#I love Kate Lister so much

[batmanisagatewaydrug]

Do you have a list of good sex ed books to read?

BOY DO I

please bear in mind that some of these books are a little old (10+ years) by research standards now, and that even the newer ones are all flawed in some way. the thing about research on human beings, and especially research on something as nebulous and huge as sex, is that people are Always going to miss something or fail to account for every possible experience, and that's just something that we have to accept in good faith. I think all of these books have something interesting to say, but that doesn't mean any of them are the only book you'll ever need.

related to that: it's been A While since I've read some of these so sorry if anything in them has aged poorly (I don't THINK SO but like, I was not as discerning a reader when I was 19) but I am still including them as books that have been important to my personal journey as a sex educator.

additionally, a caveat that very few of these books are, like, instructional sex ed books in the sense of like "here's how the penis works, here's where the clit is, etc." those books exist and they're great but they're also not very interesting to me; my studies on sex are much more in the social aspect (shout out to my sociology degree) and the way people learn to think about sex and societal factors that shape those trends. these books reflect that. I would genuinely love to have the time to check out some 101 books to see how they fare, but alas - sex ed is not my day job and I don't have the time to dedicate to that, so it happens slowly when it happens at all. I've been meaning to read Dr. Gunter's Vagina Bible since it came out in 2019, for fucks sake.

and finally an acknowledgement that this is a fairly white list, which has as much to do with biases with academia and publishing as my own unchecked biases especially early in my academic career and the limitations of my university library.

ANYWAY here's some books about sex that have been influential/informative to me in one way or another:

The Trouble With Normal: Sex, Politics, and the Ethics of Queer Life (Michael Warner, 1999)

Virginity Lost: An Intimate Portrait of First Sexual Experiences (Laura M. Carpenter, 2005)

Virgin: The Untouched History (Hanne Blank, 2007)

Sex Goes to School: Girls and Sex Education Before the 1960s (Susan K. Freeman, 2008)

Bonk: The Curious Coupling of Science and Sex (Mary Roach, 2008)

Transgender History: The Roots of Today's Revolution (Revised Edition) (Susan Stryker, 2008)

The Purity Myth: How America's Obsession with Virginity is Hurting Young Women (Jessica Valenti, 2009)

Not Under My Roof: Parents, Teens, and the Culture of Sex (Amy T. Schalet, 2011)

Straight: The Surprisingly Short History of Heterosexuality (Hanne Blank, 2012)

Rewriting the Rules: An Integrative Guide to Love, Sex and Relationships (Meg-John Barker, 2013)

The Sex Myth: The Gap Between Our Fantasies and Realities (Rachel Hills, 2015)

Come as You Are: The Surprising New Science That Will Tranform Your Sex Life (Emily Nagoski, 2015)

Not Gay: Sex Between Straight White Men (Jane Ward, 2015)

Too Hot to Handle: A Global History of Sex Education (Jonathan Zimmerman, 2015)

American Hookup: The New Culture of Sex on Campus (Lisa Wade, 2017)

Buzz: A Stimulating History of the Sex Toy (Hallie Lieberman, 2017)

Histories of the Transgender Child (Jules Gill-Peterson, 2018)

Revolting Prostitutes: The Fight for Sex Workers' Rights (Juno Mac and Molly Smith, 2018)

Ace: What Asexuality Reveals About Desire, Society, and the Meaning of Sex (Angela Chen, 2020)

Pleasure in the News: African American Readership and Sexuality in the Black Press (Kim Gallon, 2020)

A Curious History of Sex (Kate Lister, 2020)

Boys & Sex: Young Men on Hookups, Love, Porn, Consent, and Navigating the New Masculinity (Peggy Orenstein, 2020)

Black Women, Black Love: America's War on Africa American Marriage (Dianne M. Stewart, 2020)

The Tragedy of Heterosexuality (Jane Ward, 2020)

Hurts So Good: The Science and Pleasure of Pain on Purpose (Leigh Cowart, 2021)

Strange Bedfellows: Adventures in the Science, History, and Surprising Secrets of STDs (Ina Park, 2021)

The Right to Sex: Feminist in the Twenty-First Century (Amia Srinivasan, 2021)

Love Your Asian Body: AIDS Activism in Los Angeles (Eric C. Wat, 2021)

Superfreaks: Kink, Pleasure, and the Pursuit of Happiness (Arielle Greenberg, 2023)

[mossmittens]

3, 5, 12, 13 14 for the Ask Game

This one is LONG, sorry all

3. Favorite musical artist / group you started listening to this year?

I'd heard RAYE and Escapism before this year, but I finally started digging into her music for real and was so pleased. Her live performances are magical. Highly recommend her medley at the Brits — the bridge from Ice Cream Man is an earworm that puts me on the floor and the CHOIR for Prada and Escapism. I want to live in it. Maybe I relate to this album too much to be healthy sjkhgfkjgd

Other songs I loved: Josephine Oniyama - House of Mirrors, Labi Siffre - Bless the Telephone, Kacey Musgraves - camera roll, Bob Dylan - Knocking on Heaven's Door, Troye Sivan - Rager teenager!, Sufjan Stevens - Will Anybody Ever Love Me?

5. TV show of the year?

I mean, the Delicious in Dungeon anime coming out this year defined the year for me, so it must be that. I wouldn't have read the manga if the show hadn't swept me away. Genuinely, it is impossible to guess the person I would be today if I hadn't seen it, which feels crazy.

12. Talk about a new friend you made this year

This is like a part 2 to the previous question djghfhjd. I absolutely refuse to choose just one, though. I found a core group of fandom friends that I really adore. Pompoms, making stupid emojis and edits just to make them laugh, forcing them to stream video games for my amusement while I very loudly eat sandwiches into the mic, stupid in-jokes we can't possibly explain without sounding insane. It's a complete pleasure to know them 💞 mwah mwah mwah to you all

But that's not all! I started talking to mutuals I've had for years and made some new ones. I've never really talked to people here before and I always felt like I was shouting into the void. It's been a nice change of pace and I love my little circle to bits.

Sorry for the long-winded answer, but I have so many warm feelings rn!

FYI: My backup accounts are @moss-mittens or @mossmittens2 (for dunmeshi stuff), if you would like to follow them. Won't be posting there unless I get nuked again, so don't worry about double posting. Also happy to share my Discord with moots :)

13. How was your birthday this year?

It was actually a shit day in the moment, but it turned out to be a really special memory. My whole family visited my grandpa, who I share a birthday with. He had a big health scare last December, so we were worried about him not making it to his birthday but he did!!

What makes it special is that he winded up passing two weeks ago. He was my favorite out of an army of grandparents, step-grandparents, ex-step-grandparents. I'm so lucky that I got to spend one last birthday with him, so I'm gonna treasure that stupid, awful day forever.

14. Favorite book you read this year?

A Curious History of Sex by Kate Lister is a complete joy, though I admit I haven't finished it. It's more of a collection of essays on selected parts of sex history than a wide-ranging deep dive, but the writing is easy to get through. It's very sex positive and sex work positive.

On the complete opposite end of the spectrum, I reread The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin. It's a mystery written for children and you can probably get through it in an afternoon. It's just a wonderful and well-constructed story. Highly recommend to people who like to read a mystery and don't try to solve it haha

[ellieellieoxenfree]

WORST book of the year

oh man. i gotta give it to kate lister's a curious history of sex or cristina sandu's the union of synchronised swimmers. lister's book was a boring, overly academic false advertisement -- not so much a history of anything other than a random assortment of vaguely sex-related topics she felt like banging on about, with a heavy dose of virtue signaling sprinkled on top. (my politics may align with hers more than not, but a historian who constantly shoves their progressive credentials in my face exhausts me.) i came for history, not a full chapter about dick bread.

sandu's book sounded really interesting on paper -- a story of half a dozen girls from the soviet bloc training for the olympics while plotting their defection. but i opened it to the author blurb, which was a big blob of humblebragging about her polyglot status, and the warning klaxons went off. then the book was just disjointed and shallow; six characters in a book barely over 100 pages don't give us much breathing room to get to know them or their struggles. it felt like a first draft of some sketches and outlines that should have been used for reference for the full product. if you can't be bothered to write a complete story, why should i be bothered to finish it?

oh! OH. jesus i almost forgot you've got mail: the perils of pigeon post, which i thought was going to be a smutty romcom about a shy late bloomer having sexual shenanigans via ancient china's grindr (sending hand-drawn dick pics through the mail). not great art, but could be fun in a trashy way, right? well, i guess it's 'fun' if you just like ultra-flat protagonists and their asshole love interests, the most unerotic sex scenes possible, and the same joke repeated for 300 pages ad nauseum. (the protagonist is horny! he's obsessive about collecting pictures of dicks!) finding out after i dumped the book back at the library that the author is homophobic and transphobic -- but happy to capitalize on gay identities! -- was the least surprising turn of events all year.

i've mostly forgotten the shitty manga i dropped midway through -- they sure are licensing some mediocre shit these days, huh -- but the Missed Potential Award continues to go to kowloon generic romance. you know how much i love the walled city and how much i want more narratives set there. but i've tried to read this three separate times and it just never lands for me. i've seen so many other reviewers praise its striking sense of place, which confounds me bc nothing about this comes alive for me in that regard. if it weren't advertised as being set in kowloon, i wouldn't assume it was. the story does seem to be angling for some sort of ethically questionable science, which i haven't gotten far enough to untangle, and which SHOULD be 150% my brand. but it's just clumsy and unengaging -- villains too broadly sketched, leads too bland -- and the central mystery just doesn't have a strong enough hook to keep me turning the pages.

[emmashouldbewriting]

It's just a shame Meghan wanted out because she wasn't number one in the heirarchy.

👆🏼 also proves to me that Harry didn’t really want out, and tbf neither of them wanted to be completely out — they wanted to collaborate with the queen lmaoo

Anyway, over the years Harry has had so many opportunities to not take up a big royal role, he was in the military (and I think he was expected to stay way longer in the army but he didn’t have it in him), and after that he spent like half of the year in Africa doing unclear things. I think it ultimately came down to a few things, and that is that William and Kate moved back to London which meant that William got a much bigger presence in the office. It wasn’t just the office for the three of them, William is the boss of KP and Harry the “sidekick” who was there because he’s William’s brother (this is why it was a mistake of them in the first place to create an office together, because they were always going to have to remove Harry from it when William became the Duke of Cornwall). Before WK lived there that hierarchy probably wasn’t as clear as it became, especially considering the press narratives at the time.

Now, the same time as this is happening Kate is pregnant again which means another cute baby who will make Harry less important, which he does care about no matter what he says. And he had met a woman who was willing to marry him, but he wasn’t truthful to her about what it meant (or she didn’t want to understand). So when that realisation finally came that ��yeah it doesn’t matter how many people google our names, we will still not be as important as William and Kate” it was hard for them to understand and buy that, because they had bigged up themselves in their own minds, “modernising the monarchy” or whatever even though no one asked them to. And you know Harry’s the grandson of the queen so he needs to be prominent, completely ignoring the fact that the only grandchild who matters for the monarchy was William.

It can’t be easy to go through life knowing that your older brother have this huge destiny in front of him, will always be more important etc, but you can choose how to deal with it. Harry (and Meghan) choose to throw the tantrum we still see.

you're absolutely right in all of it. harry was expected to have a decorated military career like andrew then quietly retire to royal duties to be a steadfast working royal (and i think we can all say that ~professionally~ andrew was a hardworking royal, and we should all hold respect for him for his military service imo) but harry was such a spoilt little bastard

in the end, he mixed hollywood with royalty and it doesn't work. it worked for grace kelly in monaco because they're kind of celebs anyway, but not for us. harry's problem was marrying a d-lister, not an a-lister

and i'm so glad harry's crusade to be a prominent grandson of the queen has worked out. it's been lovely seeing him in the third row at his father, the king's, coronation

[bibliobethblog]

Happy International Women’s Day everyone. I love seeing everyone’s post on this day of the year and it’s wonderful to celebrate amazing female authors. I was inspired by @bestbookforward to share my #sixliterarywomen or six authors I’d love to invite to a dinner party. I could have picked at least 25 😂 but I’ve gone with the ones that popped out at me today. Hanya Yanagihara - I feel like we could get into such a good discussion of A Little Life. I need to let her know how much it affected me! 😅 Kate Lister - I loved this nonfiction book SO much when I read it last year. I need to talk about it!! Juno Dawson - absolute queen. I’m reading this very soon and am really excited about it! Elinor Cleghorn - this book made myself and @emmasbookishcorner so mad when we read it together. In a good way! 😂 I’d love to get mad with Elinor too. Yaa Gyasi - such a beautiful and fascinating author. Both her novels so far have been so unique. I think she’s incredibly talented. Ayòbámi Adébáyò - her debut novel blew me away and broke my heart. I’m so excited to read her new book, A Spell Of Good Things 😍 I’d also like to give a heads up to all the incredible women I follow here. You’re all amazing and so inspiring! Happy International Women’s Day to you all. 🤗😘 #bookstagramuk #scottishbookstagrammer #bookstackoffavs #femaleauthorsrock #femaleauthorstack #hanyayanagihara #katelister #junodawson #elinorcleghorn #yaagyasi #ayòbámiadébáyò #femaleauthorsinfiction #femaleauthorsilove #internationalwomensday https://www.instagram.com/p/CpigL0Srw2I/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[vampire-skunk]

I once thought I'd love to have Hans over for a dinner party, I'm not sure now. 😂

[yeetlegay]

Hey! Any wlw recs? Fics movies shows anything

ANON WHERE TO BEGIN

Some personal favorites off the top of my head:

Movies:

Carol (2015) - Cate Blanchett, period (1950s), absolutely stunning and iconic lesbian cinema

The Handmaiden (2016) - reimagining of Fingersmith by Sarah Waters, set in Japanese-occupied Korea during the 1930s, brilliant and imaginative and lush

Imagine Me and You (2005) - Lena Headey (Cersei from GoT) being a hot florist, love at first sight, cheesy romcom deliciousness, big warning for cheating tho it’s handled very well imo

Rafiki (2018) - coming of age love story, beautiful and ends on a good note but there’s a LOT of homophobia and some violence so be careful, was the first Kenyan film screened at Cannes which is amazing

Vita and Virginia (2018) - based on the real life romance between Virginia Woolf and Vita Sackville-West, the 1920s fashion + delicious sexual tension 🤌🏻🤌🏻 cw for depiction of depression and suicidal ideation

Tv shows:

First Kill (2022) - SUPPORT THIS SHOW, vampire and vampire hunter fall in love, set in one of my fave cities (Savannah), very camp Romeo & Juliet high school romance just with more blood and fangs

Fingersmith (2005) - British miniseries based on the same novel as The Handmaiden but much closer to the source material, Victorian lesbians ft the most magnificently crafted plot and sexual tension galore, holy shit watch it

Killing Eve - okay this one is a little controversial bc of the ending (which I pretend doesn’t exist) but holy fuck if you like VegasPete, Villanelle and Eve are their even more murderous and batshit crazy cousins. Cat and mouse games between a psychopath assassin and a British intelligence officer (altho she’s actually American but whatever) that I was sure would be queerbaiting, but nope they’re in love. Consider looking up how it ends tho if you need HEAs in your stories

Gap the Series - not out yet but when it is, WATCH IT. Currently in production I think, probably out later this year. It’s Thai and will be available on YouTube with subtitles. Office romance, so many lesbians I’ve lost count and like one (1) man total in the cast.

Gentleman Jack - just dropped season 2 unffff. Period British show based on the life of lesbian Anne Lister, who is one half of the first known gay marriage in England. She’s so fucking hot and butch if you’re not in love with her the second she jumps off that carriage in episode 1…and her love story with shy, repressed wallflower Ann Walker is tender and sexy and complex. Cw for depiction of anxiety and suicide attempt in season 1 (lmk if you’d like the exact ep and time stamp)

Portrait of a Marriage (1990) - a little hard to find but worth the hunt. Based on the romance between novelist Vita Sackville-West (yes, who also had an affair with Virginia Woolf) and her socialite lover Violet. I cannot believe more people don’t talk about this miniseries bc holy shit. Vita and Violet are so fucking in love and their chemistry and love scenes had me gripping the edge of my seat despite the abysmal quality of the version I watched on Dailymotion. Cw for a shitload of cheating, some toxic vibes, and an ending that while mostly historically accurate was still a bummer.

Fics:

Obv I will shamelessly plug my Kinnporsche f/f smut bc I love her and also am desperate for more f/f fic in the ao3 tag so I’m not over here by myself anymore lol

I don’t know what fandoms you’re in but if you’ve watched Word of Honor or read 2ha, holy shit is there some good f/f fic in those tags. Sort by kudos and godspeed friend

Books:

You didn’t ask about books lol but here are some faves of mine anyway

Delilah Green Doesn’t Care by Ashley Herring Blake - hot tatted bi protagonist, very gender, falls in love with cute single mom in her hometown when she comes back for her stepsister’s wedding

One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston - Kate and Leopold but gay and good, butch lesbian from the 1970s gets stuck in time on the subway, grumpy bisexual falls in love with her, makes me reconsider my stance on subway sex bc holy shit.

Dowry of Blood by S. T. Gibson - okay this one is sapphic but in a polyamorous context so if you want, like, zero men then skip this rec. Inspired by the lore around Dracula’s brides, very gothic and queer, Constanta (narrator) is the first bride who’s in love with Dracula but also her fellow brides Magdalena and Alexei. Cw for depictions of emotional abuse and gaslighting, Dracula is a manipulative piece of shit (who would’ve guessed lol)

Hope this helps anon!

[takeaaslice]

lets do a tag thingy, why not!

@annaraksta agged me to list 23 books i am excited to read in 2023 & even though my goodreads to read list is in the hundreds (and i will never get through it all lol) there are some books that i am already planning/wanting to read this year so lets go!

the order is not really in priority i guess, just what pops to mind first/what jumps out while scrolling up & down my tbr

1. Fleabag: The Scriptures by Phoebe Waller-Bridge (was gifted to me by a friend a couple months ago) 2. I'm Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy (have already lined up the audiobook from the library) 3. Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir (i want to read fantasy more & have heard Good Things) 4. Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo  (same as above hah) 5. The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller (has been in my tbr foreveeer & i loved circe so pretty sure this will be a good read) 6. Vengeful by V.E. Schwab (read the first part of the duology recently & enjoyed it very much) 7. Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn (i have read it, but twas long ago & i am itching for a reread) 8. Say Nothing: A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland by Patrick Radden Keefe (i loved his book on the sackler dynasty & am a nonfiction person at heart hah) 9. My Year of Rest and Relaxation by Ottessa Moshfegh (have it lined up at the library so just gotta go & pick it up) 10. Nightbitch by Rachel Yoder (a wild concept & great name, what else can i say) 11. Empireland: How Imperialism has Shaped Modern Britain by Sathnam Sanghera (i am in uk for most of the year, so yeah, lets put this one here as well) 12. The Vampire Knitting Club by Nancy Warren (knitting!!! and cute!! a friend read it & said it was great and cheesy) 13. Finlay Donovan Knocks 'Em Dead by Elle Cosimano (read the first one last year, it was good enough to keep me interested on what happens next) 14. Harlots, Whores & Hackabouts: A History of Sex for Sale by Kate Lister (love the name, interesting topic) 15. Carrie Soto Is Back by Taylor Jenkins Reid (reallly loved the plot description) 16. Kochland: The Secret History of Koch Industries and Corporate Power in America by Christopher Leonard (read some stuff about the kochs last year & i guess i just like reading about depressing stuff hah) 17. The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes (sprinkling in the fantasy) 18. You Play the Girl: On Playboy Bunnies, Stepford Wives, Train Wrecks, & Other Mixed Messages by Carina Chocano (adding back some nonfiction for the balance) 19. Book Lovers by Emily Henry (enjoyed beach read by the same author) 20. Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree (a cheesy fantasy romance) 21. Democracy in Chains: The Deep History of the Radical Right's Stealth Plan for America by Nancy MacLean (i know this topic is depressing about the state of the world and whatnot but i enjoy absorbing this type of knowledge) 22. Cultish: The Language of Fanaticism by Amanda Montell (a lovely cover & an interesting topic) 23. The Raven King by Maggie Stiefvater (lets finish the list with something i am currently reading & i am excited to see how this all ends)

tagging @evilmermaidsinc & @editem to share their lists if they wish 

[batmanisagatewaydrug]

slightly different from the book rec asks but you mentioned Jamie loftus so… any non-fiction podcast recs?

wow the great news is that I am pretty much constantly listening to a nonfiction podcast of one kind or another so this is huge for me. here are some of my faves!

Betwixt the Sheets: The History of Sex, Scandal, and Society - joined by a rotating cast of guest experts, sex historian Kate Lister goes on a romp through history to learn all about the sexual norms and revolutions of yesteryear.

Black People Love Paramore - in episodes that follow the formate of "Black People Love X," host Sequoia Holmes interviews her guests about their passions for pop cultural niches where Black people are often underrepresented, overlooked, or excluded altogether. heavy focus on music, as the title suggests, but topics also include Tony Hawk, pet ownership, and a memorable episode about being a slut featuring Ify Nwadiwe.

Maintenance Phase - truly like the #1 pod I get hype for when new episodes go up. hosted by fat activist Aubrey Gordon and methodology queen Michael Hobbes, focused on investigating and debunking various health and wellness fads as well as fatphobic misconceptions.

Oh No, Ross and Carrie - ONRAC just ended after thirteen and a half years of investigating all kinds of claims about wellness, spirituality, and the paranormal, ranging from self-proclaimed faith healers to exorcists to alien sightings to pet psychics to the creationist Ark-themed theme park in Kentucky. they have a HUGE backlog, great for browsing.

The Sporkful - a short and sweet podcast hosted by pasta enthusiast Dan Pashman, with each episode focusing on a different question, trend, or event from the world of food. despite being a pretty lighthearted show Pashman is admirably unafraid to tackle the less savory side of food culture; I first became aware of the podcast when he scored a searing interview with Sohla El-Wahlly after the revelation of massive workplace discrimination at YouTube's former darling, BA Test Kitchen.

The Stacks - the only book podcast I can currently tolerate. host Traci Thomas chats with authors about their new fiction and nonfiction releases and hosts a monthly book club. very chill listening, but dangerous for your to-read list.

There Are No Girls on the Internet - host Bridget Todd dives deep into tech trends, online outrages, and misinformation moments across the web. for my money, TANGOTI's coverage of the fatalities at Travis Scott's 2021 Astroworld event and the ensuing satanic panic conspiracy theories were some of the absolute best reporting around the event. currently on hiatus, so you have plenty of time to raid the archives!

Vibe Check - poet Saeed Jones and journalists Zach Stafford and Sam Sanders discuss pop culture and politics, answer listener requests for advice, and generally queen out together. you want nuance? the girlies have Nuance. genuinely one of the warmest and kindest podcasts in my rotation.

[astromechs]

please wax poetic about your fave comic characters :)

ok, so, i will start with my blorbo of all blorbos, the namesake of my url that i won't really ever change at this point: nova, aka richard rider. he is the rare case of a character in comics who's been allowed to have longstanding, consistent character development — probably largely because he's a c-lister and a lot of people don't care about him, so the writers that write his stuff usually care a lot about him! which has been my personal blessing (and something i am terrified of being undone when he comes to the mcu, which i know is coming sooner rather than later, and i just have to accept it).

but a lot of why his story is so resonant is because his mental illnesses have been front and center from the beginning, but they don't define him as a character, and at the end of the day, he'll always be super heroic — not because of his powers (which are immense!), but because of his compassion for others and his sheer fucking determination. he starts out as a kid who clearly has anxiety and depression, in addition to issues with his self-esteem/self-worth that always stick with him, then gets space powers randomly, gets space responsibility shoved onto his shoulders, and before long, you've got a very severe case of PTSD. over time, though, he's started to slowly learn that he doesn't have to do everything on his own, that he can accept love from others, and that he can heal, despite his life basically being a trauma conga line from the age of 17.

peter parker aka spider-man was the character who got me into comics in the first place, and he's also worth a mention here. i love that peter isn't always the most likeable person (he's angry, when he lashes out he says awful shit he doesn't really mean, particularly in his younger years he had a chip on his shoulder about a mile wide, and, like, frankly, he's not very nice a lot of the time), but he's full of kindness and purpose. (when talking about peter parker, i always say there's a difference between being a nice person and being a kind person; peter's not a particularly nice person, but he is a very kind one.) plus, he masks his sadness in jokes, he's just like me fr

now i'll talk about my two favorite dc characters, just to make this equivalence fair: clark kent aka superman and diana prince aka wonder woman. they are two different characters, and they represent different facets of hope. clark, boy from kansas, child of earth more than krypton, loves humanity and that's more important than anything above all. diana, champion of justice, who believes you can always find another way. i think these two characters in particular get misunderstood a lot, and it always upsets me when that happens — but for the writers who get them, thank you.

also on the dc side, kate kane, aka batwoman, means so much to me. she was the first time i really saw myself in a comic book, an out lesbian superhero (!!), and the impact of that can't be overstated. her story doesn't shy away from her identity — she chooses to live a life that's true to herself, even though it costs her the career she wants — but rather than being defined exclusively by her sexuality, as a lot of these things tend to go, she's defined by her compassion for others and her desire to serve. an amazing character, and... where are you, kate? why is no one writing you a solo book anymore, kate? i MISS YOU

finally, a more recent love, but scarlet witch aka wanda maximoff. not what the mcu threw at us (don't even talk to me about mcu wanda), but �� comic book wanda. the wanda who's marginalized, who has intense and at times chaotic emotions, who's been through a lot of tragedy in her life (and, frankly, a lot of sexist bullshit by a lot of male writers who don't know what to do with a powerful woman!!), but works to heal and find family and inner peace. i tend to really love characters with immense power and a complicated relationship with dealing with said immense power, and wanda has immense story potential. hire me, marvel; i have ideas

reverse unpopular opinion meme!

[some-days-we-get-sundays]

Thoughts on Wildmoore in the latest ep + other random thoughts.

I love that Sophie pulled Ryan into her for that hug. When Sophie got in Ryan’s face I was like kiss her, kiss her to shut her up and make her feel better lol. But the hug was good too. I really love that Sophie knows Ryan is Batwoman. Yes it would have been fun to get some more teasing out of it before she just told her she knew, but there is so much that could not be done if Sophie didn’t know. Now she can be part of the team and I absolutely adored Sophie quarterbacking from the bat cave. Sophie’s “talk to me” had be swooning. They’re a good team. I like that Sophie stood up for herself against Ryan (didn’t I say that if Ryan started blaming Sophie that would be bogus. I love how Sophie was like that’s where I draw the line) and then Ryan ends up not blaming Sophie but blaming herself. I just really like that Sophie isn’t scared to stand up to Ryan because Ryan can be a bit intimidating when you do things she doesn’t like. And it comes off like Sophie tries to please Ryan at times so I’m glad that she put her foot down like don’t blame this shit on me. They have a really raw and honest dynamic between them. It’s easy to be friends when you both agree and never fight and everything is plain and simple- but I actually really love the conflict that often occurs between them. It makes it more real and also makes the relationship more interesting if they do end up romantically falling for one another. They challenge each other and hold each other accountable. 

I like that Sophie actually listens to Ryan about the Crows shit. She doesn’t usually argue back because she knows Ryan is right. And I like that it doesn’t just go in one ear and out the other. You can see the wheels in Sophie’s head turn when Ryan calls something out and Sophie has to pause like wow, she’s right. Sophie is a realllly good character. She admits flaws and tries to amend them. And Ryan is so flawed and I love it a lot. It’s like they said in that panel: LGBTQ characters don’t have to be perfect- they are allowed to be problematic and have flaws because in real life that’s how we are. I just see so much of myself in Ryan because I am hot headed and I can be wrong and hard headed and I'm an asshole sometimes and I’m always challenging people on stuff but I love deeply and fiercely and it’s just refreshing to see her have a personality that isn’t cookie cutter and boring. 

I do hope that before the season is over that Ryan really starts to recognize and appreciate more of what Sophie has sacrificed. She quit the Crows, she went against everything that she knew and believed in, she puts herself at risk constantly and I want to see Ryan acknowledge that a bit more. Sophie has had Ryan’s back through and through since the start of season 2 and she doesn’t always get enough credit from Ryan (I also recognize that Ryan has a right to be pissed). I’m not saying Ryan needs to pat Sophie on the back and give her cookies for doing the right thing but come on Ry- Sophie really goes out on a limb for her. I hope we build off the hug and build off Sophie quitting the Crows. I don’t want steps backwards and I don’t want any more of Ryan beating up on Sophie’s previous Crow involvement/engagement. 

Other stuff:

-Rachel continues to impress me with her acting. Like I wish she was more recognized but also I know if she was an “A-lister” it would probably ruin her. Also the way she is personality wise I know she wouldn’t want all that fame. But damn she’s amazing. 

-I love Ocean and Alice together. Am I the only one? I’m such a sap and I love their love for each other. Alice reflects what I see in myself a lot; her vulnerabilities and her insecurities. She’s so puzzled by someone falling in love with her after how much she has tried to push them away. She doesn’t get it. And I often feel those things. You like me? You’re in love with me? Why though? I’m a fuckin mess.

-I’m excited for more Kate/Alice. 

-Also random but how long are they going to keep up this Imani and Ryan thing? 😩 Imani wasn't even in this episode. It’s like are they dating? Are they fuk buddies? The off handed off screen, “oh I was with Imani” shit is not gon fly with me. 

-Why do I ship Luke and Evan now?

-UMMM can we get more of Evan and Mary friendship!!!? I didn’t like him before when he was rude to Ryan and came off very stereotypical gay boy but I really liked him in this episode. 

-Luke deciding he didn’t want to live anymore really hurt my heart and I think it got glossed over but I loved Camrus tweeting out what he did. 

[ihassheepquake]

DC's Batwoman 3.02 "Loose Tooth" has aired on the CW, and I'm here to talk about it

Killer Croc, Killer Croc, Killer Croc!

How much do you think they had to pay to use Levitating?

Wait wait wait wait wait, so Aquaman is canon now? Like that's a thing now?? Has that been a thing in the Arrowverse or is this new?? Because I don't remember an Aquaman being canon before.

I really can't get over how much I love this new logo. It looks so much better and I think literally all they did was add some red. Crazy how easy that was.

Okay, so we know that Renee knows that Ryan is Batwoman (and apparently also these two random guards from Arkham that escorted Alice, so thanks for that Renee), but, how are they gonna explain why mass murder Alice is with random ex-con Ryan Wilder? Like, that won't stay secret forever.

I'm guessing this is one of the themes of this season, that all of the villains are new people taking old names (we're probably also only to get Batman's B & C listers other than Ivy. There's no way we're getting a Two-Face, Penguin, or Harley Quinn on this show). Is the Ivy we know is one of the big bads going to actually be Pamela Isley or a new character? The season 3 wiki says it's Pamela, but we'll see.

I love you Ryan but I feel like Luke should've been made the acting CEO. I think he probably actually knows what to do in such a role, vs Ryan who herself has already admitted she thought she'd just be a name on a paper. Wasn't Luke the acting CEO before Kate took over? Why not give him it back? Cause I feel like having Ryan as the CEO is just for this plot moment of the reveal that her mum is Jada Jet.

I am a fan of the dynamic Alice has with the Bat team. What can I say, I love a good villain joins the hero story. And I just like Alice, she's one of the more fun long term, recurring villains.

Fuck yeah Ryan, fuck Jada. You don't need to give a shit about her just because she popped outta her.

WHO TOLD LUKE HE COULD HOT?!

Could you imagine if somebody weaponized the Croc tooth? That was why Black Mask and Kate stole all the stuff last season, in a general sense. Imagine if he was able to make an army of these new Crocs and control them using the mind control tech in the Hatter's hat? And who fucking knows what he could've done with something like a vine from Poison Ivy, or fear or Joker gas. Maybe that should be the season's plot, somebody using all these things to take over Gotham. Or even more, there is a Justice League. The individual rogues couldn't kill the whole League, but an army of them? With multiple of each??

Alice now is not the time to trauma dump on this child. For once in your life, can you just not be a bitch?

I'm into this design for Croc. Personally, I'm a fan of when he's a giant hulking monster such as in the Arkham games, but this one works. I like the way his jaw unhinges, it's very gross and creepy.

Guess that Alice team-up was short-lived, huh? Obviously, she'll be back, but yeah.

The writing team keeps giving Sophie all these emotional speeches. And I'm not mad about it, because her actress does a pretty good at delivering them.

Renee, I love you, but that was potentially a really, really fucking stupid idea. If that gamble was wrong, you would've been fucked.

Ryan, please follow this by reading this bitch to hell.

Next week's episode is entitled Freeze, followed by Antifreeze, which implies it's gonna be a two-parter. Probably a new Mr Freeze villain, but I think it would be more interesting to go in another direction and use one of the other iterations of Killer Frost now that the one on the Flash is just Frost. I would say Louise Lincoln, who has ties to Gotham and Mr Freeze in the comics. But it's probably just going to be a new Mr Freeze, which won't be as fun. We'll find out next week with DC's Batwoman 3.03 "Freeze"

[some-lists]

10 Documentary Series for the Wanderluster

If you’re sick of being stuck indoors and isolated from the rest of the world, you might find yourself binge watching travel documentaries just like me.

I’ve always loved traveling. I’ve been to a handful of places, but there’s so much more out there. These docu-series will make you want to get off your butt and hop on a plane ASAP. Of course, that’s not really an option in this pandemic, but these shows can offer a nice dose of escapism right in your living room.

These are just a few available to stream that I really loved. (Btw, most of these are about food. Because I love food.)

1. Somebody Feed Phil

I love this show. Everybody Loves Raymond creator Phil Rosenthal travels to some of the most beautiful locations around the world to try the best foods. He meets with locals, expats, and world renown chefs who show him the best local dishes and their culture. Phil isn’t the best food critic. Most of his commentary consists of, “Mmm, that’s good!” But his cheery, friendly demeanor makes for easy watching as he casually befriends locals in every international city he visits. Oh, and the theme song is killer.

Watch it on: Netflix

2. Street Food: Asia & Latin America

Get ready to be hungry! Made from the same people behind Chef’s Table, this series takes you to a different country in each episode. Street Food: Asia and Street Food: Latin America are actually listed separately on Netflix. But they are essentially two different seasons of the same show. You’ll meet local street chefs who’ve made their living cooking and selling their best comfort foods on the street. They share their stories of hardship, determination, sacrifice, joys, and successes. Each episode has close ups of every dish that will have you salivating.

Watch it on: Netflix

3. Gordon Ramsay: Uncharted

Season One of this National Geographic series is currently available on Disney Plus. We see chef Gordon Ramsay travel to some remote locations, where he not only learns about their local ingredients, but has to forage and hunt them himself. At the end of each episode, we see him face off with a famous chef from each region. It’s beautifully shot with some really breathtaking views of these amazing landscapes. We see the vast Sacred Valley of Peru, majestic glaciers of New Zealand, and tropical blue waters of Hawaii. Now, if only Disney Plus would release the second season.

Watch it on: Disney Plus

4. Down to Earth with Zac Efron

Down to Earth with Zac Efron is not just a feast for the eyes, but a series that will make you think. Zac Efron travels with his friend, Darin Olien, to learn about various methods of sustainable living. We learn about sustainable energy in Iceland, fresh water in France, and blue zone diets in Italy. They also take the time to explore and enjoy the best leisure activities and cuisine in each country.

Watch it on: Netflix

5. Conan Without Borders

Conan Without Borders is a segment of his talk show that is now available on Netflix (but only the first season). Of course, you can still watch more on YouTube, but those videos are cut into shorter segments. Conan’s buffoonery is put to good use as he travels to learn about other people and their countries. His shtick is the clueless, ignorant American abroad. It’s an honesty that’s rewarding, as he shows these countries in a light few Americans get to see. He’s hilarious in each episode as he accidentally (or not so accidentally) offends, but also learns from the locals in each country.

Watch it on: Netflix, YouTube

6. Travel Man: 48 Hours In...

Travel Man has had 10 seasons, and 7 (ish) of them are on Hulu. It’s a recent discovery for me, so I’m still making my way through the episodes. Richard Ayoade travels to a different city with a different celebrity for 48 hours. They do a lot of the typical things the average tourist would do. It features transportation, checking into a hotel (usually on the higher end), seeing the sites, and exploring different foods. Most of the celebrities who join him are British, so I’m not too familiar with them. It probably works better if you know who they are, but it doesn’t matter. Richard Ayoade’s dry humor makes each trip amusing regardless.

Watch it on: Hulu

7. Jack Whitehall: Travels with My Father

British comedian Jack Whitehall takes a belated gap year trip with his 70-something year old father. The stark contrast between their personalities make for a very interesting vacation. We go on a real ride with the two as we get to know them and as they grow from the experience. Jack is full of energy and definitely more open minded of the two, but we can also see why his father gets annoyed with him. He’s a big kid and, at times, spoiled. At first Jack’s father comes across as snobby and ignorant, but we learn to laugh at his biting humor and his efforts to connect with Jack. We also get a bit of a different view of each location. We visit eccentric temples in Thailand, watch trained rats search for mines in Cambodia, check out motocross skiing in Germany, and more.

Watch it on: Netflix

8. Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations

Seasons 7 and 8 of the late Anthony Bourdain’s No Reservations can currently be viewed on Hulu. If you’re a humanitarian at heart, this one is for you. Anthony Bourdain is after truth. He’s not interested in commercialized tourist traps or filtered Instagram photo ops. He’s after the real place, the real people, and the real history. He visits disadvantaged populations around the world. He meets with locals, journalists, and humanitarians in each country. Their conversations are often about poverty, political corruption, and marginalization. But he also has some lighter missions as well. A trip to Naples in search of the real Italian food experience. A discovery of Croatian culinary greatness. A cook off in Tokyo between the world’s greatest chefs. What we see is not always pretty. Sometimes it’s truly upsetting. But sometimes it’s great too. Either way, it’s the truth. What Anthony Bourdain ultimately does is capture the heart of the people, something traveling tourists often overlook.

Watch it on: Hulu

9. Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

I’m not a huge David Chang fan. I’ve only made it through one episode of Ugly Delicious. (It was the curry episode, because I love Indian food.) But I found Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner a much easier watch. It’s a lot more chill. There are only four episodes. (That helps.) He and a celebrity friend tour a different city, try the food, and just chat it up. This series focuses more on location and culture, rather than just the food itself. The personalities of his celebrity guests help provide color and humor to each episode. Kate McKinnon, as always, is a delight.

Watch it on: Netflix

10. Tales By Light

Tales By Light follows photographers around the world as they capture stunning works of art. This is a must see if you love art, especially photography. Watch humpback whales dance under water in Tonga, the colorful Festival of Holi in India, abandoned desert ghost towns of Namibia, and indigenous cultures of Australia. Season 3 is especially sobering. Photographer Simon Lister and UNICEF ambassador Orlando Bloom travel to Bangladesh to capture portraits of children in need. You’ll marvel at the beauty, but also cry for the less fortunate.

Watch it on: Netflix

[mermaidsirennikita]

I’m doubtful they’ll make Edwina gay as much as I’d like them to, but Bridgerton will probably wrap filming any day now and I don’t think there was ever any news about Edwina’s love interest? While we did get the names of Kate’s apparent other suitor. But maybe since Edwina’s just a supporting character that’s not the type of thing to get leaked? Idk. I want to believe lol…

The show got quite a lot of pushback for queer baiting, and if they’re not brave enough to make a lead/Bridgerton queer, Edwina would be a perfect compromise. I wonder how they’d give her a HEA in that case though.

I think an HEA would honestly be pretty easy with her--it wouldn't involve marriage, but the show is hardly historically accurate. And it wouldn't be historically inaccurate for a queer couple to get an HEA, either :). Anne Lister married her wife Ann in a church ceremony in 1834--England's first lesbian wedding (that we know of) I believe. There's also the idea of the Boston marriage, in which two financially independent women lived together--romantically or not. I think this was probably somewhat easier for women, who could disguise their cohabitation as two "old maids" living together. Though I've always said that it wouldn't be that tricky for Benedict to live quietly with a man, as he's a second son whose brother is married with children (eventually), and he retires to the countryside anyway. A lot of historical romance authors have broken ground within the past decade or so, creating HEAs for various queer couples, so Bridgerton, as a show based on a historical romance series, could take a page from their books.

There were a couple of young guys cast as non-book characters, and I assume one of them will be Edwina's love interest. Neither of them were very interesting to me, tbh. But.... they can do that lol....

[raymondshieldsofficial]

Do y’all have folk music recommendations??? I *feel* like I would like it but idk where to start!!!!!

YES yes I do!!! I’m not gonna link things if that’s ok because I’m tired but here’s some groups/singers/suggestions!!

Skinny Lister: Hamburg Drunk/John Kanaka/Wanted Man/Geordie Lad - proper foot-stomping folk music. I’ve seen them live so many times, their energy is Amazing, they’re one of my favourite bands

The Fisherman’s Friends: John Kanaka/No Hopers, Jokers & Rogues/Oh You New York Girls/South Australia - I love them so very very much, I need to see their movie!!

The Unthanks: Blue’s Gaen Oot o’the Fashion/the Testimony of Patience Kershaw/Lucky Gilchrist/the Queen of Hearts - they’ve also gone by so many other names. one of the members of this group, Belinda, did the Gentleman Jack theme. their songs are often Very Sad,

Bellowhead: Gosport Nancy/New York Girls - also two favourites, the way the singer emotes is something else and that’s So Important for this kind of music!!

Kate Rusby: The Game of All Fours/Awkward Annie/All God’s Angels - her voice is gorgeous. she sings a range of folk styles and she is Amazing,

The Longest Johns: Wellerman/Santiana - I’m basic yes but these are wonderful let me be, ;-;

Tide Lines: Far Side of the World - I want this song to be the first dance at my wedding honestly

Scocha: Rattling Bog - it’s just so much fun!!

Coco and the Butterfields: Warriors - I got to see this performed a few years ago and it changed me as a person

the Pogues are arguably a bit different folk, but I’d recommend ‘If I Should Fall With Grace from God’ and ‘Sally MacLennane’ for the sort of foot-stompy-pub-tunes! I also CANNOT recommend natidreddd on tiktok enough, she is honestly incredible I love her so much,

also just like. let your playlist run wild! Irish/Scottish/Welsh folk tunes usually get a playlist go wild!

[hippohead]

postcode envy (3/24)

read it on ao3

There is one long string of tinsel sitting atop the food cabinet inside the bakery. It’s so tattered that it looks like it’s been used to decorate the place for the last ten years. There is also a tiny dancing Santa sitting on the counter by the cash register with a sign next to it asking people not to press the button.

Kurt looks at Blaine.  

“Is this... is this what Christmas is over here?” He can’t even leave the horror out of his tone.  

And then Blaine reacts the way he has been reacting to Kurt ever since they started driving – he looks amused. “I bet this pales in comparison to the decorations in New York, huh?”

“Pales in...” Kurt trials off, in disbelief, unable to even echo that sentence back. “Blaine. This looks like the Grinch has been by for a visit. What? Why are you smiling like that?”

“No, it’s just – it's cute. That you care so much about Christmas decorations.”

It’s cute. Kurt wants to read into that, but just like when he’d reached out and touched Kurt’s arm earlier, he says it in a way that sounds light and natural and completely normal for him. As if Blaine goes around attaching the word cute to all things and everyone.  

They get to the front of the line and Kurt realises that he needs to order. He’s been so caught up in the decorations – or the lack of decorations – that he hasn’t made a decision yet, so he impulse orders a roast vegetable panini and a black coffee. Blaine orders after him and they make their way over to a table in the corner, where Kurt picks their conversation back up.  

“I guess it just... doesn’t really feel like Christmastime to me here. I love December in New York – the whole month is just scarves and hot chocolates and ice skating in Bryant Park. All of the shop fronts are decked out in decorations, and the cold just sort of matches everything.”

“It sounds incredible,” Blaine nods. “But, you know, there are some really awesome aspects to having a summer Christmas. Everything just feels... more relaxed, and we get to spend the day with our families at the beach or having a barbeque in the backyard. There’s a lightness to it here.”

Kurt smiles, “You know what? That does sound really great, actually.”

“I’ll have you converted to liking our Christmas in no time,” Blaine smiles back, and Kurt can’t help but hope there’s a promise in there somewhere.  

Their coffees arrive and they shift back to shop talk – Blaine starts to talk about how Curtis is as a director, and how good everyone in the cast is, and Kurt focuses because it’s helpful information.

“Did you already know everyone before you got cast?”

Blaine finishes his mouthful before he answers, “Yeah, the industry is so small that everyone has worked with everyone, really. I did a murder mystery show with Ben a couple of years ago, and Zoe and I were in a romantic-comedy last year. And Kura and I have met each other at a bunch of different charity events. Oh, and Curtis directed me in a short film when I was first starting out.”

“It must be nice being so close with everyone.”

Blaine hums and there’s something complex about the sound. “Yeah, it is. I mean, not everyone is... well, anyway. Most people are really lovely.”

Kurt wants to pry. He wants to know what Blaine is hinting at and skirting around, but he is still aware that they’ve just met and Blaine doesn’t owe him anything. He decides to steer them to what they came here to talk about: “So, Donny and Marvin.”

“Yes - Donny and Marvin,” and Blaine looks glad of the topic change. “They hate each other.”

“They do,” Kurt agrees. And then he grins and tilts his next words into a tease, “So, I’m going to need you to stop being so pleasant.”

Blaine clutches his heart, dramatic and sparkling eyes, “What, me? Being pleasant? I’d never dream of it.”

Kurt laughs at the performance and wants to point out all of the pleasantness so far – the including Kurt, and the giving him a ride, and the opening the bakery door for him, and the sitting here with him now – but before he can, he catches a young girl tugging at her mother’s sleeve and pointing at Blaine. “Do you get recognised a lot?”

“Huh?” Blaine says, and then he notices the young girl too. He smiles and waves at her, and she waves back, and then... nothing. That’s that. The whole interaction. Blaine turns back to Kurt, “Yeah, sometimes.”

“And that’s... all that happens?” Kurt thinks about all of the times he’s been ambushed or accosted on the street, or at a restaurant with his friends, or at the supermarket. He’s not even that famous, really – but it's enough to have a pretty solid fanbase and to be recognised when he's out and about. And so while he doesn’t experience what A-Listers in Hollywood do on a daily basis, he’s also never had someone just politely wave at him and then leave him be.

“Yeah, people are mostly pretty chill about it. We don’t have the same celebrity culture that you guys do in the States. Although – I can guarantee that everyone here knows who you are.”

“What? Why?” Kurt glances around and sure enough, people do seem to be a little bit aware of him. But he wouldn’t have noticed if Blaine hadn’t said anything.  

“Kurt,” Blaine pulls his eyebrows together in confusion, “You’re quite famous.”

He wants to laugh but Blaine seems completely and utterly serious. And then he continues.  

“That film you did with Saoirse Ronan – Dead Lemons – was a huge hit here. It ran at the cinema for months. Kate Rodger gave it five stars.”  

He says the last sentence with so much emphasis that Kurt assumes that must be a really good thing, though he has no idea who Kate Rodger is. “Oh,” is all he can think of to say.  

Blaine gets them back on track talking about their characters and the backstory of them hating each other and how seriously they want to play it, and Kurt listens and nods along. Blaine is passionate and intelligent and there is a depth in his words and the way he says things, and Kurt knows if he is careless, Blaine being pleasant will be the least of his worries.

Blaine being everything, will be the most.