As I spent my elementary, middle school and high school years attending public schools in the Toronto District School Board, I realized more and more the stereotype that exists of East Asian students being studious, good at math and science and being overall overachievers. This stereotype was especially clear during high school when I came across the term ‘the Asian six-pack’ being used for the three grade 12 math and three grade 12 science courses, all in the University-bound stream, that were known as the most difficult high school courses. The use of the term illustrates a common conception of Asians in the schooling system in Ontario, the model minority myth.

You know, the kind of guy who would, if he wasn't gay, probably be shouting ‘Oi, gay boy!’ or ‘You bummer!’ or even ‘Oi, paki!’ or what have you. They're not enlightened.

Okay, okay, okay… First, of course, babies feel pain. How the fuck did we ever think otherwise⁉ But more importantly, the fact that painkillers are addictive was not a myth. It’s like a book of Greek mythology featuring the stories of Zeus, Sisyphus, Oedipus and Yanni. Come on! That last one is very real and it cannot be dismissed.

For example, a voice accusing a man of being a paedophile might be based on recent TV news programmes about antipaedophile vigilante groups, plus the memory of having been accused of being a pervert by a neighbour, plus fears that he might be a secret paedophile because he enjoyed reading Lolita.