Month: October 2022

Paris Hilton is opening up about a harrowing time in her life.

The TV personality, 41, recently sat down for an interview with the New YorkTimes , in whichshe discussed the alleged abuse she suffered as a teen while staying at theProvo Canyon School in Utah. Along with the article, in a series of statementsshared to Twitter, Hilton recalled the details of her experience.

“At Provo Canyon School, I was woken up in the middle of the night by malestaff who ushered me into a private room and performed cervical exams on me inthe middle of the night,” she wrote onTwitter Oct. 11.”Sleep-deprived & heavily medicated, I didn’t understand what was happening. Iwas forced to lie on a padded table, spread my legs & submit to cervicalexams.”

“I cried while they held me down & said, ‘No!'” she continued. “They justsaid, ‘Shut up. Be quiet. Stop struggling or you’ll go to Obs.'”

Paris Hilton Recalls Feeling “Violated Every Single Day” in TestimonyAgainst Utah Boarding School

Hilton also shared that she doesn’t think her alleged abuse was an isolatedincident.

“This was a recurring experience not only for me but for other #survivors,”she added. “Iwas violated & I am crying as I type this because no one, especially a child,should be sexually abused. My childhood was stolen from me & it kills me thisis still happening to other innocent children.”

I opened up in a > @NYTimes video about> something I’ve never discussed before. At Provo Canyon School, I was woken> up in the middle of the night by male staff who ushered me into a private> room and performed cervical exams on me in the middle of the night.> https://t.co/mWxF8Pvmaw>> — ParisHilton (@ParisHilton) October 11,> 2022

the Simple Life alum noted the significance of sharing her story withothers,adding“It’simportant to open up about these painful moments so I can heal & help put anend to this abuse. Watch the @NYTimes video that shares my story & deeplydisturbing information about Provo Canyon School’s owners Universal HealthServices.”

E! News has reached out to Universal Health Services for comment and has notheard back.

In a statement shared to E! News, the Provo Canyon School said that theboarding school “was sold by its previous ownership in August 2000.”

“What we can say is that the school provides a structured environment teachinglife-skills, providing behavioral health therapy, and continuing education foryouth who come to us with pre-existing and complex emotional, behavioral andpsychiatric needs,” the statement read. “These youth have not been successfulin typical home and school environments, and in many cases have a history ofengaging in dangerous behaviors such as self-harming and/or attemptingsuicide, physical violence and/or aggression toward others, and use of illicitsubstances.”

Rick Bowmer/AP/Shutterstock

Added the school, “While we acknowledge there are individuals over the manyyears who believe they were not helped by the program, we are heartened by themany stories former residents share about how their stay was a pivot point inimproving—and in many cases , saving—their lives.

In March 2021, Hilton also tested about the alleged abuse she suffered at theboarding school in a Utah courtroom. Her testimony was in support of a billfocused on ending abuse in the state’s congregational care facilities.

“I needed this bill when I was in residential care and I am honored to supportthe thousands of youth who now have greater protections,” she said at thetime. “This is only the beginning—I plan to approach the federal arena with abill that will protect youth across the nation in these types of facilities.”

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In Da Club, PIMP and candy shop : there was a time when almost everyonecould read 50 Cent’s lyrics. But that time is long gone and the rapper hasn’tproduced hits for years. Tonight he will be in a (still far from sold out)Ahoy. Where has he gone since his mega success?

By Isabel Ockers

Ahoy does not want to tell NU.nl exactly how many tickets have been sold. Inany case, the online map of the event hall shows that there are still plentyof empty spaces. If you still want to go to Rotterdam tonight, you have to payat least 88 euros for a ticket. And that while 50 Cent since candy shop(2005) has not scored a hit in the Netherlands.

In 2010 a concert of the rapper is canceled due to disappointing ticket sales.Eight years later, the rapper’s show in Ahoy will continue, under the name ofan anniversary concert.

The reactions are mostly negative. NRC finds the rapper bored. “In amoderately filled hall, much too big for him, he stumbles like a listless,gasping salt bag, hoarse and bored to the rhythm of his own hits.”

First hit follows after shooting

Back to how it all started. Growing up in Queens, 50 Cent, whose real name isCurtis James Jackson, was exposed to crime at a young age. To earn some extramoney, he starts rapping. In 2000, even before his first hit in theNetherlands, he was shot at in the street. He is hit nine times, including inthe head.

After thirteen days in the hospital, he continues to work on his recovery athome. Together with Dr. Dre and Eminem he records his first album: Get RichOr Die Tryin ‘. This will be an international success. In 2003 alone, therapper received more than 35 awards for the record.

His album will be released in 2005 The Massacre out, where are hit CandyShop on state. With his first two albums, he sells more than 20 million CDsand 40 million singles worldwide.

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Success declines after first two albums

His third album Curtis is less successful. The fourth and fifth albumsflopped completely. Yet he manages to earn $ 8 million from his fifth studioalbum Animal Ambition. The rapper is paid out in bitcoins, which laterbecome worth more.

Although the artist no longer releases a studio album after this, he also doesnot sit still. In 2009 he brings the book The 50th Law out, a semi-autobiographical story about how a drug dealer from Queens breaks through asan artist. In 2020 he will come out with his second book: Hustle Harder,Hustle Smarter.

His financial situation is not always stable. In 2015, the rapper was orderedto pay $5 million in damages for posting other people’s intimate imagesonline. Shortly afterwards, he files for bankruptcy. He has about $36 millionin debt, while ‘only’ 20 million is in his account. Two years later, hemanages to buy off the bankruptcy.

Since 2014, not a single album of the rapper has been released. And yet 50Cent is still seen as a defining name in the hip-hop scene. With the massivesales of his first albums, according to many musicians, he has laid thefoundation for a coming hip-hop generation. Artists such as Drake, J. Cole,DaBaby and Pop Smoke call the New Yorker a source of inspiration.

WASHINGTON — Two flamboyant pop culture icons take center stage at the staid,tradition-bound Supreme Court on Wednesday as the justices weigh whetherartist Andy Warhol infringed on the copyright of a photographer’s image of therock star Prince when making a series of his signature silkscreen print.

During the oral argument, the court will consider a legal question ofconsiderable interest to people in all kinds of creative industries, includingtelevision, film and fine art, on how to define whether new work based on anexisting one is “transformative” — meaning it does not violate copyright law.

While Warhol, one of the leading pop artists of the 1960s, has been creditedwith the expression that everyone in the future will get 15 minutes of fame,the oral argument could last for as long as two hours.

The original Lynn Goldsmith photograph of Prince and Andy Warhol’s portrait ofthe musician. (Lynn Goldsmith; Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts)

Noted photographer Lynn Goldsmith sued over Warhol’s use of her 1981photograph of then-rising star Prince before he attained global fame on theback of hits like “Little Red Corvette” and “When Doves Cry.” As part of anarrangement with Vanity Fair magazine three years later, Warhol created aseries of silkscreen prints as well as two pencil sketches based onGoldsmith’s image. While the original photo, a portrait of Prince, was blackand white, the silkscreen prints superimposed bright colors over a croppedversion of the original photo. The style was similar to other famous Warholworks, such as his portraits of Marilyn Monroe.

Under a license it had obtained from Goldsmith, Vanity Fair used a Warholillustration based on the photo in its November 1984 issue without anyproblems arising. But Goldsmith said she was not aware that Warhol had createdother images that were not licensed, a fact she only became aware of afterVanity Fair publisher Conde Nast used a different image as part of a 2016Prince tribute immediately after the rock star’s death.

Story continues

Warhol himself had died in 1987, and the relevant works and copyright to themare now held by the Andy Warhol Foundation, which permitted Vanity Fair to usethe image in 2016. Goldsmith was not credited.

The following year the issue ended up in court, with Goldsmith and thefoundation suing each other to determine whether Warhol’s image constitutedfair use.

Images from Andy Warhol’s series on the musician Prince. (Andy WarholFoundation for the Visual Arts)

In 2019, a federal judge ruled in the foundation’s favor, saying that Warhol’simages were transformative because, while Goldmith’s photo showed a“vulnerable human being,” the Warhol prints depicted an “iconic, larger-than-life figure.”

The foundation sought Supreme Court review after the New York-based 2nd USCircuit Court of Appeals ruled in favor of Goldsmith in March 2021. Theappeals court faulted the district court for focusing on the artist’s intent,saying a judge “should not assume the role or art critic.” Instead, a judgemust examine whether the new work is of a completely different character tothe original, the court said. It must, “at a bare minimum, comprise somethingmore than the imposition of another artist’s style on the primary work,” thecourt added.

Various interested parties have filed briefs advising the justices on whatapproach to take, including movie and music industry groups, educationalinstitutions and individual artists. (Universal Pictures, a division of NBCNews’ parent company NBCUniversal, is a member of the Motion PictureAssociation, which filed a brief in the case in support of neither party.)

The parties’ approach to the legal question depends in part on to what extenttheir work relies on protecting their own copyrighted material as opposed tomaking fair use of other people’s copyrighted content.

A relevant Supreme Court precedent cited by both sides is a 1994 ruling inwhich the court held that it was fair use when rap group 2 Live Crew created asong called “Pretty Woman” that was a parody of Roy Orbison’s “Oh, PrettyWoman. ”

Like the parody song, Warhol’s additions created something new that conveyed adifferent message, the foundation’s lawyers argue.

Goldsmith’s lawyers point to other language in the 2 Live Crew ruling thatsaid a fair use argument is undermined if there is a risk that the new workwill supersede the original and undercut its market value.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com

Cynthia Bailey

Cynthia Bailey/Instagram Mike Hill and Cynthia Bailey

Cynthia Bailey and Mike Hill are going their separate ways.

The Real Housewives of Atlanta alum, 55, has filed for divorce from the TVhost, 52, after two years of marriage.

Bailey addressed the split in an exclusive statement to PEOPLE: “God does notmake mistakes! I truly believe in my heart Mike coming into my life wasdestiny. I jumped in, both feet first and gave it my all.”

“Although that journey has come to an end,” she continued, “I am so gratefulfor our continued friendship, and the beautiful memories that we madetogether. God willing, I will find love again. Whatever is destined to be,will be ; and I couldn’t be more excited for my next chapter!”

Added Bailey, “I pray my friends, family, and fans will continue to be alongfor the ride with me in this awesome thing we call ‘life!’ Thank you for yourcontinued prayers, support, and well wishes.”

Hill also provided an exclusive statement to PEOPLE: “I love Cynthia and willalways love her because she is a phenomenal woman and a beautiful person.”

“Even though our relationship is ending, our friendship remains rock solid andfor that I am grateful,” he continued. “Honestly, we’ve been thinking aboutgoing our separate ways for the last few months, so it was good for us both tohave that time to process it all privately and I can smile knowing she’llalways be there for me as I will be for her.”

Mike Hill Cynthia Bailey Celebrity Christmas Trees

Cynthia Bailey/Instagram Mike Hill and Cynthia Bailey

RELATED: Cynthia Bailey Explains Her Decision to Leave RHOA and WhyShe’s ‘Happy but…Also Sad’

theJasmineBRAND was first to report the news of the split.

Earlier on Wednesday, Bailey and Hill released joint statement to_Entertainment Tonight_ : “While we both will always have love for oneanother, we have decided to go our separate ways.”

“We are grateful that we remain good friends, and will always cherish the manymemories we’ve shared together as husband and wife,” the statement continued.”Many of you have been on this journey with us from the very beginning, and weappreciate our family, friends and beloved fans for your positive support aswe move forward and start new chapters. Thank you for your prayers & wellwishes!”

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Mike Hill and Cynthia Bailey attend the 2021 Ebony Power 100 Presented ByVerizon at The Beverly Hilton on October 23, 2021

Phillip Faraone/FilmMagic

Hill and Bailey tied the knot on Oct. 10, 2020. Though Monday was their secondwedding anniversary, they did not acknowledge the occasion.

Their wedding planning and ceremony were featured in season 13 of the Bravoreality show, which marked Bailey’s final season after joining in season 3.Fans also saw Hill propose in season 12 of RHOA.

RELATED: Cynthia Bailey on Newlywed Life with Husband Mike Hill: ‘ThisGlow Is Not Just Highlighter’

Six months after the ceremony, Bailey opened up about married life while onthe PEOPLE Every Day podcast.

“I have to say, after we finally got past the wedding, now my focus is on,after finally getting married again, staying married,” she told host JanineRubenstein. “Just trying to create that balance between working.”

At the time, Bailey pledged to put marriage first, saying, “You get the man,then you got to keep the man. You got to keep that husband happy. So justreadjusting to the new world and how everything has changed, and just stilltaking ‘me time’ because I was able to do a lot of that in the pandemic, butalso wife and husband time. But Mike and I are great.”

RELATED VIDEO: Cynthia Bailey Says Her Biggest Takeaway Was That She OnlyHad to Be Herself to Go Far

Never miss a story — sign up for ** PEOPLE ‘s free daily newsletter** to stay up to date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicycelebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

This is the second marriage for both Bailey and Hill. She was previouslymarried to Peter Thomas from 2010 in 2017.

**Region – Lisa, Amy and Shelley Vol together form the very successful trioOG3NE. They are still young but already have an impressive track record inmusic. They won the junior Song Contest in 2007, gloriously won The Voice ofHolland in 2014, took part in the Eurosong Contest in 2017 and releasednumerous popular songs, their studio albums were also well received. **

By: Martin Reitsma

Their theater shows are a hot bath of international class. Top classentertainment and above are just a few highlights from their rich musicaloeuvre. You read it with admiration everywhere, but very rightly so. How niceit would be if the public in our municipality of Pijnacker-Nootdorp could alsoenjoy the beautiful sounds of OG3NE in their own place in the future. CulturA& Zo could be the ideal place for a great performance. There are also quite afew fans and admirers of these top vocalists in our municipality.

On Monday evening the ladies sang the most beautiful Dutch songs in their ownOG3NE style in the Oude Luxor theater in Rotterdam. There was already anenthusiastic pattern of expectations in the foyer for what was to come. Theaudience is diverse; from young to baby boomer with one common passion, theyall embrace the singing and performances of OGENE. It will be a thrilling evening with the theme ‘Out together, home together’.The energy and fun radiate from the stage. Perfect vocal three parts. From thefirst notes it is clear this will be an unforgettable musical evening. Thevocals are formidable, the white clothing of the ladies is stunning, girlpower pur sang. The interaction with their audience is magical. The triothanks the audience for the massive turnout, in expensive times like thiscertainly not a matter of course. ** Evergreens, ballads and uptempo songs Attractive evergreens and classics pass by. Nostalgia and melancholy competefor precedence. ‘Hou Me Vast’ is penetrating and beautiful with a text to letit sink in. ‘Het Dorp’, made famous by Wim Sonneveld, is a true classic andthe performance of the ladies rivals the original. ‘When I Saw You’ is a truetribute to Anthonie Kamerling. ‘Ocean’ by Racoon remains beautiful to hide in,’It’s over’ in a strong performance about passion, love and blazing fire. Thestrong single ‘Handwritten Kiss’ is about the love for a sister with a letterthat brings them back together. ‘Banger Hart’ lasts with a fitting trip to St.Elmo’s Fire. The audience stands, sings, swings and claps. The thunderousapplause must have been heard as far as the ports of Rotterdam. ** ‘ Aside’ brings ecstasy in the room ‘Away’ by Herman van Veen is a wonderful experience that starts with the threeladies sitting on the edge of the stage near the enthusiastic audience. Thefirst notes sound through the hall but Amy misses the presence of her bandmembers and always puts the song ‘on hold’ and then asks the drummer,guitarist, keyboardist etc. to join in. The scene is playful and touching.When the formation is reunited, a strong performance of this song follows.That Ben You’ and ‘Love Letter’ from I Want Your Song follow. ‘Reunie’ bySnelle is a wonderfully tightly sung up tempo song, the audience goes crazy.

‘Tell Me That It’s Not So Is’ by Frank Boeijen is touching, the audience issilent and enjoys intensely, the lyrics and vocals give you goosebumps. Hissong Zwart Wit (Black White) is still topical in 2022 and is sung along wordfor word by the audience. The accompanying band is a strong collective ofmusicians. Well played with a perfect interaction with the ladies. ‘Your NameIn The Stars’ by Jan Smit is quietly beautiful and makes a tear well up. Theseare just a few songs on a beautiful evening in the Old Luxor. The ladies ofOG3NE have the gift to give every song something special of themselves, theyare musical gems. The presentation, show and vocal range are unparalleled.

Older musical colleagues such as singers Hilde Marchal, Bea Willemstein,Johnny Manuhutu from Massada and Rudy van den Berg-Bennett from The Motionsunanimously praise their vocals, songs and shows. It is not without reasonthat the ladies of OG3NE are in high demand on radio and television and are anenrichment in the theater and on the many pop stages.

You read the superlatives too much, but rightly so. The trio is at a very highmusical level in the Netherlands and would also belong to the top abroad. Thistheater tour Samen uit, Samen huis is an absolute must with the best that theDutch music scene has to offer and can be seen in full in the country in thecoming period, for more info see og3ne.com.

OG3NE will perform next Sunday in the concert hall of Kasteel de Wittenburgin Wassenaar On Sunday October 16, OG3NE will give a completely different performance, butat least as beautiful and in the concert hall of the stately castle deWittenburg in Wassenaar. You can then enjoy a number of beautiful songs fromtheir rich repertoire, where this performance will include a culinary 4-coursedinner, drinks package and a glass of champagne on reception. You can alsoenjoy a variety of entertainment throughout the evening, provided by WentinkForno & Partners. More information at www.wittenburg.nl.

You just have to dare; filling the set list of your first tour after adifficult Corona lockdown period with almost only songs from your new album,then only came out at the end of September. “It’s unbelievable that you’restanding here for 98 minutes listening to music you don’t know yet. And youguys didn’t even laugh at us,” said Michael League frontman, “Thank you forthat.” Snarky Puppy played her latest album ‘Empire Central’ on Tuesdayevening in a sold-out AFAS Live, almost only dared to play songs, but passedwith flying colors.

As support act, the band brought along Michelle Willis, one of the many actsthat Snarky Puppy frontman Michael League has joined as bassist. Willis isstill unknown in the Netherlands, but that will soon change. The cheerfulsinger won the hearts of the audience in no time with her playing, voice andwitty comments. Rarely has a support act overcame the audience with such ease,partly due to her self-mockery and audience participation. Still unknown,within 3 years at North Sea Jazz. Mark our words.

Michael League had only a little rest between support act and his own band.The musician was on stage enjoying almost 3 hours. And of course the audienceenjoyed it. The choice to fill the set list with relatively unknown music wasa bold move. As a result, the first part of the program, except for opener’Keep It On Your Mind’, was a rather tame start for Puppyan standards. It wasonly after a remarkable moment from part of the audience that the show reallygot going. That embarrassing moment was when League made its opening talkafter “Bet,” recalling their Kytopia-recorded album, “We Like It Here.” Thefact that the album was recorded in Utrecht, the band was (unjustly and can becalled scandalous) ridiculed, which the bassist did not take lightly andcalled on the audience to respect other cities.

The moment was a turning point for the concert, which until then had been abit rough. Slowly, the audience seemed to appreciate the new style of thePuppies more and more and the enthusiasm that fell on the audience visiblyreturned to the stage.

It couldn’t be the top musicians. Each and every one of the best musicians ofthe new generation of jazz musicians. Of course with Snarky Puppy you neverknow who will be on stage. Regular Michael League is of course always there,but otherwise it is always a selection from the decidedly good group ofmusicians that make up the large Snarky collective. This time fortunately withBill Laurance, who failed to attend the last concert of the band, almost 3years ago in Muziekgebouw Frits in Eindhoven during the So What’s NextFestival. The solo on his Fender Rhodes Stage Piano, unfortunately only at theend of the set, was one of the highlights of the concert. In that respect, thePuppies knew where Abraham gets the mustard, because Amsterdam was a goodplace for lovers of solos. Violinist Zach Brock in particular stole the showseveral times with his ripping outbursts that many rock bands can use, butkeyboardist Bobby Sparks II (ex-Roy Hargrove) also regularly managed to getspecial funky tones out of his whammy clavinet and his Hammond B3. .

It is well known that the band consists of old friends from the University ofNorth Texas. However, it was nice to see that even after all these years ofsuccess they have not forgotten their old friends. Trumpeter Phil Lassiterknew the band from 20 years ago, and now that the old band leader of Prince’sNew Power Generation lives in Amsterdam, it was the perfect moment to invitethe old friend for a masterful solo. A bonus for Amsterdam, and the audienceenjoyed it to the fullest.

When the show came to an end, League managed to bend the earlier moment fromthe audience about Utrecht to the hilarity of the non-Amsterdammers. The bandwas introduced, starting with “The from Utrecht” Bob Reynolds, after which, tothe amusement of the audience, the other band members also came from everypossible Dutch city; Enschede, Gouda, Rotterdam, Maastricht, Eindhoven, Leagueput the scorners from earlier in the evening in their place in their own way.It was the beginning of the end of the evening. One that started off slowlylike a diesel of a strange brand, but eventually ended in the euphoric tonesthat only Snarky Puppy can produce.

Johnny de Mol returns on Wednesday evening with the program RestaurantMisunderstanding. It is the first time we see the presenter on televisionsince he announced in April to stop his talk show for the time being. HLF8.A complaint had been made against De Mol of assault by his ex-girlfriend. Whathas happened in the past few months?

By Isabel Ockers

In 2020, Shima Kaes – De Mol’s girlfriend and fiancée between 2014 and 2015 -reported him for assault and attempted manslaughter. She said she wasassaulted three times by the presenter in 2015. That would have happenedduring holidays in Mexico, in Amsterdam and Ibiza.

appeared in last April HP/The Time an article with details about Kaes’declaration. The report would include photos that match her statements andmedical records of the help she received after two assaults.

De Mol acknowledged that the relationship with Kaes was not always harmoniousand “certainly does not deserve a beauty prize”, but further denied. “I cansay with two fingers in the air: none of the allegations are true. I did notdo it all and there is certainly no question of abuse.”

Second indictment against De Mol

At the end of April, De Mol faced a new charge when an anonymous woman accusedhim of sexual abuse. He allegedly drugged a woman with GHB and then sexuallyassaulted him in a hotel. He also denied this.

All the fuss made the presenter decide to temporarily stop his talk show_HLF8_. “Receiving guests to make a cheerful and fascinating show together isnot possible for me right now. It is very difficult for me”, De Mol said atthe end of his last episode. Leonie ter Braak and Hélène Hendriks have takenhis place in recent months.

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Case closed

Last week, the Public Prosecution Service (OM) decided to dismiss the case.Insufficient evidence has emerged from the investigation showing that thepresenter assaulted his ex-girlfriend. The Public Prosecution Service saidthat Kaes was difficult to reach after she had made a report. After beingheard in March of this year, three other witnesses have been heard. Thestatements did not provide sufficient support for Kaes’s declaration.

Sound clips were also provided as proof, but these conversations contain toolittle context. It is not clear when the supplied photos were taken. Accordingto the Public Prosecution Service, the injuries that can be seen on this arenot unambiguous. The Public Prosecution Service concluded earlier that thereis insufficient evidence in the other case against De Mol. There is no longera criminal case against the presenter.

“I have always had confidence in the investigation and in this outcome,” DeMol responded to the decision of the Public Prosecution Service. “It was atough time though, so I’m relieved that this decision is here now. I’ll takesome time and I’ll keep you posted when I resume what work. I want to thankeveryone for the support and sweet messages who I have recently received.”

The legal advisers of Kaes, Karim Aachboun and Ad Aerts, are still beingprosecuted by the Public Prosecution Service, unlike De Mol. At the end oflast year, the De Mol family had reported threats, a form of extortion,against the duo. A few weeks before Kaes reported abuse by De Mol, they sent aletter to the family. In it, money was asked in exchange for the ex-partner’ssilence about the alleged abuse.

Zie ookJohnny de Mol kwam 10 kilo aan door stress van aangifte

Unknown when De Mol will return to HLF8

When De Mol returns as presenter of HLF8 , is still unknown. He will discussthis with Talpa in the short term, the channel informed NU.nl on Monday.

De Mol can already be seen on Wednesday evening in RestaurantMisunderstanding. In the SBS6 program, relatively young people with variousforms of dementia run a cafeteria together. Most have no experience in thehospitality industry. In previous seasons of the program they were assisted bychef Ron Blaauw and De Mol as presenter.

The Playlist From: Per-Olav Sorensen, Christian Spurrier. Starring: Edvin Endre, ChristianHillborg, Ulf Stenberg, Gizem Erdogan. Netflix, 6 episodes of 45 minutes. From Thursday 13 October.

●●●

Daniel Ek is sure: he is going to save the music industry. At least, if theindustry will listen. That’s a problem for him at the beginning of the Swedishdrama series The Playlist. Much to his frustration, the co-founder and bossof the streaming service Spotify has to go to great lengths to get into aconversation with the major record companies about the use of their music.Once those conversations start, he doesn’t understand why they don’t want tocooperate right away. “We are the future, we make the rules now,” says Ek(well played by Edvin Endre) in a scene to his legal advisers. “If they don’tget it, they can let themselves be further exploited by The Pirate Bay.”

While the music industry struggled with the digitization of music and thecollapse of revenues, Ek tried with Spotify to develop an attractive and legalalternative to illegal download services like The Pirate Bay.

You can’t call the ending of the series a spoiler: sixteen years after it wasfounded in Stockholm, Spotify has become a natural part of life for many. Theservice now has 433 million users, of which 188 million are paid subscribers.Spotify managed to get ahead of major American tech companies such as Apple,Google and Amazon.

Tech entrepreneurs

How did Ek and his team manage it? The Playlist makes a commendable attemptto answer that question. Or at least in part. Ever since The Social Network, the film about Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, many similar stories abouttech entrepreneurs have been filmed. This year alone several series from thiscorner appeared, including WeCrashed and The Dropout. Unlike those storiesfull of chaos and scammers, the Spotify story seems to lend itself less todramatization. The life of the somewhat dull Ek does not seem spectacularenough.

In the first episode, we see how he made millions selling a business indigital advertising and then focused on making the best music player ever.It’s a typical story about a tech entrepreneur who has to fight to change anentrenched industry.

At the end of the first episode it becomes clear which solution the makershave found to bring more tension and energy into the whole. “It didn’t go likethat,” the character Per Sundin suddenly tells the camera. In the next episodewe see his side of events that were first shown from Ek’s perspective. As theboss of the Swedish branch of record company Sony Music, we see Sundin’sstruggle with the rapidly changing music industry. This approach will becontinued throughout the season: each episode is told from the perspective ofa different main character, including talking to the viewer (that breaking thefourth wall is a tired trick that film and series makers sometimes have tostop).

Edvin Endre as Spotify boss Daniel Ek. Jonas Alarik / Netflix

Different perspectives

We follow the shrewd lawyer Petra Hansson, the eccentric co-founder MartinLorentzon and the principled programmer Andreas Ehn, among others. The side ofmusicians is highlighted through a fictional character, singer Bobbi T. Themakers undoubtedly have the book The Spotify Play by journalists JonasLeijonhufvud and Sven Carlsson as a source of inspiration. Yet Netflix reportsin press releases that The Playlist is fiction. Understandable from adramaturgical point of view, because that way you can add more tension.

By far the best episode is called ‘The Law’ and it deals with the importantrole Hansson played for the company. She was given the task of arranging therights and thus convincing labels to put their music on Spotify. While thestubborn Ek could not hide his displeasure and impatience during thenegotiations, she had to bring the parties together. But as natural asstreaming music is now, it was so special in 2006. And so it took a whilebefore everyone saw the light. Actress Gizem Erdogan, also strong in theseries Karlek & Anarkic, plays the part with conviction. You understand howthe lawyer managed to keep things together with a mix of self-confidence,creativity and sobriety.

Gizem Erdogan as lawyer Petra Hanson. Jonas Alarik / Netflix

The clash with Daniel Ek’s original idea comes to the fore in the series. Freemusic for everyone via a streaming service sounds nice, but it is not arevenue model. The programmer in particular feels the pain when there is talkof a paywall. As is often the case, a utopian dream collides with the harshreality of capitalism. That is also the case for the musicians who have tosurvive in the modern music industry. The criticism that Spotify is only goodfor record companies and that artists earn far too little often returns andhas been incorporated into the series. The feud between pop star Taylor Swiftand Spotify is touched upon here. After Swift spoke out about the unfairdistribution of royalties, she had her music removed from the service. Latershe returned, probably on very good terms.

The series shows that things are not so well arranged for smaller acts. Whosefault is that? Ek points to the labels that would exploit their artiststhrough bad contracts. This aspect of the series doesn’t quite work,especially since the singer we follow in the series is fictional. That makesit not tangible enough. And that while the problems for many musicians haveonly gotten bigger since the corona crisis. Streaming would also be anadvertisement for performances, but touring is also becoming increasinglyloss-making for larger acts, partly due to rising prices (the popular bandAnimal Collective recently canceled a European tour for this reason).

In 2022, Spotify is much more than a music service: the company is investingmore and more energy in podcasts. There are also discussions in this worldabout the role of Spotify: for example, rock singer Neil Young withdrew hismusic from the service as a protest against the controversial podcaster JoeRogan. That issue might be something for a next season of The Playlist.

They score not only with their knowledge, but also with their clothing. Overthe years, the candidates of ‘The smartest person in the world’ look more andmore thoughtfully dressed. Although that is not always a conscious strategy.

Katrin SwartenbrouxTuesday 11 October 202211:34

If you compare ‘The smartest person in the world’ with a game of TrivialPursuit at your own kitchen table, you will notice two major differences. Fora pastime that gives rise to winners and losers, there is remarkably littlecrying, yelling and cursing in ‘The smartest man’. And although you love tosee your table companions, it is usually more pleasant to watch theparticipants of the most popular quiz in the world.

That’s, of course, because a person isn’t going to play games in a weekdaybaggy sweater or dip-stained pajama bottoms if that game is also broadcast onTV. Who agrees to take a seat in one of the iconic red seats in the arena ofVan Looy , immediately receives the briefing from one of the dressers ofthe channel. It states that it is better not to wear garments that form alarge white area, that large brand names should not be visible and that smallprints are also not recommended because they are distorted on the image.Guests are also asked to bring three complete outfits, not only because theydo not know in advance how many episodes they will be allowed to play thatday, but also to see if everything is correct on the screen and that not everyplayer is wearing the same color. for example.

Herman Brusselmans and Jennifer HeylenImage SBS

sit well

Because preparing for a quiz broadcast in prime time is stressful enoughwithout hyperventilating in front of the wardrobe, more and more players arehiring a professional stylist to do the prep work. “A good ‘The smartestperson’ outfit is one that makes you feel powerful, but also comfortable,”says stylist Farah El Bastani , who regularly pulls out all the stops forcandidates for the quiz. She uses her own stock of clothing that she hascollected over the years, but she also goes shopping and borrowing fromcertain brands that suit her client. She always starts with a mood board thatcaptures the client’s style – because it is especially important for ‘Thesmartest person’ that participants look like themselves. She then collectsoutfits that she then presents to the customer, with which she makes the finalselection.

‘People think that stylists are mainly needed for glamorous moments, the redcarpets of life, but the importance of your outfit during such a quiz cannotbe underestimated,’ says El Bastani. “It’s hard to break your brain whilethinking about a waistband tucking into your flesh, a seam that itches or ahem that you have to constantly pull down. It must therefore not only lookgood, but also sit well. Literally too. I always let my clients sit in theoutfit we have chosen, because a dress that dresses nicely when you stand cansometimes fall completely different when you sit, and vice versa.’

Stylist Farah El Bastani: ‘The importance of your outfit during such a quizcannot be underestimated.’Image Instagram

El Bastani already provided the quiz outfits of (ex-) participants as Eva DeRoo , Christina ‘Chrostin’ De Witte, Jan Verheyen , SarahMouhamou , Astrid Stockman and Ella Leyers. Her work for the latterin particular has caused quite a stir. ‘I see Ella has turned the tide. Sinceher participation (in 2020, ed.) the importance of styling (during ‘Thesmartest human being’) has become apparent. Not only lifestyle publications,but also general newspapers wrote about her outfits and wondered what shewould wear the next day. That was fairly unseen. Presenters have always beendressed, of course, but now guests also realize: wait a minute, more than amillion people are watching this. Maybe I should pay attention to what I’mwearing after all.’

Strategy

Someone who has not blindly snatched an outfit from the bedroom chair isRiadh Bahric , who had to pay for his striking red socks during his firstepisode, two years ago. In the following episodes, the journalist invariablyappeared on the battlefield wearing a different color of stockings. ‘In allthe colors of the rainbow, eh’, he says. ‘By the way, I still do that on thelate news. You rarely see it there – only those seeking added value willnotice it in wide shots – but it was therefore a conscious choice.’ The jerseythat Bahri wore during his first participation also received a comment, whichturned out to be an excellent buyer for the Belgian designer. ChristianWijnants to mention, a roaring name for fashion lovers, which suddenly alsogot a platform outside of it.

“I think brands and marketers still underestimate the impact something like aTV quiz can have, even though it’s a medium that brings awareness to thegeneral public,” says El Bastani. ‘I always take this into account, forexample by featuring young labels or Belgian designers, in order to also givethem a springboard – although it is never a conscious goal for me to createoutfits that will be written about. . The most important thing is that thereis a match between the clothing and the customer.’

Bahri had another trick up his proverbial sleeve, besides his stockings. ‘Formy final episodes I wore a shade of pink every day, but nobody actuallyaddressed me about that at the time,’ he laughs. Or how sometimes you bettersave your strategy for the game itself.

Movies and series sometimes show fantasy products that we can only dream ofmaking the transition to reality. We’ve collected 5 iconic cool fantasyproducts to excite the nostalgia.

Some fantasy products from movies and series are a bit closer to reality thanothers, but who cares. We start the list with a childhood dream: the flyingskateboard from Back to the Future II.

5 cool fantasy products from movies and series

Let’s start with a fantasy movie prop that has quite a chance in the realworld.

1. Mattel Hover Board (Back to the Future II)

When Back to the Future II appeared on the silver screen in 1989, everyonewanted one: a hover board. Marty McFly traveled forward in time to the year2015 where this cool gimmick was commonplace. Unfortunately, we are a bitbehind in reality, although it probably has more to do with safety (especiallya lack of) that we don’t fly around on hover boards. But who knows what thefuture will bring us. Until then, we can commute on electric unicycles. Atleast, if you’re not afraid of a face plant.

2. Krabby Patty (SpongeBob SquarePants)

For many adults, this animated series is a wonderful guilty pleasure. We areof course talking about Spongebob SquarePants. Real fans would love to sinktheir teeth into a Krabby Patty : the fictional vegetarian burger.Unfortunately, this one is only available in the most famous restaurant of theanimated undersea world: ‘Krokante Krab’. Besides, the recipe is a secret,although Plankton is eager to steal it.

3. Sex Panther Cologne (Anchorman)

Achorman is not only a wonderful film because of the legendary character RonBurgundy, played by none other than professional madman Will Ferrell. It alsopromotes an ingeniously invented product: Sex Panther Cologne. And with thefollowing promise: “The fragrance is made from real pieces of panther. Works100% of the time 60% of the time. With a touch that reminds us of pure petrol,dirty diapers with Indian food, but also the ‘big foot’ of Bigfoot.” Well, ifyou’re not over by now? Okay, without those real pieces of panther then.

4. Mockolate (Friends Season 2 Episode 8)

Chocolate that not only tastes good, but also sounds good? That Mockolatenever made the transition from fiction to reality remains a mystery to many.Well, maybe it has something to do with how the product is touted in thehighly successful sitcom friends. ‘A completely synthetic substitute forchocolate’.

ACME products (Looney Tunes)

We conclude the list of fantasy products from movies and series with theeternal pursuit from Looney Tunes: Wile E. Coyote’s hunt for the elusiveRoadrunner. To catch Roadrunner, Coyote regularly turns to ACME’s catalog. Anearly Amazon offering all kinds of crazy products, such as ‘run like the windwith triple power in your legs vitamins’. Not to mention the widely known ACMEanvil with which Coyote often heralds its own demise.