Hello, and welcome to Lena Dunham's unofficial office. Step right in, make yourself comfortable, take your clothes off if you have to, and leave whatever shame you might have at the door because this is a safe space. Well, a safe digital space where Dunham expounds the meaning of the life.
In anticipation for the September 30 release date of her book, Not That Kind of Girl, Dunham assumed the role of psychiatrist and offered advice on topics ranging from provocatively dressing feminists to screwing garbage men. Unlike Lucy's pop-up booth on Charlie Brown, these words of wisdom are delivered free of charge. (Unlike her book, which will cost you two Chipotle burritos.) These 12 tips are meant to help curious and maybe anxious minds not be that kind of girl. You know, the kind of girl that writes "stories about wonderful nights with terrible boys and terrible days with wonderful friends."
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So, pull up a chair, kick back, and relax. The doctor will see you now.
"A huge part of being a feminist is giving other women the freedom to make choices you might not necessarily make yourself."
"Confidence comes from feeling happy with [my] habits."
In response to a writer wondering if she should still be friends with a girl who claimed her weekend was ruined because she went to the hospital: "No."
"When you feel a lot of negativity towards yourself, you're almost sexually attracted to people who are going to reflect that back at you. When you learn to love and appreciate those qualities you've tried so hard to repress, suddenly that behavior is not going to be charming to you anymore."
"The personal is political."
"There's something within you that feels like you don't deserve help, and you do."
"A lot of people hurt other people because they don't think that they matter. I try to keep that in mind when I encounter a range of negative personalities on the streets and on the Internet."
"Having good sex takes two people who want to make each other feel good."
"Humor is essential."
"You, as a person who's acknowledging your mortality, are well on your way to a satisfying and fully-lived existence."
"A rising tide lifts all boats."
"No one should be telling you you were too loud. They should be telling you you were too loud in this particular situation."