Girls

[Kon Darp]

I agree while i did not agree with all of his points he deserves to have his views heard. I mean this a thread about a new tv show, on a comedy message board if you have made it to page 8 you have enough time to read his post.

Do you guys not know how tl;dr: work? I read the entirety of his post and responded thoughtfully and specifically.

Putting a tl;dr on your post is just a method of summarizing a longer opinion in case people skip to the end. The one on my post wasn't to signify that I didn't read pg13's post, but rather that I realized my response was verbose.

I maintain that his first 5 paragraphs about Donnie Darko were pretty unnecessary, though. Not unlike this post, I'm sure.

[Couldn'tThinkOfaName]

For those of you not interested in reading all of pg's thing: Man disappointed that his interpretation doesn't quite match creator's artistic intentions. Then something about Arrested Development being comedy of embarrassment which I don't understand.

And it's pronounced "too long semi colon did not read"

[Umlaut]

Bridget (not going to stop calling you that), hating on pg13 for long posts is like people complaining about the abrasive vocal quality of Bob Dylan. It's what he does. It's not on you to police who can and can't spend 5 paragraphs on background detail that you deem unnecessary.

ALSO -- this website isn't Reddit or 4chan, and I like that. Sometimes people write thousands of words about a movie or TV show or SNL character. Sometimes they write a 5 word snarky remark (Scamboogah). It's all gravy. If something is too long and you don't read it, that's fine. But if you must comment on it, come up with a better retort than an Internet cliche. I like this response to a recent lengthy post of mine. Quippy, not very dick-ish.

[Kon Darp]

Bridget (not going to stop calling you that), It's not on you to police who can and can't spend 5 paragraphs on background detail that you deem unnecessary.

Ummy (that's cool, I like having a nickname), I am not a moderator and don't police anything. This is like the "Freedom of speech" argument that homophobic people on twitter try to use. He can write however much he wants, and I can comment on it.

I've read and enjoyed many of pg13's posts before, and I spent maybe 2 lines addressing his relevant-content-to-length ratio. The rest of my wordy post was devoted to actually responding to what him. It was supposed to be a throw-away thing and it's goofy that it's caused this much "controversy." At least I actually responded to his content, unlike The Administrator, who just snarked and then left.

If you know who I used to be, you know that I've been here for a few years. You think I haven't written 500 word essays about miscellaneous entertainment? I've written essays on Reddit as well. Not really sure what you mean. That tl;dr's aren't necessary? I think the fact that none of you have apparently read my post, or that people specifically commented on not reading either, suggests that there IS some need.

EDIT: Holy shit, is Donald Glover on the next episode? If so, I can't wait.

[isoS]

I admit my post was dismissive, and I apologize to pg13, who is a treasure (a treasure I enjoy busting on sometimes). What I apparently didn't have time to say is that I started reading his post, saw where it was going and decided I don't want to know Dunham's intentions with this show. I'd rather just enjoy it for what I perceive it to be. (Also, I never saw Donnie Darko but I read the script for work and gave it a pass -- "a challenging teen drama that presents an unforgettable lead character and a truly unique story line but fails to make sense of the increasingly incoherent and episodic events of the plot.")

Sometimes people do create good art accidentally, but that is impossible to sustain. So if Dunham is wearing the Emperor's new clothes, we'll find out soon enough. In the meantime, I'll just watch this show and laugh. Knowing nothing of his actual involvement in the project, I have to say that I do feel Judd Apatow's hand in this somehow, in that it hits the embarrassing, awkward and relatable coming-of-age beats in a very raw and honest way. I see a little of Freaks and Geeks in this show, and that makes me very happy.

[BillBrasky]

EDIT: Holy shit, is Donald Glover on the next episode? If so, I can't wait.

No, in Season 2 , which they're shooting now.

[Finnias Jones]

Sometimes the creator of a piece of art is the LEAST qualified person to talk about what it means. Intentions are often vastly different from results.

[Fritz Zwicky]

I recently watched Tiny Furniture for the first time, and I was struck by the condensed manner in which I experienced all the emotions I feel when I watch Girls. At first, Lena Dunham is really cute and charming, and then shit gets weird, and it all ends with a rich girl shit fit that calls into question everything you've seen before. Is Lena Dunham really aware of how shitty she ultimately comes across (the question that pg13 posed earlier), or is she oblivious? Is this a commentary on rich, sequestered white girls, or is this her real life? Or both? It all made me pretty uncomfortable. I still like this show, but I'm increasingly confused as to where it comes from.

[Aaron1933]

I also recently watched Tiny Furniture, and did not like it for the reasons I originally expected to not like it, unlike in the case of this show, which transcended my expectations. The two are very similar, so it's strange that a person can like one and not the other. But for me, the movie seemed to be on the bad side of the line Lena Dunham walks between naivety and funny self-awareness.

[shallowgal]

I'm liking Girls more and more as it goes on... I was going to say "progresses", but I don't want to jump to any conclusions. yikes.

I kind of hated the pilot (and wasn't much of a fan of Tiny Furniture, actually found myself wishing that it was indeed more about that teeny tiny furniture), but it's growing on me.

[pollymaepry]

I haven't seen Tiny Furniture, but if it was about sheltered rich girls what would be wrong with that? I get that being self-aware (which she obviously is) is important I just don't understand those of you that find Lena Dunham personally insulting. Then don't watch the stuff. (mostly responding to fritz i guess)

[Fritz Zwicky]

I don't find her insulting, Polly, so much as baffling, in a way. I like Girls. I'm just becoming convinced that, as self-aware as she seems to be, there are some moments that come across much different than she might intend for them to--because she really is rich and out of touch. Those moments don't lessen Girls. In fact, I think they add to what makes this show so interesting.

[MikThrontveit]

All I want to say is that the popularity of this thread (which i never opened) and Sarah Silverman name checking the show on the Carolla Podcast made me start watching this show today (and a little bit because it's HBO).

As of right now, I just finished the 4th episode and I'm pretty sure I'll never start the 5th because there are zero likable characters on the show. Seriously, who you want to hang out with any of these people? I'm not saying they're horrible people, but they're vapid, sad, egotistical snooze machines who take themselves extremely seriously.

The only moment I liked was because of my own ego, because the british chick got bloody finger banged in the bar I use to go to every Sunday for Packers games when I lived in NY. (Tom and Jerry's Bar - Houston and Elizabeth St P.S. worst bloody marys on earth).

[pollymaepry]

I agree on a lot of that, but I have a friend whom I love that is a lot like Shoshanna. So yes I would hang (if you don't have dickhead friends you're the only one that doesn't). But that's not really the point. I like Sex & The City (in fact I'm watching it right now!), but those characters are also terrible people. I agree with every adjective you used to describe these ladies besides "snooze machines", and I think that character description could apply to a lot of funny, great TV characters. Actually Gob and Tobias and almost the entire cast of Arrested Development immediately sprung to mind after I read that sentence. I guess that's the difference, that they specifically don't interest you. "Non-decent person" does not a bad character make.

(sorry if i sound defensive of this show, but...yeah, i'm defending a show i like, big deal)

[Couldn'tThinkOfaName]

I care about hanging out with fictional characters just as much as I care about potentially having a beer with the president. I don't want to hang out with anybody from Seinfeld or Community, but still like those shows a lot. If a show is executed well enough, the character's flaws can make the show just as compelling. Which I think is the case with this show. I think it's gotten better with each episode.

[MikThrontveit]

Egotistical and Sad can be terrific characteristics in... um, characters. I would agree that those terms fit perfectly with a lot of Arrested Development characters, but "vapid"... I don't think could be tagged on any AD characters. Vapid Google Definition: Offering nothing that is stimulating or challenging. "Non-decent" is of course a great character trait, I wasn't trying to say that. Terrible people have been some of the best characters in the history of entertainment. I could name every terrific villan and anti-hero from the history of entertainment as a reference here.

Also, I wasn't just talking about the lady characters, if that's how you took it, I meant pretty much everybody on the show is vapid. The two exceptions I think would be Zosia Mamet's character and the horrible guy who doesn't wear a shirt. She has actual value to her character because she's repressed (probably her acting chops) and the guy who doesn't wear a shirt is interesting because he's a sociopath/possible psychopath/future registered sex offender (also probably acting chops).

EDIT: P.S. I started the 5th episode. This is probably going to turn into being one of those shows I watch because I hate it.

[pollymaepry]

I guess I and others who like this show just don't see them as devoid of interesting characteristics. I think it's interesting that the only credit you give to this show is kinda sheerly given to the actors, you obviously have a thing against the writing style of this show, that won't change. Oh and I wasn't offended as a lady, I just said "ladies" cause they're the main characters.

Marnie's boyfriend is quite quite vapid but I think they did that on purpose so that you don't feel TOO sorry for him as he gets all jerked around (heh "jerked").

[MikThrontveit]

Hey, I'm always up for being wrong and having a shitty first impression.

[Phil]

After a slow start, I am officially hooked on this show. My wife and I talk in details about each episode like we do with Mad Men. Win.

[dorothy mantooth]

"I'm tight like a baby."
"COME ON!"

Also, Peter Scolari's dick. Being used in the canine fashion on Mrs. Weir. My brain will never recover.