Comments on: Queer TV #1

By: sarah

sarah — Sat, 22 Oct 2005 17:37:53 +0000

I agree with your comments about the whole problem about which positions of sexuality one ascribes to, or does not, or does not articulate, or choose to articulate etc.
I think that QAF (and The L Word, for that matter) is a really important program as that, even what it may or may not microcosmically ‘do’ or not ‘do’, it is providing a ‘Selley’s No More Gaps’ to certain cultural economics which may not ordinarily be met. This is not to say that it is filling the ‘gaps’ (oh so Irigaray-ian!) in totality, however, no cultural studies practitioner - I daresay, or shall I say (LOL), would say that… or, would they:”??????

By: Mel

Mel — Thu, 20 Oct 2005 03:34:18 +0000

I was acutely interested in the first part of your post, because I have been recently been trying to reconfigure my ideas of friendship and ways of relating to others. But then I have never watched either QAF or The L Word and I have never really done much research in gender studies, so my thinking on these topics will no doubt be retarded.

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By: jean

jean — Wed, 19 Oct 2005 00:37:22 +0000

Mark: more relevant for counter-example purposes might be Shane’s shady background as a street hustler, around which the show somehow avoided QAF-style diegetic deliberation among the characters - there were amusing scenes were predatory gay men mistook her for fresh bait, but otherwise there was barely a batted eyelid, even though this “past” is arguably meant to be read as part cause of Shane’s emotional “damage” - damage which will eventually be healed by Real Woman Love. Just imagine QAF handling that one.

P.S. Az, well said. Would also note that Bette is the closest the L Word gets to butch (i.e. she makes money for the little woman at home, is Busy and Important, and wears pant suits) in its regular cast (apart from that there are occasional ring-in extras with bad haircuts in the background of nightclub and dyke resort scenes, as well as a certain predatory attorney)

By: Mark Bahnisch

Mark Bahnisch — Tue, 18 Oct 2005 14:14:03 +0000

The L Word, yay!

Aside from the haircuts, who can forget Lacey’s leaflet campaign against Shane or Lisa the Lesbian-identified man?

By: Az

Az — Tue, 18 Oct 2005 12:42:25 +0000

I used to like QAF, mainly because it’s the only TV show that even got anywhere near explicit — and sexy — queer sex, at least until Six Feet Under. But as it became clear that the politics of the show were overwhelmingly liberal and ‘commodified-subversive’, I had to stop watching it. Glen makes a good point: Brian’s seeming radicality is only radical because he’s affluent, and ‘perfectly’ beautiful. He’s railing against suburbification now? The posterboy of queer gentrification?

And the token dyke couple’s monogamous, lovey-dovey ickiness just made me want to vomit. (Particularly when thei relationship dynamic also works as a weird anti-butch narrative: Mel is the hard-nosed bitch, the suspicious, yuppie ‘traditionalist’, who’s as close as QAF will ever get to featuring a butch lesbian; Lindsay’s all femme and sweet and good, oppressed by her woman-husband. Ugh.) My breaking-point was when they tried to get their spawn on the waiting-list for a private school… The L Word, yay! (Watch while I back-pedal furiously when Tina and Bette on the L Word have the discussion about waiting-lists, schooling and so on. No, I reckon Bette will homeschool her children — such a control freak.)

Iâ€šÃ„Ã´ve found the subplot around Lindsayâ€šÃ„Ã´s affair pretty painful to watch. Not the least because I know a lot of people who would probably take Melâ€šÃ„Ã´s position: utter disbelief; a feeling of profound betrayal; incomprehension. It seems blasphemous in the framework our society is built on but I guess I need to believe that there could be a world where people can be a little more forgiving of the Lindsays.

That world exists, absolutely. I’m in it. And it’s no better, really — people find other stuff to whinge about, if they’re so inclined

By: Kim

Kim — Tue, 18 Oct 2005 10:42:16 +0000

This thread has set a trend!

See Moment to Moment and LP.

Ps - interesting post, Mel! If I wasn’t so tired, I’d say something responsive!

By: Mark Bahnisch

Mark Bahnisch — Tue, 18 Oct 2005 07:08:14 +0000

Well, at any rate, we could be the subset of the chattering classes whose fashionable Kaffeeklatsch attire is sourced from internet threads…

By: jean

jean — Tue, 18 Oct 2005 07:01:16 +0000

actually, it was more a response to verbosity in general. i sometimes get the feeling we just all talk soooooooo much!

By: Mark Bahnisch

Mark Bahnisch — Tue, 18 Oct 2005 06:44:05 +0000

Jean

That might catch on as the new mode of blog stoushing.

In this spirit, I offer response to anon.

Mel

Thanks!

Of course, sbs has also been infected with the WorkChoice virus of late!