Clearly on an emotional high from her Golden Globe wins, Lena Dunham, Creator/Writer/Director/Star of the HBO series Girls, recently gave an interview in which she dismissed criticism of her show as coming mostly from 58-year-old men who didn't understand -- and I'm paraphrasing and reading between the lines -- the show's new-generation originality and youthful exuberance.
That's odd considering that Vulture reported that the show's single largest audience, 22 percent, is "white dudes over 50." In fact, 56 percent of the show's audience is male. Some say it's because of the frequent nudity and graphic sex. That doesn't hurt. But the main reason to watch Girls is because the show obviously is struggling to be a voice of its generation, just as The Catcher in the Rye, Go Tell It on the Mountain, The Naked and the Dead, On the Road, Beloved, Generation X, The Joy Luck Club, Slaves of New York, Less Than Zero, and Bright Lights, Big City were voices of their generations.
Girls wants to tell us something important about twentysomething females of the 21st Century. And, as the elders of our society, we should always be listening to those new voices crying out.
But what are they telling us?
1. Their world is mostly white.
Last season the show was criticized for being too white. Watching a full season could leave a viewer snow blind. This season that white ghetto was breached by a black character who is introduced as some jungle fever lover, with just enough screen time to have sex and mutter a couple of lines about wanting more of a relationship. A black dildo would have sufficed and cost less.
I don't believe that people of color, sexual preference, or gender need to be shaken indiscriminately into every series like some sort of exotic seasoning. If the story calls for a black character, great. A story about a black neighborhood doesn't necessarily need white characters just to balance the racial profile. But this really seemed like an effort was made to add some color -- and it came across as forced.
2. They like to talk about (and sometimes engage in) sex.
It's like a checklist of being naughty: masturbation (check), sex during period (check), oral sex (check), anal sex (check), virginity (check), etc. The show is actually at its most engaging during these awkward, fumbling, and mostly embarrassing (for the characters) scenes. The characters talk boldly about sex, but their actions are often shy and unsatisfying. The contrast of the generation that's been taught that pretty much anything goes sexually trying to act cool while struggling with their vulnerabilities is generally fresh and original and insightful about this generation.
3. They're too self-conscious, too cutesy, and not that funny.
We're supposed to find these girls somehow charming because of their flawed characters. Their intense self-involvement is meant to be cute and it can be... at times. But not enough to overcome our impatience with their inability to have any personal insight. They're all educated but fatally ignorant.
This isn't all Girls fault. It's unfair to put so much of a burden on what is basically a standard sitcom. Some of the fault lies with the audience's desperation for a generational voice that they turn to a sitcom to express it rather than great literature. Filmmaker and short story writer (and Dunham fan) Miranda July is more accurately a voice of a generation adrift in the rough waters of Great Expectations and a Great Recession.
When it takes itself seriously is when it stumbles. I just wish it would express its seriousness by being funnier. Seinfeld made it a point to ridicule the characters' shallowness and self-involvement, raising it to a level of social commentary. And it was funny. Two other girl-centric shows that reached these same heights to be voices of a generation were My So-Called Life and Wonderfalls. Both funny, yet also insightful and original. Perhaps that's why they both only lasted one season before becoming cult hits. Girls, a safer more mousy voice, has already been renewed for a third season.
4. The guys are more interesting than the girls.
Adam, Hannah's (Lena Dunham) abrasive boyfriend, is a wonderful character whose quirkiness never diminished his depth of character. The episode in which he performs in the one-man show is brilliant. Charlie, Marnie's ex-boyfriend, is a complex mix of too stable and too nice. The fact that he's dumped by a girl who is actually more boring and shallow than she claims he is, makes for some excellent social commentary, although that seems like an accidental byproduct. Could it be that Dunham actually is better at writing guy characters than girl characters?
Girls' heart and mind is in the right place. It wants to be more than the sum of its familiar parts. And sometimes it is. Maybe this season its voice will be louder and clearer and have more to say. It's worth listening for.
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Celebrity Photos: May 2013
Hayden Panettiere was spotted departing on a flight at LAX airport in Los Angeles, Calif., on May 24.
Celebrity Photos: May 2013
Jessica Alba promotes 'The Honest Life: Living Naturally and True To You' at Redwood Restaurant and Bar on May 24.
Celebrity Photos: May 2013
Heidi Klum attended the "Nebraska" premiere during The 66th Annual Cannes Film Festival at the Palais des Festivals on May 23.
Celebrity Photos: May 2013
Khloè Kardashian Odom celebrated the launch of HPNOTIQ liqueur`s Glam Louder Program at the Mr. C Beverly Hills hotel in Los Angeles, Calif., on May 22.
Celebrity Photos: May 2013
Jennifer Lopez joined Verizon Wireless COO Marni Walden to announce the launch of Viva Movil by Jennifer Lopez at the Venetian Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nev., on May 22.
Celebrity Photos: May 2013
Carey Mulligan posed on the red carpet for the Sydney premiere of "The Great Gatsby" at The Entertainment Quarter on May 22 in Australia.
Celebrity Photos: May 2013
Heather Graham looked incredible as she attended "The Hangover III" premiere at the Empire Cinema in London on May 22.
Celebrity Photos: May 2013
Andrew Garfield was spotted out and about with his pal Tom Sturridge in New York City on May 22.
Celebrity Photos: May 2013
Jessica Chastain walked the red carpet at the "Behind The Candelabra" screening at Palais des Festivals et des Congres as part of the 66th Cannes film Festival in Cannes on May 21.
Celebrity Photos: May 2013
Kim Kardashian and her mother Kris Jenner enjoyed a day in Paris, France on May 21.
Celebrity Photos: May 2013
Michael Douglas and Matt Damon attended the "Behind The Candelabra" photo call at the Palais Des Festivals in Cannes, France on May 21.
Celebrity Photos: May 2013
Anne Hathaway and a friend were spotted out shopping at Haute Hippie in New York City on May 20.
Celebrity Photos: May 2013
Halle Berry and fiance Olivier Martinez were seen leaving Whole Foods after buying a cart full of groceries in West Hollywood, Calif., on May 20.
Celebrity Photos: May 2013
Marion Cotillard posed on the red carpet for the screening of the film "Blood Ties" at the 66th edition of the Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, France on May 20.
Celebrity Photos: May 2013
Jennifer Lopez looked amazing at the Billboard Music Awards held at The MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nev., on May 19.
Celebrity Photos: May 2013
Miley Cyrus wowed at the Billboard Music Awards held at The MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nev., on May 19.
Celebrity Photos: May 2013
Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis were spotted holding hands in London on May 19.
Celebrity Photos: May 2013
Garrett Hedlund, Justin Timberlake and Carey Mulligan attended the "Inside Llewyn Davis" photocall at the 66th Cannes Film Festival, in Cannes, France on May 19.
Celebrity Photos: May 2013
Camila Alves-McConaughey and Ramshackle Glam's Jordan Reid co-hosted INC's Macy's Fashion Show in Las Vegas, Nev., on May 18.
Celebrity Photos: May 2013
Keith Urban strolled through LAX Airport with his daughter Sunday Rose in Los Angeles, Calif., on May 17.
Celebrity Photos: May 2013
Liv Tyler enjoyed some ice cream at the MAGNUM Cannes Lounge in Cannes, France on May 17.
Celebrity Photos: May 2013
Dianna Agron and a female friend were seen out and about in SoHo, New York City on May 17.
Celebrity Photos: May 2013
Isla Fisher attended the Opening Ceremony and premiere of "The Great Gatsby" during the 66th Annual Cannes Film Festival at Palais des Festivals on May 15 in Cannes, France.
Celebrity Photos: May 2013
Emma Stone stepped out in New York City on May 15 looking adorable as always.
Celebrity Photos: May 2013
Leonardo DiCaprio, Carey Mulligan and Baz Luhrmann posed together at "The Great Gatsby" photocall at the 66th Cannes Film Festival on May 15.
Celebrity Photos: May 2013
A very pregnant Penelope Cruz and her brother Eduardo visited their sister Monica at the hospital after she gave birth to a baby girl on May 14 in Madrid, Spain.
Celebrity Photos: May 2013
Zoe Saldana looked incredible at the "Star Trek Into Darkness" premiere held at The Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, Calif., on May 14.
Celebrity Photos: May 2013
Nicole Kidman arrived at the Martinez Hotel in Cannes, France to attend a photocall of the Jury on the eve of the 66th edition of the Cannes Film Festival on May 14.
Celebrity Photos: May 2013
Katie Holmes was spotted on the set of "Mania Days" in New York City on May 14.
Celebrity Photos: May 2013
Emma Watson arrived on a flight at the Nice Airport on May 14 to attend the upcoming 66th Annual Cannes Film Festival in France.
Celebrity Photos: May 2013
Lea Michele attended the FOX 2013 Programming Presentation Post-Party at Wollman Rink Central Park in New York City on May 13.
Celebrity News: May 2013
Angelina Jolie revealed that <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/14/angelina-jolie-double-mastectomy_n_3271514.html?utm_hp_ref=celebrity" target="_blank">she had a double mastectomy</a> after discovering she carried a cancer gene on May 14.
Celebrity Photos: May 2013
Owl City's Adam Young took a snack break while helping launch the new OREO cookie "Wonderfilled" campaign in NYC on May 14.
Celebrity Photos: May 2013
Alyson Hannigan was spotted leaving the AOL office after visiting The Huffington Post in New York City on May 13.
Celebrity News: May 2013
Angie Everhart <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/13/angie-everhart-cancer-diagnosis_n_3267500.html" target="_blank">confirmed that she's been diagnosed</a> with thyroid cancer.
Celebrity Photos: May 2013
Selma Blair was seen enjoying her Mother's Day with her son, Arthur Bleick at the beach in Malibu, Calif., on May 12.
Celebrity Photos: May 2013
Jennifer Aniston and Justin Theroux took a stroll after shopping at Barney's and dining at Fred's Restraunt in New York City on May 12.
Celebrity Photos: May 2013
Sienna Miller attended the Arqiva British Academy Television Awards at the Royal Festival Hall on May 12 in London.
Celebrity Photos: May 2013
Reese Witherspoon flaunted her legs in short shorts while watching her son's football game in Brentwood, Calif., on May 11.
Celebrity Photos: May 2013
Selena Gomez was spotted spending some time at the pool in Miami, Fla., on May 11.
Celebrity Photos: May 2013
Halle Berry flaunted her baby bump at the 20th Annual EIF Revlon Run/Walk For Women held at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, Calif., on May 11.
Celebrity Photos: May 2013
Liv Tyler took a walk with a male friend around West Village in New York City on May 10.
Celebrity Photos: May 2013
Stephen Amell hosted the F*ck Cancer event on May 9 at Bootsy Bellows in Los Angeles, Calif.
Celebrity Photos: May 2013
Pregnant actress Jenna Dewan headed out of her home in London on May 9.
Celebrity Photos: May 2013
Kerry Washington stopped by "Extra" at The Grove in Los Angeles, Calif., on May 8.
Celebrity Photos: May 2013
Bradley Cooper went incognito as he headed to the set of "American Hustle" on May 8 in Boston.
Celebrity Photos: May 2013
Ryan Reynolds was spotted walking his dog Baxter while sporting the new Fitbit Flex Wireless Activity Wristband in Bedford, NY on May 7.
Celebrity Photos: May 2013
Olivia Wilde was spotted rocking Carrera shades at Carrera Ignition Night in New York City on May 7.
Celebrity Photos: May 2013
Jennifer Lopez and Casper Smart held hands while leaving their hotel in New York City on May 7. Check out J.Lo's tight leather pants!
Celebrity Photos: May 2013
Blake Lively rocked thigh-high boots and a little black dress for a photo shoot in New York CIty on May 7.
Celebrity Photos: May 2013
Jennifer Lawrence and Sarah Jessica Parker share a laugh while attending the "PUNK: Chaos To Couture" Costume Institute Gala at the MET Museum in New York City on May 6.
