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Arts – Articles, Analysis, Comment

Displaying 501 - 525 of 628 articles

A YouTube producer trying to create a parody of ‘The Simpsons’ found out that Apu is being phased out of the show. While many will miss Apu, others reflect on what his character represents – a flat stereotype of South Asian immigrants. The Simpsons

Goodbye Apu – here’s what you meant to us

Recent rumours of Apu’s demise may be exaggerated but his presence has been slowly written out of ‘The Simpsons,’ and many feel it is time for the stereotyped Indian-American character to go.
Megyn Kelly appears on the set of her show, ‘Megyn Kelly Today’ at NBC Studios in New York on September 21, 2017. Kelly questioned why dressing up in blackface is wrong. Kelly now says she understands that she needs to be more sensitive. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP, Invision - Charles Sykes

If you’re thinking of doing blackface for Halloween, just don’t

Many claim the offensive part about blackface is from a long time ago and claim blackface costumes, especially at Halloween, are innocent fun. What could be the harm?
Despite its economic crises, Greece did not falter in its mission to support arts and culture. Rhodes, pictured here, has become a role model when it comes to promoting a visionary cultural policy and supporting a vibrant arts and culture community. Serhat Beyazkaya/Unsplash

What the world can learn from Greece’s passion for the arts

The Greek model of supporting the arts is both old and ongoing; it embraces difference and internationalism and believes art is the cornerstone to civil society. We should learn from that model.
First lady Melania Trump looks out over Nairobi National Park in Nairobi, Kenya, Friday, Oct. 5, 2018, during a safari guided by Nelly Palmeris, right. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

Melania Trump’s pith helmet is not just a hat

When you are the first lady of the United States, your fashion choices are scrutinized. Why did Melania Trump choose to wear a pith helmet, a classic symbol of colonialism?
A street art mural representing the innovative scientist Marie Curie, by French graffiti mural artist C215 (Christian Guemy) in Vitry-sur-Seine, France, on 24 Dec 2015. (Shutterstock)

True ‘innovation’ generates ideas, not wealth

To become a successful innovator, follow Marie Curie, Mahatma Gandhi and today’s female social entrepreneurs – focus on ideas and social value, not money.
Behind the rose-coloured tales of well-matched couples falling deeply in love, Austen’s novels vigorously critique the patriarchal structures of her day. Shutterstock

In Jane Austen, fairy tales meet biting feminist critiques

Though she created her stories more than 200 years ago, Jane Austen’s novels were forerunners of feminism.
Training in improvisational theatre enables health professionals to learn deeper empathy, as well as mental agility and other clinical skills. (Shutterstock)

How theatre training can boost your doctor’s empathy

Health professionals need a dose of drama in their training to build clinical and interpersonal skills.
A promotional photo for the release of Skygge’s first album ‘Hello World.’ Jean Francois Robert

AI’s first pop album ushers in a new musical era

AI and human musical collaborations have been around since the 60s, but for the first time, we are hearing AI “pop” music: can AI actually create creative and emotionally engaging music?
Although the big winner at the Emmys this year was Amy Sherman-Palladino’s feminist comedy series ‘The Marvellous Mrs. Maisel,’ we have a long way to go before we reach the gender and race equity we need to in TV and film. Amazon Studios

Is the clock still ticking? Time’s Up and the entertainment industry in 2018

Although the nominees were the most inclusive at the Emmys in 70 years, the entertainment industry is nowhere near gender parity. Women and people of colour are still woefully underrepresented.
Plays like ‘Where the Blood Mixes’ (with actors Kim Harvey and Billy Merasty) help shed light on Indigenous stories, helping to educate Canadian audiences. David Cooper

Indigenous theatre would thrive with funds from the Canadian government

Indigenous theatre and storytelling provides an opportunity for all Canadians to honour the directives of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. The Canadian government should support this mission.
‘Hotel Mumbai’ is a gripping film that provides a glimpse into the fear and brutality of terrorism but also the everyday bravery of its victims. Here Armie Hammer in ‘Hotel Mumbai.’ Courtesy of TIFF

Terrorism at the Taj: ‘Hotel Mumbai’ pulls no punches

‘Hotel Mumbai,’ which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival, is an ‘anthem of resistance;’ a film that highlights the things ordinary people can do in extraordinary circumstances.
The lynch-pin of the marketing for the new ‘Titans’ TV series is a line in which Robin says “F@#k Batman!” Warner Bros. Television

Titans on TV: The life-changing magic of ‘F@#k Batman!’

In the trailer for the new DC TV series, Robin answers ‘F@#k Batman!’ when the bad guys ask about the Caped Crusader. This is a hopeful move to necessary character changes in superhero storytelling.
A line of protesters against the construction of the Dakota Access oil pipeline on the Standing Rock Reservation in North Dakota head to a unity rally on the west steps of the State Capitol in September 2016 in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Protecting heritage is a human right

Development projects are claiming ancestral sites at alarming rates. This ineffective protection of Indigenous heritage is a violation of human rights.
Crazy Rich Asians depicts cosmopolitan rich Asians with complex humanities. Warner Bros.

‘Crazy Rich Asians’ – a movie and a movement

Crazy Rich Asians is an entertaining film, but also has been a long time coming. The struggle for Asian representation in Hollywood and Broadway started more than 55 years ago.
Actors Laura Harrier and John David Washington humorously and believably drive home the film’s strong racial irony.

‘BlacKkKlansman’ – a deadly serious comedy

BlacKkKlansman is more than a good story: it expertly weaves together comedy with serious drama to bring the story of past racism to illuminate our present day issues.
A top hit in 1975, Neil Sedaka’s song “The Immigrant,” proves its continuing relevance, with the rise in xenophobia in the United States. Here people on an Atlantic Liner arrive at what is probably Ellis Island, the gateway for over 12 million immigrants to the U.S. from 1892 to 1954. Library of Congress

Neil Sedaka’s 1975 song revived for anti-immigrant era

Neil Sedaka’s song “The Immigrant” was a top hit in 1975, but today it seems even more relevant, as debates rage in the United States over immigration, repatriation and racism.
Sandra Oh, a U.S./Canadian actress of Korean descent, is an outspoken advocate for greater representation in film and television. She is the first woman of Asian decent to be nominated for an Emmy. Here, just before being inducted into Canada’s Walk of Fame in Toronto, 2011. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Aaron Vincent Elkaim

Thank you, Sandra Oh – a first for the Emmys

Sandra Oh’s recent Emmy nomination for ‘Killing Eve’ is a sign of appreciation of her work but also a symbol of hope for the author as a former actor and as an academic.
Underneath the façade of the Caribbean carnival, historical, cultural and political undercurrents run deep. A parade participant performs during the Grand Parade at last year’s Toronto’s Carnival. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Christopher Katsarov

Joyous resistance through costume and dance at Carnival

The Toronto Caribbean Carnival reclaims alternative ideals of beauty while building community in Toronto.
In this 1999 photo, author Michael Ondaatje poses at Coach House Press in Toronto. In addition to receiving a coveted spot on the 2018 Man Booker longlist for ‘Warlight,’ Michael Ondaatje recently won the Golden Man Booker prize for his critically acclaimed novel ‘The English Patient.’ (CP PHOTO/Kevin Frayer)

Ondaatje’s win of the Golden Man Booker Prize is complicated

The meanings of Ondaatje’s Golden Man Booker win is complicated and demonstrates the contradictions of literary value. Literary prizes permit us to imagine that literature is more than a commodity.