Thursday, June 14, 2007

What the L?

Uh, what and the hell? Words, I can’t find the words. Virtual lesbianism? Online pride parades? Altoids? Pirates? Mommy, I’m scared… Earlier this year the marketing geniuses at Showtime partnered “The L Word” with the 3-D digital world of Second Life to create a Sapphic virtual community. This month, in honor of Gay Pride, they’re rolling out a series of parades and parties.That’s right, you too can gussy up a virtual avatar and meet other L Word fans with high speed internet access and an abundance of free time who apparently can’t make it to a flesh-and-blood parade. The whole she-bang (puns! puns!) is sponsored by Altoids, as you might have guessed by the big honking ALTOIDS banners, flags and billboards everywhere (don’t get me started on the Altoids can with legs wandering around…creepy). From what I’ve seen, this whole thing is freaky enough to actually scare a person straight. The crazy equality warrior with her beheaded spoils of war is enough to send me into therapy.I guess we should consider this progress, since only last week the Showtime marketers finally declared that lesbians were people. So now they’ve declared lesbians both people and virtual people. And pirates. And tin cans. Seriously, what the hell?

4 comments:

Metasin Girl said...

I don’t know who markets the L Word for Showtime (I’m assuming it’s done in-house) but between this and that lame ass tag line they clipped from ChiTrib, they desperately need a new mktg team (are all their marketers straight, for god’s sake)? The Second Life phenomenon is strange enough in itself, but a virtual L Word is too much for me.

OTOH, maybe I should join up. Then I could make a virtual Ilene, a virtual Showtime mktg team, a virtual Max and a virtual Jenny – ship them ALL off in a virtual raft and watch them get eaten by virtual sharks. Then I’d bring back virtual Marina, virtual Shane from S1-2, and...oh, nevermind.

I’m suddenly craving an Altoid – I’ve got a bad taste in my mouth.

nycrouge said...

Nothing says gay pride like a PIRATE! Arrrrrr!

Sally said...

With my old (an only) laptop, I can't enter Second Life! So, thanks for the update!
I wanted to go into Second Life and become a virtual Therapist... I think right now it would be perfect! LOL!

Anonymous said...

Wow, that is just creepy. Because virtual lesbians are so much more fun than real ones, who aren't people, until some tv critic from Chicago says so. Spare me!