I’m going to give Lena Dunham some begrudging credit: in what turned out to be a somewhat boring Emmys, Lena was the most noteworthy person because of her God-awful taste in clothes and because of her active trolling of all of the feminist-centric sites who defend Lena no matter what. Thus, Lena’s awful dress (and awful everything else) was the most important part of the Emmys. I’m including more photos of The Dress, plus some photos of Lena at LAX, flying home to New York where people understand her shtick, I guess.
As many of you know, Lena got a lucrative ($3.5 million) publishing deal a while back and her first memoir is coming out September 30th. New Yorker and People Mag (and other outlets) got some excerpts from the memoir and I just… ugh. The book is called Not That Kind of Girl: A Young Woman Tells You What She’s ‘Learned’. You can read the excerpt here at the New Yorker. The excerpt is all about how Lena struggled – at the age of 8 – with overwhelming fears of pretty much everything. She was an 8-year-old germophobe/hypochondriac and she went into therapy for what became a diagnosis of OCD. It’s basically a (non-romantic) love letter to her therapist.
Do you mind if I don’t analyze the excerpt? Because Lena exhausts me. I’m sure there are noteworthy things to say about Lena and her book excerpt but I’m not the one to say them. Gawker unpacked the whole Lena issue here, if you care to read. Here’s my question: why is Lena this hot-button issue? Why do people feel like they have to love or hate her? Can’t most of us be indifferent to her?
Photos courtesy of Fame/Flynet.
I saw Girls and I just thought it was a bunch of rich kids whining. I know problems are subjective but it seemed just gratuitous. Also I’m on board the indifference train, whoo whoo. Chug chug.
She barely registers unless Jezebel starts a rant about how amazing and wonderful she is and if you don’t like her you’re part of the “patriarchy-misogynistic-slut-shame-rape-culture” just for not liking the show. Then I remember, “Oh, she’s supposed to be polarizing, right.”
It’s also that she’s being touted as this ‘voice of her generation’ but the show really isn’t very good nor is it particularly widely watched.
Cosign with both comments.
I should also add, I made it to about halfway through Season 2 before I completely gave up. The show was fine (but not revelatory) in Season 1, but somewhere along the way it went from pointedly making fun of those obnoxious characters to taking them seriously. And Adam Driver is just the worst. I can’t believe how much I hate both the actor and his character.
I have a problem with that, exactly: she is not a voice of my generation-she is a voice of my generation imagined by others. I am not whiny, I am not unemployed bc I’m lazy and want everything to just fall from the sky for me, I’m not superficial and I got a real education, I didn’t just go to fancy college so I could say I went there. She is out of touch spoiled brat. There are many of those of all ages and they don’t make the majority of our generation.
The majority of my generation completed their education they worked their asses of for, and now they are unemployed in recession riddled world, trying to figure out how to start a family and build their life without a steady job. They are bitter and worried, they don’t have time to watch “Girls” and they don’t have money for therapist.
Geeky Chick — all of that. I skip lunches just so I *can* go to the therapist to deal with some serious trauma because LOLinsurance. I don’t even know if I can have kids nor want to, I’m swimming in student loan debt and work 50 hrs a week. My hobby is sewing and I only took it up because it brought in extra money from fellow cosplayers. Seriously if I had their life, I think my complaints would be minimal.
Geekychick
Yes!
I live near an ivy school that is loaded with hipsters. They play poor and use typewriters for the sake of irony. They are still vulnerable to issues and problems, but what i’ve seen makes me think they make their own out of boredom and entitlement.
My husband saw Girls while traveling for work. When he came home he asked me if the show was about how hard guys have it living with crazy girls who don’t actually know how good they have it. I laughed.
Side thought. Is this Lena excusing herself from trolling us because she has OCD and other issues? I can’t help, but think we’re being expertly played here.
Ugh, Jezebel. Talk about dog-whistle feminism – I read it daily until about 2012 when it just became unbearable. (Oh, and I just remembered the whole debacle with them paying Vogue for the unedited photos of Lena’s shoot. Ick.)
THAT made me physically ill. I don’t know what they were trying to prove by getting the unedited shots and most of the major changes were lighting and scenery things which most magazines do anyway.
I hate Jezebel. I used to occasionally read it and ones I left a comment and I was branded as misogynist because my comment had the word “lady” in it. Obviously it has some misogynistic suggestions and shouldn’t be used anymore. Moreover, they all started to write the words they are not happy with and they wrote every word that can be used to refer to women in English language, “woman” included. I just can’t with that site.
@maybeiamcrazy – what they want instead? “Womyn”? I’ve seen that. Because of the military I say “females” and I also got yelled at for that there.
@maybeiamcrazy – Jezebel commenters can be nasty! I’ve heard similar stories of people getting dogpiled in the comments over there, and it’s just so tiring. Feminism should be inclusive; it’s not a members-only club. If someone says something you disagree with, you should seek to educate and -not- deride them. (Because obviously what you said crossed a LINE… uh, yeah, no.)
And yes, it’s just a blog, but how disappointing that a prominent “feminist” website like that is so mean-spirited. It was a relief to come here and find out I wasn’t the one completely over it.
At this point I feel like they should just change their name to “Ugh, Jezebel”. They lost me when they published an article about how The Walking Dead was sexualizing an attempted rape. And then it doesn’t help that Gawker Media in general fills their sites with a bunch of really poorly written, My First Journalism Job type articles. The quality is just so low.
I’m glad now that I’ve never made a comment on that site
@maybeimcrazy
THIS SO MUCH. I get so mad when people associate feminism with crazy, bitter men-loathing women who see misogyny in every act known to humanity, but then I go to sites like that and I’m just like… sigh. Where did things go wrong.
I like her a lot and I actually think she’s very smart and talented. She’s not everyone’s cup of tea but I find Girls quite good and I’m looking forward to her book and I love that she discusses feminism and feminists. I think she’s great!
I like her too, love the show and think she is talented.
Obviously you are a huge fan.
That was in response to a troll. But while I’m here, I can’t wait for TheOGKitten to finally watch Girls.
That is all.
I saw that troll post briefly. I actually lol-ed at my desk to the point my cube mate asked me what was wrong.
If I ever decide to watch Girls it will be with a special stoner friend of mine who is HILARIOUS. We will mock, and smoke, and then mock some more.
Any time you CBs wanna have a big stoned/drunken hate watchin’ Girls party, I’m in. But I’m not going to actually watch it. Cuz I did once and.never.again.
em-hmm. Who’s bananas now? Too much moob action yesterday, it has you all spun around.
Oh shit, I should have saved that link. That was fantastic.
I watched one episode of Girls and disliked it. Never again. And I’m not interested in Lena’s book. I was offended by that dress she wore, that was just too much attention seeking for me. If she’s this big talent, why the juvenile “look at me” stunt? Clearly, I don’t get it.
No i can’t be indifferent.
She just drives me up the wall. Her show is sloppy, unoriginal and sad.
A few good actors, but she is not one of them.
Never seen it. Everything I know about her is via Gossip. And great googah moogah! I keep thinking I’d get to a stage of impassiveness regarding The Dress but it’s getting worse.
Bang on. I have a feeling that with some of the criticism she gets, there is an underlying current of “but but but she’s a woman who doesn’t fit all these 25000 boxes that previously successful woman in Hollywood have fitted into! How dare she!”
Looks like the comment I was originally replying to got deleted.
Conversely, I feel that’s where a lot of the praise that she gets comes from: “But she’s not your typical Hollywood actress! She has a normal body! You should love her so we see more people like that on TV!” While I applaud her guts in putting her own body out there and I think its awesome to see all shapes and sizes represented on TV (including nude) that alone doesn’t make it a well-written, well-acted show. There’s no way she’d have her own show if she wasn’t family friends with Apatow.
@Bridget – Bang on. The comment I originally replied to said something similar to your point. While I’m not personally not at all a fan of “Girls”, I’m thrilled that Lena Dunham is in the position that she’s in (ie show runner/director/writer) at such a young age (albeit connections most likely helped). I just want to see MORE women in that position.
That’s how I feel too Kali. I’m happy to see women writing, directing and producing more, but I watched the first season of her show and wanted to put my head through a wall. It’s just not for me, I have little patience for that sort of character and lifestyle.
Mindy Kaling is another who generally doesn’t fit the typical Hollywood actress mould, and is in charge of her own career, but she doesn’t seem to bring out the same criticism from people that Lena does.
I’m relatively indifferent to her – respect some things about her, get annoyed by others – but what really gets to me is the people who defend her blindly. Even Lainey, who yesterday was gushing about Lena’s Emmy’s outfit. It made no sense to me – that outfit and that hair and that makeup with it were just awful – but reading your post today it now makes at least a little sense. I agree with Tom and Lorenzo – I’m fine with her wearing that skirt (heck, I’m a 40 year old mom and I’d have a hard time saying no to that skirt) but she’s got to find the right top and the right hairdo to go with it.
PS This top also makes the point for me that people with tattoos need to consider how the clothes they’re wearing work with their tattoos. I’m not a big fan of most tattoos (unless you do a full sleeve, which I kinda love) but with the right clothes they can be cool. Her tat, with this shirt, is awful. Even my beloved Angelina has the same problem sometimes. On the other hand, Lena’s tattoos worked beautifully with her dress at the Emmys Monday night (although I thought Lena was the most strikingly beautiful person there Monday night so maybe I’m biased).
Lainey has pretty famously bad taste in fashion.
Thank you so much for saying that. LOL! For years, Lainey kinda made me feel fashion deficient because I cock my head to the side like a dog and squint any time she gushes about an outfit, like “Really!? I must have super bad taste.” Now I know, it’s not me!
Yep, Lainey’s fashion sense is pretty horrific.
I like her take on a lot of gossip stuff including the fact that she’s one of the few people who discusses race and gender in Hollywood (though I know that several people who comment here really like to voice their dislike). But good lord, the style stuff just kills me. I mean, can’t we occasionally just enjoy a pretty dress?
You know, you’re right. I often disagree with her fashion taste and thought it was me. So thanks! The gofugyourself girls are the ones I trust – I may not always agree with them but I think they’re awesome (and their comments are very “of my generation,” which I appreciate!)
Yeah I never agree at all with who Lainey says is badly dressed. I am still thinking she was high or something to say Lena was okay. She looked like a deranged clown.
You should see what she wears on the two tv shows that she is a contributor on… The Social and E-Talk… yikes… she is a terrible dresser….. she has no room to comment on style or fashion….
yawn.
i’ve never seen her show, and don’t plan to, but she looks like just another try-hard wanna be-bada$$ hipster with poor personal hygiene.
Pretty much sums up how I feel about her. I usually just click on the stories to read the comment section 😉
feel the same!! and i hate the faces she makes on red carpets !! trying to be sexy or something!!
I have never understood women who deliberately make themselves look ugly in order to make some kind of statement. And it has nothing to do with height or weight. As certain ladies have proved – you can look absolutely stunning at any height and weight (and talk about feminism and all that as well)
Exactly. Christina Hendricks has always been a bit chubby but always looks amazing.
OK I took one for the team and read the excerpt….
I am now off to stick my head in a basin of bleach
OCD and whatever other things she claims to have aside, she is insufferable as is that book and her parents apparently.
You are the bravest little toaster of the morning.
I will admit, I did laugh a LOT…but I doubt that is her intention.
It’s so hipster and pretentious…I honestly can’t deal.
10 year old Lena drawing free form nudes in “gouache”, writing Dawsons Creek level poetry to her therapist and diagnosing herself with OCD after she read a magazine article about a woman who licked paintings in museums.
OK, I’m off again
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHA
SELF DIAGNOSED OCD
I don’t think there’s an emoji for the face I just made. Half anger with a dash of disgust, a pinch of “I can’t”, a tablespoon of “I refuse”, and a half a cup of “I won’t”.
Her therapists sound as bad as she is
Lindy that sounds awful.
Honestly, I know this isn’t a popular opinion on this site, but while there are a few things about her I find annoying, I do like that she really just doesn’t seem to care at all. It is refreshing to see someone who doesn’t look like the “normal” star, and she does have talent. People who claim she doesn’t have talent are feeding off of their dislike of her.
I don’t absolutely adore her, but I do like her.
But I think that’s the problem…she DOES care. Too much.
Does not care or seems not to care? To me she seems to care a whole lot and tries to pretend she doesn’t. I’m over her alternative hipster shtick. Actually could never muster up enough enthusiasm
I loved that pink skirt but not on her. She’s too short and boxy. She and Kim K should make a fashion baby. That would be some interesting couture.
As I mentioned, I don’t “get” her but she obviously cares way too much. As far as her being the poster child for other figures, what about Mindy Kaling or Melissa McCarthy, they’re both talented comediennes and somehow they manage despite being larger than size zero. I don’t think supporting alternative female forms is enough of a reason to advocate for a show or a person. I’m not wishing her ill, she has her fans and a successful show, more power to her but please never wear that dress again.
while I for most part like Girls (and Lena), I don’t understand why is she writing a memoir a) so young and b) about things that were already seen on the show? I mean, I see there are 3.5 mil reasons, but come on, you have to be a really good writer to sell that in copy after 2 seasons of basically the same story.
I agree – I thought her show was already about her life? or maybe I was just convinced how annoying that character was? I watch the show, to feel good about myself having it somewhat together at 32, HAHAHA, like when I used to watch teen mom. It was a lifter upper for sure, as in “at least I’m not f***** up!”
I wish she hadn’t made Hannah OCD because it was so random and kind of screwed up the character for awhile.
I used to LOATHE her, something about her just irked me, but one of my professors made us watch an episode of Girls in class, and since then I’ve been hooked. My boyfriend loves it too, we’re rewatching season 3 right now. I will begrudgingly admit that I do find the show relatable.
She just seems like another one of those annoying try hards who uses feminism or ’empowerment’ as a shield when she’s caught doing something stupid or problematic. She’s also one of those people who have swarms of people aching to defend her no matter what kind of crap she does.
Agreed. I’m indifferent to her, but she comes across as one of those “I’m not like *those* girls” people who thinks she’s special because she’s not a traditionally popular peppy cheerleader types, like a try-hard wanna-be Daria.
If you’re near her age, maybe you love or hate her based on how much relate or don’t to her lifestyle (on the show). If you’re much older, a similar thing–scandalized or bemused. There’s a segment in the middle who have grown out of that lifestyle but aren’t far enough away to have any nostalgia for it–that’s where I’d imagine you’ll find indifference. Sample size of one here…
I’m older, I was not scandalized or bemused. I found it unfunny and cringeworthy. I’m sure that dates me but humor is subjective and she wasn’t funny or insightful to me.
What feminist sites does she troll? Do you mean in comment sections? Is there evidence that it’s her posting, rather than someone posing as her? Just curious…
I’m younger than she is, and find her insufferable. Like, I’m glad that her voice is being heard, but is it on me that I don’t want to hear what a narcissistic, neurotic, whiny contemporary of mine has to say? No f–king thank you. This site has her pegged perfectly as a culture troll.
That said, a good number of my friends really enjoy her show and say they can relate to it, so… different strokes, I guess. And she looks like Andy Warhol in that white outfit.
Why does she pose with her mouth hanging open like that? #fail
I don’t give a crap about her.
I never watched her show, so I do not even get all the attention she has.
All I know about her is through the interviews and her public appearences: she does not strike me as someone particulary smart or original. I even find all this ” LOOK HOW DIFFERENT I AM I HAVE ISSUES BECAUSE I AM DIFFERENT” very boring.
I have no idea who she is, but she looks like Brittney Spears in the first picture.
I still can’t believe that there were people in the publishing industry who thought that a $3.5 million advance to a first-time author was a good business decision.
Am I the only one who likes Girls and her on here? I have loved the show from day one. I also like that she is naked in a lot of it, it is refreshing to not see a stick figure, anorexic girl on tv who is 20 something for once. I find I can identify with the show and that that was my 20’s in university/grad school (not in NYC or anywhere posh), but still. Her problems she discusses that the girls are having were totally some of my problems in my 20’s. I’m not loaded, just middle class. I also used to be anorexic in high school and never thought I’d see someone who is an average American girl’s weight on tv (Lena I believe represents a lot of women in the US bodywise). Why do people hate on her so much? I think she dresses horribly to show us that clothes don’t matter as much as we want to think they do. That is my best guess.
I like it. Parts are really funny. She is a good interview on both Howard Stern and Marc Maron’s podcast. Not sure why so many dislike her or think she is deliberately trolling with how she dresses – maybe she just doesn’t have good style and likes what she likes.
Marc Maron was a jerk to me once and I have had such a hard time getting over it.
I like Girls quite a bit. I see what she did there, you know?
I tried to watch her show. It bored me. Just a bunch of whiners going through their ” post adolescent idealistic phase” (Cher rules!). I don’t understand the draw she must be related to somebody important in the industry because I just don’t get it.
I relate to it and some of it screams my 20’s. Am I the only one (I am 33 now)?
It was Dionne, not Cher who said that.
The thing about Dunham’s writing is that it’s really really good and funny and edgy up until the moment she starts talking about herself. I think this is one of the biggest mistakes a writer can make. She has a lucrative position writing and directing a hit show, why blow it by making it about “her” fame? Stick to the writing, that’s what I say.
I don’t get why people get so annoyed that she won’t ‘dress pretty’. Like she’s doing it on purpose. As if Hollywood isn’t already full of people dressing ‘on purpose’. She can wear what she wants, have any hair-cut she wants, have any shtick she wants regardless of whether other people approve or not.
The more people get angry about how she looks, the more I like her and I’ve not even seen any Girls (just the SNL skit with Tina Fey). Why would you people do that to me?!
I admit, I have a soft spot for Lena because I think she looks a little like me. Dumpy and gormless. If she can have success in Hollywood, then perhaps I can to? (That’s how it works, right?!!)
She is doing it “on purpose”, obviously.
Yeah that’s my point – so what if she’s doing it “on purpose”
I was listening to one of Brene Brown’s (awesome) TED talks yesterday and she said that the top four socially conditioned expectations for women are:
-nice
-modest
-thin
-uses all available resources to improve appearance
I had never thought about it, but I think that last one is why Lena Dunham is so controversial. She has access and money to look “prettier” and she very intentionally has decided not to use it. It flouts social convention. Do men who purposely choose not to improve their appearance drive us quite this crazy? What about someone like Zach Galifanakis and his slovenly beard? Will Ferrell getting naked on film with slight paunch? Even Chris Pratt before his thinification? This does not carry nearly as heavy a social penalty for men.
Oooh – I’m gonna search that talk out, thank you!
But absolutely – I know this is a gossip site and we’re all here to boo our unfavorites and cheer on our favorites and all, but sometimes the words people use bug me. People get furious she’s being ‘ugly’ on purpose. It’s a no-win situation anyway.
Natural ‘beauty’ is applauded, but the moment people find out that they might work hard at appearing naturally ‘beautiful’ they get dumped on for being try-hard. They get dumped on when they ‘go Hollywood’, they get dumped on for not ‘going Hollywood’, they get dumped on from EVERYWHERE!
Lena does end up being this political figure every time her appearance brings out the overbearing mother in us (“Are you going out dressed like that?” “If you just wore a nice dress then boys would like you more,” etc…)
So I tried to read some of her “memoirs”, what I got out of that is that 1) if she is serious about having that many concerns and fears at eight she also had a college level vocabulary and comprehension. So I’m kinda doubting some of what she said happened at eight or nine. More like high school. 2) her parents sound a bit mental as Well. Wonder how many of her problems were the result of her parents’ behavior. She says they both had counselors. Idk I don’t really like her, and I got a pretentious new York Hipster child from that. If she’s being truthful about any of it I feel for her. But it seriously sounds exaggerated and self indulgent.
I’ve had severe OCD and anxiety since I was very young – I can remember having very adult worries at five years old. I was definitely afraid of things I had no business knowing about, but my parents have admitted they treated me like a mini-adult. This may be the case for Lena as well. I’m skeptical to say anyone is “making things up” when it comes to mental illness.
I caught her movie that she made a while back, has anyone seen it? It’s called Tiny Furniture, I really liked it. I don’t get HBO so I don’t watch. Plus, I’m not her demographic at all, too old, Hispanic.
I saw it on Netflix and liked it, too. This was before she and Girls became a thing and now I’m not sure if I’d still like it. I’m one of the ones she grates on now.
I have never seen her show, but I thought she killed it on SNL. I like that she doesn’t give a crap about fashion — very Bjork-ish of her. That said, I don’t think I want to read a memoir of her childhood. I’m sure it’s full of first world problems that I’m very unsympathetic to.
I might be having a monty python four yorkshiremen moment but if my life was like hers or like an episode of girls it would be a Luxury! How can someone be almost so vapid be the voice of my generation?
Yeah, sure. Adopt Middleton eyeliner. That’s the ticket!
(Yes, I’m still on this. Rocking away on my hobby-horse…)
And making me cackle.
There isn’t anything about her that I find even remotely interesting. I usually just skip past stories about her. I’m puzzled about the book. How many people really want to read about some random actress who has OCD and has been through therapy? This story can be told by millions of other people, and probably in a more interesting way. Blah.
It just kinda sucks that everyone hates her because she’s privileged. Most dudes in the industry are from very privileged families and get jobs through nepotism.
If you don’t like her writing (it’s very specific to her generation) and don’t find her show funny (I find it occasionally hilarious), that’s fine. But everyone’s problem seems to be “she’s so unapologetically privileged,” well what is she supposed to do about that? It’s not like she’s constantly trying to paint herself in a positive light.
She’s baring her body which I deem a huge sacrifice seeing as how she doesn’t have the Hollywood body, it’s closer to what average people look like. And I’m thankful for that. And she’s not afraid to be depicted as a selfish asshole (which we all are sometimes) on her show.
As well as the fact that she writes, directs and stars in her own show, which is no easy task and at least proves to some industry folk that women can do it and successfully so.
“Huge sacrifice”, I’m sorry to be the one to break this to you but she is an exhibitionist and loves attention. Strutting around naked on HBO is a pleasure for her, I have no doubt. I am not bothered by her “privilege” and good on her for her success, even if nepotism is involved, but I do find her over-rated and unfunny.
I cannot stand her. From the jump, I was like “get her OUT of my face”. Her game was to exploit the fact that she isn’t H’wood perfect, and therefore she is Our Champion. She is not mine. I watched 2 episodes of “Girls” and thought it was simply awful. I am so bored with her playing the anti-tryhard-she has gone so far she’s looped back around to being more try hard than Robin Thicke sniffing after Paula. Tiresome and so desperate for attention. Grow up, Lena. you aren’t the gifted 7th-grader at the day school anymore.
Young girl? Isn’t she getting on for 30,