“You Want Fireworks? I’ll Show You Fireworks!”: Or Not—Woman-to-Woman Violence on Sex and the City, The L Word, and The O.C.

Abstract

Instances of intimate partner violence (IPV) between women on Sex and the City, The L Word, and The O.C. reflect the social reality that IPV between lesbians is a serious social and public health issue. However, narrative analysis of IPV in female same-sex relationships reveals the violence is both literally and figuratively rendered unremarkable. The absence of frames common in contemporary portrayals of heterosexual IPV perpetuates the misperception that violence does not occur in same-sex relationships. Further, a specifically gendered, raced and classed image of “the violent lesbian,” and recuperation narratives where heterosexuality is presented as the “solution” to woman-to-woman IPV, raise questions about the increased presence of LGB characters in entertainment media. In sum, thematic elements that unite seemingly dynamic portrayals of lesbian sexuality and relationships in these series do not interrupt cultural narratives silencing victims of intimate violence. Instead, messages about woman-to-woman IPV perpetuate stereotypes and homophobic, sexist, racist and classist ideologies. This analysis presents insight into popular media portrayals of a serious community health issue. Results call for additional research assessing the form and content of media representations of same-sex sexuality in a changing cultural context.