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Without Reality TV, We’d Never Have Arrived At Today’s Inauguration

“The idea that blandly macho host would become one of the most influential figures in American life would have seemed as ridiculous as, well, Donald Trump getting elected president. Twice.” - Los Angeles Times (Yahoo)

Publishers, Who First Resisted And Then Embraced TikTok, Worry About What Can Replace ItT

As author Brandon Taylor noted on social media, it’s a little disingenuous for The NYT to publish this article since it’s a whole newspaper that could focus more on books. Still, BookTok was special, and the BookTok goodbyes were intense. - The New York Times

The Broad Museum Is Hit With Sexual Harassment And Discrimination Lawsuits

“The lawsuit accuses the Broad of failing to take 'reasonable steps to prevent retaliation and wrongful termination against Walker who opposed discrimination in the workplace.’” - Los Angeles Times (Yahoo)

When Is A Calder Not A Calder?

Or rather, when is a broken Calder still a Calder? "Richard Brodie, an art collector, says his ability to sell the work has been undermined by the Calder Foundation,” and he is suing to get the artist’s name back on the piece. - The New York Times

Getty Museums In L.A. Now Seen As “Beacon Of Fire Preparedness”

"The Center, which houses a sprawling collection in a modernist building, is described on the Getty website as a 'marvel of anti-fire engineering.' The Villa, which focuses on ancient Greek and Roman art, has a well-tuned anti-fire protocol that kept it intact amid the devastation (in) Pacific Palisades." - The Washington Post (MSN)

US Supreme Court Unanimously Upholds Law Banning TikTok

"TikTok, which has 170 million monthly American users, had argued the ban tramples on the First Amendment rights of both the app and its users — an argument that the court ultimately shot down on Friday." - TheWrap

David Lynch, 78

"(His films) bridged the mainstream and avant-garde, exploring the sinister recesses of the human psyche — and the mysteries behind America’s white picket fences — with an unsettling blend of melodrama, whimsy and nightmarish horror." - The Washington Post (MSN)

In Defense Of El Sistema, The Simón Bolívar Orchestra, And, Yes, Dudamel

European Union Youth Orchestra director Marshall Marcus, who's seen a lot of El Sistema's educational work up close, argues that those who denounce the program, its flagship orchestra and its most famous alumnus for providing window-dressing to the Maduro regime are missing the point — and overlooking the good El Sistema does. - The Guardian

The Extraordinary Efforts To Save The Getty Center From Fire

Fire extinguishers in hand, the museum said, the Getty’s staff scours the sparse ground beneath their boots as well as the canopies of oak trees overhead. They look for embers. - The Wall Street Journal

A Proposal For Keeping The Wanamaker Organ Safe And In Regular Use

The instrument's landmark status only means that it can't be destroyed or moved without approval: a new owner or occupier of the soon-to-be-former Macy's in central Philadelphia could simply mothball it. Peter Dobrin has a suggestion for the space that could keep the public coming in to listen. - The Philadelphia Inquirer (MSN)

How The Getty Villa Survived The Palisades Fire: An Inside Look

"Getty Trust CEO Katherine Fleming described the scene on the ground and how she and her staff worked from a conference center-turned-war room at the Getty Center in Brentwood, about 10 miles away — all while 16 staff members remained at the Villa to implement emergency protocols." - Los Angeles Times (MSN)

“Post-Woke”? Is The Art World Set To Move Away From “Radlib” Identity Politics?

Ben Davis: "The main issue that will dominate, I believe, is cultural institutions trying, and probably failing, to process the confused splintering of the liberal ideological consensus. A faith in a certain type of cultural politics has fallen apart. What comes after, for the moment, is unclear." - Artnet

Why Do So Many Critically Acclaimed Shows Come From London Only To Be Panned In New York?

Jesse Green, who admits to being one of those New York critics doing the panning, has some ideas. - The New York Times

TikTok “Is Harming Children At An Industrial Scale” — And Knows It

Jonathan Haidt and Zach Rausch: "Our evidence comes mostly from research done by 14 (state) Attorneys General. … The briefs include hundreds of quotations from internal reports, memos, Slack conversations, and public statements in which executives and employees of TikTok ... discuss the harms that their company is causing to children." - After Babel

A War In Massachusetts Over The Soul Of Public Radio

In Cape Cod, the founders of Transom audio training, the Public Radio Exchange (or PRX), and the Moth Radio Hour suddenly discovered that Boston’s GBH had sold their house out from under them. The community is not into it, but GBH (seemingly!) could not care less. - Nieman Lab

The Composer And Violinist On A Mission To Keep Musicians Mentally Well

Kyleen King wants to protect the “sacred catharsis” that audiences feel when they listen to music - and one way to do that, she thinks, is to "preserve what music is for listeners and also care for the people who make that music so their work is sustainable.”  - Oregon ArtsWatch

Latin American News Sites Brace For What May Be Coming From Zuckerberg

Spanish language factchecker Laura Zommer says, “Far from censoring, fact-checkers add context. ...We never advocate for removing content. We want citizens to have better information to make their own decisions.” - Wired

A Mass Erasure Of Architectural And Cultural Heritage In Los Angeles As The Fires Continue

“‘It’s staggering and heartbreaking — I don’t know any other way to put it,’ said Ken Bernstein, principal city planner at Los Angeles City Planning’s Office of Historic Resources. ‘This is widespread destruction of significant architecture and places that are cherished in our communities.’”- Los Angeles Times (Yahoo)

Houston Symphony Hires Gary Ginstling As CEO

That’s mere months after his surprise departure from the NY Phil. The Houston Symphony board president: "No one wants to work in an environment where they feel like they either can’t be successful, or they’re not trusted or they’ve got somebody looking over their shoulder.” - Associated Press

In Los Angeles, Artists’ Life Work Has Gone Up Into Smoke And Ashes

As one of the many, many artists who lost studios and archives said, "It’s terror and despair.” - The New York Times
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