Andréa Martel alias Camille Cottin, an icon for lesbians?

Andréa Martel (Camille Cottin) in "Ten percent" -

• This Wednesday, November 4 is broadcast the end of the fourth (and last?) Season of "Ten percent", with its main character, the agent of lesbian stars Andréa Martel, played by Camille Cottin.

• Thanks to this popular series and broadcast in the first part of the evening on France 2, has Andréa Martel become an icon for the LGBT community?

• The answers to our call for testimonies are rather explicit, and Camille Cottin herself almost willingly assumes this status, measuring "the standard that Andrea could have been in the representation of lesbians".

It is in every newspaper, in the conversations of fans of series until in the mini-debates of schoolyards.

She is Camille Cottin, or rather her character Andréa Martel, agent of stars in the series

.

And the first lesbian character to have a lead role in a series of this scale.

Something to put a smile on your face and a lot of pride in the hearts of the LGBT community.

On the occasion of the broadcast of the last episode of the last season this Wednesday on France 2, we wanted to know: has Andréa Martel become a lesbian icon?

" I say yes !

"," 100% yes "," Yes, obviously "," YES ": the answers under our call for testimonials are quite explicit!

“The arrival as a bonus of a character like Andréa, it was extremely refreshing.

He is a strong, determined, very powerful character.

A girl in a costume, with banter, who occupies the space, imposes herself, does not apologize….

And she doesn't compromise on her identity, I think.

She's a lesbian, it's no secret, she lives her thing, ”for example Laura, journalist.

The cliché of the "lesbian macho-girl"

The fact that Andrea's homosexuality is "not a secret" pleases.

This is what Alice Coffin, author of the book Le Génie lesbien (Grasset) thinks: “This is not a series on lesbians, it is not characterized as such, and it is very well done.

This is also the opinion of Sophie, 28, who works in culture, and is delighted that "her relationship is treated in the same way as other straight relationships in the series."

But, on the other side of the coin, this form of welcome trivialization can also disappoint when it seems lacking in ambition: “As often in series not produced for lesbians, it is a little weak in the fourth season as regards the sentimental life ", nuance Alice Coffin, also a big fan of the series, who has seen all the seasons, until the last episode, even before its broadcast this evening on France 2." I find that the characters of Andréa and Colette [Andrea's companion in the series] doesn't exploit everything that a lesbian relationship could offer, it's a bit like straight relationships.

As if for the writers the fact that it is a lesbian couple was enough to do something unique.

If it was a straight couple, we might think it's weird.

It's a little frustrating, it's part of the sacrifice of LGBT characters.

"

Some of our enthusiastic fans also point out that the series could have avoided certain clichés of the "lesbian macho-girl", as Laura sums it up.

Sophie finds that Andréa takes a masculine look at things, chaining together conquests to mimic virility: “Her performance stinks of male gaze [concept of the American critic and director Laura Mulvey], it loses credibility.

"

A character without political discourse, but ...

The spectators also slightly regret the "missed opportunities" to have spoken of PMA [medically assisted procreation], while the bill opening this technique to all women, lesbians and single women included, was voted in August in the National Assembly.

“In the midst of the fight for assisted reproduction for all, the character accidentally becomes pregnant, is not interested in her child, has no opinion on what she is going through.

Too bad !

Sophie laments.

But on this subject, opinions are really very divided: Marina Fabre Soundron is pleased that thanks to the series, we have heard about "sharing parental authority and social mother."

Alice Coffin agrees that the character of Andréa Martel has no political discourse, but this role is according to her “imported” by Colette.

This is particularly true when she balances at Hicham, with whom Andrea slept and with whom she is pregnant, that he is just "the progenitor", not the "father".

And this is also true of this other scene, according to her, where Hicham, who threatened to recognize the child, finally claims to renounce his parental rights.

“These are two scenes that make visible the enormous injustice of the French system.

It was a shock to me, a great emotion to see that it was carried by a series.

This is not an abstract political message, where we say "we are committed", but it is valid as such, it could be addressed directly to the government, "analyzes Alice Coffin.

“The minute that is better on homoparentality than all current debates,” then headlined the LGBT magazine

.

The scene that begins the icon status

A major downside, and which comes up in all the testimonials we have received, many spectators in the LGBT community were disappointed that Andréa slept with a man.

This episode had also caused a lot of (digital) ink to flow when it was broadcast.

“It's still a pity to see one of the rare and best lesbian characters sleeping with a guy,” tweeted Romain Burrel, editorial director of

.

"If this little twist was irritating, it is because it is added to the long list of films or series where a heroine is introduced as a lesbian (...) to better make her sleep with a man a few minutes later", had writes Marie Kirschen.

#DixPourCent necessarily the gay character cannot be fulfilled by being a lesbian and must respond to the heterosexual fantasy by becoming bi

- maxim (@ keedz75) April 26, 2017

More than three years later, the memory is still painful.

"Really that's no longer possible!"

Sophie exclaims.

"It makes me bristle!"

", Launches Siam, who believes that at that time, Andréa Martel is" deprived of her status as an icon ".

"The scenario really rotten the character by making her sleep with a man", comments journalist Marina Fabre Soundron.

“It was surprising, not necessarily in sync with the character.

After the sexual fluidity, it exists and it is common and so much the better ”, qualifies Laura all the same.

And Alice Coffin believes that this scene then allowed the series to release very “cash” remarks about men, like when Andréa lets go of “fucking shitty cock”.

Icon or not icon?

“In fact, yes given the situation of French cinema,” replies Alice Coffin.

“It's serious an icon,” says Laura.

“A gay icon,” even Nicolas says.

“She's not a lesbian icon,” says Sophie.

“Lesbian icon, to a certain extent,” Siam replies.

In short, opinions are divided, even if the balance tilts in favor of "yes".

And what does Camille Cottin think herself?

Contacted by

, Camille Cottin says she became aware of the potentially "iconic" character of her character for the LGBT community after the episode containing the sex scene with a man: "It allowed me to take the measure of the standard that Andrea could have been in the representation of lesbians.

"She also thinks that not having made a particular focus on Andrea's sexuality could have had a beneficial effect:" What creates the modernity of the character of Andrea, her being in the present, is that her sexuality is not not a subject for questioning: she is gay, it's true, it's accepted.

Beyond his sexuality, it is a personality that we put forward.

It is a trivialization which affirms that it should not be a subject, that it is in the domain of the intimate ”.

The actress Camille Cottin, who came to award the golden OUT of artistic creation, speaks in favor of the #PMApourtoutes 🙌💕 #AJLawards pic.twitter.com/bQhPaHQ263

- AJL (@ajlgbt) June 19, 2018

If Andréa Martel has moved the lines, it is therefore in the name of a more “subtle” activism, she believes.

"If it had been more frontal we would probably not have been able to go on a terrestrial channel ... While there it remains popular, and it helps to move things forward".

Camille Cottin therefore assumes her role as flag bearer, and her commitment that she would like to "continue", she tells us, in her future choices.

It will not be for a season 5, since she does not "believe" that there will be one, but in other productions.

And to conclude: “I am delighted to feel a little bit of belonging to this community.

"

Cinema

"Ten percent" season 4: Has the profession of star agent changed since the beginning of the series?

Series

Canneseries: "I said 'yes' to 'Ten percent' without having read the script," says Sigourney Weaver

• Lgbt

• Discrimination

• Culture

• Lesbian

• France 2