The AcolyteCredit: DisneyThe Acolyte was not a hit for Disney+ but that alone doesnt speak to its quality or lack thereof. After all, Andor didnt have huge ratings, either. The difference between the two? The Acolyte was riddled with bad writing, amateurish filmmaking and didnt have a discernible audience in mindat least not one that actually watches Star Wars. Andor, on the other hand, has the best writing in any Star Wars project and dealt with serious themes in a serious way. While it wasnt geared toward fans who only watch Star Wars for lightsaber duelssomething The Acolyte had in abundanceit was targeting an older, more mature fanbase that has always longed for Star Wars to grow into something more.When The Acolyte was canceled, it almost felt like an admission from Disney and Lucasfilm, that perhaps the franchise was being taken in altogether the wrong direction. Of course, to its many defenders in the press and on social media, there was only one acceptable answer: The Acolyte was canceled because of toxic fans on forums and social media and review-bombers on Rotten Tomatoes.I noted how preposterous this line of reasoningif you can call it thatwas at the time. The Acolyte simply cost far, far too much and that investment wasnt met with huge viewership numbers like The Mandalorian or critical acclaim like Andor I wrote at the time, making what I believe is a pretty simple economic observation, though its certainly less colorful and outrageous than blaming dudebros.Now, Alan Bergman, the Co-Chairmen of Disney Entertainment, has echoed this in a recent interview with Vulture, saying: So as it relates to Acolyte , we were happy with our performance, but it wasnt where we needed it to be given the cost structure of that title, quite frankly to go and make a season two. So thats the reason why we didnt do that. Skeleton Crew is in process now, so well see. Weve seen some growth on that. Well see how that goes. As you said, the reviews have been excellent on Skeleton Crew , so well have to see how that all plays out as it moves forward.MORE FOR YOUThe performanceaka the ratings, aka how many people actually watched the showwasnt where it needed to be to spend another $200+ million on a second season. Plain and simple. Notably, Bergman did not say toxic fans yelled at us on Twitter so we decided not to make another season. Thats because no amount of toxicity online actually determines whether a show is renewed or not. Likewise, a show that has a passionate fanbase might be canceled for the exact same reasons. Look no further than My Lady Jane on Prime Video. That was a fun show and its fans really loved it, but the numbers werent there to justify the cost of a second season. Thats a shame, but it does nobody any good to pretend like its the fans fault, whether they were toxic or just not enthusiastic enough. Entertainment is a business and the numbers have to add up. In Andors case, Disney made a two-season commitment and enjoyed all the critical acclaim that series garnered. The Acolyte certainly received more critical applause than it deserved, but even its defenders in the press werent clamoring for it to win awards.If toxic fans could kill a series, True Detective: Night Country would not have led to its creator taking over the reigns of that franchise and bagging a multi-year deal in the process. I dont mean to suggest that True Detective fans who hated Night Country were toxic, either. I hated that show with a burning passion that continues to burn quite a lot hotter than my dislike of The Acolyte. My point is merely that people online being angry about something doesnt tip the scales much. Were still almost certainly getting three more seasons of Amazons The Rings Of Power, and thats a terrible show that has left the Lord Of The Rings fan-base in uproar and disarray. But Amazon appears to have dug in on that one, while Disney has apparently started to wake up to the fact that its current approach to Star Wars is failing miserably.So what next? Id like to see more fun shows like Skeleton Crew. More to the point, Id like the powers-that-be at Disney and Lucasfilm to realize that Star Wars has a built-in audience and that gearing upcoming shows and movies toward that audiencewhich is mostly boys and menmakes good financial sense. That doesnt mean we cant have diversity or great female charactersPrincess Leia is one of the most adored characters in mediabut it does mean we need to return to some semblance of sanity and business sense when it comes to understanding audiences and who actually watches these franchises and buys the merchandise and so forth. I actually discussed this in another post about The Acolytes cancelation earlier this year as well: This is something Ive discussed in my theory of the half-interested girlfriend which posits that if you appeal to your core demographic, the enthusiastic core fanbase will bring more casual audiences into the fold. But, if you dont appeal to the core demographic, youll not only lose your most passionate fans, but all the casual fans they would have brought with them. The same would apply if the romance industry began targeting men instead of their core demographicwomen! If women stopped going to chick-flicks, they wouldnt bring their half-interested boyfriends along with them either.Lets hope Disney and Lucasfilmand the rest of Hollywoodcan self-correct after these past few years of misguided, arrogant and short-sighted efforts designed to seemingly create a new modern audience out of thin airin place of established fans who made these franchises successful to begin with. Burning money isnt great for the balance sheets, especially when said audience has yet to materialize. You can do that and continue to create more diverse stories along the way all at the same time.Let me know on Twitter, Instagram, Bluesky or Facebook. Also be sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel and follow me here on this blog. Sign up for my newsletter for more reviews and commentary on entertainment and culture.

A new lawsuit filed Tuesday by publicist Stephanie Jones alleges that Justin Baldoni and his PR reps tried to smear Blake Lively.Jones, a former employer of Baldoni's PR rep Jennifer Abel, alleges in the suit that Abel ran an operation in secret while she was working for Jones.Abel disparaged Jones and tried to steal clients for a competing firm, the lawsuit alleges.A publicist who previously represented Justin Baldoni says one of her former employees orchestrated a smear campaign against Blake Lively without the public relations firm's knowledge and then stole Baldoni and other celebrities as clients.In a civil lawsuit filed in Manhattan state court Tuesday, Stephanie Jones said the ex-employee, Jennifer Abel, ran a secret operation with Melissa Nathan, a communications professional with her own firm.The lawsuit alleges that the goal was to "destroy" Lively, Baldoni's co-star in "It Ends With Us," to cover up Baldoni's own misconduct on set."Their plan was covert, deliberately concealed from Jones, and went far beyond the legitimate scope of Abel's employment," Tuesday's lawsuit says.Abel and Nathan used the same tactics to wreck Jones's own reputation in order to siphon clients from her public relations company, Jonesworks, the lawsuit alleges.The lawsuit from Jones a powerful Hollywood publicist who has represented Jeff Bezos, Tom Brady, and Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson is the second legal salvo against Baldoni, Abel, and Nathan this past week.On Friday, Lively filed a complaint against the same group with the California Civil Rights Department, a possible precursor to a lawsuit.Lively alleges in the complaint that Baldoni who also directed "It Ends With Us" created a hostile workplace by frequently talking about pornography, adding sexually explicit scenes between their characters into the script, pressuring her to lose weight, and walking into her trailer unannounced while she was undressed and breastfeeding, among other offenses.Bryan Freedman, an attorney representing Baldini, Abel, Nathan, and their companies, previously called Lively's allegations "completely false, outrageous and intentionally salacious." Freedman didn't respond to Business Insider's request for comment Tuesday.Lively's complaint wielding numerous text messages and emails her lawyers obtained also alleged Baldoni worked with Abel and Nathan on a sophisticated public relations campaign through manipulated social media activity and stories published in tabloids."You know we can bury anyone," Nathan wrote to Abel in a February text message included in Lively's complaint as they discussed how to propose the communications strategy to Baldoni.Lively's complaint alleges the campaign on behalf of Baldoni unfolded in secret alongside the public relations campaign for the movie, which was released in theaters in August and grossed over $350 million worldwide.Jones said in her lawsuit she fired Abel in August after she had "stolen more than 70 proprietary and sensitive business documents" as well as client information. Abel also tried to poach employees for a competing public relations firm, RWA Communications, the lawsuit alleges.Nathan didn't respond to Business Insider's request for comment Tuesday.In an email Tuesday, Abel provided a different account of how she left Jonesworks. She sent BI an email and text messages showing she submitted her resignation in July with plans to start her own public relations firm.Jones's attorney Kristin Tahler said she filed the lawsuit "to stop defendants' continuing misconduct and for Steph to recover the reputation.""For months, this group has gaslit and disparaged Stephanie Jones and her company for financial gain, to settle personal scores and most recently to distract from their disgraceful smearing of Blake Lively," Tahler, an attorney at Quinn, Emmanuel, said in a statement Tuesday.Lively's complaint doesn't indicate how her lawyers obtained the purported campaign plan or the texts between Abel and Nathan.Jones's lawsuit offers a possible explanation: It says Abel's company-issued phone from Jonesworks was forensically preserved and examined after Jonesworks received a subpoena. On the phone, "Abel and Nathan's covert take down and smear campaigns were revealed in black and white," Jones alleges."Jones discovered the breadth and intensity of Abel and Nathan's duplicity from these records, including that Abel was actively encouraging other Jonesworks clients and employees to leave Jonesworks while Abel was still employed there," Jones's lawsuit alleges.On her way out the door from Jonesworks, Abel tried to turn Jones's clients against her so she and Nathan could steal them for her own firms, Jones's lawsuit says.Jones's lawsuit alleges that, as part of a smear campaign, the two spoke with a reporter at Business Insider, which published an article in AugustJones and the workplace culture at Jonesworks.While Abel waged an intense publicity campaign on Baldoni's behalf, text messages show she held him in "extremely low regard," Jones's lawsuit alleges."He may fire us because even if we put together an amazing campaign, it's not going to change the fact that he's so unlikable and unrealistic as a leading man," Abel wrote in one text message included in the lawsuit. "there's no chemistry with him and Blake."

A luxury jewelry authenticator said there are some telltale signs of a fake Van Cleef & Arpels piece.The real deal is made with precision and quality, and counterfeiters often miss the small details.Here's what to look out for, from thickness to shape.This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Ng Yong Shen, the vice president of Re-Loved Luxury, a Dubai-based secondhand luxury retailer. It has been edited for length and clarity.I got into the business of authenticating luxury goods during the pandemic when I was hired as a purchaser for a secondhand luxury goods company.In that role, I was exposed to a large volume of luxury items on a daily basis. Bags, watches, and jewelry have becomeI went on to pursue similar roles, first as anauthenticator for Carousell Group, an online marketplace similar to Craigslist, and later as a commercial manager at Luxehouze, a marketplace focused on pre-owned luxury goods.Now, afterI also buyOne question I get asked a lot as an authenticator is: How canVan Cleef & Arpels piece from a fake?For me, the fakes are easy to spot. A friend recently asked me to look at a piece, and just eyeballing it was enoughBut to the untrained eye, I can see how it wouldn't be so straightforward. So here are four things to look out for when checking if the Van Cleef piece you're interested in is the real deal.1. Shape of the clover prongs A closeup of the Van Cleef & Arpels clover pendant. Ng Yong Shen The first thing to check isThe prongs that make up the clover pattern of Van Cleef & Arpels' pieces are very distinct and round, but the fake ones have a more elongated shape.The fake ones often look almost teardrop-shaped, while an authentic piece has a more even and rounded profile.2. The spheres surrounding the center stone The spheres surrounding the center stone should be evenly sized. Ng Yong Shen Then, look at the small spheres that outline the clover stone.If you look closely at theVan Cleef & Arpels is a high-end jewelry brand, so the workmanship is premium. But with replicas, counterfeiters often work faster and mayThe spheres are often either too big or too small on fakes. Whereas on3. Hallmark on the jump ring A dent on the jump ring is one identifying factor of a real Van Cleef & Arpels piece. Ng Yong Shen One crucial telltale sign is the clasp. You can open and close the clasp, and then you loop it into the jump ring.Look at the jump ring closely. It has a small dent in it. If you flip it around and look under the loop, you will find that the dent on an authentic piece has a very small hallmark pressed into it.Upon closer inspection, you will see that the jump ring is imprinted with an eagle's head, the French hallmark for 18-karat gold jewelry.That's a detail that a lot of counterfeiters tend to miss out on.4. Neatness of the side profile The side profile of a Van Cleef & Arpels piece should look neat and tidy. Ng Yong Shen Finally, turn the piece to examine its side profile. The rounded area on a fake bracelet is often messier compared to a real one, which is a lot crisper and sharper.There is also a certain thickness to the center stone itself. You will notice that the fake ones are often thin, which can be another dead giveaway.

China has been trying to get its people to be more vigilant for foreign spies this year.The government has pushed warnings for things to beware of, like weird pens and strangers.Xi urged officials last year to adopt "worst-case-scenario thinking" for national security.It's been a busy year for the front-facing team of China's State Security Ministry.They've been following up on a nationwide push by Chinese leader Xi Jinping to maximize public awareness of foreign espionage.Xi told officials in June 2023 that the country's national security issues had risen significantly, and that they should adopt "worst-case-scenario thinking" to prepare for potential "perilous, stormy seas" ahead.That mandate has, in part, taken shape in 2024 through a series of posts on government accounts on WeChat, or China's version of Facebook.Those include cautionary anecdotes of military documents being found in recycling plants, tour guides uncovering spies, and students getting duped by agencies promising entry into good colleges.But they also contain clear warnings for things that could seem innocent, such as beautiful women offering "love traps" or drones disguised as dragonflies.Funny-looking lighters, pens, and dragonfliesSpy gadgets aren't just a movie concept, the State Security Ministry said in August."In real life, some inconspicuous daily necessities around us may also contain mysteries," it wrote in a post about "hidden gadgets."It told the story of an unnamed businessman bidding on an overseas project who discovered microphones in a box of napkins. Funny-looking dragonflies might be drones, the ministry warned. Screenshot/WeChat/Ministry of State Security The ministry added that pens can be cameras, lighters can be listening devices, and insect-like drones could be used to gather intelligence.'Good-hearted people' with cash to spareThe same month, the ministry told the tale of Little Wei, a senior university student who grew up orphaned in a poor mountainous region.It warned that Wei, a budding, top-scoring student, had come across a generous donor named "Teacher L" who offered to subsidize him until he graduated from college. In return, Wei would have to help with research projects and field surveys, for which he would be paid even more money.The ministry said Wei later found a job that gave him access to confidential information, which he passed to Teacher L at the latter's behest.The ministry dubbed such people "wolves in sheep's clothing.""Their methods are despicable and have no bottom line. They often disguise themselves as 'good-hearted people,' 'passionate people,' and 'caring people' around young people," it added.Job offersYoung students have been a recurring concern in the ministry's messaging this year.It wrote in September that it had found foreign spy agencies trying to recruit students with market research or science-related jobs touting "small efforts and high returns."Officials said that eventually, the spies would ask the students to start "collecting and compiling internal scientific research and academic materials, photographing military sensitive areas."'Handsome men or beautiful women'Online dating could also be teeming with danger, the ministry warned in the same September post.Foreign spies may "even disguise themselves as 'handsome men' or 'beautiful women' and pretend to be close friends and drag young students into a false 'love' trap," it wrote.The ministry urged young people making friends online to be "highly vigilant and clear-headed."Express deliveryAuthorities have also released statements about courier deliveries, which are especially cheap and widely used in China."In recent years, foreign espionage and intelligence agencies have been increasingly rampant in stealing secrets through delivery channels," the ministry wrote in August.It said it had found a case where a "foreign institution" had sent a hazardous powder to a Chinese research center. The ministry also said it had uncovered shipments of non-native animal species, sent to disrupt the local ecology, like "red-eared sliders, alligator snapping turtles, American bullfrogs, fall armyworms, and red fire ants."Telling your date you work in the militaryIn November, the Chinese navy told its personnel in the "internet generation" or millennials and Gen Z sailors not to post their military status online."A military profession is of a political, confidential, and disciplinary nature. Resolve not to reveal your military identity online," the navy said in its post. Chinese officers "eager for love" may be vulnerable to criminals if they post their military status online, the Chinese navy said. VCG/VCG via Getty Images It warned especially of young officers and seamen who are "eager for love" and might try to snag dates by displaying their military status."If you expose your military identity to gain attention, it's very easy to become the focus of criminals," the navy wrote.Rock musicThe South China Morning Post reported in September that a new foundational textbook for college students warned of rock music and pop culture as "covers" for color revolutions.Color revolutions generally refer to the Arab Spring and anti-government protests in post-Soviet states. For years, Beijing has accused the US of orchestrating them.The textbook is likely to be made mandatory reading in at least some schools. State media has called it the "first unified textbook" of all of the principles and ideals that a core committee answering to Xi has tried to promote in the last 10 years.The part left unsaidNotably, China rarely says who these "foreign spies" work for, though these messages have come against the backdrop of frosty tensions between Washington and Beijing.The US Justice Department, on its part, has been regularly charging people this year accused of spying for China and trying to manipulate local politics in Beijing's favor."Part of this is inevitable," Dylan Loh, a professor at the Public Policy and Global Affairs program at Singapore's National Technological University, told Business Insider. "As China grows, the amount of national security concerns and interests will certainly increase.""The other part is reflective of geopolitics today, especially in the context of US-China competition," he said. President Joe Biden and Xi met in November during the APEC summit, a rare public occasion where both countries are seen holding amicable talks. LEAH MILLIS/POOL/AFP via Getty Images Overall, Loh said, it's indicative of a bigger push by China to group more issues into the domain of national security.Ian Ja Chong, a professor of political science at the National University of Singapore, said it's not clear how effective China's messaging is, but that its strategy seems to rely on repetition."Even if a vast majority of people ignore or become desensitized to such claims, there may be some among the public for whom these ideas of danger become a source of motivation," he said.The danger could lie in this suspicion growing into nationalism, he said."There remain allegations that attacks on Japanese schools in Suzhou and Shenzhen earlier this year, as well as an attack on US teachers in Jilin, resulted from a growing sense of foreign threat in the PRC," Chong said, referring to China by its formal name.Xi's drive goes beyond social media messaging. BI's Huileng Tan reported in May 2023 about China's sweeping updates to its anti-espionage law that broadened the definition of spying and the transfer of important information.Since the original law passed in 2014, China has detained and charged dozens of foreign businesspeople with espionage. One of the most recent cases involves a Japanese employee of Astellas Pharma, a Tokyo-based pharmaceutical firm, accused by China of spying. According to Japanese media, he was the 17th Japanese citizen to be detained under suspicion of espionage in China, and his trial opened in November.

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Anime translates to pretty much any speaking language, and, thanks to insane art styles and a series of amazing stories, anime has become a rather unique way for people all over the world to experience Japanese culture. Anime samples what is rich and unique in Japanese culture and landscape through its narratives to bring Japanese culture, landscape, and values to viewers. Yes, we are introduced to traditional customs and aesthetics from iconic series such as Spirited Away and My Neighbor Totoro, and its so incredibly interesting that we become obsessed with visiting Japan.

Players score an array of triple eliminations and more accidental wins.

Buckle up! Blankets, hot chocolate, and a little bit of mischief, Christmas is coming! Nothing feels more Christmas-y than re-watching the entire Harry Potter saga. Although not necessarily a saga about Christmas, it has become a staple in so many households to watch the golden trio's attempt at defeating the Dark Lord when the weather gets chilly.

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TikTok is the new doctors office, quickly becoming a go-to platform for medical advice.Unfortunately, much of that advice is sketchy at best.A new report by the healthcare software firm Tebra found 45% of medical advice on TikTok to be false or misleading. Some categories were worse offenders than others: TikTok videos about alternative medicine have the most inaccuracies, with 67% of posts flagged as misleading. (See: putting onions in your socks to cure a cold, or sticking garlic cloves up your nose for a sinus infection.) Womens health and general health topics werent much better, with 54% of advice in each category being inaccurate.Mental health content on TikTok had the lowest misinformation rate at 31%. Wellness and self-care videos were slightly worse at 37%, while advice about chronic illness was false or misleading 39% of the time. More views also doesnt equate to more reliable informationvideos with more than 5 million views were found to be 14% more likely to spread false information than those with fewer than 1 million views.Among the misleading claims on TikTok, the three most common include quick-fix weight-loss tricks, misinformation around vaccines long-term effects on fertility, and cure-all daily supplements. While some creators use scare tactics to discourage actions like wearing masks, getting vaccinated, or using birth control, others, posing as medical experts, cash in by promoting diets, supplements, and treatments that are ineffective at best, and harmful at worst.With 17% of Americans trusting TikTok as much as they do doctors, and 7% trusting the platform even more than they do medical professionals, the consequences are potentially serious. Given that nearly half of U.S. TikTok users are under 30, the app becomes a perfect storm for misleading advice targeting a young and impressionable audience. Theres also no easy way to verify whether these so-called experts have the credentials they claim, leaving users to rely on unvetted information.Consumers who blindly follow unverified health advice online are setting themselves up for trouble. The best advice? Trust your instincts. If a health claim sounds too good to be true, it probably is.