#queens speech ep 4

[pensbridge]

All of the moments *hints where Lady Danbury mentions (or praises) Pen in season 3

Danbury Ball-

["And that one! Who is she?"-The Queen] "That your Majesty is Miss Penelope Featherington. This is her third season out."

"It was Lady Whistledown who named the diamond and how right she was about the duchess." [Talking to the Queen, Ep. 1]

-break-

"So you are unperturbed by what Lady Whistledown has written?" *smirk, smirk, sees right through The Queen with her answer* [Ep 2, opening scene] also LW reading plays over end of this scene: "It is said that fools rush to judge, while the wise watch and wait." 😯 (very comparable to how she handles suspecting Penelope as Lady Whistledown)

["Even Lady Whistledown could not disagree with the brilliance of my match."-The Queen] "Perhaps this has opened the door to a friendly alliance between the gossiper and the Crown." [Ep 4 ball]

[The Engagement Announcement in Whistledown, Ep 5] "I am rather pleased by it." "...Who needs fresh air when there is fresh gossip." (the 2nd line was for the fact of queen being mentioned right after she said, but she was so excited prior to < ps: I clocked this in the trailer)

[The Queen talking about the demise of Lady Whistledown] *She is side-eyeing her a lot* "..what is your plan, Your Majesty?" [Ep. 5]

(seen talking with Colin, Violet, and Francesca - she smiles towards Penelope when Colin goes over to her) [Engagement Party, Ep. 5]

"Anyone who questions their match is a fool. And all she had to do to get him to marry her was be herself." [Talking with Violet from the skybox, Ep. 5]

*Polin comes over after exiting the church.* Violet and Lady Danbury "aww" over them, and there's a moment where she is very joyous and giddy directly to Pen, while she talks to her. [Ep. 6]

*looks directly to Pen when The Queen says Lady Whistledown is someone in the room* [The Queen's meeting, Ep. 7]

[Talking to the Queen (Chess Game), Ep. 8 - ]

"and what will you do once you have uncovered her..Will you command her to stop writing...lock her in a dungeon?"

"When Whistledown first started writing, I assumed she was someone with power in the ton, but in her latest editions it has become evident that there is a vulnerability there, a certain... grasping to find herself."

["Do you in fact know who Whistledown is? Is that why you are trying to protect the Bridgertons?"-The Queen]

"..perhaps Lady Whistledown is not trying to beat you at your own game. Perhaps she is merely trying to stay in the game as a vulnerable player, a feeling perhaps you can relate to."

Smaller stuff, but worth mentioning:

We know that not a soul believed Cressida was Lady Whistledown, but when she announces, she looks so not convinced in shock, she turns to see if anyone is buying it before anyone else looks away. [The Engagement Party, Ep. 5]

When Pen's walking down the aisle, she looks to the Bridgerton side (which like in the Queen's meeting Lady D. is where she belongs & by their side again); don't wanna exaggerate but Lady Danbury almost looks..emotional ('from wallflower to wallflower' for her-she looks proud). [Polin's Wedding, Ep. 7]

*looks at Pen leaving when the call by the Queen for only Bridgertons to stay in the room is announced* [Ep. 7]

She looks at them in shock when Pen goes up to ask Colin to talk (Alice & Mondrich also fix their looks towards them), then she looks down and away feeling awkward for them. [Francesca's wedding reception, Ep. 8]

She also looks proud during the speech/happy the Queen's accepting her. [Ep. 8]

finally-

[The reveal that she suspected Pen was L.W.]

[panromantic-regency]

Depression Barbie is Rambling about Ep.8 Polin Angst

I am legitimately crying again because I just realized this isn't the 2nd morning of their married life it is the 3rd. What did Polin do in the evenings? We know at bedtime they were apart, but did they not speak to each other at all? Were they in the same Bloomsbury rooms together? Or was she relegated to their empty bedroom when he was home, since that is where her desk and personal effects are? Did he eat dinner at Bridgerton house (#5) without her and only come home to sleep?

How did Colin behave on the second morning? I assume more like the first, since he had a formal mission to achieve, that of persuading Cressida. So he was up and fit at dawn. He knew to meet them at Featherington house later, so some planning had to take place, was it between them, or pre-arranged when Portia and Eloise were present?

Do Colin and Pen go home together from this scene? Was he a depressed emo boi in the carriage? Did Pen think they had turned a corner from ire to grief and that there [wrongly] was an opening for intimacy? But then he rejects her overature that night and she's off carriage rides with him for good?

Or did they NOT go home together after this scene and she's simply stating fact that they've been avoiding proximity when she says, "I'll spare you the confines of a shared carriage" the next morning.

What does it mean that Colin didn't flee home on the 3rd morning as he did the prior mornings? Yes he's in his depression era after failing as the stoic hero. But that's unfortunate since this is the morning of Francesca's wedding he absolutely could have headed straight to #5 first thing and it would have been packed with family getting ready. A ready-made reason to leave Pen in the morning and distract him all day.

Perhaps he didn't want to get to #5 early and have opportunity to lie to Benedict. Perhaps he didn't want to field questions about how the honeymoon was going.

My clowning Polin heart whispers that maybe Colin was hanging around on the settee to be near Pen? Was he ready to break fast with her, spend the morning talking to each other? [I'm an idiot sandwich, of course not.]

No, Pen is just learning and adapting that ire and now depression are both Colin emotions he wants to process alone.

It's just so damn heartbreaking. Finally free from the constraints of courtship, they can speak freely. Hours upon hours of opportunity to try and understand one another. Bton show runners decide that since Polin wasn't horny like Daph and Simon, to insert Ben's threesome instead and drown Polin in silence.

The Polin clock after Francesa's wedding was painful enough, he spent all his days and evenings at #5 (definitively evenings now because he came with fam to the ball). And that ball certainly wasn't the very next day [day 4 post marriage] because the Queen said "earlier this week" So from Fran's wedding to the ball was multiple days.

DAYS of silence where the ire is gone and Colin is dealing with depression and envy. Depression and envy are keeping them from speaking to one another? Being in the same rooms together?

I mean I get why she offered annulment, a week+ of signals that he was miserable.

And even in all that silence, Pen still carves out a message to Colin in her speech about worth, his worth.

And I guess what Bton was going for is the reverse of Daph and Simon, they were horny newlyweds and then everything fell apart. Polin everything was a mess and then we got 22 seconds of horny newlyweds. I guess I should be grateful that consumation/reunion was still within the standard "honeymoon" period of social custom and at least it wasn't as long as Charlotte and George?

I know, I know I shouldn't think about in between the scenes or timescale, its just going to ruin a good thing.

That final love confession was LOVELY. But Colin waited DAYS to tell her he read her letters and understood her as one voice. He couldn't have a LEAST told her that in a timely fashion, not acceptance, just acknowledgment. Just the acknowledgement would have given Pen such a boost as she mentally prepared herself to speak to the Ton and perhaps would have kept the word annulment out of her mouth. [and then Colin could have kicked off the final love confession with highlighting how transformative her bloody brilliant voice is, how she shattered the wallflower.]

For the mental jumps I have to endure trying not to feel deep injustice about newlywed Polin's lack of relating to each other screentime, I deserve this at the final ball:

I got stiff hellos, call backs to days ago, and an offer for a no-fault divorce.

[skylights422]

Time for my second post before the new X-Men 97 episode: opinions on The Plot of the first three episodes!

Overall, I've been having a ton of fun with it. The first episode had a lot of fun parallels to Night of the Sentinels and worked well as a sort of re-introduction to the team. The second episode was intense but juicy. (I do understand the critiques I've seen of Magneto's speech - there are certain parts I think were done well, and I did automatically go 'oh hey they're talking about his Jewish background!' when he started talking so I don't think they...fully...removed it, but other parts of it were confusing and kinda lost the plot and yeah, I agree with what others of have said about the original speech being a lot more direct and powerful) I DO think they are mostly doing Magneto well in that his intensity, his drive to protect mutants, and his relationship with Charles are all still well done and those were all present in the original cartoon as well. Sometimes I almost wanted him to go villain mode more lol just because it's always impressive and sometimes the human characters are KIND OF ASKING FOR IT. I do wonder if he will stay on the hero side from now on or if he'll eventually end up a villain again - I could see it going either way for this show!

For episode 3, it was a RUSH but it was a fun rush! The horror was spooky, the action solid, and there were some really cool emotional beats as well. It...definitely would have worked better as a 2-4 episode story arc, because some of those plot beats would have been SO GOOD with more room to breathe. And it definitely ran into my pet peeve of 'the only explanation to some of this is "uhh well it happened in the comics"' which I never like - why was she called the Goblin Queen in this version? It's a pretty specific title that didn't have anything to do with her powers or motivation or anything. Or was there a reason she chose the name Madelyn Pryor in this version? Who knows. I do think if you HAD to fit a whole arc into one episode, this was the best it could be done, but I still wish they simply had more episodes in the season to tell their story (like, 24 instead of ten). Because yeah, each episode has felt like a one-shot almost, but not in a normal bottle episode way, in a 'each episode is one arc unto itself', with just certain character threads carrying over.

This isn't a huge issue for me since when I first heard there was ten episodes in the season I went 'oh yeah, this is gonna be a huge mess'. xD So my standard is 'if it's a FUN mess I'll be fine with it, since I love these characters and am excited to see more content with them - and maybe if it's big enough future seasons could have more eps'. And it has definitely been a fun mess so far!

ALSO I AM EXCITED TO SEE A STORM ARC. Her losing her powers is UGH, but I know it's gonna be a whole Thing and so it will be cool to see her get more focus. I also really liked seeing her friendship with Jean! There was not enough varied team friendship duos originally for me, and what they got going seems really nice.

AND MISTER SINISTER IS BACK. I do think he's a very intimidating villain, so I am curious to see what they do with him and what kind of character dynamics it brings out in the heroes. :O

All in all, I have my critiques and quibbles, but I am HYPED and still having a good time!

[crescentmoon-flower]

Rewatching winx season 4 for nostalgia and realizing how wierd some things are

Ep. 7

Musa posing like the drama queen she is

How did Stella drag roxy upwards like that

"I'm a great shot" im sure you are

Stella darling you managed to contradict yourself

Musa your great, and I wish you kept these spells

Nevermind then musa is useless

Stella contradicting herself again

Oh poor doggy, also I would react the same to someone hurting my baby

Oh wow roxy is strong

Awww, tiny kitten

Flora and anagan flirting, its actually kinda cute

What the hell even is gantlos's power

Aw, sweet old rich woman

And gantlos found them

Yeah that car crash is about right

Also for a second I thought the woman was going to help roxy

Sassy gantlos

Oh wow that was a close one

Wow artu is smart, I wonder is that's a side effect of being around roxy

Spirit speech

Oh poor artu

Oh that's a close one part 2

First magic!

What exactly did roxy do though?

Sudden upbeat Music

Well that's a tone shift

Weren't they all just on the floor in the last frame?

Specialist deus ex machina

Nabu speaks really wierd sometimes

Oh my god Rivington chopped duman's hair XD

Did they just corner ogron and leave the others?

Awww, supportive timmy

Wow aisha is in a great mood.

I... don't thing implicitly is the word your looking for

Naaaawwwww

Liesssssss, you'll end up with more

HAHA, flora and aisha's reactions are great

Wait...... Didn't timmy already have a job?? Did he quit to be around roxy more? Or is he doing both?

How did he go from helia to Tobias? The others are similar but helia?

BOO-BOO XD

Oh okay nevermind

Oh my god, the one who doesn't work there is the only one he got right

As a only child and a girl, I feel you roxy

Ooooooohhhhh, musa

Bloom my god

Hey its that girl who everyone thought is the last fairy

Swimsuits?ok

Animation mistake roxy's sleeves

Spend the whole day talking to the neighbours canary?

Ok at least faragonda is kept in the loop

The fairy pets are adorable but useless

A yes, mcguffin wings bearly used

Guide book? What guide book?

What's with the sudden change of heart about keeping things secret

Why doesn't morgana just tell roxy who she is?

Ep 8

Pointless fluff

Oh kiko

More pointless fairy pet things

Didn't tecna explain the website several times now.

Finally common sense for stupid romance problems

Convenient timing

Did roxy sleep the entire day?

Ok the whole pictures arrange themselves in the same way

Cowboy outfits, actually one of my faves

Kind of worry roxy had a bother reaction to magic wardrobe change

Oh the Stella silent treatment

Ok from experience no large camper or bus like that has 4wheel drive

Suddenly I remember that the driver in world of winx was also aisha

I'd love to go there on horseback

Dramatic duman

Sadly irrelevant to the conversation flora

Don't like this man

Oh no this is going to be a disaster

Snort* flying bear

Seriously what are gantlos's powers?

Wait they can miniaturise what not in enchantix?

Smoke them out, smart

Gantlos is my reaction to

Did the circle burn him or just hurt?

Well that's awsome

Oh my god that man is dedicated to not noticing shit

That smile is creepy

Isn't this man a lumberjack? How is he going to survive now?

Why does bloom get to keep the circle?

And their back

Pets aren't typically allowed at bars

Pointless pet fluff

Nabu forshadowing

Aww tecna is emoting so much, I'm proud!

Damn this all, more mitzie

...well she had a good singing voice

He has work, stella

He's going to break that guitar

More nabu foreshadowing

Creepy surfer man

For a really important episode it feels like 70 percent is pointless

[myechoecho]

Goreyo Khitan War, Ep 4

Last episode had me shocked that the whole Dowager and lover schemes, the coup and crowning of the new emperor all took place. This episode made me realize that I have no sense of time at all. The new Queen is pregnant!?! And a couple scenes later she has a baby bump?? I suppose that is show how much time has passed but it still seemed jarring. I wish there was more of a transition.

Traitor Official - I was mostly indifferent to him in the first 3 episodes but I really hated him this episode (and his little sidekick). It was brutal what he did but there was a certain logic to it. It appeared like he wanted what was best for Goryeo which foolish me thought he would be helping the new emperor he installed. Newp. He wants him to be a puppet, which is extremely shortsighted and foolish. Also he knew he was a traitor and how that would look but he still gets offended when people look at him that way.

I loved the scene with him and the king. It was a powerful scene where the young king knows exactly what he's doing and fights back only to be terrorized, threatened and defeated. I've never seen Kim Dong Joon in anything before but he's been amazing in this. He's striking the right balance of young, frightened powerless king but also hints of a strong, righteous and powerful king. He really just needs help and guidance.

We don't get to see much of the new Queen, but I liked her speech to him about while he is powerless now, he will gain power. They seem happy, but this is not a romance drama so not much on it.

I liked the fist two interactions we saw with the emperor and Gam Chan. Gam Chan is the only one willing to speak up. I think I will love their relationship.

I also want to see more the General who refused to leave the border (third billed actor in the drama), the general who threatened to cut off Traitor Official's head and the crazy one making soldiers run up the hill. I feel bad for not quite knowing all their names but THERE ARE SO MANY OF THEM.

Honestly, really enjoying this even if I can't quite keep track of everyone.

[afterthefeast]

ep 4 rewatch

once again. obsessed with jane saying look we all know my husband’s a fool. also “the past tense is a very sturdy thing” you tell them.

tunbaaq having opposable thumbs is legitimately very creepy

“jopson, you hear everything”. once again further proof that jopson is gossip queen of the century

little pushing to move men from the terror over to erebus — little’s position as lieutenant and loyalty is legitimately up to interpretation, but i like to think of this episode as showing how his loyalty is ultimately to the men below him rather than to crozier (or franklin or fitzjames), and he will do what’s best for them (leaving a collapsing ship, abandoning the sick). i’m not fully set on this interpretation but i think it tracks and it also illustrates the overall position of lieutenant as kind of stuck between a rock and a hard place — saddled with a duty of care for those under you but unable to really act on that as you’re constrained by the orders from above. truly eldest daughter coded

crozier taking evans with him; unusual given he’s generally portrayed as distant from his men, though he obviously cares for them. and heartbreaking because it’s the first time we see him break that gruff exterior and it goes poorly. last episode he was fully prepared to leave them for their own good, and this episode he keeps one close and it gets evans killed.

fitzjames cunty sweater moments. if you’re going to get lost in the arctic you’ve gotta serve

“does one not bring one’s habits to Terror?” or should it be “does one not bring one’s habits to terror?” love this firstly because it’s obviously an example of how crozier consistently echoes stuff Sophia’s said to him and we find the source out later, but in this case, as opposed to saying the arctic wants them dead straight out, he’s saying it ironically, and it’s a joke only he will get. in this case i think he’s lamenting how he’s unable to escape the worst parts of himself regardless of their circumstances. the arctic’s pretty consistently framed as a place of change, sometimes explicitly through irving’s gay ass speech, and also through things like hickey’s slow descent into villainy and the men losing their humanity to cannibalism. at this moment though, i think crozier has realised he has been unable to rise above his flaws, though he hoped otherwise (see also franklin’s conversation with him last episode).

also a slight parallel between fitzjames and sophia. which could mean anything

“you discussed this?” — crozier genuinely sounds betrayed by this and i think this marks probably the moment where his working relationship with fitzjames starts to reach properly unsustainable levels of distrust.

hickey’s decision to kidnap silna is interesting because it’s equally plausible that he did this to get into crozier’s good books or because, having seen tunbaaq’s face and following the same logic as fitzjames assuming silna somehow controls tunbaaq, he genuinely thought capturing her was key for their survival. which i think actually rings truer to his character — hickey’s not actually really some machiavellian schemer for the sake of it, no matter how much he may enjoy that, but an opportunist bent on survival. consistently his motivations throughout later episodes (munity, cannibalism etc) are because he thinks them necessary for his own survival. ultimately one of the major questions the terror asks is how far men will go to ensure they live (“god wants you to live”), and hickey will do literally anything for it.

“i’m not sending men out into a squall” — obviously shows how far crozier falls next episode but equally illustrates fitzjames’ upward trajectory given that he is in this episode perfectly happy to do so. illustrates their respectivr flaws as well; crozier is an alcoholic, and fitzjames reacts very badly under pressure.

hickey’s dramatic storytelling one of the funniest things in this episode. i’ve said before how he thinks he’s in the wrong genre but this is the ultimate example. also hickey probably wasn’t lying by saying that tunbaaq ran off when silna tried to speak it, so we can probably assume that this is when it rejected her fully as a shaman, having given her the seal previously — not sure why this is

the fact that fitzjames clearly cannot stand hickey is hilarious.

also “yes, mr hickey, we know” — he’s legitimately confused by this and crozier’s later punishment. this is the moment whereby hickey recalculates, i think; he moves from trying to gain what power he can within the general order of the ship to actively disrupting it, presumably because he realises that his own survival is no longer guaranteed by proximity to crozier.

“disrespect to who sir?” “to the girl”

the whole concept of punished as a boy is so much. firstly, lays bare the barbarity beneath the victorian navy’s pretence towards civility. secondly, crozier reaches some degree of physical intimacy with hickey only through violence enacted by a proxy (johnson). thirdly, highlights the difference between his later relationships (jopson & fitzjames primarily) and current isolation. fourthly, there’s a lot to ‘as a boy’ that’s interesting and i’m just too tired to unpack. this whole scene is just so much but really quite difficult to parse?

hickey’s crimes include dirtiness — i have little to say here except. victorian ideas of moral hygiene go brrrr

the worst part of it all is obviously afterwards everyone just stops and hickey has to play it off. like to me that is the most dehumanising part of it all — there’s no comfort offered afterwards and no sense of absolution (unlike how hartnell sees this), just the brutal reality of senseless violence

also like. following that with asking who wants to go to erebus and then crozier being shocked almost all of them want to go. read the room man

rare stanley w by being bare minimum kind to morfin and asking fitzjames if he needs anything.

interesting as well how absolutely shaken fj is by the “incident” on Terror — this is tenuous but i think any level of being uncomfortable with violence is associated with naivety in the show. goodsir is obviously the most ‘gentle’ of the cast, and the only person to show outward discomfort with hickey’s punishment is jopson — who while not exactly naive is somewhat cast in that role anyway by virtue of his position as younger and subservient. fitzjames’ shock here is down to him being rudely awoken to the reality of command — similar to how goodsir never realises “england” is the source of the men’s rot, fitzjames has thus far i don’t think reckoned with the brutality inherent to his position. it’ll come up again when he asks blanky about ross, i think. this is also part of my overall nebulous theory about naivety & purity in the show. to be revisited.

the camera angles they use for goodsir are really funny cause they’re consistently trying to make him seem smaller in comparison to stanley when. they are the same height

GOODSIR LIB MOMENT — his absolute consternation that morfin would ask if he’d been whipped, because by virtue of his class privilege he is shielded from that part of naval life. like goodsir is so empathetic and open to other cultures but basically never critiques the structures of his own culture: he consistently falls back on class and never realises that

someone leaving tobacco in hickey’s hammock is legit sweet

DE VOEUX DICKHEAD MOMENT

[yuriskies]

Shuumatsu Train EP 9 thoughts

I think this episode firmed up my interpretation of Shuumatsu Train as a story contrasting digital and physical connection. Spoilers after break

Now that the story has tipped its hand with regards to Yoka's situation, we find she's at the center of a conspiracy by Poison Pontaro to cover his tracks following the disaster of the 7G rollout. Some vaguely organized thoughts with regards to the world building.

1a. Yoka is only dimly aware of what's happening, having no real memories of the pre-7G world. She effectively is the center of the universe, with apparently unlimited ability to shape the world to her liking. Yoka is treated like a princess, but actual power rests in Donaro's hands. He subtly manipulates the situation to distance himself from the responsibility for the world he had a hand in creating, quietly stoking peoples' anger towards Yoka by making her the visible face of 7G while goading her into being the enforcement arm against malcontents.

This dynamic mirrors how we've seen Big Tech operate over the last decade: portraying their systems as a tool for individual creativity and empowerment, and in doing so distancing themselves from the flaws in those systems by discussing their downsides as the effects of individual bad actors. For example, Facebook's enabling of the Rohingya genocide through proactively boosting hate speech to drove engagement-based ad sales was initially framed as demogogues finding a way to connect with one another. Individuals may drive problems, but they are often enabled through fundamentally broken technological ecosystems.

2. This previous point is underlined by Yoka turning a man into egg custard which Kontaro excitedly runs over to eat. Violence was literally transmuted into a commodity.

3. Yoka's world is one where discomforting and confusing things can simply be zapped away. Through both experience and design, learning is framed as antagonistic experience to her. She sees a world that hates her, and what she is allowed to see is presented as the normal state of things. Yoka is able to use her powers to avoid the process of growing, but that ultimately in the dark about her own situation or how it is manipulated. Hence why "the Witch Queen of Ikebukuro is like staring into an abyss...made up for mystery, fear, and the unknown". She is powerful, but in remaining unaware of her own power or alternatives to workings of the world, she remains merely a tool for someone else's dirty work. In the meantime, she remains isolated and is increasingly unstable.

In contrast, the physical journey of the Apogee crew has exposed them to the diversity of human experience, both good and bad. In response, they have been forced to grow and redefine themselves. They are increasingly aware of how the world operates, and are equipping themselves with the tools to confront it. It's clear Shizuku may be in deep denial about how hurtful she was to Yoka and her changing position in her emotional universe (not vocalizing her regrets like the others in the previous episode, shock followed by the insistence she knows something that always stays the same), but she is being repeatedly told that moving forward - or even just keeping things the same - is a proactive process.

4. There is a connection being drawn here between online bubbles and cosmology. The swan boat dude disappeared off one end of the Ikebukuro-Seibu line and reappeared on the other. It is what you would expect to happen in a closed universe with curved spacetime - travel far enough in a straight line and you'll end up where you started. The "expansion" of Ikebukuro is itself a bubble universe, and both Zenjiro's rambling about Ikebukuro being a miniature version of cosmic expansion and the broken tracks on the swan boat dude's map are getting at this. The implication that Yoka's bubble will have to be popped to reconnect with her friends.

[qnewsau]

Drag Race's Gottmik reacts to joke theft accusations in roast

New Post has been published on https://qnews.com.au/drag-races-gottmik-reacts-to-joke-theft-accusations-in-roast/

Drag Race's Gottmik reacts to joke theft accusations in roast

RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars 9 queen Gottmik has responded to accusations of joke theft after her roast in the latest episode.

For the queens’ sixth maxi-challenge, Ru tasked them with roasting each other on stage for the episode’s National Drag Convention.

“As drag queens, we need to come together to support the freedom of speech, the freedom of expression and the freedom to read a bitch to filth,” Ru explains early in the ep.

Ultimately, the roast was a very strong one. You can watch the roast in full below:

However when All Stars 9 favourite Gottmik took the podium, people realized they’d heard many of her jokes before.

The jokes were extremely similar to US comedian Nikki Glaser’s jokes from Comedy Central’s celebrity roasts.

Taking aim at Angeria Paris VanMichael, Gottmik told her, “Girl, I’m not gonna stand up here and badmouth you because clearly God already has.”

But in 2016, Nikki Glaser told singer-songwriter Jewel the same thing at Comedy Central’s Rob Lowe roast.

“Jewel, I don’t want to badmouth you since God already did,” Nikki said.

When making fun of Plastique Tiara, Gottmik borrowed a joke Nikki made at Bruce Willis’ 2018 Comedy Central roast.

“You guys, if you didn’t know, her resume is insane! Influencer, dancer, actor… you name it, she’s f__ked it,” the Snatch Game winner exclaimed.

In 2018, Nikki Glaser said of Cybill Shepherd, “Her resume is insane. If you look at it, it’s just like: model, actor, singer… you name it, she’s f__ked it.”

Gottmik stealing every single joke from Nikki Glaser.. #DragRace #AllStars9 pic.twitter.com/6qlvM3nKeb

— beatrice (@kelIyanne) June 14, 2024

Gottmik told Shannel, “You are consistently fighting the war against homophobia… and subtlety, clearly.”

However, in 2016, Nikki Glaser told comic and former army guy Rob Riggle, “Rob Riggle, I want to thank you so much for fighting the war against terrorism and subtlety.”

On the All Stars 9 roast, Gottmik told Nina West, “Girl, for real, your run in Hairspray was truly the best… you could do.”

During Comedy Central’s Alec Baldwin roast in 2019, Nikki told actor Sean Hayes, “Will & Grace was really the best… you could do.”

‘Nikki is my queen’

After the episode, Drag Race fans posted about hearing the same jokes before.

“Lots of queens take jokes from the Comedy Central roasts, but every single joke was wild. I was a Nikki Glaser fan so I knew every single one. Gottmik, I still love you, but this was not your week,” one person said.

Another wrote, “We’ve all heard repurposed jokes on Drag Race, but this is…lol.”

“What makes it worse is that Nikki’s delivery was better across the board,” another person said.

Gottmik responded in a post Twitter X admitting she ~reworked~ the jokes for her All Stars 9 set.

“Wait, do you guys think everyone wrote their jokes!? lol Nikki is my queen so reworking a few of her jokes was a DUH for me. Love her,” Gottmik wrote.

RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars 9 is streaming in Australia on Stan.

Wait do you guys think everyone wrote their jokes!? loll Nikki is my queen so reworking a few of her jokes was a DUH for me love her

— Gottmik (@gottmik) June 14, 2024

Lots more RuPaul’s Drag Race:

Gottmik responds after conservatives gagged by that All Stars 9 runway

Ru-vealed: Here’s the ten queens on Drag Race Down Under season 4

Rhys Nicholson on the ‘grim’ Drag Race Down Under we almost saw

Willam blasts Michelle Visage hosting Drag Race Down Under

For the latest LGBTIQA+ Sister Girl and Brother Boy news, entertainment, community stories in Australia, visit qnews.com.au. Check out our latest magazines or find us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

[alaffy]

Queen Charlotte, Ep. 6 – Crown Jewels

It has been said that this series probably won’t have more than one season, or at least, they didn’t plan on having a second one.  Honestly, I don’t think that’s a bad thing.  The goal of the story was to show how Charlotte became to be the person she is today, and they achieved this.  There are one or two things that are somewhat unresolved at the end of this series, but those can be addressed in Bridgerton. 

Even though this is the longest episode of the series, I probably won’t take too much time recapping it. It is a Bridgerton prequel, so we kind of know where these stories end without watching the last episode.  I will be spending some time on my thoughts of the series as a whole.

So, George is unhappy that Charlotte has come to Kew because he’s still afraid that he will put her in danger.  He also makes it clear that he’s sorry for not telling her the truth about his condition; he even says he should have told her before they were married to give her an opportunity to back out.  He also wants her to leave.  However, Charlotte has realized that George isn’t doing all of this for himself, he’s doing this for her.  Or so he believes (which is understandable given that conversation that he heard in episode 4 and how he sees his mental illness given the way he's been treated).  But Charlotte loves him too, which she tells him, and will only leave if he tells her he does not love her.  Which he cannot.  So, with all of that in the open, they are free to be together.

Meanwhile, Augusta finds out that the doctor is no longer the doctor (something I will come back to later).  The problem is, Parliament has become really unsettled about rumors they keep hearing about the King and they need him to come speak to them.  Augusta tries to tell George, but George refuses to see her.  So, she tells Charlotte.  Charlotte and George move back to Buckingham.  During this time, Charlotte gives birth to her first child.

George tries to give a speech to Parliament, but the whole idea of giving a speech causes him to have another episode and he’s unable to even leave his carriage.  Later that evening, Charlotte speaks to George.  We find out that one way George can escape “the sky” is hiding under the bed.  Charlotte joins him underneath and they discuss what they need to do.  Basically, George needs Charlotte with him to calm his nerves, but she can’t be there at the speech.  Charlotte suggests giving a ball for the birth of their son, showing Parliament that George is fine.

Meanwhile, Danbury is still considering her future.  It comes quickly apparent that, while she has feeling for Violet’s father and he for her, there is no future here.  After all, he still has a wife.  Danbury meets Charlotte's brother, who is quite taken with Danbury.  Danbury also has a…moment with Princess Augusta.  Augusta won’t help settle the issue of the title without information on Charlotte and George, but at the same time encourages Danbury not to give up on getting what she wants.  I get what they are doing in that scene, even though I find it…out of nowhere (perhaps if they showed Augusta secretly enjoying Danbury’s strength instead of her just pissed off by the whole thing).

Anyway, Danbury tries to convince herself she wants to marry Charlotte’s brother.  But the truth is, while she does think he’s a good man, she doesn’t want to get married again.  And she tells him so at the Queen’s ball.

The ball itself is a success.  We even have a moment where Brimsley and Reynolds dance with each other in a secluded part of the gardens.  Augusta comes to Charlotte later and, again, says that all she’s wanted to do was make her son happy.  But she can see that Charlotte does make him happy, that they are a good team together, and addresses Charlotte as her majesty.

Towards the end of the ball, Charlotte confronts Danbury on the fact that Danbury rejected her brother’s proposal.  But what Charlotte is angry about is not the fact that Danbury turned him down, it’s the fact that Danbury considered it instead of telling Charlotte about the issue of the title.  Had Danbury done so, Charlotte would have had it taken care of.  It is in this scene that we really see that Charlotte has become Queen Charlotte.  And, not long after, Charlotte tells George that she is expecting again.  The thing is, having multiple heirs can take some of the pressure off of George, as it means the dynasty is secure and Parliament should back off somewhat.

In the present day, Violet happens to see the crown that her father made for Danbury.  Long story short, while Danbury never tells her what happens, it is made clear that Violet knows something happened between the two and Danbury knows that Violet knows.

Meanwhile, Charlotte finally gets the news that she is going to have a Grandchild (who will eventually be Queen Victoria).  Charlotte goes to tell George, but as we know his episodes are mostly full time now.  Still, Charlotte has ways to get George to come back to her for at least a few moments.  Charlotte hides under the bed and calls out for “Farmer George.”  This is enough to break through to George and he crawls under the bed as well.  She is able to tell George about the news of a grandchild and he is happy.  He also is happy because Charlotte is still there beside him after all of these years.

Now, the show does not tell us what happens between Brimsley and Reynolds, but it is clear that Reynolds is no longer in Brimsley’s life.  But something like that can be explained in Bridgerton.  What surprised me is when Charlotte asked if Brimsley had any family, like ma’am when would he have the time if he’s always with you?  There’s no way Charlotte would have been that unaware.  I know it was done to show Brimsley did not have his happy ending, but it might have been better if Charlotte had asked if he had any extended family or if he regretted not having a family.

But I think it was things like this that….I liked the show, but I think the show had problems.  I mean, Bridgerton also has problems.  But it’s more of a romantic puff piece and with something like that, you can kind of just brush things to the side.  As this one was (somewhat) more historically based (at least, we’re dealing more with real people) and has a more serious topic being discussed here, it was harder for me to ignore inconsistencies. 

For instance, in the present day, Charlotte’s son try to get out of marriage because their brother, the acting regent, did not give permission.  They make it clear that, basically, whatever man is in charge in the Royal family, only he can approve marriages.  So, uh, how was Augusta able to arrange George’s marriage without George knowing?  George is the senior member, so only he should be able to approve of the marriage.  Therefore, you would think someone (even if accidentally) would have brought up the information to George, or one of George’s servants, at some point before Charlotte had started her journey. 

it is also established that Princess Augusta is the one who brings her son to doctors and it is clear they report to her.  It also seems like she can summon the royal staff at any moment to give her reports.  Furthermore, she seems adapt at getting people to spy for her and tell her what is really going on around the royal couple.  So, how does she not know what this doctor is doing to Gorge?  I mean, dunking him in the water, the hot brands.  Honestly, if this had gotten out and it was known that she brought the doctor to George, I could see someone accusing Augusta of trying to harm the king to keep control of him.  And given that Augusta is trying very much to avoid scandal, yeah, I don't see her approving of the doctor's actual methods. Which means, she probably didn't know. Which makes no sense, given what we've seen.    

It’s not like these things are the end of the world, just that it seems like rules and such only applied when the writers needed them to and then were conveniently forgotten.   And that kind of writing can annoy me.

[pieto]

Lady Leshurr - Queen's Speech Ep.4

[myselfnevermore]

Lady Leshurr - Queen's Speech Ep.4.

[georgierre]

this is a psa to watch drag race philippines. why, you may ask, and it's because it has all the essence and genuinity i feel rupaul's drag race has been lacking recently!!!

like idgaf anymore, rpdr is so watered down because its audiences grew outside of queer spaces and they want to commercialize drag race and make it "presentable" to everyone. they water drag (and queer ppl basically) down into unhelpful labels and it just feels so!!! capitalistic!!! and whatever rupaul doesn't get any joke dating 2010 onwards and no critique feels genuine anymore yadda yadda

BUT I DIGRESS. THE MAIN THING I WANNA SAY IS WATCH DRAG RACE PHILIPPINES. imma tell you that i was actually surprised they even produced one here. queer culture is very widespread here but its treatment in media is often reduced to comedy. even if people say they appreciate lgbtqia+ rights people tend to reduce it to sob stories or comedy. as a queer person here i feel like i'm more tolerated than accepted, WHICH IS WHY DRAG RACE PH IS SUCH A BIG MOMENT OF PROGRESS!!!!

drph highlights a lot of queer culture that does NOT stem from western queer culture. we hear of drag scenes in the philippines, queer movements in the philippines. and even if most political discussions are censored due to our oppressive government, a lot of these queens are activists outside of drag race!! not just for queer rights (since same sex marriage isn't approved and the sogie bill is just a recent development) but they're activists for sustainability and freedom of speech and the general development of the ph!!!! the show has been so informative and we're just 4 episodes in, and i'm actually learning more stuff about gay culture that i haven't learned before

++ OH THE GENUINITY FROM THE QUEENS IS SOOOO DELICIOUS. filipino culture tends to be incredibly blunt. we are very assertive, even if you're introverted, and we aren't afraid of saying what we want to say. THAT'S WHY I LOVE THE QUEENS SO MUCH. they stand firm in what they believe in and when someone chimes in they don't shake easily. AND THIS IS ALSO WHY THE JUDGING'S MUCH BETTER. obviously it's not perfect, i don't like the judging in ep 4 and i do think they go overboard sometimes, BUT IT ISN'T WASHED ANYMORE. these judges say shit from the heart. even in ep 4, which i won't spoil, they cried and cried and cried, even after the amen part, because they LOVE the queens!!

and you know what else comes from this genuinity??? DRAMAAAAAA. GIRL UNTUCKED IS LITERALLY ON FIRE. EACH EPISODE SO FAR HAS HAD A FIGHT OR INTENSE MOMENT AND IT REMINDS ME OF THE OLD UNTUCKED DAYS. actually no, drph is MUCH more intense because like. WHO FIGHTS IMMEDIATELY AT THE 2ND DAY?????? THESE BITCHES DIDN'T COME TO PLAY. they argue and insult but make amends at the end bc it's Very filipino culture to fight over small things and blow it out of proportion. we love tsismis (gossip) and filipinos tend to be REALLY reactive so PLEASEEE if you wanna watch drag race for drama watch drph.

and you know what makes the drama better??? THE FACT THAT A LOT OF THESE QUEENS KNOW EACH OTHER BEFOREHAND. a lot of the drama here actually stems from previous drama OUTSIDE of drag race. they know each other and have fought with each other and oh my god i can make a powerpoint presentation about xilhouette, marina, and minty istg. their dynamic is so unique and interesting and i am Watching Intently

but drama aside the cast are so sweet to each other :(((( there's so much heartfelt moments because under all the bluntness and the arguing, filipinos tend to have BIG hearts. we put community first more than anything and it warms my heart to see all of them just enjoy each other's presences. even in mini challenges where they act all silly and yell and bark, those silly moments show what pinoy pride and love and community is. idk how to describe it, but when you're in a crowd of pinoys watching or rooting for the same thing, you always seamlessly join into the fun. it's just the way we work, and Ough this is my love letter to filipinos bc i love us so much

AND OKAY IK THIS IS GETTING LONG BUT ALSO U GOTTA WATCH FOR THE DRAG. watch these bitches put their asian kuripot resourcefulness into use. in the last few episodes, i can't even say the bottom 2's are even bad— all of them were pretty talented in the challenge. it rlly shows how talented and creative pinoys are!!! AND YOU GET TO SEE FILIPINO CULTURE INTEGRATED INTO IT. REMEMBER THIS IS AN ALL POC CAST!!!! they are so unapologetically pinoy with the runways, from superstitions to pearls to flowers to indigenous references to historical references etc etc LIKE PLS WATCH IT. IT IS A LOVE LETTER TO THE PHILIPPINSS

[purplehoodiesimon]

Whoops I had a fight with my mom, came to some intense realizations about my childhood, and in true Gen Z fashion, projected all of it onto my comfort character SO have this analysis piece on Wille and Kristina's relationship :D

Kristina is all about control. Controlling their public image, controlling the situations Wilhelm ends up in, controlling pretty much everything she can. It makes sense—she's the Queen of an entire country, she grew up with the expectations of control and the need to do it. There is no one higher up the chain than her, and as such, it is her duty to be in control, to be in power.

This, of course, becomes a problem when dealing with people. People generally don't like being controlled by other people. We see this a lot with Wilhelm—he does not want to be under Kristina's control, he wants to just live a normal life independent of the Crown. Now, some of this is probably the general teenage need to grow independent and be your own person, but the situation is definitely exacerbated by 1. Kristina being in control of everything in his life and 2. it being nearly impossible for him to break free of that control. Wilhelm can't just move out at 18 and never answer his mother's phonecalls again. He is the Crown Prince.

We see continuously throughout the show that Wilhelm has no independence. Whatsoever. Going out clubbing goes badly and when the damage needs to be cleaned up, he's given a speech and told what's going to happen next. When he asks to come home, his mother tells him he'll get used to it. She's responsible for his Society initiation after Erik's death, she shows up immediately after the video's released to talk about damage control with him—she doesn't even discuss it (or Simon) with him before jumping into "here's what we'll do", and when it seems like Wilhelm is trying to take his own path with the video and give his own story on it, she convinces him to follow her plan anyways while knowing the entire time who released it and how much that would hurt Wilhelm. She only tells him it was August after he denies the video, after she gets her way. Wilhelm has pretty much no say in how he lives his life under her control, and it shows in other areas too. The way he's so compliant to August when he demands an apology after Wilhelm sneaks out, the way he barely resists when August takes his phone to talk with Erik, the way he goes along with everything August says until it starts involving Simon. The way his relationship with Simon is always on his terms, how he's the one leading their physical intimacy in eps 4&5. Simon is the only area of his life where Wilhelm feels like his mother can't reach.

Except, the video is released. And she finds out about Simon. And she insists on things being done her way. And Wilhelm goes along with it. He denies the video like she wants—she's in control of everything else, why should this be any different? Why should he try to fight her on it? It's never worked before, what makes this time special? And as I said, he's the Crown Prince, it's not like he can just say 'fuck you mom I'm out' and move to another country (not without abdicating which is a lot more complicated than packing your stuff and getting on a plane to England), and Kristina is always reminding him of this. "Being a prince is a privilege, not a punishment." and "You're the only one who can take over the throne after Erik."

The plot of s1 kinda follows this arc of independence and self-discovery for Wilhelm. He starts to break out of this mold his mother's put him in at Hillerska, when he meets Simon. Simon is so fucking independent, to the point where it starts to affect his relationships with his family too. He doesn't tell Linda he's getting the tutoring because he doesn't want to worry her about money. He doesn't tell them about visiting Micke because he knows they would disapprove. He doesn't tell anyone but Rosh and Ayub about August. He doesn't tell people his problems because he feels like he can handle it himself, and for the most part, he probably can. He seems like he's been helping Linda out a lot since Micke left. So Simon brings this independence to Wilhelm and it starts to affect him. He stands up against August when the Society is trying to throw Simon under the bus, he tries to make a stand for them in the video, and when he finds out his mother knew about August leaking the video—August, who Erik told Wilhelm he could trust, who betrayed him, who is mother is now protecting—that's what sends him over the edge and he starts to break free of her control. The conversation on the phone is honestly so telling on why Wilhelm denied the video and why her knowing about August already was the breaking point.

"You knew all this time? Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because I knew how you'd react. We gain nothing by going public. Now we have said it's not you in the video and we're sticking to that."

Wilhelm has been fighting for control his entire life. He's been fighting for independence since he met Simon. He wants to be in control of his own life. And in the car, he figures she's right. His anxiety and his knowledge that she's in charge—she's always right—get the best of him and he does what she wants. But then he finds out, and everything changes. Because she knew it was August when they were in the car, she knew who had taken control of his and Simon's relationship away, and she used it to her own advantage to get him to do what she wanted. Wilhelm knew before that conversation that she was in control of his life, but do that? To manipulate the situation like that? To know how he'd react to it being August—to know that he'd probably want to come out if he'd known before the interview and to not tell him that? To not only have control on what he says and does but to strategically use information to enforce that her word must be his word? That's fucked up and Wilhelm hanging up on her is him saying that. He knows now that she will literally never put his wants above her own, that she will always insist that things be done her way and use everything she can to twist the situation in her favor. And he's not going to stand for it anymore—he's going to do things his way.

[sinceileftyoublog]

Riot Fest 2022 Preview: 4 Reasons to Come Early, 1 to Stay Late

Bob Vylan

BY JORDAN MAINZER

This year’s Riot Fest offers a lot in the way of postponements from previous years, whether Nine Inch Nails’ headlining set 1 year in the making or My Chemical Romance’s triumphant return to the stage 2 years late. But there are plenty of great bands to check out before the sun sets. I’ve highlighted 4 bands worth showing up early for and 1 that will make you want to stick around. Oh, and even if you’re not going, you can buy some or all of each band’s music on Bandcamp.

FRIDAY

Boston Manor, 1:30 PM, Radicals Stage

Next month via SharpTone Records, British rock band Boston Manor will follow up their breakout record Glue and last year’s Desperate Times, Desperate Pleasures EP with Datura, their biggest but bleakest album yet. Recorded with Hundred Reasons guitarist, vocalist, and producer Larry Hibbitt, Datura reflects the time-warped days of the pandemic, nights filled with drinking too much and mornings filled with the repercussions of the nights. Lead singer Henry Cox immediately rattles off a series of stark observations on the alien opener “Datura (Dusk)”: “There’s a fire in the cark park / I see it smoldering / Heard my neighbor kill his own dog for going in the bins.” The music of Datura mirrors a similar pervasive sense of dread, harsh noise enveloping the otherwise dreamy guitars of closer “Inertia” and synth bounce of “Crocus”. The rest of the band--lead guitarist Mike Cunniff, rhythm guitarist Ash Wilson, bassist Dan Cunniff, and drummer Jordan Pugh--provide storming instrumentation alongside the pulsating electronics of “Floodlights on the Square” and synth glitches of instrumental “Shelter From The Rain”. 

Live, Boston Manor should play at least a couple of the singles from Datura, such as the reflective “Foxglove” and the dramatic “Passenger”, while also taking the Glue victory lap they weren’t able to experience at the height of the pandemic.

Bob Vylan, 4:15 PM, Rebel Stage

The liner notes on the deluxe version of Bob Vylan’s debut album We Live Here start with the words, “Recorded in 2019, mastered in 2020 and relevant today!” You could follow the same formula for all songs from the UK punk rap duo. Even the song that begins with an order to kill the now late queen may be updated on their current tour to use King Charles’ name instead. Bob Vylan’s music lives in constant urgency. Their second album, the phenomenal Bob Vylan Presents the Price of Life (Ghost Theatre), begins with a sample of a speech from Guyanese historian and activist Walter Rodney: “People in their day-to-day lives will know what it means to be living in a state of economic crisis.” Considering the ever-present ills of colonialism, an unprecedented cost of living and housing crisis, and even some food banks closing on Monday for Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral, Bob Vylan speak from their own experiences and on behalf of others. With a combination of driving guitars, propulsive beats, shouted choruses, and limber flow, the duo target everything from the surveillance state (“Phone Tap”) and big pharma (“Drug War”) to the blissfully ignorant (“Turn Off The Radio”) and fake progressives (“Bait the Bear”). “They say I’m violent,” laughs Bobby Vylan, before declaring, “The whole country’s fucking violent.” Fighting fire with fire out of survival, they’ll bring the riot to Riot Fest in true spirit rather than just aesthetic.

SATURDAY

Alexisonfire, 4:30 PM, Radicals Stage

They reunited 7 years ago, but it wasn’t until this June that Canadian post-hardcore greats Alexisonfire actually released a new record, their first in 13 years. Otherness (Dine Alone) strikes a delicate balance between remaining faithful to what makes the band tick while exploring new genres and styles, like the 8-minute folk, psychedelia, prog metal closer “World Stops Turning”. While they might not whip that one out during their hour-long Riot Fest set, Alexisonfire should churn through Otherness highlights like “Sweet Dreams of Otherness” and the surprisingly soft “Sans Soleil”. Of course, they’ll play classics from albums like Crisis and Old Crows / Young Cardinals, but the Otherness songs should fit in nicely in a live set.

Read our review of Otherness.

SUNDAY

Zola Jesus, 2:50 PM, Riot Stage

On Zola Jesus’ 6th album ARKHON (Sacred Bones), Nika Roza Danilova bares all. The record was born out of a state of vulnerability--heartbreak, change, writer’s block--with Danilova reaching out to collaborators earlier than ever in the creative process, including producer Randall Dunn and percussionist Matt Chamberlain. The result is the most outwardly expressive Zola Jesus album to date. On “The Fall” and “Desire”, Danilova straight up belts, dynamically over a shuffling groove on the former and raw-like over acoustic piano on the latter. “Lick my wounds like you can taste them,” she asks of a partner on “Desire”, making them tangibly consider the end of a relationship. Importantly, though the record is immensely personal, a product of intense alienation, Danilova finds common ground with the listener, finding subtle, clever ways to express the universality of her themes. She sings around syncopated samples of a Slovenian folk choir on “Lost”, the voices individually disjointed but unified in spirit. Her vocals intertwine with Louise Woodward’s chamber accompaniment on the cinematic and thrilling “Dead and Gone”, and with sinewy synths and cascading drums on “Into the Wild”. Ultimately, she speaks for all of us, wondering “How can love be misguided when your heart learns to beat?” ARKHON is forever truthful and empathetic.

Though Zola Jesus is somewhat embedded within the dark wave or industrial realms, her set should be a comparatively experimental outlier within Riot Fest, a can’t-miss at the festival for those looking for something different.

Photo by David Black

Yeah Yeah Yeahs, 7:10 PM, Roots Stage

The firmly rooted NYC three-piece are back, the band responsible for such Aughts indie rock classics as Fever to Tell and It’s Blitz! bringing their beer swilling, microphone swallowing live show to the Riot Fest grounds. More importantly, they’ve got a brand new album out at the end of the month. Cool It Down (Secretly Canadian) is, remarkably, only their fifth album in over two decades of existence, and judging by the early singles, it might be another gem in the band’s catalog. Expect to hear plenty of it on Sunday night, including slow-burning anthem “Spitting Off The Edge of the World” and the building, orchestrated “Burning”.

[1d-discourseoftheday]

💙 Tues 5 Jan ‘21 💚

Is today's biggest story really a pair of socks I mean WHY NOT am I right, that may as well happen! With impeccable timing, as the fandom and the world went bananas about Ho-livia WildStyle (a drag queen name for the ages right there), the first of the limited edition TPWK socks that people ordered basically on blind faith (you fully couldn't tell what they were going to look like at all on the website, and now we know why lmao) have arrived with a bang: they seemed to come with either blue or pink hearts, but in fact it turns out you get one of two color combos, either pink and white or, uh: BLUE AND GREEN HEARTS. I'm not one to carry on about like jeans and a green shirt or what have you but this is a CHOICE, and if the antis don't have performative burnings of their evil larrie merch honestly WHAT is the POINT; the resale market of the limited edition socks is already booming though so there's always that option, if either side can bear to conduct business across the divide. My question is, did they really time it to play out this precisely on purpose? Unlikely tbh, but if that's a thing they're capable of I have some THOUGHTS about the way other Harry merch takes like 4 months to arrive...

Larrie socks aside however, the real discourse continues to be about you-know-what, with the players out there fanning the flames wildly. There's too much nonsense to bother with it all (the quoted sources in the articles directly contradicting each other's stories also makes it difficult) so let's just... *spins wheel*....okay I landed on 'tabloids say Harry's wedding speech talked about his girlfriend Olivia' here goes. Sjksdfjks WHY would you be talking about your girlfriend of three weeks in a speech for your close friends' wedding, OMG, how uncomfortable and inappropriate is that?? Imagine if any of this were real, that Harry ('I'd take my time and make sure a thing was serious before telling people about it', end quote, I mean that's ALSO a stunt quote (oh the layers) but just pointing out that it's contradictory) starts dating his co-worker who just got out of a huge relationship and is also a famous person with presumably an interest in privacy, and immediately the two of you get to work setting up a big reveal to happen right away (even in a weird fantasy world where any of this is real the possibility that JEFF AZOFF'S WEDDING had the paps present for any other reason than to do EXACTLY what they were told is flat impossible- what pap or celeb outlet can afford to be on Jeff's bad list?!) and then he casually writes her into his speech (a guy who's so anxious and shy about public speaking and what to say that he begs people to write speeches for him and practices endlessly) uh huh, sure Jan. There are so many things about this that are ludicrous, but more to the point, none of the things they're saying hold up to scrutiny any better than this. There just isn't any point in taking them that seriously though; Harry is a closeted artist and, just like the many queer artists that came before him who he repeatedly reminds us are his icons, he both lets us know all day every day in a million ways that he's queer, and also plays the industry game and winkingly gives the press their Straight Guy Harry fodder. You don't have to like it, or indeed anything at all in this world, but people do need to accept that whether they like it or not is neither the point nor anyone (including Harry)'s responsibility to respond to or do anything about.

Like I said I can't cover every detail but! I always have a little space for the absurd: today, our best entrant is the possibility that the whole wedding we saw was a sham– fans ask, was this public spectacle Jeff and Glenne's actual wedding? Listen if anyone would be up for it it would be this crew, and if they did stage it I'm sure they had a good laugh! Suspicion has been cast on Glenne's dress (allegedly an untailored 2018 off the rack number), the small guest list (wouldn't they just wait and have a huge event?), and the fact that they invited paps there at all. It would make the no explanation robe pics EVEN FUNNIER though if you imagine that was for our benefit but left totally unadressed (undressed). ANYWAY Don't Worry Darling filming is back in business and Harry was papped some more today, out for a casual not at all pap walk hike with a work associate and multiple items of his own merch (including an unreleased hoodie design.) On the topic of DWD, sometimes a different perspective can be interesting-- for example considering whether Harry is the point of all this at all? Or is he but a bit player in the real DWD publicity drama, an elaborate and very public dramatic reconciliation between Olivia and her ex husband? Either way, he's neither a clueless dupe, a helpless pawn, or anyone's 'boy toy', so please: can we rein in the hand wringing and pointless Olivia bashing a bit?

Let's talk about something else shall we? For example! Liam's setlist, just released for the upcoming LP Show Act 4. Look at that song selection! Fireproof! Strong!! Through The Dark!! More exciting 1D faves! Plus Slow and Home With You off his EP, NICE, singles and more, it looks awesome. The Hugo Man fragrance relaunch is less exciting, featuring the dopiest possible articles full of chat about his skin care routine (oh shucks I'm just  manly man, I don't have one at all... *names two products and refers to 'multiple moisturizers'*), trademark accidental candor (“I’m quite tired!”), and of course trying to describe a fragrance, always an entertaining gymnastics (“every time I spray it, it kind of takes me back to being on that rooftop in Berlin”), but also there are manly new pics of Lia.

A new song Niall co-wrote is coming out! The JC Stewart song, Break My Heart, will be out this Fri! Charlie Lightening posted pics from a year ago on the Walls music video set, featuring an intent Louis in the sun (and fashion voter underrated excellent Looks), and Louis commented on Dave Allen's post (“top man!”)-- the famous boxer is offering to help friends through lockdown by facetiming 3or 4 people a day for home workouts, damn, and also aww. That shitty Doncaster secondary school turned out some really sweet dudes, against all odds tbh. With Los Angeles experiencing some of the worst COVID surges we've seen since the beginning of the pandemic, Grammys organizers have elected to postpone the (already limited) ceremony. Originally scheduled for Jan 31 it is now TBA, tentatively for March. Harry's stalker, who menaced him in and near his London home in 2019, is being charged with violating his restraining order by attempting to contact Harry via social media, Global Fund for Women thanked Harry for donating, and HLDaily and other accounts were suspended for posting pap pics, always a risk, but one trick potato Jeff is on the job; HSD is back up and running, cause they can't have a proper stunt season without their most faithful mouthpieces. Niall continues to vote for himself on twitter threads about what to listen to in the New Year.