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Arts & Entertainment

RADIO: Strangeness appears on the night shift

by Ezra Glinter on

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A woman is calling in to talk about “some teeth that some men found.”

“One of them was six inches and one of them was seven inches,” she reports. “They were some great big teeth.”

The topic tonight is cryptozoology with guest Loren Coleman, who is a member of the International Society of Cryptozoology, the British Columbia Scientific Cryptozoology Club and the author of 17 books and more than 300 articles. He is, evidently, an authority on the subject. The show is Coast to Coast AM, a late-night talk-radio show, where both authoritative and not-so-authoritative views can be heard on many such paranormal topics, including reptilian conspiracies, secret societies, UFOs, psychic energy and who really built the pyramids.

Currently one of the most popular shows in its time slot, Coast to Coast AM was created in the mid 1980s by veteran radio personality Art Bell. Since its 1990 syndication, Coast to Coast has spread from a single Las Vegas radio station to almost 500 stations across the United States and Canada. The show is carried in Montreal by The New 940 AM and airs every night between midnight and 5 a.m.

Over the years, the show has gone through various reincarnations and a number of different hosts. In 2002, Bell went into semi-retirement, leaving the show in the hands of George Noory, a fellow veteran of radio broadcasting and an enthusiast of the show’s unusual content. On weekends, the show is still hosted by Bell from his home in Manila, where he lives with his wife, Airyn Ruiz. Ian Punnett, a popular media personality from St. Paul, Minnesota, hosts Coast To Coast Live, a four hour spin-off that airs on Saturday evenings between nine and one o’clock Eastern time, in addition to filling in for Bell when necessary.

Despite Bell’s absence, Coast to Coast has continued to increase in popularity. However, finding the right people to replace Bell has not been easy for the show’s producers.

“They found it hard to find people with the right attitude,” Punnett explains. “It wasn’t that you had to be a believer in all things paranormal, or that you had to have been on ghost expeditions, or seen a UFO. They were more interested in people that could bring the right attitude to the show – the spirit of open-mindedness, who could also be entertaining and informative.”

It is that spirit of open-mindedness which is the show’s hallmark. Despite the controversies that paranormal phenomena are bound to arouse, the idea is to create a forum where these ideas can be freely discussed. As Punnett explains, “For me, it’s all about the way in which the topics make me think. … I love the way that the topics put me out of what might be my usual intellectual comfort zone and I find myself really challenged.”

“When I first started doing it,” Punnett continues, “I couldn’t quite tell whether the caller was brilliant or crazy. Sometimes a caller who sounded out of his head was actually brilliant and was just on to something that I couldn’t understand and… sometimes they’d sound great and then after a few minutes I’d realize, no wait, this person is kind of unhinged.”

While Coast to Coast’s hosts acknowledge the show’s entertainment value, they also try to address serious issues.

“It is entertainment on certain nights,” says Noory” and it’s obvious.”

But “on other nights,” he adds, “it’s irresponsible just to be pure entertainment, when there’s so much happening on this planet today, whether it’s science, or terrorism or tragedies.”

In the wake of the Dawson College shooting, for example, which was perpetrated by a self-identified member of the vampire community, the show featured Michelle Belanger, a writer, speaker and musician representing the vampire and goth communities.

And despite their objective role as hosts, both Punnett and Noory acknowledge a personal interest in some paranormal topics.

“I have seen a UFO when I was a teenager; I have been on Ghost hunts,” says Punnett. “I have been down the road that the show goes down a lot,” he continues. “We can’t think that we know everything. It’s all about keeping an open mind and enjoying the mystery.”

Noory also professes some esoteric beliefs.

“A lot of the people that I’ve talked to about near-death experiences and reincarnation – they’ve had a pretty profound effect on me so far,” he declares.

However, Noory, now 56, doesn’t plan to reincarnate anytime in the near future.

“I want to take this through 2012,” he says. “That’s when the Mayan calendar ends and I’ve always believed it’s a period of enlightenment and change.

“I just want Coast To Coast to stay on the same steady path that it’s on right now,” he adds. “That is, provide information to people, breaking stories and create the mystery of the mind.”

Arts & Entertainment

Previews

by Crystal Chan on

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Theatre: Peccadilloes, Oct. 11-28, Wednesday-Saturday at 8 p.m.; Theatre Ste Catherine (264 Ste-Catherine E.). Wendy Clubb directs a Whip Theatre Company presentation consisting of a series of eight one-acts penned by Jon Rannells under the temptingly sinful banner Peccadilloes, or “sins” in Spanish. It features a diverse range of sensitively portrayed personalities who one by one reveal their outer and inner sins of modern living in the most unexpected ways. The theatre is closest to Metro Berri. Tickets are $15. Call (514) 284-3939 for tickets and more information.

Music: Barbra Streisand, Oct. 15 at 7:30 p.m.; Bell Centre (1260 Rue De La Gauchetière O.). Yes, Babs is in town. This singing/acting/everything icon takes Montreal for the first time in her long, long career this Sunday. This follows the release (yes, she still records!) of last year’s Gold-status album, Guilty Pleasures. Her first live shows following her purported Las Vegas “farewell” concert in 1999, Barbra tries to top it off with some unconventional acts, including a reference to Canada in a highly discussed skit where a George Bush impersonator quips that he’s “concerned about the national debt, so I’m selling Canada.” Babs and her nose will also be doing a Funny Girl medley and a Q&A session with the audience in the second act. Pretty boys Il Divo is sharing the stage with her. Call (514) 790-1245 for tickets and more information.

Literature: A Spot of Bother, released Sept. 5. This much- touted and anticipated second attempt from Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time author Mark Haddon once again shines due to its stark painting of the uncommon mind’s internalization. Haddon attributed part of his inspiration for the basis of Curious Incident’s style that follows the autistic main character’s own mental flow to Jane Austen’s novels due to their portrayal of feminine manners in exactly the format and stream-of-consciousness that those characters understand and admire. In his second book, Haddon takes the idea further and tackles manners head-on in a dark comedy about an over-polite, restrained family man who must confront the possibility of a terminal illness.

Film: Infamous, opens Sept. 13. Better known as Capote redux, Infamous tells the behind the scenes story of writer Truman Capote as he attempts to finish his shocking exposé In Cold Blood, focusing on the eerie relationship that builds between the author and his specimens Dick Hickock and Perry Smith, the convicted murderers of a Kansas family of four in 1959. In an attempt to repeat or even overshadow Phillip Seymour Hoffman’s Oscar win just last year, Toby Jones offers what many are saying is a more seductive and less technical portrayal than Hoffman’s. It’s up to you to judge, since this comes from the man best known for his voice-acting of Dobby the house elf in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. Sandra Bullock stars as Harper Lee, author of To Kill a Mockingbird and Capote’s close friend and fellow writer-in-crime. Daniel Craig, Sigourney Weaver and Isabella Rossellini also appear as supporting characters.

Arts & Entertainment, Music

MUSIC: Byrnin’ down the stale record industry house

by John Semley on

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Studying and an urgent need to pick up dry-cleaning in time for Thanksgiving may have deterred many from attending this year’s Future of Music Policy Summit, held for the first time away from its birthplace of Washington D.C., in McGill’s own Schulich School of Music. However, no classes were important enough, nor pants dirty enough, to excuse one from missing Talking Heads frontman and nerd-rock icon David Byrne’s keynote address. The man could have been speaking on the socio-economic repercussions of the decrease in potholder sales or flipping through graphs forecasting the return of the turtleneck and dedicated fans would have still given up their firstborn just to be in his presence. Alright, time to check the fanboy fawning.

David Byrne’s presentation “Record Companies: Who Needs Them?” took place last Thursday afternoon in Pollack Hall. It addressed the emerging gap between artists and record labels in the digital music age. Lanky, timid and endearingly awkward, the bespectacled Byrne tore through an analysis of the relative benefits of the recording, marketing and distribution of music for big label record companies as well as for digitally-armed do-it-yourselfers. Drawing from his experience as a musician as well as a producer – he founded his own world music label christened Luaka Bop – Byrne stressed that due to the rise in digital home-recording as well as online music outlets such as iTunes, “things are changing really quickly and the record companies need to adapt.”

Byrne spoke with both authority and sincerity about the practical ramifications of digital music on the “traditional” industry structure, citing the fact that 1,200 record stores have closed in the past year alone. He lamented the loss of such friendly and intimate independently owned brick ‘n’ mortar record stores and expressed his hesitancy towards using iTunes to purchase albums; although he admitted to purchasing the latest Christina Aguilera and Justin Timberlake singles online. Though reluctant to immerse himself totally in the unfamiliar realm of digital music, Byrne nevertheless touted the benefits of digital recording and distribution for lesser-known artists who hold no ambitions of selling enough records to reach double platinum status. In the traditional structure, such artists would never reach their audience as record stores could not plausibly stock their albums. Now, Byrne stressed, underground bands can reach their niche audience via the Internet with relatively little costs.

Ever-pragmatic, Byrne also reminded the summit’s entranced crowd that higher incomes afford musicians more freedom with which to make creative choices not motivated purely by financial realities. While admitting, though not acquiescing, to the dissolution of more standardized and time-tested music industry models, Byrne appeared forward-thinking and quite refreshingly, for the man who penned “Once In A Lifetime,” optimistic.

“We don’t have to go down with a sinking ship,” Byrne quipped at the end of his presentation. Though perhaps not radically edifying for the music execs in the crowd (also known as “suits” or “The Man”), the presentation was certainly a fascinating hour for meagre music fans, whose interests tend to gluttonously gravitate more towards product than process. n

Student Life

Is your face worthy of Facebook?

by Rachel Melnik on

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Think you’re on Facebook to socialize? Think again. With over 20,000 new members registering daily for the infamous friendship network, Facebook is known, first and foremost, as an efficient tool for the communicating masses. While eager stalkers interact via notes, poking and wall writing, they are also tuning into something much larger and essentially much vainer: themselves.

Undeniably, we value Facebook as a social networking service, but just as much, we use the Web site as a form of self-promotion, a canvas for self-advertisement, if you will.

This might come as a shock, but it’s true. If you have given yourself over to the virtual world of Facebook, you’ve turned yourself into a marketable product to be advertised, distributed and eventually sold. On Facebook, your profile-the image of yourself that you have created-communicates and delivers a particular message to a target audience; that is any one of the “friends” who stumbles across it.

“People use their profiles to cater to the crowd that they want,” asserts Kinnery Naik, U2 Hispanic Languages and Literature and avid Facebook user. The marketing world has a formal, albeit simple, name for this behavior: “promotion.” The ability to advertise oneself to a specific crowd is a marketing skill mastered by many Facebook addicts. The photos you post, the groups you belong to, the postings on your wall and even the personal details that you list all project a distinct image to everyone with access to your profile. And you thought that you were simply listing off your favourite movies.

In advertising, especially on the Internet, visual aspects stand out the most. “I notice the picture in the profile first,” says Eric Mutter, U2 Biochemistry, who, despite a friend count of about 150, claims that he “isn’t into the whole Facebook thing.” Mutter admits, however that people on Facebook “get judged by their pictures.” Well, who doesn’t? When users know their face is going to be viewed by potential fans and/or stalkers, of course they want to-literally-put their best face forward. “I had a friend take off 75 per cent of the photos because she thought that she wasn’t pretty enough,” informs Lisa Santry, U1 Anatomy and Cell Biology.

With the “tag” feature, Facebook members have the ability to manipulate their public image. “I don’t like it when my girlfriend sees me in pictures with other random chicks,” says one loyal boyfriend, who, for the sake of his beloved, wishes to remain anonymous. “I usually take those photos off the site.”

Once you post on Facebook, the “demand” for yourself, (socio) economically speaking, increases. “Sometimes you’ll randomly meet people on the street, and they’ll ‘Facebook’ you out,” says Vikram Jayaraman, Masters Engineering. “I mean, I was totally flattered that the girl was hitting on me like that, but still, I hardly knew her!”

If people “Facebook you out,” you know that you’re a hot commodity; you’ve effectively created, communicated and delivered value onto yourself-a ‘must-have’ product out on the market. “I once got a date off of Facebook!” exclaims Lopamudra Das, U3 Microbiology, who claims that she likes to convey herself as “a creature of mystery” in her profile.

Nearly every member on the site has encountered a form of “Facebook Disorientation,” in which a person cannot live up to his or her profile. It’s sort of like a Diet Coke campaign, no matter how much the product is advertised as authentic, it never quite matches up to the real thing. Francesco Mariani, U2 Italian Studies, describes the Facebook profile as a sort of well photo-shopped magazine ad. “Facebook is a way to idealize yourself,” says Mariani. “You can delete all of your flaws.” An online profile can hide the fact that you’re 20 pounds overweight and socially awkward.

Take, for example, an imaginary student by the name of Jane McGill. When you click on Jane’s profile, you see a photo of a reasonably attractive female at a bar with a few of her reasonably attractive friends. If you find this intriguing, you can opt to see Jane in 220 more variations of the same photo; Jane at a bar, Jane on vacation, Jane dressed up as Marge Simpson on Halloween. Translation: Jane is a fun-loving social creature who appreciates The Simpsons. Wouldn’t you want to meet Jane? If so, Jane is, knowingly or unknowingly, an expert at self-advertising.

In our society, advertising oneself has developed into an art form as well as an industry. Open up any issue of People, Us Weekly, or even Newsweek and you’ll find a plethora of celebrities posing for the camera, assaulting readers with the constantly changing images of their attractive selves. Why shouldn’t college students do the same?

With News Feed, the latest addition to the high-tech stalking site, Facebookers can literally transform their daily activities into something similar to People’s “Star Tracks.” If you’re curious­-or even if you’re not-News Feed will tell you that Jane McGill is attending Joe McGill’s 21st Birthday Extravaganza and that Joe McGill changed his status from “in a relationship” to “single” at precisely 10:16 p.m.

While the stars generally try to keep the stalking paparazzi away from their personal lives, Facebook members transform themselves into, well, an open book. The site is, as Mariani puts it, “a willing invasion of one’s privacy.” But that’s just a small price to pay for those who have their own Facebook Fan Club. n

Student Life

SILHOUTETTE: Dude, where’s my passport?

by Julie Zhang on

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When you live in a city where most of the homeless people can beg for money in three different languages, you know it’s international. Out of the 19,000 undergraduates at McGill, 3,660 of them are from outside of Canada. Encompassing over 4,000 students, including graduates and part-timers, the McGill International Student Network is one of McGill’s most valued student organizations. MISN helps foreign students adjust to Montreal’s icicle-esque weather with activities that do not usually involve the high intellect associated with Frosh. Chinatown dinners, crêpe-making, movie nights and potlucks are only a few of the countless activities that the organization hosts.

MISN lives up to its name by encouraging students to explore life outside of Montreal. Each year, the club organizes trips to Quebec City, Boston and New York. But, don’t worry; it’s not all just fun and games. If you’re looking for someone to teach you that other language they speak in Montreal besides English, or if you just want to meet a cute Italian guy or gal, MISN offers free language classes in a self-described “very, very laid back setting,”

And if learning isn’t your thing, you can join in hopes of receiving a free down jacket from MISN’s “winter coat program” in January! The MISN lounge is always full of friendly international students, all carrying different legal passports.

The breakdown of MISN this year includes French, Chinese, Dutch and Danish members. According to MISN execs, the Canadian group has the hottest guys and girls.

One of the major issues that MISN deals with is the continuous rise in tuition for international students. It seems that the costs are directly proportional to the difficulty of getting a job off campus; students on a study visa have to wait months to receive an off-campus work permit. Not only do international students struggle with the job search, but most of them come to Montreal from non-English speaking countries.

“Internationals usually don’t know anyone,” explains Claire-Marie Messier, U2 Physics, Vice-President Events. “The first weeks are usually pretty hard.” It takes a larger effort on their part to fit in, to understand all the beaver jokes, to get used to the unbearable winters and to learn how to wrap scarves for maximum protection.

Each year, a new batch of students arrives from around the globe. The International Student Services office directs all of them to MISN-no wonder it’s so huge. So if you’re from the Great White North realize that you are definitely not alone and maybe see what suite 1100 in Shatner is all about. And if you are from Canada, damn you for your lower tuition rates.

Student Life

STUDENT LIVING: HOW-TO-Prank your roommate

by Joanna Reznick on

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You will encounter many challenges throughout your university experience: making decisions about your daunting major concentration, dealing with significant other problems, answering the question “to drink or not to drink” and of course, facing the quintessential university roommate dilemmas. For those in residence, random roommate placement can be wonderful or disastrous. After first year, however, when you finally get to choose your own housing companions, these guys/girls often become either your siblings or worst enemies and sometimes they ‘re both, depending on the day. Regardless of whether your roommate is nasty or your best friend, there is nothing wrong with plotting sweet housemate revenge every so often. I mean, just look at all those unwashed dishes in the sink.

Shampoo that’s to dye forMessing with shampoo is always key, especially if your roommate is of the female gender. Semi-permanent hair dye can be purchased at any drug store and strategically added to your roommate’s shampoo. A personal favourite: black hair dye for the blonde roommate.

Stay healthy!Feign sickness one day and take a trip to the healthcare centre… you won’t be sorry! Within the walls of the Brown Building are a number of pamphlets on sexual identity, pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases. Place said pamphlets (particularly the ones about STDs) around your roommate’s bedroom. This is particularly effective if the parents are coming up to visit, or if he/she has a significant other who stays over every night to disturb your precious, precious sleep.

Chicken à la radiatorPut a slab of raw chicken in your roommate’s radiator. The smell will pervade their room for months before they’re able to find it! Warning: this is a stupid idea if the bedroom is shared.

Bye bye birdie? Hello birdie! For the roommate with an extreme fear of winged creatures, sprinkle birdseed on her windowsill. Not only will your roommate be roused by the chipper song of the early bird, but if her bed is near the window, she will come face-to-face with a mortal enemy.

Inch by inchGot a roommate with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder? Use it to your advantage! Drive him/her crazy by shifting the furniture by a mere inch everyday; they’ll think the room is slowly closing in on them. Note: also works for roommates with claustrophobia.

Hygiene interventionIs your roomie preoccupied with the size of his/her pores? Add rubbing alcohol to her bottle of facial toner and watch the breakouts begin.

Arts & Entertainment, Film and TV

Putting Canada back on the television map

by Ben Lemieux on

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Tuesday evening saw the debut of CBC’s latest prime time original broadcast, the brainchild of Chris Haddock, nationally revered creator of decade-spanning Canadian success Da Vinci’s Inquest. His new series, Intelligence, examines a new facet of West Coast criminality, this time turning the camera towards the perpetrators rather than the victims and investigators. Ian Tracey-best known for his work in the Canadian-produced film Milgaard and as Detective Mick Leary on Da Vinci’s Inquest-portrays Jimmy Reardon, a third-generation crime boss and one of the major players on West Coast organized crime scene. During the advent of a burgeoning feud between his drug network and an increasingly hostile biker gang looking to take over local trafficking, Reardon’s life is made even more complicated when Vancouver’s Organized Crime Unit falls under new management. Freshly-appointed director Mary Spalding (Klea Scott of Collateral) presents OCU with a risky governing style, adopting Reardon as a star informant, using him to pin other local undesirables while allowing him to continue his operations under the police’s freshly blinded eyes.

From the onset of this narrative, Haddock and his leads present audiences with ethical challenges and conundrums seldom explored on prime time fiction television. At what point is it acceptable for lawmakers and enforcers to table morality (in absolutist terms) in order to pursue more utilitarian-and occasionally opportunistic-ends? Can government structures be as counterintuitive and corrupt as some criminal organizations?

The Tribune spoke with Haddock and Scott last week about the new series.

Tribune: How did the concept for the series come about?

Chris Haddock: I’d talked to the CBC while I was still making Da Vinci and they had talked to me about if eventually Da Vinci might come to an end, I should start thinking about what kind of thing I might be able to replace it with. I wanted to work with Ian, and I said if anything, I wanted to develop a vehicle for Ian Tracey. Some years ago, kind of between seasons, I had written a small movie idea and that was where the genesis began. [It was] about a smuggler, a third-generation, West Coast smuggler, and that script never went anywhere but I got me to thinking about the character for this and the family background he might have.

T: What made Ian Tracey ideal for this role, either in terms of physicality or the method behind his performance?

CH: Ian is a very graceful, athletic guy. He really is one of those people who you can see very comfortably on a fish boat or chopping down a tree. And that’s part of the character that I wanted: that West Coast, outlaw kind of feel. But as an actor, he’s got a remarkable ability to attract empathy, he can come across as a very sympathetic character. And this character was going to be a bad guy, in terms of being a drug smuggler, and I knew he would make it an attractive and interesting character, and put people on a little bit of a tilt, because here we have a good guy playing a bad guy.

T: In recent years, there’s been a rash of shows with a lot of stylistic and thematic parallels to this one. What do you think having a uniquely Canadian perspective and working with a Canadian crew add to the picture?

Klea Scott: Mostly that it’s literally never been done. Everything that you’re familiar with in terms of crime procedural or government espionage programs, 24 or CSI or NYPD Blue, they are American. Simply by casting solely Canadian actors you’re going to have a different sensibility, just in terms of dialect. We’re not acting American and we’re not trying to make Vancouver look like New York City. I don’t think it’s ever been explored really, Canadian government and how they deal with some of the global issues. You just get inundated with American media and what the Bush administration is doing. The characters [in Intelligence] are fascinating, they’re complex and flawed and we a look like a reflection of the country’s demographics. When I see American TV, it doesn’t look like people who actually live in the States. On every ensemble show you’ll have 10 people and maybe you’ll have one Black character. I think of Chris as a feminist in his writing and I don’t think we’ve seen a Black Canadian woman leading a bureaucratic law-enforcement agency like this.

T: It goes without saying women are underrepresented as CEOs or in government. Is this demographic imbalance something you took into consideration while building the character?

KS: Well, I think it just plays naturally. I think that if you saw a woman of colour running this kind of agency, right away you’d have to attribute certain strengths: persistence, perseverance, a thick skin or excellent track record. I feel that when women do achieve these top positions, they have to be twice as excellent as a man. I love Mary because she’s really unapologetic about her strength. Chris doesn’t write her with a soft shell or have her pull any punches because she’s a woman and the audiences won’t like her because she’s too strong and comes off bitchy, which is something I’ve heard quite often. Even my sister-in-law, she watched she show and commented, “I really didn’t like you,” and I found that interesting because I think the character scares people. I think that some people will feel really threatened by this character that Chris and I have created.

T: Your show speaks volumes on the duality of human beings. Was this one of your primary springboards while writing the series?

CH: It’s just the way I approach characters. People are many things and they have conflicting desires within themselves. All people do. It’s just really finding that conflict and displaying it; that’s where you get a juicy entry into the character.

Intelligence airs Tuesdays at 9 p.m. on CBC television.

Arts & Entertainment, Music

POP MONTREAL: Spektor is simply spek-tacular

by Pamela Fillion on

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The National is a quaint theatre, the ambience a familiar one, ideal for Regina Spektor. The singer/songstress stepped onto the stage with a glittery shape in her hair and smiling red lips, her very presence giving the room a soothing glow. She began an acapella wonder and the crowd became entranced.

Delivering an astounding Sunday show to close the Pop Montreal festival, Spektor dazzled concert-goers with a voice from another world, one of times past: charming, captivating and, more than anything else, enchanting in a way singing should be. Not only did she sing beautifully, but Spektor also turned her music into true entertainment, making fans laugh with her, sing with her and cry with her. The New York performer introduced the average person to a world of wonders by tapping the mic for rythmic effects, mixing classical influences with noise effects and even simulating throwing up during one of her choruses. Her songs are musically innovative and are a creative gateway into a potlatch of original short stories. Taking on her characters’ emotions and quirks, Spektor acted out her stories, helping us to visualize the fruits of her particularly eccentric imagination.

It was refreshing to see an artist take such pleasure in performing and interacting with her audience. Spektor invited her fans to sing along with her and seemed to feed off listening to them. Also appearing that night at the National was Only Son, a more than adequate opening band for such a great musical experience. A guy, a guitar and an ipod recording of a band was all it took to perform some really down to earth songs making Only Son a name to be remembered. n

Arts & Entertainment, Music

POP MONTREAL: Born a ramblin’ man

by Liz McLaughlin on

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What does Ramblin’ Jack Elliot, a 75-year old country folk guitarist, have to do with Pop Montreal, the city’s ecstatic embrace of the “next big thing”? Perhaps the most significant asset that Elliot’s Wednesday night set at the Ukrainian Center brought to the festival was authenticity. Elliot shuffled onstage laboriously, but once seated on his stool he attacked tunes by the likes of Woody Guthrie and Bob Dylan, among other classics, with the eagerness and zeal of a 16-year-old at a talent show, even though he has been performing for over four decades.

But Elliot never uses his old age as an excuse for hitting a false note here or there, despite admitting to the audience that he has begun to have a harder time touring extensively and is spending an increasing amount of time sleeping in his hotel rooms. As evidenced by his presentation Wednesday night – just a man and his guitar on a stage – Elliot has always been a musician who tackles music his own way. We are, after all, talking about a man who once played Bob Dylan’s “Don’t Think Twice, It’s Alright” at an open mic, only to notice Dylan himself, who happened to be present, stand up and shout “That’s my song… but I relinquish it to you!”

Surely, a man to whom Bob Dylan defers automatically possesses credibility, but Elliot is carried by more than just his reputation. His warm playing style infuses life and a sense of humanity into every one of his songs. His voice has a plaintive, worn-in feel to match the cowboy hat he wears onstage. When asking for adjustments to his microphone EQ, he described his desired sound as “more Johnny Cash, less Tiny Tim.” Elliot’s lengthy between-song banter, which earned him his namesake, ranged from why he prohibits flash photography while he sings (it makes him forget the lyrics) to an experience involving him letting his dog drive his car (the dog drove too slowly, making Elliot late for a show). Elliot’s skill in melding dialogue with wistful American folk tunes is a throwback to an earlier musical era – here’s hoping he’ll be ramblin’ on into the future for years to come.

Student Life

Citizens of the world appreciate Coke

by Meghna Marjadi on

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“Tadpole biting the wax.” Not really an appetizing name for the sweet fizzy drink known as Coca-Cola, which is exactly why the Atlanta, Georgia soft drink giant spent loads of money researching a new name for Coke in China, one that would mean “tasty and amusing.” Although “tasty” to North American populations, greasy burgers and chicken nuggets were not the ideal food to sell to the largely vegetarian population in India, so McDonald’s catered to the public with a menu full of spicier dishes with less meat.

Unlike McDonald’s, Coca-Cola has been able to find international markets without changing anything about the product itself. Coca-Cola’s global success lies in the company’s ability to create a flawless marketing campaign that molds to each different country, fitting its culture like a glove. The newest Coke commercial in India, for example, features the Brad Pitt of India scarfing down a plate of unbearably spicy samosas, calling out for Coke and refusing water while sweat runs down his tomato red face.

Chinese Coke commercials, on the other hand, are extremely flashy, featuring a pair of male and female singers. “They get people’s attention,” says Lorraine Wong, a McGill student from Hong Kong. Here in North America, Coke is advertised with the famous polar bear commercials and a slogan that engraves the brand name in the consumers’ minds: “Coca-Cola-Always.”

When asked about the ads for Coke in her country, Panama, Denise smiled and replied, “I cannot remember, but they are always the best.” Coke ads expertly cater to their target audience. “What you do is take an idea and root in a cultural circumstance,” says Professor Karl Moore of the Desautel’s Faculty of Management.

By constructing customized Web sites for each and every country where it sells products, Coca-Cola has created an interactive wavelength through which customers can be more connected to the magical black fizz. The Chinese Web site is flashy and advertises the latest gizmos and gadgets, ideally suited to a technology-loving culture. European and Latin American Web sites have special links to football stats and online games, so that football aficionados can check on the English Premiere league while drinking an ice cold Coke. The Indian Web site has information on both current Bollywood blockbusters and cricket scores, appealing to a generation of young movie goers and older cricket watchers alike.

Coke, therefore, is a cultural symbol as well as a sugary soft drink. In India, the images of Coca-Cola and spicy food are inseparable. Meanwhile, in North America, Coke is “classic.” Around Christmastime, people keep an eye out for the Santa Claus bottles, and the penguin ads, which are appealing because they are fantastical. What could be better than a relaxing sip of Coke in the midst of pre-holiday stress? Coke ads are so successful because they embody the art of advertising at its finest; no matter what country you live in, the stuff in the red can has the capacity to make you smile.

The only problem with Coke’s marketing plans may be that people are not “region specific” anymore. With a world that is becoming smaller and smaller as each plane takes off at the airport and each email is sent half way across the world, global marketing is inevitable and much more cost efficient. But will the whole world eventually see the same commercials? Probably not.

“We are seeing more Indian faces in commercials in India, more Chinese faces in commercials in China,” says Moore. Why this change in the face of globalization? People, he says, are becoming “winged and rooted and multi-cultural. As people become more global they are also becoming more local.”

Coca-Cola has a plan to take the multicultural world by storm, globalize and yet somehow stay “local.” There is only one slogan for the world, but there are unique commercials and Web sites that will continue to suit the cultures they serve. Coke’s new slogan is “the Coke Side of Life,” a global marketing effort asserting that life from “the Coke side” is more optimistic. “Coke is selling emotions,” claims Moore.

Indeed, Coke is selling happiness in a bottle-the cure for all of life’s problems. The execs at Coca-Cola have made a golden lifestyle out of carbonated water, corn syrup and a little bit of artificial flavouring.

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