After returning home for winter break, my boredom set in instantaneously, and I decided to go to the public library and rent a few books and DVDs.
I came across season one of the HBO comedy “Girls,” starring Lena Dunham.
I was excited to see the show, as my friends had ?recommended it to me.
After binge-watching the first season in two evenings, I was honestly disgusted with the lead character, Hannah.
While the show itself was entertaining and clever, Hannah’s personality was — and I hate to be harsh — pathetic.
Hannah is an example of that sad, annoying girl who we can’t get rid of. She is insecure because of her weight, but uses it as a crutch constantly.
She allows herself to develop feelings for Adam, a man with whom she is having casual sex, but becomes frustrated and saddened upon discovery that the feelings may not be mutual.
She exudes confidence one day and then whines about her imperfections the next.
I can understand why Hannah may not be the most confident person in the world. However, she does absolutely nothing to change herself or become a better person.
In her eyes, she is always the victim. She is acting like a little girl, not a grown woman.
I constantly imagined myself pausing the scene and violently shaking her on the shoulders in attempt to shake some sense into her.
Hannah complains to her friends about Adam’s inconsistent or lack of communication, but never tries to get to know him in the first place. She even admits her lack of interest in her friends’ issues, but expects them to be on call whenever she is upset.
She continually second-guesses herself and then wonders why she is so unhappy.
I think Hannah’s character is an extreme, dramatized version of many young women today.
Oftentimes, we forget about being a good friend when we are upset about some guy.
Sometimes when I overhear a conversation between two people, I can’t help but be disgusted by the ?frivolity and pettiness of their ?complaints.
If the lack of available ?elliptical machines at the gym was your biggest issue that day, then I can’t say I feel sorry for you.
Maybe there is something to be said about why Hannah is so irredeemable and so unlikeable; we just have to be paying attention.
Hannah represents the worst of the worst that is within all of us.
We are selfish and ?often oblivious to what is ?happening around us.
People seem to set high standards for ?others, but quite low ones for ?themselves, just like Hannah. Maybe we need to be more self-aware and less self-absorbed.
While I have yet to see the next few seasons of “Girls,” I can only hope that Hannah’s ?character eventually grows out of her petty, “I’m the victim” attitude. I hope for the best.
nrowthor@indiana.edu
