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  • Qatar at World Cup pinnacle after years of Mideast turmoil

    Qatar at World Cup pinnacle after years of Mideast turmoil

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    DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Hosting the World Cup marks a pinnacle in Qatar’s efforts to rise out of the shadow of its larger neighbors in the wider Middle East, where its politics and its upstart ambitions have brought both international attention and regional ire.

    The road to the tournament — and Qatar’s increased prominence on the global stage — has been fueled by the country becoming one of the top exporters of natural gas. That newfound wealth built the stadiums that fans will fill for the tournament, created the Arab world’s most recognized news network, Al Jazeera, and enabled Doha’s diplomatic outreach to the wider world.

    But that rise has not been without intrigue. A palace coup in 1995 installed a more assertive ruler in the country, who used Qatar’s wealth to back the Islamists who emerged stronger amid the 2011 Arab Spring protests — the same figures his fellow Gulf Arab leaders viewed as threats to their rule. A yearslong boycott of Qatar by four Arab nations that began in 2017 nearly sparked a war.

    And while the overt tensions have eased in the region, Qatar likely hopes the World Cup will serve to boost its standing as it balances its relations abroad to hedge against any danger to the country in the future.

    “They know there are these potential threats; they know they are very vulnerable,” said Gerd Nonneman, a professor of international relations and Gulf Arab studies at Georgetown University in Qatar. “Anything they can do to have an international network of if not allies, at least a sympathetic element, they will.”

    Qatar, a little larger than Jamaica or just smaller than the U.S. state of Connecticut, is a peninsular nation that sticks out into the Persian Gulf like a thumb. It shares just a 60-kilometers (37-mile) border with Saudi Arabia, a nation 185 times larger, and sits just across the Gulf from Iran.

    Through its sovereign wealth fund, Qatar owns London’s famed Harrods department store, Paris Saint-Germain soccer club and billions of dollars in real estate in New York City. That wealth comes from its sales of liquified natural gas through an offshore field it shares with Iran, most of it going to Asian nations such as China, India, Japan and South Korea.

    That spigot of wealth began flowing in 1997, just after two major events that shook Qatar. The first, Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait in 1990 and the subsequent 1991 Gulf War, saw Doha and other Gulf Arab nations realize the need for long-term American military presence as a hedge, said Kristian Ulrichsen, a research fellow at Rice University’s Baker Institute.

    Qatar built its massive Al-Udeid Air Base, which is home to some 8,000 American troops and the forward headquarters of the U.S. military’s Central Command today.

    The second event that shook Qatar took place in 1995, when Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani seized power in a bloodless coup from his father who was in Switzerland. Sheikh Hamad later put down a 1996 coup attempt by his cousin.

    Under Sheikh Hamad and flush with cash, Qatar created Al Jazeera, the satellite news channel that became known worldwide for airing statements from al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden. The U.S. railed against the channel after the American-led invasion of Iraq in 2003, though it provided the Arab world something beyond tepid state-controlled television for the first time.

    In December 2010, Qatar won its bid to host the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Just two weeks later, a Tunisian fruit seller set himself on fire in protest and ultimately died of his burns — lighting the fuse for what became the 2011 Arab Spring.

    For Qatar, it marked a crucial moment. The country double-downed on its support of Islamists across the region, including Mohammed Morsi of the Muslim Brotherhood who would be elected president in Egypt after the fall of the longtime autocrat Hosni Mubarak. Doha poured money into Syrian groups opposing the rule of Bashar Assad — with some funding going to those that America later described as extremists, like the Islamic State group.

    Qatar long has denied funding extremists, though it does maintain relations with the Palestinian militant group Hamas that rules the Gaza Strip, working as an interlocutor with Israel. But analysts say there was a recognition that things may have moved too fast.

    “They realize they stuck out their necks too far too soon … and they began to re-calibrate that,” Nonneman said.

    The Arab Spring soon chilled into a winter. A counterrevolution in Egypt supported by other Gulf Arab states saw the installation of military general turned President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi in July 2013.

    A little over a week earlier, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Sheikh Hamad’s son, took over as ruler in Qatar in the ruling family’s own acknowledgment that a generational change was needed.

    Gulf Arab countries, however, remained angry. A 2014 dispute over Qatar’s support of Islamists saw Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates withdraw their ambassadors — only to bring them back eight months later.

    But in 2017 after then-President Donald Trump’s visit to Saudi Arabia, those three nations and Egypt began a yearslong boycott of Qatar, closing off air traffic and severing economic ties even as construction on the stadiums continued.

    Things grew so tense that Kuwait’s late ruler, Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Sabah, who at the time mediated the dispute, suggested that “military action” at one point was a possibility, without elaborating.

    The dispute ended as President Joe Biden stood poised to take office, though regional tensions remain. Still, Qatar has found itself hosting negotiations between American officials and the Taliban, as well as assisting the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan. Russia’s war on Ukraine has seen European leaders come to Doha, hopeful for additional natural gas.

    “They are at the center of attention again,” Ulrichsen said. “It gives them a seat at the table when there’s decisions being taken.”

    ———

    Follow Jon Gambrell on Twitter at www.twitter.com/jongambrellAP.

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  • Report: Streamer Deleted From TV Station’s Feed After Abusive, Misogynist Video Resurfaces

    Report: Streamer Deleted From TV Station’s Feed After Abusive, Misogynist Video Resurfaces

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    iShowSpeed

    Photo: Zac Goodwin – PA Images (Getty Images)

    Streamer, YouTuber and all-round internet celebrity IShowSpeed has recently been helping one of the biggest TV stations in Europe, Sky Sports, with its broadcasts of English Premier League matches. That was, reportedly, until the executives at the channel found out about a video that went viral back in April.

    03:51

    Halo Infinite Winter Update’s New Multiplayer Maps

    Wednesday 4:38PM

    IShowSpeed—more commonly known as simply ‘Speed’—had been in the stands earlier this month to watch his team Manchester United play Fulham in the league (and then my beloved Aston Villa for the League Cup). While there, he helped present segments for the channel and appeared on their social media feeds. Here’s one (surviving) example:

    And here’s another (uploaded independently by someone who had saved the footage), showing him failing to recognise either Jamie Redknapp or Louis Saha:

    Ishowspeed in SKY SPORTS STUDIO reacting to no RONALDO

    Speed, who got famous streaming games like Fortnite, NBA 2K and FIFA, was presumably brought in by Sky to leverage his internet following and supposed appeal to younger football fans, which at time of posting stands at 13 million YouTube subscribers and 5.4 million Instagram followers (he is permanently banned from Twitch).

    G/O Media may get a commission

    As of today, though, nearly all of Speed’s promotional material on Sky’s social media has been deleted (with the exception of that single Tweet above), with The Athletic reporting that Sky made the decision after they were made aware of a video that did the rounds in April—one that became so notorious we reported on it—in which Speed made incredibly hostile and misogynistic comments to his teammates:

    While Speed later apologised for those comments, they were so bad that Riot Games banned him from not just Valorant, but League of Legends as well. His Twitch ban, meanwhile, was also for misogyny, just a different video. It’s weird—given that it was so widely reported, the tweet above having 180,000 likes and 11.7 million views and it was only 7 months ago—that nobody at Sky thought to even Google his name before putting him in the spotlight like this!

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    Luke Plunkett

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  • Ukrainian police, TV broadcasts return to long-occupied city

    Ukrainian police, TV broadcasts return to long-occupied city

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    MYKOLAIV, Ukraine — Ukrainian police officers returned Saturday, along with TV and radio services, to the southern city of Kherson following the withdrawal of Russian troops, part of fast but cautious efforts to make the only regional capital captured by Russia livable after months of occupation. Yet one official still described the city as “a humanitarian catastrophe.”

    People across Ukraine awoke from a night of jubilant celebrating after the Kremlin announced its troops had withdrawn to the other side of the Dnieper River from Kherson. The Ukrainian military said it was overseeing “stabilization measures” around the city to make sure it was safe.

    The Russian retreat represented a significant setback for the Kremlin some six weeks after Russian President Vladimir Putin annexed the Kherson region and three others provinces in southern and eastern Ukraine in breach of international law and declared them Russian territory.

    The National Police chief of Ukraine, Ihor Klymenko, said Saturday on Facebook that about 200 officers were at work in the city, setting up checkpoints and documenting evidence of possible war crimes. Police teams also were working to identify and neutralize unexploded ordnance and one sapper was wounded Saturday while demining an administrative building, Klymenko said.

    Ukraine’s communications watchdog said national TV and radio broadcasts had resumed in the city, and an adviser to Kherson’s mayor said humanitarian aid and supplies had begun to arrive from the neighboring Mykolaiv region.

    But the adviser, Roman Holovnya, described the situation in Kherson as “a humanitarian catastrophe.” He said the remaining residents lacked water, medicine and food — and key basics like bread went unbaked because a lack of electricity.

    “The occupiers and collaborators did everything possible so that those people who remained in the city suffered as much as possible over those days, weeks, months of waiting” for Ukraine’s forces to arrive, Holovnya said. “Water supplies are practically nonexistent.”

    The chairman of Khersonoblenergo, the region’s prewar power provider, said electricity was being returned “to every settlement in the Kherson region immediately after the liberation,”

    Despite the efforts to restore normal civilian life, Russian forces remain close by. The General Staff of Ukraine’s armed forces said Saturday that the Russians were fortifying their battle lines on the river’s eastern bank after abandoning the capital. About 70% of the Kherson region remains under Russian control.

    Ukrainian officials from President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on down chave autioned that while special military units had reached the city of Kherson, a full deployment to reinforce the advance troops still was underway. Ukraine’s intelligence agency thought some Russian soldiers may have stayed behind, ditching their uniforms for civilian clothes to avoid detection.

    “Even when the city is not yet completely cleansed of the enemy’s presence, the people of Kherson themselves are already removing Russian symbols and any traces of the occupiers’ stay in Kherson from the streets and buildings,” Zelenskyy said in his nightly video address.

    Zelenskyy said the first part of the stabilization work includes de-mining operations. He said the entry of “our defenders” — the soldiers — into Kherson would be followed by police, sappers, rescuers and energy workers, among others.

    “Medicine, communications, social services are returning,” he said. “Life is returning.”

    Photos on social media Saturday showed Ukrainian activists removing memorial plaques put up by the occupation authorities the Kremlin installed to run the Kherson region. A Telegram post on Yellow Ribbon, a self-described Ukrainian “public resistance” movement, showed two people in a park taking down plaques picturing Soviet-era military figures.

    Moscow’s announcement that Russian forces were withdrawing across the Dnieper River, which divides both the Kherson region and Ukraine, followed a stepped-up Ukrainian counteroffensive in the country’s south.

    In the last two months, Ukraine’s military claimed to have reclaimed dozens of towns and villages north of the city of Kherson, and the millitary said that’s where stabilization activities were taking place.

    Russian state news agency Tass quoted an official in Kherson’s Kremlin-appointed administration on Saturday as saying that Henichesk, a city on the Azov Sea 200 kilometers southeast of Kherson, would serve as the region’s “temporary capital.”

    Ukrainian media derided the announcement, with the Ukrainska Pravda newspaper saying Russia “had made up a new capital” for the region.

    Across much of Ukraine, moments of jubilation marked the exit of Russian forces, since a retreat from Kherson and other areas on the Dnieper’s west bank would appear to shatter Russian hopes to press an offensive west to Mykolaiv and Odesa to cut off Ukraine’s access to the Black Sea.

    In Odesa, the Black Sea port, residents draped themselves in Ukraine’s blue-and-yellow flags, shared Champagne and held up flag-colored cards with the word “Kherson” on them.

    But like Zelenskyy, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba sought to temper the excitement.

    “We are winning battles on the ground, but the war continues,” he said from Cambodia, where he was attending a meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

    Kuleba brought up the prospect of the Ukrainian army finding evidence of possible Russian war crimes in Kherson, just as it did after previous Russian pullbacks in the Kyiv and Kharkiv regions.

    “Every time we liberate a piece of our territory, when we enter a city liberated from Russian army, we find torture rooms and mass graves with civilians tortured and murdered by Russian army in the course of the occupation,” Ukraine’s top diplomat said. “It’s not easy to speak with people like this. But I said that every war ends with diplomacy and Russia has to approach talks in good faith.”

    U.S. assessments this week showed Russia’s war in Ukraine may already have killed or wounded tens of thousands of civilians and hundreds of thousands of soldiers.

    Elsewhere, Russia continued its grinding offensive in Ukraine’s industrial east, targeting the city of Bakhmut in the Donetsk region, the Ukrainian General Staff said.

    Donetsk Gov. Pavlo Kyrylenko reported Saturday that two civilians were killed and four wounded over the last day as battles heated up around Bakhmut and Avdiivka, a small city that has remained in Ukrainian hands.

    Russia’s continued push for Bakhmut demonstrates the Kremlin’s desire for visible gains following weeks of setbacks. It would also pave the way for a possible push onto other Ukrainian strongholds in the heavily contested Donetsk region.

    In the Dnipropetrovsk region west of Donetsk, Russia again shelled communities near the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, the Ukrainian regional governor said.

    ———

    Follow AP’s coverage of the war in Ukraine: https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine

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  • Guest lineups for the Sunday news shows

    Guest lineups for the Sunday news shows

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    WASHINGTON — ABC’s “This Week” — House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif.; Gov. Chris Sununu, R-N.H.

    ——

    NBC’s “Meet the Press” — Sens. Bill Cassidy, R-La., and Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass.; Anita Dunn, senior adviser to President Joe Biden.

    ——

    CBS’ “Face the Nation” — Dunn; Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark.; Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md.

    ———

    CNN’s “State of the Union” — Pelosi; Govs. Larry Hogan, R-Md., and Gretchen Whitmer, D-Mich.; Gov.-elect Josh Shapiro, D-Pa.

    ———

    “Fox News Sunday” — Rep. Jim Banks, R-Ind.; Gov.-elect Wes Moore, D-Md.

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  • Teletubbies: The bizarre kids’ TV show that swept the world

    Teletubbies: The bizarre kids’ TV show that swept the world

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    Still, rebooting isn’t new. Jeanette Steemers, professor of culture, media and creative industries at King’s College London, points to various classic children’s shows revisited over the years, such as Thomas & Friends and Bob the Builder. Some represent an opportunity to reimagine characters that don’t stand up to modern day views on representation, race or disability, such as Disney’s Dumbo, the original of which employed blatant African-American stereotypes. (Similarly, Wildbrain asserts the multi-racial casting of Sun Babies in the new Teletubbies is an effort to “reflect the diversity of the audience”.) More often, however, reboots demonstrate a low appetite for risk in an increasingly cash-strapped sector: “It’s really difficult to come up with a hit,” Steemers tells BBC Culture. “Nobody knows what that magic sauce is, so people instead try and replicate it. The problem is that the reboot is often not as good as the original.” Angelina Ballerina is a case in point. The original series, with 2D animations based on Katharine Holabird’s beautifully illustrated books, was later revived using CGI with arguably diminishing returns. This resonates with Wood, for whom the Netflix Teletubbies represents a major devaluation of the brand. She disparages the use of digital production techniques, though her main concern is that the careful observation undertaken before shooting the original – perfecting that child-centred lens – hasn’t been replicated. When this was put to Wildbrain the company chose not to comment. In detailing how Teletubbies had been updated, however, it stressed that the “spirit and concept of Teletubbies remains unchanged from the original series,” and “the stories and themes still centre around wonder, discovery, joy and silliness”.

    It remains to be seen whether the reboot resonates in the same way. Netflix wields huge power but it doesn’t operate in China, where much of the Teletubbies fanbase resides. Nor will the new series be available in the UK, where the BBC holds exclusive rights. And though the Tubbies have learned to play the social media game, tweeting celebrities and riling up politicians, the controversies and zeitgeisty debates that both plagued the show and lifted it to the top of the news agenda have long since moved on.

    But perhaps a more pertinent question is the one Wood asks: “Where will the next Teletubbies come from?” It would be difficult to bankroll such an outlandish project today. In the UK there are no longer any quotas on children’s content for commercial channels and the Young Audiences Content Fund, a lonely olive branch, was discontinued in January. Wood also worries that a deference to nostalgia is restricting the creativity she and Davenport were afforded in the ’90s. “There are other people out there making good work, or at least they could, were they given the opportunity.” She cites a project currently sitting with Ragdoll. “It is, I hope, in the zeitgeist of now, as much as you can feel it. Will it be seen in the whole mass of stuff being churned out? Who knows, but you have to keep trying.”

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  • Media narrative of US election: Bad news for Trump, GOP

    Media narrative of US election: Bad news for Trump, GOP

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    NEW YORK — Americans awoke Wednesday to Election Day outcomes that remained nearly as murky as the night before: “House, Senate control still hangs in the balance,” a CNN caption blared.

    Yet if the results of midterm elections hadn’t solidified, the media narrative clearly had. Good night for Democrats. Bad night for Republicans. Bad night, especially, for Donald Trump.

    This quick analysis took shape despite the very real possibility that Republicans would wind up wresting control of one or both houses of Congress from the Democrats. From the coverage’s perspective, Republicans had failed to meet expectations.

    “Republicans wildly underperformed, and heads should roll,” conservative commentator Ben Shapiro tweeted.

    The Washington Post’s website headlined, “Congress Hangs in the Balance as Democrats Defy Expectations.”

    The New York Times headlined, “Control of Congress Hinges on Closely Fought Races.” Yet further headlines on the newspaper’s site said there were no signs of a red wave that Republicans expected, and the lead analysis story was about why an expected GOP rout fell short.

    The Times’ closely watched “Needle,” which barely budged much of Tuesday night, predicted Wednesday afternoon that the Democrats had a 66 percent chance of controlling the Senate, and the Republicans an 83 percent chance of winning the House.

    Trump, who opted not to announce a 2024 candidacy the night before the election, faced a particularly rough media assessment.

    A Washington Post analysis explained, “why the 2022 election was such a disaster for Trump.”

    The New York Post, overlooking the governor’s race in its home state, put Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Trump rival on its cover, standing before a huge American flag. “DeFuture,” was the headline.

    Fox News’ website ran a steady stream of stories with damaging headlines: “Trump-endorsed Vance doesn’t mention former president in victory speech.” “Republican Brad Raffensperger, reviled by Trump, wins again in Georgia.” And “Conservatives point finger at Trump after GOP’s underwhelming elections results.”

    “This ended up being a referendum on crazy,” said MSNBC commentator Donny Deutsch on Wednesday.

    Armed with statistics and projections on election night, television networks were wary of drawing conclusions about the closely divided nation’s political future. The night’s first big story, DeSantis’ big win, was favorable for Republicans.

    But as Tuesday night slipped into Wednesday morning, the story of what was not happening for the GOP became the main talking point.

    “Republicans will have some soul searching to do here,” said Fox News Channel’s Dana Perino.

    Kellyanne Conway, the former Trump aide who was a commentator on Fox, grew impatient at one point with on-set discussions about Republicans not performing up to expectations or hopes.

    “It’s enough,” she said. “We’ll take it.”

    Television networks made an extra effort on Tuesday to have personnel on hand to deal with threats to democracy, such as election deniers or attempts to prevent voting. Instead, there wasn’t much for them to do.

    Through it all, news organizations stressed transparency, and how counting election results had become more difficult because of increased early voting and different state rules in how the vote was counted.

    “This is more complicated than it was 10 years ago,” CNN’s John King said, “because people are voting in different ways.”

    ———

    David Bauder is AP’s media writer. Follow him on Twitter at http://twitter.com/dbauder

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  • World Cup ambassador from Qatar denounces homosexuality

    World Cup ambassador from Qatar denounces homosexuality

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    BERLIN — An ambassador for the World Cup in Qatar has described homosexuality as a “damage in the mind” in an interview with German public broadcaster ZDF only two weeks before the opening of the soccer tournament in the Gulf state, highlighting concerns about the conservative country’s treatment of gays and lesbians.

    Former Qatari national team player Khalid Salman told a German reporter in an interview that being gay is “haram,” or forbidden in Arabic, and that he has a problem with children seeing gay people.

    Excerpts of the television interview were shown Monday on the ZDF news program Heute Journal. The full interview, which is part of a documentary, will be shown Tuesday on ZDF.

    About 1.2 million international visitors are expected in Qatar for the tournament, which has faced criticism and skepticism ever since the gas-rich emirate was selected as host by FIFA in December 2010. Concerns about LGBTQ tourists attending the World Cup have also been expressed for a long time.

    In the interview, Salman also said that homosexuality “is a spiritual harm.”

    “During the World Cup, many things will come here to the country. Let’s talk about gays,” Salman said in English, which is simultaneously dubbed into German in the TV segment. “The most important thing is, everybody will accept that they come here. But they will have to accept our rules.”

    The interview was cut short by a media officer of the World Cup organizing committee after Salman expressed his views on homosexuals, ZDF reported.

    ———

    AP World Cup coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/world-cup and https://twitter.com/AP—Sports

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  • Prince William’s Earthshot Prize ceremony to air on PBS, BBC

    Prince William’s Earthshot Prize ceremony to air on PBS, BBC

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    LOS ANGELES — The Earthshot Prize, founded by Britain’s Prince William to honor groundbreaking solutions to environmental issues, will broadcast its second ceremony on PBS and the BBC.

    William, who launched the global prize with The Royal Foundation, will join the event to be filmed Dec. 2 in Boston and air Dec. 4 on Britain’s BBC. On Dec. 5, it will stream on PBS.org, the PBS app and PBS YouTube channel and on The Earthshot Prize YouTube channel. PBS stations will air the ceremony on Dec. 14.

    In a statement Thursday, BBC executive Jack Bootle said last year’s inaugural ceremony included “big-name stars and brilliant musical acts. This year’s will be every bit as spectacular.” Participants besides the prince have yet to be announced.

    The prize, inspired by and with a name echoing President John F. Kennedy’s 1961 challenge to America to land a man on the moon by that decade’s end, aims to “discover and scale the best solutions to help repair our planet within the next decade,” according to a release.

    Each of this year’s five winners will receive $1 million to accelerate their projects aimed at the prize’s 2030 goals: protecting and restoring nature; cleaning the air; reviving the oceans; building a waste-free world, and fixing the climate.

    “We support the mission of The Earthshot Prize and are looking forward to creating year-round content that showcases the work of the individuals and teams who are working to protect the planet with breakthrough innovations,” Paula Kerger, PBS president and CEO, said in a statement.

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  • TV audience for World Series Game 3 on Fox down 2.7%

    TV audience for World Series Game 3 on Fox down 2.7%

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    Philadelphia’s 7-0 win over Houston in Game 3 of the World Series was seen by 11,162,000 viewers on Fox, down 2.7% from last year’s third game

    PHILADELPHIA — The Philadelphia Phillies’ 7-0 win over Houston in Game 3 of the World Series was seen by 11,162,000 viewers on Fox, down 2.7% from last year’s third game.

    Atlanta’s 2-0 victory over the Astros last season was seen by 11,469,000. That game was on a Friday night, while this year’s Game 3 was on a Tuesday.

    This year’s audience was up 34% from the 8,339,000 for the Los Angeles Dodgers’ 6-2 win over Tampa Bay in 2020, the lowest-rated World Series.

    Including Fox Deportes and Fox’s streaming platforms, this year’s Game 3 was viewed by 11,373,000. The game, which began at 8:05 p.m. EDT and ended at 11:13 p.m., drew a 29.1 rating and 56 share in Philadelphia and a 21.9/47 in Houston.

    Game 3 was postponed by rain on Monday night.

    The first three games this year averaged 11,179,000 viewers on Fox, up 2% from the three-game average of 10,964,000 last year and an increase of 25% from the three-game average of 8,977,000 in 2020.

    The rating is the percentage of television households tuned in to a broadcast. The share is the percentage viewing a telecast among those households with TVs on at the time.

    ———

    AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb and https://twitter.com/AP—Sports

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  • Review: ‘It’s Not TV’ account of HBO’s rise and challenges

    Review: ‘It’s Not TV’ account of HBO’s rise and challenges

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    “It’s Not TV: The Rise, Revolution and Future of HBO” by Felix Gillette and John Koblin (Viking)

    Streaming and on-demand services are so commonplace nowadays, one can take for granted how revolutionary HBO was when it was first launched.

    In “It’s Not TV,” business reporters Felix Gillette and John Koblin paint a revealing picture of a cultural and business institution from its beginnings to the challenges it now faces.

    The book serves two purposes, and does both quite well. The first is as a cultural history of some of the most iconic shows and programs that HBO has developed over the years.

    In their telling, HBO is a cultural empire that’s been built on some of the most memorable antiheroes and flawed characters ever created. From Tony Soprano to Selina Meyer, HBO had a knack for investing in shows with characters that for many years broadcast television wouldn’t touch.

    But the book’s other purpose as a fascinating account of HBO’s business practices show how the cable network and eventual streaming service struggled to keep up with the world it helped create.

    Gillette and Koblin offer plenty of behind-the-scenes tales that whet the appetites of TV and business news junkies alike. They include some of the missteps along the way, such as HBO’s miscalculation on how to respond to and compete with Netflix and other services.

    It also recounts many of the issues HBO struggled with, including its depiction of women and especially violence against them.

    Gillette and Koblin’s deep reporting and sourcing are what make “It’s Not TV” come together so well. The result is a read so riveting, it’s not hard to imagine watching it unfold on Sunday nights.

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  • Living to Breaking Bad: the film and TV facing up to death

    Living to Breaking Bad: the film and TV facing up to death

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    Outside of Ikiru/Living, perhaps the most moving, near-euphorically tranquil death scene is that of Maude in Hal Ashby’s 1971cult classic Harold and Maude. In it, the character slips away on her 80th birthday after a final dance with her young lover Harold, saying she “couldn’t ask for a lovelier farewell”. In Chumbley’s experience, such bliss right at the end of life is possible, and she has seen “some really wonderful celebrations in people’s end-of-life experiences. I’ve seen people get married, I’ve seen people heal relationships. It can be a time where you see the very simplified heart of humanity when everything else is stripped away”. Maude’s life ending profoundly affects Harold; previously, between staging his own suicide and attending strangers’ funerals, he was fascinated by all things morbid but to shallow effect. But by bringing him into her final days, Maude teaches him what it truly means to live and die. For Chumbley, beyond the clinical and legal value of an “end-of-life plan”, it can also be an opportunity for human connection. “There’s affirmation when you appoint someone your power of attorney [for example]. It’s a chance to show someone they are loved by you, valued by you, and that this responsibility is because of the richness of your relationship.”

    The idea of looking inwards for fulfilment before it’s too late is at the core of what Ishiguro wanted to express in Living – along with the acknowledgement that you “can make your life full and worthwhile beyond a sense of external achievement that the world recognises. You can have a very humble small life, but you can make a supreme effort within the limitations of that life.” In this way, the ultimate accomplishment of Mr Williams with his playground is small but meaningful: he may not receive  uproarious public recognition, but that is not the point. “There’s a very lonely sense of success and failure that we’ll be left with when we are really trying to assess whether our lives have been led well in just those terms,” as Ishiguro says.

    And while truly contemplating our life and death may be a private interior act, watching films like Living can help us along the way. Part of what makes Living such a striking piece of work is that it comes to us at a time when death has been on everyone’s minds as a result of the pandemic. Yet, unlike with Mr Williams’ personal epiphany, there has been no substantial collective re-evaluation of what really matters. As Critchley puts it, “we are in a process of really rapid forgetfulness with regard to the pandemic. So many people were lost, and now we’re back at it, and life is back to normal. Why don’t we remember? There’s a desperate tragedy to being a tightly formed narcissistic shell just ploughing through life when it’s actually joyful to remember and accept one’s position as someone who mourns and is vulnerable and open”. That is the joy that can be seen radiating from Bill Nighy’s character when, towards the film’s end, he sits on a swing in the playground he has helped get built while the snow falls. Like so many before him, in confronting his death, he has finally started Living.

    Living is released in UK cinemas on 4 November and US cinemas on 23 December

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  • As subscription prices rise, here’s what’s worth streaming in November 2022: ‘The Crown,’ ‘Willow,’ ‘Mythic Quest’ and more

    As subscription prices rise, here’s what’s worth streaming in November 2022: ‘The Crown,’ ‘Willow,’ ‘Mythic Quest’ and more

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    So here’s some bad news and some, well, slightly less bad news.

    First, the bad-bad: Streaming prices are increasing almost across the board (Hulu and Apple TV+ rose in October, Disney+ will rise in December, while Netflix and Prime Video rose earlier this year), putting even more of a crunch on budget-conscious consumers.

    But now the less bad: If you can put up with commercials, there are cheaper, ad-supported versions coming your way (Netflix on Nov. 3, Disney+ in December).

    Of course, the other money-saving solution is to double down on a churn-and-return strategy and cut down on recurring subscriptions even more.

    Each month, this column offers tips on how to maximize your streaming and your budget, rating the major services as a “play,” “pause” or “stop” — similar to investment analysts’ traditional ratings of buy, hold and sell. We also pick the best content to help you make your monthly decisions.

    Consumers can take full advantage of cord-cutting by churning and returning — adding and dropping streaming services each month. All it takes is good planning. Keep in mind that a billing cycle starts when you sign up, not necessarily at the beginning of the month, and keep an eye out for lower-priced tiers, limited-time discounts, free trials and cost-saving bundles. There are a lot of offers out there, but the deals don’t last forever.

    Here’s a look at what’s coming to the various streaming services in November 2022, and what’s really worth the monthly subscription fee.

    Netflix ($6.99 a month for basic with ads starting Nov. 3, $9.99 basic without ads, $15.49 standard without ads, $19.99 premium without ads)

    Netflix has another really good month coming up.

     “The Crown” (Nov. 9), returns for its fifth season, set this time in the 1990s as scandals involving Charles and Diana plaster London’s tabloids and the role of Britain’s monarchy in modern society is thrown into question. Imelda Staunton takes over the role of Queen Elizabeth, with Dominic West as Prince Charles, Elizabeth Debicki as Princess Diana and Jonathan Pryce as Prince Philip. Controversy has already erupted over the new season, which will include Diana’s tragic death, as some have spoken out about the show’s increasingly blurry line between truth and fiction. Pryce recently told Vanity Fair, ““The vast majority of people know it’s a drama,” not a documentary. And it’s a pretty good drama.

    Netflix
    NFLX,
    -0.41%
    hasn’t had much success developing original sitcoms, but is hoping to finally break through with “Blockbuster” (Nov. 3), a workplace comedy set at the last Blockbuster video store in America, starring network sitcom veterans Randall Park (“Fresh Off the Boat”) and Melissa Fumero (“Brooklyn Nine-Nine”). There’s also “Wednesday” (Nov. 23), a horror-comedy series from Tim Burton starring Jenna Ortega as the terrifyingly snarky teen Wednesday Addams, with Catherine Zeta-Jones and Luis Guzman playing her creepy and kooky parents, Morticia and Gomez; and the third and final season of the dark comedy “Dead to Me” (Nov. 17), starring Christina Applegate and Linda Cardellini, which returns after a two-and-a-half-year layoff.

    On the drama side, there’s “1899” (Nov. 17), a mystery-horror series set aboard a transatlantic steamer ship at the turn of the last century, from the makers of the mind-bending German sci-fi series “Dark” — and if it’s even half as trippy and addictive, it’ll be terrific; Part 1 of the fourth season of the supernatural drama “Manifest” (Nov. 4), which Netflix rescued from NBC’s cancellation; and Season 6 of the soapy Spanish high-school drama “Elite” (Nov 18).

    More: Here’s everything new coming to Netflix in November 2022, and what’s leaving

    There’s also the timely documentary “FIFA Uncovered” (Nov. 9), digging into the scandal-plagued organization behind the World Cup; “Pepsi, Where’s My Jet” (Nov. 17), a documentary about a man who sued Pepsi in the 1980s to get a free Harrier fighter jet; the fifth installment of “The Great British Baking Show: Holidays” (Nov. 18); and the new standup comedy special from the outgoing “Daily Show” host, “Trevor Noah: I Wish You Would” (Nov. 22).

    On the movie front, there’s “Enola Holmes 2” (Nov. 4), a sequel to the hit 2020 movie about Sherlock Holmes’ younger sister, played by Millie Bobby Brown (“Stranger Things”), as young detective Enola sets out to investigate her first case; “Slumberland” (Nov. 18), a comedy adventure about a young girl exploring the dreamworld, starring Mallow Barkley and Jason Mamoa; and Lindsay Lohan is back with a Christmas rom-com, “Falling for Christmas” (Nov. 10).

    Who’s Netflix for? Fans of buzz-worthy original shows and movies.

    Play, pause or stop? Play. When it’s at the top of its game, as it is again this month, Netflix is a must-have, at whatever price tier.

    Disney+ ($7.99 a month)

    The TV world has been abuzz about prequels for the past few months, but it’s all about sequels in November for Disney+.

    The biggest of the bunch is “Willow” (Nov. 30), a follow-up series to the cult-favorite 1988 fantasy movie of the same name. The magical adventure is set 20 years after the events of the film, and Warwick Davis returns as farmer-turned-sorcerer Willow Ufgood, who leads an unlikely group of heroes on a quest to save their world. It should be fun for the whole family.

    Disney
    DIS,
    +1.45%
    also has “Disenchanted” (Nov. 18), a sequel to the 2007 hit movie “Enchanted.” The musical fantasy is set 10 years after the happily-ever-after ending, with Giselle (Amy Adams) questioning her happiness and inadvertently setting her two worlds askew. Patrick Dempsey, James Marsden and Maya Rudolph co-star. And then there’s “The Santa Clauses” (Nov. 16), as Tim Allen reprises his role of Santa Claus, who’s now facing retirement and looking for a replacement, in a new miniseries spinoff of the family-movie trilogy.

    Also of note: “The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special” (Nov. 25), as Star-Lord and the gang kidnap Kevin Bacon; the live performance “Elton John: Live from Dodger Stadium” (Nov. 20), the pop icon’s final show in North America; and weekly episodes of “Dancing With the Stars” (season finale Nov. 21), the “Star Wars” prequel “Andor” (season finale Nov. 23) and “The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers” (season finale Nov. 30).

    And heads up: Prices for the ad-free tier will jump to $10.99 a month in December, after Disney+ launches its ad-supported tier for $7.99 a month.

    Who’s Disney+ for? Families with kids, hardcore “Star Wars” and Marvel fans. For people not in those groups, Disney’s library can be lacking.

    Play, pause or stop? Play. There’s something for everyone in the household — even grumps who aren’t “Star Wars” fans can get into “Andor,” which absolutely works as a dark, gripping, spy thriller. Meanwhile, fans are realizing it just might be the best “Star Wars” series or movie ever made.

    HBO Max ($9.99 a month with ads, or $14.99 without ads)

    HBO Max is bringing back  “The Sex Lives of College Girls” (Nov. 17) for its second season. Created by Mindy Kaling and Justin Noble (who also teamed on Netflix’s “Never Have I Ever”), the ensemble comedy about four college roommates picks up right after Thanksgiving break, with the girls organizing a “sex-positive” male strip show. It’s sharp, funny, and less cringey than its title suggests.

    Then there’s “A Christmas Story Christmas” (Nov. 17), a nostalgic sequel to the 1983 classic, starring Peter Billingsley as a grown-up Ralphie who returns to his hometown to try to give his kids a perfect Christmas. It’s risky reviving such a beloved movie, and this could either be wonderful or terrible, there’s really no middle ground.

    HBO Max also has a slew of documentaries, including “Love, Lizzo” (Nov. 24), about the pop superstar’s inspiring life story; “Shaq” (Nov. 23), a four-part docuseries chronicling the rise to superstardom of NBA Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal; “Low Country: The Murdaugh Dynasty” (Nov. 3), a true-crime series about a South Carolina lawyer’s scandalous fall; and “Say Hey, Willie Mays!” (Nov. 8), a film exploring the life, career and social impact of the greatest baseball player who ever played the game.

    See more: Here’s everything new coming to HBO Max in November 2022, and what’s leaving

    And every week brings new episodes of Season 2 of the very dark vacation comedy “The White Lotus,” Season 3 of “Pennyworth: The Origin of Batman’s Butler” and Season 2 of the cult documentary “The Vow.”

    Who’s HBO Max for? HBO fans and movie lovers.

    Play, pause or stop? Pause and think it over. “The White Lotus” and “The Sex Lives of College Girls” are both worth watching, but beyond that it’s kinda “meh” this month. And Max is too pricey for “meh.”

    Amazon Prime Video ($14.99 a month)

    Amazon
    AMZN,
    -6.80%
    is bringing the star power in November, starting with the Western drama series “The English” (Nov. 11), starring Emily Blunt as an aristocratic Englishwoman who teams with a Pawnee scout (Chaske Spencer) on a mission to cross the violent 1890s American frontier. It looks stylish and bloody — and promising.

    Meanwhile, James Corden and Sally Hawkins star in “Mammals” (Nov. 11), a dark comedy series about modern marriage; pop star-turned-actor Harry Styles stars in “My Policeman” (Nov. 4), a drama about forbidden romance that’s getting very “meh” reviews in its theatrical release; and Kristen Bell, Ben Platt and Allison Janney star in “The People We Hate at the Wedding” (Nov. 18), a raunchy comedy set at a dysfunctional family wedding.

    More: Here’s what’s coming to Amazon’s Prime Video in November 2022

    There’s also NFL Thursday Night Football every week, and new episodes of the intriguing sci-fi drama “The Peripheral,” which is giving very “Westworld”-but-slightly-less-confusing vibes.

    Who’s Amazon Prime Video for? Movie lovers, TV-series fans who value quality over quantity.

    Play, pause or stop? Pause. There’s good stuff here, but nothing that feels must-see.

    Paramount+ ($4.99 a month with ads but not live CBS, $9.99 without ads)

    Taylor Sheridan (“Yellowstone,” “1883,” “Mayor of Kingstown”) has another new series: “Tulsa King” (Nov. 13), starring Sylvester Stallone as a former New York mafia capo who gets freed from prison after 25 years and settles in Tulsa, Okla., to build a criminal empire of his own. Showrunner Terence Winter (“The Sopranos,” “Boardwalk Empire”) knows a thing or two about mob shows, and this one could be good.

    Paramount+ also has the spinoff series “Criminal Minds: Evolution” (Nov. 24), about an elite team of FBI profilers unraveling a network of serial killers; the family movie “Fantasy Football” (Nov. 25), about a girl who can magically control how her NFL-player dad performs on the field; and the series finale of “The Good Fight” (Nov. 10), which its creators promise will be “cataclysmic.”

    There’s also the Thanksgiving Day Parade (Nov. 24) and a ton of live sports, including college football on Saturdays, NFL football on Sundays (and Thanksgiving Day), and group-stage matches for UEFA’s Champions and Europe leagues.

    Who’s Paramount+ for? Gen X cord-cutters who miss live sports and familiar Paramount Global 
    PARA,
    +3.37%
     broadcast and cable shows.

    Play, pause or stop? Pause. Besides its solid live-sports lineup, it’s a good time to catch up and binge “The Good Fight,” and “Tulsa King” could be worth a watch too.

    Hulu ($7.99 a month with ads, or $14.99 with no ads)

    Hulu has a couple of interesting offerings in November, but nothing that screams must-see. Yet, at least.

    FX’s “Fleishman Is in Trouble” (Nov. 17) stars Jesse Eisenberg as a newly divorced dad whose promiscuous dive into app-based dating is disrupted when his ex-wife disappears and leaves him with their kids. Claire Danes, Lizzy Caplan and Adam Brody co-star in the eight-episode drama, which is based on Taffy Brodesser-Akner’s best-selling novel.

    There’s also “Welcome to Chippendales” (Nov. 22), a true-crime series starring Kumail Nanjiani as the immigrant founder of the 1980s male-stripper franchise, which chronicles his business empire’s rise and fall amid a blizzard of sex, drugs and violence.

    Meanwhile, Adam McKay (“The Big Short”) and Billy Corben (“Cocaine Cowboys”) have the documentary  “God Forbid: The Sex Scandal That Brought Down a Dynasty” (Nov. 1), about the private life of Christian televangelist and former Liberty University president Jerry Falwell Jr. and his very public downfall.

    See: Here’s everything new on Hulu in November 2022 — and what’s leaving

    There are also the final two episodes of “Atlanta” (series finale Nov. 10), whose fourth season has returned to brilliance after an underwhelming Season 3 over the summer, and new episodes every week of ABC’s “Abbott Elementary.”

    Who’s Hulu for? TV lovers. There’s a deep library for those who want older TV series and next-day streaming of many current network and cable shows.

    Play, pause or stop? Stop. While you won’t regret paying for Hulu if you already do, there’s not a lot to lure new subscribers this month.

    Apple TV+ ($6.99 a month)

    Apple TV+ is too inconsistent to be worth the $2-a-month price hike that was just announced, so it’s best to strategically plan when to stream — wait until a good series or two are completed, for example, and binge them all in a month, then cancel. Repeat as needed.

    And it actually is a decent month for Apple. Its second-best comedy, “Mythic Quest” Nov. 11), returns for its third season, with Ian (Rob McElhenny) and Poppy (Charlotte Nicdao) gearing up for war against their old videogame company. With a perfect blend of humor and heart, it’s one of the best workplace comedies on TV.

    Meanwhile, Season 2 of “The Mosquito Coast” (Nov. 4) finds the fugitive Fox family finally hiding out in Central America, after a tedious premise-pilot of a first season that wasted good actors (Justin Theroux and Melissa George) and beautiful cinematography with nonsensical plot twists, while the action series “Echo 3” (Nov. 23) stars Luke Evans and Michiel Huisman as former soldiers trying to rescue a kidnapped scientist in the jungles of South America.

    Apple
    AAPL,
    +7.56%
    also has a pair of high-profile original movies: “Causeway” (Nov. 3), starring Jennifer Lawrence as a former soldier struggling to adjust to civilian life in New Orleans, co-starring Brian Tyree Henry, and “Spirited” (Nov. 18), a musical twist on “A Christmas Carol” told from the ghosts’ point of view, starring Ryan Reynolds and Will Ferrell.

    Who’s Apple TV+ for? It offers a little something for everyone, but not necessarily enough for anyone — although it’s getting there.

    Play, pause or stop? Stop. There’s just not enough to justify a month-to-month subscription. December is a better bet, with “Mythic Quest” and a new season of “Slow Horses” running concurrently.

    Peacock (free basic level, Premium for $4.99 a month with ads, or $9.99 a month with no ads)

    The World Cup from Qatar (Nov. 20-Dec. 18) will be broadcast on Fox and FS1, so cord-cutters are out of luck, unless you subscribe to a live-streaming service like Hulu Live or YouTube TV. However, Peacock will stream every match in Spanish, which could be a decent Plan B for soccer fans.

    And that “it’ll-do-but-it’s-not-exactly-what-I’m-looking-for” description is the running theme for Peacock. November will bring a handful of originals that are unlikely to move the needle, subscriber-wise: There’s the musical-comedy spinoff series “Pitch Perfect: Bumper in Berlin” (Nov. 23), starring Adam Devine; “The Calling” (Nov. 10), a crime drama about a religious cop, from David E. Kelley and Barry Levinson; the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade (Nov. 24); and the streaming debut of Jordan Poole’s sci-fi/horror hit “Nope” (Nov. 18).

    Sports-wise, Peacock has the National Dog Show (hey, it’s a competition!) on Nov. 24, NFL Sunday Night Football every weekend, a full slate of English Premier League matches through Nov. 13, and a ton of golf and winter sports.

    Who’s Peacock for? If you have a Comcast 
    CMCSA,
    -0.06%
     or Cox cable subscription, you likely have free access to the Premium tier (with ads) — though reportedly not for much longer. The free tier is almost worthless, but the recent addition of next-day streaming of NBC and Bravo shows (like “Saturday Night Live” and “Real Housewives”) bolsters the case for paying for a subscription. Still, Peacock is still not really necessary unless you need it for sports.

    Play, pause or stop? Stop. There’s not a lot that’s particularly enticing right now, even on the sports side.

    Discovery+ ($4.99 a month with ads, or $6.99 with no ads)

    More of the same in November for Discovery+, which is a feature, not a bug. Highlights include the vegan cook-and-chat show “Mary McCartney Serves It Up” (Nov. 1); “Tut’s Lost City Revealed” (Nov. 3), about a 3,000-year-old Egyptian city recently discovered by archaeologists; “Vardy vs Rooney: The Wagatha Trial” (Nov. 19), the inside story of the tabloid-fodder “Wagatha” scandal between the wives of English soccer stars; and Season 2 of the excellent CNN food series “Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy” (Nov. 30). Full disclosure: There are also a handful of sappy holiday movies guest-starring some HGTV and Food Network stars, but they look terrible and I expect better from you, a discerning reader/viewer.

    Who’s Discovery+ for? Cord-cutters who miss their unscripted TV or who are really, really into “90 Day Fiancé.”

    Play, pause or stop?  Stop. Discovery+ is still fantastic for background TV, but it’s not worth the cost. Still, it should add value when the reconfigured Warner Bros. Discovery 
    WBD,
    +3.68%
      combines it with HBO Max next summer.

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  • Guest lineups for the Sunday news shows

    Guest lineups for the Sunday news shows

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    WASHINGTON — ABC’s “This Week” — Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla.

    ——

    NBC’s “Meet the Press” — Gov. Chris Sununu, R-N.H.

    ——

    CBS’ “Face the Nation” — Reps. Tom Emmer, R-Minn., and Sean Patrick Maloney, D-N.Y.; Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency Director Jen Easterly.

    ———

    CNN’s “State of the Union” — Scott; Cheri Beasley, Democratic nominee for Senate in North Carolina.

    ———

    “Fox News Sunday” — Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del.; Ronna McDaniel, Republican National Committee chairwoman.

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  • How Colleen Morris-Glennon Made Sure ‘Industry’ Characters Looked Wealthy Enough

    How Colleen Morris-Glennon Made Sure ‘Industry’ Characters Looked Wealthy Enough

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    The glitz and glamour of entertainment is nothing without the people who dress today’s biggest stars. For “Who’s Behind the Clothes,” HuffPost spotlights stylists and costume designers who have delivered some of our favorite celebrities or characters’ most memorable looks. Read my interview with Flo Milli’s stylist Jenna Tyson.

    Before Colleen Morris-Glennon led costume design on the hit HBO series “Industry,” she styled the “Queen of Disco” Donna Summer while working at MTV in her mid-20s. And before that, Morris-Glennon was an 8-year-old in Jamaica enamored with the clothing in “West Side Story” — and taller than most her age.

    “How I started making clothes is actually making it for myself, because I didn’t want to look like a ‘high water girl.’ My dad’s favorite line was, ‘You expecting a flood?’” Morris-Glennon, who is 5’10”, said with a laugh, recalling pants that fit like capris.

    It was working with the late Summer — dressing her for performances, a 1999 Genre magazine shoot and more — that inspired Morris-Glennon to do more than styling. Once the “TRL” era took off, the British-Jamaican stylist knew it was time to transition out of live television. That leap of faith turned her into the triple threat she is today.

    With over 30 years in fashion and over 20 years of television and film expertise, the London native is bringing the art of tailoring back to television. Morris-Glennon has worked on the off-Broadway musical rendition of “Rent,” the 2004 film “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind” and, notably, “Bolden,” a 2019 movie based on the life of New Orleans jazz musician Buddy Bolden.

    “I ended up becoming assistant designer, then after a while, I got promoted to a costume designer” thanks to the film’s director, she said. “I got to really take all my experiences of fabrics, construction, knowledge of design and costumes and put it into that piece. That’s when I realized I’m not doing anything else but costume designing ever again.”

    Morris-Glennon talked to HuffPost about her journey through costume design and why working on “Industry” was a match tailor-made in heaven.

    Colleen Morris-Glennon attends Jazz at Lincoln Center’s 2019 Gala — “The Birth of Jazz: From Bolden to Armstrong.”

    Michael Loccisano via Getty Images

    From working with Donna Summer to leading costume design on “Industry,” how do you bridge the differences between styling for the stage versus television?

    With styling, especially, it is an absolute collaboration between you and your client. It is not just what you think; it has to be what the client likes, what the client is comfortable wearing. Because you might have an idea that this person will look so good in this item, and they go, “Actually, I don’t like my arms out.” You have to work with those instances.

    Then there is the stage. That means very different fabrications. That means things that will stand up to hard work, stretch. It’s so much more thought that goes into styling than people actually realize. It is an art form, and it’s so much harder because you have to build a relationship with your clients. They have to trust you in a way because you’re putting them in something that they’re going out into the world in. No one’s gonna say, “Ooh, what stylist did that?” They’re going to go, “What the hell is she wearing?” There is a trust that has to come between you and your clients as a stylist. It is about your book: Who can you call? But also it depends on the actor or the celebrity because if they’re big enough, they also open doors for you.

    What was it like working with Donna Summer?

    I miss her every day. She was the kindest, sweetest soul. She was an amazing human being. Within five minutes of being in her presence, you forget who she is, because she’s just another person talking to you. She gave me such confidence. When I styled her for a magazine called “Genre,” it was the first time I worked with her. I was working with a stylist Jimmy Hanrahan, who then couldn’t do it, and he gave me the project. I was so nervous, because I’m in my 20s and I knew, in my head, I wasn’t at the caliber to be styling Donna Summer. She made me feel absolutely comfortable.

    Being a West Indian, when you’re going for a shoot with Donna Summer, you’ve got to dress up. So I did, and I was wearing something that I designed myself. She was like, “What is that? Why am I not wearing that?” I was like, “Oh no, no, no, I made it. It’s not good enough for you. I made it.” She goes, “What does that mean, Colleen? Did you design and make it?” I said yes and she goes, “Then you’re a designer.” I remember that day so well. She held my hand and she goes, “You need to own it.”

    She felt more of a friend than a client. Every time I spent with her and her husband were moments I will treasure and never, ever take for granted that I got to work with her. The most iconic pieces I did for her were pieces that she wore for the VH1 Divas in 1998. My mom and I made those costumes. I’ll always love that. She was like, “Would you like to do my build my costumes for ‘Divas?’” Meanwhile, I had Dolce & Gabbana, all these designers calling me for her to wear them, and she was like, “No, I’ll wear you.”

    Tell me a little about your journey to costume design. Who inspired you to enter the industry?

    My first and always No. 1 reason for being in this industry is my mother. When I was growing up, my mother was a really amazing dressmaker. I just idolized her in every way. For my 4th birthday, I got a play sewing machine, so I sat beside her and her machine with my hand wheeling, making doll’s clothing. That’s where it really started.

    In costume design, it would be Irene Sharaff, the costume designer who did the original “West Side Story.” The first time I watched that film, my mum remembers it because the image of those costumes and Rita Moreno in that lavender dress was my moment of knowing I wanted to do that. It wasn’t until I returned back to England in the ’80s that I saw “West Side Story” in color, and saw the lavender dress with all the layers of beauty underneath it for real. That was my first moment of really wanting to be in costume, not knowing how that would work.

    Growing up in England, there was never really an outlet for costume design. It was never something that I thought of. So I went into fashion design, which was also a great love of mine, went to university, got my master’s degree, worked with a master tailor from Savile Row, became a tailor and kind of fell into costume design by accident, which is great.

    Donna Summer performs at the Orpheum Theatre in Minneapolis, Minnesota on August 11, 1995.
    Donna Summer performs at the Orpheum Theatre in Minneapolis, Minnesota on August 11, 1995.

    Jim Steinfeldt via Getty Images

    What was your experience like attending Central Saint Martins? Growing up, I remember watching “Project Runway,” and hearing what an esteemed institution it is.

    My educational journey was from being in art school in my actual school. I was lucky enough to have a really good art teacher who took an interest in, then, my drawings. Then going to college and working on that, but I really wanted to go to Central Saint Martins. I never really thought I had any hope of going, but that was like reaching for something that you know you can’t possibly reach — and I got in. I have to admit, it wasn’t the most enjoyable experience as a person of color. I feel like I survived it. You’re talking about the late ’80s, early ’90s, and there weren’t many people of color.

    I left there kind of jaded and unsure of what to do next. I luckily went to see my mum in America after my parents divorced. I went to a nightclub and met this amazing man: Jimmy Hanrahan, who was then the head stylist at MTV. That was the first time I felt like I belonged. I couldn’t believe that they would pay me money to go shopping. I had no clue what it meant, and I enjoyed it so much. I was there for so many years. That really, for me, was more my actual training because that was the first time I really worked with a lot of beautiful clothing, and realized how much people didn’t know about construction. That enabled me to get work that I would never dream of getting. I was the stylist and costume designer for Donna Summer. The knowledge of construction will always be central to what I do. My career really started in New York, when I moved to New York in the early ’90s.

    How did your Jamaican parents respond when you said you wanted to pursue a career in costume design?

    My mum was totally into it. She comes from that very artistic background anyway. My mum was always like, “You can do whatever you want to do. Put in the work, you can do it.” I wanted to just make fun clothing as a kid and she’s like, “No, this is how you do it. This is what you do. No, you’re not going to finish it by putting a pin in it and running out the door — you’re going to finish it.” My mum really taught me the art of finishing what you start and making sure I had the ability to make clothing, not just to design something on a piece of paper and say, “Yes, this is beautiful.” So that was her job.

    My dad? Not for it. He didn’t see the value in it. He was always very artistic; he comes from a background of farming, but he was a brilliant landscape artist. It took until he was in his 40s to get any work as a landscape artist, so he did not want me to go through that. He didn’t perceive a little Black girl, working class, ever being able to do what I’m doing now. I realized he wasn’t mad. It was fearful, the thought of me not having an education that I can use and move forward. It took years for me to realize he wasn’t angry with me. He was just afraid.

    Morris-Glennon utilized her background in tailoring to master the art of finance fashion and ensure that the "Industry" bankers looked wealthy enough on screen.
    Morris-Glennon utilized her background in tailoring to master the art of finance fashion and ensure that the “Industry” bankers looked wealthy enough on screen.

    How would you describe your personal sense of style, and how has your Caribbean heritage impacted it?

    My personal style stems from my parents. My mom was kind of bohemian. She loved reggae music in the ’70s, which when Bob Marley started, it was not accepted in the West Indies. My mom was always that bell-bottoms-wearing, Afro woman. My mum was always that kind of earthy, organic personality. My dad was far more rigid. My dad wore suits to the cinema. He believed in a suit; he liked hats and walking sticks. It’s quite funny to grow up with these very different parents, so I guess that’s why I love tailoring, but I also love draping.

    My dress sense is a mood dress sense. I wouldn’t say I have a sense of style per se. I definitely love classical clothing, so I will always be seen with a jacket, something tailored and then something soft. I love fluidity, and I also love structure. It’s really how I feel on that day. If I’m feeling slender and feeling good, then I’ll go crazy. If I’m not, always tailoring. I’m covering everything.

    It’s quite funny because growing up in England, I wore a lot of black. Then when I moved to America — where they actually have summers — I started wearing more color, which was kind of wild. I never thought I would wear color. In the winters, I’m definitely more muted. I just think black is the best color anyway. Everyone’s like, “Black is not a color,” and I’m like, yes it is!

    What was the hardest part about transitioning from tailoring into costume design as a Black professional in the industry?

    It was very hard for me because no one wanted to help. Everyone was like, “Oh, but you’re such a good tailor. If you become a designer, then I’ll lose my job.” It was quite interesting, the lack of help there was for a person of color. I had to literally go out and go in through the back door to get in. Even after I did that job, it was still hard for me to find work as a designer. I had to come back to England to get work.

    It’s been a challenge. I still haven’t worked in America again since as a designer. I hope I will, but it’s a hard climb. It’s much more open now, and I’m relieved. I’m sad for the circumstances that it took for them to see Black people, not just in our industry, but so many industries. It feels great that we’re doing it, but there is such a bitter aftertaste to realize what it took to be seen.

    I’m very happy to see all the Black people that are now these HODs — head of departments — costume designers, production designers, directing, all these positions now. But I am hoping that it comes with support. I’m lucky enough that I’ve been in this industry for a very long time, from your PA to your costume designer. That is my great fear now, with making sure there is help for them as they’re pushed forward, because it’s hard to go from not getting anything to getting everything. If there’s no infrastructure set up to support you, you’re set up to fail. Then afterward, what they will now say is, “Oh, they couldn’t do it.”

    Tell me about your journey to “Industry” — and mastering the “Stealth-Wealth” aesthetic that Vogue attributes to you.

    I worked on only the second season. When I got interviewed by Mickey Downs, Konrad Kay and the showrunner David P. Davis, they asked me to watch the first season before I did the interview. I watched the first season — loooooved “Industry” — but I could see what I could do to change it. I just spoke to them and I was like, “I know you want it to stay exactly the same. But I think you need to change it just a little bit. I find it doesn’t look wealthy enough.” That doesn’t mean different colors, that doesn’t mean anything but it means a cut of clothing, especially in the men’s suits. It means that cut. They were very adamant about keeping it real. But when you look at those finance and banker guys, especially the older guys, they’ve been in the business so long.

    Back in the day, apart from in the last 10 years maybe, before then, most of those suits were from Savile Row. They have learned how to dress well from the tailors who are making their suits. As for the cuts, they’ve learned that from them. I said there just needs to be that element of wealth within the clothing. It was easy for me to do that being a tailor. That was second nature.

    I mean, this show was literally tailor-made for me to do. It was making sure there is an echelon or layers of what the suits, especially, would look like, from your first years to your third years to the guys in the offices upstairs. There has to be an absolute stepping stone where you can see the difference in cut, in fabrics, in the way they wear it, in the size of the jacket. Because some of the younger guys will have the wealthy jackets, but it won’t be the right fit and won’t be the right cut.

    Seasoned trader Danny (Alex Alomar Akpobome, right) has a more pristine, polished sense of style than junior banker Robert Spearing (Harry Lawtey, left).
    Seasoned trader Danny (Alex Alomar Akpobome, right) has a more pristine, polished sense of style than junior banker Robert Spearing (Harry Lawtey, left).

    I definitely noticed that sort of haphazard neatness with Harry Lawtey’s character, Robert Spearing. Robert is trying so hard to find his way, period, and it’s evident in how he dresses. Who was your favorite character to style on the series?

    I want to say Harper. Harper is such a complex character. There’s so many layers to Harper. I have to say I enjoyed the fact that she was American. She was in England. I enjoyed the fact that she was basically working class, and just trying to get in there and trying to do this job that she knows she’s good at. The first season, she had the “off the boat” look. I don’t think she was prepared for the world that she was entering, especially in Britain with the class system. It’s a world! She learned that quickly, which is why she and Robert got on so well. Because he’s working class. She’s working class, and they got each other. They got the angst; they got the pain.

    He definitely has that big brother thing with Harper. They are one of my favorite relationships in the show from the first season. I loved costuming Harper, giving her from the first year to the third year. She spent a long time living with Yasmin, so she learned so much from just living with Yasmin that she would have not learned in years of living in England. Yasmin is royalty, she’s a Chelsea girl, she’s an heiress, she comes from money. Whether Harper realized it or not, she picked up on that. I definitely kept her clothing very much like she was in the first season: very clean, very concise. The color palette did not waver much, because Harper doesn’t care about that.

    Whereas Yasmin incorporated a lot more color and was far more playful.

    Because Yasmin was like, “Okay, I suffered the first year under Kenny. I’m not doing that anymore.” And she came back with that attitude. The great thing is they had the year off at home, so they had time to think and to be. She just came back, and she was like, “No.”

    "Yasmin is royalty, she’s a Chelsea girl, she’s an heiress, she comes from money. Whether Harper realized it or not, she picked up on that," said Morris-Glennon.
    “Yasmin is royalty, she’s a Chelsea girl, she’s an heiress, she comes from money. Whether Harper realized it or not, she picked up on that,” said Morris-Glennon.

    Speaking of clothes, were there specific labels, designers or brands you pulled and frequented for the series? Who are some of your personal favorites?

    I’m definitely a fan of Margiela. I put a bit of Margiela on Harper, because I find the cut of the clothing is very Harper. When she was in Berlin, that beautiful coat she was wearing was a Margiela coat. I frequent Yves Saint Laurent for Yasmin — of course, she had the best labels. Hello, it’s Yasmin. Rishi was also another label whore, because he is the male label whore. I used a lot of Moncler on him. Eric was a lot of Brioni; he was like old school, like Hugo Boss. There’s something about Hugo Boss I love because they have like no other brand of men’s tailoring, to me, where they have from the very expensive to the affordable. Between the first-year students and the echelon at the top, I was able to use Boss. They were very helpful to us; they gave us discounts. I loved Rupert Sanderson for shoes, always Stuart Weitzman for shoes. I’m a fan of the old-school French labels because no matter what, no matter how modern they get, there’s always that sense of classic to them. You don’t feel like an idiot wearing it two years from now.

    I’m not a fan of throwaway fashion. I would rather buy last season’s designer wear than this season’s because that’s what I can afford. I grew up that way; I believe in classics, I believe in good fabrics. Not all of us can afford designer labels — I certainly don’t — I believe in buying last season’s something. But tailoring it makes or breaks an outfit.

    What is one of your fondest memories designing on the “Industry” set?

    Our budget was not big. It looks like it was big. It was not. I had my kit, which is basically previous collections of my clothing, with me. I beg, borrowed, called in favors to really get the show to look as it should. One of my favorite memories was Celeste’s character because she’s supposed to look so expensive. I was like, “How much is our budget for Celeste? Okay, this should be interesting.” I was like, “You know what? I’m gonna go grab everything I’ve ever designed out of my kit.” We had nothing for her and during the fitting, I’m like, “We’re gonna throw something on the wall, and something will fit.” [Katrine De Candole] walked into the room, and everything she put on fit her perfectly. I was standing there with my supervisor, Sophie. I looked at Sophie, Sophie looked at me, and she was just like, “How is this possible?”

    Katrine De Candole stars as Celeste Pacquet, Yasmin's elusive boss in Private Wealth Management at Pierpoint & Co., in Season 2 of "Industry."
    Katrine De Candole stars as Celeste Pacquet, Yasmin’s elusive boss in Private Wealth Management at Pierpoint & Co., in Season 2 of “Industry.”

    So, 90% of what she’s wearing is literally from my past collections and from my kit. That was such a money-saving experience because then I could put more money on the other characters. That was a moment of zen. That will never happen again in my career, where literally we had too much clothing. We went from having nothing to too many looks for her. The Chanel suit [she wore], we made that because there’s absolutely no way Chanel is going to lend us clothing — and obviously, we can’t afford it. I literally had the Chanel fabric that I’ve had in my kit for maybe 10 years and was like, “We’re building her Chanel suit.” That was the moment that I enjoyed the most: being able to get her things out of nowhere, out of nothing.

    What are you working on now, and where do you hope your career goes next?

    What I’m working on now is a series called “Hijack” with the ever-so-lovely Idris Elba. He’s absolutely lovely. It’s very hard being a Black designer, getting to do British period. I would love to do period. Tailoring and contemporary comes from my knowledge of fashion, but what I love to do as a designer is definitely period. I would love to do something that’s period-based but in actual fact.

    If it’s a good project, I don’t care. I just want to do good projects. “Industry” was a marriage made in heaven. It really was.

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  • ESPN and F1 announce new US broadcast deal through 2025

    ESPN and F1 announce new US broadcast deal through 2025

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    AUSTIN, Texas — With Formula’s One popularity and viewership booming in the United States, ESPN and the global motorsports series announced a new broadcast deal Saturday through 2025.

    ESPN has broadcast F1 in the U.S. since 2018 and the new deal will keep commercial-free, live telecasts for all races on ESPN, ESPN2 or ABC, all owned by the Walt Disney Co. ESPN Deportes will continue as the Spanish-language home of F1 in the U.S.

    The deal comes ahead of Sunday’s U.S. Grand Prix, which will air on ABC. Financial terms were not disclosed. ESPN did not pay any rights fees in 2018 when NBC Sports Group dropped F1 after five seasons, leaving the series without a U.S. home. ESPN has paid $5 million per year from 2019-22, and the series has only seen growth since then.

    “To continue to build and grow and push behind the tremendous momentum that exits with Formula One in the United States for another few seasons is really exciting for us,” ESPN President Burke Magnus said. “We’re not going to let up. We’re just going to continue to push hard because it’s spectacular content and spectacular competition.”

    And shortly after the ESPN announcement, the Williams team revealed that reserve driver Logan Sargeant will likely earn a seat in 2023, making him the first American driver in F1 since 2015. American fans and sponsors have aimed for an American driver to push interest even higher.

    Under the new deal, at least 16 races will be on ABC or ESPN and all race weekends will include live coverage of practice and qualifying.

    Magnus said ESPN has been pleased with its partnership with Sky Sports, which allows ESPN to use the Britain-based broadcaster’s race and practice productions.

    “The next step for us is to build around their great production of the races,” Magnus said. “Having a more consistent presence on site, having more highlights on Sports Center, having more editorial coverage.

    “The Sky production of the race is world class, I’m not sure we can replicate that ourselves without a lot of time, effort and expense.”

    The network said the new deal also expands its direct-to-consumer rights, with details for more content on digital platforms to be announced later.

    ESPN has been the U.S. rights holder in a boom time for F1, and the series will expand its calendar to a record 24 races in 2023. That includes three in the U.S. in Austin, Miami and Las Vegas. Only the Texas race was on the calendar when ESPN took over broadcast rights four years ago.

    Last season had an average of 949,000 viewers, the network said. That has increased to more than 1.2 million tuning in on average over the first 18 races this season.

    “They (ESPN) were really the first to believe on us here in America,” said Stefano Domenicali, president and chief executive officer of F1. “Now it seems easy because we seen the booming of the market. But we will not take it for granted. What ESPN did for the American fans is really special and is a reason why we are renewing this collaboration for the next three years.”

    The inaugural Miami Grand Prix on ABC generated an average viewership of 2.6 million, the largest U.S. audience on record for a live F1 race.

    Domenicali said the continued growth of the U.S. audience remains critical for F1.

    “They (ESPN) know how to connect with the American audience,” Domenicali said. “They know what the American audience wants to hear.”

    ———

    More AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing and https://twitter.com/AP—Sports

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  • Doorbell video shows malnourished Texas twins seeking help

    Doorbell video shows malnourished Texas twins seeking help

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    CYPRESS, Texas — A teenager who told Texas police that he and his twin sister were handcuffed and endured horrific abuse escaped their family’s home after he found a handcuff key and hid it in his mouth, authorities said in court records.

    The twins, barefoot and holding handcuffs, were seen on doorbell video as they sought help in a Cypress neighborhood, just outside Houston. The video, obtained by Houston TV station KHOU, showed the teens walking door-to-door about 5:30 a.m. Tuesday as they sought help.

    The boy was shirtless and the girl was wearing only a plastic grocery bag around her neck as a shirt, according to an affidavit.

    Their mother, Zaikiya Duncan, 40, was arrested hours later in Louisiana after police issued a missing children alert for five other children. All seven children, including the twins, are now in Child Protective Service custody, authorities said.

    The 15-year-old twins were severely malnourished and told police that abuse had been occurring for months, the affidavit said. They told police that Duncan handcuffed them, forced them to drink bleach and other household cleaners and also sprayed oven cleaner in their mouths “if they talked too much,” the affidavit said.

    The twins also told authorities that they were forced to eat and drink feces and urine, according to the affidavit.

    Duncan is jailed in Baton Rouge and awaits extradition on charges of aggravated assault. Her live-in boyfriend, 27-year-old Jova Terrell, also faces an assault charge. It wasn’t known whether either had an attorney and they are expected to be extradited to Texas within 30 days, Houston TV station KPRC reported.

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  • Are soaps in danger of extinction?

    Are soaps in danger of extinction?

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    The streaming era has also coincided with the rise of “prestige” television. Soaps used to thrive off a sense of FOMO (fear of missing out), where viewers would feel left out if everyone else seemed to be watching. But from Succession to Game of Thrones and Killing Eve, Big Little Lies and Euphoria, the most talked-about shows are now high-budget spectacles. Amazon’s The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is the most expensive TV show ever made, with a budget of £399m for the first season, eclipsing the latest season of Netflix’s Stranger Things, which cost a reported £232 million.

    In this new TV environment, episodes are often longer and seasons are shorter, while the actors are frequently Hollywood stars now moving freely between the big and small screen. A limited series like HBO’s Mare of Easttown, starring Academy Award winner Kate Winslet, captivated viewers in 2021 and gave its audience a huge payoff after just seven hour-long episodes – a much smaller time investment than most major soap storylines. “Viewers are now much more used to watching shows with fewer episodes and flipping between shows, rather than sticking with a show for a long period of time,” Bryan says. “And right now, younger viewers maybe aren’t as keen on soaps compared to a very polished, very expensive-looking drama.”

    The perception of soaps as “low brow” dates back to the genre’s origins. Soaps became popular in the US before the UK. In fact, the BBC’s first radio soap opera, 1941’s Front Line Family, did not initially air in Britain at all but in North America. The US’s first daytime TV soap opera, These Are My Children, arrived in 1949, followed by Britain’s first TV soap opera, the BBC’s The Grove Family, in 1954. The soap opera form gets its name from the US, where they were produced by companies such as Procter & Gamble, who used them to sell cleaning products, including soap, to a daytime audience of mostly women. US soaps have always been a staple of daytime TV, whereas most soaps in the UK air in the evening. Generally speaking, US soaps tend to be more glossy and “aspirational”, following the lives of wealthier people. British soaps revolve around everyday communities of working and middle-class people, often with a pub as a central fixture. (There are exceptions, like the BBC medical soap Doctors).

    Elana Levine, professor of media, cinema and digital studies at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and author of Her Stories: Daytime Soap Opera and US Television History, tells BBC Culture that the perception of soaps as “low art” is connected to their original association with women. More so than other mediums, soaps have put women in prominent, significant roles and made them central to the narrative. Over the years, Levine says soaps have explored concerns that have been historically associated with women, so there is an element of misogyny in how easily they are deemed frivolous. “Soaps revolve around interpersonal relationships, family, questions of trust and honesty, treasured and private secrets,” she says. “All humans care about those things. But culturally, at least in Western cultures of the 20th Century and beyond, those things have been feminised, meaning they’ve been associated with women.”

    Yet the irony is that now it faces a threat from another genre that is also repeatedly, and some would say unfairly, dismissed as lowbrow. Reality TV is often derided despite being one of the most influential genres of the 21st Century. But its unstoppable rise has presented further difficulties for soaps. Reality shows are generally cheap to make by comparison, and a show like Love Island in the UK (which has also spawned a hit US version, screening on Peacock) has managed to bring in millions of viewers every night for many weeks. “Right back to the rise of Big Brother [in the early noughties], reality shows have been able to create national conversations,” Bryan says. “Since then, I think soaps have found it a little bit harder to do that.”

    What’s more, “structured” reality shows, like Made in Chelsea in the UK or Bravo’s Real Housewives franchise and Netflix’s Selling Sunset in the US, which follow the lives of wealthy people, brand themselves as “living soap operas”. And in recent years, there has been a noticeable audience crossover: several well-known soap stars, like Lisa Rinna and Eileen Davidson, have joined the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, while their co-star Erika Jayne landed a recurring role on The Young and the Restless. “Younger viewers who may have watched soap operas can get some of those same pleasures and enjoyment through reality TV,” says Levine. “Reality shows being similar to soap operas is part of what has allowed for their success. But it’s also made soap operas less prominent and secure as a cultural form.”

    Losing the plot

    Added to that, there’s a question around whether soaps, in trying too hard to snare audiences’ attention, have in fact lost something of what made them special. There has been a long tradition of soaps tackling social issues, ahead of other mediums. In the UK, the first same-sex kisses on TV, between two men and two women, were both in soaps: EastEnders in 1989 followed by Brookside in 1994. Alongside Nicholas Donovan, Cashman was one half of the first gay kiss on British TV. The scene provoked a tabloid backlash, including a notorious article written in The Sun by Piers Morgan.

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  • Is Alex Jones verdict the death of disinformation? Unlikely

    Is Alex Jones verdict the death of disinformation? Unlikely

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    NEW YORK — A Connecticut jury’s ruling this week ordering Alex Jones to pay $965 million to parents of Sandy Hook shooting victims he maligned was heartening for people disgusted by the muck of disinformation.

    Just don’t expect it to make conspiracy theories go away.

    The appetite for such hokum and narrowness of the judgments against Jones, who falsely claimed that the 2012 elementary school shootings were a hoax and that grieving parents were actors, virtually ensure a ready supply, experts say.

    “It’s easy to revel in Alex Jones being punished,” said Rebecca Adelman, a communications professor at the University of Maryland. “But there’s a certain shortsightedness in that celebration.”

    There’s a deep tradition of conspiracy theories across American history, from people not believing the official explanation of John F. Kennedy’s assassination to various accusations of extraterrestrial-visit coverups to unfounded allegations of the 2020 presidential election being rigged. With the Salem witch trials in 1692, they even predated the country’s formation.

    What’s different today? The internet allows such stories to spread rapidly and widely — and helps adherents find communities of the likeminded. That in turn can push such untrue theories into mainstream politics. Now the will to spread false narratives skillfully online has spread to governments, and the technology to doctor photos and videos enables purveyors to make disinformation more believable.

    In today’s media world, Jones found that there’s a lot of money to be made — and quickly — in creating a community willing to believe lies, no matter how outlandish.

    In a Texas defamation trial last month, a forensic economist testified that Jones’ Infowars operation made $53.2 million in annual revenue between 2015 and 2018. He has supplemented his media business by selling products like survivalist gear. His company Free Speech Systems filed for bankruptcy in July.

    To some, disinformation is the price America pays for the right to free speech. And in a society that popularized the term “alternative facts,” one person’s effort to curb disinformation is another person’s attempt to squash the truth.

    Will the Connecticut ruling have a chilling effect on those willing to spread disinformation? “It doesn’t even seem to be chilling him,” said Mark Fenster, a University of Florida law professor. Jones, he noted, reacted in real time on Infowars on the day of the verdict.

    “This will not impact the flow of stories that are filled with bad faith and extreme opinion,” said Howard Polskin, who publishes The Righting, a newsletter that monitors the content of right-wing websites. He says false stories about the 2020 election and COVID-19 vaccines remain particularly popular.

    “It seems to me that the people who peddle this information for profit may look upon this as the cost of doing business,” Adelman said. “If there’s an audience for it, someone is going to meet the demand if there’s money to be made.”

    Certainly, the people who believe that Jones and those like him are voices of truth being suppressed by society aren’t going to be deterred by the jury verdict, she said. In fact, the opposite is likely to be true.

    The plaintiffs awarded damages in the Sandy Hook case were all private citizens, an important distinction in considering its impact beyond this case, said Nicole Hemmer, a Vanderbilt University professor and author of “Partisans: The Conservative Revolutionaries Who Remade American Politics in the 1990s.”

    The case is reminiscent of Seth Rich, a young Democratic Party aide killed in a Washington robbery in 2016, she said. Rich’s name was dragged — posthumously — into political conspiracy theories, and his parents later sued and reached a settlement with Fox News Channel.

    The message, in other words: Be wary of dragging private citizens into outlandish theories.

    “Spreading conspiracy theories about the Biden administration is not going to get Fox News Channel sued,” Hemmer said. “It is not going to get Tucker Carlson sued.”

    Tracing the history of outlandish theories that sprout and thrive in the web’s murky corners is also difficult. Much of it is anonymous. It’s still not clear who is responsible for what is spread on QAnon or who makes money off it, Fenster says.

    If he was a lawyer, he said, “Who would I go after?”

    Despite any pessimism about what the nearly $1 billion Sandy Hook judgment might ultimately mean for disinformation, the dean of the Annenberg School of Communication at the University of Pennsylvania says it still sends an important message.

    “What this says is we can’t just make up truths to fit our own ideological predilections,” John Jackson said. “There is a hard and fast ground to facts that we can’t stray too far from as storytellers.”

    Consider the lawsuit filed against Fox News Channel by Dominion Voting Systems, a company that makes election systems. It claims Fox knowingly spread false stories about Dominion as part of former President Donald Trump’s claims that the 2020 election had been taken from him. Dominion has sought a staggering $1.6 billion from Fox, and the case has moved through the deposition phase.

    Fox has defended itself vigorously. It says that rather than spreading falsehoods, it was reporting on newsworthy claims being made by the president of the United States.

    A loss in a trial, or a significant settlement, could impose a real financial hardship on Fox, Hemmer said. Yet as it progresses, there’s been no indication that any of its commentators are pulling punches, particularly concerning the Biden administration.

    Distrust of mainstream news sources also fuels the taste among many conservatives for theories that fit their world view — and a vulnerability to disinformation.

    “I don’t think there’s any incentive to move toward well-grounded reporting or to move in the direction of news and information instead of commenting,” Hemmer said. “That’s what they want. They want the wild conspiracy theories.”

    Even if the crushing verdict in Connecticut this week — coupled with the $49 million judgement against him in August by the Texas court — muzzles or minimizes Jones, Adelman says others are likely to take over for him: “It would be wrong to misinterpret this as the death knell of disinformation.”

    ———

    David Bauder is the media writer for The Associated Press. Follow him on Twitter at http://twitter.com/dbauder

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  • Is Alex Jones verdict the death of disinformation? Unlikely

    Is Alex Jones verdict the death of disinformation? Unlikely

    [ad_1]

    NEW YORK — A Connecticut jury’s ruling this week ordering Alex Jones to pay $965 million to parents of Sandy Hook shooting victims he maligned was heartening for people disgusted by the muck of disinformation.

    Just don’t expect it to make conspiracy theories go away.

    The appetite for such hokum and narrowness of the judgments against Jones, who falsely claimed that the 2012 elementary school shootings were a hoax and that grieving parents were actors, virtually ensure a ready supply, experts say.

    “It’s easy to revel in Alex Jones being punished,” said Rebecca Adelman, a communications professor at the University of Maryland. “But there’s a certain shortsightedness in that celebration.”

    There’s a deep tradition of conspiracy theories across American history, from people not believing the official explanation of John F. Kennedy’s assassination to various accusations of extraterrestrial-visit coverups to unfounded allegations of the 2020 presidential election being rigged. With the Salem witch trials in 1692, they even predated the country’s formation.

    What’s different today? The internet allows such stories to spread rapidly and widely — and helps adherents find communities of the likeminded. That in turn can push such untrue theories into mainstream politics. Now the will to spread false narratives skillfully online has spread to governments, and the technology to doctor photos and videos enables purveyors to make disinformation more believable.

    In today’s media world, Jones found that there’s a lot of money to be made — and quickly — in creating a community willing to believe lies, no matter how outlandish.

    In a Texas defamation trial last month, a forensic economist testified that Jones’ Infowars operation made $53.2 million in annual revenue between 2015 and 2018. He has supplemented his media business by selling products like survivalist gear. His company Free Speech Systems filed for bankruptcy in July.

    To some, disinformation is the price America pays for the right to free speech. And in a society that popularized the term “alternative facts,” one person’s effort to curb disinformation is another person’s attempt to squash the truth.

    Will the Connecticut ruling have a chilling effect on those willing to spread disinformation? “It doesn’t even seem to be chilling him,” said Mark Fenster, a University of Florida law professor. Jones, he noted, reacted in real time on Infowars on the day of the verdict.

    “This will not impact the flow of stories that are filled with bad faith and extreme opinion,” said Howard Polskin, who publishes The Righting, a newsletter that monitors the content of right-wing websites. He says false stories about the 2020 election and COVID-19 vaccines remain particularly popular.

    “It seems to me that the people who peddle this information for profit may look upon this as the cost of doing business,” Adelman said. “If there’s an audience for it, someone is going to meet the demand if there’s money to be made.”

    Certainly, the people who believe that Jones and those like him are voices of truth being suppressed by society aren’t going to be deterred by the jury verdict, she said. In fact, the opposite is likely to be true.

    The plaintiffs awarded damages in the Sandy Hook case were all private citizens, an important distinction in considering its impact beyond this case, said Nicole Hemmer, a Vanderbilt University professor and author of “Partisans: The Conservative Revolutionaries Who Remade American Politics in the 1990s.”

    The case is reminiscent of Seth Rich, a young Democratic Party aide killed in a Washington robbery in 2016, she said. Rich’s name was dragged — posthumously — into political conspiracy theories, and his parents later sued and reached a settlement with Fox News Channel.

    The message, in other words: Be wary of dragging private citizens into outlandish theories.

    “Spreading conspiracy theories about the Biden administration is not going to get Fox News Channel sued,” Hemmer said. “It is not going to get Tucker Carlson sued.”

    Tracing the history of outlandish theories that sprout and thrive in the web’s murky corners is also difficult. Much of it is anonymous. It’s still not clear who is responsible for what is spread on QAnon or who makes money off it, Fenster says.

    If he was a lawyer, he said, “Who would I go after?”

    Despite any pessimism about what the nearly $1 billion Sandy Hook judgment might ultimately mean for disinformation, the dean of the Annenberg School of Communication at the University of Pennsylvania says it still sends an important message.

    “What this says is we can’t just make up truths to fit our own ideological predilections,” John Jackson said. “There is a hard and fast ground to facts that we can’t stray too far from as storytellers.”

    Consider the lawsuit filed against Fox News Channel by Dominion Voting Systems, a company that makes election systems. It claims Fox knowingly spread false stories about Dominion as part of former President Donald Trump’s claims that the 2020 election had been taken from him. Dominion has sought a staggering $1.6 billion from Fox, and the case has moved through the deposition phase.

    Fox has defended itself vigorously. It says that rather than spreading falsehoods, it was reporting on newsworthy claims being made by the president of the United States.

    A loss in a trial, or a significant settlement, could impose a real financial hardship on Fox, Hemmer said. Yet as it progresses, there’s been no indication that any of its commentators are pulling punches, particularly concerning the Biden administration.

    Distrust of mainstream news sources also fuels the taste among many conservatives for theories that fit their world view — and a vulnerability to disinformation.

    “I don’t think there’s any incentive to move toward well-grounded reporting or to move in the direction of news and information instead of commenting,” Hemmer said. “That’s what they want. They want the wild conspiracy theories.”

    Even if the crushing verdict in Connecticut this week — coupled with the $49 million judgement against him in August by the Texas court — muzzles or minimizes Jones, Adelman says others are likely to take over for him: “It would be wrong to misinterpret this as the death knell of disinformation.”

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    David Bauder is the media writer for The Associated Press. Follow him on Twitter at http://twitter.com/dbauder

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  • Guest lineups for the Sunday news shows

    Guest lineups for the Sunday news shows

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    WASHINGTON — ABC’s “This Week” — Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg; Rep. Adam Kinzinger, R-Ill.; Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

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    NBC’s “Meet the Press” — Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt.; Rep. Stephanie Murphy, D-Fla.; Evan McMullin, independent candidate for Senate in Utah.

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    CBS’ “Face the Nation” — Buttigieg; Ukrainian Ambassador to the U.S. Oksana Markarova; Betsey Stevenson, professor of economics and public policy at the University of Michigan.

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    CNN’s “State of the Union” — National security adviser Jake Sullivan; White House economic adviser Cecilia Rouse; Sen. Michael Bennet, D-Colo.; the nominees for Arizona governor, Republican Kari Lake and Democrat Katie Hobbs; Joe O’Dea, Republican nominee for Senate in Colorado.

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    “Fox News Sunday” — Rep. Steve Scalise, R-La.; White House economic adviser Jared Bernstein.

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