Month: October 2022

Kanye West‘s recent string of anti-Semitic comments has led to widespread condemnation as well as an invitation on Tuesday (Oct. 11) from the Holocaust Museum L.A. to come by for a visit to learn about the devastating impacts of hate speech. In an Instagram Story the museum said, “Words matter and words have consequences Ye. We urge you to come visit us at Holocaust Museum L.A. to understand just how words can incite horrific violence and genocide.”

Twitter removed Ye’s tweet on Saturday for violating the platform’s rules after the rapper wrote that he was going to go “death con 3 On JEWISH PEOPLE… The funny thing is I actually can’t be Anti Semitic because black people are actually Jew also You guys have toyed with me and tried to black ball anyone whoever opposes your agenda,” he ended the tweet.

The comment followed Meta’s removal of Instagram posts by West for violating that platform’s policies after he posted text messages between him and fellow rapper P. Diddy claiming he would “show the Jews that told you to call me that no one can threaten or influence me.” In April, the Anti-Defamation League, which tracks anti-Semitic behavior nationwide, reported a 34% rise in anti-Semitic incidents in 2021 (to 2,717), which averaged out to more than seven such incidents per day.

At press time a spokesperson for West had not returned multiple requests for comment.

West’s comments have been vilified by a number of fellow artists, activists and politicians, with Holocaust Museum noting in its invitation that, “The Holocaust started with only words that sadly begat stereotypes, racial and religious tropes and blaming others and led to the murder of six million Jews. At Holocaust Museum LA it is our mission to commemorate those who are murdered, educate on the Holocaust and all genocides… and inspire a more dignified and human world.”

Those atrocities, the Museum added, include the Armenian genocide of the early 20th century in which experts estimate that between 664,000 and 1.2 million Armenians were slaughtered; it also noted that Ye’s four young children with ex-wife Kim Kardashian are Armenian given their mother’s heritage. “Your words reach millions and you can choose to incite or you can choose to inspire,” the message ended.

In the wake of West’s posts, the U.S. Holocaust Museum in Washington, D.C. also weighed in on the dangers of spreading anti-Semitic speech in tweet on Tuesday, writing, “Do you know what antisemitism is? Could you recognize it online or in a conversation? Prejudice or hatred of Jews began long before the Nazis. Eighty years after the Holocaust, antisemitism persists in various forms, including racial, religious, economic, and political.”

West began last week by raising eyebrows with a “White Lives Matter” shirt at his Paris Fashion Week show, but that controversy was quickly overshadowed by his latest anti-Semitic provocation, which elicited harsh responses from Yasiin Bey, Jack Antonoff, Sarah Silverman and Jamie Lee Curtis, as well as a number of anti-hate organizations.

See the U.S. Holocaust Museum’s post below.

Do you know what antisemitism is? Could you recognize it online or in a conversation? Prejudice or hatred of Jews began long before the Nazis. Eighty years after the Holocaust, antisemitism persists in various forms, including racial, religious, economic, and political.

— US Holocaust Museum (@HolocaustMuseum) October 11, 2022

Singer-songwriter Megan Moroney makes her first visit to the Billboard Hot 100 as her breakthrough single “Tennessee Orange” debuts on the latest, Oct. 15-dated chart at No. 94.

The song, which Moroney self-released Sept. 2, debuts with 4.9 million U.S. streams (up 15%) and 1,000 downloads sold in the Sept. 30-Oct. 6 tracking week, according to Luminate. It concurrently climbs 29-25 in its fourth week on Hot Country Songs.

Contributing to the song’s gains is its backstory. Fans believe that Moroney co-wrote it about Morgan Wallen, whom she’s rumored to be dating. In the single, the Savannah, Ga., native sings about being a fan of the University of Georgia, of which she’s also a graduate, but is so enamored over a new love interest that she’s willing to wear University of Tennessee’s trademark orange for him. (Wallen is a UT fan.)

On TikTok, a portion of the song’s chorus has been used in over 32,000 clips, primarily by couples sharing their own love stories. Moroney herself boasts more than 380,000 followers on the platform. (TikTok does not presently directly contribute data to Billboard charts.)

Moroney is a newcomer to Billboard charts, as “Tennessee Orange” became her first chart entry when it debuted at No. 17 on the Country Digital Song Sales survey dated Sept. 17. She also jumps 22-16 for a new high on the latest Emerging Artists chart.

The track was produced by Kristian Bush, who is half of the duos Sugarland, with Jennifer Nettles, and Billy Pilgrim, with Andrew Hyra. Bush has also produced tracks for Boys Like Girls, Lindsay Ell and Matt Nathanson.

Moroney performed as an opener for Chase Rice in concert while she was a student at UGA. She released her debut six-song EP Pistol Made of Roses in July.

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Regardless of whether you prefer ready-made or DIY costumes, it’s always fun to dress up for Halloween! But when it comes to finding that perfect costume, it all depends on what makes you comfortable.

Face masks, for example, have been the norm for more than two years, so you might feel better wearing a Halloween mask instead of going all out on a costume. If so, horror icons like Michael Myers, Jason, Ghostface from Scream, and even Squid Games masks are good options that won’t cost you very much money.

Need more variety? We’ve rounded up a collection of pop culture Halloween costumes that you can have delivered in time for All Hallow’s Eve, and some that you can BOPIS (buy online and pick up in store).

From superheroes to anime, movie characters, TV characters and more, check below for a list of 11 of the coolest pop culture Halloween costumes for 2022. And for more Halloween content, be sure to read our lists of the best musician-inspired Halloween costumes and spooky decorations.

Euphoria Costume: Cassie Howard

“You guys can all judge me if you want but I do not care. I have never, ever been happier!” The bathroom scene from Euphoria has been memed more times than we can remember. For those who want to channel one of East Highland High School’s most notorious character’s, the Western-style look is pretty iconic. Get into costume with this BP. mixed print dress and baylee booties, throw in some hair clips, and don’t be scared to pile on the blue eyeshadow. Click here for more DIY costume ideas for Rue, Maddy, Fezco, Lexi and Kat.

Scooby-Doo Costumes: Velma

Buy: Jerry Leigh Scooby-Doo Velma Halloween Costume for Adults, Standard Size, Includes Shirt, Skirt, Glasses, Knee Socks $45.99

Everybody loves Velma! The Scooby-Doo character has always been a fan favorite, and she might be even more popular after her coming out moment from HBO Max’s Scooby Doo Halloween movie went viral last week. Whether you’re going DIY or ready-made, Velma’s costume is pretty easy to put together — all you need is a shirt, skirt, knee socks, a wig and her signature glasses. Find Scooby Doo and other character costumes here.  

Anime Costumes: Naruto

Buy: US Size Adult Anime Black Orange Top Pants Cosplay Costume (X-Large) $49.99

Celebrate the 20th year anniversary of Naruto this Halloween. The Naruto Uzumaki costume pictured above is available in sizes S-XXL (and custom sizes). Find Naruto costumes at Amazon and Spirit Halloween in adults and kids’ sizes. Want more anime options? Check out costumes inspired by Sailor Moon, Avatar the Last Airbender, Attack on Titan and other shows here.

Regency Era Costumes: Bridgerton

The regency era is having a renaissance! This Bridgerton costume from Amazon is inspired by the character Edwina Sharma and includes a pink, lace high-waisted dress and long white gloves. Find more Bridgerton-esque looks at Amazon, Etsy and Nordstrom, or shop the Bridgerton collection at Bloomingdale’s.  Regency era costumes can also be used to dress as some characters from HBO Max’s House of the Dragon and Prime Video’s The Rings of Power.

Royal Costumes: Queen Elizabeth

Buy: Rubie’s womens Queen Wig Party Supplies, Multicolor, One Size US $17.00

Speaking of royalty, expect to see costumes inspired by The Crown this Halloween. 2022 was an emotional year for the British royal family, following the death of Queen Elizabeth and the 25th anniversary of the death of Princess Diana. Queen Elizabeth are sold out online, but DIY options are more fun! Throw on an oversized sweatshirt and biker shorts to pull off one of Princess Diana’s causal looks, or recreate Queen Elizabeth’s looks in a double-breasted coat, vintage style cocktail dress and a replica of one of her signature hats. Find wigs, sashes, tiaras and other royal costume accessories here.

Superhero Costumes: Spider-Man

Buy: Goodd Superhero Spider Costume Spandex Jumpsuit Halloween Cosplay Costumes Kids/Adults (Kids-XL, 2019) … … $45.99

Spider-Man: No Way Home was one of the biggest movies of the last year, so it makes sense that the webbed hero’s costumes is among Amazon’s best-sellers. Spider-Man is always a cute costume idea for kids and adults. Find Batman costumes here and here for Dr. Strange.

Top Gun Costumes

 

Buy: Leg Avenue mens – Official Top Gun Flight Suit 8s Movie Jumpsuit Halloween for Men Adult Sized Costumes, Khaki/Green, Medium Large US $79.19

Top Gun is holding steady as the biggest movie of 2022. Suit up in this Top Gun costume available in sizes ranging from X-Small to 3X. You can also get the costume in women’s and kids’ sizes.

Hocus Pocus Costumes

Buy: Party City, Hocus Pocus Winifred Sanderson Halloween Costume for Women, Large/Extra Large, Dress with Attached Coat $50.00

Cast a spell this Halloween in a Hocus Pocus costume available as Winifred, Sarah, or Mary Sanderson (another great group costume idea). The Winifred costume pictured above only includes the floor length dress, the teeth, choker and wig are sold separately.

Encanto Costumes

We don’t talk about Bruno! But we do talk about how to dress up as Encanto characters for Halloween. Choose from Bruno, Isabela, Antonio, Abuela Alma and other characters with costumes from Amazon, Spirit Halloween and shopDisney.

Minions Costumes

Minions was another 2022 blockbuster. The move sequel became a TikTok phenomenon after fans dressed in black suits to watch the film in theaters around the country. Find a selection of Minions costumes for kids and adults at Halloween Costumes, Spirit Halloween and Amazon. Dress as Gru in this mask and scarf or throw on a black suit.

She-Hulk Costumes

Buy: She Hulk Deluxe Adult Costume Small $60.99

She-Hulk made her debut in the 1980 comic The Savage She-Hulk, and it only took 42 years for the green superhero to land her own TV series. If you’re a fan of She-Hulk on Disney+, you might like the costume above, which includes a jumpsuit, fingerless gloves and boot covers. Want to DIY? Throw on a gray suit and green makeup.

Three Norway-based artists’ rights groups have written Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason jr. to request that the organization’s members consider the dangerous conditions under which dissident Iranian composer Mehdi Rajabian created his latest album, It Arrives, and the communications lockdown that has prevented him from promoting it in the lead-up to Grammy voting, which begins on Thursday (Oct. 13).

The letter to Mason, dated Oct. 10, was signed by Sverre Pedersen, the chair of Freemuse, a non-governmental organization that documents abuses of artistic freedom internationally and serves as a consultant to the United Nations; Han Ole Rian, president of CREO, Norway’s largest union for arts and culture; and Jan Lothe Eriksen, general manager of Safemuse, which provides safe havens and residencies for persecuted and endangered artists. The letter asks that as Grammy voters judge the merit of It Arrives, which Rajabian submitted for consideration in the new age, ambient and chant Grammy category, “We would like to underscore the very special situation this album was created under, with the producer and composer, Mehdi Rajabian, being isolated inside a totalitarian state, and musicians collaborating on the record over the Internet despite the very difficult working conditions.”

A number of Grammy-recognized musicians who appeared on the album, including singer Priya Darshini and violinist Curtis Stewart, conductor Amy Anderssen, who released It Arrives on her Higher Purpose Music label, and artistic freedom experts, such as Index on Censorship CEO Ruth Smeeth, added their signatures to letter as well. (See the letter in its entirety below.)

Pedersen, who says that Safemuse has been working with Rajabian since 2015 or 2016, explains that the composer is technically out on bail in Iran, and that “his parents house is covering for the bail.” If Rajabian were to leave Iran, he says, his parents would not only lose their home, “they would probably also be imprisoned.” As a result, Rajabian “is in limbo,” he adds. “He has to stay for the sake of his parents, and there is an active ban that he is not allowed to create or perform his music, even though he continues to do it.”

“There will need to be a change of regime for him to get out,” adds Safemuse’s Eriksen, who is also a musician. “That he actually managed to be creative and to work with people outside of Iran through the internet and come out with an album of that kind of quality – I am totally impressed.”

Rajabian, who was imprisoned twice in 2013 and 2015 for recording music and who suffered kidney damage due to torture and a 40-day hunger strike, according to Pedersen, released It Arrives, which was composed and recorded via the internet with an international group of Grammy-winning and nominated musicians, on Sept. 10. He gave an interview to Billboard earlier that month and created a “For Your Consideration” web page, but was unable to respond to interview requests and interest from other media outlets, including The New Yorker, NPR and The Washington Post as a result of the widespread protests in Iran that erupted after the country’s Islamic morality police, also known as the Guidance Patrol, killed 22-year-old Mahsa Amini for not wearing a hijab. In an attempt to quell the uprisings, Iran has blocked and filtered access to the internet and social media platforms. “Since advertising and important promotion-work have been obstructed during the period of voting and collecting votes for the album, we ask you to take these conditions into account in the assessment of Mehdi Rajabian’s album ‘It Arrives’ for the Grammy 2022,” the letter concludes.

While Grammy nominations won’t be announced until Nov. 15 and the awards won’t be handed out until Feb. 5, Pedersen says his cowriters and their organizations are hoping that Rajabian will be nominated and ultimately win the Grammy “because from our experience, when artist at risk in a totalitarian regime gets this kind of attention and awards, it’s, in a way, giving them better protection.” He adds that they also plan to reach out to record companies and musicians to spread the word about Rajabian and It Arrives: “We want to do what we can to improve his protection and reduce the risk of harassment and new imprisonment.” As the protests in Iran burn on, Pedersen says the morality police are targeting musicians and other artists because they are able to influence the masses. Based on his minimal communications with Rajabian, he says, “This is creating in him quite a lot of fear.”

In late September, Iranian songwriter Shervin Hajipour was arrested and later released on bail after his protest song about Amini, “Baraye,” went viral. According to a report in Variety, 95,000 fans of the song have submitted it for consideration for the “song for social change” special-merit award that will be introduced at the 2023 Grammys ceremony. (A “blue-ribbon committee” will choose the winner.)

In response to the letter sent by Pedersen, Rian and Eriksen, Recording Academy CEO Mason, who engineered and mastered Rajabian’s 2021 album, Coup of Gods, issued the following statement: “Our voters are instructed to evaluate music on its merits, period. No entry should be disadvantaged by an artist’s inability to draw attention to it.”

“Mehdi is a very strong and brave human rights defender,” says Pedersen. “He’s also quite an interesting musician in the way that he has been cooperating with musicians around the globe for years to come up with quite unique music pieces.”

Eriksen encourages artists who do enjoy artistic freedom to consider adding their voices in support of those who don’t. “In addition to Mehdi and other artists inside Iran, Afghanistan is a total disaster as well,” he says. “Still, people there are working as artists. It’s so important that artists who do have freedom of expression are aware that we have colleagues who are not in that position. This is a plea: be aware of this, and if you have any possibility to stand up or support, do so.”

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