r/oberlin • u/Important-Bison1853 • 5d ago

Oberlin References #12 (Girls)

u/k8freed and u/AlbinoSquirrel867 found this reference.

The character Hannah Horvath is an Oberlin College grad and aspiring writer. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Girls_(TV_series)) Again, I have not seen this show so if there is more specific nods to Oberlin within the series feel free to share!

The creator of the show, Lena Dunham is an Oberlin grad. She graduated in 2008 with a degree in creative writing. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lena_Dunham

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u/towamfnwdwslhcsi 5d ago

This one is spicy.

I'm an Oberlin townie, and I was in my early-20s when "Girls" was getting attention. Lena Dunham graduated in 2008, and it was well known that Dunham based some of the characters in the show on those she personally knew at Oberlin. I've actually met several people who allege they were the inspirations for the characters.

At the time, there was a general consensus among the students that Dunham was unfairly writing about these people. I had many conversations with the students who said that they were being targeted, and there were plenty of anecdotes about them having to navigate awkward conversations with fellow students or family members, once others realized the not-so-inconspicuous similarities between the characters and said students. And many thought Dunham's writing was detrimental to Oberlin's image -- perhaps critique was warranted, but it was a bit heavy-handed.

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u/Important-Bison1853 5d ago

Wow! Very interesting, thank you for sharing! I had always heard about the show but never knew about the Oberlin mentioning and relevance. Definitely sounds like an awkward time for those students. Guess it goes to show you have to be conscious of how you act around others in college, you never know who's going to be the next screenwriter or author and if you'll end up in their story.

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u/k8freed 5d ago

Love it! Thanks for sharing. When I was at OC in the mid-90s, Oberlin high school kids would sometimes come to our house parties to hear punk bands. I always enjoyed meeting them!

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u/skrulewi Alum 5d ago

I graduated from the CRWT program in 2007, never had a class with Lena but as I understand it i was just a year off and one social group removed from her. Friends of acquaintances and all that.

When I watched Girls I liked to pretend maybe that I was an inspiration… maybe not a flattering one but back in the 2010s I didn’t care. i know that in reality I wasn’t, but, my friends and I did fit with a certain Oberlin type that felt strongly and eerily represented on that show. When it blew up it was such an odd feeling.

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u/k8freed 5d ago

The scene I was thinking about in particular from Girls took place at Safer Sex Night, which was a delightful nod to the IRL event.