So what do we do? We treat love like it’s a disease. Having proclaimed ourselves soulless beings, we look for the best way to get laid without getting into a committed relationship. At McGill, it is undeniable that this sort of attitude is shared by a large chunk of its population. In a competitive academic environment where many of us put school first, we tell ourselves that we don’t have the time for anything else except work and sex. Apps like Tinder only fuel this hook-up culture, and I have come across many a McGill student on Tinder in search of ‘fun’ or ‘a good time.’

Although I revel in my ability to live off of casual sex, I have begun to question the way I look at love. Personal experience has shown me that even if you regularly see someone in a sense that is void of commitment or romance, you can still get hurt. Sex is a type of intimacy, and with intimacy can come an emotional connection. But because we meet on the premise that we will keep emotions out of the picture, sometimes we forget that we are dealing with humans, and thus forget to treat them as such. Lacking the desire to involve ourselves with romance for whatever reason is no excuse to treat anyone we hook up with like shit.

It may seem that hook-up culture holds a much stronger presence over romantic love, but this doesn’t mean that romance is dead. I have a friend who is in a committed long-distance relationship, and although I always make sure to mock him for being a romantic, I know that he is happier being in love than I am living my supposedly feelings-free life. For me, his ability to accept the possibility of one day suffering at the cost of love makes him one of the strongest men I have had the privilege to meet.

Not everyone who prefers casual sex to romance is necessarily doing it because they’re too afraid to get in touch with their emotions, but I’m tired of hearing people, including myself, trying to pretend that their feelings do not exist. I used to regularly see someone who was like this, but little does he know that I have seen flashes of his vulnerability, and I know that underneath his front is someone who is too cowardly to admit that he is human. To choose love and devotion at the risk of heartbreak is far braver than hiding the fear of heartbreak behind a preference for casual sex. People like me can only hope to one day be so fearless.

Jasmine Lee is a Political Science student. To contact her, please email commentary@mcgilldaily.com.

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MD: Tell me about yourselves! How did you guys get together?

Josh (vocals, guitar, ukelele): We all met in CEGEP on the South Shore of Montreal, and we swiftly exchanged musical tastes and picked up guitars, Paul and I specifically, and started writing songs immediately as we learnt the chords.

MD: Why did you choose the name Po Lazarus?

Josh: There’s a famous old song called “Po Lazarus” that is a chant or a chain gang song made famous by the O Brother Where Art Thou soundtrack. Great movie. It’s just a song about a criminal named Lazarus who hides up in the mountains while he’s wanted, and eventually the deputies slay him and bring him down the mountain, much like our ultimate demise…

MD: On your Facebook page it says [that you produce] “anthemic love dirges meant for the Spitbucket.” What does that mean?

Paul (bass, rhythm guitar): The Spitbucket is actually a location where we create a lot of our music, that’s our jam space on St. Antoine just down the street over here, and I guess we do play some sort of anthemic sort of music. At least in our spirit, we feel as if they are anthems of our lives in a way, and love is a big part of our lives I guess… You know how it is, we’re young men, drinking and loving… and playing music in dirty, dirty places.

M.O. (drums): I think what could be mundane in life is brought to a more magical level through the lyrics that Josh and Paul write, and that’s part of how we describe ourselves.

MD: What have you guys been working on?

Josh: We’re constantly working on the songs, constantly working on our instruments, and very shortly we’re going to be going into the studio and recording our debut album. We’re just practicing to try and have it down perfectly so that we can get into a little trouble in the studio… and I’m sure we will get into trouble!

MD: Do you guys already know what direction the debut album is going in? Do you guys have a good solid outline? [Right now] you’re kind of a mix of blues, garage, rock…

“I think what could be mundane in life is brought to a more magical level through the lyrics that Josh and Paul write, and that’s part of how we describe ourselves.”

Paul: Sometimes it’s really hard to put things into words about the band because there are so many varied genres that we incorporate, it’s all very instinct[ive] and innate for us.

M.O.: I think this album is going to be the birth of that, and then you’ll be able to classify us. But don’t do [it] until then.

MD: Any major differences between the EP and the debut album?

Josh: Well I mean the EP is classically what you’re working on, and then you put out an album. It’s going to definitely have many of those elements, it’s sort of eclectic, that EP. We think there’s some triumphs on it, we think there’s some losses, but now we’re very much planning out this album so that it’s gonna be the best it can be for us.

M.O.: Just recently we were talking about the styles. So there’s one umbrella term that’s “roots rock” and everything is in there – country rock, plain simple rock, heartland rock, folkrock. […] So everything American and in a way Canadian also; tradition[al] rock music I guess – just everything.

Paul: I don’t think we really know what kind of style that we play ourselves, but we like to play songs that we would like to hear, which are various in genres, and as band members we all listen to different kinds of things, so it results in us not even knowing where to classify ourselves. We kind of do play different genres of songs, so in one show you might see us play a folk country song and also a hard rock song, maybe like an alternative creepy genre that doesn’t even exist yet – ghost rock ‘n’ roll perhaps.

Josh: Also, we’re glamourous.

MD: What is it like trying to make it in Montreal?

Josh: We’re just trying to make the good songs so that they’re there. They’re gonna be there no matter if they’re shit, good – they’re gonna be there, so we’re just trying to make good songs that people relate to and like, and listen to nonstop while they jog, or eat their cereal.

M.O.: You can have good songs, you can have good musicians, but […] it seems like a lot of the early fans keep coming, and I’m surprised. Because usually you start a band and people come because they’re your friends and then they’re like, oh alright I can stop going now. But they keep coming, and that’s important. So shout out to the fans, to the Po Lazarites.

MD: In light of poutine week, which is this week: if you could have your own poutine – as a band or individually – what would you name it?
Josh: Not even gonna make my own special one, it’s all about the Poutineville pogo poutine!

Paul: Chef Guru curry poutine all the way.

Josh: We would call it the Po-tine though. There’s vodka on Po-tine as well.

“We’re just trying to make the good songs so that they’re there. They’re gonna be there no matter if they’re shit, good – they’re gonna be there, so we’re just trying to make good songs that people relate to and like, and listen to nonstop while they jog, or eat their cereal.”

M.O.: Well I have this recipe and someone can do it at home. Sweet potatoes, it’s beer-battered so you fry that up, and you use the cheese and the gravy but you add some tao chicken in there, with a little bit of soya sauce – that’s gonna be good.

Paul: I think that question [incited] the most response from us. The one not related to music at all.

MD: What kind of impact do you want your music to have on your fans?

Paul: One of sexual excitement.

MD: Do you want to elaborate?

Josh: Yes, I’ll elaborate. That’s something just, yes, we’ve achieved that already so – check. But I believe somebody relates to it and listens to it and thinks, maybe they felt the same way if they hear the lyrics and play the piano or play the guitar because they heard a song and they wanna play music too.

MD: What’s your favourite or most memorable live experience?

M.O.: Well I usually think we always suck but that’s what makes us good. But we have a few good moments, but that’s when we expect it the least – or maybe that’s just me.

Paul: I think the favourite stage I’ve ever played on was probably just Josh and I, we played at Burning Man festival like three years ago, that was maybe the greatest place. But as a four-piece band, this bar right here where we’re speaking is maybe one of our best venues. We get nice and sloppy here, we’re comfortable with the bartenders, so it’s always very fun to play here at Grumpy’s. And we put on the best shows I think because we’re so comfortable and just get nice and jammy.

MD: What motivates you guys to create?

Paul: Mainly Bob Dylan…we just want to hear more of what we want to listen to. […] an intensity that’s relevant to the emotions we feel: the sadness, the anger, and the happiness.

 
Po Lazarus is playing La Sala Rossa Friday, February 20. Head to indiegogo.com/projects/po-lazarus-debut-album to help fund their upcoming LP.

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The film immediately pulls in the viewer with the investigation of a supposed kitchen accident that burned and killed a young, recently married girl. The camera does not hold back in exposing the horror inside the home: a charred figure lying on the ground, hands thrown back and legs spread apart. All the villagers claim it was an accident or suicide, but the Gulabi Gang’s leader Sampat Pal Devi sees through their lies. The next time she visits, the scene has been staged to mimic an accidental fire – a stove placed near the body like a prop. With scenes like this, the film incessantly shows us how a woman’s life can be treated as worthless.

From there, the documentary follows the gang on their journey from village to village, as they travel to wherever they are called and needed. Their assistance is sought for a range of issues, from investigating abusive incidents to negotiating how local authorities respond to such incidents. We gradually come to understand how the gang has evolved since its inception in 2006; what started out as a small group fighting against domestic violence has expanded to a women’s revolution that stands against against caste oppression and political corruption.

Beautifully shot, the segues between each scene feature the breathtaking wildlife and landscape of Bundelkhand, starkly contrasting with the themes of brutal violence. These intervals serve as a repeated reminder that cruelty and suffering can exist anywhere, even in a place that holds such mesmerizing beauty. In each moment of calm, the viewer holds their breath, waiting for the next hit of harsh reality.

What started out as a small group fighting against domestic violence has expanded to a women’s revolution that stands against against caste oppression and political corruption.

According to the BBC, an incident of domestic violence is reported in India every five minutes. Through the words of a woman named Husna, the film gives perspective as to why this behaviour is perpetuated and why men defend this abusive conduct. Husna’s sister was killed by her brother for leaving a previous husband to remarry another man she fell in love with. In a one-on-one interview, Husna explains to Jain, who is behind the camera, that if a man feels a woman has done wrong, he is entitled to do as he wishes with her, as tradition dictates that women should not be free to do as they wish. Husna explains that she would defend her male relatives for doing what they can to protect her family’s honour.

Jain highlighted this part of the movie in a Q&A session that followed the screening at McGill. She stressed the importance of understanding this mindset in order to change the very roots of India’s patriarchal system. Jain further emphasized that people should watch Gulabi Gang, for while it may not relate to everybody, it raises awareness about the extent of gender inequality in India.

While awareness is certainly important, the film does in fact relate to the society we live in half a world away. The failure to question misogynistic beliefs and actions embedded in daily life is a universal quality that allows for oppression to flourish everywhere. One only has to look at the recent case in Montreal, where, according to the Montreal Gazette, the police’s response to cases of sexual assault by taxi drivers was to advise women to “limit their alcohol consumption and stay in control.” Instead of acting to ensure the safety of taxi passengers, the police have put the responsibility on women. The incident mirrors Husna’s message that if women act as they wish, the abuse they may face is their own fault. Misogynistic norms are a transnational problem that needs to be addressed and reflected on critically.

Gulabi Gang ends on a train platform, brightened with the pink saris of the gang. A bystander asks a member of the gang, “Do you get anything from all this in return?” She shakes her head in response. This subtle ending is one of the only snippets we get of the gang’s exhaustion from their often thankless work. But their courage has not gone without reward. According to Jain, regional policing authorities now recognize the gang as an influential force, and are more likely to respond to their requests.

Both the implicit and explicit messages this documentary carries are powerfully thought-provoking. Though the context of the film is upsetting, the awe-inspiring work of the Gulabi Gang, and its brutally honest portrayal by Jain, become a source of inspiration both for women in India and the rest of the world.

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