Hey Lesbos, Do You Like “Lip Service,” Like Really Really Like It?

LIKE LIP SERVICE BUT REAL:

Hey are you into Lip Service or at least our recaps of it? Someone out there is really banking on it, so, if you haven’t gotten into it yet, just be aware that there may soon be a “Lip Service Valentine’s Special” where you and your lady can enjoy a romantic holiday in scenic Glasgow. Yes. This is how we live now. (@scotlandonsundays)

Based around the Merchant City, which it describes as “the city’s gay quarter”, the two-night package in February will include dinner at the Hummingbird on Bath Street, where the characters Cat and Sam have their first date, VIP passes to “Scotland’s hottest gay club” – the Polo Lounge, which does not feature in the series – and a guide to theother cafés, bars and venues used as locations.

There are similar L Word-themed events, and they are almost embarrassingly successful in how they manage to monetize our collective obsession. Really the only question here is whether they’re jumping the gun – do we love Lip Service as much as they think we love Lip Service? Or as much as my tumblr dashboard would imply we love Lip Service? Is it me or is this really funny? Someone answer me. Do you even get to meet that girl who plays Frankie. I don’t think you do.

GLEE:

Apparently the gayest episode of Glee to date was also by some metrics the most popular; Darren Criss’s cover of “Teenage Dream” is the best-selling single the show has ever had. This is nice not only on a vague psychological level because it means that America enjoys having a boy tell Chris Colfer to put his hands on him in his skintight jeans, but because apparently Glee donates money to the Harvey Milk school? Did everyone else already know this? “…some of those funds might be going toward paying the salary of a counselor of Harvey Milk School in NYC — a job that was eliminated due to budget cuts, but which Glee is underwriting (in addition to $25k in scholarship funds) so gay students are better equipped.” In case you haven’t already had the song stuck in your head all week, here it is again. (@queerty)

LINDSAY LOHAN:

LiLo is out of actual rehab and staying in a “sober house,” with all of her comings and goings approved by program directors. One of those outings is to a magazine shoot this week, which is her first work sort of thing since being readmitted. Also, ONTD has a lot of pictures of her moving from her house to her car, if that’s the kind of thing you’re into. (@ontd)

GAY NASCAR:

Is there a word for a gay NASCAR fan? Gayscar? Anyways this guy started a website for them, Queers4Gears.com, and we’re trying really hard not to make a joke about how all six queer NASCAR fans now have a slice of the internet to call their own. Mostly this article is great because it contains the quote: “Nascar has more fans who are accepting of me being gay than gays have been accepting of me being a Nascar fan,” Myers said in a recent telephone interview.” (@nytimes)

FINNISH:

Finnish churches have approved a moment of silent prayerful meditation for gay partnerships and civil unions. I have no idea what that means in practical terms, but it seems like a good thing in general. (@advocate)

TRANS BARBIE:

In a really fantastic manufacturing error, thousands of dolls with male genitalia on female doll bodies were shipped to Lithuania. They will probably be recalled or something, I don’t know, but it’s still great that trans and intersexed kids were able to see themselves reflected in their playtoys for like five minutes. The revolution will come via manufacturing error. (@queerty)

ART:

The series Hide/Seek: Difference and Desire in American Portraiture at the National Portrait Gallery offers over 100 pieces of art done largely by queer artists and featuring almost exclusively queer subjects, one of the largest exhibitions ever focused on queer art and artists. It features artists like Jasper Johns, Georgia O’Keeffe, and Robert Mapplethorpe, and subjects like Walt Whitman and Susan Sontag. Click over to the NPR site for a really nice slideshow of 13 selected portraits – THERE IS ONE OF JAMES BALDWIN. @npr)

GAY BOLLYWOOD:

After delays caused by lack of support and wrangling with government censors, the Bollywood film Dunno Y… Na Jaane Kyun was released Friday as the first Bollywood film to deal explicitly with a gay relationship. The more recent hit comedy Dostana featured Bollywood stars Abhisheik Bachchan and John Abraham pretending to be in a relationship for laughs, but the new film features two male leads whose on-screen relationship is real, and who even have kissing and sex scenes (kissing onscreen even between men and women was completely forbidden in India until recently). One of the male leads, Yuvraaj Parashar, has been disowned by his family for his role, and both have received numerous threats. Check it out! (@advocate)

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Rachel

Originally from Boston, MA, Rachel now lives in the Midwest. Topics dear to her heart include bisexuality, The X-Files and tacos. Her favorite Ciara video is probably "Ride," but if you're only going to watch one, she recommends "Like A Boy." You can follow her on twitter and instagram.

Rachel has written 1141 articles for us.

37 Comments

      • Just a few…

        “Denny going underneath Brad Kesloski.”

        “A little wiggle there! And he’s got the spot!”

        “You’ve got Boyer and Allmendinger going after each other.”

        “Reutimann is sideways on the inside of Jamie McMurray.”

        “Look at all that movement Denny Hamlin is doing back and forth. It’s just what you have to do.”

        “I’m sorry about that guys. The box seemed so much slicker that I was anticipating…” (driver on in-car radio)

  2. I do indeed really like Lip Service, but not enough to disperse my currency for it in such a manner

  3. I’m confused. Do Lithuanian Barbies have genitalia? Mine just had the word “Barbie” printed over their crotches.

  4. Oh God, the way he was looking at Blaine during that scene…. I know he’s not my type, and I’m not his type, but damn if that didn’t make me wanna be Kurt’s teenage dream.

      • Is this a lesbian thing? I spent all of high school crushing on gay boys. Well gay boys and straight girls if you want to get technical…

        Every time I watch this I crush a little harder on Kurt/Chris Colfer. And then there’s that picture of him from the Out 100…

        • I think there is some security in crushing in people who won’t like you back. Kurt I think is more in the sympathy box — you know what it feels like, cheer for him when he goes after bullies, and on some level wish you could make it all feel better.

  5. I actually understand those Indian movies thanks to my parents numerous attempts to get me to speak their language. I’m defs gonna check it out.

    Also, there was a set or 3 movies made a few years back; Water, Earth, Fire.
    Water by the way was incredibly depressing but incredibly good. You guys should check it out; http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0240200/
    No lesbianism but for anyone who feels strongly about women’s rights etc.

    I heard Fire was about two indian women falling in love. It was a very gasp-effect movie apparently. I’m not sure it counts as Bollywood? Anyways here’s the IMDb for that: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0116308/

    http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0116308/

  6. Does anyone like Lip Service that much? I dont really think they do but I could be wrong, the show is only 6 episodes long for goodness sake! Also, I love Glasgow and Scotland, but I really disliked the scene in both Glasgow and Edinburgh actually so I think i’ll be giving that offer a miss. Then again maybe I was just unlucky and when I went all of Scotlands lesbians were at a lesbian convention on the Shetland islands, that’s the only way I can explain the lack of them!

  7. the trans barbie error thing fills me with happy feelings i can’t describe in words. thanks for including it.

    • I would let Frankie do terrible things to me. Except make me shave my lady business. (Consider that my one thing I won’t do for love. I’m guessing Meatloaf would have my back.)

    • Seriously, the whole bathtub scene was ridiculous. Like a setup for a bad guts-and-gore movie. I kept expecting someone to slip, crack her skull open and/or accidentally drown.

      And the line, “Shave for me…”?
      Not without good shave gel, a fresh razor, and Being Sober.
      For Reals.

  10. Ah yes L Word events – I’m going to L8 next yr. Am feeling a little nervous. Fan events are always awkward. Am anticipating the never absent sex scene question from some fan (it’s so repetitive – are they expecting someone to come out when they ask it or something?).

    • Here. Glasgow is lovely. What’s fucking hilarious is the concept of Polo as “Scotland’s hottest gay bar”. Really Papi? REALLY?

      • to be fair – it could be worse. if they think polo’s the best…just think if they sent them all off to FHQ instead…

        YOU GUYS I LIVE IN THAT NEIGHBORHOOD, it’s ridiculous. I can see my street at least once an episode.

      • holla weegies unite!

        I lol’d at the Polo comment too. I’ve never been but from what my gay dude friends tell me, I’m not in a rush to go there anytime soon :S

  14. Trans Barbie, YES!!! I used to have a few Ken dolls with forced on Barbie heads thanks to my best friend’s older brother and his passion for destroying our toys.

    The lack of available Ken dolls in my childhood Barbie world (≈10 Barbies to 1 Ken) meant that we often substituted Ken with another Barbie (dressed up like a boy) and I think I enjoyed that pairing more than I could comprehend at the time.

  16. Apologising in advance for pissing on anyone’s parade.

    I’ve gotta say, as a Brit, I think Lip Service is pretty bad. Ham-fisted storytelling, unbelievable sex (Frankie, what are you doing with your arm?) and some really poor acting/dialogue (Ruta especially). I think, though cute, Tess’s character is incredibly 2D and linear. Not to mention the fact that the ‘bisexual’ element to Frankie’s character is really very insult to bisexuals, and the way the other characters deal with her suposed preference is bordering on descrimination.

    Also, the soundtrack is really lacking – a few decent bands amonngst a great deal of lesbian-orientated mulch.

    That would be my two cents. Or two pence.

      • You’re right about it being pretty bad.

        But for a non-British audience, it’s probably more watchable just because it’s new, different and a lot of the hammy’ness will not register (maybe the L Word was more popular in the UK than the US for the same reason). As a Brit, I see it as a poorly written lesbian version of Hollyoaks/Skins. The opening title sequence/music makes me recoil. Oh …and it also makes me recoil that they’re supposed to be “20somethings”… time has not been good to those Glaswegian lesbians. And Cat’s girlfriend – the copper – she plays such a faux lesbian role (but, ironically, the actor is a lesbian).

        It made me laugh when an Guardian article called it ‘groundbreaking’ – to which someone suggested Frankie’s arm action was more akin to ‘starting a lawnmower’.

        But all that said… I’m still watching it.

  17. I watch Lip Service mostly because of Sadie. There’s a Sadie (Natasha O’Keeffe) appreciation page on Facebook :)

  18. Awwww Glee! Just when I think I’m starting to go off it as a phenomenon it does something like funding a school counsellor for the queers and I have to love it all over agian.

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