Mary Ann Bevan was a mother-of-four who, after suffering from the disfiguring disorder acromegaly, took up the title of “the ugliest woman in the world” in order to provide for her family. Despite her unfortunate title and the disgusted looks of spectators, she earned an impressive $50,000 in her lifetime, which is roughly equivalent to $800,000 today. Unfortunately, in the early 2000s, Mary Ann’s image was used on a birthday card made by Hallmark Cards, an act which was met with outrage by a Dutch physician due to Mary Ann’s condition. Read full article here
Oddities
Why Do Modern Pop Songs Have So Many Credited Writers?
The music industry has changed dramatically over the last few decades – with the number of songwriters credited on number one hits more than doubling. This is due to a combination of factors, including money, the computer and a changing definition of what songwriting is. For example, if The Beatles’ classic “I Feel Fine” was released today, it would likely have four writers credited instead of two, due to the influence of producers, samples and interpolations. With the rise of lawsuits, artists now preemptively add songwriter credits to their songs, even if the similarities between their song and the source material are coincidental. It all goes to show that the music industry is becoming more complex and competitive. Read full article here
Merv
March 29, 2023
