Has a show ever been more problematic in terms of the amount of praise its received than Lena Dunham's Girls? Admittedly, the sentiments and goals of the show are genuinely brilliant. It's a show written by a woman, about women (still a rarity, unbelievably, in today's world). It deals with some seriously lofty and under-explored issues such as abortion, body image issues, the social media-saturated lives of young people and harassment of women. These are all issues that a progressive show should be dealing with. But the problem is... Girls doesn't really seem to take them seriously enough. OK, these are pretty dark topics for a show that is, at its core, a comedy, but if Dunham wants these issues to be illuminated adequately (and not just dismissed) then she should surely be taking the time to cover them more sensitively? Not to mention, of course, that the show has exhibited classism, racism and transphobia throughout its seasons. Not particularly brilliant for a series that claims to be presenting a non-patriarchal narrative. No doubt Dunham means well, and - as indicated - the themes she puts out there aren't being highlighted by anyone else. She certainly merits admiration - and indeed praise - for bringing these issues into the mainstream. It's a shame that the show itself doesn't always succeed in matching its lofty aims, and that it is occasionally just as problematic as the doctrines that it claims to undermine.
