Hey I hope Santa is good to you this weekend! I’ll see you next week and we can talk about our new toys! Until then, here’s your Pop Culture Fix!
+ I realize that hating TÁR has put me at odds with like 98% of the gay community (which is extra funny because loving Carol has also put me at odds with so many gays this year for some reason??). But hey! Good news for all you TÁRheads out there: Todd Fields’ cinematic universe is expanding. The Fundraiser, a new short that expands the TÁR universe, will screen at Berlinale 2023. According to the film festival’s announcement, “We are very happy that Todd Field along with Cate Blanchett, Nina Hoss and composer Hildur Guðnadóttir have accepted our proposal to share some of the secrets of their work in a public talk at Berlinale Talents. We are also delighted to be premiering a new short that expands the TÁR universe, The Fundraiser, that will screen alongside their talk.” If I wanted to watch a rich white lady scam people for money, I’d just rewatch The Droupout, but okay!
+ In preparation for the new Whitney Houston biopic: 15 powerful, essential Whitney Houston songs (that aren’t “I Will Always Love You”). Also: Whitney Houston’s queer story was so important for actor Naomi Ackie in the film.
+ The White Lotus’ queer rep is messy and oh so glorious.
+ Mindy Kaling’s Velma will land on HBO Max on January 12th.
+ How House of the Dragon built a bold, queer (??) female gaze.
+ 7 mindlessly fun queer films to help you switch off your brain.
+ Bachelor In Paradise alum Kristian Haggerty is engaged to her girlfriend.
+ Margaret Cho chatted to GLAAD about her new tour Live and Livid.
+ 11 LGBTQ nepo babies we’re proud to call family.
+ Amy Grant will host her lesbian niece’s wedding. Christians are, obviously, breaking down about this all over the Jesus Internet.
+ Nelly & Nadine discovers a post-war lesbian romance.
Lol Heather one of my biggest critiques of Tar was that there weren’t enough actual fundraising mechanics at play and that fundraising was only briefly mentioned, so this development is actually personally hilarious to me.
I’m going to beg you to write a companion piece to Sadie’s!
I adore Whitney. Even now, I can’t listen to her sing without crying. What her family and the world lost still hurts my heart. I’m looking forward to this movie very much.
Can’t wait for Velma.
Congrats to Amy Grant for being a person full of love. This world needs more of her showing people what it means to love all.
Heather! I’m also confused about why people seem to be suddenly hating on Carol, but I haven’t seen a reason behind it?! I’m confused!
In fairness, I don’t like Carol because I don’t like Todd Haynes films. I *want* to like them (Carol! Velvet Goldmine! Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story!), I just… somehow for me his films take great stories and make them boring and tedious. That said, we all like what we like and I am all for anyone liking, loving, or feeling any way they do about Carol!
Amy Grant! I discovered her music at church camp in the mid 80s, where I also met my first serious sapphic crush. So in my mind Amy Grant has always been a little gay ;)
I haven’t listened to her music in decades but this makes me so happy.
Listen again to her song “Like I Love You”, and tell me she isn’t singing that to a woman.
Re Maya Hawke being a queer nepo baby- we can all hope, but that cited article is suspect. Also contains stuff about “is Tony Hawk her dad?” and the alleged Vogue quote doesn’t actually appear in any of her published interviews. So I’d take it with a big grain of salt
Kristian Haggerty and Taylor Blake are legit the cutest. Follow Taylor and her business account, Knucklebump Farms, on Insta if you love cute animals. It’s great, and made famous by Emmanuel the chaotic emu.
Last night, out LGBT footballer Beth Mead was the first women’s footballer to win BBC Sports Personality of the Year (quite a big deal in UK sports). She’s also recently injured her ACL which means she’s out for a year, but her club Arsenal have renewed her contract despite that.
“Amy Grant will host her lesbian niece’s wedding. Christians are, obviously, breaking down about this all over the Jesus Internet.”
ChristianISTS are breaking down. Jesus-following Christians (and there are a lot of us—even some here at AS!) are celebrating. I’m not saying we should be uplifted here to the extent astrologers are 🙄 but it would be nice to be acknowledged every once in a while. [Merry 2nd Day of Christmas!]
Wow yeah, when you spell it different like that, it’s like Christianity isn’t responsible for the colonization and spread of white supremacy throughout the world; or the persecution of women, and gay and trans people, throughout history. The hundreds of millions of people who SAY they’re Jesus-following Christians while they perpetrate violence and oppression, those are ChristianISTS, not Christians. Why won’t this LGBTQ website that is written and read by countless people who have been persecuted by people who SAY they’re Jesus-following Christians make this distinction and stop being wary of people who are REALLY Jesus-following Christians. I can’t imagine! This is a perfectly logical request!