“The president and first lady sat on a love seat near the back of the room while performers playing the roles of little Clara, the Prince and dancers from around the world put on a 25-minute show. Three children climbed up to sit with them, but they did not seem distracted by the first couple after the music began and all eyes were on the dancers.”
Tag: 12.06.05
Dumping More On Color Purple
“Sincerity isn’t skill, and it isn’t knowledge. The feelings that The Color Purple may arouse in you don’t disguise the fact that they’ve been gotten in a comparatively crude and unimaginative manner. The disheartening lack of quality in the material dilutes the quality of feeling with which it’s being put over and makes the meanings behind it look questionable as well.”
The Bystander Effect
People in a group are much less likely to help someone in need than if they’re by themselves. “Research at Ludwig-Maximilian University in Munich suggests even when accompanied by another person, individuals are more likely to intervene if the situation is dangerous or violent.”
A Story To Go With That Big Mac?
Disney and McDonald’s could be teaming up to offer digital entertainment with your Happy Meal. “Patents filed by Disney reveal plans to drip-feed entertainment into a portable player while the owner eats in a restaurant. You only get the full programme by coming back to the restaurant a number of times to collect all the instalments. McDonalds could use the system instead of giving out toys with Happy Meals, suggests Disney’s patent.”
Kids Movies On Top
Kids movies are hot. Kids movies made from classic stories are right on top. “They make great gobs of money when they work. Pretty decent money even when they’re just passable. And that’s why movies that would have once been seen as kid stuff have become the toast of Tinseltown.”
Newspapers Waste Ink On TV, Pop Culture
Newspapers are in a tizzy about declining circulation. But maybe part of what’s wrong is that newspapers “drive readers away, either through clueless attempts to woo people who have no interest in newspapers at all, or by mocking community standards that most of its customers hold dear. Television and celebrity coverage is a waste. People who prefer television simply watch more television — they don’t and won’t read papers. Why chase them?”
Satellite Radio Comes To Canada
“Sirius and XM Canada, two competing U.S. services newly launched in Canada, offer a plethora of music divided by minute genre distinctions, along with talk-radio, news, sports and comedy channels. The question now is whether Canadians will find this a fascinating new world of digitally transmitted radio or, as with cable and satellite TV, a vast array of nothing.”
Greece Opens Seas To Looters?
“The Greek parliament’s unprecedented step last month to allow divers access to the once forbidden coastline has raised fears that archaeological riches preserved in an untouched world will be taken by ruthless thieves.”
Plugging Holes At The ENO
Why did the English National Opera replace its top leadership last week sithout advertising the jobs? Some are critical, but the company’s chairman defends the decisions. “He wrote that as far as the appointment last week of former executive director Loretta Tomasi as chief executive officer and former programming director John Berry as artistic director was concerned, the board ‘could either enter into an extended period of uncertainty and speculation surrounding these jobs, or confirm in post two individuals with proven artistic and managerial records who were already carrying out many of these responsibilities with full board confidence. It concluded that the latter course was in the best interests of the company’.”
Shed Wins Turner Prize
“Simon Starling is no provocateur. Nor was he a shock winner – the bookies made him the even-money favourite. But none the less, it will come as no surprise to those who regard the Turner prize with disdain that he has won £25,000 for dismantling and assembling a wooden shed.”