Category Archives: Politically Incorrect

SAO PAOLO Inara Couto, a 54-year-old teacher here, won't shop at stores whose owners support Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro.

She stopped speaking to some of her oldest friends for the same reason.

Her husband, Sergio, is so at odds politically with his Bolsonaro-backing, coronavirus-vaccine-refusing brother that the two mostly limit their conversations to a single topic: soccer.

Ten months before the next presidential election, Brazil is more polarized than at any point in recent memory, with political conflicts and raging culture wars souring friendships, wrecking family gatherings and spilling into the streets.

At the center is Bolsonaro, 66, a far-right nationalist who rode into office three years ago on a wave of populist anger over corruption and who now insists there are only three possibilities for his future: jail, death or reelection.

Like former President Donald Trump, whom Bolsonaro has described as his "idol," the Brazilian leader has downplayed the coronavirus, stoked racial resentments, relaxed environmental protections and rallied his supporters to the nation's capital to protest his perceived enemies in Congress and the courts.

With the help of Trump strategist Steve Bannon, he has already begun sowing doubt about electoral fraud in the event that he loses.

And as in the United States a year ago, the opposition's best hope of defeating the demagogic incumbent rests with an old stalwart of the left who is trying to kindle nostalgia for more civil and prosperous times.

Polls show Bolsonaro badly trailing former President Luiz Incio Lula da Silva, the charismatic 76-year-old democratic socialist who was jailed in 2018 for corruption but released the following year after his convictions were annulled.

Lula, as he is known, is a divisive figure in his own right, beloved by many for lifting millions out of poverty but despised by others as a symbol of Brazil's entrenched corruption.

Even if Lula wins, there are questions about whether Bolsonaro and his supporters will accept defeat and whether his tenure has done irreparable harm to the country's fragile democracy.

Bolsonaro, a former military officer, has lionized the country's former military dictatorship, vowed to defy Supreme Court rulings and has called on his supporters to arm themselves.

The rally he organized in Brasilia in September did not turn violent, as many feared. But the deterioration of political discourse is evident nearly everywhere from heated WhatsApp groups to impassioned dinner table debates.

This month, Bolsonaro supporters and members of his security detail attacked journalists who were trying to interview him. In the city of Borba, two rival politicians settled their differences with kicks and punches in an MMA-style fight.

Couto recently marched in an anti-Bolsonaro protest, holding a sign that read: "This nightmare must come to an end."

A survivor of Brazil's repressive dictatorship, which ruled from 1964 to 1985, she said life has never felt more turbulent than it does today. The country's economy is in recession, more than 600,000 people have died from the coronavirus, and she finds herself constantly bracing for conflict, whether with a stranger or a beloved member of her family.

"It's like a big collective madness," she said. "We feel like we are in some kind of dystopian novel one that is very poorly written."

It wasn't long ago that Brazilians were filled with hope.

In the 2000s, global demand for beef, soybeans and iron and Lula's broad social programs including cash payments to the poor lifted an estimated 20 million people out of poverty.

When Lula left office in 2010 after serving the maximum two consecutive presidential term limits, he had an 83% approval rating and had been dubbed by former President Barack Obama as the "most popular politician on Earth."

But shortly after Lula's protege, Dilma Rousseff, took office, commodities prices began to fall and the economy crumbled. Sprawling corruption investigations implicated politicians from across the ideological spectrum, including Rousseff and Lula.

Conservatives seized on the disappointment, impeaching Rousseff in 2016 on charges of manipulating the federal budget. During the trial, a fringe congressman drew national attention when he dedicated his impeachment vote to a Brazilian army officer who had captured and tortured Rousseff when she was a young guerrilla fighting the dictatorship.

That congressman was Bolsonaro, who won election two years later by modeling himself after Trump as a politically incorrect outsider who would "make Brazil great" by cleansing politics of corruption and cracking down on crime with an iron fist.

He called immigrants "scum," said a female political rival was so ugly she was "not worth raping" and proclaimed that he would prefer his son die than be homosexual.

But many voters were so eager for a change that they were willing to overlook such inflammatory statements.

"He goes too far sometimes, but he talks straight to the people," said Eurico Da Conceio Santos, a 49-year-old lawyer who had once supported both Lula and Rousseff but came to regret it when they were accused of corruption.

He said it is his duty as an evangelical Christian to support Bolsonaro. A conviction has helped him overlook recent accusations of corruption against two of the president's sons.

Santos spoke over the din of Christian rock playing at a church party for teenagers where he was volunteering on a recent afternoon.

The pastor at the church, Change Life Ministry, has described Bolsonaro, who furiously opposes abortion and LGBTQ rights, as "an instrument of God."

A majority of Brazil's growing population of evangelical Christians continue to support Bolsonaro, even as it has led to some intense family debates.

Some of Santos' relatives question how he can be a Christian but also support Bolsonaro policies they consider un-Christian, including calls to arm more Brazilians with guns.

His wife, Sandra Hinz Da Souza Santos, a 52-year-old accountant, shares her husband's political views but worries where it will lead the country.

"We're tearing Brazil apart," she said.

Other segments of society, including women and people with college degrees, have lost patience with the president.

The turning point for most was the coronavirus, which Bolsonaro famously dismissed as a "little flu" even as it ravaged Brazil.

In the face of the pandemic, he encouraged mass gatherings, mocked masks in a bid to achieve herd immunity and recommended unproven treatments.

His policies including his government's delay in procuring vaccines led to 300,000 deaths, more than half the total in Brazil, according to a congressional panel that recently recommended he be charged criminally with "crimes against humanity."

Other investigations into Bolsonaro including a Supreme Court probe into his false claim that COVID-19 vaccinations put people at a higher risk of contracting AIDS have also damaged his popularity.

So has the country's deepening economic crisis. With 13% of the workforce unemployed and soaring inflation, millions of people are going hungry. Public parks have been swallowed up by tent cities, with entire families living on the streets.

As he trudged through downtown So Paulo on a recent afternoon, handing out his resume to anybody who would accept it, Jos Bonfim, 56, said the hard times had made him long for the days of Lula, his candidate for next year's election.

Bonfim was laid off a year ago when the restaurant where he had flipped burgers for 13 years closed because of the coronavirus.

Under Lula, he had been able to buy a car. It's sitting at home now, unused. "I have no money for gas," he said.

There are other candidates who have sought to appeal to voters in the center, but some of them also have sullied reputations.

Srgio Moro, the judge who oversaw Lula's corruption case and who was later named Bolsonaro's justice minister, was disgraced earlier this year when leaked messages showed he had offered strategic advice to prosecutors in the Lula trial.

Another likely candidate, Ciro Gomes, had his home raided by federal police last week as part of a corruption investigation.

And so the race continues to be dominated by two candidates from the left and right who are appealing to nostalgia for very different versions of the past.

Nilton Gonalves de Oliveira, the owner of a firearms store called Top Gun, voted for Bolsonaro in 2018 because he vowed to ease gun restrictions. The president made good on his promise, in 2019 signing an order increasing the amount of ammunition a person can buy in a year and making it easier to import guns.

Oliveira said he also understood Bolsonaro's appreciation for the dictatorship. Back then, he said, there weren't furious debates about politics and racism such as the ones that have consumed his soccer team, making postgame celebrations unpleasant. The streets were safe and work was ample, he said.

"Everybody had a job," he said. "It was not so bad."

He's looking forward to voting for Bolsonaro again.

(Special correspondent Marcelo Soares in So Paulo contributed to this report.)

2021 Los Angeles Times. Visit at latimes.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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As Brazil looks to the future, its president looks to Trump playbook - The Bakersfield Californian

The angels message to the shepherds announcing the good news of the birth of a Savior spoke of peace on earth toward men of good will. We could use a little more of each. Two thousand and twenty-one years later, peace is still elusive and good will even more so. Still every year at Christmas, we repeat those sentiments and hope that the season will bring new reasons for hope.

The birth of Christ brought hope to the world and as we celebrate each anniversary of that birth, we renew that hope for peace and mutual good will among people. Even during the darkest days of our Civil War and two World Wars, there are recorded instances of brief pauses in the fighting to celebrate Christmas and to pray and sing carols, sometimes across battle lines.

Each year there are words spoken about the real meaning of Christmas but they often miss the mark. Were told that Christmas is about giving, often resulting in an orgy of Christmas shopping and stress over what to give to whom. Thats great for sales and profit and no one should begrudge the revenue that merchants may require to make their entire year profitable. The three kings brought gifts to the infant Jesus but somehow today the giving of lavish gifts while others starve, lack shelter and struggle to heat their homes doesnt seem to be exactly what Christmas is all about. Think, then, about including the needy through your favorite charities on your Christmas gift list.

When asked, many answer that Christmas is mainly for children and for the annual visit of Santa Claus laden with gifts. Thats a wonderful sentiment and tradition but its certainly not what Christmas is all about. Christmas is for everyone, not just for children. But while youre planning the best Christmas ever for your kids, think about including charities that provide clothing, toys and treats for needy children on your gift list.

Christmas season is a time for church celebrations including Christmas concerts featuring the beloved classical Christmas music of the masters which has inspired worshipers for generations. The past two years, however, has seen a precipitous decline in church attendance. Covid pandemic precautions contributed to part of that but the start of the decline preceded the pandemic. For many Christians, attending church is just a twice a year event, mainly to enjoy the pomp and ceremony of Easter and Christmas celebrations, including the beautiful religious music beautifully sung and played by artists. Sadly, some churches have cut back on music programs which contributed so much to these celebrations for decades.

America was founded by Christian pilgrims who sought religious freedom and has prospered among the nations as a nation under God. Our values, traditions and culture are based on Christian-Judaic principles. For most of our history we have celebrated Christmas as a Christian holiday while extending Christmas greetings and blessings not only to other Christians but to all people of good will. We did, that is, until it became politically incorrect to do so and Merry Christmas became Happy Holidays. But Christmas refers quite specifically to the annual celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. To Christians, it is more than just a happy winter holiday, it is a holy day. After Easter, which celebrates not the Easter bunny, but the resurrection of Christ from the dead, it is the holiest day of the year.

Good will to all men refers to an attitude of friendliness and cooperation toward all. Christians are commanded by their faith to love their fellow humans, including even their enemies. Indeed, of all the commandments, love is the greatest. Love toward one another is hardly a universal trait in the world or in our nation today. Im not optimistic that this will change much this season, but there is aways hope.

Merry Christmas to all. Try to love one another. Thats the best gift you can give anyone at any price.

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Peace On Earth Requires More Good Will | Opinion | coronadonewsca.com - Coronado Eagle and Journal

Express News Service

At one point in Netflixs latest release, Decoupled, Arya Iyer (Madhavan) says something to offend someone. At another point, Arya says something else to offend someone else. And at one completely another point, Arya says something to offend someone else altogether. In any other series, one might expect a couple of examples to be doled out to exhibit why the characters are offensive to a fault.

But then, in Decoupled, we dont really need to fixate on one singular event because the Hardik Mehta-directed series is all about Arya offending everyone with his seemingly acerbic wit. Writer Manu Joseph uses Arya as his mouthpiece to dole out all his inner thoughts about every single thing in the world around him.

For people acquainted with the writing style of Manu, Decoupled might just come across as the scaled-up extension of his columns. For others, Decoupled, which has the potential to be both refreshing and disturbing, might be polarising for sure. But then, this was no doubt the makers intention because we wouldnt have scenes like... well... like the one with... I mean... every scene. Decoupled revels in the offend-a-minute space with no qualms whatsoever.

Decoupled is a series filled with some of the most obnoxious of characters, who very well know that they are insufferable. And thats what makes Decoupled stand out. It is irreverent, politically incorrect, and is unironically unassuming and purposefully pretentious at the same time.

It is a tightrope walk, and Decoupled unabashedly decides to go down this path with has its share of highs and lows. The self-awareness is so high that it can either come across as smart writing choices or the cinematic equivalent of clickbait. One of the major highs of Decoupled is the casting, which is on point. While Madhavan and Surveen Chawla as Arya and Shruti are brilliant as the out-of-love elite Gurgaon-based couple, full points for the casting of the secondary characters who deliver some of the best lines of the series.

Be it the newly formed Guru (Atul Kumar) who doles out not-so-sagely advice to his band of boys, or Mayank (Aseem Hattangadi) the arthouse filmmaker wanting to go mainstream, a Netflix senior executive Reema (Dilnaz Irani), the couples car driver Ganesh, an economist Dr Basu (Mir Afsar Ali), each of these characters is played to the gallery without any apprehensions. The gallery in question, however, is one with limited seating. And it is not just because the series is predominantly in English.

The series was marketed as a take on elite urban relationships, but for the longest time, Decoupled doesnt focus on this aspect at all. The problem with not focussing on the central conflict is that Decoupled robs us of more effective scenes involving Surveens Shruti. In fact, Shruti is mostly reacting to what Arya did rather than doing anything out of her own volition. She gets angry at Arya. She is exasperated with Arya. She laughs at and along with Arya. She does troubleshooting after Arya gets into trouble with his belief that people shouldnt have to think before saying things.

This writing choice positions Arya as the only character that gets to do things. His affair with an air hostess gets more airtime than Shrutis. Despite being a grade 1 you-know-what, there is nothing wrong that happens with Arya, who only suffers slight inconveniences like being put on the no-fly list or being placed on the second rack of Indian best-sellers... after Chetan Bhagat, who is fascinatingly impressive in a cameo in Decoupled. While the show mainly works on the humour generated by the life and times of Arya, the real heart is at the exploration of the marriage between two obnoxious people who, in many ways, deserve each other.

Keeping aside the layers and layers of mirth and condescension, the subtle and poignant moments shared by the couple are heartwarming. Despite staying together only to hide their impending divorce from their young daughter Rohini, the writing and performances nudge us to the happier times Arya and Shruti. Their shared half-smiles, approving nods, an effective running gag of shows of one-upmanship between them, and even the breakdowns in each others company or otherwise, Arya and Shruti paint a pretty grim picture of the happily-ever-after institution of marriage.

This is a series that wants to take a dig on everything, and it is clear that the makers had a checkbox of sorts. Although the series might portray itself to be an I will offend everyone troll, it is anything but. More than being the punching-up or punching-down kind of humour, it is just smart about deciding what to punch.

Yes, it touches upon and rains offense on the MeToo movement, caste, gender inclusivity, sexual rights, feminism, body image, and even... agriculture, Decoupled is smart in the way it stays away from anything that might get it into real trouble.

Series: DecoupledDirector: Hardik MehtaCast: Madhavan, Surveen Chawla, Sonia Rathee, Atul Kumar

Rating: 2.5/5

Excerpt from:
'Decoupled': Madhavan, Surveen Chawla impress in this take on urban relationships - The New Indian Express

Licorice Pizza is an unabashed crowd-pleaser thats just edgy enough to explore complex topics while never giving in to darker impulses.

Review by Jonathan Hickman

Paul Thomas Andersons Licorice Pizza chronicles a strained romance between 25-year-old Alana (played by musician Alana Haim) and 15-year-old Gary (played by Cooper Hoffman, the son of the late Philip Seymour Hoffman). Its a politically incorrect relationship by modern standards.

But Anderson sets his uncompromising tale in 1973, a time when such pairings werent treated with the same level of moral and legal reckoning. And unlike the re-examining of Cameron Crowes semi-autobiographic Almost Famous, Anderson manages to keep the budding physical aspects of the romantic involvement limited to innocent revelations and devoid of prurient material. That is a very good thing, because Licorice Pizza is a very, very good movie.

We meet teen actor and entrepreneur Gary Valentine as he waits in line for his high-school, year-book photo. Hes a clever young man with goals and the intellectual prowess of someone years older. He notices Alana as she guides him to the photographer. Shes much older than him, but he instantly believes shes his soulmate. Their initial discussion leaves Alana intrigued and impressed, although she struggles to conceal her reactions.

What transpires is a nervy courtship thats never forced. The two are undeniably attracted to one another, but the two keep a safe distance even as Alana assists Gary in his business ventures. Working with his mother, Gary, a successful child actor, has the financial wherewithal to launch commercial projects, including a store that sells waterbeds.

In one of many standout sequences, Gary notices a waterbed for sale at a local shop. Led into the store by a comely woman, who exudes 70s sexuality, Gary is encouraged to lay on the modern advancement in sleeping by a cool-daddy salesman (played by Leonardo DiCaprios father George, in a perfect performance). This experience leads to one of several businesses Gary launches in the movie. And in microcosm, this sequence exemplifies Andersons approach to the groovy and utterly profound coming of age theme.

A series of subplots unfold as Alana explores acting, including hanging out with legendary actor William Jack Holden (played with zeal by Sean Penn) and even encountering a scary Jon Peters (an Oscar-worthy Bradley Cooper). Garys infatuation with Alana is more than just a boyhood crush, as he relentlessly pursues her without actually crossing the line. The tension Anderson generates is impressive, as he keeps these two romantically at a distance while also keeping them together in other situations.

Licorice Pizza is Andersons most accessible film since Boogie Nights. Viewers who may have found his last two movies ponderous and even daunting (see 2017s Phantom Thread) will embrace this one with no reservations. And the nostalgic view of the early 1970s is as romantic as the love story at the films center.

Like Quentin Tarantinos Once Upon a Time In Hollywood, Anderson represents the time with lush visuals and peerless representations. Were immersed in that place and period so skillfully that Andersons movie feels as though it were produced in the 1970s. Its an achievement made all the more worthy by the star-making performances of Hoffman and Haim, who will be recognized for their stellar work.

Look for Licorice Pizza, which was named best film of the year by the Atlanta Film Critics Circle, to receive much awards notice. Its an unabashed crowd-pleaser thats just edgy enough to explore complex topics while never giving in to darker impulses.

And reconciling the provocative age difference, Andersons movie is about the stumbling blocks in maturation, celebrating the painful, heartbreaking process, placing his characters in a classic tale of early adulthood.

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Licorice Pizza: Edgy drama is the year's best film - Newnan Times-Herald

The hilarious adult animated Netflix seriesF is for Family is very much inspired by real-life events, as it turns out. Comedian Bill Burr co-created the series, which critics often say is one of the funniest on television.It is loosely based on Burrs childhood growing up in the 1970sbefore anything was called politically incorrect.

The series writers were heavily influenced by Burrs standup comedy, as well as some of their own experiences growing up in the 70s. But there is one specific scene from the pilot episode that Burr loves because it actually happened to him as a kid. Read on.

Burr voices the character of Frank Murphy in F is for Family. Murphy lives with his wife, Sue, and their three children. Despite all the cursing and shouting, they are a loving familyin their own dysfunctional way. Netflix describes the series as a time when kids roamed wild and beer flowed freely.

A Reddit fan asked if there is one episode most special to Burr. In a video Netflix posted, he responds, saying, Yeah, theres a number of scenes in the pilot episode Burr could hardly contain his laughter when he starts talking about the scene where Bill is up in a tree, and bigger kids are throwing rocks at him.

That happened to me and my best friend when I was a kid, he said. There were no fireworks, we exaggerated itbut we were up there hanging on, crying, he says, smiling, before bursting out with a loud chuckle. And that was just such a regular day back then, he says, commenting on his experiences growing up in the 70s in Canton, Massachusetts, which is just south of Boston.

F is for Familyended on November 25, 2021, after five seasons on Netflixand some fans were surprised to find out what happened to some of the characters.

Major spoiler alertskip over this next section if you havent streamed the final season yet.

Netflix Life reports that fans were surprised to see Ginny and Franks sister, Eileen, get together by the end of season five. Theres also another happy coupleKevin eventually wins Alice back.

Viewers doubted whether Buster would make the jump, flying his motorcycle over an airplanebut somehow he managed to make a successful landing even after a night of drinking.

It wasnt all good news for every character, though. Fans were rooting for Frank to get promoted, but he got demoted. And in a sentimental moment, Frank learns that his dads final words, box 16, were actuallyBach 16,his favorite song. He was able to carry out his fathers final wishes by playing the song at the cemetery.

In another part of the fitting ending, Frank realizes his family means everything. He had been fighting with Sue, but he returns home from the bar and apologizes.

Since F is for Family ended, Burr is keeping busy so his fans will have plenty of opportunities to keep laughing. He hosts his own comedy podcast,Monday Morning Podcast.Hes also in the Roku original series,Bill Burr Presents Immoral Compass, streaming for free on the Roku Channel since November 5, 2021.

If thats not enough, Burr has also returned to standup comedy with a live show,Bill Burr the Tour.He will travel throughout the U.S., with show dates scheduled through August 2022.

Wait, theres more. Burr will join a slew of other legendary comedians for theNetflix is a Jokecomedy festival, which takes place in over 25 venues throughout Los Angeles from April 28 through May 8, 2022.

RELATED: Who Is Bill Burrs Wife and Do They Have Any Kids?

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'F Is for Family': 1 Scene From the Pilot Episode Actually Happened to Bill Burr as a Kid - Showbiz Cheat Sheet

Birmingham Hippodromes pantomime Goldilocks and the Three Bears is a show in which unbridled joy bursts from the stage. It begins with a fabulously over-the-top musical number accompanied by explosive pyrotechnics and a dazzling light display in which a high-kicking chorus makes the gloriously extravagant promise that we are about to witness the greatest show on Earth.

Director Michael Harrisons production (for massive, UK-wide producer Crossroads Pantomimes) has the audience in the palm of its hand even before we meet panto veteran Matt Slack (starring in his eighth consecutive Hippodrome Christmas show) and this years headliner Jason Donovan (who is, somewhat improbably, making his pantomime debut).

The rollicking intro sets the tone for a fast-paced show that treats the original fairy tale of Goldilockss woodland invasion with cheerful disregard. The conceit in this version (a hybrid of material by the producers house writer Alan McHugh and bespoke lines by Slack) is that the circus of Betty Barnum (increasingly outlandishly costumed dame Andrew Ryan) is under threat from Donovans evil ringmaster Count Ramsay of Erinsborough the first of many gags connected with the Australian TV soap opera Neighbours, in which Donovan shot to fame in the late-1980s.

In truth, Goldilocks (talented musical theatre performer Samantha Dorrance) and the bears are shoehorned into a tale that is set up to accommodate a series of circus acts. Indeed, as the likes of impressively perplexing illusionist Phil Hitchcock and extraordinary showman and juggler to French presidents Pierre Marchand do their respective things, the show seems more like an episode of a new television show called Birminghams Got Circus Talent than a piece of traditional Yuletide entertainment.

With all this going on, theres precious little room for narrative, especially as McHugh and Slack have, between them, ensured that the script is positively bursting with double (and, quite often, single) entendres. The appropriateness or otherwise of this material for a family show aside, one cant help but feel that the 1970s are likely to be calling the Hippodrome asking for the return of their salacious humour.

Elsewhere, Doreen Tipton plays an eyebrow-raising, politically incorrect character namely, a lion tamer who is, with scant logic, a self-declared lazy cow and a benefits fraudster who falsely claims to have a disability. This questionable oddity could have stepped out of a Carla Lane sitcom from the 1980s.

Link:
Goldilocks and the Three Bears, review: a wonderfully assured panto debut from Jason Donovan - Telegraph.co.uk

Top row: What If...? (Disney+Hotstar), Money Heist (Netflix), Succession (HBO)Bottom row: Squid Game (Netflix), Grey's Anatomy (Disney+Hotstar), Lupin (Netflix)This is supposedly the golden era of content, and OTT series is leading the pack. There are hundreds of shows launched every year and fan-favourite classics are added to the online libraries of numerous OTT platforms. You can binge-watch the brand new season of Emily In Paris or you can take time savouring the weekly episodes of Wheel of Time. You can go back to the first episode of Grey's Anatomy to return to that feeling of comfort and the familiar in this pandemic or you can dissect the accuracy of Arcane concerning the League of Legends storyline. Team Forbes India did all of this, and now we are presenting you with our favourites in 2021.RUCHA SHARMA'S PICKSuccessionStreaming on - Disney+HotstarI am always on the lookout for shows that evoke strong feelings. Succession on HBO was that one show in 2021. Amazon Prime Video's Mumbai Diaries nearly overwhelmed me. Jason Sudekis's Ted Lasso on Apple TV+ made me feel all warm and fuzzy with its relentless optimism in contrast to the sadness of the pandemic. But it was Jesse Armstrong's writer room for Succession that made me beg for the other shoe to drop. The latest season of Succession seems to draw inspiration from the Disney-Fox merger. A deal so massive, it can not only save the drowning elephant that is Waystar Royco but also change the most important dynamic of the showthe one shared between Logan Roy and his children. Image: Graeme Hunter/HBOThese uber-rich characters are mean and deprived of a real connection by design. The father enjoys giving his kids something he can, and then snatches it away from them. It devastated his second-born, Kendall Roy, in the first season. In the recent one, he killed the soft corner in the heart of his youngest, Roman. His daughter Siobhan is constantly subjected to casual sexism. What made this season more claustrophobic is Logan's tendency to keep the cards close to his heart. He closes all windows and doors through which his kids can beat him. When the shoe finally dropped in the season finale, there were shards of relationships and a great opportunity for Kintsugi (Japanese art of putting broken pottery pieces back together with gold). The success of Succession lies in the crisp writing, twisted narratives, and impactful musical score. The first two allow actors such as Brian Cox, Jeremy Strong, Matthew MacFyden to build upon the source material and deliver stunning performances, while Nicholas Britell's music encases these gems perfectly.SAMIDHA JAIN'S PICKMoney HeistStreaming on - NetflixImage: NetflixThis show became a popular choice in the past two years, with viewers waiting with bated breath for the final season. The bar was set high, and I think the last season matched the expectations of the viewers. The many twists made the climax of the heist much more exciting. What was also very remarkable was the parallel storyline of a beloved character, Berlin, played by Pedro Alonso. This season makes the viewer feel deeply for the character and enhances his charming ways of living life. NAANDIKA TRIPATHI'S PICKMaidStreaming on - NetflixImage: Ricardo Hubbs/NetflixThis popular show on Netflix is inspired by Stephanie Lands Maid: Hard Work, Low Pay, and a Mothers Will to Survive. Maid follows the story of Alex, a single mother, who turns to house cleaning to make ends meet as she escapes an abusive relationship and overcomes homelessness to create a better life for her daughter. The 10-episode limited series powerfully depicts the devastating impact of domestic abuse, and portrays the clear difference between couple arguments and emotional abuse. Amongst many, one of the most chilling moments in Maid is a scene where Sean (Alexs ex-husband) is emotionally abusing Alex, forcing her to sit at the table while her father looks on, without saying a word. The rawness of this show prevents it from falling into the melodramatic territory. I wouldnt recommend binge-watching this series since it weighs heavy and has many dark moments. But it is a must-see. I also loved all the soundtracks used in the show. My personal favourite is Shoop by Salt-N-Pepa.ANUBHUTI MATTA'S PICKHouse of SecretsStreaming on - NetflixImage: NetflixHouse of Secrets, a docu-series on the Burari deaths11 members of the same family are found dead under a roofis gripping and binge-worthy. It captured all the voices one expects from a documentarypolice, investigators, friends, family, a host of medical professionals, even social anthropologists, and journalists. There is a solid storyline, presented immaculately without sensationalising any detail or taking a stand. The best part about it is that every time I had a question, it was answered within the next few minutes. It leaves no questions unanswered, no mystery unsolved.ADITI AGRAWAL'S PICKLets be honest. 2021 was a steaming pile of burning garbage. Outside of very few movies and shows, I was not particularly looking for dramas that would put me through an emotional wringer or for profound ruminations on life and its meaning. I needed an escape and an excuse to laugh. Korean dramas came to my rescue, where even understanding the culture and its intricacies were not that hard given its proximity to (north) Indian practices and family structures (disclosure: my aunt is Korean so Im biased). Here are the three that me (and my family) liked the best and laughed at the most:Squid GameStreaming on - NetflixImage: Noh Juhan/NetflixThis was the South Korean juggernauts first season (it has been renewed for another). Netflix's Money Heist, and now Squid Game, deal with a very similar set of issues related to class, capitalism, hoarding of wealth, and ethnicity-based discrimination. Irrespective of how you think the world or its financial systems should be governed, you land up rooting for the underdogs in these gripping, keeps-you-on-the-edge-of-your-seat productions.

Hometown Cha-Cha-ChaStreaming on - Netflix

Offerings from hosts of The Grand Tour/Top GearStreaming on - Amazon Prime Video

The stories are psychological probes into unusual minds. The three directors, Srijit Mukherji, Abhishek Chaubey, and Vasan Bala, add their creative sensibilities to Rays stories that might or might not sit well with the followers of Rays original work. But the stories do enough to bend your mind and look beyond the predictable human behaviour we expect in everyday life. Its a must-watch for anyone looking for brilliance in the intricacies of storytelling.Kota FactoryStreaming on - Netflix

Kota Factory tells you that story. It is a portrayal of a bunch of kids who travel to Kota, Rajasthana hub of IIT entrance coaching in India. The series revolves around the lives of a few impressionable minds who have entered the IIT admissions rut but are just starting to realise the magnitude of obsession with cracking the JEE entrance. It doesnt fail to acknowledge the inherently discriminatory nature of Kota, with the faces of toppers plastered at every nook and cranny, plodding one or the other coaching centre. The ingenuity of Kota Factory lies in its ability to dive into the minds of 17-year-oldswho fall between the over and underachieversand coalesce the narratives effortlessly.

The list of the characters I love (and hate, depending on the episode) is too long for hereokay, Allison Shepherd, Callie Torres, Arizona Robbins (it was a ride), Alex Karev (best character arc), Miranda Baileyyep, its long. The Covid-19 season may have made me uncomfortable and when I get to it, I may not rewatch it. But Shonda Rhimes perfected art of dealing with delicate and complex emotions of loss, death, tragedy, and sorrow always leaves me wanting more. That and how complex subjects like adoption, alcoholism, addiction, gender identity, gender reassignment, LGBTQ+ identities, transphobia, racism, black identity in America, school shootings, and many more, are tackled expertly and sensitively by the creator. Maybe most of you are caught up with the latest episode, but if youre thinking of reliving the entire journey, Id highly recommend it. Okay, now back to my marathon.

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Forbes India 2021 Rewind: Best web series we watched this year - Forbes India

Weve heard of the controversy surrounding gain of function research in Wuhan, China. Thats a term for genetically altering a virus which enhances the effects of that virus.

Beginning as a political philosophy to support social reform, progressivism over the years has become far worse. Activists observed attention, rules and money generated over public health crises so now they dub everything a public health crisis. That would qualify as gain of function.

Consider progressives unbridled support for the willful termination of the unborn. Weve seen how a progressive bureaucracy treats our veterans. Many experienced medical professionals are leaving the field as government becomes more intrusive into health care. Progressivism has become a virus creating a significant public health crisis.

Its also creeping into the schools with the introduction of books about sexuality with vile language not tolerated in school board meetings. In Scotland, progressives allow children as young as four to alter their gender in school without parental knowledge or approval (Newsweek, Aug 12, 2021). This certainly qualifies as a public health crisis.

Dont wish a progressive a traditional greeting for the season or give them a gift thats likely politically incorrect. The progressives will be giving guilt for Christmas and theres no supply chain shortage there. Thats the gift that keeps on giving all year, Clark.

Fortunately there is a vaccine for this public health crisis. Follow the science. Vote against all progressives like they did in Virginia. This is a vaccine that really does work.

Ralph Miller

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A Vaccine That Really Does Work - The Chattanoogan

A protester who set fire to police vehicles during a riot that followed a Kill the Bill demonstration in Bristol has been jailed for 14 years.

Ryan Roberts led chants of ACAB: All cops are bastards outside a city centre police station on March 21 this year.

As the protest turned violent, Roberts threw cans, bottles and placards at officers, as well as verbally abusing and repeatedly kicking them.

The 25-year-old, who had taken cocaine and been drinking, then smashed the windows of the Bridewell police station on Bridwell Street.

Roberts was caught on film pushing pieces of flaming cardboard under two police vans and placing industrial bins around an already partially burnt-out police car and setting them alight.

He told an officer inside one of the vans he would go bang.

Roberts then smashed in the windows of a mobile police station and encouraged the crowd to help roll it over, before setting light to the cab while hundreds of people were close by.

Bristol Crown Court heard damage totalling over 200,000 was caused during the rioting that evening.

Giving evidence, Roberts said he got carried away fighting for freedom of speech during a protest against the Governments Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill.

Roberts told the court the Bill aimed to ban peaceful protest altogether, saying the demo was more about freedom of speech.

He said the mood of the protest changed when police donned riot gear as night fell and officers started pushing, shoving and hitting the crowd with shields and batons.

I was fighting for a cause I felt strongly about, Roberts said.

More than 40 officers were injured in the riot, which died down in the early hours of March 22.

Two officers, who had served in the armed forces, described the night as the most frightening incident in their careers.

Another described the rioting as ferocious, prolonged and determined violence.

A jury convicted Roberts of rioting, attempted arson with intent to endanger life, attempted arson being reckless as to whether life was endangered and two counts of arson being reckless as to whether life was endangered.

Nicholas Lewin, defending, said the defendant had recently been diagnosed with ADHD, had been proscribed medication and was not a sophisticated criminal.

Mr Roberts is not a rampant fire starter, twisted or other, he said.

The issue of impulsive behaviour becomes more acute for someone who suffers from that condition.

He is someone on the fringes of society who is perhaps not equipped to be fully integrated within it I am trying not to be politically incorrect. He is not your average criminal.

He is content for me to call him Mr Roberts. He has in fact adopted a they or them and adopted a different persona in prison.

Custody for him will be considerably more difficult than it would be for somebody without his difficulties.

Jailing Roberts, Judge James Patrick said: You were actively involved in committing violence over a period of five hours.

You were actively encouraging the crowd from an early stage and your actions encouraged the violence against police officers.

You carried out a leading role in the encouraging of others in the setting of other fires.

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Bristol 'Kill the Bill' rioter jailed for 14 years - The National

This year, YouTube is trying something new: a 24-hour, gamified three-part interactive livestream called "Escape2021." Like YouTube Rewind, the ill-fated annual video event that preceded it, Escape2021 celebrated the years top content trends and featured some of the platforms most popular creators, as well as major artists like BTS, Blackpink, Doja Cat, and Olivia Rodrigo.

YouTube clarified that Escape2021 was not intended to "replace" Rewind, to which I say: tomayto, tomahto.

YouTube officially canceled Rewind in October, but the format died years ago. A sore spot for creators and fans alike, 2018s Rewind was the platforms last earnest attempt at a year-end video that celebrated the creator community while also wooing advertisers. Instead, it became a symbol of how YouTube had lost its way, jumping the shark to the tune of "Baby Shark." The internet burned it to the ground, making it the most-disliked video in YouTube history within a week.

[Disclaimer: The author worked as a consultant to YouTubes Culture and Trends Team from September 2017 to January 2020. She provided suggestions around each years top-trending content but was not directly involved in the production of YouTube Rewind.]

It wasnt always this way. Rewind was originally a celebration of all the things that made YouTube great, a joyous community year-in-review.

Initially a simple "top videos" list in 2010, by 2012, YouTube had debuted the Rewind format that would become standard: a recreation of the years top music videos, memes, and moments in vignettes that featured creators themselves. It was celebratory, self-aware, and silly. Every year, the budget for Rewind grew bigger, the production slicker, the references more robust. As YouTube evolved into an industry juggernaut and an advertising machine, Rewind transformed from a true year-in-review into a showcase of YouTubes shiniest, least offensive elements, a commercial for the platform itself. That often meant its most colorful creators were sidelined in favor of sanitized alternatives. The number of featured creators ballooned, as did the inclusion of late night talk show hosts and mainstream celebrities.

By 2016, the video opened with The Rock and closed with James Cordens Carpool Karaoke.

In 2017, YouTube faced an existential crisis: the "adpocalypse," a platform-altering debacle in which advertisers pulled their spots after discovering that they sometimes ran alongside extremist and hate content. To placate these brands, YouTube offered new filtering options that excluded wide swaths of content from running alongside ads. This change impacted the earnings of some of YouTubes most prolific and beloved creators, who watched their revenues drop as their trust in YouTube dwindled. Then Swedish gamer Felix Kjellberg, otherwise known as PewDiePie and the platforms most-subscribed creator at the time, made anti-Semitic comments and defiantly sparred with the Wall Street Journal. Advertisers fled.

As a result of this fallout, there was immense pressure on the platform to make YouTube Rewind 2017 as brand-friendly as ever. It opened with Stephen Colbert asking Lele Pons and Lizy Koshy, two innocuous Vine stars-turned-YouTubers, to tell him about 2017 to the tune of a "Despacito" and "Shape of You" mashup. The video featured at least half a dozen other Vine alums, including Logan and Jake Paul, and ended with creators smiling broadly and sliding through slime. There was only a single indication that YouTube was aware of the year it had endured: Kjellberg was notably absent for the first time in five years.

Pons (left) and Koshy (right) opening YouTube Rewind 2017.Credit: YouTube

As 2018 approached, its possible that YouTube thought the worst was over. Then, on Dec. 31, 2017, Logan Paul uploaded what is commonly referred to as his "suicide forest video," a vlog in which he encounters, films, and reacts to a body hanging in Japans Aokigahara forest. Paul, one of YouTubes top-earning creators at the time, endured scathing criticism and fumbled through a set of apologies. As YouTube scrambled to react, copies of the video appeared on the Trending Tab for a portion of users. The site ultimately took more than a week to address the debacle in an "open letter" on Twitter, which was widely derided. YouTubes moderation policies were called into question, with long-time news commentator and YouTube watchdog Philip DeFranco opining that "YouTube is either complicit or ignorant" in the video gaining more than 6 million views before Paul took it down.

Before YouTube could catch its breath, Infowars Alex Jones twisted Februarys Parkland shooting into conspiracy theory fodder. A video suggesting that Parkland survivors were crisis actors reached YouTubes Trending Tab, further eroding public and creator trust in the platforms ability to moderate itself at scale. June brought Tanacon, August the much-publicized Logan Paul vs. KSI fight. And then, on Aug. 29, Kjellberg posted a video playfully calling on his viewers to help him defeat a looming threat: the Indian production studio T-Series, whose YouTube channel was set to pass his own in subscribers. Kjellbergs "bro army" waged an all out guerrilla war: hacking printers and buying billboards encouraging the public to subscribe to Kjellberg and unsubscribe from T-Series, in an attempt to stave off the inevitable.

The PewDiePie vs. T-Series campaign would last more than seven months, with Kjellberg admitting defeat in April 2019. It was not so much a battle between one of YouTubes most recognizable, beloved, and problematic creators and an Indian production studio as it was an allegory for the end of an era. Kjellberg was held up as the last bastion of the old YouTube guard. If he succumbed, the YouTube we grew up loving politically incorrect parodies, home videos, and double rainbows no longer belonged to creators and the community that had built it.

SEE ALSO: T-Series finally surpassed PewDiePie in YouTube subscribers

PewDiePie vs. T-Series also highlighted the growing divide between the demands of advertiser-friendly content and creators ability to keep up. Large studios like T-Series could produce more content in a week than a single creator could in a year. Celebrities were opening YouTube channels with teams of producers and backing from YouTube itself. Plagued by burnout and worn down by demonetization, creators found themselves teetering on the edge of an uneven playing field.

YouTube Rewind 2018 tried its best to create a shimmering highlight reel of a terrible year. The result was, as tech creator Marques Brownlee put it, a "chaotic barrage of clips thats really hard to watch." The video opened with a (much-memed) Will Smith cameo and went on to cover Fortnite, parody K-pop, and then pause for an awkward segment acknowledging a bevy of social issues, including mental health, Asian representation in entertainment, the "empowering art of drag," education, womens empowerment, and "people who put aside their differences."

The flub led to an almost-inspiring unification of fandoms. PewDiePie fans were upset that their idol and efforts to defeat T-Series had not been acknowledged. Creators were upset that they had been portrayed as unbearably cringey. Driven by a combination of anger, embarrassment, and disappointment, they began to dislike the video en masse. They were eventually joined by the BTS Army, who were disgruntled after view count freezes and the removal of tens of millions of views from BTS music videos (a result of YouTubes perpetual fight against spam views) complicated their streaming efforts and jeopardized their record-setting goals.

Together, they made YouTube Rewind 2018 the most-disliked video in YouTube history. In 2019, YouTube returned to its list format and in 2020, they pointed to the global pandemic as a reason for skipping Rewind altogether. Finally, in October 2021, YouTube announced Rewind would not be returning and that they would be highlighting creator-made rewind videos instead.

So, is Escape2021 an improvement over Rewind? I think so. Ultimately, Rewind tried to be too many things to too many audiences. "The problem with YouTube Rewind," explained Brownlee, "is pretty simple: YouTubers and creators and audiences see it as one thing" a celebration of the best moments on the platform "and YouTube sees it as something completely different" an advertiser-friendly highlight reel.

YouTube cant make everyone happy, and Escape2021 knows that.

The eventfeatured notably brand-safe creators and trends. Mark Rober made an elephant toothpaste volcano, with an assist from Mr. Beast, as a gaggle of schoolchildren looked on. Soccer fan content creators AFTV commentated a nail-biting marble race crafted by Jelles Marble Run. A very charming magician duo faced off in a test of their skills. And there were no less than four Real or Cake guessing games featuring Sideserf Cake Studio. Most of these segments were accompanied by interactive gameplay for viewers in the live chat. This creator-centric content was offset by games and music video trivia highlighting artists like The Weeknd, Blackpink, Doja Cat, and The Kid Laroi. The finale featured a virtual concert with Maneskin and BTS, hosted in Minecraft. The tempo of the event was relaxed, even slow at times. It was beautifully produced and palatable and, most importantly, it didnt feel forced.

Julia Alexander, who reported extensively on YouTube for The Verge and Polygon from 2017 to 2021, and whose work is referenced throughout this piece, says Escape2021s format makes sense.

"YouTube is at the point where their creators exist in their own infamy, they kind of don't need to be involved," she says. "If we look at YouTube's trajectory over the last five years, what they want to put emphasis on as a brand, it's just become much more music-focused."

A lo-fi scene from Escape2021. Credit: YouTube

So putting on a show with big artists and spotlighting brand-safe creators is a smart path forward. "That way, it's hard to argue YouTube as being inauthentic," Alexander adds. "You can argue YouTube is making an advertising play, and they are. But at the end of the day, that's still better coverage than what they're going to get out of Rewind [which is] simply, It's cringey. And that's the best option."

According to Alexander, theres not a huge difference between YouTube Rewind and Escape2021. "One is in celebration of YouTube," she explains, "and one is in recognition of YouTube."

As I contemplated the stream, and watched a giant knife cut into an inanimate object for the 10th time to reveal whether it was made of cake or not, I realized what she meant. Whereas Rewind sought to encapsulate the culture of the platform, Escape2021 seeks to capture the content. Creators represent a wild spectrum of perspectives and personalities; theyre complicated, difficult to predict, and messy in all the ways humanity can be. Content, on the other hand, is a commodity. Content can be controlled.

Still, Julia thinks it would be wise for YouTube to invest in a new way of celebrating all of its creators, even the ones that dont meet its advertiser-friendly standards, "in a way that is not just a commercial on NFL Sunday." Thats especially crucial when Black and LGBTQ+ creators report feeling that demonetization affects them disproportionately.

The question is, "What [do] you do that celebrates [creators] and reiterates that you are one of the few companies [providing them with] a good revenue split? Looking at those types of positives," she says, will be the key to rebuilding that relationship.

If you want to talk to someone or are experiencing suicidal thoughts, Crisis Text Line provides free, confidential support 24/7. Text CRISIS to 741741 to be connected to a crisis counselor. Contact the NAMI HelpLine at 1-800-950-NAMI, Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. 10:00 p.m. ET, or email [emailprotected] You can also call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255. Here is a list of international resources.

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The death of YouTube Rewind, revisited. - Mashable