After a season and a half, 18 episodes, mid-20s frustrations and countless awkward sex scenes, it all makes sense.
Girls, the HBO television series that recently won a Golden Globe for Best Television series, is a must watch for those of us who are in the "20-something" range of life where reality just isn't as easy as it once was in college and especially back in high school.
I began watching the show a few episodes into the first season. The first episode I watched was "Hannah's Diary," which began with Adam (Adam Driver, Lincoln), Hannah's (Lena Dunham, This Is 40) crush/f**k friend at the time, sending her a sext by accident. She whipped her breasts out in response and sexted him back. That opening scene was when I became hooked because something like that happens all the time and very easily, especially for those of us with iPhones.
This show is great because it's easily relatable. The confusion over which career path to walk down, mistaking love for lust and lust for love and where your feet touch down in life - these are all issues that everyone 22 and older has experienced at one point in time or another.
What stood out most about this show are the sex scenes, which are awkward as hell. You want to look away, but you can't. You laugh because you don't know how else to react. And these sex scenes come in bulk, so you'd think you were at a Best Buy warehouse and every TV was plugged in, turned on and was tuned into the Spice Channel.
But in real life, who are we kidding? We all have sex. You might be Hannah and have a new body every week or you might be Shoshanna (Zosia Mamet, Rhymes with Banana) who just recently lost her virginity. You could be a free spirit like Jessa (Jemima Kirke, Tiny Furniture)or a "classy" Marnie (Allison Williams, The Mindy Project). You're at least one of these girls.
It wasn't until recently that I came to realize why I felt the way I did when watching Hannah getting stroked on a ping pong table by a man she knew nothing about.
These sex scenes are real.
Not real in the sense that someone is actually having sex with Lena Dunham on set but more realistic than what we are used to viewing.
We're so accustomed to watching these Hollywood sex scenes that last five minutes, but somehow everyone is sweaty, panting and has had repeated orgasms without making any noise louder than a whisper. That's not real life. You're not getting your "O" that fast.
These sex scenes are awkward because they represent pretty much what sex actually looks like. That awkwardness the first time you give up those drawers. That pause where she's waiting for you to throw that condom on and do something new and gradually having it become a part of your sex life.
This is mid-20s sex. It's awkward because it's like watching some strangers you don't know get freaky right before your eyes with no shame. As the audience, we are the ghost in the room that sees all but remains without a voice or the ability to touch anything. We just have to take it.
Girls is just a purely organic show. It's raw. It's authentic. And, most of all, it's insightful. You can learn from this show and, at the same time, you can use it to vent. It's a comfortable feeling knowing that others have gone through or are currently going through the same thing you are. The main theme to gain from a show like this is to experience and learn. Get out there, see what it's like and deal with the consequences.
Growth.
Even Queens' own rap artist, Nas, co-signs this show:
"My favorite show right now is Girls. I don't know where this girl Lena Dunham came from, but she's amazing!" Nas told People Magazine.
Find your own way to check it out. Pay for HBO, jack someone's account for HBO Go or find links on the Internet.
Do what you have to do. You're welcome in advance.
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