(¥ The Cunning Linguist: Man of straw, feet of clay (¥ What is a fandom, anyways? (¥ Attack ads are not just for politics And more! Picking your battles when standing up for morals > When arguing just isn’t worth it Cazzy Lewchuk Staff Writer Rw I recommended a ovie to a customer on behalf of his six-year-old daughter, as part of my job. It was Small Soldiers, a kids’ movie about toy soldiers that come to life and start blowing each other up. He shot down my suggestion, saying that it was “for boys.” Naturally, the feminist in me was outraged. Media, toys, music, or any other product should not be considered exclusively for one gender. The idea that a girl, particularly a child, should not watch a movie because of content traditionally considered masculine enforces gender roles and does not contribute to creating an equal or tolerant society. A large part of me wanted to argue with him about the damaging patriarchal views he was enforcing on his daughter. Of course, I ended up recommending Alvin and the Chipmunks instead rather than telling him off for gender stereotyping. This was partially due to my customer service role, where one is naturally expected to not argue with patrons or in any way suggest they are wrong. But | also remembered that some battles just aren’t worth it. It is very important to stand up for what one believes in, particularly if these things involve social justice and equality. We are all responsible for making the world a better place and challenging convictions that involve racism, sexism, homophobia, ableism, etc. But there is a time and place to challenge these preconceptions, and sometimes, it’s better to just let it go. It is important to confront discrimination in instances where it is being displayed head-on, or in cases when it is a loved one who we know is capable of being better. But with things overheard in public or on the Internet, particularly with people we do not know, it may be wise to quietly disagree and find more concrete ways to express our values. People do not change their minds because of arguments with a stranger on social media. They do not become more inclusive based on petty arguments. Individuals hold beliefs based on years of preconceived beliefs that are a product of the environments they are raised in, as well as the Attack ads are not just for politics > Should corporations call out competitors? Elliot Chan Opinions Editor W: see it in politics all the time: commercials that call out the negative aspects, false advertisements, and empty promises of competitors. As someone watching these commercials, I often feel like I’m watching a couple bicker— it’s awkward. This petty form of persuasion doesn’t really leave a winner in my mind; rather, it makes me want to oppose both parties. But what if this same method is used for our everyday products? Recently, Verizon hired comedian Ricky Gervais to do a commercial spot where, instead of highlighting all of Verizon’s features, it calls out its competitor (Sprint). In the ad, Gervais states that their competitor “stretches the truth” when claiming to have the fastest and most reliable network. He also goes on to say that having the fastest, most reliable network in Kansas (the location of Sprint’s headquarter), is like a aa having a parachute that only opens in Kansas. That’s no good. Consumers want a product such as cellular reception to be reliable everywhere, just like a parachute. While the commercial was fun and light and Gervais’ snarky persona made the rivalry of the telecommunication companies humourous, it was bad practice. These types of companies are . * ie a ye fs Ks 7 ol Faster, more reliable and better coverage than ever. To i h, 4 z & | = rarely promoting innovations, but rather striving for mediocrity. And it shows with an ad like this. Think about it, if Verizon had the “fastest” and “most reliable” network, they would be claiming it straight up. They would have proof. But instead of demonstrating their product, they turn the spotlight on their competitors and say, “well, < °o NN = v > & > on ° -< wi c uo vo s y wn they aren't that great either” Often in politics, we don’t vote for the candidate that we like, but rather the candidate we hate the least. A world where we are choosing the lesser of two evil sounds like a pretty horrible place to live, huh? A world where we are calling each other liars and saying that Image via thinkstock —— values of those around them. The world will always be full of evil and of beliefs that are truly harmful to society. We can all do our best to fight these beliefs, and some ways are more effective than others. a billion-dollar company is incompetent and irresponsible is worrisome place to live. A world where we spend more resources racing to the bottom, reaching the lowest common denominator, and striving to merely meet expectation is a scary place to live. Calling out a problem does not solve it. One-upping competition by small margins doesn't solve it either. Enough talk about what others don’t do. Regardless of whether you are a politician, a billion-dollar company, or my co-worker, I don’t judge you by your competition, I judge you by your actions and achievements. You give me results as promised and there is no reason why | wouldn't pick you over someone else. | would trust you. The way you develop a reputation is by focusing on service and innovation, not by dragging your opposition down so that you look better. If you want to be the best, you'll need to try your hardest and not just tall smack.