A Thing I Like

Who doesn't love internet comics? I especially love Liz Prince's comics. They're funny and nerdy and smart without making me feel dumb. Alex might not like these, because I think they're more relate-able for the ladiez. I especially like this one, because I have this experience at almost every show I go to. I get too lazy to dress up, and then I realize all the girls around me are wearing cute dresses and I look like a dude. Story of my life.

I Can't Even Tell You How Funny This Is

We're back, nerds! Just kidding. We won't resume frequent posting until whenever Alex goes back to school, but I hope to at least keep this thing plodding along until then. Also, that was a joke because no one is reading this and no one is waiting for updates. I refuse to even believe that Lauren is reading at this point and she is like our one true constant. It's like the old saying goes: If you post on your brother-sister blog and La-duh-loo doesn't read it, does it...zzzzzz. Sorry, I fell asleep in the middle of my super lame new-fashioned proverb.
I just found something that I HAD to share with you guys, however few of you there may be! You've probably already seen this, but I hadn't. Comedian Elaine Carroll stars in this web series about the life of Mary-Kate Olsen. See you losers later, I have to go watch all of these in one sitting now.

Lady Stuff

On a Winfrey Family Vacation a couple of years ago (which took place on/near a mountain and involved staying in a cabin, as do all Winfrey Family Vacations), Alex brought along a book called Things I've Learned From Women Who've Dumped Me. The book consisted of (mostly) humorous essays by comedians, writers, and comedy writers about, you guessed it, the things they learned from the women who dumped them. I brought along East of Eden, because I entertained foolish hopes of using the car time to work my way through a classic. I ended up not even opening East of Eden and instead reading Alex's book when he finished it. A lot of my favorite comedians were represented (notably, David Wain, whose contribution was among my favorites) and I enjoyed the book.
After I'd finished it, Alex asked if it was weird to read a whole book chronicling mens' relationships experiences (and it was all men...no lesbians allowed here!). Well, no. Actually, it wasn't weird, because welcome to the whole wide world of comedy, film, and literature. While I consciously and unconsciously seek out the work of female comedians, writers, and directors, there's no denying that even underground/independent art forms are predominantly male. Of course, this isn't really anyone's fault, and it isn't even inherently bad. Like I said, I really enjoyed Things I've Learned From Women Who've Dumped Me. But did I feel like the book was intended for me? Did I feel like I was in on the joke? No way. But that's okay.
When I read Julie Klausner's fantastic book I Don't Care About Your Band, I thought "Finally! It's Things I've Learned From Women Who've Dumped Me, but for women!" It was everything the other book had been: witty, smart, in turns hilarious and heartbreaking. But this time, I didn't feel like I was sitting in the corner watching everyone else have fun. Julie Klausner was a woman making astute pop-culture references and identifying with a Muppet. She was funny, and she didn't have to pretend to be a man in order to get a laugh.
All of this is one big rambling way of saying that Julie Klausner is on one of our favorite podcasts, The Sound of Young America. TSOYA has had interviews in the past with some of my favorite smart, funny ladies (Miranda July, Charlyne Yi, Sloane Crosley, Maria Bamford) as well as lots of smart, funny men. The best part of this interview is that Julie Klausner comes across as a very nice person, because as you know, Alex and I have a hard time liking a comedian if they seem mean-spirited. Julie Klausner also compares her book to Things I've Learned From Women Who've Dumped Me, saying, "I didn't dump you. You were terrible, and then you disappeared."
Truly a woman after my own heart.

The Best Picture

When I came across this picture, I actually gasped.

Dolly's look is without reproach, as always, but Cher is just delightfully insane. She looks like she tried to put together a David Bowie costume, but she only had the store DEB at her disposal.

Lady Comedy

I found a new hero and her name is Julie Klausner. I plan on making a post about her book, which I read this weekend, but until then...here's this video. I couldn't handle how hard I laughed at this. Other things I couldn't handle: how pretty Julie Klausner is, how much I wish I had hair exactly like hers, how beautiful that dress looks.

Also (can you tell I fell down the rabbit hole, here?) I found this really wonderful essay JK wrote on Hannah and Her Sisters. I've watched this movie multiple times and never once thought about how shitty Woody Allen was being to Mia. Quoth Julie: "Because the cruelty of using poor, fabulous Michael Caine to say what you can’t, in public, to your partner once she is out of character, exceeds the terrain of narcissism and bleeds into some kind of gruesome art. Making this movie to talk to Mia about her adoption hobby, her selflessness, and her general wishy-washiness was a poisonous simulacrum—like talking through one of your Barbies during playtime with your sister. And nobody should learn they’re adopted from Skipper."

Sarah Haskins is My New Hero

For some reason, I never really watched the Sarah Haskins videos they were always talking about on Jezebel. I was like, "I'm sure those are funny, but I'm busy!" Who was I kidding? I am not busy! But I was right in that they are funny. In these vids (short for videos, sorry, didn't mean to lose you there!), Sarah Haskins looks at advertisements directed towards women. Hilarity ensues. Even H. liked these, and he typically hates everything made for, by, or about women.
Here's one of my faves. But they are all my faves.