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Culture Tag

Posted by Mike LaChance on November 22, 2016 2 Comments
The recent "Hamilton" incident with Mike Pence is an opportunity to talk about ideological diversity, a subject we often address on this site. I usually focus on higher education but I also worked in the arts for years, which I'll expand on at the bottom of this post. We've often pointed out the lack of ideological diversity in higher education but believe it or not, it's actually worse in the arts industry. Larry O'Connor of Hot Air used to work in professional theatre and wrote this:
And this is why I was a closeted conservative when I worked on Broadway When the cast of Hamilton chose to thrust their play (and the professional theatre industry) into the national political conversation Friday night, it was inevitable that I would write the post you are about to read.

Posted by Leslie Eastman on November 19, 2016 5 Comments
We have been following the mosquito-borne Zika virus epidemic, which had been declared an international medical emergency by the World Health Organization (WHO). The good news: The organization has officially ended the emergency status. The bad news: The virus is now a permanent addition to our nation.
By lifting its nine-month-old declaration, the UN's health agency is acknowledging that Zika is here to stay. The infection has been linked to severe birth defects in almost 30 countries.

Posted by Fuzzy Slippers on November 19, 2016 100 Comments
Last night, Vice President-elect Mike Pence went to see Hamilton: An American Musical in New York City.  As Mr. Pence was leaving after the show, he was called back to listen to the insipid whining of the Hamilton cast. The level of self-inflated hubris in this spectacle is mind-boggling; the actor actually prompted the audience to tweet and share the lecture he gave Mr. Pence because whatever fell from the lips of the cast must be earth-shatteringly important.  Or something. Fox News reports:
Pence, the vice presidential elect and a Republican, was also booed as he attended the show Friday night in New York. The cast had a message for Pence after the show as he was walking out saying, “We sir, we are the diverse America who are alarmed and anxious that your new administration will not protect us, our planet, our children, our parents or defend us and uphold our inalienable rights, sir.”

Posted by Mary Chastain on November 18, 2016 42 Comments
Designer Sophie Theallet has announced on Twitter she will not design and dress Melania Trump with her brand: Theallet has designed and dressed First Lady Michelle Obama during the past eight years, which she called "a highlight and an honor." Obama's "values, actions, and grace have always resonated deeply within" the designer. She added:
As one who celebrates and strives for diversity, individual freedom, and respect for all lifestyles. I will not participate in dressing or associating in any way with the next First Lady. The rhetoric of racism, sexism, and xenophobia unleashed by her husband's presidential campaign are incompatible with the shared values we live by. I encourage my fellow designers to do the same.

Posted by Kemberlee Kaye on November 18, 2016 20 Comments
It's Friday. We could be discussing Trump's latest round of cabinet picks, getting angry with the media for over-inflating some less desirable details about our new administration's past, but instead, I've decided to share with you one of the best news stories ever -- the case of the exploding whale. When an eight ton whale washed ashore near Florence, Oregon, the local highway department found themselves stuck, unsure of how to remove the giant, stinky once-whale.

Posted by Mary Chastain on November 14, 2016 25 Comments
Wanda Sykes performed at 22nd annual Comics Come Home fundraiser in Boston, MA, when she decided to go off on President-elect Donald Trump:
“I am certain this is not the first time we’ve elected a racist, sexist, homophobic president,” said Sykes during her set, a video of which is below. “He ain’t the first one. He’s just the first confirmed one.” Within a matter of seconds, the crowd and Sykes turned on each other. “F— you, motherf—ers,” Sykes said as the crowd’s boos intensified. “F— all y’all. F— all y’all.”
The audience responded with jeers and boos, which led Sykes to flip them off.
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