Welcome to the Pop Culture Fix, your weekly round-up of all the pop culture you need in your face.
First Name Ellen, Last Name Greatest
Do you ever wonder if Ellen DeGeneres has a Time-Turner? I mean, obviously she doesn’t or she’d be able to zip on back to 1997 and tell herself not even to worry about the coming out backlash because one day she would grow up to host the most popular daytime TV show ever and win a thousand Emmys and be married to her soul’s true match and be America’s best friend and also like a bazillionaire, probably. I’m only asking about the Time-Turner because how does she do so much? This year, alone, she did her talk show, released multiple clothing lines, published a book, and I honestly can’t even remember what else. Flipped a dozen houses. Built a rocketship to gay colonize Mars. And she’s not done yet: The first Finding Dory trailer is here! (And I’m crying already.)
She also fixed the Starbucks Christmas’ cups (aka “Satan Sipper”) controversy with a new invention called HolidayVision.
The Teevee
+ Look, Ilene Chaiken knows you want a Cookie Lyon Empire spin-off, okay? She’s heard the word. And the answer is no. (P.S. Empire‘s winter return is March 30, which is basically spring, BUT FINE.)
+ I got my heart broken to the max this week when I thought Vulture was telling me Mindy Kaling is writing a new lesbian buddy comedy. Sadly, what they were really telling me was The Mindy Project‘s Ed Weeks is writing a new TV show about “a co-dependent relationship between a lesbian lothario and her cautious, straight male best friend.” Feels a lot like One Big Happy, right? I prefer my imaginary Mindy Kaling scenario.
+ The first trailer for Transparent‘s second season is here. It returns to Amazon on December 11th.
+ And also the new trailer for Jessica Jones. You know it lands on Netflix the same as Carol comes to theaters, right? If this is the future, I’m feeling just fine.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s3UYWK2jeX0
+ Ryan Murphy gets to keep making TV for reasons I will never understand.
+ I wasted too much time this weekend talking about fucking Donald Trump and now it is my goal to never engage in a conversation about him for the rest of eternity. If you want to watch Cecily Strong play Rachel Maddow on this weekend’s SNL cold open and Kate McKinnon reprise her Hillary Clinton, though, here you go.
Movies
+ Here’s a weird thing: Freeheld director Ron Nyswaner told a crowd at the Vanguard Awards that the movie was “de-gayed” and he wasn’t happy about it.
One of my recent gay-themed projects had a lot of potential. But the producers became fearful. The gay characters were idealized. Their edges were smoothed out. The conflict between them was softened. Over my vigorous objections, by the way, for the record. [The main characters were] turned into Lesbians with lower-case ‘l.'”
+ Ruby Rose and Draco Malfoy are teaming up for a cartoon movie about wolves written by the guy who did Don’t Tell Mom The Babysitter’s Dead. (Best sentence ever written, probably.)
+ You can finally stream Tangerine.
Queer Ladies Doin’ It For Themselves
+ Many of your favs attended the Glamour Awards this week: The entire USWNT, Billie Jean King in some fly specs, Caitlyn Jenner, and lots more. This is a nice gallery of the ladies.
+ Patricia Velasquez talked to The Mary Sue about coming out and also her new movie Liz In September, a film I liked but did not love because of (SPOILER ALERT!) another lesbian movie with a doom-and-gloom ending.
+ I don’t know what section to stick this in. President Obama is on the cover of the Out 100. Hopefully Riese’s prediction comes true next year.
So many things lacking in that Finding Dory trailer ugh. Though:
“I remember something! Is it a clam? An oyster?”
And she lived away from her family for someone reason?
What a flaming little lesbian fish Dory is
“hand me the ratchet wrench so I can fix it” <3
So gay!
Re: Patricia Velasquez
Her?
IT HAD TO BE DONE I’M SORRY
I CANNOT WAIT FOR NOVEMBER 20ND.
Also there’s a bit of Faith in Krysten Ritter’s Jessica Jones, Y/N ?
YES!!! i thought that, too.
November 20 is going to be the day I’m going to envy everyone who lives in the U.S. the most. I have to wait til January to watch Carol, DOES THAT SEEM FAIR TO YOU
wait what ? oh that sucks! It comes out on the 27th in the UK. If it makes you feel better I think the 20th November release is a limited release so not even everyone in the US will be able to see it right away.
I wonder what the logic is for rolling out that kind of release instead of doing it all at once. Are they afraid people won’t go to the movies on Christmas in Europe? Or that it will compete with the release of Star Wars ?!
I know, it doesn’t make sense. Like at all. It doesn’t surprise me anymore because it happens often (and with my luck usually with movies I really want to see – I had to wait for three freaking extra months for Inside Out), but it’s so irritating, ugh (and it feels like they are challenging me to find *ehm* others *ehm* way to watch them).
Yeah, I was coming down here to say don’t panic when Carol does not actually open by you on Nov 20th; it is a limited release. We’re not getting it in Seattle until Christmas, and we’re a solid film market, usually in the next batch after NY/LA on limiteds.
The logic on rolling releases like this is that it costs money to put a film in a theater and it takes time to build word of mouth. Different dates in other countries, that’s a whole other set of complicated distribution & rights questions. It’s really common, though. Sometimes it goes the other way, like how the UK has been getting some big smashy smashy movies a week or two before the US.
I feel your pain.
Dec.17th in my parts, and I’m counting the days!
Look, I know it wasn’t the point of the sketch, but that Rachel Maddow impression is sorely lacking. Get on it SNL!
So. Adele’s new album, Jessica Jones, and Carol all open on my birthday. Happy birthday to me! (Though I have a question: Is Carol only opening in NYC and LA on the 20th, or is it wide that day?)
It’s my birthday too! Happy almost birthday, birthday buddy!
You too, birthday buddy!
wait what is POTUS going to come out as bi when his term ends?
Oh never mind… that’s just Out magazine being Out magazine.
I have a new fondness for old vacuum cleaner pennies.