Podcasts about The Watermelon Woman

When it came out in 1996, Cheryl Dunye's film The Watermelon Woman was a first in many ways, and stirred up controversy and conversation. We talk intersecting identities, complex relationships, preserving history, and coming into yourself.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Happy Pride Month! The Wedding Banquet Year: 2025 Screenplay by: Andrew Ahn and James Shamus Based on the screenplay by: Ang Lee, Neil Peng and James Shamus Directed by: Andrew Ahn Stars: Bowen Yang, Lily Gladstone, Kelly Marie Tran, Han Gi-Chan, Joan Chen, Youn Yuh-jung, Bobo Le Show notes: A remake of the 1993 Ang Lee film, this 2025 update is queer struggle and queer joy and green cards and IVF and family and chosen family. It's not a rom com but it's a beautiful film and we loved it. If you would like to skip the plot summary for this month's film you can spool forward about 12 minutes into the episode. In this episode we mention the films: The Wedding Banquet (1993) (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0107156/) Minari (2020) (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10633456/) Watermelon Woman (1996) (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0118125/) Killers of the Flower Moon (2023) (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5537002/) A Nice Indian Boy (2024) (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt16431330/) If you would like to suggest films for future episodes, you can tweet Lisa: @LisaStowaway. We record these episodes over the internet. Sometimes the audio is not perfect. We apologise for that.  Music in this episode is by Martin Zaltz Austwick (martinzalzaustwick.com). Artwork is by Lisa Findley. Thank you for listening! 

The Watermelon Woman (1996; Dir.: Cheryl Dunye) Canon Fodder Episode 33 Daniel and Corky share their thoughts on Cheryl Dunye's groundbreaking The Watermelon Woman, widely cited as the first feature film directed by an out black lesbian. But did your hosts love this lo-fi rom-com or was it the […] The post “The Watermelon Woman” – Canon Fodder Episode 33 appeared first on Dare Daniel & Canon Fodder Podcasts.

EPISODE #443-- We continue our celebration of black cinema with the 1996 indie darling, THE WATERMELON WOMAN written, directed, and staring Cheryl Dunye. It's on the Criterion Channel and Collection, so what's your excuse for avoiding this one? Do you hate cinema? We also talk about Oscar nominated pictures WICKED: PART I (2024) and FLOW (2024) (which actually won), as well as the classic medical drama from Cinemax, THE KNICK (2015). ALSO: Sorry if we're a bit out of our element with this one, but why come to us if you want a graduate-level discussion on contemporary black and African American issues. This is a dumb movie podcast! Join the cause at Patreon.com/Quality. Follow the us on on Bluesky at kislingconnection and cruzflores, on Instagram @kislingwhatsit, and on Tiktok @kislingkino. You can watch Cruz and show favorite Alexis Simpson on You Tube in "They Live Together." Thanks to our artists Julius Tanag (http://www.juliustanag.com) and Sef Joosten (http://spexdoodles.tumblr.com). The theme music is "Eine Kleine Sheissemusik" by Drew Alexander. Also, I've got a newsletter, so maybe go check that one out, too. Listen to DRACULA: A RADIO PLAY on Apple Podcasts, at dracularadio.podbean.com, and at the Long Beach Playhouse at https://lbplayhouse.org/show/dracula And, as always, Support your local unions! UAW, SAG-AFTRA, and WGA strong and please leave us a review on iTunes or whatever podcatcher you listened to us on!

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thelesbianprojectpod.comLAVA update and fundraiserhttps://www.lava.nz/our-casehttps://donate.stripe.com/bIY14n3ZW9aM5YAfYYHow really Julie feels about Valentine's dayhttps://www.spectator.co.uk/article/the-great-valentines-day-con/An ice hockey love story from Canada for Valentines day https://www.cbc.ca/sports/longform/features/Hockey-love-story-Poulin-StaceyThe Watermelon Wo…

Send us a textWe gather a bunch of women enjoyers for a heartwarming and horny episode covering Cheryl Dunye's THE WATERMELON WOMAN. Join us for philosophical discussions of representation, cinema, and lesbians!The Watermelon Woman contains explicit depictions of sex, and focuses heavily on the history of systemic racism in Hollywood. Please proceed according to your needs and comfort level.   Pluggables:Ellie: @elessar42 on Bluesky, Letterboxd, and Medium; @football-in-tuxedos on Tumblr, Podcasting's Biggest Night available wherever Pods are Cast.Jas: @FaeRiviera on all socials, host of In Each Retelling.Mer: No plugs, do not try to find Mer.Mutual Aid Spotlight: SisTers Philly Transgender Resource Center: https://www.gofundme.com/f/sisters-philly/Support the showSam: @DemiSemme on YouTube, Tumblr, BlueSky, and most other social media platforms (NOT eX-Twitter). Visit our Tumblrs at sixdegreesofstarwars.tumblr.com and ier-6d.tumblr.comTheme Music provided by Refractory Period: @RefractoryPeriodTheBand on Instagram, linktr.ee/RefractoryPeriodForever Mutual Aid LinksE-Sims for Gaza: https://gazaesims.com/Click to Help: https://arab.org/click-to-help/Anti-Imperialism support for people across the world, organized by Kandakat_alhaqq: https://linktr.ee/kandakat_alhaqqCampus Bail Funds: https://campusbailfunds.com/6DOSW is a Pro-Union podcast. Please support artists by contributing to the Entertainment Community Fund if you can: https://entertainmentcommunity.org/how-get-help-and-give-help-during-work-stoppageThe views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of any entities they represent.

Chasing Amy is near and dear to my heart. When I watched Chasing Chasing Amy starring YouTuber Princess Weekes — a documentary about queer media representation — I got defensive over my man Kevin Smith. The conversations director Sav Rodgers presents are fascinating, and it's inspiring to see Kevin Smith be so receptive to the criticism. Princess Weekes and I discussed Chasing Amy and the sex-positive View Askewniverse in this part two! Mentioned: Share your thoughts on this week's show in The Champagne Room at http://manwhorepod.com/discord! September 26 - The Naked Comedy Show @ Hacienda https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-naked-comedy-show-best-stand-up-comedy-without-pants-in-bushwick-tickets-1001529460577 Lesbian Films Princess recommendations: Go Fish, The Watermelon Woman, But I'm a Cheerleader, Bound Follow Princess Weekes! YouTube: Princess Weekes Instagram: @princess_weekes TikTok: @princesspendulum Twitter: @weekesprincess Follow Billy! Instagram: @thebillyprocida TikTok: @TheBillyProcida Instagram: @billyisprocida 0nlyFans: @callmebilly Money Stuff Venmo: @BillyProcida Cash App: $manwhorepod PayPal/Zelle: funnybillypro@gmail.com Do your affordable book shopping at http://bookshop.org/shop/billy! Access 300+ bonus episodes at https://www.patreon.com/manwhorepodcast! Email your comments, questions, and criticisms to manwhorepod@gmail.com. Late Night Radio by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ www.ManwhorePod.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Guinevere Turner is a writer, director and actor who has been working in film and TV since her 1994 debut film Go Fish, which she wrote, produced and starred in. She teamed up with director Mary Harron to write the films American Psycho, The Notorious Bettie Page and Charlie Says. She was a writer and story editor on Showtime's The L Word, and she played a recurring character on that show. She has written and directed seven short films, two of which premiered at the Sun, dance Film Festival. She can be seen in film roles that include The Watermelon Woman, Chasing Amy, American Psycho and The L Word. Guinevere has taught screenwriting at Sarah Lawrence College, Columbia University, University of Georgia, UCLA, NYU and Syracuse University. She published an essay in The New Yorker in April of 2019, and has expanded on that essay in a memoir which was published by Random House in Summer of 2023. On today's episode of the Artalogue, we look at the art of writing and film as art forms with one of Madison's favourite contemporary writers, Guinevere Turner. In this episode, we discuss Turner's groundbreaking first feature length film Go Fish as it turns 30 years old, other notable screenplays like American Psycho, and get candid about working as an out gay woman in Hollywood.Madison and Guinevere Turner also discuss the enduring appeal of American Psycho, its satirical take on toxic masculinity, and Christian Bale's unforgettable performance. We dive into the film's past and present reception , the misconceptions about its message and the fans it has garnered over the years. Plus, discover the little-known secrets behind the iconic business card scene that still captivates fans today. Guinevere sheds valuable advice on writing everything from screenplays to memoirs and discusses her process, both collaborative and solitary. We discuss Turner's phenomenal new memoir, When the World Didn't End, which details her childhood growing up in a cult and how she wrote it.  Guinevere reflects on her early days of diary writing within the Lyman family cult and how those formative experiences shaped her into the artist she is today. Guinevere sheds light on the less glamourous side of the film industry, from the complexities of collaborative writing to the near constant battle for funding. She shares personal insights into the cathartic power of storytelling. Guinevere also offers a heartfelt reflection on her various career milestones, from acting in Preaching to the Perverted to her work on The L Word and Charlie Says. This episode is a celebration of creativity, resilience, and the joy of reading and writing.  Connect with us:Madison Beale, HostCroocial, ProductionBe a guest on The Artalogue Podcast

Elke zaterdag- en zondagochtend tussen 6 en 7 uur horen NPO Radio 1-luisteraars de mooiste cultuurtips in 'Een Uur Cultuur.' In deze aflevering ontvangt Astrid de Jong dichter en schrijver Simone Atangana Bekono (https://www.ovgmanagement.com/simone-atangana-bekono). Haar dichtbundel 'Marshmallow (https://www.athenaeum.nl/leesfragmenten/2023/marshmallow)' kwam uit in januari. Simone deelt haar cultuurtips met Astrid en de luisteraar. De tips van Simone: Boek: Compoun (https://wereldbibliotheek.nl/producten/compoun-9789463812474) Bundel: Festival (https://dasmag.nl/product/festival/) Muziek : Funeral for Justice (https://open.spotify.com/album/1fJajwWIysMm9TqWzFcHwq?si=QPE2zd1eQ9W_dwlRt1V7Jw) Film (bioscoop): Femme (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt20114686/), Farewell My Concubine (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0106332/), Happy Together (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0118845/) Film (online): Heart Shot (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt17162546/) Serie (online): Interview With the Vampire (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3960394/) Documentaire (online): The Watermelon Woman (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0118125/) Heb je cultuurtips die we niet mogen missen? Mail de redactie: eenuurcultuur@vpro.nl

Actor (and director, writer, producer) Devery Jacobs might be most familiar to folks from her role on RESERVATION DOGS, but she's carving out her own space in Hollywood with projects like the new movie BACKSPOT (executive produced by Elliot Page and directed by D.W. Waterson). And even as she's playing her part in making sure Native actors feel seen on screens, she's still battling to be herself on screen in projects that aren't centered around the Rez. Hear about all that, plus (of course) the many varied (and variably queer-coded) faces she's seen herself in on screen.Then, Jordan has one quick thing about LONGLEGS.Harriet the SpyKiki's Delivery ServiceThe Watermelon WomanLady BirdRhymes for Young GhoulsJordan's interview with Jeff Barnaby***With Jordan Crucchiola and Devery Jacobs 

Join hosts Alonso Duralde and Daniel Thompson as they sit down with filmmaker Cheryl Dunye, best known for her trailblazing film "The Watermelon Woman." As a graduate from Temple University, Cheryl sought to define her identity as a black lesbian in cinema, only to realize the glaring lack of representation. This realization fueled her to create a film that blends her passion for cinema, her personal identity, and her vibrant community. Cheryl explores how "The Watermelon Woman" aimed to empower queer individuals and add a pivotal chapter to film history. They also discuss her views on the importance of preserving and making accessible diverse film narratives, her favorite genre films, and influential titles currently available on Kanopy. Plus, Cheryl shares her thoughts on the resilience needed to succeed as an indie filmmaker in a landscape with significant racial and gender disparities. Get started with Kanopy at www.kanopy.com by entering your library card information or university login when prompted.  Follow Kanopy at https://www.youtube.com/@KanopyOfficial  https://letterboxd.com/kanopy/  https://www.instagram.com/kanopy https://www.tiktok.com/@kanopyofficial  https://twitter.com/kanopy Follow Cheryl Dunye at https://www.instagram.com/cheryldunye  Follow Alonso Duralde https://bsky.app/profile/aduralde.bsky.social  Follow Daniel Thompson https://x.com/deckthedan  Producer: Brandon Gray Executive Producer: Christian Pierce Graphic Design: Aleksandra Jelic © Kanopy, Inc. All rights reserved. Produced by Bramble Jam Podcast Episode Highlights 00:00 Introduction 03:21 Intro to Cheryl Dunye 07:35 Cheryl searches for black lesbian representation 13:27 Importance of archiving black queer life stories 20:00 Finding solace in storytelling 25:48 Watermelon Woman finds a curated home 27:41 Rare content found online 31:51 Low budget lesbian film with diverse characters 34:43 Diverse LGBTQ+ content from Kanopy

We keep on trucking' for this month's theme of MOVIES ARE GAY and you can call this “LOW BUDGET WEEK”. We got one movie made on about 22 grand and this one was made from a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts. That's right. We paid for this one. So you're welcome for the sex scene. It also happens to be the first film by a black lesbian. Cheryl Dunye's 1996 film “THE WATERMELON WOMAN” has a lot of issues stemming from low budget. You get what you get when you need some pals, who have no acting ability or experience, to help you hold down a few scenes. But the layered story of a woman seeking a long lost black lesbian thespian manages to push beyond its surface and show interesting personal relationships with a nice amount of black film history to boot. Did we mention the sex scene? It's the best scene in the movie in terms of pure execution. This sex scene could win a contest. It could be it's own short film. See for yourself. Minute 41: https://archive.org/details/the.watermelon.woman.1996.webdl.720p.h264.aac-deep Subscribe to us on YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuJf3lkRI-BLUTsLI_ehOsg Contact us here: MOVIEHUMPERS@gmail.com Check our past & current film ratings here: https://moviehumpers.wordpress.com Hear us on podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/6o6PSNJFGXJeENgqtPY4h7 Our OG podcast “Documenteers”: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/documenteers-the-documentary-podcast/id1321652249 Soundcloud feed: https://soundcloud.com/documenteers Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/culturewrought

Who knew Mattifer (Jenthew?) would have so much chemistry! The Wedding Planner Year: 2001 Written by: Pamela Falk and Michael Ellis Directed by: Adam Shankman Stars: Jennifer Lopez and Matthew McConaughey   Show notes: This podcast is now three years old!!! To celebrate, Lisa and Charles Adrian watched J Lo and Matt McConaughey do everything they need to do in this genuinely sweet and funny romantic comedy from the very beginning of the century. The plot summary of this film finishes at about 10 minutes into the episode, in case you would like to skip it. In this episode we mention the films: Speed (1994) (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0111257/) Failure To Launch* (2006) (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0427229/) My Best Friend's Wedding (1997) (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0119738/) Sliding Doors (1998) (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120148/) Rye Lane* (2023) (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt15893750/) An Affair to Remember (1957) (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0050105/) Sleepless In Seattle* (1993) (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0108160/) Casablanca (1942) (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0034583/) When Harry Met Sally* (1989) (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0098635/) Marry Me (2022) (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10223460/) Hustlers (2019) (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5503686/) The Watermelon Woman (1996) (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0118125/) Stud Life* (2012) (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1758770/) Appropriate Behaviour (2014) (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3077108/) 500 Days Of Summer (2009) (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1022603/) And the TV series:  Superstore (2015-2021) (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4477976/) *Films marked with an asterisk have previously been featured on the podcast.  If you would like to suggest films for future episodes, you can tweet Lisa: @LisaStowaway. We record these episodes over the internet. Sometimes the audio is not perfect. We apologise for that. Music in this episode is by Martin Zaltz Austwick (martinzalzaustwick.com). Artwork is by Lisa Findley. Thank you for listening! 

We're honored to kick off 2024 with the esteemed Cheryl Dunye, a world-renowned filmmaker and director of episodic television. Cheryl's work includes the groundbreaking 1996 film The Watermelon Woman, which is part of the permanent cinema collection at the Museum of Modern Art in NYC and was added to the Criterion Collection in 2023. She's also directed episodes of The Umbrella Academy, Bridgerton, and Queen Sugar, among many other shows. Born in Liberia and raised in Philly, Cheryl is now rooted in the Town's vibrant filmmaking community, having founded Jingletown Films, an Oakland-based production company. Hear her talk about five of her favorite tunes of the moment, the emotional places they take her, and the big wide cinematic possibilities that music can open up.

Nesse podcast conversamos sobre o filme The Watermelon Woman (1996), considerado o primeiro longa dirigido por uma mulher negra e lésbica a estrear nos cinemas nos Estados Unidos. Nele a cineasta Cheryl Dunye cria um falso documentário para ressaltar o apagamento de mulheres negras e sáficas na Hollywood clássica. Comentamos a proposta ousada e provocativa do filme, o humor da narrativa em meio a um tema sério, bem como a linguagem e as escolhas de direção de arte. O programa é apresentado por Isabel Wittmann e Stephania Amaral, com participação de Yasmine Evaristo. Feedback: contato@feitoporelas.com.br Mais informações: https://feitoporelas.com.br/feito-por-elas-203-the-watermelon-woman Pesquisa, pauta, roteiro e apresentação: Isabel Wittmann, Stephania Amaral e Yasmine Evaristo Produção do programa e arte da capa: Isabel Wittmann Edição: Domenica Mendes Vinheta: Felipe Ayres Locução da vinheta: Deborah Garcia (deh.gbf@gmail.com) Música de encerramento: Bad Ideas - Silent Film Dark de Kevin MacLeod está licenciada sob uma licença Creative Commons Attribution (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) Origem: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100489 Artista: http://incompetech.com/ Agradecimento: Carolina Ronconi, Leticia Santinon, Lorena Luz, Isadora Oliveira Prata, Helga Dornelas, Larissa Lisboa, Tiago Maia e Pedro dal Bó Assine nosso financiamento coletivo: https://orelo.cc/feitoporelas/apoios Vote no Troféu Alice aqui! https://feitoporelas.us15.list-manage.com/track/click?u=72c5cd4b45b3d483f9aba324a&id=ca03f20065&e=be72a9d2e3 Links patrocinados (Como associado da Amazon, recebemos por compras qualificadas): [LIVRO] Cinema Soviético de Mulheres https://amzn.to/3lnC37b [LIVRO] Mulheres Atrás das Câmeras- As cineastas brasileiras de 1930 a 2018 https://amzn.to/3AC6wnl [LIVRO] Olhares Negros https://amzn.to/417Djhz Mencionados: [FILME] Born in Flames (1983), dir. Lizzie Borden [FILME] This is Spinal Tap (1984), dir. Rob Reiner [SERIADO] Na Real (The Real World, 1992–), criado por Jonathan Murray, Mary-Ellis Bunim [FILME] The Watermelon Woman (1996), dir. Cheryl Dunye [FILME] Psicopata Americano (American Psycho, 2000), dir. Mary Harron [FILME] Beyoncé: Lemonade (2016), dir. Beyoncé, Kahlil Joseph e Dikayl Rimmasch [FILME] Retrato de uma Jovem em Chamas (Portrait de la jeune fille en feu, 2019), dir. Céline Sciamma [FILME] Brainwashed: Sex-Camera-Power (2022), dir. Nina Menkes [LIVRO] Olhares Negros: raça e representação, de bell hooks Relacionados: [PODCAST] Feito por Elas #73 Barbara Hammer https://feitoporelas.com.br/feito-por-elas-73-barbara-hammer/ [PODCAST] Feito por Elas #91 Retrato de uma Jovem em Chamas https://feitoporelas.com.br/feito-por-elas-91-retrato-de-uma-jovem-em-chamas/ [PODCAST] Feito por Elas #113 Dorothy Arzner https://feitoporelas.com.br/feito-por-elas-113-dorothy-arzner/ [PODCAST] Feito por Elas #198 Born in Flames https://feitoporelas.com.br/feito-por-elas-198-born-in-flames/

This week, FANTI brings you another special installment of We See Each Other: The Podcast. We'll be back next week to give you the usual good good! On this week's episode, hosts Tre'vell Anderson and Shar Jossell speak with actor, Brian Michael Smith.The star shares how he is now able to bring all sides of himself to the table as an actor. But first, our hosts discuss masc representation in media, or rather the lack thereof. With cis women actors playing transmasculine characters as the norm back in the day, like Hilary Swank in Boys Don't Cry, our hosts discuss how this practice creates further confusion and harm into the trans conversation. Then later, we Pass The Mic to our everyday trans siblings and get a lesson on transmasculine activist and civil rights pioneer, Pauli Murray.Find us on IG: @SlayzhonYou can buy We See Each Other: A Black Trans Journey Through TV & Film the book wherever books are soldMentioned in the ShowDr. Kortney ZieglerStill Black: A Portrait of Black TransmenSoldier's GirlLaith AshleyStrut Isis KingQueen SugarIG:@Rayzhon @sharsaysso @slayzhon (WSEO IG) Twitter@trevellanderson @sharssaysso @slayzhon @vivalapalma (Producer, Palmira Muniz)@swishswish (Senior Producer, Laura Swisher) Music: Neverending Nina (IG @neverendingninanotes)Producer: Palmira MunizSenior Producer: Laura SwisherLaura Swisher is senior producer Music: Never Ending NinaWe See Each Other: The Podcast is produced and distributed by MaximumFun.orgThis podcast is supported by Critical Minded, an initiative to invest in cultural critics of color co founded by The Nathan Cummings Foundation and The Ford Foundation. It's a production of Slayzhon and Maximum Fun! 

Actress and writer Guinevere Turner on her unconventional journey from screenwriting to memoir. We explore her process of writing the cult queer film "Go Fish," produced on a modest $15,000 budget, co-writing the screenplay for Bret Ellis's book American Psycho. We also discuss her recently released memoir, When the World Didn't End, about her childhood in the infamous Lyman Family cult, and how she approaches writing challenging material, how she decided to capture her childhood in the memoir and advice she'd give memoirists trying to find the arc in their memoir.*ABOUT GUINEVERE TURNER Guinevere Turner is a writer, director and actor who has worked in film and TV since her 1994 debut film Go Fish, which she wrote, produced and starred in. She teamed up with director Mary Harron to write the films American Psycho, The Notorious Bettie Page and the 2019 film Charlie Says. She was a writer and story editor on Showtime's The L Word, and she played the recurring character Gabby Deveaux on that show. She has written and directed seven short films, two of which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. She can be seen in film roles that include The Watermelon Woman, Chasing Amy, American Psycho and The L Word. Her latest screenplay, Charlie Says, was directed by Mary Harron and opened in theaters and on digital platforms in May of 2019. Guinevere has taught screenwriting at Sarah Lawrence College, Columbia University, University of Georgia, UCLA and NYU. Her memoir When the World Didn't End charts her time in the Lyman Cult.*RESOURCES & LINKS

Watermelons are never out of season. And today we have a special guest to tell us how that can be and why you should be including watermelon on your shopping list all year long. She will reveal some surprising info about them that will convince you of this. Rachel Syngo is Chief Marketing Officer of Melon 1, the oldest and largest shipper of watermelons in the U.S. She has real passion for the work she is doing, which is why we are delighted to have her on the podcast to share that since we are all about passion for everything fruit and veggie. Rachel joined the Melon 1 team in 2016 and is central in the sales and marketing for the company. She is the 8th generation in her family to work in American agriculture, and in watermelon farming. Tune in to hear where and how watermelons are grown. You will learn how to choose a good watermelon and how to cut and store them. You will get real insight into the lives of watermelon farmers and the challenges they face.

Today's episode is sponsored by BetterHelp.  Here's Part 2 of our conversation with Guinevere Turner whose memoir When the World Didn't End is drawn from fastidiously kept childhood diaries written while she was raised in a cult. If you haven't listened to Part 1, back up and listen. In Part 2, Turner shares what it was like to return to “normal” life, how her story became a thriller, and what's helpful, not-so-helpful, and just plain weird about life post-cult.   Please note, this series includes details of underage sexual abuse. Listener discretion is strongly advised. If you, or someone who know, is a survivor of sexual assault, abuse, grooming, child abuse, or human trafficking, RAINN's National Sexual Assault Hotline offers support at 800.656.HOPE (4673).   Note: Guinevere Turner is an acclaimed writer, director, and actor who's worked in film and TV since her 1994 debut film Go Fish, which she wrote, produced, and starred in. She teamed up with director Mary Harron to write the films American Psycho; The Notorious Bettie Page; and the 2019 film Charlie Says. She was a writer, story editor, and played Gabby Deveaux on Showtime's The L Word. She's written and directed seven short films, two of which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. She can be seen in film roles including The Watermelon Woman, Chasing Amy, and American Psycho. Guinevere has taught screenwriting at Sarah Lawrence College, Columbia University, University of Georgia, UCLA and NYU.  She can be found on Instagram. In these episodes, we reference the story she wrote for The New Yorker.   Also…   Let it be known far and wide, loud and clear that… The views and opinions expressed on A Little Bit Culty do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast. Any content provided by our guests, bloggers, sponsors or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, group, club, organization, business individual, anyone or anything. Nobody's mad at you, just don't be a culty fuckwad.   Other Links: Check out our lovely sponsors Join ‘A Little Bit Culty' on Patreon Get poppin' fresh ALBC Swag Support the pod and smash this link Cult awareness and recovery resources   CREDITS:  Executive Producers: Sarah Edmondson & Anthony Ames Production Partner: Citizens of Sound Producer: Will Retherford Senior Producer: Jess Tardy Writer: Holly Zadra Theme Song: “Cultivated” by Jon Bryant co-written with Nygel Asselin

Today's episode is sponsored by BetterHelp.  Guinevere Turner recently published a memoir about being raised in a cult, being kicked out, and finding her way in the world. Her book When the World Didn't End dives deep into her experience drawn from fastidiously kept diaries. Here on A Little Bit Culty Turner shares some off-the-cuff stories. We chat about writing craft. And Turner brings up questions about our collective obsession with the cultiverse.   Please note, this series includes details of underage sexual abuse. Listener discretion is strongly advised. If you, or someone who know, is a survivor of sexual assault, abuse, grooming, child abuse, or human trafficking, RAINN's National Sexual Assault Hotline offers support at 800.656.HOPE (4673).   Note: Guinevere Turner is an acclaimed writer, director, and actor who's worked in film and TV since her 1994 debut film Go Fish, which she wrote, produced, and starred in. She teamed up with director Mary Harron to write the films American Psycho; The Notorious Bettie Page; and the 2019 film Charlie Says. She was a writer, story editor, and played Gabby Deveaux on Showtime's The L Word. She's written and directed seven short films, two of which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. She can be seen in film roles including The Watermelon Woman, Chasing Amy, and American Psycho. Guinevere has taught screenwriting at Sarah Lawrence College, Columbia University, University of Georgia, UCLA and NYU.  She can be found on Instagram. In these episodes, we reference the story she wrote for The New Yorker.   Also… Let it be known far and wide, loud and clear that… The views and opinions expressed on A Little Bit Culty do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast. Any content provided by our guests, bloggers, sponsors or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, group, club, organization, business individual, anyone or anything. Nobody's mad at you, just don't be a culty fuckwad.   Other Links: Check out our lovely sponsors Join ‘A Little Bit Culty' on Patreon Get poppin' fresh ALBC Swag Support the pod and smash this link Cult awareness and recovery resources   CREDITS:  Executive Producers: Sarah Edmondson & Anthony Ames Co-Creator & Managing Producer: Jess Tardy Production Partner: Citizens of Sound Producer: Will Retherford Writer: Holly Zadra Theme Song: “Cultivated” by Jon Bryant co-written with Nygel Asselin

On this special episode of The Letterboxd Show, Mia chats with Cheryl Dunye about the Criterion Collection's new release of her groundbreaking 1996 film The Watermelon Woman, which was the first feature directed by an out Black lesbian. Written, directed and starring Cheryl herself, The Watermelon Woman follows a young Black lesbian who works a day job in a video store while trying to make a film about a Black actress from the 1930s, known for playing the stereotypical “mammy” roles relegated to Black actresses during that period. Cheryl talks to Mia about her signature “Dunyementaries,” finding cinematic inspiration from the likes of Julie Dash and Charles Burnett, and how sometimes you have to create your own history. Sponsor: Searchlight Pictures presents Theatre Camp playing in select theatres on July 14. Credits: Recorded in Los Angeles, CA. Edited by Slim. Theme music: “Vampiros Danceoteque” by Moniker. Editorial producer: Brian Formo. Production manager: Sophie Shin. The Letterboxd Show and Weekend Watchlist are TAPEDECK productions.

Guinevere Turner is a writer, director, and actor who has been working in film and TV since her 1994 debut film Go Fish, which she wrote, produced, and starred in. She teamed up with director Mary Harron to write the films American Psycho, The Notorious Bettie Page, and the 2019 film Charlie Says. She can be seen in film roles that include The Watermelon Woman, Chasing Amy, American Psycho, and The L Word. Guinevere has taught screenwriting at Sarah Lawrence College, Columbia University, the University of Georgia, UCLA, and NYU. Her recently released immersive, and spell-binding memoir "When The World Didn't End" tells the story of her childhood growing up with the infamous Lyman Family cult—and the complicated and unexpected pain of leaving the only home she'd ever known. In this very forthright conversation, Guinevere shares her reflections on her childhood as a member of the Lyman Family cult, explaining how her isolation since birth made it difficult for her to recognize the exploitation she experienced in the moment. Together Rachel and Guinevere go on to share their thoughts on the healing process and point out how perspectives change and become more complex over time. Before You Go: Rachel explains how manipulative leaders create a false perception of deficiency in their followers in order to keep them distracted from their empty messages of spiritual growth. You can find Guinevere's book at your local independent bookstore or on her website: https://www.guinevereturner.com/ You can read her piece in The New Yorker here: https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2019/05/06/my-childhood-in-a-cult All of Rachel's video lectures are available for purchase here: www.rachelbernsteintherapy.com/webinar.html To help support the show monthly and get bonus episodes, shirts, and tote bags, please visit: www.patreon.com/indoctrination Prefer to support the IndoctriNation show with a one-time donation? Use this link: www.paypal.me/indoctrination Connect with us on Social Media: Twitter: twitter.com/_indoctrination Facebook: www.facebook.com/indoctrinationpodcast Tik Tok: www.tiktok.com/@indoctrinationpodcast Instagram: www.instagram.com/indoctrinationpodcast/ YouTube: www.youtube.com/rachelbernsteinlmft You can always help the show for free by leaving a rating on Spotify or a review on Apple/ iTunes. It really helps the visibility of the show!

Episode 258. We watched the 1996 movie The Watermelon Woman, the first feature film directed by a Black lesbian. Cheryl is an aspiring filmmaker working in a video store and trying to make a documentary about a Black actress from the 1930s and 40s credited only as "The Watermelon Woman." As she works to uncover this woman's identity, she discovers a queer history that echoes her own personal romantic life. 00:00:00 - Intro 00:00:04 - Welcome and banter 00:02:11 - Spoiler free thoughts: The Watermelon Woman 00:11:46 - Housekeeping 00:16:10 - Spoilers!! The Watermelon Woman 00:59:24 - Bingo check in 01:02:11 - Recommendations 01:10:05 - Pitching what we cover next week 01:18:37 - Outro The Whatnauts present The Review Show, a weekly book club style podcast for all sorts of pop culture. We cover a variety of genres and mediums — movies, TV shows, comics, anime, manga, audio dramas — picking out a specific piece of entertainment that we can cover in a week's time. Every episode, your intrepid co-hosts Kyle and Melissa dive into the media of the week (with a spoiler warning!), give recommendations, and take turns pitching the next topic. For one episode a month, we check in with continuing coverage on a longer title, like a full TV series or comics run, and follow it all the way to the end. Join us for fun discussions on a wild variety of entertainment you should know! Check out our other podcasts here, or wherever you get your podcasts. If video is more your thing, then check our YouTube channel. And if you like what we do, support us on Patreon to unlock early access to most of our podcasts as well as exclusive episodes and more. You can find us on Twitter and we would love to have you join us on our Discord server as well.

Episode 258. We watched the 1996 movie The Watermelon Woman, the first feature film directed by a Black lesbian. Cheryl is an aspiring filmmaker working in a video store and trying to make a documentary about a Black actress from the 1930s and 40s credited only as "The Watermelon Woman." As she works to uncover this woman's identity, she discovers a queer history that echoes her own personal romantic life.00:00:00 - Intro 00:00:04 - Welcome and banter 00:02:11 - Spoiler free thoughts: The Watermelon Woman 00:11:46 - Housekeeping 00:16:10 - Spoilers!! The Watermelon Woman 00:59:24 - Bingo check in 01:02:11 - Recommendations 01:10:05 - Pitching what we cover next week 01:18:37 - OutroThe Whatnauts present The Review Show, a weekly book club style podcast for all sorts of pop culture. We cover a variety of genres and mediums — movies, TV shows, comics, anime, manga, audio dramas — picking out a specific piece of entertainment that we can cover in a week's time. Every episode, your intrepid co-hosts Kyle and Melissa dive into the media of the week (with a spoiler warning!), give recommendations, and take turns pitching the next topic. For one episode a month, we check in with continuing coverage on a longer title, like a full TV series or comics run, and follow it all the way to the end. Join us for fun discussions on a wild variety of entertainment you should know!Check out our other podcasts here, or wherever you get your podcasts. If video is more your thing, then check our YouTube channel. And if you like what we do, support us on Patreon to unlock early access to most of our podcasts as well as exclusive episodes and more. You can find us on Twitter and we would love to have you join us on our Discord server as well.

Happy Pride! This week, we review groundbreaking piece of modern indie filmmaking, The Watermelon Woman (1996) directed by Cheryl Dunye and starring Cheryl Dunye, Guinevere Turner, Valarie Walker, and Lisa Marie Bronson. The Watermelon Woman follows Cheryl, a video store clerk and filmmaker, on her search for the identity of a 1930s actress known only as The Watermelon Woman. This movie is considered the first feature film directed by a Black lesbian and was added to the Library of Congress by the National Film Registry in 2021 for being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant." In this episode, we discuss the importance of film preservation and restoration in the streaming era, what it means to create an identity as a queer person, and wonder what life must be like when you can afford to create your art. Our recommendations: Billie and Emma (2017), Go Fish (1994), and The Living End (1992) For your reference: James Dean: the Bi Hollywood Icon We Lost Too Soon by Kaz Rowe https://youtu.be/I96mhnUBVks The Wild, Wild History of Gay Cowboy Movies (and more) by Kaz Rowe https://youtu.be/6MSNujZ_7GY Support your girls with a ko-fi! ko-fi.com/blackgirlfilmclub Check out the rest of our socials and join our new Discord server at linktr.ee/blackgirlfilmclub

It's a big one, folks! Go down the cinematic rabbit holes of Cheryl Dunye's Black queer classic ⁠The Watermelon Woman, Joshua's pick for for ⁠The New Black Film Canon⁠ program. Before that he and Andrew review a bevy of new releases, including: You Hurt My Feelings, The Little Mermaid remake, About My Father, The Eight Mountains, and In the Dusk. After taking up Dunye's film, Joshua and Andrew gush about the end of HBO's Succession before recommending the Critters films (yes, those Critters) and I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson. Whew! For the final film in our New Black Film Canon program, Andrew's chosen Ousmane Sembène's 1966 classic Black Girl. Until then, please share, subscribe, and review! Read on at TheTake-Up.com and follow us @thetakeupstl on ⁠Instagram⁠/⁠Twitter⁠/⁠Letterboxd⁠/⁠Facebook⁠. Special thanks to editor Jessica Pierce, Social Media Manager Kayla McCulloch, and our partners at ⁠Cinema St. Louis⁠. Theme music by AMP. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thetakeupstl/message

Elliott Collins of Movie Files on YouTube is here for Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, his pick for the first episode in The New Black Film Canon program. First, Joshua and Andrew discuss new releases Book Club 2: The Next Chapter, De Humani Corporis Fabrica, and The Starling Girl. After talking about the "instant classic" animated Spider-Man feature, they'll all Match the Multi-Verse. Finally, there's One More Thing anticipating Dune, mourning Barry and Succession, stalking Apichatpong Weerasethakul, and playing Star Wars. Next time Joshua picks Cheryl Dunye's The Watermelon Woman for The New Black Film Canon program. Please share, subscribe, and review! Read on at TheTake-Up.com and follow us @thetakeupstl on ⁠Instagram⁠/⁠Twitter⁠/⁠Letterboxd⁠/⁠Facebook⁠. Special thanks to editor Jessica Pierce, Social Media Manager Kayla McCulloch, and our partners at ⁠Cinema St. Louis⁠. Theme music by AMP. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thetakeupstl/message

Stone Cold Ryan's Winter Film Fest Federation continues with Cheryl Dunye's 1996 comedy, The Watermelon Woman. I'm your host, Stone Cold Ryan, and joining me as we celebrate the best of 90s independent cinema are fellow film fans Dave, Jackie, and Michael! In this episode we'll ask why The Watermelon Woman isn't held in the same regard as it's indie contemporaries like Clerks; we'll also discuss the conservative morons of 1996 and their argument that the film is “porn”; and finally, we'll try to break down exactly what the hell the BOB System is all about. Be sure to rate, review and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. You can also Follow Us on Twitter, Like Us on Facebook, or shoot us an email at apocalypsevideopod@gmail.com Stone Cold Ryan's Winter Film Fest Federation will continue with Be Kind, Rewind.

The time of Dave has ended. Long live the Reign of Stone Cold Ryan! (at least until Summer rolls along…) That's right, film fans! You may have thought Winter was over, but there's a scrappy mutant creature named FunksyStony Todd who says otherwise! And if he crawls out of his hole and sees that Navy Seals is still checked out, then we've got 4 more weeks of Winter and a Film Fest Federation to organize, brother!!! I'm your host, Stone Cold Ryan, and joining me as we celebrate the best of 90s independent cinema are fellow film fans Dave, Jackie, and Michael! For our first entry in Stone Cold Ryan's Winter Film Fest Federation, we've got none other than Nicole Holofcener's 1996 indie dramedy Walking and Talking: a film that features an awesome looking video store, an awkward moment with a mole, and stars none other than Lydia Tar's father himself, Todd Field! Be sure to rate, review and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. You can also Follow Us on Twitter, Like Us on Facebook, or shoot us an email at apocalypsevideopod@gmail.com Stone Cold Ryan's Winter Film Fest Federation will continue with The Watermelon Woman.

Movie night! We're watching The Watermelon Woman. If you haven't seen it, go watch it first!  https://litwinbooks.com/books/ephemeral-material/ https://arsenalpulp.com/Books/C/Conflict-Is-Not-Abuse 

This week our ghouls discuss 2000's adaptation of the novel by Brett Easton Ellis, American Psycho. From wiki: "American Psycho is a 2000 slasher, horror film directed by Mary Harron, who co-wrote the screenplay with Guinevere Turner. Based on the 1991 novel of the same name by Bret Easton Ellis, it stars Christian Bale as Patrick Bateman, a New York City investment banker who leads a double life as a serial killer. Willem Dafoe, Jared Leto, Josh Lucas, Chloë Sevigny, Samantha Mathis, Cara Seymour, Justin Theroux, and Reese Witherspoon appear in supporting roles. The film blends horror and black comedy to satirize 1980s yuppie culture and consumerism, exemplified by Bateman."Glass Onion escape room, dog surgery, streaming services hanky code, Fleishman is in Trouble, Josh has never seen a Woody Allen film, The Menu, Banshees of Inisherin, Colin Farrell supremacy, Mary Harron, Promising Young Woman, Go Fish, Watermelon Woman, I Shot Andy Warhol, Basquiat, Little Nell, Larry Clark's Kids NEXT WEEK: Lair of the White Worm Website: http://www.bloodhauspod.com  Twitter: https://twitter.com/BloodhausPod Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bloodhauspod/ Email: bloodhauspod@gmail.com   Drusilla's art: https://www.sisterhydedesign.com/ Drusilla's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hydesister/ Drusilla's Letterboxd: https://letterboxd.com/drew_phillips/   Joshua's website: https://www.joshuaconkel.com/ Joshua's Twitter: https://twitter.com/JoshuaConkel  Joshua's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joshua_conkel/ Joshua's Letterboxd: https://letterboxd.com/joshuaconkelal   

Welcome. You're listening to Reel Charlie Speaks, an LGBTQ podcast spin-off of the film and television review blog, Reel Charlie looking at movies and TV from a gay male perspective since 2009. I'm your host, Philip Bahr. Each month I select a classic queer film, television series, or creator. I talk about how the subject spoke to me when I first discovered it years ago, and how its stood the test of time. In episode 8 we explore the classic New Queer Cinema film, The Watermelon Woman (1996), the first feature film from black lesbian filmmaker Cheryl Dunye. https://thewatermelonwoman.com/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cheryl_Dunye https://www.jingletownfilms.com/cheryl-dunye https://reelcharlie.wordpress.com/2022/08/29/reel-charlie-speaks-podcast/ Music by Daddy_s_Music from Pixabay --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/reel-charlie-speaks/message

The heat got to us this week folks. Despite our melted brains we talked about a movie that's as fantastic as it is historic. Cheryl Dunye's 1996 film The Watermelon Woman is a must see for any young gay for a number of reasons. Haley makes the case for physical media and your local library (again), while Claire has a minor existential crisis about lost media, whether it goes by way of adobe pulling the plug on flash player, or a few people in musty buildings deeming certain aspects of history “unimportant.”

Valarie is so brave and brilliant.Don't believe me? Even after listening to this beautiful story she's shared with TVK this week? OK, take six minutes to listen  to this amazing story she shared with The Moth. Just  lovely stuff.Valarie isn't big on social media, but she is a very committed activist in NYC. This here, is an article of her work as an organizer of New York's annual Dyke March.  She also acted in a landmark film in New Queer cinema called The Watermelon Woman.  You can see one of Valarie's scenes in that film here.As always, remember to follow the show on instagram, twitter and facebook and to get over to the website to sign up for the TVK mailing list!

Cheryl Dunye's 1996 film, “The Watermelon Woman” is a documentary/fiction hybrid about a young Black lesbian filmmaker named Cheryl, played by Dunye, who is on a quest to tell the story of a (fictionalized) forgotten Black actress named Faith Richardson (or Faye Richards in Hollywood). As Cheryl works on her project, some of her own relationships — platonic and romantic — are tested. This makes the film sound kind of dramatic, but it's pretty lowkey in its storytelling approach, which is why I like it so much. Cheryl faces obstacles, but they're never the sole focus. The film is more about her quest to understand, create, reimagine, and preserve queer history … for herself, those who came before her, and those whose stories remain lost to the sands of time. I guess I would say that more than anything, it's a film about Black queer erasure and reclamation. Here are some things we mentioned during the episode: Chrystel Oloukoï's piece on the film for BFI BFI post-screening interview with Cheryl Dunye and Alexandra Juhasz Moira Donegan's piece on the film for The New Republic Also, two important things! YOU CAN WATCH THIS MOVIE ON KANOPY. I always forget about this because I don't have access through my library. I still don't think this is the restoration, but at least it's another free option for those with an account. The second important thing is actually not important, but "Stranger Things" had a $30M budget per episode, not $35M. Regardless, it's still a fuckload of money. Oh, and "Go Fish" came out in 1994. It's sadly no longer available on Criterion Channel, but you can rent it other places.

A film within a film within a film, The Watermelon Woman is a brilliant example of New Queer Cinema. Lightheartedly combining camcorder, 16mm, and self-made "found" footage, Cheryl Dunye gives voice and life to lost history 23 years before we see something similar come to life with Marianne in Portrait of a Lady on Fire. "What??" you say. "YES." we respond. Let's talk about it! And... • The 90s vibes!

This week, Desmond gets into a past Trust & Believe, the landmark Queer film, THE WATERMELON WOMAN. The first feature film to be released by a Black Lesbian (Cheryl Dunye) carries a great deal about inventing your own history, as well as interracial relations, and Desmond digs right into both, as well as how much this film and its ideas mean to him. Also, this week's You Betta Act award throws it back to 1986 with a spectacular British Noir film. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Cheryl Dunye (1966-present) was the first Black lesbian to direct a feature film. The movie, called The Watermelon Woman, established her as a leading voice in the New Queer Cinema movement of the 1990's.Special thanks to our exclusive Pride Month sponsor, Mercedes-Benz! Mercedes-Benz continues to support and stand with the LGBTQIA+ community. Listen all month long as we celebrate women whose authentic expression in their lives and bodies of work have expanded the norms of gender and sexuality in the performing arts.History classes can get a bad rap, and sometimes for good reason. When we were students, we couldn't help wondering... where were all the ladies at? Why were so many incredible stories missing from the typical curriculum? Enter, Womanica. On this Wonder Media Network podcast we explore the lives of inspiring women in history you may not know about, but definitely should.Every weekday, listeners explore the trials, tragedies, and triumphs of groundbreaking women throughout history who have dramatically shaped the world around us. In each 5 minute episode, we'll dive into the story behind one woman listeners may or may not know–but definitely should. These diverse women from across space and time are grouped into easily accessible and engaging monthly themes like Educators, Villains, Indigenous Storytellers, Activists, and many more.  Womanica is hosted by WMN co-founder and award-winning journalist Jenny Kaplan. The bite-sized episodes pack painstakingly researched content into fun, entertaining, and addictive daily adventures. Womanica was created by Liz Kaplan and Jenny Kaplan, executive produced by Jenny Kaplan, and produced by Liz Smith, Grace Lynch, Maddy Foley, Brittany Martinez, Edie Allard, Lindsey Kratochwill, Adesuwa Agbonile, Carmen Borca-Carrillo, Taylor Williamson, Ale Tejeda, Sara Schleede, and Alex Jhamb Burns. Special thanks to Shira Atkins. Original theme music composed by Miles Moran.We are offering free ad space on Wonder Media Network shows to organizations working towards social justice. For more information, please email Jenny at pod@wondermedianetwork.com.Follow Wonder Media Network:WebsiteInstagramTwitter

It's a wrap party, as Simone Ashley and Jonathan Bailey return to break down Kate Sharma and Anthony Bridgerton's enemies to lovers relationship over the course of the season. And Cheryl Dunye, director of Episodes 207 and 208 walks host Gabrielle Collins through filming some of the big Kanthony “pay off” moments, and the mindset behind the scenes that helped elevate the characters throughout.  You can (re)watch Bridgerton on Netflix now! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week, Gavia and Morgan discuss Cheryl Dunye's nineties lesbian classic "The Watermelon Woman." A fictional film that incorporates elements of documentary, it stars Dunye as a character named Cheryl who, like the real Dunye, embarks on a project investigating Black women in Old Hollywood films. Topics include the movie's engagement with Old Hollywood, its depiction of a lesbian community, Dunye's approach to political filmmaking, and more.

Written and directed by Cheryl Dunye, The Watermelon Woman is a classic work of LGBTQ filmmaking.

Before the 1990s, we wouldn't expect to see a film like The Watermelon Woman, a microbudget movie by a black queer filmmaker about black queer issues. But it's also a staple of 1990s independent cinema for its self-reflexivity: a film about filmmaking and film history. We tie together past episodes on Baby Face and A Page of Madness as we consider the canon of film that The Watermelon Woman challenges, and the way groups of people are buried by history. Join our Patreon for a discussion about local video storesWhere to watch The Watermelon WomanThe City Paper review of The Watermelon Woman that become political ammoWhere to watch Face/Off

Filmmaker Chase Joynt -- whose metatextual documentary Framing Agnes makes its Canadian premiere at Hot Docs this week -- unpacks the layers of Cheryl Dunye's 1996 indie breakout The Watermelon Woman, a film that was easily 25 years ahead of its time in its exploration of race, representation, privilege and sexuality. Your genial host Norm Wilner can't believe what he missed the first time around, although he's glad we've left VHS behind.  And don't forget, the entire first year of this podcast is still available for purchase for only $20 (!) at payhip.com/semcast. That's 52 episodes! Days of listening pleasure!

In our last episode on Black Cinema in the 90s, we're covering 1996's The Watermelon Woman! Come for the deep conversations on blackness and queerness, stay for the discussion on the importance of archiving. In the news, Disney suddenly wants to help repeal an awful bill it helped fund, Ezra Miller has a time in Hawai'i, Bruce Willis retires, and we say goodbye to Estelle Harris.

Over the next few episodes, we're taking a look at some independent African American auteurs that made landmark films.  On this episode, Cheryl Dunye's The Watermelon Woman (1996). Follow us at: Patreon / Twitter / Instagram / Letterboxd / Facebook 

episode 11 of season 3: an 80 minute episode from us???? crazy! in responding to a listener submitted hot take from Adin, we discuss our experiences with and how we engage with race/gender/perception and community as gaylor swifties of color, when a lot of the gaylor community seems to be white. Sunny mentions @sillygoofygirlseekinggf on Tik Tok, and Renaissance addresses their apprehension towards Taylor's shifting fan base. We discuss the queerness of hyper femininity and Taylor Swift's queerness, especially in regards to who and why some people recognize it. Simply put, the other pop girlies are not doing it like blondie! Renaissance also references Whitney Houston as an example of a woman existing in the public perception as an icon for the gay community, when she, like many other queer pop icons, was gay herself. Sunny references the Patreon exclusive bonus episode we recorded discussing the 1996 film The Watermelon Woman (dir. Cheryl Dunye.) ( btw join our Patreon for access to 2 bonus episodes a month as well as early access to episodes and the video recordings of episodes! https://www.patreon.com/TheLavenderMenace) For the media analysis portion of this episode, we talk hyperpop and rank + review the new Charli XCX album, CRASH. In our media recommendations, Renaissance pitches the 1927 silent film, Children of Divorce, which is surprisingly non-problematic and leads Sunny to mention Henry James' The Portrait of a Lady and Theodore Dreiser's Sister Carrie. Sunny's book recommendation this week is the recently released essay collection Girls Can Kiss Now by Jill Gutowitz, whom we discussed in our previous episode's hot take about the New York Post's shitty article about lesbian fashion. Jill, if you're listening, you should come on the podcast after Renaissance reads your book!!! We had the author of The Divines, Ellie Eaton, on the podcast season 1, so hit us up at (and other listeners, send your hot takes here as well) thelavendermenacepodcast@gmail.com. You can find us on Instagram, Twitter, and Letterboxd for more unhinged swiftie ramblings. XOXO

Jon and JR break down three Black female director debuts with Eve's Bayou, Daughters of the Dust, and The Watermelon Woman. Jon reiterates the bottomless charm bomb that is his white-hot hatred of superstition. eve_of_the_watermelon.mp3File Size: 59486 kbFile Type: mp3Download File [...]

BONUS EPISODE ON HBO EUPHORIA'S SEASON 2 FINALE UP ON PATREON! https://www.patreon.com/join/TheLavenderMenace Welcome to episode 8 of season 3! Here is a comma separated, hopefully exhaustive list of things we discuss: "tankies," the misuse of the word "nuance," debunking the idea of “state capitalism,” (books referenced- How Europe Underdeveloped Africa by Walter Rodney, Blood In My Eye by George Jackson, Neocolonialism by Kwame Nkrumah, The Unfree Origins Of American Capitalism by Seth Rockman, Dialectical and Historical Materialism by Stalin), the silliness of a sapphic Tik Tok about the oppression of bottoms, "you're so valid" etc, opposing the gender trinary, material reality of gendered oppression, the new Netflix lesbian short film Heart Shot is kind of corny, Void dir. Emma Seligman, D.E.B.S., Leading Lady Parts, Shiva Baby, Recicatif (in reference to discussing Passing on season 3 episode 3), adaptations, Arrival and Ted Chiang's Story of Your Life and Others, Asali Solomon's new novel The Days of Afrekete. Bonus episode on The Watermelon Woman available for Patrons soon! Follow us on Twitter, Instagram, Tik Tok, Letterboxd, and YouTube for extra The Lavender Menace slay, and you can email us your hot takes to discuss at thelavendermenacepodcast@gmail.com!

This week Brandon and Jane discuss the problematic politics behind “The Mammy Trope”, Gone with the Wind, the importance of Queer BIPOC representation in cinema, and 90s lesbian fashion trends.

In the first of a new series where we ask guests, What Movie Made You Queer? Today Rowan is joined by creative producer, storyteller extraordinaire and all round deity, Gabe Hicks, AKA, @GabeJamesGames on Twitter. Find Us Online - Twitter: https://twitter.com/QueerMoviePod  - Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thequeermoviepodcast - Website: http://www.queermoviepodcast.co.uk/  - Multitude: @MultitudeShows   Production - Hosts: Rowan Ellis and Jazza John - Editor: Julia Schifini - Executive Producer: Multitude - Artwork: Jessica E. Boyd   About The Show Queer Movie Podcast is a queer movie watch party hosted by Rowan Ellis and Jazza John. Join us as we research and rate our way through the queer film canon, one genre at a time. From rom-coms to slashers, contemporary arthouse cinema to black & white classics, Queer Movie Podcast is a celebration of all things gaaaaay on the silver screen. New episodes every other Thursday. Transcript ROWAN: Welcome to the Queer Movie Podcast, celebrating the best and worst of LGBTQ+ cinema, one glorious genre at a time. I'm Rowan Ellis, and welcome to one of our guest specials that we'll be releasing between our usual Queer Movie Club episodes. Today, we're joined by Gabe, who will be answering the question, "What movies made you queer?" I'm very excited to welcome creative producer and storyteller extraordinaire, Gabe Hicks, aka Gabe James Games. GABE: Hello! I'm happy to be here! I was talking to Rowan, I was like, "Yes, let me just talk about these things!" It's-- it's actually something that I have never really talked about, especially since more of my expression has been, like, more publicly recent, like this last year is when I really started openly sharing my identity and stuff. ROWAN: Amazing. I like that we're giving you the opportunity to do what I think a lot of people like to do, which is just talk excitedly about movies. I feel like it's a universal language. GABE: Absolutely. ROWAN: And I'm very glad to be part of it. So, this is going to be the first episode of this type of format that we're trying. GABE: Oh, my god. ROWAN: I know, very exciting. You are the debut. So, I would love to hear how many movies/sort of pieces of media/TV shows did you bring today for us? GABE: So, I brought four movies and then one piece of media. ROWAN: Amazing. GABE: Yeah. ROWAN: Do you have an order? Do you-- Have you already planned out your ideal order for this or are you just gonna pick them out of a hat at random? GABE: I actually did plan in order. ROWAN: In which case, far from it. That sentence didn't make any sense. I was like... I was about to say -- GABE: Far be from it. ROWAN: -- far from it to be to me, to Gabe. GABE: Yup. ROWAN: AKA, what is your first choice, Gabe? GABE: Pirates of the Caribbean. ROWAN: Oh, okay. Well, if anyone has ever spoken to me in my entire life, they will know that I am a massive Elizabeth Swann apologist and also love to talk about -- GABE: Really? ROWAN: -- Pirates of the Caribbean. GABE: All right, that's fair. ROWAN: And I would love to hear your thoughts about it. And then obviously, cancel this podcast episode if we disagree on this very first movie so... GABE: Cool, cool. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. That's fine. ROWAN: You know, the friendship is hanging on this, Gabe. GABE: Good. Good. ROWAN: Please be-- be aware. GABE: The-- the appearance of Jack Sparrow to me was-- that was the moment when I was like, I don't know if I want to be with him or be him. Kind of column A, column B, like, why not both? Weird, bold, beautiful, strange, unapologetic, charming in the way that he was just weird, and just did it. And was surrounded by such a wild assortment of people. And then Calypso is one of the most, be like the actress who plays Calypso as well as the character. Some of the most beautiful people that I've really seen. So, the more characters they introduced–. And then-- then the later ones when spoiler alerts, you got, like, Barbosa's daughter. And just-- I was like, "Why is everyone so attractive?" I will say Orlando Bloom, like, I enjoyed him, but I can't separate him from Legolas. And Legolas was too much of a pretty boy for my taste, because it was-- it was, like, long flowing pity boy, I wanted like, weird, gritty, strange boy, which is why Jack Sparrow pretty much checked all the boxes. ROWAN: Yeah, well, in turn it wasn't really giving that. He was very sweet in his own way. It was really funny because I remember Pirates of the Caribbean was out at exactly the same time as Lord of the Rings. How do I know that? Because I -- GABE: Yup. ROWAN: -- fully remember having posters of both on my wall. And I did have posters of Orlando Bloom as both roles, which was really I think, just the last vestiges of my, like, supposed heterosexuality clinging to the walls of my bedroom. GABE: Yup, yup. ROWAN: I think that what you just said about I didn't know if I wanted to be– be them or, like, be with them? GABE: Yeah. ROWAN: What a mood. What a queer mood. I feel like that is something that most of us can relate to. This strange kind of like, there is something alluring about this and I'm not entirely sure. GABE: Yes. ROWAN: What? What element of this is working for me? GABE: Yeah. ROWAN: Were you like a pirate kid? Was that-- was that a thing that you're already obsessed with? Or was this kind of like a new-- new thing for you in those years? GABE: It was a new thing for me. And it became, like, a fixation. I was like, I want all of this. I wasn't a pirate kid until those movies came out. And then, I was wholeheartedly a pirate kid. I was like, sea shanties, sea monsters, and, like, the thing is, I couldn't swim. So, like, it was very interesting -- ROWAN: Amazing. GABE: -- that I was like all about, I think, but you know what, like, if I can't swim, maybe Jack would save me and if he didn't, maybe I deserved it. I don't know. But like, I would-- I would risk it. I would risk it for the biscuit. ROWAN: I just love-- Yeah, I was gonna ask, did you live near the sea? I was just imagining you on your own little boat and you're like, "Nope." GABE: Not at all. I lived in the woods, in the forest. And maybe that was part of why I loved it. I was terrified of boats. But like, I would, you know, if Jack Sparrow was like, "All right, Gabe. We're getting on a ship and we're sailing the sea." I'm like, "Say less. I-- wherever you need me. I will -- ROWAN: I am there. GABE: -- scrub the deck. I will fire the gun off swinging on a rope above the sea. And I might die but I'm gonna die happy. ROWAN: That's hilarious to me because obviously, I mean, I feel like it's not really a spoiler to say Jack Sparrow in those movies is not the most moral of peoples. GABE: No! ROWAN: So, I just love the idea that you're just like, "Whatever you say, Jack, I'm there." GABE: Yup. ROWAN: Like, it doesn't even. And he's like, "Oh, I don't have to convince?" You're like, "Jack, listen, I'm already on the boat. Like, it's fine." GABE: Yeah. You didn't, Jack-- you. I'm here. I get-- I'm basically committed to whatever happens next. ROWAN: Have you been to the new revamped Pirates of the Caribbean ride? GABE: Yes, I have. ROWAN: Have Jack in it. GABE: I was at Disney World in October, and, like, Pirates of the Caribbean was one of the things I explicitly wanted to do, and the animatronics are so good. It's actually very startling. ROWAN: It's-- it's really funny because obviously, you've got all of the old animatronics, which are, let's just say not as good. GABE: Yup. ROWAN: And it's-- and then just as one weirdly human, like, figure in them. GABE: Yup. ROWAN: Which I greatly enjoyed. So I, as I mentioned, Elizabeth Swann, I'm an Elizabeth Swann apologist. I basically just think that those movies, everyone I understand the allure of Jack Sparrow, and maybe it is the lesbian in me, Gabe. I'm not-- I-- I'm not lying, I might be biased, but I feel like, there's obviously he's such a memorable character. GABE: You're not biased, you're lesbiased. ROWAN: Yeah, lesbiased, that oh, you know what, I'm using that now. Never-- never will the word bias cross my lips anymore. I will be writing it in emails. I will explain nothing. GABE: Lesbias. Oh shit, that's funny. Damn. ROWAN: But they-- they you-- honestly, add comedian to the list of stuff you do, Gabe. GABE: Thank you. ROWAN: Because you honestly do everything and it was about time that you added another string to the– to the bow. GABE: That's true. ROWAN: Which I assume you can also shoot? You seem like the kind of person who would know how to shoot arrows. GABE: I have two bows and three crossbows. ROWAN: Of course you do. Of course you do. Yeah, that was not even a question. But yeah, Elizabeth Swann. The movies are just about her. The whole, like, Will especially. I love Will Turner. Like, he's a lovely character and everything, but all he does is get rescued by Jack or Elizabeth. GABE: Yeah. ROWAN: And then just go around going, "Elizabeth. Elizabeth." GABE: That's true. ROWAN: Like, the entire time. That's his entire role. And like, I love that for him. GABE: Okay, so I'm-- I'm gonna say, I feel like the reason that I don't like Elizabeth, is because they intentionally made her an ass, and they didn't have to. They could have made her way more of an endearing figure that was just a powerful woman. And they instead tried to-- it's like, they were, like, trying to pretend that they were committing to a damsel in distress. But then, it's like, but no, she's like, powerful, but I'm like, why did you make her powerful, and then, like, snarky. ROWAN: Okay, but here's the thing, Gabe. GABE: Yes. ROWAN: Have you? Have you heard of the concept of a mean lesbian? GABE: No, because lesbians aren't usually mean to me. ROWAN: I mean, to your face, Gabe, but no, the-- yeah, there's a sort of mean lesbian vibe meme kind of-- kind of thing going around. And maybe in my head, I'm like, "Maybe she just fits into that." I just think she's-- My-- my full, like, biggest complaint with that series is that it ended with Elizabeth just being like, "I guess I'll never go on the sea again. See you-- see you seven years, Will." GABE: God! ROWAN: Like, what? GABE: The thing is-- the thing that bothered me was I really wanted to like her character. I really want and I liked the concept of her character. I liked the actress. I felt like they copped out when they were writing her-- writing her story. It's like, we're going to make her a side character. And then we're going to make her a main character, and then they basically sidelined her again, and I'm like, "Pick one. Pick one and then make her, like, give her the story that she deserves. Instead of, like, pretending that she's-- They acted like she was a half-replacement for Jack when she's her own powerful individual character." ROWAN: Again, I must say to you, Gabe, have you considered the outfit she wears in the Singapore sequence? GABE: I didn't say she wasn't hot. She-- she can-- Look, if Will is on the sea, I will happily be her, like, land man. I don't-- Look, anything that she wants. I look like Davy Jones, Jack Sparrow, and Calypso had a triangle baby. Like, I'll hook her up. That's fine, but I'm just --. ROWAN: She'd be into that. GABE: Probably. I'm just-- I'm just mad they didn't give me the Elizabeth Swann that should have gotten the attention she deserved. It's like they wanted to give us a powerful femme character and they're like, "But... No, nevermind. Everybody, nevermind." ROWAN: Listen, when I finally make my video essay about how underappreciated Elizabeth Swann is, truly the mark of success will be moving the dial on your dislike of this character even slightly, that's going to be my aim for it. But I really enjoy the fact that both of us have parts the Caribbean as one of our queer awakening sort of movies. I love that that was the one that you started with. Not even planned, listeners at home, that was just the power of-- the power -- GABE: Friendship. ROWAN: -- of Disney, I guess. The power of Disney's IP. They knew what they were doing. I just at any time, assume that they're making another part of the Caribbean movie. I feel like the world is always in a state of having had one announced. GABE: Yeah. ROWAN: The watching one, or, like, waiting for the next one to be announced. I feel like it's never gonna go. I thought that, like, Jungle Cruise was them trying to be like, I remember that. Remember that franchise we did about a ride? And I don't-- I don't quite know if it's got the-- got the chops. GABE: Yeah. You're probably right. ROWAN: Sweet, shall we, in that case, move from the high seas, I assume. GABE: Yes. ROWAN: Although I don't know, maybe every single movie that you're about to mention is pirate related. GABE: No, no, but that's fair. ROWAN: To your second choice. GABE: We're going to move from the sea of water to the sea of sand. ROWAN: Ooh. GABE: We're gonna talk a little bit about Aladdin. ROWAN: I already as soon as you said sand, I was like, "Well, there could only be one option here." GABE: Picking Aladdin or Jasmine is impossible. They are. Don't-- Don't at me. I don't care. Be- So, okay, they were both beautiful people. ROWAN: Inside and out. GABE: Yeah, like, oh, but they were both incredibly charming, and it was nice seeing a relationship that they had close relationships with so many different types of people. And the way that they expressed it or the way that they enjoyed it, it wasn't, like, tainted unless the people were distinctly evil and bad. Like, Jasmine's relationship with her dad was genuinely, like, for the-- for the most part healthy, until we look at, like, the weird underlying tones. But like, at face value, it was good. Seeing Aladdin, this man, get into a situation, come out with a whole bunch of possibility for wealth, glory, and all of that. And then, just take a route of, like, personal happiness. That actually is what, like, enticed me so much because, like, that portrayal of a man is not something that I felt, like, I got a lot of younger, and it made me admire his character so much more like, "Yes. Like, that's-- that's the kind of person that I want to see and I would want to be with." ROWAN: Amazing. I-- yeah, fully agree on that. I feel like I need to rewatch Aladdin. I think I don't know what shit since I was a lot younger, but I found the entire thing entirely charming as a child. GABE: Yeah. ROWAN: Also, absolutely banging soundtrack obviously. GABE: Yes. ROWAN: Cannot be ignored. GABE: [12:16] scoundrel. ROWAN: How do you feel about the live action remake? Is that something you've dipped your toes into? GABE: I actually haven't seen it. I'm not sure if it'll give me the same, the same levels of excitement. Have you seen it? ROWAN: I have. It was very forgettable. I have a very good friend who would probably, like, lock me in the darkest deepest dungeon for saying this because she was very into the-- to Aladdin in every single way, shape, or form. But I was, like, very forgettable. Prince Ali the sequence that was that song was an absolute bop. GABE: Ooh yeah. ROWAN: But it wasn't necessary. They tried to add a little bit of, like, Jasmine as a feminist. And I was like, "I... I don't know if that needed to be added, but I guess they did that with they kind of keep trying to do that in the remakes." GABE: Yes. ROWAN: Here's a very important question for you. Have you seen King of Thieves? GABE: Yes. ROWAN: How do you feel about Aladdin's hot dad? GABE: Yes. ROWAN: Where does he rank on your Aladdin spectrum? GABE: Ooh. Okay, okay. So, above Aladdin. ROWAN: Okay. GABE: Yeah. ROWAN: Okay. Also agreed. I'm like, is he my exception? GABE: Aladdin is pretty, but the dad is handsome. ROWAN: You are not wrong. Listen, I am a lesbian. I am only attracted to women. And yet, if the cartoon man, Aladdin's dad whose name I have forgotten, Cassim, I think. GABE: Yup. ROWAN: Was to step out of the television after I had had a heart attack that the fact that a cartoon man was standing before me. GABE: Yes. ROWAN: And that such things were possible. GABE: Yes. ROWAN: I would take them on a date so... GABE: That's valid. Honestly, it would probably be an amazing date, the man would show you things that you've never seen before. And we can interpret that in however we would like to, but, like, those, there are plenty of things that people love to grab onto on other people. And those gray strips on the side of his head are basically just guidance. ROWAN: Aladdin, Aladdin would take me on a date on a magic carpet. And yeah, I still believe that a date with Cassim would be an even more wondrous adventure. GABE: Absolutely. ROWAN: For many reasons. GABE: Absolutely. ROWAN: I just-- I love how it was like, "Here's my hot take, Rowan." And I was like, "Cool. I take your hot take and I raise you a hot dad." Ah, it's all coming together. GABE: Look, I am a Dream Daddy cosplayer. I-- If you-- if you look at, like, a third of the cosplays I've done there have been a lot of dads. Dream daddy is the bi dad, which obviously has shaped a lot of me. Dragon Prince has the -- ROWAN: Oh my god. GABE: -- yeah has the dad. And I guess something-- another-- another good example is, like, one thing to think about this but She-Ra, the dad from She-Ra, Bow's-- Bow has two dads. ROWAN: Yes. Oh my gosh. GABE: And I've cosplayed as one of the dads from She-Ra just because he's, like, the beautiful man with long dreads and everything. And then he's got his gorgeous husband that also looks like a Dream Daddy character. I've cosplayed as a straight appearing dad, I've cosplayed as a bi dad. And I've cosplayed as a gay dad now. ROWAN: You-- you-- you've got the, like, full bingo card of dads. GABE: Yes. Basically. It's, it's -- ROWAN: That's everything. GABE: That's exactly right. ROWAN: I'm interested to know, like, when-- when we're talking about these, with these always-- these pieces of media, were these always things that you were exploring, like, at the age when you first watched them? Was it something that was, like, pinging in the back of your mind whether or not you kind of realized what it meant? Or is this stuff where you were, like, actually, it was looking back on them and when I was older, that made me kind of realize what was going on there? GABE: I think it was more like looking back on it when I was older, because it-- I've never, like, for... for a while I didn't really care about having a word for it. And even-- even now, like, that's-- that's a great reason that, like, queer is a great overarching term. Because I don't-- I don't. It varies depending on the day. And I don't always know where the hell I fall in the spectrum. And I realized very quickly that, like, the reason I kept trying to find a term for it was because other people wanted a term from me for it. And after I realized that I was like, "Actually, who cares?" Because it's not up to them to determine this. It's just up to me, if these three men are attractive to me, and, like, the other 300 in this situation aren't, I don't have to define in one way or another or whatever way because there's-- sometimes there are people that it's like just the emotional attraction to them. Sometimes it's just the physical attraction. Sometimes it's so situational that I was like, when I was looking back at it, I was like, "Oh, you know what, like, I don't-- I don't know where it falls, but if it wasn't just this, and it wasn't just that, so let's put it in the umbrella." ROWAN: Yeah, absolutely. So, if you've been enjoying the podcast so far, or to be honest, even if you haven't, you should definitely check out some of the other shows that are part of the Multitude collective. The one that I'm going to talk about specifically today is Horse. So, quick confession. I, in my misspent youth, was in fact, not the femme lesbian that you see before you, but a very confused little middle school jock. And so, I have, in my real life, left the world of sports behind, but in my podcast life, continue to be intrigued. And so, for that very dark and shameful reason, I have been listening to the podcast Horse recently. So, it's essentially a podcast that talks about some of the most ridiculous stories, the drama, the highs and lows, the biggest and baddest of the world of basketball. Now, I should say, I never played basketball, and I have no intention to but you don't have to be a superfan to appreciate this podcast. You can be someone who has literally never cared about sports before, and the comedic stylings of your hosts Adam Mamawala and Mike Schubert will, I'm sure, appeal to you. This isn't about the scores of the latest games. It is about the unbelievable history and culture of basketball, whether it's a shot-by-shot breakdown of Get your head in the Game from High School Musical, absolutely iconic. Or a thorough discussion of the best and worst food at NBA arenas, the Horse boys have got you covered. New episodes released every other Monday, just search Horse in your podcast app, or check out horsehoops.com. Horse, because basketball is more than what happens on the court. Quick question, dear listener, do you use the internet? Because if the answer is yes, then today's sponsor is for you. Particularly, if you, like me, have an embarrassingly large amount of tabs open on your browser at any one time. I am talking of course about Tab for a Cause, a browser extension that lets you raise money for charity, while just doing your thing online. Basically, how it works is whenever you open a new tab, you will see two things, a beautiful photo and a small ad. And then, part of that ad money goes towards a charity of your choice. It really is as simple as that. Every time you open up a tab, you no longer have to feel guilty about the 103 other ones that are open in a different window behind the one that you're currently using. You can just say, "Hey, I'm doing it for charity, so it's fine." So, if that sounds up your street then you can join Team Queer Movie Podcast by signing up at tabforcause.org/queermovie. I would love to hear about mysterious characters/movies/things you have brought to the table: Number three. GABE: So, this is a weird one. ROWAN: This. I love it. Sandwiched right in the middle, just to get-- getting a bit weird by number-- number three GABE: James Cameron's Avatar. ROWAN: Okay, I can only assume considering, I don't know how many people know this out there. I don't know how many people at Disney World aficionados, like ourselves, but they have made an entire avatar land Pandora. GABE: I know, Rowan. ROWAN: In the animal kingdom. I can only assume because that movie made a lot of money and zero cultural impact other than, I guess, to people like you. So, I can only assume that you were solely responsible for that becoming a thing. GABE: [20:37]. ROWAN: Oh, my God. GABE: I have-- There is a PDF when that movie came out of the language that I spent, like, six months memorizing. A huge chunk of it. ROWAN: I love this so much. GABE: I have so many pictures taken at Pandora from Disney World. I was speaking the language to some of, like, the employee cast members. And they looked at me with so much concern and confusion in their eyes because none of them knew what the hell I was saying. ROWAN: They had no clue. GABE: And those-- those gigantic blue people that were, like, beautiful trees that I just wanted to climb. Like, I didn't-- I didn't care about gender or anything. I just wanted them to hold me. Like, just-- just to hold me, cradle me, kiss my forehead. Yes, please. Thank you. ROWAN: Amazing. GABE: I got in there. They were all beautiful. It-- the-- the markings, the tattoos, the, like, 10-foot, 11-foot. 12-foot tall. It's just-- I-- I never felt the analogy, "I want to climb someone like a tree," until that movie. And then I was like, "I get it." ROWAN: I feel like, okay, so when I've been at Disney World, I've not really been someone who is super into, like, meeting characters. I have some friends I've gone with who are really into it. And I'm, like, really happy being the person who takes pictures and hops them up and everything. But when I went to the, like, Princess bit, I met Tiana. GABE: Hmm. ROWAN: There was just something about this, like, beautiful woman talking to me about food because that's obviously really, like, you know, a good talking point for Tiana's character who owns a restaurant. GABE: Yes. ROWAN: Where she just be asking me, like, what my favorite, like, what food was, like, a popular where I was from and talking about her restaurant and stuff. And my heart was, like, a little bit of a flutter. I imagine that your-- you will reach your final form when you go to Pandora and they have worked out how to do the Na'vi as character as, like, walking around characters. I feel like at that point, you will, like, ascend. GABE: Yeah. Like, that-- that quiet, "yeah," is so strong. It-- like, it's-- it's so weird to think about it. But like, one of the things that made me realize was, like, it was-- it was that moment of, like, they're all beautiful. Like, they're all-- they're all gorgeous. I don't-- I don't care what they have. I don't care who they are. They're all beautiful, man, woman, non-binary. Like, whoever they are, wherever they identify, I was like, "They're all hot." And that was when I was like, "Yeah, okay, this makes sense. This checks out." ROWAN: I can't say I've ever been specifically attracted to those aliens, but I -- GABE: We can fix that. ROWAN: -- fully with maybe I-- maybe I haven't watched avatar. GABE: i have plenty of cosplaying friends ROWAN: Seen enough. Oh, no. Yeah, no, that's the danger. GABE: I'm gonna-- I'm gonna send you some links. ROWAN: I know you are. That's-- I have zero doubt that that's going to happen. I'm like, waiting. I'm like, maybe it's gonna ping right now. Maybe that's -- GABE: Oh, it absolutely-- It will. ROWAN: Oh. GABE: I'm finding it. ROWAN: Excellent. I love the how sometimes you have very what people consider normal. Not you personally, although obviously you personally but just you one in general, will have these kind of moments of like, "Oh my goodness," about, you know, these human beings, you know, acting. And then sometimes it's like, "Oh, I like this cartoon of a human.," and then something. Sometimes it's just like, "I like this concept. I like this vibe." GABE: Yeah. ROWAN: I feel like just this whole thing they've got going on is a real great. In that case, I mean, how are you feeling about the fact that they're apparently making, like, four new movies in this franchise? GABE: I'm ready. I'm ready. ROWAN: Have you-- Have you already, like, committed to a cosplay for it? Are you like-- GABE: 100%. I've had a Na'vi bodysuit since I was about 18. But now, I know how to do makeup so... ROWAN: It's gonna look even better. GABE: Oh, yeah. Yeah. ROWAN: I'm so ready for that. And you've got the bows as well. Like, it's all coming together. GABE: You're absolutely right. I'm trying-- I'm trying to be everybody's problem. ROWAN: So, I mean, you truly are everyone's problem. To be fair, you already. People, it's really funny because I knew you from D&D stuff. GABE: Yup. ROWAN: Like, that's how I first came across you. And it wasn't until you, congratulations, by the way, we're being the sort of storyteller, which I mentioned 20. GABE: Thank you. ROWAN: That I realized that, like, everyone was watching -- GABE: Yeah. ROWAN: -- this trailer, this announcement. And every single person has a different reference for, like, where they knew you from. And a lot of people just know you as, like, the thirst trap person. GABE: Yeah. ROWAN: Like, the person who just does, like, thirst trap cosplays. GABE: Yeah, it's really funny to me. There's-- there's people who knew me, there's people who know me from Tumblr as the Fae dad or the Unicorn man. There's some people who know me from TikTok. Some people know me from Tiktok as, like, the hot vampire guy. Some people know me from my house, some people know me from my Dream Daddy cosplays. Yes, some people just know me as, like, the thirst trap dude from Twitter and Instagram. It's so many different places. That's not even counting, like, the game design stuff. So, it's-- it's-- I have gotten some messages about being some people's bi awakenings, like, over this past year. ROWAN: Amazing. I'm not surprised. I'm not surprised. GABE: I'm just like, "Good. Learn about yourself." ROWAN: I mean, I obviously take great pride in having stumbled across you for your intellect and -- GABE: Yeah. ROWAN: -- genuine, you know, brain but I, you know, we come for the brain, we stick around for the thirst trap. So, that's just how -- GABE: Come for the brains, stay for the butt. ROWAN: -- how it works. GABE: I send you some things on Twitter. I just want you to know that. ROWAN: There we go. Aren't you guys jealous listening to this. There's just-- it's just me essentially getting a load of messages that you can't see from Gabe this whole time. GABE: Good. ROWAN: I would love to hear about your fourth thing that you have bought for me. GABE: Hell yes. That is The Wild Wild West movie with Will Smith. ROWAN: Amazing. Amazing. We've really truly had a journey today. We were at the high seas, we are in the desert, we've gone to space. GABE: Yep. ROWAN: We're back in-- we're back I guess in the desert but a different desert. GABE: Basically. ROWAN: So, I have a confession to make. GABE: You've never seen it? ROWAN: I have not seen this movie. GABE: You will. ROWAN: It's been on my watch list for so long. GABE: I got you. ROWAN: Here's, okay, here's my – someone who's never watched it – impression of what I assume it's about because my, I'm going to tell you right now. And I cannot believe that this confession is coming out of me. My closest sort of brush with this movie was that in my extremely white high school at the age of 12, during a dance production, I was not sorted into this group because there were two groups of, like, the 12 and 13-year-olds, it was a different group. But they did a dance to the theme song of this movie. GABE: Yes! ROWAN: And it was the most, like, 12, 13-year-olds who can't really dance very well. Like, everything was very much on beat. There was nothing,  like, not beat, it was like the slow bit of the beat as well. Like, very steady, very, like, bad like, finger gun type dance moves. I really wish I had a recording of it because I would-- that would be the thing that I sent you in return. GABE: I'm incredibly happy about this. ROWAN: And that's truly as close as I've gotten to this movie and I'm not gonna lie to you, Gabe, that was not in fact part of my gay awakening in any way shape, or form, even at the time. GABE: Sure. ROWAN: So, I really appreciate you giving me the opportunity to maybe discover-- discover this later on. In a way that isn't just a load of bad dancing. GABE: Yeah. ROWAN: Is it like-- the impression I get of it is that it is Wild West but there is some kind of like steampunk-y vibe to it. There's, like, some-- something in it that's a little bit -- GABE: Absolutely. ROWAN: -- fun and fun and funky. Please tell me/the listeners at home. What is it? GABE: I, look, that movie starts with Will Smith shirtless in a water tower. I, god! ROWAN: Say no more, Gabe. GABE: Its-- it. ROWAN: Please say more. GABE: This-- this man in hot pants all over this hot damn movie, I have not seen a man like that in leather that much unless it was at a very specifically designated party. So, this movie was just making some dreams come true. Watching him spin a pistol, no-- no double entendre intended, it-- it was, like, maybe I do like the Wild West more than I thought. ROWAN: I was a pirate. I was a pirate kid, but now I-- am I a cowboy kid? GABE: You look. ROWAN: Damn. It's so confusing. GABE: Cowboys ride. ROWAN: Oh my gosh. I mean, was there anything to it? Other than the hot, hot bod of Will Smith? Was there-- was there anything else or? GABE: I mean, it was decent. ROWAN: I'm not gonna lie to you, Gabe. You really-- I was-- I was hoping you're gonna sell it to me. I don't know if Will Smith's hot can necessarily take me through into the story, but I do appreciate. GABE: Do you like Sofia Vergara? Do you like Sofia Vergara? ROWAN: Oh, see now-- now it's getting a little bit more interesting. GABE: So, I'm-- excuse me, not Sophia Vergara. It was Salma Hayek. ROWAN: Oh, you know what? Equally as an onboard. GABE: She is in it. She-- she wears a bodice. I think she keeps, like, a gun underneath, like, her left thigh or, like, in her right boob. ROWAN: I love-- I love weapons where there aren't meant to be weapons, you know, weapons where you're like, "Oh, that was a little surprise. Okay, this is not where I thought you were gonna be." GABE: Yeah. ROWAN: This is-- maybe not safe, but we'll take it. GABE: Yeah, no, she is-- she is in it. She is hot as hell and she makes it work. ROWAN: I love that. I will say-- it's, I mean, speaking of weapons that just don't really seem safe. I truly could spend the rest of my life contemplating that scene in Wonder Woman where she has a sword just down her back. Yeah, I fully in my head have, like, replayed that Wonder Woman scene where she takes a sword, like, out of her own spine. And I'm like, "No, in no point does this make logical sense, but the vibes are there. GABE: Yeah. ROWAN: That's all I really care about. GABE: Yeah. ROWAN: I'll take it. In terms of these, like, the order that you've put these in, was this the order of– of, like, age when this came up for you? Or was this just, do you have a sense of which one was first? Like, which one was kind of the-- or is it just a big soup pack? GABE: It was– it was definitely Wild Wild West was-- was first. Pirates of the Caribbean, then, like, more of like, when I watched Aladdin, I was like, not much older, but still old enough to, like, kind of have a better gauge of it. And then, Avatar was probably the most recent of, like, these movies. ROWAN: Mhmm. GABE: Yeah. ROWAN: I find myself, and I know that Jazza as well, like, we're very similar ages, find ourselves really looking-- when we are looking back at this media that we connected with, or that we were interested in, it very much is like, none of this was explicitly gay. Like, we're not looking back at something and being like, "Oh, I saw this character come out as gay. And then I was like, Oh, that might be me." It was more like, "Hmm, something's going on here, and it wasn't until later that that stuff was kind of available to us. We knew about it. And like, I very specifically, remember, like, the only things that talked about being gay were things that were probably not appropriate for children to be watching. No, because there were things that were like Queer as Folk stuff like that. And I definitely feel like I watched those things kind of ironically, because I think a lot of people probably think that keeping-- keeping gay people out of media was, like, helping children. And I'm like, "Well, I fully was exposed to non-- non sort of child friendly gay media beforehand, because there was no alternative." And so, I'm kind of wondering, like, where on that kind of timeline, you are at? Like, did you ever feel like there was any, like, explicitly queer media when you were growing up? Was that something that you were able to seek out? Or that you're able to find? Or was it very much still, like, "No, I was waiting until I was an adult before that stuff started to sort of appear for me." GABE: I think I never-- actually I never really, like, sought it out. Because I had just-- I had just interpreted it to fit however I was feeling. And there-- because there is-- there's, like, a lack when people will-- if people don't explicitly say it. And there's-- there's a whole different experience when it's like, a real confirmation. But then I hit a point, I don't know when it was, when I was like, I had moments where I liked it when it wasn't fully clear, because then it could mean whatever I wanted it to mean to me. ROWAN: Yeah. Yeah. GABE: And we definitely need more of a representation where it's-- it's so blunt and distinct. Like, like, Shriek Week. Like, Shriek Week is queer as hell. It's very clear. Many of the characters are non-binary, all of the characters have varied sexualities that, like, I had notes on. And it just only mattered if it came up in game for, like, the people to romance. Some of the people have been seeking out gay, poly, general queer relationships. And it was-- it was so intentional, because it was so lacking in a lot of the games that I played. But I also-- I play a character on a show [33:30], and he's bi. And it's just never come up because no one's asked. So, I've been-- I've been trying to leave and trying to find more things that-- that I can interpret however I wanted to or however it, like, could it be meaningful to me. ROWAN: Yeah, I'm kind of interested to know from you, like, with queer stuff, I guess it's easier to interpret, whereas -- GABE: Yes. ROWAN: -- if we're talking about you being, like, a black queer person, -- GABE: Yup. ROWAN: -- it's harder to, like, interpret. And as you're talking about, like, very much, I guess, like Avatar style or non-human entities that you can decide to code as black. GABE: Yes. ROWAN: Like, it's more difficult to be like, "Oh, I'm just gonna read this white person as black." So, did you find that it was easier for you to kind of, like, seek out media where you felt represented as a black person, and then kind of see the queerness within that rather than I guess, vice versa? GABE: Absolutely. God, it's a weird thing to think about, but I've realized, like, even in a person representation, I am a very public facing black queer person. And it's why I try so hard to present myself in a way that also, like, is really, like, relatable. Like, I don't-- I don't want to create or facilitate parasocial relationships, but I do want people to be able to see me as a person of color, queer person who's just doing the thing and is also just a person. I don't-- I don't want them to see me as an unachievable representation for themselves, trying to find those notions in media, because I want-- I want notions in media where it's a big deal. And I also want notions in Media where it's just normal. I like when people are excited to see me as that representation. And I also like when people see me as a normal part of that representation, if that makes sense. ROWAN: Yeah. GABE: And that's-- that's part of why it's so hard. Like, I feel like it's so hard to find it in Media because we get moments where it's so rare to see that straight and distinct representation in a blunt way, that it's always something we have to be loud about. Because it's so minute and miniscule in its availability. And it's, yeah, it's hard. ROWAN: Yeah, kind of like a drop in the ocean that you kind of have to be like, "Hello, I'm here," I guess for the people who need to see it. GABE: Yes. ROWAN: It's so easy to miss if you don't know exactly where to look at the internet/creative endeavors, movies, books, it's like a big place out there in trying to find. I am really lucky that I, like, know a lot about queer media. Like, obviously, that's kind of something for me that I could, if someone asked me to, like, give them recommendations, like, I pretty much off the top of my head will be able to give them stuff. GABE: Yes. ROWAN: But when you're-- when I speak to people who are, like, queer themselves, and actually really want to know about queer media, a lot of them have, like, never heard of half of this stuff, because it is that question about, yeah, where would I go to-- to seek it out. And I think that when you-- you find one person on, like, Tumblr, or Instagram or TikTok or-- or Twitter to follow, you sort of end up down a rabbit hole of finding a ton of other people, but you kind of need to-- there needs to be a break in that algorithm to allow you to find those people. And sometimes, I mean, obviously, you're on-- you're on TikTok and-- and there have been a lot of discussions about the way that TikTok kind of pushes white creators to the front. GABE: Yeah. ROWAN: Pushes, like, certain content creators to the front. And that's, you know, been something there have been protests about. And so, it's that, I guess I understand the idea of being blatant with it and being very open-- open with it if you're willing to be because it is something that it's difficult to-- to find sometimes. GABE: Yeah. ROWAN: Even for people who are really excited to see it, because it reflects who they are. GABE: So-- so this-- so this actually kind of relates, like, the last thing that I was mentioning. ROWAN: Oh my God, look at us segueing in. GABE: Exactly. And a lot of one of it I like, in some ways, anime, because anime has definitely become better with more queer representation. And making it be, like, more clear and more forward facing even though a lot of things are still very reserved. But anime also can have more feminine or femme representations of men, which I definitely think helps lead into queer representation. But it's also a conflict, because one of the things that is so terrible with anime and manga, that a lot of the fan base, like, drives me up the wall is I really get upset with fetishization of, like, gay or like bi men in relationships and these things by fan bases, because it's never just a thing that happens. It's-- it's more that, like, no, these characters have to be gay because they're friends. I don't feel like I get to enjoy meaningful, gay or bi men relationships in a lot of media in general, because it ends up being, like, fetishized. Especially by some queer people in general, or not even necessarily queer people, like, just femme people are, like, Well, look-- look at these two men who have to love each other." And especially as people who are not men, I really get annoyed when I see Media or fans try to make that happen. Or it's like, it's-- it's like men cannot be together. Like, it's-- like, it's a calm, normal thing that we can enjoy or appreciate. ROWAN: You mean, like, being likd, to queer characters can't be friends, or like... GABE: Yes, yeah, like to -- ROWAN: Any characters can't be– just be friends. GABE: Two queer characters can't be friends. And it's especially if it's men. ROWAN: I think about this a lot that actually, you know, these like tests like the Bechdel test, stuff like that. And there's a lot of debate around like, whether they're useful or what they actually show, and all this kind of stuff. And I think, like, at the heart of it, it's about if you only have a very small amount of representation of a particular group, you can only show a certain amount of story of experiences. And as soon as you open that up to, like, multiple people with that identity, it leaves so much more space -- GABE: Yes. ROWAN: -- to have loads of different ones of these experiences, which is why I really, really have enjoyed media where it's like, "Hey, let's explore loads of different people with this identity." GABE: Exactly. ROWAN: Whether that is, like, on the queer side, you've obviously got things like cucumber banana tofu, which if you're not from the UK, I don't know if you-- if that's, like, made its way across the pond. GABE: No, it just sounded very funny and it made me go. ROWAN: Oh, yeah, it is. It's very much on purpose, so it was three different shows. So, cucumber and banana were, like, television shows. And then, tofu was, like, an online show. And it was from Russell T. Davies, who is like the absolute OG fucking goat of queer TV. GABE: Yeah. ROWAN: So, he was the guy who, like, originally created Queer as Folk, and then went on, he's done Years and Years. He did It's a Sin, kind of basically, he was the first person to put queer characters on children's TV in the UK. GABE: Yes. ROWAN: Doctor Who. GABE: That's awesome. ROWAN: Like, he-- he created Jack Jack Harkness. Like, he's just-- he's just, like, an amazing person. GABE: I love that character so much. ROWAN: I adore Russell T. Davies, and like, he has done so much. And he's had a really awful time of it, he lost his partner and kind of had to be a carer for his partner for a while, and then tragically lost him. And so, he kind of came out of that, kind of using the experience and using the pain after having this kind of time to mourn, to-- to write it, to send, to create. It's to send and put it out there, and I feel like he's just got more and more stuff to do, but hit a lot of his stuff. It kind of ends up being, here's a whole group of people who are queer. GABE: Yeah. ROWAN: What are they going to do about it? I know that the film Pride, one of my favorite films of all time, which we just did a movie club episode about. And one of its biggest strengths is that it has this whole, like, range of queer voices that are outspoken, that are more conservative, that are newly out, that have been out for years, that are older, that are younger. Like, and that allows you to have these kinds of disagreements or, especially when you look at audiences from outside of that identity looking in, you don't ever have them looking in and being like, "Look, this gay character said this, or I guess, this black character, this disabled character. Like, they said this, or they think this or they do this and therefore kind of using it," because I don't want-- I never want, you know, marginalized creators to feel self-censored by what people -- GABE: Yes. ROWAN: -- outside of their identity might take from what they want to discuss, especially when we're talking about, like, intra community issues. So, things that are, like, actual issues within that community, that it's, like, "Hey, so like, obviously, negative stereotypes are bad. But sometimes people do fit those stereotypes and we maybe need to talk about it." GABE: Yeah. ROWAN: So, yeah, I really-- I-- I totally get what you mean around those kind of the idea of if you've got these characters, and they have to fit into a particular box, they have to, like, be romantically linked if they're gay, which I think also does, I don't know if you've experienced this, but I feel like it often kind of trickles out into real life, this kind of assumption of like -- GABE: Oh yeah. ROWAN: -- oh my God, I know a gay person, do you want to date them? GABE: Yup. ROWAN: My sister's actually a lesbian, you should get married. And you're like, "I don't know if that's--" GABE: No, that's-- that's not how that works. I don't know this person. It's-- that has happened to me in real life. I was-- I was hanging out with a friend of mine that's gay. And someone asked, like, "Have you guys ever kissed before?" I'm like, "No." ROWAN: Why would you say that? GABE: Why? We-- we've known each other for, like, three years. We're very good friends. We're not attracted to each other. ROWAN: What is this? I do think that my-- I was gonna say you could just say that to-- to every straight person in your life. Just every time you see them, they just comment, everyone, you go partially like, "You can make-- you kiss them. You kiss them. God, I just thought." GABE: No, but I wish. ROWAN: I just thought-- they would be Oh, they also. I mean, I feel like "Are the straight people. okay?" is my favorite internet meme, because, like, the whole conversation about, like, "Can men and women be friends?" I'm like, "What's wrong with you, people?" GABE: God, I-- Litter-- Okay. I literally was having a conversation with someone in a bar, and then the person left. It was-- it was-- and it was-- it was a woman. And the person left, and then my friends were like, "Gabe, why didn't you ask for her number?" I don't. I don't know her. ROWAN: We were just having a chat, you guys. GABE: Yeah, we were having a great conversation. She graduated Nursing School. Don't be weird about this. ROWAN: Oh my gosh. I would love to know your-- do we-- how-- what number are we on? Are we on number four, number five? I can't remember how many we still have left to go. GABE: Well, that was-- that was five because I -- ROWAN: That was five, loved it. GABE: -- like, anime in general, so that was -- ROWAN: Amazing. GABE: -- that was five. But we could-- we could do a quick bonus. ROWAN: Oh my god. Yes. Let's do a bonus . GABE: Acane. Like, arcane recently. ROWAN: Oh, okay. Okay. GABE: The Lesbian representation in Arcane, that's not subtle. It's not just for interpretation. It's clear, even confirmed by, like, designers on Twitter. It's clear and gorgeous. I love it. ROWAN: I love that. I love that we've got, like, a new entry, I guess. Something that's more-- that's more recent for you. I mean, do you-- I think that's really-- that is really interesting. You've talked at the beginning about this journey of, like, being openly queer, and specifically, I guess to an audience or online being more of a recent thing. Do you feel like you have settled enough into, like, your identity or who you are that it feels like a solid thing that when you are encountering new media, it's not necessarily showing you anything new about yourself, or do you think you're still, and I don't mean still, like, catch up Gabe because I don't think there's necessarily an end to that. A lot of people will, like, continue discovering new things about themselves. And it's not, like, a bad thing. But I'm kind of wondering where you are in that process, I guess. GABE: It's been a whole lot better, especially recently, because even with queer media, also, a lot of it is white queer media. So, there's like, a weird middle ground of, like, "Do I belong? Or do I not belong?" Because the-- the experience can be different, even if it's not substantially different, if it's still different. There's queer media of what you see is two white people that are gay or bi or two white lesbians. And it is excited, and cheered for, and celebrated, but queer media with two people of color, or a person of color with another queer person that is white and media is so much fewer and far between. And it's-- it's definitely that, like, like, She-Ra is a great example, because you have the two gay dads. But I would, like, anyone that's listening, I challenge you to try to think of how much queer media you can think of where there is two queer people of color that are represented in that queer media, and it's hard to find it. One of the queer movies that I loved recently, well, it had two queer characters, The Old Guard, that's it. Yeah, I loved that movie. And I loved-- I loved the-- the queer media representation, because it... it was just right, it was just good. It was just fun. It just felt right. There was that whole extra layer of, like, they've been together for years, and years, and years and years. And were still incredibly close. And so, as we see more of the diversity and representation in it, I do start to see more of myself in it. And it's slow, I see a lot more of it in, like, indie projects, or like games or things like that. Like, individual novels and such, will have way wider visual cast. Or even-- even, like, tabletop shows. Like, they'll-- they'll have a bunch of the queer relationships with people of all shapes and colors and sizes. And I'm a very fortunate person that, like, I am incredibly fit without really have to-- having to try to be, but I don't think we also get, like, very much great representation of fat queer relationships at all. And it's-- it's something that I think of not even just for myself, but like, I've plenty of fat queer friends, who also fully acknowledge and want people to, like, understand that being fat isn't a bad thing. But when you are fat, and queer, people look at you differently, are treated differently. And because of that, the media representation is so few and far in between, and that sucks. ROWAN: Yeah. GABE: I've had a better experience with media representation, in a sad way, because I've stopped looking to mainstream media to give me that. ROWAN: Absolutely. GABE: Because like I-- I don't have high expectations for what they will do to represent these things. Because oftentimes, the people who are in those positions to do it are not a representation of us, or you, or me. But the people who are, are putting these things out there. And then, we give them a chance to challenge and not necessarily compete, but maybe, like, almost meet those moments, and meet those representations and meet that excitement. ROWAN: Absolutely. I think that there's some really interesting, I guess, there's it's kind of that double-edged sword thing of when you have people who are being given the opportunities, you might end up having something that's more mainstream, but you most likely will have a lack of the people who are being represented in the actual creative team. GABE: Yes. ROWAN: And then you've got things that are really indie that maybe don't have a strong release that you can't really stream easily in different places. And those are the ones that have a really kind of unique voice to them, have a really authentic voice, but maybe don't have a strong budget. Like, didn't have, like, particularly good quality in a lot of-- in a lot of cases. Like, had a lot of heart to them, which is like very much the story of, like, -- GABE: Yeah. ROWAN: -- queer cinema in general. Just because I literally earlier on was like, "I love to give recommendations to people," if there is anyone who's watching who was like, "Hmm, I would like to see some, like, black queer movies that have, like, black queer people at the heart of the creation." If you have not already seen because I feel like Moonlight and Tangerine -- GABE: Oh yeah. ROWAN: -- are probably ones that people are like, "Oh, yes, those are the ones that I kind of know." Black British Excellence, that is Campbell Ex. Oh my gosh, watch that live. GABE: Oh, yeah. ROWAN: That's incredible. The Watermelon Woman obviously is an unbelievable movie. Like, I love that film so much. I was really lucky to see it as, like, a remastered version at the British Film Institute. They did, like, a -- GABE: Yes. ROWAN: -- screening of it. It was beautiful and brilliant. I've not seen Naz and Maalik but it's meant to be amazing. It was, I want to say 2015, 2016 and it was basically, like, this sort of acclaimed award winning film that I haven't annoyingly been able to see yet. If you're wanting to go, like, elsewhere, obviously, Rafiki is a Kenyan film that has stunning cinematography, really brilliant chemistry between the leads. There's a lot out there, but it is, as you said, like, difficult to-- to find stuff. And something that might be interesting for people who are looking for one of identities within or that crossover into the queer spectrum that don't get a lot of love. There is a Kenyan film about being intersex that was sort of a documentary that was filmed over three years called Sydney and Friends from a couple of years ago that also might be of interest to people. But go... go seek out this stuff. Don't rely on what pops up on, like, the Netflix, LGBT tab, which is not necessarily -- GABE: Yes. ROWAN: -- the most useful in terms of finding stuff because I think Gabe is absolutely right. Some of the best stuff is going to be things that are happening at, like, your local film festivals, or that have, like, limited releases or-- or kind of indie things on YouTube. So, definitely check those out and kind of be -- GABE: Yeah. ROWAN: -- be willing to go with, like, the authenticity and harbor project rather than just what has the flashiest sort of cameras and-- and lighting, and editing and stuff like that. GABE: Yeah, because, like, this stuff is out there. And it-- it's-- it's a pain in the ass that we have to seek it out. ROWAN: Mhmm. GABE: But when you-- when you find the one that really sticks with you, it makes it. Like, I-- I've talked about it more than once, but, like, I am the storyteller on Shriek Week on Dimension 20. Dimension. 20 is, like, the tabletop role playing side of College Humor. It is essentially-- if you're not familiar with tabletop stuff, it is essentially a narrative improv with rules and mechanics tied into it that are basically linked to, like, dice that we roll that helps us determine if something works, if something doesn't work. And I had a cast of four people playing characters. And my job was basically to facilitate the story, the different other characters they would meet, the way the narrative would go, get the different locations, and what was happening in those moments. And like, NPCs, so non-player characters, were the characters that I was coming up with. And it was kind of, like, a Scooby Doo as, like, monster kind of dating sim dating game thing. And all of the different characters had pronouns that they used. They all had sexual identities, they all had gender identities, they all had likes, dislikes, hobbies that I made for a list of 15 different characters, that somehow I managed to introduce all of them in the first episode. And one of the nicest things was, like, there was-- they were even, like, diverse in nationalities. There was the chupacabra character who was he/him, and he had a skateboard that had the Puerto Rican flag on it because the chupacabra is a Puerto Rican myth. And it was a way to represent so many different aspects of someone and an identity and then represent it. There was Yadd Wega, which was our character that was, like, referencing the Baba Yaga. And we had a Van Helsing character who was neutral-- a gender neutral person that was bi and would also use he/him, but like, preferred the they/them which was, like, kind of a self insert for me, as I was also kind of, like, exploring on aspects of my identity, like, my queer identity. And when I had people reaching out, like, excited or emotional, happy to see, like, there's, like, just gay characters in this show that I watch. And it's just a normal thing for everyone. I don't think any of the characters were just simply, like, the player cards, on the end of them were just simply straight. Everyone had a different gender identity. ROWAN: Like, with these kind of roleplay games, and obviously, Dungeons and Dragons is the one that a lot of people will be most familiar with, but there are so many of them out there. And a lot of them are, like, very specifically built for queer characters and queer players and people to explore that. And that -- GABE: Yeah. ROWAN: -- like, what we were talking about the-- the kind of lack of funding or the lack of access, that actually this is the kind of like very immediately accessible media where, obviously with Dimension 20, you have, like, an actual production going on with it, but -- GABE: Yes. ROWAN: -- you could just as easily, like, grab some friends, start streaming, and tell their story and, like, be the one who gets to tell the tale, the kind of theater of the imagination thing. You don't need all these sets and lights and fancy budget and cameras and editors and color grading and all this kind of stuff, like, you would for making like a TV show or a film. You can decide to tell your own story, you know, as it goes along. And there's some amazing people who are making this stuff that is, like, super diverse, that has all of these voices that you would just not see otherwise. I know that trans [54:49] is, like, doing stuff where it's like, "Hey, we're just going to be, like, trans people making these characters and we're all going to be interacting together and this is going to be us owning and telling our own story." And I think that that's really kind of exciting. I think unless there's anything else you wanted to chat about, I think we can do, like, a sort of-- we can do our concluding remarks. GABE: No, I, that sounds good. Thank you for having me. This was fun. And like kind of cathartic that I didn't even know I wanted. ROWAN: Oh my god, thank you so much for coming on. I was me and Jazza, we went through a load of ideas about different types of episodes we wanted to do with guests, and we knew we wanted to do hot takes, but we were like, "We want something else that people can come and feel really passionate about, but not necessarily have to, like, especially if we invited anyone from the film industry, wouldn't have to, like, burn any bridges." So, something that's positive, and I've really, I've so enjoyed, like, this being the first recording. I'm really glad that we've gotten to, like, chat, because we know each other from the online world, but we haven't really been able -- GABE: Yes. ROWAN: -- to obviously either see each other or kind of talk like this. So, it's been so, so fun to -- GABE: Oh my god. ROWAN: -- to hang out on the-- on the old podcast recording. GABE: Absolutely. ROWAN: This is how I talk to my friends now, everyone. I just invite them on to this podcast, and then I have to put it on my calendar -- GABE: That's smart. ROWAN: -- and it's work so I-- I get to put-- I get to put it in the schedule. GABE: What I'm going to do is I'm going to make a podcast and then make you come on it so we can just-- ROWAN: That's how it works. GABE: But-- but mine will be games that, like, shaped-- shaped you. ROWAN: Oh my god. Amazing. And then I'll have to be, like, snap, tiddlywinks, I'll pick some really good-- I'll pick some, like, really niche British games. Some were like British bulldog. I'll just -- GABE: Tiddlywinks made you gay? ROWAN: Yeah, Tiddlywinks made me gay. I mean, listen, listen, just the name. You'll not say Tiddlywinks made you straight, Gabe. GABE: That's okay. That's actually very fair. No. Okay, you got me there. ROWAN: Amazing. Thank you so much for joining me. GABE: This was a pleasure. ROWAN: Thank you so much for listening. 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