Bisexuality in
American Television
In my
paper, I intend to present several profiles of bisexual characters in American
TV shows, outlining the treatment they receive for their sexual orientation
among their peers in the shows. I hope to focus primarily on Alice from The L Word, Piper from Orange is the New Black, and Brittany
from Glee. While male bisexual
characters are much less prevalent and not usually identified as such, I will
discuss Frank Underwood from House of
Cards.
I intend to argue that there are two
discreet tropes written for bisexual characters. In the first, a character’s
bisexuality is accepted and believed by the audience. Characters whose bisexual
identities are not questioned are portrayed as aloof, confused, sex-crazed, and
overly-emotional. I will focus on Glee and
The L Word for this portion, and I will
discuss how the characters are subjected to these stereotypes both by their
fellow “in-world” peers on the shows themselves, as well as by the audiences
who watch these shows. My analysis of this first trope will proceed in
suggesting the need for more serious portrayals of out-bisexual characters, and
it will criticize the usage of an “lgbt inclusive” image on the part of
networks that do not treat bisexual characters as they do other queer
characters.
The second discreet category
examines the unacknowledged bisexual—character’s whose onscreen behavior
indicates their attraction towards both men and women, but whose audience
believes the character to be either gay or straight (usually gay). Rather than
the first category, which is a result of uninformed or biphobic writing and can
be corrected easily if the incentive should exist, this second category is an
inevitable byproduct of the “coming out” storyline and will not disappear until
the frequently used plot point does as well. For example, I will examine in
depth the relationship Frank is revealed to have with an old college fraternity
brother in House of Cards. The shock
value in the revelation of this relationship rests on the assumption by the
audience that Frank must be gay. In order to make this assumption, we must
necessarily invalidate the genuine, self-professed feelings Frank has had with
various women in previous episodes. I will also discuss Orange is the New Black, and the seeming-inability of any character
on the show to consider the possibility that Piper may be attracted to men and
women, despite her own self-stated attraction for male and female characters.
In constructing the frame of this
paper, I will draw heavily from The B
Word: Bisexuality in Contemporary Film and Television. Maria San Filippo
uses this book to compile almost every article relevant to the topic, so I had
used it as a primary resource in addition to the programs I will be citing. I intend
to supplement this with additional articles as needed.
I hope to draw different
conclusions from the two discreet categorizations of bisexual representation.
For the first trope, I hope to conclude on the need for bisexual characters that
do not play a stereotypical or comical-relief role and the impacts these have
on representation for a group hard to “see”. For the second, I will argue that
the elimination of “queer as conflict” plotlines is necessary not only for a
progressive depiction of queer characters, but also as a necessary prerequisite
for the serious depiction of any bisexual character. I hope to make a final
conclusion that the alleviation of misogynistic standards in the television
industry is necessary for the elimination of biphobic programming by analyzing
the push for all bisexual characters to “really” be attracted to men,
regardless of their own gender.
-Cara Fassino
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