Another year over… Or, well, I guess this hasn’t been just another year, for better or worse. I’d be remiss not to discuss some of the more negative things that have happened this year, specifically in terms of the coverage and response to said events. Take, for instance, the terrorist attacks in Paris. Clearly, it was a horrific event that affected a lot of us, but there was also a weird insurgence of so-called “tragedy hipsterism,” where some criticized others for mourning the Paris attacks while ignoring similar attacks in places like Beirut. Certainly, there is a point to be made regarding how western-centric our perspective might be, but there’s a way to address that, and this was not it. Instead, a “holier-than-thou” outlook was adopted, and grief-shaming was suddenly a new way to prove how much of a better person you are than others. And on the subject of perspective, or lack there of, there was the rise of Donald Trump and his misuse of the term “political correctness.” Suddenly, people were allowed to say anything they wanted to, but if you called them out on their bullshit, they could hide behind their “you’re being too politically correct and so are afraid to tell the truth” counter-argument. A lot of people seem to forget that “freedom of speech” does not mean “freedom from repercussions,” so if you say something racist or problematic, you can be criticized for it without anyone invading your right to free speech.
The point I’m trying to make is that we’ve lost a sense of perspective. Rather than evaluating a situation, everything seems to follow the “offense is the best defense” school of thought. The tragedy hipsters would rather attack people with needless self-righteousness just as Donald Trump shamelessly attacks a whole group of people for the actions of a few.
Now more than ever, we need to pay attention to what we say. There are those who say things that should absolutely be ridiculed, yet still manage to be an incredibly dangerous influence. Others might have good intentions, but the way they bring them across is ridiculous. Some are applauded just for speaking, even when what they say is complete nonsense (i.e. Kanye West). Words are incredibly powerful tools, and can be misused tragically. Just look at the word choices the American media makes while covering different attacks: Muslim murderers are all terrorists, while white American murderers are just tragically “mentally ill.” Underestimating this power is incredibly dangerous, and I think Donald Trump is an excellent example of someone who was initially laughed off yet is now proving how volatile a situation can become through the use of speech alone. That’s one of the biggest lessons to come out of 2015, in my opinion.
I know that this has been a downer of a note, especially right before the holidays, but it doesn’t have to be. 2015 is almost over but 2016 can be better. My hope is that we start taking racism and prejudice more seriously, using our voices to fight back against those who spread hate and terror, whether that be ISIS or Trump. Get out there and make your voice be heard, but don’t forget to pick your battles wisely either. Rather than ridiculing people who are grieving, we should be ridiculing the disgusting statements made by people attempting to capitalize on these tragedies to serve their own racist or narcissistic needs. I know that this isn’t new information to any of you, and I don’t mean to sound like a speaker on a high horse. It’s just that these are things that I think have defined 2015, and we need to remember them lest we repeat them.
For now, be grateful for what you have, and be kind to those around you, because you don’t know what their own story might be. In the spirit of the season, I hope that you find the time to relax and recharge. Remember what is precious to you, and what is worth living for. We’ll fight for them in 2016.
We hope you’ll find time this holiday season to relax with this latest issue of BTSB. Right off the bat, you’ll find a few presents for you to unwrap, including Inka’s gift of underused words that you’ll hopefully find to be mellifluous (did I use that right, Inka?). Also, for your listening pleasure, we’ve compiled a list of seasonal songs that are favorites of the BTSB staff. But wait, there’s more! Emma is back to share yet another recipe, this time with a Christmassy-flavor. And, of course, the usual goodness that you find in a regular BTSB issue is all here, complete with some surprises! Milla uses this forum to talk bravely about openness, while Elizabeth shares her love of death metal. As the end of the year is often a time to reflect, we also have reviews of all sorts: Emma reviews a play, I review Star Wars: The Force Awakens (from the perspective of someone that actually isn’t all that into Star Wars), and Christian returns to BTSB to share his review of the Curt Kobain documentary, Montage of Heck. We also have a beautifully written guest piece from Helena Anttila that makes us hopeful she’ll write more for us in the near future. In addition, we have Eve showing us that words aren’t the only way to express yourself, talking about the influence of Instagram. And while you’re thinking about pictures, why not check out Laura’s seasonal snapshots? Yes, that’s another Christmas gift for you! Surprise!
I fear that I’m becoming a bit of a flibbertigibbet now, so I’ll end this note wishing you all a peaceful and relaxing holiday, as well as a happy new year. BTSB will be back in 2016, better than sliced bread could ever be!
All the best,
Jesper Simola Editor-in-Chief