Since the news business has changed from reporting to profits, keeping eyeballs is what it is all about.
Fox found this out after they accurately reported that Trump was projected to lose Arizona. Tucker Carlson then ranted about how their viewership was going down, along with the stock price with which he was richly compensated. He understood that their viewers were there to hear what they need to believe. And if they didn’t get it, they would move to Newsmax, Onan and other alternative news sources that would feed the beast.
Rush Limbaugh always understood that and bragged that he was an Entertainer. Are you entertained?
For any democracy to it operate efficiently, it needs an informed electorate. So how do you sort out the news from the fire hose of information flow these days?
1)Realize that your. 00001 experience of the world contributes to 80% of your worldview. Approach your understanding with a scientist skepticism that he’s always willing to accept that he could be wrong.
2)Intentionally expose yourself to opposing views. We don’t like to do this because it makes us uncomfortable. Over the years I have developed a diversity of writers that I follow on the hellscape that is Twitter. Most of us don’t have a luxury of time to do that. It’s not easy being free, when you don’t have an emperor to make all the decisions for you.
3) Turn off the Crisis News networks . If there isn’t good video footage, or if the victim isn’t attractive, you won’t hear about it . Just like the print media, television is all about eyeballs. Now there are live news events that television coverage excels at. Television Studios nowadays don’t need to wait for their cameras to warm up to go live. Walter Cronkite had to wait to give the world the shocking news about Kennedy being shot in Dallas.
CBS News anchor Walter Cronkite reports that President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas on Nov. 22, 1963. Credit CBS via Landov
4) Read some news sources from outside the United States bubble. Here are some free websites that also have free apps for your handhelds.
A good one to see the southeast Asian perspective on the world is the Asia Times https://asiatimes.com/
5) Last, but not least, Social Media is just that and not a source of verifiable information. Outrage and anger build engagement. Realize that you are being baited with these emotions to click on their stories.
You want to see why the writers and actors are on strike?
Because they have seen the future and they are not in it.
This Barbie/Oppenheimer trailer was all made with AI tools that are available to the Public. Yes some of them require subscriptions, but the fees are nominal. That’s how I made this hot date night for them.
Cheap ink was made by mixing burnt sheep’s wool with water. But high quality Sumi ink is used for calligraphy.
Sumi is made from the soot of pine branches selected from trees in the beautiful groves on the mountainsides close to Nara and Suzuka. These two regions of Japan are prized for the highest quality ink. In harmony with the environment, Master Sumi Ink artisans create ink from the purest, natural materials
At least when Buzzfeed asked AI to come up with what Europeans imagined what people from each State in America to look like. The images were created in Midjourney the best text to image AI out there so far. The result wasn’t pretty.
Betty Boop’s best appearances are considered to be in her first three years due to her “Jazz Baby” character and innocent sexuality, which was aimed at adults, but the content of her films was affected by the National Legion of Decency and the Production Code of 1934, which imposed guidelines on the motion-picture industry and placed specific restrictions on the content films could reference with sexual innuendos. This greatly affected the Betty Boop cartoons.
Max Fleischer’s trippy version of “Snow White” from 1933 remains a fascinating and bizarre piece of animation history. In this short Betty Boop cartoon, Fleischer and his team condensed and twisted the classic Snow White tale, taking viewers on a surreal journey that defies expectations. One of the standout moments in the cartoon is the inclusion of Cab Calloway, a renowned jazz singer of the time. In the middle of the animated film, Calloway appears and performs the hauntingly beautiful “St. James Infirmary Blues.” The scene is a rare live-action segment, originally from another cartoon of the era titled “Minnie the Moocher,” which was another iconic song associated with Calloway. Interestingly, the footage and music used in the beginning of “Minnie the Moocher” are clearly the same recording as the song “St. James Infirmary Blues” featured in the Betty Boop cartoon.
In a clever editing move, the two pieces of audio are seamlessly joined together, creating a seamless transition between the two cartoons. Calloway’s appearance in the cartoon is truly mesmerizing. He begins by singing the tune as Koko the Clown, a character created by Fleischer, and then undergoes a transformation into a ghostly figure. The animation beautifully captures Calloway’s distinctive enunciation and signature dance moves, accompanied by a barrage of wild and imaginative visuals. In addition to the captivating animation, the cartoon also incorporates scenes from the 1980 film “The Blues Brothers,” in which Cab Calloway once again performs “Minnie the Moocher.” This inclusion adds an extra layer of intertextuality, as viewers are introduced to Calloway through this iconic performance. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=250MMq0fTrU
“Betty Boop in Snow White” is a testament to Max Fleischer’s creativity and willingness to push the boundaries of animation. The cartoon showcases his unique vision and knack for blending different artistic mediums, resulting in a truly trippy and memorable viewing experience. Directed by Dave Fleischer and animated by Roland C. Crandall, the cartoon exemplifies the Fleischer Studio’s distinctive style, characterized by fluid animation, vibrant colors, and a surreal atmosphere. Their innovative techniques and bold storytelling continue to inspire animators and artists to this day. Despite being a departure from the traditional Snow White narrative, Max Fleischer’s version remains a remarkable piece of animation history. It stands as a testament to the power of imagination and creativity in bringing beloved stories to life in new and unexpected ways.
Roxana Küwen, born in 1989 in Northern Germany, of Iranian descent. She graduated in 2013 at Fontys Academy for Circus and Performance Art in Tilburg, Netherlands.