“[Things are now] an extremely far cry from the old days of The Voice‘s ideological predecessor, American Idol.” (Remember Simon Cowell’s insults?) “What The Voice is similar to, though, … is The Great British Baking Show, whose judges offer encouragement to their contestants even, and especially, when they fail. … And Project Runway and Dancing with the Stars and America’s Next Top Model and The Biggest Loser and RuPaul’s Drag Race – competition-based reality shows that, episode by episode, opt for supportiveness over sadism.”
Author: Matthew Westphal
Why Hollywood Thought Remaking ‘Ben-Hur’ Was Ever A Good Idea (And Why That Was Wrong)
“In 2004, Mel Gibson’s biblical film The Passion of the Christ hit theaters after a months-long, small-scale ad campaign that focused on church groups and evangelical leaders … After opening on Ash Wednesday, it became the highest-grossing R-rated film in history, earning $611 million worldwide.” The new Ben-Hur, on the other hand, “opened this weekend to a pitiful $11.4 million at the box office.”
Top Posts From AJBlogs 08.24.16
Is Naked Trump Bad Satire? (And Do We Care?)
In this week’s AJ highlights I included some of the stories we found about the naked Donald Trump statues that appeared in five American cities last week. One reader was unhappy: “Vile & disgusting. This … read more
AJBlog: diacritical/Douglas McLennan Published 2016-08-24
Boiling Pot In Chicago: “America After the Fall”
Think about American art in the 1930s. Does anything come to mind? Maybe the Regionalism of Thomas Hart Benton and Grant Wood. But there was so much more to the decade than that. … read more
AJBlog: Real Clear Arts Published 2016-08-24
About that Italian €500
The Italian government has announced that it will give all eighteen-year olds, on their birthday, a €500 voucher to spend on books, film, music or theatre. … I think cultural vouchers are an interesting idea … [but] I can’t cheer this policy, … read more
AJBlog: For What It’s Worth Published 2016-08-23
Recent Listening: Steve Lugerner On Jackie McLean
Steven Lugerner, Jacknife: The Music Of Jackie McLean (Primary Records) After his studies at The New School in New York ended a couple of years ago, alto saxophonist Steven Lugerner returned home to … read more
AJBlog: RiffTides Published 2016-08-24
Another Do-It-Yourselfer
Thanks to an unencumbered and rather inspired summer, I am more than halfway through an evening-length collection of pieces for three microtonally retuned Disklaviers. I’m calling it Hyperchromatica, because … read more
AJBlog: PostClassic Published 2016-08-24
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Toward ‘A Unified Theory Of Agnostic Spiritual Life’
“Agnosticism is often thought of, incorrectly, as a state of theological indecision. Rather, it is the conviction that it is epistemologically impossible to determine whether or not there is a deity. Agnosticism is an ideology of unknowability … ‘a recognition that we need room for mystery, for the imagination, for things sensed but not proven, intuited but not defined.'”
How A Novelist Made Peace With Criticism: Curtis Sittenfield On Being Reviewee And Reviewer
“I’m aware more than I was before I had books published that any review is a bit arbitrary – it’s not really, say, The New York Times that’s authoritatively weighing in on the quality of a book, though it seems this way to the public. It’s actually one reviewer weighing in (maybe a daily reviewer like you, but maybe a random novelist like me who reviews one or two books a year), and all of us as individuals have quirky, subjective taste.”
Would You Like To Own Truman Capote’s Ashes? Bid Here!
The bidding is up to $2,750 so far, and the cremains themselves come from the estate of one of Johnny Carson’s ex-wives. (We are not making this up.)
‘No Hugging, No Learning’: How ‘Seinfeld’ Really Changed Television
“Anti-hero sagas like Mad Men, Breaking Bad, The Shield, and Californication may not appear to have much in common with a sitcom about four nebbishy New Yorkers. But Seinfeld‘s immense popularity proved to network executives that audiences could get on board with a show that didn’t necessarily end with a lesson and a group hug – and characters that reveled in their flaws instead of working to overcome them.”
Michelle Obama As Pop-Culture Figure (And Pop-Culture Critic)
“While I am first lady, I wasn’t first lady my whole life. I’m a product of pop culture. I’m a consumer of pop culture, and I know what resonates with people. I know what they’ll get a chuckle out of and what they think is kind of silly. And whenever my team approaches me with ideas and concepts, we’re usually like, ‘Is this really funny? Are people going to understand it?'”
Where Next For Olympic Athletes? For Some, It Will Be Cirque Du Soleil
“In all, about 40 percent of Cirque’s performers come from artistic, rhythmic and acrobatic gymnastics backgrounds, as well as from trampoline, tumbling, diving and synchronized swimming. At the moment, 21 Olympians – two of them medalists – perform in eight United States-based Cirque du Soleil shows.”
The Godfather Of Cuban Ballet Dancers In The States
“[Pedro Pablo Peña] came to Miami in 1980 on the Mariel Boatlift. … Over the years, he has gained a reputation for running a safe haven for Cuban dancers when they touch down in America. ‘They are able to continue their career in the United States. I offer to help with everything.’ Peña gives them a spot in his Cuban Classical Ballet of Miami or helps them contract with other companies. He also provides housing and a surrogate family for those with no local relatives.”