An Anthem For A New Generation: "Old MacDonald Had a Farm" Gets A Makeover In Time For Women's Equality Day With The Launch Of "She-I-O"

Land O'Lakes introduces “She-I-O,” a rousing anthem for a new generation that celebrates inclusion and champions women, just in time for Women’s Equality Day, August 26.

History was rewritten as "herstory" today as a classic children's song got a makeover for the modern age. Vocal powerhouse and soul songstress Maggie Rose and Grammy Award-winning Warner/Chappell songwriter Liz Rose collaborated to reimagine the song "Old MacDonald Had a Farm," introducing "She-I-O," a rousing anthem for a new generation that celebrates inclusion and champions women, just in time for Women's Equality Day, August 26.

⏩ "She-I-O" is the cornerstone of the new All Together Better initiative from Land O'Lakes, the farmer-owned cooperative that's owned and run by 1,791 farmers, many of whom are women. Land O'Lakes wanted to give a voice to the untold stories of the women who work hard to feed this nation.

Land O'Lakes pooled the talents of Americana-country-rock singer Maggie Rose and the grand dame of songwriting, Liz Rose, for the remake of "Old MacDonald Had a Farm." 

Some of Liz's many songwriting credits include Taylor Swift's "Fearless," Little Big Town's "Girl Crush," Carrie Underwood's "Cry Pretty" and Kenny Chesney's "Better Boat."

"'She-I-O' serves as a rallying cry for women breaking stereotypes, not just in dairy farming, but in every industry," said Maggie Rose.  "I was thrilled to work with Liz Rose to rewrite the lyrics to the iconic 'Old MacDonald' song, turning it into an homage to America's hardworking women. There's beauty and strength in letting our voices be heard.

I'm passionate about the message at the forefront of 'She-I-O,' which celebrates the power of inclusivity and the role women play in modern farming. My husband's family owns a cattle ranch in Missouri, so I've had a glimpse into what goes into putting food on our tables. Like so many of us, I grew up singing 'Old MacDonald' when I was young," said Maggie Rose. "Where you hear the lines 'on his farm' and 'he had a cow,' it's nice to finally add in the other half of the population." 

But make no mistake, "She-I-O" isn't the stuff of nursery rhymes. It's an eloquent narrative for a new generation. The lyrics speak for themselves:

You know Old MacDonald had a daughter
She-I-She-I-O 
Look what she does with what he taught her 
She-I-She-I-O
She's got the future in her hands 
She's proud her roots are where she stands

Vocal powerhouse and soul songstress Maggie Rose partners with Land O'Lakes to reimagine the iconic song “Old MacDonald Had a Farm."

"She-I-O," which debuted on SoundCloud and will be available on iTunes beginning August 24, comes to life in a compelling music video, now streaming on Vevo and YouTube, which was directed by dynamic duo Charlotte Fassler and Dani Girdwood of Similar But Different. Authenticity was key, which is why the video features the Dotterer sisters, their cousins and their daughters, just a few of the many real-life female farmers from the Land O'Lakes farmer-owned cooperative. 

Also debuting as part of the All Together Better initiative is a three-part documentary series called In Their Words, produced by The Female Farmer Project, which chronicles the personal stories of some of these Land O'Lakes farmers. With women comprising approximately one-third of all U.S. farmers, In Their Words was created to celebrate these fearless females and create a dialogue around the importance of their role in the food chain. 

⏩ The series is available for viewing here 

For the All Together Better initiative, Land O'Lakes and the Land O'Lakes Foundation have also partnered with Feeding America to raise awareness around the issue of food insecurity. To honor the hardworking farmers who feed us all, Land O'Lakes will donate $1* to Feeding America for every share, tag or comment on any of the "She-I-O" music video content on Land O'Lakes social channels, as well as the "She-I-O" music track, available on SoundCloud and iTunes, up to $100,000. [*$1 helps provide at least 10 meals secured by Feeding America on behalf of local member food banks.]

⏩ Consumers are also encouraged to use the hashtag #AllTogetherBetter to add their voice to the cause.

"We are excited to be rewriting history and championing female farmers and women in all industries who are breaking glass ceilings and changing stereotypes," said Anna Squibb, senior manager, integrated marketing, dairy foods retail at Land O'Lakes. "All Together Better was built on the premise of inclusion, one of the core values at Land O'Lakes. In an increasingly divided world, we want to be a unifying force, and Women's Equality Day is the perfect moment in time to spotlight that intention. We're honored to work with Maggie Rose and Liz Rose, both of whom embody the boldness, strength and grit reflective of the female farmers who make up the Land O'Lakes cooperative."

Maggie Rose has been named to YouTube's Emerging Artist and Artist in Residence 2018 programs, and Pandora named her an Artist to Watch 2018. Maggie's creative breadth and versatility sparked the first-ever partnership between Prescription Songs and Sea Gayle Music, with the two companies signing a joint-venture publishing agreement with Maggie. 

Her highly anticipated album Change the Whole Thing drops to AAA radio in mid-August, and is released September 21, with a corresponding tour recently announced. 

⏩ For more information about Maggie Rose, the album and tour dates, visit maggierosemusic.com

All Together Better is a multichannel campaign created by mostly female teams at The Martin Agency and Land O'Lakes that also includes :30 and :60 TV spots, print executions and custom digital content. Consumers are encouraged to use #AllTogetherBetter as a way to connect their own lives to the Land O'Lakes story. 

⏩ For more information, please visit landolakes.com/who-we-are.

The Video:

About Feeding America:

Feeding America is the largest hunger-relief organization in the United States. Through a network of 200 food banks and 60,000 food pantries and meal programs, they provide meals to more than 46 million people each year. 

Feeding America also supports programs that prevent food waste and improve food security among the people we serve; educates the public about the problem of hunger; and advocates for legislation that protects people from going hungry. Individuals, charities, businesses and government all have a role in ending hunger. 

Donate. Volunteer. Advocate. Educate. Together we can solve hunger.

SOURCE: Land O'Lakes, Inc.

US: Fathom Events Celebrates 10th Anniversary of Twilight in Movie Theaters Nationwide for Two Days Only in "Fathom Spotlight" Series

Fathom Events Celebrates 10th Anniversary of Twilight

When Bella Swan and Edward Cullen first sat next to each other in biology class, an entire generation of moviegoers simultaneously swooned and the young-adult vampire romance based on the best-selling Twilight novel by Stephenie Meyer, became a worldwide cinematic phenomenon. 

To celebrate the film's 10th anniversary Fathom Events and Lionsgate's Summit Entertainment are inviting fans to return to Forks, Washington, when Twilight comes back to movie theaters nationwide this October. 

This unforgettable experience will also treat fans to an introduction by director Catherine Hardwicke and an exclusive sneak peek of the brand-new special feature "Twilight Tour…10 Years Later," from the upcoming Twilight 4K Ultra HD home entertainment release, available October 23, 2018. 

Twilight is the first title of the "Fathom Spotlight" series. This lineup will showcase contemporary blockbusters, modern classics and fan-favorite films back on the big screen including newly enhanced digital versions.

Twilight will play in more than 450 movie theaters nationwide Sunday, October 21, and Tuesday, October 23, at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. (local time).  

⏩ Tickets for the 10th-anniversary screenings can be purchased online at FathomEvents.com or at participating theater box offices.

With its initial release, Twilight leaped off the pages of Meyer's best-selling novel to become one of 2008's biggest box-office hits – and one of the highest-grossing female-directed films of all-time. 

The Twilight Saga films, released by Lionsgate's Summit Entertainment, grossed over $3 billion at the global box office, and the Twilight Saga books sold over 100 million copies around the world. 

In Twilight, Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson star as the endearing Bella Swan and the mysterious, handsome vampire Edward Cullen. As their worlds and hearts collide, Edward must battle the bloodlust raging inside him as well as a coterie of undead, led by the nefarious James Witherdale (Cam Gigandet), that would make Bella their prey. 

⏩ Twilight also stars Billy Burke, Peter Facinelli, Nikki Reed, Jackson Rathbone, Taylor Lautner, Kellan Lutz and Anna Kendrick.

Twilight went on to win numerous awards at the 2009 MTV Movie Awards, including Best Movie, Best Female Performance (Stewart), Breakthrough Performance – Male (Pattinson), Best Kiss (Stewart and Pattinson), and Best Fight (Pattinson vs. Gigandet). 

Taylor Lautner was also nominated for Breakthrough Performance – Male, and the pop-rock band Paramore also received a Best Song from a Movie nomination for their song, "Decode."

"Twilight was a once-in-a-generation supernatural love story that became a pop-culture turning point for teens and teens-at-heart," said Tom Lucas, Fathom Events VP of Studio Relations.  "Fathom Events is thrilled to be celebrating the movie's 10th anniversary with Summit Entertainment by presenting it on the big screen this October."

⏩ In addition to this two day only theatrical event, fans can relive the action, adventure, and immortal love story at home with the release of Twilight on 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack (plus Blu-ray and Digital) and all five Twilight Saga films with new collectible artwork on Blu-ray Combo Pack (plus DVD and Digital) on October 23 from Lionsgate's Summit Entertainment.

Fathom Events Celebrates 10th Anniversary of Twilight in Movie Theaters Nationwide for Two Days Only in "Fathom Spotlight" Series

More About Twilight:
(Via Fathom Events)

Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart) doesn't expect much when she moves to the small town of Forks, Washington, until she meets the mysterious and handsome Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson) - a boy who's hiding a dark secret: he's a vampire. As their worlds and hearts collide, Edward must battle the bloodlust raging inside him as well as a coterie of undead that would make Bella their prey. 

Based on the #1 New York Times best-selling sensation by Stephenie Meyer, Twilight adds a dangerous twist to the classic story of star-crossed lovers.

SOURCE: Fathom Events

Twilight Related Videos:

US: Welcome Back to 'Jurassic Park': The Original Steven Spielberg Classic Returns to Movie Theaters Nationwide for Three Days Only

Celebrate the 25th anniversary as it roars back to cinemas this September!

Few films have excited a generation of moviegoers as much as Steven Spielberg's "Jurassic Park." In honor of its 25th anniversary, Fathom Events and Universal Pictures are bringing Spielberg's revolutionary 1993 action-adventure film back to movie theaters nationwide this September.

"Jurassic Park" will play in more than 500 movie theaters across the U.S. on Sunday, September 16, at 2:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. (local time); and at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday, September 18, and Wednesday, September 19. 

⏩ Tickets to "Jurassic Park" screenings can be purchased online at FathomEvents.com or at participating theater box offices.

Screenings of "Jurassic Park" will be accompanied by a 17-minute "remake" of the movie created by fans around the world, who showcase both their passion for the prehistoric adventure and their boundless ingenuity, making this event a celebration both of the film and its legion of fans.

A defining pop-culture milestone of the 1990s, "Jurassic Park" is based on the best-selling novel by Michael Crichton, with a screenplay by Crichton and David Koepp. The film utilized digital visual effects in ways moviegoers had never seen before. Actors Sam Neill and Laura Dern star as paleontologists Alan Grant and Ellie Sattler, who, along with mathematician Ian Malcolm (Jeff Goldblum) are selected to tour an island theme park populated by cloned dinosaurs created from prehistoric DNA. While the park's mastermind, billionaire John Hammond (Richard Attenborough), assures everyone that the facility is safe, they quickly find out otherwise when the predators break free and go on the hunt.

"Jurassic Park" also stars Ariana Richards, Joseph Mazzello, Wayne Knight, Martin Ferrero, BD Wong, Bob Peck and Samuel L. Jackson. Winner of three Academy Awards – including Best Sound Effects, Best Sound Editing and Best Visual Effects the film was largely shot on location in Kauai, Hawaii, and features an iconic musical score by composer John Williams.

"'Jurassic Park' is a watershed achievement, a grand adventure, and a cinematic event all rolled into one," said Tom Lucas, Fathom Events VP of Studio Relations.  "Fathom Events is tremendously proud to work with Universal Pictures to celebrate the movie's quarter-century milestone by presenting it, once again, on the big screen."

SOURCE: Fathom Events

The Trailer:

More "Jurassic Park" Related Stories:

• Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom Where New Dinosaurs Emerge But Who Are The Real Monsters?
• Jurassic World: Can We Really Resurrect A Dinosaur?
• From Universal Pictures Home Entertainment: Jurassic Park 25th Anniversary Collection

Donald Trump's Space Force Plans Analysed By A Sci-Fi Expert

(Marc Ward/Shutterstock.com)

The US leadership has plans to introduce a “US Space Force” by 2020. Already announced by president Donald Trump in June, US vice president Mike Pence outlined further details of the plan at a press conference on August 9. The Space Force, he said, would consist of an elite corps of soldiers trained to fight in space, and a space command that would design military strategies for warfare beyond the atmosphere.

Much acrimony and ridicule has ensued, with debates over what such a force could or could not do; the only certainty being that it will cost billions of dollars. Seasoned watchers of both US politics and US science fiction will have had the uncanny feeling, though, of having seen this all before.

The rhetoric of both Pence and Trump, referring respectively to “the boundless expanse of space” and the necessity for “American dominance”, is inherently science-fictional, but of a particularly American kind. It is not the cooperatist vision of Soviet science fiction, nor the ramshackled approach of British sci-fi (take Doctor Who), and certainly not the Afrofuturist marriage of esoteric technology and indigenous folklore, seen most recently in Ava DuVernay’s A Wrinkle in Time.

An American fiction 
Instead, it is the projection of the values of Manifest Destiny (that the settler population has an inalienable right to the uncharted lands) into outer space. Not for nothing did Trump’s 2020 reelection campaign manager, Brad Parscale, write that Space Force would be “a groundbreaking endeavor for America and the final frontier”.

As film and media studies expert, Constance Penley, observed in her 1997 book, NASA/Trek, the Cold War politics of the Space Race dovetailed beautifully with the frontier vision of Gene Roddenberry’s Star Trek. This is particularly true of the pioneer spirit of (to paraphrase the original series’ opening words) exploring “strange new worlds”, seeking “out new life and new civilisations”, and “boldly” going “where no man has gone before”.

Roddenberry himself was in a lineage of writers from Edgar Rice Burroughs to Ray Bradbury who, with varying degrees of scepticism, projected frontier values into outer space (most typically, onto the surface of Mars). And as historian Frederic Krome has shown, future war stories published in the US pulps between 1914 and 1945 fed into the cultural and military thinking of how to plan for future conflicts.

Perhaps most bizarrely, the mission to capture Saddam Hussein during the Iraq War was named after John Milius’s post-apocalyptic teen movie, Red Dawn (1984).

Indeed, the Strategic Defence Initiative (SDI), envisaged by president Ronald Reagan in 1983, not only became known as “Star Wars”, but its rhetoric was also derived from science fiction writers such as Ben Bova and Jerry Pournelle. SDI’s vision of a circling belt of laser-armed satellites, protecting the US from Soviet attack, chimed perfectly with Pournelle’s dream, and with that of other science fiction writers such as Robert Heinlein and Larry Niven – an American renaissance through the militarisation and colonisation of space.

Space force rebooted 
The current rhetoric of Pence and Trump, in announcing their Space Force, almost exactly echoes the rhetoric of SDI and its then supporters. Both groups posit a pattern of US military decline, under the alleged negligence of previous administrations, in which space, the “natural” home of the US following the moon landings, has been left exposed to foreign aggressors. According to them, it is their enemies, not the US, who have militarised space. And now, they argue, only a show of strength can make space safe again for US democracy.

In this way, the ratcheting-up of an arms race in space is glossed over by a utopian vision, in which the US is regalvanised by dreams of expansion into space – see, for example, the proposed mission to Mars.

There has been genuine concern since 2007, when China shot down one of its own satellites. But to imply that space has only now begun to be militarised glosses over the steady militarisation of space since the 1960s, while even supporters of the proposal suggest a cyber-hacking force is more necessary.

Instead, the proposal for an elite corps of specialised soldiers and strategists sounds more like Heinlein’s controversial novel of a fully militarised society, Starship Troopers (1959), in which humans are embroiled in a seemingly endless war against the utterly alien “Bugs”. There are echoes too of E E Smith’s interstellar police force, Galactic Patrol (1937), and even the BBC’s more low-key Star Cops (1987), glumly policing off-world mining colonies in the outer solar system. Of course, the proposal may never take flight – it would still require an Act of Congress – so these more hyperbolic fears and desires may need to be momentarily put aside.


Instead, what we can deduce from the proposal is that we are firmly in the logic of the reboot, that much loved tactic of longrunning movie franchises. But, as science fiction scholar Gerry Canavan has argued, the reboot “can show us a story, but can’t tell us a plot”. Rather than an original and inspiring vision of space exploration, what we have instead here is a meaningless reiteration of past rhetoric that may, quite literally, go nowhere.

About Today's Contributor:
Paul March-Russell, Lecturer in Comparative Literature, University of Kent

This article was originally published on The Conversation. 

US: Warriors, Families, and Avengers Assemble at Marvel Universe Live

Army National Guard veteran Jason Bowden and his family gather during Marvel Universe Live

Injured veterans and their families immersed themselves into the wild live-action world of Marvel comic book heroes during a recent Wounded Warrior Project (WWP) event. When warriors and their families come together, that's when the healing happens.

"My son loves everything Marvel," said Army National Guard veteran Jason Bowden. "He and the other kids at the event were thoroughly entertained with the Marvel heroes and villains, and I enjoyed being with fellow warriors and my family. Being a warrior is a great honor for me."

This energetic experience brought warriors and their families face-to-face with Spider-Man, Black Panther, the Hulk, and Captain America — all on one stage, where they used their powers in an epic quest to defend the universe from evil.

WWP program gatherings offer settings that provide opportunities for injured veterans to form bonds with one another, their families, and their communities.

"I took my son and invited my twin sister and niece," said Army National Guard veteran Sonya Merkman. "We thought the character actors did a great job. My son and I were glad to see our favorite hero, the Hulk." 

Socializing with other veterans helps warriors connect with the support network they need to overcome the challenges they face. In a WWP survey (www.woundedwarriorproject.org/survey) of the wounded warriors it serves, more than half of survey respondents (51.6 percent) expressed they talk with fellow veterans to address their mental health issues.

"Wounded Warrior Project, to me, means support," Sonya said. "This is an organization that my boyfriend, who is also a warrior, and I are grateful for. It allows families to get involved in relaxing and stress-reducing activities."

Wounded Warrior Project is recognizing 15 years of impactful programs and services. Independence Program helps seriously injured warriors live more meaningful lives. (PRNewsfoto/Wounded Warrior Project)

About Wounded Warrior Project:

Since 2003, Wounded Warrior Project (WWP) has been meeting the growing needs of warriors, their families, and caregivers – helping them achieve their highest ambition. 

⏩ Learn more about opportunities for warriors to connect with each other and their communities at www.woundedwarriorproject.org/programs/alumni.

SOURCE: Wounded Warrior Project

More Related Wounded Warrior Project Stories:

• One Wounded Warrior Project's Supporter Recently Wrote A Song To Raise Support & Awareness For It 
• French Holocaust Survivor Donates $500,000 to Aid American Wounded Veterans 
• #PokemonGo Trainer Travels Across America to Catch 'Em All for Wounded Warrior Project 
• US: Injured Veterans and Families Enjoy North Pole Christmas

The LGBT Israel Task Force and Creator of Eurovision's Winning Song "Toy" Fight For The Israeli LGBT Community and Present: "Waiting In Youtube's Antechamber"

Doron Medalie hosts Sharon Maymon and Tal Granit - two well-known filmmakers in the LGBT community - and authors of the new ‘Haneshef’ movie starring trans model and actress Stav Strashko.

The LGBT Israel Task Force ('The Aguda') and renowned Israeli composer and song writer Doron Medalie are launching together with Google a very unusual YouTube experience. 

This experience will effectively turn pre-roll ads into a waiting room where people wanting to listen to one of Medalie's many hits will have to patiently wait, while listening to a series of interviews. 

But with Medalie's songs figuring in most Israelis' playlists, the LGBT Israel Task Force have essentially hacked the medium and ensured their message is heard through YouTube. 

With close to 50 musical hits, the campaign has not gone unnoticed and to boot, Medalie has tailored every pre-roll's opening statement to suit the title of the song chosen and kick off the discussion of LGBT rights from a different angle. So if the song chosen was 'Aba' (which means Dad in Hebrew), the pre-roll's opening statement related to the fact the LGBT community in Israel is barred from adopting or using a surrogate to become a parent. If the song chosen was "Heaven" – the opening statement alludes the fact that Spain is gay heaven, as gays are allowed to marry there, but not in Israel.

The YouTube virtual waiting room is in fact a two and a half hour long pre-roll ad that will be activated every time someone plays one of Medalie's songs. This will be a waiting room where viewers will be invited to join Medalie, as he talks to friends and guests about the subject of LGBT rights until they are granted to them by law.

Among the guests hosted in Medalie's antechamber are some of the country's leading music stars like Noa Kirl, Eliad Nahum, Stephan, Nikki Goldstein, Gal Ochovsky and many other artists and celebrities, as well as representatives of the various bodies that are taking part in the LGBT community's struggle. 

This includes the members of the parents of gay children organization 'Tehila', youngsters belonging to 'IGY' (The Israeli Gay Youth organization) and other people; homosexuals, lesbians, transgenders and activists, who are outraged by the injustice and current state of affairs. 

To truly understand the extent of this campaign and its pervasiveness, it must be taken into account that Medalie is one of the country's most prolific song writers. According to Israeli music copyright organization 'Acum', it is estimated that in 2018, no less than 10 hit songs written and composed by Doron Medalie are played at any given wedding in Israel. Songs like "Tel Aviv", "Revolution of Joy," "Just Want to Dance," "Caramel," "Golden Boy" (Eurovision 2016), "Melted from You", "Tikritas", "I Built on You", "Wai Li", "Bereshit Olam" and more. 

The pre-rolls which play before any of Medalie's hit songs are meant to illustrate the irony in the fact that while Medalie's songs are used to celebrate weddings, he himself can only be a guest at those weddings, as gays do not have the right to marry in Israel.

Doron Medalie is a well-known music composer and song writer and an active, outspoken member of the LGBT community. This is a community for which he has actively campaigned by promoting a message of equality and love in Israeli society. 

And while until recently, Medalie was essentially a well-known figure within the confines of the Israeli borders, he broke onto the International scene and the public's consciousness this year as the composer and writer of Neta Barzilai's winning song - TOY – which took home the first prize at the much acclaimed Eurovision Song Contest.

Now Medalie is harnessing the extensive press coverage he received to further the rights of Israeli homosexuals, lesbians and trans-genders and make sure the Israeli Parliament grants them equal rights by law – a fight that touches him and many of his friends on a very personal level.  

This is a struggle which he has been walking for the past two years with the BBR Saatchi & Saatchi advertising agency, that has shouldered his efforts by working together with him on a variety of projects including last month's #Proudstrikers project – a one-day nationwide strike urging the LGBT community to stay away from work and demand their equal rights. A point he is now trying to drive home even further.

When asked why he is doing this, Medalie says "The time has come to put things on the table and call a spade a spade: I am Doron Medalie, a homosexual and a second-class citizen in the State of Israel. For the past 20 years, I have been working behind the scenes to promote culture and further the status of artists in Israel – as a law abiding, tax paying citizen should. But here is where the absurdity of it all lies: I, in fact, fall in the highest tax paying bracket in Israel. That means that hundreds of thousands of shekels that I earn, go towards funding segments of the population, whose representatives do everything in their power so that I remain a second-class citizen, voting against laws designed to equalize my status."

"Over the past two years, I have had long brainstorming sessions with the BBR Saatchi & Saatchi advertising agency, who generously volunteered to accompany me on my journey," says Medalie. "One of those sessions generated the #Proudstrikers idea which saw over 100,000 people take to the streets in protest, but more importantly pushed Israeli decision makers to take a stand and decide on which side of this issue they want to be.

The brands and companies that joined in the protest last month moved me very much, but it will be more significant to see how much effort and thought they put into caring for their LGBT employees once the issue has moved out of the newspaper headlines. On a personal level, I felt it was my duty to contribute to the LGBT struggle by creating a personal protest campaign, because I have the tools to do that in a way that cannot be ignored. So in the next few days, I'm taking over YouTube. Every time you look for one of the songs I've written or listen to a playlist that has one of my songs in it, an ad will appear and you'll see me talking. Instead of skipping the 'pre roll ad' viewers will be invited to listen. Because what we created is not an ad – but material designed to make you think, act and hopefully also contribute by signing our petition."

⏩ Click here to see the dedicated website and sign the petition ⏪

About Doron Medalie:

Doron Medalie is an Israeli songwriter, composer and artistic director. His song "Toy" won the Eurovision Song Contest in 2018. 

A graduate of the School of Music, Habima National Theatre and Alon high-school for the performing arts, he is one of Israel's most successful hit-makers.  

Doron has written over 250 songs, ballads, Middle Eastern pop songs, children songs, soundtracks and theme songs for TV for some of Israel's most prominent artists and shows. 

⏩ As an outspoken gay man, Medalie is a well-known activist for Israeli LGBT rights.  

To learn more, he can be found on Facebook or his body of work is available on YouTube.

About The Aguda:

The Aguda - Israel's LGBT Task Force was founded in 1975 as a non-profit organization for the LGBT community. 

Since its establishment the Aguda has striven to improve the LGBT community's standing in Israel to achieve equal rights, and security. 

The Aguda works in partnership with all the LGBT organizations in Israel. 

To learn more about The Aguda, visit www.lgbt.org.il/english 

SOURCE: The LGBT Israel Task Force (‘The Aguda’) and Doron Medalie

The Pre Roll Intro Video:

Audiences Love The Anger: Alex Jones, Or Someone Like Him, Will Be Back

Alex Jones speaks during a rally for candidate Donald Trump near the Republican National Convention in July 2016. (Reuters/Lucas Jackson)

Confrontational characters spouting conspiracy theories and promoting fringe ideas have been with us since the invention of American broadcasting. First on radio, then on television, the American audience has consistently proven eager to consume the rants of angry and bitter men.

Before Alex Jones and InfoWars, there was Glenn Beck.

A decade ago, Beck was hawking his conspiracy theories on HLN and Fox News. Beck eventually left HLN and lost the Fox News job, just as the inflammatory Morton Downey Jr. lost his lucrative syndicated broadcast decades earlier.

And before Morton Downey Jr., there was Joe Pyne, the war hero who eventually ended up railing against “hippies, homosexuals and feminists” on the airwaves in the 1960s.

Before Pyne, there was Father Coughlin, “the radio priest.” Coughlin was eased off CBS in the 1930s when he refused to allow the network to vet his inflammatory commentary.

You get the idea. Alex Jones is not unique. Nor do I believe, as a historian of American media, that he will be the last of his kind.

Father Charles E. Coughlin broadcasts in Royal Oak, Michigan, in 1936. (AP photo)

Public airwaves in private hands 

Earlier this week, Jones’ InfoWars content was banned by Apple, Facebook, YouTube, Spotify and other web content distributors. It apparently violated policies against hate speech and inciting violence.
Whether you agree or disagree with the decision to constrict the reach of Jones’ toxic InfoWars videos, the upholding of these speech policies by commercial corporations represents a thorny historical issue in existence since the inception of broadcasting in the U.S.

Traditionally, it’s not been state censorship that’s cleansed American public debate. Rather, since the advent of electronic communication, commercial corporations have often acted out of fear of reprisal - from both the government and the public.

The U.S. regulatory system for broadcasting began in 1912, when the Commerce Department assumed an administrative role that up until then had been haphazardly applied by different governmental agencies.

That system lasted until it was struck down by a U.S. federal court ruling in 1926, which resulted in Congress establishing the the Federal Radio Commission the next year and its successor, the Federal Communications Commission in 1934. Each regulatory entity generally ceded supervision of broadcast content to independent, commercial entities acting as licensees of the airwaves.

This means the U.S. government has entrusted, and continues to entrust, private corporations with structuring public debate and discussion. Regulators are empowered to act but rarely do because the expectation that independent outlets remain responsible and civic-minded is deeply ingrained in the American system.

Screenshot from InfoWars website, August 6, 2018. (InfoWars)

The web is governed by different protocols than broadcast media. The web was invented to share information widely and open up new spaces for community interaction, exchange and engagement that the old mass media made difficult (if not impossible).

The web’s inventors saw their role in contrast to broadcast media: as facilitating rather than censoring. The regulatory system that specifically indemnifies and protects them from content posted under their banners is a recognition of this status.

So, despite this new, open, democratic and accessible ideal of the web – the opposite of corporate-owned traditional broadcast media – the fact that mass web access to the American public remains largely controlled by corporate gatekeepers such as Facebook and Google may seem surprising.

Yet history, in the guise of Alex Jones and InfoWars, seems to have cast these social media and search engine giants into a more traditional role.

Google and Facebook might not want to police the marketplace of ideas, but it appears that they have little choice at this point. The creation they spawned is now littered with crackpots and conspiracy theorists, and it’s been exploited by a foreign government to damage the American political system.

But strong believers in the unfettered exchange of ideas as embodied by the First Amendment can take comfort in knowing the moves to limit peddlers of hate and lies like InfoWars won’t actually change much. There will be another Alex Jones in existence eventually.

It’s the American way.

From self-invention to crazy 

When Richard Hofstadter, the noted American historian, published “The Paranoid Style in American Politics,” he identified a timeless and universal problem inherent in American political discourse.
Freakish conspiracy beliefs have continually given rise to such movements as the Know Nothings in the 1850s and the John Birch Society in the 1950s. Long before Hofstadter, Alexis de Tocqueville noted that a particularly American insecurity sprung from the ideology of democratic equality.

A 1955 flyer alleging water fluoridation was a communist plot. (Wikipedia)

In societies where everyone knows their place – say, in the caste system of India or the traditional aristocratic hierarchies of Europe – the lack of personal opportunity and social mobility often creates apathy and acquiescence.

But in the United States, where everyone is officially born equal, we are supposedly empowered to make of ourselves what we will.

Whether it’s unscientific anti-vaccination theories, anti-Semitic rantings, or baldfaced scientific racism, anybody can be an “expert” in America simply by proclaiming their expertise.

Though this expertise might be assisted by celebrity, it’s in no way beholden to education or class. That’s the American way.

Failure begets conspiracy thinking 

The Alex Joneses, Glenn Becks and Father Coughlins in our media world represent fissures in our dominant ideology of success. When the American Dream isn’t working out well, scapegoats must be found.
And a large audience of disappointed people looking for excuses will always exist. Their civics textbooks and teachers taught them that hard work, diligence, obedience to authority and responsible living inevitably results in economic prosperity.

But it often doesn’t work out that way. They feel lied to, and InfoWars exists to confirm their suspicions.

Because there will always exist a rabble to be aroused, this is the space that rabble-rousers historically exploit.

They speak to – and claim to speak for – not simply the downtrodden and downwardly-mobile; they also speak to those feeling wronged and forgotten. They simultaneously soothe and stoke the anxieties and insecurities of Americans living in a world that’s increasingly complex and beyond comprehension. Author Julia Belluz interviewed Jones’ fans and wrote, “I learned that Jones’s listeners felt let down by government, medicine and the media.”

People turn to Alex Jones and Glenn Beck for the same reason they tuned in the earlier incarnations – to obtain answers that explain their experience.

That’s a rational choice that sadly often results in an irrational outcome. The conspiracy theorists are always very good at giving details, but they tend to be far less effective at imparting information and knowledge.

Alex Jones promotes InfoWars as educational, but its pedagogical function resembles nothing so much as Trump University, which was sued by New York state for “… making false promises to convince people to spend tens of thousands of dollars … for lessons they never got.” Trump settled that suit.

Whether Jones believes his theories or not – and there exists some question about this – InfoWars looks like little more than a classic American con job. Even Alex Jones’ attorneys have argued that “no reasonable person” could believe what he says.

That’s ultimately why Jones is just a symptom.

Conspiracies are interwoven into the fabric of our national culture, and, as Jesse Walker pointed out in “United States of Paranoia,” they are so cyclical and persistent as to be thematically detectable across centuries. As long as insecurity and anxiety can be exploited, there will be new versions of InfoWars to pollute our nation.

How’s that for a conspiracy theory?

About Today's Contributor:
Michael J. Socolow, Associate Professor, Communication and Journalism, University of Maine

This article was originally published on The Conversation. 

Super LTD Acquires ACTIVE MEASURES - A Film That Reveals Putin's Long Game With Trump

Active Measures Key Art

Super LTD recently announced it has acquired ACTIVE MEASURES, a film from director Jack Bryan that details a decades long connection between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin, including shocking new reporting on Trump's dealings with Russian mob figures, and expert analysis on the largest and most effectively executed espionage operation in history—Russia's meddling in the 2016 US Presidential Election. 

The film made its world premiere at this year's Hot Docs, and will be released on August 31, day and date with exclusive theatrical engagements in New York and Los Angeles and on digital platforms.

In ACTIVE MEASURES, Bryan exposes a 30-year history of covert political warfare devised by Vladmir Putin to disrupt, influence, and ultimately control world events, democratic nations through cyber attacks, propaganda campaigns, and corruption. 

In the process, the filmmakers follow a trail of money, real estate, mob connections, and on the record confessions to expose an insidious plot that leads directly back to The White House. 

Unravelling the true depth and scope of "the Russia story," as we have come to know it, it is a jarring reminder that some conspiracies hide in plain sight. 

ACTIVE MEASURES is essential viewing in today's world.

⏩ The film features original interviews with experts on Russia and Putin, including: Senator John McCain, Hillary Clinton, former US Ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul, Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, Steven Hall (former CIA Chief of Russia Operations), author Michael Isikoff, John Podesta (Chair, Hillary for America, Founder, Center for American Progress), Jeremy Bash (former CIA Chief of Staff and Pentagon Chief of Staff), James Woolsey (former CIA director), Evan McMullin (2016 Presidential candidate), and many more. 

Produced by Shooting Films' Bryan, Laura DuBois, and Marley Clements, ACTIVE MEASURES was co-written by Bryan and Clements.

"When we embarked on this project we thought we'd find a scandal but what we uncovered was the greatest threat to democracy in almost a century. It is impossible to understand what is happening today unless you know how it started and why. Once you do the news becomes terrifyingly predictable," said director Jack Bryan.

➤ "Active Measures" is a Soviet term for the actions of political warfare conducted by the Soviet and Russian security services to influence the course of world events, in addition to collecting intelligence and producing "a politically correct" assessment of it.

SOURCE: Super LTD

The Trailer:

Bonus Video: