#an iconic lesbian secretary!!!

[michyeosseo]

bonus:

I was told you did not have prior appointments outside.

Yoon Hae Young and Choi Myung Gil as JANG SE-MI & BAEK DO-YI LADY DURIAN (2023) 1.07

[nerdygaymormon]

Happy Pride 🏳️‍🌈

I want to wish a Happy Pride to:

Violets, “the Lesbian flower”

Sappho (c. 630-c.570), the Greek poet who lived on the island of Lesbos, often referenced violets in her ancient poems, thus creating a connection with female love, and this coded association endured for centuries. In fact, in 1927 the New York City district attorney’s office shut down the Broadway play The Captive because a female character in the play sent a bunch of violets to another female character, creating a big scandal

Crop Tops

Crop tops used to be associated with sports and were a popular option for manly, athletic men. However, the fashion of 1990′s and early 2000’s was dominated by loose and baggy clothing. Crop tops, which had once been viewed as hyper-masculine, came to be seen as more feminine and a fashion statement, which made straight men reject the crop tops and gay men embrace them.

Pirates

Back in the Golden Era of Piracy (1650-1730s), homosexuality was highly stigmatized on land and illegal in most places. However, piracy was known for rejecting societal standards and expectations. Queer relationships at sea were not uncommon, and pirates even had their own form of domestic partnership called matelotage. If you want to learn more, there are many pirates to choose from, but you can start with these: Anne Bonny, Mary Read, John “Calico Jack” Rackham, and Pierre “the pansy pirate” Bouspet.

Carabiners

Carabiners are a steel loop designed for rock climbers because they can easily be opened with one hand, which is useful when hanging on by the other hand. This practical tool for carrying around equipment was adopted by working-class people to carry keys. In World War II, a large number of women entered the workforce, and those who went into manual labor were usually more butch than femme. More traditionally feminine industries, like sewing or secretarial work, were closed to them due to their gender presentation. After the war, many women were reluctant to give up their new financial independence, and thus the carabiner is linked to female liberation and working-class aesthetics and this belt-side key chain came to be part of the lesbian style. 

Lavender 

Lavender is used interchangeably with “rainbow” to mean “LGBTQ+” at events like Lavender Graduations and the annual Lavender Law Conference. It’s thought that lavender became code for queer because it’s created by mixing pink and blue—colors which are culturally connected to girls or boys—thus blurring the distinction of what is feminine or masculine. One sweet use of this color connection within the queer community is on Valentine’s Day, lavender roses are often the choice of LGBTQ+ partners.

Lambda (the Greek letter)

In the early 1970′s, based on the recommendation of Tom Doerr, New York City’s Gay Activists Alliance chose as its symbol the Greek letter lambda, which looks like a lowercase “y” flipped upside down, because it’s used in science to represent kinetic energy. Kinetic energy is energy an object has due to its motion, thus making lambda a symbol of change. For example, Lambda Legal works for positive change to the legal status of queer people

Ace playing cards

Due to the word “asexual” being commonly shortened to “ace,” this led to a play on words by ace playing cards coming to represent asexuality. The ace of spades for aroace, and the ace of hearts for ace & romantic

Undercuts

Queer people find ways to challenge heteronormativity, whether it’s gay men bleaching their hair blonde or lesbians rejecting the association of long hair with womanhood. Short hair has become associated with lesbians, whether it’s a bob, a brightly-colored close crop, and most iconically the undercut which is a hairstyle that leaves the top part of the hair medium length or long but has one or both sides and/or the back of the head shaved closely

Brunch

Brunch is THE gay meal and for a number of reasons. There was a time that brunch wasn’t viewed as respectable, but rather was a meal for those who’d stayed out late partying. Bucking tradition is a queer tradition and so brunch is a natural. On Sundays, brunch exists at a time many people are at church, and it’s a great use of that time for queer people who chose to leave churches that reject them. Gay spaces were generally bars and clubs which are usually nighttime spaces, but brunch was radical as a place gays could gather and be themselves in the daylight. Historically, queer people found it more difficult to secure gainful employment, and brunch is a bargain, usually half the price of dinner, so it makes sense the queer community flocked to a meal that was more affordable. Brunch is more casual than a proper breakfast or dinner and therefore is often accompanied by fun conversation and gossip. Brunch offers a greater variety of food options than the typical meal, there’s something for everyone. Could anything be more queer than variety & acceptance?

Ms. Frizzle

In the 1990s, the popular children‘s television show “The Magic School Bus” featured a teacher, Ms. Frizzle, who was never confirmed to be queer, but she was definitely queer coded, such as her quirky fashion style of mismatched brightly-colored patterns & those big earrings. She bucked gender norms by being a woman teaching STEM topics, and having a love of adventure. Another clue is she wasn’t married at a time when gay marriage was not legal. Also, the character was voiced by lesbian actress Lily Tomlin.

Women’s Hockey

Women’s hockey has a joyous history of lesbian players who are visible. In 2017, Caroline Ouellette and Julie Chu—former captains of the Canada and US ice hockey teams—welcomed their newborn daughter into the world. The following year Meghan Duggan, the captain of the US women’s Olympic ice hockey team, married her girlfriend Gillian Apps, who played for Team Canada, and they had faced each other in the 2010 and 2014 Winter Olympic finals. Dating & marrying your opponents, lesbians are setting the example for World Peace

BLÅHAJ

Blåhaj—pronounced blaw-high—translates simply as "blue shark" in English, and is a toy introduced by IKEA in 2014. The blueish body, white underbelly, and pink mouth are the trans flag colors. There’s so few things designed and marketed for trans people, that it’s delightful they latched onto this cute and cuddly plush shark 

Keith Haring art

Keith Haring was an American pop artist who advocated for safe sex and AIDS awareness through his images. In 1988, Haring designed the logo for National Coming Out Day, which is still used today. A year later, he established the Keith Haring Foundation to provide funding to AIDS organizations. He died in February 1990 of AIDS-related complications. His distinctive and instantly recognizable style came to define the 1990′s

[lesbiandarvey]

could donna and harvey do iconic sports night fics

sorry this post is just for me dont worry about it

a form in wax: yes yes yes!!!! literally a form in wax is basically season 5 of suits -> danny leaving for la triggering casey’s problems with his father and going to therapy about it… so like donna leaves and goes to work for louis harvey starts having panic attacks and seeing paula about it to talk about his shitty relationship with his mother and it ends with him going to donnas’ friends art gallery opening and saying what do i want from you? i figured it out. i finally fucking figured it out… i want you to marry me

small town: yes! oh fuck yeah okay thomas would be the bobby bernstein so like donna and harvey have lived together as roommates for years in a small town in nova scotia working at a boutique law firm when thomas comes back into donnas life and asks her to come work with him -> the “im leaving you harvey” moment is her going to work with thomas and harvey freaks out

like sailing and home runs: ohhhhh okay ohmygod so in this harvey is the danny character. so his mom has a heart attack and his has to run to boston despite not speaking to her for years and right before he leaves he kisses donna in his office cus shes good and he needs just a little bit of that goodness in his life and then pulls back and leaves. and hes in the hospital all day surrounded by his dysfunctional family trying to make it through the fucking day and donna follows him to boston cus she knows he needs her. and she’s waiting in his hotel room after and he kisses her and things are happening and then he has a panic attack cus its just too much all at once and he calls paula saying “guy freaks out after kissing his best friend after his mom almost dies. not exactly the best romance novel of all time” and then the rest of the fic is harvey working through his guilt over kissing donna and how angry he is with his mother and how donna says that she thought… she thought that when harvey kissed her in new york she thought it meant he was ready and he wanted her to follow him and then they have That conversation im not explaining it well but its good in the fic

first base: OOOHHHH . i dont know??? maybe! maybe… like donna and harvey have this Thing in their 20s this half affair thing oh okay i think harvey is the danny here? where donnas married to . NO WAIT donna and harvey are the SECOND HALF of first base and CAMERON and harvey are the first half dancing in the kitchen in the refrigerator light and it messes him up for a long time until he finally is ready to be with someone again and he and donna finally get together after years and then get married like a week later. ok okay so the scarf moment is like right after he leaves cameron, he goes to donnas place and they spend the night together and he accidentally left his tie there and she kept it this whole time

even sugar peas run of out snap: no sorry . sugar peas really has to be two men. maybe maaaaybe if donna and harvey were lesbians in 1999 they could do sugar peas but also the whole point of sugar peas is that it ends in tragedy and darvey is about the fact they fall in love for the last time and its permanent. plus like the whole thing about sugar peas is about their role as Performers as Guys On Television like they have to be famous and closeted so donnaharvey doesn’t really work

whats that one called thats from january 1999 and its the first ever recorded dancasey fic where they sleep together in the office and wake up the next morning on the couch together and have to spend the rest of the day trying to figure out what to do next…. no i dont think donna and harvey would do that. its less fun when its about a guy and his secretary in the office together than two men who are partners. altho i am thinking now how crazy it would be if 8x16 happened in the office rather than her apartment. like it would be bad obviously but still i am thinking about it

WAIT VOICE IN THE WILDERNESS CATWALKSALONE how could i have forgotten voice in the wilderness but i dont think donnaharvey could do voice in the wilderness cus the whole point is about dan getting over his internalized homophobia BUT! catwalksalones other fic i love dearly is the chutes and ladders fic where “that night in minneapolis with the jäegermeister” they slept together and never mentioned it again and dan ever since has wondered about that and how everytime they get close it ends with casey pulling away -> so like after that night in the other time donna has always wondered what could have happened and how every time she and harvey get close to Something happening harvey pulls away and donna is desperately trying to figure out what the fuck is going on

[prettypei]

//THE BURNOUTS// : group chat name made by Hutao, even tho they are all hardly close to the word.

—Y/N is a architecture major. She’s in their 3rd year, and has many lectures with KAVEH in them, but she never acknowledges him. Extremely extroverted with friends, and is roomies with HUTAO. —HUTAO, a criminology major. It’s her 4th year at teyvat uni. Thought her “selling coffin” phase was cringe. (Nobody will tell her she will physically cry at her Chuu phase), roommate of Y/N, popular in uni for doing the most stupid pranks. Is Y/N’s first new friend at uni.

—THOMA has been Y/N’s childhood friend since junior high. He’s an English major who’s in his 3rd year. Roommates with AYATO, and he’s also the communication director. Is one of the only reasonable people in the group, besides GANYU. Is well known on the campus for not handling his alcohol well, leading to some pretty stupid stunts…

—GANYU is the most recent one in the friend group. She’s part of the student council and works as secretary, she’s also a business major who’s in her 4th year. GANYU has recently came out as lesbian, and was met with backlash from others. AYAKA saw someone shitting on her, and decided to make her a part of their friend group. Since then, she’s become really close with her and KAEYA.

—AYAKA is a business major, and is in her 4th year at Uni. She’s head of the student council, and also the co-owner of komore tea house, which she runs with her brother. People often stereotype her as the spoiled rich girl, but she’s really just a good friend who looks out for everyone.

—YOIMIYA is well known around the campus for her bright and vibrant personality. She’s in her 3rd year in the psychology unit, and she can read faces pretty well. Once volunteered to be part of the Was once THOMA’s girlfriend, but they broke up and agreed to stay as friends. Her and AYAKA are really fruity,, iykwim ;))

—CYNO, who is in his 4th year at Uni, is a health major. He is the chairperson of the university, and don’t even ask how many times he made a joke with the word “chairperson”. Is good friends with TIGHNARI, and is has an intimidating presence, but is actually a big goofball. Y/N once had a crush on him, but doesn’t anymore.

—KAEYA, like CYNO, is usually mistaken for being everyone's favorite one-night stand. (however, he is everyone's favorite Bi icon) This isn't true of course, since KAEYA has only kissed 5 people since high school. Is in his 3rd year at Uni and is a business major. Often flirts with everyone, but doesn't have the balls to actually kiss anyone. He met Y/N at a Uni party when they were in their first year.

::OTHER CHARACTERS , 01: CANT HANDLE ALCOHOL —

PLOT: when a flirt turns into a kiss, and a kiss turns into a makeout session, and your drunken mind can’t remember who you made out with, what do you do? You just remember that he had blonde hair… or was it ginger? Luckily, you narrow the target down to three people you know: kaveh, thoma and childe. You’ve got to figure out who you kissed on that party, cuz damn, their lips were soft.

TAGLIST: @sakurapeach @changgchangg25 @ragnvdnr @kiwidoves @cynoifyy

NOTES: again, tysm for all the support 😭 ilysm i love y’all sorry for this being super late ⏰

[rye-views]

The Simpsons. 7.6/10

I wouldn't recommend any season to my friends. I would rewatch all these seasons.

Season 1

Ugh The Simpsons are so educational. Brings up so many topics.

I can’t with Smithers’s changing skin tones and Carl’s voice.

I love how this whole season, the family learned to better themselves in some way. I like how Marge and Homer’s relationship stays strong through love despite so many problems. The first episode (Christmas ep) really started it off with a bang. I respect Bart the entire ep of General Bart. Bleeding Gums Murphy is a great character. I like when Bart is in France and rides through art pieces.

Honestly, why is Homer so angry? Wow, how upsetting when the bully steps on Lisa’s cupcakes.

Season 2

What is Karl the secretary’s backstory? What a great guy.

Bart’s so cute as a raven.

I love all the references in this show. e.g. Lou Gehrig’s speech, Vertigo. I love all the karaoke at The Happy Sumo. I like that Bart confides in Otto. I love Carl. Lisa is such a good sister to Bart. I like the post office mural. omg what Flanders has a phd in mixology? cool.

lmao at Lisa’s ergonomic chair in her room. lmao at Bart’s collection of newspaper clippings about himself. Lmao at the whisper of msg. lmaooo at Santa’s little helper passing dog school and the teacher was like you son of a bitch. Lmaoo at Lisa mentioning the children’s rights movement.

The beer bucket at the baseball game is so large??

Season 3

Such good quips this season. LMao at Marge’s reasoning to Mrs. Van Houten for why Bart and Millhouse should stay friends. Lmao at grandpa complaining about having sat down for the video game. The aptitude test being called CAN’T is funny. Wait, lmao at Maggie kissing each Lurleen CD. lmao at Spinal Tap being a real band. Omg the Smithers sperm cells were funny.

I enjoy Marge’s grumbling sound. I enjoyed all of pseudo Michael Jackson’s song. These essay contest submissions are pretty good. I think it’s lovely that Scratchy jumped down the well for Itchy. Willie so committed to saving anyone in the well is beautiful. The yoyo episode gets me because I remember that era of my youth. I liked Homer at the bat. I like the vet. Otto is lovey. Homer and Marge buying Bart a guitar for his aspirations is lovely.

Omg at the kids getting their own hotel room at the free Washington trip episode. Omg at Ralph having Nelson’s voice. Omg the Lincoln squirrel dead?

Why do we only see the Kwik E Mart ever being robbed?

Season 4

Hello, shirtless Ned.

Lisa with Marge’s hairstyle is so funny. Lol at Skinner’s mom being related to Psycho.

I love Bart’s crush on Laura. One of my fav episodes.

Wow, Barney being Plow King is treacherous. The betrayal. But, also omfg at him studying for the SATs. Omg at Scratchy trying to saw off his tongue.

Let’s have Bart and Lisa become musicians.

Season 5

The pandas are cute. Marge’s comment about potatoes being neat is so iconic. I really like it. I love Bart’s class loving Santa’s Little Helper.

LOL at Nelson petting Santa’s Little Helper. LOL at Doris’s okie dokie at greasing up Willie. “ Lmao at Miss Hoover saying I didn’t know we could do that about breaking the law as a teacher.

Someone tell me more about Mr. Burns’s little brother. Someone tell me more about Hans. I want to know more about Skinner in the army. Tell me more about Ned’s parents.

I’m disturbed by Millhouse rubbing ketchup on himself.

Season 6

Lmao at chlorine making Millhouse’s hair white. Lol at Lisa’s hair blowing up the volleyball. Show me what her hair looks like in real life. LOL at the lesbians referring to Homer as a her. This season is interesting but does feel like let’s get random. Wait, lmaoo at Otto having to siphon gas. LOL at the Shelbyville kids with their temporary tattoos. And the line about hey, look somebody’s attractive cousin.

I enjoy Bart’s decision to strut. A pop rocks and soda molotov is good stuff.

When Homer asks why grad students can go to the moon but not make his shoes smell good, it is literally the thing I think about. Let’s work on improving what we have.

Santa’s Little Helper’s family episode is soooo cute.

Season 7

Wow, I want in on the Kwik-e-mart rooftop cinema watching. I like Lisa making her summer friends. Very cute.

The humor is better in this season again. Lol at the Harvard diploma claw machine. The children's uniforms are cute. Same with the Pin Pals uniforms. Lmao at Calcutta tech.

Someone stop the Simpsons from owning their bathroom mat.

Season 8

Lmao at spraying homer with rum so that no one will believe him. LOL at the telegraph connecting to the museum. Lmao at the free sample of gasoline.

Someone tell me more about Kearney.

I like this Lisa and Nelson duo.

Season 9

Lmao at a coin-operated bible. Lmat at Marge doing so poorly on a quiz show. lmao Polly pls.

Dr. Hibbert is lovely. I like how Bart is protective over Lisa.

Omg, the wrecking of the National History Museum is crazy. $15,000 in Christmas donations is crazzyyyy.

Lisa hitting her peak at 8 is relatable.

Honestly, what Homer did with trash in Springfield is terrible.

Season 10

Ew a grease fight is not alright. Oh god, the rat school milk is just like KND’s eye crust.

lmaoo at Nelson impersonating Dr. Hibbert. lmao at being in the garden of eden and people magazine just had the two. Lmao at Jonah. Lol at the cricket poison.

Aw at Apu’s whimpering at the megastore.

Memorable Quotes: “If TV has taught me anything, it’s that miracles always happen to poor kids at Christmas.” “You have been oppressed enough for today. I will clear the dishes.” “Comedy, thy name is Krusty.” “The opportunity to prove yourself a hero is long gone.” “Why is there makeout music on?” “Prayer, the last refuge of a scoundrel.” “A part of this D- belongs to God.” “Get bent.” “Thanks, man.” “Maybe there’s something else to do on this planet.” “‘Is your father stealing bread?’ 'Maybe, I don’t watch him every minute.’” “While I know firsthand how fragile young talent is, I’d love to hear the particulars of how your gift was squashed.” “Don’t learn anything I wouldn’t learn.” “You scavenger of human misery.” “‘Thanks for sticking up for me.’ 'What makes you think I did?’ 'Who else would?’” "Oh, bitch bitch bitch." "My parents won't mind because they won't even know about it." “Are you man enough to test every one of your limits?” “Due to popular demand, we will forgo our national anthem.” “You know, if you lived here, you’d be home by now.”

[meret118]

The world-famous actor Charlotte Cushman returns to the limelight, with her costumes going on view in a new Smithsonian exhibition.

“She was one of the most, if not the most, famous women in the English-speaking world during her lifetime,” says Lisa Merrill, author of the 1999 When Romeo Was a Woman: Charlotte Cushman and Her Circle of Female Spectators.

Hers was a fame so candescent that Cushman’s social circles included world leaders from President Abraham Lincoln and Secretary of State William Seward to Queen Victoria, and American literary lights from Nathaniel Hawthorne and Walt Whitman to Louisa May Alcott. When she returned to the United States after years regaling European audiences, American newspapers hailed her, says Merrill, as the cultural icon of the era, “Our Charlotte,”—a name so well-known that like today’s Madonna, for decades she needed no last name.

Yet today, her story goes largely forgotten. Stage performances are naturally ephemeral, but Merrill believes that following her death in 1876 after a long battle with breast cancer, the onetime star’s fame declined, primarily because of her sex life. “The attempts to erase her or render her merely unusual, ‘odd,’ or inconsequential have not been accidental; each largely reflects the attitudes toward gender and sexuality at the time the accounts were written, rather than attempts to locate the significance of such attitudes in her time,” Merrill wrote.

Those attitudes form a lens on the life of a woman who loved other women. Throughout her career in the late 19th century, she was cast as an admirable virgin who remained chaste by avoiding men.In the decades following her death at 59, she was stigmatized for her long-term relationships and shorter dalliances with other women. Early 20th-century writers, who failed to identify her as a lesbian, sometimes described her as strangely mannish, asexual—and odd.

However, in recent decades Cushman’s life story is re-emerging from the shadows. Biographer Tana Wojczuk’s 2020 book Lady Romeo: The Radical and Revolutionary Life of Charlotte Cushman, America’s First Celebrity has met with critical praise for reviving the actor’s “force and vitality.”

More at the link.

[dirtyriver]

Icon.

Lisa Ben (anagram of Lesbian) was the pen name of Edythe D. Eyde (November 7, 1921 – December 22, 2015), early SF fan and creator of the first lesbian zine, Vice Versa, while she was working as secretary for RKO Studios.

Look her up, fascinating lady.

Lisa Ben (aka Tigrina) membership card for the World Science Fiction Convention in Los Angeles, 1946.

[pashterlengkap]

“The L Word” cast & creator join White House press briefing to celebrate Lesbian Visibility Week

In celebration of Lesbian Visibility Week, the cast of The L Word joined out White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre to kick off yesterday’s press briefing. Jean-Pierre was joined at the podium by the show’s co-creator Ilene Chaiken, as well as actresses Jennifer Beals, Katherine Moennig, and Leisha Hailey, who respectively play beloved characters Bette, Shane, and Alice in both the original early 2000s series as well as the 2019 The L Word: Generation Q reboot. --- Related Stories Out civil rights warrior Rue Landau is running to make history on the Philadelphia City Council “I stand on the shoulders of the their greatness,” Landau said of the closeted leaders who came before her. --- Jeane-Pierre introduced the L Word team by acknowledging the massive impact the show has had on generations of queer women. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Leisha Hailey (@leishahailey) Jean-Pierre spoke about how the show has saved lives and how she attended the filming of last year’s episode that featured a marriage between two iconic characters, “a moment that meant so much to queer women across the country,” she said. She spoke about feeling “alone and sometimes invisible” growing up as a young queer woman of color. “For so many people in our community, The L Word‘s impact cannot be understated. Being able to see diverse narratives that reflect our lives is incredibly important.” “From book bans to don’t say gay laws, MAGA extremists want to roll back the visibility we fought so hard to achieve, but LGBTQI+ youth are resilient… they are fierce, they fight back, they aren’t going anywhere.” She emphasized that people in the Biden administration “have their back.” View this post on Instagram A post shared by Kate Moennig (@kateomoennig) Chaiken and Hailey also spoke. Chaiken acknowledged the immense power of speaking alongside the first out lesbian press secretary in U.S. history who is also serving the most pro-equality president. “We learned by the beautiful response to our show how important it is for people, particularly young people, to see themselves reflected in our entertainment culture and to know that they’re embraced, valued, and not alone,” she said. “We’re painfully aware that our struggles are far from over… We’ve been fighting this fight for generations, and we’ll never stand down. They may try to erase our stories from classrooms and libraries, but we’re here…and we won’t be erased.” Hailey then added, “I’m standing here today because as a young gay girl in Nebraska who raced soap box derby cars and wore rainbow suspenders, I was seen by my family. Their love and support gave me the courage and confidence to live my life openly.” “Visibility is not just the act of being seen,” she continued. “It is the ability to see.” She went to express to the queer people fighting for their right to exist every day, “We see you.” After the briefing, the cast met with LGBTQ+ members of President Joe Biden’s administration to discuss efforts to advance LGBTQ+ equality. On Instagram, the stars celebrated their appearance at the White House. “It is a once in a lifetime event for an actor to be part of a project that offers up measurable good, meaningful healing for so many,” wrote Jennifer Beals, alongside the video of the cast and Jean-Pierre strutting down the White House halls to Beyonce’s Run the World (Girls). “It starts with visibility. Knowing your story-whether in part or parcel-deserves to be told, matters. It is an honor to be an ally to the brilliant, diverse, intrepid #LGBTQIA+ community. I have gained so much more than I have given. What an honor. Lucky me.” View this post on Instagram A post shared by Jennifer Beals (@thejenniferbeals) http://dlvr.it/Sn6H5q

[universal-kitty]

Sometimes I forget I was doing art trades... Whoops! I really need to finish those...    For a start-! Here’s the my side of an art trade with @robotarmjokes! You can see their side here!

   “Do you think he really likes me?” Cassie looked up from her report to the knowledge broker standing near her desk, fiddling with the ring that proved Atlas’ CEO was a married man. A ring he’d given the broker- DL Munro, now DL Strongfork- a year ago by now.

   This wasn’t the first time Cassie and DL talked. DL had a looser schedule being a knowledge broker, so it wasn’t uncommon for the woman to come up to spend time with her husband. Rhys usually let her in immediately, but in some cases, he was busy, and she had to wait until his meeting or appointment was over with before D could come in.

   This was merely one of those handful of times such was the case. Giving the two time to chat a bit.

   Cassie glances at the ring DL was fiddling with, then to Mrs. Pink herself. Frowning... Where had this come from?

   “He married you, didn’t he?”

   “Well, yeah, but...” She sighed, stopping her fidgeting for staring at the floor. “...I just don’t know what he’s doing with someone like me, y’know? There’s plenty of way prettier people out there who’re smarter, look better, don’t swear as much...       “I just wonder what he likes about me that he keeps sticking around...” D was silent after that, turning away from Cassie more, so the secretary wouldn’t see the expression she was making. Not that it stopped Cassie any, staring at D for a few moments, plans for the day abandoned for a bit in favor of helping D with her insecurities.

   “...Hey, DL? Look at me.” D hesitated, before turning to look at Cassie, embarrassment on her face and eventually raising her glassy eyes to Cassie’s. “No doubt in the universe that man loves you,” she stated, tone stern. “He lights up when you enter a room, even when you first got here. He was thrilled with every little thing you ever did. Now he just straight up brags about it to anyone who’ll listen. Sure, your swearing surprised him at first, but he’s grown to love it so much. I know because not only has he told me fifteen times that exact thing, but he swears more when he stubs his toe on the upper right leg of the coffee table in his office. Yes, he still hasn’t adjusted to it being there.

   “This man has told anyone with hearing that he loves you. If they can’t hear, I wouldn’t doubt he whipped out a presentation for those who could read to show how much he loves you. There isn’t a thing he wouldn’t do for you, DL.” D sniffled, wiping at her eyes with the heel of her hand. Cassie offered a tissue instead, which D quickly accepted.

   “...I know it’s kinda hard to believe... Having issues with yourself really fucks with you. I’ve got some self-esteem issues, myself,” Cassie admitted, her tone soft and caring, leaning back in her chair. “But... To the best of your abilities, you can’t let that plague you. Things are good. Bad things? Heh, well, they’ll have to deal with you and the boss. I sure wouldn’t want to be the person who sees him all worked up like that.” She laughed a little, leaning forward to reach for her coffee and...it did help lighten the mood, DL laughing softly, herself.

   “Hey... Thanks, Cass. That’s real nice of you to say all that...”

   “It’s no problem, Mrs. Strongfork.” The secretary gave a friendly, confident wink before glancing up at her screen, tapping something. “Boss?”

   “Is my wife still out there?” Cassie could see D blushing already, eyes flickering between the faint view of Rhys and staring down at her feet.

   “You know it.”

   “Oh, good! The meeting is over, so send her in! And do keep an eye on the new CEO of Maliwan... I’m getting some bad vibes from over there.”

   “Not the first time, nor the last, bossman,” she snarked, a ghost of a smile on her lips. “Will do.” He soon hung up, Cassie nodding at the door for DL to enter as she got back to work.

   Stepping through those doors, it...was pretty comforting. The familiar sight of his office, Rhys messing with his computer with a frown before spotting his wife, a bright smile breaking out onto his face. 

   “There’s my baby~! C’mere,” he cried, standing up swiftly out of his chair (stumbling a little when his shoe caught the corner of his desk), and opening his arms for D. She couldn’t help the returning smile, picking up her pace to rush into his arms. Comforting hold, familiar smells she could breathe in... It really felt like home. And made all her fears seem...silly.

   Though looking up at his face...

   “Babe, do you have stubble on your lip?”

   “Hm?”

   “I see hairs! Don’t tell me-”

   “If I was thinking of getting a mustache, I sure wouldn’t know!”

   “That doesn’t make any sense, you goober!! Are you thinking of growing a ‘stache?!”

   “Ah, I- I might be!!! I think I would look very cool with a mustache, thank you!!” She could only laugh at his rather flustered, indignant way of saying that, holding him tighter with her face in his chest. What a goof...

   It felt good to be with him again. The worries, gone. Happiness? Endless.

[eyesaremosaics]

Stage actress Maude Adams, the LGBTQ icon who (allegedly) was the inspiration for Peter Pan. Though she was never publicly “out”, she never married, and had many close female friendships throughout her life. Including Ethel Barrymore (Yes from the illustrious Barrymore family—the most recent being Drew).

Maude was very popular with female audiences, and due to her disinterest in men, her chastity helped her to maintain a pristine reputation throughout her life. She was often rumored to be engaged to men as an effective “smokescreen” to shield her from rumors of lesbianism. None of these relationships were anything more than just that—rumors.

After playing Peter Pan on stage, Maude reached monumental levels of stardom for the time, which made having a private life very challenging. She lived with her “secretary” until she died, and both were buried on the same plot.

Maude was a serious actress, who claimed she would never marry due to her dedication to her craft. This was a common excuse for closeted gays in the Victorian era. Her fearlessness, and paradoxically childlike innocence are inspiring to me. She lived a colorful life, and is definitely worth looking into.

[brandyy0moss]

Spoilers for the whole of season two of good omens, mainly the ending :)

I- help.

Good omens have such a weird way of making high stakes feel like a piss take (in a good way) that when they randomly pull out such a hard hitting ending like that last couple minutes it- well I’m ON THW FREAKING FLOOR IM DEAD IM LITERALLY DECEASED

I really enjoyed it- I sat and finished it all in one sitting so I was weak, open to the elements!! Can I just say that the main couple of this season, they are so dang cute mainly the record shop owner (I’m bad with names) she is so sweet I want to shake her and she has a lil crush on the pretty, grizzled coffee owner- come on!! Good omens writers please link the Og fanfic

I really wish the coffee shop owner got a little more time to explore how she was in a, let’s be honest, abusive relationship, it was just a little sad to be that she didn’t realise she was being treated wrong and left, she was broken up with but sometimes that’s just how it is- and I like how realistic the start of her new relationship will be, they aren’t just suddenly together and perfect, it’s very human I love them your honour

Also the representation in this season was amazing to see!! We have nonbinary (?) Beelzebub (can someone tell me why the actors were changed Ty :) )) Trans lady wife !! and maybe open relationship with those two? As she was like oooo to the silly man in front of her husband and he seemed fine, as a polly open person I love to see it shsjsjj then we had disabled representation and more nonbinary (or at least that’s how I read it) with their  secretary (?) so bad with names sorry!! And they were fem which made me happy as a very fem nb person myself >:) I also think the demon Crawley was talking to might have been on the spectrum? Love her icon, also also of course the gays and lesbians- so many in one season it felt really nice to see

But fuck— the fucjing ahhhh the fucking ending I cannot!!!!!!!! Angel is so dang excited and crawly is :( and I’m :( and then they kiss for such a long moment and Aziraphale makes a noise and he’s all cryey and I’m all cryey and he doesn’t chase Crowely and it’s our flag means death all over again and basically fuck you fuck this I’m going back to my pit

Over all throughly enjoyed

Guess who is absolutely vibrating over the ending of good omens season two—

[walnutart]

Ranking the main characters of ACOTAR

Nesta Archeron - so nesta is one of the most realistic characters sjm has ever written. her depiction of mental illness and PTSD is something i relate to a lot. The way she was treated in ACOSF is bs and i will never forgive the inner circle for pulling that shit :) (my queen my love my boo thang

Gwyn and Emerie- they're perfect angels. I love emerie and i hope sjm actually takes the fucking time to explore her characterization and sexuality. i need ONE GOOD DEPICTION OF A WLW WOMAN IN THIS SERIES PLEASE GOD PLEASE.

Feyre Archeron- uhh she's sexy? idk I'm really sad about what SJM did with her character. much like nesta she kind of tamed her? instead of being this strong amazing feminist icon she just kinda became a glorified secretary/desk lady for Rhys? idk domestic feyre gives me the bit of an ick. However, on the rare occasion when Feyre is not with Rhys, i fucking adore her.

Lucien- he's the only male character i can tolerate in this book. even though after he found out about elain he became a bit of a possessive little bitch.

Amren (minus Acosf i still haven't forgiven her)

Morrigan- She's mid. Based on her characterization I feel like SJMaas has never actually talked to a queer woman. or a queer period. like wtf do you mean her coming out scene was a chapter long. shut up?? anyways hasty bad lgbtq rep as per usual

Elain Archeron- I feel like her character has a TON of potential and I honestly don't have anything against her. I just wish Sarah tapped into her character more

Cassian- the shit he pulled in acosf is unforgivable. I only ever like him when he's with nesta.

Azriel- stop treating this man like he's the next coming of christ. he's boring. he never talks. he simped for a woman who clearly didn't like him for like a billion years. as a lesbian i simple Dont Get It

Rhys- Stop treating this man like he invented feminism. he did not. he sexually assaulted feyre under the mountain, coerced her into a shady ass deal, and treated nesta like shit for something that wasn't really her fault? Also hid the fact that FEYRE COULD FUCKING DIE. WTF DUDE??? LIKE SORRY???

Tamlin- uh i mean goes without saying. BUT also Sarah J Maas is SHITTTTT at depicting toxic relationships. seriously Feylin had the most cartoony ass 2D ass abusive relationship like wtf

[favberrys]

I'm bored and in a kkg brainrot mood, so i'm just gonna rant about my opinions of kakegurui ships and i will make some headcanons:

Kirasaya

Ok i had to start with them bc they're just too iconic, i think they have one of the most interesting and complex dynamics in kkg, they really got me obsessed with them, it's probably my number one kakegurui ship and the reason i started watching the show and reading the manga. Honestly yeah their relationship has some power imbalance, since sayaka is kirari's secretary, and is probably disfunctional, but contrary to what some ppl say kirasaya is not abusive, kirari never physically or emotionally abuses sayaka throughout the story. Anyway they're a 10/10, peak lesbian yearning, if they don't kiss at least one i will jump the author. Probably one of my fav ships ever, i think they're made for each other and i can't see kirasaya with anyone else, they're just so good together and their chemistry is >>>>>>

Yumary

Ok this one is kinda an unpopular opinion bc most people like yumary, but honestly i can't get invested into it, there's something in this ship that doesn't make my heart go "fuck yeah they should be gfs". Personally i don't ship yumeko with anyone bc i can't imagine her in a relationship since her main thing is being a compulsive gambler, her existence revolves around it and she forms relationships when they're useful for her gambling games. I think yumary could be friends with benefits for some time, but after a while mary would probably break it off because i don't think she can handle a sexual/romantic relationship with yumeko and after a while it would make her go nuts. A friendship between them is already messy and complicated and honestly i don't think they are compatible that way. Yes they have chemistry and there's probably some mutual attraction but to me it's a no. Also can cishet dudes stop fetishizing this ship ? My vote is 6/10, mostly bc mary doesn't seem much physically comfortable with yumeko, idk mary just seems off with her in that sense and i prefer them as gambling partners or friends.

Meariri

I honestly love this ship, especially after reading the manga, they have such an great dynamic, i think they both care about each other, they have chemistry and i think they're compatible and that their personalities compliment each other, mary is often loud and aggressive and passionate while ririka is more closed off and quiet, they're like fire and ice and this case i think the saying "opposite attract" works with them. Mary counts on ririka and i love the fact that she is so comfortable with her physically (mary is almost always the one to initiate the contact, holding her hand, touching her head, etc) and ririka gets inspired by mary to be her own person and chase her goals. Plus they're really cute together, aesthetically i find them the most attractive couple, i'll give them a solid 9/10

Itsukaede

Lmao i don't even know if this is the correct ship name for itsuki x kaede, ok i don't hate it and i think they could work as a couple, it's not my cup of tea bc m/f ships bore me, but i like their relationship, they have the kind of old married couple dynamic that always works. 6/10.

Ryomeko

I can see it happening, i don't ship it, but i don't mind it either, i'm kinda neutral about ryota x yumeko, but i think he's one of the ppl who care about yumeko the most in that academy (with also mary ofc), the ship is boring bc ryota is bland (he's a good guy don't get me wrong and he defo doesn't deserve the hate he gets) and as i said previously i don't ship yumeko with anyone. Sorry i gotta give it 5/6 out of 10

Yumedari

Ok i love midari but just like yumeko, i don't ship her with anyone bc i see her as someone who's too much unstable for relationships, but i know that canonically she loves/likes/is attracted to yumeko so i don't hate this ship, i think it's decent, the only problem is that yumeko hates midari. Still i think that since they're the most insane mfs in that school somehow this ship could work. 6/10

Yuridari

Again midari in my eyes is kinda unshippable, but this ship is not bad at all, they would have that kind of bickering married couple dynamic like itsuki and kaede, i like it but it doesn't do much for me. 7/10

Ryomary

Jsjssjsksk i looked the name of mary x ryota's ship on wiki so if it sounds weird it's bc i don't know their ship name and i have looked at the first site google gave me. This ship is hard no, mainly bc ryota is very bland and i consider mary a lesbian (i read that she is a canon lesbian but idk if it's confirmed by the author, let's say lesbian mary is just my hc) so shipping her with men feels like a hate crime to me, mary is for the girls only, 4/10.

Tsumary

They are kind of cute together right ? I think they're adorable, tsuzura is mary's first love and i think that someone like her would make mary very happy. I still haven't finished kkg twin, so my opinion on tsuzura is incompleted and it might change, i don't hate her but i find her character a little basic/boring so even though this ship is cute it doesn't make me fall in love with them. 7/10 bc probably also tsuzura had feelings for mary and they have a healthy dynamic, you can see they love each other.

Midasaya

I enjoy this crackship, i know that they both like different people but i headcanon that they were together during middle school or that midari had at least a small crush on sayaka during that time, before kirari came to hyakkaou i like to think that they explored their sexuality together so midari was probably sayaka's first kiss, her first date, etc, so they would have history together and we also see that midari knows sayaka bc her character is described through her pov during tower of doors. I find this ship pretty funny bc sayaka is always so serious and composed and midari is a ball of chaos. 7/10

Yumesaya

This is another crackship i don't mind and find hilarious, yeah i'm a huge kirasaya stan but i'm also a multishipper and sayaka deserves all the girls in the world, so the more the merrier. I like to think this ship as one sided love in which yumeko sort of pines after sayaka and i think it would be very interesting to see kirari being jeaulous that sayaka is getting yumeko's attention. We saw jeaulous/protective sayaka in kakegurui, but i would also like to see how kirari reacts when someone tries to take sayaka away from her, it would be really interesting. Obv this would create some tension between kirasaya and also between kirari and yumeko, almost a sort of love triangle dynamic. My opinion is that yumeko is just too unstable to settle down, also they both probably would get bored/lose interest in each other after the heat of the moment. 6/10

Ririsaya

Sorry but i really can't see it happening not even if i squint, but i really enjoy the ririsaya fanfictions and i think those works are pretty great even though i don't ship them very much. It would be interesting if both twins were in love with sayaka and there was some tension/coldness between them for a while bc they liked the same girl (maybe i read too many fanfictions). My headcanon is that both sayaka and ririka had a crush on each other when they first knew each other and for sayaka it was probably pretty confusing bc she already had feelings for kirari. I see them as friends, 7/10

Yumemisaori

Again idk if this is the correct name of the ship, many said that yumemi and saori are a healthier/mentally stable version of kirasaya and i agree. the dynamics are similar bc we have the secratary that is willing to do everything for her boss and the relationship is a little more balanced, i think they would be very cute together, but sadly they had very little interactions and if i could see more of them i would probably ship them even more. I like them 7/10.

Sachiko x Mary

I didn't even find a ship name for this couple, so they must be pretty unpopular, i like both characters and their antagonistic dyanamic is very interesting, but i don't ship them much bc i think mary needs/wants someone who is completely different from sachiko, who wants to make mary her pet and mary is someone who cares very much about her freedom, her indipendence and wants to make her own choices and this completely clashes with sachiko's extremely sadistic and domineering nature. I prefer them as enemies who have some sexual tension or enemies with benefits or one night stand adventure, but nothing more. 5/6 out of 10 bc the only mary ship i really love is meariri and i also like tsuzumary a bit.

Sachiko x Mikura

This is probably one of the most unhealthy relationships in kakegurui, but i kinda like it. Their dyanmic is pretty much vertical with sachiko who has all the power and makes mikuro do everything she wants and mikura who is completely obsessed and devoted to sachiko (my opinion is that she developed a sort of stockholm syndrome towards sachiko). I think that someone like sachiko could never have genuine romantic relationships bc of her extremely sadistic nature, she sees ppl like toys to break and what she enjoys the most is seeing ppl suffer, so the only compatible person with sachiko is someone extremely masochistic like mikura. Giving them a 6/7 out of 10 bc their interactions are fun/interesting and spice things up.

Rin x Ibara and Yumeko x Kirari

Hard no to both of them, i don't ship incest, yall can do what you want but personally it's a huge no for me. When i first started watching the anime at the beginning i thought yumeko and kirari had some sort of tension and could have been enemies to lovers (lmaoo i was so naive), but then i discovered they were cousins and i saw more kirasaya interactions so i got completely turned off by this ship. 3/10 to both of these ships.

Sachiko x Sakura

Now this ship is very sexy, idk why i like it but i do, yes i don't see sachiko with anyone besides mikura, but this pairing is not bad at all, even though it's a crackship. I think they would be rivals with benefits and would argue a lot and then make out/have hot sex. 7/10 (maybe it's too high but since these are just my opinions i won't be objective)

Mary x kirari

Uhm is there really someone out there who ships them ? Yeah i thought they had some sexual tension in s1 with that tea scene, but it's a no from me, i don't like it and i don't think they're compatible in any way, i can't see kirari with anyone who isn't sayaka. 4/10

[blackswaneuroparedux]

Anonymous asked: I really enjoy your erudite and literary posts about James Bond in your blog very much. Your most recent post about Connery as best cinematic Bond and Dalton as the best literary Bond was brilliant. Although the PC brigade have been inching towards making Bond a woman or even non-white, Ian Fleming’s legacy of a suave but cold hearted English gentleman spy hasn’t been completely trashed. As someone familiar with Fleming literary lore can you also tell me where was James Bond educated? Was it Oxford or Cambridge? I was having a discussion over Zoom with friends and the Oxonians like myself thought it was Oxford because in Casino Royale with Daniel Craig it’s made very plain it was Oxford. Your thoughts?

I appreciate your kind words about my posts on James Bond and his creator Ian Fleming. It’s very hard to ignore the cinematic James Bond because he is very much an icon of our modern culture that needs no translation to transcend across cultures. Alongside Sherlock Holmes, another British literary and cinematic export, the name alone speak for itself.

James Bond appeals to both genders very well.

For the men, Bond dresses well and lives in a care free way. He is both ferociously intelligent and resourceful to get out of any tight corner. He drives incredible cars (from the incredibly stylish Aston Martin DB5 to the incredibly awful AMC Hornet) and uses awesome technology (he is the archetypal boy with toys). He's not afraid to get down in the dirt to fight or engage in lethal gun-play and spectacular car chases. He sleeps with beautiful women, regardless how strong and independent they are (or even lesbian if we’re being honest about Pussy Galore).

For us ladies, while he's not averse to action, he's also a cultured gentleman with suave and sophisticated manners. He's also a generally pretty good looking guy. In many ways, he's a conventional male ideal. So while his conventional good looks and manners aren't for everyone, they hit right the sweet spot of what women like. For everyone, he's a spy! Not at a grey real world nondescript spy, but a cool spy fighting larger than life bad guys whose bland sartorial choices scream mad super villain. It's a very black and white world that James Bond lives in. These bad guys truly are villainous in the desire to re-order humanity, and we need a debonair British MI6 agent to save us from these mad men who want to harm us by laying waste to a bonkers Armageddon.

When all is said and done I think that what makes James Bond so iconic across gender and generations is what Raymond Chandler wrote back in 1959, “every man wants to be James Bond and every woman wants to be with him”.

That sounds about right. Men want to be him, women want to be with him.

I know my first introduction to James Bond was through my grandfather on my  Anglo-Scots father’s side who was a dashing gentleman in his day with a long rumoured hush hush work for Her Majesty’s government firmly shoved under the carpet to avoid further discussion that he - being self-effacing and humble - would find embarrassing that would paint him in any heroic light. Years later he had bought his Bahamas beach pile in Harbour Island out in the Caribbean for the family to rest up from cold winters in Britain. Amongst his immense stack of books dotted around the place were (and still are) first editions of Flemings novels which a few were signed by the author as he on occasion met Ian Fleming when he would sail over to Jamaica (they were also OEs which helped). We were not allowed to touch these but instead picked up the dog earred paperbacks that still retained their 60s musty smell.

On my teen sojourns there I would spend time along with my siblings just reading anything we could find to take to the beach or lounge around in a hammock or a chaise longue. That’s how I came to read the Fleming books - really out of necessity to avoid boredom on a beach (which isn’t really my thing as I prefer the rugged outdoors). But I was pleasantly surprised how well written the books were and I actually enjoyed the stories; it was a refreshing change from the more heavy literary tomes I was trying hard to wade through. As for the Bond films, I watched them on film nights at boarding school; I remember having a school girl crush on Connery, Dalton, and Brosnan.

There are many reasons for the successful longevity of James Bond in popular culture and literature but perhaps one of the most pertinent to our discussion is that James Bond is actually a blank slate and therefore malleable as a character and so he can capture the current zeitgeist in time.

This ability of the film to adapt to different generations while remaining relevant is an important factor for its longevity. For example, the early James Bond films were unashamedly sexist with characters using women as objects and discarding them. In the most recent James Bond films, certainly starting with Timothy Dalton, there is a subtle change in attitude with a few chauvinist attitudes.

James Bond today is more serious, seduces fewer women, and is more respectful towards women in his life, including his boss. This shows how the film changes concerning the rise of feminism in the West. For example, Miss Moneypenny used to be a minor character in the very first James Bond films. Today, she is more formidable and doesn’t tolerate sexist remarks.

Perhaps it is precisely because of this blank slate malleability that has allowed different actors that have been cast to play James Bond their own way - rather than get a straight like for like Scottish sounding actor to replacing Connery for example the film producers went across to Moore via Lazenby for example  - and letting each actor imbue the super spy with different moods. They each added their own colour from the same broad palate to create different tones. However, each of these characters maintained the essential character that defines James Bond. The actors have broadly stayed true to the inherent mix of character and class associated with James Bond.

For this reason I have some empathy towards your concern that Bond would be held hostage to the current zeitgeist of white washing or genderising everything so as to avoid being a victim of cancel culture. But it’s only empathy because I feel there is a danger of misunderstanding just who James Bond is and what he represents.

What do I mean by this?

I mentioned James Bond is a malleable character to the point he’s presented as a blank slate. This is ‘literally’ true - certainly as far as the books go. Ian Fleming doesn’t tell us much about Bond other than his appearance in his books. Indeed - as I mentioned in my past blog post on Connery as the best Bond - Fleming wasn’t convinced by Connery as Bond. He was reported to have said, ‘I’m looking for Commander Bond and not an overgrown stuntman’ and even dismissed Connery as “that fucking truck driver”. Fleming has good reason to rage. His Bond as written in the books was someone like him.

Like Fleming, Bond was an Eton educated Englishman; an officer and a (rogue) gentleman who was a lieutenant-commander in Naval Intelligence. As Connery began to wow and win over Fleming as Bond, Fleming had a change of heart. Fleming in his later Bond books re-wrote a half-Scottish ancestry for Bond as a tribute to Connery’s portrayal. Bond’s Scottish father was a Royal Navy captain and later an arms dealer, Andrew Bond from Glencoe; and his mother, Monique Delacroix, was Swiss from an industrial family. Bond himself was born in Zurich. Bond isn’t English at all but half-Scots and half-Swiss according to literary canon.

So I mention this because the question who can play James Bond is not as straight forward as it might seem.

But clearly we now have a canon of work, both cinematically and in the literature, where we have base line of who Bond is - or what audiences could possibly suspend their disbelief and go with what is presented to them as James Bond.

I do vaguely remember the hullabaloo and hand wringing around Daniel Craig playing Bond because he didn’t conform to the traditional tall, dark, and handsome trope of James Bond super suave spy. People couldn’t get past his blond hair. Some still can’t. But in my humble opinion he has been an outstanding James Bond and has reimagined Bond in a fresh and exciting way. Craig is in fact mining the Fleming books for his characterisation of Bond as a suave, gritty, humourless killer of the books. Dalton got there before him but that’s a moot point. To our current generation Craig has modernised Bond and dusted 007 down from being a relic of the Cold War to being a relevant 21st Century super spy.

Can anyone play James Bond OO7? Yes and no. It’s arguing that two different things are one and the same. They are not. James Bond is separate from OO7.  

Can a woman play Jane Bond or a black woman or non-white man play Black Bond? Respectfully, no. That’s not who James Bond is.

James Bond is a flesh and blood character with a specific genealogical history - whether in the books or on the screen. This Bond has literary back story that is canon and makes him who he is. Bond does transcend time - he can’t be 38 years old for over 75 years in the real world - but at the same time his character only makes sense when rooted in a specific historic context we know existed (and still exists) and not some wishy washy make believe fantasy of British society. He’s an Old Etonian and therefore an upper middle class male product of the British establishment that is identifiable in a very British cultural context.

Jane Bond would have to have gone to Cheltenham Ladies College, Benneden, or Roedean I suppose if we are talking about equivalence - but such girls’ boarding schools were not the breeding ground for future spies (more likely they married them or became trusted secretaries in the intelligence services as well as flower arranging in their Anglican parish church).

I believe they are letting in black pupils on bursaries at Eton these days to be more inclusive but again it’s an an exception not the rule and Eton doesn’t even get public credit for the inclusive work they try to do because it’s not well known.

Moreover we know Bond loses his Scottish-Swiss parents in a skiing accident. I don’t mean to sound racist but I ski a lot in Switzerland and I can say you don’t really find droves of non-white skiers on the slopes of Verbier or Zermatt. Of course there are a few but it’s the exception and not the norm. Again, I’m not trying to be racist but just point out some obvious things when it pertains to the credibility of character that underlines who Bond is. You pull one thread out of the literary biography and the danger is the rest of the tapestry will unravel.

Of course one could try and go for a Black Bond on screen and then hope there is a huge suspension of belief on the part of the audience. But I suspect it’s a bridge too far. It just doesn’t fit. Audiences around the world have an image of who Bond is - British at the very least but also male (damaged and flawed in many ways) and coming from a specific British social class background that serves as an entree to a closed world of English gentleman clubs, Savile Row, English sports cars, and the hushed corridors of Whitehall.

Any woke film maker with an ounce of creative vision and talent and one who is invested in this would be better off creating a new character entirely - with their own specific biography that is both believable and relatable. Can you imagine an American James Bond? What a ghastly thought. Or worse a Canadian one? Canadians are far too nice and far too apologetic to produce a cruel cold eyed killer. But look what clever film makers like Spielberg and Lucas did with Indiana Jones and even later Doug Liman did with Jason Bourne - both fantastic creations that are part of the cultural zeitgeist now.

Or look at Charlize Theron who plays a MI6/CIA/KGB triple agent in Atomic Blonde or Rebecca Ferguson as Ilsa Faust in any of the Mission Impossible movies. I would eagerly watch any movies with these two badass women on the screen. All this talk about making Bond a woman or even coloured is just lazy thinking at best and at worst kow towing to the populist tides of PC brigade.

But I firmly believe one can have a female and a person of colour portraying 007. This is because James Bond and OO7 are two different things entirely. Many mistakenly believe 007 is Bond’s own code name and specific alias to him alone.  

007 is a license to kill for a very specialised kind of intelligence officer. Bond has that privilege for as long as he serves at the service of Her Majesty’s pleasure. His 007 license can be revoked - and it has been in the past Bond films - and he’s back to being a just another desk jockey civil servant in Whitehall. So my point is OO7 is not sacred to Bond’s identity. Bond could continue to be Bond even if M took away his 007 license to kill.

The origins of the Double O title may date to Fleming's wartime service in Naval Intelligence. According to World War Two historian Damien Lewis in his book Churchill's Secret Warriors, agents of the Special Operations Executive (SOE) were given a “0” prefix when they became "zero-rated" upon completion of training in how to kill. As part of his role as assistant to the head of naval intelligence, Rear Admiral John Godfrey (himself the inspiration for M), Fleming acted as liaison to the SOE.

In the novel Moonraker it’s established that the section routinely has three agents concurrently; the film series, beginning with Thunderball, establishes the number of OO agents at a minimum of 9. Fleming himself only mentions five OO agents in all. According to Moonraker, James Bond is the most senior of three OO agents; the two others were OO8 and OO11. The three men share an office and a secretary named Loelia Ponsonby. Later novels feature two more OO agents; OO9 is mentioned in Thunderball and OO6 is mentioned in On Her Majesty's Secret Service.

Other authors have elaborated and expanded upon the OO agents. While they presumably have been sent on dangerous missions as Bond has, little has been revealed about most of them. Several have been named, both by Fleming and other authors, along with passing references to their service records, which suggest that agents are largely recruited (as Bond was) from the British military's special forces.

Interestingly, In the novel You Only Live Twice, Bond was transferred into another branch and given the number 7777, suggesting there was no active agent 007 in that time; he is later reinstated as 007 in the novel The Man with the Golden Gun. As an aside, in Fleming's Moonraker, OO agents face mandatory retirement at 45 years old. However Sebastian Faulks's Devil May Care (an authorised Bond adventure from the Fleming estate and therefore arguably could be considered canon) features M giving Bond a choice of when to retire - which explains why Roger Moore (God bless) went past his sell by date.

In the films the OO section is a discrete area of MI6, whose agents report directly to M, and tend to be sent on special assignments and troubleshooting missions, often involving rogue agents (from Britain or other countries) or situations where an "ordinary" intelligence operation uncovers or reveals terrorist or criminal activity too sensitive to be dealt with using ordinary procedural or legal measures, and where the aforementioned discretionary "licence to kill" is deemed necessary or useful in rectifying the situation.

The World is Not Enough introduces a special insignia for the 00 Section. Bond's fellow OO agents appear receiving briefings in Thunderball and The World Is Not Enough. The latter film shows a woman in one of the 00 chairs. In Thunderball, there are nine chairs for the OO agents; Moneypenny says every 00 agent in Europe has been recalled, not every OO agent in the world. Behind the scenes photos of the film reveal that one of the agents in the chairs is female as well. As with the books, other writers have elaborated and expanded upon the OO agents in the films and in other media.

In GoldenEye, 006 is an alias for Alec Trevelyan; as of 2019, Trevelyan is the only OO agent other than Bond to play a major role in an EON Productions film, with all other appearances either being brief or dialogue references only.

In Casino Royale with Daniel Craig’s first outing as Bond, we see in the introduction the tense exchange between Bond and Dryden, a section chief whom Bond has been sent to kill for selling secrets.  

James Bond: M really doesn't mind you earning a little money on the side, Dryden. She'd just prefer it if it wasn't selling secrets. Dryden: If the theatrics are supposed to scare me, you have the wrong man Bond. If M was so sure I was bent...she'd have sent a Double-O. Benefits of being Section Chief...I would know of anyone being promoted to Double-O status, wouldn't I? Your file shows no kills...and it takes - James Bond: - two. (flashback of Bond fighting Dryden's contact in a bathroom.)

The OO is just a coveted position and nothing to do with who occupies it. Ito use a topical comparative example it’s like a football team in which a new star player would be given an ex-player’s shirt number e.g. Messi wears Number 10 for Argentina which is heavily identified with the late great Maradona. So conceivably there would be no problem having a woman or anyone else play 007. I think it would be an interesting creative choice to have a woman or someone else play OO7 and Bond is out of the service and yet he has to work together with this new OO7 - the creative tension would be a refreshing twist on the canon. 

Your question about James Bond’s Oxford or Cambridge education is more easier to answer.

It really depends again which Bond one is talking about. The literary James Bond or the cinematic Bond.

In the Fleming books, James Bond’s didn’t go to Oxford or Cambridge or any of the other great universities of Britain. In the books Bond’s education is not gone into much detail. We know he was raised overseas until he was orphaned at the age of 11 when his parents died in a mountaineering accident near Chamonix in the Alps. He is home schooled for a time by an aunt, Charmain Bond, in the English village of Pett Bottom before being packed off to boarding school at Eton around 12 years old. Bond doesn’t stay long as he gets expelled for playing around with a maid. He is then sent to his father’s boarding school in Scotland, Fettes College.

Bond is then briefly attends the University of Geneva - as Ian Fleming did - before being taught to ski in Kitzbühel. In 1941 Bond joins a branch of what was to become the Ministry of Defence and becomes a lieutenant in the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve, ending the war as a commander. Bond applies to M for a position within the "Secret Service", part of the HM Civil Service, and rises to the rank of principal officer. And that’s it.

In the cinematic Bond universe things get more complicated and even contentious as you alluded to in your question. It’s never made quite clear which of the two - Oxford or Cambridge - Bond attended because it depends on how much weight you attach to the lines being spoken in each of the films where it is raised.

In Tomorrow Never Dies, Bond is up at Oxford (New College to be exact since his Aston Martin DB5 was parked in the courtyard at the entrance). He is seen bedding a sexy Danish professor, Inga Bergstrom, to brush up on his Danish (to which Moneypenny on the phone retorts ‘You always were a cunning linguist’). But it’s definitely doesn’t mean Bond studied there as an undergraduate. 

Casino Royale is the film many think yes, James Bond went to Oxford because it is mentioned by Vesper Lynd (Eva Green) as she sizes up Daniel Craig’s Bond on the train. Here is the full quote as said by Vesper Lynd, “All right... by the cut of your suit, you went to Oxford or wherever. Naturally you think human beings dress like that. But you wear it with such disdain, my guess is you didn't come from money, and your school friends never let you forget it. Which means you were at that school by the grace of someone else's charity - hence that chip on your shoulder. And since your first thought about me ran to "orphan," that's what I'd say you are.”

The thing to note is that it’s Vesper Lynd taunting Bond and even then she takes a wide stab by saying ‘Oxford or wherever’ because she doesn’t really know and Bond doesn’t oblige her with an answer.

That whole scene struck me as strange because she’s guessing by the cut of the suit it must be Oxford (or Cambridge). Bond is wearing an Italian suit (Brioni to be specific) and not and English Savile Row one that presumably someone of Bond’s taste and background would be sporting.

A more plausible answer if we are going by the cinematic Bond universe is Cambridge. Indeed it is stated explicitly by Bond himself. Can you guess?

You Only Live Twice which is has the distinction of being the only Bond film (as far as I can tell) from being set in just one country - Japan.

You remember the scene. Lieutenant commander James Bond has just had a briefing with M on board a submarine and is naturally flirting with Moneypenny on his way out. Moneypenny playfully tosses him a Japanese phrase book, saying he might need it.

“You forget,” Bond responds with an expression just short of a smirk as he tosses it back to her, “I took a first in oriental languages at Cambridge.”

So it seems James Bond is a Cambridge man.

A first means - as any British university student would know - first class honours. It’s the highest classification grade one can get in their undergraduate degree ie a ‘first’. Although at Cambridge, like Oxford, you can also get a double first in the part I and part II of the Tripos. Both universities also award first-class honours with distinction, informally known as a ‘Starred First’ (Cambridge) or a ‘Congratulatory First’ (Oxford).

Another oddity is he says ‘oriental languages’ when one got a degree in ‘oriental studies’ at the Oriental Faculty at Cambridge. That is until 2007 when Cambridge bowed to public and student pressure and chose to drop its Oriental Faculty label and instead adopted the name the Faculty of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies. Oxford still hangs on to its name the Faculty of Oriental Studies.

My only reservation about crowing over an Oxonian is how truthful was Bond being with Moneypenny in this scene?

Is this line meant to be taken seriously or ironically? Most people seem to take it seriously, despite much of Connery's dialogue being obviously ironic and playful. Certainly, Bond is shown to have never been to Japan before and is incapable of saying anything in Japanese other than the odd "sayonara" and "arigato." But then again Bond does know the correct temperature sake is meant to be served at. So there’s that.

Or it could be Bond was speaking a half-truth. I know speaking from experience as someone who very nearly read asian languages instead of my eventual choice of Classics that ‘Oriental languages’ at the ex-Oriental faculty in Cambridge can mean many other languages e.g. Sanskrit, Hindi, Farsi, Hebrew, Arabic as well as Korean, Japanese and Chinese. It opens up so many other delicious possibilities for Bond. If he read Arabic then perhaps he’s being deeply ironic with Moneypenny (after all she would have drooled over read his MI6 personnel file).

If you think I’m losing my mind then ponder on the fact it was Roald Dahl who penned the screenplay of You Only Live Twice. Dahl was not above snark. Indeed pretty sure he would have got a starred first in snark at any university.

Of course the most obvious explanation is that it’s plot armour as a way for Bond to just get on with the story by suspending the audience belief. Why wouldn’t Bond know Japanese? He seems to know everything else imaginable.

However if it ever was it’s now become canon as EON - the production company behind the Bond films - have stated officially for the fandom that Bond’s official bio has it that he went to Eton and Cambridge, where he got a first in oriental languages. So that seems settled then.

In hindsight it makes perfect sense that Bond went to Cambridge since historically Cambridge has provided the bulk of the spies not just for Her Majesty’s service but also for the other side, the Russians - the so-called Cambridge Spies of Philby, Maclean, Burgess, Blunt, and Cairncross, and a host of other traitors. We seem to be an equal opportunities employment service.

I’m sorry to disappoint you and other Oxonians that despite what you might think James Bond didn’t attend Oxford. Believe me as a Cantabrigian it gives me no pleasure to say this…..too much.

Thanks for your question.

[marnie1964]

Karate Kid/Cobra Kai survey

i'm gonna consider myself tagged

It’s the year 2021 and you’re obsessed with The Karate Kid. How are you feeling?: an unexpected turn of events but it's passing the quarantine, i guess!

Did you grow up with TKK or are you new to the series?:  to be completely honest, i don't really like the movies? i didn't vibe with them as a kid and when i went back and tried to watch them this year i couldn't make it all the way through.* i think they're well crafted movies, but i've never liked relatable young boy wish fulfillment (i couldn't even get thru harry potter as a kid), and i think the first one is guilty of burying the lede twice over with regards to mr. miyagi and later the relationship between kreese and johnny. and lucky me--these are exactly the areas that cobra kai delivers on.

*except for the third one, which imo is a camp masterpiece and also genuinely heartbreaking. it's the only one that allows daniel to be an genuine pain in the ass. i think i've finally figured out what the target audience for cobra kai is: people who's favorite karate kid movie was tkk3 (me).

We gotta do the basics. Favorite character: johnny! what is a man but a miserable pile of bruce springsteen lyrics? or aimee mann lyrics? or mountain goats lyrics? or otis redding lyrics? or--fuck, have americans ever written songs about anyone else? i have an unreal amount of good will towards this man and his late-life struggle for recuperation. he's the heart of the show both in terms of his relationships with other characters and in terms of zabka's chemistry with the other actors.

my deep dark double secret fave is kreese. he makes me feel real anger in a way that's usually reserved for characters in vince gilligan shows. i'm a bit obsessed with him and his preoccupation with johnny and later johnny's teenaged son (I Have Thoughts). the show does a great job of making what he did to johnny--and all the years and years and years of fallout from that--feel really real, which makes him one of the most viscerally despicable villains i've ever come across . it's unironically among the best portrayals of domestic abuse i've seen, may god have mercy on our souls. the decision to pop out from behind a fucking cardboard cutout of himself to scare daniel in tkk3 was also a hilarious galaxy brain move. aspirational stuff.

also--shout out to daniel-san. the writers really had to work their asses off to make him into a character that appeals to me, and i think they did a great job of it. he's a cringey tool who's capable of displaying a surprising amount of integrity under the right circumstances! he's tom wambsgans! he's pete campbell! he's wonderful i love him!

Favorite ship:  johnny & daniel (what if mysterious skin was a sports comedy??)

Underrated character: the True and Correct answer to this question can only be aisha, although i don't think she was actually underrated by anyone besides the writers. chozen is also lowkey my favorite katate child because c'mon, he had everything (spear fights! ziplines! teen death matches! formfitting disco-era polyester button down shirts worn with gold chains!)

Underrated ship (don’t say therapy, lol):  uhhhh... the only teen couple that could have been interesting is tory/aisha. they were cute together and their friendship rang true to me. it's that thing where you're the new girl and you're conventionally attractive, but on the inside you know you're a freak so you immediately gravitate towards the most obvious female outsider. i lived it, bay-bey!

i also think there are interesting things to explore with carmen and johnny's relationship. i don't know if the writers are even aware of it (i lean towards no b/c men amirite) but the entire premise of carmen's character is that she chose to live in poverty to protect herself and her son from a bad man with power. she's thereby the exact opposite of johnny's mother, who (at least by his understanding) married hollywood film producer shmarvey shmeinstein to provide her son with a better life. so, there's a lot to unpack in his attraction to her. also they're super hot hur hur i like sexy nurse thing hur hur.

Wax On, Wax Off or Sweep the Leg?: i can't look directly at it, but sweep the leg. zabka what the fuck man.

Which of Daniel’s dumb little outfits is your favorite?:  i don't think i've seen anyone mention this one yet, but the football jersey with the sweatpants. it makes him look so small and huggable, i wanna pick him up and set him on my shelf or something.

Character from the films you most want to return, who’s not Terry Silver: bring back ali's lesbian girl gang!!! or else--dutch. he was funny and iconic, i loved his exaggerated offended reaction to everything daniel said or did in tkk. also, i'm tacky so i'm a sucker for aggressively bleach blonde hair. the SCANDALIZED wasp couple standing behind ali and johnny in the spaghetti scene will also do. or terry's secretary (an mvp--i believe the original actress has passed away so in my heart of hearts she's portrayed by j. smith-cameron).

Scene that lives in your head rent-free: the whole character development speed run that johnny does from sweep the leg to crying while handing daniel the trophy to getting strangled in the parking lot by his beloved teacher. i'm especially transfixed by that last bit--what's the thought process of a man who decides to publicly execute his teenage student via strangulation? why did none of the many bystanders call the police? johnny is the real kitty genovese, prison for everyone.

from the cobra kai series proper: daniel's decision to greet johnny with a big hug after not seeing him for 35 years and never actually being friends with him (I Have Thoughts), the heinously creepy scene where johnny is repeating the cobra kai mantra for miguel and his entire disposition completely changes (demonic possession shit), and johnny's tiny go-ahead-and-kill-my-abuser nod (his face is so stoney after being so animated at dinner) coupled with daniel's shaky little sign of relief (macchio is really the cutest when he looks scared).

it goes without saying that every johnny & miguel scene lives rent free in my HEART.

Will Anthony LaRusso ever be relevant?: anthony becomes relevant for one (1) episode next season when amanda and daniel finally get around to putting him up for adoption.

You live in The Valley and are forced into the karate gang war.  Which dojo do you join?:  i enter the cobra kai dojo decked out in all of my snake-themed clothing and jewelry (it's a lot). i approach kreese and explain to him that the open mouth of a snake, viewed head-on, is a yonic symbol. i am permanently banned from the cobra kai dojo.

(seriously though, assuming i'm a teen in this scenario i think i would have vibed with tory/miguel/aisha. dimitri and sam would have driven high school me up the fucking wall though. the cobra kai style looks like more fun/better exercise. do i also genuinely believe most young girls could actually benefit from someone yelling no mercy down their neck? maybe so 💖)

What’s your training montage song?:  50ft queenie - pj harvey (it takes place in the alison bechdel feminist karate dojo ofc)

It’s the crossover event of the century! Which TV show are you combining with Cobra Kai for an hour-long Saturday night special?: it's a full episode flashback to the time johnny got arrested in albuquerque, new mexico. johnny's court-appointed attorney is a weirdly hot babe who seems like a super straight laced killjoy at first, but soon reveals herself to be an unhinged woman. one thing leads to another, and johnny winds up in bed with her and her loser husband. there are lots of great themes about punitive justice, people's ability to change for the better (and worse), and what makes someone "good" or "bad" to begin with, but mostly it's just really hot sex. the husband tries to sell johnny a prepaid cellphone and johnny tell's him that cellphones are never gonna catch on, cause who want's to be bothered by people all the time like that?

better call saul. it's a better call saul crossover ep.

(fwiw think that greg 'hbo succession' hirsch should also be terry's cousin greg on the non-roy side. think about it--the roys are small people, but cousin greg is really tall?? and who else is really tall, and a blue eyed brunette to boot? terry silver. it all adds up! this never becomes relevant to the plot, in any case, i'm just considering it canon until the writers come to my house and explicitly tell me i'm wrong.)

Tagging: anyone who's interested 😘

[fagrackham]

ranking all of the men in mad men bc joan just left and i miss her

Roger Sterling: 2/10. When he isn’t being a fucking creep or in blackface he has some good one liners. It’s a real shame that heart attack didn’t kill him.

Bert Cooper: 4/10. Has “White Man A Little Too Into East Asia” disease, but otherwise generally nonoffending. At least he isn’t a fucking creep.

Duck Phillips: 1/10. Gets a point for being named Duck.

Joan’s Husband: 0/10. I forget his name and I don’t care enough to google it. Piece of shit garbage monster who doesn’t deserve her.

Pete Campbell: 3/10. He’s just a pathetic little man who seems like he’s only playing at adulthood. His voice bothers me and he’s mean to his wife. I do like to see him thwarted which, to be fair, happens quite a lot. I don’t like how he treats Peggy.

Don Draper: 6/10. Sometimes he’s cool, other times he sucks. He’s a really well written character but if I met him irl I’d kick him in the dick. Possible trans icon. Friend to gay people. I wish he wouldn’t cheat on his wife so much or have her psychiatrist tell him what she says.

Betty’s Psychiatrist: 0/10. Piece of shit garbage monster.

Harry Crane: 5/10. I really go back and forth on him. He’s the only one of the men who respects his wife but also I’ll never forgive him for not letting Joan participate in the tv department. I like his glasses.

Ken Cosgrove: 7/10. Stays in his lane. Homophobe, but like it’s 1963. King of being a writer and not letting Pete get him down.

That fucking comedian guy: 0/10. Fuck you.

The young gay european one: 10/10. Brave. Powerful. “I make love to the men not to the women” or whatever. Taking no shit. Can draw.

The other young dude?: 4/10. Idk I think I’d hate him if we had a class together or something.

Sal Romano: 9/10. I’m so sorry you have to live in this time king. I’m also sorry it took you two whole seasons to get any action and it was interrupted by a fire. I wish his wife was a lesbian.

Paul Kinsey: 8/10. It was really difficult for me to tell the men apart in season one, so I’m glad he grew a beard. Also? Communist anti-racist icon? Pothead beatnik who is kind of goofy? I can’t remember anything bad about him but I don’t trust any of these men so better safe than sorry.

Betty’s Weird Brother: 1/10. I don’t know why he looks like a small child that wears merrells.

Grandpa Gene: 5/10. Tbh I was really relieved when he died because I didn’t care abt his storyline all that much.

All of the british ones: 1/10. They have james bond villain accents and i don’t like how they talk about India but I liked the part where one of the secretaries runs over one of their feet with a lawn mower and there’s blood everywhere and it has to get amputated.

Henry Francis: 2/10. I only just met him but I don’t trust politicians. Gets a point for each secret history character he’s named after <3

Bobby Draper: N/A. Not a man, but I feel obligated to include him because clearly I’m the only one who cares to