bunheads: in hopes of a lesbian storyline
I ADORE Bunheads. Its funny, poignant, sad, witty and makes the Bechdel Test look outdated. There are just so many lady characters!! Talking to each other! With names!! Aside from the lack of racial diversity (which is indeed an issue), its one of the most unproblematic shows on television right now (though I will also add that the concept of a "large" body on this show is skewed When the issue of queer representation on television is discussed, the contemporary focus is on gay relations between men (usually white men), leaving out the experiences of queer women. I realize change is a painfully slow process, but with the increase in m/m romantic relationships growing on tv (90210, Glee, Smash, Revenge, AHS, True Blood, Gossip Girl, to name a few). And while this is great progress and work still needs to be done so that these men are main protagonists and not always white, the fact remains that male relations easily outnumber the lesbian relationships we see on tv. Heck, its been 10 years since Buffy the Vampire Slayer's beautiful Willow/Tara OTP. For f/f romantic relationships on tv right now, I can think of a handful of shows.... Glee, Pretty Little Liars, Degrassi, The Good Wife....there needs to be more. And this is where Bunheads has a unique opportunity. A show dedicated to telling the stories of women in a female-centric community, should be telling the stories of queer women. The show is already undermining so many of the systemic ideas of what sells as television, why not push the envelope a little further and explore this too. I don't want an 'experimental' episode where one of the girls has lesbian feelings but then by the end of the episode returns to her heteronormative default. I want a genuine exploration of young women exploring their feelings for one another....and how beautiful would a romantic dance scene look?! The characters for this are Boo + Sasha. They clearly have some unresolved tension between them and the chemistry between the actors is fantastic. This isn't a case of me wearing slash-goggles, but instead realizing the potential of two characters on a unique show. If either Sasha or Boo was male, this storyline would already be in the works I expect. Sasha clearly has issues to deal with (and the show is suggesting that Michelle will become a mentor for her), but it would also be fantastic to see how she grows up and pushes through her drama with the support of someone who loves her....in addition to her galpals. It would also be great (not to mention incredibly subversive) for Boo, the "larger" dancer to be depicted as not only having a sexual identity (and being desirable) but also for her to be queer. So Bunheads....get on that. *note: I didn't even get around to talking about gender-fluid queer identities/relationships. These are important viewpoints and stories that are also in need of accurate representation on television. crossposted at thefeministfangirl.com