I worked at that factory for 3 years. Good work but tough, a body isn't meant to be exposed to that much moisturizer, tooth whitening gel and protein powder on a day-to-day basis.

I mention him only because he's my go-to fun adventure story author.

I respect that - I read and enjoyed Harry Potter even though I think the series ultimately has nothing of interest to say, and some pretty harmful messages buried not too deep beneath the surface. I love Brandon Sanderson, even though he has the emotional intelligence of a 12-year-old (a good-hearted 12-year-old, so…

I love the ending and have always thought it was basically perfect. I haven't reread the series itself in many years but I keep a copy of The End around so that I can reread the end of the End when I'm feeling down. I've always thought it boils down to "life isn't a story, it doesn't wrap itself up cleanly, nobody's…

But… that's not how precedent works? Abuse of this nature is difficult to prove, and every case will be by definition unique. If (as seems more likely than not) the abuse happened as Kesha describes it, she may not be able to prove it. Even if she does prove it, a court might not feel that letting her out of the…

This one ("she's doing it to get out of her contract") gets raised a lot and it's very silly.

Maximum Capacity is my favourite Steven Universe episode. We were watching Mad Men at the time as well and I remember thinking that this was every bit as deep, nuanced and emotionally devastating as anything that show did (and I do like me some Mad Men), but with cartoon superheroes and packed into an 11 minute…

I hear you, and while I suppose you're right in a narrow and technical view of causation (Lexa did X which caused Y which led to Z), I don't think that's particularly useful as far as coherent storytelling goes. Nobody involved intended or even wanted Lexa's death, it really was just an accident. And certainly not one…

Yeah, it strongly evokes Tara, is definitely part of it - that's a low point for queer women on television, many people feel.

You joke, I think, but I have to say that the one film class I took in college dramatically increased my ability to appreciate film. It probably contributes more positively to my quality of life than anything else I did as an undergrad.

I was actually really surprised, given the generally lackluster writing, with how affecting I found that triple hug after Amberle came out of the bloodfire. Despite everything it was sweet and felt earned, and definitely felt as well like a quiet subversion of the boring and bad love triangle trope. At the end of the…

I thought this was the first unambiguously strong entry - surprising since there was so little Julia, who has generally had the most compelling material for me. But I guess an extra helping of Eliot and Margo makes up for that.

I think what you're observing is really just a collateral consequence of the lack of representation. If there were actually a reasonable number of gay male relationships on screen in mainstream film and television, folks wouldn't feel as compelled to go looking for subtext everywhere.

Counterpoint: yes, but also yes.

"Not just on camera but behind the camera."

I strongly agree. I think they're at a point beyond chemistry at this stage - if they end up together in that way it will because of a shared history and philosophy, and that's neat because they started out so different and converged naturally (give or take an unfortunate character digression here and there) over the…

I thought the actor playing him really finessed, without saying a word, the quick evaluation of whether it would cause him more trouble to allow a religious nutjob run of the place, or to be seen imprisoning or kicking out the probably still rather popular (or at least idolized/mythicized) former Chancellor. And…

I think the compelling thing about Lexa is that she basically is a monster, albeit a monster who's looking to redemption, and one whose monstrousness we appreciate and sympathize with (she's a hard leader of a hard people, survivor of coups and assassination attempts, raised from childhood as a warrior etc. etc.). We…

I suppose it's the difference between framing them as musicians, and therefore their main job is making music, versus perhaps as… I don't know, as entertainers or as artists more generally, where maybe the music is only a component of the package. If they're just musicians, then that they're no more than adequate at…

International Women's Day is coming up.