Having finally watched an episode of HBO’s Girls, I can now honestly say how inane, self-righteous, raunchy, and, quite honestly, stupid the show is first-hand. This is not something I say proudly, especially when it regards a topic something that should never be covered by Lena Dunham: women’s accusations of rape.
In the February 26th episode graciously titled “American Bitch,” Hannah (Lena Dunham) gets to speak with one of her favorite authors Chuck Palmer (Matthew Rhys) after publishing an article alleging he forced four college-aged women to give him non-consensual oral sex. Since Hannah got her accusations from the ever-reliable and never-once-overblown source of a Tumblr account (seriously), the case is apparently open-and-shut for her to basically ruin a man’s life. And (gasp) he has the gall to try to defend himself.
Warning: Explicit Language
Hannah: Listen, I don't know you—
Palmer: No, Hannah, you do not.
Hannah: But your work means a lot to me. It has for a long time. It's made me laugh and it's comforted me. And my copy of "Shannon's Rock" is so dog-eared and underlined, you can barely read the words anymore. So when I saw Denise's Tumblr, I was—
Palmer: Isn't that the crazy part about all of this? Like, about being alive right now, that so much of your life, your world can be destroyed by something called "Tumblr" without an E?
Hannah: I mean, "Destroyed" seems like a little bit of an overstatement. You got a great review in "The Times" four days ago...
Palmer: Oh.
Hannah: ...That was a rave. You got this apartment.
Palmer: Yeah, I'm fine.
Hannah: Yeah, I would say so.
Palmer: Thing is I'm not, because I've been taking pills to fall asleep. And guess what. They don't fucking work. I started therapy and for the first time in 10 years. Thought I was done with all that shit. Tried everything. Different types of meditation. I tried to learn Spanish, rowing. You know, I went on a juice cleanse, did a silent retreat. I am now having nightmares that my daughter's friends will Google and find out about whatever the fuck this thing is and that will hurt her. Understand? It will hurt my daughter. So what I wonder is why am I being punished?
Hannah: I wasn't trying to punish you. I just think it's important to listen to the voices of women who have historically been pushed to the side and silenced and—
Palmer: Do you know the woman who wrote the article? Do you know any of the women who came forward? Are you some kind of activist?
Hannah: ( Scoffs ) No. I don't even recycle.
Palmer: Then why would a smart woman like you write a very long and considered piece of writing on what is ultimately hearsay?
Hannah: Because I don't consider the accounts of four different women hearsay.
Palmer: Really? Remember what happened in Salem.
Hannah: Yeah, these four women are the witches.
Palmer: I'm the witch.
Hannah: I don't see it that way. These women don't have the reach that you have. They can't get "The New York Times" to hand them over the op-ed page. That's why the Internet is so cool, because it takes all the voices that have been marginalized.
Palmer: Oh, my God! Is that why the Internet is so cool? Because some might argue it's a monster we've created that will ultimately kill us.
Hannah: Yeah, well, the people who argue that are probably a generation above me, but...
Palmer: Fuck, I need a cup of coffee.
Yet another liberal angle that argues that women should always be believed in any circumstance regardless of any evidence (unless they're accusing Bill Clinton). It is fascinating that this argument comes from Lena Dunham’s character in an episode written by her because she knows a thing or two about sexually assaulting girls and false rape accusations. But you know who doesn’t find it fascinating? Men who get their lives ruined after a single false accusation. News flash, Hannah, these aren’t just famous authors who suffer, it’s regular guys who also can’t afford a page on The New York Times.
But the single worst part of this entire plot comes near the end, right after Palmer makes his own case for his defense, following calling Hannah a great writer for perhaps the 12th time. There is a pretty decent talk about how people cannot be judged without truly knowing each other, how accusing someone of something like this can be damaging. Just when all seems clear, after everything seems to be understood in narcissistic compromise, Palmer takes out his fully-visible penis (there's that infamous Girls nudity) and puts it against her leg.
Yep, that’s right. The lesson here is that men with power accused of sexual assault are just scum. There’s nothing remotely grey about it. The whole concept is how every woman feels pressured into sexual encounters which makes Hannah the perfect symbol of the average young woman in a position with a powerful man.
You know what’s worse about this scenario? The fact that there are women who are pressured into sex, and there are women who are raped by powerful men. But they are not helped by shows like Girls. They are not helped by people who muddle what rape really is and are all too quick to destroy (yes, destroy) men’s lives for the sake of lie. Help actual victims, Girls, don’t try to make us feel sorry for fake ones.
