Christopher Husberg's Blog, page 2

QR22 Day 21 - TEENAGE BOUNTY HUNTERS

 

Ya’ll I have been waiting ALL MONTH to talk about this one. For Day 21 of Queer Representation: Teenage Bounty Hunters!

But first, a rant.

I mentioned Buffy the Vampire Slayer yesterday, and there’s no denying that BtVS has progressed beyond cult classic into legitimate classic in its own right. Classic enough that I’ve often heard people talk about “spiritual successors” or “heirs” to the BtVS zeitgeist. (If your response to that is “Chris I’ve literally never heard people talk about 'successors to the BtVS zeitgeist' or whatever,” my response to you is in two parts: 1 - you admittedly sound like a normal person so that’s fine and I’m happy for you, and 2 - you obviously need to watch more BtVS and read more about it and study it and discuss it in person with everyone you know and online with random people on the internet a lot more. Because you are living half a life.)

Anyway. Let’s be honest, BtVS left a big throne to fill, as it were. There are a lot of things that made Buffy so iconic. Quick, whippy, creative dialog. Grungy, indy rock and pop sprinkled perfectly throughout. Creating cohesive season- and series- spanning stories at a time when TV was almost exclusively week-by-week. Metaphor: using supernatural drama as a lens to examine teenage drama, and using both to examine universal fears, questions, and social issues. Characters—heroes and villains and everything in between—that were complex, multifaceted, and experienced growth and change in step with the series-spanning plot elements.

There have been a string of pretenders to the vacant Buffy throne over the years, all of them trying to replicate the above. The Vampire Diaries was an obvious candidate (and a show I acknowledged years ago when it was airing). An interesting new contender is First Kill, a vampire series that does have queer representation as well as a decent story and characters, but also falls short in a few areas. There have been many others, including one I’m mentioning tomorrow for Queer Rep, but none of them quite manage to lock down the throne.

The problem with most surface-level, failed “successors” to BtVS is that they focus too much on the teen and supernatural aspects of the show, and honestly they can't even get that stuff right. They hammer the supernatural without metaphor and nuance, creating stories that are admittedly dramatic but overwhelmingly hollow. They cram pop (and pop-adjacent, or pop-alt-rock, or indie-pop-whatever) music tracks into every possible scene that could remotely (or don’t remotely) call for music, and shamelessly stitch pop-culture references and the latest urban dictionary entries into otherwise uninspired dialog. What follows isn’t something that genuinely feels youthful, or current, or like it has something to say, but rather something that feels more like a Frankensteinian pop-culture monster crafted by a bunch of executives who googled “what do The Youth like these days?” and went with whatever was on the first page of results. Don’t get me wrong—teens (and really anyone remotely interested in pop culture) often still like these shows. They’re popular! And I’m not saying they shouldn’t be. I liked The Vampire Diaries and First Kill, for the most part. But they aren’t remotely in the same arena as BtVS.

No, my friends. The truth is, that throne sat empty and unoccupied since BtVS ended in 2004. 

Unoccupied, anyway, until 2020, when Teenage Bounty Hunters was released on Netflix.

Teenage Bounty Hunters (TBH) is the One True Heir to Buffy. Let’s go down the list of things I mentioned earlier:

TBH’s dialog is innately delightful and hilarious, but it also feels current, creative, and effortless.They don’t smash you on the head with the music, but there are tracks that have recurring importance and other moments where the music fits perfectly for humor, drama, or really whatever else the story needs.TBH executes the monster-of-the-week/season-spanning-arc hybrid approach flawlessly. (“Skip”-of-the week in TBH’s case, because they’re bounty hunters, but it’s the same idea.)The show weaves teen drama, metaphor, and the bounty-hunter plot elements perfectly. It has heart, because instead of empty teen drama or supernatural nonsense, it’s full of meaning on multiple levels.The characters are wonderful. Sterling. Blair. Bowser. April. Ellen. Terrence. I need them on a t-shirt. And the casting and acting is really phenomenal. Also Method Man is in it. Like??? It’s so great.So it’s as good as—and in some cases better than (YES I SAID IT) BtVS on almost every level. And there’s more:Crucially, TBH is not a supernatural series. Admittedly the premise (two teenage twin girls start working for a local bounty hunter while dealing with family and high school drama) is so ridiculous it’s almost supernatural, but it’s actually implemented seamlessly, and the show still uses elements of the premise to explore metaphors, social issues, etc.It’s incredibly sex-positive and empowering. Sex is always a choice in the show, and when characters make mistakes in the sex arena—which happens often—they learn from it and grow. When they have positive experiences, they see and acknowledge the positive. It's really well done. (Which also means the sexual content is reasonably mid-to-high in this show, so if that’s not for you, you’ve been warned. But trust me, if you can get through the first five minutes of the first episode, you’re going to be fine, and you’re going to love the show.)It’s gaaaaaaay! I won’t spoil anything but it’s gay and it’s great. I will say the series makes you work for the gay, though, so be prepared for a lot of…I don’t know, not-gay for the first few episodes. But when the gay hits, it’s like wait this show is SO GAY and it’s amazing.

There’s really only one problem with Teenage Bounty Hunters: Netflix cancelled it after it’s first season.

I know, it’s horrible. And story elements and questions are left unanswered. And I can only imagine how great the series might have become if it had been allowed a few more seasons of life. But the lone season is so good that it’s absolutely worth watching. And I’ll be honest, if I were given the chance to resurrect one TV show from the grave of cancellation, it would not be Firefly. It would be Teenage Bounty Hunters. I know those are fighting words for just about everyone I know, but they're truth.

So, Teenage Bounty Hunters. It’s…so, so good. It inhabits the zeitgeisty throne of BtVS with august majesty. Watch it. Love it. Live it. Or whatever. 🏳️‍🌈

QR22 Day 20 - Buffy the Vampire Slayer

 

For day 20 of Queer Representation I’m going to talk about Buffy the Vampire Slayer. (If you know me at all you had to expect this at some point, right?) And honestly, there’s a lot to say. But I’m also going to try to keep this short. So, the highlights: 

Willow Rosenberg is one of the best characters in the entire series. She’s smart, she’s funny, she’s brave, she’s compassionate, she’s a witch, and she’s also gay (or, arguably, bisexual, but I personally think she’s solidly in the lesbian camp). Her relationship with Tara was really wonderful (with one big asterisk), and they shared one of the first lesbian kisses on television as well as the first lesbian love scene. So, BtVS has a few strong gay characters whose characterization goes beyond their gayness, and it was willing to take some risks at a time where things like this were risky. So that’s good!

But also, the lowlights. BtVS falls into some harmful tropes for the LGBTQIA+ community. “Bury your gays” (there’s the asterisk) and “gay panic” (namely: Xander) are the first ones that come to mind, but I imagine there are others. I won’t go into detail about what those tropes mean for the sake of time and spoilers, but you can follow the links to find out more.

What I’d like to point out is that even though BtVS was a very good series in a lot of respects, and even though in some ways it pioneered queer representation, it didn’t come without issues and without problems. Honestly it makes films like But I’m a Cheerleader and Saving Face, and books like Annie on My Mind (all contemporary or predating BtVS) even more impressive because they manage to have strong representation without furthering problematic tropes. So, kind of a mixed bag here, but I think it’s worth acknowledging that just because a piece of media might have good representation or further a cause in a specific way doesn’t mean it’s completely unproblematic. 🏳️‍🌈

QR22 Day 19 - Love, Simon

Look, for Day 19 of Queer Representation we’re going to keep it simple. Love Simon is great. It’s just a really, really good romcom where the rom in question happens to be gay. Characters are likeable, the story is fun. Honestly I don’t know what else to say about it! Except: you should watch it :-D. (And that the spinoff series on Hulu, Love, Victor, is also very very good!) 🏳️‍🌈

QR22 Day 18 - But I’m a Cheerleader

 

If you’re looking for an OG gay cult classic, look no further than But I’m a Cheerleader, the 1999 teen romcom with a bit of a satire-y streak. But I’m a Cheerleader follows Megan, a—you guessed it—high school cheerleader whose parents send her to a form of conversion therapy camp. The film’s cast is first rate. Natasha Lyonne, now a gay icon largely because of this film, is both hilarious and sincere as Megan. Clea DuVall, who has since come out as lesbian, does delightful work as Graham. RuPaul is in it, as is Melanie Lynskey, and even Michelle Williams has a small role. 

But beyond the cast, the film is kind of mind blowing for how it manages to weave humor, drama, and satire, making gay conversion therapy* seem both laughably ridiculous and horrifically insane at the same time while also making me root unabashedly for the central couple. All in 1999. It’s quite phenomenal. And that’s why it’s Day 18 of Queer Rep. 🏳️‍🌈

* While this film once again does a surprisingly good job of treating this topic, and I love it because it is, ultimately, a romcom, it’s worth mentioning a few other movies and their source material, namely The Miseducation of Cameron Post and Boy Erased, both of which take a more serious approach to the reality and consequences of gay education therapy.

QR22 Day 17 - Marlon Bundo

 

Alright, for Day 17 of Queer Rep it’s Last Week Tonight with John Oliver Presents: A Day In The Life Of Marlon Bundo. This one has a lot of backstory behind it involving Mike Pence, John Oliver, and others, but what you need to know is this:

It’s a children’s book about two boy bunnies who get married despite ignorance and opposition.ALL proceeds of the book go to the Trevor Project (nonprofit organization focusing on preventing suicide in LGBTQIA+ youth) and AIDS United (nonprofit organization focusing on ending the AIDS epidemic in the United States).It’s ultimately a great resource for teaching acceptance of ourselves and others, and inclusion of all.Also the audiobook is amazing, cheap, and has a phenomenal cast. (Jim Parsons, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, John Lithgow, Ellie Kemper, and RuPaul among others!)So yeah, you should read this book, buy this book, check out the story behind it!

QR22 Day 16 - Continuum by Chella Man

 

For day 16 of Queer Rep, I’m pointing you towards Continuum by Chella Man. It’s part of the “pocket change collective,” a group of small and short books written by today’s activists and artists. The whole series seems pretty great, but today I just want to talk about Continuum. Chella Man is deaf, Asian, Jewish, and a trans man. “All of who I am lies on a continuum,” he writes, and his book explores what that means in terns of gender, religion, race, how to process discrimination, and more. It’s fantastic—and it’s honestly very short, and would not take much of your time to read. I highly recommend it! 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️

(Ongoing list of Queer Rep recommendations here!)

QR22 Day 15 - Just Juliet

 

Day 15 of Queer Rep—we’re already halfway through the month!—and today I’m talking about Just Juliet by Charlotte Reagan. It’s another delightful romcom, this time with a bisexual lead. Bisexuality can be tough to represent accurately and in a meaningful way. The tendency is to either let a bisexual main character fall into a heterosexual relationship and basically treat them as straight, or to let them have a homosexual relationship, and all but label them gay or lesbian (do a quick search for “bisexual erasure” and you’ll scratch the surface of this problem).

But Just Juliet doesn’t do that! While it does have a strong central romantic relationship, it still manages to represent bisexuality intentionally and in a well-rounded way. It’s a really solid book and deserves a read! 🏳️‍🌈

Ongoing master list for Queer Rep here!

QR22 Day 14 - Everything Everywhere All At Once

Okay, so Saving Face  is a queer Asian-American rom-com ahead of it's time. Everything Everywhere All At Once is a queer Asian-American drama turned mystery turned insane sci-fi multiverse romp that is (probably?) also ahead of its time. And just like  Gideon the Ninth  is my favorite book I’ve read in the past few years, Everything Everywhere All At Once is probably my favorite movie from the past few years.

This movie is so out there but I love it. Actually I love it because it is so out there. No no wait actually I love it because of how it is so out there. Yep, thats the one. This movie makes the mundane seem exciting, the grotesque feel whimsical, and the absurd exude meaningful truth and significance. It has exciting, well-produced action, heartstring thrumming (snapping?) drama, and scenes of two rocks literally just sitting on a cliff for minutes at a time. I’m not kidding. And it’s beautiful. And it’s Day 14 of Queer Rep. 🏳️‍🌈
Obligatory ongoing master list link here.

QR22 Day 13 - Saving Face

 

Day 13 of Queer Rep!
Saving Face is a queer Asian-American rom-com ahead of it’s time. It came out way back in 2004, written and directed by Alice Wu. (Alice Wu also wrote and directed The Half of It, another queer Asian-American rom-com that came out in 2020 that didn’t quite make my list but is also awesome and really good; and she helped write Over the Moon, a delightful musical fantasy film that also came out in 2020. I think what I’m saying is this: even though she’s only been involved in three major projects over the past 18 years, Alice Wu has produced some really strong stuff.)
And there’s something really refreshing about seeing older films (yes a film from 2004 is now classified as old, I’ve worked through it and apparently now you need to as well, don’t @ me) with queer characters that let them (a) just…be queer, (b) go through a believable arcs and conflicts (i.e. let them be queer and a person at the same time), and (c) perhaps most importantly find happiness. This film does all of those things, and it does them well. If you haven’t seen it, you should. 🏳️‍🌈

(check out master list here!)

QR22 Day 12 - The Last of Us (and sequels)

Okay, so for Queer Rep Day 12, we're jumping into video games with the survival horror franchise The Last of Us.

Most of the queer in The Last of Us happens in the Left Behind downloadable content and the sequel, The Last of Us Part II. But the first game is worth mentioning because (1) one of the queer characters is present even if it isn't exactly textual that they're gay, (2) in order to play the Left Behind content you have to at least own the first game anyway (and actually playing it provides a lot of helpful context), and (3) it's almost universally acknowledged as one of the greatest games ever made.

That should put some oomph behind my words when I say that I think Part II is even better. Which is a controversial opinion, by the way. Few video games have been more polarizing than The Last of Us Part II, and there is some valid criticism out there about the game as well as some really off-the-wall crazy nonsense that tries to pass as “criticism”—and a lot that falls somewhere between those two extremes.

As for me, I think Part II is beautiful, if harrowing. Hopeful, if haunting. An examination of revenge and forgiveness (of others and self) that somehow manages to be too heavy-handed, too light-handed, and incredibly deft all at once. I genuinely think the games are high quality and tell compelling stories. And I love the queer. I love the sheer weight of potential between Ellie and Riley in Left Behind, I love the genuine, simultaneously well-worn and honeymoonishly new relationship between Ellie and Dina in Part II, and I love the introduction of Lev, a trans character who became one of my favorite characters overall in the series, in Part II as well. Basically, there’s a lot to love about the Last of Us franchise, even if there’s a lot to dislike, but I think it’s worth checking out. 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️

And of course check out the ongoing Queer Rep list here.