

The point of this story is (and there is one assuredly!) that while in Rome, I had conversation with an Italian man on the train. His English was pretty good and we ended up speaking about, what else, football! My mother was born in Naples so naturally, I cheer for the Italians at every major competition; I would however, root for a Canadian squad if we ever had one good enough to qualify for these tournaments. Anyway, I asked this Italian man why the Italians always play a conservative, almost military-like defensive style, when they had such skilled players. He replied simply by saying "this is the Italian style, and that's how WE play". But, I said, "why not open it up and play a South-American style, with more flare, speed, and offense?" I awoke his ire, I think, by suggesting the Italians play like the Brazilians. He immediately started shaking his head, saying "no, no, no, you don't understand, we play this way, because this is the Italian way to play football. We can only win this way."

I was mystified. Why is the Italian football strategy so rigid and archaic? I mean strong defense is great if you only have players inclined able to play that way, but if you have a squad filled with speed and skill, why not adapt the team's strategy to the strengths of its members? In my opinion, the answer boils down to nationalism. In Canada, we expect our teams to play a 'blood and guts' brand of hockey. Still though, whatever the roster for the 2010 Canadian Men's Olympic hockey team ends up looking like, I'm sure most Canadians would take any kind of victory in Vancouver, regardless of how it was accomplished. In Italy and in many European countries however, the team's style of play is just as important as the victory itself. And I think this ultimately has something to do with deep seeded nationalistic ideals embedded in many hermetic European nations.

Defender Telegraph, page 8, No. 001

American Labour

2009-10-12T23:49:00.000-07:00

American Apparel is saving their most labour intensive work for African-Americans like Willie (seen above). So if you're Black, you can feel comfortable knowing there'll always be back-breaking work for you in the 'backroom' of some American-Apparel outlet somewhere.

Responsible for the near-porn strewn across billboards throughout the majority of the Western hemisphere, the dominant clothing brand won't be backing down anytime soon from its successful advertising strategy. And why would they when they appear to be doing better than ever?

When it comes to sexualizing and exotifying its models, many of whom are employees of the so-called fair trade brand, American Apparel has broken it down to a science. For these reasons, Willie's pose is ripe for analysis. Rather than having Willie undressed and in some uncomfortable position like most other AA model shots, this ad, torn off the back of an Eye Magazine in the Spring, has Willie flexing his muscles. It's unlike any other ad for American Apparel I've seen before, and coming from them I'm not surprised. It conjures up all the stereotypes that the history of American labour has to offer. Could you picture the company using a White, Chinese-American, or Mexican-American model in the back of some cube van flexing for these shots? No way. Nevertheless, they do make a fine t-shirt.

Defender Telegraph, page 1, No. 001

Thesis 1.0: The Chicago Project

2009-10-10T22:09:00.000-07:00

"While at Schorling Park, interracial crowds numbering as high as 10,000 consistently exceeded the numbers at Comiskey Park or at Cubs games, even on the same day."
Davarian Baldwin, from his book Chicago's New Negroes

After weeks of deliberation on my part, I've come to the conclusion that my thesis research wouldn't be complete unless it addressed the impact early 20th century Chicago had on the development of athletics in the African-American community and the greater American professional sporting scene at large. In 1916 alone, Chicago received upwards of 50,000 new African-American residents seeking employment in industry after WWI closed the country's doors to immigration, leaving factories undermanned throughout the country.

This massive influx of people was part of a collective movement amongst African-Americans called The Great Migration, in which hundreds of thousands of freedmen and women from the South headed northward above the Mason-Dixon Line to not only seek equitable work in industry, but to create new lives and identities in the metropolis. The Great Migration was the genesis for both the Harlem and Chicago Renaissances, periods in which - according to James Weldon Johnson's Black Manhattan - actors, musicians, intellectuals, and athletes, emerged as key cultural 'producers'. It is in Chicago that we see the development of Negro Baseball Leagues, the formation of The Harlem Globetrotters (yes, they originated in the Midwest), and new styles of play, built around speed, defence, savvy, and showmanship; tactics generated by African-Americans to mitigate the impact and control racially bias or corrupt White officials had on particular games or matches. The city is also the home of The Chicago Defender, perhaps the most influential African-American newspaper in the early 20th century.

Check in for more maps and project updates!
Defender Telegraph, page 6, No. 001

Thank you!!!

2009-10-06T06:30:00.000-07:00

Just a big Thank You to all my friends who showed up to see Afterimage #6 Ali vs.Williams, 1966 for Nuit Blanche this year; Sue, Blanca, Will, Nigel, and Melisa. : )

Thank you to my good friend Dhani Oks who both owns and operates the Crossfit Gym at 20 Gladstone (near Queen) for proposing the venue to me for the night.

And finally, thanks to the very wonderful Sabrina for helping me get the piece ready at the last minute...couldn't have done it without you!

Defender Telegraph, page 1, No. 001

Afterimage #6, Ali vs. Williams 1966 -- Nuit Blanche 2009 , @ Crossfit Gym, 20 Gladstone Ave.

2009-10-06T06:22:00.000-07:00

Defender Telegraph, page 5, No. 001

Nuit Blanche

2009-10-02T22:30:00.000-07:00

It's total last minute, but I was asked to install a piece tomorrow evening for NUIT BLANCHE at the Crossfit Gym (20 Gladstone Ave. @ Queen West.). Come see The People's Champ circa 1966!!!

NFL negligent in prevalence of Dementia in retired NFLers?

2009-09-30T14:18:00.000-07:00

NFL spokesman, Greg Aiello, said in an e-mail message that the study did not formally diagnose dementia, that it was subject to shortcomings of telephone surveys and that “there are thousands of retired players who do not have memory problems.”
“Memory disorders affect many people who never played football or other sports,” Mr. Aiello said. “We are trying to understand it as it relates to our retired players.”

Yeah yeah, but are you really?

More and more retired National Football League players are speaking out about the dangers of concussions. Cleveland Browns' great Jim Brown, who has guested several times on the FAN 590 radio show Primetime Sports with host Bob McCown, has come out and said that the league and current players need to do more not only financially, but publicly to raise awareness about the dangers of brain trauma as a result of collisions on the playing field. Dizzy spells are no longer just dizzy spells, and passing out can no longer be ruled a straight forward case of dehydration. The New York Times is reporting that Early On-set Alzheimer's (when the disease manifests itself before the age of 65) or other memory related illnesses are diagnosed in NFLers at "a rate of 19 times the normal rate for men ages 30 through 49."

This is scary stuff, especially considering the NFL in the last round of labour negotiations managed to wrestle guaranteed contracts away from its players. That means any player who begins to show signs that his cognitive abilities- as a result of various hits to the head - are deteriorating, can be outright released from his contract. The highest rate of workplace injury occurs in the arena of professional sports. So I ask, if you were a fireman, how would you feel if the city you worked for did not believe in the inherent risks of smoke inhalation and sent you into a burning building; a few months later, you begin to develop asthma and your contract is eventually terminated. Fortunately, our Canadian firemen and women are well taken care of, so why wouldn't a multibillion dollar industry like the NFL do more to protect its most coveted assets?

Defender Telegraph, page 7, No. 001

Rihanna stars in Animal Locomotion II for Vogue Italia

2009-09-29T06:18:00.000-07:00

After the smashing success of Vogue Italia's commemorative issue to Black women a few months back, the Italians are at it again in this month's issue with a stunning and somewhat controversial photo exposé on Barbadian pop princess Rihanna. Photographer Steven Klein, playing Eadweard Muybridge here, sets Rihanna up in front of an anthropometric grid, similar to those used by early race scientists to measure bodily features with photographs. It's certainly interesting considering that Muybridge's Animal Locomotion project, to which Klein's photos resemble the most, never featured any women of colour. Only one African-American man, strangely enough a boxer named Ben Bailey, was featured in Muybridge's study of human locomotion that included over one hundred White subjects. Why now I ask? Many critics are likening these photos to early investigative police photography, using Rihanna's recent dust-up with defamed ex-boyfriend Chris Brown as the catalyst. But these images say much more about early Western anthropological and photographic sciences than police photography. Klein is provoking a dialogue about the myths of human form. It's certainly not as flagrant as Annie Leibovitz's Vogue cover photograph of NBA star Lebron James with supermodel Giselle Bundchen in a recreation of the King Kong trope, but it's in the ballpark.

Defender Telegraph, page 3, No. 001

In response...

2009-09-28T16:32:00.000-07:00

In response to comments:

Sabrina said:

Are there any other forms of cultural media, for example films or magazines created by the Black community, that can be viewed as a counter archive or an attempt to reclaim the image of African-American athletes? Nice Blog btw!

Hi there, thanks for commenting!

Counter-archives or other media referencing sports developed specifically by the African-American community are a bit tough to come by - which is why I'm so interested in the topic. The Source magazine is a self-proclaimed voice for African-American music and sports fans, but I wouldn't necessarily agree that it's a progressive one. I distinctly recall a sub-heading for an article profiling NBA player Latrell Sprewell called 'SHOOTING SPREE'... Everybody duck!

I would look at Spike Lee's incendiary film Bamboozled, which cleverly blasts both Black and White stereotypes in the American entertainment industry. However, the brilliant African-American scholar W.E.B. Dubois's early 20th century Georgia Negro Exhibit was the first photographic counter-measure developed by an African-American to combat oppressive iconography/imagery proliferated by White supremacist scientists. Dubois even goes as far as to use some of the exact archival layouts used by eugenicist Francis Galton, only to invert their meaning with photographs of well-dressed and distinguished African-Americans at the turn of the 20th century. Look for an analysis of Dubois' project in Shawn Michelle Smith's (see link) book Photography on the Color Line.

Hope this helps!

A Mission Statement...

2009-09-27T08:28:00.000-07:00

During my first year in the Documentary Media MFA program, I devoted much of my research to exploring the history of 'white science' and its relationship with early anthropological photographic exploits. White scientists Eadweard Muybridge and Francis Galton in particular, athleticized Black bodies, while concurrently demeaning Black minds. As a result, my research from this perspective analyzed the African-American athletic legacy/struggle through the 'gaze' of mainstream Western culture and media. This explains my use of cyanotype in a attempt to represent, and in turn, subvert many of these early scientistic race theories.

This year, being my thesis year, I intend to develop work that represents the African-American athletic heritage through the gaze of Black communities in the United States. It is my belief that no archive is complete until it is balanced against a counterpart. Therefore, I am hoping that my work this semester will elaborate on African-Americans' athletic achievements as they were viewed through the eyes of this dynamic community in the United States.

Defender Telegraph, page 1, No. 001