In 2016, John Cho “became the unwitting beneficiary of #StarringJohnCho, a social movement that imagined Cho standing in for, say, Tom Cruise in Mission: Impossible and Daniel Craig in Spectre as part of a wider calling for diversity in entertainment, and an Asian-American leading man.” And now, things are definitely starring John Cho. – The New York Times
Author: ArtsJournal2
The Sudden Dominance Of International Pop Music
Sometimes, as with 2012’s monster hit “Gangnam Style” and all of the K-pop since, “all it takes is one song to introduce a new culture to the mainstream, paving the way for other acts or similar musical styles.” – CBC
Mental Health Apps May Be Sharing Data, And Not Telling Their Customers
Basically: “Free apps marketed to people with depression or who want to quit smoking are hemorrhaging user data to third parties like Facebook and Google — but often don’t admit it in their privacy policies, a new study reports.” Yikes. (Er, nine of the most popular mental health apps don’t even have a privacy policy.) – The Verge
It’s Past Time To Let Go Of Robinson Crusoe
The colonial fairytale doesn’t hold up at all in our contemporary world. Crusoe, to put it bluntly, was a slave trader – but somehow it became a children’s story: “Educationists agreed that the island narrative of Crusoe was an ideal text for teaching the virtues of self-reliance, careful management of resources and trust in the overall – if a little mysterious, but that’s a part of the appeal – wonderfulness of the Christian God. That the novel could be harnessed to the business of empire was a further recommendation.” – The Guardian (UK)
Pop-Up Theatre Can Change Lives
When Fiona Shaw decided to perform excerpts from T.S. Eliot’s “The Wasteland” in (and near) an empty fountain in Central Park, she didn’t want it announced – and there was only a brief mention on social media. Then word of mouth happened. What’s next? “Taking theatre to the audience in unexpected ways can only serve to evoke interest, and may capture the imagination of those not used to planting themselves in a theatre seat.” – The Stage (UK)
Director John Singleton Is In Intensive Care After A ‘Mild’ Stroke
The director is most known for the 1991 film Boyz N the Hood, but he’s also a producer and screenwriter whose films include 2 Fast 2 Furious, Shaft, and the documentary LA Burning: The Riots 25 Years Later. – Los Angeles Times
The Man In Charge Of The Music Of The Ring
Philippe Jordan, 44, has 15 hours of Wagner’s Ring Cycle to get through – and try to shine through – at the Met. How does he do it? The man who has been in charge of Opéra National de Paris, and who is about to assume the reins as music director of the Vienna State Opera, actually considers it something of a break. – The New York Times
Americans Are Losing Whatever Empathy For ‘Others’ That They Once Had
Americans seemed to be into empathy from roughly post-WWII to the 2000s. Then things started going sideways. Now, it’s “Empathy, but just for your own team. And empathizing with the other team? That’s practically a taboo. And it turns out that this brand of selective empathy is a powerful force.” – NPR
The Joy – And Reality – Of The American Library In Paris
If you’re an English-speaker jaded about the City of Lights, head to the library. “As I learned more about the American Library and its place in the history of literary Paris, I recovered some long-repudiated belief in the city’s magnetic pull and inspirational force. Conjuring scenes of my old heroes in the library’s reading rooms made me swoon all over again, decades after their work first moved me.” – LitHub
Misty Copeland Curated A Special Dance Photo Section Of The New York Times
OK, that’s pretty cool – here’s an explainer on what she picked, and why. – The New York Times