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Donald Trump has made a regular habit of making up facts to try to deter Americans from appreciating and investing in alternative energy sources. He’s repeatedly said that wind turbines cause cancer and that solar energy only works when the sun is out. But he also frequently centers these lies around himself–i.e. that you can’t watch a Trump rally on television when it’s cloudy or nighttime.

But his new lie about technology and how it affects our view of him is somehow even more incredible than any we’ve heard before. Trump often gets mocked for his obvious and shoddily done fake tanning. (Spray? Tanning bed? I don’t care; it’s just bad and probably unhealthy.) To say that his skin is orange is not even shaming (depending on how that sentiment is expressed), it’s just factual. But now Trump is admitting that his skin has an orange hue, while claiming it’s not a bad fake tan–it’s those darn energy-efficient lightbulbs!

“People said what is with the lightbulb? Here is a story. I looked at it. The bulb we are being forced to use, number one, to me, most importantly, the light’s no good I always look orange, and so do you. The light is the worst,” Trump said during a very weird speech in general that took place at the same time as the last Democratic debate.

First of all, obviously Trump would value his own vanity over environmental concerns.

Second, that’s not what’s happening! Trump is looking around saying, Hey, this is a weird problem we all experience, right??? And the answer is no, no we do not. But he kept going.

“Number two,” he said, “it is many times more expensive than that old incandescent bulb that worked very well, and very importantly, I don’t know if you know this, they have warnings. If it breaks, it is considered a hazardous waste—waste site. It has gases inside. Read what they say. If it breaks, bring it to your local whatever, have it wrapped—what are we doing?”

As Mediaite notes, “Trump appears to be referring to fluorescent light bulbs, which can be dangerous if broken because they contain mercury. The bulbs are currently being supplanted by even-more-efficient LED bulbs.” So Trump appears to be simultaneously ranting against traditional bulbs for being dangerous (valid) and LED bulbs for turning all of us orange (which they do not).

More stuff from today:

• Felicity Huffman has been sentenced to two weeks in prison for participating in the college admissions scandal. (via Pajiba)
• Our first look at the Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries movie! (via Twitter)
• Batwoman introduces us to Kate Kane’s girlfriend, Sophie. (via CBR)
• CAN NOT WAIT.
  

  OBSESSED with the title sequence for the new season of American Horror Story! Less than a week to go now! @AHSFX #1984 pic.twitter.com/Ec7AqeqmuS

  — Gus Kenworthy (@guskenworthy) September 12, 2019

• Michael Fassbender + Taika Waititi = GIMME. (via THR)
• Spoiler warnings for IT: Chapter 2, but Bill Hader has some incisive thoughts on his character’s sexuality. (via i09)
• If you’ve been seeing some controversy around Shaun King online but don’t really know what it’s about, here’s a good explainer. (via Medium)
• The city of Austin is not going to let the Trump administration’s Title X abuse make abortion inaccessible to its residents.
  

  We’re so excited to announce that the City of Austin just approved the new budget that includes $150K for practical support for abortion access! We did it, y’all! #AbortionAccessATX #ATXCouncil

  — Lilith Fund (@lilithfund) September 10, 2019

IT’S FRIDAY! What did you all see out there today?

(image: NICHOLAS KAMM/AFP/Getty Images)
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The summer is over, and the long, cold wait for Netflix’s Stranger Things 4 has begun in earnest. How long before we know who “the American” is? When will we know how the D&D party is dealing with being divided? And what is going to happen for America’s two favorite moms, Joyce and Steve? I have no answers, but I do have a way to ease the agony.

Below, you’ll find book recommendations tailored to each character in the hopes that spending a little more time with the good (and not so good) people of Hawkins, in a way, will make the wait more bearable.

(image: Netflix, Gallery/Saga Press)

Eleven: An Unkindness of Magicians by Kat Howard

It’s hard not to suggest Firestarter or Carrie, two books that clearly influenced Jane/El’s character, but you already know about those. Instead, try An Unkindness of Magicians, which also features a woman who was used for her powers rising up to destroy those who hurt her. She likewise finds plenty of enemies to fight, but also discovers some stalwart allies along the way.

(image: Netflix/Red Wombat Studio)

Mike: Clockwork Boys by T. Kingfisher

Mike is a leader and a supportive boyfriend, although he occasionally makes some bad—if noble—moves. He’s definitely a paladin, just like Caliban from Clockwork Boys. Both are flawed, have a deep romantic streak, and would do anything for their friends. However, Caliban has an unwanted psychic connection to a demon, which would make this a good book for Will, too. However …

(image: Netflix/Del Rey)

Will: Gods of Jade and Shadow by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

I picked this book for Will because it also features an unwanted connection to an underworld power, but contains some gentleness and longing. Will and Gods of Jade and Shadow’s Casiopeia are innocents drawn into situations beyond their ken, but who nevertheless find the unexpected strength and wit to resist.

(image: Netflix/Tor Books)

Dustin: Ruin of Kings by Jenn Lyons

Singing while everybody’s life is on the line? Check. Sarcastic but good-hearted with a tendency to freak out? Check. An unfortunate tendency to run afoul of nightmarish creatures? Check. Dustin and The Ruin of Kings’ Kihrin share some bad luck and some good attitudes, even if they both accidentally put their hometowns in peril.

(image: Netflix/Del Rey)

Lucas: Midnight Riot by Ben Aaronovich

As the party’s ranger, Lucas ventures far afield and keeps his wits about him. He’s also the most sensible, realistic one in the group, whether about demogorgons or girls. Midnight Riot’s Peter is likewise unruffled and straightforward. We also don’t get enough from Lucas’s perspective on his experience of being a Blerd in a predominantly white town, so hopefully Peter’s perspective can fill in some of that gap.

Max: A Darker Shade of Magic by V. E. Schwab

I bet A Darker Shade of Magic’s Lila Bard and Max would really hit it off; they’re both clever young women who charm, browbeat, and occasionally force their way into a different world. Also, most people have interpreted Max’s “zoomer” comment to mean she’s the party’s rogue, but I think pirate is an even better interpretation.

(image: Netflix/Ace)

Erica: The Book of Jhereg by Steven Brust

The most enterprising young adventurer, “Can’t Spell America Without” Erica, deserves a hero with equal savvy. I think that equal would be none other than Vlad Taltos from The Book of Jhereg, who likewise gets dragged into things by people who are older and—theoretically—wiser, and stays involved because he wants a big score. Now, most books about thieves force them to learn that there are more important things than money. Not so for Erica, our unrepentant little capitalist, and not so for Vlad either, making them the perfect pair.

(image: Netflix/Vertical)

Steve: Bakemonogatari series by Nisioisin

This series of Japanese “light” novels features a hapless senior who’s not committed to his studies and only wants a girlfriend, but ends up pulled into deeply odd occurrences while babysitting an ever-increasing horde of children. Sounds like our favorite babysitter! The series also has a strong sense of humor and moments of great heart, just like everything that involves Steve.

(image: Netflix/Algonquin Young Readers)

Nancy: Jackaby by William Ritter

Abigail Rook is a budding investigator looking into conspiracies that intersect with the paranormal in Jackaby, just like Nancy. And like Nancy, she finds a rather odd mentor, although Mr. Jackaby doesn’t down vodka or swear in Russian. These ladies fight crime and sexism with flair, and I can’t get enough of either of them.

(image: Netflix/Vintage)

Jonathan: 1Q84 by Haruki Murakami

Jonathan is empathetic and curious, but doesn’t always have the most initiative. He would make a decent protagonist of most Murakami novels, but 1Q84 might suit him best since it involves an artistic man with a crappy dad rescuing little kids from a shadowy realm, and also features his far more motivated love interest.

(image: Netflix/Crown)

Robin: Foundryside by Robert Jackson Bennett

A knack for a new language, a crap job, and a chatty new BFF? Sounds like Robin but is also Sancia, who has to take down a huge corporate enterprise (not a mall, but close) with just her wits and a small team. Oh, and they also share an appreciation for pretty ladies.

(image: Netflix/ChiZine Publications)

Joyce: Armed in Her Fashion by Kate Heartfield

A mother who literally goes to hell and back for her child, and tells a bunch of bureaucrats what’s what for good measure. Yep, that’s Joyce, and it’s also 14th century Margriet de Vos, a real person who becomes even more badass in the historical fantasy Armed in her Fashion.

(image: Netflix/Harvest Books)

Hopper: Gun, With Occasional Music by Jonathan Lethem

A surly but bighearted investigator who bites off more than he can chew? This could be a ton of hardboiled characters, but I’m going to go with Gun, With Occasional Music because it has just the right blend of action, seriousness, and humor, just like Hopper.

(image: Netflix/Restless Books)

The Mind Flayer: I Am God by Giacomo Sartori

Despite omnipotent power and knowledge, God becomes fixated on a young woman who doesn’t acknowledge his power or dominion, and on her friends and family. While not as malevolent as the Mind Flayer, Sartori’s God is just as indignant and obsessed.

(image: Netflix/New Line Cinema)

Bob: Fellowship of the Ring by J. R. R. Tolkien

Just kidding! Though, like Samwise, he’s earnest and helpful, Bob is a superhero, and he deserves a superhero story. So actually, I recommend the Reckoners trilogy (Steelheart, Firefight, and Calamity) by Brandon Sanderson, which features a non-superpowered hero taking on supervillains and monsters with his wits and bravery. I bet Bob would also really like Sanderson’s meticulous plotting and sweet romantic subplots.

(image: Netflix/Back Bay Books)

Barb: The Rook by Daniel O’Malley

The sensible friend is usually safe, but not so for Barb, and not so for Myfanwy, protagonist but also primary victim of The Rook. Already, on the first page, Myfanwy has lost her memory and might be an entirely different person, but she has to put that aside to investigate her own almost-murder. I’d like to think this could be Barb, living on and investigating paranormal crimes in the Upside-Down. Alas.

(image: Netflix/HMH Books for Young Readers)

Billy: Not Even Bones by Rebecca Schaeffer

Billy’s tragic childhood isn’t an excuse for his abusive behaviors, but we can still have compassion for him. The same is true of the morally compromised but understandably motived characters in the Market of Monsters series. Both Nita and Kovit have done terrible things, but they don’t deserve to be possessed and used by evil people. Watching them fight back and learn better is cathartic in a way that we didn’t entirely get for Billy.

Murray Bauman: Sekret by Lindsay Smith

What if the conspiracy theories are true? Murray finds one, and Sekret’s Yulia is one, a Soviet spy with psychic powers. Yulia has to sneak and battle her way to freedom, and Murray … well, hopefully Murray would let her and her boyfriend hole up for a while, and maybe even get them a slushie.

(featured image: Netflix)

Christina Ladd is a writer and editor who increasingly resembles her cat in her propensity for naps and disinclination to leave the apartment. She will eventually die crushed under a pile of books, but until then she survives on tea and everything bagels. Find her on Twitter at @OLaddieGirl.

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Source: Bennett Raglin / Getty

Dancer Ashley Everett has been dancing alongside Beyoncé for over a decade, but in 2016, a surprise proposal suddenly made the athlete the main attraction of the show.

During a Formation tour stop in St. Louis, Beyoncé handed Everett’s soon-to-be fiance the mic so he could get down on one knee in front of the entire world and ask Everett to be his wife. In the rush of the moment, Everett said yes. The romantic proposal quickly went viral, with fans, family and friends in awe of the engagement. But three years later, the dance captain has decided to part ways with her ex.

Looking back the the proposal, Everett told Essence that she isn’t the type of girl who need a lot of PDA.

‘I’m pretty low key, so I don’t need big gestures all the time,’ she told the mag in a recent interview. ‘I’m happy with one little rose on Valentine’s Day not a house filled with flowers. The big grand gesture, I felt, wasn’t necessarily for me. It was sweet and a nice way to show the love in front of the world.”

With all eyes on there relationship, Everett felt a lot of pressure to keep up appearances that their relationship was headed towards “happily ever after.” But after awhile, the star made the decision to take the veil off the mirage.

‘Eventually I had to look in the mirror and ask myself why,’ she told Essence.

‘”Do I really want to be married or do I even want to marry him? Am I really happy? Do I need to work on me before I take this leap?”… then of course with work and travel comes distance which means you have to work harder for communication… we could go a day or two without talking and I just felt like we weren’t on the same page anymore,’ she explained.

‘We had different goals and dreams workwise and our friendship was fading away.’

The two called it quits, and within the space, Everett has made more room to focus on herself and her goals, and encourages other women to do the same.

“What’s important about [my story] is showing that we’re all human. Just because you’re on stage with a superstar or have X amount of followers doesn’t mean we don’t go through things. I know a lot of women can relate. I think it’s important for women to care and love on ourselves like we would somebody else. Our mental and physical health plays a role in our overall happiness. The breakup has been one of the best decisions I’ve made in years. It was time. Just because things don’t work out doesn’t mean we’ve failed ourselves or anyone else. This is a new door that’s leading to a new pathway. I’m happy about where my life is going.”

With Marvel’s plans for X-Men and Fantastic Four movies completely up in the air, the rumor mill is churning, and one that’s going around is that Kevin Feige and co. are considering having people of color portray both Magneto and Professor X in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, according to Full Circle Cinema. Time to make those Malcolm X/Martin Luther King Jr. comparisons really pop!

This casting could be part of the MCU’s oft-stated desire to promote representation and diversity. After all, Feige told The Wrap that he does believe that the future of the MCU depends on that:

So, the notion of representation onscreen, in front of and behind the camera, somebody asked me once, so is Black Panther a one-off? I said, no, it’s not a one-off. This is the future. This is the way the world is, and the way, certainly, our studio’s going to be run going forward, because it brings about better stories. The more diverse the group of people making the movie is, the better the stories.

Now, this might come as a surprise, but I only think this half works. I think making Erik a visibly Romani Jewish man would be super important and a good way to counter the whitewashing casting fail that was Scarlet Witch/Wanda. I think you could also choose a mixed-race Jewish person, but I think it would be important to actually cast someone with Jewish ancestry, which could be someone of any racial group.

As for Charles Xavier, I think he works best as a white guy because of his relationship to power. Charles is a manipulator, in many ways, who has taken advantage of young people and turned them into child soldiers. When you read Professor X in the comics, there is a lot of privilege that he has that I think makes his optimism about human/mutant relationship so viable in his mind. He also has a very colonial mentality, molding these kids into his idea of what it means to be a “good mutant.”

What I do think would work better is that you keep Charles white, but diversify the rest of the X-Men. Scott Summers I can see as Native American/First Nations, Jean Grey could be Latina, Beast could be Southeast Asian, etc. I think diverse X-Men is a better goal than a non-white Charles Xavier himself—not to mention the optics of him, as a white man, running a school of young POC for his political agenda would be an interesting longterm narrative and highlight Charles’ ignorance towards the feelings and issues facing his students.

I love diversity in these movies, and I want it to happen, but I would like thought put into it. While “organic diversity” is a term that I feel has been weaponized, I do feel like, if you are going to race-bend important characters, you need to think about how that would change their mentality and experience. You want to write a non-white Charles Xavier? Then think about how that would change him and the makeup of the X-Men.

Let’s not forgot that part of the reason Charles and Magneto have conflict about their methods is because Magneto is a two-time minority as both a Jewish man and a mutant. He is aware that humans already hate other humans, so he cannot believe in some utopia where humans will come to love mutants who are even more different. So, if we have a non-white Charles, then we need to understand why he, as a person of color who had experienced racism, would have that optimism.

I’m glad Feige wants more representation, but let’s also get some of that behind the scenes and in the writers’ room.

(via Full Circle Cinema, image: Fox)

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