Philadelphia cultural leaders are protesting the mayor’s plans to cut $4.4 million of cultural funding. “The city now spends just 12 cents per $100 on the city’s arts and cultural sector, which in turn supports 11,000 jobs, generates more than $560 million in regional spending and returns $6.5 million in city tax revenue, according to a 1998 Pennsylvania Economy League study.”
Tag: 04.20.04
FCC Chairman Weighs In On Indecency
FCC chairman Michael Powell says he doesn’t support a bill in Congress that would penalize broadcasters over “indecent” conent. “I don’t believe the First Amendment should change channels when it goes from seven to 107. I don’t want to defend that distinction because I don’t believe in it. I think the government should be exceedingly conservative about any regulation of content for anyone.”
Broadcasters Protest FCC
“The Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA) have joined the likes of Viacom and Fox Entertainment Group — as well as liberal bastions such as the American Civil Liberties Union — in challenging the constitutionality of the FCC’s condemning singer Bono’s use of an expletive last year on the televised Golden Globe Awards.”
Dancing In New York – Most Work For Free
“Dance/NYC recently reported that over 8,600 people work for local dance organizations on a volunteer basis—77 percent of the entire workforce in the professional dance community. Substandard conditions exist because dancers and management are unlikely to challenge them. They tend not to think of art as work or artists as workers.”
To Dance – Portrait Of A Miserable Life
The economics of the dance world are depressing. Pay is poverty-level low, the physical demands are crippling, and success is measured in teaspoons. After looking at the New York dance world, it’s a wonder anyone would devote their life to it.
Getting Your Hands Around The Meaning Of “Obscene”
“Abruptly, the FCC is frantically following its mandate to bar “obscene, profane and indecent language” from “radio communication.” Those adjectives seem more like a rhetorical flourish in the U.S. Code than specific categories, but the difference between indecency, obscenity, and profanity has become a real question. It’s almost impossible to prove that broadcasts on public airwaves are obscene by the statutory definition.”
The Paper DVD
A new DVD made of paper can hold five times more data than the current model. “The disc is 51% paper and could offer foolproof security, said officials. Since a paper disc can be cut by scissors easily, it is simple to preserve data security when disposing of the disc.”
Wanted: Poet Laureate
Canada is looking for a new poet laureate. “Officially the Parliamentary Librarian is looking for someone who can, according to their press release, ‘demonstrate literary excellence though a substantial history of published works, including poetry; have written work reflecting Canada and the Canadian experience; have made a contribution to the writing community; have influenced other writers; and be a Canadian resident.’ Not everyone thinks having a veteran as the officially endorsed face of Canadian poetry is the best idea, however.”
John Kerry’s Share In A Dutch Master
Senator John Kerry’s biggest source of income after his Senate salary last year was the sale of a Dutch master painting. Kerry’s wife Teresa Heinz Kerry and her first husband, the late Senator John Heinz, “were famous art collectors, specializing in 17th-century Dutch works, primarily still lifes. Kerry, too, has become quite knowledgeable about art during his second marriage. ‘He’s fairly intellectual,’ one dealer noted, admiringly.”
The Angry Black Woman
“Stereotypes about black women have coursed through pop culture for centuries. They range from the smiling, asexual, and often obese Mammy to the promiscuous Jezebel who lures men with her sexual charms. But the one getting a major workout these days is the angry black woman.”