Photo by Ovidio Gonzalez/Getty Images for MC
Oh hey, I just realized that this month (January 2023) will mark my three year anniversary of taking over this twice-a-week news roundup! Time flies.
Queer as in F*ck You
Miley Cyrus Announces New Album Endless Summer Vacation, ok but wait! Hear me out! After her recent NYE concert clips that circled all week online? And that recent Dazed feature about how Miley’s dressing like the rich divorced bisexual we always knew she’d be? I dunno, maybe I’m craving a specific kind of chaos. But I could kinda get into a new Miley album. (shhh! I can’t remember where we stand on Miley Cyrus DiscorseTM as an internet community right now, so that’s our little secret!)
“We Actually Have Gay Rappers:” Hip-Hop & its Complicated Embrace of Male Queerness
Stranger Things Actor Noah Schnapp Comes Out As Gay. Will!
Saw This, Thought of You
The Absolute Least You Can Do to Protect Yourself Online Now. From Himani: “The one that got me was to buy new tech every time you break up with someone you’ve shared your devices with…..”
Allison Williams is not my personal brand of rich white skinny seemingly straight celebrity, but I know she’s that for some people! And so I present you with this interview of her, by Rachel Handler for Vulture, from the American Girl Doll Café, in honor of her new doll-horror movie M3gan: Allison Williams Comes Alive. Enjoy! 🎀
South Carolina Constitution Includes Abortion Right, State Supreme Court Rules. “The decision overturns the state’s six-week ban on abortion, a major victory for abortion rights in the South, where the procedure is strictly limited.”
And also, Retail Pharmacies Can Now Offer Abortion Pills
Political Snacks
Yiiiiikes! Jan. 6 Committee Experiment Found TikTok Went From Zero To Nazi in 75 Minutes
“The coronavirus knows no nationalities or borders, and treating it as a uniquely Chinese problem not only serves to pathologize Asian people but also fails to protect.” Covid Testing Rules Do Little More Than Stoke Anti-Asian Hate
Kevin McCarthy Fails on a 9th Attempt to Win Enough Votes for Speaker. Which means it’s also time for: Here’s How the Kevin McCarthy Speaker Debacle Could Actually End (Natalie recommended this to me yesterday but since, hahahaaaaa, the Republicans, hahahaha, still haven’t voted anyone in!! — it’s still relevant)
Kevin failed 2 more times today & will be going for more tomorrow. They far right really want their guy to be the speaker so they can cause chaos for the next 2 years.
Ok I have a question about the Kevin McCarthy thing. I’ve seen a lot of left-leaning commentary on social media, etc. that is mostly people making fun of the situation and delighting in Kevin McCarthy’s struggles. But isn’t this actually really bad? I read the Vox article and if their possibility #1 comes true (McCarthy makes enough concessions to the far right to get elected as speaker), won’t that mean that Congress will then go in a really scary far right direction? I guess I just can’t tell how big of a deal this is.
To answer your question: I think it’s a very big deal! It was ThisClose to being the headline article! I do think the doomsday scenario — McCarthy promises to lean even more extremely to the right/altright in hopes of turning these last votes — doesn’t feel like it’s going to happen, at least not to me (though I could be wrong!). Mostly because I don’t believe there’s anything he can do to get them to vote for him. He’s actually losing votes with each round, which feels like it shouldn’t be happening?
IDK, not to quote Batman but “some men just want to watch the world burn” — I think that’s what we’re watching here. People whose goal is disruption at any costs and are holding our Congress hostage as a result. Which I do find terrifying, so I think my defense mechanism has become to laugh at how ludicrous it is?
But it is scary and a big deal! For sure. Because I have no idea where this leaves us, other than barely holding on to a cliff.
Thank you Carmen!! I appreciate your thoughts on this. 100% understand laughing at the ludicrousness of it as a defense mechanism! Finger crossed that the cliff we are hanging onto doesn’t crumble underneath us.
Ah, so lovely to hear about Noah! I’d wondered if he might be one of the family. I hope this reminds people who criticised him re some of his comments around Will’s sexuality to give young stars some grace and benefit of the doubt around these issues.
Congratulations to Noah. I did think he might be fam. Some fans acted like it was an insult to think he might be gay because he fits certain stereotypes, but guess what?, Some gay people do and that is ok. It’s only if you view it as an insult or think all gay people are the same that it is a problem. Wonder what the people insisting he had a crush on Millie will say lol. Heteronormativity obviously dictates that a man and a woman being close(or even interacting at all!) must mean romance which is BS.
FYI NYT now hired another anti-lgbtq writer https://www.readtpa.com/p/david-french-nyt-anti-lgbtq