The L-Word Media Coverage: A Textual Analysis of Queer Female Representations and Themes in Print

As the first program with an almost entirely lesbian cast of characters aimed at a primarily lesbian audience, the L-Word has even been deemed an innovative and pioneering television program by writers in textual media (newspapers and magazines).The show presents queer women who are not secondary or invisible characters and who are not presented as women dressed as men. Instead, the queer women on The L-Word are presented as overtly feminine, which is reminiscent of Western patriarchal ideals of femininity. This study examines the media coverage of The L-Word in U.S. newspapers and magazines. Specifically, this work will address the differing themes amongst publications and the differences in the representation of queer women; including how geography and gender play a role in how lesbianism/bisexualism is contextualized to the public.

Publisher: Paper presented at the annual meeting of the International Communication Association, Sheraton New York, New York City, NY
Year of Publication: 2008