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09-22-2021, 03:08 PM
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Movies? Streaming TV? Sports stars? Celebrities? Not sure where to put it? Dump it here!
Quote:Netflix says it has acquired the rights to Roald Dahl's stories and plans to create a "unique universe" of products based on them.
The streaming giant said Wednesday it had acquired the Roald Dahl Story Company (RDSC), which manages the rights to the late British author's works.
Netflix said in a press release that the two companies "are joining forces to bring some of the world's most loved stories to current and future fans in creative new ways."
The deal comes three years after Netflix (NFLX) and RDSC worked together on a number of animated TV series, including one based on "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" and an adaptation of "Matilda The Musical."
"These projects opened our eyes to a much more ambitious venture — the creation of a unique universe across animated and live action films and TV, publishing, games, immersive experiences, live theater, consumer products and more," Netflix added.
(CNN)
Mountain-high though the difficulties appear, terrible and gloomy though all things seem, they are but Mâyâ.
Fear not — it is banished. Crush it, and it vanishes. Stamp upon it, and it dies.
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09-25-2021, 05:36 AM
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"The Wire" actor, 54-year-old Michael K. Williams died of a drug overdose, an
autopsy has confirmed. "Acute intoxication by the combined effects of fentanyl,
p-fluorofentanyl, heroin and cocaine", was the cause of death determined by
the NYC medical examiner.
Ironically, Williams portrayed Omar Devone Little, a Baltimore stick-up man and
drug dealer at war with his rivals.
In January 2008 then-presidential candidate Barack Obama told the Las Vegas Sun
that Omar was his favourite character on "The Wire", which, in turn, was his favourite
television show.
—Life imitating art?
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09-26-2021, 05:36 PM
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(09-25-2021, 05:36 AM)SYZ Wrote: "The Wire" actor, 54-year-old Michael K. Williams died of a drug overdose, an
autopsy has confirmed. "Acute intoxication by the combined effects of fentanyl,
p-fluorofentanyl, heroin and cocaine", was the cause of death determined by
the NYC medical examiner.
Ironically, Williams portrayed Omar Devone Little, a Baltimore stick-up man and
drug dealer at war with his rivals.
In January 2008 then-presidential candidate Barack Obama told the Las Vegas Sun
that Omar was his favourite character on "The Wire", which, in turn, was his favourite
television show.
—Life imitating art?
Kind of common among celebrities to have drug problems, so not exactly life imitating art.
“For me, it is far better to grasp the Universe as it really is than to persist in delusion, however satisfying and reassuring.” -Carl Sagan.
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09-27-2021, 02:41 AM
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Steve Coogan will play Jimmy Savile in a forthcoming BBC drama series about how the
high-profile presenter spent decades living a double life as one of the country’s most
notorious paedophiles. The 'Alan Partridge' star said the decision to portray Savile on
screen was not one he “took lightly” but the series had “an intelligent script tackling
sensitively an horrific story which—however harrowing—needs to be told”.
Personally, I believe that Coogan's assertion that Savile's horrific story "needs to be told"
is seriously ill-advised. The general public have been well aware of Savile's reprehensible
activities for a decade now, and there's a real risk that so-called dramas like this will only
remind and disturb those kids—now adults—who were sexually molested by this arsehole.
And were I an actor, I'd automatically refuse the offer to play a notorious paedophile. I
simply couldn't take a single dollar in order to give any more unwarranted relevance to
someone who by now should be relegated to a distant, if offensive, memory.
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09-27-2021, 04:11 PM
(This post was last modified: 09-27-2021, 04:17 PM by GenesisNemesis.)
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(09-27-2021, 02:41 AM)SYZ Wrote: Steve Coogan will play Jimmy Savile in a forthcoming BBC drama series about how the
high-profile presenter spent decades living a double life as one of the country’s most
notorious paedophiles. The 'Alan Partridge' star said the decision to portray Savile on
screen was not one he “took lightly” but the series had “an intelligent script tackling
sensitively an horrific story which—however harrowing—needs to be told”.
Personally, I believe that Coogan's assertion that Savile's horrific story "needs to be told"
is seriously ill-advised. The general public have been well aware of Savile's reprehensible
activities for a decade now, and there's a real risk that so-called dramas like this will only
remind and disturb those kids—now adults—who were sexually molested by this arsehole.
And were I an actor, I'd automatically refuse the offer to play a notorious paedophile. I
simply couldn't take a single dollar in order to give any more unwarranted relevance to
someone who by now should be relegated to a distant, if offensive, memory.
Yeah, the idea of making any amount of money off of this seems pretty disgusting to me. And at some point it just becomes trauma porn. According to this article from The Guardian though, they did work with some of the victims.
“For me, it is far better to grasp the Universe as it really is than to persist in delusion, however satisfying and reassuring.” -Carl Sagan.
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09-27-2021, 04:45 PM
(This post was last modified: 09-27-2021, 04:46 PM by GenesisNemesis.)
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John Oliver Won’t Rest Until Jeopardy! Gets Its Shit Together
Quote:Remember that time John Oliver showed up on Community for a few episodes and might have been the Ass-Crack Bandit all along? Well, maybe he should bring that energy to a Jeopardy! guest-hosting stint at this point, minus the quarters-in-cracks stuff. On Sunday’s episode of Last Week Tonight, Oliver, a fresh Emmy winner, reiterated what he’s been preaching on his show for weeks now: Jeopardy! somehow managed to screw up what should’ve been a preordained host-successor plan for Alex Trebek, now with temporary host Mayim Bialik. “It’s not great when our process for deciding who gets released and who gets expelled is as haphazard for finding a new host for Jeopardy! And by the way, great job so far, guys,” Oliver explained, weaving together the game show and Del Rio immigration scandals. “You dodged giving that guy the job permanently, and right now we’ve got somebody absolutely free of controversy, Mayim Bialik, a person I think is great because I don’t have Google.”
Bialik, who is hosting Jeopardy! for the rest of the year with Ken Jennings and previously served as a guest host, has received a significant amount of criticism from the show’s fans over her credibility due to her history of anti-vaxxing beliefs and shaming of Harvey Weinstein’s victims. Bialik, who holds a Ph.D. in neuroscience, addressed criticism for the first time last week with the Associated Press by confirming that she’s vaccinated against COVID-19. “I don’t regret that at the time I wrote a book about parenting, my kids were young, they hadn’t received all their vaccines,” she said. Jennings has also been embroiled in controversy of his own: His dumb old tweets, which he has apologized for, reportedly cost him the Jeopardy! hosting job prior to Mike Richards swooping in and beginning his very short reign of terror.
“For me, it is far better to grasp the Universe as it really is than to persist in delusion, however satisfying and reassuring.” -Carl Sagan.
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09-27-2021, 06:19 PM
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(09-27-2021, 04:45 PM)GenesisNemesis Wrote: John Oliver Won’t Rest Until Jeopardy! Gets Its Shit Together
Quote:Remember that time John Oliver showed up on Community for a few episodes and might have been the Ass-Crack Bandit all along? Well, maybe he should bring that energy to a Jeopardy! guest-hosting stint at this point, minus the quarters-in-cracks stuff. On Sunday’s episode of Last Week Tonight, Oliver, a fresh Emmy winner, reiterated what he’s been preaching on his show for weeks now: Jeopardy! somehow managed to screw up what should’ve been a preordained host-successor plan for Alex Trebek, now with temporary host Mayim Bialik. “It’s not great when our process for deciding who gets released and who gets expelled is as haphazard for finding a new host for Jeopardy! And by the way, great job so far, guys,” Oliver explained, weaving together the game show and Del Rio immigration scandals. “You dodged giving that guy the job permanently, and right now we’ve got somebody absolutely free of controversy, Mayim Bialik, a person I think is great because I don’t have Google.”
Bialik, who is hosting Jeopardy! for the rest of the year with Ken Jennings and previously served as a guest host, has received a significant amount of criticism from the show’s fans over her credibility due to her history of anti-vaxxing beliefs and shaming of Harvey Weinstein’s victims. Bialik, who holds a Ph.D. in neuroscience, addressed criticism for the first time last week with the Associated Press by confirming that she’s vaccinated against COVID-19. “I don’t regret that at the time I wrote a book about parenting, my kids were young, they hadn’t received all their vaccines,” she said. Jennings has also been embroiled in controversy of his own: His dumb old tweets, which he has apologized for, reportedly cost him the Jeopardy! hosting job prior to Mike Richards swooping in and beginning his very short reign of terror.
I thought LaVar Burton would be a good choice and I think he hosted Jeopardy for a week. He hosted and produced the show, "Reading Rainbow" and really cares about books and reading. Seems like a really nice, really smart guy.
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09-27-2021, 08:30 PM
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But only if he wears the visor.
Mountain-high though the difficulties appear, terrible and gloomy though all things seem, they are but Mâyâ.
Fear not — it is banished. Crush it, and it vanishes. Stamp upon it, and it dies.
Vivekananda
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09-28-2021, 05:03 AM
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Mayim Bialik—who refused the standard childhood vaccinations for both
her sons—said last year that she "usually relies on herbs and supplements
and plenty of rest to boost her immune system". The Times of Israel has
reported that "we are in an era when up to 26% of some Jewish day school
kindergarten students haven’t been vaccinated". Measles, once thought to
have been eradicated in North America, is proliferating. [June, 2020]
Bialik also said that "we give way too many vaccines in the country compared
to when I was a child". And that's exactly why childhood mortality rates have
dropped so much, you stupid woman! In 1990, the number of childhood deaths
was 12.6 million before 5 years of age. In 2017, that number was reduced to
5.4 million, largely due to increased vaccination rates globally.
Bialik also said that the COVID vaccination would be her first for about 30 years.
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09-28-2021, 05:42 AM
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(09-28-2021, 05:03 AM)SYZ Wrote: Mayim Bialik—who refused the standard childhood vaccinations for both
her sons—said last year that she "usually relies on herbs and supplements
and plenty of rest to boost her immune system". The Times of Israel has
reported that "we are in an era when up to 26% of some Jewish day school
kindergarten students haven’t been vaccinated". Measles, once thought to
have been eradicated in North America, is proliferating. [June, 2020]
Bialik also said that "we give way too many vaccines in the country compared
to when I was a child". And that's exactly why childhood mortality rates have
dropped so much, you stupid woman! In 1990, the number of childhood deaths
was 12.6 million before 5 years of age. In 2017, that number was reduced to
5.4 million, largely due to increased vaccination rates globally.
Bialik also said that the COVID vaccination would be her first for about 30 years.
It's the Gwyneth Paltrow school of woo-hoo thinking. Herbs aren't going to do shit if you get measles.
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09-28-2021, 12:47 PM
(This post was last modified: 09-28-2021, 12:50 PM by Vera.)
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(09-28-2021, 05:42 AM)Dancefortwo Wrote: Herbs aren't going to do shit if you get measles.
Actually, herbs ain't gonna help with measles but sure as shit can do, well... shit
Speaking of, came across this gem yesterday:
“We drift down time, clutching at straws. But what good's a brick to a drowning man?”
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09-28-2021, 03:02 PM
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(09-28-2021, 12:47 PM)Vera Wrote: (09-28-2021, 05:42 AM)Dancefortwo Wrote: Herbs aren't going to do shit if you get measles.
Actually, herbs ain't gonna help with measles but sure as shit can do, well... shit
Speaking of, came across this gem yesterday:
Thanks Vera. That hippo was a lovely addition to my morning breakfast.
Meanwhile, back on Broadway..... Apparently some of the musicals which were about to open before Covid are now opening up. The stuff they make musicals out of are sort of.....I donno.....odd. There is a musical about Henry VIII's six wives. The musical is called, what else, "Six".
I don't know much about how the story is worked out on stage but the wives go from this costume ensemble...
to this. A sort of updated Tudor steampunk kind of get-up.
And then there's a musical about Princess Diana called "Diana".
"The story you only thought you knew" really gives me a chuckle. Yeah, nobody has ever heard anything about this woman. No detail has ever been dredged up on her private life.
I don't understand the worship and idolization of Diana. Sure she had her problems but don't we all. However, she did it in designer dresses so I guess that makes her special.
Broadway musicals all sound the same these days. You could take the music in one production and insert it into another production with just a few changes in the lyrics and the audience wouldn't even know.
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09-28-2021, 04:38 PM
(This post was last modified: 09-28-2021, 08:33 PM by Vera.)
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(09-28-2021, 03:02 PM)Dancefortwo Wrote: Broadway musicals all sound the same these days. You could take the music in one production and insert it into another production with just a few changes in the lyrics and the audience wouldn't even know.
Yeah, I never got the idolisation (or martyrisation) of Diana either. Then again, I don't get the whole royal family... well, anything.
A couple of years ago there was an article in The Guardian (where else! Though it might have been the aussie guardian) about how we should rewrite classic operas and ballets to make them more diverse and inclusive, etc. NOT the musicians and artists (which would be a valid point though this can only really be tackled not just at the hiring stage but from the very beginning of the process, as in ensuring access to this kind of education to kids from underprivileged backgrounds). No, the librettos.
Because yeah, let's rewrite a bunch of older European works so they reflect the world as is (or some people think it is) several centuries later. And because yes, everybody knows that the principal reason people go and listen to an opera is the "plot". Absolutely!
Things like this really annoy me because in a world still so full of such inequality and racism, operas full of gay, minority CHARACTERS (not performers, CHARACTERS) is quite possibly the very last thing that would improve the life of anyone who's actually victim of this inequality. It might make the people who suggest it feel like they're doing something, yes, and sadly, a sizeable chunk of activism IS all about the "saviours" and not those who are "being saved".
Oh and speaking of, came across a performance of Carmen on TV some time ago. Carmen was singing pretty much naked. The men? Totally dressed. How about they do something about THIS shit before rewriting a bunch of operas from centuries ago!
BTW, one of my favourite opera-ballets, Les Indes Galantes is "unified by the theme of love in exotic places (The Ottoman Empire, Peru, Persia, and North America)". I'm guessing there will be those who find it offensive. (Saw some of on TV and the dancers are naked but see, they were supposed to be "savages" (yeah, yeah, I know) and they were ALL naked, women AND men).
Now, this is a ridiculous dance but the music is divine.
And here's a hip hop version. Not my thing exactly but they *are* good. And this is different from actually rewriting it. They can dance it any way they want, fair enough and it takes quite a bit of talent to join this music and this type of dance. Creating a new "plot"? Beyond ridiculous.
And here's *the* most charming sung version of this piece of music (crazy fast too!). The joy on their faces is contagious (he's a very famous conductor, who's done a whole lot of baroque works)
“We drift down time, clutching at straws. But what good's a brick to a drowning man?”
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09-28-2021, 04:46 PM
(This post was last modified: 09-28-2021, 04:47 PM by Alan V.)
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For cynics and skeptics like many of us, almost everything seems over-hyped. It's advertising after all.
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09-28-2021, 06:09 PM
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(09-28-2021, 04:38 PM)Vera Wrote: (09-28-2021, 03:02 PM)Dancefortwo Wrote: Broadway musicals all sound the same these days. You could take the music in one production and insert it into another production with just a few changes in the lyrics and the audience wouldn't even know.
Yeah, I never got the idolisation (or martyrisation) of Diana either. Then again, I don't get the whole royal family... well, anything.
A couple of years ago there was an article in The Guardian (where else! Though it might have been the aussie guardian) about how we should rewrite classic operas and ballets to make them more diverse and inclusive, etc. NOT the musicians and artists (which would be a valid point though this can only really be tackled not just at the hiring stage but from the very beginning of the process, as in ensuring access to this kind of education to kids from underprivileged backgrounds). No, the librettos.
Because yeah, let's rewrite a bunch of older European works so they reflect the world as is (or some people think it is) several centuries later. And because yes, everybody knows that the principal reason people go and listen to an opera is the "plot". Absolutely!
Things like this really annoy me because in a world still so full of such inequality and racism, operas full of gay, minority CHARACTERS (not performers, CHARACTERS) is quite possibly the very last thing that would improve the life of anyone who's actually victim of this inequality. It might make the people who suggest it feel like their doing something, yes, and sadly, a sizeable chunk of activism IS all about the "saviours" and not those who are "being saved".
Oh and speaking of, came across a performance of Carmen on TV some time ago. Carmen was singing pretty much naked. The men? Totally dressed. How about they do something about THIS shit before rewriting a bunch of operas from centuries ago!
BTW, one of my favourite opera-ballets, Les Indes Galantes is "unified by the theme of love in exotic places (The Ottoman Empire, Peru, Persia, and North America)". I'm guessing there will be those who find it offensive. (Saw some of on TV and the dancers are naked but see, they were supposed to be "savages" (yeah, yeah, I know) and they were ALL naked, women AND men).
Now, this is a ridiculous dance but the music is divine.
And here's a hip hop version. Not my thing exactly but they *are* good. And this is different from actually rewriting it. They can dance it any way they want, fair enough and it takes quite a bit of talent to join this music and this type of dance. Creating a new "plot"? Beyond ridiculous.
And here's *the* most charming sung version of this piece of music (crazy fast too!). The joy on their faces is contagious (he's a very famous conductor, who's done a whole lot of baroque works)
Trying to match the culture with the talent is sometimes a problem. The performing arts are having a hard time with culture appropriation. I notice Madame Butterfly isn't performed much because the Asian community wants an Asian woman to sing the role. Portland Opera tried to do Madame Butterfly and set it in outerspace to get around the ethnic aspect of it but it failed miserablly. It's a stumbling block for the performing arts now. One of the reason's musical theatre uses such fantastical notions and re-invents history is to include all races of people. I don't think Henry VIII had any black wives.
I have a friend who is an African American opera singer and frequently flies back to New York to sing at the Met but as far as I know the storyline isn't altered for his race. He simply inhabits the character.
I don't know. It's very complicated.
My husband wanted to produce a theatre version of Rashomon based on the Japanese Kurosawa film. It tells the story of a woman who is raped using three different tellings of the story. He discovered that the Japanese community rather looks down of acting as a career so there weren't enough Japanese actors to cast the show here in Portland. So he tried to do a mixed cast and that didn't fly with the local Japanese community either. He finally dropped the project.
I guess the next best thing would be to re-write the story and set it in an American or European city where there is a mix of people.
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09-28-2021, 06:42 PM
(This post was last modified: 09-28-2021, 06:44 PM by Vera.)
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(09-28-2021, 06:09 PM)Dancefortwo Wrote: I have a friend who is an African American opera singer and frequently flies back to New York to sing at the Met but as far as I know the storyline isn't altered for his race. He simply inhabits the character.
That's kinda it though, isn't it. Talking about opera in particular, who even pays attention to how the performers look? I mean, how many nice plump Violettas supposedly dying of consumption have there been? Quite a few, I'm willing to bet.
Should there be more "non-white" classical performers? Absolutely. And this is addressed by all communities having exposure to this type of art, so as to awaken interest in those so inclined and then access to training in this area. One of my favourite countertenors is black. The lady in the the last clip is also black. Are there as many black performers as there are white? Most certainly not. Just as there aren't nearly as many women conductors as there are men. Should this be addressed? It'd certainly be nice, yes.
Rewriting the librettos of older works ain't gonna change anything though. And by rewriting I don't mean having someone of a different race than originally intended, I mean actually changing the librettos.
And yes, people can reinterpret other people's works if they want, though why not create something of your own, that includes all the ideals and themes you want, instead of leeching off of someone else, ESPECIALLY if it's something where the plot, frankly, is the least important thing.
(I mean, one of my most loved Vivaldi operas has an utterly ridiculous libretto. Who even cares? Or knows what it is about?)
That said, I do feel a bit more strongly when it comes to so called classical music (and I use this very vague term very loosely), it's just, there's so much vulgarisation and infantilisation and simplification everywhere, I kinda don't want it touching Vivaldi and Handel, for example.
Quote:My husband wanted to produce a theatre version of Rashomon based on the Japanese Kurosawa film. It tells the story of a woman who is raped using three different tellings of the story. He discovered that the Japanese community rather looks down of acting as a career so there weren't enough Japanese actors to cast the show here in Portland. So he tried to do a mixed cast and that didn't fly with the local Japanese community either. He finally dropped the project.
I guess the next best thing would be to re-write the story and set it in an American or European city where there is a mix of people.
Yeah, changing the setting seems like the most viable option. But of course, this is a plot-driven work of art (as opposed to opera where what really matters is the music. To me, anyway. If I want a spectacle I'll go to the circus )
Only vaguely related, but I was reading something on reddit about a girl of Maori origin (I think) and she had some traditional tattoos and was dating a guy of Japanese origin and apparently tattoos are really looked down upon there and seen as something to do with organised crime, so his parents were really rude to and about her.
Not sure how true it was but together with the comments, it was an interesting glimpse into different cultures and the friction between them.
“We drift down time, clutching at straws. But what good's a brick to a drowning man?”
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09-29-2021, 03:59 PM
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I was rather disappointed that the Roshoman production fell through because I've had a life long admiration of Japanese art. Their decorative arts are superb. Their pottery is sublime. Their color combinations of fabrics are striking. I just love Japanese gardens and the simplicity of their poetry. Of course, I realize it's probably a Western woman's romanticized idea of the Japanese culture but I can't seem to help myself. I have to dismiss the treatment of women in their traditions but this is true of all cultures.
I have three or four kimonos which I bought on line. I only wear them around the house once in a while. Just for fun. But am I appropating their culture or do I just love and admire it? I'm not cashing in on the kimonos I bought. I'm not using Japanese culture as my own identity. I simply love the kimonos and the few bits of Japanese pottery I have. It's a very strange world we live in today that I feel slightly guilty for having these objects and need to explain why I have them.
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09-29-2021, 04:57 PM
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John Stewart's new show premieres tomorrow, just reminding y'all.
“For me, it is far better to grasp the Universe as it really is than to persist in delusion, however satisfying and reassuring.” -Carl Sagan.
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09-29-2021, 05:14 PM
(This post was last modified: 09-29-2021, 05:18 PM by Vera.)
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(09-29-2021, 03:59 PM)Dancefortwo Wrote: I was rather disappointed that the Roshoman production fell through because I've had a life long admiration of Japanese art. Their decorative arts are superb. Their pottery is sublime. Their color combinations of fabrics are striking. I just love Japanese gardens and the simplicity of their poetry. Of course, I realize it's probably a Western woman's romanticized idea of the Japanese culture but I can't seem to help myself. I have to dismiss the treatment of women in their traditions but this is true of all cultures.
I have three or four kimonos which I bought on line. I only wear them around the house once in a while. Just for fun. But am I appropating their culture or do I just love and admire it? I'm not cashing in on the kimonos I bought. I'm not using Japanese culture as my own identity. I simply love the kimonos and the few bits of Japanese pottery I have. It's a very strange world we live in today that I feel slightly guilty for having these objects and need to explain why I have them.
I especially like the aesthetic philosophy of wabi-sabi, "one of appreciating beauty that is "imperfect, impermanent, and incomplete" in nature"
Check out The Art of Japanese Life by prof. James Fox (he has a great series about art in the Pacific, as well, HIGHLY recommended)
The whole "you can't wear other cultures' clothes or eat their food or whatever" is ridiculous and along the lines of "let's rewrite operas". It's a small but really loud - white - minority who decides what others, those who actually belong to those cultures, must find offensive. It's the easiest form of activism though, screeching at the top of your voices without doing anything of any substance.
If it's something deeply spiritually important for a culture (however much I dislike the word spiritual) and others are using it in a way that cheapens and demeans it, then yes, this is wrong and we *should* respect the cultures and beliefs (up to a reasonable point. As in, I'm never going to respect an "honour" culture) of others. Not wearing clothes originating in another country? Fuck this white saviour noise.
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09-30-2021, 08:52 AM
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(09-28-2021, 04:38 PM)Vera Wrote: ...Now, this is a ridiculous dance but the music is divine.
That's what I thought when I started watching it, but the gentle humour of the thing—particularly
that exuded by Patricia Petibon—is eminently watchable. I couldn't stop smiling. Thanks for the link.
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09-30-2021, 09:07 PM
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(09-30-2021, 08:52 AM)SYZ Wrote: That's what I thought when I started watching it, but the gentle humour of the thing—particularly
that exuded by Patricia Petibon—is eminently watchable. I couldn't stop smiling. Thanks for the link.
Plus, the music is absolutely gorgeous. And frankly, whenever there's beautiful music, whether in a film, audio drama, anything, I stop paying attention to anything but the music.
Was thinking again just the other day, why so many directors and audio drama creators and what have you, consider "classical" music to be creepy. As in, the moment they use a "classical"* piece and we're supposed to get the creeps. Even if it's the most gentle and lovely piece of music. Me, I just stop following the plot and get completely lost in the music (and have to go back to see what actually happened )
This, for example, was the music a serial killer used to play for the cop he was tormenting in... well, I forget where, possibly Criminal Minds (stopped watching that one ages ago). To me, it's just beautiful.
Funnily enough, a certain type of Bulgarian folklore singing is also considered creepy by some directors - I've heard that type of singing in quite a few series and movies, incl. X-files. It's kinda funny because instead of "creepy" all I can think is - well, this *isn't* really traditional and I'm not the biggest fan but I guess to people not from the Balkans it *does* sound exotic enough to be creepy. What's even funnier, one of the X-file episodes where they used this type of singing had an African theme. Made me chuckle.
* Yep, I'm a big enough musical snob to have a bit of a problem with this word simply because there is such a huge difference between, say, Vivaldi and Stravinsky, as to make describing them with the same word pretty pointless. Still, it's a better casual description than "erudite music", as they call it in Brazil. Even *I* found that one utterly snobbish.
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10-12-2021, 06:24 PM
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Dave Chappelle said some dumb shit.
Quote:
Amid a swirl of controversy around his new Netflix special, The Closer, Dave Chappelle took center stage Thursday night at a star-studded and sold-out show at L.A.’s iconic Hollywood Bowl. Though the superstar comedian did not repeat any of the jokes that have been loudly rejected by members of the LGBTQ community, GLAAD and the National Black Justice Coalition, he thumbed his nose at the notion of cancel culture while also promoting messages of kindness and love.
Chappelle shared the marquee with a screening of his Untitled: Dave Chappelle Documentary, a 118-minute film directed by American Factory Oscar winners Steve Bognar and Julia Reichert that offers an inside look at last year’s “Summer Camp” series. Mounted at Wirrig Pavilion near Chappelle’s home in Yellow Springs, Ohio, the more than 50 shows served to reinvigorate the small town during dark days in the COVID-19 pandemic as it played host to his circle of famous friends.
Some were on the bill tonight, including Snoop Dogg, Talib Kweli, DJ Jazzy Jeff, Stevie Wonder, poet Amir Sulaiman, Nas, Lizzo and a singing Jon Hamm. Comedian Jeff Ross kicked off the program with a short set, followed by a screening of the film, which one attendee described as “moving.” Then came Chappelle — dressed in a suit, with his wife and a cigarette in hand — for the main event that saw him being heralded at the mic on numerous occasions as the greatest living comic.
“If this is what being canceled is like, I love it,” the 48-year-old said in response to a standing ovation. The line, and many more like it, was greeted by rapturous applause from the crowd, which included a masked Brad Pitt, Tiffany Haddish, Donnell Rawlings, Chuck Lorre, Sterling K. Brown and others. At another point, he was more blunt: “Fuck Twitter. Fuck NBC News, ABC News, all these stupid ass networks. I’m not talking to them. I’m talking to you. This is real life.”
Personally I'm tired of people acting like comedians are above criticism. Freedom of expression doesn't mean you're free from criticism. I'm also tired of people getting their political opinions from comedians.
“For me, it is far better to grasp the Universe as it really is than to persist in delusion, however satisfying and reassuring.” -Carl Sagan.
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10-12-2021, 07:09 PM
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(10-12-2021, 06:24 PM)GenesisNemesis Wrote: Then came Chappelle — dressed in a suit, with his wife and a cigarette in hand — for the main event that saw him being heralded at the mic on numerous occasions as the greatest living comic...
Oh puhleeze!
One of the "greatest"?
What about Bill Burr, Kevin Hart, Sacha Baron Cohen, Chris Rock, Billy Connolly,
Amy Schumer, and George Carlin just to name few of my favourites.
Chappelle is only well-known because of his consistent, offensive attacks on
transgenders, homosexuals, other African-Americans, sexual assault victims,
and any other soft target. He effectively gives his audience tacit 'permission'
to laugh along at these as well—which only evidences their own inner latent,
discriminatory, racist, homophobic mindsets.
Chappelle even said at one gig—referring to the late Michael Jackson—
"it would be an honor to be molested by a musical legend".
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10-12-2021, 07:15 PM
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I thought Chapelle suddenly went off to Africa one time to deal with burnout or some mental issue almost immediately after signing like a $50m contract to do something. I always wondered the whole story there.
Is this sig thing on?
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10-12-2021, 08:08 PM
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(10-12-2021, 07:09 PM)SYZ Wrote: Chappelle even said at one gig—referring to the late Michael Jackson—
"it would be an honor to be molested by a musical legend".
This is a little off topic but not totally out of line with the thread subject. One time I was at a theatre cast party near Hollywood in Los Angeles and I got to talking to a couple of guys who were lighting technicians for the film and TV industry. We got to chatting about this and that and somehow the subject of Michael Jackson came up. They both had worked on several of Michael Jackson's music videos and watched as young boys, one by one, were taken into his private on-set trailer and stayed in the trailer with him for hours while the crew set everything up for filming. A young boy would emerge with what the lighting guys said were disheveled and stunned looking faces and another boy would be brought in. Now it could be that Michael Jackson was just playing fun games with these little boys but the whole thing was extremely odd behavior.
If someone in any other profession did stuff like this they'd be strung up and thrown out on their kiester. It was common knowledge that Michael Jackson had a thing for young boys but the music industry and Hollywood made millions off of his record sales and videos so no one said anything and the district attorney was stuck with no one willing to come forward.
It took a couple of decades for adult women to finally come forward in the Harvey Weinstein case but he wasn't a beloved pop star. He was a disgusting figure of a man. I doubt that Jackson will ever really be held accountable for his actions now that he's dead but even today anyone who writes or says anything bad about Michael Jackson is raked across the coals.
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