Well known horror movie tropes like the Black character dies first for example, or the slut gets it normalizes harmful stereotypes. Showing who deserves to live (and not) leads many people to believe this kind of behavior is OK – that it’s acceptable to victimize these types because she “had it coming,” or that men deserve to get the shit beaten out of them if they show any sign of weakness.
Luckily, research showed some surprising things:
Survivors
These stories and stereotypes that exist in slasher films can inform us in the style of a parody. They take these themes we see in everyday life and show us how ridiculous they are. It makes fun of the fact that women have to be weak and stupid or that men are brutal and emotionless.
At its core, horror films are enjoyable because of the fear factor. Many fail to realize that there have been harmful tropes implemented for decades that hurt women and erase a large portion of society in favor of the straight, white female that survives til the end.
By constantly reusing and creating trope images/plot devices like the “Indian burial ground” and “Mythical Negro”[28] these films trap an entire minority in a set role in cinema while also rendering the reality of their cultures invisible.[24]
Castañeda is studying films that date back to the 1920s where minorities are depicted as the monster, or things to be afraid of and comparing them to today’s movies, where the goal is to subvert this.
The infamous slasher survivor girls are overwhelmingly white and presumed heterosexual. Now there are more non-white women characters who get to be more than the disposable best friend or backgrounder.
Many horror films cast women, specifically women of color, as background characters, making them the targets of violence or even the villain of the film. Over time, these constant narratives in movies push the film industry backward when it comes to representation, according to media studies and Ph.D. candidate Ana Ponce Castañeda.
“It seems to me that women of color in movies always get killed off first or die in some horrible way that no one else did like the producers have some weird aggression towards them,” Newland said in an email. “I think it gives minority kids a horrible representation of themselves. They only ever see themselves as unwanted and second best to other characters.”
Scream (2022) gave us the Carpenter sisters and Mindy, a Black girl who gets to be the horror geek expert. American Horror Story: 1984 let a Black woman become a slasher final girl after starting off as a tertiary antagonist. And we got Deena, an emo Black girl protagonist in the Fear Street series who takes down generational trauma. This is a vital shift because, in society, women who aren’t white face stereotyping in monolithic ways that strip away their humanity. To have a non-white woman be the protagonist opens up a completely new avenue of examining our world. That is, if the creators let it happen.
This deeper rooted misogyny exposes further problems with the horror genre and its catering to a white audience.[24] It also exemplifies issues of racism within film making and how, according to Harry M. Benshoff, “the vast majority of those films use race as a marker of monstrosity in ways generically consistent with the larger social body’s assumptions about white superiority”.[25]
Now, don’t come for me. It’s one thing to call-out anorexia in a mean, disparaging body-shaming way, and another to have both eyes and concern. NOT mentioning the elephant in the room is stigmatizing. Personal opinion of weight aside, Olivia herself says she struggles with self-image.
Pale and sallow complexion: A reduced intake of crucial nutrients like iron and B vitamins can result in anaemia, which manifests as a pale and sallow complexion. Iron is essential for producing haemoglobin, a protein transporting oxygen throughout the body. When iron levels are insufficient, the skin’s oxygen supply diminishes, leading to a lack of colour and vitality in the complexion.
Olivia says, “I see you everywhere” and I think she’s talking about strict societal beauty expectations/examples. So we’re going on a side journey:
I know the BMI chart is controversial. We could argue the pros and cons all day and really waylay this post, but that’s for a different day. I’m using it as a way to standardize different height/weights. Also, I’m not trying to shame anybody on either end of the spectrum, or in the middle, so just be aware of random article snark. Thirdly, I’m also using random Google height/weight info so take the accuracy with a grain of salt. I’m trying to compare apples to apples and give some sort of reference point for celebrity/model BMI and thus all of us. The point is, women (and men in a different way, also to be discussed on another day) are held to impossible beauty/body standards, and have been throughout the decades.
1910 The ideal female form is depicted as a tall and slender woman. She has a voluptuous bust and wide hips, exaggerated by way of corseting. Women of the Edwardian Era used Belladonna, a highly poisonous and even lethal plant, drops to make their pupils dilate, making the women look aroused (I’m not making this up, promise). They have also smeared their faces with lead cream to make them look pale.
1920s Flapper
The female form changed in this decade from exaggeratedly feminine to exaggeratedly boyish. Androgyny is the look of the day, short hair, bras tightened to flatten girls chests, dieting and exercise.
1930s/1940s = war and depression
Short hair remained but skirts became longer and showed off natural waists without corsets. Emphasized shoulder width was common with a trend towards practicality lead by war rationing, un-elaborate jackets and simple blouses.
1950s Post-War
The hourglass figure returned and women aimed to become more feminine and curvy. With an end to rationing, women were able to get the glamour model look. Taking full advantage of the latest beauty products, women of this era never left home without looking perfect.
The Sexual Revolution 1960s
The sexual revolution brought back two separate trends. The start of the 60s the super skinny look; the thin androgyny of the flapper returned with an almost pre-pubescent appearance. The end of the 60s however brought back the fuller figured woman with the long straight hair of the Hippy era.
1970s Thin is In
Thin won out and the 70s were the start of the dangerous slimming culture. Long hair became common and minimal make-up made for a natural look.
Fitness reigned in the 80s
Women preferred a toned rather than muscular body and aerobic exercise was part of a woman’s daily life. Women need to be slender, toned and tall.
A lot of the women in all of these decades had body dysmorphia and eating disorders (many told later in life, after their peak fame). I think it’s particularly interesting to look at poster-gal for the modern fitness movement, Jane Fonda:
It just goes to show what you see on the surface is not necessarily the reality of the situation. Jane Fonda looked like she had it all, while she was secretly suffering. I think it shows the audience to view these perfect images and celebrity personas through a critical lens [critical as in skeptical, or as in we don’t know the whole context] before we fashion our bodies and lives after the unattainable capitalistic images we are sold.
Baywatch 1990s
The ideal female figure became even more exaggerated in TV and film.
Heroin Chic
Models became more and more waif like and moved from slender to boney.
Kate Moss – BMI 16.0
Calista Flockhart – BMI 15.6
Remember how scandalized people were about how “voluptuous” J-Lo was??!
Men face different pressures.
As you can see, they are not usually as thin as women:
but their bodies are required to have unrealistic muscle mass.
Size Zero 2000s
Keira Knightley – 17.2
Twenty years ago models weighed, on average, 8% less than the average American, but now weigh 23% less.
Miley Cyrus – BMI 18.4
Today, the average woman has a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 26-28
whereas models range from 15-16, which is dangerously underweight.
Celebrities are slightly better than models with an average of 17-20, a borderline healthy BMI.
OF COURSE a teenage girl would be inundated with images of unattainable perfection. Especially those trying to make it in the industry. It’s not surprising at all that Olivia might interpret every celebrity she saw as feminine, thin, and beautiful and desire that for herself. Sidenote- we are ALL bombarded by these images and have a lot of un-learning to do.
And I think that’s exactly who the Lacy in the song is- Olivia’s own negative self-talk. The voice telling her she’s not good enough.
Lacy = The romanticized, coveted image of perfection that this patriarchal society lionizes.
That Olivia manifests.
Look at the lyrics again through that lens and tell me what you think in the comments!
Lacy is the NAME of Olivia’s personal insecurities.
Lacy is delicate and thin, frilly and feminine, skimpy and translucent yet still elegant and dainty. Now describe for me patriarchy’s idea of the perfect woman (or just think about Bridget Bardot): Soft and skinny. Feminine and sexy, but not aggressive. Still upstanding and subtle. Same, same.
Here’s the lyrics of the OPENING TRACK, ya know, the place to set expectations of what the album will be about [I underlined things for emphasis]:
“all-american bitch”
I am light as a feather, I’m as stiff as a board I pay attention to things that most people ignore And I’m alright with the movies That make jokes ’bout senseless cruelty, that’s for sure And I am built like a mother and a total machine I feel for your every little issue, I know just what you mean And I make light of the darkness I’ve got sun in my motherfuckin’ pocket, best believe Yeah, you know me, I
Forgive, and I forget I know my age, and I act like it Got what you can’t resist I’m a perfect all-American
I am light as a feather, I’m as fresh as the air Coca-Cola bottles that I only use to curl my hair I got class and integrity Just like a goddamn Kennedy, I swear With love to spare, I
Forgive, and I forget I know my age, and I act like it Got what you can’t resist I’m a perfect all-American bitch With perfect all-American lips And perfect all-American hips I know my place I know my place, and this is it
I don’t get angry when I’m pissed I’m the eternal optimist I scream inside to deal with it, like, “Ah” Like, “Ah” (Oh my fucking God)
All the time I’m grateful all the time I’m sexy, and I’m kind I’m pretty when I cry Oh, all the time I’m grateful all the time (Grateful all the fucking time) I’m sexy, and I’m kind I’m pretty when I cry
In the song Olivia has spelled out what the perfect woman is supposed to be [I don’t make the rules, patriarchy does]: Thin and sexy, have good lips and hips and hair. Listen (to men), and be kind, but don’t hold them accountable, forgive, forget, be grateful ALWAYS, and love, love, love (do not say no to advances). Don’t get angry, definitely don’t show it if you’re angry, be positive at any cost. Even when crying, look good and sexy. Keep appearance and image at the forefront. Have money and grace, displaying perfection, beauty, and wealth like a Goddamned Kennedy. Want and have kids. Be perfect.
Like turkey on Thanksgiving, and green beer on March 17, romantic comedies go together with Valentine’s Day.
Before we look at how popular romantic comedies are for Valentine’s Day viewing, and how much those films have made (on Valentine’s Day) check out the rest of the Valentines series:
Rom-coms remain a constant in the lives of many girls and women. Those easygoing, light-hearted stories could became a routine comfort watch in any context: Mom-and-daughter dates, Caturday Netflix and chill, “sick day” movie marathons, slumber party entertainment, girls night out to the theater, first date movie, dorm group activity, long trip boredom killers, or VALENTINE’S DAY— you name it. Romcoms have the fashion, the hot cast, and the Disney romance with happy ending.
But aside from the sentimentality and habit of it all, romcoms are comforting at an endocrine level:
We talked about how many of these movies were made and how much money they made. How romcoms are a staple in many people’s lives, and younger people, especially, are known to consume tons of these films. We went over how the movies follow a certain script and elicit an emotional response. Is knowing that romcoms are unrealistic a barrier against absorbing the messages within the films?
Example: The brain changes in structure and function to accommodate frequent input (such as learning an instrument).
The more the brain processes say, playing the violin, the more it prioritizes the structures and functions needed to play the violin. More connections, stronger connections, faster connections.
Now add neuroplasticity to general societal attitudes and positive and negative reinforcement, and you’ll see that watching romcoms IS learning. And what exactly is the viewer learning from these “chick flicks”?
When people pick out a romcom to watch, they want a happy love story. They don’t want to think or be challenged with tough history or divergent life experiences. They don’t want to have questions running through their minds while trying to relax into the film.
Add to that, the majority of Hollywood power players are white males. [Gay activists say a there’s a strong undercurrent of homophobia in the movie community that has caused many homosexual executives to remain in the closet, and actors of both sexual orientations to shun overtly gay roles for fear of hurting their careers.] Stories created by any other type of person don’t make it very far, because movie financing is tricky, and decision-makers are risk-averse. Appealing to the largest (paying) demographic is safe. Doing what has been successful before is more certain. Thus, the genre is formulaic: Man + Woman (both cis, straight, usually white, always conventionally attractive) have a series of miscommunications leading to a heteronormative romance and happily ever after (that 1950s $hit, if you will).
Other races, ethnicities, sexualities, and lifestyles are portrayed at a superficial level and stereotypical manner, if they are shown at all:
Black Women-
Example: 10 Things I Hate About You
Black Men-
The villainous stereotype will hopefully become an endangered species in Hollywood. POC have already made it quite clear that they are fed up with appearing in movies as muggers, pimps and other disreputable characters. Arab Americans say they are sick of being typecast as terrorists. And Native Americans have had it with being portrayed as brutish scalp-craving savages (played by Hispanic or brown-face actors).
Now gay activists are taking to the streets to decry the growing number of movies that, they say, are stereotyping them. Activists have successfully forced their concerns about gay images in the movies out into the open. They argue that all the onscreen mayhem is inciting real-life violence against members of their community. A five-city survey conducted by the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Policy Institute reports a 31% increase in gay-bashing incidents, including a jump in the number of anti-gay murders to eight, from three in 1990.
Gay Men-
With few exceptions, the homosexual characters in movies are campy caricatures like the ultra-fey wedding consultant played by Martin Short in Father of the Bride. The issue with LGBTQ+ characters in such movies is that they are rarely multi-faceted characters with well-thought-out backstories. Instead, their sole personality trait is their sexuality, and every action they take — from the outfit they wear to the discussions they engage in — mirrors and further pushes an outdated ideology about LGBTQ+ people that is ridden with harmful stereotypes. From the “Kissing Booth” and “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before” series to movies such as “Prom,” which received scathing reviews for its flamboyant, stereotype-reliant characters, one thing is becoming increasingly clear: token LGBTQ+ characters that can be counted on one hand are not and will never be a stand-in for movies displaying real, authentic, joyous, and long overdue LGBTQ+ love.
Lesbians-
Rarely included. Sometimes the funny best friend. If it’s a supposedly sapphic plot, it focuses on the struggle of being WLW, and rather than a lighthearted love story we get yearning, so much yearning!
The bulk of lesbian characters are usually portrayed incorrectly, falling victim to stereotypes such as Big Boo on Orange is the New Black. That character isn’t an exception to the rule, she’s just a more fleshed out version of the same old predatorial butch stereotype. On the other side of the coin (wait that sounds like 50:50 representation, more like the other 98% of the time) lesbian characters are objectified. They are conventionally pretty, feminine with long hair, soft features and girlfriends who carry a similar aesthetic. It can feel as though they were created for the male gaze or to satisfy some kind of sexual fantasy for the audience.
Butch (actually butch) lesbians are largely still MIA. They’re treated either as the anti-sex symbol, or just like guys. Julie said, “I do think that’s the problem with butch lesbians-people see them like men so why would you give a part to a butch lesbian when you could just have a man do it?”
Bisexuals-
Portrayed as basically an edgy or quirky straight lady. Conventionally attractive, read: White, thin, but maybe brunette hair instead of blonde. She dips her toe (ha! let’s leave it at that for the purpose of this post) in sapphic waters, but the film will treat it as a confused, flaky anomaly, not a fully formed sexuality. And of course, by the end of the movie this bisexual character usually gets her $hit together, reforms [film’s vibe, not my sentiment] and ends up with a man.
Trans-
Excluded altogether, or allegorical (think Pretty Women with a shameful secret to change and hide), or worse, cross-dressing comedic relief.
Some small films are being made and released independently. But industry insiders attribute the dearth of mainstream LGBTQ films to the fact that movies with those themes don’t do well commercially. Joel Schumacher, director of Flatliners and Dying Young says, “The business doesn’t care what you do in bed, but it does care what you do at the box office.”
So you see, the comfortable storylines in romcoms are excluding and “othering” identities that do not align.
But this is WOMEN’s genre-hello, “chick flick” ! Girls and Ladies are the biggest consumers. Females star in the movie, their stories are centered, many of these characters are independent and successful, and they end up happy.
But even then, it’s not what it seems. Women are portrayed in a flat, binary way: There’s the desperate to find a man type of gal or the serious, un-fun workaholic that isn’t desirable or right for a man.
Femininity is a highly prescribed, oft deal breaking affliction. Too much is desperate, uncool, and undesirable. Too little is icy, intimidating, and ugly. The woman at the beginning of the film must change in order to secure the man. The woman at the end of the movie in more palatable and agreeable (to men). These movies are a roadmap for how real life women should act (if they want to get a guy).
Too Feminine-
Example: 10 Things I Hate About You:
[I’m really not picking on this movie specifically, it just works well for many of these points]
Not Feminine Enough-
All too often, pop culture dictates that women must choose, and that “career” is the wrong choice. Society needs to remember that these options are not mutually exclusive, and that we can have both.
Despite actresses starring in “chick flicks” the power dynamics in romcoms are still skewed toward men:
Is she really the lead?
Employment-
Example: Bridget Jones’ Diary-
Age-
And this film phenomenon absolutely translates to real life:
These movies don’t just pigeonhole race, ethnicity, sexuality, and femininity.
Masculinity is very narrowly defined as well
Women, have you ever found yourself at a point where you sit and think, “Why aren’t all guys caring, romantic, falling in love with me, deliciously attractive, and willing to do anything for my love?” Are these movies messing with our perception of love and making our standards impossible for guys?
The lead man always has those same set of physical characteristics that we talked about above. But more than that, he has to change by the end of the movie as well. Almost every romcom transforms a grim, sloppy, selfish boy/man, who is anti-marriage or doesn’t know what he wants into the ultimate Greek god and perfect partner going out of his way to dote on his woman.
Another common theme in romcoms is the expectation that men are mind readers and know what the female lead wants and needs without her communicating those feelings. In 10 Things I Hate About You, Kat and Patrick never confess their feelings for one another until the very end. Kat writes a poem in class listing all of the things she hates about Patrick after they broke their relationship off due to Patrick not telling Kat how he feels. In these movies, men don’t want to be vulnerable and confess their feelings. Well, vulnerability must take place for romance because how else can your crush convey their feelings? Communication is necessary to move on and improve our relationships.
Romantic comedies have put men on this pedestal of who should be the “romantic one” in a relationship. A crucial part of every romcom is that all men will go out of their way to gain love. Romantic gestures, intimate gifts, and flying across the states to ask you to marry him are all tactics we have seen numerous times. Although some women would like to agree that a man should make the first move to be a romantic companion, women can too.
One Psychology Today article explains: Over time, we consciously and unconsciously internalize cultural norms, evaluating ourselves and others in comparison to them. Given this, it doesn’t seem like a stretch to assume watching hours and hours of romantic comedies may somehow reset some internal switch about the power disparity between, well, everyone except cis, straight white males. And maybe even our own self-esteem, expectations as women, career ambitions, or perception of what a relationship should look like.
A team at Heriot Watt University in Edinburgh studied the top 40 box office films released between 1995 and 2005, to establish common themes. The team produced a study in 2008. They asked hundreds of people to fill out a questionnaire to describe their beliefs and expectations when it came to relationships. The results showed that the fans of films such as You’ve Got Mail, The Wedding Planner, and While You Were Sleeping, frequently fail to communicate with their partners effectively. Many of them held the view that “if someone is meant for you, then they should know what you want without you needing to tell them.” Dr. Bjarne Holmes, a psychologist who led the research, told that Marriage counselor’s often meet with these people that have this mindset and also believe that sex should always be perfect. The team drew conclusions from the study suggesting that the popular media plays a role in putting these ideas in women minds.
Dr. Holmes expressed, “People feel like if their relationships are not like a Hollywood film, then it is not any good. Time and energy needs to be invested for it to work.”
RomCom Expectations can Increase Tolerance for Abuse
Consider How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, in whicha big-city magazine editor gets caught up in a “love competition” with the publication’s advertising executive, who is secretly in on the bet.
or You’ve Got Mail, where a local bookshop owner gets run out of business — but ultimately winds up with the businessman whose chain bookstore replaced her own.
OrNever Been Kissed, when a shy newspaper reporter poses as a student to get a second chance at high school, but falls in love with the English teacher who thinks she is just one of his students.
You’ll notice that these relationships are not equal. Some of these situations are just plain rude. Would you seriously consider a relationship with the man who ran you out of business? Some of these plot points are based on fireable or criminal offenses on the part of the men. It’s never okay to date your student, even if it turns out she’s of age. Men carry the upper hand in these films, whether through implied financial success (advertising or business executive), authority (English teacher to someone thought to be a student), or both, it’s sometimes subtle, but it’s there.
This absolutely impacts real life
Movies watched during an impressionable period can have a huge role in the misconceptions that girls (and boys) have when it comes to relationships. If a guy treats you poorly, he likes you. If you argue a lot with another person, it means you have chemistry. “No” just means she’s playing hard to get. You can see where this is headed, and it’s worth an entire post of it’s own.
The comforting feeling of sitting down to watch a romantic tear-jerker is something viewers hold dear, and Valentine’s Day is just a real life example of romcoms playing out. This is the IRL day that everything you’ve soaked up from romcom movies can come true! Researchers believe that the influence of Hollywood films is implanting a sense of “perfect” relationship within society and providing unrealistic expectations about romance. In the same way the porn industry might dictate a man’s expectations in bed (choking, rape fantasy, the money shot) [Sidenote: I’m not here to kink-shame, but at the same time I’m not sure women are driving these trends. “see yer therapist” as Joey from ‘I Think Not’ podcast would say]. Romcoms influence what women desire and expect on the day of romance.
But it’s time to be aware. A closer look at the problematic themes and toxic couples in “chick flicks” reveals the consistent trend in how minorities, women, men, and relationships are presented under Hollywood’s spotlight. While it’s one thing to know the films are unrealistic, and maybe even transition away from this genre (trust me, every genre has it’s problems and we’ll get to that) it’s harder to rewire an internal bias or learned behavior. It’s a good idea to make a conscious effort to notice some of the lingering after-effects that may result from years of exposure to this rom-com genre, and it’s real life iteration, Valentine’s Day.
Yup, we’re going to broach the New York Times Taylor Swift Queer Coding article. Buckle up!
Heteronormativity: The assumption that heterosexual identity is the norm, which plays out in interpersonal interactions and institutional privileges that further the marginalization of lesbian, gay, and bisexual people.
In everyday conversation, the language used assumes my sexual orientation (sex = heterosexual sex; family = a man, a woman, and their children; spouse = husband or wife of another gender).
I am identified by my profession or interests rather than my sexual orientation (I am a teacher, not a gay teacher; I am a musician, not a lesbian musician).
People do not assume that I can magically identify all other heterosexuals.
I can live every day without ever having to face, confront, engage, or cope with anything on these pages. I can choose whether to pay attention to these privileges. I am not forced or compelled to address heterosexism.
You don’t have to announce your heterosexuality to the world.
Very few parents are going to be surprised or angry that their child is straight. People that you’re sexually compatible with are still going to be readily available without having to confirm that you’re both straight.
And if you’re thinking, “Queer people only have to come out once! It’s just a matter of gathering up the courage and ripping off the Band-Aid!” you’re wrong. Queer people have to come out over and over again throughout their lives.
Just about every form of media is positively dripping with heterosexuality. TV shows, magazines, music, film—everywhere you look, straight people are flirting or getting it on or realizing they’re meant to be. It has taken us decades to get overt representation on screen. Diversity might be increasing, but even as queer characters start to get bona fide love stories, there are still subtle codes that reinforce the implication that we’re always a little bit less than worthy of true fulfillment. Remember that rosy coming-of-age story? Replace it with homophobic and/or religious parents, a deeply closeted lover, and a heaping helping of self-loathing. Lighthearted or nonchalant stories of sexual self-discovery are few and far between. Gay male characters tend to fall into one of two stereotypes: the effeminate outcast who’s horribly bullied or the closeted jock whose internalized homophobia underlies a temper and a violent streak. If you’re a lesbian, put simply, you’re always crying or dying. Writers have a nasty habit of killing them off as part of some half-assed, poorly executed social commentary—in subtext, of course!
Whether it’s hastily changing pronouns in stories or creating fictional significant others or just avoiding the subject of dating at all costs, queer people often have to go to meticulous lengths to avoid outing themselves. Everyone has different reasons for not wanting to be out to certain people or not wanting to be out at all. Regardless of circumstance, it can be very stressful for LGBTQIA+ folks to navigate even casual conversation with the constant fear of outing yourself to the wrong person. Imagine not being able to speak freely about the person you love or just not being able to swap silly dating misadventure stories with your friends. Straight people have the luxury to divulge as much information as they want about their personal lives without worrying about the reactions of their audience.
Receiving social acceptance by neighbors, colleagues, and good friends.
Having role models of your gender and sexual orientation.
Expecting to be around others of your sexuality most of the time. Not worrying about being the only one of your sexuality in a class, on a job, or in a social situation.
Talking openly about your relationship, vacations, and family planning you and your lover/partner are doing.
Not having to hide or lie about women/men-only social activities.
Acting, dressing, or talking as you choose without it being a reflection on people of your sexuality.
The ability to teach about lesbians, gay men, and bisexuals without being seen as having a bias because of your sexuality or forcing a “homosexual agenda” on students.
Not having to “come out” (explain to people that you’re straight, as you can just assume they will assume it)
Knowing that people aren’t going to mutter about your sexuality if you come out to them.
Knowing that being open with your sexuality isn’t going to change how people view you.
Once someone acknowledges their privilege, they can move forward in leveraging that privilege to confront societal and institutional discrimination. Some ways a person can leverage their privilege are to have brave conversations with family and friends, advocate for folks without the same privileges, and utilize bystander intervention techniques to support someone you see being harassed because of their identity.
…I’m so in love that I might stop breathing/Drew a map on your bedroom ceiling/No, I didn’t see the news/‘Cause we were somewhere else/Stumbled down pretend alleyways/Cheap wine, make believe it’s champagne/I was taken by the view/Like we were in Paris/Like we were somewhere else/Privacy sign on the door/And on my page and on the whole world/Romance is not dead if you keep it just yours/Levitate above all the messes made/Sip quiet by my side in the shade/And not the kind that’s thrown/I mean, the kind under where a tree has grown…/…I wanna transport you/To somewhere the culture’s clever/Confess my truth/In swooping, sloping, cursive letters/Let the only flashing lights be the tower at midnight/In my mind
…I’m so in love that I might stop breathing/Drew a map on your bedroom ceiling/No, I didn’t see the news/‘Cause we were somewhere else/Stumbled down pretend alleyways/Cheap wine, make believe it’s champagne/I was taken by the view/Like we were in Paris/Like we were somewhere else/Privacy sign on the door/And on my page and on the whole world/Romance is not dead if you keep it just yours/Levitate above all the messes made/Sip quiet by my side in the shade/And not the kind that’s thrown/I mean, the kind under where a tree has grown…/…I wanna transport you/To somewhere the culture’s clever/Confess my truth/In swooping, sloping, cursive letters/Let the only flashing lights be the tower at midnight/In my mind
I know that last post was LONG. I might break it into smaller pieces later. So I’m going to try to chunk this one into very small bites so you can get to the end 🙂
The connection between the song and my research snippets will become more and more apparent with each post.
Paris
…I’m so in love that I might stop breathing/Drew a map on your bedroom ceiling/No, I didn’t see the news/‘Cause we were somewhere else/Stumbled down pretend alleyways/Cheap wine, make believe it’s champagne/I was taken by the view/Like we were in Paris/Like we were somewhere else/Privacy sign on the door/And on my page and on the whole world/Romance is not dead if you keep it just yours/Levitate above all the messes made/Sip quiet by my side in the shade/And not the kind that’s thrown/I mean, the kind under where a tree has grown…/…I wanna transport you/To somewhere the culture’s clever/Confess my truth/In swooping, sloping, cursive letters/Let the only flashing lights be the tower at midnight/In my mind
Best believe I’m still bejeweled/When I walk in the room/I can still make the whole place shimmer/And when I meet the band/They ask, “Do you have a man?”/I can still say, “I don’t remember”…/…Diamonds in my eyes/I polish up real, I polish up real nice/Baby boy, I think I’ve been too good of a girl (too good of a girl)/Did all the extra credit, then got graded on a curve/I think it’s time to teach some lessons…/…I can reclaim the land/And I miss you (I miss you)/But I miss sparkling (ah, hey)…/…Sapphire tears on my face/Sadness became my whole sky…/…And we’re dancin’ all night…/…What’s a girl gonna do?/A diamond’s gotta shine…/…I polish up nice/Best believe I’m still bejeweled/When I walk in the room/I can still make the whole place shimmer
Kit10Phish Explains it all __has moved! https://tinyurl.com/bdad9vdm 
Catty Remarks