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7 deadly reads
Sitdown Sunday: Jennifer Pan lied about her life, then wanted her parents dead
The very best of the week’s writing from around the web.
IT’S A DAY of rest, and you may be in the mood for a quiet corner and a comfy chair.
We’ve hand-picked the week’s best reads for you to savour.
1. ‘Oh my gosh. The world can change’
Here’s the story of Eunice Kennedy Shriver, who set up the Special Olympics, and how she created something very special indeed. This 30 for 30 documentary, called Brave in the Attempt, tells the story behind the initiative.
(Grantland, 30 mins viewing time)
Mayor Daniel Crespo was a domestic abuser who battered his wife for nearly 30 years. But when he turned on their son, she took the ultimate step to stop him.
(LA Weekly, approx mins reading time)
Crespo genuinely appeared to believe domestic abuse was acceptable. During his brief stint on Twitter, using the screen name @princeofpr (for Prince of Puerto Rico), he addressed singer Chris Brown regarding Rihanna: “Don’t apologize anymore … People will capitalize in it [sic]. It will die out as everything else.” The family lived in fear of what Crespo might do next.
Jennifer Pan’s parents were Hong Kong immigrants who wanted – and expected – the best from their children. But Jennifer didn’t live up to their standards, and began lying about her life. Then, she decided the only thing she could do was have them killed.
(Toronto Life, approx 27 mins reading time)
As graduation from Grade 8 loomed, Jennifer expected to be named valedictorian and to collect a handful of medals for her academic achievements. But she received none, and she wasn’t named valedictorian. She was stunned. What was the point in trying if no one acknowledged your efforts? And yet, instead of expressing her devastation, she told anyone who asked that she was perfectly fine—something she called her “happy mask.”
It’s the story everyone has been talking about this week – the experiences of 35 women who claim they were assaulted by comedian Bill Cosby. Silent for decades, they say they are “no longer afraid”.
(New York Magazine, approx 30 mins reading time)
Eventually, 12 Jane Does signed up to tell their own stories of being assaulted by Cosby in support of Constand’s case. Several of them eventually made their names public. But they were met, mostly, with skepticism, threats, and attacks on their character.
Remember the New Radicals? They were one-hit wonders, but their influence was pretty remarkable.
(The AV Club, approx 12 mins reading time)
Instead of cultural forces or label indifference, Alexander himself decided he was over being the frontman of a band in the middle of an album cycle: In July 1999, he broke up the group right before the release of Maybe You’ve Been Brainwashed Too’s second single, “Someday We’ll Know.” In a press release, he announced his intention to go into production and songwriting for other artists, while also hinting at burnout with the whole process of trying to scare up a hit record.
Jon Ronson meets the Muslim-American actors who have to play stereotypical chracters in order to get a break.
(GQ, approx 21 mins reading time)
“I said, ‘Whoa, whoa! No! Afghans in America don’t wear turbans. Plus, this guy’s a terrorist. He’s not going to draw attention to himself. You tell the producers I want to bring authenticity to this character.’ The wardrobe supervisor replied, ‘All right, all right, I’ll talk to them.’ “ The message came back from Chuck Norris’s people that the turban was mandatory.
…AND A CLASSIC FROM THE ARCHIVES…
The story of Cecil the lion’s tragic demise has been everywhere this week. Back in 2008, Louis Theroux spent time with big game hunters who go to private game reserves and pay to kill animals. Here were his thoughts at the time.
(BBC, approx mins reading time)
You don’t have to tramp around for a glimpse of a kudu because the farmer who owns all the kudu can drive you to the corner of his property where they’re usually seen. Most safari outfitters offer a menu of game that clients can choose from. It’s like shopping from a catalogue. Looking down these lists is slightly surreal.
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