tag:theconversation.com,2011:/au/topics/netflix-5119/articlesNetflix – The Conversation2024-03-27T13:27:14Ztag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2258292024-03-27T13:27:14Z2024-03-27T13:27:14ZIn the fog of the video streaming wars, job losses and business closures are imminent<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/584019/original/file-20240325-30-zw5640.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=1077%2C0%2C4913%2C3997&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption"></span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/barcelona-spain-jan-2019-man-holds-1272527956">Ivan Marc/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Prussian general and military theorist <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Carl-von-Clausewitz">Carl von Clausewitz</a> presented the concept of the “fog of war” in 1832. It is a phrase that has become synonymous with the uncertainty and confusion of military battle. </p>
<p>But this expression also acts as a useful metaphor to describe the industry and market dynamics that subscription video-on-demand streaming firms find themselves operating in – that is, uncertainty.</p>
<p>This uncertainty is demonstrated by the performance of American streaming platform Disney+. Since 2019, the platform has received <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/c60bd60b-2a81-43fb-8452-fe3002e5c4cbsource?">US$10 billion</a> (£7.9 billion) of investment. But, over the same period, it has lost roughly <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/tonifitzgerald/2023/08/09/new-record-for-disney-sheds-117-million-subscribers-password-crackdown-coming/?sh=724e09cc1d7b">12 million customers</a>, and it posted staggering losses of more than <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/ec0f7996-fae9-4e80-baa9-020ad470c25a">US$1.6 billion</a> in 2023. </p>
<p>In November, its parent company, Walt Disney, <a href="https://thewaltdisneycompany.com/app/uploads/2023/11/q4-fy23-earnings.pdf">introduced</a> a new “cost-reduction strategy” that will aim to cut 7,000 jobs and save US$7.5 billion in the face of weakening economic conditions and tougher competition.</p>
<p><strong>Five year share price comparison: Walt Disney v New York Stock Exchange</strong></p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/584020/original/file-20240325-22-2f15i6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Five year share price comparison between Walt Disney and the New York Stock Exchange." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/584020/original/file-20240325-22-2f15i6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/584020/original/file-20240325-22-2f15i6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/584020/original/file-20240325-22-2f15i6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/584020/original/file-20240325-22-2f15i6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/584020/original/file-20240325-22-2f15i6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=425&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/584020/original/file-20240325-22-2f15i6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=425&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/584020/original/file-20240325-22-2f15i6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=425&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">Disney+ loses luster as investor optimism wanes.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">S&P Capital IQ</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/">CC BY-NC-SA</a></span>
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<p>The COVID pandemic supercharged the on-demand streaming business as consumers sought to entertain themselves during the numerous lockdowns. The streaming industry experienced a period of rapid growth, attracting a flood of new entrants lured by market growth rates of <a href="https://rm.coe.int/audiovisual-media-services-in-europe-2023-edition-a-schneeberger/1680abc9bc">40% per year</a> and potentially high profits from surging consumer demand.</p>
<p>Companies such as Netflix, Amazon, Disney+ and Apple TV gained millions of customers in a matter of months and invested billions of dollars on new content, infrastructure and marketing. It all seemed too good to be true as the “land grab” for subscriber growth and market share continued into 2022. </p>
<p>However, an easing of lockdown restrictions saw consumers vacate their sofas and give up their binge-watching TV habits, ready to explore the great outdoors again.</p>
<h2>The shakeout</h2>
<p>The streaming industry is currently characterised by an oversupply of service providers. This has led to aggressive competitive pricing where businesses set their prices based on what their competitors are charging. </p>
<p>For example, instead of Netflix basing its subscription price solely on production costs and a desired profit margin, it will consider the prevailing prices offered by its rivals in the market and find a strategic price point that allows it to be competitive while also maintaining profitability.</p>
<p>Platforms with less efficient operations or inferior offerings are starting to struggle and an “industry shakeout” is inevitable. This is where a significant number of businesses are eliminated or acquired through competition in a period of intense consolidation. </p>
<p>Think of it as a metaphorical earthquake. The ground shifts beneath established players, forcing some to adapt, some to crumble, and others to emerge even stronger.</p>
<p>Take, for instance, the Swedish streaming platform, Viaplay. Despite being much smaller than its US counterparts, it adopted an expensive international expansion <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/a148bade-3364-43ac-a450-39203919261d">strategy</a> that was fuelled by the pandemic. This strategic approach failed and Viaplay could not expand profitably outside its home market. </p>
<p>The cost of living crisis then resulted in subscriber price increases and higher customer churn as a result. Uncertainty surrounding the firm has also been made worse by the sacking of its CEO and the introduction of a plan to significantly <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/162b0c78-ee3e-4851-9d53-7fb7ce2550a1#post-b522b47e-57da-411c-ba08-6b8d5b44cfb1">cut operating costs</a>. It’s no great surprise then that the company has withdrawn its long-term guidance for sales revenue and its share price has <a href="https://markets.ft.com/data/equities/tearsheet/charts?s=VPLAY%20B:STO">slumped</a> by a remarkable 99% over the past 12 months.</p>
<p>This shakeout phase of industry development will result in job losses and business closures until a situation develops where a smaller number of stronger, more efficient players dominate the industry through “scale advantage”. </p>
<p>A good example of consolidation occurred in the social media industry in the early 2000s. Platforms such as MySpace, Friendster and Friends Reunited gained early popularity with consumers, but then ceased trading or became a competitive insignificance as Facebook emerged as a dominant force. To maintain its market-leading position and access new users, Facebook went on to acquire smaller competitors including <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-17658264">Instagram</a> and <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-26266689">WhatsApp</a> in 2012 and 2014 respectively.</p>
<p>The benefits of this “scale advantage” are more efficient access to international markets, higher profitability and the ability to deliver lower subscription prices due to the economies of scale. This is particularly beneficial to consumers at a time of inflationary pressure on discretionary spend. </p>
<h2>The outlook</h2>
<p>So, who is at risk on the battlefield of streaming wars? Even household favourites such as Netflix, with a global market share of 24%, 260 million subscribers and best-in-class content are not safe. </p>
<p><strong>Five year share price comparison: Netflix v Nasdaq</strong></p>
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<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/584021/original/file-20240325-20-cz3o57.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Five year share price comparison between Netflix and the Nasdaq stock exchange." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/584021/original/file-20240325-20-cz3o57.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/584021/original/file-20240325-20-cz3o57.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/584021/original/file-20240325-20-cz3o57.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/584021/original/file-20240325-20-cz3o57.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/584021/original/file-20240325-20-cz3o57.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=425&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/584021/original/file-20240325-20-cz3o57.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=425&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/584021/original/file-20240325-20-cz3o57.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=425&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Netflix loses stream: investor confidence fizzles as growth slows.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">S&P Capital IQ</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/">CC BY-NC-SA</a></span>
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<p>Given the current focus on corporate profitability in an industry likely to consolidate, Netflix’s ability to produce a <a href="https://s22.q4cdn.com/959853165/files/doc_financials/2023/q4/NEW-FINAL-Q4-23-Shareholder-Letter.pdf">net profit</a> of more than US$5 billion and an impressive operating margin of 21% in 2023 will make it a potential target for acquisition. This is particularly the case given that the size of the company, at US$264 billion, is relatively small compared to larger competitors such as Apple (US$2.75 trillion) and Amazon (US$1.84 trillion).</p>
<p>The “fog of streaming war” will clear and the strategic uncertainty caused by lower market growth rates, inflationary pressure and economic weakness will decrease. As such, competitive industry positions will become more established, normalised and defended. </p>
<p>The key question facing most media companies in the future will be how to make subscription video-on-demand streaming a profitable part of their business.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/225829/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>John J Oliver does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>The video streaming industry has reached a tipping point.John J Oliver, Professor of Strategic Media Management, Bournemouth UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2253992024-03-21T12:40:06Z2024-03-21T12:40:06ZThe Program: Netflix show exposes the dark side of America’s ‘troubled teens’ schools<p>A new Netflix documentary series, <a href="https://www.netflix.com/title/81579761">The Program: Cons, Cults, and Kidnapping</a>, about the “troubled-teen industry”, is laying bare the way teenagers with so-called behavioural issues are systematically abused and tortured in the US. </p>
<p>The three-part documentary features survivors of the <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/maryroeloffs/2024/03/13/the-program-docuseries-is-among-netflixs-most-watched-what-to-know-about-the-real-academy-at-ivy-ridge/">Academy at Ivy Ridge</a>, in New York, speaking up about abuse and uncovering a staggering trail of abandoned records detailing the horrors they endured in the name of “treatment”. </p>
<p>The series has soared to the top of Netflix’s most-watched shows, <a href="https://www.netflix.com/tudum/top10/united-states/tv?week=2024-03-10">reaching number one in the US</a> and number two in the UK and Canada.</p>
<p>The documentary is a raw and powerful display of survivors reclaiming their stories. The violence uncovered in the series has shocked the public and is so disturbing that some viewers were left feeling <a href="https://www.unilad.com/film-and-tv/netflix/the-program-netflix-series-people-traumatized-157922-20240307">traumatised</a> after watching all three episodes in one night. </p>
<p>For decades, the troubled teen industry has been getting away with <a href="http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d08146t.pdf">abuse and human rights violations</a>, sidestepping meaningful oversight from the state and lining the pockets of industry operators and their cronies. Survivors have been speaking up <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GeFWCzLNCmY&list=PL081DED4C3E397FD8">against this system</a> for as long as the industry has existed, but until recently, our stories were seen as unbelievable – even “crazy”.</p>
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<figcaption><span class="caption">Survivors’ stories.</span></figcaption>
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<p>I am a survivor of a “therapeutic” boarding school like the one featured in The Program. I’m also a qualified social worker, and I spent seven years researching institutional abuse in therapeutic boarding schools for my doctorate. Like the director of The Program, Katherine Kubler, my personal experience drove me to this work, to listen to survivors and raise awareness about what’s happening behind closed doors.</p>
<p>Although some programmes are more extreme than others, the one featured in The Program is horrifying and it’s far from the only one like it.</p>
<p>What’s unique and makes for such a powerful true crime series is how bafflingly self-incriminating the Academy at Ivy Ridge staff were. In the abandoned halls of the now defunct school, staff left behind thousands of documents that clearly described – and in some instances filmed – their own abuse of children. Sadly, records like these are exceedingly rare and most therapeutic boarding school survivors will never have proof of what happened to them.</p>
<p>Therapeutic boarding schools are not really schools; they are private residential behaviour modification programmes that seek to reform “troubled teens”. Students can be held in these institutions against their will or under threat of being sent “somewhere worse”. </p>
<p>Some are legally <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/14733250211020088">kidnapped</a> and forcibly taken there. Cut off from the outside world, students are confined to campuses that are typically in rural areas that are difficult to escape. The programmes are designed to exert <a href="https://journals.uio.no/JEA/article/view/7015">total control</a> over teens and bring so-called <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s10612-019-09466-4">“at risk” youth under control</a>.</p>
<p>As in the documentary, in <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/2043610619900514">my research</a>, accounts of emotional, physical and sexual abuse and neglect were widespread. Among the abuses described were “speaking bans” that prevented students from communicating with each other, solitary confinement, excessive and dangerous physical restraints, child labour, nutritional deprivation, sleep deprivation, prolonged exposure to extreme temperatures, medical neglect, the use of medication to placate students, physical assaults, sexual harassment and rape.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/19/opinion/troubled-teens-industry-regulation.html">“Attack therapy”</a> was common. In a large circle facing each other, staff and peers would <a href="https://elan.school/10-general-meeting/">scream verbal “attacks”</a> and publicly humiliate students in “group therapy”. </p>
<p>Students who tried to avoid participation would become targets for the attacks. Under the auspices of accountability, these group sessions were used to degrade students and induce psychological breakdowns. This was useful to the programmes because students who had broken down were less likely to “resist treatment”.</p>
<h2>Missing narratives</h2>
<p>Missing from the documentary were experiences of <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/bjsw/bcad049">LGBTQ+ “conversion therapy”</a>. LGBTQ+ young people appear to be more likely to be sent away to therapeutic boarding schools. </p>
<p>Disguised in therapeutic language, some facilities have treated being LGBTQ+ as a “developmental disturbance” that can and should be “overcome” through psychotherapy and AA-style “sex addiction” groups. </p>
<p>Students can be <a href="https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/tylerkingkade/teen-rescue-troubled-teens-conversion-therapy">punished</a> for not conforming to <a href="https://www.damemagazine.com/2020/12/17/conversion-therapy-is-abuse/">conservative sexuality and gender expectations</a>. Of course, these interventions do not “cure” someone’s sexuality or gender identity, but they do result in <a href="https://www.ohchr.org/en/stories/2020/07/conversion-therapy-can-amount-torture-and-should-be-banned-says-un-expert">long-term harm and complex trauma</a>.</p>
<p>These are not just issues of historical abuse; there have been <a href="https://news.sky.com/video/special-report-inside-americas-troubled-teen-industry-12822183">multiple cases of child deaths</a> over the last couple of years. Recently, a <a href="https://eu.usatoday.com/story/life/health-wellness/2024/02/20/north-carolina-wilderness-therapy-death-12-year-old-boy/72669232007/">12-year-old boy</a> was found dead in a North Carolina troubled teen industry programme.</p>
<h2>How do we stop abusive programmes?</h2>
<p>Talk about what’s happening so other parents don’t send their kids to programmes like these. In the US, you can support efforts for federal <a href="https://www.stopinstitutionalchildabuse.com/#:%7E:text=The%20Stop%20Institutional%20Child%20Abuse,interact%20with%20these%20residential%20programs.">legislative reform</a> and call on state legislators to stop using taxpayers’ money to fund kids being sent to these facilities. </p>
<p>If we stop giving them money, they will shut. In other words, don’t feed the beast. </p>
<p>For those outside the US, don’t sit too comfortably with the idea that this is only happening abroad. Kids from <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-26513805">around the world</a> can forcibly be taken to US programmes. If we want to help stop this industry, a good first step would be to prevent and undo its expansion.</p>
<p>If you know someone who is a survivor, reach out and let them know you care. It has been a relief for many survivors to see people bear witness to what these industries are really like, but it also brings up a lot of emotions, and for some, <a href="https://djsugi.substack.com/p/how-to-chill">traumatic memories can resurface</a>.</p>
<p>The Program ends with several survivors standing around a fire pit, burning old case files and looking on as the paper twists into amber ash. There’s a powerful rallying call: “The abuse of a child is the business of anyone who knows about it,” and now, as the director says, you know. Survivors have long suffered in silence, but now that these stories are finally being heard, will it be enough to stir people to demand change?</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/225399/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Sarah Golightley received funding from the Economic and Social Research Council. </span></em></p>The ‘troubled-teen industry’ is big business, and it’s causing a lot of harm.Sarah Golightley, Lecturer, Social Work, University of Strathclyde Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2260492024-03-21T12:40:01Z2024-03-21T12:40:01Z3 Body Problem: Netflix adaptation of Liu Cixin’s alien invasion trilogy is captivating<p>Chinese science fiction writing has experienced an <a href="https://cup.columbia.edu/book/the-reincarnated-giant/9780231180238">unparalleled surge</a> in global acclaim over the last decade, with author Liu Cixin and his novel <a href="https://us.macmillan.com/books/9780765382030/thethreebodyproblem">The Three-Body Problem</a> (2006) at the forefront. <a href="https://eu.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/tv/2024/03/08/barack-obama-three-body-problem-cameo/72897973007/">Barack Obama</a> and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/mark-zuckerberg-recommends-the-three-body-problem-2015-10?r=US&IR=T">Mark Zuckerberg</a> are among the many readers captivated by Liu’s Three-Body trilogy, thanks to its unique blend of historical and cultural storytelling.</p>
<p>The eight episodes of the new Netflix adaptation take place across the trilogy, including the other two novels, The Dark Forest (2008) and Death’s End (2010). </p>
<p>The series offers an intense narrative journey that probes into the trilogy’s core questions. If a technologically superior alien civilisation were to invade Earth – a planet already plagued with ecological destruction and human conflict – how should humanity respond? Is humanity worth saving? Is saving ourselves even possible?</p>
<p>The series begins with the story of astrophysicist Ye Wenjie’s (Rosalind Chao) disillusionment with humanity, which leads her to invite aliens known as Trisolarans to intervene. The show then follows a number of strategic defences against the impending Trisolaran invasion, culminating in complex interstellar efforts to preserve human civilisation. It weaves a story of survival, betrayal, and the relentless quest for human and alien coexistence with cosmic threats and the search for a mutual understanding between vastly different beings.</p>
<p>The series showcases some of the most widely discussed plots from Liu’s science fiction universe, bringing them to life with stunning visuals. It makes for a superb viewing experience, both for fans of Liu’s original novel and those new to the story.</p>
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<figcaption><span class="caption">The trailer for 3 Body Problem.</span></figcaption>
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<h2>A strange echo of the Cultural Revolution</h2>
<p>China’s Cultural Revolution (1966-1976) is an important cultural backdrop for Liu’s novels. This nationwide political campaign brought death and catastrophe for millions of families in the People’s Republic of China, under the leadership of Mao Zedong.</p>
<p>Ye Wenjie is a witness to this calamity. The Netflix series opens with a harrowing scene where she sees her father, a leading physicist, brutally beaten to death by the Red Guards.</p>
<p>Nearly every episode in the series alludes to the Cultural Revolution in some way. However, the adaptation oversimplifies its impact on Ye’s life, and consequently her complex role in the clash between humanity and the Trisolarans. </p>
<p>For instance, in the second episode, Ye immediately sends a message to the Trisolarans after encountering the unrepentant Red Guard who killed her father. This accentuates her deep-seated bitterness toward the Cultural Revolution and her ensuing disillusionment with humanity. </p>
<p>But in the novel, her confrontation with the Red Guard doesn’t happen until much later. By this point, she’s gone through a whirlwind of ideological shifts and emotional developments that are key to her changing attitudes toward both China and humanity as a whole. </p>
<p>Netflix’s adaptation glosses over the significant influence of the Cultural Revolution on the plot of The Three-Body Problem. These changes to the story, which presumably aim to add global appeal, miss a deeper exploration of the novel’s important themes.</p>
<h2>Rewriting characters and humanity’s decisions</h2>
<p>The Netflix series introduces the “Oxford Five” – a diverse group of Oxford-educated physicists and intellectuals with various skin colours and cultural backgrounds, who don’t appear in Liu’s novels. This creative decision highlights the message that humanity, despite our differences, should be united in addressing existential threats.</p>
<p>Through the Oxford Five, the series successfully explores deep ethical questions. Should we sacrifice individuals today to prevent potential future crises? Or should we focus on current issues, such as poverty and social inequality? </p>
<p>Despite the additions and changes, 3 Body Problem masterfully unfolds Liu’s expansive universe. It teases potential collaborations between the scientists and the UN, and questions how humanity might reassess its social fabric and relationships amid external threats. </p>
<p>The first season offers a range of diverse answers but ultimately, its mix of intrigue and open-ended storytelling encourages viewers to draw their own conclusions.</p>
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<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Mia Chen Ma does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>3 Body Problem tells a story of survival, betrayal, and a relentless quest for human and alien coexistence.Mia Chen Ma, Research Fellow in Medical Humanities, China and the UK, University of Strathclyde Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2187932024-03-08T05:39:20Z2024-03-08T05:39:20ZThe Three-Body Problem: Liu Cixin’s extraterrestrial novel is a heady blend of politics, ethics, physics and Chinese history<p>Liu Cixin’s The Three-Body Problem – the first of a popular trilogy titled Remembrance of Earth’s Past – has entertained and challenged readers since first appearing in Chinese in 2006. </p>
<p>The 2014 English translation, by acclaimed American science-fiction author Ken Liu, became the first work by an Asian author to win the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/books/2015/aug/23/no-award-hugo-awards-following-controversy">Hugo Award for best sci-fi novel</a>. </p>
<p>The book is among the most <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Best-Sellers-Chinese-Literature/zgbs/books/10397">widely-read works of modern Chinese fiction in English</a>, and Liu’s critical reputation and fan base (which includes <a href="https://medium.com/@jafrank09/when-obama-and-zuckerberg-are-your-fan-boys-on-cixin-lius-remembrance-of-earth-s-past-trilogy-97944ac11c0e">Barack Obama and Mark Zuckerberg</a>) continues to grow. A 30-episode <a href="https://wetv.vip/en/play/h31rop8wfso9jnh-Three-Body/c0045zkzkqr-EP30%3A%20Three-Body">Chinese adaptation</a> of the The Three-Body Problem aired in 2023; Netflix will release a condensed, eight-episode version <a href="https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/3-body-problem-teaser-release-date">later in March</a>. </p>
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<p>A key element of the book’s English-language success may be Ken Liu’s interventionist translation. With the author’s blessing, Liu rearranged the chapter order, reversing an earlier precaution taken by Cixin to <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/03/magazine/ken-liu-three-body-problem-chinese-science-fiction.html">limit Chinese censors’ interest in the original</a>. </p>
<p>Thus, in English, the novel begins with the chaos and show trials of the Cultural Revolution. </p>
<p>That upheaval, which tore families apart, traumatising a generation, also marked Liu Cixin’s early childhood. His father, a member of a mining institute cadre, was sent from Beijing to work in the mines of Shanxi province. Some of his earliest memories are of gunfire and the armbands worn by the Red Guards. As the city where they lived became a flashpoint, young Liu was sent to live with his grandparents in the countryside for several years. </p>
<h2>The plot</h2>
<p>The protagonist in the novel’s first section is Ye Wenjie, a student who witnesses her father, a physics professor, being denounced and humiliated by Red Guards. They claim his teaching of theoretical physics is treasonous because it relies on the work of bourgeois Westerners.</p>
<p>Wenjie’s mother and sister sever all family ties with him, but Wenjie stubbornly refuses to incriminate her father or join the persecution. Even after he is killed, she refuses to compromise or cooperate.</p>
<p>A promising scientist herself, Wenjie’s loyalty to her father seems to doom her to jail or death, but instead she is mysteriously and unexpectedly moved to a lowly technical role on a secret base. </p>
<p>The rest of the novel takes place in Beijing “forty-plus years later” – that is, in the 2000s. Authorities and intellectuals are shaken by a sudden spate of suicides among top physicists, apparently because they have begun to question the very premises of their science. One writes in her suicide note: “Physics has never existed, and will never exist.” </p>
<p>Meanwhile, the authorities are monitoring a group enthralled by something called the three-body game. Our guide into the labyrinthine plot, with its admixture of spy thriller and The Matrix, is a nanoscientist called Wang Miao.</p>
<p>When Wang visits the game’s website and dons a virtual reality suit, he finds himself thrust into key moments of the history of a planet called Trisolaris. His sessions place him at moments when the planet’s civilisation is about to disintegrate due to either too many, or too few, suns. The suns’ unpredictable movements are caused by the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three-body_problem#:%7E:text=In%20physics%20and%20classical%20mechanics,Newton's%20law%20of%20universal%20gravitation.">three-body problem</a>, a quandary of Newtonian physics for which there is still no general solution. </p>
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<a href="https://theconversation.com/digital-alchemy-sir-isaac-newtons-papers-now-online-4708">Digital alchemy: Sir Isaac Newton's papers now online</a>
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<p>Wang – often accompanied on his excursions by a roughhouse, brawny, trash-talking policeman partner called Da Shi – is convinced there is a link between the suicides and the game. He encounters the mother of one of the dead physicists, none other than Ye Wenjie. </p>
<p>As she explains to Wang what she knows about the deaths, recounting her past, (and we read some supplementary declassified documents), we learn the base where she worked had focused on making contact with alien life forms. </p>
<p>Meanwhile, the laws of physics seem to be unravelling. A countdown, in hours, appears – at first on Wang’s camera, then imprinted on his vision – almost as though someone were trying to send him a message, or drive him to insanity. The countdown will hit zero in some 50 days.</p>
<p>The numbers of this countdown disappear only when he shuts down his research project. Soon after, the cosmic background radiation of the universe (measured from an observatory) fluctuates at an announced time, seemingly to awe Wang. Evidently, great powers are attempting to stop his investigation. </p>
<h2>Big questions</h2>
<p>As the novel unspools, it becomes evident someone on Earth has attempted contact with extraterrestrials, and a response has been received. Indeed, Trisolarans, inhabitants of this distant planet, are on their way to earth – it’s a lot more promising than the sun-plagued planet where they live. </p>
<p>Trisolaris’ three suns have made the planet chronically unstable and existentially precarious. The vast distances in play mean that contact will not take place for hundreds of years – but what form will it take? And will the threat of alien invasion inspire Earth’s unification, or will it be the cause of further divisions? </p>
<p>Furthermore, it seems Trisolarans can act from afar. How might they act to destabilise humanity in the intervening years? The reader, however, will have to wait for first contact to occur later in the trilogy. For the moment, the question is whether humanity can, or even should, prepare to defend itself. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/at-least-were-not-being-exterminated-by-alien-attack-robots-watching-war-of-the-worlds-in-a-pandemic-167344">At least we're not being exterminated by alien attack-robots: watching War of the Worlds in a pandemic</a>
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<p>Linguistically, the novel’s style is workaday, the plot crammed with little implausibilities and outrageous conveniences, the structure a miracle of convolution. Nevertheless, this is an important and thought-provoking read. Little by little, the novel’s fundamental ethical, metaphysical, and epistemological concerns come to the fore. </p>
<p>Is the threat of alien invasion any more destructive than the menace we present to our own environment? Where are the limits of our technical advances, and will they tend to the betterment or the destruction of human civilisation? </p>
<p>What is the value of human civilisation? Is what we have worth defending? Given the messes of humanity’s own making, might a shot into the interplanetary dark offer something better?</p>
<p>Such infinite scale and high stakes are not unprecedented in science fiction, where myth-making, geopolitical resonances and apocalypses are stock in trade. (Star Wars, for instance, had deep roots in Greek and Nordic myth, and was invoked by the Reagan administration for its Strategic Defense Initiative.) But this novel brings the philosophical and historical resources of Chinese civilisation to the fore. </p>
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<span class="caption">Myth-making, geopolitical resonances and apocalypses are sci-fi’s stock in trade.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Netflix</span></span>
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<h2>Hope or an apologia?</h2>
<p>Liu Cixin’s vision not only brings a whole civilisational history along with it, but can be read as a story of hope or an apologia for Chinese striving in the face of Western dominance. </p>
<p>The acclaim for his work is doubtless partly due to its novelty for the Anglophone reader, beginning, as it does, with modern Chinese history. The ravages of the Red Guards and the calculations made to survive the political traps of Maoist China predispose some characters to believe the worst when it comes to human nature. </p>
<p>The history of Trisolaris, transmitted to earthling (or at least Beijing) cognoscenti by means of the immersive game, draws evenly on both Chinese and Western analogies to explain what is drawing the aliens to make this pilgrimage across space. Perhaps the unromantic approach to extraterrestrial contact – in which it plays out as an imperial threat – also has its sources in Chinese thought. </p>
<p>Where the Western tradition of science fiction seems preoccupied with dramas arising from the conflict between good and evil, or questions of salvation and atonement, Liu’s vision is almost geopolitical. </p>
<p>Chinese political history tends to presuppose that periods of chaos and peace will exist in alternation, and that political power is fundamentally self-interested. At times the book seems drawn to the brutal logic of the classical <a href="https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/chinese-legalism/">political philosophy of Legalism</a> as the best course for political stability in a volatile environment.</p>
<p>Such readings have lead <a href="https://read.dukeupress.edu/novel/article-abstract/56/2/163/381436/Carl-Schmitt-in-Outer-Space-On-Cixin-Liu-s-Dark">some scholars to conclude</a> that Liu’s image of potential conflict between the worlds falls on the side of statism or even a defence of totalitarianism. Others have seen his work as an <a href="https://journal.hep.com.cn/flsc/EN/10.3868/s010-009-020-0012-7">anti-colonial</a> and/or <a href="https://go.gale.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA607065141&sid=googleScholar&v=2.1&it=r&linkaccess=abs&issn=00492949&p=AONE&sw=w">environmentalist</a> narrative, or a call for swifter technological advancement and greater collaboration among the nations of the earth. </p>
<p>A masterful elaboration on the extraterrestrial “what-if”, it is gratifying that a novel so steeped in Chinese thought and history is encountering such a wide audience. </p>
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<p><em>3 Body Problem is released on Netflix on March 21.</em></p>
<hr><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/218793/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Josh Stenberg does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>With an adaptation of Chinese bestseller The Three-Body Problem soon to air on Netflix, Josh Stenberg parses the novel and its many themes.Josh Stenberg, Associate Professor in Chinese Studies, University of SydneyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2219242024-03-01T17:24:53Z2024-03-01T17:24:53ZHow a Netflix show has become a key driver behind F1’s rising popularity<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/578710/original/file-20240228-24-4k9yc7.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=28%2C40%2C3805%2C2109&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Netflix</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Before the engines start revving for the start of the 2024 Formula One season, many fans will have already lapped up the newest episodes of <a href="https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.drive-to-survive-season-6-release-date-announced-by-netflix.6ZS1GdHlVRpNc9dxA9kZ8F.html">Drive to Survive</a> on Netflix.</p>
<p>The latest series of the <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0193723507304608">sports documentary</a> tells the story of last year’s competition, with cameras closely following the teams and drivers across the 22 races of 2023. A soap opera of sport, it is a story of success, failure and redemption, populated by heroes and villains. </p>
<p>Watched by millions since it launched in 2019, Drive to Survive is <a href="https://theathletic.com/3003362/2021/12/12/drive-to-survive-the-f1-documentary-that-has-changed-a-sport/">widely considered </a> to be a piece of high quality television, produced by skilled documentary makers. But it is more than just good telly. As a marketing tool for Formula One, it has been priceless.</p>
<p>The show is credited with creating a surge in the <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/maurybrown/2023/03/29/inside-the-numbers-that-show-formula-1s-popularity-and-financial-growth/?sh=261e56c24df6">sport’s audience</a> and crucially, driven down the average age of Formula One TV viewers from <a href="https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/f1-fans-becoming-younger-and-more-diverse-global-survey-results/6696751/">44 to 32</a>. This is a shift much valued by many <a href="https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.formula-1-announces-paramount-as-new-official-partner-in-multi-year-deal.26ROQIhrCcuUExsBOI3RPN.html">commercial brands</a> and broadcasters, who worry that live sport on television is not attracting a <a href="https://digitalcontentnext.org/blog/2023/01/16/sports-media-is-losing-gen-z-how-can-they-win-them-back">Gen Z audience.</a></p>
<p>And it has not gone unnoticed by other sports, which are also keen (sometimes desperate) to expand their audiences and fan base, and have jumped on Netflix’s behind-the-scenes bandwagon. Golf (Full Swing), tennis (Break Point) and rugby union (Full Contact) are all now battling for viewers on the streaming service.</p>
<p>However, the success of Drive to Survive may be hard to replicate. It has glamorous locations, multiple narratives and a big cast of characters which is difficult to reproduce with individual sports. </p>
<p>And the show received huge backing from the company which <a href="https://www.libertymedia.com/tracking-stocks/formula-one-group">took over Formula One</a> in 2017, Liberty Media. </p>
<p>As we set out in our forthcoming book, <a href="https://www.peterlang.com/document/1376328">Streaming the F1 Rivalry: Sport in the Platform Age</a>, the American company’s goal since then has been clear. It wants to attract new fans to the sport, grow revenues and extend the racing calendar across the globe, but specifically in the biggest media sports market in the world – the US. </p>
<p>And in Drive to Survive, they were quick to see a golden opportunity to reach audiences beyond the traditional motor-sports fan. In fact, it was a Liberty Media executive who reached out to Netflix with the idea of promoting the sport, with the crucial element of giving camera crews access to the inner sanctum of the Formuala One paddock, the area where teams set up before a race.</p>
<p>For in many ways Formula One is a sport ill-suited to television. Visually, the skills of the drivers are partly hidden inside the car, their facial expressions impossible to read behind a helmet. </p>
<p>In other sports, the televised event is all about getting up close and personal so we can admire technique and finesse, whether it’s a Novak Djokovic forehand, or the dancing feet of Mo Salah. We also see the athletes’ raw reactions to both success and failure.</p>
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<p>In Formula One, television needs to work much harder. It relies heavily on detailed commentary, a multitude of cameras and access to communication between drivers and their engineers. There are onscreen graphics with data that attempt to make sense of a complicated sport which combines cutting edge technology with pushing the limits of human endurance.</p>
<h2>Streaming stories</h2>
<p>But even with those elements, to some viewers, watching a race might lack excitement. Drive to Survive has stepped in to make the sport more attractive by revealing the human stories, and giving audiences the chance to emotionally invest in the drivers, teams and the personal rivalries.</p>
<p>It used to be newspapers which <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/21670811.2017.1281603">provided that narrative</a>. Today, while the print media still has a role, much greater importance is given to what emerges online – whether that’s through social media, on podcasts and YouTube, or on Netflix. It is those channels which provide the chatter which in turn drives interest in Formula One. </p>
<p>Liberty Media understand this because they are not in the sports business in the way that organisations like <a href="https://fenwaysportsgroup.com/">Fenway Sports Group</a> (current owners of Liverpool FC) are. Liberty Media is in the entertainment industry, and it wants to entertain. </p>
<p>But nothing in sport can be guaranteed. It thrives on the unexpected, the sense that on the day, anything can happen. It is unscripted drama, which is what <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/journals/fcss20">differentiates elite sport</a> from other more choreographed cultural activities such as live music concerts and theatre. </p>
<p>But these values and attributes do not always sit well with broadcasters who are selling entertainment to audiences. If things become too dull and too predictable, fans and viewers may lose interest. Formula One regulations are often tweaked and changed deliberately to keep things interesting.</p>
<p>Last year the season had <a href="https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/10-things-we-learned-at-the-2023-f1-singapore-grand-prix/10522065/">exciting races</a>, <a href="https://www.sportskeeda.com/f1/news-most-boring-race-2023-f1-fans-happy-uneventful-azerbaijan-gp">dull races</a> and everything in between. </p>
<p>And while Drive to Survive may provide a pleasing appetiser, Liberty Media will be watching intently as the action unfolds on and off the track, hoping that it will prove exciting and entertaining enough to retain its old fans – and attract lucrative new ones.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/221924/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Drive to Survive is one of the streamer’s most successful shows.Raymond Boyle, Professor of Communications, University of GlasgowRichard Haynes, Professor of Media Sport, University of StirlingLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2242672024-02-29T19:07:05Z2024-02-29T19:07:05ZChemical attraction, a whodunit murder mystery and tensions at the mosque: what we’re streaming this March<p>It’s hard to believe March is here. Where did the time go? </p>
<p>By now many of us will be well into our regular routine at work or school. Perhaps life’s demands are starting to catch up and you’re already dreaming of your next break. </p>
<p>Fret not. Our experts have a range of new streaming suggestions. From the heartfelt romance One Day, which has already been in Netflix’s top ten list for three weeks – to a captivating Aussie drama centred on a local mosque community – there’s plenty to let off some steam.</p>
<h2>House of Gods</h2>
<p><em>iView</em></p>
<p><a href="https://theconversation.com/abcs-house-of-gods-a-bold-and-compelling-exploration-of-contemporary-life-in-an-australian-imams-family-222988">House of Gods</a> is a gripping new Australian TV drama. It reveals the inner workings of an imam’s family and community, and the corrupting effects of power, ambition and secrets on family and faith.</p>
<p>Set in Western Sydney, the saga commences on election day at The Messenger mosque. Sheikh Mohammad (Kamel El Basha) is a progressive, charismatic contender for the esteemed position of head cleric. But he is embroiled in controversy when a young woman unexpectedly plants a kiss on his cheek while posing with him for a selfie.</p>
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<p>The seemingly harmless gesture swiftly snowballs into a scandal that sparks a clash of ideologies within the mosque’s tight-knit community.</p>
<p>Fadia Abboud’s direction is enriched by her deep understanding of the Arabic community, lending genuine realism to every scene. The inclusion of Arab, Middle Eastern and Muslim actors adds an authentic touch to the drama. Their performances capture the cultural and social subtleties reminiscent of my own Arabic family and community. </p>
<p>Integrity shines through the costume and set design and in the meticulous portrayal of Muslim dress and architecture. These elements reflect a profound understanding of how faith influences the transition between private and public life, adding credibility to the storytelling.</p>
<p>For many in the Australian Arabic community, including Abboud, seeing a project created and written by Arabs, and featuring Arabs as lead characters, is an exciting and welcome development.</p>
<p>– <em>Cherine Fahd</em></p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/abcs-house-of-gods-a-bold-and-compelling-exploration-of-contemporary-life-in-an-australian-imams-family-222988">ABC’s House of Gods: a bold and compelling exploration of contemporary life in an Australian imam’s family</a>
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<h2>Five Blind Dates</h2>
<p><em>Prime</em></p>
<p>If the balance of <a href="https://theconversation.com/new-aussie-rom-com-five-blind-dates-could-become-your-next-comfort-watch-222879">Five Blind Dates</a> is occasionally a little off, it is nonetheless a lovely film, one I could see becoming a comfort watch for a lot of people – it’s as warm and familiar as the cups of tea purveyed by its heroine.</p>
<p>Lia (Shuang Hu, also the cowriter) runs a traditional Chinese tea shop in Sydney, but is in Townsville for the wedding of her sister (Tiffany Wong).</p>
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<p>The film’s premise is established very quickly when, at one of the pre-wedding events, Lia is told by a fortune teller she will meet her soulmate on one of the next five dates she goes on. And then, when she re-encounters her ex-boyfriend Richard (Yoson An) at Alice’s engagement party, Lia ends up on a mission to go on these five dates as fast as possible so she can bring her soulmate to the wedding – and thus show up Richard, who is the best man.</p>
<p>While there is nothing particularly surprising in Five Blind Dates, it is nevertheless a really refreshing film. We don’t have a lot of rom-coms set in Australia, much less ones that centre on Chinese Australian characters. It’s a playful, joyful film with a likeable and layered heroine which doesn’t outstay its welcome (it clocks in at under 90 minutes).</p>
<p><em>– Jodi McAlister</em></p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/new-aussie-rom-com-five-blind-dates-could-become-your-next-comfort-watch-222879">New Aussie rom-com Five Blind Dates could become your next comfort watch</a>
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</em>
</p>
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<h2>Lessons in Chemistry</h2>
<p><em>Apple TV</em></p>
<p>Fashion, cars and 1960s politics provide an engaging context for Lessons in Chemistry, a miniseries based on Bonnie Garmus’ best-selling novel. Those who loved the book might see shortcomings in the series, such as the dog’s role being downgraded. Yet it is entertaining and succeeds on its own terms.</p>
<p>Elizabeth Zott (Brie Larson) and Calvin Evans (Lewis Pullman) are totally engrossed by science; their every waking moment involves contemplating it. This makes them social outsiders who aren’t especially interested in others – something used productively to motivate story arcs. A meeting of minds and shared passion for the field quickly becomes love and mutual respect. Calvin supports Elizabeth to work as a chemist – no small feat for a woman in the era. Together, they outshine everyone around them.</p>
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<p>The story stands out due to its ardent portrayal of a woman who is so passionately absorbed in her work. </p>
<p>Eventually, unfair circumstances lead to Elizabeth – who also loves to cook and applies science to achieve the perfect recipe – becoming a hugely popular cooking show host. From this platform she motivates her female fans to step into their aspirations, whatever they may be. </p>
<p><em>- Lisa French</em></p>
<h2>Feud: Capote vs The Swans</h2>
<p><em>Binge</em></p>
<p>Just in time for <a href="https://www.mardigras.org.au/">Mardi Gras</a>, Feud: Capote versus The Swans is a delightfully bitchy yet subtly nuanced portrait of friendship between gay men and straight women, a topic I tackled in a <a href="https://www.handbagthemovie.com.au/">documentary</a> I recently produced. </p>
<p>When famed writer and high-society insider Truman Capote publicly airs the dirty laundry of his ultra-rich gal pals, the knives come out in an oh-so-fabulous way. </p>
<p>Based mostly on facts, the FX television series is set against a historically accurate 1960s and ‘70s North American milieu, but takes a few liberties. In my favourite episode so far, pioneering documentarians <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Albert-and-David-Maysles">Albert and David Maysles</a> capture Capote’s 1966 Black and White Ball at the Plaza Hotel – the ball happened but the Maysles Brothers never recorded the glamorous event in actuality. </p>
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<p>Sumptuous production design, a dazzling cast (most notably Naomi Watts as New York socialite Barbara “Babe” Paley and Tom Hollander as Capote), and deft directing from queer provocateur Gus Van Sant all add up to a quality television viewing experience that prises open privilege in all its beautiful ugliness.</p>
<p><em>- Phoebe Hart</em></p>
<h2>One Day</h2>
<p><em>Netflix</em></p>
<p>At first glance, Netflix’s decision to adapt David Nicholls’s beloved novel One Day may seem strange after the 2011 film bombed so cataclysmically. </p>
<p>However, the book’s episodic structure lends itself beautifully to television resulting in a highly bingeable romance. Like its source material, the series depicts 20 years of friendship and a “will they, won’t they” angst between working-class Northerner Emma (Ambika Mod) and wealthy golden boy Dexter (Leo Woodall).</p>
<p>Each episode takes place on July 15, beginning with the unlikely duo’s booze-fuelled graduation night in 1988. This central conceit provides the narrative structure for the 14-part series, an unusually long runtime in today’s streaming market. </p>
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<p>Arguably overly leisurely at times, One Day’s slower pacing ultimately creates space for old hurts and yearnings to wane, fester and reignite. It is ably helped along by compelling performances from Mod and Woodall. Mod brings warmth to Em’s prickly sarcasm, while Woodall infuses Dex’s privileged arrogance with enough genuine charm to make both Emma – and by proxy, us – forgive him. </p>
<p>One Day isn’t perfect, particularly regarding its superficial treatment of race and class. But its combination of 1990s nostalgia (hamburger phones! Eagle Eye Cherry! Portishead!) and swoony romance makes it a tissue-sodden winner. </p>
<p><em>- Rachel Williamson</em></p>
<h2>True Detective, season four</h2>
<p><em>Binge</em></p>
<p>The fourth season of True Detective, titled Night Country, has been created by showrunner Issa López, who notably directed the incredible film Tigers Are Not Afraid (2017). </p>
<p>This season is a terrifying exploration of ecological and First Nations justice. The lead detectives are Jodie Foster playing the gruff Police Chief Liz Danvers, and relative newcomer Kali Reis as the more junior trooper Evangeline Navarro. Also starring is the incredible Fiona Shaw as a spiritual woman living on the edge of town. </p>
<p>In the opening episode, several members of the nearby research station go missing, presumed dead. Navarro believes the disappearances are connected to the death of a First Nations woman several years ago, and the powerful Silver Sky mining company.</p>
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<p>The series is notably different to previous seasons of True Detective in that López employs both magical realism (also used in Tigers Are Not Afraid) and folk horror to push this whodunit into horror territory. The shift has angered some fans, but I think it would do the show a disservice simply to repeat what came before. </p>
<p>In an interview with Vanity Fair, López shared that she sees this as an inverse of the first season:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Where True Detective is male and it’s sweaty, Night Country is cold and it’s dark and it’s female. </p>
</blockquote>
<p><em>– Stuart Richards</em></p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/black-comedy-political-drama-and-a-documentary-about-a-cult-what-were-streaming-this-february-222146">Black comedy, political drama and a documentary about a cult: what we're streaming this February</a>
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</em>
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<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/224267/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Love is in the air with three of this month’s picks. But if you’re looking for something colder and darker, we’ve got that covered too.Cherine Fahd, Associate Professor Visual Communication, University of Technology SydneyJodi McAlister, Senior Lecturer in Writing, Literature and Culture, Deakin UniversityLisa French, Professor & Dean, School of Media and Communication, RMIT UniversityPhoebe Hart, Associate Professor, Film Screen & Animation, Queensland University of TechnologyRachel Williamson, Senior Tutor in English, University of CanterburyStuart Richards, Senior Lecturer in Screen Studies, University of South AustraliaLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2242622024-02-27T19:09:01Z2024-02-27T19:09:01ZA new Netflix doco shows Alexander the Great as queer, and some viewers aren’t happy. An expert weighs in<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/577694/original/file-20240223-16-w18nq1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=31%2C18%2C1470%2C1952&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Wikimedia/Johann Heinrich Tischbein, oil painting (1781)</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>You might be surprised to learn the sex life of a long-dead conqueror is making headlines in 2024. Netflix documentary <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt27494999/">Alexander the Great: The Making of a God</a> has provoked outrage for its portrayal of Alexander in a romantic relationship with his male companion <a href="https://www.livius.org/articles/person/hephaestion/">Hephaestion</a>.</p>
<p>Alexander the Great (356–323 BC) spent his short life undertaking an enormous military campaign. He defeated the Persian king <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Darius-III">Darius III</a> and created an empire that stretched from Europe into Egypt, Western and Central Asia, and all the way to India. </p>
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<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/577848/original/file-20240226-16-r1kfr7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/577848/original/file-20240226-16-r1kfr7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/577848/original/file-20240226-16-r1kfr7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=294&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/577848/original/file-20240226-16-r1kfr7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=294&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/577848/original/file-20240226-16-r1kfr7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=294&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/577848/original/file-20240226-16-r1kfr7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=369&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/577848/original/file-20240226-16-r1kfr7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=369&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/577848/original/file-20240226-16-r1kfr7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=369&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">Conquest course of Alexander the Great from Greece to India to Babylon in 334-323 BC, with the most important provinces of his empire.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
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<p>After dying at the young age of 32, he has remained the subject of intense fascination and speculation.</p>
<p>The six-episode series is the latest to tackle some interesting questions about the conqueror’s life through dramatised scenes and commentary from a range of experts. Although the show doesn’t try to cover everything – and there are several gaps – its portrayal of Alexander’s sexuality is what has caused the greatest stir.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/romosexuality-embracing-queer-sex-and-love-in-ancient-times-130420">Romosexuality – embracing queer sex and love in Ancient times</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Alexander, the great enigma</h2>
<p>One of the first scenes depicts Alexander sparring with Hephaestion before the pair share several kisses. Hephaestion promises he will be by Alexander’s side “til the bitter end”. The experts then note the pair were likely more than just close friends.</p>
<p>Some viewers, however, have accused the show of pushing a supposed agenda. Others found it “<a href="https://www.unilad.com/film-and-tv/netflix/new-netflix-drama-slammed-too-woke-brutal-reviews-974744-20240211">too woke</a>”. </p>
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<p>Even Greece’s Minister for Culture, Lina Mendoni, has spoken on the topic, insisting that historical sources offer no evidence for the relationship going “<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2024/feb/20/alexander-the-great-netflix-show-greece-minister-for-culture-lina-mendoni-gay-characters">beyond the limits of friendship</a>”. </p>
<p>Mendoni’s comment was made in response to questions from Dimitris Natsiou, the president of a far-right Christian Orthodox political party. Natsiou has spoken out against the series for perceived inaccuracies. Along with other critics, he suggests the show’s portrayal of Alexander’s sexual identity is a historical distortion.</p>
<p>It’s true there is nothing written by Alexander himself that confirms how he viewed his own sexuality. But is it fair to call the show <em>inaccurate</em> for its interpretation of his relationship with Hephaestion?</p>
<h2>The ancient evidence</h2>
<p>While the ancient evidence suggests the pair were particularly close, reconstructing the past is not a straightforward matter. Most surviving ancient authors actually wrote centuries after Alexander’s death and often had their own interpretations of events. This makes it very challenging to uncover the truth. </p>
<p>Some sources do assume the pair were lovers, such as the Roman author Claudius Aelianus, or Aelian, because of the way they <a href="https://erenow.org/biographies/alexander-the-great-a-new-history/14.php">presented themselves in public</a>.</p>
<p>This public presentation is probably the strongest evidence for how important Hephaestion was to Alexander. Alexander was an absolute master of propaganda. He took care to restrict how he appeared <a href="https://www.getty.edu/art/collection/object/103SXQ">in art and sculpture</a>, and controlled his campaign narrative through the use of his own historian, <a href="https://oxfordre.com/classics/display/10.1093/acrefore/9780199381135.001.0001/acrefore-9780199381135-e-1285#acrefore-9780199381135-e-1285">Callisthenes of Olynthus</a>. Callisthenes was responsible for glorifying Alexander’s victories and presenting the version of events Alexander wanted. </p>
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<span class="caption">Alexander claimed the mythological hero Achilles was his ancestor.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
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<p>Alexander also stage-managed a number of events at the start of his military campaign to make it seem like the beginning of another <a href="https://www.britishmuseum.org/blog/myth-trojan-war">Trojan War</a>. The tale of this war was incredibly important to the ancient Greeks, and especially Alexander, who claimed the mythological hero Achilles was his ancestor.</p>
<p>During the important opening act, Alexander laid a wreath on the tomb of Achilles. Some ancient accounts say Hephaestion did the same for the tomb of Patroclus, who many in the ancient world <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Achilles-Greek-mythology">assumed was Achilles’ lover</a>. </p>
<p>Hephaestion is the only companion of Alexander who is mentioned by name doing something important like this. Alexander was no doubt astute enough to understand the implication in his own day; he was therefore probably comfortable with his followers assuming he and Hephaestion were lovers, just as Achilles and Patroclus were thought to be. </p>
<p>Ancient author Diodorus Siculus reports that Alexander preferred Hephaestion <a href="https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Diodorus_Siculus/17F*.html#ref67">above everyone else</a>, even claiming that Hephaestion loved him as Alexander, while his other close friend Craterus loved him as the king. These are just some of the numerous anecdotes that demonstrate Hephaestion had a significant role in Alexander’s life – and one that was different to that of a friend. </p>
<p>After Hephaestion’s death in 324 BC, Alexander <a href="https://digitalcommons.unomaha.edu/histfacpub/20/">mourned him extravagantly</a>, just as <a href="https://chs.harvard.edu/chapter/iii-5-the-weeping-body-of-achilles/">Achilles did for Patroclus</a>. </p>
<p>These very public displays might be as close as we can get to understanding how Alexander wanted the pair to be perceived. And they suggest a romantic relationship is a strong possibility.</p>
<h2>What does the scholarship say?</h2>
<p>Perhaps a more important question is why a documentary exploring this angle might provoke such a strong reaction today. </p>
<p>It’s true that scholarship on Alexander’s sex life has not always been accessible. It wasn’t until 1978 that K. J. Dover’s work <a href="https://www.hup.harvard.edu/books/9780674362703">Greek Homosexuality</a> paved the way for new insights into a more diverse interpretation of sexualities in the ancient world.</p>
<p>Before this, important scholars on Alexander, such as W. W. Tarn (1869–1957), had outright denied Alexander’s interest in men, asserting any such evidence was a result of “hostile” sources. <a href="https://erenow.org/biographies/alexander-the-great-a-new-history/14.php">Tarn even erased</a> certain figures from history, including another possible male lover of Alexander’s, <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/637975?seq=3">Bagoas</a>. He was unable to accept Alexander as someone who didn’t fit with his own image of the conqueror. </p>
<p>The reality is that same-sex relationships were generally pretty common <a href="https://www.livius.org/articles/concept/greek-homosexuality/">during the time</a> of Alexander the Great, although there were also societal pressures on men, as they were expected to marry and have children with their legitimate wives. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/friday-essay-the-myth-of-the-ancient-greek-gay-utopia-88397">Friday essay: the myth of the ancient Greek 'gay utopia'</a>
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</em>
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<p>Queer erasure has been all too common <a href="https://www.getty.edu/news/coming-out-queer-erasure-and-censorship-from-the-middle-ages-to-modernity/">in scholarship</a>, which has traditionally favoured hetero-normative interpretations, even when the evidence could clearly be interpreted in another way. </p>
<p>Media representations that explore these interpretations offer us a chance to understand ancient relationships in their own context. In doing so, they pave the way for a richer understanding of the possibilities of the past.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/224262/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Charlotte Dunn does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>The ancient evidence suggests Alexander was particularly close with one of his male companions. But how close exactly?Charlotte Dunn, Lecturer in Classics, University of TasmaniaLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2218272024-02-07T12:03:09Z2024-02-07T12:03:09ZWhat recent Netflix shows – including The Crown and Beckham – get wrong about the British press<p>Twelve years after the <a href="https://theconversation.com/hacking-affair-is-not-over-but-what-would-a-second-leveson-inquiry-achieve-29715">Leveson inquiry</a> and the closure of News of the World, the British press are having a reckoning on Netflix. Recent celebrity documentaries Beckham and Robbie Williams, and the final season of TV drama The Crown, have painted a portrait of the UK tabloids as cruel, sadistic and predatory of its homegrown celebrities.</p>
<p>While criticism of the British tabloids – particularly the ethics and methods of the News of the World – is often justified, the specifics offered by all three shows fall flat. Focusing on the late 1990s and early 2000s, when Princess Diana, Robbie Williams and David Beckham were each at the height of their fame, they prioritise individual stories over the big picture. </p>
<p>In doing so, these Netflix releases paint specific paps and a broad, amorphous “press” as demons, but ignore the broader socio-political forces, corruptions and collusions uncovered by Leveson in 2012 and the #MeToo movement in 2017.</p>
<p>According to <a href="https://www.faber.co.uk/product/9780571232093-retromania/">music journalist Simon Reynolds</a>, mass-market pop culture operates by a “20-year-rule” which sees trends and preoccupations return every two decades. This makes the turn of the millennium ripe for nostalgic and critical reflection in the 2020s. </p>
<p>The Crown explores the death of Princess Diana 25 years after her death. Robbie Williams tells the story of the singer, 25 years after the release of his biggest song, Angels. And Beckham explores the aftermath of the footballer’s infamous World Cup red card, 25 years on. </p>
<p>While these shows all try to claim part of the noughties nostalgia trend, they feel politically and contextually vacant. They each miss the opportunity to rigorously critique constructions of celebrity in the 1990s and 2000s.</p>
<h2>The millennium press</h2>
<p>Something all three shows miss is how textured and transitional the media landscape of the period was. <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/13183222.1998.11008685">By 1998</a>, only 8% of editorial in The Sun and The Mirror could be classed as “public affairs” – the rest focused on gossip, sports, or both. </p>
<p>Inevitably, as celebrity culture became news, news also became gossip and both categories <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0163443711411005">disintegrated</a> into what we now call “clickbait”. </p>
<p>In the 2000s, internet publishing and blogging also changed the way news was circulated and reported. As literary critic <a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/abs/cambridge-companion-to-the-essay/essay-online/BD8747CA96D6E6FF398B2392223A6E0D">Jane Hu</a> argues: “The commercial internet generated an economy of attention that rewarded stories that were at once sensationalist and relatable – personal and universal – in a drive for content that would go viral among the broadest range of readers.”</p>
<p>This changed not only the way stories were reported, but how subjects of those stories were treated. As The Crown dolefully shows, one picture of Princess Diana could sell for millions to print newspapers in 1997. A decade later, the economy of attention cultivated by internet journalism would <a href="https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/claudiarosenbaum/downfall-of-the-paparazzi">drive the price of those pictures down</a>, even as the demand for content rose. Photos were now readily available online for free, and regular people could upload favourite “spotted” photos of their favourite celebrity for anyone to see, making the work of the paparazzi less valuable. </p>
<h2>The Crown</h2>
<p>The final season of The Crown covers the last eight months of Princess Diana’s life. The late princess’s treatment at the hands of her husband, the royal family and the British press had previously been covered in <a href="https://www.buzzsprout.com/1112270">eight hour podcasting</a> deep dives, various documentaries, and the Oscar nominated film, Spencer (2021). </p>
<p>These works largely stressed how sexist cultural responses to Diana were both before and after her death, when she was depicted as <a href="https://archive.vanityfair.com/article/share/81f2c07a-ece0-4bb7-841f-08baeab9e0c3">“bitter”</a>, <a href="https://www.history.com/news/princess-diana-bbc-interview-martin-bashir">“unbalanced”</a> and “<a href="https://archive.vanityfair.com/article/share/81f2c07a-ece0-4bb7-841f-08baeab9e0c3">silly</a>” by the British media.</p>
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<figcaption><span class="caption">A scene from The Crown shows Diana speaking with the paparazzi.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<p>For a drama once well regarded for the breadth – if not the accuracy – of its historical storytelling, The Crown’s monomaniacal fixation with the final weeks of Diana’s life marked a season one critic called <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2023/nov/16/the-crown-season-6-review-so-bad-its-like-an-out-of-body-experience-netflix">“so bad it’s basically an out-of-body experience”</a>. </p>
<p>Through fictionalised monologues from actors playing real photographers and journalists, the press compare themselves to “hunters” and “killers”. It’s as if the show – which was once semi-critical and adamantly contextual of the Royal family – wanted to reframe them as powerless innocents, exploited by the dastardly press. </p>
<h2>Beckham and Robbie Williams</h2>
<p>Unlike The Crown, the main characters in the documentaries Beckham and Robbie Williams are not only living subjects but also active participants in the programmes. This means they must balance the egos of their subjects, justified critique of the press intrusions they experienced, and appeals for audience sympathy, which often minimises the role of the celebrity in their own media dramas. </p>
<p>Beckham consults a litany of talking heads – former managers, teammates, Spice Girls and two suitably shame-filled paparazzi – to build a portrait of the footballer and his union with wife Victoria. </p>
<p>Produced by Beckham’s own company, the programme is a portrait of how the couple <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/culture/on-television/beckham-shows-us-how-david-and-victoria-beckham-see-themselves">“see themselves”</a>. This is reinforced by the <a href="https://deadline.com/2023/10/david-beckham-netflix-doc-doctored-truth-spin-narrative-say-fact-checkers-1235586518/">errors journalists have found</a> in the narrative Netflix presents. These include exaggerations of the level of hostility Beckham experienced at Manchester United and cuts in footage which imply he was fouled at times he wasn’t. </p>
<p>When it’s done right, and particularly with the benefit of hindsight, critiques of the tabloids adhere with wider critique of other institutions – like the royal family, music industry, or Premier League football. In doing this, they can show how hostile to difference or dissension our dominant systems really are.</p>
<p>Two things can be true. The Beckhams can both manufacture tabloid interest to engender lucrative brand deals, and be unfairly stalked by predatory photographers and highly sexist critiques of their family, relationship, and parenting. As Williams notes: “When you become famous you want to give away the privacy you want to give away. You don’t wanna have your privacy taken from you.”</p>
<p>With their hyperfocus on sympathy for the celebrity, and lack of wider context, all three Netflix shows fall short of offering larger analysis of the British press.</p>
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<figure class="align-left ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/536131/original/file-20230706-17-460x2d.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/536131/original/file-20230706-17-460x2d.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536131/original/file-20230706-17-460x2d.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536131/original/file-20230706-17-460x2d.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536131/original/file-20230706-17-460x2d.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536131/original/file-20230706-17-460x2d.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536131/original/file-20230706-17-460x2d.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<p><em>Looking for something good? Cut through the noise with a carefully curated selection of the latest releases, live events and exhibitions, straight to your inbox every fortnight, on Fridays. <a href="https://theconversation.com/uk/newsletters/something-good-156">Sign up here</a>.</em></p>
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<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Rachel Sykes does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>While these shows all try to claim part of the noughties nostalgia trend, they feel politically and contextually vacant.Rachel Sykes, Senior Lecturer in Contemporary Literature, University of BirminghamLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2217262024-02-06T19:08:09Z2024-02-06T19:08:09ZWhy Heartstopper is Gen Z’s defining publishing phenomenon<p>When Volume 5 of Heartstopper, Alice Oseman’s graphic novel series (turned Netflix adaptation, turned cultural juggernaut) was published in December last year, the book was declared an <a href="https://www.hachette.com.au/alice-oseman/heartstopper-volume-5-instant-number-one-bestseller-the-graphic-novel-series-now-on-netflix">instant number-one bestseller</a>. In Australia alone, it sold 12,300 copies <a href="https://www.booksandpublishing.com.au/articles/2023/12/15/244785/heartstopper-the-secret-top-christmas-charts-in-aus-aotearoa-nz/">in its first week</a>.</p>
<p>To every generation a publishing phenomenon is born – and for Generation Z, it’s Heartstopper, which Oseman started writing aged 22 (she’s still just 29).</p>
<p>The rise of Heartstopper reads like a history of the last ten years in publishing tools and platforms. Oseman started self-publishing the comics on microblogging site <a href="https://aliceoseman.tumblr.com/">Tumblr</a> and webtoon platform <a href="https://tapas.io/aliceoseman">Tapas</a> in 2016, building up a loyal following and clocking millions of views. </p>
<p>Crowdfunding for the first print run <a href="https://www.thebookseller.com/news/oseman-crowdfunds-lgbt-comic-two-hours-816316">met the funding goal within two hours</a>. Hachette Children’s Group picked up <a href="https://www.thebookseller.com/rights/hcg-publish-oseman-s-online-graphic-novel-869686">world rights</a> for the series, publishing Volume One in 2019. </p>
<p>To date, five graphic novels, two novellas, a yearbook and a colouring book have been <a href="https://aliceoseman.com/heartstopper/graphic-novels/">published</a>. The graphic novels have also been adapted into a <a href="https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/heartstopper/s01">successful Netflix series</a>, with scripts written by Oseman herself. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/573605/original/file-20240205-27-dkiq4v.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/573605/original/file-20240205-27-dkiq4v.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/573605/original/file-20240205-27-dkiq4v.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/573605/original/file-20240205-27-dkiq4v.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/573605/original/file-20240205-27-dkiq4v.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/573605/original/file-20240205-27-dkiq4v.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/573605/original/file-20240205-27-dkiq4v.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/573605/original/file-20240205-27-dkiq4v.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Heartstopper author Alice Oseman has written the scripts for the Netflix series.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Marcus Laing/Netflix</span></span>
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<p>Heartstopper follows the sweet friends-to-lovers arc of Charlie and Nick, whom we first meet in Year 10 and Year 11. It depicts the giddying highs and dizzying lows of being young, queer and in love. </p>
<p>Through Charlie, Nick and other well-drawn characters, Alice Oseman beautifully portrays the inner workings of a healthy relationship, modelling open communication, help-seeking, allyship and active consent. The books also touch on rarely discussed topics like male eating disorders.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/big-beautiful-females-and-familiar-dystopias-new-graphic-nonfiction-interrogates-21st-century-life-182224">Big beautiful females and familiar dystopias: new graphic nonfiction interrogates 21st-century life</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Queer joy</h2>
<p>Queer joy is <a href="https://www.oxfam.org/en/queer-joy">defined by Oxfam</a> as a positive feeling we get from encountering signs of progress in gender equality and gender diversity. In the Heartstopper series, the narrative engine runs on themes of love, identity, first times, self-discovery, friendship and allyship. </p>
<figure class="align-right ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/573385/original/file-20240205-29-ylsmw9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/573385/original/file-20240205-29-ylsmw9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=922&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/573385/original/file-20240205-29-ylsmw9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=922&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/573385/original/file-20240205-29-ylsmw9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=922&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/573385/original/file-20240205-29-ylsmw9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1159&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/573385/original/file-20240205-29-ylsmw9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1159&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/573385/original/file-20240205-29-ylsmw9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1159&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<p>When we meet Charlie in Volume 1, he’s been out at his school as gay for a while. He mentions past bullying and there are moments of homophobia, but largely Charlie is accepted at school. Charlie’s friend Elle has transitioned their gender and has been enrolled into the girls’ school across the road. There’s never any suggestion this has been met with resistance or nastiness.</p>
<p>Of course, not everything comes easily to Charlie and Nick. The shadow side of the themes of love, connection and community includes <a href="https://theconversation.com/treating-a-childs-mental-illness-sometimes-means-getting-the-whole-family-involved-169729">mental ill-health</a>, body dysmorphia, <a href="https://theconversation.com/more-than-half-of-australians-will-experience-trauma-most-before-they-turn-17-we-need-to-talk-about-it-159801">trauma</a>, family conflict and <a href="https://theconversation.com/5-questions-your-childs-school-should-be-able-to-answer-about-bullying-222255">bullying</a>. </p>
<p>Nick’s brother, David, takes every opportunity to shame Nick for being gay, while Nick’s father is an absent parent. Meanwhile, trauma from Charlie’s past, including bullying and his <a href="https://theconversation.com/toxic-masculinity-what-does-it-mean-where-did-it-come-from-and-is-the-term-useful-or-harmful-189298">toxic</a>, closeted ex Ben’s coercive behaviour, has had some heavy impacts. </p>
<p>Charlie confesses to Nick that he used to <a href="https://theconversation.com/australian-teens-doing-well-but-some-still-at-high-risk-of-suicide-and-self-harm-83303">self-harm</a>, and Nick observes some worrying behaviour in Charlie in terms of food avoidance and anxiety. Nick talks to his mother who tells him, “Love can’t cure a mental illness”, and gives some practical advice: listen, talk, ask him what he needs, stand by him, but don’t try to take it on by yourself. </p>
<p>Nick encourages Charlie to seek help. After some reluctance, Charlie talks to his parents. He is diagnosed with <a href="https://theconversation.com/obsessive-compulsive-disorder-is-more-common-than-you-think-but-it-can-take-9-years-for-an-ocd-diagnosis-196651">obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD)</a> and anorexia and is admitted to a residential treatment program. As <a href="https://theconversation.com/a-male-character-on-heartstopper-has-an-eating-disorder-thats-more-common-than-you-might-think-211912">assistant professor of psychology Vivienne Lewis has noted</a>, eating disorders in boys and men are underrepresented in media and little understood in the community, so Alice Oseman is breaking important ground here.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/heartstopper-depicts-queer-joy-heres-why-that-can-bring-about-complicated-feelings-for-those-in-the-lgbtiq-community-183729">Heartstopper depicts queer joy - here's why that can bring about complicated feelings for those in the LGBTIQ community</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>‘Felt gaps’: the magic of comics</h2>
<p>Comics have a tumultuous history, especially for children. In 1953, in his book <a href="https://archive.org/details/fredricwerthamseductionoftheinnocent19542ndprinting">Seduction of the Innocent</a>, Frederic Wertham argued comics inhibit literacy, and called them “death on reading”. But the opposite seems to be true. </p>
<p>Comics and graphic novels are, for some kids at least, the gateway to a passion for books. For already engaged readers, it’s a way to diversify their reading and develop their visual literacy. English teacher <a href="https://search.informit.org/doi/10.3316/informit.039375598684308">Matt McCabe</a> points out that while comics can be read and understood comparatively quickly, they can be “studied multiple times from different angles”, making them suited to readers of all abilities. </p>
<p>Reading comics calls on a heightened awareness of the senses to make sense of the unfolding world within. Some of the magic of comics occurs in the gutter: the space between panels. The comics medium is also known for its disjuncture of word and image. These “felt gaps” prompt the reader to harness their imagination and life experience. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/573389/original/file-20240205-21-oc7yd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/573389/original/file-20240205-21-oc7yd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/573389/original/file-20240205-21-oc7yd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=898&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/573389/original/file-20240205-21-oc7yd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=898&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/573389/original/file-20240205-21-oc7yd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=898&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/573389/original/file-20240205-21-oc7yd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1129&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/573389/original/file-20240205-21-oc7yd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1129&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/573389/original/file-20240205-21-oc7yd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1129&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">The space between panels in comics prompts the reader to harness their imagination and life experience.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Hachette Australia</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Because comics can show and tell two things at once, they are particularly good at representing the way identities are formed in relation to society and culture. There’s a scene in Volume 1 where Nick turns to Google to ask, “Am I gay?” Google searches like these have become a rite of passage for young Gen Zs, <a href="https://youthsense.com.au/youth-insights/why-australian-gen-z-lgbtqia-numbers-are-skyrocketing/">who are much more likely than older generations to identify as queer</a>. </p>
<p>An examination of Google trends from 2004 to 2023 highlights a steep rise in queries about sexuality, with <a href="https://www.culturalcurrents.institute/insights/lgbtq-identity">such searches surging over 1,300%</a>. Alice Oseman uses jagged panels and fragmentation to show Nick’s worldview exploding as he comes to terms with this new information about himself, in the fractured environment of a Google search response page.</p>
<h2>Heartstopper Volume 5</h2>
<p>By Heartstopper Volume 5, Nick is out to family and friends and Charlie is home and in therapy, but generally well. Charlie and Nick are in an established relationship, thinking about taking things to the next level. </p>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/573384/original/file-20240205-23-clsmrw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/573384/original/file-20240205-23-clsmrw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/573384/original/file-20240205-23-clsmrw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=923&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/573384/original/file-20240205-23-clsmrw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=923&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/573384/original/file-20240205-23-clsmrw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=923&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/573384/original/file-20240205-23-clsmrw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1160&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/573384/original/file-20240205-23-clsmrw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1160&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/573384/original/file-20240205-23-clsmrw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1160&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<p>They are surrounded by a supportive and diverse group of friends, including a trans girl, another gay boy who is not interested in coming out, Charlie’s asexual sister, and a lesbian couple, reflecting a spectrum of LGBTQ+ experiences many kids would encounter in their own social milieu. </p>
<p>There is a subplot of two male teachers falling in love. One of these teachers encourages Charlie to consider running for Head Boy. (We’ll have to read Volume 6 to find out if he’s successful!) </p>
<p>Heartstopper Volume 5 focuses a lot on Nick who, as a final-year student, needs to make a decision about university. Initially he assumes he’ll go to the closest one, to stay near Charlie. Two friends, also facing this decision, accompany Nick on a road trip to visit campuses elsewhere, and gently encourage him to explore other options. </p>
<p>Alice Oseman handles with delicacy the fact that as high-school sweethearts, their paths may take them in different directions – and that only through supporting each other to grow will they both thrive. </p>
<p>Another important plot point involves discussions about sexual readiness, with both boys talking to each other and their friends about recognising when you might be ready for sex. The conversations demonstrate nuances of active consent and communication, and stand in stark contrast to Ben’s entitlement and aggression in Volume 1. A conversation in class shows not all young people are ready for sex –and that’s normalised too.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/big-w-has-withdrawn-welcome-to-sex-from-its-stores-to-protect-staff-but-teen-sex-education-can-keep-young-people-safe-209979">Big W has withdrawn Welcome to Sex from its stores to protect staff – but teen sex education can keep young people safe</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Normalising queer love</h2>
<p>In Heartstopper, the representations of mental illness, trans identities and queer love are destigmatising and normalising. Charlie’s queer and quirky friendship group reminds me of the young people who trail in and out of my house on a regular basis. (My oldest daughter ran the queer club at her school, my middle child is non-binary.) </p>
<p>The depiction of Charlie’s OCD and anorexia as a result of past trauma is carefully optimistic, showing a fairly linear pathway from help-seeking to effective treatment. Oseman acknowledges, through Nick, that isn’t always the case: </p>
<blockquote>
<p>Staying in a hospital was a big risk. It probably isn’t helpful for everyone. But it was for him. He could actually focus on his mental health without worrying about school and what everyone thought.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Oseman uses the comic form to alleviate the intensity, avoiding details about self-harm and restrictive eating, and never showing anything graphic. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/573386/original/file-20240205-19-omrnv7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/573386/original/file-20240205-19-omrnv7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/573386/original/file-20240205-19-omrnv7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=899&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/573386/original/file-20240205-19-omrnv7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=899&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/573386/original/file-20240205-19-omrnv7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=899&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/573386/original/file-20240205-19-omrnv7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1130&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/573386/original/file-20240205-19-omrnv7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1130&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/573386/original/file-20240205-19-omrnv7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1130&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The representations of queer love in Heartstopper are destigmatising and normalising.</span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The message when it comes to mental health is that it takes a village to treat mental illness (siblings, parents, friends, clinicians, teachers).</p>
<p>Some readers, especially those of us who grew up in earlier decades, might feel sad or angry when they compare their school experiences to what’s shown in Heartstopper. Some who experienced the bullying but not the friendships in high school may struggle to believe kids can be this kind to each other. </p>
<p>For me, though, this is the queer joy of reading Heartstopper. In its focus on the love and community that surrounds Charlie and Nick, the Heartstopper graphic novels create a space for the reader, who becomes an intimate confidante – another member of Charlie and Nick’s tight-knit friendship group.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/221726/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Penni Russon does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Heartstopper is a celebration of ‘queer joy’ that uses the imaginative intimacy of graphic novels to invite the reader into its tight-knit world.Penni Russon, Senior Lecturer, School of Communication, Monash UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2207742024-01-16T19:15:21Z2024-01-16T19:15:21ZDave Chappelle has built a reputation for ‘punching down’ on trans people – and now he’s targeting disabled people<p>Dave Chappelle’s latest Netflix special, The Dreamer, opens with a story about meeting Jim Carrey, who, at the time, was method acting and portraying comedian Andy Kaufman. </p>
<p>Chappelle recalls being “very disappointed” at having to pretend to be speaking to Kaufman, when he could clearly see it was Carrey. The punchline? “That’s how trans people make me feel.”</p>
<p>Whether or not non-transgender people find it funny, it is a joke that stabs at the fundamental insecurity of being trans. It takes the stance of <a href="https://www.oxfordreference.com/display/10.1093/oi/authority.20110803095507973">biological essentialism</a>: that people have innate and intractable traits by virtue of their biology. </p>
<p>Biological essentialism <a href="https://spssi.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/sipr.12099">has been used</a> by the <a href="https://commonslibrary.org/the-anti-trans-movement/">anti-trans</a> lobby to deny that trans women are women and trans men are men, and to justify sexism and racism <a href="https://theconversation.com/what-is-essentialism-and-how-does-it-shape-attitudes-to-transgender-people-and-sexual-diversity-203577">before that</a>.</p>
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<a href="https://theconversation.com/what-is-essentialism-and-how-does-it-shape-attitudes-to-transgender-people-and-sexual-diversity-203577">What is essentialism? And how does it shape attitudes to transgender people and sexual diversity?</a>
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<p>Chappelle’s Netflix specials have become notorious for his jokes targeting the transgender community, but Chappelle has claimed his comedy is <a href="https://variety.com/2022/tv/news/dave-chappelle-netflix-speech-whats-in-a-name-1235311467/">more nuanced</a> and artistic than his critics allow.</p>
<p>He claims to be an equal opportunity offender, “punching down” (his words) to all minorities equally. To prove this point, in The Dreamer he takes on what he calls “handicapped jokes”.</p>
<h2>Mirroring prejudice</h2>
<p>While the word “handicapped” was once used to describe people with disability, it is <a href="https://adata.org/factsheet/ADANN-writing">now considered offensive</a>. Chappelle is either unaware or just doesn’t care that the term is decades out of date.</p>
<p>Comedy, at its best, draws from and reveals insight into the human condition. It slips into mockery when, bereft of understanding, it does nothing more than mirror prejudice.</p>
<p>Chappelle’s first disability joke has the potential to be clever and insightful. He says:</p>
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<p>there’s probably a handicap in the back right now ’cause that’s where they make them sit.</p>
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<p>A joke about the placement of people with disability at the back of the theatre is clever as it unmasks social disadvantage. In different hands, it could be a reflection on the <a href="https://pwd.org.au/resources/models-of-disability/">social model of disability</a>.</p>
<p>The social model of disability says the problem of disability is not “handicapped” bodies but the social environment designed to exclude and marginalise them. For example, a wheelchair user is not disabled because they cannot walk (they have wheels for mobility), but because of a lack of access to ramps – or a theatre which insists they sit at the back of the room.</p>
<p>But clever turns to mockery with a visual punchline, as Chappelle twists his hand and walks like a “cripple”. It is mockery bereft of understanding.</p>
<p>A crass attack on paraplegic sexual function follows: “Who the fuck invites a paraplegic to an orgy?”. It’s ableism masquerading as comedy. </p>
<p><a href="https://theconversation.com/ableism-and-disablism-how-to-spot-them-and-how-we-can-all-do-better-204541">Ableism</a> refers to stereotypical attitudes and behaviours that dehumanise people with disability, treating them as different, less than, incapable, foolish, laughable, excludable. In this case, Chappelle repeats <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s13178-023-00873-5">the damaging and false stereotype</a> that people with disability are asexual and unsexy. </p>
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<a href="https://theconversation.com/ableism-and-disablism-how-to-spot-them-and-how-we-can-all-do-better-204541">Ableism and disablism – how to spot them and how we can all do better</a>
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<p>Australia’s Disability Royal Commission <a href="https://disability.royalcommission.gov.au/system/files/2023-03/Public%20hearing%2028%20-%20Counsel%20Assisting%20submissions%20-%20SUBM.0047.0001.0105.pdf">heard</a> how ableism, especially as propagated in the media, drives violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation of people with disability. It noted we learn our language and attitudes from the media and popular culture, which often leads to abusive behaviour in public and online.</p>
<p>When comedy relies on humiliation and cruelty to earn its laughter it can have serious consequences. Rather than propagate ableism, <a href="https://www.routledge.com/Film-Comedy-and-Disability-Understanding-Humour-and-Genre-in-Cinematic/Wilde/p/book/9780367587680">comedy can deconstruct it</a>, revealing the absurdity of discrimination, and questioning notions of normality, abnormality and ideas of difference.</p>
<p>But watching the special, it feels like disability is not Chappelle’s real target. Instead, it seems he embraces being an “equal opportunity” offender who mocks disability as a defence for his long-running transgender jokes.</p>
<h2>The impacts of mockery</h2>
<p>Witty transgender comedy might highlight the social issues trans people face, but Chapelle exemplifies those issues. In The Dreamer, he makes the tired joke that if he was arrested in California he’d claim in court that he identified as a woman to be sent to women’s jail so he could have sex with women.</p>
<p>His jokes rely on prevailing disgust about transgender bodies and increasingly politicised insistence that transgender people are not real women or men. These views shared in popular culture are <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/10570314.2019.1615635">coming to inform</a> anti-trans policy in healthcare, education and the justice system. </p>
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<p>As the majority of the general population <a href="https://www.ipsos.com/sites/default/files/ct/news/documents/2023-06/Ipsos%20Global%20Advisor%20-%20LGBT%2B%20Pride%202023%20-%20AUSTRALIAN%20Press%20Release.pdf">do not know a trans person</a>, the media has significant influence over perceptions of trans people. </p>
<p>Throughout four Netflix specials, Chapelle has made no effort to understand the object of his jokes or the impact of his mockery on their daily lives. While trans representation in the media is improving, trans people are still exposed to a plethora of <a href="https://doi.org/10.36828/newvistas.226">negative depictions</a> of their identities in the media across a range of mediums. <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7826438/">Research</a> shows this is significantly associated with clinical levels of depression, anxiety and psychological distress. </p>
<p>Near the end of The Dreamer, Chappelle paints himself as the victim of the “unjust” LGBTQI+ campaign against his comedy, which included Chappelle being <a href="https://www.npr.org/2022/05/04/1096547296/dave-chappelle-video-attacked-onstage-performance-hollywood-bowl-netflix">physically attacked</a> on stage at a 2022 show. </p>
<p>Physical violence is never justified. However it should be noted comedy which “punches down” on trans people <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s13178-017-0280-2">helps to drive</a> the negative perceptions that lead to <a href="https://equityhealthj.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12939-022-01632-5">violence</a> against queer people that we see on social media feeds and in the daily experience of transgender people globally. </p>
<p>Chappelle is an influential comedian who proudly punches down. It is true he is an egalitarian bully. In The Dreamer, he laughs at disability, bisexuality and gay men. But his jokes continue to come back to one target: the transgender community. When will we say enough is enough? When will we stop laughing?</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/yes-words-can-harm-young-trans-people-heres-what-we-can-do-to-help-176788">Yes, words can harm young trans people. Here's what we can do to help</a>
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<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/220774/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>In The Dreamer, Chapelle laughs at disability, bisexuality and gay men. But his jokes continue to come back to one target: the transgender community.Shane Clifton, Associate Professor of Practice, School of Health Sciences and the Centre for Disability Research and Policy, University of SydneyJemma Clifton, Research officer, UNSW SydneyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2210122024-01-15T23:33:57Z2024-01-15T23:33:57ZNetflix’s You Are What You Eat uses a twin study. Here’s why studying twins is so important for science<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/569230/original/file-20240115-23-hyyxnq.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=753%2C126%2C2891%2C1891&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Still from You Are What You Eat.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Netflix</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>A new Netflix documentary, You Are What You Eat, showcases sets of identical twins as they adopt different diets. For eight weeks one twin follows a vegan diet while the other one follows an omnivorous diet. The experiment is compelling because, being genetically identical, the health of each twin is very similar before the trial. </p>
<p>I won’t spoil the ending for those who haven’t seen it, but if you prefer the drab writings of academics over the glitz and glamour of Netflix, you can read the published paper <a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2812392">in the journal JAMA Network Open</a>. </p>
<p>The documentary underscores the extraordinary contribution twin studies make to advancing our understanding of the world. But this goes well beyond comparing different diets. </p>
<p>British polymath Sir Francis Galton <a href="https://academic.oup.com/ije/article/41/4/905/686858?login=false">first documented</a> the striking similarities of twins in 1875, arguing this proved “nature” was an important contributor to our dispositions and health. Since then, twins have been used extensively in research. What is it then that makes twins so special, and how do researchers harness the power of twins? </p>
<h2>Twins as comparisons for each other</h2>
<p>The Netflix documentary highlights one important feature of twins – they are good for making comparisons. Identical twins share nearly all of their genes, and usually grow up in the same household, meaning they experience the same parenting, schooling and so on.</p>
<p>The documentary is an example of a <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6235704/#:%7E:text=Randomized%20controlled%20trials%20(RCT)%20are,between%20an%20intervention%20and%20outcome.">randomised controlled trial</a>, where participants are selected at random for some intervention (like a new drug) and those not selected serve as controls (in drug trials they might get a placebo). Randomised trials are normally seen as the gold standard in evaluating what works.</p>
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<a href="https://theconversation.com/randomised-control-trials-what-makes-them-the-gold-standard-in-medical-research-78913">Randomised control trials: what makes them the gold standard in medical research?</a>
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<p>We don’t actually need identical twins for such trials. In fact, <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9780128215142000039">relatively few</a> trials use twins. But twins can help to ensure the treatment and control groups are as similar as possible. This is especially important when there are few participants. In the Netflix study, there were only 44. Without twins, their results would have been more uncertain. </p>
<p>For ethical reasons or just sheer practicality, we can’t always run randomised trials. This is where twins can help us out. Say we want to know the effect of <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/2118189">education on earnings</a>, or the effect of <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29054888/">smoking on developing lung cancer</a>.</p>
<p>These questions, and many more, have been tackled by comparing the differences within sets of identical twins (for example, where one twin smokes and the other doesn’t). </p>
<p>By focusing on differences between twins, we eliminate genetic and common family factors, and can be more confident about causality. Using twins doesn’t fully solve the problem of omitted factors, but it helps to reduce it. </p>
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<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/569236/original/file-20240115-15-8y5sv3.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Two women with blonde dreadlocks in a commercial kitchen with various food trays in front of them" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/569236/original/file-20240115-15-8y5sv3.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/569236/original/file-20240115-15-8y5sv3.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=317&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/569236/original/file-20240115-15-8y5sv3.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=317&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/569236/original/file-20240115-15-8y5sv3.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=317&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/569236/original/file-20240115-15-8y5sv3.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=398&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/569236/original/file-20240115-15-8y5sv3.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=398&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/569236/original/file-20240115-15-8y5sv3.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=398&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">Still image from You Are What You Eat.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Netflix</span></span>
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<h2>Twins and heritability</h2>
<p>Galton’s fascination with twins stemmed from wanting to know why we are the way we are. Is it our genes (nature), or is it our upbringing and personal experiences (nurture)? His early observations were informal, but eventually researchers developed sophisticated methods to disentangle genes and environment. </p>
<p>The main approach is essentially to see whether identical twins, who are genetically the same, are more similar than fraternal twins, who on average share only 50% of the gene variants that make us unique. If the identical twins are more similar, that indicates genes matter.</p>
<p>For example, twin studies have shown that around <a href="https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2015-20360-001">40% of individual differences in personality</a> can be explained by genes, along with as much as <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3275599">80–90% of differences in height and weight</a> at the end of childhood.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/curious-kids-why-do-people-grow-to-certain-sizes-105131">Curious Kids: Why do people grow to certain sizes?</a>
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<h2>Limitations and misuse of twin research</h2>
<p>One drawback to twin studies is that twins are a select group, and findings may not always generalise to the broader population. Only about <a href="https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/mothers-babies/australias-mothers-babies/contents/focus-population-groups/mothers-who-have-multiple-births">1.4% of births in Australia are twins</a>. </p>
<p>Twin heritability studies also rely on <a href="https://www.apa.org/monitor/apr04/second">strong assumptions</a>, like that the common family environment matters to the same extent for identical and fraternal twins. This can be overcome by focusing on <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.2218526?url_ver=Z39.88-2003&rfr_id=ori:rid:crossref.org&rfr_dat=cr_pub%20%200pubmed">identical twins reared apart</a>, but these studies are rare.</p>
<p>There has also been some misunderstanding and misuse of findings from twin studies. Galton’s belief in the power of nature led him to promote <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eugenics">eugenics</a>, the idea of selective breeding to achieve “genetic superiority”, which had <a href="https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/eugenics">devastating consequences</a> in the 20th century. </p>
<p>But our genes are not our destiny. While a certain combination of genes may raise the likelihood you’re extraverted, who we grow up to be is a complicated interplay between genes, upbringing and personal experiences. Even disorders with a genetic basis, like Alzheimer’s, are rarely certain to occur, and we can take actions to reduce our risk.</p>
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<span class="caption">Identical twins are actually quite rare.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/father-carrying-twin-babies-car-seats-1128705452">Shutterstock</a></span>
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<h2>The future of twin research</h2>
<p>Twin studies have been conducted for decades, with <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B978012821514200009X">more than 60 twin registries</a> operating around the world. In Australia, the largest registry is <a href="https://twins.org.au/">Twins Research Australia</a>, who have around 75,000 members. </p>
<p>With more opportunities to link data, genome mapping, and advances in machine learning, what we can learn from twins will only increase in the future. And we can expect twins to continue to play a key role in advancing our understanding of the world for many years to come.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/221012/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Nathan Kettlewell does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>The new Netflix documentary follows identical twins as they adopt different diets. This is a great example of a twin study – a uniquely useful research tool in science.Nathan Kettlewell, Senior lecturer, Economics Department, University of Technology SydneyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2200952023-12-19T14:48:31Z2023-12-19T14:48:31ZChicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget is a fast-paced slapstick extravaganza<p>Chicken Run 2: Dawn of the Nugget combines the distinctive charm of the Great Escape-esque story that characterised the original Chicken Run (2000), with an action-packed plot, staged in a futuristic setting fit for the 21st century. </p>
<p>Picking the story up from where the original Chicken Run ended, this time the plot is inspired by Mission Impossible (1996) and James Bond – a caper film that sees the chicken protagonists breaking in, rather than breaking out.</p>
<p>Protagonists Ginger (Thandiwe Newton) and Rocky (Zachary Levi) are now parents to the runaway teenage chick Molly (Bella Ramsey), who ends up in the clutches of her parents’ arch nemesis, Mrs Tweedy (Miranda Richardson). </p>
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<figcaption><span class="caption">Chicken Run 2: Dawn of the Nugget trailer.</span></figcaption>
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<p>Tweedy has received a “<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nD_xcLLmM08">glamorous make-over</a>” for the sequel, while her chicken farm has been replaced with a futuristic chicken fun land – a compound that serves the meat-hungry food industry an assembly line of poultry. </p>
<p>Trying to save their daughter from becoming a chicken nugget, Rocky, Ginger and their fellow chickens venture to break into this high-tech bastion. With appealing new characters, emotional depth and distinctly British humour, this fast-paced slapstick extravaganza is both a technical and artistic achievement.</p>
<h2>Changes since Chicken Run</h2>
<p>Since being founded by Peter Lord and David Sproxton in 1972, Bristol-based studio Aardman Animation has been a global player in stop motion animation. From its Oscar-winning films Creature Comforts (1990), The Wrong Trousers (1993) and A Close Shave (1995) to its first ever feature film, Chicken Run, Aardman’s story is one of unrivalled success. </p>
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<a href="https://theconversation.com/the-wrong-trousers-why-the-wallace-and-gromit-animation-is-still-a-family-favourite-30-years-later-219283">The Wrong Trousers: why the Wallace and Gromit animation is still a family favourite 30 years later</a>
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<p>The first Chicken Run set new standards, not only breaking records for audience reach, and global box-office profit, but also for its technical prowess. <a href="https://vimeo.com/263325572">During production</a>, 30 sets were used with 18 animators. This sequel is no less ambitious in its technical scope.</p>
<p>The original Chicken Run was shot with mounted film cameras, which meant that the Aardman team did not know the final look before the development process had completed. Since 2005, stop-motion features have <a href="https://www.dragonframe.com/introduction-stop-motion-animation/">predominantly adopted digital cameras</a>.</p>
<p>In this sense, Chicken Run was a historic milestone, as there is no evidence of any cleanup work in post-production. This means practically everything that the audience sees happened right in front of the camera.</p>
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<figcaption><span class="caption">Trailer for the original Chicken Run (2000).</span></figcaption>
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<p>Today, many stop motion animation productions, both big and small, are using visual effects to tidy up mistakes, make the scope and breadth of sets larger and clean up puppet rigs. This became a huge benefit to the new production in terms of keeping the consistency and coherence of the physical scale difference between chickens and human. </p>
<p>For <a href="https://youtu.be/nD_xcLLmM08?si=tBo82GMAo5RBD30o">Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget</a>, a team of 30 animators and 45 units – led by lead animator Will Becher and director Sam Fell – paid particular attention to facial expressions, eye movement and newly adapted mouth features to augment the original character designs.</p>
<p>Due to the many diverse measures of unit within the film, the set designers, supervised by art director Matt Perry, focused on scaling, proportions and dimensions. These presented the team with <a href="https://www.netflix.com/title/81743939">unprecedented technical challenges</a> (architectural, human, and chicken) which had a direct impact on lighting and compositions.</p>
<h2>Challenges for the animators</h2>
<p>Whereas the original Chicken Run was set on a farm, Dawn of the Nugget takes place in a quintessentially human environment – the James Bond-inspired Fun-Land compound. </p>
<p>Part of this fortress-come-factory consists of a playground for chickens, with its own distinctive psychedelic colour palette. This environment is created at chicken-scale, while the control station and factory environment remain human-scaled. Consolidating and integrating these different dimensions into a coherent and consistent aesthetic, with sophisticated lighting and art direction, involved advanced hand-animation skills, as well as a degree of post-production to ensure lighting consistency. </p>
<p>Visual effects production for Dawn of the Nugget had to strike a balance between cleaning up and maintaining a characteristic hand-crafted, tactile style. Kirstie Deane, VFX producer, <a href="https://www.netflix.com/title/81743939">explains</a> in the behind the scenes film that their team “cleaned-up elements” that are a bit distracting, but for the most part, all of those thumb prints and the hand-touched nature of the stop-frame remained untouched. </p>
<p>The fine balance between the physical and human nature of Aardman animation, and the need for rudimentary post-production to further film consistency and continuity, contributes to Dawn of the Nugget’s unique charm.</p>
<p>With its thinly veiled capitalist critique, the film manages to successfully lift the storyline into the 21st century, while maintaining a fluid, organic, yet tactile feel. Animated on every second frame, the film presents audiences with a dynamic visual rollercoaster of hand-animation, that never feels over-produced, but manages to instil its dialogue, characters and actions with an endearing comedy.</p>
<p>While the original Chicken Run was both critically acclaimed for its <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10509200601091433">lead female role</a>, it was also criticised for its stereotyped depiction of <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20220819214023/https://filmschoolrejects.com/revolutionary-spirit-of-chicken-run">gendered activities</a>, such as knitting and sewing.</p>
<p>The sequel has learned from the past. It centres around another strong-willed female protagonist – teenage chick Molly – and her strong relationship with the gender-fluid Frizzel reaches beyond gender stereotypes.</p>
<p>Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget is a visually captivating firework of handcraft and skill in stop motion. It’s a labour of love, that points as much to the past as to the future of the animation industry. The film builds on the core strengths of Aardman Animations. It features appealing character design, world-leading stop motion clay animation and a masterclass in British wit and humour.</p>
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<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Oliver Gingrich receives funding from Arts and Humanities Research Council for the research project p_ART_icipate led by the University of Greenwich</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Min Young Oh does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Dawn of the Nugget has appealing new characters, emotional depth and distinctly British humour.Oliver Gingrich, Programme Lead BA (Hons) Animation, University of GreenwichMin Young Oh, Lecturer in Animation, University of GreenwichLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2193232023-12-11T19:02:17Z2023-12-11T19:02:17ZWho was Leonard Bernstein, the man at the centre of Bradley Cooper’s Maestro?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/564693/original/file-20231210-25-fyd0ol.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=46%2C35%2C7779%2C5714&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Jason McDonald/Netflix</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>“Maestro” is a word that resonates across concert music. From the Italian word for master, it is applied most frequently to a respected and established conductor of operas and orchestras but can also be used to refer to virtuoso instrumentalists. </p>
<p>Despite its gendered form (male), the term has been regularly applied to female conductors, instrumentalists and others who have achieved significant artistic recognition. </p>
<p>Leonard Bernstein, the character at the centre of Maestro, a new film from director (and star) Bradley Cooper, was not just a great conductor. While the word maestro certainly sums up his career, ego and personality, early in the film Lenny (as he was affectionately known) lists all his achievements, then somewhat dryly sums himself up as “a musician”.</p>
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<h2>The life of ‘a musician’</h2>
<p>Bernstein is recognised as one of the most significant forces in 20th century American music. Starting as an accomplished concert pianist, Bernstein reached the pinnacle of success as a brilliant and effulgent conductor, the first American-born to direct the New York Philharmonic, and the first American-born to conduct the London Symphony, Royal Concertgebouw and Berlin Philharmonic orchestras. </p>
<p>Throughout his career, Bernstein championed the work of American composers, including those of his close friend and mentor Aaron Copland, as well as works by Marc Blitzstein, Lukas Foss, Samuel Barber and others. Encouraged by Copland, Bernstein revived interest in the music of Gustav Mahler and restored the Austrian composer as a regular feature on the international concert hall stage.</p>
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<p>Bernstein was a successful composer. His styles traversed popular and formal genres, often synthesising traditional Jewish melodic and modal elements with jazz and Latin American rhythms and melodies. He composed to great acclaim for concert, dance and theatre stages.</p>
<p>He was a notable educator. Throughout his life, Bernstein gave regular masterclasses in conducting at Tanglewood, the Boston Symphony Orchestra’s summer academy for elite musicians. </p>
<p>In 1954 Bernstein appeared for the first time on Omnibus, an educational entertainment television show on CBS, where he discussed and played diverse musical genres to millions of American homes.</p>
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<p>Bernstein’s educational work culminated with the televising of his Young People’s Concerts with the New York Philharmonic on CBS in 1964–5, eventually syndicated across 40 countries. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/explainer-what-exactly-do-musical-conductors-do-82889">Explainer: what exactly do musical conductors do?</a>
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<h2>A resolutely Jewish artist</h2>
<p>Born in Massachusetts in 1918 to Jewish immigrants from Berezdiv and Shepetivka in Western Ukraine, Bernstein entered the hallowed halls of Harvard in 1935. After graduating, he enrolled at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, to be supervised by another mentor (and refugee from quasi-fascist Hungary), Fritz Reiner. </p>
<p>Graduating from Curtis in 1941, Bernstein arrived on the American music scene at a time where persecution had caused many Jewish musicians and composers to flee the tentacles of Nazi Germany and its neighbours. </p>
<p>It was also a time of endemic antisemitism throughout American society. At one point in the movie, Serge Koussevitsky, the iconic Russian-born (and formerly Jewish) conductor and music director of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, suggests to the young Bernstein he change his name to Leonard S. Burns in order to achieve a successful conducting career.</p>
<p>Bernstein refused. Having conquered antisemitism at Harvard and elsewhere by being resolutely himself, Bernstein revealed not only a deep abiding commitment to Judaism, but a desire to forge a path of freedom for Jewish musical artists in the 20th century. </p>
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<p>Cooper chooses symbolic representations of Judaism throughout Maestro to reinforce this. What looks like a tallit (a prayer shawl) hangs in Bernstein’s flat in Carnegie Hall. Traditional rye bread is featured on the lunch table with Koussevitsky. When returning to his home in Connecticut after rehearsing a chorus from Candide, Lenny is seen wearing a Harvard sweatshirt, its letters emblazoned in the Hebrew spelling of his Ivy League alma mater. </p>
<p>The music playing over the credits at the end of the film highlight the Jewish aspects of his work. They begin with the Psalm 23 Hebrew words from the second movement of Bernstein’s Chichester Psalms, and conclude with the second movement of his Symphony No. 3, Kaddish. This is a particularly interesting choice, as the narration of this movement invokes the Jewish tradition of a pious individual calling God to account for the suffering of the Jewish people, known as a din torah. </p>
<h2>A complicated relationship</h2>
<p>Maestro is particularly interested in the relationship between Bernstein and his wife, actor Felicia Montealegre Cohn (Carey Mulligan). She arrives as a young woman in a hauntingly beautiful cinematic moment to the party where she was to meet her future husband. We last see her in her final moments of life with Bernstein and their three children, dancing to the tune of Shirley Ellis’s 1965 hit, The Clapping Song. </p>
<p>Maestro depicts Lenny’s hedonistic whirlwind of a life. Bernstein’s mastery did not extend to human relationships. His bisexuality and its effects on his marriage are more a focus of the film than his Jewishness, but Cooper is at pains to acknowledge that Felicia enters the relationship with eyes wide open – as she says when he proposes to her in a hedge maze, “let’s give it a whirl”. </p>
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<p>Anger and frustration rise and fall as Lenny cavorts with impunity, bringing lovers home, lying (on instruction) to his daughter about the nature of his affairs, and generally doing what he wants.</p>
<p>Cooper has brought together many disparate elements to weave a fresh story of the life of Bernstein. Sometimes his use of symbolism is overly obvious, at other times beautifully subtle. Watch it for the cinematography, for the settings, for the music, and especially for the moment where Bernstein is conducting Mahler’s Symphony No. 2 at Ely Cathedral in the United Kingdom. It is an absolute highlight in the two hours.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/im-going-to-a-classical-music-concert-for-the-first-time-what-should-i-know-195290">I'm going to a classical music concert for the first time. What should I know?</a>
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<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Joseph Toltz does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Leonard Bernstein was one of the most significant forces in 20th century American music – and led a complicated life behind the scenes.Joseph Toltz, Honorary Associate, Hebrew, Jewish and Biblical Studies, University of SydneyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2177612023-12-10T14:30:46Z2023-12-10T14:30:46Z‘You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah’ speaks to the meaningful impact of religious rituals for Jewish girls<iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100px; border: none; position: relative; z-index: 1;" allowtransparency="" allow="clipboard-read; clipboard-write" src="https://narrations.ad-auris.com/widget/the-conversation-canada/you-are-so-not-invited-to-my-bat-mitzvah-speaks-to-the-meaningful-impact-of-religious-rituals-for-jewish-girls" width="100%" height="400"></iframe>
<p>Adam Sandler’s newest movie, <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt21276878/"><em>You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah</em></a>, an <a href="https://www.heyalma.com/the-author-of-you-are-so-not-invited-to-my-bat-mitzvah-has-a-secret/">adaptation of</a> Fiona Rosenbloom’s 2005 eponymous <a href="https://books.google.ca/books/about/You_Are_SO_Not_Invited_to_My_Bat_Mitzvah.html?id=E99g4AoHI4wC&redir_esc=y">young adult novel</a>, is out in time for winter vacation and Netflix binging. </p>
<p>It is no surprise that this teen-themed film is a comedy, alternating between cringe-y and sweet scenes. </p>
<p>Yet the film also offers opportunities to consider how different genres of Jewish-themed films explore the potential of religious ritual to empower young Jewish women. </p>
<h2>Girls’ relationships and futures</h2>
<p>In the movie, Stacy (<a href="https://people.com/parents/all-about-adam-sandler-kids">Sandler’s real-life daughter Sunny</a>) and her best friend Lydia (Samantha Lorraine) have been planning their dreamy, over-the-top, conspicuous consumption Bat Mitzvah parties — <a href="https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/you-are-so-not-invited-to-my-bat-mitzvah-movie-soundtrack">New York City</a> and Candyland themed, respectively — together since childhood. </p>
<p>Their friendship, however, is tested and, temporarily, broken by jealousy over a boy. This is followed by Stacy’s spread of untrue rumours on social media about Lydia. Most devastating of all, Stacy’s embarrassing videos of Lydia are mistakenly shown at Lydia’s Bat Mitzvah party which is consequently ruined. </p>
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<figcaption><span class="caption">‘You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah’ trailer.</span></figcaption>
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<p>When Stacy finds herself standing on <a href="https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/bimah/">the bima</a> for her own Bat Mitzvah ritual, she is facing Lydia’s family’s empty seats, her own family, the congregation and the open <a href="https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/the-torah-scroll-judaic-treasures">Torah scroll</a>. </p>
<p>It is then and there that Stacy admits her wrongdoings, expresses her real remorse for her actions and recognizes the importance of her Jewish community. When Lydia attends Stacy’s party (under parental duress), she discovers Stacy cancelled her own party plans so that Lydia could have the party she always dreamed of. </p>
<h2>Reform-style American Judaism</h2>
<p><em>You Are So</em> presents viewers with a <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/2021/05/11/jewish-americans-in-2020/#:%7E:text=Pew%20Research%20Center%20estimates%20that,were%20Jews%20of%20no%20religion.">liberal, Reform-style congregation</a>: the Rabbi is a woman, men and women sit together, the service is mostly in English and congregants are completely and unself-consciously integrated into secular American life. </p>
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<p>A hundred and one years before <em>You Are So</em> was released, <a href="https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/the-first-bat-mitzvah-in-the-united-states">the first American Bat Mitzvah</a> took place. Judith Kaplan, daughter of Rabbi Mordechai Kaplan, read the blessings for, and a passage from, the Torah from her personal prayer book, not the Torah scroll itself. </p>
<p>This happened in Rabbi Kaplan’s sanctuary in the brownstone home of the <a href="https://saj.nyc/connect/history-of-saj/">Society for the Advancement of Judaism</a>, a synagogue which would evolve over time into <a href="https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/reconstructionist-judaism-today/">Reconstructionist Judaism</a>. Influenced by <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/23605610">American second wave feminism</a>, <a href="https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/the-jewish-denominations/">Conservative synagogues</a> widely adopted the Bat Mitzvah ritual by the 1960s. Reform synagogues did so by the 1970s. Jewish communities <a href="https://iupress.org/9780253356932/today-i-am-a-woman/">around the world now celebrate Bat Mitzvahs</a>.</p>
<h2>Women don’t traditionally read from the Torah</h2>
<p>In non-Orthodox synagogue rituals today, girls read directly and in front of the whole congregation from the Torah scrolls. Traditional Orthodox Judaism, <a href="https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/the-state-of-orthodox-judaism-today">however, does not allow women to read publicly from the Torah scrolls</a>. Orthodox congregations may call upon a young woman to speak about the meaning of the day’s Torah reading, or allow her to read from the Torah in a women’s-only service. </p>
<p>Today in Israel, <a href="https://www.timesofisrael.com/reform-rabbis-assailed-as-they-try-to-bring-torah-scrolls-to-women-at-western-wall/">clashes led by</a> the ultra-Orthodox over the appropriateness of women reading from Torah scrolls at the Western Wall continue to erupt. At times, these <a href="https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-725748">have been violent</a>.</p>
<p>Women’s performances of traditionally male rituals are largely rejected in Orthodox congregations, although some <a href="https://www.tabletmag.com/sections/belief/articles/defining-open-orthodoxy">groups of Orthodox Jews</a> continue to debate and ponder various acceptable possibilities for women. </p>
<h2>‘By and for’ Orthodox women’s films</h2>
<p>I watched <em>You Are So</em> while thinking about this ongoing theological divide between Orthodox and non-Orthodox communities, as well as the growth and appeal of <a href="https://digitalcommons.unomaha.edu/jrf/vol25/iss1/58">“by and for women only” films</a> produced by Orthodox Jewish women. These films feature only modestly dressed and “appropriately behaved” Jewish girls and women, and are intended to be viewed only by girls and women. </p>
<p>Among the most well-known producers of the genre is <a href="https://www.artsandtorah.org/garbosero/">Robin Garbose</a>. In 2000, she founded <a href="https://kolneshama.wordpress.com/about/">Kol Neshama</a>, a Los Angeles-based performing arts conservatory “dedicated to providing professional artistic training and performance opportunities for girls and women in a Torah-observant setting and … the creation of distinctly Jewish film and stage productions.” </p>
<p>During Garbose’s female-only productions, unrelated men and women are not on set together. No production takes <a href="https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/what-is-shabbat-jewish-sabbath">place on Shabbat</a> or other Jewish festivals. </p>
<h2>Gender-specific lessons</h2>
<p>The films communicate gender-specific lessons for girls and women from an Orthodox point of view. <a href="https://www.jpost.com/opinion/op-ed-contributors/women-only-movie-sparks-debate-understanding">Garbose, arguing for the importance of the by and for genre</a>, wrote in the <em>Jerusalem Post</em>: “Our Biblical tradition teaches that the Jewish People and all humanity were not annihilated following the sin of the <a href="https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/golden-calf">golden calf</a> in the merit of the <a href="https://jwa.org/encyclopedia/article/hebrew-women-in-wilderness-midrash-and-aggadah">faithful women</a> who did not participate in the event.” </p>
<p>This refers to the story related in <em>Exodus</em> 32. Aaron asked for gold jewelry from men and women in order to create a golden calf to be worshipped by the Israelites who demanded a god. It was the <a href="https://www.jpost.com/jewish-world/judaism/kol-isha-when-the-women-refused-to-strip-off-their-finery">women who refused to give up their gold</a> for the creation of the idol. </p>
<h2>Interpretations of modesty</h2>
<p>For Garbose, the sin of the golden calf today includes Jewish women both acting in and viewing inappropriate films, actions in contradiction with Jewish laws of modesty. Her films, including both their production and intended female-only audiences, are appropriate for all women to take part in, without risking their fidelity to Jewish law. </p>
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<p>While Garbose would not portray Jewish women reading from the Torah publicly in her films, viewers of <em>You Are So</em> see Stacy do so. In fact, Stacy’s Torah reading is <a href="https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/ki-tissa-a-summary-of-the-parashah/">Ki Tissa</a>, the story of the golden calf. </p>
<p>Garbose’s Kol Neshama films include <a href="https://mostlymusic.com/en-ca/products/robin-garbose-operation-candelight"><em>Operation: Candlelight</em></a> (2014), an “action adventure film for women and girls.” </p>
<p>In this film, girls at a religious Jewish school in California uncover a <a href="https://yuobserver.org/2013/10/film-talk-operation-candlelight/">local criminal plot</a>. They not only foil the plot, but also find that their truest selves are expressed when <a href="https://jwa.org/encyclopedia/article/festivals-and-holy-days">lighting Shabbat candles</a>, the quintessential Jewish woman’s ritual responsibility. </p>
<h2>Portraying Jewish women’s worlds</h2>
<p><em>You Are So</em> and <em>Operation</em> are seemingly worlds apart, despite being both filmed in California. </p>
<p>It seems clear that Sandler and Garbose are unlikely to agree on a variety of theological issues, including an interpretation of the golden calf. Yet they both find themselves in and portraying Jewish women’s worlds — Garbose in her work at Kol Neshama and <a href="https://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-moms/pictures/meet-adam-sandlers-family-jackie-sadie-sunny-and-more/#">Sandler, at least as I imagine him, the sole man at home with his two daughters and wife</a>. </p>
<p>Garbose and Sandler share a focus on the potential of Jewish ritual, the Bat Mitzvah and Shabbat candlelighting respectively, to change and empower young Jewish women. Sandler and Garbose, remarkably, are in agreement, at least on this point.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/217761/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Celia E. Rothenberg does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>‘You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah’ may seem worlds apart from the growth and appeal of ‘by and for women only’ films produced by Orthodox Jewish women, but all these films share a focus on the potential of Jewish ritual.Celia E. Rothenberg, Associate Professor, Department of Religious Studies, McMaster UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2177742023-12-08T13:34:52Z2023-12-08T13:34:52ZConservatives’ ‘anti-woke’ alternative to Disney has finally arrived<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/564036/original/file-20231206-15-bo3nqp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=23%2C5%2C3918%2C2618&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Daily Wire co-CEO Caleb Robinson, co-CEO Jeremy Boreing and editor emeritus Ben Shapiro attend the red carpet premiere of 'Lady Ballers' on Nov. 29, 2023, in Nashville, Tenn.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/caleb-robinson-jeremy-boreing-and-ben-shapiro-attend-the-news-photo/1822502280?adppopup=true">Jason Davis/Getty Images for Bentkey Ventures</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>As fanfare blares, female sprinters at the starting line suspiciously eye a man in a wig. A hulking, goateed wrestler slams a woman half his size to the mat. An ominous voice-over intones that women’s sports are being “trans-formed.”</p>
<p>No, this isn’t the beginning of a classic <a href="https://www.imdb.com/list/ls026509984/">cross-dressing comedy</a>. It’s the trailer for “<a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt30216176/">Lady Ballers</a>,” a new right-wing movie that farcically depicts cisgendered men claiming to be women in order to dominate women’s sports.</p>
<p>At first glance, it’s easy to dismiss the movie as yet another example of the meme that <a href="https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/conservatives-have-one-joke">conservatives only have one joke</a>, repeated ad nauseam, mocking liberal views on gender identity. </p>
<p>But <a href="https://www.ucpress.edu/book/9780520402966/thats-not-funny">my own research</a> has explored the vast network of conservative comedy that bolsters right-wing political efforts.</p>
<p>Now, in addition to comedy, U.S. conservatives are using action films, dramas and even kids’ cartoons to build their own alternative entertainment industry, one shielded from the alleged liberal biases of Hollywood.</p>
<p>The most prominent recent efforts are two streaming entertainment platforms from right-wing pundit Ben Shapiro and “Lady Ballers” star <a href="https://www.politicon.com/speaker/jeremy-boreing/">Jeremy Boreing</a>. </p>
<p><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/12/07/style/daily-wire-nashville-conservative-media.html">DailyWire+</a> offers documentaries, Westerns and faith-based fantasy series. Its companion streaming platform, <a href="https://www.axios.com/2023/10/16/daily-wire-streaming-kids-bentkey-disney">Bentkey</a>, which launched in October 2023, specializes in children’s programming.</p>
<p>To be sure, these streamers have miles to go before challenging Netflix and Disney+. But by strategically targeting their politically engaged audiences, the platforms have been successful – and could have more staying power than prior attempts at making music and movies for conservatives.</p>
<h2>Swings, misses – and a few hits</h2>
<p>U.S. conservatives have successfully launched and steered a number of news outlets. They have a spottier record when it comes to entertainment, whether it’s feature films, pop songs or kids’ shows.</p>
<p>In 2013, former Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum became the CEO of EchoLight Studios, which <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/rick-santorum-becomes-ceo-faith-574199/">produced several faith-based films in the 2010s</a>. Similarly, the pundit and documentary filmmaker <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/31/us/politics/dinesh-dsouza-facts-history.html">Dinesh D'Souza</a> has had a few modest box office hits centered on right-wing conspiracy theories. These efforts saw limited success because their niche political appeal was mismatched with theatrical movies’ wide distribution.</p>
<p>Other forms of conservative entertainment have briefly gone viral, before all but disappearing – perhaps because they’re too closely aligned with current events to have staying power. Kid Rock’s “<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=kyFnLqJx-uU">We the People</a>” bemoaned COVID-19 restrictions and “Bidenomics,” while Jason Aldean’s “<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b1_RKu-ESCY">Try That In a Small Town</a>” tried to harness conservative resentment toward Black Lives Matter protests a few years too late.</p>
<p>One notable conservative entertainment hit is the 2023 thriller “The Sound of Freedom.” The movie’s surprise success had as much to do with its subject matter – child trafficking, <a href="https://www.thenation.com/article/culture/sound-of-freedom-movie/">which is catnip for right-wing conspiracists</a> – as it did with its unique financing. The film’s producer, Angel Studios, used an <a href="https://www.indiewire.com/news/business/sound-of-freedom-box-office-analysis-crowdfunding-pay-it-forward-1234881363/">equity crowdfunding model</a> that gave 100,000 individual investors a say in creative and marketing decisions.</p>
<p>Then “The Sound of Freedom” used a “pay it forward” marketing scheme that encouraged the film’s fans to buy tickets for like-minded friends and family. Although Angel Studios <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/sound-of-freedom-angel-studios-pay-it-forward-1235550898/">won’t disclose how much revenue “pay it forward” generated</a>, the movie <a href="https://www.vulture.com/2023/11/sound-of-freedom-amazon-prime-video.html">has an overall gross</a> of nearly US$250 million against a $14.5 million budget.</p>
<p>“The Sound of Freedom” allowed audiences literally to buy into the film’s success, which its marketing campaign equated with actively rejecting Hollywood’s liberal agenda. A similar dynamic informed the launch – and will likely determine the future – of DailyWire+ and Bentkey.</p>
<h2>Packaging conservatism for kids</h2>
<p>Shapiro is among the <a href="https://voz.us/ben-shapiro-endorses-ron-desantis-as-republican-presidential-nominee/?lang=en">most vocal backers</a> of Republican presidential candidate Ron DeSantis. Both are <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/nbc-out/out-politics-and-policy/desantis-signs-dont-say-gay-expansion-gender-affirming-care-ban-rcna84698">deeply hostile to LGBTQ+ rights</a>. They’ve also routinely claimed that supporters of “<a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/miami/news/gov-ron-desantis-addresses-woke-gender-ideology-dont-say-gay-law/">woke gender ideology</a>” like Disney are “<a href="https://twitter.com/benshapiro/status/1600858728856965121">grooming</a>” children.</p>
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<p>In late 2022, <a href="https://www.axios.com/2022/11/17/daily-wire-1m-subscribers">DailyWire+ surpassed 1 million subscribers</a> by releasing programming that stoked these culture war concerns. Among the platform’s hits were right-wing commentator Matt Walsh’s anti-trans documentary “<a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt20256528/">What Is A Woman?</a>” and PragerU’s video shorts that advocate for conservative pet issues through sober, educational-sounding explainers. Then, of course, there are comedies like “Lady Ballers.”</p>
<p>Boreing has explicitly highlighted the disconnect between viewers’ politics and their entertainment options. </p>
<p>“[Americans are] tired of giving their money to woke media companies who want to indoctrinate their children with radical race and gender theory,” he told The Washington Post <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2022/03/31/daily-wire-kids/">ahead of Bentkey’s recent launch</a>.</p>
<p>Bentkey strives to directly counterprogram Disney with its own conservative family programming. “Chip Chilla,” for instance, is a fairly transparent rip-off of the Disney+-distributed hit “<a href="https://www.npr.org/2023/07/31/1191155197/bluey-tv-show-new-series-disney">Bluey</a>,” a cartoon about the hijinks of a family of Australian dogs.</p>
<p>The creators of “Chip Chilla” include <a href="https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-features/rob-schneider-politics-conservative-anti-vaxxer-1234779419/">“Saturday Night Live” alumnus-turned-anti-vaxxer</a> Rob Schneider and Ethan Nicolle, the former creative director of the right-wing satire website <a href="https://babylonbee.com/">The Babylon Bee</a>.</p>
<p>The platform also aims to challenge Disney’s dominance in the princess realm. Bentkey’s forthcoming fantasy film “Snow White and The Evil Queen” stars the popular conservative YouTuber Brett Cooper and purports <a href="https://deadline.com/2023/10/daily-wire-snow-white-movie-youtuber-brett-cooper-watch-1235574937/">to emphasize the fairy tale’s traditional social values</a>.</p>
<h2>If politics is downstream from culture …</h2>
<p><a href="https://www.axios.com/2023/06/13/media-job-cuts-record">As media grapple with declining advertising revenue</a>, DailyWire+ and Bentkey are betting that loyal, politically engaged subscribers will drive their growth. </p>
<p>Shapiro’s strategy aligns with that of X, which is <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2023/09/18/musk-says-twitter-now-x-is-moving-to-monthly-subscriptions.html">backing into a subscription model</a> as chairman Elon Musk’s impulsive tweets alienate advertisers. </p>
<p>In a move away from the ad-supported YouTube, <a href="https://www.axios.com/2023/05/23/daily-wire-bringing-podcasts-twitter">Shapiro struck a deal with Musk</a> for X to host The Daily Wire’s podcasts. Like Shapiro, <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/05/24/politics/elon-musk-ron-desantis/index.html">Musk is a supporter of DeSantis</a>, with X – then known as Twitter – infamously hosting the candidate’s <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/24/us/politics/ron-desantis-campaign-announcement-twitter.html">disastrous campaign launch</a> in May 2023.</p>
<p>Backed by this confluence of powerful right-wing voices, conservative entertainment can engage the Republican electorate in new ways. Liberals would do well <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2022/05/13/liberals-should-worry-conservative-comedy-00031907">not to dismiss</a> its potentially galvanizing effects before the 2024 election.</p>
<p>The late right-wing muckraker Andrew Breitbart – a mentor of Shapiro – <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/05/23/opinion/progressives-republican-censorship.html">famously asserted</a> that politics is downstream from culture.</p>
<p>If this is, in fact, the case, slapstick comedy and children’s animation just might buoy the next wave of conservative activism.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/217774/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Nick Marx does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Through action films, dramas and kids’ cartoons, right-wing activists are working to build their own alternative entertainment universe insulated from Hollywood’s purported liberal biases.Nick Marx, Associate Professor of Film and Media Studies, Colorado State UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2186352023-12-05T16:56:47Z2023-12-05T16:56:47ZBlue Eye Samurai: historian explains what the Netflix series gets right and wrong about real Edo-period Japan<p><em>Warning: this article includes spoilers for Blue Eye Samurai.</em></p>
<p>Netflix’s <a href="https://www.netflix.com/title/81144203">Blue Eye Samurai</a> is an anime series set during the opening decades of Japan’s <a href="https://www.britannica.com/event/Tokugawa-period">Edo period</a> (1603–1867), also known as the Tokugawa period. Among other subjects, the series addresses the role of samurai, what life was like for women and people of mixed heritage, and violence in Edo-period Japan – with varying degrees of accuracy.</p>
<p>Japanese society was strictly stratified at this time, as the series frequently references. The hierarchy was ranked, in descending order, by: samurai, farmer, artisan and merchant classes. </p>
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<p>Even in the early stages of the 1600s Edo period, the entire samurai ruling class centred around the role of the warrior. But by the time the series opens, in the 1650s, the country was unified – a political and economically stable society – and this meant that the role of the samurai was in decline.</p>
<p>However, the samurai still defended the ideals of loyalty, courage and honour. It is these ideals that motivate Blue Eye Samurai’s principal characters, Mizu, Ringo and Taigen.</p>
<h2>Real people of mixed heritage in Edo-period Japan</h2>
<p>Mizu (Maya Erskine) is a mixed heritage white and Japanese woman living undercover as a male <a href="https://historyguild.org/the-onna-musha-japans-fearsome-warrior-women/">swordsmaster</a>. She undertakes a quest for vengeance against four British men (one of whom may be her father), who illegally remain hidden in Japan during <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/sakoku">Sakoku</a>.</p>
<p>Under Sakoku, only Dutch traders were permitted entry to Japan, and were confined to a small man-made island off Nagasaki. The Tokugawa shogunate’s (Japan’s military government during the Edo period) isolationist policy effectively <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/sakoku">closed the country’s borders</a> to all outside influences through a number of edicts from 1633 to 1639. </p>
<p>But it might help viewers of Blue Eye Samurai to know that during the preceding so-called <a href="https://www.carcanet.co.uk/cgi-bin/indexer?product=9781857540352">Christian Century</a> (1540 to 1630), the Japanese authorities had – with varying degrees of enthusiasm – accommodated a large number of foreign traders and pirates who were resident in Japan and active in Japanese waters. We can presume the four renegades are the remnants of these pirates – including Blue Eye Samurai’s main antagonist, the evil Abijah Fowler (voiced by Kenneth Branagh).</p>
<p>In the Edo period, women were expected to be subservient – but not weak. As the series depicts, women presented themselves as characteristically beautiful, with elaborate hair styles, makeup and clothing. They were supposed to be educated and compliant.</p>
<p>Mizu is particularly burdened by many of the stereotypes of Japanese society. Not only is she a woman, but she is of mixed heritage, something which is repeatedly referred to as being “less than human” or “impure”. She has to conceal her difference in a masculine disguise. </p>
<p>This is reminiscent of the fate of the children of <a href="https://blogs.bl.uk/untoldlives/2020/11/william-adams-in-japan-a-new-digital-resource.html">William Adams</a>, a 17th-century English sailor who became an honorary samurai. They disappeared from historical record after 1635. The series captures the covert presence of any person of mixed European and Japanese heritage <strong>during this time</strong>.</p>
<h2>The real upper classes in the Edo period</h2>
<p>The life of the upper classes, and the choices open to them, is depicted in accurate detail in the portrayal of Akemi (Brenda Song) and her family.</p>
<p>Although called a “princess” (perhaps for clarity to western audiences unfamiliar with Japan’s royal hierarchies) her status is more that of a “lady”, as she is not of royal blood. Her father (Patrick Gallagher) is a self-made lord. Nonetheless, as the Japanese emperor’s role was essentially ceremonial in this period, power did lie with feudal lords such as her father. It is accurate to suggest, as the show does, that he would gain higher social status by marrying off Akemi to a member of the ruling shogun family.</p>
<p>The strong willed “princess” Akemi excels at many of the fine arts and courtly practices as expected of a woman of their class. This includes <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/tea-ceremony#:%7E:text=Ritual%20tea%20drinking%2C%20which%20originated,Bodhidharma%20(Japanese%3A%20Daruma).">tea ceremonies</a>, <a href="https://poetrysociety.org.nz/affiliates/haiku-nz/haiku-poems-articles/archived-articles/introduction-to-renku/">Renku poetry</a>, flower arrangement, painting, dancing and the game of <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/go-game">Go</a>.</p>
<p>We follow her as she deploys these skills to achieve independence in a patriarchal society, including resorting to becoming a <a href="https://www.britannica.com/art/geisha">geisha</a> – who had similar skills to women of the ruling classes. Although initially repulsive to her, in the end she accepts that marriage to the new shogun’s brother, rather than to her childhood sweetheart Taigen (Darren Barnet), will allow her an active role in the shogunate’s court.</p>
<p>Some people in Edo-period Japan lived outside expected gender roles, including geisha. They could run their own business, and the life offered women a level of independence unknown to the other classes, as demonstrated by the character of Madame Kaji (Ming-Na Wen).</p>
<h2>The reality of violence in Edo period Japan</h2>
<p>The vivid violence in Blue Eye Samurai suggests that life in the unified Edo Japan was a lot less peaceful than reality.</p>
<p>Due to the long Edo period’s <a href="https://www.britannica.com/event/Tokugawa-period">economic and political stability</a>, the role of a samurai as a warrior had become reduced to a largely ceremonial one. Sword skills were demonstrated in stylised duels and challenges over honour, rather than on the battlefield.</p>
<p>The hostility between Mizu and Taigen is plausibly founded on the latter’s perceived loss of honour after losing their duel. However, a storyline suggesting that Fowler will succeed in usurping the shogun because he has access to firearms, which would trump the Japanese weapons of swords and spears, is a little disingenuous.</p>
<p>In reality, there were <a href="https://www.britannica.com/event/Battle-of-Nagashino">gunsmiths in Japan</a> producing guns throughout the Edo period, and for a century before this story is set. As guns required less skill to wield than the sword or the bow, they were seen by some samurai as <a href="https://www.vam.ac.uk/articles/samurai-japanese-arms-armour">contrary to their values</a>. The sword was simply the more practical weapon in the average small-scale Edo-period conflicts.</p>
<p>Despite diverging from some of the history, overall The Blue Eye Samurai is an enjoyable, fairly accurate and visually sumptuous tale of Edo-era Japan.</p>
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<p><em>Looking for something good? Cut through the noise with a carefully curated selection of the latest releases, live events and exhibitions, straight to your inbox every fortnight, on Fridays. <a href="https://theconversation.com/uk/newsletters/something-good-156">Sign up here</a>.</em></p>
<hr><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/218635/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Ruth Starr does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>The series addresses the role of samurai, what life was like for women and people of mixed heritage, and violence in Edo-period Japan, with varying degrees of accuracy.Ruth Starr, Lecturer in History of Japanese art and architecture, Trinity College DublinLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2180292023-11-17T04:34:41Z2023-11-17T04:34:41ZThe Crown season six: an overly detailed, unimaginative soap opera – I needed a martini to get through it<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/560111/original/file-20231117-29-mms70g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=71%2C26%2C5850%2C2929&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Keith Bernstein/Netflix</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>The opening scene of season six of The Crown sees a man walking his dog under the light of the Eiffel Tower. It’s 1997 and a Mercedes car speeds past and ends in a horrendous crash in a Paris tunnel. The man’s dog is being recalcitrant and refusing to take its evening wee.</p>
<p>When The Crown debuted in 2016, the quality of the story lines, acting and impressive production standards were so striking that millions of viewers discovered the addiction of bingeing a television program; episodes would be viewed on a loop and toilet breaks would be delayed. </p>
<p>Unlike the dog in the first episode of season six, however, I suspect I won’t be alone in being one of the viewers who found it quite easy to hop up and make cups of tea and trips to the loo throughout the four episodes of The Crown’s final season.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/friday-essay-the-hidden-agenda-of-royal-experts-circling-the-crown-series-4-151293">Friday essay: the hidden agenda of royal experts circling The Crown series 4</a>
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<h2>All about Diana</h2>
<p>Season six breaks away from The Crown’s formula of royal story lines that depict key moments in the monarchy’s private and public life. Previous seasons followed the same line of representing some aspect of the Windsor’s private upheavals, set alongside the queen’s interactions with her prime minister of the day. Story lines covered decades rather than short time spans; the narrative arc was expansive.</p>
<p>The focus this time round is on Diana’s (Elizabeth Debicki) last summer, a frenzied rush around the south of France and through the streets of Paris with her new paramour, Dodi Fayed (Khalid Abdalla). </p>
<p>The figure of the queen (Imelda Staunton) makes far fewer appearances than in the first five seasons, and by the time we come to 1997, Elizabeth II has all but shrunk into the mist and rain of the Scottish Highlands, outshone by the former daughter-in-law who is living out her last days in the glare of the Mediterranean sun and strobing flashbulbs of the paparazzi press packs.</p>
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<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/560112/original/file-20231117-19-qludbw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Diana and Dodi" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/560112/original/file-20231117-19-qludbw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/560112/original/file-20231117-19-qludbw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=300&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/560112/original/file-20231117-19-qludbw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=300&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/560112/original/file-20231117-19-qludbw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=300&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/560112/original/file-20231117-19-qludbw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=377&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/560112/original/file-20231117-19-qludbw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=377&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/560112/original/file-20231117-19-qludbw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=377&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">We are given a frenzied rush around the south of France and through the streets of Paris.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Daniel Escale/Netflix</span></span>
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<p>Prime Minister Tony Blair (Bertie Carvel) makes a brief appearance, imploring his sovereign to give her former daughter-in-law a royal role on the international stage.</p>
<p>And then it’s back to Diana and Dodi.</p>
<p>Occasionally, there are glimpses of Charles and Camilla’s life. Charles (Dominic West) holds a 50th birthday party for Camilla (Olivia Williams) that the queen refuses to attend. Charles and the queen stage an awkward conversation about the queen’s formal acceptance of Camilla as the most important woman in his life. </p>
<p>Princes William (Rufus Kampa) and Harry (Fflyn Edwards) are the pawns in their parents’ post-divorce jostling for media attention. </p>
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<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/560113/original/file-20231117-27-o2qyb1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="The family in a boat" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/560113/original/file-20231117-27-o2qyb1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/560113/original/file-20231117-27-o2qyb1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=300&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/560113/original/file-20231117-27-o2qyb1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=300&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/560113/original/file-20231117-27-o2qyb1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=300&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/560113/original/file-20231117-27-o2qyb1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=377&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/560113/original/file-20231117-27-o2qyb1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=377&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/560113/original/file-20231117-27-o2qyb1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=377&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">Princes William and Harry are the pawns in their parents’ divorce.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Keith Bernstein/Netflix</span></span>
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<p>Princess Margaret (Lesley Manville) appears as the only royal to have met some acceptance of her royal lot in life, and Prince Philip (Jonathan Pryce) appears on the sidelines, merely bewildered by the travelling media circus that is Diana’s post-royal life. </p>
<p>And then it’s back to Diana and Dodi.</p>
<h2>A pale comparison</h2>
<p>The switch from public/private Windsor story lines to a focus on Diana makes for far less arresting viewing than previous seasons. The irony is that it is screenwriter – and the show’s creator – Peter Morgan himself who has jeopardised this period of The Crown by already having done it better in The Queen (2006) directed by Stephen Frears.</p>
<p>The Queen, starring Helen Mirren as the queen, is set during the week following Diana’s death in Paris and charts the royal family’s faltering navigation of the Windsor “brand” through the seismic shift in public perceptions of the royals during that week.</p>
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<p>Morgan’s screenplay was made especially effective by having Diana not appear as a fully fleshed character in the film; instead, she is a pixelated, mediated figure glimpsed on television screens and through the zoom lens of a thousand cameras. </p>
<p>In The Queen, Diana is literally a visual representation: an image so large in the public imagination that her likeness eclipses both the figure of the sovereign and the royal institution itself.</p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/from-fairytale-to-gothic-ghost-story-how-40-years-of-biopics-showed-princess-diana-on-screen-173648">From fairytale to gothic ghost story: how 40 years of biopics showed Princess Diana on screen</a>
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<p>Having already produced in The Queen an original and complex portrayal of how Diana was instrumental in changing the royal house forever, Morgan had backed himself into a corner. Here there seems apparently little option than to tell the story again in the form of an overly detailed, unimaginative soap opera.</p>
<p>Worse, he chooses to tell the story this time around by having Diana appear as a ghost who has conversations with both Charles and the queen about how much they can learn from her legacy.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/560114/original/file-20231117-17-mms70g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Diana in a blue swimsuit." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/560114/original/file-20231117-17-mms70g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/560114/original/file-20231117-17-mms70g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=300&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/560114/original/file-20231117-17-mms70g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=300&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/560114/original/file-20231117-17-mms70g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=300&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/560114/original/file-20231117-17-mms70g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=377&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/560114/original/file-20231117-17-mms70g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=377&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/560114/original/file-20231117-17-mms70g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=377&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">Elizabeth Debicki does the heavy lifting.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Daniel Escale/Netflix</span></span>
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<p>All the actors do their best (Debicki does the heavy lifting) and the costumes are spot on. You just know that the biscuits and tea that the actors are drinking are the real thing, and it’s only the scotch whiskies the characters slug back on luxury yachts and at Balmoral that are substituted by iced tea.</p>
<p>It was, however, by the stage of Diana’s first ghost appearance in the final episode, Aftermath, that my cups of tea had turned into vodka martinis and the trips to the loo were becoming more frequent – even when I didn’t need to go.</p>
<p><em>The Crown season six, part one, is on Netflix now.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/218029/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Giselle Bastin does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>When The Crown debuted in 2016, the quality of the story lines, acting and impressive production standards were striking. What happened?Giselle Bastin, Associate Professor of English, Flinders UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2175932023-11-16T13:26:24Z2023-11-16T13:26:24ZPluto: Netflix’s anime masterpiece explores how robots ‘feel’ when humans exploit them<p>There have been many TV shows and films inspired by the dual fear and excitement surrounding advances in artificial intelligence (AI). But not many exhibit such masterful craft and profound humanity as the new Netflix anime miniseries, Pluto. </p>
<p>Pluto is adapted from <a href="https://www.simonandschuster.co.uk/books/Pluto-Urasawa-x-Tezuka-Vol-1/Naoki-Urasawa/Pluto-Urasawa-x-Tezuka/9781421519180">a manga series of the same title</a> (2003-2009), created by Naoki Urasawa and Takashi Nagasaki. The manga version – <a href="https://screenrant.com/netflix-best-anime-pluto/">considered a comic masterpiece</a> for its beautiful art and sophisticated storyline – incorporated fundamental elements from Osamu Tezuka’s <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.5749/mech.8.2013.0313">celebrated manga series</a> <a href="https://tezukaosamu.net/en/manga/291.html">Astro Boy</a> (1952-1968), including the beloved android adolescent who was the titular character. </p>
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<p>Pluto is set in a futuristic world in which humans and robots coexist, albeit within a hierarchy in favour of humans. Robots excel in various jobs ranging from nannies and butlers to architects and detectives, but they are treated as second-class citizens. </p>
<p>Although robots gradually gain their own rights codified into law, they are still exploited by humans, who downplay their worth and emotional intelligence. As much as humans depend on AI, they also feel threatened by it.</p>
<h2>An AI murder mystery</h2>
<p>Pluto, which has both Japanese and English audio versions, follows German robot detective Gesicht (Shinshū Fuji/Jason Vande Brake) as he traces the mysterious killings of robots and humans. The world’s seven most advanced robots (including Gesicht himself) and robot-friendly humans (including his creator) are the targets of this assassination scheme. </p>
<p>What’s most perplexing is that the murders appear untraceable. This suggests that the killer might be a very advanced robot, challenging the belief that robots can’t ever kill humans due to their programmed constraints. </p>
<p>This enigmatic case echoes the cautionary message found in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein – beware of human beings’ ambitious dreams and creations. While the story begins as a murder mystery, it evolves into a thoughtful drama about the conflicted relationships between humans and androids.</p>
<p>While Pluto draws on many familiar sci-fi concepts, it distinguishes itself through its meticulous character development and the depth of its micro-stories. Every character is complex, and the audience is able to get to know them and become invested in their fates. The anime’s unhurried pace also allows viewers ample time to contemplate its philosophical questions about consciousness evolution and the powerful impacts of emotions.</p>
<p>Despite all its brilliance, however, the series is not without flaws. It has a dated representation of <a href="https://doi.org/10.1057/s41305-017-0065-8">gender roles</a>, with no female characters – whether human or robot – playing an important part. None of them break free from the stereotypical role of nurturing, stay-behind support for their exceptionally capable and powerful male partners. </p>
<h2>Animation of the year</h2>
<p>Pluto maintains a melancholic tone throughout – but despite this overarching dark ambience, it is at times romantic and moving. It exalts love, friendship and compassion without falling into sentimentality, evoking an emotional resonance reminiscent of <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-blade-runner-2049-prepares-us-to-welcome-robots-for-real-85050">Blade Runner</a> (1982). </p>
<p>The series emphasises that life, or the process of living, imparts character and humanity, transcending biological organs and blood. Androids may initially be devoid of complex emotions, but they develop sentience through everyday experiences and interactions with fellow robots and humans. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/blade-runner-2049-how-philip-k-dicks-classic-novel-has-stood-the-test-of-time-74940">Blade Runner 2049: how Philip K Dick's classic novel has stood the test of time</a>
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<p>Robots can even learn to appreciate music, as manifested by the charismatic North No.2 (Koichi Yamadera/Patrick Seitz), who was designed for intense combat but grows weary of warfare. The narrative underscores the simultaneous beauty and danger of emotions – particularly the destructive force of wrath. </p>
<p>With great technological advancements and comfort, this futuristic world is still torn by war. It poses the question: “Will war ever end?” – reminding us of the conflicts and tragedies happening in the real world. The anime suggests that an end to war is unlikely as long as hatred persists.</p>
<p>For me, with its beautiful art and riveting narrative, Pluto stands out as one of the best Netflix productions of all time. It’s certainly the best animated work of the year. </p>
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<p><em>Looking for something good? Cut through the noise with a carefully curated selection of the latest releases, live events and exhibitions, straight to your inbox every fortnight, on Fridays. <a href="https://theconversation.com/uk/newsletters/something-good-156">Sign up here</a>.</em></p>
<hr><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/217593/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Thi Gammon does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Pluto follows German robot detective Gesicht as he traces the mysterious killings of robots and humans.Thi Gammon, Research Associate in Culture, Media and Creative Industries Education, King's College LondonLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2155252023-11-05T19:12:33Z2023-11-05T19:12:33ZRoald Dahl, time-bending crime, and queer pirate comedy: the best of streaming this November<p>October has somehow slid into November and pretty soon, the silly season will be upon us. </p>
<p>Before the madness hits, however, there’s still time to get some serious streaming study under your belt, so you’ll be completely up to date if anyone at an end-of-year party asks if you’ve watched anything good lately.</p>
<p>Here are our authors’ picks of the best of November streaming.</p>
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<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/wartime-hijinks-wilderness-survivors-and-contemporary-dance-what-were-streaming-this-october-214469">Wartime hijinks, wilderness survivors and contemporary dance: what we're streaming this October</a>
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<h2>Wes Anderson’s Roald Dahl short films</h2>
<p><em>Netflix</em></p>
<p>Wes Anderson’s latest work involves four short films based on Roald Dahl stories, in some of the most literal and faithful Dahl adaptations ever put on screen.</p>
<p>Dahl (played by Ralph Fiennes) becomes an onscreen character and narrator. The sight of Dahl talking directly to camera in his famous writing chair is somewhat uneasy. Which Dahl will we see? The bigot? Beloved children’s author? </p>
<p>In truth we see neither in the character – but rather manifestations of both in the films themselves. </p>
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<p>The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar is the most joyous in both style and story. From the altruistic Henry Sugar things significantly go darker. The Swan is about a boy victimised to merciless bullying; The Rat Catcher involves a man who kills a rat with his teeth. </p>
<p>The final and most confronting is Poison. Englishman Harry Pope in British-ruled India believes he has a poisonous krait snake asleep with him in his bed. When this is proven incorrect, local physician Dr Ganderbai is subjected to Harry’s racial slurs. It is an ugly and unexpected moment provoking the doctor to leave in stunned silence. </p>
<p>From the first film of its vivid colours and altruistic themes to the bleak finale of Poison, it feels as if Anderson is making a statement about the difficulties regarding Dahl and his cultural legacy.</p>
<p>In the process he has produced some of his most challenging, complex and intriguing films to date. </p>
<p><em>– Stephen Gaunson</em></p>
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<p>
<em>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/roald-dahl-was-a-bigot-and-beloved-childrens-author-wes-anderson-shows-both-sides-of-this-complicated-persona-214836">Roald Dahl was a bigot and beloved children’s author. Wes Anderson shows both sides of this complicated persona</a>
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<h2>Scrublands</h2>
<p><em>Stan from November 16 (Australia), NZ TV3 (New Zealand)</em></p>
<p>Sunday morning service has drawn to a close and the congregation mill around in the sunshine. Many talk glowingly of Father Swift’s charity work, while others on the perimeter of the gathering, bearded and barrel chested, glower from beneath peak caps.</p>
<p>Father Swift emerges from the weatherboard church in his vestments, raises an assault rifle to his shoulder and calmly shoots dead five of his flock. They are all men.</p>
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<p>Journalist Martin Scarsden (Luke Arnold), stuck for words and shielding his own tragedy, is sent to the bush town, Riversend. He’s there to write a piece 12 months on from the mysterious random slaying by the priest.</p>
<p>Here, Scarsden sets about unravelling the murder mystery in search of the truth. The tale takes us from international war crime investigation to local drug manufacturing and distribution, a love child, more murders and implosion of the colonial patriarch. </p>
<p>Landscape is a less dominant theme in Scrublands than more recent bush town crime dramas, such as Mystery Road. Racism and colonial history is covered but is not a leading theme.</p>
<p>Based on the novel by Chris Hammer, the limited series (four episodes) is well worth watching. Scrublands is an Easy Tiger production co-commissioned by Stan and the 9Network, in association with VicScreen and stars Luke Arnold, Bella Heathcote and Jay Ryan.</p>
<p><em>- Heidi Norman</em></p>
<h2>Orange Thrower</h2>
<p><em>Australian Theatre Live, <a href="https://stream.australiantheatre.live/">australiantheatre.live</a></em></p>
<p>Orange Thrower is a powerful exploration of the experience of “otherness” and what it’s like to exist on the margins. </p>
<p>This play, staged by Griffin Theatre Company and the National Theatre of Parramatta, is set in a fictional suburb called Paradise filled with nosy, prying neighbours. </p>
<p>Zadie (Gabriela Van Wyk) is a young South African woman growing up in Australia. The sudden arrival of troubled and energetic cousin Stekkie (Zindzi Okenyo) from Johannesberg disrupts Zadie’s carefully controlled world, where she attempts to walk unnoticed among the community. Despite her attempts to assimilate, Zadie’s home is being regularly pelted by oranges by some unknown vandal. </p>
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<p>The exploration of young love, of gender, of joy and resistance makes for a visceral performance work by Kirsty Marillier – an exciting new Australian voice in theatre. </p>
<p>The storytelling form of Orange Thrower and the spatial realisation of the work are complex and compelling choices. As an audience member watching a digital rendering of live performance, it takes time to sit with this work and understand its nuance and intention. </p>
<p>The performances, especially by Van Wyk, are exceptional. Throughout the work, Marillier exploits the tensions between simplicity and its potential to obscure profound complexities and challenges. </p>
<p>This digital release marks the start of a staggered release of six Griffin Theatre Company productions from Australian Theatre Live, allowing an international audience to experience the magic of Australian stories from the comfort of their homes. </p>
<p><em>– Sarah Austin</em></p>
<h2>Bodies</h2>
<p><em>Netflix</em></p>
<p>The premise of Bodies is extraordinary. The body of a naked man, shot through the eye, is discovered in London’s East End. The same body is discovered over 160 years by four detectives, who are caught in an increasingly complex plot to destroy the world as we know it.</p>
<p>Bodies is based on a graphic novel by Si Spencer and the filming recalls its origins in the use of split screens and constant jumps across time periods. </p>
<p>Unsurprisingly the contemporary detective, Shahara Hasan (Amaka Okafor) does most to hold the story together, but over the eight episodes all four have striking, if somewhat didactic, backstories.</p>
<p>1890s detective, Alfred Hillinghead, is a closeted homosexual, caught between family and lover; in the 1940s Charles Whiteman is a Jew surrounded by anti-Semitic colleagues. </p>
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<p>The scenes in 2053 are the least convincing, positing as they do a post-apocalyptic regime under the rule of Elias Mannix, whom we first encounter as a teenager who detonates the bomb which makes his future rule possible. </p>
<p>Bodies is melodramatic, absurd, beautifully acted and strangely compelling. The motto of the new world, Know you are loved, becomes both trite but surprisingly touching. Suspend disbelief and enjoy the ride.</p>
<p><em>– Dennis Altman</em></p>
<h2>Our Flag Means Death (Season 2)</h2>
<p><em>Binge (Australia), Neon (New Zealand)</em></p>
<p>The deliciously queer pirate comedy Our Flag Means Death dropped its entire second season in October. </p>
<p>Where parts of season one felt a bit like a convoluted gag, this season confidently balances emotional depth with hilarity and deadpan absurdity. </p>
<p>We ended on a breakup when dandy Stede Bonnet (Rhys Darby), the self-styled Gentleman Pirate, failed to make a rendezvous with Ed (Taika Waititi), aka Blackbeard, after they had finally declared their love. </p>
<p>Here, Ed descends into abject villainy and must then seek redemption, and Stede must atone for his betrayal, while also becoming, perhaps, a halfway decent pirate. </p>
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<p>This season, filmed in and around Auckland, is much bigger in scope. The cinematography is lush and spacious. The production design is impressive. The already large ensemble cast expands further into a motley, (mostly) lovable found family; local audiences also can play “spot the Kiwi”. </p>
<p>Across eight episodes full of unexpected, absurd highlights – not least a dream sequence in which Rhys Darby appears as a merman – Con O’Neill offers an Emmy-worthy turn as ferocious first mate Izzy, becoming the season’s unexpected heart.</p>
<p>Through the crew’s various escapades, dalliances, failures, and victories, a clear theme emerges: how do you have good relationships? How do you live authentically when the structures around you are toxic? </p>
<p>The answer, and it’s no spoiler, is kindness.</p>
<p><em>– Erin Harrington</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/215525/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>There’s still time to get up to date on your binge watching, so you can be ready if anyone at an end-of-year party asks if you’ve seen anything good lately.Dennis Altman, VC Fellow, La Trobe UniversityErin Harrington, Senior Lecturer in English and Cultural Studies, University of CanterburyHeidi Norman, Professor, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, University of Technology SydneySarah Austin, Lecturer in Theatre, The University of MelbourneStephen Gaunson, Associate Professor in Cinema Studies, RMIT UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2160462023-11-03T17:29:54Z2023-11-03T17:29:54ZNetflix is still growing its subscriber base – here’s how a local approach is helping<p>Netflix had a tough year <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2022/04/20/netflix-plunges-trading-subscriber-loss.html#:%7E:text=Netflix%20closes%20down%2035%25%20wiping%20more%20than%20%2450,firms%20downgraded%20the%20stock%20on%20the%20disappointing%20report.">in 2022</a>. Big rivals such as Disney and Amazon Prime were circling, and viewers seemed to <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2022/jul/23/i-cant-afford-what-i-used-to-how-the-cost-of-living-has-changed-viewing-habits">be rethinking</a> their streaming habits amid rising prices in a turbulent global economy. Netflix <a href="https://www.expressandstar.com/news/uk-news/2022/04/20/netflix-why-is-the-streaming-giant-losing-viewers-and-what-will-it-do-now/">lost subscribers</a>, and its share value plummeted. </p>
<p>Since then though, the company appears to have enjoyed a very swift reboot. </p>
<p>According to its latest <a href="https://www.marketscreener.com/quote/stock/NETFLIX-INC-44292425/news/Netflix-Third-Quarter-2023-Letter-to-Shareholders-45095264/">letter to shareholders</a>, it added 8.8 million new subscribers in the third quarter of 2023, on top of the 5.9 million it gained in the three months before that. The total number of subscribers worldwide is now 247.2 million. </p>
<p>So how has Netflix managed to turn things around? </p>
<p>One vital element was the <a href="https://www.digitaltveurope.com/comment/a-success-story-for-netflix/">crackdown on people sharing</a> accounts across different households. By restricting the use of a single password to family members living in the same household, Netflix has <a href="https://apnews.com/article/netflix-account-sharing-crackdown-united-states-streaming-b8df82a227b74e50ae4e44ba63f29df2">successfully converted</a> some of the password borrowers into bona fide members.</p>
<p>Another key move was resorting to that trusted old means of media revenue – advertising. Netflix’s launch of a membership option in which subscribers pay a lower monthly fee to watch content that includes occasional adverts has <a href="https://www.msn.com/en-gb/money/other/netflix-s-ad-tier-reaches-15-million-users-a-year-after-launch/ar-AA1jdEJ0">proven popular</a>. Around 30% of new members now sign up to it – an encouraging rate for Netflix executives who are planning to <a href="https://ir.netflix.net/financials/quarterly-earnings/default.aspx">scale it up</a>.</p>
<p>But as well as these two fairly recent initiatives, what really allows Netflix to thrive in such a competitive market place is its solid understanding of the global nature of the streaming industry, which I describe in my <a href="https://www.cambridge.org/gb/universitypress/subjects/management/international-business/television-streaming-era-global-shift">recent book</a>. </p>
<p>The company’s international approach is reflected in the fact that more than 70% of its subscribers come from outside of the US. It produces or co-produces shows in more than 50 countries, and has invested heavily in content from countries <a href="https://www.reuters.com/technology/netflix-invest-25-bln-south-korea-make-tv-shows-movies-2023-04-25/">such as South Korea</a> (US$2.5 billion (£2.05 billion) in the next four years) <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/media/2023/apr/26/netflix-uk-productions-spend#:%7E:text=Netflix%20has%20spent%20%246bn,global%20slowdown%20in%20new%20subscribers">and the UK</a> (US$6 billion since 2020).</p>
<p>This local investment <a href="https://www.rapidtvnews.com/2021110861534/standard-formula-increasingly-the-way-for-netflix-in-content-localisation.html#axzz8HoCQX5ek">attracts local subscribers</a>, as has been the case with <a href="https://about.netflix.com/en/news/sintonia-is-renewed-for-season-4-by-netflix">Sintonia</a> in Brazil, <a href="https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/dear-child-release-date-news">Dear Child</a> in Germany and and <a href="https://www.whattowatch.com/features/class-act-is-it-a-true-story-who-was-bernard-tapie-all-your-questions-answered-about-the-netflix-series">Class Act</a> in France. </p>
<p>But the regional investment also brings global returns. A recent <a href="https://kclpure.kcl.ac.uk/portal/en/publications/screen-encounters-with-britain-interim-report-denmark-what-do-you">audience study</a> found that a sizeable number of viewers seek out foreign content on streaming platforms. Some of Netflix’s foreign language series have proved to be <a href="https://www.netflix.com/tudum/top10/tv-non-english">extremely popular abroad</a>, including <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2531336/">Lupin</a> (made in France) and <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6468322/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0_tt_8_nm_0_q_Money">Money Heist</a> (Spain). </p>
<p>South Korean drama – including <a href="https://www.netflix.com/gb/title/81237994">All of Us Are Dead</a>, <a href="https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/drama/the-glory-netflix-true-story/">The Glory</a> and <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10919420/">Squid Game</a> – have travelled particularly well, which may explain the extra investment Netflix is making there. </p>
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</figure>
<p>And all of this content is bolstered by US productions and Hollywood films which remain popular across borders. Grant Singer’s <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/film/2023/sep/27/reptile-review-benicio-del-toro-looms-large-in-gruesomely-ambitious-noir">Reptile</a> and Chloe Domont’s <a href="https://www.npr.org/2023/09/27/1201736051/fair-play-review-netflix">Fair Play</a> were in Netflix’s <a href="https://www.netflix.com/tudum/top10/">top 10 films</a> in 88 and 91 countries respectively in October.</p>
<h2>Showtime</h2>
<p>On the technical side, it is sometimes claimed that <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/1369118X.2021.1993955">Netflix epitomises</a> a “vertical integration model”, operating across the entire chain of TV content production and distribution. But in reality it is great at outsourcing. </p>
<p>For while Netflix has its own engineers and proprietary technology, including its famed <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/1369118X.2023.2252485">recommendation system and algorithm</a>, the company has designed its entire media delivery on third-party service infrastructure. </p>
<p>Netflix shut its last data centre in 2016. Now everything the platform needs, from data storage to customer information and algorithms runs on Amazon’s web services. </p>
<p>Outsourcing media delivery has enabled Netflix to avoid sinking cash in to global infrastructure, and instead focus on its core mission: members’ <a href="https://www.cambridge.org/gb/universitypress/subjects/management/international-business/television-streaming-era-global-shift">engagement across markets</a>.</p>
<p>The same goes with content production. Netflix “originals” are produced by the platform insofar as it pays for the entirety of the production costs. But the content is actually made by outside film and TV producers. </p>
<p>This entails governing a vast network of suppliers, giving it extraordinary flexibility in a fast moving industry. In contrast, the likes of Disney+ have to rely more heavily on a limited range of production it is directly responsible for making. </p>
<p>If Netflix does have a corporate weakness, it may be that its streaming service is not part of a large enterprise ecosystem. Amazon and Apple for example, sell goods to millions of customers and cleverly entwine different parts of their empires to deliver significant economies of scale.</p>
<p>Despite this, Netflix’s approach embraces the challenges and opportunities a global market offers. Its outsourcing model makes it agile and able to pivot rapidly with a business model which enables it to thrive. </p>
<p>The streaming industry – and television at large – is entering a period of adjustment because it needs to close the gap between <a href="https://tbivision.com/2023/10/20/tbi-weekly-what-comes-next-after-mipcom-2023/">content investment and revenue generation</a>. Aided by some shrewd decisions and with a truly global outlook, the market leader appears to be in a good position to weather the storm.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/216046/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Jean Chalaby does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>The streaming platform has invested heavily in TV and films from Brazil, South Korea and France.Jean Chalaby, Professor of Sociology, City, University of LondonLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2158342023-10-24T15:13:23Z2023-10-24T15:13:23ZLife on Our Planet: evolution experts review this ‘hugely entertaining’ Netflix docuseries<p>Netflix’s beautifully realised historical biography of life certainly has ambition. Perhaps <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/1696512">4 billion species</a> have existed in as many years of Earth’s history: an embarrassment of riches for eight 50-minute episodes.</p>
<p>To make sense of this, <a href="https://www.netflix.com/title/80213846">Life on Our Planet</a> focuses on some remarkable turning points. The evolution of photosynthesis, multi-cellular animals, skeletons, legs and big brains are innovations that created opportunities for life to diversify and modify its environment in radically new ways.</p>
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<figcaption><span class="caption">The trailer for Life on Our Planet.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Underlying all this, the inexorable movement of the continents repeatedly changed the stage. Sometimes, landmasses clustered together producing vast, harsh deserts, and sometimes they broke apart – as now – yielding a richer variety of environments that harbour vastly greater diversity. This interplay between biology and geology is the narrative thread throughout the series.</p>
<p>Life on Our Planet has some important messages about the <a href="https://theconversation.com/its-reassuring-to-think-humans-are-evolutions-ultimate-destination-but-research-shows-we-may-be-an-accident-201048">nature of evolution</a> and our own future. Here are the three we think most important.</p>
<p><strong>1. Nothing is ever perfect</strong></p>
<p>Every schoolkid knows that <a href="https://www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/what-is-natural-selection.html">natural selection</a> favours those most able to reproduce, and thereby shapes the genetics of all species. However, this honing process is far from perfect, and <a href="https://www.uu.nl/en/news/all-species-can-go-extinct-and-so-can-humans">all species ultimately go extinct</a>.</p>
<p>Not only does the physical environment change, but other species – predators, parasites and competitors – are always out to get you. Species are constantly evolving to catch up, but they never do. As the <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/earth-and-planetary-sciences/red-queen-hypothesis">Red Queen</a> in Lewis Carroll’s <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Through-the-Looking-Glass">Through the Looking Glass</a> observed: “It takes all the running you can do, to keep in the same place.”</p>
<p>But it’s worse than that. Not all evolution results from natural selection. Much occurs by <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/heredity-genetics/Random-genetic-drift">random drift</a>, so many traits probably have no advantage, but are merely coincidental to those that do. Random effects may even be vital for <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peripatric_speciation">some modes of speciation</a>.</p>
<p>The palaeobiologist <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_Jay_Gould">Stephen Jay Gould</a> warned against interpreting all biological structures <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Spandrels_of_San_Marco_and_the_Panglossian_Paradigm">as though perfectly refined by evolution</a> for some particular function. But Life on Our Planet does adopt this flawed, <a href="https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/adaptationism/">adaptationist</a> world view at times, usually in pursuit of a dramatic narrative. </p>
<p><strong>2. The past is the key to the future</strong></p>
<p>Follow your family tree back about 12,000 generations and you are somewhere near the origin of our species. Go back perhaps 300,000 generations and you will find your many-times great grandmother shared with a chimpanzee. <a href="https://academic.oup.com/evolut/article/70/4/873/6852224">Around 80 million years ago</a>, your tree merges with that of the family dog.</p>
<p>Every species today therefore carries an enormous weight of evolutionary baggage. Amazingly, our embryos imperfectly “run through” some of these ancient evolutionary precursors. Early in fetal development, we temporarily bear the gill slits and post-anal tail of our fish forbears. </p>
<p>Our genes and bodies contain the imprints of the past, and these often limit the ways in which we can evolve in the future. Some things have simply “got stuck” for no particularly good adaptive reason that we can fathom.</p>
<p>Nearly all mammals – from humans to giraffes – have just seven vertebrae in their neck, no matter how long or impressive. Conversely, our distant cousins the birds (about 320 million years removed) evolved different numbers of neck bones – 10 in parrots, 26 in swans – in response to selection. </p>
<p>As development becomes more complicated, there are more interdependent parts (gene products and structures), and these tend to <a href="https://www.nature.com/scitable/topicpage/pleiotropy-one-gene-can-affect-multiple-traits-569/">serve more than one function</a>. With time, it becomes increasingly difficult to change one thing for the better without detrimental effects elsewhere. Much like <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jenga">Jenga</a>, it’s hard to build a taller tower by taking blocks from lower down.</p>
<p><strong>3. Nothing lasts forever</strong></p>
<p>The story of Life on Our Planet is punctuated by five mass extinctions, each triggered by different events. Animals and plants today are just the uppermost tips of vast, otherwise extinct “icebergs” of biodiversity, 99% of which lie submerged in deep time and are known only from fossils. </p>
<p>Many once-dominant branches of the tree of life – like the <a href="https://evolution.berkeley.edu/the-arthropod-story/exoskeleton-and-the-jointed-limb/trilobites-excellent-exoskeletons/">armoured trilobites</a> and the <a href="https://ucmp.berkeley.edu/diapsids/pterosauria.html">flying pterosaurs</a> – have no descendants. Others, like the egg-laying mammals (monotremes) and the <a href="https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/species/largetooth-sawfish">largetooth sawfish</a>, are just hanging on by a thread.</p>
<p>The asteroid impact shown in episode six that <a href="https://theconversation.com/dinosaurs-could-have-avoided-mass-extinction-if-the-killer-asteroid-had-landed-almost-anywhere-else-87109">exterminated most dinosaurs</a> (and 75% of other species) is the best known and most recent mass extinction, but wasn’t the biggest. Episode two showcases an unprecedented and unsustainable planktonic bloom in the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/Devonian-extinctions">late Devonian</a> (360 million years ago). As the plankton died, bacteria harvested their remains, turning the oceans anoxic (depleted in oxygen). This catalysed the demise of ammonites, sharks and armoured fishes such as the colossal <a href="https://www.fossilguy.com/gallery/vert/placoderm/dunkleosteus/index.htm">Dunkleosteus</a>, and the ocean became a sickly green graveyard. </p>
<p>Worse still, 252 million years ago (as shown in episode three), vast upwellings of magma burned through the Earth’s crust over millions of square miles of Siberia. The ensuing “<a href="https://science.nasa.gov/science-research/earth-science/the-great-dying/">great dying</a>” saw the loss of 96% of the planet’s marine species. The volcanic outgassing of greenhouse CO₂ raised Earth’s temperature by 10 degrees, while SO₂ caused acid rain that washed away entire ecosystems.</p>
<p>Despite different ultimate causes, <a href="https://theconversation.com/which-species-will-survive-the-earths-sixth-mass-extinction-47893">the real damage in every mass extinction</a> results from environmental changes that are too fast for organisms to adapt to. The subtext throughout the series is a warning: humans are driving swings in Earth’s climate that will catastrophically deplete the biodiversity on which we all depend.</p>
<h2>Should I watch it?</h2>
<p>We hope that you do. Life on Our Planet highlights the richness of Earth’s biodiversity, as well as the achingly long geological timescales it needed to evolve. It’s also hugely entertaining, with all the prehistoric stand-offs you could wish for, irresistibly narrated by the Christmas-pudding-rich tones of Morgan Freeman. But Life on Our Planet really excels when explaining the dynamic relationship between Earth and its organisms – showing how the two are inextricably intertwined. </p>
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<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/536131/original/file-20230706-17-460x2d.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/536131/original/file-20230706-17-460x2d.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536131/original/file-20230706-17-460x2d.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536131/original/file-20230706-17-460x2d.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536131/original/file-20230706-17-460x2d.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536131/original/file-20230706-17-460x2d.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536131/original/file-20230706-17-460x2d.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<p><em>Looking for something good? Cut through the noise with a carefully curated selection of the latest releases, live events and exhibitions, straight to your inbox every fortnight, on Fridays. <a href="https://theconversation.com/uk/newsletters/something-good-156">Sign up here</a>.</em></p>
<hr><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/215834/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Matthew Wills receives funding from BBSRC, NERC, The Leverhulme Trust and the John Templeton Foundation</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Tim Rock does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Life on Our Planet has some important messages about the nature of evolution, and what the future may hold for us.Tim Rock, PhD Candidate in Biology, University of BathMatthew Wills, Professor of Evolutionary Palaeobiology at the Milner Centre for Evolution, University of BathLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2154372023-10-18T03:35:03Z2023-10-18T03:35:03ZWhat the David Beckham documentary tells us – and what it doesn’t – about controlling parents in sport<p>In the Netflix documentary Beckham, the footballer is asked how he coped with the abuse of his entire country after the 1998 men’s football World Cup. David Beckham responds:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>I was able to handle being abused by the fans […] because of the way my dad had been to me.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>A poignant scene shows Beckham’s mother Sandra struggling with how hard his father Ted was on their son. Ted’s shouting often brought David to tears. When asked if he was too tough on David, Ted says:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>No […] if I told him how good he was, then he’s got nothing to work at.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Throughout the documentary, Ted’s behaviour is rationalised by Ted and even Beckham himself as necessary to support David’s sporting trajectory. But David also said he was <a href="https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/24259838/david-beckham-netflix-dad-ted-childhood-sir-alex-ferguson/">scared</a> of his father’s feedback and felt compelled to practise for hours every day.</p>
<p>Other athletes with similar stories include <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/think/opinion/hbo-s-tiger-woods-documentary-takes-deep-dive-star-s-ncna1253644">Tiger Woods</a>, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/blog/2015/dec/01/the-joy-of-six-athletes-pushy-parents">Andre Agassi</a> and Australian <a href="https://au.sports.yahoo.com/jelena-dokic-shares-sickening-account-of-being-abused-as-a-teen-tennis-star-213349759.html">Jelena Dokic</a>. </p>
<p>Too often, controlling behaviour by parents is portrayed as necessary for success as an athlete. But the evidence shows this idea is false. In fact, such an approach can be detrimental to both a child’s chances of sporting success and their wellbeing. </p>
<p>And it’s not just a problem with elite sport; our research shows it’s also occurring with community sport.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/winning-at-all-costs-how-abuse-in-sport-has-become-normalised-142739">Winning at all costs – how abuse in sport has become normalised</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>What we found</h2>
<p>Our <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/08862605221114155">research</a> found about one in three people we surveyed said they’d experienced abuse by a parent during their time in Australian community sport. </p>
<p>Psychological abuse by parents was reported by just under a third of our respondents, and included behaviours such as: </p>
<ul>
<li><p>excessive criticism</p></li>
<li><p>insults and humiliation</p></li>
<li><p>excessively training to extreme exhaustion/vomiting</p></li>
<li><p>ignoring a child following a sport performance.</p></li>
</ul>
<p>The controlling and abusive behaviours described above have been consistently <a href="https://theconversation.com/winning-at-all-costs-how-abuse-in-sport-has-become-normalised-142739">normalised</a> by <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/02614367.2016.1250804">parents</a>, coaches and <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1016/j.smr.2019.03.001">sporting organisations</a> as being necessary to create “mentally tough” athletes ready for high-level competition.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/why-taking-a-trauma-and-violence-informed-approach-can-make-sport-safer-and-more-equitable-213349">Why taking a trauma- and violence-informed approach can make sport safer and more equitable</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>However, there is no evidence abusive and controlling behaviours have a positive impact on performance. </p>
<p>Instead, there is ample evidence to indicate it:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>harms children’s confidence and self-esteem</p></li>
<li><p><a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2017.00572/full">increases competition anxiety</a></p></li>
<li><p><a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/1356336X14555294">leads to sport dropout</a></p></li>
<li><p>is associated with <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.5694/mja2.51870">depression and anxiety</a>. </p></li>
</ul>
<p>Research shows when adults in community sport use what’s known as an “autonomy-supportive approach” – in which young people are empowered to make their own decisions and have their feelings validated – children can be <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/17408989.2017.1346070?casa_token=Wd8P4Y9I2fEAAAAA%3AIXY0n8e9BoTJKIB29IQ4NWeKZEgghs_1FXqfq2rQ1jgoqt5EJuQeFqmkEtdIIpt7TJEBi9d_iLK_3LA">more self-motivated</a>. </p>
<p>An <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1469029215000229">experiment</a> at the 2012 Olympic Games found coaches with a more supportive approach achieved higher medal tallies than those who did not. </p>
<p>Most of this evidence has focused on coaching, but given many parents act as coaches for their children, these findings remain relevant. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/554131/original/file-20231016-21-vqceuc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A child looks sad at football." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/554131/original/file-20231016-21-vqceuc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/554131/original/file-20231016-21-vqceuc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/554131/original/file-20231016-21-vqceuc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/554131/original/file-20231016-21-vqceuc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/554131/original/file-20231016-21-vqceuc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/554131/original/file-20231016-21-vqceuc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/554131/original/file-20231016-21-vqceuc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">There is no evidence abuse improves performance of children in sport.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Putting children’s experiences first</h2>
<p>There is no evidence that controlling or abusive practices improve children’s performance in sport. But even if there was, sport performance should not be valued above a child’s health and wellbeing.</p>
<p>These behaviours would not be tolerated in different environments, such as workplaces or schools. </p>
<p>It’s time to move on from this debate in sport. So where to from here?</p>
<p>The sport system is complex, and while it’s easy to think it’s just a few problematic people, the reality is these practices have been normalised for generations. </p>
<p>Parents are repeating patterns from their own experiences and mirroring practices they see as normal in elite sport. There is no quick fix. </p>
<p>But we can all play a part by reflecting on our own behaviours and considering how we can prioritise children’s experiences and wellbeing. </p>
<p>Parents should <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fspor.2022.1087182/full">focus on fun, learning new skills, enjoying the moment</a>, and being part of a team so their kids can get the most out of the games they love.</p>
<p>Despite Beckham himself suggesting it was all worth it, the evidence suggests he was successful in spite of the high-pressure home environment, not because of it. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/in-sport-abuse-is-often-dismissed-as-good-coaching-211691">In sport, abuse is often dismissed as 'good coaching'</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
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<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/215437/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Alexandra Parker receives funding from the Australian Government Emerging Priorities Program. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Aurélie Pankowiak receives funding from VicHealth.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Mary Woessner does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>David Beckham says he felt prepared for the nation’s wrath because of how he says he was treated by his father. It’s a familiar story in sport, but evidence shows controlling behaviour doesn’t work.Mary Woessner, Lecturer in Clinical Exercise and Research Fellow, Institute for Health and Sport (iHeS), Victoria University, Victoria UniversityAlexandra Parker, Professor of Physical Activity and Mental Health, Victoria UniversityAurélie Pankowiak, Research Fellow, Institute for Health and Sport, Victoria UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2148362023-10-15T19:09:31Z2023-10-15T19:09:31ZRoald Dahl was a bigot and beloved children’s author. Wes Anderson shows both sides of this complicated persona<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/553148/original/file-20231011-25-ljmz9o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C2875%2C2155&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Netflix</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Wes Anderson’s latest work involves four short films based on Roald Dahl stories: The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar, The Swan, The Rat Catcher and Poison. </p>
<p>The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar is the longest, with a runtime of 39 minutes (from an 82-page story), following the altruistic journey of the eponymous character, played by Benedict Cumberbatch. A wealthy dandy transforms into a benevolent figure, giving away his gambling fortune to children’s hospitals and orphanages. </p>
<p>While the others may seem like lesser works, shorter in length (from shorter stories) and less ambitious in set design and locations, Anderson begins to survey more complicated aspects of Dahl rarely explored in the abundant screen adaptations.</p>
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<h2>A complicated figure</h2>
<p>Netflix acquired the rights to Dahl’s entire catalogue in 2021 for <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-10377105/EDEN-CONFIDENTIAL-Roald-Dahls-family-scores-370m-golden-ticket-Netflix-deal.html">£370 million</a>. The first production was Matthew Marchus’s Matilda the Musical (2022) – more accurately a screen version of Tim Minchin and Dennis Kelly’s award-winning stage musical adaptation.</p>
<p>Several more Netflix productions are slated. The Twits, an animation film written and directed by Phil Johnston, is set for a 2025 release. This will be followed by Taika Waititi writing and directing two live-action features: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and its literary sequel Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator.</p>
<p>Dahl remains a difficult figure in history. There is Dahl the beloved author of some of the most influential and popular works ever written for children. Meanwhile, there is the complicated persona who repeatedly made <a href="https://www.thejc.com/news/uk/children-s-favourite-roald-dahl-proudly-antisemitic-1.27658">unwavering racist remarks</a> and further reduced his characters to discriminatory and sexist stereotypes. </p>
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<span class="caption">Dahl remains a difficult figure in history.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Netflix</span></span>
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<p>Despite Dahl <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/books/2023/feb/25/roald-dahl-threatened-publisher-with-enormous-crocodile-if-they-changed-his-words">insisting</a> to his publishers to “not so much as change a single comma in one of my books”, in February this year Puffin Books <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/books/2023/feb/18/roald-dahl-books-rewritten-to-remove-language-deemed-offensive">announced</a> it would be creatively editing portions of many of his children’s novels to “ensure that it can continue to be enjoyed by all today”. </p>
<p>This included removing or replacing words describing the appearance of characters (“old hags” become “old crows” in The Witches) and adding gender-neutral language (“Cloud-men” have become “Cloud-People” in James and the Giant Peach). Contemporary writers, <a href="https://www.lemonde.fr/en/culture/article/2023/02/20/salman-rushdie-attacks-roald-dahl-rewrites-as-absurd-censorship_6016569_30.html">such as</a> Salman Rushdie, decried such liberties as a form of literary vandalism and blatant censorship. </p>
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<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/roald-dahl-rewrites-rather-than-bowdlerising-books-on-moral-grounds-we-should-help-children-to-navigate-history-200254">Roald Dahl rewrites: rather than bowdlerising books on moral grounds we should help children to navigate history</a>
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<h2>Nastiness, weirdness and racism</h2>
<p>Anderson’s Dahl shorts explore some grittier works from the author’s oeuvre without any creative rewriting. These are some of the most literal and faithful Dahl adaptations ever put on screen.</p>
<p>First and foremost, Dahl (played by Ralph Fiennes) becomes an onscreen character and narrator. The sight of Dahl talking directly to camera in his famous writing chair is somewhat uneasy. Which Dahl will we see? The bigot? Beloved children’s author? </p>
<p>In truth, we see neither in the character – but rather manifestations of both in the films themselves. </p>
<p>Anderson doesn’t suppress aspects of nastiness, weirdness and racism from the adapted stories underlined by darker themes and a darker tone. </p>
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<span class="caption">Anderson doesn’t suppress aspects of nastiness, weirdness and racism.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Netflix</span></span>
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<p>The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar is the most joyous in both style and story, and a natural follow-on from Anderson’s earlier stop-motion Dahl feature adaptation, The Fantastic Mr Fox (2009).</p>
<p>From the altruistic Henry Sugar, things significantly go darker both tonally and thematically. The Swan is about a boy victimised to merciless bullying; The Rat Catcher involves a man (played also by Fiennes) with disgustingly filthy nails resembling claws who kills a rat with his teeth. </p>
<p>These characters are not punished, exposed and exiled. They are revealed for their true selves – as ugly and uncomfortable as that may be to watch. </p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/the-man-behind-matilda-what-roald-dahl-was-really-like-62810">The man behind Matilda – what Roald Dahl was really like</a>
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</em>
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<h2>Dahl and his cultural legacy</h2>
<p>A point of interest is the order these shorts are curated on Netflix. Each was dropped on the platform within a few days of each other, and this order remains when the films are grouped together as the Dahl adaptation package. </p>
<p>The final, and most confronting, of these shorts is Poison. The story is of Englishman Harry Pope (Benedict Cumberbatch) in British-ruled India, who believes he has a poisonous krait snake asleep with him in his bed. When this is proven incorrect, Dr Ganderbai (Ben Kingsley) is subjected to Harry’s racial slurs. </p>
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<p>It is an ugly and unexpected moment that provokes the doctor to leave in stunned silence. </p>
<p>This adaptation has been previously adapted several times on television: in 1958 into an episode of Alfred Hitchcock Presents; in 1980 it was adapted as the fifth episode of the second series of Tales of the Unexpected.</p>
<p>These TV adaptations turn Harry into an alcoholic whose mind cannot be trusted. Here, Anderson is more faithful to Dahl’s story, presenting Harry as a lucid and ungrateful bigot to the doctor’s attempts to rescue him. </p>
<p>It is with this reprehensible and unapologetic racist attack that Anderson’s shorts conclude. </p>
<p>From the first film, with its vivid colours and altruistic themes, to the bleak finale of Poison, it feels as if Anderson is making a statement about the difficulties in which to regard Dahl and his cultural legacy. </p>
<p>In the process, he has produced some of his most challenging, complex and intriguing films to date. </p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/wes-anderson-has-an-obsessive-systematic-repetition-of-stylistic-choices-hes-perfect-for-this-tiktok-meme-204803">Wes Anderson has an obsessive, systematic repetition of stylistic choices. He’s perfect for this TikTok meme</a>
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<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/214836/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Stephen Gaunson does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>These are some of the most literal and faithful Roald Dahl adaptations ever put on screen.Stephen Gaunson, Senior Lecturer, RMIT UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2151872023-10-09T10:13:45Z2023-10-09T10:13:45ZFair Play: Netflix drama reveals the dark side of being a woman in the financial services industry<p><em>Warning: this article contains minor spoilers for Fair Play.</em></p>
<p><a href="https://www.netflix.com/gb/title/81674326">Fair Play</a> follows a young couple working as analysts at a high-flying, ruthless asset management firm in New York. They work hard and play hard while appearing to support each other’s careers. </p>
<p>But their relationship is in breach of company policy, so they keep it quiet, despite living together and getting engaged. As a portfolio manager is fired, Emily (Phoebe Dynevor) hears a rumour that Luke (Alden Ehrenreich) may be offered the role. </p>
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<figcaption><span class="caption">The trailer for Fair Play.</span></figcaption>
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<p>They celebrate the rumour the same evening with booze and sex. However, it is Emily who is summoned to a bar in the middle of the night and told she’s being promoted on the back of her excellent résumé and performance. Luke is given the role of her analyst and now works for her. From here their dynamic unravels. </p>
<p>Fair Play portrays the darkest side of the financial services industry: the greed, the fear, the inappropriate behaviour and the frivolous spending. </p>
<p>Despite her excellent performance, Emily struggles to feel she deserves the promotion – and so does Luke. It was much easier for them to celebrate the rumour of his promotion than the fact of hers. </p>
<p>While at times supportive, Luke finds it impossible to believe that her promotion was based on merit and pushes outdated gender stereotypes onto her. At his worst, he accuses Emily of sleeping her way to the promotion.</p>
<p>There is an air of Emily feeling lucky, instead of deserving, to be promoted. <a href="https://www.routledge.com/Gender-and-Finance-Addressing-Inequality-in-the-Financial-Services-Industry/Baeckstrom/p/book/9781032055572">Like many real women</a> in the financial services industry, she struggles to know how she should act. Without other female role models – but plenty of alpha male ones – her confidence in who she is and how she should act is extremely fragile. </p>
<p>A derogatory comment about her dress code sends her into despair, trying to select office outfits that send the right message. This struggle is unsurprising given <a href="https://daily.jstor.org/the-history-of-the-power-suit-for-women/">the short history of women’s business attire</a> compared to men’s. </p>
<p>Observing her confidently delivering her well-researched opinions in meetings and making brave trading decisions is promising. Watching her celebrate with the senior, all-male team in a strip club and getting involved in derogatory, sexualised stories about women is revolting.</p>
<h2>The real finance industry</h2>
<p>The alpha male dominance of financial services and the historical exclusion of women mean it’s a relatively new domain for women. In the US, where Fair Play is set, women didn’t gain the legal right to be members of the New York Stock Exchange until 1967. And it wasn’t until 2021 that <a href="https://www.citigroup.com/global/about-us/leadership/jane-fraser">a woman took charge</a> of one of the top 30 global banks.</p>
<p>Regardless of how talented she is, it is understandable for a woman to feel more unstable about her position as she rises in the ranks. In banking, successful women are <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/2023/jul/27/was-alison-rose-held-to-higher-standard-because-woman">scrutinised more harshly</a> than their male counterparts. </p>
<p><a href="https://www.routledge.com/Gender-and-Finance-Addressing-Inequality-in-the-Financial-Services-Industry/Baeckstrom/p/book/9781032055572">As I show in my research</a>, when it comes to financial services we are predisposed to think talent plus hard work equals a lucky woman, and that talent plus a good contact network equals a successful, powerful man. </p>
<p>Despite outperforming colleagues, women like Emily can at times feel that they do not deserve their promotions. However, when it comes to men, people tend to see potential because they expect potential. Many women and men want to change this.</p>
<p>Fair Play leaves the viewer feeling hopeless about the possibility of inclusive and fair financial services careers and personal relationships. It signifies how extremely difficult it is for people of all genders to break through entrenched negative gender roles. </p>
<p>Financial services is an extremely powerful industry, without which our society cannot function. It is also the best-paid industry, yet has the second <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2023/04/05/uk-gender-pay-gap-banks-pay-women-less-than-two-thirds-of-mens-earnings.html#:%7E:text=The%20finance%20sector%20reported%20the,according%20to%20a%20CNBC%20analysis.">largest gender pay gap</a> (after education). It therefore has a responsibility to set the standard for inclusive and fair practices. </p>
<p>Challenging outdated gender stereotypes through reverse messaging and fair treatment is a better strategy than creating a new generation of alphas of all genders. To work well, we need supportive structures both at home and in the workplace and a culture that evaluates and rewards people based on their potential and contributions – regardless of gender.</p>
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<p><em>Looking for something good? Cut through the noise with a carefully curated selection of the latest releases, live events and exhibitions, straight to your inbox every fortnight, on Fridays. <a href="https://theconversation.com/uk/newsletters/something-good-156">Sign up here</a>.</em></p>
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<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Ylva Baeckstrom does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>In the US, where Fair Play is set, women didn’t gain the legal right to be members of the New York Stock Exchange until 1967.Ylva Baeckstrom, Senior Lecturer in Finance, King's College LondonLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2133872023-10-04T09:14:43Z2023-10-04T09:14:43ZEverything Now: eating disorder recovery is treated with sensitivity and nuance in Netflix comedy drama<p>Netflix couldn’t have chosen a more resonant title than <a href="https://www.netflix.com/title/81437049">Everything Now</a> for their new comedy drama series. When I came out of a residential clinic in 2009 for treatment of anorexia, I did a parachute jump, started volunteering and decided to have a baby on my own. Some of these were impulsive – yet heartfelt – attempts to “catch up” on a life that had been passing me by. </p>
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<figcaption><span class="caption">Trailer for Everything Now.</span></figcaption>
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<p>This sense of things moving on while you have been trapped in the depths of an eating disorder is probably even more potent in the <a href="https://theconversation.com/eating-disorders-among-teens-have-more-than-doubled-during-the-covid-19-pandemic-heres-what-to-watch-for-201067">intensified temporal rhythms of teenage years</a>. </p>
<p>As Mia Polanco (Sophie Wilde), the 16-year-old protagonist of Everything Now, asks as the school bus conversation jostles around her: “Fuck. How can I have missed so much in seven months?” </p>
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<p><strong><a href="https://theconversation.com/uk/topics/quarter-life-117947?utm_source=TCUK&utm_medium=linkback&utm_campaign=UK+YP2022&utm_content=InArticleTop">This article is part of Quarter Life</a></strong>, a series about issues affecting those of us in our twenties and thirties. From the challenges of beginning a career and taking care of our mental health, to the excitement of starting a family, adopting a pet or just making friends as an adult. The articles in this series explore the questions and bring answers as we navigate this turbulent period of life.</p>
<p><em>You may be interested in:</em></p>
<p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/friends-with-benefits-what-a-sex-and-relationship-therapist-wants-you-to-know-210854utm_source=TCUK&utm_medium=linkback&utm_campaign=UK+YP2022&utm_content=InArticleTop">Friends with benefits – what a sex and relationship therapist wants you to know</a></em></p>
<p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/girl-math-may-not-be-smart-financial-advice-but-it-could-help-women-feel-more-empowered-with-money-211780?utm_source=TCUK&utm_medium=linkback&utm_campaign=UK+YP2022&utm_content=InArticleTop">‘Girl math’ may not be smart financial advice, but it could help women feel more empowered with money</a></em></p>
<p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/why-are-photo-dumps-so-popular-a-digital-communications-expert-explains-210486utm_source=TCUK&utm_medium=linkback&utm_campaign=UK+YP2022&utm_content=InArticleTop">Why are ‘photo dumps’ so popular? A digital communications expert explains</a></em></p>
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<p>Everything Now is a thoughtful, sensitive and entertaining journey through Mia’s experience of teenage life following her discharge from the eating disorder inpatient unit she has been confined to for seven months. </p>
<h2>The image of eating disorders</h2>
<p>White, middle-class girls with anorexia have long since dominated the representation in film and TV. But eating disorders cut across ethnic boundaries. </p>
<p>Although there can never be any simple correlation between popular media representations of eating disorders and reality, they play a role in shaping wider understandings of eating problems. This includes who might be affected by them. As a result, this under-representation contributes to a culture in which people from minority ethnic backgrounds are under-diagnosed and <a href="https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/17465721211236363/full/html">less likely to access treatment</a>. </p>
<p>Everything Now should be praised for recognising that it’s not just white, middle-class girls who experience eating disorders.</p>
<p>Also, a significant part of the early plot focuses on Mia’s crush on a female student. Historically, clumsy assumptions have supposed that LGBTQ+ girls and women are <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/epdf/10.1080/19419899.2011.603349?needAccess=true">somehow more “protected”</a> from eating issues than their heterosexual counterparts. This has long since been challenged. <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/eat.23830">Research</a> has shown that sexual minorities may be more at risk due to the complex relationships between oppression, gender identity and sexuality. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/a-male-character-on-heartstopper-has-an-eating-disorder-thats-more-common-than-you-might-think-211912">A male character on Heartstopper has an eating disorder. That's more common than you might think</a>
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<h2>Nuanced representation</h2>
<p>Everything Now is one of the first TV shows about eating disorders that did not make me cringe. It is sensitive, carefully researched and it resonated.</p>
<p>The show does a good job of exploring the complexities of recovery – a long and uncertain process that is rarely depicted, perhaps because it is seen as less arresting than the descent into the illness. </p>
<p>Switching between flashbacks of her time in the clinic and her present life at school and home, Mia’s voiceover communicates her struggles and anxieties. It also shows how difficult it is to navigate other people’s perceptions of recovery. Her grandmother, for example, bakes her a coconut sponge to welcome her home, to which Mia internally exclaims: “You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.” </p>
<p>Her grandma then pinches her cheek and says: “You look so wonderful, so healthy.” The implied link between flesh and healthiness can make such <a href="https://recoverywarriors.com/look-healthy-difficult-comments/">comments</a> a minefield for people in recovery.</p>
<p>Mia aims to throw herself back into adolescence, but the series poignantly explores her new status as an insider and outsider – how she is irrevocably changed by her eating disorder. </p>
<p>As the camera pans over the nibbles and drinks at a party she asks: “How can they just eat and drink? How am I 16 and I can’t just do that?” This captures the way spontaneity with food and drink becomes utterly unimaginable, not only during the throes of an eating disorder but during the pressures, regimens and routines of a recovery meal plan. </p>
<h2>Representing recovery</h2>
<p>The voiceover is particularly good at showcasing the disjuncture between Mia’s eagerness and how her eating disorder pulls the brake: “Shots, OK. At least I can track what’s in that. Maybe I can skip something tomorrow. I need to show them I’m better. That I can be normal.” She is both present and not present – one of her peers yet so separate.</p>
<p>Everything Now depicts positive moments of recovery too, in ways that are touching and insightful. As Mia walks to school for the first time, she reflects on “All the everyday beauty I forgot how to see – and all the things I get to rediscover now.” </p>
<p>While the eating disorder has made the everyday strange (the snacks and drinks at the party seem impossible) it has also made the everyday more beautiful. The scene reminded me of a quote from a student in sociologist Paula Saukko’s 2008 book <a href="https://sunypress.edu/Books/T/The-Anorexic-Self">The Anorexic Self</a>: “I used to be able to see the sky, but now I only think about food.” </p>
<p>Everything Now is an original, heartwarming and insightful story of learning to see the sky again.</p>
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<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Su Holmes does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>The series should be praised for recognising that it’s not just white, middle-class girls who experience eating disorders.Su Holmes, Professor of TV Studies, University of East AngliaLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.