Reading The L Word: Outing Contemporary Television (Reading Contemporary Television) [Paperback]

Kim Akass (Editor), Janet McCabe (Editor), Sarah Warn (Introduction)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 30, 2006 | Series: Reading Contemporary Television

As America's first television series about lesbians, The L Word captured national attention when it debuted in 2004, and has continued to make headlines since. The Showtime cable drama about a group of lesbian and bisexual friends in Los Angeles challenges traditional notions of relationships, gender, and sex, and has generated both controversy and devotion within the lesbian community. Contributors write on how the show deals with topics like third-wave feminism, bisexuality, race, glamor, sex, relationships, music, as well as how the series has been marketed to and received by viewers. Also included are interviews with key contributors to the show itself. Throughout, the essays address both humorously and analytically what The L Word says about lesbians--and what lesbians say about The L Word.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Over 20 contributors share their thoughts on The L Word, widely seen as Showtime's lesbian answer to HBO's Sex and the City, and, as expected, opinions vary. Some, like Sarah Warn, appreciate the mere presence of the show for its representation of attractive lesbians living interesting lives in LA. "Love it or hate it," she writes, "this series represents the first-and so far, only-attempt to make lesbians the center of attention." Others, like Samuel Chambers, bristle at its apparently "heteronormative" narrative. Rather than stacking it against, say, Desperate Housewives, he argues, the program should be examined through the prism of queer politics. Not all contributions are so academic, and complaints that the show appears to appeal to the male fantasy of lesbians are outweighed by the endorsement of those who see the show as part of a "golden age of gay TV." Kathy Belge explains why The L Word is sexy, and her unabashedly erotic praise illuminates the subtleties that will likely go over the heads of straight men watching the show for a thrill. Adding to the book's pop culture appeal is an insightful interview with Guinevere Turner, one of the show's writers, who helps fans understand the evolution of the characters and hints to their future trajectory. Fans of the series will appreciate this companion.
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Review

'A must-read book about the must-see lesbian sex drama that everybody loves but some love to hate.' --Jane Feuer 'Interesting and provocative.'- TLS

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Product Details

• Paperback: 280 pages
• Publisher: I. B. Tauris (March 30, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1845111796
• ISBN-13: 978-1845111793
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,103,567 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Deeper Understanding, April 1, 2009

By 

Hernani Jumahat "elementary school teacher" (Singapore) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Reading The L Word: Outing Contemporary Television (Reading Contemporary Television) (Paperback)

This book is for 'The L Word' fans. It helped us to understand the whole concept of our favourite tv show in every angle.

8 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Don't hate us because we are (and only date) pretty lesbians..., March 21, 2008

By 

Hedonist - See all my reviews

This review is from: Reading The L Word: Outing Contemporary Television (Reading Contemporary Television) (Paperback)

This book is overly academic, filled with the type of Ph.D student blah-blah that keeps these types from enjoying ANYTHING that is 'reifying the discursive hegemonic whiteness rather than engaging in postcolonial discourse of the subaltern'...ie, we use huge words to cover up the fact that we are saying very little. Thankfully, some of the contributors write intelligently about the L Word being QUITE subversive. However, there is the usual crap about the L Word pandering to 'straight men' merely because the stars are beautiful. By this false logic, lesbians therefore either: a. like ugly women or b. could care less what women look like. This is ignorant, ridiculous, and actually quite unsubversive, as it assumes that 'lesbian' is not a real sexuality, just a catch-all term for women who aren't 'pretty enough to get a man'. By showing beautiful lesbians, The L Word provides a little education for both ignorant straight men who assume every beautiful woman they see is straight and every ugly woman they see is a lesbian, AND ignorant straight women who call their platonic female friends their 'girlfriends' and exclaim 'but you're both too pretty to be lesbians!" when a pretty couple outs themselves. Luckily, the book is not all lipstick lesbian bashing or academicese, but there is enough of this to bring pause.