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LGBTQ+ Folks on the Power of Watching ‘The L Word’ for the First Time


Katherine Moennig and Sarah Shahi in season three. ©Showtime Networks Inc./Courtesy Everett Collection

Caitlin Copple Masingill, 36, Boise, founder and president, Full Swing PR

“The L Word was huge in my own coming-out process. I binge-watched the series in my apartment in Sun Valley, Idaho, where I worked as a cocktail waitress for a year. I watched it with my best friend, Amy, who was straight but very supportive of my coming out-process. Having also grown up in rural Idaho, she was pretty intrigued by the L.A. lesbian subculture of the day. I couldn’t find any lesbians to date in Idaho, so it was a rough year, but watching The L Word gave me hope that I’d find someone eventually and be able to explore my true sexual orientation. Sure enough, when I moved to Montana for graduate school, Missoula proved to be full of lesbians, and watch parties of The L Word ensued. I met my first girlfriend shortly after I moved there. I dated women pretty much exclusively for a decade but ended up getting back together with my uber-supportive college sweetheart, a dude named Jeff. I prefer to identify as queer and not bisexual. I feel like I’m 80% gay and 20% bi, and Jeff happens to fall in the 20%. We’ve been married since June 2017 and have a three-year-old, and we live in Boise. I was the first openly LGBTQ person elected to the Missoula City Council in 2011, when I was 27.”

Kenny Screve, 24, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, LGBT+ advocate and social media influencer

“The first time I watched The L Word, I had recently came out of the closet. During that time, I was extremely afraid of not being accepted. Then I found the The L Word. I was extremely happy to watch something that supported the LGBT+ community. I thought it was so surreal and necessary. I enjoyed every minute of The L Word and really thought the world needed to see couples that aren’t heterosexual. The characters on the show were amazing and did a really good job showcasing what it’s like to be a lesbian. Meaning, their relationships aren’t much different from your typical heterosexual relationship. The show reminded me of Sex and the City, lesbian edition. The L Word also shows the struggle LGBT+ people have to go through on the daily. It really depicts the lives of some of my lesbian friends. I loved Tina and Bette as a couple. Ultimately, I just think it’s important for society to play shows like this because it gives us LGBT+ folk something to relate to. It can be really annoying to watch a show that you can’t relate to whatsoever. I watched it in my dorm room alone and sometimes with a group of friends. But mostly alone. When I’m really into a show, I don’t like to get distracted from all the tea, but I enjoy conversations with my friends about it. As a gay man, I totally related to some of the struggles faced by some of the L Word characters. Representation is super important. For society to move forward, it’s necessary.”

Mara Wilson, 32, Los Angeles, actor and writer

“As a teen, I was deeply closeted and thus conflicted about openly enjoying anything even rumored to be about women loving women. It was years before I admitted my love for the Spice Girls, let alone the Indigo Girls. Lesbians in pop culture were either the object of a joke or an object of male fantasy. So it was a relief when friends of mine started passing around DVDs of The L Word at boarding school. Yes, it was sensationalist and very of its time, but it was one of the first shows I saw that showed queer women as people. I remember being happy when I took a personality quiz and got Bette, and annoyed when I took another one and got Jenny. It was the first time I felt that I could identify fully with fictional queer women, maybe because all my friends, regardless of orientation, were doing it too.

”I definitely still had a long way to go, though: A few years later I saw a play in New York with my then boyfriend and said ‘Oh, my God!’ when I saw Kate Moenning’s name in the playbill. My boyfriend said, ‘What do you know that actress from?’ I said, ‘Oh, just from…stuff.’”

Melissa Kravitz is a writer based in New York City. Follow her at @melissabethk on both Instagram and Twitter.





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The 3 Things I’m Shopping After Watching the Little Women Trailer on Repeat


I’ve been watching the trailer for Greta Gerwig’s Little Women remake on repeat ever since it debuted in August. The new movie—starring Meryl Streep, Emma Watson, Saoirse Ronan, and Laura Dern—is already getting rave reviews and early Oscars buzz for Ronan.

“Every single moment of it is just devastatingly poignant—somehow wild & wise / now & forever at the same time—and it all makes the whole world feel more possible & alive and then it’s over & you have to do laundry,” IndieWire film critic David Ehrlich tweeted about Little Women a few weeks ago.

And while I can’t wait to see the movie and cry, I’m also excited to mine it for fashion inspo. I’ve been debating what my style aesthetic will be this winter, and thanks to the Little Women trailer I think I have an answer. My outfit will work for the office and be inspired by quarreling with Laurie in an open field, or I want nothing to do with it.

These three moments from the Little Women trailer inspired all of my winter fashion goals. Come join me on the modern prairie, friends. Laura Dern is here!

Muted prints

I’ll take all the easy-on-the-eyes stripes, florals, or plaids. Any print inspired by one of the sisters’ dresses will do! Patterns that use similar colors (or varying shades of the same color) create visual interest without being distracting. Perfect for sitting under a tree and writing poetry for hours. To avoid the “I just got back from churning butter” vibes, I’ll skip the full, floor-length skirts and look for muted patterns on more modern pieces, like slim-fit pants and soft cotton T-shirts.

 Columbia Pictures/Entertainment Pictures

Timeless woolen winter layers

Because it gets cold on the prairie, too. And I’m not about to back down from my argument with Laurie because my arms are cold. Emma Watson’s green scarf here is particularly delightful.

A still from Little Women
Columbia Pictures

Laurie’s white-shirt and slacks combo

Timothée Chalamet’s character offers a new spin on a classic. For a modern take, I’ll lose the vest and pair menswear-inspired pants in a 2019 silhouette—or a skirt that looks like it means business—with a white tee. Maybe if I wear this look and walk around Brooklyn, Gerwig will discover me and cast me in her next movie. A Little Women sequel, perhaps? One can dream!

Timothee Chalamet in Little Women.
© Columbia Pictures/Entertainment Pictures





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Meghan Markle's Close Friend Opened Up About Watching Her Face Media Scrutiny


An upcoming documentary about Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s recent trip to Africa showed Markle revealing that she’s been “vulnerable” in the spotlight as a royal and new mother. “Not many people have asked if I’m okay,” the Duchess said in the now-viral clip. Following that heartbreaking confession, one of the Duchess of Sussex’s close friends is coming to her defense.

On a recent episode of CBS This Morning, Markle’s makeup artist, Daniel Martin opened up about watching his friend face intense scrutiny from the British tabloids. In short: It’s been an incredibly difficult time for the Duchess.

At the top of the interview, Martin was asked how it’s been to watch his close friend get dissected by the British media. “To be honest, it’s been tough,” Martin said. “Watching this documentary, it’s almost been the relief seeing her at a point where she can be honest about what’s been happening. I feel like all of us who have known, we just didn’t know what to do or how to help, but I feel like just putting this out there, like it has been challenging, it’s hopefully demystified a lot about what’s going on over there.”

Markle is currently in a legal battle against the Daily Mail, which allegedly illegally published a private letter she sent to her father, Thomas Markle, in 2018.

Martin was asked how Markle is handling the lawsuit under the watchful eye of the press. He revealed that Markle’s singularly focused on protecting Prince Harry and baby Archie through the proceedings. “I think she has a lot on her plate and she just wants to make sure that her boys are safe,” he said. “I know her. She’s going to totally take care of this. It’s just understanding the ways around it.”

Keeping up close friendships outside of the royal family have been essential to Markle’s adjustment to her new role. Martin, whom Markle has known for a decade, has been part of several of her big occasions, including the royal wedding (he was responsible for Markle;s makeup) and her baby shower. The love is mutual: While Markle was in New York City for the U.S. Open in September, she snuck in a visit to Martin’s birthday party.

It’s unclear how long Markle’s lawsuit will last or what the outcome will be, but judging by Martin’s interview, she at least has dedicated friends to support her through it.



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Watching Sophie Turner and Jonathan Van Ness Meet for the First Time Is Pure Joy


It’s already been well-documented that Sophie Turner had a great night at the 2019 MTV VMAs. She rocked out to Normani (as one always should), got very excited to take a photo with Lizzo, and hijacked her husband’s moon person after the Jonas Brothers win.

She also met Queer Eye‘s Jonathan Van Ness, which looked incredible from the photos, but now we have video evidence that it was epic for both parties. In true JVN fashion, he reacts to seeing Turner with a scream that, indeed, should only be reserved for when the Queen in the North calls out your name and approaches you with open arms.

“I’m so happy for your ending, oh my God,” he says, speaking of Turner’s character Sansa Stark ending up ruling the North on Game of Thrones. “I was so relieved.” Then he appears to whisper in her ear, “It was the only one I could stomach.” (Many fans of the show were less-than-thrilled with the final season, to the point that some drew up a petition to have it remade.)

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It’s a true mutual admiration between these two as they tell each other how incredible they think the other is. Van Ness also congratulated Turner on her “gorgeous summer”—which, of course included her wedding to Joe Jonas.

Speaking of, Turner makes sure to call him over to meet JVN too—and the two men bow down to each other. JVN is always such a positive force on Queer Eye, and it’s so lovely to see he’s exactly the same when meeting the super-famous.

Honestly, this whole video is exactly the midweek mood lifter we all needed. I, for one, will be keeping it tucked away for a re-watch the next time I’m having a bad day. A Sophie Turner and Jonathan Van Ness podcast needs to happen immediately.



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Casey Wilson Wants You to Start Watching 90 Day Fiancé


If you’re not watching 90 Day Fiancé, may I politely ask…why?

Though I don’t consider myself an evangelist for garbage programming, I do seem to watch an awful lot of it. I even co-host a podcast called Bitch Sesh devoted to The Real Housewives—and while those devastatingly wondrous 60-somethings will always have my heart, I still have eyes! I’m not dead!

And someone else has caught my fancy: 90 Day Fiancé. From the moment I saw a lovable wreck named Darcy scream over and over and over at her fiancé, an unlovable piece of driftwood named Jesse, “CUT THE STEAK ON THE BIAS!!!!!!!!” I knew my life would never be the same.

For those who haven’t heard of the show, know that the concept is devastating. It’s a “documentary” on TLC that follows American citizens in relationships with foreigners who have secured K-1 visas and now have 90 days to decide if they should get married. Spoiler Alert: They shouldn’t.

The dynamics tend to be as you would imagine. Often, a smart, sweet, foreign woman—a 10 in her country—settles for an American two. That piece of it is obviously incredibly problematic. But once you see a Texan mama’s boy tuck a clump of his mother’s hair into his shirt pocket so he can “keep her with him” while he flies across the world to bring home his fiancé, well, you give over to it.

And when you see a feisty, rode-hard grandma in her late 60s fly to Nigeria to see if it’s true love between her and a 19-year-old Nigerian, you simply don’t walk away. And when you see that same couple have sex, and she yells, “Ride me Michael!”—you sit your ass down and you show some respect.

The show follows five couples to the alter, per season. A few of the couples really love each other. A few are being cat fished. A few might belong in jail. But unlike most reality shows, this one has actual, real-life high stakes. These people’s entire lives are on the line. It’s not fake or scripted. These housewives are realer than any of the Real Housewives.

Watching these odd couples negotiate the realities of life offline is both hilarious and heartbreaking. We all make tradeoffs. We all try to move above our station. We don’t all promise a sweet girl’s father we would “show her the American Dream” and then end up living in a storage space. But that’s the show. It’s a heightened version of the worst couples ever in the worst situations ever, handling them the worst possible way. I’m ashamed to admit it’s thrilling to deep dive into relationships that have little to no chance of surviving. But much like mice in a trap, they’ll die trying. And it’s goddamn delightful to watch.

To those of you who look askance at this type of low-brow programming, I may not be able to reach across the aisle and convince you. The divide may simply be too great. But let me just say, I believe zoning out to nonsense to be a healing prescription for today’s world. And this is actually incredibly well made nonsense with perfect editing and couples who will make you look at your own troubled relationship and think, “Not. Too. Shabby.”

So if you’re thinking about taking the plunge, but don’t know where to start, I urge you to watch in this confusing order: Start with Season 5. Then jump to the spin-off series 90 Day Fiancé: Before the 90 Days (it’s about couples deciding whether or not they should apply for the K-1 visa). After that, jump to the most recent season of 90 Day Fiancé. (Stay with me…) Then head on over to 90 Day Fiancé: Happily Ever After?, another spin-off series that follows up with the most controversial or popular couples. Once that’s complete, go back to Season 1 of 90 Day and continue on in the order God intended until Season 5, right back where you started.



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Watching Kourtney and Khloé Kardashian Annoy Scott Disick in the Car Is Oddly Satisfying


Khloé and Kourtney Kardashian have their own bizarre language. The episode of Keeping Up With the Kardashians where they shadily call Kim “Nancy” deserves an Emmy, to be quite honest. And when they ragged on Kris Jenner for her Miranda Priestly haircut last year? I think about it, at minimum, three times a week. If I leave this earth without Kourtney and Khloé asking me, “What the fuck is going on on your head?” at least once, then I haven’t lived, damn it.

Scott Disick doesn’t have this problem, lucky for him. He sees Kourtney and Khloé all the time—most recently today, March 20, when they picked on him for an entire car ride.

But they didn’t call him “Nancy” or make fun of his haircut. Instead they said a bunch of random words in British accents until Disick cracked. What, you haven’t done this before? I was talking to strangers in a British accent just 20 minutes ago. (Kidding.)

Khloé and Kourtney are truly the only people who would do this, and we love them for it. So here’s what happened: The two were having a ball in the car saying nonsensical things like “subliminally sublime” in full British accents. Meghan Markle would be so proud, but Disick definitely wasn’t. He sat next to Khloé scowling and looking out the window as she and Kourtney rambled on like confused extras in Downton Abbey.

“Scott hates us,” Khloé captioned one of her Instagram Story videos. And it’s true: He doesn’t look happy at all. Maybe it has nothing to do with Khloé and Kourtney, though. Maybe he’s randomly recalling the time he spent $200 at Burger King. That would certainly make me upset.

Instagram

Regardless, the British accents keep flying and Scott’s annoyance only grows. Just look at his eyes here! That’s a look I give only when the Applebee’s waiter tells me my food is running 15 minutes late. Khloé and Kourtney didn’t deserve this!

Scott Disick on Khloe Kardashian's Instagram Stories.
Instagram

Eventually, Scott cracks and says one of Khloé and Kourtney’s weird phrases, but not in a British accent (boo). It’s oddly satisfying to watch, so head over to Khloé ‘s Instagram Stories and check it out.

Instagram
Instagram

Now all I want to see is Scott, Khloé, and Kourtney reenact a Harry Potter scene. Make this happen, Kris Jenner. Those KUWTK ratings would go through the roof.





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