Amazon is trying to figure out how to take on Disney and WarnerMedia, probably with Rocky and James Bond spinoffs. The result, says one entertainment finance professor, means "We like the brands we know, but it's going to be harder for new ideas to shine through." - NPR
The murder of George Floyd, and the protests, prompted her to rethink her own responsibilities. She says, "There are generations of freedom fighters who have been doing this work without the internet, without being spotlighted." - The Guardian (UK)
Ideas and ways of shopping "fall by the wayside and then return at a later date in new guises or with new names. They often have every appearance of being newly invented. Take fast fashion, for instance" - and its origins in 18th century London. - Fast Company
Just a multiple Oscar nominee and multiple other award-winning movie about grief and love, that is. "The last Japanese film-maker to be nominated for best director was the revered Akira Kurosawa, for Ran, 36 years ago." - The Observer (UK)
"The 43-year-old principal dancer with the National Opera of Ukraine is the latest of several celebrities in the country that have been killed since the Russian invasion began last month." - Washington Post
It's a beautiful fragment, but "Prof Christos Tsirogiannis has a photograph of the same fresco fragment from the archive of Robert Hecht who died in 2012, having faced accusations that he trafficked in illicit artefacts." - The Observer (UK)
The win has thrown "the race for this year’s best picture Oscar into chaos" as Academy Awards voting continues. It's possible that ranked-choice voting for the Oscars will come up with a very different movie than the favorite, Power of the Dog. - Los Angeles Times
A very British tale: "In a six-decade career, Mr. Bowles, who was the son of servants and grew up without indoor plumbing, appeared in a merry-go-round of productions in television, film and onstage, alternating between comedy and drama, hapless heroes and villains." - The New York Times
The dance performance "from a Texas high school’s drill team was laden with Native American stereotypes, including repeated chants of 'scalp them!'" - The Daily Beast
Yes, it's ironic because Lupin is about a "gentleman thief" - but this group of about 20 youths who swarmed the set, setting off fireworks and attacking the crew, certainly weren't gentlemanly. - France 24 (AFP)
"There are only four clubs in France that follow the English-speaking stand-up tradition, with a lineup of several comedians each night. Generally, solo shows are favored in France, a result of the country’s strong theatrical tradition." - The New York Times
Our aesthetics just can't keep up. "The visual monotony of the crisis has put art departments at news organizations in a pinch. How do you keep covering one of the most important stories of our time when the story keeps revolving around the same virus?" - Slate
"Nearly ten years after the beloved cultural organization began, developing into one of the country’s leading venues for Black art, its two directors have departed, and the doors of its Arlington Heights location have shuttered." - The New York Times
"In Pixar’s next film, Lightyear, a queer character named Hawthorne, voiced by Uzo Aduba, was originally depicted kissing a woman, according to a source close to production." The kiss was axed - until Pixar and other Disney employee revolted. - Vulture
