ABSTRACT
Desiree and Ingrid, “superficial, homophobic lesbians,” certainly are in the running for the most dysfunctional couple. Desiree continually focuses on how “butch” Ingrid is, insisting that she is the prettier one and disturbed to find men are attracted to Ingrid instead of her. Ingrid continually reminds Desiree that she is unreliable because she is bisexual, and thus not exactly trustworthy. The web series The Slope (2010-2012) is the brainchild of independent filmmakers Desiree Akhavan and Ingrid Jungermann, and focuses on a lesbian couple navigating the unique complications of both lesbian relationships and life in Brooklyn, New York. Unlike the kinds of “positive” representations that visibility advocates might call for, a great deal of the humor comes from the ways the characters judge each other by stereotypes of various groups. In one particularly funny episode, the couples decide to make their own “It Gets Better” video (Akhavan & Jungerman, 2010). Desiree gives her usually shallow advice, which mostly consists of “don’t be fat.” A direct satire of Dan Savage, creator of the campaign, who is known for negative comments he had made about overweight men and women over the years, Desiree and Ingrid end up suggesting that their imaginary viewers make things better for themselves now. The Slope is full of in-group humor and references specific to some GLBTQ communities. The relationship it portrays is not one that mirrors heterosexual ones, but that specifically focuses on the ways that GLBTQ couples negotiate homophobia in themselves and in their relationships. This is content that speaks specifically to GLBTQ audiences.
