So if you read these recaps with any regularity, I imagine you were relieved when NBC moved Whitney to "cocktail hour" on Wednesdays to be paired with Chelsea Handler’s new show. (So avoid Wednesday nights on NBC.) In its place came Up All Night, a mostly charming show about new parents Chris and Reagan. Like Whitney, Up All Night focuses on a couple in a long-term relationship, minus the laugh track and with the added bonus of an adorable baby and Maya Rudolph. The show has been a nice fit with the rest of the TNL lineup, but there are still a few things it can do to fulfill its potential.
While brainstorming for this week's mix (too early for anti-Valentine's Day songs and too late for Squirrel Appreciation Day?) Kelsey came up with something brilliant: a mix inspired by the 1993 movie Groundhog Day featuring the same song played over and over again (Bill Murray's character in the film experiences, inescapably, the holiday every day). But because the utter meta-ness of the mix might be overpowering (and because 8Tracks doesn't let you include two songs by the same artist), I thought different artists singing the same song might be a little more palatable. It turns out one of the most-covered songs of all times, "Yesterday" by the Beatles, is more than apt for Punxsutawney Phil's shadow-casting on Thursday. And from En Vogue's harmonizing to Tammy Wynette's lonesome wail, it turns out some of the most original covers have been by women. So here's ten tracks dedicated to yesterday, Bill, and Phil... and if it ever feels like déjà-vu, just press "next."
Last night, our All Stars hit the streets to find inspiration (and innocent bystanders willing to donate the clothes off their backs) for an a-muse-ing runway challenge.
They're all titillated, but only one of them got his number.
Well, he tells non-autistic people to make lemonade, specifically. Guess who the "lemons" are in this metaphor.
Popular fiction both shapes and reflects cultural attitudes. In a previous post, I picked apart the film Adam and expressed concern over the film's troubling conclusion that people with Asperger syndrome—and by extension all autists, since Asperger's is thought of as a "mild form of autism"—are simultaneously too childlike and too threatening to maintain healthy romantic relationships.
This is a reflection of the attitude that pervades Tony Attwood's A Complete Guide to Asperger's Syndrome, a popular nonfiction book that often serves as an introductory text to Asperger syndrome for lay readers.
In a recent interview with Samantha Burton for Bitch, Kenyan writer-director Wanuri Kahiu recalled a lovely endorsement she received from a film festival attendant in Zanzibar. Speaking of her 2009 short Pumzi, he said:
“If you ask everybody here, ‘What exactly happened in that film?’ they wouldn’t be able to tell you. But if you ask everybody here, ‘What was that film about?’ they would be able to tell you.”
I’d like to talk to the man quoted above—as well as Kahiu—because I’m not sure if I know what this film is about.
Clarissa and Jennifer could be seen making impressive meals on the go for their Two Fat Ladies cooking show on the BBC in the late '90s, and you can currently catch them (in reruns) on the Cooking Channel.
"Finger wagging" doesn't really sum up the tense moment on the tarmac: Brewer is using her white privilege to mask her anger, in an attempt to assert power over Obama. The little power play at the Phoenix Airport speaks to the age-old stereotype of black men being seen as a threat to white women, and the fact that Jan Brewer took advantage of that earns her this week's Douchebag Decree.
Harry and Katniss are very different heroes because they live in very different worlds. But if I had to guess whether most people felt their world more closely resembled the private boarding school with clear-cut lines between good and evil, or the dystopic district with frustrated and struggling neighbors, I’d say there’s a real reason Katniss’s mythology has captured audiences as thoroughly as Harry did in his more prosperous heyday.
Andi is the co-founder of Bitch: Feminist Response to Pop Culture. A longtime freelance writer and illustrator, Andi's work has appeared in numerous periodicals and newspapers.
She passes her non-Bitch hours watching television and embroidering portraits of dogs, often simultaneously. Her other interests include painting, walking, candy, Scrabble, and the interrobang.
What I'm reading:
Special Exits, by Joyce Farmer and Half Empty, by David Rakoff
What I'm listening to:
Electric Light Orchestra, The Thermals, Belle and Sebastian, Johnny Cash's children's album.
What I'm watching:
Boardwalk Empire, Top Chef: Just Desserts, Project Runway, 30 Rock, Parks and Recreation, basketball, dog shows
I'm the library coordinator here at Bitch Headquarters. If you need help navigating your way through our library of over 2,000 books and zines, or just want to chat about feminist reading materials, I'm your gal.
What I'm watching:
Big Love
What I'm reading:
Persistence: All Ways Butch and Femme, Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins
What I'm listening to:
Lovers, MEN
What I'm reading:
Persistence: All Ways Butch and Femme, Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins
Staff writer for HowStuffWorks.com where I also co-host the gender-focused podcast, Stuff Mom Never Told You. I have an insatiable appetite for learning about gender, gender constructs and how society, culture and biology influence how we think about it.
What I'm watching:
Reliving the adolescence I wish I had with Degrassi Junior High and Square Pegs.
What I'm reading:
Digging into male beauty and body image with Susan Bordo's "The Male Body" and Ken Corbett's "Boyhoods: Rethinking Masculinities".
What I'm listening to:
Cults, Dum Dum Girls, Madeline and whatever Pandora serves up to me.
I'm a fitful novelist, former New Orleanian, lady-lovin' PWD, and twentysomething feminist bookworm interested in creative writing, queer rights, literary analysis, disability issues, teen issues, theater, film, sex education, and much more. I've completed two fictional books and one book of poetry, and I'm currently looking for a literary agent.
Prior to opening this account, I wrote for and commented on this site under the handle TheBadassMuppet.
What I'm watching:
Veronica Mars (as a constant), Party Down, Community, Glee
What I'm reading:
I consistently read a lot. My favorite authors are Douglas Coupland, Jaclyn Moriarty, Dorothy Allison, Joanna Russ, Woody Allen, Jessica Valenti, Jennifer Baumgardner, Augusten Burroughs, Lisa Tucker, Nancy Garden, Christopher Moore, Julie Anne Peters, Lori Aurelia Williams, Jonathan Safran Foer, Nicole Krauss, Christina Hopkinson, Ariel Schrag, Marc Acito, Curtis Sittenfeld, Tom Perrotta, Megan McCafferty, Judy Blume, Thea Hillman, Steve Martin, Sasha Cagen, Jaclyn Friedman, Eve Ensler, Wendy McClure, Jennifer McMahon, Bennett Madison, Mark Haddon, Kate Bornstein, Kate Harding, Colin McAdam, Kelley Eskridge, Pablo Neruda, Cristina Henriquez, Frank Portman, Jeff Lindsay, and Heather Corinna.
What I'm listening to:
my usual collection of musicals and '90s rock, pop, and R&B. I also have a minor obsession with uber-trashy Europop.
I consistently read a lot. My favorite authors are Douglas Coupland, Jaclyn Moriarty, Dorothy Allison, Joanna Russ, Woody Allen, Jessica Valenti, Jennifer Baumgardner, Augusten Burroughs, Lisa Tucker, Nancy Garden, Christopher Moore, Julie Anne Peters, Lori Aurelia Williams, Jonathan Safran Foer, Nicole Krauss, Christina Hopkinson, Ariel Schrag, Marc Acito, Curtis Sittenfeld, Tom Perrotta, Megan McCafferty, Judy Blume, Thea Hillman, Steve Martin, Sasha Cagen, Jaclyn Friedman, Eve Ensler, Wendy McClure, Jennifer McMahon, Bennett Madison, Mark Haddon, Kate Bornstein, Kate Harding, Colin McAdam, Kelley Eskridge, Pablo Neruda, Cristina Henriquez, Frank Portman, Jeff Lindsay, and Heather Corinna.
What I'm listening to:
my usual collection of musicals and '90s rock, pop, and R&B. I also have a minor obsession with uber-trashy Europop.
What I'm watching:
Veronica Mars (as a constant), Party Down, Community, Glee
For both work and play: Revenge, The Daily Show, Top Chef, Once Upon a Time, Downton Abbey, 2 Broke Girls, Teen Mom 2, America's Next Top Model, Real Housewives of Beverly Hills
Hi there! I'm a New York City-based freelance editor, blogger, journalist, and writer. At the moment, I'm doing a lot of reporting and research related to maternal healthcare in the United States --- which is, unfortunately, subpar. I hope my writing will raise awareness about issues related to maternal healthcare and reproductive rights, so as you might imagine, I'm extremely excited about Bringing Up Baby, my guest blog for Bitch. I also have a personal blog. My mission is to support powerful books and other writings that bravely and beautifully strive to better our world; I focus on books that have inspired distinct action, and I'm always on the lookout for examples and stories. Check it out at YourBookDon.com/blog. For more about me and my freelance editing business, see KatherineDon.com and YourBookDon.com, and don't hesitate to connect with me on Twitter or Facebook.
What I'm watching:
Raising Hope, Dexter, Parenthood, Being Erica, Game of Thrones, Big Love. I loved Six Feet Under but find it's difficult to re-watch. I also loved (was/am obsessed with?) Buffy the Vampire Slayer, which is a joy to re-watch. I like good sci-fi and mediocre romantic comedy. I dislike most movies and most television shows, but for some reason I keep watching them. Fairly awful television shows that I have recently consumed include: Weeds, True Blood, Modern Family, The Big C.
What I'm reading:
White Noise
Frankenstein
Inside Scientology: The Story of America's Most Secretive Religion
What I'm listening to:
Otis Redding, Radiohead, Van Morrison
What I'm reading:
White Noise
Frankenstein
Inside Scientology: The Story of America's Most Secretive Religion
What I'm listening to:
Otis Redding, Radiohead, Van Morrison
What I'm watching:
Raising Hope, Dexter, Parenthood, Being Erica, Game of Thrones, Big Love. I loved Six Feet Under but find it's difficult to re-watch. I also loved (was/am obsessed with?) Buffy the Vampire Slayer, which is a joy to re-watch. I like good sci-fi and mediocre romantic comedy. I dislike most movies and most television shows, but for some reason I keep watching them. Fairly awful television shows that I have recently consumed include: Weeds, True Blood, Modern Family, The Big C.
As a young feminist growing up on the mean streets of Portland, Kelsey dreamed that one day a kickass, independent, feminist media organization would move its headquarters to her beloved home city. Well kids, Gabrielle was right: "Dreams can come true"! Bitch moved to Portland, and one MA in Media Studies from the University of Oregon later, Kelsey moved in as web editor. She hasn't looked back since.
When not editing the interwebs at the Bitch office, Kelsey can be found lecturing reluctant students, listening to podcasts, and hanging out with her French Bulldog, Edith. She also enjoys making things out of fabric and watching pretty much anything on television (preferably at the same time, and preferably with Edith). If you're looking for a new pal who loves both LOLcats and Linda Ronstadt records, she's your gal.
What I'm watching:
Arrested Development, The Twilight Zone, Mad Men, Parks and Recreation
What I'm reading:
Graduate school and the Internet have relegated Kelsey (and her attention span) to the land of short stories. It's a nice place to be, especially when Lorrie Moore and George Saunders are there.
What I'm listening to:
King Khan & BBQ Show, Girls in the Garage, The Blow, NPR
Graduate school and the Internet have relegated Kelsey (and her attention span) to the land of short stories. It's a nice place to be, especially when Lorrie Moore and George Saunders are there.
What I'm listening to:
King Khan & BBQ Show, Girls in the Garage, The Blow, NPR
What I'm watching:
Arrested Development, The Twilight Zone, Mad Men, Parks and Recreation
I work to improve B-Word's web presence by beefing up our blog, working on our podcasts, managing Bitch's social networking sites (be my friend?), and spreading the good b-word all 'round the Net.
Always into what you have to say! Email me at online{at}b-word.org with suggestions or kind words.
So if you read these recaps with any regularity, I imagine you were relieved when NBC moved Whitney to "cocktail hour" on Wednesdays to be paired with Chelsea Handler’s new show. (So avoid Wednesday nights on NBC.) In its place came Up All Night, a mostly charming show about new parents Chris and Reagan. Like Whitney, Up All Night focuses on a couple in a long-term relationship, minus the laugh track and with the added bonus of an adorable baby and Maya Rudolph. The show has been a nice fit with the rest of the TNL lineup, but there are still a few things it can do to fulfill its potential.
Clarissa and Jennifer could be seen making impressive meals on the go for their Two Fat Ladies cooking show on the BBC in the late '90s, and you can currently catch them (in reruns) on the Cooking Channel.
