Say what you will about Lena Dunham, the girl has got guts and gusto to spare. Never one to shy away from controversy, the 29-year-old recently posted a photo to Instagram that featured her standing in her bathroom, stripped down to her skivvies. She was, in fact, giving a shout-out to indie lingerie brand Lonely Lingerie, which boasts this motto: “For women who wear lingerie as a love letter to themselves.”
As anyone who has seen the show “Girls” or read a single article about Dunham since its creation knows, she is often nude on screen, an act that some consider to be a blatant F-U to social norms. With most film, TV and advertising featuring bodies that are considered more “ideal” than hers, it is refreshing to see that despite the near-constant influx of haters, Dunham is not backing down. She has a body that does not fit into the typical mold for the media, nor is she ashamed of it. This photo is just the latest in her acknowledgment of that unpleasant fact.
Women are reminded daily via numerous social channels that we must strive for perfection; that if your ass if feeling fat, your lashes are sparse, your skin is sallow, there’s a product to fix it, hide it, or eliminate it. Dunham has the unique opportunity as a public figure to challenge these preconceived notions of deficiency simply by showing her body and not apologizing for doing so. Trolls and naysayers will always be there to vehemently protest, as if she and other women who aren’t in flawless shape do not have the right to be seen.
We don’t all need or want to post pictures in our underwear to social media, but for those of us that do, we should not be body-shamed. Dunham’s photo, and the lingerie itself, is a bold reminder to celebrate our so-called imperfections, our points of pride and everything in between. Anything that promotes self-love is all right in our book, so a huge thank you to Ms. Dunham for her confidence and candor. Maybe it’s even time to do a little lingerie shopping…
image c/o: Instagram @lenadunham
