Lately I've been thinking about lover Cindi on The L Word. Well, not Cindi herself, but the "lover" thing. It's hilarious every time Dawn Denbo says it, mostly because the word lover has gone out of favor. It used to be a common term in the gay community — or anywhere, really. Especially in the '70s.

But now lover has the connotation of "f--- buddy," while partner or girlfriend is generally the preferred term for the people you want to keep around for more than just sex. Or at least that's how it seems to me.

So what makes a partner, and what makes a lover? Armed with my trusty (and dusty) DVD collection, I have conducted a sort of survey. I don't suppose it's educational in any way, but it was fun.

1. Cay and Vivian (Patricia Charbonneau and Helen Shaver), Desert Hearts

I just had to begin with a tricky one, didn't I? Cay and Vivian definitely start out as lovers, but if Vivian had stayed, they might have become partners. Still, when I think of them, I don't think of fun times or tender touches or home improvement. I think of steamy sex and mind-bogglingly deep kisses.

Verdict: Lovers (they have to remind themselves to stop long enough to get some food!)

2. Claude and Lucy (Alison Folland and Leisha Hailey), All Over Me

These two are so cute, I don't care what you call them. But when they walk along with their ice cream and Leisha grins like that, it seems like a love that's built to last.

Verdict: Partners (in a happily ever after sense)

3. Corky and Violet (Gina Gershon and Jennifer Tilly), Bound

Hmm. These two are carnal and star-crossed, but they also seem destined to be together. And the sizzle is accompanied by a sense that they're on the same wavelength — they have a meeting of bodies and minds. I think I have my first tie.

Verdict: Partner-lovers (lesbian bed death will never strike!)

4. Agnes and Elin (Rebecka Liljeberg and Alexandra Dahlström), Show Me Love / F---ing Amal … continue reading

Late last year, I wrote a blog post talking about my longstanding admiration for Tipping the Velvet actress Keeley Hawes. In the post, I mentioned a teasingly brief quote that had been attributed to her by the British lesbian magazine Diva, whom she spoke to while promoting Tipping. Of the Sarah Waters adaptation, she had said that:

"It's true to the book. Except for a slight change at the end. And I completely related to Kitty [her character]. Well not completely, because I'm not a lesbian. I'm bi."

Even at the time, I was a bit suspicious about this statement — which apparently was not followed up by the interviewer. If Hawes seriously identified as bisexual, then didn’t it seem a bit surprising that she wouldn’t want to elaborate at all to a lesbian magazine — while promoting a lesbian project — about what that meant to her?

Well, a new interview was out with Hawes in last week’s edition of the Radio Times (the British equivalent of TV Guide) — and unfortunately, it seems like my suspicions were justified. In the article, titled "Keeley on the Couch," which promotes her new show Ashes to Ashes, reporter Andrew Duncan asks Hawes to clarify the bisexual comment:

When she made Tipping the Velvet, as a male impersonator, she’s reported as saying she was bisexual. [Said Hawes,] "Maybe what I meant is that everyone is a little bit bisexual. I’ve been married twice, both times to men.” … continue reading

If you’re a fan of costume drama — which I am — and if you like the British actress Keeley Hawes — which I do — then the last decade has been kind to you. In that time, according to my calculations, Hawes has managed to average about one period piece a year, taking in adaptations of authors from Dickens to Sarah Waters, and historical periods from the 1700s to the 1950s. The British film and television industry being what it is, there’s a lot of competition for the title of Official Corset Queen — but with her resume, Keeley is certainly a contender.

It’s not that the former model doesn’t look good in modern dress.

It’s just that there’s something about her hazel eyes and pink cheeks, not to mention her gentle manner and clear speaking voice, that makes her particularly suited to roles where she has to wear a bonnet. … continue reading

An AfterEllen reader (thanks, krock!) sent me this fabulous French and Saunders parody of Tipping the Velvet. It's called "Tippin O' the Velveteen" and was featured in their Christmas Puddings special in 2002. (The clip is at the end of this post.)

I don't know what I love more — the parody itself, of "lascivious lesbiana," or the fact that the U.K. is so awesome. I mean, clearly French and Saunders assumed that the average viewer had seen the BBC adaptation of Tipping the Velvet. And that was probably a fair assumption, because Brits are that awesomely broad-minded in their TV viewing.

Never mind, here's what I really like best: Jennifer Saunders in a top hat and tails. Now that's hot. (Even if she is looking a little Clockwork Orange-ish in this photo.)

… continue reading