The Netflix One Piece Adaptation Has Its Cast Revealed

On By Noah Furcht-HeafitzIn Netflix, TwitterLeave a comment
https://twitter.com/i/status/1458192148642234371
https://twitter.com/i/status/1458192148642234371, Offical One Piece Netflix Twitter account

Netflix has announced who will be playing the main characters in their upcoming live-action adaptation of One Piece. Iñaki Godoy of Who Killed Sara? fame will be playing the main protagonist Monkey D. Luffy. Playing Nami, Ussop, Sangi, and Roronoa Zoro respectively are Emily Rudd (Fear Street), Jacob Romero Gibson (All Rise), Taz Skylar (Boiling Point), and Mackenyu.The 10- episode series comes courtesy of One Piece’s publisher Shueisha and Tomorrow Studios. Tomorrow studios is also notably behind Netflix’s live-action Cowboy Bebop adaptation. One piece is the story of the above-mentioned characters as they sail around the sea in search of the ultimate treasure “One Piece”. Steven Maeda of Lost and The X-Files fame is on as the series’s writer, executive producer and showrunner. Matt Owens, best known for his work on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and Luke Cage is also on as a writer and executive producer. Becky Clements and Marty Adelstein are executives producing this project alongside series creator Eiichiro Oda. Regarding the casting choices Eiichiro Oda was quoted as saying:

 “We’ve been working with Netflix and Tomorrow Studios on the massive project that is the Hollywood live action series adaptation of ONE PIECE! How many years has it been since it was announced, right? I know, I know! But rest assured we’ve been making steady progress all along! It’s not easy when you’re working with people from different cultures! But it’s precisely that process that can yield something special! For now, we’re able to announce the main cast! Rather, we need to hurry and announce it or else it’ll be leaked, apparently! Hilarious, lol. Their face, the size of their mouths and hands, their aura, the way they carry themselves, their voice, their acting skills, their height, the balance amongst the Straw Hat Crew, etc…! We decided on this cast after numerous discussions involving people around the world! These are the people who will be our Straw Hat Pirates! It’ll take a bit more time to get this show done, but we’ll continue to do our best to deliver a show that we’re confident will be enjoyed by everyone around the world! Look forward to more updates in the future!”

Maeda and Owens added to this by themselves stating: 

 “We are so excited to set sail with this amazing and talented cast! Finding the right people to pull off the looks, emotions, and actions of the iconic Straw Hats was a long and challenging (and fun!) process. Much like the search for the One Piece itself. But we have finally found the perfect fits! They have already begun working very hard to bring these characters to life. You will come to know and love them just as much as their manga counterparts. All of us can’t wait to show you what we’ve come up with! Onward to adventure!”

This article interests me because I’m personally unreasonably excited for this show to be released. As a fan of the source material I’m very satisfied with the appearance of all of the actors that have been chosen so far. Also, all of the promotional material the actors have put out since having been announced reflects the fact that they have done research regarding their roles which is good to see.

Rosario, Alexandra Del. “’One Piece’: Iñaki Godoy to Star as Monkey D. Luffy in Netflix Live-Action Series; Mackenyu, Emily Rudd, Jacob Romero Gibson & Taz Skylar Board Cast.” Deadline, Deadline, 9 Nov. 2021, https://deadline.com/2021/11/one-piece-netflix-cast-live-action-series-inaki-godoy-mackenyu-emily-rudd-jacob-romero-gibson-taz-skylar-1234870853/.

Netflix’s YuYu Hakusho Live-Action Adaptation Gets A Release Date

On By Noah Furcht-HeafitzIn Comics, Netflix, Streaming, UncategorizedLeave a comment
https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2021-11-09/netflix-schedules-live-action-yu-yu-hakusho-series-for-december-2023/.179396, Adriana Hazra

Last Tuesday Netflix announced that it will be releasing its live-action adaptation of Yoshihiro Togashi’s YuYu Hakusho manga worldwide in December of 2023. Akira Morii and Kazutaka Sakamoto, Netflix’s content acquisition directors, are executive producing and producing this project respectively. Sakamoto recounted his own fond experiences with the intellectual property in question and insisted that Netflix is doing its best to do right by the fans he knows the series has all around the world. The series follows a 14-year-old delinquent named Yusuke Urameshi who dies after throwing himself in front of a car to save a child. Because of his selfless act, Yusuke is allowed to come back to the world of the living as a “spirit detective” tasked with defeating demons. For this project, Netflix and TOHO Studios signed a several-year contract to lease two of TOHO’s stage facilities; stage 7 and stage 10. In addition, ten sound stages, two acting centres, and a production centre of TOHO’s will also be used to create Netflix’s original programming. This deal goes into effect as of April first of 2022. 

The popularity of YuYu Hakusho’s 19 volume manga (1992-1995) has led to the creation of an anime adaptation, two live-action films, two animated films, and a stage play that ran from August to September of 2019. Said films and anime have all been dubbed and distributed in various languages and territories by Funimation, Media Blasters and Central Park Media respectively. The series notably acquired fans domestically by way of its airing on Adult Swim’s Toonami block. Further emphasizing the popularity of this property is the fact that new animated material for it has been released as recently as 2018 to celebrate the series’s 25th anniversary.

This article interests me for two main reasons. For one, I’m generally happy to hear that an older property like YuYu Hakusho is getting a Netflix live-action adaptation. For another, I think Netflix’s partnering with TOHO Studios speaks well of the potential for more live-action anime adaptations going forward. This especially in the event that the soon to be released Cowboy Bebop and One Piece adaptations do well.

Erskine, Donovan. “YouTube to Make Dislike Counts Private on All Videos.” Shacknews, Shacknews, 10 Nov. 2021, https://www.shacknews.com/article/127617/youtube-to-make-dislike-counts-private-on-all-videos.

Google Loses Appeal in E.U. Antitrust Breach Case

On By emmaspaethIn UncategorizedLeave a comment
Google critics lobby EU's Vestager to take tougher antitrust action
Photo Via CNBC.com

The EU’s General Court, the EU’s second-most senior court, has ruled in favor of the European Commission’s fine against Google in 2017 for an antitrust breach. According to the European Commission, Google favored its own shopping comparison services over rival services and fined Google for 2.42 billion euros ($2.8 billion). Google’s parent company, Alphabet, had appealed the decision but was dismissed by the General Court. 

In a press release the court announced, “The General Court finds that, by favoring its own comparison shopping service on its general results pages through more favorable display and positioning, while relegating the results from competing comparison services in those pages by means of ranking algorithms, Google departed from competition on the merits”. 

In response, a spokesperson for google told CNBC, “Shopping ads have always helped people find the products they are looking for quickly and easily, and helped merchants to reach potential customers. This judgement relates to a very specific set of facts and while we will review it closely, we made changes back in 2017 to comply with the European Commission’s decision.”Google has the option to appeal the verdict to the EU’s highest court.

This ruling has strengthened existing antitrust arguments against US tech firms made by Margrethe Vestager, the European Commissioner for Competition. Vestager is an aggressive antitrust enforcer and this case is one of three penalties issues by Vestager against Google.  Vestager’s legal argument in this case and other antitrust breaches is that big tech companies like Google are able to ‘self-preference”, explained by the court as “favoring its own comparison shopping service on its general results pages through more favorable display and positioning, while relegating the results from competing comparison services in those pages by means of ranking algorithms.” This is a direct violation of antitrust law.

Self-preferencing is common practice in the tech world, this case could set the precedent for antitrust laws regulating digital marketing, but not without difficulty. This case is proving that the EU and other courts have many limitations when it comes to regulating big tech companies despite Google loosing their appeal. In the United States, Google is also facing a lawsuit from Justice Department for similar anticompetitive behavior.

SNL Return of Kieran Culkin (30 Years)

On By troypittman13In UncategorizedLeave a comment

Surprisingly, most people don’t know that Kieran Culkin, is the brother of the famous child star Macaulay Culkin. The Culkin brothers (Macaulay, Kieran, and Rory) are famous for their acting careers dating back to the 1990s. The most famous of the three happens to be Macaulay, overwhelmingly for his performance in Home Alone and Richie Rich. But this post is for Kieran, so let’s stick to the script. Kieran recalled his debut On Saturday Night Live in 1991, broadcasted on NBC. For this recent show SNL dug deep into their archives showing the first night he appeared on the show. In one of Kieran’s most memorable skits, his brother Macaulay plays the child version of Rob Schnieders Richard Laymer. This was a popular recurring character on SNL that annoyed his coworkers by giving them strange nicknames. Kieran happened to be the victim of this name-calling for the skit, but he was a good sport and enjoyed the opportunity to act with his brother.

Kieran is best known for his roles in Scott Pilgrim vs. the World and HBO’s Succession, to name a few. On Scott Pilgrim vs. the World Kieran plays Scott’s gay roommate whom he met in college. His character is witty and sarcastic but is also a prominent source of Scott’s wisdom. On HBO’s ‘Succession’ Kieran plays, Roman Roy. This character exudes an entitled attitude along with the cockiness he gets from his father that ultimately keeps him from advancing in his company. On his SNL opening monologue, he jokes about fans and critics stating that his snotty character on ‘Succession’ “suits him”. He announced the birth of his 2nd child, recently born in August, and acknowledged his wife’s support of his acting career. Before jumping into his segments, he reminds the audience that he appeared on the show 30 years at just 9 years old. He also reminisced when he was hoisted into the air by Kevin Nealon, another SNL cast member.

“It’s crazy. It’s absolutely insane. It’s been a dream of mine and it’s just surreal”

– Kieran Culkin

“Everyone says like, you know ‘Just try to capture moments or something because it just moves so fast. And I like can’t even do that because there’s so much work to be done”

– Kieran Culkin

Kieran threw a great show and the audience thoroughly enjoyed the sketches. He says since the start of season 3 of ‘Succession’ on October 17th, the show has maintained a loyal audience.

Meta Announces Removal Of Targeted Advertising Tools

On By emmaspaethIn ads, Data, facebook, Marketing, Social MediaLeave a comment
Photo Via The New York Times

Facebook, now known as Meta, announced its plans to remove advertisers’ ability to create targeted ads and promotions based on data including race, religion, sexual orientation, geographical location, gender, and political affiliation. These changes will also be implemented in Meta’s apps including Facebook, Instagram and Facebook Messenger. 

The removal of data based advertising is planned to take effect on January 19th. Meta explained the changes to its targeting tools are to limit targeted advertisement abuse. In the past, there has been huge controversy surrounding abuse of data by advertisers. 

In one case, advertisers were using Facebook’s ad targeting tools to market body armor, gun accessories and rile enhancements to far-right militia groups on the platform. 

In another instance, Department of Housing and Urban Development sued Facebook in 2019 for permitting landlords and property sellers to restrict certain demographics from viewing their property postings based on users’ data like race, religion and ethnicity. 

Meta vowed to involve outside parties who took part in the legal settlement, including the American Civil Liberties Union, to test its ad systems to ensure the removal of ad based housing discrimination. They have also agreed to meet with groups and experts every six months over the next three years to continue testing. 

In response to complaints surrounding its ad targeting tools back in 2018, Facebook removed 5,000 ad targeting classifications to prevent advertisers from excluding certain demographics. 

Graham Mudd, a vice president of product marketing for Meta, announced, “We’ve heard concerns from experts that targeting options like these could be used in ways that lead to negative experiences for people in underrepresented groups.”

This is a drastic change to Meta’s business model as advertising accounts for $86 billion in annual revenue. This change is widely controversial as millions of businesses use the social network’s marketing and advertising tools to promote their businesses and expand their audience reach. Meta’s advertising technologies have proven more effective and affordable than traditional television commercials. 

CNN Pulls Facebook page amid High Court decision.

On By rfire911In UncategorizedLeave a comment

In a surprising move, media company, CNN disables their Facebook page amid the new Australian High Court order that happened earlier in the month. The company stated that they had no choice and that their hand was forced due to the new legislation.

Earlier in the month, Australian High Court ruled that media companies are to be held liable for the comment that are under their posts. More specifically, they are responsible for the derogatory and defamatory comments that users leave under their posts. While the court ruling happened earlier in the month, approximately the 8th of September, we are just seeing the effects of the ruling now. While companies have the ability the disable comments, this doesn’t promote the ability to engage with your audience.

The discussion started when a young 17 year old Dylan Voller was jailed and put into a youth correctional facility. The teen was put all over the media and this also included how the teen was treated. Pictures of him strapped to a chair with a bag over his head created an outrage that gained more news coverage. Voller ended up suing multiple Australian news companies for the vulgar comments that were left under Facebook posts due to the fact that he was arrested rather than the comments about him being mistreated.

However, media companies are not the only victims of the High Court’s judgment. According to legal experts, not only can news outlets be held liable for their readers’ defamatory comments, but any social media user in Australia can be held liable for comments on their posts if they encourage other users to engage with their content.

https://itif.org/publications/2021/09/16/australian-high-court-ruling-threatens-social-media-and-online-news

Aaron Rodgers and the Media’s Trust Issues

On By johnwilson21In Ethical Issue(s), News Media, SportsLeave a comment
(Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

Aaron Rodgers is one of the best players that the NFL has to offer, and a large aspect of the 2021 season has been COVID-19 and all of the rules, issues, and debates that come along with it. In this instance, all of these topics collide, as Aaron Rodgers contracted COVID-19 and was unvaccinated, but in August he gave the impression that he was vaccinated, which caused a roar. Many people are ridiculing him for this occurrence, which caused him to lash out on the NFL, the media, and “cancel culture.” In August, when asked about the vaccine, he claimed that he was “Immunized,” and would not judge teammates who did not receive the vaccine, which many took as the implication that he was vaccinated. He received homeopathic treatment from a doctor in the offseason and says he is allergic to an ingredient in the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines and did not get the Johnson & Johnson vaccine because of issues with blood clots. In his efforts to defend himself this week, he called out the NFL for “draconian measures” in their philosophies with the COVID-19 cases, as well as media for trying to “cancel him” in light of this controversy and other statements he has made in the past. His choice of wording in August was very technical and the media took it as he was vaccinated, but he was not, and is now not happy with the media trying to accuse him of lying and people trying to “cancel” him for not getting the vaccine, when that is deemed by many as the right thing to do for society.

Aaron Rodgers is a very smart, outspoken individual, in many cases, and this occasion is very interesting. He has an issue with the media for scorning him because of decision to not get the vaccine, as some have called him selfish or deem him to not being doing the “right thing,” by society’s standards. He also has an issue with the ridicule from the media for lying about getting the vaccine, but technically, he did not lie, he just chose his words carefully. Although he did give off the impression he was vaccinated, it is not safe to assume, which as a member of the media, there is an argument they should have not falsely reported or believed he was vaccinated. On the other hand, the media could have an issue with Rodgers because of this false impression, in which he could now lose his credibility with the media and they could no longer trust him with other statements he makes in the future. Rodgers has been accused of being sensitive in the past, which could be pointed out in this case, as he tries to defend himself against the “woke mob” and has put out many claims to defend himself for not getting vaccine. Although, not many people in media or on social media platforms are trying to cancel him, they are just ridiculing him for his loose wording and false impressions he made, as well as his choice to not get the vaccine. Overall, I understand some of Rodgers’ frustration because he technically never said he was vaccinated, but somebody with his proven intelligence should know the implication he gave off and how it may backfire if he were to get into a sticky situation like this. In reality, this will likely be brushed off into past news as the NFL season gears up for a playoff run, but Rodgers and the media both lost trust in each other in future encounters.

Dozens of Crowd Members Injured and 8 Dead at Travis Scott’s Astroworld Festival

On By alanapotIn Music, UncategorizedLeave a comment
Erika Goldring / WireImage via https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/travis-scott-performs-during-2021-astroworld-festival-at-news-photo/1351663202?adppopup=true

On November 5th, 2021 at NRG Park in Houston, Texas the Astroworld Music Festival was held with Travis Scott as the headlining act. Extremely aggressive pushing, shoving and crowding in this sold-out crowd of roughly 50,000 attendees resulted in 8 dead and dozens injured.

Earlier that day, around 2:00pm, concert-goers entered the festival and hundreds stampeded the safety checkpoints, trampling other attendees.

As hours passed to Scott’s headlining performance, the crowd got larger and more dangerous. One attendee described her experience “like watching a Jenga tower topple. Person after person were sucked down…. You were at the mercy of the wave.” You can read her detailed account of her experience below:

8 victims, ages ranging from 14 to 27, died from the fatal conditions of pushing, shoving, trampling, and lack of air. So far, three concert-goers have filed lawsuits against Astroworld organizers, LiveNation and Travis Scott for negligence and encouraging violence at the event.

According to the Houston Chronicle, this event was one of the deadliest concerts in U.S. history. While covered by major news outlets, much of the information learned about the event is from social media posts. Scott took to Instagram with a video discussing the tragic situation and apologizing to the families of those who lost their lives, anyone injured, and everyone who attended the event. There are also several new reports coming out each day on Scott reimbursing ticket holders, covering funeral costs and other repercussions after the tragic events of November 5th.

After almost two years of social distancing and canceled live events, it is shocking to see this amount of injury and loss in a sea of 50,000 people.

Durney, Ellen. “Travis Scott And Drake Are Being Sued For Negligence And “Encouragement Of Violence” At The Astroworld Festival That Killed At Least 8 People” 8, November 2021. Buzzfeed News, https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/ellendurney/travis-scott-and-drake-astroworld-negligence-lawsuits

Guerra, Joey & Barned-Smith, St. John. “At least 8 Dead at Travis Scott’s Astroworld Festival”, 7, November 2021. Houston Chronicle. https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/houston/article/At-least-8-deaths-Travis-Scott-Astroworld-Festival-16597376.php?fbclid=IwAR0-UTPjXW-Zdl8g8TBVNTz3ign7IYTUUssANXBuFOzw3_GScSaOY1zr5GM

Meta to Open Retail Stores

On By flaviastrokaIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

As Facebook- now known as Meta- uses technology to transcend into the next level, they are setting out to build physical stores for consumers to use tools that will enhance their virtual experience. This initiative aims to amplify the meta experience and give the audience an accurate representation of the vision of the Metaverse as an immersive digital world of endless possibilities. Some of the products sold will include virtual reality headsets and augmented reality glasses which are believed to promote full human interaction by activating all human senses, except for, of course that of touch. As stated by The New York Times: “Meta has discussed opening retail stores that will eventually span the world, said people with knowledge of the project and company documents viewed by The New York Times. The stores would be used to introduce people to devices made by the company’s Reality Labs division, such as virtual reality headsets and, eventually, augmented reality glasses..” The general idea is that social media is now being presented more vividly than ever and it is imperative for Meta to utilize conventional business strategies that will increase product sales but encourage customer engagement.

Experts believe that this gigantic step toward technologic advancement is the first of its kind, as it encompasses a combination of tools and the cooperation of various fields of technology. According to SocialMediaToday, Meta is to play a key role in connectivity and functionality in this respect. These innovative strategies will eventually require the establishment of an independent consortium that may encourage other social giants to participate and elevate into the next stage as well.

I chose this article because I believe that it is very important for individuals to remain up to date on current media management strategies. We are inevitably transforming abstract concepts into something tangible this is the next big thing. in order to build the Metaverse and introduce its magnified concept in smaller parameters, first, Zuck will need to build stores to sell equipment and facilitate the execution of innovative ideas. https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/meta-is-reportedly-planning-to-open-retail-stories-to-sell-vr-ar-and-other/609603/

Barstool Sports Founder Dave Portnoy Accused of Sexual Misconduct

On By Kendra FranklinIn Brand, Social MediaLeave a comment
Source: Variety

Dave Portnoy, founder of the well-known sports and pop culture blog, Barstool Sports, has been accused of sexual misconduct. In an article published by Insider on Thursday, two women, whose identities have been protected, allege that Portnoy sexually assaulted them in the summer of 2020.

One of the women, under the alias “Madison,” described her experience with Portnoy, stating that he began messaging her on Instagram when she was 20 and he was 43. Madison told Insider that when she met Portnoy in his Nantucket home, he filmed her during sexual acts without her consent.

From here, her description of Portnoy’s acts became more violent, with Madison even comparing her experience to “being raped.” She alleged that Portnoy ignored her pain and choked her until she couldn’t breathe. He also ignored her revocation of consent.

The second woman who told her story to Insider went under by name “Allison.” Due to Portnoy’s popularity, Allison wanted to be invited to Portnoy’s home for a party after graduating high school. She claims that Portnoy invited her alone to his home, which she rejected the first time as she was uncomfortable going alone. This did not deter Portnoy, as he invited her again weeks later.

After being nudged by friends, Allison went to Portnoy’s home, where they engaged in rough sexual activity that left her feeling scared and uncomfortable. Allison described that she “didn’t want to disappoint” Portnoy. Afterward, Portnoy kicked Allison out.

Just three nights later, Allison was admitted into the hospital for suicidal thoughts. Her mother contacted the police, but Allison was not comfortable pressing charges.

Portnoy wasted no time responding to these allegations, posting two Twitter videos on Thursday, denying that he is guilty of sexual misconduct. He stated that he feels the author of the Insider article, Julia Black, had a bias against him, calling the article a “hit piece.”

He claims that though he did meet Madison, everything that happened sexually was “100 percent consensual.” Though he did not deny having sex with Allison, he claims that he thought she was older than 21, due to her asking to meet at a bar. He also stated that though it was “awful” that she felt suicidal after their interaction, that she was “continually hitting [him] up to hang out.”

According to NBC, Barstool Sports posted a statement, stating that “This recent news does not involve any workplace behavior.” The company also stated that though they do not usually comment on the private lives of employees, that it will be monitoring this situation closely.

Though no police reports have been filed at this point, many have decided to side with the accusers, as Barstool Sports and Portnoy already have a negative reputation. On the other hand, some believe these allegations were made because of the negative reputation associated with Portnoy and his company. Likely, more will come to the surface regarding Portnoy now that these first allegations have been made. As new information comes in, there will be more substance for observers to decide their stance on the topic.