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If you’ve ever watched HBO’s ‘Girls’ and wondered why it features so much of Lena Dunham’s skin, you’re not alone. A reporter at the Television Critics Association press tour had the same question. He asked it tactfully, and was suddenly deemed “sexist” by Judd Apatow. Producer Jenni Konner pronounced that the question had sent her into a “rage spiral.” Oddly enough, there were no “rage spirals” sent Bill Maher’s way when he made a comment that — using Konner’s standards — was certainly worth one. More on that later.
First, the “offensive” and “misogynistic” comment that irked Apatow, as reported by Entertainment Weekly.
“I don’t get the purpose of all the nudity on the show — by [Dunham] in particular,” the reporter said, according to EW. “I feel like I’m walking into a trap where you go, ‘Nobody complains about all the nudity on “Game of Thrones,”’ but I get why they do it. They do it to be salacious and titillate people. And your character is often nude at random times for no reason.” — Reporter
Now, the response by the ‘Girls’ crew:
Judd Apatow: “That was a very clumsily stated question that’s offensive on its face, and you should read it and discuss it with other people how you did that. […] It’s very offensive.”
Jenni Konner: “I literally was spacing out because I’m in such a rage spiral about that guy. […] I was just looking at him and going into this rage [over] this idea that you would talk to a woman like that and accuse a woman of showing her body too much. The idea of it just makes me sort of sick.”
Lena Dunham: “I totally get it. If you’re not into me, that’s your problem and you’re going to have to work that out with professionals.”
Now to what Bill Maher said on HBO’s ‘Real Time’ while interviewing Mike Rowe of ‘Dirty Jobs’ fame. The two were talking about 3 million good “blue-collar” jobs that can’t be filled in the U.S. because Americans either a.) won’t train to take them or b.) refuse to apply.
Bill Maher: Do you watch the HBO show ‘Girls’?
Mike Rowe: *with sarcasm* Religiously. …
Bill Maher: Well it’s very hard to imagine those chicks — who don’t have jobs and they’re sponging off their parents and doing stupid things like working at coffee shops — they would never even consider taking a job as a plumber even though the lead girl shows more ass crack every week than 100 plumbers.”
What is more “sexist” and “misogynistic,” Mr. Apatow — a reporter who simply wants to know the rationale behind what he sees as an excessive amount of nudity, or Bill Maher referring to “chicks” that “show more ass crack every week than 100 plumbers”?
Where is the “rage spiral,” Ms. Konner, for Bill Maher? Or do you only go into “rage spirals” for men with a smaller megaphone than you? When one puts the two comments side-by-side, it appears as though Bill Maher’s comment would be worthy of a “rage tornado” or perhaps a “rage vortex.” What gives?
Question for Ms. Dunham: Should Bill Maher seek help with professionals? And (admittedly, a side note) do you regret making that creepy ad where you likened voting for Barack Obama to losing your virginity — especially since most women don’t lose their virginity to a guy with a “Terror Tuesday kill list”?
One guy flatly said he “doesn’t get the purpose” of the amount of nudity on the show and he’s accused of being a sexist; the other guy refers to “chicks” like Dunham and likens her to the stereotypical (male) plumber who shows too much of his hairy butt to customers — and crickets chirped.
Given that ‘Girls’ and ‘Real Time’ both air on the same channel, one would think that Mr. Apatow would want to make it known that there isn’t room for such “misogynistic” talk amongst HBO family. I guess not. Either the ‘Girls’ crew sits silently while Maher does his thing because he has too much clout, or they do so because he’s an ideological ally. Which is it? My money is on the fact that Bill Maher tends to defend the guy Ms. Dunham lost her “voting virginity” to in 2008.
If any of the “chicks” over at ‘Girls’ — particularly Jenni Konner — go into a “rage spiral” now that Maher’s observations have been more forthrightly brought to their attention, I’ll let you know. Chances are that you’ll see Lena Dunham naked again before Bill Maher gets a public earful from Judd Apatow, since they like to talk about drugs together on ‘Real Time.’
It ain’t that special honey; put some clothes on. And do the rest of us women a favor and make it a death spiral, would you? Sane people don’t play ping-pong in the nude.
I find Lena Dunham to be absolutely repulsive. She should keep her clothes on; she does not have the body to pull off nude scenes to begin with. And “Girls” sounds like a pathetic show. It’s hardly “sexist” to point out that the show pointlessly features nudity and the such. Thanks, Apatow, for making me not want to see any of your future movies if that’s how you’re going to treat people for dissenting with you.
Furious D (as always) has the best comment on it.
http://dknowsall.blogspot.com/2014/01/hollywood-babble-on-on-1108-golden.html?spref=tw
(she’s just trying to be “real”)
Zing! He’s on to her.
Furious D describes it better than I could and does a superb job of it. Like most liberal feminists, Dunham loves to play the victim. It’s never her fault. It’s always that misogynistic boogeyman’s fault for not understanding that she’s being “real.”
Pointless nudity is what HBO is all about. I’ve watched some of their shows in the past and wasn’t at all impressed. The local paper laughably called “Girls” and other HBO series TV for “grown-ups.” Grown-ups. Uh-huh. I’ve found that so-called “adult” TV series like those on HBO and Showtime are often more juvenile than the average kids’ show.
I’d like to see the actual ratings of “Girls.” I doubt they’re that great.
My brother had an pretty good take on Ms. Dunham as well:
Your brother has a great take as well. I think it shows that society as a whole has misplaced priorities, and people like these feminists that come out of the woodwork to get angry about non-issues are proof of that. I think Dunham probably takes herself a little too seriously.
I think it was Furious D that once made the joke that HBO had a nudity requirement.
I’ve run with that ever sense. lol
LOL. My local paper also gave a gushy review for “Masters of Sex” and called it “TV for grown-ups.” Yeah, more like a show for depraved perverts.
This. This is why women can’t be considered with respect. Not only the casual nudity, but the absolutely cringe-inducing phrase “rage spiral”. I think a request for the reasoning behind it is far more worthy than ass crack comments, but how could these “ladies” give a reason for something that is as basic as wanting more eyes on the tube. There’s no political statement here, no art, no voice, thus, no definable or defendable reason. Thus the ridiculous response. Idiocy.
I’m glad someone else thinks the “rage spiral” phrase is just as odd as I did! I was thinking, “Who says that? Who says that? Seriously.”
There’s nothing more unattractive than a stupid, ugly, mouthy quasi-feminist.
Got that right, Hube!
I think Bill Maher is a real scumbag. You hear about his latest nasty comments?
http://newsbusters.org/blogs/tim-graham/2014/02/02/hbos-bill-maher-conservative-answer-gay-grammys-mass-shooting-country-mu