How Lena Dunham made everyone hate/pity/love see Millennials
If you don’t watch the show GIRLS on HBO, then please stop reading this blog.
Totally kidding. You can keep reading if you want.
In New York City in the year 2012, Lena Dunham’s character on GIRLS, Hannah Horvath, becomes financially cut off from her parents. Many watched in disgust as Hannah glared at her parents from across the restaurant table and said things like, “You can’t do this to me! I’m so close to being the person I’m supposed to become!” Immediately after this dinner, Hannah proceeds to drink opium tea with her friends and ends up at her parent’s hotel in the middle of the night (very high) declaring that she is the voice of her generation.
Although I don’t really believe in “a voice of a generation,” it is hilarious and raw writing like this that has solidified Lena Dunham as at least one voice for the Millennials.
Hannah and her friends play out every humiliating scenario that this generation has become famous for. Layoffs, working in coffee shops, fragile tech money that was made (and then lost) in an unprofitable app venture, and, possibly the show’s most defining characteristic (besides nudity) is the constant Millennial search for meaning and self-actualization.
Regardless of your views on the show itself, it’s impossible to ignore the way GIRLS has put Millennials, positively and negatively (and sometimes embarrassingly) in center spotlight.
We’ve heard from critics—both lovers and haters—about their reaction to this depiction of Millennials but now we would love to hear from you.
What do you think of the way Lena Dunham has written Millennials?