Fashionably femme: Lesbian visibility, style, and politics in The L Word

Aviva Dove-Viebahn

doi:10.1007/978-1-349-29011-6

Fashionably femme: Lesbian visibility, style, and politics in The L Word

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter

Abstract

Lesbian politics have long been underscored by a discourse of fashion and visibility. However, the very feminine fashions portrayed by characters in The L Word-the first mainstream television drama about lesbians and bisexual women-has attracted criticism of appropriating heterosexual conventions. Is such a highly stylized version of lesbian visibility still politically potent or is The L-Word simply catering to a popular demand for images of beautiful people? This chapter considers the ramifications of this affirmation of the fem(me)inine, while, in turn, exploring whether overtly feminine stylistic trends can sustain the queer and feminist political potency implied by lesbian visibility.

Original language	English (US)
Title of host publication	Queer Popular Culture
Publisher	Palgrave Macmillan
Pages	71-83
Number of pages	13
ISBN (Electronic)	9781349290116
ISBN (Print)	9780230105867
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-349-29011-6
State	Published - Jan 1 2016
Externally published	Yes

ASJC Scopus subject areas

General Social Sciences
General Arts and Humanities

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10.1007/978-1-349-29011-6

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Fashionably femme: Lesbian visibility, style, and politics in The L Word

Abstract

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