title: Globalism

text: Modern globalism has been linked to the ideas of economic and political integration of countries and economies. The first person in the United States to use the term "economic integration" in its modern sense, such as combining separate economies into larger economic regions, was John S. de Beers, an economist in the United States Department of the Treasury, towards the end of 1941. By 1948, "economic integration" was appearing in an increasing number of American documents and speeches. Paul G. Hoffman, then head of the Economic Cooperation Administration, used the term in a 1949 speech to the Organisation for European Economic Co-operation. "The New York Times" summarized it thusly:


title: Globalism

text: Globalism emerged as a dominant set of ideologies in the late twentieth century. As these ideologies settled, and as various processes of globalization intensified, they contributed to the consolidation of a connecting global imaginary. In 2010, Manfred Steger and Paul James theorized this process in terms of four levels of change: changing ideas, ideologies, imaginaries and ontologies. Globalism has been seen as a pillar of a liberal international order along with democratic governance, open trade, and international institutions. At Brookings Institution, David G. Victor has suggested cooperation in carbon capture and storage technology could be a future element of globalism, as part of global efforts against climate change.


title: Globalism

text: "Globalist" has been used as a pejorative in right-wing and far-right politics and conspiracy theories. During the election and presidency of United States president Donald Trump, he and members of his administration used the term "globalist" on multiple occasions. The administration was accused of using the term as an antisemitic dog whistle, to associate their critics with a Jewish conspiracy. Followers of the QAnon conspiracy theory refer to what they term "the Cabal" as a secret worldwide elite organisation who wish to undermine democracy and freedom, and implement their own globalist agendas. Hungary's prime minister Viktor Orbán has used antisemitic tropes in accusations against globalists, espousing a conspiracy theory of a world network controlled by Hungarian-American philanthropist George Soros.


title: Businessman (film)

text: Businessman is a 2012 Indian Telugu-language action crime film written and directed by Puri Jagannadh. Based on a concept by Ram Gopal Varma and produced by R. R. Venkat under the banner R. R. Movie Makers, the film stars Mahesh Babu, Kajal Aggarwal, and Prakash Raj while Nassar, Sayaji Shinde, Raza Murad, Subbaraju, and Brahmaji play supporting roles.


title: Businessman (film)

text: The film follows Vijay Surya, alias Surya Bhai: a ruthless man who arrives from Andhra Pradesh in Mumbai with aspirations to rule it, just as the Mumbai police declare the end of the "Mafia Raj". He begins his journey by helping a local politician and trapping the city commissioner's daughter. As he becomes a mass saviour with the help of his gang, his real intentions and personal grudges against the corrupt established system get highlighted further. However, he faces violent challenges from his enemies and the cops he supposedly respects.


title: Businessman (film)

text: S. Thaman composed the film's music, and Shyam K. Naidu was the film's cinematographer. The film was made with a budget of 40 crore and was launched formally on 15 August 2011 at Hyderabad. Principal photography began on 2 September 2011 and was shot in Hyderabad, Mumbai and Goa. A few song sequences were shot in Bangkok. Filming ended on 10 December 2011 in 74 working days, one of the shortest periods in which a Telugu film has been shot.


title: Businessman (film)

text: Released during Sankranthi on 13 January 2012. It grossed more than 90 crore and collected a distributor share of 40 crore, eventually becoming one of the highest-grossing Telugu films of 2012. The film was remade in Bengali as "Boss" in 2013.


title: Businessman (film)

text: When Mumbai Police Commissioner Ajay Bhardwaj has declared the end of the mafia in the city, a brutal man named Vijay Surya arrives with the intention of conquering Mumbai. Staying at Dharavi with his friend, Surya recruits a group of gangsters and wins the support of a local politician named Laalu after getting a witness killed by his henchman Shakeel. Surya further helps the Dharavi locals clear their debts by making the henchmen rob the original copies of the loan documents in the local branch of Bank of Maharashtra and destroy the bank records. While the locals hail him as their savior, Surya becomes popular and feared for extortion. In order to safeguard himself from Ajay, Surya traps his daughter Chitra Bhardwaj and pretends to fall for her. One day, Surya learns that Central Minister Jaidev Ghanapuleti, who aspires to be the next PM, has sent some assassins to kill him. Surya tricks the men into believing that he is a guide sent to help them where he plants bombs in their food that explodes, resulting in a shootout. While escaping, Surya sees Chitra, who has now learned of his true nature. When arrested, Surya accepts that he trapped her, but now he truly loves her.


title: Businessman (film)

text: However, Ajay is forced to free Surya after his henchmen kidnap Chitra. Surya promises to give up crime in order to live with Chitra, but he decides to set up a business which is untouchable by the police, after his proposal is turned down. Surya starts a company named "Surya Exports & Imports" as a front for his vigilante acts. In order to set up branch offices all over the country, Surya recruits local gangsters for staff and begins to forcibly extract a 2% tax on every contract made in the respective areas. Eventually, Surya becomes a billionaire, and during the inauguration of his "Business Bank", reveals his thirst for power to Ajay, further citing the decline in crime rate after recruiting the gangsters, and expressing his desire to help the needy. Surya further helps Laalu become the Mayor of Bombay by defeating Arun Gokhle, endorsed and later killed by Jaidev after Arun reveals Jaidev's scams to Ajay. Learning that Jaidev is planning to get both Chitra and Ajay killed, Surya rushes to their house but fails to save Ajay, who tells him to kill Jaidev in his final moments. Surya then reveals to Chitra that he was an American-born Indian whose philanthropist parents were cheated and killed by Jaidev.


title: Businessman (film)

text: As a child, Surya tried to enlist the help of the police but finding none, and he ended up stabbing and shooting Jaidev publicly. Surya meets Guru Govind Patel, the head of the opposition party through Laalu, and offers him 35,000 crore for election campaigning along with the promise to make him the next PM of India. Surya spends crores of rupees per constituency in the nation and also reveals Jaidev's illegal affairs, making him unable to contest in the elections. A vengeful Jaidev kidnaps Chitra, and Surya arrives to rescue her. Jaidev thrashes him and reveals that he gained public sympathy due to Surya's attack as a child, and managed to become a MP. However, Surya gets into a fight with Jaidev's henchmen and leaves them all dead, except one who holds Chitra at knifepoint. Jaidev agrees to free Chitra if Surya dies. Surya shoots himself before shooting both Jaidev and the henchman to death. Chitra accepts her love for Surya, and Guru Govind Patel wins the elections. While recovering in the hospital, Surya delivers a message to the public.


title: Businessman (film)

text: Ram Gopal Varma signed Suriya for a multilingual action film titled "The Businessman" in May 2010, to be directed by Puri Jagannadh simultaneously in Telugu, Tamil and Hindi. The film's protagonist was supposed to be a South Indian coming to Mumbai and setting up a crime business using tact and intelligence to emerge as one of the biggest gangsters. The film's production was expected to begin in October 2010 once Suriya completed his part in "7aum Arivu" (2011) and was scheduled for release in the summer of 2011. Jagannadh stated in an interview that principal photography would begin in September 2010. It was speculated that the film was to be based on the real-life story of a gangster who had moved from the Cuddalore district of Tamil Nadu to Mumbai in the late 1960s.


title: Businessman (film)

text: The film was revived later by R. R. Venkat later in January 2011 with a tagline "Guns do not need agreements". He signed Mahesh Babu as the protagonist who worked with Jagannadh in the past for "Pokiri" (2006). Venkat added that the film would be produced under the banner R. R. Movie Makers. Jagannadh completed the final draft of the film's script on 25 July 2011 during his stay at Bangkok, adding that he was inspired by Ram Gopal Varma. He stated that the pending pre-production work would begin in Hyderabad after a week. The film had its formal launch on 15 August 2011 with a small pooja ceremony conducted at Hyderabad. Shyam K. Naidu and S. Thaman were confirmed as the film's cinematographer and music director respectively.


title: Businessman (film)

text: Babu received the film's script while dubbing for "Dookudu" (2011), but due to that commitment, it took 10 days to finish reading the script. He said in an interview that he could maintain the consistency in the character only because of the fewer working days. Jagannadh did not cast Brahmanandam and Ali because of Babu's specific characterisation; he added that Babu's voice had changed when compared to his performance in "Pokiri". Babu also convinced Jagannadh to give up smoking, since he himself was trying to give up after being a chain smoker.


title: Businessman (film)

text: Shruti Haasan was initially considered for the female lead role after her performance in her Telugu film debut, "Anaganaga O Dheerudu" (2011). However, Kajal Aggarwal was signed as the female lead later in May 2011, marking her first collaboration with both Babu and Jagannadh respectively. She was paid 1 crore for this film. Jagannadh confirmed reports stating Babu and Aggarwal sharing a kiss in the film, adding that he retained them after Babu's wife Namrata Shirodkar approved it. It was reportedly the first onscreen kiss for Babu. Aggarwal explained that it was not supposed to be sensual, but was meant to portray the conflict between two characters, and added that it was shot "aesthetically" by Jagannadh.


title: Businessman (film)

text: Prakash Raj, Nassar, Sayaji Shinde, Dharmavarapu Subramanyam, Brahmaji, and Bandla Ganesh among others were cast for key supporting roles. Hansika Motwani was rumoured to be a part of the film's cast in late August 2011 but not immediately confirmed. In mid October 2011, Hansika reportedly agreed to perform an item number in the film. She later dismissed those reports as baseless rumours, claiming that other acting assignments keep her away from accepting.


title: Businessman (film)

text: Actress Shweta Bhardwaj was therefore selected to perform the item number instead. She was friends with Jagannadh, and he approached her for this song during the film's shoot at Mumbai, saying that the song suited her and her personality as a dancer. She also tried to understand the meaning of the lyrics while dancing. Bhardwaj was afraid of dancing, suspecting a possible sprain, and found the costumes uneasy, but had to continue upon the choreographer's insistence. Canadian-born Indian actress Ayesha Shiva was signed to play Aggarwal's friend in the film.


title: Businessman (film)

text: The film was planned to be shot entirely in and around Mumbai and Jagannadh searched for distinct localities there which suit the script's backdrops. Jagannadh told Venkat that he needed 75 working days to complete the film's shoot. He planned to start with Babu in the first week of September 2011 and established this schedule before finishing in the first week of January 2012. Filming began on 2 September 2011 at Rajiv Gandhi International Airport in Hyderabad.


title: Businessman (film)

text: The second schedule began at Mumbai from 20 September 2011, and Babu confirmed in an interview that it would last until 5 December 2011. An action sequence choreographed by Vijayan was shot in mid October 2011, and it was announced that the film's climax would be shot in and around Goa from 27 October 2011. The song "We Want Bad Boys" was shot in late October 2011. At the same time, Jagannadh planned to shoot a couple of songs with Babu and Aggarwal in Spain during November 2011. The filming of the climax sequences featuring Babu, Prakash Raj, and others was finished by 2 November 2011.


title: Businessman (film)

text: After filming two songs in the districts of Krabi and Pattaya in Bangkok, the film's unit returned to Hyderabad on 2 December 2011 for completing patch work. The film's shooting was wrapped up on 10 December 2011 in 74 working days as expected. Jagannadh revealed in an interview that the film's length by the end of shoot was 84,000 feet as planned. He added that Babu and Aggarwal participated in the film's shoot for 65 and 30 days respectively.


title: Businessman (film)

text: The film's dubbing activities began on 15 December 2011 at Shabdalaya Studios in Hyderabad. The DTS mixing works were in progress in early January 2012. The Central Board of Film Certification passed the film with an 'A' certificate; board members found few of the film's dialogues offensive and potentially upsetting to the people of Mumbai. Despite being set in Mumbai, the film features dialogue in Telugu, a language that is not native to the city for the convenince of the viewers. A disclaimer at the beginning of the film is given regarding the same.


title: Businessman (film)

text: The soundtrack consists of six songs composed by S. Thaman and written by Bhaskarabhatla Ravi Kumar. Aditya Music acquired the audio rights. The original version of the soundtrack was released on 21 December 2011, along with the dubbed Tamil and Malayalam versions at Shilpakala Vedika in Hyderabad. Na. Muthukumar and Kailas Rishi wrote the lyrics for the dubbed Tamil and Malayalam versions of the songs respectively. The soundtrack sold nearly 200,000 compact discs on the first day of its release itself.


title: Businessman (film)

text: A first-look teaser of 41 seconds was released on 9 November 2011. The first-look poster featuring a still of Mahesh sitting in a chair and deeply thinking was revealed on 11 November 2011 (11.11.11), receiving a positive response. Two posters featuring Babu were unveiled on 5 and 11 December 2011. The theatrical trailer was attached to the prints of "Panjaa" (2011) to be screened in theatres from 9 December 2011.


title: Businessman (film)

text: As a part of the film's promotion, Aditya Music offered a range of ringtone packs. Contests were introduced where the winners won posters autographed by Babu, the film's tickets, and soundtrack discs apart from others.


title: Businessman (film)

text: The film was initially planned for a worldwide release on 11 January 2012. Hari Venkateswara Pictures acquired the film's overseas distribution rights and after requests by non-Telugu Babu fans, it was the first Telugu film to release with subtitles in overseas cinemas. The makers planned for a release in new international markets like Japan and Dubai to cash in on Babu's previous film, "Dookudu". The release was postponed by two days to 13 January 2012 due to post production delays. 2,000 screens across the world were booked for the film's initial release.


title: Businessman (film)

text: It was released to 92 screens across Hyderabad, breaking the previous record set by "Oosaravelli" (2011) which was released to 70 screens. Prasads IMAX screened 33 shows on the release day. The film's Tamil dubbed version, also titled "Businessman", was released on 7 December 2012 to 200 screens across Tamil Nadu.


title: Businessman (film)

text: Jagannadh acquired the satellite rights of the film during his negotiations with the film's producers for 5 crore. He wanted to rotate the film screening on various channels, at appropriate times, in a bid to gain more widespread viewership and recoup his investment. Studio N acquired the film's television broadcast rights in March 2012 for 6.6 crore, which were later sold to Gemini TV. The film's DVD and Blu-ray discs were produced by Universal Home Entertainment and were released in May 2012.


title: Businessman (film)

text: S. Thaman was criticised for copying the tunes of the Italian partisan song "Bella ciao" for the song "Pilla Chao" and "He Lives in You", a song written and performed by Lebo M and his South African Choir for the album "Rhythm of the Pride Lands" (1995), for the song "Chandamama". "Pilla Chao" was one of the more successful songs on the soundtrack and many music lovers left angry comments about the plagiarism on the song's YouTube video.


title: Businessman (film)

text: The makers violated the rules of The Cinematograph Act, 1952, and the Central Board of Film Certification regarding the re-working of its title from "The Businessman" to "Businessman" after the board cleared the film with the former title. The Andhra Pradesh Film Chamber of Commerce cleared the registration of the film title as "The Businessman" on 1 January 2011 through a letter and was renewed up to 22 April 2012. The set of posters sent to the board for certification purposes carried the full title. The film was publicised without the definite article, which was also missing from the posters. Also, the 'A' certification was omitted.


title: Businessman (film)

text: After release, the film was criticised for the usage of curse-words by the protagonist and a few intimate sequences between the lead pair. The muting of a few dialogues and blurring of a few visuals by the board were criticised by viewers. Bajrang Dal lodged a complaint with Municipal police on 14 January 2012 stating that the lyrics of the song "We love Bad Boys" contained vulgar words and conveyed an unacceptable meaning for which they demanded action against Jagannadh. The police confirmed this and stated they would seek legal opinions for taking further action.


title: Businessman (film)

text: Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad activists entered the Aradhana Theatre at Tarnaka near Osmania University, and stopped a screening on 25 January 2012 at 11:30 AM. They stole the film's reels and ripped off the film's hoardings and flexies at the theatre, protesting a few dialogues which allegedly demeaned Rama and were anti-patriotic. They burnt the film's reels in front of Osmania Arts College in protest of the lyrics of the song "We want Bad Boys" alleging that the song was filled with abusive words. They also demanded a public apology by Babu and Jagannadh. Journalist Rohit Vats in his article "Real and reel: How Telugu cinema celebrates stalking" mentioned the sequences in "Businessman" quoting, "The conversation between Mahesh Babu and Kajal Aggarwal in Businessman was termed vulgar but later it was accepted in the name of sarcasm. Basically, it was perceived as harmless teasing".


title: Businessman (film)

text: "Businessman" opened to 85% occupancy in both single screens and multiplexes at AP/Nizam box office on its first day. It grossed approximately 18.73 crore and collected a share of 13.78 crore at the global box office on its first day creating an all-time record in terms of opening day collections. The film collected a distributor share of 12 crore in AP/Nizam box office, 1 crore in Karnataka, 75 lakh together in Tamil Nadu (for the Tamil version), Orissa and North India respectively and 3 crore together in the United States, United Kingdom, Australia and Japan on its first day.


title: Businessman (film)

text: The film collected approximately 41.83 crore by the end of its first week at the global box office and was declared a blockbuster. The film completed a 50-day run in 350 centres on 3 March 2012, and a 100-day run in undisclosed number of centres on 21 April 2012. The film collected a distributor share of 44.8 crore and grossed over 55 crore in its lifetime at the global box office.


title: Businessman (film)

text: Suresh Krishnamoorthy of "The Hindu" called "Businessman" a "wholesome package" and a "pure entertainer", quoting "Puri Jagannath has proved that he's still the director with the Midas touch with his latest release, "Businessman"". Y. Sunita Chowdary, also from "The Hindu", wrote "The "Businessman" has a mix of action, image, dialogue and montage but what makes it entertaining is that all the above quantities are inextricably bound and linked together at every level with an admirably tight script." She added that Jagannadh did not make any structural, technical or content errors, although the story was a regular one. Suresh Kavirayani of "The Times of India" gave the film 3.25 out of 5 stars and called the film an "unpretentious entertainer that manages to strike the right balance", which according to him, had enough in it to keep the viewers interested till the end despite not being a spectacular production.


title: Businessman (film)

text: "Indo-Asian News Service" (IANS) gave the film 3 out of 5 stars and called "Businessman" a film for Babu's fans and highlighted Babu's performance and Jagannadh's dialogues as the film's strong points. Another reviewer from IANS called the film "senseless yet entertaining" and stated "Mahesh's dashing performance as a mafia kingpin with a hidden personal agenda is commendable and deserves high appreciation. "Businessman" may be perverse and appeal only to the masses, yet is a winner for unexplainable reasons." Radhika Rajamani of "Rediff.com" gave the film 2.5 out of 5 stars and opined that "Businessman" was an entertaining film if watched uncritically. She added, "There's no doubt that Puri Jagan has played to the gallery and kept the masses and Mahesh's image in mind while conceiving this film. It's just Mahesh all the way."


title: Businessman (film)

text: "Sify" felt that the film was strictly for Babu's fans but praised Jagannadh's work saying that the "story sounds far fetched, demanding logic. The screenplay is a saving grace, which works like magic, making the audiences forget the monotony in between." The reviewer highlighted Mahesh's performance, the dialogues, and the songs as the film's stronger elements. Ramchander of "Oneindia Entertainment" called "Businessman" a serious film with limited appeal, which might be enjoyed by Babu's fans but which would be an average for others. B. V. S. Prakash of "Deccan Chronicle" gave the film 2 out of 5 stars and stated ""Businessman" is a typical Mahesh Babu film all the way, evoking laughs with comic one-liners and subtle expressions. However, his efforts could go in vain thanks to a contrived and highly exaggerated plot." "IndiaGlitz" called "Businessman" a "Mahesh-Magnified film" and stated, "It is clear that the director throws all logic to the winds in the hope that Mahesh the Prince and a few cheeky one-liners will salvage the film. There is so much meaningless lecturing in the movie in the form of the demented arguments that our hero employs in many a scene."


title: Businessman (film)

text: After Babu refused to perform in the Hindi remake of this film, Jagannadh approached Ranbir Kapoor in late January 2012 and arranged a special screening for him. Ram Gopal Varma confirmed in March 2012 that he and Jagannadh would remake the film in Hindi with Abhishek Bachchan playing the role of Mahesh Babu in the original. The film was remade in Bengali as "Boss" in 2013.


title: Businessman (film)

text: Jagannadh expressed interest in making a sequel of the film after the response to the original on its first day and planned to begin work on the same from late 2012. Mahesh Babu too confirmed the same in late January 2012 during the scripting stage of the sequel titled "Businessman 2". It was planned as a bilingual film to be shot in Telugu and Hindi simultaneously. Ram Gopal Varma also expressed interest after listening to the script and felt that the sequel would do much better business than the original. However, Jagannadh shelved the sequel in early August 2012 and opted to direct Mahesh Babu in an original film.


title: The Velvet Rope

text: The Velvet Rope is the sixth studio album by American singer Janet Jackson. The album was released on October 7, 1997, through Virgin Records. Prior to its release, she renegotiated her contract with Virgin for US$80 million, the largest recording contract in history at that time.


title: The Velvet Rope

text: Upon experiencing an emotional breakdown, Jackson began facing a long-term case of depression. She in turn developed her new record as a concept album, using introspection as its theme. Its title is a metaphor for emotional boundaries, as well as an allusion to an individual's need to feel special. Its lyrics address subject matter such as depression, self-worth, social networking, and domestic violence. It also encompasses themes of sexuality, including BDSM, sexual orientation and same-sex relationships. Due to its sexually explicit content, the album reinforced Jackson's public image as a sex symbol and as one of the most erotic vocalists of the 1990s. Its incorporation of social issues regarding sexual orientation and combating homophobia also established her reputation as a gay icon and received the GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Music.


title: The Velvet Rope

text: The record was co-written and co-produced by Jackson, her then-husband René Elizondo Jr., Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, with additional contributions by various songwriters. Songs on the album also include British violinist Vanessa-Mae, Canadian singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell and American rapper Q-Tip as featured artists. Its composition fuses various genres, including pop, R&B, trip hop, folk, jazz, rock and electronic music. Considered to be Jackson's most mature recording, it is regarded as a template for pop artists transitioning to a darker or rebellious sound and as a precursor to the development of alternative R&B .


title: The Velvet Rope

text: "The Velvet Rope" became Jackson's fourth consecutive album to top the "Billboard" 200. It also reached the top of charts in Denmark and the top five in major markets such as Australia, Canada, France, and Germany. The album was certified triple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and has sold an estimated eight million copies worldwide. Of the six singles released from the project, "Got 'til It's Gone" won the 1998 Grammy Award for Best Music Video, "Together Again" became an international number-one hit, and "I Get Lonely" became Jackson's 18th consecutive top-ten single on the US "Billboard" Hot 100, making her the only female artist in history to achieve that feat. The Velvet Rope Tour, in support of the album, drew critical acclaim for its theatricality, as well as controversy for its depictions of domestic violence and bondage.


title: The Velvet Rope

text: Jackson's first compilation album, "", was released in 1995. It peaked at number three on the "Billboard" 200. The lead single, "Runaway", became the first song by a female artist to debut within the top ten of the Hot 100, reaching number three. "Design of a Decade 1986/1996" was certified double platinum by the RIAA and sold ten million copies worldwide. The release marked the fulfillment of Jackson's contractual obligations to Virgin Records. As a result, she became subject to an industry bidding war between various parties, including Virgin, Bertelsmann, DreamWorks, Sony Music, Time Warner, and The Walt Disney Company, who attempted to sign her jointly with PolyGram. She ultimately renewed her contract with Virgin for $80 million—the largest recording contract in history at that time and a breakthrough she achieved for the second time in her career. The contract surpassed the recording industry's then-unparalleled $60 million contracts earned by Michael Jackson and Madonna.


title: The Velvet Rope

text: During her Janet World Tour, Jackson experienced an emotional breakdown, stemming from self-hatred, childhood humiliation, self-harm, and distorted body image. She stated, "I was very, very sad. Very down. I couldn't get up sometimes. There were times when I felt very hopeless and helpless, and I felt like walls were kind of closing in on me...like you can't escape". She questioned her career path, feeling pressured by the demands of the entertainment industry, saying, "People look at you differently, as if you're not human." Abbie Kearse of MTV responded, "You're creating a person who might not really be you, but you've created this fantasy woman, so when it's time to get back to business, it's like 'I've got to go back to that world'". Jackson expressed concern for how she could portray an object of fantasy, feeling as if she could no longer fulfill her own desires.


title: The Velvet Rope

text: In self-analysis, Jackson uncovered vital details regarding her past, saying, "Certain things may happen, and you just dismiss them instead of stopping and saying, "Why am I feeling this way? Why am I acting out in this way?" She had suppressed various traumas throughout her adolescence and early adulthood, using evasion tactics to prevent thoughts from surfacing. She also recalled feeling unaccepted and ostracized for her skin color. She was persistently haunted by a memory of a school teacher intensely scolding her, causing her classmates to erupt in laughter. "Oh, God, it sounds so stupid. But being a kid you're just so frightened... I never talked about it, so it stayed with me all those years. I felt not deserving, not good enough... that's still the way I feel about myself sometimes", she declared. As a child, she managed discomfort by speaking to her animals, later turning to overeating as an anesthetic, causing fluctuations in weight. Jackson said, "I began to realize that whenever something really painful was going on, I would eat, and that's how I would run away from it. But I would just be creating another problem in another area instead of just dealing with that pain".


title: The Velvet Rope

text: Jackson developed body dysmorphia as a response to ridicule, stating, "I'd look in the mirror and hate myself. I'd sit and cry. It was so hard for me to look at myself and find something that I liked. Not just physically, but something that was good in me". She also inflicted self-harm, banging her head against the wall when feeling unattractive. She traced her fragility to her abusive marriage to recording artist James DeBarge when she was 16 years old. Jackson recalled, "It all has to do with very low self esteem. Especially going into a relationship like that very young... someone telling you things like, 'no one is ever going to want you again, you should be happy here with me.'" Attempting to alter his behavior and drug addiction, she explained, "I learned the hard way that you can't change a person." Recalling her divorce, she revealed, "There came a point when I finally said, 'You know what? I just don't care what happens.' I had to do what I wanted to but had been too afraid to. And at that point I didn't care if I got my brains beat out. I just went ahead and did it. And I got my ass kicked for it. But I'm happy that I did it, or I don't think I would be here today".


title: The Velvet Rope

text: Her self-hatred accelerated into raging cycles of bulimia and anorexia, repressing the issue until questioned. Jackson said, "people say to me: `Okay, you've got to start eating more. You're too thin.' But when you look in the mirror, you see something totally different." She continued, "I had swung so far in one direction, I never thought I could swing so far in the other. You're losing weight and getting smaller, and I'd still say to myself I could afford to lose a little more". However, she refused professional guidance, reluctant to examination. She briefly saw a psychologist before an encounter with a spiritual guru, who aided her emotional recovery. Jackson recounted, "we went to this very spiritual place in the desert... That's where I met him, this cowboy. He's in his fifties, and he's full of wisdom. He's an older man who has experienced a great deal, and he used to be in the music industry, on a smaller scale. He even understood that side of my life". She also began using coffee enemas to remove "sad cells", leading to media scrutiny. The trauma lead to a brief duration of sexual questioning, saying "Am I curious? I think every girl has wondered". Jackson culminated the experiences into the album's subject matter, recording over two years.


title: The Velvet Rope

text: The album was produced by Jackson with Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, as well as René Elizondo Jr. Its initial stages began following her Janet World Tour, recording intermittently over two years. The process stalled due to various issues facing Jackson, including depression, body dysmorphia, anorexia, and self-hatred. As a result, Jackson spontaneously canceled sessions, appearing constantly troubled, as Jam commented, "That was a tough album to make for her. There were times when she would not show up at the studio for five or six days in a row".


title: The Velvet Rope

text: She returned to the studio in January 1997, embarking on a six-and-a-half month recording process. Its production was adjusted towards Jackson's lyrics and vocal suggestions, using an altered technique from prior sessions. Attempting to push pop music in an alternate direction, the record was described as "a triumph of the spirit, a declaration of joy and healing that comes from examining the past while energizing the present, [...] exploring the mysteries of sexuality even as it addresses the problems of prejudice". Explaining the concept and the writing of "The Velvet Rope", she stated:


title: The Velvet Rope

text: Singing these songs has meant digging up pain that I buried a long time ago. It's been hard and sometimes confusing, but I've had to do it. I've been burying pain my whole life. It's like kicking dirt under the carpet. At some point there's so much dirt you start to choke. Well, I've been choking. My therapy came in writing these songs. Then I had to find the courage to sing them or else suffer the consequences — a permanent case of the blues.


title: The Velvet Rope

text: "The Velvet Rope" consists of sixteen songs and seven interludes; experimenting with various genres and darker themes. The album fused pop with various genres, including R&B, electronic, trip hop, jazz, and folk music. Jackson stated:


title: The Velvet Rope

text: Jackson described the release as her most personal work, developed throughout her entire lifetime. She explained, "I never looked deeply at the pain from my past, never tried to understand that pain and work it through. It was a journey I had avoided. But one I now had to face." Robert Hilburn added, "Jackson found a universal symbol to use in exploring issues of insecurity and self-worth. At some point, everyone is on the wrong side of the velvet rope, excluded because of race, social status, age or some other division." Jackson regarded commercial success as a secondary consideration, commenting, "I needed to express who I was and what I'd learned. I found out who I really was... If that can inspire people who hear this album to do the same, I'd rather have that than the biggest selling album in the world."


title: The Velvet Rope

text: The album gained media attention for its explicit themes and exploration of homosexuality, suggested as a "queer-studies thesis." Singapore law officials banned the album due to its lyrics supporting homosexuality. "Free Xone" speaks of gay, lesbian and bisexual pairings, as Jackson protests discrimination. "Together Again" recalls a departed friend lost to AIDS. Her cover of Rod Stewart's "Tonight's the Night" suggests losing her virginity to another woman, also alluding to bisexuality. Media attention led Stewart to announce "that's an original song by Janet Jackson" when performed in concerts. In response to criticism, Jackson said, "I have a lot of gay friends, men and women, and that's why I did it. I knew people would say I was gay, and I didn't care." She also stated, "I caught a lot of hell for that... religious groups have been upset with me for certain songs on the album, but it’s not going to stop me from writing what I feel inside." Media reports of Jackson involved in intimate relationships with dancers Tina Landon and Shawnette Heard surfaced following its release, although denied.


title: The Velvet Rope

text: The album's "most startling" song was considered "What About", in which Jackson violently confronts domestic abuse. Jackson stated, "I think it's important to let others know that certain things that you may have experienced in your life, and that they're not alone, and that you understand what they're going through, and that they can make it through." Joel Lyans included it among "The New Soundtrack of Social Consciousness", writing, "Here, Janet does what she does best: demonstrates a coy and shy demeanor before ripping into a confident and empowered voice for those who are afraid to speak up and speak out about a situation that plagues millions of women." Several media reports related its theme with President Bill Clinton's infidelity to Hillary Clinton with Monica Lewinsky. Jackson clarified it to be about her own experience, saying, "President Clinton? People have said that to me. They say 'this is his song'," comparing the situation with her song "This Time" inaccurately related to O. J. Simpson and Nicole Brown Simpson due to its subject matter.


title: The Velvet Rope

text: Jackson's progression into advanced erotic content was criticized, though she defended her material. J. D. Considine praised Jackson's focus on intercourse "as if it were simply a fact of life", noting her concern with "the emotional component of sex, rather than the act itself."


title: The Velvet Rope

text: In "Twisted Elegance", Jackson speaks over piano and white noise. Its composition addressed the "emotional and sexual politics of relationships", restraints of depression, self-esteem, domestic violence, homosexuality, AIDS, and sadomasochism.


title: The Velvet Rope

text: It transitions into the title track, progressing from rapid electronica into a mid-tempo techno structure. It incorporates "The Exorcist" theme "Tubular Bells" as Jackson explains "a velvet rope we have inside us, keeping others from knowing our feelings", closing with a violin solo by Vanessa-Mae. "You" incorporates "deep-down funk" and trip hop, as Jackson distorts her voice in a low range during a challenge of self-scrutiny.


title: The Velvet Rope

text: "Got 'til It's Gone" is an R&B, alternative pop and trip hop song, featuring folk singer Joni Mitchell and rapper Q-Tip. Jackson speaks of vulnerability and regret in a "depressive sobriety". Interlude "Speakerphone" consists of Jackson beginning to masturbate before a phone conversation with ex-sister-in-law Lisa Marie Presley, who was still romantically involved with Jackson's brother Michael Jackson at the time despite being the two being divorced. "My Need" is a mid-tempo hip hop song tackling self-obsession and unbridled lust. Interlude "Fasten Your Seatbelts" portrays Jackson and her dancers mimicking Bette Davis in "What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?" and "All About Eve". "Go Deep" combines dance-pop and G-funk, performed in a "girlish breathiness".


title: The Velvet Rope

text: "Free Xone" incorporates "slamming funk" with drum and bass, derived from "scratching, sampling, honey rapping, break beats and electronic accents." Jackson described it "about homophobia and the pain it causes." "Together Again" is an uptempo house and dance-pop song; considered a "modern post-disco meditation on the beauty of dance and eternal grace of romantic bonding." Interlude "Online" features Jackson typing as a dial-up internet connection is heard. "Empty" is an electronic ballad incorporating trip hop, propelled by a "jittery, mellowed-out jungly beat". Its lyrics speak of the void felt through social network relationships, empathizing with those searching for acceptance via the internet. "What About" confronts Jackson's experiences with domestic violence. Over flamenco guitars, she recalls a former companion proposing before violently transitioning into hard rock. "Every Time" is a piano ballad documenting Jackson's fear of love, examining an apprehensive side of romance.


title: The Velvet Rope

text: "Tonight's the Night" alludes to sexual anticipation, suggesting a lesbian encounter and potential threesome during its finale. Jackson stated, "The record company tried to talk me out of it because it's directed toward a girl. I love the song the way it is, and it's reality for a lot of people." "I Get Lonely" evokes lush sensuality as Jackson speaks of abandonment over a sparse backing. "Rope Burn" evokes bondage and sadomasochism, as Jackson requests to be tied down and pleasured with candle wax. It was declared "the first R&B trip-hop ballad, retro-fitted with a lazy, jazzy beat and a spare, slap bass-heavy backing track." Jackson regarded it as a "soft instrument of extended pleasure", saying, "The expression of sexual fantasies can be beautiful if there's trust, love and understanding." "Anything" is a ballad invoking "feverish dimensions" of satisfaction.


title: The Velvet Rope

text: In piano ballad "Special", Jackson speaks to her inner child, spreading the message that "pain is not permanent", but rather, transformed. Jackson said, "Getting back to that child, and giving the child what the child may have missed—the reassurance of a nourishing and accepting a love, a love that says you're special—is hard work. It can be scary but, like the song says, we have to deal with the past to live completely—and freely—in the present." "Can't Be Stopped" speaks of youth victimization, bigotry, and racial unity, "directed at young people who are discouraged or discriminated against... I want them to know that their inner-strength is stronger than the forces against them."


title: The Velvet Rope

text: "The Velvet Rope" was titled as a metaphor for the emotional barricade preventing others from revealing their innermost thoughts; in comparison to the velvet rope used at film premieres and award shows, prohibiting access from spectators. It also served as a metaphor for the barriers separating different classes of society. It was based on various events throughout her adolescence and early adulthood, resurfacing after attempted escapism.


title: The Velvet Rope

text: The album's artwork was photographed by Ellen von Unwerth, with additional photos by Mario Testino. The cover depicts Jackson lowering her head amidst a crimson backdrop, symbolizing remorse. "Janet" is faintly embossed in a pixelated block formation. Jackson stated, "The shot we used on the cover shows me just looking down, and that's what the album was about, looking inward". MTV News regarded the artwork as iconic and an influence on various artists. Its internal artwork depicts Jackson's piercings and tattoos, also displaying her hands tied in bondage and latex attire, exhibiting fetishism. A particular photo of Jackson wearing a latex ensemble with her nipple piercing peering through an opening gained notoriety for its explicit nature. The photo also shows Jackson pricking her body with an ice pick.


title: The Velvet Rope

text: Upon its release, Jackson unveiled an edgier image, flaunting hennaed red hair and tattoos on her neck, wrist, foot, back, and lower thigh; also acquiring nipple, septum, and labia piercings. The transition was considered to risk alienation, though she was commended as "a master at surprising and shocking her public". Jackson used a variation of the Akan Sankofa symbol throughout its artwork and imagery; representing the motif "You cannot move into the future until you learn from your past". She tattooed the symbol onto her wrist. Jackson's tattoo artist later stated, "I have a lot of people who fly in from all over the world to get something that has to do with Janet’s sacred tattoos... She's an inspiration to a lot of people, and when they see something on Janet that helps her be strong, they want that strength as well".


title: The Velvet Rope

text: Prior to the album's release, "Billboard" reported that a large-scale marketing campaign had been organized to promote the album. Nancy Berry, then-executive vice president of Virgin Music Group Worldwide, stated that promotion for "The Velvet Rope"s release were the company's largest until then, and although the record company had planned to bring Jackson's new album to the highest number of consumers, they did not want the campaign to be too intrusive. To handle the publishing rights to the music of Janet Jackson, company Black Doll was founded. The music industry scene had changed since Jackson's last release, with hip-hop-flavored R&B taking over mainstream music. However, Virgin executives were still confident that lead single "Got 'til It's Gone" would be successful. The recording company opted for a more urban promotion, using billboards and spaces in subways, as well as TV commercials.


title: The Velvet Rope

text: The music video for "Got 'til It's Gone" premiered during the opening of the MTV Video Music Awards on September 4, 1997, where Jackson presented an award to Mark Romanek. The day before, an album listening party was held in New York City at the Chrysler Building's Art Deco Cloud Room, reopened after sixty-five years for the event. Entertainers in attendance included Marilyn Manson, Beck, Billy Corgan, Sheryl Crow, Meredith Brooks, Diddy, Naomi Campbell, Michael Douglas and Lisa Marie Presley. On September 9, a release party for the album was set up at Sony Pictures Studios in Culver City, California. In mid-September, Jackson went to Europe to promote the album. She performed "Got 'til It's Gone" on BBC One's "Top of the Pops" show and on "Graines de Star" in France. Upon her return to the United States to release the album, she was interviewed on "The Oprah Winfrey Show", performing "Got 'til It's Gone" and "Together Again".


title: The Velvet Rope

text: One of the new ways to promote the album was the use of the Internet. In a collaboration with MTV, an online chat with the singer was set up. The event happened through "MTV Live" on October 6, 1997, the day before the album's release. A day later, she signed copies at an album signing held at the Virgin Megastore in New York City, Jackson also promoted the album in Oceania and Asia, performing on "Hey Hey It's Saturday" in Australia e "Hey! Hey! Hey! Music Champ" in Japan. Upon returning to her promotional tour in Europe, she performed "Got 'til It's Gone" on French TV programs "Les Années Tubes", "" along with "Together Again", and Spanish television on TV show "". while also singing on Spanish TV on the shows "" and "Turrón y... cuenta nueva". In January, Jackson opened the American Music Awards, performing the DJ Premier remix of "Together Again". She performed the following single "I Get Lonely" at the Soul Train Awards, with an acoustic rendition performed on the "Rosie O'Donnell Show". Jackson performed a controversial rendition of "What About" at the VH1 Fashion Awards, displaying vignettes of domestic violence. Jackson also gave numerous interviews to several publications, including "People", "Vibe", "Vogue", "Ebony" and "Rolling Stone".


title: The Velvet Rope

text: On October 7, 2022, exactly 25 years after the release of the album, a deluxe version was released digitally, adding the songs "Accept Me" (B-side of "You" and "Every Time" singles) and "God's Stepchild" (Japanese bonus track), as well as finally having the song "Can't Be Stopped" as its own stand-alone track instead of being hidden. It also comes with a second "component" including 13 remixes.


title: The Velvet Rope

text: Jackson embarked on The Velvet Rope Tour, visiting Europe, North America, Japan, New Zealand, Africa, and Australia. It used an autobiographical theme derived from elements of Broadway theater. She stated, "To me, being onstage is about entertaining. I know there are people who just walk onstage and give you a show by just doing their music, but I always wanted something extra". She added, "I knew what I wanted everyone to look like, especially for the opening number. I knew what I wanted everyone to wear. I visualized the whole thing". Among the first tours to use LED technology, Mark Fisher stated, "She wanted to have a book opening and herself come out of it. So I finessed that book into the video screen".


title: The Velvet Rope

text: Jackson's showmanship was commended by critics, who also praised the show's theatrics and pyrotechnics. Robert Hilburn regarded it to help Jackson "finally get the credit she deserves as an artist", with the show also called "the must-see concert of the year". The tour was controversial for its sexuality and portrayal of domestic violence, most notably within performances of "Rope Burn" and "What About". Its advertisements, depicting Jackson in a transparent outfit with her nipple piercing and bikini partially visible, also drew media attention. Several publications refused to publish the ad, while billboards of the image caused traffic accidents in Europe. The tour's HBO broadcast received over 15 million viewers, surpassing the ratings of all four major networks. It won an Emmy Award for "Outstanding Technical Direction/Camera/Video for a Special". The final date at Hawaii's Aloha Stadium became the most attended concert in the venue's history. The tour was reported to receive a worldwide attendance of ten million in total. Jackson donated a portion of the tour's sales to America's Promise, an organization founded by Colin Powell to assist disenfranchised youth.


title: The Velvet Rope

text: "Got 'til It's Gone" peaked at number 36 on Hot 100 Airplay, twelve on Rhythmic Top 40 and three on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay. It was ineligible to chart on the "Billboard" Hot 100 due to not having a commercial single released. Internationally, it reached the top five in Denmark and New Zealand; top ten in Australia, Netherlands, Sweden, and United Kingdom and top twenty in various countries. "Together Again" reached number one on the "Billboard" Hot 100, spending a record of 46 weeks on the chart. It was certified Gold by the RIAA. It reached the top two within Belgium, Netherlands, Canada, France, Germany, and Switzerland, and top five in Australia, Denmark, New Zealand, and United Kingdom. "Together Again" is among the biggest selling global singles in history and her highest selling single to date, exceeding six million copies.


title: The Velvet Rope

text: "I Get Lonely" reached number three on the "Billboard" Hot 100, number one on Hot Dance Single Sales and Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks, five in the United Kingdom, and fourteen on the European Hot 100. It set a record as her eighteenth consecutive top ten hit on the Hot 100, surpassed only by Elvis Presley and The Beatles. "Go Deep" was ineligible to chart on the "Billboard" Hot 100, though peaked at number twelve on Pop Songs, eight on Rhythmic Top 40, and number one on Hot Dance Club Play. Final release "Every Time" reached the top forty within the Netherlands and New Zealand. The success of collaborations "Luv Me, Luv Me" and "What's It Gonna Be?!" each affected the latter two singles' performances. "You" was a promotional single in the United Kingdom, being ineligible to chart. "What About" was initially planned for release, while an edit of the title track received limited test airplay. In April 2012, "Rope Burn" charted on Korea's Gaon Digital Chart.


title: The Velvet Rope

text: "The Velvet Rope" has received acclaim amongst some criticism since its release. In a contemporary review for "The New York Times", critic Jon Pareles declared it "her most daring, elaborate and accomplished album", observing songs to "transform themselves as they go, leaping from sharply etched cross-rhythms to lush choruses." Greg Kot from "Chicago Tribune" regarded it a "soundtrack to a therapy session", while the "Los Angeles Times" commended its content; addressing "the social, emotional and sexual politics of relationships, peppering the wistful, spirited pop melodies and sinuous R&B rhythms with compelling jazz, folk and techno nuances." Elysa Gardner added, "provocative gestures ultimately blend in with the album's larger agenda, which is to encourage more open-minded, free-spirited relationships of all kinds... with hooks this strong and grooves this delicious, Jackson's authority should be of question to no one." MTV News declared it an "interesting step in a new direction" and "long, sometimes strange trip into Jackson's sensual world". Slant Magazine called it "a richly dark masterwork", illustrating "there is nothing sexier than emotional nakedness". Robert Christgau noted Jackson's vocal cadence, retaining "her magical ability to feign delight". Keith Harris stated it "plumbed introspective depths with intriguing results".


title: The Velvet Rope

text: In his review for "The Village Voice", Vince Aletti praised its "unusu-ally busy, electronica- spiked soundscape", revealing "the process of psychic reconstruction". Aletti added, "she combines a pure pop sensibility with ambition, vulnerability, freakishness, and extraordinary savvy. She's--in her inadequate word--special". However, Jackson's "isolating control" was regarded as its "more bracing" material. "Entertainment Weekly" observed its subject matter of "computer liaisons to bondage and bisexuality", finding the most pervasive theme to be love. Roger Catlin of "The Courant" noted its aura "washes away her sometimes strident political messages or her attempt to shock with sexuality", adding, "the album shimmers with sensuality, openness and thirst for new adventures, musically and otherwise." Len Righi of "The Morning Call" called it "compelling, as she tackled almost every imaginable social ill and personal problem while still leaving room for freakiness and fun." Jane Dark of "City Pages" stated it "eludes genre-fication", leaving Jackson "in a genre of her own". Alluded to "an eroticon of cybersex, queer positivity, and mild bondage", Dark regarded its production "a sexy motherfucker... abstractly electro tones come and go with sharp attack and sharper decay, appearing out of--and vanishing into--aggressively blank spaces". Jackson's "flawed sweetness" was also acclaimed; concluding, "She's the principle that organizes the noise, and the particle around which songs become pearlescent". "USA Today" praised her usage of "edgier beats and rawer emotions".


title: The Velvet Rope

text: The length of "The Velvet Rope" drew criticism from certain music critics. In a less enthusiastic mixed review, AllMusic observed a "hardened, sexually experimental Janet"; however, its writer claimed that "the best moments sink into the murk", and that "there are good moments on "The Velvet Rope", but at its running time [...] it's hard to work up the patience to find them". In a retrospective review, BBC Music stated that "[i]t's far too long. It does feel like you've given over a considerable chunk of your life to it by its end, an unfortunate by-product of the CD era with its overriding desire to fill up every last second of each disc". However, a positive review of the record was given on the whole, with its author calling it "[m]ature and experimental... Possibly the great lost 90s trip hop album".


title: The Velvet Rope

text: Jackson was awarded at the American Music Awards and nominated for "Top Pop Artist" at the Billboard Awards, with "I Get Lonely" receiving a Grammy Award nomination and "Together Again" nominated at the MTV Video Music Awards. Internationally, Jackson was nominated for "Best International Female" at the BRIT Awards, winning "Best Foreign Artist" and "Best Foreign Album" at the Danish Music Awards, "Best International Female" at the Norwegian Hit-Awards, "Best Female" at the MTV Europe Music Awards, and "Best International Female" for three consecutive years at the TMF Awards. Jackson was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award for Outstanding Contributions to Pop Music by Prince Albert at the World Music Awards. She was also presented the Lena Horne Lifetime Achievement Award by Maya Angelou at the Lady Soul Train Awards. APLA awarded Jackson for her involvement in AIDS organizations, also receiving a GLAAD Award for "Outstanding Music". VH1 ranked her among "Hollywood's 16 Hottest Celesbians" due to the album's homoerotic content. "The Velvet Rope" was later included among "Rolling Stone's" "500 Greatest Albums of All Time".


title: The Velvet Rope

text: "The Velvet Rope" debuted at number one on the "Billboard" 200, selling 202,000 copies in its first week. It fell to number two in its second week. It sold four million copies globally within its first several months of release, and 1.6 million copies in the US in 1998. On November 11, the album was certified gold and platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), denoting 1,000,000 units sold. It was certified double platinum the following year, and triple platinum on January 15, 1999. It sold an additional 420,000 copies through BMG Music Club. According to Nielsen SoundScan, the album has sold 3,229,000 copies domestically as of March 2009.


title: The Velvet Rope

text: Internationally, the album charted within the top five of numerous countries, including Australia, France, Norway, Sweden, and at number six in the UK. In Germany the album debuted at number five and charted for 46 weeks. In Japan, it debuted within the top ten, selling 34,910 copies in its first week. In Australia, the album was certified double platinum by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). It was certified triple platinum in Canada and platinum in Japan, Europe, France, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Switzerland and the United Kingdom; also receiving a gold certification in Belgium, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, and Taiwan. "The Velvet Rope" has sold an estimated eight million copies worldwide.


title: The Velvet Rope

text: "Billboard" commended it as "her most personal and intimate work to date", confronting "domestic abuse, AIDS, and homophobia with her most sexually explicit songs ever." Jackson stated, "That was a crossroads for me: sharing what I'd been going through personally and how I felt about what was happening in the world." Kyra Phillips of CNN declared it "difficult and very intimate", exploring "Jackson's darker side, her emotional break down and the secret that shocked the world." Regarding its content, Jackson said, "I’m sure it did alienate a lot of people, but that’s what I was feeling, and I wanted to write about it, so" I did." Jackson later stated:


title: The Velvet Rope

text: Ryam Dombal of "Pitchfork" considered it a pioneer of "the 'dark' and/or 'mature" pop album, saying, "the rebel record is now a "de rigueur" coming-of-age manoeuvre." "City Pages" called it a "gem" which foresaw "damn near every rhythmic trend of the decade: Timbaland's drum 'n' stutter, quick-stepping house, and walloping slabs of techno." Its innovation was cited as fusing "compelling jazz, folk and techno nuances" with trip hop and contemporary pop. MTV News also noted its "number of stylistic twists you might never associate with such a mainstream diva." In particular, "Empty" was commended for its theme of relationships via social networking, considered a prediction of subsequent technology.


title: The Velvet Rope

text: Eve Barlow of "NME" included it among seven albums considered "Perfect from Start to Finish", stating: "Jackson had already begun pushing the boundaries of sexually explicit pop but it’s "The Velvet Rope" that cemented her as a free, liberal voice for experimentation." Its blend of "new electro" and trip-hop was thought to "meld seamlessly"; its lyrical content also thought to push society's "judgment calls", breaking free from "the American sweetheart of past LPs." Shayne Lee, author of "Erotic Revolutionaries: Black Women, Sexuality, and Popular Culture" (2010), wrote that the album and its predecessor "brand[ed] her as one of the most sexually stimulating vocalists of the 1990s." Jessica Skolnik of "Vice" stated, "I am of the Madonna generation, the Janet generation... "The Velvet Rope" was an absolute milestone and, in my mid-thirties, is increasingly meaningful to me." "Telegram & Gazette" stated, "Jackson shows once again that she can compete against any of the lightweight, mega-selling pop divas and hang them out to dry." According to the "Los Angeles Times", the album became "more eagerly anticipated" than Michael Jackson's output; taking her "once and for all out of the shadow." Sal Cinquemani declared it "Janet's richest work to date", while Brannon Smith heralded it to reveal "her battle with depression, and saw her continue to empower through her pain."


title: The Velvet Rope

text: Nicole Scherzinger cited it as the inspiration for her second album. Rihanna's "Rated R" drew comparisons for its production and "nakedly autobiographical vibe"; the theme of single "Te Amo" also likened to Jackson's "Tonight's the Night". The "burbly electro hooks" and "curled-lip sass" of Rihanna's "Talk that Talk" was also regarded as "warmed-over "Velvet Rope"-era Janet Jackson". About.com noted Patrick Stump's "Soul Punk" to incorporate the album's "musical stylings". The packaging of Usher's "8701" was also thought to recall its imagery. French singer Piu Piu also called it a primary influence.


title: The Velvet Rope

text: Drew Millard of "Vice" stated the album "inadvertently predicts most of the cooler trends in contemporary indie music," saying, "Dam-Funk's bedroom-keyb attack? "Go Deep" did it. "Together Again" is basically the song Disclosure has been shooting for this entire time, and Tom Krell would wrestle an alligator with his bare hands to create a song as chillingly beautiful as "Empty". How to Dress Well cites its "schizophrenic diversity" as the inspiration for the album "Total Loss", saying, "She set such an example for trusting yourself, and following that intuition wherever it takes you... she made a fucking sprawling masterpiece with a song from every genre, and it works." Merchandise sold at Well's shows feature a quote from interlude "Memory". Indie rock band Wheat used the album as a reference for their second album "Hope and Adams", also emulating its production techniques within lead single "Don't I Hold You". Folk rock singer Melissa Ferrick called it "a huge record" which inspired her song "Drive", saying, "Janet Jackson was making these sexual noises on that record and I cannot even describe. [...] I was like "This is unbelievable. Janet Jackson is so ballsy to do this. This is amazing." Cassie Ramone of Vivian Girls and folk singer Seth Glier regarded the album as an important life memoir. Swedish singer Beatrice Eli stated it "defined her teenage years". "Art Nouvea" considered Fiona Apple's "When the Pawn..." to be influenced by the record. FKA Twigs' single "Water Me" and Laura Welsh's "Unravel" were likened to the album, considered to evoke Jackson's "mellower work" at her "most delicate". Kingdom's "Bank Head", featuring Kelela, was thought to be influenced by "Empty", while Kelela and Tink's "Want It" was likened to the album's "most tuneful deep cuts". British singer Jai Paul's "Str8 Outta Mumbai" was regarded to fuse "vintage Bollywood pop" with ""Velvet Rope"-era Janet".


title: The Velvet Rope

text: The Weeknd's "Thursday" was likened to an attempted "male equivalent" of the record. Kelly Rowland's "Talk a Good Game" drew comparisons for its revealing theme and production. Rowland's single "Dirty Laundry" was influenced by "What About", while single "Gone", featuring Wiz Khalifa, was inspired by "Got 'til It's Gone". TLC's "I'm Good at Being Bad" was inspired by the production and content of Jackson's "What About". Solange's "True EP" was compared within its production from Dev Hynes. The composition of single "Losing You" was also likened to "Together Again" for its melancholy theme within an "uplifting" dance song. Illangelo's "Clockwork" was also thought to recall the album. In hip hop, Odd Future collective The Internet were compared to "'‘"Velvet Rope"-era Janet" for their single "Cocaine". Kanye West's "808s & Heartbreak" was also likened to the album. Jay-Z compared his song "December 4th" to "Got 'til It's Gone" in his memoir, "Decoded". Joe Budden sampled the title track in the song "Velvet Rope". In jazz, its singles have been covered by Boney James and Gene Dunlap, with the title track covered by Paul Taylor and "Anything" by Will Downing. The album is considered to have influenced the development of alternative R&B, associated with acts such as Frank Ocean, Miguel and others.


title: The Velvet Rope

text: Psychologist Alan Downs' book "The Velvet Rage" was titled after the album and its homosexual content; demonstrating "how to heal the trauma of being a gay man in an uncompromisingly straight world." Transgender activist Janet Mock named herself after Jackson and the album's themes of sexual orientation, stating, "she was so open and raw. She was talking about her sexual fluidity. She was talking about access and elitism with the velvet rope, who gets to come in, who doesn’t. She was talking about domestic violence. All of these things within this album... my mind was blown. I couldn’t believe someone was talking about all of these issues that were paralleling my own life." "Speaker Phone" was referenced by comedian Sandra Bernhard during a monologue in "I'm Still Here... Damn It!". The album was also mentioned in the "Family Guy" episode, "And the Wiener Is..."


title: Jerusalema

text: "Jerusalema" is a song by South African DJ and record producer Master KG featuring South African vocalist Nomcebo. The upbeat gospel-influenced house song was initially released on 29 November 2019 after it garnered positive response online, with a music video following on 21 December. The music video of the song has generated half a billion views on YouTube. It was later included on Master KG's second album of the same title, released in January 2020. A single edit was released on streaming services on 10 July 2020, after it went viral during mid-2020, garnering international reaction due to the #JerusalemaChallenge. A remix featuring Nigerian singer Burna Boy was released on 19 June 2020. It reached number one in Belgium, Netherlands, Romania and Switzerland, while peaking in the top ten of multiple other European countries. A second remix featuring Venezuelan singer Micro TDH and Colombian singer Greeicy was released on 17 September 2020.


title: Jerusalema

text: At the third ceremony of the African Entertainment Awards USA "Jerusalema" won the Song of the Year award.


title: Jerusalema

text: The song was recorded on 11 August 2019, and after being posted on social media, it received positive responses from fans. Master KG said he called "his sister Nomcebo to come so we can finish the song". The finished version was then uploaded to YouTube in October and officially released on 29 November. It surpassed one million views in its first week. The official music video was released on 21 December 2019. After it went viral, the song was released to streaming services on 10 July by Elektra France and Warner France. Upon its release, some deemed it a "tavern" song. Master KG stated: "Some call it tavern music, and I said, 'It's okay, wait and let me show what tavern music can do to the world". During late 2019, it had become a favourite in South African clubs. Prior to the COVID-19 lockdown, Master KG had travelled to Portugal to promote his album, and said he put more emphasis on the song's dance during his shows.


title: Jerusalema

text: Although it has "religious-leaning" lyrics, "Jerusalema" is an upbeat disco-house track containing "deep", "spiritual", gospel lyrics. Lyrically, as noted by OkayAfrica's Rufaro Samanga, "it speaks about Jerusalem being the home of many religious believers". The remix sees Burna Boy incorporating his signature Afrobeats style, singing part of his verse in Zulu and part in Yoruba while emphasizing the unity of African artists.


title: Jerusalema

text: The song received largely positive reviews from music critics. "Zkhiphani"s Mandisa Ntsindee opined that the song "has reached heights no other South African song has ever in the past", calling Nomcebo a "powerhouse vocalist" and said "the South African music scene has been preparing for this exact kind of exposure with a song that is fiercely ours". "Music in Africa" named it "without [a] doubt" one of the biggest South African house songs of 2020, with the magazine's Ano Shumba stating "Nomcebo has cemented her presence on the local house music scene". Rufaro Samanga of OkayAfrica called the remix "a straight banger".


title: Jerusalema

text: In July 2021 Nomcebo Zikode claimed that she had not received any payment from her record label, Open Mic Production. The label responded that this was the result of an unresolved dispute over the percentage split between Nomcebo and Master KG.


title: Jerusalema

text: Master KG's Spotify followers increased to over 1.2 million following the rising popularity of the song.


title: Jerusalema

text: Various covers performed around the world with different instruments and sung in a variety of languages have also been uploaded on YouTube, attracting their own popularity.


title: Jerusalema

text: The song was also picked up by radio stations around the world. Between 26 August 2020 and 23 September 2020, the top three countries with the highest number of radio plays were Italy (with 16586 radio plays), France (with 15440 radio plays), and Germany (with 2411 radio plays). However, it has also had an impact in countries such as Curaçao (235 radio plays), Israel (50 radio plays), and Thailand (47 radio plays).


title: Jerusalema

text: An accompanying dance challenge, attributed to a group of Angolan friends performing the choreography in a candid video, helped the song go viral online. The #JerusalemaChallenge, which has been compared to the Macarena, spawned dance videos from across many countries, including the Netherlands, Portugal, Italy, Romania, Spain, France, Jamaica, Canada, the United States, Sri Lanka and Israel, in particular in Jerusalem itself. In Germany, workers paid tribute to Berlin’s Tegel Airport by dancing to Jerusalema on the tarmac and in the now-shuttered terminal. The Swiss Federal Office of Police challenged the Irish Garda Síochána to the Jerusalema dance challenge, which they accepted. The video was well received in the two countries with the Swiss police flying the Irish flag at their headquarters for the day.


title: Jerusalema

text: The challenge faced a major drawback when Warner Brothers began to ask for copyright compensation for using the song.


title: Jerusalema

text: The song's official music video was released onto YouTube on 21 December 2019. By 27 August the video had passed 100 million views, half a year later it passed already 300 million views, a rare feat for South African artists.


title: Siva (director)

text: Sivakumar Jayakumar (born 12 August 1977), known professionally by his mononym Siva or also as Siruthai Siva, is an Indian film director, screenwriter, lyricist and cinematographer who works primarily in Tamil cinema.


title: Siva (director)

text: Siva started his film career as a cinematographer for several Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam films. He then pursued his career as a film director and screenwriter in Telugu cinema with "Souryam" (2008) superhit, which was followed by "Sankham"hit, (2009) and "Daruvu" hit,(2012)


title: Siva (director)

text: Siva achieved huge success when he progressed to Tamil cinema, where he entered as a screenwriter and director with "Siruthai" (2011), the second Telugu film to enter 100 Crore Club worldwide. He further made the high-prolific Tamil films "Veeram" (2014), "Vedalam" (2015), "Vivegam" (2017), "Viswasam" (2019) and "Annaatthe" (2021).


title: Siva (director)

text: Siva was born to documentary film director M. Jayakumar in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. He is the grandson of producer and writer A. K. Velan. His brother Bala is an actor in Tamil and Malayalam films.


title: Siva (director)

text: Although he always wanted to become a filmmaker, he pursued photography. In 1998, Siva became a gold medalist from M.G.R. Government Film and Television Training Institute He went on to work with cinematographer Jayanan Vincent. Siva then came to Hyderabad to work for Venkatesh's film "Jayam Manade Raa" (2000) as an operative cameraman. In 2002, he became an independent cinematographer, shortly after his brother Bala, made his acting debut. He has shot for about 15 films since then.


title: Siva (director)

text: In 2008, he narrated a script to actor Gopichand who agreed to play the lead role. "Souryam", co-starring Gopichand along with Anushka Shetty was Siva's directorial debut. The following year, Siva made his second film, again with Gopichand in the lead. In 2011, Siva made his debut as a director in Tamil cinema with "Siruthai", a remake of S. S. Rajamouli's Telugu action masala "Vikramarkudu". The film, featuring Karthi in the starring role, went on to become a high commercial success, which led to him being referred to as "Siruthai" Siva in Tamil cinema from then on. His fourth directorial, "Daruvu", released in May 2012.


title: Siva (director)

text: In December 2011, Siva was signed by Vijaya Productions to direct a film for their centenary year with Ajith Kumar signed on to play the leading role. Ajith Kumar requested Siva to make it as a rural story and production began in 2013. He directed "Veeram" (2014) with in the lead role which became a blockbuster hit. His third film in Tamil titled "Vedhalam" (2015) starring Ajith alongside an ensemble cast including Shruti Hassan and Rahul Dev movie was a mass entertainer. His fourth film in Tamil titled "Vivegam" (2017) was again with Ajith Kumar. It released in August 2017 to mixed responses. His next movie with Ajith Kumar, "Viswasam" (2019), which was produced by Sathya Jyothi Films, became a huge hit despite releasing along with "Petta". His next film "Annaatthe" starring Rajinikanth released on 4 November 2021 coinciding with Diwali which was superhit


title: Jeff Chandler

text: Jeff Chandler (born Ira Grossel; ; December 15, 1918 – June 17, 1961) was an American actor, film producer, and singer, best remembered for playing Cochise in "Broken Arrow" (1950), for which he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. He was one of Universal Pictures' more popular male stars of the 1950s. His other credits include "Sword in the Desert" (1948), "Deported" (1950), "Female on the Beach" (1955), and "Away All Boats" (1956). In addition to his acting in film, he was known for his role in the radio program "Our Miss Brooks", as her fellow teacher and clueless object of affection, and for his musical recordings.


title: Jeff Chandler

text: Chandler was born Ira Grossel to a Jewish family in Brooklyn, the only child of Anna (née Herman) and Phillip Grossel. He was raised by his mother after his parents separated when he was a child.


title: Jeff Chandler

text: He attended Erasmus Hall High School, the alma mater of many stage and film personalities, where he acted in school plays; his schoolmates included Susan Hayward. Chandler's father was connected with the restaurant business and got his son a job as a restaurant cashier. Chandler said he always wanted to act, but courses for commercial art were cheaper, so he studied art for a year and worked as a layout artist for a mail-order catalogue at $18 a week.


title: Jeff Chandler

text: Eventually, he saved up enough money to take a drama course at the Feagin School of Dramatic Art in New York. He worked briefly in radio, then got a job in a stock company on Long Island as an actor and stage manager. He worked for two years in stock companies, including a performance of "The Trojan Horse" opposite famous singers and actors Gordon MacRae and his wife Sheila MacRae, who became his good friends.


title: Jeff Chandler

text: Chandler formed his own company, the Shady Lane Playhouse, in Illinois in the summer of 1941. The company toured the Midwest with some success, presenting such plays as "The Bad Man", "Seventh Heaven", "The New Minister", and "Pigs". When America entered World War II, Chandler enlisted in the army. He served for four years, mostly in the Aleutians, finishing with the rank of lieutenant.


title: Jeff Chandler

text: After being discharged from the army, Chandler moved to Los Angeles in December 1945 with $3,000 he had saved. Shortly after his arrival, he was involved in a serious car accident on the way to a screen test, which resulted in a large scar on his forehead.


title: Jeff Chandler

text: Chandler initially struggled to find work in Hollywood, and had spent all his savings when he got his first job as a radio actor in May 1946. He went on to appear in episodes of anthology drama series such as "Escape" and "Academy Award Theater", and became well known for playing the lead in "Michael Shayne". Chandler was the first actor to portray Chad Remington in "Frontier Town".


title: Jeff Chandler

text: Chandler had appeared on air in "Rogue's Gallery" with Dick Powell, who was impressed by the actor, and put pressure on Columbia to give Chandler his first film role, a small part as a gangster in "Johnny O'Clock" (1947). He tested for Columbia's "The Loves of Carmen" but did not get the part. He went on to play small roles as gangsters in "Roses are Red" and "The Invisible Wall", and a policeman in "Mr Belvedere Goes to College". Chandler received more attention playing Eve Arden's love interest on radio in "Our Miss Brooks", which debuted in July 1948 and became a massive hit.


title: Jeff Chandler

text: Chandler's performance in "Our Miss Brooks" brought him to the attention of executives at Universal, who were looking for someone to play an Israeli leader in "Sword in the Desert" (1949). He was cast in February 1949. Chandler impressed studio executives so much with his work that shortly into filming, Universal signed him to a seven-year contract. His first film under the arrangement was a supporting role in "Abandoned" (1949).


title: Jeff Chandler

text: Writer-director Delmer Daves was looking for an actor to play Cochise in "Broken Arrow" (1950) at 20th Century Fox. The part was proving tricky to cast; in Chandler's words, "Fox was looking for a guy big enough physically to play the role and unfamiliar enough to moviegoers to lend authenticity." Chandler's performance as a similar resistance leader-type in "Sword of the Desert" brought him to the studio's attention, and he was borrowed from Universal for the role in May 1949. As part of the arrangement, Chandler signed a deal with Fox to make a film a year with them for six years. He also had to be written out of his radio shows "Michael Shayne" and "Our Miss Brooks" for several weeks.


title: Jeff Chandler

text: "Broken Arrow" turned out to be a considerable hit, earning Chandler an Oscar nomination and establishing him as a star. He was the first actor nominated for an Academy Award for portraying an American Indian.


title: Jeff Chandler

text: Even before "Broken Arrow" was released, Chandler was upped to leading-man status back at Universal. He was meant to make "Death on a Sidestreet" and "The Lady Count" but neither ended up being made. Instead, he took over a role originally meant for Dana Andrews, a Lucky Luciano-style gangster in "Deported", for producer Robert Buckner, who cast him in "Sword in the Desert". "I don't know why I got it," Chandler joked at the time, "maybe it's because I'm saving them money." The movie was shot on location in Italy, although Chandler's radio commitments meant some of it had to be filmed in Hollywood.


title: Jeff Chandler

text: He went back to Fox for his second film for them, as an embittered Union cavalryman in "Two Flags West" for director Robert Wise. Chandler replaced Lee J. Cobb, and it was one of his least-typical roles, a character part rather than a leading man. Once again, location work required him to regularly commute back and forth to Hollywood throughout the shoot.


title: Jeff Chandler

text: Returning to Universal, Chandler played an adventurer in "Smuggler's Island", a role he liked because he said it was close to his real personality. Hollywood tended to cast him, though, in different nationalities. According to one profile, "he has unusual face, with taut, bony features, which seem to fit neatly into any sort of role".


title: Jeff Chandler

text: He was reunited with Fox and Delmer Daves to play a Polynesian chief in "Bird of Paradise" (1951), which Chandler admitted was a variation of his performance as Cochise. It was the last film he made outside Universal for a number of years.


title: Jeff Chandler

text: Back at Universal, he played a boxer in "Iron Man" (1951), a remake of an old Lew Ayres movie. He was announced for another film with Buckner, "The Wild Bunch", which was not made; instead, he played an Arab chief in "Flame of Araby" (1951), opposite Maureen O'Hara.


title: Jeff Chandler

text: [Radio actors] have to make their roles come alive, and they only have their voices with which to do it, but in pictures, the technique is quite different. The actor is only a small part of the performance. He lends his intelligence and personality to the role, but the greatest part of the performance belongs to the producer, who puts him in a certain type of part; the director, who tells him how to play it; and the cutter, who edits what's done. That's why I find being a movie actor not particularly gratifying. I want to eventually branch off into writing and directing.


title: Jeff Chandler

text: Chandler reprised his role as Cochise in another Western, "The Battle at Apache Pass", for Universal. He then went on to make a war film, "Red Ball Express", and a swashbuckler, "Yankee Buccaneer". He made a cameo in "Meet Danny Wilson" and had a change of pace when he supported Loretta Young in "Because of You" – which a few years later he called his favorite role. Young later said Chandler "was more of a personality than an actor... a charming man."


title: Jeff Chandler

text: In 1952, exhibitors voted Chandler the 22nd-most popular star in the US. 20th Century-Fox was keen to use Chandler again and offered him roles in "The Day the Earth Stood Still", "Lydia Bailey", "Les Misérables", and "The Secret of Convict Lake". Universal refused to lend him, though, as he was now one of their biggest stars.


title: Jeff Chandler

text: "Our Miss Brooks" transferred to television, but Chandler was not permitted to do TV under his contract; his part was taken by Robert Rockwell. On Peggy Lee's radio show, he had demonstrated a talent for singing, and he pursued this through the decade.


title: Jeff Chandler

text: In July 1952, Chandler signed a fresh contract with Universal that doubled his salary. His first movie under this was a Western, "The Great Sioux Uprising". It was followed by more adventure fare: "East of Sumatra" and "War Arrow" with Maureen O'Hara.


title: Jeff Chandler

text: This meant Chandler missed the part of Demetrius in "The Robe" (1953) at Fox, for which he had been considered and which eventually went to Victor Mature. He also missed out on the lead in the remake of "Magnificent Obsession", for which he had been mooted; the part was taken by Rock Hudson, who had supported Chandler in "Iron Man". Both "The Robe" and "Magnificent Obsession" became big hits. Chandler played Cochise for the third time, a cameo in "Taza, Son of Cochise", starring Hudson, who soon overtook Chandler as Universal's biggest male star.


title: Jeff Chandler

text: Universal announced him for "Chief Crazy Horse", but the role ended up being played by Victor Mature. Instead, he appeared in "Yankee Pasha", and started singing in nightclubs. He left the radio show "Our Miss Brooks" after five years "to get a rest," he said, "Although it didn't take long to do the show, it tied up all my Sundays."


title: Jeff Chandler

text: Chandler appeared in an expensive (for Universal) epic, playing the Emperor Marcian in "Sign of the Pagan" and co-starred with Jane Russell in "Foxfire" (1955), which he enjoyed because, "I don't have to be so darned monosyllabic in this one." He then made "Female on the Beach" with Joan Crawford and began releasing records.


title: Jeff Chandler

text: You just can't call your time your own. When you're trekking the country – as I am now for my Decca records "I Should Care" and "More Than Anyone" and for Universal International, my home studio – every hour of the day, from the morning disc jockeys to the midnight program is filled. And in Hollywood, if you're not working on a picture or getting ready for one, you have to keep studying. I make a point of answering all my mail, and when anyone asks me for an autograph, I'm not just flattered. I see that as the least I can do for the people who have given me the fruits of this world.


title: Jeff Chandler

text: In May, Chandler refused to play the lead in "Six Bridges to Cross" and Universal put him on suspension. He was replaced in the role by George Nader. Chandler spoke of making "Young Moses" and a Western with friends Tony Curtis and Janet Leigh, but neither film was made. He said that "being a movie star isn't worth it":


title: Jeff Chandler

text: I can't go anywhere as an ordinary individual. There was a time I could walk around Times Square in New York (my home town) and look into shop windows or go into a cafe and eat in peace. But no more. I can't go anywhere unnoticed. Movie fans seem to think that actors belong to them, but we like to feel we belong to ourselves. Don't get me wrong – I wanted fame and money when I decided to take up acting. I like being recognized – it's flattering. But there's always one character who spoils anything... I walk into a restaurant and get a ringside table- but you remember I also have to leave the biggest tip. If I don't, I'm labeled the tightest guy in town. And let's face it, acting is the easiest way I know to make a buck. But I think I'm a fairly bright boy – I figure I could have made as much in some other business... Anyone in the world with imagination and initiative can become a success. Me? I like to push buttons. I was born to be an executive – an idea man. An executive is a guy who thinks things up and has other people execute them. I'd quit work immediately if I had the money, and travel for a while. I'd like to do some writing. I marked two radio scripts and have finished synopses and five movie stories.


title: Jeff Chandler

text: Chandler made up with Universal, which cast him in "Lady Godiva of Coventry". Chandler refused the role and was replaced again by George Nader, but this time, the dispute was not over money, but due to Chandler's overwork.


title: Jeff Chandler

text: Universal cast Chandler in an expensive remake of "The Spoilers", then was given the lead in one of the studio's most prestigious films of the year, "Away All Boats".


title: Jeff Chandler

text: In May, Chandler performed at the Riviera Hotel in Las Vegas. The "Los Angeles Times" wrote that Chandler "is proving remarkable in performing singing duty, even though he is not exactly a singing type".


title: Jeff Chandler

text: He made a Western, "Pillars of the Sky", then had a change of pace with the comedy "The Toy Tiger", the fourth movie he made that year. Louella Parsons called Chandler "the busiest actor in town... Jeff is so happy in his private life these days that he's doing everything the studio wants."


title: Jeff Chandler

text: Towards the end of the year, Chandler formed his own production company, Earlmar, with his agent Meyer Mishkin. This was to take effect from August 1956 onwards, when Chandler's exclusive contract with Universal expired. However, Chandler intended to continue to make films for Universal under a multipicture contract. He was voted the seventh-most popular star with British cinema goers.


title: Jeff Chandler

text: In 1956, Universal gave Chandler a leave of absence from his contract with them "for a period of several months" to enable him to make his own movie for Earlmar. In exchange for this, Chandler was to make two more films for Universal under his original contract with them, then enter into a new arrangement under which he would appear in two films a year over three years.


title: Jeff Chandler

text: Earlmar signed a six-picture deal with United Artists, under which Chandler was to appear in at least three of the films. He acted in and produced the first Earlmar production, a Western, "Drango". "It's no Indian story," said Chandler, "let Cochise rest in peace." Chandler bought the rights to a novel, "Lincoln McEever", but it was never made; "Drango" turned out to be Earlmar's sole production.


title: Jeff Chandler

text: After "Drango", Chandler made the final two films owed under his original contract with Universal: "The Tattered Dress", playing a lawyer in a melodrama, and "Man in the Shadow", co-starring opposite Orson Welles. He had commitments to make two films per year at Universal until 1959.


title: Jeff Chandler

text: He followed this with two films for Universal, "The Lady Takes a Flyer" with Lana Turner, and "Raw Wind in Eden" with Esther Williams. A Motion Picture Exhibitor Poll listed him as the tenth-most popular male star in the US in 1957.


title: Jeff Chandler

text: Chandler made another for Universal, "A Stranger in My Arms" with June Allyson. He was to star opposite Tony Curtis in "Operation Petticoat" (1959), but fell ill and had to withdraw.


title: Jeff Chandler

text: Chandler's next two movies were made for a brand new company, Seven Arts: "Ten Seconds to Hell", a drama with Jack Palance for director Robert Aldrich, and "Thunder in the Sun", a Western with Susan Hayward.


title: Jeff Chandler

text: The last of those was distributed by Paramount, which released Chandler's next film, another Western, "The Jayhawkers!" In "Ten Seconds to Hell" and "The Jayhawkers!" Chandler played villains. He later reflected "I've tried heavies – but audiences didn't seem to take to that."


title: Jeff Chandler

text: Chandler formed another production company, August, for which he made "The Plunderers", a Western, distributed by Allied Artists. Allied was so pleased with the film, they requested three more movies from August, but Chandler never got to make them.


title: Jeff Chandler

text: His next film, "The Story of David", was filmed for American TV, his first work in that medium, but was shown theatrically in other countries. It was shot in London and Israel. Chandler stated:


title: Jeff Chandler

text: I don't want to make pictures in other countries; I want to stay home. But suddenly there are not enough pictures being made here. All other countries are giving inducements to companies and to players; even a little country like Israel is trying to formulate a plan for subsidies. Our government still taxes the hell out of people; somebody ought to wake 'em up.


title: Jeff Chandler

text: Chandler appeared in "Return to Peyton Place" for Fox. He then went over to Warner Bros. to make "Merrill's Marauders", which was his last film.


title: Jeff Chandler

text: Chandler married actress Marjorie Hoshelle in 1946. The couple had two daughters, Jamie Tucker (born 1947) and Dana Grossel (born 1949). They separated in 1951, again in 1954, and filed for divorce in 1954. His wife complained that Chandler was "chronically fatigued so that he would fall asleep wherever we were." They reconciled in March 1955.


title: Jeff Chandler

text: In 1957, he had an affair with Esther Williams while they made a movie together, and his wife filed for divorce at the end of the year.


title: Jeff Chandler

text: In his 1958 divorce proceedings, Chandler was revealed to be paying his wife an allowance of $1,500 per month. He said he was under contract to Universal to make two films a year at $60,000 per film for 1957 and $75,000 per film for 1958. He said he earned $250,000 in 1957 from his acting and singing, but had a lot of expenses, with his personal manager, business manager, and agent taking 25% of his income. The court ordered Chandler to continue paying $1,500 per month. Their divorce was granted in June 1959, with Chandler giving his wife $100,000 and over $2,166 per month in alimony plus $500 per month in child support. "He became so absorbed by his career that he spent all time when not actually working on a picture in his business office", said his wife. "I developed an ulcer."


title: Jeff Chandler

text: Chandler was a cousin of actor David Roya, who played the young villain Bernard Posner in "Billy Jack".


title: Jeff Chandler

text: When his friend Sammy Davis Jr. lost an eye in an accident and was in danger of losing the other, Chandler offered to give Davis one of his own eyes. Chandler had nearly lost an eye and had been visibly scarred in an auto accident years earlier.


title: Jeff Chandler

text: Chandler had a relationship with Gloria DeHaven that was exposed in "Confidential" magazine. At a trial, Fred Otash said the detectives had followed them to get the story.


title: Jeff Chandler

text: Esther Williams wrote in her 1999 autobiography that she broke off their relationship and that Chandler was a cross dresser. According to the "Los Angeles Times", many friends and colleagues of Chandler rejected her claims. Jane Russell commented, "I've never heard of such a thing. Cross-dressing is the last thing I would expect of Jeff. He was a sweet guy, definitely all man."


title: Jeff Chandler

text: Chandler's public support for Israel's 1956 attack on Egypt during the Suez Crisis prompted the United Arab Republic to campaign for his films to be banned in Arab countries in 1960. Chandler was an active Democrat.


title: Jeff Chandler

text: While working on "Merrill's Marauders" in the Philippines, on April 15, 1961, Chandler injured his back playing baseball with U.S. Army Special Forces soldiers who served as extras in the film. He had injections to deaden the pain and enable him to finish the production.


title: Jeff Chandler

text: On May 13, 1961, he entered a hospital in Culver City, California, and had surgery for a spinal disc herniation. Severe complications arose; an artery was damaged, and Chandler hemorrhaged. On May 17, in a seven-and-a-half-hour emergency operation following the original surgery, he was given 55 pints of blood. A third operation followed on May 27, in which he received an additional 20 pints of blood. He died on June 17, 1961. The cause was a blood infection complicated by pneumonia.


title: Jeff Chandler

text: At the time of his death, Chandler was involved with British actress Barbara Shelley. Tony Curtis and Gerald Mohr were among the pallbearers at Chandler's funeral, attended by more than 1,500 people. He was buried at Hillside Memorial Park Cemetery in Culver City.


title: Jeff Chandler

text: An investigation ensued into Chandler's death. It was deemed malpractice, and resulted in his children suing the hospital for $1.5 million.


title: Jeff Chandler

text: Chandler's own estate was worth $600,000, which he left to his daughters. His ex-wife sued his estate for $80,000 for money owed under their divorce settlement.


title: Jeff Chandler

text: For his contribution to the motion picture industry, Chandler has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, at 1770 Vine Street.


title: Jeff Chandler

text: In a 1960 interview Chandler said his favorite films were "Broken Arrow", "Battle of Apache Pass", "Two Flags West", "Because of You" ("my first real love story"), "Sign of the Pagan", "The Toy Tiger" ("a change for me"), "Drango", "Raw Wind in Eden" ("beautiful locale"), and "The Lady Takes a Flyer" ("I had Lana Turner with me").


title: Jeff Chandler

text: The famed animated action-adventure series "Jonny Quest"'s handsome, white-haired, veteran special agent bodyguard Race Bannon's design was modeled after Jeff Chandler by show creator Doug Wildey.


title: Jeff Chandler

text: Chandler had a concurrent career as a singer and recording artist, releasing several albums and playing nightclubs. In 1955 he became only the second star to play at the Riviera, after Liberace was the featured headliner. In her autobiography "Hold the Roses" (2002), Rose Marie wrote that "Jeff Chandler was a great guy, but he was no singer. He put together an act and we opened at the Riviera. He came with a conductor, piano player, light man, press agent, and manager. None of it helped, and everybody raved about Jeff's singing, but let's face it: He really didn't sing very well. He definitely had guts to open in Vegas". He left to work on a movie after three and a half weeks.


title: Jeff Chandler

text: A May 1955 review of a Chandler live performance in "Variety" said "it is in the realm of pure song" that Chandler "falters and shows weakness."


title: Giovanni Boccaccio

text: Giovanni Boccaccio (, , ; 16 June 1313 – 21 December 1375) was an Italian writer, poet, correspondent of Petrarch, and an important Renaissance humanist. Born in the town of Certaldo, he became so well known as a writer that he was sometimes simply known as "the Certaldese" and one of the most important figures in the European literary panorama of the fourteenth century. Some scholars (including Vittore Branca) define him as the greatest European prose writer of his time, a versatile writer who amalgamated different literary trends and genres, making them converge in original works, thanks to a creative activity exercised under the banner of experimentalism.


title: Giovanni Boccaccio

text: His most notable works are "The Decameron", a collection of short stories which in the following centuries was a determining element for the Italian literary tradition, especially after Pietro Bembo elevated the Boccaccian style to a model of Italian prose in the sixteenth century, and "On Famous Women". He wrote his imaginative literature mostly in Tuscan vernacular, as well as other works in Latin, and is particularly noted for his realistic dialogue which differed from that of his contemporaries, medieval writers who usually followed formulaic models for character and plot. The influence of Boccaccio's works was not limited to the Italian cultural scene but extended to the rest of Europe, exerting influence on authors such as Geoffrey Chaucer, a key figure in English literature, or later on Miguel de Cervantes, Lope de Vega and the Spanish classical theater.