Althouse: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar writes about the TV show "Girls."

February 9, 2013

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar writes about the TV show "Girls."

Says it's okay if a story about white people only has white people in it, and thinks "The guys are more interesting than the girls."

26 comments:

mccullough said...: A black dildo would have sufficed and cost less.; 2/9/13, 11:06 AM
Tyrone Slothrop said...: I've always been impressed with Kareem's intelligence. So why is he writing about Girls?; 2/9/13, 11:11 AM
buwaya said...: I am most surprised at KAJ's writing. First time I have read anything of his. Perhaps I shouldn't have been surprised.; 2/9/13, 11:18 AM
buwaya said...: I am most surprised at KAJ's writing. First time I have read anything of his. Perhaps I shouldn't have been surprised.; 2/9/13, 11:19 AM
Wince said...: Impressed by Kareem's critique.

I really liked the depiction the of the black Republican boyfriend in Episode 2, but by Episode 3 he was gone without a trace. Jabbar is also right about the Adam character.

But I am still encourage by Season 2 generally. The Girls are coming across as a bunch of shallow, needy jerks.

Well, except Shoshanna who, by all outward appearances is an insecure and superficial JAP, but at heart is the only quality person struggling between maintaining "standards" and recognizing what love really means with that older, "looser" boyfriend.; 2/9/13, 11:24 AM
David said...: Kareem needs the work. Not everything has gone well for him since he retired. The movie career, for example.

I don't think it's easy to be Kareem Abdul Jabbar. I wonder if Lew Alcindor would have had a better time of it?; 2/9/13, 11:29 AM
edutcher said...: If he said nothing else, "I don't believe that people of color, sexual preference, or gender need to be shaken indiscriminately into every series like some sort of exotic seasoning.", says that maybe we've found the next generation's Bill Cosby.

And a good thing.

Corollary to that, however, is the idea that, if you're aiming something solely at black people, you only can have black people in it.

David said...

Kareem needs the work. Not everything has gone well for him since he retired. The movie career, for example.

I don't think it's easy to be Kareem Abdul Jabbar. I wonder if Lew Alcindor would have had a better time of it?

I think you may be on to something there.; 2/9/13, 11:35 AM
Ipso Fatso said...: I think Kareem's views are refreshing. They aren't the same tired old liberal/progessive trope. Good on him. On another matter, I have always wondered about the ratio of white guys to black guys in commercials. It seems to be about 3:1 white to black with the unwritten rule being that every white guy has one black friend. What real life is I am not sure. I don't think I have ever seen a commercial with the ratios reversed. Wonder why?; 2/9/13, 11:35 AM
Ann Althouse said...: "I really liked the depiction the of the black Republican boyfriend in Episode 2, but by Episode 3 he was gone without a trace."

He served the purpose of allowing the Lena Dunham character to say that she never notices race, which was some kind of meta-critique of the critique of the show being theretofore fully populated with white people.; 2/9/13, 11:35 AM
ricpic said...: All the suits at HBO just breathed a great sigh of relief now that Girls has the Jabbar stamp of non-racist approval. No Justice Department fine...for now.; 2/9/13, 11:44 AM
Aridog said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 2/9/13, 11:48 AM
Aridog said...: Althouse said ...

He served the purpose of allowing the Lena Dunham character to say that she never notices race, which was some kind of meta-critique of the critique of the show being theretofore fully populated with white people.

In other words, the original show critique was dead right. I think you are right about Dunham's motivation, however, nothing gives a race-hypocrite, in this case, Dunham, away faster than saying or implying they don't notice race.

Not caring or defining someone by race is one thing, saying you don't "notice" is just bull.; 2/9/13, 11:54 AM
Anonymous said...: He's definitely correct that the male characters are much more interesting than the four titular girls.

Peter; 2/9/13, 12:06 PM
madAsHell said...: That's odd considering that Vulture reported that the show's single largest audience, 22 percent, is "white dudes over 50."

It probably has more to do with the unemployment rate.; 2/9/13, 12:08 PM
Ann Althouse said...: "In other words, the original show critique was dead right."

No. I think it was much more thought-provoking than that. The show is art, not a political argument, and there were a lot of dimensions to that scene. It was way over the heads of the clunky critics who said where are the roles for black actors.

"I think you are right about Dunham's motivation, however, nothing gives a race-hypocrite, in this case, Dunham, away faster than saying or implying they don't notice race."

Dunham plays a character, which she also writes. The assumption that Dunham only knows/thinks what the character knows/thinks is just plain wrong.; 2/9/13, 12:21 PM
Ann Althouse said...: "That's odd considering that Vulture reported that the show's single largest audience, 22 percent, is "white dudes over 50.""

I would attribute that fact to:

1. Who subscribes to HBO?

2. Lots of naked female bodies and sexual situations.; 2/9/13, 12:23 PM
Automatic_Wing said...: Kareem needs the work. Not everything has gone well for him since he retired. The movie career, for example.

In fairness, his performance as Roger Murdock in Airplane will never be forgotten.; 2/9/13, 12:56 PM
Known Unknown said...: "Some mentioned my height, as if I was so tall that the air up here could not support intellectual development. It was as if, after climbing the Empire State Building and swatting bi-planes all afternoon, I suddenly decided to write a fashion article critiquing Ann Darrow's dress ("The tattered jungle look is so five minutes ago.")."

This Abdul-Jabbar guy isn't bad.; 2/9/13, 1:22 PM
mccullough said...: Kareem's scoring record will never be broken.; 2/9/13, 1:24 PM
Nichevo said...: I thought Wilt Chamberlain had the scoring record. IYKWIM, AITYD. Feh on Girls and Lena Dunham, the little fat scut. Vote for Obama eh? Gee Dunham, Dunham, Lena any relation to Stanley Ann? Hmm.

Good luck, Kareem, though you don't have Bruce Lee to kick around anymore.; 2/9/13, 1:55 PM
David said...: To be clear, I find a lot to admire about Kareem. I was lucky to see him play quite a bit in Milwaukee and he worked his ass off. After retirement there were easier roads available to him than the ones he took. That and some bad luck has made his post athletic career a challenge.

He hasn't quit, just like he did not quit on the basketball court.; 2/9/13, 3:04 PM
Aridog said...: Althouse said ...

Dunham plays a character, which she also writes...

... and given that she writes it, assuming she doesn't reflect herself to some degree it also wrong. She is entirely too precocious a youthful producer/writer not to do so.

I see no roles for black actors, either, but I see pandering by interjecting one as she did...and making him "Republican" to boot...too cute by half. No need to do that was there?

Poor man's "Sex in the City" at best with some poorly executed porn included. I've watched several episodes...her boy toy had her character pegged right, otherwise ... yawn.

Art? Maybe so. You have the degree, not me, but if it is art is ranks right up there with carved soap from this layman's viewpoint. I'll grant she does have the parentage for film and art...and it shows.; 2/9/13, 4:17 PM
furious_a said...: The few episodes of Girls I've watched left me with the same feeling of horror and dread as from ads for Girls Gone Wild: there but for whatever one tries teaching her now goes a father's little girl.

Seriously.; 2/9/13, 6:50 PM
Steve Koch said...: Wilt has the single game scoring record and Kareem has the career scoring record. Was there ever a more elegant shot than Kareem's sky hook?; 2/10/13, 12:32 AM
Graham Powell said...: I saw Kareem a few years ago on Turner Movie Classics (or maybe AMC) talking about "The Maltese Falcon", and comparing the book to the movie. He looked a lot more comfortable and natural then than in any basketball interview I've seen.; 2/10/13, 10:54 AM
Baron Zemo said...: Wilts scoring record will never be broken.

Over twenty thousands ho's served!

The man was a legend!; 2/10/13, 4:57 PM