The L Word = awesome?
Out of interest (and because, sometimes, work can be really, really boring) I was flipping through the Guardian website (I’m an intellechewal). Now, because I’m addicted to television, I picked on their list of Top 50 dramas, interested, but not holding out much hope with regards to seeing much gay representation on there. Egg on my face, then, to find that The L Word, yes, our very own, made an appearance.
A disclaimer: I love The L Word. I do. It made me laugh, it made me cry, it made me angry, it made me organize TV nights. It was groundbreaking – never before had so many gay and bisexual and queer women made an appearance, regularly, on a TV show. And never before had so much opportunity been given to so many women. Obviously I was hooked – seeing something that represents your own will always be interesting, at the very least. But while there will always be love in my heart for the women of TLW, if I had to pick a list of the top 50 dramas of all time, I’m not entirely sure it would be on my list.
Sure – there was good stuff. Bette, for example. Tibette. The inclusion of a Trans character. All the gay ladies! And definitely Shane. But more than anything else, as a show, TLW screwed with us. A lot. Killing off Dana and Carmen was senseless and kind of stupid. Shane had NO character progression – she did the same thing every season, and while it was hot and all, it got really old after a while. And don’t even get me started on the theme song. Betty makes me break out. So when I think of the show, it’s like thinking about a bad break-up – there were good times, but the thing ended so awfully, I sometimes can’t help but cringe.
However, thinking about it more fully, I know I’d have to include the show. There were a lot of bad things about it, and a lot to be angry about, but The L Word went where no show had gone before, and gave LBT women a presence on an international level. It wasn’t perfect, but it was ours, and it was there – off the top of my head, I can only think of five gay or bisexual female characters regularly appearing on TV at the moment. Five! When I compare that paltry figure to the entire gay world that appeared on TLW, a part of me wants to cry. Hopefully something will be done about that (Lip Service, I’m looking at you), but until then I’ll have to satisfy my cravings with reruns and DVD collections (and hopes for a movie!).
What did you think of the list? Other notable queer inclusions were Oranges Are Not The Only Fruit (#8), the British Queer As Folk (#13) and Buffy the Vampire Slayer (#22). What would you put on your list?
Related:
L Word reality spin-off in the pipeline
The outfits I think got a bit better as the series progressed…but the theme tune…why? oh why? I like that it’s there in the top 50 though, or is that in a so bad it’s good kinda way?
I feel similarly towards it as I do to Queer as Folk – I’m glad it exists, and it’s quite fun and all that, but I’m not actually sure if it’s any good at all…
Just looked at that list to see that Queer as Folk is just one place behind Twin Peaks – really though? I know Twin Peaks went off the rails during the second season, but ‘Queer as Folk 2′ is also pretty shocking. Is there not a certain sense here – with both The L Word and Queer as Folk – of tokenism, or at least inclusion based on perceived social importance rather than quality? Both were influential and major advances in the portrayal of gays n’ lesbians on TV, but if you compare that to the sheer quality of writing, camerawork, acting, originality of something like Twin Peaks, they can’t really compare.
Anyway I know it’s one of the great sins of the internet to get too upset about lists, but that’s why we like them, isn’t it?
Everyone is saying that ‘Lip Service’ is really tongue in cheek and clever as a title but I dont get it. I have been thinking about it, and so want to love it, but there isnt a way that it isnt offensive. Is that why its supposed to be so tongue in cheek? Because it is outwardly very offensive? Maybe I am taking my English Language degree studies above and beyond and should just get back to my essay……
I think they meant the British QAF – which was very good, from what I hear. Having not watched either QAF nor, unfortunately, Twin Peaks, I’m unqualified to comment.
@Confused academic – yeah I’m not so sharp on the name myself….