Daily Dose: A purrfect gay icon gets her best big-screen role
Welcome to Queerty’s latest entry in our Queerantined: Daily Dose series. Every day as long as the COVID-19 pandemic has us under quarantine, we’ll release a suggested bit of gloriously queer entertainment designed to keep you from getting stir crazy in the house. Each weekend, we will also suggest a bingable title to keep you extra busy.
The Bananas: The Emperor’s New Groove
Though not exactly as popular as Frozen, Pinocchio or Beauty and the Beast, The Emperor’s New Groove qualifies as one of the greatest films in the Disney animated canon. The reason: it’s funny as hell. David Spade stars as a haughty and selfish South American emperor named Kuzco (gee, know any men like that?) who decides to bulldoze a village to build his new palace. That puts him into conflict with the peasant farmer, Pacha (John Goodman), who will have his home destroyed by the new construction. Amid the wrangling over real estate, Kuzco’s court sorceress Yzma makes a move to become empress, transforming Kuzco into a talking llama. Patcha & Kuzco must join forces to stop Yzma’s conquest, and return the emperor to his human form.
So wherein lies the queer interest? Two words–Eartha Kitt. The real-life (and occasional screen) Catwoman and gay icon gets her best film role as Yzma, camping and purring out a performance both seductive and downright hysterical. Add to that one of the zaniest scripts Hollywood has ever produced, and the resultant movie explodes with humor and quotable dialogue, particularly for Ms. Kitt to deliver. Playwright David Mamet called The Emperor’s New Groove one of the best screenplays ever written, and we can’t get enough of the movie’s outrageous laughs, or Eartha Kitt’s irresistible performance.
Streams on Amazon, Disney+, YouTube, VUDU and iTunes.
‘Call Me By Your Name’ Director Says Timothée Chalamet, Armie Hammer on Board for Sequel
Luca Guadagnino, director of the critically-acclaimed film Call Me By Your Name, has confirmed that a sequel to the film is in development, but on hold, and that all the major actors are attached to participate.
Said Guadagnino in an interview with Italian newspaper La Repubblica: “Before coronavirus, I made a trip to the United States to meet a screenwriter I love very much, whose name I don’t want to say, to talk about the second part. Unfortunately, we had to put it on hold.”
“Of course, it was a great pleasure to work with Timothée Chalamet, Armie Hammer, Michael Stuhlbarg, Esther Garrel and the other actors,” Guadagnino added. “Everyone will be in the new movie.”
The sequel will presumably relate to events that take place in Find Me, author Andre Aciman’s sequel to the original novel.
The plot, via Farrar, Straus and Giroux: “In Find Me, Aciman shows us Elio’s father Samuel, now divorced, on a trip from Florence to Rome to visit Elio, who has become a gifted classical pianist. A chance encounter on the train leads to a relationship that changes Sami’s life definitively. Elio soon moves to Paris where he too has a consequential affair, while Oliver, now a professor in northern New England with sons who are nearly grown, suddenly finds himself contemplating a return visit to Europe.”
Love in the Time of Corona: Massive Spikes in Matching, Messaging and Virtual Dates Around the…
Love in the Time of Corona: Massive Spikes in Matching, Messaging and Virtual Dates Around the World
OkCupid data reveals how singles are turning to online dating
The coronavirus pandemic has affected just about every aspect of our lives, and dating is no exception. Around the world, 2.6 billion people are under stringent stay-at-home orders, and quarantined singles are looking to meet new people, socialize, laugh, and love — all from the safety of their own homes.
Despite this uncertain time, singles are craving connection now more than ever, and they’re finding it by matching with other singles seeking the same thing. In fact, there was a staggering 900% increase in mentions of “coronavirus” and “social distancing” on OkCupid profiles between February and March. That got us thinking — in what other ways could coronavirus impact dating? Over the past two weeks, we’ve been analyzing the activity of OkCupid’s tens of millions of daters to discover how they’re adjusting their dating lives in the wake of COVID-19.
Short answer: single people are still dating, and because everybody is stuck at home with a quieter social schedule, they have more time to fire up a conversation with someone new. There are fewer distractions, so matches can really get to know each other. And when the time finally comes to meet offline, their connection may be that much deeper and stronger because of it.
OkCupid user engagement increases drastically as shutdowns intensify
In the past few weeks, OkCupid engagement has exploded. All over the world, matches on OkCupid have increased 10% — and conversations have increased over 20%! — as singles turn to online dating for connection.
It’s no wonder, really. Even though singles are staying at home, our data show they still want to meet new people. Our in-app questions on dating in the time of coronavirus have garnered nearly half a million responses. In response to the new question “How do you plan on dating during this time of coronavirus?” a whopping 94% of respondents said they’ll continue to date, albeit virtually. It’s a good thing you never have to leave the comfort of your couch in order to use OkCupid.
It makes total sense that when a shutdown goes into effect, in the days that follow, there’s a spike in matches and conversations between OkCupid users in that area.
New matches are up around the globe; for example, they’ve increased 12% in the US.Conversations have increased at an even higher rate.
This trend continued across the US as states mandated stay-at-home orders.
Colorado saw the greatest increase in matches at 15%.Singles in Louisiana and Colorado are neck-in-neck for the greatest increase in conversations.
Globally, there’s been a 30% overall increase in messages sent on OkCupid each day since March 11. Women in particular are sending more messages, sending 40% more intro messages than they did previously! We recommend you take their lead — what are you waiting for? But if you’re thinking about opening with a coronavirus line, maybe rethink it — our data show those messages are 5% less likely to get a reply, and the ones that do have the conversations fizzle out faster.
Women in particular have also been more likely to expand their preferred location to “anywhere” so they can connect across borders. And those who do have 5% more conversations than those who don’t.
However you look at it, singles want to be talking to someone, even though meeting in real life isn’t an option right now. Few people are abandoning their dating lives; “dating” just takes on a new form.
There’s a virtual date for everyone
Don’t be shy about asking someone out even though you’re not physically going out. Not only did OkCupid discover that the majority of users are still dating, but our data also shows the most popular forms of virtual dates:
17% are relying on good, old-fashioned phone calls
6% are waiting to date till the pandemic is over
Even more interesting is what a single’s answer to the above question on how they’re dating says about them.
Daters are also getting creative with how they want to go on virtual dates. When asked what their ideal virtual date is, over 75,000 OkCupid respondents revealed their optimal quarantined dates:
31% prefer to do some shared activity, like a game
A shared activity just barely beats out dinner or drinks for women’s preferred virtual date.Men are just the reverse, with one-third of men choosing dinner or drinks.
And, for those who want to keep things spicy, 51% of respondents said they enjoy phone sex. Whatever you’re into, chances are someone else might be feeling it, too.
Switching to virtual dating improves confidence and increases the desire for long-term relationships
In just the past two weeks, there’s been a 5% increase in OkCupid users looking for long-term relationships and a 20% decrease in users looking for hookups. As an extra bonus, people who may normally feel less confident about dating are finding their voice. When asked “what’s the best part of virtual dating” most respondents replied that “it’s less pressure,” followed closely behind by “I can get to know the other person better” — two factors that certainly make dating more enjoyable.
Virtual dating has its perks.
Virtual dating is ushering in a new era of “slow dating” that’s been welcomed by singles. Eight-five percent of the 70,000 daters on OkCupid who answered say it’s important to develop an emotional connection before a physical one, so the switch to virtual dates has allowed these emotional connections to thrive.
With virtual dating, the focus lands on the quality of conversations and time spent together, making it easier to figure out whether the person you’re talking to is compatible with whatever you’re looking for. There are more than enough things to be stressing about right now, and our data reveal that dating, fortunately, does not need to be one of them.
It’s a Sweet, Sweet Snatch on ‘Drag Race’ [RECAP and RANKINGS]
Maybe it’s the paralyzing stress of our current global situation, but last night’s RuPaul’s Drag Race felt like a massive treat. Not only did the episode feature possibly one of the greatest Snatch performances of all time, but we were also treated to a guest appearance from Miss Vanjie, an homage to Mean Girls and a gimmick-heavy lip sync. There were twists! Turns! Drama! Lisa Rinna! It was thrilling.
(Or, I don’t know, maybe I’m getting really tired of the same walls?)
Regardless! We’ve got a lot to cover, so let’s get cracking.
There was barely enough time for the weekly pile-on Aiden before Ru drops the bomb that it’s time for Snatch Game! The ladies were buzzing when Ru enters the workroom with the one, the only, Miss … Vanjie. After weeks of seeing a dozen or more queens jockeying to be the biggest personality in the room, Vanjie swoops in and immediately takes center stage. The schtick is, allegedly, Ru is there to tell them the Dos of Snatch Game, and Vanjie is there to provide the Don’ts. In reality, it feels more like Ru is actively trying to sabotage the girls, while Vanjie gives us the comic relief.
Even though Vanjie excelled with the laughs, Ru’s advice was all over the place. Even when she was right, she was wrong. Take Gigi, for example. I completely understood Ru’s reaction to hearing she’d be playing “Maria the Robot.” It sounded too high-concept, too forced, too difficult to match the Snatch’s manic energy. Gigi, without hesitation, assured Ru: ““I understand your concern, but I do not have the same concern.” And in that moment, I fully believed her. Gigi has proven she’s come prepared, so if she’s feeling this confident about her Snatch, I am, too.
Ru also has bizarre advice for Heidi, who was planning on portraying Leslie Jones, complete with a recreation of her guest-judging lewk from a few weeks ago. Ru instead suggested she portray Phaedra Parks from the Real Housewives of Atlanta. Yes, I agree, Heidi does bear some resemblance to Ms. Parks, but Heidi has never seen the show. Similarly, Ru thought Crystal should do El DeBarge, whom we’ve already established Crystal shares a haircut with, but has no knowledge of.
It’s a good thing none of them followed Ru’s direction. (Well, maybe not for Crystal, but more on that shortly.) Gigi’s android character should go down as one of the strongest Snatch choices ever made. From start to finish, Gigi maintained character with stilted, jerking body language and unnervingly cheery facial expressions. She came with prepared bits that mixed both physical comedy and zingers, and she successfully returned every single one of Ru’s “volleys” (a term the host was fully obsessed with all episode and dropped into conversation more times than Misty May-Treanor).
Joining Gigi in this season’s Snatch stars, Sherry Pie got laughs as a later-years Katherine Hepburn. Her best bit involved shakily-written, utterly-illegible answers that she would say were matches. It was a very funny, very sharp bit that she delivered flawlessly.
Just barely behind them, Jackie arrived locked and loaded (she reminded us multiple times here and on Untucked that this is the challenge you have the most time to prepare for). She did a portrayal of Lisa Rinna that left no characteristic unturned. She drank wine, she had a bag of pills, she had diapers, a duster, Harry Hamlin! (Though, as a true Bravoholic, it needed the infamous bunny and a single tear, imho.) It just felt a little sweatier than Gigi and Sherry. Plus, I wished she did more with her face. Lisa Rinna has a WILD face. I want to see bigger lips! I want to see giant Greta Gremlin eyes!
The rest were middling to complete duds. Heidi wasn’t nearly as effective as our top stars, but did a decent job as Leslie Jones. I still think her outfit choice was the funniest thing about the characterization, followed by sneaking in Widow’s infamously hideous yellow shoe. Speaking of Widow, she chose to do both Tina Turner and Ike, and, well, you can imagine how that went. It was uncomfortable at its worst and forgettable at its best. Jan’s Bernadette Peters was also just OK. She had the voice and the wig, but not the jokes. Jaida as Cardi B barely registered.
Then we get into our real strugglers. Perhaps Crystal might have done better as El DeBarge than as internet musician/cult-figure Poppy. Although unconventional, it’s not the worst idea. It just needed a lot more thought. Poppy is unusual and iconic in her unique way. It just never dawned on Crystal to think about how to integrate that character into the game. You can do an obscure character as long as you give everyone enough context. Instead, it all went sort of nowhere.
Brita went with an over-exaggerated Jennifer Holliday that wasn’t nearly as funny as it was loud. But even being loud was more characterization than poor Aiden gave his choice, Patricia Quinn. Now, as a fellow former insufferable Hot Topic teen, of course I already knew who Patricia Quinn was. Unlike Aiden, I haven’t kept up with her career since the 1981 deep-camp follow-up to Rocky Horror, Shock Treatment, and I certainly would know better than to attempt modern-day Patricia Quinn in Snatch. Aiden’s justification that she had lunch with the actress didn’t bolster my confidence. In the Game, wow, it stunk. She basically threw her arms up and acted like she didn’t know what was happening the whole time … which is pretty hard to “volley” with.
The runway theme was inspired by Frozen THE BROADWAY MUSICAL AND ONLY THE BROADWAY MUSICAL. There was a great mix of high-concept and high-glamour, and they decked out the runway in what looked like leftovers from Melania’s White House holiday decor. Ru sent Jaida, Widow, Jan, Heidi safely to the back, before lauding top performers like Gigi and Jackie. It was shocking to see Ru eat crow about Gigi’s gutsy choice and legendary performance. Jackie got praise for her well-researched Rinna and Frozen glamour, but it was never in doubt this was Gigi’s week. Ms. Goode’s delightful ice cream delivery runway was just the cherry on top of a dominating performance this week.
The judges are spot-on with their critiques, as well as their praise. Michelle, the mother of teens, knows a thing or two about Poppy, and she was quick to find parts of Poppy that Crystal could have capitalized on. Luckily, Crystal slayed the runway in a fashionable high-waisted palazzo-style pant, sparing her a bottom-two finish this week.
Despite also walking a killer runway, Brita isn’t so lucky. Her Jennifer Holliday was one-note (which I still contend was one note more than both Aiden AND Crystal), plus I’m sure producers couldn’t resist a Brita v. Aiden face-off for dramatic effect. Aiden’s runway was something anyone could throw together with access to a Wet Seal and a Michael’s craft store. To add insult to injury, Michelle flexed on Aiden by asking the alleged Patricia Quinn super-fan if he knew that she had a BRITISH ACCENT. Yikes. YIKES.
The lip sync is to “Let It Go,” made famous by Frozen THE BROADWAY MUSICAL AND ONLY THE BROADWAY MUSICAL. They dropped a little snow, which was cute. Brita went for a little trick burst of flame from her hand, but it was just a little mistimed to the music. Ultimately, it didn’t matter because she easily plowed the floor with Aiden. No contest.
With that, Aiden’s unlikely bid for the crown came to an end, probably a week or two later than necessary. But where does that leave the rest of the field? Let’s take stock in our rankings below. Disagree? Leave yours in the comments!
The writing is on the wall, chickens, and it says GIGI. The young queen snuck in as simply a fashion gal, but, as we’ve seen, her exacting approach and expansive artistic vision goes far beyond that. She’s been a standout in nearly every challenge. All of her runways are fabulous. She has a confidence that elevates her already excellent work. When she flat-out refused Ru’s advice, it was a major risk, but she knew she had it in the bag. Impressive stuff. Can anyone catch up?
Don’t sleep on Jaida. She’s got a big personality and a very sharp sense of style. Having survived some of these early acting and comedy challenges, her style and personality can really get some time to shine now. What she lacks in practiced performance, she more than compensates with a very refined, polished presentation.
Jackie is putting in the work. She gave us a well-thought performance in Gay’s Anatomy, she was a star in the improv challenge and tonight her Lisa Rinna character was one of the tops. Jackie is smart. She’s not just funny, she understands comedy and joke-writing. Unlike someone like Alyssa Edwards (no shade), Jackie understands exactly what is funny and why, and that allows her to deploy humor on demand. My concern is that her runway always strikes me as a little cheap. I’m sure it’s not actually cheap, dollar-wise, but the materials always feel a little less embellished, a little less luxurious than the others. If we could create a hybrid queen of Jaida and Jackie, Gigi might have a real threat.
Widow is becoming very hit or miss for me. I liked the idea of her Titanic runway, but it looked mostly like something from a high school theater costume department doing The Unsinkable Molly Brown. I don’t want to see two-character Snatch Games become the norm. When neither character is a homerun, it makes me wonder why the queen didn’t just focus on having ONE really strong character instead. That’s kind of the case here. Even the Tina Turner wig didn’t feel exactly right.
Oh, man, Jan is going to SNAP if she’s safe again next week. However, her spot in the middle of the pack was well warranted after Snatch. Her Bernadette was a voice and a wig and little more. It wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t great either. I loved the concept of her White Walker runway, but I actually think silicone was the wrong material for the icicles. They were too flexible and shiny. It looked more like she was covered in a big, blue, sticky load of a White Walker’s “Annie Get Your … ” OK, MOVING ON.
On another season, Heidi’s Leslie Jones could have landed her in the bottom three. She had a decent enough visual approximation (and, again, loved the nod to her Untucked moment), and she understood the nature of the content. She just needed to refine some elements of the performance to either capture or heighten more of Jones’ mannerisms. It was just missing a little magic. Her runway was another snooze, but Heidi’s personality makes for great TV, and I think she’s an early Miss Congeniality frontrunner.
With this little feud behind her, I’m hoping Brita gets her act together. She had one of my favorite runways, and she lip synced the hell out of that number, despite it being a challenging one to bring to life in this setting (and in that gorgeous gown). Plainly said, she hasn’t been up to snuff this season, and her droning on about being the pride of NYC is turning off fans in droves (even if there is some truth to it). Her chief antagonist is gone, so, hopefully, she can get her eyes back on that prize.
More than her Poppy performance, I’m most concerned about Crystal’s breakdown in the workroom with Ru. Weirdos can thrive in this competition — see winners like Sharon, Alaska and Yvie — but you need to believe your own hype. You need to have confidence in the schtick you’re selling if you want anyone else to buy it.
If her Snatch Game flop and crafty runway weren’t bad enough, tonight’s lip sync laid bare exactly why Aiden is kind of out of her depth. It wasn’t an easy song to wow with. It doesn’t lend itself necessarily to stunts or big comedic sells. But when you compare Brita to Aiden during the song, you see the difference between someone who is practiced delivering on a stage and someone who has only practiced in their mirror.
How would you rank the queens?
I hope you’re all staying well, healthy and, most importantly, inside.
. There was a great mix of high-concept and high-glamour, and they decked out the runway in what looked like leftovers from Melania’s White House holiday decor. Ru sent Jaida, Widow, Jan, Heidi safely to the back, before lauding top performers like Gigi and Jackie. It was shocking to see Ru eat crow about Gigi’s gutsy choice and legendary performance. Jackie got praise for her well-researched Rinna and Frozen glamour, but it was never in doubt this was Gigi’s week. Ms. Goode’s delightful ice cream delivery runway was just the cherry on top of a dominating performance this week.
