It’s Yikes’ First Content Warning: Surviving R. Kelly premiered on Lifetime this week. Below there is discussion of sexual abuse and grooming.
An editorial cartoonist on instagram has had his comics removed due to “violation of community guidelines“. This is the offending work:
If you can find the “violence or threats of violence” in any of Ellis Rosen’s work, please let me know cuz I’m not seeing it! In the meantime, why not follow Ellis on twitter (and also Emi Gennis, another rad cartoonist who brought this up on twitter originally)
The Right-Wing nutcases living with AOC rent-free in their heads unintentionally brought us a new gem! This video of Ocasio-Cortez is… *gasp* her DANCING. its full of joy and I love it. Maybe they are jealous of her sweet moves? Or that their criticism of her is all grasping at straws that always rolls right off AOC’s back? Either way, the 116th Congress is here.
Speaking of the 116th Congress…finally, FINALLY there are Native American women serving. Deb Haaland of New Mexico was 2 years old when the state granted Native Americans the right to vote. Sharice Davids of Kansas will also be the only openly LGBTQIA member of Congress from her state.
Congress first met in 1789. Since then, more than 10,000 people have served in the House and over 1,300 in the Senate. Not a SINGLE ONE of those people have been Native American. ‘Til now!
On Thursday night, the documentary series Surviving R. Kelly had its television premiere on Lifetime. The first screening of this film was cut short because a threat was called into to the theater.
The six-part series spends a lot of time with Kelly’s victims, of which there are dozens, if not hundreds. This buzzfeed article from 2017 dives deep into the allegations and rumors that have surrounded Kelly for decades.
Talking about R Kelly is upsetting because he’s hurt so many women, but beyond that there are so many people who will defend him or look the other way. It’s another instance of society failing black girls and women. People in positions of power upholding the status quo, at the expense of young girls’ lives. I suggest reading up or watching the series only if you feel you can handle it. Stop at any time it becomes too much.
Goverment shutdown update: it’s still continuing, with many workers going without pay. But! Hundreds of Trump senior appointees will be getting a $10,000 raise! Such great news for income inequality!! Especially because there are hundreds of thousands of goverment employees currently working without pay who are unable to pay their bills. Also our national parks are overflowing with poop.
This act of resistance is absolutely a story more people should know about. In Kerala, India, more than FIVE MILLION WOMEN formed a human chain of nearly 400 miles across the state. They were demanding that a temple open itself to women, as the Indian Supreme Court had recently ruled. Check out the hashtag #VanithaMatil to get more information. Thus far two women have attemped to enter the temple in question and it was subsequently closed to be cleaned. Harassment and violence continues, schools and businesses in the state have been closed by the goverment, as they obvviously feel threatened by…[checks notes] women who want to have equal worshipping rights. Got it.
National Trivia Day was January 4, a day that will now also be known as the one that broke the Harry Potter fandom. The Pottermore twitter account posted a curious factiod that is both gross and pointless:
This is a great example of how sometimes an author needs to move on to something else. Once we have reached the point of discussing how wizards used to shit wherever they wanted, the bottom of the Potterverse barrel has been scraped.
By now you’ve surely heard that Kevin Hart was slated to host the Oscars, but stepped down after backlash due to homophobic jokes Hart has made in the past. I guess because they are buds, Ellen DeGeneres sat Kevin Hart down for an interview that was essentially a public plead to restore him as “rightful” Oscars host. Hart is playing the victim now, claiming he’s apologized many times (there is no evidence of this) and people are “attacking” him for things he’s said years ago. And Ellen is using her mighty power as Daytime Talkshow Lesbian to absolve him of his past wrongs and attempt to convince the public that Hart should be forgiven. It shows how little Ellen thinks of the marginalized members of LGBTQIA community, ie nothing. Her role as a Powerful Celeb and Friend is more important than the words he uses continuing to perpetuate harmful stereotypes and homophobia. I recommend reading Ira Madison’s guest column on the Hollywood Reporter for more perspective on this.
Today in Karma Is Real: Massive Fire Spotted on Private Island Owned by Pedophile Jeffrey Epstein.