This Week in Pop Culture
Women’s prisons, box office bombs and reality TV scandals!
The Small Screen
· On June 9, Netflix released the fifth season of its wildly popular dramedy Orange is the New Black. The hit series, which is known for its diverse ensemble cast and pertinent racial themes, encountered issues in April when a hacker prematurely released ten episodes after the video-streaming service refused to pay an unspecified amount.
· In other Netflix-related news, wacky sitcom Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt has been renewed for a fourth season. The Tina Fey-produced series follows the adventures of its titular character (Elie Kemper) as she adjusts to the hustle and bustle of New York City after spending 15 years trapped in a bunker with a cult leader.
The Big Screen
· In noteworthy commercial news, Universal Studios’ The Mummy bombed at the domestic box office, securing a measly $32.3 million against its $125 million production budget. The commercial failure of the Tom Cruise-led flick does not bode well for the studio’s plans to establish a shared universe composed of revivals of the popular monsters that defined the early days of cinema. Dubbed the Dark Universe, the shared cinematic universe will feature classic creatures like Dracula, the Bride of Frankenstein and the Invisible Man.
· Meanwhile, Warner Bros.’ Wonder Woman remained atop the North American box office in its second weekend. Starring Israeli actress Gal Gadot, Wonder Woman is a massive win for the DC Extended Universe, which previously struggled to find success with films like Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice and Suicide Squad.
· The biggest movies to grace the big screen in the coming weeks will be animated juggernauts Cars 3 and Despicable Me 3, the Tupac biopic All Eyez on Me and Transformers: The Last Knight.
· In addition, Marvel has released the action-packed trailer for its highly anticipated superhero flick Black Panther, which is out on Feb. 16, 2018. The film stars Chadwick Boseman as the titular character, as well as Michael B. Jordan, Lupita Nyong’o, Danai Gurira, Martin Freeman, Angela Bassett, Forest Whitaker and Andy Serkis. Black Panther will be the eighteenth installment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, thus paving the way for Avengers: Infinity War.
Music to Our Ears
· Katy Perry’s fifth studio album Witness marked the biggest music release of the week. The idiosyncratic songstress previously previewed her new effort with three singles: the chart-topping disco tune “Chained to the Rhythm”, the innuendo-laden “Bon Appétit” and the diss track “Swish Swish”. To promote Witness, Perry engaged in a three-day YouTube livestream, where she discussed her feud with Taylor Swift, her relationship with Josh Groban and her struggles with mental illness.
· Meanwhile, Fleetwood Mac vocalists Lindsey Buckingham and Christine McVie released a full-length collaborative album. As expected, Lindsey Buckingham/Christine McVie was not without drama — the album was intended to be the next Fleetwood Mac release, but Stevie Nicks dropped out of production. For Fleetwood Mac aficionados, this drama simply represents another episode in the saga of hugely prosperous band that has already endured infidelity, marital strains, divorce, mental illness, multiple lineup changes, substance abuse and legal battles.
· On June 16, New Zealand singer-songwriter Lorde released her sophomore Melodrama. Preceded by the single “Green Light”, Melodrama is the follow-up to 2013’s Pure Heroine, which utilized electropop beats and melancholy lyrics to create a biting criticism of pop culture and a commentary on contemporary teenage angst.
· In the coming weeks, major album releases include DJ Khaled’s Grateful, Imagine Dragons’ Evolve, Calvin Harris’ Funk Wav Bounces Vol. 1 and Haim’s Something to Tell You.
· Canadian singer-songwriter The Weeknd has extended his Starboy: Legend of the Fall Tour. The tour, which launched in February, will visit venues such as Toronto’s Air Canada Centre, Las Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena and Vancouver’s Rogers Arena in its second phase. On select dates, the tour will be supported by Nav, Gucci Mane and French Montana.
· One Direction’s Harry Style has also added a new batch of dates to his upcoming tour. While the trek was originally scheduled from September to December 2017, new dates have been added until July 2018. This tour will mark Styles’ first North American performances since One Direction’s On the Road Again Tour in 2015. Styles is currently promoting his self-titled solo debut album, which features the rock-oriented lead single “Sign of the Times.”
Celebrit-Tea
· This week, ABC’s Bachelor in Paradise was entangled in a colossal scandal after it was announced that its production had been suspended indefinitely. On Sunday, Warner Bros. alluded to an investigation into an incident which prompted the suspension of the production. While most of the details of the alleged misconduct are shrouded in secrecy, reports have claimed that the incident involved two inebriated contestants who engaged in sexually explicit relations on camera. According to these reports, a producer for the show felt uncomfortable about the lack of consent between the two contestants and the fact that the incident had been filmed. As a result, she threatened to sue the production for misconduct. At this time, the specifics of the incident remain speculative. However, concrete facts are sure to emerge as the story unfolds. Bachelor in Paradise was originally slated to premiere on Aug. 8.
· YouTube sensation Austin Jones was charged with two counts of production of child pornography. The 24-year-old pop singer — who has approximately 550,000 subscribers on YouTube — appeared in a U.S. District Court in Chicago after being arrested on Monday. According to a federal complaint, Jones allegedly requested for two 14-year-old female fans to send him exploitative images and videos of sexually explicit acts. He is currently being held in custody.
· NBC political commentator Megyn Kelly has come under fire for her interview with conspiracy theorist Alex Jones. Jones — who is the operator of Web-based right-wing radio show Infowars — propagates many controversial theories, including the conspiracy that the devastating Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting was a hoax designed to alter the gun laws of the United States. As a result of the interview, JPMorgan Chase pulled its advertisement from NBC News programming until after the interview airs. In addition, gun violence prevention organization Sandy Hook Promise has dropped Kelly as the host of its annual gala and criticized NBC for giving Jones a platform to discuss his conspiracies. The interview is scheduled to air on June 18.
Modus Vivendi is a lifestyle column written by Daniel Sucar published every Friday in The Pitchwriter. Follow us to receive our stories every day in your inbox.
