Good morning. It's Saturday, March 14. Welcome to this week's Society & Culture newsletter. First time reading? Sign up here or click here to share with friends. |
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Today we're exploring the life and career of Liza Minnelli, the Broadway icon who turned 80 earlier this week. Then, in anticipation of tomorrow's Academy Awards ceremony, which will be loaded with thank-you speeches, we dig into the history of another kind of congratulatory speech: the toast. Finally, we've got a brief history of Formula 1 racing to provide some context for this weekend's Heineken Chinese Grand Prix.
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—Kevin Kearney, 1440 Society & Culture Section Editor |
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Liza Minnelli, 101
Liza Minnelli is an American singer and actress who is among the few performers to achieve EGOT status, meaning she has won Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony awards. The daughter of Hollywood legends Judy Garland and Vincente Minnelli, Minnelli made a name for herself with her commanding singing voice, larger-than-life stage presence, glamorous style, and dry wit. (See a timeline of her career.)
As a teenager, she began working as a nightclub singer and Broadway actress, eventually becoming the youngest female Tony winner at the time. Starring as the lead in the 1972 film musical "Cabaret" catapulted Minnelli into stardom and earned her an Academy Award for best actress. That same year, NBC aired the TV concert "Liza with a Z," which went on to win an Emmy. In 1990, her musical influence was commemorated with a Grammy Living Legend Award.
A life in the limelight also came with hardships, including addiction, health conditions, and the early loss of her mother. Even seven decades into her career, Minnelli remains active in the industry, recognized as a resilient and dynamic artist and an enduring symbol of Broadway and show business.
... Explore everything else we learned about Liza Minnelli.
Also, check out ...
> Minnelli is one of the only people to achieve EGOT and its inverse: the REGOT. (Read)
> Trace the evolution of Minnelli's style. (Read)
> In the late '80s, Minnelli joined Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis Jr. for "The Ultimate Event." (Watch)
> On "Saturday Night Live," Kristen Wiig parodied Minnelli's showbiz persona. (Watch) |
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The Scientific Argument For More Salt |
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A brief history of toasting
Toasts are well-wishes offered to an individual or a group, typically to commemorate a significant life event, such as a wedding, graduation, or birthday. The speeches are traditional rather than standardized, with different contexts and cultures providing malleable templates that toasters can amend as they see fit. The lone constant is that toasts are usually concluded by a call to drink in honor of that event. (See a list of the best toasts.)
The toasting tradition dates back to at least ancient Greece. The term “toasting” is a metonym: Toast was frequently placed in wine to reduce its acidity and add flavor and, over time, the ingredient became shorthand for the speeches many made with wine in their hands.
Today, different cultures have their own unique toasting traditions. All of them, however, effectively accomplish the same: They express goodwill.
... Explore everything else we learned about toasts.
Also, check out ...
> The US Navy once prohibited sailors from toasting with water. (Read)
> Georgian feasts are hosted by a "tamada," who offers toasts. (Read)
> This St. Patrick's Day, you'll likely hear "sláinte!” (Read)
> Comedic roasts, an ironic inversion of toasting, took off in the 20th century. (Read) |
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The Fastest Show on Earth |
A beginner's guide to Formula 1
Formula 1 cars are the world's fastest regulated road-course racing automobiles. F1 is the highest international level of open-wheel racing, with 10 teams of two drivers who compete in Grands Prix from March through December at circuits across five continents. (See what it takes to drive one of the cars.)
Races cover at least 190 miles (except Monaco) and are limited to two hours of active race time. The three-day events include practice and qualifying days, which determine the starting grid—or positions—for race day. Teams accumulate points from both their drivers; the team with the most combined points wins the season’s championship.
The sport’s international governing body, the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile, was founded in Paris in 1904 as an auto club organizing all forms of motor racing in Europe. Today, it’s one of the fastest-growing international sports, thanks in no small part to the Netflix docuseries “Drive to Survive,” which has driven down the average age of the sport’s audience.
... Explore everything else we learned about Formula 1.
Also, check out ...
> The first Formula 1 sponsor was a cigarette brand. (Read)
> The 1970s were a dangerous time for the sport, with 12 on-track fatalities. (Watch)
> Formula 1 cars have evolved, with innovative technology, to improve safety. (Watch)
> An analysis of the sport's highly efficient pit crews. (Watch) |
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Beyond our weekly deep dives, we love finding great takes on the culture currently shaping our lives. Here are some of the best reactions, profiles, and think pieces we encountered this week.
> The Reality Roots of the Oscars' A-List
NY Times | Kyle Buchanan. Tomorrow's Academy Awards celebrate the best in film, but three of this year's nominees cut their teeth in a less-lauded medium: reality television. Buchanan puzzles through the early appearances of Emma Stone, Teyana Taylor, and Jessie Buckley, analyzing the fascinating time capsules. (Read)
> The Forgotten Larry Bird Punch That Almost Changed Everything
The Ringer | Keith O'Brien. The bracket for this year's NCAA basketball tournaments will be set tomorrow evening, officially ringing in March Madness. O'Brien argues the annual spectacle really began in 1979, with an electric, raucous game that's largely been forgotten. Thankfully, he's dredged up the details (and the footage) to help us relive it. (Read)
> A Walk Through One of Napa's Most Exclusive Wineries
Inside Hook | John Scott Lewinski. The wines Memento Mori produces are in high demand—and net high profits, with a typical bottle going for $350. Lewinski takes a tour of its pristine (and private) grounds, allowing tourists like us to catch a glimpse of the dazzling enclave. (Read)
> How a Guerrilla Journalist Became a Music Icon
Paste | John Lucas. Nardwuar is one of the music world's most curious figures, known as much for his strange, frenetic persona as he is for his strikingly in-depth research. Now that he's been appointed a Member of the Order of Canada, Lucas digs into the story behind the character. (Read)
> Why Everyone Is Reading Fantasy
The Guardian | Francis Spufford. The fantasy genre has become massively popular in the 2020s, turning a previously marginal form into a mainstream concern. Spufford, a literary novelist who grew up loving books that explored fantastic worlds, argues that fantasy is so popular because it so accurately reflects the real world. (Read) |
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