''Sexuality is fluid'' or is it? An analysis of television's The L Word from the perspectives of gender and sexuality

• Authors: Niina Kuorikoski

Title variants

PL

„Seksualność jest płynna” – czy rzeczywiście? Analiza telewizyjnego „The L Word” z perspektywy płci i seksualności

• Languages of publication: EN

Abstracts

EN

North American television series The L Word (USA 2004-present) tells the story of a group of lesbian and bisexual women living in Los Angeles. The current article offers a close reading of the first two seasons of the series, analysing them from the perspectives of both feminist theory and queer theory. It demonstrates that even though the series deconstructs the normative boundaries of both gender and sexuality, it can also be said to maintain the ideals of a heteronormative society. The argument is explored by paying attention to several aspects of the series. These include the series' advertising both in Finland and the United States and the normative femininity of the lesbian characters. In addition, the article aims to highlight the manner in which the series depicts certain characters which can be said to stretch the normative boundaries of gender and sexuality. Through this, the article strives to give a diverse account of the series' first two seasons and further critical discussion of The L Word and its representations.

• Publisher: Uniwersytet Warszawski. Ośrodek Studiów Amerykańskich
• Journal: InterAlia: Pismo poświęcone studiom queer
• Year: 2007
• Issue: 2
• Pages: 11

Dates

published

2007

Contributors

author

Niina Kuorikoski

• Department of English, University of Oulu, Finland

References

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