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Friday, February 25, 2011

Swoon for Shane McCutcheon

I always like to have a project over vacation. I don’t mean a project like a research project, or a school project, or a redecorate/clean my room project. I don’t mean a project that requires any mental or physical work. I mean a project that makes me sit in my bed, on my laptop, and watch TV until my brains fall out.

Last winter it was Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The winter before that, it was Scrubs. And this winter break, it was that quintessential lesbian icon of television: The L Word. All six seasons. That’s right. I watched seventy 50-minute episodes in 3 weeks. That’s what I mean by a project.

Side note: yes, I did spend time with people. I’m not a recluse. I just didn’t sleep. No big deal.

Anyway.

I was rewatching the first episode of The L Word with one of my closest (and lesbian) friends the other night, and was of course obsessing about Shane. This led to a very interesting discussion, the question being:

Why does everyone love Shane?


This love falls into two categories, of course. (Or maybe three. You decide.) First, there is the incredibly-turned-on-oh-my-GOD lust-love (into which category I fall). And there is of course the oh-my-God-JEALOUS-I-want-to-be-her (into which category my friend falls). Of course, by the end of the pilot episode, my friend wasn’t sure about the strict categorization of her love. It seemed to cross boundaries, and maybe be an even combination of the two types.

So why do we love Shane? Is it her effortless charm, her “nipple-confidence” (as Tina points out in the pilot), or her amazingly adorable smile? Is it her body? Is it her shameless attitude towards sleeping around? Her sweet, damaged, loyal inner nature? Or is it quite simply the knowledge that she could easily get us in bed with a single word, and make it the best night of our lives? Every queer girl I’ve ever talked to about The L Word has something to say about Shane, even if she’s not their favorite character.

At my last count, I had ten pictures of Katherine Moennig saved to my computer. This has to mean something.

So I have a question for YOU, Sapphists. Why do YOU like Shane?

10 comments:

Freddie said...

z0mg.

It's the smile.

And the hair.

And the low sultry voice.

And the way she dresses.

Sex.

Anonymous said...

^ Haha I couldn't agree more

Anonymous said...

Not a fan. I always wanted the girls Shane was with, but never Shane herself. Carmen was my Shane.

Anonymous said...

I agree with the person above me. I was never attracted to Shane in the slightest...

Unknown said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Anonymous said...

Hi, Sometimes_will, I had the same experience as u. Just finished watching all 6 seasons during last X'mas and new year holiday. Then, I can't pull mind out of Shane. Fully agree that people who like Shane fall into the categories u mentioned. As an Asian closeted lesbian (and a widow), Shane is the wildest dream...

Unknown said...

Defo agree with the voice thing, husky, sexy arrahhh!
The less is more kinda thing, don't talk unless its worth saying.. I like that, very easy going and get along wiv chick, i love her honesty. Still she wasn't my favourite (Bette was) but of course I wanted to be her and fuck her! hah!

Anonymous said...

I love her cOnfidence and her natural ability to get all the ladies attention with little ability. Shes reclusive . She cares and she doesnt care. She can pretend to hate you.... And she could love harder.... Shes so cool lol

Anonymous said...

Just DAMN SEXY AT ALL

Anonymous said...

I don't like tomboys or butch lesbos but eish Shane she made my talala go twidle dee, there was this thing bout her hmmmMmmm but in reality I dnt thing her and I wud ever date