#uzma jalaluddin | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

Visit Blog

Explore Tumblr blogs with no restrictions, modern design and the best experience.

Fun Fact

Tumblr.com is the 103rd most visited website in the world.

the-final-sentence · 8 months

Text

Alhamdulilah.

Uzma Jalaluddin, from Ayesha at Last

#Ayesha at Last #Uzma Jalaluddin

8 notes · View notes

fated-mates · 22 days

Text

You can get Uzma Jalaluddin's HANA KHAN CARRIES ON for $3 right now. It's a total delight. So much so that we did a deep dive in season four.

#uzma jalaluddin #contemporary romance #Toronto #The Folio Society #Stephen Fry #The Immigrant Experience #Immigrant Joy #Food Romance #Epistolary Romance #Podcasting Heroines #Family Romance #book deals #romcom #Spotify

2 notes · View notes

52booksproject · 11 months

Text

Book 51: Ayesha at Last

Random letters UZ led to Uzma Jalaluddin. I decided to go with her first book Ayesha at Last, which is a Pride and Prejudice retelling with Indian Muslims in Canada. Quite the premise!

Ayesha is a poet trying to pursue teaching from a semi-poor family living partially off her rich uncle's generosity. Khalid is the son of a rich family who is so fundamentalist he won't touch a woman, even to shake hands in a business setting.

They meet and through a series of mishaps Khalid judges Ayesha to be not the kind of girl he'd like to associate with and Ayesha finds Khalid a stuck up fundamentalist. But they end up growing closer through another series of mishaps, and are a regular Lizzy and Mr. Darcy.

It's not a perfect parallel to P&P, as in it has its own personality, but it lampshades it from the very beginning and fits pretty well throughout. The best character is Masood, a life coach who courts first Ayesha's cousin Hafsa, then when rejected tries for Ayesha.

My only real problem with the book is Kahilid, Mr. Darcy, refusing to shake hands with women, but shaking hands with men. I get that he feels it's against his religion to touch a strange woman, but this is Canada. He should be shaking hands with *nobody* rather than just one gender. It reminded me of Mike Pence eating alone only with men. Both or neither is right, one but not another is wrong. I don't want to come across as Sheila, the token prejudiced asshole, but I think that's a fair solution. Also that and depicting a post-Roe (granted in Canada) abortion as dangerous.

BEST LINE: "An ice-cream truck slowly cruised the street, a Pied Piper parting children from their allowance money."

SHOULD YOU READ THIS BOOK: Do you need another Pride and Prejudice take in your life? Yes, you do. It's funny and clever.

ART PROJECT:

This is kinda what I pictured Khalid like in my head, minus a reference pic it looks uncanny valley, but there it is.

#52books #52booksproject #rng #Uzma Jalaluddin #indian muslims #pride and prejudice #jane austen #canadian muslims #Indian Canadians

6 notes · View notes

dkehoe · 11 months

Text

This Chick Read: Much Ado About Nada by Uzma Jalaluddin

Nada Syed’s life has not gone as she’d thought, still living at home with her family in the Golden Crescent neighborhood of Toronto, her start-up company Ask-Apa launched with a fizzle due to a shady business partner, and her best friend Haleema is getting married. Meeting Haleema’s fiancé Zayn for the first time at his family’s convention is off to a rocky start when she runs into his brother…

View On WordPress

#amazon #book review #books #contemporary romance #goodreads #reading #romance #Uzma Jalaluddin

0 notes

bookcoversonly · 1 year

Text

Title: Hana Khan Carries On | Author: Uzma Jalaluddin | Publisher: Berkley (2021)

#books #Hana Khan Carries On #Uzma Jalaluddin

1 note · View note

betterbooksandthings · 1 year

Link

“What is a closed door romance? Like any fan community, romance has phrases and lingo that have developed over time for fans to talk to other fans. We have romancelandia (referring to the collective of romance readers and writers), HEA/HFN (happily ever after/ happy for now), and have mostly co-opted the use of tropes in both book marketing and slang. Closed door romance is the informative slang term used by romance readers and writers that I am breaking down today.“

#WHAT IS A CLOSED DOOR ROMANCE?#closed door romance #romance #romance books #THE SIREN OF SUSSEX BY MIMI MATTHEWS #AYESHA AT LAST BY UZMA JALALUDDIN #THEN THERE WAS YOU BY MONA SHROFF #BISCLAVRET BY K.L. NOONE

3 notes · View notes

battyaboutbooksreviews · 1 month

Text

🌙 Ramadan Mubarak - Books ft. Muslims

🦇 Good morning, my beautiful bookish bats. To celebrate this Islamic holy month, here are a FEW books featuring Muslim characters. I hope you consider adding a few to your TBR.

❓What was the last book you read that taught you something new OR what's at the top of your TBR?

🌙 A Woman is No Man - Etaf Rum 🌙 Amal Unbound - Aisha Saeed 🌙 Love From A to Z - S.K. Ali 🌙 Hana Khan Carries On - Uzma Jalaluddin 🌙 Yes No Maybe So - Becky Albertalli and Aisha Saeed 🌙 Evil Eye - Etaf Rum 🌙 I Am Malala - Malala Yousafzai 🌙 Exit West - Mohsin Hamid 🌙 Written in the Stars - Aisha Saeed 🌙 The Night Diary - Veera Hiranandani 🌙 Much Ado About Nada - Uzma Jalaluddin 🌙 The Eid Gift - S.K. Ali 🌙 More Than Just a Pretty Face - Syed M. Masood 🌙 Yusuf Azeem Is Not a Hero - Saadia Faruqi 🌙 If You Could Be Mine by Sara Farizan 🌙 Snow - Orhan Pamuk 🌙 Sofia Khan Is Not Obliged - Ayisha Malik 🌙 The Proudest Blue by Ibtihaj Muhammad 🌙 And I Darken - Kiersten White 🌙 The Last White Man - Mohsin Hamid

🌙 Hijab Butch Blues - Lamya H 🌙 The Bad Muslim Discount - Syed M. Masood 🌙 Ms. Marvel - G. Willow Wilson 🌙 Love from Mecca to Medina - S.K. Ali 🌙 The City of Brass - S.A. Chakraborty 🌙 The Love Match by Priyanka Taslim 🌙 A Map of Home by Randa Jarrar 🌙 A Very Large Expanse of Sea by Tahereh Mafi 🌙 An Emotion of Great Delight by Tahereh Mafi 🌙 The Love and Lies of Rukhsana Ali by Sabina Khan 🌙 The Moor’s Account - Laila Lalami 🌙 Only This Beautiful Moment by Abdi Nazemian 🌙 Salt Houses by Hala Alyan 🌙 When a Brown Girl Flees by Aamna Quershi 🌙 Jasmine Falling by Shereen Malherbe 🌙 Between Two Moons by Aisha Abdel Gawad 🌙 Sea Prayer by Khaled Hosseini 🌙 A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini 🌙 The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini 🌙 Unmarriageable by Soniah Kamal

🌙 Home Fire by Kamila Shamsie 🌙 All My Rage by Sabaa Tahir 🌙 The Bohemians by Jasmin Darznik 🌙 Ayesha at Last by Uzma Jalaluddin 🌙 A Case of Exploding Mangoes by Mohammed Hanif 🌙 Chronicle of a Last Summer by Yasmine El Rashidi 🌙 A Girl Like That by Tanaz Bhathena 🌙 Other Words for Home by Jasmine Warga 🌙 The Mismatch by Sara Jafari 🌙 Does My Head Look Big In This? by Randa Abdel-Fattah 🌙 You Truly Assumed by Laila Sabreen 🌙 Saints and Misfits by S.K. Ali 🌙 Once Upon an Eid - S.K. Ali and Aisha Saeed 🌙 Tell Me Again How a Crush Should Feel by Sara Farizan 🌙 Alif the Unseen by G. Willow Wilson 🌙 The Henna Wars by Adiba Jaigirdar 🌙 A Show for Two by Tashie Bhuiyan 🌙 Nayra and the Djinn by Michael Berry 🌙 All-American Muslim Girl by Lucinda Dyer 🌙 It All Comes Back to You by Farah Naz Rishi

🌙 The Marvelous Mirza Girls by Sheba Karim 🌙 Salaam, with Love by Sara Sharaf Beg 🌙 Queen of the Tiles by Hanna Alkaf 🌙 How It All Blew Up by Arvin Ahmadi 🌙 Zara Hossain Is Here by Sabina Khan 🌙 Punching the Air by Ibi Zoboi & Yusef Salaam 🌙 She Wore Red Trainers by Na'ima B. Robert 🌙 Hollow Fires by Lucinda Dyer 🌙 Internment by Samira Ahmed 🌙 Against the Loveless World by Susan Abulhawa 🌙 Love in a Headscarf - Shelina Zahra Janmohamed 🌙 Courting Samira by Amal Awad 🌙 The Other Half of Happiness by Ayisha Malik 🌙 Huda F Are You? by Huda Fahmy 🌙 Love, Hate & Other Filters by Samira Ahmed 🌙 Mad, Bad & Dangerous to Know by Samira Ahmed 🌙 Muslim Girls Rise - Saira Mir and Aaliya Jaleel 🌙 Amira & Hamza - Samira Ahmed 🌙 The Weight of Our Sky by Hanna Alkaf 🌙 Nura and the Immortal Palace by M.T. Khan

🌙 As Long as the Lemon Trees Grow by Zoulfa Katouh 🌙 Counting Down with You by Tashie Bhuiyan 🌙 Zachary Ying and the Dragon Emperor by Xiran Jay Zhao 🌙 The Yard - Aliyyah Eniath 🌙 When We Were Sisters by Fatimah Asghar 🌙 The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi by Shannon Chakraborty 🌙 Maya's Laws of Love by Alina Khawaja 🌙 The Chai Factor by Farah Heron 🌙 The Beauty of Your Face - Sahar Mustafah 🌙 Hope Ablaze by Sarah Mughal Rana

#ramadan #muslim writers #muslim #books #book list #ramadan mubarak #ramadan kareem #batty about books #battyaboutbooks

42 notes · View notes

suseagull04 · 4 months

Text

24 Reads in 24

Thanks @read-and-write- for the tag!

I have no idea if I'll reach 24 books this year (although I surpassed my goal last year, so you never know!) But if I had to make a list... Some of these are rereads to prep for the next book in the series, and most of these will be coming straight from my Goodreads list.

1. House of Earth and Blood- Sarah J. Maas (reread to prep for #3, currently reading)

2. House of Sky and Breath- Sarah J. Maas (reread to prep for #3)

3. House of Flame and Shadow- Sarah J. Maas New at the end of this month, I'm excited!!!!

4. In a Holidaze- Christina Lauren this one might not happen, I suspect I'll need to be in just the right mood for this.

5. Gwen & Art Are Not in Love- Lex Croucher

6. Astrid Parker Doesn't Fail- Ashley Herring Blake

7. Delilah Green Doesn't Care- Ashley Herring Blake

8. Something Wild and Wonderful- Anita Kelly

9. Love & Other Disasters- Anita Kelly

10. Boyfriend Material- Alexis Hall

11. One Last Stop- Casey McQuiston

12. The Charm Offensive- Allison Cochrun

13. Fourth Wing- Rebecca Yarros

14. If the Shoe Fits- Julie Murphy

15. Red Queen- Victoria Aveyard

16. The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches- Sangu Mandanma

17. The League of Gentlewomen Witches- India Holton

18. Not the Witch You Wed- April Asher

19. Not Your Ex's Hexes- April Asher

20. One More Day- Emma Heatherington

21. Ayesha at Last- Uzma Jalaluddin

22. Lioness Arising- Lisa Bevere

23. In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day- Mark Batterson (currently reading)

24. This might be cheating, but all of the books on my shelf at home that I haven't read!

Bonus shout-out to all the RWRB fics I want to read!!

No pressure tagging @heybuddy-drabbles @daisymae-12 @myheartalivewrites @zwiazdziarka @inexplicablymine @hgejfmw-hgejhsf @happiness-of-the-pursuit @firenati0n @welcometololaland and anyone else who wants to play!

#books and reading #reading #tbr #tag games

8 notes · View notes

belle-keys · 9 months

Text

Mid-Year Book Freakout Tag, even though it’s July

Number of books read so far in 2023: 40.

Favorite book so far: The Laughter by Sonora Jha and Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë.

Best sequel so far: Chain of Thorns by Cassandra Clare.

Recent 2023 release you want to read but haven’t as yet: Immortal Longings by Chloe Gong and Silver Nitrate by Silvia Moreno-Garcia.

Most anticipated release for the second half of 2022: A Study in Drowning by Ava Reid.

Biggest disappointment so far: Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston, because the writing was fun and fast-paced but there’s way too much “God Bless America” in there for me to positively vibe with the book.

Biggest surprise so far: The Foxglove King by Hannah F. Whitten because I don’t typically like fantasy-romance booktokish books but this had me in a chokehold.

Favorite new author (debut, or new to you): Mario Vargas Llosa and Octavio Paz.

Newest fictional crush: Bastian from The Foxglove King, because I feel ways about him that are concerning to feminism.

Newest favorite character: Jane from Jane Eyre, as I haven’t felt such deep sympathy and respect for a literary character like that in ages.

Book that made you cry: Not proper tears, but the last 200 pages of Chain of Thorns had me on the cusp.

Book that made you happy: Much Ado About Nada by Uzma Jalaluddin because the book feels like a warm hug and is my current comfort novel.

Most beautiful book you acquired so far: Got the Fairyloot edition of The Aventures of Amina Al-Sirafi by Shanon Chakraborty and it’s absolutely stunning, like it had me gagged. I was kinda scared to touch it.

Books you need to read before 2023 is up: A Study in Drowning, The Book that Wouldn’t Burn, Sword Catcher, Big Swiss, Penance, Heir to the Darkness, Our Wives Under the Sea

I’m tagging anyone that sees this and wants to do it! My Goodreads and Instagram are in my bio for anyone who’s interested in being buddies on there and is new to this blog!

#books #book blog #books and literature #jane eyre #chain of thorns #the last hours #tlh #the foxglove king #a study in drowning #ava reid #mid year book tag #mid year book freak out tag #tag game #book recs #book recommendations #ya books

15 notes · View notes

holly-mckenzie · 1 month

Note

Hello! I love LOVE your blog it's so good. I always find the most interesting shows because of your posts so i wanted to ask what are your fav ships with the best chemistry in a newer film/tv show? I saw a whole debate a few days ago about how "ships nowadays are always lacking chemistry " and i was interested in your opinion. Have a nice day!

Hello anon... I need to clarify, I wrote this answer essay thinking about romcoms, bc that's what film twitter has been talking about, but I realised you said "ships". I will answer your question here. Under the cut, is my thoughts on romcoms, please be aware what is hiding beneath the cut is a behemoth of an answer.

But in terms of "ships" and lacking chemistry. I think there's a few things to think about. Specifically, I believe there has been way to much focus on "ships" and sometimes this conversation detracts from other elements of storytelling, or completely takes over the entire story and what it makes it interesting (e.g. - the conversation surrounding Anatomy of a Fall or what Reylo did to Star Wars). On the subject of Star Wars, one of the things to think about in this conversation is how racism, misogyny, or general bigotry shape peoples opinions. The argument of "they don't have chemistry" is a common phrase used by racists and bigots who don't want to engage with their faves being involved with characters of colour/woman etc.

Now unto other reasons why "ships" might not have chemistry. I think if you are discussing American Television, one thing to note is the departure of shows that had 20+ episodes. With the fear that the show might get cancelled and with a shorter time to establish the narrative, I think we, as audiences, are seeing less of the long con, "will they, won't they" game, that we saw in the late 90's/2000's. I would argue this could be one of the reasons that British TV does so well, most British series are only 6 episodes long, and there may be a better understanding of how to write a more compact narrative, and perhaps there's even better job security... But maybe not considering Joe Barton's history.

Lastly, there is a world of media out there and you need to make the effort to find and engage with it. I talk more about this under the cut, but so many people who are minorities are not given the same advantages as white straight people... So if you want to find good stuff. You gots to look for it. It might not be in a language you understand, or about people who you can relate to, but its out there. Go find it.

So in Answer to your Question, what are my fav ships with the best chemistry in a newer film/tv show.

Television: Starstruck (2021– ) : Tom x Jessie The Lazarus Project (2022– ) : Janet x Rebrov & Zhao x Archie & Shiv x George The Artful Dodger (2023) : Belle x Jack Foundation (2021– ) : Hober Mallow x Brother Constant Alex Rider (2020– ) : Alex x Kyra Animal Control (2023– ) : Shred x Emily Tom Jones (2023) : Tom x Sophia

Other Honourable Mentions: Summer Love (2022– ), Colin from Accounts (2022), Still Up (2023– ), Little Woman (2022), Lockwood and Co. (2023), The Flatshare (2022), The Other Two, Suzhal (2022), In Limbo (2023– ), The Buccaneers (2023– ).

Films: Femme (2023), Here (2023), Decision to Leave (2022), Stay the Night (2022), The Big Four (2022), Ponniyan Selvan i & ii, Stellar (2022), Wildhood (2022), Lakelands (2023), Wedding Season (2022), 7 Days (2021), Scream VI, Sanctuary (2022)

Books: Anything by Tia Williams, Sarah Beth Durst, Uzma Jalaluddin, Jane Igharo

Stage: The Effect (2023/2024), Much Ado About Nothing (2019), Much Ado About Nothing (2022), The Notebook (2024), Hadestown

My Original Answer:

Hello anon, thank you so much! Thanks for appreciating my questionable taste. I do really enjoy watching TV, film, and books and then writing academic papers about them in my head. So obviously this question is really fun.

I need to start by saying, I have been thinking about chemistry for weeks, so I am going to answer your question, just maybe not the question you were asking. Brace yourselves, I wrote an essay.

The whole debate is deeply fascinating to me for various reasons. In part I do really believe that people need to broaden their horizons when it comes to the art they interact with. There is a world of cinema out there. If you surround yourselves by clowns and then complain you are in a circus... that's a choice, no?

Expand your horizons, dip into Asian cinema, African cinema, American Cinema (North, South, and Central), that European stuff (that isn't just what the BBC is pumping out or starring your French favs). And if you must watch Hollywood, then watch some indie stuff. Watch some gay stuff. Watch some stuff by people of colour.

Lichrelly no one is forcing you to watch the blandest/whitest romcoms/romdrams. Are they more accessible to watch? Sure. But complaining, when you don't even care to do the research is a choice. Especially, bc of the way that racism/misogyny/homophobia/ableism makes it harder for people to get their stories out. If you really care about these things. You gots to put the effort into caring and finding them.

Secondly, boiling down chemistry to romance is absolutely wild, considering there are different type of chemistry needed for different roles. For example Rob Collins and Shantae Barnes-Cowan have mad chemistry in the show Firebite. Now let me clarify, I am not saying its romantic. They pulled off the single dad and adopted daughter in a survival/action story story so well. Pedro Pascal, who? And it takes chemistry to pull that off. More popularly, one of the reasons that Succession works as a show is because the actors have chemistry. Some of which is romantic ofc, but the vast majority of it isn't (no matter what the in*est shippers on A*3 say). But I understand, the people want what they want, and that's romance.

I also think that chemistry is an odd thing. I know people are inclined to think that its an objective. You look at two people and are like, "Wow, they have chemistry!", and everyone agrees, because "Wow, they have chemistry!". But I am inclined to think its not that straight forward. There is something to be said about our interactions with art being subjective and biased. This is because as we interact with art, we are interacting with it through our own lens. The author is truly dead, and all that matters is the individual reader's interpretation. So, for example, many people love the movie Anyone But You. If you go on YouTube there are many people who have made ship videos about Bea and Ben. But there is a category of people who fucking hate it and think that its trash and the leads don't have chemistry (Yes, I am talking about myself in third person. I will avenge you Much Ado About Nothing).

So, who is right? Who is wrong? Honestly, it really doesn't matter, because its a fucking movie, and like I said, the author is dead. Similarly, some critics really didn't like the series Tom Jones. In certain reviews and articles, criticism of the series was that Solly McLead and Sophie Wilde don't have chemistry. However, if you follow me, you know I completely disagree and made that show my personality for a couple of months.

But on the subject of chemistry (of the romantic variety), I definitely think its more complicated then people let on. I think most people believe that it's about the actors. You put them in a movie, show, whatever, and chemistry they have just happens. It's like love, you can't explain it, but its there. Or, according to my friend, who used to work in the film industry, the best chemistry comes across when the actors hate each other or they secretly like each other/are fucking each other. It's brought on by strong emotions. Which is obviously a school of thought.

However, as my bestie Merry (@akajustmerry) has been discussing, there are actors who are dating/fucking IRL and none of that comes across in the film/show. I highly recommend checking out Merry's blog to see their opinions on this bc Merry is THE film critic of our generation! Someone please hire them!

But I do think it takes more than just what the actors can bring. It's about the direction they are being given, its about the script, its about the staging. It's about the framing. And it's about the actors and their acting ability. Actors are working professionals and contrary to popular belief, it takes skills to act (not just a pretty face). And one of the skills needed is the ability to create trust between the leads, as Merry and an anon discusses in this post. Because without trust, how can there be chemistry. Which is why intimacy coordinators are SO important. Fuck anyone who says otherwise!

To argue against my friend who used to work in the industry, yes hating/loving someone IRL can create tangible chemistry. And yeah, it might be hard to overcome friendship, if you are friends with your co-star (e.g. - that one interview where Jessica Matten jokes about how weird it was to kiss Kiowa Gordan in Dark Winds). But think about Nikesh Patel and Rose Matafeo in Starstruck. From what I can tell, which is little bc I don't know them IRL and its none of my business, Rose and Nikesh weren't hating each other or fucking in each other. They seem to be friends, but mostly co-workers. But regardless of all of that, Starstruck is literally one of the greatest romcoms of our era. And they have mad chemistry.

Additionally, in my opinion, Lee Pace and Laura Birn of Foundation fame, and Lana Gordon and MPQ/Zachary James and Gloria Onitiri of Hadestown fame have chemistry. But all the men I just listed are gay/in relationship with men, so we can't chalk up chemistry to already existing romantic tension. It is an aspect of acting and skill. Both Zachary James and MPQ have spoken about how the trust they have in their co-stars, have allowed space to shape and cultivate the characters they play (including the romance of the show).

You can't just cast two conventionally attractive people and expect their attractiveness to do the rest. You know my thoughts on Anyone But You. But similarly, think about the way that people were thirsting over Zoë Kravitz and Robert Pattinson bc of all the press and photo shoots they did for The Batman. But then also think of the accusations of whorebaiting, that followed. They simply, in my opinion, did not have chemistry. Even if the Bat and the Cat are one of the funnest dynamics in them comics.

So now that we have discussed actors, and audiences. We gots to discuss actual story telling. Writing is a skill. I know on the tumblr dot com, we have discussed that writing good sex scenes is a skill. Writing good romance is the same... I don't want to labour on about this, bc I feel like you must already know that. But some things to consider is the way in which the focus on tropes instead of storytelling is a detriment to the genre. The fanfictionization of romance. The way in which abuse is touted as romance. The way that studios (coughcough Netflix) are churning out these stories (some of which are def US military propaganda). The lean towards making these movies, more and more explicit. The way that some studios/book publishers are trying to profit off already successful stories without realising what made it successful (e.g. - the amount of fake dating stories in the wake of To All the Boys, or the remakes of older movies).

So what made the movies of old so special. What made romcoms from the late 90's early 2000's, the movies by Nora Ephron and Garry Marshall oh so special. The bleak answer is nostalgia. But you could also discuss the type of narratives that were told during the time. The type of backgrounds these actors and storytellers had before they took these roles. The socio-political enviroment that cultivated these stories. The amount of money and time the studios were willing to invest in these movies. The lack of AI technology... All of the cheating scandals that arose on the sets. The existence of the Film Stars™ vs. just actors.

The fact that streaming has changed the way that movies/tv are made, and the way people consume them. Which could potentially lesson the impact on audiences, as there is less need to go to theatres. To wait for the movies to be released on DVD/VCD/VHS. Lessen the need to re-watch the movies obsessively, bc it was one of three movies you owned on DVD/VCD/VHS, and thus a lack of cementing it in your brain as THE RomCom. Yes, this is just an excuse to yell: BRING BACK PHYSICAL MEDIA, YOU COWARDS!

But one thing that I haven't seen discussed as much is the existence of the Hays Code.

A couple years ago, I watched this lecture and read this book by this academic that focused on RomComs. (I forgot the academic, but I can find it later, if you want. Can you tell I studied English and Film in school?). Regardless, the academic argued that during the 90's filmmakers had to grapple with the remnants of the Hays Code. The code was a "self-imposed industry set of guidelines for all the motion pictures that were released between 1934 and 1968." The Code prohibited things like "profanity, suggestive nudity, graphic or realistic violence, sexual persuasions and rape."

So, while RomComs, like Pretty Woman, were in production, more then 20 years after the Hays Code, this academic argued that filmmakers were grappling with what this freedom meant. That while Pretty Woman was definitely a movie that could have never been made during the time of the Code, the affect of the Code meant that these narratives were adhering to the Code, whether intentional or not.

I think one of the things to consider about the Code was the way that filmmakers had to figure out ways to work around the restrictions in order to tell the stories they wanted. So, for example the Noir is a genre came about during the height of the Code and a time where film-makers didn't have access to that much money. So, the filmmakers had to be creative to get the shots they wanted, which is how we got the highly stylized way of filming that is so iconic to the genre. Not out of excess but out of need. Additionally, the iconic archetypes of the Noir Detective and the Femme Fatale are directly due to the Hayes Code and the period that villanized certain types of woman, and esteemed certain types of men.

Yet, there is an entire study on the homosexual subtext, which was written into these films. For example in The Maltese Falcon, the main character, Sam Spade, refers to another character as a "gunsel". The the censors wrongly assumed this was a reference to a gunman, however, it is vulgar way to refer to someone who is gay. This is the same movie that features a different character, Joel Cairo, who is suggested to be gay (which is one of the reasons the film could not be legally shown on US television stations). Being a filmmaker meant learning how to navigate around the code. Being a filmmaker meant taking a risk, bc you may end up on wrong side of it.

If you want more information on queer films of the time, I believe that Merry or Deah would be able to help you seeing they have an entire podcast on gay movies/shows/games. Check out the @gayvclubpodcast.

So, going back to the RomComs of the 90's. You are talking about an entire industry of filmmakers, who were making movies after the wake of an extreme censorship, and on some level they must known or have heard stories about navigating that terrain. They must have also, on some level, understood what it meant to cultivate stories where characters want each other, like each other, yearn for each other. Because during the Code you couldn't just point a camera at them and say "See they are fucking each other, they did fuck each other, they will continue to do so. Clearly this is a romance". More work needed to be done and laid out in order to cultivate the romances that we now love.

I would argue, if you want to buy this argument, that this is the same reason that K-Dramas/Movies are SO popular. Because it was not that long ago, that Korea was more strict about the way in which physical intimacy was filmed. Think about the era, where actors would stand next to each other, lips touching, and the camera would spin in a dizzying way around them. Now, obviously, kisses aren't filmed in that way, and some movies feature open mouth kisses. Scandalous, I know. But I would argue this is one of the reasons that K-Dramas are so famous, because of the knowledge on how to draw out emotions from the audience that does not rely on physical/sexual intimacy.

So, I suppose the conversation of "ships nowadays are always lacking chemistry " comes down to a skill issue. Skill on the filmmakers parts for not being able to cultivate good stories. Skill on the Actors part, for not being able to do what is required of the role. Skill of the studios parts, for not realising the long term impact of physical media and what sells. And skill on the audiences part, for not seeing the world in one way, and not caring to do the research to find the stories you are looking for.

#asks #anon #i need to clarify I wrote my original answer at work... and I got very carried away #why can't I get paid to do media analysis... Why must I toil away

3 notes · View notes

bookclub4m · 2 months

Text

Episode 189 - Romantic Comedies & Humorous Romance

This episode we’re discussing the fiction genre of Romantic Comedies! We talk about the difference between “fun” and “funny,” crossover romance genres, cataloguing romance fiction, and more!

You can download the podcast directly, find it on Libsyn, or get it through Apple Podcasts or your favourite podcast delivery system.

In this episode

Anna Ferri | Meghan Whyte | Matthew Murray | Jam Edwards

Things We Read (or tried to…)

The House Witch by Delemhach

A Witch's Guide to Fake Dating a Demon by Sarah Hawley

One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston

Evvie Drake Starts Over by Linda Holmes

Delilah Green Doesn't Care by Ashley Herring Blake

Take Me Home by Lorelie Brown

I Kissed a Girl by Jennet Alexander

The Bromance Book Club by Lyssa Kay Adams

Other Media We Mentioned

When Harry Met Sally… (Wikipedia)

The Bear (Wikipedia)

Nominated for Golden Globe Award for Best Television Series – Musical or Comedy

The Martian (Wikipedia)

Golden Globes change comedy rules after controversial win for The Martian

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams

Beetlejuice (Wikipedia)

The Wallflower Wager by Tessa Dare

A Week to be Wicked by Tessa Dare

You Deserve Each Other by Sarah Hogle

Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston

Judgment (video game)

Bridgertons Series by Julia Quinn

Crazy Stupid Bromance by Lyssa Kay Adams

A Very Merry Bromance by Lyssa Kay Adams

The Duke Who Didn’t by Courtney Milan

Cats (2019 film) (Wikipedia)

Links, Articles, and Things

Episode 119: Regency Romance

What does a happily ever after look like? (romance novel covers)

Sensible Chuckle (Know Your Meme)

There Is Only One Bed (TV Tropes)

Pop Culture Happy Hour

Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me!

Does the Dog Die?

20 Humorous Romance by BIPOC Authors

Every month Book Club for Masochists: A Readers’ Advisory Podcasts chooses a genre at random and we read and discuss books from that genre. We also put together book lists for each episode/genre that feature works by BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, & People of Colour) authors. All of the lists can be found here.

Courting Samira by Amal Awad

The Wildest Ride by Marcella Bell

A Proposal They Can't Refuse by Natalie Caña

Yinka, Where Is Your Huzband? by Lizzie Damilola Blackburn

Rent a Boyfriend by Gloria Chao

How to Find a Princess by Alyssa Cole

You Had Me at Hola by Alexis Daria

Game On by Seressia Glass

Manhattan Dreaming by Anita Heiss

Get a Life, Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert

A Dash of Salt and Pepper by Kosoko Jackson

Much Ado about Nada by Uzma Jalaluddin

Serena Singh Flips the Script by Sonya Lalli

The Stand-Up Groomsman by Jackie Lau

Booked on a Feeling by Jayci Lee

The Secret to a Southern Wedding by Synithia Williams

Pride and Protest by Nikki Payne

Tastes Like Shakkar by Nisha Sharma

The Worst Best Man by Mia Sosa

The Donut Trap by Julie Tieu

Give us feedback!

Fill out the form to ask for a recommendation or suggest a genre or title for us to read!

Check out our Tumblr, follow us on Instagram, join our Facebook Group, or send us an email!

Join us again on Tuesday, February 20th we’ll be talking about our reading resolutions for 2024!

Then on Tuesday, March 5th we’ll be discussing the genre of Dark Fantasy!

#episodes #romance #romantic comedy

2 notes · View notes

musingsofmonica · 7 months

Text

September 2023 Diverse Reads

September 2023 Diverse Reads:

•”Coleman Hill” by Kim Coleman Foote, September 05, Sjp Lit, Literary/Historical/Saga/African American/Own Voice

•”Land of Milk and Honey” by C. Pam Zhang, September 26, Riverhead Books, Literary Dystopian/Asian American

•”The Museum of Failures” by Thrity Umrigar, September 26, Algonquin Books, Contemporary/Women/Family Life/Asian American/Cultural Heritage

•”This Is Salvaged: Stories” by Vauhini Vara, September 26, W. W. Norton & Company, Short Stories, Literary/Women/Family Life

•”Evil Eye” by Etaf Rum, September 05, Harper, Contemporary/Women/Family Life/Cultural Heritage

•The Fraud” by Zadie Smith, September 05, Penguin Press, Literary/Sagas/Historical/Biograpical/Britain/Janaica

•”Wild Girls: How the Outdoors Shaped the Women Who Challenged a Nation” by Tiya Miles, September 19, W. W. Norton & Company, History/Women's Studies/Human Geography/19th Century/20th Century

•”The Devil of the Provinces” by Juan Cárdenas, Davis (Translator), September 12, Coffee House Press, Literary/Noir/Crime/World Literature/Colombia

•”And Then She Fell” by Alicia Elliott, September 26, Dutton, Literary/Horror/Native American & Aboriginal

•”Wednesday's Child: Stories” by Yiyun Li, September 05, Farrar Straus and Giroux/ Literary/Short Stories/Asian American

•Three Holidays and a Wedding” by Uzma Jalaluddin & Marissa Stapley, September 26, G.P. Putnam's Sons, Romance

•”What Start Bad a Mornin'” by Carol Mitchell, September 19, Central Avenue Publishing, Contemporary/Immigration/Women/African American/ United States/Trinidad/Jamaica

•”The Book of (More) Delights: Essays” by Ross Gay, September 19, Algonquin Books, Personal Memoir in Essays/Cultural, Ethnic & Regional/African American & Black

•”What You Are Looking for Is in the Library” by Michiko Aoyama, translated by Alison Watts, September 05, Hanover Square Press. Literary/Coming of Age/Friendship/World Literature/Japan

•”Thank You for Sharing” by Rachel Runya Katz, September 12, St. Martin's Griffin/Romance/Jewish/POC/Multicultural

•”The Name Drop” by Susan Lee, September 12, Inkyard Press, Romance/Family/Parents/Social Themes/Class Differences/Diversity & Multicultural

•”The Golden Gate” by Amy Chua, September 19, Minotaur Books, Historical/Thrillers/Suspense/Mystery/Detective

•”South” by Babak Lakghomi, September 12, Rare Machines, Political/Dystopian

•”The Death I Gave Him” by Em X. Liu, September 12, Solaris, Science Fiction/Crime/Mystery/Thrillers/Technological

“A lyrical, queer sci-fi retelling of Shakespeare's Hamlet as a locked-room thriller.”

•”Others Were Emeralds” by Lang Leav, September 05, Harper Perennial, Literary/Coming of Age/Family Life/Siblings/Friendship/Cultural Heritage/World Literature - Australia

Happy reading, Mo✌️