Tyler, it's not a joke. Grier's character gets pregnant in the show. She's able to carry it off; she doesn't wear a label announcing that she's 58.

it can't be only I who has noticed this.... but you can actually sing "These Are a Few of MY Favorite Things" from the Sound of Music right along with the theme to the L word

Different chords, but the timing works perfectly.

Careful though. This can be as addicting as the trashy sitcom itself.

And then I don't feeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeel......so baaaaaaaad.

I've never watched the "L Word" but I do know that Pam Grier is approximately 60 years old- so was Havrilesky kidding when she talked about Grier trying to get an abortioin? is there some inside joke for which I need enlightenment from the regular viewers?

Exact, on-target. E.g. "on-the-nose criticism". In this case, I think it means dialogue that encapsulates what's wrong with the show in question.

Is no one going to tell me what on-the-nose dialogue means? Does no one know? Or does everyone know, and I am so clueless that no one is going to waste their time responding?

Ok so it's a little depressing and not very chatty, but so what? Sarah Schulman is the writer who Rent ripped off by the way. I mean if you want to be taken seriously, act serious.

all I can say about that horrible L-Word song is..

Thank God for TIVO!

Heather...sometimes it feels like you're reading my mind...you're my hero. ;-)

Lipstick lesbians are not that abnormal. Is it the absolute absense of any masculine looking lesbians, or is it the over the top glamor that is irritating the community.

It's not high femme vs butch, it's high femme vs butch vs comfy vs sporty vs classically dressed vs probably other categories I'm missing. You know, like straight women. (There are a lot of butch straight women in the south where I live.) But that's not the issue. It's a soap opera. They do that.

One issue that irritates me is not that they're all ultra-glam but that there are practically no straight people in the universe. Are we incapable of holding an important--even central--place in a show unless 90% of the characters are gay? The show ends up feeling like this weird little bubble.

Plus the acting's bad--and I assume the directing is part of the problem. When you can make Cybil Shepherd look that klutzy, something is wrong.

Heather, m'love, there's only one thing wrong with your critique of The L Word: the scenes about being surrounded by hopelessly lame straight people are drawn from REAL GAY LIFE. Trust me, I was just in the Midwest visiting relatives who full-on expected me to dance-monkey-dance like Will and Grace's Jack and Karen.

And it's not just straight people - let's look at J's letter:

>I'm a lesbian ... (and believe me, I've looked) ...

>is like finding a fat gay guy who has to

>beat potential suitors off with a stick.

>They are as rare as Sasquatch.

Clearly J hasn't watched enough L, because in Season 3, Episode 14, at the 15:37 mark (historic moment!) was the first & probably only reference to the bear community ever, the community where handsome, intelligent, smokin'-hot fat gay guys DO, in fact, have to beat suitors off.

Sasquatches are real. And they have back hair. AND it's delicious. So where's *my* stereotypical, badly-written soap opera?

(Oh... yeah. Professional wrestling.)

You ask:

4--What administration would make a deal with terrorists without looking more deeply at their motives?

5--What administration would give its intel and security info over to terrorists without some kind of back-up?

The Bush Administration.

Think about it. It explains a lot, especially 9/11.

I love The L Word. Maybe because I grew up in the 60s when no one dreamed of a slick lesbo soap opera someday.

No, they don't seem much like real-life lesbians. Maybe they should get real. Like the other shows on TV are. Shows about straight people have maintained such integrity in staying realistic. Think of Dallas, 90210, Nip/Tuck or the stark realism of Grey's Anatomy. It's full of terrific lines and plots and beautifully coiffed doctors just like you see at any local hospital. Right?

The L Word is no better or worse than any TV drama. But as usual, woman have to work twice as hard to be thought half as good.

Motherhood has made Heather an even funnier Mother, motherfucker!!

I'm a lesbian and don't watch the L-word because it SUCKS and is totally not what women look like in the gay community. Let me tell you, finding one smokin' hot lesbian in the world, who isn't fucked up (and believe me, I've looked) is like finding a fat gay guy who has to beat potential suitors off with a stick. They are as rare as Sasquatch.

Here's how to make the L-word the a smash hit:

1) Stop trying to DO anything - stop trying to pretend the message is important or the writing original. In fact, stop with all efforts at a "message" - and dialogue come to think of it. Or at least only have Flashdance deliver any dialogue because she's the only one who can make that shit sound somewhat decent.

2) Here's how you write every episode:

FADE IN:

Lots of hot women fucking different hot women in all kinds of different places with little or no talking.

FADE OUT

END

Who cares what they wear, if they're lipstick or dragking or whatever, this show SUCKS! It is absolutely not worth it. Take it from a well adjusted, intelligent, sane, and slightly lipstick lesbian. Jennifer Beals is probably the only reason it's still on the air. Once I got past my Flashdance crush on her I quit watching and dropped Showtime.

What does explicit mean here ("The L Word")? When you say "love scenes", what does that mean? Is this like Red Shoe Diaries, or is this just breast flashing and fondling?

I do know "hot lesbians", if you mean men find them attractice and they dress nicely and wear lipstick. Lipstick lesbians are not that abnormal. Is it the absolute absense of any masculine looking lesbians, or is it the over the top glamor that is irritating the community.

I keep hearing about this show so I'm curious. On the other hand, Showtime is REALLY expensive here, so I guess I love money more than satisfying my curiousity.

Is this show really worth the $35 for another tier on top of the two I have?