I spend a lot of time on tumblr. That statement is either going to generate feelings of relatability or disgust, depending on who’s reading. It’s nevertheless true. While browsing the other night I came across a thread----which I wasn’t smart enough to save----headed by a tweet about women food bloggers and the anecdotes they tend to preface their recipes with. The general takeaway was ‘Stop ridiculing these women for their writing when they’re giving you free stuff’ and I wholeheartedly agreed....

Writing reviews, metas, and the like is a lot about timing. If you don’t craft your writing in the immediate aftermath of your source’s release, someone else will beat you to it and, chances are, your audience will be less enthused about reading the same arguments weeks later. (Admittedly, that’s up for debate. I for one am happy to read about the same shit for years on end.) Thus, when I didn’t have the time or the mental energy to write about It: Chapter Two immediately after seeing it in thea...

[Warning: spoilers ahead!] 

Step One: Ditch the Heels

Does anyone remember when Claire in Jurassic World made the conscious decision to try and outrun a T-Rex in three-inch heels? Yeah. Grace would kick Clarie’s ass. If you suddenly find yourself chucked into a horrifying, life or death situation, make sure you have every advantage, starting with your wardrobe. Grace can’t do much about being stuck in her wedding gown (which, as far as gowns go, is admittedly pretty practical), but she can take th...

How many of us watch opening credits anymore?

Over the decades we’ve seen credits decline from a 3+ minute staple at the beginning of a film to not just relegated to the film’s end, but necessitating an enticement to keep you there at all: here’s a ‘surprise’ scene----maybe two!----that everyone is going to be talking about. Better stick around. The title sequences of TV shows were seemingly in trouble the day DVRs came on the scene, but they’ve gotten even easier to bypass in the age of streamin...

I’ve been immersed in a Doctor Who re-watch lately. Just the Nine and Ten eras. Why? Because I’ve become horribly disenchanted with Moffat’s writing over the years and “The Girl in the Fireplace” fully encompasses all my gripes and complaints. “If you’re gonna keep thinking about this,” said a tiny voice in the back of my head, sounding suspiciously devil-like, “Why not just write it all out? Speak to an actual audience instead of the imaginary one you’ve conjured up. What could go wrong?” What...

I tried to come up with a catchy title and obviously failed, though in my defense I think this conversation is important enough for the blunt and the straight forward. A little over two weeks ago Good Omens dropped on Amazon Prime to the utter joy of Gaiman and Pratchett fans alike----myself included. Given the criticism we've seen lately against live-action remakes (Aladdin), "live-action" remakes (The Lion King), long-running franchises (Star Wars), and shows with lackluster finales (Game of T...

Anyone who frequents this blog with any semi-regularity (being real generous with my popularity here) will know that I’m a big fan of iPhone games. I’m invested in dismantling the concept of a “fake gamer,” which includes acknowledging that every game need not be narratively focused, attached to a console, or—we’re being blunt here—marketed to men in order to be deemed worthwhile by the community. I’ve spoken before about how the check-in, grinding nature of most iPhone games make them perfect f...

[Be sure to check out part one, two, three, and four in this series!]

Here we are, friends! The final leg of the race. Although, if this really was a race I’d be coming in dead last considering that I’ve been slow as molasses in finishing this series. Ah well. It's the effort that counts. 

Reaction GIFs. The holy grail of GIF-ing. 

Even the super stereotyped Baby Boomer with their dur hur technophobia has at least some level of fondness for this form. After all, it’s how GIFs initially made sense...

I would very much like to know who it was that first claimed Star Trek: Deep Space Nine is inferior to its predecessors. I would like to learn their name and invite them out for coffee some afternoon. I just want to have a nice, civilized chat. Hand to God. Turn on your location, friend! You have nothing to fear from me... 

No really. This illusive someone literally has nothing to fear because I'm 105 pounds of preferred passive aggression who has never thrown a punch in her life. Which is n...

Like the rest of the world (or at least the rest of Neflix users) I was watching Hill House all those months ago and, also like everyone else, I have lots of thoughts about that ending. 

A few weeks ago I was hanging in my shared office, waiting around for students not particularly interested in coming to office hours, and a few of the other GTAs struck up a conversation about the final episode, "Silence Lay Steadily." To my surprise they all unanimously hated it, going so far as to recommend tha...