Arts & Entertainment
INTO apologizes for publishing ‘anti-queer’ Ariana Grande critique
The publication says it has cut ties with the writer
Ariana Grande in ‘thank u, next’ music video. (Screenshot via YouTube)
LGBT website INTO, which is owned by the app Grindr, has apologized for publishing a think-piece on Ariana Grande’s “thank u, next” music video which deemed the video “surprisingly anti-queer.”
“thank u, next” became a viral sensation with the biggest debut ever on YouTube. People were clicking to see the references to Grande’s exes and to watch nostalgic recreations of the popular rom-com flicks “13 Going on 30,” “Bring It On,” “Legally Blonde” and “Mean Girls.”
Writer and transgender activist Eli Erlick wasn’t impressed by the video. In an op-ed penned for INTO, Erlick claims that the story is ultimately an “anti-queer/transmisogynistic video.”
“Her music video failed to support the basic dignity of queer and trans people,” the story reads. “Laden with transmisogyny, anti-queer jokes, and blackface, the video follows Ariana’s white feminist awakening through a celebrity-laden nod to several cult classics.”
Erlick cites moments from the video to validate these points. In one scene, Erlick says that a man in drag was meant to mock transgender women. In another scene singer Troye Sivan says of Grande “I heard she’s a lesbian now and dating some chick called Aubrey. It’s fucking sick.” The quote is a homage to a similar scene from “Mean Girls.” Erlick believed that the line was homophobic.
The end scene with Kris Jenner yelling “Thank you, next, bitch” was also criticized as a call out to Caitlyn Jenner.
“She simply shouts ‘Thank you, next, bitch!’ while holding a camera — the final line of the music video. As ‘bitch’ is generally directed at women and ‘thank you, next’ is in reference to relationships, this is likely aimed at Caitlyn Jenner… Perhaps this is in reference to Caitlyn’s far-right politics. Perhaps it’s a jab at her trans identity. We can’t be sure unless Kris Jenner speaks out about the line,” Erlick writes.
The take was confusing for many people including Sivan.
This literally can’t be real I’m scream
— troye (@troyesivan) December 3, 2018
I’m sorry but this is the farthest reaching article I’ve read in my whole entire life. Like realllllly trying to make something from absolutely nothing. Wild ?
— TATIANNA (@TATIANNANOW) December 4, 2018
I’m sorry but claiming that Kris Jenner was referring to Caitlin Jenner when she said thank u, next is the biggggggest reach.
— CAnnedy Cane HOHOHO’Hara ??? (@annelizaohara) December 4, 2018
This article is completely absurd… and should be removed immediately… ???? @ArianaGrande is nothing but respectful to the LGBT community. And to try to save this writer’s take is awful.
— La Princesa de Chapultepec (@Ricardo_Peralta) December 4, 2018
After the negative backlash, INTO removed the author’s name from the op-ed saying that the author had received “numerous death threats.”
“While I could go into the HOW/WHY of why the piece missed the mark and should not have been published as is, what I am going to focus on is this: We as editors failed the writer by not working with her to ensure the piece met our standards,” INTO Editor-in-Chief Zach Stafford wrote in a post.“We have decided to remove the author’s name from this piece after the editorial team was alerted that a high number of death threats were being made against the writer as a result of the opinions presented in this piece,” reads the editor’s note.“These opinions never warrant violence, and when a writer’s own life could potentially be at stake, we must take necessary steps to ensure their safety.”
On Tuesday, Stafford posted another update that the publication had cut ties with the writer over “concerning allegations.”
“Given the seriousness of these allegations, I personally spoke with the writer and immediately launched an internal investigation,” Stafford writes. “INTO was not aware of these until Monday after publishing. And the writer will not be contributing to INTO for the time being.
Stafford did not specify what the allegations are.
The Ariana Grande story is still currently published on INTO’s website.
The fourth annual Equality Prince William Pride was held at the Harris Pavilion in Manassas, Va. on Saturday, May 17.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
The Washington Blade held its 18th annual Summer Kickoff Party in Rehoboth Beach, Del., on Friday, May 16. Delaware Gov. Matt Meyer spoke along with State Sen. Russ Huxtable, CAMP Rehoboth Executive Director Kim Leisey, Blade Editor Kevin Naff, and Clear Space Theatre Managing Director Joe Gfaller. The event raises funds for the Steve Elkins Memorial Fellowship in Journalism, which was awarded to AU student Abigail Hatting.
(Washington Blade photos by Daniel Truitt)
In some fowl fiction foreshadowing, a gay-owned chicken joint has come home to roost on U Street, taking a page from the chicken window subplot on the HBO show “Looking.”
Last Friday, Lucky Pollo – much more than just a takeout window – stretched its wings atop the busy nightlife corner of 14th and U Streets NW.
Behind the poultry production place is Zach Renovátes, a D.C.-based nightlife operator and managing partner of LGBTQ venues Bunker and District Eagle, as well as the LGBTQ event production company KINETIC Presents.
Renovátes opened Bunker in February 2023 and District Eagle in January of this year. Lucky Pollo is the third in his growing gay empire, though this time there are noshes.
“Lucky Pollo was meant to be fun and a little provocative,” Renovátes said.
Based around its Peruvian-style rotisserie chicken, Lucky Pollo is a quick-service restaurant boasting a small menu of poultry and sides. Renovátes says that the dishes are deeply rooted in Peruvian culinary tradition, “a playful experience alongside seriously good food.”
Lucky Pollo’s signature chicken is steeped in a dozen-plus-spice marinade for 24 hours. The meat is then slow-roasted, rotisserie-style, over oak-wood charcoal. Chicken options include quarter, half, and whole.
Helming the kitchen at Lucky Pollo is Chef Luis Herrera, who brings Peruvian recipes passed down through three generations, including his grandmother Laura’s original creations.
Beyond the full bird, the menu features Peruvian-inspired sides like yuca fries (“I personally love these,” says Renovátes) and fried plantains, as well as comfort classics such as mac and cheese and mashed potatoes, and bowls, wraps, and salads. Herrera oversees development of the multiple sauces (including staff favorite, the “secret green sauce”), crafted in-house using traditional Peruvian ingredients.
Lucky Pollo, in its streetside perch, is an independent concept from District Eagle, open to the public and staying open late (3 a.m. on weekends) to serve both nightlife guests and the wider U Street crowd hungry for late-night bites. However, just beyond the kitchen, tucked in the back lies a vintage 1950s candy machine—labeled “Out of Order,” which serves as the door leading to subterranean District Eagle.
Renovátes notes that when District Eagle is open, security staff will maintain a strict two-line policy, ensuring that those seeking meat to eat will not get entwined with those looking to gain access to District Eagle.
Lucky Pollo unites the need for sustenance with the idea of a bit of fortune, given its motto, “Get Lucky” and the whimsical brand mascot: a leather-booted chicken perched on a horseshoe. Renovátes and his District Eagle business partner had always been interested in opening a restaurant, and the Lucky Pollo space was indeed lucky: It already came with a functional kitchen. Plus, he says, the nearby fast-casual places around 14th and U streets “don’t offer a lot of quality options,” so opening the chicken spot “was a no-brainer.”
The space, designed by NYC creative Jasin Cadic, blends theatrical street-art-style vibes with Keith Haring-inspired wall prints, neon signs, and ceiling-hung chicken figurines —”some edgy, some sweet,” says Renovátes —creating an immersive, playful atmosphere. Lucky Pollo and District Eagle maintain separate amenities for their respective customers.
Lucky Pollo opened last week with a competition to devour a whole rotisserie chicken in the fastest time, with the winner earning $1,000 and a framed spot on the restaurant’s “Wall of Fame.” The opening also featured other games and prizes, and a full crowd spilling out the door.
“We want it to be a great place to eat, but also serve as a playful front for something completely unexpected.” Renovátes says.
On weekends especially, he jokes, the motto will be, ‘Come for the chicken, stay for the cock.’”
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