Short Stuff

Ottawa-born singer Alanis Morissette recently won four Grammy awards including best rock song (You Oughta Know), best female rock performance, album of the year (Jagged Little Pill) and best rock album. The academy's recognition of Morissette is seen as a bow to pressure to recognize "cutting edge" acts. Pop star Mariah Carey, tied with Morissette for six nominations, went away empty-handed. Morissette drew some gasps from the audience as she performed her hit song, complete with the F-word and references to oral sex. Broadcaster CBS lowered the volume of its live broadcast at critical points.
Maclean's

Cyberspace relationships have developed into an "emotional affair" when: you're more intimate in an internet relationship than in your primary relationship; your mate doesn't know how deeply you're involved; and there is sexual tension, even if it isn't acted upon, according to Baltimore psychologist Shirley Glass. The distinction may gain importance as a New Jersey husband wants a divorce because he accuses his wife of "committing adultery" over the internet, though they were never physically together.
USA Today (quoted in Youthworker Update)

Gospel music is growing at a faster rate than any other major form of popular music, according to a study by the Gospel Music Association. Since 1991, sales of gospel music have grown an average of 22% each year, while other genres such as rock and rap grew at about 5% or below. Total sales for gospel CDs, cassettes and videos were $390 million US in 1994, and rose to an estimated $481 million in 1995. In market share, gospel music is still dwarfed by rock, pop and country music, but its strong growth is attracting the attention of music buyers and retailers. Sales in the general marketplace accounted for only 8% of total sales in 1991 but increased to 21% by 1994. These crossover sales help to account for the increase in gospel music sales.
EPNS

Urban Decay, an interactive CD-ROM shoot-em-up game currently in development enables players to enact realistic-looking murders at close range, including cop-killing. Other games being developed include Harvester, which includes scenes of gruesome deaths and cannibalism; Crusader in which human figures catch fire and scream until disintegrating; and Expect No Mercy, which promises to deliver "blood, visual nightmares and uncensored violence". "These games are even worse than violence on television and in the movies because the kids are participating, not simply watching," says psychiatrist Carole Lieberman.
Plugged In

Blaine Klippenstein was incorrectly identified as Brian Klippenstein in the March 8, 1996 Short Stuff column as the author of a set of books for aboriginals in northern Canada. We apologize for the error.

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