Lovelyish

Come on now, HBO! This is torture! I have probably watched season one no less than five times. In fact, I am watching a Girls marathon as I write this just to cope with my addiction to these laughable, lovable ladies. I even got one of my dear girlfriends hooked on Girls, by watching every episode in a single night.

On that fateful evening, we were able to attach almost every scenario to our lives, as I am sure many 20-somethings have. From sleazy guys to buffoonish parents to complete and utter lack of life and work experience, Girls does so much more for viewers than capture the trials of life as a young woman in the big city. 

The show is airing our dirty laundry, ladies—our inner most secrets, issues even Hannah’s diary cannot even contain. And, while that is uncomfortable in and of itself, Lena Dunham pushes the boundaries even further by depicting these issues in their rawest form. And no, I do not just mean the many, many times we have seen her figure, full frontal. If any girl has not watched an episode of Girls without feeling some level of awkward (good or bad), then girl I do not know where you are going in those Keds!

As I cringed and quivered when Marnie and Jessa made out on Thomas-John’s $10,000 rug and shed the most pitiful tears when Hannah watched Adam ride off in an ambulance after being side-swiped, I cannot stop myself from saying how much Girls relates to my life more than My So-Called Life or Daria or “Degrassi: The Next Generation” ever did. And I am sure I am not the only young woman who thinks this way. But what do you think? Is “Girls” one of the most relatable shows on television?

1)    “I don’t even want a boyfriend. I just want someone who wants to hang out all the time, and thinks I’m the best person in the world, and wants to have sex with only me.” – Hannah Horvath (“Hannah’s Diary”) I think we all did a silent, “You go girl!” when Hannah finally found the nerve to put it all out there with her quasi-boo/ lover/ friends-with-benefits/ man friend, Adam. Sadly, our cheers turned to jeers less than a minute later as the oh so seductive suitor tugged her back into his arms. There will always be that guy you have trouble tugging away from, who’s world you want to be the center of, and who, of course, treats you like total crap. That’s the way love goes. 

2)    “I’m offended by all the ‘supposed to’s.’ I don’t like women telling other women what to do, or how to do it, or when to do it.” – Jessa Johansson (“Vagina Panic”) Considering Jessa’s loose lifestyle, no one was too shocked when she so vehemently opposed being called one of “the ladies” by her cousin Shoshanna. However, this poignant scene justified her behavior. Yes, ladies, you can hook up with whomever you would like regardless of society’s standards. Who are they to judge?  

3)    “Everyone’s a dumb whore” – Shoshanna Shapiro (“She Did”) Clearly, Shoshanna was having one of those days where any and everything had the potential to get in her “emotional way.” Who hasn’t? In this case, she not only attended a mystery party (turned wedding) wearing white but also had recently been slighted mid-action for admitting to being a virgin. Yes, Shoshanna everyone is a dumb whore and they should know it. I only wish I could shout that openly more often.  

4)    “Don’t waste time on guilt, Hannah. Holding on to toxic relationships is what keeps us from growing.” – Adam Sackler (“She Did”) Well, well, well Adam, isn’t this the pot calling the kettle black? How ironic that the one who gave Hannah the runaround for months would be the one to then provide her with such sound advice when dealing with a BFF breakup? Call him what you want, “despicable,” “cold,” “a man,” but the big lug did have a good point. I have tried to hold on to many friendships and relationships out of fear of being alone and it never got me anywhere but back to my reliable buddies, Ben & Jerry. However, this scene did sound eerily similar to the exposed words written in Hannah’s diary about Marnie’s relationship with Charlie about cutting off the limb and letting the stump heal. Just saying, Hannah. 

5)    “I’m so happy to see you I could murder you.” – Shoshanna Shapiro (“Welcome to Bushwick a.k.a. The Crackcident”) You do not have to be “accidentally” on crack to shout these words to your closest friends. Whether it’s been a day, a week, a month, it’s always great to see your girls. And murder only shows the extent our your love, right? 

6)    “No one could ever hate me as much as I hate myself, okay? So any mean thing someone’s gonna think of to say about me, I’ve already said to me, about me, probably in the last half hour!” – Hannah Horvath (“Leave Me Alone”) No matter how confident you may be now, you have felt this way. We are our own worst critics, always picking away at ourselves, noticing the most asinine things that no one else sees, and getting on our friends nerves in doing so. It’s natural. No one knows you better than you know yourself. But it is also important to cut yourself some slack here and there. 

7)    “I have been dating someone that treats my heart like it’s monkey meat. I feel like a delusional, invisible person half the time so I need to learn what it’s like to be treated well before it’s too late for me.” – Hannah Horvath (“The Return”) Hopefully, it is never too late to realize the way you, as a woman, deserve to be treated. We have all had those Aretha Franklin moments and demanded our R-E-S-P-E-C-T. Hip-hop may be dead but I refuse to believe chilvary is as well. Enough with the sporadic texts and the indifferent attitude left for you to decode. Go out there and get what you want. 

8)     “The worst stuff you say sounds better than the best stuff that some other people say.” – Hannah Horvath (“The Return”) Whether you are about to go on a date, compete in a championship sports game, or give a presentation before the CEO of your company, pep talks are the quintessential, last minute confidence booster. Hannah’s, in particular, literally had me laughing out loud due to its pure honesty. I will admit that on days when I second guess an outfit, I quietly say, “Well, some people have pink hair,” and keep it moving. Whatever floats your boat, ladies. As long as it makes you feel better about yourself, it is always nifty to have a pep talk prepared.  

9)    “Do you know that part on your resume where they ask if you have any special skills? Well, it’s the thing where they ask you to list like, ‘yoga, Spanish, water skiing, Photoshop.’ I feel like I don’t I have any special skills. – Hannah Horvath (“Pilot”) Any recent graduate, like me, will tell you about the agony of applying to jobs. As a journalist, I have been notorious for saying, “I want to report the news not be the news.” Therefore, anything that forces me to brag about myself and my amazing qualities and my special skills instantly makes me shy away. But, if you plan on making in the “real world” you must be willing to do whatever it takes to be successful–not just fiscally but personally. (Is anyone else noticing a trend of confidence throughout these quotes or is it just me?)

10)     “Sometimes being stuck in my own head is so exhausting it makes me want to cry.” – Marnie Michaels (“Weirdos Need Girlfriends Too”) I consider this to be Marnie’s cool, calm, and collected equivalent to Shoshanna’s “everyone’s a dumb whore” remark. Rather than being open to how she really feels about her romantic relationship and her friendships, Marnie chooses to keep everything bottled up inside and puts on a happy face. Thankfully, Jessa can see right through that facade even going so far as to say how much she prefers seeing Marnie “all stripped down.” Regardless of whether you are “uptight” or an open book, there is a comfort in releasing your innermost thoughts and emotions because it is exhausting and keeps you stagnant. Letting loose every once in a while, showing yourself that it is okay to relax, and not nitpicking at every move you make will keep you sane. Besides, it is what “all adventurous women do.”

Did you watch HBO’s Girls?

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