I’m a feminist, which means that I reject societal beauty standards, advocate for equal pay, and strongly believe that women have the right to make decisions about their own bodies. But most of all, I support Lena Dunham’s right to choose to be horrible.
After all, it’s Lena’s life, and she has every right to make the terrible, god-awful choices that she does. Far be it from me to judge! You see, when I’m supporting Lena Dunham’s right to choose to say ghastly things, I’m also supporting every time Lena Dunham chooses not to do so. The point is that Lena Dunham can do whatever she wants, and that no one has the right to tell her to like, just shut up for one fucking second. Even if she really should.
Some people argue that Lena Dunham’s choice to be so terrible is dangerous and immoral. But I believe that my own morals have no place in Lena Dunham’s shitty decision making, or anyone’s decision to be a blight on mainstream culture. People who believe that Lena’s choice is harmful may not realize that there are actually well-tested, legal processes that guarantee her right to make terrible judgments.
The choice to be publicly appalling is a difficult one, but as long as one follows the appropriate procedure guidelines (public apology through Instagram or Twitter, showy proof of good-doing, money-backed projects already in the works), Lena can emerge from her decision with little to no harm done to her. Isn’t that what makes our country great?
Seeing Lena Dunham choose to be an absolute nightmare reminds me that, if I faced the same questions that she did, that I too could be an absolute nightmare. Growing up, I was told not to perpetuate racism or trivialize traumatic experiences or repeatedly put my foot in my mouth, but Lena Dunham shows me that it’s actually much more prevalent than my school, family, and religious institutions led me to believe. Why not just kick a dog or yell obscenities at old women on the street or tell my mom she’s a bitch? Lena Dunham’s behavior tells me that I can kind of do whatever and call it a joke and never learn from my mistakes and that’s honestly my right as a woman.
At the end of the day, Lena Dunham’s choice to be completely irresponsible and misinformed only affects her life, and that’s why we have no right to tell her she can’t. Unless, of course, she’s enforcing terrible stigmas or using her platform to say racist things, or normalizing her behavior for younger women to imitate and champion. Then that would be a fucking disaster!
