Tag: duet:
School district bans ‘Rainbowland’ Miley Cyrus, Dolly Parton duet as ‘controversial’
Not even rainbow-themed songs are safe from the politicking running rampant through U.S. schools, it seems.
A Wisconsin school district removed the performance of Miley Cyrus’ 2017 song “Rainbowland” from a song list ahead of a first-grade concert last week, even though the song lacks any explicit content and reportedly was a favorite among students.
School District of Waukesha Superintendent Jim Sebert told local news station Fox 6 that the district questioned “whether it was appropriate for the age and maturity level of the students” and the “social or personal impacts” on the children, and he cited a school board policy related to “controversial issues” in a classroom setting.
In a statement issued on March 24, district leadership explained that the decision was made at the discretion of Heyer Elementary School’s music teacher, principal, and central office administrator, and later reviewed and supported by the district superintendent. The district clarified that the Board of Education was not involved.
Teachers like Melissa Tempel, a first-grade dual language teacher at Heyer Elementary School, told news outlets that there were rumors it was banned because the district believed Cyrus to be too “controversial” of a figure in the eyes of the public. But Tempel, who identifies as a teacher activist, also posted to Twitter that she believes it might have something more to do with the song’s lyrics.
“Rainbowland,” a duet between Cyrus and her famous godmother Dolly Parton, tells a story about overcoming “hurt and hate” and celebrating life in shining color:
Oh, I’d be lying if I said this was fine
All the hurt and the hate going on here
We are rainbows, me and you
Every color, every hue
Let’s shine on through
Together, we can start living in a RainbowlandLiving in a Rainbowland
The skies are blue and things are grand
Wouldn’t it be nice to live in paradise
Where we’re free to be exactly who we are
Let’s all dig down deep inside
Brush the judgment and fear aside
Make wrong things right
And end the fight
For years, Cyrus has made LGBTQ acceptance a central part of her celebrity image, through initiatives like her Happy Hippie Foundation, which provides support to homeless and LGBTQ youth, support of The Foundation for AIDS Research, and live LGBTQ events, like the Miley Cyrus Pride Special in 2021.
Parton herself is a champion of children’s literacy and an iconic LGBTQ ally. In 1995, Parton founded the Imagination Library, an unrestricted global initiative to provide free books to children from birth to age 5. In 2022, Parton released an anti-bullying children’s book, Billy The Kid Makes It Big, and became one of many openly-accepting celebrities used as a symbol in the fight to protect LGBTQ communities in states like Tennessee.
But it’s not just pop music that the school seems to be against. Tempel tweeted on March 22 that the school had also banned the famous Kermit the Frog song “Rainbow Connection,” but a parent uproar reintroduced the song to the setlist. In its statement, the school district did not say the song was expressly banned and explained that the song was suggested as a replacement by the school’s music teacher.
Waukesha’s school district has been under fire before for anti-LGBTQ policies. Last year, teachers and community members under the group Alliance for Education in Waukesha started a petition in response to anti-diversity and inclusion actions that included banning welcoming and inclusive signage and “pausing” district equity work that was perceived as “controversial” and “political,” the petition reads. District parents have noticed a “conservative flip” among school leadership in recent years, Insider reported, which also reportedly included discouraging teachers from discussions of pronouns and the wearing of rainbow images.
Nationwide, politicians and school leaders are still attacking the inclusion of LGBTQ history and identity in schools, outlawing the public expression of drag, and blocking accessible healthcare for LGBTQ youth. In addition, book bans have steered toward the erasure of diverse media that include themes of gender and sexuality, race, and representation.
Ironically, in avoiding a potentially “controversial” song about happiness, hope, and rainbows, the School District of Waukesha found itself at the center of this ongoing educational controversy, a debate on schools’ roles in educating today’s youth.
Lenovo’s Ideapad Duet 3I Is a Budget 2-In-1 Windows Tablet
Laptops and tablets each have their place, but some products bring the best of both worlds together. The new IdeaPad Duet 3i from Lenovo is the company’s latest attempt at that.
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Lenovo updates its IdeaPad Duet 3i 2-in-1 with a larger display and Intel N200 CPU
Like many other PC and phone manufacturers, Lenovo is at MWC Barcelona this week, sharing details about what it has in store for the rest of the year. The company’s 2023 lineup includes refreshed ThinkPad laptops and ThinkCentre monitors, but perhaps the most interesting announcement involves the IdeaPad Duet 3i.
Lenovo is updating the Windows 11 2-in-1 to add a larger 11.5-inch IPS panel with a 2,000 x 1,200 resolution, 100 percent DCI-P3 coverage and 400 nits of peak brightness. The new model also has upgraded 5-megapixel and 8-megapixel front and rear-facing cameras and an N200 processor from Intel. The four-core, four-thread processor features a boost clock of up to 3.7GHz. You can configure the IdeaPad with up to 8GB of RAM and 256GB of internal storage. It also comes with WiFi 6 and Bluetooth 5.1 connectivity, and with the option to pair the device with a stylus, Lenovo says the IdeaPad Duet 3i is perfect for students. The 2-in-1 will arrive in Europe later this year and cost €449 (about $473).
Lenovo is also updating its affordable IdeaPad Slim 3 Chromebook line. The company will offer the 14-inch laptop in three different display options. At the top of the stack, there’s a Full HD model with an IPS panel that offers 100 percent sRGB coverage and 300 nits of brightness. Another FHD model comes with a TN panel that peaks at 250 nits. And for those looking to spend as little as possible on their next computer, Lenovo will also offer a 1,366 x 768 option. You can configure the IdeaPad Slim 3 with up to 8GB of RAM and 128GB of eMMC storage. With a modest MediaTek Kompanio 520 processor powering everything, Lenovo says its latest Chromebook can go up to 13.5 hours on a single charge. The company expects the IdeaPad Slim 3 to start at $340 when it arrives in May.
You can read Engadget’s hands-on with the ThinkPad Z13 Gen 2 and Z16 Gen 2 to get the full scoop on those laptops, but the short version is that they feature AMD’s latest Ryzen 7000 series processors and Radeon GPUs. You can configure both devices with up to 64GB of DDR5 RAM and 2TB of internal storage. Lenovo will offer two screen options with the Z13. You can either go with an IPS panel or a 2.8K OLED. Both displays feature a 16:10 aspect ratio and 400 nits of peak brightness. With the Z16, meanwhile, your options are between an IPS panel and a 4K OLED. Both computers also come with WiFi 6E and Bluetooth 5.1 support, and Lenovo will allow you to outfit the Z13 with an optional casing made partially from woven plant fibers. The ThinkPad Z13 Gen 2 will arrive in July and start at $1,249. Lenovo expects to begin selling ThinkPad Z16 Gen 2 one month later. It will start at $1,749.
Chris Brown Slams “Wack” Kiely Williams For Criticizing His Chloe Duet: “Your Life & Career Must Suck”
Chloe Bailey divided her fans when she took to press earlier this week to announce her new song, ‘How Does It Feel,’ will come as a duet with Chris Brown that arrives February 24.
While some rejoiced at the news of the high-profile features, others expressed disappointment of Bailey’s decision to collaborate with the R&B bad boy given his reported history with women.
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P!nk Dishes on Unreleased Christina Aguilera Duet: It Was A “Full Circle Moment” [Video]
After soaring to the top of Pop charts together with 2001’s ‘Lady Marmalade’ remake, powerhouse Pop divas Christina Aguilera and P!nk soared to the top of each other’s sh*tlists – stoking a feud that lasted nearly 16 years before calling a truce in 2017.
In the years since both have revealed their road to reconciliation included the recording of a duet that never surfaced,
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Dionne Warwick Announces ‘Very Special’ Gospel Duet With Dolly Parton
Dionne Warwick and Dolly Parton are teaming for a new duet, one that is described as “very special.”
More details below…
Warwick joined Tamron Hall on her talk show on January 3. It was there that she revealed the news that she would be teaming up with Parton for a new song.
» Read more about: Dionne Warwick Announces ‘Very Special’ Gospel Duet With Dolly Parton »
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Jazmine Sullivan Says Beyoncé is Her Dream Duet: “Our Voices Together Would Be Magic” [Video]
Jazmine Sullivan may be counted by many as one of the best R&B vocalists to ever touch a microphone, but even she still has fan-girl moments when it comes to her idols.
And while’s she has shared stages or studio time with names like Stevie Wonder, Mary J. Blige, Brandy, Monica, John Legend, Fantasia, and many other big names, there’s one that still eludes her: music megastar Beyoncé.
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Fantasia Reveals She’s Working on TWO New Albums / Teases Gospel Music & Tamar Braxton Duet
Over a year after confirming she was hard-at-work on her long-awaited debut Gospel album, GRAMMY-winning R&B diva Fantasia has not only lifted the lid on its status but also sent her faithful fans into a frenzy with news the LP won’t be coming alone.
Fantasia fans who have been impatiently awaiting a new studio album from the songstress since her critically acclaimed 2019 release,
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RIAA: Brandy Earns First Gold Single Since 1998 with Daniel Caesar Duet ‘Love Again’
Is Brandy finally getting love again from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA)? Their recently updated log suggests the answer is a resounding “yes”!
Details inside.
Brandy Norwood may be known for delivering some of the most beloved R&B hits and vocal performances of the last 30 years, but the songstress hasn’t always seen that critical acclaim reflected at the RIAA.
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