vol. 4, issue 2: LOL!

vol. 4, issue 2: LOL!

“She dreamed by day of never again putting on tight shoes, of never having to laugh and listen and admire, of never more being a good sport. Never.” ― Dorothy Parker, Complete Stories In a 2007 essay for Vanity Fair, Christopher Hitchens famously made the case that...
Editor’s Note: LOL!

Editor’s Note: LOL!

In 2005, like a dutiful teen with a disposable income, I saw Mr. & Mrs. Smith in theatres. What I remember most—more than the chemistry between a pre-Brangelina Brad and Angie and any specific plot points—was a stranger who advised me after my reaction to one...
Not the Butt of the Joke: A Conversation with Tallie Medel

Not the Butt of the Joke: A Conversation with Tallie Medel

By: Deragh Campbell Tallie Medel is a New York-based actor and comedian, performing with the comedic dance troupe Cocoon Central Dance Team, appearing in TV shows such as Inside Amy Schumer and starring in such films as Joy Kevin (Caleb Johnson, 2014), Stinking Heaven...
The Sassy Slapstick of Raven-Symoné in That’s So Raven

The Sassy Slapstick of Raven-Symoné in That’s So Raven

Viewed through a patriarchal lens, (young) women’s bodies are habitually seen as too fragile, too precious, to slip on a banana peel or fall down a flight of stairs. — Alex Clayton, The Body In Hollywood Slapstick * Raven Baxter, the extravagant psychic heroine of...
Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop: compulsion and comedy in Serial Mom

Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop: compulsion and comedy in Serial Mom

Opening on a sunlit suburban breakfast table surrounded by a stereotypical white middle-class family, John Waters’ Serial Mom (1994) proceeds to unrelentingly and hilariously skewer small-town community “values” through the story of Beverly Sutphin (Kathleen Turner),...
A Love Letter to Jennifer Coolidge

A Love Letter to Jennifer Coolidge

From which perfect cloud of pink convertibles, lip gloss and acrylic nails did you fall? You’ve been a staple in the film industry for over two decades. You have graced us with your presence in so many films that my finger gets tired scrolling through your IMDb page....