Bitchfest

So Bitch Planet #2 came out this week. I mentioned last month that I had a feeling that I was going to find the book challenging in a lot of ways and that I was really looking forward to that challenge. The rhetoric in this book is turned up to 11, which I totally love, but it’s also like, a lot.

This month we learned a little bit more about the world of Bitch Planet and our heroine Kam.

Kamau Kogo is our main character. You might remember her from issue #1, as the woman standing in between Marion (who we thought was the lead here) and the guards who beat her to death so that her husband could live happily ever after with his new wife. (Ugh, so gross.) Anyway, now the prison is trying to pin Marion’s murder on Kam, and she’s not taking it.

They do come to her with an offer though. There is some kind of super violent sport in this world, which of course, is manipulated by the Council of Fathers (ick), uses to keep the masses “engaged” and “safely factioned,” which, um, is actually one of my favorite things about sports. (The safe tribalism, not the brainwashing.) So, well, that’s challenge to my belief system #1. But I mean, I’m not into blood sports, except for football, lately.

Anyway, Kam was a pro athlete and Officer Whitney comes to her with the offer to form a team to keep the prisoners engaged. She refuses but reconsiders when several inmates come to her and ask her to.

Basically, I’m hooked, story wise, where as I was hooked concept wise before.

I really love the way the book is put together. Kelly Sue DeConnick’s column in the back explained a lot about how this community is going to work. The feminist essays in the back are actually going to make great primers for people unfamiliar with feminist theory, which I always love. The more people who actually back up their beliefs, the better. This month’s is by Tasha Fierce, and is about how intersectionality might be the cure for, “I’m not a feminist but…”

Which needs to be cured.

Like, yesterday.

Come Hear The Music Play

I always really like stories that are definitive in their genre and medium. There are certain stories that can only be told as novels, as comic books, as films.

And then there are stories that can only be musicals, and at their best, only stage musicals.

Cabaret is like that. Cabaret was a movie, and a good one. It was developed from a straight play, a good one. But Cabaret shines as a stage musical, it’s the best possible way to tell this story, of lost, broken people, in a lost broken place.

I was eleven years old when Sam Mendes brought his vision of Cliff, Sally, The Emcee and everyone else to Studio 54 the first time. I didn’t know what Cabaret was. I certainly wouldn’t have understood it. But I knew it looked strange, and wonderful and right. I knew that I wanted to be a part of whatever was happening there.

And a week ago I finally was. I sat in the mezzanine and watched Alan Cumming host the evening’s story of a world in tatters, on the edge of exploding. Cabaret’s Berlin is a dangerous, seedy, beautiful place, where two people who should have never met, fall in love and destroy one another, as the world gets ready to destroys itself again.

Cumming was flawless, creepy, sensual, and amazing. He’s backed up by Emma Stone right now and she simply was Sally Bowels. It was nearly impossible to not rise to your feet in the middle of act 2, when she sang “Cabaret.”

The supporting cast around the two of them was equally fantastic and affecting. Cabaret isn’t an easy musical. The music itself is atonal and odd. It’s structurally challenging, taking place on two different planes of reality that finally merge. It has unlikable characters and ends with most of them in a concentration camp. It’s leading man is a closeted homosexual. It’s leading lady is perpetually drunk cocaine addict who ends a pregnancy against the wishes of the child’s father.

Cabaret asks you to “forget your troubles,” and you do, but ironically, because you see what real trouble looks like.

I can understand it now. Nearly twenty years later, I went to go see the music play, and I’m so glad that I did.

Mr. Kiss And Tell Boldy Goes Where No Marshmallow Has Gone Before

It wasn’t until about halfway through Mr. Kiss And Tell, the most recent Veronica Mars mystery novel, that I realized one of the benefits of continuing the story as novels rather than movies or TV shows is that you can do things that probably wouldn’t fly if it had come back that way.

I just don’t see being able to sell an episode (or arc) of the show about Veronica solving the rape and beating of a hooker by a college basketball coach.

Not that the show really shied away from such things, but it is just a shade darker than the show ever was, especially when you learn that the identity of the victim is Grace Manning.

To all but the biggest superfan, this is probably not overly disturbing, but the idea of that innocent little girl that Duncan and Veronica found locked in a closet at 8, is now a working girl, is pretty upsetting. Grace also points out that it wasn’t as if after that initial encounter, Veronica ever did anything to help the Mannings, except help Duncan steal a baby from them.

So Veronica uses that guilt as well as her hard won desire to bring about justice for every rape survivor, to solve this case.

It’s a good mystery, and she enlists Wallace and Mac (obvi) as well as Leo D’Amato, and even toys with their flirtation as being more than just professional, especially when Logan makes the decision to leave shore duty a bit early, but no, LoVe is forever, not to be broken again. It was fun to hang out with Leo again, he was always a character that I liked a lot.

There was also movement of Weevil’s case (all of it devestating) and Neptune has a new sheriff, who has a history with Keith.

It’s a worthy entry in the Veronica Mars canon if a jarring one and I appreciated the switching viewpoints, between Veronica and Keith throughout the book this time. Also, I don’t see how you can bring the Mannings back into the plot in this big a fashion has to be setting things up to bring Duncan and that kid back right?

Right?

Batman Eternal 39-42

Guys, she’s here! Blue Bird has landed and she’s perfect. Harper has gone full superhero, after that weird nano virus turns out to be engineered by The Mad Hatter to control all of Gotham’s teenagers. When even Tim, Barbara and Jason succumb, it’s up to Harper to save the say.

And save the day she does, basically dressed as Nightwing…but uh, anyway…

Meanwhile, Bruce is figuring out that Riddler is not the mastermind and it’s most definitely absolutely R’as. Because there’s a whole lot more, “father and daughter” talk to what he’s hinting for it not to be, but let’s talk about that for a minute.

Father’s and daughters are a huge motif in this series and I can’t believe that I didn’t pick up on it before.

Barbara and Jim Gordon.

Julia and Alfred Pennyworth.

Spoiler and Cluemaster.

Selina Kyle and Leo Calabrese.

Harper and Her father.

So the idea that this is all pointing towards some kind of showdown with Talia and R’as isn’t out of left field, even if I feel a little bit annoyed at myself for not picking up on it.

Anyway, Stephanie learns that while Killshot was on her tail, it was to protect her, he was hired by her mom. Stephanie is then kidnapped by Selina, which makes perfect sense to me.

I can’t be the only person who wants Barabra to form a new Birds of Prey team with Harper and Steph, right? I mean that would be pretty amazing. Julia could run things for them.

Also, when Tim calls Barbara and Jason in to help free the kids, Jason interprets it as, “so you’re saying you want me to shoot a bunch of kids?”

Oh Jason. This is why we all love you. “There’s a problem, I know I should shoot at it! The answer is so simple!”

Anyway, Harper saves the kids, and explains to Tim, that while she appreciates his attempts to save her, they aren’t necessary, she was always going to do this, this was always what she wanted and he was never going to be able to talk her out of it.

So, really, when is Damian, now back to life going to pop up? I think we can all agree that that is something that needs to happen. They could all do with a ten year old, who had Superman’s powers and the worst attitude in the history of the world right?

Here’s The Sitch: Kim Possible Season 1 Episodes 17 & 18

It’s Batman Eternal week again, so, we’re a day early on the KP recap this week. We’re really getting into the best stuff in the series now, when it’s settled into it’s patterns but everything was still fresh and exciting. Which is why I’m so excited to keep going. We’re almost through Season 1! Can you believe it?

But for now, let’s talk about this week!

Season 1: Episode 17 “The Twin Factor”

I really am enjoying the Possible family this time around and I’m really pretty excited about it. It’s really just proof of how great this series and it’s weird little world were, that by this point we’re invested enough to have a whole episode about Kim’s relationship with her brothers.

Drakken and Shego break into a lab and steal a microchip. They immediately call Kim to investigate and she happily agrees, not long after Jim and Tim snap a picture of her, moisturizing mask on face, tooth paste in mouth and blast it out to the entire town of Middleton, furious and embarassed Kim’s looking forward to getting away.

Unfortunately the Dr. P’s are off to have a romantic day of fly fishing, and Kim is stuck babysitting. She does get permission to take the boys on the mission with her, but not before they take apart the Kimunicator for parts.

While the scientist that they’re helping thinks that the boys are a lot of fun, they are making a good deal of mayhem and Kim is at the end of her rope with them. Anyway, the tech that Drakken took was full on mind control and he’s using it to make Shego completely obedient, which in the end, he realizes, isn’t what he wants from her at all. (D’aww)

Anyway, going after Drakken, Kim finds herself under his control as well, (and in a Shego costume, which is fun) and Ron, Rufus and the Tweebs get her back to herself. In the end, it something that the Tweebs build that saves the day and Kim is really proud of them. Super sweet.

Season 1: Episode 18: “Animal Attraction”

Animology is sweeping the nation! This strange fad has you take a personality quiz to determine an animal and color that describe yourself. Initially Kim scoffs at it, but eventually succumbs, and learns that she’s A Blue Fox, unable to resist and challenge and a born leader. Ron, on the other hand is a pink sloth, meaning is an outsider, lazy and follower.

Animology is actually pretty spot on. It should also be noted that the soulmate of the Blue Fox is supposed to be The Yellow Trout, who it turns out is Senor Senior Jr! (Kim and Junior, not actually soulmates…)

Anyway, The Seniors are regrouping after their latest scheme at The Billionaire’s club, when they learn that being villains has gotten them kicked out, bent of revenge, Senior decides to actually freeze the assests of the other members. Literally, with a giant flash freezer traditionally used for corn dogs.

Junior, is much more interested in finding his Blue Fox, and in fact, after finding out that Kim is meant to be his soul mate, he saves her, and decides to dedicate his life to pursuing her. It’s kind of a shame that this never goes anywhere, it could have been a full through line, but we never really hear about it again.

Boo-Ya’s and Nacos

• “Hicka Bikka Boo?” “Hoo-sha” FINALLY at long last, we get the Tweeb’s catch phrase. Shown the first time after Ron commends them for not having their own language, thus making them less weird than most twins. Speaking as the cousin of two sets, and a friend of several others, twins are kind of weird. But I also love every twin I’ve ever met.
• The Dr. P’s go fishing and Mrs. Dr. P wears an adorable hat, and I love them.
• I love that Wade and The Tweebs are the same age and intelligence level and that Wade is just more focused. It’s a good little joke and fun little bit of world building.
• Kim: He’ll probably use it to control the world.
  Ron: Or make everyone listen to stories about his twisted childhood.
  Drakken: And then, when I was in fourth grade…
• Bonnie immediately calls Kim when the pic goes viral to mock her. It’s nice to have people you can count on.
• “Aren’t you going to go after him?” “I have a feeling that whatever Shego’s going to do to him is worse than anything I can.” This is so true.
• “Nothing’s impossible for a Possible.” The family motto is so adorable and appropriate.
• Mr. Dr. P thinks Kim is too young to be looking for her soul mate, or any mate. His protectiveness is cute and fun, as is the fact that he and Mrs. Dr. P match up in Animology. AWWW.
• “If I wanted flashing lights I would have gone to the discoteque.” Junior, never change.
• This is the first hint of romance for Junior, who eventually ends up with Bonnie, which makes all the sense in the world to me.
• In the end, Ron learns that the Pink Sloth is meant to be Amelia’s soul mate. He immediately tries to convince her he is textbook, while Kim admires the flowers that Junior sent her.

I Am Kara-Zor El.

So we have a casting announcement for the new Supergirl TV show.

Melissa Benoist will be playing our beloved Girl of Steel, and I’m, luke warm about this casting.

Pretty

I did really like Benoist on Glee, she was meant to be a centerpiece of the last season of that show that I watched. She was Marley, “The New Rachel,” who was like, not as talented, or as interesting as Rachel, but way more likable? Is that a good way to describe her, 5 other people who gave a crap about Glee after season 2? Mom? Uncle Mark? (Seriously, I can’t think of anyone else who liked the show past then…)

It is fun that both Kara and Barry Allen are ex Glee kids. Grant Gustin played Sebastian, who was the captain of the Warblers when Blaine left, and then just, like a big bullying gay, who told Karofsky to kill himself. Weird to think about, because he’s SO PERFECT as Barry, who is the opposite of all of those things…though I would love to see Barry in an acappella group.

That would just be adorable…

Sorry, got a little distracted.

Anyway, I’m good with the casting. Mostly.

I think they definitely could have gone another way….

I’m

Just

Saying

 

Things I’m Obsessed With Right Now: New Year Edition!

Hi Everyone! Low on inspiration again, 22 days into it, I think it’s time to say what the new year is going to look like, obsession wise.

So here we go!

• Empire. Just, Empire. Particularly, Taraji P. Henson on Empire. And the character of Cookie Lyons on Empire. And also #TeamJamal, and not #TeamHakeem. Hakeem is the worst. THE WORST.
• Star Wars #1. HOLY F***CKING CRAP, you guys, it was so good. SO GOOD! SOSOSOSOSOSOSOSOSOSO good. Read it, it feels like a part of the movie. GAH. I’ve always resisted the lure of the extended universe. I’ve crossed into the dark side
• Reading discussions of Serial in comment sections. I KNOW I’m late to the game, but seeing people actually type in ALL CAPS, “BUT THE NISHA CALL!” It’s pretty fun.
• Agent Carter. This show is good, right? It’s really good. Although, I got frustrated at my SHIELD podcast, Welcome To Level 7, as they tried to make it fit into the AOS mold, because, it’s you know, a different song.
• Mr. Kiss And Tell, the latest Veronica Mars book. I started it yesterday. I’m forgoing reading Lumberjanes and Batman & Robin right away to finish it. It’s that good. Without spoiling, Meg’s little sister Grace is involved. Remember Grace? Veronica and Duncan saved her from the closet that time, which is when we learned that The Mannings were monsters. And that Lamb’s father probably beat him.
• It’s starting to be light-ish when I go to work in the morning and when I leave at night. I mean, it’s still you know, the end.
• The bombastic pop-showtunes of the mid 2000s, that completely occupied my high school psyche. I’ve been listening to The Last 5 Years, and Wicked, and Legally Blonde, and Thoroughly Modern Millie, mostly because I saw Wicked and remembered what I loved so much about theatre, and this music.
• Cabaret! Which I’m going to see tonight! WAHHHHHH!!!!!
• Rewatching The Office, I mean when I fall asleep. But it’s been fun to revisit it.
• Did you know that people ship YouTubers? Like real people? I didn’t know this was a thing that went on. I am fascinated by this practice…I mean, I’m pretty serious about shipping, but only with fictional characters.
• The music of Zac Brown, Kenny Chesney and Darius Rucker. Work has been very stressful and country music mellows me out and puts me in a good mood.

So that’s what I’m obsessed with these days.

Sailor Moon Check In: It’s Kind Of All About Chibi-Usa huh?

So this is a very strange and awesome week for a check in, things just kind of aligned, but I think it needs to be noted at the end. But we might as well get started.

Manga

No.

Crystal

We ended “The Dark Kingdom” arc and now we’re into “The Dark Moon” arc, which is going to be fun. But I guess we’ll talk about the finale, which involved the essence (though not ghost persons)  of the Senshi to empower Usagi as she defeated Queen Metalia and made out with Mamoru. Also they all met on a bridge and cried for a minute, which was, fine I guess. But really, this episode of Crystal was all about Luna, which I am surprisingly OK with? Basically, it’s Luna’s prayers to the moon that finally give Usagi/Sailor Moon/Princess Serenity the power she needs to win her fight. We also get a glimpse of “Luna’s People Body” which if you follow, Nikkisee’s blog at all, you know was a big part of our conversavation. Anyway, The Good Guys Win, and Usagi and Mamoru are about to smooch and be awesome when all of a sudden a weird pink haired little child falls out of the sky and kisses Mamo-chan instead.

Yeah, Chibi-Usa has landed on Crystal…so that’s going to be fun

Anime

Big week for Chibi-Usa…to be kind of the WORST. So first, this little stinker STEELS USAGI’S TRANSFORMATION BROOCH, because “Usagi is selfish and ungrateful…” or something? So, she knows that Usagi is Sailor Moon, and Puu (Sailor Pluto) has said, “You have to trust Sailor Moon…” and also doesn’t she know that SAILOR MOON IS HER MOTHER? and yet she doesn’t, UGH…this kid just is the worst. Anyway, this gets the rest of the senshi abducted by Rubeus.

Speaking of Rubeus, can we talk about how Sailor Moon has 4 levels of bad guys? They have henches, they have middle bad (whichever Shittenou was scheming at that particular moment, the Spectere Sisters) and then a third level (Beryl, Rubeus) and then the big bad (Metallia, The Dark Moon Clan) that’s pretty cool, and fairly unique.

Anyway, Chibi-Usa being the worst doesn’t change how awesome it is, when Usagi stands on Mamoru’s balcony and decides she’s doing whatever it takes to get her friends back. Or Mamoru convincing Chibi-Usa that what she did was wrong and hurtful, and it was so cute.

Also, there’s a cute scene where Luna and Artemis decide that they should disguise themselves as Chibi-Usa, which is both cute, and impossible, because they’re cats. I mean, they’re cats and they wanted to pretend to be a child. They are adorable for this.

In the end Usagi saves everyone, Rubeus gets dead, and we’ll see how everything goes moving forward, but I think we can all agree that this week belonged to Chibi-Usa and Luna.

Also, there’s a badass new opening. There are melty Dali style clocks which are great because TIME TRAVEL SHENANIGANS! I can’t wait for more of them.

Other

I stare at a version of the Sailor Mars outfit that I could order from a Chinese bootleg website every week. I haven’t ordered it. I might not ever. But I look at it longingly.

 

Here’s The Sitch: Kim Possible Episodes 15 & 16

Hello All! I’m back to normal after my week of writers block and laziness but I am thinking about switching to a 3 a week update schedule. Probably in February I’ll make that decision.

Anyway, it’s time for this week’s Kim Possible recaps. Are you excited? Get excited!

Episode 15: All The News

Anytime Ron decides to pursue a goal with single focus is going to be great. So, “All The News” which puts him on the school paper is a really great one.

Ron has decided to be a reporter, while the Mad Dogs are preparing for “The Big Game” against Easttown. Ron decides that his scoop will be to interview Kim, and when he does, he realizes that for all of her world saving, Kim might not be the most captivating interview. So he fudges a quote to make it seem like Kim has a crush on Brick Flagg, The Quarterback.

Brick is thrilled and asks Kim out, and she bumbles her way into an acceptance, and the rest of the episode is Kim insisting that Brick is not her boyfriend and trying to find a way to let him down lightly.

Meanwhile, Adena Lynne, an extreme stunt celebrity gets exposed as a phony by Ron and decides to take her revenge out on Kim. She does this by kidnapping Brick and having a crazy battle at an old abandoned amusement park.

I’m generally  fan of when KP takes superhero tropes and uses them to it’s advantage and super battle in an old amusement park is a good one.

Brick becomes convince Kim set the whole thing up to impress him and ends things, as she “tried to hard.” I can’t help but wonder how Josh Mankey felt about all of this.

Episode 16: Kimitation Nation

Everyone is taking their style tips from a crazy TV show, and when the host is saved during a Drakken & Shego battle by Kim, she decides Kim’s mission clothes are going to be the new look. This annoys Kim and thrills Monique and Ron, who tell her to embrace her moment.

Of course when she tries to embrace the look, Bonnie assures her that she can’t pull it off, which only exacerbates her fury.

Meanwhile, the idea of a world full of Kims gives Drakken the idea to clone Kim to fight Kim. This is of course after Shego quits, refusing to be cloned.

This leads to a hilarious sub plot where Shego is on vacation and Drakken realizes how much of his operation she really is. It’s actually sweet.

Anyway, there’s a few mishaps with the clones, first Drakken clones Bonnie, then Ron, and then finally Kim. Luckily, they are defeated by dousing them with soda, and a trip to Bueno Nacho fixes things.

In the end, Ron’s look becomes the new trend. Because of course it does.

Boo-Ya’s and Nacos

• Adrena Lynne is voiced by Rachel Dratch, which is great, but her catch phrase “Freaky!” is super annoying.
• The fashion icon is voiced by Wendy Mallick, which is also fantastic and incredibly perfect. Wendy Mallick is just perfect.
• In the Possible Household: The Tweebs are obsessed with Adrena Lynne, and even root against Kim. Mr Dr. P “Jim, Tim, there will be no rooting for your sister’s foe.”
• “We’ll all be here for you when he dumps you.” Bonnie is a good friend.
• The fight with Adrena Lynne intro’s the song “It’s You,” which played like every other ad back in the day on Disney channel.
• Shego’s blow up and refusal to be cloned is just some of the best work from John Dimaggio and Nicole Sullivan. I love them so much.
• First appearance of Commodore Puddles, the evil poodle.
• More Monique awesomeness, she gets Bonnie to safety when the clones attack.
• When Kim realizes that the real Bonnie is herself she hugs her and says she’s glad to see her. Because frenemies.

I have been changed

On Saturday afternoon we went to the matinee of Wicked, which was amazing.

I’ve seen this show 4 times, and everytime I remember just how much I love it. The music is probably my favorite, the story is beautiful, the show is funny, and smart and interesting.

It’s big and gorgeous and small and intimate and everything that musical theater at that level should be.

And I cried the whole time.

I cried because I was 16 when this music found me, and worked its way into my heart and mind the way that something only can when you’re 16. Because I was a perky blonde girl who loved pink things, and I had a best friend who was a sensitive brunette girl with a sarcastic streak a mile wide and the friendship between Elphaba and Galinda spoke to us in the way it spoke to a lot of girls, but at the time, we thought was special.

I cried because this is a person who isn’t in my life anymore and I miss her sometimes.

I cried because my sister and I have stood in front of more audiences than I can remember and sang “For Good,” one of the of the few songs that we both loved enough to perform.

I cried because 10 years later this show is still basically sold out, and little girls are still discovering and falling in love with it, and there’s something deep and wonderful about it.

My heart was bursting with love and joy and I had an amazing, amazing time.

I’m very grateful to have this show and to remember it from time to time as something exceptional, and lovely.

Also, I’m going to cosplay THE EVER LOVING CRAP OUT OF THIS. My next eight months are dedicated to getting that together.

Yeah, we went there.