Lena Dunham Apologizes to Aurora Perrineau — Too Little, Too Late?

Stars of HBO's GirlsLena Dunham apologized to  Aurora Perrineau  for publicly questioning the veracity of her alleged sexual assault, and her words sparked even more of my personal outrage then Dunham’s original act. As a refresher, Dunham and her ‘Girls’ co-creator,  Jenni Kohan, released a mutual statement that boldly declared that they had “insider knowledge” that ‘Girls’ writer Murray Miller did not in fact assault Perrineau saying:

Continue reading “Lena Dunham Apologizes to Aurora Perrineau — Too Little, Too Late?”

The ‘Girls’ Series Finale — A Full Review

I remember my twenties as a narcissistic blur that badly represented the dreams of my teens. It entailed bad sex, bad relationships, and even worse jobs that kept me on the constant fringe of being fired. ‘Girls’ quietly captured those common themes with its appropriately underwhelming last season. Gone is the girl who is rescued, the tearful group dinner, and the sudden self-awareness. Instead, things got real. Friendships were fractured, Hannah Horvath had a parental meltdown, and Marnie traded her personal happiness for once.

The penultimate episode of ‘Girls’ was more of an ending than the last, which was more of a beginning for Hannah’s new journey as a mother. Clues suggest that she’ll struggle, as most new mothers do, and though her tight circle of friends is nowhere to be found, that’s okay, since most of us lose contact with the besties of which we vow die-hard loyalty.

When ‘Girls’ first began, I didn’t get it. I wanted the pretty filters, Manolo Blahniks the characters curiously can’t afford, and the aspirational New York life that never really exists for anyone. When Lena Dunham aired her gratuitous nudity for the world to see, I attacked her, an action of which I’m now ashamed. She had a master plan, and I was too one dimensional to spot her depth. She’s a body warrior, and she changed the game. We’re used to the sexualized nudity of rock-hard bodies, and she instead offered the reality of prancing around one’s apartment naked for no good reason. When others, like myself, questioned her, she turned up the dial, so as to say, “It’s my party and I’ll prance around naked if I want to.” She also wasn’t going to sensationalize the reality of her youth, give the girl a standard love story, or portray life as easy. Because life isn’t easy . . . for anyone — money or not.

Goodbye, ‘Girls’. It was certainly fun while it lasted.

Lena Dunham Covers Nylon Magazine — Talks ‘Girls’

Photo by: Sofia Sanchez & Mauro Mongiello

When ‘Girls’ first began, I wrote a piece about Lena Dunham’s off-putting use of excessive nudity, and now, years later — I finally welcome it. She defies traditional standards of beauty, and if you don’t like it, you better get over it. There’s something to be learned from her unapologetic attitude about nearly everything, especially given that most people, including myself, won’t wear a bikini in public let alone show my boobs on national television. As ‘Girls’ approaches its final season, Dunham sat down with Nylon Magazine to reveal what you can expect. Some choice quotes are below. Head on over to Nylon for the entire interview.

On Public Critique: “I used to think the worst thing in the world could be for someone to have a thought about you that you didn’t have yourself. Now I’m like, ‘Have at it, guys!’”

On Changes She Would Make To Girls: “I wouldn’t do another show that starred four white girls…When I wrote the pilot I was 23…I was not trying to write the experience of somebody I didn’t know, and not trying to stick a black girl in without understanding the nuance of what her experience of hipster Brooklyn was.”

On how the 2016 Presidential Election is reflected in the final season of Girls: “…we wrote in a climate where we were thinking a lot about this election, and the election was heating up as we shot the show, and that energy for sure made its way into how we tackled topics. I don’t mean to be demurring, but there are some big female issues, more than maybe ever before.”

On Donald Trump: “It’s going to be interesting promoting this show right after Trump is inaugurated. The final season definitely tackles some topics that are complicated and wouldn’t be beloved by the incoming administration. Hopefully it’ll bring up important conversations, and not just become the worst Twitter abuse storm in history—or it will.”


 

 

 

Lena Dunham Covers Vogue — Explains Nudity

20140115-172437.jpgYou can put a pretty bow on your controversial choices with a stock-house explanation, but that doesn’t make it any less questionable. ‘Girls’ Executive Producer and Writer, Lena Dunham covered Vogue, and she explained her decision to bare all for the HBO series, saying, “It’s a complicated thing. I want people ultimately, even if they’re disturbed by certain moments, to feel bolstered and normalized by the sex that’s on the show.” She also added that, “Seeing somebody who looks like you having sex on television is a less comfortable experience than seeing somebody who looks like nobody you’ve ever met.” While I understand the argument, I must still lay into it’s lunacy.

I’ve followed ‘Girls’ since it’s debut, and the excessive nudity has almost pushed me to flee the show. I never questioned Samantha Jones’ nudity, because it made sense for the character. Kim Cattrall’s promiscuous Sex and the City character broke down barriers for women. It put our gender on par with men, who are socially allowed to sexually misbehave, while women are not. Her nudity was also appropriately played into each scene, and the artistic blend kept me immersed in the story. Unlike ‘Sex and the City,’ it’s as if Lena Dunham is proving a point at the expense of the scene. Sure it’s possible that she adequately represents “real life,” but if I wanted my television to be that real, I’d watch a documentary. There’s a delicate dance between art and reality, but the former is just fine with me.

‘Girl’s’ Episode 7 Recap — Hannah’s Infected — So Is This Show

girls-hbo-1Girls has gone bad, and if this trajectory continues, my devotion will die. First, I fundamentally object to Lena Dunham’s excessive nudity. Though it seems to be politically incorrect to suggest that overweight chicks should not be naked on screen, allow me to be politically incorrect. It’s disturbing and unenjoyable to watch. Furthermore, she accentuates her flaws by finding every undesirable pose and clothing choice possible, as if she’s swimming in the criticism. And before I get attacked for this, I’d like to point out that I also object to Laura Linney’s consistent boob-reveal in every movie, so as to prove that my outrage is not just about the weight — it’s about the gratuitous choice to assault the audience with some free-nudity movement I never signed up for. Lastly, what on earth would justify filming yourself on the toilet while trying to avert the pain of a urinary tract infection? I’ve heard of telling life-truths, but if I won’t even pee in front of my significant other, I certainly don’t want an actress to pee on screen in front of me.

Quote of the Day — Lena Dunham Had Gay Boyfriends

“It’s happened to me more than once, and my mom says it must be genetic because she has a couple of them in her past, too. Our hope is that what it means is that we are a comfortable resting place for a guy who is figuring things out. Our fear is that we turn men gay.” Lena Dunham, writer, creator, and actress for HBO’s ‘Girls,’ on her experience dating men who later became gay.

HBO’s ‘Girls’ — Best New Show on Television

I was recently tipped off by a very annoying individual to watch HBO’s Girls. Naturally, I rolled my eyes and ignored the suggestion. Then in a moment of weakness, I watched it, and I was mesmerized. Though I’m a huge Sex and the City fan, the comparisons between the two shows is what initially turned me off. But those comparisons are far off the mark. It’s an artsy, character-driven show. In fact, the main character, Lena Dunham, is also the creator and writer. The idea began with a call from Judd Apatow who took a liking to Dunham afer watching her independent film, Tiny Furniture. Apatow is also a producer. Watch the trailer below.