In Defense of Girls: Why We Think The Haters Need To Step Back

We already gushed about the so-cute Allison Williams in the lead-up to the Girls premiere. We've also written about the ballsy (and hilarious) female writers we're currently tipping our hats to, in the wake of the HBO show.

But, despite our appreciation for the sometimes awkward, quirky, #tootrue humor in the Lena Dunham-penned pilot, it seems a few others are having a harder time coming to terms with the self deprecation — and the concept of the show, in general. Case in point: The NY Post's Andrea Peyser sees the show as insulting to all girls, as well as the guys who serve as the objects of their obsessions.

In her scathing review of the show, Peyser calls Lena Dunham's Hannah a "fat chick" and the show itself "cringe-worthy" and "miserable." Sure, there are moments that make us, in fact, cringe, but more in that protective "oh no, babe, don't do/say/wear that," way. We came at these girls like careening best friends who reminded us of ourselves at times. And we're thinking we're not alone in that, so back us up in the comments?

For Peyser, worse than the women of Girls though (who ask to be treated like "pond scum," apparently) are the men. "They are abusers, date rapists, or pathetic doormats. Ex-boyfriends, and even fathers, are explicitly gay, which seems a 1950s method of bringing them down — by making men sleep with other disgusting creeps." In our minds, the men's "pathetic-ness" may very well be the product of the same modern-day, post-collegiate blah-ness that Hannah and her friends suffer from — they're no worse off, but we do agree that they are often more difficult to watch. Unfortunately, many New Yorkers are the victims/perpetrators of this kind of behavior. No, not everyone in Manhattan is a jerk. The dream is not dead. But characters like this do exist, and poking fun at them brings them to light, and clearly resonates with a lot of men and women around the city (and outside of it, too). And that makes the story of Girls a story worth telling, as far as we're concerned.

Plus, it's funny. We laughed a lot when we watched the first episode. And while we're not arguing that Lena Dunham is the only voice of this generation, we find it hard to understand the people who think that hers isn't a relevant voice at all. (NY Post)