The major American TV networks released their new fall schedules this week, and from all outward appearances, it’s business as usual. But the fact is, business as usual has been a disaster lately, and the networks are scrambling for viewership in a TV landscape now focused on cable networks and niche programming. So why do all the new programs look the same as the old ones that haven’t been working?
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Will Hollywood Junk Science Help Or Hurt The Real Thing?
This summer’s big Hollywood disaster flick is The Day After Tomorrow, in which all the dire predictions scientists have been making about the consequences of global warming come true – over the course of about three days. Environmental groups have been latching on to the film in the hope that the sight of New York City encased permanently in ice will spark the public’s interest in the real-life issue of climate change, but some observers point out that a film clearly based on junk science is more likely to spark a backlash against the global warming alarmists than to cause the public to rally to their side.
The Return of the Protest Song?
“Is folk music getting its political hackles up? It has often been the soundtrack of American protest, from the labor movement of the early 20th century through the civil rights and antiwar movements of the ’50s and ’60s. Now, in the midst of our longest and most controversial war since Vietnam, is history repeating itself? There are definite signs that this summer’s folk-festival crowds may hear more political songs than they have in many years.”
Whatever Happened To Funding The Arts Just Because We Should?
Economic impact studies are becoming the preferred method of convincing the citizenry to support public subsidies for arts and culture. But not everyone is buying the message: “The arts folks are trying to sell their idea… by using the vehicle the public seems eager to buy these days: It will help the economy. The arts’ pitch is smaller but not dissimilar to the pitch made by the biotech people. We can not only cure diseases, we were told, we can cure downturns in the business cycle… When we make these arguments long enough, other economists will come up with research that shows these are not such good investments. This will lead to more resistance to funding projects we probably ought to fund for the civic good.”
Jansons Exits Pittsburgh
America is a tough place to be a music director, and even some of the world’s greatest conductors eventually decide that the constant strain is just more work than it’s worth. Case in point: Mariss Jansons, who this weekend conducted his final performances at the helm of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. “Many things didn’t work out the way he would have liked or else Jansons wouldn’t be leaving so soon — after only seven years. But he is a class act, a committed servant of the music and above all a good person.” Jansons leaves the PSO an ensemble transformed, but with an uncertain artistic future.
Structural Holes and the Origins of Ideas
So you’ve got a great idea. Where did it come from? Did you come up with it all on your own, right out of thin air? Probably not, says sociologist Ronald Burt. In fact, most ideas are not entirely original, but are merely examples of people finding a use for thoughts and facts, the significance of which may have eluded other individuals. In other words, a mundane fact which has no real use to one set of people may spark great creativity in another social or professional setting. According to Burt, this is all evidence that social structure can stifle creative thinking, and has become known as the study of “structural holes.”
Is The Saudi Royal Family Exploiting UK Libel Law?
“House of Bush, House of Saud: The Secret Relationship Between the World’s Two Most Powerful Dynasties, Craig Unger’s book about the tangled connections between President Bush and his circle and Saudi Arabia’s royal family, became a best seller in the United States this spring, and is now being published in Germany, Spain and Brazil, among other places. But it is not for sale in Britain… British publishing has long been notoriously hamstrung by the country’s libel laws, which place the burden of proof on the defendant… But what is causing particular consternation in publishing and legal circles now is that Mr. Unger’s case may be yet another example of how wealthy Saudis are increasingly using British laws to intimidate critics.”
Book Club Bests
“Chat show hosts Richard Madeley and Judy Finnigan have single-handedly catapaulted authors into the bestseller charts over the past year with their Best Read bookclub. Now they are moving into the holiday reading market with the announcement of the six new novels they will be championing over the coming months. Readers will also be invited to vote for their favourite summer read. The six novels on the list, for whom soaring sales are now guaranteed, fall firmly into light entertainment territory.”
Is Acoustic Science Killing the Concert Hall
Acoustical engineering is an especially tricky business. Just ask anyone who has been in charge of designing the sound of a major concert hall over the last half-century. “Over the last 50 years, more computing power has been applied to acoustic data than ever before, but most big halls have turned out to be dry and pale frames for music.” In fact, as acoustic science has advanced, concert halls have arguably regressed, sounding more like glorified loudspeakers or hi-fi sets than chambers of orchestral sound. Perhaps the problem is the desire to build a hall that can be all things to all people, or the corruption of our ears and minds by recorded sound. But whatever the problem, one thing seems clear: they just don’t build ’em like they used to.
Reinventing the Wheel in St. Paul
One year ago, the musicians of the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra agreed to a new contract which would fundamentally change the way the ensemble operates. The position of music director will soon be eliminated in favor of a network of “artistic partners” who the SPCO hopes will bring star power and musical expertise to the organization. “Perhaps even more significantly, decision-making, formerly the responsibility of top management and the music director, would now be the work of two committees, each composed of three musicians and two management personnel, a ratio that puts musicians in the driver’s seat.” The rest of the American orchestra industry is watching St. Paul closely, if skeptically.