Sans Titre

Haven't been here for a hot minute, but my wrath was triggered by the fact that Samira Mohan's story arc ended with her APOLOGIZING to Dr. Robby for doing absolutely nothing wrong. I think that scene left such a sour taste in my mouth because I too found myself in situations where I had to admit fault, when my behavior was clearly not the core issue, in order to placate someone who was in a position of power over me. I really hated seeing her go through everything that happened to her, and then, at the end of a really shitty day, have to tend to a man's fragile ego as the icing on the cake. I do not believe for a second that this was the intended, predetermined send off for her character.

I could write essays about Blonde Blazer for days because I love her so much, but really, I just came here to say that the inversion of gender dynamics between her and Robert is such a refreshing thing to experience, and it holds a special place in my heart. We all know about the step on me muscle mommy trope that kind of positions the man in a whimpering submissive position, but like... That is not the case with BB. The inversion here isn't purely for sexual gratification, but rather intimacy. She is the initiator, asking for Robert's consent when unmasking him, the one who cradles him and flies him across the LA skies, the one who kneels before him and kisses his hand. She is the protector, the provider, the literal boss, and she never takes advantage of that or makes Robert feel inadequate or less masculine even though he is often times presented as the damsel in distress. The fact that she leaves Phenomaman for Robert just goes to show that it isn't about what you look like or what you can or cannot do within the traditional realm of your gender category, but whether you actually see the person in front of you. Robert sees Blazer / Mandy, and she sees him back... As equals. *SLAMS HAND DOWN* I LOVE THEM YOUR HONOR.

I have been a Shauna Shipman truther for a long time. I loved her vulnerability, I loved her bite, and I thought them brown puppy dog eyes could do no wrong. Let me tell you... The seething anger that coursed through my body when she bullied everyone into voting her way during Ben's trial was visceral. I don't hate her. I think what surprised me the most was that for a show that paves a pretty clear way for the characters to develop the way that they are... Shauna's adamant hatred of Ben made little sense to me. I understand being angry at the world for the loss of your best friend and baby, I understand being angry at your immediate surroundings for shoving some pseudo religious bullshit down your throat, and I understand the bitterness of a teenage girl that isn't chosen when she feels like she should have been... But what I do not understand is the outright rejection of an earnest apology and the blind insistence on someone's guilt when it was made abundantly clear that there was reasonable doubt. It almost felt like she did it because she could, and she wanted to show everyone she could, and I am sorry... But that feels a little out of pocket even for her. I struggle understanding her reasoning because besides unbridled anger and maliciousness... There is no substance to her. For the first time, Shauna Shipman feels empty to me.

Y'all also forget that Shauna has a personal bone to pick with Mari over that one time that Shauna chose to side with Taissa about going to the lake, and then Jackie literally using Mari to get Shauna jealous. COINCIDENCE? I think not. Mari's been on her shit list ever since.

The ick Criston Cole gave Alicent after that haircut was mortal and honestly, girl, same.

What Criston Cole is to Alicent Hightower is the same thing that Jeff Sadecki is to Shauna Shipman. These men are heterosexual--and therefore, acceptable--substitutes for an inaccessible sapphic partner. We have to take into account the rigid societies in which both of these characters find themselves in. In Yellowjackets, the teen timeline only allows characters to be openly homosexual in the wilderness. Meaning, only under the most extreme removal of societal rules can homosexuality flourish. In House of the Dragon, these restrictions are tenfold given the characters' religious affiliations and status. Alicent cannot be with Rhaenyra in the same way Shauna cannot be with Jackie. So... They take the next best thing, the men to whom these women lost their virginity to. These heterosexual relationships will never be more meaningful than the sapphic desire that propelled them to begin with. This desire transcends distance, time, and even death. Ignoring this is reductive, and frankly, just boring.

I have such a vivid vision of GIRLFAILURE™ Jackie Taylor (some deluded AU, I guess???) going to Rutgers while Shauna ends up in Brown, and wow Jackie would be upset about this for like 15 mins but then she'd meet her non-verbal goth roommate and do her utmost best to bring a little sunshine to her life because in Jackie's head she needs it and she'll be told off time and again because girlie this isn't high-school, and boundaries are a thing. Eventually they'll become comfortable enough with one another for her roommate to pretend to listen to Jackie's frivolous rants (mostly about Shauna, an unnamed ex best friend, or kinda still a friend but she never emails or calls so idk what we are anymore). Jackie will eventually climb the social ladder, as Jackie does, and even though she's awkward and a little out of touch, she still manages to weasel her way into the in crowd. She realizes very quickly that in Wiskayok she was a big fish in a small pond, and here she's just a mediocre fish in a huge lake and everyone's so much prettier and have so much more going to them and honestly, being the soccer captain isn't that much of a big flex anymore... Maybe her mom was right??? But she still waves it around like a badge of honor because fuck people who think it's lame! There's something seriously endearing and magnetic about how she stands there in the middle of the party, her clickity clackity knees touching in her summer shorts as she elegantly holds onto a red solo cup in one hand and a cigarette in the other (she only socially smokes like three puffs you guys stop) and goes on and on about that one game where they got to nationals because it was their best game ever!!!!! The excitement!! The candor!! The memory of Shauna's hands weaving around her so tightly... Anyways, she'd experiment because everyone does (just a little weed nothing too crazy she hates it honestly and like a kiss or two between female friends... Okay so maybe it was more than a kiss but it's totally not a big deal and that doesn't make her gay, does it?) So, she'd come back on holidays and she and Shauna would meet because when they're face to face it's like nothing else matters literally so what if you didn't answer the 64 emails I sent you over the semester it's not biggie you were probably busy charming everyone with your short stories, do you ever write about me Shauna? Shauna's eyes widen so big when Jackie tells her she slept with a girl that they might fall out of her head and it's hilarious. So what? Everyone does it, Jackie would say, and Shauna would shake her head... She didn't. She didn't dare. There was something much more painful about the thought of Jackie with another girl than any other slight that may or may not have lingered between them but she fucked Jeff and kept it a secret she'll take to the grave so she literally can't say anything. Anyways, they'd dance this dance of unspoken yearning for intimacy and eventually they'll put the capital L and B in the LGBT because lord knows Jackie Taylor came out a lesbian out of the womb and Shauna Shipman swings both ways but for Jackie she'd swing the full home run. Yes, they end up together and it's as beautiful and unstable as you'd imagine it to be... But boy would it be worth it.

Jackie Taylor, you would have LOVED Chappell Roan.

My HOT(D) take of the day: Team Black this, Team Green that, Rhaenyra vs. Alicent blah, blah, blah. These two women are in an equally fucked up sinking boat, taking a plunge into the depths of the ocean hand in hand. They really said 'we cannot live our lives together in love and in peace eating cake? Fine, then we'll self-destruct.' At the heart of this conflict there is the simple, straightforward desire of two young girls to reunite, but they are continuously kept apart by the constant meddling of crusty old men. Men are what got us into this situation, and they're what is going to keep us in it until the bitter end.

Both Melanie Lynskey (in The Tattooist of Auschwitz) AND Sophie Nelisse (in Irena's Vow) portraying characters that, during one of the most tumultuous and openly anti-Jewish periods since the Shoah, explore the narratives of Jewish suffering, antisemitism, and gentile solidarity during Nazi Germany is just a beautiful coincidence and a comfort to my aching heart.

Israel did not win the Eurovision contest, which was expected, but that doesn't matter, the audience support exposed something much more important about the world. The bitter antisemites lost this cancel war so hard they're spiraling. Not only so, but they also resorted to one of the most cliche libels to explain it away: the Jews control the media. You know, the really sad part about it all is that all we need to do is exist in a space as Jews and you guys show your true colors. Our mere existence is provocation to you.

You can bully us. You can hate us. You can boo us off stages. You can spit when we walk by you. You can block our paths. You can ostracize us. You can turn a blind eye to the violence directed at us. But the one thing you will never do is snuff out our Jewish spirit. Here, Eden Golan, you dropped this queen. 👑