The Cutprice Guignol

So, you might have noticed that I haven’t been posting on this blog for the last week or so (well, unless you happen to be a Patron, in which case you get access to an exclusive, secret post every month – why not treat yourself from as little a a buck a month?). And, in my time away, I’ve been thinking: man, I could do with a little positivity around here, you know what I mean?

Which, you know, don’t get me wrong, doesn’t mean that I’m about to throw out the noble history of snark upon which the Guignol is built. From Game of Thrones to Glee to Fifty Shades, this just wouldn’t be the best site on the internet (patent pending, but I’m sure it’s just lost in the post, it’s on its way) without the liberal amounts of shit that I smear around it on a weekly basis.

And that’s fun, don’t get me wrong – I love writing bad reviews more than I like most of the rest of my life. But as much fun as it is, I’ve been trying, recently, to focus a little more on positvity. Before you say it, yes, I do cringe when I hear that word too – to me, it’s a synonym for plastering a violently pastel-coloured grin over the cracks in your soul and posting about it on Instagram, co-opted by wannabe-life-coaches as a fix-all for everything even remotely questionable.

Maybe that’s just me being cynical. Snark is good, snark is great, bitchy gossip is the lifeblood upon which my world rotates, and if I don’t get to point and laugh at Iron Fist, I don’t know what I’d do with my life. But, for once in my life, I’m trying to drop the cynicism for a while. Over the next week, I’m going to be writing a series of posts about stuff that just makes me happy – no shade, no tea, just a start to this month with a focus on things that give me joy, and delving a little into my life in the process, if that’s something you’re interested in. It’s blog positivity. Blogsitivity. Yes, that should stick.

So join me on this June journey to just jiggle up the generations of jittery pop culture jabs. Obviously, you’re cordially invited to read the posts I’ll be sharing over the course of the week – but if you’ve got your own blog, I would love to hear about the things that make you happy, too. I don’t care what it is – a person, a song, a funny Youtube video that you watch when you’re feeling down, I want to hear about it. And, in the spirit of getting things off to a good start, here’s some positive stuff you can do today to make the world a better place:

7 Cups of Tea: This place – which basically provides a listening, anonymous ear when you’re in distress and too anxious to pick up the phone, as I always am – is a great place to donate some time if you’re up to it. You can train as a Listener here and offer that ear to people in need, as well as finding people to speak to when you just need to talk.

Project Implicit – Get involved with this international study looking at the inherent biases we all hold. And not just the ones that revolve around my cat being the best cat, because that’s not a bias, it’s a fucking fact.

Back to School Project – Alright, so a little family plug, but this is the charitable organisation that my family are involved in to bring improved education access to children across the world. They’re just kickstarted a new project, and it would be brilliant if you could share it or donate!

I’m also going to be sharing fundraisers shared by you guys over the course of this week, so if there are any causes, personal or otherwise, you’re raising cash for at the moment, drop them in the comments below, or hit me up on  Tumblr or Twitter. To get us started, here’s one that was submitted yesterday – donate or share if you can, and help me try to make this a more positive corner of the internet. Well, until Benioff and Weiss start a new show, at least.