Apparently Whip It! Doesn’t Need Lesbian Action, It’s Already a “Hidden Lesbian Fantasy”
WfHIP IT!: Really, I appreciate what this self-described “heterosexual man” is trying to do by extolling the gender-subversive values of Whip It’s hidden Lesbian Action in Psychology Today’s Lesbian Fantasy, Disguised, but he’s just a little bit too self-congratulatory about his sudden revelation that there are Lonely Lesbians who must seek Comfort in Girl Power Movies (the lonely lezzies in this article hail from Bovine, Texas — in the interview below this daily fix item, proverbial Lonely Lesbian was located in Iowa. In The L Word, it was always just the Midwest).
I have developed the hypothesis of “Whip It” as lesbian fantasy in disguise, because even if this is not the intention of the filmmaker, it still works on this level, and by functioning on this level it is serving a social purpose above and beyond the gender equality comment that women can make films too.
But, I kinda love that he can somehow get away with saying things like this in a way that feels a lot less clichè than when we say it (or perhaps a lot less like wishful thinking), even when it is kinda stereotype-y.
“The protagonist, Bliss (Page), behaves in the way that a lesbian might behave before she knows she’s a lesbian. We meet her just as she’s playfully dying her hair blue for a beauty pageant. Her inexplicably love for roller derby is incited by the image of three women pushing each other on rollerblades. She dumps her boyfriend with suspicious ease and celerity. She’s an adolescent who likes to be different, is experimental and puts a boyfriend second to roller derby.”
But maybe I’m being too harsh, and should just appreciate this endearing — if clumsy, and self-congratulatory — little trope in a not-exclusively-gay magazine by a dude. Like maybe this is the best thing ever … you tell me! –– especially if you’ve seen the movie, as I totally have not. Like the thing he wrote about roller-blading being a metaphor for top and bottom sex — harmless naivety, or ignorance?
L WORD: Jennifer Beals remains a perfect human in an interview at Matthew’s Place (Judy Shepard’s website), where the interviewer’s”Uh”s were for some reason transcribed but otherwise was an excellent interview & platform for Jennifer Beals to radiate her perfection: “By listening to [the story of a couple who’d never felt comfortable being out during their 30 years together ’til they saw The L Word] and many other stories like theirs I realized it was incumbent upon all of us to live as authentically as we possibly can. Not just for our own sake but for the sake of everyone else as well, because we don’t do anyone a favor by … hiding our candle under the bed.” Seriously read it let’s all get inspired today!
LESBIAN CHEF CAT CORA is interviewed at AfterEllen about her new restaurant, family and charity work.
Carly’s Televisionary is up (in which even vodka couldn’t numb her feelings about Grey’s Anatomy), and also, we have your Autostraddle 2009 Fall Style Guide!
GAGA: Lady Gaga debuted her new single, “Bad Romance,” at the Alexander McQueen show in Paris yesterday. My former roommate was there. But I’m not bitter. At all. Daily Gaga has a clip of the audio from the show. It’s not great quality, but it sounds like typical Gaga, i.e., pure awesomeness. (@dailygaga)
Also, Lady Gaga will be playing herself on Gossip Girl later this season. YAYAY! (@gossipgirlinsider)
30 ROCK: “There’s a new preview of 30 Rock season 4, which starts Oct. 15. The season begins with a search for new talent for TGS because Americans can no longer relate to Tracy and Jenna. The clip also includes interviews with the cast, so you get to see Liz Lemon and Tina Fey, all in one video! Plus, Brian Williams, who I secretly love, makes fun of himself.” – Intern Sarah (@nbc)
THE GOSSIP: Buzznet interviewed The Gossip about their new album, Music for Men. Beth Ditto talks about feminism and Kathleen Hanna! Also, check out Ditto’s crazy cool dress that looks like something Edward Gorey and Jackson Pollock collaborated on. (@buzznet)
SAINTHOOD: If you didn’t get your deluxe pre-order bundle of Tegan & Sara‘s new album, don’t worry. You can now pre-order it on iTunes, which sadly doesn’t get you an ink blot or the books but will get you some bonus tracks!
Lady Gaga and Barack Obama Will Have the Best HRC Dinner of All Time
PRESIDENT GAGA: Lady Gaga can do whatever the fuck she wants. First she’s going to drop Kanye from her tour. Then she’s going to attend the HRC dinner this weekend, where apparently President Obama will be speaking. Then she’s going to come down to DC and join the National Equality March, which Autostraddle will be at. That’s right. Lady Gaga is going to spend the weekend with Obama and Autostraddle. She’s going to have the best weekend ever. (@lez get real)
THE SHANE SHOW IS NOT AS GOOD AS THE FIRST SHANE SHOW: The Shane Show Three Rivers might run dry before Kate Moennig has a chance to get a new hairstyle (WIG people it’s a WIG) — the ratings sucked last night, and at last one dude thinks it should be canceled immediately. We tried to watch it for The Shane Parts, but there’s nothing worth saying, really.
Well, there’s this: because of recasting and re-uniforming (the old ones were WAY sexier), they premiered Three Rivers with Episode 2, rather than Episode One, therefore leaving out the actually interesting character development elements necessary to care even remotely about this totally medicore show. I shared some of the pilot’s script with you a few months ago (Three Rivers Spoilers #1, Three Rivers Spoilers #2), if you’d like to begin filling in the blanks.
This is Papi, cramping Shane’s style by not wanting her Dad the vegetable to donate his organs to the dying people at Three Rivers. Anyhow, here’s a snippet from the Three Rivers CBS Fan Forum (to whomever wrote: “SHANE. OBVS” we know you are one of us and we salute you!)
Look the show wasn’t exactly awesome, but Kate was great, even if Haviland insists she looks just like Erin Daniels the whole time.
We Love You Forever No Matter What
DEXTER: Autostraddle recaps DEXTER, and begins Autostraddle Dexter Study Club!
TEGAN AND SARADORABLE: The Quin Twins don pirate aprons and make ink blots. Lots of them, which will be sold to a limited number of fans when they preorder Sainthood, which by the way, is a mere 21 days from release. (@tegan and sara)
READ A F*CKING BOOK: Because you’re literate. With the upcoming releases of adapted screenplays like Where the Wild Things Are and The Lovely Bones, you’re going to want to know which books to read so you can talk about how they were so much better than the movie. Also on the list is Derby Girl, the inspiration for Whip It! See? Reading is totally homosexy. (@cinema blend)
WHIP IT! Eclipse It! Did anyone else not know this was going on? Drew Barrymore was reportedly supposed to follow up her leztastic directorial debut with…the third installment of the Twilight series? Well, she decided not to, and she’s happy, and we’re happy and everyone go see Whip It! for the fourth time now. Break! (@eclipse movie)
However, why didn’t Whip It bring in more bank?: Everyone we know in the whole world went to see it and liked it. Except me, because clearly I am part of the problem here. On the upside, I can assure you I did not see Zombieland either.
GIRL POWER:Top Five Girl Power Movies: “I realize I am a dude, meaning I’m hardly an authority on what women want at the multiplex — and yet I do find it curious that I can think of dozens (if not hundreds) of films about groups of guys bonding in situations (like combat, cattle drives, casino heists, etc.) where romance is secondary (if not completely irrelevant) to the main plot, whereas films about females bonding over anything but romantic travails are few and far between.”
Gay Men Shine on TV While Ladies Make Occassional Lesbionic Allusions
GLEE: The number of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender characters on prime-time broadcast television is up this season, and the folks at the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation are crediting Fox’s “GLEE” with leading the way. As you may have noticed, the “L” isn’t exactly center-stage this year. As Carlytron discussed, Grey’s Anatomy is not nearly lesbionic enough this season, and GLAAD confirms, “at the moment, there is only one regular lesbian character on a broadcast prime-time series.” The gay men on teevee sitch is bouyed by Modern Family, a sitcom with two gay Dads that topped the ratings last night. (Autostraddle’s recaps of last night’s Modern Family and Glee will be up tomorrow!)
At The LA Times, “Glee is a little bit sexy”: “Glee has claimed frank sexuality as part of its domain … I’m here to argue that Glee may be just that [family hour show] Not in spite of the straight-on sexuality but because of it.”
AfterElton has a new interview with Glee’s Jane Lynch and check out some of the cast on The View this week.
LESBIANS ON TEEVEE?: Ming Na on her new Stargate Universe Role: “I didn’t realize that she is actually going to be “Stargate’s” first openly gay character” and Rose Rollins & Mia Kirshner will guest star in the same episode of CSI airing October 14th. Meanwhile over at Hollyoaks, Zoe Lister confirms last year’s girl-on-girl makeout between “Zoe Carpenter” and “Sarah Barnes” was just a drunken mistake: “I don’t think they do have feelings for each other in that way.”
BOOBS: Emily Deschanel, Katherine McPhee, Alyson Hannigan, Minka Kelly and Jaime King are all touching each other’s breasts, to remind you to touch yours:
WHIP IT:Ellen Page & Drew Barrymore head out to the LA Derby and look super cute, per ushe, but definitely not as cuddly as they were in Toronto. At the most recent Whip It! Premiere in Los Angeles, we feel they could’ve spent more time making out on the red carpet, or gazing into one another’s eyes with admiration. Just an idea we had, that’s all.
SO YOU THINK YOU CAN SHOW US YOUR VAGINA: So You Think You Can Dance had a vadge on it apparently, the world is ending. Did anyone else see the Degrassi Movie, btw? Srsly anyone? (@gawker)
AMANDA FUCKING PALMER: Amanda Palmer has a point – “It’s about empowerment and it’s about SIMPLICITY: fan loves art, artist needs money, fan gives artist money, artist says thank you.” – Why I Am Not Afraid to Take Your Money.
GLAMBERT ON TOP (OBVS): Adam Lambert’s musical masterpiece is number 1 on the Amazon.com presales, ahead of new releases by Barbra Streisand, Madonna, The Beatles, and Susan Boyle. The record comes out November 24th and he just tweeted that he is in the studio with Linda Perry!
MADONNA : Highlights of Madge’s 8th appearance on Letterman this week — watch her eat pizza with Dave!
READ A F*ING BOOK: It’s Banned Books Week! The Bilerico Project made a list of 10 queer books that shouldn’t be banned. The Whole Lesbian Sex Book makes the list, phew.
READ A F*CKING BOOK THURSDAY: The debut novel of Lambda Literary Award-winning writer Ali Liebegott, The IHOP Papers features 19-year-old Francesca, a fledgling lesbian and recovering alcoholic who maybe hasn’t had a lot of experience but is eager to jump into important queer experiences like falling in love with your philosophy professor and also maybe your AA sponsor after moving to San Francisco and supporting yourself with a shitty job at IHOP. “A comic portrait of survival and self-discovery” that is hilarious and heartfelt and sometimes kind of alarmingly true to life. [This recommendation has been brought to you today by the letter R [and a, c, h, e, and l for Intern Rachel!]
Unnecessarily Obsessed with Kate Moennig’s Haircut, Gender Norms, Drew & Ellen, Sex Toys: Daily Fix
Tuesday Televisionary was right on time bitches: True Blood Ends Underwhelmingly, Glee Begins Showmantically, Hot Girls Outlast the VMAs.
Check out our Fall Preview 2009 Guide to see what’s happened and what you can look forward to! Our Fall Music Preview is coming today, we’ve also got Fall Books, Fall TV, The Fall Excitantcy Matrix and the Biggest Event of Fall — The National Equality March.
Yesterday’s Fix: Debating Lady Gaga’s Genius, D.C.’s Gay Marriage Bill, Kelly Clarkson’s Not-Gayness … Gay ‘Freaks’ vs. Teabagger Freaks?
THREE RIVERS: E-Online says that we should “look out” for Kate Moennig’s Miranda to be “the spunkiest, most determined and vulnerable surgeon we’ve seen since Susan Lewis on ER.” With each additional promo picture, Three Rivers yanks dear Shane a.k.a. Kate Moening further from our alternatively lifestyle haircutted grasp. Intern Laura has made this graphic for us of “Miranda Foster” strolling urgently through the hallway with a jean-jacketed Miranda Foster hovering angelically in the distance, which is confusing, but also brilliant:
Riese made this graphic of the ID photo recycled from Kate ’05 [yeah, she already knew exactly what photoshoot the ID photo was from, b/c that’s what you do in 2005 when you are discovering your sexuality via Kate Moennig fansites], clearly our priorities in life are curious but graphical:
Oh and just one more thing? We also made this (it wasn’t a BIG news day necessarily)
Ladies Dominate MTV VMAs & Lady Gaga Wears Many Outfits, Ellen & Drew Bring Their Special Friendship to Toronto: Daily Fix
It’s Fall Preview ’09 on Autostraddle and so many things are happening leading up to our massive redesign! One of those things is our Fall Fundraising Drive which will determine the future of Autostraddle. Please check it out and consider supporting Autostraddle by buying a snazzy AS sticker or donating — everyone who does will be entered to win a prize from 410BC’s new fall collection and big donors will get their very own AUTOSTRADDLE T-SHIRT. So we want this to be fun for you too!
In continuation of our Fall Preview series, we put together a Reading Rainbow Book Preview so you can read some words & get smart — we’ve got everything from graphjam to kathy Griffin to David Byrne on a bicycle to Cross-Country Feminist roadtrips to a review/conversation about Tao Lin’s latest novella, Shoplifting From American Apparel.
Yesterday’s Fix was Sunday Funday:
Lesbians dress up for Lohan-less Charlotte Ronson shows, Soccer babe Festivals & Online Dating, and its NSFW Sunday.
+Top Stories
MTV VIDEO MUSIC AWARDS: Last night’s MTV Music Video Awards was all about the ladies and featured so many incredible moments and Autostraddle favorites — like P!nk‘, Lady Gaga, Beyoncé and a killer Michael Jackson tribute starring Janet herself and intro’ed by Madonna. The only thing that would’ve made it better would’ve been more girl-on-girl action, which we think could’ve happened at the end of the Single Ladies dance a là t.a.t.u or during Lady Gaga‘s performance with a cameo of Madonna dressed as Mary Magdalene in a wheelchair.+
However, Lady Gaga did wear A LOT OF OUTFITS. Do we have a graphic? Yeah we do (click to enlarge):
Here’s Lady Gaga’s Video Music Awards performance of Paparazzi:
This is how we like our pop stars here at Autostraddle: unpredictable, insane, constantly commenting on the bizarre notion of stardom itself … and fucking talented.
Also, it was kinda awkward when Taylor Swift was accidentally granted Beyonce and/or Lady Gaga’s award and Kanye got on stage to yell about it like an asshat. It was incredibly inappropriate, but … also Swift should’ve given it to Beyoncè herself when she got up there, instead of gushing about how special & diverse it is for a country music singer to win a VMA, as if they’ve been shut out ’cause of Oppression rather than overall inferiority, quality-wise, to hip-hop. According to MTV.com, Kanye has (sort of) apologized on his blog to Taylor Swift. In all caps. Which is all unacceptable. YOU CAN ONLY USE ALL CAPS WITH IRONY.
We’ll have more coverage of these VMAs in this week’s Tuesday Televisionary. Stay tuned! Also we posted many VMA Photos on our twitter and tumblr, so check those out!
DREW BARRYMORE & ELLEN PAGE STAY CUTE AS HELL: Meanwhile in Canada, Drew Barrymore & Ellen Page were looking absurdly adorable at the premiere of Whip It! a the Toronto International Film Festival. Do we have a graphic? Yes, in fact, we do.
Drew & Ellen stayed cozy & holding hands all night. Maybe there is something to the rumors …
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Obama: “Time for Bickering is Over.” In Related News Ellen DeGeneres Replaces Hey Paula as American Idol Judge
We kick off our first ever “issue” (you know, like a magazine!) with Autostraddle’s Fall Preview ’09! Got started yesterday with theBig Gay Fall TV Preview, which offers you lots of LOLs and our roundtable-esque witty banter on The Wednesday Night Gay Conspiracy, V, Flash Forward, Glee, Modern Family, Community, Bored to Death, Spartacus, Stargate Universe, Three Rivers, The Beautiful Life, Melrose Place … and so much more!
This just in: Alex has created for your viewing pleasure our first ever Terrible/Awesome Forecast Grid – the Fall Preview Edition!
We’ll have a guide to the Fall Preview for you to navigate the whole issue seamlessly later in the week!
Last night we live-blogged Glee (and the presidential address a little) and played the Glee Drinking Game!
Yesterdays Daily Fix: in which Drew Barrymore and Ellen Page show each other some love in Marie Claire mag: Universal Health Care, Universal Glee, Universal Makeovers for Female Athletes and more.
If you haven’t read it yet: Autostraddle’s Natalie interviews Knights Out member Lissa Young, a 1986 West Point graduate and current Harvard grad student and 2002 Don’t Ask Don’t Tell discharge: DADT Discharge Lissa Young: The Autostraddle Interview.
This week’s Tuesday Televisionary: We lose Vogue Evolution on America’s Best Dance Crew, Weeds ends with a nosedive, and Top Chef can’t win with pasta salad.
+ Top Stories
OBAMA: Obama’s speech about health care was awesome. It’s cool to have a president who consistently manages to defiy expectation. As did the Republicans, with their hearty asshattery, expressed via unruly discourse via Wilson from South Carolina. He has since apologized, but who cares, let’s impeach him. We kinda live-blogged The Obama Show AND Glee last night.
ELLEN: Lesbian takeover! Ellen DeGeneres will replace Paula Abdul as the fourth judge on “American Idol.” Hopefully she’ll bring more Adam Lambert, and do funny stuff like she did on her show today breaking up a big Real Housewives of Atlanta. (@people)
ELLEN PAGE & DREW BARRYMORE: If you missed it in yesterday’s daily fix, Ellen Page & Drew Barrymore kissed in Marie Claire and the whole world changed! The article is even better, openeing with “Drew Barrymore and Ellen Page can’t keep their hands off each other, followed with lots of gushing about each other’s sexy bodies. Howevs, though Drew is known as “bi,” the evidence is a bit hard to pin down. She’s said to New Woman Magazine, “when I was younger I used to go out with a lot of women but I don’t think I could ever just solely be with a woman … it’s just not enough for me.” In ’95, rumors about her leaving her boyfriend for Jen Pratt were denied, as were rumors in ’01 that the divorce from Tom Green was partially due to him being over her lesbian flings, and in ’02 US Weekly, the most reliable news source ever, reported, “Newly single actress Drew Barrymore has shown the world she’s over her split by passionately kissing a pair of women at a Los Angeles nightspot,” (and much more!) The kiss photo rocked our tumblr, and we love roller derby even more than before.
Also in Marie Claire right now? Do Nudie pics of Chicks Turn You On? Just saying.
IPOD: The lowdown on the 2009 iPod lineup. Nano that shoots video! 3rd generation iPod Touch! iTunes is now a DJ! (mashable) (more…)
Whip It! Behind-the-Scenes Featurette, Sandra Bullock, Same-Sex Counseling, Soda Addiction! Sunday Funday Daily Fix!
What’s up. Are you still drunk from last night? If you aren’t, do you feel like this website leaves you out? Don’t worry, one of my three BFFs Haviland never drinks alcohol ever. So you’re not alone. Although she did promise me that if I got a book deal she would have a shot. That may never happen. Where was I? AH YES. Today on AUTOSTRADDLE. Well, people on twitter can be dumb & homophobic, and y’all are f*cking cute as hell. Healthcare is really screwed up! TALK HARD!
SAME-SEX COUNSELING: “A big source of what led [clients] to their habit was a . . . kind of a self-hatred … And I started to say, ‘I wonder what would happen if we were able to create something that taught gay and lesbian folks that their relationship was normal and empowered them with skills they could rely on to keep the relationship together — if they would start feeling less illegitimized and more validated.”
SANDRA BULLOCK WTF: “Sandra Bullock’s latest, All About Steve, is one of the worst movies of her ‘career.'” Who else felt she could’ve gone either way after Speed and instead went towards um … Sweet November? But then there was good stuff like Ms. Congeniality … why Sandra, why? Did she have the potential to be the next Julia Roberts or Meg Ryan (disclaimer: clearly those women have not precisely changed the world, but they’ve done some moderately challenging shit in their lives) and she blew it? Or is she just the rom-com’s quirky/eccentric-girl-next-door (a la Two Weeks Notice) forevs & evs? Three Reasons Why Sandra Bullock is going to be Just Fine.
WHIP IT! A new behind the scenes featurette!
HAVILAND STILLWELL GORGEOUS: Look at what Haviland does without me. What’s happening here? WHAT’S HAPPENING?
Welcome to Haviland Stillwell Dot Com – You’re all Beautiful from Haviland Stillwell on Vimeo.
GOSSIP GIRL: Neal Bledsoe Is Not Afraid To Talk About His Gay Smooch : RIESE IS NOT AFRAID TO ASK PEOPLE TO READ THE M*THERF*CKING GOSSIP GIRL BOOKS IN WHICH CHUCK BASS WAS FULLY BISEXUAL IF NOT TOTALLY GAY THANK YOU LOVE TINKERBELL. (@theadvocate)
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In The Sydney Roller Derby League, Even ‘Girly Girls’ Hit Hard
Roller Derby is part athletics, part theatrics, part sex appeal, part show. It’s part sport and part subculture. And after rolling into relative obscurity in the late 80’s, Roller Derby is making a major comeback right now — momentum that is certain to break into a sprint and onto every girl’s lips with the upcoming release of Drew Barrymore’s Whip it!, an homage to the sport starring grrl favorites Ellen Page, Juliette Lewis, Kristen Wiig, Alia Shawkat and Eve.
Personally, I first discovered the roller derby in 2005 as a 20-year old band manager on my first trip to Austin, Texas for South by Southwest. I was out drinking with my band at a rough ‘n tumble dive bar, the Jackalope, when in rolled (literally!) the fiercest girls I’d ever seen.
Daily Fixes: Analyzing Britney, Labeling Queers, Censoring Maddow & Testing Cleavage
How do you travel with your lesbian lover? Robin has some tips because she totally just DID travel with her lesbian lover. To Ithaca and it was gorges, and there are waterfalls AND cute outfits involved.
Also! You Guys, HERSTORY! A very special Guestbian columnist today! Vikki, a mombian over at Up Popped a Fox, tracked down some Twin Cities Avengers to see what they’re up to now and to reflect on her time as a Lesbian Avenger in the early-to-mid 90’s, spreading radical dyke power & being the bomb you throw!
IOBY: Do something with your lives people! Alex and Riese met the Executive Director of ioby – “fostering local environmental knowledge and action in New York City” at a gay/lesbian networking event the other night — she was one of two other ladies up in that joint. So check out the amazing work they’re doing — ioby stands for “in our backyards” and they promote the belief that environmental knowledge, innovation, action, and service begin and thrive in our backyards. (@ioby).
BRITNEY: An Analysis Of The Underlying Themes In Britney’s New Candie’s Commerical:“The choice to shoot Britney framed by the crotch of a horse is to remind us that she is a mere human, a small person on a large planet; fragile. Also: Thin, now.” (@jezebel) (more…)
Whip It! & Introducing Did You See That Comment Friday
Crystal’s LISTEN UP: Music is Your Hot Hot Fix #1: I’ve asked Intern Emily to join me in the musical madness this month. Emily came to mind first because she’s from Canada, and Canadian music rocks, e.g. Raine Maida, Our Lady Peace, Finger Eleven, Leonard Cohen etc. And I guess it would be remiss if I did not mention k.d. lang and Tegan & Sara. We just won’t speak of Nickelback. [Intern Emily: “Nickelback = shame of Canada”]
Stef’s Defacing Public Property with Amanda Tannen of stellastarr*: “I ask if she’d dressed up as a cat burglar and hit the streets at 4AM. “No! I did it in the middle of the day!“”
The Empire strikes back on Bluehost Sucks, and Robin is your Very Special Tuesday Televisionary.
#BLUEHOST SUCKS: The Lavender Liberal has sorted the whole thing out with an excellent article/overview of Bluehost’s terrific record of terribleness: Bluehost vs. The Lesbians! Fun fact – “Here is a clue about which businesses are Mormon owned: Biz names with ‘Blue’ in them (i.e., JetBlue, Bluehost.com) – the ‘Blue’ refers to ‘true-blue Mormons’ (aka ‘TBM’, as opposed to Jack Mormons).”
TEGAN & SARA: Interview of Tegan & Sara in Under the Radar. I don’t even need to tell you what they said ’cause I bet you’re gonna read it. Or not. I mean if you might you’ve probs gotten this far. Potato. Tinkerbell! I feel like Tegan & Sara changed my life. Ok you changed my life too. Whoo-hoo. (@undertheradar) (more…)