Oh man i accidentally deleted my own comment thread Anyway- Lena and I went to college together. She’s been on her Lena Sht™️ since legit 2007 I promise you lol The last time I saw her IRL was in 2012? 2014? I was cast as a featured background actor in a dive bar episode of Girls. She looked me dead in the eye and said “Oberlin? Oh my god, Ebony!” My name is not Ebony.
WHATTTTTT omg nooooooo. Ebony??? this woman really called you by the most generic yet intensely black female name EVER. I am pinning your comment this so so funny
She belongs to a demo that really doesn’t get much constructive criticism. They aren’t used to it. 😢 I have even heard a really “with it” WW TH-camr who “gets it,” hint as much. 😮
@@kittykatz4001 are you saying that white women don’t receive constructive criticism? Or criticism? Or both? I would urge you to think about that. What is a Karen? What happens to every female celebrity regardless of race? What happens in the feminist movement when we talk about how older feminists failed at intersectionality? White women are criticized constantly, as all women are.
I mentioned this in another comment but I suspect she’s neurodivergent which is why she lacks a filter! (She and I are very similar in a lot of ways, one of which is that we both have Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, and there’s a higher than average number of EDSers who are also on the autism spectrum (I’m level 1 autistic myself).
Unpopular opinion: I've seen girls and as a black woman myself I just understood that this show wasn't meant to tell a story that was supposed to relate to me. It was supposed to relate to overweight, half jewish self absorbed "artist" types in Brooklyn. And once I realized that, I didn't get my feelings hurt when I couldn't relate to any of the characters. I just enjoyed it as Lena's story. It was annoying that she then tried to over correct by writting bad black characters. I could have just gone without that , kind of like how Seinfeld had the lawyer as the only black character with any importance and most of the "ethnic" people where back drops to the main characters plot lines. ❤
yess that's a great way of putting it that I should have added in the video. I cannot directly relate to these characters on the show but I do enjoy it as Lena's story.
she mentions her weight often in the show, and at the time she was overweight in terms of BMI (obviously a questionable metric but a lot of doctors still use it). it's valuable that she acknowledges how influential your weight is on your life, especially in a culture where skinny is extremely valued above all else.
The literal first scene of Girls makes it very clear that she’s unaware of what’s truly out there in the world. Every other joke is about their stumbles into adulthood.
Like I do not understand why us as Black people want to be represented in things/by people who do not even understand our experience like there’s no reality where Lena Dunham can even relate to half of the sh that Black when we go through
Even with her having other riders in the room and finding out other peoples experiences it still would be so and authentic because that has never been her reality she’s still not shit it’s still going to be a caricatuer
Exactly… just look at how she views black MEN. She legit sat next to a black man at a event who was a complete stranger and convinced herself that a scenario happened where he was thinking about how he wouldn’t have sex with her all night long or maybe he would but no never mind he wouldn’t -a scenario which NEVER happened but in her mind, black men are hyper sexual and think about sex 24/7 and DEFINITELY think of sex with a white woman 24/7 because ALL black men want to have sex with white women right ? Not. But THATs what she thinks of them which tells you all you need to know about why she shouldn’t be writing a POC character. Ever.
I hate that people have a problem with this. If she is creating based on her experiences and her friends experiences and so on… Wouldn’t it be artificial and patronizing to force in a lax character just so people won’t complain? What if she decided to make Jessa black? “oh why the black girl got to be the hoe?!?!” If it was Shoshanna? Why does the one black girl have to be a weirdo?!? If it was Marni? Why the only black girl has to reject her loving boyfriend from no reason?? That’s racist! Angry black woman, can’t keep a man trope! She only wants fame! She only wants a celebrity!
I don’t have a problem with the lack of diversity on Girls. Lena wrote what she knew, she represented her friends and her social circle. That’s fairly authentic. This doesn’t mean I love Lena Dunham and what she does. But, I have to defend her on that point.
What’s the value to everyone else of resources being showered on Lena to be authentic in this way? What was the cost to everyone else of that happening? Is “authenticity” worthy of everything all by itself? Why?
@@joshfennell2257 because people like her related to it? Your very same point could be asked about why do we need black representation, Asian representation, female representation, gay representation or ANY representation? No one deserves it more than anyone else. How about instead of focusing and whining about representation, we understand that not every single person needs to be represented in everything? For instance, if I was too tell MY experience, that would be absolutely no use for any gay representation because I’m not gay, it’s not my experience and I have no idea or right to try and write and tell their experience just like Lena being a overweight, rich Jewish girl from the upper east side in NYC has no business writing a black woman from the Bronx’s experience or an Asian woman who is a first generation American with immigrant parents or even a white woman who comes from a line of poverty and from a rural background out of bumfck Alabama and who dropped out of high school because she got pregnant at 16 and was born to a teenage mother herself- she wouldn’t have any business writing that character either despite her being white. Stop insisting that EVERYONE should include everyone else’s experiences in their own for the sake of “representation”. And as for your other point, she can tell her story because everyone is allowed to tell their own story. She had the means to make her story widely public because of her background. That doesn’t mean her wanting to share her experiences and story any less valid than anyone else- maybe more boring considering how easily she was able to do so but just as I wouldn’t fault a black woman for wanting to tell her story and exclude the white perspective and experience because that has nothing to do with her story, I don’t fault Lena and just as I wouldn’t get mad that the black woman got the opportunity to tell her when so many others don’t, I’m not mad at Lena for her privilege. We gotta get over all this dumb shit. Do you understand how many important and great books, shows and movies we would’ve missed out on in the past if we had always demanded this dumb “every movie needs every single representation so we need to have a black person, a gay man, a lesbian, a Muslim person, a trans person, a Indian person, a Native American , a superhuman female lead etc etc etc” like they’re doing now? We wouldn’t have The Godfather, Scarface, American Gangster, Hustle and Flow, The sound of music, Pulp Fiction, Parasite, Saving Private Ryan, Rebel without a Cause and you can forget all the children movies you loved - no Lion King, no Toy Story, no Monsters Inc and no Superhero movies like the Dark Knight or Spiderman… Imagine shoehorning all the “representations” I named into any of those movies and think about how stupid and silly that is and how much they would’ve sucked. Imagine shoehorning a gay man into The Godfather or a black man into Scarface just because of “representation”… do you realize how fcking dumb it sounds? People don’t want to be pandered to like this, none of those groups do, it’s literally liberal and progressive WHITE PEOPLE who insist on it and then they fck it up every single time bc they DO NOT understand those characters and write them in stereotypes that reveal their own ignorance and prejudice and racism. There’s nothing more dangerous and racist than a progress white person which is exactly WHY it’s important and good that Lena did not ever try to write those characters- because she would’ve fucked it up. Just look at how she views black men and fetishizes them.. she sat next to a black man at dinner and made up a scenario in her head about him thinking about how he wouldn’t have sex with her because you know, black men think about sex nonstop and having sex with a white woman is everyyyyy black man’s fantasy. Not. See why she shouldn’t be writing about that shit? Just chill out and stop being upset about everything and understand that it’s ok for different people to tell their stories and not tell EVERYONES story.
@@bradenharris8718 gonna be honest, I'm not reading all that. Anyway, I think white people with money should take a little break from making literally anything for a while, maybe SNL will actually have a good season
Why are so many people writing „Hate”? Hated, it's just some “artist”, actress, or writer; who cares? I mean, it was exciting to listen to the author's perspective. I never quite understood the phenomenon around Lena (and I think she is not the best writer), but it was a lot of hating and judging. My perspective is also millennial (same age as Lena), but I am from Poland (Central Europe), where problems are different, and we share some things, but I don't know. I was watching Girls in real-time, and they always seemed to me very childish, immature, and spoiled, but not in an aggressive way. Anyway, here are some thoughts after the first 10 minutes. Continue watching. Hugs from Warsaw
I was literally minoring in Gender Studies in college when Lena was at her height and everyone in the department thought she was embarrassing. There was even one girl who did her dissertation dissecting why Lena is an asshole and Girls was trash. I didnt pay much attention to her at the time, but I started noticing that she'd go to these red carpet events dressed like a complete jackass (and I do not mean something like when Kristen Stewart refuses to wear heels. I mean like when she went to the emmys and she wore this blond bob party city wig, a giant pink frilled skirt that also looked like it was from party coty, a wrinkled blouse, her makeup looking like it was applied by a kindergartener) then when people pointed out that she was dressed like a jackass, she'd whine about "body standards." Meanwhile Melissa McCarthy would be like 5 yards away looking stunning and appropriate. Like, Girl, we're not talking about your weight. You look like you just rolled out of bed hungover after a 36 hour Halloween bender. It became clear that she'd dress like that for attention, and to get sympathy from the backlash. Eye roll inducing. Then the Odell Beckham Jr thing happened and I was like, "Okay, so I was right about her being the trashiest of trash."
Not to make light of anything you mentioned in the video but my favorite weird Lena Dunham behavior was when she dragged everyone on twitter for not adopting dogs, adopted one and then a week later tried to secretly donate the dog back. When she got caught she blamed the shelter dog.
The part with the football player was WILD. It's like Lena got mad that this man was minding his own business and not paying attention to her, so she decided to project all these things onto him. "The gallery of getting rejected by athletes" like are you SERIOUS?? Girl no one owes you a date or sexual/romantic interest???
I learned a long time ago that unfortunately, many White people with large egos find Black people that are reserved, quiet, and minding their own business problematic. The projections can be asinine and absurd.
@@AvecPoesieas a white woman, I have to agree 100%. I’ve personally watched it many times. Trying to explain the problematic behaviour is almost impossible tho.
I never thought of it this way but that makes so much sense. Even including the way Woody Allen would insert himself into his movies and have himself desired by beautiful, younger women
@@deliah3003 have you ever watched any of his movies? Very few of his movies where he romantically linked with a much younger acreess. Dianne Keaton, Mia Farrow, Dianne Wiest combined make up the bulk of them.
@@a.champagne6238 There’s also Julia Roberts, Goldie Hawn, Helen Hunt….as well as simply casting age gap relationships in his movies in general. I didn’t say all the movies but yes in several of them
I used to be a Lena Dunham apologist because I thought that so much hate towards her was based on sexism / fat phobia. Then, the Aurora Perrineau stuff happened, and I had to finally admit to myself that a lot if the criticism was valid.
Really…it took until that? For real? Lmao, what’s wrong with you? We’re you on drugs? How? You didn’t…wow…I now understand how these OBVIOUSLY TERRIBLE PEOPLE have a following. you know what they say… …birds of a feather flock together. I’m questioning your entire life if it wasn’t until THAT moment when you realized how awful she was… Damn…wow…honey…please…what I don’t even have the words…disappointment… …I ask with great hesitation, WHAT OTHER AWFUL FUCKING PEOPLE DO YOU STAND FOR? I know there are more if you were that blind about Lena…she’s so upfront about her awfulness…like…she literally has no filter… 😂😂😂😂 She like a billboard for an awful person…and you couldn’t see? Girl…your stand list is probably a fess of depravity. You’re so blind. Please rectify that so you can see. I hope you are not in charge of raising any children because if so those babies are lost. May GOD find them… I cannot believe what you just wrote😂 It has to be a joke…has to be…for real?
@@wareforcoin5780 I'd like to think so too, but we're in a world where woody Allen and Roman Polanski are still well respected figures despite their proclivities. So unfortunately we don't live in that world.
like I actually can't believed that happened...to think so highly of yourself that your offended someone wasn't lusting after you and then talk about it like your some type of victim is CRAZY behavior
One thing with Lena Dunham that I can't stand is how she doesn't show any true growth. Her emotional maturity is on par with mine when I was 16. She only writes about herself or characters that are like herself. Most artists start out with self-referencial material and that's fine, but then you want to expand outward a little. Experience new things, meet new people, write more topics. She's deeply uncurious for a writer, which is something that would hold back any other writer without connected parents. And yes please to Miranda Cosgrove! I love her on Mission Unstoppable and see her as a best case scenario for a former child star, though I know she's been through a lot.
great comment, I completely agree! as an artist, you must continue to expand for the sake of growth and creative exploration! going to start writing the script for Miranda now!
She also said she wished she could get pregnant so that she could have an abortion because it's "Empowering". This was at the height of the MeToo movement and feminist ideology....its disgusting
But she's also an actress, therefore her physical appearance is part of her brand. So, not only is she annoying and entitled, she's also not pleasing to the eyes, a perfect recipe for overall dislike 😅
@@L.G.127 💯 % many criticisms have been leveled at Lena-Half of them about how she looks, her weight, unkind and unfair. Our critiques should be limited to her actions.
@@Riki-G I REALLY enjoyed your analysis. Well done! I'm a GenX woman and also have mixed feelings about Lena which you articulated very well. I also agree one thing we shouldn't forget from her is her excellent challenges, in public, of normalization of REGULAR women's bodies! Yes wear that bikini, girl! 😂❤ She has a NORMAL body!!! I'll never not love her for putting that out there.
Another thing about her sister is that in her book Lena describes outing her as a lesbian to her parents or something like that. So even as an adult she was overstepping when it came to her sister, though in a different way. She also said in an interview that when in India she felt more sad for the starving dogs than the starving people, which is pretty messed up and another example of her racial insensitivity.
I was in college when Girls came out, and I genuinely couldn't finish the first episode. I was estranged from my abusive parents and working my hands to the bone between a very tough engineering major and bartending. I couldn't find humor in Hannah being devastated at being cut off at 24 when I'd been struggling on my own since I was 17. At the risk of making assumptions about you, I wonder if, as often happens, the line between who found the show relatable was characterized as being a race divide, when really it was a class divide. The show was very white, and I am white, but there was nothing about it that looked like my life. I don't mean this as criticism, just musing. This is the first video I've seen of yours, and I enjoyed your thoughtful commentary.
great point, and I agree!! I can definitely see class divide playing a larger part in relatability of the show. the show doesn't look like my life as I'm younger than most of the Girls (except Shoshanna) at the start of the show, I am FRESHLY (May 2024) out of college, and am lucky enough to have a (chaotically) familial home to fall back on as I plan my next moves and don't have the resources to rush off to an expensive city with family supporting me financially. I think what I find most relatable abut the show is the spot on depiction of the various emotions that lead to consequential decisions of someone who is confused, scared, and unsure of themselves and their place in the world (literally the definition of your 20s)
I thought I couldn't relate to Girls because I'm a Gen X-er, but I soon realized I couldn't relate because I wasn't coddled and spoiled by mommy and daddy. I moved out at 18. I worked all during college. I've dealt with difficult financial times without a great deal of help from my parents and any compassion and understanding.
@@Riki-G Totally get what you're saying, and I didn't mean that I believe you're ultra wealthy or living a cool, NYC dream life. But there is also a class divide in terms of comfortably having your needs met vs struggling severely. It's hard to explain the fundamental difference in worldview between people who have financial security (and family who love them) vs people who don't. Most young people are broke, but being poor is so different. I'm upper middle class now as an engineer and I've had maaaany years of therapy. I probably wouldn't find Girls outright triggering anymore, but I probably still wouldn't "get" it.
I'm about 5 years older than Lena Dunham and I just never liked her. I never watched Girls, didn't know much about her, I just didn't like her. Then her book came out and between the things she confessed to in her own book, finding out her use of derogatory language and defense of being "ironic" when slanging slurs, and finally her publicly slamming someone coming out with SA allegations... honestly she just confirmed the weird bias I had against her.
I think her joke in that first season of girls where she says "I never know when I'm gonna get my period, that's why there's all these weird stains in my underwear" was the most I had felt seen on TV up until that point lmao
I couldn't get through the first episode of Girls. For shows about Millennial friends struggling with romance, friendship, and work, Insecure did so much better.
I'm one of those people that likes to read the text when text is put on the screen, please leave it up longer! I think you did a great job researching and I appreciated hearing your point of view.
Just started this vid but i can tell you right now i went from 'dislike' to 'hate' when she tried to laugh off/downplay her SA of her little sister when they were both younger. That woman makes me so mad is2g
@@supme7558umno...what SHE did was finger her little sister. Your hardrive should probably be checked. It's wild the amount of disgusting individuals like u are roaming youtube.
I enjoyed the show Girls, but was very aware that the characters were insufferable. I grew to dislike most of the towards the end. Shoshana was the only one I liked. Also Ray. I loved Ray. At first I found his inclusion in the show weird too, but he added a working class element that the rest of them lacked. And I related to his fight against the noise in his neighborhood, and wanting to save the cafe he was willed by his boss. I mean, not that anyone ever willed me a cafe, but fighting against gentrification while also being part of gentrification is something I can relate to. I applauded her ability to get naked while having a less than perfect body. So many men do that and nobody freaks out. But I also think she’s one of the least self aware people to ever exist on the planet. I can see why she’s hated, and it’s not always because she’s not conventionally attractive (although I do think there are some MRAs who dislike her for that reason.) You spelled it out very well. Great synopsis!
She seems like she did not get the attentive care that she needed from her rich parents as a child (the whole situation with her poor sibling is strong evidence of lack of supervision at least). And so now she has the combination of a desperate need for attention and validation, and the deep feeling that she’s not interesting enough. She lies constantly and has poor emotional regulation, so she blurts out stuff and feels the need to make every situation about her. Massive ego and brittle sense of self, which is why she’ll never be able to take in any criticism or behave better. I feel very sorry for her children if she has them.
I think it’s important to highlight that “Brooklyn” is not a neighborhood. Lena Dunham is from a white area of Brooklyn (neighborhood are super segregated in every borough despite general diversity). In Girls, her character lived in Greenpoint, a super super white hipster neighborhood. Considering how liberal ny, it’s doubly weird that she’s dating a black Republican like where did you find that man 😭😭 still, the complete lack of diversity in the show speaks to how insular white, hipsters live in Brooklyn. Even my white co-workers from other states move to these sort of neighborhoods and rarely find themselves around people of color.
I wouldn’t say I hate her but as someone who was the age of the ladies in GIRLS when it came out I just kinda realized overtime that Lena is the quintessential white women from that time , she took the “adorkable” trope of infantilized white women and rannnn with it lol after awhile it was washed but I did enjoy girls wish they had been more inclusive but that’s how shit was back then sadly
Her becoming irrelevant is such an important moving forward. Really, having to put up with a Millennial Nepotism Baby having something to say with not saying anything at all…I thought we moved on from that after Paris Hilton. But still, here we are…
@@bentbird9329 being able to understand an illiterate post is NOT the same as pointing out that the post didn’t offer substantive or constructive criticisms. It essentially said that a writer never had anything to say…like Paris Hilton…?
I mean the "I'm the voice of my generation" line in Girls shows just how much satire about a lot of thing where there and how aware she's about a lot of things. (And i don't even linked Girls or Lena that much)
I'm 50. I didn't like sex and the city either. There are so many other interesting stories than the tired old new york hipster story. Its been done. To death.
i can't get into it honestly, I can see why it is hyped up but to me I haven't found the spark that makes it good enough for the cult following it has. I do like the topics they have covered to far (I am on the beginning of season 2)
I was a non American teenager when I watched girls and it was pretty revolutionary to me... Certainly there wasn't anything like it that I had access to at the time. So I guess it's a matter of perspective.
The worst part is anytime there is criticism toward her, she claims it's because people don't like that she's a bigger woman. She uses her own insecurities as a way to avoid any accountability.
I could only bear Shoshannah. She seemed sweet if a bit dorky. And I read an interview with Jemima Kirke in "Bust" magazine. She came across completely loathsome, very full of herself.
TW: childhood abuse of a sxual nature……… People like Lena Dunham have so much wrong with them that overtime you start to forget, but I will never forget how she openly talked about…sxually abusing her sister ?? And if I’m not mistaken I remember that when she confessed to it in her memoir, she didn’t even seem particularly guilty about it or like she felt bad about it. She seemed like to her, it was just her exploring her sxual curiosity and her little sister was just the closest thing to her and not traumatized by the experience which is an absurdly cold and selfish way of viewing the potential impact that on her sister despite literally describing herself as doing things that a predator would do to her. Even going so far is to say on Twitter, that her sister was “literally laughing” at the criticism which is eerily similar to the way predators like woody Allen use their victims acceptance of their abuse to defend their actions. Sorry for the long and dark comment, but this alone makes me uneasy that people are lowkey letting Lena Dunham back into the mainstream.
I recently watched the show and I liked it lol It didn't really bother me that the "girls" group wasn't diverse. They are freinds from school (a fairly expensive university) and lets be honest most of our friends from school look like us. The entire cast was annoying AF but i still enjoyed it somehow lol
I like how you tried and managed to keep hateful feelings out of this analysis. I enjoyed the overview and now with some distance and time from originally following Girls and Lena (I'm a Gen-Xer with aprx 10 yrs of arrested development, so really a Millenial ;) ) I can see more clearly that we were projecting a lot of our own Shadow onto Lena. First praising her for being so different, outspoken, unfiltered. And then knocking her down for not also being unselfish, more self-aware, less outspoken, more unfiltered, not so different. Classic pendulum swinging in two extremes. Calling someone out for their wrong behavior is different than knocking the entire person down for who they are. We can say, That's self-centered, That's wrong, We think you should change that. But we can still have people who are self-centered and imperfect walking around and making art. In fact, we should. Artists don't have to be our idols. Love how you ended with the quote of her saying she doesn't have to answer why people dislike her and that she found a lesson in not owing people answers and apologies. I believe in apologizing, in humility and self-awareness in general, but the art is in knowing when and to whom.
great comment!! and yes, I try to add my two cents here and there but don't let it overcloud the objectivity I try to have when presenting factual information. I appreciate your take on the pendulum swinging in regards to public perception about Lena. and I love the sentence that ended this comment!!
@@Riki-G I admire that ability and discipline to try to stay objective. That could be your personality, a bit detached, but could also be maturity beyond your actual years. Whatever the reason may be, we need more of it on the internet and in the world in general!
okay okay I forgot about Oak Bluffs and allat🤣 but it's still characterized as a very white place in my mind because of it's history and who it's named after and Massachusetts not being the first state that comes to mind when you think of diversity (75% white)
As an elder African American millennial, we all watched Girls and other than the exclusion of ethnic characters we enjoyed it. Sadly, we were used to that. The critiques came about as we saw her irl and noticed how self absorbed and oblivious she was, just like her character. Sure we know the difference between acting and real life but does SHE? From what we saw they're basically the same person. Next, there was the constant virtue signaling and straight white exclusionary feminism that got on everyone's nerves. But, the jokingly nonchalant way that she tells the story about her sibling was the last straw. It was like, this lady really lives on her own planet and she can't be trusted. And by that time we had moved on to better, more diverse story tellers so she got left behind as far as we were concerned. Now, I know I'm speaking generally when I say "we" but it was the buzz at that time. Your video is very much on point from what I remember. I know a lot of people who still don't fw her even though some others seem to have gotten over it.
Greenpoint is pretty White for Brooklyn (not 💯 %)-I know, I lived there. It’s a mix of Polish and Irish immigrant descendant communities, and an influx of hipsters. Also what is an “ethnic character?” We all have an ethnicity, that’s like saying someone has an accent. We all do.
you're right we all have an ethnicity. Some times I will use the word ethnic in place of minority because typically minorities have multiple different ethnic attributes "that distinguish them from other groups." and that quoted is apart of the definition of ethnic that I harp on lol but thank you for the insight on Brooklyn makes sense
The definition literally doesn't apply to her because she was three years old when she did it. That's like saying a three-year-old tried to shoplift because they picked something up from a store. They're too young to understand the context of what they are doing.
lying about having evidence against that girls accusation made my jaw DROP. its an evil thing to do in the first place but to parrot all these 'believe women' tweets and then do that makes me straight up hate her as a person.
I appreciate how you let the viewer make the final judgment, while also being comprehensive. I would have to side very much on the negative with regards to Dunham. Her work and her character feel like the epitome of the millennial hipster culture I saw in NYC and SF during the late 00's. The main character in "Tiny Furniture" was someone I saw all the time back then: someone whose central struggle, having emerged from college and having moved to "Brooklyn" or "The Mission", was to pensively figure out how they wanted to spend their privilege in the face of too much fun to be had. I knew a lot of people then who could "literally me" Dunham in all her pretentious, self-aggrandizing obliviousness. "Tiny Furniture" is everything I found insufferable about Millennial culture. I think this culture was permeated by the tail end of hegemonic normativity filtered through an alcohol saturated social scene that always came off as overgrown prepubescents playing dress-up with their aesthetics, always noncommittally standing at an ironic distance from it. I deeply appreciated seeing how zoomer culture seemed to overcome this regressively sarcastic approach to life. This culture was always uncritical and unserious, and I think Dunham is its acme.
Frankly anyone who anecdotally talks about “generational culture” between todays 20 year olds from 30 year olds is moronic. The oldest zoomers TODAY are in their mid 20’s, and would have been children when this show aired on TV and was socially condemned. Sorry girl, but the YEARS of criticism of this show and creator, along with greater shifts in attitude in topics ranging from race to feminism over the course of many years now, isn’t attributable to people whose oldest member is in their mid to late twenties. It’s far and away moreso attributable to the people you’re complaining about. Being in your twenties and believing that people in their thirties are so beyond culturally different/problematic is insane. Check your facts.
15:40 being CONVINCED what you fear people are thinking about you is absolutely correct is some audacity I can never imagine having. The first examples from my personal experience that come to my mind are also white women. Idk if this has anything to do with that intersection or if it is more of a coincidence but the mindset still baffles me
I'm not one to defend Lena Dunham, but having a "privileged life" that no one can relate to... who cares? That's HER story. It's her life, it's valid. There's plenty of other shows to choose from if you're looking to "relate".
Lenas character/lifestyle was at the very least more true to life than what Sarah Jessica Parkers fantasy world offered. Hannah and gang were more an obnoxious exaggeration of the whole trust fund hipster phenomena that took over north Brooklyn at that time. This stupid show likely contributed to why I was priced out of Brooklyn completely myself!
The thing is she takes up so much space. Flop after flop and not to mention the personal blunders and still getting greenlit. Personally I find her devoid of talent and the work completely alienating, it all just seems like an intellectual exercise.
I quite enjoyed Tiny Furniture and Girls (watched both in my early 20s so I could relate), but Never approved of Dunham. Especially after her book. She’s just…very yucky imo lol. Something funny I recently learned was her character is Girls is based off of her, and a lot of the writers & producers were making fun of Lena through the character. Years later Lena doesn’t have great things to say about it. I think it took her a while to realize what was actually going on. (If this is inaccurate lmk but thought it was interesting).
yucky is the perfect word! and omg i did not know about this! very interesting especially since this show ran so long, it's kinda sad she didn't realize she was being made fun of but hell she'll be alright lol
Lena’s mom, Laurie Simmons, had an Art:21 episode about her back in like 2006/2007. In the episode, her mom is directing an art film with a full professional set & crew. The actress in the film is MERYL STREEP. Lena definitely had connections that were deep cause you don’t get these types of opportunities at such a young age, and especially as a female.
My friend and I watched the first few episodes of Girls and we just hated almost everyone except Shoshana. The characters were a little younger than us. We decided we just didn't want to hang out with any of them via watching the show. From the outside, we watched everything go from bad to worse. Sure, she did challenge some important things about bodies and discomfort and not always being a likable hero. But we just kind of felt pity for everyone around her.
great comment! yes Shoshanna is the most tolerable one. and I get that about feeling pity for both Hannah and Lena because apparently the other writers and crew would make fun of Lena through Hannah if that makes sense
One thing I appreciate about Lena Dunham and part of why some people hate her- is her audacity to show a "normal" woman's body repeatedly on her show. As a curvy lady this was very refreshing to normalize a body like mine on an HBO show, which is something I hadn't ever seen before "Girls." This is not to excuse any of her nonsense- but another reason some people have given her hate!
I always find it bizarre how men in particular get MAD when normal or heavier women are cast in leading roles - especially if they’re part of any sexual content. It’s like they take it as a personal affront. Just last year Jordan Peterson (who probably never bought a copy of Sports Illustrated in his *life* ) ranted on Twitter about a plus sized model gracing the swimsuit issue! Like, really?! Why would that make you MAD?!
Totally agree! I’m watching Girls right now and knowing that it is her experience/life, it would be unauthentic to add poc in as props. I kinda like the show bc it is obviously annoying characters but at least she writes it to know they’re entitled and annoying. Still def see how Lena has some problems. But ALSO I think a big gripe with her is that she was able to make this show ten years ago, and black women/woc are STILL waiting for Hollywood to let us tell our own stories. All we have is Insecure. It’s the bigger systemic issues that isn’t letting us share our stories of just being funky black 20 something’s in a big city, while letting seemingly inexperienced privileged yt girls tell theirs. I can’t wait till we can watch a show like Girls, with WOC, made by woc
I was in a peripheral fandom so ended up trying out Girls, and I didn't want to call it bad (because it was The Most Feminist Show on TV according to some reviewers), but it sure was not for me. I'm glad I don't have to hear about her all the time now. Not really related to feminism, but Lena Dunham also once adopted a dog, and then after having him for 3 years or so, sent him back to the shelter and exchanged him for 2 puppies. So...
I also remember donald glover talking about her behaviour on set. He said she called him the n word and that it was a horrible work environment in general
I have to admit that I related to Hannah Horvath, including a lot of horrible behavior, and the show was cathartic for me. Some of Lena's bad behavior always feels like ohhhhh.... maybe I need to self-evaluate lol
I don't imagine I'm your normal or intended demographic, and I didn't think i wanted to watch a long form video on Lena Dunham but i watched all the way through. Subscribed and liked. Hope the engagement helps your channel because that was a well researched and interesting video
Thank you for this thoughtful and tragically illuminating video. I had no idea how fraught her publication and responses were. That said, in this essay I will emphasize why you may benefit from watching Industry because of the characterization, dialogue, and plot. I just finished watching the third season and I am floored. The main character of the show is a Black woman from New York named Harper. She is a sociopathic anti-hero and a compelling take on the "sapphire" trope. The strongest performance is given by her Chinese-American boss and mentor, Eric. His character arc in the third season is a spectacular trainwreck-I pray he wins an Emmy. The relationship dynamics of Harper and Eric are the heart of this show set in the cutthroat finance world of London. The dialogue between our ensemble cast of investment bankers and their broken families had me taking mad notes for therapy. The exchanges were so layered, and their insights of each other were painfully sharp. The cowriters of this show thrive in this area and flexed their profound understanding of the human condition in verbal sparring. I think the multilingual and privileged Yasmin has the most heartbreaking and electric exchanges with the other characters. Lastly, the plot of Industry moves uncertainly in the first season, but becomes unrelenting by the third season. Please ignore the rampant comparisons to Succession and Mad Men. What Industry does with plot is absolutely masterful, and a brilliant mirror of the chaotic pacing of their stock exhanges. The Pakistani-British character named Rishi had an outstanding solo episode that was a masterclass in plot. In conclusion, I hope you watch Industry (unless you have extreme clinical anxiety). The IndustryOnHBO reddit was a helpful post-epsiode processing space. I predict that this show will sweep the next Emmys, and I would love to know what you think!
Fun fact, the Adam character was actually inspired by another art student who Lena Dunham knew during her college years… now known as Sam Hyde. And if you guys don’t know who he is… he basically was a show runner of a racist show in adult swim. And that’s a whole other rabbit hole.
I didnt appreciate Lena’s solution to “I don’t know what it’s like to be black so I just won’t have any black people on my show at all” that’s really insulting and honestly it put such a bad taste in my mouth along with the sexual assault scandal that I was done 🤦🏾♀️
Interesting video. I agreed with quite a bit, also some things i didn’t agree with. I gotta say, the controversy around her statement about her sister is evident of a society that is morally virtuous about everything. So much so to the point we shun anything that rather taboo, uncomfortable, or complicated. It may make us uncomfortable to hear what she did to her sister but i think we need to encourage this level of honesty because kids ARE sexually curious. It just doesn’t make sense to shy away from the conversation entirely when this is a great moment to dive into a topic that’s just rather complex.
A few comments have said it, but Lena wrote what she knew/experienced for Girls so the lack of diversity is not super surprising. I am always so mad that Girls is such a genuinely funny and entertaining show because Lena Dunham herself drives me crazy. She's a brilliant creator but, like, the most unaware person on the planet. It's almost impressive lol
The fact anyone openly admits they can only talk about themselves, and they expect others to care and be invested in that, is wild. Lena is just not that interesting. It’s insane that anybody thought she was.
I thought the coworker her did her eyebrows in season 1 was Hispanic. I’m not saying it’s enough representation by any means. But you kept repeating that an ethnic woman does not have a speaking role until season 3 which just isn’t true. Plus there was Soo Jin in season 2 with the rose water ice cream. Again, not enough. But also don’t discount those roles.
someone else made this comment, you are absolutely right!! it was two women who worked with her that could've been hispanic or latino. I was being a bit dramatic in "speaking" part and was also thinking in regards to my own ethnicity as a black woman. But at the same time let's not harp on technicalities and look at the broader point I was trying to make😀
People dislike Lena because she truly thinks it is her world and we are all just living in it. She perpetually shows this by ironically casting herself as the main character in everything she does. She cosplays herself… there is no creativity in that.
I couldn't get past the first ep of Girls. As a millennial, it always made me so angry how that show was the one that was chosen as defining my generation, and an example of how entitled we all were, when most of us were simply asking for things like getting paid for our work, which we felt like we were doing ALL. THE. TIME. just to make ends meet. And somehow we were still blamed for the economic recession. And Dunham always seem to embody the worst qualities of those who were allowed to speak on our behalf, aka the nepo babies.
Damn this brings back memories. I’m a South Asian millennial who went to grad school in NJ & hung out in NYC a lot during this time period, and this was one of the shows I watched - it was half hate-watching and half wishing I could also be a cool white girl hipster artist with a chaotic life too. I feel embarrassed admitting this. If you want more chaos about Lena, google search her stuff about her pet dogs.
This is great! I was a lil younger than those actress. I would hear her name and drama. It was synonymous The Hispter fab was THAT Gurrl, and gentrification. Great break down
Seems like her material is super niche and her team tries to market it as honest and relatable to most women/people and doesn't quite know how to respond to criticism because she's not used to it. Not unlike Taylor Swift-an artist I can understand why people like, it just ain't for me-I just don't resonate with privilege-y white girl shit that is intending really hard to be edgy and deep. You have to have contrasting experiences that pull your individuality out of you to create art of that nature, imo. Thanks, this is an interesting watch👌
@@Riki-G Oh yeah. She takes a lovely and relatively normal young woman and puts her in a hundred situations where she either makes the wrong choice because she's had an easier life with more acceptance than Dunham, or she puts her in situations where she is graphically and sexually humiliated and likes it. It is such obvious, vicious jealousy and wish fulfillment. I wish someone could have warned Alison Williams in advance what she was getting into.
the Odell Beckham jr controversy is actually insane. like I still can't believe that this woman was offended that this man didn't objectify her??? like what lol
![[MV] A leap of faith...ความเชื่อใจครั้งสุดท้าย (From "Petrichor the series")](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/U1piZH2CNXA/mqdefault.jpg)
Oh man i accidentally deleted my own comment thread
Anyway- Lena and I went to college together. She’s been on her Lena Sht™️ since legit 2007 I promise you lol
The last time I saw her IRL was in 2012? 2014? I was cast as a featured background actor in a dive bar episode of Girls. She looked me dead in the eye and said “Oberlin? Oh my god, Ebony!”
My name is not Ebony.
WHATTTTTT omg nooooooo. Ebony??? this woman really called you by the most generic yet intensely black female name EVER. I am pinning your comment this so so funny
Feels like a Jenna Maroney moment lmao
Omg
IM GONNA FAINT SHE'S LITERALLY HANNAH
Why did you sign up for her show if you don’t like her tho?
Lena Dunham is what happens when someone has not gotten nearly enough constructive criticism in their life.
☝️☝️☝️
She belongs to a demo that really doesn’t get much constructive criticism. They aren’t used to it. 😢
I have even heard a really “with it” WW TH-camr who “gets it,” hint as much. 😮
Literally all she gets is criticism. Constructive and not constructive. If anything this is what happens when a woman gets too much criticism
@@kittykatz4001 are you saying that white women don’t receive constructive criticism? Or criticism? Or both? I would urge you to think about that. What is a Karen? What happens to every female celebrity regardless of race? What happens in the feminist movement when we talk about how older feminists failed at intersectionality? White women are criticized constantly, as all women are.
@@roxyredrose1WOMP WOMPPPPPPOPPPPPPPP
For some reason I cannot separate Lena Dunham and the Buzzfeed era of the internet
as a blasian oberlin student lena dunham helps me understand my classmates a lot more (derogatory)
this is TAKO erasure. she was clearly half puerto rican
Lena has willingly said things that could not be waterboarded out of most people
I mentioned this in another comment but I suspect she’s neurodivergent which is why she lacks a filter!
(She and I are very similar in a lot of ways, one of which is that we both have Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, and there’s a higher than average number of EDSers who are also on the autism spectrum (I’m level 1 autistic myself).
💀☠️🪦
like what?
😂😂
@@laurabianca-pruett so the r@pe accusation and her emotionally abusing her sibling is also part of being neurodivergent too???
Her parents got her student "films" into museums, so yeah, strings were pulled.
Unpopular opinion: I've seen girls and as a black woman myself I just understood that this show wasn't meant to tell a story that was supposed to relate to me. It was supposed to relate to overweight, half jewish self absorbed "artist" types in Brooklyn. And once I realized that, I didn't get my feelings hurt when I couldn't relate to any of the characters. I just enjoyed it as Lena's story. It was annoying that she then tried to over correct by writting bad black characters. I could have just gone without that , kind of like how Seinfeld had the lawyer as the only black character with any importance and most of the "ethnic" people where back drops to the main characters plot lines. ❤
yess that's a great way of putting it that I should have added in the video. I cannot directly relate to these characters on the show but I do enjoy it as Lena's story.
For most of the shows run Lena wasn't overweight though.
Mentioning her weight was unnecessary
Absolutely agree. Never related to anyone on the show but I enjoyed the story
she mentions her weight often in the show, and at the time she was overweight in terms of BMI (obviously a questionable metric but a lot of doctors still use it). it's valuable that she acknowledges how influential your weight is on your life, especially in a culture where skinny is extremely valued above all else.
I always wondered who lena dunham was and why ppl hated her and now i do, so thanks!
lol yesss this is why I made the video cuz I always heard her name but didn't know who she was or why people hated her🤣
Same
Lena is hugely self-absorbed but not very self-aware.
This is it. This is exactly it.
@@Jennifer-my5dm Yes, hence why and how she wore out her welcome. Even amongst the liberal and Hollywood elites.
Yep
Wait have you seen girls? …?
The literal first scene of Girls makes it very clear that she’s unaware of what’s truly out there in the world. Every other joke is about their stumbles into adulthood.
Honestly I don’t want Lena Dunham writing anything about black women it’s completely fine that girls was only mainly a white cast
Like I do not understand why us as Black people want to be represented in things/by people who do not even understand our experience like there’s no reality where Lena Dunham can even relate to half of the sh that Black when we go through
Even with her having other riders in the room and finding out other peoples experiences it still would be so and authentic because that has never been her reality she’s still not shit it’s still going to be a caricatuer
@@ayaacey6614thank you!!!! And media since the last four years has tried to sooo heavy and I hate it so much
Exactly… just look at how she views black MEN. She legit sat next to a black man at a event who was a complete stranger and convinced herself that a scenario happened where he was thinking about how he wouldn’t have sex with her all night long or maybe he would but no never mind he wouldn’t -a scenario which NEVER happened but in her mind, black men are hyper sexual and think about sex 24/7 and DEFINITELY think of sex with a white woman 24/7 because ALL black men want to have sex with white women right ? Not. But THATs what she thinks of them which tells you all you need to know about why she shouldn’t be writing a POC character. Ever.
I hate that people have a problem with this. If she is creating based on her experiences and her friends experiences and so on… Wouldn’t it be artificial and patronizing to force in a lax character just so people won’t complain?
What if she decided to make Jessa black? “oh why the black girl got to be the hoe?!?!”
If it was Shoshanna? Why does the one black girl have to be a weirdo?!?
If it was Marni? Why the only black girl has to reject her loving boyfriend from no reason?? That’s racist! Angry black woman, can’t keep a man trope! She only wants fame! She only wants a celebrity!
End of the day - the issue with Lena was her absolute lack of self awareness while platforming herself as overly aware.
🎯🎯
I don’t have a problem with the lack of diversity on Girls. Lena wrote what she knew, she represented her friends and her social circle. That’s fairly authentic.
This doesn’t mean I love Lena Dunham and what she does. But, I have to defend her on that point.
What’s the value to everyone else of resources being showered on Lena to be authentic in this way? What was the cost to everyone else of that happening? Is “authenticity” worthy of everything all by itself? Why?
@@joshfennell2257 because people like her related to it? Your very same point could be asked about why do we need black representation, Asian representation, female representation, gay representation or ANY representation? No one deserves it more than anyone else. How about instead of focusing and whining about representation, we understand that not every single person needs to be represented in everything? For instance, if I was too tell MY experience, that would be absolutely no use for any gay representation because I’m not gay, it’s not my experience and I have no idea or right to try and write and tell their experience just like Lena being a overweight, rich Jewish girl from the upper east side in NYC has no business writing a black woman from the Bronx’s experience or an Asian woman who is a first generation American with immigrant parents or even a white woman who comes from a line of poverty and from a rural background out of bumfck Alabama and who dropped out of high school because she got pregnant at 16 and was born to a teenage mother herself- she wouldn’t have any business writing that character either despite her being white.
Stop insisting that EVERYONE should include everyone else’s experiences in their own for the sake of “representation”. And as for your other point, she can tell her story because everyone is allowed to tell their own story. She had the means to make her story widely public because of her background. That doesn’t mean her wanting to share her experiences and story any less valid than anyone else- maybe more boring considering how easily she was able to do so but just as I wouldn’t fault a black woman for wanting to tell her story and exclude the white perspective and experience because that has nothing to do with her story, I don’t fault Lena and just as I wouldn’t get mad that the black woman got the opportunity to tell her when so many others don’t, I’m not mad at Lena for her privilege.
We gotta get over all this dumb shit. Do you understand how many important and great books, shows and movies we would’ve missed out on in the past if we had always demanded this dumb “every movie needs every single representation so we need to have a black person, a gay man, a lesbian, a Muslim person, a trans person, a Indian person, a Native American , a superhuman female lead etc etc etc” like they’re doing now? We wouldn’t have The Godfather, Scarface, American Gangster, Hustle and Flow, The sound of music, Pulp Fiction, Parasite, Saving Private Ryan, Rebel without a Cause and you can forget all the children movies you loved - no Lion King, no Toy Story, no Monsters Inc and no Superhero movies like the Dark Knight or Spiderman…
Imagine shoehorning all the “representations” I named into any of those movies and think about how stupid and silly that is and how much they would’ve sucked. Imagine shoehorning a gay man into The Godfather or a black man into Scarface just because of “representation”… do you realize how fcking dumb it sounds? People don’t want to be pandered to like this, none of those groups do, it’s literally liberal and progressive WHITE PEOPLE who insist on it and then they fck it up every single time bc they DO NOT understand those characters and write them in stereotypes that reveal their own ignorance and prejudice and racism. There’s nothing more dangerous and racist than a progress white person which is exactly WHY it’s important and good that Lena did not ever try to write those characters- because she would’ve fucked it up. Just look at how she views black men and fetishizes them.. she sat next to a black man at dinner and made up a scenario in her head about him thinking about how he wouldn’t have sex with her because you know, black men think about sex nonstop and having sex with a white woman is everyyyyy black man’s fantasy. Not. See why she shouldn’t be writing about that shit? Just chill out and stop being upset about everything and understand that it’s ok for different people to tell their stories and not tell EVERYONES story.
🎯
@@bradenharris8718 gonna be honest, I'm not reading all that.
Anyway, I think white people with money should take a little break from making literally anything for a while, maybe SNL will actually have a good season
She’s not as hated now because she’s just not as relevant as she was 15 years ago.
Idk, the show girls has recently had a massive resurgence.
Why are so many people writing „Hate”? Hated, it's just some “artist”, actress, or writer; who cares? I mean, it was exciting to listen to the author's perspective. I never quite understood the phenomenon around Lena (and I think she is not the best writer), but it was a lot of hating and judging. My perspective is also millennial (same age as Lena), but I am from Poland (Central Europe), where problems are different, and we share some things, but I don't know. I was watching Girls in real-time, and they always seemed to me very childish, immature, and spoiled, but not in an aggressive way. Anyway, here are some thoughts after the first 10 minutes. Continue watching. Hugs from Warsaw
I was literally minoring in Gender Studies in college when Lena was at her height and everyone in the department thought she was embarrassing. There was even one girl who did her dissertation dissecting why Lena is an asshole and Girls was trash.
I didnt pay much attention to her at the time, but I started noticing that she'd go to these red carpet events dressed like a complete jackass (and I do not mean something like when Kristen Stewart refuses to wear heels. I mean like when she went to the emmys and she wore this blond bob party city wig, a giant pink frilled skirt that also looked like it was from party coty, a wrinkled blouse, her makeup looking like it was applied by a kindergartener) then when people pointed out that she was dressed like a jackass, she'd whine about "body standards." Meanwhile Melissa McCarthy would be like 5 yards away looking stunning and appropriate. Like, Girl, we're not talking about your weight. You look like you just rolled out of bed hungover after a 36 hour Halloween bender. It became clear that she'd dress like that for attention, and to get sympathy from the backlash. Eye roll inducing.
Then the Odell Beckham Jr thing happened and I was like, "Okay, so I was right about her being the trashiest of trash."
Not to make light of anything you mentioned in the video but my favorite weird Lena Dunham behavior was when she dragged everyone on twitter for not adopting dogs, adopted one and then a week later tried to secretly donate the dog back. When she got caught she blamed the shelter dog.
Justice for Lamby
😂😂
Oh my god 😂😂
The part with the football player was WILD. It's like Lena got mad that this man was minding his own business and not paying attention to her, so she decided to project all these things onto him.
"The gallery of getting rejected by athletes" like are you SERIOUS?? Girl no one owes you a date or sexual/romantic interest???
I learned a long time ago that unfortunately, many White people with large egos find Black people that are reserved, quiet, and minding their own business problematic. The projections can be asinine and absurd.
Have you seen the love interests she writes for herself in her work? She very much thinks this.
@@AvecPoesieas a white woman, I have to agree 100%. I’ve personally watched it many times. Trying to explain the problematic behaviour is almost impossible tho.
Lena thinks she's giving female Woody Allen, and they are hated for the same reasons...
Read up on it. Mia is the villain, not Woody. Google: "Rise and Fail of Ronan Farrow by Rick Worley. "
I never thought of it this way but that makes so much sense. Even including the way Woody Allen would insert himself into his movies and have himself desired by beautiful, younger women
@@deliah3003 have you ever watched any of his movies? Very few of his movies where he romantically linked with a much younger acreess. Dianne Keaton, Mia Farrow, Dianne Wiest combined make up the bulk of them.
@@a.champagne6238 There’s also Julia Roberts, Goldie Hawn, Helen Hunt….as well as simply casting age gap relationships in his movies in general. I didn’t say all the movies but yes in several of them
@@deliah3003 Goldie Hawn is not much younger than he is. She's pushing 80.
I used to be a Lena Dunham apologist because I thought that so much hate towards her was based on sexism / fat phobia. Then, the Aurora Perrineau stuff happened, and I had to finally admit to myself that a lot if the criticism was valid.
Really…it took until that?
For real?
Lmao, what’s wrong with you?
We’re you on drugs?
How?
You didn’t…wow…I now understand how these OBVIOUSLY TERRIBLE PEOPLE have a following.
you know what they say…
…birds of a feather flock together.
I’m questioning your entire life if it wasn’t until THAT moment when you realized how awful she was…
Damn…wow…honey…please…what I don’t even have the words…disappointment…
…I ask with great hesitation, WHAT OTHER AWFUL FUCKING PEOPLE DO YOU STAND FOR?
I know there are more if you were that blind about Lena…she’s so upfront about her awfulness…like…she literally has no filter…
😂😂😂😂
She like a billboard for an awful person…and you couldn’t see?
Girl…your stand list is probably a fess of depravity.
You’re so blind.
Please rectify that so you can see.
I hope you are not in charge of raising any children because if so those babies are lost. May GOD find them…
I cannot believe what you just wrote😂
It has to be a joke…has to be…for real?
Yeah, I don't know that the backlash would've been as swift if she wasn't a mid-size/plus size woman, but it absolutely was deserved.
@@natatatm I'd like to think we live in a world where there'd be outrage at what is interpreted as child SA no matter how privileged the writer.
@@wareforcoin5780 I'd like to think so too, but we're in a world where woody Allen and Roman Polanski are still well respected figures despite their proclivities. So unfortunately we don't live in that world.
This is why feminism is a joke. If you couldn't see how gross she was because of your ideology, then it's garbage lmao
Omg I forgot about the Odell Beckham Jr thing. She took personalizing and projection to a whole other level…
like I actually can't believed that happened...to think so highly of yourself that your offended someone wasn't lusting after you and then talk about it like your some type of victim is CRAZY behavior
2010s Thought Catalog style "think" piece essays and their consequences have been a disaster for the human race 🫠
It's giving borderline sociopathic vibes
One thing with Lena Dunham that I can't stand is how she doesn't show any true growth. Her emotional maturity is on par with mine when I was 16. She only writes about herself or characters that are like herself. Most artists start out with self-referencial material and that's fine, but then you want to expand outward a little. Experience new things, meet new people, write more topics. She's deeply uncurious for a writer, which is something that would hold back any other writer without connected parents.
And yes please to Miranda Cosgrove! I love her on Mission Unstoppable and see her as a best case scenario for a former child star, though I know she's been through a lot.
great comment, I completely agree! as an artist, you must continue to expand for the sake of growth and creative exploration! going to start writing the script for Miranda now!
She hasn't written much so I'm very curious on which works your criticism on her lack of growth is based on.
Lena Dunham condones or downplays literal SA a lot of the times, so that's why I dislike her so much lmao
No wonder she was huge on Red Scare (though they often fatshamed her in repeated segments)
Do you know what LMAO means?
@@jfrsnjhnsn no
Oh pish posh
She also said she wished she could get pregnant so that she could have an abortion because it's "Empowering". This was at the height of the MeToo movement and feminist ideology....its disgusting
I've heard about her, but I never liked she got bodyshame. At the end of the day we should judge people based of their actions not looks
I agree!!
But she's also an actress, therefore her physical appearance is part of her brand. So, not only is she annoying and entitled, she's also not pleasing to the eyes, a perfect recipe for overall dislike 😅
@@L.G.127 💯 % many criticisms have been leveled at Lena-Half of them about how she looks, her weight, unkind and unfair. Our critiques should be limited to her actions.
@@Riki-G I REALLY enjoyed your analysis. Well done!
I'm a GenX woman and also have mixed feelings about Lena which you articulated very well.
I also agree one thing we shouldn't forget from her is her excellent challenges, in public, of normalization of REGULAR women's bodies!
Yes wear that bikini, girl! 😂❤ She has a NORMAL body!!! I'll never not love her for putting that out there.
Most people base their dislike about her because of her actions.
Another thing about her sister is that in her book Lena describes outing her as a lesbian to her parents or something like that. So even as an adult she was overstepping when it came to her sister, though in a different way. She also said in an interview that when in India she felt more sad for the starving dogs than the starving people, which is pretty messed up and another example of her racial insensitivity.
Hahaha yo. That is gnarly
As a person from Iowa, huge amount of respect to you for showing students at an Iowa football game, rather than a corn field.
🤣
I was in college when Girls came out, and I genuinely couldn't finish the first episode. I was estranged from my abusive parents and working my hands to the bone between a very tough engineering major and bartending. I couldn't find humor in Hannah being devastated at being cut off at 24 when I'd been struggling on my own since I was 17.
At the risk of making assumptions about you, I wonder if, as often happens, the line between who found the show relatable was characterized as being a race divide, when really it was a class divide. The show was very white, and I am white, but there was nothing about it that looked like my life.
I don't mean this as criticism, just musing. This is the first video I've seen of yours, and I enjoyed your thoughtful commentary.
great point, and I agree!! I can definitely see class divide playing a larger part in relatability of the show. the show doesn't look like my life as I'm younger than most of the Girls (except Shoshanna) at the start of the show, I am FRESHLY (May 2024) out of college, and am lucky enough to have a (chaotically) familial home to fall back on as I plan my next moves and don't have the resources to rush off to an expensive city with family supporting me financially. I think what I find most relatable abut the show is the spot on depiction of the various emotions that lead to consequential decisions of someone who is confused, scared, and unsure of themselves and their place in the world (literally the definition of your 20s)
I thought I couldn't relate to Girls because I'm a Gen X-er, but I soon realized I couldn't relate because I wasn't coddled and spoiled by mommy and daddy. I moved out at 18. I worked all during college. I've dealt with difficult financial times without a great deal of help from my parents and any compassion and understanding.
🏆
@@Riki-G Totally get what you're saying, and I didn't mean that I believe you're ultra wealthy or living a cool, NYC dream life. But there is also a class divide in terms of comfortably having your needs met vs struggling severely. It's hard to explain the fundamental difference in worldview between people who have financial security (and family who love them) vs people who don't. Most young people are broke, but being poor is so different.
I'm upper middle class now as an engineer and I've had maaaany years of therapy. I probably wouldn't find Girls outright triggering anymore, but I probably still wouldn't "get" it.
I'm not Black but am Indigenous & this whole sentiment is exactly why I could never watch the girls of my childhood, Gilmore girls
I'm about 5 years older than Lena Dunham and I just never liked her. I never watched Girls, didn't know much about her, I just didn't like her. Then her book came out and between the things she confessed to in her own book, finding out her use of derogatory language and defense of being "ironic" when slanging slurs, and finally her publicly slamming someone coming out with SA allegations... honestly she just confirmed the weird bias I had against her.
I never liked her either. The was just something off about her. Something more than just a character. The more I've learned, the less I'm surprised.
I think her joke in that first season of girls where she says "I never know when I'm gonna get my period, that's why there's all these weird stains in my underwear" was the most I had felt seen on TV up until that point lmao
But yeah don't love her..i liked the confessional aspect of her work. Her relationship with music producer Jack antonoff is interesting too
@@marywalton8428really? How is that remotely interesting?
Miranda! If you haven’t read Jeannette mccurdy’s book, theres a chapter about their meeting and its iconic.
I couldn't get through the first episode of Girls. For shows about Millennial friends struggling with romance, friendship, and work, Insecure did so much better.
omg I love insecure!! I might do a similar video like this but with Issa Rae!
@@Riki-G Please do!!!
I'm one of those people that likes to read the text when text is put on the screen, please leave it up longer! I think you did a great job researching and I appreciated hearing your point of view.
thank you so much I appreciate it!! and will do!
Just started this vid but i can tell you right now i went from 'dislike' to 'hate' when she tried to laugh off/downplay her SA of her little sister when they were both younger. That woman makes me so mad is2g
Exactly and her describing what she was doing its like thats it how on earth ryan murphy from ahs hired her during the height of that just says allot.
Oh brother deal
Its called playing dr. Not illegal
@@supme7558umno...what SHE did was finger her little sister.
Your hardrive should probably be checked. It's wild the amount of disgusting individuals like u are roaming youtube.
@supme7558 foul human be gone
I enjoyed the show Girls, but was very aware that the characters were insufferable. I grew to dislike most of the towards the end. Shoshana was the only one I liked. Also Ray. I loved Ray. At first I found his inclusion in the show weird too, but he added a working class element that the rest of them lacked. And I related to his fight against the noise in his neighborhood, and wanting to save the cafe he was willed by his boss. I mean, not that anyone ever willed me a cafe, but fighting against gentrification while also being part of gentrification is something I can relate to. I applauded her ability to get naked while having a less than perfect body. So many men do that and nobody freaks out. But I also think she’s one of the least self aware people to ever exist on the planet. I can see why she’s hated, and it’s not always because she’s not conventionally attractive (although I do think there are some MRAs who dislike her for that reason.) You spelled it out very well. Great synopsis!
thank you so much I appreciate it!! hopefully Ray will grow on me because you made him sound cool in this comment lol
She seems like she did not get the attentive care that she needed from her rich parents as a child (the whole situation with her poor sibling is strong evidence of lack of supervision at least). And so now she has the combination of a desperate need for attention and validation, and the deep feeling that she’s not interesting enough. She lies constantly and has poor emotional regulation, so she blurts out stuff and feels the need to make every situation about her. Massive ego and brittle sense of self, which is why she’ll never be able to take in any criticism or behave better. I feel very sorry for her children if she has them.
She can no longer have children
This is probably the best assessment of Lena I’ve seen so far. It all makes so much sense now
I think it’s important to highlight that “Brooklyn” is not a neighborhood. Lena Dunham is from a white area of Brooklyn (neighborhood are super segregated in every borough despite general diversity). In Girls, her character lived in Greenpoint, a super super white hipster neighborhood. Considering how liberal ny, it’s doubly weird that she’s dating a black Republican like where did you find that man 😭😭 still, the complete lack of diversity in the show speaks to how insular white, hipsters live in Brooklyn. Even my white co-workers from other states move to these sort of neighborhoods and rarely find themselves around people of color.
I wouldn’t say I hate her but as someone who was the age of the ladies in GIRLS when it came out I just kinda realized overtime that Lena is the quintessential white women from that time , she took the “adorkable” trope of infantilized white women and rannnn with it lol after awhile it was washed but I did enjoy girls wish they had been more inclusive but that’s how shit was back then sadly
She is half White.
Her becoming irrelevant is such an important moving forward. Really, having to put up with a Millennial Nepotism Baby having something to say with not saying anything at all…I thought we moved on from that after Paris Hilton. But still, here we are…
At least Paris gave testimony in regards to her experience as a child to advocate for others who were sent to Utah who weren’t from the same class
Talk about having something to say with not saying anything at all… what is your ACTUAL contructive input here?
@@LD-tn6ffI understand her point so why are you so confrontational?
@@bentbird9329 being able to understand an illiterate post is NOT the same as pointing out that the post didn’t offer substantive or constructive criticisms. It essentially said that a writer never had anything to say…like Paris Hilton…?
There’s just something really gross about Lena - it’s her whole aura she carries around
I mean the "I'm the voice of my generation" line in Girls shows just how much satire about a lot of thing where there and how aware she's about a lot of things.
(And i don't even linked Girls or Lena that much)
i have no idea who this woman is but now that i found out info on her, i dislike her and she gives feminism a bad name
I'm 50. I didn't like sex and the city either. There are so many other interesting stories than the tired old new york hipster story. Its been done. To death.
i can't get into it honestly, I can see why it is hyped up but to me I haven't found the spark that makes it good enough for the cult following it has. I do like the topics they have covered to far (I am on the beginning of season 2)
Not
I was a non American teenager when I watched girls and it was pretty revolutionary to me... Certainly there wasn't anything like it that I had access to at the time. So I guess it's a matter of perspective.
@@alybleasi agree lol. Same with SATC, it’s a classic. Same with Insecure.
Please do a part two about her relationship with Jack Antonoff and her cringy antics there! Loved the video!
mhhhmmm I'll have to look into that! thanks so much!
The worst part is anytime there is criticism toward her, she claims it's because people don't like that she's a bigger woman. She uses her own insecurities as a way to avoid any accountability.
I could only bear Shoshannah. She seemed sweet if a bit dorky. And I read an interview with Jemima Kirke in "Bust" magazine. She came across completely loathsome, very full of herself.
yes I love how dorky and sweet Shoshannah is she is the most tolerable out of all of them. I'm not surprised about this Jemima Kirk info lmao
TW: childhood abuse of a sxual nature………
People like Lena Dunham have so much wrong with them that overtime you start to forget, but I will never forget how she openly talked about…sxually abusing her sister ?? And if I’m not mistaken I remember that when she confessed to it in her memoir, she didn’t even seem particularly guilty about it or like she felt bad about it. She seemed like to her, it was just her exploring her sxual curiosity and her little sister was just the closest thing to her and not traumatized by the experience which is an absurdly cold and selfish way of viewing the potential impact that on her sister despite literally describing herself as doing things that a predator would do to her. Even going so far is to say on Twitter, that her sister was “literally laughing” at the criticism which is eerily similar to the way predators like woody Allen use their victims acceptance of their abuse to defend their actions. Sorry for the long and dark comment, but this alone makes me uneasy that people are lowkey letting Lena Dunham back into the mainstream.
I recently watched the show and I liked it lol
It didn't really bother me that the "girls" group wasn't diverse. They are freinds from school (a fairly expensive university) and lets be honest most of our friends from school look like us.
The entire cast was annoying AF but i still enjoyed it somehow lol
Personally, I have always had a diverse group of friends. It's strange to me to see people only hanging out with "people that look like them."
Always speak for yourself. Always.
I like how you tried and managed to keep hateful feelings out of this analysis.
I enjoyed the overview and now with some distance and time from originally following Girls and Lena (I'm a Gen-Xer with aprx 10 yrs of arrested development, so really a Millenial ;) ) I can see more clearly that we were projecting a lot of our own Shadow onto Lena. First praising her for being so different, outspoken, unfiltered. And then knocking her down for not also being unselfish, more self-aware, less outspoken, more unfiltered, not so different. Classic pendulum swinging in two extremes.
Calling someone out for their wrong behavior is different than knocking the entire person down for who they are.
We can say, That's self-centered, That's wrong, We think you should change that.
But we can still have people who are self-centered and imperfect walking around and making art. In fact, we should. Artists don't have to be our idols.
Love how you ended with the quote of her saying she doesn't have to answer why people dislike her and that she found a lesson in not owing people answers and apologies.
I believe in apologizing, in humility and self-awareness in general, but the art is in knowing when and to whom.
great comment!! and yes, I try to add my two cents here and there but don't let it overcloud the objectivity I try to have when presenting factual information. I appreciate your take on the pendulum swinging in regards to public perception about Lena. and I love the sentence that ended this comment!!
@@Riki-G I admire that ability and discipline to try to stay objective. That could be your personality, a bit detached, but could also be maturity beyond your actual years. Whatever the reason may be, we need more of it on the internet and in the world in general!
In 2014, she and her mom went to India and left early because she was "overwhelmed by all the germs and stray dogs."
martha's vineyard ?! not the historically black art district? lmaooo but fr great video!
okay okay I forgot about Oak Bluffs and allat🤣 but it's still characterized as a very white place in my mind because of it's history and who it's named after and Massachusetts not being the first state that comes to mind when you think of diversity (75% white)
As an elder African American millennial, we all watched Girls and other than the exclusion of ethnic characters we enjoyed it. Sadly, we were used to that. The critiques came about as we saw her irl and noticed how self absorbed and oblivious she was, just like her character. Sure we know the difference between acting and real life but does SHE? From what we saw they're basically the same person. Next, there was the constant virtue signaling and straight white exclusionary feminism that got on everyone's nerves. But, the jokingly nonchalant way that she tells the story about her sibling was the last straw. It was like, this lady really lives on her own planet and she can't be trusted. And by that time we had moved on to better, more diverse story tellers so she got left behind as far as we were concerned. Now, I know I'm speaking generally when I say "we" but it was the buzz at that time. Your video is very much on point from what I remember. I know a lot of people who still don't fw her even though some others seem to have gotten over it.
Once I heard what she did to her sister I hopped on that hate train
Greenpoint is pretty White for Brooklyn (not 💯 %)-I know, I lived there. It’s a mix of Polish and Irish immigrant descendant communities, and an influx of hipsters.
Also what is an “ethnic character?” We all have an ethnicity, that’s like saying someone has an accent. We all do.
you're right we all have an ethnicity. Some times I will use the word ethnic in place of minority because typically minorities have multiple different ethnic attributes "that distinguish them from other groups." and that quoted is apart of the definition of ethnic that I harp on lol but thank you for the insight on Brooklyn makes sense
@@Riki-G thank you for taking the time to read our comments. It’s appreciated
I love how people forget she admits to SAing her sibling, but because she was "just curious", the definition doesn't apply to her...
The definition literally doesn't apply to her because she was three years old when she did it. That's like saying a three-year-old tried to shoplift because they picked something up from a store. They're too young to understand the context of what they are doing.
She wasn't doing anything horrible when she was super young, but when they got older she still was sexually exploitative of her sister
Girls is a masterpiece. Doesnt matter if she never does anything else.
It's garbage
lying about having evidence against that girls accusation made my jaw DROP. its an evil thing to do in the first place but to parrot all these 'believe women' tweets and then do that makes me straight up hate her as a person.
As much as I don't like her and agree with the criticism, I must say if she was convenitonally attractive she wouldn't be this hated.
I appreciate how you let the viewer make the final judgment, while also being comprehensive. I would have to side very much on the negative with regards to Dunham. Her work and her character feel like the epitome of the millennial hipster culture I saw in NYC and SF during the late 00's. The main character in "Tiny Furniture" was someone I saw all the time back then: someone whose central struggle, having emerged from college and having moved to "Brooklyn" or "The Mission", was to pensively figure out how they wanted to spend their privilege in the face of too much fun to be had. I knew a lot of people then who could "literally me" Dunham in all her pretentious, self-aggrandizing obliviousness. "Tiny Furniture" is everything I found insufferable about Millennial culture. I think this culture was permeated by the tail end of hegemonic normativity filtered through an alcohol saturated social scene that always came off as overgrown prepubescents playing dress-up with their aesthetics, always noncommittally standing at an ironic distance from it. I deeply appreciated seeing how zoomer culture seemed to overcome this regressively sarcastic approach to life. This culture was always uncritical and unserious, and I think Dunham is its acme.
This is an amazing comment. Kudos.
Frankly anyone who anecdotally talks about “generational culture” between todays 20 year olds from 30 year olds is moronic. The oldest zoomers TODAY are in their mid 20’s, and would have been children when this show aired on TV and was socially condemned. Sorry girl, but the YEARS of criticism of this show and creator, along with greater shifts in attitude in topics ranging from race to feminism over the course of many years now, isn’t attributable to people whose oldest member is in their mid to late twenties. It’s far and away moreso attributable to the people you’re complaining about. Being in your twenties and believing that people in their thirties are so beyond culturally different/problematic is insane. Check your facts.
As a millennial, I can surely say we don't claim her.
tldr: girl, we don't need to know everything you're thinking
15:40 being CONVINCED what you fear people are thinking about you is absolutely correct is some audacity I can never imagine having. The first examples from my personal experience that come to my mind are also white women. Idk if this has anything to do with that intersection or if it is more of a coincidence but the mindset still baffles me
The fact that they considered her "the voice of her generation" was extremely premature
Even she knew it. She made fun of it on Girls
To be fair only her character on Girls says that, and in that scene she's high, begging her parents for money and it's supposed to be ridiculous.
I'm not one to defend Lena Dunham, but having a "privileged life" that no one can relate to... who cares? That's HER story. It's her life, it's valid. There's plenty of other shows to choose from if you're looking to "relate".
Lenas character/lifestyle was at the very least more true to life than what Sarah Jessica Parkers fantasy world offered. Hannah and gang were more an obnoxious exaggeration of the whole trust fund hipster phenomena that took over north Brooklyn at that time. This stupid show likely contributed to why I was priced out of Brooklyn completely myself!
This is the first video I've seen of yours - love your way of speaking ! subscribed :-)
aww thanks so much!! I appreciate it
The thing is she takes up so much space. Flop after flop and not to mention the personal blunders and still getting greenlit. Personally I find her devoid of talent and the work completely alienating, it all just seems like an intellectual exercise.
I quite enjoyed Tiny Furniture and Girls (watched both in my early 20s so I could relate), but Never approved of Dunham. Especially after her book. She’s just…very yucky imo lol. Something funny I recently learned was her character is Girls is based off of her, and a lot of the writers & producers were making fun of Lena through the character. Years later Lena doesn’t have great things to say about it. I think it took her a while to realize what was actually going on. (If this is inaccurate lmk but thought it was interesting).
yucky is the perfect word! and omg i did not know about this! very interesting especially since this show ran so long, it's kinda sad she didn't realize she was being made fun of but hell she'll be alright lol
Lena’s mom, Laurie Simmons, had an Art:21 episode about her back in like 2006/2007. In the episode, her mom is directing an art film with a full professional set & crew. The actress in the film is MERYL STREEP. Lena definitely had connections that were deep cause you don’t get these types of opportunities at such a young age, and especially as a female.
I knew we hated her, but I didn't know why. Even white women hate her. Thanks for the tea.
My friend and I watched the first few episodes of Girls and we just hated almost everyone except Shoshana. The characters were a little younger than us. We decided we just didn't want to hang out with any of them via watching the show. From the outside, we watched everything go from bad to worse. Sure, she did challenge some important things about bodies and discomfort and not always being a likable hero. But we just kind of felt pity for everyone around her.
great comment! yes Shoshanna is the most tolerable one. and I get that about feeling pity for both Hannah and Lena because apparently the other writers and crew would make fun of Lena through Hannah if that makes sense
One thing I appreciate about Lena Dunham and part of why some people hate her- is her audacity to show a "normal" woman's body repeatedly on her show. As a curvy lady this was very refreshing to normalize a body like mine on an HBO show, which is something I hadn't ever seen before "Girls." This is not to excuse any of her nonsense- but another reason some people have given her hate!
I always find it bizarre how men in particular get MAD when normal or heavier women are cast in leading roles - especially if they’re part of any sexual content. It’s like they take it as a personal affront. Just last year Jordan Peterson (who probably never bought a copy of Sports Illustrated in his *life* ) ranted on Twitter about a plus sized model gracing the swimsuit issue! Like, really?! Why would that make you MAD?!
Totally agree! I’m watching Girls right now and knowing that it is her experience/life, it would be unauthentic to add poc in as props. I kinda like the show bc it is obviously annoying characters but at least she writes it to know they’re entitled and annoying. Still def see how Lena has some problems.
But ALSO I think a big gripe with her is that she was able to make this show ten years ago, and black women/woc are STILL waiting for Hollywood to let us tell our own stories. All we have is Insecure. It’s the bigger systemic issues that isn’t letting us share our stories of just being funky black 20 something’s in a big city, while letting seemingly inexperienced privileged yt girls tell theirs. I can’t wait till we can watch a show like Girls, with WOC, made by woc
I was in a peripheral fandom so ended up trying out Girls, and I didn't want to call it bad (because it was The Most Feminist Show on TV according to some reviewers), but it sure was not for me. I'm glad I don't have to hear about her all the time now.
Not really related to feminism, but Lena Dunham also once adopted a dog, and then after having him for 3 years or so, sent him back to the shelter and exchanged him for 2 puppies. So...
I’m on Lena’s side we don’t need token black characters. I love girls the way it is . I love insecure too because it’s clearly written for us
I also remember donald glover talking about her behaviour on set. He said she called him the n word and that it was a horrible work environment in general
my next video will be on Donald Glover, I will be getting into that!!
Every time I hear her name, I think about how she admitted to manipulating and SAing her sister. How did she get away with that?!
I have to admit that I related to Hannah Horvath, including a lot of horrible behavior, and the show was cathartic for me. Some of Lena's bad behavior always feels like ohhhhh.... maybe I need to self-evaluate lol
I don't imagine I'm your normal or intended demographic, and I didn't think i wanted to watch a long form video on Lena Dunham but i watched all the way through. Subscribed and liked. Hope the engagement helps your channel because that was a well researched and interesting video
thank you for this comment, and for your support! I really appreciate it!!
She ruined the name "Lena" for me
Thank you for this thoughtful and tragically illuminating video. I had no idea how fraught her publication and responses were.
That said, in this essay I will emphasize why you may benefit from watching Industry because of the characterization, dialogue, and plot. I just finished watching the third season and I am floored. The main character of the show is a Black woman from New York named Harper. She is a sociopathic anti-hero and a compelling take on the "sapphire" trope. The strongest performance is given by her Chinese-American boss and mentor, Eric. His character arc in the third season is a spectacular trainwreck-I pray he wins an Emmy. The relationship dynamics of Harper and Eric are the heart of this show set in the cutthroat finance world of London.
The dialogue between our ensemble cast of investment bankers and their broken families had me taking mad notes for therapy. The exchanges were so layered, and their insights of each other were painfully sharp. The cowriters of this show thrive in this area and flexed their profound understanding of the human condition in verbal sparring. I think the multilingual and privileged Yasmin has the most heartbreaking and electric exchanges with the other characters.
Lastly, the plot of Industry moves uncertainly in the first season, but becomes unrelenting by the third season. Please ignore the rampant comparisons to Succession and Mad Men. What Industry does with plot is absolutely masterful, and a brilliant mirror of the chaotic pacing of their stock exhanges. The Pakistani-British character named Rishi had an outstanding solo episode that was a masterclass in plot.
In conclusion, I hope you watch Industry (unless you have extreme clinical anxiety). The IndustryOnHBO reddit was a helpful post-epsiode processing space. I predict that this show will sweep the next Emmys, and I would love to know what you think!
I think she is talented but her, as a person, just seems so unaware and unfiltered in the worst way.
Fun fact, the Adam character was actually inspired by another art student who Lena Dunham knew during her college years… now known as Sam Hyde. And if you guys don’t know who he is… he basically was a show runner of a racist show in adult swim. And that’s a whole other rabbit hole.
mhhhmm wow I didn't know that, thank you for this
I didnt appreciate Lena’s solution to “I don’t know what it’s like to be black so I just won’t have any black people on my show at all” that’s really insulting and honestly it put such a bad taste in my mouth along with the sexual assault scandal that I was done 🤦🏾♀️
Word that comes to mind is: predatory
Interesting video. I agreed with quite a bit, also some things i didn’t agree with. I gotta say, the controversy around her statement about her sister is evident of a society that is morally virtuous about everything. So much so to the point we shun anything that rather taboo, uncomfortable, or complicated. It may make us uncomfortable to hear what she did to her sister but i think we need to encourage this level of honesty because kids ARE sexually curious. It just doesn’t make sense to shy away from the conversation entirely when this is a great moment to dive into a topic that’s just rather complex.
A few comments have said it, but Lena wrote what she knew/experienced for Girls so the lack of diversity is not super surprising. I am always so mad that Girls is such a genuinely funny and entertaining show because Lena Dunham herself drives me crazy. She's a brilliant creator but, like, the most unaware person on the planet. It's almost impressive lol
The fact anyone openly admits they can only talk about themselves, and they expect others to care and be invested in that, is wild. Lena is just not that interesting. It’s insane that anybody thought she was.
I thought the coworker her did her eyebrows in season 1 was Hispanic. I’m not saying it’s enough representation by any means. But you kept repeating that an ethnic woman does not have a speaking role until season 3 which just isn’t true. Plus there was Soo Jin in season 2 with the rose water ice cream. Again, not enough. But also don’t discount those roles.
someone else made this comment, you are absolutely right!! it was two women who worked with her that could've been hispanic or latino. I was being a bit dramatic in "speaking" part and was also thinking in regards to my own ethnicity as a black woman. But at the same time let's not harp on technicalities and look at the broader point I was trying to make😀
People dislike Lena because she truly thinks it is her world and we are all just living in it. She perpetually shows this by ironically casting herself as the main character in everything she does. She cosplays herself… there is no creativity in that.
I couldn't get past the first ep of Girls. As a millennial, it always made me so angry how that show was the one that was chosen as defining my generation, and an example of how entitled we all were, when most of us were simply asking for things like getting paid for our work, which we felt like we were doing ALL. THE. TIME. just to make ends meet. And somehow we were still blamed for the economic recession. And Dunham always seem to embody the worst qualities of those who were allowed to speak on our behalf, aka the nepo babies.
Just got recommended your channel, very inspiring to me :) keep making content
Damn this brings back memories. I’m a South Asian millennial who went to grad school in NJ & hung out in NYC a lot during this time period, and this was one of the shows I watched - it was half hate-watching and half wishing I could also be a cool white girl hipster artist with a chaotic life too. I feel embarrassed admitting this.
If you want more chaos about Lena, google search her stuff about her pet dogs.
This is great! I was a lil younger than those actress. I would hear her name and drama. It was synonymous
The Hispter fab was THAT Gurrl, and gentrification.
Great break down
I love how clever and funny your titles were .
Seems like her material is super niche and her team tries to market it as honest and relatable to most women/people and doesn't quite know how to respond to criticism because she's not used to it. Not unlike Taylor Swift-an artist I can understand why people like, it just ain't for me-I just don't resonate with privilege-y white girl shit that is intending really hard to be edgy and deep. You have to have contrasting experiences that pull your individuality out of you to create art of that nature, imo. Thanks, this is an interesting watch👌
Do you understand that the character of Marnie is Lena Dunham’s hate letter to her sister? Just curious.
WHATTTT?? omg i had no idea
@@Riki-G Oh yeah. She takes a lovely and relatively normal young woman and puts her in a hundred situations where she either makes the wrong choice because she's had an easier life with more acceptance than Dunham, or she puts her in situations where she is graphically and sexually humiliated and likes it. It is such obvious, vicious jealousy and wish fulfillment. I wish someone could have warned Alison Williams in advance what she was getting into.
@jfrsnjhnsn that's even sicker knowing what she did to her sister. Why does she hate her so much?
@@akinaneon-xz6oj I'm no expert in anything, but a lot of sisters seem to be prone to hurtful rivalry with each other.
@@jfrsnjhnsnand where do you get this info? lmao just cause the character is young and good-looking?
I still haven't gotten over what she said about Odell Beckham Jr. all those years ago and I had no idea she was married now.
the Odell Beckham jr controversy is actually insane. like I still can't believe that this woman was offended that this man didn't objectify her??? like what lol
I was literally about to Google why people hate her-because I’m watching Girls for the first time-and then this popped up!! So, thank you!
Ooof. Thanks for this great video. I’m here for a Miranda cosgrove deep dive/commentary! I don’t know much about her.
Wow, I've never realized how many apologies she's had to release.
She has artist parents, of course she's a bit strange. Her parents have massively open minds and that has an effect on their children
She is unapologetic being herself and I am unapologetic disliking who she is.