MoMA’s endorsement of unending growth is central to the advancement of corporate values that lie at the heart of the existential crisis facing not just it and countless other cultural institutions, but the planet itself. For more than two decades, MoMA has been in a perpetual state of aggrandizement to anticipate the imagined needs of the twenty-first century and future generations yet unborn. – New York Review of Books
Author: Douglas McLennan
White House Announces Trump’s First National Medal Of Arts Winners
After skipping 2017 and 2018, the White House announced that Trump has chosen actor Jon Voight, novelist James Patterson, president and chief executive officer of WETA (a Washington, D.C. public-broadcasting channel) Sharon Percy Rockefeller, and bluegrass singer Alison Krauss to receive the presidential honor. – New York Magazine
Thousands Of Subscribers Say They Were Hacked After Signing Up For Disney+
On 12 November, its first day live, people had technical problems and many complained on social media. Others said they were locked out of their accounts, and since they contacted Disney they have not heard back. According to an investigation by Zdnet, thousands of user accounts went on sale on the dark web. – BBC
Why Centrism Is No Longer At The Center Of Our Politics
It’s often said that we are also witnessing a crisis of liberalism: liberal norms are being eroded, institutions are under threat, and across Europe, parties of the centre are haemorrhaging votes. Meanwhile, the critics of centrism are louder than they have been for years. – The Guardian
What Makes A Great American Song?
For all that composers like Jerome Kern hated jazz and pop interpretations of their work — work generally created, after all, for specific scenes and characters in specific musical plays — Rob Kapilow notes that “it is precisely the freedom to take these canonical works — these ‘standards’ — and continually reinterpret them in the multiplicity of musical languages that have evolved over time that has kept the repertoire alive.” – The New York Times
Next Up In Cancel Culture: Gauguin?
The artist “repeatedly entered into sexual relations with young girls, ‘marrying’ two of them and fathering children,” reads the wall text. “Gauguin undoubtedly exploited his position as a privileged Westerner to make the most of the sexual freedoms available to him.” – The New York Times
A Movie Project BootCamp That Uses AI To Cull
This year, the program received more than 11,000 submissions for just 17 spots in its third class. The Impact application consists of 70 questions, what Mitchell describes as a “thesis-like defense” of why the writer’s particular project deserves investment. To manage the overwhelming volume, Impact uses machine learning to sift through the giant pool of applications and identify new voices. The AI is part device, part catalyst: The technology searches for diverse applicants–Mitchell explains they look for people who have overcome challenges in their careers or lives–with the goal of shaking up the historically homogenous film industry. – Wired
Elizabeth Warren, AOC Weigh In On Taylor Swift’s Music Catalog Dispute
“Swift’s initial post alleges that Scooter Braun and Scott Borchetta were essentially holding access to her older music hostage, telling her that if she wants to be able to perform the music at the AMAs, as well as use it in a three-years-in-the-making Netflix documentary, she would have to promise not to re-record the music and cease speaking poorly about them in public. Big Machine has denied her allegations.” – Variety
When Contemporary Theatre Struggles To Keep Up With The News
When a play lands can be as crucial as the quality of the writing and the rigour of the dramaturgy. In a ‘new play culture’, always seeking ever newer writers, a play whose timing is just a bit off and fails to chime with the zeitgeist is unlikely to get a second chance. – The Stage
Iran Shuts Down The Internet Inside The Country
The government is apparently seeing to silence protestors and quell unrest. So how does a country like Iran switch off internet to a population of more than 80 million? It’s not an easy thing to do. – Wired