Writer Uses ‘Girls’ Creator’s ‘Rounded Shape’ And ‘Complicated Stylings’ As Evidence She’s Not Racist

May 2nd, 2012 - By Brande Victorian

Source: Zimbio.com

As I stated last week, I really feel like the white washing of HBO’s new series “Girls” is a non-issue. I think it’s fully within the creator, Lena Dunham’s rights to present a white New York world in a cable show if she so chooses—however unrealistic that may be—and I didn’t see anything particularly racist about it.

From one black person to the next, I think it’s good Hilton Als, a writer for the New Yorker, also defended Lena’s choice to portray the NYC that she does; however the backhanded way he shut down black women in doing so just doesn’t sit well with me. He wrote:

“[I]sn’t Dunham doing women of color a favor by not trying to insert them into her world where ideas about child-rearing, let alone man and class aspirations, tend to be different? John Lennon once said if you want your kids to stay white, don’t have them listen to black music. And I think it’s crazy to assume Dunham hasn’t. She grew up in New York, and you can see it in her clothes and body: no white girl allows herself to look like that if she didn’t admire the rounder shapes, and more complicated stylings, that women of color tend to pursue as their idea of beauty.”

Ahhh, where to begin. Let’s just start with allowing herself to look like that, rounder shapes, and the pursuit of complicated stylings. Way to throw us all into one ghettofied fat heap along with the assumption that a white girl with a little meat on her bones must be trying to keep up with women of color. And then her being a round, odd-dressing New Yorker somehow proves she’s not racist and justifies her not having any people of color in her show?

Hilton would have been better off just sticking to the part where he said, “Dunham is accurately describing the ways in which, once things get sexual in her world, and girls become women, the universe gets polarized, segregated—her female characters are looking for white male validation, which is their right.” All this other BS about pursuing certain complicated ideals of beauty is just that–BS.

What do you think about this writer’s defense of “Girls” and Lena Dunham?

Brande Victorian is a blogger and culture writer in New York City. Follower her on Twitter at @be_vic.

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  • clinique

     I commented about this on my own blog. I love the show (now that I have watched it). Do I feel that there should’ve been more diversity? Yes. Do I have an issue that there wasn’t any diversity? No. ‘Girls’ is not the first movie/series that had an all white casting, it can be agreed up on the we (minorities) have seen it enough to be used to it. She didn’t think to add black/latina/asian etc characters then she didn’t think to she’s likely pulling from what she’s intimately familiar with. Should she add diversity? For a New Yorker in New York? Yes but only if its going to be well thought and what she wants to do. I can’t stand the Hollywood practice of adding stereotypes to score diversity points, its more offensive than anything.

    Another thing on a side, while I do feel like there should be more diversity I also feel that minorities (esp. black people) need to work on creating and producing their own ideas and stories. I wouldn’t expect a white women to be able to write about what it is like today as a black woman. She’s not black, she wouldn’t know. That’s not to imply that whites should exclude minorities from film, books etc but that they can’t do everything for minorities.

  • http://twitter.com/DarlingNiq Nicole M. Peters

    While I clearly don’t agree with the writer from The New Yorker, as a fan of the show ALREADY (I really think its fun, imaginative and real–possibly more “real” than its constantly compare, SATC), I don’t always need to see “me” in my sitcoms, dramas, etc.  There are black people everywhere, that doesn’t necessarily mean that these characters have that have that one “token” homegirl.  This was the same controversy with “Friends” and then they introduced Aisha Tyler as David Schimmer’s girlfriend.  The token friend isn’t needed!! PERIOD! 

    On another note, but still drives the point home, I know that we’ve all have seen “Think Like a Man” by now.  I was in love with the fact that the men had a mix of friends.  There was were two white guys in the movie, but their characters were written so well, that they blended fluidly with the other (black) actors.  

    So, with that said, it wouldn’t make me feel better to see “one of my own” in a show if they are there to stand out and be noticed to eliminate “racial exclusions”.  Because, in actuality, the standing out is what offends me more. 

  • http://twitter.com/PynkStarrr Pynkstarr

    Honestly until a person mentions certain things about race or the lack of African Americans I never really notice. Only because I watch TV for entertainment and other purposes that do not involve race. Not until reading this article did I not realize it. The show is very awkward and dry humor, which I enjoy.  If that is what she sees in her life then it is what it is. I’ll continue to watch it.

  • Jumelle

    Hilton’s comments, while solely being his opinion, have no significance…

    For the record I’m Black and watch the show, and happen to think it’s very entertaining-never once did it cross my mind that there wasn’t a black character on here–

    there are more important situations where race should be discussed- not regarding an HBO series…

  • PAM

    MADAMENOIRE thanks for sharing this. The series its self has nothing to do with anything; it wont affect the price of rice in China and  no one really cares! What I find appalling and disrespectful to women of all races, is Hilton’s comment. It sounds like Hilton is a racist projecting his own insecurities and utter ignorance. How can he not know  that no one race has one size of women, they come in all shapes and sizes.  More importantly  a person’s appearance  cannot be used to  confirm or deny attitudes such as racism.

  • Guest

    I take issue with his comment about how “we” (black women) have different class aspirations than white women. I need him to elaborate. **pulls up chair and waits**

  • Kitsy

    Ugh! an we please just let these white ‘Girls’ have their damn show and leave them alone! I’m so sick of this issue!!!!!

    • Kitsy

      *can

  • Blkgurlwithwings

    aaaaahhhhh, don’t you just LOVE post-racial amerikkka:  I know I do!!!!  People just feel like that can say any old thing…..allows herself to look like that…..SM(black)H!

  • Vishnu512

     I don’t care what those folks
    think and you shouldn’t either. I hate all the talk about this show and
    the lack of black folks – I couldn’t care any less about that also.
    Stop begging for inclusion and create your own. How many times does it
    have to slap us in the face that we are a non-factor in their world – so
    stop making them such a big azz factor in ours. IJS

    • http://www.facebook.com/AshaBee19143 Aayesha AshaBee Bell

      AMEN!!!!
      and
      AMEN AGAIN!!!

  • svati

    Dear Ms. Victorian, 
    I am going to be working in a middle school and have been looking for texts that broach the topic of gender. I really admire your astute analysis and precise writing. May I use this in my class? Thank you :) svati

  • sam

    Black people should make and control their own stories. Stop whining about not being included in other people’s stories. There were no white people on Good Times or in School Daze…..you get the point.

    • L-Boogie

      The sad thing is that you assume those type of things define Blackness.  These movies and shows are simply a spectrum of the reality.

      • sam

        I’m not saying those shows define Blackness, but they were “a spectrum of the reality” as well. Just like that white girl’s show is “a spectrum of her reality”. I think that if Black people spent HALF as much time creating our own stuff as we do complaining about white people creating THEIR stuff, we would be much better off.

    • http://profile.yahoo.com/3VIUEJTK6S42UBXARAATTRS6BI JR

      agreed!

    • http://twitter.com/amareda10 Amanda Mosby

      Thats true and also when there is a door or avenue that we have open we should support one another. Instead of criticizing. 

  • MXSTUDENT2012

    MADAMENOIRE….SO WHAT IF SHE DID NOT FEATURE A BLACK CHARACTER ON HER DAMN SHOW…..GOSH!!!! First of all I’m sure the characters that make up the cast of this show are reflective of the crowd it appeals to; simple as that. You probably don’t watch or tune in to the series, so why try to find an issue. I mean even if she did cast a black character, you would complain how she’s a token black sidekick who doesn’t represent black women well, or how this black character is too stereotypical and “coonish”. My point here is that you guys like to reach a lil’ too much to find racial issues somewhere or another. The truth is that Lena Dunham is not obligated to cast women of color if she doesn’t want to, it’s her show. A quick and easy solution to that would be not to support the show. End of story.

    • Candacey Doris

       The author just  said that it wasn’t an issue. What is the issue is Hilton’s ridiculous comments about the creator.

      • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000186247181 Jaime Slim Goody Johnson

        I’m glad at least one person actually read the article. SMH

    • http://www.facebook.com/people/Que-Stevenson/1204180733 Que Stevenson

      I partly agree. I am sick of writers throwing in somebody black just to keep from getting complaints from the black community. I especially don’t like it if the character played by a black person is over dramatic,aggressive, ignorant, or inconsiderate. If I can’t find a way to relate to the show, or find it interesting at all, I simply won’t watch it. It just doesn’t matter who’s in it. Who’s to say she won’t put somebody black in the show later.

      But this article was about Hilton’s comments, I just think they were disrespectful, to both black & white women. Not so much about what he said on how women of color dress (though we don’t all dress alike and he grouped us all up on that), but basically compared her to a black woman & referring to women of color as “rounder” like she is (we aren’t all round) and there are just as many round women of other races.

  • L-Boogie

    She is entitled to her opinion.  If her world consist of only white people let her depict it.  

  • Lalatarea

    He did a great job of making himself look like a racist!

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