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[bangladeshentertainment24]

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[hellomynameisbisexual]

"We are challenging people to face their own external and internal biphobia. We are demanding attention. We are redefining 'anything that moves' on our own terms."

So declares the introduction to Anything That Movies, a bisexual zine that ran from 1991 to 2001. Founded by editor and photographer Karla Rossi, Anything That Moves got its name from the stereotype that bisexual people will sleep with "anything that moves," and it sought to redefine these and other assumptions about bi people in its decade-long run. Rossi didn't respond to Mashable's request for comment.

All 22 issues of Anything That Moves are now archived by a group of young bisexual people and allies. Not only does the archive introduce a new generation to a rare instance of bi-focused writing, but it's also shockingly relevant to issues bi people face today.

Discovering the bisexual zine

Snippets of the introduction have circulated the internet in recent years, and they're referred to as the ATM "manifesto" on its website. The words caught the attention of bi writer Kravitz Marshall, but he had never seen other material from the zine.

In 2020, Marshall found the Anything That Moves website, a relic of the early 2000s with an incomplete archive. He then bought issue #16 from Bolerium Books, a source for out-of-print books and material related to social movements. Marshall scanned each page of the issue and uploaded it online for free; he had planned on doing this for all issues of Anything That Moves, but acquaintances on a bisexual Discord server expressed interest in helping. The discussion grew so much that they created a separate server.

"It was the first time I became aware such a thing existed and I became very excited at the thought of finding and reading more copies," said Jo, a bi femme activist who became involved in the project and now helms the archive email.

The group found issue #2 via Reddit, but believed finding all the issues would be a difficult process — until a member of the now-inactive archive server was able to gather PDFs of every issue through her university library.

"It was thrilling and such a relief," Marshall told Mashable, "because had this not happened, we might've had to do it the hard and expensive way."

"It happened so fast," Jo recalled. "I just remember about seven bisexuals, including Krav and myself, putting our heads together to figure out the best way to get our hands on all these copies and how to share them with the rest of the LGBTQ community."

Now, the work of Marshall, Jo, and a group of bi people and allies is gathered in the archive.

Joy and heartbreak of Anything That Moves

Reading through the archive is, personally, an ambivalent experience. Anything That Moves began before I was even born, and I feel kindred reading this decades-old work; it's like reading discussions I've had with bi friends back to me. The articles, reviews, fiction, and poetry in discusses visibility, (non)monogamy, the inclusion of trans people in bisexuality — to name merely a few topics still pertinent today.

Despite the joy of reading this bi-centric work, however, it's telling how little has changed since 1991.

Jo, who grew up in a conservative area, found the zine refreshing and comforting. "Even when you discover/read/watch anything regarding LGBTQ history, it’s very rare for any specific focus to be given to the bisexual community," they said. "Finding Anything That Moves was a shock to my system."

Marshall was touched by the "unfiltered life" within its pages. "There's urgency, there's knowledge, there's joy, there's righteous rage, there's lust," Marshall said, "and you don't have to go searching between the lines for it — it grabs your shoulders and shakes you until you reach the back cover."

Despite the joy of reading this bi-centric work, however, it's telling how little has changed since 1991.

For Jo, the experience of reading Anything That Moves has been both special and heartbreaking. "A lot of the subject matter is stuff that the bi community has been dealing with forever," they said. "The same stereotypes and heterosexism that bisexuals faced nearly thirty years ago are still very prevalent today."

"It really hits you that virtually nothing has changed about the outside perception of bisexuality and bisexuals," Marshall agreed. "Almost every single issue we grapple with now is a hand-me-down."

He pointed to a piece in the inaugural issue called "This Poem Can Be Put Off No Longer" to display his point. Here are the first few stanzas:

The first several stanzas of "This Poem Can Be Put Off No Longer" by Susan Carlton, featured in the first issue of 'Anything That Moves.' Credit: Anything That Moves / Susan Carlton

The poem continues, but the point is clear from the start: Bisexual people aren't believed for who they are. They're belittled and told to "choose a side," that they're bisexual for attention. It's difficult to think that this poem is over 30 years old.

The poem "truly could've been written yesterday... or 50 years ago," said Marshall. "How long do we have to keep screaming the same things to the world over and over until people stop pretending we're speaking another galaxy's language?"

Stigma against bisexuality still persists today, and impacts people's lives: Bisexual people are more likely to be anxious and depressed; they're also more likely to experience intimate partner violence.

The stagnancy of the world's perception of bisexual people infuriates Marshall, he said, but it's imperative to still talk about these issues. "You can't just stop talking about these issues, so you just say the same things, because the world that needs to listen to you refuses to move on. And I'm not a fan of repeating myself," he said. "You just feel like you're going crazy."

The solace of Anything That Moves, however, is that even though progress has been slow, fellow bisexual people can relate to the shared experience detailed in its pages.

"How long do we have to keep screaming the same things to the world over and over until people stop pretending we're speaking another galaxy's language?"

After Jo came out, for example, they internalized that being bi made them "second-rate." They didn't feel welcome in cisheterosexual circles nor LGBTQ circles, a common feeling for bisexual people who feel like they're straddling both. Searching for issues of Anything That Moves, part of bisexual history, helped Jo connect with other bi people. Being able to meet others facing the same issues, and sharing this historical information and searching for more, has made the biggest impact on them and their identity.

"I don't feel as alone as I once did because bisexuals of today wanted to learn more about their bisexual elders," they said.

Those who have found the archive have also felt that connection. The archive team has received waves of emails, messages, and followers — some wanting to help, others thanking them.

"For the most part, people are just delighted to finally get to read the magazine," Marshall said.

Even this positive feedback echoes the sentiment of the time. Readers wrote to Anything That Moves, and some of those letters are published in subsequent issues. "You can see so clearly how life-changing these publications were to some people," Marshall said, "so thank God it was brought to the world."

"It's something I definitely needed when I was a closeted, bisexual teenager."

The archive has helped current bi readers ground in their bisexuality, Jo said. The archivists even connected with some former Anything That Moves editors, who discovered them through the project. "I'm just happy we got a chance to say thank you for everything they left for us to discover," Jo said.

There's still work to be done for the archive, like transcriptions for easier reading and sharing. Some people involved even planned on making an original virtual bi zine, Marshall said, but due to personal commitments, the idea fizzled out within months.

"I still hope it'll exist one day," Marshall said. "If by some miracle the future grants me that wish, I won't reveal its title, but I find it pleasantly cheeky."

For now, of course, there's nearly two-dozen issues of Anything That Moves. Jo believes the zine is a gift.

"I want to be able to share this gift with anyone else who may need it," they said. "It's something I definitely needed when I was a closeted, bisexual teenager."

#bisexuality #bisexual community #lgbtq community #lgbtq #bi #support bisexuality #lgbtq pride #pride #bi tumblr #bisexuality is valid #bisexual #bi pride #bisexual nation #bisexual pride #bisexual education #bisexual youth #support bisexual people #bisexual men #respect bisexual people #bisexual rights #magazine #bisexual woman #bisexual people

[the-silent-echos]

Poor Things - What a Movie

Saw the name "Emma Stone" and the IMDB rating (8.4 - with over 100k reviews), and went to watch it without watching the trailer or any reviews.

It's an unsettling movie with the word "Feminism" written all over it.

I am probably over-compensating saying this - many of the scene came across as brutal and uncomfortable, but I somehow realized the discomfort came from the patriarchy thoughts rooted in me.

Undeniably interesting and stimulating is how I would describe the way the movie discussed things like arranged marriage, maternity, the relationship between a father and a daughter, prostitution, affairs and, sexuality of both men and women.

But all while the film handled the aforementioned morbid and taboo topics like those in a feminism light, it feels somewhat cynical towards the end when Bella returned to "God" and questioned his morality (but ended up doing the same to someone else) and how she was apologetic (a little bit?) when telling her "first love" that she was a whore during her time in Paris.

Last but not least, I understand the movie was mostly about feminism, but the male characters in it are all so typical and one-dimensional. My understanding of feminism is that it celebrates equality and freedom of choosing ones gender - not just about empowering women, but also freeing men from the toxic masculinity and gender role the "patriarchy" enforced on people of both sexes. I appreciate the movie has to handle so much in just 2.5 hours, but the picture it painted isn't really something I would proudly call a manifestation of Feminism - very close, but sadly not there yet, in my opinion.

Not saying it's not a good movie - it's an excellent piece of art - the story, the presentation, the visuals are all marveling - it's just that it's so close to being the perfect feminist movie there is, but not being it.

----

Now to a more personal note - this movie also speaks to me about the relationship I just ended not long ago.

In the movie, Bella also "cheated" on her fiance, and then again on the lover she ran away with.

In the story, Bella is supposed to be mostly free of the moral constraints we are taught when we grow up. And one of the first few things she do after she discovered sexuality is to cheat with someone.

Maybe it's just in our genes. Maybe humans are not meant to be in monogamy relationships - no matter what the sociologists tell us.

But can we really blame humans on seeking fun and adventure?

Why do we demand loyalty anyway?

[mysmestranscripts]

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#Emails #Master List #Casual Story #Deep Story #Original Story #Another Story

[justasparkwritings]

Exile: Five Whole Minutes

Previous: Breaking Branches

Pairing: Timotheé Chalamet x Reader

Genre: Angst, Slice of Life

Rating: PG15

Word Count: 1.8K

Warnings: Swearing

Summary: Timothée’s crossed the line... now what?

Exile Master List

         She left a kiss on his cheek as she ran down the stairs and out to the garage. She knew he’d remember her 10:30 workout, a Saturday staple, but she texted to remind him that today she had brunch with a few friends. She delicately wrote a note, which she set next to a freshly filled glass with water before setting it on the bathroom counter, ibuprofen next to it. She knew he would be dehydrated when he awoke, not only from their intimacy the previous night, but from the copious amounts of alcohol they drank.

         Timothée had begun shipping a few boxes home from vineyards and distilleries that he’d enjoyed while filming, often holes in the wall that had no Yelp review, often small family owned places. He’d send a case to his parents, one to his agent and manager, and one home. She loved that he brought home specialty liquor, particularly because it made their bar a little gauche and allowed her to feign any understanding of the complexities of alcohol. She preferred prosecco, preferably under $15 and easily accessible in her local grocery stores liquor aisle.

        Timothée was a connoisseur, a wannabe sommelier. He had an impeccable palate, which always terrified her when out at restaurants or catching a drink on a Thursday, unsure what to order. She often deferred to him, leaning on his expertise. At first, he thought it was charming, he liked that she wanted him to pick it out. In reality, she was avoiding looking like an idiot in front of a man she liked so much so quickly. Eventually she shared her insecurity, and the next time they were out, he asked if she wanted him to order for her, and since then, he had taught her a lot about alcohol, about making drinks, about which wines paired with what. In her heart, she didn’t care, but she felt more confident every time they went out.

           They loved sharing nights over a new acquisition. But it could also be their downfall. Last night they had tasted three different bottles of vodka, sipping slowly on their drinks while they caught up and made out.

           Timothée had returned on Tuesday from filming. Much like his other projects, he was completely burned out. Yes, set tended to have a lot of downtime, but Timothée was a pro, and he knew that the last two weeks were often the most grueling. Filming all hours, getting shots and different takes and angles on every scene. His body was physically worn down, and his mind had tried to separate himself from the incident two months prior. The minute he got to their house, she was waiting with a scalding bath, the perfect balance of Epsom salts and lavender. She knew him so well and slowly undressed him and herself, languidly moving into their tub. The music was low, the lights were dimmed, and they sat together, skin pruning, reacquainting themselves with the intimacy they had missed.

           She’d made dinner and they ate in comfortable silence. Then, she gave him a melatonin gummy and he passed out at 8PM.

           There was nothing like falling asleep in your own bed, in your own house, with the person you love, after being away for three months. His accommodations abroad were always nice, often over the top for him. He took it upon himself to become friends with the staff, to say hello to every member he saw, and he took his politeness very seriously, particularly in a country where he didn’t speak the language. But his own sheets… waking up to her … his own bathroom with the perfect water pressure … and a closet where his clothes were put away correctly, where laundry was done when he wanted it to be when, where he could cook any time of day. Their house was home, whether it was this estate or the flat in New York.

           He fell asleep quickly and awoke early afternoon to find her gone to work, but his favorite pastries from their local bakery waiting for him. Upon her return she found him doing laundry and making space for his new purchases. He left a surprise for her on the top of the counter in their closet, knowing she’d find it when she came up to change.

           “Babe, what’s this?” She asked, carrying the bag into the laundry room.

           “It’s a gift,” He said, folding the stack of t-shirts.

           “You didn’t have to,”

           “I wanted to,”

           “Tim, this isn’t because you feel-

           “No, it’s because I saw it and I thought you would like it. I like to buy you things while I’m gone,” He said shrugging.

           “I really like it,” She said, holding the bag tight to her chest.

           “I’m glad,” He stopped folding to take her in. She was still in her professional attire, hair pulled back and dangling earrings still in. “You look beautiful.”

           “Thank you, I had an important meeting this afternoon,” She looked up from the bag and caught him staring.

           “That’s a good color on you,” He said, moving towards her to rest his hands on her hips. She’d missed his touch and shivered at the contact.

           “Thank you,” She whispered, eyes darting from his lips to his eyes. He mimicked the movement and leaned in to kiss her. She turned her head. “I need to change.”

           She turned on her heels and walked back to their closet, silently screaming.

           Timothée didn’t protest or pry, he knew why she’d pulled away. Perhaps after dinner they would talk, air things out. She was often hesitant to be intimate when he returned, unsure who he’d been with… the fact that she knew, the fact that she’d spent Friendsgiving at her house and had invited her to movie nights made it worse. Maybe she needed more time.

           Which is how they ended up drunk and having sex in various places in their home all Friday afternoon, evening and night. There was something in the liquor that loosened her up, and something in how he looked and spoke to her that reminded her how much he loves her. It was also because of the alcohol that they had officially ended their open relationship, deciding monogamy was what they both wanted. The incident with Florence had caused them to reevaluate their relationship. Wasn’t that the point of a relationship? To grow and challenge one another, and at the end of the day, make decisions together? It was on that note that they had made love most of Friday, and why he was sleeping until eleven on Saturday.

           Timothée was awoken by his phone ringing and loudly vibrating off the nightstand. Jolted from his dreamless slumber, he quickly reached for it and furrowed his eyebrows at the caller ID.      

“Hello?” He growled softly as he cleared his throat.

           “Hey Timmy, can we meet for coffee? I have something I need to talk to you about,” Florence said.

           “Oh, yeah. Sure. When?”

           “Can you do 30 minutes?”

           “Uh, yeah, yeah, where?”

           “Do you want to just come here?” She asked.

           “Sure, see you in 30 minutes,” He hung up the phone before jumping out of bed. He made the bed quickly, and thankfully tossed back the water and ibuprofen left for him. He scanned the note while he brushed his teeth. He slipped a baseball cap over his curls and slid into his favorite trainers. He hopped into his car, grateful that she was kind enough to put gas in it and drove off.

           It was three hours later when he heard the garage door open. He tried to wipe the snot from his face. He wondered if he washed his face quickly, would it make a difference?

           She came in through the garage, singing. As the door shut behind her, she was stopped by how quiet it was. Their home was never quiet, particularly in LA, where they often played music or podcasts throughout the house. As she paused, she listened, where was he?

           “Tim? Timothée?” She called moving through the kitchen. “Babe, where are you?” It was then that she heard a sniffle from the living room. She turned down the hallway and beelined for the space.

She stopped dead in her tracks as she took in the sight in front of her. His eyes were swollen and puffed. A pile of tissues sat on the coffee table, the box flipped on its side, no tissues left. His hat was long forgotten, the pile of tissues starting to form a dome on top of it. His curls were blown from his hands running through and tugging them. He glances at her through swollen eye lids.

           “Babe what’s wrong?” She asked, rushing to his side. He engulfed her into his arms, tears falling onto the exposed skin of her neck and shoulder.

           “I’m sorry, I’m so sorry,” He sobbed.

           “Tim, what’s going on?” She questioned, still holding him.

           “I’m so sorry,” He cried.

           “Tim, you’re starting to scare me. What’s wrong?”

           “Florence called, she wanted to have coffee,”

           Her mind began racing. She called today, she knew of their arrangement, had she decided she wanted more from Timothée? Had he slept with her, a day after they had decided to be monogamous? Had she called to say she gave him HIV or Chlamydia? Was she dying?

           “Okay, and?” She whispered, bracing for the hit.

           “She’s, she’s pregnant, and it’s mine, and she’s keeping it,” He tried to breathe, to inhale the air she’s exhaling, but she was rigid.

           “What?” She asked. She could feel her entire body going cold, her eyes filling with tears.

           “Florence… She wanted to get coffee and she told me,” He said. He sounded like a teenager who had had sex for the first time and gotten his girlfriend pregnant at Christian Summer Camp. Like his entire life was over, like his future was ruined. His voice was already pleading, though he didn’t know for what.

           “She’s pregnant?” She whispered.

           “Yes,” He said.

           “And it’s?” She asked.

           “Mine.” His voice cracked. “She wanted me to know and said we could talk about how involved I wanted to be. I have to think about it! I, I’m going to be a -

           “Okay,” She said, arms dropping to her sides. Her tone was hollow. “I’m um, congrats. I’m going to ...”

           She stalled, brain trying to work in overdrive to compensate for the sludge it was peddling through. She decided on her next action before running up the stairs. At first, he thought she was slamming the door to tell him to stay away. But then she came down the stairs, large suitcase packed. She didn’t stop to talk. She didn’t stop to listen to him. She didn’t stop to console him or offer him support. She didn’t stop as he called her name, as he followed her to the garage. She didn’t stop as she watched him fall to the floor in the space her car once was. She didn’t stop as she drove away from the house and the life they shared. He didn’t stop calling after her, even after his knees hit the concrete, the snot and tears mixing on his tongue as he tried to will her back.

Next: My Town

#timothee x reader #timothee x you #timothee chalamet #actor #RPF #actor RPF #established relationship #couple #exile #Florence Pugh #Love #dating #heartbreak

[allthefilmsiveseenforfree]

Teen Witch

Controversial opinion: stories about witches are the best stories. Just look at WandaVision - bitches ate that UP because it’s about WITCHES, which means it’s ultimately about loss and trauma and female (literal) empowerment in the face of those tragedies (and I mean there’s some complicated stuff in there about inflicting trauma upon others, even accidentally, and that’s kind of a witch thing too). And Sabrina is all well and good and everything, but what if you want your witch story to be a little less Dark Arts and a little more candy-coated? Have I got the film for you! Wes requested Teen Witch as part of his quest to expand my cheesy 80s cult classic knowledge, and boy did this one deliver. How 80s-tastic are we talking? Well...

The basic story is this: Louise (Robyn Lively) is a typical teen girl who occupies the nerd level of the high school hierarchy. You know the type - soft-spoken, nerdy best friend, has a crush on the cutest guy in school (Dan Gauthier), made fun of in gym class by all the cheerleaders. One day she crashes her bike in front of a psychic’s home/place of business and goes inside to use the phone, but gets her palm read first. The psychic, named Madame Serena, (Zelda Rubenstein, playing, I’m assuming, herself) tells her she will soon come into some witchy powers on her 16th birthday. When Louise’s birthday rolls around, you guessed it - witching aplenty. She gets the popularity, she gets the cute guy, she ditches her nerdy friend; it’s basically The Princess Diaries without Queen Julie Andrews. But then, y’know, she learns a valuable lesson about the high price of popularity and how important it is to be true to yourse--wait, no she doesn’t, she takes off her magic necklace and smooches with the boy she likes at the school dance and that’s how it ends.

Some thoughts:

This slow motion credit sequence is incredible. See, we just don’t have this anymore, where the movie starts and you have no fucking idea what’s going on. The 80s really knew how to draw an audience in. Is this a dream? Is this a music video? No one knows! That’s why it’s exciting!

Why are tv and movies so obsessed with a completely made-up depiction of what takes place outside a high school’s entrance before the first bell? Apparently there’s a busker festival going on at this high school every day - there’s guys doing BMX tricks, an all white rap group, I think I saw some jugglers.

I’ve actually taught in both middle and high school, so I know this English teacher (Shelley Berman) wouldn’t be fired for being such a shitty teacher, but he should be. 

Is this like...a musical? First there was the terrible rapping, now there are cheerleaders doing “the new cheer” which is literally a song just saying “I...LIKE...BOYS!” and there’s a dance routine on top of lockers - there’s a lot of towel choreography. It feels like a musical in the sense that it’s nonsensical, but I don’t actually think it IS a musical. Genre-defying!

It’s kinda creepy that Louise is watching an extended montage of Brad (Gauthier) working out shirtless from the shadows but like...same, girl. Damn, Brad.

Aw, at least Brad is reasonably nice. Louise, show some backbone! You shouldn’t have been too proud to let him drive you home after he ran you off the road on your bike accidentally!

I am just mystified by the market for roles that were appropriate for Zelda Rubenstein in the 80s. What is this niche? Which came first, Zelda Rubenstein, or these characters? 

I am also mystified by this gremliny little brother (Joshua John Miller) who seems to be obsessed with eating cake and never washing his hair. He’s like a goblin trapped in a diminutive nonbinary body made of pizza and spite. [ETA: I now feel a little bad for finding him so repellent in this, as the actor wrote one of my favorite meta horror movies, The Final Girls, in 2015. So at least he grew up and made something cool of himself.]

OMFG did Brad just hit the soda machine for her like the fucking Fonz? 

There is (temporarily) a Very Good Dog who is not harmed in any way.

In what universe does Louise see what her date, David (Jared Chandler), is wearing and be like “he’s such a geek” when she looks like an extra from Leave it to Beaver. 

The DJ just said “OK guys, grab your wallets, it’s a slow song.” What...does that even mean? Is he implying that slow dances are expensive? Ooh or even more nefarious, that there’s a rampant pickpocketing problem during slow dances?

Did Louise...just imply that the number of light years away a star is dictates how soon a wish you make on that star would come true? Listen. I’m no astrophysicist. But I have read enough Neil Degrasse Tyson tweets to know that that’s not how any of this works. 

OK I take back what I said, David is a fucking CREEP. Drag his ass, Louise. However, I think she may have straight up murdered him by making him disappear. David is never seen or heard from again in this film. 

Obsessed with the dad’s sweaters both because they are ridiculous and because he is the lesser Darren from the original Bewitched. 

It feels weird that Louise’s revenge involves forcing Mr. Weaver to take his clothes off in front of the class.Who wants that? Like I get that it’s humiliating for him, but really, you’re only punishing yourself here Louise. 

There is a rap-off that is meant to convey electric sexual tension between two nerdy ass white kids. 

I don’t know what it was like at your school, but I can tell you for sure that at my high school no one ever applauded when the most popular girl in school walked into the classroom like she’s Kramer making an entrance on Seinfeld.

Why is Brad taking her to an abandoned house in the middle of nowhere? And why is she wearing heels?

Oh god she took the heels off and now she’s barefoot in this decrepit house, that’s so much worse! TETANUS EXISTS LOUISE.

Wait are they going to fuck in the abandoned house? Brad has a girlfriend! You brought heels, but did you bring condoms?? I guess she has bigger concerns than tetanus now. Also I feel so bad for these actors, they are both DRIPPING sweat. That must have been a miserable shoot.

I’ve said this before, but the 80s were such an incredible time for himbo fashion. Crop tops, those tank tops with the giant holes for the arms, teeny little basketball shorts. In the 90s all we had were JNCOs and weirdly “urbanized” Looney Tunes characters on baggy t-shirts. Gen X has no idea how good they had it re: male fashion. 

I’m genuinely obsessed with the idea that popularity means the school just has banners all over that say “LOUISE” and she gets like, cards and fan mail that say “Louise U R the best.” This feels like if you ask a kindergartner what being popular means.

Madame Serena just said “the real magic is believing in yourself” which is exactly what Louise’s dad said like 15 minutes ago, but I guess he wasn’t a 3-foot-tall witch so no one paid attention when he said it. 

Y’know for an 80s prom outfit, Louise’s dress is pretty cute. 

I cannot stress enough that Brad’s girlfriend is at this dance while he and Louise are kissing! Does no one care? Were high school attitudes toward monogamy just way more flexible in the 80s? 

Did I Cry? Shyeah, right. 

This is such an odd, mostly charming, but wildly perplexing little movie. There was no antagonist or real conflict here, at all. Louise barely struggles with any sort of tension or remorse about having her powers and what it means for her life, she just kind of decides at the end that she’s over it, and she still gets the guy and no actual negative consequences from bending the entire school to her will for the past few months. I mean, in The Craft, when people use magic for their own gains, other people fucking DIE. I was definitely entertained, but a lot of it was due to me saying, “What? How? What?” loudly at the screen. I can see how this has gained a cult following in much the same way that other oddball 80s fare like Better Off Dead or Girls Just Wanna Have Fun did. Watch it once, then watch it again while you get drunk with your friends (in a post-Covid world, obviously) and you’ll probably have a pretty great time. 

If you liked this review, please consider reblogging or subscribing to my Patreon! For as low as $1, you can access bonus content and movie reviews, or even request that I review any movie of your choice.

#121in2021 #teen witch #teen witch review #robyn lively #dan gauthier #zelda rubinstein #movie reviews #film reviews #patreon review

[chaoticspacefam]

2020 In Review: Wordcount Tag

I was tagged for this by @actualanxiousswampwitch​ , thank you! I’m not sure who’s already done or been tagged for this cause I am, once again, late to the party LOL but I shall (no pressure and sorry if you’ve already done it!) tag: @rainofaugustsith​ , @darth-bagel​ , @thatmmolesbian​ , @thelastenvoyyy​ and anybody else who wants to do this. Yes, I promise I mean you!

Words: 45,314

Published: 0 (I’m not counting the couple of Six Sentence tags I’ve gotten, they’re snippets of an unfinished piece & are included below instead :), or roleplay replies, cause that feels like cheating lol.) I actually wrote a lot more than I thought I had, this is a rough guesstimate as well, as my oneshot WIPs tend to be all over the place across something like 6 different documents, some of which have existed since 2018, so I had to guess at how far up to count from the end for some of them, but I think it’s a fair guesstimate XD I also have included lore/worldbuilding docs in this because that was a 3-month long Lockdown 1.0 Boredom/”Canon is a trash fire so I’m ignoring that and making up my own lore” passion project and I’m goddamn proud of how much I wrote for that. It’s the most I’ve written in one stretch (think I finished it over a span of 3 nights or so, once I’d done all the research and made all the notes ofc ^^)

Not Published: 45,314

The Breakdown:

swtor - 45,314

for creeping shadows (my main longfic/part one of the subterfugeverse series) - 1,553  - Aria, stop being difficult! *shakes fists* XD

oneshots - 16,223

lore/worldbuilding (for subterfugeverse naturally) - 23,001 (is this ALL tomato alien lore? pretty much, yes, yes it is :’D ~400 words is “the WIP reworked timeline to correlate my worldbuilding with the canon timeline that was released”, but 98% is just...me thinking way too much about Purebloods and how they deserved way better goddamn lore. I blame @fluffynexu ‘s amazing tomato worldbuilding posts,  reading them when I went looking for “canon” lore one day for the rp is what got me started down that rabbithole (it’s awesome and if you haven’t already you should totally go check hers out too :DD), I had a “fuck you then canon I’ll do it myself too >:L” moment and once I started I couldn’t stop until I’d crapped out literally over 20k words on the subject *whispering* thank you LOL)

zephyrverse au bonus oneshots - 4,537 (stuff I wrote to fill in time gaps or “just cause I had a plot bunny”, relating to mine and k-christine’s zephyrverse au rp. None of these will likely be posted publicly, but they still deserve to be counted as words I wrote this year :’D

As you can see, most of my “muse” this year came from sporadic oneshots :’D The Ahaszaai twins also properly plot-bunnied their way into my brain in late 2019 and haven’t stopped making a nuisance of themselves the whole fucking year. Every time I tried to carry on with a chapter, one of the two of them would pop up like “Nooo write about ME! pay attention to ME!” - Yes, Ni’kasi, I will get to you this year, I promise XD

New Things I Tried:

Just Writing. Not worrying about whether “it wasn’t part of the next chapter” or “it comes from a part in the story that I’m nowhere near close to posting yet”. If I felt like writing something, or for a specific pairing/feeling/scene, whatever. I wrote until I ran outta muse juice. Yeah, it meant I didn’t technically “finish” anything this year BUT - the important thing is I wrote stuff. and that’s all that really matters, eh? :’D

Polyam ships! May not seem like a big deal but I spent a long time talking myself out of them because of internalised toxic monogamy and finally saying “you know what, fuck it! I can ship three or more people together and it can still be a perfectly wholesome, healthy and loving relationship and that’s okay” was a BIG thing for me this year.

Dialogue Scripts: which I didn’t count as wordcount because really it’s just word vomit of general tone/inflection and dialogue that I came up with right before falling asleep which I didn’t want to lose. Basically, if an exchange or a particularly punchy or moving line of dialogue popped into my brain but I wasn’t ready to write the whole scene that it fit into out, but didn’t want to forget the line(s). I wrote it out in movie script/script-style roleplay fashion e.g. Character’s Name: (emotion, hand gestures etc.) [Dialogue here] and so on. I know this is probably a well known trick of the trade, but I never took it seriously until this year. Seriously, do it. It’s great.

Favorite Thing I Wrote:

Hmmm, a snippet for Andronikos/Ni’kasi that I started this week which isn’t posted yet (saving it for this week’s Six Sentence Sunday so look out for it! :D) was pretty fun to work on, I love their dynamic and Kas is suprisingly fun to write for.

Also the Aria/Vano proposal scene that I posted a snippet for the week before last. I’m having great fun with that scene, and I really enjoy putting a non-serious spin on the classic “proposal scene” tropes. Can’t wait to finish it, though it may be a while before the full one goes up on AO3, as it depends whether it ends up fitting in as part of the mainfic or as an additional oneshot

And I have a D’leah/Kissai oneshot that I need to give another once-over before I finally yeet it onto AO3 and Tumblr for you guys to see :’D

Favorite Fic I Read:

@sleepswithvillains Eleanora/Quinn fic, Helplessly Hoping. I’m horribly behind on chapters and I gotta catch up and read the finale this week, but it’s been a helluva great ride and I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the story! <3

Also The Invitation collab with @tishinada featuring Zas and Fiona had me squealing, I can’t wait to catch up on HH and see more of these two, they’re adorable ;-; @a-muirehen​ ‘s Relu/Merkara series of course! I’m a complete sucker for (friends to lovers to in Ariano’s case but yea pfpfpf) enemies to lovers ships and these two are just so good, I am on the edge of my seat every time we get a new snippet for them, ngl (grimace emoji) @darth-bagel ‘s Sylvas/Graz’zt and Sylvas/Liz/Rilfaen snippets which they’ve been spoiling me with on Discord @mercurypilgrim ‘s Ven’fir/Quinn AU oneshots, Cloudbank (Western was a particular favourite, but all are very good!) and of course @rainofaugustsith ‘s Lana/Viri updates are always fantastic, some personal favourites from this year were Almost There & Memory of Healing :3 (I totally still go back to read Commander & Advisor too sometimes, getting to see Viri be a little diabolical and messing with “MiNiSTeR LoRMaN!” was and still is my favourite thing XD)

If I’ve left you out I’m sorry!! These were the ones that stuck out in my memory, but I’ve loved everyone’s writing this year, it’s been great :3

Writing Goals:

to actually finish and post chapter 8 & 9 of Creeping Shadows. Then we’ll get to the meat and potatoes of the story and maybe Aria will stop being a brat and fighting me every time I try to stick to a semi-regular update schedule Get off my butt, finalise the name and get started on Ni’kasi’s part of the Subterfugeverse story. Maybe run the updates in-tandem with Creeping Shadows but idk if I want to wait till after CS is done before I start posting Kas’s side, or do them side-by-side yet, we’ll see ;) Keep writing! I know better than to pressure myself by setting a specific word count goal, that’s never worked well in the past

At least 2 chapters of each of the works mentioned above would be great though, more would be better! We’ll see how I go

Words of Thanks:

honestly, to everybody in the fandom I’ve met this year. Anybody that I follow, thank you for being there and engaging with me and/or posting amazing content for me to look at! I came over from deviantART where the SWTOR fandom is incredibly small and generally quite inactive and the contrast since moving over here has been incredibly uplifting. I very nearly cancelled Creeping Shadows and stopped posting fic for my SWTORverse altogether because I got next to no engagement on dA and it was very disheartening to the point where I felt I could enjoy the game and the rp partners I had, but the solo projects I’d put so much thought, time and love into already weren’t worth continuing. You guys took that spark and kept it going and I really don’t have enough words to say how grateful I am for that. Even if I haven’t published much this year, making posts on this tumblr, interacting with everyone and working on lore, plot points and so on for Subterfugeverse has kept me going through the Hellish Year of Nightmares that was 2020 <3

to the amazing new friends I’ve made in this past year, who have listened to me ramble about headcanons, character backstories, writing snippets (and rambled/sent some back), keep being awesome: @walk-ng-d-saster , @darth-bagel , @kyber-heart , @deepseacritter , @thedinalixlegacy to further friends and meme tag buddies, I get so excited every time I see a mention for a new meme or ask game in my inbox, so thank you!! : @mimabeann , @palepinkycat , @a-master-procrastinator , @raven-of-domain-kwaad , @actualanxiousswampwitch , @thatmmolesbian , @a-muirehen to my regular commentors/rebloggers/likers/askbox lurkers, I see every one of you and every time your users pop up I grin like a kid in a toy shop: @starlightjedi , @sparkles-and-rust , @wilvarin-chan , @sunsetofdoom , @ask-an-andalite , @thelastenvoyyy . @lyrishadow and more because Tumblr only goes so far back and I have the memory of Swiss Cheese. If you regularly comment, like, reblog, or anything, from me, know that I see you, and I love and appreciate you for it! <3

I couldn’t possibly remember to tag everyone and I promise if I missed you out it’s not because I hate you! Anxiety just sometimes be a bitch and I don’t wanna look like a clown calling someone a “friend” if I’m not explicitly sure we are, in fact, friends. I think you’re all awesome and I’m so glad to have moved over here and met you all <3

#long post #wordcount year review tag #elven's writing: stats #repost bc i goofed some links woops sorry everyone #^^; #will i eventually post any of this stuff? yes! #i will. i just...don't know *when* the time will be right for most of it hahaha #the only bits i won't post are the zephyrverse-specific oneshots cause i just don't feel like i want to #but everything else will (eventually) in some capacity be thrown into the void for all of you to read #shameless friend appreciation post #shameless mutual and follower appreciation post #<3 #swtor sort of

[elliotjgdb427]

Gay And Lesbian Porn Groups And Programs

This really is no longer the situation in the United States, given that such laws and regulations were dominated unconstitutional from the Supreme Courtroom in the year 2003 in Lawrence v. Tx. P. S i9000. Sorry, I am just not spreading my telephone number, even if most likely a sweet boy (18+), hot man or muscled male pornstar trying to get in touch with me; ).

Mislav can be described as woodland otage who has hidden himself a long way away from civilisation. With some moving, Mislav may reveal which he had a romance with the lord's son, Florian. As for the information on their age ranges & Paige's crush- both these styles those things have been supposed to be clean in the game, when they were not, I apologize. Throughout Fable 3, once once more there are a lot more lesbian, homosexual, and andrógino NPC townspeople to courtroom and get married to. Reaver dividends, this time appealing the main character to have a 'private party' in the bedchamber. In the 1980s, personas that can be asserted as discovering as LGBT were seldom shown in the realistic or even non-stereotypical circumstance and had been often the items of poker fun at or humor.

What just about every married couple recognizes is that just what takes over a relationship through the years is certainly companionship. Sex satisfaction is definitely an aspect, yet only a great aspect–not typically the core in the marital relationship. In the Fall forward, Scripture stories the disease involving sin which has set themselves in the design of gentleman. Regarding sins of a love-making nature, there is not any longer an organic sense regarding monogamy. During marriage, a guy is likely to keep soupirant and rest with prostitutes.

Commenters have the event planners and guests "COVIDIOTS!, inches with remarks such as, "So many self-centered people, inches and, "You are the purpose thousands can be dying per day. " Hardly any of them will be worth spreading, as they would certainly add practically nothing new or even interesting towards the alreadyimportant movie. But in this situatio, dancer Nicole Kirkland together with beauty changer Mac Daddyy have joined to bring us all a version belonging to the ‘WAP’ video clip that features mainly queer persons of colorations. He mentioned Wednesday he "started to be able to slowly realize" he's gay and lesbian in 2017, and started to feel "inauthentic and disingenuous" in his video clips. “Captain Marvel” star Briekäse Larson possesses queer Forums in a tizzy today right after she shared a video involving herself addressing personal inquiries to her Youtube . com channel in addition to one response, dropped a touch that this lady could be homosexual.

Yet , they said, typically the wider issue of law enforcement abuse with their arrest power for homosexual, lesbian plus transgendered individuals will carry on unless the particular political kings protesting the previous look into the second item. But as racy as the online video is, supporters are beneath no sham that the a couple of are in typically the throes regarding gay new puppy love. Mister. Robinson in addition to Mr. Finney identify because heterosexual, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/?search=gay but since some TikTok influencers have found, man-on-man motion is a quick way to crank out traffic. Published in Feb ., the video features gotten greater than 2 . two million landscapes and thirty-one, 000 reviews. In the online video, Trump looked after her hubby as a staunch champion regarding lesbians, gays(i think they are sick), bisexuals, transgender and singular Americans, and even rejected typically the claims regarding his "enemies in the personal establishment" which he is anti-gay or towards equality. "I know how a lot my husband adores the Us people and am know the passion is obviously is to find all the individuals of this excellent country flourish and succeed, " the girl said inside the video. LGBT Studies within Videois some sort of cinematic study of the everyday life of saphic girls, gay, androgino, and transgender people in addition to the cultural and even political progress of the LGBT community.

Simply by clicking on the particular "Enter" switch, and by getting into this website a person agree with all of the above and approve under charges of perjury that you are a grownup. If you are underneath the age of eighteen years, or even under the regarding majority within the location through where you are getting at this website there is no need authorization or even permission in order to enter this site or entry any of the materials. In case you are older than 18 several years or over age majority within the location through where you are being able to access this website by simply entering the web site you hereby agree to abide by all the Conditions and terms. You also concur with and consent that you are definitely not offended by simply nudity and even explicit depictions of sexual acts. Michael Lucas' Dangerous Attache Lucas Leisure is the greatest production with this director together with studio. Variously described as a movie adaptation regarding Les lien dangereuses, and also a remake involving Dangerous Attache.

It’s a brazen pro-sex anthem that doesn’t clearly tie getting a pussy or even being major in the bedroom in order to womanhood together with, thus, has the capacity to bring out the lining “freak” that individuals of all sexes and sexualities. It should become said, for many who don’t understand, that Cardi and Megan are 2 women who happen to be attracted to men and women. Footage of this Australian soccer star showing up in a gay and lesbian porn video clip has been going around online current weeks. The particular scene was initially shot nine years ago, plus Capewell, who is in an extensive relationship using a woman, claims he was tricked into engaging. She is relocated to see the wonderful blessings the lady does have got and then is targeted on how she could honor normally the one who perished for her. Meant for, again, which is only point that distinguishes romantic absolutely love and associate love–sexual love.

My personal Masters any movie by the director that has influenced several gay painters. L. Some sort of. Plays By itself is a movie by an important director which is archived with the Museum of recent Art, Nyc. The sixties and 1971s also noticed the grow of gay and lesbian publishing along with After Dark together with Michael's Issue. During this time more magazines have been founded, like In Touch plus Blueboy. Playgirl, ostensibly developed for women, had been purchased and even enjoyed by simply gay as well as feature total frontal nudity.

L'ensemble des Minets Sauvages (Jean-Daniel Cadinot, 1984) is among the biggest movies of colorgaytube the important French pornographic director. Lack of Aspen series, from 1978, is probably the Adult Movie News' top all time gay and lesbian movies. Several scholars believe while "barebacking" and "UAI" technically each mean exactly the same thing, they have various undertones. With all the increased technique term "barebacking", the term continues to be adopted to get marketing reasons.

This is because "Unprotected Anal Intercourse" makes an immediate connection among unprotected intercourse and the danger of getting diseases such as HIV/AIDS. Nevertheless , although "bareback" seems to have end up being the favorable phrase, studies show that will both conditions ultimately have got equally harmful implications. Inside a study exactly where participants had been shown 2 different moments featuring anal sex, the importance of the words and phrases "bareback" plus "UAI" grew to become apparent. Include galleries in order to playlist simply by clicking the icon on your own favourite movies. Gaymaletube. possuindo has a zero-tolerance policy towards illegal porn material. Click here designed for records necessary pursuant to eighteen U. Ersus. C. 2257 Record Maintaining Requirements Conformity Statement. Simply by entering this website you vow that you are associated with legal age group in your area to see adult materials and that you intend to view this kind of material.

[blueneckpictures]

The Greatest Picture Ever Cast

“[Emotion is] a powerful and irrational master.” -  the Criminologist, an expert The brain child of an out-of-work actor, Richard O'Brien, The Rocky Horror Picture Show settled in the bottom of my top 100 movies list for the longest time. It’s a B movie - a convoluted plot / cliché dialogue / bad sound design - and I didn’t appreciate it was intentional - a perfect swan song to all B movies - the love letter to them.

“You chew people up and then you spit them out again. You’re like a sponge. You take, take, take and drain others of their love and emotion.” - Columbia

It wasn’t until I saw a shadow cast in 2014 that this film skyrocketed into my top ten. Here was a movie that for over 40 years, every weekend, had one or more theaters across the world filled with an audience - quoting every line, acting out every part, adding their own story to it. It became more than a film. It became an experience, a catharsis, a midnight communion. This is what film can do? Since then, I’ve seen about a dozen shadow cast shows and at home watched it a dozen time or more and made it a Halloween must.

Why has this movie been so successful? There’s the obvious counter-culture storyline throwing sex and gender norms out the window and giving an alternative audience a film they could identify with. There’s the aforementioned homage to horror and sci-fi - from King Kong to Flash Gordon. And despite being a B-movie, it’s expertly crafted with a breakneck pace pushed along by a dance-inducing soundtrack of original rock-n-roll songs. In an age of internet distractions, this movie still stops me from what I’m doing to watch and sing-a-long (even while writing this review). So, what about the story?

Well, The Rocky Horror Picture Show is a rites-of-passage tale of the fear of monogamy going into marriage - cold feet. It’s also the damning warning of sacrificing love to lust. Whatever your boundaries of sex and love are, you must respect the boundaries of others, even if they don’t match your own. To not is to cause hurt and pain.

A naïve, conservative young couple, Brad proposes to Janet at a wedding, then head out to meet an old friend, Dr. Scott. Only they break down and horror ensues. They come upon the mansion of an extravagant and libertine aristocrat who represents everything they are not. Dr Frank-N-Furter seduces them into a love web which corrodes relationships to the point of hate and death, only to reform again into a crescendo of a pool orgy ...only two people were left out - the servants. And they ...are ...scorned. 

It’s a rollercoaster ending in tragedy. Why? As Columbia beautifully states, Frank doesn’t respect the people he seduces and has sex with. He chews them up and spits them out. The orgy in the pool is forced by Frank, but at that moment, everyone is happy, in love. Only when he is caught by those left out and faced with death, his plea for life isn’t about love or others ...it’s about him. He never learned his lesson. And for that, he dies and nearly takes everyone with him.

The Rocky Horror Picture Show is a fucking great story and one worth replaying and singing along to forty-five years later.

“It’s not easy having a good time.” - Dr. Frank-N-Furter

#The name of this article is:

[wildenessat221b]

I went to see Cats. Here is my review.

Today, the 31st of December, my good friend @whiteroserebelsinscarves and I decided to say farewell to 2019 by seeing the “Cats” movie. We thought it’d be the perfect send-off; why not bid bon-voyage to this absurdist not-quite-sure-whether-to-laugh-or-cry decade by going to see a film that really captures that spirit. I’ll say it now – never before have I consumed media that so quickly activated my flight or fight response, nor any that sustained it for so long. Mid-way through, having run out of space on my hand and my ticket, I had to run downstairs and buy a cheap notebook from the lobby so as not to forget a single moment. And from that notebook, my review is born.

Firstly, a disclaimer: I went into this dry. I have never seen the Broadway show, nor did I know anything about the concept or plot, so it is possible that some of this review may be me just not getting the whole ‘thing’ of “Cats.” I have no doubt that the magic of theatre does the story far more justice than (it will become clear) I thought the film did.

For those of you as ignorant about the world of “Cats” as I was a few (innocent, innocent) hours ago, this is the plot: ‘jellicle’ cats gather once a year to sing a narcissistic song about themselves, and if they sing the best narcissistic song, they get granted the Life Of Their Dreams. That, I am afraid, is all I can tell you. I do not have an iota of an idea about anything else that happened. I can’t even tell you what a ‘jellicle’ is, despite the emotional climax of the film apparently being Francesca Hayward finding out that she is one and maybe or maybe not making out with Judi Dench. More on that later. Something deep in the recesses of my brain tells me that the first song of the film explained what a ‘jellicle’ cat is, but I was too distracted to listen to that song, by the fact that the physicality of the cats is indeed as horrifying (maybe even more horrifying than) the critics who I was SURE were exaggerating said it is.

I shall preface my comments on the physicality of the cats by saying what I felt the most horrifying part of the film was: it was - not for any positive reason - frighteningly immersive. So immersive in fact that my brain began to believe it was real. However, it did not begin to believe that CATS look like that, but that HUMANS look like that. It was probably something to do with the hotly discussed ‘cat boobs.’ (A debate surrounding which has rather separated the wheat from the chaff of our society – the cowards who say that it’s CGI so they could perfectly well have no boobs at all from the intellectuals who say that for anatomical correctness, they should in fact have SIX boobs.) There was great inconsistency in size – cats who took up entire armchairs were, when the moment demanded, able to tightrope-walk along a railway track. Equally, the film appears to pick and choose when gravity is an issue and when it is not – in the opening number, a cat appears to begin to fall during a leap from crate to crate, then inexplicably begin to fly, yet a joke at James Cordon’s expense featuring the side-splitting line, “You know I’m sensitive about my weight” requires that gravity be upheld. The editing of human faces onto cat heads wasn’t always sound, the boundaries sometimes shaking and the faces distorting in a fashion that makes me inclined to google the definition of a horror movie just to prove my point. And the tails. Oh good God, the tails. The horror of the tails needs to be experienced by one’s own eyes (or indeed, doesn’t) but to briefly explain: there is a sequence about two thirds of the way through where a good thirty-five cats experience what I can only describe as tail erections, followed by a pied-piper-esque musically accompanied sequence of tail orgasms.

This brings me on to my next point – the somehow both uncomfortably ambiguous and jarringly overt sexuality. Throughout, there is implied sexual tension between Francesca Hayward and Laurie Davidson, which culminates in them nuzzling deeply into each other. Their long, sustained eye contact and previous sexual tension strongly implies that this is how cats make out. However, in the next half hour, Judi Dench proceeds to “make out” with both Jennifer Hudson and Francesca Hayward. Maybe cats aren’t all for monogamy.

Perhaps I should have expected this depravity, what with Rebel Wilson’s early performance, which begins with her unashamedly thrusting enthusiastically towards the camera. The following musical number neatly condenses all the stylistic horror of the next hour and a half into a few minutes – notably non-cat animals with humans faces (Rebel Wilson paws a live cockroach off the underside of the table and eats it and there are captive slave-mice in a cupboard) and the strange, strange business of cats wearing fur coats (or full on fursuits in Rebel Wilson’s case, reassuring at least in the fact that she was covered up when thrusting, not thrusting a cat vagina towards the fourth wall.) Yes, the cats wear fur coats. Especially concerning when Ray Winstone (whose character name I cannot remember for the life of me, despite the fact that his whole song and an unfunny quickfire joke sequence with James Cordon were about his name) towards the conclusion licks his lips in a predatory fashion. What can that POSSIBLY imply but cannibalism?

Upsettingly, there were some excellent performances. Ian McKellan was his usual, distinguished self. And poor, poor Robert Fairchild. He took it so hauntingly seriously. His face was a technicolour of emotions, his delivery about as straight as it comes. The voracity with which he clung to Judi Dench as she made her entrance, desperate for a great of the acting world to cast some light over the whole affair. A tear was nearly brought to my eye. And that’s not even to mention Jason Derulo’s impassioned screaming of the word “MIIIIIIILK.”

To conclude, “Cats” is a psychological adventure, that I feel should be required viewing for all intending to join the CIA. When it is out on DVD, I shall play it backwards to see if, as I suspect, it is actually Ian McKellan and Judi Dench’s hostage tape.  Oh, and the delinquent criminal cats should have been played by Noel Fielding and Russell Brand.

#cats #cats movie #cats movie review.

[cunningminx]

587 Love in the time of coronavirus

How do we practice poly responsibly during a pandemic? Is it OK to move my metamour in with me rather than not see her for the duration of enforced social isolation?

0:00 Introduction and host chat

If you’re under 18, visit scarleteen.com

Found a new poly podcast, Pod Pod Cvlt Cast, with 34 long episodes!

We’ve got a new puppy to keep us company during #stayathome!

3:00 Poly in the news

Elisabeth Sheff’s four-part series on monogamy in Psychology Today: CNM is not a good choice as a method to fix a relationship that is broken, Four tips for heteroflexible couples who are considering opening their relationships, Three reasons why consensual non-monogamy will not work for people who are monogamous, and her latest, Monogamy by Orientation.

Alan’s Friday Poly in the news roundup, covering primarily the coronavirus pandemic.

How coronavirus is impacting polyamorous relationships

How a polyamory expert is dating during the coronavirus pandemic

What it’s like to isolate with your girlfriend and her other boyfriend

Is it irresponsible to date around during a pandemic

Minx’s advice

Use Zoom or Amazon Chime to host a virtual dance party or cocktail hour to stay connected

Use your webcam to see facial expressions

Try watching movies “together” over Zoom. Or send dinner to them and Zoom each other to chat during!

10:45 Contact us

Questions? Comments? Feedback? Email [email protected] and attach an audio comment or call the listener comment line at 802-505-POLY. If you want us to teach a class at your event, want us to coach you, or want to appear on the podcast, email [email protected].

11:25 Topic: should we move my metamour in with us while we socially isolate?

If you’re considering cohabitation that you wouldn’t have considered due to coronavirus social isolation requirements, some advice:

As always, make sure your existing relationships are relatively healthy first.

Ask everyone involved what they need to be happy and healthy in a communal space. Consider personal space, alone time, sexual, and physical needs.

Discuss how finances will work in terms of rent, groceries, and other bills.

Discuss expectations for chores and other responsibilities.

Ask your kids how they feel about your metamour moving in.

Have the pets been introduced? Is there a danger that they might attack each other?

Set up regular check-ins after the move-in. These provide opportunities to bring up what it working well, what isn’t, to express gratitude and appreciations, and to bring up issues before they become bigger.

Take a break from news coverage if it increases anxiety or feelings of depression.

17:00 Join the conversation

To join the online conversation around this and other episodes, follow us on Twitter or Facebook. We love when you review us on Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcatcher (including Spotify!) and when you share us with your friends directly.

17: 05 Feedback

S from the Boston area calls in to share a personal neologism, “schmeeling.”

Phenom calls in to ask how to get her partner to date more and make sure everything is OK. She keeps encouraging him to date, but he’s not getting out as much as her.

There is no issue here except that maybe you feel guilty. Deal with your own guilt and stop pressuring him to date!

24:45 Pervy bird throuple

Oops! Accidentally skipped this one: Perverted Illinois bald eagle threesome threatens sanctity of marriage. What’s next, hawk orgies?

26:00 Happy poly moment

Finding unexpected commonalities with your metamour!

28:45 Thank you to our subscribers and contributors

Thanks to all our PW Playmates! Also to Pacemaker Jane for letting us use their song Good Suspicions as our intro and outro music and to you for listening and sharing.

Check out this episode!

#poly #polyamory

[crayonwriting]

Irreplaceable You (Bucky Barnes)

Summary: Unexpectedly diagnosed with a terminal disease, you embark on a mission to find a new love for your fiancé and childhood best friend, Bucky Barnes.

Disclaimer: This story is a rewrite of the movie of the same title on Netflix. Directed by Stephanie Laing and written by  Bess Wohl. Go check it out!

A/N: I started writing this five minutes after watching the movie. When I was proofreading it, I read some reviews. There were many negative reviews about this story but I really, really, loved it. I truly do.

Please comment if you want a second part to this. I don’t really want to believe that this is a bad movie and story.

Enjoy folks!

—

This story starts off as your typical friends-turned-lovers trope.

When you were a little girl at seven years old,—bold attitude, so very sure of herself, friendly, optimistic—you went on a field trip with your classmates at the San Marino Zoo. Like any other childhood memory, your favourite part of the whole trip was when you met the love of your life, James B. Barnes. It was when you were at the World of the Deep that you met James—Bucky, as he insisted that you call him.

“And here we come to our coral reef, home to many species,” the tour guide blatantly gestured to the huge tank behind her, “Including over fifty types of fish: the green morey eel, the cownose ray—”

“Oh, those guys are mating.” One of your classmates pointed out.

“Okay. Uh, look over there!” The tour guide gestured to the other tank.

“Why are, like, six of them mating together?”

“Which one is the mommy?”

“See, here's the thing, kids,” the tour guide sighed, “Fish are not like people. They're not monogamous.” She rolled her eyes and looked down at her feet. “Not that many people are either.” She whispered to herself before looking back up at your group. “But that's another—”

“What's ‘monogamous’?”

“Well, uh,” she started, “Okay, monogamy means if you love someone, you stick with them for the long haul.”

“My dad screwed my Aunt Rosa.”

“My mommy and daddy are separated.”

“My mom ran away with my dentist.”

“My dad said she was getting her cavity filled in.”

“Yep.” The tour guide shrugged. “It's not easy. Lots of things can separate us: Aunt Rosa, the dentist,” she looked at the walkway behind your group, “Lauren Mulgrew in World of Amphibians,” she looked back at your class, “However, there actually is one monogamous fish.” She led you to the left, were pictures of weird, alien-like fish were hung up. She pointed to one on the far right corner.

“The deep-sea anglerfish. The male anglerfish hunts for the female, following her through the most dangerous parts of the deep. Then, when he finds her, he bites into her flesh and never, ever lets go. The two fish fuse into one.” After she had said that, the rest of your classmates just stared at her, uninterested. She clicked her tongue and bit her lip.

“And we're walkin'. And we have our listening ears on…”

You didn’t follow the group immediately as you stared at the photo of the anglerfish. Beside you, Bucky stared up at the photo too. You looked at him with a straight face. Bucky adjusted his glasses and fiddled with his jacket.

“What?” He asked.

Without warning, you bit him—hard—on his left shoulder causing him to scream.

And that was the start of it all. Well, after a trip to the hospital for Bucky and a lot of therapy sessions for you.

It was true love.

—

Several years later…

You smiled at the people you passed by in your small apartment. You sipped on the champagne you had in your hand, eyes scanning the room for a certain brunette. You saw him with his best friend Steve and the rest of your group.

You walked up beside him as he was retelling the story of the bite to all of them. A romantic gesture, really.

“Really, it was a behavioural problem.” He turned his head to you and kissed your temple. “She bit like six kids that year.”

“You’re the only one that meant anything to me.” You interrupted.

“Well, I had to go to the hospital.” He turned his attention back to your group. “Six stitches!”

“Three stitches!” You looked at him in mock disbelief. “I almost got kicked out of school.”

Bucky took a sip of his drink before saying, “You should've been kicked out of school.” This earned a laugh from their audience. “You were rabid!”

“Bucky!” You playfully slapped his shoulder. Suddenly, out of nowhere, your mom came up behind you. She put her hands in your shoulders and kissed your cheek.

“For years I've tried to have her de-fanged and de-clawed.” Your mother came up behind you, with her hands on your shoulders as she kissed your cheek. You sighed and jokingly rolled your eyes at her.

"Thanks, mom." You said, smiling.

Sam grunted, picked up a fork on the nearby coffee table and clinked it against his glass.

"May I have everyone's attention please!" People started to gather closer around their group. "Yo, everybody! Everybody! Come closer, please." Sam coughed a little into his fist. "I would like to make a toast."

"Aww, Sam…" You cooed, leaning into Bucky's side; his grip on your waist getting tighter.

"That's probably a bad idea…" Steve chuckled.

"Hey! It's already started." Sam grunted. "Cheers! Uh, happy engagement you guys."

"Cheers!"

"Happy engagement!"

Everybody raised their glasses towards you and Bucky. You looked at him with all the love in the world. He looked at you the same way, leaning down to kiss your lips softly.

"To the bride and groom!" Steve smiled.

"The bride and groom!" Clint shouted from the back. Clint was your best friend and co-worker at the library near your apartment. "You know, it doesn't really make sense, right?" Clint caught everyone's attention, a dash of confusion on their faces. "I mean, c'mon guys. Y/N here is a Type A and Bucky...well," Clint shrugged, "He's more of a Type Z."

"C'mon, I am not a Type A." You giggled.

"What the hell is a Type Z?" Bucky asked, mocked offended.

"What Clint means to say is," Sam interjected, "How did an amazing woman like you," Sam gestured towards you, "End up with the most clueless white boy in the city?"

This earned a laugh from the whole group, including you and Bucky.

"This could be the best toast I have ever heard," Bucky stated.

Chuckling, Sam continued, "Look, honestly, I generally disapprove of people who are disgustingly happy as you guys are. But, um, I'm really glad that you proposed to this one." Sam looked at you.

"Wait, wait, wait. Hold up." Steve raised his eyebrow. "Y/N proposed to Bucky?"

"She just beat me to it, punk," Bucky answered. "I was  trying to figure out the best moment—"

"You were taking too long!" You laughed. "So, I just stuck a rubber band on my finger," you raised your hand, "and that was it." You smiled triumphantly.

"That's cute," Clint said.

"The truth is…,” you trailed off a little for dramatics, “There may be a little incentive to make it all official…," You wiggled your eyebrows suggestively, which earned a small laugh from Bucky, as you patted your hands softly against your abdomen.

"Wow," Clint exclaimed.

"Wow, Bucky, congratulations!" Steve smiled, slapping a firm hand on his best friend’s shoulder.

Soon enough, another round of congratulations was shared throughout the rest of the party.

—

Later that night, you lay side by side with Bucky; both of you staring at the ceiling. You enjoyed quiet moments like this with him—pure, comfortable, soft, and warm. You couldn’t help the smile that overtook your face as you thought of the years you had spent with Bucky and the life that awaits the both of you.

Undoubtedly, your insides still tingled and buzzed with love and adoration for the man lying beside you. All the dates, the small fights, the big fights, the tears, the laughter, everything! And you were about to spend it with him as his wife.

"What if it hadn't worked out between us?" You asked in a whisper, still staring at the ceiling. It was out of the blue. A random thought for the night of what might have been if you and him had called it quits all those years ago. Bucky just chuckled and answered,

"Impossible."

You turned your body to face his, tucking your arm under your head. "What if I, like, had been hit by a bus or run off with gypsies or became a man?" You stared at him as he copied your actions to face you.

"Well," he scratched the stubble on his chin, "I would have stopped the bus,  joined the gypsies or become gay.” He smiled at you—that boyish smile full of charm, which always made you weak in the knees. You couldn’t help but stare in awe at your fiance.

“You would do that for me?”

He put his arm on your hip, and tugged you closer.

“Want to test it?”

Not being able to resist anymore, you leaned closer and planted a full kiss on his waiting lips. He sighed and groaned as he leaned over you, trapping you in between his strong arms. You placed your hands on his shoulders, gripping them tightly as each kiss deepened.

As the moment was getting hot—and a little bit steamy if you may add—you reached up to his face and took off his glasses. You pulled away a little to let out a laugh.

"Top of the books, seven o'clock from the lamp." You stretched your arm over to your bedside table, placing his glasses carefully exactly where you had said. Bucky continued kissing up and down your cheek, jaw and neck.

"I don't really give a fuck about my glasses right now…" He murmured into your skin. You hummed in response, running your fingers through his soft hair.

"You will, in the morning when I'm in the shower." You laughed as Bucky held his body above yours with an irritated expression in his face.

"Will you please stop talking?"

He didn't give you time to answer.

—

feedback?

#b writes #bucky barnes #bucky barnes x reader #bucky barnes imagine #sebastian stan #sebastian stan x reader #sebastian stan imagine #irreplaceable you series

[lemelantedgoddess]

Random Episode Review: Black Mirror: Striking Vipers

BE WARNED THIS CONTAINS SPOILERS ALSO THIS AN OPINION PIECE:

So the super exciting Netflix series called Black Mirror returned for a new season, and I must say it was an intriguing episode.  Mainly because this happens quite a bit, you have players who came together through initially playing the game and build an attraction. It’s different, but it happens quite often. But the fact that this is getting mainstream attention shows how popular that in game “relationships” are.

I think the episode delves in the idea of perception and how gaming, for some, allows the perception to meet a semi-reality in regards to attraction and people choosing to build an attraction in the game.

I have to say I felt like they had an attraction to each other before it started or at least Karl did. In the beginning, I felt there were hints of an attraction by  Karl, and as the episode progressed you noticed it even more in the way he kissed him as soon as possible.

I thought initially Karl viewed himself as a woman and he was in love with his best friend which is why he pursued him in that way, and can we mention what Karl showing up to Danny’s Birthday dinner…

Pretty Much to Summarize Karl to Danny  during Danny’s birthday dinner while his UBER pregnant wife is in the kitchen:

Me watching:

Danny to Karl:

I was actually scared Danny was going to hurt Karl at that moment!

Sidenote: Karl and his story about the polar bear… um eww.

I think it was strange how neither Danny nor Karl admitted how obviously attracted to each other they were in real life or the fact that they were at least bicurious based on the dynamic they shared.  Karl literally said he was in love with Danny and Danny obviously felt the same way. To be honest, it felt like more of a struggle of identity and being honest about how each one was feeling. The fact that they held each other’s hand after initially kissing and saying they didn’t feel an attraction felt like there was more to the story romantically. I honestly felt Karl wanted to be perceived and loved as a woman while not having to deal with the real-life social stigmas that come with it which is something I have seen from gamers before who are struggling with their identity based on who they know they are and how society views them.

I felt like they would’ve told each other how they felt if the police hadn’t arrived. I guess the ending technically was okay or about as happy as you can get from Dark Mirror. I actually thought it would’ve gone much darker, but this was an unique change of pace. I do wonder… is Karl’s wife genuinely happy with the new arrangement? Or adapting to make an uncomfortable situation work out. The reason why I ask is due to her preference for monogamy.

I did overall enjoy that they touched on sexual and gender identity in the show even if it lost its way towards the end. I hope more shows and movies show black love between men and women in a more positive and gentle light.I’m not referring to this episode in particular but just  in general

#blackmirror #catfish #gaming #commentary #netflix #shows #series #dark #black mirror #melanin #pride #lgbtq #pridemonth #blackgay #trans

[nwatecadro1981-blog]

Mature students tend to put a lot of thought into what to study. We tend to have a plan in going back to school and be very focussed on an end goal. You rarely find older students pursuing undeclared (and undecided ) majors because they just wanted to go to college. The duties of the movie usher were myriad and serious. Theaters were fancier (more like Broadway theaters with curtains and richly upholstered seats) and ushers wore special uniforms, complete with gleaming shoes and shoulder epaulets. Along with showing patrons to their seats, ushers also greeted moviegoers as they arrived in the lobby. By being much more aggressive and jumping around it tends to catch people off guard because they expect that they can hide after an arrow hits them. But if you shoot them while jumping over their cover, they kinda screwed. Also, it looks super fly. Previously, she has said,Banquets. I see. Those are no place for someone from the plains, like me. They are even perceived as being beyond the norm. They are even classified as evil because of their difference from the rest of their social circle and/or the majority culture and/or society. They are considered to be the other, even an outsider. Jordyn has been getting a lot of shit because she was Kylie's sister practically. We all know Tristan is a crappy guy. Jordyn should have known better and shouldn't have ever put herself in that position. Secondly taken with the other things he has said, a picture of a guy who wants to subjugate women starts to emerge. He against abortions, he doesn think divorce laws should have been relaxed, apparently birth control is causing the downfall of western civilization, oh, and also there that famous NYT interview: "Enforced monogamy is, to him, simply a rational solution. Otherwise women will all only go for the most high status men, he explains, and that couldn't make either gender happy in the end.". Thanks for the reviews! I recently been getting into holy snail products and it been pretty positive overall too! I guess I an extremely heavy user, because in two weeks, I got through almost half of a full sized bottle of shark sauce haha. I just read that "customers say the sample size (5ml) lasts two to 6 weeks!". It impresses me to see how people can squeeze so many days out of samples!. Everyone was told we are not allowed to use smurfs during the 양주출장안마 tourney so this was already an upset in itself but the account was actually private so we couldn even check the rank of the person. Ink and WoodTier said they were "cleared" already which means we were not the first team that reported them. This just felt weird as we didn get proper answers to our question. They're in lust, not love, and I don't feel that Noah deserves Seina. She didn't break her pattern of dating immature younger guys, and as you said, she's got to know that this is in no way her "forever love". It felt like she gave up.. Whenever someone gave birth I see tons of people commenting on their facebook posts talking about how proud they are of that person, or how it was such an achievement. I always felt like such a bitch because I didn see it as 양주출장안마 some great big accomplishment to get pregnant and have a baby before you 18. What makes me sad is at least 3 of these girls were A students who didn go to college and are now stay at home mums.

[archivistsrock]

The Boys in the Band, pt. 2: The Performance

Someone asked for a spoilery review, so I’m going to go into detail here. Maybe a mix of review, plot, and specific cute/hot things that happen during the show. I don’t really consider anything in the show to be “spoilery”, but if you’re planning on seeing this and just love surprises and not knowing anything about what’s to come...don’t read this, I guess. ;) [eta: Okay, so it seems like it’s mostly plot overview with random other observations sprinkled in. I’m not good at this! Also, I go into much more detail about the first half...it’s funnier, has more Matt, and I just peetered out]

Also, read on if you want deets on just how much Matt we see during the shower scene… :P

The general plot of the play is that Michael (Jim Parsons) is holding a birthday party for his friend Harold (Zachary Quinto). The entire play takes place in Michael’s apartment. There is an upstairs (bedroom and bathroom) and a downstairs (living room, mostly). If your seats are really close to the front of the stage, there will be some parts of the upstairs that will be blocked from your view. But they’ve cleverly placed mirrors on the ceiling, so what you can’t see straight-on, you can see in reflections. It’s not a problem at all. I was in the second row and was really worried I’d be too close and have obstructed sightlines, but I LOVED IT. You’re so close to the actors; it’s pretty amazing. I wouldn’t change my seats if given the chance. I think if I was able to see it again, I’d like to have a mezzanine seat. But I wouldn’t give up my up-close seat for the world. It was awesome. For...reasons...if you’re near the front, I think being left of center is better than to the right. Just as a tip, if you haven’t bought tickets yet.

Donald (Matt Bomer) is Michael’s best friend from college. He moved out of the city because he couldn’t handle all the people and stresses of city life. Donald is depressed. Loves to read. Likes to chill on the sidelines and just watch other people. He’s very caring. I totally dig Donald. He’s...a janitor? and works hard, but also has issues with failure that he attributes to his parents. He equates failure with receiving love. He’s known he was gay since forever. He drives into the city each weekend to see his therapist and visit Michael. He knows the other men that are invited to the party, but he isn’t in their friend group. He knows them bc he knows Michael, iykwim. He and Harold don’t seem to particularly like each other. Maybe bc they’re both best friends of Michael so there’s some competition/protectiveness?? idk. Haven’t thought about it enough.

Michael lives beyond his means. He’s also pretty depressed and has issues with being gay. I mean, that’s a huge theme of the play. How these guys deal with living in a time and place where society clearly doesn’t support or approve of homosexuality. As many of the actors have said in interviews, it’s interesting to see the play and notice how much things have changed, but also how many things in the play still resonate today. Oh, I guess it’s important to point out that it takes place in 1968.

The play starts with Michael in his apartment getting ready for the party. His doorbell rings and Donald enters. ::raucous applause:: The next 15 minutes (I’m really bad with time, so don’t take too much stock in that) is Michael and Donald talking with one another about their parents, lives, etc. General banter of friends. Donald notices that Michael is not drinking alcohol and hasn’t been for the last few weeks. He can tell because Michael gets mean when he’s drunk (keep this in mind). Michael says his therapist encouraged him to lay off drinking bc it’s obviously becoming a problem for him.

It’s been a long day and Donald needs a shower. ::extremely raucous applause:: So Matt strips down to his undies and walks around a bit. Lays on a bed. Adjusts himself. Lots of this is only seen through the mirrors on the ceiling. Not sure about people in the mezzanine? They might be able to just see him laying there, idk. Then he wanders to the shower and strips...ALL THE WAY DOWN to shower. So yes. Not only do we see Matt’s ass, but we see his dick, too. Where I was sitting, I only saw it in reflections, but still. HEY THERE, MATT’S DICK! :P Whether or not other people in different seats see more or less of him, I’m not sure. This is why I say that the left is better than the right. The shower is on the right side of the stage, and there’s a sink/pedestal in front of the shower. So I think some people’s view of Matt in the shower is blocked by the sink? I was at enough of an angle where it wasn’t a problem. People were literally gasping. LOLOL.  The theater was definitely a-twitter. Lol. [random aside that I saw Angels in America during this trip, and in that play Lee Pace gets naked and just walks around the stage in the buff, so I guess it was my week for seeing ass and penis on stage? Lol]

Then he gets out and puts on a towel and walks around in that for a while, which is nice. Then he goes into the bedroom and changes and you can see him in his undies briefly (lol pun) again. So anyway, THAT HAPPENS. Lol

While Matt is showering and getting ready, Michael’s phone rings. It’s his old college roommate, Alan (Brian Hutchison) who’s having a breakdown of some sort and wants to come over and talk to Michael. The problem? Alan is straight (or is he??) and “square” and doesn’t know that Michael is gay.  Which is a problem bc a bunch of gay men are about to descend on Michael’s apt. Michael tells him to quickly come over with the hope that he will arrive and leave before too many people show up (lol right).  But honestly, who’s listening to Michael at this point bc OMG MATT IS NAKED. Seriously, I think I just stared at Matt for 95% of the show regardless of who was talking. Lol. It helped that I read the play beforehand and watched the movie so I knew what was going on.  ;)

So Michael tells Donald that Alan is coming over and warns him that Alan doesn’t know he’s gay so don’t act gay. Donald is mildly offended and has a funny line about sitting with his legs spread and talking in a deep register. Lol. But anyway, Jim and Matt are great together and you can really see their friendship (well, Michael and Donald’s friendship). They’re very funny together. The doorbell rings and we all think it’s going to be Alan, but it’s the first of the party guests – Larry (Andrew Rannells), Hank (Tuc Watkins), and Emory (Robin de Jesus). Hank and Larry are a couple (with issues). Emory is unapologetically flamboyant. He is hilarious. So Hank was married (he’s in the process of getting divorced) and has 2 kids. He’s the most stereotypically masculine of the group. He’s bi, “with a definite  lean in one direction” (hint: not chicks). He’s a math teacher. The oldest of the group. He’s dating Larry, who’s a bit of a man-whore (and a commercial artist). Larry doesn’t believe in monogamy, and this makes Hank sad. So this is a running issue between the two throughout the night. Andrew is hilarious in the play. He has GREAT facial expressions and reactions.

So Michael introduces everyone and it’s a bit awkward between Larry and Donald. Clearly, they have some sort of history (spoiler alert that’s pretty obvious: They “know” each other because they fucked in the baths once, but never spoke to one another. Yes, they enjoyed their fuck). Throughout the night, Larry is continuously coming on to Donald. Leaning into his space, stroking his arm, etc. It’s pretty great.

Doorbell rings again. Michael warns everyone about Alan and to PLEASE ACT STRAIGHT. Cue lots of hilarity with Emory who is just not into pretending to be butch. So he opens the door...and it’s not Alan. It’s Bernard (Michael B. Washington). Bernard is black (relevant to later parts of the play). He works at the library (a bookstore? Can’t recall which now). Anyway, he knows Donald bc he’s always supplying Donald with books. Lots of comments on how Donald reads a shit-ton. Bernard is besties with Emory.

More hilarity and banter ensues. There is a song and dance number (Donald does not participate, but Matt looks cute standing there and he does cute mini hand/arm motions). While they’re all dancing and being silly, the doorbell rings, but no one hears it but Hank, who goes to open the door and...it’s Alan. So he walks in on all the guys doing a choreographed dance. AWKWARD. Michael is all...”Uh...we’re just being silly!” haha. Yeah. More introductions. Emory is Emory and is pissing Michael off with his refusal to stop being camp. Alan takes to Hank because he’s the most traditionally masculine. Hank and Alan talk about their kids and Larry is getting increasingly pissed bc Hank is hiding the fact that he’s gay and with Larry (although they’re all—poorly-- hiding the fact that they’re gay). Michael goes upstairs to speak with Alan and what his breakdown/problem is.

So the action shifts to upstairs, but we can still see everyone downstairs. So they’re all acting like they’re at the party and are fake talking, etc. This is when Larry really gets into Donald’s space. He’s pissed at Hank because Hank are Alan were being all chummy. So he’s taking it out on Hank by being extra flirty with Donald. Donald isn’t really..opposed?...to it, but he’s maybe a little confused and awkward about it bc...hello?!? Hank is here? What even...? lol.

So upstairs, Alan decides he doesn’t want to talk about his issue and instead talks about how attractive Hank is. Lol. He also likes Donald. Alan’s been downing drinks (Donald is kind of the unofficial drink maker) and he’s drunk. Then he gets all homophobic and says shitty things about Emory. Michael gets a little pissed and goes downstairs while Alan stays upstairs in the bathroom.

Downstairs, the doorbell rings. Michael answers it, expecting it to be Harold (the birthday boy who is clearly very late). It’s a young studly guy dressed as a cowboy (Charlie Carver) who sings Happy Birthday to Michael and kisses him. Oops! Wrong guy! Cowboy is Emory’s gift to Harold. Harold was supposed to answer the door. But cowboy is early (you’re supposed to show up at midnight bc you’re a midnight cowboy!) and Harold is late, so...yeah. Didn’t work out. Then Alan comes downstairs and thinks Cowboy is Harold. Emory says, “No, he’s FOR Harold.” Alan is increasingly hostile and Emory is done with the fucking charades. Emory makes a comment about Alan’s wife, and Alan goes fucking berserk and starts punching Emory while calling him a bunch of gay slurs. Alan is pulled off Emory who is bleeding. Chaos is breaking out. The doorbell rings. Donald answers it and in walks Harold (Zach).

Harold is quite the character. He used to be a professional ice skater. He describes himself as an “ugly, pockmarked Jew fairy”.  He’s high. He’s very sardonic. He looks around and it’s like...WTF is happening? Lol. Alan is passed out on the floor. Emory has blood all over his face. Cowboy sings happy birthday to Harold, kisses him, then Harold reads the card tied to him and starts laughing hysterically.  (this technically ends the first act in the play, but there’s no intermission or anything so the action keeps going)

[Note Larry leaning into Donald’s space in the background]

Bernard and Emory go upstairs to clean up. Up until this point, the play has been really really funny. The general tone is pretty light and humorous. At this point, the tone starts to change dramatically. At some point, I don’t remember exactly when, this change is made blatantly clear by the lights going dim, and all the action on stage freezes, aside from Michael. He heads to the bar and pours and downs a drink. Remember what Donald said about Michael when he’s drunk? MEAN. So this marks the turning point. Light go back up, action resumes. [I’m not sure what I think about them doing it this way, but it hammers the point home that Michael is now drinking and things are about to get dark, so eh. Whatever. ] Michael gets increasingly asshole-ish. You really start to hate Michael.

Alan declares he’s going to puke, so Hank leads him upstairs to the bathroom. Michael and Harold exchange barbs. You really start to wonder why they’re friends. Every time Michael takes a drink, Harold proclaims, “Turning!” Like Donald, he knows alcohol turns Michael into an asshole. Michael is getting drunker and meaner and Harold is not one to just put up with things.  If something gets dished out, he’ll deal it right back ten-fold. But while brutally honest, he’s not being as downright cruel as Michael, who even starts throwing racist remarks at Bernard and cruel comments to Emory (which really horrifies Donald).

Alan comes downstairs and proclaims his intention to leave, and bizarrely announces that Hank should leave with him. This leads to the announcement that Hank and Larry and lovers, and basically the charade is up and hey! We’re all gay; and btw, we think you are too, Alan. Michael won’t let anyone leave and invents a “party game” for them all to play. Basically, you have to call someone that you’ve truly loved. You get different amounts of points for various things – if someone answers, you say who you are, you get the person on the line that you want to speak with, you tell them you love them. A total of 10 possible points. Donald and Harold are immediately like, YEAH NO. Not playing. So Bernard and Emory both call people. Does not turn out particularly well. I literally cried for Bernard. Michael B. Washington does a phenomenal job.

Hank and Larry have it out again, but they end up calling each other, saying they love each other, and going upstairs to have sex in Michael’s bedroom.

Michael starts harassing Alan and telling him he should call their other college roommate, Justin, that Michael is convinced Alan was in love with. He’s in total asshole mode. Alan dials a number and ends up telling the person he loves them. Michael grabs the phone assuming it’s Justin..it’s not. It’s his wife.

Alan leaves. The mood of the party has degenerated into a total morose atmosphere. Harold just goes off on Michael with a huge truth bomb about how self-loathing Michael is and how badly he doesn’t want to be gay, but guess what? You’re gay and you’ll always be gay. He then takes off with Cowboy. Emory and Bernard (who is super drunk by this point) then leave, and Michael has a breakdown. He basically starts hyperventilating and is comforted by Donald. He pulls himself together and leaves to go to a midnight mass. Donald stays behind to read a bit, after assuring Michael that he’ll be back next weekend. The play ends with Donald reading and the silhouette of Hank and Larry making love upstairs in bed.

So yeah, I was much more brief when it came to the second half, in part bc it’s not as much “fun.” It’s much more dramatic. Very good, but not as fun to retell, and as far as Matt goes, aside from the end scene, he kind of disappears in the second half. I mean, he’s physically present and had lines, but there is definitely more focus on the other characters. He kinda just hangs in the periphery watching everything go down. And silently flirting with Larry lol.

All the characters do a stellar job. Charlie Carver/The Cowboy has the smallest role. He’s basically a big dummy, and provides some comic relief with his idiocy and innocence.  Tuc (Hank) does a great job, but his role isn’t as humorous or flashy as the others. Michael B. Washington is great as Bernard, and I was really feeling for him at the end. He has a great monologue that delves into race and slurs. He and Emory have a touching moment. Robin de Jesus is hilarious as Emory. Jim does a good job as insecure Michael. Apparently, he wears special shoes during the show because of his broken foot. I would not have known anything was wrong with his foot. He’s pretty spry walking around that stage. He does a good job playing a mean asshole. Lol. Andrew has hilarious reactions and facial expressions. Zach is hilarious as Harold. Very sarcastic and kind of deadpan? He has a very interesting way of speaking. Harold is super weird, and Zach does a super job. He comes in late in the play, but has an integral part once he arrives. And I love Donald. His role is definitely not as flashy as some of the others, but I feel you really get to know and like Donald.

You laugh A LOT during the first half of the show. You still have funny moments in the second half, but it is also more shocking and dramatic. Pretty thought provoking. And thinking about the time period that this play takes place in (1968) and how tough it was to be out (or not out) at that time, and looking on stage at the all gay cast...it’s a pretty special feeling. They look like they probably have a blast on stage every night.

I happened to be there on Zach’s actual birthday, which was funny because it’s his character’s birthday in the play. When Matt opens the door and it’s Zach standing there, the first line Donald says is, “HAPPY BIRTHDAY, Harold.” He said it VERY pointedly and I was like !!!!!!!! So that was special. Oh! A Matt insta post:

If you aren’t going to be able to see it, you can watch the original movie. Obviously, it’s not as cool as seeing your faves in the role, but the original play, movie, and the revival are all very faithful to each other. Same dialogue and everything. The movie does add a few scenes at the beginning outside of Michael’s apartment, and some of the movie takes place outside on a balcony instead of all inside, but those are very minor details. I think they cut out a few lines of dialogue in the revival so they could cut down on the time, but offhand I don’t recall what they cut out. I’ll have to read the play again. So you’ll hear all the stuff that happens and all the funny lines and stuff that they say in the play. Then you can envision Matt in the role of Donald. I like Matt’s portrayal of Donald better than the original actor’s, but OBVIOUSLY I am biased. lol

#so that's my long-ass 'review' #if you want any ther specific info about any of the actors and their parts (hehe) just ask #the boys in the band #theater

[areallybadwriter]

4/5

A (somewhat) comprehensive review of things I’ve read or watched recently

THE BATMAN

Amazing. I don’t care what anyone says. Batman has always been my favorite superhero because the movies seem to be independent from the superhero monopolies (even though it is DC). Dark Knight obviously can’t be topped but I think it was a close second. It was long as fuck but honestly bases were covered and everything that was included in the movie needed to be included. Whoever chose the music for this mf film knew exactly what they were doing: classic & upsetting nirvana song and techno from the likes of Peggy Gou & Corvad. I think the performances were amazing - Colin Farrell as Penguin and Paul Dano as the Riddler were probably the best. Batman is a little emo boy who takes punches and isn’t a womanizer, and its refreshing no matter how good Christian Bale was in his own trilogy. I feel like a lot of the batman movies are pretty pro cop (correct me if I’m wrong) and it was nice to see a plot in which - surprise, surprise - the justice system in Gotham was corrupt. It was also just a gorgeous movie with gorgeous shots (see the car chase scene or where Batman leads people out of the flooded stadium). 9/10

MINX

I had no intention of watching this show but my roommates had it on one night and holy shit its pretty good. The plot behind it is super fun and the show explores a pretty serious topic in a lighthearted way. The 70s porn industry is always a fun little thing to explore, too. The performances are solid - Ophelia Lovibond (what a cool name) plays the main character, Joyce, who wants to create a feminist magazine and stick it to the patriarchy but also is terrified of sex and her own body & Jake Johnson plays Doug, a porn industry mogul who serves as Joyce’s counterpart and producer. The supporting characters are also great and are all given ample screen time to the point where it doesn’t seem like they’re just fluff for the main characters. The show does well at being funny but not offensive, which in dealing with a plot like this seems easy to do. HBO first released four episodes, so I’m looking forward to seeing where it goes. 8.5/10

ANIMALS EAT EACH OTHER

A book that I read quite awhile ago and then recently read again. It’s short, I think barely 200 pages. I remember really appreciating it when I first read it as younger and less experienced but going back to it with a little more maturity, I find it to be unfulfilled and somewhat cringey in the way that it discusses matters of BDSM and non-monogamous relationships. I feel like its something I would write when I was sixteen, something built on cliches I saw in movies or on TV bridged with my desire for a heterosexual relationship. Which maybe is on purpose, but it just doesn’t come across that way in the novel. Some of it is sexy, sure, and some of it brings up discourse on monogamy, poverty, parenthood, sure, but it doesn’t do it in a great way. I’d still read more from Nash but would expect it to be not the greatest novel in the world. 5/10

THE DIARY OF ANAIS NIN

A friend gave me their copy. A book that I saw referenced everywhere after I became aware of it. A little dated in morality and world views (a hint of racism and misogyny), but some passages were undeniably beautiful. A lot of meaningless shit - after all it is a diary - but Nin is a lover who writes well and is malleable for consumption & relation. My friend described her (Nin) to me as someone who falls in love with everyone she meets. It seems to me that she changes her mind a lot, which is something I can relate to, but does in fact hold onto her loved ones hard and rarely lets go. She writes about men interestingly, creating a large gap in what she can relate to and what they can, they’re much more simple creatures. One of my favorite passages: “Everything seems miraculous, that the summer should be so soft, that fountains should play on the Champs-Elysées, that men and women are walking. A city never entirely known, yet which gives you the feeling of intimacy, of processing it intimately. A sky which changes every day and yet keeps its opaline tones. Can life continue to unroll this way with a freshness never withered, new faces, new marvels? Can one arrive so many times at fullness without touching bottom, every year new leaves, new skins, new loves, new words. One day I weep at change, but then there is no death, there is this everlasting continuity, nothing is lost, it is transformed, or have I learned to walk magically over hot coals without burning my feet?” 8/10

SCREAM

Terrible. Would probably never watch again. 2.5/10

OLD

Interesting concept, but executed poorly. There’s a good gore scene that was freaky in all the right places, but other than that, the movie was filled with filler garbage that wasn’t scary. Also not very scientifically accurate, which usually doesn’t matter too much, but the whole concept is based off a scientific controversy so I would expect more. I will say the performances were pretty good and that I liked most of the actors (some of them were better than others). 5/10