I watch television. I must be creative...

[charliesmum]

One of the best lines in the movie Wayne's World is when Rob Lowe's character is smarming to the Noah's Arcade guy and his wife, and when he mentions going down to the set the wife says 'That's where the magic happens.' and Rob Lowe says 'oh, do you work in television?' like what she just said was something only an insider would know, and she says 'no but I watch a lot of it' and Rob Lowe says 'That's because you're creative.'

Anyway...Why I'm bringing it up, and I'm going to put it behind a cut in case I accidently spoil something for someone. The last couple of weeks I attempted to watch the OC because the critic guy in the TV guy said it was witty and self-aware, and I was curious to see the lesbian sweeps storyline, just to see if they handled it right. For the record, I still don't really find the show that interesting. I'm not really good with serials. I don't mind shows that have an 'arc' ala Buffy, but shows like the OC really make me work too hard. So anyway, I was watching the lesbian thing, and the bit I totally couldn't understand was the fact that the blonde girl with whom the regular character Marissa was going to fall for briefly dated this male regular character, Seth.

So, okay, she's bi-sexual, and Marissa probably dated all the regular male cast members in the first couple of seasons, and this brings me to my quibble. Girl on girl action seems to be a standard male fantasy, for whatever reason, so I think that this whole 'lesbian' storyline is rather demeaning to lesbians, because it is feeding into that male fantasy instead of actually exploring an actual lesbian relationship, since both the girls are also into men. Like they'll both go back to boys as soon as a suitable candidate arrives. I think that is demeaning.

Now Willow in Buffy, one could argue, is similar, having a long term relationship with Oz before Tara but I say no. First of all, Joss foreshadowed Willow's Sapphic side with the 3rd season episodes that had Willow's vampiric doppleganger be very obviously into women. Willow said it herself when describing Evil!Willow: 'I'm mean and skanky and I think I'm kind of gay' And Tara was never presented as anything other than a lesbian.

So in conclusion I find the whole ratings stunt to be just that, and doesn't help the cause much as far as presenting homosexuality properly. What to you all think?

TV Guide online had this article about the hottest same-sex kisses on television, but I can't find it now. Willow and Tara were number one. Sadly Xena and Gabrielle weren't on the list. Should have been.

Comments

[zambonigirl.livejournal.com]

I miss Xena and Gabrielle. They were the best.

I live in "the OC". I don't need to watch it. I can just see it now:

"That's not Balboa Island. That looks like a prop in a movie."

"Hmm...Balboa bars...hey, you wanna to go to Balboa?"

"Yeah! Let's go!"

And that would be the end of watching The OC for me.

[anaid-rabbit.livejournal.com]

Since you`re talking about television, do you, if I may be so curious, watch (or ever watched) Veronica Mars? Because from what I`ve heard about The OC, well... VM is a far better choice of show. Though that`s my personal opinion, obviously. ;^^

*resists urge to pimp madly* *fails*

[charliesmum.livejournal.com]

I haven't seen Veronica Mars, and I know it would be a show I like - I just keep forgetting about it. I have to check when it's on and try to watch it one of these days. Alyson Hannigan is going to be on it soon, I understand, so that's cool.

[crossbow1.livejournal.com]

I don't watch the O.C., but when I saw that ad for it showing two women about to kiss, I thought it had "ratings stunt" written all over it.

I didn't like the Xena/Gabrielle thing. They felt like sisters to me. I didn't mind Xena having relationships with othe women, like Lao Mar, but I hated it when the show implied she and Gabrielle were being non-platonic. It grossed me out.

[charliesmum.livejournal.com]

but I hated it when the show implied she and Gabrielle were being non-platonic. that's so funny. I always enjoyed the little hints. I'm weird.

I liked Lao Mar too. You know, if you stop to think about it there were several women in Xena's life that were important - far more than men. Julius Ceasar didn't have a chance.

I miss Xena.

[crossbow1.livejournal.com]

that's so funny. I always enjoyed the little hints. I'm weird.

A lot of people liked that. Not everyone saw them as sisters like I did. But I couldn't help it, they seemed like sisters to me!