Things Got Awkward When A Reporter Asked Lena Dunham Why She’s Always Naked

So, this happened yesterday.

Lena Dunham remained cool and reasonably civil when a male writer during a Television Critics Association panel here asks her why “your character is often naked at random times for no reason.”

“It’s a realistic expression of what it’s like to be alive,” Dunham said in response. “If you are not into me that’s your problem and you are going to have to kind of work that out.”

At that point, an obviously infuriated executive producer Judd Apatow jumped in to fire back at the questioner. “Do you have a girlfriend?” he asked to the reporter. “Just ask her that whole question as you wrote it…and tell me how it goes tonight.” Apatow then called for the next question. (Via)

The full text of the rambling question was, “I don’t get the purpose of all of the nudity on the show, by you particularly, and I feel like I’m walking into a trap where you go, ‘Nobody complains about the nudity on Game of Thrones,’ but I get why they are doing it. They are doing it to be salacious and, you know, titillate people. And your character is often naked just at random times for no reason.”

The answer’s right there: Lena Dunham’s Hannah is an (intentionally) obnoxious twentysomething, and dumb twentysomethings often do random things at random times for random reasons, including get naked. As for why we’ve seen more Lena nudity than, say, Allison Williams (who once masturbated!): there’s a thing in show business called contracts, and certain actors sign certain contracts that state they won’t get naked on-camera. I hate mentioning this show, but: think back to Sex and the City — Kim Cattrall was naked more often than the other three stars, probably because she was OK with it and Sarah Jessica Parker wasn’t.

Though, to be fair, I’d question someone who uses phrases like “realistic expression,” too.

Banner via Getty Image, via NY Daily News

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