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Last week, Mr. and Mrs. Shawn Carter celebrated their fifth anniversary by visiting Cuba, along with their mothers and a small entourage of bodyguards. The power couple better known as Beyoncé and Jay-Z did what you’d expect of tourists to the historic capital of a tropical island: Walked around Old Havana in summer clothes, taking pictures (her) and smoking cigars (him); dined out in restaurants (even though, less typically, police had to be called to keep crowds of fans at bay) and on rooftop terraces; and danced to some of Cuba’s famous music.
But tourism, of course, is prohibited under America’s 50-year-old trade embargo against communist Cuba. And living it up on “Cuba or, as the informed refer to it, ‘the island prison,’” makes Beyoncé and Jay-Z “useful idiots extraordinaire,” says A.J. Delgado at Mediaite. “While dining, partying, and enjoying the best Havana has to offer, Beyoncé and Jay-Z not only legitimize and support the repressive regime, with both their presence and their cash, but turn a blind eye, cruelly, to the perils and languishing of the Cuban people.” This is especially galling because they are “proud African-Americans,” and Cuba is “notorious for relegating its black population to second-class status, or worse.”
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South by Southwest: 8 up-and-coming bands you should listen to
Music industry veterans, budding tech entrepreneurs, and sharp-witted movie critics have descended upon Austin, Texas, for South by Southwest, the ever-growing music and media conference. While SXSW has increased its scale to include everything from film screenings to conferences on tech and multimedia, music is still its core. The festival has a history of helping to catapult relatively unknown artists to mega-stardom, with acts like John Mayer and The Lumineers getting their first big breaks at SXSW. Who’s getting the coveted SXSW buzz this year? Here, eight musical acts to watch.
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Justin Timberlake, having already found sexy and returned it to its rightful place, wants to bring the ’60s back. At least that’s the silky-smooth retro premise of “Suit & Tie,” the former ‘N Syncer’s first official music video since 2007. Shot in black-and-white by The Social Network andGirl with the Dragon Tattoo director David Fincher, the video features JT engaging in a range of old-timey activities, like singing into vintage microphones, dressing like Don Draper, and sipping scotch with Jay-Z.
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7 things CBS won’t let you wear to the Grammys:
- Clothing that exposes “bare fleshy under curves of the buttocks and buttock crack”
This could be a big problem for that rumored 13th anniversary performance of Sisqo’s “Thong Song.” - “Sheer, see-through clothing that could possibly expose female breast nipples”
Good news, gentlemen — you can show your “breast nipples” all you want! - Clothing that exposes “bare sides or under curvature of the breasts”
What about legs, CBS? Who will stop this bare legs phenomenon that’s been plaguing the nation?
- Clothing that exposes “bare fleshy under curves of the buttocks and buttock crack”
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Today is David Bowie’s 66th birthday, and he decided to celebrate by offering a present to his legions of fans: The surprise release of “Where Are We Now?” — Bowie’s first new song in 10 years.
With “Where Are We Now?” Bowie may have mounted “the most surprising, perfect, and welcome comeback in rock history,” says Neil McCormick at The Telegraph. Give it a listen.
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The perfect playlist for the end of the world
Here are 21 songs to soundtrack the Mayan Apocalypse, which may or may not arrive tomorrow -
Ke$ha’s “Die Young” pulled from radio stations across the country: Pop star Ke$ha’s unfortunately titled new single “Die Young” has taken a big hit in the wake of the shooting. TMZ reports that the song reached 167 million listeners on Friday, but had dropped all the way to 148 million listeners by Monday — a decline rivaled only by the Dixie Chicks’ disappearance from country radio after they criticized President Bush at a concert in 2003.
10 ways the entertainment industry is being sensitive to the Connecticut massacre
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Cartoon of the day: Remembering Dave Brubeck
SCOTT STANTIS © 2012 Tribune Media Services(Source: theweek.com)
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The new iTunes has arrived. Here’s why you should download it now
(Source: theweek.com)
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A new study asked an old question: Do orchestra conductors actually serve a purpose, or are they pure spectacle?
To answer that question, the University of Maryland analyzed whether the conductor leads the orchestra or the orchestra leads the conductor. In this experiment, researcher Yiannis Aloimonos and his colleagues installed tiny infrared lights at the tip of a conductor’s baton as well as on the bows of violinists. While the orchestra played, infrared cameras captured every movement, which were then analyzed using mathematical techniques pioneered by Nobel-Prize winning economist Clive Granger. The scientists in this study theorized that if the movements of the conductor predicted the movements of the violinists, then the guy holding the baton was clearly in charge.
So what happened? It turns out the purists were right all along — the movements of the violinists were indeed predicated on the movements of the conductor.
(Source: theweek.com)
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The American Music Awards celebrated its 40th anniversary Sunday with a rather colorful telecast that brought together the country’s most popular musicians, singers, and songwriters. In one of the night’s biggest (and most awkward) moments, Jenny McCarthy accosted winner Justin Bieber with kisses.
Here, a look back at 11 more iconic snapshots from the AMA archives.
(Source: theweek.com)
