I wasn’t planning to do a vlog this month, but I’m glad that I did. I hope you enjoy my completely unprepared “hot take” of Disney’s Haunted Mansion (2023).
Whether you’re taking the kids out Trick-or-Treating, watching a scary movie marathon with friends and/or family, or just sitting in the dark to avoid children pounding on your door demanding candy, I hope you have a safe and peaceful spooky season. And if you live somewhere where they don’t celebrate Halloween or a spiritual equivalent at this time of year – I wish you a safe and peaceful winding down of 2023.
This month I have some quick trans book suggestions for you to add to your Summer Reading List. I loved each of these and highly recommend them all. These are great jumping off points and I encourage you to go out and find more incredible and resonant Queer and Trans books.
I tried Maizena, a cornstarch beverage from Mexico. Bananas did not improve the experience, but I always enjoy the science of baking. Hope everyone is having a great November.
Technical Note: The video freezes 3 times between 7:45-8:35, but the audio is fine. I have no idea what caused the freezing, but stick with it and things go back to normal for the end.
Honestly, I was just going to let September quietly go by without a video since I have been working so hard on getting my first novel ready for Beta. But then the Queen passed, and COVID reared its ugly head, and I was so angry and sad that I made the time to film, edit, and upload this video in one week. You can tell because the lighting is really bad. My apologies but I did my best.
My deepest sympathies to the Royal Family and all who are mourning the death of Queen Elizabeth II. There will never be another like her and I feel it as a great loss.
In COVID-19 news, please take care of yourselves out there friends. This pesky virus has NOT gone away.
On a lighter note, I am so excited for my novel to go out to Beta Readers this week! It’s happening! I’ve been working so hard on this book and I can’t wait to share it with people. Although don’t get TOO excited: it will still be quite some time before it’s ready to publish. But this is a big and exciting first step!
I hope y’all are having a great August! Here in North America Spooky Season is almost upon us, so it’s a great time to treat you to my newest vlog segment: QUMPs. That’s Queer Unhinged Movie Predictions. I am delighted that Hocus Pocus 2 will be the inaugural topic, as I list my predictions and hopes as well as some questions I have related to the original Hocus Pocus, which came out nearly 30 years ago!
How much has changed? How much will stay the same (ie. cis-hetero)? I know I’m reaching for the stars here, but a person can dream, can’t they? After all, that’s what Disney built its legacy on!
Anywho, enjoy my QUMPs. May they be the first of many. ^_^ Next time should be a writing update!
Annnnnd we’re back with that promised “life update” video. A lot has changed for me folks. But it’s all so exciting and I’m happy to have you along for the journey. Enjoy the rambles. Next month will definitely be the Rescue Rangers review. ^_^
Greetings Viewers! JSoF is back from a one year hiatus!! I’m so excited to be back folks. It’s been a year of soul-searching and perspective-shifting…none of which I get into in this video.
No, this video is a 15m37s semi-organized ramble about the Disney Afternoon’s beloved show Chip ‘n’ Dale’s Rescue Rangers. When I first saw the trailer for the new RR movie (dropping on Disney+ May 20th), I knew that I had to go back and re-watch the original show from 1989. The further I got the more sure I was that I had to share my observations and thoughts. What a perfect topic for a “soft comeback” to vlogging!
My apologies for the shoddy editing and my inability to focus on the camera. It’s been a year and I’ve gotten a bit rusty with all of this. I appreciate your patience with me.
Serendipitously, Pride coincides with the next installment of our Disney Queer Joy series: Peter Pan! And as an extra Pride treat, you’re getting it a little bit early. Yay!
Come along with us to Neverland as we explore the origins of this infamous boy who wouldn’t grow up, and examine the Disney adaptations of his story for glimmers of Queer Joy.
Technically the next video should come out in September, however I’m having surgery at the end of July so I have a feeling there’s going to be a somewhat longer time between installments. But don’t fret: the surgery isn’t particularly dangerous. I just want to give myself lots of recovery time without the stress of having to get back to this vlog.
Spring has arrived in Canada and with it the next installment in our Disney Queer Joy series!
This time we’re looking at the Mother of All Fairy Tales: Cinderella.
When I started working on this installment I had no idea that I would end up having so much to say. However, considering that Disney’s animated Cinderella was one of the very first VHS tapes that entered out house when I was a child (alongside Disney’s Bambi and Who Framed Roger Rabbit) it makes a lot of sense.
I hope that love blooms for you this Spring, whether it be love with a partner, a friend, a community, and/or your self.
We made it to the end of another year. Phew! Speaking of circuses, this year really has been a circus, hasn’t it? But I’m proud of you for making it through.
My final gift to you in 2026 is the third installment of my Queer Joy Disney series, in which we are looking at Disney’s Dumbo. Honestly I was actually kind of dreading this one but it turned out to be a better experience than I anticipated. What a gift, indeed!
Late in the editing process (too late to go back and re-film) I realized that my wrap-up and sign off footage had gotten lost somehow. I distinctly remember filming it because I agonized over what to say for my “holiday greeting”. But when I was editing the footage, that clip was nowhere to be found. Had I forgotten to press ‘Record’? Had my computer “eaten” the file? ‘Tis a mystery. But in any case, my end of year gift to myself was not to stress about it and to put a simple end title card on the video.
But allow me to wish you all a safe and happy holiday/end of year season and may 2026 bring love, laughter, good health and happiness to us all. I hope that you have that soft and gentle place to belong.
And until next time, Stay Just Short of Fantastic.
Apologies for the delay on this one, but the stars simply did not align to get it out during the last weekend of September as planned.
So please just pretend that it came out in September, like I said in the opening, okie dokie? Thanks muchly.
It’s time for the next installment of our Disney Queer Joy series and this time we’re examining Pinocchio. The second animated movie, originally released in 1940, by Walt Disney Productions is still widely regarded as one of the best animated movies of all time.
But how does Pinocchio–the original children’s novel by Carlo Collodi, the 1940 Disney animated movie, and the 2022 Disney live-action adaptation–rate for Queer Joy?
Thank you for your patience and support and I’ll see you next time in December with…Dumbo!
Welcome to September! Here in Canada that means the end of Summer (even though we still have A WHOLE MONTH of it left) but it’s not quite Thanksgiving or Halloween yet and people tend to get a little sad about that.
So what’s better than a Sad Nuggie to be sad with you? I’ve been wanting my own Sad Nuggie plush for a while now, and I finally went for it. I hope you enjoy this unboxing as much as I did.
The next vlog is supposed to be my Queer analysis of Pinocchio and I gave myself 2 months to start working on it and all I did was read the original storybook and remember how much I dislike the story so WE’LL SEE. ^^;
It’s time for another quick show announcement because rehearsals have started for Playful Fox Production’s Joseph & The Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat!
I am very excited about this one and I really hope you’ll be able to come out for it if you’re in the area. Catch us in:
Fergus, ON – September 19th-21st
Paris, ON – September 26th-27th
Kitchener, ON – October 10th-11th
You can get your tickets here: linktr.ee/playfulfox
A new video series is upon us! As Pride month wraps up I am debuting my There! Right There! essay-ish series in which I take a look at Disney’s live-action remakes, alongside their original Disney animated pictures and the source material on which they are based. We’re fortunate enough in the year 2025 to be able to being at the beginning (and when Disney gets to the end, we’ll stop) with Walt Disney’s first full-length animate feature: Snow White and the Seven Dwarves.
Never forget that 2SLGBTQIA+ people are still targeted by bigotry and violence. If you are able to, please consider donating to one of these organizations:
This month is another quick show announcement, as in celebration of Pride month, Playful Fox Productions is performing Oscar Wilde’s celebrated classic comedy of British manners: The Importance of Being Earnest!
This one is sure to delight, so please use the hyperlinks here to get your tickets to one of our performances in Paris on June 6th-7th or in Fergus June 13th-15th. Hope to see you there!
Just Short of Fantastic 