This morning

Tags

Hamilton, The Kid

Kid: I want to go to work with you so I can visit the Hamilton statue.

---

Wow. Just wow.

The statue she’s referring to is this one:

Image stolen from http://www.learnliveandexplore.com/2015/11/alexander-hamilton-10-founding-father.html

I work at Columbia University, and this statue is on the main campus at Columbia College, in front of Hamilton Hall. Since I became a Hamilton Musical fan, whenever I’m there, I like to take a minute to visit. And back when the Kid was a Hamilton Hater, I used to tease her about it, showing her pictures I took or telling Kid and KPD that I visited my boyfriend at lunch time or whatever.

But that’s only part of what makes the Kid’s statement astounding.

The Kid HATES New York City. I mean, she appreciates some of what she can get there, like Broadway shows and good restaurants and museums and her cousins, who live in Brooklyn, but she really dislikes going there. It’s too loud, too smelly, too crowded. And she also hates coming to work with me, because even though she likes some of my work friends, visiting me at work is basically seven hours of sitting at a table entertaining herself while I do work at my desk.

But now she asked me, apropos of nothing, to take her to work with me so she can visit the Hamilton statue. Which isn’t even particularly close to where I work, as I do not work on the main campus. But I will do it. I will find a way. Because that is the Way of the Nerd.

Progress

Tags

Hamilton, Harry Potter, Psych, Stranger Things, The Kid

Of course over the weekend we had quite a few birthday celebrations for the Kid, resulting in quite a few presents. She received gifts related to the following fandoms:

• Psych
• Hamilton
• Harry Potter
• Stranger Things

Each in multiples. And she got a t-shirt with a pi joke on it that she’s already worn twice.

So I think our nerd training is progressing quite nicely. Though I have to say that although her favorite character on Psych is Juliet and one of the Hamilton gifts featured the Schuyler Sisters and her favorite character from Harry Potter is Hermione and her favorite character from Stranger Things is Eleven, this is a very male-dominated set of fandoms.

We’ll have to get her some Supergirl and Buffy things for Chanukah, to round it out.

It’s coming

Tags

KPD, The Kid

Kid: Wow. I have my school birthday on Thursday, my friend party on Saturday night, and two family get-togethers on Sunday! That’s a lot of birthday celebrations.

KPD: Is it too much? We could cancel something.

Kid: Nah. I’m turning thirteen. It’s a big deal!

KPD: It IS a big deal.

Kid: You’re going to have a teenager in the house.

 

 

Kid: Good luck with that.

---

It happens tomorrow! I guess we’ll need all the help we can get.

I made a meme!

Tags

Darren Criss, Harry Potter

So last night I was lying in bed and this factoid dribbled up out of the depths of my brain. The Kid told me recently that female snowy owls are covered in spots, which means that the owl who played Hedwig in the Harry Potter movies is male. And my Darren Criss-soaked brain instantly realized that Darren Criss is a male playing a woman named Hedwig, and that coincidence tickled my funny bone.

So I dragged my middle-aged self to the internet and I figured out how to make this:

I’m ridiculously proud of myself.

New York Comic Con

Tags

Comics, Klaine

This Sunday, we finally went to Comic Con. We’ve been waiting a few years, partly because we’re not well-organized to get tickets, and partly because we weren’t sure how the Kid would deal with the crowds.

But this year, Comic Con changed the way they distributed tickets, and it looked like we might be able to make it happen, so we tried, and we did it! And Sunday morning we set out, taking the ferry from NJ with all the other nerds.

Boat full of nerds.

We had a great time. I was especially excited to find some Musical Theater swag:

Including this necklace, which made me think of Klaine:

The Kid was psyched because she got to meet Joey Graceffa.

Happy girl is happy.

And I got an autographed Buffy comic with a custom portrait of Spike.

Sexy vampire is sexy.

So a good time was had by all, and I discovered the joy of the Quiet Room. Why doesn’t everywhere crowded have a Quiet Room? I’m looking at you, Elsie Fest, Renaissance Faire, and the mall!

I don’t think we’ll go back, though. There wasn’t really anything there I couldn’t get elsewhere, and while it was really cool to talk to some comic book artists and have them tell the Kid how they got where they are, it was REALLY crowded and expensive, and I don’t think I need to do it again. I’m glad we did it, though, because we had a great day and it was kind of a family bonding experience.

Also, I can’t really claim to be raising my child in nerd culture without at least trying Comic Con once, right?

 

The Kid is back

Tags

The Kid

The Kid went away this week on a school field trip, and I guess I didn’t write much because I was actually spending time with KPD, which is a nice thing to do once in a while.

But even though we took advantage of the time together to watch some TV shows the Kid isn’t into and even go on a date to a Broadway show (Falsettos: go see it if you can!), I missed her like crazy and I’m so glad she’s back.

I really do believe it’s important for kids to go places without their parents, and this was a trip to a farm, which taught the Kid a lot (she’s now grossed out by eggs and milk) but that doesn’t mean I have to enjoy it. Life just isn’t right when we’re not all together, and the thing is, I really like her. I mean, sure, she’s of an age where she can be annoying and rude sometimes, but she’s also of an age where she’s starting to be really funny. She’s starting to take an interest in things and have real conversations about them. She’s learning about the world and forming opinions about the news. It’s a really exciting time to be a parent and I can’t wait to find out what she’s going to do next.

Of course I want her to go out into the world and have adventures. I just hope she always feels like coming home is important too. Because she’s an awesome person, and I really, really like having her around.

Crazy Ex-Girlfriend

Tags

Grazy Ex-Girlfriend

I just finished watching Season 1 of Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, and I’m not sure what to say about it, other than it’s awesome. I’m really excited about the number of musicals that have been on TV recently and while the songs in this one are really uneven, there’s a lot to love about it.

1. It’s funny. Really funny. Sometimes it goes over the top, but mostly it’s highly enjoyable.
2. It’s a musical!
3. It’s feminist. There are a lot of antifeminist moments, but they are always seen as mistakes.
4. There’s celebration of different kinds of sexuality, and of other kinds of diversity, although it’s a mostly-white show. There is a main character who’s Filipino, though, which is unusual on TV, and another who’s Mexican.
5. Did I mention it’s a musical?
6. There are a variety of female (and male) body types on the show, and while Rachel Bloom does make her body the subject of humor quite a lot, her character (Rebecca Bunch) is certainly seen as sexually desirable although she is not a size 0.
7. Paula has a life even though she’s married. I mean, she’s unhappy with a lot of things, but there is a storyline there, including her working on her marriage. Which is a heck of a lot better than most shows, which seem to think if you aren’t in the process of falling in love, there’s nothing to write about you.
8. Oh, and it’s a musical!

So I’m really looking forward to Season 2. Sadly, it’s not something I can watch with the Kid. I think it’s a bit adult for her, and I regret that, since I always think comedy gets better when it’s censored a bit (or self-censored, I guess) but Rachel Bloom is kind of into shocking people so I guess that’s where she wanted to go with it. It would be interesting to see what she would write if she had to stick to a G or PG rating.

But overall, I’m a fan.

All in the details

Tags

Glee, Klaine

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Kurt is the most developed character on Glee. And because of that, he’s also the most consistent. And there’s one detail in particular that I really enjoy:

Kurt Hummel does not know how to flirt.

Season 1 he wants Finn, so he introduces his dad to Finn’s mom. What?

Season 2, Blaine doesn’t even realize they’re dating. (Also due to Blaine being oblivious, which is part of why Kurt doesn’t learn how to flirt: there’s no point in flirting with Blaine.) 

Throughout their relationship, their flirting consists of statements like: “We’re going to go have the hottest makeup sex ever.” Or, “I’m getting a little turned on.” And, of course, the scheduled make out sessions. And that one text. Which doesn’t even work.

Then Kurt never once realizes Adam is flirting with him. Which is partly because he’s still in love with Blaine, but also partly because he doesn’t know how to flirt.

And he has to ask Walter if they’re on a date.

And finally, when Blaine is trying to talk about their relationship in “Transitioning,” Kurt has no idea what’s going on and is totally blindsided when Blaine kisses him, and then he doesn’t know why Blaine came running into the choir room and just trots off on his little date.

 

 

It’s just an awesome little character detail and in a show that was so fast and loose with characters and story, it’s nice that they kept that one throughout. And, of course, Kurt’s lack of subtlety is a perfect match for Blaine’s obliviousness. So it works.

The best Twitter thread ever

Tags

Glee, Klaine, Twitter

Yesterday I was on Twitter and my good friend @klainesavpm (Vicky) retweeted one of the funniest things I’ve ever seen. It’s a parody of Season 6 of Glee, and if it only spent as much time introducing characters we’d never have time to care about, it could be a season of Glee.

I couldn’t stop thinking about it, and I want to keep it forever, so I wrote to the author of the thread, @darrencurls (Valentina) and asked if I could post it on my blog. Below, with a few tiny edits to fix typos, is the full thread written by @darrencurls on August 7th.

---

 

Things about the season 7 of glee you should not forget: a thread

Klaine divorced and Blaine started dating Azimio. They met in a gym where Blaine was practicing boxing

Kurt moved to Russia, where he found love with Vladimir II, the son of the Russian President

Sue is the President of the US, and when she see that Klaine broke up, she contacts the Russian president, ready to start a war

The Russian president is not a fan of Vladimir II and Kurt, and starts to ship Klaine thanks to Sue, so they decide to get Klaine together

Blaine is this amazing songwriter that everybody loves, he’s so famous and he’s nominated for 5 Grammys (Spoilers: he wins all of them)

But Sue decides that the Grammy awards need to happen in Russia, for Klaine to be together again, so she does. And everyone goes to Russia

All of the New Directions and the Warblers (Nick and Jeff are married) go to Russia to support Blaine… And get Klaine back together too

Everyone hates Azimio, because well he was an asshole to all of them. But Blaine is blinded by his love for him

Grammy night is on, Kurt was an special guest because of Vlad. He is wearing a bowtie, and Blaine feels like dying, it’s his kryptonite

Blaine starts to wonder why Kurt and him divorced, he thinks it’s something about pancakes, but he’s not sure about that

Kurt gets a message from the president of Russia: “Go to the special room, you can only get there by the elevator next to the stage”

Blaine gets one too: “The nominees need to be in the special room, go to the elevator next to the stage, it’s the only way to get there”

Klaine meet each other in the elevator, it’s really awkward. The door’s closing when they both feel a dejavu, but the door is already locked

*Weird Scream mask appears on a screen in the wall* “Well Klaine, the story is repeating, you both know what to do to get out 😉 ;)”

Kurt screams “We are not making out in an elevator again” while Blaine looks kinda disappointed about this, but tries to hide it

“I would say to just kiss but I know I am better with my tongue than that Vladimir of yours so you’d probably forget about him” -Blaine

“Oh really? My tongue would make you forget your own name, let alone the Simio you’re dating” -Kurt says, getting closer to Blaine

“His name is a Azimio, not Simio” “Simio is Spanish for Ape and he looks like one” Blaine laughs, because it’s true, and he loves sassy Kurt

B puts Kurt against the wall, doing a sexy smirk “So let’s do a bet, who can make the other one forget their boyfriend first, wins, deal?”

Kurt smiles, he knows this is a mistake but Blaine’s lips are so close, and he’s biting his lower lip. He needs to kiss him, so he does

They don’t even know who forgot about their boyfriend first, but after they started to kiss, neither of them wanted to stop

The screen comes to life to show Sue saying “Klaine, keep it PG-13, the whole world is watching you kiss in the Grammys, go further later”

Blaine starts to laugh, while Kurt gets worried. Their boyfriends watched them kissing on the big screens, this is gonna be awkward

The host says “Blaine Anderson not only won 5 Grammys tonight, he also got the hottest kiss the TV has ever seen. Lucky guy he is”

Vladimir is offended, and he tells his dad “I want them expulsed from Russia, this is unacceptable”

But the president of Russia has different plans, he smiles to Sue and says “Son, don’t try to fight the Klaine Romance” THE END

Special thank to @lgbtdarren because she’s as deep in drugs as I am, so she helped me to write this mess

—————————————————————–

Thanks for the story Valentina, and thanks for retweeting it where I could see it, Vicky! Glee fans, go follow @darrencurls and @klainesavpm on Twitter, and you can follow me, too @rachelferat.

 

Supergirl

Tags

Glee, Supergirl

For years, the Kid has maintained that she didn’t really like superheroes. She’d watch the occasional movie on opening weekend when it was important to her father, and she enjoyed those in a casual sort of way. But we could never get her to watch any at home.

So we had to get her into Supergirl through the back door. (AKA Glee.) For those who may not know (and I doubt there are any non-Glee fans left reading my blog at this point, but just in case), Supergirl star Melissa Benoist played Marley Rose on Glee seasons 4 and 5.

A little while ago, KPD heard that they are going to make a musical episode of Supergirl this year (actually a crossover with The Flash, whose Grant Gustin was also on Glee) and that, of course, made me very excited. Somehow, this got the Kid interested. I’m not sure why.

Grant Gustin as Sebastian Smythe. I have it on good authority that this guy smells like Craig’s List.

She is a fan of Marley, and Gustin’s Glee character Sebastian certainly caused me a lot of ajada as a foil to the Klaine romance, but I also think the Kid was enticed by the prospect of a female hero.

Whatever the reason, the Kid finally agreed to watch an episode, and now we’re all hooked. And then I found out that Jeremy Jordan, who was one of the stars of Smash season 2, plays Supergirl’s best friend, and now I’m REALLY looking forward to the musical episode.

There are so many lovely feminist points made on this episode. I love that it’s a story about a girl who’s been encouraged to hide her talents since she was 13 years old. (That age can’t be accidental.) I love that she has a female boss who’s also a mom. I love the frank talk about feminism. (Shouldn’t it be Superwoman? is a question that comes up a lot.) I love that Supergirl faces the same issues male superheroes face about getting close to people who may then become targets used against her. I love that she’s trying to live up to her cousin Superman and at the same time fighting the narrative that she needs to live up to Superman because she’s a woman. I love that all the women on the show struggle with the expectation that they care for others while they try to achieve their own goals, whether it’s Supergirl losing her role as Superman’s caregiver because she was lost in the Phantom Zone while he was growing up or Cat Grant seeking her mother’s approval while trying to balance being a mother and running a media empire. And I love that none of the men on the show bat an eye about being friends with a woman who can break them in half and will never, ever, need them to rescue her.

Supergirl is a show that I feel good about watching with my adolescent daughter. And when she goes to bed, I go back to my musicals.