Philip Kennicott: “What matters is that sometimes lightning strikes, and there is hell to pay, and suddenly a name is blackened forever. That kind of justice may be terrifying and swift and inconsistent, but it sends a blunt message: When the world finally learns that what you have done is loathsome, it may not be possible to undo the damage through the miraculous scrubbing power of cultural detergent.” – The Washington Post
Are We Now To Subject Every Major Arts Donor To A Moral Purity Test?
Mark Lawson: “What would count as an acceptable way of having become rich enough to have some spare to dish out to the arts? Sponsorship by BP and Nestlé has been questioned because of environmental or ethical concerns about the nature of the patrons’ business. Airlines, which have consistently been generous to the arts, are now on the wrong side of history, as, in a post-crash era queasy about capitalism, are most makers of money. … And if the funding of buildings and exhibitions is subject to ethical scrutiny, then why not their content as well?” – The Guardian
Growing Complaints: Too Many Streaming Services To Choose From
For the first time in many years, there’s growth in online piracy of film and TV. Some experts say it may be because fans are getting sick of paying for yet another streaming service. – NPR
Categorization: Do We Really Need “Ultra” Contemporary??
On the other hand: What important trends are we obscuring if we lump the likes of Andy Warhol, who died in 1987, and Avery Singer, who was born in 1987, into the same category? – Artnet
How Can We Put Theory And Context Behind Video Games And The Worlds Of Gaming? [AUDIO]
Yep, videogames, gamers, and their lives online need to be placed into context by … well … folklorists, of course. Says one, a gamer and a writer: “We all want to be part of a community, we want to be accepted and find people who are like us, and Ultima Online was kind of the start of that.” – Wired
A High School Theatre Club Puts On A Terrifyingly Great Adaptation Of ‘Alien’
And the internet is extremely pleased – the photos. The video. The too-real tension. “Also, apparently the entire play was crafted on the cheap out of recycled materials, which is awesome in its own right.” – AV Club
Please Stop Harassing Writers While They’re Working
And in specific, stop harassing Asian Americans authors. Listen to author R.O. Kwon (The Incendiaries) discuss her experiences at literary events: “Aside from the colorist comments about my skin, some of these words — adorable, cute, silky, shiny — could be taken, incorrectly, as compliments. I acknowledge that there’s luck, and privilege, in inhabiting a body that others might find appealing. But when I’m at these events, I am at work. I am talking about my profession, not about my hair or skin or any perceived cuteness.” – The New York Times
In Fiction, The Shadow Of Slavery Is Deep
Writers focusing on the time period itself, and its long aftermath, have a lot of conflicting desires for their books. “What comes across in all of the writing on the Atlantic slave trade is the sustained tension between a determination to close the chapter on slavery and the desperate fear of forgetting.” – The Guardian (UK)
In The WGA Versus The Talent Agencies, Showrunners And Screenwriters Back Their Union
The issues concern who gets fees for packaging TV shows and movies (the agents get those fees now), and whether agencies have conflicts of interest around certain shows. But the point is that “the letter of support issued Saturday is significant because of the immense clout showrunners and prominent screenwriters possess in Hollywood.” – Variety
Many American Film Critics Missed This, But ‘Suspiria’ Is About The Guilt At The Heart Of German History
The more German history you know – no, not only about the Nazis, but yes also about the Nazis – the more you’ll understand how very, very much cultural work this movie is doing. The movie “explores the trauma of our world by embedding [a] fable in a historical past which holds terrifying prospects for our future.” – Medium
The Most Expensive Thing To Buy Now Is Human Interaction
The poor and middle-class can’t escape screens, and the data they hoover up both mindlessly and with (scary) intention. But the rich can, and do. – The New York Times
Dave Frishberg Is 86
And there’s not enough – hardly any – video of him performing, but here’s one. – Doug Ramsey
The Art World Is Finally Responding To Older African American Artists
Well, indeed: “‘There has been a whole parallel universe that existed that people had not tapped into,’ said Valerie Cassel Oliver, curator of modern and contemporary art at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts in Richmond.” For some of the artists, the attention can feel like a bit of a mixed blessing, but the advantages are strong. – The New York Times
Barbra Streisand Said Some Pretty Bad Stuff In An Interview
Today, she apologized for much of the interview wherein she blamed the parents of the men who say Michael Jackson abused them when they were kids, and saying such things as “You can say ‘molested,’ but those children, as you heard say, they were thrilled to be there. … They both married and they both have children, so it didn’t kill them.” – The New York Times
Birmingham’s Young, Popular, Fiery Conductor Says British Orchestras Don’t Have An Easy Life
Mirga Gražinytė-Tyla became the music director for the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra in 2016. She says, “British orchestras, the CBSO included, don’t have an easy life. They work very hard, very fast. They don’t have the government support you get in, say, Germany or Austria or elsewhere. Or the rehearsal time.” – The Observer (UK)