Steven Universe | unfridged

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Pottermore’s gotten a sleek new redesign, and to celebrate JK Rowling wrote a history of the Potter family.
Amazing writer Ta-Nehisi Coates just got hired to write new Black Panther comics! [The New York Times]
This is Autostraddle’s weekly television roundup, but scroll down to the section on Steven Universe. They’ve got a great review of the recent episode “Sadie’s Song.”
Cursed is a shot animated silent film about a villainess and a hero and it is delightful. [io9]
“If Disney movies were way more feminist” is everything. [Buzzfeed]
“Erotica written by an alien pretending not to be horrified by the human body,” parts one, two and three. [The Toast]
I really loved this piece on how women unlearn their love of video games, not only because it breaks things down very clearly, but also for how it mirrored my experience of being left behind by games after childhood. [Boing Boing]

Image from Cursed.

Tagged Autostraddle, Black Panther, Boing Boing, Buzzfeed, Cursed, Disney, Harry Potter, io9, JK Rowling, Pottermore, Steven Universe, Ta-Nehisi Coates, The New York Times, The Toast

Jul 11 2015

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Weekend Reading List

Weekend Reading List: Panels, pirates, prisons

io9 has the highlights from the Star Wars Sand Diego comic con panel.
Also the Orphan Black panel. [io9]
Avatar and Legend of Korra co-creator Bryan Konietzko will be putting out a new graphic novel series called Threadworlds, and it looks just as good as his previous work. [Newsarama]
Key & Peele and the best pirate shanty ever.
Here’s the Mary Sue talking about Steven Universe, Pearl, flawed heroes, and queer tropes.
“Orange is the New Black is the only TV show that understands rape.” If you click on one thing, let it be this. As the stories we tell continue to focus more on rape, it is so crucial that it is done in a way that is sensitive and realistic, rather than sensationalized and trivializing of the experience. Shows like Game of Thrones should absolutely be taking note.

Top image: Mary Read and Anne Bonny, from Captain Charles Johnson’s A General History of the Robberies and Murders of the Most Notorious Pyrates.

Tagged A General History of Pyrates, Anne Bonny, Avatar: The Last Airbender, Bryan Konietzko, Captain Charles Johnson, Game of Thrones, io9, Key & Peele, Legend of Korra, Mary Read, Newsarama, Orange is the New Black, Orphan Black, San Diego Comic Con, Star Wars, Steven Universe, The Mary Sue, Threadworlds, Vulture

Jun 18 2015

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Weekend Reading List

Monthly Reading List III

“They are no men: Tolkien’s 6 most badass forgotten ladies.” [The Mary Sue]
Here’s a recap of a “geeks and kink” panel that was held at Emerald City Comic Con. [The Mary Sue]
Okay okay okay just listen to the abstract of this Nature article: “Emerging evidence indicates that dragons can no longer be dismissed as creatures of legend and fantasy, and that anthropogenic effects on the world’s climate may inadvertently be paving the way for the resurgence of these beasts.” What.
I haven’t read the amazing science fiction and social justice anthology Octavia’s Brood yet, but I so want to. [Boing Boing]
Bitch has a cool interview with the anthology’s editor, Walidah Imarisha.
Look there’s a wee little comic about representation, and it manages to combine Star Trek, Buffy, and Steven Universe. [The Nib]
In rage-inducing news, the Hugo awards kind of got co-opted by this small group of right wing expletives. So that’s fun. [Salon]
George R. R. Martin was not pleased about this. At all. [The Guardian]
Orphan Black’s Tatiana Maslany as every emoji. [Autostraddle]
“How I became a video game feminist.” [PBS Game/Show]
Have you read Jillian Tamaki’s SuperMutant Magic Academy? Go read Jillian Tamaki’s SuperMutant Magic Academy. Then read this interview, for more info on comics, mutants, and why Canada is awesome. [Bitch]
“The definitive timeline of Marvel’s ‘Black Widow’ movie [that hasn’t been made yet].” [MTV]
So the press tour for Avengers: Age of Ultron was kind of a shit show, with Jeremy Renner and Chris Evans slut shaming Black Widow. [The Daily Beast]
IndieWire published an open letter to Joss Whedon from a “disappointed feminist fan” about the many ways Age of Ultron fell short.
Styleite has a cool list of comic heroines who can teach you about being a badass. I bet you you can’t guess who’s included.
The Mary Sue has a thoughtful piece on cosplaying while black.
Inside Amy Schumer has an excellent skit called “A Very Realistic Military Game.” It’s incredibly on point, but also a little hard to watch, so trigger warning for discussions of rape in the military.
Whoopi Goldberg was interviewed by My Drunk Kitchen‘s Hannah Hart and it was glorious.
Everyone is losing their collective shit over Mad Max: Fury Road, with Buzzfeed calling it a “feminist playbook for surviving dystopia.”
Okay, so let’s tackle Game of Thrones, shall we? It’s getting harder and harder for many fans to both watch and defend the show. It seems the writers and show runners care little about showing violence toward women in a sensitive light, and the problem only seems to be getting worse. Vanity Fair came out strongly against the treatment of Sansa Stark, the Mary Sue has made an editorial decision to no longer cover the show on their website, and Bitch discusses the post-colonial politics of the show thus far.
As a palate cleanser, Matthew Lewis (Neville Longbottom in the Harry Potter movies) showed rather a lot in a recent magazine photo shoot, and J. K. Rowling had an adorable mom reaction to it. [The Mary Sue]

Top image by alphatrashking.tumblr.com.

Tagged Autostraddle, Avengers: Age of Ultron, Bitch, Black Widow, Boing Boing, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Buzzfeed, Chris Evans, Emerald City Comic Con, Game of Thrones, George R. R. Martin, Hannah Hart, Harry Potter, Hugo Award, IndieWire, Inside Amy Schumer, J.K. Rowling, J.R.R. Tolkien, Jeremy Renner, Jillian Tamaki, Joss Whedon, Lord of the Rings, Mad Max: Fury Road, Marvel, Matthew Lewis, MTV, My Drunk Kitchen, Nature, Neville Longbottom, Octavia's Brood, Orphan Black, PBS Game/Show, Salon, Sansa Stark, Star Trek, Steven Universe, Styleite, SuperMutant Magic Academy, Tatiana Maslany, The Daily Beast, The Guardian, The Mary Sue, The Nib, Vanity Fair, Walidah Imarisha, Whoopi Goldberg

Jun 11 2015

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Weekend Reading List

Monthly Reading List: The Sequel

The Toast on how classic horror film Carnival of Souls is a queer coming of age story.
Leonard Nimoy’s passing affected me more than most celebrity deaths. He was truly a good, open-hearted person, and he’ll be missed. [The Verge]
“Paintings of Witches Sabbats That Resemble Parties I Have Attended.” [The Toast]
Here’s a trailer that answers a burning question: What if Wes Anderson had directed the X-Men?
I know cartoonist and illustrator Chad Sells from his RuPaul’s Drag Race recaps, but here he draws superheroines on their days off, and it’s charming.
Superheroes redrawn with realistic body types! [Bulimia.com]
The fantastic Arthur Chu is back, talking about bitter nerds, feminism, male privilege, and resentment. [Salon]
I’m super in love with the Toast’s “Three Adults Discuss [Insert Childhood Book] Seriously and at Length” series, and lo and behold they made my day and discussed (seriously and at length) Madeleine L’Engle’s A Wind in the Door.
Which Doctor has the most Bechdel Test-passing episodes? The Mary Sue went above and beyond in the research department, and has the infographics to prove it.
“17 Sex Scenes in Graphic Novels.” Never say I don’t take care of you. [Buzzfeed]
So in the last two months or so I’ve become OBSESSED with Steven Universe, and for good reason. Autostraddle weighs in on the show and the need for all-ages queer representation. And because it has not gone unplayed for long: Garnet’s song.
And the Mary Sue recapped the huge dump of new episodes we got!
Another great series from the Toast: Children’s Stories Made Horrifying. I heartily recommend The Little Mermaid, because damn.
“A feminist ranking of female superheroes.” [Marie Claire]
Autostraddle does this thing where they roundup good femslash fanfiction, and here’s some choice Buffy stuff for you.
I will never stop being in total awe of Anita Sarkeesian and her bravery, and the speech she gave at All About Women 2015 just solidifies that.
Speaking of Sarkeesian, Feminist Frequency is still going strong. Here’s a video on a positive female character (hopefully the first of many): The Scythian from Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery EP.
“Every woman in every Disney/Pixar film in the past decade has the exact same face.” [every-flavored-bean.tumblr.com]
“An abridged history of video game dicks.” [Kotaku]
On the tenth anniversary of the New Who, Tor celebrates Rose, the first episode (“Rose”), and how the character ushered in the revamped show.
Y’all know that when the Guardian titles a piece “Kapow! Attack of the feminist superheroes,” I’m going to share it.

Tagged A Wind in the Door, All About Women 2015, Anita Sarkeesian, Arthur Chu, Autostraddle, Bechdel Test, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Bulimia.com, Buzzfeed, Carnival of Souls, Chad Sells, Disney, Doctor Who, every-flavored-bean.tumblr.com, Feminist Frequency, Garnet, Leonard Nimoy, Madeleine L'Engle, Marie Claire, Pixar, Rose Eveleth, RuPaul's Drag Race, Salon, Star Trek, Steven Universe, Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery EP, The Guardian, The Little Mermaid, The Mary Sue, The Scythian, The Toast, The Verge, Tor, Wes Anderson, X-Men

unfridged

feminism and fantasy, science fiction and sexism

Tag Archives: Steven Universe

Weekend Reading List: Villainess love, video game love

Weekend Reading List: Panels, pirates, prisons

Monthly Reading List III

Monthly Reading List: The Sequel