A friend of mine said she was let down by the series “finale” of HBO’s “Girls.”
I was too.
So many missed opportunities to insert a little color into the much criticized show.
To date, I’ve stayed out of the “Where’s the diversity?” debate in “Girls” because I’m a late comer to the program.
Generally, I do find it smarter than most TV fare, so I’m more inclined to like than dislike the show.
But the “Girls” has a diversity quotient of zero. Can any version of New York, even on television, be so insular in these modern times that there are no black, Latino or Asian folks to support even a thin story thread? Network TV’s “New Girl” or “Broke Girls” all have a lot more color. Is premium cable the place to say to hell with all that?
If FB’s Zuckerberg marries an Asian American woman in real life, you’d think we couldn’t see an Asian somewhere in that surprise wedding party finale. But no, not even an extra. How about as the wedding photographer? A waiter? (I know they can’t let a forlorn but horny Marnie start kissing some person of color at wedding’s end. But why sic her on the self-effacing schlimazal for a little mercy tongue.)
What’s distressing is if this is the reality of young 20-somethings’ lives, then their lives are merely a modern update of the plain old segregation we had in the past. It’s so retro. And it’s all brought to you by trendy whites who apparently see diversity as a matter of taste, and not an urgent sense of social justice.
In a response to a question about people of color, Writer/director Lena Dunham admitted in the NY Times recently , “I have to write people who feel honest but also push our cultural ball forward.”
Too bad her segregated characters certainly are pushing the cultural ball backwards.
I guess the creators of “Girls” have bigger “real life” problems to tackle. Like getting a job. Finding a boyfriend. A white one. (Did they ever think they’d improve their chances in the mating game if they sought out non-whites?)
I hope that in this Judd Apatow production, the Ken Leong image in the Hangover movies didn’t hurt Asian guys.
Still, this show has a problem with guys, all around.
On the finale, the once indifferent Adam shows his softside at the wedding and exposes the utter self-absorption of Hannah. She can’t accept that Adam is falling for her. How unromantic of her? But what’s his reward for showing vulnerability? Hannah connects with a one time partner now gay, with whom she shares an STD to be her roommate instead. How sweet. Gays are well represented in “Girls.” (He’s white, but don’t the writer’s know the gay friend in chick flicks is always the opportunity for the modern double minority, the gay-black or gay-Asian guy?)
Back to straight, vulnerable Adam. I get his rage totally. But the girls on “Girls” don’t get it.
Adam gets run over,and the girls would rather sit quietly alone on the beach eating wedding cake.
It’s a good thing I’m not 20-something anymore.
This show would have cured me of white girls.
