Following a Nietzschean line of philosophy: one must be deeply engaged in the world on an experiential level to obtain a respected opinion. Struggle is imperative in this process as it develops our own inner identity; through battling against a thing that we hate we become more akin to the things we love. Here I pose the question: is Girls a TV series we should take seriously on issues like gender oppression, sexual assault and racial division? Has the creator Lena Dunham been through enough social struggle to speak for groups that experience daily marginalisation, when she herself may not typically be considered marginalised?
What defines the validity of an opinion? I understand that you're using philosophy, but I've always felt an aversion towards having to legitimize one's own take and opinion on certain subjects. Case in point: comments that begin with "as a __," not in an assertion of authority, but in a fear of one's thoughts being invalidated. Who is 'we,' why must 'we' be a hive mind? Can certain people take it seriously, while others won't? Can we stop policing others' opinions n what is and isn't worthy of serious attention? Why is there a bar for 'enough struggle to be taken seriously'? – m-cubed8 years ago
Given the show's popularity its reasonable to assume that it speaks to a lot of individuals on a close level. Therefore it is informing broader discourse, which is a legitimate standpoint to question the validity of the central opinion as it could be perpetuating more divisions. The show is heavily criticised for its lack of racial depiction and adds to another long, long list of sitcoms that fall into that box.
If there aren't standards of struggle for people in power there will be no mechanism of change, the same views will be presented which perpetuates a disparity in our social order. – Iliasbakalla8 years ago
Again to dispute the commedeia della arte of America, not every fat chick is smarter than you are. – Antonius8657 years ago