Ty Burr: “You’ve heard of the “uncanny valley” effect? The eeriness or revulsion felt when looking at a humanoid figure that’s not quite human? The digital era has given us many examples of the uncanny valley, but “Cats” is the first movie to entirely set up shop there.” – Boston Globe
Blog
How Some Writers Lose Control Of Characters They Have Created
John Foxwell’s research found that 69 percent of authors hear voices of their characters, and 42 percent can enter into dialogue with them. Sixty-five percent say they can act on their own accord. – LitHub
How To Deal With Racist Operas? Show, Don’t Hide
“To survive, opera has to confront the depth of its racism and sexism point-blank, treating classic operas as historical artifacts instead of dynamic cultural productions. Opera directors should approach the production of these classics as museum curators and professors — educating audiences about historical context and making stereotypes visible.” – The New York Times
US Government Lists Wakanda As Trading Partner
A US Department of Agriculture spokesperson said the Kingdom of Wakanda was added to the list by accident during a staff test. The department’s online tariff tracker hosted a detailed list of goods the two nations apparently traded, including ducks, donkeys and dairy cows. – BBC
Scotland: Artists Need To Be At The Center Of Our Funding
The country’s first parliamentary inquiry into its arts funding system concluded the Government should aim to commit at least 1% of its £425bn national budget towards culture. “Public funding of Scotland’s arts and culture will only become sustainable if artists are at the centre of policy and paid the fair wage they deserve.” – Arts Professional
In The Next Decade There Will Be A Massive Transfer Of Wealth Between Generations. What Will This Mean To Art?
There was a cultural difference between pre-boomer collectors, motivated by “connoisseurship and aesthetic appreciation,” and subsequent generations, who had “more of an awareness of the financial component of art.” As a result, boomer collectors have been less inclined to donate art to museums, either public or private, and lose a leverageable asset. – The New York Times
The Many Afterlives Of ‘How The Grinch Stole Christmas’
“In the more than 50 years since its debut, the animated special, directed by Chuck Jones and Ben Washam, has become a holiday classic and turned into a live-action movie, a Broadway musical, an updated animated film and a retailer’s fever dream of pantookas, fuzzle fuzz and fliffer bloofs.” – The New York Times
What It Means To Really Listen
Good listening is not a matter of technique but of having the willingness to enter into another person’s life. Many bad listeners can’t be there for someone else because they are too locked into themselves. For them, everything has to be filtered through their own experience and concerns. – The New York Times
The Complicated Role Of Humor In The Old USSR
Like many of us today, the Soviet leaders misunderstood what humour is and what it actually does for people. Telling a joke about something is not the same as either condemning or endorsing it. More often, it can simply help people point out and cope with difficult or frightening situations – allowing them not to feel stupid, powerless or isolated. In fact, something the Stalinist regime failed to appreciate was that, because telling jokes could provide temporary relief from the pressures of daily life, in reality it often enabled Soviet citizens to do exactly what the regime expected of them: to keep calm and carry on. – Aeon
America’s First Racially Integrated All-Girl Swing Band
“The International Sweethearts broke attendance records at places such as Washington DC’s Howard Theatre, Harlem’s Apollo Theater, Cincinnati’s Cotton Club and the Riviera in St Louis. They played in the same venues as Count Basie and Dizzy Gillespie, were considered some of the most talented musicians of their day and toured France and Germany as a USO act in 1945. Unfortunately, racism and sexism largely swept them from the public record; they became footnotes in other people’s stories.” – The Guardian