I’m back.

There’s no time for pleasantries this week because I have many, many thoughts. 

I’ll start with this tweet that made me laugh and reminded me why I could never date someone as online as me because they would (rightfully so) be fearful.

Alas, at least my perpetually online self has some benefits, including breaking down some headlines from the week and ranting about it to all of you, which is, above all else, cheaper than therapy. 

Truckers convoy

TW: Genocide

I want to start with this because it has been front of mind as a convoy of truckers who have dubbed themselves the “Freedom Convoy,” drive across Canada. 

Some of the truckers in the convoy allegedly began their “protest” in response to cross-border vaccine mandates. However, the reality shows that a vast majority of Canadian truckers are vaccinated and continuing to work and deliver essential goods, while the minority is loud in spreading their opposing messages.

A deeper look into the intention of the “protest” and who is behind it, also shows that it is nothing but a vehicle for the far-right in Canada.

There are people in the protest who are threatening to go to the homes of Members of Parliament, some who are threatening journalists, and many flying confederate or other far-right flags. Yet, we continue to see many people coming out to support the convoy, without fully understanding what it is they are perpetuating.

Truckers in Brampton have previously fought against wage theft and there was not a peep out of many of those coming out in full force to support the convoy. There are also real issues impacting truckers that are currently being ignored. 

In addition, the attention that the protests have garnered has even overshadowed the discovery of 93 potential burial sites near the site of a former residential school in Williams Lake B.C. this week. Since the discovery of the remains of 215 children in Kamloops earlier this year, many more have been discovered across the country, as a painful reminder of our history and the lack of meaningful steps taken towards reconciliation.

There is always an inclination for us as Canadians to lean into our perceived benevolence and act like “this is not us,” but this is quite literally the foundation on which this country was built.

When it comes to “discourses I hate,” the thing I loathe the most is this: Indigenous people have been fighting both to protect their land and livelihood and bring attention to the continued genocide and oppression of their people, yet a bunch of confederate flag-waving, wonderbread-ass Canadian anthem-singing people are where we are giving our collective attention.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: white supremacy is as Canadian as maple syrup. This is not new. 

We see this in the differing responses from governing officials and law enforcement when a bunch of white people are protesting and threatening violence, versus when Indigenous land defenders are fighting for their livelihood. 

In short, please be mindful of the causes you give your time and attention to, and do your research before you repost something and mistakenly amplify white supremacists. There is nothing they love more than letting people of colour be the mouthpieces to their bullshit. Don’t fall for it. 

Elon Musk 

Listen man. 

There is so much proof that this guy is a terrifying and kinda crappy human being.

This story about his divorce with his first wife tells you a lot about him. She alleges she felt like she was his “starter wife,” and that he “treated her like an employee,” which comparatively isn’t the worst thing he’s done—which says a lot.

He’s anti-union, has made transphobic jokes on Twitter, has openly talked about being against taxing the ultra-wealthy (I mean, go figure), used phrases that are popularly utilized by men’s rights activists, peddled COVID misinformation, and much, much more. 

This week, Musk tweeted “Canadian truckers rule.” Which, in and of itself, is a factual statement. 

Truckers are a vital part of our economy and kept the country going during the pandemic and beyond. They work long hours away from their families to deliver essential goods, and Canadians are immensely grateful for their work. 

However, Musk’s tweet wasn’t about the truckers who are working hard, facing challenging conditions, wage theft and other issues. 

He was talking about the truckers convoy. Yeah, the one I just mentioned, with the racists.

Dr. Andrew Baback Boozary pointed out on Twitter that while Musk is seemingly coming out to support truckers, his true intentions are and always have been rooted in profit and power, as he simultaneously has plans to put driverless trucks on highways.

As a rule of thumb, can we just agree to collectively ignore the things that come out of this man’s mouth, or at least, take it with a grain of salt? Thanks.

Joe Rogan & Neil Young

Speaking of dumb shit, let’s talk about the cult of Joe Rogan.

Rogan has been infamous for spreading misinformation and platforming right-wing personalities on his podcast, along with even encouraging his loyal listeners to take a drug meant for horses.

Spotify has been the exclusive owner of Joe Rogan’s podcast since 2020, and as a result, has faced increasing pressure to address the misinformation Rogan is spreading on their platform. 

This week, musician Neil Young penned an open letter to the platform, asking them to “stop spreading misinformation.” Young requested that the platform remove his music as a result of his concerns, and has also asked other musicians to consider doing the same.

The platform's unwavering support for Rogan came as a surprise to many, who felt that their response to Young’s ultimatum was a way to show their true colours. 

Allowing misinformation to go unchecked and unchallenged is a huge red flag, and it is even more worrisome when we think about the cult following Rogan has. 

Many people religiously listen to and hang on his every word, and while his mix of comedy and commentary may be entertaining to some—since the guy loves horses so much apparently, I’m going to go ahead and call it all a load of horse shit. 

Bye.

Julia Fox 

I previously wrote about Julia Fox and Kanye West’s bizarre sudden romance, but since then, the two have only become more insufferable.

There has been a strange push to try and paint Fox as some kind of up-and-coming fashion It Girl, and I need to come out and say that this is not and will not be the case.

Listen, she’s lovely, but that’s not the point. 

The fashion and makeup looks have been subpar and you cannot force someone into being a fashion icon. It either happens naturally, or doesn’t happen at all.

More importantly though, it feels like the paparazzi, and even Fox herself are trying to force this pairing onto the rest of us. Similar to Megan Fox and MGK, everything I know about this couple is against my will.

She went so far as trying to coin her own “celebrity couple name” with Kanye at Paris Fashion Week. 

She’s calling them “JuliYe.”  

Can we bring back shame in 2022?

Anyways, that’s all from me this week. I’m tired. I’ve been trying (and failing) to be less shady in 2022, so feel free to share your fave (and least fave) moments of the week with me so I have more to rant about next week.

Seeya.

- Rumneek