Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
Arts & Entertainment
Should Lena Dunham Feel Shame For Wearing Uggs, Or Should We Kill Ourselves For Blogging About It?
By
John Del Signore
Published Nov 29, 2012
Modified Nov 29, 2012
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
Courtesy Lena Dunham on Instagram
By
John Del Signore
Published Nov 29, 2012
Modified Nov 29, 2012
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Because you probably haven't thought about Lena Dunham in several hours, let's take this opportunity to debate the merits of her choice of footwear. Uggs, which we're told is a style of boot that nearly tore America apart in 2006, were recently spotted on Dunham's feet in an Instagram photo posted by the daughter of Carroll Dunham herself. As if to preemptively forestall any snarky blog criticism that would surely be sparked by her fashion choice, Dunham cleverly titled the photograph "Oh eat shit."
Are Uggs relevant? Is it true John Wilkes Booth was wearing Uggs when he assassinated Abraham Lincoln? Have you seen Lincoln? Is it true there's too much scenery-chewing? What are we doing here? Has anyone watched more than three episodes of Girls and not wanted to round up everyone under 25 and send them to forced labor camps for the manufacture of new Steely Dan LPs? Do Dunham's November Uggs mean global warming is a myth?
At press time, it was unclear why the hell I'm writing about this and not Jen Carlson, but for insight into why this is being reported in the first place, here's an earlier Gchat exchange with Gothamist's publisher and Carlson:
Jake: Maybe you should do a post about whether it's acceptable for Lena Dunham to wear uggs http://instagram.com/p/SnhQlsC1OU/
Jen: I saw that... I don't know
Jake: Isn't it time for some seasonal Ugg shaming?
Jen: I think they are mostly shamed when it's NOT freezing and people are wearing them. Anyway, just seems like a transparent grab for pageviews.
Jake: yeah, PVs are the last thing we need.
But don't let that distract you from the topic at hand: Have Uggs come full circle into fashion, having been so "out" they're "in"? Or should we (I?) take a big heaping handful of random pills, draw a warm bath, and get out of here before we're subjected to the next season of Girls? Either way, we think we're on the same page with one "leslye_headland," who follows Dunham on Instagram and writes, "They're super comfortable! No shame! They are the shoe equivalent of fucking the nice guy who sends you McSweeneys links! I ruined mine in the rain. I also ruined the McSweeneys guy."
Tagged
fashion
Lena Dunham
pageviews
uggs
original
John Del Signore
Originally from the Albany area, John Del Signore has called NYC home since 1995. In addition to his thousands of meticulously-crafted bespoke blog posts for Gothamist, his writing has also been published in The Awl, Deadspin, The Nervous Breakdown, and performed at The Brick Theater in Brooklyn.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE arts-entertainment
Will Barnes and Noble in the East Village spell doom for smaller shops? It's complicated.
Independent booksellers are grappling with whether the big-box chain is a threat or an ally in the fight against Amazon.
By
Sonia Rao
Published Oct 16, 2026
Can eligible NYC singles find love with 30 minutes and some really spicy food?
We went to the Spiciest Supper Club singles night to take the temperature of New York City's dating scene.
By
Elizabeth Shwe
and
James Ramsay
Arts & Entertainment
Can eligible NYC singles find love with 30 minutes and some really spicy food?
We went to the Spiciest Supper Club singles night to take the temperature of New York City's dating scene.
By
Elizabeth Shwe
and
James Ramsay
How the NYC Marathon has changed in the last 50 years
By
Hannah Frishberg
A visit to Art of Play, the Brooklyn store in an animatronic bird beef with Kelly Clarkson
By
Sonia Rao
The hottest way to show you're an authentic New Yorker is… riding a Citi Bike?
By
Lindsay Lee Wallace
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .