22 Established 1961 Lifestyle Features Sunday, December 29, 2019 Ballooning dispute: America’s giant inflatable rats under attack

A giant inflatable rat makes its way down the street in midtown New York City on Nov 26, 2019 where it will sit outside a company’s office in New York. — AFP photos

ew Yorkers are used to seeing rats on the street said union organizer Justice Favor, beside a towering air- site to be Scabby’s creator. They can reportedly cost but they are not always small, furry ones. filled rat with scabby belly, buck teeth and demon eyes. thousands of dollars. New York unions own dozens of the NSometimes they are inflatable and taller than His organization, representing laborers, set up the rat balloons, which range in height from six feet (1.83 m) to giraffes. American unions use giant balloon rodents as a outside the Manhattan offices of a developer it accuses 25 feet. Some look more fierce than others. They also protest symbol, parking them outside company offices to of paying construction workers non-union wages one have inflatables depicting fat cats smoking cigars while highlight labor disputes. “It’s used to display injustice,” recent morning. “The public stop and want to know clutching bags of money, pigs in waistcoats and top hats what’s going on. It’s a great tool to make folks aware,” the and a cockroach. 37-year-old told AFP. Inflatable rats were first used by a “If we were to assemble them all on the same day it union in Chicago around 30 years ago. They started would look like Macy’s parade!” union leader Mike becoming a familiar sight on the streets of New York in Hellstrom told AFP, referencing New York’s annual the late 1990s. Thanksgiving day march. Hellstrom, who is credited with “Scabby the rat,” as it has become known, has its own introducing the rats to New York, says they are hideous, Twitter page and even featured in an episode of hit mob looking to give “a true representation of what exploita- drama “The Sopranos”. Not all passers-by know what tion looks like”. Management often, understandably, get the inflatables are about though, so union workers stand irritated by the depiction and have even burst rats with a on the sidewalk and hand out information about each pin on occasion. The inflatables are increasingly coming specific dispute. “I first thought it was because of all the under a more serious form of attack though, which Relations Board (NLRB), a federal agency created to rats on the subway. Then I read the leaflet,” 38-year-old threatens to exterminate them and raises arguments protect workers’ rights. His office has since filed cases hair stylist Zarinah Ali told AFP. about freedom of expression in America. saying the inflatables amount to illegal picketing. Earlier this year, the NLRB went to court to try to prevent a Cigar-chomping fat cats Court battle union from displaying Scabby the rat outside a super- The inflatables are made by Big Sky Balloons, an In 2017, President Donald Trump appointed lawyer market on New York’s Staten Island. — AFP Illinois-based company which proudly boasts on its web- Peter Robb as general counsel of the National Labor

mula by saying he always tried to write a “simple, hum- ‘ mable show tune.” Defying an industry trend toward Hello, Dolly!’ and darker themes, he crafted positive and life-affirming mes- Tom Hanks sages, with songs like “The Best of Times” and “Tap Your ‘ Troubles Away.” Mame’ composer In all, he scored a dozen Broadway musicals over a becomes honorary half-century. “Hello, Dolly” was his most striking success. The original show, starring Carol Channing, won 10 of the Greek citizen Herman dies at 88 11 Tonys for which it was nominated. Bette Midler starred in a 2017 revival, produced by Herman, that won the Tony award for best revival of a musical. In 1964, Louis om Hanks was awarded honorary Greek citi- erry Herman, the award-winning composer and lyri- Armstrong’s rendition of the title tune knocked the zenship on Friday, the state Athens News cist behind such upbeat, crowd-pleasing musicals as Beatles’ “Can’t Buy Me Love” from the top of the charts. TAgency said, adding an official touch to a J“Mame” and “Hello, Dolly!” has died in Miami at the Herman, who was born in Manhattan, attended his long love affair with the country. A document that age of 88. His goddaughter Jane Dorian confirmed his first Broadway musical at age 15 with his parents - a confirmed the distinction was signed by Greek Thursday death, The New York Times reported. No showing of Irving Berlin’s “Annie Get Your Gun”, with president Prokopis Pavlopoulos, ANA said. The 63- cause was given. “We lost one of the greats; a collabora- toe-tapping tunes like “There’s No Business Like Show year-old actor and filmmaker’s wife, producer Rita tor and friend for almost 40 years,” tweeted actor Harvey Business”. When he got home, Herman sat down at the Wilson, is also of Greek origin on her mother’s side. Fierstein, who wrote the book for Herman’s over-the-top piano - having taught himself to play at a summer camp There is considerable pride in Greece that “La Cage aux Folles,” the first musical to feature gay in New York’s Catskill region - and was able to sound Hanks, one of Hollywood’s most bankable stars, has lovers. “La Cage” and “Hello, Dolly!” both won the Tony out parts to six songs he had never heard before, he lat- a summer house on the picturesque island of award for best musical. er told the Times. “I was truly inspired by Irving Berlin, Antiparos and visits every year. Hanks has said that While some called his work schmaltzy, it was undeni- by his simplicity, and by the fact that he was able to he feels “110 percent Greek...I’m more Greek than a ably popular: each of those two musicals, along with write in a vernacular that the entire country could grasp Greek is” by being married to Wilson, producer of “Mame,” ran on Broadway for more than 1,500 consecu- immediately,” he said. Herman is survived by his long- ‘My Big Fat Greek Wedding.’ — AFP tive performances. Herman summed up his winning for- time partner, Terry Marler. — AFP Jerry Herman

Lyon, who shocked moviegoers as young ‘Lolita,’ has died at 73 Canada broadcaster explains missing Trump ‘Home Alone 2’ cameo anada’s national public broadcaster confirmed Thursday it had cut out US President Donald Trump’s cameo from the movie C“Home Alone 2”, but said after a social media outcry that the edit was made before he was elected. When the CBC recently aired the 1992 Christmas film, some viewers and Canadian media outlets noticed Trump’s scene had been cut out and wanted to know why - especially because the US leader had said on Tuesday it was an “honor” to be involved in the movie. “As is often the case with feature films adapted for television, ‘Home Alone 2’ was edited for time,” said CBC spokesman Chuck Thompson. “The scene with Donald Trump was one of several that In this photo taken on Dec 24, 2019, US President Donald Trump makes were cut from the movie as none of them were integral to the plot. a video call to troops stationed worldwide at the Mar-a-Lago estate in These edits were done in 2014, when we first acquired the film and Palm Beach, Florida. — AFP before Mr Trump was elected president” in 2016, Thompson said. In this file photo taken on Oct 04, 2007, visitors look at a poster of “Lolita” by Stanley Many social media users accused the CBC of making a politically McCallister (Macaulay Culkin), forgotten by his family, struggles to Kubrick during an exhibition organized for the reopening of the “Palazzo delle motivated decision, and Trump’s son Donald Trump Jr tweeted that navigate the gilded hotel where he’s staying for the holidays. He Esposizioni” in Rome. — AFP he thought the move was “pathetic”. But the US president seemed to stops a man wearing a long black overcoat and a red tie to ask him how to get to the lobby. “Down the hall and to the left,” says Donald ue Lyon, who at age 14 played the Lyon was 15 when the movie premiered find the kerfuffle amusing, taking to Twitter on Thursday night to quip about his Canadian counterpart: “I guess Justin T doesn’t much Trump. The real estate mogul had purchased the Plaza Hotel in New title character in the 1962 film adapta- - too young to be allowed into the theater York - the setting of many movie scenes, including several in “Home tion of Vladimir Nabokov’s steamy to watch it. She was famously pho- like my making him pay up on NATO or Trade!” “The movie will nev- S er be the same!” Trump lamented, before clarifying “(Just kidding.)” Alone 2” - at the start of the 1990s. — AFP and scandalous novel “Lolita,” has died at tographed sipping a drink at a nearby soda age 73. Longtime friend Phil Syracopoulos fountain during the premiere. One of the Trump appears very briefly in “Home Alone 2”. Young Kevin told The New York Times she died most iconic film posters ever shows Lyon, Thursday in Los Angeles. He gave no cause looking up seductively over heart-shaped of death. Director Stanley Kubrick report- sunglasses and licking a red lollipop, under edly selected the young and inexperienced the legend: “How did they ever make a spectacular $820 million worldwide in 2017. The next two on the list are Lyon to play “Lolita” - a 12-year-old in movie of LOLITA?” Women take charge in also superhero movies. Nabokov’s book who enters into a relation- Lyon went on to compile several other “Black Widow”, which kicks off a new phase of Marvel movies, gives ship with a middle-aged literature profes- screen and television credits, including a Scarlett Johansson’s popular recurring character her own film. Out in sor - from among 800 aspirants. role in John Huston’s “The Night of the Hollywood’s hottest 2020 movies May, it is helmed by Cate Shortland. It is followed by Chloe Zhao’s “The The director described Lyon as the Iguana” in which she played a young woman Eternals”, which in November will introduce a host of new Marvel char- “perfect nymphet”. The older man stuck in a small Mexican town who tries to emale directors look set for a breakthrough year in Hollywood in acters played by a star-studded ensemble cast including Angelina Jolie, obsessed with the girl he calls “Lolita” was seduce a disgraced Episcopal priest played 2020, according to a survey published Friday that found the four Salma Hayek and Kit Harington. The new year’s fourth-most anticipated played by English actor James Mason, who by Richard Burton. But she never again Fmost anticipated films of the year are all helmed by women. It is a film is “Mulan” from Niki Caro, the latest in Disney’s string of live-action was 53 when the film was shot. Lyon’s role achieved the fame or notoriety that “Lolita” rare trend in a town which has only ever nominated five women for the remakes of cartoon classics, out March. Another female-directed super- won her a 1963 Golden Globe as most brought her. Lyon’s last acting role was in best director Oscar, and whose sometimes ambivalent attitude toward hero movie “Birds of Prey,” a spinoff from 2016’s “Suicide Squad” which promising female newcomer. But Kubrick 1980 horror film “Alligator,” in which she misogyny was laid bare by the #MeToo movement which brought down sees Margot Robbie return as Harley Quinn, also appears on the list, in said his battles with motion picture censors played a reporter. She was married five Harvey Weinstein. seventh. Cathy Yan oversees the February movie. Other 2020 films - who insisted he tone down the movie’s times; she blamed her brief marriage to con- “Wonder Woman 1984”. the Gal Gadot-starring sequel out in June, piquing interest include James Bond title “No Time to Die”, Pixar’s oth- sexual underpinnings and huge age differ- victed murderer Gary “Cotton” Adamson was selected as the year’s most anticipated film by more than 2,000 erworldly jazz animation “Soul” and “Fast & Furious 9” - the latest in the ence - were so fierce that he would not for severely damaging her career. Lyon is moviegoers polled by Fandango website. Patty Jenkins returns to direct evergreen petrolhead franchise. — AFP have made the film had he known. survived by a daughter, Nona. — AFP after the first film, based on the DC Comics’ Amazonian heroine, took a