Explaining the Girls phenomenon to someone who has never seen the show is pretty easy: It's an often painful, self-conscious glimpse into a very particular section of 20-something living in New York. And, it is written by 26-year-old Lena Dunham. And, depending on the company, someone might inevitably call out that the show stars all children of famous people. Which, according to Dunham, is just one criticism she won't tolerate.
She tells CBS: "The whole 'kids of famous people' dialogue...that is one that I really can attribute to jealousy. Because, why else would anyone say that? Why else would you be so horrified by the children of creative people continuing on to do creative endeavors, unless you felt that there was something you were owed that you weren't getting that they were getting."
AdvertisementADVERTISEMENT
It is possible to point out that having access to resources and education is already a huge leg up — but this isn't an advantage only afforded to the girls of Girls. Without oversimplifying, costly and academically rigorous schools in New York City tend to attract those who can afford them, which, in NYC, can sometimes be the children of noted personalities. (This writer's first foray into the world of private New York education lead her to lament, maybe unfairly, that everyone was someone's kid.) That being said, however, the daughters of a playwright, a drummer, an anchorman, and an artist aren't that hard to find in the Big Apple. As Dunham says, "...My parents are famous in the tiniest corner of the world, which is the art world. It is not the thing that brought me to the attention of HBO."
Of course, having a recognizable name helps. But in Lena's case, we doubt HBO execs dropped their jaws when they saw she was Carroll Dunham's daughter. While Carroll is a renowned artist, it's doubtful that "Daughter of Carroll Dunham" was the hook HBO was going to use to sell the show.
Video: Via CBS.