First of all which of you fucks was going to warn me about Lars and the real girl!?
SPOILERS AHEAD if you have not seen this movie please do. The fact it was in the comedy section pissed me off because it was BEAUTIFUL.
Fuck you Ryan Gosling for making me have so many feelings. Like- all the time.
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I have thoughts but I am a little confused so lemme know if Im completly wrong or on the money.
1. Is it controversial for me to say that the only reason Lars got away with this is because the small tight knit community and the fact he's convenientally attractive and low needs? This would have never worked out if this was a decent sized city, if lars was deemed unattractive or if he had higher needs.
2. Would it be ableist (in a way?) To think Lars would really like a cat? Almost like a service cat but not for a disability and more like "Everyone knows me and my cat are a package deal and if you seperate us we'll both explode" kind of way? I dont know I can just see him with a cat sitting on his shoulder (when hes ready/trusting of the cat) while he goes about life. Not to 'fix' him or anything, just to have company by proximity. Them sitting on oppisite sides of the bed while Lars reads to his cat and the cat purrs. Such as that type thing. Nothing wrong with his cat attending church. (Note: The cat is not meant to replace or fill the hole that is human comoanionship. I just think he would really like a cat.)
3. Fucking love Margo. In my heart she's "high functioning, high mask" autistic but in reality she probably just is your regular awkward "childish" woman trying to make friends in a sexist town.
4. LOVED (not really, kind of hate) how all the women were like "we fuck with bianca she cool" but the men were all disgusted because they only seen her as an object for sex but the women treated her as they would a normal forgiener girl thats dating Lars (yes shes a sex doll, but shes a companion to Lars and thats the difference in mindset) + The church group scene of that lady saying "so what??" Cause bianca isnt hurting anything, I really liked that part too.
5. I loved Karin so much. She's so concerned for her brother in law and just wants what is best for him. For a second I got worried this was a 'Brother loves brothers wife' movie and was like uh oh- but its not its just purity amongst family that I think porn really screwed us all over with. I love that Lars despite not liking very many people, is clearly happy at the idea of Karin's baby. Him patting her stomach and watching her around the house to be sure she dosn't get hurt or something? Adorable.
6. I feel really wrong saying "Aww" as many times as I did throughout this movie. The movie did a great job emphasizing that Lars is in fact a capable grown adult. Maybe Im thinking too much into it but every time Lars was soft with someone or something, I subconsiously said "Aww" and then when they were having "couple troubles" I caught myself thinking "aww poor baby.." but hes not a baby. (Then again wolverine is a poor baby in my head too so idk might just be me. 40 year old baby girls and shelias) but yeah at no point in the movie was he infantalized and I really liked that.
7. Gus.. sigh.. Gus apologizing to him in the basment and correcting his work friends about his brothers mental health made me so happy. You dont get to see men in media grow like that and ussually if they do its about pride and themsleves rather then about others. Of course he didnt/ doesnt want Lars to be sick. Of course he panics when he sees Bianca is clearly not a human woman. Of course he gets embaressed and pleads with the doctor to fix him. No one wants their family to be ill. No one wants their family to feel the way he knows Lars feels.
8. The way Dagmar does therapy with Lars is something I've never seen before, and I was very intrigued. The way shed gives him all of the power and options to talk about something or not. The way she offered him exposure therapy and stopped when Lars was at his "pain" limit. (Personally, I would have loved nerve damage ruled out, but time and budget I can see why it wasn't. A doctor taking his pain seriously would have been nice to see. And it's good to check. Because he could have genuinely had a pain disorder) I loved her so much. She handled it all so well, letting him lead his own treatments, only steering the path slightly. Lars telling her that Karin was ligit a problem cause she keeps trying to touch him is so funny. He genuinely dosnt know why Karin be up in his space 😂
Lars be like "Personal space woman!"
9. For a good minute I was scared that they would show Lars magically switching and kissing margo or him suddenly not feeling the "pain" with margo touching him. The detail of Lars making it clear he wouldn't cheat on Bianca but the same detail of Margo not touching him all night, respecting his space and having a good time despite it all, to Lars himself willingly, wanting Margo to touch him. Oh it made me so happy. He even held on a little more. I dont think Margo realizes how huge that is for him. The bear scene alone made me realize just how much Lars cares for her, even if he isnt sure how to show it or gets nervous and embarrassed.
10. Did anyone else want Lars to punch his coworker but is ultimately glad he didn't because it would just reinforce the idea of mentally ill people being dangerous and aggressive?
11. Okay I know its not supposed to be, but Lars just straight up letting her drown was so funny. Esspecially because part of the background he made for her is that shes sort of paralyzed in a way so Bianca why would you think this was a good idea girl?! The entire church taking the funeral seriously made me cry and my heart swell so much. If something like this happened irl I doubt anyone would come to a sex dolls funeral.
12. Personal headcanons:
Lars is a little chunkier and never gets diagnosed.
He's the cousin that's just a little weird at family gatherings and who enjoys his alone time far more than anyone else.
Lars tries really hard not to be rude but will just make an irish exit if uncomfortable. Gus just finds him at home after hours of looking for him. Or alterntivly, Lars finding who he knows, telling them a bit loudly that hes leaving and then just dips.
Lars will probably tell Karin and Gus that he has a guest again, and they sigh because they assume its a different version of bianaca but are super estatic to see Margo.
Lars will most likely never move out of the garage, and that's okay.
Lars is an awkward uncle but will NOT let anything bad happen to the baby. He's surprisingly adoring of the baby.
I hope that one day I am able to promote fat positivity and portray a heavier person as attractive not in spite of but because of their body type as effortlessly as in "Someone You Can Build a Nest In" by John Wiswell. Just read it and I wanted to gush on here about the very positive representation both as someone who has a similar type and who finds that same type attractive.
It's rare to see. And it's not just mentioned in the beginning character description, it's throughout the entire book. Like the author is kind enough to be like "Don't forget! she's built." every few chapters lest we forget and paint her as a typical damsel.
Homily is fat and Shesheshen is wild about it. Also they're kind of both ace, so it's not carnal or anything but on the other hand there is plenty of talk about devouring so like I think my point stands.
Étoile is a Prime Video series about two ballet companies that make a kinda exchange program for their staff? Some from the NY company go to Paris and vice versa. I am so in love with the story and characters rn!!! I grew up in ballet and I danced from when I was 3-12. I still go to the occasional dance class to refresh my skills and seeing a show about ballet so accurately represent that world made my heart so happy. I have many friends who continued onto professional ballet. Also the casual autistic representation with Tobias, a choreographer sent to Paris from NY. He is a three dimensional character who isn’t based around his autism. It is an integral part of who he is but that isn’t the only thing about his personality. He is a talented choreographer and an intense perfectionist. He is creative and intelligent and he is one of the most accurate depictions of autism that I have seen in television!! My personal favorite characters are Tobias and Cheyenne, a world famous ballerina who is blunt and doesn’t give a shit what anyone thinks. I also can’t lie about absolutely loving the romance between Tobias and Gabin, a Parisian dancer Tobias meets and features in his original ballet. They are so sweet and, again, the representation is casual and normalized, as it should be!!! Them and Cheyenne’s mentor/mentee relationship with a young girl who practiced in secret, Susu, are my favorite duos. Both relationships warn my heart and feel so deeply human and realistic. Love the show, go watch it for great stories, characters, and ballet!!!! Fr my new favorite show.
Hey, so I saw a post from another creator about misgivings surrounding writing intersex characters. Cuz on one hand, there should definitely be more of them! But on the other, it feals like, as a non intersex person, you ought to have multiple PHDs before having ANY grounds to say anything on the topic.
As a fellow story teller who would very much like to include intersex characters, are there any intersex users around here that wouldn’t mind sharing some dos and donts? What are you looking for in good intersex representation? What harmful stereotypes should I be avoiding at all costs?
(If y’all could help me circulate this it’d be much appreciated. More perspectives are better!)
Thankful for her, Sydney Adamu, a well written dark skin black female protagonist and future love interest of one the most popular and influential shows on Hulu. Played by the most coolest and loveliest person around, Ayo Edebiri.
For not only being a queen that literally slays. And fantastic representation for all the bi girlies out there… but also literally everything she is — because OhMyWord I’mobsessedwithherhowcouldyounotbe!!
