Jamie Reidy discusses HBO’s new raunchy comedy.
If you don’t like Lena Dunham, then you aren’t gonna like her show “Girls,” most easily described as “Sex in The City” before the money and plastic surgery.
That’s not exactly my wheelhouse, but I wanted to see the program after reading so many glowing reviews. I was pleasantly surprised to find myself agreeing with the critics. The show is honest, hilarious and heartfelt. Single guys of all ages should tune in just to learn some things about women.
Of course, as Foxnews.com’s Hollie McKay points out, not everybody was happy with it.
Lena is the creator, writer and director of this hit show. Naturally, I hate her with an intensity I normal reserve for USC quarterbacks and Al-Qaeda. Wait, that’s not true. I don’t hate her. I just envy her success. And talent.
And I can’t wait to tune in again next week.
Co-sign on the above comments. Lack of racial diversity, classist characters, no LGBTQ characters, and yet the creator hopes for this show to represent everyone? Bleh. I’ll pass. Obviously this is just another nod to mainstream White Feminism, privileging it for no other reason than because it sells.
You had me until you mentioned feminism. There are elements of feminism in the show, yes, but it’s most certainly not a nod to feminism, particularly not with a capital F. As far as I’m aware, one of the women is all wicked concerned about her appearance and whatnot…that does not reflect feminism to me.
It’s a nod to mainstream white modern western living.
Heather, I agree that your personal idea of Feminism is not reflected in that show, but the greater whole of mainstream Feminism IS. It represents the classist Sex in the City, racist Slutwalk, civil rights violating prostitution legalization, single White upper-class female existence that is a hallmark of mainstream Feminism. I think it sucks that Feminism is so easily commercialized in this manner, and it’s certainly telling about the changing nature of Feminism as a gender movement. But nonetheless, this show utilizes mainstream White Feminism, in all its problematic glory, in order to sell itself to a highly profitable female… Read more »
Feminism is actually moving away from being about white upper/middle class women, actually. As for this bit here: “civil rights violating prostitution legalization,” I’m not quite sure what that has to do with the show considering it’s not about prostitution.
This show is classist, certainly…but just because it’s classist and about women doesn’t make it feminist.
Heather, This show is classist, certainly…but just because it’s classist and about women doesn’t make it feminist. Well it’s classist, racist, and anti-LGBTQ, which are things common to mainstream Feminism. Also, it’s part of the greater cultural tropes in TV shows that portray empowered women, but only if they’re White, rich and hetero, which is also consistent with mainstream Feminism. Moreover, the show subverts women’s empowerment as well as the above-noted problems in order to sell itself. And again that is something that mainstream Feminism does as well. Notably, to say so doesn’t automatically invalidate the original point of Feminism.… Read more »
How is it anti-LGBTQ? Have you seen the show? There has yet to be an anti-homosexual remark made.
Rene, You’re not going to understand (just as I will never understand). To many people out there it’s not about the stories you tell or the characters you present. Indeed, I’m pretty sure that those who complain can’t actually come up with anything wrong with the actual stories (at least one of the complainers in this thread has admitted to never seeing the show). Instead, they’re very angry that TV characters are disproportionately white and heterosexual. Apparently, a white heterosexual character cannot possibly provide any compelling story lines for some individuals, and so they’re going to complain until LGBT or… Read more »
Well a show that’s supposed to represent everybody and there’s no LGTBQ characters or supporting characters? Moreover, a show specifically designed to be about girls and no LTBQ girls? Please.
P.S. Mike L, you trolling? ; )
No, I’m stating my own personal observations. The fact of the matter is that “the human condition” inherently means that any human out there can understand some basic common emotions that derive from certain common situations. Some ideas inherently ascend race, class, and sexual orientation. Stories based on these commonalities can be accurately expressed regardless of the race/sex/class/orientation of the underlying characters. The complaints regarding Girls reflect a failure to understand this on the part of the complainers. Additionally, I don’t ever recall Girls, or its creator, advertising the show as “representing everyone” and so it’s difficult to see merits… Read more »
Mike, I figured the winky-eyed smile would’ve been a hint, but I’ll remember you’re more literal than that… Additionally, I don’t ever recall Girls, or its creator, advertising the show as “representing everyone” and so it’s difficult to see merits in the complaints. http://www.racialicious.com/2012/04/19/dear-lena-dunham-i-exist/#more-21911 Honestly, it’s difficult to have a conversation (not just with you, but with anyone) when I have to educate them on the basics that are readily available. Part of a real conversation is that both parties are knowledgeable about the subject. Ignorance is never an excuse. But what’s worse is when the person is woefully uninformed,… Read more »
And my response, which included no bad words, no ad hominem attacks, and was built on reasoned points, got deleted.
It’s hard to believe that the real goal here is to foster discussion, when the post that did not respond to my points but simply called me a troll sticks around, and my post gets deleted.
First of all, your post wasn’t deleted. It’s sitting in pending and I just happened to check in and look. In the evenings we have very few people on line covering.
Secondly, there are loads of words that trigger moderation, and I’ll go see which one in your post did.
Thirdly, if you have a complaint about a poster? You can email me at [email protected] and either I or any of the other mods can help out.
So please stop with the vague accusation of censorship and so forth without at least emailing and asking us what’s up first.
Mike, this particular statement seems to be tongue in cheek what with the 😉 wink signal and question, but hey, maybe not. So let’s pull back from the personal commentary and move on.
@Rene Dubois: Yeah I don’t think it’s anti-LGBT, it’s just heteronormative. Which, there is a difference between the two. I haven’t seen it, but I very much doubt that it’s promoting an opposition to LGBT rights. The problem is that it does claim to be about everyone, and yet it’s characters are so very limited. If it were a show that had been trying to take a look at a limited category of people (middle-class, white, straight women) and was trying to emphasize the isolation that group of women had from the rest of the world (even living in NYC),… Read more »
Okay I haven’t watched it, so for all I know it’s comedy gold. That being said, I am disappointed they’ve got all of one black guy and no GLBT people. It’s NYC for crying out loud! If the point of the show is to indicate that they’re so cut off from the ‘real world’ or something, then I think they failed to properly convey that…and instead it just came across as a show made by straight white people, for straight white people. Not to mention, I’m not at all happy about having a group of girls and one of them… Read more »
Hating USC quarterbacks?…Nice…I knew I would like you…let the man crush begin.
Biggest problem with this show is the absolute lack of diversity. Lots of articles going around about why they would make a film set in NYC and have it be only white people, except that SATC was basically only white people. But it makes no sense. Are there really working women in major metropolitan centers who only have white friends?
It shows a pandering to mainstream audiences, which bugs me specifically because allegedly the creator and the show itself are so anti-mainstream…
I have multi-colored friends, but they’re all working. Does that mean I’m not diverse? Should I have some non-working friends?
Is that a serious question?
All the over privileged annoying rich girls I used to know in NYC only hung out w other white girls. They might have a non-white friend from college or two, but their choice of friends reflected their old-money roots, and that was important to them. Not likable people particularly, but yes they hung out only w other rich white girls. Is that not who this show is about? A parody about those women would be weird if it were integrated.