Sugary Slope: “The New Romantic” Recycles Tired Tropes about Transactional Relationships
Some sugar babies criticize prostitution in order to distance themselves from the labels and stigma associated with it.
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Dark Times Ahead: “The Crimes of Grindelwald” is a Bleak Vision of Fascism
An allegory for the rise of the Nazis wherein only another version of Hitler can stop Hitler is tasteless.
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No Greater Agony: “Can You Ever Forgive Me?” is an Achingly Honest Portrait of a Writer’s Life
Though writing is the backbone of most industries, writers are often considered expendable and easily replaceable.
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House Mother Rules: “Pose” is a Testament to the Selflessness of Trans Women
We must return the love and protection that trans women of color give us.
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Signs, Saints, and Symbols: Transgender Kids in Media are Not Here to Forgive You
By not allowing trans kids to grow into adults, even if it’s just on TV shows, writers take away their futures.
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Nijla Mu’min Brings a Radical Portrait of Black Muslim Women to the Big Screen
Nijla Mu’min is very aware of her film’s unique place in the white patriarchal world of Hollywood.
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No Foes, Real Friends: “Insecure” Has a Love-Hate Relationship with the Classic Marriage Plot
In a time when there are more single adults in America than ever before, it’s depressing to see Insecure suggest that Issa requires this much contrived romantic failure to justify her realization that a man won’t “fix” her life.
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Through the Eyes of Others : “The Hate U Give” and the Burden of Racial Awareness
Starr’s concern about being stereotyped as the “angry Black girl” isn’t petty or trivial.
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Not Your Final Girl: In “Halloween,” Laurie Strode Is a Survivor
In 2018, the former “scream queen” is armed with resolve and pain, and her only scream in the film comes from a place of anger and grief—not fear.
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No Shame Monster: “Big Mouth” Sweetens the Bitter Pill of Puberty
In the past, stories of adolescent sexuality and desire on television were often only focused on boys—with girls as a mystery or a conquest. Big Mouth evens up the score.
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