Stories

Comedy, Says This Comedian, Can Save Lives

“'After the show, people come to me in person and through messages,’ said. ‘A lot of people said, ‘I felt like I am not alone.’ That gives me so much hope and unity.’” - Los Angeles Times (Yahoo)

Trump’s White House Excoriates The Smithsonian National Museum Of American History

“The White House condemned the  for what it said was a failure to celebrate the nation’s heritage, arguing it had become a political tool intent on denigrating the American story.” No First Amendment red flags here at all. - The New York Times

How AI Is Changing Human Language

Supposed AI tells - “are also characteristic of human writing, which, after all, the large language models (LLMs) that produce them were trained on.” - The Guardian (UK)

That’s Right, Actor And Director Olivia Wilde Took That Last Name To Honor Oscar

She’s from the US, but her family (like a whole lot of people in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, and other diaspora landing spots) also claim Ireland. - Irish Times

Can Anyone Save Wikipedia?

Elon Musk and a MAGA army, not to mention AI, not to mention (other) authoritarian governments, are sure coming for the little nonprofit that could. - The New York Times

Turkish Comedian Imprisoned For Insulting Erdogan

"A Turkish court on Friday ordered a comedian jailed pending trial on charges of insulting religious values and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, after his stand‑up routine included references to him as a ‘dictator.’” (This is what the some might call Erdogan “not beating the charges.”) - Seattle Times (AP)

Take A Deep Breath: Music Fans Vs Music Critics Discourse Surfaces Again

“America’s obsession with celebrity has morphed into this really weird, parasocial thing, where people feel incentivized to be deputized defenders of that person and are there to attack anybody who says anything at least a little bit negative about them.” - Washington Post

The Men’s Team World Cup Run May Be Helping Revive Mexico’s Mariachi Traditions

“People are drinking. They’re happy. They’re paying for music.” - NPR

What’s Going On With Theatre Leadership Isn’t Exactly Hidden Or Mysterious

"Call it what you want: colonialism, toxic workplace culture, oppression, patriarchy, the result is the same: power in the hands of a few who extract all the benefit they can from the many while trying to convince us that we should be thankful for the honor of the extraction.” - Amy Wratchford

While ‘ER’ Made Noah Wyle’s Career, It Probably Also Stifled Him

The actor, currently famous thanks to his project The Pitt, says he “missed out on roles in Saving Private Ryan and Good Night, and Good Luck because he couldn’t get out of filming” ER. - Variety

The MAGA-Reviled Smithsonian Museums Saved Many Lives On The Fourth

Did someone hit a big flashing “irony” button for our timeline? - The New York Times

After Some Grim Times, The US Is Back In Love With Independent Cinemas

You can thank the young ones: there’s “a gen Z-led wave fueling a fresh resurgence of indie movie houses.” - The Guardian (UK)

Fifty Years Ago, The NEA Funded Orchestras Celebrating The Nation’s Big Anniversary

In 1976, “the centerpiece was the National Endowment for the Arts Bicentennial Orchestra Commissioning Project. That funded America’s six top orchestras to each commission a major work that all six would play.” - Los Angeles Times (MSN)

The Green Man Music Festival In Wales Does A Lot More Than Simply Entertain

Javid from Afghanistan “said the festival in the idyllic Bannau Brycheiniog national park had been his first ever experience of a music concert. Under the Taliban, he said, ‘There is no music, and it’s banned to listen to any music.’” - The Guardian (UK)

The Empty, Vacuous Promises Of The New LACMA

“There is nothing emancipatory, nor original, about creating a luxury venue that privileges sensibility over scholarship, allure over accessibility, and fine dining over gallery square footage.” - E-Flux

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