Pop Culture Fix: Anna Paquin Stands with Ellen Page Against X-Men Director Brett Ratner

This is your weekly Pop Culture Fix. I’m your co-host, Heather Hogan. I ordered oatmeal with acai berries for two dollars more this morning and let me tell you something: Acai berries are a lie. It’s just blueberries.

Teevee

+ Women and People of Color Directed More TV Than Ever This Season

+ After NYT’s Louis C.K. story broke, Jen Richards wrote on Twitter: “Welp. I guess I can say this now: I was one of the stars of The Cops. There was going to be an animated trans character, voiced by a trans actress, on network television. The consequences of these actions go far.” Allison Raskin wrote about her and Gaby Dunn’s similar struggle two years ago in a piece for Splinter called Don’t Let Female Creators Be Collateral Damage When Male Abusers Go Down.

We want to make this very clear: Losing a show is nothing compared to the agony of sexual assault or harassment. What we experienced is not even in the same category as the many brave women who came forward about Deen, and the women (and men) who have come forward in the past month. That said, it’s a bizarre, painful thing for your career to be the collateral damage of someone else’s wrongful acts.

+ The Handmaid’s Tale will be back in April with 13 new episodes.

Movies

+ Look, just read Caity Weaver’s profile of Gal Gadot already.

Gal Gadot is very hands-on. As in: When you meet her, she will put her hands on you many times, in many different places. Israeli culture is so touch-oriented that guides for Americans traveling there warn they may feel their personal space is constantly being violated in formal settings. Gadot might wordlessly reach out to brush a crumb off your face while you are eating, or lightly rest her palm on your thigh for half a minute while she tells you a story. She might scrunch up her hands into little claws and tickle you with quick finger flexes, the way you would a baby’s tummy, if something about your demeanor suggests to her that you need to be tickled in that moment. Even as Wonder Woman sequels and spin-offs propel Gadot to new heights of global stardom, she probably will not lose this habit of touching, because she is a charming, beautiful woman, and it will never occur to people to shrink away from her. In speech, too, Gadot has a compulsive tendency to create intimacy, like when, the morning after the beach, she smiles conspiratorially and tells me she is taking me to a little place near her house that she loves, and it turns out to be a small store where she buys laundry detergent.

+ From io9: Thor: Ragnarok’s Valkyrie Shows How Far We’ve Got to Go for LGBTQ Representation on the Big Screen

+ Jessica Wiliams charmed JK Rowling into giving her a part in Fantastic Beasts 2 without even trying.

Queer Humans, Out and About

+ Anna Paquin came to Ellen Page’s defense immediately after she posted on Facebook Friday about the abuse she has suffered in Hollywood, especially at the hands of Brett Ratner.

I was there when that comment was made. I stand with you .@EllenPage https://t.co/DEIvKDXeEL

— Anna Paquin (@AnnaPaquin) November 10, 2017

If you can't think of the glaringly obvious reason I remained silent then perhaps you've forgotten that I've been in this victim grooming industry since before I hit puberty.

— Anna Paquin (@AnnaPaquin) November 10, 2017

+ Paquin is also being added to Canada’ Walk of Fame this week.

+ Here is an excellent profile and deep dive into Dee Rees’ work, her chance of seeing Mudbound get an Oscar nod, and all the women she pulled up with her along the way.

+ Out chatted with Patty Schemel, the lesbian drummer from Hole, ahead of the release of her new memoir, Hit So Hard. It’s mostly about Courtney Love, but she also talks about being a queer woman in such a male-dominated music scene.

Once I started to expand my world a bit beyond Seattle, I would go to shows and see girls playing music. I saw Donna and she was in a band called Danger Mouse. She played her bass, and was so amazing and so intense and so right on. I knew she was gay, and it was sort of like a mental acknowledgement and then I felt really safe. Eventually when I joined Hole, I felt comfortable enough to be an out lesbian, because “fuck you” if you had a problem with it.

+ Rosie was on Watch What Happens Live this week where she talked about knowing Whitney Houston was in a relationship with Robyn Crawford. “Everyone sort of knew it,” Rosie said. “I thought it was very surprising when Clive Davis came out and said that he never discussed her being gay, and I was like, ‘Well, I don’t believe that for one minute.'”

+ “Rivals, turned teammates, turned mothers!” This is a good gay story.

Drawn to Comics: Ranking The 40 Coolest Women in Superhero Comic Book Movies

by rory midhani

I love making lists. And I love watching awesome ladies in superhero comic book movies (well, in pretty much all movies). So, I thought, why not combine the two? I thought about all the superhero comic book movies I had seen and thought about the women in them and decided to list my 40 favorite. Just to be clear, this is a ranking of fictional characters, not the real women who play them.

In making this list of women in superhero comic book movies, I only looked at theatrical releases, and only movies based on English-language comics, so that means no manga. Also, I’ll admit that I have a few blind spots. I’ve never seen any of the old Superman movies and I haven’t seen Big Hero Six yet. And as much as I wanted to include all of the awesome ladies from Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, I couldn’t bring myself to call it a “superhero” movie.

Blink in Days of Future Past via Screen Rant

40. Jean Grey (played by Famke Janssen in the X-Men franchise )– I never really warmed to her character in the comics (perhaps because of her close proximity to Cyclops) and the movies just cemented that opinion of her for me.

39. Silk Spectre (played by Malin Ackerman in Watchmen )– This movie was really pretty, and I think Malin Ackerman is a funny actress, but it seemed like Zack Snyder kind of just put her in the movie to have her stand around and look nice.

38. Angel Salvadore (played by Zoe Kravitz in X-Men: First Class )– I was really excited when I heard that Zoe Kravitz would be playing this character, but then I watched the movie and saw how she barely had any lines at all.

37. That Old Woman Who Owned That Antique Store in Captain America (played by Amanda Walker in Captain America: The First Avenger)– Badass old lady working for a secret spy organization? Definitely awesome.

36. Selina Kyle (played by Anne Hathaway in The Dark Knight Rises )– Definitely not the best Catwoman ever, but also not the worst.

35. Supergirl (played by Helen Slater in Supergirl )– This is a pretty awful movie, but it was the first female superhero movie ever, so she deserves a spot on the list.

34. Jet Girl (played by Naomi Watts in Tank Girl )– Wait, she was played by Naomi Watts??? I just watched this movie the other day and had no idea until I started writing this. That’s awesome.

33. Private Lorraine (played by Natalie Dormer in Captain America: The First Avenger )– I mean, come on, Natalie Dormer is just plain great.

32. Mariko (played by Tao Okamoto in The Wolverine )– She could have easily been a damsel in distress (that’s kind of what the movie wanted her to be), but she was somehow able to overcome that.

31. Moira McTaggert (played by Rose Byrne in X-Men: First Class )– She does a pretty good job holding her own among a bunch of mutants and sexist men and plays her part in preventing the Cuban Missile Crisis.

30. Mary Jane Watson (played by Kristen Dunst in Spider-Man 1, Spider-man 2 and Spider-man 3 )– Honestly, she’s my favorite part of the Sam Raimi Spider-Man trilogy.

29. Maria Hill (played by Cobie Smulders in The Avengers and Captain America: The Winter Soldier )– The badass second-in=command to Nick Fury, without her, SHIELD wouldn’t be half the organization it is.

28. Agent 13 (played by Emily VanCamp in Captain America: The Winter Soldier )– She’s cool enough to effortlessly flirt with Captain America and brave enough to stand up to HYDRA with a gun pointed right at her and not even flinch.

27. Darcy (played by Kat Dennings in the Thor movies )– Not only is she smart and capable, but she’s also the funniest person in these movies.

26. Gwen Stacy (played by Emma Stone in The Amazing Spider-Man 1 and The Amazing Spider-man 2 )– Honestly, my favorite part of the Marc Webb Amazing Spider-Man movies.

25. Princess Nuala (played by Anna Walton in Hellboy 2: The Golden Army )– I adore these movies, but this brave elf princess injected some much needed femininity into the Hellboy franchise.

24. Jane Foster (played by Natalie Portman in the Thor movies )– She’s not just Thor’s love interest, she’s also a super brilliant and super brave scientist. She’s even able to figure out Asgardian technology after just a quick glance!

23. Aunt May (played by Sally Field in The Amazing Spider-Man 1 and The Amazing Spider-man 2 )– I know Uncle Ben usually gets all the credit (and he deserves a lot of it), but without Aunt May, there really would be no Spider-Man.

22. Pepper Potts (played by Gwyneth Paltrow in Iron Man 1, Iron Man 2 and Iron Man 3 )– In the first two movies she’s definitely Tony’s better half, being way more competent than he ever was. By the third movie, she’s a better superhero than he is too.

21. Hit-Girl (played by Chloe Moretz in Kickass and Kickass 2 )– There’s a lot that I hate about these movies, but I kind of really like Hit-Girl. And she’s definitely the best superhero in either of these movies.

20. The Bowler (played by Janeane Garofalo in Mystery Men )– Once again, the only woman on the team is also the most competent member.

19. Liz Sherman (played by Selma Blair in the Hellboy movies )– A super powerful pyrokinetic who is able to hold her own against the much larger than life Hellboy.

18. Black Widow (played by Scarlett Johansson in a bunch of Marvel movies)– Is it controversial that I have her ranked this low? I don’t know. And don’t get me wrong, I think she’s pretty cool, and she’s especially really cool compared to the other Avengers. And number 18 is a respectable spot.

17. Ma-Ma (played by Leana Headey in Dredd )– Have you guys seen Dredd? Oh my gosh. Not only are two of its three leads women, and not only is it freaking gorgeous, but it’s also one of my two favorite American Action movies from the past 20 years (the other is Hanna ). And Ma-Ma is a freaking terrifying villain. She’s one of the most ruthless crimelords I’ve ever seen on screen.

16. Yukio (played by Rila Fukushima in The Wolverine )– I didn’t really like this movie, but Yukio was totally awesome in it. She was totally Wolverine’s equal when it came to fighting and without her, he would’ve been totally lost.

15. Faora (played by Antje Traue in Man of Steel )– The one woman among the evil Kryptonians in the film, Faora was so cool you guys! Maybe I just really like awesome lady super villains?

14. Lady Sif (played by Jamie Alexander in the Thor movies)– As great a warrior as any of the The Warrior Three, and she isn’t relegated to having to fight with Jane Foster for Thor’s affections.

13. Kitty Pryde (played by Ellen Page in the X-Men movies)– I would have loved to put her higher, but unfortunately, she was stuck in a really bad movie (X-3) and then was almost a tertiary character in a pretty good one (Days of Future Past, where she should have been the star, as in the comics it’s Kitty who travels back in time, not Wolverine). So until she has a larger role, I can’t really justify putting her higher.

12. Mystique (played by Rebecca Romijn and Jennifer Lawrence in the X-Men movies)– I liked Mystique well enough in the first three X-Men movies, but then when Jennifer Lawrence started playing her, she became even more of a favorite of mine.

11. Judge Anderson (played by Olivia Thirlby in Dredd )– Seriously, if you haven’t seen Dredd yet, you need to go see it now (although a warning: it has a ton of stylized, but graphic violence). It’s probably my favorite comic book movie. Judge Anderson, played by the openly bisexual Olivia Thirlby, doesn’t wear a sexualized costume, she’s not anyone’s love interest, she doesn’t need to be rescued by the male lead (kind of the opposite, in fact) and she’s just totally awesome in every way.

via Screenrant

10. Storm (played by Halle Berry in the X-Men movies)– Again, I would have loved to put Storm higher, but in the movies she’s a shell of her comic book self. Even still, she’s still way more badass than the majority of the mutants in these movies.

9. Rogue (played by Anna Paquin in the X-Men movies)– In a lot of ways, she’s the main character of the first movie. She’s both the character the audience is supposed to empathize with and she’s the character who the entire plot revolves around. She’s one of the few characters I feel like they got right in the X-Men movies.

8. Agent Peggy Carter (played by Hayley Atwell in Captain America )– I am so glad she’s getting her own TV show. She was so cool in Captain America, helping to recruit and train Steve Rogers, helping him sneak past enemy lines, and defeating a bunch of Nazis. What more can you ask for in a woman?

7. Nebula (played by Karen Gillan in Guardians of the Galaxy )– Now, I know I said just a minute ago that Kitty Pryde wasn’t prominent enough to be higher on the list, and Nebula is the second bad guy in just one movie. But I think if you’ve seen the movie you would understand just how freaking cool she is. She tears her own hand off just so she can get away to fight another day! I wish that we were getting a Nebula and Gamora spinoff movie.

via Frock Talk

6. Kitty Kowalski (played by Parker Posey in Superman Returns )– This is my sleeper pick. Superman Returns is kind of a trash movie (although I do love Kevin Spacey’s Lex Luther) but Parker Posey makes me love it. She’s hilarious, a great dresser and she’s much smarter than Lex gives her credit for. She’s like, the most comic-booky character in the history of comic book movies.

via impawards.com

5. Tank Girl (played by Lori Petty in Tank Girl )– This movie is just plain bonkers. But it’s also pretty fun, and 97% of that fun comes from Lori Petty’s performance as the titular Tank Girl. I mean, sure, she has sex with a mutant kangaroo, but she also has an awesome haircut, makes out with Jet Girl, saves the world and never loses her spirit of fun no matter what.

via Geeks of Doom

4. Gamora (played by Zoe Saldana in Guardians of the Galaxy)– Gamora just kicks so much ass. She could have just been a love interest for Star Lord, but instead she has her own personality, her own motivations and back story (although I would have loved to see more of them) and she holds her own in a fight. She’s just cool and no nonsense and a great action hero.

via Blastr

3. Lois Lane (played by Amy Adams in Man of Steel )– You guys, the first time I watched the preview for Man of Steel, that part at the end where Lois is talking to Superman and she asks what the “S” on his chest means and he says something like “it’s not an ‘S,’ on my world it means hope” and she doesn’t hesitate for a second and snaps back with “Well, here it’s an ‘S’,” I cried. She’s sitting across from from the most powerful being on the planet and she doesn’t even flinch. She smiles and makes a joke. And that isn’t even the gutsiest thing she does in the movie! She’s like, the perfect Lois Lane, brilliant, brave, snarky and full of heart. This movie is kind of bleh, but she makes me actually want to rewatch it all the time.

via New York Times

2. Gabriel (played by Tilda Swinton in Constantine )– Gabriel is androgynous, and I’ve seen some people interpret them as being genderless, because angels don’t have human gender, but I like to think of them as a masculine of center, possibly genderqueer, woman. This movie had a lot of misfires, but Gabriel wasn’t one of them. If angels were portrayed this way more often you can be sure there would be a ton more Catholics. When Gabriel comes swooping down, wings wide open and stomps on Constantine, it’s pretty much the coolest moment in the movie.

via Wikipedia

1. Catwoman (played by Michelle Pfeiffer in Batman Returns )– Who else could it be? She’s in a movie with famous scene-chewers Danny DeVito and Christopher Walken and still, it’s impossible to pay attention to anyone but her. On a surface level, she’s got that amazing leather catsuit and sweet whip, which is maybe the most iconic movie costume for any superhero, but more than that, she’s a super capable vigilante/villainess who successfully fights of Batman multiple times, takes revenge on the man who tried to kill her and lives by her own rules. Plus, she’s the root for a whole generation of queer girls who grew up on this movie.

New Releases (December 17)

Adventure Time Banana Guard Academy #6 (Boom!)

Lumberjanes #9 (Boom!)

Steven Universe #5 (Boom!)

Angel and Faith Season 10 Vol. 1 Where the River Meets the Sea TPB (Dark Horse)

Batgirl Vol. 4 Wanted TPB (DC)

Batgirl Vol. 5 Deadline HC (DC)

Catwoman #37 (DC)

The Kitchen #2 (DC)

Supergirl #37 (DC)

Wonder Woman #37 (DC)

Bob’s Burgers #5 (Dynamite)

Saga Vol. 4 TPB (Image)

The Wicked + The Divine #6 (Image)

Wytches #3 (Image)

Black Widow #13 (Marvel)

Captain Marvel #10 (Marvel)

Elektra #9 (Marvel)

Ms. Marvel #10 (Marvel)

Spider-Woman #2 (Marvel)

In Which Anna Paquin Had To Explain Bisexuality To Insufferable Larry King

This week, True Blood actress and out bisexual person Anna Paquin went on Larry King Now, presumably to talk about the upcoming and final season of her wildly popular television program. While they did discuss a great deal regarding Paquin’s acting career, her marriage to True Blood co-star Stephen Moyer and the cast’s feelings about the show’s conclusion, the interview included one particularly cringe-worthy exchange between the two.

Anna Paquin famously came out as bisexual in 2010, when she filmed a PSA for the Give A Damn campaign declaring herself as such. Although she’s told Zooey magazine that her orientation was “a minor biographical detail,” she has continued to publicly champion LGBTQ rights. Unfortunately, Paquin has also had the frustrating and all-too-familiar experience of having to explain her sexual orientation over and over again in great detail, and clarifying that her marriage to a man does not invalidate her identity.

During her sit-down with Larry, King asked Paquin if she considered herself a “non-practicing bisexual.” When Paquin replied that she was “happily, monogamously married” to her husband, King responded with, “But you were bisexual?”

Suspension of disbelief miraculously includes vampires, not bisexuals.

As Paquin good-naturedly replied that she didn’t consider her orientation to be in the past-tense, King continued to press her for more details. Finally, she asked, “Are you still straight if you’re with somebody? If you were to break up with them or they were to die, it doesn’t prevent your sexuality from existing. It doesn’t really work like that.”

“Stop with the wishful thinking,” King joked. Just like that, the sounds of a thousand groans overwhelmed the Hulu soundboards as everyone with any basic understanding of human sexuality barfed in unison.

You sad little man

Paquin answered again, “I’m just saying, it doesn’t really work like that.”

For starters, I would imagine that trying to explain one’s sexual fluidity to an 80-year-old white dude who’s been married eight times to seven women would be a lot like trying to explain one’s sexual fluidity to their cranky old uncle, which is why I haven’t really ever explained my sexuality in depth to any of my cranky old uncles. The very concept of one’s longterm relationship or marriage magically transforming them into a “non-practicing bisexual” is not only invalid, it’s damaging and hurtful. There exists a great myth that committed relationships can invalidate a person’s orientation, which causes infinitely frustrated bisexuals to be perceived as attention-seeking, greedy or not “real.”

Although she handled Larry King’s clueless questioning like a pro, this certainly won’t be the last time openly bisexual celebrities are questioned about the validity of their identities. It would be fantastic for mainstream media to accept that bisexuality is real and that sexuality can be fluid, but in the meantime it’s still heartening to see stars like Ms. Paquin and Evan Rachel Wood fighting the good fight, being proud of their relationships and calmly explaining what bisexuality means and doesn’t mean to a large audience. Thank you, Anna Paquin, for taking it in stride… for all of us.