Monthly Archives: November 2023

Summary

Since 1999, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit has held an important place in the zeitgeist. Centered around the Manhattan NYPD unit that handles sex crimes, SVU has played a role in changing the rhetoric around sexual assault, domestic violence, and child abuse. Though no one could have predicted just how popular the show would become, it continues to garner new fans thanks to the stories it tells every week. SVU might have begun as just another member of the Law & Order franchise, but since then, it has taken center stage.

When Law & Order: SVU returns to NBC after the long hiatus, it will be airing its 25th season. SVU will be the first primetime television drama to do so and is second only to The Simpsons when it comes to primetime scripted shows that have 25 seasons or more. Due to the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes, SVU will have a shortened season of just 13 episodes and will be airing its 25th season premiere eight months to the day after its 24th season finale. It might be one more season for Law & Order: SVU to hang on its wall, but it doesn't have to be just any season.

Law & Order: SVU has never had a problem hitting milestones. In 2019, as SVU began its 21st season, the show became the longest-running primetime television drama in history, surpassing the run of the original Law & Order. Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay) also became the longest-running character on primetime television that year, and the show became the longest-running primetime television show led by a woman. In 2021, SVU reached a milestone only two other primetime scripted shows have reached and aired its 500th episode (Lassie aired 591 before going off the air, and The Simpsons has aired 757 as of November 2023).

SVU isn't the only show celebrating a milestone when they return in early 2024. After a 148-day WGA strike and a 118-day SAG-AFTRA strike -- which overlapped for 75 days -- every show that planned to begin filming during the Summer of 2023 will be returning with a shortened season. Being able to write and film these shows after such long fights against the AMPTP is a huge deal for anyone making a television show that has been on hold for months. What will be most important for any show, and especially for SVU, is to take the opportunity to celebrate.

Whether it's celebrating the return of television or the 25th season of SVU, NBC has the opportunity to leverage SVU to support the other Law & Order shows. SVU has always been the most special of the franchise, given the topics that it covers. Many survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence, and child abuse have shared that SVU made them feel safe and helped them begin to cope with their experiences. The show is not without flaws -- no show about cops is -- but there are cultural conversations that would not be happening without the influence of SVU, and that is important to honor.

When considering the celebration of 25 seasons of a show, it's important to consider how to celebrate a character like Olivia Benson. Since the first season of SVU, Benson has been the driving force behind why many people are connected to the show. The first 12 seasons of the show also had the benefit of Benson's chemistry and connection with Elliot Stabler (Christopher Meloni), but even in older episodes, it is easy to see that Olivia is the key to the show's success. In Season 1, Episode 4, "Hysteria," Benson and Stabler are attempting to solve the case of a presumed sex worker who was found strangled with a plastic bag over her head, the victim of an assumed serial killer. It's Olivia, the junior detective, who not only confirms that they have a serial killer on their hands but that he has been murdering sex workers and placing them in positions so that they look like a string of paper dolls for 31 years. Olivia solved cases nearly as old as she was in the episode, and that was only the beginning of her tenure on the show. It's a testament to who Olivia is, even as a young detective, that she's able to solve such an important component of the case on her own.

After the departure of Elliot Stabler at the end of Season 12, SVU really began to center around Benson. Audiences got to see Olivia take on a new partner, train other members of the unit, and grow from detective to sergeant to lieutenant and finally to captain. She also dealt with several harrowing and traumatizing experiences, including her own abduction and assault. Eventually, viewers saw Olivia do something she'd always wanted to do when she fostered and then adopted her son, Noah. The growth she has experienced as a detective and a person is where much of the show's strength lies.

Part of what makes the celebration of Olivia Benson in Season 25 so important is that when SVU hit its last milestone, the episode left fans looking for more. Season 23, Episode 6, "The Five Hundredth Episode," brought back Nick Amaro (Danny Pino), which was certainly the highlight of the episode, along with the appearance of Donald Cragen (Dann Florek). Amaro returned for the team's help with a cold case and brought along Burton Lowe (Aidan Quinn), a writer and podcaster who also happened to be Olivia's ex-fiance. What the audience learned over the course of the episode was that Burton was not at all who Olivia remembered him to be, and she eventually realized that their relationship was not as safe as she remembered it being -- at 21 to her 16, Lowe had groomed her and committed statutory rape, a reality he was unwilling to face. For many fans, the episode wasn't the celebration of Olivia that they had anticipated, one both the character and its actress deserve. Season 25 is the perfect opportunity for the show to remedy that and prioritize celebrating such an iconic character.

A celebration of SVU's 25th season doesn't just benefit SVU -- it also would do great things for the viewership on both Law & Order and Law & Order: Organized Crime. Initially, Organized Crime was the only show that didn't get a full-season pick-up, but since all three shows will now have a 13-episode season, the doors are opened for plenty of crossover opportunities. When audiences last left Stabler, he was getting ready to go undercover, a plot device that was likely used to explain his not being around until halfway through the season. Now that the shows are returning on the same day, what makes the most sense is for the shows to be on the same timeline, which would put Stabler at either the end or near-end of his undercover assignment.

The coming season brings changes to the original Law & Order, which is losing another lead actor. Jeffrey Donovan's departure will change the makeup of the precinct yet again. Law & Order returned to primetime in February 2022 and has lost one of its main characters every year since; first Anthony Anderson between seasons 21 and 22, followed by Donovan between seasons 22 and 23. Reid Scott (best known for his role on Veep) was announced to be replacing Donovan on November 22, 2023. Law & Order: Organized Crime has also had its share of changes, with the show now on its sixth showrunner in just four seasons. Previous crossovers have provided opportunities for both Law & Order and Organized Crime to see higher viewer numbers and have allowed all three shows to tell more in-depth stories (and keep them consistent). It also does something that many SVU fans hope for every week and brings Olivia Benson and Elliot Stabler together.

When Law & Order: SVU's 24th Season and Law & Order: Organized Crime's 3rd season finished, the audience could be sure of one thing -- something big had happened between Olivia Benson and Elliot Stabler. In SVU's Season 24, Episode 22, "All Pain Is One Malady," Benson and Stabler partnered together to take down a revenge-for-hire website, Shadowrk. After bringing down several of the people involved, Benson and Stabler fly to Ohio to help the FBI track down the main person behind Shadowrk. When Organized Crime's Season 3, Episode 22, "With Many Names," picks up, Benson and Stabler have discovered that the website is now advertising a hit on both of them. Though they're grounded from helping with the case, they aren't forced to stay in the FBI Field Office, so the two of them and their security escorts head to a diner for lunch, where Benson is shot, and Stabler must carry her to safety. By the end of the episode, Benson is back in her office, and Stabler brings her a gift, one he hopes will "lead her to happiness." It was a moment that thrilled Bensler fans all over the internet.

While fans of the 'ship are still waiting for the kiss that is 24 years in the making, to see the former partners engage in several intimate exchanges was an important step forward. With such a short season coming up, there is likely pressure to fit a lot into the 13 episodes, including additional movement in the Benson and Stabler relationship. As SVU considers how it wants to honor this monumental season, it makes perfect sense to spend time on their partnership-turned-something else. Not only would it honor the relationship that started the show in 1999, it would give the audience ample opportunity to see the growth both characters have been through since Stabler's departure at the end of season 12 -- and his return in SVU's Season 22, Episode 9, "Return of the Prodigal Sun."

Season 25 of SVU began filming on November 27, and fans are ready to see where the writers and actors take the show during this historic season. A celebration of Olivia Benson, all she has done for the survivors on SVU, and all that the show has done for survivors everywhere seems like a no-brainer. What NBC will do and how they will promote and honor the show, is a question that can only be answered with time.

Law & Order: SVU will return to NBC on January 18, 2024 at 9/8c. The show can currently be streamed on Hulu and Peacock.

This series follows the Special Victims Unit, a specially trained squad of detectives in the New York City Police Department that investigate sexually related crimes.

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NBC Has a Huge Opportunity with Law & Order: SVU's 25th Season - CBR - Comic Book Resources

By Don Kilhefner | LOS ANGELES There is a big difference in magnitude between a liberation movement and a civil rights movement. Often, the terms Gay Liberation and Gay Civil Rights are used synonymously. Those terms, however, are very different in meaning.

A liberation movement involves an oppressed group seizing power by its own militant efforts and includes a change in consciousness by an oppressed people about its alleged inferiority, restructures economic and educational systems, and claims or reclaims the groups history and culture. The central organizing principle of a civil rights movement is lobbying the dominant power structure over time to grant new lawslike voting rightswhich gives more equal rights to a minority or majority historically discriminated against without any fundamental changes or threats to the power, economic, or educational systems in place.

Power structures try to destroy liberation movements, as in South Africa in 1961 when Nelson Mandela and others created the paramilitary Spear of the Nation, turning the African National Congress from a civil rights movement into a liberation movement. On the other hand, civil rights movements are easily pacified by political posturing and pretending and assimilated by elite capture without posing much of a threat to the basic power structures of society. Liberation movements are also susceptible to elite capture.

Authors Note You are advised to remember as you read the following article that all of the Gay Liberation organizing being described was done within a context of 1,000 years or more of hetero supremacy in the West in which all religions declared lesbians and particularly gay men to be subhuman and an abomination in the eyes of God; all national and local laws declared them to be illegal and a crime against nature, with police and vigilante groups hunting them down and killing such deviants, often burning them alive at the stake; and in the 20th century the new science of psychology declared them a severe psychopathology and a threat to society. Gay men and lesbians internalized that hetero supremacist, genocidal ideology, turning it into self-hate, and turning that debasement into fear of being found out, some in fear for their very lives. And so, in 1969, still being officially labeled sick, sinful, and against the law and against the laws of nature, a new, revolutionary narrative unfolded in Los Angeles.

Central to the development of a radical, militant Gay Liberation revolution in Los Angeles was the L.A. Gay Liberation Front, which was called into being in August 1969 by Morris Kight, an anti-Vietnam War activist. GLFs were also organized in other major U.S. cities in the aftermath of the 1969 Stonewall Rebellion, a single spark that caused a prairie fire. A gay revolution ensueda revolution defined as sudden, radical, complete change.

For months, GLF meetings were held every Sunday afternoon in random, obscure locations, until, on January 1, 1970, I secured a GLF office at 577 North Vermont Ave. in East Hollywood, formerly occupied by the Hollywood contingent of the Peace and Freedom Party. Using basic organizing skills learned as a volunteer at the Peace and Freedom Party office in Venice while a UCLA doctoral student in history, I became GLFs around-the-clock, sleep-in office manager, creating a GLF infrastructure for the first time, including a telephone number, mailing address, bank account, and a stable meeting and organizing space.

The office was located on the second floor of a graceful dowager of a fourplex next to the Hollywood Freeway. Soon after GLF left the space, the building was demolished and replaced by a series of gas stations (southwest corner of Vermont and Clinton). [If anyone out there has a photo of the building, please contact me.]

The GLF office became a beehive of gay political organizing that propelled the Gay Liberation movement in Southern California forward rapidly (more about all that activity in the future). In a recent event at USC-ONE Archives, Dr. Craig Loftin, Lecturer in gay history at California State University (Fullerton), described that year as follows, 1970 was an incredible year of achievement for GLF in Los Angeles. They staged marches, protests, zaps, interventions, and a broad range of other militant, highly visible actions. They fought back. They led the march out of the shadows, out of the closets.

On 9/18/1970, GLF staged a Touch-In in a popular WeHo bar, The Farm; at 10 p.m. gay men reached out and hugged each other; L.A. Sheriffs arrived and were warned by GLF: if you arrest one of us, youll have to arrest all of us; men continued to show affection for each other; chanting began: Ho-Ho, Ho Chi Minh, GLF is going to win; Sheriffs retreated; the beginning of the end of police raids of gay bars in L.A. was upon us.

While Kight and I played a leadership role in those developments, let me make this clear: a handful, then scores, then hundreds of gay and lesbian peopleall voluntarily engaged activistscollectively and constructively made it happen, a record of accomplishment probably unmatched by any other GLF in the country.

In this essay, I will focus on one of those 1970 activities, the GLF Gay Survival Committee and the subsequent Hoover Street Commune because there is a clear path, through thick and thin, from that Committee to the Commune to the October 1971 opening of the Gay Community Services Center in Los Angeles (now called the L.A. LGBT Center), the first and, then as now, the largest in the world. GCSC also seeded what grew into a world class gay community in Los Angeles.

The Gay Survival Committee, the name tells you where gay people were at that time, was created in the Spring of 1970 when I proposed the idea to GLF which approved it unanimously. The Committees primary purpose was to begin exploring the possibility of offeringout of the GLF office and by referralservices specifically designed for gay and lesbian people suffering from oppression sickness (peer counseling, consciousness raising groups, Vietnam War draft and military resistance counseling, and medical and legal referrals). A Los Angeles Free Press article in August 1970 caught the zeitgeist of that GLF effort.

By the end of 1970, L.A. GLF was beset by a mostly friendly, fundamental debate as to which direction to go in 1971, either in an evolving liberation direction or a more social direction by opening a Gay Coffee House with entertainment. After much internal discussion and to resolve the tension, I made a proposal in December 1970 that the GLF office be closed and that GLF financial resources, totaling about $900, be turned over to the Gay Coffee House project. GLF members agreed.

Early in 1971, a Gay Coffee House was opened by GLF stalwarts John Platania, Jim Kepner, and others in a storefront on Melrose Ave., a site where the Continental Baths subsequently stood (western corner of Melrose and Kenmore). After several months it devolved into a crash pad, could not pay its rent, and closed.

During 1970, my thinking had also evolved considerably from the Gay Survival Committees idea of providing limited services out of the GLF office to contemplating a more substantial, comprehensive, freestanding operation providing direct services and infused with the radical spirit and methodology of Gay Liberation. Also, during that year, I grew by leaps and bounds, transforming from a somewhat quiet, introverted academic type into an articulate, assertive community organizer because of GLFs one-after-the-other successes.

The more I read, dialogued with others, and self-reflected, it was gradually becoming clearer to me that if we were going to succeed as a liberation movement, it was critical that we enlarge our GLF agenda from merely a reactive strategy of fighting back against hetero supremacy into an enlarged, transforming proactive strategy of building a visible, organized, self-accepting, and defiant gay community where none had ever existed.

This new way of thinking began a first level of envisioning that a gay center might be the vehicle around which such a gay community could coalesce. I did not know exactly how GLF could make that happen. As it turned out, I became the vision carrier for such a project, although at that time I did not know that term nor understand what it meant. I just did what I did from a deep well of caring and intense gay liberation motivation. I did know, however, from my many learning experiences as I matured during my 20s, that the path forward reveals itself as we walk the path not as we think about it or discuss it. And it worked.

[I want to acknowledge the important work done by Rev. Troy Perry, whom I admire, in founding in 1968 in Los Angeles the Metropolitan Community Church

which became an important part of the gay community in L.A. and elsewhere. The roots of MCC were in evangelical Christianity and the Society for Individual Rights, a conservative homophile organization started in 1964 in San Francisco. The roots of the Gay Liberation movement, however, were in the 1969 Stonewall Rebellion.]

On January 1, 1971, a year after opening the GLF office on North Vermont Ave., a contingent from GLF consisting of Randy Schrader, Steve Beckwith, Stan Williams, Rod Gibson and me, members of GLFs Gay Survival Committee, moved into the newly created Hoover Street Commune which became the relocated activist center for Gay Liberation militancy in L.A. Morris Kight and others became an essential part of the organizing activities taking place there.

Thus, began the second phase of the pioneering work of the L.A. Gay Liberation Front.

One of the important gay historical sites in Los Angeles is located at 1500 North Hoover Street (at Sunset Dr.), right behind the then KCET public television studios (now the Scientology Media Production Studios) on Sunset Blvd. in Silverlake. It was the home of the Hoover Street Commune, which existed from 1971 until 1973the place from which the building of the gay community center and, by extension, a gay community in Los Angeles emerged.

[Community organizers today have many exquisite organizing tools that we did not have in the 1960s and 1970s; however, missing today is the communal living that focused and magnified our effectiveness. When I dialogue with young activists today, the absence of such an essential tool in their organizing efforts is glaring.]

The house, built as a duplex, had been turned into one large house with five bedrooms, two bathrooms, a small kitchen, a dining room, and a living room. The original communards included very creative Stan Williams, a former Sonja Henie and Ice Capades skater; Steve Beckwith, a suit-and-tie businessman; Randy Schrader, a recent UCLA Law School graduate studying for the California Bar exam; Rod Gibson, a young GLFer; and me. Occupancy was a bit fluid at first, but then stabilized. Gibson soon moved out and was replaced by Ray Powers, a Hollywood actors agent, and Beckwith and his lover, Van Brown, a student at UC Santa Barbara, needed more privacy and moved elsewhere, replaced by John Platania.

GLF members Llee Heflin, Dexter Price, and Bruce Cristoff lived right next door at 1502 N. Hoover St. In and out on a regular basis were Morris Kight, Tony DeRosa, June Herrle, Howard Fox, David Backstrom, John Coffland, Justin Dangerfield, John Murphy, my beloved Luke Johnson, and many more. The door was always open.

For me, living there was like being in an always-in-session Graduate School for Advanced Gay Studies, intellectually and spiritually stimulating like nothing I had known before. I was being introduced to gay-centered films, books, art and artists, poetry, ideas, music, personages, spiritual lineages, inventive gay Kama Sutra positions, and much more that were all new to me.

Williams had created a large, low dining table and we sat on the floor to eat; once a week each member prepared supper. Virtually every evening there would be eight to ten people sitting around our large communal table for suppervisiting gay liberationists, soon-to-be-famous filmmakers, writers, and poets, grifters, lovers du jour, the Marlboro Man, mystics, future judgesa gay Noahs Arkengaged in animated and liberating discussions.

Sometimes Lucy would come down from the sky with her diamonds to visit. Williams and Platania would put their long hippie hair up into elegant beehive hairdos to go shopping at the local Safeway grocery store, an aspect of Gay Liberations political fight against rigid hetero gender norms. GLF called it Gender Fuck, a militant precursor of Gender Fluid. Williams created a High Tea which was poured many afternoons at 4 p.m. with rolled joints on a silver platter. Spirited political discussions would go into the night. And so it went.

In this exhilarating and creative gay-centered vortex at the Commune, sight was never lost as to why I was theretransforming the work of GLFs Gay Survival Committee into a gay community center. At both the GLF office and the Commune, the Committees composition was fluid with people coming and going. However, a more or less stable core group formed over time consisting of Beckwith, Kight, Platania, Williams, Schrader, Herrle, and Howard Fox among others. My role as the Committees founding chairman was to provide the leadership and glue to hold things together and guarantee there was forward movement by calling and chairing meetings every two weeks, preparing agendas, facilitating discussion, and ensuring continuity and follow through between meetings.

A revolutionary opening of historic proportions was being created by GLF in L.A. and we collectively leapt through that opening with the most serious intentions and joyful exuberance. Among the critically important developments that grew out of the Hoover Street Commune during those years were the following:

After each meeting, Platania and I would meet for an extra hour writing down what we had heard and agreed to in the meeting. Platania had worked as a grant writer for the City of Los Angeles Community Development Department and TELACU (The East Los Angeles Community Union). I typed up our writings, and by May 1971, an impressive looking, forty-page, bound proposal emerged from the Committees collective work that delineated the reasons for such a gay center, described the comprehensive human services to be provided in a community-based context, and laid out a timetable for implementing each component.

That document became an invaluable organizing tool because it clearly described what we planned to do and how we planned to do it. The proposal clearly sent a powerful message that these gay liberationists were very serious about their intentions, with a blueprint and hammer and nails in their hands, and ready to go to work. The name: Gay Community Services Center. Words never seen before anywhere.

Gay because we were totally in your face about who we were, not hiding behind camouflage words as was done prior to Gay Liberation. Community because of the core values implied in that word: (1) a community is a unified body whose members assumes responsibility for each other, meaning everyone, and (2) a community was what we were trying to call into being. Services because we were planning to deliver services specifically designed to meet the needs of gay, lesbian, and trans people, mending the deep woundings caused by hetero supremacy and invoking the new possibilities of gay empowerment. Center because of our intention that it be a center around which a gay community would coalesce.

My position was that we were attempting to create a gay community center and a gay community, both ideas revolutionary developments for our people at that time. GLF was building something that would hopefully outlive all of us and a community called for solid community institutions serving the people.

Moreover, one of the successful tactics of the Gay Liberation movement was keeping the hetero supremacists off balance. They never could conceive of gay and lesbian people developing self-respect after the centuries of violent intimidation and instilling of fear. They never expected the audacity of gay liberationists in L.A. creating a community center and envisioning an actual gay community that was real, substantial, and angry, that fought back and thumbed its nose at their supremacist proclivities and actions.

Beginning in April 1971, attorney Allen Gross and I began the grunt work of incorporating the proposed community center in California. Gross, an important hetero ally and lifelong friend, had founded the Legal Aid program in Oregon and served as legal counsel for L.A. GLF. He would serve for 25 years as legal counsel to the Center. We prepared Articles of Incorporation and By-Laws to submit to the State of California and could not read how the documents would be dealt with by the newly elected California Secretary of State, a young fellow named Jerry Brown. The documents were returned approved in two weeks and Brown became a dependable ally of gay people in California.

The same could not be said for the federal IRS tax exemption process, which routinely should have taken a few months, but in our case took five years. Gross prepared the IRS application with great care and attention to all possible traps that could be used to deny us. Decades later, I was informed privately that the Nixon White House had instructed the Secretary of the Treasury to put our application in his desk drawer and not act on it.

In 1972, I was summoned to Washington, D.C., for a special interrogation by Frank Cerny, head of the exempt branch of IRS, in a bizarre scene that unfolded in a majestic hall that was truly a surreal experience. With Gross on one side of me and attorney Ed Dilkes of L.A. Legal Aid on the other side, and me resembling a hippie Hasidic rabbi, I recited calmly over and over again what Gross had skillfully written in our applicationwe would serve anyone who asked for our philanthropic services and we would turn no one away, which were the exclusivity grounds on which IRS planned to trap and deny us tax-exemption. In 1976, our relentless perseverance and political pressure finally forced the White House and IRS to approve our tax-exemption application. GCSC was the first openly gay organization to secure IRS non-profit, tax-exempt approvala singular achievement then.

The Edgemont Liberation House provided free housing primarily to young gay men, often runaways who were homeless. From 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. residents were out of the house looking for employment, getting back into school, or whatever. When the residents returned to the house at 4 p.m., under Schaefers supervision, they collectively made supper for the house.

The key words for living in a Liberation House, as in organizing the Center

itself, were mutuality and cooperation. Evening activities at the Edgemont house included a group discussion led by Schaefer or another GLF member that amounted to a gay consciousness-raising group, something the residents had never experienced beforegay and lesbian people viewed in a positive, constructive light. The residents blossomed. After breakfast in the morning, residents headed out to lean into their goals for the day.

In September 1971, Platania found a possible site for the Center in an old Queen Anne style home at 1614 Wilshire Blvd. at Union Ave., just east of MacArthur Park. Committee members looked at the house and all agreedyes, lets do it. I was the full-time+ founding executive director and Kight, Herrle, and Platania became members of the first Board of Directors.

After a bit of cosmetic fix-up, the installation of telephones, and a big sign in front emblazoned with the words Gay Community Services Center, the year and a half of relentless organizing work by GLF members led to fruition. The story of that Center and the gay community it facilitated in Los Angeles, including the role of the Highland Park Collective, will be told later, but this was how GLF got that far.

To give you an idea how revolutionary this community organizing was in the lives of gay people, after the sign was hung on Wilshire Blvd., a call was received at the Center from an important gay figure telling us, You must take that sign down immediately! You people are going to get all of us arrested! Then, most gay people rightfully lived in fear.

Amazingly, all the organizing and sustaining of the Center was accomplished with little money or no money at all. The organizers were fueled by something much larger than money. What little funds the early Center did operate on came from three primary sources: (1) Friday night Gay Funky Dances in Hollywood, open to all ages, which were started in 1970 by GLF, went on hiatus when the GLF office closed, and were started up again in August 1971 sponsored by the Center. After expenses, the dances generated about $150 a week; (2) donations at the Center raised about $150 weekly; and (3) after expenses, the Gaywill Funky Shoppe brought in about $200 weekly.

Central to the Shoppe was Commune member Stan Williams assisted by young GLF members Dexter Price and Bruce Cristoff. Using a gift possessed by many gay men of being able to transform ordinary junk into objets dart, the thrift shoppe thrived. It was located at 1531 Griffith Park Blvd., where that street meets Sunset Blvd. in Silverlake, occupied today by the Pine and Crane Restaurant. When Williams left for San Francisco, Ralph Schaefer took over as manager.

One day early in 1973, after not hearing from Schaefer for several days and hearing that the Shoppe seemed closed, Kight and I went to check it out. We found Schaefer dead in the bathroom with a bullet hole in the back of his head. He had been executed. Robbery was not a motive since a visible cash box was untouched. The murder of gay men occurred often then with assailants rarely looked for or apprehended by the LAPD. One less fag was a blessing for hetero supremacists.

The LAPD Rampart Division called Kight and me in for questioning and tried to pin the murder on us, demanding that we take polygraph tests.

We gave the LAPD the middle finger, telling the investigators to arrest us if they wanted to, but we refused to play their disrespectful game regarding someone we valued so dearly, and walked out. The LAPD was not heard from again regarding Schaefers murder, even after numerous requests for information.

The Gaywill Funky Shoppe was permanently closed immediately as a show of respect for Schaefer.

At the beginning of this article, you were advised to remember that all this GLF organizing was being done under the most difficult community organizing conditions imaginable. Even under those horrendous conditions, however, you can clearly see that something historically significant had occurred in Los Angeles that took place nowhere else in the same way in the lives of gay and lesbian people, facilitated by a vanguard of young gay liberationists.

By October 1971, with the opening of the Gay Community Services Center, with much more revolutionary struggle ahead, a whole new realm of possibilities and ways forward began opening up for gay and lesbian people in Los Angeles. The GLF Gay Survival Committee and Hoover Street Commune had done their early community organizing work impeccably.

A unique revolution in consciousness and liberation unfolded in Los Angeles, radically changing the quality of gay peoples lives and welfare, instilling a new, life enhancing identity and birthing an exciting, emerging community where we learned to value and take care of each other. The ripples of that Gay Liberation revolution wash over us still today.

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Don Kilhefner, Ph.D., played a pioneering role in the creation of the Gay Liberation movement and is co-founder of the L.A. LGBT Center, Van Ness Recovery House, Radical Faeries, and has been a gay community organizer for 55 years in Los Angeles and nationally. [emailprotected]

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Seeding a gay community in LA, the gay liberation revolution - Los Angeles Blade

On this day: Nov. 26, 1998 The Happening

As Thanksgiving Day approached in 1998, the world had no idea they were about to witness the metamorphosis of a former Mouseketeer into a global sensation.

Britney Spearss debut single ...Baby One More Time, which was initially turned down by both TLC and the Backstreet Boys, had already dropped on Oct. 23. The buzz was building across the music industry about the premiere of its accompanying music video set to drop on MTVs TRL. Directed by Nigel Dick, the video featured a provocative Spears in a sexy Catholic school uniform bought at K-Mart with pink poms poms and pigtails.

This wasnt just any video debut it was a moment that would be etched into pop culture history.

Her journey started years earlier. After waving goodbye to the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse in 1994, Spears returned to Louisiana to resume a normal teenage life while trying to pursue a solo career. In a twist of fate, a demo tape caught the attention of Jive Records. Her voice, imbued with a unique mix of innocence and allure, seemed to come at the right place at the right time.

...Baby One More Time, written by legendary songwriter Max Martin, disrupted the dominant R&B and rock genres, allowing poppy bobs to enter the zeitgeist in a fresh way. It was the perfect vehicle for Spears to transition. Her public image, largely shaped by the videos themes of youthful innocence and desire, would stay with the singer for the rest of her career.

Randy Connor, the videos choreographer, remembers getting the call from Jive Records about a "fresh face" they were wanting to develop into a pop princess.

It was an amazing time, he tells Yahoo Entertainment. Britney was 17, and a ball of energy. It was really a dynamic situation between me and her. Britney was a hard worker, she was very confident. She really, really wanted it and she worked for it.

Chris Sawyer, one of the principal dancers hired by Connor to be featured in the music video, says Spears's timing couldnt have been more perfect.

When she came out, we were just getting off the Michael Jackson, Prince, Madonna stage, Sawyer tells Yahoo Entertainment. Her and Christina Aguilera, there was a new crop of ladies that were coming up as pop stars a new crop of Madonnas. I know Jive Records was patting themselves on the back because it was exactly the perfect time.

The soulful choreography, mixed with jazz modern movement, was an intentional choice on Connors part. The song was really poppy and mainstream, so I wanted to create something with soul, particularly in moments like [when she sings] Hit me baby one more time, with the hand movements and gestures.

We didn't do any of our breakdance moves or any of our urban hip-hop moves, Sawyer recalls. We were doing all the things you saw in the '80s with Janet Jackson. We brought that back. And despite the lack of experience, Spears was keeping up with the best of them.

She was still a new artist and kind of feeling her way around professional dancers, he continues. She was like a freshman in college, learning and very observant, very quiet. She didn't talk too much. She was just listening to Randy and listening to us, and working so professionally with all of us.

Connor recalls Spears being nervous before the video dropped.

I think she was a little scared, but I think we all knew [it would be successful]. My dancers would say, Shes gonna be this huge star,' he remembers. At the end of the day, its because she made it so beautiful and elegant. Everything I gave, she embraced and took hold of it. She felt the energy and vibe I was going for and was completely open to receiving it. And that's why it worked.

Oddly enough, as Spears writes in her memoir The Woman in Me, the original setting of the video was going to be in space until she canned it.

The mock-up I saw had me looking like a Power Ranger, she writes. That image didnt resonate with me, and I had a feeling my audience wouldnt relate to it, either. I told the executives at the label that I thought people would want to see my friends and me sitting at school, bored, and then, as soon as the bell rang, boom wed start dancing.

I thought we should wear school uniforms to make it seem more exciting when we started dancing outside in our casual clothes, she continued.

...Baby One More Time became the fastest-selling album by a teenage solo artist, debuting at No. 1 on the Billboard charts. It also earned Spears her first Grammy nominations for Best New Artist and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance. She'd later win Best Dance Recording for "Toxic," among eight career nominations. As a single, ...Baby One More Time is still the fifth best-selling by a female artist in the U.S., behind Cher's "Believe" and Whitney Houston's "I Will Always Love You.

Virtually overnight, Spears became the queen of teen pop and set the tone for what the early 2000s would look and sound like. Her charisma struck a chord with fans and catapulted her into a stratosphere of fame that few artists ever reach. The next two albums Oops! I Did It Again (2000) and Britney (2001) also debuted at No. 1, making her the first female artist to have her first three albums achieve this feat.

She hit so quickly and so substantially, says Sawyer.

For better or worse, it also turned Spears into a sex symbol. And contrary to popular belief, much of the video's aesthetic was led by women. When addressing the provocative schoolgirl outfit worn by the singer in a 2018 Billboard interview, Dick stressed that the producer and executive producer, both of whom were women, praised the look as a really good idea.

"Music magazines said this artist was conceived by a bunch of dirty old men in a conference room wearing raincoats, he said, which, in my experience, was not how it occurred at all."

A quarter century later, its evident that Spearss sound has influenced generations of young performers in her wake. Contemporaries like Christina Aguilera, as well as later superstars such as Lady Gaga, Miley Cyrus, Katy Perry, Dua Lipa and Billie Eilish have all pointed to Spears as influences.

Spears experienced an immense amount of unfair scrutiny in the following years, as she publicly wrestled with mental health issues and a conservatorship that she characterized as abusive in her memoir. Still, the singer always credits the music video as one of the best times of her life.

Making that video was the most fun part of doing that first album, she writes.

As for Connor, hes now a successful music producer. He continued to work with Spears for the promotional tour of the album, before leaving to help Diddy choreograph dances for a Nelson Mandela tribute concert in Africa. By the time he came back to the U.S., he says Spears was already a huge star and went on to work with choreographers like Wade Robinson and Brian Friedman.

I just continued on my busy path. I was touring all over the place, and was really happy for her, he says now. I ran into Britney a couple times here and there, but we never had the opportunity to celebrate the immense success of the video in real time. I still get calls from fans all over the world.

Read the rest here:

Britney Spears's 'Baby One More Time' music video debuted on ... - Yahoo Entertainment

As the sun set on the grunge era in the early 90s, a vibrant wave of music emerged from across the pond that would define a generation. Britpop, as it came to be known, was a cultural movement celebrating British life and traditions.

From the gritty streets of Manchester to the bustling heart of London, Britpop bands popped up in every corner of the UK. Their music was a heady cocktail of rock, pop, and indie influences, all wrapped up in a distinctly British package.

As we delve into the annals of music history, we will encounter 13 of the greatest Britpop bands of all time. So grab a cuppa, settle in, and read on!

We begin with the five-man band Oasis that hailed in Manchester, England. Formed in 1991, this band stands as one of the pillars of the Britpop movement. It comprised of the brothers Liam and Noel Gallagher, Paul McGuigan, Paul Arthurs, and Tony McCarroll, who was later replaced by Alan White.

Oasis debuted in 1994. Their sophomore effort, (Whats the Story) Morning Glory? is widely regarded as their magnum opus. The album features a string of hit singles, including the anthemic Wonderwall, Dont Look Back in Anger, and Champagne Supernova.

Despite disbanding in 2009, Oasiss influence on Britpop remains unparalleled. Their music, a robust blend of rock and pop, continues to inspire new generations, and their legacy lives on.

In the pantheon of Britpop, The Verve holds a distinctive place. Formed in 1990 in the town of Wigan and debuting in 1993, the bands breakthrough came with their third album, Urban Hymns.

The album has since sold over 3 million copies in the UK alone. Today, it remains one of the most successful albums in UK chart history.

The record spawned several hit singles, including the melancholic The Drugs Dont Work and the sweeping Lucky Man. The albums lead single, Bitter Sweet Symphony, catapulted the band to international fame and landed at #2 on the UK chart.

The Verves legacy in Britpop is one of innovation and emotional intensity. Though they disbanded in 2009, their music continues to inspire and captivate.

Emerging from the heart of London in 1988, Blur stands as one of the most influential bands in the Britpop movement. Their early work, particularly their debut album, Leisure, was influenced by the shoegaze and Madchester scenes.

Their third album, Parklife, catapulted them to fame. It was a snapshot of 90s Britain, filled with sharp observations about British life. The title track, Parklife, became an anthem for the era.

Even after the Britpop wave receded, Blur continued to evolve and experiment with their sound. Today, they are still rocking the airwaves and have even released a chart-topping 2023 album, The Ballad of Darren.

Up next is The Stone Roses, which hailed from Manchester. The band is widely recognized as one of the founding groups of the Madchester movement in the late 1980s and early 90s.

Their eponymous debut album, released in 1989, is considered a landmark in the development of Britpop. It was a blend of rock and dance music that captured the zeitgeist of the period. Over the next years, they released several singles. Some songs such as Fools Gold and Love Spreads, became fan favorites.

Despite their initial active period being relatively short-lived, the band separated in 1996, with members focusing on their own projects. Fans rejoiced when they reunited in 2011 to release new material. However, The Stone Roses disbanded again in 2017.

Along with Oasis, Suede, and Blur, Pulp is one of the big four of the Britpop movement. This band formed in 1978 and became known for their blend of punk, new wave, and pop.

Pulps true moment of triumph, however, came with their 1995 album Different Class. This record encapsulated the essence of Britpop with its sharp, socially conscious lyrics and infectious pop hooks.

It produced several hit singles, including Common People, Disco 2000, and Sorted for Es & Wizz. Each song painted a vivid picture of 90s Britain, filled with tales of class struggle, youthful rebellion, and romantic longing.

Throughout their career, Pulp received numerous accolades. Different Class won the 1996 Mercury Prize, beating out heavy competition.

After forming in London in 1989, Suede carved a distinct path in the music world. They emerged at a time when the British music scene was dominated by the dance-oriented Madchester movement and grunge from the United States.

Their music offered a refreshing alternative. It is characterized by its raw emotion, dark lyrical themes, and glam rock influences. With this, they quickly gained attention and are often credited with kick-starting the Britpop movement.

Over the years, Suede continued to push boundaries with their music. Songs such as Trash, Beautiful Ones, and Filmstar became defining tracks of the Britpop era.

Despite disbanding in 2003, the band reunited in 2010 for a series of concerts. Their reunion has been met with much enthusiasm from fans and critics alike, proving that their music continues to resonate.

Our next band, The Charlatans, emerged in 1988. Alongside fellow Mancunians The Stone Roses, The Charlatans played a crucial role in re-establishing Britpop as a dominant force among modern rock fans.

Their music captured the spirit of the era. It blends catchy melodies with thoughtful lyrics about life in Britain during the 1990s. Some of their most notable songs include The Only One I Know, Then, and Weirdo.

The Charlatans have endured through periods of tragedy, including the loss of members Rob Collins and Jon Brookes. Nevertheless, they have been consistently praised for their resilience and ability to adapt. They have proven that there is indeed life after Britpop, continuing to release music and perform to this day.

Amid an array of Britpop bands, one name stands out: Supergrass. The band distinguished itself with a unique blend of punk vitality, pop sensibility, and a hint of psychedelic whimsy.

They formed in Oxford in 1993, and a year later, they released their breakout hit Caught by the Fuzz.The bands debut album, I Should Coco, soon followed to great success, topping the UK Albums chart.

The sound of Supergrass was distinctive. They captured the vibe of the era perfectly, melding elements of punk, pop, and psychedelia to create music that was both fresh and nostalgic.

Even after the Britpop era came to an end, Supergrass continued to evolve and experiment with their sound. Today, the band is currently on hiatus, yet their legacy remains robust.

Another band that found considerable success during the Britpop era of the mid-1990s is Ocean Colour Scene. Hailing from Birmingham, their music became nationally and internationally known.

Initially, Ocean Colour Scene was heavily influenced by the Stone Roses. However, they soon carved out their own distinct sound. This marked the beginning of their rise to fame, particularly when their album Moseley Shoals entered the British charts.

Over the years, theyve released several charting singles. Some of their most recognizable hits are The Day We Caught the Train and Hundred Mile High City.

Their music, often characterized by authenticity and steely toughness, resonated with many fans, making them a staple of the Britpop scene. Today, the band is still active, and their music continues to resonate with fans across the world.

With songs like Connection and Waking Up, Elastica made a splash on the Britpop scene. The band, fronted by the charismatic Justine Frischmann, captured the spirit of Britpop with their infectious energy and cool detachment.

Their music was fast, fun, and unapologetically raw, setting them apart from their contemporaries. Their live performances were also on another level. They brought an electric energy to the stage. Frischmanns magnetic presence and the bands tight musicianship won over crowds across the UK and beyond.

Today, Elasticas legacy is still felt in the Britpop scene. Even though they disbanded in 2001, their influence has been long-lasting. Their music continues to be celebrated to this day.

The indie rock band The Bluetones made their mark on the Britpop scene in the 1990s. They formed in Hounslow, Greater London, in 1993. They debuted three years later with a chart-topping album called Expecting to Fly.

And fly the band did. They went on to release five more albums over the length of their career. Some of their notable songs include Slight Return and Bluetonic, with the former reaching #2 on the UK Singles chart.

In 2011, The Bluetones announced their separation. However, in 2015, they reunited, to the delight of fans. Since then, the band has been touring.

From the small Northern Irish town of Downpatrick, the rock band Ash emerged in 1992. Ash has often been linked with the Britpop movement, a categorization they have not entirely embraced.

Nevertheless, the group has grown from a youthful trio with big dreams into one of the most successful and enduring rock bands of their generation.

They debuted in 1996 with the album 1977 and hit it big. The album took the top spot on the UK Albums chart. It featured some of the bands greatest hits like Girl from Mars, Oh Yeah, and Goldfinger.

Interestingly, in 2009, Ash released a song every two weeks in a project they called the A-Z Series. Each one of the songs charted in the top 20 of the UK Indie chart.

Ending this list is Kula Shaker, a British psychedelic rock band that formed in 1995. Their distinct blend of Britpop, infused with elements of traditional Indian music, psychedelia, and classic rock, created a sound that was both fresh and deeply rooted in musical history.

Led by frontman Crispian Mills, the band carved out a distinctive niche in the Britpop era. Rather than adhering strictly to the genres typical elements, they expanded its boundaries. They incorporated sitars, tambouras, and tabla drums into their music.

Their debut album, K, was a testament to this innovative approach. It was a commercial and critical success, reaching #1 on the UK Albums chart. It spawned several hit singles, including Tattva, Hey Dude, and Govinda.

Today, Kula Shaker continues to shake the music industry. Theyre set to release a new album in 2024 something for followers to look forward to!

As you have read, Britpop stands as a definitive movement that shaped an entire generation. The bands weve mentioned here not only captured the charms and eccentricities of their country. They also shared their unique sound on the global stage.

As we look back on this remarkable period in music history, its clear that Britpops influence continues to reverberate in todays music scene. But despite our deep dive into the best of Britpop, we know there are many more bands out there that deserve recognition. Which Britpop bands have we missed? Let us know!

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13 Of The Greatest And Most Famous Britpop Bands - Hello Music Theory

Credit: benjaminmuntz via Unsplash.

Some campaigns in 2023 broke the internet with their virality, while others reminded Australia and the rest of the world to embracecreativity, celebrate women's sport and that "almost anything" is actually enough.

Created by Publicis using its custom-made AI platform Marcel, the commercialgarnered global attention with a compelling statement on gender in sport.

Uber Eats sparked much engagementthis year with its Get AlmostAlmost Anything platform. Created by Special and supporting agency village, EssenceMediacom, Hello Social and H/Commerce, the campaign explores the chaos that would ensue if Uber Eats was actually able to deliver anything. Reminding Australians that almost, almost anything is actually enough.

In celebration of 50 years of the iconic landmark, the Sydney Opera House released a musical tribute to mark 50 years of bravery, creativity and wonder.

'Play It Safe' was written and composed by Australian singer Tim Minchin as an ironic salute to the bold, visionary experiment that became the Opera House.

Made in partnership with creative agency The Monkeys, part of Accenture Song, directed by filmmaker Kim Gehrig and produced by Revolver x Somesuch, the music video features a collection of Australian artists and arts companies who share an enduring connection with the Opera House.

Australian creatives and their top two campaign picks of 2023:

Toby Aldred, GM of Saatchi & Saatchi, and chief client officer of The Neighbourhood, says he thoroughly enjoyed the campaigns to come out of Avocados from Mexico this year.

Long-term brand platform tick. Branded codes ahoy tick. Product written into story tick, he said.

And Impretty sure it works in real life. As the creative director said to me last night, 'Did you just tell me weve got more changes, reduced budget, and you need it overnight to the Avocados from Mexico jingle?'."

For Aldred, the winner of the 2023 FIFA Womens Football Advertising World Cup is Orange.TheOrange - la Compil des Bleues adwas an idea that clearly was born out of strong brand intent towards the national French football team.

Its magnificently executed; you can almost reach out and feel the trust between the client and agency to get this over the line, he said.

Like a fine bottle of French red, its an advert that will age even better over time, a beautiful foretelling of the success of the tournament in celebrating womens football as brilliant if not better than the mens, Aldred believes.

Richard Williams, executive creative director at Clemenger BBDO, agrees.

The Orange Womens World Cup film for Frances national team was also a highlight creatively this year, he says.

It was wonderfully and painstakingly crafted to deliver an exceptional level of production that refused to reveal the twist, said Williams.

The messaging was powerful yet ultimately divisive. Many criticised the film for once again comparing womens sport to mens instead of celebrating the nuance and uniqueness of womens football, notes Williams.

This criticism is fair but given the film was trying to convince fans of the mens game then I believe it was justifiable. The results were spectacular with the film shared around the world and undoubtedly dramatically boosting audience and viewership of the World Cup in France and beyond, he said.

A celebration of what being British means today, brought to life in a technically perfect and visually progressive execution.

The repetitive, yet hypnotic movement of the idents make them infinitely flexible yet strangely no less compelling to watch, says Williams.

They are a diverse representation of British society and an example of British creativity at its best, he said.

For Jeremy Hogg, executive creative director at Howatson+Co, this year presented many pieces of great work.

Hogg doesnt feelas an industry that everything needs to be big and worthy and awardy.

We all need little moments of delight, he said.

I love this. It feels like a film that befits the stature of the Opera House and the creativity that happens with in. Its obviously got spectacle, but to me the joy is that the film remains strangely intimate and honest, and never drifts into tricks over substance, he said.

So many good choices throughout, even a really simple thing I like that the song lyrics are advocating the absence of creativity rather than singing its praises, which feels far less on the nose and choiceful. Bravo.

This idea probably doesnt need his endorsement, says Hogg, given that its already been handsomely awarded all around the world by every single jury at every single show.

And justifiably so. We talk a lot about distinctive brand assets. Well this is a real one. A tangible change for the company that gives added value to the message their business communicates far beyond their ad layouts,hesaid.

A highly commended to Sunday Gravy for their work on Hunt and Brew 'Always Hunting'. Great insight, ads and tone. So refreshing and enjoyable to see something smart that still maintains joy and a bit of silliness.

Justin Ruben, ECD Havas Host, liked a lot of work that came out of 2023.

"But as Ive been asked to choose only 2 pieces I will abide by the rules. Sorry to all the great work I have had to leave out," he said.

"One of my favourite pieces was The Monkeys Telstra Country footy spot. It was a beautifully crafted film with great performances. The casting was spot on with talent Ive never seen before and have never appeared on Home Away or Neighbours. Great script well directed and produced."

Ruben's next pick was 'The Last Performance' from Special NZ. As they say, he says, the hardest challenge is doing good work in a very boring category and life insurance falls into this.

"It is fantastic brand integration for the right reasons and gives life insurance a life of its own," said Ruben.

"Even though I said I would only choose 2, I just saw that great Uber One ad with Robert De Niro from Mother London. So Im going to throw that in as well and break the rules."

Catherine Tubb, creative director, at Chello, said the Uber EatsPeriod Romancecampaign was a funny and original ad which had a great use of celebrities, with Nicola Coughlan riffing on her Bridgerton fame and feeding the fans a tasty morsel during a long wait for the next series.

The ad, says Tubb, (along with the Tom Felton magic spot) plays on the idea that ultimately instant gratification isnt always satisfying.

Though it still delivers on the line that you can get almost, almost anything with Uber Eats, she said.

I loved how the insights are squarely targeted at a female audience (Periods, Bridgerton) and the great comic moments created by bringing the dated and sexist attitudes of the male suitor to modern day Australia where women (gasp) work and rice cookers dont make for great chamberpots.

Its a suitably nice touch that the campaign also partnered with not for profit organisation Share the Dignity offering a one-for-one donation with every period product sold to help end period poverty, notes Tubb.

Briggs - Far Enoughcampaign,written by comedy duo Jenna Owen and Victoria Zerbst, and directed by Nash Edgerton, wasanotherof Tubbs favourite campaigns of the year.

Im sure everyone who hasnt been living under a rock this year is familiar with rapper Briggs viral video, she said.

Looking at this with the benefit of hindsight, what I found really interesting is while there were some really stirring, emotive, and great ads in the early run-up to the referendum, it was this responsive and timely lo-fi video that simply asked Have you Googled it? that really got traction.

With more than five million views and some influential shares thanks to Taika Waititi, Jason Momoa and Celeste Barber, says Tubb.

In the wake of the vote, its a sobering reminder that the battle for hearts and minds requires every type of campaign possible, from mass awareness at launch, to timely and tactical responses throughout, she said.

Simon Lee, CCO & partner at The Hallway, says choosing "the best two campaigns from 2023 from anywhere in the world is a big ask, but there are a couple of pieces of work that have caught his attention over the last few months.

Are they 'the best?' I dont know, but I like them," he said.

Uber One: A membership for everyone who eats food and goes places.Im not always a big fan of celebrity driven advertising; it far too often feels like an exercise in making a brand cool by association rather than creating a compelling connection between celebrity and brand, said Lee.

This film puts the product heart and centre with the wonderfully dryly performed realisation that Robert de Niro and Asa Butterfield both like eating food and going places, he notes.

The casting is genius and director David Shane does a brilliant job in exploiting the understandable awkwardness that a younger actor would no doubt feel in trying to connect with a star of de Niros stature.

The journey of this unlikely duo eating food and going places (I love how the campaign line is unashamedly repeated throughout the spot to matter-of-fact comic effect) makes for a genuinely entertaining piece of film. I have no doubt that, along with the accompanying OOH elements, this campaign is working its socks off. It better be, Im sure neither Robert nor Asa come cheap!

As an EV owner, one of the comments I frequently get from people is that it must be a pain trying to find a charging station, he said.

Leesfirst hand experience supports the data that shows that perception of a shortage of charging stations is a barrier to EV adoption.

The truth is of course that you dont need a "special" charging station to keep your battery charged. You can just plug it into a normal socket. Its this simple but compelling truth that Happiness Saigon brought to life brilliantly in their campaign for E-bike brand, Dat Bike, said Lee.

The creative agency basically "branded" regular electrical sockets as 'Fast Charging Stations', turning office buildings, shopping malls, cafs, all into Dat Bikes own personal charging network, notes Lee.

The billboards are ok, but its the extent of the contextual media opportunity of this idea that excites me. Im not sure how far they got with it, but there are apparently 2.558.914 power outlets in Ho Chi Minh City - thats a lot of opportunities for a small e-bike brand to show up in a meaningful way!

Julian Schreiber& Tom Martin partners and chief creative officers at Special, pointed out David Madrid's 'Ghost Campaign' for Halloween where they announced they were putting up "ghost" ads in out of home and in other media channels.

And if you spotted them you could redeem them for Burger King, said Schreiber and Martin.

The twist was that the 'Ghost campaign' was actually blank spaces on walls and places an ad wasn't appearing but was the right kind of space to be for an ad, they noted.

A brilliant use of using nothing to create something fun and playful for a brand," said Schreiber and Martin.

The creative duo'ssecond favourite campaign of the year wasAdam&Eve DDB's Lover or Hater - what are you expecting project where they in true ad science fashion humourously tested foetusesto see if they adore or despise Marmite.

The seriousness of the parents and doctors involved in the testing is a pleasure to watch. Another great example of a brand embracing their truth, in this case that Marmite has a polarising taste, they said.

Adam Wise co founder and ECD at Jack Nimble, has loved seeing the emergence of fake stunts this year.

His favourite was from Maybelline, when the company installed giant mascara wands around London, with the best one in the London Underground.

I must admit I fell for it at first. My mind instantly went to the logistics of it. Surelyits not safe? How much would that have cost? How did they get that through Transport for London? By the time Id asked myself 21 logistical questions, Id watched it 21 times, said Wise.

The VFX is amazing, but the way its been shot to feel like user-generated-content is what really sells it for me. Thats social-first content at its best. They did such an incredible job of selling this as a real stunt that it essentially did become a real stunt, just on social media. It went crazy viral, and they didnt even need to liaise with Transport for London for permits (which I imagine would be a nightmare).

Wises next favourite campaign from the year was another fake stunt and also train related.

(Maybe I have a thing for trains). Its a bit of a shameless plug, but its the Spotify Carriage - a fake OOH ad that we created for April Fools Day, he said.

Much like the Maybelline stunt, this was designed to feel just real enough for people to believe it, says Wise.

We also wanted it to feel like user-generated-content. And, it went crazy viral. From a humble post in Spotifys jam packed social content calendar, the Spotify community shared the Spotify Carriage on Reddit, created TikToks about it, made memes about it on Twitter, made playlists for the carriage, and mainstream media were writing about it. No media and no PR push.

Matt Geersen & John Gault, creative partners at Connecting Plots, say there is only one campaign this year that was a culture-defining, zeitgeist-creating, social-feed-hijacking behemoth, that delivered more than $1.44 billion dollars in sales.

Barbie.There were fashion partnerships with everyone from Prada to Crocs, activations that included staying in Barbies Dreamhouse through Airbnb and thats before we even get into #kenergy. Sure the budgets were huge, but no-one can argue that the ROI wasnt massive, said Geersen and Gault.

And its worth remembering that all this success was ultimately for a pro-feminism movie from a female indie director - not your typical ingredients for box office success. Five out of five Mattel toys.

The pair also commended the campaign by Special New Zealand for Partners Life - The Last Performance.

Its hard to imagine a tougher brief than selling life insurance, says Geersen and Gault.

So to pull off this Houdini-esque piece of creative magic makes itall the more, ahem, Special.

Bringing characters back to life from the show weve just seen and using their hindsight of death to sell life insurance is not only smart, original and entertaining, but more importantly, highly effective, as seen from the results of this campaign and its Effie recognition. Five out of five magicians wands.

Uber EatsAlmost Almost Anythingby Special Groupalso topped the list for Rees Steel creative director at BMF.

2023 was the year that a once scrappy startup called Uber finally turned a profit, he says.

And with a campaign this good, I'm almost - almost - happy for our gig economy overlords, said Steel.

Its hard to believe this first launched in January, and has already turned out a strong second iteration. Whether it's the big films with celebs, the hardworking 15s or the OOH, every execution is consistently entertaining and ruthlessly simple. Thats a hard line to walk, particularly at this scale. Admirable stuff.

Look, this one's a little under the radar, but bear with me, he said.

This was literally the only campaign in 2023 that I saw both ad dorks and non-industry people share.

Steel notes that the satire is razor sharp, it's impeccably cast, and its so niche it's almost impenetrable.

But, he says, it proves one of comedys great truths - that nothing's funnier than specificity.

"In a year when advertisers in Australia tried to be all things to all people, it took hyperlocal Melbourne scene bitchiness to win over this in-bed-by-10 Sydney dad. Love it, he said.

Have something to say on this? Share your views in the comments section below. Or if you have a news story or tip-off, drop us a line at adnews@yaffa.com.au

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The top advertising campaigns of 2023 according to Australian ... - AdNews

November has arrived, and with it a bevy of exciting, engaging and fresh new movies to stream on your friendly neighborhood streaming service. As fall is in full swing, the tone and tenor of new movies is starting to shift in a more dramatic direction while studios begin to trot out their awards contenders. A few of those arrive this month, including true stories Nyad and Rustin, but its not all serious business the Awkwafina/Sandra Oh comedy Quiz Lady and David Finchers take on a B-movie The Killer both arrive this month as well.

And thats not to mention the cornucopia of library titles that are newly streaming this month, including a host of Christmas classics. Whether its Netflix, Prime Video, Max, Hulu, Peacock, Paramount+ or Disney+, weve got you covered with our curated selection of the best new movies streaming in November 2023 below.

Netflix Nov. 1

One of the definitive films of the 21st century, David Finchers The Social Network feels more relevant each and every day. The film chronicles the origins of Facebook through the eyes of Mark Zuckerberg (Jesse Eisenberg) and his college friend Eduardo Saverin (Andrew Garfield), covering the ups and downs of those early years and the Machiavellian maneuvering that saw Eduardo shoved out of the company he helped create. A perfect marriage of writer and director, Aaron Sorkins Oscar-winning screenplay is full of wit and vigor while Fincher brings a meticulous touch with a wry undercurrent of cynicism that would ultimately prove more tame than people knew. And did we mention the Oscar-winning score by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross? Adam Chitwood

Netflix Nov. 1

Filmmaker Robert Rodriguez became a household name with his second feature, 1995s Desperado. A continuation/remake of his first film, El Mariachi, which was famously made for a little over $7,000 after Rodriguez volunteered for a medical experiment. (He was fine!) Impressed by the success of El Mariachi, originally intended for the direct-to-video market but given a theatrical release by Columbia, the studio signed Rodriguez for a really-for-real movie. And what a movie it is! Antonio Banderas stars as the titular desperado, a mythical mariachi with a guitar case full of weapons, who is seeking revenge against the dastardly villain who wronged him (the great Joaquim de Almeida, who took over after Ral Juli tragically passed away). An absurd amount of fun, the film is dotted with appearances from folks like Steve Buscemi, Quentin Tarantino, Cheech Marin and Danny Trejo, and served as the breakthrough role for Selma Hayek, as the woman who falls in love with the mariachi. If youve never seen it, the movie is an absolute blast. Rodriguez followed it up with a third film in the loose trilogy, Once Upon a Time in Mexico, which is fun but doesnt reach the heights of Desperado. Drew Taylor

Paramount+ Nov. 1

Director Brian De Palma and screenwriter David Koepp followed up their blockbuster Mission: Impossible with a bonkers thriller starring Nicolas Cage and set inside a seedy Atlantic City casino. It was plagued with production problems, including a rotating docket of stars that dropped in and out of production (including Will Smith) and a visual-effects-laden climax that was completely scrapped (you can see part of it in the great documentary De Palma), and yet still manages to be something of a low key De Palma classic. Cage plays a loudmouth, morally compromised cop who is drawn into a dangerous web after the Defense Secretary is murdered at the casinos boxing match. The conspiracy itself is both needlessly complicated and relatively straightforward, not that any of that matters considering how much fun De Palma is having, from the unbroken opening shot (which brings to mind the filmmakers own The Bonfire of the Vanities) to a moment where a camera scans over several hotel rooms as we look down, voyeuristically, at what is going on inside of them. And yeah, the whole thing doesnt quite gel because that spectacular finale was abandoned without cause, but everything up until that point, including great supporting performances from Gary Sinese, John Heard and Carla Gugino, and a beautifully operatic score by Ryuichi Sakamoto, make it very much worth watching. Its an underrated, grime-covered gem in De Palmas sparkling oeuvre. Drew Taylor

Paramount+ Nov. 1

With Napoleon just around the corner, why not celebrate Ridley Scotts extensive filmography with a very different movie? The only original screenplay famed novelist Cormac McCarthy ever wrote, The Counselor stars Michael Fassbender as the titular lawyer, a spineless creep who gets himself involved with (among others) the Mexican cartel as he is trying to marry his beautiful girlfriend (Penelope Cruz). As you can imagine, nothing goes to plan. Full of colorful characters (played by Cameron Diaz, Javier Bardem and Brad Pitt among others), endless philosophizing and bursts of shocking value, it is unlike anything Ridley has ever done. It barely registered upon release, eking out a profit but angering audiences (it earned a scathing D+ CinemaScore), but in the years since its release has been reappraised as something of a cult classic, with high profile defenders like Guillermo del Toro. It speaks to Scotts versatility and imagination and deserves to be mentioned alongside some of his very best, more widely embraced movies. Drew Taylor

Prime Video Nov. 1

While Singin in the Rain rightly gets the bulk of the attention, another Gene Kelly musical that will surely lift your spirits is An American in Paris. Released in 1951, the film directed by the great Vincente Minnelli follows a World War II veteran living in Paris trying to make a living as an artist. Romance and comedy ensue, all set to the music of George Gershwin. This ones a feast for the eyes and the ears. Adam Chitwood

Prime Video Nov. 1

Program yourself a mini-Batman marathon on Prime Video with four older films in the franchise. Tim Burton breathed live into the franchise and the comic book movie genre as a whole with his 1989 adaptation, which introduced Michael Keaton as the Caped Crusader and featured Jack Nicholson as The Joker (and a soundtrack by Prince). But its his grisly, playful and wilder sequel Batman Returns that stands the tallest in this quartet. Michelle Pfeiffer is phenomenal as Catwoman, Danny DeVito is a devilishly good Penguin and Christopher Walken fits right into Burtons Gothic aesthetic. Your mileage may vary on the Val Kilmer-led Batman Forever and George Clooney-fronted Batman & Robin which skewed much younger in audience, but taken as a whole these films offer a fascinating look at the evolution of Batman on the big screen. Adam Chitwood

Prime Video Nov. 1

Christmas with the Kranks will never be mistaken for a holiday classic. But it still deserves an annual re-watch. Its the story of a married couple (Christmas king Tim Allen and Jamie Lee Curtis), who decide to skip a big family Christmas with their family (their grown daughter isnt coming home) and instead book a tropical cruise. Their attitude angers their neighbors and friends, who feel like the Kranks are turning their back on the yuletide spirit. Of course, when their daughter decides to come home (with her new fianc), the entire community has to band together to put on a Christmas that nobody will ever forget. Written by Chris Columbus and based on a novel by, of all people, John Grisham, with direction from studio exec Joe Roth that can charitably be described as workmanlike, theres still a lot to giggle at in Christmas with the Kranks Dan Aykroyd as the militant pro-Christmas neighbor; a sequence where Tim Allen gets Botox and cant properly chew hospital cafeteria fruit; and lovely supporting performances by Cheech Marin and M. Emmet Walsh. Yes, it kind of sucks. And yes, we love it all the same. Itd take a real Grinch to fully hate this one. Drew Taylor

Prime Video Nov. 1

Maybe youve seen the memes, but in truth Peter Weirs sea-set 2003 film Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World is a towering achievement, and once you watch it youll be angry they didnt make four more of these. Set during the Napoleonic Wars, Russell Crowe stars as Captain Jack Aubrey who is tasked with intercepting a French privateer. Sea battles and a sojourn to the Galapagos Islands ensue, with Paul Bettany playing a Charles Darwin-esque surgeon aboard Crowes ship. Adam Chitwood

Prime Video Nov. 1

Superman director Richard Donner and Bill Murray crafted one of the more inventive takes on A Christmas Carol with 1988s Scrooged, which reimagines Ebenezer Scrooge as a heartless TV executive whos visited by three ghosts on the eve of the premiere of his own raunchy twist on the Charles Dickens classic thats due to air live across the nation. Come for the media satire, stay for Carol Kane as the Ghost of Christmas Present. Adam Chitwood

Max Nov. 1

This 2006 bestseller adaptation has become a comfort food favorite for many. The Devil Wears Prada stars Anne Hathaway as a college graduate who lands a job at a lauded fashion magazine run by its feared leader, played by Meryl Streep. Emily Blunt co-stars as Hathaways co-worker in her breakout role, and Streep picked up an Oscar nomination for her chilly turn as the Anna Wintour-inspired boss. Extremely outdated soundtrack aside, this ones a wish-fulfillment delight. Adam Chitwood

Max Nov. 1

Kick the holiday season off in style with one of the purely funniest Christmas movies ever made: Elf. Will Ferrell stars as Buddy, a human raised by elves who travels to New York City in search of his biological father, played by James Caan. Its a fish-out-of-water story, heartwarming holiday film and SNL sketch all in one, complete with Zooey Deschanel as a charming department store worker. Ferrells performance is lightning in a bottle often imitated, never replicated. Adam Chitwood

Max Nov. 1

Another holiday classic (Max has a lot of these this month, take note). The 1989 film is the third in the Vacation franchise but captures something that few holiday films dare to touch: the stress of spending Christmas with your entire family. Its a very specific yet harsh truth, and Chevy Chase and Beverly DAngelo milk it for all its worth as the Griswolds are beset by visitors far and wide. Highly relatable. Adam Chitwood

Hulu Nov. 1

Nancy Meyers + Christmas = one of the most rewatchable movies ever made. The Holiday premise is kind of genius: Kate Winslet and Cameron Diaz play two strangers unlucky in love who decide to swap houses for the holidays, with Winslets character relocating to a Los Angeles mansion and Diazs character posting up in an English cottage. The vibes are off the charts in this film and Jude Law and Jack Black make for incredibly charming leading men, while a subplot involving old Hollywood and Eli Wallach is an extra treat for movie nerds. Adam Chitwood

Peacock Nov. 1

Before Gina Carano rose to fame in The Mandalorian and burned it all down thanks to her odious right-wing politics, Steven Soderbergh hired her after seeing her compete in mixed martial arts one night on late night cable. And you know what? As a non-actor shes surprisingly terrific in Haywire, which mixes Soderberghs love of James Bond movies and Blaxploitation. Carano plays a spy who is double-crossed by pretty much everybody she works with, leading her to strike out on revenge. Soderbergh massaged her performance, digitally pitching her voice down (and having some of it overdubbed by Laura San Giacomo) and emphasizing her physicality. And he surrounds her with heavy-hitters like Ewan McGregor, Michael Douglas, Michael Fassbender, Bill Paxton, Channing Tatum, Antonio Banderas and Mathieu Kassovitz. Its so much fun, with a rollicking score by David Holmes and some truly outstanding set pieces (including a Fassbender/Carano showdown as good as anything in The Killer). Its a shame that Soderbergh didnt make five more movies with Carano (and that she veered into the far-right). The world could have used more Haywire. Drew Taylor

Peacock Nov. 1

Talk about ahead of its time. Mystery Men lampooned superheroes (and superhero movies) way back in 1999, before Sam Raimis first Spider-Man movie and almost a decade before the MCU. You could see why it was something of a disappointment at the time. The movie is based on some independent comics characters and pitched as a movie by Mike Richardson, the head of Dark Horse Comics, who at the time had a development deal with Universal. An all-star cast was assembled, led by Ben Stiller and including William H. Macy, Hank Azaria, Greg Kinnear, Janeane Garofalo and the late, great Paul Reubens. Its an odd mash-up of comedic sensibilities but ultimately works, thanks to a nimble script by Neil Cuthbert and stylish direction by Kinka Usher, a commercials whiz who had such a terrible time making Mystery Men he went back to commercials and never directed another movie again. Truly, our loss, because the film is hilarious and visually stunning. Also Michael Bay makes a cameo as a villainous frat boy whose only line is Can we bring the brewskis? Chances are you probably have never seen Mystery Men; it has zero cultural footprint and opened the same weekend as The Sixth Sense. But it really is ripe for rediscovery. Check it out. And absolutely bring the brewskis. Drew Taylor

Peacock Nov. 1

Peacock is your destination to prepare for the new Hunger Games movie. The first four films in the series tell the story of Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence), a reluctant rebel in a dystopian society. Gary Ross directed the adaptation of the first book in Suzanne Collins series with a surprising groundedness, while Francis Lawrence took over as director for the following three films that upped the visual ante as the tone got darker and stakes grew higher. Catching Fire is still the high point, but this series is worth a revisit. Adam Chitwood

Netflix Nov. 3

Get ready for your new favorite inspirational based-on-a-true-story sports drama. In Nyad Annette Bening plays Diana Nyad, who, three decades after giving up professional swimming, decides to do the impossible swim from Cuba to Florida, a 110-mile journey that will test her mentally, physically and spiritually. And at the age of 60, without a shark cage, might be impossible. Jodie Foster also stars as Bonnie Stoll, Nyads former lover, lifelong BFF and current coach. Directed by Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin, the Oscar-winning filmmakers behind Free Solo, and photographed by Claudio Miranda (Top Gun: Maverick), Nyad is a rousing story of perseverance and tenacity and a testament to the unflagging power of the human spirit and the fact that if you put your mind to it, you can accomplish anything. Its full of rousing performances and action sequences that will have you holding your breath. It might be good practice for a career in swimming, actually. Just watch out for the box jellyfish. Drew Taylor

Hulu Nov. 3

Sandra Oh and Awkwafina star in Quiz Lady, a new road trip comedy that sees the actresses playing sisters who are looking to retrieve their mother and pay off their mothers bookie. And the best way to do that, of course, is to compete on a televised game show (hosted by Will Ferrell in full Alex Trebek mode). Yes, this does sound like the Grab That Dough episode of The Golden Girls. No, that doesnt make us any less excited. Jason Schwartzman, Holland Taylor, Tony Hale and the late, great Paul Reubens co-star. This looks like a hoot. Drew Taylor

Netflix Nov. 3

Sylvester Stallone comes into the spotlight thanks to his own documentary feature. Sly was directed by Thom Zimny, who has also made films on such American icons as Bruce Springsteen, Elvis Presley and Willie Nelson, and who treats his latest subject with the same kind of reverence. Theres an elemental power to the story of Sylvester Stallone, as a hardscrabble childhood became fodder for a truly zeitgeist-capturing smash in Rocky. (While a lot of time is spent on the making and release of the first film, the doc admirably goes into how autobiographical the entire franchise is, from the characters brushes with fame to the complicated relationship with his son.) Considering Stallone produced the movie, there is a level of superficiality (allegations of steroid abuse and details of earlier romances are untouched), but its also probably deeper than you were probably expecting, with an elder Stallone looking back on his life and the heartache he endured, including his troubled relationship with his father. Its pretty miraculous what hes accomplished. And this documentary will make you even more appreciative of his life and career. Even if it doesnt mention Rhinestone or Planet Hollywood. Drew Taylor

Disney+ Nov. 3

The middle part of the Tom Holland-led Spider-Man trilogy might be the best. It follows Peter Parker (Holland) and his buddies as they embark on a summer trip to Europe, where they encounter Mysterio (Jake Gyllenhaal), a character seemingly from another dimension, and are escorted by Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson). This is the funniest, most light on its feet entry in the saga; its not bogged down by excessive mythology and, since it is set right after the events of Avengers: Endgame, has some nice emotional weight with Peter struggling with the death of his mentor, Tony Stark (Robert Downey, Jr.) Its also the most assuredly directed entry in the franchise, with Jon Watts unafraid to mix in elements of teenage sex comedy (particularly during the bus tour section) and gentle psychedelia. Spider-Man: Far From Home seems even more charming given how overblown and unnecessarily complicated the MCU has become. Drew Taylor

Netflix Nov. 4

Ready to keep feeling Insidious? Because the series, which began with James Wans creepy original film back in 2011, is moving forward. Insidious: The Red Door is the first entry in the franchise since 2015s Insidious: Chapter 3 to feature Patrick Wilson, Ty Simpkins and Rose Byrne. This time around the familys young son (Simpkins) is headed to college and starting to get drawn back into the ghoulish netherworld of The Further, with his father (Wilson), going through a divorce and also getting pulled back in. There are some good jump scares and Wilsons direction is solid. If youre a fan of the franchise, then this one is for you. Drew Taylor

Hulu Nov. 7

Edge of Tomorrow is one of the best movies Tom Cruise has ever made, and thats saying something. The film takes place in a near future in which aliens have invaded Earth and humans are in an all-out assault on the deadly species. Cruise plays a public affairs officer who is forced to fight in a major invasion of France after he pisses off the wrong person, but when he gets killed almost immediately by an alien during the military push, he wakes up to relive the previous morning all over again. Stuck in a time loop, he works to figure out why he keeps reliving the same day over again and connects with someone else a famous soldier played by Emily Blunt who intimately understands his predicament. Adam Chitwood

Netflix Nov. 10

David Fincher returns. The filmmaker behind such darkly hued modern classics as Zodiac, Gone Girl and Seven is back with The Killer, based on a French comic book series of the same name by Alexis Matz Nolent and Luc Jacamon. Michael Fassbender plays the title role, an anonymous assassin who, after a hit goes wrong, seeks revenge. Its perhaps Finchers most straightforward and deceptively simple movie yet, but theres plenty underneath the surface, from Finchers willing deconstruction of the cool guy hit man trope (dating back at least to 1967s classic Le Samoura) to his barbed commentary on the gig economy and the brutality of freelancing. In the title role, Fassbender exhibits machinelike precision, which is perfect for an exquisitely crafted movie like this, allowing the supporting performances (from Charles Parnell, Arliss Howard and Tilda Swinton) to fill in the necessary color. Fincher and his team of regular collaborators, including cinematographer Erik Messerschmidt, editor Kirk Baxter and composers Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, all put in exemplary work. Watch this one as soon as it beams onto Netflix. Its a movie that everybody will be talking about. Drew Taylor

Max Nov. 11

Albert Brooks is the subject of a feature-length documentary. Its about damn time. Brooks, of course, is the Academy Award-nominated comedian and filmmaker behind modern classics like Lost in America and Defending Your Life, who also happens to be the actor who has turned in memorable work in movies like Taxi Driver, Out of Sight, Drive and, of course, Finding Nemo. This new film was directed by Rob Reiner and features archival materials mixed with new interviews with Sharon Stone, Larry David, James L Brooks, Conan OBrien, Sarah Silverman and Jonah Hill. What more do you want? Drew Taylor

Netflix Nov. 17

Bayard Rustin was a civil rights leader and one of the key architects of the March on Washington. And yet his role in the movement has been marginalized, perhaps because he was openly gay, maybe because at the time there were members of the movement uncomfortable with his outspokenness. But his story is about to be told, with Colman Domingo starring in the title role. His Rustin is prickly, for sure, but someone with a true mind for both the emotionality and the practicality of what he and the rest of the movement were trying to get done. (He had a somewhat difficult relationship with Martin Luther King Jr., played here by Aml Ameen.) Its a rousing, true-life story, brought to life with wit and sophistication by director George C. Wolfe and screenwriters Julian Breece and Dustin Lance Black. And if that wasnt enough, do consider the all-star supporting cast that includes Chris Rock, CCH Pounder, Jeffrey Wright, Audra McDonald, Bill Irwin and DaVine Joy Randolph. Theres a reason Domingo is already amassing Oscar buzz. Hes that good. Drew Taylor

Nov. 21 Netflix

Leo (voiced by Adam Sandler) is a grade-school iguana who, after 74 years inside a terrarium, longs for life outside of the classroom. But after he starts getting taken home by the kids and helping them with some of their problems, he soon learns that maybe his place is among the children. Leo was co-written and produced by Sandler, with his longtime collaborator Robert Smigel co-writing the script and directing with David Wachtenheim and Robert Marianetti. (Together they had all worked on Hotel Transylvania 2.) Handsomely produced and surprisingly moving, Leo is something of a surprise, a movie whose sweetness sneaks up with you and one where emotionally rich storytelling exists next to bonkers flourishes and laugh-out-loud jokes. Its an intoxicating confection. Leo is one of the very best animated movies of the year. Get ready to fall in love with a weird old lizard. Drew Taylor

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The 25 Best New Movies Streaming in November 2023 - TheWrap