Hosted by Heisenberg.
Question of the Day
Suggested by Shaker Alukonis: "What is something you do for yourself as a special treat, e.g. after accomplishing something or after a really stressful day/week?"
Another Bad Day for Bigots
[Content Note: Homophobia.]
The US Supreme Court has denied, without recorded dissent or comment, the National Organization for Marriage's petition requesting the court to halt same-sex marriages in Oregon while they try to appeal the May 19 ruling of District Judge Michael McShane, which ruled the voter-approved ban on same-sex marriage unconstitutional.
In other words, Oregon can keep on issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples.
Too bad so sad, bigots.
This is a real article in the world.
[Content Note: Misogyny.]
This is actual lede of this actual article: "Hillary Clinton for the umpteenth time is coyly chewing over the possibility of a 2016 White House run."
Coyly chewing. That minx!
That opening is followed by this paragraph:
"I know I have a decision to make," the former secretary of state recently told People magazine about her status as early frontrunner for the Democratic presidential nomination. "But part of what I've been thinking about is everything I'm interested in, and everything I enjoy doing. And with the extra added joy of, 'I'm about to be a grandmother,' I want to live in the moment; at the same time, I am concerned about what I see happening in the country and in the world."So, basically, in the course of an interview where she was asked for "the upteenth time" about whether she's running, she gave a complex answer about balancing her private life against her life of public service.
Coyly chewing.
Later, in the same piece, Clinton is referred to as a "dynasty matriarch."
Which, you know, apart from being a gendered term with negative connotations (since she's often said to be unsuitable for the presidency because of her family connections), also makes her sound like Barbara Bush. But Hillary Clinton is not Barbara Bush. She is married to a former president, but she is not married to a former president, mother of a former president, and mother of a former governor and likely presidential candidate.
She's a former First Lady, Senator, and Secretary of State whose only child is not a politician.
In related news: Digby takes on the "is Hillary using a walker?!" bullshit.
TV Corner: Fargo
[Content Note: Misogyny; violence. Spoilers from the last several episodes of the TV series Fargo.]
I am still loving the TV series Fargo, loosely based on the film of the same name, and I am still really loving Allison Tolman as Deputy Molly Solverson. Give her all the Emmys! ALL OF THEM.
Also! I am loving the addition of Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele (of Key & Peele) as two FBI agents by whom Billy Bob Thornton's creepy Lorne Malvo slips to commit mass murder of a cartel who's got a beef with him.
Peele & Key
Following the failure to stop Malvo on their watch, Agents Pepper and Budge are relegated to the file room for an entire year and counting. At the end of the last episode, an errant tennis ball thrown by Agent Pepper knocks down a tackboard from the wall, revealing a picture of Malvo taken at the scene of the crime a year earlier, which Agent Budge had hung on the wall upon their arrival.
Meanwhile, Solverson is repeatedly calling the FBI trying to inform someone, anyone, who will listen that she knows the identity of the man in that picture.
I desperately hope that where we're headed is Solverson, marginalized on her police force, and Agents Pepper and Budge, marginalized within the agency, are going to hook up and catch Malvo—and, with him, the slippery Lester Nygaard—despite the best efforts of their white male professional superiors to keep them from doing their jobs.
Please, Maude: I don't ask for much, but give me this one.
Also: A+ Colin Hanks!
Discuss.
Quote of the Day
[Content Note: Fat bias.]
"When I go shopping, most of the time I'm disappointed. Two Oscars ago, I couldn't find anybody to do a dress for me. I asked five or six designers—very high-level ones who make lots of dresses for people—and they all said no."—Melissa McCarthy, who is starting her own fashion line for fat ladies.
I love, ahem, how you can be Melissa fucking McCarthy, but designers still won't design for you if you're fat. Because your fat might be bad for their business.
Know what's bad for your business, fashion designers? When you're incapable of designing clothes that look good on fat women.
Daily Dose of Cute
Kisses from Zelly.
Zelda wouldn't eat a piece of apple if you paid her. But she sure likes licking the juice off my hands after I eat one!
As always, please feel welcome and encouraged to share pix of the fuzzy, feathered, or scaled members of your family in comments.
The Wednesday Blogaround
This blogaround brought to you by rain.
Recommended Reading:
Aiofe: [Content Note: Transphobia; gender policing; disablism] Neurotic Effigies: Journalism and Threat-Level Trans
Angry Asian Man: [CN: Sex abuse; harassment; violence; guns; racism] Sex Predator Terrorized Asian Teens in Indianapolis
BYP: [CN: Misogyny; terrorism; abuse] Nigerian Officials Ban #bringbackourgirls Protests
ICTMN: [CN: Racism; appropriation] Not Happy! Natives Pan Pharrell's Headdress Look on Elle UK Cover
Aura: [CN: Racism; appropriation] White GOP Candidate Changes Name to Cesar Chavez in Arizona Race
Prison Culture: Illinois Legislature Passes SB 2793: A Big Step for School Discipline Data Transparency
Amanda: [CN: Violence; misogyny] #NoMRA: Protest to Stop MRA Conference at DoubleTree Detroit
Kole: [CN: Violence; misogyny] A "Voice for Men" Is Not a Voice for Me
Leave your links and recommendations in comments. Self-promotion welcome and encouraged!
In the News
Here is some stuff in the news today...
[Content Note: Transphobia; carcerality; abuse; racism; misogyny] Jane Doe is a 16-year-old transgender Latina teenager who has been held in solitary confinement in Connecticut's York Correctional, an adult women's prison, for two months, even though she has yet to be charged with any crime. There is a petition seeking Jane Doe's release here. More opportunities to take action in support of Jane Doe can be found via Justice for Jane: On Twitter and on Facebook.
[CN: Transphobia] Jos Truitt on the media's hostility toward trans* people. I'm not even going to excerpt it. Just go read the whole thing.
Tornado and severe storm warnings have been issued across much of the US Midwest: "More than 35 million Americans could face destructive winds Wednesday as a dense pattern of severe storms pelted Nebraska with baseball-sized hail before spreading across the Midwest. Tornadoes are possible across a broad swath of the Midwest and parts of the Mississippi River Valley."
[CN: Violence] Two 12-year-old girls who "plotted to kill their friend for months and then stabbed her 19 times to prove the internet monster 'Slender Man' was real" have been "charged as adults with attempted first-degree homicide and are being held on $500,000 bail, after police say they confessed to stabbing their friend in the woods. Each could face up to 65 years in prison if convicted." The thing is, the girls were questioned without their parents present: "Police say the two girls waived their Miranda rights and gave statements after they were arrested. Asked by the Guardian why the 12-year-olds had been interrogated without a lawyer present, Captain Ron Oremus of the Waukesha police department said: 'If they didn't request we're not providing it.'" That could be a problem, as 12-year-olds should not be able to waive their rights and submit to questioning without a legal guardian and/or counsel. The girls' victim is in stable condition.
On his new HBO show, John Oliver encouraged viewers to weigh in at the FCC during their open commenting period on Net Neutrality. And the traffic crashed the comment system. Awesome. (The segment is fucking brilliant, although I will warn you there is one joke referencing sexual coercion.)
[CN: Homophobia] The Republican LGBT group GOProud claims they are not shutting down, as has been reported, but are merely "rebranding." Well, good luck with all that.
All the blubs foreverrrrrrrrr: "The fourth-grade students at Ebb Valley Elementary School in Manchester, Maryland, were given a writing assignment that not only helped them learn about persuasive writing techniques, but provided voices for homeless pets in their area. The students wrote letters to potential forever families telling them exactly why this dog or cat should be adopted, right now! The letters were then shipped over to the Baltimore Humane Society (BHS), where they were put on display on the animals' cages, according to teacher Tiffani Murphy. 'They have been ecstatic about the whole project,' said Murphy, whom had taken the students on a field trip to the BHS. 'Before they went on the visit they would want to check the [Baltimore Humane Society] website every day to see if it had been updated and see if their dog or cat had been adopted.' Murphy has found out that not only was one of the dogs adopted to a loving home because of the letter written by the student, but the family took the letter home with them, and have had it framed." ♥
This Would Be Unbelievable If It Weren't So Depressingly Believable
[Content Note: Sexual violence.]
Professional soccer player Ched Evans, who was convicted two years ago of raping a 19-year-old woman, will be allowed to play for Sheffield United, as long as he wears an electronic tracking device:
[Evans], who is fighting to clear his name after being sentenced to five years in prison, is due to visit his former club on day release in July to begin training.This news was reported under the headline: "Rape football star Ched Evans set to play again—wearing an electronic tag."
The move is part of a rehabilitation process to help Evans readjust to life outside jail.
The 25-year-old is scheduled to meet with Blades manager Nigel Clough, co-chairman Kevin McCabe and players while using his 24-hour pass.
The Welsh International is expected to be offered a new two-year contract with the Blades, if he can prove his fitness and that he will soon regain his form when he is discharged from his cell in October.
"Rape football star." Welp.
Evans, like all male athletes who have been convicted of rape, "deserves" a second chance because he (claims he) was unfairly convicted. Sure. Isn't everyone.
[H/T to Jess.]
On Louie. Again.
[Content Note: Description of depicted sexual assault. Misogyny.]
Yesterday afternoon, Kristin Rawls let me know that, in the latest episode of Louie, the titular character, played by the show's creator Louis CK, attempts to rape someone. I read a couple of articles about the episode, and then I watched the episode (and some lead-up episodes) last night.
A couple things to note, by way of background:
• The name of the episode is "Pamela 1," which refers to the character Pamela, played by Pamela Adlon who plays Louie's longtime friend (and also played his wife in his short-lived HBO series Lucky Louie).
• The innocuous description provided in the OnDemand cable listing is, simply: "Louie on the rebound."
• The episode aired on FX with its usual warning (ahem) for mature language. There was no warning for sexual assault or violence.
• Louie is fresh off a relationship with Amia, a woman with whom he shared no common language, thereby circumventing the inconvenience of having to acknowledge her actual personality instead of the fantasy he imposes on her. Hence his being "on the rebound."
• Several episodes earlier, Pamela had returned to town and asked Louie if he wanted to try a romantic relationship, but he turned her down because he was pursuing a relationship with Amia, even though she had told him she was going to be leaving soon.
The coverage I've read about the episode has mostly been written by people who seem to like the show and are flummoxed by Louis CK showing an attempted rape, which is played for laughs. As a result, the seriousness of the episode has been largely played down. I'm going to give it as fair and comprehensive description as I can.
When the episode opens, Louie strolls through Amia's now-empty apartment sadly. Later, he gets a text from Pamela, and invites her to meet him in a diner, where he tells her he's ready to give a relationship a try.
Pamela: "Oh, so the thing with that lady, it didn't work out, and now you've come sniffing around me? Is that the basic outline of this thing here?"
Louie: [after a long pause] "Yeah, that's basically it."
Pamela: "Well, sorry. Ticket's no longer available. That ship has sailed. The option is closed."
Louie: "But you said that I got under your skin and that you thinking about us—"
Pamela: "Yeah, that was before, and you didn't bite. The cookie is gone."
Louie: "Jesus. Why are you so mean to me?"
Louie gets a call from his babysitter, who has canceled. He's got two shows that night. Pamela offers to watch his kids while he goes to work. He is very appreciative.
Later, we see Louie doing stand-up, which is described in other articles about this episode as a sort of "pro-woman" set. I'll come back to that.
When Louie gets home, Pamela is asleep on his couch, and he stands over her, looking at her. She sleepily mumbles that she is awake and asks him not to jerk off on her.
Pamela gets up to leave, and Louie stops her from walking out. He grabs her arm and holds her. "Okay, bye-bye now," she says. "BYE BYE." She tells him goodbye with increasing urgency, as he holds her by both arms and turns her around to face him. "I'm really late for not being in here right now," she tells him, trying to wriggle away.
He holds her and tells her to listen, then leans over her and tries to kiss her. "No no no no no," she says, leaning away from him, as he continues to grip her forearms.
"Come on," he says, dragging her across the room. She frees one arm and grabs the corner of a table; Louie drags her, and the table along with her, until she loses her grip. "Just come on," he says, trying to push her through a doorway toward his bedroom. She puts her arms across the open doorway and wedges herself inside. "I don't like that!" she says.
They continue to wrestle, and he tries to lift her t-shirt. "Oh my god," she exclaims. She puts her hand over his mouth as he tries again to kiss her. "This would be rape if you weren't so stupid," she tells him, shoving him away. "God, you can't even rape well."
With a heaving shove, she pushes him to one side and grabs her coat and makes for the front door. He races after her and corners her, literally holding her in the corner at the front door by putting his arms on either side of her. "Hey, listen to me! Listen! Look at me!" he tells her. "Please!"
She turns around toward him, her eyes closed, then reluctantly looks at him. He towers over her, pointing his finger at her. "You said you wanted to do something with me," he says, "and I don't believe you that the ship has sailed."
She looks at him without responding, and he tells her he sees in her face that she wants to do something with him but can't. She doesn't reply, which he takes as a confirmation (and we are certainly meant to take as a confirmation, too, that he knows better than she does what she really wants). He informs her that because she can't take charge, he's going to.
"I'm going to take control, and I'm gonna make something happen," he tells her. She just looks at him. She looks frightened. We're meant to interpret that as her being frightened of her feelings for Louie, and not frightened that he is trying to rape her.
"You said you wanted to be in a thing!" he says. She says, "Does kissing have to be a part of that, though?" and he tells her it does and informs her he's going to kiss her. "Eww," she says, and turns her head away. "I'm gonna do it," he says. "Hurry up," she tells him. Louie kisses her while she closes her mouth tightly and grimaces.
"Okay," she says, turning away from him into the wall. "Thank you for the that. Okay, bye now." She leaves and closes the door behind her.
Louie clenches his fists and says, "Yes!"
There are a lot of rape culture narratives at work in this scene—the idea that because Pamela wanted something sexual with Louie at one point that she doesn't have the right to rescind that offer; the idea that Louie knows what Pamela wants just by looking at her; the idea that rape isn't really rape if it's a Good Guy just being too aggressive because he's awkward and doesn't know any better; the idea that reluctant women really just need men to take control; the idea that bumbling men can nearly rape someone by accident without realizing what they're doing.
In reactions to the episode I've seen, people are trying to make sense of the attempted rape scene in light of the "pro-woman" stand-up that precedes it. But I think it might be more useful to try to make sense of the actual message of the stand-up in light of the scene of sexual assault.
That is, look at the stand-up material without affording Louis CK the benefit of the doubt that he's definitely a Good Guy about women—something no one should be inclined to do, if they've really listened to him instead of hearing what they want to hear, because they don't want to not like him.
In one part of the set, Louie shares his theory that women once ruled the world:
I think that, uh, I think that we made god a man because we wanted men to be in charge, so it made sense. 'Cause it doesn't make sense that men are in charge. It makes sense that women would be in charge.The set is not actually as feminist as people seem to think it is—or want it to be.
Because your mom is the first person who takes care of you, so how— It just makes sense that mothers would run the world. And, uh, it's the opposite—so we have this weird system of, uh, you know, men being— It's kinda upside down.
And I think the reason is 'cause women were in charge, a long time ago, and they were really mean. They were horrible, and they would—you had to walk around naked and they'd flick your penis and laugh at ya. So we're so scared of them! And then finally one guy punched a woman and she was like, "Wahhhh!" and he was like, "We can hit them!" and then that was it! That was it.
Women once ruled—but were mean to men so men punished them with violence.
Let us now recall the scene in the diner, in which Louie asks Pamela, "Why are you so mean to me?" Louie is frustrated that she won't acquiesce to his request to start a "boy-girl thing" with him, and he justifies his use of force by saying he's taking control because it's "obvious" she wants more.
But is that it? Is that all? Or are we looking at a man using violence against a woman because she is in control and being mean?
I am continually amazed by people's willing refusal to hear what Louis CK is telling them.
[Previously: Louie & Fat Girls.]
Question of the Day
Suggested by Shaker masculine_lady: "What are your favorite or most challenging job interview questions?"
Fat and the Bikini Body Meme
[Content Note: Fat hatred; body policing.]
It's also that time of year where a popular meme starts showing up on social media. It tends to feature silhouettes of what are meant to be read as female bodies, including or sometimes exclusively very fat bodies, and text that is some variation on: "How to Get a Bikini Body: Step 1: Buy a bikini. Step 2: Put it on your body."
Let me first say, once again, that fat women are not a monolith, and different fat women will have different reactions to this meme. I don't purport to speak for all fat women, some of whom like this meme very much, and I am not seeking to police or criticize their individual reactions to it.
I do, however, want to do some awareness-raising on behalf of the fat women who aren't so keen on the meme, because I know there are a lot of thin and in-betweenie women who spend time in this space who want to do good fat ally work and may not have considered some of the reasons not all fat women find it a strictly positive or supportive message.
So, here are a couple of things to consider before you share this image under the auspices of being a fat ally (or even as a fat person):
1. Not all fat women can buy a bikini. That's not just a consideration of financial realities, which are always at issue in consumerist memes, but it's also a reflection of the fact that even off-the-rack (or off-the-website) "plus-size" bikinis have a finite size range.
There are sites who will custom-make bikinis for women of any size based on their individual measurements, but that is, of course, a costly option. And naturally there are women who are skilled enough to make their own bikinis, but that is not an option for anyone who lacks those talents.
Casually suggesting that all fat women can just go "buy a bikini," without any acknowledgment of the fact that purchasing a bikini in one's size might not be an option, especially for very fat women, is not supportive. It also reinforces the idea that there's an "acceptable" level of fatness which tops out at the maximum size of most "plus-size" fashion lines, and anyone whose body exceeds those standard sizes is thus "unacceptably" fat.
2. Putting a bikini on one's fat body is not just about the physical act of getting into a swimsuit. There are all kinds of cultural disincentives to be a fat woman in a bikini in public, and we are obliged to navigate them no matter how much we might love our own bodies.
There is a vast difference in being a woman who has insecurities about a body in which she sees imperfections but is broadly culturally acceptable, and a woman who has insecurities about a body that significantly deviates from what is considered culturally acceptable. That is not to diminish, at all, the seriousness of body insecurities no matter what one's size. It is merely to observe that even if fat women get okay with their own bodies, there is not an existing cultural space in which we are accepted.
There's no equivalent for fat women to the narrative "we all have flaws!" No deviation from some impossible ideal should ever regarded as a "flaw," anyway, but fat is not regarded as a mere flaw.
And we are not, outside fat acceptance spaces, celebrated for a willingness to show our bodies "despite" their imperfections. We are not considered brave. We are harassed, shamed, policed, threatened, attacked.
The thing about "love your body" campaigns for my fat self is that I can love my body all the fuck I want, but the bigger problem for me is other people hating my body.
It's so much more complicated than just putting on a bikini, for lots of fat women. We need to respect and recognize that.
* * *
This isn't a comprehensive list of potential objections. I hope if fat women share in comments any additional concerns they may have with the meme, not-fat women will listen to their perspectives.
Discussion Thread: Summertime School Dress Codes, Shaming, & Gender Policing
[Content Note: Misogyny; body shaming; gender binary policing.]
It's that time of year in the US, when public school is still in session and summertime dress codes are being enforced, which inevitably leads to stories like these:
Teen Girl Accuses School of 'Shaming Girls for Their Bodies' After Being Sent Home for Wearing Shorts.
Teen Girls Sent Home from High School for 'Distracting' Boys with Their Visible Bra Straps.
Many of these policies are inherently misogynist, unhold rape culture narratives about straight male people not being able to "control themselves" around female people dressed in certain ways, and also tend to reinforce the gender binary, often in very weird ways: Many schools have policies, for either or both students and faculty, that women can wear sandals but men cannot, and/or that shorts are prohibited but skirts are allowed—but only if female people are wearing them.
So, here's a place for discussion on school dress codes generally, and what your personal experiences have been with them, either as a student, faculty or staff member, or a parent.
* * *
When I was in middle school, we had a no-shorts policy, no matter how hot it got and irrespective of the school not having air conditioning. This meant that on very hot days, girls often wore skirts to school (as long as they hit the knee!), which bred resentment among the boys, who were not allowed to wear shorts, nor skirts, nor even kilts. (Believe me, they tried.)
It was such a shitty policy, for a number of reasons, but that sort of enforcement of the gender binary in clothing is one place where young men get bullshit ideas about "female privilege." They didn't take out their ire on the patriarchal administration who refused to accommodate their legitimate requests to wear shorts, or to wear skirts themselves; they took it out on the girls.
Similarly, scapegoating boys for a failure to "control themselves" when girls wear totally appropriate summertime clothing does not endear boys to their female classmates.
Let kids wear what they want, and address any troublemakers or bullies by telling them to stop making trouble or bullying. FFS.
Daily Dose of Cute
Olivia Twist, chilling on the cat tower beside my desk.
As always, please feel welcome and encouraged to share pix of the fuzzy, feathered, or scaled members of your family in comments.
Film Corner: Disney's Big Hero 6
[Content Note: Fat hatred; racism.]
This is the description of Disney's upcoming animated film Big Hero 6, based on the Marvel comic of the same name: "With all the heart and humour audiences expect from Walt Disney Animation Studios, Big Hero 6 is an action-packed comedy-adventure about robotics prodigy Hiro Hamada, who learns to harness his genius—thanks to his brilliant brother Tadashi and their like-minded friends: adrenaline junkie Go Go Tamago, neatnik Wasabi, chemistry whiz Honey Lemon and fanboy Fred. When a devastating turn of events catapults them into the midst of a dangerous plot unfolding in the streets of San Fransokyo, Hiro turns to his closest companion—a robot named Baymax—and transforms the group into a band of high-tech heroes determined to solve the mystery."
And here is the teaser trailer currently playing in cinemas, which actually seems to be a trailer for a movie called Stupid Fat Robot Is Stupid and Fat:
Video Description: A young boy, who from the description of the film is meant to be Japanese but does not look Japanese in the animation, works intently on a robotics design program on his laptop. Dramatic action music. He designs a big, muscular, red robot. "Yes!" he says excitedly.Two quick thoughts:
He looks up, and into his lab walks a fat white blobby figure, with nondescript and expressionless eyes, very long arms, very short legs, and a long torso with a huge wobbling belly. The dynamic music comes to a screeching halt. The creature squeaks like the rubber sole of a running shoe against a basketball court as it walks. Zie stands and blinks at him. He looks back with a vaguely horrified expression.
He looks down at his laptop screen, on which appears his shiny red strong robot design. He flips down the screen, revealing the creature, then flips it back up and down several more times, to really drive home the disappointment of the juxtaposition between his design and the creature standing in front of him.
The creature spies a soccer ball resting on the floor beside hir. Zie reaches down for it, but hir belly knocks it out of the way. Zie squeals and chases after it, hir belly knocking it ever just out of reach, like a fat version of Buster Keaton kicking and chasing his hat down the street.
The boy scowls and looks back at his laptop screen. He hits a button that puts his robot's metal exterior into production. Dramatic action music. Once the first massive robot hand has been fabricated, he grabs it and tries to put it on the creature's hand. The music ends, as the hand comes to a halt up against the creature's fat wrist.
The boy jams the hand onto the creature by backing the creature up against a wall. Then he jams on the rest of the metal exterior, forcing each piece over the creature's fat, which moves like the air getting redistributed in a balloon.
The creature blinks its emotionless eyes as it's jammed into each piece. The boy is breathless from the effort.
Finally, the creature stands in nearly the entirety of its costume, with just its big exposed belly showing. The boy holds the piece that is meant to cover the belly, takes a breath, then runs at the creature with the piece, forcing it into place with grunting struggle. He falls over, then looks up at his creation with awe. Dramatic action music.
The camera pans back so we can see his creation in all its glory. The boy flexes his arms. The creature mimics him as the music swells, then just at the zenith of his flex, all of his armor pops off.
The boy puts his head in his hands. The creature spies the soccer ball and begins to chase it again.
1. This shit doesn't exist in a void: It exists in a culture of rank fat hatred, in which fat bodies are considered weak and useless and bad. And it further exists in a specific context of Disney animated films, which have a documented history of using fat as shorthand to convey "evil" or "weak" or "stupid" or otherwise bad.
2. I couldn't give less of a shit what the rest of the film is about, in terms of placing this scene into a particular context, because this clip is what the studio chose as its marketing launch. Even if the rest of the film ends up communicating to us that the creature is really a hero after all, that's just another example of what I call Deathbed Confession Cinema. You don't get points for realizing fat people (or humanoids, or whatever) are not garbage after treating them like garbage for audience laughs.
Anyway. There's a lot to talk about. Have at it in comments.
[H/T to Shaker Hallelujah_Hippo.]
Nope. No. Absolutely Not.
[Content Note: Hostility to consent; sexual policing.]
This could possibly be a real thing in the world:
Andy Cohen is looking to expand his empire.There is absolutely nothing even remotely acceptable about this premise.
The host of Bravo's Watch What Happens Live and exec producer behind The Real Housewives franchise is developing an unscripted series with the title I Slept With a Celebrity, The Hollywood Reporter has learned.
The series, which does not yet have a network attached, is currently being shopped to both broadcast and cable networks. Cohen will executive produce the Warner Horizon Television entry. NBCUniversal-owned cable networks would have the first opportunity to pick up the series under Cohen's overall deal.
Each weekly episode will feature two guests dishing about how their walk with fame led to a walk of shame, describing where they met, where they went and what they wore -- or didn't. A one-night stand is usually nothing to brag about, but what if the person you slept with is famous? I Slept With a Celebrity delivers the juiciest gossip from people who say they got to experience the glitz and glamor of Hollywood -- and then a whole lot more.
It's probably safe to assume that the celebrities whose alleged sexual trysts would be featured on the show will not be allowed to consent to whether these stories are told. It's probably also safe to assume that if the celebrities are not explicitly named, to avoid potential lawsuits, their identities will so thinly disguised that it's eminently possible for anyone who pays the slightest bit of attention to pop culture will be able to easily discern who the celebrity is.
And let us not pretend for a single moment that the narratives of sexually active men (studs) and sexually active women (sluts) will not be present in a show like this and/or the public discussion surrounding it.
This is exploitative garbage, and I desperately hope that it will not be picked up by any broadcaster. Although that it almost certainly a futile hope.
