Posts Tagged ‘Television’

Bidding Farewell to the L Word – The Last Word

// March 8th, 2009 // 3 Comments » // All things LGBT

“I certainly hope that it leaves them wanting more. I’m not intending to wrap everything up with a neat little bow!”

Finale Special (Not the episode)

Fans remain disgruntled with the poor storylines and choppy scenes of the last season (and especially the last episode) of the L Word. Was Ilene Chaiken trying to go out on such a bad note just so to make it easier on us to say ‘goodbye?’ It didn’t help — a crime mystery centered around ‘Who Killed Jenny?’ who is an alter-ego for the writer is quite meta as in ‘Who killed the L Word?’ (Answer: Ilene Chaiken), but not particularly intriguing given that by the time it was close to be over, we all wanted to kill Jenny (And I have wanted to kill her since I was barely 18 and legal). The entire sixth season was about providing a launching pad for The Farm — the new series that serves as a spin-off for the L Word, which is based in prison and much darker. The legacy of the L word though, is in the 69 other episodes and the 6 glorious years, which comes as the end of an era for women around the world who were so hooked to this show.

Critics may not be able to comprehend that the ladies on the show are not supposed to be representative of the whole lesbian community — that is actually not possible, but rather, represented a small community of lesbians in West Hollywood who are glamorous, chic, sophisticated and more concerned about their hair and makeup than Prop 8 (the measure actually won in LA County). The show was surprisingly slammed for it’s lack of diversity but what other television program has a bi-racial, 40-something, straight and married woman as the ‘gay for pay’ lead? However, we aren’t trying to build diversity through tokenism. As the show continued, we dropped ‘identity-politics’ in favor of ‘identifying’ with the characters as we discovered that L stands for love no matter who we are. I identified with Bette Porter more than anyone else and we are miles apart in terms of ’social categories.’

Not anywhere near perfect, the groundbreaking show helped thousands of women all over the world come out of the closet, live strongly and freely and feel like part of a community. It gave our straight friends a ‘reference point’ for what lesbian life and culture is all about. More than anything, it taught us to be utterly unapologetic of our gayness. Jennifer Lewis sums it well in the Examiner:

The L Word will be greatly missed by a lot of people. Never before in television history has a show spoke to the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community like this one has. The show will certainly go down in history.

There are themes that could have been better explored and with much more sensitivity. Dropping the ball on Alice’s (Leisha Hailey) bisexuality was one of the more irresponsible things that the show did given that there is a serious need to not stereotype bisexuality as a transition phase. The FTM character played by Daniela Sea, turned out to be more of a ‘token’ inclusion than a real exploration of issues surrounding transgenderism especially with the pregnant man storyline. Shane’s (Kate Moenning) lothario ways should at least have come with a ‘public service announcement’ of safe-sex.  In the last season, we get our first Asian-American character (Jamie played by Mei Melancon) with a substantial storyline, who is somehow stripped of her ‘Asian-American’ culture, save for her physical features. While Rose Rollin’s (Tasha) ‘angry black lesbian’ character gives us a lot to talk about in terms of racial issues and DADT in the military, the rich, complex and luminous character–Bette Porter (Jennifer Beals)–could have gifted us a great lee-way into a more political sphere, but we never really get there. Political messages, besides were instead delivered as soundbites and with a subtlety that is telling of our WeHO community: How much do we really care?

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The Last Season of the L Word But L is for Longevity not Last

// November 19th, 2008 // No Comments » // All things LGBT

This weekend at the L5 Convention, Jennifer Beals and Laurel Holloman announced that they would really like to see an L Word movie and we could bring it to fruition by flooding Amy Baer at CBS films with emails. Well, trust the loyal fans to have taken it upon themselves to launch this.

I would have cared less before but I am hoping that this one would be called “The L Word – The Wedding” as a homage to defeating Prop 8 whether it takes a couple months or couple years. How does everyone else like this idea?

What will cable and premium television be like ‘life after L?’ We have LOGO — Our very own LGBT programming channel that is unfortunately available only on a more expensive subscription package. As for cable television, the producer of Desperate Housewives has finally had some freedom to rein in ‘gay couples’ and (straight) LGBT icon Gale Harold as a lead on his show. That seems to be going well. LGBT characters are getting more prevalent with shows like Degrassi, Brothers and Sisters, Battlestar Galactica, though the women are de-sexualized while the men are hyper-sexualized (that might be different for Will and Grace where the gay men were devoid of sexuality).

The future of unapologetic gay-programming still seems quite bright with premium networks like Showtime that orginally launced Queer As Folk and own the L word franchise. Next up, we have a gay super-hero series called Hero for Showtime. While it has been a secret desire of mine to see Jennifer Beals in tights as Batwoman (who is a lesbian) and that might get fulfilled in some fan-fic, this one should serve the ones missing Queer As Folk action on our television.

And Leisha Hailey — our own renaissance woman — is getting her own L word spin-off show post L-word.

Follow these links for gay and lesbian entertainment news.

Why do I care about LGBT representation on the idiot box? It’s absolutely important for young LGBT adolsecents and adults to have positive representations of themselves in the media while they grow up in a homophobic and heterosexual world. It truly makes a difference in terms of self-worth and actually has redeeming educational value at times — Take it from me.

People can vote away our civil rights and liberties but how would they stop the queering–the increased presence of LGBT characters and programming–on American television that serves as an avenue to legitimate the existence of LGBT life?

We are here to stay.

EU putting an end to ’sexist adverts’

// September 7th, 2008 // No Comments » // Anti-Capitalism, Gender

I don’t know how I feel about this. Are we going to get women bodybuilders as opposed to men, commercials about Viagra with women, and male models in facial cosmetic adverts? That would be a nice change, it may actually spark conversation about the social construction of gender.

At the same time, there is a “free speech” consideration, a danger of becoming too ‘politically-correct.’ Who gets to determine what constitutes a ’sexist advert’ and what does not? Should a ‘brand name’ not have the right to market its products using gender stereotypes if it wants to? Is it not up to us to reject these stereotypes instead of government regulation doing the critical thinking for us?

I suppose any ‘ban’ on advertising is probably a good one in my book. In a ‘free market,’ the sales of goods and services are supposed to correlate with supply and demand, not consumer manipulation via simulation on the idiot box. Of course, companies will argue that advertisement is a way of spreading word and putting out information about their products, but if a product is good, does it really need to be artificially ’sold’ to the consumer?

I don’t have the answer. I shall wait to see how this one plays out.

London: Advertisements that use sex to sell or promote gender stereotypes could be banned by the EU. Members of European Parliament want TV regulators in the EU to set guidelines which would see the end of anything deemed to portray women as sex objects or reinforce gender stereotypes, reported the Telegraph.
This could potentially mean an end to attractive women advertising perfume.
Such classic adverts as the Diet Coke commercial featuring the bare-chested builder, or Wonderbra’s Hello Boys featuring model Eva Herzigova would have been banned.
The new rules come in a report by the EU’s women’s rights committee. Swedish MEP Eva-Britt Svensson urged Britain and other members to use existing equality, sexism and discrimination laws to control adverts.
Svensson said: “Gender stereotyping in advertising straitjackets women, men, girls and boys by restricting individuals to predetermined and artificial roles that are often degrading, humiliating and dumbed down for both sexes.” AGENCIES

Does it ever f***ing stop?

// July 22nd, 2008 // No Comments » // Site Updates

(Anyone recognize the familiar subject line–LOL?)

I realized I haven’t blogged in a while and am missed by some. I don’t know where to begin–each time I turn around something idiotic is happening. I am tired of documenting stories about government authorities going after our fellow students and migrant workers. Men, women and children, who are simply trying to make a living, are being used as a distraction to the very real problems plaguing this country. I cannot believe how many times we look for convenient scapegoats instead of trying to understand the deeper, more complex intricacies of a problem.

It is unbelievable how so many Americans continue to fall for wanton distractions created by the mechanisms and technologies of power over and over again, ignoring the very real problems plaguing us–neo-liberalism, war, hunger and poverty, global warming, all of which are much more pressing and problematic than a librarian in Massachusetts working with a fake social security number and paying taxes.

Then on my Indian Television satellite, people are clamoring and raising havoc about a seduction theme on some dance show so I tuned in to watch and YAWN. I swear, when are people going to stop repressing expressions of sexuality (and it was really nothing compared to what we usually watch)! It is no wonder that I feel so excluded and marginalized from the Indian community at times–why is the culture that gave the world the Kama Sutra complaining about seduction scenes?!!!

My schedule is getting rather taxing with LSAT review classes and football practice, not to mention the extra hours I spend at the gym. I do plan to make loads of updates very soon though. To sign off on a positive note, today was the first time I could finally turn my palm up without much pain — my hand is actually close to healing, about time–and I cried with joy and relief for a while! It has been a majorly depressing 4 months as I struggled with this injury, having to travel with a broken bone to Boston for a conference, and struggle to do basic things like write or hold a toothbrush.

Indian women will appear as exotic nurses in an American mini web series of 50 episodes.

// July 7th, 2008 // No Comments » // Desi-Indian

Can I say, Finally? It is too that most of Hollywood does not portray women in a positive light. I can already hear protests all the way from the regressive people of India who cannot even take the new modernized version of the Mahabharata without thinking of the “good ole days.” Psssssssssssst.

Oh, “exotic nurses?” Please. What on earth is that supposed to mean?


The series’ being produced by a California-based production company named ‘Big Fantastic’ is a prequel to best-selling author Robin Cook’s latest medical thriller, Foreign Body, which is centres n medical tourism in India.

Its producers have revealed that the novel’s storyline will pick up from where the web series ends on August 4.

As regards its plot, the producers have revealed that the women are taken in by a group of “young, cut throat medical entrepreneurs who hope to train them and cultivate their nursing skills for their own mysterious ends.”

Cook has himself supplied the outline for the prequel, the episodes of which have been filmed in Los Angeles and Delhi.

Cast member Rachna Khatau has revealed that she is playing a free-spirited Indian woman named Samira Patel, who grabs an opportunity to chase the American dream.

She admits that her character “gets a little wild” when she tastes the freedom offered in America.

Shamita Dasgupta, who heads the New Jersey-based South Asian women’s rights group, Manavi, says that the series promises a “parade of scantily clad brown bodies of Indian women”.

“As an immigrant from India and a feminist activist in the South Asian American community, my first reaction is to say, hurray, at least I will get to see some faces that look like me. Also, I rejoice that a few Indian actors are getting visible jobs,” the BBC quoted her as saying.

Her second reaction was, however, more guarded.

“Here we go again, I say. Historically, Hollywood portrayed Asian women as mysterious, bizarre and strange and contributed a lot to their being perceived as such. Now, Indian women are being exoticised and presented as sneaky murderous intrigue-mongers,” she said.

“The ‘Indian’ characters in Foreign Body are nurses, who are as far away from any care-giving mission or characteristics as possible. These women will be unleashed in the US to wreak havoc in the health care community and perhaps even in the system. Could this be a sign of the dominant community’s palpable alarm at the increasing health care tourism to India? Most likely,” she added.

Another actress Pranidhi Varshney, who portrays a girl born and raised in India in the series, said that she did not have any qualms about playing a “sexy Indian nurse”.

Both Khatau and Varshney said that their families had been supportive of their new roles.

Khatau, who claims that her parents have not missed a single episode of the show, said that the producers had the option of converting the project into a film.

Though Varshney and Khatau have not read any of Robin Cook’s books, they are eagerly awaiting his latest thriller.

Published by HT Syndication with permission from Asian News International.

Queer TV Series Looking for a Home

// February 9th, 2008 // 1 Comment » // All things LGBT

A pilot has been shot for a TV series starring queer people of color, quite unprecedented in diversity. It is being pitched as Melrose Place + L Word + 227. Nisha Ganatra plays a young woman coming out. Check it out, especially if you know anyone in the TV biz, or if you/your organization might want to arrange a screening of the pilot.

http://dontgotheseries.com/

Initial observations – While it packs more reality and diversity than the glamorous and glitzy L Word or any other pathetic excuse for a queer show, it lacks just that to be picked up by a major TV network. The project would have been more successful as an independent feature film, but it is worth a shot!