Month: January 2023

One day noticed Buy without looking n stylist Roos Reedijk suddenly: hey,I’m famous. Not that it matters to her. And otherwise husband Wicher andchildren Loef (12) and Bien (10) will ensure that she remains sober.

While the majority of the Netherlands takes it easy this time of year, RoosReedijk is already running around like crazy. Not very surprising, becausesince the start of the successful RTL program Buy without looking – nowthree years ago – it is actually always busy, says Roos. “The fun things keepcoming at me, and since I can’t say ‘no’ well and I’m quickly enthusiastic, Ieasily go along on that roller coaster. Every day is different, every week isfull, I just don’t have enough time to think about everything. Later, when Igo through all the old photos, I will probably only see what I am experiencingnow.”

Centipede

Roos admits that sometimes she should take better care of herself. “I am acreative, chaotic jack-of-all-trades. That’s nice, but the pitfall is that Ioften overwhelm myself. When I’m doing something I enjoy I hyperfocus, but assoon as I get a little bored I let it go and jump to the next thing. I have tolearn to finish what I’m doing first.”

Especially now that the influx of interesting collaborations is almostunbearable, she says. “At first I happily went from one job to the next, but Iam aware that now I really have to choose a direction. It’s nice when everyonelikes you, but I can’t really handle it on my own anymore. I need to find abetter balance and set a clear vision: what do I like, what do I want tocontinue, what makes me happy?”

One option is to further roll out her brand and gather more people around her.Although, according to Roos, that is more difficult than it seems. “My work isnot rocket science, but therefore not easy to delegate: everything revolvesaround taste and feeling. Clients ask for my signature and my style. And thatis hard to give up.”

Buy without Looking

Roos had laughed at this problem a few years ago. She had a nice, manageablejob in the fashion industry. “I enjoyed my work, and the fact that I couldoccasionally be on autopilot was a conscious choice. My private life wasalready turbulent enough, with two young children and a man who started hisown business.”

When things got itchy, Roos started her own company as an interior designer inaddition to her work. Just then came Buy without looking on her path, theprogram in which Martijn Krabbé helps young couples find their dream home.Because Roos did not aspire to a TV career, she initially proposed to play herrole behind the scenes, but things turned out differently: Roos became a well-known Dutchman in no time.

“At the start we didn’t know that the program would become so popular. Becauseof corona I didn’t realize it either: after all, like everyone else, I was inmy own backyard. I saw some commotion on the socials, but it wasn’t until Iwent back into the world ‘after corona’ that I really noticed it. I rememberthe first time I was driving on the highway and people in the car next to mestarted waving and shouting. Huh, what’s going on here? I found thatoverwhelming, in a good way.”

Read also – Save money? You can do that with these 7 super handy apps >

Famous Dutchman

Her children Loef and Bien are also increasingly aware of what is going on.“In the village where we live, everyone has known each other for years. But ina new situation it is different now. When my son first started high school,other kids said, “We know your mother!” That was new. Just like the buzz on amarket in France. Then Bien nudges me: ‘Mama, they already know you here.’”

They find that funny, but otherwise the family is not impressed. “It helpsthat my husband also works for television, she is no stranger to that world,Martijn Krabbé comes over here and there are regular cameras in the livingroom. In addition, my husband is incredibly level-headed. When he hears meexplain to someone that I can’t be there ‘because of recordings for RTLBoulevard’ he says: ‘Roos, just say you’re going to work.’ In short: not muchis done about it, haha.”

| —|— ## Criticism

She laughs that not everyone is a big fan of Roos. “As soon as you appear onTV, everything you do or say comes under a magnifying glass. ‘What is thatstylist thinking!’ Or, very often, “What a funny voice she has!” It doesn’taffect me. I can’t hear myself that I have a crazy voice, and if it is, whatcan I do about it? I easily ignore that kind of ‘criticism’. I’m sure enoughof myself; I know what I’m talking about.”

“It doesn’t affect me when people say: what does that stylist think?”

According to Roos, it is an advantage that she is already ‘a bit older’ andaccidentally rolled into the world. “I never consciously chose this career, soif it doesn’t work, then it doesn’t. I’ve also had the same friends around mefor years, so I don’t need a new life, I’m already very happy.”

Late bloomer

Roos calls herself a late bloomer. Had this success come twenty years earlier,she probably would have been less sure of herself. “I was a shy girl whodidn’t start dancing on the table until she was eighteen. Even during mystudies, it wasn’t until the last year that I really ‘turned on’. I come froman ambitious family with brothers who are good at everything, studying,sports, everything. I did it all too, but I had to work hard for it. That mademe insecure.”

“I was a shy girl who only started dancing on the table when she was 18”

At the same time, having to compete against her brothers made her strong. “Notonly in terms of career or success, but also literally: I was always fooled,beaten up, there was a brother waiting for me on every corner of the stairs.It was loving, but continuous sparring. I was born with the urge to prove, butit was never my mission to be successful. I didn’t have big dreams like mybrothers: just let me live a smaller life, I thought, I’ll get there at my ownpace, my way.”

Just like her father, also an entrepreneur. “At the age of forty he thought:now I have to do it. Then he started for himself. At the age of forty-five Imyself thought: if I still want something in my life, I have to do it beforethe age of fifty. Buy without looking turned out to be a lottery ticket, butcould just as well have been a flop. It is a combination of happiness andfaith in life itself.”

| —|— ## Combining old and new

In the program, Roos often faces the challenge of combining old stuff withnew. And let that be exactly one of her qualities. “In this I distinguishmyself from others, someone who is a interior designer often has a penny tospare. But in most cases there is no money left for a new sofa after arenovation. I just want to show that it doesn’t have to be very expensive.Creativity also goes a long way. Don’t throw away grandma’s old chair, have itupholstered. Also in the context of sustainability, take a look more often atthe thrift store or on Marktplaats.”

Roos notices that especially young people want everything new and correct.“They prefer to empty an entire showroom, but there is no personality in that.Moreover: you have to leave something to be desired, something for which yousave together, don’t you?” She finds many houses soulless these days. “In myown living room, everything has a story or a memory; an item for which wesaved together, a precious birthday present or a pimped lamp from grandma;that makes your house your home. I have a cute pink bench, just from thethrift store, completely cleaned. That makes me happier than something that isdelivered new in plastic at home. I am sorry to see that people are not socreative anymore, I would like to help with that.”

Nomadic existence

Searching for beautiful things is not a stranger to Roos. “My parents used toscour the city and country for unique parts for our boat. Until I was ten Ilived with my parents and my brothers on an old sea tjalk in Zwolle. My fathersingle-handedly refurbished that boat and made it fully ready to sail – everyholiday the mooring lines came loose and we sailed around the world. Myparents made clear choices: they spent their money on their passions. So welater lived in a beautiful house, but drove an old car. We didn’t go on wintersports, but saved for beautiful sailing trips to all corners of the world.”

Conscious with money

They taught Roos how to handle money consciously. “I remember friends gettingthree Levi’s jeans at once, while my mom said, ‘Ask for your birthday.’ Themoney was there, but I also had to work for it. If I wanted to go on a skiingholiday with friends, I had to save the money myself. It was not a given thatmy parents added money, although they often did. They paid for my studies, butfor all the fun things around it I had a dozen jobs.”

“If my son wants designer clothes, I tell him to look at Vinted”

Roos also wants to pass on that awareness to her own children. “We live in asociety where kids are used to getting a lot – I make sure my kids do choresaround the house, they don’t just get everything. Now that my son is insecondary school, he suddenly starts talking about designer clothes: ‘Mommy,they all have one of those sweaters with a compass.’ Then I think: hello, doyou know what a sweater like that costs, he really won’t get it. I do let himinstall the Vinted app, so he can see if he sees something cool there.”

The whole article is in Kek Mama 01-2023, available in stores from 3January.

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The fact that Monica Geuze stops vlogging after eight years also passed on the_NOS News_ from 8 p.m. For minutes attention was paid to the vlogger, whofinds it difficult to keep sharing her whole life with her followers. Someviewers express surprise and wonder: “Cucumber time?”

“There is a good chance that you have never heard of her,” presenter Rob Tripbegan his introduction to the item about Monica Geuze. “She grew into one ofthe most popular vloggers in the Netherlands. She became a phenomenon. And nowshe stops,” said the presenter, after which he switched to a three-minute itemabout the vlogger.

Viewers understand very little of the choice of the NOS to pay attention tothis news. “As long as the news has time to talk about Monica Geuze who stopsvlogging, the problems in the Netherlands are apparently not too bad,” is thetrend on Twitter.

Monica Geuze announces quitting in video

The 27-year-old Geuze is no longer able to “keep all the balls in the air”.She finds it difficult to keep sharing everything. In a YouTube video, whichhas been viewed about 500,000 times after a day, she announced on Monday thatshe would stop. She also said that she and her boyfriend Robbert Kroese, withwhom she had lived together since 2021, have split up.

Geuze had known for a long time that she was going to stop. “I had alreadydecided that towards the end of the year,” she says. “I actually wanted mylast vlog to be something like: I’m going to stop, but I’m going to take youfor another week in all the fun I’m going to do. But it’s not fun right now.It’s just fucking heavy. I regret that.”

NOS Journaal pays attention to quitting vlogger: ‘And this is news?’

Then back to it NOS News from last night. It mainly focused on the role thatMonica Geuze has played in the Dutch social media landscape. “That influencecannot be underestimated,” says social media expert Lena Bril against the_NOS_. Another vlogger also passes by, who says that she and others have beeninspired by the vlogger.

“And this is news?”, viewers wonder. “Cucumber time?” write others who do notunderstand that the NOS dedicates an item to the vlogger, while ‘the worldis on fire’. “Rob Trip who in the Eight o ‘clock news announces an itemabout Monica Geuze. And then find it strange that the NOS is being takenless and less seriously.”

Last year viewers of the news also looked strange. Then suddenly Rob Trip wastalking about Eindhoven by the sea. There was a lot of laughter about themistake.

Now at NOS; vlogger quits.> pic.twitter.com/ay7fGiXK6r>> — Arno Wellens (@ArnoWellens) January 3,> 2023

And that’s news? 🤨 That Monica Geuze stops vlogging. Cucumber time?> pic.twitter.com/bHvTnmDkNE>> — 🦉Marc🦉 (@snowyowlMarc) January 3,> 2023

Rob Trip announcing an item about Monica Geuze in the Achuurjournaal.>> And then find it strange that the NOS is being taken less and less> seriously. 🤷🏼‍♂️>> — Flint (@flintstoon) January 3,> 2023

Viewers watching the 8 o’clock news> @NOS go googling en masse for> one Monica Geuze, because she seems to have stopped doing something.> Apparently the real news had run out and time had to be full> #nonsense> #laughable>> — Rob de Waard (@Robde Waard) January 3,> 2023

The world is on fire, but the NOS news still finds space to dedicate an> entire item to Monica Geuze.> pic.twitter.com/8IcLKvCZld>> — 𝕄𝕒𝕣𝕔𝕠 (@MarcoTweetz) January 3,> 2023

How would Rob Trip feel if he had to tell about Monica Geuze during the nos> 8 o’clock news 🥲>> — Berfin (@Berfin_b_K) January 3,> 2023

Celebrities lash out at critical viewers

Incidentally, not everyone agrees with the criticism of Geuze. Where_Telegraph_ journalist Wilson Boldewijn, in a cynical tone, the message of the_NOS_ shares with his Twitter followers, Diederik Jekel hits hard. “Almostexactly as many YouTube subscribers as the Telegraaf.”

If it were to stop, that would also be news, he argues. “I think we both donot watch, but it is news for more than half a million people. The reason forstopping now is also sad for her. So don’t mean that stupidly the__Telegraph , because that is an important news service, more that what seemsnot important to one person, of course, does not have to be so to half amillion others. You can’t objectively pretend she’s nobody or anything.”

Columnist Sander Schimmelpenninck is also critical of the ‘quasi-intellectualbunglers’, who shout ‘Who?’ call. “Monica, self-made millionaire and rolemodel for many, who likes ‘Who?’ call. Not you, Vinex snobs.”

And the quasi-intellectual bunglers here again ‘Who?’ call. Monica, self-> made millionaire and role model for many, who likes ‘Who?’ call. Not you,> Vinex snobs. https://t.co/vLt14n1fJh>> — Sander Schimmelpenninck (@SanderSchimmelp) January 3,> 2023

Almost exactly as many YouTube subscribers as De Telegraaf. And if it> stopped, it would certainly be news too. Don’t think we’re watching either,> but it’s news for over half a million people. The reason for stopping now is> also sad for her.>> — Diederik Jekel (@DiederikJekel) January 3,> 2023

Monica Geuze does not stop completely on social media

Fans of 27-year-old Geuze keep seeing her on social media. Her YouTube accountwill not be closed and she continues to make videos. She just has to figureout what to do with it. She also remains active on Instagram and TikTok.

Eight years ago, Geuze started her daily vlogs, in which she takes the viewerinto her life. A few years later, the influencer decided to turn it into aweekly vlog. Geuze has 545,000 subscribers to its YouTube channel.

Normally they would get married in the summer of 2022, but in July Hanne andRens welcomed their son Thieu (now 6 months old). So they postponed theirwedding plans. “Because it was all a bit much, we wouldn’t get married untilthe summer of 2023,” says Hanne, who grew up in Guvelingen, Truien. “But whenwe got on TV to Blind Married I thought that was so beautiful and I stillwanted to get married earlier. 2022 was also a very special year for us: inMay we bought my parental home together, our son was born in July… Gettingmarried in the same year would make it perfect. So we planned our wedding onDecember 30th. We thought it was nice that way during the holidays.”

The fact that the World Cup football fell in the winter this year makes itextra romantic for Rens and Hanne. “We met in the summer of 2018, during thebroadcast of the World Cup football match between Belgium and Japanin theCosmocafé in Sint-Truiden,” says Hanne. “I went for a drink with my mom and afriend of hers. Coincidentally, because we don’t normally go out. I was stillstudying law at the time and was only busy with my studies. Rens was also inthe café with his colleagues at the time. Together they followed the match andcelebrated his birthday. I first sat at a table next to an older colleague ofRens, but he moved because he thought I was ‘more like Rens’. That’s how wegot talking. Rens was quite drunk and treated me several times.”

Hanne and Rens got married in the church of Guvelingen, a stone’s throw fromthe house they bought together last year. — © Joseph Croughs

Linked by mom

The two exchanged numbers, but lost track of each other. “Until about a yearlater,” says Hanne. “I went to a cafe with mom again when she suddenly said:’Maybe you should send that Rens a message!’ I did… and he came off too.(laughs) Shortly afterwards we became a couple and Rens actually moved in withus right away. Since my father passed away in 2015, I live in one house withmy mother and brother. My uncle also moved in with us. We all thought that wascool, because there was a kind of father figure again. And since the end of2019, Rens has also been living with us. That all works very well.”

“Although it was hard at first, because I did nothing but study,” Hannecontinues. “A year later, the corona crisis was added to that. But Rens helpedme a lot. He took care of the housework so that I could focus on my lawstudies. My birthday is on January 23, but I was just in a tough exam periodin 2021. That’s why we postponed the party to February 5th. We celebrated withthe whole family and then Rens also asked me to marry him.”

© RR

Cupcakes and chocolate milk

It was no problem for anyone to get married so close to the holidays. “It justworked out well for me,” says Hanne. “I work as a lawyer and our office isclosed during the holidays. Rens, who works as a postman, and the rest of thefamily were also able to make time easily. We kept our party small. We alsowork as a secondary profession as a caterer and see in such large weddingsthat the bridal couple is always very busy. We didn’t want that. But I hadbought a beautiful rug and wanted to show it to everyone. So we invited somefriends and family over and rented a food truck with cupcakes and hotchocolate. Then we went for a nice dinner with our family.”

Rens and Hanne chose the church of Guvelingen as their wedding location. “Thathas a special meaning for us,” says Hanne. “My parental home, where we nowlive together, is near the church. During the corona crisis, we also oftenwent for a walk. When we passed by, I often thought: ‘I would like to getmarried here.’ And voilà, that has now happened. We got married only legally,but still in church. That gives something extra romantic.”

To mark the fifth anniversary of NRC’s film supplement in 2016, we held a pollamong readers: what did they think was the best film of the last five years?It became French Intouchables from 2011, about paralyzed wheelchairbillionaire Philippe (François Cluzet) from the neck down, who regains hisjoie de vivre through a rough friendship with his Senegalese caretaker Driss(Omar Sy), his ‘guardian devil’. A heartwarming buddy movie. But the best?

Critics, for whom watching a film is a job, sometimes forget why people go tothe cinema. Not necessarily for a highly educational, original or aestheticexperience, but to amaze, to excite, to feel good. Film is an emotion machine.And already found Intouchables no matter the genre, it is a perfectexecution of a feel-good formula about the disabled person and his companion.In such a film, the handicapped temporarily transcends his limitations, thetwisted companion his hang-ups. His work becomes his friend, through care hebecomes a better person. It helps if they travel together: in adventures andfleeting contacts along the way, the ‘odd couple’ forms.

An example in the genre of ‘road movie with limitations’ is the Flemishblockbuster Hasta la Vista! – in the Netherlands thinly copied as GoodbyeAmigos : Three handicapped youths drive under the guise of a wine tour to aspecial Spanish brothel to lose their virginity. Or The Peanut Butter Falcon(2018), in which Zack, a young man with Down syndrome, sails up the river tobecome a wrestler with semi-criminal shrimp fisherman Shia LaBeouf. Or TheFundamentals of Caring (2016), about a blocked writer who finds herselfthrough a road trip of trivial American attractions with the sardonic,sexually frustrated Trevor, who suffers from a muscular disease. But theclassic in the genre is RainMan in which the selfish brat Tom Cruise kidnapshis severely autistic brother Dustin Hoffman from an institution and becomes abetter person thanks to him.

Hearse to Marseilles

Two are currently in theaters. Presque , in circulation this week, garneredaudience awards at film festivals; more about that later. Rose , anothercrowd favourite, has been running for some time. In it, the schizophrenic Rosegoes on a bus holiday to Paris with her Danish sister and brother-in-law,where she experienced a great love as a girl. Along the way, she sometimessurprises her traveling companions with her French savoir vivre. A somewhatinvented script with cardboard characters.

Presque , in theaters this week, lightly plays with the conventions of thegenre without taking itself very seriously. In Lausanne, Switzerland, the pathof undertaker Louis (Bernard Campan) literally crosses that of the spasticIgor (Alexandre Jollien), bicycle courier in organic vegetables – Louis driveshim off the road with his hearse. Bullied by an overprotective mother, Igorimmediately sees a friend in him and hides in the hearse when Louis – as itturns out for very personal reasons – wants to deliver a body to Marseilles.

As it should be, the friendship starts with discomfort: Louis wants to dumpIgor at a roadhouse, but nevertheless gives him a lift to Montpellier, afterwhich Igor immediately invites a hitchhiker. The extroverted Igor turns out tobe a connoisseur of classical philosophy who captivates everyone withappropriate quotes from Plato, Epictetus and Boethius. He is determined tocompensate for his speech problem and motor disability with knowledge, wit anda sunny attitude to life. He breaks open the reluctant oyster Louis with thegreatest of ease, although he goes a bit far when he makes his hearse withcorpse and all available to drunken joyriders.

Igor also needs some redemption himself; fortunately, in the corridor of ahotel, he encounters a mythological creature, ‘the whore with the goldenheart’. But otherwise he is mainly the savior and confessor of the closed,living on autopilot Louis. Although the undertaker has to help Igor with allkinds of small things – cut steak, close the fly – the duo is completelyevenly matched: two lonely men who are happy to recognize a friend.

cerebral palsy

Well, I wonder if I Presque just as much if he hadn’t been so ‘authentic’.Igor is played by Alexandre Jollien. Born with cerebral palsy – nearlysuffocated by the umbilical cord during birth – Jollien has become a renownedphilosopher and literary star since his autobiographical debut Praise forweakness from 2000, in which the inherently degrading treatment of peoplewith disabilities played a leading role. What if Igor had been played by anactor without his disability? Then I had Presque presumably experienced askitschy – if it were made at all.

I notice that the ongoing debate about representation and authenticity inacting has not left me untouched either. In principle, actors have every rightto play a disability that they do not have. After all, their job is to crawlinto someone else’s skin. Yet it is Presque such a nice film becauseAlexandre Jollien is funny, but above all authentic.

With that other road movie with a limitation that is currently running, Rose_I was annoyed by the ‘schizophrenic’ acting of Sofie Gråbøl, known asInspector Sarah Lund in the Danish crime series _The Killing. She ‘does’schizophrenia quite virtuoso, as Dustin Hoffman very cleverly ‘did’ autism in1988 in RainMan. But now I find that to be a nuisance. In 2023, a road moviewith a disability benefits from an actor with a disability. If available.

Plot twist: the flopped movie Strange World has become a mega hit onDisney+. The animated film even has avatar defeated.

The brand new Disney CEO Bob Chapek was allowed to pack his things at the endof last year after barely two years at the helm of the mega company. Hispredecessor, Bob Iger, is temporarily back on board to save the ship.

Disney in turmoil

The animation side of Disney in particular cheered on Twitter. Chapek, the CEOof a company that grew up with animation films, is not exactly a fan of themedium. In a controversial interview, the CEO even insinuated that animatedfilms are purely for children.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t just controversial comments. He also made movies like_Luke_ and Unward skipped the theater and were dumped straight onto Disney+,much to the dismay of the teams who had worked on those films for years.

Strange World flopped

Now they can animators breathe easy. Chap is gone. However, the consequencescan still be felt on the animation front. Strange World was released incinemas last November. Normally, a new animated film from Disney is a bigevent. The House of the Mouse takes care of that: few companies are so good atcranking up the marketing machine.

The adventure movie Strange World received little or no treatment. When theanimated film landed on Disney+ on December 23, you probably thought, “Huh,funny, what kind of movie is this?” In other words, even if you wanted tocheck it out in the cinema, you couldn’t have done so because you didn’t knowabout the existence of the film. All the marketing budget seems to be in_Lightyear_ to be pumped. Did Disney bet on the wrong horse?

Whether Chapek’s fault or not, the consequences are huge. _Strange World_raked in just $18.6 million during its first extra-long weekend in theaters,which was expected to bring in $30 to $40 million. Ouch. Analysts expectDisney to lose at least $100 million on the entire project.

Most-watched movie on Disney+

Nice all those numbers and (the lack of) promotion, but that says nothingabout the film itself. Fortunately, because Strange World definitelydeserves a second chance. And that’s what the movie got. Despite the lousycinema results, the animated film has been the best viewed film on Disney +for days. Even avatar and a live concert of the animated film Encanto bothtop scorers, had to leave the field in recent days.

About Encanto spoken: that animated film also did relatively poorly in thecinemas, but after a release on Disney + it became a huge success, with acultural impact that you can carefully compare with that of Frozen. Thestory of Strange World So it’s not over yet, and that’s a good thing.

⚡(Image: Disney)

Feast for the eye

The film is, to begin with, a feast for the eyes. The animators flex all theiranimation muscles , and that produces beautiful images. The adventure movieis sort of a constant tech demo of everything the studio has learned about 3Danimation over the decades.

In terms of story, the film, which is about a family of explorers, is lessappealing. There’s not much wrong with that, though Strange World Can’tmatch its predecessors in terms of story. It’s all pretty generic. The resultis a 72 percent score on Rotten Tomatoes. Fine, decent, but not fantastic.

No brainer

In other words: the perfect movie to turn on at home on Disney +. You alreadypay for a subscription anyway, so let yourself be surprised by the beautifulimages and a great story no brainer. Many preceded you, if we are to believethe Top 10 of Disney +. Stream them!

It sounds like a moody retro pop ballad. An ode to the sounds of the eighties.And by now it has already charmed hundreds of millions of music lovers onSpotify. The number Blind Lights from The Weeknd took over from Ed Sheeran’sthis weekend with 3.3 billion streams Shape Of You as the most listened songever on the popular streaming platform. The two songs remain the only pair tosurpass three billion streams on the platform.

Read also: The Weeknd makes you forget the curse of the present for amoment

The Weeknd, pseudonym of Canadian artist Abel Makkonen Tesfaye, who alreadyended 2022 as Spotify’s most-streamed artist of the year, reflected on themilestone on New Year’s Day on Twitter. “Happy New Year to you _Blind Lights_the most streamed single of all time.”

In the song, originally released in November 2019, The Weeknd sings about atheme that has been sung about time and time again: the longing for your lovedone. But it distinguishes itself in several ways, says Farid Benmbarek, amember of management at record label Top Notch. He describes Blind Lights asa clever combination of songwriting strategies that lead to “the perfectcruise missile” in pop music. “Just look at the programming language of thesong: it is a pop single with a strong eighties retro feel, but it soundsvery modern. Also special: without the lyrics, the song remains standing. Forexample, one of the leading keyboards exactly matches the vocal melody of hisvoice. It’s a very clever way to cement the melody in your head.”

Blind Lights was written by Swedish music producer Max Martin, mastermindbehind several number 1 hits: from Bon Jovi and Adele to The Backstreet Boysand Taylor Swift. For Benmbarek there is no doubt. “He is at once the mostartisanal and most successful songwriter of all time.”

Spotify

Where in the past the annual Billboard list was still the most importantindicator for international artists, nowadays every musician looks at Spotify.Thus comes The Weeknd’s milestone sixty years after the Billboard success of_Surfin ‘ USA _of the Beach Boys and forty years after _Every Breath You Take_from The Police.

Top Notch manager Benmbarek tells how during school breaks he relied on thecassette tape or CD player in his backpack to listen to his favorite artist.Today, streaming services give him constant access to all the music ever made.On average, sixty thousand songs are added to Spotify every day. Within themusic landscape, the competition for the listener’s attention has becomefierce, says Benmbarek. “It is no longer enough to simply create a beautiful,artistic or aesthetically pleasing song. Artists, record managers know that,and are determined to win that competition.”

In an era where artists heavily restrict the length of their songs in the hopeof being streamed more often, Blind Lights well over three minutes. The songinspired millions of TikTokkers to record dances during the pandemic. At thesame time, music fanatics should not be blinded by the numbers, saysBenmbarek. “It seems impressive, because it is now measurable how often a songhas been listened to. It may well be that songs by The Beatles, MichaelJackson or Elvis were played much more often. At that time, listening behaviorwas not so accurately expressed in statistics. That is precisely what makesthe current music era so intriguing”.

Álvaro Cervera (Malabo, Guinea Ecuatorial; 57 años) salió de Cádiz en enerodel año pasado, despedido tras siete años en los que llevó al equipo deSegunda B a Primera, donde lo dejó. Con el corazón roto. “Hubo un tiempo enque despreciaba el fútbol. No el juego”, dice. “Rechacé un poco el fútbol,​​pero luego me di cuenta de que el club, los que me despidieron, no fueronlos gaditanos, y el fútbol no es eso. El fútbol es de la gente, no es de lagente que lleva los clubes”. En octubre le llegó la oferta del Real Oviedo,que se hundía en la tabla y al que ha convertido en un equipo impenetrable.Esta noche recibe en la Copa (20.00, Teledeporte) al Atlético de Simeone, untécnico por el que siente afinidad estilística y admiración.

Pregunta. Tras el Cádiz, escogió un club de Segunda en problemas y en cuyaplanificación no había participado. ¿Era un retro?

Respuesta. Al principio veía el fútbol como algo muy lejano. No podíacoger un equipo enseguida porque yo iba a intentar hacer lo que había hecho enCádiz, y necesitaba un tiempo para descansar. Y luego decía: “Yo no soyentrenador de Primera o entrenador de Segunda, yo soy entrenador y cuandoquiera entrenar, tengo que entrenar, y algo que me apetezca entrenar”. Ysurgio lo del Oviedo. Era un equipo en problemas, es verdad. Me reuní conellos y vi que era un equipo que necesitaba, entre comillas, ayuda, y yoestaba dispuesto a eso.

P. ¿Dudo?

R . Podia haber esperado. Había equipos que iban a cambiar que quizá tenenmás nombre, pero alguien me dijo que este equipo y yo podíamos cuadrar. Por laforma de pensar y por la forma de ver el fútbol. Y no lo pense.

P. ¿La forma de ver el fútbol de los gestores o de la gente?

R . Me refiero a la gente. Que el lema sea “Orgullo, valor y garra”. Hablécon jugadores que han estado aquí y me dijeron: “Míster, si puedes, no lodudes, ese es tu sitio, porque ahí van a valorar el fútbol que tú ves, elfútbol que tú transmites”. Cuando fui a Cádiz, intenté cambiar la forma… no depensar del gaditano… mi fútbol no es el de Cádiz, pero intentaré ganar paraque vosotros os pongáis de acuerdo conmigo.

P. Y los convencio.

R . Si, pero porque gané. Aquí sin embargo los hemos convencido —tambiénporque hemos ganado algún partido—, pero porque la gente ve un cambio encuanto a la solidaridad del equipo.

P. Y en los resultados en casa.

R . Son buenos, si. Son cortos. Son, como digo yo, que no me escondo,incluso aburridos, pero por aquí se empieza: a la gente se la enganchaganando. No se la engancha, creo yo, solo con el juego. Luego ya intentaremosmejorar, si podemos.

P. En el Mundial, el seleccionador marroquí, Regragui, contó que habíatenido una época de enamoramiento de Guardiola, pero que le ayudó ver queDeschamps ganaba con Francia de otra forma. ¿Qué le sugirió?

R . Cuando todos empezamos a entrenar, los libros que nos compramos sonlos de Menotti, los de Guardiola, los de Lillo, porque son los que nosexplican con palabras lo que es el fútbol y lo que es el fútbol bonito. Luegocuando te pones delante de jugadores, te das cuenta de que eso que explican esmuy bonito, pero es muy difícil de llevar a cabo. Y luego viene una terceraparte, que es lo que eres tú. Yo puedo poner a mi equipo a jugar como juegantodos estos equipos, pero me encuentro más perdedor que ganador.

P. ¿Por que?

R . Porque seguramente no sé entrenarlo, y hacerlo, y explicarlo comoellos lo explican. Y luego hay una máxima: no tengo los jugadores que ellostenen. Y luego, que no lo veo. A ellos le gusta la salida desde atrás con elportero. Yo al portero lo tengo para parar, no lo tengo para jugar. A ellos legusta que los mediocentros reciban de espaldas y se giren; a mi eso no megusta. A ellos les gusta llegar con el balón por dentro, con paredes y entrardentro del área; a mi me gusta llegar por fuera y con rapidez. Entonces llegaun momento que dices: yo no soy igual que esta gente en el aspecto del fútbol,​​pero aun así puedo ganar. Tengo que buscar la manera de ganar. Y es lo quehago.

P. ¿Le gusta ver al Manchester City, por ejemplo?

R . Me encanta, me divierte, pero no soy capaz, o no tengo el tiemponecesario para intentar hacerlo. Y no me siento ganador, y me siento inquietoen el banquillo. Me gusta mas la otra forma. Dicho esto, digo lo segundo parano callarme: lo respeto muchísimo, los admiro, los estudio, los leo, cosa queellos no hacen con nosotros. A nosotros nos tienen en el rincón del fútbol,​​y ahí se equivocan. Nosotros formamos parte del futbol. No solo eso, sinoque nosotros, gente como yo, que lo hace mejor que yo, les gana muchospartidos, les gana títulos. El fútbol es muy grande, todo cabe, hay cosas másbonitas y cosas más tal, pero hay distintas formas de ganar. Y para terminar:Guardiola solo hay uno, los demás han sido imitadores.

P. ¿Se ha instalado que solo hay un estilo legítimo?

R . Se montó una bola alrededor del fútbol, ​​donde el fútbol ya solo sejugaba de una manera. Y el fútbol es mucho más simple: hay un equipo quemaneja el balón, pero no el juego, y hay otro que incluso sin el balón sesiente cómodo. Hay algunos que se sienten cómodos con la pelota, pero hayotros, en los que me incluyo yo, que muchas veces, y lo reconozco, me sientocómodo sin el balón, siempre que tenga controlado al contrario.

P. ¿Se ve cercano a Simeone?

R . El es un referente para nosotros. Al igual que Guardiola, Klopp,Simeone es un referente. Le tenian que hacer un monumento en el Atlético deMadrid, porque desde que está él, vende jugadores por millonadas, compragrandes futbolistas, el campo está lleno, la afición está contenta, ha ganadotítulos…

P. El otro día Simeone dijo que él debía mejorar.

R . Tengo la sensación de que está al final de un camino. Es la sensaciónque da desde fuera. Ha ido incorporando jugadores que no se si le van alestilo. Y tú no puedes ir contra los jugadores, ni contra tu estilo. Desdefuera, da esa sensación: que hay jugadores que parece que son mejores, pero elequipo parece que es peor. Me da la sensación de que hallegado el momento comode ese pasito más que queremos dar, que igual no podemos dar; igual hay quequedarnos donde estamos.

P. Usted ha dicho que es muy exigente, pero que ha bajado la intensidad.¿Por que?

R . El año que estuve parado hablaba con gente cercana, y yo les decía:“No sé si estoy perdiendo fuerza, no sé si esa exigencia… y me da la sensaciónde que estoy perdiendo no solo en eso, sino en la vida…”. Pero he fichado enel Oviedo. Yo no he perdido fuerza. Salí de Cádiz y pensé que igual… Perovengo a Oviedo, me pongo las botas, salgo al campo, veo el campo embarrado,que llueve, que hace frío… Y yo no he perdido fuerza. Pero necesitoreciprocidad.

P. ¿Entrenar desgasta a las dos partes?

R . Hay un momento en que la convivencia… Tú ves un momento en que elbrillo que yo veo ahora en jugadores del Oviedo ya no es el mismo. Hay undesgaste ahi. Y te pones a pensar si eres tú. Pero hágame caso, que yo hevuelto a Oviedo, y no era yo. Me levanto mucho antes, preparo todo muchoantes; porque me siento vivo y veo que hay gente esperando a que esto vayapara delante.

P. And Cadiz entró mucho en la ciudad. ¿Se le ve por la calle en Oviedo?

R . Se me ve por la calle, y me gusta. No es que me couples. Me paro yo, ypregunto, y me gusta saber, y yo ya sé muchas cosas de Oviedo, y muchas vecesme preguntan y les digo yo a los que son de aquí. El otro día le dije a uno loque era el carbayon : un arbol que había [en la calle Uría]… Me gusta vivirla ciudad. A lo mejor me tengo que ir dentro de dos meses, pero ojalá me puedair dentro de seis años, y dejar parte de mí aquí, y que se acuerden de mí.Intento vivir la ciudad. El equipo es la ciudad.

“He visto mi nombre puesto al lado del nombre de Paquito, y eso me llena deorgullo, pero también como aquel que dice, es una presión, porque al final seespera algo de mí, Me comparan con alguien que ha sido oro olímpico, y almenos significa que estoy haciendo las cosas bien”, dice el esquiador de LaMolina. “En España hace muchos años que no tenemos un referente como fuePaquito, que es también uno de los hándicaps que podemos tener con países comoAustria, Suiza, Italia, y estos países, y me toca ser el referente, ya cargarcon eso, y que les sirva a las futures generaciones, espero”.

Carga Salarich, un habitual de la Copa del Mundo, y cargan todos losesquiadores españoles que antes se lanzaron a la alta competición. Todos tenencomo referente al esquiador de Cercedilla; todos parten con el objetivo dellegar a ser como él; a todos les pesa la carga, y la indiferencia.

“Exactamente”, dice Salarich cuando se le señala que después del oro deSapporo, un triunfo único y aislado en la historia del esquí español,cualquier resultado que no sea la victoria en un Mundial, por lo menos, no esnada. “Así es esto, y más en un país que somos ganadores, que ganamos en todoslos deportes, pues eso no ayuda a los deportes minoritarios. Estamosacostumbrados a Pau Gasol o Rafa Nadal, así que un séptimo puesto en Garmisch,que es histórico y superdifícil, parece que es poca cosa, pero, bueno, para míes como ganar una medalla de oro”.

Cita Salarich justamente Garmisch, porque fue allí, en la pista histórica delos Juegos de Invierno de 1936, donde hace 11 meses logró un octavo puesto enel primer eslalon y un séptimo en el segundo, el día siguiente, ambos en Copadel Mundo. Fue el mejor resultado del esquí español en 50 años, los que hanpasado desde un séptimo puesto de, claro, Paquito Fernández Ochoa. Y allíregresa, y con él, otros dos españoles, Juan del Campo y Aingeru Garay, a lapista de los Alpes bávaros, el miércoles, dos días después de cumplir 29 años,para volver a competir en sus dos eslálones en una temporada en la que hastaahora no ha podido repetir buenos resultados en los eslálones de Val d’Isère yMadonna di Campiglio. “Fue tan buena la anterior que quizás me autopresione unpoco y me deje ganar por los nervios”, admite. “Piensas que la gente esperamás de ti y, claro, no quieres fallar. Tengo que prepararme mentalmente paralograr ir al 100% en todas las carreras, porque la peor sensación es llegar ameta y pensar que he ido al 60%. Tengo que trabajar esto mucho con mipsicóloga e intentar que en Garmisch no vuelva a suceder”.

Considera Salarich el trabajo con la psicóloga una herramienta, sus ejerciciosde concentración, de estados de ánimo. “Llevo año y medio con el trabajomental y me viene muy bien”, dice. “Y me sirve, sobre todo, para no torturarmedespués de un mal día. En caso de que algo no funciones tenemos un protocolode error que nos permite hacer un reset cogemos las cosas buenas y las malaslas quitamos”.

And medio de la euforia albiceleste tras la final ganada ante Francia, esaCopa apócrifa ( trucha , en el argot argentino) pasó de la tribuna al campode juego y terminó en manos del capitán argentino, quien la sostuvo variosminutos sin saber que no era la misma que, un rato antes, había recibido departe del presidente de la FIFA, Gianni Infantino, and la ceremony depremiación. Alertado por su compañero Ángel Di María, el propio Messi seenteró del malentendido un rato después, todavía sobre el césped, y, lejos deaparentar cualquier fastidio, se lo tomó a broma.

Usuarios de redes sociales en Argentina, en cambio, culpan desde el anonimatoa la pareja de hinchas de haber estropeado decenas y cientos de miles de fotosicónicas –fondo de pantallas en teléfonos y computadores, posters enhabitaciones- en las que Messi y otros campeones sostienen un faso objeto dedeseo.

Dos días después de la final, Fernando de la Orden, fotografo de los diariosargentinos Clarin y Olé publicó en su cuenta de Instagram una de lasimágenes que había tomado en Qatar y que parecía más curiosa que reveladora:un diálogo risueño entre Di María, con la Copa del Mundo entre sus manos, yMessi. Consultado desde Buenos Aires por otro reportero gráfico, SantiagoBluguermann, si había escuchado ese intercambio de palabras, el fotografo de_Clarin_ le respondió: “Di María le decía a Leo que había dado la (mini)vuelta (olímpica) con una copa trucha, él tenía la verdadera, por eso sereían”. El tema parecía terminar ahí, de hecho Bluguermann se despidió(“Grande! Gracias! Desde el domingo que intentaba saber de qué se cagaban derisa!”) pero entonces entró en escena Paula Zuzulich, hincha argentina enQatar. “Fernando, los dueños de la copa trucha somos nosotros y se la pasamosa los jugadores en la cancha. Muy gracioso. Gracias”, le escribió.

Zuzulich y de la Orden se habían conocido durante el Mundial. “And Qatar lesaqué una foto a la hija y me empezó a seguir. Subí una foto de Leo y DiMaría, conté lo de la Copa trucha y la mamá de la nena resultó ser la dueña”,reconstruye de la Orden, quien de regreso a Argentina visitó a Paula ya sumarido, Manuel Zaro, en su casa de La Plata, a 60 kilometers from BuenosAires. Ambos le mostraron a Clarin la Copa del Mundo inauténtica, quevolvieron a guardar en su casa, y explicaron por qué era tan parecida a laoriginal: “Antes del Mundial contactamos a gente que se dedica a hacer copas ytardó seis meses en fabricarla. Tiene el peso de la original, está hecha conresina y cuarzo en el interior y bañada con una pintura símil oro. Hay algunosdetails, marcas y relieves que no son similares, pero la diferencia esminima”.

Manuel y Paula también contaron el recorrido de la Copa que Messi y otrosjugadores tuvieron en sus manos: “La idea era que los jugadorespudieranfirmarla, pero al final la Copa entró tres veces al campo de juego. Laprimera se la llevó un familiar de (Leandro) Paredes, y la firmó. La segundavez nos la piden y estuvo 45 minutos, pasaba de un jugador a otro, de unfamiliar a otro, y se sacaban fotos. En la tribuna me decían ‘perdiste laCopa’. Nos divertiamos pero queriamos que volviera. Ahí le grité a un par dejugadores ‘si ves la Copa que tiene Paredes es la nuestra’, y al final latrajo Lautaro Martínez, que también la firmó. Ahí vino personal de la FIFA ynos la pidió para confirmar que no era la original”.

El trofeo que Infantino le dio a Messi, en realidad, solo había estado en elcampo de juego un puñado de minutos: se llama Winner Trophy y, después de serlevantado por el capitán del campeón, vuelve a la casa central de la FIFA enSuiza. Lo que ingresa entonces es una imitación oficial pero, a diferencia delos Mundiales anteriores –en los que el cambio de trofeo se realizaba en unpuñado de segundos en una dependencia privada del estadio-, el canje con laréplica en Qatar se hizo en el mismo campo de juego, lo que pudo ayudar a laconfusión.

And algún momento,además, desde la tribuna se sumó el trofeo de Zaro yZuzulich. No está claro si llegaron a coincidir las tres Copas del Mundo (y siocurrió, fue durante unos pocos segundos), pero lo que está claro es que hubodos durante más de media hora, una en cada arco en donde festejaban losjugadores argentinos, una la imitación de la FIFA y la otra la _trucha_argentina.

Messi celebra en el estadio Lusail con una imitación de la Copa delMundo.Martin Meissner (AP)

Di María, que al principio de los festejos estaba en el arco opuesto a Messi,explicó: “Los encargados de seguridad me decían ‘por favor no le des la Copa anadie’, y yo les decía ‘pero si allá hay otra Copa’ , y ellos me dijeron ‘no,no, la que tenés vos es la verdadera, por eso estamos con vos’. Eso fue lo quedespués le dije a Messi (y de ahí las risas del capitán)”. A su vez, Pablocontó que recien un par de horas después de los festejos se enteró de que elgenio había tenido en sus manos la Copa que él había mandado a confeccionar:“Cuando empezamos a ver las fotos nos dimos cuenta de que Leo la habialevantado. Vimos details, sobre todo de la parte de abajo (la base), queconfirmaron que era la nuestra. Antonella (la mujer de Leo) levantó esta copa,también uno de los hijos de Messi”.

Actor and internet sensation Leslie Jordan, who died Oct. 24 in a car crash onthe way to the set of the Fox sitcom Call Me Cat appeared in his finalepisode last month, but it’s only this Thursday, as the show returns from aholiday break, that Cat will reveal what happened to Jordan’s character,Phil.

And the cast, which also includes Mayim Bialik, Cheyenne Jackson, Kyla Pratt,Swoosie Kurtz and Julian Gant, found making it “a hard week, a very hardepisode to film without him,” Bialik, who’s also an executive producer on theshow , explained to Entertainment Weekly in an interview published Tuesday.

“We’re still grieving,” she said.

The entire show took a break after the heartbreaking development.

“It was obviously a tragic and devastating personal loss for all of us, and heand Cheyenne [Jackson] had a much longer relationship than this show, so itwas especially devastating for Cheyenne. But the fact is, we were midseason,we have a lot more to go,” Bialik said. “We were also right in the middle offilming an episode that needed to be rewritten and restructured andemotionally rebuilt so that we could figure out how to handle it. We did haveto work quickly, and I really do credit Kelly-Anne Lee, our online producer.She and her team, our whole production team — it was a group effort. Therewere so many moving parts. Our main interest as a cast — and I really wasthinking more as a cast member rather than an executive producer — was how dowe honor our friend while also honoring a grieving process that doesn’t endwith two weeks off production?”

Call Me Kat_ co-stars Leslie Jordan and Cheyenne Jackson appear on the FOXsitcom. (Photo: FOX via Getty Images)”src=”https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/bgGqvuj1_E231LR8pYKyOw-/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MA-/https://s.yimg.com/os/creatr-uploaded-images/2023-01/91d8eec0-8b93-11ed-9fec-846611248c0d” class=”caas-img”/>

Call Me Cat co-stars Leslie Jordan and Cheyenne Jackson appear on the FOXsitcom. (Photo: FOX via Getty Images)

The show had been working on the holiday installation when Jordan died, andhis character was supposed to be in some of the scenes.

“We had started filming that episode. We were on a Monday of two days oftaping that episode when he passed,” Bialik said. “We had to restructure somescenes, just some of the blocking and stuff so that it felt a little bitdifferent — so we weren’t literally walking the same steps and expectingLeslie to come out when we knew his entrances were. Muscle memory is a strongthing, so it helped a lot to be able to do that.”

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In Thursday’s episode, Phil’s absence will be explained, and not with afuneral. In fact, Maria Ferrari, one of the showrunners, told Deadline lastmonth that everyone involved wanted the character to have his “happy ending.”

Bialik said the alternative would’ve been a real struggle.

“When it came to the episode that is essentially his tribute, the cast feltvery strongly and completely unanimously that the thought of doing a funeralepisode while we are actively grieving our friend — it felt like a hurdle weweren’t sure we all wanted to jump together,” Bialik said. “I think LeslieJordan was known so much for being Leslie, and while we also love him and knowhim as Phil, he’s such a beloved personality, truly larger than life. To tryto encapsulate that felt challenging in ways that I don’t know would’ve beenhealthy for us as a cast or a production.So, we found a way for him to liveforever.His character will live forever, and he can have whatever adventureswe all imagine.And because we break the fourth wall anyway, we were able touse that convention to say simply, we gave this character a happy ending, butthere’s a lot more going on here.”

But it was still tough. In one scene, Bialik’s Kat and the others discuss howmuch they’ll miss their friend.

“Our hope was to get it done in one take so that we wouldn’t emotionally gothrough it several times,” Bialik said. “But it took a couple takes. We didn’tover rehearse those scenes just because we didn’t want it to feel rehearsed.And I think that’s why we also chose to keep it so brief.”

Two other things that are different about the tribute episode: Vicki Lawrence,who co-starred with Jordan on TV’s The Cool Kids in 2018, will guest star asPhil’s mother, and another, surprise celebrity appears at the end with lovefor Jordan.

“It’s someone that Leslie already has both a professional and personalrelationship with,” Bialik teased. “It’s someone who he admired and considereda mentor of his, and it’s someone who has the personality that Leslie alwayssaid he would like to be remembered as having.”

Call Me Cat airs Thursday, Jan. 5 at 9:30 pm on Fox.