It is officially the end of March Madness. What a time to be alive. When I checked in at the end of April, it was too early to really provide rational thoughts on certain topics. Russia had just invaded Ukraine. Florida and Texas continued to have an unceremonious falling out with the LGBTQIA+ community, and it had yet to be seen if my beloved Cal State Long Beach would top The Big West Division in basketball. The good news to the final point is that we did. In fact, I was at that final game at The Pyramid where they invited the crowd onto the court for the net cutting. It's quite an experience to see the press taking photos of your team and watching them get trophies. They definitely deserved it, even if the following week they bowed out to Fullerton, meaning we missed March Madness by *this much*.
I guess it’s fine, though. They ended up playing Duke which I could’ve told you was a slaughter from the moment they announced it on Selection Sunday. We ended up losing to BYU in The NIT Tournament by 21 points, so life is not all lollipops and rainbows. The game was a runaway, though it would’ve been funny to watch any California school receive endless flack for taking down a top seed in Coach K’s final season in the first round. It was never going to happen, but one can dream… right? With that said, congrats go out to Saint Peter’s for defying the odds.
I will say that, like every month lately, it’s been interesting to be queer in America. While I am fortunate enough to live in California, where we have crosswalks and lifeguard stations literally designed in rainbows, it has been disconcerting to watch others miss the point of empathy altogether. The most fruitful has been Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” Bill, which seeks to delegitimize queer identities while suggesting that heterosexual lifestyles are pure. I love not seeing people back down from this and even the walkouts give me hope that something could be done. I will admit that seeing high schoolers chanting “We said gay!” in Florida is on some level goofy, but the sentiment makes me feel incredible.
Honestly, a lot of my recent years have been dedicated to unpacking the homophobia of my teenage experience. It still amazes me that gay marriage isn’t even a decade old yet. Even if it doesn’t look like progress is made, I am so impressed by the modern generation’s willingness to be confident in themselves. I wish that I was at their age because I imagine how much richer my life would be. I love that YouTube and TikTok have so many great creators preaching empathy and trying to provide thorough arguments for why these bills are harmful, where taking away health care from transgender individuals is child abuse and the language points out how little politicians care about people who are different than them. As it stands, the Lia Thomas NCAA swimming story makes me sad – especially the part where Governor DeSantis overturned the results and promoting a harmful myth that trans women are just failed male athletes looking for easier competition.
I am happy with people standing up to Disney, if just because I’ve personally believed that they have lacked proper queer representation for years now. The comments that Bob Chapek made were poorly worded and I think their effort is more performative at this point than actually helpful. They are a billion dollar industry. They can stand to take a risk if one film doesn’t change the world because of China. They’re a complicated beast because they do make art that has appeal, but sometimes their message rings hollow, and frankly, it’s why I’ve been predominantly skeptical of them. I don’t care about your seconds-long scene dedicated to affirming gayness. Give me a full character without editing away their identity. Do better, Disney. You have the power to build empathy and change the world more than any of us. Why not use your power to promote something useful?
With that said, The Owl House creator Dana Terrace did say that there was an aromatic asexual character on the show and it just makes my heart flutter. I have been skeptical of the idea of any children’s media being great aro-ace representation, but building it into the character – especially on a show with a bisexual lead – gives me some hope that we’re moving in the right direction.
Also, there was a point this week where the number one video on YouTube was by an aro-ace creator named Jaiden Animations, which feels like another victory. I’m loving how strong my aces are showing up lately.
I would also like to share that I officially have seen Wicked live. For those that were hoping that a big, shameless musical about witches wouldn’t win me over, I must ask… how long have you known me? I’m here for witch supremacy, and this show was honestly incredible to witness with an audience. It’s maybe the strongest, most powerful emotion I’ve experienced in a live theater environment in years. I loved hearing the audience applaud character entrances and the spectacle of that stage. “Defying Gravity” really is that amazing, and Elphaba is brilliant as a character. I love its complicated tone and the way it balances broad humor with complex themes. Given that the film version is by Jon M. Chu of recent In the Heights (2021) fame, I am frothing at the mouth with excitement for when that day finally arrives. Even the trailer day is going to be beautiful.
With that said, “Dancing Through Life” is such an amazing little hit and I love every emotional beat it carries.
I will specify that a lot of March has felt exhausting for a couple of reasons. The most noteworthy is that I am currently in the middle of a reading-intensive semester of university. Among the daily assignments is working my way through James Joyce’s epic-in-a-day narrative “Ulysses.” To say the least, it’s managed to be the most satisfyingly academic experience I have had even if I am gobsmacked half of the time at what anything means or why it’s important. Given that I relate to Joyce’s reason for writing how he does because I suspect he was autistic, there is something I admire even as I find this a chore. Still, the fact that I’m reading a book that has featured so much bodily function talk as character development on an academic level astounds me. He really was pushing boundaries and I love that about him, but I’m also fine not reading his other work for a minute.
Among the work that I have been consuming to combat the overbearing educational system is a newfound favorite. Thanks to The Criterion Channel, I have slowly been working my way through the shorts of Sophy Romvari. I have enjoyed playing roulette with indie filmmakers on there, and there’s something emotionally satisfying about digging into any of her work. Of what I’ve seen, I find the most satisfying to be Still Processing, which finds her looking at old photographs and contextualizing them with silence and revelations in the subtitles. As an exploration of how we emotionally respond to memories, it’s one of the most powerful things that I’ve seen. It draws you in and subconsciously makes you think of people in your own life, what you are proud of and regret. Romvari has a gift for camerawork and even other work like Pumpkin Movie has this weight of turning a simple Zoom session of carving pumpkins into something more deep and meaningful. I hope great things happen for her.
I also loved After Yang (2022), which is currently my favorite movie of 2022 and features one of the more interesting intertechnological relationships with computers that I have seen since Ex-Machina (2014). There’s plenty to admire about Kogonada’s short career and I can only hope to watch the film again and have it grow in appreciation. There’s such a profundity to it that makes you admire the artistry. Also, it has a new song by Mitski. I’m sure you’re not above a little fun in your life, are you?
Of the TV landscape, there’s a ton of stuff entering with such a brisk speed that it’s hard to keep up. I will just give a brief update in saying that season three of Infinity Train has been a satisfying and surprising experience and makes me appreciate the intricate ways that it builds the universe. Among other shows, there are two in particular that have been standing out to me as of late. The first is The Dropout with Amanda Seyfried, which finds her playing Elizabeth Holmes with such engaging subtext. I have enjoyed what it’s achieved so far and am curious to see where things go, especially since I’m one of a small fraction that honestly doesn’t know how this story ends.
The other is Pam & Tommy, which may not qualify as high art, but honestly is one of the most entertaining character studies I’ve seen in a few months. It starts with the painful irony of two people that have nothing in common falling in love with the idea of each other while being exposed for something very intimate. Going from there, it dives into 90s era politics around taboo subjects and the place women have in society. The show seeks to make Pamela Anderson sympathetic and does an excellent job of pointing out how culturally she was being eviscerated by a narcissistic partner in Tommy Lee. Add in a whole subplot about the sex tape and it gets into some really complex ideas about privacy and celebrity.
In a move that may sound blasphemous, Pam & Tommy is everything that American Crime Story’s Impeachment season tried to be. It is deconstructing misogyny and exploitation with much more confidence than the more reliable prestige series. Anderson comes across as a more complicated figure than Monica Lewinski did, and it helps that Lily James really knows how to add emotional gravitas to the role. There’s so much to love in a performance reflecting a hollow existence, where the search for love stopped when fame butted in. There’s so much to like even if it's boilerplate Craig Gillespie at this point. It may not have the greatest commentary on American society, but it does say something so nakedly honest that has only festered in the interim.
Also, Riverdale is back. Get hyped.
Finally, one of my favorite pop stars Charli XCX has returned with the album “Crash.” Given that “How I’m Feeling Now” is one of my favorite albums and essentially got me into hyperpop, I have been curious to see what she would do next. While this is more formulaic in nature, there’s plenty of evidence that a polished sound doesn’t harsh her appeal. She has this way of making every hook land. At times she’s disco, others new jack swing, and it all fulfills this strange tone that just works. “Baby” is an interesting one just for how well the title works as a stuttering punctuation. I also love how immediate her work is, getting to the point in almost a half hour and delivering such great music to dance to. I’ve also enjoyed Orville Peck, Gayle, Baby Queen, and underscores’ albums.
I am sure that there’s plenty to look forward to in April. Given that next week marks my Spring Break, I am planning to mentally waste away something fierce. I’ll probably watch The Gilded Age and appreciate the costume work along with an all-star cast doing big extravagant nonsense. Other than that, I might be seeing Avenue Q and could finally be crossing The Batman (2022) off of my to do list. Also, April 6 is the second annual Asexual Appreciation Day, and I am looking forward to hopefully being more present this time around. If nothing else, I ask that you all watch Princess Cyd (2017) and feel like you’ve experienced some queer joy in your life. Other than that, I may be doing some special columns near the end of the month to commemorate some darker anniversaries, but that will be determined when they arrive.
My March has been a fantastic one and full of incredible experiences. I cannot say that every day was beautiful, but I did what I could to make life hold meaning. If nothing else, 2022 continues to be better, mentally, for me than 2021. I hope to keep it that way and there may be a short story coming down the pike sooner than later. For those fighting for equality, I just want to say that I love you. Thank you for seeking to make this world reach its potential. Even if it’s changing one person’s day, hopefully, it will be worth it. We all deserve respect and I can only hope one day we can all share it.
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