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- Skydance’s $8 Billion Acquisition Of Paramount Global Is Now Complete
“Skydance Media has closed its takeover, unveiled in July 2024, of Paramount Global to form what the merger partners have called a ‘next-generation media and technology leader, positioned to win in today’s rapidly transforming media landscape.’” – The Hollywood Reporter
- What Robert Wilson Meant For The Avant Garde
What made Wilson’s divergence from theatrical and classical conventions so powerful was his clear reverence for them — the careful, conscientious approach he took to turning things upside down. – Washington Post (MSN)
- State Museum Of Pennsylvania Closes Native American Exhibit And Will Return All Items To Tribes
“(The action is) part of the museum’s compliance with a federal law mandating the repatriation of Native American human remains and cultural items held by federal agencies and institutions that receive federal funding.” – PennLive
- LA Arts Philanthropist Glorya Kaufman, 95
Glorya Kaufman, the philanthropist who transformed dance in Los Angeles through the establishment of an eponymous dance school at USC as well as a prominent dance series at the Music Center, among many other initiatives, has died. She was 95. – Los Angeles Times
- Where Have All The Horses Gone? We Struggle To Accept The Future And Let Go Of The Past
Everything is public now, potentially: one’s thoughts, one’s photos, one’s movements, one’s purchases. There is no privacy and apparently little desire for it in a world devoted to non-stop use of social media. Every minute, every second, has to be spent with one’s device clutched in one’s hand. – The New Yorker
- Should Ideas Be Free? How Big Thinkers Have Thought About Intellectual Property
Should owning an idea be treated the same way as owning a physical object, or are these two forms of property rights ultimately incomparable? – Aeon
- Meet The One Actor Who’s Been In “Hamilton” For Its Entire 10-Year Broadway Run
“Thayne Jasperson … IS still thrilled to be in the room where it happens, finding new ways to make sure starring in a pop culture phenomenon doesn’t become just another job. It’s a running joke that he’s moved into the building. Fans predict he’ll haunt the place one day.”- The Washington Post (MSN)
- How Artists Are Using AI At This Year’s Edinburgh Fringe
It is an uncertainty that haunts the AI-themed plays on this year’s Edinburgh fringe. It also accounts for their apocalyptic mood. Do we even have a future, they all seem to ask, or are we bequeathing it to the machines? – The Guardian
- Reimagining How To Teach In The Age Of AI
Through a combination of oral examinations, one-on-one discussions, community engagement and in-class projects, the professors I spoke with are revitalizing the experience of humanities for 21st-century students. – The New York Times
- The Very Model Of A Modern String Quartet: Brooklyn Rider At 20
“There are many ways in which Brooklyn Rider isn’t a typical string quartet: its joyous disregard of traditional genre boundaries, its effortless cool in a centuries-old art form, its engagement with the broader world and politics. Even its calendar is extremely unusual.” – The New York Times
- The Impact Of NEA Funding On Small Presses
For most publishers, the grants are not generous enough to sustain an entire catalog, especially when compared to how tedious and time-consuming the application process is. The money matters because it puts more gas in a small team’s tank, but also it waves a green flag. – LitHub
- NPR’s Way Forward Post-Funding-Hack
Citing a study from the consultancy Public Media Company, she said 78 of 246 members are in imminent danger of going dark. – Washington Post
- As It Ever Was: Sony Music Sues Napster Over Unpaid Royalties
The lawsuit cited four licensing agreements that allowed Napster to stream Sony Music’s catalog of recordings. According to the 17-page court document, Napster accumulated $6.79 million in overdue payments by March 5, 2025 across three of the contracts. – Music Business Worldwide
- Minnesota Dance Theatre Will Move To New Location And, Eventually, Revive Its Performing Company
“It has been over a year since Minnesota Dance Theatre paused its performances and shifted its focus onto its school. On Wednesday, MDT announced that not only is it moving to a new home …, but it also plans to … (launch) a new professional company in about 10 years.” – The Minnesota Star Tribune (MSN)
- Leonard Lopate, New York Public Radio’s Master Interviewer, Has Died At 84
“Across more than 40 years as a popular New York talk-show host, graced with a discerning ear and a sympathetic voice, he interviewed thousands of writers, artists, actors, directors, politicians, scientists, journalists, musicians, athletes, designers, explorers — you name it.” – The New York Times
- There’s A New National Association Of Black Bookstores
“The National Association of Black Bookstores, a member-based nonprofit organization which aims to support and promote Black booksellers, announced its launch on Friday. Its mission, NAB2 said in the announcement, includes ‘promoting literacy, amplifying Black voices, and preserving Black culture.’” – Publishers Weekly
- Herzog And De Meuron To Design New Museum In Honor Of Charles And Ray Eames
“The Eames Institute of Infinite Curiosity, the organization dedicated to stewarding the Eameses’ legacy, will be transforming the former Birkenstock campus in Marin County into a museum. … The 88-acre site (will become) a public space set to host exhibitions, workshops, educational programming, and retail offerings.” – Artnet
- Renovation Of Central Park’s Delacorte Theater: What Exactly Got Fixed?
There’s not a lot (other than a slightly more welcoming exterior) that will look different to an average theatergoer. However, the facilities backstage had become dilapidated enough that some performers refused to work there; that’s been remedied, and the technical equipment has been upgraded as well. – The New York Times
- Federal Judge Blocks Trump Administration’s Cancellation Of NIH Grants
“A judge in Oregon on Wednesday ordered the federal government to essentially freeze more than $200 million withheld from state and local humanities councils across the country and to halt any plans to spend the money elsewhere.” – The Oregonian
- UNESCO and the United States
O wad some Pow’r the giftie gie us…
In the Washington Post, Charles Djou, who was a Biden administration official and briefly held an Hawaiian congressional seat, says the US should not, once again, remove itself from the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), but should instead remain in and seek positive reforms. Well, who could be against that?
I believe in UNESCO’s founding vision: to unite humanity through education, culture and science. But to achieve that mission, UNESCO needs reform.
Yes, and…
At the heart of the problem is a structural flaw shared by many international bodies: a disconnect between financial responsibility and decision-making power. UNESCO operates on the principle of sovereign equality — every member nation gets one vote, no matter how much they contribute. This idea of equal voice sounds fair in theory, but in practice it encourages gridlock and waste. Countries that contribute little or nothing often vote for politically fashionable projects, knowing they won’t be the ones footing the bill.
The United States has historically provided over 20 percent of UNESCO’s budget but enjoys the same voting power as countries that contributed virtually nothing. Like other major donors, the U.S. is left with an unappealing choice: tolerate dysfunction or walk away. We can do better.
The best way forward would be to implement a “double majority” voting model. Under this approach, major decisions — budgets, resolutions and new initiatives — would require two thresholds: approval by a majority of member states and separate approval by a weighted majority based on financial contributions.
UNESCO’s budget is not large, and the US has been contributing about $75 million per year, which in Washington does not even count as walking around money. When a country applies to have a tangible or intangible work of cultural significance “listed”, as being a work worthy of protection, the nation making the request is then responsible for the protection of the work or cultural practice; UNESCO might help some poorer countries with technical assistance, but not much more. So what “free riding” might be happening is small potatoes, and for the sums involved I don’t much see the point of trying to get more out of very poor countries.
But there is a bigger issue here. Djou goes on:
UNESCO’s mission remains vital. In an age of rising authoritarianism, cultural destruction, disinformation, and global technological upheaval, we need institutions that promote shared values, protect historical memory and invest in education and science across borders. UNESCO can be part of that effort — if it evolves.
And the way to achieve these goals is … to give the United States more say? Because to whom would you turn in an age of rising authoritarianism, cultural destruction, disinformation, and global technological upheaval but the United States of America, Donald J. Trump, CEO? To whom would you turn “to unite humanity through education, culture, and science”?
The US is the richest country in world history, with a lot of “hard power”. But its “soft power” has dwindled to nothing – we now, and for the foreseeable future, have no powers of moral or cultural persuasion as a state, even should a very pleasant Democrat win the next presidential election. We cannot be trusted, we reverse policies according to whether Trump had a good nights sleep the night before, we gratuitously insult the governments and people of other nations who thought they were allies, and we bully through hard power – economic and the threat of our military.
Djou, who I get is trying to be positive and constructive here, relies on: well, we pay more, so we should have more say, without indicating in what ways other than money the US is deserving of a greater say than Jamaica or Peru or Botswana on the protection of cultural heritage.
We have, through our own electoral choices, made ourselves universally disliked, a country ruled by vulgar mobsters. Were I a UNESCO representative for another country, I’m not sure why I wouldn’t just tell the US to take its money and go home.
Companion reading today is from Paul Musgrave.
Cross posted at https://michaelrushton.substack.com/
- Latin Jazz Star Eddie Palmieri, 88
“The pianist, composer and bandleader was the first Latino to win a Grammy Award and would win seven more over a career that spanned nearly 40 albums.” – AP
- Ten Years Of “Hamilton” — And The “Hamilton Effect”
“Little on Broadway looks the way it did on Aug. 6, 2015, when Hamilton opened; that’s what happens when a show runs 10 years, sells more than four million tickets and earns more than $1 billion — not counting tours, international productions and the 2020 movie.” – The New York Times
- Being A Perfectionist Is A Curse
At first blush, it can be hard to take perfectionism seriously as a source of suffering. The lament “I’m a perfectionist” carries a strong whiff of humblebrag—the kind of thing savvy job applicants say when asked their greatest flaw. – The New Yorker
- How Did Dinosaur Bones Get To Be As Expensive As Old Master Paintings?
Skulls and other recognizable fragments can sell for well into six figures, while complete or near-complete skeletons now bring tens of millions of dollars at auction. Dinosaur fossils are even turning up at art fairs. – Artnet
- Yes You Can Get Wiser As You Get Older. But Also Stupider Too
In the second half of life, we’re all expected to say how much happier we are than in our insecure twenties, how we wouldn’t swap places with our younger self, oh no, not even if you paid us. Hmm. Sometimes I feel that way, but not always. – The Ruffian
- Public Radio Stations That Are Well-Positioned To Absorb Federal Funding Cuts
They’ve built syndication businesses, production studios, national programming, university partnerships, cross-media tie-ups, statewide networks, and a thousand other things meant to strengthen the institution. For them, the federal defunding will be painful but not fatal. – NiemanLab
- UCLA: Trump $584M Cuts Are A “Death Knell” For School’s Research
The University of California president on Wednesday said Trump administration grant suspensions at UCLA total $584 million, cuts that would be a “death knell” to medical, science and energy research and have spurred negotiations with federal officials. – Los Angeles Times
- TV Series Imagining Mainland Chinese Invasion Becomes Major Sensation In Taiwan
“Zero Day Attack …, which aired its first episode over the weekend, was partially funded by the Taiwanese government, which hopes to raise awareness about the threat China poses. But the show has landed at a highly divisive moment in Taiwan and attracted (accusations) of fear-mongering” even before the first episode aired. – BBC (MSN)
- In The Collapse Of Great Empires: Not So Bad For Ordinary People
You may assume that a collapse in the imperial superstructure meant that people went hungry and homeless, and that is certainly the picture in the poems of lamentation and sorrow. But the physical evidence of people’s health, for instance, shows something very different. – Aeon
- Here’s The Culture Trump’s NEH Is Funding After Canceling Previous Grants
The grants include many focused on presidents, statesmen and canonical authors, including $10 million to the University of Virginia — which the agency said was the largest grant in its history — that will support the “expedited completion” of editorial work on papers relating to the Declaration of Independence, the American Revolution and the Founding era. – The New York Times
- San Francisco Arts Community Facing Cost/Funding Squeeze
Financial constraints in the arts in the community are responsible for much more than limiting the amount of entertainment available. – San Francisco Classical Voice
- Qatar Is Using High Culture To Flex its Soft Power
“(Landing the newest expansion of the Art Basel franchise is) just the latest coup for Qatar, uncomfortably wedged between Saudi Arabia and, across the Persian Gulf, Iran, as it expands its soft power by hosting global events and securing the friendship of the rich and powerful through investment and entertainment.” – Politico
- Robert Reich: I Hate Book Tours
That’s what you are when you go on a book tour: merchandise. A traveling salesperson selling a book. But not just any book — it’s your book. – Robert Reich
- Can Steve Martin Help Direct Visitors To The Frick?
In a new video posted to the Frick’s website and social media, the Only Murders in the Building co-creator and actor prances around the freshly renovated Gilded Age mansion, narrating a short history of the museum and its originator, the industrialist and notorious labor suppressor Henry Clay Frick. – Hyperallergic
- Study: As Language Changes, People Of All Ages Adapt (Not Just The Young)
A study led by McGill University researchers challenges the theory that language change over time requires new generations to replace older generations of speakers. – Phys
