Are you the kind of person who like a cinematic challenge? Who likes to chat about a film all the way home, reading new things into it as you listen to your pal’s opinion? If so, avoid Haywire, maintaining the distance of at least a roundhouse kick. This is junk-food in film form, grand while you watch it but you’ve forgotten all about it an hour afterwards.

It stars Gina Carano, who was our second Álainn or Appallin’ all the way back, and is a bit of a  heroine to our kick-boxing webmistress.

Gina is Mallory, literally a kick-ass agent for a shady government-hired company of mercenaries. Her boss, Ewan McGregor, realises that she’s bigger than the company and sells her out. Or he tries to. She pummels seven shades of shite out of the bloke who’s supposed to kill her (Micheal Fassbender) and goes on a Bourne buzz, trying to figure it all out.

Personally, I’m an action movie fan, so I loved it. Major pluses are the fact that it’s obvious that Gina is actually doing all of the ass-kickery herself, and the fact that the director (Steven Soderberg) is obviously loving it. The fight scenes are realistically ouchie and impressive in equal measure.

To add to that, a large section of the film is set in Dublin (that’s Connolly station, left), which is a great distraction. Don’t worry, the accents are all ok, and there isn’t a hint of a leprechaun. Quite the opposite, the continuity is spot on and when Mallory is running around Dublin, it’s all geographically accurate -- there’s no  turning a corner Temple Bar just to end up in the Phoenix Park.

The film hangs completely on Carano and she does ok. She looks gorgeous and fights like a pro, it’s just a pity she didn’t get a few more acting lessons. Any scene where she says more than one sentence is a step too far for her, but there are only a couple of them as Soderberg is aware of her short-comings and has her surrounded by excellent actors, including Michael Douglas, Bill Paxton and Antonio Banderas as well as McGregor and Fassbender.

Haywire is silly, but (wo)man is it fun. Here’s hoping there’s a sequel.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=KFV0Uvzpz0o

Related posts:

1. Going Haywire for Gina
2. Nine women you must see before the end of the world*
3. Review: Becoming Chaz

The film is set in 1980, when Steinem profiled Lovelace in Ms. Magazine, fighting for recognition of the appalling abusiveness of the relationship.

Perez Hilton reckons this will be among “the most talked about movies of the year,” which reflects very positively on Hollywood’s priorities, and the film has already prompted a necessary conversation on the abuses and dangers of the porn and sex industries. Putting everything else aside, that the film is being made is very good news.

This week the internet has been all a-flutter with discussions over whether Moore is a good fit for Steinem (left). The directors are delighted with Moore, they feel they’ve found an “icon to play and icon.” Many feel that this role presents a great opportunity for Moore to reignite her career. It doesn’t hurt that she looks quite like Steinem too.

Not everyone is so supportive. The Guardian’s Marina Hyde even ranked the decision second in her “Top Five Most Amusingly Inappropriate Casting Decisions”. Obviously, Demi Moore can’t play a feminist.
Why? Well, she once posed naked on a magazine cover while pregnant, she portrayed a single mother working as an erotic dancer in ‘Striptease’, she stopped working for six years to raise her family of three. Those things could be presented as anti-feminist. Or, and tell me if I’m clutching at straws here, they could all been seen as valid and interesting explorations of female sexuality and motherhood.

This is the same Demi Moore who, with Aston Kutcher, established a foundation to oppose sexual trafficking and so plausibly has a real attachment to this film, and commitment to her role. She was nominated for a Golden Globe for her role in a mini-series about a woman seeking a backstreet abortion in the 1950s. The Harper’s Bazaar interview, to which Marina Hyde objects so vehemently, is part of a show organised by Moore and Amanda de Cadenet, in which they have frank discussions with high-profile women. The aim is to give women space to discuss central issues in their lives.

Demi Moore is clearly a woman who cares deeply about women, like Gloria Steinem. And yet, even if she wasn’t a “good feminist”, since when do we expect actors’ personalities to correspond with those of their parts?

That Daniel Radcliffe didn’t have magical powers at all – we’ve been duped!

Related posts:

1. Review: Miss Representation
2. Gloria Table Quiz
3. What’s She Doing Now?

Best Motion Picture – Drama is between The Descendants, The Help, Hugo, The Ides Of March, Moneyball and War Horse. I confess I’ve only seen The Ides of March and Moneyball, both for which were ok, but nothing I thought was award-winning. This category sets the tone for the other nominations, though, it’s all the Hollywood big guys this year; The Descendants is Clooney, Hugo is Scorsese, The Ides Of March is Clooney again, Moneyball is Brad, War Horse is Spielberg. In their masculine midst is The Help, the only female-led film of the bunch.

Best Actor in a Drama This one is like a Top-5 of the most gorgeous men in Hollywood; George Clooney for The Descendants, Leonardo DiCaprio for J. Edgar, Michael Fassbender in Shame, Ryan Gosling in The Ides Of March and Brad Pitt for Moneyball. There is a wee bit of LGBT interest in this one as J. Edgar Hoover was a mo, although there is no news yet about how obvious they are about this in the film.

Best Actress in a Drama This is a surprisingly interesting category with all of the roles jet-black serious, full-on acting. Glenn Close looks like the obvious winner for Albert Nobbs, but never write-off Meryl Streep (The Iron Lady). Viola Davis’s nom for The Help is a nod to the success of the film and Tilda Swinton scared the bejeesus out of everyone in We Need To Talk About Kevin. The surprise inclusion here is Rooney Mara for The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, queer-tastic!

Best Movie – Comedy or Musical Again, I must apologise for my lack of knowledge on this one. I actually haven’t seen any of them. For shame! We have 50/50, The Artist, Bridesmaids, Midnight In Paris and My Week With Marilyn. The Artist is a shoo-in. This is the thing about awards ceremonies, you don’t even have had to see the films to know who’ll win; it’s all politics and media.

Best Actor – Comedy or Musical Usually this category is full of hilarity, but these roles are actually very poignant; Jean Dujardin in The Artist, Brendan Gleeson for The Guard, Joseph Gordon-Levitt in 50/50, Ryan Gosling for Crazy, Stupid, Love and Owen Wilson in Midnight In Paris. I’d love to say that our Brendan will win this one, but again this is all about The Artist.

Best Actress – Comedy or Musical For this one, who effing cares who wins? They’re all epic actresses and no one could begrudge any of them. Check out this list of talent; Jodie Foster in Carnage, Charlize Theron for Young Adult, Kristen Wiig in Bridesmaids, Michelle Williams for My Week With Marilyn and Kate Winslet in Carnage. You just know Kristen Wiig has no speach prepared.

Head here for the rest of the nominees. Who do you think will win? Do you care?

Related posts:

1. Who will gain Oscar glory?
2. GALECA nominees announced
3. Emmy time

• Another from newbie Jen Gore, writer extraordinaire:

In the fabulous world of vlogging you have your “Leave [insert famous name] alone!” vlogs, wanna-be-famous vlogs, angry ginger vlogs and the greatest vlogs you will ever see: the lesbian vlogs.

There are but a handful of useful lesbian vlogs that dish out sound advice and humour, which I discovered while creeping on Tumblr one fine day.

Jenna Anne: ‘Lesbian Answers’

Jenna Anne started her vlog, Lesbian Answers, last year and since setting it up she has gone on to achieve internet fame for her videos that provide lil’ lesbos all over the globe with advice.

Jenna is quite well known, and her channel has seen over a million views accompanied by thousands of followers. Her willingness to talk about lesbian topics and her openness are both refreshing and helpful.

Natasha Nicole Ponomaroff

Natasha’s vlogs are less lesbian related than Jenna Anne’s, but she deserves the number two spot for a video she did for National Coming Out Day 2011. In her video she told everyone her coming out story and how her mother took it badly. The aim of her coming out video is to encourage others to come out and to let them know they’re not alone.

Now some lesbian drama: Natasha and Jenna Anne got together after a friend suggested they would make a perfect couple. I followed their relationship on Tumblr. Natasha and Jenna regularly updated with videos, posts and pics on how they were doing, but after a year they called it a day and Jenna Anne explained in a video on her channel why.

Take a look at Natasha’s coming out video:

ArielleIsHamming

Arielle is known for her humorous lesbian vlog posts (as you’ll see from this video). It’s a small world so it will come as no shock that I also stumbled upon Arielle on Tumblr, through Jenna Anne and Natasha’s blogs.

Arielle did a series on lesbian speed dating, where fans submitted their own video applications to Arielle. Jenna Anne appeared in a special speed dating post but unfortunately she failed to make it to the next round.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=G_oqIMAUAW0

You may be asking yourself, “Why there are only three essential vlogs?” Well, to be honest there are no other lesbian vlogs, that I know of, that are up to scratch with these three; although the following deserve mentions: LezBeOnTalk, TheFemTastic, BeaverBunch.

Do you have any favorites?

Related posts:

1. Lesbians of leisure: happenings in March
2. This bunch of lesbians walks in to a bar…
3. A is for Anne Catherine Frey

LINC and SOS are hosting a Wellness Workshop on 28 January 2011 in LINC premises at 11A White Street, Cork

Do you want to learn:

• What it is that creates your mood?
• How to take control of your busy life?
• How to treat yourself to “you time” for a minute or two throughout your day?
• How to identify the supports that are all around you?

“The Wellness Workshop” is a day filled with practical and easy to use tips and advise that will help you take control of your own mental health.

It’s a free training day where you will hear real life experiences that will give you the chance to change your own life.

This workshop is part of the See Change programme.

For more details please call Toddy Hogan:

(021) 4808600 or info@linc.ie

www.suicideorsurvive.ie

Registered Charity Number: CHY 16442

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3. Need space? Outhouse venue is OPEN!

The internet has been responsible for a lot of crap; commenters on YouTube, lolcats and trolls to name but three.

Among some the huge advantages though, is the chance for filmmakers to reach an audience hitherto only available to large movie studios.

The advent of the web series has revealed the level of talent that there is out there, from acting to post production. Although 617 The Series is only into its first episode, the indications are that this is one to watch.

We spoke to Katie Shannon (right), writer and director supreme, and one of the brains behind the series, who described it as “a cross between Sex In The City and It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia“.

With a little guidance from some recognizable locals, three friends from their childhood days in Quincy – Griffin, Scotty and Sully – and three friends from their formative/informative college years – Alana, Siobhan and Cat –will discover what life and love off the Red Line in the hub of New England has to offer.

According to Katie, the characters break down like this:

Alana “is a free spirit with an eclectic fashion sense. She is inappropriate in a lot of social situations and sees nothing wrong with it”.

Siobhan “is a no nonsense type of person. She’s thick skinned, but deep down has her insecurities, especially when it comes to men”.

Cat “works in advertising at a social networking site in Boston. She is comfortable with her sexuality, doesn’t hide it, and isn’t the type that flaunt it either. She loves her job, is determined to be successful, and is a loyal friend”.

Sully “is your friend that is never going to grow up, and never intends to get a real job either. He always tries “get rich quick” schemes that usually cause him more harm than good”.

Griffin “works hard and plays hard. He has worked his way up in a computer software firm. He’s social, outgoing, sleeps around, and is loyal to his friends. He values his friendships with Sully and Scotty and would do anything for them”.

Scotty “has been out of the closet since college and Sully and Griffin have been by his side through the whole thing. He loves his Boston sports teams, going out, and men. He works in the financial district at a well paying job, but doesn’t exactly love what he’s doing”.

Getting the characters and storylines together is one thing, but actually going about filming the thing is a whole other ballgame, with the pilot episode taking a full year to put together.

The idea for 617 was a culmination of a lot of things. I was living in Los Angeles when I developed the concept for the show.  I worked as an assistant director on another web series, and when the shoot finished, I was moved to create my own series. I usually write more drama focused scripts, so 617 was a great departure from that. I wrote the character of Griffin first waking up next to a one night stand and it all fell into place from there.

[Producer] Amy [DePaola] and I first met in November of 2010 while I was living in Los Angeles. I returned to Boston that January to begin the casting process. When I had to return back to LA, Amy filmed the auditions in Boston and sent them to me so we could discuss them.  Some would say we were in a long distance relationship!

I flew back to Boston in March to shoot the first half of the episode, and then we shot the second half in June. It took a little less than year to get the pilot made and now we are in full swing to shoot two more.

This collaborative style of working is important to Katie and the crew, who stress that “a great number of people have dedicated a lot of time to this project”.

On set we have an amazing and talented crew always willing to go the extra mile for us. My executive producer, Amy DePaola, came on board very early in the project and the two of us have worked tirelessly on it since. We recently created a writer’s table consisting of about eight people.

Our goal in doing this is to keep things fresh and to develop a variety of ideas to work with for each episode.

One of the freshest things about 617 is the city it’s set in. Boston isn’t just the backdrop for this sextet to wander through life, it’s a character in itself.

I definitely wanted Boston to be one of the main characters of the show. I was born and raised in Massachusetts and also completed my undergraduate and graduate educations here so the area will always have a special place in my heart.  I’ve lived in a lot of places and this is the city that I always wanted to come back to.

New Englanders, especially Bostonians, are fascinating people.  I wanted that to come across in the series. The city itself has somewhat of a small town feel and that’s what I love about it. Also, shooting here has been amazing.  Everyone has been so generous as far as letting us use their restaurants, apartments, and boutiques for scenes. The people of Boston really just want to be a part of something that is homegrown, and I love that.

Irish people watching will be aware of our link to the city, but unless you’ve been there, you’ll be amazed at just how Irish it is. It’s a city where “the cobblestone out numbers its inhabitants, and bartenders are the equivalent to rock-stars”.

The first episode introduces us to the characters, with lezzie Cat and nice guy Griifin each waking up to a woman who seemed like a good idea five pints in. The friends reactions over hangover cures is the perfect introduction to the pals and you are immediately hooked.

Well acted, well directed and looking gorgeous, 617 is definitely one to watch. Last word to Katie:

We are currently fundraising on Kickstarter to raise money to shoot two more episodes. If we don’t raise the amount that we asked for then we don’t get any of the money. Please visit our website at www.617theseries.com and click on kickstarter to donate.  You don’t want to miss the next few episodes. We have something for everybody!

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2. Autostraddle’s Unicorn Plan-It
3. Exes & Ohs Season 2

• Here’s another article from one of our new writers, Tole. Enjoy!

As a young gay (and by young, I mean, fresh off the train, wearing short pants, clutching my suitcase with a wide eyed stare as I entered an unknown village), I had great expectations that I would soon be charming women every night of the week and giving off the impression that I was some type of modern day Casanova.

So when this did not come to fruition, I was greatly surprised. It took me a while to figure out the root of my failings, but when I did, it came down to a number of crucial things:
 

• It appeared I had an inability to converse with people, something I had hitherto excelled at.
• When I did speak, it was often nonsensical and delivered at a very high pitch so that it seemed I was interested only in communicating with seagulls.
• Anybody I did manage to talk to with any motive of intent, was already coupled up or proved stranger and more high pitched than I was. And I couldn’t be dealing with that sort of competition.

So a chance purchase of an L Word box set (which I figured would surely teach me everything I needed to know) also happened to contain three months free membership for an online dating site. This little card gave me some hope that I could navigate the world a bit better from the comfort of my home, where I had control over my actions, free of occasional squawking noises and the like.

So, I now had the opportunity to be an ever dashing charmer with an unlimited amount of messages to woo these potential suitors with. No “soz babes I’m outta messages, if you fancy a chat add me on msn-smiley face, lol” woes for me.

However, the stress of it all proved too much after a while. The excellent banter back and forth only for it stop abruptly, the occasional drink with somebody who turned out to be incredibly boring, or bumping into that hot girl you took seven hours composing a two line message to, only to never hear anything back. My nerves quite simply weren’t able for it. And so I hung up my online lady killer boots which to my shame, never managed to get all that dirty for a finish.

Having upped my social skills a tad since then (I don’t come off as wanting to live my life on a beach anymore), I recently found myself back online. It may have been exam time. It may also have been the month I discovered a love for the unnecessary filing of all my photos in order of the number of people present in them. But if I was to be at my computer ‘revising’, I thought somebody should at least be entertaining me while I did so.

And it certainly was entertaining for a while, as I discovered that many of the same lovely faces were still online. Yet like a solid old man’s pub, they had refused to move with the times. Many of them were still “just out of a relationship, only looking for fun” (which to be fair, is always a bit of a winning statement), “still really new to this, not sure what to say” (really? But it’s three years later), while the amount of people (“new age kids” I like to call them) who spell their names with both letters and numbers was astonishing.

Of course, there were also a few gems of people in there, fun and witty. However, for the most part, it would seem that we all sat around logged in, yet not saying much. I mean, I can’t prove this for definite, just that the masses didn’t seem to be messaging me, which I found strange, given that I had personally awarded myself 4/5 stars for my new profile.

Whatever about communicating with people in real life, I’ve always found that online, you have time to think, to open and reply to a message with a great answer, and if not great, at the least, relatively engaging.

Some of the profiles provide great material to start a conversation, plenty of interests and quirks that can arm you with something slightly original to say. But yet, a lot of people continue to open with ‘Hi, how are you?’. Given that we live in Ireland, surely it’s only natural that a response to this would also include a comment on the weather, followed by an inquiry into the health of the person’s ailing grandmother and before you know it, everybody has lost interest.

I gradually became more annoyed by these messages. I just couldn’t bring myself to reply to them. And so, I asked that, if people were feeling charitable enough to message me, then dear Jesus, make it worthwhile and something that I might actually respond to.

It has kind of worked, I think. Or else I just come across as so demanding that the ‘hi how are you lol’ people, a wily bunch, know I’m probably not worth the effort. But I’ve had some good banter with a few people and have progressed towards ‘friendly acquaintance’ stage.

And just so you know, things online move like this these days:
 

• As usual you chat, and this can range from a few hours, days or weeks.
• You then become friends on Facebook to prove that neither of you is insane/a murdering kidnapper.
• You may find out that you have a few friends in common, but that you are not in fact related. Good to go.
• You maybe meet for a drink and get on well. Excellent.

This is surely the holy grail of online dating. You arrange to actually meet the person. Anything that happens after that is either terrifying or pleasant (it can always go either way to be honest).

The important thing is, that if you plan to while away a number of hours online, then make yourself interesting (although don’t lie about it. If you’re boring, then that’s just how it is), be engaging and if you are really so concerned about the person’s health, or how their weekend went, think how overly concerned you’ll be about them if you actually end up meeting and liking them. Better to open about their penchant for Anne Doyle and the vigil they now they keep for her by their bedside.

Sounds like a winner to me.

Related posts:

1. Survey: Trans* people and online support
2. A new way to flirt with April Mail
3. Survey from UCC: Gay people and online communication

According to a SlideShare survey, the top resolutions for 2012 are:

Be financially-savvy
Read at least one book per month
Eat properly
Get enough sleep
Keep a journal of awesome moments

Not that I’m psychic or anything, but really, how many of these are sustainable?

Don’t get me wrong, I know one bloke who swore to lose 6 stone and began to do so one New Year’s eve, plus, for all of those who fail, there are many who actually stop smoking.

Fail. That’s my problem with this tradition, just one slip and you’re setting yourself up for guilt which will set you back in your quest for awesome moments to journal.

If you truly want to change something, have a plan and implement it, don’t decide over a glass of bubbly.

Related posts:

1. 14 year old girl asks Maryland to vote “No” on marriage equality for her birthday
2. Letters to yourself: What would you say to 16 year old you?
3. FAIL: RTÉ Sports Person of the Year Awards

It turns out that Santa Claus has a lesbian working in the toy factory and, even though she didn’t win the Secrets Ireland hamper, she has taken some time out of her busy schedule to tell us who will get a pressie from the big man this year.

Ryan Murphy

Naughty or nice - You have been a very good boy this year, bringing us gaylords and lezbots aplenty, so you can relax and count your monies this Christmas season.

Watch out – Don’t get too cocky though, we see small fissures in the land of Glee. More Santana, less Finn and that ridiculous Irish fella and my sack will be all yours next year. Wait…..that sounded….

Irish People

Naughty or nice – Ah sure how could you be anything but lovely, look at ya with your rosy, red cheeks. Plus, time after time, you have shown that you support LGBT rights. In every poll run this year, you were all on for full gay marriage rights. As long as there’s a free bar.

Watch out – Make sure in 2012, that you don’t spend so much time counting the pennies that other things are forgotten. Human rights aren’t a luxury.

Irish Government

Naughty or nice – Naughty doesn’t cover it, you bunch of lazy numpties! The only thing you work hard at are covering your arses and filling your coffers. New government, same crap. Who do you represent, coz it isn’t those lovely Irish people we just spoke about.
If Santa gave you coal, you’d probably put it in the shed just in case, instead of giving to those people with no fuel allowance.

Watch out – Toika, Merkozy and the IMA; not exactly three gift-bearing entities, eh?

David Norris

Naughty or nice – Much more nice than naughty, David. You are still a joy to behold and continue to inspire, educate and represent with a flair all your own. Who knew that voters prefer Dobbin to wizards?

Watch out – Just think twice before writing any letters, m’kay?

Americans

Naughty or nice - Lord there are a lot of you aren’t there? Some of you are just fabulous and will be getting all manner of lovelies from Santa this year. You have allowed LGBTs equal rights in a few places, so well done you. You others? What on earth are you thinking? As much as the effort is appreciated, you really don’t have to entertain the world with the hilarity of lunatics. Here I sit in Lapland/The North Pole and each day I read more about this Bachmann person or that Mitt individual, and I think “are they serious?”. Then I remember that you couldn’t possibly be, you couldn’t really want these non-witches and spineless folk to actually run your country. Ho, ho, ho what am I thinking! Funny people you Americans.

Watch out - If you can’t vote for, vote against.

Gaelick Readers

Naughty or nice – Oh ladies (and some lads) you have been nice when naughty and naughty when nice, a trick only you can achieve. Look for a silicon present under your tree. If it’s not there, I may be because I didn’t win the effing Secrets Ireland competition!!! Bitter? Not me….

Watch out - Just continue to be you, comment lots and always feel free to write an article or two. I hear those editors are a nice enough bunch.

Related posts:

1. The 12 Toys of Christmas: Day 1
2. The 12 Toys of Christmas: Day 2
3. WIN! A Secrets Ireland hamper

I have never made any of them, so here I am online looking for recipes and there are so many of them that I’m starting to go cross-eyed. I need advice people. What are the best websites? Are cupcakes just a fancy name for fairy cakes? Is it possible to make trifle without the fruit?

So far, the sites I’ve liked most have been AllRecipes and SimplyRecipies as well as the Odlums website which is quite good. The problem is that some are good for one thing, but not for another. Help me out here people, are there any nooks on the interweb that I’m missing?

Even better, do you have fool-proof recipes for any of the above? Emphasis on the fool.

Next week – making your own herbal tea out of organically knitted socks.

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1. The 12 Toys of Christmas: Day 9

As fans of the Dixie Chicks will tell you, they are consummate storytellers, so this is a forum that suits them down to the ground. You expect Natalie Maines’ entertaining irreverent banter, but what marks this DVD as a must-have are the tales behind the songs. Both Marty and Emily get a chance to speak up and the chat between them is not only funny, but smart and you get a feel for the relationships between the three.The only negative is that it’s just 8o minutes long, I could’ve gorged on another 80.

Then there’s the music. Incredible musicians fronted by a woman with an amazing voice, the Dixie Chicks are everything you could want. Don’t dismiss these girls as “just a country band”, there is much more going on here than songs about trucks and crops. Silent House, we find out, was written for Natalie’s grandmother who has Alzheimer’s:

And I will try to connect; All the pieces you left; I will carry it on; And let you forget; And I’ll remember the years; When your mind was clear; How the laughter and life; Filled up this silent house

It’s a real privilege to listen their stories, to see the songwriters moved when letting us in on their secrets, it’s something you just don’t get a chance to do usually.

It’s impossible to talk about the Dixie Chicks without mentioning “the controversy”. Quick background – they were the big shining stars of the country scene in the states, sold more than any other female group in the world and won fist-fulls of awards. Then, in 2003, at the height of the Iraq war, Maines told a concert audience that she was ashamed that the President was from her home state of Texas. There was uproar with the red-neck, country music loving brigade. No radio station south of the Mason-Dixon line would play their music and they couldn’t give away concert tickets. The band stuck together and refused to apologise. Maines even had to contend with death threats. It was a tough time to say the least.

As a result, the Dixie Chicks have a whole new batch of fans, but will never have the success of the past. The whole events was excellently depicted in the film Shut Up and Sing, which is interesting even to see the extent of people’s radical response.

Storytellers is a great sequel to Shup Up and Sing. It’s 8 years later and the dust has settled on a trio of older, wiser and stronger women. You get the sense that they were battered and bruised, but are quite happy with how they evolved. It takes hardship to make great music and Storytellers is proof that the Dixie Chicks have managed both.

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We meet Mia during what has to be one of my least favourite gay film staples -- the straight sex scene. She’s after getting engaged to a lovely man, Tim, who is enjoying the rumpy as well as the pumpy much more than she is. Engagement ring tightly ensconced, they head off to Mia’s Dad’s birthday party. It’s clear fairly early that dad and daughter aren’t exactly best buds, but they get along ok.

In one of those blended family brain-melts, Mia meets her pop’s partner’s daughter, Frida at the party as well as catching up with her own brother, who is a cutie-pie. Frida is gorgeous and funny and warm and why on earth is Mia being so emo? Man, she just got engaged, is hanging with a cool family who love her and should be the happiest woman on earth. But there is uno problemo. Have I mentioned that Frida is gorgeous (left)? Hmmmmm……

Frida also happens to be a homo of the sexual and it doesn’t take Mia long to cave into the inevitable.

This is when things get interesting. Instead of a montage of handy-holdy running through waves and hand-grabby squeezing during sex, we get an actual relationship in bloom. Emo Mia suddenly becomes happy Mia, who actually smiles and laughs. It’s all super-duper until reality sets in and they both go back to their lives. But can they get over each other? I wouldn’t mind getting over (or under) Frida.

It’s all satisfyingly angsty and sexy, but what makes Kyss Mig one to watch out for is the acting. Usually gay films have good stories with crap acting, this is nothing of the sort. The leads are all spot on, drawing you in along the way. You won’t roll your eyes once, I promise.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=qL0up-CNCHg

Related posts:

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2. Review: Gigola
3. Review: Miss Representation

Anne Cassin
What? She’s hot. Anne is an Irish journalist who has covererd everything from kids singing contests to the ploughing championships. She’s only lovely.

Alyson Hannigan
I’ve written about the ginger actress a few times already, but any chance and I’m all over her.

Amber Benson
The bewitching Amber who stole Alyson’s heart when vampire programmes on the telly were actually entertaining.

Anna Friel
When Beth kissed Margaret on Brookie all of those years ago, she was exploring a part of herself that I was just twigging onto too. Anna will always have my soft spot.

Alyssa Milano
Remember when she was a cute kid on Who’s the Boss? So was I, except for the cute part, and I couldn’t understand why I liked her so much. Hmmmmm…….now look at her. Boo-ya!

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When people are suffering in the world, you can be sure that someone is making money out of it. It’s a fact of our flawed existence. That doesn’t mean that we have to sit back and take it.

From the very start, when HIV was first diagnosed, people have fought over who could make the most money out of it. Infamously, even the question of who made the first diagnosis is controversial, with Robert Gallo in the US and Luc Montagnier in France each claiming to be the first. Eventually, the French and US governments agreed to an equal split of the proceeds from the patent.

Since then, it’s been the drugs companies who have made billions on those living with HIV and AIDS.

When you are talking about this epidemic, you can’t expect things to be business as usual. People are dying, we must help. It seems so simple, but to the main drugs companies Merck, Abbott, Gilead, Bristol Myers Squibb and GlaxoSmithKline (whose motto is “Do more, feel better, live longer”), this means people will pay anything for their drugs.

Back in 1996, HAART, one of the first combination therapies that was working to make people’s lives easier, cost $41 a day. Obviously no one was going to subsidise those living in the Third World. The big drugs companies between them owned all of the patents to the drugs required. They could decide what the price should be.

This is where the big problem lies: patents.

Imagine that Disprin was the only headache tablet on the market, they owned the patent to headache medicine and no one else could make it. Ker-ching!

It takes years for a patent to run out, but they do run out and once that happens anyone can make your headache tablets. This brings competition which brings the price down.

When the HAART medication patent ran out, it cost just 80c a day per person.

Patents are a money-making machine and, wouldn’t you know it, just when one runs out an upgraded version suddenly appears under patent.

It took a while for the counties most affected by the AIDS epidemic, to realise that it’s not just a health issue but a political issue. In Brazil, for example, the government decided that it was breaking a patent for Kaletra, bringing down a rain of fire from Abbott, the manufacturer.

In 2001, in South Africa (the epicentre for HIV and AIDS) the drugs companies took the government to court for allowing for the  production and importing of affordable AIDS drugs. After a global public outcry, they dropped their case.
Bristol Myers Squibb said

Although we’re not actually relinquishing our rights to Zerit, if somebody in South Africa infringes on the method of use in our patent, we’re not going to object.

Very kind of them. This is only happening because of political pressure, the threat of sanctions and competition for government contracts in these countries.

In an excellent article from Avert, they sum it up:

Some countries, such as Thailand, Brazil and India have found innovative ways of securing cheaper second-line drugs. But the problem is that these options are limited to countries with political clout and financial stability and autonomy. As is all too often the case, it is the poorest countries already struggling to manage their HIV epidemics that are the least likely to benefit from the current system.

So what can be done? The ideal would be to give the patents to companies in these countries at a lower price or give licenses to grant their production. This would mean that they could skill themselves, make the money themselves and stop having to depend on the goodwill of a profit-making machine. Give a man a fish and all that.

There is no indication that this will happen, however. As patents expire and cheaper alternatives are available, the drugs companies will adapt and continue to make money.

Let’s be clear though, these are commercial companies with shareholders and not charities. They exist to make money and no one is saying that they shouldn’t. Plus, the drugs they have created have saved lives. What we are saying is that there is no price on a human life and some middle ground has to be found.

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What: Cork Women’s Fantasy Ball

Where: Liquid Lounge, Marlborough Street, Cork

When: December 10th from 9pm

How much: Entry is a tenner

Check them out on Facebook

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The Sealed Letter is excellent for many reasons; it’s a great story beautifully written and the evocation of the period is fascinating. For the LGBT reader, though, there is an extra layer of interest.

Emily Faithfull is a well to-do woman at the centre of the fight for women’s rights in Victorian London. She owns a printing press and trains and employs women from the lower classes to show the world that they are as capable as anyone. To the gay reader this all shouts “dyke!”, may I also add that her nickname is Fido? Lesbalific.

One day, on her way to work, she bumps into an old friend, Helen Codrington. Helen is the rich wife of an older Naval officer and entertains herself with the many male companions who flit around her.

Fido is over the moon to see her old chum, who she seems…ahem….shall we say “to put on a pedestal”. Their friendship is so close to her heart that Fido allows herself to be used as an alibi for Helen’s affair, something she has no time for.

When Helen’s husband files for divorce, Fido is caught up in the middle of everything. Her trust of Helen is absolute, but will it be her demise?

It’s a wonderful story, but even more interesting when you consider that it’s all true. These people existed and Donoghue has penned her book as a fictionalised version based on the many newspaper articles about what was a scandal at the time.

The extra layers though, that make The Sealed Letter all the more juicy, are the lessons we learn about just how badly life was for women back in Victorian times. You and your children were owned by your husband. Once you married, you signed away everything including your identity. It’s all the more interesting, then, that Fido who was fighting against this idea is thrust right into the middle of its reality.

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www.youtube.com/watch?v=yM5x17VVYKU

The fact that it was AC/DC* was cool too, even if I didn’t realise that was the song until the third time I watched it. The Shelby/Puck thing is all kinds of ick, but boy did this make up for it.

Then, to make things even more epic there was this mash-up:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=qb7zjKkLCoQ

Glee, what are you doing to me? Gay, lesbian and bi characters, actors who can act, Idina in that video and then Naya Rivera giving one of the most heart-breaking performances on the telly. As my sister-in-law said last night “this shit is real!”. Indeed.

*It’s been pointed to out to me that this was Van Halen not AC/DC. Ahem, I apologise, but all I can say is that Idina and Taye make me think AC/DC thoughts.

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Glee Spoiler Siren! Whiiiir Whiiirrr Whiiir!!!! To your Spoiler Exits, follow the signs always remembering the closest one may be behind you.

Are they gone? Ok, so what you think? Was Finn way out of line? If you didn’t see it, here’s the dish:

Santana had upped the ante on the insults to Finn who was getting sick of it so, in the hallway of McKinley he shouts something like “I know why you’re mean, it’s because you’re a lesbian and in love with Brittany, but you’re not sure she feels the same. You feel bad so you want others to feel bad”, I’m paraphrasing but I think that’s pretty close.

At the same time this is going on, there is a storyline about Sue and her campaign for a city council seat. Sue being Sue, she’s playing Tea Party dirty, by making stuff up about her opponents and using the lies in TV ads. To retaliate, one of her competition outs Santana in his ad. It goes something like “Sue is all for family values. So why then does she have a lesbian as her head cheerleader?”, again with the paraphrasing, I really should take notes. See, it turns out that this competitor’s daughter goes to McKinley and overheard Finn shouting at Santana.

When the episode was over, my partner, who is much smarter than me, said “Finn in a ****, I can’t believe he outed Santana”. It shames me to admit that I didn’t really think he had until I thought about it.

Originally, I was of the mind that he shouted something in the school hall, just like she shouts all the time. It doesn’t mean that Paddy O’Leprechaun actually has a potato mouth. The difference here is that Santana is on a journey, one that is proving painful for her and Finn, a gay ally, just made it more difficult. He may have shouted out something but he had the knowledge that it would hurt and why. That’s just cruel.

Dorothy Snarker has a great article about it here, and it re-itierated CanuckJacq’s article here. Gay allies aren’t just great, we need them, but we also need them to cop the feck on. Just because you know doesn’t mean everyone knows and just because you think it’s all kinds of hunky dory, doesn’t mean everyone will, or that it’s your information to share.

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Rather predictably there has been controversy over the Glee episode which showed Kurt and Blaine losing their virginity. What is most controversial for me is that Glee has made millions of straight people all over the world think that gay sex requires you to be fully clothed; just look lovingly at your partner, hold hands, make sure the lighting is intimate and pop goes the cherry.

All cynicism aside it was a sweet moment and I take my hat off to Ryan “Glee Daddy” Murphy for showing that gay people go through the same stuff as our straight counterparts. The fact that the “will-we, am I ready, what will it mean” insecurities are blind to your sexuality will be an eye-opener for some people. You know the ones who think that all we do all day is either have sex or plan on having sex. GAY sex. He said:

Everybody has seen a straight couple losing their virginity, but has anyone dovetailed the gay and straight stories together and given them equal weight? That seemed like an exciting choice and a new thing.

Chris Colfer who plays Kurt as if you didn’t know added:

I think it’s a huge deal that this is the first time something like this has been shown on television, but I think it’s handled so delicately that I don’t think it will have quite the shock factor. [People will expect] this big, raunchy, suggestive, brainwashing storyline when really it’s very sweet.

We have also been promised a Brittana episode soon. The internetisphere was hopping last week when our girls held hands and spoke about sharing a bath (cute!). But people weren’t happy as there was no kiss, no physical intimacy at all. Given that Kurt and Blaine kiss in closet-less rooms, I think we can take it that Murph and co are actually sticking to character with Santana’s fear of being too open. There have been whispers, though, that everyone’s favourite HBIC will be throwing open the closet doors soon.

Glee constantly wows me with its open depiction of sexuality; lesbian, bisexual, gay, straight, young and not so young. Let’s not forget the wonderful Dot Marie Jones as coach Beiste, the perfect example of Murphy’s talent for taking a stock character and turning our expectations on their head. For her first time, she was achingly vulnerable, a big huggable eejit who just assumes no one would want her. Thank Murphy she’s been proved wrong.

We even had Karofsky back to show us that the destination may be the same, but everyone’s journey is different. Plus, how many straight people are Googling “bear cub” now? Brilliant!

There was only one negative for me and it’s something that I thought would wear off, but it’s not going anywhere. Who the hell is dressing Blaine? The dickie-bows I could take as an affectation, but lord love a duck, he looks ridiculous! Tapered trousers that stop and the ankle to reveal sockless feet? Even a lezzer like me knows a crime against fashion when I see one. As my wife said “lose the trooz”.

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3. Represent!

When we meet George as a romantic 18 year-old, she bounces into her tutor’s office to tell her that she has passed her exams. Apparently, this means that George can go to medical school and the two of them can be together.

Hmmm…teacher and pupil. Is this were we’re headed?

No sooner had the thought entered my head than we’re two years later and George is dropping out of college, no sign of the ex-teacher.

Then, boom, another year later and Gigola is living at the centre of the arty/drugged-up crowd in Paris’s Pigalle area. She is a tux-wearing butch who buys women off pimps in the disingenuous belief that she is freeing them. When we see her living this life first, she is the “daddy” of Dolly, a nutzo older cabaret artist who thinks her doll is her daughter. Gigola then meets a young prostitute on her way to becoming an alcoholic and pays off her pimp so she can transform this Dany woman into someone Gigola would like to be with.

Gigola knows that this life as a creature of the night, can’t continue. She’s lonely, her cool is turning to cold and she is convinced that there has to be more. Add to this a father who is addicted to gambling and a mother who is hoping Jesus is on her side, and something has to give.

It’s all gorgeous to look at and so completely French that you should get a string of garlic free with the DVD, but there is one huge problem with this film: the main character is completely unlikable.

I tried to like her, I really did. I was cheering on a butch in men’s clothing until she turned out to be more misogynistic than any of the men and, considering one of them is a pimp, that’s saying something.

It comes to pass that the teacher she loved as a young woman killed herself and this is used as the reason Gigola has had to become hard; to protect her heart. Sorry, but it’s too weak an excuse for so strong a woman.

Plus, her butchness is camped up to the nines. She has a monocle (that we don’t see thank god), she wears a cape and cummerbund and carries around a cane with a silver cobra head that she uses as a dildo.

There is something soulless about Gigola, the film and the character, it’s all substance and no heart. Even the earth-shattering decisions she makes at the end of the film are completely selfish and you feel zero sympathy for her.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=9oA3_KxrW0Q

Gigola is available to buy from PeccaPics

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