#sascha penn
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#raising kanan#season 2#the more things change#mario van peebles#sascha penn#mekai curtis#patina miller#omar epps#hailey kilgore#london brown#natalee linez#malcolm mays#toby sandeman#joey bada$$#dope shit
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lista de nomes masculinos que estava no meu bloco de notas e eu só lembrei agora
starting with A ;;
aaron.
adair.
adam.
aiden.
ajax.
alec.
alfie.
allistar.
anderson.
andrew.
andy.
angus.
antonio.
anthony.
archer.
archibald.
archie.
aries.
arlo.
arthur.
ashley.
ashton.
austen.
avery.
axel.
starting with B ;;
bailey.
beau.
beckham.
beckett.
bellamy.
benjamin.
bennett.
bentley.
blade.
blake.
blaine.
blaise.
blue.
bobbie.
bodhi.
brad.
brandon.
braxton.
brayden.
brent.
brett.
brock.
brody.
brooke.
bryson.
starting with C ;;
caleb.
callum.
calvin.
cameron.
carlisle.
carlos.
carson.
carter.
casey.
chad.
chandler.
charlie.
chase.
chaz.
christian.
christopher.
cody.
colby.
cole.
cooper.
colton.
connor.
conrad.
corbin.
corey.
starting with D ;;
dakota.
dallas.
damien.
damon.
dante.
darian.
darron.
darryl.
david.
dawson.
declan.
demetri.
dennison.
denver.
derek.
diego.
diesel.
dimitri.
dixon.
dominic.
donovan.
drake.
drew.
dustin.
dwayne.
starting with E ;;
eason.
eaton.
eddy.
edmund.
edward.
elijah.
elior.
ellias.
elliot.
ellis.
elyas.
ember.
emerson.
emery.
emilio.
emmett.
enzo.
eric.
ernie.
ethan.
ethaniel.
evan.
everett.
everson.
ezar.
starting with F ;;
fabio.
fallon.
farah.
felix.
fernando.
ferris.
felton.
finn.
finnegan.
finnick.
fitz.
fitzgerald.
fletcher.
floyd.
flynn.
foley.
forest.
francisco.
franco.
frankie.
franklin.
fraser.
frasier.
freddie.
fredrik.
starting with G ;;
gabe.
gabriel.
gale.
gallagher.
garcia.
gareth.
garrett.
gary.
gavin.
gene.
george.
gerard.
gilbert.
giovanni.
glenn.
gordon.
grady.
graeme.
grant.
greggory.
gregor.
greyson.
griffin.
gus.
guy.
starting with H ;;
hadley.
hale.
haley.
hamilton.
hamish.
hansel.
harley.
harris.
harrison.
harry.
harvey.
haven.
hayes.
heath.
hector.
hendrix.
henrik.
henry.
holton.
howard.
hudson.
hugh.
hugo.
hunter.
hyde.
starting with I ;;
ian.
ibrahim.
icarius.
idris.
igor.
iman.
immanuel.
imran.
indi.
indiana.
indigo.
indra.
inrique.
irwin.
isaak.
isaiah.
isaias.
ishmael.
isobell.
israel.
ivan.
ivey.
ivor.
ivory.
izzy.
starting with J ;;
jack.
jacob.
jagger.
jai.
james.
jamie.
jason.
jaspar.
jaxon.
jaydon.
jed.
jeremy.
jesse.
jett.
joel.
jameson.
jonathon.
jordan.
jose.
joseph.
joshua.
jude.
julian.
junior.
justin.
starting with K ;;
kade.
kai.
kalen.
kameron.
kane.
kasey.
kayden.
keaton.
keegan.
keenan.
kellan.
kendall.
kendrick.
kevin.
khalil.
kian.
kiefer.
kieran.
kingsley.
kingston.
klaus.
kohen.
konrad.
kristoff.
kyle.
starting with L ;;
lachlan.
lamar.
lambert.
lance.
landon.
langston.
lawrence.
lawson.
leeroy.
lennon.
leo.
leonardo.
levi.
lewis.
liam.
lincoln.
lionel.
logan.
lorenzo.
louis.
luca.
lucas.
lucky.
lucis.
luke.
starting with M ;;
mackenzie.
madden.
maddox.
malaki.
malcolm.
manuel.
marco.
marcus.
marley.
marshall.
martin.
mason.
matteo.
matthew.
max.
micah.
michael.
miguel.
mike.
miles.
miller.
milo.
mitchell.
morgan.
moses
starting with N ;;
nadir.
naiser.
nasir.
nate.
nathan.
nathaniel.
naveen.
naydon.
ned.
nico.
neil.
nelson.
nero.
nicholai.
nicholas.
nila.
niles.
nixon.
noah.
noel.
nolan.
norman.
north.
nylan.
nyle.
starting with O ;;
oakley.
ocean.
octavius.
odell.
olaf.
oliver.
ollie.
omar.
omari.
orion.
orlando.
osborn.
oscar.
o’shea.
osten.
oswald.
otis.
otto.
owen.
oxley.
starting with P ;;
pablo.
page.
palmer.
parker.
parrish.
patrick.
paul.
paulo.
pax.
paxton.
payton.
penn.
percy.
perry.
peter.
phineas.
phoenix.
pierce.
pierre.
prescott.
presley.
preston.
prince.
princeton.
puck.
starting with Q ;;
qadim.
qadir.
quain.
quenby.
quill.
quimby.
quincy.
quinn.
quinten.
starting with R ;;
randy.
raymond.
reese.
reid.
remy.
reuben.
rhett.
rhys.
richard.
richie.
ricky.
riley.
robert.
robin.
roger.
roman.
romeo.
ronan.
ronnie.
ross.
rowen.
ryan.
ryder.
ryker.
rylan.
starting with S ;;
sage.
sailor.
salem.
samson.
samuel.
sascha.
sawyer.
saxon.
scott.
sean.
sebastian.
seth.
shane.
shiloh.
simon.
sinclair.
skyler.
sonny.
spencer.
stanley.
stefan.
steven.
stevie.
storm.
sullivan.
starting with T ;;
tamir.
tanner.
tate/tait.
tatum.
taylor.
teddy.
theo.
thomas.
timothy.
tobias.
toby.
todd.
tommy.
tory.
trace.
travis.
trent.
trevor.
trey.
tristan.
troye.
tucker.
tyler.
tyrone.
tyson.
starting with U ;;
umair.
umar.
urien.
usama.
starting with V ;;
valentine.
valentino.
vance.
vaughn.
victor.
vincent.
vinn.
vinnie.
vladimir.
starting with W ;;
wade.
walden.
wallace.
walter.
warner.
warren.
warrick.
waylan.
wayne.
wendall.
wes.
wesley.
west.
whitley.
wilbert.
william.
willis.
wilmer.
windsor.
winslow.
winston.
wolf.
wren.
wyatt.
wynter.
starting with X ;;
xachary.
xan.
xander.
xavier.
xeno.
ximen.
xylon.
starting with Y ;;
yahto.
yakub.
yasin.
yasi.
york.
ysrael.
yuri.
yusef.
starting with Z ;;
zachary.
zahir.
zander.
zane.
zavier.
zed.
zeke.
zion.
zolten.
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Exclusives Only: Week 19
- DATA CREATED: 11/05/2023
- QUALITY: MP3/320 kbps
- GENRE: Drum & Bass, House, Indie Dance, Trance, Techno (Peak Time / Driving), Tech House, Deep House, Progressive House, Afro House, Melodic House & Techno, Organic House / Downtempo
Tracklist
Jansons - Studio Electronic
Catz 'n Dogz - Rave History - Maruwa Remix
Mochakk, Fernanda Ouro - NO8DO - Plaza Edit
Kasra, VISLA - Azure
Aaron Suiss, Peled - Show Me Now
Dompe - Speak Easy
Ramiro Lopez - Slowing Down
Gledd - Yandman
Boys' Shorts - With You - Eden Burns Remix
Lexlay - Nice Shot
Mosby, Ric Waves, Freenzy Music, Jhonny Weezy - Takoflow feat. Mosby feat. Ric Waves feat. Jhonny Weezy
Penn Station Avenue - Moving Around
Shiba San, AYAREZ - Twist It - Extended Mix
Sascha Braemer - Voices Of Youth
Amir Telem - Ranchod
Minor Forms - Roll Thru
Download FileCat
Read the full article
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Exclusives Only: Week 19
- DATA CREATED: 11/05/2023
- QUALITY: MP3/320 kbps
- GENRE: Drum & Bass, House, Indie Dance, Trance, Techno (Peak Time / Driving), Tech House, Deep House, Progressive House, Afro House, Melodic House & Techno, Organic House / Downtempo
Tracklist
Jansons - Studio Electronic
Catz 'n Dogz - Rave History - Maruwa Remix
Mochakk, Fernanda Ouro - NO8DO - Plaza Edit
Kasra, VISLA - Azure
Aaron Suiss, Peled - Show Me Now
Dompe - Speak Easy
Ramiro Lopez - Slowing Down
Gledd - Yandman
Boys' Shorts - With You - Eden Burns Remix
Lexlay - Nice Shot
Mosby, Ric Waves, Freenzy Music, Jhonny Weezy - Takoflow feat. Mosby feat. Ric Waves feat. Jhonny Weezy
Penn Station Avenue - Moving Around
Shiba San, AYAREZ - Twist It - Extended Mix
Sascha Braemer - Voices Of Youth
Amir Telem - Ranchod
Minor Forms - Roll Thru
Download FileCat
Read the full article
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Sascha Penn Interview | Power Book III: Raising Kanan Season 2 Finale & Season 3 Talk
Sascha Penn Interview | Power Book III: Raising Kanan Season 2 Finale & Season 3 Talk
Sascha Penn Interview | Power Book III: Raising Kanan Season 2 Finale & Season 3 Talk
–BIOSASCHA PENN Executive Producer/Showrunner/Writer Episode 201, 210 Sascha Penn previously had the pilot “Main Justice” where he was partnered with former US Attorney General Eric Holder. Previously, Sascha was a writer for “Power” and “Survivor’s Remorse.” His original feature April 29, 1992 is currently in…
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#210#BGB#BlumHouse#Martin#New#News#Power#Power Book III#POWER BOOK III: RAISING KANAN#powerbook3#Raising Kanan#RaisingKanan#STARZ#Television#video#YouTube
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Creed II (2018)
Although not as good as the first, and certainly not as impactful as the original Rocky, Creed II is a well-thought-out sequel that'll please fans. It delivers good drama along with fine performances and the boxing footage happens to be pretty exciting too.
In 1985, Apollo Creed, father of Adonis Creed (Michael B. Jordan) was killed boxing against Ivan Drago (Dolph Lundgren). Having recently won the WBC World Heavyweight Championship, Adonis draws out Ivan’s son, Viktor (Florian Munteanu) who demands a chance to prove himself. Worried about his protege, Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone) urges him not to fight. Despite the pleas of his longtime girlfriend, Bianca (Tessa Thompson), Adonis decides to take the challenge.
Many viewers grew up with Rocky IV as their favorite of the series and that film's events directly impacted Adonis. It’s only logical the story get followed-up with this sequel. Disgraced after his defeat at the hands of Balboa years ago, Ivan wants revenge. Egged on by his father Viktor has his own chip on his shoulder. Adonis has more to lose than ever before. Rocky - not wanting history to repeat itself - attempts to atone for his mistake years ago. There is a recurring theme of fathers, sons, and legacies here and it’s well explored.
The dramatic portions are where Creed II is at its best. While we are following world champions, the uncertainty Adonis and Bianca have about their future, Rocky’s isolation from his son, Mary Anne Creed (Phylicia Rashad)’s frustration at her adopted son’s quest for revenge - for a man who died before he was born - are relatable. The actors know it and everyone delivers thanks to the rich character arcs.
The film’s biggest weakness is the boxing angle. The way they set up the rivalry between Adonis and Viktor once they’re in the ring is quite clever. The problem is the same as it was with Rocky IV: the villains are too much. You are never torn between who to choose for and this makes the conclusion easily foreseeable. A touch more of humanity in the Drago's, a dash of arrogance on Creed’s side and you might be conflicted. As is, you’re not. At least the fight scenes are well done (better shot than any real-life match) and exciting thanks to the time spent with the players.
The series hasn’t run out of ideas yet but it’s pushing it a little. This 8th film in the franchise (I know!) can begin to feel familiar when it comes to the overall plot, but not in the details. The one-on-one scenes between Adonis and Bianca, between him and Rocky being particularly good. Creed II takes the characters in logical directions, gets you pumped up for the climatic match and when it simply deals with the characters and their feelings, it’s even more effective. (Theatrical version on the big screen, December 9, 2018)
#Creed II#Creed II movie review#creed ii film review#creedII#Creed 2#movies#films#reviews#movie reviews#film reviews#rocky#Steven Caple jr.#Juel taylor#sylvester stallone#Sascha penn#Cheo Hodari coker#Michael b. jordan#Tessa thompson#wood harris#Phylicia rashad#Dolph lundgren#2018 movies#2018 films#3.5 star movies#3.5 star movie reviews#adamwatchesmovies
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Entertaiment Weekly Reveals First Look At The Characters Of Mira Royal Detective
The new Disney Junior animated series is a mystery-adventure show inspired by the cultures and customs of India. Set in the fictional land of Jalpur, it follows Mira, a commoner who is appointed to the role of royal detective by the queen herself.
Get your first look at these adorable animated characters alongside their real-life counterparts in the images below. Mira, Royal Detective premieres in March.
EW exclusively gave audiences their first look at Mira, who is voiced by 16-year-old newcomer Leela Ladnier.
Freida Pinto voices Queen Shanti, the regal figure who hires Mira to investigate mysteries in the kingdom.
Jameela Jamil may have just said goodbye to The Good Place, but now she’s giving voice to a new character, Auntie Pushpa.
Kal Penn (House) provides the voice for the adorable Mikku, one of Mira’s mongoose sidekicks.
Meanwhile, Utkarsh Ambudkar (The Mindy Project) lends his voice to Chikku, Mira’s other mongoose sidekick.
Hannah Simone (New Girl) takes on the character of Pinky, a young commoner.
Aasif Mandvi (The Daily Show) voices Mira’s father, Sahil.
Aparna Nancherla (BoJack Horseman) portrays Mira’s cousin Meena.
#Mira Royal Detective#MRD#Disney Junior#Disney Jr#Sascha Paladino#Becca Topol#Leela Ladnier#Jameela Jamil#Kal Penn#Utkarsh Ambudkar#Hannah Simone#Aasif Mandvi#Aparna Nancherla
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21 QUESTIONS GAME
Rules: Answer 21 questions and tag 21 people you would like to get to know better!
Tagged by the lovely @hope-for-olicity
Nickname: Sascha
Real name: Since it’s not that common I would prefer not to share it
Zodiac: Aries
Favorite musician or group: U2, Linkin Park, Muse, Snow Patrol, Bon Jovi, Nirvana, basically I love rock music and 80′s and 90′s tunes
Favorite sports team: Milwaukee Bucks (but I’ll follow Giannis Antetokounmpo anywhere)
Other blogs: Nope, when I’m not quarantined I can barely keep up with the one I already have
Do I get asks? Yeah, mostly about my fics
Tumblr crushes? Nope
Lucky number: Probably 5 and 23
What I’m wearing? My pyjamas, a T-Shirt I got from Prague last Christmas and a pink hoodie
Dream vacation? So many... Europe: Scotland, USA: New York, Rest of the world: Cambodia
Dream car? Don’t have one, hate driving
Favorite food? I could never choose one... Burger and fries, cheesecake, steak, penne with pesto, spaghetti carbonara, sushi, grilled salmon and the list goes on...
Drink of choice: Diet Coke
Instruments? None unfortunately, my brother got all the musical talent in the family
Languages: English, Greek, French
Celebrity crushes? Stephen Amell and (my future husband) Chris Evans
Random facts: My birthday is in a few days and it’s gonna be the weirdest birthday I’ve even had. Also, my paternal grandmother was born in Italy but no one in my family speaks Italian which is a real shame.
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Disney Junior's 'Mira, Royal Detective' is India-inspired
NEW YORK The newest cartoon on Disney Junior has all the hallmarks one would expect from a children's show — a smart, resourceful lead character, entertaining sidekicks, and a bright, colorful animated environment, filled with song and dance.
But those aren't the main reasons Sonal Singh can't wait for the debut of “Mira, Royal Detective." She's excited because her 3-year-old daughter will be seeing something that Singh would have loved to have seen herself a generation ago as a child growing up in America — an Indian girl at the heart of it all.
“Seeing someone like yourself on TV, especially on a cartoon that you love or that you watch, gives you some sense of connection to your identity and your self-worth," said Singh, 35, of Mountain View, California. “I think it's incredible."
Debuting both in the United States and India on Friday, the cartoon incorporates the cultures of India and centers around Mira, a young girl who is named by the queen of fictional Jalpur as, yes, you guessed it, the royal detective. She's got friends and relatives who help her solve her cases, along with two chatty mongooses (the sidekicks.)
The actors voicing the recurring and guest characters include a who's who of South Asian talent, like Kal Penn, Freida Pinto, Utkarsh Ambudkar and Jameela Jamil. The voice of Mira belongs to 16-year-old Leela Ladnier in her first professional role.
“I would say this is a pretty good start" to a career, Ladnier said. The show has been a reminder of “how beautiful our culture is and I'm really excited to share that with the public."
From the start, the intent was to make the show as true to its Indian inspiration as possible, said Sascha Paladino, the executive producer, whose resume includes working as a writer on another cartoon show that made a big impact, “Doc McStuffins.” That cartoon follows an African American girl who dreams of being a doctor while using her toys as patients.
“We wanted it to feel authentic," he told The Associated Press. “The biggest piece of that in terms of authenticity was making sure we included as many South Asian voices in the process as possible."
That means writers, designers, musicians, a cultural consultant and even seeking the input of the people working in the animation studio in India that did some work on the project.
That authenticity is both for Indian and South Asian kids and their families, to see their lives and cultures reflected, and for those who aren't South Asian, to “see a new and interesting culture that hopefully they'll want to explore," he said.
“Ultimately I hope the characters are universal, that all kids can relate to the stories," Paladino said.
For Penn, who plays Mikku, one of the mongooses, being part of the show is a thrill. He's excited for people like his young nephew to have a show like this and other diverse offerings on television.
“This is going to be a generation of kids for whom this is going to be normal," he said. “They don't carry the emotional baggage or institutional memory of what it was like for us growing up with a lack of content on TV, they just don't have that."
If anything, he said, “my excitement coming into it I have to temper because I don't want him to think there's something abnormal."
Cheyenne Paiva can't wait to watch the show, and the 27-year-old woman, of Sri Lankan and Filipino descent, doesn't even have any kids yet.
“I haven't been able to celebrate a show like this my whole life, I think it's pretty cool," said Paiva, of Renton, Washington, who works in a medical lab but also does some standup comedy.
She's inspired not only by what's going to be on screen, but the involvement of South Asians throughout the production, especially some of the actors whom she's followed for years as a fan.
“The seed wouldn't have been planted that standup could be something I could do even for fun if I had never seen all these people," Paiva said.
“Things like this always excite me and fill my heart."
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Creed II Movie Review
I don’t remember anything about the first Creed except Sylvester Stallone, and that barely. I liked it well enough, then forgot about it. Now here comes a sequel. I liked it well enough, and will soon forget about it. At its best moments, it is about ghosts, and the way they can control a life. It is also sometimes about family, and the way we don’t get to choose ours. In the end, though, it’s fine being a fairly standard boxing movie. It could have been more. Dare I say it? It coulda been a contender.
If you’ll recall (I had to look it up), Adonis Creed (Michael B. Jordan), son of famous Rocky opponent Apollo Creed, got adopted, separately, by both Adonis’s widow (Phylicia Rashad) and Rocky himself (Sylvester Stallone). Before going into the ring and losing but honorably, he also became boyfriend to a partially deaf singer named Bianca (Tessa Thompson). As the sequel begins, Adonis wins the heavyweight championship, and is almost immediately challenged for it by Russian mountain Viktor Drago (Florian Munteanu). That would be the son of Ivan Drago (Dolph Lundgren), the man whose bout with Adonis’s father Apollo was the death of him. Later, Ivan lost to Rocky, and as a result lost his status, his wife, and his respect, which makes you wonder how the Russian divorce rate isn’t 99%; after all, the hard reality is that most people who compete for something lose. Back on the home front, Adonis and Bianca come down with a case of pregnant-before-we’re-ready, and it is only natural to wonder if the baby will also be deaf. Adonis, of course, also takes Viktor’s challenge.
Outside of the ring, the movie, which has tagged in Steven Caple Jr. as director since Ryan Coogler went on to handle some superhero thing, is a surprisingly nuanced look at obsession, masculine ego, and the toll an ultimately meaningless contest takes on people. Adonis has to fight the son of the man who killed his father, because it’s destiny, a word sports announcers, writers and fans throw around more than they do game balls. Mostly, though, it’s because he’s goaded by both the Dragos and a slimy promoter (Russell Hornsby), and it is of course an accepted fact that you cannot turn down such a challenge and still retain your manhood. Who decided it was an accepted fact? Well, people with a lot of money to make off the fight, of course. The idea that your ability to whup another man’s ass decides everything about who you are is of course older than recorded history, but I wouldn’t be surprised to learn it was thunk up by an ancient sports promoter.
This is even clearer on the side of Ivan and Victor. The elder Drago blames his loss of “everything” on Rocky defeating him. He never considers the fact that Rocky wouldn’t have been ostracized in his country for losing, never stops to think it might just be wrong to see the world that way. His son does. When their ice-hearted ex-wife/mother (Brigitte Nielsen) parades herself and her status as the pampered trophy wife of a wealthy stuffed shirt in front of the humiliated Drago at a dinner party, it is Viktor who reacts, insisting that, no, dad, it’s her fault for leaving them just because he lost a fair fight. I would have loved to see the movie from their point-of-view.
Adonis loses his first fight with Drago, and loses badly. He keeps his belt because Drago hits him while he’s down. He goes to the hospital, spends months in recovery. Yet, despite the fact that he has a baby on the way and that Bianca wants him to settle down, she offers no resistance to his continued machismo in accepting a rematch. And it is exactly that. He rages against his own impulses, Rocky tries to impress the importance of other things on him, and the movie flirts briefly with the idea that he might do the saner, rarer and more interesting thing: turn down the fight, live his life, learn that sometimes the story doesn’t go entirely our way. I imagine a film wherein he decides he does not need to fight, that he is a whole man already.
That doesn’t happen, of course. I said in my review for a great, underloved movie called Damsel that the western is the most versatile of modern genres. The sports genre is the least. Donnie takes the fight. The movie ends with a rousing display of well-choreographed martial prowess, a fight that is thrilling in and of itself but which is also common and wrote in a movie where the characters often are not. I felt fascinated by Adonis’s obsession and the toll it takes on him. The screenplay by Stallone and Juel Taylor, based on a story by Sascha Penn and Cheo Hodari Coker, goes to a lot of love in crafting a broken youth. I was especially engaged with him when he is at his worst: when he pushes away the mentor who has been where he is, simply because his ego can’t handle being told a right answer when he wants it to be a wrong one. For much of the film he is not a hero we can admire. And Stallone? Well, he may only have one way of acting, but it works here. He does not feel broken, but worn, sort of like a rock passed many times over by a river. The women in the movie are rendered largely irrelevant and reduced to ineffective protest, but the relationship between Adonis and Rocky points to fascinating conclusions the film could have reached. I also wanted to see more of the viewpoint of Viktor, who more than Adonis doubts the validity of self-confirmation through fighting, but is routinely pulled back into the world he has been taught.
The third act of the film discards most of this. In the end, Adonis’s choice to fix his broken pieces by fighting yields him all of the rewards and none of the consequences, while those in his life either actively cheer or look on passively. It isn’t that I want a sports movie to not be a sports movie, but this one makes so many overtures toward something deeper that when it opts to reinforce the modern sports belief that winning is at the heart of the universe, it becomes less than the sum of its parts. For a few glorious moments, Creed II was almost a powerful film. Then it settled for less.
Verdict: Recommended
Note: I don’t use stars, but here are my possible verdicts.
Must-See
Highly Recommended
Recommended
Average
Not Recommended
Avoid like the Plague
You can follow Ryan's reviews on Facebook here:
https://www.facebook.com/ryanmeftmovies/
Or his tweets here:
https://twitter.com/RyanmEft
All images are property of the people what own the movie.
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Apple, Google raise new concerns by yanking Russian app
This combo of photos shows the logo for Google, top, and Apple, bottom. Big Tech companies that operate around the globe have long promised both to obey local laws and to protect civil rights while doing business. But when Apple and Google capitulated to Russian demands and removed Smart Voting, a political-opposition app from their local app stores, it raised worries that two of the world’s most successful companies are more comfortable bowing to undemocratic edicts—and maintaining a steady flow of profits— than upholding their stated principles.Credit: (AP Photo/File
Big Tech companies that operate around the globe have long promised to obey local laws and to protect civil rights while doing business. But when Apple and Google capitulated to Russian demands and removed a political-opposition app from their local app stores, it raised worries that two of the world’s most successful companies are more comfortable bowing to undemocratic edicts—and maintaining a steady flow of profits—than upholding the rights of their users.
The app in question, called Smart Voting, was a tool for organizing opposition to Russia President Vladimir Putin ahead of elections held over the weekend. The ban levied last week by a pair of the world’s richest and most powerful companies galled supporters of free elections and free expression.
“This is bad news for democracy and dissent all over the world,” said Natalia Krapiva, tech legal counsel for Access Now, an internet freedom group. “We expect to see other dictators copying Russia’s tactics.”
Technology companies offering consumer services from search to social media to apps have long walked a tightrope in many of the less democratic nations of the world. As Apple, Google and other major companies such as Amazon, Microsoft and Facebook have grown more powerful over the past decade, so have government ambitions to harness that power for their own ends.
“Now this is the poster child for political oppression,” said Sascha Meinrath, a Penn State University professor who studies online censorship issues. Google and Apple “have bolstered the probability of this happening again.”
Neither Apple nor Google responded to requests for comment from The Associated Press when the news of the app’s removal broke last week; both remained silent this week as well.
According to a person with direct knowledge of the matter, Google faced legal demands by Russian regulators and threats of criminal prosecution of individual employees if it failed to comply. The same person said Russian police visited Google’s Moscow offices last week to enforce a court order to block the app. The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue.
Google’s own employees have reportedly blasted the company’s cave-in to Putin’s power play by posting internal messages and images deriding the app’s removal.
That sort of backlash within Google has become more commonplace in recent years as the company’s ambitions appeared to conflict with its one-time corporate motto, “Don’t Be Evil,” adopted by cofounders Larry Page and Sergey Brin 23 years ago. Neither Page nor Brin—whose family fled the former Soviet Union for the U.S. when he was a boy—are currently involved in Google’s day-to-day management, and that motto has long since been set aside.
Apple, meanwhile, lays out a lofty “Commitment To Human Rights” on its website, although a close read of that statement suggests that when legal government orders and human rights are at odds, the company will obey the government. “Where national law and international human rights standards differ, we follow the higher standard,” it reads. “Where they are in conflict, we respect national law while seeking to respect the principles of internationally recognized human rights.”
In this Friday, Sept. 17, 2021 file photo, The app Smart Voting is displayed on an iPhone screen in Moscow, Russia. Big Tech companies that operate around the globe have long promised both to obey local laws and to protect civil rights while doing business. But when Apple and Google capitulated to Russian demands and removed Smart Voting, a political-opposition app from their local app stores, it raised worries that two of the world’s most successful companies are more comfortable bowing to undemocratic edicts—and maintaining a steady flow of profits— than upholding their stated principles.Credit: AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko, File
A recent report from the Washington nonprofit Freedom House found that global internet freedom declined for the fifth consecutive year and is under “unprecedented strain” as more nations arrested internet users for “nonviolent political, social, or religious speech” than ever before. Officials suspended internet access in at least 20 countries, and 21 states blocked access to social media platforms, according to the report.
For the seventh year in a row, China held the top spot as the worst environment for internet freedom. But such threats take several forms. Turkey’s new social media regulations, for instance, require platforms with over a million daily users to remove content deemed “offensive” within 48 hours of being notified, or risk escalating penalties including fines, advertising bans and limits on bandwidth.
Russia, meanwhile, added to the existing “labyrinth of regulations that international tech companies must navigate in the country,” according to Freedom House. Overall online freedom in the U.S. also declined for the fifth consecutive year; the group said, citing conspiracy theories and misinformation about the 2020 elections as well as surveillance, harassment and arrests in response to racial-injustice protests.
Big Tech companies have generally agreed to abide by country-specific rules for content takedowns and other issues in order to operate in these countries. That can range from blocking posts about Holocaust denial in Germany and elsewhere in Europe where they’re illegal to outright censorship of opposition parties, as in Russia.
The app’s expulsion was widely denounced by opposition politicians. Leonid Volkov, a top strategist to jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny, wrote on Facebook that the companies “bent to the Kremlin’s blackmail.”
Navalny’s ally Ivan Zhdanov said on Twitter that the politician’s team is considering suing the two companies. He also mocked the move: “Expectations: the government turns off the internet. Reality: the internet, in fear, turns itself off.”
It’s possible that the blowback could prompt either or both companies to reconsider their commitment to operating in Russia. Google made a similar decision in 2010 when it pulled its search engine out of mainland China after the Communist government there began censoring search results and videos on YouTube.
Russia isn’t a major market for either Apple, whose annual revenue this year is expected to approach $370 billion, nor Google’s corporate parent, Alphabet, whose revenue is projected to hit $250 billion this year. But profits are profits.
“If you wan to take a principled stand on human rights and freedom of expression, then there are some hard choices you have to make on when you should leave the market,” said Kurt Opsahl, general counsel for the digital rights group Electronic Frontier Foundation.
Critics warn of Apple, Google ‘chokepoint’ repression
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‘Raising Kanan’s Mekai Curtis & EP: New ‘Power’ Spinoff Will Be ‘Deconstructing’ 50 Cent’s Kanan
‘Raising Kanan’s Mekai Curtis & EP: New ‘Power’ Spinoff Will Be ‘Deconstructing’ 50 Cent’s Kanan
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A Musical, Mystery Masala: Meet ‘Mira, Royal Detective’
Disney Junior’s colorful new animated series offers a window to the beautiful colors, music and culture of India.
Cooped-up parents and their preschool kids who are looking for a fresh way to be entertained this week will have a new savior. Her name is Mira, the star of the CG-animated series Mira, Royal Detective, bowing on Disney Junior on March 20 Stateside (March 22 in India).
Developed by Becca Topol (Elena of Avalor), who also serves as story editor, and exec produced by Emmy-nominated industry veteran Sascha Paladino, the beautifully imagined show centers on a resourceful young girl (voiced by Leela Ladnier) who takes on the role of royal detective after being appointed by the Queen. Inspired by the vibrant colors, music and culture of India, the show follows Mira and her friends Prince Neel (Kamran Lucas), cousin Priya (Roshni Edwards) and funny mongoose pals Mikku (Kal Penn) and Chikku (Utkarsh Ambudkar) as they travel their fictitious world of Jalpur, solving mysteries and helping the characters they meet along the way.
The voice cast also features Freida Pinto, Hannah Simone, Jameela Jamil, Aparna Nancherla, Aasif Mandvi, Karan Soni, Maulik Pancholy, Sarayu Blue and Sarita Choudhury.
Paladino, who also created Disney’s Miles from Tomorrowland (Mission Force One) and has written for numerous children’s animated shows such as Doc McStuffins, The Octonauts, Wonder Pets! and Sid the Science Kid, says he was thrilled when Disney asked him to run the series about two years ago. “It was a real honor to be asked because it’s an important show, and it combined my love for using children’s TV to explore a culture and help create Disney Junior’s first South Asian protagonist,” he says.
He says he loves the fact that the show takes its inspiration from Bollywood movies and that everyone involved strives to present an authentic and whimsical representation of Indian culture to young viewers. “We watched a lot of Bollywood films to prepare for the show, and one of the hallmarks of these movies is their big, musical numbers,” Paladino says. “So the chance to depict that in animation with dance and lots of characters, using authentic Indian music and instruments was so exciting for me.”
Paladino’s Passage to India
Paladino and some of the other key creatives behind the show actually visited India to get a more accurate, in-person feel for the culture they were hoping to showcase in Mira, Royal Detective. In addition, the film’s animation is produced by Bangalore-based Technicolor India, so they were able to get more feedback and accuracy checks from their animation team in the country throughout the production process.
“We were really inspired by the Indian culture on every level,” says Paladino. “We really wanted to get it right and are striving to represent the design, the music, the storytelling, the dance and choreography in each and every episode. Our animation studio in India is a perfect match, and they are truly our collaborators. They weigh in and give us their feedback on the show. I was lucky enough to go to India and meet with them, and it was incredible to see the pride they take as they’re working on this show that will represent their culture to the world. We don’t take that lightly. It’s a big responsibility, but it’s also a huge privilege to be able to work on a show that is going to have that rich and hopefully as big an impact on audiences.”
Not surprisingly, the show also employs a team of experts who offer their feedback on various aspects of Indian music, dance and culture. Shagorika Ghosh Perkins is Mira’s cultural consultant and consulting producer, offering her tips on costumes, music, food and set design to specific holiday traditions and festivals. Amritha Vaz (Miss India America) serves as the music composer. Deepak Ramapriyan (Basmati Blues) is the music consultant on the series and also provides additional orchestration for the song arrangements, while world-renowned musician Zakir Hussain plays tabla on the theme song. In addition, acclaimed Bollywood choreographer Nakul Dev Mahajan (So You Think You Can Dance) is the show’s dance consultant and choreographer.
“It’s been great to work with Amritha Vaz on the show’s music, and it’s very important to her and to us that we use as many authentic Indian instruments such as tabla, sitar, shehnai and others as possible,” says Paladino. “Music expresses so much about any culture, and South Asian culture is no different. For example, Mira is a great tabla player, so audiences will get to see her play that instrument in many of the episodes.”
The show’s look and overall visual style is also a reflection of this quest for authenticity. “We were inspired so much by what we could find online and in real life in South Asia,” says Paladino. “We wanted to reproduce the colors of India, and there’s such an incredible tradition of Indian art through the centuries, and we really wanted to honor that. Although our show is CG animated, we wanted to bring this special stylistic touch to the visuals, so you’ll see mandala patterns in the clouds, or the smoke that comes out a train stack is in the shape of traditional Indian patterns.”
An Eye for Details
Series art director Dorothea Gerassimova says when she first met with Paladino about the project, she was fired up by all the possibilities the show offered to really convey the beautiful art, patterns and culture of India. “I was so energized and inspired that I couldn’t sleep at night,” she says. “I think the show gave us such a fantastic opportunity to create this wonderful, stylized world — from the trees to the palace to the marketplace. I was so pleased that I was given free rein to stylize it and asked to create something that didn’t look like anything else on Disney Junior.”
Gerassimova says she loves that the show centers on a strong, smart young girl who is not afraid of challenges. “I love that Mira never jumps to conclusions,” she says. “She always asks questions and wants to look at things closer. She is not a princess, which is very refreshing, and she always works with her team to come up with solutions. I also really admire the show’s emphasis on family values and multigenerational bonds, and the fact that we were able to weave in all the real inspiration we could find about Indian architecture, art, colors, fabrics and patterns. Of course, Indian art and architecture is so detailed, so it was a big challenge to deliver all those intricate ingredients on a tight TV schedule, but I’m very proud of what we were able to achieve.”
Dorothea Gerassimova
Paladino also points out that he is proud of the fact the production offered South Asian voices and talent to be represented in every aspect of the show, from the writers room to the design, boarding, music, choreography and all the voice cast. “One of my biggest jobs was to listen to everyone. This is not my culture, so we wanted to be sensitive and thoughtful so that we could get it right. So much of what I do is giving the South Asian people who work on the show the opportunity to really have a voice.”
He also hopes audiences will be able to enjoy the delicate balancing act he and his team have been trying to pull off. “We wanted to be very specific about the culture: We’re not saying where in India this show is taking place, but we have a lot of specific cultural touches, so we want people to be inspired to learn more about South Asian culture. At the same time, we want the storytelling to feel universal. Every episode is a self-contained mystery, and those are very universal things.”
More importantly, Paladino hopes kids will recognize themselves in the storylines. “The show is about a group of kids who sometimes get along and sometimes don’t, but mainly, it’s about Mira who is extremely thoughtful and sympathetic. She is able to see things from different perspectives. I just hope after seeing our show, kids will think more about how other people see things and will be encouraged to think more about others around them. That’s what Mira does!”
Mira, Royal Detective Premieres on Disney Junior (U.S.) on March 20.
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