What Toronto Life readers loved and loathed in our November issue

Shrink Piece

Olivia Stren’s adventures in AI therapy sounded alarms about the risks of taking advice from an inanimate object. Mostly, readers shook their heads at the irony of relying on tech to cure the very problems that tech created.

“The only solution is to ditch the cellphone, period. Since 2007, when the iPhone came to be, people’s mental health problems have skyrocketed. The addiction is palpable—one we will look back on in many years and say to ourselves, WTF were we thinking?” —@GDMK26, X

Weapons of Mass Distraction

Response to Aubrey Cottle’s memoir—about his role in the collective known as Anonymous—was wildly mixed. Some readers applauded the hacktivist known as Kirtaner and the movement he helped launch. Others did not.

“Not all heroes wear capes. Some wear masks. The legacy of Anonymous didn’t end; it evolved into $ANON. We’re not hackers, we’re builders of the next internet cult. FREE KIRT!” —@wandisyn0, X

“Texas GOP efforts now threaten one of the founders of Anonymous with jail—but he stands by hacking as a crucial weapon against corruption.” —@NDGlongreads, X

“Aubrey Cottle: Latin for parasite.” —@ArborR6, X

Orchestral Manoeuvres

Naomi Buck’s feature on Mandle Cheung—a tech millionaire, Mahler fanatic and amateur conductor—received a torrent of impassioned responses.

“I heard Mandle Cheung conduct a performance of Beethoven’s ninth. There were some issues, including the orchestra almost coming apart at one point during the scherzo. I would definitely prefer to hear a performance given by a trained conductor, but if he’s willing to pay and the musicians are willing to perform and people want to listen, I don’t see the harm.” —One-Random-Goose, Reddit

“There’s a whole lot of room for a non-professional conductor to destroy what the orchestra would otherwise do fine on their own.” —LLaasseee, Reddit

“My local orchestra played several concerts conducted by a wealthy donor who paid handsomely for the privilege. He clearly loved doing it, and because it was a free concert, it brought in new audiences. Win-win-win.” —intobinto, Reddit

“So roughly one-sixteenth of their annual budget came from this single concert, and it was a packed house of appreciative audience members? Sounds like a success by any serious metric.

“Musicians go on about Mahler, saying Mahler is why they got into music and how dare someone seize control of their job and harm them with an inadequate interpretation. As an orchestral musician and someone currently involved in a very for-profit musical venture, I’m not buying it. Even the best orchestras are going to have clowns come through and conduct. It’s part of deciding to have a career in an ensemble!

“Recognize that society doesn’t always believe that our art form is worth saving. And try to support your company when opportunity lands on your doorstep.” —ruthlesspedantry, Reddit

“Are the musicians actually seeing that extra money? They’re the ones who have to perform with this conductor. If the orchestra is getting a windfall from this, the musicians better at least get a bonus. Movie and pop gigs are part of the job description. Playing under an inexperienced conductor who paid his way in is a humiliation they never signed up for.” —pierre2menard2, Reddit

“What I want to say to Mandle Cheung is this: sir, please stuff your ego back in your pants.” —Hifi-Cat, Reddit

“If you want to conduct, pick an instrument, learn to play, earn respect among musicians and then ask to conduct. We are not your personal toy. That’s what I would say before remembering we need a new set of tubular bells and taking the cheque.” —AegoliusOfBurgundy, Reddit

“A great orchestra will keep it together and still sound good even with an amateur conductor. They will, for the most part, ignore the conductor and lead themselves. However, a performance of high artistic calibre requires mindful rehearsals. Artistic decisions are made, and a good professional conductor will support the orchestra in playing with a unified approach and vision. Mahler’s second is a great work, so it might sound good, but there is a huge difference between a good performance and a magical one. Magic happens when the orchestra and the conductor work together as a team and inspire one another musically. This particular concert was not that. It was perhaps a good execution but not a transformative interpretation. It was transactional. You can buy the opportunity, but you can’t buy yourself instant artistry.” —suzettecocoa, Reddit

“I attended an otherwise excellent performance of Bach’s Mass in B Minor last year and was stunned at how truly awful one of the vocal soloists was. The person next to me whispered, ‘Major donor.’ I see the point, but I did pay good money for my ticket.” —Shu-di, Reddit

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