January 10, 2016

Lena Dunham denies that she walked "like a zombie towards the nearest vagina" in deciding to campaign for Hillary Clinton.

"Nothing gets me angrier than when someone implies I’m voting for Hillary Clinton simply because she’s female... as if I have some feminist version of beer-goggles, lets call it ‘estrogen blindness,’ and I just kind of walk like a zombie towards the nearest vagina. This assumption is condescending at best and it is sharply misogynistic at worst."

I agree that it's irksome to know that people think you're for Hillary just because you're a woman. I read people saying that about me often, and I'm not even for Hillary!

But... could you please not say "vagina" in the context of talking about why people are attracted to women candidates? I know it gets a laugh, but it doesn't help your candidate and it doesn't help the cause of women in politics to reduce women to a body part. It might work in a stand-up comic act, but Dunham seems to be appearing at official Hillary Clinton campaign events:
The campaign... promoted a chance for Iowa supporters to meet Dunham, raffling off a lunch date to supporters who signed up for the campaign’s text updates.... On Friday, Dunham traveled around New Hampshire with the World Cup-winning soccer superstar Abby Wambach, pitching Clinton as the best advocate for women and the best candidate for the White House.... The trips seemed aimed at young women, a seemingly natural fit for Clinton’s message....
You wouldn't talk about male genitalia that way. You wouldn't casually drop a line about Trump — as if I just kind of walk like a zombie toward the biggest phallus — and think it was cute. I mean, it kind of works as a way to talk about the lizard-brain level of electoral politics. Jeez, maybe we should talk about it.

Oh, lord, now I'm having a flashback to "Let's take a closer look at Bill's carrot and Hillary's onion ring."

58 comments:

Ann Althouse said...

Many of the comments at the link (to The Guardian) pillory Dunham for not supporting Bernie Sanders.

Wince said...

The significance of this is the extent to which Hillary is still working to shore-up her presumed base.

Hillary has a young voter problem, even among females.

David Begley said...

Lots of women at the Council Bluffs, Iowa rally for Hillary; 60% easy, maybe close to 70%.

Bob R said...

Wasn't there was a line in "House of Cards" where someone said to a female POTUS candidate "your running mate will have to be a southerner with a penis."

Sebastian said...

"But... could you please not say "vagina" in the context of talking about why people are attracted to women candidates? I know it gets a laugh, but it doesn't help your candidate and it doesn't help the cause of women in politics to reduce women to a body part." Could a crude pandering Prog please not talk like a crude pandering Prog? Actually, reducing women to body parts does help the cause of women in politics and it will help her candidate. Though partly disrupted by Trump calling out Bill, Hillary!'s campaign will turn into one long vagina monologue. Actually existing feminism in action.

retail lawyer said...

Some vaginas I would rather not imagine. This calls attention to two of them.

Big Mike said...

This assumption is condescending at best ...

Lena Dunham is a person towards whom a normal person should rightly condescend at all times. The phrase "utterly worthless human being" comes readily to mind.

Joe Biden, America's Putin said...

Lena supports Hillary because Lena doesn't mind corruption. The Joy Behar moral degenerate/moral relativist "It's all cool if Bill raped those horrible women cuz he's a good liberal" theory.

In my town, the only Hillary support I see is from women Hillary's age. Hillary does indeed have a base problem. She won't get Obama's youth vote.

rhhardin said...

Part for the whole is respectable rhetoric. Metonymy and synecdoche. In Hillary's case it's whole for the whole.

wendybar said...

Who cares what Lena Dunham thinks??

dustbunny said...

I have such a knee-jerk and overwhelming bias against Dunham that I have a hard time understanding how she could be that helpful to Clinton or anyone. She doesn't seem that popular, her show isn't highly rated. Her appeal is distinctly to those of a particular and rather elite niche. Maybe I am out of touch but I'm puzzled by this. She does get publicity and perhaps that's all they care about

rhhardin said...

Attracted to the nearest vagina means that women don't think strategically. They go for the local change.

That works in a neighborhood but not in a country.

You need men to get the larger systems right.

It would be nice if women were a little more self-aware about where their instincts apply well and where they don't.

campy said...

"Hillary does indeed have a base problem. She won't get Obama's youth vote."

Maybe the votes won't be cast, but they will be counted.

rehajm said...

EDH said...
The significance of this is the extent to which Hillary is still working to shore-up her presumed base.


If you bring in Lena you're trying to attract the over 50 male demographic.

donald said...

What the fuck else can she run on?

donald said...

What the fuck else can she run on?

rehajm said...

Seeing as Dunham never misses an opportunity to be vile stumping for Hillary seems the obvious move.

Laslo Spatula said...

"On Friday, Dunham's Vagina traveled around New Hampshire with the World Cup-winning soccer superstar Abby Wambach' Vagina, pitching Clinton's Vagina as the best advocate for Vagina and the best candidate for the White House.... The trips seemed aimed at young Vaginas, a seemingly natural fit for Clinton’s message...."

I am Laslo.

Phil 314 said...

"You wouldn't talk about male genitalia that way. You wouldn't casually drop a line about Trump —"

Oh I disagree Professor. I believe many support Donald Trump because he's a dick.

the gold digger said...

Of course it's not just because Hilary has a vagina! If it were about vaginas, she would have given Carly Fiorina serious consideration.

robinintn said...

This is anecdotal, but I know a lot of early20s aged people through my daughter. One asked me yesterday "what's this Benghazi thing?" I kept the answer short, and he was quite horrified. He'll go Sanders in the primary, but he'll stay home in the general if it's Hilary. What surprised me about the exchange is that, despite having the full force of the media sneering, mocking, and generally attempting to de-legitimize anyone who uses the word Benghazi, she is still vulnerable on it.

Anonymous said...
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chickelit said...

I'm seeing Dunham's face in Cox adverts on my computer. Somebody please make it stop.

Martha said...

How could any young vibrant vagina with an ounce of idealism vote for that old corrupt congenital lying compromised hag vagina called Hillary!

Bob Boyd said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Original Mike said...

"Nothing gets me angrier than when someone implies I’m voting for Hillary Clinton simply because she’s female... as if I have some feminist version of beer-goggles, lets call it ‘estrogen blindness,’ and I just kind of walk like a zombie towards the nearest vagina. This assumption is condescending at best and it is sharply misogynistic at worst."

I'm sure it's a coincidence that the women in my family are strident Hillary supporters and are resentful that she won't become President because she's a woman.

Virgil Hilts said...

Scott Adams (who has been maybe the most impressive predictor of this election so far) thinks Dem men are going to secretly defect from Hillary in the ballot booth -- that she might not even get a majority of them. Subconsciously driving men away from Hillary is going to become a psychological focus of the Trump campaign; having Lena active is not going to help Hillary so hope they keep using her.

Anonymous said...

You're not allowed to say we support Hillary because she's a woman-- no matter how often we say people should support Hillary because she's a woman.

Virgil Hilts said...

robinintn -- exactly! I believe the Benghazi disaster resonates very, very strongly with men. The idea that you would not even try to send a rescue team when you still had time. Do you want a commander in chief that is not man enough to try and save these people. I predict that Trump will use this over and over. Hillary may be done with Benghazi but Benghazi is not through with her. The story about Cheryl Mills obsessing on her trademark logo will the bodies were still smoking is a devastating image (and who cares how accurate it is -- Trump will capitalize on stuff like this).

chickelit said...

Subconsciously driving men away from Hillary is going to become a psychological focus of the Trump campaign; having Lena active is not going to help Hillary so hope they keep using her.

Dunham helps Hillary like Sean Penn would help Trump if he were a Trump supporter. The repulsive factor outweighs the negative. So yeah, I hope Dunham campaigns even harder.

chickelit said...

Is there anything at all in Dunham's past to suggest why this young woman is so obsessed with vaginas?

rhhardin said...

I don't get zombies, but Shaun of the Dead and The World's End (Simon Pegg and Nick Frost) were entertaining.

Titus said...

I love Lena and everyone I know loves Lena. Must be a regional thing-coast-flyover.

Drago said...

Phil 3:14: "Oh I disagree Professor. I believe many support Donald Trump because he's a dick"

A belief that must be comforting as it allows you to think of yourself as above those rubes who would support a candidate simply because that candidate is, to you, a dick.

Clearly there is no other possible reason any reasonable person could ever support one Donald Trump.

Paul said...

Well he'll Ann, you voted for Obama.. And you wonder why people would think you would vote for Hillary?

walter said...

You wouldn't talk about male genitalia that way.
--
Hmmm..in the sense that a play or movie err..entitled.. "Penis monologues" would seem rude and crude?

H: 'Don't you want to see a woman president?' (like with a Vagina?)

chickelit said...

Titus said...
I love Lena and everyone I know loves Lena. Must be a regional thing-coast-flyover.

Titus, please give us an update on how the crowds at the P-Town bistros are coping with this year's electile dysfunction. Is it really "Bottoms For Rodham" vs. "Tops for Trump"? What about the crucial "gay money"? Whom are they getting behind?

alan markus said...

I think Trump would find any thoughts of Hillary's vagina "disgusting" - wait that was his reacrion to the thought of her being on the "throne" during the debate break. In this case he would dial up the rhetoric to "repulsive".

alan markus said...

Chikelit, the obsession with vaginas must have started at a young age - Lena fold a story about shoving pebbles into her younger sister's "nether lips" when they were young.

chickelit said...

Bob R said...
Wasn't there was a line in "House of Cards" where someone said to a female POTUS candidate "your running mate will have to be a southerner with a penis."

Maybe one of the Castro Bros (the TX ones not the Cubers). That would make the ladies swoon.

On the other hand, Hillary probably thinks that Martin O'Malley is handsome, ruthless, and stupid enough.

Danno said...

Blogger chickelit said... Is there anything at all in Dunham's past to suggest why this young woman is so obsessed with vaginas?

I remember reading stuff on this a year or so ago-

In her newly published collection of personal essays, Not That Kind of Girl, Lena Dunham describes experimenting sexually with her younger sister Grace, whom she says she attempted to persuade to kiss her using “anything a sexual predator might do.”Oct 29, 2014
Lena Dunham Describes Sexually Abusing Her Little Sister ...
www.truthrevolt.org/.../lena-dunham-describes-sexually-abusing-her-toddle...

cubanbob said...

The only "legitimate" reason to vote for Hillary is because she has a vagina.
No one would vote for her because of her honesty, character, integrity or competence.
So it's either for her lady parts or you're a government slug or dependent on government funding and corruption.

wendybar said...


chickelit said...
Is there anything at all in Dunham's past to suggest why this young woman is so obsessed with vaginas?

I think this may be part of it.....

http://www.breitbart.com/big-hollywood/2014/11/03/lena-dunhams-father/

Michael K said...

The interesting year is off to a good start with mass rape in Cologne.

The vagina candidate might get into a bit of trouble with those "women" who have penises. The left wing of the Democrat Party is as crazy as the craziest "Woman of the Year" promoter.

Gahrie said...

I agree that it's irksome to know that people think you're for Hillary just because you're a woman. I read people saying that about me often, and I'm not even for Hillary!

Someone archive this.......At least until we get the "How the Republicans lost me...." post.

chillblaine said...

Many of the women I know won't even go tinkle in a public restroom if there is another woman in there. No matter how bad they need to go. The thought of a strange woman hearing their bodily noises freaks them out. That's why they need to go to the bathroom in packs. One woman guards the door to make sure the bathroom is safe.

So sure, why not have a female Commander-In-Chief?

Pookie Number 2 said...

I suspect Lena Dunham resonates with middle-aged losers (call them the "Garage Mahals") that are desparate to consider themselves amongst the 'cool kids' whilst being too stubborn and too stupid to understand why smarter people disagree.

tim maguire said...

...condescending at best,...

That's what I'm going with, condescending. Other than, "yippie! First I voted for the black guy with the other cool kids, now I'm going to vote for the woman!" I can't think of even one reason for Dunham to campaign for Hillary. Want to vote for her? Sure, nothing wrong with concluding she's the best you're gonna get. But campaigning? Feigning excitement? Unless she's paying you, you're doing it because you walked zombie-like towards the nearest vagina.

Brian McKim and/or Traci Skene said...

"... could you please not say "vagina" in the context of talking about why people are attracted to women candidates?"

I know! Right? I just brought this very issue up at a sausage fest.

walter said...

Hey Titus,
See if you can launch a hip nickname for Lena: "Pebbles"

MT said...

I agree with Lena--she didn't walk like a zombie to the nearest vagina. Instead, she walked like a zombie to the nearest Democrat vagina.

William said...

I suppose it's theoretically possible that there's someone in the state of Iowa who's a Lena Dunham fan and will vote for Hillary because of Dunham's support. I don't see this as a basis for a mass movement, however. I think Trump probably picked up more support with the Putin endorsement........I do think that some of the paid professionals on Hillary's staff are Dunham's fans. Dunham's support helps them in their illusion that Hillary is hip and in tune with the zeitgeist and not an elderly woman with a history of ethical lapses.

Temujin said...

Just so I'm clear on this, Lena is annoyed by people making claims that she's blindly pulling for Hillary simply because she's a woman. She then proceeds to grab Abby Wambach and go parading around New Hampshire looking for young women to persuade to vote for Hillary because…Womyn!

You could look at it the other way. Clearly Hillary has no redeemable traits as a human being. She's annoying at best. At worst she's insulting. In her work she's proven to be a horrible leader, not very bright, and wholly incompetent. People have died under her watch, and loads of high level information was passed along non-secure means under her direct order. Not to mention she's traveled the world securing millions for her fund..er Foundation from foreign leaders and other influence seekers. A non-politico would be in jail for what she's already done.

So, yeah…playing up her vagina might be the only thing she has going for her. I get it.

wendybar said...

Her father is an artist who paints pictures of womens vaginas

SweatBee said...

Lena Dunham was six years old in 1992. Unlike a lot of us, she doesn't have relevant personal memories of the "bimbo eruption" years and of Hillary's standin' by her man antics.

Real American said...

HiLIARy's entire campaign is based on "reducing women to a body part." It's not like she's running on her disastrous record and lack of significant accomplishments.

Rick said...

I read people saying that about me often, and I'm not even for Hillary!

She is though, so what's wrong with mocking the sales pitch she bought? Would we be sympathetic to people who voted for GWB complaining about "assuming" they support compassionate conservatism? If this is inappropriate the criticism belongs to Hillary.

holdfast said...

Interesting that Dunham (a rape-faker and child molester herself) focuses on the V-word. So what about women like Caitlynn who have no vagina? How do they fit into this narrative?