July 5th 💥
everything I'm watching, reading, and thinking about this summer
Hi everyone! It’s hot, it’s July, and I’m back with some notes on everything I’m thinking about, watching, and reading this summer, including trying to buy a house in this economy, what everyone gets wrong about American cheese, Am I Ok?, and Christmas with Love, a surprisingly watchable queer Christmas movie. When I was writing about Am I Ok?, I was thinking a lot about why even mainstream, resourced lesbian movies and TV are so Bad. I’m going to write a longer piece, but I feel there’s a connection between lesbian earnestness--a particular tone and approach exemplified by Autostraddle--and the fear of naming specific queer experiences that’s rooted in lesbian identity being seen as niche or retrograde. Watch this space.
xoxo, Maddy
Fast Opinions
I keep seeing the word “smokeshow” and it makes me so happy, like what anxiety and depression?? Smokeshow!! It means a hot person. It evokes “smoking,” mid-century Mad Men slang, and show, movement, performance, watching someone attractive from across the room. May we all encounter a smokeshow today. I love this word so much, I want to say it into a mirror three times: smokeshow, smokeshow, smokeshow.
I saw an irl Cybertruck for the first time the other day, coming out of the country store. It looked so much smaller than in the photos, but still stupid.
TV shows I got into: the new season of Couples Therapy, Trixie Motel: Drag Me Home, and Fantasmas
TV shows I could not get into: the new season of The Bear, the lesbian HGTV show my girlfriend was watching where the femme is a realtor and the butch is a carpenter.
Book that I highly recommend: James by Percival Everett
Book that I want to fight: Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver
