ArtsJournal Classic

AJ Four Ways: Text Only (by date) | headlines only

DANCE

    IDEAS

    • Good Morning:

      In a break from the turmoil of recent weeks in the culture world, today perhaps some lighter fare. We are seeing a massive boom in romance fiction, a trend critics are likening to the “lipstick effect”—when the world crumbles, we buy happy endings (The Guardian ). We are also being told that the enormous popularity and resulting deluge of Christmas movies dominating our screens right now shouldn’t be judged as art at all, but accepted as “tinsel in a can,” decoration in an age of hard times (Irish Times ).

      But while readers look for escape, the culture wars are getting personal. The term “Theatre Kid” has suddenly been weaponized as a right-wing political insult, turning a high school archetype into a partisan slur (The New York Times ). In Los Angeles, the pushback is visual: artists are projecting their faces onto buildings in a daring protest against ICE, asking “Am I Next?” (The Guardian ).

      Meanwhile, the technology of delivery is shifting. 3D film is being eulogized as a failed “golden goose” (The Atlantic ), while audiobooks are replacing print for readers who need to consume literature while “making the bed” or “unloading the dishwasher” (The New York Times ). On the small screen, TikTok creators are panic-proofing their content, worried that new U.S. ownership will bring a wave of censorship (Variety ).

      All of today’s stories, organized by topic, below.

    • The Future Of Film Never Arrived, And Never Will

      “I covered the 3-D boom from the start, and even early on one could see that the golden goose was cooked. It was clear that the marginal returns on 3-D screenings were rapidly diminishing.” – The Atlantic

    • In Los Angeles, People Daringly Put Their Faces On Buildings Asking ICE If They’re Next

      “Along with projecting portraits of Angelenos, Am I Next? highlights brief stories of people, including US citizens, accosted and snatched out of homes, cars, workplaces and the streets by federal agents, under the word ‘Taken.’” – The Guardian (UK)

    • Why I Stopped Reading Print, And Embraced Audiobooks

      “Here’s what I love about listening: I can do it all the time, not just while sitting still. I read … while making my bed, brushing my teeth, unloading the dishwasher, commuting to work, waiting in line, driving and occasionally while falling asleep.” – The New York Times

    • Romance Fiction Is Booming, And It’s Not Just Because Of Love

      “It is possible, with your small candle, to make your way in the darkness. One delight, against all this. The world crumbles, and lipstick sales go up. And so, too, do sales of romantic fiction.” – The Guardian (UK)

    ISSUES

    MEDIA

    MUSIC

    PEOPLE

    • Good Morning:

      In a break from the turmoil of recent weeks in the culture world, today perhaps some lighter fare. We are seeing a massive boom in romance fiction, a trend critics are likening to the “lipstick effect”—when the world crumbles, we buy happy endings (The Guardian ). We are also being told that the enormous popularity and resulting deluge of Christmas movies dominating our screens right now shouldn’t be judged as art at all, but accepted as “tinsel in a can,” decoration in an age of hard times (Irish Times ).

      But while readers look for escape, the culture wars are getting personal. The term “Theatre Kid” has suddenly been weaponized as a right-wing political insult, turning a high school archetype into a partisan slur (The New York Times ). In Los Angeles, the pushback is visual: artists are projecting their faces onto buildings in a daring protest against ICE, asking “Am I Next?” (The Guardian ).

      Meanwhile, the technology of delivery is shifting. 3D film is being eulogized as a failed “golden goose” (The Atlantic ), while audiobooks are replacing print for readers who need to consume literature while “making the bed” or “unloading the dishwasher” (The New York Times ). On the small screen, TikTok creators are panic-proofing their content, worried that new U.S. ownership will bring a wave of censorship (Variety ).

      All of today’s stories, organized by topic, below.

    • The Future Of Film Never Arrived, And Never Will

      “I covered the 3-D boom from the start, and even early on one could see that the golden goose was cooked. It was clear that the marginal returns on 3-D screenings were rapidly diminishing.” – The Atlantic

    • In Los Angeles, People Daringly Put Their Faces On Buildings Asking ICE If They’re Next

      “Along with projecting portraits of Angelenos, Am I Next? highlights brief stories of people, including US citizens, accosted and snatched out of homes, cars, workplaces and the streets by federal agents, under the word ‘Taken.’” – The Guardian (UK)

    • Why I Stopped Reading Print, And Embraced Audiobooks

      “Here’s what I love about listening: I can do it all the time, not just while sitting still. I read … while making my bed, brushing my teeth, unloading the dishwasher, commuting to work, waiting in line, driving and occasionally while falling asleep.” – The New York Times

    • Romance Fiction Is Booming, And It’s Not Just Because Of Love

      “It is possible, with your small candle, to make your way in the darkness. One delight, against all this. The world crumbles, and lipstick sales go up. And so, too, do sales of romantic fiction.” – The Guardian (UK)

    PEOPLE

    • Good Morning:

      In a break from the turmoil of recent weeks in the culture world, today perhaps some lighter fare. We are seeing a massive boom in romance fiction, a trend critics are likening to the “lipstick effect”—when the world crumbles, we buy happy endings (The Guardian ). We are also being told that the enormous popularity and resulting deluge of Christmas movies dominating our screens right now shouldn’t be judged as art at all, but accepted as “tinsel in a can,” decoration in an age of hard times (Irish Times ).

      But while readers look for escape, the culture wars are getting personal. The term “Theatre Kid” has suddenly been weaponized as a right-wing political insult, turning a high school archetype into a partisan slur (The New York Times ). In Los Angeles, the pushback is visual: artists are projecting their faces onto buildings in a daring protest against ICE, asking “Am I Next?” (The Guardian ).

      Meanwhile, the technology of delivery is shifting. 3D film is being eulogized as a failed “golden goose” (The Atlantic ), while audiobooks are replacing print for readers who need to consume literature while “making the bed” or “unloading the dishwasher” (The New York Times ). On the small screen, TikTok creators are panic-proofing their content, worried that new U.S. ownership will bring a wave of censorship (Variety ).

      All of today’s stories, organized by topic, below.

    • The Future Of Film Never Arrived, And Never Will

      “I covered the 3-D boom from the start, and even early on one could see that the golden goose was cooked. It was clear that the marginal returns on 3-D screenings were rapidly diminishing.” – The Atlantic

    • In Los Angeles, People Daringly Put Their Faces On Buildings Asking ICE If They’re Next

      “Along with projecting portraits of Angelenos, Am I Next? highlights brief stories of people, including US citizens, accosted and snatched out of homes, cars, workplaces and the streets by federal agents, under the word ‘Taken.’” – The Guardian (UK)

    • Why I Stopped Reading Print, And Embraced Audiobooks

      “Here’s what I love about listening: I can do it all the time, not just while sitting still. I read … while making my bed, brushing my teeth, unloading the dishwasher, commuting to work, waiting in line, driving and occasionally while falling asleep.” – The New York Times

    • Romance Fiction Is Booming, And It’s Not Just Because Of Love

      “It is possible, with your small candle, to make your way in the darkness. One delight, against all this. The world crumbles, and lipstick sales go up. And so, too, do sales of romantic fiction.” – The Guardian (UK)

    THEATRE

      VISUAL

      WORDS