(Picture of "The L Word" logo from Wikipedia)
Hey everybody! Sorry about the long hiatus, but I’m back! (Look
out- I may start posting on Tuesdays since it suits my schedule more) So, if
you guys have ever heard of the show “The L Word,” then you know what this post
is about. For those of you who do not, I will give you a small summary (*note
for all, this post may contain some spoilers! Continue at your own risk!):
“The L Word” is a series about the different yet similar lives
of lesbian friends. While some characters are fully aware of, accept, and
acknowledge their sexuality, other characters struggle with this. Nevertheless,
each woman encounters issues of homophobia, relationship issues, other external
issues, internal struggles, and life in general. Bette and Tina have a relationship together and are trying to have a child. Dana is an athlete who is "in the clost" and is trying to "be out". Alice is bisexual, comfortable with women and men, and acknowledges it proudly to her friends. Shane is a hairstylist and is not interested in lasting relationships. Marina is the owner of a cafe and has an eye on another character. And Jenny believes at first that she is heterosexual, but after a series of events she struggles with her desires.
... I'm not that good with summaries, but bare with me.
About eleven or twelve episodes into the first season, I have to
say that I like the show and that I recommend it (there are sex scenes in it and
strong language, so if that is an issue… perhaps there’s a censored one for you
guys? Although censorship kind of defeats the purpose of the show… but I
digress). It features problems specific to each person, to LGBTQ members in
general, and to humans in general. In
my opinion, it makes the show much more realistic and the characters’
situations more believable and relatable.
Now, here are some things I wish they would include more of in
the series:
·
More racial
diversity. Don’t get me wrong- there is racial some diversity. Of the
main characters, Bette is half African-American, her heterosexual sister is
fully African-American, Marina is Italian… but the majority of the cast is Caucasian.
Does this imply that homosexuality is more acceptable for people who are
Caucasian?
·
More
bisexuals, trans* folk, and those who do not particularly identify with any
gender or sexuality. I know that the show is called "The L Word", and that the words above don't begin with the letter L, but the producers have already included characters that are not strictly lesbians (and let's face it, sexuality is not black and white). The producers do a good job by including Alice, a
woman who accepts she is bisexual, and with Jenny, who is struggling with her
feelings between men and women and is perhaps transitioning through bisexuality, but are those the only two sides to it (no pun
intended)? And what about those who do not identify as either?
·
More
economic (class) diversity. Homosexuality and otherwise does not only belong
to or occur in those who are doing well in the economic world (i.e. - middle class citizens).
Just some stuff that I noted while I was watching (I think I
mentioned in a previous post about how my Women’s Studies course now has me
looking at media more critically… yeah, that’s why). But overall, I like it. It
puts the spotlight on homosexuality and homosexual individuals for a change, instead of making it
something to be on the sidelines with secondary characters or not existent at
all- who doesn’t love that?
Anyway, that is all for now. Stay tuned, folks. Even if I
disappear for whatever reason(s) again, I will continue to post until I run out
of things to talk about… which will not be for quite a while. So feel free to drop by and leave a comment or two! Thanks for
reading and Happy belated Easter, April Fool’s Day, and all that good stuff!
Nobody’s fool,
~H.P. Echo~
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