I just realized that "The L Word" totally reinforces negative stereotypes against bisexuals. I guess I just can't stop bitching about "The L Word."
They basically turned Tina into the bisexual villain in season 3. She had to be mean and distant to Bette, and she had to fuck and flirt with Henry in Bette's house. These actions had me almost rooting for Bette when she went to Joyce Wishnea to discuss taking sole custody of Angelica. I understand that this is a dramatic television series, and there have to be characters that you dislike. But they could have shown bisexuality with more depth and even sympathy.
And while Tina was obnoxious during episode 401, she had a right to be upset at Bette. She had every intention to let Bette adopt Angelica, but Bette betrayed that trust by running off with the baby. While I understand Bette's pain over Tina leaving her for Bacne Man, Tina does deserve credit for being honest with Bette about her resurfacing feelings for men.
Even though Tina was a cunt in season 3, a part of me felt for her when her friends were mean to her in season 4. It has to be hard to manage being a part of two worlds that can oppose each other. Don't get me wrong: I think she deserved some karma for what she did to Bette. But that "gay/straight mixer" in episode 403 probably hurt her the most because she wasn't fully accepted by either parties.
And Alice has pretty much been portrayed as a half-assed bisexual. She's more emotionally attracted to women, and she sees men as sources of drama-free fuck sessions (which I should probably admit that I can identify with to an extent). It'd be interesting if her sexuality was explored more. As of now, she seems to reinforce the stereotype that bisexuals are just transitioning homosexuals.
I'm not saying that there aren't indecisive bisexuals or bisexuals are just on the way going queer all the way. But this show has yet to really do justice to one of the two "b words" justice--the other is "butch" (Moira/Max barely counts in my eyes, but I'll admit that Tasha's masculinity is a start).
If Ilene wants her show to be didactic in issues regarding sexuality, then she could have done it by giving her characters from season 3 more attention instead of adding characters like Papi and Phyllis.
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And what was up with Lisa, the male identifying Lesbian? He was the only man that Alice has been with if I'm not mistaken?
Alice did have sex with that guy that Dana was set up with. Dana told him she was a lesbian, and then Alice moved in to start flirting with him, and they eventually had a no-string-attached sexual relationship.
But Lisa the lesbian man barely counts as a man.
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