Orbitz“I travel not to go anywhere, but to go. I travel for travel’s sake. The great affair is to move.” — Robert Louis Stevenson

The Media Awareness Network reports that, “While considerable progress has been made with respect to the depiction of gays and lesbians in television and movies, critics argue that news media still systematically ignore and distort the lives and experiences of gays and lesbians.”

“In a 1998 study that analyzed 50 years of coverage of gay and lesbian issues in Time and Newsweek, Lisa Bennett found that news media reinforce prejudice and discrimination against gays and lesbians. She observes that gays and lesbians are often linked to deviant or criminal behaviour without evidence to support such claims; and that the media often reprint offensive and homophobic comments. Bennett concludes that such practices reinforce assumptions that gays and lesbians are inherently inferior.”

Until now… Orbitz recently introduced a lesbian couple in their “game-show” campaign showing the lesbians saving money by being more efficient than their straight counterparts. The spot culminates with the lesbians kissing. Right on!

I haven’t caught the commercial on television but our straight friend over at Communicatrix brought it to my attention. She writes, “I’ll tell you, I love that campaign, but I esp. loved it when I saw that particular installment. I just saw it again and wondered what an Actual Lesbian might think, esp. one who writes on financial topics!”

What do I think? Well, for starters, I love that the cute, straight Communicatrix likes the “girl-on-girl” action in the Orbitz commercial. Of course, she never really said this, but with Monday morning looming overhead… it’s more fun to jump to titillating conclusions. Cheap lesbian thrills. Okay, back to cheap, lesbian travel.

Michael Wilke at Commercial Closet writes, “Capitalizing on the efficiency of lesbians with tools, online booking site Orbitz rolls out its fourth gay-specific commercial featuring a female couple in the latest installation of a mock game show competition.”

“The spot starts in an overcrowded airline terminal, where a flight has just been canceled for weather. Host Wink Martindale appears and a straight couple and a lesbian couple are suddenly in a game show set competing to find a hotel room from opposing podiums.”

“While the straight couple clumsily gets out a telephone book, the lesbian couple wins by quickly booking on a cell phone, then kiss each other to celebrate. ‘We’re not shy about them being a lesbian couple, you can see they’re not just friends,’ notes Tom Russell, vice president of brand marketing for Orbitz in Chicago. The women are intended to be ‘likeable, friendly, attractive — you want them to win’ and the losing couple are supposed to be ‘uptight, too confident.'”

But the Media Awareness Network has a different view about exploiting lesbian chic in commercials, “Critics argue that the visibility of gays and lesbians in advertising is not an indication of the increased social acceptance of gays and lesbians, but simply an attempt by advertisers and network executives to access an untapped market.”

“They worry that after almost thirty years of political struggle, gay and lesbian rights have been reduced to increased consumer choice. An increase in positive representations of gays and lesbians in commercials, films, and television shows is an improvement, but such progress does not signal the achievement of social and political equality.”

But what’s wrong with it just signaling that lesbians know how to make smart, financial decision? Queercents is proof that lesbians are thinking about money.

“Stevens (Frances Stevens, publisher of San Francisco-based Curve) sees untapped possibilities particularly for natural foods, health, pet goods, and outdoor/camping advertisers. Amazingly, advertisers of feminine products, fashion and food still haven’t yet discovered the allure of women or the double opportunity in female couple households. Will advertisers invest to learn the distinctions of gay women as consumers and their media habits?”

We certainly hope so. Remember, we’re here, we’re queer and we’re not going shopping without coupons. We have money to spend because we’re frugal with our money. Now go book your Olivia holiday cruise on Orbitz! Kiss, kiss.