'Girls' Gave Us the Wrong Ideas About Millennials

I have to make a confession: I haven’t watched more than a single episode of “Girls.” The reason is because I lived in Brooklyn, which is like being in “Girls,” except that fewer of the people are white. But I did read this interesting article by Ross Douthat, in which he asserts that the elite millennial generation “Girls” depicts -- secular, liberal, egalitarian -- hasn’t figured out a healthy alternative to traditional values. He writes:

I can personally attest that Brooklyn youth culture is, indeed, far from a paradise of healthy, stable relationships. But also, having lived in places like Texas, Michigan and California, I can vouch that Brooklyn youth culture is far from representative of educated secular millennial lifestyles. If we look at the data rather than relying on scripted television shows, a picture emerges that is far closer to the “official narrative” that Douthat rejects.