Post by Naj on Nov 8, 2006 9:35:54 GMT -5
POINT: Mainstream TV shows are a better indicator of mainstream acceptance of lesbians.
In the past, standalone gay-themed episodes of network TV shows were formulaic and rife with stereotypes, but lately they have been at the forefront of positive lesbian portrayals, showing that understanding and acceptance of lesbians and bisexual women is evolving and improving.
Last year, the best depiction of lesbians on television wasn't on Showtime's The L Word, with its tragically written transgender story line or its over-the-top, unfaithful lesbian characters. Nor was it on the cult cable hit South of Nowhere, which spent all season teasing us into a teen lesbian love story. Instead, lesbians received their best boost in mainstream acceptance from an episode of CBS' detective drama, Cold Case.
Cold Case showed that, when done right, lesbian visibility is best enhanced not by predominantly lesbian shows like The L Word but by gentle inclusion in popular network TV shows, and it also proved that network writers are beginning to take steps toward properly representing gays and lesbians in their scripts, a sure sign that societal opinions of LGBT issues are also changing.
Cold Case's “Best Friends” episode — which was nominated for a GLAAD Media Award — aired at the end of the show's second season on May 8, 2005, and featured a murder mystery involving an interracial lesbian couple from the 1930s.
When the Cold Case investigators found human bones in a truck pulled from the Delaware River, they retraced the life of a young woman who also went missing when the truck plunged into the river. They soon discovered she was still living and had had a forbidden lesbian relationship with the woman who died. The episode presented a realistic, touching lesbian story in a mainstream network show viewed by 14.8 million people — something that cannot be attained by shows such as The L Word.
Premium cable shows like The L Word and Queer As Folk appeal to a niche audience, one that is — given the channels on which they air — most likely liberal, open-minded and gay-friendly. These are the people who are least in need of an elucidation of queer issues, so while the existence of these types of shows is positive, it does little to impact mainstream acceptance or indicate societal opinions of queer issues.
On the other hand, programs like Cold Case, 8 Simple Rules and House — all of which have recently shown positive, lesbian-themed episodes — are able to reach a larger, more diverse audience because they air during prime time on network TV. Viewers from all walks of life — who may not subscribe to Showtime or HBO — simply have greater access to these types of shows.
By incorporating lesbian characters and standalone gay story lines into predominantly straight programs, LGBT issues are subversively introduced into the average household. This is where mainstream shows really hold their own for lesbian visibility: When done well, they are able to reach a larger audience who did not plan to watch a “gay show,” and they may change some minds (or at least invoke a few conversations) in the process.
COUNTERPOINT: Lesbian-themed TV shows are a better indicator of mainstream acceptance of lesbians.
Societal acceptance of lesbians is changing, and it has everything to do with queer-themed shows like The L Word and Queer As Folk.
What mainstream society often doesn't “get” about lesbian sexuality is the fact that it is part of a wider gay community and social group. They are well aware that gay people exist, but they still feel that jejune urge to ask, “What do lesbians do in bed, anyway?” Therefore, the occasional sitcom appearance or crime drama representation (if the lesbian lives that long or isn't the jealous killer) doesn't really indicate a better societal understanding or acceptance of lesbians and bisexual women. Rather, they just show that, occasionally, lesbians might be acknowledged as part of the world — but in as asexual a sense as possible.
One thing the entertainment industry does understand is money, and shows with central lesbian characters often bring commercial success. It is no accident that network television often airs lesbian and bisexual story lines during sweeps months, when networks are trying to generate higher ratings for advertisers.
Cable networks such as Showtime (and to a lesser extent, The N, which airs on digital cable) do not face the same pressures during sweeps months because their viewers must subscribe to the channel to watch the programs. Therefore, Showtime must televise programs that viewers will actually pay to watch; among them are gay and lesbian-themed shows such as Queer as Folk and The L Word.
In September 2002, Showtime began production on a show called Earthlings, a lesbian ensemble series featuring some moderately well-known actresses. At the time, lesbian viewers were wondering if the show would be their own Queer As Folk, which had a tremendous five-year run on Showtime after becoming a breakout hit in the United Kingdom. A few months later and with a new name, The L Word debuted to some of Showtime's best ratings ever as well as critical acclaim.
One of the first shows to adequately address lesbians beyond name and sexual proclivity, The L Word did what Queer As Folk did for men (and women too, to some extent) — it brought three-dimensional, fallible gay characters into our living rooms. And while lesbian viewers from around the world voraciously consumed these shows, the pink dollar wasn't the only thing keeping the show afloat.
Whether we're examining Queer As Folk, The L Word or the early seasons of the British drama Bad Girls, ratings demonstrate that people want to watch lesbians and bisexual women. As a result, Showtime has put a tremendous amount of money behind The L Word; last February, they even ordered a fourth season of the show only a month after the third season began to air, citing a “ratings explosion.”
This, ultimately, is where societal change begins. It is no longer enough for mainstream society to be aware that gay people exist; they have to want us to be a part of their lives, which is exactly what lesbian-themed programs like The L Word deliver. Ten years ago, lesbian-specific shows like Ellen were quickly dismissed as “too gay” and shepherded off the air; now people are tuning in to queer-themed shows like never before, and the genre continues to grow as a result. These lesbian-themed shows exist because mainstream viewers want them to exist — and will even pay for the privilege.
That is the ultimate compliment lesbians could receive from mainstream society: Six years since Queer As Folk and four years since The L Word first aired, they haven't turned us off yet
After Ellen
In the past, standalone gay-themed episodes of network TV shows were formulaic and rife with stereotypes, but lately they have been at the forefront of positive lesbian portrayals, showing that understanding and acceptance of lesbians and bisexual women is evolving and improving.
Last year, the best depiction of lesbians on television wasn't on Showtime's The L Word, with its tragically written transgender story line or its over-the-top, unfaithful lesbian characters. Nor was it on the cult cable hit South of Nowhere, which spent all season teasing us into a teen lesbian love story. Instead, lesbians received their best boost in mainstream acceptance from an episode of CBS' detective drama, Cold Case.
Cold Case showed that, when done right, lesbian visibility is best enhanced not by predominantly lesbian shows like The L Word but by gentle inclusion in popular network TV shows, and it also proved that network writers are beginning to take steps toward properly representing gays and lesbians in their scripts, a sure sign that societal opinions of LGBT issues are also changing.
Cold Case's “Best Friends” episode — which was nominated for a GLAAD Media Award — aired at the end of the show's second season on May 8, 2005, and featured a murder mystery involving an interracial lesbian couple from the 1930s.
When the Cold Case investigators found human bones in a truck pulled from the Delaware River, they retraced the life of a young woman who also went missing when the truck plunged into the river. They soon discovered she was still living and had had a forbidden lesbian relationship with the woman who died. The episode presented a realistic, touching lesbian story in a mainstream network show viewed by 14.8 million people — something that cannot be attained by shows such as The L Word.
Premium cable shows like The L Word and Queer As Folk appeal to a niche audience, one that is — given the channels on which they air — most likely liberal, open-minded and gay-friendly. These are the people who are least in need of an elucidation of queer issues, so while the existence of these types of shows is positive, it does little to impact mainstream acceptance or indicate societal opinions of queer issues.
On the other hand, programs like Cold Case, 8 Simple Rules and House — all of which have recently shown positive, lesbian-themed episodes — are able to reach a larger, more diverse audience because they air during prime time on network TV. Viewers from all walks of life — who may not subscribe to Showtime or HBO — simply have greater access to these types of shows.
By incorporating lesbian characters and standalone gay story lines into predominantly straight programs, LGBT issues are subversively introduced into the average household. This is where mainstream shows really hold their own for lesbian visibility: When done well, they are able to reach a larger audience who did not plan to watch a “gay show,” and they may change some minds (or at least invoke a few conversations) in the process.
COUNTERPOINT: Lesbian-themed TV shows are a better indicator of mainstream acceptance of lesbians.
Societal acceptance of lesbians is changing, and it has everything to do with queer-themed shows like The L Word and Queer As Folk.
What mainstream society often doesn't “get” about lesbian sexuality is the fact that it is part of a wider gay community and social group. They are well aware that gay people exist, but they still feel that jejune urge to ask, “What do lesbians do in bed, anyway?” Therefore, the occasional sitcom appearance or crime drama representation (if the lesbian lives that long or isn't the jealous killer) doesn't really indicate a better societal understanding or acceptance of lesbians and bisexual women. Rather, they just show that, occasionally, lesbians might be acknowledged as part of the world — but in as asexual a sense as possible.
One thing the entertainment industry does understand is money, and shows with central lesbian characters often bring commercial success. It is no accident that network television often airs lesbian and bisexual story lines during sweeps months, when networks are trying to generate higher ratings for advertisers.
Cable networks such as Showtime (and to a lesser extent, The N, which airs on digital cable) do not face the same pressures during sweeps months because their viewers must subscribe to the channel to watch the programs. Therefore, Showtime must televise programs that viewers will actually pay to watch; among them are gay and lesbian-themed shows such as Queer as Folk and The L Word.
In September 2002, Showtime began production on a show called Earthlings, a lesbian ensemble series featuring some moderately well-known actresses. At the time, lesbian viewers were wondering if the show would be their own Queer As Folk, which had a tremendous five-year run on Showtime after becoming a breakout hit in the United Kingdom. A few months later and with a new name, The L Word debuted to some of Showtime's best ratings ever as well as critical acclaim.
One of the first shows to adequately address lesbians beyond name and sexual proclivity, The L Word did what Queer As Folk did for men (and women too, to some extent) — it brought three-dimensional, fallible gay characters into our living rooms. And while lesbian viewers from around the world voraciously consumed these shows, the pink dollar wasn't the only thing keeping the show afloat.
Whether we're examining Queer As Folk, The L Word or the early seasons of the British drama Bad Girls, ratings demonstrate that people want to watch lesbians and bisexual women. As a result, Showtime has put a tremendous amount of money behind The L Word; last February, they even ordered a fourth season of the show only a month after the third season began to air, citing a “ratings explosion.”
This, ultimately, is where societal change begins. It is no longer enough for mainstream society to be aware that gay people exist; they have to want us to be a part of their lives, which is exactly what lesbian-themed programs like The L Word deliver. Ten years ago, lesbian-specific shows like Ellen were quickly dismissed as “too gay” and shepherded off the air; now people are tuning in to queer-themed shows like never before, and the genre continues to grow as a result. These lesbian-themed shows exist because mainstream viewers want them to exist — and will even pay for the privilege.
That is the ultimate compliment lesbians could receive from mainstream society: Six years since Queer As Folk and four years since The L Word first aired, they haven't turned us off yet
After Ellen
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