A study by the University of Southern California’s Media Impact lab examined more than 37,000 film and TV scripts that aired in the US between 2016 and 2020. It found that only 2.8% even mentioned climate-adjacent words like solar panels, fracking, sea level rise or renewable energy. - The Guardian
Claiming global Onion readership of 4.3 trillion, the filing describes the publication as “the single most powerful and influential organization in human history”. It’s the source of 350,000 jobs at its offices and “manual labor camps.” - The Guardian
Beyond the initial version, successful in the West End in 1989 but not on Broadway in 1990, the show has had at least three major revivals with various revisions to the script. (Lloyd Webber released a "definitive script" in 2014.) Next spring's West End revival will be a "chamber" version. - Playbill
Six months after the “Don’t Say Gay” controversy, Disney has clearly been weakened by the fight while DeSantis’ profile as a conservative culture warrior has only grown. - Variety
"While these provisions have been criticized by talent reps for being too broad and too subjective, there's actually a bigger problem with their presence in many contracts: They're prohibited by the directors and writers guilds' collective bargaining agreements — and they have been for decades." - The Hollywood Reporter
“Increasing demand for content from streaming services and social media make iconic music IP a scarce and irreplaceable asset,” said Angelo Rufino, a managing partner at Brookfield, pointing to how music is being licensed to Peloton, TikTok and the metaverse. - The Wall Street Journal
"The prestigious global body that governs Irish dancing has this week been rocked by what is believed to be its largest ever alleged cheating scandal. It has seen some of the most successful and well-regarded Irish dance teachers and schools accused of 'fixing' competitions for their own students." - Irish Independent
“What happened? There’s not a smoking gun to produce,” says board chair Lauren York, who will lead exit interviews of the departed staff members They include the managers of development, education and marketing. - Dallas Morning News
The Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre, "(a) mammoth 18.5-acre facility which is being inaugurated in stages (starting next March), is the vision of philanthropist Nita Ambani, the wife of Indian billionaire businessman Mukesh Ambani" of Reliance Industries. - Artnet
In the past 15 years, widely available AI software packages, known as “chess engines,” have been developed to the point where they can easily demolish the world’s best chess players—so all a cheater has to do to win is figure out a way to channel a machine’s advice. - The Atlantic
"Count Dracula — a recluse plagued by yearning, a macabre flair for theatrics and existential loneliness — turned out to be an unlikely patron saint for the uncertain times. ... Serialization made the 125-year-old novel more accessible and created a community of readers when many were looking for connection." - The New York Times
"Sorokin's release from ICE custody comes after months of legal fights — and a blowout with Sorokin's old attorney — as she prepares to appeal her infamous case detailed in Netflix's Inventing Anna." She faces deportation after having completed a two-year jail sentence for fraud and repaying her victims. - The Daily Beast
"The Edinburgh International Film Festival, the Edinburgh Filmhouse and the Belmont cinema in Aberdeen have all stopped trading with immediate effect. The parent charity that runs them — Centre for the Moving Image — announced it had called in administrators after what it described as a 'perfect storm'." - BBC
"The measure would require the state to allocate at least 1% of Prop. 98 funding — money guaranteed for public schools and community colleges in the state budget — for music and arts education. That's estimated to be a $1 billion annual set aside." - CalMatters
"The man ... was stopped by the Vatican police in the Chiaramonti Museum ... shortly after he threw the busts to the ground. ... The visitor — who has previously been reprimanded in the US for gross indecency — told officials that he wanted to see the Pope." - The Art Newspaper
