HBO’s new series Girls, created by Lena Dunham, which aired on April 15, 2012, has sparked conversation all over the Internet, everywhere ranging from the New York Times to Refinery 29, my favorite blog. It has even been compared to an updated version of Sex and the City – one where the characters have less money. Still, the general theme of the show is still the same: four young girls trying to find their way in New York City. This time, however, the girls have been displaced to Brooklyn, yet their romantic relationships are no less awkward and confusing. Girls revolves around Hannah, who has been financially cut off from her family; Marnie, Hannah’s roommate and best friend; Shoshanna, the “Charlotte” of the show; Joanna, Shoshanna’s rebellious British cousin; and Adam, Hannah’s aloof boytoy. The show emphasizes the importance of female friendships for women, especially in times of hardship. Given the show’s relationship to Sex and the City, I knew I had to give it a try.
After seeing every single episode of SATC millions of times, I was prepared for the usual voiceover narrative, which would dictate the course of the show. I expected to see glamorous ol’ Manhattan. To be honest, after watching SATC for so long, I no longer found the characters to be relatable to my own situation (a graduating college student looking for a job): their shoe closets were far too big and so were their wallets. I was in search of a show that I could cling onto, a show that could describe my situation as a soon-to-be graduate. Girls definitely achieved this goal; it serves as a voice for our generation.
Some may say that the show is a little “hipster,” even so, it still serves its purpose to be an accurate description of our situations. After all, many college students have a cynical outlook on the job market and life after college, given the plethora of articles talking about the lack of jobs for college grads. This being said, I am definitely looking forward to seeing more of Dunham’s work; I hope Girls continues to captivate me.