“We are getting worse writing, worse art. Part of the reason for the much worse writing is that young people have so many other distractions in terms of their time—so many things to do, that reading books has just shriveled. They are assigned books, but few kids read books for pleasure. Too much else is going on. Now I’m a champion of the web—I began writing for Salon in 1995 from the first issue on. But the style of the web, not only the surfing skimming style that you learn—dash, dash—you absorb information not by reading whole sentences. It’s flash, flash, flash. Email, blog, everything is going fast, fast, fast. So the quality of language has obviously degenerated. It’s obvious.”
Blog
Aussie Aboriginal Painting Fails To Sell
Aboriginal art now accounts for more than 50% of all art sales in Australia, and there were big expectations that a work by the late Rover Thomas, would become the first indigenous painting to sell for more than $1 million (Aus). Instead, the painting has failed to sell at auction.
Where Are The African-American Idea Magazines?
“There’s the feel-good, middle-class black mirror most vividly embodied by Ebony and Jet, and the post-modern, hyper-acquisitive “bling” aesthetic found in hip-hop magazines such as Vibe and XXL. But there’s no idea-driven publication aimed at black Americans — at least none that has achieved equivalent success. Why?”
The Angel Who Saved Detroit’s Jazz Festival
When Gretchen Valade heard that Ford had pulled out as major sponsor of the 25-year-old Detroit Jazz festival, she stepped in to save the day. “The angel who saved the jazz festival has the bank account of a blue blood but the soul of an artist. She wrote short stories in her youth and standard-ballad pop songs as she got older, and when no one seemed interested in her music, she started her own record company. Valade’s fortune is homegrown — she’s the granddaughter of the founder of Carhartt Inc., the $400-million Dearborn company that makes rugged work clothes that have also become hip urban fashion.”
Nielsen Defends Electronic Viewership Tracking
A year after the American TV ratings company Nielsen was attacked by critics of a new counting system that some feared would shortchange counting of African Americans, Nielsen says “black people are watching more television in all six cities that are using the new electronic meters. Its critics remain unsatisfied, and the Senate held a hearing last month on a bill that would require greater oversight of the company that has a monopoly over measuring TV audiences.”
Half Way Around The World, Two Dancers Reunite
Two Chinese dancers who studied together as children in China, then parted on their seperate careers, reunite in Pittsburgh, of all places…
Pssst… Need A Ticket? (Oh Yeah, we Don’t Need To Do That Anymore)
It used to be that ticket scalping was a shady illegal transaction that had to be carried out on street corners. But increasingly, “secondary ticket selling” has become respectable as it moved online and established a thriving business. Now AOL has joined the act…
Coming Soon To A DVD Near You?
Why do movies have to be released in theatres first? “The tradition of major films debuting first in theaters, then across staggered release “windows,” including pay-per-view, home video, cable and, finally, broadcast TV, is being openly questioned. The millions of dollars that studios spend marketing first-run movies would serve double duty promoting the more profitable DVDs, making for a faster and more efficient return on investment.”
Study: We’re Not Going To Movies Because They’re Bad
Why are fewer people going to the movie theatre? A new study says it comes down to quality. “Even when moviegoers cite other reasons for going to theaters less often than they used to, they still circle back to the quality of films as the root cause for their disaffection. For example, potential moviegoers who cited the ease and selection offered by Netflix as one reason why they visit the multiplex less, then said they were driven to try Netflix because of the dearth of decent theatrical releases.”
Protest Groups Whine That BBC Ignored Them
The Christian group that protested the BBC’s showing of Jerry Springer, The Opera is upset that the broadcaster didn’t pay attention to its protests. “We all might cause offence through ignorance but I am worried that there are people working in television who know something is going to be offensive and then just go ahead and show it.”