Is Shane being pigeon-holed into another monogamous commitment?
First, I just have to get it out there. What's with the poor bike riding? Look at Shane: pedal pedal, stand and coast. She won't get too far too fast that way, yet she still gives Molly a run for her money in their little race. So Molly chases Shane down, dismantles her by telling her she's in love with her, which turns out to be a lie just so she could beat Shane to the checkpoint and talk to her. Somehow Shane is wooed by Molly's rambling pledge to return the oral favor and shuts her up with a kiss. So now we have Shane possibly entering another relationship, and we can't help but wonder how long it will be until this one falls apart. Also, why can there never be a straight woman on the show who doesn't experience lesbian sex? Even Kit had her own little go 'round with Papi. I'm all about showing how heterosexuality can be malleable and move into same-sex experimentation, but it's also problematic when not a single hetero female character can avoid the lustful seduction of another woman. Some people just don't go there, so let's be realistic.
What constitutes cheating?
It was good to see this dialogue open up about the different ways in which relationships can be negotiated from monogamy to open relationships, even if such a variety is not actually exemplified on the show. However, there was still a big lack of resolution when even after all the debate and discussion, most of the characters still agreed that kissing constitutes cheating. When Bette didn't raise her hand, she was interrogated and her relativist answer was lambasted by Alice as being a bullshit non-answer, and the whole thing quickly devolved into a dramatic revelation of her affair with Tina. In any case half a kudos for at least opening up the dialogue around relationships that fall outside of heteronormative monogamy.
"It's mostly black; it's kind of a different scene."
Such is Tasha's reply to Alice when they run into some of Tasha's old friends who happen to be riding for Coco's, a lesbian club of which Alice is not aware. Alice just says "oh" and the conversation shifts to questions of jealousy. This was interesting because it brought the race issue to the surface, but then played it off like no real divide. I like that it illustrates that race is not a barrier in the relationship between Alice and Tasha. But then one also wonders if it is not a dangerous erasure of difference to blow the race thing off. Why is it that Tasha hasn't seen her friends in so long or been to Coco's? Because she's been hanging out with Alice and all the white girls? To what extent should each of them cross into each other's worlds that are divided by racial lines? Is Tasha and Alice's relationship portrayed as too easy in terms of race? Maybe we'll find out when Tasha and Alice move into their cute vinyl sided home on a quiet cul-de-sac as they enact their normative domestication.
Only two more left . . .
What's to come in the last two episodes? So Jodi will be back for answers next episode, but then I'm guessing we won't be seeing any more of her, so there goes the disability minority. I wonder which minority representative will be put in that opening. Maybe an Asian woman finally? Anyway, I hope Tom sticks around because I'd like to see some more development in relation to Max, but it's hard to imagine them keeping Tom around if Jodi is out of the picture.
And what the hell is going to happen with creepy Adele? The questions around her sexuality have been intriguing. I found myself at times hoping that maybe she is asexual, especially when she told Alice that instead of being hooked up, she'd prefer to focus on her work. Sounds like something I used to say. But actually if she were asexual, I would disapprove because she seems to be such a psychopath, and that would only perpetuate the pathologizing of asexuality. But the L Word has been steadfast and faithful in the perpetuation of myths and stereotypes, so who knows?
March 15, 2008
March 8, 2008
"Liquid Heat" : An Orgasmic Culmination
So I know I missed a review of the last episode, "Lay Down The Law." Things just got too hectic for me. Anyway, the most interesting thing I was going to write about was the rhetoric around "freedom" during Tasha's don't ask, don't tell trial. Alas, I shall move on to the hot hot heat of the most recent episode 9.
Hooray for a condom! Maybe...
Finally after four and a half seasons, we see a condom actively being used during sex. Yes, Tom suavely rips open the wrapper with his teeth during the sex scene with Max. I was initially excited (no, not sexually excited, you sleaze!), feeling that my longstanding complaint about a lack of any safer sex practices on the show has finally been addressed. Then, the more I thought about it, I started to have my doubts about this condom in particular. Now, we know Tom is gay, and if we take Max to be the man that he is, then this is a man on man gay sex scene. In past seasons of the L Word, we have witnessed heterosexual sex scenes, which were noticeably lacking in condom use (see Tim and Jenny and Tina and Henry). Now why is it that the condom surfaces in the gay sex scene and not in the other sex scenes involving a penis? Could it be another myth/stereotype perpetuated again by a show that purports to be subversive? Gasp! I think it just might be a reinforcement of the "all gay men have HIV/AIDS and always need to use condoms" myth. Meanwhile, Shane continuous to have promiscuous lesbian sex without any protection, and while we haven't seen any het sex in a while, the only time a condom was ever mentioned before was regarding sperm and pregnancy, not STIs. I'm referring to the time Bette and Tina surreptitiously tried to steal sperm from the guy they met at the party by seducing him and attempting to trick him into fucking Tina without protection. So could this be suggesting that only gay men have to worry about STIs and everyone else is immune? Unfortunately, that's what it's looking like here.
When did Alice become such a pussy? And when did she become bi again?
Even though I've written about the problems of compulsory monogamy on the show, it doesn't mean I'm against monogamy. In fact, I've become a rather monogamous individual myself. Love can fuck you up sometimes. The point is that the show should make room for positive representations of polyamory and open relationships, but there is definitely still room for monogamy. That said, I'm glad that Alice and Tasha have repaired their relationship and so we have a happy interracial love thing going on. But what's this girly girl crap Alice busts out with from time to time, like saying to Tasha, "maybe I need you to protect me," while she bats her eyes and pouts like "look at me, the poor defenseless blonde upper-class white girl." Puke! Why can't this be a relationship between two strong women? Why does one of them have to move into a weaker more submissive position? (See also power dynamics of Dawn and Lover Cindy) And why does Alice take on this role? (See also my post about Tasha's blackness, and the attempts to push her as more butch).
As for the bi thing...I'm all about the fluidity of identity, but this more apparent indecisiveness on Alice's part only makes representation problematic for the bisexual community. Alice began the series as adamantly bisexual, later realized that "bisexuality is gross" and defined herself as a "lesbian." For more on this trajectory, see this article on AfterEllen.com. Now, during the podcast with Max, Max suggests that of all people, Alice should understand the importance of inclusion. Alice replies by implicitly reclaiming her bisexual identity, stating that "being bisexual is just more natural" than being transgender. Then Max responds with very wise and important commentary on the queer community, reproductive and family rights, and how the community needs to stop marginalizing their transgender sisters and brothers, and Alice agrees and apologizes for past comments. Great! The problem: the whole time this conversation is going on, Shane is toying with the camera through which we as viewers are witnessing the recording of this podcast. So we see shoddy camera work, as well as "humorous" moments when Shane zooms in on breasts and tattoos of nearby diners and coffee drinkers. So the conversation around transgender inclusion that we've been waiting to hear is completely overrun by Shane's distracting "jokes" with the camera. Will they ever just do it right?
Topped by a straight girl, gettin' educated, and here come the bicycles.
In wrapping up this review, I just want to say that I'm still mulling over the Shane and Molly sexcapade. But my initial reaction: Shane let Molly top her, wtf! That was just for starters of course, as Shane later took naive little Molly for an apparently great ride until the second go 'round was busted up by Phyllis. Then we got to overhear the high class snobbery around the concepts of "being educated." Shane got to overhear too, and I wonder if we didn't catch another of those rare snippets of emotion in Shane's eyes. Maybe in future episodes, she'll lambast Molly and Phyllis and prove more intelligent than I ever guessed her to be (recall "salubrious"). However, what I'm looking forward to most of all is the Lifecycle ride next episode. Lesbians on hot bikes . . . aah, I can't wait to critique their riding position!
Hooray for a condom! Maybe...
Finally after four and a half seasons, we see a condom actively being used during sex. Yes, Tom suavely rips open the wrapper with his teeth during the sex scene with Max. I was initially excited (no, not sexually excited, you sleaze!), feeling that my longstanding complaint about a lack of any safer sex practices on the show has finally been addressed. Then, the more I thought about it, I started to have my doubts about this condom in particular. Now, we know Tom is gay, and if we take Max to be the man that he is, then this is a man on man gay sex scene. In past seasons of the L Word, we have witnessed heterosexual sex scenes, which were noticeably lacking in condom use (see Tim and Jenny and Tina and Henry). Now why is it that the condom surfaces in the gay sex scene and not in the other sex scenes involving a penis? Could it be another myth/stereotype perpetuated again by a show that purports to be subversive? Gasp! I think it just might be a reinforcement of the "all gay men have HIV/AIDS and always need to use condoms" myth. Meanwhile, Shane continuous to have promiscuous lesbian sex without any protection, and while we haven't seen any het sex in a while, the only time a condom was ever mentioned before was regarding sperm and pregnancy, not STIs. I'm referring to the time Bette and Tina surreptitiously tried to steal sperm from the guy they met at the party by seducing him and attempting to trick him into fucking Tina without protection. So could this be suggesting that only gay men have to worry about STIs and everyone else is immune? Unfortunately, that's what it's looking like here.
When did Alice become such a pussy? And when did she become bi again?
Even though I've written about the problems of compulsory monogamy on the show, it doesn't mean I'm against monogamy. In fact, I've become a rather monogamous individual myself. Love can fuck you up sometimes. The point is that the show should make room for positive representations of polyamory and open relationships, but there is definitely still room for monogamy. That said, I'm glad that Alice and Tasha have repaired their relationship and so we have a happy interracial love thing going on. But what's this girly girl crap Alice busts out with from time to time, like saying to Tasha, "maybe I need you to protect me," while she bats her eyes and pouts like "look at me, the poor defenseless blonde upper-class white girl." Puke! Why can't this be a relationship between two strong women? Why does one of them have to move into a weaker more submissive position? (See also power dynamics of Dawn and Lover Cindy) And why does Alice take on this role? (See also my post about Tasha's blackness, and the attempts to push her as more butch).
As for the bi thing...I'm all about the fluidity of identity, but this more apparent indecisiveness on Alice's part only makes representation problematic for the bisexual community. Alice began the series as adamantly bisexual, later realized that "bisexuality is gross" and defined herself as a "lesbian." For more on this trajectory, see this article on AfterEllen.com. Now, during the podcast with Max, Max suggests that of all people, Alice should understand the importance of inclusion. Alice replies by implicitly reclaiming her bisexual identity, stating that "being bisexual is just more natural" than being transgender. Then Max responds with very wise and important commentary on the queer community, reproductive and family rights, and how the community needs to stop marginalizing their transgender sisters and brothers, and Alice agrees and apologizes for past comments. Great! The problem: the whole time this conversation is going on, Shane is toying with the camera through which we as viewers are witnessing the recording of this podcast. So we see shoddy camera work, as well as "humorous" moments when Shane zooms in on breasts and tattoos of nearby diners and coffee drinkers. So the conversation around transgender inclusion that we've been waiting to hear is completely overrun by Shane's distracting "jokes" with the camera. Will they ever just do it right?
Topped by a straight girl, gettin' educated, and here come the bicycles.
In wrapping up this review, I just want to say that I'm still mulling over the Shane and Molly sexcapade. But my initial reaction: Shane let Molly top her, wtf! That was just for starters of course, as Shane later took naive little Molly for an apparently great ride until the second go 'round was busted up by Phyllis. Then we got to overhear the high class snobbery around the concepts of "being educated." Shane got to overhear too, and I wonder if we didn't catch another of those rare snippets of emotion in Shane's eyes. Maybe in future episodes, she'll lambast Molly and Phyllis and prove more intelligent than I ever guessed her to be (recall "salubrious"). However, what I'm looking forward to most of all is the Lifecycle ride next episode. Lesbians on hot bikes . . . aah, I can't wait to critique their riding position!
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