Over the last couple of months, I’ve written about Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Michael O’Malley and the 30 current and former employees who ran for seats on the local democratic party’s central committee. After last night’s primary election, the results are in:

Less than half (14) won their elections, while 16 lost. O’Malley himself also lost to Mark Szabo, who secured his re-election by seven votes. Overall, they were only successful in races where there was no one else running for the position: they only won 3 of 19 contested races.

Although there is always plenty to say about politics, I’m mostly going to leave it there for now. Keep reading for this week’s pop culture recommendations and a free drag event tomorrow, May 7.

Thanks for reading,
Dakotah

P.S. As always, tips are appreciated → venmo or cash app.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, I’ve been having a harder time coming up with some of these from week to week. I’ve watched a handful of things that I haven’t liked, and am mostly watching Top Chef and Culinary Cup. I’m also stuck in a music spiral and haven’t found anything new that I like in some time, so the recommendations are going to stay eclectic for a while longer.

By all means, reply to this email with recommendations if you got ‘em.

Directed by the late Satoshi Kon, Paprika (2006) is one of the most vibrant movies I’ve ever seen. There’s not much that I can say that the trailer doesn’t show through brightly colored animated scenes, so I’d just start there.

But if you really want me to tell you more about it, here it goes: Paprika is the alter-ego of a psychologist who is also a dream detective. It’s described as a “science fiction psychological thriller,” so don’t let its happy appearance mislead you on the tone of the film. 

Luckily, you can find it for free on YouTube.

It’s also worth mentioning that Inception was a straightforward ripoff of Paprika, down to individual shots and camera angles. Paprika was Kon’s final film, prior to his death in 2010, the same year Inception was released.

Kon is also known for Perfect Blue (1997) and Millennium Actress (2001), which I also recommend immensely.

Quarterflash is so 80s and I love it. Despite not growing up in the 80s, I was still raised on their music and movies. The song was released in 1980 and boy does it sound like it in the best way. Imagine Pat Benatar with a saxophone. 

“Harden My Heart” is probably their best known song, in my opinion, but I only recently learned that they are from my hometown, Portland, OR. My second favorite – though sometimes it just becomes my favorite – track from Quarterflash is “Find Another Fool.” Both songs have giant middle finger energy and I’m here for it.

Honestly, I’m mostly just throwing Yellowjackets (2021-now) up here because Netflix released a new adaptation of Lord of the Flies. If you haven’t seen Yellowjackets, it’s essentially Lord of the Flies but with high school girls set between the 1990s and present day. 

The series stars a lot of favorites, including but not limited to Melanie Lynskey, Juliette Lewis and Christina Ricci. There’s also been a fair share of surprise appearances by folks such as Elijah Wood and Hilary Swank. The series is brutal and perhaps overly violent, but if you’re in for the drama, betrayal and cannibalism, Yellowjackets > Lord of the Flies.

Local drag performers team up to save access to reproductive healthcare on May 7 at the Winchester.

Planned Parenthood Advocates of Ohio is set to host its next “Drag Senator Husted” event on Thursday, May 7 at Winchester Music Tavern in Lakewood. The event is designed to be both a drag celebration and a call to action, as Sen. Jon Husted (R) faces re-election against former Sen. Sherrod Brown (D).

Last year, the government defunded Planned Parenthood by stripping the healthcare provider and advocacy organization of its ability to take Medicaid, affecting roughly 22,000 patients in Ohio. 

In response, Planned Parenthood (PPAO) has hosted free events to help people “drag” Husted, in support of reproductive healthcare access. On Thursday, attendees can plan to make calls to Husted’s office to voice concerns about the state’s priorities. 

“People are paralyzed and don’t know what’s going on and can’t keep up,” Claudia Longo, a program manager for PPAO, told Upbeat Nonsense. “We do these events so people can learn about what’s happening around reproductive rights.”

As an organization, PPAO fights for accessible and affordable reproductive healthcare such as pap smears, STI/STD testing, and cancer screenings. Planned Parenthood also offers legal abortions, though it represents less than 5% of its services, Longo said.

“We want our tax dollars to fund healthcare, NOT ICE,” Lauren Blauvelt, director at PPAO, wrote in an email to Upbeat Nonsense. 

After calls have been made and emails have been sent, six local drag performers will take the stage: Therapissed, Stevie Aura, Sammy Nicole SHi’Thead, Transexuella, Veranda L’Ni and Thee Deja Snow. 

With drag’s deep roots in activism, many drag queens are too familiar with the fight for bodily autonomy and the right to take up space as a queer person. 

“The drag community has felt and known these sorts of attacks for a long time,” one of the performers, Thee Deja Snow, told Upbeat Nonsense. “I have met more activists in backstage dressing rooms than anywhere else. I am showing up not only as an artist or an activist, but as a human who these policies impact deeply,” she said.

Together, Planned Parenthood and drag performers are working to build spaces that combine art and activism. 

“We show up for our communities every day, and we do it while centering joy and freedom, and a little glitter and glamour never hurt,” Snow said. “I hope it inspires others to get out in the streets to do the good work and to have some fun while doing it.”

Registration is free, but required. Doors open at 7:30 p.m. at Winchester Music Tavern in Lakewood. You must be at least 18 years old to attend. 

If you were around for Issue #1, you might remember Marcus Smith from Bury the Pines. Well, he’s back, but this time as Teen Angel in Grease at Brecksville Theatre. Ticket are on sale now and the show closes next week. They’ve already sold out a few nights, so act fast.