the dystopian fantasy of red white & royal blue

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intro music: Louie Zong - Cycad Conga

tags shhh!
chapters
general thoughts - 00:00
the meet-cute - 05:13
fake dating for political reasons - 10:46
flirting - 16:08
turning texas blue!! - 27:18

[lucys]

I kinda love how Uma Thurman booked such big roles early on, and now she can afford to put on a shitty southern accent and be the president of the United States in a gay gen z romcom. I really love that for her, slay queen 💅

[katehaberl]

fun fact my 91 year old grandfather asked me to watch this with him the day it came out. he loved it so much that he made me watch it again with him the next day. he is in red white & royal blue fan groups on facebook.

[johnnehrich]

As a gay man born in 1950, I grew up in an era when the Hays movie code prohibited the use of the word "homosexual, " any gay characters at best only hinted at (for men, a silent limp wrist gesture by others to indicate his status), were almost always the villain, and typically died at the end, often at their own hands.

The first break in this wall of hostile silence was the movie, "Boys In The Band, " a landmark in depicting a group of gay men interacting, not just one. Even though they were presented as a band of the most bitchy queens ever. Reading even just the reviews forced me further back in the closet.

In my late teens, I did not personally know of any other gay man. I also did not know of one as presented in the media as someone I would want to hang on with, much less date. At the time, I read a newspaper article about a queer mass murderer (NOT John Wayne Gacy). The article contained a postage stamp-sized photo of the guy who appeared attractive enough, which I tore out and carried around in my wallet for several years as my only role model - how sick is that?

The Stonewall riots passed me by unnoticed, with the NY Times carrying the story in the far back pages. (For years, official policy at that newspaper forbid their reporters from using the word "gay" instead of the medically-sounding term "homosexual.")

My university library contained a total of three books on homosexuality, all of which condemn it as a sickness. Yet I memorized the spot on the library shelves where the books were, even though I was afraid to even go anywhere near that rack. I imaged everyone knew what was there and would spot me if I ventured toward there. However, a student Gay Liberation Front organization formed, only months after Stonewall, which had to met off campus in the chapel. But I was afraid to attend as I figured the bushes would be filled with straight people trying to catch sight of who was going to the meetings.

Shortly after an unsuccessful suicide attempt (the pills were not enough, I merely woke up the next morning and was groggy for hours), I figured what did I have to lose. So I screwed up my courage to go to the local gay community center. This turned out to be a life-changing decision - I soon came out to all my friends, my sister, my parents, and the rest of even my far-flung relatives. I went on speaking engagements with others, lobbied at the state capitol, marched in the pride parade, happily got my picture in the newspaper.

While my life changed radically for the better, the changes in the media were glacial. I remember when Time magazine shocked the nation with its 1975 cover of Leonard Matlovich, and the words "I am a homosexual." Positive depiction of gay characters begin to appear as minor characters in film and tv, although always in solo roles without any relationships shown. Brokeback Mountain was a great step forward for straight audiences, but for many of us, its death of the one character was all too familiar a way queer relationships were still being shown - and at what I and others could expect.

Skipping forward to today, Red, White & Royal Blue was a light-year advance for its story that I could finally totally relate to - a live-action movie of a Disney fairytale style story, which for others have long been the staple of just about every Hollywood movie dating back to the earliest silent movies. Its cheesiness is perhaps, for me, which touches me so deeply, to the point of obsession. I tear up all through the movie, every time I watch it again (and again and again). I am glad that I can watch something like this for once in my lifetime.

[moose]

I feel like everyone who hasn't read the book absolutely has to know that in the book alex gets flirted with by zendaya and joe kerry at the new years eve party

[NicoleMaguire]

"Im a hater, not a homophobe" is my new favorite quote

[selectedshipper]

Never forget the rumour that this was based on a Social Network fanfic, even if it’s not true it means a lot to me

[waie]

red white and royal blue is one of my pms movies. nothing like a blanket, a beer and 2 hours of gay nonsense while my uterus is trying to escape my body and i hate everyone and everything

[orangeants]

Not to get serious on main but: I can't name a single mainstream queer romcom which focuses on the actual relationship of the main pair and not their fear or struggle, I would say this was very much needed, even if there were really great aspects of the book that i wish were included
Like we need gay uncomplicated nonsense too

[horsewritter]

I honestly really loved the texting montage. So many shows and movies have no idea how to handle texting and face timing in their media and it ends up feeling clunky and weird. I thought the way they handled it was really interesting and unique

[justthec]

okay i need to explain the sister thing from the book perspective lmaooo. alex does have a sister! her name is june and she was cut from the movie. in the book, june is the one who hooks up w the reporter, not alex, so alex has a whole bisexual awakening in the book (he had a v brief flirtation with his best friend liam in high school but like did not compute it, there's a whole scene in the book where alex calls liam and asks "was our friendship a little gay?" and liam is straight up "i cannot believe you are just having this epiphany, we kissed multiple times and watched porn together" ) other fun facts: the reporter does not leak the texts/emails in the book, the republican candidate for president's campaign does (super scandal!!) also, it is heavily implied in the book that june, nora and pez are a throuple.

[haydencarrier]

“How are you doing?”
“I’m getting ready for therapy”
“…yikes”
Thanks Carley

[ritisha]

honestly I miss watching cinemas just for fun, like no girl I don't need an Oscar worthy performance from u

[Verdelish]

I think Carley is allowed to make up a sister character once per video just to keep us on our toes

[sherbetstrawz]

red white and royal blue is to cinema what mamma mia 2 was to culture
like yayy fun!! but why r we here yk

[hkaleena]

15:45 carley not telling us how the children’s hospital active shooter transpired or concluded is so americacore

[ko]

29:10 "And the press cares" made me laugh. partially because i'm gonna be honest, if i learned hunter biden and prince harry were hooking up, i would 100% tune into that news story. i would want to know the details for sure.

[inezspuijman]

That man JUMPED INTO THE WATER while he was confessing his love I would simply die on the spot

[alannacampbell]

The fact that the "chief of staff" character is actually a combination of two characters from the book, one of which IS Alex's sister, so you were actually right 😂 this book and film are a fever dream

[coops]

"my job contributes nothing to society" yeah but your Glee recap contributed to my mental health and overall vibes

[molly-katebritton]

Sensed a shift in the universe, opened the app, saw this. Thx queen