A few words about The L Word

The L Word, as glitzy soap operas go, is great television, even though I dislike all of the characters but two--Kit and Alice. (I could almost like Dana, were she not so stupid.) But that's what soap operas are all about, and two characters probably totals two more than I liked in Dallas or Falcon Crest.

It is interesting to me, though, that the two characters I like are straight (Kit, though she has been teetering into a strange, gender-bender world lately) and bisexual (Alice). As for Kit, how could you not like a good-hearted, recovering alcoholic dreamy singer played by Pam Grier, for god's sake? And I like Alice because she faces life with a somewhat level head, is kind to others, and seems to have a healthy self-image.

The other main characters--Bette, Tina, Shane, Dana, the second season-departed barracuda, Marina, and barracuda-in-training Jenny (also bisexual) are a mess. Bette is cold and distant, Tina is submissive and boring. The only stable couple on the show, they have now broken up. Shane is, as Jenny tells her, like "guys I dated in high school"--always ready for the chase, and terrified of the catch. Dana is a professional tennis player, which should appeal to me, but she is naive beyond my capacity to empathize.

The question that troubles me is: Have we reached a point in our culture that we can have a lesbian soap opera--meaning, a show about a group of dysfunctional people--without that appearing to be part of the gays-can't-have-healthy-relationships stereotype?

The answer is: I don't know. Part of me thinks that it is refreshing. Glam up some lesbians and let them be their neurotic selves for our entertainment pleasure. But there is also a bit of nagging doubt about whether we really are ready for The L Word. An argument can be made that people who hate gays aren't watching the show, but what about the thousands of homophobic people who don't hate gays, but, you know, isn't it a shame and all that?

And asking this question leads me to the inevitable question: If gay citizens were allowed to be married and were given their relationships given the same respect as heterosexuals' marriages, would they then have more successful relationships?

I don't know, but my guess is a great big Yes. Not that that says much, given the divorce rate in America.

It will be interesting to see how the characters evolve. Season 2 has just begun, but there are already signs that Jenny is developing a conscience and some insight. I may end up liking her, and since I write fiction, I do empathize with her writing woes.

The use of guest stars on The L Word is to be commended. Rosanna Arquette was on for a while last season, deliciously portraying an L.A. socialite who falls for Shane but goes back to her husband because of his money. The great Ossie Davis played Bette's and Kit's disapproving father. Arianna Huffington guest-starred in another episode, also involving Shane, in which she got to utter the line, "I heard someone say dykes are the new fags." Gloria Steinem, my personal idol, is due to do a guest role next month. And the first two shows of the new season have featured Sandra Bernhard (who was bound to have a guest slot some time or other) as a hard-ass professor of creative writing.

I'm sorry the producers changed the theme song so soon. The old standard, "Love Was Made For You and Me" was perfect for the show's title, and it lent a nice softness to the production.