DRW50

Some rare good news of late. The Oklahoma state legislature overrode their dumbass governor's veto of PBS for having queer content. https://www.kosu.org/politics/2023-05-26/oklahoma-lawmakers-override-13-of-gov-kevin-stitts-vetoes-including-oeta-legislation

I'm reluctant to post the link publicly, but if anyone wants to see her 1970 Bill Gunn film Stop!, that went unreleased and has stayed that way outside of a few screenings, PM me.

@Vee

A big, nasty scandal with a "beloved" UK presenter that has been building for years. What a great image at a time of so much virulent homophobia on the rise.

Compared to most primetime soaps, aside from Peyton Place, it was something to celebrate, but that's not saying much.

That would have been great (so would the Ben return). They tried to put Anne into a double act with Stuart Pankin but it never really worked for me.

Matt Cedeno workout at about 8 minutes (with appearance by Victor Webster). Cedeno is also the first guest on this Soap Talk.

Ashley Lyn Cafagna interview/photoshoot with Mario Lopez about 4 minutes in.

Eden Reigel and Susan Lucci interviews.

I wonder if she was worried about fan hate, being involved with every main guy on the canvas and in the middle of every popular pairing, and just didn't want to say it.

That was one of the stories which was ended due to fear, and cost the wonderful Lynne Moody her job. I wonder what might have been.

We're finally getting our hands on Ginger's first album. Can't wait!

I never liked Billy as AJ, although a lot of that was the writing. The biggest issue for me was I didn't think he had any real chemistry with most of the people in AJ's life.

Sorry, I meant the paintball stuff, which I also hated. I can't remember if it was the Stanley or the Lechowicks.

I never can remember if that was them or the team that replaced them. Either way, that finale, along with Linda's murder, is the end of KL for me.

Something else I don't know if Tina gets enough credit for is what a natural bridge she was away from the very carefully trained etiquette the ladies of Motown were forced to be. She was still classy, in that Tina Turner way, but she was also wild and free and fun, less interested in respectability politics. I do wonder how different her US career would have been if River Deep Mountain High, such a beautiful emotional ballad, had been popular Stateside. The Tina who first connected with the public here was the showstopper, and it's a credit to her that she managed to blend that woman in with the sleeker presence she was in her '80s comeback.

My mother loves listening to "What's Love Got to Do with It?" and has for many years, the song that was my introduction to Tina. As time passed I realized I was more drawn to her '60s and '70s work, but I will always have a soft spot for that period of Tina that brought millions into her effortless coolness and vitality. Tina was such a life force onstage, always putting on a show, that the more guarded woman of her interviews was one I did not expect. Yet I respect that woman, both women, more and more as I get older and I see just how much society and the media ridicules and fetishizes the abuse women face, especially black women. She talked about what Ike did to her, but she never expected sympathy, likely because she knew America well enough to realize how uncommon that sympathy would be. Tina was as American as you can get, which is probably one of the reasons she left and didn't look back. She took all of the pain and fought hard for every opportunity, and somehow, she triumphed. Her story is the ultimate American story, yet also unique to her. When you look back at Tina of any era, there's no one like her. She changed her style to fit decades, but she never changed the essence of her. Even decked out in Conan cosplay for Mad Max, she was still Tina. She wore the clothes, and she looked damn good. Even now, when some artists talk about what an inspiration she was, they don't try to imitate her, because you can't. Tina was also so cool and sexy without putting on a big desperate effort. You think of how so many female artists today have to mutilate themselves, have to crawl on all fours, grind against men, women, and whatever nearby object in order to get some notice, and you look back on Tina who always had more class and a distance, even in moments of sexuality. Confidence was key. And Tina never let us forget that the show was just a show that people were lucky to be able to see. She wasn't begging and pleading. She demanded respect, and she got it. I was watching a clip earlier today with Janis Joplin lavishing praise on Tina to Dick Cavett (who seemingly had no idea who Tina was), and I think of how lucky we were to have Tina for as long as we did. It's hard to believe she is gone, but what she gave us will never leave.

The writing for Abby in her last season felt wrong - you could tell there was no real respect for the character anymore, and she was just being used as a plot mover and losing dimension. I have a lot of respect for Donna Mills for choosing to leave when she did. If Joan had left around that time I think it would have helped Valene as well.

I don't think fans have any right to be upset over her love life. There's a case you can make that it's against her brand and image to be with a man who is the opposite of the values she seems to espouse regarding diversity and feminism, but that's her choice. The main problem is that a big part of the Taylor brand has also been being a victim, being done wrong by the media, the recording industry, and nearly every man she's ever dated. Her going into a relationship with someone who is such a known scumbag flies in the face of the narrative built around her.

Her brief scenes with Greg as Mary Catherine packed a real punch, and someone seemingly realized it had been a mistake to kill that character off. The idea of having her under the thumb of a control freak mother, and reminding Greg of his failures as a father, was not bad. When they moved away from that and just started writing her as a generic heroine in season 13, there was nothing of value to be found.

This is shocking. It makes me pine for the days of the demon sheep ad. There were reports last week from Tiger Beat on the Potomac about the pig's wife and how much she helps keep him in a bubble with her own demands and ego trips. If this is what they're coming up with together, then I say keep it going.

Not usually a huge fan of political Twitter gotchas, but this response to the disastrous Elon and sassy sloth "launch" today is priceless.