Sidetracks - September 3, 2021

[helloladies]

Sidetracks is a collaborative project featuring various essays, videos, reviews, or other Internet content that we want to share with each other. All past and current links for the Sidetracks project can be found in our Sidetracks tag. For more links and commentary you can follow us on Twitter. You can also support us on Patreon.

KJ

1. The creators of the upcoming Y: The Last Man television show confirm that the show will include trans and non-binary characters, and will not treat chromosomes as any kind of absolute definer of gender. The premise of the original comic, which I've never read, is that a pandemic has killed off every mammal with a Y chromosome except one human man and his dog. The risk of gender essentialism and transphobia in that premise is obviously quite high, but I'm heartened to see the creators take this issue head-on in this interview. It's also good to learn that there are trans folks on the writing team. I still don't know that I'll watch it, but I feel much more positive about the idea now.

2. (Warning for mentions of physical and sexual abuse.) In Slate, Rebecca Schuman talks about the mistreatment of elite gymnasts, particularly women and girls, and compares Simone Biles's withdrawal from several Olympic events with Kerri Strug being forced to vault on a severely sprained ankle in 1996. I've seen this argument made in several places now, but this is one of the most cogent and forceful versions I've seen.

3. Every so often, someone will trot out that study that supposedly proves that spoilers actually make stories better. Here, in my opinion, is the perfect response.

4. I agree with every word of Linda Holmes's editorial about Mike Richards's extremely short-lived tenure as the new host of Jeopardy! Update: Richards is now out as executive producer! Why it took so long, and why Sony thought they could get away with keeping him on board, is totally beyond me, but better late than never.

5. Charlie Jane Anders writes about Bending the Landscape, a series of short fiction collections that launched many LGBTQIA+ authors into the SF/F mainstream.

Comments

[renay]

"one human man and his dog"

Actually a monkey. 😂