“I’m Just Trying to Find my Way Like Most Kids”: Bisexuality, Adolescence and the Drama of One Tree Hill

Abstract

This essay offers a narrative reading of the representation of bisexuality on One Tree Hill by examining the character Anna Tagaro. Grounding this reading in observations about bisexuality, media representation and adolescent identity formation processes, the essay exposes Anna's representation as both a viable coming out story for an adolescent audience and a systematic erasure of bisexuality as a valid social identity. The displacement of political activism with friend and ally Peyton creates a representation that functions both as liberating and constraining simultaneously. Moreover, Anna's inclusion as the only Latina character in an all white, all heterosexual cast offers an intersectional representation of race and sexual identity. This conflict between progress and constraint in the representation of youth identity choices offers scholars ample data for future studies in teen television and sexuality.Planning ahead for a potential midseason replacement, the Warner Brother's Television Network (WB) developed the dramatic teen soap opera One Tree Hill in 2003. The series chronicles the relational tension between Lucas (Chad Michael Murray) and Nathan (James Lafferty) Scott, high-school-aged half brothers who cope with the trials and tribulations of teen life, as well as their oppressive, diabolical, basketball obsessed father Dan (Paul Johansson). Since the series was not originally part of the network's plan for that year, it did not receive the same breadth of promotional efforts as other series and came in under the radar of many viewers and critics. However, the series benefited from star Chad Michael Murray, who

Perspectives of LGBTQ emerging adults on the depiction and impact of LGBTQ media representation

“…Both young and adult LGBTQ populations have also been increasingly depicted in various types of traditional (characteristically offline) media (e.g. television, movies, and literature) (Dhoest and Simons 2012;Meyer 2009;Sender 2012). Despite this relatively rapid increase in depictions -particularly in the last several years -few studies have focused on the impact of this representation (Fouts and Inch 2005), or how such depictions are experienced by LGBTQ young people (Dhoest and Simons 2012;Meyer 2009;Sender 2012).…”

“…television, movies, and literature) (Dhoest and Simons 2012;Meyer 2009;Sender 2012). Despite this relatively rapid increase in depictions -particularly in the last several years -few studies have focused on the impact of this representation (Fouts and Inch 2005), or how such depictions are experienced by LGBTQ young people (Dhoest and Simons 2012;Meyer 2009;Sender 2012). Further, young people's experiences with these traditional depictions have not been adequately considered in the contemporary context characterized by the rapidly increasing prevalence of new (typically online) media (e.g.…”

“…Media informs people's knowledge of LGBTQ people, and is often the first place that individuals -including young people who subsequently identify as LGBTQ -encounter LGBTQ identities (Craig and McInroy 2014;Meyer 2009). Media representations of LGBTQ people in both traditional media and new media facilitate LGBTQ young people's development (Craig and McInroy 2014;Meyer 2009). However, the particular experiences and impact of both traditional and new media representations on LGBTQ emerging adults remain poorly understood.…”

“…LGBTQ young people often lack real-life role models and access to identityrelated information in their homes, schools, and communities (Fouts and Inch 2005;Meyer 2009). Thus, media representations may have a significant impact on young people's identity development and presentation (Raley and Lucas 2006).…”

“We All Have Feelings for Our Girlfriends:” Progressive (?) Representations of Lesbian Lives on the The L Word

“…Often bisexual and transgendered identities are defined in relation to gay/lesbian identities rather than being defined as unique sexual identities. In this particular case, a predominantly heterosexual audience may find defining gay and lesbian identities simpler, and thus, relate more to storylines like Bette and Tina's that mimic heterosexual norms, while queer audiences may identify more readily with the continual pressures to label one's sexuality as experienced by Alice or Jenny, which are typical of many coming out narratives that stress dialectical tensions between heterosexual and homosexual communities (Meyer 2004(Meyer , 2009. Therefore, in many ways, The L Word perpetuates a heteronormative gaze.…”