Rates of pay haven’t increased, as the cost of living continues to climb and, anecdotally, some arts workers are being asked by funders to justify their salaries, in a way that wouldn’t be required, at that level of remuneration, in any other industry. So why is it considered not only acceptable, but entirely appropriate in the arts? – Irish Times
Pro And Con Protesters Clash Over Drag Queen Story Hour At Small-Town Maine Bookstore
“About 50 people packed the inside of the Children’s Book Cellar, where is was shoulder to shoulder, like a rainbow mosh pit. Ophelia, a drag queen from Topsham, read from two books about inclusion.” “Across the street, another much smaller group, called An End to Child Indoctrination at the Cellar Bookstore, said their message was not about hating anyone.” – The Morning Sentinel (Waterville, Maine)
The Celebrity Hologram – What Does This Say About How We Think About Fame?
It’s a given that celebrity image is built on smoke and mirrors. But we’re in a curious spot today, where the music industry is manoeuvering to convince audiences that the veneer of an artist’s presence is a compelling substitute to watching a flesh-and-blood performance. Enter the pop star hologram. – The Guardian
A Conservative Writer Makes An Anti-Market Argument About Jeff Koons
Matthew Scully: “Actually, if there’s political insight to be gleaned from all this, it probably has more to do with inflatable reputations, gullible audiences, and the spell of progressive groupthink — problems that grow only more hopeless with money.” National Review Online
Was 1999 The Best Year Ever For Movies?
Brian Raftery makes a persuasive, entertaining case for the enduring impact of a passel of classics, from “American Beauty” to “American Movie” to “American Pie.” Among them: “The Matrix,” “The Sixth Sense,” “Boys Don’t Cry,” “Three Kings,” “Being John Malkovich,” “The Best Man,” “The Insider,” “The Virgin Suicides,” “Magnolia” and “Election.” – The New York Times
US Will Now Require Visa Applicants To Reveal Their Social Media Accounts
Previously, only applicants who needed additional vetting – such as people who had been to parts of the world controlled by terrorist groups – would need to hand over this data. But now applicants will have to give up their account names on a list of social media platforms, and also volunteer the details of their accounts on any sites not listed. – BBC
Musicians Aren’t Making Money Selling Music, So Why Not Sell Pot?
The streaming wars, in which artists haven’t made much off of their actual music, take a weird turn: “‘Many artists sell clothes or shoes, some sell wine and beer, others advertise for fast-food companies,’ explains Third Man-signed country singer Margo Price, who has a strain named after her last album All American Made. ‘Me, I’m into selling a plant that God grows.'” Classical musicians, are you listening? – The Guardian (UK)
Tony DeLap, Who Made A Name, And Space, For Abstract Art On The West Coast, Has Died At 91
DeLap, whose finely finished pieces sit at the intersection of sculpture and painting, minimalism and abstract expressionism, was the first art professor hired at UC Irvine and influenced many, many artists, including Bruce Nauman and James Turrell. (Then there was his obsession with magic and illusions, including in his artwork.) – Los Angeles Times
How They Filmed That Huge ‘Rocketman’ Scene At Dodgers Stadium
This is what happens, the director says, “when you choose to take Elton John’s story and turn it into a phantasmagorical dancing play rather than a standard biographical picture.” Bring on the glitter. – Vulture
Will The U.S. Ever Get Net Neutrality Back?
Advocates for net neutrality say it just needs a big push from the public – support is high, and no one believes the FCC. But on the Senate floor, Mitch McConnell says legislation restoring net neutrality is “dead on arrival.” – Wired
Music, Like All Art, Can Change History
Or at least what we know about our history, and how we look at it. Check out two recent concerts that work as art, of course, and “as historical corrective, guided by a commitment to scrambling, reordering, and recontextualizing the history of bodies ‘in motion.'” – The Atlantic
It’s June. Bust Out.
Who needs another cover – a jazz cover! – of “June Is Bustin’ Out All Over”? (We do.) – Doug Ramsey
The Star Of The Elton John Biopic Isn’t OK With Russia’s Censorship Of The Gay Scenes
Taron Egerton wrote on Instagram, “‘I, in no way, condone this decision and feel disappointed I wasn’t made aware and given the chance to fight this move. Love is love. No compromises.’ He also added a rainbow emoji.” Elton John and others have also condemned Russian film censors for removing what one Russian film critic called, “a principled five minutes, very important for artistic purpose.” – The Guardian (UK)
Will Netflix’s New Rom-Com Change The World For Its Stars And Other Asian American Actors?
That wasn’t 100 percent the plan when comedian Ali Wong and actor Randall Park wrote and starred in Always Be My Maybe, but … well. “As writers and producers they give an unprecedented array of Asian American experiences space to exist in … a film that portrays the rich diversity and texture of Bay Area life within the bounds of a modern-day rom-com.” – Los Angeles Times
We’re All Stuck In ‘Corporate Stockholm Syndrome’ With Disney’s Endless Round Of Movies
Let’s look a little more deeply into Avengers: Endgame. (Yes, it’s been covered, but this is different.) “It’s a reality-bending cultural phenomenon that proudly wallows in its own mind-numbing hugeness. It’s the biggest possible participatory advertisement for two of the most powerful brands in the entertainment industry. It’s an irresistible pop-culture overload, produced and marketed by people with an almost preternatural understanding of what we find enjoyable.” – Los Angeles Review of Books
That Proposed Harvey Weinstein Settlement Is Unlikely To Last
No, a $44 million settlement is not going to satisfy everyone – or, more likely, anyone at all. “Attorneys for two of the alleged victims rejected the proposal outright; while another questioned whether this was an attempt to derail the deal and maximize their clients’ position and grab the lion’s share of compensation. Victims expressed disgust at the entire process; one called it ‘absolutely re-traumatizing.'” – Los Angeles Times
Spaghetti Westerns Shaped Modern Filmmaking, Writes Quentin Tarantino
“There have only been a few filmmakers who have gone into an old genre and created a new universe out of it. … But those Italian guys — Sergio Leone, Sergio Corbucci, Duccio Tessari and Franco Giraldi — did it best. They mostly started off as critics and worked their way up to screenwriters. And then they became the second unit guys, the guys that deliver the action. You have to go to the French New Wave to find a group of men who loved cinema as much as they did — except Leone and the others had a thriving film industry they could work their way into.” – The Spectator (UK)