"That Pixar hit, about core emotions like joy and sadness, and this summer’s blockbuster sequel, which focuses on anxiety, have been embraced by educators, counselors, therapists and caregivers as an unparalleled tool to help people understand themselves." - The New York Times
The Annenberg report: Of the top 100 2023 films, the numbers are grim - from the 99 that had no Native or Pacific Islander women to the 39 without Black women. Why the backsliding? - HuffPost
"Just 32% of speaking characters in the top 100 movies at the box office in 2023 were women or girls, according to (USC's) Annenberg Inclusion Initiative annual report released Monday. That’s very nearly the same percentage as when Stacy L. Smith first began the study in 2007." - AP
But House of the Dragon? “There are more than a dozen dragons running around the Seven Kingdoms, and every one, Fairfield says, is ‘bespoke’ — a combination of layers, pitch changes, and audio manipulation that gives each a distinct personality.” - Vulture
Now, on the 25th anniversary of the iconic horror film, Burkittsville, Maryland, the new mayor “thinks the town deserves to see some benefit from the landmark movie’s success.” - Washington Post
Movies that shift "feminist shifting “the struggle of feminism into the past strip it of its political essence and allow it to be viewed in terms of battles won without having to confront those still to be fought, or those within feminism itself.” And Italy loved that. - The New York Times
The actor who made his name in raunchy movies like Swingers and Wedding Crashers says that Hollywood execs are too concerned with IP now. "The people in charge don’t want to get fired more so than they’re looking to do something great,” he claims. - Variety
Another sudden, grim, creepy reminder to journalists to save PDFs. One former staffer: “Heart is breaking for the folks that have been there so much longer, poured so much of themselves into it just for it to be taken away with ZERO notice. How is this ok?” - The Verge
But he was young, see? So it was just a boy being a boy! MrBeast, for those who don’t know, makes a lot of money as the person running. YouTube's most subscribed-to channel. - Los Angeles Times (MSN)
“The BBC continued to employ Edwards, formerly its most high-profile newsreader, for five months after he was arrested on three counts of making indecent images of children, during which time he was paid £200,000.” Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy is not pleased. - BBC
Ad revenue at Snap is weaker than expected, and its stock price has fallen by a quarter. With the giants' dominance of the social media ad marketplace, is there any hope for Snap? Yes, says one analyst, "if they can continue to shift away from brand dollars to performance advertising." - Variety
“I’ve had mixed feelings about the effectiveness of NBC’s strategy — do I care about what John Mulaney has been watching (and wagering on) in Paris? No. … These athletes have star power on their own, and this is their moment to shine.” - Los Angeles Times (MSN)
"Gaming employees at every level … (labor in) a highly profitable and popular sector that has long exploited their creativity and devalued their work. Now, with the specter of generative AI hovering, … (they) are proving their worth and value — and ensuring that their workplaces will no longer treat them as disposable." - Slate (MSN)
