Why was having a red-headed Little Mermaid important? And how could it have led to recasting the role for a Black actor?
(Note: If you go back to the 19th century, there was an argument that Irish folk (i.e. red heads) weren’t really considered white. Or at least were of lower status. (No Irish Need Apply.) But this is subject to an interesting debate.
(Hint 2: Suspect it’s no accident that Ron Weasley in Harry Potter comes from a poverty-stricken big family of red heads. Are they Irish Catholics? At least culturally?)
As I wrote when the Little Mermaid casting was first announced, it makes perfect historical and artistic sense to recast previously redheaded roles with Black actors.https://t.co/rJpUoN1exC
— Paul Matzko (@PMatzko) September 12, 2022
And what would the folks complaining about a brown-skinned Little Mermaid do if they saw one in a hajib?
Let me throw a real wrench in the works: pic.twitter.com/EYTOwWaBPz
— Hend Amry (@LibyaLiberty) September 15, 2022
How can we as journalists avoid contributing to misinformation?
Some great advice from Dr. Jeremy Littau
🧵With 2 months before Election Day in the U.S., it's worth reviewing best practices against misinformation. With so much polarization and high stakes, it feels urgent to share. But we can do more damage by uncritically amplifying bad information. So here's what I tell students:
— Jeremy Littau (@JeremyLittau) September 14, 2022
Why was Queen Elizabeth II one of our first global media stars?
The Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II was, in some ways, the first global TV news event [predating satellite relay, film was rushed across the Atlantic & shown same-day in Canada & USA].
Her reign almost perfectly matches TV's lifespan, also ailing and old.https://t.co/sQHjRSH7wr— Michael Socolow (@MichaelSocolow) September 8, 2022
Why don’t I much like national television news?
A thread…
I am not a fan of television news. I get most of my news from the @washingtonpost, @nytimes, @WSJ, @OWHnews, @JournalStarNews and the Kearney Hub. I also listen to @NPR news podcasts quite a bit. /1 https://t.co/iW8XO0yPEt
— RalphIsNow@rhanson40@threads.net (@ralphehanson) September 4, 2022
And finally… What makes a rhapsody a rhapsody? And what is the connection between Paradise by the Dashboard Light and Bohemian Rhapsody?
A great post from one of my blogging students.
What makes a rhapsody a rhapsody? And how does this fit in with Meatloaf’s Paradise by the Dashboard Light? (Or Bohemian Rhapsody, for that matter…) Great #jmc406 musical analysis! https://t.co/1qyT0weE3j
— RalphIsNow@rhanson40@threads.net (@ralphehanson) September 7, 2022