Image
'It's almost like a weapon': How the blonde bombshell has symbolised desire and danger Western culture, she says, has built a whole mythology around female blondeness − from religious iconography and fairy tales, to art and advertising − that has told specific stories about what it means to be blonde. In cinema's early years, comedies such as Platinum Blonde (1931) and Bombshell (1933), starring Jean Harlow, embedded concepts of the dazzling, devastatingly beautiful blonde into the cultural vernacular. "The idea that you're a bombshell, it's almost like a weapon," says Nead. "On the one hand, it is this kind of ideal, but at the same time, it's also threatening."   Before Harlow, there was another − more natural-looking − blonde on the scene: Mary Pickford, whose amber curls helped earn her the moniker of "America's Sweetheart". But while Pickford played the guileless girl waiting to be rescued, Harlow's peroxide blonde ...
Post a Comment

   Embattled Macron seeks boost from Notre Dame reopening


A seriously frail President Emmanuel Macron is hoping to win a new lease on political life after the official reopening of Notre Dame on Saturday. Joining other international figures including US President-elect Donald Trump, Prince William and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Macron will seek to present the renovated cathedral as a symbol of France’s inner reservoir of creative energy. In a speech to mark the occasion, he will urge the world to look beyond the country’s current political crisis and praise the determination, organization and hardline corruption that have saved one of France’s most famous buildings in just five years. 

The long-awaited event comes as France enters a period of deep uncertainty following the fall of Prime Minister Michel Barnier’s government on Wednesday. A replacement has yet to be named. Five and a half years after the devastating fire, Macron had planned for the cathedral to reopen in an optimistic climax of 2024 – a year also marked by the Paris Olympic Games. But as he seeks to capitalize on the project’s undoubted success, a contrast is inevitable between the country’s overall dismal state and the growing achievements of fixing up this magnificent Gothic cathedral.

 The ceremony marks the moment the Catholic Church regains possession of the cathedral, ahead of the first mass to be celebrated on Sunday. Archbishop Laurent Ulrich will knock on the front portal using a staff made from one of the salvaged roof-timbers. Answered by the choir, which will already be inside, he will enter the cathedral and bid the organ “sound of praise to God”. Macron had originally intended to make an address inside the cathedral, but it was suggested that this would violate France’s strict rules on secularism. As a compromise, he visited the cathedral eight days earlier to thank hundreds of craftsmen and women – a televised tour that gave the world its first glimpse of the stunningly revived interior.

 The evening’s liturgy will be followed by a concert featuring Chinese pianist Lang Lang and Canadian singer Garo. The Sunday Mass – which the president will attend – will be presided over by Archbishop Ulrich of 106 parishes in Paris, with 170 French bishops and priests in attendance. The first Mass for the public is on Sunday evening, but bookings are required – as are all the masses planned for the week ahead. One prominent figure who will not attend is Pope Francis, although he has sent a message that will be read on Saturday. The pope’s relations with France are cordial rather than friendly. He is said to have been angered by Macron’s decision to reduce French immigration and to enshrine abortion rights in the constitution. In the French press, the Pope is said to be more interested in the young and growing Christian communities of the southern hemisphere than in the medieval churches of Europe.

 The fire on 15 April 2019 destroyed three parts of the medieval roof - the timbers, the spire and the stone vaulting. An appeal for donors raised €850m ($897m; £704m) and 2,000 masons, carpenters, art restorers, engineers and architects worked on the project. "The moment I looked inside the day after the fire, I knew that everything would be fine. The damage was not as bad as I had feared," said the cathedral's chief architect, Philippe Villeneuve, who disputes the widespread theory that Notre Dame came close to complete collapse. "Apart from replacing the roof and the spire, the main task was decontamination. Everything was covered in lead oxide powder. 

But it meant we could restore and clean it - which explains why the cathedral looks so beautiful today." Before the fire, the cathedral was already considered to be in a serious state of disrepair, and scaffolding was erected to repair the spire and other exterior parts damaged by corrosion. Around 12 million people visit the cathedral each year, a number that is now expected to increase. A new route has been built around the building to accommodate 100 visitors per minute at the height of the tourist season.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Image
  Nick Clegg leaves Meta ahead of Trump's return as US president Former deputy prime minister Sir Nick Clegg is to step down from his current job as president of global affairs at social media giant Meta. In a post on Meta's Facebook on Thursday, Sir Nick, a former leader of the Liberal Democrats, said he was departing the company after nearly seven years. He will be replaced by his current deputy and Republican Joel Kaplan, who previously served as deputy chief of staff in the White House during President George W Bush's administration, and is known for handling the company's relations with Republicans. He added that he would spend "a few months handing over the reins" and representing Facebook at international gatherings before moving on to "new adventures". Sir Nick's resignation comes just weeks before Donald Trump returns to the White House. The president-elect has repeatedly accused Meta and other platforms of censorship and silencing conse...
Read more
Image
Disney holds small-scale Snow White premiere amid controversy Disney's live-action remake of Snow White is set to be released in UK cinemas next week, marking the latest efforts by the film studio to revive a beloved old classic. But the film, which stars Rachel Zegler and Gal Gadot, has faced several issues throughout its production. The movie is being released amid a debate about how the seven dwarfs are represented on screen, while Zegler has made headlines for critical comments about the original 1937 film. The European premiere was held on Wednesday at a castle in Northern Spain, instead of a more traditional and high-profile location such as London's Leicester Square. The film's European premiere took place on Wednesday at a remote castle in Spain, which was the inspiration behind the castle in the 1937 original animated film. Zegler performed a rendition of original song Waiting On a Wish at the event on Wednesday evening in Segrovia, north-West of Madrid. Most media...
Read more
Image
  Venezuela frees six US men after Trump envoy meets Maduro Venezuela has freed six US detainees after talks in Caracas between President Nicolás Maduro and a senior Trump administration official. The release of the men was announced on social media by Donald Trump and his special envoy, Richard Grenell. Grenell - who published online a photo of the six on board his plane - said they had spoken by phone to President Trump to thank him. Earlier, the White House had called on Venezuela to release "US hostages" - as well as agreeing to receive Venezuelan criminals deported by the US - or face consequences. Venezuela's Maduro sworn in for third term after contested elections US announces $25m reward for arrest of Venezuela's Maduro 'I thought I was going to die': Jailed Venezuelan activist Grenell did not name the six men, who were seen dressed in light blue outfits used by the Venezuelan prison system. "We are wheels up and headed home with these 6 American ...
Read more