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Miami Postpones Ultra Music Festival Amid Coronavirus Concerns, Other Major Artists Cancel Shows

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  • After pressure from the city of Miami, organizers with the Ultra Music Festival decided to postpone the 3-day show that had been scheduled for later this month.
  • David Guetta, Major Lazer, and Zedd had all been scheduled to perform.
  • The move comes as the United States faces a surge in coronavirus cases and its first wave of deaths.
  • Some have criticized Miami for making the decision so late since many people have already booked flights and hotels.
  • Other major artists have all either canceled or postponed several of their shows, including BTS, Khalid, Green Day, Mariah Carey, and Avril Lavigne.

Ultra Music Festival Postponed, Possibly Cancelled

City officials and organizers for Miami’s Ultra Music Festival agreed to postpone the three-day show amid fears around the coronavirus outbreak. 

It is currently unknown how long Ultra, which was originally scheduled for March 20-22, will be postponed for, though it’s unclear for how long. It is being reported that the festival could be pushed back for up to a year, effectively canceling this year’s show.

The event was set to feature major artists like David Guetta, Major Lazer, and Zedd. 

Wednesday morning, Miami Mayor Francis Saurez and Commissioner Joe Carollo told reporters that the city was encouraging Ultra organizers to suspend the festival. After a meeting with Ultra representatives, the postponement was announced. 

Currently, it’s still unknown how this will affect people who have already bought tickets. Miami city officials are expected to give more details about the event in an announcement on Friday.

The move to suspend the concert festival comes after four people in Florida have been confirmed to have contracted the coronavirus. Additionally, Governor Ron DeSantis has issued a public health emergency in the state.

Did Miami Officials Act Too Late?

Last year, Ultra reportedly attracted 170,000 people. It is also a major international festival for the city, with people from over 100 countries expected to flock to Miami. 

That, combined with the recent and rapid spread of the coronavirus in the U.S., prompted officials to postpone the event, though their timing has created some backlash. 

While many were likely upset to miss out on seeing their favorite artists, some also expressed additional concern because many have already booked flights and hotels to Miami. The city will also be hosting Miami Music Week, a celebration that will result in a number of parties.

Others, however, have supported the move, noting how massive of an event Ultra is. 

Ultra’s postponement also raises other questions: Will other major festivals like Coachella, Lollapalooza, and Bonnaroo follow suit? Will major acts in these festivals start dropping out?

In 2016, amid concerns over the Zika virus outbreak, Rihanna reportedly dropped out of her headline performance for Lollapalooza Colombia. In turn, the entire festival was then canceled. 

Other Musical Acts Cancel Shows

Ultra is not the first instance of a major musical event being canceled over coronavirus concerns.

On Feb. 14, Khalid canceled multiple concerts scheduled in Asia. Later that month, artists like Green Day and Avril Lavigne also canceled their Asian tours. BTS also canceled concerts in its home country of South Korea, which is currently seeing the largest outbreak in the world outside of China.

Notably, on Tuesday, Mariah Carey became the first major artist to postpone a show in the United States.

Aloha Hawaii!! I’m so so sad to have to announce that I’m postponing my show to November,” Carey said. “…evolving international travel restrictions force us to consider everyone’s safety and well being.”

See what others are saying: (The Miami Herald) (Billboard) (NBC 6 South Florida)

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Max to Agrees to “Properly” Credit Writers and Directors After Facing Backlash For Lumping Them in As “Creators”

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The company said the credits were laid out incorrectly due to “an oversight in the technical transition from HBO Max to Max.”


After film and television writers slammed Max for crediting all writers, producers, and directors as general “creators” on its platform, the company said it will be adjusting its credits display.

“We agree that the talent behind the content on Max deserve their work to be properly recognized,” the streaming service said in a statement obtained by The Hollywood Reporter. 

Max — the new rebrand of HBO Max that incorporates Discovery content — launched on Tuesday to much criticism. Amid glitches and app-switching confusion, the biggest backlash it faced was over the choice to lump creative roles into one credit section called “creators.” As one viral tweet noted, if a user were to select the film “Raging Bull,” the service’s display would not specifically credit Martin Scorsese as the director, rather, his name would be included at random with half a dozen other people, including writers and producers. 

The decision was condemned by many in the industry who argued it minimizes writers and directors by not properly giving them credit where it is due. Especially amid the ongoing writers’ strike, and with directors and actors starting negotiations with studios, some took it as a slap in the face. 

“The studios don’t want anyone to know our names,” writer Christina Strain tweeted. “It’s easier to pay us nothing if we’re faceless.”

“Another move from studios to diminish the role of writers, directors, actors and other craftspeople. Miss me wit this nonsense,” Jorge Rivera, the Vice-Chair of the Writers Guild’s Latinx Writers Committee, added. 

In a statement, Directors Guild President Lesli Linka Glatter said that Warner Bros. Discovery’s choice to “collapse” these roles into one credit “while we are in negotiations with them is a grave insult to our members and our union.”

“The DGA will not stand for it,” Glatter continued.

WGA West President Meredith Stiehm claimed the move was “a credits violation,” as well as an insult “to the artists that make the films and TV shows that make their corporation billions.”

On Wednesday, Max said it would rework its crediting. 

“We will correct the credits, which were altered due to an oversight in the technical transition from HBO Max to Max and we apologize for this mistake,” the platform said.

See what others are saying: (Gizmodo) (The Hollywood Reporter) (The Los Angeles Times)

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A Quarter of Young British Men Support Andrew Tate’s Thoughts on Women

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U.K. residents at large, however, do not view him favorably.


Even under house arrest in Romania, misogynist influencer Andrew Tate still holds substantial sway over young men. 

According to data from YouGov that was obtained by The Independent, 26% of U.K. men between 18 and 29 years old who know of Tate agree with his views on women. That figure was largely the same for men between 30 and 39, as 28% agreed with Tate’s opinions on the subject. 

Men in their 30s were slightly more likely to agree with Tate on his thoughts about masculinity. Three out of ten supported those views, compared to just a quarter of men 18 to 29.

Those statistics only include the thoughts of men who have heard of Tate, but per YouGov, most have. In the 18 to 29 group, 93% were familiar with him, and 86% of men in their 30s knew of him. 

The U.K. at large was less aware of Tate, with just 63% of British adults having heard of him. Of that group, only 6% held a positive view of him. 

Tate has faced substantial backlash for his sexist rhetoric over the years. In the past, he said that men should have “authority” over their wives or girlfriends, and that women should “bear some responsibility” for being raped. He was previously banned from Twitter over his extremist views on women but has since been allowed back on the platform. 

He is currently being investigated in Romania for organized crime and human trafficking. He was arrested and held in custody in December but was released to house arrest earlier this year. No formal charges have been filed against him yet and he has maintained his innocence. 

Tate currently boasts a Twitter following of 6.7 million. It has grown significantly since he was enveloped in legal controversy, and many of his supporters have demanded his release. 

See what others are saying: (The Independent) (Glamour U.K.)

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Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Involved in “Near Catastrophic” Paparazzi Chase

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“While being a public figure comes with a level of interest from the public, it should never come at the cost of anyone’s safety,” a spokesperson for the couple said.


“Aggressive” Paparazzi Chase Couple in New York

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were involved in a “near catastrophic” paparazzi car chase Tuesday night in New York City, according to a spokesperson for the couple.

In a statement, the spokesperson described the photographers as “highly aggressive.”

“While being a public figure comes with a level of interest from the public, it should never come at the cost of anyone’s safety,” the statement added.

“This relentless pursuit, lasting over two hours, resulted in multiple near collisions involving other drivers on the road, pedestrians and two NYPD officers,” it continued. 

Details of the incident are still emerging, but BBC News reported that there are claims the chase involved roughly six cars driving recklessly by running red lights, driving on the sidewalk, carrying out blocking moves, going backward on a one-way road, and taking pictures while driving. 

The chase happened after Harry and Meghan were leaving the Women of Vision Awards with Meghan’s mother, Doria. They did not want photographers to learn where they were staying and attempted to avoid them in what turned into a 75-minute chase on a main road in Manhattan’s Upper East Side. They eventually ducked into a New York Police Department Precinct to hide out before getting into a different vehicle.

The NYPD released a statement confirming that they assisted in protecting the couple as “numerous photographers” hindered their transport. Officials said they made it to their destination and there were no collisions, injuries, or arrests. 

The couple’s spokesperson is asking the public to not share or post footage of the incident. 

“Dissemination of these images, given the ways in which they were obtained, encourages a highly intrusive practice that is dangerous to all in involved,” the spokesperson said. 

Memories of Princess Diana

The chase evokes the brutal press hounding Harry’s mother, Princess Diana, was subjected to throughout her life. The paparazzi’s obsession with her ultimately resulted in her death in 1997, when she was killed in a car crash after being chased by photographers in Paris. 

Since marrying Meghan and later bowing out of the Royal Family, Harry has made it explicitly clear that he fears those events could happen again. Meghan has been the subject of endless tabloid scrutiny, enduring racism and harassment from the press. Part of the reason they left the Royal Family was to keep their family protected from such attacks.

Mayor Eric Adams brought up Diana’s tragic passing while speaking about Tuesday night’s chase. 

“I don’t think there’s many of us who don’t recall how [Harry’s] mom died,” Adams said while speaking to reporters. “And it would be horrific to lose an innocent bystander during a chase like this and something to have happened to them as well…I think that was a bit reckless and irresponsible.” 

Adams also questioned whether or not he believes a chase could go on for two hours in a city as congested as New York, but noted that even a 10-minute chase would be dangerous. He said he will be briefed on the exact timeline and details later. 

See what others are saying: (BBC News) (Associated Press) (Yahoo News)

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