You’d think the fact that a cucumber looks less like a fruit would make it *more* interesting that it’s a fruit, though! So it is surprising that the cucumber didn’t become the go-to fun fact.

I saw a student production of that a few years ago, it was so good!

Relatedly, if you are in or near Aurora, Colorado, you too can see Angels in America for the next few weeks. (As it happens, the actor playing Prior bears a striking visual resemblance to Stephen Spinella, the original Prior Walter on Broadway.)

I joke, and of course the playwright is Jewish, but Prior Walter is a WASP, and hearing him say “More life” is an Easter sermon to me.

Spent Easter Sunday watching a story about a man in his early 30s who was unfairly persecuted by society, was betrayed by a man close to him, and who went to Heaven and came back. I’m referring, of course, to Angels in America.

A verb is not “an action word.”

It also had stuff like “Jane Smith [regular person, not a celebrity or socialite] got married at her parents’ house, wearing [detailed description of her dress]. The bridesmaid, her sister, wore [detailed description of dress].” Like if an IG post were just the image description without the image.

I don’t have the screenshots on hand, but I once found an old local paper that published stuff like “Mrs. Smith recently returned from visiting her grandchildren in California” (presumably so the next time you ran into Mrs. Smith, you’d know to ask about her trip)

(this is a joke don’t @ me)

*whispers* kink-shaming

retelling of A Midsummer Night’s Dream as a season of The Ultimatum: Queer Love

The way I explain this idea is, if a non-native English speaker hears someone use the word in its common but prescriptively incorrect meaning & asks you what it means, it’s not helpful for you to only tell them what it’s “supposed” to mean. It’s helpful to tell them how it’s actually used.

One time I was on the subway and a fellow passenger sprayed pepper spray into the subway car as he disembarked. But I am constantly told that anyone who has safety concerns about public transit is just racist and classist.

I used to have intrusive thoughts about calling a colleague a slur, precisely because I was so horrified by the idea of doing so.

when people are like “oh so you just block everyone who disagrees with you?” I’m like “no, I also block people who agree with me but are really annoying about it”

the greatest millennial novel is Idlewild by James Frankie Thomas

It is very deliberately, very precisely, very vividly about what it was like to be alive in a particular place and time. They talk about the ozone because that’s what people were talking about in 1985! That it feels dated now is a feature, not a bug.

It’s not even just nebulously set in the 80s; it explicitly opens in Oct 1985, spends most of its time in late 1985 & early 1986, and ends in Jan 1990. The main character literally looks at the camera (in the HBO version) and says “It’s January 1990.” Kushner wanted us to know EXACTLY when it’s set.

The ozone references make the play feel more optimistic, because we know that problem got solved.

Also, it is a period piece!!! It’s not supposed to feel timeless, nor is it supposed to feel like it could be set in the 21st century.

I recently watched Angels in America with a friend who suggested they should change all the ozone references to climate change references, and my whole body went “no!!!!!!!!!”

Watched Heated Rivalry with some friends who don’t read fanfiction and am now watching them invent RPF from first principles

I prefer queer.

-It’s shorter.
-I’m tired of arguments over how many letters the acronym should have, what order they should go in, what they all stand for, etc.
-I like that it’s vague & expansive. I like not having to specify exactly which letter(s) I am (bc I’m not 100% sure).

oh no

hello I am the target audience for this

-Love Story by Afsana Mousavi
-Spoiled Milk by Avery Curran
-Aviary by Maria Dong
-What We Are Seeking by Cameron Reed
-Pretend You’re Dead & I Carry You by Julián Delgado Lopera
-Carrying by Samantha Josephs

unfortunately for me this is neurofibromatosis, the disease that I wrote a report on for 9th grade biology

yes.

I always find it obnoxious when people say they’re taking a break from social media, but I got an app that enforces a 20-second delay when I try to open BlueSky, and it immediately made me use this app way less, and it’s great.

They don’t like it when too many people agree with them, because their whole identity is built around being outside the mainstream, and if too many people agree with them, then by definition their opinions become mainstream, and that embarrasses them.

I once recommended this book to a friend and only subsequently learned that she does not like sad books 🙃