It's Winter Break! Bwog will be moving in slow motion.

Quick Fed: First Years and Last Temptations Edition

It has come to Bwog's attention that the Federalist Paper (aka the Fed), Columbia's perennial bastion of jokedome, has published its second issue of the year. Bwog encourages you to have a laugh or two as you try to shake off that midterm angst by reading the new issue entitled First Years and Last Temptations.

Jesus, CC 20 AD, a quiet cool Columbia student that not too many people remember. Sound familiar?

Slackers host strike to make Core Curriculum easier. Nothing gets done.

The death of David Foster Wallace, a footnote by no means.

A Fed exclusive interview with Stephan Vincenzo. Yes, that "Stephan."

The definitive Obamacain liveblog. Are you sure you want to read it?


Posted by LOL : #1 · reply · track
October 7, 2008 at 6:30 PM (from campus)
that stephan article is

HILARIOUS.
Posted by random : #2 · reply · track
October 7, 2008 at 6:42 PM (from campus)
meh, I didn't think the Stephan article was that funny.
Posted by Fed Publisher : #3 · reply · track
October 7, 2008 at 7:16 PM (from campus)
Uh, guys we had an orientation issue out during orientation week. I think technically we've printed one more issue this semester than you have. I mean not to nit pick or anything.
Posted by not funny : #4 · reply · track
October 7, 2008 at 8:34 PM (from campus)
this paper is a sorry waste of resources and readers' time. the actual materials used to print these terrible stories, such as paper and ink, would be thirty times more worthy if used for napkins and pens.
Posted by haha : #5 (in reply to #4) · reply · track
October 7, 2008 at 8:59 PM
heh, everything's a waste of time because we'll all be dead. why not just give in to the enviable and jump in front of a speeding subway?

Posted by haha : #6 (in reply to #5) · reply · track
October 7, 2008 at 8:59 PM
inevitable.
Posted by Christian : #7 · reply · track
October 7, 2008 at 10:35 PM (from campus)
I find the Jesus parody EXTREMELY offensive. Please remove that. It's beyond sacreligious. Admit it, if that had been about any other religion's deity, it would have been deemed completely inappropriate and insensitive. Please give Christians the same courtesy.

Remove it NOW.
Posted by ehh : #8 (in reply to #7) · reply · track
October 7, 2008 at 10:45 PM
so's your mom.
Posted by Atheist : #9 · reply · track
October 7, 2008 at 10:48 PM (from campus)
The Jesus parody is offensive. Extremely. This wouldn't fly were it about any other religion.
Posted by Doubt it : #10 (in reply to #9) · reply · track
October 7, 2008 at 10:56 PM (from campus)
Flying Spaghetti Monster is pretty chill.
Posted by Bible Thumping Twit : #11 (in reply to #7) · reply · track
October 7, 2008 at 11:57 PM (from campus)
"Christian," it's Bible-thumping little crybabies like you who are BEGGING for Jesus parodies. "Sacrilege" only obtains if you actually believe in your imaginary buddy, and he's a bully who can't take a joke.
Posted by c.maxwell fan : #12 · reply · track
October 8, 2008 at 12:30 AM (from campus)
does he even know how legendary he is?
Posted by agreed : #13 (in reply to #11) · reply · track
October 8, 2008 at 12:37 AM (from campus)
something tells me that were he around, jesus would have more important things to do than be offended by some college kid's somewhat-insulting joke. you know...since he like, transcended the human condition and shit?

lighten up!
Posted by Hmm... : #14 · reply · track
October 8, 2008 at 12:54 AM
The Stephan article was quite amusing. The David Foster Wallace eulogy was uproarious.
Posted by Christian : #15 · reply · track
October 8, 2008 at 1:15 PM (from campus)
This school preaches so much tolerance and acceptance. It sounds nice, but it's purely a facade. You "tolerate" only what you agree with (which isn't really tolerance at all--tolerance presupposes you disagree with something but put up with it anyway) and refuse to respect the beliefs of others. It's disgustingly hypocritical. Please have some respect.
Posted by Christian : #16 · reply · track
October 8, 2008 at 1:19 PM (from campus)
Bible Thumping Twit,

By your logic, hate crimes against Black Americans are only wrong if I believe that Blacks have equal rights. If I choose not to believe that, I can--following your argument--do whatever I want to people of other races, and it's not wrong at all.

Obviously, that's DISGUSTING and completely ungrounded. Will everyone be offended by the Jesus parody? No. Should we be respectful of those who will, whose Deity it completely mocks and trashes? I'd hope that we step up and show that respect to our brothers and sister at Columbia.

Apparently, I'll have to keep hoping...
Posted by leoplurodon : #17 (in reply to #16) · reply · track
October 8, 2008 at 1:46 PM
shun the nonbeliever! shunnnnnnn...

ladies and gentlemen, chris kualwik!
Posted by Dear Fed, : #18 · reply · track
October 8, 2008 at 3:13 PM (from campus)
When you actually publish something that's, you know, somewhat funny, please let us know. Thanks :)
Posted by no problem : #19 (in reply to #18) · reply · track
October 8, 2008 at 3:57 PM
i'll need your daytime and evening phone #'s, email, and credit card number.

glad to be of service!
Posted by not Christian : #20 · reply · track
October 8, 2008 at 4:23 PM (from campus)
Two things:

1. The Jesus article was offensively unfunny.

2. If you replaced Jesus with some other non-Christian figure in that article, people would be pitching tents on the lawns right now.
Posted by Agreed : #21 (in reply to #20) · reply · track
October 8, 2008 at 4:36 PM (from campus)
Yeah that's what bugs me. Complete double standard. Christians get the short end of the stick. Can you imagine how much press this issue would get if you had said things like that about Muhammad or Buddha? It would be a huge scandal. If you're going to be controversial, at least be consistent.
Posted by chillax : #22 · reply · track
October 8, 2008 at 5:11 PM (from campus)
Double standards are often justified. There are times when mockery is the tip of the iceberg of hatred; there are other times, when it is merely irreverence for its own sake.
Posted by insider : #23 · reply · track
October 8, 2008 at 6:36 PM
I wish someone would leak the unpublished Religion issue of the Jester from last year. That'd kill the grass...
Posted by Lighten Up : #24 · reply · track
October 8, 2008 at 8:30 PM (from campus)
The Jesus article was funny. Just laugh and enjoy it, and move on.
Posted by Inqiring : #25 (in reply to #22) · reply · track
October 8, 2008 at 8:40 PM (from campus)
Then justify this double standard for us.
Posted by chillax : #26 · reply · track
October 9, 2008 at 12:59 AM (from campus)
Inqiring,

I think the obvious implication of my post is that, while those people who mock Muslims (and perhaps minorities in general) often do so out of hatred, those people who mock christians (and members of the majority) usually do so purely for the humor it provides. Thus, we should judge the two kinds of comments differently because of the different intents of the commentators. Also, if you don't want to look at intent but the result of a comment...I think mockery of a minority can lead to a "ganging-up" on the minority by the majority. On the other hand, mocking the majority is relatively safe because of its majority status.

-chillax
Posted by not Christian : #27 (in reply to #26) · reply · track
October 9, 2008 at 2:43 PM (from campus)
That is painfully ignorant, in my opinion.

While I definitely understand that the implications of a majority making fun of a minority definitely seem worse because of the insinuation that the comment originates from hatred, that does not justify double standards, because, as you said, you never really know someone's intent. A minority telling him/herself that it is okay to make fun of someone simply because of their majority status is rationalization, not justification. What happened to rising above? And also, who said that there aren't any minority members who actually do have hatred for majorities? Prejudice is a two-way street.

Another point is, it is entirely possible to get away with poking fun at any group, provided that it is funny enough. Comedians make fun of all races and creeds all the time (including their own), and if it's done right, they can get a positive response from most. The Jesus article was just bad (to be fair, I didn't think any articles in this issue were funny), although I didn't see any hatred in it.
Posted by not Christian : #28 (in reply to #27) · reply · track
October 9, 2008 at 2:45 PM (from campus)
Quick correction: after rereading your post, I realize that you didn't say you don't know someone's intent; just that you don't always have to look at intent. Sorry to put words in your mouth.

That said, I stand by my statement that one never really does know someone's intent when they make fun of someone.
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01/10/2009


Apply now and keep everyone updated on the artistic pulse of the Columbia campus! Postcrypt Art Gallery is looking for a dedicated webmaster to maintain the official Postcrypt site, www.postcrypt.info. Please e-mail jenny@postcrypt.info with your name, year and school, experience, and statement of interest.

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01/24/2009

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or e-mail us at info@eastasiareview.org. The deadline for submissions is January 24, 2009.
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01/24/2009

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Publish that senior thesis! In its 20th year of publication, the Journal of Politics & Society is inviting submissions for its 2009 edition, which will be distributed in Barnes & Noble and Borders. Please email essays to helvidius@columbia.edu or visit http://www.helvedius.org
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01/26/2009

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Include your name, year, and majors and specializations;

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02/01/2009

Contact email: periwynkle@gmail.com


Do you like to read and write about books, attend literary events/exhibitions, and frequent cafés and bookstores for readings by authors and poets? If you answered yes to any part of the above question, you should write for Spectator Books! My name is Yin Yin Lu, and I am the new Spectator A&E Books Editor. There are many benefits and inimitable opportunities for Books writers besides being able to see your name in print: interviewing all sorts of published writers, from debut novelists to Nobel Peace Prize winners, attending events at the NYPL, Symphony Space, book festivals, and museums for free, and getting free review copies of books before they are released! Last semester, for instance, I interviewed Lytton Smith and Karen Russell, both published graduates of the Columbia MFA program, attended a talk with critics James Wood and Daniel Mendelsohn at the NYPL, and heard Malcolm Gladwell speak at the New Yorker Festival.

Besides being exposed to these exciting opportunities, another reason you should write for Spectator Books is that it is not a long-term commitment - you can contribute as often or as little as you like. You can start your own column, write a recurring feature, or submit an article once every few weeks (or once the entire semester). Moreover, articles are flexible in terms of length and style, depending on whether they are features, reviews, or pieces for the Eye (Spectator's weekly arts and features magazine). Or you can post reviews of any length or style anytime you want on Spectacle, A&E's new and amazing blog.

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Completely enticed? Mildly interested? Still uncertain and would like more information? Whatever the case, e-mail me at periwynkle@gmail.com.


02/09/2009

Contact email: cufilmproductions@columbia.edu

Columbia Undergraduate Film Productions is launching our inaugural Production Season to write and produce original short films for our Film Festival!

CUFP Production Season will consist of intensive Screenwriters' Workshops and Directors' Workshops to offer you full creative and logistic support from your peers as you make your films on campus! We are looking for talented writers and directors who are passionate about film to create fresh, interesting material for our film festival.

Ideal candidates will be enthusiastic about film, dedicated to the workshop process, and excited to work on short films in a CUFP workshop setting. Workshops will be late Sunday afternoons and some Monday evenings.

The DEADLINE for Writers' Applications is Friday January 23.
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02/15/2009

Contact email: rhapsody@columbia.edu


Rhapsody in Blue, Columbia's urban affairs journal, having successfully, if belatedly gotten its first semester magazines in hand, is going to try again.

We're back to North America this semester. We need pitches from you. We want thoughtful, interesting, fun pieces that say something about cities. What are you interested in writing about? The first step is to send us a pitch--a paragraph about what you want to talk about, how will you do it? Pitches are due February 15. You'll hear from us if it's a go and drafts due a month later.

Old issues are on our website if you'd like to see more. Great opportunity to publish ideas from class, etc.

Send an email by us with any questions. Our FIRST MEETING for anyone interested in learning more about writing, editing, web or layout will be Wed, JAN 28, at 7:30, Broadway Piano Lounge. Also stay tuned for the study abroad blog, which should be going somewhere this semester. Let us know if you're interested in that as well.


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