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Vale ‘sister suffragette’: how Glynis Johns became a pop-culture icon in the story of votes for women

<p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/ana-stevenson-196768">Ana Stevenson</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-southern-queensland-1069">University of Southern Queensland</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/lindsay-helwig-1500979">Lindsay Helwig</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-southern-queensland-1069">University of Southern Queensland</a></em></p> <p>Glynis Johns, most famous for her role as the suffragette mother Mrs Winifred Banks in Disney’s Mary Poppins (1964), passed away last week at the age of 100.</p> <p>A fourth-generation performer who made her <a href="https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1991-04-17-ca-126-story.html">stage debut</a> in London when she was only three weeks old, Johns inherited her Welsh father’s love of acting. She appeared with him in The Halfway House (1944) and The Sundowners (1960) and argued for the establishment of a Welsh National Theatre <a href="https://twitter.com/huwthomas/status/791367871242862592">as early as 1971</a>.</p> <p>Johns’s career spanned eight decades in Hollywood, Broadway and the British stage and screen. As Palm Springs’s Desert Sun <a href="https://cdnc.ucr.edu/?a=d&amp;d=DS19630426.2.50">reported</a> in 1962, her “husky voice and big blue eyes” were her hallmarks. But it was her portrayal of Mrs Banks in Mary Poppins which would make her a pop culture icon.</p> <h2>A childhood inspiration</h2> <p>Feminist activists and scholars often describe the Mrs Banks character as a childhood inspiration.</p> <p>As feminist communications scholar Amanda Firestone <a href="https://www.google.com.au/books/edition/Resist_and_Persist/s5HiDwAAQBAJ">reflects</a> on the film: "I especially loved […] Mrs Banks (Glynis Johns), who marches around the family home, putting Votes for Women sashes onto the housekeeper, cook, and the (departing) nanny. Of course, as a kid, I had no idea that the people and events embedded in the song’s lyrics were actual parts of history, but I did find a kind of joy in a vague notion of women’s empowerment."</p> <p>Set in 1910, the symbolism associated with Mrs Banks references the history of the British suffragettes. Johns’ musical showstopper, Sister Suffragette, directly refers to <a href="https://www.thehistorypress.co.uk/articles/the-pankhursts-politics-protest-and-passion/">Emmeline Pankhurst</a>, who founded the militant Women’s Social and Political Union in 1903. In 1906 British newspapers <a href="https://doi.org/10.1017/S0020859007003239">coined</a> the moniker “suffragette” to mock the union.</p> <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/K0SDECwO54E?wmode=transparent&amp;start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></figure> <p>This ambivalence continued into the 1960s. Historian Laura E. Nym Mayhall <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/4316653">argues</a> that American concern over the impact of women’s public roles on their domestic responsibilities influenced the film’s depiction of Mrs Banks, especially her movement from a public suffragette back into an involved mother at the film’s end.</p> <p>For Mayhall, the figure of the suffragette emerges in popular culture as “a symbol of modernity”: a harbinger of democracy and political progress whose characterisation would elide ongoing struggles such as the civil rights movement.</p> <figure class="align-right zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/568335/original/file-20240108-23-tf6kwm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/568335/original/file-20240108-23-tf6kwm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=237&amp;fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/568335/original/file-20240108-23-tf6kwm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=949&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/568335/original/file-20240108-23-tf6kwm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=949&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/568335/original/file-20240108-23-tf6kwm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=949&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/568335/original/file-20240108-23-tf6kwm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=1193&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/568335/original/file-20240108-23-tf6kwm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=1193&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/568335/original/file-20240108-23-tf6kwm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=1193&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 2262w" alt="" /></a><figcaption><span class="caption">This 1909 Dunston Weiler Lithograph Co. anti-suffrage postcard offers resonances of Mrs Banks and her household staff in Mary Poppins.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://thesuffragepostcardproject.omeka.net/items/show/44">Catherine H. Palczewski Postcard Archive/The Suffrage Postcard Project</a></span></figcaption></figure> <p>While some see the character of the suffragette mother as <a href="https://www.google.com.au/books/edition/Mary_Poppins/BLujEAAAQBAJ">supporting</a> women’s votes during the 1910s and women’s liberation during the 1960s, other readings of the film suggest a more satirical representation of the suffrage movement. Some historians even find <a href="https://doi.org/10.1215/02705346-6923118">resonances</a> of anti-suffrage propaganda in Mrs Banks, including in her usage of her Votes for Women sash as the tail of a kite in the film’s final scene.</p> <p>Looking back at film reviews offers insight into how audiences received this character – and, by extension, Johns as an actor. American studies scholar Lori Kenschaft <a href="https://books.google.com.au/books/about/Girls_Boys_Books_Toys.html?id=Or13vhnA_W4C">suggests</a> that film critics who saw Mrs Banks as a “nutty suffragette mother” reiterated popular stereotypes about suffragettes and feminists being “mentally unbalanced”.</p> <p>Such stereotypes may have been reinforced by the film’s depiction of motherhood and the nuclear family. Involved parenting emerged as the bedrock of the 1960s nuclear family, an idea both supported and actively promoted by Walt Disney in both his films and his theme parks, as <a href="https://www.google.com.au/books/edition/Children_Childhood_and_Musical_Theater/XHrRDwAAQBAJ">argued</a> by American musicologist William A. Everett.</p> <p>As Mrs Banks, Johns embodied the transition from the distant, uninvolved parenting of the British middle-class in the earlier 20th century to the involved mother who facilitated the stable nuclear family. As women’s studies scholar Anne McLeer <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/4316893">argues</a>, Mary Poppins, through Johns’ portrayal of Mrs Banks, demonstrated the liberated woman of the 1960s could be contained within the nuclear family: the bedrock for a Western capitalist economy.</p> <h2>A long career</h2> <p>Beyond Mary Poppins, her most prominent role was in Stephen Sondheim’s Broadway musical A Little Night Music (1973).</p> <p>Johns originated the character of ageing actress Desiree Armfeldt, becoming the first to sing Send in the Clowns. As she <a href="https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1991-04-17-ca-126-story.html">reflected</a> of the classic in 1991: "It’s still part of me. And when you’ve got a song like Send in the Clowns, it’s timeless."</p> <p>Sondheim composed this song with Johns’s famously husky voice in mind. Yet some were less enamoured with her performance. One 1973 theatre critic <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/3850619">described</a> Johns as “a now somewhat overage tomboy, kittenish and raspy-voiced, precise and amusing in her delivery of lines but utterly, utterly unseductive.”</p> <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/OAl-EawVobY?wmode=transparent&amp;start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></figure> <p>A veteran of stage and screen, Johns appeared in more than 60 films and 30 plays. In 1998, she was honoured with a Disney Legends Award for her role as Mrs Banks. Johns also received critical acclaim throughout her career, including a Laurel Award for Mary Poppins and a Tony Award and Drama Desk Award for A Little Night Music.</p> <p>Regardless of how incongruous her status as a “<a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-01-05/glynis-johns-mary-poppins-send-in-the-clowns/103287036">Disney feminist icon</a>” may be, Johns’s extraordinary influence upon the 20th century’s cultural memory is a remarkable legacy. <!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/220766/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https://theconversation.com/republishing-guidelines --></p> <p><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/ana-stevenson-196768"><em>Ana Stevenson</em></a><em>, Senior Lecturer, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-southern-queensland-1069">University of Southern Queensland</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/lindsay-helwig-1500979">Lindsay Helwig</a>, Lecturer in Pathways, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-southern-queensland-1069">University of Southern Queensland</a></em></p> <p><em>Image credits: Disney</em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/vale-sister-suffragette-how-glynis-johns-became-a-pop-culture-icon-in-the-story-of-votes-for-women-220766">original article</a>.</em></p>

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“This should be illegal”: Pop icon sends fans into a tizzy over shirtless pics

<p dir="ltr">Harry Styles has sent his fans into a tizzy after he was snapped cooling off on a scorching day in London.</p> <p dir="ltr">The 29-year-old pop star was spotted enjoying a much needed break from his two-year run on the road with his Love on Tour concerts, as he soaked in the sunshine in the UK heatwave. </p> <p dir="ltr">Styles went shirtless and showed off his tattoos as he dived into a public bathing pond in Hampstead, North London, as temperatures soared above 30 degrees for the sixth day in a row.</p> <p dir="ltr">“He kept a low profile and went mostly unrecognised. He was swimming laps and practising his diving,” an onlooker told <em><a href="https://www.the-sun.com/entertainment/9050688/harry-styles-abs-swimming-heatwave/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Sun</a></em>.</p> <p dir="ltr">The steamy pics have sent diehard fans into a frenzy, with several fan accounts reposting the photos, with one fan writing, “He’s so hot, this should be illegal.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Styles has been spotted around London several times over the last few weeks while on his break from tour, with fans recently seeing him cycling around the city centre with James Corden. </p> <p dir="ltr">Styles and Corden were also seen at the National Theatre together, watching a performance of The Effect, starring Canadian actress Taylor Russell, who is rumoured to be Styles’ new girlfriend. </p> <p dir="ltr">Following the performance, Styles and Russell were soon canoodling with other cast members. </p> <p dir="ltr">“It looked like they were holding hands,” a source told Page Six at the time.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Harry stayed by Taylor’s side the whole time. He introduced her to James and was whispering to her and laughing and smiling.”</p> <p><em>Image credits: Instagram</em></p>

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Pop star discovered tragically dead at 33 in the wake of scandal

<p>South Korean pop star Choi Sung-bong, who was caught running a notorious cancer scam has passed away at age 33.</p> <p><em>The Korean Times</em> reported that Choi was found by police at his Seoul home on the morning of June 20. He was pronounced dead soon after.</p> <p>Authorities have reportedly ruled the singer’s cause of death as a suicide.</p> <p>According to the Hollywood Reporter, after years of online fame stemming from a 2011 performance on Korea’s Got Talent, Choi confessed he had tricked his fans into donating money to him after claiming he needed funds for cancer treatment.</p> <p>Choi had claimed he had been battling multiple forms of cancer to obtain the donations, however, his claims were later exposed as a hoax.</p> <p>He also claimed he had returned all donated funds from a false fundraiser.</p> <p>Choi later issued a grovelling apology and vowed to return all of the donations sent by his fans.</p> <p>One day before his alleged suicide, Choi posted a note on his YouTube channel apologising for “foolish mistakes” in the past, according to The Mirror.</p> <p>The chilling letter said he needed to "repay for his sins with his life” and showed the address of where his body would be after taking his life.</p> <p>“My body can be found at [his home location]. I don’t know how to write a final message, so I will just write it in my own style. Even though my breath may have stopped now, I have no regrets about the brilliant journey of my life. I have lived my life to the fullest and made efforts to find happiness every day. Age thirty-four," (as per Korean age system), he said.</p> <p>Choi was best known for competing in Korea’s Got Talent in 2011, coming in at second place.</p> <p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vIy99OT2BAQ" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/vIy99OT2BAQ"></iframe></a></p> <p>A clip of him singing a cover of Nella Fantasia by Ennio Morricone quickly went viral online, thrusting him into the spotlight  – <span style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;">with singing sensation Justin Bieber even acknowledging his talent.</span></p> <p><em>Image credit: YouTube</em></p>

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Inspiration, influence and theft: what the Ed Sheeran case can tell us about 70 years of pop music

<p>a US court <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/music/2023/may/04/ed-sheeran-verdict-not-liable-copyright-lawsuit-marvin-gaye">ruled in favour of singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran</a>, agreeing his song <em>Thinking Out Loud</em> did not breach musical copyright. </p> <p>The high-profile court case, brought by the estate of soul singer Marvin Gaye, claimed Sheeran’s song was too similar to Gaye’s song <em>Let’s Get It On</em>.</p> <p>On the stand, Sheeran <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/music/2023/apr/28/ed-sheeran-sings-in-court-as-part-of-marvin-gaye-copyright-case">defended his songwriting process</a>, stating: “I draw inspiration from a lot from things in my life and family.”</p> <p>Sheeran’s case brought up some difficult questions around what we understand as inspiration and influence, and what we may hear as theft.</p> <p>Musical copyright cases are part of songwriting history. Radiohead’s <em>Creep</em> was found to be <a href="https://entertainment.time.com/2013/08/22/11-suspiciously-sound-alike-songs/slide/the-hollies-the-air-that-i-breathe-1974-vs-radiohead-creep-1992/">too similar</a> to the Hollies’ <em>The Air That I Breathe</em>, and in 2018, Lana Del Rey’s <em>Get Free</em> <a href="https://variety.com/2018/biz/news/lana-del-rey-claims-lawsuit-with-radiohead-is-over-watch-1202736177/">was found to plagiarise Creep</a>. </p> <p>Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars altered the credits to <em>Uptown Funk</em> to <a href="https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/lawsuit-bmg-uptown-funk-royalties-gap-band-heirs-1234660379/">acknowledge the similarity</a> to The Gap Band’s <em>Oops Upside Your Head</em>. </p> <p>Here in Australia, the flute solo in Men at Work’s <em>Down Under</em>, which quoted the melody of folk song <em>Kookaburra Sits in the Old Gum Tree</em>, was <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/music/2010/jul/06/men-at-work-down-under">ruled as plagiarism</a>.</p> <p>In this case against Sheeran, the song’s chord progression was at the heart of the claim. The prosecution argued Sheeran’s chord progression was too similar to the chord progression of Gaye’s.</p> <p>But can we copyright a chord progression if it is used extensively in other pop songs? </p> <p>Gaye’s song uses four chords that gradually move upward (I-iii-IV-V). These same chords can be heard in the Beach Boys’ <em>I Can Hear Music</em>, the Seekers’ <em>Georgy Girl</em>, the Beatles’ <em>I Feel Fine</em>, in the Motown tune <em>This Old Heart of Mine</em> by the Isley Brothers, Elvis Presley’s <em>Suspicious Minds</em>, Cher’s <em>Believe</em> and ABBA’s <em>Knowing Me Knowing You</em>, among many others. </p> <p>This chord progression and many others are part of the songwriting toolkit of rock and pop and have been heard continuously over the past 70 years. </p> <h2>The 12 bar blues</h2> <p>A chord progression is the main instrumental part you hear in most pop music, usually played by a guitar, piano or synth. </p> <p>One of the oldest chord progressions in pop is the 12-bar blues – a looping pattern of three chords that is very identifiable. </p> <p>As the name suggests, this set of chords stems from early blues and was a way for musicians to easily play together and improvise. A version of this progression can be heard in Muddy Waters’ I<em>’m Your Hoochie Coochie Man</em> or John Lee Hooker’s <em>Boom Boom</em>. </p> <p>You can also hear this progression in a number of other pop songs – listen to verses of Queen’s <em>I Want to Break Free</em> and <em>Kiss</em> by Prince – both use the same chord progression, but sound very different to each other. </p> <p>More recently, Lizzo’s <em>Better in Colour</em> uses the 12-bar blues in a way that makes an old formula fresh.</p> <h2>The ‘doo-wop’ progression</h2> <p>The “doo-wop” progression has appeared in pop music for close to 80 years, and is named because most doo-wop songs feature this chord progression – it was an essential part of its sound. </p> <p>You can hear it in 1950s hits such as the Penguins’ <em>Earth Angel</em> and Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers’ <em>Why Do Fools Fall in Love?</em>.</p> <p>The strength of these chords means they are used in pop music of all kinds, including ELO’s <em>Telephone Line</em>, <em>Don’t Dream it’s Over</em> by Crowded House, Destiny’s Child’s <em>Say My Name</em>, <em>Blank Space</em> by Taylor Swift, and <em>Flowers</em> by Miley Cyrus. </p> <p>Despite its consistent use, these chords still cross genres and eras, and still catch our ears. </p> <p>Comedy act Axis of Awesome use a similar progression in their video for 4 Chords, where they cleverly play almost 50 different songs with a variation on these four simple chords.</p> <p><iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/oOlDewpCfZQ" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p> <h2>The I-IV-V (the ‘one, four, five’)</h2> <p>Perhaps the most common chord progressions in rock and pop are those that use the I, IV and V chords in various combinations.</p> <p>They’re usually the first three chords you learn on an instrument and open up thousands of songs to play – from the rock and roll of <em>Summertime Blues</em> by Eddie Cochran, the garage rock of <em>Wild Thing</em> by the Troggs, the bubblegum of Hanson’s <em>Mmmbop</em> and the indie rock of Coldplay’s <em>Yellow</em>, to the modern pop of <em>bad guy</em> by Billie Eilish and <em>good 4 u</em> by Olivia Rodrigo.</p> <h2>Going forward</h2> <p>Rock, pop, blues, doo wop and other musical genres can often be defined by their use of repeated chord progressions. These chord progressions are part of a songwriter’s toolkit in a similar way to how an artist may use different paint brushes. </p> <p>As Sheeran’s lawyer Ilene Farkas <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/music/2023/may/04/ed-sheeran-verdict-not-liable-copyright-lawsuit-marvin-gaye">noted</a>, chord progressions are, "the letters of the alphabet of music […] these are basic musical building blocks that songwriters now and forever must be free to use."</p> <p>It is how these “building blocks” are used, and in what combinations, that gives us a great variety of pop songs over many decades. The true craft of great pop music is to take these formulas and turn them into something unique (while simultaneously making it sound easy).</p> <p>The ruling in Sheeran’s case supports the rights of musical artists to continue to use these progressions as part of a songwriter’s toolkit, and to build from the artists who came before them. It also acknowledges that influence and inspiration from previous works are part of the construction of the pop music we love.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p> <p><em>This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/inspiration-influence-and-theft-what-the-ed-sheeran-case-can-tell-us-about-70-years-of-pop-music-204747" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>. </em></p>

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"RIP Pop": Michael Clarke reveals further heartbreak

<p>Former Aussie cricket captain Michael Clarke is mourning the loss of his “best mate”.</p> <p>Clarke revealed the extent of his heartache on social media after his grandfather Ray Fox passed away.</p> <p>In a touching post uploaded to Instagram, Clarke can be seen with one hand on the coffin as he walked away from the podium after delivering a eulogy at his grandfather’s funeral.</p> <p>“Never gets any easier,” Clarke wrote.</p> <p>“In losing my Grandfather, I lost a best mate. I feel blessed to be surrounded by so much love on an extremely tough day.</p> <p>“RIP Pop.”</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CqSAtDtJ9OZ/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CqSAtDtJ9OZ/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Michael Clarke AO (@michaelclarkeofficial)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>Friends and family were quick to pass on their condolences and support during this tumultuous time for Clarke.</p> <p>“Sorry to hear that news, mate,” Channel 7’s Larry Emdur commented. “Wishing you and the family all the best.”</p> <p>Businesswoman Erina Peters wrote, “I’m so sorry Michael! He truly loved you so much.</p> <p>“I have so many funny memories with him over the years and he was never short of a cheeky comeback.”</p> <p>Clarke previously said his grandfather was his inspiration behind playing cricket and the hardest part of retiring from the sport was telling Ray.</p> <p>“Definitely telling my grandfather was perhaps the hardest part and he was very emotional,” he said in 2015.</p> <p>“Pop’s made it clear to me over the past 10 years that watching me play cricket is a big part of what keeps him going.”</p> <p><em>Image credit: Instagram</em></p>

Caring

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Strawberry and yoghurt pops

<p>For a healthy and delicious treat, try these super-simple yoghurt pops. The grandkids will love them!</p> <p><strong>Makes:</strong> Eight</p> <p><strong>Preparation time:</strong> 10 minutes</p> <p><strong>Setting time:</strong> Eight hours</p> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Ingredients:</span></strong></p> <ul> <li>2 punnets of strawberries, tops removed, chopped</li> <li>1 cup vanilla yoghurt</li> </ul> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Method:</span></strong></p> <p>1. Place strawberries in the bowl of a food processor and process until smooth. Transfer to a bowl. </p> <p>2. Add vanilla yoghurt and gently fold until mixture is just combined. Spoon the strawberry mixture evenly among eight 80ml (1/3-cup) capacity ice-block moulds.</p> <p>3. Place in the freezer for 8 hours or until firm.</p> <p>NOTE: You can replace strawberries for any other fruit - mangos work really well too!</p> <p><em>Image: Getty</em></p>

Food & Wine

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Want to work from home and love watching movies?

<p>Ever wish you could get paid to do nothing? Well your dream might become a reality with one major streaming service offering a lucky candidate thousands of dollars to laze around on the couch and watch TV.</p> <p>Prime Video Australia is on the hunt for a “Prime Video Buff” to stream content over summer and recommend their favourites to Aussies.</p> <p>“Pretty much, doing what you do anyway - but you’ll earn money for it,” The job ad says.</p> <p>“If you live for the latest series, love a shameless rom-com and box-office-breaking blockbuster or eat up spaghetti westerns for breakfast, we want you.”</p> <p>The lucky candidate will be paid up to $40,000 for the three-month stint, which Prime says aims to help Australian audiences choose what to watch.</p> <p>New national research conducted for the streaming platform revealed the average Australian has watched 67 movies and TV series this year alone.</p> <p>The research also found while 46% of those surveyed enjoy AI recommended content, while 64% rely on word-of-mouth recommendations when picking a new movie or TV show.</p> <p>TV host and podcaster Osher Gunsberg is helping recruit for the position, which he says needs someone who “must relish the thrill of exploring new genres and be an expert at all things pop-culture with TV and film knowledge”.</p> <p>Prime Video Australia and New Zealand head Hushidar Kharas said the platform knows Australians love content but choosing what to watch can be a challenge.</p> <p>“The Prime Video Buff role has been created to further help our customers discover something new,” Kharas said.</p> <p>You can apply for the dream job <a href="https://7news.com.au/business/workplace-matters/the-dream-job-offering-40000-to-watch-tv-c-8816381" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>. Good luck!</p> <p><em>Image: Getty</em></p>

Money & Banking

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Beloved UK actor and singer found dead at 41

<p dir="ltr">British actor, singer and reality TV star Darius Campbell Danesh has died at the age of 41. </p> <p dir="ltr">The young celebrity first found fame when he came third on Pop Idol back in 2002. </p> <p dir="ltr">Later that year, Darius released his first single Colourblind which soared straight to number one, while his album Dive In reached the top 10.</p> <p dir="ltr">He also appeared in popular musicals like Chicago, Guys and Dolls and Gone With The Wind. </p> <p dir="ltr">His heartbroken family announced the devastating news on Tuesday, saying Darius was found dead in his US apartment on August 11. </p> <p dir="ltr">“It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Darius Campbell Danesh,” the statement read. </p> <p dir="ltr">“Darius was found unresponsive in bed in his apartment room in Rochester, Minnesota, on August 11 and was pronounced dead in the afternoon by the local medical examiners’ office.</p> <p dir="ltr">“The local police department have confirmed that there were no signs of intent or suspicious circumstances.</p> <p dir="ltr">“The cause of his sudden death is unknown at this stage while medical examinations continue.</p> <p dir="ltr">“We ask that you kindly respect our wishes for privacy at this time while we come to terms with the tragic loss of our son and brother.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Getty</em></p>

News

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Pop legend unrecognisable after bee sting

<p dir="ltr">Irish pop legend Brian McFadden has been left with a swollen face after being stung by a bee, and has joked about how it looks like he received free botox and fillers.</p> <p dir="ltr">The former Australian Idol judge shared a series of posts to his Instagram showing how badly swollen his face became after a bee sting.</p> <p dir="ltr">The 42-year-old’s first post was a video of himself singing I’m Sexy And I Know It by LMFAO while laying in a hospital bed.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Stung by a bee and got an allergic reaction!! Owning that look! Free Botox and fillers!!!!!” his caption read as he laughed.</p> <p dir="ltr">In his next post, he shared photos from different angles showing massive lips and a swollen eye.</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/ChFoNnkjRYU/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/ChFoNnkjRYU/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by brianmcfadden (@brianmcfadden123)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">He explained that the reaction from the bee sting was ongoing.</p> <p dir="ltr">Finally, his third post showed a selfie after his face had finally calmed down from the unfortunate incident.</p> <p dir="ltr">“My face is calming down again. Thanks for all your lovely messages,” he wrote.</p> <p dir="ltr">Allergies to venoms caused by a stinging insect such as a bee, ant or wasp is known to cause an anaphylactic reaction.</p> <p dir="ltr">The most common symptoms include an all over rash, swelling of tongue or throat, trouble breathing, abdominal pain, diarrhoea, vomiting and a drop in blood pressure (shock).</p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>What to do if you are stung by a bee</strong></p> <ol> <li dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr">Remove the sting by sliding or scraping your fingernail across it, rather than pulling at it.</p> </li> <li dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr">Wash the area and apply ice to reduce the swelling.</p> </li> <li dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr">If the person goes into anaphylactic shock the only treatment is an injection of adrenaline.</p> </li> <li dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr">Immobilise the person, apply pressure to the bite and seek immediate medical help.</p> </li> </ol> <p><em>Images: Instagram</em></p>

Body

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Manu Feildel and Kyle Sandilands pop off in tense exchange

<p dir="ltr">Kyle Sandilands and Manu Feildel went head-to-head in a tense exchange about new <em>My Kitchen Rules </em>judge, Nigella Lawson.</p> <p dir="ltr">The shock jock questioned Manu as to why Nigella wouldn’t agree to doing an interview with him and help promote the show.</p> <p dir="ltr">“What’s her problem? Apparently I hear, correct me if I’m wrong producers, the network is upset because Nigella’s said ‘no way, you’re not going on that filthy show’. Our show. How does that happen?” Kyle asked. </p> <p dir="ltr">A confused Manu was shocked to hear the claims and told Kyle he was not sure as to why Nigella would not agree to an interview, explaining this is the first time he’s heard of it. </p> <p dir="ltr">“I have no idea, that’s news to me buddy. I will make sure she talks to you next time,” he responded.</p> <p dir="ltr">But that was not a good enough excuse for Kyle who continued his rampage against the wrong person.</p> <p dir="ltr">“How am I meant to support you when the woman besides you loathes the thought of me?” he asked.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I think she’s amazing, she’s the queen but when you find out someone doesn’t like you, you can’t  help but not like someone back.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Manu’s voice changed and he made it clear that he was uncomfortable about the subject, requesting that they speak about <em>My Kitchen Rules</em>. </p> <p dir="ltr">“I think you’re just being upset for no reason. Let’s not get upset guys.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“I think he’s embarrassed that his co-worker let him down,” Kyle told Jackie O. </p> <p dir="ltr">Jackie O did not want anything to do with the conversation and said “maybe he [Manu] was sick of talking about it [Nigella]”. </p> <p dir="ltr">“Who gives a s**t what he's sick and tired of talking about!” Kyle shot back. </p> <p dir="ltr">“I like Manu, I like the show, he can come on but I am very shocked about the Nigella thing. That’s a real slap to the face.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Kyle then asked Manu to “sort out” Nigella’s management before the conversation slowly ended. </p> <p dir="ltr"><em>My Kitchen Rules airs on Channel 7 on Sunday August 7 at 7pm. </em></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: Instagram</em></p>

TV

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The real reason you want your ears to pop on a plane

<p dir="ltr">An airline pilot has revealed one of the most common questions she gets asked and it has to do with ear popping. </p> <p dir="ltr">It is a commonly known fact that there is nothing more annoying than having to deal with painful ears on a flight. Blocked ears occur when the plane takes off or starts to descend as the air pressure changes rapidly.</p> <p dir="ltr">It may not be as bad for some but others will find their Eustachian tube – the narrow passage connected to the middle ear - often can’t react fast enough, which causes the symptoms of aeroplane ear. </p> <p dir="ltr">US-based Boeing 737 co-pilot Morgan, who is known for her flight-related content on TikTok, shared a clip explaining why you want your ears to pop on a plane. *embed tweet</p> <p dir="ltr">“Trust me when I say you want your ears to pop,” she began the clip.</p> <p dir="ltr">The aviation TikTok star who has over 12 million likes on her videos, said if the pressure is building up and you’re getting one big painful pop, there are a couple of things you can do to pop your ears a little bit sooner.</p> <blockquote class="tiktok-embed" style="max-width: 605px; min-width: 325px;" cite="https://www.tiktok.com/@almostcaptainmorgan/video/7111430582608989482" data-video-id="7111430582608989482"> <section><a title="@almostcaptainmorgan" href="https://www.tiktok.com/@almostcaptainmorgan" target="_blank" rel="noopener">@almostcaptainmorgan</a> Reply to @ladyhawkuk Tips and tricks from an airline pilot if your ears pop when you fly! <a title="airlinepilot" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/airlinepilot" target="_blank" rel="noopener">#airlinepilot</a> <a title="traveltiktok" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/traveltiktok" target="_blank" rel="noopener">#traveltiktok</a> <a title="flyingtips" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/flyingtips" target="_blank" rel="noopener">#flyingtips</a> <a title="traveltips" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/traveltips" target="_blank" rel="noopener">#traveltips</a> <a title="♬ original sound - Morgan" href="https://www.tiktok.com/music/original-sound-7111430549822294830" target="_blank" rel="noopener">♬ original sound - Morgan</a></section> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">“Yawning, talking, eating, chewing gum, swallowing, really anything that’s going to move your jaw is going to help activate your Eustachian tube and pop your ears,” she said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“If none of those work, you can do something called a Valsalva manoeuvre, which is where you pinch your nose and blow.”</p> <p dir="ltr">She said don’t blow harder if your ears don’t clear as “this can lead to bigger issues”.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-0683e841-7fff-ce3f-3c0f-3ea7a02e8418"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">Morgan shares if you’re ever in a situation where the pressure is really building up and your ears just aren’t popping, “always travel with some Afrin nasal spray”. The alternative in Australia is Drixine, although she wants passengers to use it sparingly and only as a last resort.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: TikTok</em></p>

Travel Tips

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Struggling to learn a language? 6 tips on how pop songs can help

<p>Traditional approaches to adult language teaching often use <a href="https://search.informit.org/doi/abs/10.3316/informit.254185326340682">resources</a> such as textbooks and generic learning materials that are less than inspiring for learners. <a href="https://researchoutput.csu.edu.au/en/publications/exploring-the-impact-of-popular-song-and-sources-of-popular-cultu">New research</a> shows using popular song, as well as films and TV series, for language learning can help connect with people’s interests and motivate them. Based on this research, we have developed six tips for using popular songs to learn a language.</p> <p>Learning a second language can be challenging at the best of times. It takes time and effort to learn a language.</p> <p>Better <a href="https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/978-3-030-02899-2_36.pdf">ways to promote enjoyment</a> of long-term learning are needed. Enjoyment helps sustain engagement with a language, which in turn can help improve learners’ confidence in their skills.</p> <p>This is where songs come into play. Songs are a common source of daily inspiration and relaxation, and they also have many qualities that aid learning. The lyrics <a href="https://doi.org/10.2307/3586887">repeat words</a>, are simple, “conversation-like” and generate personal associations.</p> <p>It’s important for both learners and teachers to be able to <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/280734191_English_Language_Teaching_in_the_post_method_era">relate to</a> their language-learning resources. Different people will have different backgrounds, interests and cultural contexts. Adult learners in particular often <a href="https://ijels.com/detail/an-investigation-into-factors-demotivating-students-in-efl-learning-at-tertiary-level/">require greater choice</a> in how they engage with language learning prompts.</p> <h2>What did the research find?</h2> <p>Newly released <a href="https://researchoutput.csu.edu.au/en/publications/exploring-the-impact-of-popular-song-and-sources-of-popular-cultu">doctoral research</a> on university students shows the benefits of using popular songs, films and TV series as prompts for learning a language. In online surveys, weekly diary entries and focus groups, these young adults unanimously <a href="https://researchoutput.csu.edu.au/en/publications/exploring-the-impact-of-popular-song-and-sources-of-popular-cultu">reported</a> they paid greater attention to the language and themes of popular songs beyond their scheduled classes.</p> <p>Students preferred popular songs due to their real-world <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/elt/ccx071">authenticity</a>, the personalised choices available in streaming libraries, and relatable topics embedded within them. Learners were likely to encounter these songs outside the classroom, increasing their engagement with their studies.</p> <p>One student noted in her diary, "Using songs really helps me to participate more in class because it is something more familiar to me, because I listen to songs every day."</p> <p>A focus group participant said, "Especially in recent years, with technology, a film, a series or a song are much closer to us. We use them much more than a text or a book. After so many years with texts and books, this is much more interesting."</p> <p>One class task used Rudimental’s These Days, a song well known to students. They enjoyed this exercise in comprehension, making inferences as well as identifying tone and central themes of this song about a relationship break-up.</p> <p>Towards the end of the semester, another student noted in their diary, "It is the most fun way of learning and generally the most entertaining way of learning a foreign language."</p> <p>Another benefit relates to the <a href="https://acamh.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/camh.12501?casa_token=iv_gNeISE0kAAAAA%3AlNGii2WZzUpJjLHStrMlulcZyyTOxCXUjvdTie7ZKXUE5cYV-5rhqCeXPFR2eYu8holJhkwS96TCvF7_">mental health challenges</a> young people are facing, especially during the pandemic. There is evidence to suggest the use of song can <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/1362168815606151">help reduce anxiety</a> about learning.</p> <h2>6 tips for using songs to learn a language</h2> <p>The new research resulted in the SMILLE Model shown below, as well as six recommendations to guide teachers on using popular song in the classroom.</p> <p>1. Ensure teachers and learners (including learning groups) can self-select the songs and other media when designing learning tasks and for cross-cultural activities.</p> <p>2. Bridge language learning tasks and songs, ensuring selections match the learning objectives.</p> <p>3. Encourage the use of popular song and media outside the classroom to extend learning beyond school.</p> <p>4. Avoid using textbooks or sources that don’t interest learners or they are less able to relate to.</p> <p>5. Discuss with the learners how they relate to the popular song, film or TV series. Use these discussions as a springboard for learning tasks in and out of class.</p> <p>6. Have a range of prompts prepared to help teachers determine students’ understanding of what is going on, the level of involvement, why the event is happening, the topics and messages being portrayed, cultural similarities or differences, and why the source was chosen.</p> <h2>How do music and songs help with learning?</h2> <p>Research shows music stimulates <a href="https://www.nlclibrary.ca/eds/detail?db=cat06118a&amp;an=neos.4059079&amp;isbn=9781400040810">higher-level thinking</a> and helps learners with both <a href="https://digitalcommons.unomaha.edu/studentwork/2845/">right-brain strengths and hearing abilities</a>. Music has also been shown to <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/320692369_Songs_in_the_young_learner_classroom_A_critical_review_of_evidence">strengthen connections</a> to language.</p> <p>In literature classes, music has been <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/40648238">used as an emotional “hook”</a> to engage students’ interest in the works being studied.</p> <p>Learning resources linked to popular culture also help <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/02188791.2014.924392">motivate students</a> who see textbook-type resources as uninteresting or less relevant to their lives outside the classroom.</p> <h2>Evidence of the benefits from around the world</h2> <p>Research has shown embedding songs in language lessons has benefited younger learners across the world:</p> <ul> <li> <p>in <a href="https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/reading_horizons/vol42/iss1/8">the United States</a>, it improved kindergarten students’ motivation, excitement and enthusiasm about learning, increasing their desire to attend kinder</p> </li> <li> <p>in <a href="https://doi.org/10.1515/cjal-2016-0004">China</a>, kindergarten students’ vocabulary increased as a result of repeating targeted words in song lyrics</p> </li> <li> <p>in <a href="https://psycnet.apa.org/doi/10.1080/0300443981440105">Singapore</a>, reserved and shy students became more confident and comfortable when attempting English pronunciations and were better able to recall difficult language instructions</p> </li> </ul> <ul> <li> <p>in <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.system.2009.08.002">Germany</a>, students improved their ability to form and identify plurals and vowels for unknown words in songs</p> </li> <li> <p>in <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/17501229.2016.1253700">Scotland</a>, students in a singing-learning group showed greater improvements in a second language than a non-singing group</p> </li> <li> <p>in <a href="https://doi.org/10.7227/RIE.82.1">England</a>, students were able to learn targeted phrases better in song-focused lessons than those who didn’t use song.</p> </li> </ul> <p>Previous studies of university students have also shown the benefits of using songs for adult language learning:</p> <ul> <li> <p><a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2016.12.021">Finnish students</a> improved their writing fluency</p> </li> <li> <p><a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/277267872_The_use_of_songs_as_a_tool_to_work_on_listening_and_culture_in_EFL_classes">in Colombia</a>, students’ listening skills, motivation and engagement in discussions all improved</p> </li> <li> <p><a href="http://languageinindia.com/april2017/shabnamsongsforacademicwriting1.pdf">in Bangladesh</a>, using songs as audio prompts generated richer content in students’ writing and more positive and pleasant learning experiences</p> </li> <li> <p><a href="https://app.amanote.com/v4.0.6/research/note-taking?resourceId=oahFAnQBKQvf0BhiOffl">Spanish students’</a> recall of text improved.</p> </li> </ul> <p>Our <a href="https://researchoutput.csu.edu.au/en/publications/exploring-the-impact-of-popular-song-and-sources-of-popular-cultu">research</a> adds to the evidence that popular songs and media are strong resources to kick-start and sustain adult motivation when learning a second language.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p> <p><em>This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/struggling-to-learn-a-language-6-tips-on-how-pop-songs-can-help-184642" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>.</em></p>

Music

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Kyle pops the question to Jackie O

<p dir="ltr">Kyle Sandilands has officially asked Jackie O to be the official godmother for his son Otto. </p> <p dir="ltr">The KiisFM hosts walked into the studio where Kyle had organised for his partner Tegan to be waiting inside with flowers and gifts before popping the question.</p> <p dir="ltr">Jackie saw Tegan surrounded by balloons that spelt out her son’s name Otto before gasping as she pointed to the screen.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Will you be my godmother?” the words on the screen read.</p> <p dir="ltr">A tearful Jackie immediately said yes as she hugged Kyle before Tegan came and handed her the flowers and embraced each other.</p> <p dir="ltr">Kyle however interrupted the heartwarming moment by telling his partner that she had to ask the question.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Will you be Otto’s godmother?” Tegan asked before Kyle stepped in and asked, “Would you do us the honour of officially becoming the godmother?”</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CduLFUdPzoS/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CduLFUdPzoS/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Kyle and Jackie O (@kyleandjackieo)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">Soon after, Jackie was gifted a mug that read “The one where I become a godmother. Est. 2022”.</p> <p dir="ltr">She was also given a stunning ring with the letter O in morse code but designed with diamonds.</p> <p dir="ltr">The trio hugged once more before posing for a photo captioned: “Today, Kyle &amp; Tegan asked Jackie to be Baby Otto’s GODMOTHER…. and she said YES!!!!!”</p> <p dir="ltr">Watch the beautiful moment <a href="https://www.facebook.com/watch/?ref=saved&amp;v=1145590589317460" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>. </p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Facebook</em></p>

Family & Pets

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New pop-up “Karen” restaurant delivers rude service on purpose

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">A unique pop-up dining experience is set to open in October, with a very different and potentially divise gimmick. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Karen’s Diner will serve up American comfort dishes alongside terrible service and ‘Karen’ stereotypes. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The diner’s catchphrase, "Great Burgers &amp; Rude Service", has already started to create a buzz, as people anticipate their grand opening in Sydney this October. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The restaurant is the latest project from the Sydney-based experiential hospitality company, who have previously been behind Wonderland Bar — a Mad Hatter-themed pop-up.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The 1950s-style diner pokes fun at ‘cancel culture’ by flipping the golden rules of hospitality on its head. </span></p> <p><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7844383/burgers.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/c873ce11fa5b4295b174c7f61e365ccb" /></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image credit: bemorekaren.com</span></em></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The tongue-in-cheek concept was inspired by the rise in complaining ‘Karens’ in popular culture, a pejorative trope referring to an entitled and privileged white woman, often seen demanding to "speak to the manager".</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">As part of the unique dining experience, staff are encouraged to be rude to patrons, while customers can have fun and go along for the ride. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Despite the controversial service, the creators of the venue have assured customers that the food will be of an extremely high quality, with a menu of comfort classics including burgers, wings, shakes and cocktails on offer. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Their menu items even feature Karen-themed names, with drink titles including 'The Music Is Too Loud’, ‘I’ve Been Waiting 10 Minutes for Some Service’, and ‘You’ve Just Lost My Business’.  </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">There will also be a number of vegan and vegetarian options available for those with dietary requirements. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The hospitality group regularly works with actors, so their staff will definitely be brutal in their off-beat offences. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Viral Ventures co-founder Aden Levin says the concepts are all designed to be fun and offer customers "something they have never experienced before".</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">"Particularly after the last few months, we just want people to have fun and this is our approach to all our venues and pop-ups around Australia," he says.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">For more information or to book a table, visit </span><a href="https://www.bemorekaren.com/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">bemorekaren.com</span></a></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image credits: Shutterstock / bemorekaren.com</span></em></p>

Travel Trouble

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Ian Thorpe mentors pop star Cody Simpson

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">With the Tokyo Olympics commencing this month, Ian Thorpe has revealed why he has decided not to return to the pool.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Appearing on The Morning Show, the swimming champion said he is far too busy managing multiple projects to get back into the water.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">On top of revealing he will be part of Channel Seven’s commentary team for the Games, Thorpe has also been fundraising for ocean conservation with the Sapphire Dinner and taking part in a new docuseries, “Head Above Water”, following Aussie pop star Cody Simpson and several other swimmers on their journey to the Olympics.</span></p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CN1RWJolad3/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="13"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CN1RWJolad3/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Cody Simpson (@codysimpson)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Thorpe said he doesn’t really miss his swimming career and that he “romanticises” his glory days.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“I think I’d like to do it, then I remind myself how cold it is, especially at times like this and what it feels like to be in an outdoor pool that’s not really heated,” he said.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Cody Simpson put his music career on hold last year to focus on qualifying for either the Tokyo 2021 or Paris 2024 Olympic Games.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“For the last 10 years, I don’t think there was a week or a day that went by that I didn’t still think about swimming or try and figure out when I was going to swim again,” he said.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Thorpe said Simpson’s progress so far has been very encouraging.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Cody is doing better in training than what was expected,” he said. “The improvement that he’s making, there’s this possibility that he may be at a level where he can actually place.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Simpson’s personal best in the 100m butterfly is 53.85 seconds, but the former champion junior swimmer will need to swim faster than 51.70 seconds and place in the top two at the trials to qualify for Australia’s Olympic swimming team.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Simpson will be racing the 100m butterfly and 100m freestyle at the Olympic swimming trials which commence on Saturday, June 12.</span></p>

News

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Kylie Minogue reveals intimate details on fiery fling with Michael Hutchence

<p>Australian pop star Kylie Minogue has shared intimate details of her intense relationship with INXS frontman Michael Hutchence between 1989 and 1991 for the documentary<span> </span>Mystify: Michael Hutchence.</p> <p>The film shows love letters from the young couple sent to eachother by fax while touring, as well as never before seen footage of the two sharing intimate moments.</p> <p>Minogue spoke about the moment Hutchence broke her heart, just as she knew he would.</p> <p>“The room was dark, the curtains were drawn, he was on all fours on the floor, crying,” she said of the moment.</p> <p>“Was it work, was it the drugs? I don't know. He was like a broken man.”</p> <p>While the heartbreak took a long time get over, the pop princess says she knew it would happen even when the pair were loved up and sending each other secret love letters while in different parts of the world.  </p> <p>Both touring consistently, the couple would fax one another from their hotel rooms using the aliases Gabby Jones and Swordfish.  </p> <p>“Jones was my mother's maiden name and Gabby was my dog. He was swordfish, well, just because.”</p> <p>They hoped the secret code names would prevent receptionists and hotel staff from reading their love letters.</p> <p>“Sex, love, food, drugs, music, travel, books, you name it, he wanted to experience it,” Minogue said of their insense relationship.  </p> <p>“As his partner I got to experience a lot of that as well. If you're a sensual being, all of your senses need stimulation. He definitely awakened my desire for things in my world.”</p> <p>The documentary featured never-before-seen footage of Hutchence and Minogue during their few years together.</p> <p>One clip showed the pop star naked along with others of the pair on a boat during a romantic holiday.</p> <p>Minogue said the public perception that she was a “pure, good girl dating this dark, bad boy” was accurate, but despite it all, she felt “safe with him”.</p> <p>“I felt protected. He had insatiable curiosity, all the good things in life and some the bad.</p> <p>“He opened up a whole new world for me. A lot of it was based around pleasure, let's face it.”</p> <p>The whirlwind romance, Kylie says, was never built to last.</p> <p>“It felt loving, yet sad and probably doomed. We talked through things and I couldn't give you an actual reason [as to why it happened]. </p> <p>“I left pretty confounded and destroyed and I knew that was...that was it. Yeah, he broke my heart. I have to confess, the hurt stays for quite a long time,” she said.  </p> <p>After the breakup, Minogue went on to have a series of high profile relationships with actors and stars.</p> <p>Hutchence also went on to find love with British television personality Paula Yates.</p> <p>Together the couple had a daughter, Heavenly Hiraani Tiger Lily in 1996.</p> <p>Sadly, just one year later, Hutchence was found hanging by his snakeskin belt in his Sydney hotel room while on holiday in Australia.</p> <p>Three years later, on September 17 2000, Yates was found dead in her home. She died of an accidental heroin overdose while Tiger Lily was at home with her. </p> <p>Scroll through the gallery to see Kylie Minogue and Michael Hutchence during their whirlwind romance.</p>

Relationships

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Papaya and coconut milk ice pops

<p>Aside from helping to improve digestion, papaya is also bursting with vitamin C which supports the immune system and vitamin A which is essential for healthy eyes. Rich in antioxidants as well, it’s no wonder that adding some papaya to your diet can have a positive inside-out effect on your skin.</p> <p>If you’re not into frozen treats, simply skip the freezing step and enjoy the blended papaya with coconut milk as a smoothie. You can skip the natvia, erythritol or sugar as this is only used in the recipe to help the treat taste sweeter once frozen.</p> <p><strong>Ingredients:</strong></p> <ul> <li>1 Ruby Rise Red Papaya</li> <li>1 (270ml) can coconut milk</li> <li>1/3 cup natvia, xylitol or unrefined sugar</li> <li>1/2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste</li> </ul> <p><strong>Method:</strong></p> <ol> <li>Cut the papaya in half lengthways. Using a spoon, remove and discard the seeds. Peel the papaya using a vegetable peeler, cut into chunks and place in a blender.</li> <li>Blend the papaya on medium speed until liquid. Pour into 6-12 ice cream moulds, depending on size, filling them only halfway.</li> <li>Rinse the blender jug and pour in the coconut milk, add sweetener of your choice and vanilla. Blend for 30 seconds on low speed.</li> <li>Top each filled mould with the coconut milk blend. Pop in an ice pop stick and freeze for 8-12 hours or overnight.</li> </ol> <p><strong>Tip</strong></p> <p>Store ice pops in the moulds to prevent freezer burn. Alternatively, remove from moulds and wrap tightly with baking paper and store in a zip lock bag in the freezer.</p> <p><em>Recipe by Martyna Angell, The Wholesome Cook.</em></p>

Food & Wine

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A pop-up hotel is coming to the North Pole

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Ever dreamed of spending a night under the stars at the North Pole? Next year, you can tick it off your bucket list – if you are willing to part with $150,000.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The new North Pole Igloos Hotel is set to open throughout April 2020, with 10 heated luxury domes in the frozen centre of the Arctic Ocean. With transparent ceilings and walls, guests can be “one with the nature and experience the Northern Lights'' according to the hotel operators.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Guests will need to fork out €95,000 (about AU$154,500) for the one-of-a-kind trip, which includes a one-night stay at the North Pole and two-night stay at Svalbard – the last frontier town between Norway and the North Pole – along with transportation, meals and guides.</span></p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/B16dGwelSXM/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="margin: 8px 0 0 0; padding: 0 4px;"><a style="color: #000; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B16dGwelSXM/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">Explore remote lands without any light pollution with our movable Glass Igloo Camp and enjoy of mighty Northern Lights at your very own heated glass igloo ⭐ , , , , , , #LuxuryAction #leadingspecialist #northernlights #igloo #glassigloo #privatecamp #travelexperiences #remoteplaces #finland #sweden #norway #arctic</a></p> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;">A post shared by <a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/luxuryaction/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank"> Luxury Action - Private Travel</a> (@luxuryaction) on Sep 2, 2019 at 8:10am PDT</p> </div> </blockquote> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The pop-up project was created by Luxury Action, a travel company known for its high-end experiences in the Arctic and Nordic regions.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The firm’s CEO and founder Janne Honkanen told </span><em><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/laurabegleybloom/2019/09/18/would-you-pay-105000-to-stay-in-an-igloo-in-the-north-pole/#6171fc221cc4"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Forbes</span></a></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> that more visitors have been asking about the state of the Arctic nature since he opened the luxury lodge Octola in Finnish Lapland in December 2018.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“I thought that this is the time and the opportunity to give a chance for my guests to experience the North Pole with Arctic explorers and scientists in a safe way,” Honkanen said.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">He said he hoped the North Pole Igloos Hotel will help raise awareness about the impacts of climate change in the region.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“The North Pole is one of the most exclusive travel destinations on Earth,” he told </span><em><a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2019/09/18/pop-up-hotel-in-the-north-pole-will-charge-guests-100000-to-stay.html"><span style="font-weight: 400;">CNBC</span></a></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“All our guests [are concerned about) Arctic nature and the climate crisis. I believe they are also the best messengers to spread word of how climate change affects our lives in the Arctic and its effects on Arctic animals and nature.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Honkanen told </span><em><a href="https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/north-pole-pop-up-hotel/index.html"><span style="font-weight: 400;">CNN</span></a></em> <span style="font-weight: 400;">that his hotel is a “purely sustainable experience” and will not put the Arctic environment at risk.</span></p>

International Travel

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Pink’s daughter Willow debuts new “punk rock” haircut

<p>Carey Hart has taken to Instagram to share his love and pride for his daughter’s “punk rock” makeover. </p> <p>The 44-year-old pro motocross competitor shared a special photograph of his eight-year-old daughter Willow’s brand new half-shaved haircut. </p> <p>The proud papa, who is married to pop star Pink shared a sweet message of support by saying: "Loving my punk rock daughter.</p> <p>"Remember everyone, fly your own flag. There is no box to be put in. It's better to be your own self. Own it, and love it. </p> <p>“And if anyone has a problem with it, tell them (politely) to move on. Can't wait to see the woman you grow up to be. </p> <p>“I have a feeling you are gonna be strong, fierce, compassionate, and caring. I'm so proud of you, Willow," he concluded.</p> <p>Hart also shared a meaningful message for his wife’s 40th birthday on September 8, thanking her for constantly inspiring him. </p> <p>"Welcome to 40 baby. I've celebrated 18 birthdays with you, and I can say it's amazing growing up with you,” he wrote. </p> <p>“The person you have grown into is inspiring. You have become a successful business woman, superstar, dedicated mother, philanthropist, supportive wife, wine maker, motorcycle mama, and amazing friend to all around you,”. </p> <p>He and Pink also share a two-year-old son Jameson and have been married since 2006. </p> <p>Scroll through the gallery above to see the pop star’s family throughout the years. </p>

Music

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Swedish pop stars ABBA announce they’re releasing new music

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">ABBA, the Swedish pop group that stole the hearts of Aussies across the nation are set to release new music in September or October of 2019.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">ABBA member Bjorn Ulvaeus has revealed that fans can expect new songs “in September or October” from the group, who broke up 37 years ago.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The new songs are </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">I Still Have Faith In You </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">and </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Don’t Shut Me Down</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Ulvaeus told Denmark’s </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Ekstra Bladet</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> newspaper that the music takes “an extremely long time” to make the video with the avatars of the group members.</span></p> <p><iframe width="633" height="356" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/JAeDoZMZ7ME" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The avatars that he is referring to is the group reuniting for a virtual tour featuring digital avatars, but unexpected legal issues got in the way of that. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The virtual tour was first announced in 2016 and was expected to premiere this year, but legal complications have delayed the tour.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Benny Andersson, another ABBA band member, said in an interview on the fan site IceTheSite that things were running smoothly until they weren’t.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“When that press release [about the TV show and recordings] came out, everything was up and running smoothly, then it didn’t run as smoothly,” he said. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“We are still trying to establish the agreement that needs to be done to be able to continue. We are good.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;"> “It’s the other side, everything that has to be done, everything that has to be drawn. It’s delayed. It’s not our doing.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Andersson also teased a potential third song from the group.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“We may do another one when the show [launches],” he said in an interview posted last month. “And that’s gonna take another 6-8 months. The reasons we did the new songs was to put them in the new show. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Now when this show comes up these songs will be old because they [will have been released when the show launches]. So we said we need to do another one for the show.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">He also mentioned that no time had passed at all for the group and explained the joys behind recording together again.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“We had such a good time, we really, really did, we were all back to where we ended, having fun. It was just like no time had passed, we all felt that and we were all happy about feeling that.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Are you excited for new ABBA music? Let us know in the comments.</span></p>

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