01192024 WEEKEND

CELEBRITY PUZZLES GARDENING ANIMALS ENTERTAINMENT HISTORY INTERVIEW

Weekend Friday, January 19, 2024

STRAW IN FOCUS PG 11

Soul food

SHABACK PROVIDE MUSICAL ACCOMPANIMENT FOR WEEKLY GOSPEL BRUNCH PGS 08 +09

02 | The Tribune | Weekend

Friday, January 19, 2024

food

Award-winning chef opens new rice-bowl restaurant at Atlantis

R

enowned Chef JJ Johnson has joined Atlantis Paradise Island’s growing portfolio of award-winning chefs by opening the fourth location, and the first international venue, of his acclaimed fast-casual rice shop at the resort.

‘Fieldtrip’, which was first created by the James Beard Foundation Award-winning chef in Harlem, New York, offers an innovative approach to African Caribbean cuisine.

It was born out of Chef JJ’s realisation that rice connects us all and can be found at the centre of the tables across the world.

In addition to the original venue in Harlem, Chef JJ has opened Fieldtrip locations at 30 Rockefeller Plaza, and most recently, in Morningside Heights in Manhattan, New York. He hopes to open many more locations in the future, but first he is concentrating on the Bahamas.

After his sold-out, buzzy events at the inaugural Nassau Paradise Island Wine & Food Festival and Table Takeover Series, Chef JJ now permanently joins Atlantis’ rapidly growing portfolio of internationally recognised chefs, including Michael White (Paranza), Nobu Matsuhisa (Nobu), José Andrés (Fish) and Alon Shaya (Silan).

Celebrated for his barrier-breaking cuisine inspired by the Caribbean flavours of his upbringing, Chef JJ is also an author and TV personality.

He won the James Beard Foundation Award for the best American cookbook for “Between Harlem and Heaven”. He has been featured on multiple television shows, including Food Network’s “Chopped”, Netflix’s “Street Food”, and “Selena + Chef” on HBO Max. Fieldtrip utilises sustainable ingredients to create flavourful and diverse dining experiences centered around rice.

The location at Atlantis will feature global flavours, with a spotlight on heirloom grains. The rice bowls are paired with hearty vegetables and proteins including locally sourced seafood.

“I am thrilled to bring Fieldtrip to its first international stage alongside our excellent partners at Atlantis Paradise Island,” said Chef JJ. “My mission is to bring communities together through food, and Fieldtrip is a rice-bowl concept embodying that mission by using rice as an ingredient that connects us across the globe. I am honoured to be given the opportunity alongside other chefs featured at Atlantis and excited to bring my unique flavours to locals and visitors alike. See you next trip!”

Audrey Oswell, president and managing director of Atlantis Paradise Island said: “Chef JJ is an incredible addition to our lineup of chefs at Atlantis Paradise Island. (He) brings a unique culinary and cultural perspective to the resort.”

CRISPY fish bowl

VEGGIE bowl

FRIED chicken bowl

(Photos/fieldtripnyc.com) Fieldtrip is part of the significant developments within the resort’s dining collection, timed with Atlantis commemorating the 25th anniversary of its iconic Royal Towers and the renovation of the Atlantis Casino, Royal Tower guestrooms and more.

CHEF JJ Johnson at work

The Tribune | Weekend | 03

Friday, January 19, 2024

entertainment

How stars are made

By ALESHA CADET | Tribune Features Writer | acadet@tribunemedia.net

New contest to help Bahamian producers and playwrights gain international exposure

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xperienced professionals from the international film industry will be travelling to the Bahamas late next month to help judge the work of local playwrights and filmmakers.

Top experts like Nicole Sylvester, production coordinator for the hit Starz show “Power” and Roger Bobb, former executive producer for Tyler Perry Studios, are among the judges for the Bahamas’ Star Film Institute’s competition which seeks to inspire, educate and empower local creatives.

Bahamian author, motivational speaker and playwright Kerel Pinder is the president and executive producer of the Star Film Institute.

“My hope is that at least one international opportunity can (come) from this experience so that we can begin to see Bahamian content on major international streaming platforms,” she said.

The contest’s categories include TV Drama, TV Comedy, and Stage Play.

The finalists, who were recently announced, represent the pinnacle of creative talent within the Bahamas’ flourishing arts community, said Kerel.

“This is also the way I got my start in 2011. I had no knowledge on how to write or stage a play so I entered a competition where I would be trained and given the opportunity to showcase my work,” she said.

Kerel said she always believed that Bahamians can create content that international audiences would enjoy.

This belief sparked the idea to create a nationwide competition that can help aspiring producers hone their craft and gain exposure.

She said the experience of putting on the competition has been both joyous and challenging.

Getting the level of financial assistance needed to support the arts on this level was a challenge. And she admitted that, unfortunately, Corporate Bahamas did not come out for this competition like she had hoped it would.

However, she said it’s been a joy to pass on her knowledge of the TV and film industry to so many eager and talented young Bahamians.

“Seeing the faces of KEREL Pinder with finalists of the Bahamas’ Star Film Institute’s competition.

the finalists when we told them they were chosen for the competition has been one of the most outstanding highlights. Taking them through training, the networking mixer, auditions, and hearing their triumphs and struggles of learning first-hand what it was like to produce a TV show were moments we won’t ever forget,” she said.

“We also had the honour of just watching their projects come to life.

They have shared that the experience brought them out of their comfort zones and that it’s probably not a goal they could have ever accomplished alone.”

In the category of Drama, the finalists were Shaquille Thompson with his project “Gas”; J’Nya W Seymour with “Fate or Fortune”, and Genanta Laguerre with “Until We Meet Again”.

In Comedy, the finalists were LaDonya Pratt with “Singagram”; LaDonya-Jabez Paul with “HQ”, and Shanice L Taylor with “How to NOT Get Married”.

The Stage Play finalists are Jemeica Freckleton with “Sincerely You” and Shauna Joseph with “A Will To Love”.

“We are in our final stages of getting our shows ready for release. We have just secured our international judges, and they will be with us on island on the weekend of February 29 to March 3,” said Kerel.

“I’m grateful they trusted our team with their visions, their time and their talents.”

The Star Film Institute’s international judges are Roger Bobb, president of Bobbcat Films and former executive producer for Tyler Perry Studios; Kasim Reed, former mayor of Atlanta, Georgia; Reesha Archibald, film producer for Bounce Network’s original series “Johnson”, and Nicole Sylvester, production coordinator for the Starz show “Power”.

Kerel said the competition could not have been held without sponsors like the Bahamas Tourism Development Corporation, the Ministry of Grand Bahama, the Ministry of Youth Sports and Culture, and BTC.

04 | The Tribune | Weekend

Friday, January 19, 2024

interview

Phil Stubbs One of the country’s legendary musicians and beloved storytellers delighted the crowd at Nassau’s newest concert venue last weekend. Mr “Bonefish Foley” himself - the Bahamas’ answer to Neil Diamond - spoke to Tim Roberts about his long career and his hopes for the future of Bahamian music.

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ast Saturday, the audience “My family, they have a background at the Nassau Cruise Port’s of singers - a capella, gospel, and the amphitheatre, the capital’s group, The Region Bells (one the newest concert venue, Bahamas’ oldest singing groups)… all were treated to a special of them are Stubbs, and I’m a limb of performance by one of the Bahathat big tree,” he said.

He had 12 siblings and thought all mas’ musical and cultural icons: Phil of them could sing. “(But) I never Stubbs. thought I could sing,” he said. “I didn’t The 74-year-old artist, who is think I could sing because my voice famous for his songs which celebrate was too heavy. So everybody went to local culture and tell stories of the church, and I couldn’t sing lead with country’s history, performed for a everybody else because the voice was packed audience who were eager to too heavy. And I thought, ‘Oh, I’ll hear their favourite tunes. never be able to sing’.”

Before he took the stage, however, His family members would appear Ira Storr and the Spank Band on the radio every opened the concert, performSunday afternoon (But) I never ing a variety of Bahamian classics, including “Burma thought I could and he wanted to do that too.

Road”. They were followed sing,” he said.

“So the inspiraby new solo artist Nishie LS “I didn’t think tion came from with a strong vocal perforI could sing there, as far as singmance which she ended with because my voice ing is concerned,” her popular hit “Loose Me”. he said. was too heavy.

The crowd was already Leaving Cat having a great time, but eve- So everybody Island, his family ryone rose to their feet for the went to church, relocated to and I couldn’t headliner. Phil Stubbs then Hatchet Bay, sing lead with took the stage to boisterous Eleuthera, and applause, kicking off with everybody else years later Mr “Hurricane”. because the voice Stubbs found He followed this with was too heavy. himself in Grand many of his most loved songs, And I thought, Bahama. including “Cat Island”, “West “So I went to ‘Oh, I’ll never be End Move”, “Down Home”, Grand Bahama and able to sing’.”

“Bonefish Foley”, and others.

I would be fooling He ended the concert with around with a guitar. A some of his most recent songs, “Turn buddy of mine was managing a place the Key in the Lock” and “My Pants called the Stone Crab Restaurant,” he Tear.” recalled.

Mr Stubbs told Tribune Weekend “And he said, ‘Man, why don’t that “as long as I can still do this, I you come over and you always fool around. Just sit down and play. You will; even if I can’t do it as well as I know, just fool around.’ I said, ‘OK’. used to.”

Born in what he describes as a musi- I went up there and I didn’t know any songs. So everybody was singing cal family in Dumfries, Cat Island, in Caribbean songs like ‘Yellow Bird’ 1949, Mr Stubbs has spent decades and ‘Island in the Sun’. I got up there honing his unique songwriting skills.

“

The Tribune | Weekend | 05

Friday, January 19, 2024

singing ‘This is my island in the sun...’ and then all the tourists were saying, ‘Oh my god! He sounds like Neil Diamond’.”

“And so, I said to myself, ‘What?

Sounds like Neil Diamond? OK’.

And the next week I went back up there, and every time I go some tourists would say, ‘You know I need (that) Neil Diamond tone because you sound exactly like him.”

This would have been around 1981, Mr Stubbs said.

In Grand Bahama, he started working at the casino as a croupier.

It was shift work, which meant he no longer had time to play at the Stone Crab.

At the Stone Crab, he said, he had acquired a taste for the thrill of being on stage and performing, and he wanted to continue experiencing that.

At this time he started going down to “a little place in West End,” he told Tribune Weekend.

“That’s where it took off. I saw a dance and that’s where ‘West End Move’ started. ‘West End Move’ was born down there. And the rest is history,” he said.

He began his career in music and songwriting in earnest following people’s overwhelmingly positive response to “West End Move”.

this

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“I said (to myself), ‘Why don’t you try to write some other stuff, some really cultural stuff, talking about us (the Bahamian people)?’

“I always felt that we were losing our identity, and so I could see a lot of the old culture was slipping away.

And if you notice, I have a lot of songs where I’m singing about everything Bahamian - people, places and things; all Bahamian,” he said.

Mr Stubbs hopes future generations of Bahamian musicians will do the same.

“I would say to them, ‘We are Bahamian first, and of course, music is universal, but every country should have their own identity: something that is grounded for every generation’.”

Mr Stubbs said he feels it’s his responsibility to share his music with younger generations.

“It’s being unfair to them, so much younger than me, that I don’t give them at least a taste of where I came from,” he said.

Bahamian music, he added, can still be universal, “but we will have our identity.”

“Most other countries you go, like Jamaica and all those places, they are hand and foot, solid with their culture. And we need to do the same thing,” he said.

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The Tribune | Weekend | 07

Friday, January 19, 2024

music

An album for the heart

Akeem Gardiner set to release ‘diverse’ gospel record

By ALESHA CADET | Tribune Features Writer | acadet@tribunemedia.net

B

AHAMIAN musician Akeem Gardiner believes he has yet to scratch the surface of what God wants him to achieve on his journey.

Today, he is excited about his upcoming debut album, a reggae gospel project called “Heart’s Song”.

“I feel this album is the God-breathed catalyst.

In 2009, I started singing under the name of CJ Priest as a reggae and R&B artist. Then in 2019, I transitioned to gospel reggae music under my own name, Akeem Gardiner. By God’s grace I have now transitioned to being a Bahamas Gospel Music Award Winner,” he told Tribune Weekend.

For his new album, Akeem said he was inspired by the desire to showcase the diversity of gospel music.

So instead of going with the usual “popular sounds”, he decided to lean into his own strengths and allow God to bring forth a sound through him that he believes will change the Bahamian gospel scene.

“There are 13 songs on the album which is majorly reggae with a touch of worship and even a surprise that I don’t want to mention just yet,” he said.

“The first single that will be released on January 19 is named ‘Love Lifted Me’ and it’s a tribute to a beautiful hymn that I always loved.”

Another one of his favourites from the album is a song called “Reggae Worship”, “which I’m sure through the grace of God will be a song everyone loves, and which gives tribute to some of the best in gospel reggae.

“The other songs I’m going to keep a secret until they are heard,” said Akeem.

The feedback from those who have already listened to the album, he said, has been wonderful.

“Through different ears, whether it be those of very well-known deejays in the gospel and reggae arena, some special people to me, or the consumer ear, it has all been amazing feedback. So much so, that every time I get a review I always respond with, ‘To God be the glory’, just to be sure that I remain humble. Because this music isn’t mine, it’s only breathed through me,” he said.

The official launch for the album is set for June 17, 2024.

Akeem said there is no official event planned as yet, but he does have a few music videos as well as singles he will be releasing leading up to the release.

“Hopefully this will get people of the kingdom excited to get it. I hope that this album through Christ will change the very landscape of the Bahamian music industry, not just gospel, but the entire music industry. I hope this puts us back in a place where the music has diversity and quality; where the radio stations don’t have to give special treatment to play our music because we’re Bahamian, but they play because it’s just that good,” he said.

Akeem’s music can be found on all major digital platforms such as Spotify, iTunes, Amazon Music and Tidal. Those interested can follow the artist at @ akeemgardiner on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube.

BAHAMIAN musician Akeem Gardiner

10 | The Tribune | Weekend

Friday, January 19, 2024

gardening

The shade-loving African violet is having its day in the sun

By JESSICA DAMIANO Associated Press

A

frican violets, those cheerful, shade-loving houseplants native to Tanzania and introduced to the US in the late 1800s, are finally having their day in the sun: the National Garden Bureau has named 2024 the Year of the African Violet.

Violets in name only, the demure, four- to eight-inch-tall flowering plants with velvety leaves and colourful flowers are not related to their namesake plants at all. Rather, they belong to the Saintpaulia genus, named for German baron Walter von Saint Paul, who found them growing in the East African rainforest and is credited with introducing them to the US by way of Europe.

They’ve been among the most popular houseplants ever since.

And that popularity was one factor considered by the NGB’s 160 members — leading companies and individuals in the horticulture field — when voting to spotlight the plant in the houseplant category, the nonprofit’s executive director, Diane M Blazek, told me. She cited the more than 300,000 uses of the hashtag #africanviolet on social media.

Other criteria considered included how easy African violets are to grow, their genetic diversity, and the fact that “they have been in the eye of breeders, which means there are new varieties coming through the pipeline,” she said.

It’s “one of those ‘what’s old is new again’ plants,” Blazek said. “I’m sure we all think of them as Grandma’s plants, but based on numbers from our members, the African violet really has not gone out of favour at all.”

The Downers Grove, Illinoisbased NGB was founded in 1920 by James Burdett, a journalist who also wrote copy for seed companies, to provide expert-driven, reliable gardening information to the public.

Burdett also was involved in promoting the first victory gardens, Blazek said, and the Bureau

A bi-colour African violet plant. (National Garden Bureau via AP)

A DAISY Zanzibar African violet plant. (National Garden Bureau via AP) continues his work by recommending a standout vegetable, annual, flowering shrub, bulb plant, perennial and houseplant for home gardeners to grow each year (2024 is also the year of the squash, Angelonia, Buddleia, lily and hosta respectively).

GROWING TIPS

Although it’s true that African violets are not difficult to grow, they do require specific conditions that might

not be available in all areas of your home, so select a spot carefully.

For the plants to thrive and rebloom, Blazek said, filtered sunlight, the right moisture levels and watering habits are key. “Watering from below is ideal, but don’t let them sit in water too long, and don’t let them dry out too much,” she advised.

Take care not to allow water to come into contact with the leaves or they may become spotted. And use only room-temperature water.

African violets also require high humidity and warmth, but not heat.

In dry climates and over winter, when heating units are in use, run a humidifier in the room or place plant pots on a pebble-filled tray to which you’ve added water. As the water evaporates, it will create a humid microclimate around the plant.

Keep them out of direct sunlight.

During spring and summer, place the plants beside – not directly in front of – a north- or east-facing window, which provides less exposure than one facing south or west. A sheer curtain between plants and windows would provide extra protection while allowing just the right amount of sunlight to reach plants. Move them into direct light from October through the end of February (except in the Deep South, where the winter sun is harsher).

The plants also prefer slightly acidic soil but do not require frequent fertilization. Feed them every two to three months with a 20-20-20 houseplant fertilizer (or one specially formulated for African violets).

And allow their roots to become somewhat crowded; they like cozy pots.

With proper care, your African violets may bloom year-round.

The Tribune | Weekend | 11

Friday, January 19, 2024

crafts

Creative Nassau helps to take Bahamian strawcraft to the world

T

he non-profit Creative Nassau (CN) has achieved another international milestone for the Bahamas and its culture.

After succeeding in obtaining the prestigious UNESCO Creative Cities designation for the City of Nassau in 2014, the organisation has now scored an important achievement for the local straw industry.

CN’s continuing efforts to promote Bahamian straw craft was recently given an enormous boost with the industry’s inclusion in a new, internationally published book called “Straw Plaiting: Heritage Techniques for Hats, Trimmings, Bags and Baskets” written by UK author Veronica Main, MBE. Ms Main is acknowledged as the most experienced traditional straw plaiter in the UK. For more than 40 years she has rigorously researched the industries of the UK, Europe and the US. As one of the newest Heritage Crafts publications, her book was produced in partnership with Bloomsbury Press.

Through a series of interviews and communications with Ms Main, CN was intimately involved in providing information and photos reflecting the straw tradition of the Bahamas and supplying contacts with tradition bearers such as Rosemary Brice.

Ms Main said in a release shared with CN: “Since the day I first looked at straw plait, I have been on a mission to make certain the skills are kept alive by documenting this once important industry that provided a living for so many families around the world. To finally see the book in print is my dream come true.

“The Bahamas has a rich history of straw plaiting and weaving that deserves greater understanding, and my book, which is available in the UK, Europe, North America, and Australia helps to spread that knowledge. I wish that I could have written more about straw work in the Bahamas, but at least this starts the process of sharing knowledge.”

Ms Main said her journey to collect information on the Bahamian straw industry was given a

AUTHOR VERONICA MAIN, MBE, is the most experienced traditional straw plaiter in the UK

tremendous boost when she discovered CN online, and its president, Pam Burnside, replied to her enquiry.

“I can tell you that some people that I wrote to in other countries were not as interested in helping with my research. To find out about

the work being carried out on the Bahamian islands and to have the help of Pam and the vice president, Patricia Glinton-Meicholas, in answering my many questions, was invaluable. For me to see the plaits being made on the islands and to know that those patterns were also being made in other countries around the world proved to me how interlinked all our stories are,” she said, Ms Main said her book contains the history and comprehensive information about tools, processes, and most importantly, instructions for making more than 50 different patterns of plaits, each shown alongside their own unique story.

“My hope is that it will inspire people to get involved in straw plaiting which will ensure that these skills and makers’ stories survive for future generations,” she said.

“Besides thanking everyone within Creative Nassau along with Pam and Patricia, I also want to say how much I appreciated the help of Rosemary Brice, a most talented Long Islandborn straw plaiter, as well as the kindness of the wonderful artist K Smith for permitting me to include one of his art works in the book, the most remarkable coloured pencil drawing of a Bahamian plaiter’s hands in action entitled “Miss Emily’s Eleven Strings.”

Ms Main said her hope is that CN can continue encouraging young people to see that straw craft skills can bring them immense opportunities.

“You have something very special happening on your islands by keeping this rich tradition alive, and if I have helped you to promote this unique talent in any small way by including Bahamian straw plaiting in my publication, then that makes me very proud,” she said.

CN President Pam Burnside said after several online exchanges, she was finally able to meet Ms Main, with whom she “got on like a house on fire”, in person at the Costume Institute of the African Diaspora’s second Biennial Dress Conference in London last October. Ms Main was at the time attending a keynote presentation by Mrs Burnside on the Bahamian straw craft industry.

“We were absolutely thrilled and proud to be a part of this publication which contains eight references to Bahamian straw, including several full-page photographs,” said Mrs Burnside of Ms Main’s book.

“The publication has totally validated our urgency over these many years to make Bahamians recognise what a valuable role straw craft plays in our cultural and economic heritage. It is something that Bahamians have embraced and nurtured for centuries which we cannot afford to lose.

We must ensure that it is protected and promoted as the strong economic engine that drove our country forward in years gone by, and can do so once again.”

“Straw Plaiting: Heritage Techniques for Hats, Trimmings, Bags and Baskets” is available on Amazon.

12 | The Tribune | Weekend

Friday, January 19, 2024

literary lives – Elizabeth Taylor (1932 -2011)

The violet-eyed queen of Old Hollywood - Part II Sir Christopher Ondaatje continues to look back on the life of the British-American actress who was one of the most popular stars of the classic Hollywood cinema in the 1950s. She became the highest paid movie star in the world.

“In a way … I became Maggie … Acting was the only time I could function.”

- Elizabeth Taylor During the production Taylor began having an affair with Todd’s best friend, Eddie Fisher, whose marriage to popular actress Debbie Reynolds had been idealised by the media as “America’s sweethearts”. The affair changed Taylor’s public image from a grieving widow to a “homewrecker”.

MGM used the situation by featuring an image of Taylor posing on a bed in a slip in promotional posters.

“A woman will try to dominate a man. She will try and get away with it. But really, inside herself, she wants to be dominated. She wants the man to take her. And she wants to lean on him – not have him lean on her. If he does lean on her, everything goes slightly off key, like a bad chord.”

“You find out who your real friends are when you’re involved in a scandal.”

- Elizabeth Taylor

- Elizabeth Taylor

Elizabeth Taylor’s first two films under her new contract with MGM were released ten days apart in 1954.

Cat on a Hot Tin Roof grossed over $10 million in America’s cinemas alone, and made Taylor the year’s most profitable star. She received rave reviews and Variety praised her for “a wellaccented, perceptive interpretation”. Taylor was nominated for an Academy Award and a BAFTA.

The first was Rhapsody with Vittorio Gassman, about a woman caught in a love triangle with two musicians. The second was Elephant Walk, a drama about a woman struggling to adapt to a life on her husband’s tea plantation in Ceylon. She was loaned to Paramount Pictures when its original star, Vivien Leigh, fell ill. It was a dramatic film – but she was miscast and uncomfortable in the role. She didn’t have a colonial background like Leigh – who would have been perfect.

In the autumn of 1954, Taylor was given the starring role in the Regency era period film Beau Brummell (1954). She hated historical dramas, and gave one of the worst performances of her career.

She was busy. That year she also made The Last Time I Saw Paris with Van Johnson – the F Scott Fitzgerald short story.

“It convinced me I wanted to be an actress instead of yawning my way through parts.”

- Elizabeth Taylor She liked the film but it wasn’t as profitable as her other MGM films. She became pregnant again during the production, forcing her to extend her film contract for another year to make up the time she spent on maternity leave.

Television became a major threat to the film industry in the mid 1950s. There were fewer films, but she won the female role in Giant (1956), directed by George Stevens, about a ranching

dynasty in Texas. She clashed with Stevens but was fabulous in the part of the young wife opposite Rock Hudson and James Dean – who died in car crash only days after completing filming.

“Her acting is an astonishing revelation of unsuspected gifts. One of the film’s strongest assets.”

- The Manchester Guardian Taylor was reunited with Montgomery Clift in Raintree Country (1957) – a civil war drama expected to replicate Gone with the Wind. The film failed but she was nominated for an Academy Award for her performance.

Taylor’s performance with Paul Newman as “Maggie the Cat” in the Tennessee Williams film Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958) was a splendid achievement and a high point in her life. It was also a difficult period in her life.

After finishing Raintree Country, she divorced her husband Michael Wilding and married the producer Mike Todd. She had only completed two weeks filming “Cat” in March 1958 when Todd was killed in a ’plane crash. Devastated, she was forced to continue work by the studio, as Todd had huge debts she had to repay.

Suddenly Last Summer (1959) was another Tennessee Williams adaptation, starring Montgomery Clift and Katharine Hepburn. Taylor was paid $500,000 for playing a severely traumatised patient in a mental institution. The film was a dramatic feature about mental illness, childhood traumas, and homosexuality, but the studio promoted it with Taylor’s sex appeal featuring her in a tight white swimsuit. The strategy worked, as the film was a financial success, and earned Taylor her third Academy Award nomination and her first Golden Globe for Best Actress.

In 1959, Taylor owed one more film for MGM, which it decided would be Butterfield 8 (1960), a drama about a high-class call girl in an adaptation of John O’Hara’s novel of the same name. Taylor hated the film, and called it “a piece of shit”. But she had no choice in the matter as the studio correctly calculated that Taylor’s public image would make it easy for the public to associate her with the role. They were correct. The film grossed $18 million in world rentals and won Taylor her first Academy Award for Best Actress.

“Taylor looks like a million dollars, in mink or in negligee.”

- Bosley Crowther The New York Times

The Tribune | Weekend |13

Friday, January 19, 2024

When she finished her MGM contract, Taylor starred in 20th Century Fox’s Cleopatra (1963).

This film made her more famous than ever before. And she was paid more than anyone ever before.

was paid $500,000 (almost $5 million in today’s money) to appear in a CBS television special Elizabeth Taylor in London. She was expensive, but people paid her.

“If someone’s dumb enough to offer me a million dollars to make a picture, I’m certainly not dumb enough to turn it down.”

Following The V.I.P.s Taylor and Burton divorced their spouses and married each other.

The supercouple starred with each other in the mid-1960s, earning a combined $88 million over the next decade.

- Elizabeth Taylor 20th Century Fox also granted her ten percent of the film’s gross profits, as well as shooting the film in Todd-AO, a widescreen format for which she had inherited the rights from her deceased husband Mike Todd. The film’s production characterised by costly sets, costumes, constant delays, and the scandal caused by Taylor’s extramarital affair with her co-star Richard Burton – was closely followed by the media, with Life Magazine proclaiming it was the “Most Talked About Movie Ever Made”.

TAYLOR with co-star and future husband Richard Burton in 1964’s Cleopatra

Filming began in England in 1960, but stopped because of bad weather and Taylor’s ill health. In March 1961 she developed near-fatal pneumonia, which necessitated a tracheotomy. One news report said she had died. Once she had recovered, Fox discarded the filmed material and moved the production to Rome, changing its director to Joseph Mankiewicz, and the actor playing Mark Anthony to Richard Burton. Filming was finally completed in July 1962. The film’s final cost was $62 million – the most expensive film made up to that point.

“I don’t remember much about ‘Cleopatra’.

There were a lot of other things going on,” - Elizabeth Taylor Cleopatra became the biggest box-office success of 1963 in the United States, grossing $15.7 million ($150,071,522 in 2024 dollars).

Nevertheless, the film almost bankrupted 20th Century Fox, and it took several years for the company to earn back its production costs.

The studio publicly blamed Taylor and Burton for their problems, and unsuccessfully sued Burton and Taylor for damaging the film’s commercial prospects with their behaviour.

Taylor called Cleopatra a “low point” in her career.

TAYLOR married actor and singer Eddie Fisher in Las Vegas in 1959. He had been the best friend of her late husband and was the ex-husband of Debbie Reynolds

Fox replaced Taylor in their next film What a Way to Go with Shirley MacLaine, but cast Taylor and Burton in The V.I.P.s (1963) which mirrored headlines about them. It was a good film about a famous model (Taylor) attempting to leave her millionaire husband (Burton) for a lover (Louis Jordan). It was, not surprisingly, a box-office success, following which Taylor

“They say we generate more business activity than one of the smaller African nations.”

- Richard Burton The Sandpiper (1965) was Taylor and Burton’s film about an illicit love affair between a bohemian artist and a married clergyman in Big Sur, California. It had negative reviews but grossed a successful $14million in the box-office. They were superstars.

Their next project, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966), an adaptation of a play

by Edward Albee, featured the most critically acclaimed performance of Taylor’s career.

She and Burton starred as Martha and George, a middle-aged couple going through a marital crisis. In order to play 50year-old Martha, Taylor gained weight, wore a wig, and used make-up to make herself look older and tired – in stark contrast to her public image as a glamorous film star.

At Taylor’s suggestion, theatre director Mike Nichols was hired to direct the project, despite his lack of film experience. Woolf was considered ground breaking for its adult themes and uncensored language, and garnered glorious reviews.

“Taylor’s characterisation is at once sensual, spiteful, cynical, pitiable, loathsome, lustful and tender.”

- Variety Magazine The film became one of the biggest commercial successes of the year. Taylor received her second Academy Award, and BAFTA, National Board of Review, and New York City Film Critics Circle awards for her performance. ÊUÊ- ÀÊ À ÃÌ « iÀÊ" `>>Ì iÊ ÃÊÌ iÊ>ÕÌ ÀÊ vÊ / iÊ >ÃÌÊ > °Ê iÊ>V Ü i`}iÃÊÌ >ÌÊ iÊ >ÃÊµÕ Ìi`Ê LiÀ> ÞÊvÀ Ê7 «i` >ÆÊ â>LiÌ \Ê / iÊ viÊ vÊ â>LiÌ Ê/>Þ ÀÊLÞÊ iÝ> `iÀÊ 7> iÀ]Ê â>LiÌ Ê/>Þ À]Ê£ ÎÓqÓ䣣\Ê Ê ÕÃÌÀ ÕÃÊ* >V iÊ vÊ ÞÜ `Ê > ÕÀÊLÞÊ i Ê ÕÃà ÜÊv ÀÊ/ iÊ iÜÊ9 À Ê/ iÃ]Ê> `Ê â>LiÌ Ê/>Þ À\Ê/ iÊ ÃÌÊ ÌiÀÛ iÜÊLÞÊ >Ì > Ê ÌÌÊv ÀÊ, }Ê-Ì i°Ê

14 | The Tribune | Weekend

Friday, January 19, 2024

history

Blue Eye Samurai: What the Netflix series gets right and wrong about real Edo-period Japan

By Ruth Starr Lecturer in History of Japanese art and architecture, Trinity College Dublin

Warning: this article includes spoilers for Blue Eye Samurai.

(THE CONVERSATION) Netflix’s Blue Eye Samurai is an anime series set during the opening decades of Japan’s Edo period (1603–1867), also known as the Tokugawa period.

Among other subjects, the series addresses the role of samurai, what life was like for women and people of mixed heritage, and violence in Edo-period Japan – with varying degrees of accuracy.

Japanese society was strictly stratified at this time, as the series frequently references. The hierarchy was ranked, in descending order, by: samurai, farmer, artisan and merchant classes.

Even in the early stages of the 1600s Edo period, the entire samurai ruling class centred around the role of the warrior. But by the time the series opens, in the 1650s, the country was unified – a political and economically stable society – and this meant that the role of the samurai was in decline.

However, the samurai still defended the ideals of loyalty, courage and honour. It is these ideals that motivate Blue Eye Samurai’s principal characters, Mizu, Ringo and Taigen.

Real people of mixed heritage in Edo-period Japan Mizu (Maya Erskine) is a mixed heritage white and Japanese woman living undercover as a male swordsmaster. She undertakes a quest for vengeance against four British men (one of whom may be her father), who illegally remain hidden in Japan during Sakoku.

Under Sakoku, only Dutch traders were permitted entry to Japan, and

were confined to a small man-made island off Nagasaki. The Tokugawa shogunate’s (Japan’s military government during the Edo period) isolationist policy effectively closed the country’s borders to all outside influences through a number of edicts from 1633 to 1639.

But it might help viewers of Blue Eye Samurai to know that during the preceding so-called Christian Century (1540 to 1630), the Japanese authorities had – with varying degrees of enthusiasm – accommodated a large number of foreign traders and pirates who were resident in Japan and active in Japanese waters. We can presume the four renegades are the remnants of these pirates – including Blue Eye Samurai’s main antagonist, the evil Abijah Fowler (voiced by Kenneth Branagh).

In the Edo period, women were expected to be subservient – but not weak. As the series depicts, women presented themselves as characteristically beautiful, with elaborate hair styles, makeup and clothing. They were supposed to be educated and compliant.

Mizu is particularly burdened by many of the stereotypes of Japanese society. Not only is she a woman, but she is of mixed heritage, something which is repeatedly referred to as being “less than human” or “impure”. She has to conceal her difference in a masculine disguise.

This is reminiscent of the fate of the children of William Adams, a 17th-century English sailor who became an honorary samurai. They disappeared from historical record after 1635. The series captures the covert presence of any person of mixed European and Japanese heritage during this time.

The real upper classes in the Edo period The life of the upper classes, and the choices open to them, is depicted in accurate detail in the portrayal of Akemi (Brenda Song) and her family.

Akemi is one of the most strong-willed characters in Blue Eye Samurai. Courtesy of Netflix Although called a “princess” (perhaps for clarity to western audiences unfamiliar with Japan’s royal hierarchies) her status is more that of a “lady”, as she is not of royal blood. Her father (Patrick Gallagher) is a self-made lord. Nonetheless, as the Japanese emperor’s role was essentially ceremonial in this period, power did lie with feudal lords such as her father. It is accurate to suggest, as the show does, that he would gain higher social status by marrying off Akemi to a member of the ruling shogun family.

The strong willed “princess” Akemi excels at many of the fine arts and courtly practices as expected of a woman of their class. This includes tea ceremonies, Renku poetry, flower arrangement, painting, dancing and the game of Go. We follow her as she deploys these skills to achieve independence in a patriarchal society, including resorting to becoming a geisha – who had similar skills to women of the ruling classes. Although initially repulsive to her, in the end she accepts that marriage to the new shogun’s brother, rather than to her childhood sweetheart Taigen (Darren Barnet), will allow her an active role in the shogunate’s court.

Some people in Edo-period Japan lived outside expected gender roles, including geisha. They could run their own business, and the life offered women a level of independence unknown to the other classes, as demonstrated by the character of Madame Kaji (Ming-Na Wen).

The reality of violence in Edo period Japan The vivid violence in Blue Eye Samurai suggests that life in the unified Edo Japan was a lot less peaceful than reality.

(Photo/Netflix) Due to the long Edo period’s economic and political stability, the role of a samurai as a warrior had become reduced to a largely ceremonial one. Sword skills were demonstrated in stylised duels and challenges over honour, rather than on the battlefield.

The hostility between Mizu and Taigen is plausibly founded on the latter’s perceived loss of honour after losing their duel. However, a storyline suggesting that Fowler will succeed in usurping the shogun because he has access to firearms, which would trump the Japanese weapons of swords and spears, is a little disingenuous.

In reality, there were gunsmiths in Japan producing guns throughout the Edo period, and for a century before this story is set. As guns required less skill to wield than the sword or the bow, they were seen by some samurai as contrary to their values. The sword was simply the more practical weapon in the average small-scale Edo-period conflicts.

Despite diverging from some of the history, overall The Blue Eye Samurai is an enjoyable, fairly accurate and visually sumptuous tale of Edo-era Japan.

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The Tribune | Weekend | 15

Friday, January 19, 2024

animals

Why do cats and dogs get the zoomies?

By Susan Hazel Associate Professor, School of Animal and Veterinary Science, University of Adelaide Ana Goncalves Costa PhD student, University of Adelaide Julia Henning PhD Candidate, University of Adelaide (THE CONVERSATION) Does your cat or dog suddenly get a burst of energy and perform athletic feats around the house that would make even a gold medallist jealous? Welcome to the world of zoomies.

Zoomies involve intense periods of high-energy activity including running, spinning, jumping and rolling. All at top speed.

A proposed scientific name is frenetic random activity periods (FRAPs). In rabbits these high activity periods are called “binkies”. But many cat and dog owners simply call them “zoomies”.

So why do our animals experience the zoomies? And is it something we should be worried about?

Why do animals get the zoomies?

Think about when your cat or dog gets the zoomies.

You might see post-bath zoomies, dog park-zoomies, midnight-zoomies and good ol’ out-of-nowhere zoomies.

The trigger may be excitement or a sudden increase in stimulation.

In cats, a commonly reported trigger is using the litter tray. This may be explained by “poo-phoria”, a feeling of euphoria following defecation. This is possibly caused by large bowel movements stimulating the vagus nerve, resulting in positive feelings and a drop in heart rate and blood pressure.

Zoomies can be characterised as play as the two behaviours share many of the same characteristics. This would make zoomies intrinsically pleasurable – in other words, a whole load of fun.

If the zoomies are occurring as part of your animal’s regular play routine, this indicates your animal is happy and enjoying themselves.

While we don’t yet know if zoomies are more likely to occur at certain times of the day, or more in some breeds compared with others, we do consider them a general indication of a high level of excitement – and likely a pretty good mood.

Humans are animals too and some people also experience what could be similar to the “zoomies”.

Ever get a sudden feeling of intense

a play bow, where the dog appears to “bow” to another in an effort to signal it is keen to play – followed by a pause commonly seen in dyadic play (play between two or more individuals).

In cats, an invitation may include physically interacting with you or repeatedly rolling over. If this is the case, your animal is likely experiencing excitement and a desire to interact with you.

excitement and spare energy? Maybe you’ve felt the need to jump, shake or dance, before it wears off and you’re back to your regular settings.

This can be caused by a multitude of things – an exciting or novel situation, a spike in energy after a extended period of resting or perhaps a change in your inner chemistry. Perhaps you got a rush of adrenaline caused by excitement, over-stimulation or stress.

Are zoomies always a sign your cat or dog is happy?

It’s important to remember animals are individuals and, just like us, why they behave the way they do is complex and multifaceted.

When assessing your animal’s behaviour, it’s essential to also assess the context.

Zoomies are mentioned a lot online, ut there is a real lack of scientific research on what causes them, how often they occur, or even an official definition of what they are.

Ask yourself: am I invited to the zoomie?

In dogs and cats, zoomies can include an invitation for others to join – in dogs this is most commonly

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What do I do during a zoomie outbreak?

Unless there’s an element of immediate danger (such as zoomies on or near a road) there is no reason to stop your cat or dog from enjoying their burst of fun.

Cats and dogs are often superstars at avoiding obstacles even at high speed. If you’re lucky enough to receive invitations to partake in the chaos, feel free to join in the play.

Enjoying shared activities such as play with your dog or cat can have many benefits for the human-animal relationship. It’s also a lot of fun for you!

When should I be worried?

Zoomies are usually a completely normal (and fun) part of being a dog or cat.

Sometimes, however, it may be a symptom of either stress or an underlying medical condition.

As always, context is key. You should consult with your veterinarian if your dog or cat is displaying the behaviour for extended periods of time (in particular, spinning, or behaviours occurring during times of confinement). These might be signs of a repetitive behaviour disorder.

If you struggle to distract or stop the behaviour, or if it is resulting in injuries, seek veterinary assistance.

Even if you don’t get the call of the zoomies yourself, take a moment to stop and enjoy your dog or cat having fun.

Sometimes we all need to run wild.

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16 | The Tribune | Weekend

Friday, January 19, 2024

celebrity With Karin Herig and Cara Hunt

SPLIT

SPLIT

FAIL

HIT

HIT

Quinta Brunson (“Abbott Elementary”)

Suki Waterhouse (“Daisy Jones &The Six”)

Ali Wong (“Beef”)

Jenna Ortega (“Wednesday”)

Jessica Chastain (“George &Tammy”)

Karin says: “Here we have another tea-length dress.

This see-through Dior Haute Couture gown with the crinoline underneath is beautiful. I love all the intricate and softly coloured embroidery and the appliqués.

The hoop skirt is definitely giving it a touch of oldfashioned chic; an almost Victorian twist, if you will.

This is how you do the transparent trend right!

Karin says: “OK, going with a neon chartreuse dress was a bold move, especially for some with Jessica’s colouring.

At first I thought the shade of neon really clashed with her red hair, but it’s really grown on me. I even like the swaying fringe at the bottom, and I’m not usually a fan of fringes.

And while I usually prefer some sort of updo, her long straight hair really works here.

Who knew?”

Cara says: “While goth princess Wednesday Addams would never ever wear something like this, Jenna looks stunning in this floral pastel ballgown covered with embroidered pink flowers and green leaves. My only complaint is that I wish it were full-length for the occasion.”

Cara says: “I absolutely love this bold chartreuse gown.

It’s so simple; it’s just a very simple column silhouette, yet the colour makes it an immediate and amazing standout. I also love the flowy detail at the bottom and the simple hair and glam makeup. This Gucci gown is quite simply a great look for the Emmys.”

Karin says: “So, according to her stylist, this little Dior number is made from crushed satin, so it’s supposed to look all wrinkly….well, that aside, the dark pink colour looks gorgeous on her. And I really liked the fact that she went with an almost tea-length full skirt (we saw a few of those this year). She looks pretty, although I’m still not 100 percent sure about the wrinkled look.”

Cara says: “It’s a lovely shade of pink on her and she absolutely is a beautiful girl, but I have to say the look is very safe, simple and boring.

And considering she was a favourite nominee for the Lead Actress in Comedy Series Emmy (and the winner on the night, as it turns out), I really wish she had brought more of her A-game to the red carpet.”

Karin says: “Apparently this backless Valentino dress had to be completely redesigned to accommodate her baby bump (she’s expecting her first child with Robert Pattinson).

Well, I think they needed to redesign it once more, because this isn’t working. It looks like a giant apron with an awkwardly placed bow.

Either give us some side belly or some side boob, but both is way too much.”

Cara says: “The pregnant star definitely decided to make a statement in this very couture and very bold red Valentino gown, ensuring that all attention was on her growing bump. I’m not sure how I feel about the exposed boobs and sides, but I think from the front it’s cute. Although her hair is a bit too messy.”

Karin says: “She’s been winning all the awards this season for her dark comedy miniseries, but she isn’t getting rewarded for this ensemble.

I don’t mind saying that this custom Louis Vuitton dress is hideous. Sometimes you can be daring with the mixing and matching and it comes out OK, but nothing about this silver beaded bodice with the colourful floral skirt works. It’s quite simply an eyesore. I do like her glasses and Chopard earrings though.”

Cara says: “Well, we know there always has to be one hot-mess-express on the red carpet. Let’s start with the awful 1970s upholstery fabric of the skirt, and then to add insult to injury there is the silver foil, ill-fitted mesh top to complete this horrific disaster of a gown. Please fire everybody associated with letting her think this is OK… Louis Vuitton should be ashamed.”

(Photos by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP)

The Weekend Fashion Report 75th Primetime Emmy Awards