Nordstjernan

Women rule Sweden
Sweden might be one of the world’s few matriarchies, as at the moment it is completely ruled by women. “It was an easy meeting,” said Minister of Justice Beatrice Ask, after a government meeting the other day. Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt and all other men from the government are on vacation, and the Swedish “summer government” consists of five women – therefore the unusually easy-going half hour long meeting. “Women express themselves much simpler than men,” Ask explained. The women launched the proposal that sentenced drunken drivers ought to not have their driver’s license taken away if instead they have a breath alcohol ignition device installed in their cars. “Very rarely do we have only women in the government, tonight we’re doing something together,” said Ask. Of course the women talked about the Littorin scandal (the former Minister of Employment Sven Otto Littorin is rumored to have bought sex, an act punishable with prison in Sweden). “It’s sad to lose a colleague,” said Ask. “We worked well together but his leaving raises a lot of questions.”

Millenium millions
“Män som hatar kvinnor” or “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo” has raked in 802 million SEK ($109,493,211.43), according to the production company Yellow Bird. The first film in a series of three, has been sold to 50 countries with major successes in France, Spain and the US. Yellow Bird has produced the film in cooperation with Nordisk Film, SVT (Swedish Television) and private investors. “I have no comment about SVT’s win in this, but as co-producers they’ve received what they invested and much more,” says Mikael Wallén, CEO at Yellow Bird. According to the agreement with Yellow Bird, SVT has the rights to show the films for seven years.

More sexual incidents in hot weather
The heat wave that Sweden is now experiencing has increased the number of flashing incidents from 39 in January to 127 now in June.

American Christians don’t like Swedish Jesus
The American TV-channel Comedy Central has bought the animated series “JC”, which is written by Swedes Jonathan Sjöberg and Andreas Öhman. But the pilot show has caused rage among Christian groups around the US. The series is about Jesus who decides to return to Earth after having been a slacker in Heaven for 2000 years. He settles in New York City, where he decides to show his father that he is ready to take over the family business. The very thought of Jesus this way, has made conservative believers get together and they are now threatening financial sanctions as well as a boycott of the companies who advertise during the airing of the series. “JC” has also been frequently discussed in blogs and has been mentioned on CNN and in New York Times. A pastor invited by Fox News sharply criticized the series. One blogger wrote: “Would Comedy Center even consider a program that was about Mohammed trying to live a normal life as a regular guy in New York City?” And he answers the question himself: “Absolutely no way.” According to Henrik Bastin, executive producer of “JC”, the purpose is not at all to make fun of Jesus. “It is rather a warm story about Jesus and his complex relationship to his father,” he said.

Swedish News