Things That Aren't Funny

Trevor.Concepts.Inc.

Things That Aren't Funny

Trevor.Concepts.Inc.

Lessons From the X-Men

The story of the X-Men is a story that we should be paying more attention to. With the release of X-Men: The Last Stand, completing the recent X-Men Trilogy, the mutant misfits are once again in popular conscience. What are we to take from the X-Men other than a wide variety of super-powers that we can only wish we had. The story of the X-Men is a mirror image of how real society treats individuals who do not fit into the norm. It’s the story of a group of people (herein known as mutants) fighting for acceptance in a society that neglects them. Sound familiar?
Who the X-Men are made to represent is open to interpretation, and there is a blending of characteristics from real groups that goes into the plight of the mutants.

First off, the mutants attend their own segregated school. Much like real-life segregated schooling pre– Brown vs. Board of Education of Topeka, or schools for the visually or otherwise impaired. Perhaps this is a more fitting basis as at the mutant school they are taught how to use their powers and to able to function better in society, much like the work of schools for the visually impaired.


The first story featuring the X-Men appeared in 1963, right in the middle of the Civil Rights Movement.

There are two main groups of mutants, the X-Men, led by Professor Charles Xaiver, and the Brotherhood of Mutants led by Magneto. Both leaders desire peace, rights and stability for mutant-kind but differ in their views on how to achieve that goal. Xaiver believes the way to mutant salvation is a complete assimilation into society. He desires nothing more than mutants be accepted in society and be treated just as any other citizen would be. On the other hand, Magneto believes that mutants should be proud of their mutant heritage, not assimilate or blend into the non-mutant world and dreams of mutant prosperity. His tactics are significantly more militant than Xaiver’s. Magneto has a hard time finding the right balance between peaceful co-existence with non-mutants and forcing his will and mutant rights upon them. Magneto also carries with him a dream to create a mutant home world, with a mutant population and independent mutant government. This is mirrored in the dreams of Jewish Zionists before the creation of Israel in 1948. The two leaders could have possibly been based on two civil rights activists who were alive and active during the early years of the comic’s history, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcom X. King argued for assimilation and X was a champion of black identity politics.

A third issue that is brought up in the latest X-Men movie also strikes a chord with real life marginalized groups. The Cure. Scientists develop a cure for mutants, allowing them to rid themselves of what makes them different and allow them a place in normal society. Should mutants be taking the cure and rejecting their unique abilities in favour of a “normal” life? Or should they reject it, embrace that they are different and continue fighting for rights that recognize who they are? This raises many ethical questions not escaped in the real world. Pregnancy screenings can tell if a baby has or will have certain disabilities such as Cerebral Palsy or Down’s Syndrome. Should these births be avoided in hopes of a ‘normal’ child later on? Imagine if a cure for homosexuality came out. Would the Gay Community embrace it, finally offered a quick way to escape prejudices? Or would it be scorned in favour of retaining a unique culture? Clearly the answer would be to scorn the cure. Something like sexual preference is not something to be cured, it just is.
The treatment of those that are marginalized in society is mirrored in fiction like the X-Men.

If we are outraged when humans do not give super-powered mutants full rights, why do we deny full civil rights to those who do not fit the cast of normal in real life?

Peter.Concepts.Inc.

SWEARS! A Dying Tradition

The other day I was happily on my way to class when I noticed a pedestrian get struck by an oncoming cyclist. After a few flips and regaining consciousness the two were back on there feet. I was still shocked and about 30 feet away at the time an anticipating the pedestrian to tell the cyclist to stick the bike up his ASS. But there was nothing, the pedestrian simple stated, “my bad” and they both walked/rode away. They might as well have been dating. Whatever happened to the good old days where instead of apologizing you threw down the F bomb or even flipped them the BIRD. Now I am not talking about using a swear every second word. Think of swears like you think of unicorns, if you saw one every day it wouldn’t be as majestic or luminous it would be a like an regular old ugly horse. Try using a large vocabulary of swears to increase shock value, so in any circumstance you have an arsenal of swear words. The following SWEAR PRACTICE will get you in shape and keep jerks out of your way, remember a good swear can hurt someone up to 30% physically larger than yourself so GO BIG.

1. (Use the words from the word bank to complete the following sentence)
You are in a lecture hall paying attention to class and the guy in front of you keeps talking about his huge pick up last night. You reach out tap him in the shoulder and ask him politely to be quiet. The guy then raises his hand and when the professor calls on him he explains the person behind him (which is you) keeps talking. You then stand up from your seat and call the guy a i)________ ii)________ and your mother is iii)______________ .





2. Use 5 out of the 7 swears in the next 21-24 hours. A-hole, Rocket socket, knickers-knackers-knockers (these three must be said together), buttocks, Ass-Fuck (one word), dildo, crispy knickers.

3. Match the definition to the word by drawing a connective line

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