All right, let’s start with the best news ever: it is officially Christmastime. No one can argue that with the dawn of December come actually welcomed Christmas carols, enthusiastic holiday-themed front lawns, hot apple cider, copious weight gain, and–most importantly–Mariah Carey.
Ahem. Anyway.
At the Daily Dot, Gavia Baker-Whitelaw discusses the geek girl-status of actor Natalie Dormer (more commonly know as Margaery Tyrell). Dormer primarily plays supporting characters, and is, as Baker-Whitelaw puts it, “a vocal advocate for strong female characters. Strong in the sense of characterization, that is.” By which she means: Dormer’s characters are intensely flawed, verging on immoral, beautiful “anti-heroes.” Dormer herself says, “We don’t accept women as antiheroes the way we do the men.” Hopefully the challenging roles she continues to take on will lead this notion to shift.
On a similar note, Ariana Lange at BuzzFeed has a list of “12 Female Characters Who Keep Shaving Despite Constant Peril.” It’s along the lines of things I’ve thought, as well–like, what if you start your period in the middle of the Hunger Games arena? Or, you know, how do you go to the bathroom without someone sneaking up behind you and putting an arrow in your head? Armpit hair is one of those things that women just don’t have to worry about in the movies, apparently. Maybe the Capitol has pioneered some form of instant (actually instant) laser hair removal?
With the approach of New Years, the most champagne-drunk time of year, ELLE has compiled a list of the fanciest champagne cocktails you need to be drinking. And Rosie Schaap, bartender extraordinaire, has two cocktails for winter drinking that are designed to warm you up and chill you out, including one that “powerfully evokes a Creamsicle.” Read/drink on, my friends.
If you’re as into both giving and receiving presents as I am, gift guide season is a present in and of itself. The Verge consistently puts out one of the best curated and most fun gift guides you’ll find, and this year’s is no exception. And at The Cut, Elle Fanning, Bill Murray, Questlove, and others talk about their favorite Christmas presents ever, from a drum kit to a Dilbert calendar.