A gag in a 1997 episode of The Simpsons found a seemingly ‘manly’ steel mill turning into a flamboyant gay club when. The good old musical comedy B-story standby – a love affair between two secondary characters – is alive and well here, too, in the touchingly sincere romance growing between Mayor Jase and Tara Morice’s Shell, whose dress shop and dance lessons keep the deb tradition alive. ‘Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now)’ by C+C Music Factory. There are fondly exaggerated country stereotypes, and surprisingly sharp observations about small town life, all wrapped up in a bow of self-acceptance. The writer and co-director, Hannah Reilly, uses conventional musical theatre narrative beats to structure her offbeat story and provide a sincere foundation for her joke-a-minute writing, which allows the emotional moments to really soar. With a pastiche score by Megan Washington that dabbles in Broadway pop, adding R&B inflections for worldly Maeve, Oz-rock riffs for town life and even transcendent 80s synth for a Bonnie Tyler-esque makeover number (local salon owner Janette, played by Monique Sallé, briefly steals the show), the musical moves winningly from punchline to punchline on the length of a heartstring, expertly tugging it in the name of friendship, becoming and community solidarity. Their journey to best friendship takes the place of a musical’s romantic A-story, brimming with sweetly funny beats and the solemn exchange of friendship bracelets. Photograph: Tracey Schrammīut of course Maeve is soon roped into the deb, and of course these cousins, from two different worlds, learn to understand each other.
View of the large crowd, some of whom are holding up handmade signs and banners, participating in a gay and lesbian Pride parade in the Back Bay neighborhood of Boston, 1970. To start off the occasion on the right foot, Bored Panda has already. Take a trip back in time with these beautiful photos of Pride celebrations over the past several decades. It also celebrates LGBTQ+ activism through the years, and many pride events are held during this period to recognize the impact that LGBTQ+ people have on the world. Well, we can confidently say that this is not the case, and that LGBTQ stock photos are as over-the-top as anything else out there. LGBTQ+ Pride Month started as a way to commemorate the Stonewall riots, which occurred at the end of June 1969.
But when it comes to LGBTQ people, you would think image banks would take greater care to insure more accurate representation. Perhaps a horror monster from a fairly humorless movie wouldn’t seem to be on the short list of meme-friendly queer icons, but with a little context the pairing isn’t all that strange. Taylah, an outcast in her tiny town, is painfully excited for the debutante ball she hopes could transform her into a princess. Y es, stock images often look ridiculous.