lifestyle THURSDAY, AUGUST 29, 2013 MUSIC & MOVIES Cyrus, Perry, Gaga Miley’s twerking dance see MTV VMA sales, social spike officially enters lexicon werking”, the raunchy dance that set tongues wag- enough evidence of usage frequency in a breadth of sources ging when enthusiastically performed by Miley to consider adding it to our dictionaries of current English,” “TCyrus at the MTV awards, is one of the new terms explained Katherine Connor Martin, from Oxford Dictionaries to make the latest Oxford dictionary update. The former Online. “There are many theories about the origin of this Disney child star, now 20, left audience members gobs- word, and since it arose in oral use, we may never know the macked when she bent over and gyrated provocatively with answer for sure. singer Robin Thicke on his song “Blurred Lines”. The moves, “The current public reaction to twerking is reminiscent in borrowed from US hip-hop culture, have been colloquially some ways of how the twisting craze was regarded in the ear- known as twerking for around 20 years, but the term has now ly 1960s, when it was first popularized by Chubby Checker’s received official recognition after being included in the latest song, the Twist,” she added. Other new words recognized by Singer Miley Cyrus arrives at the MTV Video Music revision of Oxford Dictionaries Online, it revealed yesterday. the English language gatekeeper include “selfie”, for a self- Awards at the Barclays Center in New York. — AFP “By last year, it had generated enough currency to be photograph taken on a mobile phone, online currency added to our new words watch list, and by this spring, we had “Bitcoin” and “hackerspace”. —AFP ’N SYNC reunion not in works: ‘We remembered what we hated about each other’

id that blink-and-you’ll miss it reunion of boy band ’N SYNC leave you hungry for more? Too bad. ‘NSYNC members Lance Bass and DChris Kirkpatrick e- who delivered their first performance with File photo shows Musician Katy Perry performs their former bandmates in 11 years during Sunday’s VMAs - are dismiss- during the 2013 MTV Video Music Awards. — AFP ing any possibility that a reunion is in the works. Kirkpatrick threw a wet blanket over fans’ hopes on Florida-based radio show Johnny’s House on TV’s much-talked-about Video Music Awards Monday, noting that the VMA regrouping “was what it was.” goosed sales and social media activity for Despite the “honor” of the moment, he said, the brief reunion did MMiley Cyrus, ‘NSYNC and Lady Gaga. As manage to bring old resentments to the fore. “It was funny, because, all TheWrap reported Monday, ‘NSYNC’s “Bye Bye Bye” of us getting back together, we remembered what we liked about each sales jumped 156 percent on Amazon overnight, while other, we remembered what we hated about each other,” Kirkpatrick Justin Timberlake’s “Justified” album sales skyrocketed said. “I’m not gonna say it’s never gonna happen,” he added. “But it was 1,876 percent on Amazon following the boy band’s what it was, and this was a moment for Justin to get his accolades, and “surprise” reunion during its frontman’s Video for us to say we had so much respect for what we did. For him to honor Vanguard set. Per MTV, Timberlake’s performance also us the way he did - it really was kinda crazy.” garnered 219,800 tweets per minute, with 2.9 million Meanwhile, Bass told the Associated Press that there’s “nothing total for the show. planned” in the way of a larger reunion, and that Timberlake - who Miley Cyrus went one better than Timberlake; her received the Michael Jackson Vanguard Award at Sunday’s VMAs - will be foam-finger performance with Robin Thicke fueled busy with his own tour in coming months. “Who knows what will happen 306,100 tweets per minute, a new entertainment when he’s off tour. It’s simply not part of the conversation right now. We event record, the network noted. Cyrus’s twerking just focused on that one performance,” Bass told the AP. “If we did any- inspired 4.5 million tweets over the course of the thing like that, I think we would come up with something real special broadcast. On the sales side, the former “Hannah where we could actually call it ‘The Reunion.’” — Reuters Montana” star’s album “Bangerz” reached No. 5 on the iTunes chart. Sales of Thicke’s new single “Give It 2 U” tripled, while “Blurred Lines” album sales rose 30 per- cent. Kanye West performed “Blood on the Leaves” on TV (From Left) Chris Kirkpatrick, Joey Fatone, Justin Timberlake, JC Chasez and Lance Bass of ’N Sync perform for the first time Sunday, and sales spiked more than during the 2013 MTV Video Music Awards. 1,000 percent on iTunes. Sales of his album, “Yeezus,” rose 139 percent on the online Apple store, MTV said. Lady Gaga cashed in on the trend as well, as her sin- A Minute With gle, “Applause,” saw a 112 percent increase in digital sales. The VMA’s opening act fueled 2 million tweets throughout the telecast. Katy Perry, who closed the show performing “Roar” from an outdoor boxing ring in Brooklyn Bridge Park, Ethan Hawke on acting, experienced a 25 percent uptick in sales on iTunes fol- lowing her final notes. And Drake’s “Started From the Bottom” digital single sales jumped 281 percent fol- lowing his performance. The 2013 “MTV Video Music Selena Gomez and Shakespeare Awards” show ranks as cable’s No. 1 entertainment telecast of the year among viewers ages 12-34. The fter taking time away to focus on family and stage show itself experienced a 100 percent increase in rat- A reunited ‘N Sync including Justin Timberlake, JC Chasez, acting, Ethan Hawke is getting back to film and ings in that category, its target demo. — Reuters Lance Bass, Joey Fatone , and Chris Kirkpatrick at the MTV Astepping into the driver’s seat in his latest role as a Video Music Awards. —AFP racecar driver trapped in a car and racing against time in the action-thriller “Getaway.” “Getaway,” which will be released in US theaters on Friday, also stars former Disney actress and pop singer Selena Gomez, who plays a tech- savvy teenager. Malaysian films stir up The film comes on the heels of a string of box office suc- cesses for Hawke, including 2012 indie horror film “Sinister” and this year’s surprise horror hit “The Purge.” Hawke, 42, racial tensions of the past also reunited with director Richard Linklater and French wo Malaysian films are challenging and increasingly polemical discourse. But Chinese politicians accused longstanding taboos about dis- Sociologist Ooi Kee Beng said the Barisan of bowing to “racist, illogical and Tcussing politically touchy subjects, films could feed what he calls a Malaysian baseless” attacks by its Malay base in and the controversy they have generated yearning for non Barisan versions of the sidelining the movie. Chinese make up a has triggered fears they could spark racial past. “Definitely. The apparent radicalisa- quarter of the 29 million population, unrest. The films, “Tanda Putera (Mark of tion of Malaysian discourse is the exag- dominating commerce while Malays con- Princes)” and “The New Village”, are the gerated response to this wave of curiosity trol government. Tension has persisted first serious attempts to portray the (about the past) throughout society,” he over Barisan authoritarianism and its human drama of two key episodes in the said. The movies have fed racial unease, decades-old privileges for Malays in edu- multi-ethnic nation’s history. But though particularly after divisive May elections in cation and business-policies accelerated Ethan Hawke and Selena Gomez arrive at the pre- the films have not yet been publicly which Chinese voters deserted Barisan. in response to the 1969 riots. The races miere of Warner Bros Pictures’ ‘Getaway’ at screened, they are already tearing at Promotional trailers and descriptions by mostly get along but the potential for a Regency Village Theatre. — AFP unhealed wounds in the often uneasy co- the few who previewed the films have repeat of 1969 is frequently invoked by existence between majority Malays and sparked outcries. Censors held up “Tanda Malay hardliners. Makers of both films in her life. Is she going to continue to be a musician, is the large Chinese minority. Putera” for more than a year over fears it deny any political motives. “Other coun- she going to develop as an actress, is she (going to) “Tanda Putera” is said to support the would inflame racial tension in the run-up tries have films about their own history continue to do both? It’s so hard for every young per- long-ruling authoritarian regime’s official to the May polls but it is now slated to be without going to the dogs,” “Tanda Actors Ethan Hawke and Selena Gomez arrive for son, trying to figure out the adult you want to be. line-widely disputed-that Chinese politi- screened Thursday. Putera” director Shuhaimi Baba told AFP. the world premiere of ‘Getaway’ featuring the cal parties stoked deadly 1969 riots that “The New Village” was to hit cinemas The film was partially funded by the Shelby GT500 Super Snake at Regency Village Q: You made “Before Sunrise” when you were in your remain a source of division to this day. August 22 but was pulled back for review government, drawing accusations it was Theatre in Westwood, California. — AFP photos mid-20s, “Before Sunset” in your mid-30s and And “The New Village” has been accused by censors when Malay groups objected. Barisan propaganda. “The New Village” “Before Midnight” in your early 40s. How does it by Malay groups of “glorifying” a bloody Communications minister Ahmad was produced by publicly-listed broad- actress Julie Delpy for “Before Midnight,” released in May, feel to have these films mark different decades in insurgency by mostly ethnic Chinese Shabery Cheek defended the move, say- casting giant Astro, which insists it is the third installment in the story of a couple who first met your career? communists in the 1950s and 60s. Such ing “anything that can cause social unrest mainly “a forbidden love story”. “The only in the 1995 drama “Before Sunrise.” The actor spoke to A: It’s a very strange feeling, it really is. These aren’t just content would have previously been and create tension in society must be put Malaysian films made are horror, comedy Reuters about working with Gomez, acting in horror films movies to me - I co-wrote them, so much of those unthinkable under the Malay-dominated back to review”. AFP has not seen either and love stories. Try to comment on any- and finding dream roles while in his 40s. movies are so unique to issues that Julie (Delpy) and I Barisan Nasional (National Front) regime, film. The minister’s Facebook page has thing important and someone is bound are both interested in. Having people relate to them is in power since 1957 independence. But been hit with postings warning cinemas to be offended,” said Joan Lau, a journalist Q: “Getaway” explores a more intimate setting by such a wonderful feeling; it’s the reason why I wanted strong public pressure has led to a loos- will be torched if “The New Village” is who has covered the arts scene for trapping your character in a car. Did it put pressure to be an actor. ening of controls over the past decade screened. decades. on you to convey more emotion? Books also are often banned or cen- A: What’s fun about this movie is that in any given take, Q: You’ve been in two successful horror movies in the sored and the regime dominates main- there were 12 cameras mounted on this car to get all past two years, “Sinister” and “The Purge.” What do stream media. But Barisan leaders have in these crazy angles, and it’s something I’ve never done you enjoy the most about working on horror films? recent years yielded to reform calls. Prime before. ... It’s a hard balance inside any action movie, to A: Inside the genre of being scary, you can almost talk Minister Najib Razak in 2011 lifted a range try to bring any authenticity of emotion and human about anything you want. “The Purge” has huge socio- of laws considered oppressive and has behavior to these outlandish circumstances. One political undertones, but it’s not a political film - it’s a slightly loosened some media controls. thing I enjoyed about the simplicity of being stuck in scary film. But it lets you make a movie that gets seen, Independent directors have recently this car, it let Selena and I have fun. and lets you speak to audiences in a way that I think is started to cautiously comment on race really interesting. and religion, while the Internet percolates Q: How different is Hollywood today compared to with anti-government content thanks to when you were Gomez’s age, in your early 20s? Q: You are now in your fourth decade acting. Do you a Barisan pledge years ago not to censor A: It’s a very difficult landscape she’s trying to navigate still have any dream roles you would love to play? the Web. right now. I think it’s much more difficult today to be a A: Oh yes, I’m getting to do one right now. I’m about to The openness brings with it increas- young person and grow up. The constant buzz and start rehearsals for “Macbeth” at Lincoln Center (in ingly bitter polemics, especially as pressure and noise and static of the Internet, and the New York). It’s something I’ve longed to do my whole Barisan vies with a strengthening oppo- way it makes young people feel makes it difficult to life, to do one of the big Shakespeares in a really seri- sition for control of public opinion. “It’s grow up and develop the way one might want to. I’m ous production. freer than it has ever been, but the need very grateful that when I was first going through this Q: You played Hamlet in 2000. Usually people say an to be offended has become more acute in the early ‘90s, it was much easier, but that said, the actor’s career is marked by playing Shakespeare’s due to political grandstanding,” said basic facts of it have always been dangerous. great tragic heroes Hamlet, Macbeth and King Lear. This picture shows a worker cleaning the floor in front of a poster advertis- Amir Muhammad, an independent film- I’ll be curious to see, she’s at a really interesting moment A: So I must be 40 now! I’m on my way to Lear! — Reuters ing movie named ‘Tanda Putera’ at a local cinema in Kuala Lumpur. — AFP maker. — AFP