Tag Archives: identity

The Rob Ford scandal as Whitlock’s “soft weapon”

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To say that Rob Ford has made a bit of a spectacle of himself would be an understatement.

Ever since Toronto’s Mayor Rob Ford admitted to using crack cocaine, an outpour of stories and reports have been dominating the political limelight. Here, we see Miller and Shepherd’s instance of intersecting public and private spheres. While Rob Ford’s drug usage is a private matter, it has become amalgamated with his public reputation as the mayor. Although our studies in ASTU class have primarily focused on the benefits of an intersecting public and private, (such as in PostSecret, Six-Word Memoir, and the blogs of Pax and Riverbend), it is obvious that the blurring of the public and private boundaries is becoming problematic for Rob Ford.

The scandal that has surfaced would not have become so prominent if it weren’t for the various media releases, that take part in the collective act of telling Rob Ford’s story. Notably, a variety of talk show hosts have, in the word’s of Whitlock, “co-opted” and retold Rob Ford’s story to the point where he has become the laughing stock of our nation. Although many media outlets have taken a more serious approach to the Rob Ford scandal, the results are the same: Rob Ford’s public identity and reputation have been ruined.

Of course, all this wouldn’t have happened if Rob Ford hadn’t smoked crack cocaine, made a fool out of himself in front of reporters, etc., etc., but the media does play a substantial role in shaping Rob Ford’s public image. While I’m not trying to take away from the seriousness of Rob Ford’s actions, such an event illustrates the power of storytelling. Before the scandal, I, personally did not even know of Rob Ford. However, when the rumours, news reports and comedic impersonations began to surface, it seemed as though he was only known for his political scandal. Although such a scandal does indicate what kind of personality Rob Ford has, the stories out there do not entirely represent himself as a human being.

Confusing, yes, but it is important to remember that the scandal we are seeing unfold before our eyes is only a small part of Rob Ford’s life. Though it is an extremely prominent and turbulent time in his life, the stories we hear has the potential to limit our perspectives of Rob Ford. For all we know, he could have been a football star, right? (Although this video indicates most likely not.) Furthermore, we can become so focused on his actions that we may forget about some more important questions. What was Rob Ford like as a mayor before the scandal broke out? How were/are the municipal affairs doing? Shouldn’t there be more discussion about corruption in Canadian politics?

While I must admit that the Rob Ford scandal is somewhat entertaining, the way in which media outlets and talk show hosts retell such a story can become what Whitlock refers to as “soft weapons.” That is, these stories can be manipulated in a way that can distract its viewership from raising questions about more important and systemic issues, or even alter their opinion of Rob Ford into something more positive, as attempted here.

Persepolis 1 & 2: A Comparison

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Marjane Satrapi’s book, Persepolis 2: A Story of Return, brilliantly illustrates a coming-of-age story, where young Marji struggles with her Iranian identity and history, all the while dealing with her frustration and loneliness in Vienna. Having escaped the war in Iran, Marji settles in Vienna while trying to assimilate into “Western” culture, leaving her feeling insecure about her identity. While Satrapi’s first instalment of the Persepolis series focused on the trauma she experienced as a child in Iran, the second book of the series shifted its focus to her identity crisis.

In Persepolis 1, Marji’s relatively young age allowed for her to remain somewhat idealistic about her identity, as illustrated in the picture below. Here, Marji is certain about her ambition of becoming a prophet, and displays conviction in her beliefs. While the trauma Marji experienced during her childhood was scarring, she was not at war with her identity, as portrayed in Persepolis 2. In Vienna, Marji attempts to distance herself from her Iranian past, yet simultaneously finds herself feeling conflicted and ashamed of her abandonment. The harsh illustrations of Marji’s stay in Vienna is reflective of her internal conflict, as many of her facial and body expressions depict emotions such as anger, loneliness and depression. In the illustration below, Marji lashes out at her classmates who were making fun of Marji’s appearance and her denial of her Iranian identity. Marji’s furious face is drawn to be larger than the other girls in order to echo the degree of anger and resentment she feels. The illustrations that follow reflect upon Marji’s yearning for the comfort and security she had as a child.

The inner turmoil that Marji experiences as she transitions from the final stages of her childhood to adolescence, allows for Satrapi’s readership to further connect with her character and story. The childish innocence in Persepolis 1 helped the audience understand the difficulty in comprehending and portraying trauma. Marji’s struggles through some of the lowest moments of her life Persepolis 2 is relatable, and allows for the audience to better understand the identities of those who are displaced by war.

Interestingly, Persepolis 2 reuses the chapter title, “The Veil”, which appeared at the very beginning of Persepolis 1. The psychological effect of the veil, which was imposed on the young Marji, produces the feeling of incompleteness in her identity. Although Marji escapes from Iranian fundamentalism in Persepolis 2 and acquires a greater degree of freedom, her feelings of fragmentation still exist. Marji is unable to escape her traumatic past, thus suggesting that psychological dissociation is a inescapable byproduct of trauma and conflict.

Satrapi’s first instalment of the Persepolis series establishes the difficulty and futility in attempting to accurately portray trauma. By sharing her struggles as a young adult in Persepolis 2, Satrapi’s audience have a greater understanding of the effects of trauma on one’s identity. While we may not be able to fully comprehend the extent of Satrapi’s suffering, we, as the audience, can take part in her act of witnessing through her perspective.

Online Control

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Our discussion in ASTU class today got me thinking a lot more about the Internet and how the online platform is practically in a world of its own. It is shaped by the stakeholders that control it (such as Google, Facebook, Firefox, etc.), and it’s users, who are the ones responsible for bringing it to life.

Consumers are prompted (and to some extent, feel obligated) to share a wide range of personal information on the networking sites they are in. For example, take a look at the “Timeline” on Facebook.  I think when I first discovered it, I thought of something along the lines of, “wow, this is going to make creeping a whole lot easier.” Now whether we like to admit this or not, the fact is that this is the purpose of social networking sites. They were built with the intention of creating common grounds in the online world for people to connect, and learn more about the people they are connected to. It’s funny, because despite all this, I still find myself wanting to maintain a degree of privacy on Facebook, and I’ve opted to leave a majority of my “about” and “life events” section on my profile relatively blank.

It wasn’t until our discussion in class today, was I reminded of a small, yet profound incident. At the beginning of the year, I noticed something that builds upon Eli Pariser’s Ted talk, Beware online “filter bubbles.” There, he talks about how major stakeholders have an increasing amount of control in personalizing the internet for its users. Have a look:

On the very first day of the new year, Facebook automatically published and highlighted a “life event” on my profile, because apparently, I graduated from high school six months early. I found myself confused by how Facebook could even publish something on my behalf, especially since it wasn’t true. I looked on my friends and classmates’ timelines, and they also had the exact same post as I did. A bit weird, and definitely perplexing, but I forgot about it shortly after.

Similar to how advertisements and search results are filtered based on what a hosting site thinks you want to see, Facebook was posting on my behalf, because they thought that my “graduation” was something that needed to be shared, even if it was incorrect. Not only have I realized that the internet is being filtered and personalized, but I am aware of how social media is pushing its users to share more and more personal information so that we can contribute to our online identities (and as a result have that information sold to third-parties.) Not only do we have to be conscious of the type of information we receive online, but also the information we choose to share. That way, internet users are also able to exert control in the online world that we have become so integrated in.