Queer Webseries

 There's a huge vacuum when it comes to representation of queer identities in media. So it's understanding that many people have turned to indie webseries to make their own representation. Or to just look there for representations of what they're experiencing. And in theory this can be really cool, many more stories can be told a lot better when people make them themselves. But I've found that there's plenty of reasons why these can... fall flat. Lack of a budget for one, and using people who are figuring out what they're doing as they go isn't always the greatest. Regardless of these reservations though, I think there's a reason why so many of these speak to people, so don't let my critiques here stop you from watching them.

One production that I think can highlight the highs of webseries really well is "I Put the Bi in Bitter." It tells the story of a bisexual high schooler with coming out, having a crush on a female classmate, talking to her family about being queer, and navigating college applications. I tend to promote this show to anyone who will listen to me, because I think it's a really great show and a lot of fun to watch. The cast is diverse, there's bi, gay, lesbian, characters and allies, and while the acting isn't sublime it's quite good. The writing also is great in that the writers know how to take their time. Most webseries only have about 10 minutes per episode and instead of cramming a whole arc in there, this show knows how to give us a single scene or interaction per episode. It shows that they have a great sense of timing and how to tell this story. Finally the cinematography is fun in that characters' emotions will appear as emojis around their heads. It's super simple, but really effective and helps the show to stand out from others that play it more conventionally.

To contrast, a show that I think misses the mark is "BIFL." I had heard a lot about this show since it features both an ace lesbian and an aro bi, neither of which you see often. I finally watched it and honestly, I didn't think it was remarkable beyond that. The characters seemed a little two dimensional, the ace lesbian is mostly mad all of the time, and the bisexual main character just pines over her best friend. The straight guy just wants his roommate to get together with his friend. There are some interesting side points, but the show doesn't have the time to flesh them out fully, like one character's struggle with mental health. For sure this show has less of a sense of how to effectively tell a story within 10 minutes. There's a reconciliation between two characters that felt really rushed and made their whole relationship difficult for me to believe after that. Plus, and this might just be my preference, the plot revolves entirely around romantic relationships. And there's two of them! You could have at least had one be romantic and pick anything else for the secondary plot. 

Having said all that, "BIFL" only has 1 season while "I Put the Bi in Bitter" has 3. So they've had more time to find their feet. And whether the show is good or not, I'm still glad that it exists and that people are making this. So if you check out the show links, they are crowdsourcing for money to make more episodes. Watch what they have, and if you like what you see, donate to get more produced! It's well worth your money dollars.