Sinners, Venus, and Cowboy Carter: Legacy, Resilience, and the Fight Ahead
Themes from Sinners bleed into the real-life story of Venus Xtravaganza. Venus takes us back to the 1980s drag ballrooms in New York—the birthplace of countless cultural references. Then Cowboy Carter (and Renaissance before it) celebrates Black womanhood (cis and trans), Black queer men, defiance, and joy.
These aren’t just performances and films. They are history lessons. They remind us where we come from and hint at where we’re going. Sure, they make us cry. But they also give us hope and remind us to dance.
Two Angelenos Meet Inside Lana Del Rey’s L.A.
One local and one transplant discuss the Lana Del Rey's connection to Los Angeles, the city as a lover, and their own connections to this baroque-pop narrative. For irony’s sake, they meet outside of Los Angeles. In Pasadena.
Vida Gives Us Life: Diverse Storytelling In Hollywood Is Possible
Saving community landmarks is never just about the building. It’s about how the community benefits from spaces that allow for the continuation and evolution of tradition. It’s not about staying static; it’s about having a safe space to flourish. It’s not about the bar. It’s about the energy that the bar makes possible.
Parks and Recreation Re-Enact A Historic Preservation Win
The Grizzl arc from Parks and Recreation is a remarkable example of a historic preservation win-win situation, where not only is parkland preserved, but adaptive reuse becomes part of the solution and a legacy business is saved from an unfeeling developer.