Lena Dunham

[marmalade]

My dislike is based on her ridiculous hipster racism and general privileged behavior. And if it weren't for the "thin for Detroit" conversation, I might actually get behind the idea that she's using her show to flout the traditional male gaze.

[Hamatron]

I don't get why people are so upset over the "thin for Detroit" joke. I'm in the Midwest, and people here make this joke all the time (not Detroit specifically, insert your Midwestern town of choice into that statement). It's like saying someone is "Hollywood thin." We joke about being "Minnesota thin" all the time.

I do side-eye the hipster racism I have seen online from her.

That said, I have never seen her show. I am open to enjoying it, whenever it makes its way to Netflix.

[Deleted]

And for a board that usually skews feminist, I don't understand the backlash.

Only speaking for myself, I find her unlikable when she's playing this character (in real life) where she's a misfit and the girl who dares to be naked even though she's "thin for Detroit." Sometimes she lets her guard down and is genuine and likable, like in the Daily Show interview. But when she does her subversive comedy shtick like with the Bernard-Homolka costumes or the attention-getting hobbling on her high heels or her "I'm an outsider" comment during her acceptance speech? Ugh. So I don't get how liking or not liking Lena Dunham has anything to do with being a feminist or not. I don't like men who are phony try-hards either. Am I supposed to automatically like her because she's a size 12 or 14 and doesn't hide it? While I can appreciate that, she's not the only one. And from all the comments in her interviews and at the GG's about the nudity on Girls (again, apologies, I don't actually watch the show), it seems to me that she's exploiting the attention her nudity gets and using it as a way to be special and get ahead in Hollywood, which to me, is not very feminist of her.

[canuckcutie]

I just don't find her authentic. It's as though she's working this hipster persona and she can't quite pull it off.

Plus I hate the assumption that just because she's a woman writing a show about women I should automatically get behind her and applaud her success. Maybe I'd respect her more if she came off a bus from the Midwest and worked her way to getting noticed rather than coming from a very privileged background and working her family connections. It's as though the press completely gloss over that and just label her an overnight sensation.

Did anyone else read her book proposal? I think Gawker still has the outline available through their website, at least what her lawyer didn't make them pull. It's just so pretentious and obnoxious that it puts Gwyneth's Bon mots on GOOP to shame.

[Deleted]

Plus I hate the assumption that just because she's a woman writing a show about women I should automatically get behind her and applaud her success.

This. I don't like the assumption that it's somehow anti-feminist to dislike her and her show. I don't begrudge her the success she's found, good for her that she's doing so well. Really. That still doesn't mean I have to like her or her show.

This is just reminding me of 2008, when some of my fellow liberal friends accused me of being racist because I had the gall to vote for Hillary Clinton in the primary. It's leaving the same bad taste in mouth as parts of the Lena Dunham/Girls discussions.

[Deleted]

I tried to watch Girls. Didn't like it. I didn't like Sex & The City, either, so it feels like I'm always out of step with whatever women are supposed to watch.

[canuckcutie]

Oh I never watched Sex & The City either. Nothing about Girls appeals to me. As I said up thread I hate the assumption that a show featuring female characters means that I should watch or that I'd want to watch. None of the SATC female characters appealed and from what I've read about Girls it's more of the same. Four women living beyond their means, leading shallow lives and generally annoying the shit out of me.

[Yossarian]

I'm five episodes into her show and I like it. I know it's hipster (hey, some of my favourite people are hipsters!) and I can see why it frustrates a lot of people but much of the show still resonates with me. I especially relate to the stupid things that they are willing to put up with from boys/men at that age. I have laughed out loud at some moments - and very few shows get me to do that!

[magazinewhore]

I thought last night's show was particularly funny.

[carrier76]

Last night's ep was really good. Marnie and Elijah crack me up.

Some of the people's names in this show make me scratch my head. Elijah? Shoshanna? MARNIE? I mean, yes, I've heard of all of them, but they're just odd.