Thursday, October 09, 2008

Last Spashley

Gosh, my high school days certainly were never like this. Not even close. Truth be told, I'm not sure how many people's actually were. But regardless its closeness to any of our realities, “South of Nowhere” is a reflection of our hopes. Fine, not the insane teenage drama. Or the crazy homophobic mom. Or the dolt of a brother. Or...look, you get what I'm driving at. In my high school I remember exactly one openly gay kid. And even that was more like a rumor. There were no out couples. And I suspect this is still the case in too many schools, large and small, across the country. Sure it's changing, but it can't change fast enough for every questioning teen out there wondering if she is the only one. Being able to find community online helps immensely. Still there is just something about seeing your lives, your hopes broadcast directly into your living room that makes you feel a little less lonely.

That's why we've all sat through dozens if not hundreds of excruciatingly bad lesbian movies. That's why we all watch and rewatch “The L Word” (well, that and Jennifer Beal's biceps). We want to see ourselves. We want to see our stories. And, fine, we want to see hot girls kissing. It's thankfully the one and only thing I have in common with frat boys everywhere.

[Girls and boys, you're gonna wanna click that.]

So starting Friday it will be bittersweet to watch the last eight episodes of “South of Nowhere.” The series will finish its run at the end of this its third season. Sure, the show wasn't perfect. And I fully admit to fast-forwarding to the Spashley stuff. Still I always marvel at the fact that it's on TV at all. And on a channel just for teenagers (yeah, I try to ignore that bit, too, since I'm embarrassingly outside of the demographic). So, what's up for our star-crossed lovebirds in these last few episodes? Drama. Temptation. And, yes, kissing. God bless television.


21 comments:

  1. Anonymous5:55 AM

    Thank you, Ms Snarker! I often feel I'm just a 15-year-old boy in a body of a ::cough::-year-old woman.

    As a side note:
    http://bitchslapmovie.com/indexFlash.html finally has some downloads. Like wallpapers... ::drool::

    (Note to self: Never click for a larger pic when not alone.)

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  2. DS, you finally defined why in the world I am utterly compelled to watch every single (bad) lesbian movie I can get my hands on. Thanks for the free (hot) therapy!

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  3. Anonymous6:03 AM

    The only Splashley I've ever seen is on the net. I don't get that channel. The only lesbian movies that I ever saw when I was younger on cable here were But I'm a cheerleader and a Lifetime movie, both after I was out of High school. Even Buffy started after I was out of Highschool. I feel deprived.

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  4. Anonymous7:19 AM

    Yes, I completely agree - so many lesbian movies, so excruciatingly bad. At least this seems like a step in the right direction. I'd love to see lesbians in tv shows/movies who are in happy, healthy relationships, and it's not all angst and drama and doe-eyed, longing gazes.
    *dreams of this with doe-eyed, longing gaze...*

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  5. I thought all the lesbian movies/tv shows were what reality was supposed to be. What? Not all lesbians are miserable, pregnant, vampire psycho killers? I know I am....

    Annenymous, thanks for the Bitchslap tip, now my computer looks like a wet t-shirt contest...

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  6. Anonymous8:27 AM

    Oh my word...I am so out of their demo too...yet I cannot help but enjoy the Spashley...and I think a big part of that is for the mere fact of how far things have come since my high school days when there was no such thing as being out.

    I have tried to encourage every young gay, bi, queer, or questioning woman to revel in all things Spashley and BAM...and whatever other stories that are out there in which they see even a small part of themselves.

    As much as I am sad to see SoN disappear into the sunset, I am glad for all that the show and the cast did for so many young women.

    I am also glad to see the series out on DVD...it might seem like a small thing, but I know of a lot of young girls who never got to see Spashley except for what clips were put on the net. And coming out on DVD has been a wish they had been wishing for...for a long time.

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  7. I thought all the lesbian movies/tv shows portrayed real life lesbians. What? Not all lesbians are miserable, pregnant, vampire psycho killers? That's a shock. I know I am....

    Annenymous, thanks for the Bitchslap tip, now my computer looks like a wet t-shirt contest...

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  8. Anonymous9:22 AM

    Wow, I am so excited that Spashley is coming back after such a long hiatus! But their return is so bittersweet, I'm not sure how I'm going to last through the episode w/o thinking about how depressing it is that they're leaving for good! I remember SoN being one of the first representations of lesbians on TV/film that I saw when I started to come out to myself (after The L Word, of course), and it resonated with me so much because here were characters who were my age and who were wrestling with some of the same things I was dealing with. It was just so helpful to feel like I wasn't alone and to see the amazing way that the girls' relationship was handled on SoN. I feel like SoN went a long way in normalizing lesbian/gay relationships for teens today, and for that I am very grateful.
    And now I have my little sister hooked on it too! Thanks SoN, I'll miss you!

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  9. Yes, God bless television, movies and people like you, my dear Ms. Snarker.
    What a wonderful thing you do with your blog, creating an instant community for young lesbians who might not have anyone to relate to in their "real" world.
    I hope you get as much joy from all the feedback from your loyal readers as we all get in coming here to be entertained by your witty, zany and smart little pearls of wisdom.

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  10. Anonymous12:02 PM

    that' s sooooo true.
    There were no out people at my school at all and ther were no lesbians at TV at all - except some late-night (how do you say "schmuddelig"?: grubby? tatty?)soft erotic horrible movies of the late 70th....

    Greetings and Thanks form Germany

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  11. Anonymous12:22 PM

    I have to second what madmags said. It's not only seeing people like me on tv/movies that makes me feel less alone, it's seeing them online on this site, on afterellen and others. You really do a lot Ms Snarker, much more than you give yourself credit for.

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  12. Yeah...it's embarrassingly out of my demographic to watch a teen channel, but I pretend I'm back in HS and watching Family...heh.

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  13. Anonymous2:31 PM

    I started watching South of Nowhere when I was 13, and it was one of the things that made me decide to come out. As dumb as that sounds, it was kind of comforting to see how normal being gay was. I may be the only out girl at my high school (which, by the way, is NOTHING like King High School), but I'm much happier now. I have SON and Spashley to thank for that.

    Long live Spashley!

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  14. Anonymous2:36 PM

    What theweyrd1 said! Oh Kristy McNichol, you were a lifeline to many a young questioning lesbian back in the day. The return of SON will be a nice diversion from the global economic meltdown. Looks like I will now be able to retire from my job when I'm dead. Could be worse (Iceland).

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  15. Anonymous3:42 PM

    I'm not even gonna give you a hint as to my demographic! Let's just say I'm a late bloomer and let it go at that. And I've never seen South of Nowhere but I wish there had been shows like this when I was in HS. Thankfully, The L Word was here 30 years later and my therapist told me to go rent it so I could see that lesbians do indeed live "normal" lives. Because of The L Word, I had the courage to say to myself "I am a lesbian" and then to tell my husband. So yes, thank goodness there are beginning to be shows like SON on TV so today's kids don't wait a lifetime to come out.

    Oops! I think I just revealed my demographic, didn't I?

    ComeTogetherGiftBaskets

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  16. Yes! Some Spashley love! Seriously, I came out with these girls, and this show being canceled feels a bit like a personal insult. So thanks tons for the delicious clips, Ms. Snarker! (Also: any idea when the eps will be online? I don't get the N here, and am not entirely thrilled about the prospect of buying the episodes. I'll spend my beer money on Spashley, but would prefer to... not.)

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  17. I just wanted to say that you certainly have a point about a lack of out gay couples in high school. The tides are beginning to change, though. I live in a fairly small town in Minnesota, not the most liberal community in the world, but I came out when I was in junior high. By the time I hit high school, there weren't many people that didn't know that I was gay, so my totally out relationship with my girlfriend was no surprise. After co-founding my high school's first lasting Gay-Straight Alliance, I was repeatedly thanked by other lesbians/bisexuals/questioning girls who greatly benefit from having a role model in a healthy relationship. Having said that, I completely agree that South of Nowhere further accomplishes that role, and does it on an even grander scale. It's a shame that it is getting canceled. It is a very remarkable show, and has done wonders for the emerging lesbian youth, and even those not so youthful. Every time I see fervent support for Spashley, especially from people who do not fit into the teen demographic, it fills me with hope. It's great to have the sense that though we often do not realize it, we are not alone.
    Thank you. :)

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  18. this show is about the sexual expose of a girl who comes from another country.Some scenes of this show are very erotic like smooches and seducing each other,hot show.

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