If you ever wanted to know what NBA Hall-of-Famer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar does in his spare time, just know that it's not all Skyhooks and mai tais with Magic.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar writes the same ‘Girls’ think-piece as everyone else
The NBA’s all-time leading scorer, for some reason, decided to write about the television show Girls, but since he invented the Skyhook, we’ll give him a pass.
Kevork Djansezian
The Huffington Post published an editorial by Abdul-Jabbar on the recent hit TV show Girls. Titled “Girls Just Wants to Have (White) Fun,” the former big man breaks down the show that he says is “struggling to be a voice of its generation.” This is on the basis that more than a fifth of the show’s viewership includes “white dudes over 50,” and that 56 percent are men.
The review is pretty much what every other blogger on the interwebs would write if they’re not completely enthralled by the show. Attempting to find what exactly Girls is trying to say about 20-something women in this day, Abdul-Jabbar breaks it down into four basic points:
- Their world is mostly white.
- They like to talk about (and sometimes engage in) sex.
- They're too self-conscious, too cutesy, and not that funny.
- The guys are more interesting than the girls.
The best part is Abdul-Jabbar’s analysis of the often-awkward mix of sexual discussion and lack of sexual action. An excerpt:
The characters talk boldly about sex, but their actions are often shy and unsatisfying. The contrast of the generation that’s been taught that pretty much anything goes sexually trying to act cool while struggling with their vulnerabilities is generally fresh and original and insightful about this generation.
Abdul-Jabbar goes on to criticize what he interprets as a “forced” use of a black male character, expresses his wish that the show was funnier -- he points to Seinfeld as a much better example of using humor to create social commentary -- but overall is fair in his assessment that the messages Girls puts forth is still worth a listen.
Perhaps the biggest takeaway from Abdul-Jabbar’s editorial is his pop culture savvy. And mostly, it’s good to know he appreciates a good show like Seinfeld.
