Betsy Walters

Opinion | Charlie Kirk Didn’t Shy Away From Who He Was. We Shouldn’t Either.

wrote on charlie kirk for the newsletter this weekend

The Hollywood Conference was great! Congratulations to @lucimarz.bsky.social and all the organizers. #HWC2025

A Company Reminder for Everyone to Talk Nicely About the Giant Plagiarism Machine Hey team. It’s your CEO. I know your time is valuable, so I’ll cut right to the chase: It’s come to my attention that some of you have been bad-mou...

"It just really comes as a shock that such accomplished intellectuals, who’ve spent their entire careers pushing the upper bounds of human achievement, could be judgy about a machine that runs the entirety of human imagination through a shredder and glues together what comes out."

Got to see how the other half lives. The ceremony was in the new data sciences building, designed to look like an uneven stack of books. @betsywal.bsky.social observes that, fittingly, it looks like it’s going to topple over onto the humanities buildings.

👀

The Smithsonian PURGE: Trump Team Removes Artifacts of Black Resistance Critics warn: it’s not just history being erased—it’s identity.

The administration is attacking American history by trying to erase it. They are dismantling the Woolworth's lunch counter exhibit at the NMAAHC, among other significant artifacts of the Civil Rights Movement. blackpressusa.com/the-smithson...

Joseph Finder ~ • Follow 2d • G • • • It's the 250th anniversary of the midnight ride of Paul Revere. A local TV station mapped the route out with nods to past and present Boston-area landmarks, including all seven Dunkin' Donuts a modern-day Paul Revere could stop at: https://www.nocboston.com/news/local/paul-revere-midnight-ride-boston-today/3685215/

i often see things that make me say "this is the most Boston thing I have ever seen in my life" but i think this one might have swept them all

Yay Reut (who isn’t on Bluesky, but I’m thrilled anyway)!!

This was a blast thanks to @betsywal.bsky.social’s insights and Charlotte Howell’s hard work putting it together.

Uhhhh...we are. Aren't we? Studying all of it? [checks bookcase] Yes, we are. And have been. Sigh.

Thank you!

😂

Some news! Thanks to @tvbookstvbooks.bsky.social for guiding me through this project/process with endless patience and humor.

Oscars Add Best Stunt Design Category Starting in 2027 A stunt design category is coming to the Oscars.

Oscars Add Best Stunt Design Category Starting in 2027

variety.com/2025/awards/...

Still hoping to get to #scms25 but I'm entering hour 7 of being stuck at Logan Airport. I think I live here now.

Opinion | Actually, A.I. Is Pretty Mid A.I. is just what we need in the post-fact era: less research and more predicting what we want to hear.

Best AI hype allegory to date via @tressiemcphd.bsky.social

“every time someone asks me, “What about A.I.?” with the breathless anticipation of a boy who thinks this is the summer he finally gets to touch a boob”

Update: A letter repudiating the weakness and equivocation of the Academy's letter and expressing support for Hamdan Ballal started circulating today and has now been signed by more than 300 Academy members. Will share more if/when it becomes public.

“Dear Academy members, At the heart of the Academy's mission is a commitment to honoring excellence in the motion picture arts and sciences and connecting the world through the power of cinema. We do this through our work on the Oscars, our exhibitions and programs, our preservation and education efforts, and so much more. We believe deeply in the ability of film to illuminate, to provoke thought, and to bridge divides by offering a window into diverse human experiences.”

“We fundamentally believe that film has the power to enlighten global audiences and highlight different perspectives - and we encourage our members to use their art to do so. The Academy condemns harming or suppressing artists for their work or their viewpoints. We are living in a time of profound change, marked by conflict and uncertainty - across the globe, in the U.S., and within our own industry. Understandably, we are often asked to speak on behalf of the Academy in response to social, political, and economic events. In these instances, it is important to note that the Academy represents close to 11,000 global members with many unique viewpoints.”

“We are, however, united in a shared belief in the importance of storytelling, in the value of empathy, and in the role of film as a catalyst. As an organization, our focus continues to be the celebration of creative voices that make up the global film community - and supporting your freedom to create, to challenge, and to imagine. We remain steadfast in this work, and we are grateful to walk alongside each of you in it. Bill Kramer and Janet Yang”

AMPAS has issued a new statement that basically says: “we will continue to say nothing.” they don’t even bother mentioning Hamdan Ballal — an Oscar winner!!! — by name.

Being the Film & Media Festivals SIG grad rep has been such a lovely gig! It's a terrific opportunity to connect with other scholars. Please consider nominating yourself for SIG co-chair or grad rep, and don't hesitate to reach out if you have any questions about either role.

8 US presidents died in office b/t 1841 & 1963. Whose funeral was recreated for radio? Check out my article, "Bury Him By Radio: Early Funeral Broadcasts & the Mourning of Pres. Harding," in the "Sound History is Cultural History" issue of Resonance! #Radio #Death online.ucpress.edu/res/article/...

How to delete genetic data from 23andMe • Log into your 23andMe account. • Go to your Profile, then tap Settings. • Scroll to the "23andMe Data" section at the bottom of the page and click View. • If you want to download your data, select what you want. • Scroll to the "Delete Data" section and click Permanently Delete Data. • Confirm your request: You'll receive an email from 23andMe, and click the link in the email to confirm.

23andMe declared bankruptcy and the company is gonna be sold off for parts. That includes your DNA information and the only amount of control you have is to delete your info immediately. It’s very simple to do.

Gift link: wapo.st/4kUsBEF

such an ideal case study!

You just know he'll claim he made the whole menu by himself.

So cool! What a great experience for your students to chat with people who’ve worked with Netflix. Thanks for sharing!

I hope my senators are trying to free and get justice for this man (@hassan.senate.gov and @shaheen.senate.gov). This is horrific. And by the way, your shameful votes yesterday only enable this administration’s overreach and abuse.

The absolute devastation that @chuckschumer.com is about to inflict on D.C. by supporting the GOP’s continuing resolution is hard to overstate. Massive cuts to schools and law enforcement. Teachers laid off en masse. Basic city services may grind to a halt because we *cannot spend our own money.*

AI Search Has A Citation Problem We Compared Eight AI Search Engines. They’re All Bad at Citing News.

AI chatbots are wrong 60% of the time www.cjr.org/tow_center/w...

For our next issue, Ampersand solicits papers on rupturing, deconstructing, and recreating boundaries of assumed forms within American Studies. We encourage a variety of topics and formats and prioritize the work of emerging scholars. Find out more and submit by 4/1 at sites.bu.edu/ampersandjou...

sometimes the angel of death comes as a stupid blowhard