#there's almost definitely dozens of movies and shows I'm forgetting too

[kawaiifacesong]

Is part of the division in the fandom about what kind of "queer media" people were consuming?

Because, being honest, this show is the most perfunctory and broadly appealing kind of queer media. It's not exactly challenging.

I was watching QAF, Undressed, and Tales of the City when I was younger. Skins too but only the first two seasons and I got bored. If I wanted "mainstream" rep it was Will and Grace or Brothers and Sisters (only the latter of which could be considered remotely challenging).

For movies it was Mysterious Skin, Shelter, Prayers for Bobby, and Brokeback (naturally).

As I got older I found good stuff like Eastsiders, Looking, IWTV, and for movies, In From the Side, the Normal Heart, and All of Us Strangers. More "mainstream" was Shameless, for Ian and Mickey.

I have serious doubts that there is any overlap between the media journeys of some queer fans, particularly queer men, and the media journeys of some slash fans.

[say-hi-intrepid-heroes]

thoughts on Honor Among Thieves (spoiler free)

i finally got around to watching the new D&D movie, and I have some thoughts.

(no spoilers, except for things that are obvious in the trailer, like the big wildshaping druid)

first, some good things:

each character played their stats well. dumb and strong? makes stupid jokes. dexterity-based instead of strength-based? dodges attacks instead of blocking them. the dialogue was very true to stats as well.

the easter eggs. lots of references/appearances of dnd creatures, locations, and different species, even so of the more obscure ones

it felt like the dice were behind it all. there were lots of failures that seemed so far up to chance that someone had failed a check, and a few successes that felt like nat20s, plus things in between. there wasn't an obscene number of successes or failures in a row, as many movies are prone to have.

material components! they dont forget about them :)

now, my criticisms:

too many damn wildshapes. i think i counted six or seven in one scene, and i guarantee the druid is not an archdruid. this bothered me more than anything else, to be honest.

chris pine's character. i don't care what anyone says, he's not a bard. he doesn't do anything a bard would do, no spells, no obvious bardic inspiration. honestly i think he's a commoner with 3 hit points.

the lack of diversity. two humans, a half elf, and a tiefling. the half elf just looks like a human, and the tiefling is in no way a tiefling except for her horns. tieflings typically have funky eyes and skin, and she had neither. i get that CGI is expensive, but it's really easy to slather someone in green paint and call them a half orc. (also, i've heard criticisms about the lack of LGBTQ+ representation, but there wasn't a whole lot of romance anyway, so i'm not super mad about that)

forgetting about action economy. i get it, you have to make a movie that's super cinematic, but a single barbarian, even at level six or seven (which is around where i estimate this group to be, max) cannot take on almost a dozen guards in heavy armor with weapons and take barely any damage, then go on to fight again almost immediately.

overall, i think it's a fun movie, and it's nice to see something i love up on the big screen. i do think it will cause problems for dms introducing new players who have seen the movie and not any actual play shows, cause i can already hear players wanting to do the cool things they do in the movie, then rolling poorly and getting mad at the dm when they cant do what they wanted to do. i'm interested to see if they add to it in the future, maybe with a bigger budget and some more diversity in character species. i also hope they replace chris pine, but hey, you cant get everything in life i suppose.

TLDR: good movie, not totally representative of actual D&D, but definitely give it a watch if you like D&D.

[halfway-happyyy]

Love Like This

AN: Basically you’re stuck in quarantine and you’re reflecting on the things that make Alexander who he is. Oh, you’ve also got some pretty fantastic news for him.

Cotton candy clouds of fluff.

“Saturday nights used to look a hell of a lot different than this one, didn't they?”

Where once there were movie premiers to attend, award shows to be embarrassingly proud at, cocktails to be sipped, friends to laugh with… you are at home for the foreseeable future.

Alexander glances up from his phone to beam at you. “Maybe so. But this happens to be one of the better Saturday evenings I've had.”

“Yeah? And why is that?”

Alexander shrugs. “I'm with my best friend.”

It’s currently late into the evening and a soft rain patters gently against the glass kitchen windows. Alexander's just finished his second glass of chardonnay and he's leant over the gleaming marble counter top, phone clutched in his hand. He's tired tonight; keeps squinting down at the content on his phone and letting out long yawns every few minutes. As you take in all six foot four of his frame, from the unkempt quarantine hair and the five o’clock (almost six now) shadow forming on his face, to the worn sweatpants hanging low on his hips… you reflect silently on the things you know to be certain about the elder Swede before you.

The first thing that comes to mind is his complete adoration for his family. It never ceases to make you feel suddenly warm and fuzzy inside just thinking of it. He frequently tells you how excited he is to get the two of you back to Sweden when this is all over- “Just you and I and the rest of the family on our little island.” Last night he spent over two hours happily talking to Gustaf while he nursed a couple of his favourite beers. This morning you both had the pleasure of having facetime pancakes with his mother, the memory of it causes you to smile softly to yourself.

“Whatcha smiling about over there, kid?” Alexander pipes up.

“Your mum,” and your heart sings as you watch the grin bloom across his face.

The next thing is his intense love of coffee. Being someone who travels more than the average person, he has become quite the caffeine connoisseur. There is actually a cupboard in the corner of the kitchen dedicated to bags of exotic beans he's found along his travels and it isn't uncommon for the first thing you hear in the morning to be the muffled whir of his ever-coveted machine in the corner next to the spice rack.

“What on earth is that?”

“What's what, kid?”

You gestured to the pile of expensive looking metal beneath the kitchen window.

“That… thing.”

Alexander scoffed in mild offence. “That thing, is my new baby. That thing roasts coffee beans like hot damn. Starbucks could never,” He hissed under his breath.

You're pretty sure you could write a book of all of things you know to be true about him. That he loves nothing more sometimes than to stroll anonymously around the city. That he'll spend an entire day pouring through a book if it's good enough. That there is a small wooden box next to your bed that is chock-full of hand written love letters from him. Some are written on airplane napkins in his slightly shaky, but still signature scrawl and some are on luxuriously thick paper purchased from a stationery shop in Siena. You know and adore the way his accent thickens when he's had a little too much to drink. (He's definitely been guilty of forgetting that your Swedish is still quite rusty, yet attempting to launch into full-on conversations with you regardless of that fact.) Or the way his cerulean gaze lightens or darkens depending on his mood.

Alexander sighs tiredly and hoists his arms high above his head in a stretch. He yawns and pockets the phone in his pants. “I'm going to start getting ready for bed, kid. You coming?”

His bedtime routine varies from night to night. Some nights he starts out reading; could be a novel someone's suggested to him or a script he's been sent. Whatever it is, his brain has a habit of running away on him from time to time and settling into a good chapter is a sure-fire way to have him sleepy within the hour. Some nights he's intent on making you feel amazing; he'll spend hours between your legs, taking his sweet time. Other nights, particularly if he's just been home after a long shoot, he simply holds you close to him.

“I love you, I love you, I love you kid.”

It's a mantra he only whispers when he's missed you more than he can say.

“Yeah baby. I'll be up in a few minutes.”

You drain what's left of your tea and make sure everything's turned off in the kitchen. Alexander is perched on his side of the bed when you enter the room. You marvel at the way his back muscles ripple and flex in the low lamplight as he stretches before bed. You’ve told him numerous times in the past how beautiful he is, but most of the time he just laughs it off.

“Couldn't hold a candle to you, kid.”

You pad over to the bed to undress, trying in vain to ignore the sudden prickle of nerves in your belly. Alexander is already waiting for you, arms outstretched for you to fall into. You settle into him as you have thousands of times before, and each time never fails to feel like coming home. You know his scent; a heady mix of body wash, cologne and sweat. You have memorized the sound of his heartbeat and the way it makes you feel when it beats against your shoulder blade. “Saturday nights are about to look a lot different than they do now, Alex.”

One thing, and maybe it’s the thing that stands out the most to you, is how much Alexander loves children. He's always had a way with them; they flock to him in droves. Your heart thrums in your chest when you think of the first time he got to meet his baby niece, or the hundreds of facetimes he’s had with his younger brothers. It's possible that this has everything to do with him being the elder brother of seven other siblings, but he's simply just a natural with them. Where his patience often lacks with adults, he never fails to make time for kids and it's never been a secret he's tried to hide. In fact, it was one of the first things he revealed about himself when you first began seeing him.

“I'd love a big family in the future. That seems like the ultimate dream, doesn't it? Waking up every morning to the sound of tiny, barefoot pitter-patters?”

You couldn't deny the way his glassy blue orbs lit up like a Christmas tree at the mere mention of his own family someday.

“I know I'm going to be a father someday. I don't doubt that it's going to be difficult and terrifying beyond all measure but I do know that it’s going to be the most important role of my life… and I really just can't wait for it.”

Alexander somehow knows exactly what you mean without further elaboration. He sits up straight in bed and pats your arm twice so you can follow suit. Instinctively, his large, warm hands travel to the bump that is mere months away from making an appearance in your belly. He swallows hard and clears his throat, you notice the way his lips quiver ever so slightly before he asks, “Are we?”

Your breath catches in your throat as you watch tears brim in the corners of his eyes. “Yeah Alex, we are.”

He tilts his head back and, you doubt you'll ever forget the sound of his laugh or the way the tears roll down his cheeks in unbelievably happy streams. After a while he drops his head to your belly and proceeds to pepper dozens of kisses over the expanse of your exposed skin. He stays like that for what feels like hours; and when he finally gazes back up at you, he's beaming so wide he puts sunshine to shame. 

“Can't wait to tell the family, kid.”

[burned-gucci]

(Your) Friendship Reaction: Friday Night With The Girls!

A fairly casual Friday night sleepover with your best friend(s)

Karina:

She had asked you to come over tonight to play games, eat, drink, sleep. Maybe some scary movies. However, the plan seemingly changed when showed up to her place and found her in the bathroom bleaching her hair with a box of burgundy hair dye on the sink in front of her.

Karina definitely isn't shy about dying her hair, she changes hair colors like one would change out a load of laundry. It feels like every time you see you she has a new hair color, so this really isn't new. It's also not new for her to switch plans last minute cause truth be told, she never knows what she wants to do until that moment hits and an idea springs into her mind.

As she continued bleeching her hair, you hoped up on the sink counter and watched her while you talked. She said you could use her nail polish, mess with her makeup, do whatever you wanted. Play whatever music you wanted. If you liked, she even offered to dye your hair as well since she has plenty. It was up to you!

You guys ended up talking about a number of things. Discussing the latest episode of your favorite tv series and guessing what would happen next using logic from what has happened thus far. She laughed at random jokes and lines you repeated from the show, knowing exactly what scene you were refering to as she commented back with the next line. Afterwards y'all talked music videos, celebrities you both like and dislike maybe. Filled each other in on the news (celebrity or politics). Once the bleach was in and her hair was held up in a plastic bag, she went to grab her keys so you could both go grab some food, she let you choose the place.

It was always kinda weird how shameless she is but at the same time, her confidence about it is inspiring and one of her best qualities. Anywho, hoping in her broken apart damaged black car that no-one knows how it's still running, Karina drove you guys to the restraunt and put in your order picking up the food and driving back JUST in time for her to wash out her hair.

You ate as she washed her hair and attempted to eat little bites of her food as she applied the hair coloring, not wanting to waste time in between. As you low-key called her gross and made jokes you still helped her eat while feeding her little bites of food, teasing her sometimes and making her chase the fork/spoon/iteam. Overall, the eating process was full of laughing and her threatening to dump the hair dye on you just for you to threaten dipping her food in the hair color changing soup in return.

As her hair dye had to sit in for 45 minutes, the two of you watched music videos and played kids monopoly, or jenga. As they're the only games she currently owns! Karina being the not-so-well-focused girl that she is, ended up losing for silly reasons. In jenga she lost because she didn't realise 2/3 of the blocks in the middle row had already been pulled out, since she was eyes glued on the video, and she ended up pulling the last block and knocking the whole tower over in the process. During monopoly she simply had bad luck of sitting in jail throughout half of the game, allowing you to buy the majority of the properties. The other half the game she was paying you and the bank causing her to go bankrupt with only one or two properties being owned by her.

After the game you end up helping her wash out and dry her hair upon her endless begging you to just for her in the end to decide she isn't sure how she feels about this color. After spending about 4 hours total on her hair, she kinda wishes it was still black but she decides to leave it anyways. Insisting she'll clean up the bathroom mess tomorrow (she won't) she pulls you back to the living room and puts on your favorite movie for you guys to watch in the backround while sharing random stories back and forth.

Ciara:

Ciara isn't entirely sure why she invited you over at night knowing well enough she isn't a night time person. She's usually asleep before 11pm. However, she's really missed hanging out with you lately and your presence alone gives her so much energy and makes her happy.

When you arrived, she was eating a bowl of cheerios and drinking some gatorade while scrolling through instagram looking at denim skirts. The first thing she said to you as you walked inside the house was 'what do you think of this?' As she held her phone up to show you a light blue denim knee length skirt with a yellow sunshine on the bottom right side. You gave your opinion on it as you sat across from her at the table. "You're welcome to the kitchen. I don't care what you eat as long as I don't have to make it." She pointed towards the kitchen as she continued to scroll. Almost dropping the phone in her bowl of milk, as you made your choice on what to do, Ciara ended up slapping the phone back at herself and hitting herself in the face with it. Laughing and half crying, she placed the phone on the table and held her nose. "Maybe I should put that down for now!" She stated fairly loudly before getting back to her food.

After eating and placing the dishes in the sink for her to wash later, Ciara headed to her room with you close behind. Forgetting she had washed her sheets earlier, Ciara had to now make her bed. She asked you for help putting the bottom sheet on, let you choose your own blanket from the closet, she made the rest of the bed half efforted. Wrinkles covered the sheets and the pillows were simply thrown at the top of the bed but she didn't care much since you guys were both going to be laying in it immediately anyways!

Crawling into bed to lay on the side closest to the window, Ciara situated herself before tapping the bed beside her for you to lay down. Knowing you well enough, she handed you a book you love/turned the tv onto your favorite channel and let you do your own things as she scrolled through instagram once again occasionally asking for your opinion on certain clothing iteams.

If you have any to share, she listened to you share your thoughts, about whatever was on your mind. She gave her advice and shared her honest opinions in return. If you just wanted to lay there and watch your show/read your book she was fine with that too. She just wanted to be with you and hang together. Not necessarily do something together, that's what tomorrow is for!

At some point, your unsure of when, she managed to fall asleep facing the wall using her arm as a pillow, her actual pillow tossed to the foot of the bed. She was curled up halfway in a ball half stretched out, taking up half the bed space. She looked peaceful, almost dead she was so still and quiet, but peaceful.

Monse:

She had everything planned out! Dinner: Taco Bar! She made different kinds of main fillings based on your tastes and hers. Included little things she knows you love and she set the table up in a very aesthetic and neat way. Drinks: at the store she made sure to buy a few of your favorite drinks as well as a case of water. She also made homemade punch using sherbet ice cream and 7up/Sprite. Outfits: She had your guys matching Marvel/DC robes ans pj sets pulled out and on her bed. Hers was a Nebula/Poison ivy (depending on which one you prefer) set while yours was Gamora/Harley Quinn (dending).

Once you got there, you guys would eat then change. As you ate, she asked all about your day, let you rant and get everything off your cheat if need be. She told you what you wanted to hear and what you needed to hear as you guys discissed several topics. After eating she let you use the bedroom/bathroom to get ready first while she cleaned up the mess before going to change her own clothes and get ready for bed.

Afterwards, she set up the table with posterboard, construction paper, assorted art supplies, ect because tonight you guys will be making your own board game! Whether it be a toally made up game based on shared thoughts between you two or a remake of an already owned and made game. EX.: Marvel/DC based monopoly. Twister using memes. Your own version of battle ship or LIFE. Whatever it may be!

As you both divided up the jobs of who does what parts and as you agreed upon one main idea for the game/gave ideas for the game, Monse played your guys 'Alien Dreamz' playlist AKA the music playlist you guys made last time you spent the night. The whole time y'all were making the game she kept making really bad puns. As she was measuring the cardboard she came up with 'whos the King of school supplies? The RULER!' Before laughing at her own joke. She asked: 'Whats a frogs favorite art supply? Ribbon-t, Ribbon-t' and actually sounding like a frog as she cut ribbon for decoration. The list is endless honestly.

While working on your guys project, between her bad jokes, she complimented you on random things that she genuinely adores about you. Like how pretty/handsom/cute you look when you're focused. Or how she loves the way your hands look as you use a pair of scissors. How soft your eyelashes look. How much she loves your laugh/singing voice. Ect. If you compliment her back, she'll blush and giggle feeling shy but so happy under the surface.

Eventually, she gets really tired and asks if your ready to go to bed saying y'all can finish the game in the morning. You end up laying on the bed she made on the floor out of twelve dozens blankets and pillows, stuffed animals and sheets. While you lay together you share a bowl of popcorn/snack of your choice while watching the Simpsons or any tv show you want if you don't like the Simpsons. She tries so hard to wait for you to fall asleep first so you won't feel lonely but she was so tired she ended up falling asleep a few minutes before you do.

Question of the Day:

Can you/do you stay up late or fall asleep at a decent/early hour?

My Answer:

Depends on the day! Some nights I'm asleep at 7pm some times I can stay up for 80+ hours. It just depends!

[awed-frog]

I'm trying to learn italian and I was wondering if you know some ways (like tv shows or books) that could help

Hi! Wow, kudos! I think your idea is the right one - when learning a language, following some kind of textbook to understand the grammar and working on vocab are the most important things, but watching TV, reading and listening to music are extremely useful ways to both keep motivated and learn about the culture (for beginners) and discover new words and realize how far you’ve come (intermediate level and beyond).

Now, the problem with Italy is that a) it’s really not online a lot as a country and b) TV shows are often about ‘exotic’ realities like Sicily, which means that they’re not ideal for language learners because they will feature a specific kind of Italian that’s often much harder than the standard one (hell, I need subs for some movies). On the plus side, Italy’s got a vibrant music scene, and ferreting around the web you’ll find both the original lyrics and (sometimes) an English translation.

So, here are a few ideas to get you started.

TV shows

Gomorra - linguistically speaking, often difficult, since it’s based in Naples, but a gritty story and an interesting insight into Italy’s criminal underbelly.

Il commissario Montalbano - again, there’s a lot of Sicilian here, but this is really a show most Italians watch and it’s absolutely delightful. The books, of course, written by Andrea Camilleri, are much better, but unless you’re a motivated C1 please read them in translation. Oh, and there’s a spinoff for thirsty people featuring a younger commissario.

Romanzo Criminale is both a series and a movie - again, there are some difficult terms because it’s set in Rome and it focuses on a criminal family, but it’s certainly a story worth watching. Addic7ed’s got English subs for both seasons.

Don Matteo is also a detective story of some kind, but a lot more light-hearted. It stars 1980s heart-throb and current national treasure Terence Hill as an unusual priest with an interesting life.

(Sorry, got distracted.) 

(Jesus, though, look at him.)

(Okay, one more second.)

Un medico in famiglia was an immensely successful series which ran for ten years and finished (I think) in 2016. It’s a sort of family sitcom with famous actor Lino Banfi. A bit naff for me, but definitely steeped in reality and a good choice for language learners.

Elisa di Rivombrosa ravaged the country like a petticoated storm about ten years ago - a classic soap-opera set in the 1790s, it features all the tropes of the genre - star-crossed lovers, war, betrayal - if you can think about it, it’s there.

Medici: Masters of Florence was originally shot in English because it stars Dustin Hoffman (???) and King in the North Richard Madden, but you should be able to find the Italian version (most of the other actors are Italian, so it’s not really a dubbing). From a quality point of view, it was nowhere near other big historical productions like The Borgias or Versailles, but it was okay, and also focused on people we normally know nothing about - not famous Lorenzo il Magnifico, but his cunning and ruthless father, Cosimo, played by Richard.

Finally, remember that the Italian dubbing industry is probably the best in the world - personally, I feel like a good way to learn languages is to watch a favourite show you almost know by heart in another language. That way, you don’t have to focus on the story and can sit back and not get frustrated if you don’t understand a key scene or something, because hey, you know what’s happening already. Humour is probably the hardest thing to translate, so I’d stay away from sitcoms, but as for drama, we’ve got it all - Grey’s Anatomy, Desperate Housewives, The Mentalist, CSI - if you’ve got money to splurge on DVDs, just watch with the Italian dialogue and English subs at first, then turn on Italian subs. That’s basically my favourite language learning exercise.

And also: as I said, Italy’s not really online yet, and if you don’t live in the country I don’t think you’ve got access to RAI content from their website, but some things are available on Youtube. For instance, you can find complete episodes (look for “puntata intera”) of Piero Angela’s documentaries (which are always well-made and really interesting), the Italian X Factor, Undercover Boss (Boss in incognito), Junior Masterchef Italia, game show L’eredità, and also Report’s tough investigative journalism, Daria Bignardi’s interviews with VIPs and celebrities, and clips of popular political programs such as Ballarò, Annozero, Porta a Porta, Crozza nel paese delle meraviglie (which is more satire, but still) and so on.

Movies

I won’t give you a list of Italian movies you should absolutely watch, because there are dozens of good lists around the web already, but recent favourites of mine include Le fate ignoranti (or, really, anything by Ferzan Ozpetek, one of the best directors Italy has to offer), Pane e tulipani, and most of all La meglio gioventù, a majestic tour de force which manages to be absolutely everything - a fascinating story full of unforgettable characters, a sharp social critique denouncing issues as diverse as the far right, political corruption and the shameful treatment of mentally ill people, and a must-see insight into Italian history of the past forty years - if you’ve ever wondered why Italy is the way it is, please watch this movie. It will add years to your life and it’s good for language learning, because most characters speak a clear, standard Italian and not at the usual breakneck speed, either.

Books

Italian writers are generally very creative with their language, so it’s always hard to rec books to language learners. A good bet are post-war novels, which were deliberately written in a simpler style - try Primo Levi, Giorgio Bassani or Natalia Ginzburg - and, as for more recent stuff - I enjoyed YA love story La solitudine dei numeri primi, Venuto al mondo by Margaret Mazzantini (which managed to be both about that special relationship between a mom and her son and the tragedy of the siege of Sarajevo - witchcraft, surely?), zombie apocalypse dystopia Anna by Nicolò Ammaniti, Valerio Massimo Manfredi’s Alexander, and, of course, Elena Ferrante’s books (which, well, are a good example of that perfect linguistic mastery I mentioned earlier, so they may be easier to read in translation - but they are a must-read).

Music

As I said, music is a big part of Italian culture - there are dozens of songs everybody knows by heart, and young people playing guitar and shouting the lyrics to the high heavens in the most improbable places (river banks, packed trains, the steps of some church) is still a common sight (thank God). From Fabrizio de André’s sheer poetry, to Francesco de Gregory’s often nonsensical beauty, all the way to the powerful love ballads of Claudio Baglioni and Lucio Battisti, there really is something for everyone. Some websites will offer a translation of the lyrics, but if your level is intermediate or higher, you shouldn’t find it too hard to understand them on your own - and I’m sure you’ll be more than tempted to sing along, because, really - forget Fellini and pizza and Roman ruins - music is really what holds the country together, and Italian, with its rich vowels and soft prosody, is really really really suited to be a singing language.

Buon divertimento and remember - language learning is magic and insane and also a process: go at your own pace and enjoy yourself.