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September 17, 2007
Searching for Lesbian Dream Girls?
I overheard a co-worker discuss the representation of lesbians in romantic movies/TV shows/ etc, and he felt that lesbians didn't get a fair portrayal. Lesbians were either represented by hetero pop fantasies (the curse of the lipstick lesbians), or portrayed as grunting behemoths. Hetero versions of lesbians aren't likely to be fair and balanced, but do hetero fantasies consist solely of the mythical lipstick lesbian? lesbian dream girls can be pretty hard to define (or find for that matter). Are lesbian fantasies solely limited to scantily-clad underwear models having pillow fights? Lesbian dating sites should give most people a clue, but unfortunately realistic portrayal s of lesbians often fall on deaf ears.
There was a ridiculous Spike Lee movie from a few years ago, entitled She Hate Me. Amongst many other issues that are brought up in this scattershot film, the whole lesbian parenting was brought up, in a truly lewd way (the male hetero protagonist has the "burden" of being paid to have intercourse and impregnate a long line of lesbians). The stupidity of the scenario aside (didn't these people hear of artificial insemination?), it goes without saying that all of the lesbians look like, well, hetero pinup material. Not that certain lesbians don't fit that description, but in the film (and Spike Lee's appraisal) lesbians are just like straight women, except with the added gratification that having sex with them pumps one's virility points through the roof.
I understand that modern romance has led to a certain breakdown of gender roles, but seriously, this was one of the dumber presentations of what it means to be a lesbian in general, and gay parenting in particular. The dating advice guru Dan Savage has said repetadly that gay people having hetero sex is the "in" thing for a growing portion of the gay community, but I'll take Dan's word for it rather than some dumb movie starring Anthony Mackie. I think that if you're gonna go make a movie about some dating trend, let it be about speed dating or something.
Anyway, judging by the chilly atmosphere that greeted She Hate Me during it's theatrical run, it would seem that ridiculous movies dealing with hetero fantasies of lesbians are better suited to the direct-to-DVD circuit (where they can rub shoulders with Silk Stockings 18). We're still going to have to put up with stupid Coors commercials starring romantically inclined twins, but that kind of nonsense doesn't seem to fly when it comes to legitimate films.
Posted by Glen at September 17, 2007 2:26 AM
