Monday, July 9, 2012

Girls...Just like us

The show Girls on HBO came out this year to much fanfare and criticism. It was being talked about everywhere on the web and on TV.  And even though I am pretty on par with my pop culture and TV watching, I can't afford premium cable so I don't get HBO. Therefore I didn't get a chance to watch the show when it first aired. Since I am currently in Chicago at my parent's house on summer vacay, I not only have all the time in world to do whatever I want, but they also have pretty much every channel available on their TV and On Demand. Pretty awesome. I decided that one of my many goals while at home was to watch the entire 10 episode first season of Girls and see what everyone has been talking about. Pretty lofty goal, I know. Be jealous.

As a young woman in New York, I assumed I'd easily relate to this show. And of course, I immediately did. The four girls in the show, Hannah, Marni, Shoshanna, and Jessa are certainly not the new Carrie, Samantha, Charlotte, and Miranda of HBO, but they certainly are relateable to young women like myself.

There is not really one character on this show that I specifically relate to but if I had to choose it would probably be the main character Hannah. We are both over thinkers, both have body image issues, both are pretty honest and/or blunt, and both are pretty damn funny. However, we differ in many cases too. I can hold a job. We definitely have a different fashion sense. And very different taste in men. I do think if we met, we'd get along pretty well though.

There were quite a few relateable moments for me in the ten-episode first season that specifically stood out at me. One of my favorite episodes was number four. It involves the complicated relationship between Hannah and Adam. They were kind of seeing each other, but were also kind of more like fuck-buddies. Whatever relationship they did had was not definable. She clearly was super into him but he seemed so nonchalant about the whole thing up until this point. (Been there, done that. Ugh.) In this episode, accidentally sexts Hannah a picture of his dick. She was appalled. But the she finds out he didn't mean for it to be sent to her, but to another girl (and even told her that) and she becomes almost irate. In some of her rage, she went over to his apartment to basically bitch him out and get all of her feelings off her chest. It was ballsy. It was emotional. And it was honest. I loved it.

Hannah: I came here to say that I don't think we should see each other anymore.  I don't think we should see each other anymore and it makes me feel stupid and pathetic to get a picture of your dick that I know was meant for someone else and you didn't even bother to explain because I made you think you didn't have to explain. So...
Adam: What are you asking?
Hannah: I am not asking anything. I'm really not asking for you anything. I have never asked you for anything.  I don't even want anything. Okay? I respect your right to see and do whoever you want. And I don't even want a boyfriend...So...
Adam: What do you want?
Hannah: I just want someone who wants to hang out all the time, and thinks I am the best person in the world, and wants to have sex with only me. And it makes me feel very stupid to tell you this because it makes me sound like a girl that like wants to go to brunch and I really don't want to go to brunch and I don't want you to like sit on the couch while I shop or like even meet my friends. I don't even want that. Okay? I also don't want to share a sex partner with a girl who seems to have asked for a picture of your dick. And also I don't want a picture of your dick because I live very near near you so if you wanted me to look at your dick, I can just come over and look at your dick. And...I don't really see you hearing me. And I don't really see you changing... So...I just summed it up for you. And I'm sorry I didn't figure it out sooner and you must think I am stupider than you already thought I was already. But considering a testament to your charms. But you might not know this, but you are very, very charming and I really care about you. And I don't want to anymore, but it feels too shitty for me.

This scene could have been me as Hannah. It could have been a number of girls that I know feeling the way Hannah did. Most of us have been there. (If you haven't, consider yourself lucky.) But she said what she had to say and made her feelings known, coupled even with a little unintentional humor. Most girls have been in a situation where they clearly like someone who unfortch don't reciprocate those feelings. Straight up, it sucks. It makes your heart hurt and makes you feel bad about yourself. And watching the above scene with Adam and Hannah really struck a chord for me. Although I have never been sexted (Thank God! So. Gross. Penis' are not attractive.) I don't think I would ever have the guts to lay it all out there for someone who I have feelings for that makes me feel like shit about myself. You know why? Because I know what the response would be. Dude would think I was insane. Seriously. As real as this show is, I feel that any guy would think that Hannah is nutso and totally close the door, literally and figuratively, on her. But Adam didn't.

With all that being said, I think that Girls paints a pretty good picture of how women my age feel about guys. About relationships. And about life. It shows a vulnerability about many women (not all) that some men might not realize. (Or that they might ususally interpret as crazy but whatevs. Its normal.) I really hope that the second season continues to highlight such realistic personal issues that many women continually face and can relate to. I know that when Season two rolls around, I will do my best to invite myself over to a friend's house with HBO to watch it in real time.

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