Culture
- CNN
I just don’t get Taylor Swift
informed Summary
- The article is part of a lighthearted series by CNN where staffers discuss popular things they don't understand or connect with. In this piece, AJ Willingham discusses her indifference towards pop star Taylor Swift.
Culture4 min read - CBS
Rock & Roll Hall of Fame's latest class includes Cher, Foreigner and Ozzy Osbourne
informed Summary
- The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame has announced its latest inductees, including Mary J. Blige, Cher, Foreigner and A Tribe Called Quest. Other inductees include Kool & The Gang and Peter Frampton.
Culture2 min read - CBS
North Korea launches 'Friendly Father' song and music video praising Kim Jong Un
informed Summary
- North Korea's state-controlled media released a new song and music video titled "Friendly Father," praising the country's leader, Kim Jong Un. The song was also performed live at an event marking the opening of a new apartment complex in Pyongyang.
Culture2 min read - Vox
It’s impossible to be neutral about Taylor Swift
informed Summary
- Taylor Swift's persona and cultural dominance are more saturated than ever, with her actions and achievements becoming a significant part of pop culture discourse. This is partly due to her exceptional fame and the attention she garners, making her feel inescapable.
Culture6 min read - El Pais
Learning what colors suit you: How a business has been revived thanks to social media
informed Summary
- The practice of color analysis -- or skin-tone analysis -- has gained popularity on social media platforms like TikTok, creating a booming market. The discipline, which involves choosing clothing based on skin, hair, and eye color, has been led by Generation Z.
Culture9 min read - El Pais
Can focaccia dethrone pizza?
informed Summary
- Focaccia, a type of flatbread, originated in the lower levels of the Roman Empire and quickly spread throughout Europe, igniting a culinary phenomenon in Italy that continues to this day. The dish has evolved over time, with different regions in Italy each having their own version.
Culture4 min read - AP News
'Civil War' might be the year's most explosive movie
informed Summary
- Alex Garland's latest film, "Civil War," is set in a near-future America, with California and Texas joining forces against a fascist president who has seized a third term and disbanded the FBI. The film, which opens on the anniversary of the start of the Civil War, is seen as potentially Hollywood's most explosive movie of the year.
Culture4 min read - Sky News
Scrabble launches new, less 'intimidating' version of word game
informed Summary
- Mattel is launching a new version of Scrabble, called Scrabble Together, which is designed to be less intimidating and more accessible to both children and adults.
Culture2 min read - Vox
Why we never stopped talking about OJ Simpson
informed Summary
- O.J. Simpson, a former NFL player and actor, has died of cancer at the age of 76. Simpson was a beloved figure in America during his sports career in the 1960s and 70s and his fame seemed to transcend racial boundaries.
Culture5 min read - NBC
'Hey Jude' is out; 'Anti-Hero' is just right: Chechnya bans songs deemed too fast or too slow
informed Summary
- The Russian republic of Chechnya has imposed limits on the tempo of music, ruling that all musical, vocal and choreographic works should be between 80 to 116 beats per minute.
Culture1 min read - CBS
A German art gallery employee snuck in his own art in hopes of a breakthrough. Now the police are involved
informed Summary
- A 51-year-old technical service employee at Munich's Pinakothek der Moderne was fired for hanging his own artwork in the modern art museum.
Culture2 min read - CNN
Superman's first appearance sells for $6 million, becoming world's most valuable comic
informed Summary
- A comic book featuring Superman's first appearance, Action Comics No. 1 from 1938, has sold at auction for $6 million. That makes it the most valuable comic edition ever sold.
Culture1 min read - TIME
How English's global dominance fails us
informed Summary
- Former Harvard president Lawrence Summers' 2012 prediction that learning a language would become less essential due to machine translation and the "fragmentation of languages" has been proven wrong by globalization, mass migration, and geopolitical conflicts.
Culture3 min read - Vox
Oppenheimer won Best Picture. Its new reception in Japan was very different
informed Summary
- The premiere of the film "Oppenheimer" in Japan has sparked renewed scrutiny over its depiction of the atomic bombings during World War II. The film, which centers on physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer and his role in developing the atomic bomb, doesn't show the fallout of the bombs in Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
Culture5 min read - El Pais
Laurie Anderson is obsessed with resuscitating husband, Lou Reed, with AI
informed Summary
- The dystopian series Black Mirror has depicted the use of AI to replace lost loved ones, a concept that is becoming increasingly real with the advent of 'mourning technology' or "digital necromancy". Companies now offer services to keep the memories of clients' loved ones alive through AI.
Culture3 min read - Politico
France’s war on woke, from the salons to the cinemas
informed Summary
- French intellectuals like Jean-Michel Blanquer regard "wokeness" as divisive and reductive. They believe it focuses on group identity over individual merit and clashes with France's ideal of universalism. This critique comes from across the political spectrum, including some on the left.
Culture1 min read - AP News
A fight to protect the dignity of Michelangelo's David raises questions about freedom of expression
informed Summary
- The director of Florence's Galleria dell’Accademia has been fighting against the commercialization of Michelangelo's "David" statue, particularly the focus on its genitalia in souvenirs sold around the city.
Culture5 min read - CNN
Spain’s siestas-and-late-nights lifestyle is making some people unhappy. Here’s why
informed Summary
- Spain's late-night culture, where work often ends after 7pm and dinner starts at 8:30pm at the earliest, has been criticized by the country's second vice president, Yolanda Diaz. She called the culture "crazy" and said no reasonable country keeps its restaurants open until 1am.
Culture4 min read - CNN
The secret of being the world’s second happiest country
informed Summary
- The UN World Happiness Report ranked Denmark as the world's second-happiest country for the sixth consecutive year, just behind Finland. The Danish people are known for reframing negative situations into positive ones, focusing on the fact that Denmark came first in the 60 years and older category and that the margin between the two countries was smaller this year than last.
Culture4 min read - TIME
The health benefits of wearing shoes in the house
informed Summary
- There has been a significant increase in people experiencing foot pain, partly due to a rise in remote work and people working barefoot at home, according to podiatrist Dr. Priya Parthasarathy. She suggests that wearing shoes indoors can help alleviate aches, strains and even stress fractures.
Culture5 min read
