Non-Artists Control Aussie Arts

Just who is running Australian arts organizations? Not artists. “Just under 12 per cent of the directors on the 40 boards are practising artists, former artists, or teachers in the arts. The 40 boards comprised 356 directors, of whom 42 are artists, artistic directors or teachers of an art form. The nation’s arts boards are dominated by marketing executives, investment bankers, professional company directors, media personalities and accountants.”

The End Of Star Power?

Who rules at the box office? The big stars? Not this year. The top-grossing movies didn’t feature big stars. “Taken a gander at Variety lately, Mr. Big Studio Executive? Because if you had, you’d see something that’ll set you back on your heels faster than a casting-couch lawsuit. The big stars this year are pipsqueaks whose names you’re still trying to figure out how to pronounce…”

The Anti-Music Of Phones

Increasingly, our time in public is being interrrupted with music. Music? I guess that’s what they call those customized ring tones that cell phones make. “The proliferation of cellular phones has put the power of automatic melody into the pockets of your friends and neighbours, and there’s no freezer on Earth big enough to hide all the cheesy sounds they can produce.”