Tonight on Showtime’s pre-game show before the grand finale of The L Word, actor Laurel Holloman (“Tina Kennard”) said she would tell her children, “It will be a different world for them, and this [show] will be a little piece of that change.”
“Groundbreaking” is perhaps the most overused word associated with media coverage of The L Word. It was not in fact the first show to portray lesbians on television. The first lesbian kiss happened back in 1991 on LA Law. Queer As Folk preceded the lovely ladies on Showtime, and even included a few lesbians of its own. Still, a show by, for, and about lesbians was indeed new territory back in 2004.
The show garnered criticism for not representing “real” lesbians; for not portraying [insert your favorite] aspect of the LGBT community. It gathered a more mainstream audience than even Queer As Folk, however, and it is not beyond reason to give it credit for helping to change some people’s minds for the better about the LGBT community.
What are your thoughts about the impact of The L Word, both on the LGBT community itself and the wider community around us? Has it indeed cleared the way for other positive, realistic portrayals of LGBT life, or are those stories yet to be written? What aspects of LGBT life would you most want to see in a new series, or worked into existing shows?
Finally, for the fans: What did you think of the way the series ended?
I personally thought the ending was horrably written. They left so much in the air after giving the notion they would tell how Jenny. I don’t think the LWord has a really good relaistic approach but it does broaden more about lesbians.