@ va Have an idea for a story? M arts@theotherpress.ca (¥ Exploring Hawaiian culture in animation (¥ Student composers shine in concert (¥ The best Christmas movies for the holiday season And more! When the music stops being merry > The most annoying and overplayed Christmas songs Caroline Ho Arts Editor alk into any department store or mall at this time of year, and not only are your eyes bombarded with gaudy decorations and twinkling lights, but your ears are also immediately assaulted with familiar festive tunes. Sure, they’re catchy and great for getting you into the holiday spirit, but after the fifth time hearing the same song within an hour, anything gets old. Here are a few of the tackiest, most overplayed Christmas songs. All I Want For Christmas Is You (1994) This song is one of the world’s top- selling singles of all time, so it is unfortunately quite inescapable. It might be a nice message about valuing human companionship over materiality, and spending the time of year with your loved ones is special, but that shouldn't just be a feeling for the holidays— Feminist porn director Erika Lust Christmas is more than an excuse to demand and show appreciation for friends and family. Also, it shouldn't be at the expense of everything else fun and festive about the gift-giving season, which Mariah Carey would have us reject. Baby It’s Cold Outside (1944) Let’s face it, everyone finds this song a little creepy. The smooth 2014 recording by Idina Menzel and Michael Bublé at least changes some of the lyrics, including the really questionable line “Say, what’s in this drink?” Still, Christmas shouldn't be even remotely about coercing or guilt- tripping someone into staying the night. The Christmas Song (1945) First of all, you can’t really get more generic as a title, and “Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire” isn’t much better as a name. Admittedly, it can be a pleasant enough song, maybe sung by classy baritone vocals beside a merrily > Getting off has never been more empowering Jessica Berget Staff Writer ohh, oh yeah, you like that? Porn that isn’t based on the sexual violence and dominance of women? Damn right, I like that. Let’s face it: a lot of people of all genders watch porn. However, the sad fact is that pornography objectifies women. All the straight pornography I have seen (which isa lot) presents women as mere objects of men’s desire or sexual pleasure, rather than human beings with their own thoughts, feelings, and sexual desires of their own. There is also the underlying issue of fetishizing young women and marginalized groups, as well as the normalization of rape culture that comes with adult films, but that’s an article for another day. Women are often abused, humiliated, and insulted in porn, which is all presented as normal, or even sexy. The fact that this dehumanization of women is supposed to arouse people is scary, and the fact that it does arouse some people is terrifying. There’s nothing wrong with having kinks, but when the majority of porn has these themes, there’s a large problem. It seems there was no way for a lot of us to watch pornography without feeling uncomfortable, even a little sick, until now. Enter Erika Lust. Erika Lust is a feminist indie porn director from Sweden. She decided to become an adult film director as she grew tired of the same tacky, chauvinistic pornography that was being produced, and she took the industry by storm with her first film The Good Girl in 2004. Since then, her films have received critical acclaim and dozens of awards for their cinematography, production, and narratives. Scratch beneath the surface and her philosophy for adult filmmaking is also impressive: First and foremost, women’s pleasure matters. Second, adult cinema can have cinematic principles. Third, different body types, ages, and crackling fireplace, but something about it is too gently, insidiously invocative of everything and anything holiday- spirited. Also, “Folks dressed up like Eskimos” is more than a little dated. It’s The Most Wonderful Time of the Year (1963) The most annoying thing about this song might be how it pops up every once in a while in random commercials, some of which that aren’t even Christmas- related. It’s entirely acceptable to think this is a fantastic season, but this song doesn’t affirm the sentiment so much as shove it with forceful cheer down your throat. That’s if you weren't already irritated enough about using “mistletoeing” as a verb. I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas (1957) The first recording, and probably the one most people know best, was sung by a races should be represented. And finally, the film production process has to be ethical. Lust’s films are a breath of fresh air compared to other pornographies, or even most films in mainstream media. Her films are empowering, and break all the barriers in how we perceive sex, gender, and the porn industry itself. Watching Erika Lust’s films is Images via Erika Lust child (Gayla Peevey was 10 in 1957). So it’s probably not surprising that it makes you think about a whiny kid demanding one specific unreasonable present and not accepting any alternatives, but that doesn’t make this song sound any less entitled. And seriously, hippos are responsible for thousands of deaths a year, so why would you want one as a gift? Crocodiles are better. Last Christmas (1984) Written by Wham], “Last Christmas” sounds like every cheesy ’80s pop hit— which also means it was practically written for the fluorescent lights and tacky decorations framing department store aisles. If bundling all of your affection into one day a year was a bad idea the first time, it’s not necessarily going to be any more successful the second time around. You're definitely never going to dance again if you have to listen to this song too many times. like watching an art installation about sex. With the use of natural lighting and intimate close-ups, her movies are visually beautiful and invoke both emotion and excitement in the viewer. Her films have a production value near that of a Wes Anderson film, which makes them easy on the eyes and even more aesthetically pleasing. What is enjoyable about Lust’s films is that they're believable—as believable as a porno can be, that is. The actors express intimacy and affection for their partners, and even have some really cute moments, which makes the experience much more immersive and enjoyable. She also uses real, consenting adults in her films and encourages her actors to wear condoms (which you think would be the porn norm, but alas). Though the acting may be realistic, some of the plots are anything but. Not necessarily in a bad sense; on the contrary, they're brave, exciting, and unusual. For instance, in one scene brazenly titled Can Vampires Smell My Period?, a vampire appears in a woman's home to eat her out while she is having her period. As comical as this sounds, the acting between the two participants made the scene more realistic than any of the orgasms I have seen in regular porn and 10 times more enjoyable. Lust also uses a balance of soft music and natural sex sounds to arouse the viewer instead of the awful forced moaning that dominates other forms of pornography and the result is, well, erotic. Pornography plays a significant role in sexual culture, and there is something especially shameful in watching regular porn, which is why feminist porn is the way to go.