Law and Order

[BiBiologist]

If anyone saw "Law and Order" last night on NBC, I wondered if there are any comments on the portrayal of the bisexual woman. She dupes her lesbian lover into killing her husband for her, while at the same time she is having an affair with a straight guy, her fitness trainer. She is an evil manipulator, but we are given to sympathy with her straight male and lesbian lovers. Even her son testifies against her, with his disgust at having walked in on her and the lesbian having sex. Obviously, these things happen, but this is the only portrayal of a bisexual I have seen on TV, and it is of a cheating, lying, promiscuous murderess. Has anyone seen anything better?

[archey]

Goodness. What could be better. The show is Law and Order after all. Each show has its nefarious character. This time its a bi sexual person. They are no more or less prone to evil than the next guy. or gal, as the case may be.

[BiBiologist]

QUOTE archery: "They are no more or less prone to evil than the next guy. or gal, as the case may be."

Yes, I agree, but where are the shows with the good bisexuals?

[Meinbruder]

Yes, I agree, but where are the shows with the good bisexuals?

While I didn’t see the program, so much of “must see” TV is dreck, it sounds like a typical portrayal of a black widow. A woman who preys on men to bend them to her evil ways, it’s a cliché character dating back to the days of black and white film noir. In 2005 she gets a chance to work both sides of the street, so to speak.

Try a movie called “Summer Lovers” with Daryl Hannah. It’s at least twenty years old and may be hard to find. Story line- young American couple on summer holiday meets beautiful Mediterranean Girl and form a triad for the duration of the visit. Bisexuality is strongly implied, no threesomes are portrayed, and they throw in a scene when “mom and dad” catch “son” with “other” woman. I suppose it’s more of a poly portrayal.

Pure fluff and plenty of eye candy for one and all.
Did I mention it stars Daryl Hannah? <pant, pant>
:love:

[bookworm]

It seems to me there are many open-minded and creative people here, so let's forge our own bisexual show! All views accepted, every storyline worthy of discussion. Your idea, BiBiologist...we're here for the ride. Let's get it going, yes? And Drew--you can be Executive Producer...Unless, of course, you really want to Direct...

[BiBiologist]

Hey, that sounds great! How about this: Married, bisexual mother of two volunteers at school and church and saves babies from burning car wrecks. Of course, she is monogamous and represses her bisexuality and isn't out to anyone. So no one knows, and--oops, that won't work. Let me think about it some more...

[bookworm]

Though babies, flames, car wrecks, multiple rounds of ammunition, explosions, etc. may satisfy the suits and bean-counters, Bi, I think we need to develop a storyline of mounting passions, moments in a local store, and really interesting family dinners to make this work. C'mon, people! A little help here!

[Meinbruder]

Hey, that sounds great! How about this: Married, bisexual mother of two volunteers at school and church and saves babies from burning car wrecks. Of course, she is monogamous and represses her bisexuality and isn't out to anyone. So no one knows, and--oops, that won't work. Let me think about it some more...


How’s this? After saving the babies from the burning car wreck, and stopping the bank robbery by throwing rolls of quarters and hitting the machinegun firing robbers in the forehead and knocking them out, she hits the beauty parlor on the way to a PTA meeting.

Then, at the meeting, she meets the stunning President of the PTA, played by Pamela Anderson (who else?), has a couple sips of punch and throws herself on the Prez, in front of both their husbands for a flying number three lip-lock. Why, you ask? The repressed Librarian is secretly in love with her and spiked her punch hoping to get her away for a little one on one time and have her way. Then they all go to a hotel for a fabulous group scene.

Errr…
…wait a minute…
……that kinda sounds like a dream I had last week.
.
.

Never mind.
:shades:

[bookworm]

Mein...Whoa, Nelly! I like it. Can we work in close-ups, lips upon lips, hands-a-roaming? Swelling music? You started this, Bi...Danger! Danger, Will Robinson!

[BiBiologist]

Well, I was just looking for some real--wait a minute, how about a reality show? We could call it "The Bisexual Diaries" or chronicles or something (Bisexual Island, Bisexual Survivor...). I think there are enough personal life stories on this website to feed several seasons.

Seriously though, I think there have been some threads where folks have brought up gay or lesbian characters on various TV series, I don't remember what the threads were called. But were there also bisexual characters, and what shows have people seen them on, and how were they portrayed?
Thanks,
sam

[Meinbruder]

Well, I was just looking for some real--wait a minute, how about a reality show? We could call it "The Bisexual Diaries" or chronicles or something (Bisexual Island, Bisexual Survivor...). I think there are enough personal life stories on this website to feed several seasons.

Seriously though, I think there have been some threads where folks have brought up gay or lesbian characters on various TV series, I don't remember what the threads were called. But were there also bisexual characters, and what shows have people seen them on, and how were they portrayed?
Thanks,
sam

Bisexual Diaries? It would have to go to cable, the networks don't have the nerve to air anything positive in the GLBT community. The best they can do is "Will and Grace". :rolleyes:

I watch so little TV I couldn't say anything about most of it. The closest I can think of is one of the doctor characters on ER. She went lesbian for a season and then straight.
Mike
:2cents:

[BiBiologist]

Dr. Weaver is still a lesbian, but she hasn't had any relationships since her partner died. I really thought they did a good job with the series of shows of her coming out, but they have cooled it since. That's really the only show I watch regularly (my kids have the remote until 9pm, and there are no glbt characters on their shows, except maybe Tinky-Winky on "Teletubbies").

[Meinbruder]

Dr. Weaver is still a lesbian, but she hasn't had any relationships since her partner died. I really thought they did a good job with the series of shows of her coming out, but they have cooled it since. That's really the only show I watch regularly (my kids have the remote until 9pm, and there are no glbt characters on their shows, except maybe Tinky-Winky on "Teletubbies").
It was one of the few shows I watched for a while. I was so disgusted when they killed of the paramedic partner I stopped. The season degenerated into custody fights and courtroom BS trying to portray a Bi/Gay character as unfit to be a parent.

FWIW, there are unwritten codes in Hollywood which still apply to television. Movies are driven by the paying public and can ignore them. Starting back in the twenties, anyone stepping outside the “moral boundaries” had to be punished by the end of the movie/ story line. Psycho is a perfect example; every one remembers the shower scene. A helpless traveler killed in her room. Does anyone remember the first scenes off the movie? Like the scene where she steals a great deal of money from her employer.

Desperate Housewives is a perpetual example, one mis-adventure after another. Just being divorced is another reason to punish, thankfully TV just makes their life difficult instead of deadly. I keep thinking this would be a good show to try a Bi character but don’t plan to hold my breath.

Geez, I better get off my soapbox. I’m supposed to be working.
Mike

:shades:

[lastlaf44]

I know it's not TV, the the main female character in the movie Dodgeball is bisexual ;). What an awesome movie, btw. ^_^

~LastLaf~ :female:

[Brian]

I would love to see a character (say a male) who is happily married to a woman. They have a family and he is a very good father and husband. This man also has a male lover. The man is genuinely in love with both his wife and his male lover - it's a different kind of love. He is comfortable with his bisexuality and has reconciled in his own mind any conflicts that have arizen because his love and desires are different from the traditional. He is blessed with having an understanding family and male lover, and so is not burdened with the stigma of infidelity and the weight of being closetted. And his bisexuality has made him a better person. He is a sexual libertarian and he empathizes strongly with the bullied; he speaks out against injustice and oppression, particularly those who are marginilized only because they have run afoul of someone else's interpretation of ancient scripture. He is a good man, who is bisexual.

I think that would be a very positive bisexual character.

A variation (again sticking with it being a man just to simplify) would be a good man, who is honest and loves his wife, family and same-sex lover, but does not have an understanding wife/family/community/church/lover, and so is not able to be completely open about his bisexuality. Or at least he feels he cannot be open about his bisexuality, whether that perception is accurate or not. And so he lives a life burdened by some level of "dishonesty". He is basically a very good man, but circumstances have made him to be a "liar" and a "cheat". He continually questions himself - if he is totally honest will his relationship with his wife and family and friends be destroyed? But if he continues to lead the double life, is he really just being dishonest and cowardly?

The same good man (or perhaps not?) - two different circumstances.

[arana]

Drew, As nice as your first scenario is and the life I'm sure people would want to live, the second would be the one people would watch as a television series or movie. It's kind of sad that we've become a world that would rather watch hate, abuse, cheating, stealing and murder rather than something where people actually got along. I admit I can get caught up in it too, but I do like to root for the underdog.

[12voltman59]

It is too bad that the new movie "Brokeback Mountain" is being catagorized as a "gay movie," but it is a good thing the movie was made at all. Hopefully the film will go on to win a bunch of awards and will also be a huge financial success as well---that would have to put a burr under the saddle of the righteous folks at Focus on the Family and other such groups.

I do find it funny that in spite of one of the favorite canards of those on the right at how "liberal" Hollywood is--when you look at the majority of stuff the film industry has put out for decades--it really is downright conservative and encourages people to live their lives according to the status quo.

I would like to see a story such as what Drew described being produced and aired.

I doubt that a broadcast network would have the guts to schedule such a show though--it would have to be on HBO, Showtime, FX or other such network.