"thank u, next"
From our sister site, Pride: After teasing the world over the past few days with images and a trailer for the Mean Girls-inspired "thank u, next" music video, the world was finally blessed with the full thing, and oh, my freakin' God, it's better than we could have ever expected! With cameo appearances from the likes of Troye Sivan, the "Army pants and flip-flops girl" Bethany Byrd, and Aaron Samuels himself Jonathan Bennett, and other influences from movies like Bring It On and Legally Blonde, the five-minute vid is a nostalgic extravaganza that is resparking our love for all things '90s/2000s! Sometimes remakes can be hit or miss, but after seeing her channel Regina George in that long blond wig and her perfectly pink 2004 ensemble, we'd be totally down for a Mean Girls reboot starring Ari!
Putting On
This reality show centers on On Mekahel, a gay Israeli-born model and influencer who's trying to launch a new underwear line from his home in New York. No, Putting On is not Pride & Prejudice, but the original series from Revry -- an LGBTQ streaming network -- looks like fun. Click here to check out the show and see the trailer below.
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
The creator of Gilmore Girls, Amy Sherman-Palladino, delivered the most delightful TV series of last year with The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. Beyond the lush period costumes, set design, soundtrack, and crackerjack dialogue is a heartfelt story of a woman navigating her place in the world while brushing up against the strictures set up for an Upper West Side Jewish divorcing mother of two who has dreams of her own beyond motherhood and marriage circa the late '50s.
Now the revelation that is Rachel Brosnahan (House of Cards, Manhattan) as the titular Midge Maisel, a good girl who gets a taste for stand-up comedy at a club in the Village, is back. And this time she's headed to the Catskills!
One of the first season's more enthralling storylines centered on the growing friendship between Midge and her acerbic manager, Suzie (Emmy winner Alex Borstein), who may or may not be just a little bit in love with Midge. It will be interesting to see if the second season explores Suzie's sexuality, considering she telegraphs queerness.
The excellent Tony Shalhoub and Marin Hinkle are back as Midge's neurotic parents.
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel's second season drops on Amazon Prime Wednesday.
The Favourite
The latest -- and most accessible -- film from Greek auteur Yorgos Lanthimos (The Lobster, The Killing of a Sacred Deer) is a wild, queer romp through the 18th-century court of the sickly, often childlike Queen Anne of England. The film reunites Lanthimos's Lobster stars Olivia Colman (Broadchurch, next up on The Crown) and Rachel Weisz (Disobedience) as Queen Anne and her confidante or "favourite," Sarah, the Duchess of Marlborough. Anne and Sarah happily engage in wicked role-playing that borders on sadomasochism until Sarah's cousin Abigail (Emma Stone) -- a lady who's fallen from grace and will stop at nothing to regain her position-- arrives at court. Soon the rivalry between Sarah and Abigail is in full bloom and the women play at politics, sexual and otherwise, to garner the queen's attention in what will go down as one of the queerest films about women of the year. The film is ultimately a love story between Anne and Sarah. But even the men -- in their wigs and ruffled sleeves, with their powdered faces adorned with moles as they stomp around in chunky heels arguing over issues of state -- lend an overall air of camp to the delicious satire that often employs a fish-eye type of lens to signal the audience that despite the costumes (by Carol'sSandy Powell), The Favourite is not your mother's period piece.
The Favourite is currently out in select cities with a wide roll-out occurring over the next few weeks.
World AIDS Day
Saturday is World AIDS Day, first observed 30 years ago, and it's a reminder that while treatment and prevention options have improved greatly, HIV and AIDS haven't gone away. Globally, there are an estimated 36.7 million people living with HIV, while it has taken the lives of 35 million. This year's theme is "Know Your Status," as getting tested for HIV and other sexually transmitted infections is always a good idea, and that knowledge can help you take care of yourself and your partners. So, if you don't know your status, resolve to get tested soon. And there are events going on around the U.S. and the world to encourage awareness and pay tribute to those lost; check with your local clinic or LGBTQ community center to find out what's happening near you.
Say Her Name: The Life and Death of Sandra Bland
Sandra Bland, a politically active 28-year-old black woman from Chicago, was arrested for a traffic violation in a small Texas town in 2015. Three days later, she was found hanging from a noose in her jail cell. Her death was ruled a suicide, but their were suspicions that she had been murdered by police. The new HBO documentary Say Her Name: The Life and Death of Sandra Bland,from filmmakers Kate Davis and David Heilbroner, reveals new and disturbing details about the case. It also features commentary from the numerous video blogs Bland had created. It premieres Monday at 10 p.m. Eastern/Pacific and will be available on demand Tuesday. Watch the trailer below.
Studio Killer's "Dirty Car"
The latest single for the virtual Europop band Studio Killers, "Dirty Car," features the group's signature electronic influence, upbeat dancehall vibe, and quirky, clever, lyricism, riddled with innuendos. The video features the pansexual lead singer, Cherry, as a driver for a rideshare company. Longtime fans of the group are sure to spot some familiar faces in the backseat, including Cherry's on-again, off-again, girlfriend Jenny, who is the inspiration for the aptly titled "Jenny," which is arguably one of the most relatable songs about being a sapphic woman ever written.
Check out the insanely catchy "Dirty Car" below.
