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Mad Men (Don/Ted) evett
5:55 pm - 01/16/2013

Lena Dunham Goes on The Howard Stern Show, Buries Hatchet



Calling Lena Dunham a “little fat chick” might have been the smartest move Howard Stern’s made in the last several years. Not only did his remarks get repeated by Ms. Dunham while she was on Letterman on Friday, but his very public apology on Monday gave him some extra leverage to pull the Girls creator and star (and recent two-time Golden Globe winner) onto his program today.

Here’s what went down.

Stern lavished her with praise: “I realize: not only am I addicted, but I totally get you. I’m in love with you and your character.”

… but refused to “apologize” for his weight comments: “It’s not about apologizing, although I want to say I’m a fan of yours … I love you and I think you’re terrific.”

Lena insisted she supported Howard, despite the negative comments: “I’m a big fan of your particular brand of free speech.”

There was a little scuffle over word choice when describing her body:

Dunham: “I’m not super thin, but I’m thin for, like, Detroit.”

Stern replied that she wasn’t “obese or anything,” then realized his terrible choice of words.

Dunham: (laughing) “Howard Stern says I’m ‘not obese or anything’ … I appreciate it and I appreciate your effort to rectify [this], but whether you’d done that or not, I’d have remained a [Howard Stern] enthusiast.”

Now it’s time to talk about Donald Glover and race!

Dunham: “Donald was an actor we always wanted to work with. On HBO, you have 10 episodes. You start with 10 episodes. And it takes you a while to set up your world, to set up your main characters … While I understand the criticism, I felt like we had had only 10 episodes to dig in.”

As for the idea that her show was “too white”? “[Diversity on television is] a conversation that needs to happen. I’m glad to take one for the team.”

Mr. Stern admitted that he hadn’t watched enough episodes of Girls when he made that initial comment. But even last week he had begun changing his mind…specifically once he started a man-crushing on Adam Driver’s character.

Interview Audio:


Source

Leave a Comment
tadashee 16th-Jan-2013 11:39 pm (UTC)
really? the detroit thing in this interview made me very uncomfortable. I guess i only see her here, and i feel that all of the hate for her is based on that one critique of her show and her handling of it, and it is just recycled. I believe you that she is offensive on twitter, not going to look it up because i dont want to ruin my mood.
sowhat_whocares 16th-Jan-2013 11:50 pm (UTC)
why does the Detroit comment make you uncomfortable? I think Detroit was named the most obese city in America a few times running now. I dont think she was attacking a stigma about Detroit or middle America; Detroit is actually noted as an obesity epidemic essentially lol.
tadashee 16th-Jan-2013 11:52 pm (UTC)
I dont know. it seems in poor taste to me because it is historically black, like someone pointed out, and it has several racial and socioeconomic factors tied to it. Honestly, when i think of obesity i think of the south, and texas specifically.
blackink 17th-Jan-2013 12:02 am (UTC)
This. It was an ignorant comment for Dunham to make, period, and has all kinds of negative connotations for a city that has struggled to pull itself up from economic devastation. It's hard to focus on losing weight when all you can afford to feed your family is a box of macaroni and cheese from the overpriced convenience store on the corner, since the Detroit public trans system is utter crap and too many people can't afford cars.
tadashee 17th-Jan-2013 12:11 am (UTC)
I'm sure. I recently took a class that really focused on food deserts and it is ridiculous. I go to vanderbilt in nashville, and two miles from us is an incredibly poor area. Up until two years ago- it could take you 2.5 hours to get to the nearest grocery store from the poorer areas via public transportation. A few students put together a vegetable food truck/market type thing about 4 years ago and it has really helped the area, as well as petitioning for changes in the transportation routes. sad that it took college students to do something about it. Also, i have been looking at moving into an apartment and its so sad because they are basically gentrifying everything. makes me mad at everyone. I am looking for an honors thesis project to do and i pitched the idea of going on snap assistance and teaching a class on healthy meals, but it wouldnt be realistic because i dont have the food desert /transportation struggles that people on snap have.
nanachic 17th-Jan-2013 11:58 pm (UTC)
as a native Detroiter I can tell you that we don't have a public transit system. Sure buses exist but if you don't have a car, you get a ride. Those are your options.
sowhat_whocares 17th-Jan-2013 12:20 am (UTC)
so Texas doesnt have black people? or hispanic people that are victims of class issues as well? my god, anywhere she would have picked you could say that practically. it was a comment made in 2 seconds and im sure all that was behind it was a city she knew was listed or categorized as an "obese city".

im sure if she thought she was expected to go through all the fattest cities in America in her head tying them to the socio-economic issues and oppression that lead them there, she would have sat around for 5-10 minutes before she finished her sentence to chose the most benign and least offensive city for everyone.

the fact is, if anyone but had also said this comment, no one would give a fuck. even Kstew could have said this comment and no one would have cared. thats why it bothers me. especially when her "taking one for the team" comment is ACTUALLY insulting, and people are hanging on about the Detroit comment.
tadashee 17th-Jan-2013 12:41 am (UTC)
I'm not sure why you are getting so angry. I never said texas does not have blacks or hispanics. Its just that detroit has not been on a list for a while, while texas cities have dominated the list so i dont understand why her mind would go to detroit with its very publicized racial and socioeconmoic problems. i dont think you need 5-10 minutes to recognize that as being offensive, especially if you have been criticized for saying/doing racist things. I think if any non black person had made this comment- they would have gotten flak for it, not just lena. I do think the diversity thing she said was uncalled for, and several people have pointed it out. My criticism of that was that she is the only one ever called out for lack of diversity on this site, when other show creators are just as guilty of it, and someone pointed out me that it has more to do with the fact that she says continuously offensive things. I dont know. i just think the focus should be diversity on tv, and she needs to own up to it even if she isnt the only person doing it.
nanachic 18th-Jan-2013 12:02 am (UTC)
You seem to forget that she didn't have to say a city, AT ALL. She didn't have to make that comment. She could have said NOTHING or spoken about her personal health in regards to her own behaviour.

It's a comment that further displays her innate racists and classist ideals.
bananasnrum 17th-Jan-2013 12:27 am (UTC)
Truth - obesity is more prevalent in poverty ridden areas. She's basically saying she's fat like a poor person. BAD TASTE.
nikkiarlene 17th-Jan-2013 02:02 am (UTC)
Actually, it isn't. And she isn't saying that. She is saying she isn't fat if you compare her to one of the fattest cities in the country. Jesus Christ you people.
ediesedgwick 17th-Jan-2013 04:14 pm (UTC)
I look for any chance to hate on Lena, but you're reaching.
ialmrnt5 17th-Jan-2013 02:45 am (UTC)
Detroit is historically black? hmm ok but when i think of detroit i think eminem/white trash & then like michael moore's capitalism film & how its been named the most obese city multiple times

you
are
reaching
enema_recipe 17th-Jan-2013 04:23 am (UTC)
Kid Rock is also from Detroit. hahaha
nanachic 18th-Jan-2013 12:05 am (UTC)
You must not read much. Detroit has always been a historically black city. Eminem is from Lincoln Park, a neighbouring suburb that is mostly trailers and poor, white families. Kid Rock is from 40 minutes outside the city limits.
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