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The Oscars And Popular Music: An Odd Disconnect

“There are occasional years when the Oscars intersect with popular music culture. Bob Dylan and Bruce Springsteen have both been past winners. Eminem picked up an Oscar in 2003 with ‘Lose Yourself’, his compelling theme from 8 Mile. It was the first rap song to win, brushing off stiff competition from U2 singing the ‘The Hands That Built America’ from (perpetually neglected director) Martin Scorcese’s Gangs of New York and, er, Paul Simon performing the theme from The Wild Thornberrys Movie. But that is the exception.” Why is the Oscar for Best Song in such a sorry state?

Labor Board: St. Louis Strike Is Illegal

Following the collapse of mediated negotiations to end an 8-week-old work stoppage by its musicians, the St. Louis Symphony has obtained a ruling from the National Labor Relations Board declaring that the musicians are engaged in an illegal strike. The charge stems from the failure of the musicians’ attorney to file the correct paperwork with the NLRB before the expiration of their last contract. The musicians, for their part, admit that they never filed the necessary papers (the attorney claims that he did it on purpose,) but have held fast to the view that they are not on strike at all, and that the SLSO management has locked them out.

The Dance Is In The Details

The choreography of Christopher Wheeldon has turned a lot of heads in recent years, but it isn’t necessarily the grand scope of his vision that separates him from the pack. “What Wheeldon tunes in to, rather, are the little mysteries of human expression. How a series of steps colored by the right inflection of feeling can change the temperature of a ballet. How wistfulness, trepidation and heartache are communicated with a look and a gesture and, perhaps, a particularly expressive arch of the foot.”

America, Land Of TV Hypocrites

Outwardly, Hollywood and the TV networks which incessantly cover its every move are wringing their hands over this year’s Oscar host, comedian Chris Rock, practically begging the star not to step over the line of good taste and subject the broadcast to sanction from the newly activist FCC. In reality, of course, everyone involved with the awards show is thrilled to pieces that Rock is hosting, since it allows the show to be promoted to jaded viewers as spontaneous and potentially rule-breaking, when in fact, it will be as scripted and sanitized as ever. It’s just one more bit of evidence that Americans love to watch the same supposedly indecent programming they later fight to have removed from the airwaves.

Tell-All Book Riles Mormon Church

“The daughter of one of Mormonism’s most prominent religious scholars has accused her father of sexually abusing her as a child in a forthcoming memoir that is shining an unwelcome spotlight on the practices and beliefs of the much-scrutinized but protectively private Mormon religious community… The Mormon Church issued a statement condemning the book, calling it ‘seriously flawed in the way it depicts the church, its members and teachings.’ [The author] and her publisher have said she has received e-mail messages containing death threats. In addition, Mormons around the country have participated in an e-mail campaign against the book.”

It’s Tough All Over

The Buffalo Philharmonic is consolidating several 2005 performances to balance its budget after losing more than $700,000 in anticipated public funding. The money was to have come from New York’s Erie County, which includes Buffalo, but a budget crunch forced the county to trim its own expenses, leaving the Philharmonic several hundred thousand dollars short of a balanced season.