Pop Culture Fix: King Princess and Amandla Stenberg Are One Helluva Gay Power Couple and Other Stories

feature image: King Princess photographed by Meredith Jenkson July 11, 2018 at Dream Machine in Brooklyn, via Billboard Magazine.

Welcome to your weekly pop culture fix, a journey through the eyeball into the cranium and back out your ears.


+ In an interview with Billboard Magazine, King Princess talks about being a gay kiddo, reading The Price of Salt, working with Mark Ronson and why she loves living in Los Angeles. Also it ends when actress Amandla Stenberg shows up and King Princess is like “my girlfriend’s here!” So glad to have King Princess and Lesbian Jesus out there roaming amongst us civilians and mortals! We are having a POWERFUL 20gayteen.

The studio time not only helped Straus develop as a musician and a producer, but it also gave her fodder for her earliest songs. “I wrote about ladies who had come through the studio,” she says. “I get asked, ‘Is it a choice to gender the music or put pronouns in?’ and for me it just wasn’t a choice. It was just like, ‘If straight people can do it, why the fuck can’t I? I’ve been listening to this straight-people music for so many fucking years. Why can’t it be gay?’ It’s the same thing. It’s just different pronouns. It’s the same feeling.”

+ The New York Times talks to Hannah Gadsby: “Writing the show, I think I was insane. I was a hot mess. I had so much just suddenly crystallize in my head, and I just needed to get it out.”

+ The biggest stories of the week are all hanging out in this glorious post: San Diego Comic-Con: All the Gay News You Need to Know About Every Gay TV Show

+ Cheryl Blossom is a Leo, discuss

+ ‘Supergirl’ Casts First Transgendered Superhero–Nicole Maines Speaks Out About Her Role

+ How Syd Shed Being Odd Future’s DJ to Become a Crucial Voice in Music

+ Hillary Clinton will guest star in Madam Secretary‘s Season Five premiere along with Colin Powell and Madeline Albright. Those are some people who have… done some things…

+ Lena Waithe Inks First-Look Deal With Showtime: “I have been a fan of Showtime for as long as I can remember,” Lena Waithe said. “They make shows that most networks wouldn’t touch and they’ve never been afraid of taking risks.” I THINK SHE’S TALKING ABOUT THE L WORD.

+ Theda Hammel Wants More Trans Stories, Especially Boring Ones

+ From Queer Stories to Skater Girls: Latino Movies You Should See at Rooftop Films

+ With ‘Strangers,’ Mia Lidofsky Searches For Home Through Queerness: “I’m an out and proud lesbian and have been for over 12 years, and I think, as a queer person in this culture, I’m so starved for good queer content.”

+ Here I made this for you, a music video from Yoke Lore starring two queer ladies (JK I didn’t make it)

+ Brendon Urie and Hayley Kiyoko had the queerest time ever singing “Girls / Girls / Boy”

this black queer art show is changing the landscape for future generations

+ For you from Chromat, here’s something not to be mad about today:

+ Here’s an interesting block of text : “One foodie-related thing that Hannah [Hart] is excited to do right now is her partnership with Lays, in particular their “Tastes of America” flavors. It’s inspired by the legendary potato chip brand’s efforts to highlight local cuisine from all across the country in eight new flavors: Cajun Spice, Chili con Queso, Chesapeake Crab Bay Spice, Deep Dish Pizza, Fried Pickles with Ranch, New England Lobster Roll, Pimento Cheese and Sweet Thai Chili. Yum! The new bags will be available in supermarkets between July 30th and August 23rd, but will only be available in the region where the flavor was inspired by.”

+ On a more somber note, you’re probably all aware that Demi Lovato was hospitalized for a drug overdose yesterday. It was initially reported that Lovato had overdosed on heroin, but “a source close to Lovato says that was not the case.” She is awake and stable. In June, Lovato released a single called “Sober” in which she revealed that she was no longer sober, after five years of sobriety.

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Riese

Riese is the 43-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 3272 articles for us.

12 Comments

  1. I hope that Hillary Clinton’s appearance on Madam Secretary explodes that show’s ratings…partially because I want good things for Kat Sandoval (Sara Ramirez) but mostly because I know it would drive 45 insane.

  2. My heart breaks for Demi Lovato. (The article behind the link states that she had been sober for 6 years, not 5 months, don’t know which info is accurate). Wishing her all the best.

  3. I saw the video yesterday of Hannah Hart where she is reviewing a few of those flavors; but, she didn’t say it was only available regionally. I might be able to try that sweet chili flavor.

  4. Skate Kitchen (film, I don’t know about the actual The Skate Kitchen collective) has been getting a lot of attention. I think they played it at a theater here last week and if it wasn’t, then it was this week. I kind of wanted to see it but kind of don’t because all I can think of is Blue Crush; a movie about a beautiful sport filmed fantastically in the sport parts that had love drama all over it. These women are excellent skaters and I love the sports but not the drama.

    As for “boring” trans stories, I think all of us in the community irrespective of what category we associate ourselves with want “boring LGBTQ+” stories. Since people not part of our community think we’re “not normal”, they give the impression they’re convinced we’re something mystical with foreign life experiences. XD

  5. Demi’s music has never been my preferred style, but I respect the hell out of her as a person. Her willingness to talk openly about topics society likes to pretend don’t exist–addiction, eating disorders, mental health, self-harm, etc.–is inspiring. There’s a rawness and openness there that I admire.

    Here’s hoping she pulls and RDJ and not an Amy Winehouse.

  6. King Princess’ album is gonna be amazing when it comes out! I heard a few of the unreleased songs at her concert and DAMN they are so good! She is so great! 20gayteen continues to amaze me

  7. i hold strong in my convictions that veronica lodge is a leo. i have many theories about cheryl and she may very well be a leo but you will not convince me that veronica is not.

    • oh I love this theory. I feel like she’s an earth sign and could also be a Virgo, especially considering her perfectionism, obsession with big words, controlling tendencies, but overall good intuition/instincts

      I don’t think she’s a Leo basically because she’s way too emotional and not very outgoing or friendly lolz LOVE HER THO

  8. HOW did I miss Hayley singing “Girls/Girls/Boys” with Brendon OMFG MY QUEER HEART. I CAN’T TAKE IT.

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