Tag: 11.15.19

K-Pop, Bollywood, And Turkish Soap Operas: Why American Pop Culture No Longer Rules The World

“These are all cultural products set firmly in the realm of values. They are not concerned with which billionaire son inherits his father’s empire, but rather focus on ordinary people struggling to live lives of dignity with the force of the world against them. They are concerned with principles, with how one defeats temptation, greed, and avoids dishonor. … [And] you can listen to a K-pop song with your grandmother in the room, no lyrics have to be beeped out.” – The New York Times

By The Numbers: Who Works In Publishing

2017 was the first time women held a greater share of management jobs than men, and in 2018 they once again had a majority of jobs in that area, though their share fell to 52% (from 59% in 2017). Still, the median compensation for a woman in management was $126,000 last year, up from $110,000 in 2017. Male managers also had an increase, with their median pay rising to $139,000 (from $118,000 in 2017). – Publishers Weekly

I Like Books. But I Really Like Reading On My Phone Better

“Reading on my phone is not a perfect cure for my drowsiness, which seems to be a condition of aging, and stress, or both. I’ll never again be 14 years old with an insatiable appetite for one more chapter, and that’s sad. But I can approximate that feeling, reading on my phone, in bed, with the lights out, long after I should have gone to sleep.” – The Cut

World’s First Vagina Museum Is Now Open

“The [London] museum exists thanks to a public fundraising drive, with more than 1,000 people collectively donating almost £50,000. The director, Florence Schechter, says her motivation behind setting up the space was simple. ‘I discovered there was a penis museum in Iceland but no vagina equivalent anywhere else so I decided to make one,’ she says. When asked more about her motivation, she adds with a smile: ‘I just love the vag. I am a bisexual woman.'” – The Guardian

Opera San Antonio Names New General Director And Its First-Ever Music Director

“E. Loren Meeker was announced Friday as the company’s general and artistic director, and Francesco Milioto will become music director. Meeker replaces both Adam Diegel, who departed as artistic director in 2018, and executive director Liz Tullis, who also relinquished her role in 2018. Milioto will be the company’s first music director.” – The Rivard Report (San Antonio)

George Soros Funds Program To Return African Art And Artifacts To Africa

“Last November, French President Emmanuel Macron commissioned a report recommending the repatriation of looted African cultural objects from France’s public collections, spurring a national debate. But one year later, no objects have been returned to the areas from which they were taken. Now, an organization is stepping in to facilitate the process. The Open Society Foundations, an international grant-making organization founded by billionaire George Soros, has launched a four year, $15 million initiative to aid in restitution efforts.” – artnet

Director Of Venue Gets Death Threats After Resigning In Protest

Lorna Fulton, head of Middlesbrough Town Hall, declined to book comedian Roy Chubby Brown because she thought local audiences might find his act offensive and his 2015 performance sold poorly. The mayor of the northern English city insisted that Fulton reverse herself and hire Brown, saying that her reluctance was “typical middle class prejudice against a blue collar act.” Fulton resigned — and received death threats. – Arts Professional

Theatre, We Have A Problem

And the problem is that men somehow still think that no matter what women write about, it’s “domestic.” One playwrighting contest judge: “There is still an element of surprise when a woman writes a play that doesn’t have domestic concerns, and there is no element of surprise when a man does it. So the woman who manages to do it is seen as an anomaly rather than the norm.” Hey, 2019. – The Stage (UK)