Lena Dunham is known for speaking her mind on controversial issues like women's rights, social equality, and education. In a recent interview with Refinery29, the Girls star and creator mentioned Miley Cyrus while discussing women's choices. In doing so, Dunham defends the singer, breaks down her feelings toward women expressing their sexuality in different forms, and feminism.
Feminism is described as the belief or theory that men and women should have equal rights and opportunities in the social, economic, and political realm, according to Merriam-Webster dictionary. The confusion of what it means to be a feminist has been up for debate for decades. Organized acts of feminism vary from women in China protesting raising awareness about domestic violence in the "Bloody Wedding Dress" protest to Amber Rose standing up against slut-shaming with the "Slut Walk".
In 2014, Dunham tweeted that a big part of feminism is allowing other women to make choices that you might not necessarily agree with. When asked about the quote, the 29-year-old New York native used the "Wrecking Ball" singer as an example of how some acts of female liberation aren't always popular with the masses.
A photo posted by Refinery29 (@refinery29) on Feb 10, 2016 at 3:07pm PST
"That statement only goes so far," Dunham told Refinery29. "It doesn't go so far as to excuse things that I don't think work within the historical and political definition of what feminism is. When girls say, 'Hey, Miley Cyrus' hot pants are not feminist.' Maybe they are for her, and maybe they're not for you. Part of the deal is that she wants to wear hot pants, and you want to wear slacks."
Dunham has supported Cyrus in the past. She posted a video to her Instagram playfully spanking Girls co-star Jemima Kirke on the butt while singing "We Can't Stop." She even got a blonde pixie cut inspired by the former Disney star.
Sex is often explored on Dunham's popular HBO series, both the positive and demeaning aspects of it. When it comes to those scenes, her goal is to stray away from showing sex as empowering or feminist and just give fans a raw look at the the complexities of the act. Dunham believes feminists come in all shapes and forms with various attitudes toward what it means to fight for women's rights.
"The biggest things are when a girl says about another girl, 'She's not respecting herself sexually. She's looking for love in all the wrong places,'" Dunham told Refinery29. "You don't get to decide that. You don't get to decide what a feminist looks and acts like. That said, I do reserve the right to not honor it if a woman throwing tomatoes at people outside an abortion clinic wants to call herself a feminist. I don't have to indulge that."
Girls returns for season five at 10 p.m. ET on HBO.
