A national online survey of 800 adults found that 83% of respondents believe that government funding of orchestras should be maintained or increased, 70% say orchestras are economically significant, and 48% consider classical music an important part of Australian culture. But 80% report not having attended a classical concert in the past 12 months. (Most said that cost is the primary reason for that.) – Limelight (Australia)
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Technology’s Impact On Friendships
The very language of friendship, for instance, is changing right before our eyes. Facebook has convinced us that “friend” can be a verb, often deployed in the imperative mood (“Friend me on…”). Apps have elevated the number of friends above the quality of friendship, displaying the tallies for onlookers to admire, one’s (envious) friends especially. As more than one observer has noted, “Friends used to be counted on; now they are counted up.” – Hedgehog Review
Noam Chomsky Talks Language (And Not Politics)
At age 90, the MIT professor has been an éminence grise of the American left for so long that it’s easy to forget that he is, above all, an academic linguist who has made major (if controversial) contributions to his field. Amy Brand, director of the MIT Press (and a former student of Chomsky’s as well as editor of his books), talks with him about language versus birdsong, linguistics and machine learning, and his most famous (and most misunderstood) sentence: “Colorless green ideas sleep furiously.” – The MIT Press Reader
Silicon Valley: What If We’re Not Making The World A Better Place?
For a long time, the prevailing posture of the Silicon Valley élite was smugness bordering on hubris. Now the emotional repertoire is expanding to include shame—or, at least, the appearance of shame. – The New Yorker
Protest In Moscow Is Becoming ‘Celebritized’
After weeks of Sunday protests in the Russian capital against the disqualification of opposition candidates for the city council, on August 10 famous actors, artists, and rappers started to join the demonstrations. While the participation of well-known artists in protests is hardly unknown in Russia (e.g., Pussy Riot), some observers say that there’s a new level of “celebritization” indicating that demonstrations against the Putin government are becoming fashionable. – The Moscow Times
Belgian Festival Could Be Removed From UNESCO Cultural Heritage List For Use Of Blackface
A character called Le Sauvage, covered in black face makeup, is featured on one of 22 floats in a traditional parade as part of the Ducasse d’Ath, held in late August in a small town in Wallonia. A letter from 14 anti-racist groups as well as academics and activist asking UNESCO to de-list the festival describes Le Sauvage as “adorned with all the humiliating signs that our racist societies have projected on to black people throughout history.” Some locals in Ath are reportedly puzzled, as they consider the character one of the parade’s most popular. – The Guardian
Richard Williams, Animator Of ‘Who Framed Roger Rabbit’ And The ‘Pink Panther’ Films, Dead At 86
“Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988), a film-noirish comedy, was the first Hollywood film to show live actors and animated characters interacting in ways that looked seamlessly real. … Mr. Williams received a special Oscar for animation direction and for creating new characters for the film, which featured many well-established cartoon characters, and shared a visual effects Oscar.” – The New York Times
‘Dear Evan Hansen’ In ASL — How Interpreters Sign The Show’s Emotional Wallops
“Theaters across the country may offer various accommodations, including captioning devices and sign interpretation. But the Kennedy Center is one of the few to add another layer to its live sign-language interpretations by hiring theater-savvy directors who are deaf — that’s the crucial part — to oversee them.” Sarah Kaufman visits a rehearsal to see the artistry and ingenuity at work, especially in tackling the tricky problem of repeated song lyrics. – The Washington Post
A Large, Newly-Excavated Section Of Pompeii Is Revealing Its Treasures And Recasting History
“The Regio V dig has already yielded skeletons, coins, a wooden bed, a stable harboring the remains of a thoroughbred horse (bronze-plated wooden horns on the saddle; iron harness with small bronze studs), gorgeously preserved frescoes, murals and mosaics of mythological figures, and other dazzling examples of ancient Roman artistry. That’s a surprisingly rich cache for what is arguably the most famous archaeological site in the world. But until now Pompeii has never been subjected to fully scientific excavation techniques.” – Smithsonian Magazine
‘Queer Eye’ Is Trying To Make Shopping, Redecorating, And Consuming Luxury Goods Into Spiritual Self-Improvement
Amanda Hess: “As its gurus lead the men (and occasionally, women) in dabbing on eye cream, selecting West Elm furniture, preparing squid-ink risotto and acquiring gym memberships, they are building the metaphorical framework for an internal transformation. Their salves penetrate the skin barrier to soothe loneliness, anxiety, depression, grief, low self-esteem, absentee parenting and hoarding tendencies. The makeover is styled as an almost spiritual conversion. It’s the meaning of life as divined through upgraded consumer choices.” – The New York Times