The Guardian's Alison Flood explores the benefits and dangers of using YouTube to enhance reading epriences. Flood describes how she paired her recent reading of Alan Cumming's Baggage with the near-constant companionship of relevant YouTube videos, including footage of Cumming's Emcee in Cabarat. While undeniably an enjoyable pastime, the strategy comes with downsides: "I finished the week fully understanding why nobody ever gets round to anything any more."
The mermaid is an enduring legend whose meaning lies in questions about women’s power. From Atargatis, the half-fish, half-human goddess of Assyrian mythology, to Yoruba spirit Yemoja, who is represented as a mermaid appearing under a number of different names across half the world, many mermaid myths date back to ancient times that depict mermaids as real creatures. Early explorers and fishermen have claimed to have caught mermaids in their nets but later they found out that it was manatees, seals, or dolphins. In Fairy tales, magic acts as a metaphor for the transformations people seek to effect in their own lives within themselves and in the world around them. Stories of mermaids, dragons, and other mythical creatures resonate with us because they teach us that change is possible and monsters can be overcome, making them stories of reclaiming power.
Mermaids have been reimagined to suit the changing times they are placed in. For example, The Little Mermaid by Disney retells the legend as a love story with little more than a hint of jeopardy, while fairy tales have a tendency to be reinvented to serve or speak to the needs of the changing times. The mermaid symbolism has been adopted by the trans community as a part of their identity creating a new perspective for a lost myth. Mermaids will continue to work their magic on us, be it in the trans community’s self-love, in some cosplay girls’ search for identity, or in all those seamen’s tales of capricious creatures of the deep. Mermaids now represent the freedom to be who you are and embody an aspect of social shift.
NFL legend Jim Brown has died at the age of 84. The former Cleveland Browns running back is widely regarded as one of the greatest football players of all time, with 12,312 rushing yards and 106 rushing touchdowns. Brown also spent time as a social activist, using his platform to protest against civil rights issues. This legacy is complicated by accusations of domestic violence that he faced in his personal life. Brown later pursued a career in acting and continued to advocate for minority representation, despite his controversial past.
Killers of the Flower Moon, the new film to be directed by Martin Scorsese and starring Leonardo DiCaprio, tells the story of what has been called one of the most grizly, grotesque and perfectly executed conspiracies against any group in American history. The movie, dramatising the events that took place within the Osage Nation, chronicles widespread corruption, robbery and murder during an era known as the Reign of Terror. Osage land was rich with oil, bringing wealth to the community — but this prosperity was short-lived, as members were terrorised by dozens of murders orchestrated by white men thirsty for resource rights, known as “headrights”. The Osage Nation was instrumental in the FBI taking on organisation under young agent Tom White, whose work led to the arrest of many of the killers.
Actor Johnny Depp, who won his defamation case against Amber Heard earlier this year, is said to be set for a Hollywood comeback with rumours he may appear in the next Pirates of the Caribbean film, despite having been dropped by Disney. There is no word on how much Depp would be paid for his participation, but rumours suggest it could be around $300m. In contrast, Heard has largely disappeared from view, having relocated to Spain to raise her child away from the media. However, author Nick Wallis believes that despite her financial situation, Heard may be poised for a comeback of sorts with the upcoming December release of the Aquaman sequel, in which she is the female lead and will receive substantial exposure.
NFL great Jim Brown sought solutions in a lifetime devoted to activism
The Toronto Star
23-05-20 12:00
NFL legend Jim Brown, who passed away at 87, was an advocate for social justice and a role model for athletes who wished to do likewise. He lent his platform to fighting racial inequality and other prejudices, while living by the code that one must “put something back into this society that put something in you.” Brown’s strident principles were last on show in 2018 when, after 50 years, he declined the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s invitation to its induction event due to its failure to address player grievances over issues like health care and pensions. Brown, a three-time MVP and 1964 champion with the Browns, founded the Amer-I-Can foundation to help disadvantaged inner-city kids in 1988. He was also an actor and model, famously starring in ‘The Dirty Dozen’ and breaking new ground with Raquel Welch in an interracial love scene.
Classical music is experiencing a revival in popularity as younger audiences venture to concerts seeking unique and memorable experiences. This comes with an increased willingness to embrace provocative or even risqué presentations of an art traditionally viewed as safe or relaxing. Experiments with digital media platforms such as TikTok have helped spread the genre's appeal to a younger audience, while recent Metropolital Opera works such as “Terence Blanchard’s “Fire Shut Up in My Bones” and “Champion” and Kevin Puts’s “The Hours” — have attracted record audiences that are both younger and more diverse.
A Hollywood writers' strike could result in fewer shows but better quality ones following the unsustainable era of allowing entertainment to grow unsustainably and reducing the number of scripted shows. Critics split over the direction of the industry, with one camp wanting creative destruction to break up vertically integrated corporate behemoths, while another considers the shift toward providing what audiences want through franchises inevitable even if unsatisfactory for creatives. A return to ten years ago, before the peak-TV era, signifying a decline in small-screen ambition and increasing strain on creative talent could become a reality if the strike produces a more concentrated group of writers.
Ryan Reynolds has joined supporters of a cancer research walk to pay tribute to a seven-year-old boy who died from a brain tumour. The event raised over £16,000 for Brain Tumour Research, which had a personal significance for the boy’s family. Aaron Wharton was diagnosed with a rare and aggressive ependymoma in 2020 and over a three-year battle had surgery and radiotherapy treatment. In September 2022, the family found out the cancer had spread. The funding is an “incredible legacy” for Aaron, said his mother Nicola Wharton. Brain tumours kill more people aged under 40 than any other form of cancer.
Last week in May usually sees television networks showcasing and revealing their upcoming shows and making cancellations for current ones but this has been in jeopardy due to the Hollywood writers strike, which poses uncertainty about future programming. With a lack of excitement, the networks tried to interest advertisers with sporting and news events since major stars have refused to cross the picket lines. Uncertainties over when negotiations might resume with the striking Writers Guild of America made networks try different strategies, such as an almost-exclusive unscripted programming offering from ABC in the fall schedule release.
Actor Johnny Depp, who won his defamation case against Amber Heard earlier this year, is said to be set for a Hollywood comeback with rumours he may appear in the next Pirates of the Caribbean film, despite having been dropped by Disney. There is no word on how much Depp would be paid for his participation, but rumours suggest it could be around $300m. In contrast, Heard has largely disappeared from view, having relocated to Spain to raise her child away from the media. However, author Nick Wallis believes that despite her financial situation, Heard may be poised for a comeback of sorts with the upcoming December release of the Aquaman sequel, in which she is the female lead and will receive substantial exposure.
Killers of the Flower Moon, the latest film from Martin Scorsese, premiered yesterday at Cannes. The new movie is being compared favourably to Scorsese’s hit film The Irishman, another sweeping gangster movie that focused on the criminality that pervades the US. Killers of the Flower Moon is a larger-than-life western epic that retells the story of the Osage Indian murders of the 1920s, in which white colonists killed 60 Native Americans in order to secure rights to their oil. The film stars Robert De Niro, Leonardo DiCaprio and Lily Gladstone.
Author Martin Amis has died aged 73 and since being in the epitome of literary chic is said to now have since fallen out of fashion. Amis, whose exuberant works and humour didn't align with the taste for immersive "realism", had expressed controversial views around the time of 9/11. Despite the criticism, Amis who had been hailed as a great comedian and a literary comic, had the ability to construct a sentence so that it produced a harmony. The author, who always wanted to be taken seriously and tackle non-rib-tickling matters, wrote his final novel: fictional autobiography ‘Inside Story’, which he considered his last work.
May December is the latest Todd Haynes film to be released and examines themes that are deep and profound, focusing on identity and isolation. It follows the story of Gracie (Julianne Moore) and her husband, Joe (Charles Melton) after she had an affair with him while he was 13 years old. Elizabeth (Natalie Portman) arrives to research the story in the hope of playing Gracie in a film about the affair. Elizabeth is coming across as a narcissist, using her opportunity as a stepping stone in her pursuit of becoming an actress, but struggles with the consequences of her deceit. Meanwhile, Gracie tries to reconnect with her two sons that have a fractured relationship with her after the affair. The film explores how we can know one another, while dissecting the nature of the characters, identities, acting, denial, and age of consent. Additionally, it examines our different ways of growing up, the potential for failure and what leads to the isolation that people can feel.
Bread and Roses, a new documentary exploring the lives of three Afghan women during the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan, has been produced by Oscar-winning actress Jennifer Lawrence and Justine Ciarrocchi. The film highlights women coming together to fight for their rights while living in a society which is hostile to them. Lawrence said it was “devastating to think about the sudden loss of control Afghan women have endured” and it was important “to be given the opportunity to document their own story, in their own way". Women represented just 24% of directors, writers and producers in top-grossing films in a 2022 industry survey.
Britain is the world’s second largest centre of video production with 1,788 new TV series ordered by a broadcaster or streaming platform based there in the year to April – more than any other country bar the US and Japan. However, the current Writers Guild of America strike that has brought Hollywood to a halt will also affect filming in the UK, where even American-made scripts may only be filmed if finalised, and it may be two years before the impact is felt, according to David Gray, managing director of visual effects firm Lux Machina. As a result, production costs are expected to fall, and British-made shows could command higher prices globally. As we have previously reported, streaming companies and broadcasters are committing $18bn this year for new programming, though some insiders argue that the figures could be even higher.
A documentary about the acrimonious legal battles between film star Johnny Depp and his ex-wife, actress Amber Heard, will air on UK television network Channel 4 on Sunday. The three-part series, called Depp Vs Heard, was directed by Bafta-nominated filmmaker Emma Cooper, and covers Depp’s unsuccessful 2020 libel case against the publisher of The Sun and a separate defamation trial he initiated against Heard earlier this year. It is billed as the first “in-depth” examination of the case. The related legal battle, which included allegations of domestic violence, was dubbed the world’s first “Tik Tok trial” as it was streamed live and generated widespread public interest. Depp won the later defamation case on 2 June, receiving $15m in damages. Heard also won $2m in damages in a counter-claim.
Two films screening at this year's Cannes Film Festival - Inshallah a Boy and The New Boy - deal with challenging themes and portray characters from oppressive, male-dominated cultures. Inshallah a Boy follows the story of a young widow fighting to own her family's home in Jordan, and The New Boy centres around a young Aboriginal child dropped off at a monastery in South Australia. The themes of both films deal with family, religion, colonial history and gender conventions. In interviews, both directors noted the importance of tackling taboo subjects and challenging norms.
Natalie Portman and Julianne Moore star in May December, the new Todd Haynes movie which premiered at Cannes recently. In the film, Portman plays Elizabeth Berry, an actress researching a role for the movie of Gracie, which is based on a scandal that shook the nation. Gracie (Moore) had an affair two decades ago with a teenage boy and was arrested when the affair became public. She subsequently divorced her husband and married the boy, Joe (Charles Melton). They have started a family, have college-age children of their own and are now, according to the synopsis, “a beloved part of the community”. Elizabeth arrives in town to research her role as Gracie and attempts to interview everyone associated with the affair. The film has been compared with the work of Ingmar Bergman, with Portman’s character described as a chameleon-like figure whose true emotions are impossible to read. The clash of styles, from trashy and voyeuristic to close character study adds to the film's appeal.
While talk therapy can be beneficial to some, it may not work for everyone. Researchers have concluded this after finding mixed results in hundreds of clinical trials, some of which reported therapy's higher probability of helping than hindering and others which suggesting the therapy only worked for some patients. Studies are limited as individual preferences, both for their suitable therapist and method of therapy, can play a part in effectiveness. Andrew Gerber, the president of a psychiatric treatment center in Connecticut, explained analysts are resistant to empirical research, as the practice of psychotherapy has been ground around the therapist and patient experience. According to The New York Times’ Susan Dominus, while some have concluded the issues surrounding talk therapy cannot be solved and interactions could only ever reach a certain standard, other experts use the results to identify better approaches.
