1 00:00:00,320 --> 00:00:04,320 Speaker 1: Shining do the same with the Little Focus on a 2 00:00:04,600 --> 00:00:20,319 Speaker 1: Fight ND tonight, Welcome to Daily Variety, your daily dose 3 00:00:20,360 --> 00:00:23,120 Speaker 1: of news and analysis for entertainment industry insiders. 4 00:00:23,440 --> 00:00:27,480 Speaker 2: It's Thursday, January fifteenth, twenty twenty six. I'm your host, 5 00:00:27,520 --> 00:00:30,400 Speaker 2: Cynthia Littleton. I am co editor in chief of Variety 6 00:00:30,400 --> 00:00:34,000 Speaker 2: alongside Ramin Setuda. I'm in la He's in New York, 7 00:00:34,080 --> 00:00:36,839 Speaker 2: and Variety has reporters around the world covering the business 8 00:00:36,840 --> 00:00:40,600 Speaker 2: of entertainment. In today's episode, we'll hear from Variety's jem Oswad, 9 00:00:40,640 --> 00:00:43,440 Speaker 2: who gives us an overview of what to expect this 10 00:00:43,600 --> 00:00:47,519 Speaker 2: year in music tours. Those charming lads bts that you 11 00:00:47,600 --> 00:00:50,080 Speaker 2: heard in the cold open to this episode are coming 12 00:00:50,120 --> 00:00:52,320 Speaker 2: back in a huge way with the world tour that 13 00:00:52,440 --> 00:00:55,279 Speaker 2: is set to stretch into twenty twenty seven and then 14 00:00:55,480 --> 00:00:58,200 Speaker 2: in advance of the Martin Luther King Junior Day Holiday 15 00:00:58,200 --> 00:01:01,040 Speaker 2: on Monday, I take a look back through Varieties pages 16 00:01:01,320 --> 00:01:04,319 Speaker 2: to see how doctor King emerged as a national media 17 00:01:04,360 --> 00:01:07,720 Speaker 2: figure starting in the late nineteen fifties. But before we 18 00:01:07,760 --> 00:01:10,280 Speaker 2: get to that, here are a few headlines just in 19 00:01:10,319 --> 00:01:13,720 Speaker 2: this morning that you need to know. Spotify is raising 20 00:01:13,760 --> 00:01:16,960 Speaker 2: subscription prices. Next month, the monthly bill will go up 21 00:01:17,080 --> 00:01:20,120 Speaker 2: one to two dollars, depending on your plan. Social media 22 00:01:20,200 --> 00:01:23,520 Speaker 2: star Alex Earl launches a YouTube talk show today. Get 23 00:01:23,640 --> 00:01:26,559 Speaker 2: Real with Me is a variation of the Get Ready 24 00:01:26,600 --> 00:01:29,319 Speaker 2: with Me TikTok videos that made her a star. Her 25 00:01:29,360 --> 00:01:32,600 Speaker 2: first guest is comedian Jake Shane. Get Real with Me 26 00:01:32,800 --> 00:01:35,880 Speaker 2: is expected to run on a monthly basis. Thankfully, it 27 00:01:36,000 --> 00:01:39,560 Speaker 2: seems like that massive Verizon outage that emerged on Wednesday 28 00:01:39,640 --> 00:01:43,320 Speaker 2: is finally fixed. The inability to make calls definitely put 29 00:01:43,319 --> 00:01:47,160 Speaker 2: a big crimp in Variety's reporting productivity on Wednesday. All 30 00:01:47,200 --> 00:01:49,520 Speaker 2: of these stories and so much more can be found 31 00:01:49,560 --> 00:01:56,840 Speaker 2: on Variety dot com right now. And now it's time 32 00:01:56,880 --> 00:01:59,760 Speaker 2: for conversations with Friday journalists about news and trends and 33 00:01:59,760 --> 00:02:04,120 Speaker 2: show business. Jem Oswad, Variety's maestro of music, gives us 34 00:02:04,120 --> 00:02:07,280 Speaker 2: a rundown of where k pop stands as BTS comes 35 00:02:07,320 --> 00:02:11,280 Speaker 2: back from their irl Army service, and we talk about 36 00:02:11,280 --> 00:02:13,360 Speaker 2: some of the other big tours that are shaping up 37 00:02:13,400 --> 00:02:16,400 Speaker 2: for this year. Jem Oswad, thank you for joining me. 38 00:02:16,639 --> 00:02:17,600 Speaker 3: Thank you, Cynthia. 39 00:02:17,639 --> 00:02:20,840 Speaker 2: As always, it caught my attention earlier this week that 40 00:02:21,200 --> 00:02:24,959 Speaker 2: BTS a name that certainly moved a lot of units 41 00:02:25,240 --> 00:02:28,920 Speaker 2: in recent years and really seemed to be exemplary of 42 00:02:29,080 --> 00:02:31,440 Speaker 2: not only the K pop rise, but the true rise 43 00:02:31,480 --> 00:02:35,119 Speaker 2: of global music. They all had to do their conscription, 44 00:02:35,480 --> 00:02:38,560 Speaker 2: their draft duty for their country, and that was in 45 00:02:38,720 --> 00:02:41,760 Speaker 2: twenty two, twenty three, twenty four. And now they are 46 00:02:41,919 --> 00:02:45,120 Speaker 2: back and we will have a new album from this 47 00:02:45,200 --> 00:02:49,440 Speaker 2: outfit on March twentieth, and they have also unveiled a 48 00:02:49,480 --> 00:02:52,760 Speaker 2: truly massive plan for a world to where they unveiled 49 00:02:52,840 --> 00:02:56,600 Speaker 2: dates that will go into twenty twenty seven. What kind 50 00:02:56,680 --> 00:03:00,760 Speaker 2: of demand do you think BTS is going to find 51 00:03:00,919 --> 00:03:04,520 Speaker 2: as they relaunch as recording artists and touring artists. 52 00:03:04,680 --> 00:03:08,079 Speaker 3: Well that's almost the billion dollar question, isn't it, Because 53 00:03:08,280 --> 00:03:12,600 Speaker 3: in the touring business, especially the word scarcity counts for 54 00:03:12,639 --> 00:03:16,000 Speaker 3: a lot. If somebody tours every year, especially if somebody 55 00:03:16,080 --> 00:03:20,720 Speaker 3: is touring stadiums in consecutive years, you tend to saturate 56 00:03:20,800 --> 00:03:25,919 Speaker 3: the demand. Beyonce's second stadium tour in two years did 57 00:03:25,960 --> 00:03:28,679 Speaker 3: not do anywhere near as well as the first one 58 00:03:28,720 --> 00:03:31,360 Speaker 3: because it was too soon. Having said that, you can 59 00:03:31,440 --> 00:03:34,560 Speaker 3: have an artist like Chardet who comes out of hiding 60 00:03:34,639 --> 00:03:37,840 Speaker 3: once every ten or twelve years or shows and sets 61 00:03:37,840 --> 00:03:41,080 Speaker 3: the world on fire. But BTS is a different animal. 62 00:03:41,360 --> 00:03:45,640 Speaker 3: They're a pop group and K pop is arguably the 63 00:03:45,680 --> 00:03:50,240 Speaker 3: most high concentrate pop in history in a lot of ways, 64 00:03:50,440 --> 00:03:54,000 Speaker 3: and the audience is very young. You do not find 65 00:03:54,320 --> 00:03:58,839 Speaker 3: very many fans of BTS who are older and has 66 00:03:58,880 --> 00:04:01,720 Speaker 3: the audienced aged with them. They've been gone for so 67 00:04:01,880 --> 00:04:04,720 Speaker 3: long they may very well have moved on to something else. 68 00:04:05,000 --> 00:04:09,080 Speaker 3: They're certainly not lacking for ambition with their plans for 69 00:04:09,160 --> 00:04:13,480 Speaker 3: this year. Even their parent company, the American division of HIBE, 70 00:04:13,560 --> 00:04:17,479 Speaker 3: has beefed up its staff in anticipation of this. The 71 00:04:17,560 --> 00:04:20,359 Speaker 3: tour they announced is one of the biggest in history 72 00:04:20,360 --> 00:04:24,520 Speaker 3: because it's all stadiums for more than a year. Is 73 00:04:24,560 --> 00:04:28,480 Speaker 3: the demand going to be there for this initial run, probably, 74 00:04:28,760 --> 00:04:30,880 Speaker 3: but none of us have heard the music, so we 75 00:04:30,920 --> 00:04:33,760 Speaker 3: don't know how strong that is, and we also don't 76 00:04:33,839 --> 00:04:38,440 Speaker 3: know whether the mania that surrounded them has aged with them. 77 00:04:38,760 --> 00:04:41,479 Speaker 2: They are also going through which, as you well know, 78 00:04:41,680 --> 00:04:44,960 Speaker 2: can be significant for an artist. They've made a label switch. 79 00:04:45,000 --> 00:04:48,320 Speaker 2: They're still on high but HIBE in the US now 80 00:04:48,360 --> 00:04:52,240 Speaker 2: will be released through Universal Music. Their previous success with 81 00:04:52,480 --> 00:04:55,400 Speaker 2: Butter and other things came through Sony Musics. I would 82 00:04:55,440 --> 00:04:59,000 Speaker 2: imagine that Universal and Hibe like, there's probably no bigger 83 00:04:59,040 --> 00:05:02,400 Speaker 2: priority for them than getting BTS back off on a 84 00:05:02,400 --> 00:05:02,840 Speaker 2: good foot. 85 00:05:03,080 --> 00:05:06,760 Speaker 3: Yes, and not for nothing their two biggest competitors. It's 86 00:05:06,800 --> 00:05:10,919 Speaker 3: a very male heavy year, unusually in recent years, because 87 00:05:11,000 --> 00:05:15,520 Speaker 3: the two most anticipated artists this year are Harry Styles 88 00:05:15,560 --> 00:05:19,839 Speaker 3: and Bruno Mars. Bruno has already announced his album, his 89 00:05:20,080 --> 00:05:24,039 Speaker 3: massive stadium tour. Talk about scarcity. He has not released 90 00:05:24,040 --> 00:05:27,320 Speaker 3: a solo album in almost ten years. He of course 91 00:05:27,360 --> 00:05:30,480 Speaker 3: did the Silk Sonic project, which was a way of 92 00:05:30,520 --> 00:05:33,599 Speaker 3: sort of having it both ways, but he didn't really 93 00:05:33,720 --> 00:05:37,920 Speaker 3: tour behind it. He did a residency. Harry hasn't officially 94 00:05:37,960 --> 00:05:40,920 Speaker 3: announced anything yet, but it's coming any minute. He's been 95 00:05:40,960 --> 00:05:44,799 Speaker 3: teasing it. Everybody knows it's coming, so not for nothing. 96 00:05:45,040 --> 00:05:49,039 Speaker 3: Harry is on Sony, Bruno Mars is on Warner and 97 00:05:49,320 --> 00:05:53,000 Speaker 3: BTS is on Universals. So those are probably going to 98 00:05:53,040 --> 00:05:56,880 Speaker 3: be the big plays for this year for the labels, 99 00:05:56,920 --> 00:05:58,960 Speaker 3: at least for the first half of the year, because 100 00:05:59,000 --> 00:06:00,880 Speaker 3: once the record's out, they work it. 101 00:06:00,880 --> 00:06:04,040 Speaker 2: It's really about the tours, the merch. The music has 102 00:06:04,120 --> 00:06:06,600 Speaker 2: to be good for sure, and when you're at BTS 103 00:06:06,720 --> 00:06:09,400 Speaker 2: level or Taylor Swift level, You're gonna make serious money 104 00:06:09,440 --> 00:06:13,479 Speaker 2: on your music. But the engines of commerce are those 105 00:06:13,520 --> 00:06:17,000 Speaker 2: live performances. Let's talk about the K pop market. So 106 00:06:17,360 --> 00:06:20,200 Speaker 2: since beat that run of BTS and Black Pink, and 107 00:06:20,240 --> 00:06:23,000 Speaker 2: of course Lisa now has emerged from Black Pink and 108 00:06:23,040 --> 00:06:25,479 Speaker 2: it is making her mark as an actor as well. 109 00:06:25,880 --> 00:06:28,640 Speaker 2: But am I right in thinking that the pipeline of 110 00:06:28,800 --> 00:06:31,800 Speaker 2: new stars and new talent has been thin for the 111 00:06:31,880 --> 00:06:33,000 Speaker 2: last couple of years. 112 00:06:33,400 --> 00:06:37,359 Speaker 3: That is not an inaccurate take. The one that is 113 00:06:37,440 --> 00:06:40,320 Speaker 3: the exception to that, I would say is Kat's Eye, 114 00:06:40,720 --> 00:06:44,440 Speaker 3: who I think are seven girls who are also on Highe, 115 00:06:44,720 --> 00:06:48,680 Speaker 3: which is BTS's label, But they're not really a died 116 00:06:48,720 --> 00:06:52,000 Speaker 3: in the wool k pop group. Their music is K 117 00:06:52,080 --> 00:06:56,120 Speaker 3: pop adjacent, but you know, you wouldn't confuse them with 118 00:06:56,279 --> 00:06:59,080 Speaker 3: seventeen or somebody like that. They're breaking them mold a 119 00:06:59,080 --> 00:07:02,479 Speaker 3: little bit. So I almost feel like the genre is 120 00:07:02,520 --> 00:07:05,480 Speaker 3: splintering a bit as well. Now, what has changed k 121 00:07:05,560 --> 00:07:10,080 Speaker 3: pop demon Hunters? It has injected a whole new life 122 00:07:10,400 --> 00:07:14,360 Speaker 3: into the genre, and it's even taken the genre farther. 123 00:07:14,640 --> 00:07:17,360 Speaker 3: Golden was the second biggest song of the year, but 124 00:07:17,560 --> 00:07:19,880 Speaker 3: it feels like it's had the most reach. It was 125 00:07:19,960 --> 00:07:23,800 Speaker 3: right behind Alex Warren's song Ordinary and Bruno Mars and 126 00:07:24,200 --> 00:07:26,440 Speaker 3: Lady Gaga would die with a smile. We're up there 127 00:07:26,480 --> 00:07:30,600 Speaker 3: as well, but it feels like Golden had more reach. 128 00:07:30,920 --> 00:07:34,280 Speaker 3: Will that rescue the entire genre? Will that open the 129 00:07:34,320 --> 00:07:37,520 Speaker 3: door for more new artists? Will it open the door 130 00:07:37,560 --> 00:07:40,080 Speaker 3: for more cartoon artists? And of course there's going to 131 00:07:40,120 --> 00:07:43,480 Speaker 3: be a K Pop Demon Hunter sequel, but it seems 132 00:07:43,680 --> 00:07:47,880 Speaker 3: it seems unlikely to have the impact that this one 133 00:07:48,120 --> 00:07:48,520 Speaker 3: has had. 134 00:07:48,720 --> 00:07:50,960 Speaker 2: Let's button up here by talking about some of the 135 00:07:50,960 --> 00:07:54,840 Speaker 2: other big tours obviously BTS and you mentioned Harry Styles 136 00:07:54,840 --> 00:07:57,800 Speaker 2: and Bruno Mars. What other treks do you think are 137 00:07:57,840 --> 00:07:59,880 Speaker 2: going to be selling tickets in twenty twenty six. 138 00:08:00,200 --> 00:08:04,640 Speaker 3: Well, two things in completely opposing lanes are Ariana Grande 139 00:08:04,880 --> 00:08:09,200 Speaker 3: and artists who certainly understand scarcity and the importance of it. 140 00:08:09,280 --> 00:08:14,000 Speaker 3: Because she's been on an almost single minded mission for Wicked, 141 00:08:14,400 --> 00:08:17,160 Speaker 3: for it has really taking up the better part of 142 00:08:17,200 --> 00:08:20,520 Speaker 3: the last five years of her career. So she managed 143 00:08:20,560 --> 00:08:23,400 Speaker 3: to get an excellent album out in there she recorded it, 144 00:08:23,440 --> 00:08:26,200 Speaker 3: but she was smart enough to realize that she had 145 00:08:26,240 --> 00:08:30,280 Speaker 3: a very small window in which to promote that album. 146 00:08:30,320 --> 00:08:33,959 Speaker 3: She promoted that album for about three weeks a month 147 00:08:34,040 --> 00:08:37,600 Speaker 3: or so, and she did not tour behind it. She's 148 00:08:37,679 --> 00:08:40,360 Speaker 3: touring this year, but she says it's going to be 149 00:08:40,400 --> 00:08:43,079 Speaker 3: her last tour for a while. She was just announced 150 00:08:43,120 --> 00:08:46,000 Speaker 3: as starring in Sunday in the Park with George, so 151 00:08:46,480 --> 00:08:49,920 Speaker 3: she's pretty clearly moving into the next chapter of her career. 152 00:08:50,000 --> 00:08:53,400 Speaker 3: S Plead other end of the spectrum the Rush reunion tour. 153 00:08:54,000 --> 00:08:58,559 Speaker 3: Nobody saw that coming. People figured Rush was done. 154 00:08:58,360 --> 00:09:00,960 Speaker 2: Especially with Neil pertab left us. 155 00:09:01,040 --> 00:09:04,800 Speaker 3: Well exactly, but this was very intelligently done. The fact 156 00:09:04,840 --> 00:09:11,079 Speaker 3: that they have a virtuaso female drummer makes it so much. 157 00:09:11,160 --> 00:09:14,320 Speaker 3: It's sidesteps so many of the issues, so much of 158 00:09:14,360 --> 00:09:17,680 Speaker 3: the baggage that would have come with replacing Neil Perks. 159 00:09:17,720 --> 00:09:20,760 Speaker 3: They have enormous respect for them as musicians, but the 160 00:09:20,840 --> 00:09:24,360 Speaker 3: fact that they have a female drummer who played with 161 00:09:24,600 --> 00:09:28,520 Speaker 3: Jeff Beck, who is many people think is the greatest 162 00:09:28,600 --> 00:09:32,640 Speaker 3: rock guitarist in history. Her credentials are impeccable, and the 163 00:09:33,120 --> 00:09:36,280 Speaker 3: fans are just over the moon because they would sell 164 00:09:36,320 --> 00:09:38,959 Speaker 3: out every single tour when they were together, no matter 165 00:09:39,000 --> 00:09:41,320 Speaker 3: what and the fans are just in heaven because they 166 00:09:41,320 --> 00:09:42,720 Speaker 3: thought they'd never see them again. 167 00:09:42,840 --> 00:09:45,360 Speaker 2: Anybody else we should watch in terms of, you know, 168 00:09:45,480 --> 00:09:48,160 Speaker 2: really making an impact with new music or a tour 169 00:09:48,240 --> 00:09:48,920 Speaker 2: this year. 170 00:09:48,920 --> 00:09:51,120 Speaker 3: Zach Bryant is going to be touring this year. He 171 00:09:51,320 --> 00:09:54,719 Speaker 3: just released a new twenty five song album, so he's 172 00:09:54,720 --> 00:09:57,199 Speaker 3: certainly got plenty of songs to roll out that people 173 00:09:57,240 --> 00:10:01,240 Speaker 3: won't have heard him perform live before. Bad Bunny is 174 00:10:01,320 --> 00:10:04,800 Speaker 3: touring all over the world except for the United States 175 00:10:04,840 --> 00:10:08,520 Speaker 3: for obvious reasons, and he it hasn't been announced, but 176 00:10:08,679 --> 00:10:12,160 Speaker 3: everyone the word is he's got a new album coming 177 00:10:12,280 --> 00:10:16,120 Speaker 3: very soon as well, and very interestingly, No Doubt is 178 00:10:16,240 --> 00:10:20,000 Speaker 3: playing a residency at the Sphere, and they might seem 179 00:10:20,120 --> 00:10:23,080 Speaker 3: like an unusual choice for that, but the Sphere has 180 00:10:23,120 --> 00:10:26,320 Speaker 3: already had some kind of unexpected artists like You Too 181 00:10:26,480 --> 00:10:28,240 Speaker 3: and The Grateful Dad and Fish. 182 00:10:28,280 --> 00:10:31,280 Speaker 2: There's no doubt and no question that the Sphere is 183 00:10:31,360 --> 00:10:36,920 Speaker 2: becoming an really important mile marker for legacy artists, for 184 00:10:37,040 --> 00:10:39,760 Speaker 2: big artists. It really does seem like it's a feather 185 00:10:39,840 --> 00:10:43,320 Speaker 2: in the cap to get that residency. Well, no shortage 186 00:10:43,360 --> 00:10:46,480 Speaker 2: of things to watch and buy tickets to and pay 187 00:10:46,520 --> 00:10:49,840 Speaker 2: attention to Jim as always really appreciate you taking the 188 00:10:49,880 --> 00:10:51,920 Speaker 2: time to talk us through this. 189 00:10:52,080 --> 00:10:58,360 Speaker 3: Always a pleasure. Thank you, Cynthia. 190 00:10:53,920 --> 00:11:00,880 Speaker 2: And now we go into the way back machine to 191 00:11:00,920 --> 00:11:03,880 Speaker 2: pay tribute to the Reverend doctor Martin Luther King. Today, 192 00:11:04,080 --> 00:11:07,960 Speaker 2: January fifteenth would have been doctor King's ninety seventh birthday. 193 00:11:08,200 --> 00:11:12,360 Speaker 2: He was assassinated in Memphis on April fourth, nineteen sixty eight, 194 00:11:12,559 --> 00:11:15,160 Speaker 2: at the age of thirty nine. Last year, I looked 195 00:11:15,200 --> 00:11:18,280 Speaker 2: back through Variety's archives because I was curious to see 196 00:11:18,320 --> 00:11:21,320 Speaker 2: how King emerged as a national figure in our pages. 197 00:11:21,520 --> 00:11:24,720 Speaker 2: King made his first appearance in Variety in the September fourth, 198 00:11:24,800 --> 00:11:28,480 Speaker 2: nineteen fifty seven edition, in a story about NBC's new 199 00:11:28,559 --> 00:11:33,640 Speaker 2: Sunday public affairs series Look Here, hosted by journalist Martin Agronsky. 200 00:11:33,960 --> 00:11:37,080 Speaker 2: King was a guest. Other interesting tidbits that I found 201 00:11:37,120 --> 00:11:40,520 Speaker 2: in the archives included the fact that Harry Belafonte was 202 00:11:40,559 --> 00:11:43,120 Speaker 2: trying to make a movie about doctor King and the 203 00:11:43,160 --> 00:11:46,680 Speaker 2: story of the Montgomery Bus Boycott as early as nineteen 204 00:11:46,720 --> 00:11:50,120 Speaker 2: fifty seven. He developed it for United Artists, but it 205 00:11:50,200 --> 00:11:53,360 Speaker 2: never came to fruition. Riety had extensive coverage of the 206 00:11:53,400 --> 00:11:56,680 Speaker 2: March on Washington in nineteen sixty three. We focused a 207 00:11:56,679 --> 00:11:59,560 Speaker 2: lot on how the broadcast networks covered it in the moment. 208 00:11:59,720 --> 00:12:03,199 Speaker 2: It was definitely recognized in the moment as the landmark 209 00:12:03,320 --> 00:12:07,079 Speaker 2: civil rights demonstration that it was. In nineteen sixty seven, 210 00:12:07,440 --> 00:12:10,840 Speaker 2: the great writer Dorothy Parker left her entire estate to 211 00:12:10,880 --> 00:12:16,000 Speaker 2: doctor King and the NAACP. Her executor was playwright Lillian Hellman. 212 00:12:16,360 --> 00:12:19,000 Speaker 2: Parker didn't have much, but what she did have, she 213 00:12:19,120 --> 00:12:22,400 Speaker 2: gave to the cause of civil rights. In nineteen sixty eight, 214 00:12:22,480 --> 00:12:26,800 Speaker 2: after his assassination, Hollywood Studios held a moment of silence 215 00:12:26,840 --> 00:12:30,040 Speaker 2: on April ninth, to coincide with the start of doctor 216 00:12:30,120 --> 00:12:33,520 Speaker 2: King's funeral in Atlanta. The oscars were scheduled to be 217 00:12:33,640 --> 00:12:36,520 Speaker 2: held on April eighth of nineteen sixty eight, but the 218 00:12:36,600 --> 00:12:39,560 Speaker 2: ceremony was delayed by two days out of respect for 219 00:12:39,640 --> 00:12:43,080 Speaker 2: doctor King's memory. None other than Gregory Peck delivered a 220 00:12:43,120 --> 00:12:46,480 Speaker 2: tribute to him on the telecast. Peck said, quote, the 221 00:12:46,600 --> 00:12:49,920 Speaker 2: lasting memorial that we of the motion picture community can 222 00:12:49,960 --> 00:12:53,440 Speaker 2: build to Doctor King is to continue making films which 223 00:12:53,480 --> 00:12:57,360 Speaker 2: celebrate the dignity of man, whatever his race or color 224 00:12:57,679 --> 00:13:01,840 Speaker 2: or creed. End quote. Reviewing and this material nearly sixty 225 00:13:01,920 --> 00:13:05,560 Speaker 2: years later is utterly heartbreaking in the context of where 226 00:13:05,600 --> 00:13:08,400 Speaker 2: our country is today. We are in the midst of 227 00:13:08,480 --> 00:13:12,000 Speaker 2: a great struggle for human rights in Los Angeles County, 228 00:13:12,280 --> 00:13:16,360 Speaker 2: in Minneapolis and other cities. We are witnessing human rights 229 00:13:16,440 --> 00:13:20,680 Speaker 2: violations on a scale that would have been unimaginable just 230 00:13:20,720 --> 00:13:24,640 Speaker 2: a few years ago. People are brazenly being targeted because 231 00:13:24,679 --> 00:13:27,280 Speaker 2: of the color of their skin. It is hard not 232 00:13:27,400 --> 00:13:30,600 Speaker 2: to give into despair. Doctor King's words still have the 233 00:13:30,679 --> 00:13:34,040 Speaker 2: power to move us. Let's remember that he never gave up, 234 00:13:34,520 --> 00:13:37,520 Speaker 2: so much so that he gave his life for the cause. 235 00:13:37,800 --> 00:13:41,160 Speaker 2: Here are two excerpts from his famous letter from a 236 00:13:41,240 --> 00:13:44,320 Speaker 2: Birmingham Jail, written in nineteen sixty three. 237 00:13:44,520 --> 00:13:49,880 Speaker 4: I am cognizant of the interrelatedness of all communities and states. 238 00:13:50,480 --> 00:13:53,760 Speaker 4: I cannot sit oye at Lebay in Atlanta and not 239 00:13:53,920 --> 00:14:00,120 Speaker 4: be concerned about what happens in Birmingham. In justice, any 240 00:14:01,000 --> 00:14:05,120 Speaker 4: is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in 241 00:14:05,240 --> 00:14:12,120 Speaker 4: an inescapable network of mutuality, tide, and a single garment 242 00:14:12,200 --> 00:14:19,200 Speaker 4: of destiny. Whatever affects one directly affects all indirectly. 243 00:14:19,480 --> 00:14:22,360 Speaker 5: Let us all hope that the dark clouds of racial 244 00:14:22,440 --> 00:14:26,440 Speaker 5: prejudice will soon pass away, and the deep fog or 245 00:14:26,520 --> 00:14:31,880 Speaker 5: misunderstanding will be lifted from our fear drenched communities, and 246 00:14:32,080 --> 00:14:36,040 Speaker 5: in some not too distant tomorrow, the radiant stars of 247 00:14:36,280 --> 00:14:39,960 Speaker 5: love and brotherhood will shine over to our great nation 248 00:14:40,680 --> 00:14:45,040 Speaker 5: with all their scintillating beauty. Yours for the cause of 249 00:14:45,160 --> 00:14:48,760 Speaker 5: peace and brotherhood. Martin Luther King Junior. 250 00:14:53,240 --> 00:14:56,160 Speaker 2: As we close out today's episode, here's a few things 251 00:14:56,200 --> 00:15:00,000 Speaker 2: we're watching for. We will have Netflix earnings on Tuesday January. 252 00:15:01,320 --> 00:15:05,440 Speaker 2: The Sundance Film Festival begins on Thursday, January twenty second. 253 00:15:05,760 --> 00:15:08,840 Speaker 2: Daily Variety will take Monday off in observance of the 254 00:15:08,880 --> 00:15:12,880 Speaker 2: Martin Luther King Junior Day Holiday. Before we go. Congrats 255 00:15:12,880 --> 00:15:16,640 Speaker 2: to Pamela Gallum and Cynthia Swartz, the veteran PR executives 256 00:15:16,640 --> 00:15:19,520 Speaker 2: will receive kudos for their long careers at the sixty 257 00:15:19,600 --> 00:15:23,680 Speaker 2: third annual ICG Publicist Guild Awards on March thirteenth in 258 00:15:23,760 --> 00:15:26,760 Speaker 2: Beverly Hills. Gallum has been with the Lippin Group since 259 00:15:26,800 --> 00:15:30,520 Speaker 2: its inception in nineteen eighty six. Swartz is the founder 260 00:15:30,640 --> 00:15:34,600 Speaker 2: of Strategy PR and Consulting. Thanks for listening. This episode 261 00:15:34,640 --> 00:15:38,120 Speaker 2: was written and reported by me Cynthia Lyttleton, with contributions 262 00:15:38,120 --> 00:15:41,800 Speaker 2: from jem oswad Sticks Next hick Picks. Please leave us 263 00:15:41,800 --> 00:15:44,480 Speaker 2: a review at the podcast platform of your choice, and 264 00:15:44,560 --> 00:15:48,240 Speaker 2: please tune in on Tuesday for another episode of Daily Variety.