#getting emotional over female empowerment and how beautiful women are

[clovesnz]

Not me developing a crush on my ONE straight friend like wth is wrong with meeee

[denimbex1986]

'Barbenheimer, the biggest double-bill of the year, has been a massive success. The box office, film circles, and the wild world of the internet have been buzzing about the unlikely pairing of two vastly different films made by two of the most renowned filmmakers of our time. Greta Gerwig's Barbie is a vibrant exploration of its titular character experiencing an existential crisis, one of the last thoughts that could pop into one's head when talking about the beloved doll. On the other hand, Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer brings viewers right into the mind of the father of the atomic bomb. While both of them look to discuss certain political and social aspects of the world, only one of them succeeds in providing a nuanced exploration, and it's not even close.

'Barbie' Takes a Look at Feminism

In Gerwig's world, "Stereotypical" Barbie (Margot Robbie), in the middle of one of her routine night parties, abruptly experiences thoughts of death. This leads her perfect plastic figure to undergo several physical changes, such as having cellulite or getting flat-footedness. She discovers that all of this is caused by the state of mind of her owner in the real world, which she must change before she becomes fully human. Barbie, together with Ken (Ryan Gosling), travels to Venice Beach in search of her owner while discovering the imperfections of the mundane human world. It is during this trip, and the events leading after, that the film provides a commentary on femininity and what being a woman in the real world means.

Their arrival opens up a plethora of discourse regarding being a woman in the real world. One of the main tenets in Barbie's women empowerment manifesto is a tale as old as the movement itself. It offers the notion that stereotypical beauty standards are not the end-all and be-all. The movie hammers home this point when Stereotypical Barbie herself calls an elderly woman on the bus stop beautiful. Another point is when Barbie is taken aback by the self-awareness of her owner Sasha (Ariana Greenblatt), calling her a fascist, among other hurtful things. Barbie isn't the role model she thinks she is, and she learns that the existence of Barbies may have caused more harm than good. Yes, this concept might be a bit on the nose, but it still works. However, it is just one of the many things in relation to the bigger picture of female representation and equality. There's more to it than just beauty standards, which Barbie attempts to tackle throughout the film.

Gloria's Monologue Gets at the Core of the Message

When Ken discovers that the patriarchy is the ruling system in the real world, he begins to carry that mentality. Acting as if he has just discovered the penultimate secret of the universe, Ken runs back to Barbieland alone and takes over with his new philosophy. When Barbie takes Sasha and her mother, Gloria (America Ferrera), back to Barbieland, they're shocked by the change and endeavor to save it. When Gloria inadvertently discovers that the key to saving everyone in Barbieland is an impassioned speech on what it takes to be a woman, the film's inner meaning becomes crystal clear.

Gloria espouses how it is so hard to be a woman because the system is rigged against their success, and that everyone blames them for what's wrong in the world. While inspirational in its own right, and embodies truthfulness to some degree, it is but a reductionist view on the problems that plague women. It is a futile attempt to encapsulate the bigger picture of the admirable movement of women's rights, and boils down to an emotional but simplistic rant on how women are oppressed. Generally speaking, it bears little depth in relation to the complexities of empowering women. It's like a person merely touching the surface of a lake, and immediately judging that it's safe to swim in. For some, it falls flat and was an underwhelming climax for a fairly enticing buildup.

However, there is an argument to be made. Isn't that exactly the point? It is a Barbie movie after all, and it makes no bones about its nature. It is a movie about a plastic doll that discovers its own sense of consciousness. Did we really expect it to delve deep into the roots of a deeply ingrained issue, and offer some form of emancipation? Absolutely not! If we want to be technical about it, Barbie belonged to a world where there were absolutely no problems. Her arrival in the real world was a culture shock, there's no way she could fully grasp everything about the complexities of gender politics in such a short amount of time. Yes, Barbie's critique of the patriarchy is surface-level at times, but as the ending shows, she still has more to discover about herself, and that's alright.

The Hypocrisy of Free Thinking in 'Oppenheimer'

On the other hand, Nolan's Oppenheimer, by its very subject, offers a lot more leeway in terms of discussing politics. It is a film about one of the most controversial subjects the world has ever seen, so it is at a distinct advantage. As the director of the Los Alamos Laboratory for the Manhattan Project, J. Robert Oppenheimer (Cillian Murphy) was at the receiving end of mudslinging efforts, among other things. The picture does a marvelous job of presenting Oppenheimer as both a pompous intellectual with no regard for boundaries and as a human being facing the immense consequences of his actions. Despite his polarizing personality, one of his most commendable traits is his penchant for standing up for what he believes in.

Oppenheimer, as depicted in the film, was a stand-up guy when it came to his science and an even prouder individual when it came to his own beliefs. The earliest form of conflict was his affinity with left-wing politics. While not strictly a communist per se, his loyalty was put into question, especially due to his fondness of socials hosted by members of the Communist Party USA. An affair with one of its most prominent members in Jean Tatlock (Florence Pugh) only made things worse. His sympathy for some of the party's ideas is where his troubles began, which eventually sealed his own fate. It is a common occurrence that still plagues the world today. Someone expressing approval for left-wing politics, can easily be branded a communist. During the height of McCarthyism, and the immense fear brought by the Cold War, paranoia against communists and spies in America hit an all-time high. Movements like these are often hijacked by those in power and can be wielded like a weapon against those they see as a threat.

'Oppenheimer's Commentary Exposes the Dark Complexity of Politics

With the success of the Trinity test, and the war-ending bombings in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Oppenheimer vehemently denied support for its prospective use. He began to speak against the very thing he created, and while his philosophies were laudable, the US government's mentality went in the opposite direction. Seeing it as a race for global arms supremacy, President Harry S. Truman (Gary Oldman) insulted Oppenheimer for being resentful of his brainchild. For a man who contributed so much to ending the war, the president's dismissal of his concerns speaks volumes.

On the other hand, Lewis Strauss (Robert Downey Jr.), who carried a personal grudge against Oppenheimer, used his alleged communist connections as fodder for his scheme to permanently revoke the physicist's security clearance. It is one of the most blatant displays of the hypocrisy of supposedly democratic governments. The proliferation of ideas, and the flourishing of free-thinking is only heralded when it plays into the government's interest. If your ideas are of no use to them anymore, or if you have already served your purpose, they will throw you out faster than a nuclear reaction. It is Oppenheimer's bread and butter: to expound on the dark inner workings of politics, and it succeeds in providing a more nuanced take compared to its fellow release-day movie.

Barbenheimer's Have Two Very Different Approaches to Politics

Rather than viewing Oppenheimer as a more politically conscious film, perhaps it would be best to discuss the different approaches of the two in terms of examining politics. Gerwig made a nostalgia piece, aiming for viewers to relive their childhoods. Politics is secondary when you are talking about dolls living in colorful and majestic houses. Nolan's character study was built for this argument, and he masterfully dissects the double-edged sword that is free speech, as well as questioning the ethics of nuclear warfare.

Yes, from an objective standpoint, Oppenheimer provides a better political cinematic undertaking, but it doesn't mean that Barbie had nothing to offer at all. Rather than favoring one or the other, it is best to critique the two blockbusters with the appropriate lens. At least the two blockbusters are sparking discussions on two very important issues, and that's all we can ask for as moviegoers.'

[redrascal1]

Disney, #metoo and its toxic partnership

Anyone remember the days when Disney and the Star Wars saga were about entertainment?

They made some of the best films on celluloid. The Skywalker Saga was a terrific space opera, and totally unique as it blended sci fi with epic fantasy. It featured refreshingly flawed but immensely likeable heroes and a tragic villain that is still memorable decades later.

Disney meanwhile, were responsible for some of the finest animated films ever made - the original Beauty and the Beast was Oscar nominated.

Far forward to the 21st century, and what have we got?

#metoo.

When they were created, the #metoo movement was admirable. They were there to protect vulnerable young women from reptiles like Harvey Weinstein, and I was 100% behind them.

Then I lost all my respect for them with a comment they made after Johnny Depp’s court victory against his sociopathic abusive ex wife.

‘This is a bad day for women.’

Excuse me? That was a bad day for abusers - not women. Men can, and often have been, abused by their female partners. In the news in the UK recently, there was a terrible story of a young man murdered by his partner because he was too ashamed of telling the police she was repeatedly assaulting him. I’ve read other stories, including one young man whose partner enjoyed pouring boiling water over him in the bath, and repeatedly beat him with a glass ashtray.  Depp’s victory has actually inspired other victims of female abusers to come forward. Women as well as men. 

But, back to DLF.

#metoo are having a strong influence on them. Apparently they were ‘consulted’ when making the live action The Little Mermaid. It seems Disney are now asking for #metoo’s approval when writing romantic scenes, hence the changed lyrics to Kiss the Girl - a sweet romantic song whose original lyrics #metoo apparently found ‘offensive’ to females. 

The problem with #metoo is they are fast ceasing to be a movement designed to protect women from sexual predators and abusers....and are unfortunately becoming an organisation which dislikes men.

Look no further than TROS.

When we first meet Rey in TFA, she was an immensely likeable person. And she was flawed. To a degree, yes she was overpowered...but back then, it could be explained. Her winning the mental duel with Kylo in the interrogation scene could easily have been explained by him being completely taken by surprise that she was Force sensitive. When they fought in the forest he was weakened both by the emotional blowback of killing his father and his serious wound at the hands of Chewie - and further weakened by blood loss during his brief fight with Finn. Rey’s skills as a mechanic were possibly the most credible part of her ‘talents’...she had spent fifteen years as a scavenger on Jakku and therefore had learned to know spaceships inside and out in order to survive.

Then we get TLJ, and the film which truly explores the ‘duality’ between Rey and Kylo.

Rian’s wonderful film  set up a fascinating relationship between them, but most of all, he showed them as equals. This is hammered home when the lightsabre split, torn in half by the power of two immensely strong Force sensitives. He also showed how Kylo had become weakened by killing his father and how it had caused him to lose, in that clever scene where Snoke berates him. And look what happened when Snoke, an ancient FS with decades of experience, tortured Rey - he broke her defences down in seconds. Even Kylo had to trick him to defeat him.

And then...we get TROS.

Rey was no longer ‘Rey’, she was Jedi dogma made flesh. Aloof, untouchable, god like - as emphasised by her virginal white costume based on the young, virginal Leia’s costume in ANH. No man could touch her, as apparently Rey having a boyfriend somehow ‘tainted’ her purity, her sanctity of female empowerment. Hence Ben dying, and Jannah and Zorri introduced as future love interests for Finn and Poe (don’t get me started on Rose, please, still fuming about that.)

And she was of course, to quote Wolverine, ‘the best there was at what she did.’

Difference is Wolverine was a professional soldier with decades of experience. Rey was a Jedi padawan who had had one year’s training at the hands of Leia, herself only half trained. Yet somehow she is a better pilot than Poe - who’d been flying since he was a kid - a better fighter than Finn, who’d been taught to fight from as soon as he could walk, and a Jedi not only superior to Ben but to Luke, Yoda - centuries of experience - and even Anakin, the Chosen One.

Because neither Luke, Anakin or even Yoda....could destroy Palpatine alone. Yet Rey did by simply crossing her two lightsabres. People argue that Rey actually ‘died’ then, but as fans rightly pointed out...she didn’t ‘fade into the Force’. So DLF ‘retconned’ this by pointing out she ‘wasn’t really dead’. Yeah, right.

And also...Force healing was never ‘canon’ in the SW cinematic universe and rightly so, because if it had Anakin could have saved Shmi and Padme, and never would have become Darth Vader. Adding Force healing threw the entire SWU ‘out of sync’ ....especially as the only person who could wield it without dying was a Palpatine.

Nope...Rey was so magnificent because she’s female. And this is the real tragedy of #metoo and its influence on DLF - they are no longer promoting an agenda that women are men’s equals but that we are their superiors. They even hammered this home with cutting Adam’s scenes in TROS and reducing Finn and Poe to little more than comic relief.

And I’m sorry, but that is poisonous. You don’t become what you hate or there’s little purpose in fighting hate in the first place. Not just Rey, but Daisy herself is a prime example of how #metoo has started having a negative influence on entertainment. She enthused over Rey’s relationship with Kylo during promotion for TLJ, admired reylo art post TROS - and then suddenly it’s ‘I can’t get behind the relationship’ and ‘Rey doesn’t need a boyfriend’ pre TROS.

And what happened pre TROS? #metoo happened.

I’m absolutely sure their influence is what caused Daisy to change her attitude to ‘reylo’ after discovering that they had a major influence on the making of TLM, live action. They have become a powerful movement in Hollywood. Their influence is popping up in popular entertainment everywhere, but it’s particularly strong with DLF. And I’m sorry, but I dislike hatred of men as much as I dislike hatred of women. People were meant to be equal. What #metoo is preaching is toxic, as is their relationship with DLF. It helped destroy the Skywalker Saga. I never thought I’d agree with a poster on the JCF, but one individual was spot on when he said it was ‘wrong to destroy story to promote an agenda.’

Because that is exactly what DLF’s partnership with the #metoo movement is doing - destroying everything they touch. The Little Mermaid has been a huge box office fail in the US. DLF need to seriously rethink their future projects. 

Most of all, they need to rethink how they are going to move forward with SW post TROS. And this new Rey movie. Because so far nothing they are hinting at with the latter seems to show any sign of them changing their tune.

Stick to entertaining people, Disney. Not promoting a radical movement’s agenda.

[taneshadeva]

My Final Manifesto!

Over the course of taking this class, I've done many post pertaining to art pieces, poems, music, and life. I've done posts on Women Empowerment, Abstract Art, Public Art, Love, Grief, Poetry, and Paintings. My women empowerment post represented natural beauty for black women , as the photo shows the natural hair embedded with powerful phrases and the beautiful skin. The details in the photo that are important are the words embedded in the woman's hair. The embedded words are to show that the women portrays those phrases and symbolizes meaning to them.The details that appeal to me is the natural beauty of a black from the fro to the fair skin tone and how the words embedded in her hair represents how she embodies herself to everyone around her, especially young black women/girls like myself. Abstract Art a painting created by Fernard Legar in the years 1918-1923 during his mechanical period. First look at this painting and you think its just a bunch of shapes put together and some color. It is much more than shapes and color, this painting reflects on Legar's mechanical period where he was obsessed with machines and modern technology.n Legar's painting he was trying to and I quote "bring to mind the urban architecture, new modes of transportation, and time-saving technologies that were transforming the modern world". Legar's aesthetic and fascination with modern technology and machinery has gained attention of alot of people and have called his work Tubism, as reference to the painter Pablo Picasso who was known for Cubism. Public Art a sculpture called the Cross Currents, sculptured by Albert Paley in 2001. It is currently located at Florida Gulf Coast University in the campus courtyard. Albert Paley is a world renowned metal sculptor artist and "In creating a work of art, besides my personal experience, my concern is how it emotionally and intellectually engages the viewer. A love poetry by Elizabeth Barrett Browning written in the 1850's. The love poems were written in dedication of her husband who was also a poet, Robert Browning. The meaning behind the "Love" poem is an expression of a female lover, one who is trying to demonstrate the intensity of feelings and emotions between two loved ones. I expressed my grief where I chose my theme to be Heart Broken because I recently suffered a heartbreak that I am still trying to cope with. Just recently (a little over 2 months ago) I lost my Grandfather on February 19, 2023 and it has been very hard as I am still grieving and learning to cope with his death. Ever since then I've gone down hill, with school and procrastination, hiding my feelings. Ive been throwing my self in work so I don't have to deal with it. But music has been a coping mechanism for me as it helps me calm down, and brings me hope and happiness. Although the music I chose are more based on relationship heartbreaks, I can feel there pain in there music, and I can relate to the pain. The painting to which i had to create a poem to go along with it. This painting is one of the most beautiful I've seen. The vibrant colors combine with a peaceful flow making it a strong centerpiece.Painting ''Expression'' is done by the Ukrainian artist Anastasia Kozorez. Painting with professional oil paints on canvas. The face woman is made in yellow, blue, violet and orange tones. A light color is associated with a light source or the light itself reflected in the composition. The bright colors describes the purity or strength of a colour. Bright colors are undiluted and are often associated with positive energy and intense emotions. My posts have portrayed, empowerment, love, excitement, vibrance and lose. With this course I've explored and learned many things and it has opened my perspectives on life. Although it has been a tough semester, I managed to try to get myself together with everything happening.

[strawberry1212]

Kdrama female leads eating a ton is not quirky or progressive?

Ah yes, the mysterious, bottomless, pit that is the Kdrama female lead’s gullet. Even from Kdramas dating back to the 2000s, female leads have had the superpower to eat inordinate amounts of food, usually shoveling it into their mouths before the male lead who shakes his head in wonder and teases her about it. And yet, despite this teasing, this scene is always used as a way to impress upon the viewer that this ability to eat tons of food distinguishes the female lead. She is Not Like Other Girls, who are dainty and stupid and care about how much they eat. No, our female lead is qUirKy. Somehow, eating a ton (usually chicken, beef, and other animal foods, which are tied to masculinity), is treated as a real personality trait that makes her more “real,” more boyishly cool, and unbothered. 

But what purpose does this truly serve?

Overvaluing Masculine Qualities over Feminine Qualities

One issue with this trope is that it falls into the category of women being simply cooler for doing traditionally male/masculine things. This is not real empowerment of women to make their own choices, or for an appreciation of all types of women (women who like pizza and beer AND women who like salads and cute cakes). Instead it puts down other women for being “too feminine,” and places women on a hierarchy, with the most man-like women being at the top.

“She’s like one of the boys, [and therefore worthy]” leaves many women behind, as well as resulting in an under-appreciation of typically feminine qualities. Although this is a simple case of eating choices, this type of pseudo-feminism is the same force that makes society look down on girls who wear “too much makeup,” do plastic surgery, wear girly clothes, like pink, and have traditional feminine interests.

Gillian Flynn in the famous Gone Girl monologue states it better than I ever could:

“Men always say that as the defining compliment, don’t they? She’s a cool girl. Being the Cool Girl means I am a hot, brilliant, funny woman who adores football, poker, dirty jokes, and burping, who plays video games, drinks cheap beer, loves threesomes and anal sex, and jams hot dogs and hamburgers into her mouth like she’s hosting the world’s biggest culinary gang bang while somehow maintaining a size 2, because Cool Girls are above all hot. Hot and understanding. Cool Girls never get angry; they only smile in a chagrined, loving manner and let their men do whatever they want.”

Movies and tv shows only pretend to subvert societal expectations by having a girl that loves pizza, when in fact they are giving into the societal expectation/male fantasy of the cool girl that is worthy because she is like a guy.

Beauty Standards

This trope is more infuriating in the context of the harsh beauty standards towards women, especially in Asia. Perhaps if the female lead was constantly gulping down calorie dense foods, and then actually gained weight, I would find that relatable. That would make her more “real.” But because she does not eat to be more real, but to maintain a male (and societal) fantasy, she maintains her wasp waist and thigh gap while eating away without any care in the world. That is the opposite of relatable. It is downright harmful, because it perpetuates this expectation on women to both be beautiful, but to not care about being beautiful. To be gorgeous, but to be effortlessly gorgeous. If you care about being pretty you are shallow, but if you don’t put effort into being pretty you are worthless. There is no winning for the 99% of us that weren’t born with perfect genes.

I am continually shocked by how tiny these female leads are, and for a long time, I thought they were naturally that way. I assumed that they, just like their characters onscreen, were effortlessly beautiful. However, Youtube channels like my favorite one here, which documents various Korean celebrities’ journeys with eating disorders, shows that that is not the case. For example, IU, one of my favorite idols and actresses, was iconic in her Hotel Del Luna role; her enviable proportions and doll-like features and figure were a centerpiece of the drama’s aesthetics, and her costumes contributed to much of the drama’s buzz. But IU, while being naturally small, not only continuously talks of having to lose weight, but has been one of the few idols to honestly talk about her history with eating disorders. Most other actresses aren’t so honest, but I suspect many are not, in fact, effortlessly beautiful, and put immense work into, and undergo immense emotional duress and eating disorders, to maintain the figures that their characters then pretend to have so effortlessly.

So these actresses are forced, through extreme dieting, to present a perfect vessel of a beauty, that is then passed off in dramas as the result of no effort, and thus the cycle continues in society of women both being expected to be perfect, and also effortless. Kdramas are simply de-stigmatizing eating, when they should be de-stigmatizing having different body types. So women eating a ton is not quirky, it is not progressive, and it does nothing except reinforce impossible expectations upon women. I would prefer a female lead that is constantly worried about dieting and eats little--maybe then we could explore societal beauty standards on women. But as long as we pretend that the issue is not allowing women to eat, when the issue is actually not allowing women to be comfortable and confident in body types that are not stick thin with curves in all the perfect places, we will make no progress.

[alexandrasavior]

Queens of music - Alexandra Savior

Alexandra Savior - Singer, songwriter, artist, feminist, our Alice in Wonderland

How, when & why did you get into music, both writing & performing?

Well, I started performing in school plays as a child, and I always liked dancing, acting, choir, theater, etc. When I became a teenager I was interested in all things creative, I wasn’t great in school, the only classes I really excelled in were English class and French. I started singing when I was 14, playing the ukulele and writing little songs. I never considered it even writing songs, I never really considered I was even singing? I just loved writing and making anything I could. For some reason at age 15, I decided to try out for the school talent show, I got in and sang an Adele song, no one knew I could sing, I didn’t even know. But from then on it seemed like all of my interests in art, writing, and performing would be able to manifest together in this form, so I continued with it and made a career out of it.

What is a Queen in your eyes?

I think of the archetype of The Virgin Mary, of woman, or any femme or non binary humans who are able to hold dimensional and contradictory identities with beauty and power, people who are unforgiving.

You've stood your ground in your resurrection within the music industry in terms of concentrating on your art and not compromising when the industry wanted to mould you into something else, do you feel this still happens in the music industry and what steps should women wanting to break into music take to stay true to themselves?

I think manipulation is very present in the music industry, as well as this idea that artists need to be instantly successful financially in order to continue their careers, or they’ll be discarded immediately. Every woman is different, and every person wants different things so I can only really speak to my younger self, I wish I could tell her that she could have taken her time, and that she was the reason for her opportunities, and that she could say no.

Your sonic female empowerment inspires us here at QoA, who is the most inspirational Queen in your life and why?

Thank you! Probably my mom, she’s lead so many different lives, she’s always been good at moving forward and making the best of her life and her situation. She’s a very powerful force.

You have described your home town of Portland, Oregon ��as a hub of creativity due to the bad weather which forces people indoors to stay in & create, Manchester has the same reputation, producing some of the best musicians in the world and holds a special place in our hearts here at QoA , do you think due to the pandemic, creatives will come out armed with a whole host of goodies for us all to enjoy?

Haha! Yes I think rain brings some great art. I wish I could say that creatives are going to come out of this pandemic with lots of new material, but most of my friends in the artistic and musical community are finding it difficult to stay inspired. I personally create from constant change and experience, the change we are experiencing, because we are so isolated, feels distant and difficult to comprehend. I don’t think this is a good time for art at all, but it will eventually move forward, I hope. I do think this has been a good time for artists to assess their own ego, and the meaning of their material, so hopefully moving forward we see some more honest and introspective work coming out.

You've described yourself, amazingly, as a feminist angst horror film and your music is filled with honest feminism, how important is feminism to you & what advice would you give to Queens out there who wish to do more?

Haha I hate myself for that quote! Feminism is important to me, but my stand point now that I’ve gotten over a lot of anger I experienced because of feeling I was treated differently due to my sex, has changed a lot. I try to feel the same way I did when I was a young girl, that I am the same as everyone else. My main advice would be to let go of that anger and create from a place of honesty, and understanding of your own privilege rather than your own disadvantages. But also I mean don’t take any shit ladies obviously.

We're big fans of your style at QOA, not just sartorially but your influences in vintage film ,& music which comes across in your art, we're very vintage inspired here at QOA from design to our brand aesthetic, how important is vintage influence to you?

Thank you! Vintage influences have always been big in my life, starting as a kid, I think I was always nostalgic for another time. When I was a child my family always listened to old music, we would rummage through garage sales and thrift stores to decorate our house, and I always loved things that were unique from what the kids at school had. Now, with instagram, I think everyone has just become Jane Birkin Barbie dolls basically haha so I am trying to go deeper into folklore and religious symbolism to feel inspired by the past, lots of old movies too!

Your dreamy desert psychedelic album The Archer was released during lockdown with one of your songs from it used in a major fashion labels ad, do you feel fashion and music go hand in hand. What iconic Queen in music do you love & why do you love their style?

I do! Fashion, costume, is a huge way to express yourself as a musician. I have been obsessed with Mary “Our Lady of Sorrows” . There are these insane headdresses of pure gold, and such great emotion shown in her face, the swords through her heart, I just love the idea of expressing women’s pain and the beauty of that sadness. I would do anything to go to a cathedral right now, even though I’m oblivious to organized religion. Also, always Frida Kahlo!

[be-lis-mamamoo]

International Women's Day: Mamamoo Edition

Just because I thought "Why not?" If you you're involved with Mamamoo, every single day feels like a Women's Day. And here are the reasons why 👇🏻

Kim Yongsun - Solar

When we're talking about women empowerment in K-Pop or the music industry in general, I hardly can think of a better role model than Kim Yongsun. She's not only Mamamoo's oldest member and their leader, she's also a very supportive and thoughtful person who always cares about everyone and everything around her.

Her YouTube channel Solarsido demonstrates her versatility as singer, entertainer, dancer, choreographer etc. and she pleases her fans with a lot of diverse content. Once in a while she shows her incredible dance skills, the other day she exposes her way of learning English. But what's really impressive about her YouTube channel is that she raises awareness about serious issues and social causes:

In honor of “Expectant Mother’s Day”, Solar volunteered to help watch her friend Eun Song’s newborn baby. Solar volunteered to help watch her friend Eun Song’s newborn baby. While she did struggle a bit, her sharing the experience was illuminating about what mothers go through on a daily basis! ©Koreaboo

Solar joined forces with Dongdaemun Senior Welfare Center and social worker Jung Soo Bin to donate roughly 2,200 lbs of kimchi to underprivileged elderly. She even delivered some of the boxes in person, making the gesture even more meaningful! ©Koreaboo

On the “International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation”, Solar used her large platform to raise awareness of the violence women around the world experience as victims of FGM. ©Koreaboo

Also, did I mention that Solar stands for gender neutrality? I think we all remember that time she ripped off her shirt during their 4seasons 4 colors concerts and when she was invited to perform live at KBS! She explained, “Afer seeing many male idols ripping their shirts on stage, I wondered, ‘Why can’t girls do that too?‘”

There's a lot more to say about her so if you don't know much about Solar or Mamamoo in general, make sure to check them out. You won't regret it.

Moon Byulyi - Moonbyul

One of the best examples for gender neutrality and music diversity in K-Pop might be Miss Moon Byulyi.

With her latest solo comeback "Dark side of the Moon", she wrote a new history in K-Pop. Bold in both sound and style, Moonbyul takes the stage with "Eclipse" and uses it to show off her duality as both a singer and rapper over its forceful melody and brash beats. Accompanied by the release of a captivating music video where the artist is seen both as a soldier and a queen, “Eclipse” revels in Moonbyul’s skills as a performer, and also continues Mamamoo’s legacy as an act that constantly relays different ideas of feminine strength through their music. ©Billboard

Moonbyul is successfully redefining fashion’s outdated gender norms by wearing suits and breaking the beauty standards of K-Pop PERFECTLY. But Byulyi also has her soft sides. Her sincere love for Mamamoo and Moomoos is just precious and she never misses a chance to show her support and love for her members and fans. On Fancafe, she helped Moos who went through hard times and in her private life, family and friends play a central role which she proudly shows by her many tattoos.

I personally love her for her way of spreading self-confidence and a strong self-esteem. Be it by her self-composed songs or by simply talking with fans during Fanmeetings and on Vlive, she always motivates us to love ourselves!

Make sure to follow her on Instagram!

Jung Wheein - Wheein

Wheein was born to shine. But she was also born to be a great role model and here is why.

Fronting��Soar, Wheein's first-ever solo single album, “Good Bye,” or “Let’s Break Up” as it reads literally in Korean, is a poignant track that rises and falls with Wheein's dynamic delivery of the song, as soft rock instrumentals build the melody up around her powerful vocals. 

"Good Bye" was released through a heart-rendering music video that depicts a rare representation of same-sex love in K-pop. Featuring a woman entering the home of a couple, she treats it as if it’s her own and play-acts being in a relationship, while becoming enraged and destroying signs of the pair being together, seemingly out of jealousy. ©Billboard

In addition, Wheein explained that the shape of love doesn't matter to her, it's all the same. For me as a member of the LGBTQ+ community, Wheein's statement means a lot and I'm so happy about her support and understanding!

During the "Secret Unnie" filming with SNSD's Hyoyeon, Wheein also talked about the pressure of Korean beauty standards and her struggles of feeling left behind, a feeling all of us can relate to.

Whenever Wheein shows her vulnerable sides, it always carries an important message to her fans. I love her because she's simply being herself without trying to be someone she isn't. Wheein is one of the most humble artists I've ever met, she's an inspiration and a great emotional supporter.

Ahn Hyejin - Hwasa

I guess since she became THE it-girl of 2018, 2019 and probably 2020 also, everyone should be aware of how much of an amazing person she is. Here are the reasons why she is my number one queen.

Everything started with twit, her first solo song which quickly became a very popular song in SK. Her prowess as one of K-pop’s most dynamic singers carries throughout the song, a true show of her impressive talent as she addresses, mocks really, a lover who is giving too much to someone who doesn’t deserve it. ©Billboard

"If I don't fit in this generation's standard of beauty, I will have to become a different standard"

Who doesn't remember her most famous quote? I think a lot of people appreciate her for her very strong self-esteem and just being the way she is. Just like Wheein and the rest of Mamamoo, she's very humble and down to earth.

What I love the most about her is her attitude. Hwasa called out her haters in their latest comeback album "reality in BLACK" and doesn't hesitate to tell the whole world how much she loves to be herself.

What can I say, there's so much more I want to tell about her but the best way to get to know her is to watch the whole Mamamoo related content and ofc her solo activities, for example her appearance in "I live alone"

All in all we have to admit that she's the most badass queen ever who deserves the whole world. And it's our obligation to protect her from all the unnecessary hate. She has just the sweetest personality and even though she acts like a tough person, she can get hurt just like every other human on this planet.

Mamamoo isn't only a group of talented singers. They're very unique and special women with big hearts and a lot of love and support for their family, friends and fans. K-Pop is a strict and sometimes scary music business but even so, Mamamoo manages to be such great role models and one of the most humble celebrities I ever got to know!

[qqueenofhades]

Thanks for writing DVLA, it was wonderful. I haven’t gotten that absorbed in something in a while, and I read it twice while on a camping trip this weekend. And then spent a lot of time just staring out the window being sad about the Crusades and just these two beautiful queer disasters in general. (A HUNDRED YEARS OF PINING. I LOVED IT). (1/6)

It was everything I wanted, so satisfying, and the thread of Crusades and faith conflicts and the stupid complicated ways humans find to hurt each other was really masterfully woven through. I learned so much; I had a basic idea of the Crusades but you filled everything in and made it come alive. And you got across so well that people across history are just people. (2/6) 

Maryam was my favourite, I would read anything with more of her in it as well. The Constantinople section and the way it ended just ripped my heart out. (PHIL.) I was so glad Hippolyta and Rebecca got out safe. But the end to such a lovely sunlit chapter of life was heartwrenching. (3/6) 

It means a lot to me, as someone trying to confront her own faith’s and her ancestors’awful actions in the past, to have someone present religious conflict the way you do. Part motivations like conquest and glory and riches, part motivated by faith, and very much something that I or anyone else could fall into just as easily as people in the past did. (4/6) 

I graduated three years ago with a minor in history and have done absolutely nothing with it - I was burned out for ages on even reading anything, and I haven’t read anything academically rigorous in so long. This felt like a perfect reintroduction to history, and it made me want to do research and read history again, for the first time in years. (5/6) 

I’m noting the resources you’ve recommended to some other folks about medieval queerness and the Crusades, but I was wondering if you also had any recommendations for reading about Julian of Norwich specifically, or queerness in female medieval religious spaces in general? Thank you so much, I’ve followed your blog for a long time and always love reading your posts. (6/6) 

Ahh, thanks so much. Once again, I must bow to someone’s superlative tumblr ninjitsu skills both in knowing the number of asks it will take ahead of time and preventing the blue hellsite from eating any of them.

I’ve had so many people say these absolutely lovely things to me about DVLA -- about the history, the religion, the journey, the story, the reactions they had to these themes, how they felt inspired by it -- and I really am truly humbled by it. I think it speaks to the way all of us felt some kind of ownership or reflection or empowerment in Joe and Nicky’s story and the way it unfolds both on screen in the TOG film and our own conceptions and reactions and engagement with it. It’s just one of the best ships I can think of in terms of that, and I’m worried that anything I say will end up sounding trite, but I really do mean that.

As a historian, I am obviously delighted to hear that it made you want to return to or re-engage with the subject in some way, as well as to use it to help think through the religious themes for yourself. Because as I said in my answer to how to deal with the history in a hypothetical Joe/Nicky prequel movie, we can’t just have the easy luxury of being like “oh all the crusaders were clearly religious zealots and we would never be like that and never do anything like that.” Because a) we already do that, and b) it prevents us from assessing ourselves and our own behaviour and our own troubling patterns and habits if we just arrogantly assume that all the people in the past were stupider and/or less enlightened than we were and clearly We Won’t Make Those Mistakes. So we have to see ourselves in them in some way, and to understand they still did those things, they still destroyed a lot of beautiful things in their world for ultimately no good reason at all. We’re doing the same thing, we justify it to ourselves in different ways, and the goals and the stakes are a lot larger in a globalized world, and anything that sets up medieval people (or really any people in the past, but the medieval era is the stick that gets used the most often) as so unlike us and so inferior to us is just genuinely dangerous. So yes. I’m sure you know my feelings on that topic.

Maryam, Rebecca, and Hippolyta have all gotten a lot of love, which I think is great, and it seems to be the consensus that chapter 4 ruined everyone’s lives. This is understandable, since I’ve mentioned the fact that despite the pain, I think it’s possibly my favourite, and I am glad that everyone had the totally normal emotions over the sack of Constantinople that I also had while writing it. Because yes! It is a tragedy the likes of which was still a Thing in the year 2004, the 800th anniversary, when the pope felt moved to apologize for it! The scale of what it destroyed and took away and the way it influenced history afterward (as Joe is thinking at the start of chapter 6) is just MASSIVE, and... yes.

As for reading recs (and again, it delights me that you want to dip your toe back into reading academic history), I don’t have anything about Julian of Norwich specifically (though there’s a LOT about her out there, especially right now, so I’m sure you can nose about and see what turns up). But as for queerness in female medieval religious spaces (with some bonus medieval queer ladies in general):

Sahar Amer, Crossing Borders: Love between Women in Medieval French and Arabic Literatures (Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2008)

Judith Bennett, ‘ “Lesbian-Like” and the Social History of Lesbianisms,’ Journal of the History of Sexuality, 9 (2000), 9–22.

Marie-Jo Bonnet, ‘Sappho: Or the Importance of Culture in the Language of Love: Tribade, Lesbienne, Homosexuelle’, in Queerly Phrased: Language, Gender, and Sexuality, ed. by Anna Livia and Kira Hall (New York: Oxford University Press, 1997), 147–66.

Bernadette Brooten, Love Between Women: Early Christian Responses to Female Homoeroticism (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1996)

Mary Anne Campbell, ‘Redefining Holy Maidenhood: Virginity and Lesbianism in Late Medieval England’, Medieval Feminist Forum, 13 (1992) 14-15.

Carol Lansing, ‘Donna con donna? A 1295 Inquest into Female Sodomy’, Studies in Medieval and Renaissance History, 3 (2005) 109-122.

Kathy Lavezzo, ‘Sobs and Sighs Between Women: The Homoerotics of Compassion in The Book of Margery Kempe.’, in Premodern Sexualities, ed. by Louise Fradenburg and Carla Freccero (New York: Routledge, 1996), pp. 175-198.

E. Ann Matter, ‘My Sister, My Spouse: Woman-Identified Women in Medieval Christianity’, in Weaving the Visions, ed. by Judith Plaskow and Carol P. Christ (San Francisco: Harper and Row, 1989), pp. 51–62.

Jacqueline Murray, ‘Twice Marginal and Twice Invisible: Lesbians in the Middle Ages’, in Handbook of Medieval Sexuality, ed. by Vern L. Bullough and James A. Brundage (New York: Garland, 1996), pp. 191–222.

Nancy Sorkin Rabinowitz, Among Women: From the Homosocial to the Homoerotic in the Ancient World. Austin: University of Texas Press, 2002

Susan Schibanoff, ‘Hildegard of Bingen and Richardis of Stade: The Discourse of Desire’, in Same Sex: Love and Desire Among Women in the Middle Ages, ed. by Francesca Canadé Sautman and Pamela Sheingorn (New York: Palgrave, 2001), pp. 49-83.

Have fun!!

[gra-sonas]

RosweII, New Mexico star LiIy CowIes on lsobeI's self-empowerment and fangirling over Jason Behr

The actress takes us inside her character's heartbreaking grief and trauma on the CW extraterrestrial drama.

For a town inhabited by aliens, a whole bunch of very human, very real — and heartbreaking! — drama sure does go down in Roswell, New Mexico.

On Monday's episode of the CW series, we journeyed back in time to the scene of the 1947 saucer crash that brought Max (Nathan Dean Parsons), Isobel (Lily Cowles), and Michael (Michael Vlamis) to the New Mexico small town, and we got our first glimpse of Jason Behr (who played Max on the original Roswell series) as a zealous army officer intent on capturing the recently landed extraterrestrials. While we learned more about Michael's mother's arrival on Earth and the turbulent hours that followed, back in the present Isobel was having a rough time of it herself, having chosen to attempt to end her pregnancy alone and confront her grief over the loss of her brother and basically the whole life she'd known with Noah for so many years.

We caught up with Cowles about the emotional scenes with Parsons, the bold decision to bring an abortion story line to the forefront of the episode, and bumping into her teenage crush at craft services.

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: Isobel is obviously carrying a lot of grief and pain this season from the loss and violations she suffered last season. How did you approach the character coming into this second season?

LILY COWLES: Halfway through the hiatus, Carina [Adly MacKenzie, series creator] and I started talking about what Isobel had been through, where she was coming from, and what we could expect to see moving forward. I was really hoping when it started, we'd be six months down the line, but no — of course that doesn't make for good television, nor does it do justice to character. So we very quickly realized we were going to be heading right back into the moment straight after. I was like, "Ooh, boy." I got a lot to take on: losing her brother, her other half, the twin that she'd had since birth, and of course having to digest the fact that her entire life had been a sham. Her marriage was a lie, to a man who had been physically and emotionally using and abusing her without her knowing about it. She'd been married to this sort of psychopath, serial killer who used her body to commit murders. How do you even begin to digest it? We talked about how Isobel was a character who had built a tremendous facade, and she was living this perfect life that looked really good on paper. It was a very carefully constructed house of cards, but it was a prison because it was all based in lies. Carina and I were looking at it and thought, "Well, the one thing that can be said is that that house of cards now has been destroyed. It's been razed to the ground." So she actually, strangely, has been given an opportunity to start again. In many ways, we were both excited to see: Who is Isobel outside of the confines of how she's defined herself? It's so painful and scary, and yet it gives her a fresh start to say, "Who am I, deep down inside?" I think that's something that everyone can relate to on some level, finding your authentic self.

It seem like a big part of Isobel's journey this season is going to be finding her own autonomy, making her own decisions, and not relying on anyone else to look after her. Can you talk about her decision to abort the baby in this episode and how that plays into her overall story arc?

Isobel is, of course, a special case because she's an alien. Her story line is largely metaphorical for a lot of people, but it's nonetheless a story that so many women can relate to: We have these bodies that other people want to control, and we have a lot of restrictions placed on our own reproductive health. It's crazy that it's still such a huge issue that women have to battle so much to be able to have autonomy over their own systems. Isobel finds herself in a position where she learns that she's pregnant and there are a lot of things at play here. One of the biggest ones is, of course, that the man who fathered this child was not who she thought he was. So there's a question of consent. It's tricky because all of these things are so shades of gray. She learns after the fact that this man had been lying about who he was. He had been manipulating her, using her body, and infiltrating her mind. It's hard to draw comparisons to a human on human, but she definitely suffered emotional, psychological, physical abuse and manipulation. Now she's dealing with a pregnancy that's come out of an abusive and traumatic relationship, and she's looking at this pregnancy as representing the legacy of that abuse and trauma. Isobel's looking at a woman's right to have it on her own terms, and these are not the terms that she agreed to, and she's very much alone.

That's a very relatable story line if you remove the alien element and just focus on how many women are alone and dealing with an unwanted pregnancy and don't have access to help.

Yes. That's a really terrifying thing. I think that's a place that many women find themselves. While Isobel's in extreme extenuating circumstances, I think this is something that many women face, and whether it's because they're under age and their families won't understand, or because they're illegal citizens and they feel that going to a hospital will compromise them and they'll be deported, or maybe they live in a state where medical assistance just isn't offered for that. This is something many women have had to really face. I think in that sense, Carina wanted to do justice to that story so women who have gone through it can see that they're not alone. Often on TV, you get to this moment and then it's like, "Oh, there was a miscarriage," or they find some way to do it without compromising the character's likability. It's so sad to me that the character's likability would be in question for having to make this kind of decision, but it's the reality that we live in. There's such a stigma. Carina wanted to say, "This character is alone, and she's making a choice to save herself." It was very bold, and I'm really honored to be a part of it.

It's an emotionally draining episode for Isobel, for sure. The scene with Max on the couch where she talks about how much she misses him but seems to come to the realization that she is the only person she can truly rely is pretty heartbreaking. How was that to shoot?

It was very challenging. Carina called me and we started talking about it and she said, "Okay, I have an idea, but I don't want you to freak out." She proposed this whole thing. My initial reaction was like, "Oh God, please don't make me," because you go through it as an actor. You put your human body through it, and you don't want to hold back. Especially with this, I felt an enormous responsibility to do justice to this story because I know it's so important to so many people. But it was rough. Every morning going to work was like walking into a war zone. You know what's coming and you're like, "Please don't make me go!" But it's such a beautiful monologue. It's heartbreaking. I lost a parent a few years ago and when I read that monologue I was just like, "Oh God." It just hits. It just rings so true. To be dealing with grief is its own miracle and monster, and that was something that was really important for me to show up for as an artist. I know that part of the human condition, that inability to move forward beyond the loss of someone.

Wow, yeah, pretty heavy stuff. I guess one bright spark in all of this was that Liz [Jeanine Mason] and Isobel are back on better terms. Will we see them team up going forward?

Yeah, something that's really beautiful about what happens to Isobel is that in the dearth of all other supportive relationships, she's going to have to learn how to be friends with the girls. Men, God bless them, can't relate as well to what she is going through as other women can. I think Maria sees it. She's got her psychic abilities and she's like, "What's going on with you?" Liz, of course, when she finds out, is like, "Why didn't you tell me?! I would have been there for you." I'm really excited that this season Isobel is going to learn how to play nice with the girls. Female relationships can be complicated, and they can be so powerful.

I'm assuming you won't have any scenes with Jason Behr since he exists in flashbacks, but how was just having the O.G. Max on set?

Such a dream. First of all, I was a huge Roswell original fanatic. I was obsessed with it. The first time I saw him was at craft services. It was lunchtime and I'm like stuffing my pockets full of all my snacks and I like look up, and it was like an angel had fallen to the earth and there he was. I don't get star-struck, but I was so awkward. I was like, "It's you!" You could tell the poor man has had to deal with this like a lot. He's like, "Yes, it's me. I know that I'm the hero of your dreams." It was embarrassing, but having him around was amazing. He's been such a huge champion of the show. We have a tradition of going out for karaoke on Saturday nights, and he came out one time. I had just recently bought this totally absurd floor-length fur vest, and he put it on and looked like Jon Snow, but sleeker. I was just like, "Is this real life?" I just wanted to tell my 12-year-old self, "Girl, wait until I tell you what is going to happen!"

Amazing. I love that so much. We should talk about the ending too with Michael's mom and the other woman who may be Isobel and Max's mom. Can you tease anything to come there? Is Isobel going to throw herself into investigating her past?

Yeah, I think you can definitely get ready for some exciting investigation into the past. Isobel is trying to figure out who she is in a sense of where's she from too and what her roots are. That's definitely a question that she's got intensely on her mind. Part of the trajectory of the season is exploring the past and trying to get some information on what happened and what went down in 1947. So we'll definitely get to know some of those characters and get to fill in a little bit of the family gaps. It's beautifully written and beautifully acted, and I'm really excited for fans to see it. I think they're going to love it.

~ EW

[gracie-p8-officialblog]

Defending Christine Daae

I never thought I'd have to write a post with that title, let me tell you.

Because when I first heard of Phantom of the Opera, I was under the impression that everybody loved Christine just as much as I did. I mean, how could you help it? Well, I was wrong. It would seem that there are, in fact, people out there who don't share my exact opinion (shock of shocks) and who dislike Christine for various stupid reasons.

Now, I'm not here to point fingers at anyone or to belittle anyone's opinions in anyway, and blah-de-blah [fill in the rest of long boring disclaimer any way you wish]. But I AM here to defend one of my favourite female protagonists in a work of fiction! And defend her I WILL! IN THE NAME OF THE MOON!

Um, pardon me. Don't know how that last sentence got in there.

Now, on the internet, I've heard some flak about Christine, and though I'm not here to make anyone feel bad (see above) I do want to refute those points about her, point-by-point. (Hmm. Redundancy.) One of the biggest points against Christine is her choice to be with Raoul instead of the Phantom, who *ahem* TOTALLY needed her because he had a bad life and he taught her to sing! My opinion?

I don't think that means Christine owes him love. Appreciation and thanks, yes. But not love. The only thing he ever did that was worth any kind of love was letting Christine go. And she isn't some sort of consolation prize! It's NOT her job to fix the Phantom, only he could fix himself!

C'mon people! The two pretty much fit the qualities of an abusive relationship (emotional manipulation, throwing her around, restricting her from seeing other people etc.) And it’s kinda disturbing. “BUT!” You cry, “CHRISTINE REJECTED THE PHANTOM FOR A SHALLOW REASON! HE WAS UGLY!”

While I do understand what you’re coming from, I would like to inform you that it was actually his toxic behaviour towards her and murderous qualities that drove her away from him and made her choose Raoul. In “Final Lair”, she said one of the biggest burns in Gothic thriller history “It’s in your SOUL where the TRUE distortion lies...”  The Phantom's problem isn't with his disfigurement. No, the problem is with what he's allowed his disfigurement to make him. He's become so obsessed with the idea that no one loves him and no one will ever really care for him that he believes anyone who stands remotely in his way is just out to get him. So what does he do? He murders people whom he gets annoyed with. First Buquet, then Piangi, and finally (almost) Raoul. And that is DEFINITELY not okay! 

I think Christine saw him as more of a teacher, or a friend, or a... father figure, in a messed up way... which is more evident in the book on how she is both afraid and sympathetic for the Phantom. 

While not condoning his actions,  I do wish the Phantom could have found someone to love him. Good gracious, his final lines “IT’S OVER NOW THE MUSIC OF THE NIIIIIIIIIIGGGGGHHHHHHTTTTT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” makes me tear up every time.  Gah. I'm in danger of sobbing, too, but I really want to get this post done, so I will conquer myself and think of something Funny instead. *thinks* I know! Gerard Butler’s version of the “All I Ask Of You (Reprise)”. That’ll cheer me up and make me laugh XD!

In all seriousness, I know that Erik is unstable and violent. But I also know that he really IS a gentle, misunderstood soul. You can be both, you know. The unstable and violent side of him, unfortunately, triumphed- and his dreams, his desires for love, his castle on a cloud came tumbling down because of it.

And so... onto the next point, another common argument used to bash Christine is that she’s considered to be flat, boring and goes through ZERO development! But in actual fact, there’s so much going on in her head and goes through quite an emotional travesty that it’s almost impossible to call her bland!

She is deeply wounded by the loss of her father, and has this incredible musical talent which stayed in a state of diamond in the rough before being discovered by her “Angel of Music”. He trains her, not realizing that she is becoming the center of an unhealthy obsession, genuinely believing in her naivety that he is some benevolent spirit sent by her father, therefore bringing her a sense of comfort. She is a pious girl, after all, and being religious myself, well, such a reaction from someone who believes like her is believable though naive. Can we blame Christine for that? NO. How is she supposed to guess?

And now, let's talk about "Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again", aka. The Christine Empowerment™ song! I feel like the difference between a good portrayal of Christine and a great portrayal of Christine, is based on how good their rendition of this song is. It is a crucial part of the plot. One of the reason The Phantom and Raoul appeal to Christine is because of the connection they represent to her dead father. Of course, Raoul actually knew her father and the Phantom uses his memory to manipulate her. At this point in the show, Christine has become disillusioned with Raoul and is afraid of the Phantom. She realizes through the song that the only way she can’t move forward is through letting go of the past, and getting over the death of her father. This fuels her actions through the rest of the show as it makes her realize that if she wants her happy ending, she must take charge of her destiny and earn her own agency! And the Phantom, trying to use her in the moment where she was probably at her most vulnerable since she is questioning herself about her entire life, only catalyses her decision. She performs in Don Juan Triumphant, because she knows that everything is up to her, and that she cannot let the Phantom keep on destroying her life.

As for her unmasking the Phantom in "Point of No Return", Christine did this in a way to show him that she refused to be controlled by him any longer. It is certainly not the most intelligent thing to do, nor the nicest, but again, her behaviour is explainable. But as said above for Erik, it doesn’t excuse her. And it shows how she was beginning to be able to resist his pull/spell/enchantment/whatever you like to call it on her!

I adore and admire Christine Daae as a character so much, and it was her actions and story arc that really started my love for this story. Christine's ability to love unconditionally and selflessly is so profound. Even though the Phantom put her and everyone else through lots of horrors, she still doesn't hesitate to show kindness towards him but makes sure that her abuser NEVER hurts anyone EVER again. She loves Raoul so much that she's pretty much willing to sacrifice her freedom and happiness so Raoul could be free. No matter what circumstances she is given, she will still put the ones she loves before herself no matter what, even if it means giving up a chance to save herself. I know most of us won’t ever be put in such an extreme scenario but Christine is such an inspiration of how to love others and believe in them despite flaws and bad sides. She inspires me to see the good in people. It’s so easy to be cynical and hardened in this world, and I think that Phantom of the Opera reminds us to have kindness and light in our hearts, even in challenging circumstances.

I would also like to add another moment of character. Think what it must have taken to prepare for the female lead role in a 3-act opera. Christine wasn’t even an understudy. In a matter of minutes, she went from member of the ballet corps to the lead role, and she had to rehearse and remember new music, character, blocking, and vocals. Not only did she prepare in time, she performed so well that she became a hit. This reveals, not only the skill and beauty of her voice, but also her concentration, diligence, and acting capability. Everyone hails the Phantom as the ultimate musical genius—and he is—but they overlook the implied extent of Christine’s skill.

She went through the loss of both parents, manipulation, being stalked, and knowing that the person she loves most has his life on the line - because of her. And then she literally gets off of her knees and shows her abuser the first form of kindness he has ever known. Not even the Phantom was strong enough for that; he gave up on the world far too early. Christine is the embodiment of courage and kindness; she teaches us to love and forgive those who have been awful to us, and to protect those we love even if it means our own suffering. But she no longer succumbs to the Phantom and makes sure her abuser never hurts anyone EVER again. Seriously, this girl is AWESOME! And this was in the 18th century! It's really sad that such a great character is overlooked by many...

It seems that Leroux really understood women... That we can be emotional, we are vulnerable but not weak... And emotion really helps us when we keep them in control!

Christine, in a nutshell, is a kind, observant, compassionate, trusting young woman–a too trusting at first–but with a spine of steel and determination once she’s drawn the line. She loves people deeply, but she picks up quickly on the realities of the situation. She has the strongest character arc in the story and makes the choices to grow and to move on. Yet she remains gentle and compassionate, uses her love to bless and not manipulate. She’s a layered character who grows. And there’s so much more to her than meets the eye.

[ctl-yuejie]

opinion on the term bl?

uhhhhhh…very complicated. I might have written a whole rant post before on the topic on this blog on an empty stomach so it was most likely not very nuanced (I think it was about people saying that The Untamed didn’t count as BL).

buckle in, this got suuuper long

tbh i first came into contact with the term in the early 2000s and since the internet didn’t play any role at my age then, the only context I had were magazines (here in Europe) and manga publications.

I knew that BL was a whole genre in Manga and that it featured gay romance and that fans / content creators would refer to themselves at fujoshi. Now, at that time I was only figuring out that I was bi, didn’t know any Japanese and didn’t have any friends with cultural ties to Japan.

So based on the magazines I read, I started to believe that “Fujoshi” literally meant “Rotten Girl” because of the taboo of same-sex relationships and the tantalizing sense of the forbidden that comes with it.

While I read some BL manga (couldn’t tell you the titles anymore), I never referred to myself as a Fujoshi or being into BL because both terms seemed to apply only to Japanese people and the sense of “the forbidden” in regards to same-sex relationships didn’t fit to my reality (having been to a same-sex marriage with my family at age 8 etc) and also felt demeaning to me.

After learning Japanese and living in Japan I didn’t really question my aversion to the terms, since I did have access to the internet now but didn’t think of fact-checking everything I had “learned” pre-internet (I think it is important to note here that the magazines weren’t the highest in quality in terms of journalistic prowess nor scientific in any way. They were just short entertaining articles, aimed at teenagers like me, trying to profit from the still ongoing wave of japanese pop culture in the west) and my only experience with both bl content and real life fujoshi wasn’t that positive:

My feelings on BL and fujoshi culture were heavily influenced by 

- the wave of very sad and traumatizing gay movies in Japan that most of the time ended in double suicides of the main characters

- rape storylines getting romanticized in manga

- pretty heavily stereotyped gay characters in main stream tv series that were only there for comedic relief

- the Fujoshi I knew back then being weirded out by the thought of same-sex relationships between women and basing their thought on gay men solely on the content they consumed 

- not finding the hailed “subversion of traditional gender roles” or discussion thereof in the BL my friends consumed. 

- my gay friends in japan having very frustrating encounters with fujoshi who started to treat them like an open air circus and not making them feel supported in real life 

- people around me making judgments based on attractiveness on whether gay people should get supported, while the hint of a celebrity being gay was weaponized  against them

now, this pretty much sums up, why I tended to have negative thoughts on the subject and felt more sympathetic to the push from some people in the queer community in japan to please retire terms like “uke” and “seme” when talking about real people.

since then, i didn’t intervene when other female friends in japan would use the term for themselves, because it still was a term coined in japan and those people were actually supportive of queer people so i didn’t see how me being preachy about it just because of my experience and not calling myself a fujoshi or fan of bl would be of any help and/or called for.

jump to 2018/2019 and i started to read more papers about it on a whim because i started to watch Crossing The Line and for the first time in a long while I was in a fandom again where people called the genre “BL” and themselves fujoshi/fudanshi.

I came to know that what I assumed the origin story of the term “Fujoshi” to be had been misreported (shocker) by the magazines back in my youth and that apparently the term was also widely used in Thailand, Taiwan and Mainland China. especially the knowledge that apparently TERFs were behind a pushback of the term made me reevaluate my opinion.

Since I have really no insight into Chinese or Thai culture it is not on me to judge whether it is appropriate for people there to use BL as a genre signifier etc and from all I have read, in some cases it is really about finding a way of creating and distributing queer content in a place that is not lgbtqi+ friendly or use it as means of finding expressions for one’s own sexuality etc.

Obv. there are genre conventions I will get annoyed about and criticize (all female characters are evil etc) but those things are also not BL exclusive so there’s not much sense in condemning a whole genre that at least tries to push some conventions.

With the Internet and a global push for more lgbtqi+ rights there is now definitely a strong symbiotic relationship between queer content and real life social changes. so being harder on queer content (in general) because it isn’t perfect doesn’t make anything better for queer people. 

nowadays there has been some wonderful content in japan with a push for real life legal changes as well, taiwan has the marriage for all and thailand is also pushing for a civil union for everyone.

especially in the case of mainland china with strict censorship rules i will congratulate anyone who tries to sneak some ambiguity in. it saddens me that the rules are as strict and that there are even more hardships for lgbtqi+ people in real life but i would never say that not creating any content that could be interpreted as queer should be favoured over trying to do something, regardless of how lacking the result might seem. 

The reason why I ranted about BL as a genre term recently was mostly directed at western fans with no cultural ties to any of the aforementioned cultures, but i definitely didn’t stress that enough in my previous post.

Since I still don’t call myself a fujoshi or being into the BL genre I am suspicious of western fans calling themselves as such. because i project my own experience and knowledge on them and there are people out there who definitely emphasize the cheeky “rotten” side of themselves while not knowing (like past me) where the term comes from and that it does’t have to do with any “forbidden fruit”. i assume a certain laziness when straight people will try and convince me that they are allies to me, because they consume BL series, but will still call me “the man” in the relationship etc.

There can definitely be a need for a similar outlet that allows people to write about gender roles, sexualities etc in a similar way but very often the argument of “it is female empowerment to be into BL” is just warping the origin story of the term into an excuse for homophobic statements. I see the term get applied to western shows as well (when there isn’t a need for using a Japanese term, especially not when there’s a missing understanding of its origin) and actual mlm shows in asia being dismissed just because it doesn’t fit the BL genre conventions (point and example: people in the west discounting The Untamed as mlm content because they weren’t explicit about it; What Did You Eat Yesterday getting dismissed because of similar reasons and the diversion from presumed age and beauty standards of BL as a genre). That way western fans made BL feel quite restrictive and not interchangeable with mlm anymore, which just confounds me.

in the end it also comes down to scope: someone writing fanfiction, producing small indie series cannot really be harmful even when they content might seem so. so regardless of what the genre entails it is important to put everything in perspective and whether this is the hill someone wants to die on, instead of leaving space for artistic expression, cultural differences and celebrating the steps into a more loving world for all.

tl;dr: I feel many emotions; there’s always space to learn more and I am grateful to everyone who made posts about the racism in criticizing the terms “Fujoshi” / “BL”; I don’t use the term myself, but only feel wary when westerners use it; personally I prefer to use mlm or wlw as content describers but I am also not 100% satisfied with that as well

ask me my opinion on ______

[kpoptimeout]

Top 10 Most Underrated K-pop Songs of 2019 (Artist Edition)

2019 has come and gone before we knew it.  

Continuing with the K-Pop Timeout Tradition (see 2018 Ver) of listing the Top 10 Most Underrated K-Pop Songs because all the other sites are just bothered with the Top 10 that pretty much everyone will have heard of/have fan wars over, below are our top 10 picks of songs that did not rank high (and with MVs just around or below 1 million views too) but deserves your attention! 

This is the list for artists’ tracks, so the Top 10 underrated non-idol tracks. Click here for the Top 10 underrated idol tracks of 2019. Unlike usual years where there is a separate post made for Top 10 underrated K-Drama OSTs, this year there is instead posts for the Top 20 most underrated K-Pop songs of the decade.

Some of the non-idol artists have escaped the list in recent years to stardom (for example DPR LIVE, CRUSH and MAD CLOWN) so hopefully, it happens again!

This is in alphabetic order NOT in the order of awesomeness because all of them are awesome. Also, all MVs are linked in the song titles because Tumblr won’t let me share that many videos in one post.

ADOY “Lemon”

It is strange that this song somehow did not make ADOY more well-known in South Korea and among K-Pop fans. They have such a laid-back and fresh sound perfect for CFs and fan edits but somehow this indie electronic rock band still only has 9609 likes on Facebook and their song “LEMON”, has less than 200K views at the point of writing this. “LEMON” is a refreshing and soothing indie rock track with an 80s synth melody loop. It is basically if ice lemon tea was a song and it was a great song. If you like chill 80s-inspired music, you would love ADOY’s “Lemon”!

Colde “Control Me”

One half of RnB duo offonoff and a member of DEAN, Crush and Punchnello and more’s artist collective Club Eskimo, Colde provides an amazing solo song in the form of “Control Me”. The song is a smooth RnB track that hits all the right spots - the somewhat conversational like singing building up to the chorus, and the chorus itself which is extremely catchy. Colde’s rapping is also just as fire as his singing. The MV only just surpassed 1 million views but it really deserves so much more since it complements the song so well, with everything filmed like it was done in one shot as different versions of Colde appear to serenade you on the screen. If you are already a fan of DEAN and Crush, you should also check out this amazing song by their friend Colde!

Crispy Chae “A letter from Wendy” ft. Gato Ray

With how popular lofi study playlists are, it is surprising how little love Crispy Chae’s “A letter from Wendy” received because it would fit perfectly in such a playlist. Maybe it is because this song does not even have a proper MV besides the video made by Mellowbeat Seeker. However, this does not stop this song from being an extremely underrated quality indie track. Crispy Chae has a beautiful voice that is both husky and child-like at the same time, making the transitions between skilled harmonies and the conversational chorus all the more memorable. Additionally, this song was sung predominantly in English and should really be making more rounds in the increasingly global K-Pop fanbase. If you love Suran’s music, you would really enjoy this song by Crispy Chae!

dosii “lovememore.”

City pop is definitely making its comeback in 2019, with Takeuchi Mariya’s “Plastic Love” finally getting its much deserved MV, western city pop acts like PREP gaining more popularity and veteran K-pop stars like Sunmi and Yubin trying out this sound. dosii, an R&B duo comprised of Choi Jonghyuk and Jeon Jihye, also dives into city pop in “lovememore.”, which is definitely one of the best and most underrated indie K-pop tracks of the year. The song sounded both like an authentic 80s city pop jam but also includes distortion effects and producing techniques used more often in current music. Honestly, it is an absolute masterpiece and the less than 800K views the MV has received since February is ridiculous.  If you loved Sunmi’s “Black Pearl”, you would fall in love with “lovememore.”!

ELO, PENOMECO “LOVE?” ft. GRAY

While this song did only come out in early November, I am still confused why such a great hip-hop collaboration has less than 500K views. Like all GRAY involved works, this is classy and catchy. What makes this song stand out from a lot of great K-Hip Hop collaborations is the way ELO, PENOMECO and GRAY’s voices work together. They have three very distinctive vocal colours - ELO has an extremely melodic voice, PENOMECO has a breathy and high-pitched way of singing and rapping while GRAY’s tone is deep and relaxed. This makes for a very colourful and fun song. If you like a strong K-Hip Hop collaboration, “LOVE?” by ELO, PENOMECO and GRAY is the song for you!

Jung Jinwoo “Nowhere”

Ever since K-Pop Star Season 5, Jung Jinwoo has proven to be a phenomenal RnB singer-songwriter and have continued to improve after his signing to Planetarium Records. It is shocking that he and the other PLT boys are still relatively unknown, even though they have only dropped bops. His newest song “Nowhere” is arguably one of the best Korean RnB tracks of 2019 and showcases his further honed production and singing skills - his voice is super light, clear and smooth with a mild tinge of huskiness. Just 71K views for such a superb song makes no sense. If you are a fan of DEAN and Crush, you would be obsessed with this song!

LEEBADA “ㅎㅇ (High)” ft. PENOMECO

This is another K-RnB masterpiece that seemed to have completely flew under the radar to K-Pop fans. Playing on the Korean internet abbreviation for Hi (ㅎㅇ) and High, this song has classy drinks lounge music vibes but is also playful at the same time, fully showcasing LEEBADA’s high-pitched and airy vocals. PENOMECO’s addition in the song is perfect, as his voice and LEEBADA’s work together so well, like the male and female counterparts of the same singing style. If you are a huge fan of HEIZE’s music, you would really enjoy LEEBADA’s “ㅎㅇ (High)”! 

LIM KIM “YELLOW”

Back in 2015, every K-Pop fan knew Lim Kim for her quirky electro-pop sound as she dominated charts and was Mystic Entertainment’s it girl. However, her return after 4 years received little to no attention for unknown reasons. Not only is Lim Kim back but she returned stronger than ever, taking on a much more aggressive and edgy persona while singing and rapping about female empowerment and fighting against the objectification of Asian women. “YELLOW” combines traditional East Asian orchestral instrumentals with electronic beats and Lim Kim’s unique mixture of chanting, singing and rapping, creating a powerful anthem in the process. If you are a fan of Lim Kim from before or is a fan of artsy and experimental music in general with a strong message, you would love Lim Kim’s “YELLOW”!

PRIMARY “Bad High” ft. Jade

PRIMARY is definitely one of the best producers in K-Pop, with ground-breaking and beautiful collaborations with Zion.T, Hyukoh, Beenzino etc., oftentimes before the acts are even known in the mainstream. PRIMARY continues this in “Bad High”, working with Jade, the main vocalist of virtual girl band XGirls. This song is phenomenal not only because it sounds good, but also because it goes in directions you never expect it to go. Starting off, the song sounds like the emotional and slow-paced folk-pop/rock works of Lucid Fall and Hyukoh, then it switches up to a satisfying drop in the chorus, where the aggressive use of hi-hat loops changes the slow-paced song to an exciting ethereal art-pop sound of the likes of Grimes. The MV is also beautiful and unsettling simultaneously. Why this masterpiece has only 97K views at the time of writing this is beyond me when PRIMARY has so clearly outdone himself yet again. If you enjoy PRIMARY’s past works and also experimental art-pop, you would love “Bad High”!

RAD MUSEUM “Dancing In The Rain” ft. Jusén

After Hyukoh and Jannabi’s rise to the mainstream, one would expect more attention to be given to indie artists with unique vocals. However, RAD MUSEUM seemed to have flown under the radar even though the vocalist is all sorts of unique with his piercing and emotional vocals which seems to combine soul, alternative RnB, and indie rock all in one. Maybe it is the lack of an MV and big label promotions but this live performance video would show you the charms of this phenomenal artist who is also a part of Club Eskimo and his amazing song “Dancing In The Rain”. This song is simply art - it feels pop-rock like Sting’s “Shape of My Heart” but the way it is delivered also feels like soul and RnB. If you want to be blown away by talent, you should check out RAD MUSEUM’s “Dancing In The Rain”!

Which non-idol songs do you think were underrated this year? Leave your thoughts in the comments section below and let the song sharing begin!!!

[girlinparis]

Why is Peaky Blinders such a successful show…? 5 reasons why you should watch the BAFTA-awarded series with your man

… Because it’s a game changer in the gangster TV/movie scene

Most certainly is Peaky Blinders well-written, with good music, and picturesque characters (and an amazing casting) but above all it’s a story that can please both a male and female audience – and that is a novel and fresh approach to such shows, and an industry game changer. Making it completely relevant on Netflix platform, where couples binge-watch series together. The Peaky Blinders contains all the ingredients of a perfect gangster’s series’ recipe: ambition, illegal businesses (at first at least), guns, violence, sex, love, booze, drugs. Most of gangsters’ series and movies are usually written for a male audience, but Peaky blinders balances muscles and testosterone-y action scenes with the most romantic and tragic love story, while delivering insights into female empowerment in business and politics in early 20th century. To me, it’s a first to be inclusive of a female audience in the gangsters filming industry.

… Because violence is made bearable

Usually, in gangster movies, violent scenes can be quite dreadful to a female audience, the bleeding bodies and pieces of flesh being filmed with the utmost crudity and realism. But in Peaky Blinders, they are choreographed like music clips, supported by a great soundtrack, and filmed in slow motion, making the most violent head knockings, face cuttings and shootings completely bearable among women.

… Because the lead character – Tommy Shelby – is absolutely fascinating

Usually gangsters portraited in movies are strong, violent, raging characters, toughened up by large amount of booze, drugs and testosterone – mostly created to be thrilling among a male audience in fast-paced action movies. Think about the typical male archetype from Scarface, Goodfellas, The Godfather and the likes, either the brawn or the smart guys, they can kill in cold blood, their anger and violence towards either male or female know no limit, and they show no remorse or regrets. Most of the times, the lead character is not particularly handsome nor filmed in a way that would pay tribute to his most flattering features. To add credibility to the character, he usually has sharp face features, strong jaw lines, and thick eyebrows (and dark hair), all typical attributes of strength and power (clichés live long). Not the typical romantic and sensitive lover to please the ladies! We’ve seen many gangsters in the movies that we wouldn’t particularly have wanted to fall in love with, considering how they end up treating their wives.

But Tommy Shelby is a bad guy with an angel’s face – no doubt Cillian Murphy is perfectly casted for the role. His face features are so soft – they were even softer when he was younger, with his pale delicate face, high cheekbones, and sharp crystalline blue eyes, that us women immediately feel like sympathizing with him and loving him.

The whole filming crew had to sharpen his features to make him more credible as a gangster, though. In some movies, Cillian looks so feminine or the most unremarkable handsome man, that they had to give him an edge. That’s why the idea of the severe Peaky hair cut is so brilliant. Not only does it make him look more manly and tough (remember him walking up Small Heath’s central alleyway, with his long coat and cap pulled so deeply down just over his ears), but it gives him an attitude – framing his silhouette. Surely has the perfectly fitted, tailored suit also something to do with it – OMG, don’t start me on this…And when Tommy removes his cap, his smaller than average eye orbits and high cheekbones – typical female attributes, are much more visible making him even more lovable.

With this haircut, his face is a perfect mix of male and female attributes, which we consider the most remarkable beauty at an era where gender identity is blurred and redefined. The filming also has to do with it – when the camera does a close up on his upper face and eye area, where you see him absorbed in his thoughts or negotiating fiercely with an enemy. Although what he thinks or says is tough, cruel, unfair, inhumane in some cases (sending Grace or Lizzie off to a man), you cannot think of him as evil, or hate him because he is so handsome (ah, the magical power of blue eyes). Which truly questions our way of distinguishing the good from the bad…Those are definitely grey areas. What if Thomas Shelby had been ugly? Would we sympathize as much with his character? If he didn’t have Cillian’s angel face, how lovable would he be? Cillian’s face is instrumental to the credibility and success of Tommy Shelby’s character – so much that they have almost become as one (in our candid binge-watchers’ fantasy).

… Because this is the story of a redemption rather than a fall

Tommy Shelby is a complex character. He is a conflicted bad guy looking for redemption.In most gangsters’ movies, the bad guy comes from a poor and lower-class background, has strong ambitions, and reaches a summit before he falls back to his original condition. Because he is not able to change his morality, he remains fundamentally a bad guy.

On the contrary, Tommy Shelby is a bad guy who deeply wants to become a good guy, and although he has good moral intentions – see his determination to build a legit business, he always ends up doing bad things. So is Arthur Shelby. Very interesting to see how these heroes are tortured and self-conflicted. Once again, the voice of Cillian Murphy is marvellous at expressing this duality: he has a deep voice, confident and self-assured, that turns out to be broken or hoarse when he gets emotional (remember how he says “already broken” in S1E2, after Grace warns him about how she’s going to break his heart – OMG, my stomach is still shaking, just thinking about it). Acknowledging and shedding light on the emotions and frailty of his hero characters, Steven Knight depicts such modern male heroes. At the same time, redemption never comes. Tommy always fails to be good in the end, but there is hope in his journey because he is such a resilient character – also a modern-day value.

… Finally, because Peaky presents a modern and (relatively) progressive vision of male-female relationships

Not only is Tommy Shelby a war hero, a powerful and secretive businessman that never goes soft or shows his weaknesses to his many enemies, an ambitious breadwinner on whose shoulders rely the comfort and security of his whole family, but he is also a romantic, sensitive, and progressive male character. Making room for women in executive positions in his business, negotiating with female union leaders (Jessie Eden) or female Russian aristocrats (as they are the ones in charge), and even comforting his child at night to let his wife rest (talk about gender equality!) – certainly Steven Knight is taking liberties with early 20th century war heroes and businessmen, and extrapolates to make this show definitely 21st century. In a century where male and female archetypes are redefined, and male and female attributes are blurred and shuffled to forge new identities, it is very delighting to see these micro-changes in a gangsters’ TV series, giving us hope for tomorrow’s society. Unlike gangsters from the 20th century, Tommy Shelby would never beat up a woman, and considers the women he is dealing with on equal footing. At a subconscious level, and beyond the entertainment, there is an underlying message that could urge the typical male audience to change their behaviour towards women and start considering them equal in both life and business. 

Thank you Steven, Cillian, Helen, Paul, and all the Peaky Blinders’ crew that made this show possible!

[nerdygaymormon]

On twitter you mentioned you were making a song list for Pride. What's on your playlist?

Everyone has their own list of songs, but here’s my Pride playlist. This includes songs by LGBT performers, gay anthems, songs that are about LGBT topics & people, and songs that if you squint they speak to the queer experience. And many of these are great songs for dancing, which makes sense as even today most of the specifically-queer spaces are bars and dance clubs.

1939 - Over the Rainbow : Judy Garland - “the dreams that you dream of […] really do come true.”  When homosexual acts were illegal – the term “friend of Dorothy” was underground slang for a gay man.

1964 - Don’t Rain on my Parade - Barbra Streisand - We do like great big colorful parades, don’t we. Please don’t rain on those parades. The song is about how we got one life and so live it with gusto, do the things you most want to do. I’m holding my own parade and nobody is going to rain on it.

1966 - You Don’t Have to Say You Love Me : Dusty Springfield - The singer proclaims she’ll take whatever she can get from the object of her love. Generations of closeted women & men could identify with that. “You don’t have to say you love me, just be close at hand. You don’t have to stay forever, I will understand”

1969 - Make Your Own Kind of Music : Mama Cass - The message is about taking pride in your uniqueness and individualism

1975 - Dancing Queen : ABBA - This is a story of a 17-year-old girl on a nightclub dance floor, lost in the music and the moment. Of course, “queen” has a different meaning in the queer community and so this is often sung tongue-in-cheek. Over the years, queer acts like Erasure covered ABBA’s songs, and their songs were featured in several movies that appealed to gay audiences, making ABBA icons in the community.  

1977 - I Feel Love : Donna Summer - A song about loving your body and your desires, a powerful sentiment for people whose attractions were once seen as deviant. Try to listen to this song and not feel like dancing.

1977 - I Will Survive : Gloria Gaynor - You can imagine marginalized people asking the same questions in the song: “Did you think I’d crumble? Did you think I’d lay down and die?” The gay community has embraced lyrics that are a declaration of pride “I used to cry / But now I hold my head up high.” Even after decades of progress, many LGBTQ+ people still have to deal with daily assaults on their personhood & “I Will Survive” remains relevant.

1978 - Don’t Stop Me Now : Queen - Essentially the song is just a man intent on having a wild night out and inviting the rest of us to come along for the ride or else get out of his way. The love interests flip between male & female and back again, which makes sense since Freddie Mercury was bisexual.

1978 - Y.M.C.A. : Village People - Very fun song. The lyrics make me think of young gay teens being kicked out of their homes by their parents, many of whom migrated to big cities like New York. The YMCA’s provided shelter for them.  “Young man, there’s no need to feel down. I said, young man, pick yourself off the ground. I said, young man, ‘cause you’re in a new town. There’s no need to be unhappy.” And of course, the lyrics hint at all the gay activity, too. “You can stay there, and I’m sure you will find many ways to have a good time. It’s fun to stay at the YMCA. They have everything for you men to enjoy. You can hang out with all the boys.“ 

1978 - You Make Me Fee (Mighty Real) : Sylvester - The singer is black, gay and some form of gender queer and sings the song in falsetto. The words about feeling real, those mean something to people who had to come to terms with who they are.

1979 - Go West : Village People - This song imagines a utopia free of homophobia and discrimination. It’s a song of queer community & spirit, and we’ll do it “Together!”

1979 - Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight) : ABBA - is about a woman alone in an apartment watching television late at night as the wind howls outside. She says, “Gimme, gimme, gimme a man after midnight.” A sentiment many a gay man could sing along with. 

1979 - We are Family : Sister Sledge - The song has a message of unity, and gay people often have to build a chosen family, and this song fits that.

1980 - I’m Coming Out : Diana Ross - Yes, this song is about that kind of “coming out.” The lyrics also are about being your truest self and throwing aside shame’s shackles.

1981 - Tainted Love : Soft Cell - The gay experience is not all about empowerment & acceptance. Sometimes it’s about a narcissist who breaks your heart. This song coming at the start of the AIDS crisis came to represent some of the angst that was part of gay life. “Once I ran to you, now I’ll run from you.”

1982 - Do You Really Want to Hurt Me : Culture Club - Boy George wrote the lyrics about his relationship with the drummer Jon Moss. They had an affair for about six years that was kept hidden from the public, and George often felt hurt and emotional. The concept of the video is about being gay and victimized for your sexuality. It shows Boy George getting kicked out of different places in various historical settings. In the courtroom, the jurors are in blackface to show the bigotry and hypocrisy of the many gay judges and politicians in the UK who’d enacted anti-gay legislation.

1982 - It’s Raining Men : The Weather Girls - Super campy song, ridiculous words, but it’s sung fearlessly with vocal pyrotechnics that take the song over the top in the best possible sense. Yes, what gay boy didn’t wish it was raining men?

1983 - Girls Just Wanna Have Fun : Cyndi Lauper - This song is about breaking the rules, letting go, being free and being visible. And yeah, lesbians wanna have fun.

1983 - Relax : Frankie goes to Hollywood - At a time when gay sexuality was still mostly communicated via clever allusions and nonsexual portrayals of gay people, “Relax” was a song about sex—and despite the video being banned by the BBC and MTV—was the biggest pop song in the world.

1984 - I Want to Break Free : Queen - He’s complaining about the person he’s with, wants to break free from the person’s lies. And when he is free, “life still goes on,” only now he can’t get used to living without this person. The video is a parody of U.K. soap opera Coronation Street, which has the entire band in drag, Freddie Mercury as a housewife. Seeing them in drag, of course, gives it a queer vibe. The video was banned in the U.S. 🙄

1985 - You Spin Me Round : Dead or Alive - The singer is queer and singing a love song, the New Wave music is hot, and this is an iconic classic of the 1980’s

1986 - True Colors : Cyndi Lauper - The song is about seeing who someone really is and loving them for it. And it doesn’t hurt that your “true colors are beautiful like a rainbow”

1987 - Faith : George Michael - The song, about declining hookups and patiently waiting for a more meaningful connection, portrays a balancing act with which gay culture has long wrestled.  “Well I need someone to hold me but I’ll wait for something more. Yes, I’ve gotta have faith” is just as meaningful today in a culture searching for love while swiping left.

1987 - It’s a Sin : Pet Shop Boys - This song is about a person’s lifelong shame and guilt, presumably for being gay. “For everything I long to do, no matter when or where or who, has one thing in common, too. It’s a, it’s a, it’s a, it’s a sin”

1987 - Always on my Mind : Pet Shop Boys - This is a remake of an Elvis song, but they dropped the references to a girl, making it ambiguous the gender they’re singing about. 

1988 - A Little Respect : Erasure - Singer Andy Bell was one of the first openly gay pop stars to actually sing about queer romance. In this song he’s calling to a lover not to leave and asks the question, “What religion or reason could drive a man to forsake his lover?“ 

1989 - Express Yourself : Madonna -  It’s basically about standing up for yourself in a relationship. Don’t go for “second-best” just because he treats you nicely in bed, but then is never there when you need him. So why is this in my Pride playlist? The music video!

1989 - Part of Your World : Jodi Benson - This song is from Disney’s The Little Mermaid, Ariel rejected traditional marriage partners and wants to marry a human against her father’s wishes. She dreams of being a part of the human world. For a long time the LGBT community has wanted to pursue romance & marriage with whom we want and belong to & be welcomed by society. 

1990 - Vogue : Madonna - “Look around: Everywhere you turn is heartache.” That’s not exactly a fluffy opening for a dance-pop song—and that’s the point. This is still the time of America’s AIDS crisis, and this song is inspired by New York’s gay ball scene. This song wants you to put away the heavy stuff for a little while and get on the dance floor.

1990 - Freedom! ‘90 : George Michael - This song is cleverly about 2 things. One is about his career–the breakup of Wham! and then the success of Faith, and how he’s tired of being pushed around by his label so he’s taking control of his career and telling people to disregard the pop imagery of his past. It’s also about him wanting to come out of the closet regarding his homosexuality, “There’s something deep inside of me, there’s someone else I’ve got to be.” It would be almost another ten years before he was publicly out.

1990 - Being Boring : Pet Shop Boys - “When you’re young you find inspiration in anyone who’s ever gone and opened up a closing door,” I believe this is talking about being in the closet and the hope that comes from people who’ve come out. The final verse, “Some are here and some are missing in the 1990’s,” AIDS wiped out much of a generation of gay people in the 1980’s. Now he’s grown up and out of the closet as “the creature I was always meant to be.”

1990 - Gonna Make You Sweat : C+C Music Factory - Fun dance song. In a 1997 episode of the The Simpsons, a steel mill turns into a flamboyant gay club when this song comes over the loudspeaker

1992 - Constant Craving : k.d. lang - She had been a country singer, but came out as gay and released this song. Every lesbian knew exactly what k.d. was craving. There weren’t really any other lesbian pop stars who had come out. 

1992 - This Used to be my Playground : Madonna - This song is about losing childhood innocence and gaining responsibilities. The song came to be seen as an ode to gay friends who died during the AIDS crisis, and the loss of innocence that epidemic caused.

1992 - The Last Song : Elton John -  A young gay man dying of AIDS. The young man’s father “disowned” his son when he learned of his homosexuality only to overcome his homophobia when he learns that his son is dying and he has little time to spend with him. This one makes me cry.

1993 - Go West : Pet Shop Boys (a remake of the song by the Village People) - This song imagines a utopia free of homophobia and discrimination. It’s a song of queer community & spirit, and we’ll do it “Together!”

1993 - Come to my Window : Melissa Etheridge - Melissa put the rumors to rest by publicly coming out and then released an album titled “Yes, I Am.” This song from the album is about a love that’s steeped in secrecy “come to my window, crawl inside, wait by the light of the moon.” Certainly many gay people know about keeping a love on the down low. The song’s bridge really voices what a lot of queer people feel: “I don’t care what they think, I don’t care what they say. What do they know about this love, anyway?”

1993 - Supermodel : Rupaul - His debut single introduced much of America to “sashay/shantay.” RuPaul used this breakthrough hit to become the first mainstream-approved drag queen.

1995 - I Kissed a Girl : Jill Sobule - An honest song of yearning, confusion, and freedom

1996 - Fastlove : George Michael - A guy was in a committed relationship, didn’t work out and now he just wants to not worry about love. “Had some bad love, so fast love is all that’s on my mind.” But even as he’s saying he’s seeking a casual hookup, keeps saying he misses his baby, being with someone he loves would be his preference.

1997 - Together Again : Janet Jackson - The album notes included: “I dedicate the song ‘Together Again’ to the friends I’ve lost to AIDS.” It’s a sweet song with hopeful words. “Everywhere I go, every smile I see, I know you are there smilin’ back at me”

1997 - Man! I Feel Like a Woman : Shania Twain - This is about going out, letting down your hair and having a good time. Message is she loves being a woman. “The best thing about being a woman is the prerogative to have a little fun.” My queer friends who identify as women love feeling like a woman. 

1998 - Believe : Cher - Whatever happens, you’ve gotta believe there’s something better coming. It’s about strength and power and hope. And the fact that it’s not always easy to be who you are.

1998 - Reflection : Christina Aguilera - This song is from the Disney movie Mulan. It’s about others not know the real you, which means the lyrics can also fit the experience of being in the closet. “Look at me. You may think you see who I really am, but you’ll never know me. Every day it’s as if I play a part.” The song also was adopted by a lot of trans people to say how they feel on the inside doesn’t match how they look on the outside. “Who is that girl I see staring straight back at me? Why is my reflection someone I don’t know?”

1998 - Outside : George Michael - George Michael was entrapped by police committing a lewd act in a public men’s bathroom in Los Angeles under suspicious circumstances. The video mocks the way queer men are held to different standards about sex. Straight rock stars screw groupies in bathrooms all the time without police interference. 

1998 - It’s Not Right But It’s Okay : Whitney Houston - “I’m gonna be okay/ I’m gonna be alright” shows a certain defiance & determination to go on that strikes a chord with LGBT people

1999 - When She Loved Me : Sarah McLachlan - This is from Toy Story 2, if you remove the idea this is about a toy, the lyrics are about a woman reminiscing a past female lover.

2001 - Androgyny : Garbage - I think this song has two messages. First, don’t dismiss people who don’t fit traditional gender roles. The other message is about trans individuals who “can’t see the point in going on,” they’re reminded that “nothing in life is set in stone, there’s nothing that can’t be turned around.” “Boys in the girls room, Girls in the men’s room, You free your mind in your androgyny” Trans individuals who were assigned female at birth may consider themselves “boys in the girls room.” Then when they decide to present themselves as male, others may consider them to be “girls in the men’s room.”

2002 - Beautiful : Christina Aguilera - This song affirms those who feel they don’t fit in. The video includes young people with body issues, a goth punk, a (biological) man putting on women’s clothes and two guys kissing in public. “I am beautiful no matter what they say. Words can’t bring me down.” But songs can lift you up, and this one does.  

2005 - Hung Up : Madonna -  It’s about living your best life and not wasting anymore time on men who wont call you. And it has that synthesizer riff from ABBA’s Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)

2005 - Proud of Your Boy : Clay Aiken - This song was written for Aladdin. The words make me think of coming out and wondering what your parents are going to think and can you make your parents proud.

2006 - And I’m Telling You : Jennifer Hudson - This song is about an underdog, and being LGBT makes us underdogs in our heteronormative society. “And I am telling you that I’m not going.” I’m going to be here and I’m going to thrive, I’m going to be me and you’re going to see me and “You’re Gonna Love Me.” Those lyrics remind me about coming out and getting to be who you want to be, no matter what anybody tells you.

2006 - I Am What I Am : Ginger Minj - this song is from a broadway show about drag queens. The message is you only get one life so take your shots, whether or not they succeed, it’s better to live your life as who you are

2007 - I Don’t Dance : Corbin Bleu, Lucas Grabeel - This song from High School Musical 2 is a where Chad, co-president of the drama club, is trying to get Ryan, co-president of the basketball team, to “swing” to the other side, if you know what I mean. The scene in the movie is about playing baseball, and at the end of that shot, the two of them are sitting together wearing the other’s clothes. Guess Chad got Ryan to swing.  

2009 - Bad Romance : Lady Gaga - First, it’s gender neutral so any of us can sing without translating pronouns. Second, it’s about loving someone completely, including the “bad” parts, “I want your ugly, i want your disease.” Third, Lady Gaga showed up to the 2010 MTV Music Awards w/ four members of the U.S. military who had been discharged or resigned because of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell. When she went on stage to receive the Video of the Year award for “Bad Romance,” Gaga had changed into the now-infamous “meat dress,” as a way to show her anger about the military’s anti-LGBTQ policy. “If we don’t stand up for what we believe in and if we don’t fight for our rights, pretty soon we’re going to have as much rights as the meat on our bones,” she later explained to Ellen DeGeneres.  

2009 - If I Had You : Adam Lambert - I love how the beginning sounds like the singer is going out to a gay club “So I got my boots on, got the right amount of leather, and I’m doing me up with a black color liner, and I’m working my strut.” Not the way we usually hear about a guy getting ready for a night out  

2009 - Whataya Want From Me : Adam Lambert - I wonder if this song references when he was figuring out his sexuality with words like “Yeah, it’s plain to see, baby you’re beautiful and there’s nothing wrong with you. It’s me, I’m a freak.”

2010 - All the Lovers : Kylie Minogue - A feel-good dance track about love. The video has people strip down to their underwear, form a pyramid and begin kissing. All sorts of people kissing, very pansexual.  

2010 - Raise Your Glass : P!nk - The song is a call to the underdogs of the world, the “loud and nitty-gritty dirty little freaks,” to ignore convention and just let loose. 

2010 - Firework : Katy Perry - She’s saying everyone is a firework–an ordinary, ugly, or insignificant wrapping but when the right situation arises, like a flame to a fuse, they ignite and show how amazing, extraordinary, and beautiful each one of us is. No wonder it’s loved by the queer community, once we let out what’s inside us, others will see we’re bright and beautiful. I will always think of being at Pride and a preacher guy spewing hate had entered the grounds and people formed a circle around him and sang this song, and many others joined in until security removed him, it was beautiful.  

2010 - Dancing on my Own : Robyn - It’s a break up song. “Somebody said you got a new friend. Does she love you better than I can? There’s a big black sky over my town.” But with a great dance beat like this, it’s a sure bet Robyn won’t be dancing on her own for long.

2010 - F**kin’ Perfect : P!nk - With all the negative messages we grow up hearing about our gender identity or sexual orientation, it’s so affirming to hear “Don’t you ever ever feel like your less than, less than perfect”

2010 - Grace Kelly : MIKA - While there aren’t any direct mentions of sexuality, this song is very much about how people have judged MIKA for being flamboyantly himself

2010 - Teenage Dream : Glee Cast - This song sung by one boy for another was a big moment on a big TV show.

2011 - We Found Love : Rihanna - Finding love in a hopeless place, for many queer people can mean what it’s like to be in a heteronormative society. Or also that hard transition to accept & love yourself, and imagining going from that to someone finding and loving you.

2011 - Americano : Lady Gaga - The song is about the unjust laws that exist in America, particularly regarding immigration and gay rights. She sings of a scenario in which she meets a girl from east L.A. (heavily Hispanic population) and falls in love with her but can’t marry due to the laws prohibiting gay marriage, “we fell in love but not in court.” As to the “I don’t speak your Americano/Languageono/Jesus Cristo” I think that’s refusing to use the type of rhetoric that is used to justify the laws.  

2011 - Born This Way : Lady Gaga - Many songs hint at queer identities and acceptance by using metaphors, but not this one, it is direct. “No matter gay, straight, or bi, lesbian, transgender life, I’m on the right track, baby, I was born to survive.” 

2012 - Let’s have a Kiki : Scissor Sisters -  A drag performer heading to put on a show but when she arrives at the club it’s been shut down by the police. Instead she calls up a friend and announces we’re coming over and having a kiki.

2012 - For All : Far East Movement - As the fight for marriage equality was taking place, this song’s lyrics meant a lot. “Love is for all. Life is for all. Dreams are for all. Hope is for all. Feel the love from everybody in the crowd now, this is for y’all, this is for all.” The video intersperses some uplifting words from President Obama. 

2012 - People Like Us : Kelly Clarkson - the song is about all the people who are brave enough to challenge the social norms to bring about changes in the world. These words in particular strike me: “this is the life that we choose” and “come out, come out if you dare,”

2012 - They Don’t Know About Us : One Direction - The song is about how people tell a couple they shouldn’t be together, that their love isn’t real. Sound like something a queer couple might hear? In the song, no one can stop them, they’re together for life. And people thought this song might have been hinting about Larry Stylinson.

2013 - Closer : Tegan and Sara - Not many bands are made up of twin lesbian sisters. This song is really cute. The lyrics are about the anticipation before the kiss, before anything gets physical. It’s a love song that conjures adolescent longing, And it’s cherishing that gap between anticipation and release—asking to be closer, not touching. And it seems to speak to that particularly queer feeling of wanting someone you know you may never get.

2013 - Brave : Sara Bareilles - she wrote this catchy song of courage as a love letter to a friend who was struggling to come out as an adult.

2013 - Follow Your Arrow : Kacey Musgraves - “kiss lots of boys – or kiss lots of girls, if that’s something you’re into,” pretty remarkable to be included in a Country song

2013 - Same Love : Macklemore & Ryan Lewis - I have a nephew who got called gay for wearing stylish clothes, being neat, and interested in art & music. He had a hard time accepting that his uncle (me) is gay because of his experience, and it made me think of this song.

2013 - She Keeps Me Warm : Mary Lambert - A beautiful song about how women can love each other, protect each other and want each other. And the lyrics “not crying on Sundays” I think means not believing the damning words preached by religion about being gay

2013 - Really Don’t Care : Demi Levato - The video starts off with Lovato expressing her support for the LGBT community and saying that “Jesus loves all.” After that, the music starts and Levato is seen singing at a Pride parade.

2013 - Q.U.E.E.N. : Janelle Monáe - The title is an acronym for Queer, Untouchables, Emigrants, Excommunicated, and Negroid. The song is about the empowerment of oppressed people. Monáe uses a question-answer format to explain stereotypes, misconceptions, and oppression.

2013 - Girls/Girls/Boys : Panic! At the Disco - This song describes a love triangle between a boy and two girls, and the boy is being played off against a girl for the other girl’s attention.

2014 - Break Free : Ariana Grande - Her older brother is gay and she grew up around his friends, she’s an ally. And the words of this song, “I’m stronger than I’ve been before. This is the part when I break free ’cause I can’t resist it no more” has the theme often found in gay anthems, that things are tough, but I’m tougher and going to make it.

2014 - Sleeping with a Friend : Neon Trees - Glenn Tyler says he was thinking of a straight friend when he wrote this (but used female pronouns in the song). It’s an unusual love song because it’s a cautionary tale of hooking up with someone you’re close with.

2014 - Sissy that Walk : Rupaul - a perfect walkway song for all those drag queens and any of the rest of us who want to flaunt it

2014 - Put ‘Em Up : Priory - The song begins with a religious mom saying her queer kid has some kind of sickness. But who gives anyone the right to judge another’s lover?

2014 - Rise Like a Phoenix - Conchita Wurst - This song is about combating prejudice and the judgement of others in modern society. Conchita won Eurovision wearing a gown, makeup and a beard.

2015 - Cool for the Summer : Demi Levato - She is curious and has a woman she’s gonna spend the summer exploring with. “Got a taste for the cherry and I just need to take a bite.”

2015 - Heaven : Troye Sivan - Troye sings candidly about what it’s like for a religious teenager to come out as gay, about the struggles coming to terms with your sexuality. “Without losing a piece of me, how do I get to heaven? Without changing a part of me, how do I get to heaven? All my time is wasted, feeling like my heart’s mistaken, oh, so if I’m losing a piece of me, maybe I don’t want heaven?” The video features footage from LGBTQ protests throughout history.

2015 - Youth : Troye Sivan - It’s a really beautiful song about giving the best years of yourself to someone you love. 

2016 - Alive : Sia - The song is about someone who had a tough life, but is like, “I’m still breathing.” It is the personification of power.

2016 - Boyfriend : Tegan and Sara - This song tells the exhausting story of someone you’re basically dating, but they won’t come out in the open and admit it because they’re scared, confused, and insecure about their sexuality.

2016 - G.D.M.M.L. Grls : Tyler Glenn - Despite his best efforts to make church work, it didn’t work out because God Didn’t Make Me Like Girls.

2016 - Genghis Khan : Mike Snow - This video surprised me the first time I watched. It’s a James Bond-type hero & villain who fall for each other.  

2016 - The Greatest : Sia - Dedicated to the LGBT community in the wake of the Pulse shooting, Sia begs us to not give up and to follow our dreams.

2017 - Bad Liar : Selena Gomez - the video portrays a love triangle (with each character played by Selena)–a curious high school student, seductive gym coach and male teacher. Towards the end of the video, the high school student sings the line, “With my feelings on fire, guess I’m a bad liar,” as she looks at a photo of the gym teacher. It’s a scene that shows the fear of acknowledging and declaring our sexuality—a moment of many a queer experience.

2017- If You Were Gay : San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus - This song is from the musical Avenue Q. This choir’s performance of the song is delightful. 

2017 - This is Me : Keala Settle - The song from The Greatest Showman sings of resilience in the face of hardship — which, after all, is what Pride is all about. “Another round of bullets hits my skin. Well, fire away ’cause today, I won’t let the shame sink in”

2017 - You Will Be Found : Ben Platt - This song from Dear Evan Hansen means a lot to me. There’s a gay teen who posted a question on Tumblr, I responded, and together we’ve been through a lot, suicidality, helped him with coming out and nerves about a first love. He says this is our song because I found him. But for everyone, this song is hopeful that when you need it, someone will be there for you.

2017 - 1-800-273-8255 : Logic - This is a song about a closeted guy who is suicidal and calls a help line. The operator wants him to be alive and helps save him in that moment.

2017 - Bad at Love : Halsey - Halsey flips through all the guys and girls she’s dated in an attempt to understand why she hasn’t yet found love. Queen of bisexual relatability!

2018 - A Million Dream : P!nk - this song from The Greatest Showman is about the power of positive thinking, faith and believing in your dreams. For queer people, it’s a reminder that we are building a better world.

2018 - All the Things : Betty Who - This is the theme song for the wildly popular Netflix show Queer Eye.

2018 - Never Been In Love : Will Jay - It’s such a great bop and I have loved Will Jay since his IM5 days, and this seems perfect for my ace/aro friends. “I’m not missing out so don’t ask me again. Thanks for your concern, but here’s the thing, I’ve never been in love and it’s all good”

2018 - Make Me Feel : Janelle Monáe - Sexuality is simply how a person makes you feel, regardless of gender. The music video for ”Make Me Feel” features Janelle crawling between women’s legs and grinding up on both a male and female love interest under bisexual lighting.

2018 - Promises : Calvin Harris, Sam Smith - a glittery homage to vogueing and drag ballroom culture in the music video.

2019 - You Need to Calm Down : Taylor Swift - an entire verse that’s literally about going to a Pride parade.

[aworldinpages]

Step Sister~ Jennifer Donnelly

Like most children, I went through a Disney/Fairytale phase that I haven’t grown out of. I still love and know most of the lyrics to the films. But, unlike my childhood self, I’ve stopped believing in the Good triumphs over Evil storyline and have begun to wonder about the villain’s motivation and what made them evil. So, it’s fair to say that I love fairytale retellings. Step Sister by Jennifer Donnelly is not a retelling. It’s the story of what happened after Cinderella got her Prince from a different perspective: the ugly stepsister’s perspective.

This novel starts with the Fates create the maps for each individual human life when Chance appears and they start a wager over whether or not one girl could change her fate or stick to the path that is written for her. That girl is Isabelle de la Paumé, one of the ugly stepsisters of Queen Ella. Isabelle is not what you expect the ugly stepsister to be, neither is her sister Tavi. Both are girls who aren’t pretty and don’t fit with society’s expectation of women. Tavi wants to be a scholar and Isabelle wants to be a Pirate Queen or a warrior. Neither of them are particularly cruel or mean. It is revealed early on that Isabelle doesn’t hate Ella, rather she hates herself. Isabelle asks the Fairy Queen (godmother) for help to be pretty and is told to find the lost pieces of her heart and so she sets out on her quest. 

Isabelle’s quest is more of an emotional journey than a physical one. Donnelly writes this journey wonderfully, mashing together insecurity, jealousy and expectation to create so incredibly roadblocks and misdirections. However, what I liked most about her journey is that although there are three supernatural beings involved (the Fate, Chance and the Fairy Queen) it is a journey of self-discovery. We, as the reader, are told early on what those pieces of her heart are, but we get to see her make the choices herself to regain them.

Isabelle is a fan of war stories and strategies and she is almost always dealing with her obstacles by thinking of strategies from great generals and warriors. It is made clear that Isabelle should not like that stuff because it is for men. Donnelly turns that on its head and makes this about Herstory and the great female warriors and leaders, some I had never heard about before. It made Isabelle so much more powerful when instead of using the strategies of men, she empowered herself by thinking of the female warriors. This moment in the book was so incredibly overwhelming that I found myself tearing up. It was the same feeling I got when all the female superheroes banded together in Avenger’s Endgame, but more potent. There was so much overwhelming female empowerment at the end of this novel, power that was supported by male characters that broke stereotypes, that I felt ready to get up and fight just from reading it. Kudos, Jennifer Donnelly.

Donnelly also redefined ugly and pretty in this book. Pretty is compared to an extremely addictive drug that ruins girls’ lives. Ugly is redefined as the best thing to be because it leaves you alone to do what you want for yourself. Isabelle and Tavi reclaim the word ugly as their own and turn it into a weapon to make themselves better and allow themselves to be their own people doing what makes them happy. In a way that I didn’t expect, this book was inspiring and great for my low self-esteem.

Step Sister has very short chapters which is both a blessing and a curse. The short chapters allowed us to skip between the Fates, Chance and the Fairy Queen without taking too much time away from Isabelle’s story. It also made it quite easy to read as there wasn’t anything longer than seven pages without a break. However, sometimes paying attention to the chapter lengths made the story feel a bit short and choppy. It also made me feel like I had read much more than I actually had.

Overall I really liked Step Sister and how it was a celebration of feminine power and females who aren’t societally beautiful. It was a book that encouraged you to choose your own path and do things for yourself for your betterment. It was also left open for more novels to follow (hopefully more fairytale reimaginings). Step Sister by Jennifer Donnelly gets four stars.

“Go now, girl. Remake the world.”

C🌙

[zalrb]

K. Let’s do this.

In the past few hours there have been a few asks in my inbox regarding Bonnie’s treatment on the show and became about misogyny vs. racism and instead of answering everything in individual asks I’m going just going to answer everything in one post.

I think the problem with TVD is that the misogyny was so horrific that it was 'easy' for people to focus there and act as if racism was not an issue when it was. But the one shouldn't excuse the other or used as a blanket over the other to push it under the rug. This happens in general many times in the media but in TVD both misogyny and racism were taken to extremes so Bonnie had both but Elena and Caroline had the one out of two so people focused there. It was a mess.            

First of all, misogyny and racism can’t “be taken to an extreme” there is no such thing as non-extreme racism and misogyny. Second of all, while this anon acknowledges that Bonnie experiences both racism and misogyny because she is a black female character and therefore intersectionality exists, which seems to be something people don’t understand but it’s why misogynoir is a term:

noun

the specific hatred, dislike, distrust, and prejudice directed toward black women (often used attributively): misogynoir attitudes and comments; The media’s erasure of the contributions of black women to the project was called out as an instance of misogynoir.

The argument here is that the misogyny towards white women was so horrific that people could only focus on that and act as if the racism didn’t exist. There just seems to be this resistance to call out the fact that people would rather focus on white female victimhood because even if people don’t call out the racism, Bonnie isn’t even included in the conversation surrounding misogyny, it’s only about Elena and Caroline and that isn’t a coincidence. It’s not like Bonnie’s treatment is subtle

and to compare, when Caroline is tortured

she gets the calvary after her

whereas Bonnie has to rally right away or is left alone or ends up comforting other people

but the fandom doesn’t consider the show’s consistent torture of Bonnie an issue because they don’t consider Bonnie to be a character worthy of critical thinking

That is the issue.

The misogyny in TVD was horrible though. Caroline and her rapist and they used as an incubator without concent. Elena ended up a portable trope in a coffin either she was there or not was the same. Let us not start on Bonnie. But the racism was EVERYWHERE. Trevino was an actor of color but made him the white guy. The Salvatores were Italians and that was erased. We all saw how Bonnie was treated and the ratio of PoC vs Whites plus how PoC were treated and how they died and their survival rate.            

OK first of all, the Salvatores not being Italian has no and I mean no place in this conversation, that is not an example of racism.

Second of all, who said that the misogyny on the show wasn’t horrible? I never said that it wasn’t but the fact that people feel the need to come into my inbox to redirect the conversation to white female victimhood is problematic because we’re talking about Bonnie who as a black female character suffers from misogyny and anti-blackness and therefore experiences a different level of marginalization on the show than Caroline and Elena.

How many times have I brought up how fucked up it is and problematic it is and misogynistic it is that Caroline is forced to befriend her rapist and had a pregnancy plot line that bypassed her agency and consent? How many times have I brought up how fucked up it is and problematic it is and misogynistic it is that Elena is used as a trope for Damon and that the sirebond is insidious? The point is next to the fact that TVD had a long history of brutalizing Black bodies in a way that is inherently more violent than how they kill anyone else

compared to the quick and effectively painless deaths of the others (and yes there is a black man amongst them but the fact remains the show chose a black man to die slowly while Penny and Matt bantered)

and that they reiterate stereotypes and tropes like a mute Beau who used to sing for white patrons before he was mute,

the aggressive dark-skinned black girls who the show always has Bonnie face off with 

the show also consistently and with glee emotionally and physically terrorizes Bonnie while unabashedly speak about how her worth and her role on the show is to labour for her white friends or to be the hope for her white friends or to suffer.

DRIES:  We’re going to see Bonnie continue to try to adjust to life in the prison world.  She tried to have Christmas, and it just made things worse for her.  She’s going to have a birthday in the prison world, which is going to be worse.  She’s really going to hit rock bottom before she pulls herself up by the bootstraps and says, “You know what? Let me get out of here!”  She will finally find her way back, and it will come at the perfect time for our friends, who are in need of a friend rejuvenation and beautiful reunion.  So, she comes back and is emotionally scarred from it.

“"Bonnie will continue to be a loyal friend to Damon and a very supportive person for him to lean on as he goes through the drama of the second half of the season,“ she explained. “But their relationship will also face its own obstacles down the road. Bonnie and Stefan are grounding forces in Damon’s life. So for him to put his relationship with Bonnie at stake would have really, really bad consequences for Damon, for sure.”

4. …. and Bonnie is their chaperone. “She’s been empowered by her best friend Elena to kind of follow her… to become this stronger woman that she’s become, but also take on the role of being Damon’s moral compass,” Dries says. “With Elena sidelined, Bonnie’s worried: ‘Is Damon going to go off his rocker? Do I need to keep an eye on him?’ Then there’s Damon, who’s obviously grieving the loss of the love of his life, and the big question is, ‘Is he going to become the monster that we saw in Season 1, the real villain of the show?’”

Like Damon, Bonnie is now doing what she wants. “And so, she’ll kind of get involved in Alaric’s storyline a little bit,” Dries says. “But as she’s working with Alaric and helping him through the grief of losing Jo, Bonnie starts to get herself embroiled in a little bit of a love story. And so, that’s been very fun to watch unfold.”

That is the issue. That is what we are talking about.

My issue was the lost potential. Even offensive storylines could've turned up very interesting as storytelling if the writers were not such racists and misogynists. Bonnie was a goldmine. She could have very interesting romances, plots, empowerment, dynamics, reactions. Caroline as a rape survivor, even the body autonomy issue with the babies. Elena and the triangle if done right/realistically could have worked out much better. Vampires should have been more twisted. Wasted potential everywhere.

I don’t even know if this even requires a breakdown because, yes, there was potential in storylines. Bonnie had a lot of potential in the storylines she was given, Bonnie could’ve been a lead with the storylines she was given and with Kat’s acting. The Bennett coven would’ve been a logical storyline considering that all of the magic in TVD basically stems from their bloodline but instead what we get is the Gemini coven and Jo who worked with Grams, anything to avoid centering black characters. And yes, Elena with the triangle could’ve been better I’ve said that many times and I’ve said the same thing about Caroline and the baby plot line but of course, they sitll had more personal storylines than Bonnie did. For instance, in season 1, Caroline is affected by the supernatural via Damon but her emotional and personal storyline is about working through her insecurity and finding safe spaces. Elena is affected by the supernatural but she’s trying to rebuild after her parents’ death, that is her personal journey. Bonnie is learning how to be a witch. That’s it. She does not have a personal journey entwined with her supernatural one. Witchcraft.    

What if Bonnie had been white? How about what if Caroline was black and given the same plots (with Damon, Stefan, Alaric). Something tells me that somehow and I do not even know how she would have been in a thousand ways worse and more offensive positions than the one she was now. I can't even comprehend it. Although if Caroline was black she wouldn't be getting as many love interests as she had now that she was white right? So maybe those plots wouldn't be an issue.              

I find this question moot because Bonnie wasn’t white and Caroline wasn’t black, the whole point is that their roles would not have been written the way they were if things were different. Things were not different so why are what-iffing, what is the point of that?

All in all, it really boils down to the fact that as a black female character Bonnie’s character went through a particular problematic treatment that is a result of the conflation between misogyny and anti-blackness and the fact that people are unwilling to see that or see that but try to mystify it or the redirect the issue is a problem that isn’t the entire fault of the writers.