Jonas Kaufmann, said to be one of the world’s greatest tenors, has suggested that half of the operatic repertoire could be struck from stages in the wake of the #MeToo movement and a climate of hostility towards misogynistic plot lines. Speaking about a recent performance of popular encore ‘Girls are Made to Love and Kiss’ in Santa Monica, he warned that increased public awareness of sexual harassment and assault could make popular lyrics inappropriate. The aria, from the 1925 operetta Paganini, features a man reflecting on women’s place as objects of male desire, singing: “I’m a man and I kiss her when I can”. “If I have to ask myself whether these tiny little erotic hints that composers gave in the 1920s are inappropriate, half of our operatic repertoire can’t be played any more,” Kaufmann said in an interview with The Spectator. His comments point to the influence of the #MeToo social media campaign against the sexual … [Read more...] about Opera classics threatened by #MeToo movement, says top tenor
Metoo
After #MeToo, why isn’t there more focus on domestic violence?
Story highlights After #MeToo, advocates are trying to raise awareness about domestic violence Each day, three or more women are killed in the US by their boyfriends or husbands (CNN)The #MeToo movement has prompted an ongoing national reckoning with the issues of sexual harassment and sexual assault. Women (and men) feel less uncomfortable about stepping forward with accounts of injustices they have suffered. Offenders are being fired and prosecuted. But we don't seem to be witnessing the same level of cultural change when it comes to domestic violence, even when the issue makes national headlines -- as in the case of accusations made against former White House staffer Rob Porter. There is not the same level of attention focused on the problem itself or on questions about what steps can be taken to solve it, experts say. "I was speaking with an elderly relative, a female, who literally said, 'It's not a topic in polite conversation,' " said Lori Day, president of the board … [Read more...] about After #MeToo, why isn’t there more focus on domestic violence?
What Monica Lewinsky means for solidarity after #MeToo
Kerra L. Bolton is the founder of Unmuted Consulting, a strategic political communications consultancy and online academy that helps individuals, communities and organizations spark and drive change. She also is a freelance writer and former political reporter and analyst in North Carolina. The views expressed in this commentary are her own. (CNN)There are perhaps few women with less in common than Monica Lewinsky and Mona Charen. Kerra Bolton However, each woman, in her own way and with her own story, raises provocative questions about agency and inclusion in the growing #metoo movement. Their willingness to own the consequences of their choices and invite other women to do the same earn them a rightful place in the current feminist movement, even if each woman might reject it. In an achingly honest and intelligent recent essay for Vanity Fair, Monica Lewinsky reflects on her life and the changes in American society since the 1998 investigation led by Ken Starr publicly … [Read more...] about What Monica Lewinsky means for solidarity after #MeToo
Street Artist Skewers #MeToo with Hollywood Billboards: ‘Oscar for Biggest Pedophile Goes to …’
Street artist known as Sabo is trolling celebrities ahead of Sunday’s Academy Awards, erecting three billboards that send searing messages to a town whose most powerful men have been accused of decades of sexual abuse. Photos of the three billboards, which are a play on the Oscar-nominated drama Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, emerged online on Wednesday, just days before hundreds of stars show up to celebrate themselves on Hollywood’s biggest night.“And the Oscar for biggest pedophile goes to…” reads one of the near-fifty-foot signs. Street artist Sabo erects billboards over Hollywood ahead of the Academy Awards. “We all knew and still no arrests,” another billboard reads.“Name names on stage or shut the hell up!” another says, sending a message to the many celebrities expected to urge support for the #MeToo and Time’s Up anti-sexual harassment movements on the red carpet and from the stage. Street … [Read more...] about Street Artist Skewers #MeToo with Hollywood Billboards: ‘Oscar for Biggest Pedophile Goes to …’
The Oscars should create a #MeToo moment
By Mary Clark Moschella | March 1, 2018 at 6:30 am Americans are notoriously impatient, with the attention span of a goldfish — about eight seconds. So don’t be surprised if the titans of Tinseltown move quickly to change the subject in the wake of the Harvey Weinstein & Co. scandals. However, doing so would be an enormous mistake and would ensure that we would miss a chance to pause and reflect upon the enormity of the abuse and harassment that have been this nation’s norm for a very long time. The Oscars, Hollywood’s premiere event and grandest stage, should set aside time to recognize the systemic mistreatment of women. Black dresses and ribbons are not enough. The Oscars should make time for the #MeToo movement. Maybe it’s a sustained moment of silence and contemplation. Perhaps it’s a scroll of the names of the many scoundrels (though it is only a 3-hour show). Better yet, how about a collage of faces and snippets of … [Read more...] about The Oscars should create a #MeToo moment