I Know This Is Late But...

I was so disappointed with the last episode of Girls. Granted Lena Dunham’s writing has more often than not been a source of great frustration, anger, bemusement, and boredom I cannot say that I am not entertained by the show. It’s such a great conversation-starter and it gets people riled up about what it’s really like to be a 20-something living in Brooklyn and how so much of the show is plainly impossible. Their lifestyles and severe lack of income are greatly unrealistic, those apartments in the show are the size of mansions, and I have never in my going on 4 years of living in Brooklyn seen a loft party of that magnitude EVER, to name a few discrepancies. 

Generally, I find the show mildly offensive and wildly imaginative, but can relate to it on many levels. However, this past season was a little disappointing, what with the first episode where the one and ONLY black character is used as a shocking reaction to unapologetic critics (who merely had more of a field day after the episode aired) or that weird episode where Hanna slept with that hottie doctor, unabashedly pouring out her soul in waves of biting honesty and telling anecdotes. There wasn’t much consistency from week to week, making the characters less and less likable/relate-able compared to last season. I have had so many discussions about the show (it’s like really insane how many) and that has been the general consensus. It just seemed like there was a lot missing and the last episode really fortified my already shaky stance on this season: Blah.

Everything works out? C'mon Judd Appatow and Lena Dunham, really? It all just felt forced and far fetched, a nice little package with a bow and a smile. To me all I could ask was, where the hell did that come from? Seriously? The scene with Adam running shirtless through the streets of Brooklyn, though aesthetically pleasing, was something straight out of a vapid rom-com. It took everything in me to watch the last 10 min without rolling my eyes every 90 seconds. Maybe it was the structure of the season and the lack of continuity with the story line or the lack of story line, I don’t know, but I was really expecting something way different than what I saw. I still respect Lena Dunham as a writer and I always will, she’s damn good at it when it works, but I’m hoping the 3rd season has a bit more substance to it.

Had to get that out. Phew.

In other news, thanks to a friend I am now OBSESSED with this song:

The N-Word

For me the N-word will never be apart of my vocabulary. I have taken a personal stance against the word- any variation of it- for numerous reasons, one actually includes plainly not liking the way the word feels in my mouth. It has a similar sensation to the word goop ::shudders:: so gross. 

The word is rooted in hate. I know it’s been argued that the original definition is “an ignorant person,” and has nothing to do with race but seriously, STFU. We have all been living in this world and know that word carries so much more weight than that in history. It’s painful and anchored in a time where race inequality was a norm (it still is in a lot of cases, which is deplorable) for this country and accepted. 

Honestly, I don’t mind if it’s used in literature or movies if it has a point. There is a place for it in our society because regardless of my opinion of it, it’s apart of American history and shouldn’t be ignored. Also, I am not saying I would ever condemn black people for using it, because despite my personal preference there are people in my culture that embrace and are empowered by using the casual, “friendly version” of the word. I do not, however, think it’s appropriate for anyone other than black people to use it. I used to try and rationalize why it would be ok for any other culture to use it, but I could lie to myself no longer, “But I’m so liberal,” I would say to myself. I had to level with myself, though. This is one subject in which I will not compromise my opinion.

It has been an ongoing controversy whether or not the word should be banned and I don’t see any kind of solution in the future, but you know what? Maybe that’s ok. This word is steeped in all kinds of incommensurable emotions. It means so many things to so many people and that’s not necessarily a bad thing, it’s just a reality. No one is going to agree on how, who, why this word should be used.

The blogoshpere has been all a flurry with Lisa Lampenelli’s use of the word in her tweet to Lena Dunham. Surprise surprise, yet again Lena is caught in (albeit a roundabout way) yet another racial controversy. Anyway, I hate Lisa Lampanelli. I don’t think she’s funny and find her obnoxious and annoying. The way she uses the N-word is purely for shock value and it doesn’t make me angry, it’s just purely disappointing. She’s a disappointing individual.

Go home, Lisa Lampanelli, you’re drunk. 

Voice of a Generation?

I know it’s not her fault, even remotely, but I am so tired of hearing Lena Dunham’s opinion on various subjects as if it’s suppose to be this incredibly insightful, illuminating idea that nobody else could have even imagined to discover. In different publications I have noticed people using her interview answers as some sort of voice for young women of this generation, the millennial generation, and I’m honestly getting really tired of it. More specifically this article on Jezebel about the (necessary) chastisement of Rihanna after her dumb ass got back with her abuser. I understand that she’s a successful writer and that her show has been a relatable extension of her experiences/ imagination that has opened up such awesome dialogue about privilege, class and race, but I’ll be damned if I stay silent about how irritated I am that her opinion is being held so heavily in journalism. She’s not a scholar. She’s not a psychologist, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that, I do think there’s something wrong when people take everything she says as gospel. I think she’s a great writer for what her writing needs to accomplish and I honestly do enjoy her show… begrudgingly ha. Anyway, I just want to reiterate that she is just a person with an opinion not this omnipotent deity that seems to be growing with fervor in the media. And if I hear the phrase, “Voice of our generation,” come out of anyone’s mouth about anyone I’m going to go cray cray. There are so many different lifestyles in our generation that are being ignored in pop culture, so I really don’t think one person deserves to be the voice of any generation. Geebus. Phew. Glad I got that out. Happy Monday everyone.