'Girls': We Asked For a Black Person and They Gave Us Donald Glover

HBO's 'Girls' is back and the second episode of season 2 premiered this past Sunday. Last season, one of the main criticisms of the show was its lack of diversity. How can these girls be living in Brooklyn and there not be some black people around? Where are their black friends? Well, I honestly didn't have the same issue. As per the story, Hannah and Marnie went to Oberlin College, a place where around 6% of the student population is Black. They weren't exactly swimming in diversity and just because you move to New York City it doesn't mean that all of a sudden people of every race and creed become your friends. If anything, I think that some people become even more insular as far as friends when they are in such overwhelming spaces. Therefore, I was not at all surprised or angry when Hannah, Marnie, Shoshana, and Jessa didn't have a black friend for us to tear to shreds due to lack of depth, stereotypical characterizations, etc. I appreciated the honesty.

But, Lena Dunham and her fellow producers heard the people armed with their equality pitchforks and gave the viewers a black person: Donald Glover. Now, I'm sure that some people would call this cheating. Donald Glover, aka Childish Gambino, is an actor, rapper and self-proclaimed hipster. He's not BLACK black, he just happens to be Black. You know what? That kind of silly logic right there is what makes Dunham and company's choice brilliant. Why? Because that is the kind of black man that Hannah could potentially run into in Williamsburg. He is not a token black character. Bring on the black law school student wearing cut-offs who is in dire need of a shape-up, and make him a Republican to boot. It makes for the opportunity to have uncomfortable conversations that actually happen in real life, which 'Girls' is incredible at portraying.

Hannah and Sandy having a conversation about her writing and his Republican politics broke down into a conversation that included race. Hannah's ridiculous claims of never having seen Sandy as Black and his reactions resonated with me. What do you mean you didn't notice I was Black? The idea is ludicrous at best. Sandy's breakdown of his treatment by white women as well as Hannah's accusations about his dating history are real concerns and conversations that are, and unfortunately are not, being had by black and white people across the country. Sandy says that "they can't deal with who I am," after spouting off all of the expectations of white women he's encountered in New York City bringing up the issues of fetishization, stereotypes, and possibly hypersexualization. Hannah then literally tries to "flip it and reverse it" (thank you for your contribution Missy Elliot) on Sandy accusing him of potentially fetishizing her.

All in all, I really do appreciate Dunham's efforts to bring in characters that would come into contact with her original cast. I am interested to see whether or not Sandy sticks around and what introspections he might cause for Hannah and crew as well as the potential lessons his own character might learn. Adam and Hannah's interactions alone could facilitate an hour or more of conversation ("When you love someone you don't have to be nice all the time," is what Adam says in the first episode of season 1 and it is some twisted twenty-something logic that I can readily appreciate as a twenty-something). I look forward to what develops throughout the season and I hope that you are as well.

Sandy

Wow Hannah. I didn't know that. Thank you for enlightening me about how things are tougher for minorities. Thank you.

Hannah

I can't tell if you're being sarcastic.

Sandy

I am.