"Your waking world is shaped by dreams." And by nightmares. This is a premise for "The Sandman," a fabulous new dark fantasy series from Netflix. "The Sandman" is based on the comic book written by Neil Gaiman and published by DC Comics.
After years of imprisonment, Morpheus (Tom Sturridge), the King of Dreams, embarks on a journey across worlds to find what was stolen from him and restore his power. A nightmare he created to force humans to look inward, called The Corinthian (Boyd Holbrook), escapes the Dreaming and then uses his skills to become a celebrated serial killer. Oh and The Corinthian is gay. "I'm not gonna stop till I've reshaped this world," says The Corinthian. "Let's see if dreams can die."
Vivienne Acheampong plays Lucienne, the librarian of the Dreaming who is a gender-flipped version of the book's Lucien. Patton Oswalt is the voice of Matthew the Raven, Dream's emissary and the fabulous Joely Richardson, daughter of actress Vanessa Redgrave and director Tony Richardson, plays Ethel Dee. It's queer AF and really, really good.
We don't want to do spoilers here and there are many to reveal that come early on, but "If dreams disappear, so will humanity" and The Corinthian might just be a dream crusher.
This is a lush, fully immersive production and one finally worthy of Gaiman's vision. 'The Sandman' on Netflix
Dream catcher
We absolutely love "Reservation Dogs." Season 2 of FX's Peabody and Independent Spirit Award-winning dramedy series is even better than season 1. Created by Sterlin Harjo and Taika Waititi for FX, "Reservation Dogs" is the first series to feature all Indigenous writers and directors as well as an Indigenous North American cast and production team.
"Reservation Dogs" follows the adventures of four Indigenous friends in rural Oklahoma. The gang "spend their days committing crime and fighting it."
It's very queer, with Devery Jacobs as Elora Danan Postoak as a stunning baby butch lead. D'Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai play Bear Smallhill, Lane Factor is Cheese and Paulina Alexis plays the gender-fluid Willie Jack. These are incredibly fabulous characters and this is a funny, heartbreaking and enraging series; now streaming on FX/Hulu.
Dream, girls
Some reality shows are back to make the waning days of summer more enjoyable.
There's season 2 of "RuPaul's Secret Celebrity Drag Race" where RuPaul and a panel of judges get judgy as a whole new group of performers lip sync their way to the title of America's Next Celebrity Drag Superstar. On VH1 starting August 12.
On August 19, "Good Sex" premieres on Discovery+. In this sexy and informative show, sex coach Caitlin V "helps real-life couples discover how to have mind-blowing sex" With sensual caresses, hot toys and brand spanking new techniques, the couples delve into their deepest sexual desires to reach that elusive climax as well as touch on that all-important intimacy.
"Queer Eye: Brazil" premieres on Netflix on August 24. The Brazilian Fab Five version of the original Primetime Emmy Award-winning series stars Fred Nicácio (well-being), Guto Requena (design), Rica Benozzati (style), Luca Scarpelli (culture) and Yohan Nicolas (beauty). Tem um monte de caras lindos aqui. (There are a lot of hot guys here. Netflix
Dream factory
A judge ruled August 4 that Oscar- Tony- and SAG- award winner Kevin Spacey and his production companies must pay the makers of "House of Cards" nearly $31 million because of losses brought on by his 2017 firing for the sexual harassment of crew members.
Spacey received Emmy nominations for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series in 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017 for his role as power-hungry Democratic congressman Frank Underwood in the award-winning Netflix series.
Spacey has been accused of sexual harassment and sexual assault by a series of men. Actor Anthony Rapp accused Spacey of making a sexual advances toward him when Rapp was 14. Netflix cut ties with Spacey in 2017, removing him from the last season of "House of Cards" and shelving his film "Gore."
Actor and singer Demi Lovato, who came out as nonbinary in 2021, is using she/her pronouns again in addition to they/them and cis het people can't figure it out.
We don't understand why pronouns are so hard for people, but they seem to be absolutely flummoxing, right up there with nuclear physics and String Theory.
In March 2021, Lovato came out as pansexual and sexually fluid, stating "I've always known I was hella queer, but I have fully embraced it." (www.today.com)
Actress Anne Heche ("Chicago P.D.," "All Rise") was critically injured after a fiery crash on August 4. "Anne is in the ICU, she's lucky to be alive. She has severe burns and has a long recovery ahead. Her team and her family are still trying to process what led up to the crash," a source close to Heche told CNN. Heche's injuries have prevented police from interviewing her about the accident, but her car was traveling at a high rate of speed before crashing into a house and catching fire.
Heche won a Daytime Emmy Award for her signature role on "Another World," where she played twins Vicky Hudson and Marley Love from 1987 to 1991. She then starred in a series of major films, including "Donnie Brasco," "Six Days Seven Nights" and "Wag the Dog."
Heche was involved with comedian and talk show host Ellen DeGeneres from 1997 through 2000. She has said the relationship overshadowed and damaged her career. In a 2021 interview with Page Six, Heche said she felt "blacklisted" after going public with the relationship. "I didn't do a studio picture for 10 years," said Heche.
The actress has had a series of issues with substance abuse and bouts with mental illness. The New York Post reported August 7 that Heche "slurred her way through a podcast that was posted hours before her horrifying high-speed crash, saying she was downing vodka and wine after being 'rocked' by a 'very bad day'."
We wish Heche well and hope she recovers fully and receives all the help she needs.
Nightmare at CPAC
When TV news media fails us, it fails us in a big way. It failed us during the 2016 election when it covered Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump as if they were equally qualified to be president—a former senator, Secretary of State and First Lady with a 40-year history of dedicated public service versus an accused rapist and failed businessman with a life-long history of extreme racist views and practices for which he'd been investigated as far back as the Nixon Department of Justice.
TV news media ignored Trump calling for Hillary to be assassinated twice. It ignored Trump calling on Russia to aid in his election by "finding her missing emails." It normalized Trump's non-stop racist and misogynist declarations.
TV news media shrugged when Trump said in a debate that he might not accept the results of the 2016 election if he didn't win, even as Hillary called it out as a potential threat to democracy.
And now here we are, post-January 6 insurrection and rogue U.S. Supreme Court, and TV news media is failing to sound the alarm yet again. At the CPAC (Conservative Political Action Conference) in Dallas over the weekend, Trump was a featured speaker along with a cadre of GOP senators and congresspersons like the virulently anti-LGBTQ Ted Cruz and Marjorie Taylor Greene. At CPAC Trump once again repeated the lie that he won the election, that the election was fraudulent and that President Biden is illegitimate.
Trump won an unofficial straw poll of CPAC attendees who were asked who they preferred as the 2024 GOP presidential nominee. They chose Trump 69% to anti-LGBTQ harridan, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis's 24%. Asked who they'd prefer if Trump did not run for president, 65% of respondents said they preferred DeSantis and 8% said they would support Donald Trump Jr., who has no experience in political office. (CNN)
In his speech, Trump attacked Democrats on crime and immigration, making racist assertions. Trump also said teaching any "racial, sexual and political material" to schoolchildren "in any form whatsoever" should be banned, and if federal officials push this "radicalism," "the Department of Education should be abolished." Trump also voiced support for banning trans people from playing sports with the gender they identify with. (The Hill)
Several of Trump's endorsed candidates for Senate have won primaries, including J.D. Vance in Ohio, Herschel Walker in Georgia and TV icon Dr. Mehmet Oz in Pennsylvania. Both Vance and Walker are currently leading in polls. All three have run using disturbingly anti-LGBTQ rhetoric.
Trump continues to set the Republican agenda. LGBTQ people were in Trump's crosshairs throughout his presidency and are now targets of GOP governors like DeSantis and Trump minions, like House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), who desperately wants to be Speaker. (Philadelphia Gay News)
Trump is a menace to both democracy in general and LGBTQ people in specific. TV news media is failing us again by treating Trump as anything other than a corrupt and criminal character who has damaged and divided the country. Queer and trans people are at risk from Trump. TV news media is failing us in not highlighting that dangerous reality.
So for the Sturm and the Drang in this climate and political crisis summer, you know you really must stay tuned.
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