Monday, June 16, 2008

Sitting in a tree, k-i-s-s-i-n-g...

[Spoilers, spoilers Will Robinson! “Grey’s Anatomy” spoilers!]

Once again, I am going to preface this post by saying that these are just rumors and speculations. The rumors come from TV Guide (soon-to-be EW) scoopmeister Michael Ausiello, who is as close as you come to a reliable source in this department. The speculations come from me. OK, last chance spoilerphobes. Leave now or forever hold your peace.
From his May 28 Ask Ausiello:
Question: Grey's scoop, please!
Ausiello: I hear someone may be preggers — and that someone shared a red-hot smooch in the finale!

To which I say, “Nooooooooooooo!”

Now, I can’t be the only one who thinks the “red-hot smooch” couple in question is Callie and Erica. The Meredith/McDreamy kiss was more romantic. The Izzie/Alex kiss was more desperate. The rest were tangential. Judge for yourself which was “red-hot.”



I don’t even watch/like Grey’s, but I appreciate a well-written lesbian/bisexual storyline as much as the next gal. That kiss was genuine. That kiss was hot. That kiss was genuinely hot.

Sadly, I can also smell a pregnant lesbian storyline coming from miles away. Empirical evidence aside, a Callie or Erica pregnancy simply seems more feasible within the context of the show. I mean, come on, is Shonda Rhimes really going to make Pompeo or Heigl pregnant next season? Seriously, think about it.

Of course, I could be wrong. I could be very, incredibly, completely wrong. And let’s hope that I am. But if I am not wrong then, dude, what the fuck?

Must the pregnant lesbian storyline be TV’s go-to plot point for the Sapphically inclined? What is it about lesbians that makes writers automatically think procreation? Is it that they see two women together and immediately assume that means double the maternal instinct? Or is it just easier to desexualize them by making them all about the kiddies?

Look, I have nothing against real-life pregnant lesbians. In fact, mazel tov! But the pregnant couple/custody battle/insemination struggle lesbian storyline is beyond old and moldy (and not in that good exotic French cheese kind of way). Just off the very tippy-top of my head I can rattle off “Friends,” “ER,” “Queer as Folk,” “The Wire,” “Exes & Ohs,” “The L Word,” “Cashmere Mafia” and that doesn’t even include TV movies or guest appearances.

The ridiculous overuse of the pregnant lesbian storyline denies the rich array of other experiences in our relationships between the k-i-s-s-i-n-g, then love, then marriage and then – finally – a baby in a baby carriage.

So, you know, let’s just hope I’m wrong.

18 comments:

The Gentleman said...

Should we just start a petion right now? You know, just to have an head start... And for once I really, REALLY hope your are dead wrong because another drama-filled pregnancy lesbian storyline is not what we need on prime time next fall...
Plus they're frakking doctors don't they know something call "contraception"?? gee...

Anonymous said...

NOT ANOTHER LESBIAN STORYLINE! that were exactly my thoughts when I read that spoiler some days ago...
please shonda, don't ruin it!
girls let's start a petition, I will sign everything to prevent a preggers callie...

sandy lopez *sigh*

Anonymous said...

OMG! If the planet was that chuck full of those kind of lezzies, well we'd have to deal with an unheard of overpopulation issue...What's wrong with the screenwriters anyway? What about this "new" pregnancy trend going on? Stop it! Women are not only good at having whimpering kids around them all the time! Come on, get a grip people!

Queers United said...

im shocked the media has been so gay friendly to same-sex couples lately
http://www.queersunited.blogspot.com

Anonymous said...

As soon as I saw how the lesbian/bi storyline was starting off on Grey's (what with that Mark guy always having sex with Callie), I immediately thought "Oh no, they're going to do the pregnant lesbian story again"...ugh. I hope the lesbian couple aren't the ones with the pregnancy, I hope, I hope, I hope.

Natazzz said...

Noooooooooooooooo!
Take it back!

Anonymous said...

when they were hyping the final episode they alluded to a hot, unexpected kiss. well, there were like 10 of them, because EVERYONE kissed at the end of the episode. and they were all unexpected and most were hot-ish (not izzy's). so it really could be anyone.

i really hope you're wrong. my money is on the chief. he and his wife already had a failed pregnancy. maybe they'll get a kid this season.

Nelfy said...

I so hope that Callie isn't pregnant, I mean she's a doctor, so how are they going to handle that?? besides, they already had 2 pregnancies by main characters (cristina + miranda), so thats a lot for a tv-show about doctors!! I seriously will stop watching grey's if Callie turns out to be pregnant!!

Unknown said...

What about the Alex/Izzie kiss? I mean, it was desperate, but it (maybe?) could be classified as hot?

. . . just trying to throw some hope in there!

Anonymous said...

Alright, all I have to say is that I've heard they're trying to keep Mark in the Callie/Erica triangle so a pregnancy/kid would tend to do that but I really hope that's not the case.

Also, in that AfterEllen.com article that was put up yesterday about Callie/Erica, the two women they brought in to oversee the "integrity" of the storyline said they were more interested in telling the (over-done) story of coming out late in life. My only thought is that people don't have babbies when they're going through emotional identity crisis...but what do I know.

PS: I'd take anything Ausiello says with a big grain of salt. Most of what he says comes with a heaping dose of posturing chalked up to the inflated ego of a smurf-obsessed queen.

Anonymous said...

I've thought about it, and considering their history and their strange sympatico-ness, considering how Alex was gearing up to be the father of Ava's (non-existent) baby, considering how Izzie is off the surgical fast track, I think she's the one who's going to have the baby and it's going to be Alex's. Alex and Izzie have been taking the long way back around to being together and my vote is that the baby will be theirs. It just doesn't make sense for Callie or Erica.

Trihardist said...

Oh God. No.

No no no.

I started watching Grey's Anatomy in the fourth season for this storyline exclusively. And I will not continue watching if the stupid writers re-tread this all-too-familiar ground.

But I agree with the previous two comments; I don't think this is where they're going. I think our perception of "red-hot" is also possibly skewed. Because . . . well, you know.

ravaj said...

have you read this:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/15/arts/television/15lyal.html?pagewanted=3&_r=1&sq=russell%20t%20davies&st=cse&scp=1

even if you are not a whovian, i just thought of it after your comment re g/l/b plotlines, and thought you may like to see what russell davies has to say about his storylines.

Anonymous said...

I heard rumblings about the possible direction that this story-line might be heading in a while ago and started my bitching about it back then, because just like you and so many others I am tired of the trite story-line about the pregnant lesbian, which I truly believe is used to desexualize the lesbian characters.

I hope that Shonda hears all of our rumblings and takes them to heart, because I don't think that I could take another case of so badly wanting a great lesbian couple on TV only to have nothing happen between them, because once again one of them becomes pregnant!

ARGH!

Unknown said...

I really doubt it's Callie who is pregnant. My money's on Meredith or Adele (the chief's wife). I'd love it if Mere was pregnant, as it would cement the Mere/Der storyline more.

Anonymous said...

Oh jeez, Meredith really needs to quit whining. She's been whining since the start of the show and about the same guy as well. It's so old!

I think it will be Callie and not just because it will be a pregnant lesbian storyline. Mark wants to grow, a couple of years ago he was shown to be all upset because Addison aborted his child, and he and Callie have been having all that sex, so Callie being pregnant with his child would be a quick way of showing this change he supposedly wants. Also Callie, when she was still with George, had been quite enthusiastic about the idea of children. But I haven't seen much of this season so I'm not sure what else is happening with the characters except, you know, kissage.

Izzie being pregant would definately be dramatic but would just be a horrible thing to do to Alex (since he so desperately wants Izzie to want him more than she does and has for years). Also, Izzie already has a child and has had several child-related storylines.

I hope however that it's the Chief and Adele because they did have had so many problems and because they do keep trying. And because it would be sweet. :)

... apparently I know more about Gray's Anatomy than I realised. Eek!

Unknown said...

I suppose it doesn't matter now. ABC fired Brooke Smith back in September! Ausiello reported on it the other day, even confirmed it with Smith: http://ausiellofiles.ew.com/2008/11/brooke-smith-le.html#comments This week's episode is her last, she doesn't even get a proper exit. And Melissa George was coming in as a bisexual intern but ABC made Shonda Rhimes de-gay her too. WTF!!!

Anonymous said...

Omg, looking back at the old Brooke Smith posts makes me so sad. All my hopes for my OTP just....got fcuked over, tbh. And yes, I know that's a typo, but I'm trying not to be profane.
So there