A Los Angeles judge dismissed a suit against the actor and the UK’s Channel 4 (HBO settled) by a woman claiming that Baron Cohen “used her name in a defamatory way” during an interview in which his character Ali G asked Gore Vidal “why there was any point in amending the US Constitution.”
Author: Matthew Westphal
Philly’s Cézanne Show: For Rich People Only?
Tyler Green: “If I were a child, this show might get me hooked on art for life. And if I had children, I’d consider it a perfect way to show my kids how exciting art can be. Except I wouldn’t be able to afford to, and neither will many other families. The museum is charging as much as $88 for a family of four to see the show, effectively pricing out all but the relatively wealthy.”
Islamic Schools For The Modern World (They’re Like Catholic Schools)
Madrasas have a reputation for teaching their students to recite the Quran from memory, some shariah law and little else – leaving their graduates ill-equipped for the interconnected, high-tech world of today. But a madrasa in Singapore is establishing (and exporting) a new model: a science- and math-heavy modern curriculum with religious instruction added on during additional class time.
Blogs Turn Hollywood News Beat Into Bloody Battleground
“Variety ceded its grip on the town entirely, and now the Hollywood press corps is in a state of revolution. There is no power structure. It’s all turned inside out and upside down. Everyone claims victory, but no one seems to have it, nobody is powerful enough to measure it. And, above all, it’s one nasty, mean, shrill place.”
The Ten Craziest Things About Susan-Boyle-Madness
“Boylemania has become about so much more than an underdog singing a good show tune. Rather, Ms Boyle has been turned into an SIE (Shared International Experience) whose angelic voice and against-the-odds international fame apparently reveal that feminism is alive and well, beauty is overrated, the recession ain’t that bad, cynicism is dying, and God still loves us. You think I’m exaggerating?”
Does Shakespeare’s Globe Deserve All Those Bad Reviews?
“[Artistic director Domonic] Dromgoole argues – and honestly seems to feel – that the kind of theatre the Globe does is emphatically not about pleasing the critics, but involving the audience. As such, he says, you shouldn’t think RSC or the National when you visit the Globe, but Punchdrunk or Improbable – groups who, in their different ways, enfold the audience into the action. They haven’t had an easy ride from the critics either.”
In Tangled Three-Way Tug-Of-War, A Dutch Master Canvas Is The Rope
The Dutch bank ABN Amro has filed a claim for A Bend in the Herengracht, a 17th-century painting by Gerrit Adriaensz Berckheyde which financier Louis Reijtenbagh had used as collateral for a now-delinquent loan. Problem no. 1: Reijtenbagh used the same painting as collateral for a 2006 loan (also delinquent) from JP Morgan Chase. Problem no. 2: He sold the work to the Rijksmuseum last September.
Orlando Ballet To Make Pro Basketball Debut
“The Orlando Magic have an what may seem like an unlikely partner in Wednesday[‘s] playoff game against the Philadelphia 76ers. The Orlando Ballet will perform at halftime.”
Yes, It’s Son Of Dr. Horrible!
“The Internet musical Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog, starring Neil Patrick Harris, was a Web sensation last fall. Fans crashed the official site, dr.horrible.com, while the downloadable version of the musical hit the top of the iTunes chart. Now some details for the sequel have emerged – and it looks like the creators want to stay true to the indie, low-budget aesthetic that made Dr. Horrible an instant cult item.”
Royal Opera House And BBC Announce Partnership
“Covent Garden productions [of both opera and ballet] will be available across many different digital platforms including radio, television, CDs, DVDs, online and outdoor screens. For the first time, the Royal Opera programmes broadcast on the BBC will also be available on the BBC iPlayer. The two-season commitment with the BBC brings eight operas and/or ballets from the RHO to be broadcast on BBC TWO and BBC FOUR.”