In what might just be the most brilliant marketing campaign we’ve seen recently, Lena Dunham is promoting her new book by dishing out advice in a YouTube series called Ask Lena.
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As you can tell from this clip — or you know, if you binge-watched all of them while laughing hysterically like we did — they are fabulous. So fabulous, in fact, they have us wondering: Should Lena Dunham be hosting her own show in the vein of reigning talk-show royalty Ellen DeGeneres? Here’s why we think we’re on to something.
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1. She’s not afraid to be embarrassingly honest
When you think of the best advice you’ve ever been given, chances are the person giving it opened up to you in some way about themselves. They made themselves relatable to the situation. Not only has Dunham mastered this art, but she’s not afraid to go all-in. When Juliana from Delaware writes in to ask about avoiding sex with bad people, Dunham empathizes. “I can’t tell you how much I understand. Before my current boyfriend — who’s a lovely, lovely person — I had a train of the most disastrous, despicable, van-dwelling monsters in my bed.” She’s doesn’t hold back, and that is a trait worth tuning in to.
2. She loves herself
Really, what more can you ask for in a talk-show host? Over the years, DeGeneres has spoken many times about getting to the point in her life where she is truly happy with herself — despite what anyone else might think or say. Women need to see more women who are confident being exactly who they are. As for Dunham, her brand of confidence should resonate with a wide range of women, including “regular women” like Megan, who asked Lena about being plus-sized and owning it.
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“I’ve been a bunch of different weights and being, you know, temporarily 135 pounds, I was so obsessed with food — I was so into counting almonds — that I don’t think I got laid the entire time,” she said. “Whereas, when I was at my biggest and, like, running around Brooklyn in a romper, it was raining men.” She also lets it slip that she recently bought a see-through rain dress, which she fully intends to rock around town at some point.
3. Her advice is on point
Honestly, we could write an entire article on this argument alone. From reassuring a “questionable feminist” (“A huge part of being a feminist is giving other women the freedom to make choices you might not make yourself,”) to helping someone by the name of Nikki J. curb her jealousy (“The time you spend being jealous of other people is time you’re not spending focusing on your own vision of yourself and pushing forward, so make a fatty to-do list and hit that shit hard,”) Dunham serves up advice that is at times poignant, at times hilarious and always spot-on.
4. The talk-show circuit needs some young blood
We’re about to hit you with some hard truth: Ellen can’t stay on the air forever. We know, we know… sad face. DeGeneres’ show has been renewed through 2017, or her 14th season, as of right now. But perhaps she and de Rossi want to start a family. (If the rumors are true, they’re already on their way.) Maybe she wants to pursue other opportunities. The point is, television needs another gutsy, funny lady to step up to the plate. Besides, isn’t it about time talk TV got a younger personality on board? Just think about it — if Dunham’s wildly successful series Girls is any indication, her at the helm of a talk show would be addictive.
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5. She doesn’t shy away from the tough stuff
We can’t imagine, off-the-cuff, that there is anything Lena Dunham would shy away from. This girl’s got moxie. And who doesn’t need a daily dose of that? When one fan writes in for advice on dealing with her OCD, Dunham gets straight to the point. “I know you said you don’t like going the doctor… you have to. There’s so much stigma around mental illness in our society, and you probably feel like you’re supposed to muscle through this or tough it out. But if you had diabetes, you wouldn’t say, ‘I don’t think I should be allowed to have insulin.'” Also, Dunham never — and we mean never — turns down an opportunity to be frank and forthcoming about sex.
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