Buffy Sans Joss Whedon? That Ain't Right.

So. Very. Wrong.

An article on The Hollywood Reporter's website claims that a new Buffy the Vampire Slayer movie is in the works WITHOUT JOSS WHEDON OR THE REST OF THE CAST. Sorry to shout, but WTF?!

Guess who's spearheading the project? None other than the director of the original 1992 Buffy movie, Fran Rubel Kuzui. You remember her, right? Made a mockery of Joss Whedon's original script, the end result was deplorable at best? Technically, she and her husband Kaz were executive producers for BTVS but my understanding is they had nothing to do creatively with the show - just reaped the financial benefits. Why does anyone think it's a good idea to let this woman be involved in another Buffy project? Kuzui shouldn't be allowed to touch it with a ten foot pole.

The salt in the wound is that so many Buffy fans have waited six years for the remote possibility that another movie - a better movie - could be made with Joss at the helm and with the original cast. I'm livid. Share my anger and comment or join the Whedonesque rage here (there's already 150 comments and it's only been a couple hours.)

Riot Grrrl Thurrrsday

Death Cigarettes



I found this group kind of randomly, but I love the lead singer Maya's voice. The group hails from London, but I'm hoping they come stateside soon. I hear they put on a pretty wild live show. Rumor has it Maya wanders the crowd and messes with audience members. She can mess with me anytime she wants ;-)

Boys That Wear Makeup

And the girls that love them. If you haven't guessed, this is an edition of Ways the Straight Girl Knows She's Gay (WSGKSG for not so short). And liking boys in makeup/drag? Probably a good sign.

I was always a sucker for a guy in eyeliner. Maybe I should have make the connection to girls in eyeliner earlier. Better late than never!

PS. Vote for Adam Lambert (the boy wearing makeup) for American Idol. He's got amazing pipes and it would be cool to have a gay/bi idol.

White House Correspondents Dinner

Tonight was the White House Correspondents Dinner, which apparently is also known as the nerd prom. Per tradition, President Obama attended and did a bit of stand up comedy for the audience. This isn't the first time he's done a comedy routine, but I prefer him as a motivational speaker. He did have one line in particular that I loved about his relationship with adviser David Axelrod:

"David and I have been together for a long time ... When I think back to that day that I called Ax so many years ago and said, “You and I can do wonderful things together” and he said to me the same thing that partners all across America are saying to one and other right now: “Let’s go to Iowa and make it official.”

See the clip of his bit (the line above it at 4:15):



Between that line and the fabulous (and out and proud) Wanda Sykes also doing stand up, I'd say it was a good night for gay folk.

Lipstick Lesbians? Not According to Desperate Housewives.

I'm not loving Desperate Housewives lately. Nothing about it has been happy. Yes I know that May sweeps and all the drama that goes with them are upon us. I'm also not loving how the show has dealt with lesbian issues this season either, with Susan's co-worker crushing on her and making a fool of herself. But this week really pissed me off. It was just one line, and you might have missed it, but it was enough.

Let's go back and get some context. Eva Longoria's character Gabby's six year daughter wants to wear make-up and when they fight, Carlos suggests that neither of them wear makeup to a fancy dinner. Of course Gabby freaks (who wouldn't?!). In complaining about her less than glamorous situation at the event she says to Carlos:

"As long as you don't mind people thinking you're out on the town with your anemic, lesbian sister."

Lame. Oh so lame. So many things wrong. First, being unattractive is associated with being a lesbian. Boo. And secondly, lesbians don't wear makeup? Hello! It's called LIPSTICK lesbian for a reason. Ellen is a Cover Girl! Lesbians can - gasp! - be as beautiful as any other woman! For shame, writers. For. Shame.

The "Anemic Lesbian" look. Funny how she still looks amazing.


Okay, not as much when she frowns, but c'mon it's still Eva Longoria.

Riot Grrrl Thurrrsday

Let's get back from the very bad place that was last week's riot grrrl (maybe so bad it was good....). Mika Miko are about as true to the genre as it gets these days. I know I put groups up here sometimes that only have a woman fronting the group, but Mika Miko is an all girl group which is just that much cooler. They started out on the all women female-run indie label Kill Rock Stars, former home to Bikini Kill.



They have a new album out this week called We Be Xuxa. Couldn't find a good video for any of their new stuff, so this will have to suffice for now.

Riot Grrrl Thurrrsday

I want to talk this week about what riot grrrl has become. Riot grrrl music hit the scene in 1991-92. I was 7, so obviously I came to appreciate it after the fact. I got to grow up with the bastardization of riot grrrl known as "girl power". Two words: Spice. Girls. Same old sexualization and subjugation of women just enhanced with a "chicks rock" message stolen from the likes of Kathleen Hanna and Allison Wolfe.

What I have yet to be able to determine over many years is whether this is a good or a bad thing. For example, my cousin loves Hanna Montana and her ilk. I actually kind of like this from Demi Lovato:



I realize nothing about that is riot grrrl except that it's a chic and it's rock. But is this what riot grrrl means today? I mean basically, a lot of these girls talk about bucking norms and being yourself, which I feel is a key element of riot grrrl. Ex:



Do I think this does more good for my teenage cousins than bad? Probably. Are they going to be feminists/anarchists/riot grrls because of this music? Probably not. But maybe someday this will have paved the way a bit :-).

Every week I put an artist up here to promote a woman making good music, but what has really happened to the riot grrrl aesthetic today? Does it even still exist?