Morgan Bullock’s TikTok videos went viral, and then came the backlash. The dancer diplomatically says, “I think people use the term appropriation without understanding what it means.” Plus, she’s Riverdance approved. – BBC
Blog
Usually, We’d Have Settled On Our Summer Music, But Not In This Year Of Chaos
It’s hard to settle on a bop when there’s no one to bop with and no place to dance to that bop. “This level of turnover has not been seen since 1990, the year before Nielsen SoundScan revolutionized sales tracking, and may reflect a few structural factors.” – The Atlantic
Sometimes Artists, Writers, And Intellectuals Support Dictators
What’s that about? “Are these enablers true believers or just cynical opportunists? Do they believe the lies they tell and the conspiracies they invent or are they simply greedy for wealth and power? The answers … are frankly equivocal.” – The New York Times
Perhaps It’s The Perfect Time For A Sculpture That Depicts ‘Everywoman’
There aren’t many in England, even in the capital city – and it took two years to raise the funds for this one. “Price’s latest statue will be one of very few in Britain of black female subjects. Those in London already include a prominent one of Crimean war nurse Mary Seacole outside St Thomas’s hospital and one of a woman and child in Stockwell Gardens, south London.” – The Observer (UK)
Is Netflix’s Top Ten List Even Real?
Last week, Netflix suddenly decided to “reveal” its Top 10 movies of all time. Hm. “The catch was that Netflix provided the ranking and the numbers itself, meaning there was no way to verify any of it, so the whole list was only slightly more informative than when Netflix insists that something is popular without providing any numbers at all (as it did in 2018 with Bright, a movie that didn’t even appear on the list despite how successful Netflix said it was). Interesting? Yes. Informative? Eh.” – AV Club
Finishing Your MFA During A Pandemic And Epic Protests The Year After Your College Closes For Good
The graduating MFA class of 2020 at the Oregon College of Art and Craft has, to put it mildly, been through some things. But they may be the only graduating MFA class in the country to have had a thesis show this year. – Oregon ArtsWatch
How’s The Met’s Quest For Paying Subscribers Going?
Sure, people might pay $20 for a concert – but will they do what’s even better, what the Met would like them to do? “The recitals are intended to stimulate donations. ‘Fund-raising ebbs and flows according to activities and events,’ Peter Gelb, the company’s general manager, said.” – The New York Times
Disney Has Joined The Facebook Ad Boycott
At least partially – the biggest ad buyer this year on the social media giant has decided to pull its Disney Plus and Hulu ads, probably, along with hundreds of other advertisers, over concerns about how the platform handles hate speech. – Variety
Barcelona, In The Middle Of A Second Wave, Re-Closes Movie Theatres
While Spain’s figurehead monarchs went to the movies in Madrid, the Catalan government shut down Barcelona theatres and other mass gatherings (though it’s awfully hard to shut down Barcelona street parties, looks like). “The mandated shutdown is fiercely contested by Barcelona area town halls, adding to a nationwide debate about just how safe it is to go to the cinema.” – Variety
The Blockbuster Movie Tenet May Yet Come Out This Summer, But Should It?
When you have to ask yourself, “Am I actually dying to see this movie?” it might be too early for the theatres to reopen. “Infections are still going up in many states, and there is no federal plan in place to halt that spread. Simple acts to contain the coronavirus, like wearing a mask or staying at home, have now become so hopelessly politicized that it’s all but impossible to imagine our country flattening the curve by Aug. 12.” – The New York Times