According to a new report, Amy Schumer and Lena Dunham, two left-wing actresses-turned-activists, forged a friendship over how much people hate both of them.
A new profile of Amy Schumer from the New York Times shows the comedian grappling with how much it “sucks to have everyone mad at me.”
Schumer has this in common with Lena Dunham, another New York comedian who often upsets both social justice-minded fans on the left as well as critics on the right.
Schumer has become close with Lena Dunham in part because of the shared experience of being celebrities on the receiving end of torrents of online criticism. (They were even jointly pilloried for a conversation in Dunham’s now-defunct newsletter, Lenny; some called it tone deaf on matters of #MeToo and race.) “It’s a pretty specific experience,” Dunham said by phone about what bonded them. “Most people don’t know what it’s like to open social media in the morning and hear you are physically, socially and politically worthless.” Dunham added that Schumer handles it better than she does. “She’s titanium, and part of her skill is the ability to make it look easy.”
The I Feel Pretty actress also used the Times piece to poke fun at people who claim men are under attack by the #MeToo movement.
She also uses motherhood to jab at the backlash to the #MeToo movement. “I hope it’s a girl,” she said, a sarcastic hint in her voice, “because it’s such a scary time for men.”
Both Schumer and Dunham have bizarre online presences. Schumer uses her social media to post strange personal details interspersed with political commentary.
The Trainwreck star used her pregnancy announcement to endorse Democrats in the 2018 midterm elections. She later shared a video of herself vomiting and captioned it by saying “fuck…anyone who voted for” Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS).
More recently, the star has taken to talking about pooping online.
Dunham, meanwhile, often shares stories about her weight with her followers, most recently posting a photo of herself in lingerie to celebrate weighing the most she ever has.
“I’m the happiest I’ve ever been. Not the frail, precarious happiness of ‘things are going perfectly.” The big, generous, jiggly happiness of “I think I’m finally starting to get the hang of this.’ Not too much… Just enough.” the Girls creator said.