"Girls" on HBO

Last night, I needed a respite from the Colorado Massacre. I decided to watch a few Episodes of “Girls” on HBO. “Girls” has been nominated for an Emmy for “Best Comedy Series.” This surprises me because the show is not funny, not the least bit. It’s sad. 

Some have called “Girls” “Sex in the City” for the younger generation.  I don’t see the similarities. Yes, they are both about a young woman writer and a group of her friends living in New York City who have a lot of sex. And there the similarities end.

“Girls” is about 20-somethings.  “City” was about 30 and 40-somethings.

The women on “Girls” are drab in every sense of the word—looks, personality, lifestyle, and fashion.  The leading character, Hannah, especially, dresses like she shops the clothing put out as trash by Goodwill.  The women on “City” were beautiful, dynamic, successful, glamorous, and fashion-forward. Call me shallow, when I watch TV I like to see glamour.

The sex on “Girls” is soulless, aimless, and overwhelmingly prevalent. When they are not doing “the sex”, they are talking about it, usually with an overabundance of Anglo-Saxon vulgarities.  If all the sex scenes were removed, the show would be about five minutes long.  Furthermore, the sex is ugly.  Call me shallow, when I watch a sex scene on TV, I like to see beautiful people having beautiful sex.   

On “City” the sex was beautiful.  More importantly, the sexual relationships were about more than sex.  There was some casual sex, but the women were usually in love with their partners. 

Finally, the friendships on “Girls” are as dreary as everything else. Despite frequent declarations of love for each other, they appear to be a bunch of backstabbing you-know-whats. On “City, the friendships were strong and paramount in the women’s lives.  They were always there for each other.

This show is very popular, and has been renewed for a second season.  I guess I am just not the demographic for it. What is a little frightening to me is that the 20-somethings may like this show because it is an accurate reflection of their lives.  Now, I feel like an old scold on a rant about “kids today…”