Hey! So I wanted to tell you guys that we’re working on a serious redesign right now, and so a lot of the things that may seem clumsy or random at this point when it comes to presentation & content & layout will hopefully be remedied by next month! In the meantime, if there’s anything in particular you have a feeling about, email alex [at] autostraddle dot com.
Also: a spectacular Tuesday Televisionary and …. this just in! Stef stows away with theSTART: music from the future! and their side project Normandie.
+Arts & Culture
COME OUT COME OUT: Guess who has their finger on the pulse of the NYC lesbian party scene way better than we do? Queen Latifah. Apparently, the Queen “chilled [at Eden] for several hours, ordering bottle service for her friends and chatting up promoter Maggie Collier.” Also if anyone wants to start a rumble about her sexuality, Tinkerbell will demolish you. The lady is a gay, we promise, and it’s actually super-awesome that she feels comfortable going to Eden, maybe that means she’s more comfortable with being out, which is good for everyone, especially because “When You’re Good to Mama” is way sexier when you know who’s good to her. (@advocate)
BOOKS: Writer Nona Willis Aronowitz on lesbian classic Rubyfruit Jungle: I devoured the thing in two days. I was 14, newly sexual, newly independent, and growing a nose for gender awareness. In its 245 pages, there is not one mention of the word “feminism” in Rubyfruit Jungle. Yet, it is hands-down my favorite feminist book.” (@bitchblogs)
GAY TEEVEE: CBS News on Logo is set to air its final broadcast on Thursday,. (@advocate)
ROSIE: Ask Ro. (@ohnotheydidnt)
COCO PEREZ: Perez Hilton’s Lame Attempt at Legitimacy: his new site for the discerning 26-year-old woman is sponsored by the Gap. The funny thing is, this particular target market — young fashion-minded ladies with moneys — is totally taken care of online. What can he add to the conversation besides more douchebaggery, which we don’t need or want? God I hate this man. (@gawker)
FACEBOOK LITE: Facebook is launching a new stripped-down Twitteresque version called Facebook Lite. (@mashable)
OBAMA: Clears some things up. Just a few rumors:
KELLY CLARKSON:Self editor Lucy Danziger, defends photoshopping Kelly Clarkson to within an inch of her life. She writes: Did we alter her appearance? Only to make her look her personal best.” In Jezebel, the extent of the airbrushing is detailed, and their piece also includes the editor likening photoshopping Kelly to picking the best photos from your Christmas photos for the albums.
DEGRASSI:Paige (the bisexual one) and Marco (the gay one), aka Lauren Collins and Adamo Ruggiero, are on It’s On With Alexa Chung! Did you know that they’re roommates in real life?
TWITTER: 10 Levels of Communication Intimacy on Twitter. (@buzzfeed)
HOT LADIES: Dorothy Surrenders examines the difference between prefers British actresses in their 40s over Americans for not fucking with their faces. (@dorothysurrenders)
+ News & Politics
OBAMA:Is Obama really as unpopular as the media would make you believe? (@salon)
#SWINEFLU: The Malaysian government has figured it out! Homosexual sex as an activity causes people to contract swine flu, whereas “normal sexual union between members of the opposite sex was absolutely safe.” (@rawstory)
HEALTH CARE: “Democrats appear once again to have been surprised by the near-hysteria of the GOP’s lunatic fringe: Lunacy Goes Mainstream.“(@salon)
ALASKA: The Anchorage assembly passed an ordinance that bans discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity by a 7-4 vote. However, inability to reach the eight-vote supermajority means that Anchorage mayor Dan Sullivan, who has not yet revealed his intentions, will have seven days to decide whether or not to veto. (@anchoragedailynews)
PROP 8: Equality California announced it would wait until the next presidential election in 2012 to bring the issue of marriage equality back on the ballot.(@latimes)
Auto-Straddler of the Day
In 2002, blogger JD Salvatore of “The Smoking Cocktail” did a parody of John Hughes’ iconic 1985 film The Breakfast Club … yup, she made it gay. So in honor of one of our favorite filmmakers ever, who as you know died this week at the age of 59 after making all our favorite movies ever … feast your eyes on this:
from Intern Jess:
I often think we put too much faith in Facebook as the keeper of all our photos, contacts, etc. What happens if (god forbid) the apocalypse hits and Facebook loses all our stuff? It’s prob best to spend some time and back up your Facebook, Flickr, Gmail, Google Docs, not to mention your blog!
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from Alex:
There’s something about this “Dreaming of Flying” photo set that makes me feel like a kid (with an imagination) again. I have no clue who the photographer is, but I wish I did!
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from Stef:
Oh hey, it’s my new BFF Amanda Blank’s new video for “Might Like You Better.” It looks like a sexy dance party taking place inside a mylar balloon. Did I mention Amanda Blank is opening for Peaches this fall? Because she is.
dear malaysia and facebook: WTF?!
dear degrassi and “dreaming of flying” photos: ¡te gusta!
xo
laura
also i meant “me gustas.” i shouldn’t even attempt to speak spanish.
but maybe it does like you…? ;)
hi
i wanted to ask what the weekly schedule is for publishing content on autostraddle? Everyday there are links and team picks, then there are certain days for TV and book reviews? Sorry I’m being backward x
We want to have a schedule. Sometimes we trick ourselves into thinking that we do. Basically right now the only regular things we have are the daily fix & team picks every day, craigslist monday, how do you like us now tuesday, read a fucking book wednesday, time travel thursday, did you see that comment friday. we do the tuesday televisionary column every tuesday which sometimes means wednesday. crystal is gonna do music is my hot hot fix once a month with an intern. And then we periodically have the other columns and autostraddle roundtable.
with the redesign will come a more regular schedule, but the total scheduling ideal won’t happen ’til we’re working with more funds. i assume people like to be able to expect things … hm .
Crossing my fingers Sullivan doesn’t veto this. And I thought Alaska would be the last place to start taking steps forward.
Really Malaysia? *knocks head against desk* -_-
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Loved the “Dreaming of Flying” pictures. (:
So what the Prime Minister of Malaysia is really saying is “Re-LAX! Don’t do it! / When you wanna go to it! / Re-LAX! Don’t do it! / When you wanna come!”
i’m very jealous slash in awe of alexa chungs legs and voice. She was brilliant on popworld – did that ever air in the US?
I have to say I’m relieved about the EQCA decision. Can you imagine how heartbreaking it would be to work that hard *all over again* and have it fail… again? I say it’s much better to take the time to do it right and take care of ourselves in the process (i.e. not let ourselves get run down!).
Also, Intern Jess! thanks for the link on backing up internet-cloud stuff!
Yes! I think that trying to do it all over again in 2010 was too soon. We need time tostep back/rest and then gather resources, support, etc. before we go charging back into the fight.
i agree it’s better to do it during a presidential election than a midterm election. republicans/more conservative voters have the unfortunate habit of being more organized than democrats/more liberal voters and are fabulous at turning out the vote in off years. for some reason it’s been hard to energize the liberal base when the president isn’t at the top of the ticket. so i think success is more likely in 2012…even if it’s sucks to wait longer.
i seriously hate hate hate perez hilton. enough to probably punch him in the face? absolutely!!
me too let’s kick his ass