Annette Bening, Emma Stone & Lily Gladstone
Regina King & Danielle Brooks
Jamie Lee Curtis & Lupita Nyong'o
Florence Pugh
Kerry Washington & Sandra Oh
Emma Stone & Jennifer Lawrence & Sally Fields
America Ferrera & Gay Gals
And the Best Lesbian Oscars Photo Goes To
As long as I’m sharing SNL stuff this week, how about this skit from late last year that made me literally LOL because of how very much Emma Stone goes for it. The intentional weirdness yet unwavering accuracy of Emma’s every move here. As a person who at times can spent an ungoddessly amount of time disassociating from the universe on TikTok, I can say this is exactly how poor Mama Cass’s “Make Your Own Kind of Music” has been embraced by pop culture today. Anyway, if you, like me, have hardcore hit the Dreaded January Doldrums, I hope Emma’s wiliness to go full feral and commit to this bit brighten your day a bit more.
Mark me down as intrigued. I had not heard a peep about this movie before hitting play on the trailer for “Poor Things” and now I’m rather pleased I went in totally unprepared. If you’d like to take this moment to watch this under 50-second teaser equally unprepared, by all means please do and I will be here when you get back from your short trip. *whistles off key* Right, so intrigued, right?
It’s like Dr. Frankenstein meets gothic Pushing Daisies meets acid trip Wes Anderson. But this time Frankenstein’s monster is Emma Stone and the skies all look like the most beautiful snow cones you’ve ever seen. I have not read more about the plot because, clearly, this is an aesthetic endeavor with, if filmmaker Yorgos Lanthimos’s past work is to be a guide, very sharp elbows. Lanthimos was behind my favorite film of 2018, “The Favourite.”
While that movie also had Emma Stone, I’m not as optimistic for lesbian overtones (or even undertones) in his latest work. But I do like to see Emma play against type. I like the absurdist chaos and magical weirdness of the trailer, and, well, who doesn’t root for Frankenstein’s Emma’s monster to slap the shit out of every man she sees? That’s the whole plot, and you can’t convince me otherwise.
So the nominations are out for this year’s Academy Awards. Ten very talented women got the nod in for Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress honors. I don’t know who will take home the shiny naked golden dude, but it is no secret that “The Favourite” remains my favorite. Plus, Her Royal Highness looks stunning in a tux.
But, really, they’re all my favorite because they’re all wonderful actresses and they don’t look too shabby in a suit either. So, really, that makes them all winners in my book.
Best Actress
Yalitza Aparicio, “Roma”
I have not seen “Roma” yet and I feel bad about that. But I feel great about this nomination. So maybe that evens out my karma?
Glenn Close, “The Wife”
Damn, Glenn is making the best tux in this post race very Close. Sorry, I’ll let myself out.
Olivia Colman, “The Favourite”
Can a suit be endearingly dorky? Because, yes.
Lady Gaga, “A Star Is Born”
Oh, I get it. Wearing a suit with extra room to make way for an EGOT.
Melissa McCarthy, “Can You Ever Forgive Me?”
I miss Melissa’s Spicey. Not the real one, obviously.
Best Supporting Actress
Amy Adams, “Vice”
Man, I really liked her in “Sharp Objects.” Sorry, I’m not gonna see “Vice,” so that’s all I got.
Marina de Tavira, “Roma”
Ditto from above. But it’s on my list! I promise!
Regina King, “If Beale Street Could Talk”
Please, like I’m the only one who had a crush on her all butched up in “Miss Congeniality 2.”
Emma Stone, “The Favourite”
Lesbianism looks even better on her than this suit. (What? It’s a lot of pattern.)
Rachel Weisz, “The Favourite”
Rachel was really bucking for the Cate Blanchett/Gillian Anderson Lesbian Affections Oscar this year with “Disobedience” and “The Favourite.” May more actress vie for the honor in the future.
True story: My power went out about an hour into the Golden Globes and didn’t come back until just a few minutes before the show ended. So I had to catch a repeat to watch the second half. It was a lot of effort for a kind of s0-so show, but that’s just the lengths I’ll go to give you quality Straight Gals Acting Like Gay Gals action (sprinkled with some Gay Gals Acting Like Gay Gals, because we are legion).
When the cat’s away... pic.twitter.com/jFu7IJ4ATW
— Lupita Nyong'o (@Lupita_Nyongo) January 7, 2019
Well, kittens, we made it another lap around the sun together. 20GayTeen lived up to its name, and then some. And what another crazy, crazy, super fucking crazy year it was. Personally, wonderful things happened. Like, you know, I got married. Politically, cruelty and corruption continued to reign. But at least a Blue Wave came in to offer us hope and reinforcements. And in the pop culture world? Well, art did its part to entertain, engage (occasionally enrage) and otherwise provide escapism exactly when needed. And, heavens, did we need it.
So here is a little ode to the best things I watched, listened and generally consumed in this year of our Lesbian Jesus, 20GayTeen. Thanks for keeping things super duper gay, universe. May the New Year aspire to such queerness, and then some. Happy New Year, kittens.
TV: Killing Eve
I just finished my fifth full rewatch of the entire first season of “Killing Eve,” and I can assuredly say this show only gets richer with each watch. In fact the complexity and brilliance of the series demands multiple viewings. Because on first watch you’ll likely be most stunned by the plot (like, holy shit, it really went there). Then another watch and you’re floored again by the acting because the things Sandra Oh can do with a few muscles in her face. And then a third rewatch you are dazzled anew by the impeccable writing and sublime use of music. And a fourth you’re drafting legal papers allowing Jodie Comer to legally murder you, should the want arise. And so on, and so forth. In short, if “Killing Eve” wasn’t your favorite new queer obsession last year, honey, there’s always this year.
Also: The Good Place
Hot forking damn this show is so good. Any show that passes between multiple dimensions so seamlessly obviously has no problem being fluid in its interpretations of gender, sexuality and personhood. Also, I would watch a 24-hour Janet channel. I really, really would.
Movie: The Favourite
What a tart, wicked delight. It’s beyond refreshing to watch a movie that allows women to be smart, cunning and ruthless without making them the villains of their own story. Instead, they’re treated as men would be in the exact same situation – as smart, cunning and ruthlessly heroes of their own stories. And, as we all know, heroes have all the fun.
Also: “Crazy Rich Asians”
If this movie only had a queer female character it would have been perfect. As is it was still a true delight, a feast for the eyes and a joy for our hearts. Plus, so much attractive Asian excellence in one place.
Music: Janelle Monae, Dirty Computer
Not only did Janelle Monae compose the greatest celebration of Lady Parts since Georgia O’Keeffe picked up a paintbrush, she also made the definitive ode to Bisexual Lighting. Plus, it has a beat and you can gayly dance it it.
Also: Hayley Kiyoko
I mean, we can’t leave Lesbian Jesus off a best of 20GayTeen list. I mean, that would be a gay sin.
I hope you have seen “The Favourite” at this point. Rachel Weisz and Emma Stone were spectacular in it (as, of course, was the sublime Olivia Colman). Another delight is hearing Rachel explain British slang to Emma. I need something like this, but for “Great British Bake Off” terminology. That would be so Dench.
“The Favourite” isn’t necessarily a lesbian movie. Yes, it is a movie with probable lesbian characters and plenty of lesbian activity. But there is no coming out scene. There is no gay panic tragedy. There is absolutely no queer agenda. This is just about three extremely complex women who are doing everything they can to navigate their lives – and really an entire country – without a single worry about the feelings of the frivolous men who surround them. It’s in short, pretty freaking amazing. And, actually when you think about it, plenty gay where it counts.
What “The Favourite” really is a celebration of the cunning – and cunnilingus (please, you knew that joke was coming) – power of women. What it is also is tons of wicked, perverse fun and another reminder that movies without a typical strong male leads are really rather good. In fact – in many ways, they’re favorable. (Not to mention more profitable.)
Olivia Colman, Rachel Weisz and Emma Stone have created characters in their real-life roles (with much creative license and Sapphic historical reimagining, of course) that are neither likeable or unlikeable. They are, instead, just riveting. You simply can’t stop watching – and why would you? These are actresses biting down hard into the juiciest, ripest of cinematic fruits. Here is a film that doesn’t insult their intelligence or exploit their sexuality.
It lets them be scheming, without being stereotypically scheming. It lets them be vain and ridiculous, without pigeonholing all women as vain or ridiculous. It lets them be smart – because surprise women are really fucking smart. In short, it lets them be the sorts of things men have been in films forever without a second thought – but it does so while still being true the very foundation of our feminine uniqueness. There’s a pathos to it that lingers long after the wild ride is done. All three women find themselves at destinations they hadn’t necessarily planned for. But then, as the saying goes, it’s the journey – not the destination. Happy weekend, all.
Now, like probably many of you, I saw the trailer for “The Favorite” starting Olivia Colman, Emma Stone and Rachel Weisz when it came out back in September. I remember it looking amusing, and loving the cast. But I also remember being a little concerned about the aggressive women-on-women rivalry aspect. Like, oh great, it’s about women but all they do is fight.
But, seems the trailer left out a key piece of information. According to The Hollywood Reporter, this isn’t just an “female-fronted absurdist period piece.” This is a female-fronted absurdist royal lesbian love triangle period piece.
See, now, doesn’t that pique your interest a tad more?
So here’s the rundown. Olivia Colman (who you mat recognize from “Broadchurch” and will soon recognize as The Queen in “The Crown”) plays Queen Anne, who reigned over England, Scotland and Ireland in the early 1700s. Rachel plays her longtime, close personal adviser Sarah Jennings Churchill (yes, great-great-grandmother to thatChurchill). And then enters Emma as Abigail Masham, Sarah’s cousin with an eye at becoming The Favourite instead.
Now all these women are real and really existed and had real power struggles. But the movie’s story is called “partly true, partly made-up.”
Now I don’t know if it’s the lesbianism that was made up or not. (hey, English history scholars, wanna help me out here?) But I do know that the accompanying THR article doesn’t get into exactly how much lesbian is in this royal lesbian love triangle. Like, um, how gay are we talking here, folks?
One tidbit does say Emma’s character Abigail is discovered naked in bed with Olivia’s Queen by Rachel’s Sarah. And, you know, boobies are flashed. Also, adding to its lesbo street cred, before Rachel was cast as Sarah, the role was offered to Kate Winslet and Cate Blanchett. Yeah, I know.
So thoughts? Concerns? Pretty much it sounds like a lesbian All About Eve for the 18th Century to me. And, I’m not mad at that. Not at all.
Yeah, I still am not over how the Oscars ended. Or how many people (not you, Casey Affleck) who I was genuinely rooting for won. Or that it took until 2017 for the first LGBT film/first film with a black cast/first film directed by a black director to win. All these wonderful, barrier-break moments plus a lotta straight gals acting like gay gals? Some nights are just lucky, I guess.
