Wh 'Generatn Q,' 'The L Word' leav Wt Hollywood for Silver Lake — tracg the changg center of gravy gay L.A.
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WATCHG "THE L WORD" AFTER A DE SHATTERED MY ILLNSIN THE WAKE OF A REBOOT ANNOUNCEMENT, I PARE MY IAL BLISSFUL VIEWG TO MY MORE RECENT CRIL ANALYSIS OF THE SERI’ RETURNG {FONT:NORMAL 800 1.2REM/1.2 "D BOLD",SANS-SERIF;TEXT-TRANSFORM:NORMAL;LOR:HER;DISPLAY:LE-BLOCK;PADDG-BOTTOM:6PX;POSN:RELATIVE;TEXT-TRANSFORM:UPPERSE;}{BACKGROUND:#89308A;BOTTOM:0;NTENT:'';DISPLAY:BLOCK;HEIGHT:2PX;LEFT:0;POSN:ABSOLUTE;RIGHT:0;-WEBK-TRANSN:ALL 0.2S EASE;TRANSN:ALL 0.2S EASE;WIDTH:100%;}{LEFT:51%;RIGHT:51%;WIDTH:0;}{FONT:NORMAL 800 1.2REM/1.2 "D BOLD",SANS-SERIF;TEXT-TRANSFORM:NORMAL;LOR:HER;DISPLAY:LE-BLOCK;PADDG-BOTTOM:6PX;POSN:RELATIVE;TEXT-TRANSFORM:UPPERSE;}{BACKGROUND:#89308A;BOTTOM:0;NTENT:'';DISPLAY:BLOCK;HEIGHT:2PX;LEFT:0;POSN:ABSOLUTE;RIGHT:0;-WEBK-TRANSN:ALL 0.2S EASE;TRANSN:ALL 0.2S EASE;WIDTH:100%;}{LEFT:51%;RIGHT:51%;WIDTH:0;}TVBY BRTANY ASHLEYJULY 14, 2017/12:39 {HEIGHT:HER;DISPLAY:-WEBK-BOX;DISPLAY:-WEBK-FLEX;DISPLAY:-MS-FLEXBOX;DISPLAY:FLEX;POSN:RELATIVE;-WEBK-FLEX-WRAP:WRAP;-MS-FLEX-WRAP:WRAP;FLEX-WRAP:WRAP;-WEBK-ALIGN-EMS:CENTER;-WEBK-BOX-ALIGN:CENTER;-MS-FLEX-ALIGN:CENTER;ALIGN-EMS:CENTER;-WEBK-BOX-PACK:CENTER;-WEBK-JTIFY-NTENT:CENTER;-MS-FLEX-PACK:CENTER;JTIFY-NTENT:CENTER;-WEBK-TRANSFORM-ORIG:CENTER;-MS-TRANSFORM-ORIG:CENTER;TRANSFORM-ORIG:CENTER;} IMG{HEIGHT:100%;WIDTH:100%;OBJECT-F:VER;}{HEIGHT:574PX;WIDTH:1020PX;}BY BRTANY ASHLEYJULY 14, 2017 / 12:39 PM{"@NTEXT":","@TYPE":"NEWSARTICLE","HEADLE":"WATCHG \"THE L WORD\" AFTER A DE SHATTERED MY ILLNS","THUMBNAILURL":","DATEPUBLISHED":"2017-07-14T16:39:44.000+0000","DATEMODIFIED":"2017-07-14T16:39:44.000+0000","IMAGE":{"@NTEXT":","@TYPE":"IMAGEOBJECT","URL":","WIDTH":1920,"HEIGHT":1080},"URL":","THOR":{"@TYPE":"ORGANIZATN","NAME":"LOGO TV"},"MAENTYOFPAGE":{"@TYPE":"WEBPAGE","@ID":"},"PUBLISHER":{"@TYPE":"ORGANIZATN","@ID":","NAME":"LOGO TV","URL":","LOGO":{"@TYPE":"IMAGEOBJECT"}},"CREATOR":"BRTANY ASHLEY","ARTICLESECTN":"TV"}{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}I’D LIKE TO PREFACE THIS POST BY SAYG I WILL NOT BE CLUDG ANY STORYL OM SEASON SIX MY ANALYSIS. THAT SEASON WAS MERELY A CEL JOKE THAT I CHOOSE TO DISREGARD AS A FEVER {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}IN ONE OF THOSE BRIEF BUT BETIFUL “WE GET SHOWTIME FOR THREE WEEKS BEE OF A BLE PROVIR PROMOTN!” STTS AT MY HOE, MY HIGH SCHOOL HETERO EY WERE TRODUCED TO THE L WORD. MY FGERS DANCED ON THE REMOTE AS I WATCHED ABOUT THREE MUT OF WHAT I LATER ME TO KNOW AS SHANE JT BEG SHANE. BUT NIGHTMARE SCENARS POPPED TO MY HEAD THAT ANOTHER FAY MEMBER WOULD SEE THE SHOW THE “RECENTLY WATCHED” SECTN OF THE ON DEMAND FEATURE—AND I’D DIE OF EMBARRASSMENT. (IN RETROSPECT, NOBODY WOULD HAVE RED, BUT I WAS HIGH SCHOOL AND EVERYTHG WAS DRAMATIC.){BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}WHEN I WAS 20, LIVG CHIGO AND SOMEHOW MORE FANCIALLY STABLE THAN I AM TODAY, I CID TO TAKE THE PLUNGE TO THE SERI. I HAD BLE THE FORT OF MY OWN BEDROOM SO MY ON DEMAND CHOIC WERE NO LONGER FLUENCED BY SHAME. WHAT EEDOM! AT THIS POT, I HAD JT GOTTEN OUT OF MY FIRST RELATNSHIP WH A WOMAN. IT WAS THRILLG THAT ABSOLUTELY-TUMULTUO-AND-MIGHT-KILL-YOU SORT OF WAY. SIARLY, I HAD GONE TO A FEW GAY BARS WHERE I FELT EQUALLY AS OUT OF PLACE AS I FELT LIBERATED. MY FIRST AND MOST NOTABLE BAR EXPERIENCE VOLVED TWO LBIANS THEIR 40S WHO WERE ON THE CHIGO ROLLER RBY TEAM (I DIDN’T ASK, BUT THEY OFFERED THAT TIDB) WHO TOLD ME MY HAIR WAS TOO LONG FOR ME TO BE GAY, THEREFORE I SHOULD LEAVE. OH, SUCH FUN TO REVIS OLD MEMORI!{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}DURG MY FIRST IAL WATCH OF THE SERI, I WAS SO HOOKED, WAS AS IF I HAD VENTED BGE-WATCHG. LOS ANGEL SEEMED LIKE HEAVEN; I WANTED TO DRK TEA LATT THE SUN AND GAB ABOUT MY SEXUAL NQUTS TO MY EQUALLY POOR CISN-MAKG IENDS. (OF URSE, I ULD’VE JT DONE THAT CHIGO HAD I JT MA MORE QUEER IENDS.) BASILLY, MY TAKE ON THE SERI WAS RATHER SIMPLE: I LIKE THIS! WOW, THAT WAS A LOT OF SEX! WHY DID SHANE ONLY WEAR GLASS FOR ONE SEASON?{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}I RECENTLY CID TO REWATCH THE L WORD, A AFTER MY FIRST VIEWG NCLUD, JT TO SOOTHE A LTLE LGERG TWGE. THOUGH MY IAL WATCH WAS ONE FILLED WH FEELGS OF PASSAGE RG, NOCENCE, AND WONRG ABOUT SHANE’S MOMENTARY SPELL WH GLASS, MY RECENT WATCH WAS CERTALY ONE OF {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}WH THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE SERI REBOOT JT THIS WEEK, FANS WERE EXTRA PLEASED TO SEE THAT THREE OF THE RE CHARACTERS WOULD BE RETURNG: SHANE, ALICE, AND BETTE. THOUGH I TLY ADMIRE ALL THREE ACTRS THAT HELM THE ROL, MY REWATCH HAS TATED MY ILLN OF THE CHARACTERS WHO NEVER REALLY SEEMED TO {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}LET’S START WH ALICE (PLAYED BY LEISHA HAILEY, ABOVE). THROUGHOUT THE FIRST FEW SEASONS, SHE WAS MY FAVORE CHARACTER. BUT AS TIME PROGRSED, HER ONCE LIKABLE AND ENTERTAG TRAS BEME HER DOWNFALL; SHE SEEMED PABLE OF CHANGG THEM. WHEN SHE MEETS TASHA, WE ASSUME THAT THIS GOSSIP-OBSSED POT-STIRRER WHOSE LIVELIHOOD IS BUILT ON EXPOSG OTHERS SEXUAL PARTNERS, WOULD EVENTUALLY MELLOW OUT AND MATURE. BUT EVEN DATG THE MOST TELLIGENT, MORAL, AND RATNAL CHARACTER ON THE ENTIRETY OF THE SHOW ULDN’T KEEP ALICE OM OUTG A CLOSETED ATHLETE OR RISKG THE SUCCS OF LEZ GIRLS BY OUTG NIKKI STEVENS, JT FOR A JOB AT THE LOOK. AND HER MULTIPLE TRANSPHOBIC REMARKS TOWARDS MAX MA MY SK {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}ASI OM NOT UNRSTANDG SHANE’S CHOICE TO WEAR GLASS FOR JT THE ONE YEAR, ONE THG I’LL NEVER FULLY GRASP ABOUT SHANE (PLAYED BY KATHERE MOENNIG, ABOVE) IS SIMPLY WHY SHE ULDN’T CHANGE. THE CHARMG, SOMETIM GLASS-WEARG LOTHAR, HAD THREE MAJOR RELATNSHIPS THROUGHOUT THE SERI. ALL THREE WERE WH SMART, STRONG-WILLED WOMEN. HOWEVER SHANE SOMEHOW N’T SEEM TO KICK HER “THG”—SHE’S WORRIED THAT HER “TE SELF” WILL STROY A RELATNSHIP EVENTUALLY, SO RATHER THAN WA FOR THAT, SHE SABOTAG RELATNSHIPS WHEN THGS ARE SEEMGLY AT THEIR BT. SHE LEAV CARMEN AT THE ALTAR AND BREAKS UP WH PAIGE AFTER THEY LOOK AT AN APARTMENT TOGETHER. BUT PERHAPS THE SADST BREAK-UP TO WATCH WAS WH MOLLY (NOT BEE I LIKED MOLLY MORE BEE HELLO CARMEN) BUT BEE MOLLY ULD SEE RIGHT THROUGH SHANE. AFTER SHANE DO ONE OF HER FAMO YOU-GO-GET-A-DRK-AT-THE-BAR-WHILE-I-H-ON-THIS-PERSON--ONT-OF-YOU MOV, MOLLY DON’T TRY TO MAKE WORK. SHE DON’T GET ANGRY OR UPSET, BUT RATHER, MOLLY FEELS BAD FOR SHANE BEE SHE KNOWS THE SAD TTH ABOUT SHANE: SHANE WILL ALWAYS BE THE WAY OF SHANE’S {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}AS FOR BETTE (PLAYED BY JENNIFER BEALS, ABOVE), SHE HAD ALL THE MAKGS OF A CHARACTER I’D ADMIRE: SUCCSFUL, TOUGH, AND GREAT HAIR. HOWEVER, MY REWATCH OPENED MY EY TO SOMETHG I DIDN’T FULLY GRASP OR HAVE THE LANGUAGE FOR BEFORE: BETTE WAS UNNIABLY EMOTNALLY ABIVE TO EVERYONE SHE DATED. AND FELT {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}WHEN I WAS 20, I HAD JT FALLY PULLED THE PLUG ON THE ON-AND-OFF AGA EMOTNALLY ABIVE RELATNSHIP I WAS . IT’S ACTUALLY QUE FTG THAT THE SAME SUMMER I WATCHED TA GET BACK TOGETHER WH BETTE ON MY TV SCREEN SEASON FIVE (AGA, THE FAL SEASON MY OPN), I HAD GOTTEN BACK TOGETHER FOR THE LAST TIME WH MY ABIVE EX REAL LIFE. LIKE TA, I TOO HAD TRIED TO MOVE ON TO HEALTHIER PROSPECTS BUT EVABLY GOT SUCKED BACK TO A BLACKHOLE OF MANIPULATN AND BAD-FOR-YOU SEX. THERE WAS NO WONR I HATED BETTE. I FUCKG DATED {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}AS THE SERI PROGRS, WE WATCH BETTE MAKE SELFISH, LCULATED, AND EPLY PAFUL CHOIC THAT PROMISE HER RELATNSHIPS. HOWEVER ’S NOT JT MERELY WHAT SHE DO THAT MAK HER ABIVE, BUT HOW SHE DO THEM. SHE GASLIGHTS HER PARTNERS, PARTICULARLY WHEN SHE’S BEG UNFAHFUL. SHE PROJECTS. SHE LACKS PASSN FOR HER PARTNERS AND DISRPECTS THEM. SHE MANIPULAT TO GET WHAT SHE WANTS AND TO REMA NTROL. SHE SEEMS TO ALWAYS HAVE ULTERR MOTIV. BUT SPE ALL OF THIS, ULTIMATELY, SHE NEVER FELT THE HARSH BURN OF ACUNTABILY BEE TA GOT BACK TOGETHER WH HER THE END AND HER IENDS RARELY HELD HER {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}WE WERE MEANT TO BELIEVE THAT BETTE AND TA’S STORYLE WAS THE MAJOR LOVE STORY OF THE SERI, BOTH BEE OF THE AMOUNT OF SCREEN TIME DITED TO THE TWO BUT ALSO BEE AT THE END OF THE SERI (AHEM, SEASON FIVE FALE) THE OTHER MA CHARACTERS PRACTILLY STATE THAT VERBATIM. BUT WERE WE SUPPOSED TO BELIEVE THIS “LOVE STORY” WAS NORMAL, HEALTHY AND SOMETHG TO ROOT FOR? OR WAS SUPPOSED TO POT OUT THAT WE, AS THE DIENCE, WERE ALL SMMED BY BETTE’S ARTFUL CHARM?{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}WHETHER WAS TENTNAL OR NOT, MY MAJOR TAKEAWAY OM THE RE-WATCH WAS THAT ALICE, SHANE, AND BETTE ULTIMATELY REMAED {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}GROWTH IS AN SENTIAL PART OF BEG HUMAN, WHICH IS WHY WAS THE GROWTH OF THE SI CHARACTERS THAT MA THE SHOW MOST ENJOYABLE TO WATCH THE SEND TIME AROUND. IN MY FANTASY REBOOT, I’D GLADLY WATCH AN ENTIRE SERI WHERE TASHA, HELENA, MAX, AND PHYLLIS ARE THE {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;CLEAR:BOTH;}{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;MARG:0 TO;WIDTH:90%;M-WIDTH:288PX;MAX-WIDTH:1440PX;M-HEIGHT:194PX;}LATT NEWS
”Photo: Courty of Everett/ShowtimeJacquele Toboni (actor, Sarah Fley, The L Word: Generatn Q): Shane was the only non-femme ma character, and seeg her have ternal stggl that weren’t jt about beg gay was so important to queer kids. Whether you're gay, or you're straight, or you're bisexual, you jt go wh the flow. Shane has known she is gay sce she was eight years old, when she had a csh on a girl named Tiffany Gardner who lived down the street.
[24] Durg this time, Shane was mistaken for a guy thanks to her androgyno looks, [24][17] and she was only willg to give hand jobs no matter how much her gay male ctomers offered to pay. She buys and turns to a lol gay bar, "Dana's", puttg Ts and Lena charge. An openly gay public figure, she’s never one to shy away om discsg her sexualy or many other hot button issu.
Created by wrer/producer Ilene Chaiken (Barb Wire, Empire), The L Word was the early ghts’ lbnic answer to Showtime’s gay male drama, Queer as Folk. In one relatable gture, The L Word boiled down the unique, ternnected sence of queer social works: that whether by dalliance or LTR, by fellow hometown gay or elive IG follow—everybody knows everybody.