Lena Dunham is essentially the Queen of US television right now, what with her hit HBO show Girls scooping just about every single award under the sun. The show's gone down quite well on this side of the Atlantic too, proving a massive hit with ladies and lads alike on Sky Atlantic of Monday evening!
So, if you haven't met the ladies yet, then maybe it's time you got in on the action eh? Valerie Loftus is a huge fan of the show and has Five good reasons for you to watch Girls...
WARNING: These ladies don't hold back, so cover any sensitive ears...
5. It's about four young women who live in New York City
Sounds familiar, right? However, Girls is the antithesis to Sex And The City in every way. While the SATC women are glamorous ideals, the (supposed) pinnacle of female success, the Girls girls are, well, girls. They're your sister, your best friend, the girls you work with. The practice of labelling yourself and your friends as a Carrie or a Samantha was referenced in the first episode of Girls, but Lena Dunham might be pleased to know that fans of the show are now telling each other: "You're a Hannah, with a little bit of Marnie."
4. Is this real life?
Watching Girls can be difficult, but only because the situations the Girls find themselves in are so true to life, they make you squirm. When we first meet Hanna Horvath, played by writer Lena Dunham, she is in the midst of being cut off financially by her parents. She has been working an unpaid internship for a year. She's dating a guy who treats her heart "like monkey meat". She's not particularly sure where she's going to be in six months' time. Again - sound familiar? Probably because it is. If you’re in your twenties and graduating/a graduate, you’re going to know how this stuff feels, which makes watching the show all the more poignant.
3. Shoshanna Shapiro
Shoshanna Shapiro (played by Zosia Mamet, daughter of renowned playwright David Mamet) was originally meant to fade out after the pilot, but Dunham enjoyed Mamet's portrayal of the character so much that she wrote her into the rest of the season. Good thing too - Shoshanna quickly became a fan favourite, due to her sweet and innocent yet surprisingly offbeat persona. She seems innocent and ditzy initially, but can deliver the odd nugget of wisdom, such as "I may be deflowered, but I'm not devalued." Deep. We can all learn a lot from Shoshanna Shapiro.
2. Lena Dunham gets naked a lot
Why is this one of the top reasons to watch Girls? Because she doesn't have the tanned, trim'n'toned body we are used to seeing on TV, and this is utterly refreshing. The ease with which she whips off her top (which happens at least once an episode) is like a big "screw you" to the unrealistic standard of beauty women are held to these days. And the more people that are willing to do that on TV, the better.
1. It's hilariously funny
And at the end of the day, that's what it comes down to, doesn't it?
Catch Girls Season 2 every Monday night from 10pm on Sky Atlantic.
Words: Valerie Loftus
