Lloyd Newson’s Can We Talk About This?, for his company DV8, is “one of the most searching examinations of Islamic extremism to have hit any stage in the UK, and a production with the potential to make the blasphemy controversy that grew around Jerry Springer: The Opera … look like a mere hiccup of disapproval.”
Tag: 02.28.12
Banned In Malaysia: Erykah Badu And Her ‘Allah’ Tattoo
“Malaysian authorities scrapped a concert by American singer Erykah Badu on Tuesday after she angered Muslims with a photo in which she sports body art including the Arabic word for ‘Allah’.”
The Father Of Standup Comedy
In the 1850s, Cleveland newspaperman Charles Farrar Brown began writing satirical columns as the character Artemus Ward, “a mostly literate showman of twenty-two years experience as a ‘base exhibiter of depraved monkeys and unprincipled wax works’.” By the end of the decade, “he added the ‘e’ to his last name, climbed onto a stage in Connecticut and made people laugh for an hour or so.” No performer had tried anything like that in a theater before.
Guy Who Stole Art Because He Liked It Gets 1-3 Years In Prison
Mark Lugo, “a wine steward who served time in California after going on a bicoastal binge of plucking pricey art off gallery walls and using it to adorn his own home was sentenced Tuesday to prison in New York.”
Occupy The Whitney Biennial! No, Cancel It!
“In a recent letter sent to the Whitney Museum of American Art, organizers of the Occupy movement write that they want an end to the Whitney Biennial in 2014. ‘We object to the biennial in its current form because it upholds a system that benefits collectors, trustees, and corporations at the expense of art workers,’ the letter states.”
With Flat TV Ratings, Has Oscar Lost His Pre-Eminent Cultural Status?
“Hollywood has started coming to grips with one of its biggest worries: Is this the new normal for the Oscars? A diminished attraction that ranks well behind the Super Bowl and a host of playoff games, and has even been eclipsed by a surging, better-suited-to-the social-media-age Grammys?”
UK Business Funding For The Arts Down 7 Percent In 2011
“Overall, private sector investment in culture in 2011 rose by 4% to £686 million, driven by an increase in support from trusts and foundations and individual giving. Of that £686 million, business support now accounts for £134.2 million, trusts and foundations for £170.3 million (up 10%) and individual giving for £382.2 million (up 6%). Within those results, theatre suffered a particularly poor year with private sector support falling by 10% from £53.8 million to £48.2 million.”
Surprise: Grammy TV Ratings Were Higher Than Oscar’s
The Oscars weren’t even the most-watched awards show on television this month. The Grammys Got an audience of 39.9 million. “The Nielsen Co. estimated Monday that 39.3 million people watched the Oscars on ABC Sunday night, up from the 37.9 million viewers during the much-panned 2011 show where James Franco and Anne Hathaway shared hosting duties.”
Oscars’ Most-Tivo-ed Moments
“TiVo has released its customer research on the most-TiVo’ed moments from last night’s Oscars, with Cameron Diaz and Jennifer Lopez’s presentation speech for the Best Costume Design and Makeup award tops the list.”
A Way To Fix Canadian TV And Movie Awards Shows
“Here’s an idea for the future – a Canadian Academy Awards, covering both film and television! Let the Gemini Awards and Genie Awards get married. Model it on the Golden Globes, which cover both film and TV, with a party-like gathering of everyone who is anyone in Canadian broadcasting and film. Just us, just our own.”