“How does all the money that goes into these campaigns – estimates run at more than $100 million for the season – measure against the revenue they supposedly generate?” The Times‘s new Carpetbagger blogger “put the question to studio heads, directors, actors and producers, some of whom agreed to chat on the record, others off (several confiding that awards season was something they dreaded and loathed).”
Author: Matthew Westphal
Maybe It Wasn’t North Korea That Hacked Sony
As one cyber-security expert puts it, “State-sponsored attackers don’t create cool names for themselves like Guardians of Peace and promote their activity to the public.”
Why Mel Tormé Never Got The One Thing He Desperately Wanted
The gifted jazz singer – who was also a talented songwriter, arranger, author, and character actor – was tormented his entire life that he never achieved the same level of fame as Frank Sinatra. “What was it, then, that kept Tormé out of the pop-culture pantheon? Was his stylish singing caviar to the general? Or was something else at fault?”
Even Microsoft Is Giving Up On Barnes And Noble’s Nook
“Barnes & Noble said on Thursday that it had reached a deal with Microsoft to buy back its stake in the Nook division, which the bookseller is planning to split off into a separate, publicly traded company at some point before August.”
U.S. TV’s Great Sitcom Recession, And Four Ways To Pull Out Of It
“Even as TV transforms itself in real time, broadcasters have still managed to find a way to restock their shelves with new drama hits … By contrast, the last time the networks launched an enduring, game-changing comedy smash was way back in 2009” – Modern Family. Only two sitcoms are among this fall’s 20 most-watched series. “This paucity of half-hour hits has left networks insiders ‘confused’ and reeling.”
“Almost Scientific”: What Lena Dunham Learned About Creativity From Her Artist Parents
Creativity is “an ineffable bug that takes you over but also something that you can learn. … My parents taught me that you can have a creative approach to thinking that is almost scientific. You don’t have to be at the mercy of the muse. You need your own internalized thinking process that you can perform again and again.”
San Diego Opera Was Nowhere Near Financial Collapse Last Season, Audit Shows
The company’s previous board and general director abruptly tried to shut down the company last spring, claiming that there was not money or local interest enough to keep it going. But the audited financial statements for that season show an operating deficit of $52,067 on operating expenses of $15.9 million – roughly one-sixth the deficit of the previous season.
Did Putin Give A Picasso From The Hermitage As A Bribe To Get The World Cup?
A secret British report given to Parliament alleges that the Russian president took two paintings from state collections – one allegedly a Picasso from the Hermitage in St. Petersburg – and gave them to FIFA officials in exchange for their votes for Russia’s bid to host the 2018 world soccer championship.
Maybe *All* The Designs For The Guggenheim Helsinki Are A Bad Idea
“There’s nothing especially wrong with any of the individual designs, but taken as a whole, they cast a cynical view of the purpose of architecture (as hype for a project). … “Finns are right to ask whether Helsinki needs the Guggenheim as much as the Guggenheim needs South Harbor.”
Are Smartphones In The Audience Bad For Stand-Up Comedy?
As Chris Rock puts it, “If you think you don’t have room to make mistakes, it’s going to lead to safer, gooier standup. You can’t think the thoughts you want to think if you think you’re being watched.” Brian Logan observes, “And, let’s face it, they are being watched – by which I mean (and he means) recorded, and apt to be broadcast – out of context, probably, and whether or not their material is ready.”