Latest news with #Temptations
Hindustan Times
14-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Inside Operation ‘Cattitude': A Pet Food Giant's Mission to Understand Cats
The pet food giant had a problem. Cats were rapidly catching up to dogs as America's favorite pets, but the company was filled with people who didn't fully understand the mercurial creatures—or their owners. So Mars launched a mission to get its dog-loving workers inside cats' heads. As part of an internal operation called 'Cattitude,' the maker of Whiskas food and Temptations treats organized visits from vets and animal nutritionists. There were power point presentations. Staffers were paired with cat parents. One afternoon, senior bosses walked around the office with cat ears. The goal: Reorient the entire team—from those who formulate new products to those putting together advertisements—around one of cat parents' chief sources of angst: 'feline insecurity,' a fear of cats' indifference to their owners' affection. (Type 'Does my cat' into Google, and the top search is 'love me.' The second is 'know I love her.') Cat parents say that for too long, the world has misguidedly treated their pets like dogs with smaller bodies and less need for attention. But as Gen Z spurs a surge in cat households, cat culture is getting a closer look. Jonathan the cat assesses various Mars products. 'We need to drive cats back up to the spotlight they deserve,' said Helen Hastings, a Mars executive who helped spearhead the Cattitude campaign. Hastings has three dogs but says she loves cats. Marketing executive Fernando Silva was firmly on team dog when he moved to Mars. Growing up in Mexico, Silva said he was surrounded by cat stereotypes: They were aloof, cold and would trade their parents for a better treat. Every villain, including the bad guy from the Smurfs, had a cat. When Mars launched Cattitude, Silva immersed himself in feline culture. He visited with a dozen cat families and said he was struck by how deeply people connected to them as companions, or equals. 'It's a more mature relationship,' said Silva, vice president of marketing for Sheba cat food. 'Many people told us: They could walk out the door anytime they want and never come back, but they chose me.' Such insights have changed the advertising strategy. The team has moved away from previous campaigns featuring regal, sophisticated cats that reinforced their reputation as haughty creatures. Now they run every initiative through a filter: Is this rooted in cat parent truth? An actual cat owner is now consulted on every campaign, and casting one is mandatory. In a coming campaign called 'Ignore to Adore,' the premise is that you could be the most universally loved human but you still might think the cat doesn't care. 'You could be Taylor Swift, moving masses, making billions, but your cat still might not always come running,' said Silva. (Swift has shared about her cats shunning her with 'silence, ambivalence, and judgmental brush offs.') A centerpiece of addressing feline insecurity is ramping up research on what tastes appeal to cats. Selective hunters that have never been fully domesticated, cats are famously nonchalant about food. But researchers who study feline palatability are beginning to discover that what has long been interpreted as aloofness might be an absence of certain taste buds. Scott McGrane, cat dad to Dexter, Ripley and Newt, leads a sensory science team for Mars' research center in the U.K., that set out to understand what the notoriously fussy eaters like and what turns them off. One early discovery: Cats can't taste sweetness, which explained their apparent indifference to certain treats. Scott McGrane, who leads a sensory science team for Mars' research center in the U.K. at home with his cats, Ripley (left) and team has had several breakthroughs on cats' taste preferences. Two years ago McGrane and his team had a breakthrough. With the help of a panel of two dozen cats who show their taste preferences by how much flavored water they consume, the team found felines have receptors to taste umami and kokumi foods. The discovery finally provided a definitive reason why cats gravitate toward tuna. They are experimenting with other flavors and protein sources to give cats a more satisfying feeding experience. Mars also introduced lickable spoons to be consumed from a parent's hand to create what the company calls an 'enhanced bonding moment.' Pekka sizes up a treat from marketing executive Fernando Silva. Feline insecurity can be self-fulfilling. If you think your cat doesn't care, you might be less likely to shower them with perks. That may be why dogs get way more treats. Mars launched a campaign in May that spotlights the 'treat gap' by the numbers: Dogs are nearly 32% more likely to get daily treats than cats in dogs-only and cats-only households; in homes with both, 38% of parents said they don't give the same number of treats. Cat people at Mars now say they feel seen in a workplace that is a canine wonderland where employees' dogs roam the halls. The company hosts regular kitten yoga sessions at its Franklin, Tenn., offices. Colleagues share cat memes on Teams and WhatsApp. One team bought matching jean jackets and attached 'I Love Cats' decals. Tiffany Bierer, who works in research and development, said Cattitude prompted her to be more openly effusive about her love for her cats, Olaf, Weber and Svea. Bierer brought some of the giant cat cutouts from the campaign and displayed them around the R&D department. She sometimes still attends meetings wearing cat ears and once did a sales presentation in a cat outfit. 'It's very easy to see the dog people because they bring their dogs in, right?' she said. 'But you didn't know the cat people until Cattitude came about.' Mars' Helen Hastings and Tiffany Bierer at the company's offices, where it hosts regular kitten yoga sessions. Write to Natasha Khan at Inside Operation 'Cattitude': A Pet Food Giant's Mission to Understand Cats Inside Operation 'Cattitude': A Pet Food Giant's Mission to Understand Cats Inside Operation 'Cattitude': A Pet Food Giant's Mission to Understand Cats Inside Operation 'Cattitude': A Pet Food Giant's Mission to Understand Cats
Yahoo
11-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Daryl Hall and John Oates Look Back on Playing With Mick Jagger at Live Aid: ‘It Was Shocking, To Be Honest'
Live Aid boasted plenty of participants who could be considered MVPs – particularly organizer and driving force Bob Geldof. But for a primetime chunk in Philadelphia on June 13, 1985, Daryl Hall & John Oates held that distinction. The two — who met in the City of Brotherly Love in 1967 and began working together three years later — rolled on stage at about 9:50 p.m. at John F. Kennedy Stadium, starting with their Billboard Hot 100 toppers 'Out of Touch' and 'Maneater.' They also brought out former Temptations members Eddie Kendricks and David Ruffin to recreate part of their then-recent Apollo Theater medley of the group's 'Get Ready,' 'Ain't Too Proud To Beg,' 'The Way You Do the Things You Do' and 'My Girl' — complete with some of the Motown group's trademark dance steps. More from Billboard 'Pride & Prejudice' Film Soundtrack Bewitches the Charts With 20th-Anniversary Vinyl Reissue Fred again.. Releases 'Victory Lap' Remix Featuring Denzel Curry Jadakiss Reacts to Drake's 'What Did I Miss?': 'They Flip on You ... That's the Game We In' But wait, there was more. The augmented Hall & Oates crew stayed on stage to back up Mick Jagger, performing sans Rolling Stones, on his solo tracks 'Lonely at the Top' and 'Just Another Night' as well as the Stones' 'Miss You.' Then a high-heeled Tina Turner joined the proceedings, taking Michael Jackson's place on 'State of Shock' (a Jagger duet from the Jacksons' Victory album) and a show-stealing 'It's Only Rock 'n Roll (But I Like It),' during which Jagger, who'd changed outfits mid-song, memorably ripped off Turner's leather mini-skirt. 'I felt the significance of it, that's the best way to put it,' Hall recently told Billboard. 'It was one of those moments where we knew something significant was happening.' 'At the time we were at the top of our game in the world of pop,' says Oates, speaking separately to Billboard. 'And it was Philadelphia, so it made sense for us to be there. The vibe was great and the energy was just insane. It was something I'll never forget.' Neither Hall nor Oates remember specifically how their Live Aid booking came about; both say it came through the duo's then-manager Tommy Mottola. And because they had performed with Ruffin and Kendricks at the Apollo less than two months before (the Live at the Apollo album came out September 1985), it seemed appropriate to have them be part of Live Aid as well. Backing Jagger came somewhat out of the blue, however. 'Mick had done a solo album (She's the Boss) at the time and didn't really have a backing band,' Oates recalls. Hall & Oates' guitarist G.E. Smith had played guitar on one of the album's tracks, 'Secrets,' which helped connect the two acts. 'This really wasn't initiated by me at all,' Hall says. 'I was just a soldier in the army and other people were saying, 'Mick wants to do this. You're gonna do this with him and Tina's involved and you guys bring out David and Eddie…' It was all sort of planned out, and I just said, 'Sure, sure, sure.'' Rehearsals with Jagger at SIR Studios in Manhattan were as memorable as the show itself for Oates. 'We had prepared the songs and gone over them and had them pretty well down 'cause, of course, our '80s band was so frickin' good,' Oates remembers. 'We were on stage playing, doing whatever we were doing, and Mick comes into the room and basically jumps on stage, just a 'you guys ready?' kind of thing and he said 'Let's go!' and called out a song. We counted it off and he went into the song as if he was playing a giant stadium. He did the whole thing — the chicken wings, prancing around the front of the stage, full-on. It wasn't like we were in a rehearsal studios just playing the songs; he actual performed it, treated it like it was a full-out performance in front of no one except us. It was shocking, to be honest with you, but it was so frickin' exciting.' Hall adds that Jagger was 'nervous' about the performance, which was his most high-profile away from the Stones at that point. 'He asked me afterwards, 'How did we do? How did I do?' It was that kind of thing,' Hall says. 'That was interesting, 'cause I see these things from the inside pretty much. Once we got on stage we were just a machine.' Both Hall & Oates have fond memories of the hang at the stadium that day. 'Considering what we were there for, which was starving people in Africa, it was a joyous event,' Hall says. 'I would just keep bumping into people and meeting people. Everybody was smiling and shaking hands. It was a really friendly event considering it was the top of the world's artists at the time. And 'cause we were at the end of the show I got to see everybody as they were performing, one after the other after the other. It was really the ultimate experience to watch as well as participate in.' Oates had also arrived early in the day to soak in the atmosphere and enjoyed the camaraderie backstage. 'Everyone who was done in their trailer, dressing room or wasn't performing was basically just hanging around. Everybody was nice and pumped. Jack Nicholson, who was a buddy, was there emceeing. It was cool to be in a casual environment, with people all around.' Oates doesn't remember much about the night's shambolic 'We Are the World' finale. 'I probably blew out my energy during our set and just kind of went through the motions for the encore,' he says. Hall recalls that 'everybody was rushing the stage, trying to get in front so people would notice them. (Laughs) I'm not saying that in a bad way; everybody was just kind of feeling good and doing it. It was a lot of adrenaline and energy flying around.' Promoter Larry Magid, whose Philadelphia-based Electric Factory Concerts firm produced the U.S. show in conjunction with the late Bill Graham, says it was a point of personal pride to have native acts such as Hall & Oates on the bill. 'It just worked out to have those acts on,' he remembers. 'Hall & Oates with Eddie Kendricks and David Ruffin; both of them were living in Philadelphia at the time. I liked that. I liked Patti LaBelle being from Philadelphia. The Teddy Pendergrass thing [his first performance since a 1982 car crash left him paralyzed from the chest down] was overwhelming, very emotional. And the opening act, the Hooters, was a hot new act from Philadelphia at the time and I was so happy we were able to showcase them.' Hall acknowledges that having the Stateside portion of Live Aid in Philadelphia (a simultaneous concert took place in London) did make it more resonant. 'I felt a little bit of pride in that,' Hall says. 'I was glad Philadelphia was the place.' Hall & Oates, of course, formally ceased working together in 2024 after 18 studio albums and 16 top 10 singles on the Billboard Hot 100. Hall is still touring on the heels of his 2024 solo album, D, while Oates is on the road and will release his new album, Oates, on Aug. 29. Best of Billboard Chart Rewind: In 1989, New Kids on the Block Were 'Hangin' Tough' at No. 1 Janet Jackson's Biggest Billboard Hot 100 Hits H.E.R. & Chris Brown 'Come Through' to No. 1 on Adult R&B Airplay Chart
UPI
27-06-2025
- Entertainment
- UPI
Alfonso Ribeiro to host, Beach Boys to perform at Capitol Fourth concert in DC
1 of 5 | Alfonso Ribeiro (L), pictured with Angela Unkrich, will host the "A Capitol Fourth" concert next week on Fourth of July. File Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI | License Photo June 27 (UPI) -- Entertainer Alfonso Ribeiro is to host, while the Beach Boys, the Temptations and Josh Turner have been booked to perform at next week's Capitol Fourth concert in Washington, D.C. Also expected to make appearances are Lauren Daigle, Trombone Shorty, LOCASH, Yolanda Adams, Abi Carter, and the National Symphony Orchestra with conductor Jack Everly. "I'm honored to be back hosting the 45th anniversary of A Capitol Fourth," Ribeiro said in a statement Friday. "It's everything you want in an Independence Day celebration -- great music and fantastic fireworks. For me, the best part is always the crowd: so many happy, patriotic faces, from grandparents to little kids. You don't want to miss this party!" The show is slated to air live on PBS at 8 p.m. ET on July 4.
Yahoo
09-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Singers Freda Payne & Louis Price Starring In Dramedy ‘A Sudden Family'
EXCLUSIVE: Freda Payne and former Temptations singer Louis Price are starring in dramedy A Sudden Family. Production is underway in Los Angeles on the comedy-drama led by singer and actress Freda Payne (Nutty Professor II The Klumps), best known for her hit song Band Of Gold, former Temptations frontman Louis Price (Norbit), Rufus Dorsey (Pearl Harbor) and Sammie Ray (Ruthless). More from Deadline Marvel Animation Unveils First Episode Of 'Eyes Of Wakanda' Opening In Ancient Crete & Setting Up 3,000-Year Search For Stolen Vibranium Artefacts Toby Jones, Stephen Frears, Christopher Hampton & Jany Temime Set For French Provence-Set SCAD Lacoste Film Festival 'Maxton Hall - The World Between Us' Renewed For Season 3 At Prime Video The film follows a high school wrestling coach who finds himself caught between chasing a long-awaited dream job and managing an unexpected new family dynamic — one that forces him to reevaluate what truly matters. The film will also mark an on-screen pairing between Payne and her son Gregory Abbott Jr. Directed by Matthew S. Robinson (My Friend Violet), the film is produced by James Pratt (Longevity Hackers), with Ron Krauss (Open Wounds) and Craig Titley (Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.) serving as executive producers alongside Dorsey. Rounding out the cast is singer Wanda Dee, along with Ashley Nocera (Fanged), and Katarina Severen (Karate Kill). 'This is a deeply human story — and with a cast like this, it's coming to life in a way that's honest and powerful,' said writer-producer Rufus Dorsey. Last year Payne was bestowed with the SoulTracks Lifetime Achievement Award, recognizing her contributions to the music industry. She also received the Women Songwriters Hall of Fame Lifetime Achievement and Legacy Award in 2023. Best of Deadline 2025 TV Series Renewals: Photo Gallery Tony Awards: Every Best Musical Winner Since 1949 Tony Awards: Every Best Play Winner Since 1947
Boston Globe
09-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Boston Globe
In the Trump era, where have all the protest songs gone?
Some of the most prominent and popular 21st-century songs with sharp political critiques are from the Black community, including Beyonce's 'Freedom,' Kendrick Lamar's 'Alright,' and Childish Gambino's 'This Is America.' They're all at least seven years old. No recent music has captured the current political climate, at least not in the way that civil rights anthems of the 1960s, rap hits of the '80s, or even the anti-Bush wave of the '90s and 2000s were able to. Some of those songs dominated the charts and set the cultural tone of social movements. Bob Dylan's 'Blowin' in the Wind,' the Temptations's 'War,' and Marvin Gaye's 'What's Going On' were explicit in their purpose, and all were in the US Billboard Hot 100 Hits. But protest music has been on an inexorable decline since the highs of the '60s and '70s. Advertisement President Trump has taken office amid silence, centralizing power and influence while blaring 'YMCA' by Village People. There's plenty to protest: the detainment, without due process, of immigrants nationwide; the blatant self-enriching crypto schemes launched by the Trump family; the struggles of everyday Americans with inflation; even the COVID-19 pandemic (remember the disastrous 'The explanation is simple. You can't make much money off these songs,' Ted Gioia, a prominent music historian, Protest songs are now often met with indifference from a cautious music industry, while social media have opened up new opportunities to scrutinize even mildly controversial viewpoints. As mainstream audiences have become generally less receptive to musicians promoting causes, many listeners now shrug off entertainers who dabble in activism as performative, or, even worse, preachy. 'It is not just that people have lost faith in any performer to help bring about change, it is that they resent anyone who attempts to do so,' Dorian Lynskey But as Gioia points out, protest music hasn't totally disappeared — it's just flourishing outside the United States. Beyond the confines of American music charts, movements filled with music are still alive and continue championing global causes. Today, Palestinian rappers like Advertisement In Hong Kong, 'Glory to Hong Kong' became the soundtrack of the 2019 pro-democracy protests and was later This is the kind of music America needs, especially now that the Trump administration has actively targeted musicians. On May 19, Trump called for a Some protest music is still being made, such as Nemahsis's 2023 album 'Verbathim' and Macklemore's 2024 single 'Hind's Hall,' both independently released pro-Palestinian projects. But their impact and reach is limited. As Lynskey writes, 'The right question is not, 'Where have all the protest songs gone?' but 'Is anybody listening?'' In the age of filtered algorithms and tailor-made playlists, the only stars with enough cultural cachet to break through audiences' information siloes are juggernauts like Taylor Swift, Lamar, Beyoncé, Post Malone, Charli XCX, and Ariana Grande. They have little financial incentive to protest. Advertisement Now Swift and Grande stick to writing about their love lives. Post Malone is playing low-stakes pop country on tour with Jelly Roll. And despite a link with the Harris campaign, Charli XCX's 'Brat' is made for clubbing, not marching. In this era, if artists are globally popular, they're not singing protest songs. And if they're singing them, they don't reach the mass audiences they might have commanded in previous decades. The levers of mass media influence for political music don't seem to exist anymore, and if listeners want to tune out politics, they can. 'I began this book intending to write a history of a still vital form of music,' Lynskey concludes in an epilogue. 'I finished it wondering if I had instead composed a eulogy.' Rebecca Spiess can be reached at
