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John McWhorter: What’s Wrong With The Language Police

Apparently, we must retire victim, survivor, trigger warning, and African-American too. We must do so, that is, if we seek to ignore some linguistic fundamentals while also engaging in distinctly callow sociological calisthenics. - The Atlantic

The Danish Language Is So Weird That Even Danish Kids Have Trouble Learning It

Researchers "have found that the uniquely peculiar way that Danes speak" – mangled consonants and 40 different vowel sounds – "seems to make it difficult for Danish children to learn their native language – and this challenges some central tenets of the science of language." - The Conversation

As It Said It Would, Academy Of Motion Pictures Expands And Diversifies Its Membership

Statistically, the 2021 class is comprised of 46 percent women, 39 percent underrepresented ethnic/racial communities, and 53 international members from 49 countries outside of the United States. - IndieWire

This Pair Returned MGM To Glory. Then Amazon Gobbled It Up. What Happens Now?

Michael De Luca and Pamela Abdy "have compiled a heady mix of A-list directors and compelling material they hope hearkens back to the days when Fred Astaire and Judy Garland roamed the . The next six months will show if their strategy pays off." - The New York Times

Why The Statue Of Liberty Never Lived Up To The Hype

Why does its meaning seem so unstable, especially now, as a small-scale copy makes its way from France to D.C., where it will be installed at the French ambassador’s residence later this month? - Washington Post

The Battle For 1776: America Struggles With, And Over, Its Founding Myths

"For scholars, the rosy tale of a purely heroic unleashing of freedom may be long gone. But does America still need a version of its origin story it can love? … In civic life, where we stake our beginnings matters." - The New York Times

The Toll COVID Is Taking On Opera

There was “great appetite when we reopened," but “it’s been a little bit flat now,” whether because of the health pass requirement or the good weather and the reopening of cafe terraces. - The New York Times

How To Transition From Commercial Dancer To Choreographer

"Nine years ago, Del Mak decided he was done performing for artists like Beyoncé, Lady Gaga and One Direction. 'I'd done everything I wanted to, and I was tired of the rat race,' he says. 'My body was starting to hurt.' The next obvious step? Choreography." - Dance Magazine

How Is It That Gamers Are Better At Detecting Fraud Than Scientists Are?

Does it strike you as odd that so many people tuned in to hear about a doctored speedrun of a children’s video game, while barely a ripple was made—even among scientists—by the discovery of more than 80 fake scientific papers? - The Atlantic

Can You Still Play A Violin After Cutting It Up? For This Guy, The Answer Is Yes

A visit to the dungeon (that's what he calls it) of Tyler Thackray, proud proprietor of the Instagram account @violintorture, dismemberer of instruments, creator of Franken-fiddles, and champion troll of self-serious string players. - The New Yorker

We Need To Diversify The Ranks Of Stage Managers, Too

"Black stage managers and their white allies … are establishing new organizations for racial equity, creating more opportunities for up-and-coming stage managers of color, and even examining aspects of their job that may do more harm than good." - The New York Times

Is This The First Known Piece Of Neanderthal Art?

Two years ago in Germany's well-known Unicorn Cave, archaeologists discovered a deer knuckle with diagonal lines deliberately carved in it, Carbon dating has shown that the bone is 51,000 years old — before Homo sapiens arrived in Europe. But is it actually art? - National Geographic

Actors’ Equity Removes Mask And COVID Testing Requirements For ‘Fully Vaccinated’ Shows

Any Equity production where everyone backstage has had their shots may now let those folks do their work more or less as normal, though some safety rules are still in effect. But no meeting audience members at the stage door! - Playbill

Richard Donner, Who Directed Some Of The Late 20th Century’s Biggest Blockbusters, Dead At 91

Early in his career, he helmed episodes of many of the most iconic TV series of the '60s, then he went on to direct The Omen, Superman, The Goonies, Scrooged, and the Lethal Weapon franchise. - Variety

Met Opera And Stagehands Union Reach Agreement

"The company's roughly 300 stagehands were locked out late last year because of a disagreement over how long and lasting pandemic pay cuts would be. But the opera house is in desperate need of workers … if it is to reopen in less than three months." - The New York Times

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