My Weekend Giveaway Crush

“Freeheld” was a good movie. It was a moving story earnestly told by some fine actors. To be honest, one of the movie’s biggest flaws “Freeheld” had was being released the same year as a beautiful piece of art like “Carol.” It’s basically impossible to compete with the exquisite swooniness of that film. But “Freeheld” is well worth watching. It’s solid and serious and sincere. Sure, perhaps it doesn’t have the most scintillating on-screen chemistry you’ve ever seen between its leads. And, yes, perhaps its good-triumphs-over-evil storytelling feels a bit conventional and made-for-TV-movie-ish. But sadly these kinds of – in this case all-too-true – stories of fighting injustice still need to be told. And I applaud its star, Ellen Page, and her seven-year struggle to put the lives of Laurel Hester and Stacie Andree on the big screen. This was a passion project for her, which also coincided with her coming out herself. Which is yet another reason to be thankful for this film. It helped to give us our favorite out tiny Canadian.



All of this is a long way to go to say that, guess what, I have a copy of “Freeheld” to give away to one luck reader. I got sent an extra copy of the Blu-Ray, which along with the DVD goes on sale to the public Tuesday. So I am passing it on to you, kittens. So if you’re interested leave your email (feel free to spell it out without @ -signs to avoid spam, etc) in the comments. I’ll select one winner at random who will be announced on Tuesday. Good luck and happy weekend, all.

p.s. Also, just a reminder, please follow me on Twitter, Instagram and Tumblr. What? It never hurts to butter up the host.

p.p.s. Oh, also, if you don't mind, add where you're reading from (state or country). I always love to know where folks are from. Makes the world feel smaller. 

p.p.p.s. Thanks, all, for entering. The lucky winner is btvsobsessed623.

The Queen Has Spoken

Lena Headey, continued human delight factory, came onto Jimmy Kimmel this week to continue her tradition of epic readings of insults in character as Cersei Lannister. This time she read insults from this season of “The Bachelor” as the Dowager Queen. After last season’s beyond brutal takedown of the Lady of Casterly Rock, the poor dear could certainly use some levity. Though as someone who has been forced to watch more than a few episodes of “The Bachelor,” I can attest that perhaps there are a few people in the world who deserve to be followed around with a “shame” bell.



p.s. In case you missed Lena’s last Cersei insult session, see it here.

Gaycation All I Ever Wanted

Well doesn’t this look interesting. While here in some parts of the U.S. discussion of LGBT acceptance seems almost passé (though, let’s be real – it totally isn’t when you can still legally get fired in 31 states across the United States for being LGBT), the question of LGBT acceptance across the globe remains a somewhat unexplored one. So it seems Ellen Page and friend Ian Daniel have found a font of material to cover in their new Viceland series “Gaycation.” But even if you’re already an expert on LGBT acceptance and culture across the globe (and 10 points for Gryffindor for you), the show is a lovely excuse to follow Ellen Page around and watch her do a bunch of gay stuff. Come to think of it, they probably should have led with that.

Can't Go On

Sometimes, in the middle of an ordinary day, I find myself missing “Go On.” Like I’ll be thinking about something like the texture of raisins and all of a sudden I’ll remember, “Damn, that was a good show.” And I’ll start bemoaning the lack of Anne and her Anne-isms in my life. So for the three of you out there who, like me, continue to bemoan the loss of this wonderful show, this is for you. What I am feeling about missing this show is definitely getting more.

Welcome Back, Gillian

You know, I didn’t love last night’s “The X-Files” return episode that much. It was just missing…something. But, damn, do I love seeing Gillian Anderson back on my TV screen. On any screen, really. So here are a few more shots of her for your screen, from her recent Interview Magazine photoshoot. It’s OK, it’s not weird to wanna hug your screen. OK, it’s not that weird.

My Weekend Rage/Crush

Well, this is terrible. If Gillian Anderson, Dana Scully herself, can’t get offered the same pay as her male counterpart – who the fuck can? News came out today that Gillian had been offered half, yes – fucking half – of whether “The X-Files” co-star David Duchovny had been offered to do the series revival. Please let that set in for a moment. Half of one of the most famous – and entirely equal – male/female TV couplings of all time and the powers that be think the woman is only worth half of what the man is worth. COOL, NO BIGGIE, JUST RAGE STROKING OUT OVER HERE.

Wow, yeah. Gillian being Gillian negotiated – demanding and receiving equal pay for her return. But what the fuckity fuck fuck fuck that she even had to. What a perfect and perfectly infuriating example of the Hollywood – and universal – gender pay gap. If you had any lingering beliefs that income inequality between the sexes was perhaps exaggerated, consider Gillian. She wasn’t offered 5 percent less, or 10 percent less, or even 22 percent less (as the national average of women earning 78 cents to men’s dollar would imply). She was offered HALF – 50 percent less.

The Daily Beast story also offered these sexist gems:

“The studio initially required Anderson to stand a few feet behind her male partner on camera, careful never to step side-by-side with him. And it took three years before Anderson finally closed the wage gap between her pay and Duchovny’s, having become fed up with accepting less than “equal pay for equal work.”

Ha ha ha. Isn’t that precious. The series ran 9 seasons (7 1/2 with Duchovny). So that means – if I’m doing the math right – 40 percent of her time on screen with Mulder, Scully was making less than him. COOL STORY, BRO.

Interestingly, The Daily Beast wasn’t the first to report on the studio’s low-ball, bullshit 50 percent offer. It was actually initially revealed in a The Hollywood Reporter interview released on Jan. 6. But the wage gap tidbit was buried and so wasn’t really picked up on at that time. Well, it sure is now.

I’m looking forward to the series revival which kicks off Sunday night, like any other self-respecting nerd. But I can’t help but be incensed at the studio’s initial valuing of Gillian’s worth. Though, I am incredibly pleased she fought them for equal footing and pay. There is no “The X-Files” without Special Agent Dana Scully. Trust me, no one wants to watch Fox Mulder be an unhinged idiot loon all by himself each week. The truth is maddening. Thanks for fighting the power, Gillian. Happy weekend, all.

Dare I say: "The Truth Is Out There?" https://t.co/JNBI025nGa @thedailybeast @thexfiles

— Gillian Anderson (@GillianA) January 22, 2016

Carol meets Thriller

I know I said I’d stop complaining about the lack of mainstream support for “Carol,” but what the fucking hell is this shit? I mean it, WHAT THE FUCKING HELL? So I was watching TV last night and this spot for “Carol” came on. When it started I was like, “Oh, good, finally some nationwide publicity for this film.” But then I watched with increasing alarm as the gorgeous romantic drama that I loved was turned into a “provocative thriller” complete with frightening voiceovers and misleading scenes. I guess the story of two women in love that didn’t end in tears, death or sleeping with a man was just too hard for the studio to sell. So they had to make it scary. Boo, Harold, they’re lesbians.

What the L Did I Just Hear?

So I’ve been doing a big “The L Word” rewatch on Netflix. I started at the beginning and have been watching chronologically. But all through the Season 1 binge something has been bothering me. The sparse bubble-dot theme music – which was summarily replaced in Season 2 by that Betty theme song atrocity – was somehow different than I remembered. It seemed…off.

So I went back to my original DVDs and, sure enough, they are different. The weird bubble-dot music is different. Now I had read that “The L Word” had lost some of the licenses for the original music it used when it went to streaming on Netflix. So some of the songs have been replaced with other ones in certain scenes. But to lose the right to what appears to be its original theme song? What the actual fuck?

Anyway, this concludes my incredulity with all things to do with “The L Word” and its theme song choices. And just when I thought it couldn’t anymore given all its crazy*, this show comes up with whole new ways to confound me.

* “all its crazy” includes, but is not limited to Marina’s complete disappearance, Mark’s stalker cameras, Helena’s personality transplant, Alice’s Dana Shrine, Dana’s death and anything and everything to do with Jenny.

On Carol's Snub (With Spoilers)

So it is always rather interesting to me when I post to a site that is not primarily for gay women. I feel, despite our occasional disagreements, I understand where you are coming from. But while I have been writing for Women & Hollywood for almost a year, I still have not gotten a full grasp on its audience. So when my piece on why “Carol” got snubbed for Best Picture/Director Oscars went up on Friday, I was not sure what to expect. Needless to say, I do not agree with most of the comments ( also, admittedly, just stopped reading after a while because it can become exhausting).

I would, however, like to respond here to the frequent charges by its detractors that the film is “cold” and “chilly.” At first I was simply incredulous at these comments. Were we watching the same movie? How could the unstoppable attraction between these two women – always simmering just under the surface – be read as “cold?” Have you never wanted someone and then, slowly, marveled at the miracle that they actually wanted you back? Have you never had eye sex?

But then I realized perhaps that is part of it. The understanding (especially among some of its straight critics) of the often veiled nature of LGBT (especially about lesbian culture) culture just isn’t there. Also, this movie is set in 1952. This was way, way before main street pride parades and corporate sponsorship of gay causes was commonplace. Sure, now even graham cracker brands are falling over themselves to support us. But back then everything was coded, everything was unspoken.

And society, as a whole, was just more restrained. Men went to dinner in three-piece suits and women wore gloves and hats to lunch. All emotions were muted because the culture at the time demanded it. So the idea of two women in love being demonstrative with their passion out in public? Well, that was simply impossible.

I guess in the end, as much as I want the film to be universal, “Carol” just mattered to many of us gay women more. Here we finally had a film without anyone who goes crazy, without anyone who dies, without anyone who sleeps with a man. While there is suffering – because our basic humanity demands it – there was also at long last our happy ending. Yes, other films have also given us the happy ending (“Desert Hearts,” “Imagine Me & You,” “But I’m a Cheerleader,” “When Night Is Falling,” et al). But another film with such a mainstream cast, high profile production and the possibility to cross over? Never.

This story of two women in love matters to me, and I wish it mattered more to that larger world. That is didn’t will be forever a disappointment.

Of course, at this point you’re probably sick of hearing me yammer on about this (and I promise to talk about other things again soon). But before I go here are some other smart folks’ thoughts on why “Carol” was snubbed. So, clearly, you do not have to take my word on it alone.

-The “Carol” Oscars Snub: The Problem Isn’t Lesbians, It’s Misandry – Autostraddle
-“Carol” was snubbed by the Oscars for the very same reason it was written – AfterEllen
-Why Did Carol Get Shut Out of Oscar’s Biggest Categories? – Vanity Fair
-Why Carol is Misunderstood – The Atlantic
-5 myths that prevented 'Carol' from getting a Best Picture nomination – HitFix
-How ‘Carol’ Got Screwed – Flavorwire
-By mostly snubbing Carol, the Oscars continue to exclude queer cinema – A.V. Club
-A Letter From The Oscar Board On Why ‘Carol’ Was Totally Snubbed – EliteDaily

p.s. As I said before, I am now just openly rooting for Furiosa and Mad Max: Fury Road to fuck shit up at the Oscars.

Imagine

Today is a holiday here in the states to celebrate the life and accomplishments of Martin Luther King Jr. So in honor of the man and in thanks of his extraordinary vision, here is some beautiful music. Also, you know, thanks for the day off. Back again with more tomorrow, kittens.

My Weekend (Anticipatory) Crush

Well, damn. I’m going to have to keep watching “The 100,” aren’t I? I haven’t really written about the show, but I have watched (binge watched) the first two seasons. And while I can’t say I’ve enjoyed every single thing about the series, I do appreciate – in fact celebrate – its fierce female characters. I’m all for a post-apocalyptic world run by strong, flawed women. More Clarke. More Lexa. More ladies kissing. More ladies fighting. Bring it, season 3. Happy weekend, all.

p.s. If you’re still feelings righteous indignation about the “Carol” shut out for Best Picture and Best Director at the Oscars (as we all should be), check out my Women & Hollywood column today.

p.p.s. Direct link added now that the article has posted here.

Oscar the Grouch

Well, that’s that. “Carol” will not be our “Brokeback” after all because “Carol” got shut out of the Best Picture and Best Director nominations entirely for the Oscars. (Insert expletive here.) I felt it coming, but to have it realized is (insert another expletive here, make that a couple). I guess we should be happy the film got recognized for Best Actress, Best Supporting Actress and Best Adapted Screenplay (all terribly deserved). But, yeah, no – we wanted more.

To buoy our spirits, here are some reminders of some other truly lovely lesbian films that also did not receive any award recognition. They may have been snubbed by academies filled with old white men, but they’ll always be huge in our hearts.








p.s. Yes, of course, this is a very incomplete list. So feel free to add your favorites in the comments.

Keep on Carolling

So today I will freely admit to being preoccupied. With the Oscar nominations coming out tomorrow morning and the growing buzz around Leo & The Bear (aka “The Revenant”), I am seriously starting to worry about “Carol.” It got shut out of the PGA and DGA nominations entirely, and then there was that Golden Globes wins goose egg. Yes, I know it’s probably a silly thing to worry about. But this film has touched so many gay women (and, hopefully, humans in general), that it deserves the recognition. Not to mention, it could use the momentum that was robbed by its ridiculously slow releases schedule. In fact, that’s one of my biggest pop culture pet peeve right now. RELEASE THE LESBIANS, movie distributors.

Perhaps this fretting out loud is a way to soften what could be quite a blow tomorrow. Considering the fact that Oscar voters are 94% white, 76% men, and an average of 63 years old I am feeling rather grim about the chances of all the female-centered contenders (“Carol,” “Room,” “Brooklyn”). Still, there’s nothing much we can do at this point. So why not luxuriate in Cate Blanchett a little more instead? There, now doesn’t that feel better?

EDIT: And, I knew it. Shut out of Best Picture and Best Director. Dammit. Well now I am just actively rooting for Furiosa to fuck shit up.

SGALGG: Golden Globes Edition

Don’t Krysten Ritter and Rachael Taylor look like they’re on a date night here? And date nights don’t get much more glamorous than the Golden Globes. The show itself was kinda meh. LGBT shows/films were largely shut out. Luckily we can always count on Straight Gals Acting Like Gay Gals to liven things up. Like our gals, Trishica Jones (new recap up at AfterEllen today, by the way). Thanks ladies, you sure helped save the night.

Gina Rodriguez & Sophia Bush

Gina is not America. America is not Salma. Neither are Charo. Now let’s all hug.

Angela Bassett & Taraji P. Henson

Hands, Angela, hands.

Eva Longoria & Katy Perry

She bit a girl’s head, and she liked it.

Joanne Froggatt & Natalie Dormer

Game of Abbeys. Downton Thrones. I could go on but I’ll stop before you start throwing dragon eggs at me.

Laverne Cox & Taylor Schilling

Not even gonna lie, I would ship Sophia and Piper. But, really, we all know Sophia could do better.

Niecy Nash, Regina King & Viola Davis

So much awesome packed into one photo I just want to sit back and admire the view.

Amy Schumer, Kim Caramele & Brie Larson

I actually don’t think anything all that lesbian is happening here, unless you count the obvious sex invites implied by their open mouths. Kidding, sort of.

America Ferrera, Amy Schumer, Eva Longoria & JLaw

Ditto from above, but this time the tongues are the obvious sex invites. Kidding, again, mostly.

Rooney Mara & Cate Blanchett

Yep, even on the red carpet. Even with Rooney’s back turned. Chemistry.

Judith Light, Jill Soloway & Emily Robinson

This show’s glorious queerness, pretty much summed up in one photo.

The cast of “Transparent”

OK, make that two photos.

BONUS: Morgan Freeman & Helen Mirren

Granted, this isn’t two ladies so it doesn’t actually count as a SGALGG photo. But Morgan’s necklace is lesbian enough for the both of them.

Golden Zeroes

So “Carol” got shut out of the Golden Globes yesterday, losing in all five categories for which it was nominated. It lost Best Picture to Leo and The Bear. It lost Best Director to the guy who directed Leo and The Bear. It lost best actress to Brie Larson, who I am happy for – but still. It lost Best Score to Quentin Tarantino’s rambling speech where he used the term “ghetto” to describe movie composing. All in all the night was a big goose egg punctuated by some typically cringey Ricky Gervais moments. (Still, while many of their wins were surprising/puzzling, I’m generally quite pleased when any kind of success befalls Kate Winslet, Maura Tierney, J-Law, Taraji and Lady Gaga because I like them.)

But, back to my seething displeasure about “Carol” and the lack of recognition for its marvelousness last night. Granted, the Golden Globes are chosen by the incredibly sketchy Hollywood Foreign Press Association and fairly laughable when it comes to respectability. (Let’s be honest, everyone watches because they serve the stars free champagne.) But it’s still nice to win, you know.

This is especially true because women and projects centered on women only won in categories where women absolutely had to win i.e. the Best Actress contests. Female artists and projects with female leads did not win in the directing, score, song, motion picture (both drama and comedy/musical) or TV series (both drama and comedy/musical) categories. Against that inauspicious track record “Carol,” a film about two women who fall in love, is even more of an outlier.

Look, I could be all cerebral about this. I could intellectualize and analyze it. But mostly what I want to say is a series of expletives that would be promptly bleeped by network censors. So please allow me to express my feelings on the matter in a series of gifs.



But, don’t worry, there are always the Oscar nominations coming out later this week. It has to do better then, right?



Oh Cate, oh Rooney – you’ll always be winners in my heart.

My Weekend Crush

Kittens, Kittens. I know everyone is talking about that charming potato Channing Tatum and how he danced to “Run the World (Girls)” and QUEEN BEY actually came out on stage to grace us Earthlings with her magnificence during last night’s “Lip Sync Battle.” It was pretty spectacular and he is clearly game and a good sport and awesome at standing in a wind fan while letting his wig blow. But we need to talk about Chantato’s competitor: the actress, dancer and tank top rocker Jenna Dewan-Tatum, who also happens to be his wife.

So, I wasn’t too familiar with Jenna before this. I had apparently seen her in the first season of “American Horror Story,” because she was in that. And also briefly in “The Playboy Club,” though I only watched a couple episodes of that before it was cancelled. I never watched “The Witches of East End” and I’m wayyyy far behind in “Supergirl” (like, seriously, they just introduced her and now I have so many episodes sitting on my DVR for me).

That’s a long way to go to say, daaaaamn, why isn’t Jenna Dewan-Tatum more famous? She seems to have plenty of personality and, at least when it comes to dancing like her famous husband, talent to burn.

Like, when she busted out Magic Mike’s signature “Pony” routine, in front of Magic Mike. Finally, I can relate to all the straight girls who can’t get enough of this movie. You can watch both their full performances above. But really, really this is bit was like a gift to us gay gals everywhere. Tank Top Tuesday on a Friday. Happy weekend, all.

Rizzles Out

So, that’s that. After its upcoming seventh season “Rizzoli & Isles” is ending. The ratings stalwart for TNT has been cancelled to make way for more prestigious and edgy fare. New TNT/TBS network chief Kevin Reilly is shaking up the Turner brand entirely. Gone are popular, if not entirely critically acclaimed, shows like “Rizzoli & Isles,” in are more “muscular” FX-style shows. (Oh, have I mentioned Reilly is also the former FX chief?)

You know what that sounds like to me? Bye, shows that lots of chicks like. Hello, shows that dudes and (often) dude critics like.

Sorry, maybe I’m just being cranky at this news. A show starring two female leads and created (and currently run by) female showrunners – not to mentioned based on characters created by a female author – is such a rarity it’s deeply personal to see one go.

Also, duh, I enjoy the show. Sure, it’s not “The Sopranos” or “Breaking Bad” or Mad Men” or “The Wire” or “Game of Thrones” or anything else that has launched a million thinkpieces. But it’s a fun show and easy to watch build entirely on cast chemistry. There’s no shame in liking that.

So what will replace “Rizzoli & Isles,” which is should be noted has been TNT’s second-most-watched show in its history behind only “The Closer?”

One of the first programming announcements is a two-hour horror block led by an M. Night Shyamalan (who is a dude) reboot of “Tales from the Crypt.” Then there’s also “Animal Behavior (created by a dude),” a series about a 17-year-old boy who moves in with his crazy crime family relatives. And “Good Behavior” starring “Downton Abbey” star Michelle Dockery as con artist recently released from prison (based on a book series written by a dude and showrun by a dude) – but hey, the lead is definitely a lady. Also in production is “The Alientist” (based on a book by a dude, created by the dude who helped produce and direct “True Detective” and two other dude co-screenwriters).

Got it, dudes. Like I said, I’m a little grumpy. I’m grumpy because a fun show I like is going off the air (the second in the last year – sniffle, oh, “Lost Girl,” I miss you so) to be replaced by serious things for serious people (often dudes). I’m grumpy because the reason for its dismissal has nothing to do with poor performance and everything to do with the chase for buzz. (I get it, “Rizzoli & Isles” has negative buzz, except among us gay ladies who buzz about its gay potential). And finally I’m grumpy because its end spells the end of the dream of Rizzles.

While I never expected it to happen, there was always the fantasy that if the show went on long enough finally they’d just stop throwing men at the ladies, throw up their hands and throw the ladies at each other as chemistry demands. Sure, it was a long shot. Sure, it was never the plan. But, hey, we can dream. And now, with 13 episodes to wrap things up, that Big Gayzzoli Ending seems an impossibility.

But, goodness, imagine if they did. And wouldn’t that be the most delicious irony? That there, at the very end, it was finally “edgy.”

Meet My Friend Carol

So I’ve decided that this week, my first week back at work from a long winter’s holiday, shall be my “Carol” week. Sure, I posted my full review last week, but there’s still so much to talk about. I mean, I could spend eons gushing about the impeccable period setting, down to the smallest detail and glossiest fingernail. It was just all so damn dreamy.

But first, I want to get some necessary housekeeping about the movie out of the way. And that has to do with the movie’s box office. It’s not doing badly, having already made a respectable $5 million since its very, very limited release. But I want it to do, well, better. “Brokeback Mountain” made $83 million by the time its ride was done. “Philadelphia” topped $77 million. “Milk” pulled in $33 million. Heck, “The Kids Are All Right” made a tidy $20 million.

In fact, the top-grossing lesbian film as far as I can find is “The Hours,” which isn’t really a lesbian film as much as a film about some rather unhappy women who also have lesbian tendencies. The second-highest charting film involving lesbians is “Monster,” about a lesbian serial killer – at $34 million. So, yeah, I think we’re due a slightly happier ending, don’t you think?

So I am going to start a campaign called “Take a Straight to Carol.” It’s simple really. Bring a straight person (mom, dad, brother, sister, friend, roommate, coworker, schoolmate, gym buddy, Uber driver, whoever) with you when you go see the movie “Carol” again. Yes, it’s really that simple. Why? Because more straight people need to go see “Carol,” that’s why.

After making us queer ladies wait an excruciatingly long time with its excruciatingly slow release schedule (and in some cases, still making them wait depending on your location), the film seems to have lost some of its pre-release momentum when it comes to mainstream audiences. Such are the laws of inertia with bodies in rest and motion. Plus all of the reviews luxuriating praise, awe and eternal devotion on the film came out nearly two months ago. That’s forever in pop culture terms.

In the interim some little movie called “Star Wars” opened up in theaters and sucked every last piece of cinematic news into its ginormous black hole of box office domination. And deservedly so, because it’s a super fun film and really good story.

But that leaves little gals like “Carol” out in the cold hoping folks who wandered into the cineplex after already having seen “The Force Awakens” two to twelve times will look at the hazy poster of Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara snuggling and think, “Oh, yeah, that lesbian thingie was supposed to be good, right?”

So here’s what we should do: Take them there ourselves. Now that “Carol” has opened in more major cities finally, make a special pilgrimage with someone who has not seen the movie already (and see it yourself for the second time, third time, sixteenth time in the theater) and allow its splendor wash over them as well. Bribe them with popcorn if you have to. Do whatever it takes. More people should experience this movie, more people should be allowed to experience this movie.

Of course, there are always ulterior motives. Yes, indeed, you could even call it my Big Gay Agenda. I want this movie to do well and I will not deny it. The more people who see “Carol,” perhaps the more people will find a part of their hearts opened to an experience they didn’t know they’d desperately wanted. No, stop it, I’m not talking about recruiting. I’m not sending out toaster ovens as late Christmas gifts. I’m talking about the experience of seeing the great mystery of attraction, desire and love played out in one of the most beautiful ways possible. I’m talking about the universality of yearning. Because, in the end, that’s what “Carol” is all about – the sublime ache of wanting someone, and having that person want you back.

Current Mood: Carol Rewatch

http://dorothy-snarker.tumblr.com/post/136670262160/obcrack-delphine-drunk-af-watching-carol

So I am back in the office and back to wishing I was watching “Carol,” like every other gay lady on the planet. Siiiigh. Alas I will have to let Delphine get drunk and rewatch for me instead. Hat tip, of course, to Pepa the Orphan Crack mastermind.

Vacation Vixen: Cate Blanchett

So the truth of the matter is even though I have only posted a week’s worth of Vacation Vixens, I’ve actually been on vacation for more than two weeks. And today is my last official day off. But, during that whole time, I’ve had hosting family for the holidays. In other words, I’ve been busy as fuck. So, in a long-winded way, this is a belated explanation for my belated review of “Carol” last week. Still, no matter my hurry, each time I’ve thought about the film since I saw it, I have had the exact same reaction. To drift off involuntarily, yet entirely willingly, imagining the sonorous dream that was Cate Blanchett’s voice as Carol. Yes, I believe I have found my new official happy place.

Vacation Vixen: Sarah Shahi

I can think of few better ways to start off a fresh new year than with the endless wonder of Sarah Shahi’s arm porn. Happy 2016, kittens.