“Political theatre ebbs and flows, but if it is resurgent right now, that is for a variety of reasons. One, clearly, is the prevailing discontent with current political discourse and a sense that the media often fail to grapple with existing realities.”
Author: Matthew Westphal
Aereo Lays Off More Than Half Its Staff, But It’s Not Shutting Down
“Aereo, which put its [re-streaming of broadcast TV] service on hold after it lost a Supreme Court ruling in June, is laying off a majority of its staff, including employees in New York and Boston, although the company says that it is continuing to ‘chart our path forward’.”
A Song About Gay Love And Pot-Smoking Just Won Country Music’s Song Of The Year (Yes, Really)
“‘Oh my goodness! Do y’all know what this means for country music?!’ That’s what the charming Kacey Musgraves said when she won the prize for Song of the Year for her controversial hit ‘Follow Your Arrow’ at last night’s Country Music Awards. And she’s right.”
Why A Semi-Reclusive Billionaire Gave LACMA Half A Billion Dollars’ Worth Of Art
Jerry Perenchio, former chairman of the Spanish-language U.S. television network Univisión, is bequeathing at least 47 paintings – by the likes of Monet, Magritte, Manet, and Picasso – valued at roughly $500 million. But there’s a sizable string attached.
Poland Celebrates Post-Communist Prosperity With A Spate Of New Concert Halls
New venues in Krakow, Szczecin, Wroclaw and Katowice “are seen as symbolic of the triumph over the Communist past and of the adoption of modern European values. … After the halls are built, the question inevitably arises over how – even whether – they can be filled.”
Protesters Unfurl Three-Story Banner in Guggenheim Museum
“The banner, reading ‘Stop Labor Abuse / Countdown to Guggenheim Abu Dhabi,’ was brought into the museum hidden inside a baby stroller.” It was the first of a series of actions “carried out by the Gulf Ultra Luxury Front (G.U.L.F.) activist group.”
What Can You Really Do With An Arts Degree?
A lot, actually, even if the art part doesn’t end up earning you money. “The best programs develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills, along with intellectual curiosity, creativity, and an amazing work ethic.”
Top Posts From AJBlogs 11.06.14
Price discrimination and timing
AJBlog: For What it’s Worth Published 2014-11-06
Two “Transformative” Gifts That Actually Are
AJBlog: Real Clear Arts Published 2014-11-06
Rumbler Bumble: Christie’s $15.5-Million Léger “Sells” (but doesn’t)
JBlog: CultureGrrl Published 2014-11-06
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Why Humans Are Compelled To Tell Each Other Stories (It May Be Hard-Wired)
“Stories can be a way for humans to feel that we have control over the world. They allow people to see patterns where there is chaos, meaning where there is randomness. … But why start telling stories in the first place? Their usefulness in understanding others is one reason, but another theory is that storytelling could be an evolutionary mechanism that helped keep our ancestors alive.”
Here’s What Happens When You And Your Colleague Play Conjoined Twins
As Emily Padgett and Erin Davie have played Daisy and Violet Hilton in Side Show – in San Diego, D.C. and now on Broadway – “they find they often say the same word at the same time, or move in the same way, or arrive at rehearsal dressed alike. Crew members call them by the wrong names daily.”