Lena Dunham, 'Girls' and Body Image

I discovered HBO's 'Girls' a couple of weeks ago because Emma Watson -never would have thought I would pair a Warner Bro's actress and 'Girls' in the same sentence- was raving about it on an interview in Glamour magazine.

After a bit of research I can see Lena Dunham is a polemic character all around, and for many reasons (including lack of ethnic diversity in her show, almost explicit sex, casual abortions and her ad for Obama's campaign) but I don't want to get into any of these because it could explode in so many different ways.

While not exactly comfortable with the portrayal of sex in this TV series, I LOVE that the main character looks like the average young white American -or any possible friend of mine. Moreover, I love that the other three cast members look like any of my friends as well. Even the 'hot girl' one has a little bulging stomach when she wears a tight dress -and who doesn't. The attractive liberal blondie is far from skin and bones. And the posh girl is rather 'plain', or as I would prefer to say: not traditionally beautiful.

I just finished episode 5 from the first season, and I have yet to decide whether this show is worth my time, but I want to applaud the producer, writer and main actress for showing the world what a normal young woman looks like naked, and that she can still be considered attractive and desirable by the young male population.

This is not about real women having curves. Or about plus-size models that are 1.80m tall and wear a size 10. Or about bombshells like Cristina Hendricks and formerly-curvy Scarlett Johanson. As much as I would love to look like any of these women, I don't. I will never do. And they are NOT the norm -even if they look oh so different from Kate Moss.

This is about real women, period. Or more like, the average woman. Period.

I think we really needed this. So, thank you.

PS: I've read too many comments on Dunham being ugly. Maybe I got used to her 'ugliness', but I find her rather beautiful

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12 years ago

Caro in Oz

Veteran

Thanks for sharing. What kind of craziness do we live with when we call her ugly?

Raisin

She is definitely not ugly. Sounds like an interesting show, I haven't heard of it.

It IS refreshing to see different shapes and sizes of women represented on TV and films, so I thank you for posting this. Just wanted to add though, that all women are real women. Including Kate Moss, these actresses and all other women. Even if your a woman with a body shape or size that falls into a percentage that very few of the general population has, you're still a real woman.

Jules

Loved the first season for many reasons and this was a big one.

Irene

I totally agree with you, Raisin. I always find it annoying when people say 'real women have curves'. All women are real. What I meant with this is that I hate it when they talk about 'normal' women or 'real' women and they show you a plus size MODEL. As if I should feel like we look alike. Are they trying to make ME feel better?

The women in this show look like the women around me. Some slimmer, some thicker, none of them airbrushed.

Yah I see what you mean Irene. Aren't most so called plus sized models not even plus sized?

Janet

(website)

I have seen the first season of "Girls," and I have mixed feelings about it, but on the whole I enjoyed it enough that I'll be checking out the second season too. I love that Lena Dunham is unapologetically her own fabulous self, no matter what she is (or isn't) wearing. Oh, to have that body confidence!

Yeah, Raisin, don't even get me started on modeling and so-called "plus sizes." I think most plus size models are my size. Sheesh, no wonder so many of us feel bad when we look at fashion photos.

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