‘Billions’ Star Challenges Emmys Male-Female Acting Categories

Showtime

Debra Birnbaum, writing for Variety, on how Billions star Asia Kate Dillon has been talking with the Television Academy about the gender specific classifications for acting categories:

That the star would be a contender for the upcoming Emmy Awards is a given — but when Showtime asked which category Dillon wanted to be submitted under, Dillon had to give it some thought. The performer identifies as gender non-binary, and choosing between “supporting actor” and “supporting actress” sparked a conversation — as well as some homework.

And:

Dillon hopes this sparks a larger conversation about category definitions overall, given that writing and directing aren’t gender-specific. “I can only speak to the world in which I wish to live,” says Dillon. “I think this is a really good place to start a larger conversation about the categories themselves, and what changes are possible and what may or may not be coming. I’m excited to see what other people think, and what they want to say once they become aware of this.”

Billions has been great this year and Asia’s character is a clear standout.

Review: John Mayer – The Search for Everything

John Mayer - Search for Everything

What the hell, John?

Let’s journey back for a moment to New Year’s Day, when John Mayer told the world via his Instagram account that his new album, The Search for Everything, would be coming in four-song waves “every month.” Mayer never explicitly said that he would be releasing 48 songs in 2017, but he definitely implied it. Strongly.

What he actually did was release two four-song waves—in January and February, respectively—and then announce a full-length album that would include all those songs, plus a few more. At this point, no one is sure whether Mayer will be continuing with the waves for the rest of the year or not. I don’t think Mayer even knows. On the one hand, CD versions of the new album label it “Vol. 1.” On the other hand, Mayer tweeted on release day: “And that ends an era: August ’14-April ’17.” Since The Search for Everything is an album about Mayer’s breakup with Katy Perry, and since the album is very much a “complete thought” on its own, there seems to be little reason that Mayer would continue this release cycle in any fashion.

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The Chainsmokers Debut at #1

The Chainsmokers have the number one album in the country this week.

Memories is the first album to simultaneously lead both the Billboard 200 and the Top Dance/Electronic Albums chart in nearly three-and-a-half years. The last to do so was Lady Gaga’s ARTPOP, when it debuted at No. 1 on both tallies dated Nov. 30, 2013 (with 258,000 copies sold in its first week).