Sleepless Nights

Waking up in the middle of the night and not going back to sleep means that I'm going to be tired tomorrow.

Oh well. Here's a quick 3am half awake post.

Brandon wrote:
"To me the show boils down a character who pokes fun of the lesser thans whilst fearing becoming one of them. This is reinforced over and over (AIDS, Abortion, poverty). She doesn’t realize in the process that she is the saddest of the bunch, a rich girl who couldn’t appreciate her means until it was slightly less at her disposal."

This is also part of my problem with the show, but I want to anticipate Ben's response here. I think that Ben would agree with your description. Then, I think that he'd point out that this is Dunham's character's position, not necessarily Dunham's own current position. One could maybe argue that it's exactly because Dunham realizes that this character is the "saddest of the bunch" that the show works. The "privileged hipster" "reality" is undermined by its "honest" portrayal. Dunham bravely skates that narrow comedic line of inhabiting a character/persona that isn't altogether likable, but may for that reason be relatable.

I'm having trouble copying and pasting from Facebook with my phone so I won't copy and paste Ben.

About being unflattering to self, go for it. I've tried to do the same here often. There's no room for vanity in film club.

As for my examples "not being equivalent," I have to protest. Dunham's show is not some magic realist really real reality keeping it real. Girls is just as highly structured/constructed and "artificial" as either Jersey or Housewives (now I may have to watch the first few episodes of each of these shows to do a proper comparative analysis of their respective contents. Maybe I can get Chris to join me in this project). Each of these shows is attempting to communicate something about the "place of women" in contemporary America through their own unique heavily stylized lenses. You think that Girls may be more honest. I don't know. I do sympathize with your simple explanation that these Girls are similar to Ladies you've known and been around. Just like we have a dozen different CSI show locations, maybe some day we'll have Girls: Vestal with you listed as executive producer.

That wasn't worth staying awake for. I'm comforted to know that the rest of you are most likely safely sleeping through my Girls-induced sleeplessness.

Maybe I can get a couple more hours sleep now before the sun rises. Good night. Good morning.