Roofing Contractor inHollywood, SC.

HOLLYWOOD, S.C. (WCIV) — A public pool is hosting its first competitive swim team for young swimmers and it's a dream come true for Jennifer Holmes. She turned her pain into power.

"I never imagined that we would actually have a swim team coming from tragedy, overcoming, and becoming a lifeguard," she said. "Now, this season, this summer will be the beginning of a new swim team for many walks of life."

Read more: Officials to break ground on $25M North Charleston Sports Complex on March 1

Holmes learned to swim after her son, Genesis, drowned in 2014. She built a pool in his honor and taught other children to swim. Holmes said she never knew the progress of the Genesis Pool would get so far and it's changed her life forever. Now, she is working on a swim team for kids in the Hollywood area. Many of them never would have learned to swim if it wasn't for Jennifer.

Allison Foster, with Charleston County Parks Health and Wellness, says kids will be refining their skills with breaststroke, freestyle. They will also be encouraged to grow confidence in their swimming. The emphasis is on the team.

"We encourage team building and supporting one another in a welcoming environment," Foster said.

A public pool is hosting its first competitive swim team for young swimmers and it's a dream come true for Jennifer Holmes. (WCIV)

Holmes gives the credit to her son Genesis, who she says has guided her every step of the way.

“To be standing here in front of the Genesis pool and to know that there's going to be a swim team, I know in my heart it's going to change lives and I know that God had a major part of this," she said.

Read more: Aventon Companies announces groundbreaking of its newest community in Charleston.

Holmes says she can hear her son's voice in her ear cheering her on.

"Right now, I know Genesis is saying, 'Mommy get it'."

Swim team conditioning starts in April and the Genesis Pool will be open for the season on May 6. Holmes says she'll be wearing the number 11 for Genesis because that was his number on his basketball team.

Ageism is real in Hollywood. And actresses, no matter how stunning, talented or charismatic, are consistently reminded that there is a silent yet deafening ticking clock on their careers.

Meanwhile, men in Hollywood seem to enjoy a shelf life that's often decades longer than those afforded to women. And as actresses have repeatedly noted, it's not uncommon for men in their 60s to play romantic leads opposite costars who are decades younger.

On Sunday, Michelle Yeoh made it clear she has had it with the double standard. In her history-making acceptance speech for best actress at the 95th Academy Awards, she called out the sexism that often disposes of female veteran powerhouses once they've lost their youthful glow.

"Ladies, don't let anybody tell you you are ever past your prime. Never give up!" the Everything Everywhere All at Once actress said to cheers.

Yeoh, who is also the first Asian woman to win the category, is months away from turning 61. That makes her nearly 21 years older than most female winners — the average age is 39, according to a recent study by Sky News. The average age of male Academy Award winners is 47.

Fortunately for women in film, the gap has closed in the past six years. That's because the best actress awards have gone to women over 40. Frances McDormand won in 2018 and 2021 at 60 and 63, respectively; Olivia Colman was 45 for her win 2019; Renée Zellweger was 50 when she got a statue in 2020; and Jessica Chastain was 44 when she won last year.

But the recent shift at the Oscars is not an indication of a broader, more meaningful change across the industry, Lan Duong, a professor of cinema and media studies at the University of Southern California, told NPR.

Ageism, Duong said, is not going away because films are still made to satisfy the male gaze, which inevitably translates into objectifying women. "It's often a very heterosexual, patriarchal male gaze. And it's often directed at young, mostly nubile women's bodies," she said.

A 2020 study by TENA and the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media found that "[aging] is still fuelled by traditional and outdated stereotypes and preconceptions; particularly in the way the older generation are portrayed in global film and television with little to zero 'real' portrayals or representation of older women on screen."

As part of the study, researchers reviewed the 30 highest grossing films of 2019 in Germany, France, the United Kingdom, and the United States, watching to see if they passed what they call, the "Ageless Test." That required a film to have at least one female character 50 or older who is integral to the plot in such a way that their removal would have significant effect. Also, the character must be humanized, beyond stereotypes.

The findings were grim. Of those characters who were 50 or older, 75% were male. No female characters over 49 appeared in leading roles, while two men 50 or older were featured as leading men. Additionally, female characters in that age range were more likely to be depicted as lonely — 19% — and homebound — 16% — than male characters.

Still, Duong said there is hope that older (or even just middle aged), established actresses will have more opportunities to stay in the picture and in the public eye. It comes down to money.

Duong said the undeniable commercial success of Everything Everywhere All at Once shows that audiences are willing, even eager, to watch a woman like Yeoh, go from being a martial arts queen "to playing an older woman who's struggling as an immigrant mother with her queer daughter."

The arthouse-sci-fi-heartwarming-action movie has has grossed nearly $74 million in the U.S. and more than $106 million worldwide.

Duong added: "It speaks of an audience that is appreciative of moving away from images of women as only objects of desire." Even those who crave more superhero-based action films, are open to seeing different types of women in those roles, Duong noted. In Everything Everywhere All at Once, "Yeoh moves in multiverses, which is not too far from a Marvel movie. But it's infused with energy and fun and melancholy and loss. It's a full-bodied character and it has resonated with people."

Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

WEST HOLLYWOOD, Calif. (AP) — Decamping from her usual base in Milan to show her wares in Los Angeles — only three days before the Oscars — Donatella Versace says she was inspired by the energy, glamour and power of Hollywood. She had plenty of that, but she needed one more thing to make it all work: good weather.

And so, with rain expected on Friday, Versace was forced to move her show ahead by a day. It may have been chaotic, but it was the right move. Her star-studded runway show Thursday took place on a cool but gorgeous Los Angeles evening on a spectacular rooftop overlooking the snow-capped San Gabriel mountains, sleek downtown skyscrapers and the Hollywood hills.

Oh, and daylight ceded to darkness right as the show ended — just in time to turn on the floodlights, blast “Let’s Go Crazy” by Prince and head to cocktails.

The sun was still out when the crowd began making its way up to the roof of the imposing Pacific Design Center on Melrose Avenue, with its distinctive blue glass exterior. Guests jostled to be photographed with the stunning view behind them, and staffers warned them not to step too far backward and fall off the building.

As for the stars, they were on the runway and in the audience.

Naomi Campbell, Gigi and Bella Hadid, Kendall Jenner, Emily Ratajkowski and Irina Shayk strutted the catwalk, in front of a cross-section of notable names from music, film, fashion, sports and beyond.

Causing the most excited stir was Cher, who showed up alongside fellow music luminaries Elton John, Dua Lipa, Miley Cyrus, Lil Nas X and others. From cinema, there were no less than two best supporting actress Oscar winners — Ariana DeBose and Anne Hathaway — plus a favorite for best supporting actor this year, Ke Huy Quan. Former NBA star Dwyane Wade was there with Gabrielle Union. Jeff Bezos, Channing Tatum, Paris Hilton, Pamela Anderson and Lily James (who played Anderson in a Hulu series) were among other notable names.

International court issues warrant for Putin; TikTok's security risks keep raising fears; diary from the invasion of Iraq | Top headlines for March 17 & 18, 2023

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In creating her 2023 fall-winter line, Versace harked back to a 1995 collection of Atelier Versace, the label’s couture line, with a campaign starring Madonna. Color choices began with black and included caramel and chocolate, as well as apricot, turquoise and pink. Prints included an animal print from the Versace archive and a falling flower motif.

Gigi Hadid opened the show in a black hourglass jacket and knee-length pencil skirt, a sleek tailored look that gradually segued to more glittery ensembles (she reappeared later in a flowing gown with sheer bodice and sleeves). Campbell came later, in a stunning black gown with elbow-length gloves.

After a cascade of black outfits for both women and men, a sudden burst of bright pink surfaced, in a wool cropped jacket and miniskirt, then a minidress in a tangerine hue. More than halfway through the show came the luxurious, satiny printed dresses — often minis, and accompanied by those elbow-length gloves for added glamour.

Streetwear was nowhere to be seen — this was about luxury — and the long gloves seemed to evoke the Golden Age of Hollywood, which began in the mid-1920s and continued for several decades. Paired with the up-to-there minis, and often accessorized with big sunglasses, the effect was to create what Versace described as “energy from clashing Golden Age glamour with contemporary attitude, and confident power."

How confident? The designer has called this collection a form of armor. As for Los Angeles, Versace has called it “a natural home for us" — a place that makes her feel free and close to nature.

Los Angeles is also, of course, a city of stars — and never more than during Oscar week. The moments before the show felt like a dry run for the Oscars red (or this year, champagne-colored) carpet, with celebrities reuniting or meeting for the first time.

Lipa was shown on social media meeting and sitting next to Cher. Wade, in an orange suit, chatted with DeBose, who wore a see-through fishnet number. And one set of stars seemed particularly thrilled to be meeting: Quan, of “Everything Everywhere All at Once,” and Hathaway, who each expressed their fandom for the other.

“I’m fainting!” Hathaway said when she laid eyes on Quan. “Everyone is so happy for you!”

Quan replied: “I love you so much."

Actor Jonathan Majors has arrived.

He's in not one, but three movies released this year so far.

He plays Kang in Ant Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, the new villain in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. He stars as Damian Anderson opposite of Michael B. Jordan in the third installment in the Creed franchise, and portrays the awkward bodybuilder named Killian Maddox in Magazine Dreams — a drama that premiered at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival and received rave reviews. The film was recently picked up by Searchlight Pictures.

Jonathan Majors drew attention after appearing in the independent film The Last Black Man in San Francisco, which was followed by a string of roles, including Atticus Freeman in the HBO hit series Lovecraft Country — landing him an Emmy nomination in 2021 — and Nat Love in the Netflix western The Harder They Fall.

In an interview with NPR, the 33-year-old Texas native said that his introduction to acting came in the way of a theater class he was forced to take after getting in trouble at school. Acting has been his focus ever since.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

On his path to acting

The spoken word has always been a big part of my life, whether it be the Bible — my mom is a pastor. We are Southern and as anyone from the South knows oration is a big part of our culture. I listened to my granddaddy tell stories on his couch. Singing was a big thing. The church ... and also living in the neighborhood I lived in, apartment complexes, hearing peoples' alacrity with language. This is my culture. This is this is how we operate.

One thing led to another, and then that led to me googling one night, "what is the best drama school for grown ups?" The usual suspects came up. Yale [University] was one of them and it's been the hustle ever since.

On how he picks his roles

You talk about pressure. That's how I pick a role; based on pressure. I look at it and I go, "Oh that's going to be difficult." I'm going to hit the red zone in that. Magazine Dreams, can I be a bodybuilder? I remember reading the script and googling, and thinking, "This is going to be impossible!" Same with Creed. You watch the Rocky film, and you think man, that's so inspiring. But then it can be intimidating when you think [about how] you're supposed to do that.

The complexity of a Damian Anderson [from Creed III], the pressure of folks who have been incarcerated [and are] watching that film. Anderson is based off a couple of folk, but for me, the inspiration was really my stepfather. His name is Joe Young. We used called Mighty Joe Young. He was incarcerated for 15 years before he became my stepfather. I understand what that ankle monitor life is like. I understand what it feels like when the probation officer comes to the crib. I watched him be misunderstood and judged, you know, and his aspirations, his deep, deep aspirations of something greater, that were put on pause because he was incarcerated. With Damian Anderson, I get the opportunity to write a love letter to my stepdad.

On what's drawn him to films in which he plays the villain

I think it's the exploration of the shadow. There's the hero part of you, that's great, but we all have another side of ourselves, and that's the shadow part. It's the part that has our deepest ambitions, deepest drives, deepest wants. Lust is there, greed is there, hate is there. So, to play characters that are already given such pejorative labels, but then to also show the light to that, it adds complexity to our human experience.

On how he juggles the physical demands of his recent roles in Creed III and Magazine Dreams

To transform the body like that, it is a physical, spiritual and emotional transformation. It's a high mountain to climb because there's a standard of perfection. A bodybuilder looks like that. A boxer moves like that, fights like that, looks like that. That takes work. There are 2-o'clock workout sessions where you're just crying on the floor because your abs feel like they've just stopped working. I remember we were doing Creed — there were days where I could not feel my arms.

On how he defines masculinity, after receiving criticism online from Black people for his cover for Ebony magazine

It is fluid. It's balanced, isn't it? There's strength and there's vulnerability. There's awareness, and then there's acknowledgement of ignorance. It doesn't matter how much you weigh or how much you bench press. That's not the point. But, I hear my brothers. We fight and claw for every inch of positive news we get. I don't shy away from this idea of Black masculinity. I'm just living my life. I am male. I am Black.

On his aspirations for the rest of his career

When the young homies are looking at me like, "I want to be like Jonathan Majors," cool man! I'm trying to be like somebody else. I'm trying to be like Sidney Poitier. I'm trying to be like Denzel Washington. I'm trying to be like Philip Seymour Hoffman. I really believe — just do the best you can.

Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

A South Carolina singer took to the “American Idol” stage — and performed an emotional tribute to his mom.

Preston Duffee, 21, sang his own song “Something to Write About,” which he wrote in honor of his late mother, according to video from the episode that aired Sunday, March 5.

“I miss her every day, especially with things like this, how big this is,” Duffee, who is from Hartsville, said on the show. “If my mama was still here she would be really proud and she tell me that she knew I’d get here someday.”

Duffee advanced in the competition after his mom, who he called a big supporter of his music, died by suicide two years ago.

“Music has quite literally saved my life as far as helping me to cope,” Duffee said. “Not only just that — just to eat, put food on the table.”

Duffee said he created “Something to Write About” after his mom’s death. “American Idol” judge Lionel Richie said he was a fan of the contestant’s talents.

“Right on the money,” Richie said. “See, songwriting is a skill and you nail that.”

Fellow judge Katy Perry said the performance reminded her of fellow judge Luke Bryan. In fact, Duffee said he’s been compared to the country star; his original song even included the lyrics: “He gave me a flashback of our little Rat Pack and all the memories we made and the Luke Bryan songs we sang.”

While Duffee received praise for his guitar performance, Bryan warned that there are other country singers in the competition.

“You’ve got a really bright future as a songwriter,” the judge said. ”And your voice will grow and be stronger.”

After advancing to the next round of auditions, Duffee wrote on Instagram: “I hit the jackpot! I got the golden ticket and I’m heading to Hollywood!”

Hartsville is roughly 70 miles northeast of Columbia.