“Lesbodrama” Takes on a New Meaning…

Gayness is on the collective brain. It’s only April and already we’ve got Jason West, The Fab 5, The Massachusetts Supreme Court, and Ellen’s hit show. Even the two Dicks (Cheney and Gephardt) are playing potentially tolerable roles by avowing their gay daughters. (Election time anyone??)
I’m capitalizing on this trend to talk about the L-Word, an otherwise potentially embarrassing topic.
I think it’s okay. (Is that wrong?) Sure, I like that it takes lesbians out of the dowdy, flannel wearing, Indigo Girls pigeonhole. But that’s not all. In fact, it could be accused of replacing one lesbian stereotype with another. (The show is cast with completely gorgeous, lipstick, fantasy women.)
I watch it because the characters are, by television’s standards, mildly complex – not just as lesbians, but also as women. (Remember, I said “complex,” not “realistic.”) They struggle with sexual and personal identity; with their relationships to each other and to the community; with addiction and self-control; and, most importantly, with being good human beings.
Because the L-Word is a TV show (and especially because it’s on Showtime), it definitely has its share of gratuitous sex, cheesy drama and hetero-perspectives. But if we get beyond the fact that TV will always one-dimensionalize everything, I think that the L-Word is a pretty good development.
Check it out, and look closely for a cameo by Devon Gummersall (a.k.a. Brian Krakow from My So Call Life) as Lisa, the lesbian identified male. Hee hee.
* If you’ve never seen the L-Word, you’ll have to wait until next year. The first season ended last week.