“On Glee this spring, a transgender character named Unique is competing in a sing-off. On Grey’s Anatomy, Arizona and Callie are adjusting to married life, having been pronounced ‘wife and wife’ last year. On Modern Family, the nation’s most popular television show, Cameron and his partner Mitchell are trying to adopt a second child. What’s missing? The outrage.”
Tag: 05.09.12
How Did Limp Wrists Come To Be A Gay Stereotype?
In a sermon last month (in the lead-up to the referendum on marriage equality), North Carolina pastor Sean Harris, ‘Dads, the second you see your son dropping the limp wrist, you walk over there and crack that wrist.’ Why do we associate a limp wrist with male homosexuality?”
New Software Makes News Produced Without Journalists
“If your kid plays hockey or baseball, you may already be familiar with algorithm journalism. Last fall Pointstreak Sports Technologies, a Canadian company that helps sports leagues compile game statistics, struck a deal with Narrative Science, a Chicago-based tech startup, to enable stories to be automatically written on every single game in its database. Parents or players can post those stories.”
Are Young Historians Damaging Their Craft By Trying To Publish Too Early?
“While the growth in genealogy and an apparently insatiable appetite for works on the grim events of the 20th century, from the Second World War to the Stalinist purges, has made history into one of publishing’s star sectors, the profession’s guardians are concerned that the pressure to achieve a public profile is damaging for academia.”
Thomas Kinkade’s Death Ruled Drug Overdose
“Artist Thomas Kinkade’s death last month was from an accidental overdose of alcohol and Valium, according to the Santa Clara County, California, medical examiner.”
Publishers Flock To India’s Growing Book Market
“Third only to the USA and Britain, it’s set to become the biggest in the world as India’s middle class continues to expand rapidly over the next 10 years. Keen to get a piece of the action, international publishers are flocking to set up offices in India, while many canny Indian publishers have already been reaping big rewards from backing emerging homegrown talent.”
The Power Of Fan Culture
“Any writer working today who can’t answer the question, “What fandom am I writing for?” may as well pack up their pens and paper and settle into that call centre job. It doesn’t have to be SF fandom. In fact, preferably not, as we’re already swamped with refugee literary writers desperately trying to make out they’ve always been geeks at heart. In this age, fandom’s are the only true arbiters of taste.”
Best-selling UK Book Banned From Florida Libraries
“It’s the fastest selling book of the year in the UK but British author EL James’s erotic novel Fifty Shades of Grey is just too pornographic for residents of Brevard County, Florida, according to local librarians.”
Creative Places? Sure, But…
“Without a clear and detailed theory of how and why creative placemaking is effective, policy and philanthropy to support creative placemaking is hobbled. Attempting to predict and judge impact based on indicator systems alone carries with it at least four problems.”
Reacting To Deficit, Minnesota Orchestras Cuts Staff On Eve Of $50 Million Hall Renovation
“The cuts are in response to the orchestra’s 2011 deficit of $2.9 million. No musicians or artistic staffers were affected by the layoffs. The musicians’ union is in negotiations with orchestra management for a new deal to replace the contract that expires in September.”