“Researchers found the word, one of 500 new dictionary entries, was first used in 1820, spelt twirk, to refer to a twisting or jerking movement or twitch. The verb is believed to have emerged later in 1848 and the twerk spelling was used by 1901, the dictionary says.”
Tag: 06.26.15
PBS Withdraws Program Over “Undue Influence” By Ben Affleck
“On Wednesday, PBS said that an investigation into the controversy showed that Mr. Affleck had exerted “improper influence” over the editorial process and that the producers of the show, Mr. Gates included, had erred by not informing the network of the actor’s “efforts to affect program content.” PBS said it would postpone the third season of the show until a fact-checker was hired and an “independent genealogist” was added to the show’s staff. PBS also will not show Mr. Affleck’s episode anymore and removed it from its online archive.”
Kennedy Center Gets An Artistic Planner (Its First)
“In the newly-created role of Senior Vice President of Artistic Planning, Robert van Leer will coordinate the programming of the arts center and its resident companies, the National Symphony Orchestra and the Washington National Opera. The managers who previously reported to the president will now report to him.”
A “Golden Age” For University Presses?
“The mainstream may be getting dumber by the day, but we are living in what looks like a golden age of publishing for, of all people, the university presses.”
The Difference Between Rating A Movie And Passing Critical Judgment
“So much of what passes for critical thought these days puts numbers ahead of words, as consensus trumps individuality. Who are we to argue with a score on Rotten Tomatoes or Metacritic, its main rival? (Jurassic World scored a so-so 59 per cent on Metacritic.) What you see happening are a lot of movies being critically deemed good (or good enough) but far fewer that are unassailably considered great.”