Black Sails Sets Both High and Low Bars for Gay Pirates

Back when it premiered in 2014, I settled down excitedly to watch Starz Network’s early-1700s pirate drama Black Sails. I had a notion going in that it was being marketed as Starz’s answer to HBO’s Game of Thrones, and would be trying hard to fold in a comparable amount of sex, depravity, and violence. I wasn’t wrong, but the first episode of Black Sails introduced a lesbian relationship that felt so painfully tailored to the male gaze that I actually lost interest and stopped watching, certain that the rest of the show would be cringeworthy. I only gave the show another shot as of a few months ago, when my partner kept asking if we could watch it together. Had it not been for them, I would have done the same thing over again, because the lesbian scenes were as bad as I had remembered. But we slogged through episode one, and as the show went on, I was surprised to find that things turned around in the best possible way.

Spoilers for the entirety of Black Sails below.

I still feel like I’m hearing the Game of Thrones theme in my head (via vignette1)

Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag: Another Good Game for Current Events

(via Origin)

It’s been a while since I played the previous Assassin’s Creed game, so I decided it was high time to continue on with the series. Black Flag was next in the main storyline, so I dove right in and blew my way through it in record time. Once again, my biggest problem with these games is female representation. It’s just… not good, and if there were one thing I wanted the games to improve on, that would be it. As for everything else, sure, it’s not perfect, but like its predecessor, Assassin’s Creed IV is remarkably on point when it comes to race issues, as well as just being a fun gaming experience.

Spoilers below.

Theatre Thursdays: A Pirate’s Tale Interview

Arrrgh, Sirrr Tim of Tolbert

Hello all! PolyglotPisces here to talk with Tim Tolbert, an extremely talented young actor about to take part in a super exciting new musical theatre project. I met Tim when I worked as musical director/pianist for a production of Little Shop of Horrors, where he showcased his powerhouse vocals in the challenging role of Audrey II, everyone’s favorite giant talkin’, rockin’, people-eatin’ alien plant. Little Shop has been an old favorite of audiences and performers for many years, but now Tim will be involved with a much newer show—brand-new in fact—the debut production of A Pirate’s Tale. This project is presented in collaboration with Pittsburgh’s very own Gateway Clipper Fleet, a fleet of riverboats offering a variety of cruises on Pittsburgh’s three rivers. A new musical… about pirates… performed on a boat. How exciting is that?! Let’s get some inside scoop from Tim.

Web Crush Wednesdays: The More I Arty

It’s Web Crush Wednesdays again! This weeks Web Crush is the awesome tumblr blog The More I Arty! Hooray!

The More I Arty is an awesome art blog and pseudo comic series done by Lily Mitchell and Paul Harasiwka.

This blog has it all, from Avengers-themed drinks, to hilarious Thor and Arrested Development mash-ups, to awesome conversations between Katniss and Sarah (from the Labyrinth). And finally, as their name suggests, some awesome little Sherlock comics.

 

 

This is a blog that every nerd should save in their favorites. I hope you all enjoyed this week’s Web Crush!