By C.C. Burnikel
©2019 Tribune Content Agency, LLC
09/25/19

Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle

Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis

09/25/19

ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE:

Release Date: Wednesday, September 25, 2019

ACROSS
1 “I’m so stupid!”
4 Lobbying orgs.
8 Dr. Oz’s faith
13 Craft beer initials
14 Material for tatami 
mats
15 Disney princess 
from Motunui
16 FedEx alternative
17 Former “CBS 
Evening News” 
anchor
19 “I’ll take it from 
here”
21 Twistable cookie
22 Like a thick, 
green lawn
23 “School’s Out” 
rocker
26 Go out with
27 Papier-mâché 
fiesta item
28 Magnified atlas 
image
30 Give a little
31 Item in a folder
35 Garden tool
36 “You Are So 
Beautiful” singer
39 Biblical hymn
42 Breakfast brand 
in the freezer 
aisle
43 Grounded jet
46 Hayride invitation
47 Allergic reaction
50 Capp and Gore
51 Sid Caesar’s 
“Your Show of 
Shows” partner
56 __ puppet
58 Cowhand’s chow
59 Objects of 
adulation
60 Based on a 
common feature 
of their names, 
what 17-, 23-, 36- 
and 51-Across 
are well-suited 
to be?
63 Little kid
64 In the country
65 Cruise stopover
66 Find a place for
67 Dead tired
68 Half-moon tide
69 Each

DOWN
1 Hit the pool
2 “Hamlet” 
character who 
drowns

3 Hesitant
4 Org. concerned 
with students
5 Threepio’s buddy
6 North African 
capital
7 Win every game
8 Letters before a 
viewpoint
9 Motown music
10 Tony who 
managed three 
World Series-
winning teams
11 Ouzo flavoring
12 Hacker’s tool
14 Sport with clay 
targets
18 Iowa campus
20 __ Nashville: 
country label
24 Barista’s 
workplace
25 Go higher
29 “Planet Money” 
network
32 Winter hazard
33 Piece of campfire 
fuel
34 Lines at a hosp.
36 “World of Dance” 
judge, to fans
37 Luxury hotel 
chain

38 Zen paradox
39 “Star Trek” 
stunners
40 Popular beer 
pong choice
41 Test result for a 
HS student
43 Grow 
dramatically
44 “You almost 
got it”
45 42-Across 
cooker

48 Bank holdup
49 Looped in on an 
email, briefly
52 Bus. bigwig
53 Former senator 
Hatch
54 False front
55 Deadly virus
57 Olympic skating 
medalist Michelle
61 Keyboard 
shortcut key
62 Weight room unit

6A — Wednesday, September 25, 2019
Arts
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

“Britney Runs a Marathon” has almost all it 
needs to be a success. Sure, stories like this have 
been told before and stories like this will be told 
again. But the cast, led by Jillian Bell (“22 Jump 
Street”) as Britney, breathes life into the cookie-
cutter characters, melodramatic dialogue and 
stale, situational comedy set in New York. There’s 
certainly laughs to be had as Britney decides to 
change her life by running the New York Marathon. 
“Britney Runs a Marathon” works best when Bell 
and the cast embrace genre tropes like self-love and 
the value of friendship and just have fun with it. 
The problem with “Britney Runs a Marathon” isn’t 
its familiarity — the problem is its ambition.
The film attempts to tackle issues like body 
image, mental health, substance abuse and social 
media culture all at the same time. It does so in a 
serious way, without levity or satire. There is such 
an influx of topics, though, that any sort of depth 
is impossible; each is more like a plot device than 
meaningful content. Even Britney’s body image 
struggle, the driving force of the story, is half-

baked. Britney’s entire character arc depends on 
her desire to change her BMI. They had to get it 
right, yet the movie falls flat on its face. 
The story begins with a doctor telling Britney 
she should lose weight. Britney rejects this, saying 
that all body types are beautiful. This a valid point, 
but Britney discards it in the very next scene, when 
she has an unprompted breakdown and suddenly 
begins running. 
The editing tries to salvage things, supplying 
reasons for the epiphany. The film cuts to an 
unhappy Britney, drowning in snacks and alcohol. 
It appears Britney is both fighting being overweight 
and substance abuse issues simultaneously by 
going on a run. The plot backs this viewpoint up. 
As Britney sheds the pounds, her alcoholism simply 
disappears. No need for counseling or rehab. It’s 
just that easy.
Problematic implications aside, editing cannot 
be the only source of character motivation. Too 
much is left up to the viewer. It’s impossible to 
connect the dots as to why exactly Britney starts 
training for the marathon. 
Britney’s victories feel hollow because the 
stakes are unclear. Is she doing this to look 
better, feel better, or something else? Near the 
end, a character tells Britney “it was never about 

your body.” She seems to agree, but that idea was 
neither built up to or returned to over the course 
of the story. The film began with the doctor telling 
Britney to change her BMI, and she apparently 
listened: It’s clearly been about her body, from the 
start. Also, throughout the second act, Britney 
is almost entirely focused on a romance subplot, 
which clouds things even more. 
Britney’s characterization fractures further in 
the third act. To give the narrative some tension, 
Britney acts like a monster to friends, family, and 
strangers. The worst of it is her body shaming 
another woman at a dinner party, hurling lowbrow 
insults that wouldn’t be out of place in a middle 
school cafeteria. This almost destroys the film, 
alienating Britney for the most important stretch 
of the story and throwing any notion of nuanced 
social commentary out the window. When Britney 

suddenly turns back to normal, the change in 
personality is incorporated into her arc in a way 
that’s empty and detrimental to what the movie is 
trying to accomplish. 
In the end, Britney learns to be a healthier, more 
independent person, but not one who isn’t too 
‘cold’ to make friends. None of this is supported 
by the lopsided character development and lack 
of motivation. It all feels phony. The cluttered 
epiphany is never tied together, and is mostly 
ignored in the denouement in favor of the romance 
subplot. 
It’s a shame, because even as the plot unravels, 
there are some genuinely funny scenes and moments 
where the performances ring with authenticity. But 
it’s not enough to save the script. “Britney Runs a 
Marathon” could be enjoyed in passing, but most 
likely will not be remembered.

‘Britney Runs a Marathon,’ but I couldn’t tell you why

ANDREW WARRICK
For the Daily

FILM REVIEW

AMAZON STUDIOS

‘Britney Runs a Marathon’

State Theatre, GQT Quality 16, Ann Arbor 20+ IMAX

Amazon Studios

“The Masked Singer,” a reality show from South Korea 
(the country that seems to have perfected the form in 
recent years), is back on Wednesday for its second season. 
The premise is simple: Groups of celebrities perform 
anonymously in elaborate costumes while the judges 

and viewers try to guess their identity. Each week, two 
“face off” in a competition, and the loser is eliminated and 
de-anonymized, providing most of the show’s memorable 
moments. Beyond that, I really knew nothing else before 
watching the season two sneak peek, which recapped 
the first season and introduced new contestants, and 
I realized that I don’t really know how to judge reality 
TV at all. So, here are a couple questions I simply want 
answers to by the end of this season.
My first question is: Who is blackmailing Nick 

Cannon? To be honest, for the C-list celebrities, notable 
and formerly beloved Steelers wide receivers and Terry 
Bradshaws who make up most of the contestants, 
the entire deal seems like a good amount of fun. This 
includes Ken Jeong, who plays a supercharged clueless 
version of what I imagine my own dad would be like as 
a judge. But Nick Cannon looks like he’s struggling out 
there. It’s not that he’s not enthusiastic or charming like 
on “America’s Got Talent” or similar shows, but there’s 
a look of desperation and existential questioning that’s 
distracting.
My next question, a rather short one that I think 
I already have the answer to is: Is Robin Thicke, one 
of the regular judges, really a human being? I’m 99 
percent sure the answer is no, and this “sneak peek” 
hasn’t changed my mind one bit. While Nick Cannon’s 
dead eyes are a cry for help, Robin Thicke’s even 
deader eyes, flatter monotone, and general lack of any 

sort of genuinely appearing emotion are because he is 
an automaton. In any case, I’m looking forward to more 
evidence.
Perhaps the most important question is: Where the hell 
have I been? Apparently, this show was a really big deal? 
Noted anti-vaxxer Jenny McCarthy mentions that she 
has been told that broken family units have been brought 
together because of this show? Apparently, it was one of 
the highest rated shows on TV during the first season? As 
someone who considers himself mildly culturally aware, 
is such a perception complete nonsense? Is this entire 
thing just a fever dream? Is Nicole Scherzinger actually 
complimenting LaToya Jackson dressed up as an alien on 
her stage presence while Ken Jeong ponders whether she 
is Kate Moss or Paula Abdul? Or am I watching some sort 
of interdimensional cable?
For all the answers to these questions and more, looks 
like Wednesdays at 8 p.m. will be your stop.

Who blackmailed Nick Cannon? (And other concerns)

SAYAN GHOSH
Daily Arts Writer

TV NOTEBOOK

The University of Michigan’s historic Symphony Band’s first 
performance of the year is set to take place on Sept. 27 in Hill 
Auditorium. The theme of the evening is “Almost Baroque.”
Jordan Smith is a first year special in flute performance, having 
previously completed a Masters degree at the University. After a 
ninth month hiatus from Symphony Band, Smith is thrilled to be 
stepping back on the Hill Auditorium stage. 
“My favorite part of being in Symphony Band is being immersed 
in music making at the highest level,” Smith said. “My colleagues 
are truly inspirations to me. Every instrumentalist in this ensemble 
is a professional.”
The band makeup ranges from grad students and specialists, 
like Smith, to a few talented underclassmen. Jason Frazier, a 
sophomore pursuing a Bachelor of Music degree in saxophone 
performance, is one of these underclassmen. This is his first term 
in Symphony Band, and he is thrilled at the opportunity to be a part 
of such a historic ensemble.
“I think our history sets us apart from other instrumental 
groups, and part of our history is being pioneers in the American 
band movement,” Frazier said. “Dr. Revelli, the original director 
of the symphony band, was very adamant about each instrument 
having its own professor dedicated to that instrument. That 
insistence made U-M the first university in the United States to 
have a professor that only taught saxophone and to offer a degree 
program in saxophone performance.”
As a young saxophone player, Frazier recognizes those who 
came before him who pushed for his instrument to be included in 
the band. 
“I think the most challenging thing for me so far has been 
having to fill in the really big shoes that this ensemble has. This 
is such a historic ensemble, and it was key in the establishment of 
the saxophone as a legitimate concert instrument,” Frazier said. “It 
really is an honor to be part of that history.”
Professor Michael Haithcock directors the University Symphony 

Band. As one of the top bands on campus, the group works hard to 
maintain a level of excellence. 
“The Symphony Band differs from most ensembles on campus 
because of trust. Professor Haithcock trusts us and expects us to 
be ready for each rehearsal coming in with questions or ‘hitting 
the save button’ on things we rehearsed one day and not having to 
repeat those same things,” Smith said. “This ensemble has a very 
long legacy of being one of the greatest ensembles at the collegiate 
level.”
“(Professor Haithcock) picked Igor Stravinsky’s Concerto for 
Piano as the ‘anchor piece’ for the concert, and then he built the 
theme around that. Since the Stravinsky is heavily influenced by 
J.S. Bach and Baroque forms, he thought to have the rest of the 
program be influenced by Baroque music to some extent,” Frazier 
said. The evening will consist of a wide variety of classical music, 
featuring pieces such as Ralph Vaughan Williams’s “Toccata 
Marziale,” Anne Clyne’s “Masquerad,” and David Maslanka’s 
“Traveler.” 
The concert will also feature a pre-concert talk at 7:15 p.m. in 
the lower lobby of Hill Auditorium with Dr. Liz Ames, the piano 
soloist for the Stravinsky Concerto, Professor Haithcock and 
Michael Daugherty, the composer of the last piece on the concert. 
The talk-back and concert are both free, ensuring no one has to go 
“baroque” to see it. With a dedicated group of students, a fantastic 
line-up and a legacy of excellence to back them up, every Symphony 
Band concert is history in the making.

It’s all happening: ‘Almost Baroque’

DANA PIERANGELI
Daily Arts Writer

COMMUNITY CULTURE PREVIEW

FOX

‘The Masked Singer’

FOX

Wednesdays @ 8 p.m.

Season 2 Sneak Peek

“Almost Baroque”

University of Michigan Symphony Band

Sept. 27 @ 8 p.m.

Hill Auditorium

Free

