My Love/Hate Relationship with The L Word
Honestly, I watch The L Word because I have to. I feel conflicted about my dedication to the show, however.
I have watched every
single episode since it began in 2004. I originally tuned in because I
was looking forward to a realistic slice of my own life on the small
screen. I have yet to find that. I don’t know why I keep watching.
No other show in my pop culture history has incensed me to the point of repeatedly screaming at the TV, rolling my eyes and wanting to abandon it altogether. I can’t deny that The L Word is entertaining, but it also gratuitous, exploitive, outrageous and embarrassing at times.
Look, I absolutely love Leisha Hailey as Alice Pieszecki, and we root for Tina and Bette because they are our Jim & Pam, Ross & Rachel, etc. But in my opinion, Mia Kirshner’s Jenny Schecter is quite possibly the most infuriating character on television. Ever. Between you and me, I am crossing my fingers that her new SWF stalker/assistant kills her off (to be fair, I’ve wished for her character to vanish during every single episode and even TiVO fast-forwarded through her scenes from seasons 2-4).
Here is my internal argument, presented by the tiny angel and devil that reside on my shoulders and whisper the following in my ears every Sunday evening as I sit down to watch the damn show…
ANGEL: The L Word is groundbreaking and unique, and it represents you.
DEVIL: No, it represents an unrealistic, glamorous side of the community that I’ve never witnessed, and I’ve lived in both LA and SF. No one I know looks or acts like that.
ANGEL: Not everyone related to characters on Friends either.
DEVIL: This is different. For every 10 versions of Friends or Melrose Place, there was only Queer as Folk and now The L Word.
ANGEL: Imagine the pressure on the creative staff behind The L Word; thousands of women who demand to be represented in some way on the one show that features them.
DEVIL: Throwing in background characters with short hair is a quick fix. They are primarily pandering to the male audience and feeding into widespread stereotypes.
ANGEL: Would you rather watch groups of women hang out and play games in flannel and birkenstocks? It’s a television program, not a reality show.
DEVIL: That’s not fair. But touché.
ANGEL: Your expectations for The L Word are too high and demanding. You should just enjoy the camp, and appreciate that we live in a social climate where a series like this exists and thrives.
So there you have it. Will I continue to watch? I suppose so.
Sigh.