THE LAST pages of The Cavalier Daily's first section aren't the only places in a newspaper where readers can turn to find a heavy dose of opinion. Like all newspapers, the CD contains a fair amount of feature and columnist space in departments other than Opinion, the customary destination for angled outlooks on happenings.
The Life section holds much space for opinion, primarily in the form of its many columns. I wrote about Life columns last semester, admittedly not in the most fawning light. There is too much emphasis in this section on columns -- there is always the same amount of columns as features, and sometimes more. The Life page should primarily contain well-written features, and columnists for the section should spend time crafting features and honing their writing before they are awarded the columnist space that should be difficult to obtain. I'm sure there are a ton of students who would like to have column inches in the CD with which they can do pretty much as they choose, and, as such, I am disappointed when the space is filled with random, unfunny musings. Random musings are OK on occasion, but it seems that they take up far too much space on a weekly basis in this section.
I was pleasantly surprised, however, by Jake Hostetter's column from last Monday. Though tagged in a rather boring fashion (surely headline writers could have come up with something more creative that "Cover that"), the column was a really comical take on the uproar surrounding Janet Jackson's nipple-baring escapade at the Super Bowl. Admittedly, this subject was beaten into the ground by numerous media sources, but Hostetter found a way to make it fresh and funny with a slightly off-kilter sense of humor. Without coming out and saying it, he illustrates how ridiculous it was for everyone to focus in on one measly breast while there is much more in the world worthy of our attention (advertisers would have us think, for instance, that erectile dysfuntion is Earth's latest tragic plague). Sly references to overzealous patriotism, gay marriage and the American obsession with crossing the line made this column well worth the read. (Editors, however, should have caught a few tiny mistakes: Jackson's "Nasty" was from 1986, not the '90s; and it was "Miss," not "Ms." Jackson in Janet's tune, "Ms." in OutKast's.)
Conveying opinion effectively in print can be a tricky enterprise, but the Arts & Entertainment team steps up to the challenge twice a week. There are occasional missteps. Two weeks ago, a positive review for "The Butterfly Effect" featured little attention to performance and too much fawning over storyline. A good reviewer evaluates how a movie works (or a CD or a theater performance, etc.), not just the story it tells.
This problem hampered a review last Tuesday of Melissa Etheridge's latest offering. Readers taking a look at the piece could only know how the new CD sounded if they'd heard her last album, as the reviewer primarily referred to the sound of the new disc in reference to Etheridge's last one. Most readers aren't very well schooled in the history of Etheridge albums (especially ones that don't sell so well). I encourage reference to past works, but more description of them is necessary if it is providing the gist of a reviewer's argument.
There should have been less emphasis on lyrical evaluation (though an important thing to consider) and more highlighting of the album's sound. People can dissect lyrics all they want, but if good words aren't set to good sounds, forget it. We listen to CDs, we don't read them.
So how can one effectively talk about sound? A piece on the new Courtney Love album aptly described the rocker's voice as "an aggressive blowtorch of an instrument." A review of Norah Jones's "Feels Like Home" showed how the singer combines genres -- "with its creative use of banjo and prominent bass line on the one hand and Jones's bluesy voice on the other" -- to create something all her own. It's tempting to focus narrowly on lyrics, but a reviewer must balance such necessary evaluation with focused attention to the sound a CD makes.
The Cav Daily in the past few weeks also has debuted a few new columns on the Nation & World, Health & Sexuality and A&E pages. I do plan on evaluating these additions, but I wait to do so until the writers have a few more columns under their belts. What do you think of new features on these pages? Are you shocked and appalled at the new sex column, or do you find it a refreshing addition to the paper? Do you like less conventional takes on movies such as the new "Grumpy Young Men" feature? Send your thoughts my way.
Emily Kane can be reached at ombud@cavalierdaily.com.
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