Ubiquitous
2016-03-18 10:51:39 UTC
The new show wants to be crystal-clear with its viewers: Xena and
Gabrielle are not just gal-pals.
by Charles Bramesco,
Since time immemorial (the dawn of film, or so), popular fiction has
cloaked its queer characters beneath several layers of innuendo,
insinuation, and subtext. The machinery of Hollywood spent years in
fear of any characters that could slightly rock the mainstream publics
boat, leaving writers with no choice but to embed subtle hints and
suggestions to homoeroticism in their work that would be identifiable
to the right viewers, but not the hand-wringing censors. (Todd Haynes
recent, perfect Carol is a feature-length deconstruction of this
practice.) The seminal 90s TV series Xena: Warrior Princess often
teased viewers with tantalizing implications that the lead (Lucy
Lawless) and her charge Gabrielle (Renee OConnor) may have shared a
little something more than experiences on the battlefield together, but
with an upcoming reboot of the fantasy-adventure, that will all change.
NBC has ordered a new Xena pilot from writer Javier Grillo-Marxuach,
architect behind the CWs cult hit The 100, and he plans to be a little
more forthcoming about the undeniable chemistry between Xena and
Gabrielle with this updated iteration. During a Q&A session on Tumblr,
Grillo-Marxuach confirmed that the two women would be lovers, no bones
about it:
i am a very different person with a very different world view
than my employer on the 100 - and my work on the 100 was to
use my skills to bring that vision to life. xena will be a
very different show made for very different reasons. there is
no reason to bring back xena if it is not there for the purpose
of fully exploring a relationship that could only be shown
subtextually in first-run syndication in the 1990s. it will
also express my view of the world - which is only further
informed by what is happening right now - and is not too
difficult to know what that is if you do some digging.
His passing reference to differing worldviews alludes to a minor
kerfuffle among devotees of The 100 following the death of fan-favorite
character Lexa, who was in a relationship with the also-female Clarke
prior to her untimely demise. Fans cried foul and the choice to
extinguish one of the small lights of hope for LGBTQ viewers on
television, and Grillo-Marxuach has evidently heard their pleas loud
and clear. This new seriesthe fate of which is still something of
question mark, considering that NBC is still far from ordering it to
serieswill right past wrongs and placate the fans in one fell swoop.
And best of all, itll provide young viewers with a hero with whom they
can identify.
[In other words, it's going to suck.]
Gabrielle are not just gal-pals.
by Charles Bramesco,
Since time immemorial (the dawn of film, or so), popular fiction has
cloaked its queer characters beneath several layers of innuendo,
insinuation, and subtext. The machinery of Hollywood spent years in
fear of any characters that could slightly rock the mainstream publics
boat, leaving writers with no choice but to embed subtle hints and
suggestions to homoeroticism in their work that would be identifiable
to the right viewers, but not the hand-wringing censors. (Todd Haynes
recent, perfect Carol is a feature-length deconstruction of this
practice.) The seminal 90s TV series Xena: Warrior Princess often
teased viewers with tantalizing implications that the lead (Lucy
Lawless) and her charge Gabrielle (Renee OConnor) may have shared a
little something more than experiences on the battlefield together, but
with an upcoming reboot of the fantasy-adventure, that will all change.
NBC has ordered a new Xena pilot from writer Javier Grillo-Marxuach,
architect behind the CWs cult hit The 100, and he plans to be a little
more forthcoming about the undeniable chemistry between Xena and
Gabrielle with this updated iteration. During a Q&A session on Tumblr,
Grillo-Marxuach confirmed that the two women would be lovers, no bones
about it:
i am a very different person with a very different world view
than my employer on the 100 - and my work on the 100 was to
use my skills to bring that vision to life. xena will be a
very different show made for very different reasons. there is
no reason to bring back xena if it is not there for the purpose
of fully exploring a relationship that could only be shown
subtextually in first-run syndication in the 1990s. it will
also express my view of the world - which is only further
informed by what is happening right now - and is not too
difficult to know what that is if you do some digging.
His passing reference to differing worldviews alludes to a minor
kerfuffle among devotees of The 100 following the death of fan-favorite
character Lexa, who was in a relationship with the also-female Clarke
prior to her untimely demise. Fans cried foul and the choice to
extinguish one of the small lights of hope for LGBTQ viewers on
television, and Grillo-Marxuach has evidently heard their pleas loud
and clear. This new seriesthe fate of which is still something of
question mark, considering that NBC is still far from ordering it to
serieswill right past wrongs and placate the fans in one fell swoop.
And best of all, itll provide young viewers with a hero with whom they
can identify.
[In other words, it's going to suck.]
--
Which title has a better ring to it?
_ President Hillary
_ Prisoner Hillary
Which title has a better ring to it?
_ President Hillary
_ Prisoner Hillary