LE3 .A278 2007

2007

Auger, Jeanette

Acadia University

Master of Arts

Masters

Sociology

Sociology

This thesis seeks to explore the portrayal of lesbians and/or lesbianism on prime-time television. I will demonstrate how television episodes provoke fierce public debates about what lesbians are "really" like and about the place of lesbians in society. Using readily available television reviews found on the internet, studying this phenomenon is sociologically significant in our contemporary culture where attitudes and laws surrounding sexual orientation appear to be shifting. I examined these debates and explored the content of controversial episodes in order to better understand the limits of these images of lesbianism and queer female sexuality in an effort to comprehend what television programs communicate about lesbian identity, existence and culture. In this thesis, I studied ways in which televisual-lesbian portrayals may be considered caricatures (or stereotypes) and how these representations invoke debates in public discourse (for example, about normalcy, morality, and family and social relationships). The methods employed in this thesis take several forms. Initially a vast literature review was conducted in order to obtain academic literature that would help formulate a knowledge base of lesbians in contemporary society. Additionally, the literature review helped format a theoretical basis from which to explore this topic. The second method employed was the development of a typology in which to analyze public debates about particular television shows and/or characters. Thirdly, I conducted a media analysis examining six different characters/storylines, using the literature and theories to help inform my investigative lens.

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https://scholar.acadiau.ca/islandora/object/theses:2788