Pop Culture Fix: And No Lesbian Xena Reboot For You, Bye

Hello and welcome to the Pop Culture Fix, which is everything you need to know about lesbian and bisexual media that has happened semi-recently, more or less.

+ Well, that NBC’s ‘Xena’ Reboot Is Dead. Writer Javier Grillo-Marxuach was apparently committed to exploring the relationship between Xena and Gabrielle for the reboot, noting “There is no reason to bring back Xena if it is not there for the purpose of fully exploring a relationship that could only be shown subtextually in first-run syndication in the 1990s” — but he exited the project in April over “creative differences.” If the gay thing was the ‘creative difference,’ then I guess we’re all grateful we didn’t have to endure a de-gayed Xena? But also maybe it was killed because it was gay. I’m sure we’ll find out in a few years and then we’ll know who specifically to be mad at. According to NBC Entertainment Director Jennifer Salke, “We looked at some material; we decided at that point that it didn’t warrant the reboot. I’d never say never on that one because it’s such a beloved title, but the current incarnation of it is dead.” :-(

+ Sarah Paulson and Allison Pill star as a Michigan lesbian couple terrified about the election of Donald Trump in the next season of American Horror Story: Cult. This is clearly a story based on my own life because I am a living legend.

+ Queer “Gypsy” Fans Devastated By Show’s Cancellation: As you may recall, “Gypsy” was terrible and had a terrible name but was also irresistable.

+ Sundance TV’s new season of “Top of the Lake,” starring Elizabeth Moss, has gotten stellar reviews, and also Nicole Kidman is in it and she is playing a “newly out feminist lesbian.”

+ This show makes me feel so weird so I couldn’t watch this entire video but I have a feeling it keeps on being heartwarming: Customers Stand Up To Transphobic Saleswoman On ABC’s “What Would You Do?”

+ I Hart Food premiered on The Food Network last week starring our very own HANNAH HART! Look here you can see a situation in which Trish Bendix interviewed her about it for Vogue Magazine.

I love being in front of the camera. I love performing; I love entertaining,” she said, “but I also really love the creative process of coming up with concepts and working together. You know the phrase ‘too many cooks’? We had just enough—just enough cooks

+ Here are 14 Lesbian Food Stars Who Serve It Up Hot

+ PAULA VOGEL PLAY IS GONNA BE ON PBS: Lesbian-Themed Broadway Play “Indecent” Coming To TV

+ “Take My Wife” is so great and you should see it and try to save it.

+ Anything for Rainbow Cake! Great British Bake Off launches rainbow cake promo after ‘gendered’ icing backlash last year

+ Fox Nabs ‘Revival’ TV Comedy About ’80s Sitcom Reboot As Put Pilot

+ Syfy’s Summer Series Are One Big, Gooey, Rollicking Good Time

+ REMEMBER SUGAR RUSH, Y’ALL? —> Sugar Rush: the re-released lesbian sitcom reminds us that queer programming still has a long way to go

+ THIS SOUNDS FINE: St. Vincent to direct female-led ‘The Picture of Dorian Gray’ movie

+ The Ultimate A-to-Z Encyclopedia of LGBTQ Musicians and Bands is a very solid list! Unfortunately I did NOT see my dear friend Jenny Owen Youngs on this list, which I feel VERY all-capsy about.

+ Cara Delevingne will be on St. Vincent’s new album. That’s how we roll, eh

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Riese

Riese is the 41-year-old Co-Founder of Autostraddle.com as well as an award-winning writer, video-maker, LGBTQ+ Marketing consultant and aspiring cyber-performance artist who grew up in Michigan, lost her mind in New York and now lives in Los Angeles. Her work has appeared in nine books, magazines including Marie Claire and Curve, and all over the web including Nylon, Queerty, Nerve, Bitch, Emily Books and Jezebel. She had a very popular personal blog once upon a time, and then she recapped The L Word, and then she had the idea to make this place, and now here we all are! In 2016, she was nominated for a GLAAD Award for Outstanding Digital Journalism. She's Jewish and has a cute dog named Carol. Follow her on twitter and instagram.

Riese has written 3181 articles for us.

42 Comments

  1. My only consolation about the Xena reboot news is that it wouldn’t have been as good as the original. Even with overt gayness.

  2. Gypsy is not a good show. It is a train wreck. But it’s a train wreck I willingly hitch a ride on because Sidney and Jean/Diane are hot as hell together. I could watch those two flirt, dance, make out, etc forever. Don’t even need the other characters.

    • Agreed. It was painful to watch but I also couldn’t stop watching? I also want some closure about that ending, so I’m annoyed.

    • Agreed. Honestly, by the end I didn’t care whether we got another season or not, but the actors are goddamn captivating. And you know shittier shows have gotten a 2nd and 3rd season. I can’t lie, I’d probably be watching all of season 2 if it had been renewed. I know it was bad but it was bad in a very watchable way.

  3. That what would you clip had me in tears a little because it was so nice to see people protecting a trans person.

    • Oh god yeah. I know it’s a TV show meant to emotionally manipulate me but damn did they ever succeed. It was undeniably heartwarming to see people display zero tolerance for bigoted bullshit in that video.

    • * Lim didn’t actually write the scene in question, but it is inspired by a tweet he sent out and the public response to it

      THIS DOESNT MATTER BECAUSE THAT SCENE IS AWESOME AND I REALLY, REALLY HOPE THAT EVERYONE GETS TO READ IT!!!!!!

      OMG! I WANT THIS MOVIE TO BE A REALITY SO BAD!

      (Also also also, I’m love Gina Rodriguez and Stephanie Beatriz’s internet friendship. They are really cute.)

      • *Lin (my phone has disgraced me by autocorrecting Lin Manuel Miranda’s name. I am going to disown it now.)

  5. I wanted to bing watch Gipsy and now I learn it is cancelled :O
    I am sorry Xena is not gonna happen anymore, but honestly, I did not trust a “gay reboot” from NBC.. it sounded from the beginning queerbaiting..

  6. I’m a bit relieved about Xena. I think they realized nobody could ever live up to Lucy Lawless and decided not to try.

  7. Riese: There is a new season of Top of the Lake.

    Me: Great, I really like that show.

    Riese: Nicole Kidman AKA the Mommi you weirdly but fervently crushed on after seeing her in The Golden Compass when you were, like, twelve, is starring in it.

    Me: Oh my goodness, this is fantastic! I can’t wait to watch it!

    Riese: AS A N E W L Y O U T F E M I N I S T L E S B I A N

    Me: *Deceased and buried*

  8. Hi hello Carol comes out on Netflix next month. If anyone’s having a watch party invite me round.

  11. I have been following the NBC Xena reboot for 2 years now. Snice NBC is not ordering a full season maybe Shonda Rhymes who just went to Netflix will pick it up. And I’m just saying Dominique Provost-Chalkley (Waverly) would be the BEST GABRELLE ever! I do not care if she is not blonde, she would be the best.

    So there, I have already done half the casting for them. ;)

  12. The new Uncharted game has Chloe Frazer walking the fine line between friendship and lesbianism with Nadine Ross and I am living.

  13. i’m sad about xena!! like, i defs see what everyone is saying in re the potential quality and queerbaityness of a reboot buut.. explicitly gay xena :(
    in re top of the lake – i’m surprised/unsurprised it’s being reviewed so well. it does not sound – how do i put this – particularly good. like, the racism? and stuff? no award put out a review (https://no-award.net/2017/08/21/australian-noir-or-top-of-the-lake-is-not-a-great-example-of-it/) which seems pretty comprehensive? idk i don’t think i’ll be watching it, which /is/ a shame bc gay nicole kidman, but *shrugs*

    • Yeah, I am pretty surprised at the positive reviews it’s getting. Nicole Kidman is terrific as always, as is Brienne of Tarth and the other actors, but the plot is terrible and the objectification of Thai women is really inexcusable. The first season was not perfect by any means but the plot was 1000 times better and the race issue was somewhat sketchy instead of full on disastrous.

  15. Very sad about Xena being cancelled, was sooo excited about seeing an out Xena and Gabby! Also that artist was from complete, they left out so many great queer musicians like Otep Shamaya ?

  16. I LOVED the first season of “Top of the Lake” and I couldn’t wait for the second season. Finding out that Elisabeth Moss is a scientologist has definitely ruined her and her work for me.

  17. I fervently aspired to watch “Sugar Rush” back when it originally aired, but didn’t want my mom to know I was watching it. Memories!

  18. You know who else is missing from that Music Encyclopedia? Pvris, and Lynn Gunn. Man, are they great.

  19. Indecent was really really amazing! I’m glad it’s been filmed so the rest of the country can see it.

  20. “We looked at some material; we decided at that point that it didn’t warrant the reboot.” :|
    That sucks but also, I don’t think network tv is ready for or could skillfully handle an explicitly gay reboot of anything. Which is probably part of the reason they’re losing so much valuable talent to streaming services ::shrug emogi::.

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