Podcast Summary: The New Yorker Radio Hour – Episode 32: "Lena Dunham Turns Thirty, and Memorial Day Malaise"
Date: May 27, 2016
Host: David Remnick (WNYC Studios and The New Yorker)
Major Segments:
- Lena Dunham's 30th Birthday & End of "Girls"
- History of Political Party Infighting (Amy Davidson)
- Baratunde Thurston on Media, Race, and Comedy
- "Memorial Day" fiction reading (Peter Cameron, performed by Noah Galvin)
Episode Overview
This episode intertwines reflection and critique as David Remnick converses with Lena Dunham on the personal and creative transitions marked by her 30th birthday and the coming end of her series "Girls." It further explores political party identity through Amy Davidson’s historical lens, dives into comedy's power (and limits) in today’s politics with Baratunde Thurston, and closes with Peter Cameron’s evocative fiction, "Memorial Day." The tone is sharp, self-aware, and at times poignantly funny.
1. Lena Dunham Turns Thirty and "Girls" Ends
(00:30–16:29)
Main Themes
- Transitioning out of her twenties, both personally and artistically
- The conscious decision to end “Girls” while it still felt relevant
- Exploring new creative projects (short stories, Lenny newsletter)
- Feminism, generational politics, and her support for Hillary Clinton
Key Discussion Points & Timestamps
Celebrating with Champagne
- Remnick brings a bottle for an in-studio toast as Dunham approaches her party.
- Quote: “Are you anxious at all about turning 30? ... Your presence in the world has all been about... not being 30, about being young and growing into yourself. Is this odd for you?” (01:39 - David Remnick)
- Quote: “I feel thrilled about it... so much of what the show's about is how full of romantic but existential drama your 20s are.” (01:55 - Lena Dunham)
On Ending “Girls”
- Dunham describes uncertainty in the early seasons and the eventual plan for the show’s narrative arc.
- Quote: “For the first two seasons… I think I was living with so much fear that all I'd ever heard about TV was like, you get canceled, you get pushed aside.” (04:21 - Lena Dunham)
- Decision to end at season six came with maturity of both show and creator.
Future Creative Work
- Transition to writing fiction, moving beyond personal essays.
- Quote: “I just felt strongly like I had stories to tell that weren't exactly my own... I don't want to write about being a famous person. That's the most boring thing in the world.” (07:29 - Lena Dunham)
On Lenny Letter & Platforming Female Voices
- Lenny conceived as non-vanity, collaborative, long-form space for women’s perspectives.
- Quote: “Twitter is a landmine… you want to be able to express your opinions about what it is to be female now, politically and personally, in a longer form way.” (08:34 - Lena Dunham)
Campus Politics & Free Speech
- Dunham’s nuanced view on safe spaces and trigger warnings, recognizing both value and pitfalls.
- Quote: “There's amazing pluses and amazing minuses to giving young, unformed people power… At its best, it starts conversations that adults would never have. At its worst, it drives out free speech… Ideas aren't the thing that hurt people.” (11:21 - Lena Dunham)
On Supporting Hillary Clinton
- Dunham sees Clinton’s experience as vital; addresses generational divides among feminists and political “backlash” online.
- Quote: “There's something about my politics that's, like, distinctly sort of second wavy.” (12:39 - Lena Dunham)
- Quote: “If all I wanted was a female in the White House, why wouldn't I have been running around behind, you know, Sarah Palin fixing her skirts?” (13:52 - Lena Dunham)
The Gender Double Standard
- Discusses Clinton’s relationship with fashion versus male politicians, and the exhausting scrutiny of female public figures.
- Quote: “I thought about how much this experience of being analyzed … how much of the fun it must take out of it for her.” (15:18 - Lena Dunham)
Final Toast
- Dunham jokingly braces for “Bernie Bros” backlash, appreciates space for complex conversation.
- Tone: Witty, self-aware, layered with the sense of closing a decade-long chapter.
2. Amy Davidson: Party Infighting & the History of Conventions
(18:01–26:07)
Main Themes
- Lessons from past political convention “wars” and what they could mean for modern parties (specifically the GOP and Trump).
- How historic platform fights shape party identity and legacy.
Key Discussion Points & Timestamps
1980 Democratic Convention: Kennedy vs. Carter
-
Kennedy tries to change delegate rules, seeking an open convention challenge.
- Quote: “I want my delegates to know that they are going to vote their conscience…” (18:47 - Amy Davidson as Kennedy)
-
Carter accuses Kennedy of undemocratic tactics.
- Quote: “It's almost incomprehensible how a brokered horse traded smoke filled room convention could be labeled open…” (20:00 - Amy Davidson as Carter)
1924 Democratic Convention: The Klan Plank Fight
- The convention’s refusal, by a slim majority, to denounce the KKK shapes the outcome.
- Quote: “There was a wing of the party… [that] thought it was important to include in the platform a plank… condemning the Ku Klux Klan, Klan by name.” (22:25 - Narrator/Reporter)
- FDR acts as floor manager for Al Smith; the convention deadlocks for over 100 ballots.
- Moral and identity stakes for the party’s future—sometimes “better to lose with dignity.”
Republican Parallel
- Davidson draws clear parallels to then-present 2016: “If the Republican party is going to have some sort of self respect left... options like rules fights, like platform fights... matter… there’s something to be said for standing on the convention floor and shouting, no.” (25:37 - Amy Davidson)
3. Baratunde Thurston: Media Thinker on Comedy, Politics & Race
(27:11–38:19)
Main Themes
- The role—and limitations—of comedy in combating Donald Trump and in engaging with America’s problems about race
- The inside view of The Daily Show’s transition to Trevor Noah
- Nuance in public conversation, particularly on race
Key Discussion Points & Timestamps
Leaving The Daily Show
- Thurston left after 9 months due to creative differences and lack of time for personal voice.
- Quote: “The contributor means on air, means writing pieces for me to perform… and that became an increasingly frustrating.” (28:24 - Baratunde Thurston)
On Satirizing Trump
- Satire often backfires, serving to strengthen Trump’s appeal.
- Quote: “Trump is a very special boss like video game villain… most of the shots you fire at him make him stronger…” (29:48 - Baratunde Thurston)
- Satirical pieces like ‘Black Donald Trump’ and “Trump as African Dictator” marked new approaches.
Trevor Noah’s Interview Style
- The public’s call for more aggressive interviewing (the “go for the jugular” critique).
- Quote: “My perspective is it’s hard to get people to come on your show if you’re, quote unquote, going for the jugular. And it takes some time to find that balance.” (32:54 - Baratunde Thurston)
Race Conversations in Media
- Thurston’s philosophy: “push and pull” in dialogue makes everyone uncomfortable but leads to honesty.
- Quote: “The pushing is, I know something. I need you to acknowledge it. The pulling is, you’ve got something too, and I don’t have it…” (35:36 - Baratunde Thurston)
The Purpose of His Podcast
- Opens multi-racial, multi-perspective conversations; “dip our toe into those rivers of complexity.” (36:58)
Comedy is Not a Cure-All
- “Humor is a great spotlight… It can show you where to apply therapy. But humor alone is not up to the task.” (37:31–38:19 - Baratunde Thurston)
4. Fiction Reading: “Memorial Day” by Peter Cameron
(39:32–54:32)
Summary
- Performed by Noah Galvin, the story follows a silent, hurting teen navigating Memorial Day with his remarried mother and young stepfather, Lonnie.
- Vivid sensory details—grapefruit spoons, pools, lost diamonds—convey themes of grief, change, and the persistence of memory.
- The narrator refrains from speaking; much is left unsaid, echoing the core ache of family transitions and adolescence.
Notable Moments & Quotes
- “If I found the diamond, maybe my parents wouldn’t separate. I know it sounds ridiculous, but at that moment … the diamond … took on a larger meaning…” (~41:47)
- “You are breaking my heart. … You’re old enough to know that you are breaking my heart.” (52:04 - Mother to son)
- Closure comes with symbolic gestures and quiet, atmospheric sadness—fitting for the episode’s overall tone of endings and transitions.
Notable Quotes
Lena Dunham: On Her Creative Future
“I just felt strongly like I had stories to tell that weren't exactly my own... I don't want to write about being a famous person. That's the most boring thing in the world.” (07:29)
Amy Davidson: On Party Identity
“The convention isn’t just about choosing a candidate. It’s about defining the party—not only who is our candidate, but who are we?” (21:26)
Baratunde Thurston: On Satire’s Limits
“Trump is a very special boss like video game villain, and most of the shots you fire at him make him stronger...” (29:48)
Episode Tone and Flow
The episode is marked by layered self-awareness, candor, and a healthy dose of New Yorker wit. Dunham’s segment is equal parts humor, reflection, and cultural critique. Davidson’s historical analysis is sharp and relevant, paralleled with contemporary politics. Thurston brings humor and intelligence to race and media, while the closing fiction segment shifts to reflective, poetic melancholy—a perfect bookend for Memorial Day weekend.
For more, visit: newyorkerradio.org
End of Summary