By JULIE CARR SMYTH

Phil Donahue, whose groundbreaking daytime talk show established an unforgettable television genre, has died. He was 88 years old.

Donahue, the “King of the Daytime Talk Shows,” was the primary to involve viewers in a chat show, often for a whole hour with a single guest.

“Only one guest per show? No band?” he recalled being asked frequently in his 1979 memoir, “Donahue, My Own Story.”

With its format, “The Phil Donahue Show” was clearly different from other interview shows of the Sixties and have become a trendsetter in daytime television, where it was particularly popular with female audiences.

The show was later renamed “Donahue” and launched in Dayton, Ohio, in 1967. Donahue's willingness to tackle the hot-button social problems with the day was immediately evident when he invited atheist Madalyn Murray O'Hair as his first guest. He later broadcast programs on feminism, homosexuality, consumer protection and civil rights, in addition to tons of of other topics.

The show was syndicated in 1970 and ran on national television for the following 26 years, earning the show and Donahue as host 20 Emmy Awards and a Peabody Award in 1980. The show featured radio-style calls, which Donahue greeted along with his signature query, “Is the caller there?”

The show's final episode aired in 1996 in New York, where Donahue was living along with his wife, actress Marlo Thomas, on the time of his death. The two had been married since 1980. Donahue had five children, 4 sons and a daughter, from a previous marriage.

Donahue briefly returned to television in 2002, hosting one other “Donahue” show on MSNBC. The network canceled it after six months because rankings were too low.

He was born Phillip John Donahue on December 21, 1935, right into a middle-class Irish Catholic family in Cleveland. When Donahue was a baby, they moved to Centerville, Ohio, where he lived across the road from Erma Bombeck, who later became a humorist and columnist.

Donahue was a 1953 graduate of St. Edward High School, a Catholic boys' school in Lakewood, and graduated from the University of Notre Dame with a business degree in 1957. He later rebelled against the church and left it, but wrote in his book that “a little piece” of his faith would all the time stick with him.

After a series of early jobs in radio and tv, Donahue was invited to maneuver a former radio talk show to Dayton television station WLWD in 1967. It moved to Chicago in 1974, where it remained for years before ending up in New York.

The show featured conversations with spiritual leaders, doctors, housewives, activists and entertainers or politicians who happened to be on the town. He said the show's formula for achievement was a glad accident.

“It may have taken three full years before any of us realized that our program was special,” Donahue wrote. “The style of the show had evolved not by genius but by necessity. The well-known talk show heads were not available to us in Dayton, Ohio. … The result was improvisation.”

This gave the show a freedom that continued at the same time as it rose to number one in its class.

With his personable style and gray hair, Donahue boxed with Muhammad Ali. He played football with Alice Cooper. His guests gave cooking classes, taught breakdancing and, more controversially, talked about “mansharing”, life as a mistress, lesbian motherhood or – with the assistance of collected video material that led to broadcasts being banned in some cities – how natural births, abortions or reverse vasectomies are carried out.

A stop on the Donahue became a must for major politicians, activists, athletes, business leaders and entertainers, from Hubert Humphrey to Ronald Reagan, from Gloria Steinem to Anita Bryant, from Lee Iacocca to Ray Kroc, from John Wayne to Farrah Fawcett.

Outside of his famous talk show, Donahue pursued several other projects.

During the Cold War within the Eighties, he collaborated with Soviet journalist Vladimir Posner on a groundbreaking television discussion series. The US-Soviet Bridge offered simultaneous broadcasts from the United States and the Soviet Union, allowing studio audiences to ask one another questions. Donahue and Posner also co-hosted a weekly roundtable discussion show, Posner/Donahue, on CNBC within the Nineties.

Donahue also co-directed the 2006 Oscar-nominated documentary film “Body of War.”

Originally published: August 19, 2024 at 6:55 am

The history of country music was strongly influenced by a romanticized idea of ​​authenticityToday, celebrations of the genre’s origins often concentrate on a single event: Recording sessions in late July and early August 1927 within the small Appalachian town of Bristol on the border between Tennessee and Virginia.

The musicians got here from the working class of the South, and depictions of the sessions often show an achieved record producer discovering talented but unknown artists.

However, a recording session three years earlier, on August 13, 1924, has a greater claim to establishing country music as a genre. That session involved a classically trained singer from New York City who had previously recorded opera, pop and jazz.

A legendary recording session

In the early Twenties, after years of satisfying middle- and upper-class urban listeners and within the face of accelerating competition from radio, record corporations were on the lookout for recent markets. They found potential recent goal groups Among black individuals who long to listen to performances by black entertainers, and amongst rural white individuals who long to listen to music that reflects their very own tastes and experiences.

After attempting to serve these recent markets with records from established studios within the North, record corporations soon realised that it might be easier to find recent talent by Recording “in the field” – that’s, closer to where the audience for the brand new records lived. Many of those business “location sessions” – to call them sessions of non-commercial documentary recording by John and Alan Lomax and other folklorists – took place within the South.

At a location session in June 1923 in Atlanta, OKeh Records producer Ralph Peer recorded two performances by a musician from the hills of North Georgia, called Violinist John Carson. This 78 rpm release sold out quickly. Edition of 500 copiesand demonstrated the business potential of country music.

Peer moved to Victor Records and produced the Bristol recording sessions. Among the musicians Peer recorded there have been newcomers similar to Jimmie Rodgers and the Carter Family. The so-called “Bristol Sessions” produced modest sales And not surpassed other Appalachian sessions of the late Twenties.

But when the Great Depression slowed record sales and dampened the experimental spirit of the record industry, Rodgers – later “the father of country music” – and the Carters, who became referred to as “the first family of country music”, continued to publish recent publications. Due to the continuing influence of those two artists, scholar Nolan Porterfield called the Bristol Sessions “the big bang of country music” in 1988.

The city of Bristol promotes itself as “the birthplace of country music.” Bristol’s story has change into the genesis of mainstream country music and inspired the Smithsonian-affiliated Birthplace of country music Museum.

From country boy to city person

More recently, nonetheless, this story has been re-examined by several music historiansincluding Porterfield, who in 2015 the nickname withdrawn he had shaped.

The Bristol-focused history of the genre negates earlier – but no less vital – contributions to the genre by such groundbreaking musicians as Carson, Uncle Dave Macon, Riley Puckett, Frank Hutchison And Vernon Dalhart.

If there’s one artist who has proven the business viability of country music, it’s Dalhart. Born Marion Try Slaughter II in Jefferson, Texas on April 6, 1883, Dalhart sang for his family and neighbors in his East Texas hometown as a baby. Vernon Dalhart is a pseudonym that mixes the names of two Texas towns near his boyhood town, where he had worked as a ranch hand through the summer.

Dalhart moved to New York City in 1907, hoping to pursue a profession as an opera singer. Before leaving Texas, he had taken voice lessons on the Dallas Conservatory of Music, and in New York he continued his music studies with opera teacher Isador Luckstone. For several years, Dalhart toured nationwide with operetta Productions.

After 1916, Dalhart, in an effort to be closer to some relations who lived near New York City, focused on a recording profession and recorded operetta, pop and jazz records in various studios within the New York City area, including Edison Records, where he was allegedly certainly one of Thomas Edison’s favorite singers.

By the early Twenties, Dalhart was struggling to search out recording opportunities. He had never fulfilled his dream of being recognized as a serious opera singer – and had stopped touring in operettas – and depended mainly on recordings to make a living. But he had did not develop a particular sound and personality that might make him stand out within the pop and jazz worlds.

Then, on August 13, 1924, Dalhart stumbled upon a brand new path forward. That day, he recorded two songs for the brand recent, as yet unnamed country music market: “The wreck of the old 97” And “The Prisoner's Song.“ Victor released the 2 songs on a 78 rpm record.

The first big hit in country music

Musicians from Virginia Henry Whitter had recorded “The Wreck of the Old 97” just a few months earlier under a unique title without much fanfare. Dalhart thought he could improve on Whitter's recording and covered this Appalachian ballad a couple of 1903 train accident. Although he misinterpreted a few of Whitter's lyrics, Dalhart introduced this now-famous narrative song to countless people beyond the mountains.

“The Prisoner's Song” was the true revelation of that session. It was the right template for country music's enduring tradition of singing songs expressing love and unrequited love. Dalhart claimed the song was composed by his cousin Guy Massey and received a share of the publishing royalties. The song ultimately brought Dalhart fame and a modicum of wealth.

In a time before records were played on the radio, this release became the primary major hit in country music and sold estimated 7 million copies (the primary recording and the following versions together) from 1924 to 1934 and an extra Millions of copies as sheet musicBoth of Dalhart's groundbreaking recordings on Victor are within the The Grammy Hall of Fame.

By the time of the Bristol Sessions, Dalhart had already recorded lots of of country songs for dozens of corporations, and a number of other of Dalhart’s records enjoyed great popularity, including “The death of Floyd Collins,” a song from 1925 about an explorer who died in a cave in Kentucky; the huge hit of 1927 “Lindbergh (The Eagle of the USA)“; And “The runaway train”, a well-liked song in Great Britain

In the shadow of Bristol

While he was accountable for an estimated 3,000 business publications and was country music best-selling recording artist of the TwentiesDalhart was marginalized. He was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1981, but today he has few followers, although many leading country music stars, including Johnny Cash, Marty Robbins, Dolly Parton And Willie Nelsonhave covered songs from Dalhart’s extensive repertoire.

The neglect of Dalhart might be the results of the impression that he, an opera singer with formal musical training, lacked authenticity to be considered a rustic musician, despite his deep Texan roots. Dalhart recorded for a lot of labels under many pseudonyms, and his extensive discography is difficult to characterize.

The only biography of Dalhart to this point, published in 2004 and written by Dalhart supporter Jack Palmer, was a serious try to portray the singer as “the first star of country music”, however the book quickly sold out.

To mark the centenary of Dalhart’s rise to change into a seminal figure in country music, Rivermont Records plans to release a box set in November 2024 with 100 of the singer's most significant recordings from his entire profession. I imagine it would be a worthy and long overdue commemoration.

If the Yippies – a bunch of young activists known for his or her political dissent – ​​had gotten their way, Americans would have elected a 65-kilogram pig named Pigasus as president in 1968.

The Yippies were famous for his or her unconventional tactics and were the guts of the counter-culture movement of the Sixties In the US, they demanded that Pigasus be treated as a legitimate candidate with intelligence protection and foreign policy briefings.

Police arrested several Yippies for disturbing the peace after they paraded Pigasus before the 1968 Democratic National Convention. Pigasus was taken into “protective custody” by the police and ended up on a farm.

Since the First Democratic National Convention in 1832The event has a protracted and eventful history with headline-grabbing moments – a few of which have shaped politics.

The Democratic Party meets next its congress in ChicagoAugust 19-22, 2024. Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz will formally accept their party's nomination because the Democratic nominees for president and vice chairman.

As a scholar of the presidencyI feel it's useful to keep in mind that national conventions often function like pep rallies leading as much as the massive game of the presidential election. These conventions may be places to introduce recent faces, or they may be so boring that they practically put the country to sleep. Here are among the most memorable moments to return out of a Democratic convention.

A First Lady steps into the highlight

In 1940, Eleanor Roosevelt became the primary First Lady ever to deliver a speech to the Democratic Party Convention.

The Democrats on the convention were divided over the US involvement in World War II and the prospect of nominating Franklin Delano Roosevelt, or FDR as he was known, for a 3rd term. At that point, no president had served greater than two terms. It took a few decade for the The twenty second Amendment was ratified and have become a part of the the structure, which limits the president to 2 terms.

FDR tried to interrupt the tradition of two terms as president, which began with George Washington.

Eleanor Roosevelt stood before the contentious and quarrelsome assembly and said: “This is just not an peculiar time. No time to think about anything aside from what we are able to best do for the country as a complete, and that responsibility rests with each one among us as individuals.”

Eleanor Roosevelt's influential speech helped establish the First Lady as a strong advocate for the President. without being a mere mouthpiece for him. Her description of 1940 as “no ordinary time” helped people accept that the country was facing a rare moment in history that required consistent leadership.

Roosevelt won two more terms and remained president until his death in 1945 during his fourth term.

A brand new vision

Years later, when John F. Kennedy accepted the nomination on the 1960 Democratic Convention, he said voters would have to make a decision:between national greatness and national decline.” Kennedy's speech, known as the “New Frontier,” helped show voters that a presidency with a forward-looking vision could overcome Kennedy's problems.

“Today we must cope with this future“Because the world is changing. The old era is coming to an end. The old ways aren’t any longer appropriate,” said Kennedy.

Kennedy also called for a brand new America that was not burdened by nostalgia.

Texas politician Ann Richards also gave her profession a brand new lease of life with a keynote speech on the Democratic National Convention in 1988. Her witty and insightful speech was also a commentary on the growing role of ladies in politics—and what an achievement this represented.

In her opening remarks, Richards spoke about Fred Astaire, one of the vital famous Hollywood movie stars of the Nineteen Thirties, in addition to Ginger Rogers, his co-star and dance partner.

“Ginger Rogers did everything Fred Astaire did. She just did it backwards and in high heels.” Richards said.

Richards refuted the notion that Astaire was the larger star by mentioning that Rogers was just as capable and talented – even in uncomfortable shoes.

At the time, Richards was Treasurer of Texas. But her witty speech brought her into the national highlight and helped her became Governor of Texas in 1991.

The introduction of hope

In 2004, Barack Obama, then a 43-year-old Senator from the State of Illinois, entered the national stage together with his speech on the Democratic National Convention.

Obama gave a passionate speech He acknowledged his past by saying, “I stand here knowing that my story is part of the larger American story, that I owe something to all those who came before me, and that my story is not even possible in any other country on earth.”

And he made a self-ironic remark: The country embodies “the hope of a skinny boy with a funny name who believes there is a place for him in America.” The boldness of hope!” These ideas of hope and unity later became central features of Obama’s 2008 presidential campaign.

Obama's speech overshadowed 2004 Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry and helped him emerge because the party's rising star. News commentator Chris Matthews noted after Obama’s speech“We just saw the first black president.”

A political mistake

Some speeches are so memorable that they’re even reused.

Michelle Obama, the wife of then-Senator Barack Obama, made a strong statement in regards to the importance of dignity and labor in her speech on the 2008 Democratic National Convention, the convention at which her husband was officially nominated for president. Obama said that she and Barack were triggered with the identical values: “That you work hard for what you want in life. That you keep your word and do what you say you will do. That you treat people with dignity and respect, even if you don't know them and even if you don't agree with them.”

Melania Trump this speech strongly paraphrased in her 2016 Republican National Committee SpeechShe also said that her parents had instilled values ​​in her – “that you work hard for what you want in life, that you keep your word and that you do what you say and keep your promises, that you treat people with respect.”

Trump's speechwriter Meredith McIver took responsibility for the error, pondering that the draft speech presented to her contained Melania's words. In reality, Trump had read Obama's speech to her as an idea for what she desired to integrate in their very own speech.

Potential for magic

I imagine that national conventions are only necessary when there are moments of error or magic. These events are supposed to motivate voters and reach the undecided, but modern conventions are sometimes fairly unimaginative echo chambers of chatter.

They do little to influence swing voters and merely provide validation for voters who’ve already made up their minds. Everyone in the group is there to cheer for and be motivated by their home team.

Big moments are rare at national conventions, but when lightning strikes, it could turn a sentence into an iconic moment that captures a complete era.

In 1987, fashion photographer Patrick Demarchelier photographed supermodel Naomi Campbell within the desert wearing a gold Chanel jacket. It is a shocking photo and a historic one. This image appeared within the December issue of British Vogue that 12 months – it was only the third time There was a black woman on the duvet of the style magazine.

The image is so iconic that it was acquired by The National Portrait Gallery for everlasting exhibition in 2016. It is currently on display on the V&A in an exhibition celebrating the life and profession of Naomi Campbell.

I used to be born within the Nineteen Eighties myself and my teenage years were within the Nineteen Nineties, when Campbell rose to fame. Back then, it was unusual to see a girl of comparable skin color to me in mainstream media. This cover was groundbreaking, coming at a time when fashion editors believed that black models didn't sell issues. It was also in the primary 12 months of Campbell's profession – a profession that might break so many more barriers.

As a fashion expert and creator Michaela Angela Davies sums it up: “Black and non-white models are still generally seen as a trend – seasonal and largely expendable, as Dior did in the mid-20th century. Naomi Campbell broke through this disregard. It was constant, inevitable and undeniable. Naomi was the catalyst.”

Naomi on the V&A is the primary exhibition ever to give attention to the person wearing the garments reasonably than the designer who created them, correcting a historical oversight of the numerous influence models have on fashion culture.

This exhibition is a testament to how essential the black British model has been to culture at large and its representation in the style world and beyond.

Co-produced with Campbell, the exhibition features pieces from her own wardrobe, in addition to loans from designer archives and objects from the V&A's collections, representing key moments in her 40-year profession. Spread over two floors, these pieces weave within the story of how she succeeded despite the immense challenges of being a young black woman during this time, which inspired her activism.

It begins with a bit on the early years of her life. You can hear Campbell's own voice speaking of “the freedom to express yourself through dance.” Campbell was discovered in 1985 on the age of 15 while pursuing her dream of becoming a dancer. The exhibition shows how this background prepared her for her unexpected profession as a model.

Campbell's first catwalk was for French designer Yves Saint Laurent in 1987. In this section, a photograph of her ticket to that show is shown next to a pair of worn ballet shoes. As Davies said, “Nobody walks like Naomi Campbell. She walks like a warrior, moving through the territory of haute couture with a supernatural flair.”

A video montage of such impressive catwalks greets visitors before they even enter the exhibition. In it, you may see Campbell on the catwalks of Anna Sui, Chanel, Vivienne Westwood and Prada. Each image is sort of a murals and a testament to her impressive presence.

“God bless Yves,” she says in a caption that appears on the label of the feather dress she wore in her first couture cut, citing Laurent because the designer who helped change the course of her profession.

Yves Saint Laurent reportedly threatened to drag his ad in French Vogue if the magazine continued to refuse to forged black models on its cover. But as much because the exhibition is in regards to the clothes, accessories and collaborations, it’s closely linked to current discussions about diversity in the style industry. In Campbell's words:

When I take a look at Iman and Beverly Johnson and Naomi Sims and Peggy Dillard and all of the others, I'm grateful that they opened the door for me. If they hadn't come first, I’d never have gotten to where I’m now. And I hope that I open the door for the people who find themselves behind me.

This exhibition portrays Campbell not only as a supermodel but additionally as a cultural innovator, highlighting her role in disrupting established norms, breaking racial barriers, and using her platform to empower latest creatives, advocate for equality, and drive social change.

As one in every of the primary black supermodels to attain global recognition, she defied convention and broke the mold of what was considered the accepted ideal of beauty on the time. Her skilled success has helped raise the standards for a way other ethnically diverse models needs to be represented in fashion.

As this metamorphosis continues, let's take a moment to enjoy all of the glitz and glamour this exhibition has to supply, celebrating the rise of a supermodel icon – and the transformative power of fashion.

On June 2, 2024, Mexicans will go to the polls to elect a president after an electoral campaign marked by violence And divisive political rhetoric.

Survey suggest that the candidate of the ruling party Claudia Sheinbaum will win, defeating her rival Xóchitl Gálvez, who leads a left-right coalition.

The level of voter turnout should be unpredictable, but unless there are major surprises, Mexico may have its first female president once all votes are counted.

Scholars writing for The Conversation US have discussed, amongst other things, what this gender milestone will mean for Mexico. Here are three stories that explore the importance of the 2024 Mexican elections.

1. Towards gender equality?

There has been plenty of discuss Mexico soon electing a lady president, but does this really reflect gender equality within the country's politics? Xavier Medina Vidal And Christopher Chambers-JuScholars of Mexican politics and gender issues on the University of Texas at Arlington are investigating this query.

They indicate that although women already make up half of the Mexican Congress and hold top positions in politics and the judiciary, this only tells a part of the story.

“Electing women to high office does not necessarily result in a meaningful shift in power. Experts on women in politics call this 'descriptive representation' – when political leaders resemble a group of voters but fail to take measures that protect them,” they write. A serious concern is the extent of violence and harassment against women in Mexico, each by women in the general public eye and by unusual residents. The femicide rate in Mexico stays shockingly high: 10 women and girls are killed daily.

“Although women are gaining political power in Mexico, the question now is whether they will use it to fight for the women they represent,” conclude Medina Vidal and Chambers-Ju.

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Read more: Mexico will soon elect its first female president – ​​but this milestone masks uneven progress on women's rights

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2. A deadly election cycle

The 2024 elections can even be a milestone for Mexico in one other respect: the violence throughout the election campaign. Amalendu MisraProfessor of international politics at Lancaster University, points out that the election season – during which voters also choose hundreds of positions on the local, state and congressional levels – is on target to be the deadliest ever.

“Violence against Mexican politicians is commonplace,” he writes. “But the country's powerful organized gangs are increasing their political violence during election campaigns to gain the approval of candidates and secure business opportunities.”

Making matters worse, the country's gangs have been fragmenting in recent times, with cartels splitting into different branches. “Put simply, the ongoing violence against politicians and political candidates in Mexico reflects the struggle of various organized crime gangs for territorial consolidation and lucrative business opportunities,” Misra notes.

At least 36 candidates were killed throughout the current electoral cycle.

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Read more: Mexico's criminal gangs fuel political violence ahead of elections

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3. The state of democracy

Of course, Mexico just isn’t the one country in Latin America where gang violence disrupts the political process.

What impact does this have on people’s attitudes towards democracy within the region? Lukas Plutowski, Elizabeth J. Zechmeister And Noam Lupu on the LAPOP Lab at Vanderbilt University have some answers.

Their latest AmericasBarometer, which surveys public attitudes across the Western Hemisphere every two years, finds that widespread pessimism about poverty and violence influences people's attitudes toward democracy in Latin America.

“Our results show that disappointment with the democratic status quo in the region is strikingly high: only 40 percent believe that democracy works,” they note.

But despite this gloomy assessment, support for the concept of ​​democracy stays high. Across the region, 58 percent of individuals consider democracy is the most effective form of presidency. In Mexico, this figure is even higher, at 62 percent.

“For now at least, a sustained belief in democracy could facilitate the efforts of political leaders inside and outside the region to advocate for and strengthen democratic governance,” conclude Plutowski, Zechmeister and Lupu.

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Read more: Faced with serious challenges, democracy in Latin America and the Caribbean is under pressure – but support continues

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