Pitch & Sleepy Hollow

I have baseball on the brain. Really badly. That doesn’t mean anything though, until you consider that I know nothing about baseball and have never had any sort of interest in the sport. Until Fox’s Pitch, that is.

Kylie Bunbury as Ginny Baker

When Fox first started promoting Pitch, a baseball drama where Ginny Baker (played by the very talented Kylie Bunbury) becomes the first woman to play in the Major Leagues, I reblogged and retweeted to support a Black actress for landing a lead role on a show on a major network. Admittedly, when I tuned in to watch the pilot, I didn’t expect that months later, I’d have rewatched the show four more times, as well as get caught in the throes of reading all the fanfiction ever and find myself familiarizing myself with baseball terms, superstitions, and gameplay.

It wasn’t until my second rewatch that I recalled the last time I had so wholeheartedly enjoyed a fandom, and that was another Fox show I loved until I was third degree burned by it. The parallels between Pitch and Sleepy Hollow’s first seasons are promising, but if SH is any indicator, the challenges and possible pitfalls that await Pitch are a great cause for alarm, considering that they’re on the same network. Fox’s attitude about SH circa Season 2 was less than stellar and is a great predictor of what can happen to Pitch.

Nicole Beharie as Lt. Abbie Mills and Kylie Bunbury as Ginny Baker

At first glance, the two shows couldn’t appear more different: one is a supernatural “monster of the week” battle against the impending apocalypse; the other is a sports drama about breaking barriers (and hearts!) in baseball. That said, the two are astoundingly similar. Continue reading

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What Shipping Richonne Taught Me About Racism

This blog post originally appeared on Black Girl Nerds, and it is being cross-posted here with permission. (And some slight edits when referring to the show, since it ran a week ago and we don’t want to make things confusing.)

So if you haven’t watched the February 21 episode of The Walking Dead and don’t want to be spoiled, consider this your warning. SPOILERS. SPOILERS EVERYWHERE.

Now that that’s out of the way…

Can we talk about what happened in that episode?

No, the last five minutes weren’t a shared hallucination – it really did happen. Rick and Michonne finally got together, and I can barely believe it myself. Is this real life? Where did that choir of angels come from and why are they singing?

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I’m happy as hell, and have been living in shipper paradise ever since the Richonne spoilers first leaked. That being said, I thought I’d take a break from celebrating and “in your face-ing” to finally finish organizing my thoughts on all the nasty, complicated ways I’ve had to grapple with racism as a Richonne shipper.

I, like many others, started shipping Richonne back in season 3, when Michonne and Rick first started eye-f***ing each other and the chemistry between the two became, in my opinion, pretty apparent. Still, I didn’t hold out much hope that it would actually happen anywhere outside of fanfiction. A hugely popular show on a major network, making the dark-skinned black character the love interest of the (white) protagonist? Honestly, I didn’t think AMC had the balls to do anything as out-of-the-box as that – and how sad it is that making the dark-skinned black woman a love interest can be considered out-of-the-box thinking? Continue reading

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Books We Read and Loved in 2015

2016 is steadily under way but we are still occasionally writing 2015 on our checks (do most people still write checks these days, even?), and looking back at some of our favorite media moments from last year. 2015 was a year that kept all of us at GQ especially busy with schoolwork, professional challenges, and all sorts of other Real Life Stuff™. When we weren’t burned out on adulting, we found escape in some good books, which we’d like to revisit now. After you check out some of our faves, won’t you tell us what you read and loved last year? And while you’re at it, what books are you looking forward to in 2016?

 

SagaSaga (Volumes 1-5) by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples
After outright devouring all five Saga volumes, the only question I had was “WHY.” WHY didn’t I read this sooner, WHY am I giggling so hard, and WHY is my heart breaking? Saga embodies the best of a great story: a swashbuckling pair of star-crossed lovers and their growing family hurtle throughout space, on the run from various baddies. In addition to the revolutionary act of loving “the enemy,” Saga touches on the little things along the way – marriage, parenthood, getting off on the wrong foot with your in-laws, and fleeing your murderous ex-girlfriend. Fiona Staples’ beautiful artwork is a most welcome and delicious icing on this sci-fi cake, as it’s refreshing to see women draw women, no matter how fantastical and mythical. Marko + Alanna 5ever. – Lois Continue reading

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Oh, the Horror! Movies to Look Forward To

It can be easy to fall into a rut with horror, because… horror. Lately, all the mainstream flicks that have been hitting theaters have all been kind of “meh” for me. Not all is lost though, as my appetite for all things spooky-scary has been whetted by the trailers for these recent and upcoming releases. Full reviews for some of these coming soon!

The Visit – September 11
This is a M. Night Shyamalan film, so admittedly if this turns out to be a flop – which it very well could do – I suppose I have only myself to blame. That said, The Visit promises elements I enjoy in horror: a huge house in the middle of nowhere, and “found footage”. Since Shyamalan’s movies always hinge on a grandiose twist, the fun of The Visit lies in trying to figure out exactly what’s wrong with Nana and Pop Pop.

Continue reading

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Race, Vigilantism, & Zombies In Wes Craven’s The People Under The Stairs

This post first appeared on Graveyard Shift Sisters and is cross-posted here with permission. The site’s motto is “Purging The Black Female Horror Fan From The Margins” and you can also follow along on Twitter @GraveyardSister.

Horror’s true effectiveness is executed when it’s busy making us uncomfortable in our comforts. The everyday and mundane that lures us into a false sense of security can become the very sight of anxiety. Wes Craven’s mission as a storyteller early on was to do exactly this. And I appreciate that. He does so with a certain complexity and I think his sleepers don’t get the attention they deserve. And I admit that some of them have taken me awhile to get to and that, like any filmmaker, his body of work suffers in some areas. 1991’s The People Under The Stairs is not a film I grew up watching strangely. How this one slipped into the cracks of my mum’s VHS collection is some kind of freak accident, so I went into a viewing with no nostalgic childhood memories.

This is a 90s home invasion genre film that could easily be described as “Home Alone in hell”. The story rollercoasters around a budding young man named Poindexter Williams, better known as Fool (Brandon Quintin Adams) who throughout the film watches his deteriorating, drug infested apartment complex, and older sister Ruby (Kelly Jo Minter) working to support not only her own children but the declining health of their mother. Ving Rhames’ Leroy makes attempts at being the solution to life’s circumstances by showing Fool the “substantial” trade of the pillager arts as they, along with fellow robber Spenser, concoct a plan to rob the domicile of their landlord who’s evicting them for being behind on the rent, but really just wants to tear down and re-build something that’ll bring wealthy renters in and widen his pocket liners. Continue reading

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Geeking Out

tribal force

  • Roxanne Gay‘s review of the surprisingly feminist Magic Mike XXL is a real riot. Read it and giggle.
  • We are ready and waiting for Creed. See you at the theater!
  • A cute series of what the cast of Scooby-Doo would look like through the decades.
  • Was Facebook’s script to turn your profile picture into a rainbow just a data mining opportunity? Maybe, maybe not. Meanwhile, many were also making their profiles purple as part of the #MyNameIs movement, a response to Facebook’s “real names” policy.
  • Related to #MyNameIs, read this important personal essay by Zip.
  • We loved this promo for the Prime Crime slot, featuring Elementary and Person of Interest. Beautiful and alluring partners, indeed.
  • Ursula Le Guin’s classic novel The Left Hand of Darkness will soon be available as an e-book!
  • The specs for Spider-Man and Peter Parker are pretty specific and pretty sad.
  • Lately there’s been a (welcome) rise of Native American heroes in comic books.
  • Congratulations to Misty Copeland on her well deserved and historical promotion to Principal Dancer of the American Ballet Theater!
  • Long but worthy read: The New Yorker on Madeleine L’Engle
  • Ready to remodel your bathroom? Maybe these video game themed wash rooms will give you inspiration.
  • Jeff Goldblum as a centaur. Bye.
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Geeking Out

Melissa McCarthy and Kate McKinnon in character (image via people.com)

Melissa McCarthy and Kate McKinnon in character (via people.com)

  • Our thoughts are with the survivors of the Charleston, SC shooting, the loved ones of the victims, and the grieving community.
  • At last, first photos from Paul Feig’s Ghostbusters reboot.
  • Mad Max: Fury Road stunt doubles fell in love while on set. Aww!
  • If you haven’t gotten around to watching the new season of Orange Is The New Black, here are some Season 3 trigger warnings so you know what to expect.
  • Speaking of OitNB: queer women have a message for straight women talking about the show’s new cast member Ruby Rose.
  • Meet Natalie Walschots, a video games scholar and PhD candidate focusing her research on Gamergate.
  • If you haven’t seen it already, here’s the E3 unveiling of the adorable new video game Unravel.
  • Girlfriends without monogamy – straight from the horse’s mouth description of Harley Quinn’s and Poison Ivy’s relationship!
  • Xenomorph eggs! Get your own. (via Super Punch)
  • Groundbreaking video game Never Alone is on sale through June 22 via Steam!
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Geeking Out

Proper signage for labs where women scientists might be #distractinglysexy

Proper signage for labs where women scientists might be #distractinglysexy (via @s_hammarlund on twitter)

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Geeking Out

dolls30tvf-2-web

Tina Fey and Amy Poehler figurines

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Geeking Out

Just some of the very attractive cast of Sense8. (image via Miramax)

  • Marvel has been courting Ava DuVernay to direct one of their films, which is funny since there hasn’t been a Black woman lead in any of their movies. But we’re confident that if anyone can change that, it would be her.
  • Among the hot mess that is Marvel’s Avengers: Age of Ultron, we see you Helen Cho! Two for you Helen, and none for Joss Whedon.
  • We’re intrigued byNetflix series (helmed by The Wachowskis) Sense8 even more now that we’ve learned that half of the eight lead characters are from Mexico, India, Korea, and Kenya.
  • The first trailer for Samantha Bee‘s new late night show is live!
  • The secret identity of the new female Thor has been revealed in the latest edition of the comic. (Spoilers)
  • David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson kissed onstage; we’re posting this from the grave. Follow the video timeline of events here and then squeal with joy.
  • Lose yourself in these beautiful gifs based on the Harry Potter novels.
  • Dancers, hosts, innovators: eight women to watch for 2015.
  • We’re with Fairuza when it comes to the unnecessary remake of cult teen classic The Craft.
  • Stunning portraits going beyond the stereotypes of what it is to be a queer person of color.
  • A lovely photo essay by and about a woman who works as a clown in Mexico City.
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Geeking Out

A Myst TV series? Could be! (image via io9)

A Myst TV series? Could be! (image via io9)

  • Director George Miller brought in The Vagina Monologues‘ Eve Ensler to provide education and help in filling out the backstories for the abused women on the run in Mad Max: Fury Road.
  • Marvel knows girls” – SNL sends up Marvel with their faux Black Widow movie trailer (spoilers if you’re a purist)
  • The Mindy Project has been canceled by Fox, but there is still a chance it could be picked up by Hulu.
  • Shonda Rhimes is teaming up with Dee Rees (filmmaker of HBO’s Bessie) for a new FX series.
  • The classic puzzle game Myst is set to become a Hulu original series!
  • Need a make up tutorial to look like Comic Wonder Woman?
  • This piece hits on what we knew about Marvel’s Invisible Women problem, but also what we can do about it.
  • Stationary designer Emily McDowell created a series of greeting cards that she wishes she’d received when dealing with cancer.
  • Target releases a rather insulting Star Wars shirt.
  • You can help crowdfund Tomb, a science fiction thriller shot entirely in Trinidad and Tobago, where director Nicholas Attin hails from.
  • Official trailer for the Wachowskis’ new TV series Sense8 is here.
  • Agent Carter has been renewed for a 2nd season!
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Geeking Out

O is for Odetta (Rad American Women A-Z; via Dangerous Minds)

O is for Odetta (Rad American Women A-Z; via Dangerous Minds)

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Geeking Out

A young skateboarder in Kabul. Photo © Jessica Fulford-Dobson (via Colossal

A young skateboarder in Kabul. Photo © Jessica Fulford-Dobson (via Colossal)

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My Top 10 “Smulder” Moments

As can be witnessed in my previous post about The X-Files, I tend to fawn and gush over my favorite OTP, Mulder and Scully. Before, I touched on the soulful foundation of their relationship. This here list is an unabashed dedication to the more fluffy aspects of their relationship, the almost-but-not-quite moments that made me squeal and flail in glee. I’m aware that ten is an absurdly short list for a show that ran for nine seasons – and is coming back for more – but one must cap things, or we’d be here all day. Because it’s a given, I’ve also left out the deleted bee-kiss scene that had literal theaters of people screaming.

Without further ado, ordered by season and episode:

1. PILOT (S1E01): SCULLY’S BATHROBE

So you thought Mulder’s seemingly instantaneous attraction to the brainy and bespectacled Scully was just you Reading Into Things? How about their first Coworker Sleepover, when Scully ran into Mulder’s dark hotel room and took off her bathrobe so he could hover over her butt with a candle to “check for alien probe marks”?

2. SQUEEZE (S1E03): NECKLACE LOOP

This is one of my favorite non-kiss moments between Mulder and Scully. Scully is peeved at Mulder’s behavior during an interrogation. She quips, “It seems like you were acting very territorial,” and is about to turn away when Mulder just grabs her necklace saying, “Of course I was.” After the initial shock at his physical proximity to her chest (seriously, Mulder?), he puts the necklace back, but can’t help reaching out and touching the charm again. Smooth. Real smooth. Continue reading

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The New Media Frontier: Community S6

(This post originally appeared on Clara and Elyse Talk About Movies – which is a blog our own Elyse recently kicked off with her friend, so you should naturally follow it. It’s x-posted here with permission.)

A Yahoo! Original [via IGN]

A Yahoo! Original [via IGN]

The journey of Dan Harmon’s quirky, nerdy sitcom Community has been a long and tumultuous one. After five bumpy seasons on NBC, the show was cancelled and fan dreams of #SixSeasonsandaMovie appeared dashed. But not long after, the property was picked up by Yahoo!, and a sixth, online-exclusive 13-episode season was announced. The sixth season is currently in progress, airing a new episode every Tuesday, and so far the show has been entertaining and refreshingly self-aware about its difference from the original NBC run.

Though several members of the original cast are no longer with Greendale, we’ve been gifted two new regulars, Elroy Patashnik (Keith David) and Francesca “Frankie” Dart (Paget Brewster). In the season’s first episode, “Ladders” (written by creator Dan Harmon and Chris McKenna) Frankie is hired as a consultant to improve Greendale, and her perspective on the ridiculous antics that take place at the school serves as the perfect grounding point for the “new” Community. The unifying goal for the group is no longer taking classes, or maintaining their unique group dynamic, because both of these goals have been prematurely negated; Troy and Shirley have left the school for other pursuits, Pierce has died, and the cast is no longer a “study group” but a kind of student-faculty council for the school’s affairs and public image. Continue reading

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