Lesbian Pop Culture Reviews

The Whole 9 Yards: Year in Review

We associate the number nine with extremes: highs (cloud nine), lows (the ninth Psalm, predicting the coming of the Antichrist), good luck and bad. Considering the spectrum of events we lived through in 2010-2011—from the greatest victories to the worst tragedies—the number nine seems a particularly apt symbol for the past twelve months’ happenings. On the plus side, DADT was repealed; on the minus side, a near-apocalyptic disaster devastated Japan. Last year, we opened our Annual Year in Review with the crisis in Haiti, which proves again that life is fragile.

6. A NETWORK OF HER OWN

It’s official: Oprah now owns television—or at least her own network. This past January, Oprah debuted OWN (Oprah Winfrey Network). Specializing in programming of interest to women, OWN features top self-helpers, life coaches, therapists, money managers and other professionals. Naturally, Oprah’s BFF Gayle King has her “own” talk show. In an interview with Barbara Walters just prior to OWN’s debut, Oprah confronted the speculation about her relationship with her bestie, tearfully confessing, “I have said we are not gay enough times. I am not lesbian. I’m not even ‘kind of’ lesbian.” Love hurts. (Even straight-girl love.)

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