Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera debate the pros, cons of evolutionary psychology.

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The academic world was all ears this morning when two heavyweights of the pop world weighed in on a matter very close to their hearts: the misapplication of evolutionary psychology to further dubious ideological ends at the hands of organizations of questionable ethical grounding. United on the issue Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera reopened the debate today at a press conference in promotion of their new split EP ‘Ev Psych in the Hizz-oUS.’
‘Like, yeah,’ stated Spears. ‘Just consider the implications the misuse of evolutionary psychological research. Aside from the frightening prospect of providing a scientific basis for bigoted eugenic theories, the biological reductionist approach to the matter unnecessarily ignores the social and cultural forces on the ‘super plasticity’ of the human mind.’
‘Though we must also consider the benefits such research might yield’ Aguilera mused, as a member of her entourage attached a green belly ring to her navel. ‘A better understanding of how the most important organ of the human body – the brain – evolved would provide a formidable weapon in the fight against genetic disorders and enable therapeutic techniques to improve to benefit those spastic kids.’
The evolutionary psychology debate is one often left behind by Spears’ and Aguilera’s pop contemporaries. One example is Jessica Simpson, who this year decided to forgo her previous forays into this controversial subject to focus instead on the more accepted academic area regarding the long term international policy impacts of misleading Western depictions of ‘local’ cultures in the Polynesian islands.
‘She (Simpson) is so sucking up to the fans’ Aguilera snidely remarked. ‘She is no artist. Just look at her half baked deconstruction of the travel industry’s pandering to white middle class family unit at the expense of accurate representations of the communities inhabiting Micronesian rural areas. Hello? Do I smell brown nosing? The fans eat that shit up, ho.’
The press conference was closed early so that Spears and Aguilera could make a trip to the solarium and ‘catch up on some Pinker’. Both stars plan to release concept albums - heavily influenced by the literature of evolutionary psychology - later this year.
"

Class War: International Terrorist (t-shirt manufacturing) Group!

Terrorist by proxy, I guess.

Mother of God.

Tonight on A Current Affair the top story was one that seemed to suggest that there is a centralised organization called Class War that is spreading hate to the young and disaffected. Furthermore, this group had something to do with the recent Macquarie Fields riots.

Wait a sec. I'm confused. Is this the same Class War group that, as a troubled teenager, I had correspondence with? Yes, I think it is.
But wasn't that just a company that was involved in the making of merchandise, like stickers and t shirts? Yes, Pete, it was.
The same Class War merchandising company that was related to such Leftist publications as Angry People and Activate, but wasn't an organization unto itself? Yeah, man. I guess so.
Have they, post-9/11, become an 'international terror group'? I suppose so. I thought the politics and rhetoric behind the propaganda were primitive and stupid - though nothing to worry about - but I guess they could have suddenly become a...terror group. I mean, they are smart guys...right?

A bit of a coincidence that there was none of this talk of terrorism back in the day. I'm sure there are detainees suspected of terrorism who are pissed off at this comparison. "Oh come on! I studied the Koran every day of my life, built bombs and met with anti-Western terrorist leaders and THESE guys just make some t-shirts? Hey, buddy, I worked long and hard to earn the epithet 'terrorist'. Nobody can take that away from me.' "

Hmm.

Funny how you can label something as 'terrorist' these days and it is newsworthy.
I guess it just doesn't make good copy to say 'silly leftie rhetoric on t-shirts'!

Are Class War even around anymore? I thought the one or two guys who made the merch would have graduated or something by now. Maybe I'm wrong. A Current Affair seem to know.

The ACA story managed to draw these imaginary lines between the riots and Class War with disingenuous journalism like speaking about Class War merchandise over footage of the riots. There was even a strange bit where they asked some guy riding a bike if he would 'join' them, if asked. Join? What's he going to do, design stickers?

Somehow there was no discussion of the politics whcih underlie Class War. They aren't good, rationalist politics, but they are there and they do have a bearing on the propaganda. The way ACA portrayed it, these t-shirts are being made to just encorage anger to no end. That's unfair, ACA. These guys spend good minutes reading Marx (before they get bored, of course) to come up with their prints. Don't get upset just because they don't have a 'Smash the System' hoodie in your size, Ray.

Wait, isn't Class War just a phrase with a long history in unionist movements and stuff? Isn't putting it on t-shirts similar to having FCUK shirts? No, not really. More akin to having 'Jesus Saves' on a t shirt. Both are ignorant and dangerous but based around a popular ideology.
Shut up! You can't compare religion with irrational pseudo-political t-shirt manufacturing (*snigger*) terrorist groups! You're right. That was stupid.

I can't help but feel that Labelling theory may come into effect and promote a response of 'Oh, we're terorrists are we? Fine, then. We'll show you what anarchistic terror is all about'. And then he'll, you know, start printing his t-shirts, like, REALLY fast. THAT would be a terrible outcome.

Ray Martin said he scratches his head at this. So do I, Ray. So do I.

(By the way, there is a lot to this issue. The Class War shit is politically and socially inept, but it's far from terrorism. I'm in objection to its misleading depiction than their judgement of it. A sociological look at the kids who are entranced by the rhetoric,myself included in my naive years, may be useful. My experience was that nobody took it seriously, just like a pamphelteer handing out 'Save Old Growth Forest pamphlets...on paper.
Once you get into the politics behind it - anarchism - people get turned off. Either they disagreed with the politics or they just hated politics in general. For once, being uninformed was useful.
Unfortunately this publicity might actually arm them. No, not literally, you mongs. *Sigh* It is a pity I even have to say that.)

Salival intermittence

I've been a little inactive lately, so in lieu a proper entry, here are some things of interest.

Formalising what to hate about appeals to nature.
"Against Nature: Why Nature Should Have No Say on Human Sexuality"
http://www.butterfliesandwheels.com/articleprint.php?num=111

More bad news from our neighbours to the north.
http://www.smh.com.au/news/World/Howard-fears-for-justice-in-Corby-drug-case/2005/03/04/1109700680633.html?oneclick=true
'"We are happy to help in any way that we reasonably can but, of course, we can't interfere with the court processes in Bali," he (Downer) told ABC radio in Sydney.'
Wait, what? So all of a sudden Australia respects the rights of other nations, even if they are barbaric? Dang,and just at the time when some arrogant American-style interference could be helpful.

http://townsvillebulletin.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,7034,12447573%255E15702,00.html

Keep your eyes on Get Your War On
http://www.mnftiu.cc

Out of jail and maybe reformed. Not sure what to make of this.
http://www.bard-faust.com/main.html

Dawkins vs. Astrology - old but relevant
http://www.simonyi.ox.ac.uk/dawkins/WorldOfDawkins-archive/Dawkins/Work/Articles/1995-12romance_in_stars.shtml

News? What News?

Faltering Star Hopeful About Career as Flies Pick at Face

Kayne Taylor, the singer who won 2004 television talent quest Popstars Live, is hopeful about his career one year on, even though most people have no idea who he is. In a recent interview with this paper, former Australia Post worker Taylor said he was ‘pretty optimistic’ about his musical career, seemingly undeterred by the multitude of flies picking at his face. ‘Sure my first single, Heartbreaker, barely made the charts and I was dropped like a sack of shit from my record label; but I’m confident that my new record “Remember Me?” will be a big smash’, the 30 year old said as reporters looked warily to the skies, where vultures circled the singer overhead.

In between frantic cries of ‘who are you again?’ from the congregation of journalists, Taylor spoke out against ‘cynics’ who would suggest that television based talent quests are no more than gussied up karaoke shows. ‘Yeah, that really bothers me,’ Taylor vented. ‘I mean, I’ve been in heaps of karaoke competitions and I’ve never won any of them, so that just goes to show the quality of Popstars Live’.
Taylor also pleaded with the Australian music-buying public that ‘my lack of talent should in no way influence your choice in purchasing my music’. He also apologised for the scent of urine seemingly emanating from his person.

As the interview ended, Taylor collapsed due to blood loss. Fortunately, Paramedics were able to relieve him before the scavenging birds could peck at his eyes.