Author: Matthew Westphal

Is This Comedy Quiz Show Responsible For Boris Johnson Becoming Prime Minister?

“An institution in Britain, Have I Got News For You began airing in 1990 and runs on Friday nights on the BBC’s main channel, averaging 4 million viewers. … Political guests are subject to continual mockery, especially if they have a scandalous past or their policies appear muddled. But for those willing to be laughed at, and to laugh at themselves, the show has become a way to endear themselves to the public in a country where self-deprecation is an art form.” And Boris Johnson’s appearances on the show are seen as “pop culture classics.” – The New York Times

The Megahit TV Serial That Jump-Started India’s Hindu Nationalist Movement

A 78-episode adaptation of the Hindu epic Ramayana, broadcast every Sunday morning for 18 months in 1987-88 on what was then India’s only TV channel, was seen by up to 100 million people. Life in much of the country would come to a standstill while it was on, and many viewers treated watching it as an actual religious ritual. (Some even put garlands of flowers on the TV set.) It was the first religious program the national network aired (previous governments had held the subject taboo), and reporter Rahul Verma explains why its broadcast is seen to have ignited the now-powerful forces of Hindu chauvinism. – BBC

This Playwright Is Tackling Issues Her Indian Compatriots Would Rather She Left Alone

“Anupama Chandrasekhar isn’t one to shy away from a tough subject. The Indian playwright has written about acid attacks, sex tapes and her home country’s culture of patriarchal violence. ‘I have been asked so many times, mostly by men, ‘Why don’t you write comedies, or plays that celebrate India?” she says. ‘I tell them: on the day that these things don’t happen any more, I will happily start writing bedroom farces.'” – The Guardian

What’s Becoming Of Condé Nast In A Post-Print World?

In a sort of sequel to last week’s New Republic article on how Mr. Condé Montrose Nast created the high-end glossy magazine industry, writer Reeves Wiedeman visits the (shrinking) Condé Nast offices at One World Trade Center for a longread about how the (shrinking) magazine-publishing group has and hasn’t been adapting to the rise of digital media, especially with Anna Wintour having been made creative director for the entire company. – New York Magazine

13-Year, $90M Legal Battle Over Art And Cardboard Is Now Over

“The case was brought by the paintings’ owners, Stanley and Gail Hollander, in 2007. They sought more than $90m in damages in connection with a claim for alleged loss in value on the [Martin Kippenberger triptych] Copa III, Copa IV and Copa IX (1986) after damage caused by a handling hiccup. After a three-week trial by jury and millions spent in legal fees, Gail Hollander (Stanley died in 2016) received just $19,500, their claim undone by a curious restoration of the paintings’ frames.” – The Art Newspaper

After Public Pushback, Eastman School Cancels Orchestra Tour Of China

Earlier this week, news broke that three musicians, all South Korean nationals, in the Eastman Philharmonia, the student orchestra of the Eastman School of Music, had been denied visas to enter China for the orchestra’s upcoming tour. Eastman’s dean, Jamal Rossi, initially decided to go ahead with the plans and leave those three players behind — and he was promptly pummeled with criticism from alumni and members of the public. Rossi has now “postponed” the tour. – The New York Times

How India’s Only Professional Symphony Orchestra Has Kept Itself Going For 13 Years

Founding music director Marat Bisangaliev says that launching the Symphony Orchestra of India back in 2006 was a serious challenge: with the country’s own art music traditions dominant, the few fully trained Western classical musicians from India had all gone abroad. “We zeroed in on a bunch of talented adults who were self-taught and put them through an intensive crash course designed specially to elevate their standard … They had to become worthy of a place in a symphony orchestra, and the move paid off.” And with no existing conservatory to train future orchestral musicians, the SOI has since founded its own. – The National (Abu Dhabi)