"Downtowns and the cities they anchor are the most adaptive and resilient of human creations; they have survived far worse. Continual works in progress, they have been rebuilt and remade in the aftermaths of all manner of crises and catastrophes." - Bloomberg CityLab
New research from Get Off! and the University of Sunderland saw nearly 850 members of the live comedy industry (more than half of which were men) responding to an anonymous survey. Of these, 21% said they had personally experienced or witnessed sexual harassment, and 74% said it was regular or frequent. - The Guardian
"We have conceded moral authority to howling mobs, and the louder the howls, the more we have agreed that the howls were worth heeding. ... (Today) nobody would publish (The Satanic Verses), because sensitivity readers would notice the theological delicacy of the book's title and plot." - MSN (The Atlantic)
In the ’80s and ’90s the arts were ascendant here, and Seattle was well regarded nationally as an up and coming arts town. Then poof, much of that energy melted away. Why? - Post Alley
During the worst days of lockdown, some artists who couldn’t afford rent squatted in empty theaters to save money. Others left the art world entirely, unable to justify creating artworks that no longer had an audience. - Artnet
It especially seems like behavior's gotten worse in Britain, where complaints have soared and one hears and reads stories about groups chatting with each other loudly, drinking too much, and even bringing takeout food to eat ("pass me a fork") during the performance. - the i (UK)
On Oct. 12, the justices will consider whether he violated the federal Copyright Act by basing a portrait of the musician Prince on a prominent photographer’s work. In the process, they will have to decide whether Warhol’s alterations of the photograph transformed it into something different. - The New York Times
If you are a kid, it is your job to get inside a cardboard box from time to time and pretend it is a train. It is your firm responsibility to notice that the chair could have a persona and the ball flying out of the window is an absolute riot. It is up to you to be silly. What you need from...
Subjects in the study reported improved quality of life, feelings of wellbeing, and even physical condition — as long as they had necessary technical support. - The Guardian
We should be able to evaluate various figures, past and present, by noting their indecorous or hateful views and continuing to appreciate, even celebrate, their achievements without making them candidates for cancellation. - The New York Times
Jerry Sadowitz, 61, an American-born Scot, is a veteran of the Fringe and known for his provocative stand-up shows. The venue said it received an "unprecedented" number of complaints from audience members and staff. - BBC
This goes some way to explaining the surprising Western enthusiasm, in the decade since “Gangnam Style,” for not just Korean popular culture but Korean popular culture that attacks its own society. - The New Yorker
The fatwa threatened not only Rushdie and those associated with The Satanic Verses, but freedom of expression more broadly. If Khomeini and the government of Iran could suppress a book, what was to stop repressive regimes in different parts of the world from blocking more publications that offended them? - The New Republic
Thompson: "Intimacy coordinators are the most fantastic introduction in our work. And no, you can’t just ‘let it flow’. ... There’s a camera there and a crew – it’s not on your own in a hotel room." - The Guardian (UK)
Of course, the Pledge isn't what got the teacher's bulletin board torn down by a co-worker. No - it was the people saying the Pledge, controversial people like, er, Colin Powell and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. - Vice
