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by-S._Livingstone—

[Let ne begin by declaring in print that | cannot be held responsible for the well-being of electronic mail junkies. If you too find yourself using the mouse as a deadly weapon, | will not be surprised. Nothing has changed in the computer-lined trenches of Robertson Memorial. We must revolt. Now, | don't usually utter threats of such a serious nature, but | am coming closer and closer to-the edge, and from the anger | witnessed in the halls of Robertson

this past week, |\am not alone. This is the last time this subject will be

discussed in this Column. | am trying my hardest to move on. The subject for this week had been evading me until earlier this afternoon when | found myself yt a city bookstore. | find it bizarre to think that | suddenly found myself\at a bookstore. Where did | think | was before this awareness of my being?\A question for next week, | suppose. The purpose of this discussion is not to iNform you of some life-altering realization | had in a small, congested bookstor&, but to discuss the idea that we, as a generation,

are slowly being engulfed by consumer-based culture whose media is forever manipulating the truth. Before leaving the bookstore\\| purchased the latest issue of Spin magazine. | am sure you are wondering why | am wasting preciou words to advertise for Spin, the music mag that claims to be the voice of our generation. | believe the discussion should focus less on Spin, and more on why | chose to buy it. | will tell you why. The current darling of the alternative music scene, Juliana Hatfield, is staring pensively from the cover wearing a bright green shirt and the lettering on the cover is the same vibrant colour. | do like Juliana Hatfield, but | have seen other

magazines with her face on the cover, and none were quite as eye- catching. What | am trying to say is that | bought this magazine because | liked the presentation. It was the green lettering that made me spend $3.50 plus taxes. Style over substance. | bought it withgut everrlooking throught (pure madhess), and this can be a mistake with Spin, because, just when you least expect it, it sucks. | have yet to read this issue to find out.

You may say that | have yet to be swallowed whole by our consumer-based society, but | have further proof to demonstrate that | am a victim. My proof - Ray Gun. Yes, | buy and read (or try to read) this magazine which has only been available for about one year. Ray Gun is outrageously based on style and its editors must have a very loose definition of

substance, for often some of the substance runs off the page, and one must guess what words have been purposely cropped off. Why, then, do I continue to buy this perfect confusion? Because | love it! | have just declared my devotion to, of all things, a magazine, in a widely read weekly that is always full of substance, once thought | was alone in this body-snatching exercise that the older generation has been leading-They produce these magazines, and we, in turn, support the pathetic yuppie lifestyle by buying into i you ware of the naive understanding that a motley crew of slackers (all under twenty five) were

running the show, then you need a reality check. You too are a victim, and the grown-

ee sehomere © seems beneath it) is i cod tates simplistic and fresh.

; = eae It really will make you a ee | think you need to Hes ahaagioet te order everything. claims that a cultura With fellow J.Crew

conspiracy is upon our worshippers in

so-called hostiléand agreement, we shall

_ conformity-bound move on.

generation. This is A very disturbing

why | am always moment of my past is

prepared to do battle. about tp be revealed.

Have you ever the people are all New It happened-at Club

perused a J.Crew England beautiful with Monaca- the

catalogue? If you have, _ vely white teeth, that the inadian Gap

you will notice that clothes advertised need wannabe. | was just to be in your possession, an innocent browser and that\.Crew has at the Park Lane

invented fiyndreds of outlet when suddenly

new names for the | found myself colours blue, ted, and partially naked ina yellow. The laydut of mirrorless fitting this magazine (catalogue room with a pair of jeans in my hand.

Before | khew it, | was giving|my maxed- out Visa card to a sugar-satunated,

Stepford clerk for the regularly priced item without even receiving a discount for the gaping hole in the pocket. | don’t even like the jeans, and | still lose change to this day. | know many of you can relate to this scenario. You may reject the possibility, if not the validity, of the above tale, but that|is just because you have blocked out similar experiences because of the pain and anger. Sixty-nine dollars for a pair of bad jeans with an open-ended pocket is reason enough for psychological instability.

The world is a bandwagon and | want off. With that said, | will let you dwell on these thoughts for a time, and allow you to consider the idea that we are always facing the media and society in general and their unbridled attempts to reinvent “us” into the flavour of the week. As you do this, | will track down the production editor and demand a Ray Gun-esque look for this week's column. After all, | have to have a device to attract the readers.

[ x.press february fifteenth 1994 page |6 |