Tasha, "The L Word," and Black Butch Lesbians in Film and Television
Many people still believe that America is not yet ready to see a relationship of this nature — particularly between a black man and a white woman — on the TV screens of their living rooms. Outside of this season's Heroes, which includes a relationship between black character D.L. Hawkins (Leonard Roberts) and white character Niki Sanders (Ali Larter), very few prime-time shows cross this color line. A more common tactic is to introduce a relationship between two people of different minority backgrounds, such as Dr. Cristina Yang (Sandra Oh) and Dr. Preston Burke (Isaiah Washington) on Grey's Anatomy.
Are the mostly lesbian viewers of The L Word somehow more advanced in the realm of interracial dating than the rest of the country? While one can argue that lesbians often have to come together and be each other's family when their families of origin aren't supportive, it is naive to assume that lesbians have achieved the proverbial melting pot faster and more efficiently than the rest of the country.
Look no further for confirmation of this than The Incredibly True Adventure of Two Girls in Love (1995) starring Laurel Holloman, The L Word's Tina, alongside Soul Food's Nicole Ari Parker. Holloman plays a young, butch white lesbian who shares a fiery fling with Parker, the stuck-up, ultra-femme black girl. Holloman's character is a working-class student, while Parker seems to come right out of the movie Clueless, driving a brand new Range Rover and living in a mansion.
The portrayal of race in Incredibly True Adventure is obviously reversed and exaggerated, possibly in hope that the missing dialogue about race is not noticed. "It's the big pink elephant in the middle of the room," writes Samiya Bashir in her essay "Fear of a Black Lesbian Planet." It made the film fall flat.
Bashir feels that issues of race are often glossed over in lesbian communities. She continues: "Black lesbians trying to find out who we are both as women of color and as lesbians find the invisible wall we bump up against while trying to find access into the lesbian community even harder to bear. White women may feel equally bruised by a situation where they don't feel they are being exclusionary at all."
In Episode 8 of this season of The L Word, "Lexington and Concord," Tasha says to Alice, "You and I live in different worlds." Alice understands this and tells Tasha she is not a portal for her. Apparently their worlds collide at the Planet, but where is Tasha's world exactly? The world where young blacks enlist in the army and are shipped to Iraq because they have no other choices? Not everyone has the luxury of seamlessly entering an exclusive, practically all-white safe haven for lesbians after all.
Young black lesbians have almost no visible representation in the media, even though the world they live in, the communities they are a part of, and the things they see and hear each day deserve to be publicly validated. As poet Essex Hemphill stated, "it makes a difference." Whether or not The L Word intended to take on this task, its writers are now bestowed with the honor — and burden — of creating a responsible and fulfilling micro-representation of black lesbian life.
In one of the only preceding roles of a black butch woman on screen, rapper Queen Latifah played Cleo in the film Set It Off (1996). In yet another Los Angeles community, out butch lesbian Cleo finds herself broke, out of options and willing to resort to a life of crime to make ends meet. Her posse is a group of three straight black women who make no bones about her sexuality or gender expression, and a black girlfriend for Cleo even materializes in some scenes.
The film showcases a desperate reality for some of the "angry" black youth out there, but it includes lesbians as part of that reality, an important moment of realization that yes, black lesbians do exist. Even in dismal and unfortunate situations, they are members of the posse, too.
Latifah could have taken the acclaim she received from this picture as a vantage point to similarly affirm that black lesbians also exist in the world at large. In the hip-hop community at the time, Latifah was a star: Her message would have reached millions. But Latifah, who has been widely rumored to be a lesbian, has never confirmed or denied the rumors.
But where Latifah dropped the ball, Tasha picks it up. This season, by "shootin' a little b-ball" with it or getting "into a little fight" and Alice getting a bit scared, The L Word's viewers have been given a glimpse into a playground they aren't used to seeing. Let's hope that other shows will follow suit and not allow Tasha to be the last black butch lesbian on television.
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This article upsets me....
I must say I became a member of this site after reading this article and I have been a loyal afterellen reader for the last year+, but after reading this, I am extremely disappointed with this site. As a race-conscious white woman, this article falls short in presenting a positive and even realistic representation of butch black women. Even though Allison Bland attempts to break down stereotypes of butch black women, as well as show their increased visibility via The L Word, she fails to recognize the fact that the show still reproduces dominant and controlling images of butch black women by equating Tasha with "angry" the first time she appears, and reinforces the idea that black women (and by default black men) have only one option when attempting to break free from social structural stratifications and that option is to enlist in the army. Bland even closes her article by saying that "viewers have been given a glimpse into a playground they aren't used to seeing" by watching Tasha "'shoot a little b-ball' or get 'into a little fight' and Alice getting a bit scared." How does this give viewers a POSITIVE image of black women when all it is doing is reinforcing stereotypes that all butch black women play basketball and get into fights?
The L Word has been reinforcing stereotypes all along. Take for example Carmen de la Pica Morales. Carmen was written into the script because the producers were in need of creating a Latina character, and even though creating the character was positive in that it gave another group of women a representation, couldn't they have chosen a woman who was Latina (Sarah Shahi is not Latina)? Carmen's Latina-ness was completely written out of her character until she was around her family; it was only then that viewers remembered she was Latina (Mexican perhaps??). The portrayal of Carmen's family was upsetting to many viewers, both white and of color, because the representations upheld the dominant notions of what an "average" American thought a "Latino" family should be like.
Carmen is not the only character who's Latina-ness is problematic. The introduction of Papi, played by INDIAN AMERICAN Janina Gavankar, has not only up-played her Latina-ness, she also upholds heteronormative standards for butch Latina women. Her name alone, Papi, suggests that she is a sexual stud, because "papi" literally means not only "father", but also is a term used for machismo Latino men who are sexual studs. This then reinforces the notion that butch Latinas have the same heteronormatively masculine standards that straight Latino men do. Accordingly, Papi's style of dress, as well as her choice of hats and proverbial accent, clearly plays on the stereotype of the Latino stud, and again, reinforces the dominant and hegemonic notions of what a "butch" Latina should look and act like.
Not only have the Latina characters been problematic, Bland's erasure of Bette's (as well as Kit's) blackness is a clear sign of the relationality between race and class. Just because Bette's middle-class status allows her to enter into the insider realm socioeconomically, she still remains on the margins because she is biracial. Bland's nonacknowledgemment of Bette's race and struggle with being biracial casts her as invisible, because Bland assumes she can "pass" into a world of whiteness. I would like to argue that as a biracial lesbian, Bette remains the most invisible and most marginalized because she can "pass" as white, which gives no recognition at all to the struggles she has had to overcome just to be seen as a black woman. Although attention to this was given in the first season, with the black sperm donor and Yolonda calling her out on her ability to "pass" during parenting group, there has been little to no mention of her biraciality since then (and I do think it would have been useful to discuss the intersections among how her biraciality [in this case her blackness], sexuality, status as a parent, and the heated debate over her art show led to her being fired).
The problematics of these characters leads me into my final anaysis of Tasha, and by default of Bland's article. While I agree with Bland that the introduction of Tasha is positive because there are now more representations of butch black lesbians on TV, and I suppose I should make explicit that she is talking about black lesbians who do not pass as white (which is implicit throughout her article), the fact that she is introduced as "angry" only reinforces the notion that all black lesbians are angry about their position in the U.S. social structure. Not only does this not allow viewers, or colorblind Bland for that matter, to be introduced to Tasha in a positive light (I seriously thought the writers were going to say her character just got out of prison based on these erroneous stereotypes), the fact that colorblindness is used as an all-inclusive tactic is just plain out WRONG. Bland states "In Episode 7 on this season of The L Word, "Lesson Number One," Alice brushed off Tasha's mention of her race by jokingly asking her, "Are you black?" Making light of Tasha's race is either a hopeful statement in the way of colorblindness or an extremely disappointing tactic meant to write race out of the way." This example points to a contradiction in discourses; according to Bland, one can either be colorblind and all-inclusive or not recognize race at all.....is that not the same thing??? Colorblind discourse DOES WRITE RACE OUT OF THE WAY; that's the whole point of it....to show we are all human beings who love each other because we are "all the same on the inside." It was, and still is, a political ploy to show that social structural racism is "over" and that people are now treated "equally", which we all know is NOT TRUE. How does this break down social structures that have historical and political implications on ALL of our lives, including whites and people of color?
I am not sure if Bland is white, black, Asian-American, Latina, Native American, or other, but in order to foster social change, and write an article such as this one which is a mediocre attempt at representing butch black lesbian visibility, she must develop a self-consciousness that does not predicate on stereotypes of butch black lesbians, a self-consciousness that is dedicated to showing both the "positives" and negatives of introducing a character like Tasha on a mostly white show like The L Word, and a self-consiousness that does not rely on colorblind tactics to change the world but shows people that we must be race-conscious and AWARE of the social structures and power hierarchies that keep the dominant in power around us in order to create social change. Until that change is made, articles like this will continue to fall short and miseducated many of those readers who look to this site for ACCURATE information and positive representations of themselves.
I am still waiting to see the introduction of an Asian American character....that will be the day....
TIRED... SO TIRED...
I am so tired of hearing that there are very few butch characters of any ilk black, white, whatever... the surprising thing about the L word and the terrrific thing IMO was that the creators chose to show lesbians who were by in large not butch... Mel on QAF started out butch but moved to a more fashion forward, feminine character when the creators of the show looked around and saw that a good number of us are not well quite so manly...
Also tired of the angry black butch lesbian stereotype as well... it's boring and so overdone. Tasha Williams (yes a totally sterotypical black name) is always gruff and angry... I would have been more pleased with the introduction of the rare dark skinned lesbian as object of beauty. There is a contant reinforced idea that light skinned Bette and characters like this are thought to be feminine while darker skinned women (with the refreshing exception of Kerry Washington character in Spike Lee film and Nia Peeples in ITWCT2) are usually dipicted as butch or less attractive etc;
Frankly I'm tired of butch in general... what is this 1970 ? I still assert that butch when put on like a pair of pants or an image is just aping your opressors... It sends the message that lesbians adhere to the heterosexual archetype... someone has to be the man right?
That's what made Bette and Tina so sexy as a couple... It makes Helena sexy... if Jenny weren't crazy she'd be sexy... Dana sporty and sexy... Alice owns her sexuality is an agressor and maintains a feminine sexiness... embracing your femininty and loving it in other women has always seemed more appropriate than outward displays of roles. It's about women loving women...
Excuse me?
While I totally agree that I would've liked to see a dark-skinned woman presented as the beauty of the show, I take offense to your summation of the butch identity. What does the year have to do with anything? Some women naturally have characteristics that people deem to be "masculine," and it has nothing to do with them trying to ape anybody. It's the way they are. It's the way they were born, and questioning that, or saying that it's a cheap imitation of heterosexuality smacks of discrimination.
Besides, there are couples where both women are butch. Are they aping somebody then? Your idea of femininity is a very archaic and heteronormative one. Is femininity only when women are "sexy" in that "I-look-sexy-in-heels-and-a-dress" kinda way? Because if that's your definition, you'd fit right in with the likes of James Dobson and the conservative "Christian" crews. Every woman is feminine because she's a female. That's all femininity is. The rest are simply gender roles that were made up by a patriarchal society. A "butch" woman is embracing her femininity just as much as a woman in a short skirt and Manolo Blahniks.
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"All the women are white, all the men are Black, but some of us are BRAVE."
wait
I Can Only Agree
Tasha Williams is a black name?
HEELLLOOO!!!!
The L Word is not a PBS documentary. It is an hour's entertainment on a for-profit television cable network. As such, it has sought, and continues to seek, a common denominator that will capture the largest possible audience. The common denominator is rooted in sterotype. Types and sterotypes are the stock in trade of mass entertainment. In that regard, every character on the L Word could be considered a sterotype. So, sterotypes? You betcha.
Yes, Tasha has anger -- as do many men and women serving on active duty in the U.S. military who feel that those of us at home do not appreciate their sacrifice. I find that to be a true and honest portrayal. Tasha could just as easily have shared socioeconomic factors with those of (for instance) Condoleeza Rice, and then she doubtlessly would have been identified as an Aunt Jemima sterotype. Or with Serena Williams, and then she would have been an up-from-the-ghetto black athlete sterotype.
It is easy to criticize from the armchair. Who would YOU rather have Tasha be?
Don't look a gift horse in the mouth
First of all, so true DKHO, that it's really easy for us all to sit here at our computers and criticize.
Unfortunately, it seems that it doesn't matter what portrayal happens, people will be unhappy. If she was named Shaniquah Williams from the projects people would yell stereotype, and if she was named Jamie Evans from Beverly Hills they'd complain it wasn't realistic (see the conversation about Two Girls in Love for an example).
There are so few lesbians on tv that it starts to ring hollow complaining about racial diversity. This character is "one of the only" butch lesbians on TV ever. Well hmm, I can actually think of no WHITE butch lesbians on TV either, Ellen possibly but not really, so really I suspect the issue is more about butch identity being represented and less about race. Lesbians on TV and film are actually fairly diverse, when you consider how few of them there are in the first place. The last year that Buffy was on the air, Iyari Limon got press for playing one of the first hispanic lesbian characters. Oh wait, except that year I think there were exactly four lesbian recurring characters on TV - Kennedy, Willow, and ER's Kerry and Sandy. So basically, 50% were hispanic. No black characters, of course, though ER recently had one, as did TNT's Saved. But again, how can you expect decent representation racially when there's only a handful of lesbian characters on TV? It's like trying to grade on a bell curve in a class with 5 students.
Yes, I'm certain that there are racists in the gay community, as much as I'd like to believe that we as minorities would be better than that. And we certainly should condemn them and their actions. But I really don't think that the L word producers are. I definitely don't think that the author of this article is. Attacking them will probably just make them more wary of introducing minority characters or writing articles about them. And how exactly does that serve anyone?
we're never happy
truth of the matter is, that in comparison with other types of characters on TV or movies, there really aren't many lesbians represented, in any form but either way, the lesbian community is never satisfied with the few that are.
we get all excited when we see a lesbian or bisexual character on screen, but then right away begin to criticize the situation. whether they're too stereotypical, unrealistic, or just plain unlikable, it seems like we can never just say, "hey, i liked the movie/character." instead all we can do is search for something that went wrong. if a character is shown in a good setting, we say that it's unfortunate that they romanticize her situation & don't show the realistic struggles we all face. when she is faced with hardships, we say, "oh, the typical tale of a troubled lesbian." it's like everything has to make some big statement (and the "right" one) to make people happy, and THAT is just unrealistic.
OBVIOUSLY you cannot represent an entire community in one character or storyline. OBVIOUSLY there are going to be tons of things people dislike about ANY character in the media, but that doesn't mean that there is something wrong with them all. we certainly do not have a monopoly on the under- or poorly represented characters in hollywood. hispanics, asians, blacks, transsexuals, genderqueer, little people...i mean come on, the list goes on and on.
bottom line is that no one on TV is real. no one person or storyline is capable of being a perfect representation for such a diverse community (lesbian or otherwise). sometimes people just need to enjoy a movie or character for the sake of enjoyment & stop looking for problems.
Awesome... you hit it right
Awesome... you hit it right on the nose. i agree with you 100%- 'no one on tv is real....people just need to enjoy a movie or character for the sake of enjoyment & stop looking for problems'. My sentiment exactly!
Gray
'No-one else can speak the words on your lips...'
It's a toughie!
i don't necessarily agree
i don't necessarily agree with the part of the article where the author says "From day one, The L Word has made a concerted effort to include characters from different ethnic and racial backgrounds, and this season is no different." That almost makes me laugh, because this show started out almost lily-white. Yes, Bette is biracial, but the only time that seemed to be an issue was when she got flack from Yolanda (remember her? The 'angry black lesbian' from season 1?) for 'passing' and for identifying more strongly with her lesbian identity than with her racial identity.
But truth be told I'd rather the writers of the L Word not even attempt to address the racial dynamics of a relationship like Tasha and Alice's or Bette's mixed heritage...I'm sure they'd just fuck it up like they did Max's transgender storyline. Subtlety and sensitivity are not their strong points and I bet it'd just end up as some PSA masquerading as a television show like they did with Dana's breast cancer. It seems like the character of Tasha is just a vehicle for Ilene Chaiken and company to use to get us to see WAR IS BAD. i digress, though..still love my little lesbian soap opera.
Yeah, that first sentence threw me off a bit.
It's my understanding that Jennifer Beals asked Ilene Chaiken to write Bette as a biracial woman. Otherwise, she probably would have been another white character. The only times that racial/ethnic issues were discussed were when Tina objected to a black donor (the "too much otherness" comment that was never explained well enough) and of course, by the Angry Black Woman in group therapy. Maybe she was the first black femme on the show, but we never got to know anything about her that went beyond the stereotype.
I agree that any discussions about race written for this show would probably ring very hollow, which would upset non-white fans of the show. Tasha's already been painted as another Angry Black Woman - there's just no other way for us to be, I guess. Better to just concentrate on the camp, the drama, and the hot lesbian sex.
I agree with the above
I agree with the above post. I think that the great thing about The L Word is that it raises many issues/topics within the lesbian community that we feel strongly about. It gets us to discuss and debate our opinions against other fans and see the other side of the story, so to say.
I was excited when Tasha was introduced, simply because it's nice to see a face like mine on this show. I think her character isn't exactly presented as the "angry black woman", it's a little more complicated than that. She has layers of complexity just like all the characters on the show, and for the most part, I think the show has done a good job of portraying her role.
It would've been heavenly to see her paired with Bette, if only to dig deeper into Bette's psyche when it comes to her race. It seems as if there's a lot to explore within that topic, so I'm happy the show gives us viewers something to get the ball rolling with as far as conversation about this subject goes.
I'd like to see a black femme on the show, but maybe I'm getting my hopes up too much..
"A more common tactic is to
"A more common tactic is to introduce a relationship between two people of different racial backgrounds, such as Dr. Cristina Yang (Sandra Oh) and Dr. Preston Burke (Isaiah Washington) on Grey's Anatomy."
You mean to say that being white isn't a "different racial background"?
Oops
I don't watch the show
But.. I do have to say that at least where I come from black "butches" and white "butches" act different. It is totally more obvious to tell if a black girl is a lesbian let alone "butch". And from what i've gone thru, I've seen that it is harder for a black lesbian in this society...I call it the 3 strikes rule and you just can't win-for me, I'm black, a lesbian, and a woman..that makes me angry that I have to work a thousand times as hard to get respect and often get into heated arguments with males who feel that i'm trying to act like a guy, and when I go out, I get watched and get 2nd looks in the restroom by everyone..not saying that other races don't..but without the risk of me getting off topic and going on and on..from what I read in the article, some of theose so-called black lesbian butch stereotypes are sadly true...
Also...as far as the comment by CB sayin that her name is stereotypical- black people name their kids black names for the most part..I know white people with that name..What were they supposed to do name her Becky or Jane (no offense jus makin a point) and what would that have done..especially from her background..that woulda been unrealistic to make her have a name that more than likely she would have never had.
~I got that remedy~
The Issue
Then do something about it
I get so irritated when people sit and complain about shows and their lack of diversity. If that is such a big issue DON'T watch it or make one. There are plenty of examples out there of people that get off their ass and do something..look at Patrik Ian Polk and noahsarc.net or Amber Sharp's new show at dontgotheseries.com.
So stop complaining and support people that are out there depicting positive images!!
The revolution will not be televised!
As my man Gil Scott Heron said, "the revolution will not be televised." If we are sitting here waiting for Ilene Chaiken, a WHITE WOMAN, to correctly portray anyone who is not white on SHOWTIME, we are going to be waiting for quite some time. Regardless of her foray into race and class through "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air". (I just want to say that again so the person who wrote this article can read it. Do you really think THAT show earns Ilene bragging rights in the field of social commentary?) She's a white woman writing for the masses, and the masses ain't lesbians, and they damn sho ain't Black. What do we expect?
I mean TWO Indian actresses playing Latinas? C'mon now! I think this show has proven how ridiculous it can be when it comes to race. Kuntroversy, I agree. I'd rather the producers not even touch the subject. If they can royally f*ck up something so simple as getting Latinas to play Latina characters (and NOT naming them sh*t like "Papi." I'm just glad Tasha's name was "Sistagurl"), then I do not want to see how they'll slaughter the experiences of Black lesbians.
Sarah Shahi is NOT Indian
<I mean TWO Indian actresses playing Latinas?>
Sarah Shahi's father is Persian and her mother is Latina.
So wrong on so many issues
How do you know what Tasha's background is? She could be a college student who joined the Army after 9-11. But because she's black you assume she's poor or working-class with few options or opportunities. And it is not only black butch lesbians who are perceived as 'angry' but any woman who has & expresses an opinion that differs from the status quo. And expecting the writers of The L Word to 'create a responsible & fulfilling representation' of any lesbian is a stretch. The writers aren't that adept. They drop the ball at almost every turn. Are we watching the same show? It isn't an Afterschool special. It's a soap opera!
And your take on 'The Incredibly True Adventures Of Two Girls In Love' is completely skewered. What do you mean 'the portrayal of race is obviously reversed & exaggerated'? Are you saying blacks can't be rich? Blacks can't come from money? That whites can't be poor or working-class? And the film didn't 'fall flat' because they didn't address the 'pink elephant in the room'! Evie was very obviously black. She just wasn't ghetto. But maybe to you they are one & the same. And if that's the case, as a black woman, I feel sorry for you.
*Clapping* Pink Panther,
*Clapping* Pink Panther, you put it awfully well! The fact that she implied that the portrayal of race was reversed and exaggerated because it was the BLACK girl who came from the wealthy family is problematic, to say the least. Covertly racist, to say the most obvious.
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"All the women are white, all the men are Black, but some of us are BRAVE."
we do know what Tasha's background is
Go to Allison's profile and look at her picture and then consider whether she thinks being "ghetto" and being Black are one and the same.
<as a black woman, I feel sorry for you.>
Do you feel sorry for her because she's a Black woman or because you are?
<She could be a college student who joined the Army after 9-11.>
We know that Tasha has at least an undergraduate degree, if not more. In Season 4 Episode 6, Tasha says "I was at Cal State Long Beach and I had just come out..."
<But because she's black you assume she's poor or working-class with few options or opportunities.>
I don't think that when Allison Bland assumes that Tasha is "poor or working-class" when she writes "Apparently their worlds collide at the Planet, but where is Tasha's world exactly? The world where young blacks enlist in the army and are shipped to Iraq because they have no other choices?" Allison has also seen the scene in Episode 8 where Alice starts talking about "The kids from the ghetto, please. They're like-" and Tasha says "You think I come from the fucking ghetto?", implying that she is not "from the ghetto." Rather, I think that Allison is analyzing the other characters' (like Alice's) reactions to and assumptions about Tasha's "world." When Bland continues with "Not everyone has the luxury of seamlessly entering an exclusive, practically all-white safe haven for lesbians after all", I think she is saying that such assumptions do not make it easy for Tasha to spend time with the Planet $4.00 caffèllatte crowd.
Appearances
I did check out Allison's profile. And you can not judge or tell what someone thinks by looking at them. My comments are a reaction to what she wrote. What she looks like has nothing to do with it.
And I, a black woman, feel sorry for Allison IF she thinks that being black and being ghetto are the same thing.
FYI
"How do you know what Tasha's background is? She could be a college student who joined the Army after 9-11."
For the record most enlistees in the military are college students; in the USN many hold undergraduate degrees (this poster included) AND we joined BEFORE 9-11. This comment is to clarify to all of you who think that we only joined because we had no other options and to make it clear that joining AFTER 9-11 does not make one 'morally superior' in some way and certainly does not give one a better justification for serving our country. In short, a larger percentage of us who serve our country do it by complete choice in spite of everything that goes with that choice.
But, don't let this post distract you all from the very interesting subject matter at hand, just felt I had to make a point.
Bravo..was waiting for someone to point that out!
I mean, TITAOTGIL didnt fall flat because they made an unrealistic represantative of a rich black family, there were other reasons that might have contributed. (i wouldnt know because i actually like the movie). 'reversed and exxagerated'indeed, reading that statement made me fall of my chair.
Let's keep it polite, please!
YAY for discussion
I would just like to add that I think the response to this article is great. Though many people disagree with the author's assumptions and reasoning, it's refreshing to see articulate discussions of race, especially not just from a white perspective. Dykadelic, your analysis was incredible.
On a side note, I am really confused as to why the L word writers feel the need to have non-latina women playing latina roles on the show. Shahi's character should've been written in as an Iranian American and Gavankar as a biracial Indian American--both very unique cultural and racial positions. Or they could have gotten Iyari Limon or an actual Latina woman for either role. I realize that the show is a soap opera and even though it isn't perfect I appreciate it immensely because it really is the ONLY television show that focuses exclusively on lesbians. But I wonder if there is a way we could voice our concerns to the makers?
peace and love, elee the great
On a side note, I am really
On a side note, I am really confused as to why the L word writers feel the need to have non-latina women playing latina roles on the show. Shahi's character should've been written in as an Iranian American and Gavankar as a biracial Indian American--both very unique cultural and racial positions. Or they could have gotten Iyari Limon or an actual Latina woman for either role. I realize that the show is a soap opera and even though it isn't perfect I appreciate it immensely because it really is the ONLY television show that focuses exclusively on lesbians. But I wonder if there is a way we could voice our concerns to the makers?
That's really weird, right? I'm sure there are a plethora of latina actresses that could've played the roles just as well as Shahi and Gavankar...it kind of makes me think the showrunners are under the assumption that because these actresses are brown, no one will bat an eyelash. Then again, acting is acting.
They had ample opportunity to address myriad racial/subcultural/ethnic issues and they pretty much pissed them away. Voicing our concerns to the makers...well, I think that the concerns about the lack of diversity on this show--which are not unfounded btw--have been brought to their attention since its inception. And as noble as their efforts may seem to be, I'm of the opinion that they ain't doing nothing but fucking it up. Let them stick to what they know. No harm, no foul. I think the best thing that can happen is that in the near future, artists with a more vested interest in bringing truly diverse stories to light--well, I think the L Word has made room for that. Ten years ago--hell, FIVE years ago, who would've believed there'd be a successful television drama about the lives of lesbians? It won't be long. And yeah, we do need to support projects like Noah's Arc and Don't Go. (ot, but fyi: I'm happy to see Skyler acting. I had mad love for her after seeing The Butch Mystique).
Interracial Relationships On TV
apology
My apologies to Allison Bland....I am a new member to this site, even though I have been reading it for a while. I did not edit my post and assumed her race; that was incredibly wrong of me and I am sorry. I realized how to edit it and I did, but I thought I should point out my mistake, and my own audacity for assuming someone's race. As someone who considers herself race-conscious, I clearly was wrong for doing that and should have NEVER even written that in my comment. I have no excuse and I apologize to everyone who had to read that and either realized my mistake and knew better.
again, i'm so sorry. maybe that doesn't make me as race-conscious as i thought. clearly i have more work to do....
My thoughts on Tasha...
Tasha has a command presence while relating in work situations or with work people. She is an officer, and her demeanor is appropriate and necessary. I think Rose does an excellent job of portraying that. To me, her career in the military and the aforementioned 'command presence' do not equate with butch. Anger is a symptom of post traumatic stress disorder, not race and not of being butch. She doesn't wear doilies and gauzy blouses, but is that necessary to qualify as 'not butch'? (I don't think she's particularly femme, but I think she's got it in her to look very hot in the classic black cocktail dress, given the right circumstances). She has a college degree by the way, remember when she said she met Papi when she was in college? I think she's been pretty clear that she was not induced to enlist due to poverty. I think Tasha is very complex, very beautiful, very intelligent and her character appears to be one of the most grounded in the L-Word's LARGE cast of characters. Rose does an amazing job in this role. I'm just glad the character is here, and I really hope the don't kill her off in Iraq, but, should Rose want to move on, that she leaves for a wonderful assignment at the pentagon, or better yet NATO (with a promotion to major, please.)
Still thinking about this...
The more I think about it, the more I realize that in a way I like that her race isn't always an issue. Generally I feel that only when we stop feeling the need to have tokens will we really have moved forward. So I like it when there are incidental gay characters whose arc has nothing to do with their sexuality. For instance on a hospital show where a sick person happens to be gay but the story is their illness, or a crime show where a victim or perp happens to be gay but they were killed/committed the crime for some other reason, like to get ahead in a job.
So the same should hold for race. Tasha's storyline seems to be, as someone pointed out negatively, a vehicle for showing dislike of the war. There's no reason that she had to be black to do that. So her race in that sense is incidental. I'm not saying they should never mention it, because it's there. But it doesn't have to be a constant issue either.
The offense is actually far greater...
While I do indeed relish seeing sexy black studs on TV, I think everyone is missing the bigger issue here: L-Word, by taking a pseudo black male and pairing her off with a white woman, is simply underscoring prevailing ideas that put a premium on BLACK MASCULINITY and WHITE FEMININITY.
We all know that black men/masculinity have been elevated by racist thinking, while black women have been devalued. Conversely, white men have been villianized and white women made princesses - the result: the black buck/white princess dynamic that dominates most interracial, heterosexual portrayals.
Enter black/white lesbian relationships. There's NOTHING, I repeat NOTHING shocking about a black butch/white femme relationship - in part because the black butch is essentially standing in for the black man, recreating the black buck/white princess dynamic we all know and love. Black masculinity is at a premium (always has been) - so OF COURSE if they introduce a black woman, she's masculine. Black women are incapable of femininity silly rabbit, so there's no way the black character would be femme! (and please don't mention Pam Grier; I love her, but honey, she's older than my mom and she definitely has a mixed race look, aka, less offensive lol)
If this show REALLY wanted to rock the boat - not to mention giving a modern spin on interracial relationships - they would've mirrored the most increasing mixed race couple in America, that is black female/white male. They should've paired a black femme with a white butch and let the sparks fly. For one, this is a rare couple and if you really want to write in some drama about how people react, this is a great one to try; nobody's surprised by a black butch and white femme, since again, blacks are already viewed as masculine and whites as feminine, but I bet you'd see who your real friends are as soon as white butch A brings home sistahgirl B.
The black femme/white butch pairing is ripe for various plotlines. I can testify to that: Since I moved to Va, I've been beating white women off with a stick. As a black femme, I made the mistake of presuming white women to be passive (much as they presume blck women to be aggressive); the result is I was FLOORED when I started getting aggressively cruised by white butches and I can only imagine if I dated one, how I would wrap my mind around being dominated by a white woman. It's all pretty subversive. The sexual dynamics could be- an entire season-long story line in and of itself: Plenty of black women have been raised to have a suspicion of the romantic intentions of a white man and I can imagine that a white butch would bear the same brunt of suspicion.
Just a thought. And I still can't get over how, in the former "capital of the confderacy" these white butch women are stalking me. I was sooooo unprepared for that.
Bravo
I was thinking of something very similar dealing with the Black butch/white femme pairing, but didn't know how to put it in words. You hit the nail on the head! There's nothing new about having a masculine Black person paired up with a femmey white woman. It can either be a Black man, or a butch Black woman. And all it really does it posit the white female as the definition of femininity (something which made Sojourner Truth as "ain't I a woman," and produced the quote that I have as my signature), and the Black masculine character as the one who'd rather have a white woman over a Black woman anyday. It's the reason the KKK was founded and the reason that "Birth of a Nation" was heralded.
Of course, many people might not see as deeply into it as that, but it's very obvious if your eyes are truly open.
And LOL @ your experiences in VA. Now, THAT situation would make for interesting television!
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"All the women are white, all the men are Black, but some of us are BRAVE."
PS (the inevitable addendum)
Can we PUHLEASE get a real butch lookin' black woman at that? Where's her shape up? Where are her tats? Where's her hat? Child, that's a femme with a snatchback and a vest!
I want a woman who looks like she could spank you and make you cook her dinner.
hehe....
LOl too funny... But why does she HAVE to have tats and the rest?? Maybe you could say it's cos butch women are not my preference so i am quite cynical of 'gay that looks gay' sometimes. We can have a black butch but she aint gotta fit the bill to a T does she?? Gray
'No-one else can speak the words on your lips...'
LMAO @ "that's a femme
LMAO @ "that's a femme with a snatchback and a vest." I will agree that she doesn't really represent any of the Black butches I know. Not saying that Black butches like her don't exist and aren't prevalent in other parts of the country, but in da Chi, Black butches are sooooooooo serious.
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"All the women are white, all the men are Black, but some of us are BRAVE."
lmao, i spit out my soda
lmao, i spit out my soda when i read this one. i just want to point out that i have seen plenty of butches who look like tasha. i think the issue that you're addressing is a woman's personal style as a butch. i've seen butches with long hair, earrings, lip gloss...you know peeps have different ways of expressing themselves. sometimes they're pretty boys, preppies, bohemians, etc. i think the style you're describing is the hip-hop look, which i like too (actually i love it), but there are many valid ways of expressing butchness and female masculinity. and we ALL know its more about attitude then anything else. whatever she may look like, tasha definitely carries herself like a stud/butch.
Stop the Haters
"Paraiba masculina mulher macho sim senhor!"Aquatemme, U ROCK!
always is going to arise personages that not represent the majority and never will have, I guess
Alright, alright tats aren't mandatory
But come on, what self-respecting butch/stud of ANY color would have a chignon with a part and what definitely appears to be the unmistakable tinge of plumberry MAC lipglass?
I mean, REALLLLLLY. Come on folks. Come. On.
Haha, I'm dying over here.
i just have to say that
Interesting
I have enjoyed reading the comments here. I am one of those that is mystified as to why Tasha was paired up with Alice. The obvious racial difference irks me, but IMO, Tasha is way too hot for Alice. I don't see Tasha as the "angry black woman"...she's coming back from a place that I'm sure she saw her fair amount of horrors. She has a smile that could light up a room, though. I also don't want IC and them to touch the racial thing because they will find a way to fuck it all up. I don't think if Tasha got hooked up with Bette, the show would be deemed "too black"...Bette brings up her mulattoness when she sees fit too.
It is a little odd that non-Latina actresses were chosen to play Latinas, but JG and SS are very good looking women so the choice might have been based on their attractiveness. I don't mind, btw.
"The obvious racial
"The obvious racial difference irks me"
You're entitled to your opinion, but I must admit that I'm really confused by it. I'm curious, what would a non-obvious racial difference look like and why would that be less irksome to you?
"Bette brings up her mulattoness when she sees fit too"
I think her character speaks to the difficulty of being biracial, of having light skin and having people feel like they have a right to judge if you are really "black" or "white".
Hey
Yeah
No doubt that Bette's ability to pass has helped her in life. I get what you're saying about how the lack of a couple of color may convey the implicit message that it's not okay for two women of color to be together. I agree. I guess it just seems ironic to me that some people don't think Tasha should be with Alice because of the racial differences and wonder why she wasn't paired with Bette while also believing that, "Bette brings up her mulattoness when she sees fit too." Seems to me that the cultural differences based on racial identity would still be quite notable in a Bette/Tasha pairing.
Yeah
You're right....a Bette/Tasha pairing would DEFINITELY bring up the cultural differences within the Black community....though I doubt that would happen since they travel in VERY different circles.
Tasha and Minorites on The L Word
Has Tasha ever claimed to be butch? I don't think she has.
And non-Latina actresses play Latinas all the time because those are the only types of roles, besides stereotypes of their own races, that they can get. The reverse is also true. Jennifer Lopez has played Italians, Mexicans, etc and she is Puerto Rican American. Jessica Alba has played Malaysians, Hawaiians, and white women and she is half-mexican in real life. Zoe Saldana is Dominican and she almost always plays African American women in films. The same goes for Rosario Dawson and Gina Torres. Probably because Hollywood has a hard time rapping their brains around the concept of black latinos.
I personally see no problem with Shahi and Gravankar being cast. It's the way the characters are written that's the insult. IC and her writers are fully to blame for how Carmen and Papi as well as the other minorites on the show are depicted.