I love this show as a total work of art VERY MUCH - I can see being annoyed by the imposition of modern language / emotional awareness on these characters, I get it, but it doesn't really take away from my overwhelming joy. We were like "I think that Jo is the character who is being the MOST 1940s" whereas Carson is clearly not even trying to be 1940s and I'm like "ok well it's your show."
But also? I feel like everyone who made this show is doing it as an expression of how the movie was a root for them, and the feeling I felt when I was watching it over and over at home growing up is clearly shared by all these people! And that is so so rad. I could feel it through the screen!
Also I want to celebrate media that is not the L word!
Because the L word is objectively terrible! And yet I compulsively watch it!!
i really really really disliked this remake. abby's uhms bumbling were maddening. just from my experience as a queer child / teen in the 90s, the level of 'everyones gay!' for 1943 .... is just above and beyond believability moving towards excessively tokenistic. thanks for reminding me that i did appreciated the expansion of the story with max and clarance. but most of all, thanks for justifying my frustrations with it since all my queer friends seem into it (further annoying me / stoking my disdain.)
I just have to ask: since when has Rosie O'Donnell been rehabilitated from a virulent transmisogynist? I keep getting shocked when I see her appear in queer things: first the Netflix comedy special alongside actual trans people, now this. She's said some pretty reprehensible, easily Google-able things and, to my knowledge, never improved herself nor apologized. Am I missing something?? (This isn't a "gotcha," as I liked this show, too! I'm just confused.)
I enjoyed your review! I found a lot of joy in watching this show. I grew up being obsessed with historical fiction and I think if I had this show as a kid I’d have figured out my queerness a little faster. I agree that the language and the emotions expressed were a little too modern, but I don’t think it took away from the show. I loved each and every character and I can’t wait for season 2!
I appreciate a lot of your points and analysis and very much agree re: kate berlant, who my girlfriend is obsessed with and I've liked her in other things, but her character just really did not hit for me. she is somehow too annoying and also not annoying enough. as someone whose love language in media is pointing out what I don't like about it and what should be different, let me agree that i would change a lot about this were i the one making it, and also wow what a beautiful series!
i do want to add re: this series as queer fanfiction of the original, in case you hadn't seen because it is extremely cool and moving in the way only elderly lesbian stories can be, maybelle blair (who played for the peoria redwings & consulted for the show) came out (age 95!!) this year, and has said that she wanted the series to be queer because being in the AAGPBL was the first time she met other queer women and that's how it actually was for them all realizing they weren't alone. and rosie o'donnell has said she (and prob others) also wanted the original to have queer characters but penny marshall was like, we can't do that right now. so as I would see it, the movie was hetero FF of the true story, and this is a more honest adaptation in that sense.
I love this show as a total work of art VERY MUCH - I can see being annoyed by the imposition of modern language / emotional awareness on these characters, I get it, but it doesn't really take away from my overwhelming joy. We were like "I think that Jo is the character who is being the MOST 1940s" whereas Carson is clearly not even trying to be 1940s and I'm like "ok well it's your show."
But also? I feel like everyone who made this show is doing it as an expression of how the movie was a root for them, and the feeling I felt when I was watching it over and over at home growing up is clearly shared by all these people! And that is so so rad. I could feel it through the screen!
Also I want to celebrate media that is not the L word!
Because the L word is objectively terrible! And yet I compulsively watch it!!
i really really really disliked this remake. abby's uhms bumbling were maddening. just from my experience as a queer child / teen in the 90s, the level of 'everyones gay!' for 1943 .... is just above and beyond believability moving towards excessively tokenistic. thanks for reminding me that i did appreciated the expansion of the story with max and clarance. but most of all, thanks for justifying my frustrations with it since all my queer friends seem into it (further annoying me / stoking my disdain.)
I just have to ask: since when has Rosie O'Donnell been rehabilitated from a virulent transmisogynist? I keep getting shocked when I see her appear in queer things: first the Netflix comedy special alongside actual trans people, now this. She's said some pretty reprehensible, easily Google-able things and, to my knowledge, never improved herself nor apologized. Am I missing something?? (This isn't a "gotcha," as I liked this show, too! I'm just confused.)
I enjoyed your review! I found a lot of joy in watching this show. I grew up being obsessed with historical fiction and I think if I had this show as a kid I’d have figured out my queerness a little faster. I agree that the language and the emotions expressed were a little too modern, but I don’t think it took away from the show. I loved each and every character and I can’t wait for season 2!
I appreciate a lot of your points and analysis and very much agree re: kate berlant, who my girlfriend is obsessed with and I've liked her in other things, but her character just really did not hit for me. she is somehow too annoying and also not annoying enough. as someone whose love language in media is pointing out what I don't like about it and what should be different, let me agree that i would change a lot about this were i the one making it, and also wow what a beautiful series!
i do want to add re: this series as queer fanfiction of the original, in case you hadn't seen because it is extremely cool and moving in the way only elderly lesbian stories can be, maybelle blair (who played for the peoria redwings & consulted for the show) came out (age 95!!) this year, and has said that she wanted the series to be queer because being in the AAGPBL was the first time she met other queer women and that's how it actually was for them all realizing they weren't alone. and rosie o'donnell has said she (and prob others) also wanted the original to have queer characters but penny marshall was like, we can't do that right now. so as I would see it, the movie was hetero FF of the true story, and this is a more honest adaptation in that sense.
You are spitting some hot takes. If they made a spin-off show that has Max as the main lead I would watch the fuck out of it fr.