sasha_feather: Dr. Bashir from deep space nine (Julian bashir)
sasha_feather ([personal profile] sasha_feather) wrote2023-08-12 08:46 pm

Red, White, and Royal Blue, the movie

Red, White and Royal Blue, movie based on the Casey McQuiston novel.
This is on Amazon; I got the $1.99 for one week trial. I listened to the book some time ago but not closely. It's about the son of the American president falling in love with an English prince.

It's just so... nice? to see a gay romcom? That has high production values and a mainstream release! That has people of color and a transgender character and the word "queer", and inclusion of bisexuality, etc. I love that it had sex scenes. I love that Alex talked about being from an immigrant family. Stephen Fry has a wonderful cameo.

Like OK, maybe the story is silly, and the characterization isn't all that deep, but it doesn't need to be. If the straights can have light-hearted romcoms we should have them too!

This just cheered me immensely and I want a hundred more such films to make up for all the times I had to watch "Love, Actually" when I was a young adult.

I have a pet peeve, perhaps a strange one, because I used to work in infectious disease research.
Alex's mom is giving him some sex talk advice, and she says, "if you are bottoming then you should get the HPV vaccine."

Listen to me, you should get that vaccine regardless. REGARDLESS of your sexual position. HPV can cause throat cancer; the virus gets there through oral sex. And other cancers!! This vaccine should be universal IMO. I am an asexual-spectrum lesbian and I got this vaccine.

https://www.cdc.gov/cancer/hpv/basic_info/cancers.htm

Yes ok maybe don't get your sex ed through movies, but... what else do we have, in this culture of ours.

Perhaps some day over drinks, or in a future journal entry, i will tell you the weird story of how demonstrating too much knowledge of HPV and gay sex got me into hot water at my lab job. Which was an infectious disease research lab!! But a homophobic workplace! my hands are not up for that much typing tonight.
lauradi7dw: me wearing a straw hat and gray mask (anniversary)

[personal profile] lauradi7dw 2023-08-13 02:31 am (UTC)(link)
The Kdrama "Record of youth" (2020) has an unexpected scene that must have been added in as a PSA. A character's girlfriend refused sex until he had the HPV shots. He dragged along two other friends to a clinic that had posters on the wall translated in the subtitles as something like Preventing cervical cancer is everyone's responsibility.
sovay: (Viktor & Mordecai)

[personal profile] sovay 2023-08-13 02:46 am (UTC)(link)
Like OK, maybe the story is silly, and the characterization isn't all that deep, but it doesn't need to be. If the straights can have light-hearted romcoms we should have them too!

It sounds charming! And not biphobic. And Stephen Fry.

This vaccine should be universal IMO. I am an asexual-spectrum lesbian and I got this vaccine.

I didn't have a partner of any gender at the time when it became available! I got it on general principle! But it is interesting to have it name-checked in a romantic comedy nonetheless.

(I did not know you used to work in infectious disease research.)
sovay: (Rotwang)

[personal profile] sovay 2023-08-13 07:00 am (UTC)(link)
I've always been interested in infectious diseases, but the work was very stressful, and I was already ill, it was not a great time.

Understood. The homophobia doesn't sound like it helped any.

You might also be keen to know that RWaRB has Uma Thurman and Sarah Shahi.

I haven't seen Shahi since Person of Interest!
runpunkrun: Pride flag based on Gilbert Baker's 1978 rainbow flag with hot pink, red, orange, yellow, sage, turquoise, blue, and purple stripes. (rainbow queer)

[personal profile] runpunkrun 2023-08-13 06:22 am (UTC)(link)

I just watched this and it was nice to have a sweet queer rom com with sex scenes!

celli: Rachel Maddow in front of a radio mike with headphones on (Rachel radio)

[personal profile] celli 2023-08-14 02:10 am (UTC)(link)
I really enjoyed it as well! One of those where: can see its flaws/reasons people might not dig it, don't personally care. It had Rachel Maddow and it made me cry. For the win.
welcomingsong: (Default)

[personal profile] welcomingsong 2023-08-15 04:09 pm (UTC)(link)
I’ve watched it twice since Friday. It just makes me happy.
findyourvoice: (Default)

[personal profile] findyourvoice 2023-08-15 09:25 pm (UTC)(link)
While romcom's aren't my thing, I must admit that It's just so... nice? to see a gay romcom? That has high production values and a mainstream release! That has people of color and a transgender character and the word "queer", and inclusion of bisexuality, etc. I love that it had sex scenes. I love that Alex talked about being from an immigrant family this sounds amazing!