X Ox Have an idea for a story? M opinions@theotherpress.ca q & Disney was unjust for firing James Gunn Elon Musk is an ass, but private space travel is still important ( Plastic straws ban distracts from environmental issues And more! Country music doesn't deserve the hate, y'all > Don’t judge an entire genre on a few bad songs Jessica Berget Opinions Editor rcs Freine except country music,” seems to be everybody's favourite music genre. But what exactly is it about country that alienates so many people? Is it the simplistic lyrics? The twangy, rhythmic guitar? Or is it that people just love to hate things without really giving it a chance? I’m going with the latter. I was once on the anti-country bandwagon, and | understand why it’s so easy to make fun of. However, I realized it wasirt the genre that | hated, but the more mainstream musical stylings of “new” country singers such as Brad Paisley, Aaron Pritchett, and Keith Urban that gives it a bad rap. Old country music singers like Johnny Cash, John Denver, Dolly Parton, and Willie Nelson have everything to love about country music: sentimental and catchy lyrics, funky guitar riffs, great beats, and singing that hits you in your soul. You can't judge an entire genre of music based on a couple of songs. People form their opinions on country based on the new stuff they hear on the radio, forgetting that there are decades of old country that doesn’t deserve the antagonism. Not all country music is about blue jeans, cowboy hats, pick-up trucks, and whiskey. Most songs have moving lyrics that talk about heartbreak, simple living, growing up, being in love, and family values. Some of the lyrics are also quite poetic. For instance, Johnny Cash compares being in love to being on fire in his song “Ring of Fire.” All genres of music have something to hate about them, but everyone seems to hate country music for the same reasons, most of which are stereotypical and untrue — making me believe that the hatred Rants in your pants: There's no excuse for being a terrible dog owner > If you don’t know how to care for your dog in the heat, you're an awful excuse for an owner Janis McMath Contributor ee is a hot, miserable time— and awful dog owners insist on making it even more miserable. During these sweltering months, I constantly encounter dog-owners that clearly have done no research on their dog’s needs. People are constantly walking their dogs on concrete in the midday sun—even though midday is the hottest time of day and concrete can get hot enough to burn and blister a pup’s paws. I’ve seen people walking their dogs in the extreme Disney was unjust for firing James Gunn heat with muzzles on, even though a dog’s main heat regulation system is panting. I still see people leave their dogs in locked cars even though we've all been screaming about the dangers of heatstroke for what seems like forever. I cannot understand how people can still be ignorant about their dog’s needs when all the information is readily available to them. Seriously, | have even seen people walking excessively-panting pugs in the heat, meaning that they literally don’t even know the fundamental needs of their dog’s breed. If you don’t already know, pugs are a brachycephalic breed—a breed that have short noses and flat faces which cause breathing problems that need to be monitored. A dog that has breathing problems is a dog that has temperature- regulation problems, and having a brachycephalic breed without knowing that, or knowing how to care for it, is shameful and inexcusable. Could you imagine having breathing and overheating problems and having no way to communicate that fact to your caregiver? If you have a dog, you have an obligation to inform yourself on your dog’s needs. Your dog depends on you entirely to take care of them, and if you get a dog you are deeming yourself responsible enough to maintain the dog’s health. > A tweet from ten years ago shouldn't ruin your career Katie Czenczek Staff Writer ether or not you care about Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, James Gunn being fired should aggravate you. Gunn, writer and director of the first two Guardians of the Galaxy movies, was originally slotted as the writer and director for the upcoming threequel until Disney Studios decided to send him packing based on some insensitive tweets. These tweets were made in 2009 and 2010 and made tasteless jokes about molestation and pedophilia. Sure, they are wildly inappropriate and not the kind of material that falls under the Disney “brand.” That being said, I believe that the company has completely overreacted to the situation. Let me break it down. Gunn’s tweets recirculated around after right-wing online personality, Mike Cernovich, went through at least a decade worth of Gunn’s tweets until he hit a slanderous gold mine—that is, he found some inappropriate tweets that can get a person fired in today’s climate (unless you're Donald Trump, of course). According to The Verge, Cernovich has made a career of targeting people whose political beliefs do not line up with his, and with James Gunn’s outspoken criticism against the current President of the United States, he was the perfect target for Cernovich’s next smear campaign. Cernovich’s motives for targeting Gunn aside, | sincerely do not believe that Disney chose to terminate James Gunn's contract from a moral standpoint. After all, Disney is a company, and companies need to remain in the public’s good graces to continue receiving money. The company’s public relations team was likely having a panic attack over all the possible parents who were concerned about a writer-director who would make those kinds of jokes being in contact with a bunch of children. But James Gunn wasn't working as Disney princess at the most magical place on Earth. The man is creating movies. Good movies, too, that bring in Disney a lot of revenue. Not only was this an irrational move to make in terms of how quickly after the tweets were resurfaced that they said goodbye to Gunn, but it’s also just a terrible economic blunder. It may cost them Dave Bautista’s acting chops as well, as the actor has publicly expressed strong opposition to the decision, as have other members of the main cast. While I don’t think that because people are a fan of someone's work should they be exempt from being punished for their actions, James Gunn has clearly felt remorse for his words already and his so-called crime was committed almost a decade ago. Ifthe statute of limitations for assault runs out after six months, for it is part of a hive mind mentality more than it is a matter of opinion. On an AskReddit forum, people discussed their reasons for hating country, and the answers are all repetitive; it’s cliché, the lyrics and music are too simple, or that there’s no sophistication. While this may be true for some songs, I would argue that you can say the exact same critiques for all kinds of music, not just country. It’s time to literally face the music, because country music has some great hits. It may not be a genre for everyone, and that’s just fine, but at least give it a chance before you decide to actively hate it. If you are going to take the life of another living thing into your hands, the very least you could do is the proper research—or you probably shouldn't own a dog at all. why should Gunn be fired for something he said almost ten years ago? I can only imagine the idiotic crap that spewed from my mouth ten years ago, and it would be ridiculous if I were fired for such a thing. For a broader scope of the situation, the larger problem is the current trend that when the masses scream and shout, people get crucified. James Gunn is not the first person to be fired over an insensitive tweet, nor will he be the last. The problem with this firing, however, is that he did not make these comments recently, nor did he refuse to apologize for saying such things. It would be different if he made those tweets while working for Disney the way Roseanne Barr did while representing ABC. Overall, I just want companies to stop relying on Twitter while choosing to fire someone, as ridiculous as that may sound. It’s unfair to the employee, and like this case with James Gunn, the public.