I’ve often heard fellow heterosexual men joke about being lesbian. It’s one of those big mysteries…why lesbians are a turn-on to heterosexual men? Part of the reason (some may even say problem) is Western chauvinism has socialized us that way. We are meant to believe that a man and a woman is a natural combination. But then if you start to mix it…whoa, you’re in trouble. I find it fascinating that our cultures values are influenced by society, which is in fact popular opinion which has evolved over time. That said this brings me to marvel at a TV series I’ve recently been watching, the L word.
The title is ambiguous. Clearly the ‘L’ is for the term lesbian, although it can also be associated with other words. The words love, laughter, life, longing, lilting, Los Angeles, lonely night, legally, lawfully, laurels, liberal, lightning, lecherous, least, lewd, literature, lesson, leaving, luscious, lithe, list, leggy, lust, label, limpid, lips, laps, lyrics, liquid, launch, large, lasting, lacking, languorous and looking also appear in the title. (Generally you wouldn’t have time to read all of that.) This is a fairly good summary of the series itself, however I’ll elaborate.
There is a group of lesbians that this story revolves around. (See below.)
- Mia Kirshner as Jenny Schecter
- Jennifer Beals as Bette Porter
- Laurel Holloman as Tina Kennard
- Eric Mabius as Tim Haspel
- Katherine Moennig as Shane McCutcheon
- Erin Daniels as Dana Fairbanks
- Leisha Hailey as Alice Pieszecki
- Pam Grier as Kit Porter
- Karina Lombard as Marina
They are all successful women, but like all of us, they struggle with their personal lives. At first when I sat down to watch this I was highly skeptical, since I thought it was going to be a glamorized porn film. Look it is certainly explicit throughout the series, but it’s is still hugely profound. It’s an in-depth look at what lesbians get up to, and the challenges that they face.
So far I’ve only watched the first season, but it’s so intensely emotional it’s actually brought me to tears on a few occasions. Mostly I’m a cynic when watching and reviewing cinema, although this one I have to speak differently about. Of course I won’t deny that part of the appeal is because I’m a straight guy. I’m not convinced that a straight woman would find this series compelling.
IMO there are two major reasons why I would recommend this series. That would be the dynamic cast and the multifarious storylines. It’s intensely layered with emotion and honesty, and because of that I believe it’s one of the most accurate glimpses you’ll get of the lesbian world. This is one of those series that is not for the faint-hearted, so try and be open-minded when you approach it.
PhilosopherPoet
Tags: lesbians, People, relationships, the l word, women
March 25, 2009 at 9:09 am |
Hello!
You mention at the beginning of your article that “I’ve often heard fellow heterosexual men joke about being lesbian.”
This might also be a slight play on words, as lesbians (As opposed to homosexuals) only make out with woman – So, if I said “I’m a lesbian”, it is partially correct in that I do not make out with other men. I am aware that, by strict definition, you have to be female to be lesbian, but that’s besides the point
- Reelix
April 2, 2009 at 6:28 pm |
I see the ‘L’ word as being interchangeable between Love and Lesbian. Yes they are gay, but the emotions and stories shown in the series are around love. Without an element of love (or i suppose, lust), would just watching gay women be as interesting?