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Post by nychic on Mar 15, 2011 0:49:49 GMT -5
Okay, I just got done reading the latest Jon Reiss article, It's All Over Soon, Baby Blue (which was superb btw) in which he says
"I’m sure that I’m not the only one who was hoping that this situation would bring Heather’s lesbianism to light. Instead, what came to light was Ben’s real outlook on love. Ben plans to follow his father’s polygamist footsteps because that’s how he was raised. Similarly, lesbian or not, Heather will marry a man, because she’s Mormon."
Does everyone think that Heather is an in the closet lesbo?
For some reason I never thought that she was. Granted, I remember in seasons 1-3 Heather would look at Sarah in an odd way. Also, I felt that Heather was a little over-zealous about living in a dorm with Sarah and raising Sarah's baby with her [Sarah]. But i thought Rhonda was the only one who thought that Heather was a lesbian this whole time. I didn't know that the viewers felt the same way. I mean, maybe i missed something even though I've seen every season a bagillion times.
Thoughts.....?
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Post by LD no S on Mar 15, 2011 1:19:04 GMT -5
i agree with you, nychic ... i don't think Heather is a lesbian, either, but i am also pretty convinced that she isn't interested in polygamy ...
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Post by miceelf on Mar 15, 2011 7:56:39 GMT -5
I think she might be, but more likely bi. There were quite a few moments in earlier seasons when her friendship for Sarah seemed close to unrequited love. Especially when she wanted to live with Sarah and help raise the baby. However, I don't think she would ever act on those feelings. Heather is a devout LDS girl. She is doing everything she is supposed to: going to BYU, dating a boy who went on a mission, and even though she broke up with him, her relationship with Ben has been chaste and proper -- their dates consist of ice skating and hot chocolate, not making out in the back seat. Even going to her bishop when she needed spiritual guidance -- which had disastrous results for the Henricksons, especially Barb -- was what a good LDS kid is supposed to do.
If she is a lesbian and closeted/in denial, she may be able to make herself live the life she is supposed to: marry a nice Mormon boy and have kids, be active in her church, etc. But she will also likely be very depressed, and I just don't see that in her personality. If anything, she is a little too perky, LOL. I think it's more likely that she is bi -- maybe had a schoolgirl crush on her best friend Sarah, but she's over that now and at least used to be happy dating Ben. I hope that situation resolves -- Ben does not love Rhonda, she is a slut and a mean, nasty person. He could be happy with Heather if he can reject the principle and stay monogamous.
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Post by southernsong on Mar 15, 2011 8:21:01 GMT -5
I never thought that she was a lesbian. As far as her relationship with Sara goes, I really feel that Sara was just her best friend. It was clear that Heather had a hard time making friends when you saw how the other girls at Deb's treated her. Sara wasn't like them and befriended Heather easily.
Also, Heather has talked about helping out at the GLBT runaway center. She cares about people who don't fit in to what society says they should be like. Sara also falls into this category as a polygamist child. I don't think that she ever showed any kind of sexual attraction for ANYONE of the same sex - much less Sara. Just a good, solid friendship that she didn't want to see ruined.
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Post by firstwife on Mar 15, 2011 21:52:49 GMT -5
I never thought that she was a lesbian. As far as her relationship with Sara goes, I really feel that Sara was just her best friend. It was clear that Heather had a hard time making friends when you saw how the other girls at Deb's treated her. Sara wasn't like them and befriended Heather easily. Also, Heather has talked about helping out at the GLBT runaway center. She cares about people who don't fit in to what society says they should be like. Sara also falls into this category as a polygamist child. I don't think that she ever showed any kind of sexual attraction for ANYONE of the same sex - much less Sara. Just a good, solid friendship that she didn't want to see ruined. ITA. |
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Post by TheOtherRobin on Mar 16, 2011 0:18:27 GMT -5
I don't think it can be definitively said if Heather is a lesbian or bi-sexual or straight as an arrow. In my opinion, the show has always been about blurring the lines of conformity. What is normal to me may not be normal to others. I'm using the word normal in the broad sense. I think (know) homosexuality is normal. So is being very attached to a friend to the point where it seems almost like romantic love, yet is not necessarily homosexuality.
The writers used the Heather and Sarah storyline to serve a purpose -- as a device to blur sexuality and in a sense they were asking what does it matter anyway.
I've always maintained that this show is about seeing others who are different than oneself in a new way. If you had asked me a few years ago if I felt polygamy was acceptable I would have been adament that it is not. Now I'm not so sure.
According to Kinsey the majority of people fall somewhere along the sexuality continuum; that is, in fact most people are bi-sexual to one degree or another. This does not mean most people act on it. Yet many do. It can change with time, especially for women. Sexual fluidity. Heather may, like many women of whom I'm aware, realize in mid-life her sexuality has moved to the point on the curve where she has awakened lesbian feelings. Sorry about the little "lesson" here. It's a subject that is close to my home and I'm obviously eager to inform.
I do believe the creators have a homosexual agenda to enlighten the viewers yet the agenda also extends to any kind of "alternative" lifestyle and anyone who is seen as different, such as the way they've utilized how blacks were perceived by the LDS and other Mormon churches. Even how different Morman based sects perceive sects other than their own.
Again, it's all about blurring distinctions.
Not that the story the creators, writers and producers have told should hold the weight of this agenda: The story does have to stand on its own like any well written literature. I believe it has and I will miss this show for so many reasons -- it has been fine entertainment even in the off seasons and has gotten me to think outside the TV screen box.
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Post by nychic on Mar 16, 2011 0:57:39 GMT -5
I feel you^^^^  Side note: i was just saying that if the writers intended to make it seem like Heather is attracted to women, they made it tooooooo subtle. Because I've heard people say they think she is; but i never got that feeling. I just wanted to hear the opinions of other viewers. |
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Post by duets on Mar 16, 2011 1:18:06 GMT -5
@theotherrobin, enjoyed the read (above). Thanks for posting.
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Post by withay on Mar 16, 2011 6:27:24 GMT -5
I have always believed that Heather is not a lesbian. Her friendship with Sarah is just that; a true friendship. She is awkward with boys but that does not mean she does not like them. Probably one reason she is comfortable with Ben is because she has gotten to know him as her best friend's little brother before she began to think of him as a boy.
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Post by princecaspian on Mar 16, 2011 7:44:39 GMT -5
She might be. Or she might be confused about her sexuality. There was one episode I think in season 2 or 3 where Rhonda confronted her and threatened to tell Sarah that she (Heather) is in love with her and wanted to "kiss her on the lips." Heather could have told her off or said "go ahead, it's not true anyway" or something like that. But she didn't. Instead she said nothing and just stood there with a scared and nervous look on her face. She had a look on her face like "please don't tell anyone."
And then in the last episode Rhonda called her a "Lesbo" and she did and said nothing again.
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Post by marigoldmama on Mar 16, 2011 12:57:03 GMT -5
I think Heather is generally straight BUT she had a "something" for Sarah. I don't know if it was sexual but she certainly liked her and admired her. Sarah had that svengali thing going on with Heather, much like Bill and Don.
Heather was Sarah's flunky.
Sarah learned that from her father.
(not a big fan of Sarah, BTW, although I miss her character!)
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Post by firstwife on Mar 16, 2011 13:05:13 GMT -5
I always felt that Sarah was like the"cool girl" and Heather was a bit in awe of her, ready to do anything to please her to keep in her good graces.
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Post by kambria on Mar 16, 2011 16:25:25 GMT -5
She might be. Or she might be confused about her sexuality. There was one episode I think in season 2 or 3 where Rhonda confronted her and threatened to tell Sarah that she (Heather) is in love with her and wanted to "kiss her on the lips." Heather could have told her off or said "go ahead, it's not true anyway" or something like that. But she didn't. Instead she said nothing and just stood there with a scared and nervous look on her face. She had a look on her face like "please don't tell anyone." And then in the last episode Rhonda called her a "Lesbo" and she did and said nothing again. You do make a good point that Heather has never stood up for herself when Rhonda called her a lesbian. However, Heather never really stood up to Rhonda at all. I think that she is just scared of Rhonda. Anyway, personally I don't think that Heather is a lesbian. She was just desperate to be Sara's friend and certain points in the show. I think she has genuine feelings for Ben. |
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Post by marigoldmama on Mar 16, 2011 16:27:18 GMT -5
Hey there Betheaz,
I never saw that as a 50-50 friendship. I saw it like Bill and Don.
Heather was not a very popular girl and Sarah was so cool and exotic. I don't think sarah did it deliberately but she kinda controlled Heather...Heather was the giver and Sarah was the taker.
Bill has that similiar personality trait. Bill is "cool" and Don just follows him around like a puppy.
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Post by Smoke on the Water on Mar 16, 2011 17:54:19 GMT -5
Surprise ending:
Rhonda kisses Heather, passionately. Heather looks back at her shocked - and relieved. Rhonda confesses she's been so mean to Heather because she's had this 'unnatural' attraction to her. Heather kisses Rhonda back. Then Benny walks in...
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