Paris 2024 Olympic torches and Dionysus crown from Seine opening ceremony up for auction
PARIS (AP) — Torches from the 2024 Paris Olympics Games and the crown and wreath of Dionysus worn by singer Philippe Katerine during the opening ceremony.
Profits from the sale will go to charity groups, organizers said.
One of the torches was carried by one of the mysterious masked torchbearers moving across the rooftops of Paris during the ceremony on the Seine.
Also on sale are many of the costumes used during the acclaimed but boundary-pushing spectacle, including Marie Antoinette's dresses.
The auction will take place on April 13 at the Stade Charléty in Paris.
During the ceremony, Katerine appeared lounging on a rug, painted in powdery blue from head to toe and seemingly clad in just a smattering of leaves and flowers. He was channeling Dionysus, the Greek god of wine and festivity, with a song about 'the absurdity of violence between human beings.'
Not everyone, however, enjoyed the ceremony, which prompted a storm of outrage in the wake of a contentious scene featuring drag queens and other performers. Several people charged in connection with alleged cyberbullying targeting the ceremony's artistic director went on trial last month in a Paris court.
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Hamilton Spectator
2 hours ago
- Hamilton Spectator
10 songs to celebrate the life and legacy of the Beach Boys' Brian Wilson
NEW YORK (AP) — The musical world lost a giant with news Wednesday that Brian Wilson, the Beach Boys' visionary and fragile leader, had died. He was 82. Attempting to distill Wilson's talent and influence in a few short songs is an impossibility; even just focusing on a few select cuts from The Beach Boys' 1966 album 'Pet Sounds,' routinely regarded as one of the greatest albums of all time, would feel shortsighted. (Lest we forget, there is no Beatles' 'Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club' without it, and countless other classics past and present.) Instead, to celebrate Wilson's life and legacy, we've decided to identify just a few songs that made the man, from the fiercely familiar to a few unexpected selections. Read on and then listen to all of the tracks on our Spotify playlist. 1963: 'Surfin' USA,' The Beach Boys The song of the summer in 1963 — heck, the song of any summer, ever — 'Surfin' USA' at least partially introduced the group that would forever become synonymous with an image of eternal California bliss, where the sun always shines, the waves are always pristine, and paradise is a place on Earth. It's hard to imagine the beach existing before these wake-up riffs, the guitars that sparked a surf rock movement and then some. (Though it is important to mention that the song borrows heavily from Chuck Berry's 'Sweet Little Sixteen.') It's hard to think that surf music was once mostly just instrumental — even when Wilson and his cousin, fellow Beach Boy Mike Love, hastily wrote up their first single, 'Surfin,'' a minor hit released in 1961. 1964: 'Don't Worry Baby,' The Beach Boys Think of it as a response to The Ronettes' 'Be My Baby.' The hot-rod hit 'Don't Worry Baby' is the cheery B-side to 'I Get Around,' and has one of the most transformative key shifts in pop music history, from the man's perspective in the verse to the woman's response in the chorus. Brilliant! 1965: 'California Girls,' The Beach Boys Headphones on, stereo up. The Beach Boys' 'California Girls' sounds massive. It is no doubt the result of Wilson's love and admiration for Phil Spector's 'Wall of Sound,' which lead to the song's use of guitar, horns, percussion and organ as its overture. The song is a sunshine-y good time — and would later inspire Katy Perry's 'California Gurls,' among countless others. But most importantly, the song establishes the band — and Wilson's own — larger-than-life aspirations, where pop music could be both avant-garde and built of earworms. 1966: 'Wouldn't It Be Nice,' The Beach Boys Wilson's voice is the first one heard on the Beach Boys' unimpeachable 'Pet Sounds.' 'Wouldn't it be nice if we were older? / Then we wouldn't have to wait so long,' he sweetly sings on the album's opener. 'And wouldn't it be nice to live together / In the kind of world where we belong?' Optimism and innocence are the name of the game, and the listener is the winner. 1966: 'God Only Knows,' The Beach Boys If Wilson must be known for one thing, let it be his inimitable sense of harmony, perfected across his craft and completely unignorable on 'God Only Knows,' a masterclass in vocals, love, emotional depth, harpsichord and the intersection of all such forces. 'God Only Knows' is also one of Paul McCartney's favorite songs of all time, one known to bring him to tears. 1967: 'Good Vibrations,' The Beach Boys What kind of vibrations? Good, good, GOOD vibrations. And at a cost. As the story goes, one of the Beach Boys' best-known hits — and, arguably, one of the most immediately recognizable songs in rock 'n' roll history — was recorded over seven months, in four different studios, reportedly costing up to $75,000. And it is an absolute masterpiece of theremin, cello, harmonica and so much more. Pop music has never been so ambitious — and successful. 1967: 'Heroes and Villains,' The Beach Boys 'Heroes and Villains' might be one of the most complex songs in the Beach Boys' discography, and with good reason. It is the opener of 'Smile,' what Wilson called a 'teenage symphony to God,' a whimsical cycle of songs on nature and American folklore written with lyricist Van Dyke Parks. It was delayed, then canceled, then rerecorded and issued in September 1967 on 'Smiley Smile,' dismissed by Carl Wilson as a 'bunt instead of a grand slam.' In moments, 'Heroes and Villains' is psychedelic, in others, it embodies an otherworldly barbershop quartet. It is off-kilter and clever, as Wilson's band so often proved to be. 1967: 'Darlin',' The Beach Boys The late '60s are an undercelebrated time in Wilson's creative oeuvre — no doubt an effect of his declining mental health — but there are many rich songs to dig into. Particularly, the soulful, R&B, Motown-esque harmonies of 'Darlin'.' 2004: 'Don't Let Her Know She's an Angel,' Brian Wilson As the story goes, 'Don't Let Her Know She's an Angel' was originally record for his 1991 unreleased album 'Sweet Insanity,' but did not officially appear until it was rerecorded for his 2004 album 'Gettin' in Over My Head.' The song features a bunch of programming, synths and percussion, which might strike Beach Boys fans as odd. But trust us, it works here. 2012: 'Isn't It Time,' The Beach Boys This pick might come as a surprise for many fans. 'Isn't It Time' is a cut from 'That's Why God Made the Radio,' the album the legendary group put out to celebrate their 50th anniversary and left a lot to be desired. But within its filler, this song is undoubtedly catchy, with its ukulele and handclap percussion. ___ AP National Writer Hillel Italie contributed to this report.
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
What to know about Harvey Weinstein's conviction on a top sex crimes charge at his #MeToo retrial
NEW YORK (AP) — Harvey Weinstein has been found guilty again, convicted Wednesday of a top sex crimes charge at his #MeToo retrial in New York City. The mixed and partial verdict came more than five years after his first conviction, which an appeals court overturned last year. The jury returned a verdict on two of three charges against Weinstein, acquitting him of one. Jurors indicated that they had yet to achieve unanimity on the final count. That could mean more deliberations on Thursday. The verdict capped an extraordinary fifth day of deliberations. The jury foreperson complained that he was being bullied by other jurors. Weinstein's lawyer then asked for a mistrial, and Weinstein himself addressed the judge without jurors in the courtroom, imploring him to end the case without a verdict. Minutes later, the jury of seven women and five men declared the ailing 73-year-old guilty of one count of criminal sex act, which carries a maximum sentence of 25 years in prison. Weinstein denies raping or sexually assaulting anyone. Once he's sentenced, he can appeal. Here's what you need to know about the verdict: What was Weinstein convicted of? Jurors convicted Weinstein of one count of criminal sex act, finding that he forcibly performed oral sex on a TV and movie producer and production assistant, Miriam Haley, nearly two decades ago. Haley, who had a short stint working on the Weinstein-produced 'Project Runway,' testified that he assaulted her in July 2006 after inviting her to stop by his SoHo apartment before a flight his company booked her on the next day to Los Angeles to attend a movie premiere. Haley testified that Weinstein backed her into a bedroom, pushed her onto a bed and forced oral sex on her, undeterred by her kicks and pleas of, 'No, no — it's not going to happen.' Weinstein was convicted of the same charge at his first trial. Haley, who has also gone by the name Mimi Haleyi, told jurors that she was never interested in any sexual or romantic relationship with Weinstein but still wanted his help professionally. She acknowledged she kept in touch and exchanged warm messages with him and accepted an invitation to his hotel room two weeks after the alleged assault, when she said he pulled her into bed for sex. What was Weinstein acquitted of? Weinstein acquitted of a charge of criminal sex act relating to a previously uncharged allegation that he forced oral sex on Kaja (KEYE'-ah) Sokola, a psychologist and former Polish model and actor, at a Manhattan hotel in 2006 just before her 20th birthday. Sokola, who wasn't a part of Weinstein's first trial, testified that Weinstein assaulted her after luring her to his hotel room by telling her had a script to show her. As he pushed her onto a bed, stripped off her boots, her stockings and her underwear, 'my soul was removed from me," she said. Now 39, Sokola said he held her down while ignoring her pleas of 'please don't, please stop, I don't want this.' She said she tried to push him away but was no match against the much larger Weinstein. Sokola also testified that Weinstein sexually assaulted her when she was 16 years old, but that allegation was beyond legal time limits for a potential criminal charge. Sokola said she stayed in touch with Weinstein because she had dreams of an acting career. She went to authorities in January 2020, a few days into Weinstein's first trial. Prosecutors halted their investigation after Weinstein was convicted, but revived it when the verdict was thrown out last year. What charge hasn't been decided yet? The jury hasn't reached a verdict on a third-degree rape charge involving Jessica Mann's allegation that Weinstein assaulted her in March 2013. Mann, a cosmetologist and hairstylist, said she met Weinstein at a party in late 2012 or early 2013, when she was 27 and trying to launch an acting career. She alleges Weinstein trapped her in a Manhattan hotel room, demanded that she undress as he loomed over her, grabbed her arms and raped her after, she believes, he injected himself with an erection-promoting drug that she later found in the bathroom trash. Mann said she had a consensual, on-and-off relationship with the then-married Weinstein, but that he was volatile and violated her if she refused him. She said she kept in touch with Weinstein after the alleged rape, telling jurors she 'compartmentalized the part of Harvey that was hurting me,' and that flattery and friendliness 'kept the peace.' The Associated Press generally does not name sexual assault accusers without their permission, which Haley, Mann and Sokola have given. Why was there a new trial? New York's highest court, the Court of Appeals, threw out Weinstein's conviction in April 2024. In a 4-3 decision, the court said the judge in the first trial, James Burke, denied Weinstein a fair trial by letting three women testify about allegations that didn't result in charges and by deciding that prosecutors could confront Weinstein, if he testified, about stories of him behaving brutishly. The court labeled the allegations against Weinstein 'appalling, shameful, repulsive conduct' but warned that 'destroying a defendant's character under the guise of prosecutorial need' did not justify some trial evidence and testimony. Burke's term expired at the end of 2022, and he is no longer a judge. Prosecutors were not allowed to retry Weinstein on charges that he was acquitted of during his first trial, including predatory sexual assault and one count of first-degree rape. What about Weinstein's other criminal case? Weinstein is appealing his conviction in Los Angeles in a similar case in 2022. Jurors there found him guilty of three of seven charges, including rape, and he was sentenced to 16 years in prison. Weinstein's lawyers argued he did not get a fair trial. They contend that the judge in the California case wrongly allowed jurors to know about Weinstein's 2020 New York conviction, and that the jury was unfairly prejudiced by testimony from women about alleged assaults Weinstein was not charged with. __ Associated Press journalists Ruth Brown and Philip Marcelo contributed to this report.
New York Post
4 hours ago
- New York Post
How ‘Beach Boys' co-founder Brian Wilson, the original boy of summer, transformed music as we know it
I'm picking up sad vibrations. Brian Wilson — who co-founded the Beach Boys and was the main architect of their sound — is now surfing the heavens after his death was announced by his family on Wednesday. The genius of the group he formed with his brothers Carl and Dennis, cousin Mike Love and their friend Al Jardine in 1961, Wilson was one of the true visionaries of music who defined pop as we know it today. Advertisement 6 'That ear — I mean, Jesus, he's got to will that to the Smithsonian,' Bob Dylan once said of Brian Wilson. AP From 1963's 'Surfin' U.S.A.' to 1964's 'I Get Around' to 1966's 'Good Vibrations,' Wilson defined not only the California sound but the sound of sunshine, the sound of summer, the sound of dreams. Inside of his musical mind there seemed to be a world of endless possibility that the rest of us could never have imagined as he explored sonic frontiers with his inventive production techniques, ingenious orchestrations and lush, layered harmonies. Advertisement While Love was the frontman of the Beach Boys, Wilson was the Man. 'That ear — I mean, Jesus, he's got to will that to the Smithsonian,' the Bard himself, Bob Dylan, once said. 6 Brian Wilson (top center) formed the Beach Boys with Mike Love, Al Jardine, Dennis Wilson and Carl Wilson in 1961. Getty Images In many ways, the Beach Boys were The Beatles of American music — even if they haven't always gotten the same revered respect. Advertisement 'Me and Mike were a little bit jealous of The Beatles because they took over the whole music scene,' Wilson told USA Today about the battle between the bands in 2021. But just as 'Beatlesque' will forever be a descriptive adjective in music vernacular, 'Beach Boyish' should be too. 6 'I wanted to write joyful music that would make other people feel good,' said Brian Wilson when the Beach Boys were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1988. AP While Motown was said to have captured the 'sound of young America' in the '60s, so too did Wilson and the Beach Boys. Advertisement Although the adolescent appeal of songs such as 'Fun, Fun, Fun' and 'California Girls' had a sunny simplicity, it belied the depth of artistry underneath the surface. The Beach Boys made it sound so easy, but this wasn't shallow stuff. With the Beach Boys' 1966 masterpiece 'Pet Sounds,' though, Wilson had his finest moment that has locked down its place as one of the greatest albums of all time. It was their 'Sgt. Pepper,' The Beatles' 1967 classic that it influenced. 6 The Beach Boys hit No. 1 with 'I Get Around,' 'Help Me, Rhonda' and 'Good Vibrations' in the '60s. Getty Images Name anything else that sounds more like heaven than the transcendent 'God Only Knows.' We'll wait. No less than Paul McCartney has called it the 'greatest song ever written.' 'It was 'Pet Sounds' that blew me out of the water,' said McCartney in a 1990 interview. 'First of all, it was Brian's writing. I love the album so much. … I figure no one is educated musically 'til they've heard that album. ' 6 Brian Wilson performed at a Yahoo! Music event in Los Angeles in 2008. AP Advertisement Wilson, the tortured soul and artist that he was, tried to follow up 'Pet Sounds' with the ambitious 'Smile,' but the album is part of music legend for remaining unfinished. As the Beach Boys' creative leader battled his own mental demons and substance abuse, the project was abandoned amid clashes between him and the rest of the band. While Wilson would remain connected to the Beach Boys for years, it was never the same. And it had to sting when his former group hit No. 1 again with 1988's 'Kokomo' without him, as he launched a solo career that never reached the heights of his Beach Boys work. But Wilson's legacy had long been secured as one of the all-time greats. Like Sly Stone, the funk pioneer who also passed away at 82 on Monday, his impact and influence were already living on in generations after him well before he died, from Fleetwood Mac and R.E.M. to Lana Del Rey and Beyoncé, who interpolates 'Good Vibrations' on her 'Cowboy Carter' album. 6 After forming in 1961, the Beach Boys scored their first Top 10 hit with 'Surfin' U.S.A.' in 1963. Michael Ochs Archives Advertisement 'He was our American Mozart. A one of a kind genius from another world,' wrote Sean Ono Lennon, John Lennon's son, on X. No doubt — Wilson's musical mission was accomplished. 'I wanted to write joyful music that would make other people feel good,' he said when the Beach Boys were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1988. But music — and summer — will never be the same without him.
