By comedian Rebecca Drysdale, aka Beck D. Posted in honor of the L Word’s last season, premiering today.
I am one of the many dykes who has a love/hate relationship with the L Word … sometimes the sex sure is hot (Sherry Jaffey, Carmen) but oh my god the drama (Jenny) and the ridiculous characters (Jenny) and the horrible character arcs (Jenny, Max, Shane, Tina, and uh … everyone else) make me want to throw things at my TV. Yet, like many of us, still I watch, mostly for the cultural references and the community knowledge. It’s all we’ve got, I guess.
But then there’s spinoff art like this rap video, above, and I am so glad I get at least most of the inside jokes.
I stopped watching The L Word after season one. The overblown drama, over-population of LA socialites, complete lack of pacing, and (please pardon my extremely one-track mind, but) dearth of butch eye candy drove me off (I assumed I'd get some from a show about lesbians, silly me?). I wonder if it's gotten better since then, though. Not all good shows achieve greatness in their first season, and there were some beautifully-written moments. I might sit down and watch it one day, if only to know what I have to complain about.
"It's all we've got." You probably hit it on the head, and I suppose I resent that a little… Even more so since I know I should be grateful it exists at all.
Cute video :) Beck's adorable :)
Okay, I admit it. I like to watch the L Word for the hot sex. It's nice to see some of the women in the show appear to actually like fucking each other. A rare deal in Hollywood entertainment. Open mouth kisses, hard nipples, a flush or two.
I watch it despite the fact that there are no real butches on the show. There are a few characters on the show who are the Hollywood version of butch androgyny, but all too skinny for my taste, too easy to imagine as femme adrogyny, so not my usual turn on, since I like my butches unmistakably butch with meat on their hot butch bodies.
But beggars can't be choosers and until HBO or Showtime or Lifetime or Bravo or Nickelodeon comes out with something better, I will continue to sneak a tiny pleasure and enjoy the show.
i've watched the L word since college… even where i went to school (think uber-women's college of the northeast) watching lesbians cavort on TV was an exciting and novel concept. in execution, it's not the best – i do wish there were more butches on the show, and that max's storyline re: transgender issues hadn't been handled so awkwardly, but all in all – i have to say, a very guilty pleasure that i do enjoy.
although, i will admit, i got into "queer as folk" in the last year or two, and it was such a better show that i'm now more partial to it. mm, gayboys.
also – sinclair, i'm coming out of the woodwork to say that i am an avid reader and big fan :) and hope to meet you someday around the butch-femme byways of nyc!
hi-larious!
well i finally procrastinated enough to watch this and damn, she's hot!! this is so well done, and sooo much better than the show. but it wouldn't exist without the show. so that's something in its favour anyway.
This video is both the funniest and the coolest rap I've ever seen/heard. Loved it!
It's curious the ways in which they've tried to take jab at transmasculinity:
1. Shane – more boi than anything else, but with a certain befuddlement that kind of smacks of butch. Especially during the ever so lovely dress episode. Still, it's pathetic when Shane's the butchest face on the show for so long.
2. Ivan – is Ivan butch, trans(sexual?), or a drag king? I thought that Ivan was purely a drag king until I saw hir freak out over Kit's walking on on hir. Ivan comes close to sweet awesome butch chivalry around Kit, and then turns out to be polyamorous? Too frustrating.
3. Max – Ouch. The way that the LA characters reacted to Max's openly butch identity was ridiculous, although possibly keeping in touch with their hipster attitude (femme and butch role playing? so passe.) I'm not certain if Max's character transitioning was a knee-jerk response to his reception or something that was already present. No matter what the motivation, the way that Max's story arc was handled had so much shock value and rambling that to this day I still fast forward those parts on the DVD.
4. Tasha – Not the best example physically, but such a good role model in terms of attitude and presentation. My favorite part this season is when Alice and Tasha are having relationship problems and Tasha chooses not to be sexual until they know they're going to stay together. The two are easily my favorite main characters and I think have the most real and least convoluted story arc, thankfully.
Am I missing any others? What do you think?