Artist Marc Séguin offers his unique perspective on current events and the world.
It is said that the tyranny of the majority (an idea that dates back to the beginning of the 19e century) is an undesirable consequence of democracy whereby a majority can impose its views on a minority. However, there would exist a twin mirror: that of the tyranny of the minority.
“Daddy, you’re going to get basher.
– I know, but a mended… So many people roll their eyes without saying anything. And, in the end, it will be a text on a false idea of benevolence. »
A few months ago in a public place, a young woman enters the men’s toilet at the same time as me. We go out at the same time, she tells me she’s two-spirited. And I admire this evolution (a real nice deal even). Sometimes it goes wrong elsewhere, we’ll see later.
I knew the term two spirit for having heard it among the Haida of Alaska a few years ago. It is a concept used by some indigenous communities to reject or question the notion of gender. That said, and after verification, the young woman in the toilets had no connection with the Native Americans. Is it an appropriation? Still, I find it beautiful.
We come back home, for a detour. None of the following happened (I’m smiling big here).
Level 1
Early December. Two adults in a car. On the radio there is Happy Xmas (War Is Over) of John Lennon playing. One of the two people lowers the volume to zero.
“It brings back too many bad memories. »
The person evokes a trauma that dates back to the holidays of his adolescence. The other person takes her hand and holds it gently.
Level 2
A few days later, still in December. This same person works on TV. Seven technicians are on the road in a Dodge Caravan, for a shoot. On the radio, we talk about the most beautiful Christmas songs and play excerpts from White Christmas by Bing Crosby, Long live the wind… At the first notes of Do They Know It’s Christmasthe person changes the channel and says that the Christmas tunes awaken bad memories in her, that she is not capable.
Level 3
At party a few days later, we rent a bus to go to the countryside to one of the producers to have a party and prevent everyone from driving while intoxicated. A few minutes after departure – you can see what happens next – the person asks the driver not to put on Christmas music, because of his past. The driver agrees because no one wants to offend anyone, because Big Sister is watching us all. And 42 people don’t have holiday music on their way to the party.
Small precision here: the expression Big Sister has nothing to do with the feminization of a debate. It’s because Big Brother had been busy elsewhere for a few decades.
Level 4
We got there. Imagine what followed. We have a little screwed up the idea of benevolence by dint of abusing it lately. People roll their eyes. One whistles through his teeth. Authors-authors-thinkers-thinkers invent pen names so as not to tarnish their reputations by saying what they think in the social space…
A new Year. Wishes are in order. Wishes. We hope again and again for the best for ourselves and our loved ones. Me, it will be a confession. I started to sigh and roll my eyes.
I learned a few weeks ago what 2S means in LGBTQ2S: it means two spirit, like the young woman who walked into the men’s room with her two spirits. One minute “man”, the next “woman”, and we claim a double identity. The application that the young woman made of it delights me. It’s elsewhere that it sucks. As in the history of Christmas music.
Big Sister and her tyranny of false benevolence are scary. More and more people are making use of this feigned humanity. In the background, I am alone, and therefore no one to stifle it, there is the New Year’s Day song The Cook Who’s playing. Swear to you. It’s good, good to have a glass of beer with the cook / In a little corner nouère. And I have a smile.
Clarification: no judgment here on victims of trauma, abuse or assault. On the contrary, it reassures me that we are talking about it and that a trail is finally cleared. But in the sense of things, you should take your equal gas, learn to live and find a way to communicate in 2023 other than by taking hostages.
The benevolence of a minority, with a gun on the head, it works average, and it crunches the rest of the world in the opposite direction.
In the billions of wishes for a New Year, we could wish ourselves a sort of extreme backlash. That one day a minority, or a majority, stop leading the ethics and the guilt of “living together” for its little person. Return to level 1. Before falling into a logic that resembles narcissism. People still don’t have enough to eat, assstie ! I know: there are wishes that will never come true, but it feels good to dream about them out loud.
Wishing you a happy new year 2023, with a little common sense and a kindness a little less simulated, and better used, than the one we know.
“Daddy, you’re going to get basheryou can’t talk about that.
– You’re right. I’m going to do like everyone else and I won’t talk about it. »
Happy new year of health and happiness to you. For real.
Do you think we’re ready for gender-neutral public restrooms in 2023?