Yesterday, the news broke that Lena Dunham will launch a newsletter for young women in the fall with Girls showrunner Jenni Konner. We've seen celebs launch newsletters before, and have also seen the newsletter formula work for other new companies (TheSkimm, for example), but the angle on this newsletter is a fresh one. Konner described "Lenny Letter" as "GOOP Meets Grantland." It will focus on not talking down to women or millennials, which has been a recurring issue on the Internet. Dunham was inspired to take on this project after writing her book Not That Kind Of Girl , and she's already brought on three women to run and edit the editorial content.
I saw Lena Dunham and Jenni Konner speak a few months ago at a free event (that's the most L.A. sentence I've ever written), and the thing that struck me most about Dunham was how unlike her Girls character she was. I'd wrongly assumed that Dunham was essentially the real-life version of Hannah Horvath, but her presence and the way she spoke graciously about her career and the women around her completely changed my opinion. It seems a little unfair that I jumped directly to that earlier conclusion. I would never assume that Lisa Kudrow was the real-life version of Phoebe Buffay, nor would I assume that Jason Segel regularly walks around with his parts hanging out or challenging people to slap bets. Point is, Dunham seems like a great new voice to be advising young women — young women like her character on Girls.
With that in mind, here are nine times Hannah Horvath really could have used Lena Dunham's advice.
1. The Q-Tip Incident
"Adam was there for you when you went totally bat sh*t insane and decided to cut your hair like a little boy on a fancy cookie box." - Shosh, several seasons after this, re: the Q-Tip craziness.
2. When She And Her Cousin Drove Straight Off The Road.
I don't necessarily think Dunham would have to step in here. A driver's ed instructor would work just as well.
3. When Hannah Got HPV
Just in general, we need to start talking about HPV more on the Internet, and make it less taboo. That seems like a thing Konner and Dunham would do in their newsletter.
4. Singing. Guidance.
Trynna tell you stop.
5. The Time Hannah Did Coke
Cue Icona Pop.
6. General Friendship Insecurities (I could list every time there was an issue with Marnie, but this article would end up being 6,000 words long)
Dunham has already shared that she will have friends as guest columnists, so this seems like a really great platform to celebrate female friendship (and hopefully help the real Hannah Horvaths of the world avoid all the dramz).
7. When Her Father Came Out
And when Elijah came out. (Sidebar, I can't possibly be the first person to dream of a Girls spinoff that's just called ELIJAH. In all caps.) As open-minded as Hannah is, this newsletter of Lena's could be even more of an opportunity for LGBTQ readers to have a platform and a voice, as well as for allies to learn the right ways to be supportive.
8. To Talk Her Out Of Doing The Iowa MFA Program
Who was paying for that? But really, it was making her miserable. Lena would have taught her a thing or two about following her bliss.
9. Every Time Hannah's Ever Entered A Workplace
Lena Dunham's doing really well on the job front. When Hannah's book editor dies, her only concerns are about the fate of her ebook. So that should show you how they're different. Here's hoping Hannah is a "Lenny's Letter" first subscriber.
Images: Giphy (6), HBO (2)