On June 20th, lesbians –and presumably some heterosexuals, gay boys, and women who wish they were gay)– will be glued to their television for the series premier of The Real L Word on Showtime.

This reality (and I use that term loosely) show is based on The L Word series, a now-defunct scripted hotbed of dyke drama and steamy makeout sessions. The L Word ended its six-season run in 2009. I admit, when it ended, I was sad. I was, and still am, a fan. I enjoyliving vicariously through their drama, because as crazy as my life can be… at least I’m not Jenny Schecter.

According to the Showtime website, The Real L Word follows “a group of six real lesbians in their daily lives at work and play in Los Angeles”. So it’s Real Housewives but the main characters are all lesbians. Great. Not so much…

Referring to the women cast in the series as “real lesbians” (emphasis mine), is demeaning. By saying that, the Showtime writers are inferring that some lesbians are not real. There are women in the lesbian community who are still questioning, as there are women who sleep with other women because they think it will make them more attractive to men, and the college friends who dated women for a few years. There are the women who are “Gold Stars”, there are the women who have slept with one girl ONLY after being with men and are now in love with that woman. We are ALL real lesbians, as long as we choose to identify as such. The language Showtime uses is unacceptable. The way they state “real lesbians”, and in a sick way reminds me of how most girl-on-girl pornography is targeted towards a heterosexual demographic. It is exhibitionist, predatory and insulting towards not only lesbians, but women everywhere. Showtime is marketing these women as oddities, existing solely to be examined by the larger viewing public, and I am not ok with that. 

In addition, the women cast can all be categorized as power-dykes. They are all extremely successful and wealthy. These women are, for the most part, not who you run into at Georgies or Deko. The casting seems a bit one-sided. If this show is to be representational of the lesbian experience, Showtime should have made an effort to reach out to a broader audience. Who the heck are the network executives to say that the average life of a 20-something, perpetually poor lesbian artist is less real or interesting than that of their typecast players.

And… oh my freaking gosh the typecasting. There’s the Latina who cant manage keep her pussy in her pants or her tongue in her mouth(Rose aka Papi), the futchy fashion designer with a penchant for things that go vroom (Mikey aka Alice), the inseparable couple (Nikki and Jill aka Bette and Tina), the babydyke whose family still isn’t fully accepting of her sexuality (Tracy aka Jenny or Dana…you pick), and the wild one with a bad habit of going after straight girls (Whitney aka Shane). They’re all there. While the group of lesbians I hang out with has a few women who, at one point or another, fit the aforementioned descriptions, there’s more to every group than that. Frankly, if that is all my group consisted of, I would be bored beyond comprehension. I’m almost positive that there is more to these women. I sincerely hope there is. There is no way they are as one-sided and vapid as Showtime is selling them to be. If they are, then I not only fear for the LA lesbian community, but the lesbian community as a whole. The women’s transparency will not fare well insofar as it will inevitably show the community in a bad light. Like we need any more bad PR or stereotypes thrown at us (cough cough Lindsay Lohan…). 

There needs to be more lesbian leads on network television. It’s GREAT that this show exists. But how about some main characters on sitcoms and whatnot that just happen to be gay? Why must the main attraction be these women’s sexuality and not their intelligence or careers? Sexual orientation shouldn’t matter anymore and by choosing to watch The Real L Word, one is playing into the belief that it is a primary defining characteristic of an individuals being. 

It is for those reasons and more that I am not going to watch The Real L Word. I’m not calling for a boycott, I just am making the conscience decision not to watch demeaning trash. Watch it if you want, the series premier is on June 20th at 9pm on Showtime. Let me know if I’m wrong… but if the trailer is any indication, I’m not.

The Real L Word Trailer