Why? Someone was gaming the system, of course: “On Monday, word spread that Post Malone’s ‘Rockstar’ hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart. Three years ago Billboard decided to take YouTube plays into account for its Hot 100 ranking system and, through that technicality, a sneaky video of the song’s chorus on repeat with over 40 million views helped push ‘Rockstar’ to No. 1.”
Blog
Without The Humanities, Preparing For Endless War, Or Endless Work, Whichever
Marilynne Robinson: “There is an impulse behind the recent assaults on great institutions that is historically expressed as social engineering. The ideal worker will not have a head full of poetry, say the neo-Benthamites. It is assumed, of course, that he or she will be potentially omnicompetent in service to the ever-changing needs and demands of the new economy—highly trained, that is, to acquire some undescribed skill set that will be proof against obsolescence. We await particulars. But the object is clear — to create a virtual army out of the general population who will compete successfully against whomever for whatever into an endless future, at profound cost to themselves.”
Norman Rockwell’s Children Sue Berkshire Museum To Stop The Sale Of Their Father’s Art
The plaintiffs argue that the controversial plan – much derided in the art world, but seeming to steamroll ahead – “would violate the statute that established the museum, which requires it to maintain any gifts it receives for ‘the people of Berkshire County and the general public.'” Besides, they say, the museum doesn’t need the money.
Thirty-Eight Women Come Forward To Accuse Director James Toback Of Sexual Abuse
The stories are consistent, and consistently horrifying: “He prowled the streets of Manhattan looking for attractive young women, usually in their early 20s, sometimes college students, on occasion a high schooler. He approached them in Central Park, standing in line at a bank or drug store or at a copy center while they worked on their resumes.”
Welcome To The Catalan Republic – At Least In Its Theatre Of The Street Version
The Catalan independence movement garnered plenty of media attention when Spanish federal forces cracked down on a vote. But none of this was entirely new: “Since 2012, the Assemblea Nacional de Catalunya (ANC) and other independence activists have been staging large-scale, theatrical protests to garner internal and external support. Through these organizations, repertoires of theatricalized protests have developed on Barcelona’s streets seeking to shine the spotlight on the merits of Catalan independence.”
The Lie That George Bernard Buried A Century Ago
Poverty is not a moral flaw, as anyone can see from Pygmalion, but that lie is like a vampire – it’s undead, and returning now, a century later. Perhaps it’s time to read Bernard Shaw again (and not just watch My Fair Lady).
Learning From Ken Kesey And Other Literary ‘Misfits’
Lidia Yuknavitch: “If he had not whispered into my ear the words that he did the first time I met him, ‘I know what happened to you. Death’s a motherfucker,’ bonding us in a single second with two dead children between us, my beautiful tiny girl infant and his beautifully strong wrestler son, second selves, hovering between our bodies, I don’t know if I would have trusted anyone or anything in the world again.”
The Departure Of Gustavo Arellano From The OC Weekly Points To The Endangered Status Of Latinx People In The Media
Though Arellano, who wrote the “Ask A Mexican” column, was with OC Weekly for 15 years, six as editor-in-chief, he was a rarity in the U.S. “According to census population estimates from 2016, Latinos account for almost 39% of the population of California and 18% of the total U.S. population, but remain conspicuously underrepresented in media both in the state and nationwide — especially at its top ranks.”
The Future Of History Theatre: Many Voices, And A Kaleidoscopic View
In a new Canadian play by 10 different playwrights, “the result is something altogether its own: A 2 1/2-hour history play that pleases, puzzles and provokes, in a form that keeps shifting wildly from one moment to the next like a bucking bronco. One moment it’s a poetic drama, the next a comedy – then cabaret, RCMP musical ride or game show.”
Top AJBlogs For The Weekend Of 10.22.17
How élite does opera get? From the private loo to the movie & the museum – opera’s for all
Watercolour showing Covent Garden Opera House, The Colonnade, Walter Bayes, about 1940, England. Museum no. E.1762-1949. © Victoria and Albert Museum, London Who knew? To the right of the Royal Box at the Royal Opera … read more
AJBlog: Plain EnglishPublished 2017-10-21
Berserk in the Berkshires: Lawsuit Filed Against Berkshire Museum Sales
As I previously wrote, the only realistic hope to stop Berkshire Museum’s misguided course would be legal action, either by the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office (which is reviewing the case but has not yet announced … read more
AJBlog: CultureGrrlPublished 2017-10-20
Almanac: Christopher Shinn on theatrical success
“Whether or not your play succeeds is essentially arbitrary.” Christopher Shinn (interviewed by Jessie Thompson in the Evening Standard, August 10, 2017) … read more
AJBlog: About Last NightPublished 2017-10-20