The ugly word “censorship” conjures up images of Aldous Huxley’s “Brave New World,” a frightening look at a supposed Utopian society in which the government has banned all forms of entertainment. But ever since Janet Jackson’s now infamous 2004 Super Bowl Sunday “wardrobe malfunction,” lawmakers have increased efforts to curtail indecency on television’s airwaves, and it’s all starting to reek of censorship. Though few fines have actually been imposed on broadcast TV networks apart from those levied as a result… Read more

Before a newborn has a chance to utter his or her first word or take a first step, gender norms are already present. Male or female gender norms are embedded into our surroundings. They are blended in our institutions, toys, and the way mothers, fathers or prime caretakers raise children. Perhaps even the mystery behind the differing values of commitment within the genders can be traced down to early childhood. Gender norms embody the appropriate behaviors, rules and guidelines that… Read more

After a slow start following the March primary, the race to become the next mayor of Los Angeles has heated up in the past few weeks. At first, the candidates seemed to be hiding. The first debate took place at 5 p.m., when most Angelinos were stuck in rush-hour traffic, while the second debate was in the morning when most were at work. Since then, the two candidates, incumbent Mayor Jim Hahn and challenger Councilmember Antonio Villaraigosa, have been crisscrossing… Read more

The renewed experience of going back to college, after almost six years of working full-time at a newspaper in Los Angeles has turned me into a pragmatic student of media issues with an even keener eye when it comes to classrooms’ ethnic makeup. Perhaps even worse than in 1997, I’ve noticed the lack of minority students in today’s classrooms. I believe we live in hard and uncertain times, particularly when it comes to job opportunities and work stability. I’ve talked… Read more

Much like almost every other American today, the rising gasoline prices are really starting to have a substantially adverse effect on my daily finances. As my checking account balance draws closer and closer to negative numbers, I have become increasingly interested in the finite details of President George W. Bush’s proposed energy bill, which he has been touting in speeches as being the only viable solution to the gas-price dilemma. As I read the proposed bill, I quickly discovered that… Read more

Dieu n’est pas serieux!” (God is not serious). We know that after the long reign of Pope John-Paul II, Catholic bishops and cardinals wanted an elderly person who could not hold power for too long. At 78, the former dean of the College of Cardinals, Joseph Ratzinger, was a good candidate, since Carlo Maria Cardinal Martini of Milan seemed out of the game. Still, most people thought that a “centrist” would be a good choice in today’s complex world. So… Read more

Does anybody else remember when they were in high school and going to parties where the parents of the “party-thrower” were home, and beer and loads of other kinds of alcoholic beverages were made available for tons of no-worries indulgence? At these parties, I remember thinking to myself, “Wow, I wish my parents were this cool.” A stunning statistic shows that between 10 and 20 percent of all the alcohol consumed in this country is consumed by underage kids. This… Read more

This past Saturday, I went to a Passover Seder. I entered late, like Elijah, downed the mandatory four glasses of wine, sang, and did my Passover duty of passing over not a bit of food. Three pieces of gefilte fish, two helpings of brisket, turkey, two helpings of meatballs, two helpings of kugel, brownie pie, raspberry sponge cake, chocolate cheesecake and some meringue concoction later, I was the doomed bananafish from that J.D. Salinger story. It’s ironic to get drunk… Read more

The students of the CSU system are being forced to pay more but will ultimately get less in return, because enrollment will be impacted and classes will still be eliminated in accordance with the governor’s cuts to higher education in California. In reaction to this, CSUN students are organizing a teach-in for today, and a rally protesting Gov. Schwarzenegger’s cuts this coming Wednesday. Here at CSUN, we are focusing on regional strategies to address these important concerns that are hitting… Read more