Jane Schoenbrun! Season finale! Gender Census 2024!

Hey friends,

Hope you’re all hanging in there. Gotta be honest: I got home from the airport at 6pm last Sunday, and several times was like “OK, should I write a newsletter? I could still write a newsletter!” And then I very intentionally was like "TUCK what if you TOOK A WEEK OFF, nobody cares if they get fewer emails!!!” So that is what I did. Apologies if you are the one freak who loves emails.

Anyway, last week on the show, I had the pleasure of speaking with filmmaker Jane Schoenbrun about their new film, I Saw The TV Glow. We also got the scoop on what went down with the Nevada film adaptation, determined which Spielberg film is the most sapphic, and went down many different Early Millennial pop culture rabbit holes. I hope this podcast is a fun vibe to bounce you out of the deep sadness that I Saw The TV Glow may create in your soul. (Joking but also… not.)

The funniest thing about this episode is that right before we started officially recording, Jane was like “oh yeah this movie is about my relationship with [redacted other Gender Reveal alum] in high school” and that’s just like… not in the episode!!! But it’s true and I need you to know it because it’s SO funny that the world is actually like seven people. (I also ran into Brigette Lundy-Paine outside the diner on my corner the other day, which is further proof of this.) (And also Jane and I actually have like three other really funny connections but I cannot share them here or anywhere, but just know that the L-Word Chart connects us all, including you and me and the members of boygenius.)

Photo: Jane pointing dramatically on the set of I Saw the TV Glow 

What was I saying? Oh, right, the podcast. Next week, we’re ending Season 12 with a bang, as Jules Gill-Peterson returns to explain why maybe “transgender” was a mistake anyway. NBD! Can’t wait to hear everyone’s takes on the episode.

Also next week, I’ll be releasing this month’s Gender Conceal episode, featuring a sort of delirious end-of-vacation dispatch from TERF Island where I talk a lot about iced coffee. It will be more fun than it sounds, probably! We also talk a lot about Pride (2014) so maybe watch that right now just to be prepared!!

And speaking of patreon rewards, I owe a LOT of you — basically, anyone who joined at the $5+ level since the beginning of the season — stickers and whatnot in the mail. I’m going to start working on those as soon as the season wraps, aka next week, so keep an eye on your mailboxes for a fun little treat.

There will also, as always, be free stickers (and masks) available at our June 20 live show at the Bell House. Just saying!!!!

Here’s Links & Stuff:

• If you are any flavor of nonbinary, please fill out the 2024 Gender Census! It’s community-run and only takes a few minutes, and there’s always all sorts of fun data in there.

• I loved Challengers and I loved Rose Dommu & Hunter Harris’s discussion of it

• Speaking of FILMS: I watched My Best Friend’s Wedding and Erin Brockovich back-to-back on the plane home; not to state the obvious, but Julia really was that girl!!!!!!! Really good double feature, can recommend.

Abrupt tonal shift sorry:

• Flaming Hydra published a short first-person account of fleeing Gaza

• Speaking of, here’s another great way to support families who urgently need your help

• Ijeoma Oluo wrote about the limits of empathy

OK back to the fun stuff:

• I really thought about buying this shirt but instead I just sent the link to my bike friends; maybe you prefer this bus version?

• Heartbreaking: the worst person you know just made a decent point

• This is the ultimate aesthetic shot, to me.

That’s it for this week. Here’s your weekly Rhubarb.

Photo: Ruby laying in a windowsill with a row of brownstones in the background and a couple of sprouting plants in the foreground.

And another one for skipping last week :)

Photo: Ruby sitting on a cat tree in a classic cat position and staring into the camera.

See you Monday for the end of the season!!!!!!!!

Xo,
Yr resident gender detective