“American Idol” concludes an awesome season this week, just as Europe starts its own super singing contest: Eurovision!
Israel has sent a genuinely special vocal duo in Noa & Mira Awad. Bravely these two women sing out for peace in the Middle East, in three languages: Arabic, Hebrew and English. Both are Israeli citizens, one Jewish (Noa) and one Arab (Mira Awad). Noa and Mira Awad will sing a song that boldly declares: “There Must Be Another Way.”
I’ll be rooting for Noa and Mira Awad, not just to win the Eurovision award, but to bring Israelis and Palestinians one small step closer to peace, justice and harmony.
Have you ever noticed that all Pixar lead characters are boys or male fish/toys/cars? As great as Pixar’s movies are, something’s been missing — girls!
Not anymore. Pixar announced last week that its upcoming film — “The Bear and the Bow” — will be an animated fairytale with a strong female lead: Princess Merida of Scotland. Voiced by Reese Witherspoon, Merida would rather be outside hunting than inside waltzing. Take that, Cinderella! “The Bear and the Bow” opens Dec. 2011.
Witherspoon told the Orlando Sentinel she’s excited: “A girl from royalty who would rather be a great archer? And she has a Scottish accent? Who could turn that down? You always go for the great character to play, even if she’s animated.”
Now both Witherspoon and her boyfriend Jake Gyllenhaal are working on Disney projects. Pixar, of course, is a Disney subsidiary; and Gyllenhaal is starring in Disney’s new adventure series, “Prince of Persia.” Wonder who’s badder, Princess Merida or Prince Daston?
It’d be fun to ask the Witherspoon-Gyllenhaals.
Princess Tiana of “The Princess and the Frog” makes the tour circuit, as the first African-American Disney princess. Can Disney Latina royalty be far off? (With respects to indigenous American princess Pocahontas.)
Have you ever noticed that all Pixar lead characters are boys or male fish/toys/cars? As great as Pixar’s movies are, something’s been missing — girls!