Are we really just pleasure-seeking audiences looking for that instant hit of media indulgence? As the effects of lockdown and zoom fatigue have exposed, society seems to be increasingly experiencing media fatigue. – The Conversation
Watching Other People Clean Their Houses On YouTube Is Now A Thing
“These aren’t Hoarder spinoffs for viewers to gawk at other people’s misery, nor are they aspirational home-organizing tutorials where influencers showcase impeccable walk-in closets. No, these are process videos grinding through some of the most mundane tasks we all do every week. And therein, apparently, lies the appeal. There’s a dirty house. After 30 minutes, it’s clean.” – The New York Times
After More Not So Great Publicity, CBS Decides To Have Another Investigation
Peter Dunn, the head of CBS’ 28 news stations, and another staffer – the senior vice president for news – were suspended, and an outside law firm hired to investigate an alleged culture of sexist and racist bullying. – Los Angeles Times
Robert Cohan, 95, Who Exported Contemporary Dance From The US To The UK
Cohan founded an outpost of Martha Graham’s school in London in 1966, and, a couple of years later, The Place. That venture (including the London Contemporary Dance Group) “initially performed pieces from Graham’s and other choreographers’ bodies of work, but Mr. Cohan soon decided that going forward it would offer only works that had been specially created for its dancers. Under this new policy The Place became a hothouse for cultivating local talent, producing important choreographers like Richard Alston, Siobhan Davies, Darshan Singh Buller, Robert North and Aletta Collins.”- The New York Times
After 30 Years, London Review Of Books Editor Steps Down
Mary-Kay Wilmers was one of LRB‘s co-founders in 1979, and after co-editing it since 1988 became sole editor in 1992. Two women will take over: “Wilmers will continue at the paper as consulting editor, with the LRB’s deputy editor Jean McNicol and senior editor Alice Spawls succeeding her.” – The Guardian (UK)
When Broadway Returns, Ticketing May Be Different
Why did Jujamcyn switch from Ticketmaster to SeatGeek (more commonly a sports ticket app in the U.S.)? For one thing, SeatGeek is very commonly a contactless system, which now seems possible valuable for preventing viral spread. Also, there’s the ease of selling more things: “Beyond selling tickets, its technology could be used to allow customers to order food and drink, arrange transportation, purchase merchandise and get other information.” – The New York Times
After Inheriting A Massive Khmer Art Collection, A Daughter Returns It To Cambodia
When Nawapan Kriangsak inherited the priceless art collection of her father, scholar and collector Douglas Latchford, she already had a plan in motion to return his art to Cambodia, from whence most of it came during that country’s civil war. Latchford’s death in 2020 ended extradition efforts after “federal prosecutors in New York charged him with trafficking in looted Cambodian relics and falsifying documents, and said he had ‘built a career out of the smuggling and illicit sale of priceless Cambodian antiquities, often straight from archaeological sites.'” – The New York Times
Colorado Symphony Can Breathe Easy For A Few More Months
A $2 million donation means that musicians and staff have salaries and health care through June, despite the fact that there’s no revenue coming in from concerts. – Nine News (Denver)
Sharon Kay Penman, Historical Novelist Of England And Wales, 75
Penman’s best-selling, lengthy books about medieval England and Wales were stuffed with research – and drama. But “such was her commitment to the factual record that she kept a running list on her website of historical errors in her novels, owning up to even the most minor offense, like describing a medieval greyhound as ‘brindled,’ long before the breed developed that particular coloration.” – The New York Times
Time To Bring Back Leonard Bernstein’s Musical?
Mark Swed thinks so: Bernstein “devoted four years to the musical. He wrote more music for it than for any other theater work. The show had a $900,000 sponsorship from Coca-Cola. It was billed as the musical of the decade. The show closed on Broadway after seven performances. It was the biggest artistic disaster of Bernstein’s life. The reviews were just awful, all of them. Critics called it ‘simplistic,’ ‘sophomoric’ and ‘a Bicentennial bore.’ Bernstein thought he had written his greatest show. He was right, and the simplistic, sophomoric critics were wrong.” – Los Angeles Times
Duke Bootee, Who Changed The Course Of Hip-Hop, 69
Writer, studio musician at Sugar Hill Records, and singer, Bootee couldn’t take the upbeat party aims of early hip-hop. So he wrote “The Message” about the serious, gritty life of his hometown, Elizabeth, N.J. Questlove: “The world (me included) absolutely froze in its tracks the week it debuted on radio. … Hip-hop was once known as party fodder, a fad. ‘The Message’ pulled a 180 and proved it could be a tool of sociopolitical change.” – The New York Times
Apple Also Blames Facebook For Undermining Democracy
And now there’s a tug of war about the future of the internet – and the future of any kind of privacy. – Wired
An Appraisal, And An Appreciation, Of Cicely Tyson
Wesley Morris: “Alas, she would not be playing the most daring, out-there characters. And let’s face it: the great parts were always headed to someone whiter anyway. The more audacious move was to declare herself a moral progenitor, to walk with her head high so that Denzel Washington might become a man on fire and Viola Davis could learn how to get away with murder.” – The New York Times
Tonys Voting Has A Plan, But The Awards Date Is A Mystery
The Broadway League and the American Theater Wing: “One, the much-delayed awards will be scheduled ‘in coordination with the reopening of Broadway.’ And two, the voting will take place from March 1 to March 15.” OK. Why not be flexible at this point? – The New York Times
Corky Lee, Photographer Of Asian America, Dies Of Covid At 73
Lee, the son of immigrants from China, “was determined both to restore the contributions of Asian-Americans to the historical record and to document their present-day lives and struggles, especially those living in New York.” – The New York Times
Survey: When American Arts Organizations Plan To Resume Live Performances
The study surveyed 104 organizations, including 91 in the United States and 13 in Canada, from Dec. 12, 2020 through Jan. 12, 2021. The study found that, among U.S. organizations, companies in the Southeast, Southwest, and South are the most optimistic, with a majority planning a return before July. Companies in the Midwest, West, and Northeast mostly plan returns in the third and fourth quarters of 2021, with just 3 percent of Midwest and 5 percent of Northeast orgs anticipating a 2022 return. – American Theatre
Amanda Gorman Invited To Recite Poem At This Year’s SuperBowl
She will be reciting at the Super Bowl pre-show on Feb. 7, before the Kansas City Chiefs play the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. – NPR
Australian Dance Theatre’s Artistic Director Stepping Down After 22 Years
Garry Stewart took the helm at Adelaide-based ADT — which is the country’s oldest contemporary dance company — in 1999 and choreographed 20 original works there. – InDaily (Adelaide)
After 30 Years, Co-Founder/Editor Of London Review Of Books Retires
“Mary-Kay Wilmers … was one of the founders of the literary magazine in 1979, along with Karl Miller and Susannah Clapp, became co-editor in 1988, and has been its sole editor since 1992. In 2019, when the LRB celebrated its 40th anniversary, she was dubbed ‘Britain’s most influential editor’ by the New York Times.” – The Guardian