Q

Lena Dunham under fire over remarks about black men

q's pop culture panel weighs in on the worthy, contentious, and mind-boggling stories from the week in arts and entertainment.
Lena Dunham is back in the hot seat after controversial remarks about NFL player Odell Beckham Jr. and other black men. (Andrew Kelly/Reuters)

q's pop culture panel weighs in on the worthy, contentious, and mind-boggling stories from the week in arts and entertainment. Opinionated and irreverent, our panel takes pop culture seriously (but not too seriously).

Today's panellists are journalists Rachel Giese, Stephen Marche and Amanda Parris. Up for discussion: 

  • Lena Dunham back in the hot seat: Actress, writer and producer Lena Dunham is facing another internet backlash following an interview with comic Amy Schumer. In it, she guessed at the reasons NFL player Odell Beckham Jr. ignored her at an upscale event. Her theory has been called everything from racist to self involved. The panel weighs in on the fallout, and whether outspoken Dunham has a special duty to mind her words. 
     
  • "Trans-face" controversy: Casting directors have faced criticism over hiring cisgender people to play transgender characters. Matt Bomer is presently in the spotlight for taking on the role of a trans woman in the new movie Anything. Our panel debates the significance of this decision, and whether it makes any difference that Bomer is a gay man. 
     
  • Drake's Child's Play: Drake is turning heads with a new 12-minute music video for his song Child's Play, which features cheesecake and a very angry Tyra Banks. The panel give their delicious, one line reviews.