As if Facebook didn’t already offer enough tempting ways to waste time, apparently they’ve now developed their very own line of quizzes, too. Recently I got a message in my news feed telling me that one of my cousins had taken this quiz, and discovered that if she was a Disney princess, she would be Pocahontas:

Since my cousin is an environmentally aware outdoor adventurer who works for a company that cleans up oil spills, this sounds plausible enough to me. Looking at the quiz, I also thought it was completely cool that it was gay-friendly (asking “What kind of guy/girl do you like?”).

Personally, though, I didn’t feel I needed to take a test to work out which one of the Disney princesses I was. Ever since the brunette Belle wandered into the early scenes of Beauty and the Beast, her head buried so deep in a book that she barely noticed what was going on around her, I knew I had found a Disney heroine I could identify with:

I’m still convinced that the main reason she married the Beast was because she’d seen his library.

According to this interview from last summer, Harry Potter star Emma Watson always saw herself as Ariel from The Little Mermaid: … continue reading

I just came across this hilarious Boondocks clip about the true history of Christmas. I suppose it's really more for the AfterElton.com crowd (and yes, I shared the joy), but it's also for anyone who needs a break from all the holiday hoo-ha.

The video is after the jump. … continue reading

Fresh from Planet Lexicon, there's a new superhero on the scene whose mission is to fight for justice and build your vocabulary. The Amazing Colossal Adventures of WordGirl debuted on PBS last year as a series of shorts within the PBS cartoon Maya and Miguel. It was enough of a hit to trigger a full development deal. A preview episode aired on Labor Day, and the show launches on Friday, Sept. 7.

WordGirl (aka fifth grader Betsy Botsford, when she's not fighting crime and poor word usage) is the newest superhero in PBS's battle against insufficient language development. With the help (or as she might say, "assistance") of her monkey sidekick, Captain Huggy Face, WordGirl uses her superpowers (super-strength, hearing, ability to fly at the speed of sound ... the usual) to overpower villains. But first she uses her super vocabulary (she knows all of the words in the dictionary, plus some hieroglyphics) to distract or confuse them.

For example, when WordGirl faces her archenemy the Butcher in the pilot, she distracts him by explaining that the free barbecue he provides to lure customers and security away from banks and jewelry stores is just a diversion. The dim-witted Butcher doesn't get (or "comprehend") it. But repeated and varied explanations teach the word "diversion" to the audience. (Eventually, she defeats the Butcher by luring him to a vegetarian restaurant. The patrons are not tempted by the free barbecue, and Captain Huggy Face is able to overpower the Butcher with tofu. And the audience learns what "vegetarian" means.)

Can I just stop to exclaim how great this is? … continue reading

It's official: My favorite summer show is Creature Comforts. It's hilarious and adorable and gives me hope for the human race — people are so much more likeable when their words are put in the mouths of claymated critters.

My favorite moments so far include the cow with the "birthmark" (a brand); the female panda bear who told the male panda bear to go f--- himself (after he told her to wear a burka if she didn't want to be ogled); pretty much anything with the stoner-couple-as-horses or the mother-and-daughter-as-pigs; and, of course, the cockroaches.

The cockroaches represent two old women, which I guess you could find offensive. But it's also kind of endearing: These ladies are so tough, they'll still be around after Armageddon — just them and the cockroaches. … continue reading

I know I'm a little late to this party, but I just watched the "D-Yikes!" episode of South Park, in which Ms. Garrison (formerly Mr. Garrison) declares she is gay.

And how does she fulfill the lesbian stereotypes? Well, let me count the ways. … continue reading