The cult of Justin Trudeau > Media worship of a top politician Cazzy Lewchuk Staff Writer he declaration of Justin Trudeau as our new prime minister was widely celebrated by many Canadians. A fresh face, promising a reversal to the unpopular policies of the former leader and the creation of a better Canada, "Trudeau was especially popular amongst millennials, admired by the international media in envy, and near worshipped by the Canadian media. Few world leaders have received the admiration that Trudeau has. In many ways, he’s reflective of Canada’s worldwide image: polite, reasonable, respected, and a contrast to the many war-mongering, unpopular leaders worldwide. Add on his continuation of the “Trudeau” legacy, and you've got a prime minister who is one of the most popular in recent memory. But too often, Trudeau is put on a pedestal by the media. Trudeau the person and leader is eschewed for Trudeau the image and cult figure. Jokes about his physical attractiveness are abundant (he was often called a “PMILF” or “Prime Minister I'd Like to Fuck” shortly after the election), and any boastfulness or showing off on his part is recklessly covered by the media for days on end. Recently, Trudeau summed up quantum computing down toa simple explanation ina press conference, much to the amazement of many in The rise of the Negative Nancy > Being hyper-critical in society Brittney MacDonald Life & Style Editor AM: I’ve gotten older, my social circle has certainly grown. Through various jobs, friends, or other reasons, I often find myself in situations where I’m required to interact with people I don’t know very well. The reason I bring this up is because it has forced me to become more “worldy.” I need to be able to have conversations without the fallback of years of cultivated friendship. Popular topics of discussion are often various films, cartoons, comics, celebrities, etc. This has fed my fascination with pop culture as a whole, which pushed me into a growing interest in how the average Joes and the experts—people who review things in a professional manner—perceive and express their opinions of certain artistic endeavours. In exploring this, I have noticed a disturbing trend among both professionals and hobbyists alike—the rise of the “Negative Nancy.” If that term sounds archaic it’s because it’s something my mother used to call my sisters and I when it was obvious to her that we were in a mood where nothing would please us, and like those times when I was young, I find that society is suffering the same. lam, of course, talking about the trend of hyper-criticism. For some strange reason people loathe to admit that they like something, or worse yet, that they don’t understand it, or that it’s not really for them. Instead we think it’s more appropriate to regurgitate criticisms we find online, even if they’re not necessarily true. I have seen a lot of this lately with critic- panned films such as Batman vs. Superman and Ratchet and Clank. That isn’t to say that these films didn’t have their issues, but after hearing some people speak about them, you’d assume that the movie killed their entire family and stole their credit card. Photograph by Jake Wright au 10 £ 3 Fs v la > u Y G £ 4s ac Image via (Y Do what the robots can't (¥Y #AutismDoesntEndAtS (¥ The passion of the nerd And more! attendance (and millions of others, once the media reported on the story). Later investigation revealed that the question was most likely a set-up and the conference had little to do with quantum computing. But hey, it’s a good way to show off just how smart our new glorious leader is. Coverage isn't limited to Trudeau on the job. Vacation photos of him and his family are showcased often, with emphasis on how beautiful his wife and kids are. It’s as if the media is astounded that Trudeau sometimes enjoys leisure time with his family, just like most politicians and people do. In many ways, Trudeau’s popularity amongst the media and individuals alike is reflective of optimism for the future. Our previous prime minister didn't just have policies that were considered bad by many Canadians, he was also known for being boring and having an out-of-touch image in the media. The reason behind this doesn’t have anything to do with the piece itself. In my experience, it all has to do with the illusion of sophistication. As traditionally highbrow entertainment (opera, theatre, etc.) slowly fades into the wayside, cultured media is forced to become more accepting of pop culture as a means of filling in the empty space in order to draw in a new crowd. This creates an odd dynamic where traditionalists are forced to criticize various niche productions that are not necessarily meant for them. To put it into perspective, I wouldn’t take my musical loving grandmother to a dubstep concert and then ask her to write a review on it based off the simple fact that musicals and dubstep concerts both contain music. Expectedly, the traditional critics pan the niche productions and in an effort to appear “in the know,” readers of theirs will parrot the same opinion. This is almost as annoying as people who will value the original production over the remake simply because they want to act superior, even if they never experienced the It’s so nice to see someone “real” in charge that we can often over-inflate the importance of his personal life and excessively cover any statements he makes. Ultimately, a politician’s personal image should be irrelevant because what really matters are their political positions and how they affect the country. Many people (myself included) are pleased with Trudeau’s actions and plans for the future, and respect him on a personal and political level. I would have a beer with Trudeau. I know many who would love to date him if he was on the market. I would trust him with my car, and | trust him to make decisions about my country’s future. But ultimately, what we trust him personally with is irrelevant. We should review, scrutinize, and criticize his political decisions only—no matter how cool his explanation about quantum computing was. original in the first place. All of this is done in order to give the illusion that you're incredibly discerning and sophisticated, but in truth, if your standards are vague to the point you don't even understand them—mostly because they’re not yours— how can they ever be met? l acknowledge that there have been times when I have reviewed things that I know weren't meant for me (sexually explicit comics catered more towards heterosexual men and gym wear for fitness lovers, for example}. J think that that level of self-awareness is important, because it allows you to look at different aspects of a product— artistry, quality, etc.—instead of just basing your criticism on your personal tastes. Most importantly, whether you are someone who reviews things professionally or just someone looking to strike up a conversation, forming your own opinion and expressing that instead of just simply repeating things is what will make you more engaging and memorable in the long run.