More on Hollywood's 'Power Lesbians'
"Lesbian Movie Studio" On Location with "Itty Bitty Titty Committee"
By Nicholas Snow
Scene 1 –Mecca For ‘Power Lesbians’

Rebecca Loos, in her effort to find the ultimate Power Lesbian in the LOGO documentary (Power Lesbians)
which aired last year. What inspired her search? A narration about the L Word makes the point.

“Set in Los Angeles, the characters all live in Palm-lined homes with pools in their back yards. It’s a lifestyle to aspire to,” says Loos in the opening narration. “This groundbreaking series has allowed us a tantalizing glimpse into the world of the L.A. lesbian. Because of their beauty, success and shameless ambition, they break all previous stereotypes. They’ve been identified as a new breed—the Power Lesbian.”

As a bisexual and very curious young woman,” Loos continues, “I want to find out if the L.A. power lesbian and her glamorous lifestyle actually exist, or is it just another Hollywood fantasy?”

Scene 3 – Searching the Hollywood Hills

At one point in the LOGO documentary, Power Lesbians, narrator and host Rebecca Loos goes to a POWER UP (the Professional Organization of Women in Entertainment Reaching Up) party in the Hollywood hills to meet with founder Stacy Codikow, and explains, “Well, If I’ve got my outfit wrong, Stacy doesn’t fit my idea of what a power lesbian looks like either, but this is the woman behind the most successful lesbian film and entertainment network in Hollywood.”

POWER Up Staff and Honorees at a previous Power Premiere.

Loos asks Stacy, “What makes a power lesbian?”

“I think you have to have a certain amount of, obviously, success in what you do in whatever aspect of your career or whatever you are doing,” responds Stacy, “and I think you also have to have sort of an ability to recognize who you are and to be able to share who you are in order to really achieve power—because I believe power is something that… The idea of power is that if I can do something for you, than I have power—because if I can empower you to do something great in your life then I’ve done something good.”

I also asked Stacy, a longtime friend, what she thought of the documentary.

“I was extremely pleased to see so many women enjoying their success and the success of others,” said Stacy. “Although the theme or presentation of the show seemed kind of playful in its intent, most of the women came across really appealing and genuine.”

By the way, POWER UP is about to start principal photography for their first feature film project, The Itty Bitty Titty Committee, based on a story by Jamie Babbit. In the story, “High School grad and all-American gal Hannah finds her purpose and herself after she hooks up with the radical feminists in the Itty Bitty Titty Committee.”

Carmen Cuba is casting the feature and already attached are stars Clea Duvall (Carnivàle), Tammy Lynn Michaels (Popular), Jane Lynch (Best in Show) Leslie Grossman (What I Like About You), Jimmi Simpson (DEBS) and Guinevere Turner (Go Fish). POWER Up also announced that Itty Bitty will be directed by Babbit (But…I'm a Cheerleader), produced by Andrea Sperling (Pumpkin, D.E.B.S.), Lisa Thrasher and Chris Stinson (Starcrossed) and executive produced by POWER UP founder Stacy Codikow (Under the Hula Moon, D.E.B.S.).

"Jamie and Andrea have been with POWER UP since its inception. It's with their spirit and tremendous contribution that we have been so successful with our shorts," stated Lisa Thrasher, POWER UP Senior VP of Film Production, "It only makes sense to create POWER UP's first feature together."

Lisa, by the way, is Codikow’s partner in life as well, and a full-time volunteer for POWER Up. “For me POWER UP gave me an opportunity to take charge and lead projects and people in creating art in a meaningful way,” said Lisa. What was she up to before? “I was doing anti piracy litigation at 20th Century Fox before joining POWER UP. This brought me back to my filmmaking roots. It combines my art school background, my filmmaking background and my legal background giving me many different areas to be involved in.”

And yes, she wants to direct some day, but the value of her current endeavors is very much on her mind. “We are challenging perception through film. It is the most powerful medium to create change,” said Lisa.

That’s a wrap!

Feel the Surge!

Fictional "power lesbians" and their friends.

At least one real-life "power lesbian" (Trish Doolan, on the right, writer/director star of April's Shower). Nicholas Snow photograhed this foursome at POWER Up's 2005 Power Premiere. So much power!

Jamie Babbit stikes a pose for the world's press, gathered for the 2005 POWER Up Power Premiere. Photo by Nicholas Snow.

Partners in volunteerism and in life, Stacy Codikow and Lisa Thrasher.