Is anyone excited about “The Real L Word”?
I’m conflicted.
I was a die hard fan of the original series. Ilene Chaiken is one of my role models. But from the previews of the real L word, I’m left a little less-then-hyped about it.
I know this is going to sound extremely bitchy of me, but I’m just going to be honest. I was hoping the cast was going to be smokin’ hot. Yes, they’re an attractive group of women. But from the little previews that I have seen, it almost seems like they chose the cast based more on financial success then maybe, oh I don’t know …. sex appeal???
I don’t know about you, but I would much rather follow around a group of hot, sexy bartenders, go-go dancers and starving artists that are trying to make it big in LA and watch the drama that always seems to follow people like that. Then watch a group of already successful, mildly attractive women who have gorgeous houses for the camera crew to set up in.
Honestly I’m really curious how much played into who was cast for this new series, based on how much money they made? I guess they think power lesbians are more interesting then struggling artists.
I know I’m totally jumping the gun and may have to eat my words after the show comes out. Who knows I may love it. I probably will, I’m a sucker for gay girls.
Sasha they already have a show dedicated to starving, drama filled lesbos. It’s called Gimmie Sugar. I for one would like to see real role models for normal, successful lesbians. The world needs to know that lesbians can be sexy without being the traditional idea of attractive.
Raye, I totally forgot about that show! I guess you’re right.
What can I say? Every once in a while, I’m a bit shallow. At least when it comes to television.
I do want to see it. I’m just not super stoked about it yet.
The original L Word portrayed successful women, didn’t it? Maybe they were trying to find “real life” women to fill parallel roles. They all look very femme, though. No butch representation, which I think is very realistic for a supposed reality show. I agree with you though, From what I’ve seen so far, I just don’t see myself caring about these people.
*isn’t very realistic*
Rexie, you’re right … BUT I didn’t see any *Max*-like character or *Shane-ish character ….. I would be more into it if there were more gender queer and/or butch girls on the cast.
But of course you would be! hehehehe Seriously though, I think that Chaiken was trying to hint at us the enormous assbaggery that goes on in Hollywood when it comes to portraying lesbians when she made the producers of Jenny’s movie insist that the main character go back to her boyfriend so as not to alienate straight male viewers and make it a “lesbian” film. Less viewers equals less money and a no go from the bean counters. Therefore, Hollywood does not really give a shit what turns lesbians on in a lesbian show. We are too much of a minority. They still want to make it marketable to straight people and straight people hate butchies…. by and large.
I also wish they had some starving artists, go go dancers and the like on the show. They ARE trying to copy the original though which for the most part was full of successful women. I guess the Real L Word is about successful women who work in the entertainment business (since more than half of them seem to). I guess it’s a different show to see the “regular” lesbians of LA…
I agree – more diversity would make this show a lot more appealing to me. Where are the butches, gender non-conformists, black women and curvy girls? I can’t relate to this show at all! I wonder if there were any lesbians on the casting committee? Oh well.
ALSO: what is with that ridiculous billboard?
I agree with Raye in that Hollywood tries to appeal to a wider audience than just a lesbian base. The original L Word even went soft on their butches. Max and Shane were token, I think. Maybe in this reality series, they will show the femme cast having involvements with butchies, but even then, it is a shame they will be peripheral and not main characters.
“Maybe in this reality series, they will show the femme cast having involvements with butchies, but even then, it is a shame they will be peripheral and not main characters.”
God, I have this horrible vision of the show’s producers intervening with a cast member the moment she even thinks about dating a butch. “Uhhh, yeah, honey, we know you THINK you have chemistry with this dyke, but we’re going to have to cut your scenes back if this is the material you’re bringing to us.”
*YAWN!* I’m really glad I don’t have Showtime and even if I did I’d skip this show all together. I mean really, it’s just pathetic. Where is the variety?
I saw a giant billboard for this show off the freeway followed by one for Toy Story 3 — I was MUCH more excited for Toy Story 3.
Give me a show where lesbians juggle 2 or more jobs living paycheck to paycheck, come in various shapes and sizes all while dating whomever they choose: butch, femme, boi, genderqueer, etc.
The girls from the cast appeared at LA Pride on Sunday – they seem pretty cool – Check out this video: http://ourscenetv.com/posts/393/the-real-l-word-cast-invades-la-pride
L.A. gay girls aren’t into butches that much, which is probably why they are not represented in large numbers in these L.A. centric shows. As a girl who has lived in L.A. most of her life and in the lesbian scene most of that (30 years at this point), the butches are not at the forefront of the culture here. The whole Shane L Word thing struck me as the most inaccurate part of that show. The character Shane would not be considered hot in L.A. or have all the women fawning over her. A real life Shane would be seen as an eccentric, quirky, skateboarding, art chick from Silverlake to the lesbians of WeHo. The “player” here would be more of a Tina, a Bette, an Alice, even a Tasha… just about all the other women on that show represented what would be catnip to the L.A. lesbian. Shane was the furthest from that, although attractive in her own way.
As for the real L Word having successful lesbians with lives, the producers probably thought they would be deeper and more interesting with more fascinating stuff going on than say what has been portrayed in shows like Curl Girls and Gimme Sugar… which represents very young women with limited world experience and not very developed personalities. I watched those shows fleetingly because it wasn’t interesting… the women were too undeveloped in their lives, ways of relating. It was kinda like watching a show of 12 year olds interacting at school. Boring to someone who has moved beyond that stage in their life. That’s why I don’t watch the Disney Channel or Nickelodeon or those shows.