Shameless

Lena Dunham’s mea culpas: Part one

Dec 3, 2023

Lena Dunham, celebrated writer and filmmaker with a controversial public image, discusses her rise to fame and the controversies surrounding her work. Topics include her upbringing, early filmmaking experiences, response to criticism, relationship with Jack Antonoff, controversies surrounding her book, and the confusion surrounding her decision to share her assault story.

53:15

Episode guests

Lena Dunham

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Episode notes

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Quick takeaways

Lena Dunham's memoir sparked controversy and accusations of inappropriate behavior due to her descriptions of certain experiences.

Lena Dunham defended herself against the accusations and apologized for any pain caused by her words.

Lena Dunham's candid storytelling style and progressive views made her a polarizing figure, facing criticism from both sides of the political spectrum.

Deep dives

Lena Dunham's upbringing and early career

Lena Dunham grew up in a tight-knit artistic family in New York City. She attended Oberlin College where she made short films and gained attention for her work. Her feature film, Tiny Furniture, received critical acclaim and won awards at film festivals.

Introduction

2min

Exploring Lena Dunham's Background and Upbringing

4min

Lena Dunham's Journey to Creating 'Tiny Furniture'

16min

Lena Dunham's Response to Criticism

5min

Lena Dunham, Jack Antonoff, and the Hipster Label

3min

Controversy Surrounding Lena Dunham's Book

16min

Controversy and Confusion

8min

Happy Monday, everyone!

Lena Dunham has a brilliant mind and a knack for pissing people off. She’s behind some of our generation’s most celebrated work, but also cringeworthy blunders. How the hell did she get so famous? And what do we make of her now?

This episode was researched by Eilish Gilligan and audio produced by Annabelle Lee.

Big thanks to Mejuri for making this episode possible. Head online to Mejuri for all your holiday needs, or head to the pop-up at Incu in Sydney and Melbourne to shop IRL until December 10.

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