Description
This thesis attempts to partially fill the void of literature on female bisexuality that currently exists. This thesis seeks to investigate how female bisexuality is represented on two television shows: The L Word (2004-2009) and Orange is the New Black (2013-present). Research on bisexuality is relatively nonexistent in comparison to research on Lesbian and Gay sexualities and is almost completely nonexistent on bisexuality. Using the online video streaming service Netflix, I watched all seventy episodes of Showtime’s The L Word and fifty-two episodes of Netflix’s Orange is the New Black (OITNB), while meticulously taking notes on each show’s female bisexual characters. While taking these records, I noted any dialogue that occurred about bisexuality and analyzed any similarities and differences between the two characters I focused on. After analyzing all 122 episodes of both shows, the study yielded these results: bisexual female television characters consistently embody negative stereotypes, allowing no growth of the character, not allowing them to be fully humanized, and not allowing them to be represented as anything but white and wealthy. Though there are a small number of positive differences between female bisexuality in 2004 and 2016, the number of negative similarities is staggering. Bisexuality continues to be extremely underrepresented, but when it does appear on television it embodies offensive stereotypes and behavior.
