Day Twenty-Seven: A Tale of Two Jim H's

I finally sat down and watched the first four episodes of Aaron Sorkin's The Newsroom and Lena Dunham's Girls, both of which came highly recommended and scrutinized by trusted sources.

Let me start with Girls. Lena Dunham is very very talented. And although I originally knocked the cast for all being daughters of famous men (BLARGH! Nepotism & Irony. You suck.) the show is well acted, and annoying as hell. Marnie is supposed to be the only likable one, right? Because she isn't spoiled, has common sense and a job? Or is that a 30 year old watching a show about aimless 24 year olds? That's how I knew I was getting old...I re-watched the movie version of the musical Rent, and instead of being all "fight the power!" I totally sided with the villain and was like "pay your rent boho trash!! Arrest them!" So yeah, jury is out on these girls. I'll absolutely give it a few more episodes, if only for the sincere hope that Hannah's boyfriend will stop creeping me out. Fingers crossed.

The biggest critiques I had heard of The Newsroom are:
1.) It's West Wing and Sports Night reloaded
2.) The female character are terrible
3.) Needs more Dev Patel. Should totally be the "Dev Patel is Talented Show."

These criticisms are all fair. I think it can be great- Will McEvoy could become some kind of Leo/Toby hybrid, and maybe oh please Mac will stop being horrible and blossom into a CJ. BUT overall the female characters (except Olivia Munn, who I think is surprisingly terrific) are AWFUL. It goes back to that "endearingly flawed" problem I spoke about in my rant against the diabolical Manic Pixie Dream Girl. These characters need a load of work for me to keep tuning in. Most of all Alison Pill's moon-faced Maggie is too immature, stupid, clumsy, and useless to be worthy of John Gallagher Jr.s adorable, noble Jim.

Which brings me to the title of this post...What's up with all the perfect Jim H.'s on TV?
Jim Harper - The Newsroom
Jim Halpert - The Office

Where do these Jim's come from? Is there a farm where they grow shaggy, sensitively sexy boys next door who pine for taken women? Must they ALL be called Jim H.?!? Why can't we start swooning collectively as a thinking female consensus for...Theodore? Is he simply not earnest enough? Maybe we should just start calling these guys Ernest (not. sexy.) and cut right to the metaphor.

That being said, I want one. I'd like a Jim H. Please.