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2016 CFDA Fashion Awards - Arrivals

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Lena Dunham does more talking in her Lenny Letter interview than her subject, Amy Schumer.

That’s the first thing one should note from her one-on-one sit down with the comedian. Second, of course, is the peak white privilege verbal diarrhea being spewed with each and every line of the interview.

On Friday, the Girls creator became the No.1 trending topic for an interview in which she talks to Schumer about feminism, her role in media, tramp stamps and how blasé the 2016 MET Gala apparently was.

Among her weird statements are, “My ovary has basically exploded in my stomach twice, and I was pretty chill about it” and “I love you, you can cry near me” sarcastically in regards to two women being shot while watching Schumer’s Trainwreck film.

But the one comment that put people particularly over the edge was her strange, imagined, delusional encounter with Odell Beckham, Jr.

The 2015 ESPYS - Backstage And Audience

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Dunham says: You and I were literally sitting across from each other at the Met Ball, and it was so surreal to get to do that. I was sitting next to Odell Beckham Jr., and it was so amazing because it was like he looked at me and he determined I was not the shape of a woman by his standards. He was like, “That’s a marshmallow. That’s a child. That’s a dog.” It wasn’t mean — he just seemed confused. The vibe was very much like, “Do I want to fuck it? Is it wearing a … yep, it’s wearing a tuxedo. I’m going to go back to my cell phone.” It was like we were forced to be together, and he literally was scrolling Instagram rather than have to look at a woman in a bow tie. I was like, “This should be called the Metropolitan Museum of Getting Rejected by Athletes.”

We’re sure plenty of people fantasize that the highly successful New York Giants’ wide receiver is thinking about them. But Lena’s blatant projection of her insecurities onto him — alluding that a Black man was being rude by not paying her any attention — is elitist and problematic.

It’s hardly a secret that Black men are often perceived to be highly sexual beings, fetishized by white women for centuries.

But we weren’t the only ones who took issue with her statements. Twitter called her out on the comment, and another statement about she made about dancing on Michael B. Jordan that was later removed.

In response to the backlash, Lena sent out a couple tweets clarifying her statements. Unfortunately, they fell flat.

The problem with Lena’s entire brand is that she literally makes money off of being a feminist. As so, many have looked to her to stay in line with a brand that she continues to proclaim. But like so many White feminists before her, she is completely devoid of intersectional thinking. Not only is her lack of awareness of the struggles of people of color deeply disturbing, her defensiveness when called out on it is proof that she is unwilling to learn and grow. Hers is a brand grounded in ignorance of marginalized communities beyond white women.

Frankly, it’s astonishing how unaware she is. For someone who seems to know the importance of having a voice, she often wastes her platform.

But as we all know, white privilege, in any form, can be a helluva thing to get past.

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