And that's because human brains are so energy hungry that they train hard to be energy-efficient. What happens when actual machines can mimic the brain? - Wired
Perhaps the Australian journalist who screwed up his country's only interview with Adele was trying to resist her massive PR team. But the performer (& her team) also convinced Spotify to change its automatic shuffle. In short, power cuts many ways. - The Observer (UK)
The Brit Awards announced they "would do away with gendered awards categories entirely, following in the footsteps of the Grammy Awards, the MTV Video Music Awards and the Juno Awards." A big concern: Women performers may get shut out once again. - CBC
Gaby Hoffman's public life began when she was five, and stepmom Cindy Sherman took photos of her dressed as the Devil. She had her own sitcom at 12. But somehow - by dint of taking years off - she still loves acting. - The Guardian (UK)
At the Washington Ballet, for instance, "Dancers younger than 12 will be wearing custom-designed masks to match their party frocks, clown costumes and mouse fur. These kids will also need a negative coronavirus test 72 hours before any performance." - Washington Post
The author of The Lovely Bones wrote about her rape in her 1999 memoir, Lucky, which was in the process of being made into a movie - but the original producer's own research led to Anthony Broadwater's exoneration. - Los Angeles Times (AP)
Yes, it's corporate, and yes, representation is incredibly important. "I'm creating sacred space," one of the artists said - and, from a business point of view, the inclusivity sends a message to potential consumers who care about that value as well. - CBC
"When the housing scheme opened in 1938, it offered 3,000 residents modern kitchens with integrated waste disposal, as well as communal nursery and launderette facilities in what was then the largest social housing complex in Britain." Fifty years later? All gone. - The Guardian (UK)
His non-Broadway role as a Michael Jackson impersonator gave him away - and federal investigators attended LA and San Francisco performances where actor James Beeks was playing Judas (yes, Judas) in a road show of Jesus Christ Superstar. - Washington Post
"For arts institutions looking to make the changes the public wants to see, the numbers couldn’t be clearer: lowering ticket and entry prices should be at the top of their list." Also important: "Improving equity and inclusion ... and engaging more diverse groups." - Hyperallergic
The entire run of Paradise Blue has been canceled. The playwright wrote on Facebook "that her decision came after she discovered that Black women artists involved with the show were being 'verbally abused and diminished.'" - Los Angeles Times
A Harry Potter universe free of J.K. Rowling's anti-trans commentary! A universe where the fanfiction pairing "Wolfstar" is real. It's 500,000 words long, even longer than several of the books together. Perfect for the winter months, perhaps? - Slate
"After months of relative normalcy, Europe’s opera houses, concert halls and theaters are reintroducing measures all too familiar from earlier phases of the pandemic, restricting audience numbers and mandating testing, if not canceling shows outright." - The New York Times
