Like many HBO viewers I took advantage of the opportunity for a “sneak preview” of the first episode of Luck about a month ago. That left me undecided but curious; and, in the interest of narrative continuity, I decided to give Sunday’s “official” broadcast of that first episode a second look. To my delight that second viewing was more than powerful enough to hook me; and, by all rights, I should not have been surprised. Like Deadwood, Luck is a David Milch creation; and, like its admirable predecessor, it is a slow starter. However, also like Deadwood, the narrative makes instrumental use of language itself to advance the plot, not only to establish characters but also through subtle interrelationships between language and action that used to be a hallmark of David Mamet’s writing. In other words, rather than worrying about the pace at which the plot unfolds, the viewer can relish a command of rhetorical twists and turns that make Maggie Smith’s one-liners on Downton Abbey sound like Joan Rivers in period costume.

Wheeler, of course, made appropriate reference to Simon Schama’s recent attack piece, giving Executive Producer Rebecca Eaton the opportunity to rebut. The fact that her argument was that Downton Abbey is not a documentary means that she just did not get what was annoying Schama. Readers know that I had my own issues with Schama; but they had to do with his assertion that history “delivers the tonic of tragedy, not the bromide of romance.” This leads me to wonder if Schama spent any time watching Deadwood, whose “tonic of tragedy” was more than a little bracing; but, if he watched that series simply for the unfolding of events, he would have totally missed its literary value.

Luck promises just as much literary value, this time without the history. This one is about the human condition in a present that gets harder to face by more people every day. As such, it may not pose that great a challenge to Downton Abbey; but that, in itself, is an irony. Now we turn to PBS for escapism when the realities dished out by HBO are too hard to take.

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The awards ceremony, which was hosted by Radio 1 DJ Nick Grimshaw and Mollie King from The Saturdays, celebrated the achievements of outstanding young people in the UK.

Olly Murs, Tom Daley, Rupert Grint, The Wanted, The Inbetweeners and Ed Sheeran all picked up awards in the celebrity categories.

The event which was attended by almost 9,000 14-17 year-olds featured performances from Pixie Lott, Jason Derulo, Cher Lloyd, Rizzle Kicks, Joe Jonas, One Direction, and Ed Sheeran.

The newly crowned Teen Heroes were nominated by Radio 1 listeners and chosen by a panel of celebrities including headliner Pixie, Oritse Williams from JLS, Radio 1 and 1Xtra DJs and experts from youth organizations. Radio 1 received over 700 nominations.

The first award was presented by Vernon Kay and Rizzle Kicks to sixteen year-old Charlie from Oswestry. Due to his quick thinking, Charlie saved the life of a six-year-old girl who almost drowned after falling into fast moving water.

Radio 1′s Aled Haydn Jones and Pixie presented the second Teen Hero award to Alec, aged 13, from Kent. Alec, who suffers from dyspraxia and Asperger’s, is currently battling cancer. Despite the illness, the courageous teen has raised thousands of pounds for charity.

The final award was presented to seventeen year-old Pippa from Southampton by Radio 1′s Fearne Cotton and Ed Sheeran. Pippa is a young carer who looks after her disabled mother. The inspirational teen, who is currently studying for her A-Levels, also gives up her spare time to volunteer in her local community.

Pixie Lott said: "What an incredible day! It’s been amazing to meet the Teen Hero nominees and watch the three winners collect their well-deserved awards on stage. There’s no crowd louder and more enthusiastic than the one at Wembley today, which made my headline performance all the more enjoyable. I loved it!"

Ben Cooper, Acting Controller, BBC Radio 1, said: "This year’s Teen Hero stories are very inspirational and I’m delighted that Radio 1 continues to celebrate young people and the really positive contribution they make to society."

Boy band The Wanted scooped up the award for Best Music Act while hit comedy program The Inbetweeners won Best TV Show and Harry Potter star, Rupert Grint, was given Best Actor.

Best Single was awarded to singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran and Best Album was picked up by Olly Murs. The Best Sports Star award went to world champion diver Tom Daley.

Source: BBC Press Office

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Little princesses from across the globe watched Rapunzel be welcomed into the Disney Princess royal court by Ariel, Aurora, Belle, Cinderella, Jasmine, Mulan, Pocahontas, Snow White and Tiana. British teenager and rising star Shannon Saunders sang Disney Princess’ new signature theme song, The Glow.

The procession through Kensington Gardens was watched by an estimated 25,000 Disney fans waving flags and lining the parade route to welcome Rapunzel and the other Disney Princess characters in their horse-drawn carriages. In a world first, Kensington Palace was chosen by Disney as the perfect location for this magical welcoming ceremony of a Disney Princess, as it has been the home of many real life Princesses over the centuries.

“Rapunzel’s royal celebration at Kensington Palace was truly a meaningful and important event in the history of Disney Princess,” said Bob Iger, President and Chief Executive Officer, The Walt Disney Company. “Since the release of Tangled, Princess Rapunzel’s inquisitive and energetic personality has filled the hearts and homes of little girls around the world.”

Over 100 girls from over 25 countries dressed as little princesses joined the festivities and witnessed the crowning of Rapunzel by Fairy God Mother and Flynn Rider. The celebrations continued with a fun filled afternoon from lantern making to storytelling. Celebrities in attendance included from the United States, Nicole Richie with husband Joel Madden and their son and daughter; from the UK, Peter Andre, Helen McCrory, Damian Lewis; from Brazil, Ticiane Pinheiro Justus; from Italy, Laura Chiatti.

“Today’s celebration was vibrant, energetic and fun, just like our newest addition to the Disney Princess family herself,” said Anne Gates, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, Disney Consumer Products. “Girls everywhere have admired Princess Rapunzel for her curiosity and imagination and now they can continue to celebrate her strengths and story with her induction into the Disney Princess royal court.”

Each Disney Princess character has a unique story that empowers girls to imagine and live their very own fairy tales. Rapunzel is a modern heroine – she may have lived her entire life locked inside a hidden tower but Rapunzel is no damsel in distress. The girl with 70 feet of glowing, magical hair is an upbeat young lady who fills her days with art, books and imagination. She is full of curiosity about the outside world and can’t help but feel her true destiny lies outside of the lonely tower walls.

To kick off her celebration, Rapunzel arrived in London a week early to do some sightseeing and visited a famous London landmark every day. Fans can view Rapunzel’s royal journey picture gallery at Facebook.com/DisneyLiving and see the newest Disney Princess visiting Salt Tower at the Tower of London, Covent Garden, Trafalgar Square, Tower Bridge at Thames River and Big Ben.

Additional facts:

• Rapunzel was officially celebrated as the tenth Disney Princess on October 2nd
• Tangled is now one of the top ten grossing Disney movies of all time ahead of Toy Story, Beauty and the Beast, Cars and Toy Story 2
• To mark the event, Disney is highlighting a range of new Disney Princess products, including an Apple iPad app Disney Princess: A Royal Party
• Kensington Palace has been a residence of the British Royal Family since the 17^th century and is famed for its associations with Princesses. Princess Victoria (later Queen Victoria, Britain’s longest reigning monarch) was born at Kensington Palace on May 24th 1819 and was christened the following month in the Cupola Room. Her love for the palace ensured the renovations of the State Apartments in 1897 which were opened to the public on Queen Victoria’s 80^th birthday. Today, parts of Kensington Palace continue to serve as residences for members of the Royal Family. The best known resident in recent years was Diana, Princess of Wales who occupied apartments in the north-west part of the palace from 1981-1997.

Source: Business Wire

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Making his big screen debut, Hickert strapped on some FBI gear for “Tower Heist,” starring Ben Stiller, Eddie Murphy and Matthew Broderick, which follows a group of hard working guys who find out they’ve fallen victim to a wealthy business man’s Ponzi scheme, so they conspire to rob his high-rise residence.

Hickert steps into a different uniform portraying a Kentucky Cop in an episode of ABC’s long-running daytime drama “One Life To Live,” scheduled to air on October 17th. And, Hickert worked as an actor doing motion capture for a new video game title from New York based company Rockstar Games, publishers of such game franchises as “Grand Theft Auto,” “Red Dead Redemption” and “LA Noire.”

Before kicking butt on-screen, Hickert first gained attention on the football field at Murray State University under the watchful eye of then Head Coach Frank Beamer. He continued to build momentum becoming a Professional Football Place Kicker drafted to the NFL by the Cincinnati Bengals and later playing with the Tampa Bay Storm when they won the 1991 Arena Football Championship.

After leaving the world of pro-sports, Hickert put his college degree in Physics to work as an Engineer, Business Consultant and Patented Inventor. Not really looking for an entertainment career, Hickert was approached by a professional photographer in Miami about print modeling, which turned into on-camera commercial work and lead to his passion for acting.

Hickert believes playing football and acting are similar, explaining “whether you’re kicking for a huge crowd or acting in front of an audience, you have to focus and tune everything else around you out. It’s that ‘in the zone’ feeling that gets my blood pumping.”

Hickert is scheduled to start work on several independent film projects.

Paul Hickert is represented by Mary Anne Claro Talent (Philadelphia) and Atlas Talent (New York).

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Auditions were held all over the UK, and experts from Alesha’s team had the difficult task of whittling down the hundreds of talented dance groups to just 24 crews.

Each short-listed group will be facing the program’s expert judging panel when the show starts on 22 August, all hoping to be crowned Alesha’s Street Dance Stars 2011 – but only one crew can win.

Groups of up to 12 young street dancers will compete in a series of heats in the hope of getting a chance to perform the routine in London’s West End.

The street dance crews will be put through their paces by the expert judging team: Laurence Olivier Award-winning choreographer and co-founder of the Boy Blue Entertainment hip-hop dance company Kenrick Sandy; internationally acclaimed dancer and So You Think You Can Dance finalist Lizzie Gough; and Issac “Turbo” Baptiste, one of the UK’s most versatile street dancers with a string of impressive credits including working with Madonna, Will Smith and Whitney Houston.

Perri Luc Kiely and Jordan Banjo from UK street dance crew Diversity will also be taking part – mentoring and supporting the crews as they progress through the series and providing pointers on how best to impress the judges.

Filming for the series took place in Manchester and MediaCityUK in Salford Quays, and the show will be on CBBC from August 22nd.

Source: BBC Press Office

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“Justin and Selena as One” features the “Adam and Eve” couple conjoined at the torso, each seeming to emerge from the other’s rib. Together, they have three legs, sharing Selena’s right leg as she appears to lead the younger Justin toward “Eden.” The pair is being led by an amorous Canada goose and Texas armadillo.

The portrait, partly inspired by Canadian Justin Bieber’s boasts of Canada’s successful single payer national health care system, “should be considered for installation at Canadian Embassies around the globe as a symbol of Canada’s prowess in the areas of art and commerce,” according to Edwards.

“Justin and Selena joined together, symbolizes the great harmony between neighboring countries Canada and The United States,” said spokesman Cory Allen. “Countries like North Korea and South Korea could learn from our example. It would be nice to exhibit this portrait in the areas of the world where tensions are high between countries that share borders.”

“The portrait represents both Canadian exceptionalism and Texas-American exceptionalism, but I believe Justin and Selena would ultimately choose Canada for their Garden of Eden, because Canada’s Medicare and AAA credit rating make it easier for young couples who may find themselves in the family way,” said Edwards.

Artist Exposes Bieber’s “Private Parts” in Exhibit:

A companion artwork, “Allegory of a Teen Sex Symbol (Justin Bieber),” shows the hidden private parts of Bieber atop a Canadian maple leaf in a manner inspired by renaissance painter Giuseppe Acrimboldo and sixties rock star groupie Cynthia Plaster Caster. “The Bieber genitalia are artistically symbolized, not depicted,” says Allen. “Daniel wanted to create a work that opens a dialogue about the inevitable exploitation of teen sex symbols as they grow from child stars to adults, like we’ve seen with past celebutantes Lindsay, Miley, and Britney.”

The artist’s portrayal of Bieber’s pelvic organ will be shown with a bootleg plaster cast of Jimi Hendrix’s private parts at Dallas’s New Fine Arts, located at 1966 W. Northwest Hwy.

For more info, visit www.facebook.com/officialdanieledwards or www.CACAnet.com .

News Source: Cory Allen Contemporary Art :: This press release was issued on behalf of the news source by Send2Press® Newswire, a service of Neotrope®. View all current news at: Send2PressNewswire.com .

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The film also stars three-time Oscar® nominee Amy Adams (“The Fighter”) as Daily Planet journalist Lois Lane, and Oscar® nominee Laurence Fishburne (“What’s Love Got to Do with It”) as her editor-in-chief, Perry White. Starring as Clark Kent’s adoptive parents, Martha and Jonathan Kent, are Oscar® nominee Diane Lane (“Unfaithful”) and Academy Award® winner Kevin Costner (“Dances with Wolves”).

Squaring off against the superhero are two other surviving Kryptonians, the villainous General Zod, played by Oscar® nominee Michael Shannon (“Revolutionary Road”), and Faora, Zod’s evil partner, played by Antje Traue. Also from Superman’s native Krypton are Lara Lor-Van, Superman’s mother, played by Julia Ormond, and Superman’s father, Jor-El, portrayed by Academy Award® winner Russell Crowe (“Gladiator”).

Rounding out the cast are Harry Lennix as U.S. military man General Swanwick, as well as Christopher Meloni as Colonel Hardy.

“Man of Steel” is being produced by Charles Roven, Emma Thomas, Christopher Nolan and Deborah Snyder. The screenplay was written by David S. Goyer, from a story by Goyer and Nolan, based upon Superman characters created by Jerry Siegel & Joe Shuster and published by DC Comics. Thomas Tull and Lloyd Phillips are serving as executive producers.

Currently in production, “Man of Steel” is slated for release on June 14, 2013 and will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.

Source: Business Wire

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“For anyone who was on the fence about buying a Nintendo 3DS, this is a huge motivation to buy now,” said Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime. “We are giving shoppers every incentive to pick up a Nintendo 3DS, from an amazing new price to a rapid-fire succession of great games.”

Nintendo 3DS has the strongest software lineup of any video game system this holiday season and the new price now opens up the glasses-free 3D experience to many more consumers. Building on the popularity of The Legend of Zelda^™: Ocarina of Time^™ 3D, which launched June 19, the upcoming game calendar is a Who’s Who of iconic video game franchises. Star Fox 64^™ 3D arrives on Sept. 9, followed by Super Mario^™ 3D Land in November, Mario Kart^™ 7 in December and Kid Icarus^™: Uprising during the holiday season.

In addition to great games, Nintendo 3DS has a host of attractive features* that make it the must-have video game system this season:

• The new Nintendo Video^™ service automatically delivers short 3D videos from the worlds of music, comedy, animation and Hollywood.
• A free application allows Netflix members with unlimited streaming plans to instantly watch TV episodes and movies streaming from Netflix.
• The Nintendo eShop is a digital store for Nintendo 3DS owners that provides access to a wide variety of downloadable content, such as original 3D software, classic games that have been re-mastered in 3D called 3D Classics, Game Boy^™ and Game Boy Color “Virtual Console” games in their original 2D glory, and more than 350 Nintendo DSiWare^™ games. Visitors can also view video game trailers, screen shots and product information for games, including those available at retail locations.

Since Nintendo 3DS launched in the United States on March 27, more than 830,000 people in the U.S. alone have purchased one to enjoy 3D visuals without the need for special glasses. These Nintendo 3DS owners represent some of Nintendo’s most loyal customers, and Nintendo is rewarding them for getting in on the action early with 20 free downloadable games from the Nintendo eShop.

These free games are available to anyone who owns a Nintendo 3DS system and uses a wireless broadband Internet signal to connect to the Nintendo eShop at least once before 11:59 p.m. Eastern time on Aug. 11. These users will automatically be registered in the Nintendo 3DS Ambassador program. The program contains two elements:

1. Starting Sept. 1, Nintendo 3DS Ambassadors will be able to download 10 NES^™ Virtual Console^™ games at no charge and before they are available in the Nintendo eShop to the general public. These games, including Super Mario Bros.^™, Donkey Kong Jr.^™, Balloon Fight^™, Ice Climber^™ and The Legend of Zelda^™, are slated to become paid downloadable games, but Ambassadors get them early for free. Once the paid versions of the games are posted to the Nintendo eShop later in the year, the updated versions will be available to Ambassadors for download at no cost.
2. By the end of 2011, Nintendo will provide Ambassadors with 10 Game Boy Advance Virtual Console games. These include games like Yoshi’s Island^™: Super Mario^™ Advance 3, Mario Kart^™: Super Circuit, Metroid^™ Fusion, WarioWare^™, Inc.: Mega Microgame$ and Mario vs. Donkey Kong^™. These games will be available exclusively to Ambassadors, and Nintendo currently has no plans to make these 10 games available to the general public on the Nintendo 3DS in the future.

More details about this program will be announced in the future.

Source: Business Wire

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The influential choreographer, famous for pioneering contemporary dance which brings together Indian and Western styles, collected his award at a ceremony in London on Friday July 22nd.

At the ceremony, Shiamak spoke to an audience of hundreds of Middlesex University dance, drama and music students as they graduated from their degree courses.

Before the ceremony, Shiamak Davar said: “I am truly honored to receive the award of Doctor of the University from Middlesex University. My parents, both pioneers in the field of education, imbibed the importance of education in me. I am blessed to be able to continue their legacy as a dance educationist. I started my journey in the field of performing arts in the UK and receiving this honor completes this circle. With my mission to educate, entertain and empower people, this acknowledgement reinforces my belief…..Have feet, will dance. Have spirit, will triumph.”

Middlesex University Vice-Chancellor Michael Driscoll said: “It’s so inspiring for our students to meet and graduate alongside Shiamak as his work has become a truly international success. His story is an example of what can be achieved with talent and determination.”

Shiamak’s award was made as part of the University’s annual graduation celebrations, with honorary degrees presented to people who have made an outstanding contribution to their profession or the community. Other well known figures receiving Middlesex honorary doctorates this year include former international cricketer Phil Tufnell and human rights advocate Shami Chakrabarti.

Middlesex University has a long standing commitment to providing higher education in India and celebrating Indian talent. Current projects include a new Middlesex University center opening in Noida this year, a partnership with A. R. Rahman’s KM Music Conservatory in Chennai and a specialist creative arts centre in southern Delhi.

Source: Middlesex University

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The game, which continues the adventure that director and producer J.J. Abrams envisioned with Star Trek (2009), boasts a stand alone story filled with action-packed combat as Kirk and Spock must work together to stop a legendary enemy race bent on conquering the galaxy.

“Star Trek challenges the boundaries of co-op gameplay with a galactic adventure that gamers and fans have never experienced,” said Tom Lesinski, President of Paramount Digital Entertainment. “Working closely with the Star Trek filmmaking team throughout development, the game is sure to deliver AAA production values, a wide variety of gameplay and all the action you would expect from the hit franchise. This will be the definitive Star Trek gaming experience.”

Star Trek features an original story by BAFTA award winner and God of War writer, Marianne Krawczyk, in collaboration with the writer/producers of the new Star Trek films, Bob Orci and Alex Kurtzman.

The game is under development by acclaimed Ontario-based developers Digital Extremes (Bioshock 2, Unreal Tournament, Dark Sector, The Darkness II), working closely with Bad Robot, K/O Paper Products and Damon Lindelof and published by Paramount Digital Entertainment through a license with CBS Consumer Products. Star Trek will be available in stores 2012.

Paramount Digital Entertainment will be providing a first look at the title to press during the upcoming Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) in Los Angeles, June 7-9, 2011. To schedule an appointment please contact Casey Lynch, casey@reverbinc.com

SOURCE Paramount Digital Entertainment

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Commissioned by Damian Kavanagh, Controller CBBC, the 10 x 30minute series is on a mission to find Britain’s most original, entertaining and accomplished young street dancers. Alesha will be scouring the nation searching for eye-popping, jaw-dropping routines married with tight showmanship and electrifying acrobatic dance skills.

Dance crews of up to 12 young street dancers will compete in a series of auditions, rounds and finals over the coming months with one crew winning both the title of Alesha’s Street Dance Stars and a “money can’t buy prize”.

Alesha said: “Street dance has taken the nation by storm and I am delighted to be fronting this brand new series showcasing the UK’s most talented young crews.”

Damian Kavanagh said: “Alesha is the perfect host for the series, she knows what it is like to have to judge and be judged on dancing skills, is a fantastic dancer and our audience adore her.

The street dance crews will be put to the test at each of the rounds by the panel of judges: Kenrick Sandy – a Laurence Olivier Award-winning choreographer and co-founder of the Boy Blue Entertainment hip hop dance company; Lizzie Gough – internationally acclaimed dancer and So You Think You Can Dance finalist; and Turbo – one of the UK’s most versatile street dancers with a string of impressive credits including working with Madonna, Will Smith and Whitney Houston.

Across the series Perri Luc Kiely and Jordan Banjo, members of the celebrated UK street dance troupe Diversity and popular dance stars of stage, TV and the big screen will be mentoring and supporting the kids as they progress, providing pointers around the challenges of performing in front of an audience and sharing their secrets of success.

The show will start with 24 crews competing in the qualifiers, all hoping to claim one of the 15 slots in the heats. Only nine teams can then make it through to the semi-finals and then the judges have a tough decision choosing which three crews to put through to the nail-biting Grand Final.
Source: BBC Press Office

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Produced by the multi-platinum, award-winning production and writing team, Stargate – whose other credits include recent No. 1 hits such as Rihanna’s “Only Girl In The World” and “What’s My Name” and Katy Perry’s “Firework” – “Happiness” is a heartfelt and universally acclaimed song that will make the emotional connection between music, the global sport of football and the FIFA Women’s World Cup™.  Alexis sings the song straight from the heart to the top of the charts. Already a proven hit in Europe, Australia and US clubs, the positive message of the official song of the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2011™ is sure to reach a wider audience.

“The Official Song plays an important role in establishing the identity of our events with football fans all over the world. ‘Happiness’ by Alexis Jordan is a great song which captures the joyous nature of women’s football and the FIFA Women’s World Cup. I’m looking forward to hearing the song played during the event this summer” said Thierry Weil, FIFA Marketing Director.

“I am honored that ‘Happiness’ has been chosen to be used as the official song of the 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup,” said Alexis Jordan. “The FIFA Women’s World Cup is a special event that unites and inspires people and cultures all around the world. ‘Happiness’ is a song that touches everyone universally and celebrates one of our greatest emotions.”

“Soccer brings people from the whole world together, just like music,” said Stargate. “We’re proud to be a small part of such a big event and hope to bring a little ‘Happiness’ to contestants and fans alike.”

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‘I want my fans from around the world to dance to my new song “Blow” and participate in the competition for the “EF Summer Song 2011′, says global superstar Ke$ha, who has recorded a special video message for all contestants available at www.ef.com/summersong.

The winners of the dance competition will have the opportunity to record a professional dance video with choreographers. Additionally, they will be VIP guests at the “EF Summeranza” student party at Thorpe Park outside London on July 14, where they will perform their dance routine in front of thousands of people. The platinum-winning Ke$ha herself will be there to rock the party with her chart-topping dance hits.

‘Young people love Ke$ha’s songs and we are very excited to be collaborating with her,” says Mats Ulenius, Marketing Director at EF. “When studying abroad with EF, the language learning continues outside of class. Students will experience a new culture, meet new friends from all over the world, and sing along to popular songs like Ke$ha’s current hit single “Blow” at our student parties.’

The global superstar debuted last year with her album “Animal”, which conquered dance floors all over the world and has been certified platinum with over 2 million units sold worldwide. Her song “TiK ToK” was the most played song of 2010 as well as the biggest-selling digital track in the world. Ke$ha is currently touring in support of her recent album “Cannibal”, which includes the international hit single “Blow”.

Ke$ha ends her video message with a word of advice to the contestants: ‘Blow me away!’

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“Obviously, you can’t hold a book’s hand, and a book isn’t going to dry your tears when you’re sad,” says University at Buffalo, SUNY psychologist Shira Gabriel. Yet we feel human connection, without real relationships, through reading.  “Something else important must be happening.”

In an upcoming study in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science, Gabriel and graduate student Ariana Young show what that something is: When we read, we psychologically become part of the community described in the narrative—be they wizards or vampires. That mechanism satisfies the deeply human, evolutionarily crucial, need for belonging.

The researchers recruited 140 undergraduates for the study.  First the participants were assessed on the extent to which they meet their needs for connection by identifying with groups. Then some read a passage from the novel Twilight in which the undead Edward describes what it feels like to be a vampire to his romantic interest Bella. Others read a passage from Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone in which the Hogwarts students are separated into “houses” and Harry meets potions professor Severus Snape. Participants were given 30 minutes to read the passage and were instructed to simply read for their own pleasure.

Then, two measures gauged the participants’ psychological affiliation with vampires or wizards. In the first, the students were instructed to categorize—as quickly and accurately as possible—“me” words (myself, mine) and “wizard” words (broomstick, spell, wand, potions) by pressing the same key when any of those words flashed on the screen; they pressed another key for “not-me” words (they, theirs) and “vampire” words (blood, fangs, bitten, undead).  Then the pairs were reversed. Gabriel and Young expected participants to respond more quickly when “me” words were linked with a group to which “me” belonged, depending on which book they read.

Next the researchers administered what they called the Twilight/Harry Potter Narrative Collective Assimilation Scale, consisting of questions indicating identification with wizards or vampires. Examples: “Do you think you might be able to make yourself disappear and reappear somewhere else?” and “How sharp are your teeth?” Finally, short questionnaires assessed participants’ life satisfaction and mood.

As predicted, on both measures, Harry Potter readers “became” wizards and the Twilight readers “became” vampires. In addition, participants who were more group-oriented in life showed the largest assimilation effects. Finally, “belonging” to these fictional communities delivered the same mood and life satisfaction people get from affiliation with real-life groups.

“The study explains how this everyday phenomenon—reading—works not just for escape or education, but as something that fulfills a deep psychological need,” says Young. And we don’t have to slay any boggarts or get bitten to feel it.

Source: psychologicalscience.org

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