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Back to Press Play with Madeleine Brand

Press Play with Madeleine Brand

Whistler's Mother and the Place Where McDonald’s and Whole Foods Meet

Painter James McNeill Whistler’s famous 1871 portrait of his mother is currently on display at the Norton Simon Museum in Pasadena, on loan from the Musee d’Orsay in Paris. In honor of Mother’s Day this Sunday , we get a primer on the painting’s history.

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By Madeleine Brand • May 7, 2015 • 36m Listen

Today, we begin with a look at how police shootings of unarmed citizens over the past two years has created a whole wave of activists that use social media to galvanize protesters. Then, painter James McNeill Whistler’s famous 1871 portrait of his mother is currently on display at the Norton Simon Museum in Pasadena, on loan from the Musee d’Orsay in Paris. In honor of Mother’s Day this Sunday, we get a primer on the painting’s history. And finally, two food outlets are moving in opposite directions: McDonald’s is planning to serve kale bowls, while Whole Foods plans to open a chain of less expensive stores. What’s driving these grabs for new customers?

Banner Image:"Whistlers Mother high res" by James Abbott McNeill Whistler - Musée d'Orsay. Licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons

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    Madeleine Brand

    Host, 'Press Play'

  • KCRW placeholder

    Jolie Myers

    Managing Producer, 'Press Play'

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    Matt Holzman

    Producer, 'The Document'

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    Anna Scott

    Former KCRW Housing and Homelessness Reporter

    News
Back to Press Play with Madeleine Brand