Chances are, if you’ve heard about the new HBO comedy, “Girls,” you’ve heard about it so much it makes you sick. “Girls” has been one of the most hyped shows of the past year, mostly because of its two producers, Judd Apatow and Lena Dunham. So far, the show has received equal parts extravagant praise and extreme backlash. The show is based on a group of girls (shocking) who moved to New York in order to pursue their careers and are struggling to stay above water in the big city. “Girls” is purported to be the anti-“Sex and the City” in that these girls are just your average, run-of-the-mill girls with very normal problems as opposed to the exaggerated, monumental, outrageous problems of Carrie and her gaggle of friends.
In the pilot, Hannah (played by Lena Dunham herself) is cut off financially from her parents and has to quit her internship in order to find a job that will actually pay her money. She’s attempting to start over from scratch, while she and her friends are simultaneously coping with problems in their personal lives.
It is easy to see why this show has received so much backlash. It fits a very specific niche and is definitely not for everybody. It targets 20-something girls, their insecurities, their problems, their strengths and weaknesses and how they cope. Naturally, this leaves a gaping hole for all the people out there who don’t relate to these kinds of issues. However, this is what makes the show brilliant. It completely embraces this niche, not trying to be anything else but exactly what it is. TV shows that attempt to encompass multiple platforms and genres tend to fall flat because they have spread themselves too thin, and this show has immersed itself so honestly in its genre that it works wonders.
Another complaint about this show could definitely be the rhythm. The dialogue isn’t very smooth and is often awkward, but I found that to be a breath of fresh air. Twenty-somethings don’t have fabulous free-flowing conversations at fancy, upscale cafes about the latest adorable purse they got or how their marvelous and exotic sex lives are going. They awkwardly sit in the bathtub while their friend is shaving, talking about how difficult it is to have a boyfriend who loves you too much or how impossible it will be to support yourself after your parents have cut you off. The start-and-stop dialogue may strike a dissonant chord for some, but for those of us who don’t talk in perfect prose, it’s totally refreshing. This show is not without its faults, however, as it has a slightly depressing edge thus far. Although it’s completely engaging and unique, it’s a bit of a downer at times. The characters are depicted so honestly that it’s hard to watch them struggle with issues that hit so close to home. However, I have a feeling this sentiment will fluctuate dramatically as the show progresses and the lives of the characters change. Regardless, this show is completely deserving of attention – but that’s coming from the perspective of a 20-something girl.
-Mackenzie Bronk
