Watching this episode, one can't help but wonder how an LGBTQ writer would have chosen to explore the relationship between Chase and Jo. In the first season, creator Joe Swanberg explored it by looking at Chase's efforts to modify her diet to accommodate Jo's veganism in "Vegan Cinderella." In this follow up episode, Swanberg explores how Chase's interest in exotic dancing impacts her relationship with Jo. Now if the series were primarily about Chase and Jo's relationship (which it obviously is not), one could imagine after several episodes (if not seasons), the show might get around to one or both stories, but only after other ideas had been exhausted. In "Lady Cha Cha" there are several scenes involving women performing exotic dance routines for the camera, often with little clothing on. I'm sure some lesbian and bisexual women (and even some straight women) may receive some pleasure in watching women perform in such a way, but one senses the male gaze in almost every scene. It's as if Swanberg has taken a story about a guy that has a girlfriend that is interested in exotic dancing and simply replaced the male character's name with Jo's name. Further supporting this is the fact that after two seasons, Swanberg has yet to explore a gay male relationship.
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