#Isn't it romantic ?

[hadesoftheladies]

FEMALE MOVIE/TV RECS (PART 8 / COMEDY & ROMCOMS)

got inspired from a recommendation post so decided to make a list of movies and shows with female-centric stories/female protagonists. since i can't post all of the genres in one post, i'll split it into multiple posts and y'all can save or add to the list as you wish. (disclaimer: i have watched most of these, but i only know about the existence of others. not every movie/show on these lists will be my recommendation. my recommendations will be beneath the list with reasons. also some of these are way better than others in terms of storytelling/performance--which is why i'll list my faves separately):

Common Themes/Tropes:

-Quirky girlfailures and losergirls being disastrous (and learning they're still loveable)

-Women causing carnage (sometimes) unintentionally

-Women getting into shenanigans with their friends/sisters

-Features many equally if not more dumbass male antagonists (or sidekicks)

-Financial struggle subplot

-BFFs and sisters > everything else (even the d)

-Lots of sex and money talk usually

-The Struggle of Dating TM

-I Still Feel 12 & Stupid TM

WHAT I'D RECOMMEND:

Abbott Elementary (9/10) (too many amazing female characters!)

Such Brave Girls (8/10) (Derry Girls as adults)

Kajillionaire (7/10) (the protagonist is so weird and loveable, top tier ending)

Isn't It Romantic (6.5/10) (fun and knows exactly what it needs to be)

Fleabag (?/10) (haven't watched but I know it's good)

Kevin Can F**k Himself (9.5/10) (genuinely so so so so good some of the most clever and sincere storytelling I've seen in a while)

Hacks (7.5/10) (the two female leads are hilarious in their own ways and so human!)

NOT LISTED BUT WORTH CHECKING OUT:

What Men Want

Little

Nobody's Fool

Girl's Trip

The Other Woman

Queenie

Legally Blonde

Miss Congeniality

The Devil Wears Prada

Pitch Perfect

PERSONAL NOTES

Playing House is about two friends raising a child together, which is a premise I love. High Desert is a detective comedy (way more comedy than detective, though) with a likeable protagonist who is also addicted to drugs (that isn't the punchline, don't worry).

The Hustle and Queenpins were produced by the same company (and you can tell).

Twenties is one of the few shows that feature a stud lesbian as a central character (and she's beautiful!). Insecure is probably the most famous of black female comedy shows, though.

[airasora]

Thanks to TikTok, I came across an old sitcom called The Golden Girls from the 80s, which I am now watching for the first time. I was prepared for jokes that hadn't aged well, but to my surprise, there has been extremely few of that sort. There's even an episode about one of the golden girls' friend who is lesbian and it's all so... nice. Normal. Not one horrendously homophobic joke after the other like certain other sitcoms...

I'm not one of the people who absolutely despise FRIENDS now or anything, but I AM saying that The Golden Girls aged better despite coming out a whole decade earlier and had a much older cast than FRIENDS.

EDIT: Please, no spoilers! I'm only at season 2 :D

[nysocboy]

Derek Yates, The Smiley Emoji and Eggplant Guy

In How I Met Your Father, the middle-aged Sophie tells her son stories about her life in New York 23 years ago, presumably culminating in meeting his father.  In Episode 2.3, she doesn't remember the name of her friend's date, or what he looks like, so she calls him Rando.  He appears with a smiley-emoji head and an eggplant over his penis.

The epicode credits list him as actor/model Derek Yates, originally from Chattanooga, Tennesse,  "Bradley Cooper's younger bro." I think he's kidding.

Nick got his start on the Chattanooga stage, with roles including Hairspray, Sound of Music, and A Night to Remember. In 2016, he moved to L.A., where he won the "Ellen's New Gardner" contest on Ellen Degeneres's talk show.

Since then he has racked up 21 acting credits on IMDB, including cops, paralegals, nurses, a sleazoid, a passenger on the doomed Titanic 666, and Rando the Smiley Emoji guy on How I Met Your Father.  He claims to have played the Best Friend alongside Adam Devine in Isn't It Romantic, but I don't remember seeing him there.

His 840,000 social media followers are also interested in his beefcake photos.  Thousands of them, so many that I actually got tired of looking. Selfies, candids, and professional photos.  Always shirtless, usually bulging, a surprising amount of nudity.

Few photos of family or friends.  Two of his dog.  I assume that he's gay, since he has a photo from L.A. Pride, and another where he's in drag. And in 2021 Derek appeared at Impulse Los Angeles' Pool Watch -- Gay Edition, a fundraiser for the AIDS Healthcare Foundation.  

The nude photos are on RG Beefcake and Boyfriends.

[ruleof3bobby]

ISN'T IT ROMANTIC (2019) Grade: C

The concept is a great idea. But they don't reach the potential the plot had. Still had some funny sequences. Give it a shot on a slow night. Liam Hemsworth and comedy just don't go together. That hurt the movie, no charm.

[stacys-mom-has-got-it-goin-on]

If I were cast in a role for a romcom I'd want Adam Levine to play my boyfriend

[endlessbittersweetdreams]

[helloparkerrose]

Isn’t It Romantic (1975)

Bobby Short

Bobby Short Celebrates Rodgers & Hart

Atlantic Records

[thaliawashere]

[tvscreencaps23]

[richardanarchist]

🫀

[zarohk]

I appreciate the recognition of lesbian furries in this episode too! /s

[poorly-drawn-mdzs]

The squad of all time has arrived on scene.

[flwrkid14]

Love and Obsession: The Tim Drake Way

part 2

Everyone in the Batfamily knows Tim Drake has… issues with boundaries. They’ve spent years trying to teach him what’s appropriate and what’s—well—deeply unsettling and completely invasive. To be fair, he’s learned. Mostly. He doesn’t stalk his family anymore (much), and he no longer pulls up files on every single person they talk to (okay, maybe just sometimes). But it’s progress.

But then Tim starts dating Danny Fenton. And, oh boy, a few screws come loose.

It starts small, as always. Just little things. Tim’s a detective, after all—background checks are second nature. Danny’s living in Gotham, and Gotham isn’t safe. So, really, what’s the harm in knowing a little more about Danny’s friends? And his professors? And maybe also his classmates? It’s just standard protocol. Okay?

“Tim, you’ve run a full dossier on my entire biology class?” Danny asks one day, laughing as he flips through a file on the coffee table. Tim shrugs. “What if one of them is dangerous?” “Pretty sure the most dangerous thing in that class is the midterm.”

Danny doesn’t think much of it. He’s a little flattered, even. Tim’s protective. It’s sweet.

But Tim’s mind doesn’t stop there. Danny’s too handsome. Too charming. What if someone tries to hurt him? What if someone tries to take him away? It’s not obsessive—it’s just concern. So, a tracker on Danny’s phone? Necessary. Cameras in his apartment? Standard. Monitoring his sleeping patterns and hangout spots? Logical.

Tim tells himself it’s love. And maybe a little insecurity.

“You have a tracker on his phone?” Dick asks, trying not to sound alarmed. Tim nods, like it’s the most normal thing in the world. “Of course. What if something happens to him?” “And the cameras?” “Safety.” “The background checks on his professors?” “Gotham U isn’t exactly known for its stellar staff, Dick.”

It doesn’t stop there. Tim knows everything. Danny’s eating habits, his favorite places to go when he’s stressed, his childhood allergies. Tim’s mapped out Danny’s entire life. He knows about Danny’s ghost powers too—of course he does. He’s Tim Drake. The moment he realized Danny was Phantom, it just… clicked.

Danny being half-ghost? That’s just one more reason to worry. Tim’s up late at night, watching for any signs of ectoplasmic interference. He tracks the energy spikes. He monitors Danny’s fights.

He doesn’t think Danny knows. He’s terrified of what will happen if he finds out.

But then he does.

One evening, Danny walks into Tim’s apartment and casually drops a folder on the table. Tim’s heart stops.

“What’s this?” Danny asks, raising an eyebrow. Tim swallows hard. “I… it’s just…” “You’ve been tracking me?” Danny opens the file, glancing through pages of surveillance reports, background checks, even analysis of his ectoplasmic energy. Tim feels like his world is about to shatter.

“I… I can explain,” Tim says, his voice tight. “I’m just… worried about you. You’re in danger all the time, and I—” Danny walks over, cupping Tim’s face in his hands. Tim braces for the worst.

But Danny just smiles. “Can I put a tracker on you too?”

Tim blinks. “What?” Danny kisses his cheek. “If you’re watching my back, it’s only fair I watch yours. I need to make sure you’re safe too.”

Tim stares at him, speechless. Danny doesn’t look scared. Or angry. He looks… fond. Like Tim’s obsessive tendencies aren’t a problem at all.

“I’ve never had someone care about me this much,” Danny says softly. “I trust you with my life, Tim. This? This just proves how serious you are.”

Tim thinks he’s just fallen deeper in love.

-------------------

The Batfamily? They’re worried.

Jason corners Tim in the cave. “Okay, so let me get this straight. You’ve got cameras in his apartment. You’ve mapped out his entire life. You’ve got a tracker on him and a heartbeat monitor. And he’s… fine with it?” Tim nods, a dreamy smile on his face. “Yeah. He even wants to put a tracker on me.” “That’s not… healthy, Tim,” Dick says carefully. “That’s—” “It’s mutual,” Tim interrupts. “We’re protecting each other.”

Bruce pinches the bridge of his nose. “Tim, this isn’t how relationships are supposed to work.” Tim shrugs. “It’s how ours works.”

Damian watches the whole thing with narrowed eyes. “This is deeply unsettling,” he mutters.

They try to talk to Danny. Intervention style. They invite him over, sit him down, and gently (or not so gently) try to explain that Tim’s behavior isn’t normal.

Danny just laughs. “You guys do know I’m half-ghost, right?” “That doesn’t mean—” Dick starts. “I spent my entire life being hunted by ghost hunters. I’ve had worse invasions of privacy.” Danny smiles. “Tim cares. He keeps me safe. That’s all I need.”

The bats don't quite know what to say.

-------------------

Tim and Danny, two slightly unhinged souls who think mutual surveillance is the ultimate act of love.

The bats? They’re just trying to keep up.

(“At least they’re happy?” Barbara offers weakly. Bruce sighs. “For now.”)

Gotham’s version of love was never going to be normal. But this? This is a whole new level.

[courseyoulovemeyoudontknowme]

Isn't It Romantic (2019, Todd Strauss-Schulson)

04/11/2023

Isn't It Romantic is a 2019 film directed by Todd Strauss-Schulson and written by Erin Cardillo, Dana Fox and Katie Silverman. The film stars Rebel Wilson, Liam Hemsworth, Adam DeVine and Priyanka Chopra.

The film was released in the United States on February 13, 2019 by Warner Bros. Pictures and internationally outside the United States and Canada by Netflix on its platform on February 28, 2019.

[aziraphale-fell-azira]

Omg I love this movie its so cute.

Rebel Wilson in Isn’t It Romantic (2019) dir. Todd Strauss-Schulson

[inkskinned]

we were sitting on the floor and i was cutting out tiny pictures to make a collage for a friend's birthday. you were on your phone and you laughed about something, and i was still in love with you then, so i asked what had you giggling.

"sorry. i was just..." you took a moment and went back to texting. "i was telling someone about how you're afraid of the dark."

i'm afraid of the dark because something bad happened. "oh." i felt a little slinky of shame crawl down my throat.

you glanced up, and maybe it showed on my face, because you rolled your eyes and held the phone to the side casually so i could see the group chat. "what? was it a secret?"

i looked down to the scissors in my hand. "i just..." no, it's not a secret. it just felt like something private, something serious. saying why would you tell someone that just feels like an accusation. it's unfair. i honestly am not even ashamed of it, it's just a fact about my person that i don't usually share.

what a strange experience. is this a human thing or a generational thing? for our grandparents: did they need to worry about how quickly someone can just... share your personal information? again, i didn't even really have a true objection. what could i say? i want any person in my life to feel they can be honest with their friends. it's not like i said don't tell anyone this.

i cut out another letter to complete the rainbow happy birthday, started hunting for the exclamation mark. i heard you sigh dramatically.

"don't make a big deal about this," you said.

this entire conversation was a pattern for us, and this was when we got to my least favorite part of the pattern. i would get my feelings hurt in some oblique not-technically-terrible way, and then it would be making a big deal about something. you'd get frustrated for me for being soft, but i was born soft. you knew i was soft when you pierced me. it's one of the things that made controlling me so easy.

"i'm not," i felt my voice crack. the question came without my wanting. "why are you guys talking about me?" and why are you saying that thing? why not like - i'm telling them how you're generous and kind and pretty.

you let out this low, tragic groan. "oh my god." you tossed the phone away from your body. "there, see? i just won't talk to them if you don't like it."

the rest of the hour went the way it always went, between us: i said i don't actually mind if you talk to your friends but -, you found a way to call my minor expression of discomfort "being dramatic." you got upset that i had been offended. i ended up apologizing, even though i hadn't actually done anything.

afterwards, you picked up the phone again. after texting for a little bit, you snorted. "okay," you said, "but it is kind of funny you're afraid of the dark. i mean, when you think about it."