How The Rocky Horror Picture Show Prepared Me For Adulthood

Source: http://rebellion.nerdfitness.com

In celebration of FOX’s Rocky Horror Remake, here’s a few thoughts from Kayla on this famous cult classic. 

I recently got engaged, and one of the questions I got asked was, “are you going to throw rice?” I replied, “Hell, no! I’ve had rice stuck in a corset before and cleaning it up is not fun!” My friend then gave me one of those looks, the one that simultaneously says “Why?” “How?” And “I don’t want to know.” I explained that part of The Rocky Horror Picture Show (RHPS) shadow cast experience is throwing rice, and when I’d get home and changed, I would have to bend to a 90 degree angle, to try and catch most of the rice in the corset, and then still vacuum dried rice up weeks later.

LGBTQ Makeup: Be Prideful for Pride Month

June is a month of celebration for LGBTQ folks. A community frequently ignored by the mainstream gets to to celebrate who they are and who they love. And although this month has been marred by tragedy, Pride is not over. Inspired by the amazing NikkieTutorials on Youtube, today I will show you how to get this amazing rainbow eye makeup so you can get your own Pride on.

Bye Bye, Binary: Custom Gender in “Sims 4” Update

Since its original release sixteen years ago, The Sims has been a fairly progressive franchise. But now, in its Sims 4 iteration, the game may be surpassing the real world.

In a free update released yesterday, the Sims 4 now allows for customization of gender. Even though Sims 3 provided a huge improvement in customizable body type, players were still limited to Male and Female for gender. This dictated the types of clothing the character could wear, their ability to produce children biologically, and, obviously, the pronouns that referred to them. That limit continued into Sims 4 – BUT NO LONGER!

Flimsy At Best: A Paper Girls Volume 1 Review

A promotional image for Paper Girls

Having enjoyed the first volume of Brian K. Vaughan’s Saga, I was interested in seeing whether or not he would once again implement elements of sci-fi into Paper Girls. As expected, sarcastic characters and time traveling are abundant. The premise of the book is left deliberately vague – and to my dismay, it stays that way until the end. The pacing of protagonist Erin’s story is more than aggravating at times. She and the other girls manage to both expedite and slow the plot with their constant rapid-fire dialogue. Outside of these exchanges, the worldbuilding is promising, yet scattered.

However, I assure you that I’m not a bringer of bad news alone.

I believe Paper Girls has the potential to further develop its young heroes and equalize, if not succeed, preexisting narratives on the power of technology.

“Train Set”: “Carol” Movie Review

When I look at photographs and images from the ’50s, much of it brings a sense of utter joy and delight. A tribute to an era that was built on the positive notions of those that survived the past World War, looking to the future at their baby boomer offspring and chrome automobiles. But somewhere, beneath the cracks, we begin to realize that those pictures do not tell the complete story–for this was a time of important works of art, ones that spoke of a more deeper decade than we could ever imagine. One such novel, The Price of Salt by Patricia Highsmith, serves as the inspiration for Todd Hayne’s latest project, Carol, a movie that explores the more interesting aspects of that mysterious time.

How to Halloween like a Feminist

Halloween, while one of the best holidays of the year, can be problematic. A universal problem is cultural appropriation in costumes. However, chances are if you’ve found this post, you’re not planning on dressing up as a terrorist or Boston Marathon victim this year. And that’s huge. But the fight is not over yet. People are still wearing cultures as costumes, and Halloween in our society is still incredibly mysogynistic at its core. Here are some ways to bring some equality to this joyous holiday:

Elle Fanning Stars in “About Ray,” a Film About a Transgender Teenager

While there has been an increase in past years of movies and television shows featuring gay teens and adults, there has certainly been a lack of representation regarding transgender people. However, a new trailer featuring a transgender teenager named Ray shows a new perspective on the family of a queer individual. Instead of being judged by a conservative family, the way most media tends to show this type of scenario, he has his mother and therapist on his side. Elle Fanning, who will be playing Ray, shows the ups and downs of what it’s like to be a young trans person in today’s society. Ray’s grandmother plays the part of a kind woman who is just a product of her generation and is having a hard time understanding Ray’s gender identity. She utters the phrase many trans men have heard from their own family and friends: “Why can’t she just be a lesbian?” The mother surprises us by stating, “Because she’s not a lesbian, she’s a boy.” It appears that Ray will be going through the process of attempting to receive hormone treatments against the approval of his absent father. It is nice to see this topic normalized and see a film that focuses more on family in general than the “politics” of being transgender. I look forward to this hopefully eye-opening portrayal of an increasingly important subject.

Popular Gay Couples in TV and Movies: Hot or Not?

*Warning: This article may contain spoilers!
There have been many well-known television shows and movies over the years that have featured popular LGBTQ+ couples. One of the most discussed aspects of these relationships have been whether or not the writers accurately portrayed a realistic queer relationship. Some couples have complexities and intricacies that give them depth and realism. Others are boring, unrealistic, or simply poorly written. These are fifteen of the most popular gay couples over the years in pop culture that have long been contested…

The Importance of “Coming Out” – Why Queer Celebrities Matter

Note: The word “queer” will be used throughout this article as an all-encompassing term for LGBTQ+ individuals.

Coming out is one of the most difficult things a person can do. It takes immense courage and strength to make yourself vulnerable to all sorts of judgement, especially since it’s hard to know what to expect as a reaction. I am sure when one is in the public eye, it must be even harder to come out since being vulnerable to an audience of millions is probably as nerve-wracking as can be. However, it is essential that celebrities and public figures continue to be themselves and talk openly about their sexualities and genders so that society can continue to progress. If queer people see that their role models are brave enough to come out, it may encourage them to do the same. Also, many people struggle with their sexualities/gender identities and seeing that someone they look up to is just like them may help them to accept themselves. It is crucial that LGBTQ+ people are discussed in the media so that everyone can see that they are no different from anyone else. Seeing famous queer people begins to remove the stigma that LGBTQ+ individuals are “weird,” strange,” or “abnormal” in some way.