NBA Star Kyrie Irving is Anti-Vaccine?

On October 13, 2021 By troypittman13In UncategorizedLeave a comment

The seven-time All Star and Brooklyn Net’s player, Kyrie Irving recently announced views about hesitancy toward COVID-19 vaccinations. Irving serves as the Vice President of the players union and has blocked efforts made to impose a vaccine mandate.

Irving was born in Melbourne, Australia on March 23, 1992. He started his NBA career becoming a basketball star at St. Patrick High School in Elizabeth, New Jersey. After gaining attention for his athletic ability he committed to Duke University in 2009 working towards the opportunity to play professionally. He played for Duke University as a Blue Devil, and was drafted by the NBA to play for the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2011. Since then, Irving played for various teams in the NBA also playing alongside Hall of Famer’s. What wasn’t praised so much, was his recent announcement to remain unvaccinated. This decision sparked public backlash due to opposing efforts encouraging the public to get vaccinated. As confirmed this past week, the NBA will be withholding salaries from players who are currently unable to play because of their unvaccinated status. Meaning, Kyrie Irving could potentially miss out on half of his $34 million contract for the Brooklyn Nets home games.

We’ve entered the conversation of personal choice, COVID-19 culture, and “cancel culture“. As everyday people grew to adjust the new normal: wearing masks, using extra hand-sanitizer, or staying 6-feet a part, vaccine’s grew more probable. Private and public institutions began to mandate requirements for vaccine cards or proof of negative COVID-19 test results. Similar to the reaction of other pandemics such as the Swine flu and Ebola, people were hesitant about receiving the vaccine. Culturally, religiously, and politically there are many reasons people oppose to receiving the COVID-19 vaccine. With the trust that “everyday” citizens have for high profile people, like basketball stars, Kyrie Irving is in the hot seat.

” I would just appeal to him, get vaccinated. Your fans want to see you. We all want you back. Your teammates want you back”
– De Blasio

Recently, YouTube made an effort to remove “anti-vaccine” content from their platform, as many people were mislead or misinformed by some channels. This was an effort to encourage Americans to receive both doses of the vaccines, to lower the casualty rates resulted from this virus. Because Irving has been an active figure for social justice in the NBA, fans were outraged by his punishment to bench Brooklyn Nets games for exercising his personal choice. Is Irving’s decision to remain unvaccinated sending the “wrong messages” to fans? Should the NBA be able to withhold pay from players who refuse to get vaccinated? Does Irving’s example of exercising his personal choice encourage others to do more research on vaccines? How will this impact the NBA? How will this impact American citizens in the workplace? Is this an invasion of the First Amendment?

China’s ban on kids playing online games for only three hours per week

On October 1, 2021 By troypittman13In Content Restriction, Uncategorized, Video GameLeave a comment

Since August 31st, 2021 Hong Kong/Beijing China announced the new ban for online gaming in reference to children 18 and under. On weekdays the children will limit their play to just three hours. This new ban went into affect this past Monday and was announced by China’s National Press and Publication Administration. The restrictions were specific as ‘people under 18 will be allowed to play video games one hour a day between 8pm and 9pm, mostly on weekends or nationally celebrated holidays’.

This is a huge blow to the gaming industry in China that rely on loyal players and subscribers. But is this an attempt to regulate children’s exposure to “specific types of video games?”. On the other hand, is this an attempt to regulate children’s media exposure as a whole in China? In 2021 there over 110 million minors playing video games in China. It’s expected that this number will decline due to the reduction in time they’re allowed to play, which will also influence money spent by these players under 18. https://www.cnn.com/2021/08/31/tech/china-ban-video-games-minor-intl-hnk/index.html

In 2019, there were limits restricting play to 90 minutes a week for children. Authorities state that these new restrictions were created to attempt to prevent young people from becoming addicted to video/online games. They also stated that placing these specific restrictions will protect the healthy growth of minors in China. In reaction to this, investors such as NetEase (NTES) declined 3.4% during trading hours in New York Monday the 27th.

This may also impact the industry of eSports in China. Its the international gaming competition (Olympics) for online video gamers. If minors are limited to the amount of hours they are allowed to play, the momentum for this event could die down, impacting China’s economy. On the other hand, they are paying close attention to the potential behavior changes for children/adolescents after exposure to these games. Attempting to get ahead of the “problem” they see for their citizens. Will Chinese kids find a way around this restriction? And play video games as normal? What does the enforcement of these new restrictions look like?

” There are over 110 million minors that play video games in China today, and we expect the new limits to lead to a decline in the number of players…”
– Danial Ahmad

Netflix Secures $500M Acquisition for Roald Dahl’s Content

On September 24, 2021 By sophiepancoastIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

Netflix has been working swiftly to obtain some of the best content for their popular streaming platform this past year. As their largest acquisition, they have gained Roald Dahl’s works such as Charlie and The Chocolate Factory, The BFG, and Matilda. The announcement was made Wednesday, September 23rd shortly after the entire literary estate was sold.

Now that Netflix has creative freedom with Dahl’s work, new adaptions such as Matilda the Musical and shorter series versions of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory are already in the works. New energy and life are being put into Dahl’s writing with possibilities of an entire universe of games, consumer products, and live-action production.

Dahl has, however, had a history of anti-Semitic remarks. Roald Dahl Story Co. released a public statement about a year ago addressing the issue.

Those prejudiced remarks are incomprehensible to us and stand in marked contrast to the man we knew and to the values at the heart of Roald Dahl’s stories, which have positively impacted young people for generations.
https://www.cnbc.com/2021/09/22/netflix-buys-roald-dahl-catalog.html

Despite urges from viewers including the Jewish community, Netflix is yet to comment on the controversy. Will this be seen as condemning anti-semitism?

Regardless, Netflix is focused and striving to keep up with its competitors. Disney is pulling ahead of the streaming service race with more than 116 million subscribers. However, this deal filled with classic delight suited for children and adults will surely keep Netflix on the forefront.

K-Pop Boyband BTS delivers a speech and performs for the 2021 U.N. General Assembly

On September 22, 2021 By alanapotIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

(https://twitter.com/bts_bighit/status/1439939296761315328/photo/2 / Image from @BTS_bighit on Twitter)

This past Monday, K-Pop boyband BTS attended an event at the United Nations New York headquarters preceding the 76th annual U.N. general assembly meeting the next day. As an attempt to catch the attention and raise viewership from the 15 to 25 year old demographic around the world, South Korean President Moon Jae-In invited the 7 member group as designated youth envoys.

At the event, the group premiered a pre-recorded performance video of their song “Permission to Dance” which garnered one million live viewers and later garnered millions more. The video shows the members singing throughout the aisles of the assembly hall, dancing in the building’s lobby and gathering in a flash mob with backup dancers outside the U.N. headquarters.

K-Pop group BTS performing “Permission to Dance” at the U.N. New York Headquarters

After airing the pre-recorded video, BTS then delivered a live speech to their millions of fans streaming online and to assemblymen sat in the general assembly hall. Their speech, as youth envoys, centered around “the COVID generation”, struggles of today’s youth and the importance of working toward a sustainable future to combat climate change. One of the members, J-Hope, also mentions that the entire group is vaccinated which is important in influencing their fans to get vaccinated if they have not yet. This is the 3rd time the band has spoken for the annual U.N. annual General Assembly, the first time in 2018 in person and the 2nd in 2020 virtually.

BTS’ speech at an event preceding the 76th annual U.N. General Assembly

This appearance shows how world leaders are even understanding the power of influencers on Gen Z. A boyband attending, performing and speaking at an event for the United Nations seems almost silly and out of place but their presence did exactly what it was intended to do – get Generation Z talking and watching the events of the U.N. General assembly and to “reinvigorate interest” in the U.N.’s sustainable development goals. Without the importance of parasocial relationships and digital media, we might have never seen BTS sway their hips and sing to an upbeat pop melody in the same room world leaders discuss and decide the future of climate change and other important global topics.

CBS NEWS. “K-pop superstars BTS lend their voices to U.N.’s push for sustainable development” CBS NEWS, CBS news, 20 Sept. 2021, https://www.cbsnews.com/news/bts-united-nations-k-pop-stars-un-push-sdg-sustainable-development/

Vigdor, Neil. “BTS Took Center Stage at the U.N. Over One Million Fans Watched Live.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 20 Sept. 2021, https://www.nytimes.com/2021/09/20/world/asia/bts-un-performance.html.

Which Philly is Adam Sandler bringing to Netflix?

On September 19, 2021September 19, 2021 By aliceherrickIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

While Manayunk hosts the production of the new Sandler film, Hustle, rumors are beginning to circulate about whether or not the town will actually be referenced in the movie.

If you live in Northwest Philly, you’ve probably been hearing all about it: Adam Sandler is filming a movie in Manayunk! It has been the talk of the rowhouse town for weeks now. Happy Madison Productions, is telling the story of a basketball scout (portrayed by Sandler) attempting to revive his career by bringing an athlete from another country to play in the NBA. The film takes place in various parts of the city of brotherly love, but for the few days, production has been centered in Manayunk.

Many fans of the actor gathered on the streets at all hours trying to get a glance of the action, while other locals have not been as welcoming; Upset about how street closures have disrupted their day-to-day, a few petitions have even circulated around social media groups, including a call to have the production company “give back” for causing inconvenience. Though, as the filming wrapped up Friday evening, the community seemed in good spirits. ABC6 caught Sandler taking the time to greet fans, and everyone is excited to see their Canal Neighborhood be featured on Netflix.

Friday morning, a cop at the intersection of Main Street & Shurs Lane reveled to me that he had been hearing rumors that state: “It’s not actually gonna be Manyunk. It’s supposed to be like ‘North-North’ Philly, but they’re just using parts of here that look more beat up”

“North-North” referring to areas such as Kensington or Northern Liberties. When I asked him why he thought they would make that decision, the cop said, “I think was just easier for them to do it here.” This notion remains completely alleged, the only evidence being anecdotal. However, it is not out of the realm of possibility; pretending some locations are others is a regular procedure in film. Though if true, it raises questions the money Manayunk received for hosting Happy Madison Productions, and if it should have been allocated to Kensington or NL. Furthermore, its sure to cause disappointment among the Manayunk locals who where excited to see their town in a Movie. Until further information is realized about the film, we’ll just have to wait until Hustle drops on Netflix later in 2021.

Upcoming Marvel movies is set to follow Disney’s “Theater Priority” plan.

On September 16, 2021 By rfire911In UncategorizedLeave a comment

Following the release of Disney’s latest addition, Shang-Chi, the company announced that five, out of their next 6, upcoming films will follow the, minimum, 45-day window allocated for theaters. The announcement came to domestic theaters on Friday with headlines following shortly afterwards.

Five of their next six titles, including Marvel’s “Eternals,” all of which are set to open during the rest of 2021, will not reach Disney+ or Hulu until at least 45 days after their theatrical release.
https://www.indiewire.com/2021/09/shang-chi-disney-gives-robust-theatrical-window-to-eternals-1234663776/

Due to the popularity and performance of Disney’s “Shang-chi”, the company believes that the following movies should follow a similar pattern if they are to hit box office numbers similar to that of Shang-Chi. Over premiere weekend Shang-Chi hit over 241 million dollars world wide. There is no set release date for when the film is supposed to debut on the popular streaming service. Some are speculating that it might get delayed and subscribers to the service are going to be disappointed, however, if this 45 day window hold true then the critically acclaimed film will be available October 18th, 2021.

The news isn’t just for Marvel movies, Disney also announced that the film Encanto will also follow a pattern of appearing in theaters and then premiering later on Disney+. Fans will not have to wait as long, as Disney has stated that the wait would only be 30 days instead of 45 days.

This is important because this all stems from when Black Widow premiered both in theaters, and on Disney+ on launch day and the movie did not preform as Disney was expecting. With streaming services getting more and more popular, fans are enthusiastic when they have the ability to watch new release movies from the comfort of their own home. Also with the COVID-19 pandemic still going on, a large group of people still feel that they would rather stay home and wait rather than go to the theater and risk being compromised. While this 45 day deal may increase box office numbers, there is still going to be a big chunk of people who will wait for it to be stream-able.

Brueggemann, T. (2021, September 10). The ‘Shang-Chi’ EFFECT: ‘Eternals’ and 4 Other Disney films will have Minimum 45-DAY Window, ‘Encanto’ with 30. IndieWire. Retrieved September 16, 2021, from https://www.indiewire.com/2021/09/shang-chi-disney-gives-robust-theatrical-window-to-eternals-1234663776/.

Mama Mia! Here we go again 40 years later…

On September 15, 2021September 15, 2021 By aliceherrickIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

ABBA brings back their iconic sound in a brand new album released this month

Long-time fans of the iconic Swedish pop group were on the edge of their seats earlier this month, when ABBA unveiled the name of their new secret project, Voyage. 24 hours later an official album by the same name was released. The super troupers dashed to their choice of audio streaming service to find an album with two songs, “I Still Have Faith in You” & “Don’t Shut Me Down”. These two bops are hard to describe in any words other than “Yeah, it sounds like ABBA”; It’s authentic in its signature style, a true testament to what come of bringing back together the original talent of 18 consecutive Top Ten singles and a total of nine number one hits. Accompanying the songs was a music video for “I Still Have Faith in You”. The emotional ballad was set to footage of the band’s evolution through the years on tour; silk rompers and blue eyeshadow, synchronized dancing and large crowds having a blast in the past. It evokes a nostalgic feeling in a disco decade that feels so far away, and makes their renewal very exciting and in comparison.

This revival of ABBA poses many questions about what could be on the horizon: A tour? Well, ABBA confirmed on twitter that there would be a digital concert on May 27^th 2022. Though we can assume in the short term that it will be the extent of their live experience, as they’ve been open on social media about wishing to remaining cautious in the COVID 19 era. But who knows what the future could bring? In a statement acquired by Rolling Stone, the band described the release of Voyage as “truly sailing in uncharted waters.” So far, the seas have been kind to their journey. Critical reception has been majority positive, and ABBA’s hit have had an increase in listening across all music platforms since the album drop. We can take an important note as media scholars: this type of revival is rare, and the excitement from the pop community is a feeling we could use more of. Someone pass the message along to Paul Simon- please and thank you. If ABBA were to continue releasing music, it would be interesting to see how their sound plays in the 2020s. Their current legacy is nothing short of iconic, so 40 years later, would these legends have potential to climb the charts and live up to their reputation?

The ‘Little Mermaid’ Starring Halle Bailey Finally Has It’s Release Date

On September 15, 2021 By troypittman13In UncategorizedLeave a comment

“A process that took almost three years from my first audition to my final day on set”
– Halle Bailey

It’s been two years since the world first learned that Halle Bailey, from the sister duo Chloe x Halle, would be portraying this generation’s role of Disney’s Ariel. This live action remake of The Little Mermaid finally has a release date, after it’s uproar of both negative and celebratory reactions to it’s announcement. This highly anticipated live-action film revealed it’s release date to be May 6 2023. So we won’t be seeing the underwater world of Atlantica just yet.

Prior to this exciting new role, Halle was most known for singing alongside her sister Chloe. The duo were discovered in 2013 after uploading a cover to Beyonce’s “Pretty Hurts”. Reaching 8 million views, Beyonce signed them to her label Parkwood Entertainment. Halle is also famously known for her role as Sky on Freeform’s show Grown–ish. Bailey has also performed live for various Award Shows and music platforms, such as Tiny Desk, and the MTV VMA’s .

Alongside Bailey as the protagonist Ariel, is Melissa McCarthy playing Ursula. Playing this film’s Prince Eric is British actor Jonah Hauer-King, and the voice acting of Flounder & Sebastian will be played by Jacob Tremblay and Daveed Diggs.

Although this announcement put smiles on the faces of many Disney fans, it also inspired some nasty online backlash. Historically, The Little Mermaid is a story about a mythical mermaid with bright red hair, lighter skin, and a mermaid tail. Within the last few years Disney’s launch of Disney+ made it inevitable for fans to see live-action remakes of their favorite classics. The online backlash featured many white Disney fans stating that the mythical character Ariel should stay white for the re-make.

Social networking platforms did what they do best, falling into the uproar of this announcement. Outraged fans created unattractive and beastly edits (similar to black-face) of what they believe Ariel will look like if Disney follows through with Halle Bailey playing her. Bailey was criticized for her locs and her skin tone, and fans went as far as recording themselves burning away Disney merchandise if she’s casted.

Well, jokes on them! Halle Bailey will be the new The Little Mermaid which will debut in May 2023. Get your popcorn & lets get lost in the sea!

I don’t pay attention to the negativity.
– Halle Bailey

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