Lena Dunham reflects on ‘Girls’ diversity: “I understand how that would be really disappointing”
Lena Dunham has reflected on her hit 2010 sitcom Girls, explaining that “I understand how that would be really disappointing to people”, regarding the show’s lack of diversity.
Dunham recently spoke to The Independent. In it, she considered the impact of her work in the current social and political climate and acknowledged how the show’s title could have been misconstrued.
She said: “I think one of the profound issues around Girls was that there was so little real estate for women in television [then] that if you had a show called Girls, which is such a monolithic name, it sounds like it’s describing all the girls in all the places. And so if it’s not reflecting a multitude of experiences, I understand how that would be really disappointing to people.”
Girls followed a group of four white women in New York, played by Dunham, Allison Williams, Jemima Kirke, and Zosia Mamet, which has subsequently caused criticism for the lack of racial diversity depicted in the drama.
However, Dunham, who acted, wrote, produced, and occasionally directed the series, has come to learn from the experience, saying in the interview: “The thing I have really come to believe is that one of the most important things is not just diversity in front of the camera, but it’s diversity behind the camera.”
She also added: “As a producer, one of my goals is to bring a lot of different voices into a position where they can tell their story.”
Dunham’s reflections on her previous hit show come as she is set to embark on a new project – the rom-com series Too Much, starring Megan Stalter and Will Sharpe, which the filmmaker has produced with her husband, Luis Felber.
Too Much is set to hit Netflix on July 10th.
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