| Good morning: It’s no secret that humor sells, or at least that’s what the research says. But interestingly, the use of humor in ads declined to about 33 percent in 2022 in the wake of COVID. More recently, however, humorous ads accounted for three-quarters of major ad awards, and 70 percent of Super Bowl ads this year featured humor. Clearly the mood of the times influences the tone of the culture people want. Advertisers track closely on perceived public “mood” and have plenty of of-the-moment research to guide them. So are there similar indicators that inform what audiences for museums, theatre, dance and music want? And was summer 2023’s collapse of theatre audience due in part to a shift in public mood after COVID? Here are the rest of today’s highlights: Harriet Martineau, The Now-Forgotten 19th-Century Novelist Who Changed Far More Than We Realize Harriet Martineau, a pioneering yet overlooked 19th-century novelist, made significant contributions to ecology, economics, and realist fiction. Her works are being reassessed for their lasting impact. Read more in Literary Hub. Australian Court Allows Exhibition That Banned Men From Entering An Australian court has allowed the reopening of an exhibition that banned men to highlight misogyny, sparking debates over gender discrimination and artistic expression. Read more in BBC. Climate-Protesting Art Vandals Throw Soup at Van Gogh’s “Sunflowers” Again In a dramatic act of protest, climate activists again targeted Van Gogh’s Sunflowers in the National Gallery in London. This time, they used vegetable soup in protest of the sentencing of the original vandals. Read more in Artnet. Exit Interview: Rufus Norris on Running London’s National Theatre As Rufus Norris steps down from his role as artistic director of London’s National Theatre, he reflects on his tenure, marked by innovative productions and the challenges of navigating the pandemic. Read more in The Guardian. Report: This Spring’s Art Auction Season Was the Worst of This Century A new report highlights the struggles of the art market, revealing that the spring auction season had the worst financial performance of the century, reflecting a broader downturn. Read more in ARTnews. As usual, skip down to see the rest of the stories we collected Friday:
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