Thoughts on Social Isolation and 2020

Whew!

The past month or so has been a lot, yeah?  It appears that Joe Biden is on track to the Democratic nominee for president. And, fine. Whatever. He wasn't my top choice at all, but the COVID-19 pandemic, and Trump's massive failures around managing it, is one of many issues that highlights the urgency of defeating Trump in 2020.

It's a low bar, but Biden would be exponentially better than Trump. And, if Bernie Sanders were to pull off a surprise win, he would be as well. Whoever the nominee is just needs to be smart enough to name a progressive woman as vice president.

Anyway, it appears many of us will be stuck indoors, at home, isolating ourselves from others during this pandemic. Also, shoutout to those providing essential services right now who cannot do so, including health workers, firefighters, caregivers, law enforcement, delivery people, and more.

During this time, I've been thinking of doing a Xena rewatch (and possibly recaps, but not sure what I will have time for, given my other responsibilities).

Anyway, I mostly just wanted to check in. Please stay safe and healthy (and at home, if you are able!). How are others occupying themselves during this time?

Happy Galentines Day

This is just to pop in and provide a very important Xena update:

Happy #GalentinesDay pic.twitter.com/G95rTAbdj2

— Lucy Lawless (@RealLucyLawless) February 13, 2018

Love to all the dykes on Twitter right now unashamedly sharing what the show meant to them back in the day.

Ellen Page and Emma Portner Marry

Ellen Page announced on Wednesday via Twitter and Instagram that she and dancer Emma Portner have gotten married! Congratulations and best wishes to both of them!

Also, very important side note: I couldn't not mention that Lucy Lawless was quick to offer congrats to the couple:

MAZELTOV, Girls!

— Lucy Lawless (@RealLucyLawless) January 3, 2018

It's the little things that give me joy in life.

A 2017 Fan Video Send-Off

Why yes, I do want the last post of the year to be a fan video set to the tune of "Fight Song."

SO LONG, YEAR!

In Which I Search For Good Reasons To Repeal Net Neutrality

I've found it:The worst take on the FCC's decision to repeal net neutrality.

Over at The Week, Matthew Walther is celebrating the repeal (ie, his big win!).

First, he suggests that liberals are hysterically over-reacting about the FCC's decision. Yet, rather than delving into the harm, or lack thereof, of the repeal, he tells us that we're being dum-dums for caring about a boring issue:

"Having strong feelings about net neutrality — which essentially mandates that your internet service provider treats all internet traffic and data equally — is like getting upset over a public-access TV debate on the generic ballot or the proceedings of the House of Representatives Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife, Oceans, and Insular Affairs."

Secondly, he's mad at the Internet for disrupting the economy, so therefore everyone must pay.

"In the last decade the internet has changed every aspect of our lives in ways that we have largely accepted without a moment's hesitation. As but one example: Was it a good thing — for people, commerce, or art — that Netflix destroyed the video store industry?"

Oh, and one more thing. It's a bit of a buried lede:

"I rather like that 'throttle,' a good old-fashioned strong verb that meant 'strangle or kill' before it was an engineering term, has become the word we use to refer to the practice of internet service providers hindering the transmission of pornographic videos, online shoot-em-up games, and HBO reruns. These are all things that deserve to be throttled. Throttle away."

Walther disapproves of people accessing certain content on the Internet, therefore he's glad Internet Service Providers might limit people's access to that particular content.

When we put it that way, the topic doesn't sound so boring anymore, does it? 

Whatever. Just don't touch my motherfucking Xena vids.

Friday Fun: Wonder Woman

I realize I haven't posted about Xena in months or the new Wonder Woman movie at all, which I think knocks me back a few notches on the Kinsey scale.

Please enjoy this mashup of both:


But seriously, why would you ever leave the island of Amazons, though? There is no earthly reason to. Just fly the new babies in.

Femslash Friday: Xena (Again)

Dear readers, it has dawned upon me that I've been remiss and must apologize. We are now in our third month of a new year and I have not yet posted a Xena-dedicated Femslash Friday.

While my lesbian card is suspended, I might as well also admit that my favorite Xena fan videos are those that fall into one of the following categories: (a) humor, (b) over-the-top cheesy, or (c) those where the video heavily draws from the episode "Heart of Darkness"

(Sorry, not sorry).

Enjoy a ladies-kissing-ladies fan video. Question: were there more kissing or hot tubs scenes in Xena? I'm here to ask the important questions.

Happy Thanksgiving and Blog Note

Hi all.

Blog readership is usually pretty light around Thanksgiving, so I'll resume the Election Fallout and Supergirl posts next Monday.

If you celebrate Thanksgiving, have a good one. If you're traveling, stay safe. And if you have to be around Trump-supporting family members, best wishes in navigating.... that.

For now, I am thankful that I found a Xena fan video set to Rihanna's "Te Amo."

By the way, has anyone ever counted how many hot tubs scenes are in the Xena series? I'm betting about 13. And also, I may or may not have watched the episode "Heart of Darkness," prominently featured in this vid, eleventymillion times.

What the Fresh Hell Did I Just Watch

Just Lucy Lawless in a show before she was famous.

This comedy .... or whatever, is actually kind of sad. Just like Elisabeth Shue mostly being used as a silent prop for the male actors in Back to the Future II, I just have to say: what a fuckin' waste.  But then again, I'm not particularly entertained by frat-like groups of dipshit dudes ambling about in bad wigs and shit-stained whitey-tighties, and who are mysteriously both dildo-brained and superior to women.

But maybe that's just me!

Gawd, the TV/film industry must be especially horrendous for up-and-coming women.

History Made! And Other Things!

And by other things, I mean Xena-related news, obvs. This is Fannie's Room: Your go-to destination on the world wide web for breaking crossover political-Xena-femslash-related commentary, apparently.

Along with last night's official and historic nomination of Hillary Clinton as the Democratic candidate for President, my night was officially made by evidence of Lucy Lawless approvingly watching the Democratic National Convention:

Holy cow, the #DNC has you crying and 5minites later laughing. What a great celebration of Love. #LoveTrumpsHate

— Lucy Lawless (@RealLucyLawless) July 27, 2016

(I like to think she made a typo there because she was so thrilled with the outcome of the Roll Call Vote - so BACK OFF!)

Just because it's been awhile and I am officially a stereotype, enjoy today's obligatory Xena fan video:





1:00 minute in: Woof!

Ghost Lady Friday

*Sigh*

It is a truth universally-acknowledged by TV/film writers and producers that any show with a lesbian or bisexual woman must be in want of her to be killed off eventually. (And yes, today's post was brought to you by the mess that was The 100's handling of Lexa. More here, if you're curious.).

Perhaps I don't have to explain this trend to most of you, but here goes anyway: queer characters make up a tiny share of TV/film characters. So, while ideally, they would get the same treatment any other character would get, including the possibility of death, it seems that lesbian and bisexual female characters in particular are killed off in disproportionate numbers. So, we are already barely represented in media, and then when we are, this representation decreases further when these characters are killed off.

(I have no idea if this is also a thing for queer men. Whatever the case, I don't see them critiquing the phenomenon as much. Or maybe I just don't pay as much attention. Anyway).

I dedicate today's post to these lesbian and bisexual characters, an assemblage of which can be found at Autostraddle. (Addendum: Without getting pedantic about it, I would have included Xena on this list. Which means Lucy Lawless could have been on this list 3 times. Which makes me feel very confused, to be honest. I love that she's playing lesbian/bi, but for once would love to see her get a happy ending doing so! Also, if movies were included in this list, this list would have been quite a bit longer, as lesbian/bi characters in movies get similar treatment as in TV).

HOWEVER, to end on an upbeat note, I think it's important to add that it is a rare lesbian/bisexual character death that I accept as canon. In my head, despite their tragic ends, all of these characters are now somewhere happier. Together. Like getting down with their bad selves at a Dinah Shores Afterlife.

Or, perhaps, canoodling in a secret password-protected vault of stories at A03.

I am quite sure of this.

Imagine:

Dana Fairbanks (The L Word)  is alive, giving Samantha Krueger (Ascension) free tennis lessons, just because Samantha reminds her of a "soup chef" she once knew. It is precisely as adorkable as you think it would be.

Tara Thornton (True Blood) and Tamsin (Lost Girl)  are generally in charge of things in this 'verse, and are even more badass when their powers are combined (and yes, I mean "when their powers are combined" in the dirtiest manner possible).

And then, what would happen if we mixed the authoritarian Helena Cain (Battlestar Galactica) with free spirit Jenny Schecter (The L Word)? Yes, please.

The possibilities are endless, really, and at this point, they belong to the fans.

Femslash February Friday: A Classic

Welp, Femslash February is just about over, which is sad.

The good news, however, is that Femslash Friday will continue. It is an election year, and I'm not sure we will make it through the news cycle and political bullshit without additional femslash in our lives.

Today, in honor of the month, I bring you a classic. This one's a Xena/Gabrielle fan video to the tune of "Holding Out for a Hero."

Because aren't we all, in these desperate times?

Content note: If you watch it. you will officially become more lesbian for doing so. No, I mean, even if you're not a lesbian, because I know there are those of you who read here who aren't lesbians, and I certainly don't want to erase you!

I truly believe we can all be united in harmony here in Fannie's Room around a shared appreciation for femslash. High fives all around!

And, I have to say, it makes me especially happy that some of my potential bigot readers might become more lesbian.

But seriously, it's just that it's scientifically proven that watching a fan video that was at one time a Xena Convention Winner will result in slight shifts in one's place on the Kinsey Scale.

(Hey, people have claimed homosexuality is "caused" by worse things, yeah?)

It Is a Little-Known Fact

That, while Xena and Gabrielle are endgame, Aphrodite did have a bit of a crush on Gabrielle.

It is easy to miss this one over the course of 6 seasons, especially as some people could barely even admit the obvious Xena/Gabrielle relationship.  However, I did not miss it, and apparently neither did the fan who made the video below.

In fact, don't tell the warrior princess, but it's likely that an actual affair happened at some point between the Goddess of Love and the Queen of the Amazons (and how could it not, when you think about it?)

Just putting that out there:




Did you know that next month is Femslash February*?

(Here in Fannie's Room, every month is femslash month).

Will anyone be creating, consuming, or celebrating appropriately?


*How the fuck does tumblr even work?

Fair Warning and Femslash Friday

Here's my new standard response to, and image for, trolls here:


I am no longer too lazy to make my own gifs.  This seriously changes everything.

As a side note, you may recognize the above image from an episode of Xena, one of my favorites in fact (Season 4 "If the Shoe Fits," a re-telling of Cinderella).

Although, honestly, as I try to write right now, the gif keeps moving and is totally distracting, so I really don't have much more to say I guess other than here is a link to your courtesy Femslash Friday fan video - a tribute to Gabrielle's funny moments.