Face to Race

26    As one views and interprets The L Word, the racial and cultural stereotypes are expressed to mainstream White America through pseudo diversity. The L Word is an apt example of Cornell West's contention that "[W]hite beauty plays a weightier role in sexual desirability for women in racist patriarchal America" (130). Grier's beauty, intelligence, and strength have been dismissed because of her skin color; the scope of her beauty is only known to those who still call her Foxy Brown.

27    Negative Black representation was an issue that our focus group informants discussed at length. In response to the counseling session we mentioned previously, Maxine, a lawyer, said:

The Black person in me wants to say, of course, I don't want to see us portrayed in that manner on television or for other people who don't have the definition of what it means to be Black and see something like that.

Devon, a 3rd grade teacher, said:

I wasn't so much offended by the counseling episode or by her [Yolanda's] role in the counseling episode. I guess for me it goes back to the fact that you don't have any representation of anyone else. It was episode nine and this is the first character who comes on the show as a Black woman. The first one? In episode nine? And it's a bad representation. It goes back to the lack of representation period. That's where I was more so offended. Not by what she said or what she did but how she was written into the script.

Pam, a 4th grade teacher, articulated her feelings:

Everyone's speaking about the counseling session. I kind of identify with that sister because many times I know I get very loud when I'm saying something and if I responding to someone. If I sit up and I start saying, 'But, no, this is what I feel. . .' It's, 'Pam's angry.' And, no, I'm not angry. I'm passionate about what I'm talking about. I can identify with her because she wasn't angry. She was letting them know how she felt.

Pam went on to explain that she took offense to how, as often happens in her own lived experience, the White counseling session members misinterpreted Yolanda's passion for anger. She felt that the producers could have handled this episode with more complexity, but she was still "happy they did spend the episode on race because a lot of times we don't see that discussion on television."

We Never Knew Being a Lesbian Was So Easy . . .

28    Sedgwick, in Epistemology of the Closet, was one of the first queer theorists to discuss how homosexuality is often forcibly assimilated into the dominant heterosexual gestalt. This process of disavowal allows lesbian and gay difference to be erased. We see this occur on The L Word. Of course, the storyline includes the usual gay or (lesbian) topics like 'coming-out,' gay adoption, and lesbian pregnancy. We argue, however, that the bulk of the show portrays lesbianism as a fun social past-time, not necessarily a lived identity. For example, all of the main characters exist in a tight social network. Some are currently living together as lovers and some are ex-lovers, but they are all friends. They meet, apparently, every morning at a local café for lattes and breakfast. They also dine at expensive restaurants, socialize at one another's houses, and celebrate one another's milestones. Nothing illustrates the complex nature of their bond more so than when Tina discovered Bette cheated on her. Tina showed up at Alice's (Bette's ex-girlfriend) house and asked to spend the night. Bette's affair polarized the group. Even Bette's own ex-girlfriend, now a friend of both Tina and Bette, supported Tina. Bette was ostracized for a while, but eventually came back into the circle of friends when she proved her devotion to Tina and their unborn baby.

29    All of the friends, including Shane who was once homeless, earn a decent living and live well enough to have large amounts of expendable income. Good things continuously come their way. In fact, Dana, a professional tennis player, was actually offered an endorsement deal with Olivia Cruises. Olivia[11]Sheryl Swoops, a WNBA basketball player who recently 'came out' as a lesbian is now a spokeswoman for Olivia. is a 'real life' company offering cruises for lesbians. None of the characters face real economic hardships. Jenny, a woman transitioning to lesbianism, began living with Shane during the second season. In order for them to meet the rent, they ended up needing a roommate. This was the extent of economic struggle.

30    Just as economic hardship is not represented within Season One, neither are issues and concerns pertaining to homophobia. None of the characters speak about homophobia because presumably none of them experience it. While we understand that the goal of popular culture texts may not be to portray 'reality,' we argue that oppression is something all lesbians, regardless of race or economic status, will have to face. We are talking about institutionalized oppression which stems from heteronormativity. The L Word has examined personal instances of homophobia. It is important to note that Dana, a professional tennis player, structures her life around the fear of being revealed as a lesbian. While this certainly is an example of homophobia, the show does not take up the issue in a complex manner. While there is portrayal of Dana's fear of being "discovered" and examples of the many ways she must masquerade as straight, these portrayals are often at the expense of a laugh. Viewers laugh as Dana pretends to have a boyfriend. They laugh when her brother terrorizes her about revealing her secret to their parents. As viewers, we are witness to her personal struggles but there is never a discussion of the social consequences of her choices. Her personal struggle is never contextualized as a societal one.