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The Schmooze

This Encounter Between Lena Dunham and a Male Producer is Horrifyingly Sexist

Today in misogynist news, “Girls” showrunner Jenni Konner penned a note for Lenny Newsletter about a hideous encounter that went down between Lena Dunham and a male television producer.

The story began when Dunham was “cornered” by the producer while out to eat with a few “Girls” co-workers. According to Konner, he asked Dunham to have dinner with an actress on his show, and convince her to “show her tits, or at least some vag” on TV.

His reasoning, it turns out, was because Dunham is frequently nude on her television show. “You would show anything,” he reportedly said. “Even your asshole.”

He then went onto critique the women’s bodies on his television show. While one of the show’s crew members would later note that the producer seemed to be very drunk, Konner asserted that that cannot be used as an excuse.

“When women get drunk, they are asking for it,” she explained. “When men get drunk, they don’t mean it.”

She went onto explain the importance of recording incidences like this, and making sure they don’t slip by.

“When we share, we unlock other women’s stories, and suddenly secrets don’t seem so necessary,” Konner wrote. “The only thing standing between men and outdated, hideous behavior is their ability to get away with it.

Thea Glassman is an Associate Editor at the Forward. Reach her at [email protected] or on Twitter at @theakglassman.

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