Former Vanity Fair Editor Graydon Carter: ‘I never used the word career… I'm really lucky to have this job.'
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Newsweek
11 minutes ago
- Newsweek
Gwyneth Paltrow Takes On Surprise Role For Astronomer After Viral Video
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Astronomer, the New York data tech firm caught up in the Coldplay concert "kiss‑cam scandal," has hired actress Gwyneth Paltrow for a lighthearted marketing video which capitalizes on the attention driven by two executives caught canoodling at the gig. The company enlisted the Oscar-winning ex-wife of Coldplay frontman Chris Martin as a "very temporary spokesperson" in the tongue-in-cheek video. Why It Matters The clip follows the resignation of Astronomer CEO Andy Byron and HR chief Kristin Cabot—both pictured in an embrace caught live on a jumbotron during the July 16 concert at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts. The CEO is still married, and Cabot was reportedly previously married to Kenneth Thornby, their divorce being finalized in 2022. The footage of Byron and Cabot ducking away from the camera, when they realized they were being filmed, quickly went viral. The original video amassed more than 45 million views on TikTok and millions more in reposts across other platforms. In this Nov. 7, 2015 file photo, Gwyneth Paltrow attends LACMA 2015 Art+Film Gala at LACMA in Los Angeles, Calif. In this Nov. 7, 2015 file photo, Gwyneth Paltrow attends LACMA 2015 Art+Film Gala at LACMA in Los Angeles, Calif. Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP What To Know In the video, posted to X, Paltrow is sitting at a desk and thanks the public for their interest in Astronomer. She says: "I've been hired on a very temporary basis to speak on behalf of the 300-plus employees at Astronomer." She continues: "Astronomer has gotten a lot of questions over the last few days, and they wanted me to answer the most common ones." Thank you for your interest in Astronomer. — Astronomer (@astronomerio) July 25, 2025 A question then appears on screen reading: "OMG, what the actual …" Before the final word appears, the video cuts back to Paltrow, who shifts to promoting some of Astronomer's services. In a subtle nod to the widespread attention the company has received, Paltrow adds, "We've been thrilled so many people have a newfound interest in data workflow automation." Another question starts to appear on screen, typing out: "How is your social media team holding up?" But before it's finished, Paltrow interrupts abruptly, announcing that Astronomer has spaces available at an upcoming conference in September. She closes the video with: "We'll now be returning to what we do best: delivering game-changing results for our customers." Astronomer, a New York-based company, helps companies develop, grow, and analyze products using artificial intelligence. After Byron resigned, the company said in a statement: "Astronomer is committed to the values and culture that have guided us since our founding. Our leaders are expected to set the standard in both conduct and accountability, and recently, that standard was not met." Pete DeJoy, who has taken over as interim CEO, admitted on Monday that the company has faced an "unusual and surreal" amount of attention in recent days. On LinkedIn, he wrote: "While I would never have wished for it to happen like this, Astronomer is now a household name." What Happens Next Astronomer's board of directors has announced the start of a formal search for a new chief executive.
Boston Globe
40 minutes ago
- Boston Globe
Sekou McMiller's ‘Urban Love Suite' celebrates social dance with Jacob's Pillow world premiere
With the support of NAACP Berkshires, McMiller — a Chicago-born and New York-based African Diasporic dance and music scholar/educator — immersed himself in the Berkshires' robust Afro-Latin community. He led workshops at a local elementary school and dance club. During a 'cultural exchange,' McMiller combined his own choreography with the celebratory traditions that local workshop participants offered him. McMiller incorporated some of the movement generated in this Pittsfield engagement into the new work, and it will live on in the choreography after it leaves the Berkshires. 'It's a love letter to the Black and brown communities,' McMiller said in a phone interview this week, 'the beautiful music and dance that has been created from hip-hop to samba to New York Mambo.' Advertisement So, despite the formal venue, you can expect this Jacob's Pillow performance to feel like a party. Advertisement 'Urban Love Suite' celebrates the relationships between different African diasporic communities through their dance and music traditions, 'their nuanced differences, their similarities and their shared roots from the continent of Africa,' McMiller said. To develop the work, with the support of the NAACP Berkshires, Sekou McMiller immersed himself in the Berkshires' robust Afro-Latin community. Pictured, Sekou McMiller and Friends' Sekou McMiller and Marielys Molina. Elyse Mertz The work also celebrates how a dense city can bring many cultures into close proximity, he said, creating opportunities for exchange that are unique to the urban experience. It can, as he put it, yield 'amazing fruits of music and dance.' 'Like New York City Mambo, which was done in New York, Harlem, where you had that cross pollination of Lindy Hop and jazz and tap dancers, with the Latin dancers coming directly from Cuba, but then [they] create a new way of doing the dance that only could have been done in an urban city like New York.' McMiller's point is that proximity can be challenging yet generative. You might not always be in the mood to listen to your neighbor's playlist, but after the fourth or fifth time through, you might find your hips moving to the beat, reluctantly familiar with the rhythms your neighbors prefer. McMiller, a classically trained flutist and jazz musician, is also the curator at the National Jazz Museum in Harlem. He reveres the intimate entanglement of music, movement, and social gatherings, and collaborated with music director Sebastian Natal on a score grounded in Afro-Latin jazz to be performed live alongside the dancers. 'Love Suite' draws parallels between parading traditions like Uruguayan candombe and New Orleans' second line, and layers party dances from Cuba, Puerto Rico, Chicago, and New York. It also highlights the roots of these movement forms in cultural traditions from Nigeria, Senegal, and Burkina Faso — the region the colonialist machine favored for the capture, export, and exploitation of human beings as a resource, who became the ancestors of Afro Caribbean, Afro Latin, and African American communities. Advertisement 'They're social dance in nature,' McMiller said, 'so they're not born of a studio. They're born from culture. They're born from parties. They're born from celebrations. They're born from traditions and rituals.' After noticing a lack of social dance in the Jacob's Pillow archive, artistic and executive director Pamela Tatge has made efforts to uplift dance artists working inside those traditions — with the help of her curatorial team. 'If we are charged with representing the breadth of dance in the world, to not center social dance would be a mistake,' said Tatge in a recent phone interview. It's complicated to bring these dances to the stage because social dance is a participatory art, and The Theater fosters an inherent separation between the audience and performer. McMiller is up for the challenge, and his solution: improvisation in both music and dance. 'It's call and response from beginning to end. I allow my choreography to be a call to the dancers to then respond … so at some point you won't be able to tell the difference between improv and choreography,' McMiller explained. 'So every night, it's same format, different show.' 'Love Suite' will also disrupt the performer-observer relationship by dancing among the audience and inviting attendees onto the stage. Performance is a call too, that asks the audience to respond. 'I hope this pushes people to get out there and come join us,' McMiller said, 'to not just spectate with us, but become an active participant in this life.' Advertisement URBAN LOVE SUITE At Jacob's Pillow's Ted Shawn Theatre, Becket, July 30 to Aug. 3. Tickets start at $65. 413-243-0745, Sarah Knight can be reached at sarahknightprojects@
Fox News
41 minutes ago
- Fox News
Public shame is having a moment again and the Coldplay kiss cam scandal explains why
Over the past week, the Coldplay Kiss Cam scandal has completely rocked the internet with memes, social commentary and op-eds since the show took place in mid-July. During the now-viral performance, Andy Byron — former Astronomer CEO — appeared on the Kiss Cam with his arms wrapped around a woman, who was later identified as his company's HR chief, Kristin Cabot. The pair were on the big screen during "The Jumbotron Song," where singer, Chris Martin, improvises songs about couples in the audience. Cabot immediately covered her face and turned away from the camera, while a stunned Byron ducked down and exited the frame. Martin then joked, "Either they're having an affair or they're just very shy." Since then, nearly everyone on the internet jumped in, eager to share their thoughts or jokes on the viral moment, including celebrities, media pundits, bands and politicians. "Anybody in here with their side chick or whatever, I think you're safe here," musician Luke Combs can be heard saying during his show, in a video posted to Instagram, taken by a concertgoer. "I don't condone cheating, anymore." Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., used the viral moment to bash New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani and New York Gov. Kathy Hochul. "Commie Mamdani holding [Gov. Kathy Hochul] headed for re-election in 2026," Stefanik said on X. Even KFC's official X account joined in with a joke referencing HR oversight: "Just know our sides are always HR approved." The figureheads are among over 6 million others who have watched the video on TikTok alone. Art also imitated life with a "tidal wave of content," Free Press writer Kat Rosenfield said — pointing to a fake statement someone had written on behalf of the CEO, a reenactment by the Phillies mascots at a game and apparel such as T-shirts cheekily noting the moment. "...public shaming has been a staple of human society since the dawn of time, a necessary correction to the social transgressors in our midst," said Rosenfield. "If there's a truly compelling reason not to normalize shaming as a global, always-on public spectator sport, it's not that it degrades the humanity of the shamed; it's not even the trite "who among us has not canoodled at a Coldplay concert with his sidepiece" justification. It's simply this: When we take joy in the distress and ruination of other people, we make monsters of ourselves." But the fallout was not only cultural, as the company at the center also took action. Days after the incident, Astronomer released a statement reinforcing its values and announcing it had launched a "formal investigation," which was followed by the resignation of Byron as CEO. NYC/DC psychotherapist Jonathan Alpert said he believes the cultural obsession with viral sensations like the Coldplay scandal is the perfect mix of psychology and social media dynamics, and gives society a way to "channel judgment" on smaller issues — allowing for a mob-like mentality. "These scandals offer what I call 'safe outrage.' They give people a way to channel judgment and frustration without touching the bigger, more divisive issues in society. At the same time, they create a shared space for humor and group bonding. Memes and viral posts turn a private embarrassment into a public spectacle where everyone feels like part of the mob," Alpert shared with Fox News Digital. Alpert pointed to other similar patterns society has experienced before, such as mocking the fall of WeWork due to bankruptcy, Elon Musk and the royal family. "We've seen this pattern before: Adam Neumann became a meme when WeWork collapsed, not just because of bad business decisions but because people loved mocking his ego and excess. Elon Musk's every misstep on Twitter instantly spawns jokes, with users flipping between adoration and ridicule," Alpert stated. "Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's public grievances sparked endless memes and hot takes, not because people care about British royalty but because the drama feels like a stand-in for their own family feuds. Even Will Smith's Oscars slap became less about the actual slap and more about collective projection," Alpert said. At the end of the day, Alpert noted that the reason people hyper-fixate on these types of scandals has less to do with the acts themselves, and more to do with one's own shortcomings. "These scandals are more about our own anxieties about success, failure and power. They are cultural junk food — irresistible, satisfying in the moment, but ultimately empty. In today's hyper-connected world, these narratives have become psychological pressure valves. They give people permission to judge, vent and bond, all while avoiding the larger and more uncomfortable divisions in society." In a New York Times op-ed, author Helen Schulman echoed a similar feeling and noted she was happy to see shame being resurrected, drawing comparisons to not only today's cultural field, but the political landscape and President Donald Trump's administration. "...in the age of Trump, it's a strange relief to watch as two fellow citizens come to realize they have done something reckless and inappropriate and not pretend they had nothing to hide. Instead, they did their best to disappear," Schulman said. Schulman also called out the "utter shamelessness" of the landscape she says America is living in, and pointed to the House and the Senate's vote to cut funding for things such as food assistance programs and healthcare. "This is legislation that is inherently shameful," Schulman said. While memes and social commentary continue to make the rounds online, and experts share their opinions about the effects of this cultural moment, Astronomer's new interim CEO, Pete DeJoy, has found the silver lining in it all. "The events of the past few days have received a level of media attention that few companies—let alone startups in our small corner of the data and AI world—ever encounter," DeJoy shared in a statement on LinkedIn. "The spotlight has been unusual and surreal for our team and, while I would never have wished for it to happen like this, Astronomer is now a household name."
