Latest news with #VivaLaVida
Observer
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Observer
No winners, when you play stupid games
Andy Byron, the fifty-year-old CEO of Astronomer, a data and AI giant in Cincinnati, Ohio and Kristin Cabot, the company's HR chief have, in a perverse sort of way, achieved global notoriety after they were 'caught out' by the 'Kiss Cam', at a concert in Boston, Massachusetts last week. Coldplay have been termed by influential musical guru, 'Afisha's' Sergey Stepanov, as 'This century's equivalent of the Beatles', having sold over 100 million albums, reached an audience of 90 million Spotify listeners and stayed relevant to the 'pop' genre for almost forty years. From hard rock, through soft rock, their romanticism has kept them at the forefront of the performing arts and made theirs the 'go to' concerts, especially during the summer. It's where you would take the one you love, the one close to you and surrender to the romance that Chris Martin, Jonny Buckland, Guy Berryman, Will Champion and Phil Harvey inspire. Ironically for Byron and Cabot, they were 'snapped' by the 'Kiss Cam', rocking gently, romantically, lovingly, as Martin chatted to their audience between gentle romantic melodies. Their slowly dawning awareness, his darting for the cover of darkness and her realisation of what had just occurred before turning away, distraught yet with much more dignity than her 'beau' at least offered her more class than his 'rat deserting a sinking ship' imitation. Anyway, I'm not casting stones, or passing judgement, but I found it ironic that my favourite Coldplay song is 'Viva La Vida', a song and lyrics inspired by the illusions of power and success; and how quickly they come and go, poetic, introspective, provocative, the lyrics echo the Frida Kahlo painting of the same name, an image of the death of Louis XVI. It's portrayal of his struggle to be heard by the baying mob as he faces the realities of life and death, may be interpreted as our own needs to Viva la vida, or 'live life', as nothing is permanent. Certainly, for Byron and Cabot, their lives will never be the same again and it's just as well they both have independent means, although Byron's bank balance will surely be battered by his cuckolded wife, who, along with both families, will surely exact her own form of retribution. It's difficult to see the 'canoodlers' staying together either... I mean, he 'got out of there and left her to 'face the music, didn't he? What a bounder, a cad, a rogue, rascal and scoundrel, of the first order! And I wonder if they will ever be able to 'park' what happened? Probably not, as few of us could ever see them again the cuckolds suppress either a smile at their being 'outed', or our anger at their betrayals. As much as the pair probably don't deserve our sympathy as such, I do hope they are supported, their suffering can be mitigated to some extent and they don't do anything even more stupid! Oh, how must the aggrieved 'other halves', and their families feel? In the face of a barrage of mirth and the very public betrayals, a groundswell of sympathy may not be enough, as they feel their own intense disappointment and seek ways to put this all behind them. Hurt comes in so many guises and comfort in so few. I hope they have faith and friends to help them navigate the difficult times ahead, as, rest assured, though smiling at the mirth inspired by the 'Kiss Cam' episode, most of us will feel a far greater measure of genuine sympathy for those betrayed. History hasn't been kind to 'couples' throughout history, has it? Right from the beginning Adam and Eve departed from their script and nothing was the same after; and while Romeo and Juliet is an eternal Shakespearean tale in which the star-crossed young lovers tragically perished together, the capricious and notorious Bonnie and Clyde died in a hail of bullets... and that list is endless. We like nothing more than to see the rich and famous stumble... well, these two did.
Yahoo
22-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Taylor Swift Doc to Examine How She ‘Skillfully' Navigated ‘Controversy' Throughout Her Career
It's no secret that Taylor Swift has become one of the most successful musicians of all time, but how did she get there? That's exactly what a new documentary coming to the U.K.'s Channel 4 aims to find out. As announced exclusively by Deadline on Tuesday (July 22), an upcoming two-part series tentatively titled Taylor will trace the pop star's two-decade career from its early stages to becoming a billion-dollar, industry-dominating machine by way of insider interviews and fresh insights pulled from a 'rare archive.' Guy King will direct the project, which does not yet have an official release date. More from Billboard Billboard's Greatest Pop Stars of the 21st Century: No. 2 — Taylor Swift Stephen Colbert Cheered Himself Up After Cancellation News With 'Viva La Vida' Cover Feat. 'Weird Al' Yankovic and Lin-Manuel Miranda 48 Hours in Atlanta: Where to Stay, Eat & Explore the City's Rich Music Culture 'Taylor Swift is an unprecedentedly powerful 21st century voice for women and young people,' King told the publication. 'Under the microscope of social media since the earliest days of MySpace and Tumblr, she came of age during a new feminist wave.' 'With her fame came controversy, which she so skillfully wrestled to the floor,' the director added. 'We're excited to tell her story.' King and his team will have an abundance of material to draw from as they dive into Swift's historic rise. The Pennsylvania native has more Billboard Hot 100 entries than any other artist besides Drake, is the only musician to ever win album of the year at the Grammys four times, and has earned the title of first singer to ever become a billionaire based on songs and performances alone. As far as 'controversy' goes, Swift has plenty to analyze on that front as well. The musician has been scrutinized on everything from her love life to her feuds with fellow industry titans such as Kanye West and Scooter Braun, the latter of which culminated in Swift finally reclaiming ownership of her masters by purchasing them this past May. With that in mind, Taylor will be far from the first documentary-style project to explore her life and career. Swift personally participated in Netflix's Miss Americana, a Lana Wilson-directed doc about the musician's trajectory and political awakening, in 2019. Best of Billboard Kelly Clarkson, Michael Buble, Pentatonix & Train Will Bring Their Holiday Hits to iHeart Christmas Concert Fox Plans NFT Debut With $20 'Masked Singer' Collectibles 14 Things That Changed (or Didn't) at Farm Aid 2021 Solve the daily Crossword
Chicago Tribune
22-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Chicago Tribune
Stephen Colbert jokes about ‘cancel culture' and has a very pointed message for Trump
Stephen Colbert returned for his first full program after last week's announcement that CBS was canceling his 'Late Show' with some supportive late-night guests, a joke about cancel culture and an extremely pointed remark directed at President Donald Trump. 'I'm going to go ahead and say it: Cancel culture's gone way too far,' Colbert said to a rambunctious audience that loudly chanted his name. CBS and parent Paramount Global said the decision to end the 'Late Show' next May was purely financial. It hasn't gone unnoticed — and was mentioned by Colbert Monday night — that the announcement came days after the comic had sharply criticized Paramount's $16 million settlement of Trump's lawsuit over a '60 Minutes' interview. Colbert, known for his sharp comic takedowns of the Republican president, said that 'over the weekend, it sunk in that they killed off our show. But they made one mistake. They left me alive.' Now, he said, 'I can say what I really think of Donald Trump, starting right now.' As his audience cheered him on, Colbert said, 'I don't care for him. Doesn't seem to have the skill set to be president.' He read a passage from a Trump social media message saying that he loved that the 'untalented' Colbert had been fired. 'How dare you, sir,' Colbert said. 'Would an untalented man be able to compose the following satirical witticism?' The show switched to a close-up camera where Colbert appeared to say, 'f—- you,' the word bleeped out and his mouth blurred. Noting CBS' explanation for his firing, Colbert said, 'how can it purely be a financial decision if the show is No. 1 in the ratings? It's confusing. A lot of folks are asking that question, mainly my staff's parents and spouses.' With some apparent irritation, he said some news stories over the weekend reported the apparently leaked information that 'Late Show' was losing between $40 million and $50 million a year. Ad revenue for late-night entertainment broadcasts has shrunk sharply as the audience, particularly young men, turn to streaming or other priorities. 'I could see us losing $24 million,' Colbert said. 'But where would Paramount have ever spent the other $16 million? Oh, yeah.' Colbert introduced the odd duo of 'Weird Al' Yankovic and Lin-Manuel Miranda to sing Coldplay's 'Viva La Vida.' In a sly reference to the couple caught on camera last week at a Coldplay concert, 'Late Show' cameras panned the audience to find some supportive friends — fellow late-night hosts Jimmy Fallon, Seth Meyers, Jon Stewart and John Oliver, as well as Adam Sandler, Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen. On Comedy Central's 'The Daily Show,' also owned by Paramount, Stewart delivered an impassioned defense of his friend and former co-worker and suggested it was futile to try to satisfy Trump, certainly not by taking away programs that have helped build the company's value over the years. 'This is not the moment to give in,' Stewart said. 'I'm not giving in. I'm not going anywhere. I think.' On his own show, Colbert turned serious — briefly — to address people who had expressed support for him since the announcement was made. 'Some people see this show going away as the sign of something truly dire. And while I'm a big fan of me, I don't necessarily agree with that statement,' he said, 'because we here at the 'Late Show' never saw our job as changing anything other than how you felt at the end of the day, which I think is a worthy goal. 'Or,' he continued, 'changing how you felt the next morning when you watched on your phone, which is why broadcast TV is dying.'
NDTV
22-07-2025
- Entertainment
- NDTV
Watch: Stephen Colbert Mocks Donald Trump Using 'ColdplayGate' On The Late Show
Television host Stephen Colbert took a jibe at United States President Donald Trump by recreating the infamous Coldplay kiss cam moment in the latest episode of The Late Show. An animated version of Trump was seen hugging the Paramount logo, only to abruptly let it go, similar to the viral video showing former Astronomer CEO Andy Byron's intimate moment with HR head Kristin Cabot at a Coldplay concert. Watch the episode here: CBS recently announced that The Late Show with Stephen Colbert would end its broadcast run in May 2026, citing a "purely financial decision". The audience is bummed out, and so is Colbert. He, alongside Jon Stewart, another Paramount's most prominent host, slammed the network for its decision to axe the show amid an ongoing rift with Trump. In the episode, Lin-Manuel Miranda and "Weird Al" Yankovic performed Coldplay's "Viva La Vida" live on set, with the camera panning to show various celebrities in the audience, including Jimmy Fallon, Jon Stewart, Seth Meyers, Andy Cohen and John Oliver. The cartoon version of Trump then appeared, hugging the Paramount logo, mimicking Coldplay's recent concert controversy. Colbert's anger allegedly stems from Paramount's recent decision to settle a lawsuit with Trump, which Colbert described as a "big, fat bribe". The comment referred to a $16 million payment Paramount will reportedly make to Trump to settle the lawsuit over an interview with Kamala Harris during the 2024 presidential election. "If you're trying to figure out why Stephen's show is ending, I don't think the answer can be found in some smoking-gun email or phone call from Trump to CBS executives, or in CBS's QuickBooks spreadsheets on the financial health of late night," Stewart said during "The Daily Show" on Monday. "I think the answer is in the fear and pre-compliance that is gripping all of America's institutions at this very moment." Trump had weighed in on the firing of Colbert, one of his most prolific critics. On his Truth Social platform, Trump wrote, "I absolutely love that Colbert was fired." On Monday, Colbert told Trump to "go f**k yourself" and also joked that it had always been his dream to have a sitting president celebrate the end of his career. "They're pointing out that last Monday, just two days before my cancellation, I delivered a blistering monologue in which I showed the courage to have a moustache," he joked. "I mean, obviously, CBS saw my upper lip and boom, cancelled. Coincidence? Oh, I think not. This is worse than fascism. This is stachism."
San Francisco Chronicle
22-07-2025
- Entertainment
- San Francisco Chronicle
Colbert jokes about 'cancel culture' and has a very pointed message for President Donald Trump
Stephen Colbert returned for his first full program after last week's announcement that CBS was canceling his 'Late Show' with some supportive late-night guests, a joke about cancel culture and an extremely pointed remark directed at President Donald Trump. 'I'm going to go ahead and say it: Cancel culture's gone way too far,' Colbert said to a rambunctious audience that loudly chanted his name. CBS and parent Paramount Global said the decision to end the 'Late Show' next May was purely financial. It hasn't gone unnoticed — and was mentioned by Colbert Monday night — that the announcement came days after the comic had sharply criticized Paramount's $16 million settlement of Trump's lawsuit over a '60 Minutes' interview. Colbert, known for his sharp comic takedowns of the president, said that 'over the weekend, it sunk in that they killed off our show. But they made one mistake. They left me alive.' Now, he said, 'I can say what I really think of Donald Trump, starting right now.' As his audience cheered him on, Colbert said, 'I don't care for him. Doesn't seem to have the skill set to be president.' Colbert's personal message to President Donald Trump He read a passage from a Trump social media message saying that he loved that the 'untalented' Colbert had been fired. 'How dare you, sir,' Colbert said. 'Would an untalented man be able to compose the following satirical witticism?' The show switched to a close-up camera where Colbert appeared to say, 'f—- you,' the word bleeped out and his mouth blurred. Noting CBS' explanation for his firing, Colbert said, 'how can it purely be a financial decision if the show is No. 1 in the ratings? It's confusing. A lot of folks are asking that question, mainly my staff's parents and spouses.' With some apparent irritation, he said some news stories over the weekend reported the apparently leaked information that 'Late Show' was losing between $40 million and $50 million a year. Ad revenue for late-night entertainment broadcasts has shrunk sharply as the audience, particularly young men, turn to streaming or other priorities. 'I could see us losing $24 million,' Colbert said. 'But where would Paramount have ever spent the other $16 million? Oh, yeah.' Colbert introduced the odd duo of 'Weird Al' Yankovic and Lin-Manuel Miranda to sing Coldplay's 'Viva La Vida.' In a sly reference to the couple caught on camera last week at a Coldplay concert, 'Late Show' cameras panned the audience to find some supportive friends — fellow late-night hosts Jimmy Fallon, Seth Meyers, Jon Stewart and John Oliver, as well as Adam Sandler, Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen. Thanking audience members for support Colbert turned serious — briefly — to address people who had expressed support for him since the announcement was made. 'Some people see this show going away as the sign of something truly dire. And while I'm a big fan of me, I don't necessarily agree with that statement,' he said, "because we here at the 'Late Show' never saw our job as changing anything other than how you felt at the end of the day, which I think is a worthy goal. 'Or,' he continued, 'changing how you felt the next morning when you watched on your phone, which is why broadcast TV is dying.' ___ David Bauder writes about the intersection of media and entertainment for the AP. Follow him at and
