Wk 1 – This week on Girls
“But I think that I may be the voice of my generation… Or at least a voice… Of a generation” – Hannah Horvath, Girls
Like most people today I am an avid watcher of anything HBO. If it’s aired on this network, then I’ve most likely seen it – sadly, more than once. I feed off it like Humbert Humbert and his pre-teen Lolita’s, so when Monday strolls around and normal members of society are complaining about yet another working week, I run home giddy because it’s ‘Girls’ time.
I first heard about this show from the idle banter that one hears in the back of a high school classroom (paraphrased for reasons of decency) –
Student 1: That scene was so messed up
Student 2: That’s why I love her
Student 1: Like, I love her, but where does she come up with this stuff?
The ‘she’ in question is twenty-eight year old Lena Dunham, the creator, director and protagonist of Girls, a show which follows four friends in their early 20s as they try to make sense of life. To say that I was hooked from the opening scene is an understatement. Finally, a show on prime-time television that does not shy away from censored topics and furthermore, actually depicts women with accuracy.
What is to be admired about Dunham is the fact that she brings forth an array of truths on screen. Scenes that explore female sexuality are awkward and real – a lot of debate arising from the excessive nudity that the show presents as well as the amount of masturbation and ‘kinky’ sex involved. Additionally, the featured actors are not your typical Hollywood starlets. Tattoo clad, voluptuous and vulgar women like the character of Jessa are welcomed and according to Dunham, “don’t necessarily have to be liked because you know what, girls are annoying, [they] aren’t perfect, so we shouldn’t make them out to be.”
As a media practitioner, Dunham’s efforts are inspiring and courageous. Baring her soul and her body (literally) in what feels like every episode, she tears down the barriers of conventional beauty and though often revealing the ugliness of society, never fails to take viewers by surprise.