Freep Controversy Continues pt. 2

The editor of The Daily Free Press was asked to resign and she did. To be honest, I feel bad for her. All her hard work ruined by a colossal mistake.

This from the Globe.

And a quote from Dean Elmore

‘‘They’re an independent organization,’’ he said. ‘‘We don’t control their content, so we’re not involved in that at all. I’m going to take a look at [their apology]; that’s what I’m going to do.’’

Freep Controversy Continues

A side note to the below post:

I just received and individual apology to the section I write for, The Muse. It's the arts and entertainment section.

This is entire thing is a bizarre turn of events.

April Fool's Joke Gone Wrong. The Freep.

Boston University's The Daily Free Press publishes a funny spoof newspaper every April first as their April Fool's joke. It is generally light hearted and humorous.

This year, they fucked up. Big time.

Their issue this year was Disney themed and their cover story was a satirical Disney-esque fairy-tale about bros and gang rape. Yes gang rape.

Given the recent events at BU, you know the allegations against the hockey team for sexual assault, this seems rather... uncouth.

Here is a take on it from Jezebel and one from Liz Pelly at the Phoenix. (I prefer Liz Pelly's as I'm not a huge fan of Jezebel at all) You can read about it from the angle of the fighting against rape culture at either of those. I endorse both of these articles. More so Liz's, hers is much more thoughtful.

As someone who writes for the FREEP, and enjoys jokes about Bros, I'd like to beg the question, What the fuck were you thinking in the first place? For a moment let's forget about the sexual assault allegations against our Hockey Team, the recent up-swing in a call to destroy rape culture, Barstool, Occupy, feminism and all the side story.

Writing a parodied news story about gang rape would never be in good taste ever. It really isn't funny. The story was bizarre at best, and at worst quite a disgusting gaffe from what is generally a decent school newspaper.

The backlash has been great. The funniest thing I heard was someone calling to cut funding for The Daily Free Press. Calling to cut funding to our school's only newspaper is a dangerous thing to ask for to start, and secondly impossible as the paper is completely independent from the school. While the fuck up is immense, you can not possibly in good conscience ask for our only and independent news source at BU to be shut down. While they obviously have overseers and advertisers to please, you can't ask for your voice to be taken away. While not directly your first amendment speech, The Daily Free Press stand for independence and news. Something our society has seen greatly diminished. News in our world has far too many overseers to be very independent.

So while I watch the girl next to me post to Facebook the Jezebel article, think for a second. Before regurgitating, contemplate. What the Freep did is inexcusable, and in bad taste, but the editors can't get fired or receive school sanctions. A. Because the paper is independent. and B. because that would go against the very nature of you posting that Jezebel article to Facebook. It is everyone's right to speak freely. We are lucky to have an independent newspaper that fucked up so bad it's not even funny.

In summation, what they published was wrong and you have every right to be upset and perturbed. It was disgusting and humorless and an awful awful execution of satire. And no the apology (found here) was not good or fast enough for such an awful misjudgment. But also be careful about wishing the end of an independent news source.

Also to put things in perspective, this was supposed to be a joke and the real sexual assaults didn't get as much fanfare.

P.S. (This was pointed out by a friend. BU did buy a huge chunk of future advertising from the paper to save them from debt, a no-strings-attached donation of sorts, in order for the paper to retain their independence, and not shut down)

White Wall Series 7 (Aquatic Sea Life Edition)

The following photographs of The Aquatic Sea Life taken by Joy McEachern

ASL:

Coney Island Part III - NY

Photos of Springsteen at the Garden

I took some photos of the Boss, check them out at the Phoenix.

Photos at The Phoenix

Bruce Springsteen - Boston, MA

To be as objective as possible, Springsteen fucking ruled, and to see him at half court of the garden, separated by only a few inches of mat from the parquet floor where Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce was doubly awesome.

Bruce, who is 63, slid across the stage on his knees, jumped up on top of the piano, crowd surfed, and gyrated his ass off like he was 19. Max Weinburg, who is 61, also killed it, pounding the drums with fury and precision. The rest of the E Street band at 15 members strong was also amazing, always on point.

The show started with Springsteen’s new single “ We Take Care of Our Own” and “Wrecking Ball,” the title track off of his new album. Bruce took time every couple of songs to pump up the crown like a fire and brimstone preacher, or lowly mumble rambling stories. He even did that awesome thing where mid-song he introduced the entire band and they each soloed on their respective instruments, something only bands of E street caliber can pull off/deserve. (I mean it’s not really like Skrillex can just stop one of his songs shout “And on bass drop AVI file 74!” Womp womp womp womp) At one point much of the E-street band came up and doo-wopped while told the story of the Apollo theater and his forefathers who played there before launching into a medley of “The Way You Do the Things You Do/634-5789.” He then surprised the crowd with not often played “American Skin (41 shots)” possibly in response to the shooting of Trayvon Martin.

The set included a lot of classics (many of them coming in the last third of the show) including “Badlands”, “Thundercrack” spine tingling renditions of “Thunder Road” and “Born To Run,” and “Dancing in The Dark.”

A wild Peter Wolf appeared for the second to last song, “Raise Your Hand” an Eddie Floyd cover.

Bruce played for almost three straight hours, and was captivating the whole way through, something very few can pull off, (sorry Radiohead.) The set ended with “10th Avenue Freeze-out” and right after the lyric “And the big man joined the band” the entire band stopped and there was a 3 minute standing ovation for Clarence Clemons (pour some out for the big man) who died last year, and very sweetly was replaced by his afroed nephew.

Well, in summation Springsteen fucking rules, and made my life last night.

_____________________

Check the article out in the Phoenix

Photo Illustration

Coney Island Part II - NY

Coney Island Part I - NY

Hotel Room- New York, NY

My Second Visit to Times Square- New York, NY

My first visit:

I had arrived early for the midnight Fung Wah bus back to Boston. The only problem was, there was no midnight Fung Wah back to Boston. It didn’t exist. It was a figment of improperly reading a bus schedule. Fuck.

I called my friend Nick, “ Are you near a computer?” A dubious question at close to midnight on a Sunday. A bus could be obtained, Nick told me, at the Port Authority. The only problem was the Port Authority was three miles away, and I had very little money, fifteen dollars actually: the price of a bus ticket.

Nick read me the Google directions and fortunately it was mostly one street. An hour later, I came upon it. There it was, Time Square. Giant electronic monoliths dedicated to capitalism surrounded me. They silently blinked in the night, feigning the brightness of day. It was an eerie sight, this modern monument of consumerism devoid of crowds. There were a few stragglers here and there; someone dressed in a full Ghostbusters costume. The amazement of what is a pretty impressive sight was lost on me. The three mile trek and being stuck in New York sucked all the curiosity and interest out of my very first time in Time Square.

This is Mullet Watch 2012

The weather is nice, and the mullets are out. I've decided to take it upon myself to document as many Boston-area mullets as possible. This greasy Euro-style one was found on the Green Line.

CA

Drawing by Sadie

Somewhere on the PCH

Low Riders outside an art show- CA

4 Photographs That Have Nothing To Do With Each Other