ABSTRACT
The L Word is Showtime’s foray in lesbian and gay programming. It is the good-if bland-twin to the American version of the British series, Queer As Folk. Swooping over a dreamy and sensuous Los Angeles, The L Word’s action is set in a cozy west side neighborhood of craftsman-styled bungalows, where gay daddy groups walk-yes, I said walk-to their support groups and nary a strip mall is seen. The show opens with a new lesbian stereotype: Bette and Tina, a gorgeous mixed ethnicity couple, who are preparing to get pregnant. As one of the gay male characters explained, “The old joke was, ‘What do lesbians bring to their second date? . . . A Uhaul.’ Now, the joke is, ‘What do lesbians bring on a second date? A turkey baster!’”
