Yesterday, Dustin Rowles at Pajiba had a great piece about the hatred/disgust of Lena Dunham and Girls – go here to read it. Considering that I’ve only watched a few episodes of the first season of Girls, I’m not qualified to bash Lena (at least according to Dustin). While I didn’t care for the episodes that I saw – I thought it was too insider-y, too “whiny over-privileged hipsters complaining about everything”, too… small. But I still don’t really get the enormous backlash unleashed against Lena and the show, except maybe that people should stop treating the show like it’s the future of comedy or that it’s the new big thing. It’s just a small TV show that doesn’t say much about anything.
One of the really unfortunate parts of the show’s success and the even bigger backlash to that success is that Lena Dunham has been overanalyzed and criticized to a ridiculous degree. She’s naked in the show a lot, and her body isn’t perfect, which she freely acknowledges. And? Why do people throw around the “fat” criticism so often with her, like they can’t believe HBO has the audacity to let a non-model-thin woman star in a TV show? Anyway, Howard Stern dropped an f-bomb (the “f” being “fat”) the other day, which didn’t surprise me in the least. What did surprise me? Howard kind of apologized for saying it and he praised Lena and said he was obsessed with her, and she called into his show. Now they’re BFFs or something.
Typically brash Howard Stern surprised both fans and critics alike by issuing a public apology to Lena Dunham on his radio show Monday, Jan. 14, so the Girls creator did what any gracious Hollywood starlet would do: She called in.
The 26-year-old director/actress/writer dropped a line during Stern’s SiriusXM Radio show Wednesday, Jan. 16, to reassure Stern that his comments were water under the bridge — and call him out on one comment in particular.
“I don’t even know where to begin with all of this,” an apologetic Stern began. “The reason I felt so awful was because when Perez Hilton wrote his article, he told half the story. …I started to compare you to Woody Allen … the whole thing came together for me.”
The shock jock, 59, continued with a declaration: “I realize: Not only am I addicted, but I totally get you… I’m in love with you and your character… I guess I just wanted to tell you I love you and I think you’re terrific.”
On Monday, Jan. 7, Stern caused an angry buzz online after he slammed both Dunham and her hit HBO show Girls.
“It’s a little fat girl who kinda looks like Jonah Hill and she keeps taking her clothes off and it kind of feels like rape. She seems — it’s like — I don’t want to see that,” he scoffed at the time.
Dunham admitted Wednesday that she first learned of his cruel comments after castmate Jemima Kirke, who is a huge fan of Stern’s show, tipped her off that the radio host was comparing her to the Superbad actor.
“I thought that was a good line, actually,” Stern chuckled, trying to make light of the situation.
Dunham responded gamely, but made sure to still get her point across.But Stern wouldn’t take back his weight comments. “It’s not about apologizing, although I want to say I’m a fan of yours,”
“I’m not that fat, Howard,” she said. “I don’t mean to take major issue with you about this. I’m not super thin, but I’m thin for, like, Detroit.”
Stern agreed, explaining that he just meant that she often played up the “fat angle” on the show.
“You’re not obese or anything,” he allowed.
“Thank you. Another thing for my gravestone,” Dunham laughed, referring to comments she made on the Late Show last Thursday, Jan. 10. “Howard Stern says, ‘You’re not obese or anything.'”
That was a decent line from Lena – “I’m not super thin, but I’m thin for, like, Detroit.” Detroit people will probably be mad about that, though. When I think of overweight cities, Chicago and Philadelphia come to mind (all of those pizzas and cheese steaks) so we all over-generalize. But seriously, can you believe that Howard backtracked like this? And that he’s actually a big fan? Ugh. Anyway. I wish people would stop nitpicking this woman so much. You don’t have to love her or anything, but I don’t understand why so many people are obsessed with talking about her…?
Photos courtesy of WENN.
People get obsessed with things way too much either in favor or opposed.
I don’t understand why Lena, or any other show/person despite what it’s dubbed, makes anyone spend hours analyzing and examining something they intensely dislike. You’re just feeding the beast so to speak.
I’ve never seen the show, just no interest, but if the most people walk away from it after seeing her is simply “She’s fat, how dare she.” then they’re un-evolved morons.
The writing on the show is good. I’m much happier chatting about Lena who at least is working and working and working to make it than Kim Kardashian! Kim’s work requires…windex. 😉
Well, I do like Girls. It’s like a flashback to my 20s. But while I’m proud to see a chick rocking the boy’s club, her general attitude of self importance grates me.
I love Howard. He is very intelligent and has a great voice for radio. I used to love waking up at six to him. He is extremely smart and his morning take on politics, news and/or celebrity gossip was good. I bailed out later in the show when the porn stars would come on around nine o’clock. Plus, I loved his absolute love for his parents but their dysfunctionality and the parent/adult child relationship. Any adult child could relate to him and loved when his parents would come on and razz him.
He was on NBC before for a morning interview, and Kathy Lee came over to him to say hi. He used to diss her when she was on Regis & Kathy Lee. She came by to say hi. He said later it surprised him because he knew he used to diss her a lot back in the day. He couldn’t remember why, thought it was because he was sick of how she was always painting her perfect life with hubby and Cody and Cassidy.
He was so impressed that she was gracious enough to stop by and say hi and that really he is the one that should have gone over to her to say hi except he’s a coward. So he got her number from someone and called her and they had a really long talk about their lives.
Howard has softened up quite a bit the past few years. He’s no longer the shock-jock he once was. Maybe because he’s gotten older and has three, grown daughters of his own. I listen to his show and he’s a complete, neurotic mess. I’m not surprised he apologized.
I don’t get the Lena love, but Stern shouldn’t have called her fat. I’m a huge Stern fan, but he does have an unhealthy obsession with skinniness – both for himself and others.
I agree with you Stern has unhealthy obsession with women’s weight. I like “Girls” it takes me back to my 20’s when I lived in an apartment with three other girls in Brooklyn and we all had 2 to 3 jobs ,so we could pay the rent. Also,we were obsessed with 4 guys who lived in the apartment above us. @Kaiser I live in Chicago now, I take offense that you consider one of the fat cities as Chicago. Come during the summer and hang out at Oak Street Beach you will see some great bodies there.
Kaiser, I say, “Think of New Orleans when you think of a fat city–heck we even call it ‘Fat City'”! LOL…BTW, I grew-up there, so I can vouch for it!
Try Wisconsin! The women in general are huge – tall and big – hearty types! All that dairy farming and ice fishing!
I agree.
I get kind of angry with how nudity is portrayed in US pop culture. When men are naked, it is usually someone flabby like Will Ferrell making a joke about how un-perfect his body is. Natural, normal men are seen naked in tv and movies. If the naked female form is shown, she is expected to be incredibly thin with either small and perky or large and fake breasts, airbrushed with make-up from head to toe.
One of the things I liked about the Swedish film version of Girl with the Dragon Tattoo film was that they showed NORMAL female nudity. I think the US could use the dose of reality that Girls is giving us nudity-wise.
I like Girls. I like Lena for the most part. It became very cool to act as if she is annoying…and sometimes she actually is. People are talking about her because she isn’t obese (like Gabby/Precious or Melissa McCarthy, etc.) so that public “rooting” for her isn’t as strong. She is average sized. A LOT of girls are around her weight range and sure she could take three months and workout and lose 20lbs and then what? She is who she is. Young. Rich for no reason. Successful. Not super attractive. Talks about herself a lot. And “chubby” by Hollywood standards.
What’s interesting is for someone with so-called no talent and a uninteresting and un-relateable show…people are talking. She started a conversation among the media and public. That’s something.
I’ve never watched the show, but I remember that it got quite a positive buzz after it debuted. I thought the timing of his apology was interesting, coming right after the Golden Globes where she won the awards. What he said initially and what he said in his apology were so different, I’d love to know his thought process in getting to his ultimate opinion.
i hate that show. it came on after game of thrones and we would immediately turn it off.
I love Game of Thrones.
But in the second season the amount of times we saw naked women with fully clothed guys was ridiculous. Just watch it and count.
Girls is fairer in that way.
Game of Thrones is my guilty pleasure, but the sexposition gets a bit ridiculous after a while.
Seriously. How often did people just happen to be advised about XYZ whilst shagging someone?
Sexposition in Season 2 actually improved a lot, or should I say it was lessened, compared to Season 1.
Whatever happens Littlefinger’s brothel scene with Ros and the other whore still takes the cake. You can’t hear LF’s backstory (which was actually very very important to the story!!!) amidst the moaning and screaming.
well…. she is fat. so what?!
She IS fat, and an annoying trust fund girl trying to be an actress. The shows sucks don’t think she can act. I’m good with a fat, ordinary looking girl being on t.v. just not her. Maybe someone who has talent or humor.
+1
+2
She’s almost certainly overweight “by the doctors charts”. But whether she’s unhealthily “fat” at this weight all depends on how she aquired the weight. If she’s eating a normal, healthy caloric intake then she’s probably the weight she’s supposed to be, but if she has an unhealthy emotional eating relationship with food that is a different matter. Just like there are naturally skinny and unhealthy skinny people there are also naturally and unhealthy more voluptuous types.
she is NOT fat!
I wouldn’t say she’s fat, but generally speaking black people and to some extent Latinos have different ideas of what being fat is. I would say she is just “chunky” or “thick.” But Howard Stern shouldn’t talk about anyone’s looks, because he is ugly as hell.
Howard stern seems very honest to me. He knows he’s ugly. He says so himself. He calls himself ugly with a small penis and he isn’t looking for anyone to tell him he isn’t ugly or that his manhood is fine. Lena is chubby. She isn’t thin, she isn’t highly overweight. She is chubby. I think her Detroit comment is kind of racist…. Jmo.
Racist? She might be another east coast elitist who thinks all those in the middle of the country are fat, angry, gay hating, scum, BUT there is nothing racist in that comment. It was said on the fly she didn’t think oh I think the black people of detroit are way fatter than me. Give me a break.
@Kcarp Detriot is known for being a large black city. So she was basically saying I’m not fat compared to the black females in Detriot. I don’t know if I would call her racist but without a doubt she’s ignorant.
@pop the detroit comment was generic and unspecific so I don’t know how you can deem it racist? Being racist is when a person feels superior to others based on a race alone. In no way does she do that. Pet peeve of mine when people throw that term around
I agree. She’s a little on the chunky side, but she’s like maybe 15 lbs from being thin, so… She’s got a few extra pounds on her, but she’s not fat. She’s really not, I watch the show.
I guess ignorant is the correct phrase, but Detroit is known by many as having a lot of ethnic diversity. To me she was basically like ‘I’m thinner than black or latina girls.’
Maybe i took it as racist because she point blank said she had no friends of any color but white and can’t relate to precious. He attitude just makes me think she things she superior.
@ Jess: I agree that she’s not fat, but I’m pretty sure she’s more than 15 pounds from being thin, and if she is then her frame doesn’t carry weight well.
By what standard do you make your judgment? A size 6 woman on television appears larger than all the zeros or twos (and tiny little actor men who are 8th grade boy-sized) but a woman of 125-135 lbs is unlikely to score overweight by any health standards.
Her Detroit comparison is a bit snarky but she is probably correct that she is a good deal smaller than average (American average being a size 14). Perception, people… they are selling it (that a size 6 is FAT) and you are buying it.
Lena Dunham just isn’t a size 6. She IS NOT. And that’s okay. She is probably around a size 12-14. And THAT is ALSO okay. Our idea of what a size 14 or ‘fat’ or ‘thin’ or ‘chubby’ or ‘average’ looks like is SO distorted we will not believe our own eyes when faced with it.
SN: My 5’10, size 6, over 60, middle-class black mother, every time she sees a commercial for “Girls” says “Ooooh! This looks like a good movie!” I find her interest in a show so “not for her” and her inability to understand that it is a TV show absolutely hilarious.
I’m a size 8 and I have to agree that there is no way that Lena Dunham is a size 6, unless she is *VERY* short. And I agree with Ambrosia Jones, she looks like she probably is a 12 or 14.
I’m not a fan but she certainly isn’t fat. She’s quite normal looking. But it shows how skewed fashion/hw is weight-wise that she gets called fat.
Lena is VERY annoying in my opinion. Her GG speech solidified that for me. I think Girls is one of those shows you have to be able to relate to in order to enjoy it. I just don’t get the obsession over this woman or her show.
Her nudity on the show, is probably the most productive part of it!
She and her show are over hyped. I actually watched Girls on a marathon and it kinda grew on me, I think I had wrong expectations, thinking it was like you said, the future of comedy, it certainly isnt. However I hate ”Lena, I’m so gauche” thing, like she walking in those stupid heels on the GG. Lena, like KStew have money and access to the best and need to develop a style of their own, if they feel so terribly uncomfortable in heels and glam!
Howard Stern has no room to be criticizing anybody for their weight or looks or anything. he is one of the ugliest people I’ve ever seen in my life. I normally try not to judge people for their looks, but when you’re putting down somebody for their looks, you’ve got some nerve when you’re butt ugly yourself. She might be “fat” for Hollywood standards, but Hollywood standards for women are five feet tall and max 110 pounds. if you take a look around america, that is not the norm. I am 5 feet 6 and a size ten. that’s fat by hollywood standards but i have no problems finding a man. i hate men like howard, who are butt ugly and/or fat but have the nerve to criticize a woman for being less than perfect. f*ck off howard. and that was NOT an apology, he stated she is not obese. he did not say she isn’t fat.
I’ve realized for a long time now that the people who judge others the most on their bodies are the ugly/fat people.
Attractive people know they’re attractive and I’ve never heard any of them be like “ewwww she’s so ugly!!” because that would be super mean, so they bite their tongues. It’s always people who have no room to talk who offer the worst commentary. I’ve seen this time and time again with some girls I know.
The meanest most bodyshaming comments I have ever heard in my life have come from fat chicks. “Ewww! She’s so skinny, that’s disgusting!” They legit use the word disgusting. What happens if anyone DARES to call fat girls disgusting?
@Annie, So true!!
This is so true Annie!
I’d say somewhat true. I don’t know where the idea came from that just because you see more people criticizing a woman’s thinness by no means does it mean that the heavier girls are getting a free ride. Of course people dare to call out heaviness, that’s the topic of this article, so doesn’t that prove that the non-sylph population isn’t sacrosanct? Yes, I agree that I see a few more instances of giving thin girls a hard time and that’s unfortunate. It’s unfortunate when it happens to anyone, but I still hold that no paradigm shift has occurred. Name one Victoria’s Secret model with saddlebags. Name a Swimsuit Issue cover girl with a pooch. A few incidents that seem to play with the natural order doesn’t topple the beauty standard and if you see a bullied heavy girl be consoled with comments like ‘she’s just jealous’, call me. Don’t complain about the existence of a totally unfair ‘fattie shelter law’ when you’re advocating for an end to body shame, it negates the point. And while I in no way support anyone’s trampling in the body acceptance battle, a privileged group will always see an evening of the scales (so to speak) as hostility and feel itself to be persecuted. I’d rather focus on what I say and feel and experience than start pointing fingers about what I think everyone else is doing and what’s allowed. I’m enough of a jerk to manage, I’m not taking on anyone else.
I think that your comments regarding both attractive people and fat women are sweeping generalizations. I’ve known attractive people who’ve made disparaging comments about “fat/ugly” people and not every fat woman hates skinny women and think they are “disgusting”.
Well, I’m old (54) fat (size 12-14) and I guess according to Hollywood I should be dead but I’m doing fine, just thank you. I even go on the occasional date!
Well she’s normal as in the average American size, but the average American size is “fat.”
that’s my impression, the conception about thin and fat is different according th countries
Wow, went to the Amalfi coast in Italy this summer and all I can say is Americans were the best looking people at the beach, and at least the bigger ones knew how to wear adequate swimwear.
Yeah but America is I’m the top 10 most obese countries (per capita). The top are Nauru and Palau (I believe due to a genetic disposition as the populations are tiny). 37% of Americans are obese (not fat, obese), so I can see how the average American can be ‘fat’.
As for the Americans with nice bodies you saw, sure there are many of them. But statistics don’t lie.
I love Howard, but he always does this. He’ll say terrible things about a celebrity and then when they come to his show he kisses their ass. He did the same thing with Lady Gaga and it’s embarrassing.
While it seems lame that he does this, it’s also very human. Most of us have these initial knee-jerk reactions to a celebrity who we feel is over-exposed or being shoved down our throats, and maybe we haven’t actually given them a fair chance. Then when we do, and especially in the case of someone like Howard, when he meets them in person and has a chance to find out more of what they’re all about, it’s a different story. We realize there’s more to like than we thought at first.
So what I’m essentially saying is that rather than Howard’s niceness being false or kiss-ass, I think that part is sincere and his original nastiness is what was inauthentic, because he hadn’t given the person a chance yet at that point.
She went and said some really racist stuff back when Girls was just starting out, and then proceeded to handle it really badly when she was called on it. That’s the main reason why I dislike her. Her annoying attitude is really just the icing on the crap-cake.
What did she say?
I commented on this over on Dustin’s piece, but what bugs me about it is this – I watched the first season, and there are a few things I like about it, but overall really didn’t care for the show. No biggie, won’t watch more. But the media fascination with it, and with her, has made me feel more negative about it all. Too much hype, too much attention, too many awards, too many interviews with her just talking about herself. Of course it’s on me too, I keep reading it, but I’m really just ready for all the hype to die down.
I do give her a lot of credit for being comfortable with herself and not trying to have a typical Hollywood body, nor being apologetic about it. But I wish she’d get a better stylist though!
i agree. ive been trying to figure out if it’s me. i just dont think she or the show are that great. i felt the same way about Dane Cook. he just isn’t funny to me. I wanted to laugh because SO many people found him SO funny. I felt like i was missing something
i like the show a lot. i don’t care for her nakedness in it all the time so much- just seems overly in the show- my bf and i were watching it and as soon as it came on we were like “Come on- where is the nakedness?” and within 10 seconds she delivered.
Good for her for being comfortable with her body- but for a country so Obese of course she is not “fat”.
Though she is very, very, very far from fit, which she admits so fine.
The way she handled the controversy of why she doesn’t include more diverse actors on the show and the crap she has been saying to excuse herself “I don’t know people of color” (in America? NY especifically? Really? More like you don’t WANT to know people of color, and I will judge you for that ’til the cows come home) is what mostly everybody finds truly offensive and annoying about her. She’s ignorant and disrespectful to a population that keeps growing and is more present than ever helping decide things like Presidential elections. Yet it’s a problem if someone dares to mention to her that the nudity is too much and it’s not even pleasant to look at. Well it’s the truth. I don’t want to see your weird boobs on every episode. We get it, you’re free spirited. Easier to get naked than to write likeable characters, I guess.
This show is not only pointless, it’s overrated as hell. It actively tries to erase girls and people who are not white and when you see minorities it’s always stereotypes with thick accents playing maids. Is this 1960?The eternal problem on American TV. You see British shows casting black people as main characters all the time like on Being Human or Misfits, but in America there’s still such a wall there and people like her continue to build it. It’s 2013. Unacceptable. Stop making all white shows when America is not all white. It’s like they’re directing their own Utopia where the undesirables are long gone except the help.
The show is idiotic and Howard didn’t lie: she hogs the camera a lot. And yeah her body is not good for nudity and most of her nude scenes are completely unnecessary. It’s nothing but attention whoring. There’s nothing brave about showing a nude unattractive body on tv. The brave thing would be to try to cast more diverse people, give them real story lines and start a real tv integration. It’s like she’s not part of this generation but oooh my second episode vaguely touched on the subject of abortion, I’m so progressive.
(And before anyone replies think long and hard what you’re going to say about this before hitting Publish).
I agree Annie. I never saw the show because I don’t have HBO (I got rid of cable a long time ago to save money) but I did read her comments and they turned off many people. But I don’t find it hard to believe that she doesn’t know any people of color. Many white liberals talk about diversity but live in the whitest neighborhoods they can find and send their kids to mostly white schools. The only people of color they do come in contact with are service workers. That’s their perogative, but I think it’s kind of hypocritical.
I always loved that the redhead in Sex and the City put her children in the public school system and was a huge advocate for the public school system in NY, very involved.
Annie, I am not the biggest fan of hers, but she acknowledged the whole lack of diversity thing awhile back and in her defense, her show is based off of her life and her life obviously doesn’t reflect the huge melting pot that makes up NYC, it’s about her trials and tribulations being a privileged, awkward girl. It’s just a small glimpse in the life of someone else. I know the show is about nothing, but what about Seinfeld? That show was seriously about nothing and also didn’t portray much diversity, but I don’t remember it receiving backlash for it like “Girls.” The whole race card gets tiresome, people wan’t to be so politically correct these days, but it ends up being counterproductive, defeating and creating a double standard.
@HotPockets it was because of people like you that I asked to think long and hard before hitting Publish. And that last paragraph of yours is incredibly problematic and awful.
Annie, I disagree with you, don’t take it so personally. I don’t understand the backlash about the lack of diversity in her show and why people are constantly pulling the race card when it is not warranted. There are many social injustices and I do acknowledge that there is a lack of diversity in Hollywood, but I think targeting her show specifically is asinine.
My comment about the double standard is that I don’t see people calling out the BET channel for it’s lack of diversity and honestly, I don’t think people should, but I feel like people are always so quick to pull the race card on everything, that it becomes defeating. I’m not saying racism in Hollywood and in general should be ignored, but criticizing Lena over this topic is petty. If you want to call people out, then call the ones out who are actually problematic, say the mass media.
btw- Your comment is very contradicting, you talk about the lack of diversity being offensive, but go on to say “her body is not good for nudity” and “There’s nothing brave about showing a nude unattractive body on tv.” Your argument is negated by those comments because you seem offended by a woman who has a different body type and isn’t ashamed of showing it because it isn’t the standard on television. That is problematic and hypocritical.
I really, really hate it when people say “pulling the race card” as if this country doesn’t have a HUGE problem regarding race relations and any reference to it is somehow out of left field and baseless. I’m black and I’ll admit that most of my really close friends are black, but I have friends of many different ethnic backgrounds and I encounter people of different ethnic backgrounds EVERY day. So, Lena Dunham is telling us that at NO time in her life has she had a relationship (work or otherwise)EVER? In her life? If that’s true, it’s because it’s a choice she’s made.
I hate the show. I think it’s demeaning and self-abusive and self-indulgent.
That said, it reflects Lena Dunham’s experiences. Insisting that she include some ‘diversity’ in her show reduces everyone to skin color. We shouldn’t insist that someone include people of color in a show just to be including people of color, it’s demeaning to who they really are and their talents.
Would you really want to get a job just because of the color of your skin? Isn’t that tokenism?
…most, if not all, of Hollywood is white tokenism, though.
Hmm, did people gave this issue with Sex in the City?
*have (lol)
Agree with Annie in the wrong thread.
Here is why: There’s a feeling that we are moving backwards. Starting in the seventies, there was some representation on TV and the lack of channels lead to people of all sorts watching by default. Many of them did trade on some tepid stereotypes, but it was something. Then came the push to depict premises that were not consumed by the poor, but proud trope. The Jeffersons, Barney Miller. Then came Cosby and Fresh Prince, but even in the nineties something was going on. With cable channels the niche market got itself a bone and network tv was freed from its obligation and we could go play in some corner. The major market was treated as the only market and order was restored. Friends got the attention and accolades but back when he was funny Martin Lawrence did not appear on Rolling Stone. Seinfeld was king while Living Single was a knave. Then came ‘such and such–but with black people!’ It says something about how normalized blacks were unconsciously considered to be. That’s different from importing foreign shows, which were teeming with white replacements, anyway. It’s kind of sad that Mindy Kaling’s show is…oh,.well, because it isn’t about a white lead with satellite minorities milling about. In time, any show featuring a black cast was appointment tv just for existing. They would get cancelled frequently, even though they would get good ratings. It seemed to be getting better with Bernie Mac and wife And Kids, but something major happened: the end of UPN and WB and end of black casts. It was, for so many reasons, never in doubt which money–um, casts would get the prize. Sure, there was The Wire, but how many awards were even nominated? Hint: it starts with zero. Promotion? Late night circuits? Golly. At this moment in time, I think white people forget that blacks take in a lot of white entertainments on TV, because it’s the majority and being so, it has the cash. That presence is so absolute that one may not realize that from day one it’s taken to be the normal landscape, the neutral base, the arbiter and supplier, the stage one and persistence in being accepted as being the centre that it’s entirely unnoticed. It is just how it is. So now, we’re to beg for forgiveness? For what? We aren’t the ones who created the need for a specialty channel, what are people supposed to do? Wait for permission? Wither on the.vine hoping that the popular kids will acknowledge us? And black actors have to starve to death because they can’t get work elsewhere? Is one channel in a world of thousands that much of an affront? Why? Should any one group control it all? Why aren’t people allowed to turn the gaze and think about self interest? You know the race card is? It’s telling people what they are obliged to say and do and thinking and respond and get a scolding because we don’t know or understand our experience, it’s effective saying that we haven’t taken our education seriously and our misbehaviour is oppressive to the teacher. And we’re to believe that the people calling out the card default to that to that assertion any less? Because I sure do seem to see it come up a lot. If wanting a piece of the bounty that is earned but never offered, if finding our own way in a landscape that we helped to build but won’t have us, if losing nothing is oppression, I have some thinking to do.
Wow. You’re awesome!
It is the dumbest thing I’ve heard the comment about diversity. I
Everywhere I lived ( I lived in 3 different countries including America) I’ve met people who are black, Indian, Asian, Stf. Seriously it is. It that hard.
why people think it’s ok to call any woman fat is beyond me. She’s not stick thin, so what? God forbid there be a woman who is not model thin and is ok being naked.
Ha! I’m from Philly and I’m a size 4.
She’s clearly trying to shift the conversation about women’s bodies, so this is what she was after – good for her. I’m just kind of meh on the show, watched the first episode of the season last night and am not sure I’ll make it through another season of watching a bunch of whiny people that don’t work somehow living in Manhattan.
Howard did not apologize for calling her fat! He apologized because he didn’t want her to think he he didn’t like the show! He hates the first couple episodes, which is why he made the original comments. Then, he stuck with it and fell in love with it (which he had already said on the air, but Perez Hilton ignored it when he wrote his story). The apology was because he wanted Lena to know he loves the show, not because he wanted to say sorry for calling her fat. I love the show, but she is fat. And I’m from Detroit!
I have mixed feelings about all of this, mostly about the show itself. I watched the first season in the course of 3 days and found it slightly addicting, but I was definitely grossed out by the sex scenes, not because of Lena herself, but because the sex scenes are so awkward and contrived and that’s how their supposed to be. Her character isn’t supposed to be a sympathetic one, that’s why she constantly receives backlash in the show from her parents, boyfriends and friends, so it makes sense that the real life Lena gets responded to the same way.
Out of all the things to criticize Lena for, I won’t say anything about her weight because she already knows and acknowledges it, not to mention capitalizes off of it. I do think that the show itself didn’t deserve a golden globe and it is insanely overrated, but I see why people like it, it’s a less glamorized sex and the city. There are certain aspects of it that I strongly identity with, like growing up…when you are already grown up and that time frame of after college and finding your identity, but yah, overprivileged hipster with great connections is definitely a great way to define Lena.
I am not going to bitch about her anymore though, she got a lucky break in life when she was a little undeserving, but that seems to be everyone who gets a break in life, it’s all about timing and connections.
I hate to say this, but she IS fat. She’s NOT obese, but she’s overweight for sure. She doesn’t look good without clothes on, and he’s right, it’s like having your eyes raped. No one wants to see that.
I love the show Girls but I can’t stand this woman, especially once I realized that character she plays IS HER. IN REAL LIFE. YUCK.
This!
Delete
WTH?
I would rather see a show with attractive women and men than a naked slightly chubby girl trying to set a new standard to be more sexually raunchy than the shows that seek the same shock value.
I really don’t like Lena, BUT! I do appreciate seeing an “average-sized” female body on TV and not apologizing for it. It’s refreshing.
This. I want to like this show but I’m never a to actually get to that point. The representation of another body type is its only redeeming feature for me so far.
I also take offense to slamming Chicago and Detroit. America as a country has a weight problem, you’ll see it wherever you go. I have probably seen more obese people when I’ve visited the South, specifically Texas than I ever have in the Midwest. Also, Chicago has some of the best fine dining restaurants in the country. We’re not all just eating deep dish pizza and hot dogs. Actually when you’re in the city proper with everyone walking, you hardly see any true obese people, and if you do, they’re tourists. But the suburbs is a different story. Sorry for the rant.
The entire country has a problem and the reaction to this dumb comment Howard made is part of the problem. It’s an actual health crisis that needs to be acknowledged but people don’t want to. You don’t see this in most countries in Europe or Asia or South America. Not even Canada. There’s just too many fat/obese people in America. Too many. Food is crazy unhealthy. too much crap on everybody’s diet. But it will never be fixed because they are in denial: “I’m just thick. I’m average. I’m healthy. I can’t change.” So if people from other countries or body types bring this to their attention or state facts or just say the word “fat” they are “body shaming, concern trolling, bullying.” Also when you get so defensive when people are not insulting you but raising legit health concerns and flaws in your lifestyle that most of the country shares you are only victimizing yourself to not take control and responsibility for your actions. This is one awful attitude that everyone shares over there and I already see the comments proving me right. Nothing but victimization and defensiveness like there’s only two body types: Megan Fox or Rosie O’donell. When too much of your population has this problem it’s time to stop being sensitive and get to work before overweightness becomes the norm in a few decades and you have a country of fatties with short life spans. This is why Michelle Obama gets criticized but she’s right. She’s directing the attention to the big literal elephant in America and people don’t like it. They are too oversensitive about the word “fat.”
So if a guy on the radio calls some girl fat everybody loses their sh*t (nevermind the fact that this girl has said pretty problematic/questionable/horrible/worse things in the past too) because you’re not allowed to say things that sting them personally but to others it’s fine. Everything else is game, but not weight, never weight! Use racial slurs, discriminate gays, slut shame girls, mock everybody but fat is out of the question because the shoe fits.
That being said, Lena is the product of overindulgence and of never leading an active lifestyle. That’s all. She’s not obese or part of the very unhealthy population in America. People are being very hypocritical too because I’ve read comments about how it’s ok to call her ugly but not fat. Come on now. I think ugly is way worse. Fat you can change. Ugly is definitive.
This is just stupid. Like no, it’s not ok to mock people for their appearance but there’s a reason why this got the reaction it got and it’s such a First World Problem, it’s embarrassing.
Annie, I am just wondering how many countries you have lived in? That hasn’t been my experience.
I have seen loads of obese people in every country I have lived in, excepting maybe the Netherlands.
The UK has lots of obese people and I believe Australia just overtook the US in obesity. I agree it is a huge problem and while it is all over the country, I have to say the South wins. Sorry guys. It is true. Canadians love their Tim Horton’s. Heck of a lot easier to find proper food in Europe though, especially on the go, really tasty, healthy food. Makes me miss Amsterdam.
The original Tiffany – Australia and the UK also have a weight problem as well, which is why heart diseases are also on the increase. I don’t know what the problem is or why it has increased but I sure hope they are doing something about it.
Though I must admit, I’ve visited 14 countries so far (lived Iin 3) and the most overweight/obese people I’ve seen I’m sorry to say was the US.
Well according to WHO, in 2008 the United States was 17th in terms of the percentage of the population being overweight and 24th in obesity:
http://www.who.int/gho/ncd/risk_factors/overweight/en/
69.4 percent of the population was overweight in the US, while only 60% of Canadians were overweight. So yes, we are more overweight than Canadians, but it’s not the huge difference that you implied. The United States is one of the worst offenders, but there are over 80 countries where more than half the population is overweight so it really is a global problem.
@KC: The US has jumped from 17th to 13th since 2008 (I would post the link but it is far too long, you can go to the WHO database and go to the International Indicators and sort the table out by precentages). So far 76% of the US population is overweight, and is the also the developed country with the most overweight people. (canada has decreased to 59%, not much I know no increase).
Again comparing the population of Canada to US shows a huge difference. Or comparing the population to Nauru (93% of Naurus are overweight, yet the population is 9,300, so that makes the overweight people about 9,000). However 76% of Americans overweight means about 228 million americans are overweight. So obviously Americans get the reputation for being the ‘fattest’ solely because it means there are simply more overweight people than say Naurus.
I mean honestly, we need to stop thinking that being grossly overweight and obese is ‘normal’. No it is not normal, why do you think obesity is considered an epidemic by WHO? Why do you think obesity has doubled in the last 20 years? It is definately not normal.
I’m aware that obesity is an epidemic and I’m aware that the number of cases has increased since 2008, that’s why I disclosed the date so people would know it was old data. Annie just made it sound like America was the only country with this problem and I wanted to clarify that.
KC – I wanted to clarify the last paragraph wasn’t aimed at anyone and I just wanted to build up on what you have said!
Same here. I’m from Detroit, and not everyone here is overweight.
Plus, girls from Detroit don’t lumber across a stage like she did after accepting her Golden Globes.
She’s fat not obese. She’s not thin or normal. A normal girl is someone like Jennifer Love Something. This girl could lose a few pounds and then look normal but not thin. I guess her height doesn’t help either.
One of the girls from that show is scary skinny on the other hand.
Wow, you think Jennifer Love Hewitt is a normal weight?! She’s tiny with huge boobs. Doesn’t spell normal to me. Lena isn’t fat, she is a normal weight, like many ‘normal’ people in this country.
JLH is abnormal because she has a body type that you or others might envy?
To me normal is Kelly clarkson when she gained a couple of pounds (she is still normal). However to me Lena is overweight (again nothing wrong with that unless it is life-threatening), but lets not kid ourselves she is no way a size 6 or 15 lbs away fo being thin.
Thanks Kaiser! My feelings on Lena exactly.
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When people say, “I love this show and can relate to it, it reminds me of me and my friends in our 20s,” all I can think is, so, you and your friends were huge navel-gazing a$$holes who were horribly emotionally immature? Well ok, then.
Well, as an African American woman I can enjoy shows that don’t have many or any black characters. I know black people who watch “Girls” and others who love “Downton Abbey,” which I think is rather boring.
I totally agree with you, I’m Hispanic and it doesn’t bother if I don’t see someone of my race in a particular show. IMO this show is pretty good, considering all the crap thats currently out there. I actually really enjoy downtown abbey but I grew up on Jane Austen films so it’s a give in!
It does kinda bother me that she may have said some racist comments in the past though, I’ma have to look that up.
I have enjoyed shows that lack racial diversity as well. For me, it’s not the lack of diversity on “Girls” that bugs, it’s the “well, I don’t know any black people” defense of the lack of diversity that bugs.
Howard will probably predict that Ms. Dunham will overcome her unfortunate looks by using her fame and money to convince a young, bloned, golddigging odel to marry her. Oh, what a second. that’s HIM!!!
I kind of love what Lena has done by shaking up the aesthic of succesful female actresses in Hollywood. I think she probably is an over privileged snot in some ways, but I love that she’s proud of her natural body and isn’t ashamed to show it off undressed on camera, nor should she be! We really should be seeing more ‘average’ looking women in happy/sexual relationships on tv you know?
That said, what I do take issue with is this relatively new hysteria surrounding celebrities giving public apologies and retractions to appease the general public. Sometimes in life people will say things that you don’t like agree with and may even find offensive (is anything not “offensive” these days?). And you know what? You get over it and move on with your life. I mean, does a forced apology given by some star that none of us know personally really help people sleep better at night? Life’s too short for to get all worked up about everything that everyone says. We don’t all have to agree all the time and it’s not the job of public figures to protect millions of fragile egos.
Lena bugs me and I didn’t like her GG dress, but at least she doesn’t go for the typical Hollywood tart. I still think she’s annoying, though.
Did he just compare having to look at a woman he doesn’t want to bang to rape? If the worst way to violate a man is by making him look at Lena Dunham naked, then sign me up for a penis.
AMEN. So well said. Women still have so very far to come and so very much to OVERcome, and people like Howard are reversing our progress by perpetuating and normalizing this male-gaze narrative.
(So are people like myself, who criticize strange women for fun on websites… though I criticize men with equal pleasure. I just hate that I basically contribute to the “catty” and insecure cliche, too.)
For me the only reason I take issue with Lena (or care at all) is that I went to college with SO many “artists” who were exactly like her, and I hated seeing them glorified while truly talented people languished because their shtick didn’t involve narcissism or phony “individuality.” (I’m not counting myself among the “truly talented” either, so while it IS personal, it’s not out of jealousy. I’m jealous of the people who create genius works of art and have enough self-confidence to wear whatever they want, no matter how “ironic” OR fashionable it might be.)
In the grand scheme of things, as far as Hollywood goes she’s basically harmless, if not beneficial. I would much rather see over-hyped, self-absorbed celebrities with NORMAL bodies than any more carbon copies of the starved, plastic look.
I still hate Howard Stern.
She’s not starved and sculpted she’s not sporting someone else’s hair glued to her head she has snaggle teeth not veneers she has real tits not balloons and looks like a artistic type chick who hates working out is a little soft and thick bc she likes weed and pizza and burritos. Gosh! She’s not a perfect fem bot version of a pageant queen. Were just not used to seeing that on TV. Don’t care bc we don’t snark on guys like jack black or will Ferrell. !!! She’s NOT FAT just looks out of shape to me…..Howard stern is so yawn anymore. Does anyone like him anymore ? That schtick is so old and corny.
I agree with you that we are harder on women, but don’t use Jack Black or Will Ferrell as an example for men getting away with showing off their imperfect bodies without anyone commenting. A lot of their comedy is making fun of how their bodies aren’t attractive. Eg. Jack Black in Shallow Hal and a sketch on SNL where Will Ferrell goes to work in a Speedo and a cut off t-shirt which causes everyone (men and women) to be disgusted and beg him to put clothes on (he did similar bits involving him just showing his stomach).
She’s just got a bit of an unfortunate body shape & that short hair doesn’t help. But she’s not fat. Everyone would be totally over it by now if she didn’t keep going on about it.
And (as a European) I’ve got to say that I do think Americans are kind of supersized, in
general. Your portion sizes are CRAZY. And so much sugar in everything. A us size 14 is a UK size 18 – which is generally considered obese in the UK. And that’s the AVERAGE? Jeepers.
(hit publish tOo soon – sorry!)
The average size of women in the UK is 16, so…y’all ain’t exactly svelte, honey.
she’s great…and totally Woody Allen.
Oh shit, she does look like Jonah Hill.
I saw the whole first season recently because people were talking about it like it was this phenomenal, ground breaking show and it’s not. It’s good, but it’s not worth obsessing over. It’s not Mad Men or Breaking Bad.
I also think it’s kind of hilarious that people criticize how TV characters are always unrealistically perfect and now we have a normal looking girl and people are criticizing her. To quote my darling Colbert – pick a side people, we’re at war.
shes fat
The more important issue to me is why people are still listening to Howard Stern. He’s the WORST. Not funny at all. And to all you females who are calling Lena Dunham fat- you’re gross examples of everything that sucks about women. I’m ashamed to be associated with you, even if only to the degree that we both have vaginas.
She’s not obese, but she definitely is overweight (medically speaking). Some people call overweight fat, some people call obese fat. Personally I think that someone should at least be on the borderline of being obese before you call someone fat instead of chubby, but I’m not going to call someone a “gross examples of everything that sucks about women” just because we draw the line at different places.
I tried to watch Girls. IMHO it was trite, badly written, pretentious and thoroughly unfunny.
I have never met Lena so have no idea what kind of person she is but now having seen both her movie and her hit(?) show, it is VERY hard not to wonder why this woman is reaching these heights so early in her career if talent is obviously NOT the reason.
Howard only back peddled because he desperately wants Hollywood’s acceptance. That’s why he wanted the job at AGT. He’s become everything he use to rail against.
And he REALLY needs to lose the wig. He’s starting to look like Phil Specter.
fat, ugly, entitled. welcome to america.
I don’t know her and I didn’t like the trailer of the show “Girls” when they started showing it here on HBO.
That being said, I think people should stop calling these celebs “fat” or “thin”… We don’t know their medical history to conclude that they are “healthy” or “dying” because of the “body” we see.
I’m not obsessed with Lena by any means, but if I see an article here about her, I will comment on it. As for why people feel so strongly and negatively toward her (at least some of them) . . . for me, at first I didn’t care one way or the other about her, but after a solid YEAR of having her shoved in my face at every opportunity, I got truly sick of her. This is not an exaggeration — there were months where every single “woman’s” magazine (Marie Claire, Elle, Vogue, etc. . .) I read had an article gushing about her “brilliance;” where every arts section of every major newspaper I read tongue-bathed her show; where seemingly every actor interviewed raved about how much they looooved her show; where every cultural critic adulated her. And now, a Golden Globe.
I would get sick of seeing something I *loved* get such constant, unstinting attention and praise, but after seeing Girls and finding it annoying, irrelevant, un-entertaining, and frankly not very flattering to women, I really turned against Lena and the show. To me, the empress has no clothes here (or very poorly fitting ones).
I know that’s just my opinion, and it’s not like I’m going to chase after her with a pitchfork or something. But I really wish she would go away for a while, or at least produce something different that would justify the constant adulation she receives.