Asian inclusion still evolving
This year’s Golden
Globe Awards is set to feel like a major evolution from four years ago, when comedian Margaret Cho was the only Asian on stage the entire evening.
Some slammed her comedy bit as a North Korean film journalist who spoke in heavily accented English as awkward and racist. Sunday’s telecast on NBC will have a decidedly different feel with co-host Sandra Oh as the its first Asian emcee and the rom-com “Crazy Rich Asians” up for two nominations, including best comedy or musical.
“Flower Drum Song” in 1961 was the last all-asian film to get those kinds of nods.
The recognition may be confirmation of a seismic shift for Asians in Hollywood after decades of struggling to get starring roles while dealing with stereotypes and “whitewashing.”
— Associated Press
Brother of Jonbenet Ramsey settles suit
A $750 million defamation lawsuit filed against CBS by the brother of Jonbenet Ramsey has been settled.
The Daily Camera reports court records show that a Michigan Circuit Court judge on Wednesday dismissed the lawsuit filed by Burke Ramsey in December 2016.
The terms of the settlement have not been disclosed.
The lawsuit said that Burke Ramsey’s reputation was ruined after a television series suggested he killed his 6-year-old sister more than two decades ago.
A spokesperson for producers of the TV program said in a statement that
“an amicable resolution of their differences” has been reached.
An attorney for CBS declined to comment.
The beauty pageant star was found dead in the basement of her family’s home in Boulder, Colorado, in December 1996. A prosecutor cleared her parents and brother.
— Associated Press
Does it pay to be a writer?
Writing has never been a lucrative career choice, but a recent study by The Authors Guild, a professional organization for book writers, shows that it may not even be a livable one anymore. According to the survey results, the median pay for full-time writers was $20,300 in 2017, and that number decreased to $6,080 when part-time writers were considered. The latter figure reflects a 42 percent drop since 2009, when the median was $10,500. These findings are the result of an expansive 2018 study of more than 5,000 published book authors, across genres and including both traditional and self-published writers.
“In the 20th century, a good literary writer could earn a middle class living just writing,” said Mary Rasenberger, executive director of The Authors Guild, citing William Faulkner, Ernest Hemingway and John Cheever. Now, most writers need to supplement their income with speaking engagements or teaching. Strictly book-related income — which is to say royalties and advances — are also down, almost 30 percent for fulltime writers since 2009.
Writing for magazines and newspapers was once a solid source of additional income for professional writers, but the decline in freelance journalism and pay has meant less opportunity for authors to write for pay. Many print publications, which offered the highest rate, have been shuttered altogether.
The decline in earnings are also largely because of Amazon’s lion’s share of the self-publishing, e-book and resale market, according to Rasenberger. The conglomerate charges commission and marketing fees to publishers that Rasenberger said essentially prevent their books from being buried on the site. Small and independent publishers, with fewer resources and bargaining power, have been particularly hard hit.
— New York Times