Everyone has been talking about HBO’S new show Girls since it premiered three weeks ago. After all the hype that the show received prior to its release, some critics and viewers are disappointed while others have fallen in love with Lena Dunham’s raw sense of humor. Girls is a humorous yet realistic take on a generation of 20-something year-old women trying to make it in New York City during a recession.
Whether you are 24 and struggling to get by in New York or are still in college, the majority of Gen Y women will in some way find this show relatable. “I think that I may be the voice of my generation,” says Hannah, played by Lena Dunham, who is also the creator, writer, and producer of the show.
Unlike many shows on television, Girls is written from a female perspective. Television has largely been taken over by male voices, which as a result creates unrealistic portrayals of the lives of young women. Since the air of the show I have been raving to my friends about it and encouraging them to watch it. One of them actually admitted to me that she didn’t like it because not all of the characters are attractive. I have a feeling that this is a reason that will cause many people to not tune into Girls.
Our society has gotten so used to television featuring full casts of idealistically beautiful people with romanticized lives and relationships. A good example of this is the show Gossip Girl that portrays New York City’s glamorous, gorgeous, and wealthy young elite living in multi-million dollar penthouses, riding in limos every night and wearing dresses worth the price of an expensive car. Furthermore, like most shows on TV, Gossip Girl idealizes sex and romance among young adults making it look much more appealing and sexy than it actually is. Don’t get me wrong, I happen to be a big fan of Gossip Girl and love my escape from reality every Monday night, but Girls is so great for the very reason that it’s different and about as real as a scripted non-reality television series can be. Now you’re probably thinking, “How boring. Why would I want to watch a show about my own life?” But that’s the very thing that makes it so good.
Girls doesn’t sugar coat anything down to the awkward moments, cringe worthy sex and bad decisions. Watching Girls is like a having a best friend reassure you that you’re not alone, that there are other women facing the same struggles everyday. Many of us can all too well relate to the jerk who treats us like dirt who we keep coming back to, getting cut off by our parents, not landing an internship or job, the self-help book your friend tells you to read on how to get the guy and on a happier note always having your best friend to fall back on when everything else in life is a disaster.
The show makes light of not so fun situations and sends the message that sometimes at the end of the day all we can do is make humor out of our struggles and not take life too seriously.
Photos:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/tv-and-radio/us-news-blog/2012/apr/16/lena-dun…
http://collegecandy.com/2012/04/19/why-hbos-girls-is-better-than-satc-an…