Know your TV lesbians

At first we weren't even going to bother reading this article in yesterday's Times. Then we saw the caption next to the main photo. It clearly shows Buffy The Vampire Slayer's Willow with Kennedy, her final season lover, but refers to them as Willow and Tara (her long-term girlfriend earlier in the series).

So what is the story about? How television totes out glamorous, "safe" lesbian characters to up ratings during sweeps. Which perhaps inadventently explains why Times editors used a photo of Willow's skinny lipstick lesbian gal pal--i.e., the hot one--instead of the more pear-shaped, hippie girlfriend their text refers to. After all, with newspaper audiences dwindling, who can blame 'em?