#i enjoyed this sex memoir very much

[workingforitallthetime]

The Loves of My Life

[aidenwaites]

The thing about Maeve Fly is in reading reviews of maeve fly I feel the need to defend its unlikable, pretentious protagonist and the graphic violence because I do think that those things have their place and criticizing the book solely on those being apart of it isn't a fair criticism

But also i don't think they were done particularly well

[youremyheaven]

vedic astro observations pt 3

in my previous post i had mentioned how some of the most famous mistresses/concubines/courtesans/women involved in adultery in real life or played such roles on screen often have Pushya or Punarvasu placements. here i'll be providing more example<3

Meena Kumari often played the "Other Woman" in her movies and here she is in her most famous role, playing a courtesan. She has Pushya sun and mercury

Elisabeth Moss plays a concubine in her most well known role in The Handmaiden. she has Pushya sun & mercury

Nicole Kidman played a courtesan in the iconic movie Moulin Rouge. She has punarvasu mercury atmakaraka and Pushya jupiter

Zhang Ziyi's most well known roles involve her playing a courtesan (Memoirs of a Geisha, House of Flying Daggers etc). She has Punarvasu moon

Bina Rai played the legendary courtesan Anarkali in the film of the same name in her most well known role. She has Punarvasu sun, Pushya mercury and jupiter

Hema Malini, Pushya rising was the real life mistress of her now husband Dharmendra. She also played a courtesan in the movie Sharafat

Rani Mukerji had an affair with the much married film producer Aditya Chopra which led to him separating from his wife. Rani has Mars in Punarvasu as her atmakaraka. She also has mercury and venus in Revati, which according to Claire Nakti is a nakshatra that features prominently in the charts of many "home wreckers".

Zeenat Aman had an affair with Sanjay Khan while he was married. The two even got married but things ended really poorly for Zeenat

(i dont want to mention it but you can google it). Zeenat is Punarvasu moon.

Lara Dutta and tennis icon, Mahesh Bhupathi started seeing each other when he was still married to his now ex-wife. Lara has Pushya moon and mars.

Sarika and Kamal Hassan had an affair while he was still married to Vani Ganapathy, leading to their split. Sarika has Mars in Punarvasu as her amatyakaraka. Her birth time is unconfirmed so she's either Ardra or Punarvasu moon

in a similar vein, Shilpa Shetty first started seeing Raj Kundra when he was still married to his first wife. She has Venus in Pushya darakaraka and Saturn in Punarvasu as her atmakaraka. She's also Rohini sun, another nakshatra that crops up often in the charts of women who are considered "home wreckers"

Pushya rising, Julia Roberts met her now husband when he was still married to someone else. Her most famous role to this date is that of a sex worker.

Lauren Bacall has Pushya venus & rising and met her husband Humphrey Bogart while he was still married to another woman

this is more of a speculation but JLo and Marc Anthony got married 5 months after he divorced his first wife, which implies that JLo and Marc probably started seeing each other when he was still married. Jennifer Lopez has Pushya moon

in an older post, i had mentioned how prostitutes in cinema are often played by Ketu natives and i think its interesting how different types of sex worker esque roles are played by different actors. prostitution is a very unglamorous, unrefined and morally frowned upon profession; Ketu is a shadow planet entirely separate from the material world where "morality" is created and enforced, thus it makes sense why these natives are chosen to play these roles, especially in gritty thrillers set in the underbelly of a big city (very Ketuvian). Ketu is in itself a malefic and associated with paradoxical concepts of apathy, impermanence but also liberation and salvation.

however, when courtesans or concubines are portrayed on screen, they are presented as extremely refined, polished and feminine creatures. historically, they were always educated, cultured, diversely talented and enjoyed a good position in the king's court.

they often acted as counsels, and were known for their refinement. such roles in cinema often seem to be played by Pushya or Punarvasu natives in cinema. i had already observed how cancer is the most feminine sign and how cancer women often play the "dream girl" or "trophy wife" in cinema and i would say this is an extension of that; their hyperfeminine mannerisms and persona make them highly desirable to men and courtesans and concubines are required to maintain themselves to a high degree of femininity in manner, appearance and conduct. it only makes sense that cancer girls, specifically Pushya (the height of femininity) and Punarvasu girls are chosen, repeatedly for these roles.

in most movies where a sex worker plays the protagonist, the main theme often tends to be about salvation/redemption. she's perhaps the whore with a heart of gold , the dichotomy between her character and her "immoral" life is explored. the Ketuvian roles explore these themes in the context of a dark, grungy, seedy brothel set in the underbelly of a big bad city whereas the Cancerian ones explore these in the context of a palace or a highly refined upper class setting where manners & conduct are subject to refinement. Ketu represents the shadow and Cancer ruled by the moon shows the light, although like yin and yang, there's good in the bad and bad in the good thoroughly interwoven into each other and impossible to separate.

2. in my personal observation, pisces rashi (0-3 degrees purvabhadrapada, uttarabhadrapada and revati) and bharani nakshatra endows a native with acting ability. these placements are present in the charts of some of the most talented actors in the history of cinema. obviously, one could have other placements and still be good actors.

Meryl Goddamn Streep is a Bharani moon

Saoirse Ronan is Revati sun, Bharani moon & venus with mercury and mars in UBP

Timothee Chalamet has Purvabhadrapada moon (2 degrees pisces) and Ketu in Revati. love him or hate him, gotta admit that the boy can act 🤷🏼‍♀️

Smita Patil, the iconic and prolific indian actress had Revati rising

Shabana Azmi is also Revati rising

again, love her or hate her, you have to admit Rani Mukerji is a terrific actor. She has UBP sun & ketu with mercury and venus in Revati

Heath Ledger is Revati sun & rising with mercury conjunct mars in Purvabhadrapada (2 degrees pisces)

Gary Oldman is UBP sun with moon and mercury in Revati

Robert Downey Jr is Revati stellium (sun, mercury and venus) with Bharani moon

Rooney Mara has UBP stellium (moon, mercury and venus)

Charlie Chaplin had venus in bharani atmakaraka, revati mercury amatyakaraka and mars in bharani

Spencer Tracy, Revati sun, UBP mercury conjunct mars

Buster Keaton, the screen legend and absolute GOAT had Revati moon

Clint Eastwood has mercury and venus in Bharani

Marlon Brando had Revati sun & moon

2 time Oscar winner and 10 time nominee, Bette Davis had Revati sun

pisces rashi, being a water sign gives the natives a certain emotional depth that gives them the ability to completely embody a character in the most convincing manner. being the final rashi, it encapsulates all the lessons of all the previous rashis and makes these natives possess an innate and inexplicable wisdom without first hand experience, thereby enabling them to portray a diverse range of characters convincingly.

bharani nakshatra's deity is lord yama and the nakshatra itself is associated with death. to be a good actor is to both subject your own self to a metaphorical death in order to birth the character within you and project it externally.

[lazzarella]

2024 Roundup - BL edition

It's done!! I spent WAY too long on this post and I have no idea why, but I've done it now haha

2024 was the year I started watching live action BL series (I went over how I got here a bit in this post, so I won't go over it again; I also reflected a little on how nice it's been to watch all these shows), so my focus wasn't on watching what's new (everything was new to me) but mostly playing catch up. That said, I did watch enough 2024 releases to let me do a top ten, so why not?

In all honesty, I'm a little embarrassed to be posting this. Like I said, I only started this year, so I'm not really sure my top shows of the year are particularly valuable or interesting to anyone but me, but I do love me a list! And I spent all this time on this post, so, here we go?

First, some numbers:

I watched around 25 or so 2024 releases (some spanned 2023 and 2024, but I don't feel like double checking all the 2023 releases I've logged on MDL to check when they started and finished). Of those 14 are Thai, 4 are South Korean, 5 are Japanese, 1 is Taiwanese, and one (Meet You at the Blossom) is a Thailand/Taiwan co-production iirc

My ratings ranged from 7.5 to 10, but honestly there was nothing I hated. Some I felt 'meh' about (which I won't talk about here) but even those had aspects I thought were really good. Maybe I'm just easy to please, but I'm happy. Anyway. Onto the list!

More details under the cut (with possible spoilers, but it's most personal reflection rather than any kind of analysis), but if you want just the list:

Cherry Magic Thailand

Wandee Goodday

Century of Love

Kidnap

Happy of the End

Monster Next Door

Love for Love's Sake

Boys Be Brave!

Love is a Poison

We Are

CHERRY MAGIC (THAILAND)

(This spanned 2023 and 2024, so I'm counting it!) Image from BL Watcher, edited by me

This is such a special show! Being new to BL this year, I watched this not long after I watched the Japanese live action version, and I was kind of worried it might suffer for it, but I loved it just as much. They both had aspects I liked better than the other, but I love this show so much. I've watched it three times now I think? It was my introduction to Tay and New and I fell head over heels for them haha

I really enjoy the friendships in this, but, as I'm here for the romance, I have to say Achi and Karan's love is one of the sweetest and swooniest romances I've seen maybe ever! That beach scene lives rent free in my head <33 it's also nice to see a romance with characters (barely) in their 30s

WANDEE GOODDAY (THAILAND)

Image is my own cap

This was the first show I watched week by week and I had a blast. It's been a long time since I've done that, but it was really (mostly) fun to see everyone's reactions as each episode aired

But it was a delight from start to finish—a very joyful, fun show, that I thought handled most of the heavier aspects well and all that dreamy neon was so pretty to look at. Great and Inn have excellent chemistry and their acting is really incredible. I can't wait to see them in Memoir of Rati!

(My posts on Wandee Goodday)

CENTURY OF LOVE (THAILAND)

Image from World of BL, edited by me

I waited until most episodes were out to binge this one and I'm glad I did because I think the wait would've killed me each week! I can go either way on reincarnation stories (I really like a reincarnation murder mystery though, just as a sidenote) but I really enjoyed the way it was handled here. Daou and Offroad are so lovely together (I immediately went to watch Love in Translation, which I also loved) and I enjoyed all the side characters too. The tone of the show is very much in line with what I enjoy

KIDNAP (THAILAND)

Image from World of BL, edited by me

This show was absolutely perfect to me! Ohm and Leng have incredible chemistry, and I love that Min and Q are not only tooth-achingly in love, but they're also very much in lust. The physical affection in this was so good. And not just the kissing and sex, but the hugging too!!! They made hugging an art form!

A really sweet, fluffy rom-com that was a balm for my troubled soul <333

(My posts on Kidnap)

HAPPY OF THE END (JAPAN)

Image from World of BL, edited by me

A lot heavier than the other shows on this list, but gosh, it was beautiful. I'm such a sucker for 'broken' people finding solace in each other and trying to navigate a way to be happy together. I don't have a lot to say about this one because there was so much to unpack, but I thoroughly loved it, and the acting was so good

MONSTER NEXT DOOR (THAILAND)

Image from World of BL, edited by me

And now for something completely different!

This has to be one of the sweetest things I've ever seen in my life! God and Diew gave me a toothache every week, but I thought it dealt with some of the more serious aspects really nicely too. I enjoyed that the conflict was from their different personalities and ways of socialising and loving, essentially. As sugary sweet as this was, I found that aspect to be very realistic and grounded. But the best part was that neither was set up as being 'wrong' for being the way they are! They didn't have to change who they fundamentally are—just make some small adjustments. The acting was really good, too, and Big and Park have great chemistry! Looking forward to their next show

LOVE FOR LOVE'S SAKE (SOUTH KOREA)

Image from World of BL, edited by me

As I was watching, I enjoyed it quite a bit, but I wasn't like 'yeah, this is the best thing ever!!' But for weeks and weeks after I kept thinking about it. There's something very arresting about it that kept it in my mind. I love the idea of getting a do over in the form of a virtual reality game and it also vaguely reminded me of two of my favourite shows of all time: Life on Mars and Ashes to Ashes. The romance was very sweet, but felt grounded by the heavier themes of the show. And, gosh, it is GORGEOUS! Such a pretty looking show.

BOYS BE BRAVE (SOUTH KOREA)

Image from World of BL, edited by me

This show managed to be totally chaotic and totally sweet at the same time. Another very pretty looking show too! I adored Jin Woo and Gi Seop with all my heart and I like what it had to say about the ways we try to protect ourselves can end up hurting us (and others) in the end

LOVE IS A POISON (JAPAN)

Image from BoysLoveBuzz on Twitter, edited by me

Courtroom dramas (or dramedies) aren't really my thing but I DO love socially awkward weirdos falling in love, and I love lonely people finding a home in each other, and this was very funny and sweet and well acted!

WE ARE (THAILAND)

Image is my own cap

A show that didn't make me long for romance, but ache for the kind of friendship I've never really had, though certainly came closer to in my younger years. I think it's the kind of friendship you really only can have when you're this age. Maybe? Or maybe not! Anyway, enough old lady navel gazing...

Overall, it's a lovely, warm series about friendship and love that brightened my week and I'm so glad I gave it a chance. I've met some cool people because of this show AND it introduced me to my beloved Aou and Boom

(My posts on We Are)

And I want to give a special mention to Meet You at the Blossom! That was a wild ride too

Anyway, I highly doubt anyone's read all that (I barely wanted to re-read it myself haha) but if you DID, then thank you! It's been such a joy to delve into these shows and to have such a wealth of happy queer romances to enjoy. I do wish I'd found them sooner, but I've found them now, and I can't wait for what 2025 has in store

My BL Masterlist (ranked by country) / MyDramaList

(Images in the main baner for this post are a mix of my caps, caps found on MDL, World of BL, BL Watcher and the same twitter account I mentioned under Love is a Poison; I realised a little too late it might not be okay to use other's images, even with credit... Although, I think the World of BL images are mostly grabbed from the Gaga previews, anyway)

[risingsoleil]

Hey! I'm super curious about what an older AU Linzin would be like. I’m actually working on a fanfic about them right now, and I’d love to hear your take on them! Thanks in advance, and by the way, I’m a huge fan of your work!

Hello and thank you~~!!

Oh goodness, I haven't thought too much about older AU Linzin, but here are some spontaneous ideas that come to mind:

Lin retires before she hits 60. She feels like she's done enough and she wants to spend more time with Tenzin, her kids, and grandkid(s). Now it's time for her to enjoy and do what she wants.

She and Tenzin travel often. They are independent tourists and don't do tours. They're very private. Tenzin plans the itinerary and Lin just follows along and makes sure they're safe.

With them spending more time together, they go back to their best friend bantering mode. They still banter in front of the kids, but Tenzin is more playful and dishing out his sass to her. Just like when they were teenagers.

They do most of the activities Tenzin did with his dad. Riding elephant-koi together. Doesn't last long bc their joints are not the same as a 20 year old anymore.

By this time, they've also kinda mellowed out. Especially since they're stepped back from public servants. The things that they used to worry about are no longer concerns. They live more in the present and enjoy every day for what it is.

When Lin retired, at first it was hard for her to adjust to retirement. But Tenzin helped her ease into a routine where she can just relax, enjoy, and not work. Now she's happy to have fun with Tenzin, even if they don't do anything

Lin gardens and Tenzin helps her out. But she just yells at him because he doesn't dig the hole right or puts the wrong seeds in the holes.

Tenzin begins to write a memoir of his life with Lin. He writes their entire love story. He wants to surprise Lin with it, and possibly share their story. If she's ok with that.

Lin finds out about the memoir and she doesn't want it shared at first. "It's our story. No one else needs to hear it."

Tenzin argues, "I want our story to be immortalized. I want future generations to know how much I love you and to have faith and hope in love. Especially when you find your soulmate."

Lin agrees that the memoir can be published, after she dies. So she doesn't need to hear questions about it from strangers

And yes, the sex is still hot and heavy 😂

Now i'm making myself sad bc I'm thinking of older Linzin 😭🥺

[floral-ashes]

Thought I’d share this review of Gender/Fucking: The Pleasures and Politics of Living in a Gendered Body, posted to Goodreads by a user named Haley:

“Wow, wow, WOW— this is a book that invites you, the reader, not only to learn but also to EXPLORE— it’s a patchwork quilt of memoirs, erotic interludes, and critical analysis, and it’s gripping and devastating at every turn. Florence Ashley, a transfem jurist and bioethicist, is a brilliant writer with a penchant for luscious prose and biting commentary. This collection is equally brilliant, introducing the concept of “academic smut” as a vehicle for telling stories of love, loss, growth, and tragedy against a backdrop of trans identity and intellectualism. As a nonbinary person, I found myself represented in living color on every page; reading this collection left me tear-stained and devastated, and yet immeasurably hopeful at the same time. It’s a storytelling format I could never have predicted enjoying, as I’m rather open about not enjoying erotica as a written genre (with the exception of fanfiction!) due to my own discomfort with first-person-POV sex— however, the erotica here DOES something. It gives a tangible example of the theories and thought-processes that Florence describes in each chapter; it gives the reader an opportunity to imagine sexual dynamics playing out not only in front of them but with them in the driver’s seat, and again— as someone whose queer activities echo some of Florence’s own, it was deeply eye-opening to see myself and my desires on paper that exposes the pleasure, shame, and possibilities that we all partake in.

In particular, I'm drawn to one phrase that Florence concludes with in their "Trespass on the Fox" essay: these are questions without answers. am i open to being loved, to being lovable? maybe. Upon reading that, I had to sit and stare blankly at the wall for a time I can't begin to measure. Not only for the raw questioning of how I exist in regards to love, but for the openness in stating that these words, and all the words in Florence's collection, do not exist to serve as definitive answers of, well, pretty much anything! I've spent the past 18 years of my life entrenched in academia, and the idea that I don't have to always answer "yes" or "no" when asked about my "take" on something isn't necessarily foreign, but it's under-represented in nonfiction works, and it was a breath of fresh air to see it so frankly discussed here.

Though I am hesitant to describe any essay in detail, as I do truly think each entry deserves to be experienced firsthand, I want to conclude my review with an analysis of "Libidinal Vertigo," one of two essays that Florence warns about in their Preface for their potentially-triggering material. It's a deeply unsettling essay for two reasons: one, it discusses famed (or, rather, infamous) TERF (trans-exclusionary radical feminists) scholars like Mary Daly in detail, and their works are ones that have caused me a lot of personal strife as well; two, it explores Florence's (and that of all transfem folx) vulnerability to the very same transphobic rhetoric that most of us wish was contained solely in now-fading academic texts. We (and I use this word here confidently, despite existing not as a transfem person as AFAB and nonbinary) are all deeply susceptible to the internalized transphobia that runs rampant across our social media threads and bathroom-sink conversations. Florence, in protest of Janice Raymond's vitriol, invites us to embrace our monstrosity... echoing a brilliant passage of poetry discussing Frankenstein many pages prior. If they cast us as monsters, without giving us a chance to recite our lines, then perhaps we should acknowledge our hatred— and use it as fuel to empower healing amongst our own.

I cannot put into words how much I recommend this collection; it deserves to be immortalized in the canon of transgender studies, and it also deserves to be passed around amongst friends and highlighted and annotated to no end, the pages themselves becoming a living museum of memory and community. Whether you are trans, cis, or beginning your own journey of self-discovery, this book is a light amongst a sea of uncertainty and darkness, and I highly encourage you to pick up a copy of your own.

Note: I receive a gifted ARC from Clash Books; as always, I was under no obligation to leave a review, and all my thoughts/ramblings are my own <3”

[dweemeister]

2024 Movie Odyssey Awards

So here is the penultimate post for the 2024 Movie Odyssey. This awards ceremony, which used to be (insanely) done on New Year's Eve or New Year's Day, all but puts the bow on last year's movie-watching for me.

The Movie Odyssey Awards honor the best in films that I saw for the first time last calendar year for me. Rewatches are ineligible. Other eligibility rules (such as whether or not a “TV movie” versus a “streaming movie” can count can be found here).

All of these films that were nominated or won (even Worst Picture, to some extent) are worth your time and are worth seeking. Even some of the most incredibly flawed films I saw this year may have gotten a nomination or two elsewhere (ten nominees per category certainly helps). As always, my Best Picture winners and my Personal Favorite Film nominees? Can't recommend them enough (although I think some of the Best Picture winners might need additional contexts for those who aren't well-versed in older films).

Best Pictures

Adam’s Rib (1949)

Awaara (1951, India)

The Big Heat (1953)

Detour (1945)

Dinner at Eight (1933)

Flow (2024, Latvia/Belgium/France)

One Way Passage (1932)

Son of the White Mare (1981, Hungary)

A Special Day (1977, Italy)

20 Days in Mariupol (2023, Ukraine)

See this post for more details! As is tradition, I do not name (or rank) my ten Best Pictures of the year. They are presented here in alphabetical order. However, I will note that Awaara, The Big Heat, and A Special Day received 10/10s; Detour received 9.5/10; all the others received 9/10.

Best Comedy

Adam’s Rib

The Bells of St. Mary’s (1945)

The Caddy (1953)

Desk Set (1957)

Dinner at Eight

Funny Money (2013, Vietnam)

The Life of the Party (1920)

Room for One More (1952)

Tammy and the Bachelor (1957)

Theater Camp (2023)

Again, this boils down to which of these comedies amused me the most – not necessarily which comedy I thought was the best-made. And it just so happened it was Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn's legal battle of the sexes that made me laugh the most this year (there were two Tracy-Hepburn team-ups here with Desk Set as well). Just behind it? The Caddy and Theater Camp.

Best Musical

Awaara

The Bells of St. Mary’s

Broadway Melody of 1936 (1935)

The Caddy

Daddy Long Legs (1955)

Girl Happy (1965)

Theater Camp

Tom Sawyer (1973)

Week-End in Havana (1941)

Wicked: Part I (2024)

Awaara is the best film among these ten. But that’s not what wins this category. I largely decide this category by some strange combination of how much I enjoyed the music, the performances, and how well the film presents itself as a musical. In 2024, that was Wicked: Part I, an adaptation of the hit Broadway musical of the same name (which I have very much an emotional connection to and am quite biased towards). Now, I actually have serious issues with Wicked: Part I in terms of how director Jon M. Chu approached the material (like how he shoots and edits some of the numbers, as well as the desaturated color palette). But the other musicals I considered here for alternative winners – Broadway Melody of 1936 (1930s musicals really did not care for plot) and Daddy Long Legs (not enough notable songs) – had other issues in terms of structure I couldn’t overlook.

Best Animated Feature

Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget (2023)

Dounia and the Princess of Aleppo (2022, Canada/France)

Flow

Inside Out 2 (2024)

Mars Express (2023, France)

Memoir of a Snail (2024)

Robot Dreams (2023, Spain/France)

Son of the White Mare

The Triplets of Belleville (2003, France/Belgium/Canada/United Kingdom)

The Wild Robot (2024)

Quite simply the finest lineup for Animated Feature since the 2017 Movie Odyssey Awards and maybe second-best overall since the 2014 edition. This is one of my favorite categories for this entire 2024 ceremony – an extremely worthy Inside Out 2 would be 9th here; with even the weakest film here, Dounia and the Princess of Aleppo (quite possibly the first animated feature taking place during the Syrian Civil War?), might have easily been more safely in another year. In the end, Marcell Jankovics’ gorgeous tribute to the ancient nomadic peoples of the Eurasian steppe wins out, ekeing out against Flow, Memoir of a Snail, and The Triplets Belleville (the latter two were also under consideration for Best Picture).

Best Documentary

Antonia: A Portrait of the Woman (1974)

The Empathizer (2024)

Ennio (2021, Italy)

Festival! (1967)

The Last Repair Shop (2023 short)

Nai Nai & Wài Pó (2023 short)

New Wave (2024)

Nuremberg: Its Lesson for Today (1948)

Taking Root: Southeast Asian Stories of Resettlement in Philadelphia (2023)

20 Days in Mariupol

I don’t really do New Year’s Resolutions (and this isn’t to undermine our excellent winner)… but I need to watch more documentaries outside of Viet Film Fest contexts. Seriously. Curiously, five of our nominees here (Antonia, Ennio, Festival!, The Last Repair Shop, New Wave) had music or musicians front and center – a rare female classical music conductor from the mid-20th century, one of the best film scores composers ever, the Newport Folk Festival, LAUSD’s instrument repair shop employees, and Vietnamese New Wave music as the soundtrack to a director’s life story.

Best Non-English Language Film

Awaara, India

Casque d’Or (1952), France

Devi (1960), India

The Gold of Naples (1954), Italy

Inside the Yellow Cocoon Shell (2023), Vietnam

Son of the White Mare

A Special Day, Italy

The Taste of Things (2023), France

The Triplets of Belleville, France/Belgium/Canada/United Kingdom

20 Days in Mariupol, Ukraine

I’m going to shame myself again here. I didn’t see a single African or Latin American film this year. That’s really regrettable and needs to be fixed in 2025. Among the films in this category I haven’t mentioned yet, I wanted to spotlight the delectable The Taste of Things. Trần Anh Hùng’s latest depicts a love forged through cooking. And boy, was it damn close to getting a Best Picture nod from me.

Best Silent Film

The Ace of Hearts (1921)

Annie Laurie (1927)

Cleopatra (1912)

The Conquering Power (1921)

The Enchanted Cottage (1924)

The Johnstown Flood (1926)

The Lady of the Dugout (1918)

The Life of the Party

Love (1927)

Once again, this is not going to cut it. I only saw nine silent films all year, and too is unacceptable. I didn’t even fill this category! In any case, The Johnstown Flood is a remarkable recreation of the 1889 disaster of the same name. A solid, though not spectacular, set of performances and storytelling to go along with the wonderful special effects, too. Runners-up included Lon Chaney in The Ace of Hearts and John Gilbert and Greta Garbo in Love (this is an adaptation of Anna Karenina and was originally entitled Heat… but then someone realized that the tagline “Greta Garbo in Heat” was a bit racy).

Personal Favorite Film (TIE)

Adam’s Rib

Detour

Dìdi (2024)

Dragonwyck (1946)

El Dorado (1966)

Ennio

Flow

The Last Repair Shop

Robot Dreams

Wicked: Part I

First, your winners. Both are about music. Ennio is a biographical documentary on Italian film composer Ennio Morricone (who consented to interviews in his residence before passing a year before the film was released). The film traces his entire life from childhood, his early musical studies, his first film score successes, his ‘60s Italian pop music arrangements, his atonal phase in the ‘70s, and his maturation in the ‘80s and onward. Though I wish it talked more about process, I can’t complain. At 156 minutes, I wish it talked a little more about process and what he thinks about modern scoring. But to get so much of his musicality and personality? I’ll take it. Then there’s the documentary short The Last Repair Shop. Seek it online because it’ll nourish your soul. It’s about Los Angeles Unified School District’s (LAUSD) instrument repair shop and a few of its inspirational employees. LAUSD is the last major school district in the U.S. to offer free instrument repair to students, and that is something to be celebrated.

Now, let’s talk about those here that weren’t Best Picture winners or haven’t mentioned too thoroughly yet. Sean Wang’s coming-of-age Dìdi transported me back to the days of early high school. And though it is an Asian American film set in California, I didn’t necessarily “see” myself in it (for the record, I’ve never “seen” myself in a film and sorta hope I never do), but I saw elements of others and a time that I remember well.

Elsewhere, Joseph L. Mankiewicz’s Dragonwyck – starring Gene Tierney, Walter Huston, and Vincent Price – proves I’m a sucker for American Gothic dramas. I enjoy the landed gentry scheming, especially if the gentry is played by Vincent Price! And I even learned something totally new to me – that of the manorial rights of Patroons (descendants of the elites of the former New Netherland colony) in New York state.

El Dorado might be written off as a Rio Bravo (1959) redux. But, honestly? Without a weak link in the cast, it’s better than Rio Bravo – an opinion that is certainly unpopular, I’m sure.

Flow and Robot Dreams both exemplified this year the benefits of filmmakers remembering that silence can be golden. Neither film has dialogue, and both use their lack of dialogue to fantastic visual effect – a necessary reminder in perhaps our overly-talkative modern cinema.

Best Director

Sylvain Chomet, The Triplets of Belleville

Adam Elliot, Memoir of a Snail

Marcell Jankovics, Son of the White Mare

Raj Kapoor, Awaara

Fritz Lang, The Big Heat

Satyajit Ray, Devi

Ettore Scola, A Special Day

Douglas Sirk, All That Heaven Allows (1955)

Trần Anh Hùng, The Taste of Things

Edgar G. Ulmer, Detour

I feel like I’m just asking for forgiveness at this point. Because when I locked this category while I was writing this, I just realized, for the first time in the longest time, there are no female directors here. Looking back at the 2024 Movie Odyssey’s full list, I do notice more than a few films directed by women, but I simply didn’t think any were good enough to be nominated here or to win Picture.

That said, for the first time since 2014, the Best Director winner comes from a film that isn’t a winner for Best Picture (1939’s The Story of the Last Chrysanthemums and Kenji Mizoguchi won in 2014). I enjoy Douglas Sirk’s incredible directing of admittedly trashy material in All That Heaven Allows – he turns utter soapy dross into something well worth watching. And for that, alongside his incredible command of color, he beats out all of the other films here that were named as one of the ten Best Picture winners. Runners-up included Chomet, Ray, and Ulmer (Ulmer for getting so much out of a miniscule budget).

Best Acting Ensemble

Adam’s Rib

The Big Heat

The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial (2023)

Conclave (2024)

Devi

Dinner at Eight

El Dorado

On Borrowed Time (1939)

The Teachers’ Lounge (2023, Germany)

The Wedding Banquet (1993)

Ralph Fiennes headlines Conclave, which is about the College of Cardinals attempting to elect a new Pope after the previous Pope’s death – but the election is thrown into turmoil by scandals and secrets that come out into the open. Fiennes is supported by solid performances from Stanley Tucci, John Lithgow, Sergio Castellitto, Isabella Rosellini, Lucian Msamati, and Carlos Diehz.

I also considered The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial (Kiefer Sutherland, Jason Clarke, Jake Lacy, Monica Raymund, Lewis Pullman, Jay Duplass, Tom Riley, and Lance Reddick) and Dinner at Eight (Marie Dressler, John Barrymore, Wallace Beery, Jean Harlow, Lionel Barrymore, Lee Tracy, Edmund Lowe, and Billie Burke) here.

Best Actor

Richard Dreyfuss, The Goodbye Girl (1977)

Ralph Fiennes, Conclave

Glenn Ford, The Big Heat

José Isbert, El Cochecito (1960, Spain)

Raj Kapoor, Awaara

Marcello Mastroianni, A Special Day

William Powell, One Way Passage

Vincent Price, Dragonwyck

Spencer Tracy, Adam’s Rib

Kôji Yakusho, Perfect Days (2023, Japan)

The third time was the charm for Marcello Mastroianni, who was previously nominated here in 2018 and 2019 for two Federico Fellini movies – 8 ½ (1963) and Ginger and Fred (1986). And honestly? It’s the best Mastroianni performance I’ve seen. Opposite Sophia Loren, both actors play unglamorous roles that are against type for both of them. Mastroianni, so often playing the dapper playboys, is allowed to be fully vulnerable here, with an even more rickety façade than usual. Simply great work from him.

Also under consideration here were Glenn Ford (like Mastroianni, he plays against type… in The Big Heat as a decent man who has gotten to the point where he discards his values) and Raj Kapoor.

Best Actress

Kay Francis, One Way Passage

Lillian Gish, Annie Laurie

Gloria Grahame, The Big Heat

Katharine Hepburn, Adam’s Rib

Sophia Loren, A Special Day

Mikey Madison, Anora (2024)

Marlee Matlin, Children of a Lesser God (1986)

Nargis, Awaara

Ann Savage, Detour

Sharmila Tagore, Devi

In 2015, Sharmila Tagore was someone who I had just discovered in Satyajit Ray’s Nayak (1966, India). I definitely took notice of her performance then, but didn’t give her a first Movie Odyssey Award nomination until a year later. Almost a decade since, I now see her as one of the finest big-screen actors – no qualifiers needed. As the young lady thought to be the incarnation of Kali by her father-in-law (Chhabi Biswas), Tagore plays a woman robbed of her agency and humanity while being worshipped as a deity – all in the name of religious zealotry. I imagine contemporary Hindu nationalists would absolutely hate this movie and hate my opinions about her performance and this movie. Honestly? I don’t care.

The distant runners-up included Kay Francis, Gloria Grahame, and Sophia Loren.

Best Supporting Actor

Chhabi Biswas, Devi

Richard Conte, The Big Combo (1955)

Bing Crosby, The Bells of St. Mary’s

Brian Donlevy, The Big Combo

Cedric Hardwicke, On Borrowed Time

Lee Marvin, The Big Heat

Lung Sihung, The Wedding Banquet

Robert Mitchum, El Dorado

Denzel Washington, Gladiator II (2024)

David Wayne, Adam’s Rib

The trickiest of the acting categories. Supporting categories tend to favor antagonists and villains. But this year, the antagonists and villains that could be deemed supporting roles just didn’t stand out to me as winners. So I went with the perpetually sleepy-eyed Robert Mitchum for his role as a recovering alcoholic sheriff in El Dorado (and a sheriff who doesn’t always seem he has a broom up his backside either). I think it’s a role that Mitchum is simply a natural for, and his banter with John Wayne strengthens the performance.

Also under consideration: Lee Marvin as one of the most repulsive gangster sidemen I have ever seen in a movie.

Best Supporting Actress

Jocelyn Brando, The Big Heat

Leela Chitnis, Awaara

Quinn Cummings, The Goodbye Girl

Julia Faye, The Life of the Party

Janet Gaynor, The Johnstown Flood

Gua Ah-leh, The Wedding Banquet

Jean Harlow, Dinner at Eight

Judy Holliday, Adam’s Rib

Eily Malyon, On Borrowed Time

Chantal Thuy, Ru (2023, Canada)

Sometimes, I like to tell folks that there was a subset of pre-Code comedies where many of the jokes stem from the fact that the characters are filthy frigging rich (closest contemporary analog: Crazy Rich Asians). But beneath that, there is usually some pathos and ennui – if we’re so rich, how come we feel like crap? Jean Harlow’s character in Dinner at Eight has none of that ennui. Zinger after zinger. Takedown after takedown. She’d be an awful person to be around in real life, but Harlow’s comedic delivery is pitch perfect, and she does a lot of work to make the movie tick.

Judy Holliday and Chantal Thuy were also considered here.

Best Adapted Screenplay

Sydney Boehm, The Big Heat

William Friedkin, The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial

Hesper Anderson and Mark Medoff, Children of a Lesser God

Peter Straughan, Conclave

Martin Goldsmith, Detour

Frances Marion and Herman J. Mankiewicz, Dinner at Eight

Leight Brackett, El Dorado

Alice D.G. Miller and Frank O’Neill, On Borrowed Time

Pablo Berger, Robot Dreams

Jack Rose and Melville Shavelson, Room for One More

As I said in the Best Picture tidbit on it, there’s no way Dinner at Eight would’ve won this if I had seen it a half-decade or a decade ago. Stellar work from Marion and Herman Mankiewicz – its characterizations, and a structure that keeps the episodic nature from feeling too stop-start.

Those screenplays for Conclave, Detour, and Robot Dreams were also worth honoring too!

Best Original Screenplay

Ruth Gordon and Garson Kanin, Adam’s Rib

Rafael Azcona and Marco Ferreri, El Cochecito

Satyajit Ray, Devi

Neil Simon, The Goodbye Girl

Adam Elliot, Memoir of a Snail

Wilson Mizner and Joseph Jackson, One Way Passage

Trần Anh Hùng, The Taste of Things

Johannes Duncker and İlker Çatak, The Teachers’ Lounge

Sylvain Chomet, The Triplets of Belleville

Ang Lee, Neil Peng, and James Schamus, The Wedding Banquet

In the 1990s, the notion of an LGBTQ+ film – let alone one centered around an Asian American experience – having a happy ending was a laughable notion. The Wedding Banquet, a dramedy, doesn’t have the storybook ending folks might fantasize over, but a sensible, pragmatic, and loving one. And I think it’s all the better for it. Before that ending though… what a heartfelt script, and what care it takes to address so many ideas of Asian and queer identity that blow so many movies from that decade away.

Adam’s Rib, El Cochecito, Memoir of a Snail, and One Way Passage also had original screenplays worth a mention here, too!

Best Cinematography

Tom Hurwitz and Robert M. Young, Alambrista! (1977)

Russell Metty, All That Heaven Allows

John Alton, The Big Combo

Lucien Andriot and Arthur Edeson, The Big Trail (1930)

Subrata Mitra, Devi

Đinh Duy Hưng, Inside the Yellow Cocoon Shell

George Schneiderman, The Johnstown Flood

Stanley Kubrick, Killer’s Kiss (1955)

Karl Freund, Murders in the Rue Morgue (1932)

Jonathan Ricquebourg, The Taste of Things

In textbooks that describe film noir, this image from The Big Combo is usually used to illustrate what film noir should look like. There are many moments across The Big Combo that demonstrate Alton’s complete command of black-and-white – the contrasts, the shadows, the mood. The scarcely believable thing is that Alton is most famous for being the co-director of photography on An American in Paris (1951) – a Technicolor extravaganza of a musical that could not be further away from one of the best-looking films noir ever made.

Behind The big Combo were All That Heaven Allows, Inside the Yellow Cocoon Shell, and The Taste of Things.

Best Film Editing

Sung Ming, The Big Boss (1971, Hong Kong)

Tanya M. Swerling, The Boys in the Boat (2023)

Marguerite Renoir, Casque d’Or

Nick Emerson, Conclave

Howard Alk, Festival!

Phạm Thiên Ân, Inside the Yellow Cocoon Shell

William Goldenberg, News of the World (2020)

John W. Wheeler, The Parallax View (1974)

Jaume Martí and Andrés Gil, Society of the Snow (2023, Spain)

Magda Hap, Son of the White Mare

I don’t watch a lot of political thrillers, but thrillers in general tend to thrive in this category. The Parallax View – borne out of the paranoia-minded Watergate era – is tautly told, and the editing work does all of the heaviest lifting across its runtime.

Best Adaptation or Musical Score

Lester Lee and Bob Russell, Affair in Trinidad (1952)

Frank Skinner, All That Heaven Allows

Shankar Jaikishan, Shailendra, and Hasrat Jaipuri, Awaara

Robert Emmett Dolan, The Bells of St. Mary’s

Nacio Herb Brown, Broadway Melody of 1936

Alfred Newman and Cyril J. Mockridge, Daddy Long Legs

George E. Stoll, Girl Happy

Richard M. Sherman, Robert B. Sherman, and John Williams, Tom Sawyer

Harry Warren and Mack Gordon, Week-End in Havana

John Powell and Stephen Schwartz, Wicked: Part I

This category tends to confuse people. Essentially, Adaption or Musical Score awards a score that would otherwise be an original score but quotes too liberally from preexisting music to be considered in the below category. The category also awards scores that go alongside musical films (musicals are ineligible for the category directly below this). This category also has tended to favor musicals that are wholly original, not adaptations (like Wicked: Part I).

And as such, that’s where Nacio Herb Brown comes away with his score and the songs to Broadway Melody of 1936. Newman and Mockridge might’ve had a better time in this category if they had integrated the melodies of their songs into their score more (while also composing more memorable songs aside from “Something’s Gotta Give”).

Best Original Score

Kris Bowers, The Wild Robot

John Debney, Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1 (2024)

Michael Giacchino, Society of the Snow

Osvaldo Golijov, Megalopolis (2024)

James Newton Howard, News of the World

Ennio Morricone, The Mission

Alfred Newman, The Robe (1953)

Nelson Riddle, El Dorado

Amelia Warner, Young Woman and the Sea (2024)

Franz Waxman, On Borrowed Time

Original Score usually tilts a little older than this, but I do not mind this makeup at all. We have some examples from the best scoring of 2024 (The Wild Robot and Young Woman and the Sea the best here, in my opinion), as well as a nominal presence of Old Hollywood in The Robe and El Dorado.

But it’s the Hollywood outsider, Ennio Morricone, who wins it for what I think (and what the late composer thought) is his best score. Morricone, who might be best known for his work on Sergio Leone’s Dollars trilogy – A Fistful of Dollars; For a Few Dollars More; The Good, the Bad and the Ugly – reportedly disliked his work on “Spaghetti Westerns” as time wore on (source: the 2021 documentary Ennio). To Morricone, his work on The Mission – which is about Spanish Jesuits attempting to convert the Guaraní people of the Paraguayan jungle to Christianity, while defending them from Portuguese and Spanish slavers – was his “revenge” on the Spaghetti Westerns that largely defined his reputation. Morricone wanted to compose something so unabashedly tied to classical music, all while combining musical elements from the Guaraní. And he got it. It’s a top-20 or top-25 all-time score in my books.

I adore all ten of these scores. If I could, I would have you watch all ten of these films, listen to the soundtrack afterwards, and we would talk about the music. But that’s a fantasy. And times marches onward for us all. Kris Bowers and Amelia Warner may just be the Next Big Things in (melodic) film scores, I hope – says this frequent critic of composers like Hans Zimmer Reznor and Ross. Bowers, loves his classical and jazz to equal degrees – trained in composition, he clearly respects the past while forging onward. Warner, a former actress, has shown incredible progress as a composer with each passing film (she composed an all-time sports movie film score in Young Woman and the Sea).

Best Original Score Cue

“The Alumni”, Kris Bowers, The Last Repair Shop

“Beach Celebration”, Amelia Warner, Young Woman and the Sea

“The Boys in the Boat”, Alexandre Desplat, The Boys in the Boat

“The Crucifixion”, Alfred Newman, The Robe

“End Titles”, James Newton Howard, News of the World

“Found”, Michael Giacchino, Society of the Snow

“Gabriel’s Oboe”, Ennio Morricone, The Mission

“Horizon Montage Begins / Closing Survey”, John Debney, Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1

“I Could Use a Boost”, Kris Bowers, The Wild Robot

“New Rome”, Osvaldo Goljiov, Megalopolis

I don’t think you need to hear more wax more about The Mission and Ennio Morricone. I will say that “Beach Celebration” would’ve been one of my go-to cues if I had the editing skills to put a year-end Movie Odyssey montage. “End Titles” is one of the best end credits suites I’ve heard in some time. “New Rome” sounds like something composed from the ‘50s in the best possible way.

Best Original Song

“Aren’t You Glad You’re You?”, music by Jimmy Van Heusen, lyrics by Johnny Burke, The Bells of St. Mary’s

“Awaara Hoon (I'm a Tramp)”, music by Sahnkar Jaikishan, lyrics by Shailendra and Hasrat Jaipuri, Awaara

“Belleville Rendez-vous”, music by Benoît Charest, lyrics by Sylvain Chomet, The Triplets of Belleville

“Giấc Mơ (Dream)”, music and lyrics by Túng, Before Sex (2024, Vietnam)

“Même plus l'amour (Not Even Love)”, music and lyrics by Fred Avril and Philippe Monthaye, Mars Express

“A Million Miles Away”, music and lyrics by Fred Avril and Philippe Monthaye, Mars Express

“On Earth as It Is in Heaven”, music and lyrics by Ennio Morricone, The Mission

“Something’s Gotta Give”, music and lyrics by Johnny Mercer, Daddy Long Legs

“That’s Amore”, music by Harry Warren, lyrics by Jack Brooks, The Caddy

“You Are My Lucky Star”, music Nacio Herb Brown, lyrics by Arthur Freed, Broadway Melody of 1936 (1935)

To all those who participated in MOABOS, thank you!

Best Costume Design

André-ani, Annie Laurie

Adrian, Dinner at Eight

René Hubert, Dragonwyck

Jacqueline West, Dune: Part Two (2024)

Milena Canonero, Megalopolis

Orry-Kelly, One Way Passage

Holly Waddington, Poor Things (2023)

Charles Le Maire and Emile Santiago, The Robe

Gwen Wakeling, Week-End in Havana

Paul Tazewell, Wicked: Part I

Now we get to categories that I have, admittedly the least expertise in. But I thought Wicked: Part I had some excellent costuming work that put its own spin on things, without directly copying the stage musical. Dinner at Eight, Megalopolis, and Poor Things also considered.

Best Makeup and Hairstyling

Yvonne Coppard, Pat Hay, Paula Gillespie, Stephanie Kaye, and Tami Levi, Appointment with Death (1988)

Ben Nye, Dragonwyck

Donald Mowat and Judit Farkas-Arful, and Dune: Part Two

Janty Yates and David Crossman, Gladiator II

Valli O’Reilly and Terrie Velazquez Owen, Megalopolis

Nadia Stacey, Mark Coulier, and Josh Weston, Poor Things

Ana López-Puigcerver, Belén López-Puigcerver, David Martí, and Montse Ribé, Society of the Snow

Frances Hannon, Sarah Nuth, and Laura Blount, Wicked: Part I

How do you get a 150+-pound actor seem like they’ve lost half that much without having the actor starve themselves? That is what the makeup team for Society of the Snow – along with all the grievous bodily injuries seen in this film about the Andes flight disaster and their rescue 72 days after the crash. La sociedad de la nieve won this without much competition at all.

Best Production Design                                                 

Suzie Davies, Conclave

J. Russell Spencer and Lyle R. Wheeler, Dragonwyck

Patrice Vermette and Tom Brown, Dune: Part Two

Gints Zilbalodis, Flow

Martial Le Minoux and Mikael Robert, Mars Express

Beth Mickie and Bradley Rubin, Megalopolis

Shona Heath, James Price, and Zsuzsa Mihalek, Poor Things

Lyle R. Wheeler, Geroge W. Davis, Walter M. Scott, and Paul S. Fox, The Robe

Uncredited, Son of the White Mare

Nathan Crowley, Wicked: Part I

When you pull off a sword-and-sandals epic film off, so much of it depends on your sets and production design. Historical epics like this category, and the fabulously designed Roman/quasi-Biblical epic gets this award.

Achievement in Visual Effects

Alien: Romulus (2024)

Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget

Dune: Part Two

The Fall Guy (2024)

Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire (2024)

The Johnstown Flood

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes (2024)

Mars Express

Society of the Snow

The Wild Robot

It’s unfair to compare a silent film (The Johnstown Flood) to a 2024 release in terms of visual effects. As is policy, all films listed in this category have won.

Worst Picture

The Corpse Vanishes (1942)

Game of Death (1978, Hong Kong)

Gladiator II

Moana 2 (2024)

Son of Godzilla (1967, Japan)

I gave it a 2/10, but as a fan of Toho’s kaiju films, I must say I greatly enjoyed the experience of watching this alongside other Godzilla fans – many of whom were much more diehard kaiju fans than myself, which only added to the enjoyment.

It feels wrong to single out Game of Death here, as it was unfinished at the time of Bruce Lee’s death. But the official “completed” version is pretty awful. The Corpse Vanishes is the worst non-Son of Godzilla movie of the year, but Moana 2 takes the cake for “Worst Picture nominee I most wish did not exist”.

Honorary Awards:

The Film Noir Foundation, for their tireless efforts to restore films noir and educate viewers about the subgenre

FILMS WITH MULTIPLE NOMINATIONS (excluding Worst Picture... 61)

Nine: Adam’s Rib, Awaara

Eight: The Big Heat

Seven: Devi

Six: Dinner at Eight, Son of the White Mare, Wicked: Part I

Five: The Bells of St. Mary’s, Conclave, Detour, El Dorado, Dragonwyck, Mars Express, Megalopolis, On Borrowed Time, One Way Passage, Society of the Snow, A Special Day, The Triplets of Belleville

Four: Dune: Part Two, Flow, The Johnstown Flood, The Robe, The Taste of Things, The Wedding Banquet, The Wild Robot

Three: All That Heaven Allows, Annie Laurie, The Big Combo, The Caddy, Daddy Long Legs, Gladiator II, The Goodbye Girl, Inside the Yellow Cocoon Shell, The Last Repair Shop, The Life of the Party, Memoir of a Snail, The Mission, News of the World, Poor Things, Robot Dreams, 20 Days in Mariupol, Week-End in Havana Two: Affair in Trinidad, The Boys in the Boat, Broadway Melody of 1936, The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial, Casque d’Or, Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget, Children of a Lesser God, Ennio, Festival!Girl Happy, Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1, Room for One More, Tammy and the Bachelor, The Teachers’ Lounge, Theater Camp, Tom Sawyer, Young Woman and the Sea

WINNERS (excluding honorary awards and Worst Picture; 34)

3 wins: Dinner at Eight

2 wins: Adam’s Rib, Awaara, The Johnstown Flood, The Mission, Society of the Snow, Son of the White Mare, A Special Day, 20 Days in Mariupol, Wicked: Part I

1 win: Alien: Romulus, All That Heaven Allows, The Big Combo, The Big Heat, Broadway Melody of 1936, The Caddy, Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget, Conclave, Detour, Devi, El Dorado, Dune: Part Two, Ennio, The Fall Guy, Flow, Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, The Last Repair Shop, Mars Express, One Way Passage, The Parallax View, The Robe, The Wedding Banquet, The Wild Robot

96 films were nominated in 27 categories.

[anotherhumaninthisworld]

Hello! I just saw your reply to an ask and noticed this passage:

At the end of a century which had profaned love, Robespierre distinguished himself by the purity of his morals and by the delicacy of his procedures towards a sex, which the literature of the time regarded as born almost solely for pleasure. Above all, he respected the marital bed.

Do you know more about Robespierre and his views and relationships with marriage/women (I don't mean in the political sense)?

I've heard that he was meant to marry once but the lady ended up marrying someone else. And that he wrote a poem to a lady once, and that he enjoyed talking/singing/dancing with the ladies at the poets club he used to frequent (I can't remember the name of it atm). Overall, I get the idea that he loved/respected/admired women a lot and wanted to marry in the future. And also that he had conservative views on marriage and women. Am I correct? Are there any other examples I missed?

Thank you!

Yes, Robespierre overall seemed to have respected and gotten along well with women. He gets described in friendly terms by both his sister, Élisabeth Lebas and Rosalie Jullien, who all knew him in private. The woman he sent poetry to was Charlotte Buissart, whose entire family was close to both him and his siblings (they would however fall out with each other during ”the terror”). In the 1780’s Robespierre also sent works of his to one mademoiselle Duhay (1, 2, 3) who in her turn gave him canaries and puppies, as well as to ”une dame”, to whom he wrote that ”the sweetest, the most glorious of all, is to be able to communicate these feelings to a kind and illustrious lady whose noble soul is made to share them.” The historian Ernest Hamel reportedly tracked down an old woman in Arras who told him her mother used to dance with Robespierre and found him a pleasant partner, and once Robespierre got into politics the amounts of female fans he had was noted by contemporaries. There evidently exists so much material regarding his relationship with women that the historian Hector Fleischmann in 1913 could release a whole book with the title Robespierre and the women he loved (original title Robespierre et les femmes).

For the moment I can only really remember one instance where Robespierre is reported to have acted in an inappropriate way towards a woman, and it was reported in Souvernirs d’un déporté (1802) by Paul Villiers, who claimed to have served as Robespierre’s secretary for a few months 1790-1791:

As for [Robespierre’s] continence, I only knew of a woman of about twenty-six years, whom he treated rather badly, and who idolized him. Very often he refused her at his door; he gave her a quarter of his fees; tre rest of it was split between me and a sister he had in Arras whom he loved very much.

Villiers’ work was declared apocryphal by the historian René Garmy in 1967. When Hervé Leuwers 47 years later wrote he still thought it authentic, he added that some parts of it still seemed like ”probable fabrication” and listed the mistress claim as an example, though without elaborating why he thought that was.

There are three women Robespierre is alleged to have been engaged to — mademoiselle Deshorties, Adélaïde Duplessis and Éléonore Duplay — though none of these allegations were ever confirmed by Robespierre or the women themselves. The lady you’re thinking of is the first of those listed — mademoiselle Deshorties (it’s often said her firstname was Anaïs, but I don’t know what the source for that is). She was Robespierre’s step-cousin and had, according to Charlotte Robespierre’s memoirs, been courting him for two to three years at the start of the revolution. Charlotte claims that it’s very likely the two would have married had things remained the way they were, however, with Maximilien away in Paris, mademoiselle Deshorties soon enough got engaged to someone else, and the two got married in 1792. When Robespierre found out about this after returning to Arras for a short stay, he was ”very grievously affected” according to Charlotte.

If Robespierre would have married had he lived if of course something we can’t know for sure. There does exist an anecdote where he, upon his friend’s Pétion’s insistence that they must find him a wife to lighten up his stiff behaviour, firmly responds: ”I will never marry!” If it is to be treated seriously or not is of course another story (and, if it happened, who knows if he changed his mind between this moment and his death).

As for if Robespierre held conservative views on marriage and women, for the first of these topics, I can only really find one place where he’s recorded to have mentioned it at all, and it’s when he on May 31 1790 argues for granting priests the right to marry, stating among other things that ”to unite priests with society, we must give them wives.” However, this of course has more to do with men’s relation to marriage and not women’s.

For his view on these, his most feminist moment takes place in 1787, when the Arras Academy of which he since one year back was the director, accepted two well-read women as honorary members — Marie Le Masson Le Golft and Louise de Kéralio. Robespierre was not present when the two were elevated to membership, but he was the author behind the response to the discours de la réception written by de Kéralio (who ironically, would go on to voice much more sexist opinions compared to Robespierre). In the text, he regretted that there were so few women in the academies and advocated for letting more in, arguing that ”habit and perhaps the force of prejudice” had intimidated women from presenting themselves as candidates for open academy positions, but that ”their sex does not make them lose the rights that their merit has earned them. […] If we grant that women have intelligence and reason, can we refuse them the right of cultivating them?” This is however not to say he viewed men and women as being the same in essence, but rather that they had received different sets of talents from nature that complemented each other. Men and women, he argued, were not meant to study the same subjects, the former being more suited for ”the initricacies of the abstract sciences,” while the latter should not be forbidden to contribute to those fields that ”demand only sensibility and imagination,” such as litterature, history and morality. Another argument put forward is that women will be able to make the sessions more interesting for the men:

The mere presence of a lovable woman is enough to enjoy these cold pleasures. They give interest to nothing, they spread a secret charm over this insipid circle of monotonous amusements which usage brings back every day. Women make a conversation where nothing is said, an assembly where nothing is done, more than bearable. They share laughter and merriment around a game table. Beauty, when it is mute, even when it does not think, still interests; it animates everything around. It is Armide who changes the dreadful deserts into laughing groves, into delicious gardens. From this, let us form the idea of a society where we would see the most amiable and witty women conversing with enlightened men about the most pleasant and interesting objects that could occupy beings made to think and to feel. Ah! If those who have no other merit than the amiability of their sex can respond so gently about the business of life, what will it be like for those who, freed from the false shame of appearing educated, without blushing to be more amiable and more enlightened would boldly deploy in an interesting conversation the playfulness of a delicate mind and the graces of a laughing imagination and all the charms of a cultivated reason!

A year earlier, the lawyer Robespierre had also been given as client the Englishwoman Mary Sommerville, widow of Colonel George Mercer, Governor of South Carolina, who had been imprisoned for debt. In his defence of her, Robespierre first and foremost underlined the fact that the Ordonnance de Saint-Germain-en-Laye from 1667 expressly stated that women and girls couldn’t be kept imprisoned. But he also voiced his personal support of this differential treatment between the sexes:

When the legislators introduced this terrible right to throw a man into prison for the non-performance of a civil commitment, I observed that they made it their duty to soften its rigor by a large number of restrictions. One of the main ones was to exclude women; reason and humanity indicated this exception to them; its motives can be discovered by every man made to think and feel. The ease, the inexperience of this sex which would have led it to contract too lightly commitments fatal to its freedom; its weakness, its sensitivity which makes it more overwhelming for the shame and rigor of captivity; the terrible impressions that the apparatus of such constraint must have made on its timid nature; the fatal consequences that it can cause, especially during pregnancy; what will I at last say? The delicate honor of women, which the glare of a public and legal affront irreversibly degrades in the eyes of men, whose tenderness vanishes with the respect they inspire in them; the sacred interest of modesty injured by the violence which accompanies this rigorous path, and the facilities which it can provide to outrage it...

Once we get to the revolution, I have yet to find a place where Robespierre talks about women much at all. Searching for the term ”femmes” in the volumes of Oeuvres complètes de Robespierre covering this period, the most common phrase it shows up in is probably ”women and children,” as in, something good and precious that needs protection against counter-revolutionaries. The two instances I’ve found where he speaks a bit more on women as such are the following, where, as can be seen, the state of being a woman is closely related to the state of being a wife and mother:

Women! this name recalls dear and sacred ideas. Wives! this name recalls very sweet feelings for all the friends of the society. But aren't the wives republican? And doesn’t this title impose duties? Should Republican women renounce their status as citoyennes to remember that they are wives? Robespierre at the Convention, December 20 1793, showing his hesitation towards a commission of women that has arrived to plead for mercy for their husbands.

You will be there, young citoyennes, to whom victory must soon bring back brothers and lovers worthy of you. You will be there, mothers of families, whose husbands and sons raise trophies for the Republic with the debris of the thrones. O French women, cherish the liberty purchased at the price of their blood; use your empire to extend that of republican virtue! O French women, you are worthy of the love and respect of the earth! What do you have to envy of the women of Sparta? Like them, you have given birth to heroes; like them, you devoted them, with sublime abandonment, to the Fatherland. Robespierre’s report on religious and moral ideas and republican principles, held on May 7 1794

Robespierre is not confirmed to have ever openly advocated for women being granted more political rights in general, like Condorcet and Guffroy in 1790 or Guyomar in 1793, or that married ones deserved to share the right to administration of property with their husbands, like Desmoulins, Danton, Lacroix and Couthon in 1793. However, this is not to say he ever openly spoke against these ideas either. In the third number of his journal Le défenseur de la constitution (1792) Robespierre does however warn about a girondin plot that includes a ”female triumvirate,” seemingly implying he thinks the concept of women in power needs to be side-eyed:

When following the thread of this plot, we arrive at a female triumvirate, at M. Narbonne who, then struck by an apparent disgrace, nonetheless named the ministers; at Mr. La Fayette, who arrived at this time from the army in Paris, and who attended secret meetings with the deputies of Gironde, what vast conjectures can we not indulge in?

The three women Robespierre is alluding to here have been identified as Manon Roland, Sophie Condorcet and Louise de Kéralio-Robert, the latter of which ironically being the same de Kéralio he had welcomed as an honorary member to the Arras academy five years earlier.

Finally, in a notebook he kept in the fall of 1793 regarding measures to be taken, Robespierre has written ”Dissolution of F.R.R” as in the society Femmes Républicaines Révolutionnaires, which would indeed be shut down by the Committee of General Security on October 30, alongside all other women’s clubs. This has however been accepted as part of a bigger pattern of the deputies cracking down on anything that may pose opposition to the government and not a move against women in particular, even if Jean Pierre André Amar, when announcing the dissolution to the Convention, did motivate it in sexist terms.

It’s however hard for me to say if all these factors added together makes Robespierre have an overall conservative or an overall radical view on women. This due to the fact I still haven’t fully discovered what the standard perspective on the topic was for the time for an educated, middle class man. Instead, the concept of women and what they are and are not capable of comes off as deeply controversial, look for example at the aforementioned debate on women’s right to the administration of property, where men with overall similar backgrounds and educations come to fully different conclusions, some arguing women are biologically incapable of handling such things and some that women are born with as much capacity as men and that not letting them enjoy this right would be akin to slavery. Someone could ask for women to more or less be granted the same rights as men only for someone else to suggest women shouldn’t even be taught to read a few years later. The article Robespierre: old regime feminist? (2010), while underlining Robespierre’s suggestion to let women into the academies was met with a lot of backlash (nine out of eleven correspondents disagreeing with his views), also makes sure to state he was nevertheless far from alone in pushing for this integration, and that those who were against it argued less for the notion that women were incapable of learning (the actual amount of well-read ones making it come off as weak) and more that ”they could but they shouldn’t” since they needed to take care of the home and children. All of this makes it hard to say exactly how normal/radical/conservative Robespierre’s views were for the time. I would conclude by saying he deserves a ribbon for neither ”Revolution’s number one feminist” nor ”World’s most raging misogynist.” In his private life, he does however appear to have gotten along well with women, at least we don’t really possess any serious testimony hinting at anything else.

EDIT: in Rapport écrit de la main de Robespierre, sur la faction de l’étranger, cited in Pièces trouvées dans les papiers de Robespierre et complices (24 September 1794) Robespierre denounces the Society of Revolutionary Republican Women and at the same time firmly cements that he thinks the natural role of women is outside of politics:

Rare women have in ancient republics risen to the height of public virtues; they knew how to combine the modesty of their sex with the civic courage which is a duty for ours. Republican France, during the first storms of the revolution, saw these glorious examples multiply in its midst, a single one of which would have made another people proud. It crowned the heroines of October 5; it saw French women in popular societies, eager to hear, from the mouths of their brothers and their husbands, the interesting lessons of patriotism that they had to engrave in the souls of their children. The homeland, in the crises of liberty, smiled on the generous efforts of a few intrepid citoyennes. The cowardly architects of our discord have despised this type of merit; they wanted there to exist among us a permanent society of women clothed exclusively with the modest title of revolutionaries, nobly separated from the male sex, like long ago, in the mysteries of the good goddess. They reduced to silence the estimable citoyennes whom the love of the public good had led there, they entrusted the scepter to the hands of some female Demosthenes, inspired by these English and Austrian sylphs. Their primary occupation is to cry out for famine, to push the people into despair, to denounce the imperturbable friends of liberty. They are the ones who came in the wake of Jacques Roux and Leclerc, to insult the Mountain and the Jacobins, to insult and threaten the representatives of the people. They are responsible for teaching the universe that modesty is a prejudice, that the distinction between the talents and occupations of the two sexes is nothing other than an invention of the aristocracy; that men must abandon the tribune and the seats of the senate to women; and all men's clubs must appear before the tribunal of revolutionary presidents. Porcia was only an imbecile, with her virtue revered in Rome; she should have played the role of Cato. Cornelia only played a vulgar role, instructing her sons, still children, to defend the rights of the people; Cornelia should have mounted the rostrum for harangues: instead of offering their jewels to the homeland; they will not cry out when they learn of their glorious death: I had given birth to him to serve the homeland; this merit is too vulgar; they are sterile like vice; but on the other hand, they will declaim against the founders of the republic, and slander the representatives of the people. Such is the sublime instrument that the agents of the enemies of the homeland keep in reserve to incite trouble if necessary, at the first moment of embarrassment or disaster with which the republic would be threatened.

[mermaidsirennikita]

thank you so much for your recs!! whenever I’m in a slump I come browse your page and find a banger to enjoy.

I was wondering if you had any recs (cont or hr) where the fmc is out for revenge against the mmc or his family. This is more popular with mmcs seeking revenge but I’m so done with those

thank you!

Thank you, that makes me way feel so nice, especially now.

And I doooo have a few recs (I want more of these, but some of the contemporaries I've read along these lines wimp out unfortunately).

Lady Sophia's Lover by Lisa Kleypas—the heroine is out for revenge against the hero because he essentially ruined her brother's life. She goes "undercover" as his housekeeper to destroy him, but he's hot and has a sex chair so

A Rose at Midnight by Anne Stuart—this one is VERY dark but exceptionally done, imo. The heroine is out for revenge because the hero essentially left her and her family to the Reign of Terror (it's complicated, but her life became hell). She actually tries to kill him, after which he ends up chasing her lol. This is TRUE BLUE enemies to lovers, check your triggers.

The Notorious Lord Knightly by Lorraine Heath—in this one, the hero left the heroine at the altar, and years later she begins writing scandalous, anonymous memoirs about their time together, which totally fucks with his rep lol. Then he realizes it's her...

[purplesurveys]

1945

When did you last see someone you know in public? As in, seeing them unplanned? Less than a month ago I bumped into Alena and her boyfriend at the UP-Ateneo basketball game.

Do you enjoy going to the dentist? I mean not actively, but I've always had positive experiences at the dentist. Nobody's ever traumatized me yet, at least. Going to the dentist also implies I'm coming in for an issue I need fixed, so all things loosely considered I like going to the dentist because it means they're bound to help with whatever pain I'm feeling.

When did you last eat something you didn’t like? Earlier this week I bit into a pickle slice in my burger so I took the rest of it out.

Do you think you’d survive if zombies took over the world? No. I'm not street smart at all so I'd probably end up doing something that would fuck myself over, hahaha.

When did you last hang out with a bunch of friends at one time? I think it was in September? or sometime in October when I watched SVT in the cinema with Angela, Hans, and their church friends.

What kind of music is your least favorite? Country.

Are you and your best friend complete opposites? I wouldn't say 'complete,' but we are opposites in many ways.

Would people around you say you’re regularly a mean person? I'm not sure about mean but what I'm almost certain about is that they'd probably note the resting bitchface.

Do you like the color yellow at all? No, it's one of my least favorites.

If you were to write a novel, what would it be about? I'm completely incapable of doing creative writing. If I had to write a book, I'd love for it to be a memoir of someone else or maybe a collection of essays of stuff I'm into, like history or pro wrestling.

How many times have you logged in to Bzoink? I never had a Bzoink account when it was still around (RIP).

Are you currently pretending to be someone’s friend? No, that sounds terrible.

Are you an impatient person? I can be.

Are you afraid to watch movies that have sex scenes with your friends? No.

Who sings the last song you listened to? DPR IAN.

Why do you think some actors don’t want to see their movies/shows? Idk there could be many reasons. They might be self-conscious; others might also have the tendency to obsessively review their performance and analyze the many ways they could have done better. Others might hate their voice. Those are the top things I could think of.

Do you think fortune tellers are the devil’s messengers (haha)? Not necessarily devil's messengers, but I would classify them as scammers, lol.

Would you rather use napkins or paper towels? Paper towels.

Do you go to the pool in the summer time very often? No, I don't like the feeling of getting wet very much. During the hotter months I'd usually just have the aircon on all day.

Have you ever had a serious issue involving your eyes? My trichotillomania was pretty bad in my early teens. The skin on my eyelashes got scarred from my constant pulling and scratching, and my left eyebrow has never fully recovered as there's a patch that never quite grew back.

Have you ever watched South Park? Who’s your favorite character? I've given some scenes a watch but it's just not my cup of tea.

Do you have sensitive teeth? I have one bottom tooth that's a bit sensitive.

Do you enjoy or hate snow days? Why is this your choice? I can't relate to this.

Do you turn pale when you get sick? I rarely get sick so it's hard to gauge. I get pale when I skip meals, though.

Does it bother you to get shots in the mouth? Does it hurt? The few times I've had it done to me, I didn't feel a thing.

When did you last talk seriously with one of your parents? Around a month ago when I was confiding in my mom about wanting to quit my job. I thought I could finally open up to her, then she hit me with the "Just pray" so I didn't really continue it after that ahaha

What is the day of the week currently? Sunday.

Is anything exciting coming up in the next three months? My dad is coming home by the end of the month + I'm seeing Seventeen in January.

Do you ever borrow money from someone? I'll borrow a P100 bill from my sister every now and then but I always instantly give it back through e-wallet. I just ask because I never have cash on me anymore, but there are a few places that are still cash-only.

Do you know anyone who tells every single thing you say? You mean spills my secrets and such? Yes. I haven't talked to her in 15 years.

When did you last kiss someone on the cheek? Who was it? I only ever do that to my pets anymore, haha.

Why do you think people like Lady Gaga so much? She was never afraid to do two things - to be different (especially in her earlier years), and to be versatile with her music (which she moreso does so now as she increasingly veered away from the sound she grew popular for).

Do you have a lot of enemies, or not so much? I don't have any.

Can you count backwards from 100 without a mistake? I'm sure I could.

Do you have any friends you’ve had since birth? Maybe not from birth. My best running streak would be 19 years, with Angela.

Do you care if your friends talk badly about you? It'd be hard to consider them friends if they did this.

Would you rather drink out of a straw or just the cup alone? Straw.

Does anyone ever say they miss you often? No.

Is there anyone out there who has made you feel miserable? Loads of people.

Do you have a problem answering personal questions? Not at all. That's why I've had this survey habit for over a decade now, lol. I don't often get to get personal with the people around me, so being able to have this outlet is something I find healthy.

What color is the vacuum-cleaner in your house? Gray and purple.

Have you already moved out of your parents’ house? Nope.

Are your parents divorced, married or separated? They've been married for 27 years.

Do you think it’s rude to text someone else while on a date? Of course. I'm surprised this is even a question.

What is the funniest movie you’ve ever seen? White Chicks. The Menu is also hilarious. Tortillas deliciosas!

What are your views on our current president? I'm assuming this is referring to America's president – I'm pretty indifferent toward the incumbent, but the next one in line is just hilariously sad to think about.

Is it awkward to see your best friend’s parents out in public? Not at all. They're my second parents - if I saw them in public I'd rush to hug and greet them.

Who is the person you talk to the most in your house? My sister.

Is there a television show out there that you never miss? No.

What movie have you seen too many times to be healthy? Two for the Road; and most recently, The Menu.

What are the last two digits of your phone number? No thanks.

Does it creep you out to see people with mullets? No?

What is your biggest responsibility in your household? I'm in charge of all the pet-related responsibilities and finances.

How cold did it get where you live, last winter? We don't have winter but we are in the Christmas weather now - pretty early this year so I feel nice about that. We're hitting 24Cs in November and I'm SO thankful for that.

Do you ever wish you could go back in time to redo something? No. What's done is done. We just move forward.

Ever accidentally pull out a filling from your tooth? Nope.

Do you ever wonder what your exes are doing? No.

Have you ever been caught in a huge lie with your parents? Nope.

Do you ever listen to the radio anymore? I usually still encounter hear the radio during Grab rides, yeah.

Does it bother you to have personal conversations with people? Depends on the person or what the conversation is.

Ever ride in a limo? When did you last do so? Nope.

Do any of your body parts hurt at this moment in time? My shoulders and lower back.

Are you sober at the time being? Yup.

Do any of your friends constantly do things to annoy you? Not at all, no.

Have you ever lied to someone & said they could sing when they couldn’t? Not to this direct extent...but I've clapped for song numbers I wasn't exactly too impressed by to be polite and appreciative, if that counts.

Do you ever call backstabbers out on what they do? I haven't encountered anything like this yet, so no.

How many people in the world do you trust? Less than 10.

[newvision]

poems about forbidden love please 😭 (wlw)

Sappho, from Come Close

“You are embarrassed about your blood, its redness, the way it is just coming out of you with no concern for anyone’s feelings. You are (…) embarrassed to be alive.”

Carmen Maria Machado, from In The Dream House

Patricia Highsmith, from the Price of Salt // movie adaptation: Carol

my thoughts on each recommendation:

Sappho, Come Closer: small collection of classical poems, but very accessible! Can be read in one sitting and Sappho is of course one of the most important queer writers in history

Carmen Maria Machado, In The Dream House: not poetry, but a sort of experimental memoir. I feel like if you appreciate poetry, you will enjoy the way she plays with narrative tropes. It’s a very unique book about a woman trying to articulate her experiences of being in an abusive same-sex relationship. It’s not a light book and not one about queer joy, but that’s exactly why I liked it so much. It’s real, it doesn’t put queer people on a pedestal for being queer. Queer women being abusers is rarely talked about — and rarely written about so intelligently. Perhaps there are the first couple of pages online, I think reading them would give you a much better feel for the book.

Patricia Highsmith, the Price of Salt: again, not a poetry collection. I’m really sorry, I apparently haven’t read many wlw poetry collections. Time to change that! The Price Of Salt is a novel that isn’t very representative of Highsmith’s usual writing style, but one that touched me immensely. It’s about a young woman who falls in love with an older woman by the name of Carol. I don’t want to spoil the plot, but it takes place in the 1950s, so you can imagine how many hardships they face. The movie Carol is an adaptation I liked, and I’m usually very picky about literary adaptations.

[the-one-where-casey-watches-tv]

Friends episode 1.11 "The One With Mrs. Bing"

A quality I’ve been noticing a lot lately in content that I enjoy is an intimacy between artist and audience. The illusion that we really truly know these people with a certain amount of depth is what hooks us. It’s the thing that creates fandoms and births groupies, but it’s also the reason we buy concert tickets and make a standing appointment with our favorite shows. And I’d even go so far as to say that that intimacy isn’t an illusion. If someone really is pouring themselves into their work, and they’re good at it, I think anyone who’s there to see it will probably have an important understanding of that person. So, your favorite artists may not know you, but you do know them.

I think that’s why Chandler resonated with people so strongly. I may be biased, but I also spent a lot of time in the Friends fandom, and he really was the fan favorite. The entire cast was of course a strong ensemble who made their characters their own, but I don’t think any of them identified with their role as much as Matthew Perry. He says in his memoir that he was Chandler and Chandler was him, but I think we knew that already. Everything from his clothes to the cadence of his speech is instantly identifiable, funny, endearing, and real.

Matthew Perry and Matt LeBlanc in "The One With Mrs. Bing".

My favorite episodes of Friends (and of most comedies) are the ones that get as close to drama as a sitcom can get, and I’ve noticed that Chandler is almost always at the center of the show’s most emotional moments. When Chandler kisses Joey’s sister, his repentance is so sincere. When Chandler finally admits his love for Monica, tears of laughter turn to tears of endearment in a literal split second; Ross and Rachel make you say, “oh my God”, Monica and Chandler make you say “awwww”.

And as early as season one, a sole episode featuring Chandler’s mom carries more depth and character development than a decade with the Gellers. Chandler’s mother, Nora Bing, is a bestselling erotica novelist. She’s introduced in this episode as the gang forces a begrudging Chandler to watch Nora’s appearance on Jay Leno. Two episodes prior, we heard Chandler’s first recounting of his Thanksgiving horrors (we’ll come to be very familiar with the tale): at nine years old, Chandler’s parents sat him down at the end of Thanksgiving dinner and told him they were getting a divorce- his father is having an affair with the pool boy.

Right after admitting on national TV that sex makes her crave Kung Pao Chicken, Nora excitedly tells Leno that she’s heading to New York tomorrow and will get to see her son. Chandler declares, without surprise, “And this is how I find out. Most moms use the phone.” Seconds later, Nora is explaining the depths of her love for her son by stating that she bought him his first condoms. Summing up how every parent makes their kid feel, though probably not to this extent, Chandler says: “And then he burst into flames.”

Matthew Perry, Courteney Cox, David Schwimmer, Lisa Kudrow, and Jennifer Aniston in "The One With Mrs. Bing".

In one short, funny scene we understand a surprising number of layers to Chandler’s character. Nora was sincere when stating her love and excitement about seeing her son. Ross- the only one who knows her- declared that he loves Chandler’s mom. Rachel gushed that she is a huge fan of Nora’s books. Despite their bizarre dynamic, Chandler has to endure everyone else loving his mom and telling him to relax, something he really does try to do.

He brings the whole gang out to dinner with his mom- including Paolo, which is generous of Nora.

NORA: I am famished… what do I want?

CHANDLER: Please God don’t let it be Kung Pao Chicken.

NORA: Oh, you watched the show! What’d you think?

CHANDLER: Well, I think you need to come out of your shell juuuust a little.

But he says it all with a smile, dropping a kiss on his mom’s cheek. And then hops right on board as she orders tequila shots for the whole table. It’s a strange dynamic, and a comical one, but also one that now feels real. Matthew Perry’s performance turns this punchline of a premise into something more: what would a person with this upbringing really be like?

Matthew Perry and Morgan Fairchild in "The One With Mrs. Bing".

Towards the end of dinner, Ross has gotten good and drunk on Nora’s tab. Rachel and Paolo are driving him up the wall. He runs into Nora after coming out of the bathroom- the women’s bathroom, he realizes, when a woman steps out a few seconds after him. He’s down, out of it, and Nora knows it’s about Rachel. She comforts him, promising that Paolo isn’t the kind of character that sticks around. Rachel will be turning to him in no time.

This seems to help, but suddenly the two are leaning into each other, kissing a real kiss. And who’s headed for the bathroom now but Joey, who sees them and stammers in shock that he’s gonna go pee in the street. Ross and Nora separate and sigh that sigh that’s old sitcom speak for “fuck”.

David Schwimmer and Morgan Fairchild in "The One With Mrs. Bing".

The next day, Ross tries to get away with never telling Chandler what happened. Joey hasn’t told him, but he tells Ross that he has to- and takes offense to the suggestion that his own mom isn’t as tempting as Nora Bing (“I’ll have you know that Gloria Tribbiani was a very handsome woman in her day, alright? You think it’s easy giving birth to seven children?”).

Ross at first tries to claim that Paolo kissed his mom, which has Chandler in enough shock already, but finally Ross exclaims that it was him, getting real anger out of Chandler. “You know, of all my friends, no one knows the crap I go through with my mom more than you.” Ross tries to apologize, but Chandler leaves, slamming the door.

Later, at Central Perk, Ross tries again:

ROSS: Chandler, can I just say something? I know you’re still mad at me, I just wanna say that there were two people there that night. Okay? Two sets of lips.

CHANDLER: Yes, well, I expect this from her. She’s always been a Freudian nightmare.

ROSS: Okay, well, if she always behaves like this, why don’t you say something?

CHANDLER: Because it’s complicated. It’s complex- hey, you kissed my mom!

Other coffee drinkers turn to look. Ross declares to the coffee house that they’re rehearsing a Greek play. Typically the kind of joke Chandler himself would make, he doesn’t even crack a smile.

CHANDLER: That’s very funny. We done now?

ROSS: No! You mean you’re not gonna talk to her? You’re not gonna tell her how you feel?

CHANDLER: That would be a no. Look, just because you played tonsil tennis with my mom doesn’t mean you know her. Alright? Trust me, you can’t talk to her.

Chandler then comes close to breaking Ross’s finger, but even if he’s not admitting it now, Ross has said something significant. While it’s the biggest betrayal coming from Ross, this isn’t an isolated incident on Nora’s part. It’s a not-so-funny symptom of the overarching mother/son dynamic that has been comically displayed until now.

Matthew Perry and David Schwimmer in "The One With Mrs. Bing".

Back up at the apartment, Chandler is saying his goodbyes to Nora. She brought copies of her book for the rest of the gang and asks if Chandler wants anything from Lisbon. On the surface, they have a playful banter, and he takes things in stride. But finally, as she’s walking out the door, he stops holding it in: “You kissed my best Ross! … or something to that effect.”

She knows it’s not good. She steps back inside and gently closes the door. She apologizes, they agree that it was stupid, and she promises it’ll never happen again. And when she asks if they’re okay now, he starts to say yes… but then he says no. The kiss got his attention, but it’s the tip of the iceberg.

In the hallway, Ross approaches to find Joey listening at the door. We can hear Chandler and Nora’s muted yelling. Excitedly, Joey says “He did it! He told her off, and not just about the kiss, about everything!” They’re good friends, honestly. They give him grief and find Nora fun, but clearly Ross isn’t the only one who knows there’s more to the story.

Then, the screaming match is over and Chandler walks Nora down the hall. She asks if he’s okay and he says yes. She kisses his cheek, and after a formal “Mrs. Bing”, “Mr. Geller” between her and Ross, she’s gone. And Chandler and Ross are alone.

CHANDLER: Hey.

ROSS: You mean that?

CHANDLER: Yeah, why not. I told her.

ROSS: Yeah? How’d it go?

CHANDLER: Awful. Awful. Couldn’t have gone worse.

ROSS: Well, how do you feel?

CHANDLER: Pretty good! I told her.

The two shake hands, and Chandler smiles big, throwing an arm over Ross’s shoulder.

Chandler has the zaniest backstory of the group (except for maybe Phoebe), yet he’s somehow the most whole, the most down to earth. You can connect the dots between the life story that exists off screen and the choices he makes in front of us. And could you even fathom anyone else playing Chandler Bing?

Matthew Perry in "The One With Mrs. Bing".

There was just something special there. Matthew Perry had that “x factor”, as they say, although I think that x factor really is the ability to make strangers feel like they know you. He did it everywhere, and I think we all really liked the guy we got to know. If, like me, you’re looking to watch the best of Chandler Bing in the wake of Matthew’s passing, here are some others to add to your queue: episode 2.03 “The One Where Heckles Dies”, episode 4.08 “The One With Chandler in a Box”, and episode 5.14 “The One Where Everybody Finds Out”.

Among many other things, I also highly recommend his book Friends, Lovers, and the Big, Terrible Thing, his movie The Whole Nine Yards, and his show Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, which I’ll be back here with sometime soon. And if you’re having any Matthew Perry related thoughts or feelings, I’d love to hear about them! This one is very close to my heart.

[mediaevalmusereads]

Gender Queer: A Memoir. By Maia Kobabe. Oni Press, 2020.

Rating: 4.5/5 stars

Genre: graphic novel, memoir, lgbt+ literature

Part of a Series? No

Summary: In 2014, Maia Kobabe, who uses e/em/eir pronouns, thought that a comic of reading statistics would be the last autobiographical comic e would ever write. At the time, it was the only thing e felt comfortable with strangers knowing about em. Now, Gender Queer is here. Maia's intensely cathartic autobiography charts eir journey of self-identity, which includes the mortification and confusion of adolescent crushes, grappling with how to come out to family and society, bonding with friends over erotic gay fanfiction, and facing the trauma of pap smears. Started as a way to explain to eir family what it means to be nonbinary and asexual, Gender Queer is more than a personal story: it is a useful and touching guide on gender identity—what it means and how to think about it—for advocates, friends, and humans everywhere.

***Full review below***

Content Warnings: nudity, menstrual blood, graphic sex, references to Harry Potter

Because this graphic novel is also a memoir, my review will be structured a little different than normal.

I didn't know anything about this book before picking it up on a whim at a Barnes and Noble. I'm not really plugged into online book spaces (or even comics spaces), so I decided to read it based on premise alone. I also very much enjoy comics and graphic novels, so a queer graphic memoir seemed up my alley.

While I expected the book to be a powerful coming of age story, I didn't expect it to resonate with me as much as it did, nor did I expect to be fascinated by the new information that was included (about sex drive, about neurochemistry, etc). The way e presents feelings towards eir body (things like menstruation, penetration, not wanting kids, etc) felt like someone was giving voice to my own feelings, and the way e talks about identity, pronouns, fandom, and sexuality was enlightening. As a result, I was both drawn in by the familiarity and intrigued by the novelty of Maia's journey, which together made for an enjoyable reading experience.

I also thought the art was well-done and accessible, as it used fairly bright colors and was easy to follow. Though there are some pages that primarily use cool colors like green or blue, a lot of this book uses warm reds, yellows, and oranges, which helped make the tone feel light (thereby balancing out some of the inner turmoil in the narrative). These colors are all bound by bold linework, which balanced simplicity with detail well, and I think Maia did a good job conveying emotion both by drawing a range of facial expressions and by positioning bodies in different ways.

On a larger scale, most of the individual drawings are arranged into panels with a simple but effective layout, so the flow is straightforward and quick. Occasionally there are more abstract pages, but they come at moments when Maia needs to break convention in order to make a point. For example, I appreciated that Maia used atypical layouts to highlight or communicate feelings that didn't quite fit in hetero- or gender-normative boxes, such as spirals to indicate the endless feeling of going in circles when questioning gender and sexuality.

If I had any criticisms, I might like to see some of the "episodes" wrap up a little differently. There are some anecdotes in this memoir where the lack of an interpretation was effective, as well as moments when I think more of a reflection would have been helpful. But this doesn't ruin the whole thing, this is just personal preference. I also think if the author could have done a bit more to communicate aspects regarding asexual identity to the reader, since it seems like a lot of the narrative is about gender identity (and ends with a denoument about gender identity), but that is also personal preference and perhaps colored by me reading the blurb on the back of the book.

TL;DR: Gender Queer is an important memoir about what it can mean to be both genderqueer (or non-binary) and asexual. Using bold linework, bright colors, and simple yet effective layouts, Maia Kobabe brings levity and order to an otherwise confusing time in eir life, and perhaps by reading this memoir, provides a touchstone for further discussions about queer identities and experiences.

[fairytail-whathesays]

could i get some headcanons for gajeel x gray?

Interesting pairing! I like it!

These two already have very similar aesthetics. Gray's into motorcycles and goth/punk wear, and Gajeel is that metalhead x to his y. Gray's straight man presentation lasting until he gets riled up vs. Gajeel's excitable nature running at a low level at all times. They're both even the type to get real quiet when they're pissed. They're able to go on dates and enjoy each other's company in a straightforward manner.

They hate losing or being shown up at anything. They bubble in resentment and hold grudges, and they stew in their emotions when they're in a bad mood. They do this together--it doesn't help them actually get over anything, but it eases the burden a bit

Ice, much like fire, can stress metal, but can't easily crack it. Even in Gray's worse moods, he can't make Gajeel stay gone. Gajeel will always come back and try to work shit out, even though Gray was the one to think about apologizing first after a fight.

When they kiss, something goes off. Gajeel's lips aren't supposed to feel that nice, Gray thinks, and Gajeel thinks that icicle boy's breath against his cheek shouldn't make him shiver like that. When they make out it's like an art form. All subtlety from Gray and surprising caution from Gajeel. They kind of get lost in each other.

Gray's always wanted tattoos, but it's Gajeel who takes him to get his first one. There's not much else to be done when your boyfriend would look super hot with ink on his forearm. Or shoulder. Or chest. Or lower back. Or v-lines.

The thing about Grayjeel is that they're both artists. Gray's not the type to view himself super artistically, but show him someone else's molding magic, or better yet molding of their body, and suddenly he's very appraising. He finds Gajeel's iron dragonslayer focus on molding his body into different shapes genuinely beautiful and sometimes a little sexy. Likewise, Gajeel digs Gray's creative bent with his magic, especially when he's backed into a corner.

Juvia, naturally, doesn't take this relationship well and continues her spying and stalking. However, somewhere along the way, she goes from writing down Gajeel's habits to trying to pick up tips and tricks to just outright writing the two's memoirs. Having a shipper on the side can be annoying, but they both like it better than when she was constantly up Gray's ass.

Gray is as pale as they come, while Gajeel is naturally darker-skinned. Gajeel will routinely make fun of Gray for being the kind of white that's visible from space, but it's all in good cheer.

NS/FW and also a bonus headcanon that was too sappy for public viewing:

Gray loves how solid Gajeel is underneath him. It's like having his own jungle gym to play on, with an iron frame. Smooth and strong with a nice grip.

Remember Gray's affinity for oral sex? Oh yeah, Gajeel is very appreciative and reciprocates frequently.

Gray still likes his sex easygoing and not high-energy, but he'll make some adjustments to accommodate Gajeel, who simply can't be asked to be 'gentle' on the regular or else he gets bored. Gajeel gets a grip on him and a look in his eye, and Gray gets pliable. And it's not so bad, throwing his head back and feeling his body shake under that fierce rhythm Gajeel likes to move to.

Likewise, Gajeel makes adjustments for Gray, too. He's a top most of the time, but Gray can have him any way he wants him if they have the time. Gajeel's hesitance towards bottoming is easily soothed by Gray's gentle and curious approach, never going at a pace that risks pain or embarrassment from Gajeel, just simple pleasure the likes that Gajeel can constrain his moaning to.

The 69 is these two's bread and butter. Gajeel treats Gray like his favorite popsicle and Gray treats Gajeel like his favorite...well, huge d/ck.

Gajeel literally does not care if Gray is naked in public. Not in the 'used to it' way everyone else at Fairy Tail sees it--he just likes his boyfriend's body and sees no issue with looking at it, even if other people are looking at it to. What's he gonna do, worry? Gray's his.

And now for that sappy headcanon I mentioned:

Gajeel and Gray, in an extreme twist and unlike almost every Gajeel ship ever, actually do get married. Gajeel wears black and Gray wears white, and Gray gets Gajeel a ring made of ice that'll never melt while Gajeel gets Gray a ring made of metal that'll never bend or break. It's the wedding of the century, easily becoming the biggest hit among any Fairy Tail wedding since Bisca and Alzack tied the knot. Gray looks forward to becoming 'Gray Redfox' quite a bit, and was able to push Gajeel into an engagement because Gajeel had to admit he liked the sound of it.

[hpowellsmith]

Books of 2023

I realised I've read way more books this year than I thought, so here they all are because I like making lists.

Favourites starred. I've had a good run so far for books I've enjoyed this year. The only one I wouldn't really recommend is Rated M for Mature - the essays were hit and miss and some just weren't accurate. Several of the below are pretty upsetting and some are deeply harrowing so this is very much not a list of casual recommendations, more just indulging myself by making a list. Did you enjoy any of these?

Detransition, Baby - Torrey Peters*

Ten Steps to Nanette - Hannah Gadsby

A Perfect Spy - John le Carré

Felix Ever After - Kacen Callender

Lark & Kasim Start a Revolution - Kacen Callender*

Youngman - Lou Sullivan*

The Ministry of Unladylike Activity - Robin Stevens

Winterkeep - Kristin Cashore

Rated M for Mature: Sex and Sexuality in Video Games - ed. Matthew Wysocki

Passion and Play: A Guide to Designing Sexual Content in Games - Michelle Clough*

How Games Move Us: Emotion by Design - Katherine Isbister

Tell Me I'm Worthless - Alison Rumfitt*

The Companion - E.E. Ottoman

The Pearl Thief - Elizabeth Wein*

Real Life - Brandon Taylor*

The Autistic Trans Guide to Life - Yenn Purkis and Wenn Lawson

The Enigma Game - Elizabeth Wein

Filthy Animals - Brandon Taylor

Gender Queer: A Memoir - Maia Kobabe

Terry Pratchett: A Life With Footnotes - Rob Wilkins*

Ducks: Two Years in the Oil Sands - Kate Beaton*

The Late Americans - Brandon Taylor

Wrath Goddess Sing - Maya Deane*

Summer Sons - Lee Mandelo*

Slow River - Nicola Griffith (reread)

The Others of Edenwell - Verity Holloway*

Pageboy - Elliot Page

Brainwyrms - Alison Rumfitt

[cosmereplay]

Dalenar the Brave and Mightee and Wise

by cosmere_play, 700 words, rated Explicit for brief description of sex

Enjoy this fresh crem. It's not part of any challenge or anything, it's just something I thought was funny and stupid and I wanted to inflict it on all of you. It's also a very silly love letter to the Stormlight fanfic community. You can read the whole thing on ao3 here, or read the first part below, rated Mature for a brief sex ed lesson.

It was the end of a long day of meetings and decision-making, and Dalinar found himself looking forward to some alone time. Navani would be spending part of the evening with little Gav, and that gave Dalinar time to turn his attention to a more personal practice: writing.

He heard the sound of papers shuffling as he stepped into his study. He froze, staring. Renarin stood beside his desk, one hand clutching a page, his face a mask of embarrassment.

"Is that…?" Dalinar started to ask, but he could already tell that it was. Renarin had seen the project he was working on. His personal writing project.

Renarin, to his credit, nodded, putting the page down in its place on the desk. "I'm sorry, Father," he said softly, looking downwards. "Um, I thought it might be a memoir, and I got carried away. I read most of it."

Dalinar's cheeks flushed with heat. He opened his mouth, then closed it again wordlessly. Blood of my fathers, how do I explain this?

Renarin met his eyes briefly, then looked down again, pulling out his cube to fiddle with. "I think…I think it's good that you are trying out fiction writing," he said. "Nohadon and...Dalenar's journey to Urithiru is, uh…definitely a unique story."

Dalinar closed his eyes. Had he gotten as far as the part where…

"Well, I think I'm gonna go now," Renarin said.

Dalinar sighed, composing himself. "Son, you must have come here for some reason," he said. "Out with it." Anything to not talk about this.

"Honestly, Father, I don't remember what I came here to tell you," Renarin said, edging past him.

Renarin stopped, as if changing his mind, and put a hand on Dalinar's shoulder, much like Dalinar would do if he were imparting a piece of wisdom. He saw a measure of concern in his son's eyes.

"What?" Dalinar asked.

"I, um," Renarin frowned. "I just want to make sure you know that spit isn't the best lubricant for anal sex. You—I mean—your character, Dalenar, should use oil."

Dalinar huffed and stammered. Spit had been good enough for his elites back in the day, but he wasn't going to say that to his storming son.

The young man stared at him a moment longer, his gaze burrowing into Dalinar's very soul. "Afan oil is best," the young man added.

It was everything Dalinar could do to keep eye contact. If he looked away, it would mean he'd conceded the point, and he would not be intimidated.

Finally Renarin gave him a paternal pat on the shoulder, and left.

Storms, I should've told him not to tell anyone, Dalinar thought.

He sat down at his desk and shuffled through the pages of his story. Everything was still in order. For a brief moment he considered burning it, but he didn't want to take the chance that the Almighty might still be alive enough to confuse it for an offering.

No. He was determined not to let his shame overcome his enjoyment of his personal writing. He did say it was unique. That was something.

Instead, he informed his guards that no one should enter the room, and sat down again to review the most recent page.

He smiled to himself as he read. This is perfect just as it is, he thought, and slid a hand down his pants.

Want to read the fic that Dalinar wrote? Warning: it's rated Explicit! Click here and scroll to the end!