Talk Fuse

    Culture

    Culture covers the stories that shape how we express ourselves and connect with one another. From film festivals and entertainment to social movements and artistic endeavour, these stories reflect the values, conversations and creativity that define our communities. Whether it's a new film project breaking ground, a performer taking their work to new audiences, or society grappling with important questions about identity and behaviour, culture encompasses the ways we live and the narratives we tell.

    This topic matters because culture is often where change begins. The entertainment industry responds to shifting tastes whilst simultaneously influencing them. Artists and creators challenge conventions, spark conversations, and hold up mirrors to society. Social and cultural movements highlight the issues that resonate with people's lives and futures.

    Culture also reflects broader trends in how we consume and engage with content and ideas. From streaming platforms to live performance, from traditional institutions to emerging voices online, the stories documented here chronicle the evolving landscape of how we entertain, educate and challenge ourselves.

    • ‘Grease’ star Stockard Channing says she’s ‘happy being a recluse’ after leaving America

      Stockard Channing has said she is content living privately in London after leaving the United States, describing herself as “happy being a recluse”. The actor, best known for playing Rizzo in *Grease*, reflected on the move in the context of the death of her longtime partner, producer Daniel Gilham, and her preference for a quieter…

    • Amazon gets out of the MMO game

      Amazon is withdrawing from the massively multiplayer online game market, transferring responsibility for the western live operations of Throne and Liberty and Lost Ark to other companies. The move completes a broader retreat from first-party AAA MMO development and signals a shift towards cloud gaming, social games and titles linked to Amazon’s wider entertainment franchises.…

    • Post your questions for Amy Lee of Evanescence

      The Guardian is inviting readers to submit questions for Amy Lee, the frontperson of Evanescence, for an upcoming Film & Music reader interview. The feature offers fans an opportunity to ask about the band’s long career, Lee’s influence in a male-dominated rock scene and Evanescence’s distinctive blend of metal, classical music and piano-led songs. Evanescence…

    • US veteran freed as Colombia quake death toll reaches 181

      Russia released Robert Gilman, a 32-year-old former US Marine from Massachusetts who had been detained there since 2022. US officials said President Vladimir Putin approved a pardon on humanitarian grounds because Gilman was seriously ill; President Donald Trump said no prisoner exchange or other concession had been involved. Gilman had been convicted in Russia over…

    • These 12 Artists Reached No. 2 on the Hot 100 With Their First Hit — Then Never Made the Chart Again

      Billboard highlights 12 artists whose first and only appearance on the US Hot 100 peaked at No. 2, making them an unusual group of near-chart-topping one-hit wonders. – The Jaynetts: “Sally, Go ’Round the Roses” spent two weeks at No. 2 in 1963, behind Bobby Vinton’s “Blue Velvet”. – The Crazy World of Arthur Brown:…

    • DOJ heavyweights throw monkey wrench in Dem plans to put Trump allies in hot seat

      A Justice Department legal opinion has concluded that President Donald Trump’s private advisers and lawyers may invoke executive privilege when discussing matters connected to their advisory roles. The ruling could complicate Democratic efforts to compel testimony from Trump allies, limiting congressional scrutiny of the president’s decision-making and communications. The opinion was issued by the Justice…

    • Rubio says Hegseth is a ‘cat guy’

      Secretary of State Marco Rubio told conservative media personality Katie Miller in a recent episode of her podcast that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is “a cat guy.” During the interview with Miller, Rubio and his wife, Jeanette Rubio, talked about their pets at home, with Marco Rubio saying one of their dogs is “really smart”…

    • Senate Democrat presses DHS for results on Lewandowski review

      Sen. Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.) is pressing the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for details on the investigation into former DHS official Corey Lewandowski, who was accused of corruption and mismanagement. In a letter sent Tuesday to newly confirmed DHS Under Secretary for Management Brian Cavanaugh, Hassan sought interim findings and other records from the department’s…

    • Amidst AI-Music War, Suno Finds Another Industry Partner in BMG

      Suno, an AI music generator facing copyright disputes over its training data, has reached a partnership and pre-emptive settlement with BMG. The agreement resolves potential claims over Suno’s past use of BMG-controlled music and is significant because it further shifts the company from confrontation with major rights holders towards licensed industry collaboration. The deal covers…

    • Chart Rewind: In 2006, Rodney Atkins Earned a Reputation as a ‘Hell’-Raiser

      Rodney Atkins achieved his first No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart in August 2006 with “If You’re Going Through Hell (Before the Devil Even Knows).” The song became a major breakthrough after several earlier singles and resonated as an anthem of perseverance, including with a listener who said it stopped them from attempting…