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Lena Dunham criticizes Kanye's 'disturbing' Famous video

Written by . Published: June 28 2016

Lena Dunham has taken aim at Kanye West for creating a "disturbing" new music video which left her feeling "unsafe" and "worried" about the impression it's leaving for teenage girls.


The rapper courted controversy once again over the weekend (24Jun16) when he premiered the promo for his song Famous. The most talked about scene features lifelike nude wax figures of Kanye and his wife Kim Kardashian naked in a bed with celebrities such as ex-girlfriend Amber Rose, Chris Brown, Rihanna, Donald Trump, Bill Cosby, and Lena's close friend Taylor Swift.


Kanye also mentions his frequent rival in the track in a now-infamous lyric, "I feel like me and Taylor might still have sex / Why? I made that b**ch famous."


And on Monday (27Jun16), the Girls star came to the defense of her pal in a passionate post on Facebook, calling the music video "one of the more disturbing 'artistic' efforts in recent memory."


Lena prefaced her comment by noting she always looks forward to what Kanye releases, and also wrote how much she admires Kim and her sisters for being strong women in the spotlight.


However, Lena pointed out that the timing of the Famous video's release is concerning and offensive, citing the recent controversial ruling of a college student receiving a light sentence for allegedly raping a woman, as well as embattled comedian Bill Cosby's ongoing sexual assault legal battles.


"Now I have to see the prone, unconscious, waxy bodies of famous women, twisted like they've been drugged and chucked aside at a rager?" she questioned. "It gives me such a sickening sense of dis-ease."


Lena also wrote about how deeply she appreciates the ability to express creativity through the medium, since she was raised by two artists, including her photographer mom who ironically has snapped naked life-sized dolls of her own.


But she argued, "If it's been banned, I'll probably love it. Because I know that art's job is to make us think in ways that aren't always tidy or comfortable. But this feels different."


Lena had a particularly difficult time watching Taylor in the video, adding, "Seeing a woman I love like Taylor Swift (f**k that one hurt to look at, I couldn't look), a woman I admire like Rihanna or Anna (Wintour), reduced to a pair of waxy breasts made by some special effects guy in the (California's San Fernando) Valley, it makes me feel sad and unsafe and worried for the teenage girls who watch this and may not understand that grainy roving camera as the stuff of snuff films.


"I hesitated a lot about saying anything cuz I figured the thinkpieces would come pouring in. But I didn't see this angle being explored as much as I had hoped. It's weird to feel like you're watching alone. I bet I'm not."


Lena concluded, "Here's the thing, Kanye: you're cool. Make a statement on fame and privacy and the Illuminati or whatever is on your mind! But I can't watch it, don't want to watch it, if it feels informed and inspired by the aspects of our culture that make women feel unsafe even in their own beds, in their own bodies. Y'all, I'm so sick of showing up to the party angry. But at least I brought cake."


The actress attached a photo of a chocolate cake with the German phrase "alles liebe" written on the top, meaning "all the best".

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