Gender Fuck Thursday: Award-Winning Suits

While going down the rabbit hole of Cate Blanchett flirting with hot women at award shows, I noticed something rather great about the Critics Choice Awards. This is the award show that should probably take the Golden Globes's place in that it brings TV and movie stars together, plies them with alcohol and lets them loose in front of the camera - but without the much-publicized scandals and racism so far. Anyway, what I noticed is that many more women and non-cis men wore suits to the ceremony. And, well, you know my feelings about everyone who is not a cis dude — particularly cis het white dudes — wearing suits. Namely, that I love it and demand more. So here’s a little taste of all the suit-wearing women, non-binary and other folx who suited up for the Critics Choice. Eat that, Golden Globes.

Niecy Nash-Betts & Jessica Betts

Jessica and Niecy are, hands down, among the best dressed — if not The Best Dressed — couple at every award show they attend. Like, who does Jessica’s tailoring, because *low whistle*

D'Arcy Carden

She did this for the ALOTO gays and we’re so thankful to her for it.

Nina Hoss

Look, if I played Cate Blanchett’s wife in a movie I’d only ever walk around in tuxedos afterward as well. Because, you know, fancy.

Bre-Z & Samantha Logan

I didn’t know these former “All-American” co-stars before they showed up in suits together but I sure do now — particularly Bre-Z. Hello.

Amber Ruffin

Are those little crystal geckos on her suit?

Britt Lower

I’m warming up to suits with capes. Like I feel like I could enter my suits-with-capes era any day now. (Kidding, I legit only wear soft pants 95% of my days now.)

Frankie Corio & Charlotte Wells

You should see “Aftersun,” a beautiful, unhurried, melancholic coming of age story with built-in queerness, and not just because its young star Frankie and debut writer-director Charlotte wore suits to the award show together.

Fortune Feimster & Jacquelyn Smith

Not to be outdone by Niecy and Jessica, Fortune and Jacquelyn also cleaned up real nice for the red carpet. Real nice.

Ayo Edebiri

I haven’t watched “The Bear,” but if it’s as interesting as this outfit maybe I should. I mean, the knee socks alone!

Sarah Polley

This suit is so relatable, I’m pretty sure I’ve worn almost the same thing to an awards ceremony before.

Christina Applegate

Now that’s how you swagger into an award show when you’re immunocompromised — suit, cane, Docs, mask.

Natasha Lyonne, Milly Alcock & Emma D'Arcy

Fine, this was at the Golden Globes, but Emma describing their outfit as “child piano prodigy, and maybe the recital’s not going well” was perfect. No notes.

Ke Huy Quan & Echo Quan

As long as we’re going to bring up the Globes, Ke’s wife wore this tuxedo and that’s a yes in very parallel universe imaginable.

Renew ALOTO Already

Maybe it’s my terrible head cold (It’s not Covid, I tested five days in a row – just an old-fashioned head cold), or maybe it’s my salty-sad attitude about life in general these days, but WHY THE FUCK HAVEN’T THEY RENEWED “A LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN” FOR A SECOND SEASON? Why? WhyWhyWhyWhyWhyWhyWhyWhy? WHY? W-H-Y?

The series is a carefully crafted improvement on the original film, bringing in needed marginalized voices in a way that both celebrates those communities and remains entirely historically accurate. Queer women played in that league, but the prevailing homophobia of the time meant they just couldn’t be out and proud and therefore were easily erased by mainstream history. And Black women, of course they were more than talented enough to play in that league, but the prevailing racism of the time meant they were never even given the chance.

Amazon Prime is dragging its feet on renewing a show that was both lauded by critics and adored by fans. And these aren’t just any fans, these are queer women fans. And once you’ve got us, *slow whistle*, you’ve got us forever. So stop your stalling, renew this excellent and important series already. I mean, a show like this is chump change for Papa Bezos. I know every billionaire is a policy failure, but maybe just one of those dudes could do something nice for us instead of just being predictable cartoon villains. Granted, if I could have a billionaire do anything it’d be to actually solve climate change or end world hunger or find permanent shelter for every unhoused person. And then, my next ask would be to renew “A League of Their Own.” Anyway, did I mention I have a head cold?

Vacation Vixen: D'arcy Carden

Obviously my first Vacation Vixen is D’Arcy. Obviously. Her Greta became an instant lesbothrob. She seems made for that role because, and I say this with nothing but respect, hubba hubba. Am I slowly going to feature every single cast member of “A League Of Their Own” as a Vixen while I’m gone? Maybe. Probably. Just you wait and see.

p.s. Obviously I loved her as Janet in “The Good Place.” The Good Janet. The Bad Janet. The Disco Janet. That’s my not a girl, not a robot. But a helluva ballplayer.

There's Definitely Queers In Baseball

Finally, here’s a trailer I have absolutely no reservations about. Like, actually the opposite. How loud can I scream it from the rooftops? They’re taken “A League of Their Own” and made it — at least by all early appearances — properly gay. I know, FINALLY!

While the first teaser trailer got us all hot and bothered, the full trailer for the new Amazon Prime series based (loosely) on the movie by the same name has us positively erupting with excitement and, uh, other stuff. We finally get to see our new Rockford Peaches in action and, well, can it be Aug. 12 already? Please, pretty pretty please?

Also, not to laud my own gaydar or anything, but series creator/star Abbi Jacobson and “The Good Place” alum D’Arcy Carden are definitely gonna be a couple. Definitely. I mean, I could tell from the Intense Lesbian Eye Contact while sliding into home from the teaser they were gonna be a thing, but the continued Intense Lesbian Eye Contact and added Lesbian Hand Grazing in the trailer seals the deal. Also, I’m pretty sure I’m right about Rosie the lesbian bar owner. Yes, make it extra, extra gay!

I’m thrilled the new series (which follows the WWII era Peaches, but with a different set of characters than the iconic film) is much more inclusive and diverse. It’s about time they did more than just show one throw by Black female ball players of that time. And it’s equally time they aknowledged how queer a lot of these women were (and still are!).

I can’t wait to get some dirt in these skirts (which should be pants, but I digress). So, thoughts? At this point the only thing left is to start the pool about how many queer characters this show will end up having. I’m going with 4-5, but more is always appreciated. Play ball, Peaches!

Play Ball

If you heard loud, unrelenting cheering earlier this week it was just all the lesbians (and friends of lesbians) rejoicing at the first teaser trailer for Amazon Prime’s new “A League of Their Own” series. The new streaming show won’t premiere until August (whines internally), but given the intense female-to-female eye contact and sports badassery, my body is ready now.

The series stars “Broad City” alum Abbi Jacobson, “The Good Place” alum D'Arcy “Not a Girl, Not a Robot” Carden, “Vida” alum and out queer artist Roberta Colindrez, “Killjoys” alum Kelly McCormack, and relative newcomers Chanté Adams, Gbemisola Ikumelo and Priscilla Delgado as the new Rockford Peaches. They’s also hired “Parks & Rec” alum and mustache aficionado Nick Offerman as their manager. Set in 1943, the show will cover the formation of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League.

But while it shares a name and general premise with the movie, the series follows a different group of characters and promises to be more inclusive of both women of color and queer women. Like, we all peeped the intense look D’Arcy gave I think Abbi when she slid into home, right? Right. I’m very excited to watch this, though also bracing for the inevitable era-authentic racism and sexism (who are we kidding, those have no era unfortunately, they’re just ever present).

So, thoughts? Get read for some dirt in the skirts, kittens. Play ball (in like two months…)

Play Ball

Mention “A League of Their Own” to any queer woman and she’ll likely get a warm, far-off look in her eyes as cherished memories of what is no doubt many a gay lady’s root come flooding back. And now, a whole new generation (and us old fogeys) get to feel that warm embrace anew with the new “A League of Their Own” series coming to Amazon Prime. But more than just a reboot of Penny Marshall’s classic film, this new hour-long show will be a more inclusive reimagining of the original movie. So that means the stories of both women of color and queer women will hopefully be told to make for an even richer, more welcoming root for all.

The series, from “Broad City” co-creator Abbi Jacobson, is described as taking “a deeper look at race and sexuality, following the journey of a whole new ensemble of characters as they carve their own paths towards the field, both in the league and outside of it.”

Jacobson and her co-creator (“Mozart in the Jungle” executive producer Will Graham) released a statement that said:

“28 years ago, Penny Marshall told us a story about women playing professional baseball that up until then had been largely overlooked. We grew up obsessed with the film, like everyone else. Three years ago, we approached Sony with the idea of telling a new, still overlooked set of those stories. With the help of an enormously talented team of collaborators, an amazing cast, and the devoted support of Amazon to this project, we feel beyond lucky and excited to get to bring these characters to life. It took grit, fire, authenticity, wild imagination and a crackling sense of humor for these players to achieve their dreams. We’re hoping to bring audiences a story with all of those qualities.”

The series stars Jacobson along with “The Good Place” Janets extraordinaire D'Arcy Carden, “Vida” regular Roberta Colindrez, “Killjoys” actress Kelly McCormack, “Famalam” (a UK series) actress Gbemisola Ikumelo, and Chanté Adams who was most recently in Issa Rae’s “The Photograph” - among others.

I love that it will tell a more diverse story than the original, which never broached the subject of sexual orientation (I mean, come on, Marla Hooch is family). And I love seeing women’s stories step up to home plate in such a big way. So, yeah, I’ll be watching. And, yeah, I’ll be rooting for a whole lot of new roots to come out of this show. Play ball, ladies.

The Good End

Tonight we say goodbye to a friends. A good, thoughtful, hilarious, philosophical, zany, unpredictable, romantic, compassionate, and always entertaining friend – who also swears kinda funny. Sure, some may argue you can’t actually be friends with a television show. But then some others may argue you can’t premise an entire television show on the question, “What does it mean to be a good person?” Yet here we are.

I have absolutely no idea how “The Good Place” will end tonight. This series has been predictably unpredictable throughout its four seasons. While it’s painful to let it go after such a small handful of years, it also feels right. All stories, even the great ones, come to an end.

What makes “The Good Place” so good is not only its quality – which has never truly wavered – but its insistence that answering life’s biggest questions is something a network sitcom should totally tackle. It helps that the cast is beyond fantastic. The writing is top notch (not that we would expect less from the guy behind “The Office” and “Parks & Rec”).

Like I can’t wait to catch all the forkin’ amazing details I missed when I do an entire series rewatch. I mean, I’d watch a whole spin-off about Janet and all the Janets alone. And, look, I’m a full-on lesbian, but Manny Jacinto’s cheekbones can call me anytime.

Granted, Eleanor’s bisexuality may be relatively canon, but alas it was never truly acted upon on screen. But, goodness, what other delights this show has given us. And in a way it’s a perfect antidote to the cynical and tribalistic times we live in. To be able to enjoy “The Good Place,” you have to look beyond yourself. A narcissist would hate this show because it asks us to examine at our shared humanity. Just ask reformed narcissist Tahani Al-Jamil.

And, in the midst of addressing all this big-ticket The Meaning of Life stuff, the show was also fun. Like a lot of fun. So yes, Virginia, a show can be deeply fun and deeply deep at the same time. It’s sort of like magic. Or, you know, just really good TV.

How You Like Them Peaches?

Welcome to Monday. Would you like some good news? Of course you would! And you deserve it, much like you deserve a “League of Their Own” series to come to television. Which is exactly what’s happening, courtesy “Broad City” alum Abbi Jacobson who is developing the series (with, it should be noted, the blessing of Geena Davis and the late Penny Marshall) for Amazon. More good news? Abbi will start along the best “Not a Girl, Not a Robot” in the universe D’Arcy Carden. *pauses for squeals of delight*

The new series will be a half-hour comedy, but also reportedly delve “deeper into the issues facing the country” in 1943 at the time of the formation of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Can we get a hell yes? Janet, some celebratory confetti please? Now, let’s start a wish list for other players we want on the team this time around. Definitely they need gay ladies. Definitely they need ladies of color (yeah, that one throwing the ball back scene was nice and all, but yeah). And if they find a way for Geena or Lori Petty to guest star, well, I would not be mad one little bit. Janet, please make that happen and start working on your fastball.

The Blooper Place

Oh, look, you can swear in “The Good Place.” Also “The Bad Place.” But, as always, its best in bloopers. So, enjoy. I can’t think of a better way to start your week than reveling in simple human failure. Also, there’s Kristen Bell kissing Not A Robot, which is always a plus.

The Good Bloopers

I am not going to lie, I could watch 24-hours straight of Jameela Jamil flubbing her lines and saying, “Fuck me!” Alternately, I will accept a 48-hour steam of her exclaiming, “Fuck! Bollocks! Wank! Spider-Man! Shitface! Fuck!” Dear sweet merciful Zeus, I miss this show.