I am a total nerd for the show GIRLS. I have commitment issues when it comes to television shows and I rarely start watching a new one. It takes a lot for me to watch a TV show every week (I don’t own a DVR) but I made time in my schedule for this. I rewatched half of the first season with my 60-year old cousin last Saturday with gelato from Screme. (Technically she’s my second cousin, once removed, but that’s neither here nor there.) She couldn’t relate to it, obviously, but she commented on how different times are now than they were when she was dating, and also about how real she thinks the show is.
I remember the first time I heard the name Lena Dunham. I had no idea who she was. I read some of the vitriol written on Gawker about the first episode (that spawned mostly due to the fact that Lena and her co-stars were privileged, and who were they to actually take advantage of that privilege?!) and I knew I had to watch it.
I did, and I loved it. I was obsessed.
I thought it was full of witty one-liners and there were situations and characters that I could relate to – at least partially. I‘m semi-self obsessed (at times) and have a rough time getting over break-ups (like Marny). I have a vulgar mouth and sharp tongue (like Jessa). And I often think everyone is out to get me and I take advice from anyone who will dispense it (like Hannah). My favorite episode was, by far, the Crackcident (where the still above is taken from).
Yes, you can hate Hannah because she was 24-ish and her parents had to cut her off. Shoshana goes to NYU and doesn’t seem to worry about the student debt she’s incurring so we can assume her parents are footing the bill. You can moan and complain about the privilege that’s displayed in GIRLS, but it’s no worse than the privilege displayed on other channels. I’d echo my cousin’s sentiment that GIRLS is the most real show on TV. It’s certainly more real than anything that’s ever been on the CW network.
Maybe it’s only relatable to girls. Maybe it’s only relatable to girls in New York City. Whatever the case, as a girl in her [admittedly] mid-twenties, I still relate to much of what they go through (probably because I spent my early twenties in NYC too). You know you’ve totally dated a guy who’s slightly asperger-y but even though you can see that there are issues, you still want it to be more than casual (example: the last guy I dated). You’ve probably been hit on by the husband of a family you’ve babysat for in the past (not me, personally, but I’m assuming it happens more often than it should). You’ve totally smoked crack and then freaked out because you “matriculate at NYU.” (Again, not personally, but I feel like I would react the same way if I happened to smoke pot that turned out to actually be crack.)
I’m obsessed with GIRLS because it’s a show about a time in your life when you’re trying to get your shit together. You’re out of college, but don’t exactly know what you’re going to do with your life yet. Even though I’m four years out of college, I still feel that way sometimes and I don’t think that’s unique to me. It’s an aspect of this generation that was sometimes privileged and then thrown into a job market when the economy was in deep shit.
And really, stop hating on Hannah. Would you refuse support from your parents to follow your dreams if they offered it? Some wouldn’t, but I think a majority would (I would).
Do you love it? Hate it? I’d love to hear what you think.
That Girl Allison 