Girls

[Miriel]

I hate-watched this show.

From what I can tell, pretty much everyone I know in real life, the bloggers I follow, the forums I visit, EVERYONE hate-watches this show.

The characters are all horrible despicable people. They are not a normal representation of 20-somethings. I am a 20-something. Most of my friends live in Los Angeles, one of the most superficial and self-involved places on earth. And yet, I literally do not know any single person who is as wretched as Hannah on Girls.

You watch Girls in the same way people watch Jersey Shore. There is a huge element of schadenfreude here. The show is not that intelligent, it's really horribly acted, only occasionally funny. BUT, it is fascinating. You almost can't turn away.

I watched the whole series in a few days of marathoning and the whole time, I was thinking, "WHAT THE smurf. Seriously, WHAT THE smurf IS WRONG WITH YOU IDIOTIC PEOPLE?!" But it definitely hooks you in.

I wouldn't say it's enjoyable to watch. It doesn't make for a good time. But it's interesting and there's not much out there similar to it, aside from maybe Shameless.

[charliepanayi]

I think a fair few people watch it because they like it. And the characters are often unsympathetic. But they are not completely so.

[Miriel]

I think a fair few people watch it because they like it. And the characters are often unsympathetic. But they are not completely so.

I'm sure those people exist. I'm just saying that pretty much everyone I've encountered tell me that they hate the show and the characters and feel vaguely creeped out and disgusted after each episode. But regardless, they watched every episode. It's a different kind of television.

Just Google "hatewatching Girls" and you'll get a ton of hits.

"BuddyTV Slideshow | The 12 Best Shows to Hate-Watch from 2012"
"HBO's Girls: Love, Hate or Hate-Watch? – MsBehaved.com"
"The Rise of Hate-Watching: Which TV shows do you love to despise"
"A Guide to Hate-Watching HBO's 'Girls' - BroBible.com"

And so on and so forth.

Also, I do think Hannah is utterly unsympathetic and she's not MEANT to be liked. She is completely self-involved, unintelligent, lazy, dirty, belligerent, etc. But I think it's purposeful. The show goes to great lengths to show us what a asshole she is. Marnie is an asshole too with few redeeming qualities. Adam is a huuuge unstable, possibly mentally insane asshole. Jessa is slightly sympathetic because of her bad childhood, but still an asshole. Shoshanna is the only likable character.

[charliepanayi]

I think Adam has actually become more sympathetic as the series has gone on. Hannah is unpleasant, quite often unpleasant, but I still feel bad for her sometimes. Ditto Marnie. They're young, and people do stupid things, especially when they're young. Plus I love The Sopranos and the characters are far worse than anything you get in Girls. So I'm not averse to shows with unlikeable characters in general.

Also, I don't get hate-watching at all. Life is too short to continue to watch stuff you don't like.

[Miriel]

I think you're kind of misinterpreting hate-watching. There is always some attraction or element of fascination, or else no one would pay attention. I kept watching the show to see just how gross it could get.

It's like rubbernecking at a accident site. Does anyone actually WANT there to be accidents? No, but if there is one, you can't help but watch.

Adam toed the line with nonconsensual sex toward the end of Season 2. And degraded Hannah in the first season. He has no work ethic and relies on Grandma's money to survive. He lives a filthy lifestyle. He lied about getting tested for STDs. I don't sympathise with him at all.

I am young. My friends are young. It's not the actions that are so unrelatable. Young people sleep with the wrong people sometimes, young people do drugs, young people make mistakes. That all makes sense. But it's the attitude of these morons. Young people on the whole are not THIS narcissistic or entitled. These people operate in some sort of fringe society. They're outliers. They are not normal.

It bothers me, this idea that Girls is meant to be some sort of representation of my generation. Some of the stuff rings true, for sure. But they've taken it to a place of surreal hyper reality. Which is fine. It obviously works for the show. But I can't wave off some of the things these people do as them just being young and stupid. That's insulting to young people everywhere. These girls are just ESPECIALLY stupid.

[Calliope]

I just caved and watched the second episode, and it is truly awful. I echo everything hannah has said (thank you for watching the rest of it, so that I don't have to hope it gets better) regarding the characters - they are over-privileged, selfish, stupid, and ultimately unlikable. Where I differ from hannah's opinion, though, is that I'm not sure I can force myself to watch hours of this self-involved, removed-from-reality, conscience-free garbage. Not every character needs to be lovable, but give someone some redeeming qualities, please.

I am curious about what people think Lena Dunham is trying to convey, or to do, other than make money with this show. Regarding the "racism" point, I believe in an interview Ms Dunham said that there were no people of colour on her show because it was based around her experiences - which didn't involve growing up around or interacting with very many minorities in her neighbourhood. So that's fine, but to then go back and introduce Donald Glover into the mix just for the sake of sporting a canned minority makes me grind my teeth. Stay true to your artistic integrity, woman.

There are some things that I can approve of with this show - mainly, using airtime to deal with issues like abortion, possible date-rape, bipolar disorder, self-doubt, navigating technology, the casting of "imperfect" looking actors, etc.

[Miriel]

I should add that almost all the TV shows I watch with the exception of the really beautiful shows like Mad Men or Downtown Abbey, I "watch" by having it on in the background while I work.

If I had to actually sit and watch Lena Dunham's tits flop around, with nothing else to distract me, I probably wouldn't be able to stand it. I currently have Freaks & Geeks playing on Netflix as I write this. I "watch" a crapton of TV shows cause I get to work from home in my pajamas. It's like ambiant noise for me.

As far as what the show is meant to accomplish, I really think it boils down to Lena Dunham wanting to appear as "edgy" and "nonconformist" as possible. I really do think she's putting stuff out there that she thinks you won't otherwise see on TV. Thus the number of scenes that take place with people on the toilet.

[Jinx]

*bump*

I've been watching this since this morning. I'm currently half-way through the second season. God, Hannah is probably the least likable television character I've ever seen. More than once I have wanted to just reach out and punch her in the face. She takes no accountability for her actions whatsoever. GAH!

Also, I know there's this whole thing about Lena Dunham being "fat" and "ugly". I don't really think she's either, but why do they dress her in the most unflattering clothes that indeed MAKE her look "fat"? Why don't they actually have her character attempt to do her hair and makeup and not look "ugly"? It's one thing to have an average-looking actress to show that not everyone looks perfect, but they can at least have her reflect most women. That is to say, putting some effort into her appearance.

[The Summoner of Leviathan]

My boyfriend and his friends love this show so I have invariably seen all the episodes and will be watching the new season of it. I am sorta ambivalent about it. There is that train-wreck aspect about it. Sometimes it is hard to watch, especially some scenes with Adam and when he starts drinking again.

I don't think "rich white girl" problems completely defines the show since the whole point of the pilot was that Hannah is lazy so parents are cutting her off. Throughout the series Hannah continually struggles to find work and gainful employment. Marnie, Shoshanah and Jessa do come off more rich white girl problems but the only one living obviously well off is Shoshanah. That is not to say that none of the girls don't come from well off backgrounds, because it seems they do, but that is not simply living out of their parents' wealth for most of them.

While I think that Hannah as a person is unsympathetic and unbalanced, I think a lot of things she, and the rest of the cast, goes through is relatable: struggling to look for a decent job, choices in partners, having own psychological issues, coming into your own, etc...Moreover, the show is often not shy of using its characters to point out the flaws of each other. Hannah bitches Jessa out for being unreliable and never there when you need her. Marnie is called a bitch/manipulative a lot (she's my favourite character, fyi), and Hannah is called out for being lazy and selfish.

As for Hannah's looks, I think it is the point is that she is average and dresses average. If you want someone who dresses up and tries to look pretty then look to Marnie or Shoshanah, or Jessa if you are into something more bohemian. It is not consistent with her character as well. If she is supposed to be lazy, then it follows that she might not necessarily put much effort into her looks. Moreover, while self-absorbed she isn't with her appearance but more of in her own little world/bubble. If anything she is very comfortable with her body. Hannah caring about her looks is about as in-character as Jessa not being flaky and unreliable or Shoshanah being jaded about life.

I wonder what they will do about Marnie since what's his face is not coming back for season 3. I wonder how they will write him out of the show...

Season 3 starts this Sunday...just FYI.

[Rantz]

:O I'm excited!

I agree with TSoL about Hannah's looks. I think it's perfectly suited to her character to not care much about her looks. She's not meant to represent any other type of woman than the type she is.

[Old Manus]

I have no idea what this TV show is but the comments here are making me think it is an American version of Skins.

[Calliope]

I ended up watching this show after all, and I don't think I'd say she dresses average - more at random, with no regard for what is conventionally flattering for her body type. To me, jeans and a t-shirt are average. Hannah dresses in rompers, mini-shorts, random vintage pieces and singlets - items that show a lot of skin and probably weren't cheap.

[Jinx]

Exactly. And maybe I'm being a bitch here and judgmental, but the thing is that we're supposed to look at this woman as the average woman, when she's not. We're supposed to look at her as beautiful and believe that she is. I don't think she is. But she could be. It's just sort of weird--it's one thing to be beautiful in your own skin, it's something different to purposefully go the opposite direction and still be considered beautiful. I dunno.

I will say, the scenes where Hannah was having OCD breakdown was incredibly unsettling and difficult for me to watch. As was the scene where Adam basically date-raped his girlfriend.

I'm disappointed to hear the guy who plays Charlie won't be coming back, because I was really happy he and Marnie got back together.

[The Summoner of Leviathan]

UK Skins > Girls.

I think as a body type she reflects the average American woman much more than Marnie or Shoshanah. Quick research shows that the average woman is a size in the USA is 12-14 and that this size range is less likely to wear clothing appropriate for their body shape, especially those who were previously of a single digit size and are now double digit.

I don't think her behaviour reflects the average American woman. Hannah has obvious OCD problems and neurotic tendencies.

References:
About.com on woman sizes
Woman Sizes and Appropriate attire
More stuff on average woman size in the USA

I don't think Hannah is necessarily supposed to be "beautiful", she is just who she is. I think she is comfortable in her own skin and if you think that is beautiful then that is up to you. But I don't think it is the case that the audience is supposed to think that Hannah is beautiful or believe so.

[Jinx]

UK Skins > Girls.

This.

But yeah, the shows are strikingly similar. Just "twenty-somethings" instead of teenagers.