It is impossible to feel lukewarm about Lena Dunham.
Like Hillary Clinton, the Girls actress and Lenny Letter co-founder inspires either deep revulsion or fawning acclaim. And that rift even extends to the liberal media world.
But whether you love her or hate her, most would agree that Dunham did not deserve the praise she received from Twitter on International Women’s Day.
In a series of posts highlighting different inspirational women, the social media company tweeted: “Unapologetically herself, @lenadunham has taught a generation of women how to embrace who they are. #SheInspiresMe.”
Dan Q. Dao, Deputy Digital Editor of Saveur Magazine, was the first to articulate a thought that half (or more of) the Twittersphere was thinking. “@Twitter @lenadunham 4 billion women in the world and you choose to spotlight this moron. Srsly.” Although his language could have been kinder, the point remains: What has Dunham done to deserve such acclaim? “Being unapologetically oneself” can sometimes do more harm than good.
Dunham has certainly attempted to make women feel comfortable in their own bodies… one could argue a bit too comfortable. In several episodes of Girls, Dunham flashed her lady parts proudly and openly. Nudity, as she recounted telling co-star Allison Williams, is “a big part of what this show is.”
Although The New York Times, The Hollywood Reporter and several women’s magazines have all sung her praises, Dunham has gotten flack from feminist journalists. And for good reason. In a December episode of her podcast, Dunham commented that although she “still [hadn’t] had an abortion,” she “wish[ed she] had.”
The Daily Beast’s Erin Gloria Ryan wasn’t having any of it.
“Women don’t need Lena Dunham to ‘normalize’ abortion by having one,” the progressive, feminist writer testily wrote. “The only thing comments like Dunham’s serve to normalize is that tucked away in urban centers live a tribe of feminist caricatures, 30-year-old millennial feminists that have the empathy and self-awareness of petulant teens.”
But Twitter apparently thought Dunham’s brand of feminist could stack up to the other women the company chose to highlight, including Pakistani activist Malala Yousafzai.
