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MedicAlert: The life-saving service that just got even better

While traditional MedicAlert IDs have long been trusted for their reliability, the company that currently protects more than four million members worldwide has taken a huge step forward in enhancing emergency care and personal safety by <a href="https://www.medicalert.org.au/qr-code" target="_blank" rel="noopener">integrating QR codes</a> into their medical IDs. These QR codes are a modern addition that provide rapid, comprehensive access to critical medical information, ensuring timely and accurate assistance in emergencies. When a MedicAlert QR code is scanned, first responders and healthcare professionals can immediately access the wearer’s detailed medical history. This includes information on allergies, chronic conditions, medications and emergency contacts, as well as your uploaded documents like Advanced Care Directives and specialist letters. The quick retrieval of this data can be lifesaving, especially in situations where every second counts. MedicAlert’s QR codes are designed to be user-friendly and secure. Scanning the code with a smartphone or any QR code reader directs the user to a secure webpage containing the medical profile of the ID wearer. This ensures that sensitive information is both accessible when needed and protected from unauthorised access. One of the standout features of MedicAlert QR codes is their global functionality. No matter where you are in the world, emergency responders can scan the code and access the information in multiple languages. This is particularly beneficial for travellers, providing peace of mind that their medical information is always within reach. <img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-70799" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2024/10/MEDICALERT-22nd-May-2024-219_O60.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" /> The information linked to a MedicAlert QR code can also be easily updated. This means any changes in medical conditions, medications or emergency contacts can be promptly reflected, ensuring that the most current information is available at all times. As a registered Australian charity, MedicAlert also ensures that all online data is securely stored within Australia, providing peace of mind regarding the privacy and protection of your personal medical information. Their commitment to safeguarding your health data while offering reliable and accessible emergency support makes them an invaluable ally in maintaining your wellbeing. For a limited time, get 60% off all stainless steel MedicAlert products with the discount code 60OVER60. For more information, visit <a href="https://www.medicalert.org.au/qr-code">https://www.medicalert.org.au/qr-code</a> <iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/HkmBEXerAFQ?si=FFtmmhywyzu6EPUr" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> Images: MedicAlert This is a sponsored article produced in partnership with MedicAlert

Caring

"Love harder": Perth brothers farewelled at emotional memorial service

Six weeks after they were <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/health/caring/tragic-new-details-emerge-over-aussie-brothers-missing-in-mexico" target="_blank" rel="noopener">shot dead</a> while on a surfing trip to Mexico, Perth brothers Jake and Callum Robinson have been farewelled in a heart-wrenching private memorial on Saturday. The memorial took place in Perth’s Sacred Heart College, where the brothers attended high school, and hundreds gathered at the college to remember the brothers. It was also live-streamed for those who could not fit into the theatre at the college, with Callum's friends also watching on from America, where he spent the last 14 years of his life. In an emotional tribute, their parents, Debra and Martin Robinson, thanked loved ones abroad and in Australia for their endless support, and talked about how special their sons were. "We're not here to dwell on the where or the how or try to understand the why of their passing but instead to say goodbye to two young men and hopefully start the healing process for everyone," Mr Robinson said. “It’s hard to describe the feeling of when your adult children come and visit you, until it’s gone,” Mrs Robinson added. “They loved life and they followed their dreams. “They were intelligent, respectful men with so much more to offer the world.” The cover of a memorial brochure had the phrase: “LIVE BIGGER, SHINE BRIGHTER, LOVE HARDER”. With shaky voices, the grieving parents described how their two sons exuded “pure love”. "We loved that Jake was curious, kind and happy and never judgemental. Callum always made a conscious decision to wake up and be positive every day. He saw so much fun in life," Mrs Robinson said. "We look around the room today at everyone and it gives us strength, so thank you. "We have cried many tears and we will cry many more … We miss you beyond description, Callum and Jakie boy, please shine on us." Childhood friends Adam Moore and Simon Moore also shared anecdotes about their friendships with the brothers. Adam recalled how the two brothers always excelled "at any sport imaginable" and always had so much energy, and Simon spoke of their surfing adventures through the years. The brothers and their American friend Jack Carter Rhoad were last seen alive on April 27. They were allegedly robbed for their car tyres and murdered while they were camping in the Baja California coastline. Three people have been <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/health/caring/arrests-made-over-aussie-surfers-missing-in-mexico" target="_blank" rel="noopener">arrested</a> over their suspected involvement in the robbery. Image: 7News

Caring

Jesse Baird's mother farewells her son in emotional memorial service

Slain TV presenter Jesse Baird has been farewelled by his loved ones at an emotional memorial service in Melbourne, one month after he was killed alongside his partner. Hundreds of friends and family packed into Melbourne’s Plenty Ranges Arts and Convention Centre, all donning bright colours to remember the 26-year-old. Baird's mother Helen spoke about her "darling boy" in a tear-jerking tribute, saying, “My beautiful, generous, loving, precious, caring and talented boy, our hearts and lives are changed forever,” “I promise to fight for you and make you proud. My heart is broken my darling boy, and I love you more than this world." "Our hearts and lives are changed forever and there is less sparkle in the world. There will never be another you." Jesse's father Gary added, “You squeezed 100 years of life into 26 and our hearts are broken. You’ll be missed but never forgotten.” Kourtnee, Jesse's sister, battled through floods of tears to farewell her brother, saying, "You are the absolute light of my life. My biggest inspiration and my biggest cheerleader." Jesse's Studio 10 colleagues were also in attendance, with co-host Daniel Doody saying that Baird "was more than a co-worker, he was a brother, a best mate." "Just like all your live on-air appearances, I wish there was more time." Balloons spelling out Baird’s name adorned the convention centre’s stage alongside photos of him smiling at different stages in his life. After the service, the large crowd gathered outside to blow a flurry of bubbles. Image credits: 7News

Family & Pets

Veteran slams Australia Day “dawn service”

An Australian war veteran has slammed a Sydney council for their decision to hold a dawn reflection service on January 26th, saying it is “disrespectful” to those who fought and died for their country. The Anzac-day style service, held by Sydney’s Waverley council, will acknowledge the resilience and survival of First Nations people, recognising Australia Day as a “day of mourning” for many Indigenous Australians. Michael von Berg, a Military Cross recipient who served as a combat soldier in the Vietnam War, has denounced the council’s decision, saying dawn services should only be held on Anzac Day, as the events are synonymous with honouring past soldiers. “For God's sake. It's a disservice not only to the veteran community but also to First Nations soldiers who fought and died for their country,” he said. Mr von Berg, who claims to have served alongside Aboriginal soldiers on his first tour of Vietnam in the mid-1960s, questioned the purpose of the event, describing it as “cheap symbolism”. “Personally, a dawn service of this nature flies in the face of what they traditionally stand for, which is honouring soldiers,” he said. “This stuff doesn't help anyone. I have nothing but respect for First Nations people but there's got to be another way.” Mr von Berg urged Waverley Council to “seriously reconsider” the event, suggesting they “Hold it on another date.” However, Mayor of Waverley Council Paula Masselos hit back at criticism of the dawn service, given Australia Day was a day of mourning for many First Nations people. “As a Council that is committed to social justice, we understand that January 26 can be a difficult day for many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and that many in our community are still coming to terms with the result of the Voice to Parliament referendum,” Mayor Masselos said. Australia Day, observed each year on January 26th, marks the landing of the First Fleet in 1788 when the first governor of the British colony of New South Wales, Arthur Philip, hoisted the Union Jack at Sydney Cove. But for many First Nations people, it is regarded as 'Invasion Day' or the 'Day of Mourning' because it marks the beginning of Australia's colonisation. Image credits: Getty Images / Facebook

Legal

Lilie James farewelled in emotional memorial service

Friends and family of Lilie James have honoured the 21-year-old water polo coach in an emotional memorial service. The memorial was held at Danebank Anglican School in Hurstville in Sydney's south on Friday morning, with Lilie's loved ones making the sweet gesture at the service. Friends, family and members of her school community at St Andrew's Cathedral school where she taught were asked to show up in bright colours, to remember Lilie fondly and celebrate her life, despite it being cut short. In a statement, Ms James' father Jamie said the 21-year-old was a vibrant young woman who was "always on the go". "On top of working and studying Lilie loved coaching and playing water polo. She loved to dance," he said. "Even with her busy schedule, she always still made time to support her brother Max, her friends and family." "We cannot thank the community enough for their thoughts, prayers, generosity and messages through this difficult time." "From the bottom of our hearts we thank you for the many great memories we all share of Lilie." He concluded, "Lilie James we are so proud of you and thank you for sharing a wonderful and jam-packed 21 years together." <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> Family and friends are gathering at a private service in Sydney's south this morning, to farewell Lilie James - who was murdered by her ex-boyfriend and colleague, at her workplace, last month. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/9News?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#9News</a> <a href="https://t.co/BXkRYdPkj1">pic.twitter.com/BXkRYdPkj1</a> — 9News Sydney (@9NewsSyd) <a href="https://twitter.com/9NewsSyd/status/1725316273431527677?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 17, 2023</a></blockquote> A white hearse arrived at the school at 9:30am on Friday morning, as friends and family cried and embraced each other during the procession. NSW Premier Chris Minns was also seen arriving to pay his respects, with as many as 500 mourners expected at the service. As per the wishes of Ms James' family, the memorial at Danebank was for friends and the school community only, while the service was live-streamed into St Andrew's Cathedral School for students and teachers to view together. Lilie James was working as an assistant water polo instructor for the elite inner-city school when she was found dead with horrific head injuries inside the campus gymnasium toilets on October 25th. Image credits: Nine News

Caring

Restaurant under fire for denying entry to war veteran with service dog

A Perth restaurant has been slammed after denying entry to a US war veteran and his service dog. David Pearce and his English Labrador, Gunner, were denied entry to the Chinese restaurant Juice Bao Bao on May 19. Gunner is a certified service dog who assists Pearce through life as he suffers from PTSD, hearing loss and a brain injury. "I tried to explain he's a service dog and they have to allow us in and they said no service dogs, the owner doesn't want any dogs," Pearce said "It was embarrassing, [and] a bit humiliating.” Pearce sustained his injuries while serving in Iraq and Syria. He has served in the US military for nearly 20 years. He and Gunner have been “best buddies” for nine years. "He's saved my life a couple of times," Pearce said. Pearce has launched an official complaint to the Western Australian government following the ordeal. Juice Bao Bao manager Elaine Hsu took responsibility for the decision to refuse entry to Pearce. "That was my personal decision so that's my fault," she told 9News. "We want to sincerely apologise to him and we want to ask him to come here [for a] free meal. "[We will] make sure this [does] not happen again.” The restaurant has received a number of negative reviews since Pearce shared his story. "I'm not really interested in a free meal, although some dumplings would go down really nicely," Pearce said . "I'm just happy that they're changing their policy." Assistance and service dogs are legally allowed to enter any public venue if their certification is displayed on their vest and the owner can provide a service animal ID. Image credit: 9News / Nine

Travel Trouble

"I can't hear you!": New feature set to do away with subtitles

Nothing is more annoying than sitting in front of your TV, eager to watch your favourite show only for the dialogue to be completely wiped because of cars passing by or a plane taking off. Not being able to hear the dialogue in a TV show or movie, especially in an action or crime-driven blockbuster where anything exploding masks all dialogue has been an everlasting problem for viewers. Netflix has revealed that 40 per cent of subscribers have subtitles on at all times while surveys in the US and UK saw anywhere between 60 and 70 per cent of young viewers as frequent users of subtitles. If you’re using subtitles for the purpose of hearing the dialogue rather an accessibility reasons, streaming giant Amazon is introducing a new feature that could eradicate the need to turn them on because of the sound mix. The feature is called ”dialogue boost" and it raises the volume of the dialogue track relative to the score, ambient sound or effects. Although Amazon has so generously offered this solution to subscribers, the dialogue boost feature will only be available on a handful of Amazon Prime Video’s originals, like Beautiful Boy, Being The Ricardos, Jack Ryan and The Marvelous Mrs Maisel. A similar feature already appears on some expensive sound systems and TV sets, but Amazon boasts it’s the first streaming platform to roll it out worldwide. To work the feature, select it from the audio and subtitles drop-down menu on an individual title, there will be two options to select from, “English Dialogue Boost: High” or “English Dialogue Boost: Medium”. The title page for a TV series or movie will show whether the dialogue boost is available. According to Variety, the helpful feature was originally designed for hearing-impaired viewers. Rest assured, if you struggle to hear the dialogue due to the sound mix, there's help on the way, granted it's exclusive to Amazon. Image credit: Shutterstock

Streaming service giant pays woman 5 figures to watch content

If you think you spend too much time on Amazon Prime, think again as one lucky lady has snatched up her “dream” job with the streaming service. The woman, Alex Bain, 36, has been dubbed Prime Video’s “Buff”, and her job entails reviewing content for Amazon Prime, which came after the platform searched nationwide to fill the role of watching new content. Here’s the real kicker, the 36-year-old will be paid $40,000 for three months of viewing new content and sharing her opinions. She is not new to the scene of content review as she frequently posts to her Instagram, TikTok and Youtube reviewing various TV shows and movies. Upon seeing the advertisement from Amazon Prime, one of Bain’s friends encouraged her to apply. “Everything on it, it was like seeing a list of what would be my ideal job,” Ms Bain told NCA NewsWire. “I’m 36, so I want to do something I’m passionate about, so I decided to just go for it. “I got a phone call from Amazon saying I’d been short-listed, and I was like, ‘Oh my God!’” She said the time between applying for the role and being told she was successful went “so quickly”. Not long after, she received the news she was the lucky one chosen to fill the role. Image credit: Instagram

4 great movies to stream on Amazon, HBO, Netflix and Disney+

Nothing cures boredom like a great movie! Catch up on new releases and take a dive into the beloved classics. Bored? Let’s what a movie! Here are some of the goodies you can enjoy. Amazon: Smile (2023) <ul> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> Genre: Horror, Mystery, Thriller </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> Stars: Sosie Bacon, Kyle Gallner, Caitlin Stasey </li> </ul> Premise: After witnessing a strange and traumatic incident with a patient, Dr Rose Cotter (Sosie Bacon) begins experiencing unexplainable, terrifying occurrences. As terror takes over her life, Rose is on a desperate attempt to escape her new reality. HBO: Gravity (2013) <ul> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> Genre: Science Fiction, Thriller, Drama </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> Stars: Sandra Bullock, George Clooney, Ed Harris </li> </ul> Premise: This mind-blowing space thriller one seven Oscars! Dr. Ryan Stone (Sandra Bullock) is on her first space shuttle mission. Veteran astronaut Matt Kowalsky (George Clooney) is commanding his last mission before retirement. Disaster strikes, and the shuttle is destroyed, with all communication with Earth eradicated. Watch them navigate their terrifying situation. Netflix: You People (2023) <ul> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> Genre: Comedy, Romance </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> Stars: Jonah Hill, Eddie Murphy, Julia Louis-Dreyfus </li> </ul> Get ready for some laughs with this movie, with a stellar cast - how could it NOT be funny? When Ezra (Jonah Hill) and Amira (Lauren London) fall in love, they know they’re not so well-suited, but love is love. An issue arises as they find themselves navigating societal expectations of being an interracial couple. Watch to find out if their love endures the culture clash! Disney +: Disenchanted (2022) <ul> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> Genre: Comedy, Family, Fantasy </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> Stars: Amy Adams, Patrick Dempsey, Maya Rudolph </li> </ul> 15 years after moving to the “real world” and marrying Robert (Patrick Dempsey) in Enchanted, and Giselle (Amy Adams) has grown unattached to the city. As she searches for her fairy tale life, the pair move to the suburbs, however, they soon find there are a completely new set of rules in their new suburb. Malvina Monroe (Maya Rudolph) runs the show in this suburb, and she’s not a massive fan of whimsical Giselle. In hopes of finding her perfect community, Giselle turns to magic, but it doesn’t work out in her favour. It’s then a race against time to figure out what her happy ever after really is! Image credit: Shutterstock

Movies

5 must-see TV shows for 2023

1. Happy Valley A British crime drama, set and filmed in the Calder Valley of West Yorkshire. The show follows a character, Catherine Cawood, a strong-willed police sergeant in West Yorkshire recovering from family trauma. Just as she thinks her life is back together, it takes a turn for the worst. 2. Extraordinary Jen, an 18-year-old, self-aware woman who lives in a world where everybody has a super power except her. This fresh comedy from first-time TV writer Emma Moran, introduces Jen, who remains powerless at the age of 25, desperately on the hunt to discover her gift, no matter what. 3. Pamela, a love story Take a dive into the history of Pamela Anderson with this documentary. From Playboy to the notorious Baywatch actress and tabloid sensation, Anderson’s life is complicated. The intimate documentary follows the trials and tribulations of simply being her. Based on a true story, made with her full permission. 4. Nolly This show follows British Soap star Noele Gordon as she navigates the reign and fall from grace. The three-part drama series follows the actress’ journey on the soap Crossroads, for which she starred in for 17 years. 5. Best Interests The show follows a couple who attempt to keep their daughter alive against medical advice. Be sure to keep tissues handy when you watch this four-part drama series because it is sure to tug on the heart strings. Image credit: Getty

Olivia Newton-John's daughter's emotional memorial tribute

Olivia Newton-John’s daughter Chloe Lattanzi has delivered an emotional speech at her mother’s memorial service, saying she “feels like a little girl”. Almost six months after her death at the age of 73, Newtown-John was remembered at a star-studded service at Hamer Hall in Melbourne. She passed away on August 8, 2022, after battling breast cancer for three decades. Newtown-John’s husband John Easterline spoke at the beginning of the service followed by his daughter’s emotional tribute. “My heart is broken in two. The other half is with my Mumma,” Lattanzi said with tears. “I know she is holding it for me until we meet again. I stand here before you so desperately wanting to feel strong and confident and speak eloquently. But the truth is, I feel like a little girl lost without her mother. “She was my safe space, my guide, my biggest fan and the Earth beneath my feet.” Lattanzi also said she knew her mother was “standing beside her” and could hear her voice telling her not to be afraid. The grieving daughter mentioned her and her mother had the same “cackle,” and revealed although her mother would never tell a dirty joke, she would “laugh the hardest at them”. “I loved making her tea and then making it five times again until I got it right. I loved our snuggles. I would crawl into bed with her late at night even until I was 20 years old. I loved the way that she smelled,” Lattanzi said. “I loved writing music and singing with her and how she would always notice if I was slightly off-key. “She cherished her friends and her family and she was so grateful to her fans and she loved you all so dearly. She would want us all to laugh and reminisce together, enjoy and celebrate her life.” Aussie singer and actress Delta Goodrem broke down at Newtown-John’s memorial service as she was giving a speech about how the late actress was so special to her. “It’s beautiful to see everybody,” Goodrem said as she was interviewed at Hamer Hall in Melbourne, ahead of a moving performance. “It’s beautiful,” Goodrem continued, flooded with emotion. “Sorry.” “I’m so happy to see everybody coming together on a day to celebrate someone who touched all of our lives,” she said when asked why she was so emotional. “I think that’s really what it is.” In a video shown at Melbourne’s Hamer Hall, Dolly Parton said, "The world lost one of its greatest talents when Olivia left us.” Nicole Kidman also paid tribute, saying that Newton-John was "just a light in the world" and that growing up, she "wanted to be Olivia Newton-John.” Some of the other celebrities and friends who paid tribute to Newtown-John during the service included Hugh Jackman, Keith Urban, Mariah Carey, RuPaul, Pink and Sir Elton John. Image credit: Getty

Family & Pets

“It isn’t a good move": Woolies under fire over massive change to popular service

Woolworths supermarket has caused a stir after implementing a major change to a popular shopping service. Woolies has dramatically increased the minimum spend for online shoppers who are using their Direct to Boot shopping service. Earlier this month, the retail giant upped its minimum spend from $30 to $50, which is a 66 per cent climb. The free service allows customers to shop online and collect it from their local Woolworths without having to leave their car. “We bring your groceries to you. We’ll pick it, pack it, and pop it in your boot for free,” Woolworths says. The increase in minimum spend is not sitting well with the public, with one shopper arguing that it is a disadvantage to vulnerable customers. “Increasing the minimum spend on click and collect/direct to boot orders is only going to make shopping harder on pensioners and people with disabilities who will now either be forced to buy items they don’t need or can’t afford, or made to physically shop for themselves when they might struggle,” one customer said. “It also makes it more frustrating for single person households when they don’t need to buy bigger amounts at a time.” “It isn’t a good move, and I hope you reconsider and look to go back to putting customers first.” “I’m not sure how this improves the way I shop or allows anyone to ‘enjoy greater convenience’ though. It actually reduces convenience.” The customer added. A Woolworths spokesperson defended the minimum spend increase, telling <a href="http://7news.com.au/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">7NEWS</a>, “Our free direct to boot services and pick up has remained unchanged for a number of years,” “Earlier this month, the minimum spend was increased by $30 to $50.” “We’re continuing to let customers know about this change through our stores and online.” A Facebook user also came to the supermarket’s defence, saying that Woolies shouldn’t have to “lose money” because of the service. “It costs them to have someone pick your order and deliver it to your boot,” the user said. “It also means no impulse purchases in the store so they aren’t making any extra that way. Why should they lose money by delivering things to your boot?” Image credit: Getty

Food & Wine

Loyal service dog's emotional final flight

A service dog has been honoured on her final flight after being diagnosed with an untreatable cancer. German Shepherd Kaya was trained to support veterans suffering post-traumatic stress disorder and was in the care of handler Cole Lyle. After years of loyal service to Cole, Kaya was diagnosed with terminal cancer and recently boarded a South West Airlines flight in the US to live out her final days at home by Cole's side. Kaya received the very best treatment on the flight, and was honoured by the pilot and her fellow passengers in a heart-warming moment that has since gone viral online. "We have a special guest on today's flight," the pilot said. "Kays is a German Shepherd service dog who has been with her handler, Cole, since 2014. She was specifically trained to help veterans cope with mental health issues." "Since the integration of the PAWS act, it is federal law that allows us to unify service dogs with Veterans with post-traumatic stress which was signed into law in 2021," continued the pilot. <div class="embed" style="font-size: 16px; box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; outline: none !important;"><iframe class="embedly-embed" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border-width: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 617px; max-width: 100%; outline: none !important;" title="tiktok embed" src="https://cdn.embedly.com/widgets/media.html?src=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tiktok.com%2Fembed%2Fv2%2F7197534710090812715&display_name=tiktok&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tiktok.com%2F%40southwestair%2Fvideo%2F7197534710090812715&image=https%3A%2F%2Fp16-sign.tiktokcdn-us.com%2Fobj%2Ftos-useast5-p-0068-tx%2Fea43bd3c48f54df8b328f42f35d8665a_1675806650%3Fx-expires%3D1676246400%26x-signature%3Drrq5YNMF5lC2JmunRKdaFD4SFQ4%253D&key=5b465a7e134d4f09b4e6901220de11f0&type=text%2Fhtml&schema=tiktok" width="340" height="700" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></div> "Sadly, Kaya was recently diagnosed with an untreatable cancer so we have the solemn honour of taking her on what will be her last flight as she goes home to rest where she was born and first met Cole." The pilot then encouraged the passengers to "show her some love", as cheering and applauding erupted for Kaya. The tear-jerking moment was captured and posted to TikTok by the airline, with the video racking up over 18 million views. The video was shared along with the caption:"We were honoured to fly our loyal friend and hero, Kaya, home to rest after a lifetime of hard work. Throughout her career, Kaya flew with us over 250 times to help establish the PAWS Act which united Veterans with service dogs." "We are so grateful to be a part of her legacy, and we thank her and her owner, Cole, for their many years of service." The comments were flooded with praise for the canine, with one person writing, "Bawling my eyes out. God bless you Kaya". Another wrote, "I'm literally in a puddle we Stan kaya she's so beautiful and perfect we love you sweet girl." "We don't deserve dogs," another simply said. It was later revealed in the comments of the video the Kaya had passed away at home by Cole's side. Image credits: TikTok

Family & Pets

Slain police officers farewelled in emotional memorial service

Queensland police officers Constables Rachel McCrow and Matthew Arnold have been honoured for their service, after they were gunned down on a remote property last week. Thousands of people, including Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, paid tribute to the young officers in an emotional memorial service, which was telecast live across the nation. "Matthew and Rachel are side by side today. They're worthy of equal honours, they worked together, they served their community together, sadly they died together on the 12th of December," Police Chaplain Jeffrey Baills said. The officers were executed while responding to a missing persons check, but there was no mention of the men who inflicted the terror at the service. "Rachel and Matthew were just doing their job that day and the McCrow and Arnold families paid the ultimate sacrifice," Ballis said. "We have had a major attack on the police in Queensland, but… we will not be broken," Ballis said. Matthew Arnold, 26, was remembered by family friend Senior Sergeant Laura Harriss as a protector, leader and charmer. "Matt's smile and his charisma were his best tools and he used them relentlessly," Harriss said. Rachel McCrow, 29, had only been stationed in the town of Tara for six months when the shooting happened, as her best friends from the police academy spoke of the loveable larrikin who made friends with everyone. "Rach was so much more than the uniform she so proudly wore. She was a daughter, a sister, a friend, a colleague and an amazing mum to her beloved four-legged (dog) Archibald," Senior Constable Melissa Gibson said. Archibald, Rachel's blue heeler dog, sat calmly in the front row for the service. Queensland Police Commissioner Katarina Carroll paid tribute to the duo's courage, bestowing on both officers the highest of honours: two national police service medals and two from Queensland. Image credits: A Current Affair

News

Amazon’s resuscitation of Neighbours: can Aussie TV become good friends with streaming?

Many were shocked by the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2022/nov/17/neighbours-soap-opera-australia-to-return-on-amazon" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announcement</a> that Australian soap opera Neighbours would return to screens in 2023, courtesy of a new deal between production house Fremantle Australia and multinational digital streamer Amazon. Significantly, this announcement overturns many expectations about television in the age of streaming. When <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-03-03/neighbours-tv-show-cancelled-after-37-years/100880272" target="_blank" rel="noopener">news of Neighbours’ cancellation</a> broke earlier this year, streamers declined to offer a lifeline, with veteran cast member Stefan Dennis (aka Paul Robinson) lamenting that soaps seemed <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-loss-of-neighbours-is-a-loss-of-career-pathways-for-australias-emerging-screen-professionals-185289" target="_blank" rel="noopener">out-of-kilter</a> with the demands of streaming. Back in February, journalist <a href="https://omny.fm/shows/please-explain-1/everybody-needs-good-neighbours-now-neighbours-nee" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Michael Idato noted</a> streamers were focused on “short-order, very high quality” blue-chip programming, with long-running, continuing soaps like Neighbours presenting a less attractive option despite loyal fans and healthy audience numbers. After all, when axed by UK Channel 5, Neighbours was still attracting 1 million daily viewers in the UK alone. So what has changed? Why is Melbourne’s own beige yet beloved (by some) Neighbours positioned at the precipice of a new dawn in streaming’s evolution? <h2>What’s the value of Neighbours to a streamer?</h2> Amazon’s resuscitation of Neighbours is unprecedented in the Australian context, as it represents the first time a multinational streaming service has commissioned a stripped (weeknightly), continuing soap. Yet, in a global context, Neighbours seems to be part of a recent trend. This year, soaps in other significant Anglophone markets shifted from daily broadcast to online streaming: Hollyoaks in the UK and Days of Our Lives in the US. No one knows how this will play out for the US-based streamer and its new ad-supported, free streaming service <a href="https://www.amazon.com/adlp/freevee-about" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Amazon Freevee</a>. What we do know is there are very good reasons why a streaming platform could be interested in a show like Neighbours. The value of soaps is entrenched in industry lore. Since their transition from radio to television in the US during the 1950s, continuing soap operas have provided the backbone of many a network, ensuring consistent, returning and ardently loyal audiences. In doing so, soaps have a proven ability to weather the storms of radical technological and industrial change. A similar logic prevailed presumably in 2011, when Network 10 shifted Neighbours onto its new free-to-air channel <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/10_Peach" target="_blank" rel="noopener">10 Peach</a>. On the one hand, this move signalled a marginalisation of the prime-time soap. On the other hand, it was a means to lure a valuable audience to the fledgling multichannel. Idato refers to Neighbours as a “<a href="https://omny.fm/shows/please-explain-1/everybody-needs-good-neighbours-now-neighbours-nee" target="_blank" rel="noopener">library series</a>”: one with an extensive back catalogue of content. With 37 seasons and more than 8,000 episodes under its belt, Neighbours puts supposedly mega-series like Game of Thrones, The Simpsons and Supernatural to shame. Library series bring inventory and depth to a streaming service in a way that new content cannot, no matter how heavily promoted or highly produced it might be. Currently, streamers are looking not just to attract new subscribers, but to retain them by keeping them engaged with the platform. Series that come with their own in-built library of content developed over multiple years or decades can benefit streamers precisely by bringing with them their large, loyal audiences while offering countless episodes for fans to explore. The Fremantle/Amazon deal seems to signal something quite the opposite of previous predictions, pointing to the increase of “low-prestige” programming on streaming platforms and the rising tendency for streamers to adopt and adapt pre-existing televisual logics and strategies. We are seeing the resumption and resurrection of patterns of broadcast, free-to-air programming, not its demise. In the context of Amazon, one reason for this shift is likely the Federal Arts Minister Tony Burke’s confirmation last Thursday of <a href="https://www.afr.com/companies/media-and-marketing/streaming-services-will-be-forced-to-meet-local-drama-quotas-burke-20221118-p5bzf5" target="_blank" rel="noopener">government plans to introduce local content quotas for streaming</a> services. At the 55th annual Australian Writers Guild Awards, Burke stated he had already met with streamers to inform them of the forthcoming policy. In light of this development, Amazon’s renewal of Neighbours will help it to meet Australian content requirements. <h2>Has TV streaming reached maturity?</h2> It seems we are moving into a new, more mature phase of streaming television. Initially, streamers sought to loudly distinguish themselves from older forms of television, but they now seem less focused on branded distinction and more concerned with getting down to business. Like the networks that dominated TV in the 20th century, streamers now pursue multiple interests, popular taste communities and tried and tested formulas, alongside edgier-style, prestige programming like Sex Education and this year’s Australian reboot <a href="https://theconversation.com/teenage-misfits-messy-emotions-and-joyous-discussions-on-consent-heartbreak-high-is-a-bright-new-piece-of-television-188733" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Heartbreak High</a>. Similarly, streamers are now reverting to old-style revenue models through the <a href="https://www.theage.com.au/culture/tv-and-radio/why-the-future-of-streaming-is-looking-unexpectedly-like-tv-s-past-20221121-p5c00d.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">introduction of ad-supported subscription tiers</a>. Television is changing, most notably in its separation from the broadcast programming schedule. But the logics of what attracts and retains audiences are far from obsolete – they are merely being updated for digital delivery. Soap operas are widely denigrated, but they can prove to be a guiding light in moments of media transformation. This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/amazons-resuscitation-of-neighbours-can-aussie-tv-become-good-friends-with-streaming-195101" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation.</a> Image: Ten

Pubs and clubs – your friendly neighbourhood money-laundering service, thanks to 86,640 pokies

Billions of dollars in proceeds of crime are being funnelled through clubs and pubs in New South Wales, <a href="https://www.crimecommission.nsw.gov.au/final-islington-report.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to</a> the NSW Crime Commission. Predictably, the industry is claiming it’s not an issue and solutions are too difficult. Laundering money through a local club or hotel involves loading cash into one of the state’s <a href="https://www.liquorandgaming.nsw.gov.au/resources/gaming-machine-data" target="_blank" rel="noopener">86,640 poker machines</a>, then cashing out and claiming the money as winnings. This is not a preferred method for most organised criminals, the crime commission says. Sophisticated criminals have other methods. But it is still a sizeable proportion of the estimated $20 billion in criminal proceeds laundered in NSW each year. In Queensland, you can put only $100 into a poker machine at one time. In Victoria the limit is $1,000. In NSW, newer machines allow $5,000, and older machines up to <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/jul/14/nsw-poker-machine-laws-may-increase-risk-of-money-laundering-says-commission" target="_blank" rel="noopener">$10,000</a>. For supposedly harmless suburban fun it’s hard to understand why such sums are allowed. The findings of the NSW Crime Commission’s <a href="https://www.crimecommission.nsw.gov.au/final-islington-report.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">inquiry into money laundering via clubs and hotels</a> follow scandalous money-laundering revelations from casino inquiries in <a href="https://theconversation.com/not-suitable-where-to-now-for-james-packer-and-crowns-other-casinos-154938" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NSW</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/illegal-dishonest-unethical-and-exploitative-but-crown-resorts-keeps-its-melbourne-casino-licence-170625" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Victoria</a>, Western Australia and Queensland. Those inquiries found Crown Resorts and Star Entertainment allowed hundreds of millions of dollars to pass through their casinos, in contravention of anti-money-laundering regulations. Both companies were found not fit to hold their licences. Crown has been fined <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-05-30/crown-casino-fined-80-million-dollars-china-union-pay/101111660" target="_blank" rel="noopener">$80 million</a> in Victoria. Star has been fined <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-10-16/star-casino-set-to-be-fined-100-million/101541354" target="_blank" rel="noopener">$100 million</a> in NSW, and had its licence suspended. Both have been required to undergo extensive “renewal”. They have agreed to adopt cashless gaming to better protect against money laundering. It’s therefore unsurprising the NSW Crime Commission’s principal recommendation is to introduce a cashless system for all electronic gaming machines in NSW. Also unsurprising is that the industry is focused on why it shouldn’t. <h2>Cashless gambling recommended</h2> The NSW Crime Commission’s report recommends a cashless gambling system for pubs and clubs the same as for casinos – consistent with the identification requirements of Australia’s <a href="https://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/C2021C00243" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorism Financing Act</a>. Electronic gaming cards would record amounts loaded and withdrawn, times, turnover, and losses/wins. The maximum amount of cash able to be loaded on to a player’s account in a single day would be $1,000. Josh Landis, the chief executive of ClubsNSW (which represents most of the state’s 1,200 licensed clubs) <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/sydney/programs/breakfast/breakfast/14090002" target="_blank" rel="noopener">has said</a> that such technology has not been trialled, and was uncosted and unproven. But Crown Resorts and Star Entertainment are implementing such systems. Similar systems have been operating successfully in Norway <a href="https://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-571970219/view" target="_blank" rel="noopener">since 2009</a>, and in Sweden <a href="https://aifs.gov.au/resources/policy-and-practice-papers/pre-commitment-systems-electronic-gambling-machines" target="_blank" rel="noopener">since 2013</a>. Victoria has already implemented a card-based <a href="https://www.yourplay.com.au/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">precommitment system</a>, incorporating most necessary characteristics. Every poker machine in the state is linked to this system. Its flaw is that it is voluntary, allowing those who wish to clean dirty money, or avoid a limit, <a href="https://www.justice.vic.gov.au/safer-communities/gambling/evaluation-of-yourplay-final-report" target="_blank" rel="noopener">to simply opt out</a>. <h2>It’s not just about money laundering</h2> Money laundering isn’t the only reason to introduce cashless gaming systems. On any day in NSW, <a href="https://www.responsiblegambling.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0008/881279/NSW-Gambling-Survey-2019-report-FINAL-AMENDED-Mar-2020.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">hundreds of thousands of people</a> are experiencing significant gambling harm, mostly using poker machines. Many hundreds of thousands more – <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/14459795.2017.1331252" target="_blank" rel="noopener">partners, children, employers</a> – are also harmed as a consequence. A pre-commitment system incorporating all the features of the NSW Crime Commission’s cashless model would stop money laundering and also help those struggling to control their gambling. For those who want to stop it would provide a truly effective gambling self-exclusion system. The Tasmanian government <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-09-16/tasmania-pokies-gambling-limits-reform-explained/101446788" target="_blank" rel="noopener">has promised to implement</a> a statewide system by 2024. <h2>A matter of political commitment</h2> The real test here isn’t technology. It’s political will. NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet has expressed concern at the <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/politics/nsw/premier-says-pokies-taxing-on-the-misery-of-others-vows-to-do-better-20221002-p5bmjz.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">exploitation of vulnerable people</a> via gambling. Opposition leader Chris Minns has <a href="https://www.theage.com.au/politics/nsw/coalition-labor-set-to-be-wedged-on-cashless-gaming-card-as-crossbench-pushes-for-reform-20221027-p5bteh.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said the crime commission’s report is concerning</a> but will not commit to a cashless card. ClubsNSW and the Australian Hotels Association are two of Australia’s most powerful lobby groups. According to an <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-11-23/how-gambling-industrys-biggest-political-donors-influence-votes/100592068" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ABC investigation</a>, they have doled out about a third of $40 million in political donations disclosed by gambling-related organisations over the past two decades. Since 2010, ClubsNSW has signed <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/the-million-dollar-men-who-run-the-clubs-industry-20221011-p5bowp.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">memorandums of understanding</a> with incoming governments to protect its members interests. In the first six months of 2022 (the <a href="https://nswgov.sharepoint.com/sites/GamingMachineReports/Shared%20Documents/Forms/AllItems.aspx" target="_blank" rel="noopener">most recent data</a> available), people in NSW lost $4 billion using pokies – $2.4 billion in clubs, $1.6 billion in pubs. This is 23% more than the same period in 2019, before pandemic restrictions. Yet according to the Australian Hotels Association, the industry is on “<a href="https://www.afr.com/chanticleer/why-a-pokie-crackdown-will-have-pub-owners-nervous-20221026-p5bt48" target="_blank" rel="noopener">on its knees</a>” and being told to introduce “an unproven, untested, un-costed and unnecessary cashless system”. In NSW, gambling operators are not permitted to donate to state political campaigns. But ClubsNSW (and its member clubs) can because they are “<a href="https://www.elections.nsw.gov.au/Funding-and-disclosure/Political-donations/Unlawful-political-donations/Prohibited-donors" target="_blank" rel="noopener">not for profit</a>”. If this continues, political parties will be open to the allegation that they, like clubs, are benefiting from the proceeds of crime. Pokie operators have billions of reasons to assert this is no big deal. Politicians should take a different view. This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/pubs-and-clubs-your-friendly-neighbourhood-money-laundering-service-thanks-to-86-640-pokies-193312" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>. Image: Shutterstock

Legal

Why is ‘Blonde’ Netflix’s Marilyn Monroe biopic rated NC-17 instead of TV-MA?

The NC-17 rating has <a href="https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/envelope/la-xpm-2013-oct-25-la-et-ct-blue-is-the-warmest-color-nc17-20131023-story.html">historically</a> been a film certification that’s bad for business due to its adults-only label and pornographic stigma. Yet Netflix’s Marilyn Monroe biopic, “<a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1655389/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0">Blonde</a>,” will carry the rating – a first for the company. On Sept. 28, 2022, it will debut on its streaming platform, following a Venice Film Festival premiere. Based on Joyce Carol Oates’s <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/books/second-read/joyce-carol-oatess-blonde-is-the-definitive-study-of-american-celebrity">2000 book</a> and starring <a href="https://www.indiewire.com/2022/02/blonde-nc-17-ratings-rumor-untrue-ana-de-armas-1234698562">Ana de Armas</a>, the film reportedly includes a <a href="https://www.indiewire.com/2022/02/blonde-nc-17-ratings-rumor-untrue-ana-de-armas-1234698562/">graphic rape scene</a> and a <a href="https://www.empireonline.com/movies/news/marilyn-monroe-movie-blonde-create-controversy-says-ana-de-armas-exclusive">vaginal point-of-view shot</a> in its treatment of the Hollywood icon’s life and career. <a href="https://search.asu.edu/profile/1250151">I study the rating system</a> and am the author of “<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Naked-Truth-Hollywood-Doesnt-X-rated/dp/0813540895">The Naked Truth: Why Hollywood Doesn’t Make X-Rated Movies</a>.” Movies carrying the NC-17 rating were often difficult to screen and promote, as they were locked out of some movie theater chains and traditional advertising. The critically acclaimed, sexually graphic “<a href="https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/envelope/la-xpm-2013-oct-25-la-et-ct-blue-is-the-warmest-color-nc17-20131023-story.html">Blue is the Warmest Color</a>” in 2013 was the last serious film released with the rating. Despite making over $2.2 million on 142 screens, its relative success as an NC-17 film didn’t fuel the production of any more movies like it. So why would Netflix resurrect a rarely used, contentious, and restrictive NC-17 for “Blonde”? Netflix’s 2020 film “<a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt9196192/">Cuties</a>,” which caused <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2020/9/11/21431174/cancel-netflix-cuties-movie-maimouna-doucoure-backlash-petition">a PR crisis</a> over the perceived hypersexualization of young girls, now has a “TV-MA” rating on the streaming service. Why wouldn’t the company simply use the same rating for “Blonde”? <h2>From ‘X’ to ‘NC-17’</h2> The NC-17 is one of five ratings – the others are G, PG, PG-13 and R – that the <a href="https://www.motionpictures.org/film-ratings/">Classification and Rating Administration</a>, a division of the <a href="https://www.motionpictures.org/">Motion Picture Association</a>, assigns to films submitted for certification. NC-17 means “No one 17 and under admitted.” This classification prevents children from purchasing a ticket or entering a theater, even if accompanied by an adult. It replaced the X rating in <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/1990/09/27/movies/a-no-children-category-to-replace-the-x-rating.html">1990</a>, which had been the adults-only marker since Motion Picture Association of America President <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/27/movies/27valenti.html">Jack Valenti created the rating system in 1968</a>. <figure class="align-right zoomable"><figcaption>E</figcaption></figure> However, Valenti’s failure to copyright the X made it possible for any film to carry the adults-only rating without its distributor having to officially pay the Classification and Rating Administration for certification. This allowed filmmakers to slap it on pornographic films like “<a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0068468/">Deep Throat</a>” to attract viewers and to gain access to the legitimate marketplace. While the X rating could be also assigned for representations of nudity, violence, language, drug use or overall “tone,” this association with hardcore sexual content stigmatized the category’s use by serious filmmakers for years. Valenti hoped renaming the X rating as NC-17 would spur the adults-only rating’s use by the film industry. For the most part, it didn’t, with a few notable exceptions like “<a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0114436/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0">Showgirls</a>” (1995), “<a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0275491/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_5">Bad Education</a>” (2004) and “<a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1723811/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0">Shame</a>” (2011). Instead, practically all distributors whose films were initially awarded an NC-17 by the Classification and Rating Administration chose one of three options: to re-edit their films down to an R rating, to release an R-rated and unrated version for home video or DVD, or simply to surrender the rating altogether and release the film theatrically without one. It was commonly believed that an unrated film would encounter <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/1350195#metadata_info_tab_contents">fewer barriers</a> to exhibition in the U.S. marketplace than an NC-17 one. <h2>An eye toward awards season</h2> Netflix, though, is not a movie theater. It is a streaming service that requires no admittance in the traditional sense, has no employees patrolling its screenings for underage viewers, and shifts the responsibility of denying access to its content to subscribers themselves. Netflix offers <a href="https://help.netflix.com/en/node/264">parental controls</a> so users can restrict access to certain content for each profile in their accounts. Significantly, many Netflix films with mature content carry a “TV-MA” rating. The <a href="http://www.tvguidelines.org/">TV Parental Guidelines Monitoring Board</a> developed the designation, meaning “For mature audiences. May not be suitable for ages 17 and under.” It’s recognizable to viewers of television series like AMC’s “<a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3032476/">Better Call Saul</a>,” FX’s “<a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt15892444/">American Horror Story</a>” or even Netflix’s “<a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5071412/">Ozark</a>.” So why wouldn’t Netflix apply a maturity rating from television to “Blonde”? The answer is simple: Netflix likely sees the film as an Oscar contender. Per the <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/oscars-2023-theatrical-release-other-rule-changes-1235149530/">Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ rules</a>, to qualify for the Academy Awards, “Blonde” must have a theatrical run, even if that run is extremely short. <a href="https://variety.com/2019/biz/news/netflix-mpaa-1203114133/">In 2019</a>, Netflix joined the Motion Picture Association – the first and only streaming service to do so. So if it decides to release its films theatrically, Netflix must do so with a rating, just like the legacy member companies: Disney, Paramount, Sony, Universal and Warner Bros. With its TV-MA-rated “<a href="https://www.netflix.com/title/80195049">Ibiza: Love Drunk</a>,” “<a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt9196192/">Cuties</a>” and “<a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10886166/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0">365 Days</a>,” Netflix never carried a Motion Picture Association rating because these films bypassed theatrical exhibition altogether in the United States. <h2>Making the media rounds</h2> Netflix undoubtedly is also using the NC-17 for “Blonde” as a marketing ploy – what film scholar Justin Wyatt has called “<a href="https://www.routledge.com/Contemporary-Hollywood-Cinema/NEALE-Smith/p/book/9780415170109">marketing controversy</a>,” a technique used in the past to sell films that received an X or NC-17. Netflix has remained mum on the subject. Instead, “Blonde” director Andrew Dominik and star de Armas have dropped hints to the media about the film’s provocative and sensationalist aspects, while, at the same time, expressing incredulity at the film’s NC-17 rating. Largely the same in an interview for French fashion magazine <a style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;" href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/film-tv/ana-de-armas-movies-marilyn-monroe-blonde-netflix">L’Officiel</a>. “I didn’t understand why [the rating] happened.” Nearly in the same proverbial breath, both director and star have also teased the salaciousness of the subject matter. “It’s an NC-17 movie about Marilyn Monroe, it’s kind of what you want, right?” <a href="https://www.vulture.com/2022/05/andrew-dominik-on-blonde-and-filming-nick-caves-grief.html?utm_source=tw&utm_campaign=vulture&utm_medium=s1">Dominik told Screen Daily</a>. “I want to go and see the NC-17 version of the Marilyn Monroe story.” De Armas, meanwhile, supports Dominik’s unfiltered look at Monroe’s life, <a href="https://netflixqueue.com/blonde-first-look">declaring it</a> “the most daring, unapologetic, and feminist take on her story that I had ever seen.” <h2>‘A little steam to keep the stream’</h2> I wonder, though: Is “Blonde’s” NC-17 really much of a selling point, given what viewers are regularly exposed to in their living rooms? In a streaming landscape littered with sexually explicit TV-MA television series like HBO’s “<a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8772296/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_1">Euphoria</a>” and “<a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt11198330/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0">House of the Dragon</a>,” Hulu’s “<a href="https://theconversation.com/how-prosthetic-penises-in-shows-like-hbos-minx-reinforce-existing-stereotypes-and-taboos-179084">Minx</a>” and “<a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt13659418/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_1">Pam & Tommy</a>,” and even Netflix’s own “<a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10839422/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0">Sex/Life</a>” and “<a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt21030224/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0">How to Build a Sex Room</a>,” it shouldn’t be. Dominik indirectly, but perhaps correctly, undercut his own film’s luridness, <a href="https://www.screendaily.com/features/andrew-dominik-on-his-new-nick-cave-doc-why-blonde-is-a-masterpiece/5167609.article">telling Screen Daily</a>, “If I look at an episode of ‘Euphoria,’ it’s far more graphic than anything going on in ‘Blonde.’” De Armas echoed the same talking points later <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/film-tv/ana-de-armas-movies-marilyn-monroe-blonde-netflix">in her L’Officiel interview</a>: “I can tell you a number of shows or movies that are way more explicit with a lot more sexual content than ‘Blonde.’” This new wave of sexually frank and progressive series, <a href="https://variety.com/2022/tv/news/streaming-shows-sex-positive-how-to-build-a-sex-room-1235344021/">according to Variety television writer Joe Otterson</a>, may be one strategy that streaming companies are using to keep subscribers enthralled in an increasingly competitive marketplace. “It might take a little steam to keep the stream,” Otterson writes. “Blonde” – NC-17, TV-MA or unrated – is just another provocative addition to this pot.<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/185359/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/aIsFywuZPoQ?wmode=transparent&start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe><figcaption>The trailer for ‘Blonde.’</figcaption></figure> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/kevin-sandler-762390">Kevin Sandler</a>, Associate Professor of Film and Media Studies, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/arizona-state-university-730">Arizona State University</a> This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a>. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-is-blonde-netflixs-marilyn-monroe-biopic-rated-nc-17-instead-of-tv-ma-185359">original article</a>. Image: Getty

Movies

Ads are coming to Netflix soon – here’s what we can expect and what that means for the streaming industry

Ads are coming to Netflix, perhaps even sooner than anticipated. The Wall Street Journal has <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/netflix-seeking-top-dollar-for-brands-to-advertise-on-its-service-11661980078" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> that Netflix has moved up the launch of their ad-supported subscription tier to November. The Sydney Morning Herald, meanwhile, is <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/business/companies/netflix-with-ads-is-coming-this-year-here-s-what-we-know-20220902-p5bezy.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reporting</a> that Australia is amongst the first countries likely to experience ads on Netflix later this year. Netflix first announced they would introduce a new, lower-priced, subscription tier to be supported by advertising in April. This was an about-face from a company that had built an advertising free, on-demand television empire. Indeed, it was only in 2020 <a href="https://bgr.com/entertainment/netflix-ads-why-no-commercials-cheap-tier/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">that Netflix CEO Reed Hastings ruled out advertising</a> on the platform, saying “you know, advertising looks easy until you get in it.” The change of heart followed Netflix’s 2022 first quarter earnings report which saw a <a href="https://theconversation.com/in-a-market-swamped-with-streaming-services-netflixs-massive-loss-of-subscribers-is-a-big-deal-181780" target="_blank" rel="noopener">subscriber loss</a> for the first time in over a decade. The addition of ads to the platform is a clear sign of the emerging period of experimentation across the streaming landscape. <h2>How will it work?</h2> It’s important to note that not every Netflix subscription tier will carry advertising. The current plan is there will be one newly introduced and cheaper subscription tier supported by advertising, targeting in the US market around USD $7-9 a month as the price point. This will represent a discount from the current cheapest plan of US $9.99 (AUD $10.99) a month. These prices will be adapted to the different currency markets Netflix operate across and the existing price points in those markets. By bringing a hybrid advertising/subscription tier, Netflix is adopting a business model already present on other streamers like Hulu. Netflix is keeping this a hybrid tier, meaning while the new tier will be cheaper, it will not be free, like ad-supported streaming available on Peacock. Advertising presents complex new technological and business challenges for Netflix, which has not worked in this market before. To enter this new market, Netflix announced advertising would be <a href="https://about.netflix.com/en/news/netflix-partners-with-microsoft" target="_blank" rel="noopener">delivered through a partnership with Microsoft</a>. Partnering with Microsoft allayed some fears around Netflix entering a new media market and gives Netflix access to Microsoft’s extensive advertising delivery infrastructure. Netflix has announced that original movie programming may stay free of ads for a limited period upon release, and that both original and some licensed childrens’ content will remain free of ads. As well as staying away from children’s advertising, which in Australia is highly regulated by government and industry codes, Netflix is also avoiding any advertising buyers in cryptocurrency, political advertising, and gambling. Advertising will run around 4 minutes per hour of content - for context Australian commercial free-to-air TV networks are limited on their primary channels to 13 minutes per hour and 15 minutes per hour on multi-channels between 6am and midnight. Netflix will also have limits on the number of times a single ad can appear for a user and there is expectation that ads for movie content will be delivered in a pre-roll format, not interrupting the feature. <h2>Advertising in the streaming sector</h2> Netflix is not the only subscription service to announce advertising as part of new pricing strategies. Earlier this year <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/business/consumer/disney-raises-streaming-prices-services-post-big-operating-loss-rcna42600" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Disney announced a highly successful quarter</a> from a subscriber uptake perspective, growing by 15 million subscribers, however streaming-induced losses were $300 million greater than estimated. Disney also announced that an ad-supported Disney+ subscription option will become available in December. <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/disney-price-increase-shows-limits-of-subscriber-growth-push-11660256118" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Wall Street Journal reported that</a> the December timeline given by Disney is what drove Netflix to bring forward their ad plans. TV consumers are historically well accustomed to advertising in television - in Australia, commercial free-to-air networks Seven, Nine, and Ten carry advertising, public broadcaster SBS carries a limited amount of advertising, and even pay-TV provider Foxtel is supported by both subscription fees and advertising. Advertising itself is not new to audiences, but it has not been present on a number of premium streaming platforms like Netflix before. Streaming platforms like Netflix and Disney+ are seeking ways to both reach new audiences and to maximise their revenues from each user. There is a belief amongst top executives that providing a cheaper ad-supported tier will tap into the market of audiences who both do not mind advertising and see current subscription prices as too high. There is also evidence from other streaming platforms, such as Hulu and Discovery+, that have offered ad-supported subscription tiers, that these tiers can generate greater average revenue per user <a href="https://baremetrics.com/academy/average-revenue-per-user-arpu" target="_blank" rel="noopener">(ARPU)</a> than higher priced subscription-only tiers. The ARPU is a metric used in the streaming industry that looks at how much money a company makes from each subscriber after deducting business costs. Having higher revenues from a subscriber can be driven by increasing subscription prices, driving subscribers to more expensive subscription tiers, reducing business costs, or by adding additional revenue streams like advertising. In 2021, <a href="https://www.nexttv.com/news/david-zaslav-says-discovery-gets-more-revenue-per-sub-dtc-than-with-cable" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Discovery CEO David Zaslav noted</a> that Discovery+ was generating more revenue per subscriber from their cheaper ad-supported tier than their more expensive subscription-only tier thanks to the advertising revenue. Zaslav commented that advertisers were keen to reach an audience that was largely not accessible through other television means. With this in mind, Netflix and Disney are betting that their ad-supported tiers can perform similarly and increase the revenue they can generate per subscriber. <h2>Experimentation across the streaming sector</h2> Experimentation around established business strategies is ruling the current streaming landscape. HBO Max, under newly merged corporate parent Warner Bros. Discovery, is now switching to licensing content in select markets rather than streaming on its own platform. With the airing of The Lord of the Rings prequel <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-new-lord-of-the-rings-prequel-the-rings-of-power-is-set-in-the-second-age-of-middle-earth-heres-what-that-means-175333" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Rings of Power</a>, Amazon Prime Video is discovering whether its experiment with the most expensive television production ever at US $715 million (AUD $1.05 billion) will pay off with audiences. There is experimentation across the streaming industry in licensing strategies, spectacle television, pricing models and beyond. The results of this experimentation will take time. But what the arrival of advertising on Netflix signals is that established strategy no longer rules the streaming landscape. This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/ads-are-coming-to-netflix-soon-heres-what-we-can-expect-and-what-that-means-for-the-streaming-industry-190236" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>. Image: Shutterstock

"The time for lip service is over": Dylan Alcott serves it up to Centrelink

During his appearance at the Jobs and Skills summit in Canberra, Aussie tennis legend Dylan Alcott delivered an impassioned speech on behalf of all people with disabilities, demanding they be allowed to work more hours without losing their Centrelink benefits. His plea comes as the nation suffers through what's been widely characterised as an extreme labour shortage – with Alcott's rallying cry to change the current rules surrounding employment and the disability pension powerfully underlined by his parting shot that "the time for lip service is over". <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> "My whole life it hasn't changed": Australian of the Year Dylan Alcott has called for an increase in workplace participation for Australians living with a disability during the government's jobs and skills summit in Canberra. Read more on the jobs summit: <a href="https://t.co/iyFrzKUT9l">https://t.co/iyFrzKUT9l</a> <a href="https://t.co/MFdrsEoADy">pic.twitter.com/MFdrsEoADy</a> — SBS News (@SBSNews) <a href="https://twitter.com/SBSNews/status/1565218388716261377?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 1, 2022</a></blockquote> The Australian of the Year suggested that people with disabilities should have the advantage of picking up more work without losing Centrelink payments. Presenting the moving speech to 140 attendees, he spoke passionately about the current state of affairs for people with disabilities in the workforce. “Nearly 4.5 million people in this country have some form of physical or non-physical disability, visible or invisible, and only 54% of them are enrolled in the workforce,” he said “I'm 31 years old, that participation rate hasn't changed in 28 years. My whole life. It hasn't changed. “And to be honest, that's not fair. That really isn't fair. Because people with a disability are ready to have the choice if they want to work, just like anybody else.” “The time for lip service is over to be honest, because we've been getting that for a long time.” Australia's unemployment rate currently sits at 3.4% – however, the unemployment rate of people with disabilities is almost triple that. Alcott suggests the best solution to combat the problem is to allow those on disability support payments to work more hours without losing their benefits. Currently someone on that payment loses 50c in every dollar they earn over $190 a fortnight, putting them off working extra hours. “There are so many opportunities to get out there and work at the moment, yet it's not really translating into people with disabilities getting that chance,” Alcott said. “We need to have the opportunity to get out there and have a crack.” Image: Getty

Money & Banking

“People are going to die”: Over 1000 uncared for after council aged care services end

More than 1000 elderly residents on Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula have been left without care after the local council stopped providing care services and made more than 110 staff redundant. In July, private aged care service providers took over the care of more than 3500 residents who had previously been cared for by the council, with 2063 people transferred to Mecwacare and 1554 to Bolton Clarke, per <a href="https://www.watoday.com.au/national/victoria/nobody-s-checked-i-m-alive-more-than-1000-stranded-as-council-retreats-from-aged-care-20220808-p5b81l.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">WA Today</a>. Aimee Bonfield, a spokeswoman for Bolton Clarke, said “essential services” were being provided for 300 residents, with services starting or scheduled for another 200. “All remaining clients have been contacted and we remain in touch on a regular basis to update on progress and to address any immediate needs,” she said. “Bolton Clarke has a strong track record of understanding local needs and supporting wellbeing and independence for older people on the Mornington Peninsula.” But, at least 1000 residents have been left without care, including Barbara Rimington, who has a fused back from spinal surgery and has undergone surgery for lung cancer and was receiving assistance with cleaning from the council. Since Bolton Clarke took over on July 1, the 77-year-old said she hasn’t received any care and is “one of the luckier ones” because she is still relatively independent. “The council said they are monitoring,” she said. “Pig’s arse they are. Nobody has contacted me to see if I am still alive.” Rimington said she was worried for others who needed help with shopping, since there are limited delivery options available on the peninsula. “Are any of these people eating?” she said. “People are going to die. Some people are totally isolated. It’s an indictment on the whole of society.” 89-year-old Michael Nolan said he and his wife, 85, were left in the lurch by Mecawacare and haven’t received care for more than a month. The council used to provide assistance to Nolan once a fortnight, helping with cleaning and tasks around the home, such as checking smoke alarms, changing light bulbs, and changing bed sheets. “[Mecwacare] has been on the job since July 1 and nothing is happening,” he said. “We have to try and do the cleaning ourselves and we tackle it a little bit at a time, but it takes us days and days to do because I can’t bend down, otherwise I fall over. “Mecwacare has had months and months to prepare for this. “It is typical of the former federal government, they want to give everything over to private enterprise.” Anthony Marsh, the mayor of Mornington Peninsula, said the council decided to “transition” away from using its own staff to prepare for the federal government’s open-market system, and that the council had no say in the providers that would replace them. “The peninsula had no provider other than council delivering these services and we needed to ensure our residents had choice and the advantage of a competitive market environment,” he said. “We did not get a say in the appointment of new providers; that was done by the federal government.” Marsh said the council was assured by both providers and the government that essential services would continue from July 1, and that an offer to keep some staff on “to help with the transition” was turned down. “The welfare of our older residents is a major priority for council, and we will continue to advocate to the federal government to make sure older people receive the support they need to remain independent and involved in the community,” he said. A government spokesman said the government was “continually reviewing” the transition and selection process for councils that chose to exit the Commonwealth home support program and was aware of the situation on Mornington Peninsula. “The department is aware of the transition of clients from Mornington Peninsula Shire council to Mecwacare and Bolton Clarke and is actively working with My Aged Care and the providers on outstanding transition issues,” he said. Image: Getty Images

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"The time for lip service is over": Dylan Alcott serves it up to Centrelink

“People are going to die”: Over 1000 uncared for after council aged care services end

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