# Dear Lena Dunham: get on a horse, and ride as far, far away from us as possible **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [December 15, 2016, 6:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-lena-dunham-get-on-a-horse-and-ride-as-far-far-away-from-us-as-possible/774753 "2016-12-15T06:24:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2016, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-lena-dunham-get-on-a-horse-and-ride-as-far-far-away-from-us-as-possible/774753/21 "2016-12-15T17:45:20Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > If there was a series called “Just Lena Dunham Getting Blindside Crushed By NFL Linebackers For Half An Hour” I would renew my cable subscription to watch it. He’s not an LB, but you should let Odell Beckham Jr. take the first shot, just for fairness sake. ---
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2016, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-lena-dunham-get-on-a-horse-and-ride-as-far-far-away-from-us-as-possible/774753/22 "2016-12-15T17:53:01Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > Not just at least an 8 - an 8 and _only_ an eight. Michelle Beadle can have her own show because she’s hot, but not too hot, but Erin Andrews can only be a sideline reporter. _Slaps **Really Not All That Bright** across the face with a leather glove_ Sir, I shall have to challenge you to a duel to defend my future wife’s honor. [Michelle](https://ecelebrityfacts.com/images/34234/xmichelle-beadle-34234-2941-1470898006.jpg.pagespeed.ic.kOwcgDA-Y_.jpg) [Beadle](https://new2tats.files.wordpress.com/2012/11/mbeadpic02.jpg) is hotter than [Erin](http://sportige.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/Erin-Andrews-ESPN.jpg) [Andrews](https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/87/93/15/87931550cc0af7d90cfedbde6595d686.jpg). Not by much, though. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2016, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-lena-dunham-get-on-a-horse-and-ride-as-far-far-away-from-us-as-possible/774753/23 "2016-12-15T18:58:14Z")
> [@Eddie The Horrible](#): > > There.😃 I know you were just kidding around, but it is strictly against the rules to modify text inside quote boxes, even in jest. Please don’t do that again. No warning, but it’s a quite important rule here. (Deleting text to trim someone’s point down to what you want to reply to is fine, but if it involves cutting out something in the middle, please indicate as such with an ellipsis or **Other Stuff Deleted** or some other such indication.) Thanks! RickJay Moderator ---
**Author:** ![aldiboronti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc348/32.png) [@aldiboronti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aldiboronti)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2016, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-lena-dunham-get-on-a-horse-and-ride-as-far-far-away-from-us-as-possible/774753/24 "2016-12-15T19:22:42Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#): > > Yikes – what is he on? Well, he’s not on the toilet. At least I don’t think so! ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2016, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-lena-dunham-get-on-a-horse-and-ride-as-far-far-away-from-us-as-possible/774753/25 "2016-12-15T19:35:44Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#): > > Yikes – what is he on? Geritol? Dude is 80. ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2016, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-lena-dunham-get-on-a-horse-and-ride-as-far-far-away-from-us-as-possible/774753/26 "2016-12-15T19:59:12Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > While true, Lena Dunham, specifically, can hardly complain about how her career has gone. She’s made a lot of money and been nominated for major awards for doing little more than playing Lena Dunham clones. I’m not a huge fan of her work, and i find her rather annoying for a number of reasons, but this is an incredibly unfair assessment. She hasn’t just played a character; she is the creator, the main writer and, in a considerable number of episodes, the director of _Girls_. She and the show have been nominated for numerous Emmy awards, have won Golden Globes, and Dunham has received Directors Guild of America awards. She has also written a book which made it to #2 on the NYT Bestsellers list. Whether or not you like her, the show, or her book, that’s a lot more than just “playing Lena Dunham clones.” ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2016, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-lena-dunham-get-on-a-horse-and-ride-as-far-far-away-from-us-as-possible/774753/27 "2016-12-15T20:06:22Z")
As I only ever hear her name in the context of these kinds of stories, I don’t tend to see her too positively. ---
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanub/32/132_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUB)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2016, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-lena-dunham-get-on-a-horse-and-ride-as-far-far-away-from-us-as-possible/774753/28 "2016-12-15T20:09:25Z")
Some of what she says has a basis in fact, however that all gets lost in her crazy ass behavior. It’s clear she’s quite intelligent and while she’s no Victoria Secret Model, no one would give a shit if she didn’t keep bringing it up. I mean, is her secret aspiration to be model but that didn’t work out so she had to settle for writing, acting, producing and directing? Seems to me she got the long end of the stick, talent wise. I hope she makes peace with herself some day. Or maybe that’s just her shtick. If so, I pray she develops a new one. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2016, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-lena-dunham-get-on-a-horse-and-ride-as-far-far-away-from-us-as-possible/774753/29 "2016-12-15T20:26:43Z")
> [@mhendo](#): > > I’m not a huge fan of her work, and i find her rather annoying for a number of reasons, but this is an incredibly unfair assessment. > > She hasn’t just played a character; she is the creator, the main writer and, in a considerable number of episodes, the director of _Girls_. She and the show have been nominated for numerous Emmy awards, have won Golden Globes, and Dunham has received Directors Guild of America awards. She has also written a book which made it to #2 on the NYT Bestsellers list. > > Whether or not you like her, the show, or her book, that’s a lot more than just “playing Lena Dunham clones.” But you’re effectively saying the same thing, just dressing it up more. Okay, she wrote and directed as well - a show that’s about a character, played by her, who is basically her. She made a movie about a woman who is, basically, her. The book she wrote? It’s about her. I will grant that she has done a sensational job of marketing herself as an entertainment instrument, but she’s a one trick pony. I don’t know why people keep acting surprised when she does the trick. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2016, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-lena-dunham-get-on-a-horse-and-ride-as-far-far-away-from-us-as-possible/774753/30 "2016-12-15T20:36:23Z")
> [@WOOKINPANUB](#): > > Some of what she says has a basis in fact, however that all gets lost in her crazy ass behavior. It’s clear she’s quite intelligent and while she’s no Victoria Secret Model, no one would give a shit if she didn’t keep bringing it up. I mean, is her secret aspiration to be model but that didn’t work out so she had to settle for writing, acting, producing and directing? Seems to me she got the long end of the stick, talent wise. I hope she makes peace with herself some day. Or maybe that’s just her shtick. If so, I pray she develops a new one. That’s pretty much the way I feel. By any reasonable measure, Lena Dunham is a successful person. And she’s an attractive woman. Given that, listening to her repeatedly complain about how she’d be an even bigger success if she was more attractive gets a little tiresome. There are plenty of people who manage to get through their lives with a lot less than Dunham has. Lena Dunham needs to stop complaining about how she doesn’t get to be Jennifer Lawrence and realize most people don’t get to be Lena Dunham. ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2016, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-lena-dunham-get-on-a-horse-and-ride-as-far-far-away-from-us-as-possible/774753/31 "2016-12-15T20:53:15Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > But you’re effectively saying the same thing, just dressing it up more. Okay, she wrote and directed as well - a show that’s about a character, played by her, who is basically her. She made a movie about a woman who is, basically, her. The book she wrote? It’s about her. Yeah, i’ll tell you what: you write some stories about yourself and your life, create a bunch of characters based directly on your own life experience, then create and produce and write the scripts for a TV series, and direct a bunch of episodes at a level that wins you a national directing award. Let me know how many people want to watch your masterpiece. Then write a book about yourself, and see who’s willing to publish it apart from Amazon On-Demand. If relying on a narrow range of personal experience to create entertainment is now, by itself, some sort of sin in the world of arts and culture, you’re going to have a long, long list, especially in the world of comedy. I love Louis C.K.'s TV show, and i think it’s far, far superior to Lena Dunham’s work, but one could reasonably make a similar case about it, and about his career. Off the top of my head, i can think of a half-dozen other entertainers—some i love, some i hate—who fit a similar mold. And “playing” is far different from creating and producing and directing and writing. Those are, in very real ways, different talents. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2016, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-lena-dunham-get-on-a-horse-and-ride-as-far-far-away-from-us-as-possible/774753/32 "2016-12-15T21:32:13Z")
> [@mhendo](#): > > Yeah, i’ll tell you what: you write some stories about yourself and your life, create a bunch of characters based directly on your own life experience, then create and produce and write the scripts for a TV series, and direct a bunch of episodes at a level that wins you a national directing award. Let me know how many people want to watch your masterpiece. How many times does one have to acknowledge she’s successful? ---
**Author:** ![edwards\_beard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7bcc69/32.png) [@edwards\_beard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/edwards_beard)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2016, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-lena-dunham-get-on-a-horse-and-ride-as-far-far-away-from-us-as-possible/774753/33 "2016-12-15T21:45:57Z")
> [@mhendo](#): > > Yeah, i’ll tell you what: you write some stories about yourself and your life, create a bunch of characters based directly on your own life experience, then create and produce and write the scripts for a TV series, and direct a bunch of episodes at a level that wins you a national directing award. Let me know how many people want to watch your masterpiece. Then write a book about yourself, and see who’s willing to publish it apart from Amazon On-Demand. > > If relying on a narrow range of personal experience to create entertainment is now, by itself, some sort of sin in the world of arts and culture, you’re going to have a long, long list, especially in the world of comedy. I love Louis C.K.'s TV show, and i think it’s far, far superior to Lena Dunham’s work, but one could reasonably make a similar case about it, and about his career. Off the top of my head, i can think of a half-dozen other entertainers—some i love, some i hate—who fit a similar mold. > > And “playing” is far different from creating and producing and directing and writing. Those are, in very real ways, different talents. The difference being, Louis C.K. didn’t have parents with the connections Lena Dunham’s has. ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2016, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-lena-dunham-get-on-a-horse-and-ride-as-far-far-away-from-us-as-possible/774753/34 "2016-12-15T21:52:29Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > How many times does one have to acknowledge she’s successful? Not the same thing, and you know it. Your description of her was dishonest, and doubly annoying because i’m pointing your dishonesty in defense of someone that i don’t actually like very much. ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2016, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-lena-dunham-get-on-a-horse-and-ride-as-far-far-away-from-us-as-possible/774753/35 "2016-12-15T21:53:38Z")
> [@edwards\_beard](#): > > The difference being, Louis C.K. didn’t have parents with the connections Lena Dunham’s has. Sure. Never suggested otherwise. Are we now going to dismiss every entertainer who has benefited from family connections? That’s probably an even longer list than the one-trick ponies. ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2016, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-lena-dunham-get-on-a-horse-and-ride-as-far-far-away-from-us-as-possible/774753/36 "2016-12-15T21:53:49Z")
> [@edwards\_beard](#): > > The difference being, Louis C.K. didn’t have parents with the connections Lena Dunham’s has. Which means absolutely nothing in this case. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2016, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-lena-dunham-get-on-a-horse-and-ride-as-far-far-away-from-us-as-possible/774753/37 "2016-12-15T21:56:06Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Refresh my memory: Who is Lena Dunham, and why should I care one way or the other about her? Doesn’t she play Cersei in Game of Thrones? I’m joking. That’s Lena Heady. ---
**Author:** ![cuauhtemoc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ecb155/32.png) [@cuauhtemoc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cuauhtemoc)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2016, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-lena-dunham-get-on-a-horse-and-ride-as-far-far-away-from-us-as-possible/774753/38 "2016-12-15T22:28:03Z")
Yeah. And, speaking of one-trick ponies, how about every single person who has posted to this thread, right? You people are all so fucking _boring_. It’s like all you can do is be _yourselves!_ Why would you think anybody would want to read that shit? I can’t believe anybody still pays attention to you. Especially that **cuauhtemoc** character. ---
**Author:** ![edwards\_beard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7bcc69/32.png) [@edwards\_beard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/edwards_beard)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2016, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-lena-dunham-get-on-a-horse-and-ride-as-far-far-away-from-us-as-possible/774753/39 "2016-12-15T22:28:39Z")
> [@Grrr](#): > > Which means absolutely nothing in this case. Actually it means everything. The statement brought up was the same argument could be made about Louis C.K.'s career. Lena Dunham started on third base with everything handed to her, and has written only about her own life. Louis C.K. started at home plate, wrote two shows, numerous stand up specials, one of which he pioneered how an artist could distribute their content directly to their fans from their own website, which numerous comedians have done since. He then wrote a web series and distributed by himself as well. (not to mention he does pretty much everything behind the scenes on Louie - writing, directing, starring, editing video and sound) Forgot to add…he also asked Donald Rumsfeld if he was a lizard person during an interview. ---
**Author:** ![Randolph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Randolph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Randolph)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2016, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-lena-dunham-get-on-a-horse-and-ride-as-far-far-away-from-us-as-possible/774753/40 "2016-12-15T23:10:38Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > I’m joking. That’s Lena Heady. It’s _ **Hedley** _! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-lena-dunham-get-on-a-horse-and-ride-as-far-far-away-from-us-as-possible/774753.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-lena-dunham-get-on-a-horse-and-ride-as-far-far-away-from-us-as-possible/774753.md?page=3)