Amazon Prime’s new TV show, A League of Their Own (2022) hits it out of the park! After a year of cancelling all of the best shows with queer representation such as Batwoman, Gentleman Jack, First Kill, The Wilds, Derry Girls and Killing Eve, it’s as if the Lesbian Jesus herself has blessed the queer community with stunning queer representation in A League of Their Own. A show with attractive and talented women playing professional baseball during WWII; what more could we want?!
Maybe you’ve seen clips of that gay baseball show on TikTok through edits of D’Arcy Carden as the beautiful, adventurous Greta Gill or Chanté Adams as the handsome and witty Maxine. Perhaps you’ve stumbled across the trailer or heard a friend raving about how good it is, you can’t avoid not watching it any longer! These are the reasons you should watch that gay baseball show.
Introduction of Queer Women & Women of Colour Storylines
Based on the 1992 film, A League of Their Own, directed by Penny Marshall and starring Tom Hanks, Geena Davis, Rosie O’Donnell and Madonna, Abbi Jacobson’s reimagining of the classic film explores LGBTQ+ narratives, as well as narratives of women of colour; whose stories, struggles and triumphs were absent from the film produced 30 years ago. The introduction of these stories allows viewers to step into the lives of queer women and women of colour in the 1940s. Jacobson portrays a close-knit community of queer women, whose friendships and romantic relationships are filled with laughter, teamwork, happiness and heartbreak – queer women in that era were fearful of being “outed.” Women lost their jobs and families, as police raided gay bars and arrested anyone suspected of being gay. Jacobson also illustrates the success and joy people of colour and queer people of colour experienced through characters like bold and hard-working Maxine (played by Chanté Adams) who dreams of playing professional baseball and sassy, kind and supportive comic book writer Clarence (played by Gbemisola Ikumelo), while also demonstrating the prejudice and racism they endured in society and the world of sports.
References to the Classic Film, A League of Their Own Film (The one starring Madonna)
Although the names of the characters are different, viewers who have seen the film will recognize the personalities of some of the most beloved characters, including hilarious and competitive Doris (played by Rosie O’Donnell) who could resemble Jo Deluca – “Deluca the Bazuka” – (played by Melanie Field) in the new series or the flirty and quirky May (played by Madonna) who is similar to Maybelle (played by Molly Ephriam). Additionally, both the film and TV show depict how the Rockford Peaches experienced sexism and over-sexualization, such as how they were required to have a male coach, were not taken seriously as professional ball players and were forced to wear skirts as part of their uniform instead of pants to still appear as “real” women. Lastly, the TV show uses Tom Hanks’ infamous line from the film: “THERE’S NO CRYING IN BASEBALL!”
Every Character is Queer
This isn’t just a show with one token queer character or relationship, oh no! Every episode you realize a character is gay, and then another character is gay and then another! It is a show filled with diverse, queer women everywhere! Unlike other LGBTQ+ shows, it doesn’t abide to the trope in queer media where the queer women are thin, white women with blonde or brown hair. Instead, there are butch women of different ethnicities, queer women of colour and queer women representing different body types. All of these women are amazingly beautiful and possess unique personalities that are SO entertaining! It’s definitely one of the most progressive representations of queer women I have ever seen!
Reinventing a classic film is difficult to accomplish and Abbi Jacobson does a fantastic job creating loveable characters and storylines while capturing the historical truths of this era. It is a remarkable show – a true win for the LGBTQ+ community and people of colour.