I haven't been able to sit through an episode of Lena Dunham's smash HBO hit Girls. I find the writing childish and the characters and situations unbelievable. Some people love her, and some loathe her. I was in the "who cares?" column until today.
Last week, Dunham was tweeting with friends Mindy Kaling (The Office, The Mindy Project) and B.J. Novak (The Office) about Halloween costume ideas and Kaling suggested they be the West Memphis 3 (you can read about this tragic story but be forewarned, it's gruesome and sad). Dunham responded with, "You guys go as killer Canadian couple Paul Bernardo & Karla Homolka. I'll be her sister they murdered. Scariest! Luv U"
EXCUSE ME?
My husband grew up in Niagara region during the time that Kristen French and Leslie Mahaffy were killed and the tone in which Niagara families speak of these crimes is still one of hurt and confusion, 20 years later. As a tween, I inadvertently overheard a family friend (who had been in court during Bernardo's trial) recount what they saw on the videotape of Karla's sister's murder. It haunts me still.
I know what those girls looked like from their school photos. Their faces flash in my mind just as clear as any other kid I may have gone to school with.
And I'm not someone who thinks controversial topics should be off-limits. But let's be clear, joking about child murders (and I'm pretty damned disappointed in Ms. Kaling's remarks too—the WM3 case is awful and sad and three sweet boys died) is not ever going to be funny.
Never.
I'm sickened that someone even finds this comical and that they have a public persona that allows them the soap box to spew such tasteless garbage.
People who lack the basic human emotion of empathy are not people I look up to, admire or would want children to look up to.
Someone likened Ms. Dunham to Tina Fey once.
Only if Tina Fey was uneducated and mean.
So, spill it! What do you think of Lena Dunham's comments?
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