8 =' The Michigan Daily - Wednesday, March 26, 1997 Colborn to share 'Future' at Borders By: Mary Trombley Forthe Daily in 1962, Rachel Carson's "Silent Spring" prompted public awareness of th-pote'ntially lethal nature of chemical fertilizers and pesticides. Last year, a book modeled on Carson's helped to aldrt Americans to the dangers of r chemical hormone P 1 disruption. "Our Stolen Future" is the chronicle of one scentist's search Eventually, she met John Peterson Meyers, director of the W. Alton Jones Foundation, who managed to get her a fellowship to study the problem. Colborn calls the fellowship "the gift of a lifetime." With funding, REVIEW Theo Colborn Tonight at 8 p.m. Shaman Drum Free Colborn finally had the resources to look for patterns in the scientific stud- ies of others. "The work I do is analy- sis and second- order science," Colborn said. She foranswers to baffling questions about seemingly unconnected reproductive irregularities in animal populations throughout the world. The book was written by a trio of experts,cincluding Theo Colborn, a seniori scientist with the World Wildlife Fund.. in the early '90s, Colborn was among the first to connect reports about unenthusiastic mating among bald eagles, drastic drops in human sperm counts and the mysterious decimation of Mink, herring gull and seal popula- tions, to hormone disruptions stem- ming from synthetic chemicals in the environment. Colborn discovered that synthetic chemicals such as PCBs and DDT were present in the air, water and in animal body fat across the world. Even in tiny quantities, these chemicals mimic nat- ural hormones in the bodies of wildlife, and they disrupt mating patterns and fetal development. Worse yet, she suspected that other chemicals, besides such known pollu- tants as DDT, are to blame. These chemicals are not only used in industry and farming, but are also contained in the plastic products Americans use eveiy day. 14ormone disruption is not as obvi- ous-an environmental threat as cancer, because it usually does not kill outright. The results of hormone disruption may note appear for years or decades after exposure. A child exposed in the womb, for example, may suffer from subtle consequences, like learning defects, that are difficult to connect to synthetic chemnical sources. "I had collected all this information, but I felt quite alone and did not know what to do with it" Colborn said in an interview with The Michigan Daily last week. also brought together scientists from around the world to confer on the prob- lem. One result was the Wingspread Conference, an interdisciplinary gath- ering of scientists that produced the Wingspread Statement, the first scien- tific attempt at consensus on hormone disruption. Scientists urged Colborn and Peterson to spread the word about hor- mone disruption. "They told us, 'Write (about) it so people can understand it,"' Colborn said. However, the two did not know how to present their findings to the general public effectively. Finally, they met Dianne Dumanoski, a reporter for The Boston Globe, who was "just thrilled" to tell their story. "Our Stolen Future" is the result of the collaboration between Dumanoski, Colborn and Peterson. The ensuing controversy has been overwhelming. Besides a blizzard of media coverage, the book has sparked debate and legislation in the United States Congress. "Our Stolen Future" even attracted the attention of Vice President Al Gore, who asked to write the foreword. The response from the scientific community has been a little more mea- sured, but supportive all the same. "The reception from scientists has been reas- suring," Colborn said. She mentioned that the most gratify- ing response to the book has come from "regulatory agencies around the world, who are calling for more chemical test- ing." The book is being translated into 11 languages at the request of public health officials. "Our Stolen Future" emphasizes very basic ecological principles. As Colborn puts it: "We are part of a whole. No matter what we do, we affect someone else." James (James Spader) and Catherine Ballard (Deborah Unger) share a private moment in David Cronenberg's "Crash." Stupidity, sex collide on 'Crash' course xk i . t - ,- By John Ghose Daily Arts Writer "Crash" is the first NC-17 movie ever to open with four consecutive sex scenes, yet even with this stately honor bestowed upon it, this film fails to live up to its long-awaited expectations. Based on J.G. Ballard's 1973 novel of the same title, David Cronenberg's "Crash" attempts to explore the sexual- ity of near-death experiences, specifi- cally the erotic stimulation of car crash- es. Although Ballard's topic is an intriguing one, the premise of Cronenberg's film seems silly: Beautiful men and women crash their cars on purpose, become aroused, then screw each other amidst the cars' wreckage. "Crash"'s plot is about as exhilarating as a BBC documentary on dog shows. Even the sex is bad. Call me a prude, but I could not find the eroticism behind bloodied, crippled people having anal sex on the median of a busy highway, their wrecked cars smoking a few feet away. But hey - whatever floats your boat. After rolling the computerized graphics of the opening credits, "Crash" starts ambitiously. But it soon flounders, and it remains floundering for the bulk of the movie. The opening scene of a woman's naked breast pressing against the hull of a twin- engine plane suggests an intriguing study on the intertwining of man and technolo- gy, but this hope remains unfulfilled. In an electrifying car crash sequence after the disappointing four sex scenes, we meet the anti-hero, James Ballard (James Spader), and his anti-heroine, Dr. Helen Remington (Holly Hunter). With the help of 60 stunt drivers, Cronenberg creates an intense head-on collision between James and Dr. Remington that kills her husband, intro- duces the two main characters and jump-starts whatever plot exists. The two meet again in the hospital, where they also meet Vaughan - a rene- gade scientist who is obsessed with the erotic power of man colliding with metal, as evidenced by his head-to-toe scars. Vaughan introduces the two victims to his erotic netherworld of staged car crashes and reckless photojournalism. Then he leads them through a ridiculously surreal odyssey of screwing and crashing. Cronenberg's meditations on the erotic force of near-death experiences, masochism and experimentation are admirable, but it's difficult to relate to his medium of demonstration - R automobiles. Characters in "Crash" run their hands over the dents of a car's body, and At Briarwo over the scars of Vaughan's body, with equal arousal. When I rub my palms over the dented surface of a car door, I don't think of sex; I think of Bo my mechanic and skyrocketing insur- ance rates. I mean, what can possibly be less sexual than a dented Mazda? Part of the problem lies in the com- monplace of cars. These vehicles are not technology to most of us; they are simply a way of life. Driving a car is as routine as flushing the toilet, so when Vaughan uses things like the flow of traffic as metaphors for sexual nuances, it is difficult not to snicker. Traffic is about as sexy as a parking ticket. Nevertheless, "Crash" does have its moments - well, moment. The first crash sequence is so undeniably authen- tic that the audience can sense the quick- ening pulses driving the characters of "Crash" into heat. For these people, a car collision is a jolting life force they crave od - the ultimate sexual turn-on. But foD the average moviegoer, the survival of a car crash, or the near-car crash, is what arouses them, not its destructive quali- ties. Couples hug and kiss after a close call, celebrating their luck, but the men and women of "Crash" are actually dis- appointed when V I E W they survive, as if death itself, not the Crash dodging of death, is the ultimat* orgasm. , Showcase and State The concept of death as the ulti- mate orgasm, however, is not complete- ly unheard of. In fact, the actual ideol- ogy of "Crash" (specifically Ballard's original book) is quite ingenious, albeit disturbing. What is silly and unsuccess- ful is Cronenberg's translation from lit- erature to visual art. Considering that auto accidents are the topic, one would assume that the visual movie actually lends itself to violence better than the novel. Here, this clearly is not the case. In the final scene, James Ballard chases his wife driving Vaughan's rav- aged convertible throughout a Los Angeles highway. In novel form, this scene may have illustrated how cars moving in patterns suggest flirtation, foreplay and climax (the actual crash). On film, however, much of Ballard'* mysticism is lost, leaving an imagina- tion-drained audience that sees two grown adults playing bumper cars. Rosanna Arquette In "Crash." Coopers and Lybrand L.L.P. GET A HEAD START Coopers and Lybrand L.L.P., an international professional service organization, is holding a presentation at the Michigan Union Parker Room 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. March 27, 1997 We are looking for May 1998 Graduates in the fields of Economics, Accounting, and General Business that are highly-motivated, creative problem-solvers, and have the ability to learn quickly. The positions available are in the Business Assurance practice for Fall 1998. As a member of this line of business, you will utilize leading-edge technology to plan and implement the most efficient and effective audit. Our clients expect us to act as key business advisors who bring value to their organizations by helping identify and assess risks and opportunities. Your assignments will be tailored in a way that allows you to develop substantive accounting, audit and business skills. If this sounds like the position for you, please join us for the informational pre- sentation and refreshments on March 27th. Also, please forward.your resume fin I Ix'