• • Advice
  • In My Opinion...

  A shameless assessment of Ontario election advertisements and some voting tips

  October 5, 2011 • Meg Pirie

  You may have noticed a few things over the last month if you live in Ontario. Yes, there’s a provincial election happening and besides being incredibly important, it’s also been incredibly annoying.
  Phone calls. Incessant attack ads. Flyers crowding your mailbox. OMG don’t you get it Conservatives? We’re just not that into you!

  But seriously, certain ads deserve some attention, if for no other reason than to poke fun at how ridiculous they are. After all, humour can be an incredibly effective tool when it comes to disarming opponents.

  Perhaps the most pervasive attack was THE TAX MAN, authorized by the CFO for the Ontario PC Party.

  You might notice that this ad uses broad language to define its opponent, Dalton McGuinty, and its champion, Tim Hudak. And really, vagueness is the domain of these ads. With just 30 seconds to either sway you or put a bug in your ear, they operate through emotional appeals and repetition. These adverts are also transparently obvious. The image they selected to represent the current Premier, AKA THE TAX MAN, makes him look unfocused and profoundly constipated.

  Hudak, on the other hand, sits at a desk composing a tome on the workers’ plight (or playing Sudoku, you choose), knocking on doors, meeting with Madonna and Child (a great way to make him seem more trustworthy among women, typically not as supportive of Conservative platforms), drinkin’ a double-double with the boys (before they go fishin’ or huntin’), and then finishing with a triumphant shot of Hudak and family in what could be coined Ye Olde Celebration of Heteronormative Family Values.

  While these tactics are not unique to Tim Hudak, truly, this is a masterpiece as far as attack ads go. We know what the Premier is (A TAX MAN), but in a de-personalized, negative manner. Hudak & Co. have established what he represents through imagery, while emphasizing through the script—delivered in the 1st person by Hudak himself—what he will do … which is exactly the opposite of Dalton McGuinty. Even the colour scheme and music become brighter with the appearance of Tim Hudak. It’s sort of like The Wizard of Oz, when Dorothy arrives in Oz. Except I don’t think Hudak would shine in a musical…I might be wrong, though. PM Harper likes John Lennon, after all.

  The big finish? “It’s time for change in Ontario.” What does that actually mean? What kind of change? How will persons living with (dis)abilities, trans, queer, youth, people of colour, Indigenous people, the un- and under-employed, women, and other marginalized groups be represented?

  Stop asking questions, you!

  Of course, for an attack ad, this works. Which is unfortunate. So, so unfortunate. But as far as establishing an identity that people feel connected to and gravitate toward, this ad wears thin. By spending so much time and energy reiterating that he is not Dalton McGuinty, Tim Hudak, the politician, actually dependent on Dalton McGuinty, since his existence is founded on an invented dichotomy between Liberals and Conservatives.

  The other ad that’s been getting quite a bit of attention is provincial NDP leader Andrea Horwath’s “Shoes.”

  (more inside…)

• • Activist Report
  • In My Opinion...
  • Politics

  Neoliberalism, Politics, and Youth

  August 30, 2011 • Meg Pirie

  Like so many Shameless articles I write, my initial intentions and detailed plans get abandoned, only to become fluid starting points for a less-tidy set of observations. So, while I was originally going to offer some commentary after riots erupted in the London, England neighborhood of Tottenham (I still will), I am also going to talk about youth and politics, as we near closer and closer to the provincial election in Ontario.

  First of all, for those who say they simply did not see the outpouring of rage we saw spread across England coming…well, that’s just willful ignorance. The riots that began in Tottenham and spread across London, England (and Birmingham and Manchester) did not magically appear, only to vaporize like some Harry Potter dementor. As far back as 2001,The Guardian reported that the British government was not doing enough to tackle issues surrounding social exclusion. The recent and aggressive erosion of benefits, post-secondary education, and spending on social services has taken a toll on the facets of the population—women, trans people, youth, people with disabilities, the underemployed, the unemployed, and many others—with the smallest room for unanticipated hardships and cutbacks.

  Of paramount importance now is an acknowledgment that violence takes on many forms. Certainly, sending a small business up in flames is violence. But so is systemic racism. So are austerity measures that lead to cuts in social spending, health benefits, youth clubs, and primary education, helping to fuel a generation of disenfranchised youth, ghettoized to housing projects or estates. And guess what? The profiling police in England, Canada, and the United States engage in is incredibly violent, too.

  (more inside…)

• • In My Opinion...
  • Media Savvy
  • On The Job

  Brigette DePape: A Page with Chutzpah

  June 8, 2011 • Meg Pirie

  This past Friday, June 3, a young page stood during the Throne Speech and held up a homemade sign that read ‘Stop Harper.’ After this event, Brigette DePape promptly released a well-written, concise press release (you can read it here), denouncing the Harper Government’s divisive politics as destructive to Canadian youth and contrary to Canadian values.

  Here’s the gist: Brigette DePape is 21 years old and an activist. Originally from Winnipeg, she is a graduate of the University of Ottawa in International Development. She was a participant in the Canadian Senate Page Program and is now banned from Parliament Hill. Following her unprecedented act of civil disobedience, she is the subject of polarized debate.

  There have been claims in mainstream news outlets that this was nothing more than a self-serving stunt; that DePape was looking for fifteen minutes of fame.

  Well, I think that’s garbage. This sort of petty angst speaks more to the media’s own hypocrisy than some purportedly misinformed page. As one Globe & Mail commentator pointed out in this article, nothing was said about the attack ads that Conservatives ran against former Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff. But all of the sudden, when a bright, assertive, left-leaning young woman points out that our electoral system allows for a ‘majority’ government with 40% of the votes, she’s labeled an opportunist. Actually, she is organized, intelligent, and thoughtful. She cares deeply about her community and what will happen to the environment, post-secondary education, and the public sector after an unbridled Conservative tenure.

  (more inside…)

• • Film Reel
  • On The Job

  The Made in Dagenham Method

  June 7, 2011 • Meg Pirie

  When I was trying to figure out how to write about organizing collectively, several issues jumped out at me: 1) I have little experience making broad demands to my employer and 2) I have never had to go on strike. What I can tell you is how to ensure your manager purchases a new kettle for the staff room or making sure you are not shamed into taking 38 minutes for lunch instead of the allotted hour. “But Meg, I want to overthrow the system,” you think.

  Alas, don’t we all? Nevertheless, there are some useful places to start and it took a recent viewing of Made in Dagenham to reveal the ways in which large-scale labour actions and seemingly benign quotidian confrontations are, in fact, interconnected.

  As a brief aside, if you have yet to see this film, you must. Aside from a couple vomit-inducing moments that can only be described as cheez and some minor- to medium-sized historical inaccuracies, Made in Dagenham is enjoyable from start to finish. The film tells the story of the 1968 Ford sewing machinists strike in England. Ultimately successful, the strike leads to the introduction of the Equal Pay Act in 1970 by the then-Labour government. Besides stellar performances from Sally Hawkins and Rosamund Pike, Dagenham balances contagious optimism with realistic observations concerning group dynamics, ruptures between labour policies and gender that are still felt today, and that in spite of a movement’s surface-level coherence, resistance is often fraught with internal schisms. Rating: 3 beehive hairdos out of 5.

  But I digress. (more inside…)

• • In My Opinion...
  • On The Job

  A Challenge of Parliamentary Proportions & Ruth Ellen Brosseau

  May 10, 2011 • Meg Pirie

  Well, originally I was going to write about organizing collectively and ‘watching the clock’ strategies, especially in unstable, low-wage situations with moderate to high degrees of surveillance, but then the Conservatives were re-elected with a majority and, well … I had a big cry.

  Nevertheless, there were some exciting events during this election: the well-organized, enthusiastic, youth-driven vote mobs that sprang up across the country; the highest number of women ever were elected as MPs; and a significant number of youth and first-time MPs won seats and will be headed to Ottawa.

  Change is a wonderful thing, especially when it comes to a Parliament replete with—quite literally—old, white, straight men. That we get to to be part of what is hopefully the beginning of broader political engagement … well, for me, that’s the silver lining to Harpocracy.

  That said, sexism and classism abound, especially where Ruth Ellen Brosseau is concerned.

  Brosseau was elected in the francophone riding of Berthier-Maskinongé, beating Bloc Québecois incumbent Guy André by roughly 6,000 votes. Much of the derision at the hands of mainstream media outlet has honed in on the following: she failed to campaign in this riding leading up to the election; she does not speak French; she took a vacation to Las Vegas in the middle of the campaign; she does not live in her riding; she is an assistant manager at a restaurant; she was accused of electoral fraud; she is 27; she is a single mother.

  (more inside…)

• • On The Job

  Service with a Smile: The Many Faces of Affective Labour

  April 25, 2011 • Meg Pirie

  I must admit that in spite of a checkered labour history that includes wrapping gifts, teaching LEGO, and failed attempts at unionization, right now, I like my job. The work is enjoyable, the pay is fair, my boss is appreciative of the work I do, and to top it off, I can surreptitiously blog from work.

  Alas, there is but one downside …

  I am a contract worker. My labour, while gratifying, is impermanent. My contract—this veritable proletariat glass slipper—is slated to be wrenched from long-suffering foot at the end of September.

  Autobiographical moments aside, my situation is in no way unique. So, what’s up with this? What does this shift to precarious, unstable labour tell us?

  Broad, contemporary shifts have seen a lesser role for government and a wholehearted belief in the need for and perceived inefficacy of unions. These political shifts that began with the likes of Ronald Reagan, Margaret Thatcher and Brian Mulroney have led to shifts in perceptions of labour as well. Go on any job search website and you will encounter a plethora of part-time, short-term and/or contract positions. On top of that, avenues for recourse when labour violations occur have been largely dismantled. Workplace discourse has shifted from solidarity and community, to individualism and incentives.

  (more inside…)

• • Activist Report
  • Rape Culture

  Slut Walk: The London, Ontario Edition

  April 13, 2011 • Meg Pirie

  This Sunday, around 300 women from across the city came together in Victoria Park to participate in London’s Slut Walk, inspired by recent events in Toronto. The event was co-organized by Amazon Collective, a local pro-woman action group, and VDay Western, a global movement to end violence against women and girls, that has brought the university and London communities The Vagina Monologues for nine years, along with a slew of other campaigns and events that benefit local organizations committed to non-violence.

  This experience was, in a word, inspiring.

  While walking my incredible dog Layla through the park while participants began to congregate, I saw people of various ages united to challenge the culture of victim blaming that exists on a societal level. It was amazing, especially in a city that is … er … how should I say this? Oh right … conservative as hell. Buoyed by my observations, I rushed home with my pup to record some of my thoughts concerning this event.

  Well, first thing’s first: context. London, Ontario is my home and I love it; there are some incredible things happening here and there is loads of potential in spite of some inept local politicians. That said, London is a “student town,” a title that really grinds my gears. There is a mantra of permissive chauvinism at work here that allows students at The University of Western Ontario and Fanshawe College to run rampant in a culture of consumption, binge drinking, and hate speech that manifests itself in myriad forms, one of which is victim blaming.

  (more inside…)

• • All About Shameless
  • On The Job

  Meet Meg…

  April 6, 2011 • Meg Pirie

  Hey y’all! My name is Meg Pirie and I’m so excited to shamelessly get my blog on with such a wonderful publication.

  My Shameless column’s primary focus is labour, especially as it pertains to gender. Why, you ask? Well, I’ve had a series of jobs that have varied widely (babysitter, tutor, gift wrapper, customer service representative, server, LEGO instructor at after school workshop … you name it). While the type and length of employment varied, 98% of this work has shared some or all of the following characteristics: the labour involved was gendered, the employment field itself could be likened to a female job ghetto, and the environment was exploitative. This journey began while working at a Customer Service desk in a local shopping centre. During a visit from some big wig from head office, I asked why we had no union. “Happy families don’t need unions,” was the response. My first thought was “Family? What family? You’re not my family!” Once this petulance subsided, I realized I had touched a nerve, and was both shocked and petrified at the power of this minor rebellion. While I didn’t yet have the vocabulary to identify what was going on, my interest in labour and its many faces was cemented.

  I think this issue is so important for so many reasons, but especially because it is often regarded as a non-issue. Your first job? Sure, that’s a rite of passage. A side of garden-variety exploitation with that first job? Not so much. So often we suppress dissent for fear that nobody else feels the way we do. Making waves … “oh, that’s not my scene,” you think. Well, think again, my friend! We are all political agents, and an empowering step towards potential collective organization is beginning to see the ways in which we fit into larger systems of power and resistance.

  Not only that, but grinding, emotionally demanding, under-appreciated labour is lonely. We become isolated units that can’t see our community for the trees. The performance of the happy server or caregiver or flight attendant is … just … exhausting. Honest, open dialogue with other people with similar lived labour experiences (maybe even co-workers!) is a validating step that could lead to demands for better work conditions, or even just a sense that there’s somebody out there who can relate.

  Along with my musings concerning labour and gender, you can expect to read about reclaiming experiences from adolescence, politics, female voices in literature (especially Young Adult works), and the odd piece on feminist health issues.

  That said, I can’t wait to get started on this new adventure!

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